Disclaimer: Everything related to the Twilight saga is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Summit Entertainment owns all the rights to the Twi saga films. I only own writing this story, plot lines and all. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: Again, thanking you readers for your continued patience as I work to get the updates for this story posted for you all. Life has been busy and there's been a series of RL matters/upsets that needed me to put my fic hat away & just have the wife & mother hat on.

This also explains why I haven't been able to respond to your reviews. I am literally months late, but sooner or later, I will tackle them. I always want to respond and I am of the opinion to be better late than never respond at all. Just know that I read each one of them and are thankful for them.

DON'T LET MY LACK OF RESPONDING TO REVIEWS

TURN YOU OFF FROM LEAVING ONE

Chapter 21

~Bella~

Edward and I had a truly wonderful day exploring Seattle the day after Ms. Gail's romantic surprise that had waited for us in the room. It was a beautiful late summer day, with the sun shining brightly and the temperature neither too warm nor too chilly. Thank goodness, there was no rain in the forecast.

I hadn't exactly known what I could wear from my new wardrobe, but I figured being comfortable was a priority, so I had chosen a casual outfit of denim shorts and a simple, black blouse with sleeves that ended on my elbow and my trusty sneakers as my outfit for the day. This was all something I'd be wearing normally back home in Forks. I didn't exactly know where we'd end up going, but I figured Edward would tell me if I needed to wear a different outfit. There were certainly enough clothes now for me to play with different looks.

Jacob certainly wouldn't have approved of what I was wearing, not that he approved much of the wardrobe I had in the first place. At least, the endless scrutiny of my wardrobe came after we'd become a so-called couple and engaged. My style of dress was another point of contention between the two of us. He'd always thought that the short shorts, the mini-dresses, and the skirts which showed off a lot of my legs were inappropriate because it drew attention to myself from other men when I was out in public dressed in such clothes. That may have been true to an extent, but I had never worn anything to purposely attract undue attention to myself, and especially not from men. I just wore what made me feel comfortable and was appropriate for the weather. I wouldn't exactly say my style was anything salacious like that of stripper wear as Jacob seemed to suggest.

In the beginning, I never understood what Jacob's problem was with my wardrobe. It wasn't as if I was dressing way out of the norm for girls my age or unlike any other girl in Forks and the Tri-County area. The nun-like outfits that Jacob had felt were more appropriate and suggested often weren't exactly my style. Of course, he never heard me when I tried to defend what I wore. To try to ease tensions when we'd start in on the argument about my clothing choices, I used to joke with Jacob that if we'd move to New York, then I certainly would be more covered up considering the what the weather was like in that city; however, Jacob never really enjoyed the joke.

It didn't take me long to figure out that Jacob had an extreme jealous side. It was why he had trouble with what I wore. Conflicts usually arose when he realized he couldn't control me and what I wanted to wear.

It was refreshing that Edward had nothing but compliments about my clothing choices and my style. Edward allowed me to be myself. In fact, Edward had nothing but praise for who I am. At least, who he perceived me to be from what little he knew about me. Jacob had known me practically all our lives and I think he still didn't understand who I quite was. Another great thing about Edward was that he was also was encouraging of what I wanted to be. He showed confidence in my skills and abilities as a writer. Edward understood why I wanted to go after my dreams and he continually motivated me to do so. Edward actually had even bought me this beautiful journal and encouraged me to write about us and our current experiences, feeling that one day it might make good material. All Jacob ever tried to do was hold me back.

It was nice to finally change out of the one outfit I did have. If there was one thing I realized, it was quite hasty for me to have run without having packed a small bag first.

The change of clothes was also like a change in my life. The old clothes were a symbol of the past. It was tied to my old life with Jacob. The new wardrobe signaled my moving forward with a new life; a new one possibly with Edward.

Since Edward had never been to Seattle before, we decided to go on a sightseeing tour around the city and took in all the major sites like true tourists that the city had to offer. We even took goofy pictures at some of the landmarks. It had been a great day of fun and exploration.

After our outing, Edward had decided that we weren't done exploring Seattle. We'd made plans to do more and see more things.

