A/N: Well, due to being quarantined, Bella and Edward got busy. Very busy. You know how insatiable teens can be- especially these two! This chapter is full of fluffy lemons and easiness as we prepare for the next chapter! If you're uninterested in Bella and Edward's sexual relationship and watching as it blossoms, please feel free to read the last third of the chapter, and I'll catch you in the next one!

I hope everyone's staying safe and sane and calm during this absolutely crazy pandemic!

~!~

It's the end of August and hot heat sticks against my smooth legs as we dip our ankles deep into the chilled water of La Push Beach. Alice and I link pinky to pinky and heart to heart.

"I love him," she whispers to the sun like it's some earth-shattering secret.

My pinky squeezes hers in acceptance, acknowledgement, and absolution because to her, it is an earth-shattering secret.

The beach is busy and loud with last-days-of-summer sadness and excitement. Friends kiss goodbye to the last few days of freedom through grilled hotdogs and watered-down sodas. The sound of water licking the salt from our legs almost drowns out the feeling of my boyfriend behind me. Almost.

Still linked to Alice, I turn my head so slightly, and I catch the sight of him laying on my lilac purple towel. He's got one leg splayed and the other bent at the knee. He's wearing my sea-green sunnies and his beautiful, happy smile shines brighter than anything I've ever seen, and it warms the blood in my veins. He sends butterflies shooting down through every bone in my body.

"Bella?" my bestie says, pulling me out of my reverie.

"Hm?" I ask, glancing over.

Her lavender dipped ends fly in the summer breeze. She's giggling and looking back at what I was looking at, but she'll never know. There're dozens of people behind us. For all she knows, I was looking at some of the guys from the reservation who are currently checking us out.

Alice is in a teeny, tiny two piece. It's hot pink, and confident, and bold like the girl wearing it. My suit is a one-piece that cuts high on the hips and dips low in the back. Edward told me last night this is his new favorite. I can feel his eyes on my legs and my neck and the freckles dotting my back.

"Let's get soaked," she says loudly pulling me into the water and I want to tell her I already am.

~!~

The sun begins to set, painting the sky a deep orangey-pink. Jasper pulls Alice behind a building in the back of the parking lot. He gives Edward a nod and me a wink. It's his way of giving us some time alone. The only ones left are Rose and Em and Rose pulls Em aside, whispering a giggly something into his ear. Em stands immediately, pulling her arm. My laugh is light and silly. Rose throws me a smile. They'll be gone for some time, too.

"C'mon." Edward stands and grabs my hand. I slip my cover up on and follow him way down the beach so far away we can't even see the fire anymore.

He pushes me down and lays next to me.

"This is our year, Pretty B," he whispers against sun-soaked and salty skin. "You're mine this year. We need to tell Alice soon. I want to hold your fucking hand whenever I want. I want to walk you to math. I want to kiss you at lunch. I want to fuck you on the desks in the old math classroom in the basement."

I giggle at his crassness but nod. "Okay," I agree.

"Yeah? You'll let me fuck you in the basement?" His smirk lifts his lips and I kiss him swiftly.

"Yes."

We spend the next 10 minutes staring at the sky, talking about our summer, our dreams, our goals. He asks me things like how I like my eggs cooked and why I like green sunnies and what I think about when I'm home alone.

"The way your eyes turn blue when you look at my knees and how happy you make me."

"Really?"

"Yes," I whisper into the growing darkness. "What do you think about, Edward?"

He rolls onto his side and kisses my neck softly.

"This past Fourth of July."

He kisses up to my ear and bites my lobe.

"It was a good Fourth of July this year, huh?"

"Yep." Kiss. "You told your mom about us." Lick. "I almost made you squirt." Kiss. "You asked me to give you my cock." Bite.

I stretch my neck and give him more area. I circle my hips and spread my knees.

"Do you still want it?" he asks gently, honestly, like I would even change my mind.

I nod fervently.

"Would you want it right now?"

Another nod.

"You'd let me slide your little suit to the side and make you come?"

"Yes," I whimper.

