Hey Guys! Chapter 21 is here! First though, a big thank you to crazyhypervampiregurl, twilightzebraz, ;_), PurpleChameleon, and Flora73 for reviewing! Now here is Part Two. Oh and this takes place in about early December.

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~ by Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Edward POV

Have you ever had a moment where you desperately wanted a time machine? Because I'm having one right now. I would love to go back to two minutes ago. Two minutes ago Bella and I were engaging ourselves in a playful food fight. Two minutes ago we were having fun. Two minutes ago I hadn't made a huge fool of myself by saying the L-word. That one word might have just possibly ruined our whole date. Do you see why I am in desperate need of some type of device that would allow me to turn back time? But even if it was possible to rewind time, I don't think I would be able to keep myself from expressing my love to Bella. Can you blame me? After kissing her sweet lips—which tasted slightly like whipped cream because I had sprayed the cream on her during our fight—and looking into her beautiful eyes…I couldn't hold it in any longer. I realized I loved Bella a long time ago, but I have never verbally told her so. And when I finally blurted it out, her reaction wasn't exactly positive. She pulled away from my embrace like I was burning her and, wow, I have never seen anyone widen their eyes so much.

"What?" she whispered in shock, like I had just told her we were the only two people on Earth because everyone else had been adducted my green, slimy aliens.

I opened my mouth to answer her, but closed it when I realized I had no idea how respond. I quickly thought and came up with three options.

1. Run away. Okay, not the best option seeing as it would be incredibly rude to leave in the middle of our date. And plus, I could never leave Bella.

2. Fake like I didn't say what I just said. That she just misheard me.

3. Repeat myself. Tell her that I love her.

So basically I was torn between option two and three. I love Bella. I do. So much it hurts to think of a life without her. But she thinks she has only known me for a day. You can't fall in love with someone in one day, right? And that's perfectly understandable. Sure, it hurts, it hurts like hell. Bella will never love me, not like I love her. And that is just a fact I have to accept. But still. Even though I was sure of how she would respond, I still felt like I needed to tell her how I feel. Show her how much she means to me. That no matter what, I would always love her. So, with that in mind, I took a deep breath and decided to go with option three.

I ran a hand through my hair and beckoned Bella closer like I was about to tell her some big secret. And in a way I was. I was about to open my heart to her and she could choose to either accept it or to throw it on the ground and stomp on it.

Bella hesitantly closed the distance between us and stood right in front of me. She looked up through her eyelashes with wide, curious eyes. God, she's so beautiful. I placed my hand on her warm cheek and made sure she was listening to me. "Isabella Swan, I'm in love with you. I love you. I think I have since the first moment I laid my eyes on your gorgeous, deep eyes. I don't expect you to love me back, but I just needed to tell you," I said firmly, and it was like a heavy burden was lifted from my shoulders. I had finally told her how I felt.

Bella looked stricken. "Oh."

Oh?

That was all she could say? And I know I said that I figured she didn't share my feelings, but I still allowed myself to hope. When plenty of time passed—plenty of time for one to say I love you, too—I knew that she didn't feel the same. I could feel my heart break.

She didn't love me.

She would never love me.

I dropped my hand from her cheek and hid my face from hers, not wanting her to see the heartache in my eyes.

"Oh Edward," Bella whispered sadly. From the corner of my eye I could see her reach out, and her tiny hand cupped my chin. She pulled, like she wanted me to look at her, and even though I could have easily pulled out of her grasp, I didn't. I turned to her and saw her beautiful eyes swimming with sadness. She placed her warm hand on my cheek. "Hear me out, please?" she asked. I nodded hesitantly. "I really really, really like you. Seriously. I know I've only known you for like half a day, but… I don't know. I just feel so attached to you, you know? Like if you left right now, my heart would shatter. If you left right now, I don't know what I would do. And, yeah, tomorrow I won't remember you, but I think I would still feel…empty. Like a part of me was missing. Am I making sense? Probably not. I don't even get it. I mean, how can I feel this much for you when I really only known you for a day. Anyway, the point is that, I like you. Really like you. But I don't know if I love you. It's just; I've never been in love. I don't know what true love is," Bella explained softly, all the while looking at me.

I smiled slightly and pulled her closer. "Isabella, do you want to know what love is? Love is wanting to spend every minute, no every second of the day, with that person. Love is when their happiness is your happiness; their sadness is your sadness. Love is when you and the person you love are drowning in the ocean and there is only one life jacket, you would gladly, without hesitating for one second, give up your life for that one person to live. Love is joyful, sincere, faithful, strong, courageous, never-ending, and selfless. Love is something worth fighting for. Love is worth risking everything for. Love is suffering through countless barriers and obstacles, but it's worth it, because Bella, love is the happiest feeling in the whole world," I said passionately. Tears came down Bella's face and I stared at her in horror. I wiped the tears away with my finger but they kept coming. "Bella, please, please, don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

Bella shook her head and opened her mouth. "I uh…I need to go to the…um bathroom," she said before practically sprinting out the kitchen.

Bella Pov

I opened the bathroom door and locked it once I was inside. I sat on the cold tile floor and took a deep breath. I didn't really need to go to the bathroom, but you probably already know that. You probably also know that I'm a huge idiot and a jerk. But I had to get away. I didn't want him to see me crying.

Why was I crying?

Edward Masen just told me that he loves me. Me. I should be ecstatic, I should be jumping-off-the-walls-happy, but I'm not. No, instead I'm crying. I'm not in love with him. I wish I was, but I'm not. But I was sincere when I said I really liked him. I do. I really do. But I just don't think I'm in love with him, you know? I mean, have you ever just met some boy/girl and half a day later you have fallen in love with him/her? I didn't think so. The love Edward is talking about takes weeks, no months, to develop. Right? I know my situation is…different to say the least. I technically have been dating Edward for like six months. But it doesn't feel that way. The videos help a lot, and I appreciate all he has done, but is that love?

Maybe.

Ugh, why does this have to be complicated?

I cried silently, burying my head into my arms. I sobbed because I knew that I would probably never be able to love Edward, that I would never be able to get married, that I'd never have kids, that I would never be the girl Edward needed me to be.

"Bella?" I heard Edward's frantic voice call as he pounded on the door. I stayed where I was.

"Bella, please. I'm sorry."

I cried harder.

"I'm worried about you, Bella. Please open the door."

"Alright, if you don't open the damn door in ten seconds, I'm breaking in."

