A/N: Here's the next chapter I said I'd publish! Okay, seriously, the reviews need to pick up. If I can get at least 10 reviews, I'll publish the next chapter. Yes, it's already written, so REVIEW. GRR. Anyways, I'm sick with a cold. Bleh. So I'm just sitting on my bedroom floor writing like a fiend. Cold's suck, by the way. Coughing spasms, sneezing 3 times in a row with icky stuff coming out, and a runny nose that is just relentless. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Chapter 6

"And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight!" I shouted to the dancers. They barely managed to get the eight-count, but at least they got it. "Okay, let's run it again. You're still hesitating on the seven and eight." I pressed 'play' on the stereo and they ran the eight-count again. They eventually got it.

"Okay," I called out, "let's see the solos." Five people auditioned for solos, which included Alice, Rosalie, Mike, Ben, and Victoria. Alice, I didn't mind, it was the other four that gave me a headache. As was the typical rehearsal, they ran their solos, I critiqued, and then we continued on with group rehearsals. Our group worked hard, so getting the routines down wasn't' the problem, it was more of perfecting the routines.

Rosalie gave me her signiture glower at the end of rehearsal before walking out. Alice came bouncing up, as usual. "Are you coming to dinner with us tonight? We are going to the Shake Shack." And get more fat on my thighs and hips? I don't think so.

"No, thanks," I declined with mild sadness. "I'm supposed to get in touch with my mother tonight, and I don't want to miss her." It's the only legit excuse I could come up with on short notice. "Thank you, though. Maybe tomorrow." I packed up my stereo and put on my coat. Alice decided she'd walk me out.

"Edward will be disappointed that you're not coming. He claims to, 'enjoy' your 'company', which I think is just a softer way of saying, 'oh, God, she is gorgeous and I'd love to take her out on a date.'" Alice tended to be a tad-bit dramatic.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Yeah, well, a) I'm not gorgeous, b) I'm not that fun to be around, and c) what makes you think he wants to take me out? He hasn't asked or pressed for it at all. I'm not getting that kind of vibe from him." In fact, he seemed more reserved around me than anyone else. We hugged each other when we met up for lunch or dinner, but never anything more than that.

She eyed me speculatively. "My brother is completely smitten with you. You'll see, he'll come up to you sometime very soon and ask you to be his girlfriend. Just wait."

"I thought you said I'd waited long enough?" I retorted.

She rolled her eyes. "I have to go meet Jasper. I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved goodbye and shot off for the music hall. While she went to dinner with her fiance and her gorgeous brother, I'd be in my dorm room, doing next week's homework and eating an organic granola bar. My body was probably so built up with toxins and preservatives that it contributes to my weight.

Instead of taking my usual elevator, I took the stairs…all ten flights of them. When I walked down the hall to my room, I saw Jake in the commons with several girls.

"Hey, Bella!" he called. I waved, but he insisted, "Come and sit with us!" I looked around and saw all the pizza and soda, then shook my head.

"Can't, I have to do homework, and I'm getting in touch with my mom tonight." He rolled his eyes and shooed me away, and I more than happily obliged. When I got into the room, I opened up my laptop, hoping to find an email from my mother or father, but no such luck. Instead, I got a jump start on the homework.

The homework proved to be more difficult than I thought. I couldn't focus to save my life. Instead of seeing the history homework, I imagined myself running, working out, getting exercise, anything but sitting here. I knew my mother wouldn't try to get in touch, so I put on some running gear and took the back staircase down as to avoid a run-in with Jake and his ho's.

The air outside definitely got cooler, and I knew fall was approaching. No more swimming in the ocean, that's for sure. Conserving energy, I walked the several blocks to Central Park and to the running track. Once I got there, I plugged in the ear-buds and started running.

