yay. i got to update xD sorry i keep updating at random times. :P and btw, your review guesses were so accurate. im so happy for yall. lol seriously. you guys literally got everything down, and all of that is shown in this chap, which i think is cute and takes the situation in a much calmer way, unlike the previous chap. youll see :D i hope you like!

and btw, im not updating at all for the rest of the week. i'll be busy, so see u next weekish! xD

review please :)

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CHAPTER 24 – Alice Laughed

I hadn't even realized I was crying and bawling my eyes out until a pair of arms wrapped around me, and the familiar blond hair of my sister fanned in my face.

"Shh," Rosalie coaxed softly, rubbing soothing circles on my back. I hugged her back, grateful for her attention. Ah, what sisters are for. "Bella, it's okay," she assured me.

She said the words over and over again, trying to calm me down. Sometimes she'd hush me gently, and other times, she'd say, "She'll forgive you. She's Alice." I couldn't decide whether it was true or not. Like Alice had said, what's true anymore?

I wasn't sure what time it was, but my sobs eventually died down into just normal crying, tears slipping silently down my cheeks every now and then. My sister held me all the way through, stroking my hair gently and telling me stuff I eventually couldn't understand. I screwed up a lot, and at the moment, my hearing was pretty off too.

Somewhere in the midst of my silent crying, another pair of arms wrapped around me, and I lost myself in a pair of emerald green eyes that bore into my brown ones. He gently took me into his arms and carried me bridal style to my bedroom. When did he even get here? Even in my misery, I was slightly conscious of my outside appearance.

I probably looked like hell ran over me.

Great. I lost Alice, now I can lose my boyfriend. Fantastic.

Rosalie followed us into the bedroom, immediately turning herself to the closet to find me some clothing to wear. Edward had his arms around me while I sulked on the bed, wallowing in self-hatred and guilt.

He quickly returned after I'd changed into more comfortable clothing, and Rosalie gave me a quick blow-kiss before leaving the room and shutting the door, leaving us in privacy.

I buried my nose in the crook of his neck, and his strong arms tightened around me, pulling me closer to his chest. Edward's sweet scent was similar to a remedy, as were his steady, calm breaths.

"Thanks," I mumbled, my hand fisting around a corner of his shirt.

Edward didn't respond or seem to mind; he merely kissed the top of my head and lay us down on the bed. "Go to sleep, Bella," he murmured gently.

He didn't need to ask me twice.

-------o-------

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up, but all I knew was that it was still dark outside. Well, it seemed dark. My room didn't have any windows. I opened my eyes, ignoring the fact that my eyelids felt like ten-pound weights, and groggily adjusted my body to see the clock.

2:30 in the morning.

I fell back onto my pillow just as the previous night's events came rolling into memory. The next thing I knew, I was franticly feeling around the bed for Edward's lithe figure in the darkness of the room. I couldn't feel anything except the bed sheets beneath my fingers, and I tried to ignore the overwhelming disappointment.

Just when I was about to give up and just go to sleep again, I became aware of the voices outside my room. The dorm was deadly silent except for the two people speaking, so I could pinpoint some words, although not everything. I also knew the voices well – they belonged to two very important people.

"…so much, Alice…wouldn't do that to…"

The second voice was like wind chimes. "…Don't know, Edward. You've done it be…can't help it sometimes."

I ignored the protests of my tired legs and wearily crawled off the bed, landing painfully on the floor with a muffled 'oomph.' Apparently, I was closer to the edge of it than I thought.

I dragged myself across the floor towards the door of my bedroom and pressed my ear into the gap between the door and the floor, where a yellow light shone dimly. Laying there, I realized the voices were much louder and clearer than before. Edward and Alice were arguing in muted voices, but they were as loud as whispering could go.

" – best friend, Edward. Of course I care about her."

"It didn't look like it when I came here. She was bawling on the floor because of you."

"And I wasn't?" Alice hissed.

I didn't hear a response, so I assumed Edward shrugged.

I stifled a sigh and closed my eyes, trying to listen harder while letting my eyes rest. I mean, I was up along with Edward and Alice at odd hours in the morning.

"I don't understand why I can't date her, Alice. You can't control everything, you know," Edward murmured.

