Sorry I've been MIA. I finished the semester, moved into a house with my friend, and got my first cat . This story should be finished by Saturday. Please enjoy and review!

Chapter 21: Love My Way

"Tonight's the night," I whispered as the sun trickled through the shades of my bedroom window.

As the morning sun danced across my face, I felt like a different woman. Tonight, would change everything—I could feel it already. While my body relaxed against my mattress, soaking up the Vitamin D, my body came to life. My muscles tickled with the start of the new day and my body became lethargic as my mind filled with images of him. With the image of Edward in my mind's eye, I felt my core begin to pulse gently against the fabric of my panties.

I didn't know if tonight would be the night Edward and I finally had sex. While I wasn't sure I was ready, I wanted it. I wanted him to touch me; I wanted to feel his lips on my body, kissing, sucking and biting until I writhed beneath him; I yearned for the feeling of his cock moving inside of me, creating the most delicious friction. I wanted to come on him. I desired to share my pleasure with another person. I was tired of finding a release by myself.

For a long time, myself was all I had ever wanted. I had been too fearful to ask for anything more. Now, however, I wanted to find myself all over again as he pleasured me. In his arms, I knew I would be reborn. As he thrusted into my body, showing me more pleasure than I ever could have imagined, I knew I would forget all about the past—all about the boys who haunted me. Even now, I could still hear their laughter in my mind, playing on loop like a broken record.

I pushed these imaginings aside before the plagued my mind as my right hand began its descent down my body. My fingers paused at the elastic band of my cotton underwear; they ran along the band before my index finger shot out and lifted my underwear just enough to slip my hand inside. My fingers ran along the pane of my pubic bone before I met my wet lips. I bit down on my bottom lip as my fingers began to play with them. First, slowly before I built up my pace, creating a wonderful friction which caused my clit to tingle. My fingers wandered there, next. I rubbed circles around my clit as I pictured the possibility of Edward's hands on me later this evening. My eyes rolled back in my head as my skin grew hot, turning red as I created friction with my fingers. I was flushed all over.

My pussy was wet, begging for attention which I was more than happy to give. I slipped one finger inside, enjoying the silken feel as I slowly moved the finger in and out. I reached down with my free hand and began to play with my clit while my right hand added another finger. I pictured his mouth on my breasts, sucking on my nipples while his hand played with my pussy. I imagined him biting, licking, and sucking until I fell to pieces, orgasming around his fingers. The thought of his strong body dominating mine made my core begin to flutter. I worked my fingers faster, wanting my entire body to shudder as my orgasm ripped through me.

Edward filled my mind again. I remembered the sight of his nude body from the other day when he gave me a little "show" as he changed. I remembered the way his muscles rippled against his inked skin. I remembered the way his ass looked—perfectly taut. I remembered wanting to lick each and every inch of his body until he came in my mouth. With that thought as clear as day in my head, I fell to pieces, coming around my fingers.

I opened my eyes, gasping for air as I came down from my high. Licking my lips, I tried to remember the taste of him. I suppose tonight, I'll get another taste. Hopefully, more than just a taste. I want all of him. Tonight, if I were lucky, I would experience everything with him. And tomorrow, I would feel like a changed woman. A woman who was no longer afraid. A woman who had finally found herself in the darkness.

My heart pounded as I heard his knock at my door. Running my hands over my sleek black dress, I moved to open the door. I was sure my chest was flushed and blotchy, but I couldn't help the feelings which raged inside of me. My nipples already strained against my dress as my body reacted to his arrival. This is it, my mind said as I grabbed the doorknob and swung the front door of my apartment opened.

I believed I looked good, but Edward looked incredible. In a black button up, with the sleeves rolled up to exhibit his muscular forearms, black slacks which fit him perfectly, and black shoes, Edward looked like sin incarnate. He looked like everything I had never known I wanted and everything I had secretly longed for. Suddenly, I felt bashful in his presence.

"Do I look all right?" I asked, emitting a nervous giggle.

With an incredulous look, he answered, "You look sexy, baby. Very sexy."

I flushed. It was strange facing him after having such vivid daydreams staring him earlier. However, I forced myself to meet his gaze. I was done being bashful and coy all of the time. I masturbated to the thought of him, now I just had to own up to it. Just as I finished the thought, Edward grabbed my hand and gently pulled me out of my apartment. My body molded against his as I gazed up at him, happy to feel his hands on me and his flesh against mine. He looked at me for a moment, pressing his hips against mine before his gaze dropped to my lip.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as I watched his tongue dart out to lick his full bottom lip before he bent down to close the distance between us. His lips were warm against mine which caused my body to melt against his. As I absorbed the feelings sparked by his passionate kiss, I felt myself grow wet, wanting him now more than I ever had. I became breathless as he moved his body against mine, giving all that he had to the kiss. I gasped against his lips, needing air before I became too overwhelmed.

With a soft, cocky chuckle, he pulled away. "Later," he promised me.

After grabbing my purse and locking up my apartment, Edward ushered me down the hallway with his hand on the small of my back, his thumb dangerously close to my bottom. I smiled, feeling cherished in his company.

As we drove, Edward rolled the windows down, letting the early autumn air flow through the truck. I basked in it, smiling at the way it tickled my skin and eased the tension between Edward and me. I leaned back against the passenger seat and watched the cars zoom by us as I tried to ignore the sexual tension which swam through the air. The astriction between us was palpable as he weaved in and out of traffic toward our destination. As the cold air stung my lungs, I realized this was the happiest, most relaxed moment I had ever had because tonight, I felt like we were driving toward our future. Tonight, I felt like my life would surely change.

We pulled in front of Guard and Grace, a steakhouse in Denver, and I stared out of my window in shock. I couldn't believe Edward thought this up. This was a spot I always had wanted to go to but never could afford. Edward pulled up to the front of the restaurant to drop me off and I couldn't stop smiling. Edward was beaming, too. With a proud look in his eye, he leaned across the center console and planted a kiss against my lips. What should have been chaste, lasted longer than we both expected. If it wasn't for the blare of a horn, we probably would have remained in the front seat of his truck making out all night.

"You go ahead," he said with a devilishly grin. "Go wait inside and I'll go park."

Feeling as if I were living a dream, I leaned forward and kissed him once more before I slid out of the truck. I was on Cloud Nine. The horn from the car behind us blared again causing me to cringe at the sound. Feeling bold, I turned on my heel and gazed at the car for a moment before I curtseyed and flipped him the bird. I giggled to myself, feeling so young suddenly as I continued to the restaurant. As soon as I passed the restaurant's front doors, I had forgotten all about the irate driver. The place was divine with a modern interior and beautiful décor. I've never been to any place like this before. If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.

In a daze, I moved to the hostess stand and waited for my equally impressive date. As soon as Edward entered the restaurant, looking dark as sin, all eyes quickly flew to him. Each expression varied. Some seemed shocked by his appearance, some were curious, and some gazes—many coming from women—were appreciative. I didn't blame the women; I couldn't take my eyes off of him, either.

"This is incredible, Edward," I whispered, feeling child-like as I beamed up at him.

Edward joined me near the hostess stand and wrapped an arm around my waist as we waited for the couple before us to finish speaking with the woman at the podium. As soon as it was our turn, the woman became flustered, looking Edward up and down before she sputtered out a question, inquiring after if we had a reservation for the evening.

With a cocky grin Edward seemed to produce naturally, he responded with his name. The deep baritone of his voice caused the woman to flush and if I wasn't so smitten, I would have wanted to rip her hair out for looking at my man the way she was. However, I was far too secure in my relationship with Edward for that sort of behavior.

"Right this way, Mr. Cullen," the young woman said as she grabbed two menus and a wine menu all while giving my date a speculative look.

While she was beautiful, Edward's gaze remained on me. He guided me through the restaurant with a gratified look on his face. While we walked, I realized this was the first chance I had to spend time alone with him. I loved Charlie, but he was always with us. I had always wanted time alone with Edward. I had wanted to get to know him on my own terms; I had desired a deeper, more meaningful conversation with him. Now that the night I had always dreamt of was finally happening, I barely knew what to do—I didn't know how to react. I would enjoy tonight as if I was enjoying a dream.

As we were ushered to our table, I took in the crowd. The dining room was gorgeous, filled with what had appeared to be the wealthiest populates of the city. I drifted toward my seat, ignoring the unwanted stares Edward and I were receiving. I promised myself I wouldn't allow anything to ruin our evening. Once I realized I had the strength within me to control my outlook, every day became lovely in its own way. Especially my days with Edward…

Our table was located in the furthest left corner of the restaurant. I smiled, feeling secluded from everyone else. While Edward was the center of my attention, I could still see the leers I received in my peripherals. It seemed Edward noticed them, too. After pulling out my chair and allowing me to sit first, he moved to the opposite side of the table, and situated himself so he was placing a barrier between me and everyone else. I smiled, thankful for him like always.

