YAY! This chapter is done! Enjoy~

Fury, resentment, and shock crossed Alice's and Rosalie's faces.

"Bella," Rosalie said in anguished whisper.

A groan escaped Alice as she fell forward.

I rushed to her and lifted her up. Pain screwed up the delicate features of my best friend's face. "Bella, how could you make me promise? You're still going to marry that scumbag after he's done that to you?"

I pulled away from her and placed my arms carefully around my torso. I winced as my arms, still tender from the beating, came into contact with the fabric of my shirt. A single tear escaped my eye as I tried to explain myself. "It's my parents, Alice. No matter what they do to me, I can't hate them. They're my parents, and I love them. They want me to marry James. If that's what makes them happy, then I have to do it."

Alice opened her mouth in protest, but instantly shut it again, listening to something far off. Before I could ask what was wrong, she said suddenly, "We promised not to tell a soul. Rosalie and I won't say a word, we promise."

Rosalie turned to Alice, probably to protest, but something she saw in Alice's face stopped her. Her face fell and she said subdued. "We promised," she said regretfully.

Alice then turned to me, a curious blank look on her face, and I wasn't fooled. She was planning something, "Bella, go see if you can find Edward. I want to stay at Rose's for a bit."

I scowled and opened the door, making one final, bitter comment. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I'm not you Alice, remember that." With that said, I left.

I got home and opened the window to my room, content to wait. I sat down on my bed and was soon greeted by my own bronze haired soldier coming though the window. He sat down next to me on the bed and I leaned against him, carefully shifting my weight to prevent hurting my sensitive skin.

We were satisfied to sit together on the bed, no other noise but our breathing, enjoying the closeness of each other and the peacefulness of the moment. All too soon, Edward moved and sat on the floor, still holding my hands. "I like that color with your skin. It looks good on you." He smiled up at me. I looked down at the deep blue gown Alice had forced me in, and I blushed, "Although the color of your skin horrifies me. Please, Bella, tell me who did that to you."

His gentle plea was innocent enough although I saw the anger deep in his eyes, and I longed desperately to tell him the truth. However, I had heard those same words too many times in the past couple of days, and I was tired of it. I frowned as my mood changed from happiness to gloom. "I have no idea, Edward," I said tartly.

He looked at me with an unfathomable expression in his eyes. "I don't believe you," he whispered. His words caused my heart to pound.

He moved again and I somehow ended up in his lap as he held me close. "Careful," I muttered halfheartedly as he continued to shift beneath me. He finally settled with me snuggled against his chest, and his arms wrapped around me gently.

"Do I have to convince you to tell me?" he said in a seductive whisper.

"Don't you dare," I said, quickly trying to maneuver out of his grasp.

His grip was firm; I was trapped. His breath was cool on my skin as he kissed me softly on my neck and jaw line. My breathing, much to his satisfaction, became ragged and my thoughts were scattered. "Edward," I moaned.

His kisses stopped and he whispered into my hair, "Who was it, my angelic Isabella?"

I shifted to turn to him, putting on my best innocent expression, "Do you really want to know?" I asked in a quiet whisper. Unwilling to break the mood he nodded once. I drew a breath and said in a normal tone, "Well, I'm not telling you just because of a few kisses."

He frowned at me, obviously unhappy with the result of his "convincing." Then, his expression took on a calculating look. "I'm sure Alice would know. She seems to know everything. In fact, I can go now while I'm still on break." He made a show of leaving, and I waited until he was at the window before I grabbed his arm. "She won't tell you. She promised me, so why try? Come sit back down and make me forget that I'm in a horrible dress and covered from head to toe in bruises."

We sat back down, and he laughed. "You're too persuasive for your own good, Miss Isabella."

"I wish that were true," I said as I leaned against him again, my tone sobering the atmosphere quickly.

He assessed my mood, "What bothers you, my sweet Bella?"

Before I could answer, a knock came at my door. "Isabella?" my mother's voice came through. We both stiffened, "Would you like to come dine with your father and I? We have some wedding details to consider."

I glared at the door, hoping my mother felt it through the wood, "No, I don't believe I shall."

I could hear her footsteps retreating, and we were left alone again, "That," I said in reply to Edward's earlier question.

"If you gave me permission, I would rush you out of this house as fast as I could. Forget the army, and forget this town. We would be together forever." I smiled briefly at the picture he painted before reality sunk in and smashed it.

"If only we could," I said with a sigh.

"The only thing that's stopping it is you," he said in a reproachful voice.

"I'm sorry Edward." I frowned, because it seemed everyone was trying to tell me this. They didn't seem to understand that it was impossible. I could never do something on a whim. To run away from everything that I ever knew to something I barely knew at all would fall into that category.

"I know." He said simply.

Struggling to retain the tender mood from before, I said, "Tell me more about your life in Chicago." I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if the situation had been altered- if Edward was the one backed into a corner instead of me.

"My house is in the very heart of Chicago, and my parents hoped to tie me down before the war kicked up a draft. They hadn't realized that I was ready to go," he said with a short laugh.

"What about girls? Wasn't there anyone that you really liked?" I couldn't help but ask.

He was silent for too long and my breathing became ragged. "Edward?"

"I should have told you long ago," he said quietly, as if he was talking to himself. My breathing stopped and I couldn't bear to look at him. What was he saying?

I'm thinking about doing the next chapter in Edward's POV. Whatcha think?