A/N: MIDTERMS ARE OVER!!! I love life right now. It feels so great to be done with them. I'm seriously overjoyed. Okay, so I really wasn't sure if I did the last chapter to my liking, but I really wanted to make this one extra good, so it's a little longer for all of you faithful readers. Hope you like it!

Edward's POV

We had just escaped the barbaric torture chamber, they mockingly call a school. I was careful to drive the normal speed limit. I had slipped up the one time by driving at my preferred pace around Bella, but luckily she had been too preoccupied with going to our home, she didn't take too much notice in it.

It was a Friday, so we had all weekend. I was happy that I wouldn't have to return to that retched place for two and a half days, but it was more than happiness that I was feeling. It was almost indescribable. Knowing that I had this time, and that now I could spend it however I pleased with Bella, I felt . . . free. I snuck a look at Bella. Her head was tilted to the side of the car, pressed against the glass window pane, staring at the rumbling thunderclouds overhead. Her slightly wavy brown hair and pale skin were comforting to take in. Somehow in the little time I'd known her, her appearance was familiar to me and, reassuring.

The road was dry, but as I glanced up, it was only a matter of time before the town was nearly washed away again with a torrent of rain. It was unusually quiet, at least for me. Unless I was completely alone, it was never this quiet. I could never have a comfortable silence with someone else. Their thoughts were always interrupting me, they couldn't help it. I couldn't blame them, but it didn't change the facts. Nothing had changed for the past ninety years until now. I needed to tell her. She needed to know. But I couldn't just reveal our secret, could I? What if she ran away from me screaming? I didn't know if I could stand to lose her now.

I scoffed at myself. Me lose her? I needed to be pushing her away, keeping her safe from a distance. I looked at the tangible space between us. This wasn't what I would consider distance. But I wanted to stay with her. I wanted to be with her. I was comfortable in her presence. There that word was again. Comfortable. Why was I so comfortable with someone that I thirsted for above all others?

I needed to tell her.

"Why are you always so cold?"

Her sweet dulcet tone brought me out of my reverie.

"Hmm?"

"Your skin. You're always freezing to death, as though you'll never be warm. Why is that?"

Another reason I needed to tell her. She was so perceptive. I knew she hadn't accepted my excuse for the eye color changes, and now this?

As I opened my mouth, she shot me a warning look.

"And don't even think about using the genetic spiel, because your whole family is cold and you're adopted. What's going on?"

Sometimes the perceptiveness was really quite annoying.

Bella's POV

"I . . . I won't lie to you Bella. There are some things that you don't know about me. I doubt you would believe me if I told you."

"Oh but I would," I cut in eagerly. He was going to tell me what his secret was.

"Bella," he laughed slightly. "I don't think you'll like this, it's not a good thing. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think I should just tell you so you'll stay away from me."

Instantly I was hurt. He wanted me to stay away from him? I thought he- "Stay away from you?"

He took in my expression. "Oh no Bella, not like that."

"Well then like what?" I was starting to get irritated.

"It's not good for you to be around me."

"What, like, you're a bad influence or something?"

Another dark laugh. "Not quite."

The grim look on his face brought me to revelation. "You think you'll hurt me."

Sharply he looked at me.

"But that's okay," I reassured him, "if you decide that this won't work out, then I will handle that with as much grace as possible. You don't have to worry, no messy break up or anything like that."

"That's not what I'm talking about Bella."

"Edward, this circuitous reasoning is really getting annoying."

"I'm not good for you."

I observed his tight, pained expression. He really thought he was going to hurt me. What was this thing that had him so worried?

"You mean you think you're dangerous," I said quietly.

"Yes," he breathed out.

"And that's why you think you will hurt me."

He nodded. "So you can see that it would probably be best for you just to go on with your life, just forget about-"

"If that's all then I don't see a problem," I chirped.

"What?"

"Well, it's not a problem. That's all I'm saying."

He stared at me in disbelief. "I just told you that I'm a dangerous person, that I could hurt you, and you think that's not a problem?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think you're capable of hurting anyone, much less me. You're a good person."

He locked his jaw in frustration. "You don't have any idea what I'm capable of."

"Oh, I've no doubt what you're capable of; I just don't think you'd do it."

"I already have. It would always be a risk for you. Every day."

"What would be a risk," I pried. "Why would there be a risk in being with you? I don't understand. Just tell me."

"I know you don't understand Bella. It's just that, once I tell you, that's it, there's no turning back. I can't do that . . . yet. But I will, I promise I'll tell you soon. You have a right to know what you're dealing with. I won't deny you that choice. Although, I already know your decision. The only sane decision. It'll be difficult, but it's what's best for you."

"Edward I-"

"We're here."

I looked up and saw my house appear. He pulled into the driveway and parked.

He followed me inside as I flipped on the living room lights. It had grown really dark outside, and I figured it would rain pretty soon. I sat down awkwardly on our couch. What next?

He sat down beside of me, keeping a little distance between us. Somehow that distance seemed phenomenally larger than the 6 inches it was.

"So," he gently traced the light swelling on the side of my face. My focus was badly disturbed. "Would you mind who really did this, if it wasn't Newton?"

"Oh," the whole thing seemed a little trivial after the discussion I'd just had with him.

"Go on," he urged.

"I don't really feel like talking about it. It's stupid; I should have been a little smarter than that."

"Bella, I'm your boyfriend," he paused. I didn't like that pause, he seemed to be mentally filling in for now. "And I have a right to know when someone hurts you."

"No one did, I walked into a door that was opening. That's all that happened, no big deal, you know, clumsy is my middle name."

"Well," he mused, "I suppose I might have believed that if not for two things."

"What are they?"

"Well, first, you're a terrible liar. Second, this is in the shape of a hand, and from past knowledge, doors are square."

I hugged a pillow to me. "Listen, it's fine."

"No, it's not, tell me."

"Promise you won't get mad?"

He looked at me solemnly. "I promise."

I looked away. "I still don't want to tell you. I'm sorry."

"Bella." It came as little more than a whisper, a breath, a teasing hint of sound.

I turned. I started to say yes, but the word died in my throat. His face was seconds from mine, forcing me to take in every single perfect feature.

"Please tell me." His lips brushed mine with the tiniest hint of a touch.

"I-"

"Please," I inhaled the wonderful scent of him. He smelled so good. It was indescribable, but not a cologne or anything like that. It was pure Edward, and it smelled heavenly.

My eyelashes fluttered, and I helplessly tried to keep them open.

Forcing them open, I looked at the clear, lucid, smoldering expression in his eyes and lost all of my self control. I closed the tiny gap separating our mouths and kissed him. It was our third kiss, but each one felt like the first, only better.

He seemed to give in for a moment, but then extracted himself from me.

"Bella, we have to stop."

"Why?" I didn't care if I was whining, it was like going into withdraw when he stopped me.

"It's too-"

The high from his kiss was still with me. "If you say dangerous, so help me Edward I won't be able to control what I do next."

"Bella, you don't understand."

"Because you won't let me," I bit off angrily.

"This is a stalemate Bella."

"It doesn't have to be. It can't be that bad."

"Oh, it can," he promised me.

The look in his eyes told me to believe that; he wasn't lying now.

He rubbed my tense shoulders comfortingly. "Come on Bella, let's not fight about this. You're really not going to tell me?"

I shook my head stubbornly.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Okay, so you're not going to tell me. That's fine, but I will find out. I'll find out who did this, and why, so be ready," he warned me softly.

"I severely doubt that they'll tell you themselves. And there was no one else around."

"I have my ways."

He was too confident.

"We'll see," I said doubtfully, even though something told me that I was underestimating him.

"Now," Edward removed himself to the other side of the couch. "If you aren't going to tell me and you're going to force me to labor away and find out who it was myself, I guess we should do something else. What would you like to do?"

"Well, I said that I didn't watch TV that much, but I do have a few movies."

"That's great, what do you want to watch?"

"Um," I bit my lip, "I could show you what I have and then you could pick?"

He smiled. It was a strange smile, crooked sort of, but it suited him. It made him look like he was enjoying something naturally; it wasn't forced and fake like it sometimes was. It was all Edward in that smile. How he could make something crooked look perfect, I'll never know.

"We'll choose together."

I brought out all ten videos that I had. We perused the titles for a second and then he held up one.

"Mansfield Park?" I said in disbelief. I could not believe he picked that. He was probably doing that just because I had secretly wanted to watch it, but how could he have known?

He held up his hands innocently. "I've never watched this before. I didn't know they made this into a movie."

Sure, sure he didn't. What was with him and the lying?

Regardless, I popped it in. I wanted to see the movie. I was going to take this and not argue.

Edward's POV

I caught her hand lingering on one case as we looked at the titles. Jane Austen it would be.

I held it up after a couple of seconds.

"Mansfield Park?" She questioned, clearly aghast.

I attempted to be clueless. "I've never watched this before. I didn't know they made this into a movie."

I could see she didn't quite buy that excuse, oh well, you couldn't win them all.

She put in the movie.

I wanted the space to disappear between us. It was so vast and symbolic in so many ways. I wish I could just make the boundaries go away. Then it struck me. I could. It wouldn't be too hard on me to not break the boundaries, just push them a little. That wouldn't be so dangerous. I would just give myself a little. The kiss had been pushing it. Why not indulge myself just a little?

Bella's POV

After the slight fiasco over the dangers of kissing, I was shocked when Edward pulled me onto his lap.

I was so shocked in fact, that I stiffened when he did so.

"Do you mind if I hold you?" He questioned gently, hesitantly, almost as if he was wishing for a yes.

"N-no I don't mind, the opposite actually."

After that, I rested against his hard body. It was unusually hard, but, I admitted to myself, I had hardly hugged anyone else. It was probably just the fact that he was toned. Embarrassed at the thought, I blushed.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, brushing back the hair that I had been using to try to hide my face.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

The sound of the drumming rain on the windows created a relaxing atmosphere. It was getting really cold, so I went and got a blanket and wrapped it around us. We spent the next hour and a half watching the movie, with the occasional comments from Edward about the poor heroine, as he called her, and the fact that everyone was abusive toward her.

"They weren't abusive toward her; no one hit her or anything. The only thing they did was ignore her and sometimes gave her chores to do," I countered, instantly contradictive.

He slid his eyes over to mine thoughtfully. "Bella, that is abuse. It's never okay to treat someone like that."

I looked down unable to meet his gaze. Suddenly, I had the feeling we weren't talking about Miss Price anymore.

Despite that minor incident, I was in heaven for the rest of the afternoon. After the movie I decided I was a firm supporter in skipping the occasional day of school.

After the movie, unfortunately, Edward decided that he should go, or his parents would wonder where he was. I agreed with him grudgingly and admitted that Charlie would be coming home soon. And as little as Charlie had to do with me, I was pretty sure that he would mind me being home alone with a strange new boy he'd never met before.

I closed the door behind Edward and picked up the movie case. I knew I'd never watch this movie the same way again.

Anonymous POV

I watched the family go about their regular routine. Yes, they were definitely a possibility.

I grinned as I rubbed my hands together, they would love to have me. Any powerful coven would. I couldn't wait until the time came. It wasn't time yet, but it would be soon. I just had to wait for the opportune moment.

The plan was in motion.

Emmett's POV

I looked out the window and saw a human standing at the foot of our driveway, their image distorted by the pouring rain. It was a strange smell, one I wasn't familiar with. I went in to report it to Carlisle.

"A human you say?"

I nodded.

He thought for a moment. "Perhaps they were merely curious about us. I can't see any problems yet. Alice?"

She bounded into the room. "Yes?"

"Have you had any visions concerning us lately?"

"Nope, I see everything going along smoothly."

"Okay, thank you."

He looked back at me.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about yet."

A/N: Okay, that was some heavy foreshadowing, hope you liked it. Actually, I hope you like the whole thing. Thank you for all of your ideas, I took them all into consideration, and I will be using a few of them later on. And 700 REVIEWS? That's astronomical. Thank you guys so much. Please review this one and tell me what you thought.