And then I got up and slowly moved towards the door because I knew that he really would break the door to reach me.

As soon as I turned the knob, Edward enveloped me in a hug. He soothingly rocked me back and forth. "Bella, what's wrong? Tell me. Let me fix it," he begged.

I sniffled. "You," I whispered into his shirt.

Edward immediately pulled away. "Me? I'm your problem?" he asked, looking crestfallen.

"You're too good to me," I mumbled, not looking at his hurt face.

He laughed. "Oh Bella. If I could have a dollar for every time you have said that to me, I'll be the richest guy on Earth," he said, still chuckling.

I frowned. "I don't remember…" I was about to say that I didn't recall ever saying that, but stopped when I realized that of course I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember anything that has to do with him. "Look, it's true. I don't deserve you." I said, feeling defeated.

"Don't be silly, Bella," Edward disagreed firmly.

"I'm not," I protested. "I mean you're practically perfect. I don't know why you put up with me when I have this…this…curse! I don't think I can love you and you deserve better. Honestly, I don't know how why you're even with me. Maybe you feel guilty, or pity me, or something," I thought out loud.

Edward eyes turned darker, to a forest green that burned with intensity. He looked almost…angry? "Bella." He pinched his nose. "Do you seriously believe that I'm with you because I feel guilty?" he asked through clenched teeth. He didn't wait for a response. "How can you not see how much I care for you? How much I love you? Isn't my adoration obvious? Because Bella, I'm with you because you make me happier than I've ever been. I'm with you because I love you. Please don't doubt that."

I concentrated on the carpeted floor, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry," I whispered sadly.

"Sorry? What could you possibly be sorry for?"

"I'm sorry you fell in love with me," I clarified.

I looked at Edward and watched his face soften. He leaned in, kissed one stray tear away, and pecked me gently and softly on my lips. "I'm not," he whispered. He smiled brightly as he pulled away slightly. "I meant what I said earlier, Bella. I don't expect you to love me. I'll take whatever you're willing to give."

My lips slowly curved upwards. So, yes, I still think I don't deserve such a wonderful understanding man. I'll probably always think that. But breathing in his sweet, familiar scent and feeling his strong, protective arms around me, I couldn't help but feel…happy.

I sighed. "Why couldn't I have met you one day before the accident?" I asked.

Edward smiled sadly and gently kissed my forehead. "I don't know, Bella. I just don't know."

Edward POV

"Bella, no," I protested as she walked towards her car. It's been about two hours since I expressed my unconditional love for her in the kitchen. I have to admit, I've never been so scared and sad when she ran out of the kitchen. I thought I'd lost her forever. That by telling her I love her, I had overwhelmed her. I was so frightened that she would never want to see me again. If she had asked me to leave, I would have. I couldn't say no to her. I wouldn't be able to go against her wishes. But I also knew that my life would be empty without her. So I was incredibly happy that I'm still with Bella. So happy. Of course, I was a little sad that she doesn't feel the same about me. Was that possible? To be happy and sad at the same time? Well, I was. Even though I expected her to not return my love, it still hurt when she didn't. But I was being completely honest when I told her that I'm content taking whatever she wants to give me. I was just ecstatic that she really, really likes me. She said that she doesn't deserve me, but she has no idea. I don't deserve someone as selfless, kind, and strong as she was.

"Eedddwardd." Bella beautifully sang, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Are you coming or not?" she asked, holding the door to her truck open.

I frowned. "I still don't see why we can't take my Volvo."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Didn't we already have this conversation? Come on," she urged. "We're going to be late."

I sighed but made my way over to the truck. After we had talked outside Alice's bathroom, we finished making the cake. Bella continued teaching me how to cook and I didn't mess up once. Okay, okay, maybe I screwed up once or twice…or ten times. Sheesh. But Bella never made me feel like an idiot. She was so kind and patient. She was probably every student's favorite teacher, you know, before the accident. Anyway, as we waited for the cake to bake, we cleaned the whole kitchen. It took a long time seeing as our food fight left it a mess. But when we finished, the kitchen was spotless and the cake was ready. It looked delicious but when I made a move to have a piece, Bella slapped my hand with a spatula. Afterwards, we went back to Bella's house. I drove my Volvo to my place so I could change and wash away all the flour and mustard off me. Bella did the same at her house. Once I finished, I drove back to her house. And here we are. We were about to drive to the bonfire. And even though it is taking place at the beach, we still dressed in heavy coats and jeans. It was winter after all.

"So where exactly is this Jake's house?" I asked.

"At the reservation. You know, La Push," she answered.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I've heard of it but I've never been there."

"So you've never been to First Beach?" She sounded surprised. I shook my head in response and she reached over and intertwined our fingers. "Then this is going to be so much fun!" she cheered. I smiled at her enthusiasm and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. For the rest of the car ride, Bella chatted about the people we were going to see when we got there. She told me all about her friend Jacob and about Emily, Vanessa, Seth, Embry, Quil, Sam, Jared, Paul, and Billy. It was very entertaining to hear some of her childhood stories, but all too soon Bella parked her gigantic truck in a small house's driveway.

"Where are we?" I asked in confusion.

"Billy's house," Bella answered, getting out of the truck.

"Aren't we going to the beach?" I questioned, following her.

"Yeah, but we can't exactly park in the beach, can we? So we have to walk from here." She walked to the back of the truck and grabbed a light blue blanket and our cake. I hurried to where she was and took the blanket and cake from her.

Bella sighed. "You know, I am very capable of carrying my own blanket and cake."

"Yes, but humor me, please," I told her. She eventually nodded and we held hands as we walked through the woods. After ten minutes of strolling, we arrived. It was about seven at night, so the sky was dark. The full moon shone brightly and surprisingly there wasn't a rain cloud in sight. The ocean was a dark blue and the waves were gentle. On the sand, a large bright orange bonfire stood. There were about 40 people sitting in lawn chairs or blankets surrounding the fire. A radio was playing and everyone looked to be having fun. There were people of every age. Grandparents, middle-aged parents, adults, young adults, teenagers, kids, and toddlers.

"Bella!" A loud voice greeted. We both turned around to see tall, brown-skinned guy wearing a huge smile. Bella immediately left my grasp and ran towards him. I quickly followed; wanting to make sure she didn't fall and injure herself.

"Jake!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. Ahh, so this is Jake. Jacob, her best friend. Who is married. So there is no need to get jealous here, Edward, I reminded myself.