And so he does. Edward kneels between my legs and stretches my suit so it rests in the crook of my thigh and he trails his fingers up my slit softly.

Edward presses the tip of his fingers to my clit and rubs tiny, soft circles. My mewls urge his movements and now his fingers move faster and freer and I can hear my wetness as he slips his fingers between my lips and into me.

"Edward," I whimper.

"What, baby?"

"Please."

"What do you need?" His fingers pump in and out of me, but it's not enough. I need longer. I need thicker. I need him.

"You."

"You have me, Bella." His voice in my ear is honest and pleading. "I'm yours. Let me feel you come on my fingers, Pretty."

He works his fingers in and out of me, but my bathing suit keeps slipping back, pushing his fingers out of the way, and every time he stops, I lose it.

Frustration hits me. I growl in aggravation and stomp my foot.

"Isabella," he grunts. "Stand up right fucking now."

I do as he says. Kneeling, he walks me back to a group of rocks, and presses me against them. This time he stands, rips off my cover up, and peels down my suit. I'm naked in the moonlight.

"What if Alice finds us?" I ask through heavy breaths.

"She won't. I told Jas to fuck her up with a joint and do whatever it takes to keep her gone for a while. He'll text when they're on their way back."

My eyes light up with need and fire and Edward senses this. His smirk is proud and he drops to his knees. One hand grips under my left knee and pushes up and out as he pins it to the rock with his hand. His eyes are on mine as he licks my slit from bottom to top.

"You taste like sunshine and strawberries, Bella."

He kisses my clit three times before sucking my lips into his mouth and popping them back out.

"You're wetter than the fucking ocean."

His tongue slides over my clit feathery soft before pulling back.

"Jesus Christ, Edward. Make me come!" I tell him, agitated he's teasing and heightened beyond belief.

He stands suddenly, pinning my hips with his and grinding his hard as steel erection into me.

"You'll come when I tell you to come," he whispers.

I grind my hips into his as an answer. He kisses me urgently as two fingers find my clit and rub hard.

"Shit," I whimper. My legs shake and I swivel my hips.

Edward places his palm flat next to my head and his fingers move lower to my entrance except it's not his pointer and middle like usual. It's his middle and ring fingers. I feel him hook them in and up and when he presses them up against my top wall I gasp and grab at his hair, his arms, his neck.

He chuckles darkly and moves his lips to my ear.

"Don't come."

He slowly pushes up and moves his fingers in me in a way that has me reeling. My mouth is dry from gasping and sucking in salty air. I throw my head back and hit the rock behind me. He attacks my neck like a bear would its prey. The more aggressive his movements, the more incredible it feels.

"Fuck," I drawl out low and steady as he speeds up his motions.

"Don't fight the pressure," he whispers as he takes my hand and places it on my mound. "Take four of your fingers and rub your clit back and forth fast when I tell you to."

I nod, placing my fingers where he told me to.

Edward steps back but still in front of me. His eyes are downcast and his wrist movements are short and jerky. The second he begins to curve his fingers inside me, my eyes roll and my knees buckle.

"Push down, baby. Don't fight it. Whatever you feel, just feel it."

"I'm gonna pee," I tell him nervously.

"You're gonna squirt."

His fingers cause jerky reactions that I literally cannot control. My free hand is in his hair then gripping his neck, then his ribs.

"Oh fuck," I scream.

"Rub your clit, Isabella, and come."

I rub back and forth, and the pressure feels excruciatingly beautiful. All of sudden everything's wet and my legs are shaking, and the rock scratches my back and thighs as I fall. Edward pins me, milking me for all I have.

"Yes," he groans. "Fucking, yes!"

He's animalistic and I've never felt or seen or heard anything like this all the times we've been together. I'm insanely hot and horny and this orgasm he just gave me was the absolute most intense thing I've ever felt. My legs still shake. My arms jerk in uncontrollable ways.

Edward pulls me up and spins me around suddenly. I hear him pull his trunks down and distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh as his cock bounces out of its cage.

