I want to apologize firstly, for how long it took me to get this chapter out.
I didn't do it intentionally, I promise, I love you guys to much for that! I have just been so damn busy with keeping up for the last week of school. So yeah, I apologize once more for that, and I also reassure you that summer is a major writing time for me. Yeah, you got it. Summer = LOTS OF NEW CHAPTERS!

Okay, so song of the chapter is Skeptics and True Believers – The Academy Is
I picked this song because once you read this chapter, you'll understand what a perfect choice it is. Also, I'm in love with TAI, and it's one of my favorite songs by them.
(--You can hear this song by going to my profile and clicking the link to my website--)

You don't know how greatly that reviews are appreciated.
Each one I receive, I do a little happy dance around my room. Yeah, they mean that much to me.
My goal this chapter is to break 275. Consider it a challenge(;
Who knows, maybe you'll be seeing Chapter 11 up sooner than you think. xD

EPOV

Could my lips have possibly still been tingling? I glanced one last time at Bella as she made her way up the front stairs to her house. It was a weird thing to think at the moment, but her actions seemed a little. . .off? It was almost as if she was hesitant to enter her house. I backed out of the drive and shook my head clear of all my theories and trailed my thoughts back to that little path. . .to the warm, smoldering brown color. . .to the incredibly soft lips. . .

I swerved in time to just barely miss the fire-hydrant I almost ran into. Focus, I told myself, You can think about Bella all you want once you get home. Why the hell was I this worked up? It was just a kiss for crying out loud! A fucking amazing kiss. . .

Pulling into the driveway of my house, I ran over the curb with my back tire and left a narrow strip of grass with tire marks on it. Esme wouldn't be too pleased about that in the morning. Stepping out of the Volvo, as dazed as ever, I made my way inside the house. It was quiet, indicating that everyone else's plans went later than mine.

I didn't mind one bit. In fact, I was glad that no one was home at the moment. That meant I wouldn't have to deal with questions until the morning. I'd just call it an early night and quit while I was ahead. I glanced at the clock. Damn, it was only nine. I couldn't go to sleep at fucking nine o' clock. I was way too keyed up for sleep right now.

So I decided to satiate my boredom with a long time lost hobby of Emmett and I's.

I played Halo 3 on the Xbox.

For three fucking hours straight.

By the time midnight rolled around and I was curled up onto the couch with the remote in my hand, just barely coherent, I heard the sound of a door knob turning and listened as I heard Alice's shrill of a laugh ring throughout the whole house. I pretended to be asleep, grinning a little at the sound of the two making out in the doorway. I chuckled silently as the sound of there silent kissing and moaning filled the house. There was only so much I could take after a while, and it was fucking disgusting. I moaned and sat up, blinking furiously at the sight of Alice curled completely around Jasper's body, still fully-clothed, thankfully.

"Get a fucking room," My voice sounded groggy from the slight sleep I had gotten from drifting off. Jasper grimaced and blushed at getting caught in the act. Alice just grinned proudly and cheerfully gave me the finger. I just shook my head at her and rolled my eyes.

I knew Alice's sudden intentions before they could even reach her mouth. "Stop." I held up my index finger at her, "I'll tell you in the morning, alright?" She gave me a skeptical look before skipping over and ruffling with my hair playfully. I shoved her away and headed for the stairs, waving them both a happy goodnight. I mean, fuck, there was only so much of Alice I could take. I wondered if Jazz ever got annoyed. I'd have to ask him sometime.

I laid above my covers, impatiently waiting for sleep to come. After a half an hour of trying, I gave up and realized that I wasn't actually tired. The bright moon shown through my curtains as I walked over slowly to the door and out to the roof-patio. I had never really been out here at all, and as I rested my hands on the ledge and stared out into the stars, I had a million thoughts running through my head.

The cool spring air against my bare chest sent relaxing vibes throughout my whole body. It instantly relaxed me, and I decided to sit down on the old couch that Esme had put on the patio. Once I sat, I decided laying would be a better option, so I spread myself out on my back and placed my hands behind my head.

A couple of deep, steady breaths eventually lulled me to a peaceful sleep under the moonlight. That was the first night I dreamt of Bella Swan. Once the images came and fled my mind, there was no stopping them or turning back now. It was safe to say that I slept with a smile on my face the whole night as the stars shown above me.

