I sat beside her in a chair next to the bed, keeping my cool hand on the back of her neck trying to get her to wake up. My mind raced as I waited for her to wake. She'd given me a lot of blood. I shouldn't have come back like that, it wasn't right. And for her to have done this to herself for me is unwarranted. I didn't deserve that, and neither did she. I seem to spend all my time keeping her safe from everyone else but then she falls into something like this, I don't know what to do. I never should have let her stay, I should have sent her packing with Alice. It was selfish and now she's paying the price. I was racked with guilt and shame. She'd seen the worst of me, a part of me I had never wanted her to see. The part that was going to send her running for the hills.

I heard her heart beat speed up, the blood flowing more freely. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, disoriented. She had been out for a few hours now and I was relieved she was coming to.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I kept my voice gentle.

"What, what happened?" her voice was hoarse and I could tell she was trying to get her bearings.

"You fainted love." She tried to get up, "Stay, if you sit up too fast you'll pass out again." I held her gently against the bed, keeping her from getting up.

"Oh yeah. The blood."

"You lost too much too fast, your body couldn't handle it, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have done that, it was too dangerous. You shouldn't worry about me like that, or do something that would hurt you. Then where would I be? I'm so sorry this happened. It's all my fault."

"No! I fainted because I saw it. I always faint when I see blood; I get all nauseas and then pass out. I'm sorry I didn't mean to, I tried not to."

She was apologizing, to me, for her passing out because she saw blood. I was so confused.

"Please don't feel bad, it's not your fault. It's better than going out and killing some random person anyway. It was my choice and I made it. Is it so hard to let me help you like you've helped me?"

I was completely surprised, "Me? I've only made you wear a collar and locked you in this room for over a week and now you're a target for the Volturi and spilling your blood for a vampire-"

"Who didn't eat me, or take advantage of me. Who saved me from being eaten or worse, who took better care of me than anyone has for years now." She said cutting me off. Her logic was astounding.

I had no idea what to say or how to respond. She left me utterly silenced by her. Gently I pushed a stray hair behind her ear and kissed her. "You're too good for me Bella" I kissed her forehead. "You need to eat something. Let me get you some food." I got up and brought back with me some bread and fruit. I had recovered my strength, and now she needed hers.

"Thanks. Now are you going to tell me why you stumbled in here like that?" she asked, biting into one of the ripe strawberries.

"Not tonight, in the morning. You need to get some sleep." I didn't want to frighten her, she didn't need to know she couldn't leave this city alive. Not until I figured out a way to get around that.
Her fingers traced patterns across my arms, beneath the rolled fabric of my sleeve.

"In the morning." I reiterated. She was trying, she knew how to weaken my resolve.

"No. Now." Her eyes were intense. I sighed, I could deny her nothing when she looked at me like that. But I had to, I couldn't let her know. There had to be a way out of this city, I just had to find it.

"Edward, you can't not tell me. I waited around for five agonizing hours and when you finally come back you're like that. You can't keep me in the dark forever."

I sighed, "I don't want you to worry."

"Well it's a little late! I thought you were dead! I didn't know if I should stay or run. And you don't want me to worry!" she was furious, fire in her eyes as she angrily attacked a chunk of bread.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, and don't try to not let me worry. I'm going to do it no matter what. And it's better to know what's really going on than to have to wonder, because I'm sure it's far worse."

"I don't think so…" I fell back into the chair with a sigh. "Please Bella. Just give me till the morning." I didn't want her to know until I had some semblance of a solution to give her.

"Promise?" she was still defiant, and barely willing to give in.

"Promise." Tomorrow I was determined to have a plan, to save her. I wasn't going to let her die and I certainly wasn't going to have her suffer damnation because of me.

"I want a bath." She said, sliding down from the bed far too quickly. She fell against me and I caught her, her scent filling my lungs.

"Bella." I warned as her cheeks flushed, her eyes quickly darting away.

"I'm not going to drown." She mutter into my chest but made no move to leave my embrace and I grinned. I pulled myself dangerously close, but I didn't care. She was breathtaking. "I'm worried about you." I ran my fingers through her hair; it was like silk between my fingers. "I love you Bella."
"What did you say?" she stared up at me, her eyes trying to register what I'd said.

"I'm worried about you."

"No, the other part."

"I love you."

She smiled as her lips met mine and her hands wrapped around my neck. I pulled her close deepening the kiss. Her mouth opened to mine, inviting me in. Our tongues caressed as my hand traveled down her back, hers entwined in my hair. I slid my fingers under the hem of her shirt, finding the warm skin beneath it. I pressed my cold hand against her back and I could feel her shiver from my touch. I wanted her, I wanted to taste every inch of her skin, know every sensitive spot. But I'd hurt her.

Gently I pulled away, breaking our kiss. "I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you." Her heart was racing, I could feel the blood pumping beneath her soft pale skin. I wanted to devour her in every way.

"I'm pretty sure if you were going to eat me you'd have done it by now." She said, her face in a pout anger flickering in her eyes.

"You don't know what you're asking. I don't know if I have that much control…" I didn't, and the safest course was certainly not this one.

"I've just spent a nonstop month with you. The only time I wasn't around you is when I was sleeping and you were off doing your Volturi business. I think that if you were going to hurt me it would have happened long ago." She pushed against my hands, trying to get closer to me. Her scent intensified as her hair swayed at her back, weakening my resolve with it. My mind raced, I wanted her I couldn't deny that. But I didn't want to hurt her, I was about to put her in mortal danger and it would be my own damn fault if anything happened to her. And not just this, tomorrow I was going to try and get her out of this city, I still had no definite plan but decided that was better. The fuzzier the future the better.

"What about your virtue?" it was the best I had, and it was also something I was concerned about. We weren't married, in the eyes of the world I would just be a man and her, her… I didn't want to think of that. It wasn't true, and if I could I would make her my wife and do right by her.

"I'm a gypsy, people don't think I have any." She scoffed at me, not really answering the question.

"I don't care what other people think." I watched as she fell back against the bed with a sigh, her face turning four shades of red.

"I've never…" her voice trailed off full of embarrassment. How could she have never? She was gorgeous and I knew that there wasn't a man around who wouldn't love to put his hands on her. I knew, I loved it and never wanted to share her. I stared hungrily down at her, she teased me with every breath she took. Her hair splayed across the bed, her back arching against the curve of the mattress. I had never longed to be with someone as I longed to be with her. Even when I was mortal I'd never felt this intensely for someone, I've always felt content unto myself.

Before I realized my hands were trailed across the soft skin of her bare stomach. She was wearing that incredibly revealing gypsy excuse for a top of hers, refusing to wear the nice clothes I bought her. Thought I didn't really mind as her back arched into my touch. I leaned down, hovering above her as I crushed my lips to her own. Her arms were instantly around my neck, her hands rushing through my hair and across my back. Her warm touch sent waves of pleasure through me. This was the last thing I needed to be doing, and she certainly shouldn't be doing this with me. But I couldn't bring myself to stop; I craved her body, to feel her beneath me. I soon fell into her alluring scent, her moans filling the air urging me on.

I deftly lifted her from the edge of the bed and placed her in the center. I trailed kisses across her warm skin, enticing moans from her sweet lips. Her body trembled beneath me and I needed more. Her hands raked across my skin as I teased the curves of her neck with my lips. She moaned and her hips bucked against my sending waves of pleasure through me. I pulled at the fabric wrapped around her chest, and watched as it unwound from around her revealing the soft skin beneath it. My eyes hungrily took in every detail of her. The blush on her cheeks, the roundness of her supple breasts the creamy color of her skin. She was breathtaking, and I was going to take her. Her eyes fluttered open, and gazed up at me.

"I am truly in love with you Bella." I breathed against her neck, taking in her scent.

"Yes, I do believe I'm quite taken with you Edward." She breathed as her every breath was struggling to filler her lungs. Her heart was a flutter and her pulse quick. "I love you." She whispered against my ear, her soft lips sending waves through me. I moaned as her hands found their way beneath my shirt, feeling every inch of the skin beneath it. Her lips found the hollow of my neck leaving a blazing trail of kissing in their wake. "I never want to be without you." Her fingers worked at the buttons of my shirt as she whispered this into my skin.

"Never." I breathed as I pulled her face to meet mine. I stared into her eyes, searching for what I didn't know. But I found it, whatever it was. It was there, pleading with me to not just take her, but to keep her. I knew then that I would be by her as long as she wished it. I pushed my lips to hers with renewed fervor. Her hands began to pry apart the fabric of my shirt and I quickly removed it, pulling her warm chest to mine.

I trailed my fingers up the soft skin of her thigh, pushing the skirt up as I came. She moaned at my touch, her head pushed back against the bed as her hands clung to my arms. I ached to be inside her; to feel her surround me. My fingers found their way past her undergarment and toyed now with the wetness behind them. She gasped as my cool finger pressed into her tight opening. She moaned pressing against the bed as I slowly curled and uncurled my finger then adding another. My tongue swirled around her alert nipple, teasing it with my teeth. She sighed in pleasure, my name tumbling from her lips ever so often.

She was a sight beneath me as she bit her lip in pleasure. Her cheeks were red as she spread her knees for me, begging for more. I removed my fingers from her and heard her whimper in protest. I chuckled as I slid her skirt down, throwing it to the floor. I kissed her, deeply with need. She tasted so sweet, so intoxicating. Her naked hips ground against my clothed ones and I frowned into the kiss. Her hands quickly went to work, fumbling with the buckle of my belt trying to remove the last obstacle. I kissed her and trailed my hands across her skin as she pulled my pants down, kicking them off of me.

Her bare hips bucked against mine and I moaned at the feeling of her skin against my own. I pulled myself up, putting only a few inches between us. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she bit her lips nervously.

"I won't if-" I was cut off as her hand fell to my throbbing member, a moan replacing my words. I felt her knees slide against my hips as I gently pushed inside her. My body trembled as I felt her surround me. She was warm and tight and I moaned in the pleasure of it.

I watcher as I slid in, she was biting her lip, eyes closed. I stopped and waited. Was I hurting her? When I didn't move her eyes flew open and I saw in them her need. Her hips rocked beneath me, the friction was unbelievable. I rested on my elbow above her head, my lips locked to hers as I rocked my hips slowly pulling in and out of her. It was a bittersweet speed, I enjoyed feeling her but I craved to go faster. My hand caressed every available inch of her. Her hips began rocking faster against mine, her movement growing harder and faster with every passing moment.

I gripped her hip as I began to push into her, harder and faster. Her breath became fast and loud in my ear. She buried her face into my shoulder, muffling her screams of ecstasy. I quickened my speed, become more daring as she moaned more and more beneath me, spurring me on.

"Oh God! Edward!" I heard tumble from her lips between moans; pushing me to the edge, her nails raking across my back. I pushed myself deeper, moaning with each thrust. Her lips found mine and I felt her shudder beneath me, tensing as waves of the pleasure came crashing in around her, pulling me in. I thrust into her hard, as I fell over the edge into ecstasy my body trembling against hers.