While I was running, I could imagine myself with Edward. I loved the way his hand fit around mine so perfectly, like puzzle pieces. Or how when he smiled at me, I couldn't see the same smile anywhere else. He had special tendencies that he kept between him and myself: stopping by after my private dance sessions with a dinner invitation, giving me a call or sending me a text to see how I'm doing, meeting up for lunch discussing new plans for the weekend. He never shared his feelings with anyone else, and I felt special.

He deserves perfect, and I would give it to him. My body, which could easily be mistaken as a tub of lard, would be sharpened and chiseled to perfection, into that perfect somebody who could stand next to him and look like they belonged next to that angel, that Adonis reincarnate. I would put Pygmalion to shame.

With that thought, I ran with a new fury. My heart pounded in my chest and my breath came quick and short. The exhilaration coursing through my body felt amazing. Maybe I should go running more often.

Looking at the time, I decided to head back to the dorm, figuring that if I missed curfew, I'd end up having to sprint to the East Side. Jake was passed out in the commons, drunk off his ass. I giggled at the sight of him half on the couch with an empty bottle of vodka in his hand.

Jake and I's friendship is like a joke. He's popular, loves to party, and thoroughly enjoys his one-night-stands. I became his pet project. My self-isolations, my anti-social tendencies, and my romantic standards made Jake look at me like a challenge. In some ways, he succeeded. If it weren't for him, I would've never gone out on any of my birthdays, I wouldn't have made it through my freshman year, and I certainly wouldn't have been so accepting of the Cullens. My suspicious nature made me keep most people at a distance. Fear made me question motives for friendship, so I never bothered with it. With the Cullens, everything seemed natural. Like fate told me to be friends with them.

When I finally got back to my dorm room, I checked my voicemail and my email. No emails, but I had a couple of voicemails. One from Alice, the other from Edward.

"Hey! It's Alice! I was right; Edward was bummed. Moped through dinner. Pretty moody, actually. Anyway, we were wondering if you wanted to join us again and come to East Hampton. We're leaving tomorrow right after rehearsals. We'll get in late, but we'll have all Saturday, and we'll be coming back Sunday night rather than in the morning. Call me back if you agree! Bye!" Her messages always sounded so peppy and high-strung. Was she always high on sugar?

I moved onto the next message. "Hey, it's Edward. Sorry you couldn't come with us tonight. Rosalie and Emmett joined us. You would've loved Emmett, he's a riot, even if he does get on everyone's nerves. You might've seen Rosalie in a good mood if you came. Anyway, we are leaving for East Hampton tomorrow. Just wondering if you wanted to come. Call me back. Bye." Was that an underlying tone in his voice? Dare I say, hope? And Alice was right, he did sound kind of mopey.

So I called him back.

"Hello?" A melancholy voice answered.

"Edward?" I clarified, not being able to identify the voice.

"Bella!" He cheered. "Hey, do you want to come with us to East Hampton this weekend?"

"Actually," I chuckled at his abrupt change in mood, "That's why I'm calling. I'd love to join you tomorrow, but I have rehearsals until five-thirty, so if we can take the six o'clock train, that'd be great."

"Sure. Jasper and I can just wait up for you and Alice. Um, Rosalie and Emmett are actually joining us, but I'm sure Rosalie will be on her best behavior." My smile wavered, but the thought of spending another weekend with Edward brightened up my view.

"Oh," I said, trying not to portray my distaste, "Well, that's fine. I mean, it's her home, not mine. Besides, we can't just avoid each other for the rest of our lives if two of her siblings are my friends," I flinched when I said 'friends.'

Edward paused for a second. "Yeah," he said, almost to himself, "Well, we're meeting at the apartment right after to pack-up, well, except for Rose. She lives with Emmett. But we'll meet them at Penn. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" He almost started to babble, which made me chuckle.

"Absolutely."

"Okay, well, then, bye," he said awkwardly.

"Bye."

