Disclaimer: I don't own these Twilighty characters. Speaking of a certain Twilight character whom we all love for his politeness and dashing good looks, check out stepheniemeyer-dot-com for an update on Midnight Sun...

Chapter 6: Apologies

I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. I was too afraid that the water would encase me again, and that the hand wouldn't be able to pull me out this time. Which made me wonder– who's hand was saving my life? I stared blankly at the ceiling, counting the little bumps that were casting criss-crossed shadows. I listened to Alice and Rosalie breathing deeply in harmony. I felt my eyelids growing heavy again, their peace leaking into my forced consciousness. I clenched my teeth, trying to keep myself awake. I sat up, and cautiously took off the covers, laying them gently on Alice's sleeping form.

I silently opened the door to my room, and almost fainted from the pain. Tanya was fast asleep on her bed, a slightly pained expression on her face. Lauren was passed out on my bed– I would have to wash those sheets at least five times before I would use them again.

But these were insignificant details compared to my desk. Edward sat in my chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. The corners of his full lips were turned down, and his vibrant green eyes were rimmed with red. I simply couldn't imagine Edward crying.

He hadn't heard me enter. I leaned against the doorframe, trying to regulate my heartbeat. He looked as hurt and vulnerable as I. The hole in my heart was pulsing angrily.

"Edward?" My lips barely moved as I spoke his name. He turned quickly to look at me, the pen flying out of his hands and smacking Lauren on the back. She grunted, and rolled over in her sleep. "Why are you here?" I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself. The longer I looked at him, the harder the hole pulsed.

"I was waiting for you," He breathed, quickly standing up and crossing the room to me, his arms opening. I shook my head.

"Edward, I'll talk to you, but I don't want to wear this god forsaken dress anymore. Wait for me in the hallway," I instructed, and he obliged immediately.

Once I was out of the beautiful dress that had torn my heart apart, I searched through my drawers for proper pajamas. I didn't want him to think I cared about him before– but lie to myself as I tried, the hole in my heart pulsed, announcing my true feelings. I settled for a simple pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a white tank top.

"Bella..." Edward started, gazing intently at me. "You're so beautiful." I rolled my eyes.

"Edward there's no use buttering me up. I'm only humoring you with this," I crossed my arms. His face fell, and his eyes glued themselves to the floor.

"Bella, you have no idea how sorry I am. The guys made me do it." He claimed, his velvet voice strained.

"Edward, I'm so glad that I'm not worth four hundred dollars." I seethed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. His eyes closed for a moment.

"You heard." It was not a question, but a statement.

"You should know better than to ask me that. I hear everything, Edward. Gossip here travels faster than photons." Why was I bringing Physics into our conversation? Edward ran his fingers through his soft bronze hair. Every inch of me was telling me to accept his apology, to kiss the problems away. But what he had done was unforgivable, or at least, that's how I saw it.

"Why, Edward?"

"I don't know." His eyes rose to meet mine, pleading for forgiveness. The only thing holding me back was the throbbing of my heart.

"I thought I knew you," I whispered. He shook his head, and spoke the last words I was expecting.

"Nobody knows me. Not my friends, not my family, my own parents didn't even know me," He mused, running his hand through his hair again. "But I finally found someone who I want to know me. Bella, you're something special to me," Edward supplicated.

"Edward you really hurt me tonight. It feels like a part of my heart was torn out of my chest and ripped into pieces." I took a deep breath, and felt a tear roll down my cheek. Before it could reach my chin, one of his long fingers wiped it away. I opened my eyes. "You didn't realize how much you meant to me." I whispered, letting him speak.

"Bella, they told me to do it. I was looking for you, I searched everywhere. And then they found Lauren, and... and upped the amount for the bet. I don't know what made me do it, or why I wanted to win the bet so badly. I should have realized that it was stupid, I don't know what came over me. I'll do anything for your forgiveness." Edward begged, his soft hand caressing my cheek. It took all my willpower to back away from him.

"A little bet might not seem like a big deal, but I don't think I can forgive you for breaking my heart," I murmured, before returning to Rosalie and Alice's dorm. He let me go, frozen to the spot.

