I am so sorry for not updating in so long. I have been far too busy in school to really even get near my computer. I have gotten zero writing time lately. But I am trying to update more, especially because it is finally really getting interesting. YAH! So get ready for it!

Music: Over and Over- Three days Grace, Always- Never Ending Lights, Astral Romance- Nightwish.

We walked in silence down the bustling streets, walking further apart then we had even the first day I met him.

He seemed to be leading me as far away as possible from the bookstore where our encounter with Mike Newton had occurred. I didn't know if he was angry with me or just perturbed, but something was bothering him and he had nothing but defend me, so it must have been one of my actions that has him silenced.

We were slowly, but surely leaving the downtown area. Less people began to pass me and the air grew quieter and more peaceful. I was beginning to crave him to speak to me, wanting to know how I could fix the situation. But he never spoke and I wasn't brave enough to be the first.

Suddenly, he came to a surprising halt at a wooden bench on the sidewalk. Weeping willow trees hunched over it, providing enormous amounts of shade. The bench was withered and cracked, but Edward plopped down on it, not worrying about the age of the seat.

He bent forward, holding his head in his hands. His fingers covered his eyes and most of his handsome features. I couldn't read his expression to figure out how to approach this or to even know how to comfort him.

I sat down hesitantly on bench, beside him. I scooted as away from his slouched figure to the other side of the bench, to where my hip was pushed up against the arm rest. I whimpered silently, I really messed this one up, but how? What had I done?

"I'm sorry," he whispered, through his clenched hands.

"Sorry?" I asked surprised. What was he sorry for?

"Yes, I'm sorry that I left you alone. I am sorry for not coming to your rescue earlier. I am sorry for what could have happened. And I am sorry for acting unlike a gentleman in there. I apologize, will you forgive me?" he turned his sad eyes on me and I could tell that he was seriously sorry that he had acted in such a way. He was deathly afraid that I wouldn't forgive him. That was a ridiculous thought.

"There's nothing to forgive. You have nothing to apologize to me for. Nothing, do you hear me, nothing at all. I actually have no idea why in the world that you are." I admitted, shaking my head.

His hand caught my face, his thumb rubbing across my cheek, soothingly and tenderly. I couldn't resist when my own hand went to his cheek. I had never touched his face. The want in me had been buried deep inside of me since the day I saw him, but I resisted every one of them.

I leaned forward and placed my hand on his right cheek, caressing his cheek. It was smooth, and slightly warm. I could tell that he hadn't recently shaven, because little pricks of hair touched on my finger as they brushed softly across his face.

Who knows how long we sat there, cradling each others faces and looking deeply into each others eyes. His emerald eyes mesmerized mine and blocked out the other world. We were focused on each other, it was if time had stopped and only we were moving, breathing. Not the sound of the city or the talk of people could break us out of our sanctuary.

"I should probably return you home. You mother will be worried if you are not home by sunset." Edward silky voice brought me out of my thoughts and back to reality. "Not to mention, people are beginning to stare. Of course, I have found that people, practically men, enjoy staring at you." He whispered in my ear. His breath tickled my neck and I shivered. I was going to make a smart comment back, but his breath stunned my senses momentarily.

"Are you cold? Would you like my coat?" before I even had time to respond, he was removing his gray, wool coat.

"No, no. I'm fine. It was just a harsh breeze, that's all." I held a hand on his chest, stopping him, "Please keep it. You need to stay warm too." I quickly removed my hand that was still resting on his very firm chest, but before I could, he grabbed my hand, intertwining it with his. He smiled down at me, a look that left me breathless.

"At least let me give you my scarf. I don't want you sick, especially with the ball coming up around the corner. I need you there." Before I object, he was wrapping his forest green, silk scarf around my neck, tucking it through the top of my jacket. My nose inhaled the smell lingering from the fabric and it smelled just like him. That masculine cologne, it was delicious, mouthwatering.

"I need you to save me from Jessica." he continued, chuckling softly, although I was pretty sure his words were serious.

"Oh, is that where you went earlier." I wanted to quiz him on that, but I tried to hold back my curiousness and let he be the one to reveal the truth.

He groaned audibly and shifted on the bench, but it seemed he scooted even closer to me with his fidgeting. "Yes, she came to… visit me while I was talking with you in the bookstore. I apologize again for leaving you alone and with Mike prowling," He sneered, but quickly composed his face and continued. "I was just trying to shoo her away, try to break it down to her that I was very uninterested in her… that my heart was devoted to someone to special to forget." His glance landed upon me once again, and his stare was making me self-conscious.

Did he mean me? Was the one he was speaking of me? It couldn't be, it just couldn't… could it? My head swirled and I felt a blush creep up my neck and to my cheeks. I bowed my head slightly, my hair tumbling around me, hiding my redding cheeks. His index finger pulled my reluctant chin up to meet his twinkling eyes.

"Bella, Isabella. Whether or not you refuse to believe it, I am speaking of you. You have stolen my heart in the matter of time I have spent with you. I know I haven't known you long, but I feel like I have my whole life, and I can't ignore it, nor would I want to, try to. I am falling for you, Bella, hard, and I can't stop it. Do you… do you feel somewhat the same way? Anything?" his expression was anxious and unsure.

My mouth felt like it had been welded shut, I couldn't speak. He just confesses that he was falling for me? How was I supposed to respond? I was too, there was no doubt, but oh my… he really confessed it. My head felt light and I began to wonder if I would faint…

"It's quite alright, Bella, I understand completely. It is far too early and I am being too forward. Let me walk you back to your mother's before the sun is too low," his voice was hurt and barely heard from my daze. My heart leaped at his words and I hurried to assure him.