"So, what do you think of this place?" he asked as soon as we were alone.

I peered down at the menu, slightly concerned about the prices. I knew Edward worked hard but after all the bills… Well, I wasn't disillusioned when it came to his financial situation. Times were tough. However, I decided not to comment. I could easily picture the face he would have made in response to my prying. He would have blanched, embarrassed by my assumption. Then, I would have felt absolutely horrible.

I bit down on my lip for a moment before my eyes rose to meet his and I answered, "It's great! It's just so… fancy." I giggled and peered back down at the menu.

He studied me for a moment and then laughed to himself. "Well, I thought my beautiful girlfriend deserved to go someplace nice."

Beautiful girlfriend… beautiful girlfriend… beautiful girlfriend… God, he could say those words to me all night and I would be perfectly content.

"Besides," he continued jovially, "I put some cash aside, just so I could take you out. I just wanted to treat you like a princess, I guess. I wanted to make tonight special for you."

This was the softer side he rarely revealed. I knew being opened like this made him feel weak. I supposed that was what was so scary about falling in love—you really felt like you were falling. You open yourself up to a person and relinquish control. The later was the part I feared the most. For so many years, control was all I had. Control was my constant friend. After someone robbed me of my free will—not one time, but many—control was all I had had to cling to. Now, I felt myself letting go. I felt myself allow the rope I had coiled tightly slide away from me.

"It is," I finally said as I met his gaze. Allow yourself to fall. Give yourself the chance to break free. "It was going to be special no matter what you had planned. I'm having a wonderful time already, Edward."

Every time his name fell from my lips, I felt warm. He looked at me for a long while, seemingly mystified. There was something in the air around us. Something which made me want to hand over my heart—as wounded as it may be—to Edward. While a comfortable silence surrounded us for a moment, I wondered if he felt similarly.

"I don't think you realize how special you are to me. Seriously, Bella. I've never been good about putting my emotions into words—but you mean everything to me."

His words were rushed and obviously unrehearsed. They were raw, passionate, and authentic, just like him. He didn't have to say he loved me—not yet. He didn't have to sing me his praise and write sonnets in my name. He didn't have to work to impress me. To me, words didn't matter; actions were more meaningful than anything. So, while he hasn't uttered the words, I knew he loved me. Just as I loved him. I knew because of the way he looked at me, the way he talked to me, the way he encouraged me, and the way he inspired me to be the best version of myself. So, those three words didn't matter just yet. Perhaps one day, they would. However, for now, I was perfectly content with being "everything."

"Edward," I began as a small smile tugged on my lips, "I do realize that. I feel the same way about you. You're all I think about; all I—"

Our waiter arrived at our table before I could finish my sentence. A fraction of me was thankful because I had been rambling and nothing ever good comes from my ramblings. Truthfully, I believed if we hadn't been interrupted, I would have professed my love for him. God, how embarrassing would that be? The waiter's voice pulled me away from my train of thought before I became too mortified with what I had so narrowly escaped.

He was talking about the drink specials for the evening. My eyes shot to Edward, feeling somewhat defeated for him. I hated to put him in the path of temptation. I could only imagine how hard all of this was for him. Every day took so much strength. It was always easier to give up than it was to shape up and fit back. Concern trickled through me as I took in the sight of him. With rigid posture, tense muscles, and pensive eyes, he looked like he wanted to bolt.

The waiter asked for a drink order to which Edward responded by spitting out an answer, explaining that we would stick with our waters. I couldn't ignore the slightly peeved look we received from our waiter. I realized that he had decided in the few seconds he spoke to us that we were "cheap." In my freshman year of college, I had waited tables to earn some extra spending money. So, I understood the feeling of being worried concerning a tip. They seem cheap. Will I get one? Will they stiff me? Maybe I shouldn't be too nice. My eyes turned to Edward to find he was equally peeved.

Much to my surprise, he grabbed the drink menu and scanned the list until his eyes fell upon a miniscule non-alcoholic section.

With a small smirk, he stopped the waiter and said, "We'll have two espressos as well, thank you."

He seemed spiteful suddenly as if the waiter had made him uncomfortable.

"What was that all about?" I asked as our waiter retreated to his POS station.