"I won't put it in, I promise," he whispers before grabbing my hips, pulling me back, and pushing my upper body flat against the rock. Its roughness scratches my nipples and I groan in pleasure.

Edward has one hand on my hips and the other at the base of his cock as it slips between my thighs and rubs up and down my slit.

"Ungh," he grunts. "Watching you come like that was the hottest thing I've ever seen, Pretty. You should have fucking seen yourself."

He pulls me up suddenly, arches my back, and holds onto my wrists. I close my legs tighter and he groans loudly. I'm drenched. My pussy lips squeeze over his shaft and when the head hits against my clit, I close my eyes and imagine him inside me. I try to fall forward, but his grip on my wrist keeps me in place.

"When I can, baby, I'm going to fuck you like this."

He continues his thrusting over and over, hitting against my clit and pulling another orgasm from the bottom of my toes as it explodes out of me.

"Edward!" I cry out, coming again, pulsing around his shift from the outside.

His movements become harder and as he takes a longer thrust, he pushes against me and gets caught at my opening. He stumbles in surprise, pushing me against the rocks, the head of his cock slips ever so slightly into my opening.

"Holy shit," I gasp. I bounce my hips back gently, and he slips in the smallest bit more.

"Stop!" he roars. I don't. I push against him again and I feel the burn as he stretches my opening.

Edward grunts and pants like he just ran a marathon. One hand rests next to my cheek on the rock, the other grips my right hip so hard I know he's leaving bruises. I love the pain and the way he loses control.

I push back more, wanting the burn to light me on fire.

"Baby," he grunts. "If you don't stop I'm going to pop your fucking cherry against a rock at the beach."

I circle my hips, trying to pull him in, but his grip stops everything.

"Please," I whimper. I want him now. I need him right here. "Please, Edward."

He disengages from me, pulling away completely.

"No. Not like this." His voice is softer but still lusty.

I turn around and look at him. His dick is red and huge and glistening with me. I drop to my knees and take him into my mouth. I lick his head, swirling my tongue the way I know he likes. I cup his balls and work my other hand on the rest of his shaft before I get an idea.

"Use my mouth," I urge. "Pretend it's what you want most."

"You want me to fuck your mouth?" he pants. I nod.

Edward cups my head between his palms, stilling me.

"Look at me." I do. "Tap my leg if you need me to stop." I nod.

He thrusts gently into my mouth, shallow, repeatedly. This isn't how I want it. I reach one hand down and cup his balls, and the other I move around to cup his ass cheek, pushing him, urging him.

"More, baby?" he asks. I nod.

He takes longer and deeper thrusts. He hits against my throat and when I gag, he grunts.

"Eyes on me," he says.

We're locked and as he pants, his palm grips my hair and pulls it so he's in control of everything and I love it.

"Where do you want my come, Pretty?" he asks. "In your mouth or on your face?"

He pulls out long enough for me to answer. "Face." He takes a deep breath and pushes my head down on his length.

I suck him harder and use my tongue to massage the underside of his shaft. He pulls out quickly.

"Open your mouth."

The moment I do, he comes hard and hot on my lips and my tongue. I feel it paint my cheeks and my forehead and drip down my neck.

He's panting, still milking his softening cock.

"You look fucking hot covered in my come," he says with a smile.

Edward helps me up and washes me off before pushing me down and kissing me hard.

"How much more time?" I ask.

"Not sure."

"That was really… I liked that, Edward."

He stops kissing me and looks at me. "Which part?"

"All of it," I admit.

His smile warms my goosebump-chilled skin, and he kisses my cheeks.

"I thought I scared you. I'm sorry. When I get… when I'm… fuck."

"It's ok, Edward. Just tell me."

"I like dirty, nasty shit, Pretty. I like things no one else should. That, what we just did, that was the tip of the iceberg."

"Tell me some stuff."

He shakes his head. "You'll judge me. You'll leave me."

"Never."

"I told you I fucked a lot, Bella. Like, a lot. No one could keep up with me. The shit I liked… the shit I like… I've never found another girl who was into it."

