A/N Hate me. Love me. It's all relative. I posted a version of this chapter a week ago, but realized it was shit. So with Twilightzoner, I have reworked it, and fixed it and added so much stuff and lemony likeness that you won't remember what I wrote before. Now I am happy and now I can share. Because you deserve better than a half ass attempt. And I have learned that it is okay to take your time to write a well written story then one that fits everyone else's times constraints. Stephenie owns all. I own a big red pen that TZ gave me. All I ask is that you forgive me.

When I was little, I was in love with the ice cream truck. No matter where I was or what I was doing, the second I heard its ridiculous but compelling tune, I would run out of the house in pure anticipation. One time I even ran out of the house naked. I was four years old and don't remember it, but my mom repeated the incident enough for me to get a good mental picture.

It was like my mind heard the ice cream truck again. One minute I was sitting next to this beautiful girl and the next I was running off to find Emmett. I was so giddy and excited about making Bella feel better that I didn't even realize I had left her under the tree. It hit me about half way to the frat house. I just fucking ditched Bella because I wanted to find an ice cream truck, get her a creamsicle and make her smile.

I should have gone back. I could have gone back -- asked her if she wanted to have dinner before the pinning, maybe talk a little bit more about her helping me with my part of the ceremony for tonight. But I didn't. I felt too much like a moron. What the hell is wrong with me? I am such an idiot.

Well, maybe I could make it up to her tonight.

I mentally repeated that several times in my head trying make myself feel better. By the time I found Emmett sitting in his room, roses, chocolates, and jewelry were floating in my head as perfect ways make Bella forget about my earlier abandonment. But Emmett was pale. And sweaty. And so fucking nervous that I remembered what this night was about… my best friend was giving his girl his pin.

"You look like you're going to puke?" I asked taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"Gee, aren't you all fucking observant and shit," he snorted back to me.

"Want a distraction?" I asked tentatively, unsure of how to proceed knowing I was probably being a self-centered ass for asking for his help.

"Shoot" he replied before releasing a nasty, rank belch.

I waved my arm around in a lame attempt to disperse the gastrointestinal fumes.

"Dude, What kind of shit are you growing in your stomach?"

He belched again this time blowing it directly in my face. I had to wait a few moments before I opened my mouth to speak.

"That nervous?"

"Thought you were going to distract me." With that, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"I want to do something nice for Bella and I kind of need your help," I started.

"Okay. What do you have in mind?"

"Well…you know how… tonight…you're supposed to present Rosalie with…"

"Yeah," Emmett interrupted.

"Well I was thinking…that…"

"Fucking spit it out, Edward, or I'm gonna puke on you." That's Emmett, direct and to the point. I explained my little deviation from our typical ceremony that just happened to pop into my head.

"Damn. That's pretty romantic. I like it," Emmett crooned to me. "Thanks, bro."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Because I'm glad I can help." And with that, he clapped me on the shoulder and turned on his stereo, signaling the end of this discussion. For several songs we just sat there in silence. His eyes were closed and if I had to guess, his thoughts were filled with tonight and Rosalie.

Not wanting to intrude anymore, I left. I also had to stop procrastinating. Now that Emmett was on board, I had to find Alice and I totally didn't want to talk to her. She'd ask questions and want to know what my feelings are. She'd also want to know why I wanted to do this tonight. It wasn't like I was going to tell her anything right now. Maybe I could just bribe her.

A few hours later, I had run my errands, ate a quick dinner with Jasper, and had successfully avoided the third degree with Alice once I discovered her weakness. It was painful sacrifice. I gave her unlimited use of my car for one weekend of her choosing. She was so excited that she didn't even think twice when I imposed a mileage limit. Once she agreed to help, I basically ran away. Her euphoric haze would soon evaporate, and I knew she would torture me. I never let anyone drive my car and here I was giving it to Alice because she was helping me help Bella. Talk about a declaration of my feelings.

