Many thanks as always to my dear friends for pre-reading and betaing this one.

I don't own the characters, but I like to play with them.

The next day, I visited Edward at the hospital.

And the following day.

And the day after that.

I visited him for four days before his release.

My Easter break was almost over—two more days before I had to return to Seattle. I'd talked with Jake a couple of times over the phone and promised him I was fine and that I would return.

When Edward was released, Carlisle drove us to their house before taking Esme out. It was their way to give us privacy. Emmett, Rosalie and Dave had gone home two days after my arrival, just like Alice and Jasper.

Edward walked straight to the couch when we stepped in their house, slumping there, holding his ribs.

"Does it hurt?" I wondered worried.

"A little, but don't worry. Come here." He patted the spot next to him. "Come on, Bella. I think we avoided this conversation for far too long."

"Me too," I mumbled, walking to him. I sat down leaving a good foot between us. "I have no idea where to start…questioning you."

"Apologizing doesn't make my actions look better, but allow me to apologize for the way I treated you. I thought I was doing something worth it at that time. I was sure you'd forget me."

I threw him a look that said "Are you crazy?"

He hung his head down, wriggling his fingers in his lap. "I wasn't…I hurt too," he whispered.

"Well, good!" I snapped making his head raise up, his huge eyes boring into mine. "Yes." I nodded. "Great! I'm really happy you were in pain, though I doubt you didn't feel an ounce of what I felt! Edward, you leaving almost killed me!"

"I don't doubt you were hurt, but…" He stopped talking when he saw me glaring.

"If you suffered, it was your fault. I want to know why, and don't give me bullshit about the Jasper incident."

I could see Edward was shocked and that he didn't expect me to react like this, but I've changed. Though, he hasn't seen I was no longer that sweet, innocent, little human he knew. I didn't have a reason to show this part of me to him in the past few days.

"You're…you've changed. You grew up," he noted quietly.

"You changed me, Edward." I snorted at my own words. "Of course…not the way I wanted."

He threw me a small smile, shaking his head. "I've thought a lot the past few days. Everything that happened…I guess it's better like this."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning. "That you're human?"

"Yes. The risks…"

"Don't start on that again! Seriously. Don't you see that being human is a challenge every moment of the day? We're so fragile and anything can destroy us."

"Bella." He turned to me, taking my hand. "Leaving you was one of my biggest mistakes. It was one of the few times I actually allowed the seventeen year old inside me make a rash decision. I panicked. I wanted to keep you safe. You were my first…I mean you were my only girlfriend."

"I know, so were you for me. We should have talked about what had happened at the party like two mature people," I told him sternly.

"True. In time I realized how badly I messed up," he murmured, squeezing my hand. "The first thing I wanted to do once I became human again…was to come after you, but then I thought you hated me, maybe even forgotten me. I chickened out."

I felt a traitor tear rolling down my cheek. "Maybe you searching me would have been wise."

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I know you can't forgive me—I hate myself too. But…can we…I don't know, be friends? I don't think I can let you go."

"Be friends?" I shouted, standing and narrowing my eyes at him. "I don't want to be friends!"

Edward's face fell, but I couldn't talk anymore. I broke down, finally allowing the rollercoaster of feelings out.

I doubt I can ever be just friends with him.

He was clueless at how much I loved him, though at the moment I wanted nothing more than to hurt him.

"Edward," I whispered, sitting back down, closer to him and cupping his cheek. "We can't be friends. We were never friends." I swallowed, brushing my tears away. "I need some time."

His hopeful green eyes rose to meet mine. "Is this your way to tell me I might have a chance to…" He didn't finish, probably not knowing what to say, but I knew what he meant.

I nodded slowly. "I guess, friends is just a stage," I added quietly. "Maybe we can try it."

"Now you want to be friends?" he asked amused.

"For now."

"Friends it is. Anything to have you back in my life." Surprising me, Edward wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly.

God.

