A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry I know we missed deadline and that we didn't give you this chapter last week.

Well, all I can say is that both Cloe, myself and our lovely beta has had a lot of things happening in our lives, and when that happens, I guess fanfiction just takes the backseat.

We apologize profusely, and hope you will forgive us!

{Chapter 10}

Bella Pov

"Okay, here you go," Charlotte said and opened a door to a really cute room. It had its own TV, an en suite bathroom, and self-serving of coffee and tea.

The thing that caused me to frown was the two twin beds on opposite sides of the room.

Charlotte must have seen my reaction because she laughed quietly. "We are under no impression that you two don't share a bed, but this is what we can offer because the other rooms are occupied," she said, and gave Edward the key. "I'll be back in a moment with towels; both of you look to be in need of a serious shower."

It was true, because while we had showered at Jacob's house, we were still wearing the same clothes we'd had the day we left Chicago. I fingered the hem of the dirty shirt I was wearing and then looked toward Edward who looked worse than me. His shirt had been torn on the second day when we ran from the motel, and it was just lucky for him that he had a t-shirt underneath.

Both of us looked homeless, which I guess we technically were.

Edward sat down on one of the beds and sighed in content. "Wow, these beds are really soft," he said and smiled at me.

I smiled back, but before I could sit down on my own bed, Charlotte came back with towels as well as a pile of what looked like new clothes. She placed the towels on my bed and handed me the clothes.

I started to shake my head. "No, we can't accept these," I said, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"Nonsense," she said. "These are clothes we were going to get rid of anyway. They're old clothes of mine and some that Peter's and my son left behind when he started college. No one's going to use them, and therefore, I'm giving them to you."

"Well, thank you. We really appreciate it."

"Don't even mention it." Charlotte turned to exit the room but turned around before the door closed. "Oh, I almost forgot. Breakfast is served between seven and ten. We have a buffet on the first floor next to the kitchen, and you are welcome to eat even though you're not paying."

I almost began crying over Charlotte's kindness, and I wanted to thank her, but I didn't know how.

"Have a good night," she said before leaving and I slumped down on my bed.

"That woman is almost too kind," Edward said and bent down to take off his shoes.

"Yeah. I guess she feels sympathy for us," I replied and looked through the clothes she'd given us. There were two pairs of jeans; a tank top and shirt for me as well as a jacket, and a fresh blue t-shirt, button up shirt, and jacket for Edward.

"Why would she feel sympathy for us? She doesn't know us." It was noticeable that Edward and I had gotten very used to each other during this past week because he removed his shirt and t-shirt in front of me without hesitating. His bare chest still scared me a bit, but it was nothing like the way I had felt the day we left home and we changed clothes on opposite sides of the truck.

"She knows we're on our way to Mexico and that we are on our own. Maybe her maternal instincts kicked in or something," I said and shrugged, but looked up at Edward when the jingling of his belt stopped. He was in the middle of opening up his pants but had stopped mid-action.

"Why does she know that?"

"I told her."

His eyes widened. "You told her? Why?"

I shrugged again because I couldn't understand Edward's strong reaction. It wasn't like I had told her more than what we had told Paul in the car. "She asked, so what was I supposed to do?"

Edward threw out his hands to the sides and looked up at the ceiling. "Uh, lie," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I realized then that he thought I'd told her the entire story, and I felt slightly hurt that he thought I was that dumb.

I rolled my eyes in irritation. "I didn't tell her that we ran away from home. I told her the same story we told Paul. I'm not stupid, Edward." I stood up from the bed and started to take my own clothes off. Edward didn't even blink as I stood there in only a bra and panties. Both of us had realized that our underwear didn't expose more than swimwear did and we had gone to the beach together several times, so it wasn't like it was anything new.

"Oh," he said and broke eye contact to pull his pants down. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that you're stupid." His cheeks were adorably red, and I smiled.

"I forgive you." I grabbed one of the towels from my bed. "Do you mind if I shower first?"

He shook his head. "Not at all."

It felt so good to stand underneath the stream of hot water and the small bottles of shampoo and conditioner actually had a very pleasurable scent.

When I was done, I looked at my underwear with disgust. I really didn't want to put them back on, but what was I supposed to do? I didn't have anything else.

I decided that Edward and I would buy some new underwear tomorrow, but my used ones had to do for tonight.

However, my body was still damp, so I wrapped the towel underneath my arms and grabbed my underwear so that I could dry myself out in the room while Edward showered.

I opened the door and saw Edward on the bed watching TV with only a towel around his hips. I also saw that his own underwear lie on top of his pile of clothes, and I suddenly felt very warm when I realized that both of us were practically naked while being in the same room.

Edward didn't seem to think much of it, though.

"Are you done?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. The shower's all yours."

Edward got up from the bed, but because the room wasn't too spacious, we kind of collided when I made a move to walk up to my bed and accidentally stepped into Edward's path for the bathroom.

It caused us to laugh and he gave me a sweet kiss and cradled my face in his hands.

I don't know what it was that told me it was a good idea to deepen the kiss, but I did and instinctively placed my hands on Edward's chest as our tongues began to move together.

That was when I felt it; "something" that was slowly, but surely, hardening against my hip.

I froze, and so did Edward.

He knew I felt it, and only a second later, he broke away from me and practically fled into the bathroom with flaming red cheeks.

While I was shocked, I still thought he was very cute at that moment.

I puffed my cheeks and exhaled to calm myself down. My face felt hot, and I felt tingles all over my body.