After I hung up, I flopped back to the bed, clutching the cell to my chest. I wished more than anything he would just ask me on a date, to be his girlfriend, anything. I just wanted him to say that he liked me more than a friend. For over a week it's been like this; ignoring every spark, shock, and any other indication that fate was sewing our lives together. Talk about a terrible stitching job.

When I stepped into the bathroom to take a shower, I stared at myself in the mirror, I wondered if Edward ever could love--like--me. I pinched my hip, waist, thighs, they jiggled and flubbed. Talk about grotesque. Ignoring the sight, I slipped into the shower and let the hot water relax my muscles.

Edward may not be perfect, but he was perfect for me. He accepted my beliefs, understood that I had trust issues, and despite my high walls, he climbed over and got to know me. He made life more exciting than it had ever been for me. His smile dazzled me, his touch electrified me, his eyes entranced me, and his embrace captured my heart.

I never really understood the novels where the heroine fell in love with two men and couldn't, for the life of her, chose one. Like she had two part of herself that she couldn't chose between. Like being torn between two different worlds, but connected by a fine and fragile thread. Now I understood. For my entire life, dance has been my one and only love. Then I discovered Edward. Did I love him? I didn't know just yet. But I knew there was something more than friendship, and I didn't have to chose between him and dance because he understood how I felt. All my life people have walked out on me, and I couldn't bear having to watch another person walk out, so I rarely let people in. It felt refreshing to let someone in and have them stay.

But letting myself hope would only induce a pain so great I avoided it at all costs. So I dismissed any thoughts of Edward for the moment, and slipped into comfy 'jamas. Then straight for the stiff bed.

When I walked into the rehearsal room mid-afternoon, most of the crew busied themselves stretching. While I set up the stereo, they got in place for the initial run-through.

Public speaking was never my thing, but ask me to teach, and I'm your girl. "Okay, so just a couple announcements. Now that we got most of the routines down, we really need to hammer down on perfecting them. Instead of dancing full-time, half our week will be helping out the art department with the sets." A couple of groans resounded through the back. "Complainers can take a hike." They quieted. "So with that in mind, please feel free to practice on your own, be dedicated dancers and write down the routines, and come to me if you need review or have any questions. Okay, let's run through it." I pulled off the sweatshirt, pressed play, and quickly joined the group.

Just before the last run-through, Edward, Jasper, and a huge bulky guy came in and stood near the door. I assumed the big bulky guy was Emmett.

"Looks as if we have an audience," I said. "Now you don't have an excuse to suck just because you're tired." The group laughed, and I saw mike narrow his eyes at the guys. As I went to go press play, Edward grinned and winked at me. He knew how to put a smile on my face.

We ran through all the group sequences, and the guys looked entertained, which is always the main goal. Everyone from the group looked exhausted. All except Alice and Rosalie who went flying into their men's arms.

"Rosie! You looked amazing!" He lifted her as far as his arms could stretch up and brought her down for a hearty kiss. That must've been the first time I saw her smile. Her eyes widened in excitement rather than narrowed with hatred. Alice leapt onto Jasper and clung to him like a monkey. He laughed and held her tightly, not having a full-on make-out session like Rosalie.

Once again, Edward and I were the odd-balls. I quickly put my sweats back on and packed up my things. "Hey Edward," I greeted, pulling him into a friendly hug. He held onto me a little longer than usual, but I didn't think anything of it.

"Hey Bella," he smiled at me. "Did you choreograph all of that?" He asked in astonishment.

"Well, duh," I scoffed. "It's my showcase and I have to choreograph it…well, except for the solos. For those I just give suggestions and critique." Rosalie shot me a glare and I stiffened. Was I gloating? Woops.

"Well, it looked amazing. I thought I'd just point that out." I laughed and nudged him with my elbow.

"Gee, thanks. We just started, so it's not exactly performance ready." The big, burly guy finally let go of Rosalie and noticed me for the first time.