"I know I can't. But sometimes I wish I could."

"I'm no genie," Edward said, and I thought I heard a ghostly chuckle follow, "so I can't help you there."

It was quiet for a moment, and then tinkling laughter followed. I involuntarily smiled.

"Why do you hate me so much, Ali?" Edward asked.

"I don't hate you, I just don't like you," she said defensively. "I hate that girlfriend of yours."

"You mean Bella?"

"No, your other one."

I heard a sigh. "She's my ex, actually. I only have one girlfriend."

"Whatever. You're such a douche bag."

"Why thank you."

It was quiet again, and then hushed laughter followed, this time by two voices.

"I wish you could understand," Alice sighed. "Bella didn't seem to get it. And we all know she's smarter than you." Edward didn't have time to respond, because Alice continued, "Your ex-girlfriend is the start of all my problems. Well, usually."

Edward chuckled. "She was the start of all of mine, too, Alice."

"I wish she would go away," Alice muttered.

It was silent while they quietly ranted to themselves about the problems and issues of Tanya Dachelet.

"Why aren't we arguing?" Alice asked a moment later. But she laughed. "We're supposed to be mad at each other."

"Good point," Edward answered.

"I'm mad at you for many reasons."

"I'm mad at you for hurting Bella."

"I'm surprised you're even talking to me," she murmured. "I'm also surprised that you're not forcing me and Jasper apart."

"You love Jasper," Edward said, sounding like he actually believed it. "And Jasper loves you. I'm not tearing soul mates apart. I've learned that now."

"What else have you learned?"

There was a momentary pause. "That Bella's philosophy of love being impractical at a young age is wrong."

I snickered.

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is that we've been together since Christmas," Edward said bluntly. I heard a tiny gasp, but Edward either didn't notice or didn't care. "Bella and I have talked about everything, Alice. Her thoughts and ideas on certain subjects are inexplicably riveting. She's even convinced me to oppose my own original thoughts on certain things, and we all know I'm a stubborn person."

"Of all things to say that you've learned, you tell me about Bella's philosophy," Alice said, giggling. "Wow, Edward."

I could almost imagine him shrugging. "She's always on my mind, so I figured why not say I learned something from her?"

"You learned something that opposes her."

"But that's just it, Alice," Edward said. "You and Jasper are completely and totally in love. Everyone can see that. You'd be an idiot not to be able to. And sometimes…" he trailed off, "sometimes I wish it could be that way with Bella and me."

My eyes snapped open, and the rate of my heartbeat picked up. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from squealing in delight. Does this mean he loves me?

It was quiet outside my bedroom while Alice seemed to be contemplating this statement. And I was thinking about it too.

The next words that Alice said shocked me. "You love her, don't you?" Amazingly, she didn't sound mad or anything. Just curious. Very curious.

"Another example of why she's wrong," Edward replied softly. "I do love her." He paused, seeming to hesitate, and then murmured, "I love her so, so much."

"Have you told her?" Alice asked gently, her voice simply curious like before.

I heard him sigh. "No. I'm afraid she won't feel the same way."

"You should tell her," Alice said, and my heart skipped a beat. "Tell her you love her. If anyone knows Bella, it's me. She'll be ecstatic to hear it."

"You think so?"

"I do. But listen to your instincts, Edward," Alice said wearily. "I've been wrong on a lot of things lately."

"Haven't we all?" Edward asked sarcastically.

Alice's light, tinkling laughter filled the air.

"You still haven't answered my first question," Edward murmured.

"What's that?"

"Why you dislike me."

Alice sighed. "I gave up everything, you know," she said. "I left behind my world of perfection and popularity to come here and see you. I thought things would be okay for me, because hey, I could make friends. And I did...of course I did," Alice murmured, as if trying to find the silver lining.

Edward laughed. "Bella was one of your firsts."

"Yes, she was," Alice replied. I could hear the smile in her voice. "She was one of my bests too, and she still is, despite the events of tonight. But anyway, I hadn't really planned to deal with people like Lauren and Jessica, and when I saw you with them, I just…" She trailed off uncertainly. "I thought you'd be better than that."

"I've done a lot of things wrong," Edward murmured, his silky voice full of regret. "Bella made me see that. She's made me see a lot of things."

