Friday
POV: Edward


Despite getting well-fed after an uncomfortable two-week period of not hunting, this week had turned out to be quite horrible.

Emmett was frowning at me, Jasper was ignoring me as best as he could, and Rosalie was simply complaining about my pathetic state of behavior.

Nothing new there.

"Will you quit with the moping?" Jasper finally snapped. His hands clenched the steering wheel so hard that I absently wondered if it would break. "You're driving me nuts."

"I won't apologize for missing Bella," I told him firmly. "It's not like you're any better when you and Alice are apart. And I've been hearing your thoughts ever since I've known you, so it's even worse for me."

It wasn't just the longing and emptiness Jasper always thought about when Alice was away. His mind often wandered to the activities they would do once they were together again. Sometimes, I wondered if those two were worse than Rosalie and Emmett.

In a whiny tone, my sister piped up, "Remind me again why we had to bring Mr. Broody with us?"

Emmett rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Even he needed to hunt. Don't worry; next time we won't bring Mr. Broody with us. You and I will be alone."

"Mr. Broody can hear you. Sometimes a little too much." I groaned when their minds simultaneously wandered to their bedroom.

No. Emmett and Rosalie were definitely worse.

As Jasper drove, I settled back against the passenger seat and tried my very best to block out the revolting thoughts surrounding me.

Which wasn't hard once I resumed thinking about Bella.

As they week had gone by agonizingly slowly, we'd only gotten a chance to speak a few times. I"d been a little worried by our infrequent and short phone conversations. She'd seemed so distracted every time I'd called her and always, rather abruptly, ended the call each time.

I'd tried talking to Alice during the nights to see if Bella was alright. After all, they'd been spending majority of their time together. On one hand, I was happy that my love and my sister were having some "girl bonding time", which, I assumed, included a shopping trip, some makeovers and a 'slumber party' marathon. On the other hand, if Bella was getting uncomfortable as a result, then I'd needed to put a stop to it.

My worries were unnecessary, Alice had informed me.

"It's nothing," Alice had chimed through the phone one night. "School is just getting out, so she's a little busy trying to catch up with getting her assignments due."

"I thought she was lying about that part," I'd admitted.

"Well, we all know how terrific of a liar she is. And besides, her cast just got removed, so she's enjoying her freedom again. So. Stop. Worrying."

"I don't know, Alice. I think she should wear the cast for some more time; it isn't wise to put too much strain, especially when it just came off."

"You have no idea," Alice had muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Edward!" She'd changed the subject, sounding cheery again. "She's been wearing that hideous thing for more than two weeks now. No wonder she wanted some girl time with me to recover. And she and Carlisle say it's fine. Give it a rest."

I'd let the matter go, especially after Emmett had flung my phone from my hands and into the river, demanding that I return to some stupid hunting game of his and claiming that I was 'no fun anymore'.

I supposed I had enjoyed myself with my siblings, Rosalie excluded. However I'd hadn't been banking on being gone from Bella for so long. I hadn't even wanted to go in the first place, but Bella's safety was always threatened when I didn't hunt routinely. I'd decided on returning the following night when Alice had called and claimed we'd get better game further north.

And I still didn't understand what had happened this whole week.

How had our hunting in Forks and Canada led to shopping in New York, of all places?

Alice purchasing some designer outfits from across the world wasn't anything new. All she normally did was simply open her computer and order everything online to have it delivered here.

(Or personally go herself.)

Why on earth had she gotten us involved in this thing?

She'd bought all of four of us plane tickets to pick up one dress. When we'd gotten there, Rosalie had fallen in love with some of the recent shops they'd opened and demanded that we stay there another day.

Needless to say, I'd been in a sour mood the entire time, knowing I had no choice but to remain.

Jasper had taken the opportunity to purchase a gift for Alice for their upcoming anniversary – not that it would be much of a surprise.

I knew it frustrated Jasper sometimes, that he couldn't shock Alice with anything special. It wasn't his fault, partly because Alice couldn't help her visions, and partly because she wanted to know.

It was impossible to plan a surprise for Alice.

Or even me, for that matter.

We were getting closer to Forks now, I realized, recognizing some familiar paths we were taking.

I quickly grabbed the new phone I had purchased in New York and dialed Alice's number. She didn't even bother to greet me when she picked up.

"Bella's still asleep at home. See you at school in a few hours."

