BIG CHAPTER!
ON WITH IT!
THANKS AGAIN MJDANNY!!! YOU'RE SERIOUSLY ARE THE FREAKING BEST!

Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I am not the author of the absolutely, amazingly, perfect book, Twilight. I don't even have an Edward. But I am the author of College Life, Whatever It Takes, Freebird, If I'm Not The One, and No Air, and would very much appreciate it if you read them!

College Life

Fall For You – Chapter 21

Song – Fall For You, by Secondhand Serenade

Previously: I didn't take a long shower like normally. Just long enough to get the icky sweat off me and clean my hair. I changed into my street clothes, pulled my hair up, grabbed my stuff, and left the locker room.

I don't exactly know how but I had totally forgotten my friends were there. So when I stepped outside it like the wonderful surprise all over when I was met with seven pairs of eyes, smiling and waving at me.


My eyes locked with a pair of focused emerald eyes before I was nearly knocked on my butt by Alice's monster hug.

"Woah, Alice." Then realization finally hit me. "You came!"

She giggled her chime like laugh. "Of course, silly. How could I possibly forget your first soccer game?" I wondered that, too. "I think it's funny you actually believed me! You were awesome tonight! Well except for the first half... But the second half was amazing! Whatever you did worked! So, in celebration of your win, we decided we were going to go clubbing! Of course, I brought you a change of clothes, so that's taken care of. All I have to do it play with your hair a bit. That shouldn't be too hard..." She seemed to be muttering only to herself now.

"Sounds good, Alice." My friends seemed to crowd around us now. Jasper came over and put his arms are Alice as she talked to herself. Emmett was grinning wildly and engulfed me in a huge hug. "Emmett. Can't. Breath," I croaked.

He boomed a laugh. "Sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

"Great game, Bella. You were really awesome," Rose spoke and Jasper nodded.

"Alright, now that all of that is said, the plans for tonight are as follows," Alice turned to me as she spoke. "And no complaining." I rolled my eyes. "We already rented hotel rooms at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento. I've already packed you a bag, so you have no excuse. We're going back to the hotel to change because we're going clubbing." No matter how hard she may try, that would never sound exciting to me. Especially after my past experiences. "No complaining, Bella. Nothing is going to happen, look around you." She gestured to Edward, Jacob and Vince.

I suppressed the urge to groan before turning my attention to the boys. Edward didn't look at me, he was staring off in the distance. Jacob was grinning widely, and Vince looked uncomfortable. "Hey, guys. Enjoy the game?" Why did it feel so awkward all of the sudden? Jacob. Why?

"Amazing, Bells. Always amazing." Jacob came up and wrapped his arms around me, causing me to drop my bag and lose my breath. Since the last time I saw Jacob, nearly two years ago, he had grown a lot. He was over a foot taller than me, and had huge muscles. He even cut his hair shorter. It was almost like hugging Emmett. I wasn't sure if it was just my mind playing tricks on me or what, but I could have sworn I saw Edward flinch.

"Okay, okay. Celebrating is for later. Bella, I already talked to your coach and let him know you would be coming with us, so everything is set. Let's get going to the hotel." I nodded my head, pulling away from Jacobs embrace. "We brought four cars, Rosalie's, Vince's, Edward's, and mine. Why don't you go with Edward, Bella? I'm sure the boys will want to stop for food, and I have to pick some things up. Edward has the key card, so he can just take you and we'll meet you there."

I nodded my head in agreement. We parted ways, Edward leading the way with myself in tow. He was silent on the walk there, but it wasn't an awkward or angry silence. More like a pained, confused one. I knew I had some explaining to do. Not that I wanted to.

He opened my door for me, as usual. I was starting to get used to it by now. He got into the drivers seat and head for the hotel, all without saying a word. I knew I would have to be the first one to break the silence, but I just didn't know what to say. So I just dived in. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I looked at him, and he seemed to be deep in thought, not daring to speak.

So I looked back out my window and continued, "Jacob and myself. Well we have some history." I thought back to last night when I saw Jacob again for the first time in two years, outside of my dream.

I couldn't speak. I felt completely dumb, and I didn't know what to say or do. I wanted to scream, thinking it was just another nightmare, that there was no way this man in front of me with the very familiar black eyes could be Jacob. It had to be someone else. But I knew it wasn't.

I almost got up and ran out of there as fast as I could, willing myself to forget I saw him, and maybe delude myself into thinking it was a dream instead. I think he knew that was what it was thinking. That would explain why he deliberately sat down very, very slowly. "Hey, Bells," He spoke gently in an almost whisper.

Any doubt I had, any hope, that this might be someone else just flew out of the window. There was no mistaking that voice. When he saw that I was unable to speak, he continued. "I thought you might be here. You always loved the little coffee shop in Port Angeles. Always going in there to read a book. You haven't changed at all."

"How did you know I was here?" I asked when I was finally able to find my voice, but it was hoarse and weak. I don't know how he understood me, but he did.

"Charlie," He spoke matter-of-factly. That did explain it. My dad was mad when Jake left, but he always loved him. He never had a problem with him. He was mad at first when Jake just left, but Forks is a small town and word spread fast. He understood why Jake left, as I did. No matter how badly it hurt.

I nodded my head and noticed my neck muscles felt stiff.

I didn't know what else to say and Jake knew that. He sat forward, resting his forearms on the table and spoke. "Bella," He spoke seriously, and it made me nervous. The Jake I knew never was serious. "About what happened." He paused, probably thinking about what he was going to say. "There wasn't anything I could do. I'm sorry I left, and so very sorry for the way I did it. I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm sorry for never calling or writing. And I'm sorry I didn't 'I love you' before I left." I couldn't pull my eyes away from his smoldering black ones. It was impossible.

