THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO LADYDRAGONA FOR REVIEWING EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER OF YOU FOUND ME AND EVERY STORY I'VE WRITTEN. YOU'RE AMAZING.

SUPER DUPER EXTRA LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. I think I've kept you waiting long enough for this chapter...so, just FUCKING READ.

EPOV

There was something to be said about the intense adrenaline that flooded my body during my performance knowing that the muse for all of my songs was standing only yards away. We performed all of the songs we had played thus far flawlessly, giving the best performance we'd given in weeks. That was completely due to the fact that Bella was with me. Finally. Even if it was only for a little while, and even if it was only for comfort for whatever that bastard Jacob did to her. I fought back my animalistic urge to growl at the thought, and began setting up for my next song, Iris. My personal anthem.

I grabbed a wooden stool and my acoustic guitar, trying to block out the wild cheering that echoed through the stadium. I was sweating under the suffocating heat of the lights on my black leather jacket. Quickly shedding the jacket, I glanced over to Bella to grin and wink at her. I saw her lips form a shocked "O" of surprise and I smirked to myself at my effect on her. I barely registered the increased cheering as a result of me taking off my jacket, leaving me in only a thin white t-shirt which was surely rendered partially transparent in some places due to my perspiration.

I quickly wiped my forehead with the back of my hand before sitting down on the stool with my guitar in my hands and the microphone set up inches away from my face. Above the crowd, I heard a screeching voice scream, "I love you, Edward! Please be mine!"

Normally, I would ignore such a comment, but with Bella here I decided to respond. "Sorry, but my heart belongs to someone else." I looked over at Bella meaningfully, trying desperately to convey how much I still cared for her, even if she didn't feel the same way about me anymore. A chorus of disappointed "Aww"s flooded the arena, and I nearly rolled my eyes at the sound.

"Sorry, guys." I spoke into the microphone again before introducing the next acoustic song. "Well, this next song is one I'd like to call my personal anthem, considering I think it describes me and my loved ones pretty well. So here it is." I finished before placing my fingers on the correct chord.

The familiar opening chords caused the arena to erupt into cheers before quickly dying down as my eyelids fluttered closed I started singing, thinking of Bella the entire time. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be and I don't wanna go home right now. And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life. When sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight." I opened my eyes and made eye contact with Bella, letting her know this song was dedicated to her.

I let my head drop before I started the chorus. "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand." I stopped singing and let the crowd sing the rest of the chorus.

"When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." They sang at me, a smile flittering across my face.

I lifted my head to the microphone and felt the music pulse through my veins as I started singing again, strumming away on my guitar. "And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies—" I stopped strumming and pointed to the crowd. "Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive!"

"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." I sang, pouring every ounce of my soul into the words. I began the musical interlude and leaned away from the microphone, forcefully, emotionally playing like I was only playing for Bella before I entered the final chorus and ended the song, letting the last note ring through the arena before the crowd began screaming.

I stood up and took a bow, then gestured for my brothers to come out on stage with me. When Emmett and Jasper trotted out on stage, the cheering got louder before Emmett took the microphone. "We want to thank each and every one of you guys for coming out to night! We hope you enjoyed the show! We're gonna play one more song and then we'll head out!"

"Alright, fellas, let's go!" Jasper shouted and both he and Emmett jogged to their instruments and I rolled my eyes at them so the crowd could see me. The first few rows laughed, and I smiled at them, my mood at an incredible high knowing Bella was waiting for me backstage.

One of our good friends, Ben Cheney, came out on stage to help us out with the last song as I headed over to the grand piano we had set up. Emmett took his place behind the drum-set, grinning like a maniac, and Jasper was strapping on his bass, with that same smile on his face. I walked over to the grand piano and pushed the bench back, standing up as I set my fingers on the keys and leaned up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to introduce you to our good friend, Ben Cheney, who's helping us out on the guitar for this last song." Ben gave a little wave and I smiled back at Bella before starting the opening notes. I grinned widely when the crowd cheered in recognition. Emmett kicked right in with the drums, pounding on them with such enthusiasm I started the first verse with a slight chuckle.

"I have, I have you breathing down my neck, breathing down my neck. I don't, don't know what you could possibly expect under this condition so, I'll wait, I'll wait for the ambulance to come, ambulance to come pick us up off the floor what did you possibly expect under this condition? So, slow down, this night's the perfect shade of," Jasper came in with perfect harmony. "Dark blue, dark blue, have you ever been alone in a crowded room? Now, I'm here with you, I said the world could be burning, burning down. Dark blue, dark blue, have you ever been alone in a crowded room? Well, I'm here with you. I said the world could be burning, till there's nothing but dark blue."

Standing up hunched over the piano, pounding on the keys, I kicked the bench back with my foot as I started the second verse, sweat dripping down my forehead. When it came time for the bridge, I ran one hand through my hair to get it out of my face, playing with one hand as I sang into the microphone. "We were boxing, we were boxing the stars. We were boxing, you were swinging from Mars. And then the water reached the west coast, and took the power lines, the power lines. And it was me and you. And the whole town underwater, and there's nothing we could do." Ben took a short guitar solo and before we launched into the final chorus, the entire song performed flawlessly. We kept playing as I started speaking into the microphone. "Ben Cheney, ladies and gentlemen!" The crowd cheered and he smiled as he continued playing.

