A/N Umm, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. At least this one is a somewhat long chapter hehe.

Edward greedily kept his hold tight, refusing to release me. I didn't try to break away from his grasp and just let myself become lost in his arms. My mind drifted thinking about how things used to be and how they were now.

I certainly never stopped loving Edward, but I was different now. Suddenly, our love wasn't so pure anymore. It wasn't as innocent.

I was pulled out of my reverie as I noticed two glowing orbs in my periphery. Edward was looking at me intently with an expression on his face that I couldn't quite place.

"What's wrong?" I asked before getting dazzled by him.

"N-nothing," he said, still wearing the same expression. "I just can't believe you're really here-with me I mean." He trailed his cold fingers gently across my face as if he were proving to himself that I were real.

"I know what you mean," I said as I tilted my head in whatever direction his fingers were going in, trying to feel his touch as much as I could. "I still think this is a dream. That this isn't real."

His fingers stopped brushing against my face. Edward leaned his forehead against mine looking at me seriously. He lifted his head slightly to place a kiss on the tip on my nose, then my chin, and finally my lips.

"I'm never leaving you. I'll be here as long as you have me."

"Don't even say that."

"Say what?"

"You said you'd stay as long as I'd have you. Don't say that. That means that there is still a possibility that you won't be here. I don't like it."

The crooked smile I loved so much formed on his face. I felt my heart quicken and Edward slowly leaned in towards my chest. He propped his ear above my heart for a few seconds. I reveled in the scent of his hair while his head was lowered.

When he rose back up, his face held a puzzled expression. Almost sad.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked worried.

"Bella, why-"

"Bella!" I jumped up in Edward's arms as Alice's voice screeched in my ears.

She was smiling emphatically at the doorway of my room. She was wrapped snugly in Jasper's arms and they both looked like they couldn't get close enough to each other. Jasper never took his eyes off of Alice and didn't say a word.

"Bella, Edward, glad everything worked out," she screeched before disappearing from my sight as Jasper carried Alice off and out of the house. "See you guys later!" I heard her scream out giddily right before I was out of her hearing range.

I looked at Edward confused at what I had just seen.

He merely shrugged. "They're making up for lost time."

"Oh," was all I could say. It felt like an intrusion of their intimacy just thinking of what Edward was talking about.

His gaze caught mine again and I noticed the light was gone from Edward's eyes. "I don't even know how I can begin to making it up to. How to make up for our lost time."

I leaned in and placed a passionate kiss on his lips. I broke away and he didn't try to hide the disappointment on his face.

"How's that for a start?"

"It's not the start I'm concerned about now," he said. "I want to see what it's like up until the end."

"There won't ever be an end," I said. His mouth propped up into the crooked smile again.

I felt my heartbeat quicken in response and the same frustrated look appeared on Edwards face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Is it the same thing you were going to say before Alice popped up?"

"It's nothing," he said uneasily. "It's just that...it doesn't sound the same."

"What doesn't"

"Your heart. It's doesn't beat as...enthusiastically as it did before..."

"What? Am I alright? Do I need to go see a doctor?"

"No no, Bella. It's just that," he paused to think of his next words. "I know it will take time for you to open yourself to me again."

I looked down not knowing what to say. I wasn't sure if I could open my heart up to anyone anymore. I was already damaged.

"What's troubling you? What's holding you back?"

"I don't know, Edward." I said, not really enjoying being in his arms anymore. "I'm not ready."

"I understand," he spoke softly. "I know about what happened with Jacob. You still love him..."

He was masking the hurt on his face, but I could see it in his eyes. The way he was looking at me, but not as deeply. I did love Jacob. We had just broken up, and I was still hurting, but that wasn't why I wasn't ready.

I was comforted knowing that Jacob had found his imprint. I wanted him to be happy. That's what love is.

"It's not Jake..."

"Then what is it? What's wrong Bella? Please tell me."

"I'm just trying to be more wary." I said, avoiding his eyes.

"Wary of what exactly?" he raised his eyebrows at me and spoke softly.

I didn't answer. I buried my face into his chest trying to avoid the subject. I inhaled deeply before he lovingly pulled me away to look at him.

"Bella. I told you I'm not leaving. I'm here forever. I am yours to keep. You need to believe that."

I still didn't respond. It sounded all...hokey. Too good to be true.

He lifted my chin up to kiss me again when he noticed my reluctance. He let our kiss deepen and it ended all too soon.

"I love you," he whispered, his face only an inch away from mine.

"Why?" I asked. He simply smiled back at me.

"Because you're my angel."

"It doesn't make sense...I'm sorry but it just doesn't," I pleaded.

"It made sense when you left. Too much sense. Now you're back and I can't understand. I'm glad you're here with me, but it just doesn't fit.

"Why do you love me? I'm not good enough for you Edward. I never was."

I turned away from him with difficulty because I was still wrapped up in his arms.

To my surprise, I felt Edward let go. I felt hot tears sting my eyes and I realized how alone it felt not being enraptured by his hugging.

"Bella," I heard him before I saw him.

Edward was crouching in front of me now. His face wasn't what I expected to look like after my confession. I had expected him to be hurt, or angry with my doubt in him, but his face only held love.

"Leaving you was the worst possible thing I could have done. I was dead inside. I'm here now and although I don't deserve it, I'm happy. I'm happy being here with you. The things you're telling me, I can relate to more than you know. Most of those thoughts of yours are the reason why I left."

My heart thudded at his words. I knew what I had said was true, but I wasn't expecting it to hurt so much. I wasn't expecting him to actually agree with me.

"No no no," Edward quickly rushed out when he saw my face. "What I meant was that I left because I didn't think I was good enough for you. I couldn't for the life of me think of why you would love something like me..."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he placed his finger on my lips to stop me, indicating that he wasn't finished.

"Bella, don't give in to your doubts. Don't leave me. That's our problem. We have to accept the fact that we're soul mates," he gave me a heartbreaking grin and my heart melted. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said.

We spent a while talking about how miserable we both were without each other. I learned early on that I would have to sugarcoat a lot of things, to prevent hurting Edward. The hours seemed to pass by and it was all ruined when I couldn't manage to contain a powerful yawn.

"You should go to bed now," he spoke softly to me.

Edward placed on my bed after I had finished my human moment. He laid the covers over me and plopped himself next to me. He began humming my lullaby to me and I felt finally at peace.

"Goodnight my love," Edward cooed.

"You'll stay with me?" I asked before letting sleep claim me.

Silence. I heard Edward sigh and the sound of his breath escaping immediately woke me back up. I sat up quickly on my bed too see the regretful look on Edward's face.

"You're leaving me?" I asked in a high pitched voice.

Edward didn't speak for what seemed like a long while. "I'm not going to keep things from you anymore, Bella. I'm just planning a little visit after you go to sleep. I'll be back before you wake."

"Take me with you," I shot back at him. I wanted to see the family too. He might as well bring me along.

"I don't think that I should."

"Please, don't leave me alone. I don't want to be apart from you."

"You'll be asleep when I'm gone."

"But you won't..."

"True," he shrugged at me. "I don't know if I would be able to handle being away from you for so long."

"Then take me with you. I want to go see the rest of the family."

"Bella...I'm not going back to the house...not yet."

"Then where are you going?"

There was another pause. Who could Edward be going to see and why wouldn't he want to take me? I searched my mind and it came to me. I almost wished that it hadn't.

"I'm going to see Jacob Black."

A/N Finally. Sheesh, next chapter is the last. Then the one after that will just be some extra stuff. Hmm one final meeting with Jacob Black. What will happen? Who knows?