There was an umpteenth silence, and Edward said, "What are you staring at?"

Alice laughed again. "You really have changed. Bella was right."

"She usually is, you know," Edward said, his voice swelling with pride. "She's my outlet to the crappy world we live in."

"Jasper is mine," his sister answered. Then she giggled again. "Wow, Eddie, we have a lot in common, if you think about it."

"Oh, Lord," Edward said sarcastically.

Alice's tinkling laughter died off, and she sighed. "I think…" she began softly, "I think I got mad at Bella because of jealousy." She sounded embarrassed.

"Really? Why?"

There wasn't a response, so I figured she shrugged. "You let her in so easily," she murmured. "You blocked me out, but let her in, and she got the connection that I wanted."

"You know I kept you out for the better."

"But I don't understand why. What's wrong with me joining 'your world'?"

"A lot of things," Edward admitted. "The first day you came to school, Lauren, Jessica, and Tanya were already talking about you behind your back. There wasn't a need to make it worse by you being with me. You know how Tanya is. At least you could make your own friends and wander off with a less chance of meeting her. It made sense at the time."

"Oh, okay. Then what about Bella? Did you not care?"

Edward sighed. "I wish I could explain that," he said remorsefully. "I'd intended to do exactly what I did to you – I told her to go away because drama is a dangerous thing."

"Well, we are at CPBS," Alice said matter-of-factly.

Edward laughed softly. "Yes, we are," he concurred. "Apparently, I didn't do a very good job of keeping her away. I instinctively…fell for her…and then I guess I lost reason. My mind just told me to do anything to be with her, and eventually the attraction grew strong enough for Tanya to notice. And, well…"

"And then you guys broke up," Alice finished.

"Yeah."

Alice sighed. "Do you hate me?"

I heard a soft chuckle, and a shadow shifted, making the yellow lighting dark for a split second. "Alice, of course I don't," Edward murmured. "You're my sister. I love you."

Alice giggled. "Thanks. Hmm…I guess I love you too, big bro." It was silent, and the shadows shifted again. Abruptly, Alice muttered, "Agh, you smell like Bella."

"I know," Edward answered, sounding unmistakably proud. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Hmm," Alice answered, laughing softly. Then she sighed, and the shadows shifted for a third time. "I really have been wrong lately," she confessed, more to herself then to Edward. There was a short silence, and then a soprano voice abruptly said, "Go."

"Huh? Go where?"

"Go back, Edward. Go back to her."

It was soundless, and I just knew Edward was staring at her in disbelief. I would have done the same thing.

"Don't look at me like that!" Alice hissed.

"I'm…sorry?" Edward said. "Not that I mind, but what's with the sudden change in heart?"

Alice sighed, sounding annoyed and frustrated. Whether it was at Edward or herself, I couldn't tell.

"Edward, I'm not stupid. You didn't give your mother's bracelet to her for nothing. She means a lot to you, and I can see that…along with all my other mistakes." She said the last part quietly, as if ashamed to divulge it. "It's late, and we're both tired. Sleep with Bella, she'll like it."

"Really?" His musical voice was instantly filled with excitement.

Alice laughed softly. "Duh. Go back to her. But I'm warning you, big brother. If I come in tomorrow and I find out that you've done some stuff to her unconscious body, I will have your head for dinner."

"Mmm, tasty," Edward teased.

Alice laughed again. "Go, Edward. I'm tired."

"Thanks, Alice. Really. This means so much to me."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up so we can go to bed," she said, half serious, half joking.

I heard a quiet murmur that was too low for me to hear, followed by major shadows blinking in the yellow light. I scrambled up off the floor – tripping over my foot in haste – and quickly got under the covers. I was able to turn onto my side just as the door opened quietly.

I attempted to control my breathing, trying to make it seem as if I was completely out. It didn't help that my heart was beating 100 beats a minute, and to add to that, I could feel Edward's eyes boring into my body, as if he knew I was awake. I didn't dare move, though.

Not a minute later, the other side of the bed shifted under his weight, and I felt Edward's arm drape comfortably around my waist, the heat of his arm soaking through my shirt. His hand came to rest lightly on my stomach. I groggily (like I was still asleep) flipped onto my other side so that I was facing his chest, and Edward chuckled as he brushed the hair out of my face.