He let out a big laugh. "Bella." he greeted, hugging her back. I stood awkwardly to the side, letting the two friends reunite. Just friends. He is happily married. Yup.

Bella pulled back after awhile. "Look at you. You keep on getting bigger and bigger every time I see you."

"Are you sure you aren't just shrinking, shortie?" Jake teased.

Bella swatted him. "I am not short," she huffed. "I'm average-sized."

He laughed and Bella pouted.

"Oh Jake!" Bella suddenly exclaimed. "You have to meet my boyfriend." I smiled. Her boyfriend.

"Boyfriend? Since when did you get a boyfriend? Who is he?" he asked, looking confused and slightly panicked.

"That would be me." I stepped closer so he could see me. He didn't exactly glare at me, but he didn't look like he liked me either. I extended my hand out to him. "I'm Edward," I introduced myself.

"Jacob," he said shortly, grabbing my outreached hand. We both squeezed the other's hand really hard while we shook. I smiled smugly when he let go first. Now he glared at me.

Bella smiled, not noticing our less than friendly expressions. "Well Jake, I'm going to introduce Edward to everyone else. You know this is his first time at First Beach? So I have to give him a tour, too," Bella rambled. I grinned and grasped her hand in mine. It didn't escape my notice how Jake glanced at our intertwined hands. I pulled her closer.

"Sure, Bella. Have fun. We'll catch up later," he said. Bella nodded and we walked closer to the fire. Bella then walked around and introduced me to almost everyone present. I couldn't help but to smile hugely when she introduced me as her boyfriend to everyone. After awhile, we saw Rose, Emmett, Nikki, Mike, and Alice lying on some blankets. Charlie and a guy I learned to be Billy were sitting off to the side. We walked over.

"Bella!" Alice squealed as she saw us approaching. She ripped Bella away from me and hugged her tightly. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Bella laughed her beautiful laugh. "Alice, we saw each other yesterday," she said, hugging her back.

Alice frowned. "No we didn't."

Belle furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, remember, you dropped Tyler off so I could babysit him."

Everyone looked at each other uneasily.

Alice smiled. "That was more than a year ago, Bella," she gently reminded her.

"Oh." She blushed. "Sorry. I forget sometimes."

"No need to apologize," Alice dismissed, back to her cheery self.

I put an arm around Bella's waist and pulled her warm body towards mine. She still looked sad. "You know, it's partly my fault that you haven't seen Bella much," I announced, changing the subject. Everyone looked confused. "I've been hogging her." I clarified, kissing Bella's forehead softly.

Bella smiled at me. "I'm not complaining," she whispered. I grinned and looked into her deep, chocolate eyes.

"Good," I whispered back. "Because I don't like to share." We gazed at each other until we heard gagging sounds behind us. I turned around to see Emmett and Mike on their knees, fake vomiting.

Rose hit the back of Emmett's head. "Stop it. You shouldn't make fun of them. Actually, you should be taking notes. When is the last time you said something that sweet to me? Maybe if you took pointers from Edward, you wouldn't be sleeping in the couch so much." Rose scolded.

"Ooh dude! You just got burned!" Mike grinned. Rose hit him, too. "Hey! That hurt." He rubbed the spot where the punch landed.

"Baby," she grumbled.

"Rose," Emmett started, ignoring Mike. "I don't need any gushy stuff to woo you. All I need are these." He flexed his muscles. Rose rolled her eyes at him, but smiled at him nonetheless. Honestly, after all the months I spent with them, it still confuses me how Rose and Emmett are together. All I know is that they both really love each other. I laid down Bella's blanket and motioned her to sit down first. She did and I followed. As soon as I sat, Bella laid her head on my shoulder and put her arm around me. I smiled. And then Nikki crawled onto both of our laps. She rested her head on my knee and her legs across Bella's lap. Nikki and I have grown close over the past months. She was so adorable, kinda like her gorgeous aunt that was sitting right next to me. Mike has also attached himself to our outgoings. He and Jasper and Alice are on friendly terms. And Rose and Emmett at least don't glare at him every time they see him anymore.

"Hey, where is Jasper and Tyler?" Bella asked.

"They went to go get us some hotdogs," Alice answered. Bella nodded.

"Bella?" Emmett asked excitedly. "Please tell me that that is your famous apple cinnamon cake." He pointed towards the cake pan I set down earlier.

"Yup," she confirmed. Emmett licked his lips and reached out to grab the pan.

Rose slapped his hands. "No dessert until you finish your dinner. Honestly, it's like I'm raising two kids."

"But Rosie." Emmett pouted. "It's not my fault Jasper is taking so long." As soon as the words left Emmett's mouth, Jasper came holding a bag of hotdogs in his hands with Tyler holding a bag of hotdog buns. "Well, finally!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Shut up. I couldn't help how long the line was. You're lucky I didn't make you get your own hotdogs," Jasper defended. He turned and smiled when he saw Bella and me. "Hey, Bella. Edward," he greeted.

"Hey, Jasper," Bella waved cheerfully.

"Hey," I smiled in greeting as I ran hand through Nikki's soft blond curls.

"Auntie Belly!" Tyler cried more enthusiastically. He quickly walked and launched himself into Bella's lap. Nikki made an annoyed sound and moved her legs out of the way so she was sitting fully on my lap and Tyler was on Bella's.

"Tyler!" Bella greeted, hugging him. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

Tyler looked at her. "We saw each other yesterday. You gave me a lollipop." Bella frowned. "But don't worry. I still missed you today." He patted her arm reassuringly and Bella's frown turned into a small grin. Tyler turned his bright blue eyes to me. "Hello, Mister," he greeted me politely.

I sighed. "Tyler, I'm not teaching you right now. There is no need to call me Mister. Call me Edward."

Nikki leaned towards Tyler. "Psst, he likes it when you call him Eddie," she whispered to him. I frowned because I absolutely dislike being called Eddie. The only reason I let Nikki call me Eddie is because she says it so sweetly that it's impossible to be irritated with her.

"Okay," Tyler whispered back. "Guess what, Eddie. Today I woke up and found a penny on my bed! I didn't know how it got there, but it means I have good luck today, right?"

"My mommy says the penny is only lucky if it is heads up," Nikki answered. "I found a quarter today that was heads-up, though. Is that lucky, Eddie?" Nikki asked. And so Nikki, Tyler, and I had us a nice conversation while Emmett and Rose argued. Alice and Jasper held hands while Alice conversed with Bella and Jasper talked to Mike.

"Hey, you guys. Can we eat now?" Emmett asked. "I'm starving!" he exclaimed.

"You're always hungry, Daddy." Nikki said. Emmett winked at her.

"Mommy, can Eddie roast my hotdog?" Tyler asked Alice. Alice nodded her approval.

"Come on Nik, I'll help you roast yours." Emmett offered.

Nikki frowned. "But Daddy, last time you made my hotdog black."

Emmett pouted. "It's not my fault the fire was too hot," he defended.

"Yes it is," Jasper disagreed. "You had it in there for like ten minutes."

"Did not," Emmett protested, raising his voice.

"Calm down, guys. Edward and I will take the kids," Bella offered. Nikki and Tyler cheered.

"Come one, Eddie," Tyler urged, getting up.

"Yeah, Auntie Belly," Nikki said, following Tyler.

"Eddie?" Bella whispered to me, smiling.

I shrugged. "Don't ask me. But if I'm being honest, Belly and Eddie have a nice ring to it," I answered, smiling when Bella laughed and blushed.

"So does Rosie and Emmy. And Jazzy and Ally," she added.

I grinned in agreement. "Oh and um Bella, I don't know how to roast a hotdog on a fire," I admitted.

"I'll help you," she promised. I nodded and stood up. I offered her a hand and pulled her up. We got a suitable amount of hotdogs and buns and led Nikki and Tyler towards the fire.

"Okay you guys, don't get to close to the fire. Edward and I will roast your hotdogs and you guys stand behind us. Not in front, ok?" The kids nodded excitedly.

When we got to the fire, Bella handed me a stick from the stick pile and showed me how to place the hotdog at the end of the stick.

"And then just put the hotdog at the bottom of the fire. Turn it every so often so that the whole hotdog heats evenly. It's like roasting a marshmallow," she explained. I followed her instructions and soon we both finished the kids' hotdogs. We put them on buns and handed it to them.

"Hey," Rose suddenly greeted from behind.

"Hey," We all chorused back, turning away from the fire to face her.

"Auntie Rosie, where is Uncle Emmy?" Tyler asked.

Rose got down at his eye-level. "Well Tyler, your uncle is an idiot and cannot roast a hotdog if his life depended on it."

"Daddy burnt another hotdog again, didn't he?" Nikki guessed. Rose nodded.

"How many this time?" Bella asked.

"Five," Rose answered, shaking her head. "He's getting some more as we speak. How many have you burnt Edward?" she asked me.

"He hasn't ruined one., Bella stated proudly. I beamed.

Rose's eyebrows rose. "Impressive," she commented.

Tyler tugged on Rose's sleeve. "Where's Mommy?"

Rose smiled. "Mommy is with Daddy. They're sitting where we were sitting before."

"I want to show Mommy my hotdog," Tyler told her seriously.

Rose laughed. "Of course. Let's go," Rose turned to face Bella and I. "Is it cool if I take them back?" she asked.

We nodded.

"Now before you go, what do you say to Bella and Edward?" Rose put her hands on her hips and stared at the kids sternly.

"Thank you Uncle Eddie and Auntie Belly for the hotdogs," Nikki and Tyler chorused.

Did they just call me Uncle Eddie? I smiled at the thought. Rose and Bella didn't seem to find anything unusual about their statement so I didn't comment on it.

"You're welcome," Bella responded simply, grinning at them. She gave both of them a swift kiss to the forehead before Rose and them left us, leaving Bella and I alone. Well, except for the twenty or so people beside us who were also roasting hotdogs.

"So are beach bonfires common here?" I asked Bella as we prepared our own hotdogs.

"Yeah, ever since I was two I've been coming to these. They usually have them every 4th of July. It's unusual to have one in the winter, though. This time we are just welcoming Jake back."

I pursed my lips at the mention of him. "And how long is Jake staying?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"Uh not long. Probably just a week or so. The only reason he visited besides seeing his dad again is because he said he had some big news that he just had to tell everybody in person," Bella explained. She took her hotdog out of reach of the fire. "Do you think this is good enough?" she held the stick towards me so I could see her evenly cooked hotdog.

"Perfect. As always," I commented. She smiled at my compliment. I took my hotdog out, too, and after her nod of approval, we both placed them in the hotdog buns. Hand and hand, Bella led me towards the picnic table where the condiments were sitting.

"Eww. Mustard?" Bella winkled her nose adorably while I squirted some on my hotdog.

I looked at her incredulously. "What? Don't tell me you eat your hotdog without mustard."

"Of course I don't. It's disgusting."

"Well you didn't seem to have any problem with mustard when you were squirting me with it earlier today," I teased.

Bella laughed. "That's different," she insisted

I rolled my eyes, but didn't argue. "Are you done?" I asked. She nodded and I glanced distastefully at her mustard-deprived hotdog.

Bella ignored my pointed look. "Are you done?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yup, let's go, love." I held out my hand for her to take. She looked at me strangely. "What?" I asked, wondering if I had mustard on my face or something. She shrugged and took my hand. I gladly led her to the spot we previously occupied. But this time there were a lot more people. In addition to everyone that was there before, there was Jake, Ben—who I had met earlier—and another brown-haired girl that I didn't recognize. We sat down on the blanket and joined everyone.

"Oh, Angela this is my boyfriend, Edward," Bella introduced. Cue my huge smile at the word boyfriend. "Edward, this is my old friend from high school. She is also Ben's wife." I nodded in greeting and she smiled.

"So you're the guy who made the infamous tape, huh?" Angela asked me.

I nodded and Bella squeezed my hand.

"Woah," she looked impressed. "So every day you help her realize what happened and you wait patiently for her to be okay with it and then you make her fall for you? Every single day?"

"Uh, yeah, that's the idea," I confirmed, all of a sudden self-conscious.

"Is he the sweetest?" Bella asked fondly, staring adoringly at me. I smiled at her.

"He is," Angela agreed. She turned to Ben and smacked him on the chest. "Ugh! You don't even open the car door for me anymore," she scolded.

Everyone laughed at Ben's dumbstruck expression.

"Don't be too hard on him, Ang." Bella said. "Honestly, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Like I'm on top of the world, you know? All because Edward decided to take a chance on little 'ole me," Bella said to Angela, but continued looking at me.

