Alright, if you're reading Her Last Days – The Tyler Crowley Story, I said I would get this one up soon, so as promised here it is!

****

Chapter 20

EPOV

When Emmett finally got the door open, the first thing we saw was Bella lying on the ground. "Bella," I said with fear in my voice. I looked around for blood, but thankfully there was none. Hopefully she'd just passed out.

"Move over, Edward. I'll pick her up and carry her to the bed," he said.

"Just be careful with her arm and her ribs." He looked up at me as if to say, 'I'm not an idiot', but he decided to leave it at that since nothing came out of his mouth. He picked her up carefully and carried her over to the guest room. "Um...Emmett? Can you put her in my bed? I want to keep an eye on her tonight, make sure she's alright without having to get up and go check on her every couple of hours or so."

Once he laid her down on the bed, I gently looked over her to make sure her pulse and everything else was fine. I took out my medicine kit and checked her blood pressure. It was a little low, but nothing to worry about for now. I made sure to keep the kit close to the bed in case I'd need it later.

Rose came in with some news. "She got sick, guys. I was going to go pee and there was vomit in the toilet. She's probably just exhausted and must have passed out from the effort and the day she's had." Emmett and I exhaled at the same time, not realizing we had been holding our breath.

"Thanks, Rose," I said, letting her know I appreciated her telling me. I was starting to feel my own body want to crawl into bed too after some moments of the day flashed in my mind. "Would you guys mind keeping an eye on her while I take my shower? I really need to wash up with everything that's gone on today and I don't want to leave her alone."

They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "We'll be in the living room and come check on her every five minutes or so," Rose said. "Just make sure that when you come out of the shower to put some clothes on. I don't want to walk in to check on her and end up seeing you naked." She made a grossed out face and shivered.

"I'm not going to walk in here naked. I wouldn't do that to her. You know me better than that," I said and left it at that. I opened my drawer and grabbed a pair of boxers and some pajama pants with a top. I usually slept in my boxers, but I'm sure Bella would be uncomfortable with that if she'd wake up during the night. I'd already be beside her, which would possibly scare her since she was supposed to be in the guest room and not in my bed. Plus Emmett and Rose were still here, so I figured it would be best to get some clothes on.

While I let the hot water cascade down my sore body, I tried to think of why Bella had gotten sick. The only thing I could think of was the Thai food. Then I thought about why she'd passed out. I could just imagine the excruciating pain she'd been through as she was getting sick, especially with those broken ribs. I finished washing up quickly and got out to dry myself off.

As I walked out of the bathroom, Rose and Emmett were standing beside my bed, looking down at Bella. She was awake now, but her facial features told me she was in pain. I remembered the painkillers I had brought back with me from the hospital, so I went over to the kitchen and grabbed them with a glass of water and headed back to the room.

"Are you still feeling nauseous? Did you hit your head or something?" I asked, looking over her head again.

"No and I don't think so, but I do have a headache though," she replied.

I helped her tilt herself up a bit so she'd be able to take the pills and drink the water without choking on it. "I'm sure this will help your pain. It should work fast enough." I carefully dropped the pills into her hand and she put them in her mouth. She followed by taking the glass of water and drinking to wash them down her throat.

"I guess this is our cue to leave," I heard Rose say in the background.

"Don't leave just because of me," Bella said.

"It's getting late anyway and we've got an early shift tomorrow. I think all of us need to get some sleep, even if it's only for a few hours." She looked at Emmett and jerked her head toward the door.

"Thanks for coming over and for helping guys. I'll see you soon," I said, loud enough to make sure they heard me. They were already halfway toward the door.

"No problem, bro," Emmett replied with a booming sound.

I didn't have to worry about getting up to lock the door since he had an extra key and I knew he'd lock it on his way out. "Do you mind sleeping in my bed tonight, Bella?" I asked, but I continued to explain why before she would think I was some kind of pervert. "It's just so I can keep an eye on you without having to go back and forth all the time. If you're uncomfortable with that, just let me know and I'll bring you to the guest room or I can sleep in there. Whichever suits you best." I inhaled after having said those last words since I'd run out of breath.

She looked up at me with confusion in her face. "I barely understood what you said, Edward," she said. "You were speaking so fast, but do you...uh...mind if I...uh...stay in here tonight?" she asked and started to blush.

"That's what I was suggesting," I answered, speaking slowly this time. "I want to keep an eye on you. You don't mind if I'm in the same bed as you?" I kept my eyes on hers as I waited for her response.

She bit her lip and whispered, "no."

"Alright then, I'll go turn the light off so we can get some shut eye. If ever you need anything during the night, do not hesitate to wake me up. You got that?" I said, looking at her at the same time, making sure I'd made myself clear.

"O...Okay," she replied.

I went to turn the lights off and crawled into bed myself. There was enough room for the both of us without having to be stuck to one another. "Edward?" she asked, quietly.

