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Chapter 26 – Unravel

It was early March, and I was in the place I loved most – my bed, with Edward lying next to me. I was lying with my head on his shoulder, pressing intermittent kisses to his chest.

"Mmmm… I definitely think our practicing is paying off," I purred.

We had just finished making love. This had become an almost daily afterschool ritual. Edward would drive me home, and then he would come upstairs with me and make me forget my own name for awhile.

His hand came up to stroke my hair as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I agree," he said with a smile in his voice. "Now remind me please, why did it take us so long to do this in the first place?"

"Well, as I recall… First, you were dating a girl who turned out to be a psycho hosebeast."

"You've been watching Wayne's World again."

"With Emmett last weekend."

"You can't say that the man doesn't have an appreciation for the classics."

I swatted his chest playfully. "May I continue?"

"Please do, love."

"Okay, and then, I decided to take an extended tour of Looneyland for about a year."

"You weren't crazy. You were just doing your best to cope. It's completely understandable."

"Thank you, Edward," I said as I kissed him again.

"And finally, when we were together at last and there was nothing standing in our way, you decided to be strangely moral for a horny teenage boy."

His chuckle rumbled under my ear. "Yeah, on second thought, don't remind me. All of those things are most definitely best forgotten."

I began to trace random patterns across his skin with my finger. When I got close to his ribs, he squirmed under me.

"Bella, that tickles."

I smiled widely. I was just so happy to be here with him, I felt as if I were filled to bursting with the joy of it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to tickle. It's just…I can't seem to get enough of touching you."

Suddenly he rolled toward me and I found myself beneath him. He kissed me deeply, his tongue dipping into my mouth and tasting me. Finally, he pulled away.

"I know what you mean, sweetheart. Because I just can't seem to get enough of kissing you."

He then proceeded to prove it by kissing me over and over again. He kissed my lips, my neck, and my breasts, of course. But he also kissed this insides of my wrists and elbows, my collarbones, and finally he pressed several long, soft kisses to my stomach.

"Do you know what I imagine when I kiss you here?" he asked before darting his tongue into my navel.

"If you imagine that you're driving me crazy with lust, you'd be right," I teased.

"I'm serious, Bella," he said before he returned his lips to my skin.

"So am I." I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. "Okay, so seriously, what were you thinking about?"

"When I kiss you here, I think about you carrying my child. I know it's years and years away. We have to graduate high school and college first. We both want to go to grad school. Then, we'll need to establish careers and get married. I know we have to wait. But when I kiss you right here," he said and then pressed his lips just under my navel, "I imagine what you'll look like with your belly swollen with my child…our child."

I wiped tears from my eyes. He glanced up and caught me at it.

"Love, did I upset you?"

"No, Edward. It's just…what you said was so beautiful. I want that too someday. I know waiting for the right time won't always be easy, but it will all be worth it when we're married and ready to start our family."

"And in the meantime…" he said, looking up at me with his sexy smirk suddenly on his lips.

"Yes?" I asked.

"More practice," he said, ducking his head between my thighs.

I threw my head back against the pillow as his mouth found my clit.

You'll get no complaints from me.

I would have told him that aloud, of course…if I hadn't suddenly lost my capacity for coherent speech.

"Hey, Bella," Alice answered her phone, "How's my favorite cousin doing?"

My grip on my phone tightened. How could I answer that question without giving myself away? I figured the best thing to do was just to ignore it – I was so good at that.

"Hi, Alice. Listen, I was actually hoping that I could ask you for a favor…well, you and Rose." I knew that Rosalie was there with Alice, she had planned to spend the night at Alice's.

"Of course, Bella. You know you have only to ask. We were just getting ready, waiting for the boys to get home."

It was Friday afternoon. Spring Break had officially begun today. I'd be leaving for England tomorrow, and I had to talk to them before I left.

"That's kind of why I was calling, Alice. I know you were looking forward to being with the boys tonight, but I sort of need an emergency girls' night. Do you think it's possible to change our plans? I wouldn't even ask…but the boys will be here for a week, and I leave tomorrow."