I may have just lived over in Forks, just about a four-hour drive plus one ferry ride away, but I'd never really taken the time to venture to Seattle often or explore this capital city of my state. Truthfully, my father and I hardly ever made it out this way, and when we did, it was always short, specific trips. They were trips that certainly didn't leave room for exploring the city the way Edward and I had. Naturally, Seattle had so much more to offer in experiences than what could be found in Forks.

Once I was with Jacob, the furthest I'd ever gotten to venture was Port Angeles. Jacob was never interested in going to Seattle, or anywhere else for that matter, and thought that he had everything he needed and could ever want in Forks and the other small, surrounding towns in the Tri-County area. Jacob was perfectly content in living the small town life and never aimed for anything more.

Exploring the city with Edward was fantastic. Edward was eager to experience anything and everything. He really wanted to take in all that Seattle had to offer, leaving no rock unturned. He was like a kid in a candy store, using his phone to find out the next big adventure we could have in the city. The wonderment in his eyes after each day was so heartwarming. In all my life, I'd never gotten to see, feel, taste, and experience more.

Every single day since our sightseeing trip was a new plan to do something different in the city. We'd had such amazing times going to museums, trying out new restaurants, going to the aquarium and the zoo, lazing the day away and picnicking at various parks scattered throughout the city, and even experiencing culture in Seattle. We'd already gone to a couple of different types of concerts and even had attended a Seahawks game. There were plans to go to more concerts and watching the Mariners play was also on the agenda for some point within the next couple of days. We were both carefree and like a couple vacationing in the city.

I was having the time of my life. Not to mention the absolute best sex when we both were in the mood, which, needless to say was a lot of the time. Edward and I had definitely not wasted our nights together and we had also gotten pretty uninhibited while out on our adventures.

I wondered if Edward was having the time of his life with me, too. If he was feeling the same way I did each and every day. Something told me that he was.

Before I had even realized it, a whole two weeks had passed us by. It had been two weeks of cohabitation with Edward and enjoying Seattle with him. It wasn't exactly what I would have predicted happening for us when I first picked up Edward off the side of the road that night, but I don't regret anything or would I have had it any other way. There seemed to be no plans to change our current situation anytime soon.

At least, we hadn't been discussing it. Or it might just be that we were both avoiding the discussion. Either way, I knew that the topic would have to be broached eventually. We couldn't exactly continue to live this way indefinitely. We'd both have to return to our previous lives sometime.

Even all vacations have to end at some point.

Besides, I didn't know how much longer I could hold off my father. Sooner or later, he was going to be ready to come and get me, wherever I was, since he'd already given me some space and time to sort myself out; any longer and I knew he already would see it as utter nonsense. I couldn't exactly have Charlie come bursting in here with possibly his own version of a cavalry.

For the time being, however, Edward and I just continued on as normal. Well, about as normal as two people in our circumstances would be. We carried on like it was perfectly natural to be living together in this hotel room and gallivanting about the city acting every bit like any other couple out there, even though we'd only really known one another for the two weeks we'd already been together. I don't think anyone would've really guessed mine and Edward's true situation.

If Charlie only knew what I was up to these past couple of weeks in Seattle, and with a man no less, I was certain he'd have a coronary. It was why I hadn't yet told him. I kept in touch with him, just so he wouldn't have to worry, but I still hadn't given him specifics on my whereabouts. Fortunately, although he wanted me to come home and kept nagging me to do so during each phone conversation, he still allowed me my space to decide what was best for me and hadn't yet decided to call in the troops, come get me, and forcibly have me return home.

My father certainly had the power to do so, as well as the technology to find me, if he really wanted to. Luckily, he wasn't too keen on abusing his status and power and use them for his own personal matters. I was certain, however, that Jacob probably tried once or twice to get him to do just that and find me. Thank goodness, my father had more sense than Jacob.

Even though Edward and I had only known each other a matter of weeks, it didn't feel like I'd only known him for such a short time. It felt more like I had known him my whole life and that he certainly knew me better than anyone else in my entire life. I couldn't help but feel that we were just fated for one another. Somehow this, us, were truly meant to be. I couldn't exactly explain it, but I just knew what I felt from deep inside.

I decided that I shouldn't over think things and just trust my feelings. I hadn't trusted my feelings before and look at where it got me-just a lousy place with Jacob. It was time for me to be brave.

What Edward and I was doing and what was happening between the two of us felt right. It was nothing but right. That was all that mattered.

Since it didn't look like Edward and I were leaving the hotel anytime soon, I was grateful that at some point during the two weeks, Edward had asked the front desk to start charging the hotel bill to him. Of course, even as poor as I was, I couldn't allow for him to shoulder the entire costs for our hotel stay; it just didn't feel right. He made it so that the hotel would charge me for only the first two nights of our stay, but that was about all he would allow. He would be responsible for the rest and whatever charges we further incur. He insisted and so I had no choice but to concede.

In a way, I was relieved, since I would frankly have gone bankrupt if I continued to be responsible for paying the hotel expenses. I probably would've afforded, at most, one week of our hotel stay, but then I wouldn't know how I'd be able to pay the rest of the hotel bill, especially since we weren't looking to leave and settle the bill anytime soon. For the time, Edward and I was in this living situation indefinitely and I certainly couldn't afford that. He was very generous to take care of our hotel expenses, and even more amazing, he wouldn't accept my offer of paying him for half of the costs. I didn't exactly know how I'd go about doing that, eventually I would've thought of or found a way, but I couldn't in good conscience not have made the offer.

Thankfully, Edward recognized that I wasn't rolling in money quite like he seemed to be.

Edward's motorcycle got delivered to the hotel and I was astonished at how quickly the dealership actually got Edward's bike to him. They had even told him that the motorcycle he'd also purchased for his father had also already arrived at his father's residence in Chicago. That was also rather speedy of the dealership. I figured it was only due to Edward's money and influence that got him and his father their new motorcycles so quickly. I'm sure if it were I and any other Joe Schmo that walked into the same dealership, we wouldn't have received quite the service that Edward and I had received during our time there and we'd probably wait longer than was necessary for the bike to get delivered, if they'd even deliver it to us at all. I remember a time when my father had new police motorcycles ordered for the town and it seemed that it had taken forever for him to even get the bikes just to get them ready to get customized, and he's a police chief. It really made me wonder more about who Edward is exactly.

However, I also didn't know if I really wanted to know who Edward really was. I was afraid that knowing who he really was would overwhelm me and destroy this perception I had of him. I didn't want that to happen. Admittedly, several scenarios of who he was or who he might work for had entered my mind, but I had no way of knowing if any could be possible.

In the time that we'd been together, Edward and I had never divulged too much more about our lives apart from what we'd already told one another. Certainly, there were little tidbits that we exchanged here and there, but nothing more than general knowledge and not anything too specific. Edward still didn't know that I just came from Forks, a town not too far away. For all he knew, I could've come down from Canada.

We were still very much strangers. Although, we did carry on as if we were more than that. The fact remained that there was still very little we knew about one another's lives. However, I think we both preferred it to be that way. I wasn't certain, but how else was I going to explain why neither one of us ever cared to elaborate further on our lives? We knew just enough about one another to get us by, but overall we still kept our distance from talking too much about ourselves. There were still lots of things I hadn't told Edward about myself, and technically, information I was hiding from him. I believed that he was doing the same. Neither one of us was exactly trying to pry information from one another either.

Personally, I think it was my way of protecting myself and especially my heart, if only just a little. I was aware that this thing between Edward and I could all end tomorrow and all that I would have left would be the memories.

Heck, it could all end just as soon as I tell Edward about Jacob and my recent called-off engagement.

I think I was just fine with knowing what I did know about Edward. I didn't need anymore knowledge about him to make me fall for him even more than I already had. I also didn't want to know more if the information would just turn me off from him.

Okay, admittedly, I was a wimp and scared that my view of perfect Edward would be destroyed.

I figured knowing too much might be dangerous. There was such a thing as knowing too much and destroying the illusion we'd built.

If whatever Edward and I had between us ended, I would definitely be shattered if I had more personal knowledge of him than I had now. Not that I wouldn't be hurting anyway from losing him, but I think the less I knew about him and the possible life I could have had with him, then the easier it would be for me to let go. My heart would be able to heal better if...or when this is all over.

Of course, I didn't want Edward and I to be over. I certainly was going to do everything in my power to prevent it from happening. However, I just didn't know what life had in store for me.

Speaking of Jacob, I had tried to find the right time to tell Edward about him and my very recent defunct engagement, since I felt that he had every right to know about Jacob and the circumstances that led me to him that fateful night. I just hadn't found the right opportunity to do so. There was never the right time or place. Let's face it, the subject wasn't exactly the stuff of which would come out of regular conversation and something I was too interested in talking about.

I knew that Edward should know all about Jacob and the end of my engagement, especially since I started carrying on with him before I had even fully taken care of the problem, but damn if I knew how to tell him.

While we'd been out having our adventurous dates around Seattle, it didn't seem right to dampen the day with talk of my painful past with Jacob. Bringing all that up would've certainly been a downer and I couldn't just bring myself to ruin all our good times that we were having. Usually, during our outings, the conversations were kept light and airy, and talk about Jacob was definitely dark and heavy, and I just didn't want to be party to changing the tone of our conversations and our good moods for the day.

Edward and I mostly saved our heavier and more intimate conversations for night, when we had dinner, or before bed, and especially for when we both couldn't sleep after a round of sex. But, undoubtedly, Jacob was the last thing I wanted to have on my mind and hanging in the air between us during those intimate times. I definitely could not talk about Jacob after Edward and I were in bed together.

I don't think anyone could exactly blame me as to why.

Maybe I was just being selfish and wanted to postpone the conversation about Jacob for as long as I could just so I could hang onto what I have with Edward just a bit longer. Maybe I was just being silly in thinking that talking about Jacob and my past would change things between Edward and I. However, I just didn't know.

Admittedly, it scared me to open up to Edward about Jacob and what had happened. Inevitably, Edward was going to judge me. It was that judgment that was going to make or break our relationship. Edward could very well forgive me and excuse my past with Jacob, or he could not and end everything between us. It was not knowing which way it could all go that made me hesitant to have the conversation.

Sue me, I wanted to keep up this bliss I had with Edward.

What I wouldn't do for a crystal ball? It would be nice to know what the future held for us.

If there was one thing I did know, it was that I once again wasn't going to be making it to New York city and would have to defer admission again to Sarah Lawrence until at least the Spring semester. It wasn't that I wouldn't have time to go. I still had a few weeks left before school would start. Then, who's to say that I couldn't get a late start to school. I think I was smart enough to be able to catch up.

But, definitely, there was still a lot to get done before I moved to New York and get myself settled in school. Like I said, I didn't know when exactly my current situation with Edward was going to change. I had to give myself enough time to figure out where things were going with Edward and to be able to make my plans accordingly if we moved forward together. Our lives needed to peacefully co-exist if we were going to be together.

There had to be a way for us to be together after our little stint here at the hotel. I believed that we were meant to work and so, we needed to coordinate our lives once we were ready.

Otherwise, what was the point of this fling? I refused to believe that Edward and I was just going to end up this momentary fancy.

At least, I didn't want Edward and I to end. I firmly believe now that there was a reason we were brought together that night. I also believed that there had to be a reason why we instantly connected with one another and easily threw caution to the wind and fell into bed together.

Naturally, I wanted to take every opportunity to be able to stay with Edward. I knew that I would find a way to make us work. Whatever it took.

Of course, it would help if we actually talked about which direction we were heading. It was yet another topic we had to broach.

Another thing I knew was that I didn't want to give up writing school in New York, but the thought had crossed my mind whenever I thought about moving forward with Edward. His life could very well be elsewhere and incompatible with me attending Sarah Lawrence. I had to think what I'd do if it was, but I still wanted to keep him in my life.

I knew that I probably wouldn't do well with a long-distance relationship. At this point, my body totally craved him and I knew I probably wouldn't last all that long being apart from him.

It wasn't just all about the sex either. If I learned anything in these last two weeks with him, it was that I had fallen hard and fast for Edward. Everything about him invited me in, even though I still didn't know exactly who he is. What I did know, I already liked. It was obvious that I was taken with him.

Numerous times, I'd already touted his good looks, which was a definite positive. However, Edward was so much more than a pretty face. For starters, he has this truly charming personality. He has a way of effortlessly captivating people, me included. I don't think that there'd be anyone on this Earth that Edward couldn't get to like him. He's just a likable person through and through.

Edward is the type of person that can probably talk anyone into doing anything with just a simple plea. He's also the type of person that already makes all sorts of women blush without having to even say a word and get them to do anything he wanted once he did speak. Edward is the type of person you just got the sense that you wanted to know and furthermore, be his friend. I would bet that his mother had trouble staying mad at him whenever he was in trouble as a child.

Edward is just a person you wanted to be around. Edward probably could win over the devil himself if he ever came face to face with him and talk him into not stealing his soul, or out of doing anymore evil, without even half-trying. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what made Edward so charming, just that he was, and he'd already charmed my panties off of me, and repeatedly.

It's a good thing, too, that he had that charming personality, since he's probably going to need it to win over Charlie after he finds out about the two of us and the story of our beginning.

Apart from the winning personality, Edward has been the only man I'd ever known to make me be able to laugh incessantly and uncontrollably. He has one of the best sense of humors I know. Even more important, he seems to get my sense of humor. I could just see us spending our days constantly gloriously happy and laughing it up.

Another great thing about Edward was that he is quite intelligent and one who's obviously well-versed and well-read. We'd had the most interesting conversations about books, authors, and writing. He really connected with me when he would talk about the artistry that went into writing.

The fact that he prodded me every day to write something, anything, even if just a few sentences, in that journal he gave me proved to me that he is someone who supported what I loved to do. It was encouraging to know that an important person in my life believed in me and didn't feel that my dream to actually become a working writer was just a pipe dream.

Edward had become very important to me.

Edward wasn't too much older than I was, but somehow he did seem older than his actual years. He just seemed to have experienced more of the world than I ever did. Just his travels alone assured that he had experienced more than me. It seemed he had been almost everywhere around the world, stemming from the fact that both his parents were travel aficionados. Edward seemed to have taken away a few things from each of the places he had visited. His wealth of knowledge was impressive and quite sexy, frankly. I knew I could learn a lot from someone like him and having him by my side could only help me to grow in my writing.

One thing that really got me curious as to who Edward really is was his seemingly vast knowledge of literature. I thought I had ample knowledge of the subject, but Edward clearly had me beat. It made me wonder if knowledge-base was all due to him being an avid reader and a world traveler, or if there was more to it than that.

He hadn't yet told me if he had an actual job currently, but he did tell me that he had worked and now he was taking a little break for himself. Obviously, he had money, so he wasn't at all destitute. It made me wonder what kind of employment he had, considering what I knew about him so far.

With his intelligence, his vast knowledge of literature, traveling experience, and that he's an eloquent speaker made me automatically think of a profession in education. I could see Edward as a teacher. I could picture him teaching older students and opening up their minds to whole new worlds. I bet the little girls would develop crushes on him and the little boys looked up to him and wanted to emulate him. It would also explain why he'd have some time now-most schools haven't started yet at this point and he has some time to have another summer break adventure. Maybe he was also in the market for a new teaching job and checking into Seattle. From what we'd been doing, it did seem like he was looking to settle here.

But, again, I don't really know. Edward could just as easily be a librarian or work for a book store. Then, there was the possibility that he was none of those things and my impressions of him were way off-base.

There were many possibilities as to the state of Edward's life. Admittedly, the more time I spent with him, the more curious I got.

END A/N: Teaser for Chapter 22-EPOV:

Bella didn't have to explicitly tell me that she was going to New York to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. I'd gathered that all on my own. Although, that was as far as I knew about her immediate plans for the future. I knew that school would probably be starting soon, and so Bella might have to leave our bit of paradise we had created here in Seattle. She'd have to return to wherever she had come to get prepared to go to school. Likewise, I wouldn't be able to postpone any longer the inevitable return to Chicago and reporting back to the parents about the work I had done and the life I left in Portland. Once I had my new cell phone up and running, I had already been hounded daily by both my parents and Emmett to end my impromptu vacation and return home to discuss what's next for my life.

I wasn't looking forward to ending mine and Bella's time together in our hotel room and time spent here in Seattle, but at some point we'd both have to face the music, talk about each of our plans, and make a few difficult choices, which was why I was trying to make the most of the days we had left here creating as many memories as we could.