Emmett took over. "On the drums, I'm the awesome Emmett Cullen!" The crowd cheered loudly for him. "On the bass, he's the incredible Jasper Cullen!" I heard Alice squeal his name from behind me. "And on the piano of there, is our youngest brother, Eddie Cullen!"

"Emmett," I warned into the microphone.

"Fine," He amended. "Edward Cullen!" The screams erupted and I heard Bella screaming with them, and I was suddenly taken back to the talent show that night. The room filled with a few hundred students, not several thousand fans. I quickly brought myself back to the present as Emmett closed us out. "We are the Cullen Brothers Band! Good night!" Three final chords and we were done, the lights going black the screams still deafening as we grabbed our instruments and exited the stage.

"Jazz!" Alice squealed as he ran off stage and picked her up quickly, swinging her around. "You were great!" She said before kissing him quickly. I playfully gagged, causing Bella to giggle adorably. I beamed at her.

"Hey! What about us?" Emmett whined.

"You guys were fantastic, as usual." Bella chimed in, blushing a bit.

Smiling crookedly, I leaned down to kiss her cheek softly. "Thank you, love."

"You're more than welcome." She murmured, smiling subtly.

I beamed at her, offering her my arm playfully. She giggled and placed her hand in the crook of my elbow. As I walked with her, I couldn't stop the shit-eating grin from spreading across my face.

BPOV

The concert was, well, far too beyond perfect to describe. Not only had I been able to watch the show from the safety of the right wing, but it had been a completely perfect performance. Both Emmett and Jasper had fed off of the nearly blinding energy Edward gave off the entire show, and the crowd had responded with just as much enthusiasm.

Edward had dazzled me from the moment he stepped out on stage, god-like looks, an angelic voice, and a heart so loving and compassionate as he poured his soul out through his lyrics, I could feel the exaltation radiating from him in my toes. When he sat down for his acoustic solo, he had removed the leather jacket from his glorious body, leaving him in only a nearly transparent white t-shirt that accentuated his well-defined chest and the hypnotic ridges of his abdomen.

Mesmerized by his subtle moments and his Kegel-inducing voice, I watched as his eyes had fluttered closed as he played Iris, only opening them a few times to looks at me or to make eye contact with the crowd. As the crowd sang parts of the song as he directed, I saw a shadow of the crooked smile I knew and loved glinting under the spotlights.

After completely mesmerizing me during his acoustic solo, he had proceeded to make my panties spontaneously combust when he kicked back the piano bench during Dark Blue as he pounded into m—I mean, pounded the keys. Hunched over the piano, his hair fell across his forehead, sticking to the smooth skin there with sweat. Needless to say, I quite thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the concert.

Now, we were linked; my hand through the crook of his elbow as he escorted me back to the dressing room. Jasper and Alice had already scurried away to do God knows what, leaving me with Emmett and Edward. But somehow, Edward managed to get Emmett in his own dressing room, leaving us alone. When we reached the room with Edward's name on the door, he removed himself from me, but I only felt the loss for a moment because he took my hand within his as he opened the door and lead me in.

The room was moderately sized, with plush carpeting and a large, leather couch against one wall. The walls were painted a bright pink, and it seemed as if everything in the room was a different shade of pink. It almost hurt my eyes to look at for too long, so I opted to look at Edward who was rubbing his hand across the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face.

I raised and eyebrow in question.

"Er," He began. "I think the last person to use this dressing room was well, P!nk."

Before I could stop myself, I burst out laughing, and soon, he too was laughing hysterically, the musical sound filling the room. When we finally calmed down, we had collapsed on the couch, trying to catch our breath.

After a moment, I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I sighed happily and leaned against him, relishing at the feeling while I had it.

"Bella?" He murmured.

"Mmm?"

"Are you okay with going to L.A. with me? With us?" He asked me, slight trepidation in his voice.

Leaning up to look at him, I saw the look of the anxiety on his face. If he hadn't been so serious, I might have laughed. As if I would ever want to be away from him. I nearly told him just that, however, I knew that probably wouldn't soothe his worry.

"Edward," I whispered. He looked away. "Edward, look at me." I gently brought my hand to his face, gently cupping his cheek and turning his face to look at me. When our gazes finally locked, I spoke again. "I want to go with you. I don't know, but, I...I just feel...safe with you. I'm not scared when I'm with you, Edward. I need to go with you."

Slowly, a smile spread across his face as my words warmed him from the inside out. He squeezed me closer to him. "I need you to go with me too, love."

He leaned in and kissed my temple, pressing his forehead there for a moment before he took my hand and lead us out of the ostentatiously pink room and into the lobby. Emmett was already there, laughing boisterously at something he was looking at, and as we rounded the corner we discovered precisely what he found so amusing. Low and behold, there stood a very discombobulated Jasper and Alice, their clothes in a disarray just as their hair was. But the icing on the cake was the post-coitial bliss written all over the shit-eating grins on their faces.

