Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. Stephenie Meyer owns them all (lucky). I am just having some fun and gathering entertainment from them.

Chapter 25

BPOV

August 2008

We were just starting our third year at UW. All of us except for Ali. She was still at the Art Institute of Seattle. The fallout from what happened the day of the senior talent show was not as bad as I had expected.

Alice and Jasper made up quickly because Jasper decided to allow me to make my own mistakes, finally. However, he made it known to both Edward and me that if Edward fucked up as he did before he would be getting a beat down from both him and Emmett.

Edward was in total agreement.

A lot had happened over the last two years.

Emmett and Rose as well as Alice and Jasper got married. Yes, they were young but they were in love and were sure it was going to last forever.

Edward and me…not so much.

We were completely in love…that was not the problem. The problem was that while he was trying…he still had not grown up as I had hoped he would.

However, according to my friends and family neither had I. I was very bad about communication or so they kept telling me. When Edward pissed me off, we would fight. I threw things and a tantrum and no one would win. I could not help it.

When he made me angry, I got really angry. Throwing my fits was the best way I knew to show it. Edward went into anger management after everything that we had gone through and it worked for him.

Perhaps, I needed to go as well.

After I threw my tantrums and Edward ignored them…then I would not speak to him. My brothers told me I do not talk to him when something was wrong, I just got pissed.

They kept telling me we needed to be honest with each other and discuss things as adults.

Yadda, yadda, yadda. I liked my way better.

Besides, with my way…we were able to have hot, angry, makeup sex. Which was a win-win situation for both of us and Edward did not complain.

No one thought we are ready to get married and I guess we agreed with them. However, we did live together…just the two of us.

It was almost a good full six months before we had sex again once we were back together. Then it was about a year until we were back to our old selves sexually…which meant it was about a year before we were going at it like rabbits again.

That was until school started getting more complicated. Edward did not have to work and go to school…I did. Between my working, school, the heavy course load he had to carry and the difficulty of his classes with him being pre-med…it had taken its toll on our relationship.

Not to mention…the counseling sessions had ceased long ago because there just was not any time for them.

However, in January...I came home to find Edward on our couch with his head in his hands crying.

Flashback

Edward looked like a young, broken man when I took in his posture on the couch.

"Edward what is it?"

"We can't keep doing this Bella. We don't see each other…when we do we fight…the makeup sex is amazing…but baby we're losing each other. I am scared."

I sat down beside him and took his hand in mine.

"I'm scared too…we need to get back into counseling…don't you think?" I asked him.

He nodded but said, "Yes, but when will we find time for that? We both get home so late…"

I was then hit with an idea.

"We know a lot of the exercises that our therapist always had us do with one another. Why don't we make a date with each other to do them at least once a week…more often if need be?"

He leaned back into the couch and pulled me into him.

"I think that is a brilliant idea my love."

That was when our own personal Bella and Edward therapy sessions started.

Once we were home for the night, we would put blankets on the floor, sit cross-legged in front of each other, hold hands, look into one another's eyes and really communicate all of the things that we were feeling with one another.

They were difficult at first because neither of us wanted to hurt the other's feelings by saying what was truly on our mind if we were upset with the other person.

However, we realized very quickly that communication was in fact one of our biggest problems so we had to do it whether we liked what we said to each other or not.

Amazingly, none of our sessions led to fights…at all. They led to some of the most intense, passionate lovemaking we had ever had.

Yes, things were great for us…until summer.

End Flashback

We were supposed to vacation this past summer…just the two of us but Edward received a strange phone call and he said that he had to get back to Forks and he headed there immediately.

That was in June. He would call me every day but he still had not come home yet and he would not tell me why.

What the hell was I supposed to think about that?

I knew it had nothing to do with his mom, dad or anyone in his family at all. He kept telling me it was for personal reasons. The only thing I could think was that it had something to do with Jacob and he did not want me to know.

I could see why he would not want me to know if he was helping Jacob even though I told him I did not mind him being friends with Jacob…not close friends…but friends.

I could understand what Jacob did a whole lot more than what James did and as long as I did not have to see him, I was okay with it.

Nevertheless, he said no.

I was thinking something had happened with Jacob and Edward was back in Forks to take care of it…but he did not want me to know. I knew though, Edward would have to be back sometime this week for classes.

He told me he had made sure to register online. Our conversations over the phone were good. I had decided that perhaps the space between us was actually a good thing, no matter what the reason was for him being away.

Unless, he was cheating…which I was confident that he was not.

All of our previous therapy sessions had paid off in that department. We trusted each other completely to not be unfaithful to the other one.

I knew without a doubt that he was not off with another woman. My heart would have told me if he was betraying me like that.

I felt we had both pretty much healed for the most part from everything in high school. We talked about our baby now, all the time. When his or her birth date would come around, we would always talk about what we would have been doing with them on that day.

We had frequent discussions about our baby that we lost and future babies. We knew that one day we would be ready for children. We both had come to the realization that things happen for a reason and obviously our little one that we lost was just not ready to be here.