"No..." He pleaded quietly, but my resolve didn't waver. I closed the door quietly behind me, but not before a broken cry reached my ears.

The rest of the night passed without interruption. I sat at Rosalie's desk, staring absently at the wall. Silent tears trailed down my warm cheeks for the better part of four hours, when Alice finally stirred.

"Bella?" Her voice was frantic when she didn't see me asleep next to her.

"Right here, Alice," I croaked, my throat dry. She darted over to me, the same concern etched in her features.

"Bella, what happened. Tell me the truth." Alice demanded. I took a deep breath, and retold the story of my confrontation with Edward. She tapped her fingers on the desk, thinking. "This isn't good," She murmured, more to herself than to me. Rosalie had woken up halfway through the story, and was listening intently.

"Don't get me wrong Bella, but this seems like a bigger deal than you're making it..." She started hesitantly. Alice and I stared at her, our jaws hanging. "What I mean to say is, Edward was never yours, and you claimed that you would never like him. And here you are, crying because he kissed another girl. Now you won't accept his apology, and he doesn't really even owe you one, because your heart was never his to break in the first place. Do you understand where I'm coming from...?" I nodded slowly, replaying what she just said again in my head. She was right– I had no appanage to be upset with him. I could only be upset with myself, because I didn't see it coming. Edward was not at fault for this whole ordeal.

I was.

But if Edward didn't feel the same way as I did, what did he feel for me? What did he feel for Lauren? Was it truly just a bet, or was it Edward's feelings manifesting themselves? I blinked slowly, looking down at the desk.

This was a test of character. I finally realized that I loved Edward more than I should. I loved him with all of my heart, I couldn't deny myself that. But now that I had decided my heart belonged to Edward, and he broke it, couldn't he take some of the blame? No, Bella. It doesn't work like that. It's up to you, and only you to accept that Edward might not feel the same way as you. There's always the chance that it's just a bet. By the end of the week, you have to make the decision to either let him go and risk losing your heart, or forgive him.

"Rosalie, can I borrow your phone please?" She nodded, tossing me the device. I flipped it open, and stared at the banner.

The bigger the love, the more pain afterwards, but the more character it takes to forgive.

I flicked through her contacts, finally finding Edward's number.

"Rosalie, I don't have time to listen to you yell at me. I'm trying to win Bella back." His velvety voice snapped, before the line went dead.

"Oh!" My mouth formed an 'o' as I let out a gasp of surprise. Rosalie was at my side in a second.

"What is it Bella? What did he say?" She demanded, taking her phone back.

"He hung up on me," I started weakly. Alice let out an indignant noise. Rosalie hissed. "He thought I was you, Rosalie... and he said he was trying to win Bella... me... back..." I was dazed. Edward wanted to win me back. Did that mean...

I was out of my seat and out the door before Rosalie or Alice could stop me. I burst through my door, and froze in the same spot as I did earlier this morning.

Because resting on my bed was a dozen red roses, surrounding a stuffed grizzly bear, holding a red heard. I drifted in a dream-like state towards the items, tenderly picking up the bear. Stuffed between the bear and the heart was a folded piece of paper. I withdrew it, and quickly read the note.

Forgive me, please.

There wasn't a signature, but I knew exactly who it was from. There was no mistaking that elegant script. I hugged the animal to my heart, skipping back to Alice and Rosalie's room. They looked curiously at my 180 degree mood swing, and I simply held out the bear. Alice clapped excitedly, and Rosalie rolled her eyes, smirking.

"Can I see your phone again Rosalie?" She obliged, and I checked her contacts, dialing Edward's number in my own phone. He picked up after two rings.

"Hello?" Hearing his velvety voice directed at me rather than Rosalie was like a choir of angels singing.

"Edward? It's Bella." He gasped.

"Bella? How did you..." I cut him off.

"Rosalie."

"Well... have you been to your room yet?" He sounded slightly nervous. I nodded, before remembering I wasn't talking to him in person.

