Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing around with them.

Lots of thanks to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty, and to anhanninen and xxluvCarlisleEsmexx for prereading.


EPOV

Dad had suggested we wait and rest a few days after Bella told us her story before doing anything, but we had now been waiting three weeks. Bella wanted to find her parents, but she wasn't ready yet. We were all trying to focus on what she needed, though I was more than ready to hunt down those good for nothing fuckers who had hurt her, and most of the family seemed to feel the same way.

Bella, however, had told me one night while we sat and watched TV together that she just needed to be normal for a while, whatever that meant. I tried my best to support her decision, and so far it seemed to be working. She was about as happy as she had been before the night she ran, maybe even happier.

I was pretty sure I was part of the reason she was this happy. We still spent a lot of time together, and being best friends was comfortable for both of us. We could sit and just be when we were together — or at least when we weren't being interrupted by Lucy — and it was just . . . easy.

But another part of her happiness was thanks to Mom and Dad. They had continued to reassure her that she and Lucy were safe, that we were all safe, and that it would be next to impossible for those people to ever find her again. Slowly, she was relaxing and didn't panic as much anymore.

Last week, she'd even felt comfortable enough to go back to work with us. I'd offered to be her bodyguard and stay with her, but I was kind of glad she'd said she'd be fine without me all day.

Thanks to taxes, I barely had time to breathe at work and the past couple of days, I had missed dinner. I loved and hated it. I loved the numbers and triple checking to make sure everything was getting filed correctly. I loved the responsibility and knowing it was up to me to keep the finances of the company in order. It was what I'd trained for all along, and I honestly enjoyed putting it to good use. But now, I hated not being able to spend time with Bella or even relax by myself.

I was ready for something different, and a plan formed in my head as I drove home at the ridiculous time of eight-thirty. I'd pushed myself because it was Friday and I didn't want to spend another week dealing with that shit. All I needed to do was go over everything once more on Monday, and I'd be done. But first, I was going to enjoy my weekend.

The kitchen was empty when I walked in, but I heard noise in the living room as I heated up the plate of food that'd been left for me in the microwave. As I poured a glass of tea, little footsteps came up behind me and a small body attached itself to my legs.

"Hey, Lucy," I said without even looking behind me. "What are you doing?"

"Hey, Eddard!" She giggled, squeezing my legs. "Eddard home! Up me!"

I picked her up as she asked, and she immediately threw her arms around my neck to hug me. I patted her back and let her chatter away as I finished putting together my dinner. As I grabbed a fork out of the drawer, she yawned loudly in my ear which reminded me of the time.

"Hey, kid, why aren't you in bed?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously in case she had escaped. I wasn't sure what time she went to bed every night, but Bella was usually hanging out with me in my room by this time. And Lucy was wearing one of those fuzzy outfits she slept in, this one with sleeping owls on the feet. Weird.

"It night night time," she told me, nodding slowly, eyes wide. "I see Eddard. Go night night."

She kept babbling on, but luckily Bella walked into the room just as I was getting confused.

"Hi. I see she found you." She smiled as she came to give me a hug. "She just wanted to see you before she went to sleep. Okay, Luce. Give Edward hugs and kisses, and let's go to bed."

Lucy squeezed my neck, and I winced as she placed a wet kiss on my cheek. "Night night, Eddard. Love you all much!"

"Night, Lucy," I said, trying to pass her off to Bella, but she wouldn't move until I kissed her cheek in return.

"I'll come back when she's in bed?" Bella asked, and I nodded. I needed to talk to her anyway because hopefully my plans would involve her.

Once my dinner was heated, I took it and my drink to the table and dug in. I was starving after being so late, but Mom's pot roast and mashed potatoes hit the spot. My plate was almost clean by the time Bella came back into the room which she noticed right away. Instead of coming to sit with me, she went over to the counter. I couldn't see what she was doing, but when she came to the table with a huge piece of the german chocolate cake she'd made yesterday, I was ready to bow at her feet.

"You're amazing," I told her as she set the cake beside my plate. "Seriously." She'd brought me a piece up to my room for a late night snack last night, and it was basically the food form of heaven. I was thankful Emmett hadn't been over since she made it so there was plenty left.