"I thought you wanted to spend this last night with Edward," she said surprised.

"I did. I mean, I do. It's just…something has come up, and I really need some female bonding time. Please."

"Okay, let me talk to Rosalie, tell her what's going on. I'll call you right back."

"Alright, Alice. Thanks."

I ended the call and began pacing my bedroom. I knew it seemed a lot longer than it actually was, but finally my phone rang.

"So, what's the verdict?"

"Rosalie is onboard for tonight. Now we just have to call the boys and inform them of the change in plans."

"That's great, Alice. There's just one more thing…"

"Sure, sweetie. Whatever you need."

"Umm…when you talk to Jasper and Emmett, will you ask them to call Edward and tell him they're kidnapping him for a boys' night?"

"Why would they need to do that?"

"Because he'll want to see me tonight otherwise. In fact, he'll probably try to tell them that he doesn't want to go. They'll have to talk him into it – refuse to take no for an answer."

"Bella, what's this all about?"

"I'll tell you when I see you, I promise."

She sighed. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

Forty-five minutes later, I pulled up in front of my aunt and uncle's house. I would have been there sooner, but I'd had to spend several minutes on the phone with Edward convincing him that he really should go out with Emmett and Jasper. He had argued. He couldn't understand why I wanted to spend this last night before I left for England apart. I had told him that I really didn't want to but that I thought it was important for us not to be so wrapped up in each other that we ignored our other friends.

In other words, I had lied to him.

When I promised him that we would spend some time together tomorrow before I had to leave, he had finally capitulated, but in a decidedly petulant tone. He was not happy with me at the moment, and I was sorry for that. He didn't know it, of course, because I hadn't bothered to tell him, but everything I was doing right now was actually for him, for his own good. I would tell him later – if I had to.

My Aunt Mary had opened the front door and let me in. I found Alice and Rosalie lounging around Alice's room, listening to her iPod.

Alice leaped up when she saw me and enveloped me in a hug. "Bella, you're here! It's good to see you, cuz!"

Rosalie was a little more subdued in her enthusiasm. "Alright, Swan, can you explain to me why exactly you called this little estrogen pow-wow?"

I looked from Rosalie to Alice, trying to get my brain to work. What would be the best way to broach this subject? "Umm…I needed you guys. For moral support. I have to make a trip to the pharmacy."

"Is that what this is about?" Rose asked incredulously. "You called an emergency girls' night to make yet another condom run? Couldn't Studly Do-me-right buy them this time?"

Alice laughed loudly. "Studly Do-me-right? Have you been watching porn with Emmett again, Rose?"

Rosalie just shrugged but couldn't help grinning at Alice. Her grin immediately dropped though when she glanced over at me. I wasn't entirely sure what she saw as she looked at me – a paler than normal complexion or maybe wide, scared eyes – but whatever it was instantly clued her in that something was very wrong. "Bella, what is it?"

"I don't need to make a condom run, Rose. I need to buy…ummm…a pregnancy test. I'm…three days late."

"Shit!" Rosalie exclaimed.

My sentiments exactly.

It was five o'clock in the morning, and I was sitting on the bathroom floor with Alice and Rosalie, waiting to find out if my life was about to go to hell. "How much longer now?" I demanded.

Rose glanced at her watch. "Twenty-three seconds less than the last time you asked me."

I felt like screaming in frustration! Who knew that three minutes could last so damn long?

"Bella, it's going to be okay. No matter what the result is, we'll help you figure out the best way to deal with it. We're here for you, sweetie," Alice tried to soothe me.

"How is it going to be okay, Alice? If I'm pregnant, how exactly are things going to work out? Edward and I have plans for the future, and a baby right now will just mess everything up."

"You'll need to talk to him about it. The two of you will need to decide what the right thing is for you," Rose said calmly. "You know, Bella," she continued softly, "you don't have to go through with it if you don't want to. You won't even have to get your parents' permission or anything – Washington State doesn't require parental consent."

