Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight but the rest is mine. No infringement intended.

Well, we're going to skip ahead a little now. See what kind of curve balls life might have in store for these lovebirds. See you on the other side.


Chapter 8

Edward and I kept it low-key the rest of the weekend, lounging around his house watching movies and napping together on the couch or relaxing in the hot tub. Saturday morning, I'd awoken to find that Edward had dressed me in one of his oversized t-shirts the night before when I'd been too exhausted and intoxicated to stay awake until he'd come up. I felt so good in his clothing and I loved the way he looked at me in it that it was basically all I wore until it was time for me to go home.

Walking back into my own home, I thought for sure my parents would take one look at me and know what I'd done. Like there was a flashing scarlet letter on my chest screaming that their little girl was no longer a virgin but they just smiled and asked if I'd had fun before returning their attention back to the football game on TV.

After that, life settled into a comfortable, happy rhythm. I went to school and work and split my free time between Edward and Rosalie, taking care not to sacrifice one relationship for the sake of the other. As much as I loved Edward and enjoyed spending every possible moment with him, I also cherished having a real best friend for the first time since I was very young. The friendships I had back in Phoenix didn't hold a candle to the one I'd forged with Rose.

Edward and I spent our time together searching for that perfect place to be alone together or sneaking kisses and caresses when we couldn't be alone. By Christmas, I was even more madly in love with Edward, my thoughts consumed by the thought of him. Rose had talked me into joining the local gym with her and we spent many afternoons gossiping as we walked side by side on the treadmills. In a matter of months Rosalie was down ten pounds and there was even a noticeable difference in my own muscle tone.

Dad never really warmed to Edward though I suspected it had nothing to do with him personally and everything to do with the simple fact that he was my boyfriend. However, we were overly careful not to give him a real reason to hate him and eventually dad came to accept him and gradually got used to his constant presence. Mom, of course, adored him and loved to regale him with embarrassing anecdotes from my more awkward early teen years until I begged her to stop.

Edward's parents welcomed me into their home with open arms and it wasn't long before I was as comfortable with them as I was in my own home. Esme loved to cook my favorites when I stayed for dinner and often made hefty plates full of cookies and other treats for me to take home to my parents. When I finally met Carlisle, Edward's dad, I found him to be just as warm and kind as everyone had described. Alice was another story. After our first meeting she kept a cool distance from me, silently tolerating my presence but making no effort to get to know me or even speak to me. That is, until one night just after New Year's when she needed a favor.

Edward's parents had gone out to dinner and he and I had been watching movies with his friend Liam and Siobhan, who'd finally agreed to go out with him around Halloween. Alice cornered me in the hallway as I exited the bathroom and asked if I could take her to the store for tampons. There was such panic in her eyes that I agreed immediately and pulled Edward aside to let him know that we'd be right back. He was a little confused that she'd asked me to take her anywhere but when I explained that it was a girl thing, he'd heard enough and just made me promise to hurry back.

It wasn't until we were in the parking lot of the drug store that Alice confessed the truth. She didn't need to pick up tampons, she needed a pregnancy test. I think I stopped breathing for a few seconds. I looked over to the young girl next to me. Gone was the snide, attitude filled little sister of my boyfriend and in her place was someone scared to death and possibly pregnant only a few weeks shy of her fifteenth birthday.

"Does anyone else know?" I asked and she shook her head. "What about the guy? Did you tell him?"

Again she shook her head and fat tears began to roll down her cheeks. "He was a huge mistake. I don't know what I was thinking. What the hell am I going to do?"

"Look, Alice, we all make mistakes but let's tackle one thing at a time, ok?"

We walked into the drug store and I sent Alice to look at makeup while I purchased the test for her. Forks was a small town and I knew gossip might spread but I was new to town and figured I was less recognizable than Alice who'd grown up here and whose father was the popular, attractive doctor. Luckily, I didn't know the college age kid behind the counter and he didn't seem at all interested in who I was or what I was buying.

Test in hand, I ushered Alice into the store's bathroom and waited outside as she took the plastic stick into the stall. Less than thirty seconds later, she exited the stall, a look of panic on her face, as she told me she was too scared to look. She set the test on the counter and fell into my arms sobbing. I waited the suggested three minutes with her on the other side of the bathroom, holding softly and reassuring her that one way or another everything would be OK, though I wasn't quite sure of that myself.

When time was up I consulted the direction, wanting to be sure that I read the results accurately and with a deep breath, walked across the room to the counter.