"So you must be the Bella that Edward won't shut up about," he stuck out his hand, which looked massive. "Hi, I'm Emmett, his older brother." He smiled big and cheesy.

Suppressing laughter, I blushed and said, "Nice to meet you, and yes, I'm Bella." I turned and looked at Edward curiously. He just looked the other way, pretending like something caught his attention. I chuckled. "We should probably get going if we're going to make the train."

Alice took up arms with me and pulled me out of the room. "Yes!" she squealed. "Esme promised to take us shopping this weekend! Normally she's too busy with a project, but this week she swore her schedule was clear. She is so much fun to shop with! You'll see." She bantered about Esme's 'shopping intuition' that helped her know what looked good on everyone.

We made a quick-stop at my dorm to pick up my duffel bag and laptop case. Rosalie looked extremely annoyed with the stop, but everyone, including Emmett, ignored her. Alice, Jasper, Edward and I took one cab while Rosalie insisted on taking a separate one for her and Emmett. Either she hated me that much or she just needed some private time with Emmett. Their relationship seemed very physical.

Alice immediately started complaining. "God," she gasped, "Is there a stick up her but or something? She's being such a bitch!" She looked appalled at her soon-to-be sister-in-law's behavior.

Edward agreed. "If there is a stick up her butt, it's sideways."

"Jesus Christ, remove stick from butt," Jasper muttered.

"See!" Alice exclaimed with wide eyes, pointing to her fiance. "Even sweet ole Jasper can't help but say something! And that's saying something!" We all started giggling. Alice didn't realize what was so funny. "What?"

"No shit saying something is saying something, Alice!" I gasped through my laughter. "You're just being a tad-bit redundant."

She frowned for a second then started laughing. Good-natured humor.

When we finally got to the Hamptons around eight, we were still hyped up. Emmett joined in on the fun, but Rosalie kept a distance from me. On the car ride back to the house, Emmett started singing, "Every party needs a pooper and that's why we invited you-ooo!" Alice joined in and left Edward and I laughing. I think I even saw her crack a smile and smacked Emmett in the arm. He completed her. Anyone who had eyes could see that.

When we pulled up to the familiar white house, Everyone jumped out of the taxi. Emmett paid the guy while the rest of us went ahead inside. Esme and Desmond were busying themselves in the kitchen.

She looked up and spotted Rose. "Rose!" She pulled her into an embrace. "It's been too long! You and Emmett need to find more time to come and visit us."

Rosalie smiled at Esme, "I know, Emmett and I have just been swamped between school, work, and planning the wedding. I promise it won't be so long again."

Esme turned to the rest of us. "Well, I turned the pool heater on. We will be having dinner on the back porch soon, so feel free to go for a swim."

Alice grinned devilishly before turning to grab my hand and practically dragged me up the stairs. When she pulled me into her bedroom, she slammed her door shut, locked it, and then ran to pull a shopping bag out of her armoir.

"Jesus, Alice!" I cried, "What is up with you?" She pulled out the contents of the bag. "No."

She pouted. "Please? Do it for Edward!"

"No." I crossed my arms over my chest. She would not budge me on this.

She stared thoughtfully at the blue, skimpy bikini. She sighed submissively and looked at me with the most heart wrenching expression. "Please, Bella? This suits your figure perfectly! Edward will be blown away and Rosalie will be so jealous."

"What is your deal with me and Edward? And I have no intentions of making Rosalie jealous. She's pissed enough as it is." That bikini looked terrifying.

A spark went off in Alice's mind. She raised an eyebrow at me. "Want to know how much I paid for it? Out of my own pocket?"

Shit.

"No." I said stubbornly.

"Eight-thirty-five." I gulped. "This is Pucci. Esme and I will be so disappointed if you don't wear it." The puppy dog pout took on a whole new meaning. Alice is the master of the puppy pout.

