I sincerely apologize for the ridiculously long time this chapter took. Family drama can sure take a toll on your ability to write, let me tall you! Hopefully the wait will never be this long again. I really am sorry!

HAPPIER TOPIC TIME! So I was thinking of writing a lemon here soon... this story is rated 'M' for a reason... ; ) I'll make my decision based on your feedback. So let me know!

ONE MORE STUPID THING! Check out the playlist for this story on my profile. There's a link to a site where you can listen to the playlist as well. The song for this chapter is 'Brighter Than Sunshine' by Aqualung.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Just like messing with it : D

Enjoy!

It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving and I was currently setting the dining room table. I was dreading tonight. Charlie's best friend, Billy Black and his son Jacob were coming over for dinner. I don't remember much about them, but I remember Jacob's relentless teasing and name-calling. If he was half as annoying now as he was back then, tonight would be… difficult.

My phone buzzed in my pocket for the 11th time today. I pulled it out to read the message.

-14 more hours until I see your beautiful face again. I don't know if I can wait… I miss you.

Instantly my mood lifted. That's exactly what I needed to get me trough tonight. A reminder that the sooner it was over, the sooner I'd see Edward. Although we'd been texting frequently since Friday, we hadn't talked about anything that happened that night.

So many questions were running through my head. Was Edward my boyfriend? If yes, was this a secret too? Did he know how much Alice knew? Would I still only see him for two hours during school everyday? All of these questions needed answers, but I couldn't bring myself to ask them through the fine art of text messaging. I wanted to talk to him in person.

The knock at the door brought me back to the task at hand. I picked up the pace a little when I heard the voices in the living room. I had just set down the last knife when I heard a deep voice from behind me.

"Hey Bella, remember me?" I whirled at the sound and came face to face with a tall dark-skinned boy. He had long black hair that was pulled into a pony tail and a round baby face with pink cheeks and dark brown eyes. His soft shy smile instantly put me at ease.

"Yeah, Jacob right?" I asked offering my hand. His grin widened a bit as he nodded and shook it. "It's nice to see you again." I said politely.

"Really? I thought you'd be dreading this… what with all the hair pulling and name calling I inflicted upon you when we were kids." He smiled sheepishly, obviously embarrassed by our past.

"Don't worry about it. Just don't do it again!" I said with a wink. He laughed with me, putting two fingers in the air.

"Scouts honor!" he promised.

Jacob and I really hit it off after that. We kept up conversation throughout dinner, without any awkward silences or dull moments. He was so easy to get along with, I had a hard time believing this was the same boy I had met as a child. After dinner he even helped me wash all the dishes while Charlie and Billy had a beer in the living room. He told me about a car that he was pretty much building from scratch and told me I needed to come out to the Reservation sometime soon to see it. I promised him that I would and the smile on his face when I did was priceless. We made plans to hang out next weekend before they left for the evening. To say I was relieved dinner had gone so well was an understatement.

"So you and Jake seemed pretty friendly tonight." Charlie said as he sat down in his recliner facing the TV.

"He's a nice guy. I think we'll be good friends." I told him honestly. Charlie nodded slowly. He wanted to say something else, I could tell, but he kept his mouth shut. I sat on the couch watching, but not paying attention to whatever was on the screen, when my phone buzzed again.

-How did dinner go? Did you survive the evening with vile Jacob?

I chuckled softly. I had mentioned the dinner and my previous feelings toward Jacob earlier. I felt Charlie's eyes on me as I typed a response.

-Actually, it went great! Jacob has grown up a lot. I think we're gonna be good friends, oddly enough : )

Where are we in the countdown now? 11 hours?

"Who's that you've been texting all day, Bells?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Oh, um… just a friend from school. My lab partner. We have a project due tomorrow." I didn't mention any names. Like the rest of the town, Charlie was not keen on Edward.

"Edward Cullen?" Charlie asked in a flat emotionless voice. I jumped at the sound of his name and looked over to where Charlie sat.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" Charlie's face remained blank as he responded.

"Mr. Molina is a good friend of mine. He told me you requested Edward as a partner… over Mike Newton. I know the Newton's, Bella. They're a real nice family. I'm sure you heard what Cullen did to poor Mike when he first moved here." I had forgotten about Molina being friends with Charlie. But I was truly surprised that they discussed who I was lab partners with when they went out for a beer. Didn't they have anything better to talk about?

"Yes, I've heard about that. And I'm sure you heard what poor Mike and Tyler did to Edward for a week after that!" I was quickly losing my temper. Why couldn't ANYONE see things the way I did? "Mike's not as innocent as you think dad! He harassed me on my first day of school which is why I requested a new partner! Edward has been nicer to me than anyone in that God-forsaken place! I think everyone in this town should get their facts straight before they start pointing fingers and passing judgment!" Charlie was shocked by my outburst. So was I. We just stared at each other for a few minutes. Right when Charlie was about to say something else, the front door flew open and Emmett came bounding through it.

"Hola mi familia!" He said as he threw his duffle bag on the floor and crashed on the couch next to me, totally unaware of the tense situation between our father and myself.

