Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I'm just using the characters and some of the plot. This chapter has a little bit of back and forth between BPOV and EPOV, but it's necessary.

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Chapter Six:

"Em, Rose, Jazz, and I are going out on a double date tonight." Alice announced later that night.

"It's your job Ed to keep my little sister busy and happy." Emmett told Edward, clasping his shoulder.

Throwing an arm around my shoulders Edward said "Don't worry Em; I'll take care of her."

"You'd better Cullen, she's my only sister." Emmett threatened.

"And she's my favorite sister!" Jazz said, winking at me. Rose stuck her tongue out at him and he put an arm around her.

"He may be my twin, but everyone loves Bella. Especially me!" Rose winked at me and I laughed.

"Yeah I love you guys too, but Alice is my favorite…" I trailed off. Edward faked a hurt look.

"Geeze Bella! I'm your best friend!" He cried.

"You're all my best friends" I pointed out.

"Always the diplomat." Alice said sticking her tongue out at me. I grinned.

"Alice we had better go or we're going to be late." Emmett reminded her.

"Love you guys! Be good!" I called as they got into Rose's convertible.

The Cullens and The Hales were old money. Alice had a Porsche, Jazz had a Harley, Rose her convertible, and Edward had an Ashton Martin in addition to the family Volvo that he drove. Hence why Rose, Jazz, and I normally drove to school. Our cars were slightly less noticeable then Edward and Alice's. As they pulled out of the driveway Edward asked "So Mrs. Swan, what do you want to do?"

"Let's go swim!" I said

"Good idea." He agreed. We raced up the stairs. I changed into my blue bikini in Alice's room. Alice had picked it out for me especially because it was dark blue and had a pair of board shorts that matched it that were dark blue too with stars. Edward and I met in the hallway and laughed. Our board shorts matched.

"Race you down." I challenged.

"Oh no, knowing you, you would fall down the stairs and get a concussion."

"True." I agreed. We walked down the stairs and Edward grabbed two towels from the closet at the bottom of the stairs. When we got outside I leapt into the small pond that fed off the stream that ran through the Cullen's back yard, and Edward followed. We swam and splashed for a bit before laying back and letting the sun hit us. It was a rare partly cloudy day and we needed the Vitamin D.

"It's so weird" I said suddenly.

"What is?" Edward asked, floating on top of the water towards me.

"Being happy with mom not being here." I still hadn't gotten over mom being gone, but I had made some good progress the last two weeks.

"Bella, If your mom is anything like you she'd want you to be happy."

I smiled. "I know, it's just… three weeks ago I would've said it wasn't right for me to be happy unless mom was alive. Now I'm happy even though she isn't here. It's just weird." I explained. Edward looked at me with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're happy." he said simply. I was slightly startled. Just when I thought I had figured Edward out he did something like that that made me realize there was a part of him I didn't know.

"Me too." we looked at each other for a minute then looked away. I ducked underwater and grabbed his foot, pulling him under. A dunking battle waged until we were both out of breath.

"Let's go eat." Edward suggested. I nodded and we climbed out of the small pond, wrapping towels around ourselves.

Edward boiled some fettuccini noodles and shrimp while he mixed Alfredo sauce into the pan.

"Smells good chief." I said

"Well deputy its time for a taste test." He handed me a fork and put some pasta in a bowl and handed it to me too. I twirled some of the noodles on my fork and speared a piece of shrimp. I made a show of sniffing it as if to check if it was edible.

Edward chuckled and said "Just eat it."

I smiled and stuck the fork in my mouth. I groaned.

"What? Is it bad?" He asked, concerned.

I shook my head, "you, my friend, are amazing." I said simply.

He grinned and took a bite from my bowl. He groaned, "Oh yeah I am the man" I nodded, agreeing with him as he grabbed a bowl of the pasta for himself. We ate in silence until we both finished.

"Done?" he asked. I nodded collecting my dishes and the empty pot and carrying them to the sink.

"I've got it Bella." Edward complained trying to take the dish towel from me as I filled the sink with warm soapy water.

"No, nuh uh." I argued "You cooked so it's only fair that I do dishes."

Edward thought for a second then said "How about this, you wash I'll rinse and dry?"

"I'll wash and rinse and you dry and put away." I compromised.

"Deal" He shook my hand. We both worked quietly, in an easy synchrony. It was calming.

"Aw they're playing house." Emmett said walking into the kitchen, grinning.