"How will I know if you don't tell me?"

"I want to fuck you."

"I know." I giggle.

"In every hole on your body. Your mouth, your pussy, your ass."

I swallow and nod. "Does it hurt?"

"The pleasure outweighs any pain you might feel at first."

"How many times have you—"

"For anal? A handful of times."

I nod. "What else?"

"I like to be in control."

"No kidding," I joke.

"Like, I want to tie you to my bed for hours and make you come when I allow it kind of control."

I smile and shrug. "Doesn't sound so bad."

He chuckles. "What if I deny you an orgasm as I suck on your clit for 2 hours straight?" He kisses just under my chin.

"As long as you give me an orgasm, I guess it'll be okay. What else?"

He sighs and rests his forehead against mine. "I like the idea of getting caught."

I nod. "Me too, kinda." My blush warms my chilled chest and cheeks.

He picks his head up and stares at me. "Yeah?"

"Mhm. Like that one time with Jasper."

"You liked that, really?"

I nod quickly.

"I fucking love you," he whispers. "No one—" his voice catches in his throat and he clears it. "Not one person has ever accepted me for who I am like you do."

I smile in appreciation and let him kiss my lips until they're so swollen it hurts, and then I let him kiss me more.

~!~

"Wowza," Alice whistles when she sees me at Edward's car the first day of school. It took a lot of convincing, but mom told dad that I was getting too old to be dropped off in a police cruiser. When dad finally relented to the idea of Edward giving me ride with Jas and Al, mom threw me a wink and I smiled back.

I look down at my black romper decorated with dainty white flowers and the low-heeled wedges adorning my feet. I curled my hair in soft waves and glossed my lips to the high heavens, but I don't think it's too much. Suddenly I'm not so sure.

Early morning August air and first day of school jitters have me second guessing.

Jasper stops suddenly and Edward walks into the back of him.

"The fuck, dude?" he asks, glancing up. I meet his eyes and his mouth opens for beat before he shuts it and walks past Jasper. Edward's wearing dark gray skinnies and a white tee shirt. He looks effortless yet handsome as he throws on his sunglasses and his smirk says that's my girl.

"Nice," he jokes, opening his sister's door and then mine.

"Take some notes, Jas," she says, rolling her eyes whose boyfriend is looking at my lips.

"What?" I ask.

With Alice in the car, Edward very quickly kisses the side of my mouth and smiles at me.

~!~

The day passes slowly. Alice is in my first four classes which I'm pleasantly surprised at. When we compare schedules, we notice that after lunch, we don't see each other for the rest of the day.

"Move it," she tells Bre, shoulder-checking her by the lockers. I giggle because Alice is so tough.

We stand and chat and laugh and talk about my upcoming sweet sixteen.

"We couldn't have your celebration this summer, but let's move it the end of the month, B," Alice says. Her parents never went away in August like they planned, but they did reschedule it for the end of September.

"Okay," I tell her with a shrug, and she bounces in excitement.

"Emmett can your brother get us beer?"

"Hell yeah," he quips.

I shake my head and glance slyly at Edward. His eyes are on my neck.

When the warning bell rings, we scatter unwillingly. Edward and I walk in the same direction, but we're far enough apart that it causes no questioning.

What do you taste like today, Pretty B? he texts out of nowhere.

It's the middle of social studies, I'm bored out of my mind as Mrs. Shefler reviews expectations, and the warmth in my belly from Edward's question is a welcomed distraction, so I send back why don't you come find out?

My leg bounces in anticipation. He texts back 11 minutes later girl's room in hallway C right now.

Immediately my hand flies up.

"Yes, Ms. Swan?"

"May I use the restroom?"

Her crinkled eyelids close in irritation, but she nods her head yes and I book it to the bathroom.

He's waiting for me in the last stall on the left. He pushes me against the door the second he locks it. His pupils dilate to black saucers as he asks, "how the fuck do I get you out of this thing?" He pulls at the straps and then the neckline and then the thigh hole. "This'll do," he says gently as he maneuvers me against the wall, kneels, and slides my lace undies over before tasting me with his warm, wet tongue.