She blushed and shrugged, sitting beside me. "You said you loved it last night, so I figured you deserved a lot of it tonight. You've been working really hard."

"Yeah, well. It's just the time of the year, but it's almost over."

"Good. So you won't be working late next week?"

I shook my head as I chewed and swallowed my last bite of dinner. "Not if I can help it. I'm tired of being in that office. And I was wondering if you wanted to get out with me tomorrow? Get some lunch and see a movie or something? I just need a break."

As much as I loved my room, I was getting tired of it, too. Lately, I only saw it or my office, and I wanted to plan something to do, just to get out for a while and not think about numbers or work or anything important. Food and a movie seemed like the best idea, and I hoped Bella would want to go with me. Thankfully, she nodded right away.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. As long as someone doesn't mind watching Lucy."

I snorted, raising a brow as I looked at her. "Yeah because that's been a huge problem before." Everyone in the family loved the kid. They'd probably all be lining up to babysit.

"Well, I still have to ask," Bella replied, then bit her lip as she smiled. "Is it weird that I'm excited? I mean, I've never gone out like this without being really scared something would happen. But you'll . . . you'll protect me, right? I believe your mom and dad, but . . . "

"No buts," I said, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it lightly. "I promise it'll be completely safe, but yes, I'll protect you. And I don't think it's weird because I'm excited too."

We both needed a break, me from work and Bella from worrying about things she didn't need to.

"Good," she sighed, relaxing as she leaned her head against my shoulder. "Thank you for inviting me."

"No big deal," I mumbled as I put the first bite of chocolate cake in my mouth, moaning at the perfection. "Thank you for baking this. Jesus."

She giggled as I talked with my mouth full, but I couldn't help it. This cake was the perfect start to the weekend, but I hoped it would only get better.

.

The next morning, I slept in and took my time before going downstairs just because I could. I was late for breakfast, but not so late that I missed out on food. There was a blueberry muffin waiting for me on the counter, so I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to enjoy it.

As I ate, everything was quiet which was a little weird. It was normal for someone to be in the kitchen when I was, but no one was around. No Mom, no Dad, no Bella. Even Lucy wasn't bothering me.

After I put my plate in the sink, I headed down the hall to look for some sign of life. I didn't get too far before I heard noise coming from the stairs. I'd already passed them so I turned and went back, and what I found explained the quiet. Mom, Bella, and Lucy were all on their way down.

I mainly focused my attention on Bella. She looked . . . really pretty. It wasn't the first time I'd noticed. Since the banquet, I'd been paying more attention when I saw her every day at work but also at home too. Seeing well-dressed women at work wasn't rare — we all dressed professionally, after all — but there was just something about Bella. She was prettier . . . more real. And today in her tight jeans, sweater, and curled hair there was no different because my favorite part was how she looked at me.

"Hi," she said with a smile as she met me at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded, not able to say anything at first. After a moment, I shook my head to clear it and took her hand. "I am if you are."

"I am. Just let me tell Lucy bye."

While she hugged Lucy, I went to grab our coats. The weather was slowly starting to improve from the harsh winter we'd had, but it was still a far cry from summer. And since that night, I hated the thoughts of Bella being cold.

She accepted her coat with the smile still on her face, and as she put it on, I didn't get to escape my own goodbye hugs from Lucy. When she was satisfied, I passed her over to my mother and led Bella to the door. I was maybe rushing but I was ready to get away and if we stayed much longer, someone would need something. I could almost guarantee it.

"We'll be fine," Mom promised, waving to us from the door. "You two just enjoy yourselves and don't worry about a thing. I know Lucy is going to have lots of fun here with her Nona and Granddad."

Lucy definitely seemed excited about Mom's plan, but I wasn't so sure about Bella. I waved one last time before getting into the car, but Bella sighed as she did the same.

"Is . . . everything okay?" I asked as I started my car. "Do you not want to go?"

Bella shook her head quickly, looking over at me. "Oh no, I want to go. I'm still really excited. I just . . . " her voice got softer, "I just haven't left Lucy before except . . ."

I reached over and grabbed her hand again, knowing what she was meaning. The night she tried to leave. As if I could ever forget that either. "We'll be back in a few hours. And you can call and check on them, if you want."