"Did you have fun?" I asked while I wiped down the counters. We were playing house indeed. I felt like the mom questioning her son after he came home from his first date. Alice, Jasper, and Rose appeared in the kitchen too, all grinning at Edward and I "playing house".

"Yeah, we saw a movie then got some Chinese." Jazz said as he slid onto the freshly washed counter. I opened my mouth to complain, but thought better of it. I didn't need to sound any more like a mother then I already did.

"What did you see?" Edward asked tossing his towel into the sink and leaning against the stove.

"Paul Blart, Mall cop." Emmett said as he leaned against the doorframe, holding Rosalie.

"It was the dumbest movie in the world." Rose groaned.

"How would you know Rose? Did you and Emmett even watch five minutes of that movie?" jazz teased. Rose stuck her tongue out and Emmett laughed.

"Um, Bella? Can I talk to you?" Alice asked from beside Jasper.

"Of course." I said, handing Edward my dish cloth.

"Are you coming Rose?" Alice asked as we passed her and Emmett. Rose nodded and we trooped up to Alice's room. I had only been up here a few times, but I felt that this room embodied everything a girl would want. Alice's walls were painted a light pink and she had a large fluffy four poster bed with white covers and pillows. Her back wall was made of glass other them the bottom portion which was a window seat pilled with pillows of light purple, baby blue, and light holly berry green. He closet was nearly as big as her room, and held all the clothes a girl could ever need. She had a flat screen TV, laptop, and stereo on the wall across from her bed. The laptop and stereo rested on a delicate looking desk that I was surprised held all the weight up. She had candles burning that made the room smell like lavender and freesia.

Alice plopped onto her bed and looked at me expectantly. Rose shut the door firmly and sat at the desk. Taking my time I settled into the pillows on the window seat then said,

"What?"

Alice sighed, "So what happened? What did he say? Did he kiss you?" she was so excited that her words ran together.

"Nothing, Not much, and No." I answered each of her questions. She sighed.

"We're going to have to be more creative then just leaving you two alone." Rose said, tapping a finger on her chin.

"Maybe he just doesn't feel that way about me." I pointed out, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them.

Alice gasped. "He's my twin, I know him inside and out. Of course he likes you Bells."

"We'll I'm not so sure." I mumbled staring out the large windows into the night.

EPOV

"Nothing happened Emmett." I said "no matter how much I wanted it to" I added in my head. Emmett was so overprotective of his sister. It rivaled how overprotective I was of her.

"Why not? I know you like her Ed, why didn't you do something?" He asked, surprising me. I stopped, why hadn't I done anything. I had been determined to, when Alice announced her little date plan, but something had stopped me. I didn't even know what it was.

"I don't think she likes me in that way Emmett, and if she didn't it would complicate our friendship and maybe even end it." I winced at the thought; I couldn't see how I would survive without Bella. She was such an ingrained part of my day that picturing her out of it was painful and unpleasant. I wouldn't do anything that would hurt the very important friendship I had with Bella.

"Edward." Emmett sighed.

"She likes you. Trust me." Jazz said clasping me on the shoulder.

I shook my head "I don't know guys. What do I do?" I asked.

"You're acting like you've never had a girlfriend." Jazz grumbled

"Not one that I felt about the way I feel about Bella." I pointed out.

Emmett sighed; he leaned against the doorframe and studied me closely.

"Well Cullen I say go for it. But if you hurt her in any way I will break your pretty face. She's my sister, the most important person in my world. Don't forget it." Emmett threatened.

I smiled, "I expect nothing less of you Emmett. That is if she hasn't killed me first. But I'd never do anything hurt Bella…she's one of the most important people in my world too. Second only to my twin. I….I think I love her." I admitted.

Jazz grinned and Emmett rolled his eyes "Well duh, you too are so head over heels for each other that even the blind could see it." Em said. I rolled my eyes; Sure Bella was head over heels for me. Riiighhht.

"He's right. Especially this morning, you were so cute all curled up together. You kept saying 'Bella my Bella' in your sleep. You're not even together yet and you're already whipped." Jazz teased. I blushed, Alice had teased me about it too until I confessed to her what she already knew. That I was in love with Bella.

"How do I tell her though?" I asked nervously, it was an odd emotion being nervous. One I wasn't used to experiencing as often as I did when Bella was around. She made me feel all tingly and such. And when she touched me it felt like I was getting repeatedly shocked, though it wasn't unpleasant. I would walk through fire for her. I groaned.

