I love you guys. There's nothing more to say, except enjoy the chap! And sorry for any annoying typos - they're always glaring after the fact.

Don't own Twilight - S Meyer does, and I love her, too.

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EPOV

"I wish you could stay," I said for the millionth time.

"I know." Bella rubbed circles into my hand with her thumb, trying to prolong our last moment together until tomorrow. Her disappointed expression matched mine, and her full lips were fixed into an adorable pout. Unfortunately, Angela was impatiently waiting in Bella's truck to go home.

I sighed at Angela's agitated thoughts towards Ben. 'Project Ben and Angela' was not going according to plan, and I needed to fix it. After all, I was partially responsible for tonight. Emmett wasn't an easy guy to refuse. I should've been there to keep Emmett in check.

I walked Bella to her truck and pleaded with Angela across the seat.

"Angela, you're going to the movie tomorrow, right? Ben and I will pick you and Bella up around noon. We'll have a nice time," I promised.

"I don't know, Edward. I have a lot to do tomorrow." I could see in her thoughts that she wasn't actually that busy.

I unleashed all of my charm on her. "C'mon, Angela. Please? We'll have fun. Give Ben a chance to redeem himself. Emmett is an asshole. You can't blame Ben. Say yes."

She looked at me for a long moment while Bella bit her lip in anticipation, hoping for Angela to agree. Getting our friends together had quickly become Bella's and mine joint project. I saw in Angela's mind that I had won, and I smiled.

"Okay, fine. I'll go," she said begrudgingly.

I gave her a big smile. "Terrific! See you tomorrow, then."

I leaned into the truck until I was inches from Bella's face. She held her breath, and Angela stared at me from the passenger's seat.

"I had a great night, Ms. Swan. I can't wait until tomorrow." I slowly kissed her lips and barely contained my passion. Bella blushed under our contact, and I lifted up a hand to sweep away some of her hair, dropping it quickly.

"Good night, ladies," I chuckled, putting my hands in my pockets. "Bella, text me when you're home safe."

"Good night," she answered in a daze.

I watched her truck rumble down the drive with a forlorn look. I wanted to race to her bedroom and wait for her, but I knew we weren't ready for that yet. I'd give it a few more weeks before we progressed to sleepovers, although the thought of holding her all night made me giddy. I stood outside until her text and then ghosted back to the house.

As I walked into the living room, I gave Emmett and Rosalie another hateful stare.

"Jeez, I'm sorry. How many times do I have to apologize?" Emmett grumbled. "I had no idea the kid was such a lightweight. He barely drank anything." Rosalie nodded in agreement next to him, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Guys, eight beers is wholly excessive, especially for a teenager who doesn't drink ever. You should feel ashamed of yourselves," I chastised.

I glanced at Ben, who was snoring loudly on the couch. One of his legs was hanging off the edge, and his face was smushed into a couch cushion. It didn't look comfortable. I was glad we had the foresight to have him spend the night. His parents would've killed him if they saw him like this.

He emitted another loud snore, and I furrowed my brow. We couldn't leave him on the couch. "I should get him into a bed," I said. "I'm going to put him in Alice and Jasper's room."

Carlisle had gone back to the hospital to work a double shift, but Esme came downstairs and gave my siblings an equally scathing look. "Sorry, sorry," Emmett and Rosalie mumbled together.

When I picked Ben up to carry him upstairs, he twitched and talked in his sleep. "Mom, I'm not eating that," he asserted. "It's gross."

I froze until he started snoring again, and Emmett silently chortled. I wondered if Bella talked in her sleep. That would be interesting to hear.

Once I got Ben into bed, I spent the rest of the night reading. Bella had mentioned that she loved Wuthering Heights, a book that I'd detested. Even still, I wanted to figure out what she enjoyed about it, so I reread it. I also read a few more of her favorites, trying to get any insight into her intricate mind. By early morning, I had several questions for her, but I was far from unraveling the mysteries of her mind. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do that, but I'd try for as long as she'd let me.