Behind my amusement, I was flushing scarlet with the thought of what they had done together in God knows where. I quickly snuck a peak at Edward as a conversation started between the three brothers. My eyes went to our entwined hands and worked their way up his muscled forearms that had pounded the keys earlier and followed the same line to his ridged biceps and across to the silhouette of his chest and abdomen. Perhaps I studied the way his jeans rode low on his hips, exposing the "v" his pelvis made or the way the denim fabric clung perfectly to his wonderful ass to notice Edward's fiery gaze on me.

Timidly, I looked up, expecting to meet a disapproving stare.

I was wrong.

So terribly wrong. His eyes were roaming my body the same way mine had just been roaming his. My skin overheated immediately, and instead of feeling the need to brace myself for the pain that would surely course through my body. Instead, I shivered in pleasure under the intensity of his eyes, my lips parting as I let out a shaky breath. His eyes shot to my lips, studying them briefly before his gaze slowly met mine.

I gasped at what I saw. The emerald orbs that had hypnotized me just moments earlier were now a nearly black forest green, shining with what looked like desire, something that I was sure was shining in my own eyes.

No. He couldn't want me the same I wanted him. He only wanted to keep me safe. We had loved each other. His feelings for me would never be more than platonic.

Unlike me. I would love him for the rest of my life.

With a sigh, I broke our gaze, breaking the spell. I was relieved to find that Emmett had yet to stop teasing Jasper and Alice, however as my eyes fell on Alice, she grinned wickedly and winked at me, letting me know she has seen our display and that we would be talking about it later.

I blushed and nodded slightly, letting her know that I had heard her.

"Are you ready to go?" Edward asked gently.

I smiled up at him and nodded. He smiled softly back at me and led me to the tour bus that was taking us to the airport. Just as I was about to settle myself alongside Edward in the bus, Alice grabbed my hand and tugged me along with her into the only enclosed area there. I sent Edward one pleading look, but all he, Jasper and Emmett could do was give me a sympathetic look, knowing that Alice was a force to be reckoned with. However, just before the door to the bedroom, if one could call it that, swung closed, I saw Edward mouth, "I'm right here."

My heart swelled and I smiled at him before the door closed, effectively cutting him off from me.

"Okay, Swan." Alice said, pulling us on to the bed. "You got some serious 'splainin' to do." She teasingly gave me a pointed stare.

I rolled my eyes at her and fidgeted a little, twiddling my thumbs together for a moment.

"Bella." Alice said, all traces of playfulness gone. "You can trust me. I won't tell anyone. I just," She cut herself off before she began again. "I just want to be able to help you, Bells. You're my best friend, and ever since..." She trailed off. "I've felt so helpless..."

Tears welled in my eyes, deeply touched by my sincerity. Before I could process what I was doing, I pulled Alice into an emotional hug. She held me tightly and sniffled into my shoulder. When we both pulled away, Alice looked at me again and smiled tentatively.

"Okay, so tell me how you feel about Edward." She said smiling, trying to distract both of us from reliving that horrible night.

I blushed violently. "Well, uh, I er..."

"He's turning you into a pile of incoherent mush, babe." Alice laughed musically.

I nodded sheepishly. "It's true. And I used to think I had such an extensive vocabulary." I mumbled to myself.

Alice giggled again. "It happens with me and Jasper too, you know. We reduce each other to piles of incoherent mush, albeit, in somewhat different ways..." She waggled her manicured eyebrows suggestively.

I giggled through the flush that was rising on my cheeks, wondering if that would ever be possible for Edward and I. My cheeks turned even redder at the thought.

"Oh, honey. You want him so badly." Alice stated, taking one look at my face.

I nodded mutely. "Guilty. Oh so very guilty."

She laughed again and nodded in understanding. "He wants you, too, you know." She told me, a knowing look on her face.

My eyes widened slightly at the thought. I quickly composed myself and shrugged it off. "Oh yeah. I know he wants me." I murmured sarcastically, secretly hoping she would correct me.

"I'm serious, Bella!" Alice exclaimed with a frustrated huff. "I can see it in the way he looks at you."

I started to protest, but she kept going. "You and I both saw the look on his face when he caught you checking him out!" She nearly shouted.

"Good God, Alice!" I whisper-yelled. "Inside voices!" I sighed, knowing he had probably heard her last statement and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Suddenly, Alice let out a very unladylike guffaw, something that I had never heard her do before. I looked up, wide-eyed, wondering what had made her laugh like that.

"What?" I asked confused, my eyebrows pulling together as I ran a hand through the ends of my hair.

This made her laugh even louder. "What, Alice?" I almost yelled trying to get her attention.

She wiped the tears she had shed from her laughter from her cheeks and tried to speak through her giggles. "Nothing. You…with the pinching your nose…and the running your fingers through your hair…" Her laughter had died down and I waited for her to finish her statement, a pointed look on my face that clearly said "So?"

Alice laughed again. "Don't you see, Bella? You're acting just like Edward!"

My brow furrowed again as I tried to sort through her words. "Alice, I've been doing those things for years. How could I be acting like Edward?"