I pressed my forehead against hers. "On the contrary, I think I'm the lucky one," I disagreed, kissing her smooth curved nose. Just as I hoped, Bella blushed a beautiful red. Yup, I'm definitely the luckiest person in the world.

"Aww!" Angela, Alice, and even Rose chorused. They then proceeded to glare at their husbands. Mike and Jake laughed at Ben's, Jasper's, and Emmett's expense.

"Mommy?" Nikki climbed into Rose's lap. She and Tyler had previously been playing with each other. "Can we go see the ocean now? Please, uou promised."

"Yeah, Mommy. You promised," Tyler added, tugging on Alice's arm.

"Of course we'll go closer to the ocean," Rose answered, running her hand through Nikki's hair.

"I'll come, too," Angela offered.

"Me too," Bella said, getting up.

I frowned at the loss of contact. Bella, noticing, ran her fingers over my frown. "I'll be back soon," she promised.

"Not soon enough," I mumbled between her soft fingers.

"I'll miss you, too. But I really haven't seen Angela in awhile." Bella looked torn.

"Go. Have fun. I'll be waiting for you to be back in my arms again."

"Aww!" The girls chorused again.

Bella blushed and she turned around to walk away with her friends. I stared wistfully at her until she was out of sight.

"Nice going, Edward," Emmett said sarcastically once he was sure the girls were out of earshot.

"What?" l asked.

"On the contrary, I think I'm the lucky one," Ben mocked.

"Not soon enough," Jake continued.

"I'll be waiting for you to be back in my arms again," Jasper repeated.

"You are making us look like douche bags!" Emmett whined.

I shrugged. "Not my fault."

Emmett, Jasper, Jake and Ben sighed in frustration.

"I'm glad I don't have a steady girl to worry about," Mike commented, sounding smug.

"Girls," Jake mumbled. "Don't even get me started."

"They're impossible to understand," Jasper agreed. "Like one time, Alice wanted me to go shopping with her. And I was like sure, because I knew if I said no she would get insulted for some reason. But I didn't really want to go since there was this game I really wanted to watch. It must have been obvious that I didn't want to shop, so Alice said I didn't have to go if I didn't want to. So I said okay, then I won't go. And then she got all mad and refused to speak to me for the rest of the day," Jasper reminisced.

"But she said you didn't have to go!" Ben countered.

"I know!" Jasper exclaimed, looking baffled.

"Well that's not nearly as bad how Angela freaked out when…" So everyone told their own stories about their own fights with their wife and past girlfriends. I've got to say, Mike's were the most amusing. How could you forget Valentine's Day? It's a national holiday! I didn't really add to the conversation. Sure Bella and I have had our spats here and there, but they never lasted more than a few hours. We were really good at making up. And plus it helps that whenever Bella was mad at you, all you had to do is show up at her doorstep with some daffodils and a big apology and she melts.

"Ooh. This is a good one," Jake started "Okay, so it was Vanessa's birthday, right? And I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and she's like oh I don't want anything. So I don't get her anything because she said she didn't want a present. And then she gets pissed at me and refused to talk to me for three days. Three! And she refused to tell me why she was so mad."

"Exactly," Emmett added. "They always go 'well if you really cared, you would know why I'm mad.'"

Ben shook his head. "Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them."

"Amen to that," Mike said.

"You know what the key is?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You have to make sure they know who is the boss. Rosie knows I'm in charge. Sure occasionally you let them think they're calling the shots, but really you are the one on top. Yup, you have to be the boss," Emmett told us.

"Excuse me?" A sharp voice asked from behind. We all turned around to see Bella, Angela, Nikki, Tyler, and lastly Rose who had her hand on her hip and was glaring at Emmett. Emmett's face immediately blanched. Bella and I smiled when we made contact. I opened up my arms for her and she walked over and sat between my legs. I put my arms around her and rested my chin on top of her silky hair.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back, blushing. Together we watched the scene in front of us.

"Uh, Emmett! How could you say such a thing?" Ben exclaimed suddenly.

"Yeah," Jasper caught on. "That's the craziest thing I ever heard." Angela and Alice smiled in satisfaction and pecked their husbands on the cheek.

"Uh hi Rose." Emmett ignored them. "How much did you hear?" he asked nervously.

"Oh not much. Just everything you said after 'you know what the key is'" She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh! So you weren't here to hear me say 'what I'm about to say is totally a joke and not meant to be taken seriously?'" Emmett asked.

"Nice try," Rose growled. She turned away and stalked off.

"Rosie, baby! I didn't mean anything. We were just goofing off," Emmett started towards the direction that Rose went off to.

"Emmett," I called.

"Yeah?" he glanced back.

"Give her a flower," I advised, gesturing towards the woods where there was bound to be some type of flower.

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, good idea," he said quickly before rushing off.

"Does this happen often?" I asked everyone who looked unaffected by what had just transpired.

"Oh yeah. Ever since they were kids," Alice answered.

"Emmett says something stupid that he doesn't mean and Rose gets mad. Don't worry, those two love each other. Wait five minutes and they will be making out," Jasper assured.

"My parents are crazy," Nikki offered.

Everyone laughed.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Emmett and Rose came back hand in hand.

Emmett grinned at Bella and me. "So can we have some cake now?" he asked.

Bella grinned. "Of course." She reached over to grab the cake pans we set down earlier and Rose got the paper plates and plastic forks.

"I can't wait to taste the cake, Bella. I remember how good of a cook you are," Jake commented once everyone was served and ready to dig in.

Bella blushed. "Well, I can't take all the credit. I had some help."

"Who?" Alice asked, her blue eyes curious.

"Edward," she smiled at me.

Alice, Mike, Jasper, Rose, and even Emmett widened their eyes.

"Oh uh I'm not so hungry anymore." Mike pushed away his plate.

"Yeah, me either," Rose added. Jasper, Alice, and Emmett looked uneasy. They have all had experience with my cooking.

I frowned, hurt by their rejection.

"Hey! Come on guys. Edward and I worked hard on this cake. No one asked us to cook. We did it for you guys. Now stop complaining and eat the cake," Bella scolded, a fierce fire burning in her eyes. I smiled at the fact she was defending me.

Angela took a hesitant bite of her cake. She closed her eyes in pleasure. "Mmm. This is good, guys," she said honestly. I grinned. Everyone else had a bite.

"Yeah, it is good. Sorry, Edward," Alice apologized.