I quick shot straight up at the sound of thunder echoing off the mountains. The drops of rain were pelting my face and the sky wasn't even completely light yet. I cursed under my breath at the rain, and shook my hair violently before hurrying back into my room.

Damn weatherman said nothing about fucking thunderstorms this weekend. Em, Jazz, and I were suppose to round-up a football team and play at the park. Eh, I guess I wasn't too upset; The people here weren't that great anyways. All just a bunch of dumb jocks who hooked up with all of the cheer-leading team, failed all of their classes, and thought they were all the shit. I figured it'd be okay not to get too torn up about the whole thing. Emmett would be crushed though, that was for sure.

I was dripping wet as I stepped into my bathroom and snatched a towel from the rack. After drying myself off, sort of, I just gave up all together and decided to take a shower.

After slipping an old 80's band shirt over my head, I debated on whether or not I should go downstairs. Fearing Alice and her questions, I decided it'd be a good idea to take a rain check on breakfast. Hell, I didn't even know if she was awake or not yet. It sure did sound like her and Jazz had a pretty big night last night. I also wasn't sure where Em and Rose were, or if they were even home yet. Fuck, they were probably doing it in Emmett's jeep in some McDonald's parking lot or some shit.

An hour later, my stomach growled and I realized that I'd need breakfast sooner or later. I tip-toed, feeling like a real pussy doing it, down the stairs and to the kitchen. I was about to round the corner when I heard hushed whispers. Damn, no breakfast for you Edward. I slowly turned around and began making my way back up to my room when someone grabbed my shirt from behind. Alice. Fuck.

I turned around to meet the most bitchiest smile I had ever seen in my life. All the girls I'd ever dated probably couldn't even pull it off, and trust me, they were bitches. So I gave right back to her, and smiled right back. Jasper wasn't anywhere close, so I figured he'd probably went back to sleep. Dude sleep until noon if he could. Lucky him.

"I believe you have something to share with me, oh brother deary?" She said in the most innocently sweet tone she could, even throwing in some eyelash batting and a puppy-dog pout. I wasn't buying that shit. Yeah, it worked for everyone else on the planet, but not for me. I smiled back smugly at her and shrugged. Her smile wavered slightly and then turned into a furious glare.

"Listen," Her little four-foot-eleven self had the nerve to reach up and take hold of my shirt and pull my face level with hers, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard. Either way, I will find out what happened on that date." Alright, now I was scared.

"God Alice," I pushed her away and chuckled breathlessly, "You sound like someone from CSI. It was just a date. Big deal." If only she knew how big of deal it was. I casually turned away to the fridge and grabbed the carton of milk. I could hear her angry breathing from behind me as I smirked and reached for a bowl. She wasn't going to be quitting any time soon. As I poured out my cereal, I continued to grin at her heavy breathing from behind me, and as I walked to the dining room table to sit down, she was still on my heals.

I took a big bite and waited for it to start, chewing loudly and swallowing dramatically. She rolled her eyes and then narrowed them. "I'm serious." Her voice was surprisingly dangerous. "Talk. Now." This was Alice's scary side. Real fucking scary.

"What do you want to know?" I asked irritatedly while scooping another spoonful and shoving it into my mouth aggressively. Why was it even any of her damn business?

She sighed, frustrated, and slammed her hand down on the table loudly, causing me to jump slightly. I wasn't going to win this battle, so I gave up. "Fine Alice, you win." I told her in surrender. "We went to Port Angeles and got ice cream. Happy?" My voice sounded annoyed and I knew she wouldn't be too pleased.

She gave me a skeptical look to go on. I didn't say anything for a while when she finally huffed impatiently. "And?" She hedged, wanting more details. I didn't want to give her them. Why did I need to?

"Look Alice," I told her, keeping my voice some-what calm. "It happened and it's over. Why does it even matter to you?" I felt a little bad about my hostility, but this girl was really pushing a nerve.

"Wait. . .it's over?" She asked, sounding dissapointed. It took me a second to understand what she was saying before I quickly shook my head.