"Bella, those are his mannerisms." She began. "You picked them up all those years ago, and you still do them." She chuckled again. "I guess Edward made quite an impression on you."

I smiled wistfully, knowing all that she had said was true. "Of course he did. I loved him. I still love him." I whispered.

"What are you afraid of, Bella?" Alice whispered back, her voice filled with seriousness.

"I'm afraid he won't want me anymore…I'm not…me anymore. Not since…" I trailed off, a tear streaming down my cheek.

I felt Alice's tiny frame wrap around mine. "Tell me, Bella. Please…" She whispered.

I held onto her for a moment, and then released her with a deep breath. She looked at me intently. With another deep breath, I told her everything.

"Bella," A distant voice echoed around me as I was gently shaken.

I felt my eyebrows furrow, trying to ignore the noise and the vibration, but it was insistent.

"Bella," The decidedly masculine voice called again. "We're getting ready to board the plane, sweetheart. Wake up…"

My eyes fluttered open and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself leaning on Edward's shoulder, his arm wrapped snugly around my waist. I burrowed further into his side. "Mmmph," I grumbled. He chuckled quietly beside me.

"You can sleep more on the plane, love. It's a long flight." He murmured softly to me, rubbing his hand up and down my arm.

Immediately, I felt myself being lifted up, but I barely registered it, all I noticed was the warm, strong body I curled up against and the gentle caress of fingertips on my face as I drifted back into unconsciousness.

"Wake up, Bella." Edward murmured, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

"Hi." I replied, giving him a sleepy smile.

"You've been asleep for a while. We're landing." He said and I nodded. I finally looked up at his expression, and noticed it was troubled, as if he were trying to solve a difficult math problem in his head.

"Edward?" I asked tentatively. He didn't look at me.

"Edward? What's wrong?" I asked, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He turned his face away from me. "Bella," He began.

"Yes, Edward?" I swallowed down the trepidation that rose in my throat.

"While you were asleep, I had time to think." He said flatly, his eyes on the back of the seat in front of us.

"And what did you discover?" I asked tentatively.

"I discovered that I don't want you."

My heart stopped. "What?"

He finally turned to face me, his eyes cold and dark. "I don't want you. You're just…too damaged for me. And I can't have you around me to ruin my image by having any kind of relationship with me after you're better. If that happens, which it won't. Jacob was probably doing me a favor by doing whatever he did to you. The press thinks I'm a hero that saved someone from being raped. I have no idea what happened to you, Bella, and quite frankly I don't care. I never really loved you, even back in high school; all I wanted you for was sex. And that didn't happen. So, here we are. We've come full circle. Once we get off the plane, I'll leave you again just like I did last time." He turned away from me again.

I didn't believe what I was hearing. My heart had been violently ripped from my chest, and stepped on repeatedly with steel cleats, until I was cut too deeply to be stitched.

"You don't...you don't want me?" I asked, tears streaming freely down my face.

"No one will ever want you." A very different voice told me, gravelly and deep, cruel and menacing.

He turned to face me, but instead of the emerald eyes, and the bronze hair and the pale skin I had loved, I was met with tanned skin, dark, sinister brown eyes, and raven hair. "You're mine." He snarled.

I let out a scream and jolted upright, Jacob's face gone from my vision, but his voice still resonating in my mind.

"Bella, Bella," I heard a velvety voice whisper as I was being pulled against something solid. I tried to protest, whimpering as I struggled, my eyes flooding with salty tears.

"Bella, love. Oh, Bella," I felt my hair being stroked, the top of my head being kissed. "Sweetheart, please...come back to me...it was just a dream. I'm here, love. Shh..." Edward murmured, gently rocking me back and forth to soothe my tremulous, sobbing body. "Nothing's going to hurt you. I'm here. It's okay...it was just a dream..."

I felt myself climbing from hysteria, slowly becoming limp in his arms. My violent sobs at reduced to sniffles as he comforted me. Never had I felt so safe.

"Thank you," I barely whispered, but I knew he had heard it.

"Don't mention it, love." He whispered in reply, his hand still running up and down my spine gently. He began to hum softly in my ear, his angelic voice beckoning me back into unconsciousness, but I fought it off. I didn't want to go back to where he could hurt me.

"Stop, Edward. Please…if you keep humming, I'll go back to sleep—and I, I just don't want to go back there anymore. I'm scared," I whimpered.

He immediately stopped humming, but continued to rock us back and forth in his seat.

"Sir?" I heard a female voice call from behind us. I didn't bother to look up, assuming it was flight attendant. "Is your wife okay?"

Before I could be startled by her assumption, Edward answered coolly. "Yes, my soon-to-be wife will be fine, thank you. However, would it be possible to get a blanket, a pillow and possibly a Coke for her? Her blood sugar is probably low."

"Of course, sir. I'll be right back." The attendant answered.

I pulled back to look at Edward's face, shocked by the conversation the two had just had. Edward looked anxious as I stared at him, jaw agape.

"Bella?" He asked me.

"You—you just…and she thought—" I stuttered.

He chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss my forehead tenderly. "Yes, she thought we were married. Yes, I corrected her and told her you were my fiancée."

