A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed/favorited/followed.

PLEASE READ THIS! As I said in a previous chapter's A/N, I uploaded a few of the chapters out of order, so I had to go back and fix it. I'm very busy, so Saturday's are the only days I can post. I only post once a week just because that's how I post. I'm sorry for the confusion, but the rest of the chapters are new.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All mistakes are mine.

"But she said, where'd you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts, some superhero, some fairytale bliss, just something I can turn to, somebody I can kiss. I want something just like this." – The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – "Something Just Like This"

Chapter Four

Edward's POV

January 2018

Opening Night

The spark is still there when I grab Bella's hand and lead her out to the patio. Between all the girls nearly fighting over their chance to talk to me for the past few hours, my thoughts have been completely jumbled, but one person has stayed on my mind no matter whose gorgeous face was in front of me.

Bella.

I give her hand a light squeeze as we sit down on the patio couch. My six-foot four inches frame take up nearly the entire seat, but luckily Bella's small enough to fit right in with me. "How has your night been, Bella?" I turn to face her, and she does the same.

She smiles and shakes her head, "Uneventful compared to yours, I do believe. How has yours gone?"

"It's overwhelming, to say the least. I don't remember it being this crazy when I was in your shoes last year."

"It has been a little crazy. I've never been around so many girls in a situation like this, so I guess I didn't know what to expect. I am hopeful though."

My smile widens and I automatically move closer to her. There're only a few inches between us now. I can't help my eyes when they travel down to see her full figure. She's short and petite, but not overly small like Alice is. She has her brown hair down in curled waves with a dark blue dress that isn't too showy or flashy; it's simple yet elegant. She looks flawless. When my eyes get to her feet, I grin when I see that she took my advice and took her shoes off for the rest of the night.

Without warning, I pull her legs across mine so that I can examine her ankle once more. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself instead of admitting that it's because I just want to be closer her. She gasps in surprise and immediately puts her hands on my shoulders to steady herself. I make eye contact with her as I slowly pull her dress up so I can inspect her ankle.

"Well, it looks like the swelling has gone down and it's not red anymore, so I think you're in the clear now. If it starts hurting anymore, take some ibuprofen."

She playfully rolls her eyes at me. "What are you a doctor?"

My first thought was that she was teasing, but when I turn to look at her face, I'm a bit taken back. Her eyes are inquisitive, wandering. Does she really not know that I'm a doctor or is she just mocking me? "I am actually," I say quietly, gauging her response.

Her eyes go wide, and she leans away from me, clearly taken aback. "You are? Does everyone else know this?"

Once again, I'm shocked by her surprise. "I would assume so. Everyone probably knows from last season or from the internet. It's not a secret. Did you really not know?"

She shakes her head, looking a little embarrassed. "I didn't. I'm sorry, I guess I should've done my research before coming. You probably think I'm an idiot now…"

I lean forward and cup her cheek to bring her closer to me until our lips are only a few inches apart. I hope she hears the sincerity in my voice as I say, "No, I don't. In fact, I kind of like it. It's a nice change. I feel like half the girls in the house know more about me than I know about myself. It's weird." I assumed everyone here would know every detail about me before the show began, but I'm surprisingly grateful that that's not the case. Bella's like a fresh breath of air in that way, but that also makes me wonder something else. "Bella, how much do you know about me? My job is probably one of the main things most people know about me, sans the whole virgin thing, so what exactly do you know about me?" I lightly stroke her cheek, trying to reassure her that I'm just being curious, not accusing her or that I'm upset with her.

She takes a deep breath and brings her hand to hold the arm that's cupping her cheek into place. "Honestly, I don't know much. I knew about the virgin thing, but not much else. I've seen how everyone in the media has treated you over the past few months and I've notice how strong you are for going after what you want, despite what everyone else says. I admire you for it. You have this way about you that's so pure and wholesome. It's beautiful and I think everyone should be talking about that side of you, not something so personal and none of anyone else's business."