"How was your weekend Emmett?" Charlie asked, eyes back on the TV.

"Pretty boring. Grandpa Earl's teeth fell out during Thanksgiving dinner. That was pretty awesome. Besides that, it was uneventful." Charlie chuckled and I rolled my eyes. "What about you shorty? How was your Thanksgiving?" Emmett asked me.

"Even more uneventful than yours, big brother." I gave him a smile as I stood from the couch. "I'm exhausted. I'll see you in the morning." I walked out of the room, without another glance in Charlie's direction.

"Dad, please let me through." I begged. Charlie was standing in the front door, blocking my way out. My way to Edward. I was grabbed forcefully from behind and spun around. I came face to face with Mike Newton.

"Come on, Bella. Your dad told you to stay away from him. So just stay in here with me okay?" I successfully pushed him to the floor, before turning back around and running through the now clear doorway. Edward was standing in my front yard, smiling brightly, his arms open wide waiting for me to run into them.

Everything around me was moving so fast, but I was stuck in slow motion. It took all of my strength to make it across the front yard. Just as I was about to reach him, Charlie appeared out of nowhere, pulling Edwards hands behind his back and cuffing him. I screamed as he struggled against my father. Our eyes met and he opened his mouth to speak to me, but all that came out was a loud buzzing sound.

"Edward! I can't hear you! What did you say?" He spoke again, but like before it was only the loud buzzing that I now felt. Charlie threw him into the back of the cruiser and slammed the door. He tried one last time, screaming from behind the glass window. I heard the buzz again and this time felt it in my hand. I looked down to see my phone there. 'Incoming Call: Edward' it read. That's when I woke up.

I flipped open my phone and mumbled a groggy 'Hello' into the speaker.

"Bella?" His angelic voice asked. I sat up, waking a bit more.

"Edward? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He chuckled before answering.

"Nothings wrong, sorry I… I just couldn't wait any longer." His words confused my still half asleep brain. Wait for what?

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a yawn.

"Promise you won't get mad at me?" Now I was really confused.

"Edward, why would I be mad at you? What's going on?" he took a deep breath and let it out into the receiver.

"I'm in your backyard…"

EPOV

-Actually, it went great! Jacob has grown up a lot. I think we're gonna be good friends, oddly enough : )

Where are we in the countdown now? 11 hours?

And just like that he was a threat. Never had I given him a second thought until now. 'Friends'. Bella and I were 'Friends'. Then I kissed her. Now I have no clue what we are. What if this Jacob character kisses her? Would she let him? Would she like it? Does she like him? More than me? Did she ever like me? She wouldn't have kissed me if she didn't like me. Right?

Who am I kidding? Of course she doesn't like me. Not like that anyway. Not as much as I like her. Why would she kiss me though, if she didn't like me? She probably really regrets the whole night, even if she said she didn't. Or maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's looking at this in a completely different way. Like a friends with benefits type of deal. If that is what she wants… am I okay with that?

Ha. Am I okay with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen wanting to fool around with me? Stupid question. I'll give her whatever she wants, but I'll always want more. I'll always want a real relationship with her.

The question here isn't what I want, it's what Bella wants. That's what I need to find out. Unfortunately, school was still 10 ½ hours away. And I'd still have to wait until Biology before we could actually communicate. Even then, all we did was pass notes. This wasn't really something that should be discussed on paper.

So when and where do we talk about this? As if on cue, the answer knocked on my door.

"Hey Edward," Alice greeted as I opened the door, I just stared passed her and waited patiently for her to continue. Acting like a jerk to my family was definitely the hardest part of all this. But it made not speaking to them easier when they didn't want to talk to me in the first place. "I just wanted you to know that I'm going shopping with Rose in Port Angeles tomorrow, right after school. We're eating dinner up there as well and might even catch a movie if there's anything good playing." My interest in what she was saying suddenly peeked. Esme was in Seattle until Tuesday night, Carlisle would be at the hospital well past midnight tomorrow and now Alice would be gone all of the afternoon.

"I won't be home til' late, so you'll have the house all to yourself." She gave me a smug smile as she turned to leave. She knew exactly what I was planning, no doubt. She stopped in front of her door and faced me once more. "Rose is driving us up there, so you'll have to drive the Volvo home. Is that okay with you?" I quickly nodded. Sure, I wasn't technically allowed to drive by myself, but I've never been caught… yet. Besides, I'm an excellent driver.

I spent the next few hours trying not to think about Bella and the pending fate of our 'relationship'. I caught up on all of the homework I had been putting off since Monday. It took all of one hour. Then I picked up Wuthering Heights again, but I kept running into lines Bella had been quoting to me over the last couple of days, in an attempt to convince me that it was a good book. So I tried working on my newest composition, but it's muse was exactly who I wasn't thinking about. Needless to say, I gave up on it quickly.