He answered so casually, I was beginning to think that he really didn't realize what he had just said. My over-reactive, hopeless romantic, girly mind was already wishing I had a notebook to doodle "Isabella Marie Cullen" all over the front. I had to keep reminding myself it didn't mean the same thing to him as it did to me.

I chuckled nervously. "Heh. Yeah, so I heard."

His expression changed quickly. "Shit, that didn't offend you or anything, did it?" He asked frantically.

"What? No! Of course it didn't offend me!" I amended quickly, mentally chastising myself for making him think that. "It just…surprised me, that's all."

He cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows pulling together for a moment. "Why?"

"Huh?" Was my brilliant reply. Nice, Bella. You have a Dartmouth Creative Writing education and the best you can come up with is "huh?"

"Why did it surprise you so much that she assumed you were my wife?" He clarified.

I blushed deeply, liking the way his statement sounded much more than I should. "Well, uh—"

He tilted my chin up and searched my eyes. "What I wouldn't give to read your mind…" He mused. My lips parted. It was official. I was dazzled.

"Well, I was thinking how…" I began in a slight daze. He urged me to continue. "I was thinking how could she possibly mistake me for your wife. I mean, look at you…then look at me…" I mumbled, trailing off, knowing my connotation was clear.

"I am looking at you, Bella." He murmured with conviction. "And you know what? I was thinking the same thing. How could she mistake me for being with you. I mean, look at you…and then look at me…" He repeated the same words, but the meaning was completely different from when I said them. My eyes started to pool with tears once again. This wasn't happening. This was just like my dream…he was going to reject me. He immediately realized what he had sounded like.

He gently cupped my face in his hands, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. "Look at you. You're beautiful, and kind and smart. You're funny, and loving and compassionate. You're wonderful, and charming, and disarming in the best possible of ways. You're confusing…you make me want to delve into your mind and see what makes you tick. I'm fascinated. I'm enraptured. And look at me. I'm troubled and cynical and dark. I'm lonely and depressed so much of the time, much less lately, I must say. I'm cowardly and selfish and vile. How could she think someone such as I was with someone so good? So pure?"

For the umpteenth time in the period I had known Edward, I was speechless.

"You...you really think that?" I asked quietly.

He chuckled quietly. "Of course I do." He smoothed my hair back out of my face tenderly.

"But those things you said about yourself, Edward. They're not true. You're not selfish or cowardly or vile. You're completely unselfish, gentlemanly and the bravest person I've ever met. And Edward?" I lowered my voice. "I'm just as cynical and depressed as you are a lot of the time."

EPOV

Before I could respond, the flight attendant returned with the things I asked for. Bella had scared the shit out of me when she had bolted out of her seat twenty minutes ago, tears streaming down her face and her entire body quivering. I knew she must have been dreaming about him. I nearly growled at the thought. Luckily, though, I had been able to calm her down. And then I had to go and make that speech, which practically spelled out "I love you more than life itself and love having you referred to as my wife." Too heavy, Edward. Keep it light. I had thought.

"Here you go, sir." The flight attendant said with a smile, and I hoped to God she didn't recognize me. She was getting ready to leave, but she stopped and looked at me again, recognition flashing in her eyes. Shit. "Sir? I'm sorry, but are you Edward Cullen?"

I sighed and grimaced slight before I plastered my signature "panty-dropping smile", as my agent had dubbed it, on my face. "Guilty as charged."

The girl's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh my gosh! Are you serious? I'm a huge fan of your music!" She squealed.

I smiled ruefully at Bella, taking in her understanding expression, then turned my crooked smile towards the eager woman. "Well, it's always nice to hear from fans."

She blushed like a school girl, twirling the ends of her hair. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. "Yeah...can I, uh, get your autograph?"

I retrieved a pad from the seat in front of me and a pen from my bag. "Of course. Who should I make it out to?"

"Jessica Stanley." She giggled.

I smiled at her and wrote out her autograph, signing it quickly before presenting it to her. "Here you go, Jessica." She giggled again. "And thank you for helping my fiancée and I."

God, I really liked the sound of that more than I should. I prayed that she wouldn't call my bluff. She beamed. "My pleasure. And congratulations on your engagement! Though, I thought you were still dating that Tanya chick."

Shit. Shit. Shit. She knew her stuff. "Tanya and I broke up shortly after I met Bella. We've beeninseparable ever since." I smiled lovingly at Bella, pretending to me the doting husband, thought it didn't take any pretending.

Jessica still looked kind of skeptical, so I decided to seal the deal, pleading with my eyes. "Honey," I started, pretending Jessica wasn't watching, but knowing very well she was. "There's only a little while longer before we arrive in L.A. Do you think you'll feel up to...trying out the hotel suite before we explore the town?" I tried my best to look coy as I craned my neck down and began to kiss her neck

God, she smelled fantastic.

"Mmm..." Bella whimpered just loudly enought for Jessica to hear us. "I think I'll definitely be up to trying out the suite. We have to make sure the bed is sturdy..." She murmured in my ear, once again just within ear-shot of where Jessica could hear. She ran her fingertips down my chest, the vibrations going straight to my hard-on. How dud she know exactly what to do to turn me on so quickly?

