A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long. It was a really long chapter and took time to edit. I think it's all done now. Have fun.

Disclaimer: SM owns it all.

POVs: Bella, Edward, Jasper

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Bella's POV

I yawned, blinking at the harsh sunlight coming in through the windows. When you live with vampires, you tend to get rooms with lots of windows. Edward must have opened the curtains up.

Speaking of Edward, he wasn't with me. I looked around the room, panicking. I noticed a folded piece of paper on the pillow next to my head, and took it, curious.

Bella,

I've gone to pick up some of those donuts you liked. I will be back soon. I'm sorry if you woke up without me. You were in a very peaceful sleep and I didn't want to wake you up.

Rosalie called again, and asked me to tell you that she would be back this evening. She's still very worried for you.

Be safe until I return.

Edward.

I smiled to myself as I reread the note. I placed it on my nightstand and got out of bed, stretching. Another day of Edward before the family returned.

I frowned as I stepped into the shower. What would we tell everyone? Would they agree with this or would they tell us no? And what was 'this', anyway. Edward and I never actually discussed it or agreed on where we stood.

I sighed, rubbing the shampoo into my hair. I hoped no one would get angry at me for…Wanting Edward. In that way. I hoped they wouldn't be angry at him, either, for what we almost did.

Anxious to see him again, I pushed away all negative thoughts. I knew I needed to sort them all out at some point, but I really didn't have the energy to do so at the moment. I just wanted to see Edward again.

I quickly showered and changed, and went downstairs. My donuts were on the kitchen isle, as well as one of those frappes Angela had gotten me addicted to. I took a sip and reached for a donut.

A pair of cold arms wrapped themselves around my waist and I gasped, startled. The frappe fell from my hand, but one of the hands on my waist caught it and placed it on the counter. I felt him right behind me, his chin on my head.

"Edward, you scared me," I said, waiting for my heartbeat to slow down.

He chuckled, turning me around to face him slowly. "I know," he smiled. "I can hear your heart racing."

He could hear my heart? All the way from there? Did that mean that he heard it every time it started to pound faster because he was near me?

I blushed furiously at the thought. "You can?" I asked blankly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He laughed at the mortification on my face. "It was more fun this way," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, still blushing, though my heart rate was somewhat normal now. I didn't think it was possible for it to be completely steady whenever Edward was around, so I grabbed a donut and headed for the living room.

The thing about growing up around Emmett was you grew up being completely addicted to Sunday morning cartoons.

I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Edward sat next to me. "What would you like to do today?" he asked me quietly. I turned to find him watching me, his body angled towards me.

I flushed and swallowed. "I…Was wondering if we could just play the piano for a little while. I've missed that, too," I admitted.

He smiled and nodded his head. "Of course, Bella. I'd want to hear you play," he mused.

I knew he was only being polite. Edward was the real musical genius in the family. Next up was Rosalie.

I was just the girl who liked to play from time to time. It was mostly because of Edward. The piano always soothed the both of us when he played, and one day I decided I wanted to join in.

Edward had to drag me away from Spongebob. He detested the cartoon because he found it annoying and unrealistic. I rolled my eyes at that. It was a cartoon and he expected it to be realistic? What was he basing that on? Willy Coyote?

But I didn't complain all that much because Edward had sat me down on the piano bench and had sat next to me.

We begun playing a few of his songs - I liked those better than anyone else's compositions. His had more emotion to it. I could almost understand everything he felt when he wrote the songs. I didn't know if that was just because of my huge imagination or because he was just expressive that way.

After a while, I started playing Chopsticks. Edward laughed and joined in. When I first learned this song, I had played it over and over simply to annoy Jasper. Esme finally had to punish me with no piano playing for a week just to spare Jasper.

Of course, the first song I played when my punishment was over was Chopsticks.

Edward and I continued messing around with a few of the notes. I recognized this routine. It normally started as harmless fun. Then out of nowhere, we would have composed a song together.

I grinned as we made progress. I worked a lot harder on the compositions when Edward was with me. He was the perfect inspiration. His fingers worked the keys so lithely, I couldn't help but follow. I tended not to think too much and just let instinct take over. I think that was his point.

He bumped his shoulder into me, smiling as we moved along. The flutter of my heart had absolutely nothing to do with our new song, but with his proximity to me.

It was moments like these and the ones in between that made me wonder about our relationship. One moment we were just like we used to be, and the next I want nothing more than to know how it felt like to kiss him again.

Was I really in love with him? All these feelings, all these 'slip-ups' when we touch like lovers do…I wouldn't do that with just anyone.

Edward and I have had a special bond since I could remember. The older I got, the stronger it became. I had always looked at him as my best friend and my protector.

But the feelings that I had for him now, the desire coursing through my veins…It was nowhere close to being 'just friends'.

Jasper said that we were soul mates. I admit that the connection we had was bordering on uncanny. We pretty much shared the same soul, more like.

It had good points and bad points.

I had always found it a good thing that he and I had this connection. I didn't need to ask if something was wrong because I knew he would tell me anyway. I didn't need to know what made him happy because it came to me naturally.

But the bad point was just showing itself. I think our connection had made me fall for him. Fall for how much, I didn't know.

And did he even feel the same way?

For all I knew, he didn't love me that way. Maybe he's just confused about how he felt. Maybe I was the one who's confused.

Whatever it was, it would hurt if Edward were to leave me. I didn't want him to run or stay away from me if things turn out badly. What if one of us felt more than the other? What if something were to happen to ruin it all?

I knew I was being paranoid, but I couldn't help it. Edward was my everything. It would kill me if our relationship were to be obliterated.

An eternity was a long time and I'd like it very much if I could spend it with Edward. And 'deliriously happy' had to be a part of the equation, too.

That nightmare I had, was it just a random, irrational fear? Or was it a sign telling me to stay away?

It's hard for me to process everything because he's been my best friend almost all my life. Then suddenly, I'm hit with desire, love and lust.

Was it even natural to like him this way? To feel so much for him? He'd seen me grow up since I was six, running around in Tweety pajamas.

And now here I was, trying to figure out how much I loved him, and if I should just sit on my hands every time the desire to touch him overcame me.

I couldn't even begin to imagine what Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie would say. Alright, so I know Rosalie would ground me and kill Edward, but what about Carlisle and Esme?

Would they be disappointed? Would they be angry at me for doing this? For feeling this way? And what about the rest of the family?

I was pretty sure it was going to be awkward.

I almost choked as I realized that Alice would have already seen everything that had happened the past few days - including what happened in the pool and when Edward stayed with me last night.

I blushed. I was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Oh, God.

When they returned, Jasper would surely sense all of the emotions in me. It was too hard for me to conceal from him. What would he do, then? I was sure my feelings had intensified about a million times since the last time we'd seen each other.

Would he and Alice keep it all a secret? Did the others already know? Would Emmett tease me endlessly about it? Was Rosalie already setting up a fire to burn Edward? Would I blush nonstop?

I sighed, adding a solemn note to the song. Edward frowned, and he turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged and gave him a small smile. He nodded and turned back to the piano. He understood that I was just lost in my thoughts, and needed time to sort things out.

That was definitely a positive aspect of our connection.

I thought back to Gabriel. I felt like such a dishonest person. I'd never intended to hurt Gabriel. He was the sweetest person. I really meant it when I said he showed me a different side to life. I was grateful for the time he and I spent together.

But I knew since day one that he and I were never meant to be. I was just too selfish to let him go. I cared for him, even back in Paris. I had wanted more time with him, so I kept him by my side.