My head falls back against the wall and I sigh in contentment. My fingers find his hair and I keep him between my legs. Moments later, the door opens and two girls enter the bathroom with loud giggles and comments about the new kid in their grade.

"He's so cute," one says to the other as Edward slowly puts a finger in me.

"I heard he just broke up with his girlfriend," the other says as he slips in a second finger.

I know we can't make any noise. I know we can't draw any attention to ourselves. I know that if we do, they'll be able to see 2 pairs of feet that belong to a girl and a boy. I look down with glassy eyes to find his blues, so serious, as he sucks my clit into his mouth and uses two fingers to stretch me.

I grind down and he allows it. I ride his fingers, his tongue, his entire face and seconds before I break apart, Edward stops. He sits back as the girls just feet away from us wash their hands and joke about Mr. Barnett's big nose and I push him away the moment their voices disappear into the hall.

"You son of a bitch," I whisper-yell and kick him away.

He chuckles softly, holding my ankles still as he glances up under his lashes and licks me off his face. When he feels I won't kick him to death, he stands slowly, leans his body against me, grinds the bulge in his pants against my belly, and runs his fingers through my curls.

"Think about the way that felt all day, Bella. Think about me almost making you come in the bathroom at school. Think about almost getting caught, baby."

"I will!" I tell him angerly. "And the second I get home, I'm going to finish myself off!"

He chuckles softly in my ear and bites my neck.

I push him away, clean up, and leave. I'm so mad and pent up and I hate him right now, but I really don't. I'm just mad that I was about to have such a super intense orgasm with his face on me, his fingers in me, and those girls just feet away none the wiser.

At lunch, I sit away from him between Jake and Jasper, but the second Jake stands to get his second lunch, Edward plops down next to me. I give him my back cross my legs, and turn into Jasper's side.

"What's up?" he asks.

"Mad at your stupid friend," I tell him quietly.

Jas puts his arm around me and pulls me into his side. He smells like musky cologne and Alice's Big Red gum.

"What'd that bastard do now?" he asks, glancing over his shoulder to I'm sure a very smug, sexy looking Edward.

"Well, go on, B, tell him."

I turn and give him my best stink eye which wasn't even that good because he laughed through his water. He wants to play this game? Fine.

I lean over to see what Alice is doing and notice she's talking to Rose about Emmett's birth maek, so I whisper into Jasper's ear and tell him what happened. When I'm done, Jasper sits up straighter, clears his throat and turns to his girl.

"Can you grab me a water, A?" he asks.

"Sure," she says, kissing his nose and walking away.

"You stupid asshole," Jasper says, hitting the back of Edward's smug, confident head.

"Ow!" he says, sitting up straighter.

"Go take her to the fucking library already. She deserves it after putting up with your dumb ass on crutches all summer."

I giggle when Edward huffs, he grabs my thigh tightly under the table and moves his fingers higher until he's at the crease of my thigh, and then he rubs his thumb where I need him.

He leans over us and asks so just the three of us can hear, "should I make her come, Jas?"

"Get the fuck out of here," he says, sliding my chair over to him with a chuckle, "and give it to her right, dick."

Edward smiles and squeezes my thigh once more before he whispers, "come on, baby, so I can make you come in the back of the library. Should I use my mouth or my fingers?"

My cheeks flush and my breathing picks up. Air fills my lungs in quick, short bursts.

Jasper, next to us, laughs softly and tells him, "both."

We both stand and leave. He uses the exit doors on the left and I use the ones straight ahead. I walk slowly to the library and Edward's already there, waiting, smoldering, watching the way my legs move and the way my breasts jiggle.

He allows me to go first and ushers me to the back of the room, past a pile of broken chairs, through the old AV room, and grabs the bell from the old TV stand. He places the strand on the door, ushers me into darkness, and locks the door in two places.

"How do you—"

"I used to come in here and jerk off before we started fooling around. Everytime you'd wear those tight jeans and that white sweater my dick would be hard all day. One day I just couldn't stand it, so I came here and imagined laying you out. Tasting your pussy. Fucking you against the wall."