From my peripheral vision, I saw Jessica walk out of sight, clearly giving us privacy. I pulled away once she was gone, resting my forehead against hers for a moment before turning away.

"You were brilliant, Bella." I smiled proudly at her.

She blushed scarlet, suddenly registering what we had just done. "Um, yeah...so were you, Edward."

I smiled at her again and kissed her cheek before wrapping my arms around her again. "Is this okay?" I murmured.

"Yes, Edward. More than okay," She snuggled further into my body.

My heart swelled. "We're about a half hour away from landing, Bella love. Do you want to go back to sleep?"

When her expression became absolutely terrified, I knew my answer. "Okay, no sleeping." I chuckled quietly and became serious again as I realized her pain. "That dream really did a number on you, didn't it?" I searched her deep, chocolate brown eyes.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes tightly and buried herself further into my body.

"You have no idea," She whispered.

My arms wrapped tighter around her, keeping her safe from the world. "Do you want to talk about it, love?"

Her response was silence. "Will you talk to me about it when you're ready?" I desperately hoped she would. But why would she entrust me with that kind of information?

She paused a moment, and I immediately regretted my thoughtlessness. Of course she wouldn't tell me! She hates me for leaving her! I felt her nod. I froze for a moment in disbelief before I exhaled.

"Thank you so much, love." I whispered sincerely, kissing the top of her head.

"Attention, Delta flyers. This is your captain speaking. We are now arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. It is five-thirty A.M and already a balmy eight-seven degrees. Please be safe in your travels and as always, thank you for flying Delta."

I knew we still had a little while before we landed and could exist the cabin. Plenty of time to talk with Bella.

"Okay," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Twenty questions." I suggested with a smile.

She laughed. It sounded like a bell chiming. "Edward, you already know everything about me."

"Ah, but my dear, that's where you are wrong." I told her with a crooked smile. "I have plenty of questions I can ask you, but only you want to, of course." I made sure he knew she had a choice.

She smiled at me. "Okay. Ten questions."

I beamed, thrilled she was playing along. "Okay...hmm...what is your favorite book?"

She laughed. "You know that, Edward. It's Wuthering Heights."

I smiled. She hadn't changed. "I was just making sure. I didn't know if you had read a new favorite by now."

"Never." She grinned. "Next question."

"What is your favorite episode of Spongebob Squarepants?" I asked, my face completely serious.

She burst out into laughter, and I couldn't hold my own laughter within me any longer. "Band Geeks." She managed through her chuckles.

"Ah, one of the classics." I said reminiscently. She slapped my bicep playfully.

"We're not that old, Edward." She teased.

"This is true." I smiled. "Okay, favorite band?" I dared, desperately hoping it was mine.

She responded coolly. "I really like Jimmy Eat World. I have almost everyone of their songs on my iPod."

My heart deflated at her answer, but I nodded, acknowledging her answer, proceeding to move on to the next question. "Edward." She said, and I looked up.

"Yes?" I asked.

She giggled quietly. "Why would I be the webmaster of the fan site of another band besides my favorite? You should know my favorite band is yours. I have every single one of your songs on my iPod."

My heart swelled yet again and I ducked my head bashfully. "Thanks."

Before she could respond I asked her my next question. "Why did you decide to be the webmaster of our biggest fan base?"

She blushed deeply. "I just, didn't like the way things were being handled, that's all. So, I took over."

"How?" I asked fascinated.

"I told the current webmaster that I had dated Edward Cullen in high school before he was famous, and sent her a picture of us for proof, then stated that I thought I would be able to do a better job; that I could update and post things more frequently. So, she willingly gave me the position." She stated in a very business-like manner.

I laughed heartily. "Just like that? She just gave it to you?" I shook my head, completely in awe of this woman.

She smiled and nodded simply. "Yes, she did. By the way, that counted as a question. So, you have four left."

"Damn." I swore playfully, then pretended to rub my chin thoughtfully as I pondered my next question. I snapped my fingers. "I got it. What is your favorite Starbucks order?"

She laughed. "Tie between Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade with Passion Fruit Tea, or a Grande extra hot soy with extra foam, split shot with a half squirt of sugar-free vanilla, and a half squirt of sugar-free cinnamon, a half packet of Splenda, in a Venti cup with a lot of whipped cream with caramel and chocolate sauce drizzled on top."

She finished and I was left in a state of shock. "How the hell do you remember that?"

She giggled. "I order it enough to know. My friend Angela originally told me to order it to piss off the barista, but when I had it, it was just so good, I knew I had to have it again. I've been getting the same order in the winter ever since. And that was your seventh question. You have two more."

"Damn it! You're crafty!" I exclaimed teasingly.

She laughed again, waiting for my next question.

"One place you'd like to go most?" I asked.

"New Zealand." She answered without hesitation. "Ever since I saw Fellowship of the Ring, I've wanted to go there. It just looks so beautiful." She looked dazed for a moment.

"I'll take you there one day." I blurted without thinking.

Her eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Damn it, damn it, damn it. Me and my huge mouth. "We'll go one day. I'm sure we'll have a concert there at some point." Nice recovery.