"Yeah, there's only one problem with that plan – have you two actually met Edward? He'd never want me to have an abortion. I don't think he'd even consider adoption. He'd want to marry me as soon as possible and try to make it work."

"And that's a bad thing?" Alice asked.

"I'm just afraid that if I tie us down so young – with a baby, no less – that I'm going to completely destroy our plans, everything we've said that we want to accomplish. What if Edward has to give up his dreams for me and for our baby? Won't he eventually come to resent us both?"

"You need to remember here, Bella, that it takes two to tango. You are not doing anything to Edward. If there's a baby, then you two created it together. You'll need to make decisions together. If you decide to keep the baby, then you'll both have to make sacrifices and maybe adjust your dreams. But you're not solely responsible in this!" Rose said adamantly.

"Look, I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here," Alice interrupted, "First we need to find out if the test is positive. Rose?"

"It's time."

I closed my eyes. My breath was coming in pants. I felt panicked. "I can't look! Alice, will you do it for me?"

She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Okay. Good luck, Bella."

She stood then, and I opened my eyes in time to see her glance down at the pregnancy test that I'd left resting next to the bathroom sink. A brilliant smile broke over her face, "It's negative."

"Negative?" I asked, working through my brain exactly what that meant. After a couple of moments, it clicked. "Oh thank God!"

"This is a good sign," Rosalie said cautiously. "But remember the instructions said you should retest in a week if your period doesn't start, Bella."

"Still, you shouldn't be too worried. It wasn't positive! There's a very good chance you're not pregnant. If you haven't started by the time you get back from England, we'll have you take the second test. I really don't think it'll be necessary though. You'll start soon. I just know it!"

I hoped Alice was right. When she'd made predictions in the past, they'd usually been eerily accurate. But was her overwhelming need to always see the silver lining and belief in the power of positive thinking messing with her prognosticating abilities in this case? I couldn't completely contain the fear that they might be.

"I think you're panicking a bit unnecessarily. It's not like you guys had unprotected sex. You said last night that you and Edward always used a condom."

"We did, Rose, but you know that condoms aren't foolproof."

"I'm just saying that a negative test plus knowing that you always had safe sex should help put your mind at ease."

"It does. But I don't think I'll be able to completely relax until my period comes."

"And in the meantime, just know that we're always here for you," Alice said.

Rosalie nodded her agreement. "That's what friends are for, right?"

After we'd cleaned up and covered our tracks in Alice's bathroom, the girls had actually gone back to sleep. I couldn't though. There were just too many thoughts going through my head. At seven o'clock, I'd given up trying. Quietly, so as not to wake Alice and Rose, I got dressed and packed up my things. I made a quick excuse to Aunt Mary and Uncle Nathan – they'd been sitting at the kitchen table drinking their morning coffee and saw me trying to leave. I'd told them that I was too excited about my trip to sleep and that I had some last minute things to do, and they'd shooed me off, wishing me a bon voyage.

As soon as I slid behind the wheel of my truck, I pulled out my cell and sent Edward a text. I didn't know if he'd be up this early, but I took a chance. A minute later, my phone beeped, alerting me of an incoming text.

I'm up. Come over. Miss u.

I sighed. This was not going to be fun.

When I found myself at Edward's front door, I knocked softly. I wasn't sure if his parents would be awake this early on a Saturday. So, I was mildly surprised that Edward's mother was the one to answer the door.

Esme Cullen was a beautiful woman who looked at least ten years younger than her actual age. I didn't know how old she really was – I'd never remembered to ask Edward – but she couldn't be as young as she looked unless she'd had Edward when she was like twelve. Her hair was a caramel color. Edward hadn't gotten his distinctive hair color from either of his parents, in fact. His father was blond. When I'd asked her about it one day, Esme had told me that Edward's hair had been inherited from her mother, Elizabeth. He also had his grandmother's bright green eyes, but his mother shared those with him too.

"Hi, Bella. You're up early this morning. Please, come in."

"Thanks, Esme." I'd tried to call Edward's mother Mrs. Cullen the first time I'd met her. She'd quickly nipped that in the bud, claiming that being called by that title made her feel old. It felt a little odd to me, being on a first name basis with Edward's mother, but if that's what she wanted, I could deal.