When midnight came around, I caved. It was too much, laying in this bed where she had been laying with me only a few days ago. I could almost smell her, strawberries and freesia. Her skin was so soft. Her brown wavy hair was like silk between my fingers. And her lips… her lips were heaven. She slept so peacefully in my arms. I just watched her for hours, memorizing every detail. I nearly burst with joy when she started murmuring my name in her sleep. And the best part was, if only for that moment, I felt normal. Like a real teenage boy falling in love for the first time. I didn't feel like a monster. I didn't feel empty. I didn't feel ashamed. I felt real. I felt alive. I felt… happy.

Before I could stop and think twice about what I was doing, I was sneaking out the front door and sprinting towards the Volvo. Biology was just too far away. I had to see her. I had to tell her how she made me feel. The small town passed by me in a blur as I sped towards her house, completely unsure of what I was going to say and completely okay with it. I turned down her street and smiled as her rusty old truck came into view.

I parked down the street and jogged toward her house. When I reached her front yard, I froze. What the hell am I doing here? What kind of person shows up at a girls house in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain? A psycho stalker… I started pacing in her driveway, the cold rain stinging my cheeks. I tried to figure out what my next move should be. Just get back in the car and drive home. You can talk to her tomorrow. You have all day, remember? The logical part of me was making a lot of sense, but I couldn't ignore my less logical side. The side of me that knew how close Bella was. I could almost feel a magnetic pull coming from the house. What if she's busy tomorrow, you might not get another chance like this! She's right here, go to her! I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed her number. If she answered, I'd tell her I was here. If not… I'd figure that out later.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

I felt my body tense. She wasn't going to answer. It's one o'clock in the morning and I'm an insane stalker standing in the rain. Why was I confessing my love for her again? It's not like she's going to return my feelings. I need to get out of here, before I make a fool of myself.

Six rings.

Do phones ring more than six times?

Seven rings.

Yep.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, ready to hang up and drive home, but a quiet voice coming from the receiver stopped me. I quickly put the phone back to my ear.

"Bella?" Did she really answer?

"Edward? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Oh shit... What do I say? I chuckled nervously before responding.

"Nothings wrong, sorry I… I just couldn't wait any longer."

"What are you talking about?" She yawned out. I must have woken her up. She was probably going to be pissed. I hated when people woke me up for no good reason. Well, it was a good reason to me… but who knows how she'll take it.

"Promise you won't get mad at me?" I nearly begged as I walked up her driveway and into the backyard.

"Edward, why would I be mad at you? What's going on?" I took a shaky breath and held it for a moment.

"I'm in your backyard…" I held my breath waiting for a reply. I was on the verge of passing out when her calm voice helped me find my breath again.

"I'll be right down." She stated. The line went dead and I shoved the phone back in my pocket. I started pacing again, running my fingers trough my hair over and over. I heard the lock on the back door turn and stopped in my tracks. It opened slowly and I came face to face with the girl I was falling in love with. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her without ever breaking eye contact. We stood a few feet apart, just staring at one another.

I'm not sure who took the first step and it doesn't matter. Because suddenly we were in each others arms and all of the doubt I had just seconds earlier was gone. This was right. This was where I belonged. This was home. Her arms wrapped around my neck, mine around her waist, just holding each other.

"I love you, Bella."

I felt her body tense up and then immediately relax. She pulled back slightly to look me in the eye. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she searched my face for something. Whatever she found there must have pleased her, because a heart stopping smile spread across her face as she placed her palms on either side of mine.

"I love you too, Edward." And then we were both grinning like idiots. A relieved laugh escaped me as I rested my forehead on hers. We were both thoroughly soaked now as sheets of rain poured from the sky, but I hardly noticed. I had my love in my arms and she loved me too. There was nothing better than this.

"I'm going to kiss you now." I stated. She simply smiled and nodded as she wrapped her arms around my neck once again and pulled me closer. Our lips met in a slow passionate kiss. I poured all of my love into this kiss and I could feel her doing the same. I sucked her bottom lip in between mine and let my tongue run across it. She responded immediately, opening her mouth and allowing my explorations. Our tongues tangled gently and lovingly, our bodies seeming to melt into one. We finally broke apart, both needing the oxygen.

"I need to get back inside, Emmett always wakes up in the middle of the night to make a snack." I buried my head in the crook of her neck and shook my head.

"I don't want to let go of you. Can't we just stay like this forever?" I held her tighter and turned my head to lay a trail of lazy kisses up her neck and down her jaw, then back again. She squeezed me tighter and sighed.

"I wish we could, but really, you have to go." She startled me by pulling away abruptly and giving me a stern look. "How did you get here anyway?" I grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

"I drove of course." I answered simply, like it was no big deal. Her eyes widened, making me chuckle.

"Edward, you don't have a license…"

"No, but I have a learners permit." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"What am I gonna do with you?" she asked. I pulled her in for another searing kiss, willing to do anything to keep her in my arms. I broke off the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Just then a light from an upstairs window came on, our heads turned to look up at the same time. We looked back at one another and she placed one more kiss on my lips.

"Go. I'll see you tomorrow." She said before scurrying back inside. "Goodnight" she whispered as she closed the door.

I just stood there for a few minutes, basking in this feeling. Love. I was in love with Bella Swan. And the part that amazed me the most, she was in love with me too.

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