AN: First of all I am thrilled with the reviews, you guys really are the best! It makes me want to hurry up and get the next chapter out fast for you guys, so thank you so much!

Second of all, I've been beating myself up because I got one review pointing out I have Emmett and Rosalie at school in the later chapters when they're supposed to be at college. (Slaps hand to forehead) Oops! For anyone else who noticed, sorry and I'll be editing when I get some free time.

This was my favorite chapter to write so far so I hope you guys enjoy it. (Maybe enough to pass the amount of reviews I got last chapter :) ) Because in my humble opinion this one came out much better. BTW last chapter got the most hits and reviews so far, woo hoo. (Does a happy dance)

I do not own Twilight, unfortunately.

BPV

"Edward……?" It was all I could get out, I wasn't registering what he was saying.

"Bella," he said, teeth clenched, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I…..I can't, I'm sorry."

I stood up and clenched my fist feeling hurt, angry, and rejected.

"Why not Edward? Why can't we do this?" I asked, my voice shaky. I was too caught up in the moment, I had no filter.

He didn't say anything, he turned around and walked to the end of the meadow, "We should go," he mumbled stiffly, "it's getting late."

"Edward, please," I pleaded, "Don't do this, talk to me."

He dropped his face in his hands and I could barely make out what he was saying, "We're not discussing this, you're not ready."

"What?" I asked, my breath whooshing out of me, "What are you…..?

He cut me off, "Bella, I'll be at the car when you're ready, if we don't leave soon you will be late," and with that he took off.

I stood there stunned, I couldn't wrap my head around what in the hell had just happened.

He wasn't going to discuss it with me? I wasn't ready. His words resonated in my head as I tried to understand them.

I briefly considered running home and leaving Edward there stunned but I quickly shook that off realizing Charlie would probably be up waiting for me and the slim chance of him catching me walking up to the house with no car in sight probably wouldn't settle well with him. So I ran to the car wondering how I was going to survive the car ride home with Edward after what had just happened.

As I emerged from the woods he was sitting there in his car, his hands were tightly grasped on the steering wheel and his head was hung low. I took a deep breath and walked to the car sliding in and slamming the door without making eye contact with him. We sat there in complete silence for a few moments with tension thick in the air. I could hear him open his mouth to say something only to close it again before he turned on the ignition and drove me home in complete silence. No music filled the car, no small talk or flirtatious banter flowed between us, and he never reached for my hand, nothing.

I starred out the window holding my own hand in my lap feeling empty ….and angry. With each second that ticked by I got more and more angry at Edward Cullen, but I held my tongue, I was not going to break the silence first.

He pulled up to my house and before he could put the car in park I was out the door and rushing into the house. I didn't turn to see if Edward was watching me but I could feel his eyes boring into my back.

"How was your night Bells?" Charlie called from the living room as I heard him click off the television and stifle a yawn.

"It was good," I forced my voice to sound chipper, " I'm going to bed, I'm beat." I called back running up the stairs.

I slammed my bedroom window a little too hard and then paced my room weighing my options. Wait here and see if Edward decides to grace me with his presence tonight since he seems to think he calls all of the shots in this undefined relationship of ours or go to the Cullen's and force him to talk to me.

I heard Charlie finally fall into a deep sleep and I stripped out of my clothes and threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt throwing my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. I threw on my shoes and was out the window in seconds, he wasn't making the decisions anymore.

EPV

I was still sitting in my garage, I hadn't moved an inch in the past fifteen minutes, my hands were holding onto the steering wheel for dear life and I hadn't taken a breath, I was numb.

I wanted Bella more than I've ever wanted anything in my entire existence but I pulled back from her and deep down I really wasn't sure if I knew why. I kept repeating the mantra that she wasn't ready, that I was selfish and needed to give her more time over and over again but it was losing it's weight. I didn't even think that was the reason anymore. She was ready. She was right there in my arms kissing me back and I pulled away, I was a damn fool.

I got out finally and slammed the door stalking my way up to the house, I needed to hunt, I needed to do something, I was losing control, I was losing her. She wouldn't even look at me on the way home and I sat there in her drive way unable to move listening to her sweet voice until I saw her slam her bedroom window shut. I watched small pieces of glass break and fall to the ground and my dead heart broke with it. I did this.

I opened the front door and turned to run up the stairs completely unaware of my surroundings. Alice cut me off and blocked me from the stairs.

"Not now Alice!" I growled.

"How could you Edward? Why would you hurt her like that? Are you that masochistic that you have some need to be unhappy? You love her Edward and she loves you too, why are you being so difficult?" Alice was seething, plated to the ground with her hands on her hips, not budging.

"ALICE….." I growled out just needing her to let me by, I heard everything she said and knew she was right but I couldn't do this with her right now.

Jasper picked up on my unrelenting feeling and came over and took Alice by the waist guiding her out of my way.

"Ally hunnie, calm down," he soothed as her body visibly relaxed some.

I felt him try to push some calm my way but I growled deep at him warning him and he pulled it back. "Sorry man, just trying to help."