He pulled me closer to him, and I reveled in the welcoming warmth of his body. No need for comforters when you have Edward. After tucking my head under his chin, he stroked my hair gently, his lips occasionally brushing against the top of my head. The steady rise and drop of his chest was oddly comforting.

Just when I was nearly unconscious, he murmured, "I love you, Bella."

I love you too, Edward.

I wasn't sure whether I'd said it aloud or not. The point was that it was true.

-------o-------

The second time I woke up, I was comfortable, warm, and, well, comfortable. Edward's scent was all around me, and I snuggled even deeper into his warm chest. I was sure my hair looked like a haystack, but oh well. Edward wouldn't care. Right?

Hopefully.

After trying to fall back asleep again, which proved to be unsuccessful, I wearily opened my eyes. Edward was there watching me, looking like Adonis himself. His bronze-colored hair was messier than ever, but I didn't mind.

"Good morning," he said, a corner of his lips turning upward, his green eyes radiant.

I blinked several times, trying to register what the hell he was doing in my bed. Not that I'm complaining.

Oh. I remember now.

A slow smile spread on my face. "Hi," I breathed shyly, burying my face in his neck to keep him from seeing my blush. I wasn't sure why I felt all embarrassed all of a sudden.

Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my head, and then he buried his nose in my hair. His warm, steady breaths separated the strands of hair and tickled the skin on the back of my neck.

"Tell me how horrid I look," I mumbled against his skin. "Actually" – I clutched myself even tighter to him – "don't."

He laughed quietly and clawed my fingers away from his shirt, forcing me to look at him.

"You look quite beautiful," Edward said, sounding sincere as his thumb traced my bottom lip.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I said, don't."

"But that was only if you looked 'horrid.' You don't look like that at all," Edward assured me. "You look beautiful."

In the morning? Well. Obviously this guy needed glasses or something.

Rather than bothering to counter him, I jumped off the bed, mumbled a quick "be right back," and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once in there, I realized how horrid I actually did look.

My hair was just one issue, looking as if I'd been chased through a forest and sticks and boughs pulled my hair in every direction. My eyes were red and puffy, though not as swollen as they could have been. A quick rinsing of the face would be fine. The clothes I wore were all wrinkled and creased, and I still had a tad of eyeliner smudged along my eyelid.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I poked my head out the door to find Edward sitting at my desk, flipping through my iPod. He looked up and smiled at me, pulling out an earphone.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower," I informed him, fully stepping out and wandering towards my closet. "You can go…umm…have breakfast or something?"

Edward laughed and shook his head. "Take your time, Bella."

I smiled gratefully at him and shut the door before turning on the shower. Despite the fact that I looked like crap, I honestly didn't want to go out and see Alice. Now that I think about it, it seemed that the whole Alice/Edward conversation was dream. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. After all, I was half-asleep when I'd crawled across the ground (unless that part was a dream too).

And yet it seemed so real – Edward telling Alice he loved me, Alice laughing, Alice allowing everything. I knew she wasn't my mother or anything, but she was my friend, and I had to respect her feelings.

I stepped out of the shower and slowly got ready, applying just a tad of mascara and eye shadow. Nothing too flashy.

I sighed and ran the brush through my hair several times, and then became slightly annoyed by how perfectly straight it looked. To make it less…straight…I ran my hand through it, messing it up a bit. Ah, Rosalie would be proud of me.

I turned off the light and exited the bathroom to find my bedroom empty.

Frowning, I entered the living room, and Edward and Rosalie were in the kitchen, chatting cordially with each other.

"Hey, Bells," Rosalie said, approaching me. "We have some muffins for breakfast. I stole them from the cafeteria." She jutted her thumb in the opposite direction, and then winked at me before disappearing.

I called a quiet "thanks" and then turned to Edward, who looked at me strangely.

"What?" I asked him, looking down at my outfit. I was wearing my favorite pair of blue skinny jeans and a blue shirt to match with it. Did I forget something? Like…a bra? I cocked my head to the side. Nope. I had everything. I think.

"Stunning," he murmured, suddenly behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissed my cheek, and the next thing I knew, the ground wasn't under my feet anymore.