Amazed, once again, by the small girl basically in my arms, I can't help but wonder why she came on the show if she didn't know anything about me and especially if she hasn't watched this show, so I ask her that.

She takes a moment to respond, probably getting her thoughts together. Suddenly, she does something I never would have expected. She tucks her hair behind her ear and wraps her arms around my neck. She pulls herself another few inches closer to me so now she is completely sitting in my lap.

I look around stealthily to see if the camera men were giving me any signs that I need to push her off, but thankfully, I don't see any. Reassured, I bring my arms around her, locking her into place. She's fits snugly into my lap, her face right below mine.

She brings one hand around to the nape of my neck and starts playing with the hair there. I can't help but smile and I lean forward to rest my head on her shoulder, encouraging her actions.

It takes me a moment to realize how intimate this position really is. I met this girl only a few hours ago and she's already in my lap. To make it even better, nothing is sexual. It's for comfort. Maybe she feels the need to be close to me just like I am to her.

"All anyone on the internet and in the media could talk about for months was your virginity at twenty-nine years old. They made it seem like it was a sin for you to not have slept with countless girls by now and that alone infuriated me. It should be your choice when you have sex with someone else, not anyone else's and I hate that people shamed you for waiting on the right person. It's not fair."

I pull back from her so I can look into her eyes. "Life isn't fair sometimes."

She smiles sadly, "I know." She's quiet for a few more moments before starting again, this time with our eyes are locked. "When I heard that they were taking applications for the show, I didn't think twice about applying. I could tell by the way you always reacted to the reporters who stalked you down that you were such a rare soul, and I wanted you to know that you're not alone."

My eyes narrow just a little bit in disbelief. "You're a virgin?"

Once again, I'm met with a sad smile and a nod. "I wanted you to know that you're not the only one out there who is waiting for the right person. You're not alone, Edward. I just wanted you to know that."

"That's why you came on the show?" I can't help the surprise in my voice. Right in front of me, this beautiful, pure woman came on this show just to tell me that I'm not alone in my belief that sex should be saved for someone special.

She nods, an unsure smile on her face and it's like I don't have control over my body anymore before I'm kissing her. I think I surprised her too because for the first few seconds, she doesn't respond. Right as I'm about to pull back, slightly embarrassed by my actions, her mouth starts to tentatively move against mine. I take that as all the encouragement I need and kiss her harder. My hands slip into her hair and her hands are now tugging more forcefully at my hair at the nape of my neck.

She pulls back first, breathing heavily as she does. She puts her head on my chest. I keep my hands in her hair, slowly smoothing it out.

"Is now the right time to say that was my first kiss as well?" I can barely hear her muffled voice.

I lightly push her away from me so I can look into those sparkling eyes once more. "You are a remarkable woman, Bella. I don't see how someone is so pure. It's extraordinary, just like you." She doesn't respond, just gives me a tight, somewhat forced smile.

Maybe I said too much? Shit. I don't want to scare her off on the first night, so I gently push her off my lap, but keep as close to her as I can. I hope this gives her some space for the moment because I really don't want to push this woman only moments after finding out she's the most genuine person here.

"Tell me something about yourself, Edward. I think it's pretty clear that I don't really know anything. I didn't want to look you up in the time before I came here, despite how tempting it was. I wanted to be able to hear everything I need to know about you from the source."

And with that I launch into a very passionate monologue about my family, my job, my years in med school, everything. She's got such a soothing presence, I feel like I've known her my whole life.

"Your family sounds amazing, Edward! Oh, and you and your dad working together at the same hospital, doing the thing you love most in the world, it's like a dream come true, for both of you actually…" she pauses, before continuing. "You do sound a bit lonely, though. I can see it in your eyes as well. You have all those people whole love and adore you around you, but it's not the same as having someone you can bear your soul to." The sympathy is shining bright in her eyes. She's so understanding.

"You have no idea how right you are. I love what I do, and I love my family, but I can't help but wonder what it's like to go to asleep at night with someone who loves you not because they have to. I want to know what it feels like for someone to love me for me, not for anything else." What I want to say is that I don't want someone to want me for my money, but I don't. I don't want to tarnish the moment with thoughts of Lizzie.