Although I tried to focus on reading, I couldn't prevent my thoughts from frequently drifting back to earlier in the night. I couldn't forget the way that Bella had felt and tasted. I fantasized about it several times, but then I'd get too carried away and force myself to think about something else. I wanted to keep my desire under as much control as possible. Besides, masturbating wouldn't help quench the desire I felt; I'd probably just rub myself raw, if that were possible. I shuddered; I didn't want to find out.

Ben woke up at around 9:00AM, and Esme had already prepared a huge breakfast for him. It was much more than one human would need; she had full omelets, fruit, French toast, pastries and breakfast meats galore. I wasn't surprised that Esme would take her role as hostess to an extreme degree. I raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but she just smiled sheepishly and started loading the dishwasher.

Ben stumbled down the stairs, looking pretty torn up and hung over. As soon as he saw the spread of food, his mood seemed to improve exponentially. When Esme told him to help himself, he ravenously picked out an omelet, a mound of French toast and some bacon.

"Thanks, Esme, Edward," he said in between mouthfuls. "This is amazing."

"It's all Esme," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"Ugh. Not great." He looked at Esme shyly. "I don't normally do that. I am so sorry."

"It's okay," she soothed. "It's a rite of passage, sweetheart. I'd rather you be here where we can take care of you than somewhere else."

I muffled a laugh at the irony. Technically, this was the most dangerous place in town. He was in a vampire lair.

Ben smiled gratefully and kept stuffing his face.

Suddenly, he thought of Angela, and pure terror spread across his face. He looked at me worriedly and dropped his bacon. "Oh, God, Edward. What happened with Angela?"

"She's not happy with you," I said honestly, "but it's nothing that can't be fixed. We have a date with them at noon. You can redeem yourself then."

"How am I going to do that? What do I say? I am such an idiot!" He hung his head and kept talking. "By the way, are Emmett and Rosalie okay? Where are they?"

"I imagine Emmett is at his apartment, but Rose is upstairs asleep." Really, she was upstairs reading Cosmo. Once she heard me mention her name, she bounded downstairs.

Ben's eyes popped open and he blushed upon seeing Rosalie in her nightgown. It was more lingerie than a nightgown. If not for Ben's reaction, I wouldn't have even noticed. I was used to her revealing wardrobe by now.

Rosalie smiled and enjoyed his obvious attraction. She had heard everything from her room and decided to participate in the conversation.

"Are we talking about Angela? Ben, the way to a girl's heart is through compliments and confidence. You do those two things, and you're set."

"Really?" I interjected skeptically. I figured there was a little more to it than that.

"No, that's it," she insisted. Girls can't resist a confident guy, and they need to feel desired. Every girl is at least a little insecure. You need to play off of that."

"Why would Angela ever feel insecure?" Ben was confused. In his mind, Angela was plenty confident and perfect.

"She's probably insecure because you refuse to make a move on her." I hated to agree with Rosalie on this one, but when it came to Ben and Angela, he did need to make more of an effort. He barely talked to her.

"She's way too good for me, though. I don't deserve her." Ben frowned and picked at his omelet.

Rosalie got an idea in her head and I hissed lowly, disapproving of it. Ignoring me, she sauntered over to Ben and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. He looked up at her, completely shocked. Although Ben was enamored with Angela, Rosalie was impossible to refuse, her beauty undeniable. His thoughts were jumbled as she fluttered her lashes.

"Ben," she purred, "you do deserve Angela." She bent over the table, giving him an unobstructed view of her cleavage. "You're a great guy. If I wasn't with Emmett, I might date you." She laughed softly.

Ben was helpless against her persuasion. "Oh," he squeaked out. "That's nice."

Rosalie flipped her hair and smiled coyly. To my surprise, Ben did feel a little more confident after Rosalie's flirting. Maybe her plan wasn't so stupid.

She continued after perching herself on the table, now having his full attention. "You need to show Angela that you like her. That's what Emmett did to win me over. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there."

Rosalie got an idea, and her eyes lit up. "Let's set some goals for the day, things you'll do to show Angie you like her."

"I dunno about that…," Ben began nervously.

Rosalie brought one of her painted fingernails to her mouth and looked thoughtful, disregarding Ben's hesitation. "Hmm," she said after a contemplative moment, "First, put your arm around her in the movie. Oh, and touch her casually throughout the day, even if it's just a little arm stroke. That'll remind her that you're interested, and she'll get the message subtly. And third, kiss some part of her body before the date is over."

Ben blushed furiously, and Rosalie clarified quickly while I laughed at Ben's horror. "Like her hand, Ben! Or maybe her cheek. Just make contact between your lips and her skin at some point today."

Ben was about to object, but Rosalie cut him off. "Ben, I know for a fact that you've been after Angela for years. This has gone on long enough." Rosalie lowered her voice. "Don't make me blackmail you," she threatened menacingly.

"You wouldn't do that!" Ben looked distressed.

"Try me, Ben. Are you sure I wouldn't?"

I was enjoying this a little too much, so I decided to step in and put Ben at ease. "Ben, no one wants to force you to do anything" – I looked sternly at Rosalie - "but Rosalie is right. You need to take the initiative."

He grumbled 'fine' under his breath and started stabbing at his omelet. Both Rosalie and I laughed, and Ben gave us an angry glare. We couldn't help it; an irritated Ben was hilarious.

I could hear that Rosalie wanted me to invite her along for the movie, but I thought it would be better if it were just the four of us. Ben needed a chance to work his magic without Emmett's boisterousness and Rosalie's incessant prodding.

As I got ready for my double date with Bella, I shook my head in amazement. I had a human friend spend the night, and now I was going on a date with my human girlfriend. How did this happen to me? I'd been killing murderers no more than a few months ago. I'd been thinking about sex with Tanya, of all things. I shuddered.

I was acting like a seventeen year old for the first time in over a hundred years, and I'd never been happier. I couldn't extinguish the constant fire in the back of my throat, but it was a small price to pay. I'd prefer to burn for eternity than be without Bella.

Ben and I got into my Volvo, and I tried to soothe his frazzled thoughts. "Ben, get excited! We're young and awesome, and we have two girls that like us. Life is good."

He smiled weakly. "Easy for you to say. I don't have your advantages." He was referring to my sculpted body and good looks.

"Besides that, Angela's pissed," he added.

"You have more advantages than you think," I said a little too sadly. At least he wouldn't accidentally kill Angela if he had sex with her. There was always a trade off; I had lived long enough to know that the grass wasn't always greener.

We headed to get the girls and played music the whole time, both lost in our own thoughts.

BPOV

I arrived to Angela's by 11:00AM and was uncharacteristically fussing with my hair. I bent closer to the mirror and scrutinized the pores on my face.

"Bella, you look fine. Stop obsessing! At least Edward will touch you," she mumbled from her bed. She hugged her favorite stuffed elephant and sulked.

I gave her an exasperated look and tried to reassure her for the thousandth time. "Ben is coming around, Angie. Don't give up on him. Plus, I have a good feeling about today." I lied. I was actually petrified for today.

"Besides, you didn't let Ben touch you last night…" I turned a dark shade of red and went back to staring in the mirror. Angie got my meaning almost instantly.

"What?!" she screeched. "Isabella Swan, tell me everything! I thought you and Edward were taking it slow! Oh my God," she sucked in a breath and lowered her voice, "Did you have sex with him?"

"No!" I hissed, even more embarrassed. "I didn't do that." At least, not yet, I tacked on in my head.

"What exactly did you do? Tell me, Bella."

I gathered my courage before speaking. I needed a few moments; Angela knew me well enough to give me time and waited expectantly.

"I, uh, let him touch me…down there, and we kissed…a lot." I was mortified saying the words aloud. A part of me wondered if I should be allowed to do these things if I couldn't even talk about them.

"Did you have an orgasm?" Evidently, Angela was much more comfortable with the subject than I. She didn't blush at all, while I all but turned into a tomato.

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh my gosh, Bella!" Her amazement instantly faded into concern. "Are you okay? I mean, no wonder you're freaking out."

"I'm better than okay" I admitted. "It was amazing."

Angela shook her head in disbelief and then frowned.