I nodded at my siblings before jumping out of the car. "Nice hunting with you guys."

Their partially amused and partially resigned thoughts followed me as I sped through the trees, detouring to Bella's house. When it came into view two minutes later, I grinned like an idiot at the sight of her opened window. I slid through the window, feeling instantly at home when I laid eyes on her.

It felt like I was seeing her all over again.

Being apart from Bella, for any period of time, physically hurt me. I knew it was impossible that she could possibly feel the exact same way, but just looking at her after a week of not being with her, I felt fulfilled.

Much more fulfilling than my hunting had been.

My gaze followed every inch of her subconscious form, starting from her wild and tangled hair to the smooth skin of her legs peeking out of her summer shorts. I paused there, eyeing the recently uncovered skin carefully. This was the first time I'd seen her leg without the brace on. It appeared alright and the bruise was just fading, but I would have to ask her if it was still hurting. Perhaps I could request Carlisle to take a quick look at it again, just to be absolutely certain…

Unable to stand the distance anymore, I climbed up into her bed, not at all minding its limited space, and pulled her back into my arms.

She must have showered last night, I guessed, indulging myself into burying my face in her still-damp hair. The thirst for her blood always elevated when she was wet, but I was in complete control of myself right now.

I searched every inch of her face, simply content to hold and gaze at my sleeping beauty. Returning to her had been my only motivation during my hunting, and now that I was back, I was determined to enjoy it.

As she slept soundly in my arms, amazingly not flinching at the iciness of my body, I began to make plans.

Today was our last day of school. It was an important milestone for Bella; completing her junior year. Being so close to graduating high school. To think, after one more year, she would be a high school graduate and ready to begin her life – her real life – in college, maybe her job.

The thought made my shoulder droop. I wouldn't be a part of her life, especially if she chose somebody else to share it with. There was certainly no question about how she would live it. I was not condemning her to a life of bloodlust and a soulless existence. She deserved so much better, and though she claimed she wanted to be with me in that way, it was a irreversible sacrifice she could make, and I was committed to granting her all the human experiences she could possibly have.

Which brought me back to my ideas.

I had a whole summer with her. Two months with just her, both days and nights. I had a wide range of activities I could plan. My mind drifted to the meadow; it had been a while since we'd visited it. I wanted to take her there again; spend the entire day with just her. Perhaps prepare a picnic for her. She would enjoy that, and it would give her a break from having to cook for Charlie.

Or at night, we could stargaze. I would show her the constellations and tell her its legends. Since she was so deeply involved with and interested in so-called myths, I had no doubt that she would enjoy a little history.

In return, I would continue my endless list of questions for her. I wanted to know every single detail about her. There was so much I knew already, yet so many unrevealed mysteries from her past. She was the mystery; her hidden thoughts, her feelings, her kindness.

Her.

My gaze automatically refocused on her face when she began to stir. An involuntary smile tugged at my lips when she stretched her arms adorably, and I couldn't hold back the laugh when she accidentally smacked me in the face.

She whirled around at my laugh and the physical contact, and her face broke into a wide smile when she saw me.

"Good morning," I whispered, my eyes trapped within hers. I was glad she was awake now. I'd spent too much time away from chocolate orbs.

She flung herself onto me in response, her lips finding mine instantly. It was always difficult to think about self-control when the kisses started off. And I was much too eager as I crushed her to my chest. As her heartbeat began to thud desperately, almost sounding painful, her health and safety overtook my desire for her.

I leaned back, chuckling at her disgruntled expression. She had no idea how cute she was. I gave a few minutes to recover, also allowing myself some cautious gulps of air to reduce the agonizing thirst for her.

Stay in control, I reprimanded myself firmly.

"How did you sleep?" I studied her carefully, stroking her hair. Her eyes were still tired from fatigue, but her smile was brighter than the sun.

"Okay," she whispered, sounding shy. A lovely blush spilled onto her cheeks, and I had to hold my breath, both at the beauty and the blood. "But waking up was even better."

"For me, as well." I told her seriously, watching her roll her eyes. "I missed you this whole week. I wasn't supposed to be gone that long. I'm sorry; it won't happen again."

"No," she protested softly. "I'm glad you spent some time with your siblings."

I rolled my eyes. Having Emmett yell at me for becoming too boring and Rosalie complain all the time didn't qualify as spending time.

"I had a long time with them before you came along." It was unquestionable that I would devote all my time to her now. Siblings could wait.