"Yes, Bella," I replied. I loved saying her name, it sounded so beautiful.

"Good-night," she whispered and I responded with the same thing. I made sure to set my alarm and got into a comfortable position to sleep in. I knew it wouldn't take Bella long to fall asleep with the pills I had given her, so that was a bonus.

I didn't want to move around too much to make the bed shake and wake her or hurt her, so it was a little harder to fall asleep on my part. Eventually, I did fall asleep though.

"Bella sweetheart? Where are you? We're going to be late," I shouted out as I finished tying my shoes.

"Can you come here please? I need your help to zip up my dress," she asked. I knew Bella hated it when I walked around the house in my shoes, so I untied them and went over to the bedroom to help her out. I staggered when I walked into the room as I looked at her stunning beauty. I mean, she's always beautiful, but with this dress on, she glowed. The colors of blue and silver mixed together in the design of the gown just brought out all of her greatest features.

Leave it to Alice to design the right style for every individual, especially someone like Bella, who's very picky about the clothing she wears. She's the kind of person that favors comfort over designer clothing and prefers the natural look to the make-up one. She was always herself and that was one of the reasons I loved her.

It fit her perfectly; from the straps on her shoulders it flowed down her body, covering it up, but showing her curves in the right spots. I looked at her up and down and started debating whether I should zip her dress up or not, but quickly changed my mind. I knew Alice would have my neck if we were late. I walked behind Bella and started to zip up her dress, slowly, as I kissed her smooth skin on her back. My lips heated up from the intensity of the contact once our skin touched. It was amazing, even after a few years, the connection we had between each other never failed.

She giggled a little. "You're tickling me with your hair Edward," she said.

"Maybe I should just get it cut off," I replied.

She turned around right away. "Don't you dare! You can trim it, but not cut it. You know how much I love your hair." She ran her hands through it to justify her words. It turned me on every time she did that. I brought her close to me and hugged her tight into my arms, not wanting to let go.

I did eventually let go of her slowly and cupped her beautiful face in my hands, setting off an exhilarating feeling again. "You are gorgeous in that dress," I inhaled, taking in her scent at the same time. "I love you, Bella Swan," I said to her as I looked her straight in the eyes and tilted my head down to kiss her lips. I kept my hands on her face because I knew that if they'd move down to her body, then that would be it. I'd have to have her at that moment, but I didn't want to get in trouble with Alice, now that we were getting along. I knew this was a special night for Alice and that Bella wanted to be there to support her also.

Once our lips unlocked, Bella looked up at me and said, "I love you too, Edward Cullen." There was a sparkle in her eyes as she said it and I realized how lucky I was to have her. She was my soul mate, my companion; she was what kept me going every day.

I thought about taking the ring I had purchased to propose to her, but I hesitated. I knew Bella too well to know how she'd react; she'd feel guilty since it was Alice's night to shine.

"Are you ready?" I asked her as I backed away to regain my strength and get the blood flowing through my whole body again.

"Yes, I am," she replied. I bent my arm and placed it for her to slide her arm through it, which she did right away. We headed off to the front door to put our shoes on and then closed the door behind us as we made our way to the car.

I opened the door for her and helped her get in the car, placing her gown properly so it wouldn't get caught in the door and then went over to the driver's side. I put the key in the ignition ,started the car and the radio blared out as "Holiday" by Green Day played.

"Edward? Wake-up." The sweet sound of Bella's voice was better to wake up to than Green Day. Don't get me wrong, I love Green Day, but I preferred Bella's sweet voice.

I groaned and reached over to shut my alarm clock off. I was so tired, but I knew I had to get up for work. I wanted to check up on Bella first though, so I asked her, "How are you feeling this morning?" My voice sounded rough, so halfway through I cleared my throat and asked her again.

"I'm alright," she said. I could tell she was lying just by the sound of her voice. It was still kind of dark in the room so I couldn't see her face to prove it, but I was sure she didn't heal in one night.

"Do you need to use the washroom?" I asked, getting out of bed.

"Go ahead. I'll go after. You'll more than likely be back by the time I'm even out of the bed," she said. I am such a dick!

"I'm so sorry Bella. How inconsiderate of me," I told her as I headed over to her side. I turned the lamp on that was on the night table, making both of us squint. She looked up at me after her eyes adjusted to the change, which where swollen from the lack of sleep, making me want to let her rest, only I had no choice but to bring her with me. Both the chief and my dad would be pissed if I left her here. Of course, I wouldn't leave her here alone, so that would mean me staying home too. "Here, let me help you up."

I squeezed my arm between her back and the mattress to help her sit up. She made a sound that sounded like a yelp; I figured that sound was probably due to her hiding a scream while I moved her from one position to another, which she'd been in for the past few hours. She was placed the same way she was before I turned the lights out, so she probably hadn't moved all night. Poor girl!