"No problem. You guys can call me Chef Edward from now on." I joked.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Now, now. Let's not let this go to our heads."

"Agreed," Bella said. "We still have a lot of work to do, Edward."

I groaned. "Can't we just leave the cooking to you now?" I asked, pouting. "You're so good at it," I added.

Bella laughed. "Nice try. What's wrong? Didn't you have fun today?" she asked, sounding slightly hurt.

I widened my eyes. "No, no, Bella. I had a blast. But then again, I always have fun when I'm with you."

Emmett sighed. "Not this mushy stuff again," he mumbled.

"Yeah. I'm eating here," Mike added.

"No one told you guys to eavesdrop," I countered.

They didn't have a response to that.

"Nessie!" I heard Alice squeal suddenly. I followed her voice and saw her hugging a brown-haired medium height lady who had appeared.

Everyone got up and crowded around her. I followed more slowly and stood next to Bella. I assumed the new arrival was Jake's wife.

"Okay you guys settle down." Jake ordered lightly with his arm around Vanessa's (Nessie's) waist. "It's time to announce our big news."

"Finally!" Rose exclaimed.

"Sorry," Vanessa apologized. "I got hung up at the office."

"It's fine," Bella assured her. Vanessa smiled at her, and then her kind blue eyes landed on me.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't believe I've met you before." I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but she raised a manicure hand. "Hold on. Let me see. Bronze hair, green eyes, body like a God, tall, muscular, and a killer smile that just makes you melt. You must be Edward, Bella's boyfriend."

"Uh yeah," I mumbled at her description. "How did you know?" I asked.

"Bella." She shrugged. I glanced questionably at Bella but she looked just as confused. "She sent me an e-mail a month ago. Everything I said is how she described you to me."

"I did?" Bella asked.

"Yup. And you also told me about your date to the zoo and how much fun you had." She informed.

I smiled. "That was our 19th date," I said.

"I love the zoo. I wish I could remember it," Bella said wistfully.

"I still have the e-mail. I can forward it to you and you can read it. You described it in great detail."

Bella smiled hugely. "Really? That would be great!"

"I would like to read this e-mail, too," I added.

Bella shoved me. "No way, mister. I have no idea how many embarrassing things are in there."

I laughed.

"Okay, okay. Can we hear the news now?" Alice begged, bouncing on her toes excitedly.

"Of course," Jake said. He looked at Vanessa. "My girl and I are going to have a baby," He announced. Cheering broke out immediately. Alice squealed.

Bella hugged both of them. "Congratulations," she said.

"Yeah man. Way to go," Emmett slapped Jacob's back.

Everyone echoed his sentiments.

"Thanks you guys," Vanessa said.

"How far along are you?" Angela asked.

"Yeah. What are you going to name him slash her?" Rose added. The women formed their own circle and fired questions at Vanessa.

"Well, I should probably go tell everyone else," Jake said, leaving with a wave of his hand.

"Daddy?" Tyler asked Jasper.

Jasper kneeled down to his son's eye level. "Yeah, bud?" he questioned.

"Where do babies come from?" Tyler wondered.

Jasper eyes widened and he choked on what appeared to be oxygen. Emmett laughed at his expression.

"Daddy, I want to know, too." Nikki added, looking at Emmett. Emmett's face then matched Jasper's. I laughed at both of them and walked away before I had to listen to their probably fake explanations. I sat down where Bella and I had been previously and stared at her as she talked to her friends. She was so exquisite. I loved seeing her laugh—how her head falls back and she lets out such a beautiful sound. And the cute little expressions she makes. Ugh. I sound like such a love-stuck fool. But I can't help it. Trust me; you'll see what I'm talking about when you fall in love. I must have been so distracted by her beauty that I didn't hear Jake approach me.

"Hey," he sat next to me.

"Hey." I said quietly before going back to gazing at my girlfriend.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he mumbled.

I reluctantly turned to face him. "About what?"

"When we met. I could have been nicer. I'm just protective over her. She's like my little sister. And I didn't think Bella could ever have a boyfriend. With…you know…"

"Her damaged temporal lobe," I finished.

"Yeah. So I was a little surprised."

"It's cool. It's nice of you to apologize, though."

"Emmett told me that it was you who came up with the idea to make a the Video. That's really something. Thanks by the way. None of us would have thought of that," he continued.

I shrugged. "It wasn't much. I had a lot of help." I went back to look at Bella. In truth, the video had taken a lot of time and effort, but her happiness was worth it.

"You love her," he stated after a while of comfortable silence.

"What?"

"You love her," he repeated. I opened my mouth to respond but he held a hand up to stop me; just like his wife did previously. "Don't try to deny it. You've been staring at her for like twenty minutes straight, and what about all that gushy stuff you said earlier? Plus, it seems like you can't keep your hands off her," he listed.

My ears turned pink. "I wasn't going to deny it. I love her and I'm not ashamed of that. But is it that obvious?" I asked.

"Yeah. She loves you, too, you know?"

"No she doesn't," I disagreed sadly.

"Did she say she didn't?" he asked, sounding shocked.

I nodded.

He frowned. "Well I've known Bella since I was born. She's in love with you," he assured.

"How do you know?" I asked, desperately wanting to believe him.

"Dude, have you seen the way she looks at you? She couldn't keep her hands off of you either. You guys always have to be holding hands or hugging each other. And there's something different about her-like she has a twinkle in her eyes that she didn't have before. Not that she wasn't happy before she met you, but now she's like twenty times happier. And you manage to get that twinkle in her eyes every day after spending only a few hours with her. You must be special to her. Bella's always believed she didn't need a guy to be happy. I mean, after her parent's rocky marriage she didn't really believe in that soul mate and true love stuff. Of course, she believed there was such a thing as love. How could she not when she spent her whole life with couples like Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, and Vanessa and me. She just didn't think love was for her, you know? But that's changed. Because of you, I think. So maybe she says she doesn't love you. But she can. And she probably will. Just give her some time. I think she's just protecting her heart."

I mulled over what he said. "Thanks," I finally said. "I didn't know all that stuff about her," I added, feeling hopeful after his explanation.

"No problem. I like you Edward. You seem like a good guy. But if you break her heart—" He started.