"No, it's not over," I assured her sincerely, "It's definitely not over." That got her. Her smile was so big, I thought her face would bust off. I didn't think what I said was anything important, but I went along with it and smiled back. I also threw in a nod to be more convincing, because honestly, I didn't have a clue why she had that shit-eating grin spread across her face.

". . .So you really like her?" Alice asked in a tiny voice, holding back a squeal I could only assume. Ah, this was the question I was expecting. What, were we in fifth grade all over again? I had no idea what I was going to tell Alice. It'd end bad either way, so I figured I had nothing to loose.

"Yes Alice, I do," I told her confidently, grinning and taking another spoonful of cereal. I wasn't ashamed of my answer; why should I have been? No, the real question was why Alice's face was so full of surprise. I mean, yeah, my dating history wasn't great, I already knew that, but was it really that surprising that I actually liked a girl for real? It was bound to happen eventually, she had to have known that.

Alice didn't say another word as she happily skipped out of the room and off to god-knows-where. I shook my head and rubbed my temples – It was gonna be a long weekend before Monday would come.

I hated to admit it, but I'd spent most of the weekend avoiding everyone and spending time in my bedroom doing nothing. What could I have done? It's not like I was going to do homework or anything. Psht, the teachers could kiss my ass if they thought that I was going to be doing work I missed from the beginning of the year. I would occasionally pick up my guitar and play for periods of time, but other than that I'd just hang around my room, not ever really doing anything. I guess I just needed time to think. Every thought I had would end up straying to Bella somehow. It'd start out as an innocent thought like hanging out at the beach with Em and Jazz, and it end with Bella tightly in my arms. I had to stop thinking about her like she was some fucking piece of meat. She wasn't that, nor did she ever deserved to be treated like one. I'd be the one to protect her from the guys who thought things like that.

Monday finally rolled around and I couldn't have been any more happy for the week to began. God, I felt so pathetic. Like a real asshole. Seriously, why was I acting this way? Yeah, I was anxious to see Bella, understatement of the century, but it was like I was suddenly a new person. The old Edward wouldn't have even cared, and would've had the "fuck my life" attitude towards everything. I didn't feel that way lately. I felt good. Like I said, different.

When I headed down for the breakfast that Esme had made, I was expecting some conversation from her since I had basically ignored her the whole weekend. I wasn't going to be a douche about it; I'd talk to her because she deserved it. This wasn't the same situation as Alice, this was my mother.

"Hi Mom," I said cheerfully as I scooped out a bowl of eggs and sausage. One of the many reasons I loved my mom- She could cook. She could really cook.

"Edward," She smiled and nodded happily at me, I'm guess because I was finally acknowledging her presence in this house. I was just now beginning to feel really bad about the way I acted this weekend. I wouldn't do it again, I promised myself.

I sat there and ate in silence while she quietly continued to took more servings for the rest of the family. This wasn't what I was expecting. I thought with Esme she'd be all over this new situation I was in. I guess I was wrong.

"Er, so. . ." I stated lamely, shoving another bite into my mouth quickly. She glanced up at me and laughed. "I'm not going to bug you with questions, Edward," She grinned and winked. "It's your life and none of my business. You can tell me if you want." She hesitated before adding, "You know, I was your age once. I'm always there if you need advice or someone to talk to. I mean, I know I'm not Carlisle, but still, I'm here." Well fuck me, if I thought she couldn't get any more nice than before, I had it all wrong. I almost felt like I would spill my feelings to her right then and there, but decided not to. She was giving me a choice that I greatly appreciated, and I decided I'd just tell her another time.

I gulped down my orange juice quickly afterwards, and Esme noticed and came by with the carton and filled my glass back up. She patted me on the shoulder tenderly and quietly added, "I like her." Before I could say anything, Rose walked down the stairs with the expression that was less than pleasant. She didn't care for Mondays. Or school, for that matter. She didn't look very well rested either and I imagine it was from both of the late nights her and Emmett shared. I was in a good mood, so what the hell, I decided to tease her.

"Well," I grinned hugely at her, baring all of my teeth, "Don't you look just lovely!" I couldn't keep the smirk from my face as I said it. If I ever once doubted that Rosalie's death glare really could kill, I sure as hell wasn't now. I was instantly back-tracking in my words and muttering sincere compliment nonsense under my breath. Her glare turned into a bitchy smile as she walked over and patted me on the shoulder. "Good boy," She nodded approvingly before walking out the door. She will do great things, I thought in my head smugly.

