Author's Notes:

CONVERSATION KEY

*When characters are speaking out loud, quotes will be used.

*When characters are signing with their hands, italics will be used. (Italics will be used in other places as well, i.e. to emphasize certain words/phrases. Please keep that in mind.)

*When characters are communicating via iPad or e-mail, bold will be used.

*Bella's conversations with others, signing and writing, will ALWAYS be encased in *stars*.

*Edward's conversations with Bella, signing and writing, will remain unmarked.

*Any other characters that sign in a chapter will have their conversations encased in {brackets}.

Many thanks to azure0610 for acting as my beta. Also, thanks to aerobee82 and JenEsme for pre-reading for me.

The awesome Nayarit and FluffyLiz created my beautiful banners for me.

All the usual disclaimers apply. This story is rated M for a reason.

Chapter 21 - Declarations

An interesting thing happened when Alice visited. Bella and I discovered that it really was possible to communicate effectively without the iPad. Sometimes it took us longer than usual to have an intelligent conversation, and sometimes there were misunderstandings, but with hard work and determination on my part and a hell of a lot of patience on Bella's, we muddled through. I couldn't even begin to verbalize how liberating it was, to be able to communicate with my girlfriend in her own language without having to reach for a computer every other sentence. Forcing ourselves to communicate solely in sign was the best thing we could have done to help my fluency along.

It was Thursday night, close to a week after Alice left, and I was planning a dinner for Bella the following evening. I was going to give her the pendant I had picked out while Alice was in town along with a simple platinum chain I'd purchased to go along with it. I was surprisingly calm about the whole event, which only served to reassure me I was doing the right thing.

A text came through from Bella, causing me to panic a little.

*What are you up to?*

I didn't want to lie, but I couldn't exactly tell her I was searching for the perfect dessert. There was a high probability of failure for this mission, but I wanted to try nonetheless. Anybody could buy a dessert from a pastry shop, but I wanted to show Bella she was worth the effort to do more.

Doing some research online. You?

I typed my response, feeling pretty good about myself. I hadn't lied, after all.

*Sitting in class, waiting on the professor to arrive. I'm BORED!*

I wish you were here with me.

*Sigh. Me too.*

Tomorrow night, right? It's been too long.

*5 days. I know.*

I'm sorry. School was hell this week.

*Must have been for you to skip my class. ;)*

Believe me - it was unavoidable. Medical Ethics study group. Big exam coming up.

*I know. It's okay.*

Am I in a lot of trouble?

*Guess that depends.*

On what?

*On what you're planning to do to make it up to me...*

I like the sound of that…

*Me too. ;) Gotta run. Professor's here.*

Okay. I miss you.

*I miss you too, Green Eyes.*

I set my phone down on the counter, continuing with my research. I was slightly overwhelmed by my choices and was about to give my mother a call when Emmett and Rose stepped through the door.

"Hey, bro, what's up?"

"I'm trying to decide on a dessert to make for Bella," I mumbled, scanning over a recipe for pavlova. "I'm cooking dinner for her tomorrow night."

Emmett barked out a laugh, well aware of the fact that desserts were not my forte. I could prepare a steak rivaling a five star restaurant, but I was hopeless when it came to baking.

"All I can say is good luck with that. Maybe Rose has a suggestion."

He opened the door to his bedroom, swiftly swatting her on the ass as he passed through. "I'll be right out, baby."

Rose jumped, narrowing her eyes at Emmett in annoyance, but the smile that tugged at her lips told me she didn't really mind. Turning in my direction, she walked over to where I stood in the kitchen, peering over my shoulder at my iPad.

"Oh, I definitely wouldn't mess with anything like that," she commented, offering me some unsolicited advice. "Do you know how hard it is to make a good meringue?"

Meringue? I didn't even know what that was.

"What's a meringue?"

"It's essentially whipped egg whites and sugar - but trust me, it's a bitch to make."

"Bella likes fresh fruit. The kiwis and strawberries on top look good," I said, pointing to the picture online and defending my choice.

"Pavlova is delicious," Rose agreed, "but there's not a chance in hell you won't screw it up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered, deciding to momentarily shelve the pavlova idea in favor of finding something that didn't require as much skill.

"Why not make something like a crème brûlée?" Rose wondered out loud a few moments later when it was clear I was completely overwhelmed by my choices. "It's moderately difficult, so you'll definitely impress her, and you could top it with fresh fruit like the pavlova."

"I like crème brûlée," I said, turning to face her. "How difficult is moderately difficult?"