"Esme has seen it?" I asked, blushing.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you think Esme would've let me bought this unless she saw it first? Of course she's seen it! And she's really looking forward to seeing you in it." I could feel myself caving, but I couldn't accept it just yet. I stared at the skimpy thing that was hardly a swimsuit, and finally just closed my eyes and held my hand out. Alice squealed and shoved the suit into my hands. "Yay! You'll be surprised, Bella. It's a very nice swim-suit." She pushed me into her bathroom and I stared at the door for a moment before slipping off my sweats. I will never take them for granted ever again.

To my pleasant surprise, the swimsuit actually didn't look as bad as I thought. The shade of blue reflected nicely off my alabaster skin, and thankfully, it covered enough. The only thing I felt shy about was the damn muffin-toppers. Sighing, I stepped out of the bathroom.

Alice sat there with her jaw on the floor for a moment before shaking her head. "If Edward doesn't ask you out by tonight, he will be hearing an earful from me." She dressed herself in a simple black but sensual Michael Kors bikini. She slipped on some sandals and threw a pair at me. We grabbed towels from the hall closet on the way down.

Esme smiled wide when she saw us. "Everyone is already in the pool. That swimsuit looks dashing on you, Bella, if I do say so." This family knew how to make me blush.

"Thanks," I mumbled, fiddling with a strand of hair.

Alice scoffed. "Stop looking so modest. You look sexy as hell, now let's get in the pool." She pushed open the screen door to the back patio and forced me to put everything on a lounge chair. She took my hand and made a bee-line for the pool. Emmett, who was busy splashing Rosalie and everyone, looked up just as we were mid-air and tried to block the huge wave that was just about to swallow him, but the damage was done.

When Alice and I resurfaced, everyone was soaked. Emmett started howling in laughter.

"How can two tiny girls make a huge wave like that?" He held up his hand for a high-five for me, "Great hang-time!" I smacked his hand. Edward's jaw looked like it was still floating in the pool.

The pool felt like a luke-warm bath, and we all relaxed into it. After two games of "Marco-Polo," five rounds of "Chicken," (Emmett insisted a rematch after Edward and Jasper whooped his butt), we settled in the lounge chairs, waiting for Esme to come out with dinner. Alice turned on the radio to a song that we all knew.

"Come on! Bella, I know you know this dance! Let's see it!" I sunk deep into my chair. She started bouncing next to me. Everyone except Rosalie started cheering. I blushed madly.

"Does this torture ever end?" I moaned.

"Nope," she popped, pulling me out of the chair. "C'mon, I'll do it with you." I stood up.

She seemed to rethink her decision. "Shit, there's no routine for the verses, are there?" I laughed.

"C'mon, we've got enough dance moves we can come up with." "Jai ho" is a popular song amongst the dancers, and we often just jammed to it in our spare time. Alice and I circled our hips sensually, and sunk into the choreography for the chorus. I couldn't stop the smile that spread over my face, and neither could Alice, only her smile looked more like a smirk. Until I saw the expression on Edward's face, I didn't understand why. It was a fun, bouncy beat and we both had fun putting on the show. Personally, I think the Juilliard can perform the dance more fluidly than the Pussycat Dolls. They made the dance look so choppy and unrehearsed.

Emmett got up and started dancing, twirling his hips, and making a fool out of himself. Even Rosalie giggled at the sight of Emmett trying to shake his booty like Beyonce. Alice and I started laughing and struggled to dance. Emmett looked so serious. I can understand why Rosalie loved him. He tried catching on to the routine, but failed epically.

When the song ended, we were all laughing. Emmett was gasping for air, looking worn out.

"I make the human body my life's work, but I never knew how many muscles were in my butt." He tipped us off like a soldier. "I officially hold a higher respect for dancers."

"And you didn't before?" Rosalie retorted with a smile and an eye-roll. He went to Rosalie and smothered her with sloppy kisses. She tried pushing him away, but he went on his own accord.

"Dinner!" Esme called.