I wondered where Emmett was, but that question was soon answered as he practically stumbled down the stairs looking possibly even worse than Rose had. Poor motherfucker, he had told me stories about what an animal that Rosalie was in bed; I didn't exactly care to hear the stories at all but with Emmett, if you were family and you were related to him, he'd tell you the color of his pee, his intake on how low-cut a girl's shirt was, and even his nightly activities with his lady, all without being asked. God, Emmett, was all I could think.

After the reaction that I had gotten from Rose, I kept my mouth shut as he trudged off out the front door to follow her. They always headed out early so they could stop at a local Caribou and get Rose her daily cappuccino. I glanced at the clock and realized I'd better bolt soon too if I was going to arrive at Bella's soon enough. I'd need to get there a little earlier than usual because I had forgotten to tell her that I'd be driving her to school this week. I guess I had just been caught up in the moment at the time.

I pulled into her driveway and noticed a police cruiser parked in it as well. At first, I was confused, but then I remembered that her dad was chief of police. I took a deep breath and headed towards her front door. I only had to knock once before the door was opened by who I could only assume to be her father. The reason I knew it was her dad was because of the shocking resemblance. Actually, there wasn't much of a resemblance at all, it was just the eyes. They were completely identical to Bella's. The only thing I noticed that was a little different was the slight hint of anger in them.

They kind of made me frozen in my spot and small shivers ran down my back uncontrollably. I didn't know why I was reacting this way. This was Bella's dad, and they were just eyes. He probably just had a bad morning or something; Been there, done that, trust me.

He nodded sternly at me, then stepped aside so I could enter. It was real fucking awkward, and I wasn't sure if I was suppose to say anything or not. I kept my mouth shut, assuming it was a good idea. I wondered where Bella was. Her dad walked out of the room, going back to doing whatever he was before I got there.

I stared around, studying her house. I had never really seen the inside before, but I knew this was the only tour I'd be getting. By the looks of earlier, I wasn't exactly that welcome here. I didn't know if I should call her name, or look for her or something, but all this waiting was making my anxious. Three minutes later, and thank god, she emerged from the top of the stairs. My eyes instnatly met her pretty brown ones and the first think I saw in them was shock and fear. Her face startled me. The bags under her eyes her huge, indicating that sleep wasn't something she got much of this weekend, and her expression was just so painful to look at.

Luckily, once I smiled at her hesitantly, she slowly smiled back, erasing some of the pain from her expression. The way she made her way down almost seemed like she was in pain while doing it. She took each step slowly, and it almost seemed like she was cringing each time her foot would touch the ground. I had no clue what to think, but once she was finally down to the last step, I went to greet her with a hug. I just couldn't help myself, I had to be close to her.

"Morning," I smiled into her hair before release her. Once again, she cringed, but hugged back gently. What was with her? At first I had wondered if I'd done something wrong, but it just didn't seem right. Something didn't seem right. I was beginning to get really fucking nervous when she suddenly tugged on my arm and urged me to the door. I happily complied, waiting until we were outside until slipping my arm loosely around her tiny waist.

I opened the car, and as she sat down her movements seemed so hesitant and careful. I had no idea why I was being so observant today in all of her actions, and I decided that I was being too superstitious and worrying too much. I shook if off and joined her in the Volvo.

"So how was your weekend?" I asked her casually, trying for some light conversation. I knew that's what she wanted. About a minute into the car ride, I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed it a couple of times — rubbing soft circles with my thumb. I knew she always liked that shit.

She didn't answer at first and it almost seemed like she shuddered just a little in her seat. Once again, I was totally letting that damn imagination get the better of me. She sighed and turned her eyes to face mine, "It was fine." That was all I got? Bullshit.

"Bella," I paused. "Are you okay?" I had to ask even though I knew already what her answer would be.

"Why?" Her voice turned cold and venom-like. "Do I seem not okay, Edward?" Fuck, she was good. Always turning the tables. I didn't know how to respond to that so I shrugged in my seat and shut my damn mouth. I didn't want this to be a bad day though, and I certainly didn't want her to be mad at me all day either, so I decided to shower her with compliments. Girls always loved that shit, but I had this feeling that Bella needed to hear them more often. No, it wasn't a feeling, it was the truth; She deserved them more often.

"Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?" I asked in the most sweet, polite voice I could ever have been capable of. I knew she was trying to be mad at me, and ignore me, but her angry facade was starting to fade as her lips twitched the slightest bit, fighting back a smile. Yeah, her cheeks got red too, so I decided to keep going. "No, really," I squeezed her hand playfully, and this time, she squeezed back. "They're fucking beautiful. . ." And then those fucking beautiful eyes stared up into mine with such intensity and innocence, that I just had to keep going. ". . .Just like you are."

That got her. She suddenly smiled so hugely, I was surprised that her mouth could even spread out that much. It was another real smile. God, I never got tired of seeing those. She didn't say anything back. She didn't need to. I'd tell her it a million times if she wanted me to. Just to see that smile.

The first class I had once we got to school wasn't with Bella. I needed to walk her to class though, because I just couldn't handle the thought of having her by herself in the hallways. I'd seen the way kids here treated her. Yeah, that was over the minute I arrived at this school. All the kids here were insane, and I fucking hated it. I wished we could transfer, go somewhere else nearby, but that was the problem. There wasn't any other place, not nearby at least. I'd just have to endure it. Bella was sure making it a hell of a lot easier. I wanted someway to thank her for it.

My brilliant plan struck me right as the Red-Head walked into view. I pretended not to see her, but she wasn't having that. Her clothes were, hands down, the most slutty clothes I had ever seen worn in a school. I had seen a lot of inappropriate things, but seriously. So when she winked at me, I quickly leaned down and pressed my lips gently against Bella's. Her facial expression was surprised, but she kissed me back, so I knew she wasn't protesting. I knew the kiss couldn't last too long, and as much as I wanted it to, with one last long suck on her pouty bottom lip, I pulled away.

The look on Victoria's face was fucking priceless. It was probably equivalent to that of one who's foot just got run over by a race car, mixed with a hell of a lot of fury. I looked down at Bella's face to find it completely amused and smirking. Perfect, just what I had planned. Red-Head's face just got more pissed by the second, and it was only a matter of time before Bella was cracking up laughing. We were standing in front of her English classroom when the first bell rang. I kissed her lightly on the cheek and whispered, "See you after class, Bells," happily into her ear. She bit her lip excitedly and nodded. As she walked into the room, I noticed Victoria right on her heels. I had suddenly regretted my proud moment of PDA and realized that I might have just made things worse for Bella. I frowned, but turned in the other direction to walk to my class, hoping for the best. What else could I have done? At least one thing positive came out of all of this: Victoria sure as hell wouldn't be mistaking me for her fucking boyfriend any longer. "Crazy bitch," I muttered disgustedly under my breath.

Once my class was finally over, I rushed out of the room and practically ran to the other side of the building. I reached Bella's classroom just in time for the door to open. I mentally noted on how good I had been becoming with timing lately. I was seriously worried that she'd be in tears or something bad when she walked about, but her face was content. Almost even a little bit happy?

Alice walked out right behind her. Ah, that was why. "It's okay, no one said a word to her," Alice mouthed to me. I was so relieved, I felt like taking Alice's little cheeks and squeezing them. I thought better of it though, because my little sister would definitely not be appreciative of that at all. Bella smiled at me, not as big as before, but still happily. I held her around the waist and once again, walked her to her next class. This time, we had the privilege of being accompanied by Alice.

Lunch came surprisingly quick today, and as Bella and I were walking into the cafeteria doors, Red-Head and her skanky-ass friends quickly cut in front of us before we got to the lunch line. We were in the back, so I braced myself for another five minutes of their nazzly voices. At least I had Bella with me. I pulled her just a little closer than usual, letting her know that I was there, and that the bitches couldn't break her.

It wasn't too long at all until they started talking shit. "I can't believe her, that little hoe, didn't I warn her? She crossed a line, and this means war." Victoria's voice hissed to the rest of them. "She's a bitch, why would he even like her?" Talking a little louder than necessary. I could imagine why. Once again, I pulled Bella even a little bit more closer to me, resting my chin on her forehead, trying to drown out what the girls were saying.