"Bella! Good morning!" Edward's father, Carlisle, greeted me as he walked out of the kitchen. "Does my son know that he's leaving this vision of loveliness waiting in our foyer? If so, it is entirely unforgivable."

Carlisle Cullen was a devastating total package. He had been born and raised in England until he was a teenager, and that was reflected in his accent and the cadence of his speech. As was evident in his greeting, Carlisle was also suave and romantic…and had a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Growing up with such a father, was it any wonder that Edward sometimes spoke as if he were from another time? Edward had also very obviously inherited his gorgeous face and body from his father. Carlisle reminded me of a young Robert Redford, only hotter. He had the classic golden boy looks but he possessed a sophistication and a patrician bearing that the current crop of Hollywood pretty boys could never hope to possess. Definitely a DILF. Well, in general terms. I mean, I personally would never go there, because that would be extremely sick and twisted. But as far as the other girls at Forks High were concerned, Dr. Cullen was fair game to add to their fantasy files.

"Hello, Carlisle. Umm… Edward did know that I was on my way over. I sent him a text."

"Hmm… I'm going to have to sit that boy down and have a long talk with him. He should definitely know better. Only a neglectful brute or a simpleton would leave this beauty unattended. I didn't raise Edward to be either. It's sheer carelessness on his part. One never knows when another man will swoop in and try to steal her." Carlisle reached out and took my hand then, bowing gallantly over it and then looking up into my eyes and giving me a mischievous wink.

I glanced quickly to Esme and saw her grin and roll her eyes at her husband's antics.

"Give it a rest, Dad." I heard Edward's voice before I saw him appear on the stairs. "Bella prefers the junior model."

"Oh, ouch! Darling, could you check my back and see if there's a dagger protruding from it?" Carlisle addressed Esme in a teasing tone.

She laughed at him indulgently. "I know that you are an excellent doctor, Carlisle. But I do believe that you really missed your true calling. A ham of your caliber should have pursued the stage."

"Et tu, Brute?"

Edward and his parents laughed. All I could manage was a small smile, and even that was forced. I was too nervous about my reason for being here to find humor in anything. Luckily for me, I didn't think any of them noticed.

"Love, what's wrong?" Edward suddenly asked me, taking my hand in his.

So much for that theory.

"Nothing's wrong, Edward," I lied. "I guess I'm just not completely awake yet."

I looked at Esme and Carlisle and saw matching concerned expressions. I needed to lie better. Addressing Edward's mother I said, "You know how slumber parties are. We stayed up way too late talking and were up way too early this morning."

"Ah, yes," Esme agreed smiling. "The very last thing that girls ever do at a slumber party is actually sleep."

"Really, my darling? Hmmm… Have I thanked you today for giving me our strong, handsome son?" Carlisle asked, wrapping his arm around Esme's waist and leaning in to kiss her temple.

"There are always tradeoffs, dearest. I think that young girls are inherently braver. Remember those years from the ages of three to seven when Edward was afraid to go anywhere in our house alone, and he tried to talk his way into sleeping between us every night?"

"And on that note, Bella and I are going to my room…before you two launch into the really embarrassing stuff."

"Spoil our fun, why don't you, son? I'm sure Bella would love to hear the story about how every time we were in the car and we'd drive over a bump in the road, you used to say, 'That tickled my pee-pee.'" Carlisle laughed.

Edward turned me so that he now stood behind me, his hands covering my ears, "We can't hear you anymore…lalala."

"And then there was the time…" Esme began. But that was all I heard of that particular tale, because Edward had steered me away from his parents and up the stairs.

When we got to the second floor, Edward released me but immediately took possession of my hand again to lead me up the next flight of stairs. The Cullen house was huge, and Edward's room was the only occupied one on the third floor.