Edward and I had never gone past anything but kisses. We made out heavily during a party once, but that was pretty much it, and the reason for that was that we didn't ever speak of advancing the physical side of our relationship.

We had been a couple for about seven months now, but the topic of sex or anything close to that had never been brought up. I didn't bring it up because I was so nervous, and I don't think I felt ready for anything either.

I had no idea why Edward didn't want to talk about it.

I guess it was always a given that we would be each other's first, eventually. Maybe that was why we've avoided the topic, but after what just happened, I was beginning to believe that our first time wasn't the reason at all and that it was perhaps time to talk about it.

Could I start that conversation without blushing ten shades of red, though?

I had no idea, but I had to try because I knew that I didn't want Edward and I to stay the way we were forever.

{=TR=}

Edward Pov

Once the door closed behind me, I quickly locked it and turned to the sink. I needed to calm myself down before I did something I would regret later, and I attempted to do so by splashing cold water on my face.

Images of the kiss Bella and I had just shared kept playing behind my eyelids, and while I tried to block them out, it was to no avail. I couldn't understand why this kiss affected me more than previous ones had. We'd shared much more heated kisses in the past, but for some reason, my heart was still racing in my chest and my dick refused to relax.

Only cold water on my face didn't do the trick, so my time in the shower was spent underneath a spray of ice-cold droplets. When I was so cold my teeth were chattering, I turned the hot water back on and scrubbed away the dirt and grime from the past days, and thought about everything that had happened.

It was a relief that I was now positive Bella wouldn't ever leave me for another, even when there were men like Paul around. Our love was too strong, and I vowed silently that I would never doubt her feelings again. She was mine, and I was hers. It was as simple as that.

Still, there were things we needed to discuss about our relationship. I knew Bella had felt it when my body reacted so noticeably to our kiss, and there was no doubt in my mind that she would want to talk about it, no matter how embarrassed she would feel.

I wasn't looking forward to it, and I don't think any guy did, but since we ran away from home, Bella's and my relationship had become more intimate in one way, while it stood at an absolute standstill in another.

I guess, neither of us really knew how ready the other was for the next step. If Bella said she was ready tonight, I definitely wouldn't mind. I was a sixteen-year-old guy, and I wanted to have sex, despite not really knowing anything about it.

Feeling clean enough, I turned off the shower and wrapped my towel around my hips. I cursed myself for not bringing any clothes with me inside, but there was nothing to do about that now. I took a few deep breaths before I opened the door and went back out into the room.

Bella was leaning against the headboard of her bed, and when she saw me only wearing the towel, I was amazed that while she blushed, she didn't look away shyly like she always did. She followed me with her eyes as I crossed the room and sat down on my own bed.

"We need to talk," I said with determination when I was feeling everything but confident at that moment.

She nodded but remained quiet, and I could see that she was just as nervous as I felt. If I hadn't been so sure we both wanted our first time to be with each other, I would have chickened out.

I rubbed my neck and looked at the floor. "About before—"

"Do you want to?" Bella interrupted me, and I looked up at her, shocked by her bold question.

I blinked. "Uh, do you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know," she mumbled quietly. "I mean, of course, I want to..." My eyes widened, and she hurried to finish her sentence. "But I don't think I'm ready for it tonight. A-are you?"

Her face was adorably red, and I couldn't help but fall in love with her a bit more right then. My Bella was a bit of a prude, but I loved it. I chuckled, and Bella smiled at me timidly.

I didn't want her to feel pressured, so I tried to word my reply in a way to make her know that it would be her decision. "Whenever you're ready, I'm ready." I stood up and sat down next to her before pulling her into my arms into a comforting embrace. I was still very much naked underneath my towel, but it didn't feel as awkward as it had before.

After what seemed like a lifetime, we pulled apart. Bella yawned and tried to hide it behind her hand, but giggled when she failed.

"We should sleep," I said. "It's been a long day, and who knows when we'll have the chance to sleep in beds this comfy again." She nodded in agreement and crawled underneath her comforter. We shared a chaste kiss and I returned to my own bed.

Bella sighed contentedly. "I only wish we could have slept in the same bed. It feels so lonely to have you all the way across the room."

"It's only for one night," I assured her. "Besides, we used to sleep apart all the time before."

Her smile fell. "That was different. That was when we were … home." I did notice how she hesitated at the word "home", and I understood why. It wasn't really our home anymore, but her family was still there, and I knew she missed them.

"Baby, I know you miss your family. I miss mine, too, even though they are the cause of all of this. They would never allow us to be together, and they'd be even more determined to keep us apart now, if they found us, but they would have to shackle me to the plane seat to keep me away from you."

"And lock me up and throw away the key," she agreed. "I don't want to go back, Edward. I want to be with you. I just wish it could be easier than it is. Hopefully, it will be when we reach Emmett's place."

"Are you excited about meeting your brother again?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes. I remember how I looked up to him when I was just a kid. It'll be nice to hug him again. He always gave the best hugs."

"Then let's sleep, and it will be morning faster, and another day closer to Emmett." I winked at her, and we turned off the lights in the room.

Both of us were asleep in minutes.

A/N: So the subject of sex has been brought up between our teenagers now … that conversation is never fun to have when you're a teenager. Such awkwardness … so much blushing.

Just for fun, do you think our couple would be ready for this big step in their relationship? Are they mature enough for it?

Alright!

Have a good week, and we'll truly try to be on time next Wednesday!

xoxo