A/N: Thanks to my usual girls for their help with this chapter!

Also, I would like to give a little rec. If you haven't already, check out Lunaeclipse17 stories. She's absolutely amazing, and she writes a sexy crazy, dark, possessive, and naughty Edward as well! Luna, thanks for being such a great cheerleader for my Edward :)

In celebration of reaching 50 chapters, let's try to get this story to 500 reviews? We're so close and I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thank you to every single person reading this, following and who has reviewed. You guys inspire me to write every day! Enjoy the story :)

~Love makes the wildest spirits tame, and the tamest spirits wild~

I've thought long and hard after talking to Charlie. I'm scared shitless, but I need to take a chance and see if Edward is willing to make amends with Jake so that we can hang out at the Res. They're the only friends I have, and we need to have more people in our life if we want this relationship to work. If we only have each other to depend on and keep isolated, we'll just bury ourselves deeper into a hole that we won't be able to climb out of. We need to have a healthy, functioning relationship; that requires more than our obsessive infatuation.

I know Edward hates most people and is afraid to let them in, but he needs friends. He needs other people to socialize with other than his family, other than me. It'll be a long, lonely life if he doesn't build relationships with other people.

If he got to know my friends better, he would enjoy their company. They're just like us. The kids that aren't socially accepted. The ones you don't have to pretend around. The ones that won't judge you.

The deeper I get to know Edward, the more I'm discovering. I can tell that he's genuinely a good person with the biggest heart and would do anything for the ones he loves. He has a fun side and a sense of humor hiding under all that brooding, insufferable anger and the facade he's building around himself. I'm sure he has every reason for his hostility as well.

We're taking a walk down a trail near my house. The weather is beautiful, the breeze blowing through my hair and the warm sun beaming down on us. The flowers are in bloom, and lush green trees surround us. The smell is fantastic, something that can never be bottled.

We actually look like a cute, romantic couple for once, the ones you see in the movies, going for a stroll, our hands clasped together. Although Edward still has that forbidding, rugged, bad-boy vibe to him that I like so much. The look I fell for. His hood is up, hiding his face, just a glimpse of his steely eyes, tattoos peeking out beneath his collar and sleeves, and his unapproachable, expressionless face is visible when people pass—his guard is always up.

My palms are sweating at the thought of having this discussion with Edward. I really don't want us to fight, but I also don't want us to fall into the same toxic pattern as before. Things have to change, and I'm not going to lose my voice or cower to him. I need to stand up for myself—for us. We need to discuss our concerns and express ourselves like adults.

We've been doing so well for the past week since we've made up. I'm noticing a change in Edward. He hasn't raised his voice or overreacted, and he doesn't deflect my questions as much as before. He's trying and is an absolutely amazing boyfriend.

I'm nervously swinging our hands, trying to muster up the words I need to say.

"What's wrong?" Edward asks. He can read me so well. He can always tell when something's on my mind.

"Um... uh, nothing. Why do you think that?" I stutter.

Oh my God, I really am like Charlie. This feels like a repeat of the conversation I had with him last night, but instead, I'm the one being interrogated.

"Your hands are sweating, and you're fidgeting. Talk to me," Edward replies softly, concern lacing his voice. I hope he stays calm.

Fuck Bella, just get it out. No secrets.

I take a deep breath, trying to gain some courage. "Ok, before you freak out, just hear me out. Jake spoke with my Dad, and he told him that he wants to forget what happened, so we can still hang around with them." There, I said it. I'm staring at my feet as we keep on walking, waiting for an outburst.

Instead, I'm met with silence. That's not necessarily a good thing either, right?

I become anxious and try to explain myself better as I start rambling. "If you don't want me to see Jake, it's fine. I know it makes you uncomfortable that I used to um... sleep with him," I cringe at my words. I'm probably just making Edward angrier by reminding him. "But babe, you have to believe me that I would never do anything with him or anyone else—ever again."

I just couldn't. I can't. He's it for me. I only want him because what I feel when I'm with Edward? I've never felt this way before. " I ended things with him way before I even met you, and I've never liked Jake in that way, even before you came into my life. It was just a means to an end. That's why I ended it with him, it didn't feel right. I only did it cause it was a fucked up time in my life, and I used sex to feel something, to numb the pain. I felt safe with him rather than to hook up with someone random." I'm speaking so fast, barely taking a breath between words. It's making me feel lightheaded.