"What?" I asked a little defensively. I didn't need her judgment. I knew I was moving fast with Edward, but it's not like I planned it that way…

"I'm jealous, Bella, that's all. Wow. I've been trying to date Ben for three years, and you get a boyfriend and an orgasm all in the same week!" She giggled uncontrollably when she witnessed my shocked expression.

I threw my brush at her and jumped onto the bed, joining in with her laughter.

When our laughing died down, she gave me a serious look. "But don't you think it is a little fast? I like Edward and all, but we barely know him."

I knew why she was worried. She was my best friend and didn't want to see me get hurt. Unfortunately, I was worried about the same thing and didn't have anything reassuring to say. What if he acted detached today? What if he realized he didn't like me after last night? All of these outcomes were possibilities in my head.

"I know, Angie. It is fast. I guess all I can say is that I didn't expect it, either. When I'm with him, it just feels right. I've never felt so drawn to someone, and it's more than just his looks. He's the most wonderful guy I've ever met."

Angela gave me a doubtful look. "He's nice, but he's managed to get into your pants – no offense, Bella – in a matter of a week! How can you possibly know he's wonderful?"

It was a fair question, and I answered as best I could. "There are little things." I struggled with the words to explain it to her. "He loves books and wants to know what I read. He cares about meeting my father, and he wants me to meet his family, too. He seems serious about us, about getting to know me. He even wanted to be in a relationship. And yes, he's been pretty aggressive, but it isn't like I've discouraged it. I mean, I'm the one who attacked him in my truck this past week," I reminded her.

"True."

I sighed loudly and fell back onto her bed. "I don't know what I'm doing, Angie. I really don't, but I don't care. As long as Edward wants me, I'm his. I don't think I have a choice in the matter anymore. I'm completely head over heels." Even thinking about him made me smile.

Instead of arguing with me, she nodded in assent. "Yeah, he's pretty persuasive. Even last night when he looked at me and asked about the movie, I was like, whoa. I couldn't tell him no. Let's just hope he's not an asshole."

I gave her an agreeable smile and jumped off the bed.

As we finished getting ready, I thought about all of the things that I hadn't told Angela. Edward was special for a lot of reasons, some of which I couldn't pinpoint yet. I had never told her about his cold skin, and she didn't seem to notice the eye color coincidence between his family and Emmett. I was still confused by that, because he was adopted. It made sense for Rosalie and him to have such strikingly similar eyes, but what about the others? And then there were other odd things about him that nagged from the recesses of my mind…

I tried to push all of that aside and focus on what was relevant: Edward wanted to be with me, and I wanted to with him. Nothing else needed to matter.

Right before noon, I assessed my outfit and felt satisfied with my choice. I wore jeans, and I borrowed a crimson sweater from Angie that fit me pretty well. I wore my hair down and kept my makeup minimal. I gave up criticizing my face and tried to calm my nerves.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Angela's eight-year old sister ran to get the door. She opened the door and stared at my date with her mouth open.

Edward was leaning against the doorway in all of his splendor. He gave me a breathtaking grin and ran a hand through his tousled, bronze hair. He was a vision, and Angie's sister seemed to think so, too.

"Are you a model?" she asked unabashedly.

He smiled at her sweetly and bent down to her eye level. "No. I'd have to be as pretty as you to be a model, and you're much prettier than I am," he said seriously in his musical voice. She giggled and ran to find Angela. Edward chuckled softly.

"You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you?" I teased.

"No, I am only one lady's man." He stood up and looked at me meaningfully.

I searched his face for any reservations or reasons to be suspicious, but his eyes were warm and open. He looked equally thrilled to see me, and all of my fears dissipated.

Without another thought, I ran into his arms and buried my face into his chest, breathing deeply.

"Mmm." A light growl resonated from the back of his throat as he stroked my back. "If I didn't enjoy holding you so much, I'd let you go and ring the doorbell again. This is nice." He kissed the top of my head longingly, sending my heart racing.

"Hey, Bella," Ben said from behind Edward. I hadn't even noticed him.

I pulled away from Edward's chest and smiled. "Hey, Ben. How do you feel?"

He looked embarrassed and kicked a rock on the porch. "Fine. Sorry about that."

"No problem." I patted his arm and tried to comfort him. "Don't feel too badly."