I melted, hugging him back. He still smelt wonderful, though the hospital smell altered his sweet fragrance.

A loud growling sound came from him—he was hungry. I could see his neck and ear red.

"I hate this," he mumbled, pulling away. "Friends eat together, right?"

"As long as you aren't going to sample your inventions on me… Or, I could cook," I offered.

"No, I'll cook. You can wait here."

"Let me help," I insisted, not ready to be poisoned. I had no idea how good he was at cooking.

I worked on frying a few veggies in a pan while he worked on slicing sausages. Once the rice, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas and beans were done, I took over frying the sausages when I saw Edward standing a foot away from the stove, his arm stretched to move the pan around.

"Do you actually know how to cook?" I inquired, pushing him away.

"I do make myself breakfast, which sometimes consists in eggs."

"But not sausages?" I joked. "It's just gonna burn a little if the oil touches your skin."

"Cooking isn't my favorite thing, though I try to learn. I don't plan on living with Carlisle and Esme for the rest of my life."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure you're sick of them by now."

He chuckled, and walked to set the table. While I was busy with the sausages, I didn't see him putting a little something to our vegetables. So when we sat at the table and dug in, I thought I was going to die.

It was so hot I couldn't breathe.

Edward gave me a worried look, thrusting a glass of water at me. I gulped it down gratefully.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I yelled, once I could breathe.

"Uh, no. Bella, really."

"What did you do to our food?" I whined. "It tasted fine ten minutes ago."

"I added some chili." He threw me a shy smile. "I love chili."

My eyes widened. "Did you happen to put all the chili in the house on the vegetables?"

"No, just a little. I'm sorry. I should have asked."

"Yes, you should have," I told him seriously. "I like spicy food, but man this is..."

Edward started laughing, making me wonder if he was sane or not. "Let me make it up to you and make you something else."

"No, please!" I begged. "I know how to make it better. Just wait. Don't eat or you'll make yourself sick," I insisted.

Quickly, I worked on boiling some rice and once added to the spicy thing Edward created, it tasted much better.

He kept his eyes on me all the while we ate, unnerving me, but I was stealing glances too. It was Forks all over again, though now he didn't want to eat me. Not that way, anyway.

I watched captivated as he chewed, as he drank from his glass—it was something unreal for me. I never imagined seeing Edward doing something so mundane.

While I washed the dishes, he took his painkillers. Then we went to his room where I suddenly had no idea where to sit. He threw himself on the bed only to groan in pain and roll around.

"Come here. I promise not to bite."

I giggled nervously and complied. "What's going to happen with Victoria?"

His face turned stony and I regretted mentioning her.

"I'm just worried," I admitted. "She's still a vampire."

"Carlisle contacted Aro. He promised to take care of her," he said softly, wrapping an arm around me, holding me close to his side. I could feel his heart beating wildly against the ribcage.

Slowly, I brought my hand over his chest and let my head on his shoulder. "I can't believe I'm near you again."

"I can't believe I'm still alive near you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Emmett had a bet going—"

"Of course," I interjected, laughing.

"Yeah, he said you'd attack me if we ever met again." He nodded.

"Well, I almost did...back in the living room." I tilted my head to look at him. "Edward, a part of me wants to hurt you so badly...but there's another part of me that still lo...stops me from hurting you."

His eyes widened slightly, probably catching on my slip.

It was true—I still loved him. Always will.

His fingers started combing through my hair as we relaxed on the bed. I could tell he was getting drowsy because of the medicine.

"Sleep. I'll stay here," I promised, stroking his cheek.

"Don't go," he mumbled sleepily when I made to move away. Readjusting myself against him, I closed my eyes, moving a finger over his sternum, his steady heartbeat lulling me to sleep.

That's when I heard something I thought I'd never hear in my life. Edward was humming my lullaby. He squeezed my shoulder when I tensed, then kept playing with my hair.