When we all settled into our seats, and Carlisle joined us, Esme began the discussion over baked rigatoni and steamed broccoli.

"My, I didn't know you could dance without your ballet slippers on," she joked.

"If it weren't for Alice, you'd still be in the dark." Everyone chuckled and Alice smiled broadly.

"But you are so entertaining!" Esme protested. "Why you would want to hide that kind of talent is beyond me. Do you know what you are doing after you graduate?" She took a bite of rigatoni and waited for my answer.

With Rosalie at the table, I didn't want to say much since I didn't know if she received any opportunities. I kept my answer vague. "Well, my plans aren't really set in stone yet. I planned to dance with a company for a few years before starting my own dance studio. I love teaching. During the summer, I teach camps at the school." Remembering the little kids made me smile. So much personality in such a small body.

Esme glowed. "Really? That's sounds like a fantastic plan. Do you want to dance with a touring company, or something like the New York Ballet?"

I shrugged, "Well, they did offer, but I'm not sure if I want to tour yet. The American Ballet Theater also offered, so I'm just keeping my options open." I did settle on the New York Ballet, but they didn't need to know. Trying to alter the attention, I glanced down the table at Alice and Rosalie. "What are you guys planning on doing?"

Alice piped up first. "Well, after Jasper chooses which symphony he wants to perform with, I'll dance there. Or try to, at least." With her talent, I'm sure she could go anywhere. That goes for Rosalie, too.

Speaking of, "Well, I accepted an invitation from the New York Ballet." My heart sunk into my stomach. "I couldn't really go anywhere else since Emmett's gym is here, and I won't go anywhere without him." She took his hand and they gazed at each other with love-filled eyes. An aching feeling in my chest made me want to cringe, but I repressed the feeling.

"Congratulations," I said to her. She nodded in acknowledgement, she smiled with a hint of smirk. She didn't realize that I also received the same invitation. "What are you doing after graduation?" I asked Edward.

He shrugged. Carlisle gawked. "Edward! C'mon, there's no need to be modest about it," he turned to me. "He is touring with Yo-Yo Ma for a year through Europe. You should've seen him when Yo-Yo Ma came up to him at the end of last year's concert and asked him. You would've thought he'd gone into cardiac arrest." He chuckled.

My head whipped around to Edward. "I had no idea," he kept his focus on his plate. "Why didn't you tell me? That's amazing!"

"Why didn't you tell everyone that you accepted the invitation by the New York Ballet?" Alice retorted. The blood drained from my face.

"I'm still considering touring," I said weakly. Rosalie looked red. With anger.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Please, Perron can't stop gloating about how two of his students were accepted by the New York Ballet. Seriously, who else would it be?"

"Accepted," I emphasized, "I never said I agreed. It's a huge decision to make, Alice." I gave her a look that begged her to drop the subject. Fortunately, she caught the gist of it.

With an eye roll, she said, "Whatever. I think we all know that you'll dance with them, though." She took several quick bites. "Jasper, have you heard from any symphonies yet?" The conversation drifted over to Jasper and how he thought about playing in Chicago. I silently picked at my food, not meaning to be rude, but trying not to look fat when I had a bathing suit on.

After skipping desert, I retired to my room. I turned on my laptop, hoping for some sort of news from my mother, but nothing.

A knock on the door startled me.

"Come in," I called. I was a little taken aback when Edward walked in and shut the door behind him. "Hey," I greeted with surprise.

"Hey," he smiled. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around before setting his eyes on me. It made me self conscious. I wrapped my arms around me protectively. "You look amazing in that suit."

"Thanks," I said bashfully. "What's up?"

His smile wavered. "Why were you so hell bent on dropping the conversation about you? Even I know that you already agreed to sign on with the New York Ballet. Alice informed me the moment she found out. Is it because of Rose?" He demanded. I shrugged. He sighed. "So what if you and Rose are going to dance for the same ballet? It doesn't matter."

