Hi! Welcome to Chapter 8. This chapter was supposed to be Edward's birthday party, but once I started writing, this chapter just kind of happened. I hope you think it's as cute as I do :')

I left Edward's a little while after our…ahem, activities on the couch. I had tried to do the right thing and reciprocate, but Edward wouldn't have it.

"Bella, not tonight. I've already pushed this much too far for a first date. I'm not that kind of guy." I tried protesting, but it fell on deaf ears.

He was almost too perfect. I was trying to find something, anything, to make him seem human. There wasn't anything. He really was that much of a gentleman; I hardly knew what do with myself.

We spent the rest of the time I was there talking and kissing. He never really pushed anything after he touched me that first time. Our kissing was slow and gentle, softly learning the other. His hands rarely strayed from my waist, unless he was sliding his hands up to cup my face. His lips however strayed all over my neck and face. I really hoped I didn't have any noticeable marks when I got home.

He walked me out to my truck when it was time for me to leave. He kissed me some more when we got there, pressing my back against the drivers side door.

"I never want to stop kissing you." He breathed against my lips. I looked up at him and smiled, pressing my lips softly to his for one last kiss.

"What time should I be here on Saturday?" His actual birthday was this upcoming Thursday, he had informed me earlier.

He stepped back and thought for a minute, trying to recall what his mother had told him.

"I think my mom said four. You can just pull up to the main house. We are having the party up there, and bring your bathing suit," he smiled a little at me. "If it's nice out, we will all go swimming!"

"Do you want me to bring you beer or something?" He laughed.

"No, no. You can't buy it anyway, silly girl. You don't have to bring me anything. Just bring yourself and a bathing suit, and I will be that happiest birthday boy ever." He grinned a little impishly at me, and I knew that I would never be able to tell him no if he smiled at me like that.

A few more kisses later, I finally left Edward's and made my way home. I wasn't going to make it by midnight, and I blamed Edward and his lips.

When I got home, Charlie was waiting for me, just like I figured he would. He was sitting in the living room watching the end of a movie. I walked in at 12:07.

"Hi dad." I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Hi. How did your date go?" He looked a little uncomfortable asking, but he knew he had to.

"It was really good. We had pizza and watched movies. He's really great."

"Are you going to see him again?" I'm sure part of him was wishing I was going to say no.

"His birthday is this weekend, and his mother invited me to their house for a party for him."

"You've met his mother?" He sounded surprised.

"Um, yeah. She was at his house when I got there."

"I think I'd like to meet him."

This shocked me. I really didn't expect Charlie to want to meet him so soon. I'm not sure I wanted Charlie to meet him so soon.

"Oh. I guess I could ask him to pick me up and take me to the party Saturday, that way you can meet him."

"That would be good."

I nodded and decided that I should go to bed. I really didn't need Charlie interrogating me anymore. At least not right now.

"Okay, good night, Dad. I will see you tomorrow,"

"Night Bells."

I went upstairs and got ready for bed. As I laid there waiting for sleep to come, I couldn't stop thinking about my night with Edward. It had been an unconventional date; poor Charlie would have a heart attack if he knew what really happened tonight, but it had been perfect. Being with Edward had just felt right. There had been no awkwardness in our movements, and I was thankful for that. I couldn't wait until Saturday when I would see him again. I smiled and rolled over and let sleep finally come.

***

The next morning after Charlie left, I called Alice, as promised. She listened like the good friend she was, squealing and giggling in all the right places. I was trying to avoid telling her about what happened on the couch last night; I wasn't as big on sharing sexual encounters as Alice was. But, like always, she knew I was hiding something.

"So did anything else happen? You just sat and watched movies?" Her tone was skeptical.

"Yeah, pretty much." I was never good at lying, but I hoped that it would be less obvious over the phone.

"Pretty much? You are hiding something."

Shit. Apparently not.

"Alice, please. I don't have to tell you everything. Sure, other things happened. I'm not going into detail."

"Fine." I knew it wasn't fine, but I had put her in her place and she knew better than to push.

We talked for a little while, but I could tell she wanted to know. I rarely said no to her, so I gave in, against my better judgment.

"You really want to know what happened last night?" I sighed.

"Yes, please." She was doing her best 'I will love you forever if you tell me this' voice.

"Okay." I took a deep breath, not sure if I would be able to actually vocalize this. I may not be a prude, but talking about it to people still made me nervous. "We made out most of the time. I was there for like 15 minutes before he kissed me. It was pretty amazing. We were watching a movie and things just kind of got touchy-feely, I guess you could say. He…um. He fingered me?" It came out more like a question and I wanted to crawl in a hole.

"Oh, Bella! How exciting! Was it good?"

I groaned. "Yes, Alice, it was good."

"Did you do anything for him in return? Don't be greedy now."

"He wouldn't let me."

"He…what?"

"He told me that he didn't want to push things too far on our first date. He didn't want to take advantage of me."

"Oh, well that was very sweet of him. What a gentleman you have, Bella." She sounded happy for me. I smiled; I felt happy for me too.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Alice. I don't really have him yet."

"Oh, shush. You have him wrapped around your little finger I'm sure. And once you give him a little taste of his own 'touchy-feely' medicine, as you put it, he won't ever let you go."

"I'm just worried about that part," I confessed. "I'm…out of practice, I guess you could say."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Bella. Just talk to him about it. I'm sure you are going to have that kind of discussion eventually. I'm sure he will understand."

I nodded to myself. I didn't really have anything to be nervous about. What I should be nervous about was meeting his entire family on Saturday.