"Yeah, seriously, did you see her throwing herself at him in the hallway in front of the English room? Bitch please, that was pathetic." Wasn't I the one who kissed Bella? What the fuck was this girl on? And I'm sure her opinion on what happened had nothing to do with the amount of jealousy boiling in her blood. Yeah, good.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell her, but I guess one more won't hurt," I heard Victoria sigh before turning to face us, looking fakely surprised that we were so close. Hell no, if she was about to do what I thought she was, that slutty little face of hers wasn't going to last through the day. She smiled sweetly at me and winked before turning to face Bella, smiling at her just like she had me.

"Bella," She asked in an innocently nice voice, "Do you mind if we talk? I need to tell you something about the Social assignment, and I'm sure Edward doesn't want to hear me complaining about it." If she thought I was about to let go, she was seriously disturbed. I didn't budge from where I was standing, and neither did Bella.

"Victoria?" I asked, making my voice match that of her own.

"Yes, Edward?" Batting those fucking eyelashes at me. If I could have it my way, I'd call whoever it was that did her hair and makeup in the morning and tell them to pluck those damn things all off.

My smile turned into a glare as I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't think so. Leave her alone." My voice rang with this unfamiliar authority that I had never heard come from me before. Red just stood there gapping at me like a fish. "Just walk away," I smiled pleasantly at her, smirking just the slightest bit.

Her friends behind her gasped as she stormed out of the cafeteria. They frantically called after her and followed as I lead Bella forward in the line, feeling pretty damn pleased with myself.

Bella was pleased too, and she smiled at me. Her eyes didn't match her smile though. Her smile was there, but it didn't go with her eyes. There was obvious sadness in them, but I didn't bother to ask why. I had already been annoying once this morning, and I didn't want to upset her again. I just squeezed her gently and released as she reached out to put food onto her tray. Yet another thing I loved about Bella – She loved a meal. She wasn't one of those girls who was afraid to eat even the smallest piece of lettuce, or the ones who didn't eat at all. She took a whole cheeseburger and fries and everything. Bella wasn't even the slightest bit fat either.

We sat down silently with the rest of the family. I was surprised that Rose and Em had actually decided to go to school for once. This was new. The quietly greeted us and went back to their own private conversations. All of them except Alice of course, because that cleary just wasn't how she worked.

"Aw, you guys are just so cute together," She squealed cheerfully, grinning hugely at the both of us. Bella smiled just a little as I smirked and grimaced at the same time. I didn't know how to describe what Bella and I were. I suppose you could say that we were "a thing", but that just sounded so lame-ass and high schoolish that I instantly crossed that off of the possible definitions.

Lunch was surprisingly quiet as we all ate our food. Whether it was because everyone knew it was best to keep their mouths shut, or just because no one really felt like talking, I was just fine with it. Once I finished, I scooted a little closer to Bella, and lightly rubbed her back, doing it without being noticed. She glanced sideways at me and smiled while blushing ever so slightly. Each shade of red getting cuter and cuter by the moment.

The rest of the day consisted of boring classes and me happily walking Bella to class after class. I think she worried that what I was doing was unpractical and unnecessary, but I didn't mind one bit. In fact, I fucking loved it. More than she even knew. Each time she'd head into a different class, I'd plant a light kiss on her cheek, lightening up from our almost-make-out-session in the halls earlier today.

The end of the day bell rang and when I headed to Bella's last class of the day, this time she wasn't the first out of the room like normal. I waited until eventually everyone had evacuated the room. I decided to make sure that everything was okay, and walked into the room. I spotted her standing next to her desk, grimacing and rubbing her arm soothingly. What poor motherfucker was I going to have to beat up today?

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly, while quickly making my way across the room to her. I reached out to replace her hand-rubbing motions with my own, but she batted my hand away before I had the chance to make contact.

"Edward, don't worry about it," She sounded exhausted, "Someone just bumped into my arm and it's a little sore, that's all. It's not a big deal or anything." The slighest bit of frustration filled her tone as I nodded in understanding. I didn't like the idea that she was hurt, but at least I had let her know that I cared about her. I really fucking did, and I'd go to the ends of the world to show her. I just hadn't figured out how I was suppose to do it yet.