"Well, it's kind of a process," Rose admitted, "but I know a recipe that is all but foolproof. You just need to allow enough time for it to set."

I thought about it for a moment before deciding that crème brûlée sounded like my best option. I only hoped Rose's fool proof recipe was as easy to follow as she implied.

"I'm going shopping tomorrow morning. Do you think you can get it to me later tonight?"

Rose nodded her head.

"Sure. Emmett and I are going out to eat. I'll e-mail it when we get back."

"Great," I said, relieved to have taken care of the issue and grateful to Rose for her help. "Thank you."

"No problem."

Rose smiled at me before grabbing a copy of Mechanical Engineering from the counter and going to sit in the living room. Closing my iPad, I followed along behind her, taking a seat across from her in my favorite Lazy Boy.

"Hey, Rose? Can I ask you a question?"

Peering up at me from behind her magazine, Rose eyed me warily for a moment before humming an affirmative response.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

This was something I'd been wondering about ever since the cookout last weekend. While I was happy that Rose was now putting forth an effort to get to know Bella, I didn't understand what had changed to make that happen. I worried that maybe Emmett had pushed her into the decision, and while there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with that, I didn't want Rose to tolerate Bella simply for the sake of someone else. I wanted her to get to know Bella because it was something she desired for herself.

Rose's face grew thoughtful as she carefully considered my words. A few moments passed before she finally set her magazine down and gave me her full attention.

"That's not a simple question, Edward, and I don't really have a simple answer," she began. "But I suppose you could say that Emmett helped me to realize that I was being unfair to both you and Bella for all the wrong reasons."

"What were your reasons?" I wondered aloud, still at a loss for why Rose had behaved so callously these past few months. I understood that she wasn't exactly the most personable of individuals, but even for her, her behavior had been extreme.

Rose sighed, and I could tell that my questions were making her uncomfortable, but it was also apparent she was willing to try to answer them for me, which I appreciated.

"I wish I could come up with a better excuse, but in the end, I'd be lying if I said it didn't come down to my sister."

Tanya. I suspected she was at the root of the issue, but it was still hard for me to believe that Rose had taken my disinterest in her sister so personally. I had been upfront with Tanya from the beginning regarding my feelings for her, and both she and I were fine with remaining just friends. Why couldn't Rose just accept that?

"You were upset because I chose to date Bella instead." It wasn't a question, rather a statement of fact.

Rose swallowed hard then nodded in agreement.

"Rose," I sighed. "That's incredibly unfair…"

"I know," she interrupted me softly, stopping me before I could continue. "I know it was wrong of me, but please try to understand my position. Tanya's my baby sister, Edward, and I love her with all my heart. She's a good girl, but somehow she always seems to end up with the wrong guys. I know that you and I tend to argue a lot, but that doesn't change the fact I think you're a good person. I know you would have treated her right, and I sort of built up the possibility of the two of you in my head without ever stopping to consider whether or not it's what you wanted. I have a tendency to do that," she laughed rather humorlessly, "to make decisions for others on their behalf. But I understand now that you don't feel that way about her and never have. It was wrong of me to continue to push for something you clearly weren't interested in. For that I apologize."

"You have a lot more to apologize for than just that, Rose," I pointed out. I appreciated her attempt at smoothing things over, but I wasn't letting her off the hook that easily. "You really hurt Bella's feelings with the way you treated her, and I'm not too proud to admit you hurt mine too. I get that you want the best for Tanya, but your behavior was out of line. I've always supported you and Emmett, and I expected the same out of you. Instead, you made Bella and I both feel awkward around the very people we should feel most comfortable with."

To my surprise, Rose didn't hesitate to agree.

"You're right," she said, bowing her head so that her eyes were no longer level with mine. She seemed almost ashamed, which was very uncharacteristic of her. "I didn't treat either one of you very nicely. The truth is, I was upset with you, but I ended up taking most of it out on Bella."

"You did," I said in agreement.

"For what it's worth, it wasn't intentional," Rose continued quietly. "I didn't purposely set out to hurt her. It was just hard for me to understand why you'd make such an effort to date someone who's so different from you when in my mind, Tanya was a perfect match."

"The thing is, Rose, you don't have to understand. It's my life, not yours. And for the record, being with Bella is the most effortless thing I've ever done. You want to know what actually takes effort?"

Rose looked up at me, and I held her gaze for a beat before telling her.

"Trying to convince the people that are most important in my life that Bella is no different than you and me."