She squeezed my hand, taking a deep breath. "I know. I'll be okay. She'll have fun, and so will we. So where are we going first?"

"Lunch?" I asked, eyeing her cautiously. I wasn't so sure how okay she actually was, but since she wasn't jumping out of the car as we left the driveway and headed toward town, I guessed she was okay enough. "I wanted to take you to one of my favorite places. Treat you to a Chicago favorite."

"Sounds perfect," she agreed and her smile returned. "I'd love to see your favorite places."

The rest of the drive went back to our usual sense of ease. I told her about some of my other favorite places in the city, and Bella seemed excited to eventually visit them too. The idea made me happy too — happier than I expected it would. Suddenly I couldn't wait to show her everything I'd enjoyed here growing up and why I put up with the shitty winters to stay.

Our conversation made the drive go quickly and soon I was parking in a free spot in the tiny strip mall parking lot. If Bella was surprised, she didn't show it as we got out of the car. That was different. The first time I'd come here with Mom and Alice, they thought I'd gotten the address wrong.

Bella simply took my hand as we walked inside the little family owned hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The scent of Italian seasoning hit us as soon as we were in the door, and Bella squeezed my hand.

"Pizza?"

I nodded. "I know it doesn't look like much, but this place has the best deep dish pizza I've ever had." Honestly, I preferred thin crust if I had to chose, but this seemed fitting for Bella's first real outing in the city.

"I'm sure it's great, Edward." Her smile was wide as she glanced around the small room. "Thanks for bringing me here."

I shrugged as my heartburn returned, before I'd even eaten anything. I was going to have to ask Dad about this as soon as we got home. And since I didn't have any Tums, I knew I'd just have to grin and bear it. I wasn't going to miss out on this pizza.

Bella and I looked at the menu together, and though she said we could split whatever I wanted, I made sure to pick something she'd actually enjoy.

After grabbing our drinks, we found a free spot. It was fairly crowded so we had to sit at a small table, but that was okay with me. It meant I had Bella right by my side and could keep my arm around her. She didn't have to tell me that the crowd made her nervous, but she seemed better if we sat this way. That worked for me.

Twenty minutes later, our pepperoni and sausage pizza was delivered to our table. I wasted no time before digging in, making Bella laugh. She chose to eat her slice a bit more carefully, but either way, we both got the job done without too much of a mess.

I talked Bella into sharing one of their homemade chocolate chip cookies, then we boxed up the leftover pieces and headed back to the car.

"That was so good," Bella bragged once we were seated in the car. "Thanks again for bringing me. That's the best pizza I've ever had."

"Glad you liked it," I said with a grin. "Though we probably should have saved room for popcorn at the movies."

She groaned softly, shaking her head. "Don't mention more food yet. Maybe when we get there."

Chuckling, I nodded and drove to the closest theater in the area. It wasn't my favorite theater — I preferred the ones with bars and reclining seats — but it was nice enough. I was pretty sure Bella had only been to a movie theater one other time so I couldn't really go wrong.

As we walked up to the counter to get our tickets, I realized I had no idea what we were going to see or if there was a show time this afternoon. My second question was answered soon enough after a quick scan through the titles. Most of them had times within the next hour so that wouldn't be an issue. But I still had no idea which we would pick.

There was an action movie playing that had caught my attention while watching TV at home, but it didn't seem like Bella's kind of movie. Sure, she usually let me pick the channel in my room, but today I wanted to make sure she was happy with the choice. For whatever reason, I just needed her to have a good time today.

"So what looks good?" I asked as she looked over the titles, biting her lip the whole time.

"Umm . . . I'm not sure?" She looked at me and the same overwhelmed look was there that she'd had when first meeting my family. Shit.

"Well . . .nothing scary, right?" She shook her head. "And maybe not too much action. Cartoon?"

"Maybe with Lucy?" she suggested. Her face was starting to look calmer, so maybe I was getting somewhere.

"Hmm. . . okay. Well there's one based on a book but I don't think either of us have read it. How about that princessy looking one?" It definitely wasn't my first, second, or third choice, but it seemed like our safest bet. It was labeled as a drama so maybe it wouldn't be too ridiculous for me, and hopefully Bella would like it.

