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My next chapter...without further delay...

BPOV

My head was throbbing, my body was stiff, sore and aching and I was struggling to open my very heavy eyelids. My mind was foggy and I laid there trying to piece together the events of yesterday. Groaning I rolled over onto my side. Suddenly it all came rushing back. James, my parents, Victoria and Edward! Oh my GOD! The last thing I remember was running out of the house with Edward chasing me. Edward...my heart clenched and I felt the tears start to trickle down my face. Why would he do that...if he didn't like me he could have just left, or at least told me! Wait... what day was it? What happened to the rest yesterday? How long had I been asleep? And where was I now?

"Love, open your eyes...I know you're awake...please Bella, don't cry, it's ok my love, it's alright" I heard Edward's beautiful and tormenting voice from beside me. I felt his hand on my face and I squirmed away, pain flashing through my body. Why was he here, I thought he didn't want me. Before I could contemplate any further, I felt darkness encroaching my mind again and I drifted into unconsciousness.

EPOV

I couldn't sleep in the afternoon or for the entire night. I just laid there, awake, listening to her breathing and occasional mutterings. She seemed so peaceful, yet when she rolled over she would wince in her sleep. All night I tried to comfort her, whispering reassuring nothings...mostly my love for her. As morning came my Bella still hadn't awoken. I slowly and carefully crawled out of bed and closed my heavy curtains. She did need to rest; it would help her heal faster. I laid back down next to her body, relishing the contact...would this be the last time I would be able to do this? Would she believe that nothing had happened between Victoria and I...that she was the most important person in my life trumping Amanda...that I loved her my all my heart and soul. I suddenly felt her stir next to me and she groaned rolling over to face me. I stared at her troubled face as a frown then panic flickered over her beautiful features. I watched, heartbroken as tears trickled down her face and she clenched her eyes shut even tighter. She was finally awake...

"Love, open your eyes...I know you're awake...please Bella, don't cry, it's ok my love, it's alright" I murmured softly, stroking her face. She squirmed away from me breifly before she relaxed against the sheets, asleep again. I felt despair wash over me. Bella had shied away from me, she had refused my comfort...my touch...how was I going to win her back? I crept out of the bed again and pulled a chair as close to the bed as possible, sitting myself down in it. I gently grabbed hold of Bella's hand. She squeezed my hand lightly.

"Edward" She sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. Her subconscious would hopefully win out in the end, for my sake I prayed...I couldn't fathom my life without Bella in it. I heard a small knock on the door and turned my attention to it briefly as Amanda cautiously walked into the room. She glanced at me carefully before looking at Bella. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Come here Amanda, you know you don't have to knock" I reluctantly released Bella's hand and pulled Amanda into my lap. She started sobbing.

"Shhh, what's wrong Amanda, my sweet? Why are you crying? And what are you doing up so early?" I held her small body to mine. It was early...the sun had only just peaked over the horizon.

"Is Bella going to be alright?" Her lip quivered as she stared at me with troubled eyes.

"Of course, she's just sleeping, her body just needs to heal itself" I smiled at her comfortingly. She looked from me to Bella a couple of times before she burst into fresh tears.

"She's dead!" Amanda wailed clutching onto me and crying hysterically.

"What? No, she's just sleeping" I tried to explain but it fell on deaf ears.

"That's what mommies and daddies say in movies when the little boy's pet has died!" She wept uncontrollably. "How could you let her die! She loves you and wanted to marry you and now she'll never be my big sister" What?! Marriage... "You broke-ed her heart with that evil woman and now she's gone!" How could Amanda be so observant?!

"WH-what do you mean Amanda, how could you know that?" My mind was jumbled and I had to shake my head to focus on her answer. Her sobbing subsided a little and she turned in my lap to face me.

"She loves you...its easy to see...did you not know?" Amanda frowned at me.

"Bella said it a few times while sleeping" I admitted sheepishly. "But what did you..." She cut me off.