I blanched. "Of course it matters!" I exclaimed. Then lowering my voice. "She's always so mad because she's convinced I upstage her in everything, but we are equals. She refuses to accept that. I didn't want to ruin her moment." She looked so happy that she'd done something I hadn't. Then Alice went and ruined it. "And why didn't you tell me about touring with the most famous cellist ever?" I shot back. "That's bigger than dancing with the New York Ballet. You could record an album, see all the big cities. That's exciting! Staying in New York isn't exactly a thrilling experience."

He fiddled with his fingers and looked contemplative. "Well, I'm not one-hundred percent positive I want to go with him. And I told him that," he defended. "My parents don't know, but, I'm going to wait until graduation to make a decision."

"And what will be the determining factor for that decision?" When his eyes looked up to mine, my heart thumped eratically in my chest.

"Bella," he started awkwardly, "I'm sure Alice has already expressed this in many ways to you, she's nosy that way," he rolled his eyes jokingly, but I focused on my heart, "but what I really want, is to try and work out a relationship with you." Shit. Did my heart just stop? The way his eyes looked when he gazed at me expressed something very tender.

"So," I drew out after a few moments of silence, "you're saying that if we develop a close enough relationship, you'd stay?" He nodded. "You're asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"That's the gist of it, yes."

Shaking my head, I told him, "I shouldn't keep you from that kind of opportunity. I think you should take that offer no matter what."

"Are you saying no?" He asked, trying to suppress disappointment.

"Will you take the offer?" I asked.

"If I take it will you say yes?" His eyes looked hopeful.

"Yes."

"Then I will take the offer." He proclaimed.

"Then I will go out with you."

"EEEK!" Alice came barging in, jumping up and down then enveloping Edward and I in a hug. "Finally!" She gasped, giggling. "I thought you'd never man up and ask."

She took a step back, still bouncing on her toes. Edward's hand found mine and said, "Yeah, well, I couldn't exactly resist asking after seeing her today." I blushed, but held onto his hand.

"Aw," Alice cooed, "You're so sweet," she winked conspicuously at me and I rolled my eyes in a dramatic fashion. Alice was right. Alert the media. "And just in my opinion, I think mom and dad would be really disappointed if you didn't go on that tour."

"I agree," I said. He threw his hands up.

"It was an option! If things are really going to go somewhere, then I'd want to stay here with Bella. A year is a long time." I could hear the warning, but I dismissed it.

"Whatever," Alice said, still glowing. "I'm just so glad you're officially together!" She squealed again and went skipping out of the room yelling down the stairs, "Guess what Edward finally did?"

"She's rather exuberant, isn't she?" I asked, chuckling.

"She wouldn't be Alice if she wasn't." His attention came back to me. The confidence he showed with me was borderline cocky, but that gave me hope that things could work. "So you really want to go out with me?"

My heart certainly tells me to. "Yes," I said with no hesitation. "If you can accept the extensive list of problems that come with me then I don't see how this couldn't work out." I gave his hand a little squeeze. "You already know of most of them."

He chuckled. "I certainly do. But I don't think they will really be in the way." He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm going to let you get some rest. You are in for a long day of shopping." He stood up and made way for the door.

"And what will you be doing while your mother and sister play Bella Barbie?" He chuckled at the name.

"Tennis at the club with Dad, Jasper, and Emmett. That should be rather interesting." Just before he shut the door, he said, "Good night, Bella."

"Good night Edward." After he closed the door, I fell back onto the bed, grabbed a pillow, and rolled around, trying to suppress a squeal of happiness.

Edward Cullen is your boyfriend! Edward Cullen is your boyfriend! The phrase repeated like a mantra in my head. Edward Cullen wanted me as a girlfriend. He liked me. He was willing to give up a European tour to stay with me. How perfect could he be? I could tell from the first two minutes of being in a relationship that we were in this for the long haul. Nothing could get in the way.