"Are you sure?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "If you don't want to see it, we can pick something else."

"No, it's fine," I assured her. "It could be good. So wanna go with it?"

She agreed so I went up and bought our tickets. It didn't start for another forty five minutes so Bella used the time to call and check on Lucy while I got us some popcorn and sodas. Just because we weren't hungry now didn't mean we could see a movie without popcorn.

Bella hung up the phone just as I finished getting our snacks, and we went ahead and gave the ushers our tickets to tear and found our assigned theater.

"So how's Lucy?" I asked as we picked seats and began situating our food and drinks. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, your mom said she's fine. They had lunch and now they're watching Dora. I could hear your dad in the background, talking back to the TV." She laughed as I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I watched the show with Lucy — more times than I wanted to admit — but there was no way I'd ever participate. Sometimes Dad took things too far.

We continued talking quietly until the lights started dimming. Bella then raised the armrest between us and scooted closer to me. I immediately lifted my arm, placing it around her as we assumed our usual movie watching position. The only thing missing was a blanket, but this was still good.

The movie actually wasn't as terrible as I was expecting. It wouldn't be joining my collection or anything but it was okay. I even laughed a few times, but the best part was watching Bella. I hadn't planned on watching her, but after a few minutes, I couldn't stop myself.

I'd never seen anyone so involved while watching a movie. She watched with wide eyes the whole time. If something good happened, she'd sit forward a little. If something sad happened, she'd sigh and sit back. If something scary or surprising happened, she'd jump and scoot a little closer to me.

But the best parts were the funny parts — when she'd laugh and turn to look at me with a huge smile. Seeing her happy made me happy. It was a strange feeling but a good strange.

Bella cried a little at the end, when it was revealed that the girl's father was still alive and had been the beast, but she was smiling too so I just let her be. After the dance number at the end, she was tear free so I assumed I made the right choice.

"So did you like it?" I asked Bella as we walked out of the theater. I figured I knew the answer based on her reactions, but I wanted to hear her say it.

"Oh, Edward," she gasped, gripping my arm tightly. "That was . . . that was . . . wow. I've seen a movie in a place like this before, but I don't remember it being this good. I really loved it. Thank you for bringing me here and picking that movie. It was just . . . so good."

I chuckled a little at her excitement, but really, I couldn't have been happier. My original plan had been to just get out of the house and kill some time, but this had been even better.

After stopping by the restrooms, we began the short walk back to the car. I kept Bella close to my side since the sun was almost down and I knew she didn't like being out at night. She seemed fine though, but I still did it just in case.

The drive home was mostly quiet and comfortable. Every few minutes, Bella would remember something from the movie and we talked or laughed about it. Too soon, we were pulling into the driveway. I didn't want our time to end, but I knew Bella wanted to spend time with Lucy now.

"I had a great time," Bella said as we walked toward the door. "Thank you for taking me." She stopped suddenly, making me stop with her, and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Thanks for going with me," I said as I returned her hug. "I had a good time too."

"Maybe . . . we can do it again sometime?" She stepped back, looking up at me hopefully.

"Sure. It's pretty nice to get out of the house." I loved hanging out in my own space at home, but today had been better than I'd thought it would be. Maybe there was something to this whole getting out thing. Or at least there was with Bella. "Maybe we'll do something different next time."

She smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

I definitely wouldn't have minded talking out here for a while longer, but of course, the small one had other plans. The door suddenly opened, and there were Mom and Lucy, who immediately squealed for Bella. As the three of them got reacquainted as if they'd been apart for days, I slowly followed them into the house.

I was tempted to go straight up to my room but instead I continued following them into the living room. Dad was there too and we all sat together as Bella told them all about what we did, and Lucy gave her version of their day. That ended with Lucy playing in my lap until dinner time but I couldn't complain. I'd had too good of a day for that.

After we ate, Bella took Lucy upstairs to give her a bath, but we agreed to meet in my room as usual once the kid was in bed. I was going to head up to check some basketball scores in the meantime, but Dad stopped me.

"Can we talk, son?" he asked. I was immediately suspicious that it was something about Bella, which he could tell. "It's nothing bad. I promise. My office?"

I nodded and we walked down the hallway together. Once we were in his office, he gestured for the couch so I took a seat.

"What's up?" Even if it wasn't anything bad, I still wondered what we needed to talk about privately.

"Well . . . I just wanted to talk to you. Check in." He moved the chair from behind his desk to come sit over by me. "So you had a nice day with Bella?"

"Yeah it was good." I shrugged. "Pizza and a movie. She said she had a good time too."

"Good. That's good." He nodded a few times, almost to himself, and then sighed. That was weird.

"Is something wrong, Dad?" I asked cautiously. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

He took a deep breath, letting it out quickly as he rubbed his hands against the top of his legs and made eye contact with me. "Well . . . honestly, Edward, I'm not really sure how to say this. Your mom and I were just wondering . . . well . . . we've noticed you and Bella like to spend time together — a lot of time together. We're completely supportive of this, but I just wanted to make sure you know she's not like other women you've previously . . . spent time with. This is a bit unorthodox considering you're my son, but Bella is like a daughter to us, and we want to make sure you know she's different."

"Uhh okay?" Why was he telling me this? I knew this already. "And your point . . . ?"

He sighed again, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I don't really know how to put this and I know I'm not being very clear."

I scoffed. "No, you aren't. But I know Bella's different, Dad. I've never said she wasn't. I like spending time with her and talking to her. She's just easy to be around. And she makes me feel . . . I don't know." Could I even explain it? "She makes me feel . . . happy, I guess." That was the simple explanation. It was hard to put into words how it felt the first time you found someone who seemed to completely understand you. "Oh, but this talk of feelings reminds me. I've been having pains in my chest, and they're getting pretty annoying."

That snapped him out of his fog and open-mouthed shock at what I had just said. It only took a split second for him to jump right into doctor mode. "Chest pains? When did these start? What part of your chest?" He rolled his chair over to his desk, grabbing his stethoscope out of the drawer. After placing it in his ears, he came over to me, placing the end over my heart as he listened. "What do these pains feel like? Sharp? Dull? Crushing?"

I rubbed my hand in the middle of my chest, below where he was listening "Right in here, I guess. They've been going on for . . . I don't know. I guess a couple months? They feel like heartburn or indigestion, but kind of squeezing. I don't think you need to listen because I think it might just be some kind of reflux thing."

He ignored me and spent a few more minutes listening to my chest and back, finally taking the ear pieces out and sitting back down. "Well, you sound perfectly normal and you've seemed healthy in the last couple of months. It could just be run-of-the-mill gastroesophageal reflux. Does it happen more after meals? Maybe with a certain type of food?"

Shaking my head, I sat back against the couch. "Not always. Today it happened before I ate so that's why I asked. It was weird, and I've taken tums before but they're not helping much anymore." I thought for a few seconds, trying to remember a few times when it happened, but there didn't seem to be a common food. The one common thing was . . . "Bella. It happens mainly around Bella and sometimes Lucy."

"Wait . . ." He tilted his head, eyeing me closely. "You feel this squeezing pain when you're around Bella?"

"Yeah." Could people give you heartburn? There were plenty at people at work who gave me a headache, but this didn't seem plausible.

"Hmm. Are there certain things you've noticed that trigger it?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes it happens when Bella smiles and when she cried a few weeks ago. Earlier today it happened when she thanked me for taking her to my favorite pizza place. This isn't normal, is it?"

As if this whole conversation wasn't strange enough, Dad suddenly started laughing. Scowling, I waited for him to finish.

"Thanks for help, Dad," I mumbled, starting to stand when he wouldn't stop. "I realize now I shouldn't have asked a stupid question but you don't have to rub it in."

"Wait, Ed—" he coughed a little between laughs and gestured for me to stay seated. "Wait. I'm sorry." He coughed again, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry, son. I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just . . . well, I think what you're experiencing actually is normal. And it wasn't a stupid question Again, I'm sorry.

"In fact, just forget everything I said earlier. Now I'm pretty sure your mother and I don't have anything to worry about when it comes to you and Bella."

"Uhh . . . okay?" What the hell was up with this cryptic shit? Maybe I should've left when I had the chance. "So if it's reflux, should I get that purple pill or something?"

Finally, he sobered more and sat up straight in his chair. "No, I really don't think you need to do that. Of course, it's never a bad idea to go get a full physical, but I think you're fine. And I'm sorry if I'm confusing you. I'll try to be more clear, but I don't want to say too much. Esme would kill me." He looked to the side and mumbled the last part to himself, but then met my eyes again.

I snorted. That was being more clear?

"You like Bella, right?"

The question surprised me, but I nodded.

"You'd say she's your friend?"

"Yeah. My best friend."

Leaning back, he brought his hands together, holding them in front of his face. "Okay. Would you say you feel the same way about her as . . . Jasper? I know you've been building a friendship with him in the past few months."

What kind of a question was that? He was right; I wouldn't hesitate to call Jasper my friend now. It wasn't weird for us to hang out once a week or so, and I'd found I really liked the guy. But were my feelings for him and Bella the same? That wasn't even close.

"No," I said emphatically, shaking my head. "It's different. Jasper's just a friend. Bella's my best friend."

"Is that the only difference?" he challenged, raising a brow. "I know you're friends, and your mother and I are both grateful you've been willing to be her friend, but . . . how do I put this . . . you two have a . . . a connection. And I'm willing to wager it isn't just because you're best friends."

I leaned over, placing my head in my hands. I roughly ran my hands through my hair and hoped to God Dad would start making sense soon.

I heard him sigh and scoot his chair close. "I'm not doing much better now, am I?"

I snorted again, shaking my head. "That's for damn sure," I muttered, lifting my head. "What does this have to do with my heartburn anyway? Yeah, Bella and I have a connection or something. I know that. She's my best friend, but I guess she's . . . more, too?" I said it like a question, but it really wasn't. "It is more. I'm still figuring out what exactly, but yeah. So what's your point?"

"Oh. Well. Okay. That's . . . okay." He watched me closely for a few seconds — looking for who knows what — then nodded to himself. "All right, son. Sorry I'm a little slow tonight. We just thought . . . " This time he shook his head. "You know, never mind what anyone else thinks. One last question." A weird glint appeared in his eye as he smirked. "Would you say that you and Bella went on a date today?"

Well.

That was unexpected. I felt my eyes widen as I sunk further against the couch.

A date? Was that what we did? I'd thought we were just spending the day as friends. But as I thought about it, I realized maybe I'd been wrong.

I'd invited her out, we'd eaten lunch, went to a movie . . . we'd held hands and I'd held her against me.

It had been a while since I'd been on any kind of real date. It had always been easy enough for me to find companionship when I wanted it, but as far as dating went, I hadn't been to that kind of effort in a long while.

But with everything Bella and I had done today, I could now see why Dad would ask. And he was right. Today, we went on a date.

"Holy shit," I muttered, my hands finding their way into my hair again as I looked back at Dad.

He barely held in the laughter this time as he shrugged. "Based on your reaction, I think I can figure out your answer." He shook his head and stood, letting out a couple of chuckles as he came over to sit beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Edward, I'm sorry if I've upset you with any of this. It definitely wasn't my intention, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, afterall. If you're happy and Bella is happy, that's all that matters. I'm not pushing you two to define anything, and don't let the rest of the family do it either. Whatever works for you two, go with it. I would just like to maybe clue you in that your heartburn is probably just feelings — ones you have for Bella that go beyond friendship."

"Oh. Well . . . huh." I was speechless. So not only did I go on a date with Bella without realizing it, but my heartburn was just my feelings. That thought just made me shake my head. "God, Dad . . . if that's it, how much of an asshole am I? I can't tell when I'm feeling?"

"Hey," Dad said sternly, making me look over at him. "Give yourself a break. You're not the only one who's a little slow. In fact, the male species as a whole is notorious for being below the curve on this kind of thing. And look at everything that has happened. Bella joining our family was a shock in and of itself plus everything that's happened since. It's taken until this point for things to calm down and then you were busy with work. Just because you didn't connect the dots intellectually doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong, son. You've been acting on those heartburn feelings even without knowing, if Bella's smile has anything to say about it."

Bella. I needed to see her, to find out if she knew we'd been on a date . . . if she knew about any of this. She went out with me today so she obviously didn't think I was a total asshole, but I had to be sure.

