I have been horribly busy lately since work is understaffed and I am moving into a new place. I hate having to make an excuse for myself but I've had no time to write :( I'm hoping to finish out the story soon and write another fic before I start the sequel to this.

A huge hug and thank you go to MadeleineJade and Twilight-is-lovee for their help and support.

You guys are the most amazing readers anyone could ask for and I want to thank you again for sticking with me on this journey.

WARNING - LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER

All Characters Belong To Stephenie Meyer.

Things with Bella were finally falling into place. There were many words unsaid, but I knew that she was mine again, and this time, I wasn't going to fuck that up. I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to shake the urge to be near her. My cell phone started to buzz, and I assumed that it would be her calling.

"Hello, beautiful lady," I answered with a smile.

"Edward," she said with a heavy sigh, and my smile faltered. It was my mother, and she sounded like hell.

"Is everything okay?" I asked as I sat up in bed.

"No, it's your father. He's sick."

"Is it a cold? Do you need one of us to come help you around the house?" I asked hurriedly. My parents were currently living in California, and we were only a two-hour car ride away.

"No, honey, your father has cancer." Her voice cracked at the end, and I could tell that she was going to start crying.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," I said hastily as I jumped out of bed and ended the call.

After I was dressed, the weight of the situation hit dad was sick, and my mom was lost at the thought of losing the person she loved most in the world. Maybe loving someone was not always pain after all? What if you had to go through terrible shit to make it—love—worth it? Bella and I had been through a hell of a lot, and I knew I would forgive her for every mistake she made simply because I cared for her.

I made my way to her room, knowing my eyes were really fucking red because I had been crying. I had just gotten my family back, and I was already losing them. I knocked on her door, and waited for her to answer.

"You better have an amazing reason to wake me up—" She stopped suddenly when she took in my appearance. "What's wrong?" she asked as she took a step towards me.

A million thoughts ran through my head about my dad, about my feelings for Bella, all the fucked up shit that I had done to everyone. "Everything!" I shouted, and it broke my heart when she jumped in surprise as I had scared her.

"Nothing ever fucking works out for me; I can't do anything right," I said as I paced in front of her, running my hands through my hair. "I tried so hard not to feel this way about anyone, because it never does anyone good, but I can't fucking help it anymore. I can't." My resolve had broken. I didn't know exactly when it happened, just that it did. I loved her with every fiber of my fucking being.

"Edward, calm down," she said as she approached me again. I could see her hesitation. She had never seen me this way before, and I knew it worried her.

"I can't calm down, Bella!" I said as I finally stopped pacing the hallway.

"Why?" she asked as she looked into my eyes.

"Because I fucking love you," I said as I fell to my knees in front of her. I swear I could almost feel the weight being lifted off me as soon as the words fell from my lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her body closer, resting my head on her stomach. I couldn't help but let the tears flow again because I didn't just love Bella, but I loved my brother, my sister, my mother, and my father. Fuck, I even loved Rosalie and Jasper because they were my family, the people who would stand by me no matter what because they loved me.

"What did you say?" she asked as she fell to her knees in front of were now face-to-face, and I could see the hope in her eyes.

I pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and pressed my forehead against hers. Our noses were touching, and our eyes were trained on one another's. I took a deep breath before I spoke.

"I love you, Isabella," I said with absolute certainty.

"I love you, too, Edward." I could see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't cry," I begged as I used my thumb to wipe a tear away.

"Say it again," she said, and I almost made a joke about asking if she wanted me to say 'don't cry' again, but I knew what she meant, and I didn't want to ruin the moment.

"I love you," I said as I placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Again," she said as she pressed her body against mine.

"I love you." I placed another kiss on her lips.

"Again." I could feel her heart beat racing against my chest.

"I love you"—another kiss on her lips—"I love you"—followed by more kisses until I couldn't repeat the words again because her tongue had met mine, and her hands were on my back trying to pull me as close as possible.

"Let's go inside," she said breathlessly when we finally pulled apart. I nodded and rose from my kneeling position on the hallway floor, following her silently into her room. Once the door was closed, our lips met again and again and again until, suddenly, we were on her bed. We lay on our sides, our lips never breaking apart. I shifted my hips and pushed her onto her back, my body rested between her open legs. I groaned when I met her center. I could feel her heat through my jeans.

Instinctively, I pushed forward, causing her to moan. I smirked and repeated the action as I began to place kisses all over her neck and collarbone.

"Edward," she gasped as she bucked her hips up to meet mine.

I moved away from her momentarily to look into her eyes, and I could see the same want and need that was in my own. She wanted more tonight, and I was going to give it to her. I knelt on the bed, and she did the same. I slowly began to undress myself, starting with my shirt and then my pants and boxers. She did the same until we were kneeling on her bed, completely naked in front of each other. Baring our souls and bodies to one another.

"I love you. You are so beautiful." I said as gently laid her back down on the bed, being careful to keep my weight off her. We both gasped when my erection met her center. I thrust my hips and moaned at the feeling. I wasn't even inside her yet, and she felt like heaven.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she looked up into my eyes. I didn't trust my voice, instead nodding in response.

She smiled lazily up at me and wiggled her hand down to my dick, guiding it into her. She poised me at her opening and left it up to me to follow through. The voice in my head kept chanting that I couldn't do this, I couldn't let my guard down, but I knew better. I loved this woman, and by some charity act of god, she loved me back, and I didn't want to hide from her. I wanted her to have all of me.

"You have my heart," I said as I thrust forward. My head fell to her shoulder as I tried to adjust to her feeling. She was so tight, warm, and so fucking wet.

"So good," I moaned as I began a steady rhythm. I tried my best to hold out for her, but the fact that I was a virgin, coupled with how amazing she felt, didn't help my situation much.

"Oh, Edward…" she gasped as she raised her hips with my thrusts.

"I… can't hold out much longer," I groaned as I began pumping into her faster.

"Just let go," she whispered as she began to swivel her hips a little.

That was my undoing.

Two more thrusts and I released inside of her, moaning her name and a few expletives at the same time. I shakily pulled out of her and lay on my back beside turned onto her side and pressed her body into me. I ran my fingers through her hair as I let the feeling of pure bliss overtake me.

"You were amazing," she said as she looked up at me.

"So were you, love. You were so damn tight, you sure you're not a virgin?" I asked jokingly, immediately regretting it when her face fell. I hoped she didn't think I was calling her a whore or something. She was biting her bottom lip. "Bella, I didn't mean…"

"No, I—" she paused and sat up "I was," she whispered and then looked down at me nervously. I was dumbstruck!

"Bella! How could you not tell me?Fuck. I would've been more gentle, made it more special." I had stupidly assumed that she had been with Jake, although I was extremely relieved that it wasn't the case, I couldn't help but feel guilty. I had assumed wrong. I knew I was wrong because of the way Bella looked. She couldn't tell a lie without giving herself away. Her acting skills were not that good. To think that all this time, she wanted her first time to be with me.

"It was special; you told me that you loved me. It didn't hurt because… Well, I'm not going into logistics."

"I do love you, more than even I can comprehend." I pulled her body to mine again, letting her head rest on my chest.

"I love you, Edward Cullen," she whispered.

"I love you too, Isabella Swan," I whispered in reply before we closed our eyes and let sleep overcome us.

finally some fluff! Things with Edward and Bella are good for now but we have to deal with Carlisle being sick and Edward's emoness that will of course return because of it. Reviews help motivate me and I could sure as hell use some motivation.