"Nothing." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Despite his casual tone, I knew there was something brewing.

"I just didn't like the way he was looking at me," he continued, staring after the waiter.

"He's an asshole," I agreed, knowing the exact look Edward was talking about. He had viewed Edward as if he wasn't good enough to be here tonight. I searched for the words to make him feel better but came up with nothing. So, I decided to play with him a tinge. "He's probably just jealous," I said, smugly.

He snorted at my assessment. "Jealous of what?" he asked incredulously.

"He's probably just jealous of how hot you are." I paused, trying not to smile too widely at the shocked expression which colored his features. "Actually, I'm just a little annoyed with his timing. What I wanted to tell you was how important you are to me, too. You and Charlie are my world, Edward."

Without a single hesitation, he replied, "You're my world, too. If it weren't for you and Charlie… I don't know what type of man I would turn out to be. When I'm with you, I feel better. I feel like you allow me to be a better version of myself. You see the man in me that I never imagined I could be."

"You're a good man," I replied a heartbeat latter with a tone overflowing with conviction. "You're too hard on yourself. You're such a wonderful father, and such an amazing boyfriend. You don't give yourself enough credit."

As soon as the words left my mouth, Edward straightened in his seat. He wasn't perfect—no one ever could be—but he was mine. He was mine and I would keep him forever. He may not have been the hero in his own story, but he was the hero in Charlie's and mine.

The waiter returned with our drinks. As soon as he placed them on the table, Edward reached forward and grabbed ahold of his espresso and then took a sip with a thoughtful, calculating expression. He pretended he knew something about the drink which made me want to snicker. He masked a look of disgust before he threw the waiter a cocky smile.

With a smile, my eyes drifted from his face and back to the menu. I felt guilty as I looked it over—everything was so expensive. I never liked spending too much money on myself. I always found it frivolous. I had to stifle my nature as I focused on the man before me. He wanted to spoil me, and I wasn't going to argue with that. So, I kept my worried thoughts to myself as I looked for the cheapest thing on the menu, hoping my choice didn't offend him.

"Bella, just get whatever you want. It's on me tonight, so, you don't have to worry," Edward insisted as if he had read my thoughts.

His eyes implored mine, silently beseeching me to humor him for the evening. In that moment, I understood part of this evening was about proving himself capable of taking me out on a date. Despite being beautiful, his self-esteem was floundering. As he wanted me to be happy, I wanted him to be happy, too.

My eyes scanned the menu once more before landing on the seafood selection. I found something moderately priced, the Scottish Salmon, and ordered, hoping my choice would please Edward. His eyes danced across my face for a moment before he smiled at me. His smile faded into a vacant expression as his mind seemed to drift to something other than food. As I regarded him, I wondered what he was thinking of. Then, I blushed as I watched his distant gaze fall to my breasts. Was he thinking of me the way I so frequently thought about him…?

I realized I wasn't the only one watching him; the waiter was standing, facing him with an expectant look on his face as his pen hovered over his pad of paper, waiting for Edward's response. I coughed, hoping to pull Edward away from his fantasies. He snapped quickly out of if and gave me a smile similar to the type a child would have after their parent caught them with their hand in a candy dish before he turned to the waiter to order.

With his eyes on the menu, he said, "We'll take the Maryland Crab-cakes as a starter, and I'll have an eight-once New York Strip for my entrée with a loaded backed potato for my side."

The waiter smiled at this, obviously pleased with the monetary amount of our bill so far.

From the moment we were alone again, we fell into an effortless conversation as we sipped our espressos. Despite being an introvert by nature, conversations with Edward were always effortless. We could bounce from one topic to the next seamlessly. It was as if we were the same person or perhaps two people who had known each other their entire lives. As we conversed, I wondered if our souls had known each other for a very long time. God, that's so cheesy, Isabella. You've been reading far too many books! Putting the countless romance novels I had read aside, I pondered the fact that I had never met someone I wanted to bear my soul to. Of course, there would not be any soul bearing tonight. Our conversation, instead, surrounded our hobbies and work.

"You're writing a children's book? How did I not know this?" Edward asked as he nearly choked on his drink.

I flushed. I never liked talking about my creative ventures. I had always believed I would jinx them somehow by speaking about them out loud. I constantly worried about the many "what ifs" that came with chasing a dream. What if I'm not good? What if I embarrass myself? What if I set out to do something and don't reach my goal? What if I talk about something, only to have it fall through in the end? What if I'm a failure? What if I'm a success? What if all of this will lead to nothing?

