A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my little story. Your encouragements mean a lot!

So where we left off last time Bella turned down Edward's half-assed-ish proposal. Yikes!

This chapter's a little short put action packed! ANGST ALERT! (It's very brief. Don't you worry!)

Chapter 12 –Tension and Tears

BPOV

"Love? Are you ready to go yet? We were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago!" Edward called from the front hall.

Today is the one year anniversary of my book release. Alice and Angela organized a little party to celebrate the fact that And I Saw You has sold over a million copies since its release last year. It a little weird to have people stop me on the street and tell me how much they love my book.

"I'm ready, I'm ready!" I called as I half ran, half shuffled down the hallway to the front hall. "Keep your hat on, I'm ready."

Edward gave me a tight smile and held the door open for me.

I sighed. Things have been a little awkward and tense between Edward and I since our talk about marriage last week and I haven't seen him really smile in just as long. He's only given me one or two word answers to any question I ask him and every time I try to diffuse the tension with a funny quip he just gives me a tight smile or a small, fake chuckle. I don't even get me started on our love life. Edward hasn't laid a hand on me since last week, except to kiss me on the cheek every morning on his way to the recording studio or a meeting with his new agent Ben and every night before bed.

Speaking of the recording studio, Edward is recording his third studio album. When he started recording last month, he said he wanted it to be a surprise and wouldn't show me any of the music. A couple weeks ago, he locked himself away in the music room and completely redid the concept for the album.

The party was in the function room of a fancy restaurant downtown, thirty minutes – with traffic – from our loft. When we got inside, I was immediately accosted by two squealing women.

"Bella! Bella!" They shouted.

"I tried to stop them," laughed another female voice behind them.

I looked up to see Rose laughing and shaking her head at Alice and Angela, who were currently hugging me so hard, the babies were pressing down on my bladder making me have to pee. Again.

"I'm going to go find Emmett and get a drink." Edward said as he pressed a kiss to my forehead and disappeared further inside the restaurant.

I sighed at Edward's distant behavior. My hormones started to get to me again and felt my eyes prick with tears. I looked over and saw my three best friends giving me looks full of sympathy.

"I'm okay," I assured them. But my voice did anything but reassure them. You could hear the hurt and tears in my voice.

Simultaneously, the three of them grabbed my arms and led me into the bathroom. Alice sat me on the radiator as Angela checked the stalls for listening ears. Rose glared at the two women standing at the sink and said "Get out!" so menacingly I almost left the bathroom as quickly as the women did.

Alice handed me a few tissues to wipe away the few tears that had fallen from my eyes and took her stance next to Rose and Angela.

"Spill. What's going on between you and Edward?" Rose asked.

"It's nothing," I sniffled. "It's just my hormones." I partially lied.

"Bullshit." Alice called, pointing her finger directly at my face. "That's not the whole story."

I nodded and wiped under my eyes. "It's all my fault." I shook my head as I chastised myself.

"I bet it's not." Rose grumbled. "Not if I know my brother-in-law."

"No, it is my fault." I assured them. "After we got home from dinner with everyone last week we ran into our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Regan, in the elevator…" And I proceeded to tell them the entire story about how Edward is mad at me.

"Oh, Bella," Alice whispered and pulled me into a hug as my tears started to fall again. "It's going to be okay."

I brushed the fallen tears away. "I think I've lost him, guys. He hasn't looked me in the eye all week and hasn't kissed me, except on the cheek, all week either."

"He's just being the idiot he always is." Rose huffed.

"Just to play devil's advocate here," Angela, who had been relatively quiet during the whole conversation, spoke up. "Edward's probably just embarrassed."

The three of us whipped our heads around to look at her. Apparently none of us had ever thought of that. "Wh – what?" we spluttered.

"Think about it," Angela continued. "He proposed to you and you turned him down, bruised his pride. And he's a man. Men get crazy when their pride is involved."

"You're right," I whispered and hopped down off the radiator. "I have to go talk to him," and started out of the bathroom.

"Whoa, whoa!" All three of them shouted and pulled me back.

Angela sat me back on the radiator. "There's press out there, Bella, and we can have you looking all red and splotchy."

I sighed and let them fix me up.

As soon as I exited the bathroom, I looked around the room for Edward. I saw him standing over by the bar with Emmett and Jasper. I pushed through the crowd until I reached them.

I laid my hand on Edward's upper arm and smiled at Emmett and Jasper. "Would you two mind if I borrowed Edward for a minute?"

"No problem, Hot Mama." Emmett said as he winked and Jasper rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Emmett's head.

I laughed at his ridiculous nickname for me and linked my hand in Edward's. He and I walked a ways away from the crowd of people into a secluded corner.

"Baby, we should –" I started but was interrupted be a high-pitched voice calling my name over the loudspeaker.

"Bella? Bella, are you out there? Come on up here!"

I whipped my head around to see everyone in the function room looking in my direction. Past all of the inquiring faces, I could see Jane, the editor-in-chief of Volterra Publishing, up on the stage at the end of the room, holding a microphone and gesturing for me to join her.

I sighed and whispered "I'm sorry, I'll be right back." I suddenly had an idea. "Please listen to what I say up there. I love you," to Edward before giving him a smile and letting go of his hand.

I weaved my way through the crowd until I reached the stairs to the stage. "Sorry, Bella!" Angela whispered urgently. "I told her to wait to give you time to talk to Edward but she insisted!"

I gave her a small smile and a nod to let her know I was okay. I took my place on the stage next to Jane on the stage as she turned back to the crowd. "As you all may very well know, this is Isabella Swan author of the amazing book we are all here to celebrate tonight!" The crowd cheered and clapped loudly making me go red with embarrassment. "Congratulations on your one millionth book sold!" and she handed the microphone to me as the crowd cheered.

"Thank you, everyone." I smiled as I took the microphone from Jane. "Thanks so much for coming out to support me and my little book. It started out as a little idea in my head several years ago in college and grew what it is today with all of your support. I wouldn't be here without my family especially my sister-in-law, Alice. She was my roommate in college and encouraged me to follow my dreams of being a writer instead of going into to teaching, which I was less than enthusiastic about." The crowd laughed. "She gave me a job at her store when no one would publish my book. So thank you, Ali.

"My editor, Angela, has been a life-saver. She fixed every horrible grammar mistake I made, and there were a lot of them…" A chuckled rolled through the crowd. "She became one of my best friends and she's my sounding board about every idea I've had as I continue to write my next book.

"And of course, I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without . . ." I took a steadying breath and hoped Edward wouldn't hate me for what I was about to do. "Edward, my fiancé."

A/N: Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?

DUN DUN DUN! Yeah that's right. She said fiancé!

How do you think Edward will react? How about everyone else?

Next up: Edward's reaction and maybe a little something else. Haven't decided where to end it yet!

Thanks again!

- NIKKI