Back then, we were not ready to be parents and who knew what kind of situations that poor baby would have been brought in to with the way things were between Edward and me.

My brothers had a better relationship with Edward these days.

However, Jasper and Emmett were both upset that Edward had taken off to Forks without telling anyone why. I did not even think Carlisle and Esme knew why their son was back there. They said they really had not seen him.

Alice said that maybe he needed some space and time to himself with everything that had been going on with school as well as us hardly seeing each other.

That did not make sense to me considering, things were great for six months and we were about to take a vacation together when he left. That would have given him space from school and much needed alone time with me.

I would have thought that what we needed the most was uninterrupted time together…to reconnect…away from the pressures of school and work…but apparently I was wrong.

Although, like I said, if I was being honest…the space had been nice. Besides, the sex would be amazing once we were finally together again.

We had several nice phone sex conversations since he had been away. Yummy, indeed they were.

My cell phone ringing shook me from my naughty, naughty thoughts.

Hmmm…I looked at the caller ID…Edward…I was already in bed and incredibly horny…perhaps this could be another delicious phone sex extravaganza.

"Hello sexy?" I purred into the phone.

"Hey baby…you sound strained…what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"I don't know…but I know what I hope you are doing."

"And what would that be handsome?"

"I hope you are lying in our bed, stroking your clit while thinking hot and nasty thoughts about me."

"Well you're half right."

"And which half would that be?"

"That I'm laying here thinking hot and nasty thoughts about you. I'm not stroking my clit…yet."

"Oh god Bella, you're fucking killing me. You are going to get a good pounding tomorrow you bad girl. I can't wait to tear into you…it's been so long baby."

Wait what did he just say?

"Tomorrow? Classes don't start until later this week. I figured you would stay gone up until the very last minute since you so clearly don't want to be around me."

"Bella please…not that again," he said in a frustrated tone.

Great, now I had ruined both of our good moods.

I was trying to hold back the tears.

"What else am I supposed to think Edward? You take off right before we are supposed to go away together and you've been gone for two months! You wouldn't even let me come with you."

"I couldn't. I told you…it's just something I had to take care of…something I had to do. Remember…we have to trust each other Baby, I thought that we do."

I was sobbing now.

"I'm sorry Edward, I do trust you…it's just that you are making this hard and I miss you so much."

"Damn it, I hate it when I make you cry. I can't stand it. Listen, I am on my way to the airport right now. I am going to get the soonest flight out that they have. When I get home…we are going to talk. I'm going to explain everything. I promise.

"I never meant to be gone this long, sweetheart. Please understand that I love you. I really needed to do this. I needed to prove that I am still a good person. Believe me when I say it broke my heart to have to leave you the way that I did.

"I am getting back to you pronto and I can't wait to see you, love."

"Okay," I said quietly.

"What is it Bella?"

"You're going to break up with me aren't you?"

"No baby, of course not."

"Okay, then call me when you get here and I will come get you at the airport."

"NO!" he said quickly.

Why the hell did he say that?

"I mean, it could be late…I will just get a cab home and I promise to wake you up when I get there."

"Alright…if you insist," I said hesitantly.

Why was he being weird?

"I do."

"Okay see you when I see you. I love you Edward."

"I love you too my Bella."

I hung up the phone and tried to rack my brain with what was going to happen when he got home. Where had he been for the last two months? Why had he been secretive? What could possibly have been going on with him?

I was going to find out soon. Did I want to know? No.

Did I need to know?

Yes.

EPOV

It killed me to hear Bella crying on the phone. I had to get back to her. I had been gone far too long. No one was happy about me leaving and they were going to be even more displeased when they found out why I had been gone.

I was now sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to be called. Bella was going to have a hard time with this. I had to make her understand.

Things were different now.

We were different now. We were stronger now; at least I hoped we were. We could get through this. We were Edward and Bella, which meant we could get through anything.

She was not going to want to understand what I had been doing the past two months, but I was going to have to make her understand.

I heard the boarding call for the flight to Seattle. I looked around the tiny Forks airport for my traveling companion.

I went and nudged his arm and said, "Hey man, let's go…this will be a short flight and I have to get home. Bella needs me. I won't lose her again."

He looked up at me with sleepy blue eyes and said, "Okay let's get going then. Wouldn't want to keep the Mrs. waiting."

He did not say it in a condescending tone or anything because we were good now. We had an understanding and I knew he was only joking around because he knew how badly I wanted to make Bella my wife.

"Ha-ha…let's go James. Let's get on the fucking plane before I kick your ass all the way to Seattle."

He chuckled, and we made our way to the plane.

I had knots in my stomach. Bella was going to kill me…if her brothers did not kill me first. This could not end well.

Could it?

A/N…Alright…before you guys start throwing things and yelling at me…those of you who have read before…know that our little Eddie has a reason for doing what he is doing.

Please keep that in mind before you hate me completely.

Thanks to dolphin62598!

Reviewers will get a teaser of Chapter 26, which will be posting tomorrow!