Rose sucked in a short breath, having the decency to look appropriately chagrined by my comment. She knew my statement referred mainly to her, but in all fairness, it extended to Emmett and even my mother to some extent.

"I'm sorry, Edward. You're right. I never gave Bella a chance, and that wasn't fair of me. I wish I could rewind time and change the way I've behaved, but I can't. I can only try to make things right today. And I promise you, that's my intention from here on out. I'm not promising you that I'll learn to sign, but I do promise to do my best to include Bella whenever we're all together."

"That's a start, Rose, and really, it's all I'm asking. It's all I've ever asked. I don't expect you to learn sign language, but I do think that if you just give Bella a chance, you'll see that it isn't necessary to know sign language to communicate with her. Don't you remember how well we all got along last weekend?"

Rose nodded her head.

"It's not always about what we say to each other but how we treat each other instead," I continued. "It's totally cliché, but actions really do speak louder than words. Just the simple act of sitting together and watching a movie with subtitles would be meaningful to both me and Bella. No verbal communication is necessary for that."

"I hear you," Rose whispered, and looking on at her, studying the thoughtful lines of her face as she listened to what I had to say, I really felt that she did.

Offering her a half smile, I scrubbed my face with my hands and decided that we had probably hashed this matter out as much as we needed to tonight. I was pretty sure we understood each other better now, and I was hopeful that as a result, Rose and Bella would eventually come to be good friends.

"Thank you," I said, feeling genuinely grateful to have this burden lifted off my shoulders. I had been carrying it around with me for months now, and it felt good to finally let it go.

"You're welcome," Rose replied. She stood then, walking over to me and tugging me up by the hand before pulling me into a hug. Her surprising display of affection caught me off guard, but when she squeezed me tightly to her, I knew it was her way of apologizing for the past few months. "Thank you for not kicking my ass clear across Tampa," she laughed against my shoulder.

I chuckled softly, giving her a gentle squeeze in return.

"You're forgiven."

And I could honestly say that she was.

Less than twenty-four hours after talking things through with Rose, I found myself slaving away over a hot stove, cursing her under my breath. Whoever said that crème brûlée was easy to prepare was smoking crack. By some act of God, I'd managed to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, afterwards successfully combining said yolks with heavy cream and freshly scraped vanilla bean. I wasn't as confident in my ability to cook the resulting mixture in four small ramekins currently positioned in a shallow pool of water in a pot atop the stove. I also wasn't as confident in my ability to wield a blowtorch, but apparently this would be necessary to caramelize the sugar once the custard had set.

Keeping a careful eye on my desert, I set to work chopping vegetables while simultaneously trying to keep my nerves at bay. I knew I didn't have anything to be anxious about, but that didn't stop me from worrying. I couldn't help but wonder what Bella would think of her gift, including whether or not she would return the sentiment.

I hoped so. God, I fucking hoped so.

As if she were aware of my need for reassurance, she texted me on the spot, causing me to smile in relief.

*Hey, Green Eyes. T minus 4 hours and counting.*

I smiled at Bella's words. Actually, I smiled like a crazy fool every time she texted me, which only served to remind me how right she was for me.

Still too long for me.

*Me too. I'm warning you, you'd better be prepared.*

Oh yeah? For what?

*You owe me, remember?*

I seem to have a vague recollection...

*Hey, now, don't tease. I'm sure you're just as anxious to see me as I am to see you. At least, I hope you are…*

I paused a moment, taken a little off guard by Bella's sudden and unexpected display of insecurity. Of course I was anxious to see her. Jesus, we'd been apart for nearly a week, and it was killing me, not to mention my right hand.

Baby, you know I am. How could you even think differently?

*I'm sorry. I've just really missed you this week.*

Me too, sweetheart, me too.

I hit send without giving a second thought to the sentiment I'd just assigned Bella. It wasn't one I had used before, but when she texted me back with multiple smiley faces, I knew that she more than approved.

*So I'll see you later tonight at my place?*

I've got your key in my pocket.

*It won't be soon enough.*

I promise you it will be worth the wait. ;) See you soon.

I let myself into Bella's apartment later that evening, after picking up two USDA Prime filets from the butcher. They were the last thing I needed to complete our meal. I had brought everything else with me, including two crème brûlées that were currently tucked safely inside of a cooler.