"Besides," she continued with an excited smile. "You and I have the whole summer. And the future."

My answering grin shifted into a scowl at her last statement. "Don't start this, Bella. You're staying human. I'm not going to ruin your life."

She sighed under her breath, before leaning forward to kiss me quickly. "Whatever. You'll come around." she said brightly, before hopping out of bed to get ready. "See you in a few." she called over her shoulder.

I stared after her, slightly stunned by her energetic behavior and the way my comment hadn't brought a more passionate rebuttal out of her. She always argued me with me about what she thought was her prospective change.

Reluctantly, I dived back out the window, landing soundlessly on the grass before taking off to the trees. I supposed I needed to get dressed, too. While my shirt technically wasn't dirty, I'd been wearing it for hunting.

Alice was standing on the porch when I arrived. "Good to have to have you back, brother."

"Good to be back," I grinned back at her, slipping past her to my bedroom. The entire house, the living room especially, smelled like Bella. "I trust you had a good time with Bella? You better not have made her a subject to your ridiculous makeovers."

"They're not ridiculous," she screeched indignantly. "But for the record, no. We had a very productive, Edward-free week." When I peered into her mind curiously, she glared at me. "Which is none of your business."

"I'll get it out of Bella anyway," I shrugged absently. "She'll tell me if you made her do anything she didn't enjoy."

Alice snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Where's Carlisle?" I changed the subject, only just realizing I couldn't hear his thoughts. "And Esme?"

"Esme's at the grocery store; she finally located one of her old recipe books in the boxes and is going crazy over trying out recipes for Bella. You should see the sight of the fridge. Carlisle's had an early shift this morning. There was an emergency. Why?"

"I want Carlisle to double-check Bella's leg."

Alice sighed to herself. There's no reasoning with him. Poor Bella; it must so annoying to have someone constantly on the edge of a panic attack. I'm glad she got a week off from him. The next two months will be hard for her.

I knew she thinking that just to spite me. "Shut it, Alice." I growled. "You know her safety is the most important thing to me. And she'll never admit that she's hurt."

"Look, Edward. Regardless of what Bella says or doesn't say, you can trust that Carlisle wouldn't have removed it if he wasn't certain that it was back to normal. Let it go!"

"Are you two fighting again?" Jasper groaned, entering the living room with a large encyclopedia. "It's hasn't even a minute since Edward walked in the house."

"Edward's being Edward." Alice explained simply before grabbing my hand. "Now let's go pick Bella up. She's probably waiting."

That was the only motivation I needed. I sprinted to my Volvo, Alice in tow.

"Enjoy your last day of school, kids." Emmett called from his and Rosalie's bedroom. "Have a little wild streak today!"

I growled. He was taking his accomplishment of graduating for the umpteenth time a little too far.

"Go," Alice urged. "Ignore him. The better mood you are in today, the better you'll enjoy today."

I stared at her quizzically, confused by her redundant and somewhat cryptic statement. "What does that mean?"

"It means we'll be late in picking Bella up and she'll be mad at you if you don't hurry up!"

"Even if we are late," I muttered, starting the engine and speeding out the garage door. "We'll be fashionably late."

"As if you really appreciate anything about fashion!" Alice scoffed. Of course. Only Alice would pick out the word "fashion" and turn it into an argument. "You just go along with it because you have no other choice."

Alice and I continued to bicker all the way to Bella's house. Once we'd picked her up, Alice grew strangely quiet in the backseat, only greeting Bella briefly before lapsing into a dull silence. Apart from giving a quick kiss to me, Bella didn't interact much with either of us and her expression was distracted. Almost nervous.

Several times, I caught her eyeing me, appearing like she was in a trance, but every time I questioned her, she always shook her head.

I grabbed her hand once we'd reached school, longing for physical contact. I'd gone so long without it.

Like always, the last days of school were so pathetically wild. Regardless of their year in education, everybody was always relieved to have two months of break before possibly returning the next year.

Please. That was nothing.

At least they only had four years of high school education, I thought with a grimace, thinking back to countless times I'd attended high school.

The day went by fairly drearily. There were obviously no classes, so the teachers allowed us to simply "chill" while others offered to played movies. I didn't care either way. The sooner the day was over, the sooner I could recover my sanity and begin what seemed like a very beautiful summer with Bella.