Angela came out just then and looked at Ben with a guarded expression. "Hey, guys. Ben, how's the hang over?"

He winced at her words. "Fine, thanks. How are you?"

"Fine," she said coolly.

I hit her arm discreetly and Edward frowned. She needed to give Ben a chance, or else this was going to be a long and awkward day.

We all packed into Edward's shiny car, and Edward held my hand lovingly. He brought it up to his face and kissed, a smile lingering on his sensuous lips.

"What?" I asked. He found something amusing; I was learning some of his expressions.

"Just you." He kissed my hand again and gazed at me until I blushed. He seemed to enjoy it when I blushed, which was unfair. I was so easy to read, and he was such a mystery.

"You look beautiful today, do you know that?" he asked.

Angela and Ben were skulking in the back seat, so I rolled my eyes and tried to downplay his affection. In reality, my heart was bursting with happiness. "Sure."

He got the point and laughed lightly, letting go of my hand. I didn't like that and frowned a little. After we were on the highway, I grabbed his cool hand back possessively. It felt like perfectly sculpted marble. He was unreal.

We played music all of the way into Port Angeles and tried to make small talk, but it was hard for Edward and me not to get caught up in our own discussion. I was just as captivated by his thoughts as I was his beautiful face and sexy voice. I loved watching him talk. It was going to be hard to sit next to him for an entire movie and not make out with him the whole time.

We parked valet at a nice restaurant, and I noticed Edward tip the runner generously. He planted a kiss on my neck and guided me to the front door. Ben and Angela trailed behind us, still acting unhappy.

Edward whispered to me. "This isn't going well. Angela is still mad. I think Ben needs to try a little harder."

"I agree."

Lunch was awkward, because Angie and Ben were still standoffish. I wished it was just Edward and me, and I tried without success to make conversation with our silent companions. Also, Edward barely ate and acted a little sullen.

It occurred to me that I almost never saw him eat. Judging by his perfect body, he must work out. I hoped that he was being healthy and not abusing his body or anything. I'd find out later.

We headed out to the car and suddenly Edward's mood perked up. He wouldn't tell me what was responsible for the change, and I stared at him curiously as we got into the car and headed to the movie theatre.

EPOV

Being with Bella was wonderful, and I was thoroughly annoyed at Ben and Angela. I immediately regretted inviting them along or even taking them on as a project. Bella looked so lovely today, and I wanted to be selfish and give her all of my attention. Especially after last night, I needed to hold her. I craved her touch now more than ever.

Ben and Angela's thoughts weren't helping my edginess. Both of them were frustrated, and neither one of them seemed prepared to do anything about it. I had tried to make encouraging comments to Ben, but he wasn't listening to me. He continually refused to put himself out there, and I was growing gloomier by the minute.

All of that changed after lunch.

We were walking to the car, and Ben finally had a breakthrough. Angela was rubbing her temple, feeling upset and looking particularly vulnerable, when it happened. Ben wanted to comfort her but couldn't. He remembered Rosalie's words from this morning, and he decided he would pick himself off the floor and put himself out there. If she rejected him, then fine. He was going to kiss her the first chance he got.

I needed to make that happen before he changed his mind.

I couldn't suppress my happiness as we sped to the theatre. Bella wanted to know why I was happy, but I couldn't tell her. Instead, I purchased all of our tickets, promising Ben that he could pay me back later. Just kiss her, damn it. I'll buy the movie theatre if you kiss her.

We took seats in the back of the theatre. Luckily, there weren't many people attending the mid-afternoon showing, so we spread out across most of the back row. I pulled Bella into my arms as the lights dimmed and waited for Ben to make his move.

I absentmindedly played with Bella's hair and watched Ben from the corner of my eye. Angela was sitting ramrod straight with her hands clutching the arm rests, and Ben was staring at her hopelessly. Finally, he got a look of determination and spoke softly.

"Angela?" He touched her arm.

"Yeah?" she asked annoyed.

"You look really pretty."

She was a little caught off guard. "Thanks."

Ben swallowed and tried again. "Angela, you always look pretty. Beautiful, in fact."

Surprise filled Angela's thoughts. "Okay," she said cautiously.