After placing our dessert in Bella's refrigerator, a sudden thought occurred to me, and I ran outside to check and see if her grill had enough propane to cook the steaks. This had been an oversight on my part, and I was about to panic, thinking I would have to run to the gas station in order to fill the tank when I determined that wouldn't be necessary. I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly in relief. I really needed to calm down before I drove myself crazy. Reaching into my pocket, I felt around for the tiny velvet box I knew was there and ran my fingers over it, reminding myself what this night was all about. Just then, Bella walked through the front door. She searched for a moment before her eyes met mine, and when they did, a magnificent smile illuminated her face.

In a flash I was back inside. I had missed Bella so fucking much this past week that I couldn't close the distance between us fast enough. She obviously felt the same because she leapt into my arms, the force of her body slamming into mine and causing me to stumble backwards a bit. Bella wrapped her arms and legs tightly around me in response, laughing as I struggled to regain my footing, but neither one of us were laughing moments later when our mouths came crashing together. All the longing and desire I'd been forced to suppress all week long came rushing to the surface, and I was helpless to do anything but give into it.

One hour was too long, one day nearly intolerable. But one week was simply an impossible amount of time to be parted from the one you loved…

"God, I fucking missed you," I mumbled against Bella's mouth, biting down softly on her lower lip. I was surprised when she pulled away from me, quickly signing that she'd missed me too, but before I had a chance to say anything, her hands were in my hair, eagerly pulling my face back to hers.

I gently pushed her away.

"How did you know?" I wondered.

I was continually amazed by Bella's ability to understand nearly every word I said despite the fact she couldn't hear. She had seemingly just 'read' my lips, even though they had been pressed against hers.

*Lucky guess,* she replied with a playful smirk before telling me to shut up and kiss her.

Bella didn't have to ask me twice. I got lost in her kiss as I gently lowered her feet to the ground. Walking her backward until she was flush against the wall, I pressed into her, capturing her sighs in my mouth as her hands twisted up into my hair. The sensation was fucking amazing, and I closed my eyes, focusing solely on the feelings of desire licking through me.

I kissed Bella long and hard, my mouth moving in slow motion against hers, but soon our bodies were begging for more, so I slipped my fingers beneath the hem of her shirt, inching them slowly upwards. Bella gasped when my thumbs brushed across the fabric of her bra, and I smirked as her nipples rose to attention underneath. It was all I could do not to bury my face between her breasts and take one into my mouth, but I had something else in mind I thought she might like more.

Pulling my mouth from Bella's, I stared down at her in wonder, at her face twisted tight in anticipation. Her shallow breaths and heavy eyes told me she wanted me, and in an instant, I was down on my knees in front of her. Bella's eyes opened wide in surprise when she realized what I was doing, and the guttural sigh that fell from her lips encouraged me in my actions. Licking my lips in anticipation, I reached out to slowly unfasten her jeans. Her heaving chest was a noticeable distraction, but when I sat back on my thighs, anchoring myself before her, I was instantly singularly focused.

"So fucking perfect," I whispered as my thumbs brushed softly back and forth against the baby soft skin of her hips. I could have sat there admiring her beauty for several more minutes, but Bella didn't have patience for that tonight. She knew what she wanted - my mouth on her right now- and her hands gently guided my head forward until my tongue was settled snugly between her thighs. She whimpered at the sensation, and I didn't even try to stifle my groan as I went to work loving her.

I made Bella feel good, so good. I took my time, fucking her with my fingers and tasting her with my mouth, relishing in every whimper and sigh I drew from her. It wasn't long before she fell apart around me, and when I sat back on my haunches, she immediately tugged me upwards, kissing me as if I was the air she needed to breathe. Soon her hands started to wander, and when she reached out to grip my rock hard erection through my incredibly uncomfortable pants, I released an involuntary hiss in response. Fuck, it felt so good to have her touch me like that, but it felt even better when she reached inside my boxers, slowly stroking me with one hand while winding the other into the hair at the nape of my neck.

"Yes," I moaned, following along with her as she awkwardly guided us towards her room. She continued to touch me, and I was afraid I might come in my pants when the back of her legs hit the edge of her bed and she released me. I watched as she shyly gazed up at me, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, and then piece by piece, she slowly started undressing. Her shirt went first, followed by her bra, underwear and pants until she was standing naked before me. God, she was a vision, enough to make me tremble in wonder, and I reached out, ghosting my fingers down her cheek. It was times like these, when I was so lost in the moment that everything else around me ceased to exist, that I knew what Bella and I had was right.