She seemed appeased. "I would love that." She smiled brightly.

"Great." I replied happily.

"You still have one more question, you know." She said smiling.

"You're right, I do. Hmm...how do you like Dartmouth?"

Something flashed across her face. "Oh my God! Dartmouth! I'm skipping my entire year without notice! Shit!" She exclaimed.

"Shhh, it's okay, Bella. Everything has been worked out by Alice and myself. It's surprising how much influence you have over a university that you donate money to." I had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars as soon as I found out that's where she was attending. Of course, I wouldn't tell her that. She'd have a restraining order placed on me. "So, you will now be taking all of your classes online while you are on tour with us, and then when the tours are over, you can return to Dartmouth to finish the term. You'll watch lectures online and submit your papers to your professors via email. At that point we'll probably be on our typical five or six month break to write more songs for another album."

She looked at me in shock. "W-what? You set up all of my classes online?"

My expression immediately went repentant. I should have asked her first! Fuck! What if that's not what she wants! "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Bella! I just assumed that that would be okay with you. If it's not, I'm sure we can set up something different that you want. I'll fix it, I promise!" I rushed out.

"Edward!" She declared, pulling me from my frantic rant. "Believe me, it's more than okay. I'm thrilled to be able to take classes online, so thank you. For everything." She said with true sincerity.

"You deserve the best, Bella. Don't let anyone tell you any differently." I replied with conviction, sighing with relief.

We talked a little more about college at Dartmouth. Since I was never able to experience college life, I absorbed every detail she shared with me, fascinated by her tales of her roommates antics. All too soon, the plane landed at the airport and it was time for us to make our way back to the hotel.

When the limo arrived for us and Andrew, our driver, ushered my brothers, Alice, Bella and myself into it without causing much of a disturbance, however, unfortunately, several people spotted us and tried taking pictures of us before we left. We managed to avoid most of the paparazzi as we drove off to the Ritz Carlton, where we all would be staying for the duration of our time in L.A.

The limo pulled up to the curb and Bella's mouth fell open. "The Ritz Carlton? Wow..." She gasped.

"Only the best, remember?" I whispered to her before kissing her cheek and grabbing her hand to climb out of the car. Unlike at the airport, the paparazzi had swarmed the hotel anticipating our arrival. Cameras flashed as I wrapped an arm around Bella's waist, leading her hastily into the hotel lobby, where the patrons weren't nearly as inconsiderate.

"Welcome back, Mr. Cullen." All three of us nodded our heads in reply. "Your rooms are already set up on the top floor as you requested. Three suites."

"Thank you, Alec." I replied, giving him a warm smile.

"You are most welcome, Mr. Cullen. Oh, and Ms. Brandon, lovely to see you again." Alice smiled and thanked him. Alec turned to Bella.

"And who have we here? A new edition to the Cullen family?" Alec appraised Bella quietly, and I wrapped an arm around her waist, however it was Emmett that spoke up.

"Bella has always been, and better always will be, a member of our family, she's just returning home, is all." Emmett grinned at Bella, winking at her in a brotherly way. I felt a surge of gratitude towards my older brother.

Alec seemed appeased. "Well, welcome Ms. Bella. Any friend of the Cullen's is most certainly a friend of mine and of the Ritz Carlton."

She's more than just a friend! I wanted to scream.

"Thank you, Alec." Bella said, a shy smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Certainly, Ms. Bella." Alec said before handing us our keys.

All of us made our way up to the suites, Alice and Jasper in one, Rosalie, who was arriving in L.A. from Seattle later tonight, and Emmett in another, and Bella and I in the last one. I made sure there was both a bed and a couch in the suite that I could sleep on, as well as plenty of room for Bella to be on her own if she needed the space. It was almost seven-thirty in the morning and we had yet to eat anything for breakfast. As soon as we got into the room, I ordered some breakfast for us.

"Bella?" I called, knowing she was probably exploring the suite. "I'm going to order some breakfast for you. Anything you want in particular?"

"Umm…do they have french toast?" She called back before venturing back into the main room.

I smiled. "I'm sure the do. I'll order it for you."

I called the kitchen for the meal then lay down on the couch in the living room area while Bella was in the bedroom. Leaning my head back against the couch, I turned my face to the side and closed my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. I had been so busy relishing in the feeling of Bella in my arms I hadn't been able to fall asleep. I yawned widely and felt myself drifting off to sleep.

"DUDE WAKE UP!" Someone yelled. Suddenly, I felt myself falling off of my perch and landing with a thud onto the floor.

"What the hell?" I yelled, completely startled. My eyes shot open and I ran a hand over my face to wipe the sleep from my expression.

"Look at this, dude." Jasper said, throwing a national newspaper in my face. I slowly registered their expressions. Anxious. Oh, God. What had happened? Was Bella alright? "Entertainment section."

Confused, I flipped to the Entertainment section only to find a photo of me carrying Bella bridal style in the airport in D.C., her face snuggled into my chest and my expression joyful as I carried her on the plane. My face turned pale as I read the short article.