"Yes... and I wanted to tell you–"

"Good. Listen, will you meet me in the gardens at about six fifteen tonight? It's important." Edward requested. How could I turn him down?

"Of course. I wanted to tell you–" But he cut me off again.

"Excellent. See you there!" And he hung up. I groaned, exasperated. Alice and Rosalie were cackling. "Shut up." I mumbled, chucking Rosalie's phone at her head. It missed, and collided with the wall, sliding in the crack between the bed and the wall. Rosalie grunted, which caused my giggles to join Alice's.

"Okay, so what did he say?" Of course, Alice would need to know all of the details.

"I'm meeting him at the gardens at six fifteen," I said quietly, a smile creeping across my face as well as that viral blush. Alice let out a high pitched screech, one which could shatter a house of glass. "Holy crap, Alice, keep it down!" I exclaimed, clamping my hands over my ears. Rosalie quickly checked the hall, and announced that people were asking who the hell was screaming at nine in the morning on a Saturday, especially after a party. Rosalie quickly apologized for her roommate, whom she claimed had morning issues, and that she would break the habit before it became more problematic. A few girls chucked, ducking back into their rooms. Others shot Rosalie exasperated looks. More still complained about their beauty sleep being interrupted.

"They wouldn't be beautiful no matter how many hours of so called beauty sleep they called," Rosalie murmured, shaking her head.

"Bella! We're going to get breakfast, and then we're celebrating!" Alice squealed again, and clapped her hands excitedly. "Just go like that, no one cares. Take these! Let's go!" She threw a pair of plain flip flops at me, one hitting me in the nose. I slipped them on, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Alice, watch your aim. Next you'll take my eye out." Alice muttered an apology before breezing out the door. Rosalie and I followed her. I knotted my hair on top of my head, and glanced quickly in the reflective elevator doors. I gasped in horror at my reflection.

My hair was a rats nest resting on my head. My eyes were bloodshot, with large purple bags accompanying them. My lips were cracked, a result of my constant lip biting. There were red fingernail marks dug into my arms from where I clutched them tightly, trying to hold myself together. I knew that these same marks would be dug into the sides of my stomach. My limbs were shaking slightly from lack of sleep.

"I look a wreck," I mumbled, tearing my eyes from the image in front of me. Alice and Rosalie chuckled nervously, and the doors opened on the ground floor. I led our little group towards the food court.

After consuming two cups of coffee and a large waffle, I felt slightly more awake. Alice was tapping her fingers impatiently again, having inhaled her hot chocolate and cereal. She was filling me in on the dream she had last night, which was about me. Rosalie ate extremely slowly, testing Alice's patience.

"Rosalie finish eating before I do it for you." She snapped, and consequentially, I erupted into a fit of giggles. Rosalie joined me, milk pouring from her nose. "Oh sweet Jesus, that's disgusting Rose. I'm telling Emmett." Rosalie shook her head violently, still laughing and clutching a stitch in her chest.

"Stop being so evil, Alice." I commanded, still giggling. She rolled her eyes, and recommenced tapping her fingers impatiently on the table. Rosalie ended up dumping the rest of her breakfast in the garbage.

"Alice, I'm seriously going to chop your fingers off. That tapping was the most annoying sound of my life," Rosalie complained as we headed back towards the Henderson building. Alice rolled her eyes, but didn't respond. I linked my arms in theirs, grinning like a lunatic.

"Girls, play nice. Someone has a special event lined up for the night," I reminded them, which set Alice off again.

"Okay Bella, I think I have an idea. I just need your shirt, pant and shoe size." I looked at Alice suspiciously, wondering what on Earth she could be up to. Reluctantly, I gave her what she requested. "Now, you nap." She instructed, pointing to her bed. I nodded, not wanting to strike up another argument. I pulled Alice's covers up to my chin, and was immediately asleep.

"A girl like you is impossible to find," He said quietly, his eyes endless depths. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I love you, with all of my heart, Bella."

"I love you, too," I answered, my voice scratchy compared to his deep voice. His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them. I reached up, pushing his hair back. He smiled, his white teeth gleaming. His lips came closer, before finally meeting mine.

"Bella...?" A husky voice awoke me. My eyes shot open, searching for the source.

"Jacob! Hey! Are you feeling better?" I asked, yawning widely. He nodded, his hair falling into his eyes. "You cut your hair?" He nodded again. "Why?"

"I don't really know, just a spur of the moment thing," Jacob smiled. I laughed.

"I liked it longer. But I guess this way is okay too," I felt myself blush lightly. His hair wasn't sleek like the first time I had met him, and it wasn't tied back in a ponytail. It was shaggy, and dropped just before his deep set black eyes. He shook it out of his eyes, shrugging.

"It'll grow back. Anyways, I heard about last night, and I wanted to see how you were coping." He said conversationally. I realized this was typical Jacob– he cared about other people a lot.

"I've been better." I sighed, watching Jacob carefully for his reaction.

"Well, I hate to see you like this. You shouldn't let him get you like this. Edward can't be faithful to a woman– I don't mean to be negative, but it's the truth. There are better people out there. People who will always check up on you when you're sick or hurt," He stated. I tilted my head to the side. Was I reading too much into his statement, or did Jacob just suggest himself to me?

"Jacob, I think I'll be alright. Stay with me though– Alice and Rosalie have some devilish plans for my afternoon, and I'm not sure I can cope." I put a pained expression on my face, and Jacob laughed throatily. He placed his large hand on my arm, and the touch felt warm and familiar, like a lifeboat. I couldn't exactly place where I had felt his touch before, but I was certain I had experienced it.

We passed the rest of the time simply chatting about trivial things, like our favorite movies, our favorite music, what celebrities were horrible– I play slapped him when he called Miley Cyrus 'a hottie.' I personally held a grudge against her for telling me about my feelings for Edward. Rosalie and Alice burst back into the room, holding shopping bags.

"Good evening, sweet child. Alas, who is this? A new friend?" Alice chirped, dropping the bags. "I'm Alice Brandon, and this is Rosalie Hale." Jacob nodded, smiling warmly.

"This is Jacob Black, a really close friend of mine." He seemed to glow when I told them I considered him a close friend. "We've known each other for ages. I didn't know he went here, and we hit it off right away." I added as Rosalie shot me a confused look. Jacob nodded, confirming my story.

"Pleasure to meet you, Jacob." Rosalie said politely, extending her hand for him to shake. Alice immediately started talking to Jacob like they were old friends. Rosalie and I exchanged another glance– apparently, Alice made a very good new friend.

"Okay, can I take a look at what you're going to force me into?" I teased. Rosalie shook her head.

"Lunch first." I checked the clock. It was just past one o'clock. Jacob had succeeded in passing the time with me. I nodded, and swiftly walked out the door. Jacob, Alice and Rosalie followed. Soon enough, Alice and Jacob were arguing over something, which turned out to be the topic of animals. Alice preferred cats, but Jacob was completely pro dog.

Rosalie and I ate lunch in silence, watching as Alice and Jacob continued bickering. It was quite comical, really. Jacob inhaled his pizza, and Alice scolded him for eating too quickly.

"Alice, you ate your breakfast even faster than that this morning," I noted. She shot me a withering look.

"Shut up, Bella." She hissed, before diving back into her dispute with Jacob. I rolled my eyes, continuing on my sandwich.

"Okay Bella, come with me. We'll leave these two to sort out their problems on their own." I nodded, and followed Rosalie back to the dorms. She lifted my outfit out of the bags, and I gasped.

"Rosalie, those shoes must have cost a fortune! And those jeans, they're certainly an expensive brand! Not to mention that shirt! You have to return them, I won't be able to afford paying you back." I shook my head sadly. How did they expect me to give them close to two hundred dollars for a simple outfit? But I had to admit– I was in love with these articles of clothing, more attached to them than I had ever been to something so material. The shirt was a long sleeved thermal type, with cyan flowers and teal doodles. The denim skirt was a little on the short side, but a dark wash, which was my favorite. But the shoes were really something else– they were simple high-top Converse, colored pale blue. (A/N: All on website.)

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. You don't need to pay us back," Rosalie scoffed indignantly.