*Come,* she beckoned to me, pulling me with her as she lay back in the bed. She giggled softly when my fingers tickled up her waist, but her laughter soon turned to breathless sighs as I quickly removed my own clothes and slipped inside of her. Bella's chest rose and fell in labored breaths as I rocked my body languidly against hers, and as I stared into her eyes, moving rhythmically above her, all I could think of was how hopelessly in love with her I was.

I wanted to say it - more than anything else in that moment, but the timing wasn't right. It would ruin my surprise. So instead, I showed her with my body what she meant to me until I couldn't hold back any longer. With her hands holding me close to her and her eyes boring straight into my soul, I released inside of her with a satiated, breathless sigh. Bella followed soon after, arching her back in pleasure as she found her own sweet release.

After catching our breaths, Bella rolled to my side, and we lay together in bed for awhile, her body pressed snugly against mine. We were quiet at first, but soon Bella began tracing lazy circles around my belly button, and my stomach tensed, causing her to giggle.

Be careful, I warned, moving my arm from around her waist to loosely grip her hand. You're playing with fire.

Bella chose to ignore me, pulling her hand free to reach down and gently stroke my returning erection.

Aren't you hungry? I wondered with a laugh as I rolled on top of her, pinning her body underneath mine. Bella only smiled and shrugged her shoulders before rotating her hips upwards.

*Hungry for something,* she replied before her hands wrapped firmly around my bottom. And this is why it took us near to nine to finally crawl out of bed, but I was certain that neither one of us cared.

After showering and dressing, we ate our dinner outside by the light of a full moon.

*Who knew you were such a great cook?* Bella commented while dragging a piece of steak through a puddle of béarnaise sauce. The light evening breeze blew her hair in her face, and I reached out, tucking it back behind her ear.

Just wait till you see what I've got in store for dessert.

I wagged my brows and Bella arched hers in return, causing me to chuckle softly at her obvious misunderstanding.

It's in the fridge, I clarified, though I'm open to other suggestions.

*I'm sure you are,* Bella laughed. * What did you make?*

Crème brûlée.

I smiled proudly, quite pleased with my accomplishment. I was happy to see that Bella appeared duly impressed.

*That's quite a feat. I don't think I've ever made a crème brûlée before.*

Trust me. It's a lot of work. Next time I think I'll stick with something simpler, but I wanted to prepare something special for you.

Bella set her plate aside, gazing warmly into my eyes.

*Thank you,* she signed, reaching across the table to give my hand a gentle squeeze. *Tonight has been… perfect.*

In every way, I agreed.

*Hey,* she signed, her face suddenly alight with excitement. *Let's go to the beach!*

What? I laughed, completely taken off guard by her request. The beach? As in Clearwater Beach?

Bella jumped up from where she sat, moving quickly to my side. She situated herself in my lap, bringing her left arm around my shoulder to play with the hair at the nape of my neck.

*Clearwater or St. Pete, it doesn't matter.*

I glanced down at my watch, noting the time. It was a little before ten, which was kind of late to be heading to the beach. I didn't mind going, but it would take a solid forty five minutes to get there and it hadn't exactly been a part of my plan…

It's getting late, I pointed out.

*But it's such a gorgeous night out.*

Bella turned her face into the cool night breeze then, admiring the starlit sky. The moon shone brightly above us, and I watched as her hair danced about her face. The peaceful expression she wore warmed me all the way through, and I lay my hand on her thigh, gently rubbing it back and forth.

I couldn't deny her request, even if I'd wanted to.

If you'd like to, we'll go, I signed with a soft smile.

Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. The beach would be the perfect place for me to give Bella her pendant - much more romantic than her apartment. She smiled down at me in appreciation, adding a kiss of thanks to my lips before hopping down off my lap and starting to clear the dishes from the table.

*I'll load the dishwasher, you bring out dessert, all right?*

I nodded my head in reply.

After sharing a single serving of crème brûlée replete with seasonal berries, we set out for Clearwater Beach. Because traffic was light, the drive took less time than expected, and a half hour later we stood hand in hand on the beach. If I'd wondered before why Bella had wanted to come here tonight, I didn't wonder anymore. Staring out at the sea as the mighty waves crashed upon the moonlit shore, I couldn't imagine any place I'd rather be. Sand slipped between my toes, wind tickled my skin and the smell of salty ocean air surrounded me, awakening each of my senses.

When I turned to look at Bella, she was positively stunning, her body humming with excitement just like mine. Then she did something that took me entirely by surprise; she sunk to her knees and stretched forward, slowly splaying her hands out in front of her. Digging her fingers into the sand, her body stilled, the only remaining movement being the nearly imperceptible expansion and contraction of her chest as she inhaled and exhaled the surrounding air. She remained at rest for over a minute before I cleared my throat, causing her to look up at me and offer a bashful smile.