I squealed for about a second before my butt came in contact with the kitchen countertop.

My eyes focused squarely on Edward's cocky face.

I gave him my best conceited look, too. "You said I was beautiful!" I accused, jabbing a finger into his chest and wincing when I realized just how hard his chest was. "I looked like crap."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "No, you looked beautiful, and you still do," he reassured me, tangling his fingers in my wet hair. "And right now, you also look…" He pursed his lips thoughtfully, "sexy."

Seriously. He finds me hot in a pair of jeans? Do I have a nice butt or something? Damn. Oh well. I guess a compliment is better than no compliment.

My face heated, but I tried to glare at him. Epic failure. "I'm really opposed to –"

He cut me off by kissing me fervently. Not that I minded; I easily allowed him access. After all, I love him. (My heart skipped a beat at the thought.)

We pulled apart at the same time, and Edward rested his forehead against mine, smiling warmly at me while his fingers were lost in my dark, damp hair.

"What are you opposed to?" he asked me breathlessly.

"Forgot," I muttered, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

"That's what I thought."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but kissed him again anyway, enjoying the warmth of his lips against mine.

"Of all places to make out, you choose the kitchen countertop."

I was so absorbed that my reaction was both mean and mortifying. I pulled back and shoved Edward away at the same time, and he staggered back a couple steps with a startled expression.

Alice leaned against the side wall, watching us with a smirk that reminded me a lot of Edward's. She was fully dressed and looked gorgeous as ever, her inky hair sticking up in all directions. A small smile tugged at her lips, and her blue-green eyes watched us curiously.

I blushed and looked down at the hands in my lap, and Edward was next to me in an instant, helping me down.

"It'd be perfectly okay," Alice said, "If only we didn't eat in this room."

I blushed even harder, but Edward laughed freely and tucked my head under his chin, still chuckling. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my flaming face in his chest.

"Thanks, Ali," he replied sarcastically. "Way to kill a moment." We looked like two teenagers caught in the act – not by our parents, though, thank goodness. I could just imagine Charlie pulling out a shotgun from the middle of nowhere and firing bullets at Edward.

"I know," she teased, grinning. Abruptly, the smile was off her face, and she looked at me. "Bella, can I talk to you?" Her expression was unreadable.

"Oh, I'll leave," Edward said, before I could answer.

"No!" I blurted, and then blushed again. "I mean…you can go to my room."

"It'll just take a minute," Alice assured him.

He nodded, and Alice waited until the door shut before turning to me.

She inhaled deeply, exhaled deeply, and finally opened her mouth to talk. "I'm sorry, Bella," she said, her silky voice quiet and guilty. I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

Alice fiddled with her fingers nervously, looking anywhere but at me.

"I overreacted," she admitted, darting her eyes up to meet mine. "I really did. I was mad, but I know that's no excuse. I was being hypocritical, what with me dating Jasper and all, and…I wasn't being a true friend, so I guess that made me more of a hypocrite," she said, frowning as she anxiously ran a hand through her hair. Then our eyes met again. "I also doubted you when you told the truth, and for all of that, I'm sorry."

"Me too, Ali," I said sincerely, giving her a weary sigh. "I really shouldn't have kept it away from you, because you're my best friend."

"Best friend?" she asked, immediately perky again. "I'm still your best friend?"

I grinned and nodded.

Alice squealed and threw her little arms around my neck, balancing herself on her tip-toes. "Thank you thank you thank you," she murmured gratefully into my ear before taking a step back. "I was so worried that I'd lost you…" she said, her brow furrowing.

I laughed. "It's okay, Alice. And once again, I'm just really, really sorry that I didn't tell you. From now on, I'm going to tell you everything, because I want to be your true friend."

She grinned. "Like in that Hannah Montana song?"

I nodded, kissing her cheek. "Like in that Hannah Montana song."

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aww. arent alice and bella cute? and you know whats even cuter? edward and bella! okay. you might disagree but. yeah.

i hope this chapter was better than the last. i feel more comfortable with this one, so i hope you guys liked it. and i hope i covered everything in the short and sweet apology. there was no need to recap their yesterday night. **winks

okay. i anticipate at least three more chapters, and its done. :O

drop a review! :)