Bella's POV

I yawned as I climbed the stairs to the house. The kids were driving me crazy with their talk about what they were going to do next week while in Disneyworld. I'd never been nor had I ever wanted to go, but I could understand their excitement.

Nothing more had happened between Hillary and Mitchell other than a couple of discreet, drier kisses. She would tell me about it whenever Todd wasn't around and it made me chuckle to hear the stories of stolen moments behind the big tree on the playground.

The house was full of heat and laughter and people when I came in. I blinked against the bright lights and dropped my bag on the floor.

"Bella!" shouted Rosalie, crossing the room and throwing her arms around me. I wrapped my arm around her and patted her on the back, laughing in spite of myself.

"Hey Rose, you're drunk."

She grinned. "You bet your ass I am. You're behind. Start drinking!" A beer was shoved in my hand and Rose disappeared.

Alice trotted over and I got another drunken best friend hug. "I'm so happy you're home," she crooned.

I shook my head and looked to Edward for help. "What the hell, dude?"

He laughed and passed Alice back to Jasper. "They got their acceptances into Champaign's grad school today and started celebrating as soon as they got home. When the rest of us got here, it just kept going."

"You're not drunk," I grinned, taking a pull of my beer.

"I'm a man. It takes more than a couple drinks to do me in."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "So dinner?"

"Leftovers," he reminded me. I nodded and headed to the kitchen to start pulling stuff out. "So how was work?" he asked casually as he started pulling lids off containers.

I grinned. "Well, Hillary's had her first few kisses and the boy is actually pretty cute."

Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "Pedophile."

I laughed. "No, I'm more into the older guys actually."

He waggled his eyebrows at me. "So you're just keeping company with me until you can get to the nursing home?"

"Hell yeah," I grinned.

He pulled me close to him and gave me a kiss. I sighed against his mouth and pressed my body against his. Once again, exams had ruined our sex life, rendering it non-existent for the past several days. His arms tightened around my waist and he lifted me a little, pressing me against the counter. I could feel him pressing against my leg and I pulled back, grinning up at him.

"Everyone's in the next room, Edward."

"They're so drunk they won't know."

"I'll know."

He grinned. "It adds to the hotness of it."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him back a little. "Edward."

He sighed and rested his forehead on mine. "Later?"

"Later." I kissed him again then pushed him away with my hip so I could start heating up the food.

Jane and Chris showed up a little while later and started drinking almost before their coats were off. Chris had been a last minute addition to the party, but as it was all couples, it didn't bother me at all. We polished off the leftovers and the guys managed to pack up the cars so we could get started early in the morning. We were taking my car again and Rosalie's as our second. She had a large SUV and Jasper seemed relieved about that since Alice was determined to take some time to hit some of the outlet malls we'd pass on our trip.

We sat around the living room, crammed into the armchairs and the couch and spilling onto the floor. Edward was sitting in the armchair closest to the fire and I was sitting across his lap, my feet hanging over the arm near the fire and warming. I snuggled against his chest and closed my eyes. I was exhausted and it was so comfortable here. Edward's thumb was under the hem of my shirt and he was rubbing light circles on my back. My eyelids were drifting closed as the alcohol started to take effect and the warm food in my stomach was making me feel heavy and ready for bed.

"I think Bella's falling asleep again," teased Emmett, throwing a pillow at us.

I reached up and knocked it back at him with a grin. "I worked all day asshat, what'd you do?"

He grinned. "I packed up the cars."

"With help," snorted Alice. She checked her watch and yawned. "It is late, though. If we're getting on the road by 7 we need to get to bed now."

"What time is it?" yawned Jane.

"After midnight."

"Shit really? I'm going to bed." Rose pushed off of Emmett then turned to grab his hands, pulling him out of the chair. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly before heading downstairs.

Edward tightened his grip on me and stood up, heading upstairs. Jane, Chris, and Alice were close behind us while Jasper locked up and banked the fire. Chris and Jane were spending the night in Alice's seldom used room and they disappeared while we continued up to the attic.