What are you doing? I signed, smiling down at her in curiosity.

Bella didn't answer me with words. Instead, she tugged gently on my hand until I joined her by her side. Mimicking her position, I lowered my head to the ground. The sound of the waves crashing down upon the shore echoed in my ears, but it was the earth that trembled beneath me that most caught my attention. And in that moment, it was instantly clear what Bella was doing. She was listening to the ocean the only way she knew how, through the vibrations of the waves as they connected with the shore. I looked over at her, as thrilled by the sensation as she was, and found myself laughing more freely than I had in years.

That's incredible, I signed, shaking my head in wonder.

Bella nodded knowingly, a glimmer of exhilaration lighting her eyes. She took my hand in hers then, linking us together as we experienced the world on her terms. We stayed kneeling with our hands intertwined and our heads to the ground for several long minutes before I finally sat up, pulling Bella with me. She smiled at me as we seated ourselves across from each other, our legs folded together like pretzels, and I knew that there would never be a more perfect moment for me to give her my gift.

*I have something for you,* I told her as I reached inside my pocket, withdrawing the small rectangular box.

Bella eyed me carefully, her brows pulling together in curiosity as she studied the object in my hand. I shifted closer to her so that our knees were touching, and, taking a deep breath, slid my fingers along the top of the box, tugging it open. Bella stared down at the pendant in awe, her hand traveling to her mouth as the breath caught in the back of her throat. Her eyes started to water at the sight of it, and for the second time since I'd known her, I watched as one tear followed by another silently slipped from her eyes. They were happy tears, splashing onto her fingers and into the box as her trembling hand reached out to touch the pendant. Her finger lovingly traced over the recognizable design, the ASL symbol for I Love You, and when her eyes finally found their way back up to mine, they were full of intensity second only to my own.

"I love you," I whispered, verbalizing the sentiment as my hand came up to cradle the side of Bella's face. She exhaled a soft, shaky sigh and ever so slowly, pulled her hand from her lap.

*I love you too.*

Watching her sign the words back to me caused me to release a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, though it wasn't relief that caused me to do so; I had known for quite some time that what Bella and I shared could only be labeled as love. What moved me so was the knowledge that I had won the heart of the woman I had never even known I needed, and now that I had her I didn't intend on ever letting her go.

My thumb gingerly stroked across the smooth skin of her cheek as I leaned forward and rested my forehead against hers. Soon our mouths were melded together, and I kissed her deeply, there by the ocean, surrounded by the deep, dark night. Her arms wound around me, her hands gently caressing the back of my neck, but when I tried to roll over and lay down with her, she stopped me, holding her necklace out in front of her.

*Will you?* she asked with nothing more than a questioning gaze, and I nodded in response, taking the token of my love from her hands. Moving behind her, I took care to pull her hair to the side before gingerly stringing the necklace around her neck. Afterwards, I bent to kiss either shoulder, and she shivered under my touch, her skin coming alive at the feel of my lips. This time when I pulled her down on top of me, she didn't try to resist.

"I love you," I said, again, because I could. And now that I could, I planned on telling her all the time. I wanted Bella to feel forever beloved and cherished, all the things she so deserved to be. Without pause, her hand hovered above me, returning the declaration in kind, and I reached up, clasping it in mine and tugging it down to my heart. It beat heavy and hard inside of my chest, and Bella smiled at the feel of it as she leaned in to press her lips to mine.

We lay together under the stars until well past midnight when the wind and the cold became too much. Bella fell asleep in the car on the ride home, and I woke her with a kiss when we arrived. She smiled sleepily up at me as I pulled her to my side and led her indoors.

She was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when I noticed it; it was a rather innocuous piece of paper to be sure. But something about it caught my eye and whether it was right or wrong, I slipped it from the hidden confines of a notebook that lay atop Bella's desk. At first I thought I was reading wrong, because surely she would have told me, but when I double checked my watch, I saw that the date was correct, and I was left feeling angry and bewildered.

I heard the door creak open, and I turned around facing Bella with the paper in hand.

What's this? I signed, and Bella's nervous expression told me everything I needed to know. I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear.

Endnotes:

I apologize for the long delay in updating. My daughter had her tonsils and adenoids out and my husband was in town for several weeks. Hope you all are still with me! For those who like to keep track of these types of things, we're about 2/3 through this story. Thanks for hanging in there!

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