One pink line.

Only one.

Thank you God!

I leaned in closer, wanting to be completely sure there wasn't a faint line hiding in there somewhere. Only when I was totally sure did I turn around, the smile on my face giving Alice her answer.

"No?" she asked, hopefully.

"No," I confirmed and she fell back into my arms, hugging my waist tightly, her tiny face pressed against my chest so hard her tears were soaking through my shirt. "Are you sure?"

I extricated myself from her grasp and re-read the directions for the test. "Well, how late are you?"

"Um, like a week."

"I think you're ok then. It says it's, like, ninety-nine percent accurate on the first day you're late so I think we're good."

She fell against me again, crying tears of relief this time and I simply held her, letting her cry out all the fear and uncertainty that was sure to have been festering for several days now.

Once she had composed herself and splashed a bit of water on her face we exited the bathroom and picked up a box of tampons to confirm our cover story before heading back to the house. On the ride home, Alice confessed the entire story about the guy who'd told her he would love her forever and then quit talking to her the day after she gave him her virginity. I took the opportunity to stress to her how important it was to wait for someone who really loved her. I promised her that any guy who was truly worth it, would be willing to wait until she was ready next time. It felt a bit like a cheesy afterschool special moment, but I hoped my words would stick with her.

She thanked me again as we pulled into the driveway and swore me to secrecy. I promised I wouldn't breathe a word to her brother and she gave me one more hug before disappearing into the house at light speed. I followed behind her, heading into the living room where I'd left Edward and his friends. It appeared Liam and Siobhan had taken off and I found Edward fast asleep on the couch alone.

My talk with Alice had reminded me of how lucky I was that I'd lost my own virginity to someone who cared for me and not in a rushed act of teenage hormonal impulse. I climbed on to the couch and straddled him, running my hands softly through his tousled hair.

"Hey, baby, you're back," he murmured sleepily. "What took you so long?"

"Alice just needed someone to talk to, about some girl stuff, but she's ok now." I assured him before lowering my face to his. "Have I told you how much I love you? Because I love you so fucking much!"

I didn't give him a chance to reply before pressing my lips to his and showing him just how much I loved him for the next hour until his parents arrived home.

After that Alice remained a little distant for a few days, probably waiting to see if I'd spilled the truth of our excursion to Edward, but when a week went by and he showed no sign of knowing anything been amiss, she relaxed. We weren't instant friends after that but she was no longer cold or snarky when I was around and even stopped blackmailing Edward when she found us in compromising positions. That was good enough for me.

Winter melted into spring, which brought with it the biggest event of the school year. Prom. As soon as the posters went up, Edward and Rose began conspiring to get me to attend. I wasn't a fan of school dances, or dancing in general as it wasn't my strong suit but when Rose brought up the fact that I'd get to see Edward in a tux, I began to think about it. When she learned that her mother would be out of town that weekend and we could have the after party at her place, I was in.

A few weeks later, I was back at Rose's favorite salon having Demetri work his magic on our tresses before heading back to my house to dress. I wore a simple, long, strapless, dark blue dress with what Rose called an empire waist and heels I wasn't sure I could walk in, let alone dance, but even I had to admit, they made my legs look good. Rose, who was now only ten pounds from her goal weight, decided to show off her new figure in a short, red, bubble dress that showed off her chest but hid the stomach and hips that she still wasn't quite comfortable with.

My mom nearly fell over herself when we came down the stairs, snapping pictures left and right while my dad begrudgingly opened the door for Edward and Rose's date Stefan. She'd met him up in Port Angeles one weekend and in a rare move for Rosalie, he was actually our age. Stefan was also quite good looking and Rose couldn't wait to sleep with him and so she overlooked the age issue just this once.

Once we escaped my mother and her paparazzi like photo taking, we loaded ourselves into Edward's car and headed to the prom. The gym looked like the crepe paper and balloon fairies had vomited all over the place but one look at Edward looking mouthwateringly delicious in his suit and I didn't care. I let him pull me onto the dance floor without a fight and once I was in his arms the gym around us melted away. If I closed my eyes, it was almost as though we were back on his deck on my birthday all those months ago and I laid my head on his chest, letting him sway us to the music.

The evening passed in a blur and in the end, I was happy that Rose had talked me into coming. Spending the night wrapped in Edward's arms on the dance floor was a memory I was sure would be lodged into my memory for a very long time. As the dance started to wear down, we met up with Rosalie and Stefan, Liam and Siobhan and Maggie and her date and the eight of us headed to Rose's house for our little post-prom party.

We weren't back at Rose's house for more than a minute before the alcohol began flowing. Rose's mother had a supply of alcohol that would put many liquor stores to shame and Rose assured everyone that she wouldn't notice any of it missing, not even a few bottles. I knew the truth, that even if her mother did notice, she wouldn't care. Rosalie and her well-being weren't high on Lillian Hale's priority list. So, we drank and gossiped about what everyone wore to the prom or who they danced with and then drank some more.

I was a bit buzzed and feeling great when the topic of conversation turned to our impending graduation and future college plans. When Liam and Edward began discussing his acceptance to Dartmouth, I began to feel sick. I had a little bit of money in my college savings but nothing near Ivy League kind of money. I'd been trying not to think about it but now it was staring me in the face. Edward was heading across the country to New Hampshire and Dartmouth while my plans included general education classes at the community college in Port Angeles and living with my parents to save money so I could transfer to UW in a year or two. In less than four months, there would be an entire country between us.

There was a sudden weight on my chest and I wanted nothing more than to get out of this stupid dress and into bed for the night. I slammed the last of the drink in my hand and set it on the counter before pulling myself off of Edward's lap and slipping out of the room.

It was already arranged that Edward and I were sleeping in the guest room and after a quick trip to the bathroom; I made my way there, wiping tears from my eyes. My heart nearly stopped when I entered the room and found Edward sitting on the edge of the bed in the dark, his silhouette illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window.

"Why'd you leave?"

"Just tired," I replied quietly, closing the door behind me but leaving the light off. I tossed the shoes in my hand onto the floor and steadied myself with a hand on the dresser. The last drink had hit me pretty hard and I was having trouble standing upright.

"You didn't say anything."

"You were having a good time. I didn't want to disrupt."

He stood from the bed and crossed the room in one swift movement. His hand came up to cup my face as his thumb grazed over my cheek softly, wiping away a tear I hadn't realized was there. "I think something else is bothering you."

His hand slid to my chin and he lifted my face to meet his gaze. Even in the dark, I could see the concern in his eyes but I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Baby, please," he begged, "talk to me."

I broke, unable to hold it in anymore. "You're leaving. In a few months, you'll be gone and I'll be here, alone."

The tears fell hard and fast as I slumped against him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly as he murmured quietly against my hair. "Oh my love, we still have some time. Let's not worry about this right now, ok? Tonight we're together, you look so fucking beautiful, we're alone and we have all night together. Who knows when we'll have this chance again? Can we just enjoy this night and leave everything else to another time?"

I nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. I resolved to get out of my own way and make the most of our night together. His hands began tracing small circles along the exposed skin of my shoulders, causing my body to shiver in response.

"Cold?"

"Nuh-uh," I whispered, bringing my hands to his chest. He'd removed the jacket long ago but still wore the dress shirt from the prom and I began fiddling with the buttons. All traces of worry and uncertain disappeared, replaced quickly with need and wanting.

When he realized that I was too drunk to loosen the buttons of his shirt, Edward stepped back and did it himself, a sight much more enjoyable than doing it myself. He peeled the shirt from his body and let it fall to the floor. The white undershirt followed and soon he was standing in front of me wearing only his pants. The sight was still glorious, even after all our months together.

He indicated that I should turn around and I did so far less gracefully than I would have liked but he didn't seem to mind. I heard him step forward. Felt his presence behind me. Felt his breath on my neck but he still he didn't touch me for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, he brought his hand to my hair, pushing it over my shoulder before trailing his hand back across the bare skin of my back. It came to the top of my dress and he expertly unhooked the clasp there and began working the zipper open excruciatingly slow until the dress fell to the ground in a puddle around my feet.

His right arm came over my shoulder and across my chest, pinning me to him as his left wrapped around my waist. I tilted my face back to his and was rewarded with his mouth on mine greedily. I could still taste the alcohol on his lips, a sort of spicy, sweet taste that made my head spin as the long, slender fingers of his left hand slipped under the waistband of my fragile lace panties. I ground my ass back against him as his fingers quickly brought me to the brink of ecstasy.

"Edward, please," I whimpered against his lips but he had something else in mind and withdrew his hand so fast I nearly toppled over.

