Still no reviews. None. Not a one, for the last five chapters. I've been so good about posting, too! This is depressing, guys. Other people get hundreds of reviews. I get nothing. That's unfair.
The familiar sick horror blossomed. "NO! Please don't. Please. Edward, I'll do anything- anything. Just don't leave me again."
"I'm not leaving."
I resumed breathing in an approximately normal way. "Thank you."
"Why should I be thanked for doing the only thing that could make me happy?"
I continued to breathe, barely. "You don't want to leave?"
"No." He seemed confused. Then horror crossed his face. "You thought I wanted you to ask me to leave."
I nodded. "Why else would you bring it up?"
He looked down, ashamed. "I… I thought… you would want me to go. After…"
"See, this is why I don't let you see me cry, Edward. You get so sad. And I don't ever want to live without you. There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you. Nothing. Nothing can come between us. You hear me?"
He smiled an empty smile. It was all the reassurance I needed.
"I love you," I said.
"Bella. You are the oddest person I've ever met, you know that? Most girls would be running and screaming right about now. I cheated on you. Doesn't that make you angry? Or anything?"
Honesty is the best policy! "A little angry. Mostly sad. I wanted to be first. That would be so special- it would feel like you waited a hundred years for me."
"I have."
"But you'll still be my first, and that's almost the same. And I love you, and you love me, and that's all that really matters in the entire universe."
He smiled, a true smile this time.
"Edward? Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Did you really think I'd leave you?"
He stopped, paused, edited, and finally answered. "Yes. Yes, I did."
"EDWARD! You have some serious self-esteem issues, dearest one."
"No, I just see myself far more accurately than you do."
"Edward. Listen. You're doing the same thing that made you leave in the first place, so listen up because you are not going to get away with doing that again. You're devaluing how I feel about you. You don't understand that I need you so much that it hurts. I can't live without you. I can't not forgive you. I need you. Okay? I need you as much as you need me. You are more than I am no matter what you think. So don't leave, and don't be afraid."
"Bella. I am not going to leave you. We're going to get married and I'll change you. I swear." He paused for a moment. "Do you want to try still?"
I understood the implication. "Yes."
"Even…"
"Yes."
He began to protest, then realized what he was doing. "All right. I love you."
"I love you too."
That was when Alice burst in through the window. "Edward, I need to talk to you. Bella, scram."
"Anything you need to tell him, you can say in front of me."
"It's about the wedding." I knew she was lying, but I left anyway. And promptly pressed my ear against the door.