During lunch hours over the past weeks, I had made some amount of progress with Bella's human friends. Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton were mildly tolerable, given the annoyance I always felt when I could hear their thoughts regarding Bella.

I was more than happy to sit with Bella's more genuine friends like Angela and Ben, which she seemed to appreciate too. I remembered the time, so long ago, Emmett and I had tricked Ben into believing I was interested in Angela. It had been my one way of repaying Angela of being such a worthy friend of Bella, and overall, just a decent person.

My mood escalated drastically during the last period of the day: Biology. It was the only class I shared with Bella. It seemed like so long ago, I'd been sitting in this very room, assaulted by the scent of her irresistible scent, desperately trying not to kill her. Of course, I still faced that challenge every day, but so much had progressed between us regarding our private relationship and my bloodlust. The more time I spent in her presence, the easier it became to resist.

"Trust Mr. Banner to give us homework on the last day of school," Bella grumbled disbelievingly to herself as she lowered herself onto her chair. She placed her backpack in front of her on the desk as if trying to block herself from his view.

I unwillingly tore my eyes away from her face to focus on Mr. Banner who was passing out papers to each student.

"It's not homework," I chuckled, listening to his thoughts. "He wants us to fill out a survey about our thoughts regarding this class. Not that he plans on actually using the feedback."

Bella sighed, reaching into her bag for a pen. As she dug through it, a single CD case slipped from between her papers and began to slide out of her bag. Before it could hit the table – or before I could read anything – she slammed her hand down onto the case to hold it in place, steadied herself, and hurriedly shoved the case back inside her backpack.

Eyes wide, heart pounding and cheeks red, she took out a pen and calmly faced forward just as Mr. Banner passed our row.

I ignored the sheet that was being waved in my face, studying Bella suspiciously. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded briskly. Her actions were so aloof. She was really starting to worry me. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

"You seem a little… edgy." I observed, stroking the back of her hands with my fingers lightly. "Do you feel unwell?"

"No," she sighed. The black circles under her eyes were more prominent than ever. Her disturbed sleep must have been because of my absence; I'd failed her once again. "Just tired. It's just been hectic these past few weeks. The cast. Final exams. Prom. I can't wait for summer to officially start. And I missed you."

I pulled her into a hug, not caring who was watching. Nobody was paying attention to their surveys anymore either. Everybody had segregated into circles, getting their friends to sign their yearbooks. I caught sight of Eric Yorkie even requesting Mr. Banner to sign his.

Bella melted into my hard frame, her arms coming to twine around my head. I rubbed her back soothingly, rubbing the taut muscles and providing as much physical and emotional relief as I possibly could.

"I missed you, too," I murmured into her hair. "You look exhausted. How about we start off our vacation with you taking a big nap? I have big plans for us these next two months and I'll need your enthusiasm."

Pulling back, Bella's eyes grew wide. I laughed at her expression. "Don't worry. None of these plans include dancing. I know how you feel about that."

She offered me a tentative smile before looking away strangely. "What exactly do these plans include then, if not dancing?"

"New York," I said excitedly, thrilled that she was taking an interest. "You'll love the museums. I just went to a few, two days ago, while Jasper was shopping for Alice. It's beautiful, Bella. Charlie probably wouldn't mind, especially if Alice was coming along. And maybe if it's alright, we can go to even —"

"You are not taking me on an international flight to Europe! Or to visit the pyramids in Egypt!" Bella interjected sharply even though her eyes were alight with humor.

"I was going to say Australia," I pouted. "Fine. Maybe the idea is a little far-fetched. So… " I dropped my forehead onto hers. "I'll leave the ideas to you. What do you wish to do?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but just then, Mike Newton pushed his way through the crowd in Bella's direction. He studiously avoided looking at our current position and my feral gaze.

"Hey, Bella," he greeted her cheerfully. His thoughts were wild with desire although he outwardly displayed no inappropriate behavior. "Will you sign my yearbook?"

I sighed and faced the front.

One day, I was going to "accidentally" slip up and just kill the boy.


AN: Sorry! It was getting too long, so I divided it into two chapters, both of which I updated together! Don't blame me if Edward thinks too much. Plus, I thought a little pre-birthday Edward/Bella fluff was in order. So I'm thinking the next chapter (surprise) is the last chapter with no epilogue following because I really have no idea what I'd write for that… I think an epilogue would sorta ruin the sweet ending of their beginning of summer.