"You've really fucked things up this time." Alice yelled behind me as I ran up the stairs.

I ransacked my room grabbing an old pair of jeans, t-shirt, and hunting boots and I was out my window in seconds.

**************

BPV

I approached the Cullen's house and could already tell Edward wasn't there. I could smell him faintly by the garage and the front door and I decided to knock since I knew whoever was inside knew I was here. Alice automatically opened the door before my hand could drop.

"Oh Bella," she picked me up in a tight hug.

Her reaction caught me off guard and I was about to laugh at her exuberance until I looked at the expression on her face and then around her at the somber looks on everyone else's faces before I dropped my head in embarrassment, they knew.

Of course they knew.

Alice pulled me inside and Edward's scent engulfed me, I knew he was here only minutes ago.

"Hey Newbie," Emmett chuckled trying to break the tension.

"Hey Em." I said softly looking towards the staircase and up to Edwards room.

Jasper sensing my turmoil stood up and took me into a one arm hug, "Everything's going to work out Bell's, he's just going about all this the wrong way." he smiled at me encouragingly.

"Yep," Rose said popping the P. "He's a man Bella, they have to try every other way except the right way before they get something right, it's in their genes."

"Hey." Emmett and Jasper said at the same time.

"Where is he?" I asked softly still looking up the stairs.

"He went hunting to try to clear his head, if you go up to his room you should probably still be able to catch his scent." Alice said hugging me to her side.

"Thanks Alice," I breathed and gave her a quick peck on the head.

I ran up to his room and his scent hit me strong. I breathed it in and slowly walked around. I could smell him by his dresser as I ran my finger lightly over the smooth wood and then I followed it to the window. I took a deep breath, jumped out and took off running.

EPV

I took down the first deer I could find than anything else with a heartbeat that crossed my path. I gorged myself trying to numb the pain, the thought that I may of pushed Bella away for good this time was too much. When I couldn't go on anymore I fell to the wet ground and starred up at the night sky willing it to swallow me whole.

I was so lost in thought I didn't hear her approach.

"Feel better?" she asked with her eyebrows cocked up and her arms crossed across her chest.

I jerked up fast and starred back at her, blinking a few times in disbelief, waiting for her to disappear.

"Well?" she said impatiently with a sharp edge to her voice.

"No, not at all." I stammered my answer out to her but I was honest.

"Hmmm, that's strange. I thought men acted like jack asses when they were hungry," her words slid out sarcastically, "Since you ate, I thought you'd feel better."

"No." was all I managed to say back to her. I still starred at her in shock I couldn't understand why she was here after how I had treated her tonight.

"Based on your short answers I see your still not in the mood to talk Edward," she closed some of the distance between us but still stayed a few feet away. "Since that's the case, here's the deal Edward, I'll talk and you listen, okay." she asked arching her brows challenging me to say otherwise.

"Okay." I mumbled softly. I was taken aback by her forcefulness, I had never seen Bella like this. She was straight forward and domineering and I mentally berated myself for being so turned on by it.

She stood in silence for moment.

"Edward Cullen, I've never met anyone like you before. You are the most…. stubborn, pig headed, set in your ways, infuriating, jack ass, " I dropped my head at her words and welcomed the sting of them, I deserved it, "wonderful, selfless, kind hearted, generous, amazing man. You confuse me to no end."

I looked up at her with my lips parted in shock.

"You and I…we spend every free minute we have together, do we not?"

I nodded my head yes.

"And as far as I can tell we enjoy each others company, yes?"

"Yes" I said softly.

She circled me slowly and I sat there watching her completely captivated.

She swallowed hard, "Would I be wrong to assume that you share my opinion that in fact our relationship goes beyond friendship, that whatever this is," she pointed her finger between her and I as she kneeled down in front of me, "is something……special."

I nodded my head again unable to speak.

She looked down weighing what she was about to say and then looked up and met my eyes, I saw sadness in hers. "You promised me we would be honest with each other Edward……. no lies."

Anger crossed her perfect features and she stood up abruptly and I jumped to my feet, she turned to walk away but I grabbed her arm.

"Bella wait." my voice came out hoarse.

She whirled around and jerked out of my grasp.

"I need answers Edward, I need to know why." she took a deep breath, I had never seen her so bold, "why do you run away whenever we get close?"

"Bella, I….." I dropped my eyes and shook my head, I didn't know what to say, this was it, the moment that I could pour my heart out to her to be bold like she was being with me but I couldn't.

"The first time you took me to the meadow Edward, in the lake on the mountain top, tonight……..," she trailed off, her voice breaking with emotion, "we were so close." she breathed out in a small whisper. "But every time you run away from me and then you want to pretend like nothing happened, well I can't pretend anymore Edward!"

She shook her head slowly, "If you can't face up and talk to me about this and admit that there's at least something going on between us then you're a liar. You're lying to me and your lying to yourself!"

My dead heart broke.

"I don't want to lie to you anymore Bella." I said barely above a whisper.