"What?" Em asked

"I am whipped." he laughed.

"When the time is right you'll know how to tell her young Jedi." Jazz said seriously. We all cracked up.

"Thanks guys, you're a big help." I said sarcastically.

"Nah, but seriously, you'll just know Ed. Just don't wait too long." Emmett said. I nodded; I hoped the right time was soon.

BPOV (February 14th)

I was sitting at my computer desk that night, trying to e-mail Jake. We hadn't talked much and I knew I was neglecting my other best friend.

"Jake,

How've you been? How's Billy? Did anyone interesting move into our house?" was about all I had so far. Everything was so different now that I didn't know what to say to him. It used to be so easy talking to Jake, now I was at a loss for words.

"Hey Bells" A voice said from behind me. I jumped and the chair knocked over, spilling me onto the floor.

"Oops, sorry." Edward said helping me get up. I tripped over the chair leg and fell on top of him, both of us landing on the floor. We both busted out laughing. Then suddenly the laughs died out and we were just looking at each other. His green eyes were still dancing, laughing over my Klutziness. But there was a different emotion far back in his eyes. Desperation or maybe fear. He stopped laughing and looked right back at me.

"Bells I…whoa." Emmett said coming into the room. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked. I scrambled up and so did Edward.

"No I tripped" I explained quickly, slightly too loud.

"Uh, huh." Emmett looked at me suspiciously "What do you want me to set out for dinner?"

"Um, whatever you and dad want." I answered, a deep blush creeping up my neck to my face.

"Ok." Em said uncertainly, leaving the room. I sighed. I heard Edward chuckle and I looked at him. He was lounging on my bed, looking gorgeous with his bronze hair disheveled and a crooked grin on his face.

I shook my head and sank onto the bed by his feet.

"Geeze that's going to be fun to explain to dad." I mumbled.

"I bet." Edward said. I glared at him, but my breath caught. That look, the one from last weekend, was in his eyes again. I would give anything to know what that look meant.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing." His eyes flipped to my computer screen and tightened.

"Jake?" he asked

"Someone" I joked. It didn't go over well.

"Boyfriend?" he asked.

"No. A friend from Phoenix. Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't." he answered too quickly, looking away.

"You're about as good a liar as I am Ed. What's wrong?"

"Bella…" he said getting up.

"What Edward? Tell me what's wrong." I pleaded hugging him tightly. He took a deep breath and looked me in the face.

"I like you."

EPOV

"I like you." Came out of my mouth before I thought. She stepped back and looked at me closely. Just looked at me.

"You…" She said uncertainly.

"I like you Bells" I said firmly. "I like you a lot. It scares me, how much I like you. Mike talks to you and I want to hang him from a tree. You talk about this Jake kid and I want to scream. I like you Bells. I like you something fierce." I ended my little speech lamely, looking at the floor. She was still frozen. Whether in shock or disgust I wasn't sure. I was hoping for the first. After a while I looked up at her, staring into the twin chocolate pools that I loved so desperately. I may have said that I liked her but I really loved her. Very much. She looked away from me and I flinched.

"Bella?" I called. She flicked her eyes to mine. "You don't have to say anything. I wasn't expecting anything, I swear. I'll go if you want me to Bells." I offered even though the thought of leaving her killed me.

"No!" she said, she seemed mortified that I had offered such a thing. "I…I like you too Edward. I like you a lot." she smiled a small, hesitant smile. My heart leapt. She liked me. It wasn't love, but it was a start. I did the only thing I knew to do. I bounded forward and I kissed her.

BPOV

"I…I like you too Edward. I like you a lot." I had finally found the switch to turn my brain back on. When he said that he liked me I had frozen. It was prefect, he liked me. I was sure that I loved him by now, but liking was a start. I tried in vain to make myself move or talk, but all I got out was "you…" then he made his little speech and I was still frozen. What unfroze me was his offer to leave. It had cut me to the core and the pain had given me enough sense to respond. Now his lips on mine effectively cut off all brain function. My thoughts all zeroed in on the fact that I was kissing Edward. My Edward. He was gentle, but excited. He was as happy as me in this new development in our relationship. My lips responded to his in a way that I hadn't known possible. After a minute he stepped back, still grinning.

"Wow." I said.

His grin widened "Wow indeed."

I smiled again as she giggled, "Happy Valentines Day Bella."