As we entered his bedroom, Edward closed the door behind us. This was common when we were together at his house, whether his parents were home or not. I was always struck with the difference in Edward's rules versus mine. My father would never have knowingly allowed my boyfriend to set one toe in my room, let alone allowed us to be behind closed doors together. It always made me wonder if this was just a difference in parenting style between Edward's parents and mine, or if this was the difference in the comfort level of raising a boy instead of a girl.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Bella?" He pulled me into his arms. "Is it really just a lack of sleep? You seem quieter than usual."

My arms tightened around him. "Just hold me, Edward. I really need you to hold me."

"Of course, love. You know you only ever need to ask."

After a few moments, he pulled back to press his lips against my forehead. He must have seen the tears in the corners of my eyes, however, because he suddenly froze. "Bella, you're seriously starting to scare me. What the hell is going on?"

I pulled out of his arms and led him to his bed. "Lay down with me…please. I need to talk to you, but I want to feel you against me for this particular conversation."

He hesitated. I could see a growing sense of foreboding in his eyes. But he did climb onto his bed and stretch out before holding out his arms for me.

I climbed up next to him and into his embrace. My head was against his chest, and his fingers wound their way into my hair. "What is it, Bella?" he asked cautiously. "Are you…" He paused and cleared his throat before finishing his question. "Are you breaking up with me?"

So that's what he thought this was about? Well, maybe he's just projecting. Maybe he'll want to break up with me after I tell him this.

"No, Edward. That's not what this is about. I had to tell you that I…I lied to you."

That was as good a place to start as any, and I might as well build up to this, right?

"You lied to me," he said, his tone flat. "About what?"

"About what I actually did last night."

I felt his body tense under mine. "What did you do, Bella? Were you really with Alice and Rosalie? Or were you with…someone else?"

I was startled by the coldness in his voice at that question. I hadn't realized how he could misinterpret what I was trying to tell him.

He thinks you were with some other guy.

Well, given your recent past, can you really blame him for at least considering it?

I felt horribly sad that he would think that, even for a moment, but in answer to my own internal question, I couldn't honestly blame him for it. I had used boys for comfort in the past; and, even though he had told me time and time again that he didn't judge me for it, how could Edward not have that small, nagging doubt in the back of his mind that maybe I'd do it again?

"I was with Rose and Alice. We just didn't spend the night talking about boys and eating junk food."

I felt Edward's hand move to cup my jaw as he gently tipped my head back, so that he could look into my eyes. "What did the three of you do instead?"

This was the moment of truth. I had to tell him. "We drove into Forks. The girls helped me pick out a…pregnancy test, Edward. I took it this morning."

His eyes widened as he processed what I'd just told him. But then he completely shocked me when he simply lowered his lips to mine and kissed me gently. "I wish you'd just told me this before, sweetheart. I would have liked to be the one with you for all of this."

"Don't you want to know what the result was?"

"Of course, I do. But it doesn't really matter one way or the other, Bella. I love you, and I'll be right beside you, regardless of the result."

"It was negative." I searched his eyes for relief, but I didn't even detect a hint of it. I saw only love reflecting back at me.

"Okay," he said agreeably, as if we were discussing where to have dinner on a Thursday night and not something as life changing as the possibility of us having a baby right now.

"I need to tell you something else. Edward, there's a chance that the test result wasn't right. The earlier you take the test, the better the chance of getting a false negative."

"I thought those things were supposed to be really accurate," Edward said with mild curiosity.

"According to the instructions, a positive result is almost always accurate, but a negative result may just mean that my body hasn't made enough of the pregnancy hormone to be detected yet. If I haven't started my period in a few days, I'm supposed to take another test."

"Can I be there for that one?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying to a God I wasn't sure existed that a second test wouldn't be necessary. You know what they say about no atheists in the trenches? Well I guess the same thing can be said of no atheists among potentially pregnant teenage girls. "Yes, Edward. If you want to be."

He brushed a lock of hair out of my eyes. "Bella, exactly how late are you?"

"As of today, four days."

"And have you had any other symptoms of early pregnancy?"

That question threw me a bit. I'd been so worried about my period being late, that I hadn't really researched what else to expect. "I don't know. I don't think so," I hedged.