This time I was the one who held the hand up. "Yeah, yeah. If I break her heart, you'll break my face. I've heard it at all before. Mike, Jasper, Emmett, Charlie, Rose, and Alice all told me the same thing so you can hold your breath. Heck, even Nikki and Tyler said that if I made Bella sad, they wouldn't be friends with me anymore. What I don't get, though, is how I can possibly break her heart. Don't you get it? I can drown in the ocean right now and get eaten by huge sharks and she wouldn't even care. Sure she'll be sad for a few hours. But as soon as she falls asleep, she won't even know that I existed," I said bitterly. I took a deep breath and pinched my nose. "Sorry. I really do love her. And I couldn't possibly leave her. I'm okay with her condition, really. But sometimes it just gets to me. Is it so bad of me to want her to be rid of her amnesia? For her to remember me?"

"Of course it's okay. Heck dude, I admire you. If I was in your position, I don't know what I'd do. I can't imagine how it feels to finally fall in love with the women of your dreams only to find that she can't remember you the next day. But I think, to use your scenario, if you drowned in the ocean and got eaten by huge sharks, Bella would care the next day," he said.

I looked at him incredulously. "Get real, Jake. It's not going to happen. No way, no how."

"I'm not saying she will remember you. But she would lose that sparkle I was talking about earlier. And you know I was talking to Charlie, Emmett, and Alice. Remember when you took that trip to visit your parents or something?" I nodded. Around August, my mom missed me so she asked me to go see her. I went to Chicago for three days. It was probably the hardest days of my life. Spending 72 hours away from Bella was not my idea of fun. "And you know how Bella sings in the shower when she gets up?" I nodded again. I hear her sing every morning when I enter her house. She sounded beautiful. "She never used to do that. Charlie said it started the day after she met you. And he also said that when you left, she didn't sing. They didn't show her the video for those three days so she didn't know you existed. But Alice said she noticed a difference. Apparently Bella was less talkative and she looked sad even though she didn't have a reason to be. Emmett said that when he asked Bella why she looked so blue, she responded that she didn't know. She said it was like she had a stomach ache but her stomach didn't hurt, it was her heart that was hurting," Jake explained.

I smiled. That was exactly what I felt the weekend we were apart. Like I left a piece of me at Forks and that piece was Bella. Hope filled me. Maybe Bella would be able to love me. Maybe not. But no matter what, I didn't think I could stop hoping.

Then I shook my head, feeling stupid. "She can't fall in love with someone in one day. No one can."

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Ever heard of love at first sight?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Be serious."

"When say you can't get someone to fall in love in with you in one day, you're partly right. But this isn't like two random people meeting on the street, getting some coffee, and then saying they all of a sudden love each other. Bella already knows you pretty well before she even 'meets' you. The video shows a lot about her relationship with you and all that you have done for you. She already knows that you care deeply for her. You made the video for her and despite her condition you are still with her. Girls eat that stuff up. So she knows all about you, your favorite colors and hobbies and whatnot from the video, and you guys must have a lot in common. So it's like she's known you for a week before she actually see's your face," He countered.

"Yeah well people don't fall for each other in one week," I argued.

"You did,' he accused.

"Did not. It was two weeks."

"Well I heard that of those weeks, you spent a whole week away from her," he said, talking about the week I stayed away from Bella after I found out about her inability to ever remember me.

I sighed.

"Aha! I'm right and you know it."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked him, changing the subject.

Jake thought about the question for a minute. "Just look at her." I did. And saw that she wasn't with Vanessa or any other girl. She was sitting on a log with ten kids surrounding her, including Nikki and Tyler. They varied in age. Some seem to be as little as three and the oldest looked to be twelve. It looked like Bella was telling them a story and their face were intent with interest. I smiled at the sight. "Now that's a girl who deserves everything that life can offer her. As far as I'm concerned, a girl as special as Bella does not deserve to have amnesia. What she does deserve is happiness. And you—" He pointed at me. "You obviously give her that happiness. So I want to make sure that you won't leave her. That you know that she cares for you, too."

"I'm not leaving her. I can guarantee that."

Jake nodded, satisfied and we sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Hey guys," Bella greeted from behind us. I jumped, startled, because I didn't hear her approach.

"Hey, Bells. What were you doing with those kids?" Jake asked.

"Oh I told them a ghost story." She bit her lip. "I hope I didn't scare them too much," she said, sounding worried.

I chuckled. "I'm sure you didn't." I assured her. I patted a spot next to me on the blanket and she sat down. I wrapped my arms around her.

"So what were you guys talking about?" she asked, curiously. I pursed my lips, not wanting her to know that we were discussing her condition.

"Just how beautiful we both think you are," Jake said seriously.

Bella blushed and giggled.

Jake eyes narrowed at her giggle. "You sound giddy. Why?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because one of my best guy friends is talking to my boyfriend and they seem to like each other. Yay!" She clapped her hands, her eyes shining brightly. Jake caught my eye, mouthed 'sparkle', and gestured towards her eyes.

"Anyway, I came here for you, Edward. I wanted us to go closer to the ocean. It's really beautiful out there," she explained.

"You don't need to persuade me, Bella. Of course I'll go." I kissed her temple quickly before standing up and lifting her up, too.

She hesitated before leaving. "You can join us if you want, Jake," she offered.

I frowned, wanting Jake to refuse. Not that I didn't like the guy. I just wanted to be alone with Bella.

"Nah," he said. "You two lovebirds continue your date." I shot him a grateful glance, and he shrugged in response.

"Okay, Jake. See you later, I guess," Bella said.

"See ya, Bells. Oh and Masen, try not to drown and get eaten by sharks," he chuckled.

I smirked at him. "I'll try. Catch you later, Black," I called as I walked hand and hand with Bella towards the ocean.

"What was he talking about?" Bella asked me.

I shrugged. "He's crazy."

"Well, that's Jake for you." Bella rolled her eyes. "Ooh. Wanna race?

"I don't think—" I started, but Bella was already running. I sighed before taking off after her. I easily reached her and hugged her from behind. "I really don't see why you insist on racing so much when you lose all the time," I whispered into her neck.

Bella shivered. "I like running. I mean, I'm not good at it seeing as I'm a little bit clumsy—"

"A little bit?" I snorted.

She shoved me playfully. "Oh shut up. Okay, I'm really clumsy. So I don't run. But when I'm with you, I don't know, I just feel like you would never let me fall."

"Never," I agreed firmly, kissing her neck to seal the promise. I was awarded with another shiver.

"Edward?" I hummed a response. "Look up," she commanded. I followed her directions and found that we had ran right next to the ocean. It certainly was a sight to see. The moonlight danced on the ocean and the water seemed to sparkle. The waves were gentle and beautiful.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" Bella asked in awe.