"I don't like talking about it," I explained as I finished off my espresso and set it back down on the table.

"You don't like talking about it? Why? It's pretty fucking impressive."

"Well, I guess I don't want to jinx it?" I said, posing it like a question. "I'm worried if I talk about it too much, my ideas will never go anywhere."

"I get that," he agreed, smiling at me. "But I'm sure they will go somewhere. One day, they will."

"Thanks, Edward."

"What's the book about? You can at least tell me that, can't you?"

My flush grew. I didn't want to tell him the subject matter, yet. I had wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted to watch Edward's eyes as I revealed Charlie's face on every page. I wanted him to be proud of me for telling a fictional adaption of his little boy's story. So, I had no intentions of spoiling it.

"You'll see it once it's finished one day. I don't want to ruin it."

He shrugged and nodded his head. "Okay, I won't pressure you. Just know I'm really proud of you. You never cease to amaze me, Bella. Seriously, you're unlike any girl I've ever met. I thought I had been lucky in the past, but I had no idea what luck was until I met you."

"I feel the same way," I agreed as I leaned forward in my seat. "The guys before you… Well, they never cared what I had to say, I guess. We definitely didn't talk about any of this stuff."

"What did you talk about?"

Even now, I could hear the sound of his laughter in the back of my head…

"Nothing," I answered, wanting to change the subject. "So, before you left Colorado, what were you like?"

Now, Edward seemed to want to talk about something else. "Honestly, my last few years of high school were shit. I was shit. I spent the majority of my time drinking, partying, and trying not to flunk out. Before that, I had been as straight edge as could be but once I started hanging out with a different crowd, I got deep into some shit. When I was younger, though, I was the biggest nerd. Dean used to tease me relentlessly for staying inside to read comics or play video games when I could be outside playing ball with him. I never knew shit about sports and never wanted to. I was always too wrapped up in something else."

"I think I would have liked you… back when you were a self-proclaimed nerd," I said.

While my tone was teasing, my words were true. I had never been the partying type—I was far too bookish and introverted for that—but if I had met Edward before that life had touched him, I believed I would had liked him very much.

Our appetizers arrived while we were deep in conversation; I had barely noticed the waiter as he came and went. Our gazes remained locked with one another's while we began to dig in. His eyes made my body warm. He looked at me as if had looked away for a second, I could have disappeared. As we ate, we talked about our favorite television shows and favorite books. Slowly, we learned more and more about each other. We finished our appetizer quickly, laughing at how hungry we had unknowingly been, and continued to talk while we waited for our entrees.

"I'm into anything, Edward, really. You name it, I'll watch it. I'll see anything once," I said as we moved to the topic of our favorite movies.

"Anything? What are your favorites, then? Any standouts?"

"Well, that's just as hard as asking me to pick my favorite book. I have copious amounts of both. Haven't you seen my collection." I laughed as I considered his question. I had always been horrible when it came to picking my favorite anything. "For scary movies, I love The Shining and Pet Sematary. For romances, I love Where the Heart Is and Rebecca… Oh, and While You Were Sleeping, I can't forget about that. Wait, and You've Got Mail! Have you seen that one?"

He shook his head, appearing amused. "Haven't heard of it."

"It has Tom Hanks. It's brilliant," I informed him. "I also love Millennium Actress, Crimson Peak, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Evil Dead 2… I don't know. My tastes are all over the place."

Edward's grin grew. He reached for my hand, took it in his, and brought my hand to his mouth for a quick kiss. His warm lips felt like heaven on the back of my hand and he held my hand there for a moment, letting it hover near his lips before he brought our joined hands to rest on the table.

"Those are perfect choices. See, you're my type of girl." Squeezing my hand, he said, "I'm glad you're into horror, too. Dean and I would watch tons of that shit growing up. We would have 'movie nights' in our living room and Mom would get so mad at our selections. But, I can see how two kids watching Cannibal Holocaust isn't the best thing in the world." He snickered.

"I would watch tons of different stuff growing up, too. I've watched that, plus every single Stephen King film adaption. I loved The Hills Have Eyes, The Nightmare on Elm Street, Last House on the Left…" I trailed off, almost laughing at Edward's shocked expression. I felt so natural around him! "Don't look so shocked, Edward. I told you before, my dad really would watch those movies with me growing up. How'd you think I heard about most of them?"