"Why are you here Jacob?" I could feel the tears pooling up in my eyes. Who knows what this visit would do to me. "Why?"

"Bella, I'm here because I'm sorry for everything. And because I still lov-"

He spoke passionately, but I cut him off. "No. Jacob. No. I can't go back." I finally pulled my gaze away from his and focused on the cover of my book instead. "I can't."

He sat back in his chair and didn't speak for a while. When I looked up into his eyes I noticed he was staring at me with intensity and determination. He wasn't going to give up. I could see that. "I never stopped thinking about you, Bells. There was never anyone else the whole time. It was only you, always you." He spoke each word with decisiveness.

"Jake, I can't. We were over then and we're over now."

He just shook his head. "We can't be, Bells. I saw the way you looked at me when I came here. I know you still feel something, too."

It was my turn to shake my head. "No, Jake."

"Why?" He spoke the word hard, but not harsh. "Why, Bella? Have you moved on?"

It took me a moment to think the question through. I looked back up at him. At this, familiar strangers face. But I wasn't really seeing him. I wasn't seeing black eyes. I was seeing emerald. "Yes."

I finished telling Edward my little tale, still looking out the window. He hadn't said anything yet, nor had he said anything while I told him what happened Friday night. When pulled into the Doubletree Hotel parking lot not much longer later, still in silence.

He pulled into the closest parking space and shut off the car and didn't move. Neither did I, and soon the silence became too much. I turn to look at him and find him staring intensely at me. His eyes were pained, more pained than I have ever seen them and it broke my smile.

I reached up to touch his cheek with my hand, rubbing my fingers on his soft, cool skin. I felt electric flow from his skin to mine, and it gave me goose bumps. "Why are you sad?" I asked, inaudible to my own ears.

He glanced out the window before turning his intense gaze back on me. "Bella, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Something I've been wanting to say for a long time, but every time I try, something comes up."

He stopped. I moved my free hand to take his and gave it a gentle squeeze without letting go. He looked at our intertwined hands, and then looked up at me, smiling slightly.

And then he spoke, "Isabella Swan." He spoke my name gentle, almost lovingly. "I've known you now for a little over two months. And when I first met you I knew instantly that there was something different about you than other girls. You are charming, witty, smart, caring, compassionate, independent." He paused and brought his free hand to my face, my lips, and then rested it on my shoulder. "Beautiful." I blushed and he smiled, making wonder if he could see it in the dim lighting.

"There's something about the way you carry yourself. I admit at first, I wanted you like I wanted any girl, even though I knew you were different. At first, it was purely a physical attraction. But after that night clubbing and after the day I canceled on Lauren for Jessica and you chewed me out," He smiled at the memory, "I couldn't stop feeling something. I wanted to prove you wrong. To show you I wasn't that guy, even though I was. I wanted to be worthy of you. You. Something I've never even considered doing for anyone else."

"While we were 'dating'," He put air quotes around the word, "I couldn't stop thinking about you. Well we both know how that ended," He half smiled. "After that I couldn't date another girl. Not that I didn't have the opportunities, no. I couldn't, wouldn't stop thinking about you. After that, we started soccer practice. I was going to tell you then, but Vince was around and I knew it wasn't the time. I would wait for you, I told myself. But I couldn't. So I asked you to dinner thinking I was going to tell you then, but that turned out to be a bust."

"And then I found you crying. The whole time I spent those days with you, I was hurting, too. I didn't know how to comfort you. I didn't know what to do. All I could think of doing was staying. Monday, when we went to the track, I wanted to tell you, but Vince got in the way again. And later that night, one of my professors told me about a medical opportunity in San Diego. So I took it, without saying goodbye. I thought maybe it would help me clear my thoughts. But the whole time I was there I couldn't focus on anything. Whenever I closed my eyes, your face was there, smiling at me."

While Edward told me this I could feel my breathing become shallow. He was being completely open and honest with me, something I still had trouble doing. He was telling me everything he felt. If only he knew.

"What I'm trying to say is... Well, I like you; a lot. I've never felt this way before and it scares me, but for you I would take that risk, any risk, really. And it doesn't matter to me that you don't feel the same way about me. I just needed you to know. I'll always be here for you, Bella. In whatever form you choose; acquaintance, friend… anything," he finished his speech, inhaling a deep breath.

I breathe, too, realizing my lungs were practically begging for it. "Edward, I like you, a lot, too. And I don't want to be friends," I watched his face fall and I spoke more quickly, blushing in doing so. "I want to be more."

Edward stared at me dumbfounded. I watched his pained face brighten up. I watch my favorite, breathing taking crooked smile spread on it. I smiled back. "Really?" He asked, incredulous.

"Really."

He leaned in to kiss my forehead.

Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you,
Over again, Don't make me change my mind.
Or I won't live to see another day, I swear it's true.
Because a girl like you is impossible to find.
You're impossible to find.
Fall For You, by Secondhand Serenade


Sorry about the long-ish wait. My computer's internet sucks so here I am,
pull the internet from my fathers computer. Hope he won't be too mad.
Anywho, please review. With the wonderful chaos of CHRISTmas I don't
know when I'll be able to update again (but it won't be too long!)

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family! Please charish the
time you have with them!

Oh, and if you're asking what I want for CHRISTmas, well...
REVIEWS make me pretty happy (: