Two

BPOV

—

I Love You

—

I raised my arms above my head, arching my back as I stretched. My eyes popped open when I heard a deep chuckle.

Suddenly, I remembered I wasn't in my bed back at the dorms. Honestly, it was a rare occurrence that I spent the night on campus anymore.

The first night we met, we'd spent hours talking and had clicked almost immediately. We liked most of the same music and movies and shared most of the same values. But we definitely differed in certain places. He loved being the center of attention, he loved the rush of being on stage. Me? I'd rather hide in the shadows, just taking it all in. I didn't mind living vicariously through others.

He'd been completely honest with me. He'd told me how he'd been in a long-term relationship and that it had ended badly. He wasn't sure if he could give me more than just the one night.

I could easily understand his feelings. I wasn't sure what I could give him either. Although for me, it was because—unlike Edward—I'd never had a relationship that lasted for more than a few days or weeks. Seattle was the first place that I'd ever laid down any sort of roots.

But after a few weeks of being with him, things felt different from the relationships I'd had in the past. Every time I heard his voice or saw his face, butterflies erupted in my belly. And for him, even though he still tried to say he wasn't ready to commit to anything serious, his actions spoke louder than his words.

He had me over multiple times a week and brought me with him to band rehearsals where I'd met all his band mates. He invited me to every show they played on the weekends, making sure anything I needed was put on his tab. On the nights that we didn't go back to his place, he always made sure I got home safe. And during the week, if we weren't together, we spent most of our time texting.

It was the first time in a long while that I'd felt wanted and taken care of.

I glanced over to where Edward lay, a smirk on his lips.

He wrapped an arm around my waist, rolling onto his side and pulling me against him. His teeth grazed my earlobe, sending a shiver through me. "Good morning," he whispered.

I could feel his cock, hard and ready, against my thigh. I squirmed against him and he let out a deep groan before nipping at my neck. He sucked the skin at my pulse point, trying to leave his mark.

"Just how long have you been laying there watching me?"

His hands drifted down my back, cupping my ass and giving it a firm squeeze. "A while."

"You know I've got class in an hour—"

He went back to attacking my neck with his lips, humming against the skin there. "I can be quick."

I let out a squeal as he rolled onto his back and pulled me on top of him. His fingers dug into the flesh at my waist as he ground up against me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that something you really want to boast about? That you're capable of being a minute-man?"

"Don't you test me, little girl," he growled, and I felt it throughout my body. "I'll show you exactly what I can do in a minute."

I gasped as he slipped a hand between us, finding and circling my clit with his thumb. It hadn't taken him long to deduce exactly how to work my body. My breath came in quick pants as he continued his ministrations.

"That's it, that's my girl. You're right there, aren't you?"

"Yes, daddy." I whimpered between gasping breaths.

"Come for me, then."

I loved it when he took charge and told me what to do, and my body couldn't help but react to his words. I cried out as my orgasm shot through me, and I fell limp onto his chest.

He stroked his hands up and down my back as he murmured in my ear. "How's that for a minute-man?"

"Fucking perfect."

"Good, now lift up and get on my cock," he demanded, landing a slap on my ass.

—

He stood in the bathroom doorway, watching as I dried my hair. Initially, I'd been surprised that he had a blow dryer, but then again it made sense with the length of his hair.

"Are you free after your last class?"

I switched off the dryer and set it on the counter. "Yeah, I don't have plans tonight. I need to find some time to study, though."

I watched as he ran his hand through his hair, a seemingly nervous look on his face. "I hoped we could grab dinner together tonight? I've been wanting to talk to you about something."

My stomach twisted into knots. I knew exactly what that meant. I'd said those words too many times to not know what was coming. And here I thought things were different with him.

I walked from the bathroom into the bedroom. Collecting the few items I had lying around, I stuffed them into my overnight bag. I refused to look at him; I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes. I'd tried so hard for all of these weeks to remain as unattached as I could, but I'd failed.

For the first time, I was in love.

"I'll get my things and be out of here—"

Grabbing my wrist, he stopped me. He turned me to face him, shifting my gaze so that I was looking up at him. "Bella, baby, what are you doing?"

"You said you wanted to talk, and I know what that means. I've overstayed my welcome and you're done."

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that what it means? Because to me, it has a completely different meaning. I wanted to take you out to a nice dinner. After that I was hoping that we could come back here—and if I was able to find my balls—I was going to tell you I love you."

I didn't even attempt to stop my tears from falling this time. "You love me?" I whispered.

He nodded, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. "More than I ever thought possible."