I should have told him no, but he had come all the way from Paris for me. Paris. In Europe. He came to America for me.

While I had no doubt that he would have traveled to the States at some point in his life anyway, I knew that he came earlier for me. He wanted to be with me, and I liked him enough to be selfish and say yes.

Now I was going to have to let him go, all the while loving another man.

And then there was the factor of everyone else in town. I didn't actually mind whatever they thought or what they wanted to say, but I didn't want them to jibe at my parents. And by that I meant Charlie and Renee Swan.

From what I could tell, they were very respectable people. My memories of them were slightly hazy but I really loved them.

Carlisle was an amazing father and no one could ask for better mothers than Esme and Rosalie, but Charlie and Renee Swan were still my parents for six years. They created me, brought me into this world and loved me.

I didn't want to sully their name.

Not that I believed being with Edward would in any way sully their name. He was an amazing person, beautiful inside and out. His mind, his personality, his smile…They were all enchanting.

One thing I had learned in my few months being back in Forks, though, was that everyone in the town loved to gossip. You should have heard what they had to say about my family when we first moved back here.

They knew that Esme couldn't have any children and that we were all adopted. They made something big about that.

They knew Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett were together while they lived under the same house and called the same two people 'mom' and 'dad', and they made a big deal out of that, too.

I could only imagine what they would say if I were to just dump Gabriel and move on to Edward.

Could I even do that? Would my family allow me to? Would Edward want to?

I honestly had no idea what he wanted, or what I wanted for that matter. We had never really sat down to sort it all out together.

A part of me was grateful for that since I needed a little more time. The other part of me was still so confused and needed his help.

It felt like I was in a strange Austen novel. Or a teenage soap opera. Whichever had more drama in it.

I feel so conflicted.

I want him to love me. I want to know if I'm in love with him.

I hope my heart gets settled enough for me to finally understand.

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Edward's POV

It was already night time. The family was due back any second. I was a little upset that my time alone with Bella was over, but if things progressed the way I intended them to, I would think that time alone with her would be in abundance pretty soon.

I was in the kitchen with Bella. She was eating her dinner as we waited for the others. We would be heading to the clearing for the baseball game soon after the others returned.

She already had on her baseball jersey, as was I. Alice had gotten us all baseball jerseys, with our names at the back, along with our number. I would have thought that Bella would be angry at Alice for spending money on her, but she had liked it.

Bella took another bite of her sandwich and grinned at me. "I can't wait for the game," she said excitedly. "It's been quite a while."

I nodded my head, agreeing. Bella normally had fun during these games, even though she didn't play with us. It was another way for her to bond with the family - especially Esme, who was Umpire. Besides, there really was no telling what Emmett and Jasper would do when they became competitive.

Bella shot me a look that said 'don't get angry at me'. I smiled, and gestured for her to say what was obviously bothering her. "I can't wait until I become…Like you," she admitted.

I tensed for a moment, and then forced myself to relax. Curiosity made me ask her, "Why?"

She shrugged. "I can finally play with everyone," she pointed out. "I wouldn't just sit on the sidelines anymore."

I laughed. "You want to be a vampire so you could play baseball, Bella? That has to be the most absurd reason," I joked. I wanted to lighten the mood. I knew she felt inferior whenever she wasn't a part of the team.

As much as Emmett enjoys teasing Bella about her clumsiness, I knew she hated it. She envied us for being so graceful while she tripped over her own feet every three seconds.

Of course, I found it endearing. She, however, had a different opinion.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not just baseball, Edward," she stuck her tongue out at me. "I want to be with the family without any reservations. You know, Jasper and I hadn't been able to really spend time with one another lately…"

I bit my lip and placed a hand on her arm. "He wants to," I assured her. "He really loves you."

She smiled sadly at me. "I know. I love him, too. But that's just it. I miss my big brother. I know it's not his fault. I just miss him. Once I'm like you, it could be like before, only better and slightly less ridiculous," she laughed.

I smiled reassuringly at her. "Well, there's only a year and a half left before your change occurs," I reminded her. "You will be able to join in soon enough."

Bella stared at me, blinking confusedly. "Are you actually accepting the idea of my becoming a vampire?" she asked slowly, disbelief clearly written all over her face.

I shifted my weight from one foot to another. Accepted it? Well, there really wasn't anything else I could do. I wanted her to have a normal life, but she wouldn't even be alive if she stayed human.

Besides, I knew none of us would be able to let her go.

So, reluctantly, I said, "Yes." She was gaping at me and I couldn't help but chuckle because she looked too funny. Realizing this, she closed her mouth but continued to stare at me incredulously.

"I do regret that you can't have a normal life," I explained, my voice soft. I didn't want to offend her in any way. "But it's unavoidable. And, truthfully, Bella. I can't let you go. I wouldn't be able to leave even if you asked me to. So this fate of yours is just something I'll have to accept."

She turned pink, her gaze dropping to the table. I smiled, reaching out to touch her hand. She intertwined her fingers with mine and squeezed.

"I don't understand why you think I need a normal life, anyway," she cleared her throat, probably to try and divert my attention. "Normal versus happy. I'd pick the latter any day."

I smiled at her attempt to change the subject. I rolled my eyes when she reached for another pop tart. She had already eaten a whole box of it, along with three sandwiches. I would imagine this was how Emmett acted when he was a human.

"Are you trying to compensate for the eternity of being disgusted by human food, Bella?" I teased, bumping her shoulder with mine gently.

Bella scowled playfully at me. "Coming from the guy who prefers mountain lion smoothie over anything else," she shot back, raising her eyebrow at me as if challenging me to retort. I laughed - she had spent too much time with Rosalie, that was for sure.

I stared into her captivating brown eyes and subconsciously leaned forward. Stopping myself, I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell her right here and now what I felt for her. Our entire weekend had gone by and I hadn't done anything to tell her.

I wanted to tell her in a grand gesture, but my ideas were still a little sketchy. As much as I hated to admit it, I was going to need Alice's help.

We had had plenty of opportunities over the last three days to finally get it all out but there was always something in the way.

We would either get interrupted by someone like Mike or Gabriel or even Rosalie who kept checking in, afraid that Bella would be in shock after her attack.

I had to admit that even I was amazed at how composed she was. Not everyone would be so calm. I supposed, though, after being attacked by vampires and whatnot, human men didn't seem very scary, especially since they hadn't done any damage - thank the Lord.

I knew she needed time to process her feelings and sort it out with Gabriel, but I just needed to tell her. Three little words - I could do that.

I opened my mouth to tell her, but the front door slammed open. "Squirt, where are you?" Emmett yelled, even though he and I both knew he could smell her scent coming from the kitchen.

Emmett rushed in before Bella had a chance to reply and lifted her up in a bone crunching hug. "Hey, there, angel," he greeted her.

Bella was gasping as she tried to breathe through his iron grip. "Em-" she croaked out. "I cahann beethe…" she rasped out.

Emmett looked at me, puzzled by her garbled words. I stepped forward, sighing, and pried Emmett's arms off of Bella. She stumbled, flailing her arms as she went headfirst to the floor.

I caught her by her waist and righted her. I made to pull away from her before I gave in to the desire to pull her close to me, but Bella gripped my arms, heaving as she tried to breathe normally.

She shot Emmett a look, "Good God, Emmett. What did you eat? Super bear?"

He roared in laughter, his shoulders shaking. He slapped Bella on her back, and her knees gave out a little. It was a good thing that I still had my arms wrapped around her, else she might have fallen over.

Bella seemed to realize that she was still locked in my embrace, and blushed. She stepped away from me, and I reluctantly let her.

Dude, Rose is so mad at you, Emmett thought, giving me a knowing look. Alice saw and started squealing when she was chasing deer. Rose threatened her new designer bag so she had to tell. In the pool? Really? Didn't know you had it in you.

I growled at him, but he just chuckled. Look, Alice said nothing happened, and I believe her. You're way too tame. But if anything happens to my sister, I'll kick your ass straight to Montana. Got it?

I nodded my head, restraining myself from lunging at him for the 'too tame' comment. Bella was first and foremost the daughter and sister of the family. They were ready to protect her from anyone who could hurt her, and that included me.

I might not be able to physically wound her because it would kill me to do that, but heart was involved. The heart was a fragile matter, I knew that.

"Isabella!" Rosalie's panicked voice came in through the door. Within seconds, Bella had been swept into her embrace. "Baby, are you alright?" she asked, checking every inch of Bella to make sure she wasn't hurt.

I knew she was worried because of what happened to herself. Men like Lonnie were the reason for her human death and her transformation into a vampire. She was afraid for Bella, afraid that something similar might have happened.

And it would have, too, if Bella had been completely and utterly alone that night.

Bella blushed at being the center of attention. "Mom!" she groaned, trying to push Rosalie away. It didn't do any good, though. "Mom, I'm fine," she stressed the word.

Rosalie turned to me, her eyes filled with worry, disbelief, anger and relief. I'd kill you for the pool. And sleeping in the same bed!? Are you trying to commit suicide? Is that what this is about? The only reason you're not a pile of ashes now is because this makes her happy. You make her happy. Not to mention this was inevitable. Just don't, you know, go too far or anything.

If I could have blushed, I would have. Rosalie was telling me not to…Make love with Bella.

I shifted uncomfortably and moved slightly farther away from Rose and Bella. There was just something wrong with the mention of that in front of a mother and her daughter. Especially when I was in love with the daughter.

Rosalie bit her lip, arms around Bella, her cold glare still on me. Her eyes softened a little and she muttered a curt, "Thank you."

I nodded my head to acknowledge her gratitude. I knew her cold attitude had more to do with the fact that she wasn't ready for Bella to grow up. She wanted more time with her daughter, and she felt like I was taking her away from her.

I didn't blame her. Bella was our humanity.

Even when she was changed, she would continue being Rose's daughter. I wouldn't get in between their relationship no matter what. I hope Rose would understand that.

The rest of the family filed in, as well. Alice was excited, of course, dancing around to Bella to give her a peck on the cheek.

Jasper took one step into the kitchen and froze, looking around. His eyes landed on Bella, who blushed and looked away. Wow. Very intense emotions…Guess Alice was justified being so excited. Hmm. I wished she hadn't interrupted me when I was chasing down the lion, though. It's been a long time since I had one. I was getting tired of elk and bear.

Esme was concerned for Bella's physical and mental health, as well.

"Are you sure you're alright, dear?" she asked Bella, placing a hand on Bella's forehead.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Really. I'm fine. And I don't have a fever, either," she said, shrugging off Esme's hand. "I'm fine," she said again.

When no one believed her, she threw her hands up in frustration. "Edward!" she turned to me. "Tell them!"

I smiled at her irritation and nodded her head. "She didn't seem too shocked by the events that happened," I said, frowning slightly. "Maybe that was denial…"

Bella slapped a hand on her forehead. "You know, when I said 'tell them', I meant 'take my side'," she glared at me.

"Good job saving her, man," Jasper clapped me on the back.

Bella folded her arms across her chest and stared defiantly at Jasper. "Hey!" she protested. "I could have taken care of myself, thank you very much."

Emmett and Jasper exchanged looks and burst out into laughter.

Bella blushed then shrugged. "Okay, I could have run away," she amended.

"You would have tripped," I countered.

"I could have driven away."

"It was a good few feet away. They would have caught up to you by then."

"I…Could have used my pepper spray."

"You know, that really doesn't do anything," I mused. The silly things humans used to defend themselves with were ridiculous.

Bella groaned. "You're being annoying," she informed me.

I grinned at her. "And you're being stubborn."

Carlisle chuckled, stepping in. "Alright, that's quite enough," he said sternly. His smile let us know he wasn't actually angry, though. "Let's head out to the clearing, shall we?"

Emmett rubbed his hands together and turned to Alice. She answered his unspoken question, two fingers pressed to her temple as she closed her eyes. "Fifteen minutes, give or take," she murmured.

We went out to the garage. I climbed into Emmett's Jeep Wrangler, Emmett taking the wheel. Bella and Rose sat in the back, still in each other's embrace. Rosalie was still in shock over what happened, and was too relieved her daughter was safe to let her go.

Bella had her head on Rose's shoulder, completely content. She was just leaning into her mother, comforting her and letting her know that she was there. Bella knew that Rosalie needed to be with her and that she would calm down in her own time. She was letting Rose just hold her and be content.

I smiled at the sight before turning to face the front.

Have you told her?

I shook my head slightly at Emmett's question.

Dude, what's wrong with you? You had three days alone with her!

I sighed loudly. "We keep getting interrupted," I said through gritted teeth, my voice low enough so that Rosalie wouldn't be able to hear, let alone Bella.

Emmett snickered. Rose?

I shook my head again. "Newton called," I rolled my eyes. "And Gabriel came by."

Emmett's eyes widened. Whoa. He didn't walk in on anything, did he?

"No. Almost, though," I sighed again, staring out of the side of the Jeep. Emmett had taken the top down since the rain wouldn't hit where we would be.

We reached the side road in ten minutes. We had to run to reach the clearing. There was an awkward moment when Rose and I both reached for Bella to run to the clearing.

Bella blushed and looked down at her feet.

Emmett cleared his throat and grabbed Rosalie's hand, dragging her away from us. "Come on, Rose. Let's get to the clearing before Jazz gets there and see if we can get the better bats," he said. He threw her over his shoulder and ran before she could protest.

It wouldn't be awkward at all once Bella and I get together, I thought dryly.

Bella laughed nervously as I approached her. I smiled, throwing her over my shoulder as gently as possible. She locked her legs around my waist, and pressed her cheek to mine. "Ready?" I asked her.

She smiled widely. "Yes," she breathed excitedly.

I took off to the clearing at vampire speed. Bella laughed, her eyes wide open. I knew she loved the speed, but I made sure not to go that fast. She was still human. I wouldn't want her to get whiplash. Or throw up.

When we reached, I reached around behind me and placed Bella on her feet in front of me. I brushed her cheek with the back of my hand and gave her a wide smile. Her heart thudded violently. Bella blushed at that, knowing now that I could hear her clearly.

I chuckled, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

"Good luck," Bella smiled, knowing my tendency to turn these friendly games into competition.

I nodded at her and rushed off to the other side of the field to get ready for the game. All the luck in the world would be useless if Bella wasn't with me.

Alice lifted her head as she disentangled herself from Jasper's arms. "It's time," she called out, grinning.

"Batter up!"

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Jasper's POV

We reached the clearing first. Carlisle and Esme headed off to walk around the field, holding hands.

I turned to Alice and swept her up into my arms. She giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her feet were dangling off the ground now.

I smiled, kissing the tip of her nose gently. "Are they coming soon?" I asked, glancing around in irritation. Normally, Emmett was the one who reached first.

Alice nodded her head. "Rose is pissed," she murmured, amused.

I sighed. Rosalie wasn't a force to be reckoned with when she was angry. I wondered what ticked her off this time.

"Edward," Alice said brightly, answering the question I was about to ask her. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

Emmett reached the field in a blur, even to my eyes. He had Rosalie thrown over his shoulder. "You put me down, Emmett Cullen!" she screamed.

He obliged, but gave her a reproving look. "Rose, they're in love. You're not supposed to interfere," he pointed out.

She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "But I'm her mother," she complained.

Emmett smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah, but she's growin' up, Rosie. You can't baby her all the time," he said gently.

"Why don't we just focus on the game tonight, darlings?" Esme cut in, her voice motherly.

As if on cue, Edward and Bella came to the clearing, Bella on his back. They were both laughing. It was the happiest I had ever seen them. I wondered exactly how much happier they would be once they'd confessed their love to one another.

We averted our eyes when Edward stepped toward Bella, running his hand down her cheek. It was an intimate moment and we had to respect their privacy. Well, as much privacy as they could get in a family of vampires, anyway.

The moment Edward stepped away from Bella, I noticed that her emotions came crashing down on her. The serenity and love she felt around him was crushed underneath the weight of her fear and guilt.

I could understand her guilt. Bella was a sweet person. She cared about everyone, even from a young age.

I could remember her comforting me when I had almost lost control. She should have been angry with me, and yelled at me, or avoid me or even be afraid of me. Instead, she comforted me. It was the strangest yet sweetest thing she had done for me at that point.

She would feel guilty about feeling so much for Edward when she was with Gabriel. But we all knew that relationship was going down the drain. She must have known that, too. It was just typical of Bella to not want to hurt him.

But what was the fear about?

I stared at her confused, as she walked over to Esme. I watched her for a while and caught saw her shooting furtive looks at Esme, Carlisle and Rosalie. She kept twisting her baseball hat, putting it on then taking it off yet again.

She was nervous.

Ah. I smiled to myself.

She was afraid of their reactions. Understandable. She didn't know about Alice's vision. And the way Rose has been acting was definitely enough to make anyone scared.

They were both Umpires for now. Bella had said how she wanted a more active role once she was a vampire. She wanted to see how it would be like to play, when she wasn't so clumsy anymore of course.

Alice and I were still huddled together when Edward came over to me. "Jasper," he said urgently. Alice didn't move from my embrace, and I happily held on to her.

Edward raised his eyebrow at her but she merely shrugged. "Hello? I've already seen your question. Psychic, remember?" she reminded him. Edward rolled his eyes at her and ruffled her hair. She huffed, and straightened her black spikes.

I kissed her cheek tenderly before turning back to look at Edward. He was shuffling nervously from one foot to another. "Have you sensed anything…Different? About Bella?" he asked awkwardly.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You sure you want know?" I asked him. He nodded his head firmly.

"She loves you," I stated simply. "She's accepted that, though she's unsure how much she loves you. She's trying to figure it all out so she's pretty much an emotional wreck right now. Not to mention how she's feeling so guilty about breaking up with Gabriel."

I held back the part about her fear. I blocked my mind so Edward wouldn't read it in my thoughts. Of course, the fact that I was blocking my mind in the first place made Edward suspicious of me.

"You're hiding something from me," he accused. I bit my lip, unsure if I should tell him. After all, he did have a tendency to take things the wrong way. If I told him Bella was afraid, he would jump to conclusions before I could even explain it to him. "Jasper," Edward growled, frustrated.

I sighed. It was his call. "She's afraid," I said, defeated. Edward's face fell, but I spoke up before he could say or do anything in response to my answer. "Not of you. She's afraid of the family's reaction. She doesn't know what they'll say if they knew…She doesn't know about the visions, remember?"

Edward smiled brightly. "She has nothing to worry about, then," he said contentedly.

Alice suddenly raised her head, grinning widely. "It's time!" she called out, yelling only for Bella's benefit. And because she was so excited and needed to burn off some of it.

Right on cue, thunder and lightning crashed upon each other. The clearing was perfectly dry, though, just as Alice had predicted.

She disengaged herself from my arms, kissing my cheek once. "Impress her," she advised Edward, who smiled like a little boy on Christmas morning.

He frowned at my euphemism and ran off to take his position.

Esme, from where she stood with Bella, clapped her hands together to get our attention. To Bella, it would seem like thunder, I supposed, but she had gotten used to it. She didn't even flinch from the sound even though she stood right next to Esme.

"Batter up!" Esme called out.

All through the game, Edward impressed Bella. He ran faster than he had ever done, was more energetic than I had ever seen him and played like a pro. Every now and again, he would go up to Bella and asked her teasingly how the game was going.

Every time he did this, Esme would move away from the two in an attempt to give them a little privacy. And every time, Rosalie would give off a flare of annoyance and Bella would blush like crazy.

I laughed, shaking my head as the wind blew through my hair. It was pretty amusing how the two of them skirted around each other like that.

Right at this moment, Edward had just scored another home run and had gone over to Bella. "Enjoying the game so far?" he asked her, smiling.

Bella laughed, throwing her head back.

A wave of lust from Edward hit me so strongly, I felt the sudden urge to grab Alice and rush her to a secluded part of the woods. Whoa, tone down the lust, Eddie, I joked, forcing the lust away. Alice would never forgive me if we lost.

He didn't acknowledge that he had heard my thoughts, but the lust slowly ebbed away. Thank God. I sent him some calming waves simply so as not to drive myself crazy.

Bella nudged Edward. "You're really into the game tonight," she smiled widely at him. I rolled my eyes. Of course he was.

Emmett was getting impatient. "Eddie!" he hollered. Edward snarled in his direction. Emmett didn't even flinch. Hmm. Maybe Edward was getting soft. He turned to glare at me and I grinned innocently. "Would you get back here!?"

Edward sighed, turning back to face Bella. "I have to get back," he stated unnecessarily. He took her hand and kissed the back of her hand. She turned bright red and he chuckled, running over to the field.

We resumed the game for the fiftieth time that night. I could hear Bella's pounding heart as she watched the game. Or, more accurately, as she watched Edward.

I knew for a fact that her eyes and her mind hadn't left him the whole time. Her emotions were too haywire for her to focus on anything else.

She was impressed, too, by his wins tonight. He had scored home run after home run. Like she said, his head was really in the game. What she didn't know was that he was just trying to impress her.

It wasn't that hard to score a home run when you're as fast as Edward.

Bella's heart stopped for a moment. Everyone on the field froze, afraid something had happened. Then her heart started up again, but it pounded furiously, erratically. Is she going into cardiac arrest? I thought to myself.

Of course, Edward heard me and moved forward, dropping his bat.

I sensed her emotions then. Love - pure, unadulterated, irrevocable love. Realization. Fear, again. Understanding. Lust. Affection.

Ah.

I stopped Edward, shaking my head. Trust me, she's fine. Resume the game, Edward. He looked at me as if I had grown another head in front of me. Edward, she'll be even worse if you go to her now. She'll be embarrassed. Just resume the game.

He took one more look at her then ran back into place. The others followed his lead even though worry was still their main emotion.

"Oh my God," I heard Bella whispered, stunned. I could smell the faint scent of salt and knew that Bella was close to tears without even turning around. "Esme?" I heard her call out softly. "Could you please take me home?"

Esme nodded her head, worried, and threw Bella over her shoulder. She knew we had heard Bella asking her to take her home, so she didn't bother telling us.

Once Bella was out of the clearing and thus, out of earshot, the others stopped playing and looked at me. Alice was already squealing because she saw my answer to their inevitable question.

Edward was the one who asked. "Jazz, what on earth was that?" he asked, concerned.

I laughed at his fearful look. He had absolutely nothing to worry about. In fact, he should feel nothing but happiness. "That was Bella having an epiphany, Edward," I chuckled. He stared at me curiously. "She finally realized she's in love with you."

Stunned silence followed my statement.

Emmett broke it. "Finally!" he burst out, pumping his fist in the air.

A slow smile spread across Edward's face. I was blinded by the euphoria exploding from him.

Finally, indeed.

******************************************************************************

Bella's POV

I crawled into bed, wrapping the sheets around me as I drew my legs up to my knees, chewing on my lip.

I was in love with Edward.

Oh, God, how did I not see that? Was it obvious? I didn't drool over him or anything, did I? Did everyone know? It would be hard to miss with Jasper's gift.

I knew Jasper knew, because he had stopped Edward from coming to me when I'd panicked back at the clearing. He knew. No doubt Alice knew, too, which was why she looked so excited.

If those two knew, Edward and the others would, too.

What would the others say now? I was mostly afraid of Rosalie's anger and Carlisle's and Esme's disappointment in me.

And Edward. What would he do? Would he run from me, now that he knew I wanted more? Would he hate me? I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest aching from the very thought of it. Tears welled up behind my eyes.

I heard Esme knocking on the door. I jumped, startled. "Bella, dear?" I heard her call out. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I whispered, afraid that if I spoke any louder, my voice would crack and tip her off.

Silence greeted me. "Alright, dear," she said finally. "But if you need anything…I'm here for you, angel."

Her concern made it all the more painful. I didn't know if she would approve but what was there to approve if Edward didn't feel the same way?

I knew we had had our occasional…Slip-ups, but I still didn't know what that meant. I didn't know if he was in love with me

The thought itself was laughable. I was just a plain Jane, an ordinary human. I was the girl he'd seen as a little girl. He'd seen me in all my awkward moments.

Why would he fall in love with me? Why would he want me?

I slipped further into the bed, dropping my head onto my pillow, sob threatening to escape my mouth. I struggled to keep it in.

My phone rang suddenly, startling me. I slowly shifted until I was sitting upright and reached for my phone. The caller ID read 'Gabriel'.

Guilt crashed down onto me in such strong waves, I was glad Jasper wasn't here to feel it. I reluctantly answered it, knowing that he would call the house phone if I didn't.

"Gabriel," I whispered his name.

He didn't seem to notice that my voice sounded different. "Bella," he said cheerfully. "I'd just picked up my tux for the dance."

My body froze. The dance! Oh, God, what was I going to do about that? "R-really?" I stuttered.

"Yes," he replied, still excited. "I can't wait, Bella. My first American dance! It would be amazing, no?"

No was more like it.

"Sure, Gabe," I whispered. "It'll be great…"

Gabriel paused then said, "Are you alright, Bella? You sound…Different. How did the game go?"

I felt my throat tighten at the mention of the game. "It was good. Emmett got a couple of great hits. Listen, I've got to go. The game was very… Strenuous. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

I bid him goodnight, hoping he couldn't hear the guilt in my voice. I sank back into the sheets, and let the tears fall.

How could I have been so horrible to him? How could I break his heart now? He was so… Innocent. So wonderful to me.

He really did mean a lot to me. He had come all the way from France for me. He did all these amazing things for me, and here I was, trying to figure out how to break his heart.

Looking back, the whole time I was with Gabriel, I had been in love with Edward. The racing heart. The sweaty palms. The blushing. The jealousy. The same feeling I had around him then and now…

My heart had never been available for Gabriel or anyone else to take. It had always belonged to Edward. I had just been too scared to see it for myself and admit it.

Now everything would be ruined. Gabriel would get hurt, no matter how this all turned out. That was always the inevitable, even if I hadn't fallen in love with Edward. I should have just stayed friends with him, like Carlisle had wanted. Like Rose had wanted.

And Edward would…I didn't know what he would do. Would he leave? Would he be disgusted that I fell for him? Look at how he treated Tanya. Would I be like her now? Infatuated by him but never getting a hold of his heart?

I didn't know when exactly, but I managed to cry myself to sleep in the night. The house was silent throughout, even when the Cullens reached home. Not even Emmett made a single noise.

I guess they knew of my heartbreak.

******************************************************************************

If it was possible, I woke feeling worse than I had the night before. Nothing was resolved, my head and my heart were both pounding in pain and I had to go to school today.

Was God out to get me?

I rolled over, groaning at the pain in my head and cracked my eyes open. I blinked at the sight on my nightstand and sat up immediately. I raised my hand to my head. "Head rush," I moaned.

Shaking it off, I reached over to the bouquet of flowers in a vase on my nightstand. I smiled as I recognized the flowers. Calla lilies, daisies, white lilies, pink roses and freesias.

Edward had placed it there. This was the same flowers he would give me whenever I had a bad day. Since I had been gardening with Esme from a young age, I knew the meaning of the flowers. Edward had simply read it off her mind and thought it suitable to cheer me up.

The calla lilies were for magnificent beauty because Edward said that I didn't see myself clearly. He always said that I was a beautiful person, inside and out, and that I needed to see that and have confidence in myself.

The freesias were because of my scent, of course, and for friendship and innocence. Two things Edward said were a few of my best traits.

The daisies signified my apparent loyalty and gentleness. The white lilies were for how sweet I was - I always blushed when I thought of his explanation for the roses. And the pink roses were for happiness, because he said I deserved it all the time.

I wasn't too sure about that, but I'd take the comfort of the flowers any day. I leaned forward to take a whiff of the bouquet when I realized the two additions to it.

Startling blue forget-me-nots and gardenias.

I gasped. It couldn't be…Could it?

Forget-me-nots signified true love. Gardenias signified secret love…What was he trying to say? That he loved me? That he was my true love?

I traced the petals of a forget-me-not flower with a gentle finger. This was getting more and more complicated by the minute.

Someone knocked on my door and I jumped. "Bella, get to it!" Alice shouted from the other side of the door. "We have to leave in an hour! I haven't got time to delay if your hair's going to be salvaged!"

I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath of the sweet scent of flowers before putting the vase back on the nightstand.

I didn't know what I was going to do about the flowers or Edward. That came with a lot of problems that I didn't have the energy to deal with at the moment.

What I did know was that I had to break things off with Gabriel - but not before the dance this week. He wanted to live American for a while, and this was his first dance. I had already promised him I would go with him.

I didn't want to make him upset before he even got the chance for his first American dance. He sounded so excited over the phone.

I'd go with him, just for one night. Then I'll break up with him.

How about on Saturday? Did that sound good?

I sighed, heading over to the shower. "Congratulations, Bella," I muttered to myself. "You've just reached a new low."

******************************************************************************

"Will you stay still!?" Alice growled at me, desperately trying to do my hair while I bounced in my seat in front of the vanity. I was acting more like Alice than myself at the moment.

I couldn't help myself. The dance was finally here. Gabriel was going to be here in thirty minutes. This was the last night Gabriel would see me as his girlfriend.

I had managed to go through the entire week without kissing him. Little kisses on the cheek, sure, I'd allowed that. I just pretended to be European when that happened.

I had to allow the kisses-on-the cheek lest Gabriel found out I was planning on breaking up with him before tonight. I really did want him to have fun and not be upset tonight.

Of course, it was simple to lie to him about the no lip-locking for five days straight situation. I just told him my family placed strict rules about kissing in front of them or anyone else. No PDA. He had wanted to go on a date, but I just told him I was too busy helping Alice pick out my dress and whatnot.

I just didn't mention that Alice had picked out my dress a month ago and everything was already prepared.

Now I had to spend hours with Gabriel, dancing and all, in a public place. Edward and the Cullens would be there, and so would everyone else.

The Cullens knew I was going to break up with Gabriel, and soon. They had never mentioned my little strange episode at the clearing, nor had they mentioned anything about Edward and I.

But they were too quiet, so I knew that they knew. And I knew Edward knew, too, the way he kept looking curiously at me.

Rosalie had been shocked that I was going to the dance with Gabriel, but I had promised him. I wanted him to have one last, good memory of us together before I break it off. I knew I hadn't been around that much for him, and I knew he was worried.

Of course, he had reason to be but it didn't mean that I couldn't just dance a few times with him and have a give him something pleasant to remember us by.

Finally, Alice stepped back from my hair and stared at it before crying out "Done!" I sighed in relief.

She gave me my dress. It was actually pretty decent. It was knee-length spaghetti strap midnight blue dress, with a black ribbon tied around the waist. I slipped it on and Alice fussed over me, making sure everything was just right.

I looked at the clock. Gabriel would be here soon. Alice gave me an assuring hug. "It'll be alright," she murmured and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

I smiled half-heartedly at her, and squeezed her tightly before releasing her. "Thanks, Alice," I said, going out the door. I was wearing heels, so I walked twice as slow just to be careful. I made it down the stairs without tripping which in itself was a miracle.

I stepped into the living room. It was almost empty - except for Edward.

My heart started to pound faster at the sight of him. He was just so beautiful. His tousled bronze hair made me want to just rush over and run my fingers through it. He was in a tux - something I was sure Alice had either tricked him or blackmailed him into wearing.

He was sitting on the arm of one of the couches, waiting for the rest, his eyes downcast. At the sound of my pounding heart, he looked up and gave me his crooked smile. I flushed a deep red, and gave him a smile. "Hi," I said, blinking at him to make sure this vision was real.

How on earth had I never noticed before how incredibly Adonis-like he was? Was I vision impaired because I knew I had been in love with him for quite some time now?

"Bella," he called out. I looked up to see him still looking at me, his eyes widened. "You…Look beautiful," he choked out.

I smiled shyly at him. "Thank you."

Edward cleared his throat and stood up. I bit my lip, trying to control my blush and my heart in vain. He stopped right in front of me and stood frozen in place. I blinked up at him, unsure of what to do.

He lifted his hand and I simply watched, entranced. He slid his hand into my hair, running it down my soft curls. I felt myself trembling at the feel of his cool hand, and reached out to grip his waist to steady myself.

The doorbell rang, interrupting us. My eyes widened and I stepped away from him, disgusted by my behavior. "Gabriel's here," I announced.

Edward looked away. "Yes," he said, his voice void of emotion. I knew better though. He was upset. I frowned, then walked closer to him hoping that he wouldn't run from me. I leaned up and kissed his cheek lightly. He turned and smiled at me a little. "Save a dance for me?" he asked.

I wasn't a really good dancer. In fact, I was a terrible dancer. My uncoordinated movements were even worse on the dance floor.

But for Edward, I could do it. So I nodded my head, and reluctantly moved away from him.

I opened the door and greeted Gabriel with a smile that I hoped was bright enough to be believable.

Gabriel was also in a tux, but it had nothing on Edward. I stepped out and closed the door, not wanting the two of them in the same room at the same time for more than necessary. "Wow, Bella," he said, appraising me with his eyes. I smiled uncomfortably as he led me to his Audi. "You look really beautiful."

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. I blushed at his compliment, but his kiss didn't get my heart worked up, nor did it make me lightheaded.

I stared at Gabriel. Did he feel the same way I did, or was he feeling more?

"Hey, Bella!" Jasper called out. I looked over to see him leaning against his new car. A Jaguar XKR-S he had recently acquired. It was a limited edition but I had learned a long time ago not to question how they get what they want.

I waved at him a little. I knew Alice would be there as soon as Gabriel and I had left. She was probably ushering the others to the living room to leave the moment we did.

We got into his Audi and drove. He drove within the speed limit, of course.

I stared out the window, missing the speed that would have gone with the ride if I had been with Edward. I wondered if we could go on a ride in his Vanquish soon. It was a wonderful car that he had just gotten. I still hadn't gotten over how amazing it was.

We reached the high school, where the dance was being held. They had transformed the gym for the night. Gabriel got out his car the same time I did. I didn't want him to be all chivalrous for me - not when I was going to break his heart tomorrow.

We stepped into the gym and greeted by crepe paper and streamers. I rolled my eyes. This was worse than death itself.

Gabriel asked me for a dance, but it was a fast song. I really couldn't dance to one of those. I shook my head. "Later, please?" I said, eyes looking sharply at the mass of students on the dance floor. I couldn't even recognize their movements.

Gabriel laughed. He had always been amused by my two left feet. "I'll get us something to drink?" he suggested. I nodded my head and went to sit down at a table by the side.

I felt someone tapping my shoulder and turned my head to see Mike standing there, hands in his pockets. I bit my lip to keep from sighing. "Hey, Mike," I smiled up at him. I really didn't mind him - when he wasn't trying to hit on me, at least.

"Wanna dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

I shook my head. "I'm really not a dancer, Mike," I said, panic rising to the surface.

He was still insisting. "Come on, Bella. One dance-"

"I'm sorry," a velvet voice interrupted. Relief flooded through me. Edward would get me out of this dilemma for sure. Nothing could stop him from beating off Mike Newton with a stick - or a baseball bat - if he had to. "She's dancing with me."

I hoped he wasn't serious.

Mike took one long look at Edward, his eyes narrowed. Then he shot me a little smile. "Maybe later?"

"Uh…" I didn't have a chance to reply with a more coherent sentence because Edward had picked me up and twirled me over to the dance floor.

The song had changed to a slow song. "Impeccable timing," I praised him. He gave me a crooked grin and my heart thudded once. His smile widened. I ignored that. "Terrible idea," I gestured towards the dance floor.

Edward laughed, lifting me off the floor and setting my feet on his. "It's all in the leading," he whispered into my ear, sending shivers running down my spine. "Don't you trust me?" he asked, feigning hurt as I still looked hesitant.

I rolled my eyes. "You know I do," I replied, smiling anyway.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist and supporting me with his hands on the small of my back.

I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from falling off his feet as he twirled as around the dance floor. I laughed as we - well, Edward mostly - danced. I felt like a little girl, free of any inhibitions.

I saw Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett making their way to the dance floor. They were as graceful as Edward, all of them. I leaned into Edward, letting him support me fully. I was probably as light as a feather to him.

Alice winked at me over Jasper's shoulder and I blushed. I averted my gaze from my family and focused on Edward. He was looking at me so intently, his topaz eyes glittering and intense. I flushed under his penetrating gaze.

He smiled at me. "Have I mentioned how ridiculously beautiful you look tonight?" he asked, his voice low.

Another shudder ran through me at the sound of his velvet voice. I let my eyes drop to his chest, where my hand had subconsciously found its way to play with his collar. "Once or twice," I mumbled.

Edward kissed my forehead, causing me to look up. I panicked slightly, then felt myself relaxed. It must have been Jasper. The fact that he could sense my emotions at all was unnerving at the moment.

I looked into Edward's beautiful topaz eyes which was a mistake. I ended up being completely entranced by his eyes. The surrounding melted away. Only Edward existed for me.

I didn't even realize that others were whispering about us as we moved around the dance floor. I didn't realize the song had changed three times. I didn't realize that we had inched so close to one another that our bodies were literally pressed against each other.

Someone cleared their throat, and I started. I looked around only to find Gabriel standing next to Edward, frowning at us. I blushed, and stepped down from Edward's feet.

"Will you dance with me?" Gabriel asked, giving me a small smile. I nodded my head, taking his hand, guilt overtaking me once more at how I'd practically been drooling over Edward while I was supposed to be Gabriel's date.

One night of happy memories. Just one night and I couldn't even do that.

I felt a wave of serenity and reassurance, and looked over at Jasper who was sitting at the reserved Cullen table, courtesy of Alice. I gave him a grateful smile and he winked. I would have giggled if it hadn't been for the fact that I still felt terrible.

Edward looked lost for a moment, his eyes flicking from Gabriel to me and back again, before he walked away. I think I heard Jessica asking him to dance and his polite decline.

I peered over Gabriel's shoulder at him. We moved further and further away from Edward's place at the table where all the Cullens were sitting. Soon we moved far enough for me to lose sight of him as other dancers blocked my view.

I looked up at Gabriel, whose eyes hadn't left him. His eyes were unreadable. We just swayed to the music in silence. "Bella," Gabriel spoke up suddenly. I looked at him. His eyes were as blue and as penetrating as the first time I saw them.

They didn't captivate me the way they used to, though. Another stab of guilt and pain.

"Will you walk with me for a while?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

I nodded, smiling slightly. He took my hand and led me outside. The exterior of the school had been decorated, too. Lights, streamers and banners were all over the place. We walked along the trees, not going into the woods.

Finally, we stopped walking. We were near the gazebo Edward and I used to sit under every now and then, just to talk or be together whenever we needed to avoid Mike and Jessica and the lurid thoughts that came with them.

Gabriel turned to look at me, his face betraying how nervous he was. "Bella," he said quietly. "Lately I've been feeling like I'm losing you."

I stared at him in shock. Had it been that obvious? Even to Gabriel? Well, Alice had always said how I was the worst liar in history, but I had just found out I was in love with Edward a week ago.

Maybe he was referring to how I'd been pulling away because of how I had to break up with him anyway. Yes. It might not have anything to do with Edward, anyway, I assured myself.

"I just wanted to say before I lose the chance. I love you," I froze at his words. It couldn't be true. He couldn't possibly love me. I knew we had been serious before, but he…Couldn't love me. Not when I had to let him go. Please, God, no.

He continued, unaware of the bout of tears building up in me. "I don't know what went wrong, if anything's wrong, but I want you to know that we could work things out…I want us to. I love you, Bella. I-I…Please say something," he pleaded, noticing that I had been gaping at him, my eyes wide and filling up in tears.

I was too much in shock. He loved me. How could this have even happened? Gabriel…Meant a lot to me. I was hoping that when I did break up with him, I wouldn't have to break his heart, too. At least, not as much as I would if he loved me.

What was I going to do now?

Gabriel took a step forward and cupped my cheek with his warm hand. I was still unable to move. My mind kept having flashes - of Edward.

Edward and I laughing together at the piano.

Edward sparkling under the sun.

Edward swimming with me.

Edward holding me close to him, trailing kisses up my neck.

Edward and I sneaking off behind Alice's back to escape her shopping rampage.

Edward and I.

I had loved being around Gabriel, but I couldn't stay with him. And apparently it looked like I couldn't spare his feelings, either.

I grabbed his hand that was on my cheek, squeezing it one last time, and then pulled it away from my face. "I'm sorry," I whispered, the tears falling down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Gabriel."

I turned away from him, the resigned look on his face etched onto my brain. I ran from him, stumbling a few times because firstly, I was so clumsy and secondly, my vision was blurred from the tears.

I had rushed away from Gabriel so quickly, I hadn't thought about how to get home. I couldn't even get myself to calm down and focus for a moment to figure it out. My thoughts were too frazzled.

"Bella!" I heard someone call my name. I turned around to find Alice rushing towards me. She had to use human speed because she didn't want to risk getting caught being so speedy.

She reached me, and wrapped her arms around me. I leaned into her, silent tears making their way down my cheeks. I wanted to sob but I couldn't do that in a public place. My embarrassment was kicking in.

She pulled me towards Jasper's Jag. I looked at her, puzzled. She smiled sadly at me and led me into the passenger seat. "He can ride home with the others," she said soothingly.

I really didn't notice much after that. I was crying too hard. I had broken Gabriel's heart - I saw it in his eyes, on his face, when I had told him 'I'm sorry'. How could I have done that to him?

When I opened my eyes after calming down a little, I was already on my bed, Alice right next to me. She had helped me out of my dress and into some PJs, removed my make-up and the pins in my hair and helped me into bed.

I crawled next to Alice and laid my head on her lap. She had already changed out of her dress so I didn't have to worry about ruining it and incurring her wrath.

Alice stroked my hair gently, and kissed my hair. "It's okay, Bella," she whispered soothingly. I gripped one of her hands tightly in mine and sobbed until I passed out for the night.

When I woke up the next morning, I was in the same fetal position as I was in last night, my head still on Alice's lap. I sat up on the bed and stretched, suppressing a yawn.

I looked at her guiltily. "Last night really happened, didn't it?" I asked sadly. "It wasn't just one of my freakishly vivid nightmares?"

Alice giggled a little but squeezed my hand reassuringly anyway. "No, angel. It really happened," she replied, telling me what I already knew. "I'm sorry."

I winced at the same time she did as her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I sighed, shaking my head. The way I left things with Gabriel left much to be desired. I had to go talk to him today, face to face, and apologize for the way I acted and for…Well, everything.

He deserved better.

Alice saw my decision and nodded her head. "I'll pick out your clothes for you," she offered. Only Alice would think of that at a time like this. "Fashionable but not too 'I'm-sexy-even-after-breaking-your-heart'. What do you think?" she asked, eyes shining but still sympathetic at the same time.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Alice," I said dryly. I headed over to the bathroom but turned to give her a smile. "Thanks."

She nodded her head once and went to my wardrobe, flipping through the clothes. I thought I heard her mutter something about a shopping trip. I shuddered involuntarily.

******************************************************************************

I fidgeted in the blue sundress Alice had made me wear. I thought it was too 'I-could-care-less' but she'd told me to wear it or endure a non-stop weekend of shopping. I had no choice.

I dug around in my purse for my car keys. I wasn't looking where I was going and walked headfirst into Edward. I blushed, stumbling a little before he caught me.

"Good morning," he greeted me with his patented crooked smile.

I groaned inwardly. Did he have to be so damn gorgeous right now? "Morning," I replied. His eyes raked my outfit and he raised an eyebrow in question. "I, uh, I'm going to see Gabe," I stuttered.

His face fell and he looked away from me. "Oh," was all his sad, velvet voice said.

I realized that he must have thought I was going to reconcile with Gabe. I fumbled around with my words until I could form a coherent sentence.

"I…Have to apologize. You know, for last night. Because I never really…Said anything. I, well," I huffed in irritation at my lack of grace. "I just need to tell him goodbye."

Edward looked back at me, his face brightening up. He must have realized that he looked too happy for the occasion because he tried to look more solemn. "I'm really sorry you have to do that," he said.

I rolled my eyes. His grin was still intact on his face. "You look it," I commented dryly. He chuckled. My fingers finally found my keys and I held it up. "Well, I have to go…"

He waved and smiled at me. I walked out of the house and went straight for my McLaren.

The drive to Gabriel's house wasn't as long as I wanted it to be. He lived only a few miles from our isolated home. I saw him outside, sitting on the porch. His Audi was nowhere to be seen.

His pained eyes met mine for a brief instant as I climbed out of my car. "Gabriel?" I walked over to him. "Can we talk? Please?"

He sighed, and nodded his head, gesturing for me to sit down next to him. It hurt me that I had caused him so much pain. He really did mean a lot to me. He was an amazing friend, and a wonderful boyfriend. I shouldn't have hurt him like this.

I couldn't find the words, and ended up repeating what I'd said last night. "I'm sorry…"

He closed his eyes. "You said that before," he said harshly, before sighing again and giving me an apologetic look.

I bit my lip. "I know. And I meant it. I never meant to hurt you, Gabe. I…Really do care for you. Things just aren't the same for me anymore. I don't know why…I never saw this coming," I said honestly.

Our break-up I had anticipated from day one. I had pushed it out of my mind because I was having too much fun with him, but I knew it had to happen. I would be a vampire before my eighteenth birthday - our relationship had to end before then.

But falling in love with Edward was completely unexpected.

He turned to look at me, revealing just how hurt he was. I flinched. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

I looked down at my lap. "You were so excited about the dance. You were so happy. I couldn't take that away from you. I figured…We could have one last night together, Gabriel and Bella, before I had to say goodbye. I already promised you I would go with you…" I trailed off uncomfortably.

He didn't say anything. When I looked up, he was still staring at me, the hurt so plainly evident in his cloudy blue eyes. His eyes that had made me fall for him in the first place. "Gabe…You were very important to me. You still are. You…Were wonderful to me. Whichever girl you choose to be with, she's the lucky one."

Gabriel sighed, defeated. He attempted a small smile for me. "I'm going to Australia," he announced. I looked at him, surprised. "I already talked about it with Dimitri. Forks is too rainy to be adventurous," he joked.

I laughed. "I'm glad you're living out your dream of seeing the world, then, Gabriel," I told him, smiling.

He reached forward and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck. He smelled like apples and a musky scent that I supposed was masculine. I smiled against his skin. If not romantically, I really did love Gabriel as a friend.

I pulled back and pressed my lips to his warm cheek. "You really did show me how I should live my life, Gabe. You showed me that it should be exciting and wonderful and fearless…You gave me a lot. I'll always be thankful to you," I squeezed his hand one last time and stood up. "And I'm sorry."

I was halfway to my car when Gabriel called me back. I turned around, frozen in place.

He had stood up, too, and was staring right at me. He looked halfway between pained and curious. He was practically tipping over as he stood on his toes in anticipation. "Is there someone else?"

I bit my lip. How would I even answer that?

He understood my silence, though and rocked back on his heel. "It's Edward." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

My eyes filled up with tears as I watched the damage I had done to my friend. "Goodbye Gabriel," I said sadly, and walked back to my car.

He let me leave without another word.

I watched him in my rearview mirror, seeing him for the last time, until he disappeared from my view.

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Edward's POV

"Edward!" Bella complained, her arms and legs tightening around me as I ran. I had pulled her out of her room and dashed out of her window at top speed.

It was nearing twilight now - perfect timing for my plan to work.

The dance had been nine days ago. The memory of her in that blue dress had haunted me every single day since then. She had looked so beautiful…

Her dress flowed gracefully to her knees, her mahogany hair cascading in soft curls down her back. Her brown eyes had captivated me to a point where it was impossible not to touch her.

I had almost lost my self-control and kissed her right there and then on the dance floor if it hadn't been for Jasper.

The dress, the coy smile, that husky 'hi' she had said to me…I remembered Alice's vision only after she had left the house. It was me she had been playing coy with. It was me she had been blushing for.

To think I had disapproved of Alice's vision when I first saw it all those years ago.

Rosalie had told me to take my time since Bella had been heartbroken at having to hurt her friend that way. Alice, however, told me that tonight was the perfect time to tell her.

Tell her. As if she didn't already know.

Of course, I hadn't actually said those three little words to her. I supposed it could get confusing, especially after everything that had happened. Jasper told me she was insecure about my feelings for her.

Nine days had gone by. 216 hours. 12960 minutes. 777600 seconds.

It was more than enough time. It was definitely enough to drive me insane.

She asked me again where we were going but I only laughed. I wanted it to be a surprise. "You'll see when we get there, Bella," I tried sounding stern but the laughter was evident in my voice. I think my anxiety over her reaction was affecting me.

We reached the meadow, but I stopped before she could catch a glimpse of it. She looked confused because I suddenly stopped and pulled her off my back. She looked around the darkness surrounding us and raised an eyebrow at me. "Why did we stop here?" she asked, puzzled. "Is this the part where you pull out a ritualistic knife and kill me?"

I barked out a laughter that sent an owl flying away, hooting in surprise. I shook my head at her absurdity. "We're going to have to monitor your viewing habits," I teased. "I have something to show you, but you have to cover your eyes."

She giggled. "Doesn't that contradict your other statement?" she asked, closing her eyes anyway.

I swept her up into my arms and she squealed in surprise, her eyes flying open. "Eyes closed," I demanded. She closed her eyes and slapped her hand over her lids. I walked to the meadow at vampire speed, a light breeze blowing through her hair.

I brought her to the middle of the meadow and set her on her feet. I released her, picking something off the ground and hiding it behind my back with both hands.

She was wrinkling her nose, smiling as she took in the sweet scent surrounding us.

"Open your eyes, Bella."

She opened her eyes and gasped as she looked around her. I had placed candles all over the grass. It was damp enough and windless enough to not catch fire. I had scattered the green ground with forget-me-nots, gardenias, freesias, red tulips and roses.

I had done my research. I knew the meaning of each of these flowers, just like I knew Bella would know. It was why she was looking around her, gaping at them as her eyes filled with tears.

Forget-me-nots signified true love.

Gardenias for secret love and sweet love.

Freesias for her scent and for her innocence.

Red tulips for declaration of love.

The coral and orange roses for passion and desire.

She turned her gaze slowly towards me, her wide brown eyes meeting my golden orbs. "Edward?" she whispered, stunned.

I pulled her over to sit down on the blanket I had placed in the middle of the meadow with one hand, the other still behind my back. Once we had both sat down, I brought out what I was hiding, cupping it in both my hands.

I held it out for her.

A single full bloom red rose. That meant 'I love you'.

She stared at it, long and hard, and I saw tears starting to spill over onto her cheeks. "Bella," I said softly. "I love you."

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Wasn't that just an evil place to stop? LOL. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Not to mention the confession takes up a lot of space and this is already too long. 30 pages, ladies and gentlemen, and 13 387 words. I have never been this exhausted in my life - not to mention the cramps in my fingers.

At least you know next chapter is the confession.

To Shants, did you like the car Jasper's driving??

P.S. Wow, that was a lot of reviews! I went to sleep for 7 hours and when I woke up, my inbox was flooded! Not that I'm complaining. Flattered, really. Impressed, definitely. Thank you very much for all the reviews.

Happy reading and please review.

Thank you!

Juliet.