Edward smiled, relaxing against his seat. "So, what's your dad like?"

"Well, you'll be meeting him soon enough, so, I suppose you'd want to know," I said, teasing him.

As I spoke the last sentence, Edward had been taking a drink of water. As soon as I said "meet" and "soon," he had nearly choked.

"How soon is 'soon'?"

I giggled and leaned back against my seat, too. "Not that soon, so, don't look so terrified. My dad's a good man, I promise. He's busy with work right now—but he'll come up to see me eventually. When he does, he'll want to meet my boyfriend."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "What does your dad do for a living?"

With a proud smile, I answered, "He's a fire chief in Austin, Texas."

Suddenly, Edward appeared worried. If he only knew my father, he would realize he had nothing to fret about. Although he had a tough exterior, my dad was a giant softie. I supposed he was much like Edward in that way—so, I believed they would get along perfectly.

"He sounds really cool," Edward responded, his voice strained.

"He is," I agreed. "And he'll love you, Edward."

Before I could prattle on about him, our waiter returned to our table with our entrees in his hand. As soon as our food was placed in front of us, we dug right in, previous conversation forgotten. After taking my first bite, I realized why the food was so expensive—it was divine. Everything about this night was divine—the food, the ambience… Edward. Edward, the man who seemed more like a dream than an actual person.

With his face in view, I barely noticed the scenery surrounding us. I barely noticed the darkening skies or the quietness around us. With him near, that was all my mind could focus on. Faintly, I heard the rain as it pattered against the window we were seated next to. The rain and then the thunder, as darkness descended. It was just past six o'clock in the evening, yet, as I peered outside, I found it looked as if it were midnight. I shuddered at the roar of the thunder, hoping the rain wouldn't ruin our perfect evening.

Edward reached across the table and took my hand. "Are you afraid of the storms, baby?" he asked.

With a flush, I shook my head. Edward's eyes judged my expression for a moment before he flagged down our waiter. I wanted to stay, but as I stared out the restaurants windows I thought if he didn't head home soon, we would never get there. The weather was already fierce, and it would probably only get worse from here. We quickly finished our food and our waiter brought us our check. Edward paid and left a generous tip. As soon as he finished signing his name on the receipt, my eyes darted back to the window, staring out at the harsh skies.

"Bella, everything will be okay," Edward said as he rubbed comforting circles with his thumb against my palm. I turned my gaze to him and he smiled at me. "Besides, you've got me to comfort you." He gave me a roguish grin.

"Sir," a voice interrupts us.

We both looked to find a worried hostess. Her eyes darted skittishly between Edward and me.

"A really bad storm moved from the west and some of the roads are beginning to flood. Our manager has made the decision to close early this evening. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you."

My eyes darted around the restaurant and found all that was left of the patrons were paying and heading out.

"That's fine," Edward said with an understanding smile. "We were just about to head out, anyway."

He stood up and walked around to help me out of my chair. Always the gentleman. While I didn't need his help, I smiled at the gesture and placed my hand in his as he led me to the door.

It was pouring by the time we reached the doors. The wind looked as violent as the rain as we paused to look. Edward looked outside in disbelief before he looked to me, giving me an apologetic grin.

"Just wait here and I'll pull the truck around and pick you up!" he yelled over the sound of the downpour as he zipped his leather jacket all the way up to his neck to protect his body from the bite of the autumn chill.

I knew he was being chivalrous, but I didn't feel like appeasing him. Not tonight. Tonight, I wanted to have fun. I wanted to feel alive in every possible way. So, I rolled my eyes at his suggestion and smiled at him.

"I'll be fine, Edward. Let's make a run for the truck together. It's not like you parked far away. I can see your truck from here."

He gave me a dubious look before he shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to argue with me. I giggled, excited to run out into the rain. I hadn't done so since I was a child and as I peered out into the night now, I found it seemed so freeing. I wanted to be my old self again. This just felt like another step. Edward took my hand and squeezed it as we both stared out at the downfall. It was beautiful as it pounded against the pavement in an unrelenting manner. I smiled. I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt as a memory flooded my mind.

"Sweetheart, I don't want you to catch a cold," Mom said as I pulled her toward the sliding doors leading to our backyard.

"Come on, Mommy! Just for a second! It's so fun," I insisted with a pout.

She looked at me and then looked at the rain before a smile lit up her features. "Okay, but we're only dancing for a little bit, understand?"

