A/N: A continuation of the previous chapter. I told you it's a long one. Now it's the last day of Bella and Edward's weekend alone together. No actual kissage and all, because they're not a real couple, but I think you'll like the ending.

P.S. Why does everyone think Edward would mess it up?? LOL. It's shaky, especially in the last chapter, this one and the next one, but they're pretty much ready to go for it.

BTW, Some wondered why this isn't the dance chapter. Actually, it is. LOL. I wrote chapter 33, 34 and 35 as 1 chapter, but it was like 50 pages long so I had to cut it into 3 parts. I'm really sorry. I tend to write very long chapters, so that was the result. This and 35 up by Dec. 29 so no worries.

Disclaimer: SM owns it all

POVs: Bella, Edward

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Bella's POV

I heard someone calling my name, but my mind was too tired as was my body. I mumbled something that even I couldn't understand and went back to sleep.

Not two seconds later, I heard laughter. I cracked one eye open and stared sullenly at the person who interrupted my sleep. "What?" I asked blearily.

He grinned at me, his dazzling crooked smile sending my heart into a frenzy. "You just told me to bite you," he chuckled.

I groaned, rolling over and sticking my head under my pillow. "This is way too early for vampire jokes," I mumbled into the mattress.

Before I knew it, he had thrown my pillow across the room and spun me around. I rubbed my eyes as I looked at him hovering over me. My breath hitched as I remembered the last time he had been that close to me - when we had kissed at Reflection Pond.

I shook that thought out of my head and settled for being sarcastic. "Edward, what did the pillow ever do to you?" I said dryly, reaching for another soft pillow.

Edward grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me into a sitting position. "Come on, Bella," he said excitedly. I gave up on going back to sleep and shook my head at him.

Why on earth was Edward excited? The fact that he was acting like Emmett on Christmas morning made it all the more weirder. This was the cool, collected guy we're talking about here.

"We've got the whole day ahead of us," he smiled at me. "What do you want to do?"

I rolled my eyes. "What I want is to get more shut eye," I grumbled. At this pleading expression, I sighed. I looked out my window. It was a good day - a rare sunny day. We couldn't go out because Edward was sure to sparkle in such bright daylight.

I thought about it and grinned. Edward and I hadn't swam together for quite some time now. The last time we had swam together…

I bit my lip. Why was I thinking too much of Reflection Pond? Was I going crazy or was it just because it was too early for my brain to function properly?

No, swimming had nothing to do with kissing Edward. The sooner we went for a swim, the sooner I'd see that.

So I raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "How about a swim?"

His answering smile was so blindingly amazing, I think I stopped breathing for a moment.

I went into my bathroom. Edward said he would be making breakfast. I didn't want him to make enough to feed twenty, so I told him I wanted pancakes so he would just make those.

I closed the door behind me in the bathroom and went to the sink. Untangling my hair, I washed my face and brushed my teeth thoroughly. I shrugged out of my clothes and stepped into the shower.

I sighed as the warm water caressed my skin.

The truth was, I was nervous to be alone with Edward. Yesterday had felt like an emotional roller coaster. My exhaustion had nothing to do with the fact that I had been attacked. That I could easily block from my mind.

I was more stressed out over having Edward so close to me. As if that wasn't enough, I stressed out over being stressed out at having Edward so close to me. I didn't even know if that was English, but I knew that made sense nonetheless.

What sort of a person was I if I could spend an entire day with a boy and not remember my boyfriend at all?

Edward wasn't a boy, though. He was a real man. He was strong, and courteous, and gentlemanly and wonderful and beautiful. He took my breath away just by being in the same room.

The fact that I was so in tuned with his mind made me all the more…Attracted to him, I guessed you could say. There really wasn't a word for what I felt for him. At least, none that I could find.

I felt something cold trickling down my back and gasped. I blinked, looking at the showerhead. I had been standing in the shower for so long, the hot water had run out. I frowned at myself, turning off the water and stepping out of the shower.

What on earth was wrong with me?

I wrapped a towel around myself and went into my room. I took out a blue bikini set Alice had gotten for me, and slipped them on. I put on a pair of boy shorts and a t-shirt on top so that I wouldn't be running around the house in my bikini.

I didn't bother drying my hair because we would be going into the pool after my breakfast anyway.

Stepping into the dining room, I was greeted with the delicious smell of pancakes and maple syrup. Edward was sitting in the chair he had sat in yesterday. I smiled at him and took my seat next to him. "You didn't have to make me breakfast, you know?" I told him reaching for my juice.

He smiled. "I wanted to," he said, his velvet voice sincere.

I was eager to get to the swimming pool. Ever since Edward, Emmett and Jasper had taught me how to swim all those years ago, I had gotten quite addicted to it. Rosalie had to constantly tell me to get out of the water or I'd end up looking like a prune for a night.

Once I was done with my breakfast, I grabbed my empty plate and glass, loaded them into the dishwasher and tugged at Edward's hand all the way to the indoor pool.

He chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Bella, the world wouldn't end if you slow down a little," he teased me with mock severity.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Coming from the guy who wouldn't drive slower than a hundred and twenty," I quipped, grinning because I could already imagine swimming around.

The pool wasn't as amazing as the waterfalls Jasper found while he was hunting, but it would do…Maybe I could convince Edward to take me there later. He probably wouldn't since the others were hunting near there, but it would be worth a shot.

I reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. I slipped my boy shorts down my legs and kicked my clothes aside. I turned around to jump into the pool, but I was met with Edward's chest instead.

I looked up into his eyes to find that his beautiful topaz orbs were smoldering. I gasped as I realized just how closely he and I were standing. My eyes glazed over as his hands worked their way slowly down his shirt, flicking at the buttons. He shrugged out of his long sleeved shirt and his pants.

I took in a deep breath, my oxygen mixed in with a dose of Edward. I smiled, a little shakily, at him, and took his hand in mine. He returned my smile, but his was completely confident.

I felt a little self-conscious standing in front of him with so little on. He looked like the very image of perfection. I looked so ordinary next to him.

I studied his chiseled chest, his marble arms, his pale skin…My eyes trailed upward to meet his smoldering eyes. They burned into me, making me blush.

Edward and I ran forward and jumped into the pool. I swam to the very bottom then resurfaced, wiping the water from my eyes. Edward was right in front of me, smiling. His bronze hair looked darker because it was so wet.

Just like old times, we had a competition to see who was faster - using human speed, of course. We swam around each other and had a water fight, splashing each other. Emmett had had a volleyball net installed, so we played, Edward against me.

It was so much fun to be like this with him again - when he didn't cheat and use vampire speed and strength, of course. Honestly, did he have to win every game?

It was so easy to slip back into Edward and Bella, no reservations, no complications, no interferences. Just Edward and Bella. Just us.

I laughed as Edward tackled me. I made sure to take in a huge breath before he brought me down underwater. He held me there playfully for a few minutes then wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up to the surface.

I gasped, taking in as much oxygen as I could. Truly, he was being ridiculous! Holding me underwater while I was trying not to burst into laughter! Of course, he would never hurt me, so I wasn't worried about that.

But my sides hurt as I took one look at the impish grin on his face and started to giggle uncontrollably.

He could be an immature boy when he let loose and just had fun. That was what I loved about him. That he could be a real man but still be playful when I needed him to be.

I stopped laughing immediately. Loved about him? Surely I meant 'loved' as in 'loved my best friend', right?

I felt the water move beneath me as Edward walked me backwards. I felt my back being pressed against the cool tile of the side of the pool.

Had he always been this beautiful? Yes, he had, but I'd just never seen him in this light…

Edward. My Edward. It sounded right.

I untangled my arms from around his neck, and ran my hands down his arms. Edward shivered, closing his eyes. He stepped closer to me, though, so I didn't think I was doing anything wrong.

Wrong. It depended on what you meant by the word. 'Wrong' as in morally abhorrent, or 'wrong' as in 'this felt right'.

I placed a trembling hand on his pale chest, watching in fascination the sparkling diamonds dancing on his skin. I brushed at the hard skin, wiping away the water as if they were blocking my view of his perfectly sculptured body.

Edward opened his eyes and I gasped. His eyes weren't just topaz any longer. They had darkened considerably, but they weren't exactly black either. They were the most brilliant shade of dark gold I had ever seen.

His cool hand ran up the length of my bare back as he pushed us closer together. Our heaving chests were pressed against each other. I bit my lip, my eyes snapping shut of its own accord at the sensation of his skin on mine.

He leaned down and ran his nose along my jaw line. He was taking in my scent, hearing my heartbeat, feeling the blood rushing to my face.

One of his arms unwound from my waist and I opened my eyes, silently begging him not to leave me, not to stop touching me.

If I could have thought clearly, I would be ashamed of my actions. I would be too embarrassed to ever look at Edward in the eyes.

But I wasn't thinking clearly. The unbearably sweet scent coming off of him was overtaking my senses, fogging up my brain. His cool touch was driving me up the wall. His intoxicating, sweet breath was blowing on my face as he breathed in and out heavily.

His free hand came up to my throat. My breath hitched as he brushed the wet strands of hair stuck to my neck, leaving my skin there completely bare.

Edward looked me in the eyes, then, his blazing eyes pleading with me. "Bella," he whispered, a silent plea.

My arms wound around his waist, an unspoken consent.

"Bella," he breathed my name again, as he bent his head, lifting me off the floor of the pool and pressing me harder against the side of the pool. It didn't hurt, though.

And even if it did, I barely noticed, because Edward's lips were pressed to my neck. His mouth sucked gently on the skin, causing my eyes to roll back into my head. I gasped when I felt his cold tongue pressing against my overheated throat, drawing circles on the skin.

The lust was taking over. I had never felt anything like it before. My feelings for Edward was mixed with desire until it became so strong that I felt so overwhelmed. Truthfully, I was scared. The emotions running through me were so…Immense.

But I didn't want to stop. The rational part of me told me to step back, but I couldn't. It felt like I had waited so long for this, for him.

"Edward," I whispered, my voice unable to come out any louder.

He pulled back from my throat and I groaned, clawing at his back to pull him closer to me. His lips left a burning trail as they kissed every inch of my neck up to my jaw. His butterfly kisses led up to my lips, and my eyes fluttered close, waiting in anticipation.

A shrill sound from the house echoed around the room, making the both of us jump. I pushed away from Edward. Even though I would have never broken away from his grasp using my own strength, he let me go. His eyes were unreadable as they gazed into mine.

The telephone was still ringing, so I turned around and climbed out of the pool. My legs were so shaky I felt as though I would collapse at any given moment. I reached for a spare towel Esme made sure to keep on a rack by the pool, I wrapped it around my body.

When I turned back around, Edward was still in the pool but he was facing away from me. I opened my mouth to say something, but no word could come out of my mouth.

I bit my lip and went out of the room, still too dazed to really see what was in front of me. I passed two phones before stopping in the living room. I grabbed the cordless and pressed the button.

"H-hello?" I spoke shakily. I cleared my throat so that the person at the other end wouldn't notice that something wasn't quite right.

The voice at the other end made me roll my eyes. "Hey, Bella!" Mike Newton exclaimed. "How are you doing?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His voice took on a pitying note as he asked me that question. "Um…Fine. Why?" I asked, bewildered.

"You weren't in school yesterday," he explained. He had thought that I was sick. With my entire family?

Well, to be fair, there had been a few sunny days before and the rest of the family usually stayed home but I usually went to school without them on those days. Carlisle wouldn't let me play hooky. He'd said that it was because the others had been through high school plenty of times before and I needed to maintain my GPA.

I nodded my head before remembering that he couldn't see me. "Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to stay home with the family for once, you know?" I laughed awkwardly.

I had wanted to stay home with Edward. The memory of our little…Encounter in the pool lingered in my mind. We hadn't actually kissed on the mouth, not since that first time.

Was that supposed to be a good thing? Did that mean I didn't cheat on Gabriel? Did that mean I was supposed to be guilt-free?

I sighed a little. Even I knew it didn't work that way.

Mike laughed along with me even though he had no idea why. "Listen, Bella," he said suddenly. I tensed up. Angela had sent me a text message last night saying that Mike might find new ways to ask me out because he had sounded so determined yesterday.

I realized that Mike had been talking for some time but I hadn't been paying attention. I asked him to repeat what he'd been saying. "I wanted to know if you, uh, would want to go out. On a date. You know, with me. Mike," he stuttered.

I fought the urge to laugh. Poor guy. I had never asked anyone out before and I highly doubted I would, but he made it sound so painful. "Sorry, Mike, I really can't," I said apologetically.

Mike was actually a good guy. I mean, he was a little hormonal but I supposed teenage boys were like that. He did offer me a place at his table during lunch whenever my family weren't there. Normally I just sat with Gabriel, Angela and Ben, but it was nice of him to offer, anyway.

Something struck me as odd. I had never given him my house number. I had never even given him my cell phone number. We weren't even listed. So how had he gotten my number?

I frowned confusedly. "Mike? How did you get my number?"

He laughed a little nervously. "Uh…I might have asked Angela," he admitted.

I narrowed my eyes. Angela would have never given him my number, no matter how many times he'd asked her. She was true to her word - I had learned that in the short amount of time we had gotten reacquainted.

"And she just gave it to you?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Well, by 'asked', I might have meant 'taken her phone without permission and gotten your number off her contact list'," he said sheepishly. I gasped, blinking furiously at how absurdly he had acted. "Oh, don't worry," he added quickly. "I gave her back her phone."

I snorted quietly. As if that changed anything. "Right," I said slowly, turning around and shaking my head.

I froze as I saw Edward standing a few feet away from me. He had a simple towel wrapped around his waist, his clothes in one hand. He wasn't moving an inch as he looked at me unabashedly.

I, on the other hand, blushed furiously.

Mike was still saying something on the line. "…This Friday…Dance…"

But I wasn't listening to Mike.

I was too caught up in Edward's beauty, his grace, his…Presence. I felt the connection to him even standing so far apart.

I wanted to throw myself at him, wrap my arms around his neck and have him kiss me like he had in Alaska, like he had in the pool. Only longer. I never wanted him to stop touching me.

I couldn't, though. It wasn't right.

I was with Gabriel. I wasn't a dishonest girl. I couldn't be. And while I knew for sure now that I needed to end things with Gabriel, I couldn't just go around acting on what I desired.

Especially when what I desired was the vampire I couldn't have.

Realizing that the phone was still in my hand, I spoke into it. "I…Have to go. Bye!" I hung up quickly and placed the cordless back on the table.

Edward and I continued staring at each other. I don't think either one of us was breathing. He might not need it, but I did. I took in a haggard breath, and tried to remember to keep breathing.

Edward took a step forward, and my heart pounded faster. "Bella," he called out. Why did my name sound different when he said it? It sounded better. Prettier. He dropped his clothes on the floor, and stepped closer to me.

He closed the gap between us in a matter of seconds. He cradled my head in his hands, his thumbs brushing my cheeks in a repetitive manner.

I struggled to regain a semblance of control. "Edward," I choked out. "What we did…That was wrong," I said, pain shooting through my heart as I said this.

Edward's beautiful face contorted in hurt and confusion as he slowly released me. I shook my head, stepping closer to him and taking his hands in mine. "No, don't," I whispered, my eyes watering.

I was so confused. What was happening to us? What did I feel for him? Did I love him? Was I in love with him? Did he feel the same way about me? It was just a lot to handle.

I took in a calming breath and continued. "I'm…I need time. I don't understand anything," I said, my voice breaking as I said it. So much for control.

Edward hesitated then smiled gently down at me. "Bella, you'll understand everything in time," he said softly. "I know it. Just promise me you won't run from me?" he pleaded. "Promise me you'll stay with me?"

I stared at him in shock. How could he even think that I would do something like that? How could he think that I could actually up and leave him?

Just the mere thought of being away from him, not seeing him everyday, not hearing his voice or arguing over music or annoying him by singing Sugababes' songs for three hours straight…It caused me physical pain. Just the thought only.

How could he think that I would go through with it? That I wanted to go through with it?

I smiled and nodded my head. "Okay," I bit my lip nervously. "I promise."

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I took the mac and cheese out of the oven and placed it on the counter. I had popcorn, mac and cheese, soda and Oreos. I was ready.

Edward and I had decided to have a movie marathon for the rest of the day. I hadn't had the time to watch my favorite films recently because I'd been so busy with schoolwork.

I took some of the mac and cheese and placed it on a plate. Balancing everything in my hands, I made my way to the living room.

Edward had already placed a soft mat and throw pillows on the floor - something Alice had gotten us all used to whenever we watched movies. He had also taken out my favorite movies from the extensive collection of DVDs we owned and placed them on the floor next to the mat.

He chuckled when he saw me balancing everything at once. "Don't hurt yourself, Bella," he teased, reaching out and helping me.

I scowled playfully at him and plopped down on the mat next to him, rolling over onto my stomach. I placed the plate of mac and cheese in front of me and speared a few with my fork. "What should we watch first?" I asked Edward.

He gestured towards the DVDs in front of us. "These are your favorites," he smiled. "You choose."

I picked the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet first. Edward rolled his eyes.

Rose, Alice and I had watched that movie only because Leonardo DiCaprio was in it and he was too cute. Alice had gushed about his appearance in that movie too much for me to ignore. I actually found it intriguing because of how the setting was modern and the dialogue was more or less the original.

Edward sighed as he put in the DVD. I knew it had nothing to do with Leonardo DiCaprio. He despised the story of Romeo and Juliet. He really felt that it was idiotic.

"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene…"

And right on cue, he shot me a look. "I don't understand why you even like this story," he said in disgust. "Romeo was completely clueless, not to mention less than a man. He should have stood his ground and fought for his love."

I rolled my eyes at him. "He would have ended up getting them both killed," I pointed out.

He snorted. "They both killed themselves in the end, Bella. If he wanted to leave, at the very least he could have concocted a better plan and take Juliet with him. How could he just leave his wife behind?" he shook his head.

I ignored his jests and went back to watching the movie. Edward would be Edward, no matter what.

The truth was, I had always fantasized about Romeo. What girl hadn't? If only we were so lucky as Juliet to have her prince just show up at her balcony and sweep her off her feet…

But secretly, I had to admit. If Edward were Romeo, he would be a lot more romantic than anything Shakespeare could ever come out with. And honestly, Edward put Leo to shame.

I caught myself, blushing as I buried my face in the throw pillow I was currently hugging. I had lost my mind! That was the only explanation for replacing Leo with Edward in Romeo's scenes.

We were at the last few minutes of the movie, when Romeo had bought the poison to kill himself after learning of Juliet's 'death'. Edward turned to me and said, "I do understand his perspective at this point, though."

My brows furrowed as I tried to understand what he was saying. "What do you mean?" I asked, reaching out to grab a handful of popcorn.

"Juliet was his soul mate, his reason for living. Romeo might be flaky, but I understand. If my soul mate were gone from this world, I wouldn't want to be in it, either," he elaborated.

I felt a shudder run through my spine as I heard his words. I kept repeating them over and over in my head, all the while remembering what Jasper had said about Edward and I being soul mates.

I narrowed my eyes at Edward. Had he known that Jasper called us soul mates? Did he feel that way? Did he know?

I turned my attention back on the screen, wanting to see the part where Romeo and Juliet kill themselves. I always end up crying during that part.

After the movie ended, I stood up and stretched. I wanted to watch the other version of Romeo and Juliet, simply to annoy Edward, but I decided against it. "Pride and Prejudice?" I held it up.

Edward laughed, taking it out of the DVD case and putting it in. "Must you always choose the romantic films?" he teased me.

I gently nudged his shoulder with mine as I laid back down next to him. "Oh, you love it," I teased back.

"Only when they don't end in tragedies."

I bit my lip as I thought about it. It was true - all of my favorite films and stories were tragedies. Wuthering Heights. Romeo and Juliet. Tristan and Isolde…

I supposed it would have been more normal of me if I were to choose a fairytale, but I couldn't help it. Not only did I find fairytales a tad too unrealistic, tragedies were also better stories. The love between star-crossed lovers were told better than the story of a cheerleader and a jock any day.

Edward leaned in close to me, and I turned to look at him in surprise. "What are you thinking?" he whispered, his sweet breath blowing on my face. I almost sighed out loud.

I realized then that the movie had been playing for half an hour and I had spaced out, not even watching it. I blushed at having been caught, and shrugged, turning back to look at the TV. Or, at least, I tried to turn away.

Edward's topaz eyes held me captive as he flashed me his crooked smile, causing my heart to race. My palms started to sweat as I subconsciously lean in closer.

His smile flickered as he, too, started to close the gap between us.

I wanted to stop but I couldn't. The temptation was too strong. Our connection was too strong. I felt like I was whole whenever Edward was around. Add in a little - okay, a lot - of hormones, and I was done for.

Our lips were just about to touch, our faces less than an inch apart from each other, when the doorbell rang. I jumped back, my face flushed. Edward shot me a sheepish smile, which I returned. "I'll just…Answer the door," I mumbled, unable to control my blush.

I stood up shakily, hoping to God I wouldn't trip, and went to the front door slowly. I heard Edward pausing the movie so that I wouldn't miss anything. That really wouldn't bother me at all - I hadn't actually paid attention to the first half hour of it anyway.

I opened the door without looking into the peeping hole. Edward could yell at me about safety later on. Who on earth could actually find this place without directions? I was curious.

I gasped as Gabriel stood in front of me, shuffling his feet from left to right. "Gabriel?" I choked out. What horrible timing!

The guilt of spending so much time with Edward and what we had done in the pool…It nearly crushed me.

I should have had better self control. Gabriel was a really sweet guy who came all the way from Europe for me. I shouldn't have done this to him. He deserved better.

"What are you doing here?" was all that I could manage to say. Pathetic.

He looked a little embarrassed. "I've missed you," he said quietly. The guilt doubled, making me almost gasped out loud in pain. I brought a hand to my chest and rubbed where my heart beat painfully. "I just wanted to see you…I hope I didn't cut in on any family bonding time."

He looked so abashed and so…Worried that he had upset me. My God, why couldn't he have been a jerk? That would have been easier. Much easier. I could have broken his heart without a second glance if he were.

But he wasn't a jerk. He was a sweet guy. And he cared for me. He'd missed me. What was a girl to do?

So instead of slamming the door in his face, I smiled and opened the door wider. "Come in," I invited.

Maybe I could cook up some lie about how my parents would kill me for having a boy over when they weren't in the house. It was true. They wouldn't kill me but they probably would ground me for a month.

I led him towards the living room. Edward was still lying on the mat, but he was looking at us as we walked in. "Sorry I didn't call," I said awkwardly. I really didn't have much of an excuse. The truth was right in front of Gabriel.

Gabriel saw Edward, the mat, the pillows, the food. He turned to me with narrowed eyes. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice low.

"We're, uh, watching movies," I said quickly, trying to dissuade his suspicion. It was just paranoia on his part.

Right, the annoying voice in my head said. It sounded suspiciously like Alice. Because you didn't just have an almost-make-out session with Edward in the pool and you didn't fantasize about him the entire time after. Get a clue!

I sat down on the couch. It was much to awkward to just resume my place on the mat next to Edward, and extremely inappropriate since Gabriel was right there.

Why was it inappropriate when Gabriel was around but completely natural when Edward and I were alone? I wondered to myself.

I realized Gabriel had followed suit and was still waiting for me to continue, as if there was something I was excluding from my story. I guessed I wasn't as good a liar as I thought I was.

"We haven't been spending time with each other lately. We've got some best friend catching up to do," I explained.

Gabriel seemed to accept this.

It wasn't a lie, I told myself. That was the purpose of this weekend. To avoid Mike's advances and spend more time with Edward since I hadn't seen him that much lately.

Of course, that was my fault for going out with Gabriel so much. I frowned, confusion seeping in again. How could I like hanging out with Gabriel but love Edward? This was just too much.

Edward stood up from the mat and for a moment, I thought he was going to leave Gabriel and I alone.

A part of me was grateful for that - Edward didn't like Gabriel. At all. And Gabriel tolerated Edward because he was a very important part of my life. But other than that, they could be sniping at each other for hours if someone didn't step in.

The other, bigger, part of me panicked. I didn't want Edward to leave. I wanted him with me, even if it was an awkward situation. Especially if it was an awkward situation. His presence alone was enough to calm me down.

Edward didn't leave, though. He walked over to the couch and sat next to me. Gabriel shot him a glare and I focused on the frozen picture of Mr. Darcy on the screen. Edward didn't comment on why he was sitting next to me, and I didn't ask. I wanted him there, so I didn't care about the reason.

I turned to Gabriel. "Are you…Staying?" I asked, wincing slightly. I hoped that my voice didn't sound too cracked.

Gabriel nodded his head firmly, eyes still trained on Edward in a glare. Edward returned it with much more fervor. I resisted the urge to groan out loud.

"Oh." Maybe Gabriel wouldn't catch the disappointment in my voice.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, I stood up and walked over to the DVD set. "How about we watch a different movie?" I asked rhetorically. I was changing it to one of Emmett's spy movies no matter what.

I was not going to watch a romantic tragedy movie with my boyfriend and Edward. That was just too odd to comprehend.

I put in the Bourne Ultimatum and sat back down in between Gabriel and Edward. I mostly leaned back and tried to keep myself from accidentally touching one or the other.

Gabriel tried to take my hand once or twice. I felt so guilty over what I had done and what I would have to do to him that I couldn't just hold his hand.

Not to mention the fact that I could practically feel Edward stiffening up next to me every time it happened.

So I pretended I needed to grab more popcorn or stretch my arms or do something else that required both hands just so I could take my hand back without hurting Gabe's feelings.

Edward glared at Gabriel until he backed down when he tried to put his arm around me.

We watched about three spy movies before Gabriel said he had to head back home. I couldn't have been more relieved. The tension in the room was so incredibly thick, I couldn't stand it.

I walked Gabriel to the door, shooting Edward a glare when he made to come with us.

Gabriel stood at the doorway, smiling at me. "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked me, his accent still evident in his voice.

I shrugged. "The entire family's playing baseball," I said, grinning in excitement. I hadn't seen them play for so long.

Gabriel saw my exuberance, and wanted to know if he could come along as well. I shifted uncomfortably on one foot to the other. That was an impossibility.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Gabe, but the family sees it as bonding time. Just us, you know? Maybe some other time?"

He looked a little disappointed but nodded his head nonetheless. "Yes. Well, I'll see you on Monday, then."

I didn't hold Gabriel's hand or kiss him when I bid him goodnight. It was too strange. Holding his hand seemed pointless to me now, and I didn't want to kiss anyone but Edward.

I closed the door behind Gabriel and sagged against it. I didn't want to kiss anyone but Edward? Just call Bellevue already!

"Bella?"

I jumped, turning around to face a sheepish-looking Edward. Behind his eyes, though, I could see the pain reflected.

I walked slowly towards him and sat back down next to him on the couch. "Edward, what's wrong?"

He took in a deep, unnecessary breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry," he blurted out. My eyes widened. Did he regret everything that had happened? Was he trying to tell me to forget it all? How could I even do that?

"I should have never put you in that situation," he elaborated. "It was completely wrong of me to touch you like I did when you're with another boy…"

I gaped at him. Here I was, nearly tearing the hair out of my scalp from sheer frustration at trying to understand our current situation, and he was apologizing for not being enough of a gentleman? What was wrong with the world?

I snickered a little when a little of the shock had worn off. Edward looked so guilty, like he had been caught stealing from the cookie jar before dinner or something.

"Edward," I rolled my eyes. "Enough with the whole gentleman thing. Don't get me wrong, it's great and all. But I'm going crazy trying to understand everything here. Etiquette isn't exactly something I'm worried about."

He gave me a half smile, but it was still enough to get my heart thudding violently against my chest. "Morals are what I was talking about, actually," he corrected.

I shook my head. "Morals, etiquette, it doesn't matter," I said firmly. "I want to understand, and I will. It'll take time. Can you…Please just give me time?" I asked nervously, wringing my hands together. I was afraid to even look him in the eyes.

Edward took my hands and kissed my knuckles gently. "Of course," he smiled. "I'll wait for you forever if I have to."

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Edward and I were in the meadow again. I would never get tired of being there, just laying around and talking. It was peaceful - a rare occurrence when you're a Cullen or a Hale.

I had my hand raised above my head as I traced patterns in the sky. I found a rabbit, a cat and something that looked like a lion in the clouds.

A pale hand covered mine, and brought it back to the ground.

I turned my head to my left to see Edward laying next to me, smiling at me. He shifted his body so that he was facing me on his side. I mimicked him.

His hand still held mine, while he cupped my cheek with his free hand. He ran his thumb along my cheek, causing me to blush. Edward chuckled, his topaz eyes sparkling with happiness.

Suddenly, the daylight faded into night, and the sound of water trickling made me lift my body slightly off the ground to observe the surrounding.

We were back at Reflection Pond. My clothes were wet, as were Edward's. He was still so close to me.

But not close enough.

I reached out to bring him closer to me, but he was already on his feet. I frowned in confusion. Where was he going?

I called out to him, but he only threw a smile over his shoulder and ran towards the mountains. He was gone.

I kept calling for him, walking on unsteady feet to find him. I was plunged into utter darkness as I moved forward. I tripped, unable to see anything, and fell. I looked up, my ankle in pain, and was met with a pair of red eyes.

I screamed for Edward, but he was far gone.

Cold hands gripped me by the shoulders.

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Edward's POV

I was looking through her art folder again. I felt the pang of jealousy I always felt that Gabriel was the one to have introduced her to the world of art, but I couldn't help but be amazed. She was an incredible artist.

I think she simply drew whatever came to her mind. It was another reason why I completely loved looking at her art. It was another way for me to know what she was thinking or what was bothering her.

She would normally come to me if she was having a problem or if she just needed someone to talk to, but she edited. I wanted to know everything.

I felt a thrill run through my body as I flipped through her latest sketches. They were all of me. Sometimes it was all of me. Sometimes it was just my face. Sometimes she drew my eyes. There were even a few of us together, although she certainly didn't do herself justice.

The way she saw me…It was utterly ridiculous. She drew me as if I was some sort of a God. I was nothing close to that.

I had to admit, I was flattered.

And beyond pleased that I had been the one plaguing her mind recently. I had thought that I was the only one who had been feeling so much lately. I knew she was still working things out in her mind, I didn't blame her.

I had, after all, kissed her like that when she was still with another boy. I didn't actually kiss her on the lips, but it was still wrong of me to do.

Did I regret our intimate moment? Not at all.

Did I regret turning her into a dishonest woman? Most definitely.

I wanted to protect her, not corrupt her.

I sighed, running a light finger along yet another picture of us at Reflection Pond. She had so many of these. I guessed she never tired of drawing them. And I never tired of seeing them.

I groaned, dropping my head in my hands. What on earth was I thinking? I had just acted on my instincts without even thinking? What if Newton hadn't called? What would've happened then? Or if Gabriel hadn't interrupted us during Pride and Prejudice?

I had always felt the strongest kind of connection to her. Every emotion, every thought, every movement…We shared it somehow. I didn't know how or why, but it was there. I didn't need to read her mind because I knew her thoughts.

Take this evening, for example. I didn't walk away and leave Bella alone with Gabriel for two reasons.

One, I would never leave her alone with a boy - it was my territory I was protecting. I would just never tell her that because she would get angry that I was referring to her as an object.

Two, I knew she wanted me to stay. She hadn't looked at me or gestured to me or told me that she wanted me to stay, but I knew she did. And when I had sat down next to her, I had felt her relief.

I'd read in Jasper's mind how he had talked to Bella once about me. She had gone to him because she'd felt confused about her feelings. I supposed she had started to develop intimate feelings for me since then.

Jasper had told her that she and I were soul mates. I didn't know if I believed it at first, but it was getting harder to deny.

When I first found her, she was this innocent little girl I wanted so hard to protect. That hadn't changed. But as time progressed and our relationship deepened, she wasn't just the human who saved my soul. It felt like she was my soul.

But this morning…I had just lost control to my lust. It was worst than bloodlust, something I hadn't even thought was possible.

I had wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her. I had wanted to be with her, whisper her name and hear her tell me that I was her love.

When she had whispered my name, holding me tightly to her as if she never wanted me to let go…It took all of the control I had left to not tell her I loved her and just kissed her long and hard.

What a wonderful gentleman I am, I thought sarcastically to myself.

Rosalie would kill me. Even Esme and Carlisle wouldn't be happy with me at all.

I wanted to, don't get me wrong. But I had to be gentle with her. She was still so breakable.

And what if she hadn't wanted it, too? What if she still wasn't ready and I had just pushed myself on her? It would have actually ruined our relationship.

Besides, I knew she would want to end things with Gabriel first. That was an inevitable fact. Even if it weren't because of me, she would still have to end things because firstly, she clearly didn't feel the same way about him and secondly, she wouldn't want to hurt him.

She was that sort of a person. I didn't want to succumb to my feelings for her, succumb to my passion, and make her an even more dishonest person.

I had to be patient and wait.

Two words that I absolutely despised right about now.

"Edward," I heard Bella mumble. I smiled to myself. Her dreams consisted only of me recently. It had tormented me before, but now I was merely very pleased. I knew now that she felt the same connection and the same attraction. She just needed time.

I couldn't push her into jumping right in. I had the time to think it through. I had to grant her the same courtesy.

Bella started to thrash on the bed. My smile slipped from my face. She was having a nightmare.

"Red eyes," she murmured. A chill went down my spine. "Edward!" she screamed.

I ran to her side, her art folder falling to the floor. I placed my hands on her shoulders and shook her gently. "Bella," I called out. When she still continued to thrash around, yelling my name, I started to panic.

I shook her slightly harder. "Bella!"

Her eyes snapped open and she shot up into a sitting position. "Edward!" she cried, sobbing. When her eyes focused on me, she threw her arms around me and sobbed into my shirt.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, shifting so that she was cradled against my chest, sitting her on my lap. I ran my hand through her hair repeatedly, soothing her.

I couldn't help but wonder what her nightmare had been about. Why had she said 'red eyes' before screaming my name?

It hurt to think that she might have had a nightmare of me hurting her in some way.

When she finally calmed down, I pulled back to look into her pink eyes. She blushed, looking down at her lap. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I-I just had a nightmare."

I nodded my head. "I know," I whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks gently. "Will you tell me what your nightmare was about?" Bella stayed silent, though the flush on her cheeks grew more pronounced.

I grimaced. She didn't want me to know what her nightmare was about. What did that mean? Was it because the nightmare version of me had harmed her? Did she not want me to know that? I bit my lip and decided to pry. I had to know.

"Please, Bella?" I pleaded. "You said red eyes before you said my name," I continued when she didn't tell me. "Was it me? Did you dream that I hurt y-"

She placed a warm hand on my mouth, muffling my words before I finished my question. "Edward, no!" she said fiercely. "Don't ever think that!"

Bella sighed heavily, dropping her head on my chest. I knew she could tell that I still thought of myself as a monster.

She wanted to help me, but she didn't know how the memories of my rebellious years haunted me. She didn't know how disgusted I felt every time I felt the temptation to drink from a human.

She looked up at me shyly, then asked, "If I tell you, promise not to laugh?" Her voice was so serious that I nodded my head immediately.

"I dreamt that we were at the meadow. And-and then we were at…The pond. In Alaska," she blushed crimson. I smiled widely, leaning down to press my lips on her forehead. "But then you disappeared. I called out to you, but it was so dark. I couldn't see. You were gone…"

She was shaken by this nightmare. I could feel her trembling against me. "I fell. When I looked up, I saw red eyes looking at me."

I frowned. "Was it me?" I asked sadly.

She shook her head. "No. I felt it. It…was like a stranger. I couldn't see who or…I don't know, Edward, it was a nightmare," she sighed again.

I brushed her hair back from her face. "Then why were you so shaken up?" I asked, confused. She had woken up sobbing in my arms. There had to be something in that dream that had scared her.

She blushed again and looked away. "I was afraid I would never see you again," she admitted softly. "I was afraid you'd left me."

I gripped her tighter, tilting her head up so that she would look at me. "Isabella," I growled. "I would never leave you."

Tears started to well in her eyes, so I leaned forward and kissed her eyelids. "I promise."

She had been the reason for my existence for the past decade. Before her, I walked around aimlessly. How could she even think that I would leave her?

Bella smiled, content with my answer, and snuggled into me. I kissed her forehead once more then placed her gently on the bed. "Sleep, Bella," I whispered.

She called out to me just as I reached the door. "Edward? Will you stay?" she asked quietly, blushing as she did so.

I smiled, and nodded my head. I headed over to the rocking chair by the window and sat down in it. I watched as Bella tossed and turn, fifteen minutes passing by before she sat up in bed and harrumphed. "I can't sleep," she complained, rolling her eyes.

I laughed, turning off the stereo which was playing Clair de Lune. I sat next to her and patted the bed, gesturing for her to lie down. She stared at me dubiously but I just gave her an innocent smile. She shook her head, though I could see the little smile playing on her lips.

Once she was lying down, I started humming the lullaby I wrote for her.

Immediately, her eyes begun to droop.

I smiled to myself. Maybe I should make her a recording of her lullaby, so she could play that instead of Clair de Lune to go to sleep.

I started to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, but Bella stopped me. She wrapped her arm around my waist, eyes closed, and snuggled into my chest.

"Bella," I called out anxiously. Not only was this inappropriate, considering she was still Gabriel's girlfriend, but Rosalie would kill me if she found out.

Alice had probably seen this but I was guessing that she didn't tell Rose otherwise I would have been nothing but a pile of ashes by now.

She looked up at me with half-closed eyes. "Stay with me, Edward?" she whispered. "Please?"

I hesitated. I wanted to stay with her. I loved watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so content, when she was deep in slumber. I didn't know if I should have that right, though.

But she wanted me to. She wanted me to stay. How could I say no to my Bella?

She must have seen the reluctance in my eyes, because she pulled herself closer to me. On instinct, my arms wound around her to keep her welded to me. "Please, Edward?" she breathed, her warm breath tickling my skin. "I'm only content when you're near me."

Resigned, I tucked her in, wrapped my arms around her and hummed her lullaby until her eyes drifted shut.

I continued humming until her breathing completely even out. She shifted a little every now and then, but her sleep was peaceful.

"Edward," she whispered. I froze, afraid that she was having another nightmare. I didn't want her to suffer, even in her dreams. And I hated that she dreamt I left her - that would never happen.

"I love you."

I stared at her sleeping form. She was definitely unconscious, but she'd admitted it. Joy leapt through my heart and I lightly kissed her hair.

It was the sign I was looking for! The sign that told me Bella was ready for my confession.

I was no longer afraid of telling her, of her reaction. I knew she needed time, and I was never afraid of that. I was just afraid she'd tell me no.

Now I didn't have to worry about that. She loved me.

I smiled down at her and whispered, "I love you too."

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The next chapter should be up soon because I wrote this in three parts. Too long to be one chapter.

BTW, people, you really review fast. I didn't even have time to edit this because it already reached 100. I'm sorry for demanding so much, I was just particularly nervous about this chapter. ExB are kind of more 'intimate' here…Next one will be Bella sorting it out, but this one has more physical actions in it than previous chapters. I hope you don't find it too…I don't know. Inappropriate??

P.S. ExB are a little OOC in this because they gave in to their lust a little. Sorry about that.

Happy reading and please review.

Thank you!

Juliet.