I blush deeply. The fact that I make him so turned at school he has to jerk off has my belly hot and my center wet. "So you never brought anyone in here?" I ask.

"Never."

"I'm your first?"

"Mhm."

"Where's the light?"

"No light. Just feel." His hands are on my shoulders, tickling my skin as he trails down then up. "Take this off, please," he asks gently.

I slip my arms from the straps and it falls to the floor. He unclasps my bra and one hand grabs my breast while the other peels my undies down.

"Bella," he whispers tenderly, hotly, full of power. "I love you so much."

I smile into the darkness as his fingers trail over the wetness pooling at my center. His fingers press against me over and over and over and as rubs circles against me, my knees buckle. Edward lays me gently on a table, bends my knees so my feet rest at the edge of the table. Edward starts at my neck and runs his hands down my body, past my clavicle, over my rock hard nipples, down the crevice of my tummy, and to the wetness of my center. He kisses my knees, licks my inner thighs, and pulls my hips closer to him so my butt is off the table. He then pushes my knees back to my hips. Im wide open, soaking wet, and incredibly swollen.

"Can you smell yourself?" he asks huskily.

"Yes," I answer honestly.

"Can I taste you?"

"Yes."

And then his tongue is flat against me. No teasing. No playing. He's eating me like I'm the last meal on earth. His fingers pierce my soft skin in the most delicious ways. My back arches and I'm trying to hold it in, but when he sucks my whole pussy into his mouth, I groan loudly.

My hips grind against his face, and when the door handle shakes, Edward plunges two fingers into me.

I groan loud, louder than I should, and as the knocking grows louder, Edward's fingers drive into me harder, faster.

"Come whenever you want, Pretty B," he tells me warmly, attacking my clit with rapid flicks of his tongue. He takes his time tasting me, never teasing me. He gives me all of himself, allowing me to feel every bump and ridge of his tongue. The darkness heightens everything. I can feel so much more.

When the familiar voice on the other side of the door says, "hurry up," I absolutely explode in every sense of the word.

"Yes," Edward groans, "just like that, baby."

My legs shake, and I grab onto his hair, the collar of his shirt, the edge of the table.

Before I even come back down to reality, Edward's pulling lace back up my legs and handing me my bra.

"Times up, Pretty. Get dressed so I can see who's out there."

Fear strikes me. Who is it? Who heard me? Who's going to see us?

I breathe deeply, dress quickly, and find Edward. He opens the door and a hand grabs it to rip it open.

"Dude?" a big, burly voice asks. "Who you here with?"

"Uh," Edward stammers, pushing me behind him.

"Let's just go, Em. There's a broom closet down the hall we can use."

"No, Rosie. I want to fuck you on the table."

I decide there's no better time than now to let Emmett in on our secret, so I slip under Edward's arm and smile sheepishly.

"Woah!" Em says, eyes big, mouth open as he stumbles back. "Dude!" His eyes grow bigger and bigger. Edward pulls me into his side. "What!"

Rose rolls her eyes. "Close your mouth, Emmett."

"You knew?" he asks.

"Duh!"

"Alice doesn't know… yet," I tell him quietly, nervously. "Please don't say anything."

He nods slowly. He doesn't really interact with Alice unless Jasper's there, so I don't think he'd go out of his way to spill our secret.

"Who else knows?"

"Jasper," Edward answers, holding me against him.

Emmett nods and smiles slowly. "You dirty, dirty dog." Edward chuckles and shakes his head.

"It's not like that," he says simply. There's questioning silence between us for a few beats before Edward asks, "coast clear?"

"Yeah man," Em says, stepping aside so we can exit.

Before exiting totally, Edward holds me against him, kissing my lips so sensually that it makes me want to ask Em and Rose if we can share the room, but then he pulls back and smiles.

I trail my hand down his chest. "I didn't get to—"

Edward shakes his head. "Later."

I nod, kiss him swiftly, and walk to my next class.