I waited for a few seconds after I had placed her in a seated position and asked, "Are you ready?" I knew she understood what I meant when she nodded at me, so I continued and helped her get onto her feet.

I noticed her biting her lip again, which let me know that she was in pain. I walked her over to the washroom and stopped in front of the toilet. "Do you need any help?" I asked her, awkwardly. Her hair was all over the place, but I didn't say anything as she didn't look like a morning person. Not that I'd blame her right now with all the pain she's been going through, which reminded me of the painkillers.

But she sidetracked me when she spoke again. Hey, it's early and I'm tired, so don't blame me for not having the best memory right now. "Uh...I think I'll be fine," she replied, followed by a flush of blood to her face.

"I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?" I looked her in the eyes and continued. "I mean it Bella, don't hesitate," my voice was firm as I told her.

"Thanks Edward," she said and I walked out the door, closing it behind me.

While she was in the washroom, I started to get ready for work by preparing my clothes for the day. I took out a set of scrubs to put on and some jeans and a t-shirt, which I shoved in my bag. I decided to bring an extra set of scrubs, just in case I'd need one; not that I planned on having the same kind of day as yesterday, but I'd keep an extra set in my locker from now on just to be safe.

I heard a knock at the door, which I found odd since it was still pretty early in the morning. I walked over to the door and looked in the peep hole to see Rosalie. I unlocked the door and opened it up, but there was only Rose, no Emmett. "Where's Emmett?" I asked as I looked around her.

"Well good morning to you too," she said with perked lips.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to you coming here without Emmett, that's all," I replied.

"I figured I'd drop some clothes off for Bella since she doesn't have anything to wear. We'll stop at the station later to check for her stuff." She handed me a bag. "Emmett's in the car since we're parked in a bad spot. We're heading off to work, so I'd better go now or we'll be late," she finished.

"Thanks Rose. That was very thoughtful of you and I appreciate it and I'm sure Bella will too." I held the bag up as I thanked her and she turned around and left. I closed the door and walked back toward my bedroom to find Bella leaning on the wall. I rushed over to her side and asked, "Bella? What's the matter?"

"I just got dizzy, that's all. I'm okay now," she answered as she brought her head up to look at me. "Was there someone at the door?" she questioned me.

"Yeah, that was Rose. She brought some clothes for you." I opened the bag for her to see what was inside. "Will you be able to get dressed alone?" I knew she'd have trouble, but I didn't want to pry.

"I'll try," she replied.

"Okay, I'll go and finish getting ready in the bathroom while you get dressed. Let me know when you're done and if you need any help." She nodded her head again and I headed off to the washroom, closing the door behind me to give her some privacy and went to the toilet first to relieve myself before my bladder would burst.

I had brought my scrubs with me to the washroom to change in, so I put the pants on right after I'd flushed and washed my hands in case Bella called out to me. I figured I'd shave before putting the top on, so I took out the shaving cream and started the task.

Once that was done, I did the rest of the stuff; brushed my teeth, put the deodorant on and finished getting dressed. I finished up and waited to hear Bella say she was done. Right when I was about to call out to her, she knocked on the door. "Edward? Can you...um...please help me with something?" she asked with a stutter.

I opened the door slowly to a half dressed Bella; her pants were up to her knees and her shirt was buttoned up crookedly. She was blushing profusely and biting her lip, once again. I held back a laugh because I knew she was already embarrassed enough as it is. I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to get dressed with broken ribs and one hand.

I started by pulling her pants up completely and then tied them up for her. I exhaled and tried to keep my composure as I knew I'd much rather want to be taking them off of her than putting them on. I helped fix her shirt and lightly brushed her breasts at the same time. "I'm sorry," I said.

"It's okay, I know it was not intentional and kind of unavoidable," she replied with a blush and shrugged her shoulders.

I left it at that and then bent down to put her socks on her feet. I told her to put her hand on my shoulder to give herself some stability while I put them on her quickly, so she could be on her two feet again.

"Thanks," she said, once I was done.

"You're welcome. Are you finished getting ready?" I asked.

She pointed a finger up to her crazy hair that looked matted now. She must have tried to flatten it out earlier. "Does it look like I'm ready?" she asked with a tiny bit of vehemence in her voice. "Sorry," she said right away and finished with an exhale.

"That's fine. I'll wait for you in the kitchen," I told her and walked off.

I noticed her painkillers on the table and grabbed them right away so I wouldn't forget them. I was hoping that the room she was in yesterday would be free again today so she could rest comfortably, or maybe I could find a cot and bring it to her mother's room.

That's when I remembered about her mother, which was possibly the reason Bella was in her condition right now. Just from my calling her at home to let her know I wanted to talk to her.

I realized I had not told Bella yet.

Just press on the review button...please!