I shouldn't have ran away from Alice though. I deserved to be interrogated. I should have let her do it instead of avoiding her. I haven't been really fair to Alice over the last few days. She loves Bella and I know she cares about me. Hell, she's the one that pushed me towards Bella in the first place. If I had to admit it, I'm scared to talk to Alice. She's perceptive and inquisitive and so trusting that I know I would eventually tell her everything. In a way I want to tell her, but I can't. Having Bella accuse me already of confiding in Alice was enough. I had to keep this to myself. I had to protect Bella.

I met up again with Emmett at the house. He was still slightly green but not as pale. He reminded me of a dead man walking even though I'm totally basing that on what I saw in the movies. Maybe he'd let me pinch his checks to give him some color. Scarlett O'Hara do that in Gone with the Wind.

"You know it's just a pin." I teased him.

He belched in response.

"Here, take this," I handed him a bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Are you fucking crazy? Rosalie will have my head if I show up drunk."

"I didn't say empty it. Just take a pull, and here," I tossed Emmett a roll of Tums. He looked at the roll for a moment before taking a hearty swig from the bottle and popping a few Tums in his mouth. I quickly relieved him of the alcohol and handed it off to Jake, who appreciated the gesture by taking a few guzzles.

"Now. Feel better?" I asked Emmett.

"Yeah. But next time can you the fruity flavor. I hate this original shit," he said tossing the roll back to me.

Soon, things got busy. Jake barked orders on how we were going to march over to the girls' house. Ben handed out the torches and was just about to light them when someone reminded him we were still inside. No wonder the kid was clueless about Angela.

Once outside the flames began spreading among the tiki torches, and I had to admit it was a perfect night for our flaming parade. There were no clouds. The stars were shining. It was a clear, windless perfect night. The distance between our houses was around 300 yards, and at the half-way mark, we started singing.

We continued chanting our sweetheart song until we reached the front lawn of the sorority. The massive white house with its full front porch was ideal, and we were able to create two columns leading up the long walk to the porch stairs.

Once we were all situated, I knocked on the door. "Sisters of Omega Chi, the brothers of Sigma Tau request permission to speak to Miss Hale." I actually hated all this formal shit. But this was important to Rose. And therefore important to Emmett.

Normally a pledge or younger brother did this part. But Alice wouldn't have it. She wanted a front row seat to this event. Personally I think she wanted to observe me and Bella, because instinctively she knew I was avoiding talking to her. Just as expected, Alice was the one to open the door. A devilish smirk crossed her face.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

Her ridiculous smile told me she was thoroughly enjoying this.

"The brothers of Sigma Tau would like to speak to your sister Rosalie Hale," I bellowed. A dog barked in the distance. God, I was making a fool of myself and Alice was enjoying every minute.

Noise erupted from inside the house -- squeals, giggles, and laughter. You could feel the vibrations of every sister stampeding to the front door. Alice pulled the door shut in self preservation, not theatrics. I could hear a rebel yell from inside the house telling everyone to shut it. A few seconds later the door knob was ripped from Alice's hand and Rosalie appear in the doorway. Her eyes searched desperately for the one person she expected to find on the porch. Alice grabbed her and pulled her to her side. The rest of the girls filed out of the door and lined up along the wide Victorian porch, all except for Bella. Alice had snagged her arm aligning Bella to Alice's vacant side. I couldn't help stare at the three of them perched in the center of the porch at the top of the stairs. One was excited, one was pretentious, and the last had no idea why she had been pulled center stage.

"Rosalie, there is someone who would like to speak with you," I said, making a sweeping motion to my right. At the end of our torch lit aisle, Emmett appeared, carrying flowers and a bottle of champaigne. All eyes were on him as he made his way towards Rosalie. It was a frickin' fairy tale. He reached the bottom of the porch stairs and paused before accending the five steps to Rosalie.