With hands on my hips, he spun me around to face him recapturing my mouth with his as we stumbled backwards, falling onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. Our kisses were fevered and rushed, fueled by an excess of alcohol as our tongues danced against each other. Edward, always so soft and careful, was completely transformed, palming my breasts roughly but not so much that it hurt. Just hard enough to drive me totally crazy as he pinched and rolled my taut nipples between his fingers. I was surprised by how much this new domineering side of him turned me on but my soaked panties bore testimony to just how much I liked it.

"Fuuuccck!" I moaned, gasping for breath as he began nipping and sucking at my neck. "Edward, I need, I need," I gasped, clinging to him for dear life, never finding the words to finish that sentence. My fingernails dug into the skin of shoulders as if I was afraid he might fly away otherwise.

In a flash, he grabbed my arms and pinned them to the bed on either side of my head. His lower body was ground against mine as his deep green eyes pierced into mine.

"What do you need, baby. Tell me what you want." He rolled his hips and his fully clothed erection pressed deliciously against my lace clad center causing me to cry out. "Is that what you need, my love?"

I nodded, crying out again as he continued to grind against me, still pinning me helplessly to the bed.

"Talk to me baby, I wanna hear you say it."

"Fuck me, Edward," I cried. "I need you to fuck me."

"Do you want it soft and slow?" he asked, his voice deep and husky as he ground his hips slowly against mine. "Or maybe you're feeling a bit naughty tonight and need it a little harder?" He thrust against me roughly and I screamed, wrapping my legs around him tightly, holding him in place.

"Oh God! Just shut up and do it already."

That was good enough for him. He flashed me a wicked smile and released my hands so he could loosen and wriggle out of his slacks. I slipped my underwear off as he rolled the condom over the tip of his penis. I'd sat up in the bed to unclasp my bra and as soon as I was free of the offending fabric, Edward pulled me into his arms, capturing my lips with his. One hand fisted in my hair as the other roamed over my naked body before pushing me gently back onto the bed. Kneeling between my open legs, Edward grasped my hips and entered me slowly as first until I realized I was begging for him.

"Please, babe, faster, more…need you…hard." I stuttered, my heart beating wildly in my chest in anticipation.

He tightened his grip on my hips and pulled out almost all the way before giving me a devilish smirk and slamming his hips against mine.

"Holy FUCK!" I screamed but he didn't relent and continued to pound against me over and over until the room began to spin and my vision went spotty.

Then he gathered me in his arms and flipped us so I was straddling him. He kept his hands on my hips, guiding me up and down until my alcohol addled brain finally registered that I was in control now. Bracing myself against the warm, hard expanse of his chest, I rode him wildly, bouncing up and down on his cock in a way I didn't know I was capable of. Edward's hands moved from my hips to my chest, teasing my rock hard nipples as he groaned in appreciation.

I only had a few minutes of dominance before Edward flipped us once again but I didn't mind as this time he brought his entire body against mine and his lips were close enough to kiss. I tangled my hands in his hair, tugging his face to mine as I forced my tongue into his mouth. His hips continued to pound against mine as we kissed furiously. In that moment, it was as though there was no one else in the house, no one else in the entire world but the two of us, lost here in this moment.

Then my entire world screeched to a stop. I felt Edward's body stiffen suddenly and he pulled his face away from mine, looking down at me in horror.

"What's the matter?" I asked, confused and frustrated, panting for breath. "Did I do something?"

He remained frozen for just a few more seconds before pulling out and away from me completely until he was sitting, perched on the edge of the bed, not saying a word.

"Edward, talk to me!" I cried, pulling the blanket up to cover myself as I inched cautiously towards him.

He remained silent as his head fell into his hands. I barely registered a mumbled string of curse words spoken under his breath as I approached. I set a hand on his shoulder gingerly, afraid of spooking him. He jumped in response to my touch as if suddenly reminded of my presence. When he turned his face to me I was shocked and confused by the fear in his eyes.

"Please," I implored, feeling the need to fix whatever had caused this look to settle on his perfect face.

"Oh baby," he finally whispered, breaking his silence, "I'm so fucking sorry."

"What happened? What's wrong? Edward, I don't understand what's going on. I need you to talk to me."

I followed his gaze to his lap but I couldn't tell what exactly I was supposed to be looking at until he spoke again, his words cutting through the alcohol and lust fueled haze, sobering me immediately.

"It broke, Bella. The condom broke."


A/N: I know, I know, it's a cliffie. I'm sorry! But the next chapter will be up in a day or two. I don't like to leave people hanging for long.

So, I see you guys out there but I'd love to hear from you too. Leave me some love!