I OWN NOTHING! ALL THE CHARACTERS AND SUCH ARE THE GENIUS OF STEPHENIE MEYERS!

Chapter three- A little more then kissing

When we reached Edwards car I was somewhere between giddy and terrified. Edward hadn't said a word since asking me if I wanted to leave. He only glanced at me while we walked when he didn't think I could see it. As he opened the door I stood on the frame of the car and surprised him with a kiss. I had only meant it to have been a light peck on the lips but before I could pull away he dug his hands into my hair and pulled me into a deep passion drenched kiss. He opened his mouth against mine and I could taste his breath through my parted lips. I gripped the door frame tighter, I mentally screamed at my knees not to buckle and pull me from this kiss. He moved one hand around my waist and pulled my body to melt into his. When he finally released my lips I was panting, my body shook under his gentle touch, my breath refused to enter my lungs in anything more then sharp raspy gasps. I tried to read his eyes but he turned away looking towards the school.

I grumbled lightheartedly about his new do as I say not I do attitude. He waited until he heard me buckle my seat belt then shut the door and made his way to the driver's side.

After the car had left the school parking lot we rode in silence, not uncomfortable just different. I wanted to ask him where we were going, what that kiss was about, not that I minded of course, but mostly why he was driving the speed limit. I had just enough courage to ask the question when I shifted in my seat knocking over my back pack.

The zipper hadn't been closed all the way in our hurry to escape and when it fell the gifts tumbled out on the floor. I gathered up the two gifts wrapped in the shiny pink paper only to find three more gifts under them. One was square and small in size, it was wrapped in plain brown paper, the other two were tied together as if they were a set. The larger of the two was wrapped in delicate white and blue swirled paper. It was so lovely I hated the thought of opening it. The last gift was palm sized, it was an unwrapped black jewelry box held firmly to the blue paper with doubled sided tape and white lace ribbon.

I glared at Edward who was looking at the gifts with true surprise. I searched deeper into my bag and found a small pink envelope with my name written in perfect cursive. I tore the envelope to find a card made of thick pink material, on the front was a picture Carlisle had taken one of the many nights I had eaten at Edward's house. It was a picture of me asleep on the couch sandwiched between Alice and Edward. Emmett and rose sat by Alice's feet and jasper leaned on Alice's shoulder as he sat on the couch's large arm.

I smiled at the picture, the look on Edwards face was so full of love as I slept on his shoulder that I didn't mind the fact Emmett had grabbed my ankle just as Carlisle took the picture and was pretending to take a bite. I laughed at the memory of waking up to the sounds of Edward, Alice and Esme smacking Emmett around the room.

I opened the card and felt the tears rush to my eyes as I read Alice's neat script.

'Dearest Bella,

You will never know how much you mean to us, not just Edward, but each of us. You have changed each of us in some way. Your love and complete expectance was unexpected to say the least, but now that we have you in our lives we can't see the future without you.

All the love we have,

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, and rose.'

The tears ran down my cheeks when I saw that each Cullen had signed their names to the card, even rose.

I stacked the five gifts on my lap and made quick work on the paper. The gifts from Charlie were sweet, but obviously not something he thought of by himself. A digital camera and a large pink leather photo album with my full name branded to the front. I would have to remember the thank Renee later.

Alice's gifts were just too Alice that I laughed at myself for expecting anything less. The large package was a blue silk dress, I held it to my chest and let it drape down my body. I heard Edward's breath catch in his throat so I hastily folded the dress and shoved it in my bag. I have a feeling Edward wasn't supposed to see that.

The jewelry box held a small oval blue diamond necklace held onto a thin silver chain by a silver clasp covered in tiny square cut white diamonds. It was breath taking; I would have to force the price lecture to Alice later. I loved the necklace, but if you give Alice an inch she'll take a mile and fill it with cars, dresses and thousand dollar shoes. I shuttered at the thought.

The plain wrapped gift was different and I was beginning to wonder if it was even from Alice until I opened the obviously antique leather bond book to find an inscription:

To my sweet Alice,

In this world there are two extremes, good and evil. Without good there could only be evil and without evil we could never know true goodness. They are each others balance, the one needs the other to thrive and be complete. The same can be said for events in one's own life, good days will balance themselves with the bad. For each day you can not prevent your smile from claiming your lovely features there will be days when the tears flow from your honey eyes with force. Each life, my dear Alice is an unending struggle for balance. For you I wish the scales to tip in favor of the good.

Yours in friendship always,

Todd Mischcian.

I knew even before I read the first sentence of the book, that the authors note would mean more to me then all the other words in this book and I knew that Alice understood what I saw in his words. Edward, as he saw it anyway, and I were too extremes. I was the good and he, only in his mind of course, was this cape wearing evil bent on ripping me from all the happiness I'd ever know to create his own. Why couldn't he understand that he was my balance, he was what kept the bad days from overwhelming the good. Every time he caught me as I fell he would check to make sure his grip hadn't left a bruise instead of acknowledging the fact that he had just saved me from a fall down a six floor flight of stairs or the varies other never ending daily threats on my life.