He didn't get past the third one. Alice, with her flair for dramatics, jumped down to his level, stopping him in his tracks. Rosalie's eyes widened in shock, but then relaxed. Angela put a hand on her shoulder, but Rosalie didn't need it. She may now know the game plan, but she trusted Alice. Instantly I felt guilty for avoiding Alice.

"Now. Now. Now. My dear brother of Sigma Tau. We love Rosalie very much and won't just hand her over without knowing what your intentions are?"

"My intentions are and always have been honorable where my dear Rose is concerned," Emmett declared. Several snickers erupted from the crowd, knowing full well what Emmett deemed honorable. Rosalie was loving every minute of it.

"To prove my worthiness, I offer you this bottle of champagne in honor of this celebration," Emmett proclaimed as he handed Alice a vintage bottle of Perrier Jouet Belle. Emmett had no idea what he was giving Alice, but she sure did. Her eyes just about jumped out of her head.. Alice would definitely relate to Rosalie the value of the bottle, and Emmett would get the reward.

"And to honor your house's traditions and beauty, I give you these flowers." Emmett presented the massive bouquet of white carnations right to Bella, who was utterly shocked and confused.

"Me?" she whispered, totally unsure of what Emmett was doing.

"You," Emmett reassured her. "Bella is beauty."

Bella took the blooms from Emmett and looked at him with such gratitude and warmth that my heart did a flip.

Without a word, Alice and Bella stepped off to the side and Emmett crossed the last two steps to Rosalie.

"I am in love with you. I always have been. You fit into all my missing pieces. Will you please wear this? Will you promise me forever?" Before Rosalie could answer, Emmett brought a white box from his pocket. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she opened the small box that Emmett presented to her.

Three things happened then: Rosalie gasped, Emmett dropped to one knee, And the box fell to the floor. Alice, always on her toes, grabbed the jewelry and placed it in Emmett hand, while everyone's mouths dropped open at the scene before them.

"This ring was given to my grandmother from my grandfather when they first started dating. She was the most beautiful girl in town, and even though they were too young to get married, he wanted everyone to know she was his. So he gave her this," he explained as he held of the small silver and sapphire ring to Rosalie. "The pin is for my present. The ring is for my past. I want my future to wear each of them."

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Rosalie extended her right hand and allowed Emmett to slip the ring on her finger. He then stood up and placed his pin right above her heart.

Rosalie sniffled. Emmett sniffled. Christ, I think everyone was sniffling.

The noise must have broken her trance, because Rose jumped into Emmett's arms and tried to devour his face. Cat calls, clapping, and a whistle here and there, broke the silence, and soon Emmett was guiding a radiant Rosalie down the torch lit aisle. As she passed, every brother extended a red rose to her. Buy the time they reached the road, Emmett was carrying some of the stems, as there were so many.

As everyone started to walk back to our house, I noticed Bella lingering on the porch, cradling the flowers to her face.

"I'm glad you like them. They're one of my favorite flowers," I said walking up the steps to her.

"You don't really fit the carnation loving type," she teased, her brown eyes sparkling in the porch light.

"My mom loves flowers. She turned most of our back yard into an arboretum. We always had fresh but flowers. I can wait for you if you want to put those inside?"

"No. I want to bring them." She turned to walk down the steps. I put my hand on the small of her back. It felt like a magnet was pulling me to her. She fit in nicely by my side as we made our way.

"Why did you pick carnations?" Bella questioned. I chanced a glance at her. Her head was lowered as she cradled the bouquet to her chest. Her long hair created a partial curtain between us. She seemed unsure and pensive. I wanted to grab her in my arms and crush those feelings away. Instead, I just answered her questions, with complete honesty.

"Carnations are strong. They've been around for centuries. They are the longest lasting fresh cut flower and they never lose a petal, unless it's plucked."

She didn't say anything when I was done with my floral word vomit. Maybe I said too much? Maybe I was speaking like a pansy? Our footfalls were the only sound, and with every step my stomach sank deeper into hell. Everyone else had already made it to the house.