"The morning the scary man came...yesterday...Bella made me breakfast and I asked her if she was going to marry you" My mouth fell open and I stared in open shock. Of course I wanted Bella to be mine...marry me...Mrs Bella Masen... "And she said that she loved you very much, I could see it in her face, she was smiling...glowing, but she said she thought you didn't feel the same way and then she tried to make lame excuses as to why you two wouldn't get married, but she really did want to" Amanda smiled and then started crying again. "But because of that woman and her and you sexing Bella died...her face Edward...you broke-ed her...she was... and now she's..." Amanda was still sobbing but she suddenly turned angry. "Why did you do that to poor Bella!" She demanded.

"I never did anything Amanda; it's all a big lie...an unfortunate misunderstanding. I have no idea why Victoria..." I spat her name out, my voice harsh. "...Was here, except to try to separate Bella and I. I never went sexing..." I tried not to laugh over Amanda's term...I would have to discuss sex with her later...oh joy...maybe Esme would do it...or Bella...focus Edward! "...With Victoria" I shuddered at the thought. "I would never betray Bella that way; ever...she alone holds me captivated. I love Bella, with all my heart...I want nothing more in this world other than to make her my beautiful blushing bride...I hate that she's in pain, and I hate that I'm the cause of it...that I couldn't protect her from James and Victoria and all the other resentful people in the world... it's so excruciating to see her hurt, it causes me grief that you can't imagine..." I trailed off, fearing I'd already said too much to Amanda, who was just a little girl after all.

"And now she's dead" Amanda wailed, still in distraught tears.

"Give me your hand darling" I held out my hand for her. She hesitantly placed hers in mine. I slowly placed our intertwined hands over Bella's heart...it was beating quite rapidly. I held Amanda's fragile hand gently to Bella heart. "See, her heart's beating." I explained. Moving our hands down her warm arm I smiled slightly "Her skin is warm" I rested my head gently on her stomach. "She's breathing" Quite shallow breaths I might add. I pulled away a fraction and studied her face. It wasn't relaxed...She wasn't sleeping...and she wasn't crying and trying to squirm away from my touch. I smiled...maybe just maybe she had heard some of our conversation and she believed me! "And Amanda...I bet I can get her to wake up." Slowly releasing Amanda's hand and sitting on the edge of the bed I smiled looking down on my angel...

BPOV

What good is unconsciousness if my mind won't stay turned off. This is infuriating...I just want to escape...escape the pain, both physical and emotional...the emotional hurt much worse than anything James could have ever done to me. It didn't matter that Edward didn't love me...well it did, but it didn't change how I felt about him...he would always be my angel...my love...my Greek God. I started drifting back into consciousness. I could hear Edward's velvet voice...it was still comforting even though it ripped at the hole in my heart.

"Shhh, what's wrong Amanda, my sweet? Why are you crying? And what are you doing up so early?" His voice was soothing.

"Is Bella going to be alright?" Why was Amanda so upset? I was not in that bad of a condition...was I?

"Of course, she's just sleeping, her body just needs to heal itself" Edward sounded hopeful and confident. Amanda burst into wailing sobs.

"She's dead!" She cried hysterically. Did I really look that bad...did I look dead?! Maybe I was dead...

"What? No, she's just sleeping" My angels voice sounded bewildered...

"That's what mommies and daddies say in movies when the little boy's pet has died!" She wept uncontrollably. "How could you let her die! She loves you and wanted to marry you and now she'll never be my big sister" Why would she tell him that! "You broke-ed her heart with that evil woman and now she's gone!" She was so observant!

"WH-what do you mean Amanda, how could you know that?" If he had sounded bewildered before he was utterly perplexed now.

"She loves you...it's easy to see...did you not know?" Amanda sounded disappointed.

"Bella said it a few times while sleeping" He admitted sheepishly. I froze...I said it out loud! "But what did you..." Edward's voice was cut off.

"The morning the scary man came...yesterday...Bella made me breakfast and I asked her if she was going to marry you" I wonder what Edward's reaction to marriage will be...he probably thinks of it as some kind of trap..."And she said that she loved you very much, I could see it in her face, she was smiling...glowing, but she said she thought you didn't feel the same way and then she tried to make lame excuses as to why you two wouldn't get married, but she really did want to" How could she just tell him this...all my personal thoughts "But because of that woman and her and you sexing Bella died...her face Edward...you broke-ed her...she was... and now she's..." Sexing...interesting "Why did you do that to poor Bella!" She demanded angrily.