At the top of the attic steps, Edward set me down and pulled me into a kiss, his hands sliding under my shirt. I shivered as his cooler hands touched my warm skin. His hands moved up my ribcage to cup my breasts, slipping into the cups of my bra. I grinned up at him.

"Wouldn't it be easier if I wasn't wearing this stuff?"

"Of course it would, but this is more fun."

I rolled my eyes and pulled my sweater off and dropped it on the floor. "You have to be fast, I'm really tired."

"I'll be fast," he promised, pulling his own shirt off.

He pulled me against him again, kissing me as his hands unhooked my bra and pulled it off, dropping it on the floor beside us.

"Messy," I chided him as I fumbled with his belt.

He rolled his eyes and picked me up, carrying me over to the bed.

Edward's POV

Bella and I fell asleep almost immediately afterwards. I kind of loved that she didn't insist on going to the bathroom to shower after like Rose always had. I absentmindedly wondered if she did that with Emmett or if it was just me. I'd set the alarm for 6 and we almost slept through it. Bella frowned in her sleep, a cute little crease between her eyebrows forming as she curled into me.

"Come on," I sighed. "We've got to get up."

"No," she mumbled.

"You can sleep in the car."

"No."

"Ok, fine, stay here. Just give me your keys so we can get into the house."

She opened one eye. "You'd go without me?"

"Fuck yeah." I grinned down at her and tweaked her nose. "I hear there's hot hippy chicks in Austin."

"Yeah, but they stink."

I shrugged. "Could be interesting though."

She wrapped her arms around me tighter and pressed her face against my chest. "No."

I laughed and twisted my fingers in her hair. "Well, then you'll have to come shower with me. I don't think we have any clothes that'll fit both of us, so we'll have to travel naked. Hope you're ok with that, we're in the car with Rose and Emmett and you know how competitive he is. He'll probably want to be naked, too."

"Enough already," she grumbled and pushed me away. She rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching.

I grinned. I loved this part. She could twist her back in such a way that was absolutely amazing and even though she was facing away from me, when she turned, I caught sight of the curve of her breast. Even having recently seen the actual full breast, the hint of it was almost too much for me. I reached for her and pulled her back to me, rolling on top of her and kissing her hard.

She laughed against my mouth and placed her feet on my calves. "Quick, Edward. We have to shower and get dressed."

"Yes ma'am," I grinned, kissing her again. I loved that sometimes, speed was something she valued over technique and stamina. Like in the mornings.

We showered together quickly, Bella slapping my hands away more often than not. I protested, saying that I was just trying to help her get clean and she seemed to allow that for the most part until my hand slid between her legs and started stroking her there. Then she groaned and pressed herself against me.

"Stop or you'll regret it."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

She was panting now, her eyes closed. "Oh yes. I'll get you back for dirtying my shower." She hissed softly as I hit the spot again. "Oh, fuck you Cullen."

I grinned and kissed her again. I finally released her and she climbed out of the shower, shooting me dirty looks over her shoulder. I grinned innocently and wrapped a towel around my hips.

"Can I help it if I've got the hottest damn girlfriend around who I want to have sex with 24/7?"

She rolled her eyes but pinked up in pleasure. She grabbed the other towel and wrapped it around herself before heading to her room to get dressed.

I pulled on jeans and a long sleeved shirt under a t-shirt, toweling my hair down to damp before pulling on my shoes and socks. I flipped the blankets back up over the bed to make it before heading downstairs.

Bella was still in her room, braiding her wet hair. I tapped on the door and looked at her expectantly.

"Everything ok?"

She gave me a look. "Yes."

I raised my eyebrows. "What? I was trying to give you a good morning."

She sighed. "I know. It just frustrated me you kept doing it after I told you to stop."

"You hate me getting you off against your will?"

She shrugged. "I'm a girl. I'm allowed to be an enigma."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Ok, so no more unwanted stroking."

"Oh shut up," she laughed. She pulled her shoes on and stood up. "Let's go. Alice has already been in here once about to spaz out."

I grinned and waved her ahead of me.

Everyone else was waiting in the living room. Most looked as bleary eyed as we felt. Bella hugged her pillows and quilt that we were going to have in the back seat with us and leaned against the back of Emmett's chair. Alice, as usual, was a veritable blur of activity. Just watching her made me a little nauseated. Jasper looked exhausted as he lay on the floor. Rose was in the other armchair and Chris and Jane were stretched out on each other on the couch.

"Come on, let's get loaded up and go. We'll stop somewhere and get breakfast on the way," I said, pulling on Bella's arm. She followed me wordlessly outside.

The rest followed, too and we quickly divided among the cars. Bella didn't care who drove hers so the twins and their guys took that while the rest of us piled into Rosalie's car. Bella buckled her seatbelt, locked her door, and put her pillow against the window, curling up and going to sleep almost immediately, her feet in my lap.

It was an easy enough drive, limited turns. We stopped at a Chik-fil-A in Springfield and got breakfast. I woke Bella up and she ate quickly before going back to sleep. I leaned against the opposite window, my feet in the space in front of Bella, and took a nap myself.

Bella's POV

I woke up slowly, the awkward position making my neck ache.

"So he's got a ring and he's holding onto it why?" Rose was speaking softly but I could still hear her.

"He wants to do it just right," said Emmett with a shrug.

Rose shook her head. "I think he's being stupid. He should just do it already. They're really pretty great together."

"I know, right?" Emmett chuckled. "She hasn't been anything but patient with his stupid ass. I hope he doesn't make her wait too long or he'll probably lose her."

"I don't think she's that shallow," Rose mused. "I think she'll stick around a while, to be honest. Like I said, they're great together."

I yawned loudly and sat up, swinging my feet out of Edward's lap. I leaned forward between the seats.

"So where are we?" I asked.

"Springfield, Missouri," Emmett grinned at me. "Or close to it anyway. We talked to the other car and we're going to stop for lunch in a bit."

I nodded. "Need one of us to take over driving?"

"Sure."

"How's it been so far?"

"Not bad." Emmett shifted in his seat slightly. "My butt's getting numb, though."

I chuckled. "Long trips'll do that."

We stopped a little later at a Chili's and ate, enjoying our lunch and just being out of the car. We lingered probably longer than we needed to before piling back in, Edward in the driver's seat this time. Rose and Emmet curled up in the back and promptly fell asleep. Riding in the back was perfect for sleeping.

"So."

I grinned at Edward. "So."

"What are you looking forward to most?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "Probably seeing all my friends," I admitted. "I miss them like crazy."

He nodded and I noticed his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel slightly. I sighed. "Are you going to be a jealous asshole whenever Jake's around?"

"No," he said sullenly.

I rolled my eyes. "Ass."

"What, he was your first love. I can't be a little intimidated by that?"

"No."

He looked at me with surprise. "What?"

"You're not allowed to be freaked out by it. I'm cool with Rosalie, we even get along now."

He scowled at the road. "That's different."

"Just because there was no sex in my relationship doesn't mean it was different."

"It is different, Bella," he scowled. "You and Jake really loved each other. It's no secret Rose and I couldn't really stand each other for the last couple of years."

I sighed and glanced over my shoulder. The two in the back at least appeared to be asleep. "Ok, fine, we loved each other. We would have gotten married. Happy now?"

He was silent. "No."

I huffed and sat back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, get the fuck over it. He's my friend and he has been for years. He's with someone and I'm with someone and we're happy."

"Are you?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your damn mind? I am happy with you. Not at the moment, but overall."

He sighed. "I strung you along for months, I proposed in the middle of sex, a shitty proposal that I still haven't made up for…why the fuck are you still with me?"

I felt like I was on Candid Camera or something. "Because I love you, you douche."

He chuckled softly. "I love you too."

"Then what's up with the jackass questions?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I got a rejection letter from Champaign yesterday."

My heart skipped a beat. "But you've still got a couple more to go, right?"

He nodded. "I'm still waiting to hear from Chicago and Springfield. And of course, I got into Boston."

I didn't say anything. Boston was so far away. I was still pulling for Springfield.

We were silent until Oklahoma City where we stopped for more gas and food. Alice noticed my face and dragged me into the bathroom.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

I sighed and leaned against the counter. "He's being a bit of a jackass and I'm afraid he's preparing me for a break up."

Her eyes widened. "I thought he was going for a proposal."

I shrugged. "I did too, but he keeps questioning us and why I'm still with him after all his douchery and how I really feel about Jake."

She sighed. "So he's pulling that whole macho jealous jerk bullshit."

"Pretty much."

She pulled me into a hug. "Well, is he worth it?"

I laughed. "I sure as hell hope so."

She grinned and we headed back to the group.

"How much further," yawned Rose, stretching over the back of her chair.

"Six hours, give or take," I said, taking a sip of my water. "I figure we can stop about half way for gas, which will be Dallas. Then I'll take over driving the last leg and get us to the house."

"Sounds great," Emmett grinned at me, taking a drink of his soda.

We ate quickly and piled back into the cars. This time Rose drove and we all stayed awake, chatting about whatever topics came up. We shared our life stories and I was interested to learn more about Emmett and Rose than I'd known before. Both were only children of fairly affluent parents who expected a lot from them. Rose had picked Millikin University because it was far away from her family home in Connecticut, though her parents still visited at least every six weeks to check on her. Emmett grew up in a small farming community, so his family's affluence was nothing compared to Rosalie's. His parents were much more hands off, to his relief.

Dusk had fallen by the time we got to Dallas and we stopped at a gas station to fill up. Edward wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You should be."

He chuckled and kissed my head. "You ok to drive?"

"Yep."

He kissed my mouth softly. "Do I get to sleep with you tonight?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "In what way?"

"In any way."

I grinned up at him. "Sure."

The last leg was, in some ways, the longest. We got into Austin about 10 pm and traffic was terrible, like usual. I drove a little slower than usual so that I wouldn't lose the other car but the Austin drivers didn't appreciate it and we got honked at a few times. I didn't let it phase me as I drove. I just hoped the other car was doing as well.

It took an hour to get to the house and everyone else seemed pretty antsy by the time we pulled into the drive. I sighed with relief when I saw the porch light was on. That meant that Anna the housekeeper had been by and checked everything for me.

I climbed out and stretched again before heading to the door.

It was strange stepping into my parents' house after being gone for so long. It smelled like it had been empty for a while, all the furniture covered in white sheets. I led the way into the kitchen and passed around the sodas that Anna had stocked for me before taking them on the grand tour.

The first floor had a huge family living room with a rock fireplace that had probably seen one or two fires every winter. There was a huge wall of windows looking into the back yard where the pool and Jacuzzi were and overlooking the valley. It was a beautiful site in the daylight. I led them back through the huge kitchen and into the formal dining room. We would most likely eat our meals either in the living room, outside, or in the kitchen, so I didn't worry about the sheets in here.

We bypassed Dad's office and headed upstairs to the bedrooms. I opted to put Jasper and Alice in the first guest room, Brad's old room, Rosalie and Emmett in my room, Chris and Jane in the second guest room and Edward and I in my parents' room. If anyone was going to have sex in their bed, I figured it should be me. Anna had made all the beds up and I was sure that the bathrooms were ready, too.

Once everyone was satisfied they knew where their rooms were, we headed downstairs to unload.

Edward's POV

I was exhausted and I'd only driven for five hours. Bella was wearing some kind of floaty white nightgown that didn't reach her knees and her hair was loose around her shoulders and down her back. She was standing in her parents' bathroom brushing her teeth while I pulled off my jeans and shirts. I studied her for a minute, trying to decide if this was a good time to propose.

"We need to get to sleep," she said suddenly, coming into the room and flicking the light off behind her. "We've got church in the morning."

My jaw dropped. "Church?"

She nodded and climbed into the giant bed on the other side of me. "Jake's dad is the pastor of the church I go to here so we're going to go see them all tomorrow. This is the last weekend of Jake's Spring Break so it'll be the only time we see him."

"Oh." Well, I hadn't heard that before now and I had to admit it was a little comforting Jake wouldn't be around much. "What time?"

"First service is at 8."

My eyes bugged. "In the morning?"

She gave me a look. "Yes. We'll go to first service then come home for a nap before we grill out. Anna has some chicken marinating for me and I've got the stuff to make burgers and fries."

I nodded and set the alarm on my phone. Eight am church service. Damn. I stretched out under the covers and pulled her against me. She threw one leg over me and snuggled against my chest. I stroked her hair lightly and dropped off to sleep.

The alarm went off at 6 and I groaned as I rolled out of the bed. Bella was up much more quickly this morning, twisting her hair up so it wouldn't get wet before climbing into the shower. I pulled out my nice clothes and tried to shake out some of the wrinkles. I wasn't sure how dressy I needed to be for this church but since I hadn't really been informed of it ahead of time, she couldn't complain.

I waited until she was out before I climbed in the shower and washed quickly. I heard her chuckling as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. I climbed out and she was in the bedroom, pulling on a pretty blue dress I'd never seen before. It was some kind of clingy material that showed off her amazing curves but no cleavage. I guess cleavage isn't appropriate for church. I pulled on my black pants and blue button up, slipping on my socks and shoes while she slipped into some pink heels and grabbed a small pink sweater. She looked at me expectantly.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I muttered. I was not used to going to church.

She grinned and linked her arm in mine. "It'll be fine, I promise."

Bella's POV

Edward was adorable in his discomfort. He shifted in the pew, thumbing through the hymnal looking for the next hymn. We'd gotten there a little late, so were seated in the back of the balcony, out of sight of everyone below us. I reached over and squeezed his hand. He shot me a nervous look and I rolled my eyes and leaned over, kissing him lightly.

He jerked away from me, his eyes wide. "Bella, church is no place for kissing," he hissed, his eyes darting around. No one else seemed to notice or care.

I grinned. "What about weddings?" I whispered.

"That's different," he said stubbornly.

We stood up then when the organ began to play. I leaned close to him, having never heard him sing before. I grinned at my hymnal as I heard the reason behind that. Edward wasn't a great singer. He could carry the tune, years of piano helped with that, but it wasn't necessarily nice to listen to.

Before too long, Billy wheeled himself on to the stage to begin his sermon. I listened with one ear while scanning the crowd for my friends. I grinned when I spied Angela and her family filling up their pew, glossy black hair and dark cinnamon colored skin all. I could see Jake in his pew with a tall pretty girl who also had glossy black hair. I craned my neck, trying to get a view of her face but we were at an odd angle. I sat back, frustrated I couldn't see her from afar. I'd have to meet her face to face.

The service was over quickly and I grabbed Edward's hand and dragged him downstairs. Angela, Jake, Ben and the girl, probably Leah, were all chatting when we arrived. I threw my arms around Angela's neck in a hug.

"Chica!" she squealed, hugging me back. "When did you get in?"

"Last night," I grinned, hugging Ben. He spun me around a little, grinning down at me.

I turned to Jake. Now it was strange. He was taller than I remembered and he'd cut his hair. It looked great. I stood awkwardly before finally rolling my eyes and wrapping my arms around him.

"Hey Jake," I said softly.

"Bells," he murmured, hugging me tightly. He released me, still keeping an arm around my waist and pulled the tall girl forward. "This is Leah, my girlfriend."

I stepped forward and smiled, offering my hand. "Bella Swan."

She smiled. "Leah Clearwater."

Man, she was gorgeous. She was a few inches shorter than Jake and was obviously Native American, too. She looked like some kind of athlete, trim and perfectly sculpted. I felt short and fat next to her. I reached behind me and grabbed Edward's hand, pulling him forward.

"This is Edward Cullen, my boyfriend." I beamed up at him as he smiled and offered his hand to Jake first, then Ben and finally Angela.

"Nice to meet you all, I've heard a lot about you from Bella."

"Oh God, seriously? Don't take everything she says as truth, she likes to exaggerate," grinned Ben.

I pushed his arm lightly.

"Mija!" a voice behind me exclaimed. I turned and grinned at Lily, Angela's mom. She pulled me into a giant hug, nearly smothering me in her bosom. "Como estas?" she demanded, rattling off in Spanish.

My mind raced to keep up. I hadn't spoken real Spanish in months and Lily spoke faster than most. I managed to keep up and we chatted for a bit while Edward and the others visited.

Billy wheeled himself over and pulled my into a hug before shooing us out for the next service, starting momentarily.

Edward looked sleepy and I was feeling it too, so we invited everyone to the barbeque and headed out, more hugs all around.

Edward's POV

Bella was quiet on the drive back to the house.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," I said finally.

She laughed. "It's hard to grow up in Texas and not know at least some. Angela's mom is like my second mother so she made sure we were both bilingual from the moment we met. I'm out of practice, though. She was going a mile a minute."

I grinned. "Well, you seemed to keep up pretty well."

She nodded and grinned.

When we got back to the house, everyone else was up and about. I was amazed, since it wasn't quite 10, but I guess the call of the pool was too much for some of them. The others were dragging ass, draped over furniture in the living room and watching movies. Bella and I said our hellos then headed upstairs to change.

I watched as she rummaged around in her suitcase and pulled out a swimming suit. I raised an eyebrow as she shimmied out of her dress and started to pull off her underwear.

"You're really going to do that in front of me and not expect any kind of reaction?"

She grinned at me coyly. "You don't like being teased?"

"Not especially, no," I grinned, crossing the room and pulling her against me. She slipped her arms around my neck and kissed me, her tongue lightly flicking across mine. I was getting harder by the second and she seemed to be acquiescent, but then she pulled away and smiled up at me.

"I told you I'd get you back for the shower yesterday."

My jaw dropped. "You're going to get me all worked up and then bail?"

She smiled and pulled on her suit. "You kind of did the same thing."

"I'd've followed through if I knew you wanted me to," I argued.

She shrugged and grabbed a towel out of the bathroom. "But you didn't ask what I wanted, now did you."

She winked and disappeared out the door. I was still open mouthed, watching her go. Now what was I supposed to do?

Bella's POV

Emmett looked completely at home behind the grill, a spatula in one hand and a beer in the other. Rose and Jane were stretched out on the lounge chairs, soaking up the sun while Alice, Jasper and Chris were splashing each other in the pool. Edward was helping me in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I wiped my hands on a towel and trotted over to get it.

I laughed at Angela as she came in and gave me another hug. "Why didn't you just come in like you usually do?"

She shrugged. "Felt weird, since your parents aren't here."

I rolled my eyes and waved Ben, Jake and Leah in." Ben gave me a hug as he passed and Jake smiled at me, awkwardly. Apparently new relationships didn't make this that much easier. They all headed out to the patio and introductions were made. Alice climbed out of the pool and immediately headed into the kitchen where I was.

"Hiding?" she demanded.

I sighed. "A little."

She shook her head. "Why? Did you leave things unsaid or something?"

"No, but we were together for a long time, Alice. It's still weird between us."

"Get over it."

I chuckled and grabbed the platter of fries and headed outside. She grabbed the paper plates and some more drinks and followed me.

We settled around the pool, on the chairs and at the table, everyone chatting easily. It was a huge relief that my old friends and my new friends were getting along.

"So," began Angela as she followed me into the house as I started clearing the empty plates. "Why didn't you tell me about sleeping with Edward?"

I looked at her with surprised. "How could you tell?"

She grinned. "It's in the way you two touch. He likes to touch you and it's different from how Jake touched you."

She popped a piece of cheese in her mouth and smiled. "He's not having sex you know."

"How do you know?" I asked curiously.

"Hello, same way I can tell you are. The touching thing. They're crazy about each other but for whatever reason aren't having sex."

"Hm." I wasn't sure what to do with that information or how I felt about it. "And you?"

She snorted. "Please. I jumped him the first night in the dorm."

I laughed loudly, causing some startled looks from outside. "And you didn't tell me why?" I teased, chewing on an apple slice.

She shrugged. "Didn't want you to get jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Probably right. Edward was driving me nuts for months."

"No joke," she agreed. "Ben and I were ready to come kick his ass after the email about Thanksgiving."

I laughed. "We'd already slept together by the time you would have gotten there."

Her eyes widened. "So when was it?"

"The day I sent you the email saying we were together. He moves fast."

She grinned. "Vixen."

It was my turn to snort. "Don't you forget it."

"Bells?"

We looked up and saw Jake standing in the doorway. "Hey," I said awkwardly.

"Can we talk?" he asked, shifting nervously.

"Um, sure." I glanced at Angela. She raised her eyebrows and grabbed another chunk of apple before disappearing out the door.

We stood awkwardly for a moment before I finally led the way to the table. We sat across from each other for a long moment.

"So how's school?" I asked lamely.

He smiled at his hands. "This is what we're reduced to after years of friendship? Asking about school and the weather?"

"You weren't talking," I grinned.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I miss you," he said bluntly. "I miss dating you, but more than that, I miss being your friend and hearing about the crazy shit that happens to you."

I smiled. "I miss you too. I'm not interested in being your girlfriend again, but I'd love to be your friend again."

I reached across the table and took his hands in mine. They were large and warm and familiar. He looked up at me then and smiled softly. He squeezed back and stood up, moving around and sitting next to me.

"Are you going to come home this summer?"

"Maybe." I leaned my head against his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. "Are you?"

"Yeah. Leah's going to go home to her family in Washington state, so I'll be here alone. Well, with Angela and Ben, but they're joined at the hip."

I chuckled. "Well, my parents are talking about me spending the summer in England with them. If I came here, I'd only be here a few days probably. They don't like me being alone and Edward's getting a job this summer."

"Oh." His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer to him, his thumb rubbing up and down my side lightly. It brought back a flood of memories. We used to sit like this all the time and it was comforting to feel his touch on my skin again. "Well, I'd love to get to spend some actual time with you, a little more one-on-one, you know?"

"Yeah." I grinned. "I'd like that too." I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek before pushing up from the table. "So are we ok now?"

He nodded and stood up too. "Yeah. Start emailing me, too. I'm up for hearing about your wackadoodle life in Illinois. I hear about it from Angela and half the time I think she's exaggerating."

I laughed. "She probably is." We started towards the patio and I could see Edward looking towards us, an anxious look on his face.

"Shit, is that really what time it is?" Jake sighed, looking at the clock on the stove.

I glanced at it and nodded. "Yeah, it's almost 3, why?"

He sighed. "It's a 6 hour drive back to Lubbock, we've got to get going. We're supposed to be meeting some people for dinner tonight."

"Oh. Well, yeah, you need to get going. Want to change upstairs?"

He nodded. "If you don't mind."

"No, go ahead. Edward and I are in my parents' room, the others are in the other rooms. I'd say just change in my parents' room so it's not too weird or the bathroom down here."

His eyes widened. "You and Edward?"

My face flared up. "Yeah."

"Wow." He looked stunned. "Um, ok then."

We stepped out on the patio and Edward searched my face. I smiled at him and crossed to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder.

"Everything ok?" he asked softly.

"Perfect."

Edward's POV

I saw the way Jake looked at Bella. He wasn't over her. She seemed oblivious to this, but no one else was, not even his girlfriend. I felt kind of sorry for her but she seemed to take it all in stride. The brought in some clean clothes and changed before heading out. Angela and Ben left soon after them and the rest of us pitched in to clean up. Afterwards, a movie was popped into the player while some kept swimming. Bella decided to take a nap and headed upstairs. After a few minutes I followed her.

She was in the shower and I hesitated for a minute before tapping on the glass. "Bella?"

She opened the door and grabbed my wrist, pulling me in. I grinned as she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me.

"Sorry about earlier."

I held her tightly against me. "I survived."

She sighed and rested her cheek against my chest. The water cascaded over us and I just held her. Something was a little off and I wondered if Jake had anything to do with it. I felt her hands move to my hips and push my suit down.

"Ready for me to make up for earlier?" she smiled, looking up at me.

"Always." I kissed her again and reached behind her to turn off the water.