"That's all anyone can hope for. I know that's all I want in this life. You are such a strong and beautiful person, Edward. You're going to get everything you ever wanted. I know you putting your heart on the line like this isn't going to be easy, but I know you'll find the one."

The sadness in her voice takes me by surprise. "Why do you say that like you're not going to be here to witness it?" I hope she doesn't hear the hurt in my voice.

"Because I did what I came here to do," she says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I didn't expect to stay here any longer. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone, that not everyone thinks its taboo for you to be saving yourself. I think it's wonderful."

I scoff at her. "Why in the world would you not expect to stay here any longer, Bella? You're the only woman who I've been this comfortable around this entire night," I point to our still intimate position.

"You have so many beautiful and magnificent women in the house over there, why would you choose someone like me?"

I look at her incredulously. "You really don't see yourself clearly, do you?"

She rolls her eyes. "I know I'm pretty, Edward. I'm not blind and I do have self-esteem, but I don't exactly have any experience in the dating area. I literally just told you that you were my first kiss. I wouldn't even know what to do with myself if I stayed here."

"You think I know all about dating, Bella? I've had one and a half girlfriends in my entire life. I thought I was in love with Becca last year, but I know now that I wasn't, and I was never in love with Lizzie. I have no idea what I'm doing either! So why can't we figure it out together?"

She narrows her eyes at me, a puzzled expression across her features. "You want me to stay?"

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes at her. "Give me a second." I stand up from the bench and head back inside to where the other girls are waiting and where Jake put the first impression rose.

As I walk in the living area, a round of cheers fill the room to which I smirk and pick up the rose. I nod my head in acknowledgement to them, saying, "Ladies," but don't spend more than a few moments in there. My head and heart are somewhere else.

I'm only gone a minute from the bench where Bella is at. I walk up to her and sit back in my spot. "Bella, do you know what this is?" She already said she didn't know much about me, so I don't want to assume that she knows much about the show or how it works either.

"Uh, it's a rose, Edward. Are you feeling okay? Maybe we should take you to the hospital since you can't recognize the rose that you just left to go get." Her voice is teasing, with a slight amount of concern.

"You're adorable." My eyes roll on their own accord before continuing. "This is the first impression rose. I'm supposed to give this to the one woman, who I feel, made the biggest impression on me tonight. This person doesn't have to wait for the rose ceremony to know if they're staying for another week or not. This solidifies your spot." I take a deep breath before putting my heart on the line for the first time tonight. "It also means that I like you, and it would mean the world to me if you would stay and let us explore this. Us." I take her hand and ask her, "So, Bella, will you accept this rose?"

A genuine smile spreads across her face when she realizes what this means. She bites her lip and reaches for the rose but doesn't take it from me. "Always, Edward."

I lean forward and kiss her again. I guess her nerves are gone this time because as soon as my lips touch hers, she's moving them right along with mine. I smile against her lips and she giggles in return.

We stay close like that, just talking about my life, which I find a little odd. Most girls would be jumping at the chance to tell me about themselves, but I guess that's just a part of Bella's charm. I don't know how long we're out there before Jacob comes up from around the corner and tells me that it's almost time for the rose ceremony and for me to start making my decisions about who I want to stay and to leave.

I'd almost forgotten about the other girls, not twenty feet away from us, but duty calls. I pull myself away from Bella with promises to see her soon and follow Jake to an unoccupied room inside the house.

"You sure know how to get all these women riled up, Ed."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I think back on the night, trying to think of something I could've done to make them go crazy.

Jake eyes me suspiciously. "You and the girl you were just with? Bella Swan, right? You only kissed her tonight and you saved her for last, which made everyone else insanely anxious. Here I thought you'd be brooding the entire night."

I playfully punch Jake on the arm. "I do not brood." I didn't even notice that I didn't kiss anyone except Bella. It wasn't like I was saving it, I just went with whatever the moment gave us.