"I never did anything Amanda; it's all a big lie...an unfortunate misunderstanding. I have no idea why Victoria..." My breathing hitched...he wouldn't lie to Amanda...and he spat Victoria's name out, with venom...did he not betray me...did he really care about me? "...Was here, except to try to separate Bella and I. I never went sexing..." Edward sounded rather entertained but I couldn't feel amused when I was so desperately clinging to his every word. "...With Victoria" I shuddered at the thought...I wished Edward would be mine...and only mine forever. "I would never betray Bella that way; ever...she alone holds me captivated. I love Bella, with all my heart" I felt tears well up...he loved me, he said it, he loved me "...I want nothing more in this world other than to make her my beautiful blushing bride...I hate that she's in pain, and I hate that I'm the cause of it...that I couldn't protect her from James and Victoria and all the other resentful people in the world... it's so excruciating to see her hurt, it causes me grief that you can't imagine..." He trailed off. I wanted nothing more than to leap out of this bed and tell him I loved him...that I was sorry...that I should have trusted him...and that I would...gulp... some day marry him, but I held back.

"And now she's dead" Amanda wailed. What notion has her so convinced that I'm dead?

"Give me your hand darling" His voice purred. I suddenly felt their hands over my heart...which was now beating frantically at the thought of Edward loving me. "See, her heart's beating." he explained. I felt their hands slowly move down my arm "Her skin is warm" Edward remarked before resting his head gently on my stomach. "She's breathing" Breathing! I was on the verge of hyperventilating! "And Amanda...I bet I can get her to wake up." I felt the bed sink a little on my right side and Edward's body pressed against my side softly. I could feel him lean over me. His hand reached out and stroked my face. I relished his touch...I felt like I had been without it for too long...although it probably hadn't even been a day yet. My body automatically responded...my face leaning in to his touch. His fingers traced my lips. Abruptly his cool breath was on my neck.

"I love you Bella" He confirmed, kissing my neck once before I felt him sit back up straight. I willed my heavy eyelids to open and they did...the breathtaking man before me smiled down at me...with what I could now identify...as love in his eyes. I smiled shyly back...even though it caused my cheeks and muscles in my face pain.

"Edward" I breathed. He reached out and placed a gentle hand against my face. I heard the door open but didn't break my gaze away from Edward's.

"Amanda, come on" I heard Esme's sweet voice from the doorway.

"But!" She objected.

"Now Amanda, please, give Edward and Bella some privacy" Esme's voice was firm.

"Bye Bella, I'm glad you're awake; bye Eddie" She mumbled, grudgingly leaving the room. The door clicked shut.

"Bella" Edward whispered. I reached one of my hands up and placed it on top of his.

"I'm sorry" I murmured closing my eyes, dropping my hand and turning my face away from him. Both his hands grasped my face.

"Bella, please look at me...I've missed your beautiful eyes" He asked softly. Opening my eyes slowly, I looked back into his sparkling green eyes. I felt so ashamed that I had ever doubted him.

EPOV

Bella looked so torn up with anguish, regret and shame. I couldn't stand it...I didn't want to make her more upset...but my mouth opened on its own accord.

"Why Bella...how..." I closed my mouth quickly and studied her face. She shut her eyes again...her gorgeous big brown eyes...

"Because Edward...you're perfect...you're smart, beyond handsome, kind, loving, friendly, wealthy, funny, talented, confident, graceful, accommodating...I can never live up to you...I feel that you are so far out of my league there's no way I could ever hope to...that you would ever feel like I do" She shook her head and tried to pull my hands off her. I wasn't going anywhere. So it wasn't that she didn't trust me...it was that she was insecure...my sweet Bella. I loved her and I was going to damn well prove it.

"Bella...my Bella...my love" I breathed, leaning over her again, an inch from her face. Her eyes flickered open and I smiled at her. "I could use all those words and more to describe you...well except maybe graceful...but your wrong, you by far surpass me...I don't know what I have done to deserve a Goddess...an angel like you" I leaned down to gently kiss her lips, but paused just before touching them. "I love you" I validated, my lips brushing against hers as I spoke.

"I love you too Edward" Her lips brushed mine briefly as she spoke and I closed the distance between us, kissing her tenderly...showing all my love for her.

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