I pressed the book to my chest, breathing heavily as the mixture of happy and sad tears ran down my check. I would have to thank Alice for this later; I couldn't even be annoyed at the thought that the thank you would most likely take place in a malls dressing room. I opened the book again to run my fingers over the browning cover page with the inscription, the words were faded; the black ink had taken on a lighter shade of gray. I flipped the book over and checked the print date; it was it was a first edition printed in 1942.

I was pulled away from my newly found second love when my first love cleared his throat. I looked up shocked to see we were already in parked in my drive way with the engine off. I blushed and stuffed the remaining gifts in my backpack. I decided to carry the book with me; I don't think I would ever be able to put it down.

I shifted my bag on to my shoulder then reached for the door handle. I looked up surprised to find empty air. I laughed when I saw Edward with the door open for me. Would I ever get used to vampire speed chivalry? After I had stepped out of his Volvo and he had closed the door he took my hand and lead me up the steps to the front door.

I was lost in the weathered binding of Alice's gift. I pressed the book to my nose and took a deep breath. The leather smelled faintly of rain, tobacco and dust, it was relaxing and such an intoxicating scent I was lost again in the quite beauty.

"Bella I am starting to wonder if I need to challenge that book to a duel. I never thought I could be so jealous of a stack of paper before." His voice was low and husky, when I met his eyes they were pitch black and hooded with overwhelming lust. My jaw fell open, my arms feel limp at my sides and I groaned loudly as he eagerly gathered me into his arms bridle style. He tossed my bag blindly over his shoulder, I gasped when the bag landed on the coat hanger next to the front door. He took my book from me, pulling a little harder then necessary, but seeing as I held it will every once of strength I guess it was understandable.

"Don't worry, I would never do anything to come between the two of you." He laughed and placed the book gently on the stairs railing. Hamming it up a bit as he pointed to his eyes then back to the book, warning the book he was watching it.

"I'll be back later." I whispered leaning over Edwards arm to wave teasingly sad as he started to climb the stairs. I giggled as he growled.

"Keep that up and that book might trip and fall into a fire place somewhere." I laughed along with his husky chuckle, but when I met his eyes the laughter stopped. His eyes were filled with such intensity my stomach muscles tensed with an unidentifiable emotion.

He climbed the stairs at an agonizing human pace, he never broke eye contact and with each stair it seemed the intensity of his emotions grew.

"Your jealous of my book?" I squeaked and buried my crimson cheeks in his chest.

"Of course." He sounded surprised that I even had to ask.

"Bella, I'm jealous of the wind when it blows through your lovely hair. I'm envious of the jeans that are allowed to hug your stunning form. I envy each drop of rain that caresses your perfect cheeks. The only reason I don't fight every man who glances in your direction is because I know it would upset you. So how could you, my Bella, be surprised by the fact that I am jealous that that book gets to touch your ruby lips and receives such attention from you?" His voice was tight with emotion, each word rung in my ears as blissful tears pooled at the corners of my eyes.

I was speechless; I felt like a fool, my mouth was wide and gapping. I would never understand how he could love me and so deeply. In my silence he had stopped at the top stair. He gripped my chin lightly, pulling me out of my thoughts so he could ravage my lips with a kiss so full of his love I worried my heart would stop with the overwhelming force of it all at once.

"Bella?" The concerned worry was back in his tone, it was then I remembered he was the one that had wanted to leave, which he always protested against when I half joked about leaving early to make out. I had never really said the make out part, I just always felt it was implied anytime I was alone with him. Now it was an hour before school let out, three hours before Charlie got off work and four until the party. He seemed to be fighting some metal battle; his eyes were tight with thought. I opened my mouth to ask but before I could speak a full syllable his lips were on mine again.

I closed my eyes and let the love fill me with its warmth. When he finally released me to breathe I was lying with my back on my bed, Edward was balanced carefully over me.

"Edward?" This was different.

"Bella I….." His eyes bore into mine looking for some sign of reluctance he'd never find. He hesitated and when it looked like he was composing himself I swung my arms over his shoulders and buried my hands deep into the wild mess of his hair. I knew my trying to pull Edward down would be the equivalent of me trying to stop Tyler's truck by myself, impossible and embarrassing. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about either because as soon as my arms connected with his immortal flesh the composure dissolved and his lips met mine in another welcomed ravaging kiss.

Naughty naughty! But really would we want Edward any other way? Hehehe, okay so I have not yet decided the ending of this story. Really! I am just going with the flow. I have already written a few chapters ahead, of course they have nothing to do with the story till like chapter ten. Lol, yeah that's just how I work. Trust me though goooood stuff! I don't wanna give anything away so please keep reading and know that I really appreciate it!