I clear my throat before I continue. "I don't know how else to prove to you that I would never cheat and that no one will ever make me feel the way you do. You've seriously ruined me for all other men and never have to worry. You're the first person I've ever loved. I've never seen a future with anyone except for you."

I know that I shouldn't choose my boyfriend over my friends, but I would if he wanted me to. I can't lose him, and I already feel kind of shitty asking him to be friends with someone I used to fuck. I don't even know how I would deal with it if the situation were reversed.

"Yeah, Bella that's fi—"

I'm so worked up, my thoughts and emotions all over the place. I don't even pay attention to what he's saying and interrupt him. "You're right. Forget I even said anything. It's not fair to ask you of that. I would be so pissed if you still wanted to be friends with a girl you used to fuck."

Edward comes to a sudden stop, pulling me back by my hand. He covers my mouth with his hand to shut me up. "Baby, calm down. Listen to me rather than just assuming what I'm going to say. I want to try for you. I can't make any promises, but I will try. I know that they're important to you. I want you to be happy, and I want you to have your friends in your life. As much as I wouldn't mind keeping you only with me forever, I know it's not healthy." Once he moves his hand away from my mouth, he holds both of my hands between his, his thumbs caressing them, soothing me.

He moves his hands to hold my face in his firm grip and bends down to kiss me. "Don't expect me to be best friends with Jake though. I'll come with you and see how it is. To show you how hard I'm fucking trying and how much I love you, but if he tries to make a move on you and doesn't respect our relationship, I won't be afraid to knock him on his ass again." His voice changes from soft to arrogant. "Plus, you've made it pretty clear that you don't want Jake in that way. I mean, you did stop sleeping with him before you even met me, so he must've been a really bad fuck. He looks like it too, and you'd be crazy to want anyone else's cock after you've had mine. No one can fuck you and make you shatter and scream like I do." He moves his hands from my cheeks to around the back of my neck, beneath my hair and squeezes, with a cocky grin on his face.

Whoa, hold the fuck up. What happened to my Edward? Not that I don't love this one, but I'm shocked. Losing me must've really scared him, for him to be ok with this. I was not expecting that.

"Whoa, what the fuck happened to you? Are you okay?" I don't answer in the most elegant way after everything he's just said to me, but I was not expecting this.

Edward gives a small chuckle. "I want to trust you, so I'm giving you this. I know I freaked out last time, and I'm not gonna lie, I don't know if I'll be able to handle it, but I will give it a shot—for you. I can't resent you for who you slept with and what you did before you met me. God knows I was no saint before I met you. I'm not going to fuck our relationship up and have you resent me if you can't see your only friends." I'm loving this rational side of him, where we can calmly talk about our feelings.

"I only slept with three guys—Jake being one, and Leah before I met you. Jake may tease me but believe me, he's over me. He's seeing some new chick anyway, and it seems pretty serious. Jake just likes to annoy me because he knows I'm not into him, but I will tell him to back off with the jokes if we hang out. He isn't a disrespectful guy and won't mess with you like that. He's immature, but he respects people," I confide in him—no more secrets. Everything's out in the open. He's trusting me, and I will never break his trust again.

Edward really didn't have anything to worry about. Jake and Leah were harmless, I may have hooked up with them in the past, but it worked for us because it was strictly no strings attached, no jealousy, no commitment— and that's when I was single. Things are entirely different now.

"You would fucking hate me if you knew the things I did back home. I can't blame you for something that you did before you met me, as long as you don't give me a reason to doubt you or break my trust." His eyes are so open, so honest—so trusting.

It makes me emotional because I could imagine how hard it must be for him, considering he does have trust issues since his ex cheated on him. This just proves how much he's changing, and my love for him grows impossibly more.

I squeal and jump at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing all over his face. "I love you so much baby. You don't understand how much this means to me. We can always hang out for one night, and if you don't like it, I won't push you to go out with them anymore." My voice waivers as my eyes sting with tears. "I seriously don't ever want to be with anyone else ever again. When we were broken up, just the thought of being with someone else made me sick. No one will ever make me feel the way you do."

"Ditto, baby." He caresses my bottom lip with his thumb before he leans in and captures my mouth with his; so much passion, love, and faith in that kiss.

Edward doesn't give himself enough credit. He always makes it seem like he's damaged beyond repair, but I don't believe that. There are not many men out there who would put their pride aside and change their behavior to please someone else. Even though many people think he's a man with no soul or feelings, he has more than any person in this town. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky with him. I've never felt happier.