"Do you want to bet?" His eyebrows raise in challenge.

"Aren't we supposed to be doing something productive?" I ask, trying to divert his attention to anything else. So, what if I brood?

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he gives me a pointed look. "Here is a list of names and pictures of the girls from tonight. You have about twenty minutes to get decide which five are going home tonight. Good luck, bro. I'm going to go downstairs and tell the ladies to get ready for the rose ceremony and I will come back up to get you shortly."

I sigh as Jake leaves me alone with my thoughts. Tonight has honestly been amazing in so many ways. There have been so many delightful women that I've met tonight, but honestly, I can't remember much about half of them. I'm glad Jake included pictures of them because I honestly don't think I could do this by memory alone.

Okay, first one on the list. Kate Brown. She had long blonde hair and a small frame. She was quiet but slowly started to open up just a little towards the end of our conversation. She made a joke about one of the guys from last season being an idiot and her laugh was adorable. She stays.

Leah Artea. She's like the girl next door cute and talked about her brother all night. I love a woman who loves her family and isn't afraid to show it. She's staying.

Emily Uley. She's the one with the scar on her cheek from a hiking incident. She nearly got mauled by a bear if it weren't for her dog, Sam, who attacked the bear long enough for her to get away, she honestly probably would have died. She's seems so strong and courageous. She's staying.

Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory. Of course, their pictures are together. The eye roll at this point just comes naturally. They even talked to me together! I don't see how this is going to go, but I want to find out. This could turn out to be a comedy after all. They both stay.

Tanya Denali. Damn, how could I forget this woman? She's stunningly beautiful and she knows it. She talked about herself the entire time we were together, but she's definitely interesting. She's staying.

Irina Williams. She didn't say much, instead letting me do most of the talking, so in complete contrast to Tanya which I'm going to need. She's staying.

Rachel Bell. Pretty, but she didn't seem too interested in me. She spent the fifteen minutes we were together talking about her ex-boyfriend. She's leaving.

Angela Webber. Not the most beautiful woman in the room, but more my type than some of the other ones in terms of personalities. And, she's seems like one of the more open people here. She stays.

Victoria Hunter. A bit old for me, but she definitely knew how to handle herself. She said all the right things and I'm a little curious as to how the other, much younger women, are handling her. She stays.

Mary Thomas. To be honest, I don't remember anything significant about her. That's probably not the best sign. She's leaving.

Bree Tanner. She was quiet but when she did speak to me, there was a certain fire in her eyes that I want to see more of. She stays.

Alex Butler. I think this was the girl who was literally shaking in her heels when she got out of the limo. She had on a dress that looked like it belonged in a strip club and had the makeup of a clown. Alice would have had a stroke if she had seen her. She's leaving.

Jane Black. Another woman who couldn't stop expressing her love for her brother. It's amazing to hear the passion in her voice when she speaks of him. She stays.

Carmen Rivera. This woman was beautiful with her words. She walked up to me after the limo and said, "This is where our journey begins, loved one," in Spanish and it was like music to my ears even if I had to wait for her to translate for me. She stays.

Senna Hernandez. Loud and very candor. I'm more curious than anything about her, so she stays.

Zafrina Lopez. Just like Senna, she was very loud and explicit with her words. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I can't help myself. She stays.

Samantha Brower. This was the young woman who wreaked of weed but looked like she had been doing crack her entire life. I hate drugs because I've seen too many overdoses in my time as a doctor, and I don't want a relationship that might end just as quickly as it begins. She's leaving.

Katelyn Snow. She's the one who didn't seem interested in me at all. She looked indifferent the entire time we spent together, as if I was the gum on the bottom of her shoe. She's gone.

Rosalie Hale. Her confidence is her most attractive quality and she knows how to make me laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her. She stays.