"Yes I do," I argued. "You can't buy me gorgeous clothes like this, and expect me to let it all blow over. Let me get my wallet." I turned and walked towards the door. She grabbed my arm.

"Bella, seriously. Stop being absurd. You will wear this, and you won't pay for it. If you don't let it go, I will tell Tanya about your nightmare. And then she'll make assumptions, and make your life hell." Now that was way below the belt. I huffed furiously, crossing my arms.

"Fine." I stated, wrinkling my nose. "I can't believe you would threaten me that way. I thought better of you, Rosalie." I hissed. Rosalie simply rolled her eyes.

"I do what I can to get things to work out," She replied, a grim smile gracing her perfect features. Her beauty struck me again, and made me wonder about her speech yesterday about girls being jealous of me. How could people find me pretty when I hung around girls like her and Alice? They were simply delusional. I made my way over to Rosalie's bed, and flopped down.

"Wake me up at four thirty, won't you?" I requested, yawning widely. I didn't notice her nod– I was already asleep again.

Right on the dot, Alice leapt on the bed, screaming "BELLA, BELLA, BELLA! WAKE UP SLEEPING BEAUTY! Oh, did you know that Bella is Italian for beautiful? So Sleeping Beauty makes sense for you. SO WAKE UP!" I groaned, opening my chocolate eyes to glare at Alice.

"Shut. Up." She instantly fell silent.

"How do you do it?" Rosalie mused, watching us from Alice's bed. I shrugged, rubbing my eyes, and lifting my head off the pillow.

"It's time to get ready, beautiful," Alice chirped, erupting into yet another fit of giggles. I was about ready to slap her, when I glanced at the clock. I had about an hour and a half to get ready for the night.

"Alright, ladies. I don't want anything drastic. I just want to look like... me." I said lamely. Rosalie and Alice exchanged a look– obviously, me wasn't a description they had in mind. But they would listen to me, I was sure.

It took them a half hour to make my hair look perfect. It waved gently down to my mid back, the front half pulled back into a barrette. A single strand of hair was left, curving to the shape of my jaw. How such a simple hair style had taken them so long was a mystery to me.

Before my face was to be changed, Alice and Rosalie insisted on getting me dinner. They demanded that I wait here, so that there was no chance of Edward seeing me. I sighed, waiting for them. It took them the better part of another thirty minutes for them to arrive.

"Eat quickly." Rosalie instructed, and I obeyed. The pasta they had brought for me was growing cold, and it was bland. Alice handed me a mint after I finished my meal.

"Get dressed please. We promise not to look," Alice teased, squeezing her dark eyes shut. I obliged, my nerves taking over. When I told them they could look again, both of them gasped. I blushed furiously.

"What, do I look that bad?" I teased. They shook their heads in unison, before Alice took over.

She surprised me when she gently brushed mascara on my lashes, glossed my lips, and announced she was finished. During this short minute, Rosalie had turned on her iTunes, and her favorite song was on.

"Bella, it's six oh five!" She announced, as the opening chords played. "Lace up your shoes eh oh eh oooh!" I looked quickly at the clock, then slipped into my shoes, tying them tightly.

"Here's how we do. Run baby, run!" She waved me away, and I started towards the door. She mouthed run and my pace quickened.

Don't ever look back.

Authors Note: And there you have it. Three updates in one day! KISS MY FEET, MY READERS, KISS THEM.

Actually, don't I'm not sure I would be comfortable with that.

Some of you may be wondering-- Is Bella seriously taking him back that easily?

The answer is kind of-- he actually didn't do something wrong in the first place. As Rosalie pointed out, Edward wasn't Bella's in the first place, so something as trite as kissing another girl shouldn't be a cause for her infinite hatred. Edwardo is a free agent! note to self: find edward But trust me, this is just the beginning of their problems.

Anyways, share your thoughts-- I'm always welcome to ideas. Anyways, I was thinking I need a nickname for Alice and Rosalie, something I can call them together. Writing out their names take up alot of effort on these nimble fingers. If you have any ideas, share share share!

Review cause sharing is caring!