I gave Bella some space as she continued to rub her arm. We eventually headed for the Volvo and as we walked out the doors, I slipped my arm around her waist once again. Each time I'd do it, I'd notice every time how her frame basically was made so that my arm could go there. This time when we were walking, she seemed a lot more hesitant, and maybe even a little worried. I desperately wished to know what was running through that girls head when she pulled away suddenly. Her sad eyes bore into mine and we stared at each other for a long moment.

I stared back in confusion, not knowing what her eyes were telling at me, while she stared at me with sort of like some unmet expectation of some shit. I had no clue, and before I knew it, I saw the littlest bit of water fill up in the corner of her eyes. If I hadn't been looking so closely, I wouldn't have noticed that slightest moisture. Someone was calling from a distance.

"Go home you little bitch, no one wants you hear!" A recognizable voice shouted from not too far away. "You don't deserve him. You don't deserve a life!" I snapped my head up and almost growled at Victoria. My glare told her to back-the-hell-off-if-you-want-to-live-until-tomorrow. I didn't give a shit whether she was a girl or not. I'd hit her if I had the chance.

When I turned back to Bella, the moisture had grown a little more, and I didn't know what to do. I mean sure, it was an absolute horrible thing to hear, but I had thought she was use to it by now. Normally, she didn't get worked up by little comments like that, so I figured that there was something else wrong.

"I can't. . .Edward, I can't—. . .I can't do this. . ." She was almost stuttering at whatever she was trying to say as her voice cracked. She turned around to walk away when it suddenly clicked. The reason she was upset had nothing to do with Red-Head's comment, or anything like that. I got it now.

"What are you scared of?" I called after her, letting my feet carry me a few steps forward. I knew what was wrong. I should have known what she was feeling all along.

She instantly stopped and spun around to face me, looking angry and confused at the same time. She took a few steps back towards me. "Excuse me?" Her voice was shaking slightly as her eyes narrowed and they stared into mine.

"You're just scared, Bella." I told her with absolutely no hesitation in my voice, taking another step closer to her so that we were now only a few feet apart. I didn't care much for the distance, but I gave her her space.

She tilted her head to the side and her face became cold. "And why would that be?" If I thought her face was cold, her voice was even colder. I couldn't let her be all alone anymore. I couldn't let her be so god-damn bitter.

I took a deep breath and stared directly into those chocolate eyes, making sure that her eyes were holding my gaze as well. "You're scared that someone might actually want to be with you." I turned around and closed my eyes, shaking my head at the realization of how true those words really were. I did want to be with Bella. I wanted to be the person that she trusted, and the person she'd always come to. I wanted to be the guy who got to hold her while she cried, who wiped her tears with kisses, and the person who'd take care of her.

After a minute or two, I turned back around to face her. I wasn't surprised that her eyes were wet, but it still hurt either way. Seeing her cry was one of the one things in life that I couldn't take. I hadn't meant for her to cry. She stared at me with a heartbreaking expression, her big eyes melting into mine, when she slowly walked to me and wrapped both arms completely around my torso. I gently folded my arms around her small body as well, and breathed in the scent of her hair. I held her close to my body, feeling the warmth of her skin radiating to mine.

We were both holding each other together, neither letting go for fear of being broken again. Just needing each other. I needed Bella, I had also come to realize. I needed her now like I needed the air to breathe. There wasn't any going back now, because I was going to do whatever it took to get her. As weird as it was, the thought of being separated was oddly painful. I knew, like I had all along, that she needed me as well. And that's why I wasn't giving up.

"Don't be scared, Bella," I whispered tenderly to her, brushing her hair away from her beautiful face. "I'm right here, and you're okay. You're safe." Those seemed like the words she needed to hear, so I said them. I said them with all the honesty in the world.

Alright, so I know this chapter was sort of short, but that's because I ended it on the best spot I could. Also, nothing overly important really happens in it, (Well, sort of...but you know...yeah...) So anyways, my main goal in the next few chapters will probably be more to establish B & E's relationship more. I know that's what you're all wanting(:

Reviews are better than an Edward back-the-hell-off-if-you-want-to-live-until-tomorrow glare.