"A little bit," I repeated with a nod of my head.

She laughed and pulled open the sliding glass doors before we both darted out into the backyard. The rain tickled my cheeks as I laughed, staring up into the sky. We ran to the middle of the yard and paused. Mom smiled at me for a moment before she reached out to take my hands in hers. Humming a nameless tune, we began to dance under the rain. First, I tried to dance seriously but she made me laugh too much for that. After a few minutes we were wiggling around for the entire neighborhood to see. I couldn't stop laughing.

"Mommy! Mommy! Twirl me again! Again!"

She laughed before she picked me up off the ground and spun me in the air. We spun around again and again. She never let go. When she was breathless she paused and held me close as the rain continued to beat down on us.

"I love you, Mommy," I said into her hair before I threw my head back to let the rain hit my face.

"I love you, too, my little Bella." She paused for a moment and kissed my temple. "Stay like this forever. Promise me."

"I promise. Forever."

"On the count of three, we'll make a run for it together!" Edward yelled to me.

I threw my head back and giggled, feeling freer than ever.

"One! Two! Three!" We shouted before we took off into the night.

As I ran in the rain, like I had done many times as I small child, I couldn't control my laughter. I couldn't control the laughter or the tears which pricked my eyes and slid down my face. I thought of her, I thought of my past, and I thought of where I was now. I thought of how far I had come. She would be proud of me in this moment. She always wanted me to stay the same… And then, I had an epiphany. I had stayed the same. Through all the shit, through all the darkness, I was still the same Isabella Elizabeth Swan. I was still the girl my mother loved. I was still the same girl my family loved. I was still the same girl I loved. As I ran in the rain, I realized I had never changed. I had been lost, but I had never forgotten myself.

Through the downpour, I turned to look at Edward, only to find he was staring back at me. His eyes were warm with passion and lust. I wanted him. If we took things further tonight, I would never regret it. I was finally ready to move forward. I wanted to continue to discover myself all over again.

I could barely contain my lust as we reached his truck. He opened the passenger door and helped me slip inside. He tried to play the role of the polite gentleman, but his gaze wandered over my body. I tried to imagine what I must look like now that my already tight dress my wet and molded to my body like a second skin. My nipples were puckered against the fabric as my body yearned for him. His hands roamed my body and came to rest on my hips before he gave them a light squeeze. I moaned at the contact. The noise was quickly silenced as Edward smashed his lips against mine, soaking up my passion. The rain poured down on us, soaking the upholstery of his truck, but he didn't seem to care—he was too wrapped up in me. I was thankful for that because all I could ever want was this moment.

Lightening struck the ground and caused me to nearly jump from my seat, effectively breaking the kiss. I sulked for a moment as Edward let go and closed my passenger door before jogging around the front of the truck to slip into the driver's seat. As he closed the door, my gaze shot down to my outfit and a laugh escaped my lips. I was completely drenched head to toe and found that I had never looked better. I straightened up to look in the rearview mirror and found my makeup was smeared across my face. I giggled as I abandoned my reflection to look at Edward. The wolfish look in his eyes nearly took my breath away. His eyes were so lust-filled that I found myself melting against the damp upholstery of my seat. His eyes were on my breasts as they heaved against the fabric of my dress. I tried to regulate my breathing, but it was useless. I couldn't recall the last time I felt so amorous—so incredibly horny. Edward's tongue darted out to lick his lips and I nearly lost it. My panties became just as wet as my clothes.

I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to run my hands along the panes of his body. I wanted to lick every inch of his skin, paying extra special attention to his ink. I wanted to feel my mouth wrapped around his cock. I wanted to climb across the center console and hike up my dress before I unzipped his fly and impaled myself onto him. Looking down, I found his cock was hard and straining against the fabric of his dress pants. It looked so thick and generous. My hands inched to touch it. I wanted to see if I could wrap my entire hand around his thick cock or if that would be too much of a struggle. The energy in the air seemed to crackle around us and our eyes met.

Silently, we asked ourselves if we were really doing this before we answered with a kiss. Our lips pressed desperately together again as I brushed my breasts against the hardness of his chest. His soft lips tasted amazing and his tongue felt better than any of my wild fantasies suggested. He had kissed me before, of course, but this was far different. As the rain beat down around us, shielding us from the outside world, I fell deeper in love than I ever imagined possible. His lips made love to mine and soon, the rest of his body would, too.