Sexy rock God, Edward Cullen, was seen late last night after his concert at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. in the Ronald Reagan International Airport cuddling with an unknown, brunette beauty. Since their concert in New York on Tuesday night, Edward has been seen on numerous occasions with the same brunette. "I was on their plane," An inside source tells us. "I overheard Edward tell the stewardess that they were engaged." Is this the same Edward Cullen that was tied closely with America's Next Top Model Winner, Tanya Denali only a few months back? The same question riddles every fan of the globally acclaimed Cullen Brother's Band. Who is this girl, and what has she done to notorious recluse, and musical genius, Edward Cullen?

"Holy shit." I murmured.

"We know." They said simultaneously, something, under less serious circumstances, I would have laughed at.

"What am I going to do?" I asked them. "I don't want Bella to be upset by this, guys."

"She won't be upset." Jasper reassured me, giving me his hand to pull me up. "Trust me."

I grasped it and stood up. "I don't know, Jazz…" I trailed off, frowning in anxiety.

"Dude, Jazz is right. Bella knew about the pap when she got into this, and she still chose to come with us. It's okay. She'll understand." Emmett said, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"I hope so." I told them.

"Besides, you'll have a chance to answer a bunch of questions when you go on Ellen today."

Shit! "Shit! I completely forgot about that!" I exclaimed.

Jasper placed his hands on my shoulders. "Whoa, whoa, easy, man. It's all good. It's only about eleven o'clock. We let you get some more sleep because we knew you didn't sleep any on the plane. You don' t have to be at the studio until two o'clock."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. Wait, where's Bella?" I asked, my eyes darting anxiously around the room.

Emmett laughed. "Dude, you are completely in love with her, aren't you?"

My eyes widened, but I nodded slowly, not ashamed to admit it. "I love her more than life itself."

Emmett let out a low whistle. "That much, huh?"

I nodded simply.

"Well, it's a good thing she loves you too. Because if she didn't, that'd be a complete bummer." Emmett finished. I gaped at him in shock.

"Wait, you think she loves me?" I asked incredulously.

Both Emmett and Jasper laughed loudly. "Of course we do, and if your head wasn't so far up your own ass, you might be able to see that too."

PLEASE READ!

So there really is no excuse for me keeping this chapter so long...RL just started kicking my ass and I didn't have the inspiration to write...those of you that are authors hopefully understand that...but I ended up writing this super long chapter in about two sittings because I was inspired. And I already have almost the entire next chapter outlined...so hopefully that's good news for those of you that are still reading haha.

Thanks to my awesome beta Paige for getting this back to me so quickly (Who, by the by, has a birthday present one-shot you should read and review about shirtless Stable Boyward of the 1800s. its awesome if I do say so myself), and to the folks that reviewed my last chapter: Lady Dragona, RoSaDbAdAsSgUaRdAiNs, Adrienne334 (whose story I'm betaing :)), JennsEmeralds, TheRainDropsAreMyMusic, tigger5600, XxKayla BlackxX, Jalesia, and k-Cullen13. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. :)

Story Pimpage: So this is something new, I'm gonna do...I'll tell you about some stories I loved and a brief summary of what they're about. So here goes :) (All of these are in my Favorites :))

Facebook Friends by GreenPuma: If you are a music freak like me, then you'll love this story. It's and awesomely cliche, high school fluff story about Edward, Mr. Popular...and Bella, the girl he's never really paid attention to until something happened on Facebook. It's awesome, trust me. I loved all the music references.

The Weight of Words by georgygirl: If you love love love Lit (like me!) you'll love this...Edward's a TA in Bella's Shakespeare class in university. He has a dark past that causes him to keep his distance...but he soon discovers that he will stop at NOTHING to be with Bella...kinda angsty...but not really...just rather dramatic at points. Lots of fluff though. :)

Legendary by WhatsMyNomDePlume: SEXY SEXY SEXY. WMNDP is a BRILLIANT author that is able to make something so trivial...SO SO SO sexy...go read it if you like you some mysterious, sexy, slightly Darkward. :) Mmmmmmm...no angst...just drama...and a lot of sexiness without being a porno. Hahaha.

Okay...last one for now (because believe me...I HAVE A TON MORE...just look at my favorites...you won't be disappointed): Tides by lambcullen: Fluff, fluff, fluff. Cute, adorable, AWWWWW story with some drama sprinkled it...very original plot...but nothing wild or crazy...very well written...just all around spine-tinglingly cute and awesome.

Send me stories that you think I should read and I DEFINITELY will. :) Keep in mind...I hate really really really angsty stories...with drinking and alcohol abuse and abusive parents and dom/sub themes and all that shit. Read my updated profile for my pickyness about stories like that with the dom/sub, threesome crap.

Thanks a bunch! Songs are Iris (Acoustic) by the Goo Goo Dolls and Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin. (P.S. I'm probably going to strip down my profile and get rid of the Youtube links...and then at the end...I'll make a playlist of all of the songs. Capiche? :))

Tally:

Jalesia: 2

Lady Dragona: 2

tigger5600: 2

XxKayla BlackXX: 2

Trivia Question (Slightly harder :))

How old is Carlisle Cullen?

Jessica :)