~!~

The first month of school passes quickly. We fall into an easy routine and telling Alice hasn't come back up yet. Leaves begin to turn brightest yellow, burnt orange, and night comes quicker than ever before. Edward calls me every night to listen to me read, help me with my math, tell me about basketball while I soak in the tub. He listens as I shave my legs, hum the new Lana Del Rey song, eat cookies in bed. He tells me I'm sweeter than the peach he's eating, quirkier than his sister, brighter than the fucking sun. His words, not mine.

"Your voice is soft," he whispers into the phone. It's after ten, and I'm tired, but hearing him makes it worth it.

"Are you high?"

His laugh sticks in his throat. "No, B."

We talk softer than whispers about the party next weekend. His parents have a planned 4 day trip to Los Angeles. His dad's accepting an award and they decided to make a trip out of it.

"Sleep over, Pretty," he tells me.

"Which day?"

"All of them."

"I can't get away all four days, you know how my parents are."

"Just the weekend then?"

"Yes," I agree, "and I was thinking, Edward."

"Time to tell Al?" he asks after a pause long enough to make my heart skip beats.

"Yeah," I mutter.

"I think that's a good idea, Bella."

Tears instantly well. "She'll never forgive me."

Edward's silent. He's come to terms that it might be a very, very long time until Alice forgives either of us.

"Eventually," he reasons.

"It took her how long to forgive Jasper?" I'm half-teasing, half-serious.

Edward laughs gently. "He was a drug addict, B. Your just an Edward addict."

I throw my head back and laugh loudly before covering my mouth. "Crap!" I whisper, pulling the phone from my ear and listening.

"They coming?"

I hear feet on the steps and sigh. "Yes. See you tomorrow. Love," I whisper so fast before hanging up.

My mom knocks and when I open the door, her brow is cocked and a smile pulls at her lips.

"It's late, sweetie," she reminds.

"Sorry." I'm sheepish but smiling.

Mom shuts the door and sits on my bed with me.

"Edward?" she asks but already knows.

I nod.

"Things going okay still?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, mom."

Her laugh is infectious, and she bumps me with her shoulder.

"Have you told Alice?"

"Not yet."

"You can't escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today," she tells me seriously.

I look at her like she grew another head.

Her head shakes and bangs fall in her eyes. "It means whether you tell her tomorrow, next month, or next year, it doesn't take away the fact that you need to tell her."

I nod slowly. "I know, mom. I'm scared."

Mom hugs me and kisses my head. "Who's your best friend, Bella?"

"Alice," I say immediately.

Mom smiles, closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, they're softer than her favorite cashmere sweater. "Who's your best friend, Bella?" she asks softer, her eyes knowing, her smile encouraging.

I nod slowly, taking a few deep breaths before I tell her, "Edward."

~!~

It's the Wednesday before Mr. and Mrs. Cullen leave for California and Alice's sitting in front of her mirror, trimming the ends of her hair, blowing the biggest Bubbalicious bubbles I've ever seen.

"How many pieces of gum are you chewing?" I ask in near disgust but mostly humor.

"Three," she manages.

I roll my eyes and laugh. I'm on her bed, reading Lord of the Flies out loud and taking notes for both of us.

When I finish the chapter and put the book down, Jasper jumps on the bed next to me and Edward falls into Alice's computer chair, twirling a basketball on his finger.

He makes it look effortlessly easy and so incredibly hot. I can't wait to kiss him later. He knows. He smiles and winks. His lashes are long and thick and dark. His lips are rosy red and wet. His hair sticks against his forehead from Indian Summer heat. His arms swell from the muscle he's put on getting back to the gym. I love this boy with my whole soul and then some, and at just fifteen, I can't imagine spending a moment without him.

The fear of him moving to Seattle, leaving me for school, scares me and I know he needs to, and I know it's not for two years, but I'm suddenly very aware of the clock that's ticking and the time we're wasting in the shadows.

It's at this moment that I decide three very important things:

I'm going to sleep with Edward.

I'm going to tell my dad about us.

I'm going to tell Alice.