I barely said another word to my dad as I left the room and headed straight for my room, but I could hear him chuckling behind me so he didn't seem to mind.

Bella wasn't waiting in my room liked I'd hoped she'd be, but I couldn't deal with anyone else right now so I sat on the couch and waited. I got so lost in my thoughts about everything I didn't notice Bella was standing in the doorway until she spoke.

"Edward, are you okay?"

I quickly turned my head toward her, and whatever she saw on my face didn't answer her question.

"Did something happen?" She came over and sat beside me on the couch, and I held my arm up for her like I always did. After she settled against me, I felt like I could breathe easier, but the heartburn was back. Though now I knew it wasn't really heartburn. Huh. At least that made more sense.

"Dad says we went on a date today," I blurted out, causing Bella to stiffen in my arms and sit up slightly.

"Like . . . like a date? Like in the movies?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. I didn't mean to just . . . say it like that, but I just . . . I don't know. I think he's right, but do you think we went on a date?"

Her brow furrowed as she slowly settled back against me. "Well . . . maybe? Dates in movies always look like fun, and I know I had fun with you today. I thought we were just spending time together like we always do, but maybe it was a date."

"Is that . . . does that bother you? Is it okay that we went on a date?" I was a little afraid to hear her answer. Everything was so confusing right now, but I had to make sure she was okay with it even though I hadn't asked her to go with me on a date.

She was quiet for a few moments, and I was about to tell her she didn't have to answer when she spoke again. "No, it doesn't bother me at all," she said softly, gently placing her hand in mine. "I hope we get to go on more dates. Today was the most fun I've ever had."

"Me too. So . . . we went on a date."

She giggled, sitting up once more to smile at me. "We did. Was that what you were upset about when I came in?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Not upset. I'm just having a lot of realizations tonight." I paused, wondering if I should tell her what else I had figured out, but really, I didn't have a choice. Her smile made me want to tell her everything. "You know I like you, right?"

She blushed and slowly nodded. "I like you, too. You're my best friend."

"Well . . . I . . . more than like you."

"More?" she asked slowly, and I nodded.

"Yeah. You're my best friend too but . . . more."

"Oh."

"Is that okay?"

She bit her lip, but that didn't stop a smile from forming or a giggle from escaping. That was unexpected, but as she continued giggling, I found myself smiling too. She wasn't running away, so this couldn't be all that bad.

Surprising me again, she threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I put my arms around her, holding her just as tightly. This wasn't bad at all, and somehow, she shifted so she was straddling my lap.

My dick joined the party then, obviously having realizations of his own that going on a date and more than liking someone meant he was invited, too. I couldn't say I blamed him, but even I knew there was no way Bella was ready for that. I probably wasn't either if I was being completely honestly with myself, though having her against me like this felt fantastic.

I'd never felt this way about anyone, and I didn't want to screw it up. Especially with Bella. I'd always known she was special. At first, it kind of annoyed me, but now I was thankful. She seemed to understand me in a way no one else ever had and maybe I did the same for her.

After her giggles stopped and she scooted back over to sit beside me, she grabbed my hand again, squeezing it. "Sorry. I'm just so happy. And I more than like you, too. You're my best friend, but yeah. . . there's more too."

Hearing that, I let out a deep breath. "Okay good. So what do we do now?"

"Maybe just what we've been doing? I like that."

That sounded good to me, so without another word, we settled on the couch once again as I turned the TV on and found a basketball game to watch.

I had no idea how this would change things between us, but at least this was the same for now. I needed that because there was no way I could handle anything else major tonight.

So much for a stress free day without thinking. There were no regrets about my time spent with Bella, but since we'd been home, my mind hadn't had a break. I definitely needed a mulligan on the relaxation.


AN: Hi. I'm SO sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I won't give you all of my excuses, but let's just say RL stress doesn't help with writer's block. But thankfully, I start a new job next week so I'm hopeful I can finally get my act together now.

Thank you so much to everyone who's still with me! And thank you to those who have asked or checked in to see when this update was coming. It means so much to know people care, and I can promise I'll never be giving up on this story. Especially now that Edward and Bella are letting me get to the good stuff. ;)

Also, I'm on twitter as KelleyRachelle, if anyone would like to find me there.

Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!