Bella Swan. I stare at her picture for a moment. She's so attractive in her own way. She's confident, but not overly so. She's extremely caring. I still can't believe all the moments we had together in just a short period of time. She already has the first impression rose and I can't help the smile that attacks my face. She so deserved it.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Jake. "It's time. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

I take one last look at the list of names, knowing I can't bring it down there with me. Rachel Bell, Samantha Brower, Alex Butler, Mary Thomas and Katelyn Snow are the ones I'm sending home.

When I get downstairs, the girls are already lined up in the dining area, waiting for me. The hushed whispers turn to silence once my presence is made known and I make my way to the table full of roses. I take a deep breath, looking over all the women. I catch Rosalie and Bella standing next to each other, their hands together in support. Huh, that was one friendship I didn't see coming. I'm not blind to believe that lifelong friends aren't made from this journey, but Bella and Rosalie are certainly the most diverse friends I could've picked out.

I take a deep breath and start calling out the names. As soon as their name is heard, the girl will walk forward and accept or not accept the rose from me and then go back to their place until the roses are gone.

"Rosalie, will you accept this rose?"

"Of course."

"Angela, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Jane, will you accept this rose?"

A quiet, "yes," squeaks out of her.

"Irina, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Tanya, will you accept this rose?"

"You know it, Edward. You're mine."

"Kate, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Victoria, will you accept this rose?"

"Hell yeah, baby boy, I will accept this rose." My face scrunches up at her words. Only my mother is allowed to call me baby boy, no matter how much older this woman is than me.

"Leah, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Emily, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Senna, will you accept this rose?"

"YAS, EDWARD HONEY!" and I think my eardrums just burst.

Thankfully, Zafrina wasn't as loud. "Zafrina, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Carmen, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Bree, will you accept this rose?"

"Yes."

"Lauren, will you accept this rose?"

"Duh, Eddie!" I try not to cringe on the outside as much as I am cringing on the inside.

I take a deep breath to look around the room full of hopeful and scared eyes. With this last rose, I'm about to end my first night as The Bachelor.

"Jessica, will you accept this rose?"

A surprised Jessica walks up to meet me, "Of course."

Jake walks in and says, "Alright to those of you who didn't get a rose, it's time to say your goodbyes."

Rachel, Katelyn, Samantha, Alex and Mary hug the girls they'd come to know these past several hours and then walk up to me. I tell them that I wish them all the very best with their lives and I thank them for coming. I feel a twinge of sadness as I watch the five young women walk out the door, all of them with tears in their eyes. They came here for looking for love and it took me less than a day to break their hearts.

Before I can wallow in my sadness, I feel a playful bump in my side. "No brooding, Cullen. You have fifteen beautiful women ready to fight for your love." I know who it is before I have to look. Only Rosalie Hale is ballsy enough to call me out on my shit on the first night. "You did what you had to do. You didn't see a future with them, so you had to let them go. It's only fair, instead of stringing them along. Now cheer up, buttercup!"

I smile and sling an arm around her and get the other girls to come over to us. "I'd like to propose a toast, ladies, to all of us."

"To finding love," Angela Webber says, standing beside my Bella. I should have known those two would get along. I like it and I hope they're good for each other throughout this process.

"To finding ourselves and others to help us grow," Bella says, making eye contact with me. I can't help but beam at her. I couldn't have put in better words what I'm looking for in a partner here.

"Screw all this lovey dovey shit, I'm ready to drink! Bottoms up!" I, along with most of the girls in the room, snicker at Tanya's hurried statement. I bring my glass up in front of me, waiting for the other girls to cling theirs against mine before sipping the champagne.

"Ladies, it has been a long night, or should I say morning," I gesture to the now brightening sky outside the windows, "and we have a big week ahead of us, so let's call it a night. Go get some rest."

I hug all the girls, saving Bella for last, and walk out the door. What an insane night, but I feel optimistically hopeful about the next few months. There are some amazing women in that house, and I can't wait to take my time exploring my relationship with every one of them.

A/N: So what did you guys think of the first rose ceremony? Thoughts on Rose and Edward? What about Edward and Bella's conversation and kiss? Let me know in a review!