"If it would make you feel better, we could go downstairs and talk to my dad about this. He might…"

"No! I don't want to tell any of our parents about this until we know for sure we have no other choice! Edward, if my dad finds out about this, he will shoot you. And that is SO NOT a figure of speech!"

"Alright, Bella. We won't say anything to anyone else for now. But I want to talk about what happens if we are pregnant."

"We?"

"Yes…we! This is happening to both of us, love. Not just you. Now, if we are pregnant…I think we should get married."

I sighed.

Like I didn't see that one coming.

"Edward, we're not old enough to get married."

"We'll research Washington's marriage laws online. But even if we can't get married until we're both eighteen, that will still be before the baby is born."

I looked away from him. I couldn't say what I needed to now while looking into his eyes. "I'm just not sure that getting married so young and keeping the baby is the best option. It's…what my parents did with me, and they've always had to struggle."

"I'm not saying it would be easy, sweetheart. It may take us longer to get through school than the average student. But, Bella, we won't have to worry about money."

"You think your parents are going to support us? What if they're mad about us getting married? What if they don't want us to keep the baby?"

"I'm positive my parents would never do that. They may not be completely thrilled to see me married and a father at eighteen, but I can't see them turning their backs on us. But even if they do, I have money of my own…or I will have. My grandparents set up a trust fund for me before they died. I'll have complete access to the money in June. It might not be enough to live on forever, but it's definitely more than enough to pay our way through school and to support us until we're established. Most couples older than us start out with less."

My head was spinning. "I don't know, Edward. I'm just so tired. I can't think. I didn't sleep much last night worrying about all of this. All I've been doing for the last four days is thinking. I just don't have it in me to do any more right now."

"Why don't you just close your eyes and try to sleep for a bit. I'll hold you close and keep you safe, love."

"I can't. I have to catch my flight."

"It's still early. Your flight doesn't leave until late this afternoon. You can catch a nap. I'll wake you in time."

I had my doubts about being able to sleep, but I closed my eyes anyway. I concentrated on relaxing my body and the feel of Edward's arms around me. And then he began to hum softly. I couldn't be entirely sure, but I think I was asleep within seconds.

I was in a cemetery, standing before an open grave. I could feel someone beside me, and when I glanced over, I was shocked to find Mike standing there, smiling at me.

"Bella, it's good to see you. I hear things have been good for you. You and Cullen finally got together, huh?" he asked.

Unsure of why I was there and a little nervous to find Mike with me, I simply nodded.

"So you guys are busy planning your future – getting married, having a baby. It's all very exciting," he said, his tone light and conversational. And then suddenly his eyes flashed with anger and he reached out and grabbed my arm in a hard, unrelenting grip. "Would you like to see the future you granted me?"

Against my will, my gaze slid to the yawning hole at my feet. There, at the bottom, was a casket – the same one I'd seen over a year ago at Mike's funeral. Just like then, I was surprised to see it was standing open. Mike was lying inside. I quickly turned my head and saw he was also still standing beside me. The two Mikes were wearing the same clothes – the last ones I'd seen him in at the funeral – but that is where the similarities ended. The Mike beside me was the warm, living boy that I remembered. The Mike at the bottom of the grave had begun to decay. His skin was waxy and gray-white in color. His eyes were open, staring blankly at the sky, a cloudy film covering and distorting the color of the irises.

"See, Bella. This is the future I found with you. You're going on with your life as if nothing ever happened, as if I never existed, while I'm rotting under your feet."

He laughed then, and the sound chilled me to the bone. "And still I think I got a better deal than the one you've given Cullen. At least you killed me quickly. You're planning to bury him alive slowly, year by year."

"No!" I denied Mike's accusation, but in my heart I questioned if he were right.

"Baby, wake up." The words were far away, easy to ignore.

"You're going about it in a different way, but the end result will be the same. You took my future from me, and isn't that exactly what you're doing to him?"

"Stop! No more!" I begged as I squeezed my eyes shut to block out both Mikes.

"Bella, open your eyes." The far away voice was closer now, more insistent.

