Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter Forty-Six

She looked more beautiful than I had ever seen before.

Her squirming and panting and moaning...

All of it.

I admitted I cared about her. I'm sure she already knew, but I had to tell her just to make sure. She was shaking and I wanted her to be calm; I wanted her to feel sure. I didn't want her to be hesitant about us.

Because I was not hesitant in the least.

I was in love with Bella.

It was so embarrassingly obvious, too. When Emmett merely mentioned her name last week, I spilled what I was pouring and he stared at me like I was an imbecile. I heard from someone at work that Ben Cheney was asking around about her and I practically had a coronary right there.

It would have been so easy to admit my feelings, but I had to stop myself. I didn't want to cheapen my declaration by telling her for the first time while I was inside her.

She deserved better than that.

Bella deserved everything.

I blurted out that I wanted her to stay; I didn't want her to leave me. The words were out of my mouth before I could even register what I was saying.

She didn't know what she was agreeing to, but she agreed anyway.

I didn't want her for just the night, no. If Renee tried to leave, I would have to convince Bella to stay with me.

It was that simple.

I was being selfish for the first time in my life, but I couldn't care.

I had tried contacting Charlie two weeks ago to no avail. I had Jasper help me track down his number, knowing he wouldn't mention it to Alice. Her father hadn't called me back, but I couldn't blame him. I was very vague just in case I had the wrong number.

From what Bella had said though, Renee had been doing a little better recently. Every time I seemed to bring up Renee, Bella would shut down. Not completely, but I could tell it wasn't something she really wanted to talk about. Which was understandable. She already told me what I needed to hear; anything else was beating a dead horse.

I pushed thoughts of her mother out of my head and slept peaceful, easy knowing Bella was safe beside me.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I felt her body stir behind me. She was pressed up against my back and I turned over to face her.

"Bella," I mumbled and opened my eyes.

But it wasn't Bella; it was Renee.

My first thought was to scream, demand to know the whereabouts of Bella. But all Renee did was laugh, not giving me a chance to speak.

I sat there in shock until I saw the knife in her hand. I tried to tell her to leave. I tried to leave the bed, but I couldn't move.

And then I sat up in a panic and could finally hear my voice as I blinked furiously and looked around the room.

"Shit!" I screamed, causing Bella to wake next to me.

She sat up and asked what was wrong. "You're sweating," she said and tried leaving the bed.

I grabbed her wrist. "No. Stay."

"I'm just going to get you a cold cloth, Edward," she explained slowly and I let go.

She returned with water and a cold cloth. "Nightmare?" she asked quietly as she dabbed the cloth on my forehead, neck, chest.

"Something like that."

"Want to talk about it?" she pulled the blankets off my legs.

I watched her for a second. "Come here," I whispered.

She scooted closer and I pulled her under my arm.

"Look at you, taking care of me," I teased.

"You'd do the same." She looked up and kissed me.

"You're right. I would," I said against her lips. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

I rubbed her arm a few times and said, "Look at me for a second."

Bella sat up and stared at me in confusion.

"I love you," I confessed.

She stared back, not reacting at all. I began rubbing her arm again and looked away.

"Oh. Also, I have to go out of town next week." I began rambling. "Just for three days, but there's this trade show in San Antonio I have to attend. It's going to be so boring. The group I went with last year wanted to check out the River Walk afterward and-"

"Edward. Shut up."

I looked up and saw her smiling. "Why?"

"Me too," she admitted.

"You're going to a trade show in San Antonio, too?" I teased, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of me.

"No." She pushed my arm. "I love you, too."

"You sure?" I asked before pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'm positive," she whispered, crawling on top of me.

"What are you trying to do to me?" I asked, feeling myself grow hard as she rolled her hips against mine.

"Mm."

I kissed her neck and frantically removed her underwear and my shirt she was wearing.

"Only you," I murmured as she pulled my boxers down.

"You love me." She laughed in disbelief as I rolled the condom on.

"I do," I said roughly and laid her on her back. "I do."

I reached between us, feeling how wet and ready she was for me.

"Please," she begged.

I kissed her and felt her scratch my back as I slowly pushed into her, making this right.

Making her mine.

Showing her just how much I do love her.

We didn't get much sleep.

At all.

The alarm on her phone sounded around eight in the morning, and I groaned.

"Don't go," I mumbled as I felt the bed move.

"I have to get ready," she yawned. "And don't tell me to get ready here because I don't think your mom would appreciate me showing up to work in your clothes."

I opened one eye and smiled. "You know me too well."

Bella kissed my neck and said, "I'll leave the check for you on the kitchen table, okay?"

"Shouldn't I be paying you?" I teased and received a slap against my chest. I sat up and squeezed her hand. "I was joking. You know I was joking."

"I know." She laughed lightly and stared at me sweetly. "You really have to go out of town next week?"

Running a hand through my hair, I smiled at her disappointment. "Only for three days. Maybe you could just come with me? I bet my mom would give you time off."

Bella shook her head. "I probably shouldn't. You know..."

Yeah. I knew.

Renee.

"It's fine. I don't really love you anymore, but yeah," I joked.

"You think you're so funny this morning, don't you?" Bella scolded with a smirk. "I really do have to go now."

"I really do love you."

Her gaze softened and she whispered quietly, "I know. It was kind of obvious."

"Oh, was it?" I pulled her closer, tickling her side.

"Okay, okay! Stop! This isn't fair," she shrieked through laughter, trying to pull out of my grip.

"Fine. Leave me," I pouted before giving her a kiss goodbye.

"I'll see you for lunch."

I couldn't wait.

I wanted her.

I'd have to seek out her father in person.

A/N: Just some fluff for your day. Thanks for reading!