I smiled into Bella's hair; unfortunately, she couldn't hear the conversation.

"Look at me," Ben demanded. He was losing his nerve and getting impatient.

Angela obeyed and was completely caught off guard as Ben grabbed her face with both of his hands. He planted his lips on hers forcefully, and she stayed frozen underneath his kiss. After a moment, he softened; his urgency and nerves made the kiss rougher than he'd intended. After a minute or so, he pulled away, feeling equally terrified and satisfied.

Angela got over her initial shock, and a smile broke out across her face in the dark. She moved the armrest out of the way and jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately.

Now, Ben was surprised. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered against her cheek. "I've wanted this for so long. I'm sorry I've been so dumb."

"You're forgiven," she said breathlessly.

I nudged Bella and pointed towards Ben and Angela. She almost squealed aloud at their kiss and gave me a silent high five.

We settled in for the movie, but I was jealous of Ben and Angela's make out session. I tried to ignore their thoughts, but being so close to an aroused couple was getting to me. Bella seemed equally unsettled.

Bella started rubbing my thigh while she watched the movie. It was driving me wild, and I was fighting a serious erection.

"Bella," I said in a strained voice, "do you want anything from the concession stand?" I needed to get up or else I was going to start my own make out session in the theatre, and I wasn't sure that I could keep it PG. She smelled like heaven, and her body felt so good lying against mine. And her hand, so delicious on my thigh… My resistance was weakening by the second.

"No, I'm okay. Do you want something?"

"Uh, yeah. I want some water."

I unwound myself from her and stood up. It was painful to be separated from her lovely warmth, but I needed to do it for both our sakes. I bent down to chastely kiss her cheek, but she moved her mouth to mine and breathed. It was my undoing, and I deepened the kiss immediately.

She could feel my desire, and she smiled against my lips. "What took you so long to kiss me?" she asked coyly.

"Come with me now. You can help me get water."

She nodded and decided not to interrupt Ben and Angela, who were still locked onto each other's mouths.

As soon as we passed the screen and headed down the theatre hallway, I lost my resolve. Bella must have been thinking the same thing, because we jumped each other at the same moment.

She grabbed my hair and moaned while she traced my lips with her tongue. After an intense kiss that rocketed my senses, she dropped her hand down to my erection and started rubbing it through my pants. It was aggressive and completely staggering.

"Bella," I begged and gasped, "stop."

She kissed every part of my face and neck as she worked her delicious hand over my length. "No. I don't want to stop."

She began unbuttoning my pants, and my fantasies started playing out before my eyes. Yes, I wanted this. I wanted this so badly. I started guiding her hand, wanting her to find my cock quicker.

Suddenly, I heard someone coming, and I abruptly moved away and buttoned my pants. "Someone's around the corner," I explained. I turned into the wall and closed my eyes.

As a woman passed by and eyed us curiously, I wished for the first time that Bella knew I was a vampire. I could whisk her away and find a private place for us without issue. If I'd wanted, I could even take her into the rafters and have my way with her.

Instead, I'd wait until after the movie to ravish her. If I couldn't get her alone later, then I'd definitely sneak into her room tonight. I needed more Bella.

My phone buzzed as we stood there, and I took it out to check and see who it was. It was a text from Alice.

Just a head's up - Tanya is coming to see you tonight. Keep her away from Bella.

I groaned and muttered a curse word. I had been avoiding Tanya's calls for a week now, and she was incredibly offended. She was going to confront me about it. If I knew Tanya at all, then I know she'd want more than just an apology. She would want to fuck, which she'd wanted for the better part of six decades.

"What's the matter?" Bella asked.

"Nothing important." I stroked her cheek affectionately. Alice was right – Tanya had to stay far away from Bella.

I took Bella's hand and headed out to the concession stands. I would deal with Tanya later. For now, I was with Bella.

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What do you think about Tanya??? Will she cause trouble? And when will Bella find out Edward is a vampire?

Oh, I'm catching up on responding to reviews! i haven't responded to chap 9 yet, but those reviews were so amazing and wonderful! Thanks for the support!

Review! : ) You make me happy.