Chapter 18

"Come on, Edward. We've got to go get ready."

"Ready for what?"

"We've got to go get ready to stand Mike up."

Edward pulled back, "And why are we standing Mike up?" he asked critically.

"Don't you want to get some revenge on the boy who drooled on your girlfriend?" I asked pecking his cheek lightly.

"And you kiss me with your drool covered lips. Great."

"No problem, babe." I hopped off his lap and we both spent a few moments getting redressed.

"So, where is this magnificent date of yours so I know where not to take you?"

"Of course you're taking me- it isn't any fun if we don't see his reaction when he realises he's been stood up. To the park bushes we go!"

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," he smirked, but took off.

We settled down in the park bushes, on the top of a small hill overlooking the playground and the tree- where I had arranged to meet Mike. I plonked myself on Edward's lap, wriggling around to get comfortable while he groaned beneath me, trying to be subtle about readjusting himself. I grinned to myself and flung my head back over his shoulder getting comfortable. I breathed in the cool air deeply into my lungs and just relaxed. It was a place where I didn't have to care, where I could feel comfortable... I hadn't had a place like that in so long. After a few silent moments in which the only thing I could hear was Edwards' constant breathing, feeling his muscles contract and relax beneath me, I felt his breath blow cool air over my chest that my shirt exposed. The cold air tickled and I moaned- how could he turn me on without even touching me?

"Bella?"

"Mmmm..." I replied in my semi-conscious state.

He kissed my neck softly and his mouth opened, trying to say something. But his mouth closed again before he said anything. I looked at him closer when I felt his breath hitch, and I could even feel his skin heat from beneath me. "I- I love you, Bella."

Oh.

Oh...

Shit.

This was awkward. I had never said those words to anyone, and quite frankly I never thought I would. And I never really wanted to. It just... wasn't me.

"Oh...okay." I saw his eyes close- whether it was in disappointment or in embarrassment I didn't know. "Thanks. Umm... what's the time? Mike should be arriving soon."

He stared at me for a few seconds with a somewhat blank expression waiting. Waiting to see if that's all I would say on the matter. It was. Eventually he pulled his arm up and glanced at his watch, "It's ten to eight... shouldn't be long."

His voice was tight. Uncomfortable.

Well there wasn't much I could do about that now, was there? I lifted myself off his lap- there was too much tension around us now. I peered through the bushes and smiled to myself as I saw Mike approach with a bouquet of daisies, looking around nervously. I felt a wave of guilt but brushed it off quickly. I glanced at Edward but he wasn't even paying attention, he was looking at the ground, pulling a weed out of a pile of dirt beside him, his lips pulled into a tight line. He noticed me watching him then and looked up, forcing me to look in the other direction again. This whole Mike thing wasn't as funny as it was meant to be.

"Take me home now, Edward." I whispered. We walked awkwardly back to the car and sat in silence the whole ride home. He pulled up alongside Charlie's house and pulled me towards him, kissing my mouth lightly. I pulled away. "See you tomorrow, Edward." He sighed and drove off as soon as I closed the door.

I turned and faced the house and walked up the path slowly with my head down. I hadn't even made it halfway when light flooded the entire front yard- the front door was open. Charlie in the middle of it. "Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Charlie."

"Good. I was worried," he grunted. "But... I have some bad news. You're going back to Renee's. Tonight."

"Excuse me?"

"She knows where you are, and you haven't been doing what I've been telling you, and we're fighting- I don't have a choice. If you don't go to her, she'll come here. Maybe in a few months you can come back, when schools finished maybe."

I brushed my tears away angrily and stormed into the house, and up to my room where Charlie followed. My things were already packed away in my suitcase. I picked it up and tried to push back through the doorway where Charlie was blocking my way. He blocked me.

"Don't go storming out of here like I don't want you. I love having you here, Bells. But I can't handle not doing the best by you. If you're going to mess around, I can't watch you do it from the sidelines. If you don't let me help you, then I can't see you... it's too painful. I'm sorry...but I feel responsible for you and I don't want to be responsible for the wrong in your life."

"So what the fuck do you want from me? To be a fucking Stepford daughter?" He was speechless. "I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you. I hope that your perfect step kids can fill that void in your life. Goodbye Charlie."

And I walked out without saying goodbye. To anyone.

No one was waiting for me at the airport when I arrived back in Phoenix. But as I checked my phone I saw that I had received forty-two missed calls over the last couple of hours alone. Forty-one of them from Rose. Only one from Edward. I didn't call either of them back.

I caught a cab back to Renee's house and the front door was open as per usual, no one at home. So after I dumped my stuff in my old room I walked down through the old familiar streets. Children playing, I couldn't remember if they were the same ones or different from only a month or so ago.

I knocked on the brass door knocker at the end of a pebble drive and after a minute or so, a wet Jacob answered the door in his towel.

"I'm back, babe." And I jumped on his waist, securing my lips to his.

AN: Please, please don't kill me!! I know a lot of you won't be happy with this... but there is a reason for it I swear, just trust me. It just wasn't a very good day for Bella, I guess.

Not to mention I'm in a bad mood at the moment... it's probably not helping me write much of a fun chapter, but oh well. The fun shall come later on...

I know it's not long but it's the best I could do. I graduated the other day, but I have to do some serious studies for these exams coming up so I figured you would prefer something rather than nothing. Tell me what you thought guys... even if it's just your plots to send me to hell. I don't mind, really.

Thanks to everyone who R&R... and I'll update again as soon as I possibly can, okay?? And we may possibly have half of it from EPOV if you want it. Just tell me what you would prefer... and I will do :P