We ended up falling asleep, and when I woke up, it was probably late at night. I could feel Edward's arms around me and his deep breath coming from behind me. So we moved a lot in our sleep because he was spooning me, and holding me really tight—probably afraid to let go. I had to burst our bubble because I had to use the bathroom.

When I sat up, I nearly shouted when I saw a pair of glowing eyes at the end of the bed. Stupid cat.

"Bellaaa." A hand slapped around the place I just vacated.

"I'm not going far," I told him, not sure if he heard me.

After my trip to the bathroom, I decided to have a snack. While I looked through the contents of the fridge, I heard footsteps.

Great, I managed to wake someone.

When the person who joined me didn't turn the light on, my heart burst in a marathon as I thought of one person—Victoria. Grabbing a bottle of beer from the door I whirled around, knowing deep down some broken glass wouldn't stop her.

"ARGH!" I shouted in surprised when I realized Esme was in front of me. "Holy shit." I breathed in relief, lowering the bottle.

"Everyone is on edge, don't apologize, sweetie." She patted my arm, taking the bottle from me. "Hungry?"

I nodded. "I'm really sorry. I almost hit you."

"And I ruined my date night with Carlisle when I visited the bathroom and bumped into a redheaded woman."

I bit my lip, realizing what that coward had done to us. We didn't want to be afraid of her, but she was much stronger than us.

We ended up having coffee at two in the morning, talking and bonding like two old friends. I'd never had a deep conversation with Esme before. She was much more than Carlisle's mate and the others' mother figure—she was a smart, hard-working woman.

Apparently having her own interior designs company was hard, but she tried to make it work.

"Carlisle was right when he said that it wouldn't be the same to help others decorate their homes. When I did it for us, no one stayed in my way unless Alice saw something going totally wrong." She smiled at me softly. "But now, having to cope with my clients' moods... It's complicated."

"I bet, and besides, you're no longer a vampire with nerves of steel."

"That's right, honey. And lately, my emotions are all over the place."

I patted her hand. "They'll get her."

"I know. I hope they find her soon. I'm so worried. You have no idea how I felt when the hospital called. My baby boy was hurt." She rubbed a hand over her chest as a sob ripped from her throat. "It hurt so much. Then I heard that Davey was with Edward... I had no idea how to tell Rose."

I moved on the chair closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. "Shh, Esme."

I was still thinking of how she referred to Edward—her baby boy. Of course, she'd consider him more her son because it was the three of them in the beginning.

"Bella, have you talked to him?" she asked quietly, glancing at me.

"Yes." I nodded, biting my lip. "We're going to take it slow—starting as friends."

She giggles. "I'd love to see it happen." I must have looked offended because she hugged me close to her chest. "Sweetie, you two love each other too much to work out as friends."

My stomach was suddenly filled with butterflies.

"Well, I'm going home tomorrow...or today." I shrugged. "I have classes and my job. Edward has his classes here...and you."

"What do you mean?" she asked scared, searching my eyes for something. "Are you leaving? Don't do this, sweetie. It will break both of you."

"It's not forever." I internally rolled my eyes. "Just until summer. Huh. We seem to have lots of adventures around Easter."

We shared a laugh over that.

"What are you two giggling here about at this ungodly hour?" Carlisle's groggy voice came from the doorway.

"Just rebounding with Bella, honey. I'll come to bed in a moment."

"Okay, but I need some water," he answered, flipped the light on and walked to the fridge.

I tried not to laugh more when I saw Esme's eyes trained on Carlisle's ass. She blushed horribly when I smirked at her.

"I'm going to bed, too. We'll talk in the morning. Good night!" I said before walking out of the kitchen.

Not ready to share a bed with Edward—for good, I stopped in the guest room.

A few minutes later, Esme and Carlisle passed the door, whispering and giggling. I was really happy for all of them.

They overcame every obstacle life threw at them.

I silently prayed that the Volturi would get Victoria soon. I didn't want my friends to suffer.

It was enough she managed to hurt the only person I'd ever loved with all my heart, body and soul. And I was willing to give us a shot again.