EPOV

It was official. As soon as I logged onto my email I knew my suspicions from lunchtime had just been confirmed.

Bella was trying to tell me something.

To: I_Love_Cookies

From: BrunetteShoppingHater

I don't know if you remember what we talked about in the very first online chat we ever had, but I certainly do. I'll be there till 5pm. If you don't show, I'll know your decision about...everything. Hope to see you there

-BSH

I cocked my head to one side. Where was 'there'?

And what did we talk about in our first online chat ever?

I went through my history till I found it.

BrunetteShoppingHater: Oh, hello. I was hoping you'd come on.

I_Love_Cookies: Why's that?

BrunetteShoppingHater: We obviously have a lot in common..Wait. You don't like shopping do you?

I_Love_Cookies: Why, I love shopping. I mean, I just sooo totally live to shop!

BrunetteShoppingHater: Nooooo! You're joking....right?

I_Love_Cookies: No....Ok, yes. But I like shopping for cookies. (see screen name) Does that count?

BrunetteShoppingHater: YES! All types of shopping is cursed! Cursed and doomed I tell you! Cursed and doomed!

I_Love_Cookies: Wow! Ok, but what if I said we were shopping for... Chocolate chip cookies?

BrunetteShoppingHater: We? There is no we. You couldn't drag me to a mall if you tried.

I_Love_Cookies: I dunno...I'm not a weak person...

BrunetteShoppingHater: Gah! Ok. Fine. You can take me to your damn shopping mall. But only to buy cookies.

I_Love_Cookies: But...I get thirsty.... *does puppy dog eyes*

BrunetteShoppingHater: Noo! Not the puppy dog eyes! OK OK! Drinks too.

I_Love_Cookies: Excellent! I'm looking forward to it already.

That was the point where she'd had to log off.

Was that what Bella had meant? Was she going to be at the mall till five? And she wanted me to meet her there?

And she wanted to buy cookies? At a time like this?

Perhaps there was more to Bella and my 'break-up' than I'd first thought.....

Alice was going to be so damn smug.

BPOV

There was no way he was going to turn up. And even if he did, I was still doomed.

"What the hell was I thinking?" I moaned to myself, not caring if the other people in the food court heard me or not. "This is never going to work!"

I should've just let Alice tell him like we'd planned! But somehow....I had a feeling he wouldn't believe her. She did have a reputation for lying to us 'for our own good'.

Like telling me we were just going to her house to 'hang out', then locking me in a bathroom so I'd hook up with Edward.

So maybe he'd think it was all just a trick if she told him. The again, if I told him, he might not believe me either, I'd already lied to him once.

"What was I thinking?" I repeated.

"Maybe that I'd come and you'd explain why you've been such a bitch to me, I know that's what I was thinking."

I spun around in my seat. "EDWARD!"

He appeared to be fighting a smile. "Hey."

"Um...sit..down." I babbled, gesturing to the seat opposite me.

He did. "So, am I right?"

I sighed happily, feeling blissful. Despite all I'd done to him, he'd turned up. "'Bout what?"

"Did I guess correctly? Is that the reason you asked me, quite irritatingly cryptically, might I add, here? So you can explain?"

I nodded. "It is. Sorry about the message. I couldn't straight out ask you to meet me here. James is like a computer genius, he could easily hack into my account and-"

Edward scraped his chair back. "It must be great having a genius for your boyfriend." He said bitterly. "Look, if you just asked me here so you could boast about how amazing James is, I don't want to know." He stood up.

Woah! Talk about jumping the gun!

"Wait wait wait!" I pleaded. "Don't go! Stay!"

"So you can rub it in my face that the freak who beat me up in gym today, brainwashed you into loving him? No thanks, Bella."

"I don't love James!" I cried. "That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

He shook his head. "Love, lust, like, adore, have the hots for, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT! It's the same!"

"He's forcing me to be his girlfriend, Edward!" I hissed in a low voice so no-one else would hear. "Ok?"

Edward blinked. "He's forcing you?"

I nodded, trying to fight back the tears.

"I knew it! I knew he was..." Before I knew what was happening, Edward rushed over to where I was standing and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

I pressed my face against his chest and sighed. He'd believed me. This was why Edward was the love of my life. After all I'd said to him, all those cruel words...and he'd forgiven me. Just like that. I didn't deserve him. But I was too selfish to give him up now.

"Why on earth didn't you tell me in the first place?" He whispered, his warm breath tickled my ear , it sent shivers down my spine.

"Because he would've hurt you." I explained. "He said he would. There's...there's a lot of...stuff he said too....My mom...I'll explain to you later......."

"Later." He murmured, stroking my hair.

*

I finished talking and swiveled around on Edward's lap to see his face. His expression was furious, I wouldn't have expected anything less though. "You're thinking of all the different ways of killing him right now, aren't you?"

He nodded once. "I can't believe.... Ugh."

I sighed. "You can't do anything, promise? I wasn't kidding when I said he'd hurt you and neither was he! Just pretend nothings changed at school, alright? He can't know that you know."

"I'm not scared of him." Edward growled.

I groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Well it's true! Why don't we just tell someone? Tell your dad! He's police chief, Bella! He can do something!"

"Not without proof."

"We'll get some proof." He exclaimed.

"How?"

He was silent for a moment.

"See?" I said gently. "We can't. Listen, Renee's not going to fall for him anyway! When he figures that out, he'll leave us alone."

"And get away with it?" asked Edward incredulously. "No. And there's no way in hell you're going to Florida with that creep. Besides, from what you've told me, Charlie isn't terribly fond of the guy either, so he won't let you."

"James will find a way to get around that." I muttered. "Edward, don't worry. Everything will work out."

"I'm going to get that psycho behind bars." said Edward under his breath. "I'll come up with something Bella. Don't worry."

"The only thing I'm worried about if your safety. I wish you'd just promise me you'll stay away from him." I complained. "The whole reason I lied to you about this mess in the first place, was because I wanted you to be safe."

He didn't answer me, he simply laid his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes, he stood up, taking me with him. "Home for you?"

I nodded as he set me down on the ground, and slipped my hand into his. We walked out to where our cars were parked in comfortable silence.

"So, I was thinking," he said, suddenly stopping."Does this mean that when you said you never wanted to kiss me and all that, that you were lying?"

I nodded slowly.

He thought for a moment.

"So...." He moved a bit closer to me and cupped my face in his hands. "This shouldn't be terribly offensive to you, right?" Without giving me a chance to answer, Edward leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to mine.

As our lips moved in synchronization, a smile spread across my face. I slipped my arms around his neck and did the one thing I'd wanted to do more than anything the past few weeks.

I made out with my best friend.