"Yes, Bella," Mike taunted, "open your eyes and see what you've done."

Against my will, my eyes sprang open. The Mike beside me was gone. The grave at my feet was now closed. A blanket of new grass covered it. And a headstone had been erected. But it wasn't Mike's name that appeared on the stone. In its place, carved into the weathered granite was the name Edward Cullen.

I woke myself screaming.

"Shhh, shhh. Bella, I'm here. It was just a bad dream," Edward soothed as his arms tightened around me.

"Oh, Edward!" I was so happy to see him there, to feel him next to me, to know that he was alive, that I threw my arms around him and held on for dear life.

He held me close, his hand rubbing slow circles on my back. "Do you want to talk about it, love?"

Panic seized me. I couldn't tell him. It was too raw, too fresh.

"I think this was one for my journal," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand."

Just then, I began cramping. "I…uhh…need to use the restroom. I'll be right back, okay?"

He frowned but let me go. I scooted away from him, off the bed, and was halfway to the door when his voice stopped me. "Love, are you alright?"

I didn't turn around. "I don't know, Edward." And then I was through the door and closed it firmly behind me.

In the bathroom, I spared a glance at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I was pale and looked frightened. Well, I was frightened, so I guess that made sense.

Crossing to the toilet, I sat down to pee. I looked down at my underwear, but there was none of the telltale spotting I was hoping for. After I finished, I tore off several sheets of toilet paper and wadded them before cleaning myself. I then inspected the paper. It had come away from my body with the slightest pink tint.

Oh holy Jesus! Thank you! I'm not pregnant!

I allowed myself a sigh of relief. But only one. Then my nightmare began playing back through my mind. I hadn't fucked up Edward's life yet – but if he stayed with me, I would eventually, wouldn't I? It was what I did after all.

I washed my hands mechanically and made my way back to Edward's room. As soon as I walked through the door, I was in his arms.

"Can you tell me now, Bella? Are you okay?" he asked before pressing his lips to my hair.

"Yes, Edward. I'm fine. My period started, so we don't have to worry anymore."

"Bella, I wasn't worried. In fact, deep down I'm a little disappointed. I know it's not the smartest way to go about things, but part of me was happy with the idea of not having to wait for you to be my wife and to start our family."

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

"Don't be sorry. It just wasn't meant to be right now, that's all. So, we'll wait. I don't mind as long as we're together."

"Okay."

He raised one eyebrow at me. "You're still acting strangely. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Edward. I…I guess I just feel kind of emotionally exhausted. It's like I've expended all the feelings I have, and I think I just need time to recharge my batteries or something. Does that make sense?"

"Under the circumstances, it makes perfect sense." He leaned down to kiss me, but I turned my face away slightly, and he ended up kissing my cheek instead.

"I need to go. I have to get ready, and I still have some last minute packing to do. Walk me to the truck?"

He gave me a puzzled look, but readily agreed, "Sure, Bella. I'll walk you out."

When we reached the truck, Edward, always the gentleman, opened my door for me. I started to climb in, but he stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Hey, I'm not going to see you for a week. Don't I get a proper goodbye?"

He was right. He did deserve a proper goodbye from me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to press my lips to his. I didn't rush this kiss. I let myself savor it…

Knowing that this may well be the last kiss we'd ever share.

Alright, I know I said there would be no teen pregnancy in this story. And there won't be. But I did say that anything else that could possibly happen in high school was fair game...that includes a pregnancy scare. I really am sorry I couldn't give you another Wussperv chapter, but there are still underlying issues that Bella hasn't faced yet. She has things she has to work through, and unfortunately during this interlude with Edward, she's been ignoring more than dealing. I hope that you all are willing to let her (and me) explore these issues.

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. And big, huge thanks to Delta for giving me guidance all the way from China, and to Gemma most especially for the next few chapters. Gemma, I couldn't possibly have written this without you.

A teaser for chapter 27 will be posted in the On a Lonesome Road thread on Twilighted this Friday, May 14th.

Chapter 27 will be posted next Tuesday, May 18th.