"Then talk to me Edward," she pleaded, "that's all I ask, just talk."

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger and took a deep breath, I dropped my hand to my side and opened my eyes to look back at Bella. There she stood, my beautiful angel, but she was sad and hurting, and all she needed were my words to soothe her pain, and yet I stood here completely silent wondering why in the hell it was so hard to give that to her.

I took another deep breath and swallowed hard.

"Bella….." I looked deep into her eyes gathering strength from them. "I'm so sorry I hurt you….it was never my intention to cause you any pain."

She opened her mouth to speak, I saw panic flash in her eyes thinking that that's where I was going to end it and run away, but I held my hand up to her to wait.

"To be honest Bella, I'm not one hundred percent sure why I keep pushing you away." I looked down and shoved my hands into my pockets ashamed, "You have turned my world completely up side down, until I met you…..I never had a reason to be happy, my life…. It didn't have purpose." I stole a glance at her and she nodded for me to continue. "For the longest time I convinced myself that I could only be your friend Bella, that after what happened to you in Phoenix it would be a long time before you were ready for anything more."

"But…..,"she cut me off but I held up my hand again to stop her. I had to get this out before I lost my nerve and I think she saw that because she conceded.

"I constantly fought it, I continuously had to convince my family that we were indeed just friends, I think now I was trying to convince myself more than anything." I smiled to myself at this revelation and then looked directly at Bella. "But I was lying, like you said. I was lying to myself. To them. To you. Every minute we spent together Bella the harder it was to believe the lie."

I took a deep breath and prepared myself, I was about to make a confession that was still very raw to me, it was something I had only just really realized only moments ago watching Bella talk to me with such abandon and such passion.

I closed the small distance between us and took her small, trembling hands in mine.

"The last thing I've ever wanted to do is push you away Bella, if anything I can't get close enough to you," her eyes filled up with tears that would never spill and her lips parted, "I was alone for so long before you came along and now….now I need you to exist Bella, I don't know how I ever made it through all that time without you and now that I know how this is," I squeezed her small hands tighter in mine, "I can never go back to the way things were before…..and I'm……" I dropped my eyes to the ground,

"I'm scared." I said softly.

Bella slowly removed her hand from mine and I flinched at the loss of contact but she brought her hand up under my chin and pulled my face up to look back at hers. She gave me a small, sincere smile.

"Please, don't do that." she whispered my words for her and I grinned crookedly.

"Edward, what are you scared of?" she whispered moving her hand to caress my cheek.

I closed my eyes and leaned into it and nuzzled my face back and forth turning into her wrist to breath in her sweet scent needing to feel the calming effect it had on me.

"Bella.," I breathed, opening my eyes. "I'm scared of not being enough for you. I'm scared of not being able to give you what you need. I'm scared that once you see the depth of my need for you Bella that it'll be too much and I'll scare you away. I'm scared of losing you." my voice broke.

"But most of all…." I took her hand from my face and placed it over my chest, "I'm scared that I haven't given you enough time to heal, that a piece of you will always be in Phoenix, with him, that I won't ever have your whole heart. I know that's selfish," I held her beautiful face in my hands and leaned my forehead against hers, "but I want all of you Bella." I whispered closing my eyes at the weight of the moment.

Her eyes closed, and her sweet erratic breaths were fanning out over my face.

"Edward," she breathed, "You are not being selfish. My whole heart has been here in Forks for the past two months with only you." her voice was thick with emotion.

I opened my eyes and leaned back to look at her, still holding her face in my hands, I took a deep breath and cut her off, "But Bella……."

"Edward please stop trying to tell me how I feel," she pleaded starring back at me straight into my soul, "I'm standing here in front of you pouring my heart out to you and you're still trying to tell me how I'm feeling. I'm the only one who truly knows that Edward, you are not in my head remember? I need you to promise me you'll stop doing that. Promise me Edward."

I shook my head in understanding looking back at the determination in my angels face, she was magnificent, "I promise." I breathed.

"Good," she gave me a heartbreaking smile, "because I need you to believe me when I tell you…..," she took a shaky breath, "I love you Edward, so much."

My breath hitched. My chest felt like it exploded with warmth and it spread through every fiber of my being. Every bit of tension and hesitation that I had been carrying since I met Bella melted from my body as I beamed back at her.

I pulled her flush to my body and kissed her. I kissed her without abandon. I kissed her with all the passion and love I could muster. I poured every memory, every touch, every feeling Bella ever made me feel into that kiss.

I pulled back and looked into her eyes, they were glistening with emotion.

"God, I love you Bella." I breathed out still holding her tight. I quickly kissed her again, "I love you so" -kiss- "so" -kiss- "much."

She giggled and let out a sigh of relief. "I love you too Edward Cullen, more than you could ever know."

AN: Whew, so Bella's finally pulled Edward to his senses. So…..let me know what you think. Everyone who reviews gets the hungry, hunting version of Edward Cullen sent to them ~ rumpled, animalistic hair, hunting boots and all!

xoxo