***

The week passed incredibly slowly. I called Edward on Tuesday to talk to him about meeting my dad on Saturday. He had agreed, sounding slightly nervous, but a little eager to meet my dad too. He told me he would be at my house around 3:30. I was nervous for what my dad would do when Edward showed up. Maybe I would hide his gun so he wouldn't be able to brandish it to intimidate Edward.

I worked pretty much every day that week. I wanted to maybe surprise Edward on Thursday and go see him on his birthday, but I never got the chance to because I ended up having to work a double. I called him during my break just to wish him a happy birthday, but I felt like I should have done more. I was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. What really annoyed me was that Sofie's was pretty dead that night. They didn't even need me, but of course with my luck, I had to be there.

At around 6:30, I was at the peak of my bad mood. I was sitting down in the front of the restaurant in one of the booths. Sofie didn't even say anything to me about it; she most likely knew better than to yell at me. I was just staring at the table when the front door opened. I sighed and got up and walked towards to host stand to get menus.

"Why do you look so upset, Jellybean?"

My head snapped up and Edward was standing there looking concerned. How did he always know how to show up and make me feel better?

I just stared at him for a moment before walking over hugging him. He put his arms around me tightly and I could feel his lips on the top of my head.

"What's wrong?" He whispered into my hair.

I just shook my head and looked up at him. "Happy birthday."

He smiled and kissed my cheek softly. "Thank you," he whispered before taking a step back.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out getting drunk with Emmett?" I was smiling now, my bad mood forgotten.

He smiled softly, "Later. It's a little early to go out and get smashed. I came by because you sounded really upset on the phone before."

"Oh." He had come all the way here to see if I was all right? On his birthday? He really needed to stop being so wonderful, I didn't think I could handle it anymore. "I was just feeling shitty because I had to be here on your birthday. And look, it's not even busy or anything, they don't even need me," I groused.

He smiled widely for a moment. "Stay here, I'll be right back," and he disappeared into the back. I stood there, dumbfounded for a moment before I just shrugged my shoulders and went to lean on the host stand.

A few minutes later he returned, looking triumphant.

"Bella, would you like to join me for dinner?"

I stared stupidly at him for a moment before I managed to ask, "Now?"

"Well, you said that they didn't need you, and it seems that with a bit of persuasion, Sofie agrees. So, we will be dining here, on the house." He truly looked gleeful at being about to swindle Sofie into this.

"Sure, that would be great." I was smiling just as widely now. He was really something else.

We sat near the front so I could keep an eye on the door if we got busy. Mary was our server and we ordered quickly so we could sit and talk.

"This is the date I should have taken you out to on Sunday." He looked a little sheepish.

I shot him a look. He was clearly still feeling guilty about the way our date had turned out.

"Did you see me complaining? Am I complaining now? It was perfect, Edward, even if you feel it was unconventional. I wouldn't want it to have gone any other way."

He looked at me for a moment before nodding. "I just have never done that on a first date. I didn't want you to feel like I was planning that from the beginning, it just sort of…happened."

I smiled. "I understand that better than you might think."

Our food came and we ate, talking quietly. He was meeting Emmett in a little while to go to some club here in Port Angeles. Apparently Emmett wasn't planning on drinking, just getting Edward as drunk as possible.

"I'm probably going to wake up tomorrow morning on my front lawn and not remember anything that happened to me. That will be fun." He rolled his eyes a bit and I giggled.

"I would have been completely okay with just having a party at my house tonight, but Emmett insisted that I go out and buy alcohol because I could now. Let's hope they don't draw on me or something when I pass out."

"Well, can you just call me tomorrow when you feel up to it, so I know that you aren't dead or in jail or something?"

He laughed. "Of course, but don't expect a call until late afternoon. If I know my brother, we won't get home 'til the sun is coming up." I nodded and smiled at him.

When we finished eating, Edward thought that he should probably get going. He had to meet Emmett in a little while, and he wanted to run home to take a shower. I walked with him to the front door and stopped, expecting him to as well. He just kept walking for a moment before he turned around and looked at me funny.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, well I wanted to say good-bye properly, and I don't think you would appreciate me doing that in here, where people could see us." He winked at me.

"Oh." God, I felt stupid sometimes in his presence. So I followed him outside the front door. I was looking around in the parking lot to see if there was anyone on their way in. There wasn't anyone, but Edward didn't seem to be taking the same discretion I was. He grabbed my face and pressed me slightly into the side of the building.

His lips met mine soft, but insistent. I tilted my head a little to the left and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue came out and touched my lower lip, and I responded immediately, opening my mouth so his tongue could meet mine. I let him plunder my mouth how ever he pleased. I just kept pulling him closer to me, gripping the back of his shirt tightly, in an effort to hold myself to something. I finally had to break away a few moments later when the need to breathe overwhelmed me.

He rested his forehead against mine, with his eyes closed and tried to catch his breath.

"Happy birthday," I whispered. He opened his eyes and smiled before leaning into to kiss me once more.

"Thank you," He whispered as he pulled back, his hands resting on my hips.

"Have fun tonight with Emmett and thank you for dinner."

He smiled "Oh you are very welcome. I will see you on Saturday, all right?"

I nodded and he kissed me one more time, this time lingering for a moment before pulling away completely.

"Yeah, Saturday; get ready to meet my dad."

He chuckled as he walked to his car. "Have a good rest of the night, Bella." He called. I smiled and waved at him before turning and walking back into the restaurant.

Somehow, I knew I could work the rest of the night in a better mood now.

Chapter 9 probably won't be out until next week sometime, I'm going to be out of town next weekend.

Remember to review :') I have a little sneak peak for later in the story if you do!