"No, no Edward. It is not that, I am just… shocked and surprised that you could feel that way. No one has ever told me that and I have never felt this before… this feelings. It is all so new and I just couldn't believe that you returned the feeling…" I babbled on, like I always did when I was nervous. My mind didn't really register what it was saying; it just spoke on its on accord.

He put a finger to my lips, stopping my babbling instantly, mid-sentence. "What was that, dear one? What are you trying to get at?" a shy smile had formed over his saddened lips and it hung there, waiting for my response as he slowly removed his finger.

"I said, that I am falling for you too, just as hard, possibly more. I have never felt this before, Edward, but my stomach always has butterflies in it when you are around and my mind is incoherent half of the time I am in your presence… I don't think when I am around nor am I guarded like I am around other people. It is all new, but it doesn't change the way a feel about you one bit." I finished with a sigh, happy, exuberant to get that off my chest.

The smile that now covered his face made my stomach flip and flop and before I knew it I was in his arms, presses snuggly against his chest. His arms cradled me on his lap. I returned the hug just as enthusiastically. My arms wrapped around his back, pressing him against me tighter, my face buried in his wool jacket, the fibers tickling my face.

It was like no hug we had ever shared before, it was more intimate to me and I could feel the love leaking through. I smiled against his chest and I heard a low rumble in my ear. He finally pulled away, but held me at arm's length from him and my hand still rested on his taut chest. I couldn't resist rubbing circles on it. I could feel the stiff muscles through the thin cotton shirt he wore. My fingers immediately stopped as I caught my thoughts and found his eyes watching me with something I couldn't identify… precaution. "Don't stop," he mumbled, barely heard, that I wasn't sure he meant it or even if I heard it. But I resumed my motions, my fingers massaging his chest lightly. He closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. We sat like that for several minutes, me kneading his chest, he with his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful, for all I knew he could have been asleep.

But finally his eyes opened and he looked down at me, grabbing hold of my fingers and bringing them to his lips. He kissed them lightly, then used them to drag me up from the bench. My legs had been straddling the sides, as had Edward's, but a jolt of pain shot through my legs as they released the grips on the sides. I flinched, but kept walking down the cement, and the pain slowly began to wear off.

We didn't speak much of one word on the way back. He had me securely pressed against his side as if he was afraid I would blow away with the wind whipping around me. The sunset off in the distance began to fade and the stunning colors began to fade from the clouds. A light purple covered the sky lastly before it faded into gray and then black.

I was worried what my mother would say when I got home, but I hoped that my mood would please her and she would forgive me for being so late. Or at least that is what I told myself to keep from dwelling on the imminent horror.

His arm wrapped around my waist and mine around his, kept me from stumbling as I walked across the uneven gravel. Sometimes his thumb would leave a trail of warmth across my cheek as he brushed it or tucked a stray lock behind my ear, but w never spoke a word. The electricity that had always ran through us was stronger than ever. I wondered aloud if he could feel it too, and he simply responded, "It is shocking isn't it?" and that was his only response.

When he stopped in front of my house, I whimpered. I didn't want to leave him yet, his presence would wear off to quickly and I would be lonely. He chuckled and brushed a thumb across my cheek, across my jaw, and barely grazing my lower lip, before dropping his fingers.

"I will see you tomorrow, dear one," he whispered.

"I am holding you to that," I quipped back as I smiled at him, trying my best to assure him I would survive. But it was a failure.

"Don't worry, Bella. I will be here tomorrow, don't doubt that. I will miss you, remember that," he kissed my forehead tenderly, lingering there for a moment.

"I will miss you more," I whimpered, locking away the feel of his lips on my forehead.

"I don't think that is possible," he mumbled before he unlocked my hands from his and began to walk backwards down the road.

"I had a lovely time, Bella, as always, and as always." And with that he turned around and jogged off into the distance.

I sighed and watched as he faded into the darkness. I pulled myself up the stairs to the door, pausing on the handle for a second.

"I'm home, mother!" I called from the foyer, cringing as I heard her shriek and the sound of heels "clacked" on the floor towards me.

"I was so worried about you. You were supposed to met me at the boutique and when you didn't come after your dress was finished being tailored, I decided to search for you down at the bookstore, figuring you got caught up in the books and such. But you were no where to be seen and when I asked the cashier, he said you had left about an hour ago with a handsome young man…" she trailed off and then pulled me into a hug. I smashed against her chest and tried to comfort her.

"It's alright, mother. I am so sorry to disappear on you. I lost track of time. I promise not to do it again," I soothed.

"You better not, I was so frightened," she muttered against my hair.

"I am safe now."

"Yes, you are," she breathed a sigh of relief. Her breath smelled like wine and I supposed that she had been drinking a little. She seems to do so when she is nervous. "So who was the young man? Was it Mr. Masen?" she asked innocently.

"Yes, mum. It was. We had took a placid walk and like I said before, just lost track of time." I lied, somewhat. She didn't need to know that he had saved me from Mike Newton, my living nightmare. Or that Edward and I had confessed that we were enamored with one another.

"Oh, well that was pleasant of him. Did you have an enjoyable time?" she pulled back, holding me by the shoulders, to read my expression.

"Yes, extremely enjoyable." I flushed a new color as I thought back to our afternoon.

"That's is wonderful, sweetie. So are you attending the ball with him?" her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"I believe so. He has mentioned that he would enjoy my company once or twice. We will speak of it tomorrow, I am sure."

"Oh, so he is visiting tomorrow too?"

"Yes, just for a short time, I assume." I didn't know truly, but I was sure that she would like that answer.

"Well that is marvelous, I am highly pleased that you have found someone that is special to you."

"Me too, Mother, me too." I muttered, mostly to myself.

So I hope you enjoyed it!!! Things are beginning to heat up!!! The ball will begin in TWO CHAPTERS!!! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVEIWS!