A/n This chapter kind of took a life of it's own. I'd really appreciate more reviews thanks. :)

Chapter Four: After School Meeting.

At the end of the school day, I made plans with Jacob to show him the rest of Forks at the weekend, before heading to my truck. I hurried home as I knew Edward would be over soon.

Arriving home to an empty house, I started on my homework, hoping to get most of it done before Edward arrived. I had only just finished my trigonometry when I heard his musical voice call out to me.

"Bella. Beeellaaa. BELLA!"

"What?"

"I'm coming over now."

"Okay."

Less than a minute later, I could hear his footsteps tread softly on the carpeted stairs. Moments later, he was at my door. "Hard at work, I see." He smiled his crooked smile at me and threw himself down on top of my bed. I sighed internally. He is just too good-looking for his own good.

"Nope. Just finished." I grinned back at him. We sat in silence for a few moments. I knew that he wanted to talk to me, but I didn't want to ask him or press him into it. He would start talking when he was ready. There was silence for another couple of minutes until finally he broke it.

"Bella? You know I want to talk to you, right?" he said slowly, thinking carefully about what he said before speaking.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"It's about Kate. You remember her saying she wouldn't be going to the party because she'd be in Florida, right?" I nodded. "Well the reason she's going to be in Florida is because her parents are looking at houses. They're thinking about moving there because her father has been offered a promotion." He wasn't looking at me. He just stared up at the ceiling. His voice was calm. If you didn't know him, you would mistake this calmness for indifference, but I did know him and I knew the calm was to mask the emotion bubbling underneath. I could sense it in how slow he was talking, taking his time, scared that with each breath his tolerance would crack and the emotion would burst forth.

"Oh! Edward. I'm sorry." I was. I really was. I could see the pain he was in and how confused he was. How could I ever be happy with any event that brought this much unhappiness and confusion on Edward? I wasn't an entirely selfish being. Of course, I'd dreamt of something like this happening; at times, I'd even come close to praying for it, but I never thought it would actually happen.

"I don't know what to do, Bella." He looked at me, begging me for advice, but what advice could I give him? Should I tell him that he'd be better of breaking up with her now? That their relationship would suffer because they were on opposite side of the country. Better to hurt now than further along the road. Should I, no, could I tell him that? But what would be the point? It's something he's probably already thought about. My only purpose in telling him would be for my own benefit. I'd tell him in the hopes that he would somehow come to think of me in the not-too-distant future, but what were the chance of that happening? As soon as word got out that Edward Cullen was once again single, the line of girls waiting on him would be miles long, and I would be at the end of it.

"Edward, I can't tell you what you should do. That decision alone is up to you. But, know that I will always be here if you want to talk. That's all I can offer, my friendship." I sat down beside him on the bed and rubbed his back. "Besides, you don't even know if they are definitely moving yet. You said so yourself that the family are only thinking of taking the job."

He looked up at me and smiled sadly. "Bella, they're looking at houses. I think the chances of them moving are pretty high."

"Yes, but there is still a chance they won't. I've never known you to be the pessimistic sort, Mr. Cullen. Anyway, how about a cup of coffee? You could do with one."

I grabbed his arm and took him downstairs. I made us some coffee and stood drinking my coffee at the kitchen sink, while he stood across from me, leaning against the table and making light conversation. It seemed Edward didn't want to mention the whole Florida thing again. As it happened, he wanted to make sure that I was going to the dance.

"Bella, come on! Please say you'll go," he pleaded with me.

"I can't, Edward."

"Why not?" he demanded and walked over to me. He was standing less than a foot from me, and our close proximity made me nervous and muddled up my head.

"Because." I'd forgotten what my argument was. He was too close. Gathering myself, I continued, "I can't. For several reasons. Firstly, I can't afford it."

"Oh well that's silly Bella. You know Alice would gladly buy you a dress. In fact, she probably has one bought already. So there, you're sorted." He looked at me triumphantly. Well, I wasn't going to give in so easily. I loved the Cullens. God knows I did, but I didn't like them spending money on me. It made me feel like a little Barbie doll of theirs. I knew they didn't mean it like that; they were just wonderful, generous people, but it still made me feel inadequate.

"Edward, You know how I feel about your family spending money on me. I want to be independent. I want to buy my own things. If you guys keep buying me things, how on earth am I ever going to be able to pay you back? And, that's not the only reason I can't go. I'll be a danger to everyone there."

"All you need is a good partner." He winked at me. I felt my insides squirm and flutter with delight. My goodness he is just too darn good looking.

"Edward," I breathed. He took another step closer. I said it again, hoping my voice was stronger this time. "Edward, look at me." His green eyes caught and held mine, and once again, I almost forgot what I was going to say.

"Read my lips." He looked down at my lips, and I started to bite them nervously. My breathing got heavier. He really had no idea just how unbelievably gorgeous he looked right now.

"I. Am. Not. Going. To. The. Dance," I whispered, my voice firm.

He smiled slightly and whispered, "Okay," back. The atmosphere in the room had become static. Edward was still looking at my lips, and he took another step closer until we were only centimeters apart.

"Edward, what..." I didn't know why I was still whispering. I don't know what Edward was thinking. All I knew was that I had never wanted to kiss him so much as I did then. Edward put both his hands on either side of the sink, trapping me in his arms. His breathing had become heavier, ragged, and ever so slowly, he tilted his head and moved agonizingly slowly towards me, closing the gap between us.

I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
I swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

We both jumped at the sound of Edward's phone ringing. He looked at me, his eyes wide and confused, panting as if he had just ran a marathon. He looked at the name on the screen. "Kate?" It sounded foreign on his tongue. As if he didn't remember his girlfriend. "Kate," He repeated and instantly opened his phone.

"Kate! Hi!" He sounded too chirpy. Too happy. Fake. "No. No, I'm fine. I'm just over at, uh, Bella's house." The entire time, he was staring at me. I couldn't look him in the eye. I felt so disappointed and crushed yet guilty over what had just happened, over what could have happened.

He was going to kiss me.

I knew it. But why was he going to kiss me? Edward couldn't like me in that way. He loved Kate. Kate! That was it. He must of just been upset about Kate and needed comfort. It won't happen again.

Edward hung up the phone and still he stood looking at me. "Bella? What just ha—you know what, I think I… better go," he said slowly, and it sounded like he was talking to himself more than to me. "I'll… um… see you later."

I nodded, unable to talk. I could feel the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. He brushed past me without another word, and as the door slammed behind him, I ran up the stairs where I finally allowed the tears to escape.

A/n I'm suffering from writer's block sort of. I'll try and update as soon as possible. I'm also getting my exam results in 8 days and in 2 weeks I'll find out if I got into NUIG - the uni I want to go to in September! Keeping my fingers crossed. XD

Review please! :)

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