"Yes," I agreed.

"I love the ocean. It is so filled with so many possibilities and mysteries. Doesn't it look like it can goes on forever? I feel so small standing next to it, you know?"

I didn't answer. I just rested my chin on top of her sweet-smelling chocolate hair. "I love you," I whispered.

"And I love…that you love me. I'm sorry. That sounds lame. But it's the best I can offer. I'm sorry," Bella said miserably.

I nuzzled her neck. "Don't be sorry. Just because I say it doesn't mean I expect you to say it back. I just love telling you that I love you."

Bella bit her lip. "Are you going to tell me tomorrow?" she asked.

I frowned. Based on today's actions, I had no doubt in my mind that I wasn't going to tell her that I loved her until I was sure she could say it back.

"I don't think so," I answered.

"That's not fair," she declared.

"How so?"

"You should be able to tell the women you love that you love her every day," she said firmly.

"But Bella—"

"No buts. I know I freaked out this morning but—"

"I thought you said no buts," I accused.

"Whatever," Bella rolled her eyes.

"I never want to make you cry again," I reasoned softly.

Bella turned around so we were face to face. "Oh, Edward. I wasn't crying because you told me you loved me, I cried because I didn't think I could love you back. And I felt bad for you."

"And if I tell you again, you would feel the same way."

"Maybe. But I don't think so. You kinda caught me off guard. But if you build up to it, maybe I won't freak out," she theorized.

"So what do you propose I do?"

"Tell me you love me tomorrow. But don't let me run away this time. And do the thing with your
eyes—"

"Wait, what thing?" I asked curiously.

She blushed. "The thing where you look upwards at me…from under your eyelashes. And smile, too. That makes me lose every train of thought," she admitted.

I smirked and did what she suggested, giving her my crooked smile. "Like this?" I asked.

She blinked rapidly and looked dazed. "Yeah, yeah, that," she stammered.

I smirked again and she blushed. "Don't be embarrassed. You render me speechless almost every minute. Especially when you blush. And when you do that face."

"What? What face?" Bella looked eager.

"You bite your lip adorably and look at me sweetly through your eyelashes. Oh and you're blushing, too. Can't forget the blush," I informed.

Of course she blushed. And then she bit her lip and gazed at me through her eyelashes. I don't even think she realized that she was doing exactly what I described. Either way, I couldn't stop myself. I pulled her closer and captured her lips with mine. It took awhile for her to respond, but when she did, we kissed long and hard. Her little hands took her rightful spot in my bushy hair and my arms held her close.

"Sorry," I whispered after we pulled away. "I couldn't help myself. You're too beautiful for your own good."

Bella rested her head against my chest. I wondered if she could hear my heart beating loudly and rapidly. "Don't ever be sorry for kissing me," she whispered.

I smiled and buried my head in her soft hair. "Okay. I won't," I agreed.

"So, do that face and then say everything you said to me this morning. Then I'd probably not freak out so much," Bella said, getting back to the subject.

"Fine," I agreed. "Now come on, let's sit."

I sat on the cold sand and pulled her down. Bella shrieked as she fell but I caught her easily and tucked her in between my legs. She leaned back against my chest so we were both gazing at the ocean. I wrapped my arms around her. She yawned.

"Sounds like someone is sleepy," I observed.

Bella shook her head violently. "No! No. I just want to stay in this moment forever. Just you and me," she protested.

I pulled her closer. "I do, too, Bella," I mumbled. I knew why she didn't want to sleep. She knew that as soon as she closed her eyes, she would forget about me and everything that happened today.

She yawned again. "Promise me you won't let me fall asl—" Bella started but never got to finish, for she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She was curled up in my lap and looked so relaxed as she slept. I've never seen her sleep before and gazed at her for half an hour. Every minute she had a new expression. One second she would be smiling and the next she would purse her lips. I wondered what dreams she was having to make her smile so hugely.

"Edward," she whispered softly. Thinking she had woken up, I opened my mouth to tell her to go back to sleep. But her eyes were still closed. Amazing. She talked in sleep. I leaned in closer so I wouldn't miss a word.

"Edward," she said again and then smiled beautifully. "Body like a God," she sighed. I smirked, realizing that's what Vanessa said that earlier. "Edward?" she said again, this time sounding like a question.

"Yes?" I answered. It felt weird to talk to a sleeping person.

"I love you," she whispered softly. My heart burst. Did she just say what I think she said? Pure joy filled me. She did. She loves me. Sure she said it in her sleep, but it still counts. In fact, it's better than saying it out loud. I mean, you can't lie when you sleep, right? Maybe deep in her subconscious she knows she loves me? I'm have no idea what it means, but all that matters is that she said it.

I kissed her forehead gently. "Oh, Bella. I love you so very much." I whispered. And we stayed like that for another half an hour. She said I love you three more times, and every time she did my heart melted.

"Edward," Jasper called. "There you are," he said as he reached us.

"Shh." I said, motioning to Bella's sleeping form.

Jasper nodded, showing he understood. "Everyone is leaving," he whispered.

"Okay." I stood up, holding Bella to my chest, making sure not to wake her up. "I'll take her home."

"Alright. The gang and I are ready to leave," he informed. "Night, Bella," he said to a sleeping Bella. "Night, dude," He turned to me.

"Good night, Jasper."

He walked back to the bonfire and I went the other direction, toward Billy's house. It wasn't a long walk but my arms were starting to hurt from carrying Bella so I was relieved when I finally reached Bella's truck. I set her down in the backseat, took the keys from her pocket, and started the car. I have no idea how she didn't wake up from the loud engine, but thankfully she didn't. I drove to her home and carried her all the way upstairs, to her room. I set her on her bed.

I moved a strand of her hair that was lying on her face. "Sweet dreams, my love," I whispered before slowly walking out.

My love.

So did you like it? I said that this was probably my favorite date to write. Which one is your favorite so far? I'd like to know. Did you like Bella's response? What about Nikki and Tyler? I tried to add them in a little more than usual. Oh, and do you like long chapters like this one or would you rather have shorter chapters and quicker updates? Personally I like long chapters, but maybe that's just me. So REVIEW! Remember, you get a sneak preview of the next chapter and they really motivate me to write faster. Plus, this is my LONGEST chapter so I'd love to hear what you think of it. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Review!

Until Next Time,
Valerie