I began to feel awkward and self-conscious for even opening my mouth and just as I was about to make some lame ass joke to break the tension she whispered in my ear, like she was sharing a cherished secret between the two of us.

"Thank you." Her breath washed over my check just before her soft moist lips made contact with my cheek. I hadn't even realized we had stopped walking. Her lips hovered for a moment above my skin, grazing the miniscule hairs along my jaw line. Our bodies were so close, I could feel the heat of her skin.

We were stuck, both frozen in the moment. Our bodies were not quite side by side or face to face. Her head and eyes were level with my chest. I wanted to tilt her chin upwards so I could see her eyes. I wanted to know what was going through her head. But I remained immobile, fearing that if I moved, this spell encompassing us would be broken. My skin still seared from her kiss.

"We should go in," Bella murmured. I distinctly got the impression that was the last thing she wanted to do. And just as I was going to respond otherwise, Jake yelled for us from the door to the house.

"Edward come on. Emmett is waiting for you."

His yell startled Bella, who's heel caught the edge of the curb. She started to tilt backwards, but my hand was still on her back. I pulled her to me and safety, crushing the carnations that she still clutched to her chest.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just feeling clumsier than usual." She still wasn't looking at me, and just as I reached to pull her chin up, she turned away from me. "We should go."

She sounded defeated, but pulled her shoulders back in a confident facade. I was reminded of our conversation under the tree and in an effort to help, I slipped my hand into hers and together we walked into the house. She squeezed my fingers when we crossed the threshold.

"So what do you have to do?"

"I have to give a toast and swear to kick Emmett's ass if he fucks around on Rosalie," I replied trying to lighten the atmosphere between us.

"I think Rose would beat you to it," she smiled. It was small but genuine.

The lounge was packed and everyone had a drink. Jake motioned me to the middle of the room where Emmett and Rosalie were. Bringing Bella with me, I found a spot next to Emmett, just as Jake began to speak.

"First of all, Emmett, you just screwed the rest of us with that pinning. Now, all the girls will be expecting rings and flowers and romantic shit. So I just wanted to say thanks a fucking lot."

The whole room vibrated with laughter. I squeezed the delicate hand in mine as fleeting imagines of pinning Bella popped in my head.

"Next. Who here will stand up for Emmett? Make sure his body parts don't stray and vow to beat the shit out of him if he ever screws around on this beautiful girl."

"I will…" I announced. "But I think Rose would do more damage." More laughter, this time Bella's giggles floated to my ears. I looked at her and was relieved to find her blushing and relaxed. The last few moments having eased whatever trepidation she had felt earlier outside.

"Now. Who here will stand up for Rosalie? Making sure she doesn't abuse and torment our brother and will reminder her that he can be quite the romantic, even if he's acting like an ogre most of the time?

It was quiet and I suddenly remembered I was supposed to tell Bella about this part. Shit.

"Bella, will you stand up with me?" Rosalie jumped in. Emmett must have told her about this on the walk over.

Bella was now three shades of red and her glorious brown eyes were shining. Normally she would shy away from attention, and boy did she have everyone's attention now. I was discovering though, for her friends, Bella would do anything. And as she told me this afternoon, tonight was for her friends.

"Yes. I'll remind you what a great sap of a boyfriend you have." Laughter erupted again and this time Emmett was blushing too.

"Now in order to bind this pledge of yours, you all must all drink from the sacred chalice," Jake announced as a pledge brought over a large pewter goblet that was already filled with God knows what. Seeing that Emmett picked it, he was handed the goblet first.

After a healthy gulp, he passed it to Rosalie, who tentatively sniffed the liquid. Her face turned sour but she dutifully took a sip before handing it to me. I brought it to my lips and let the harsh liquid flow down my throat. Now I knew why she had the sour look. Jagermeister wasn't my favorite either.

"Its Jager," I informed Bella, giving her a heads up. She took a swift gulp. Her face puckered as she swallowed. I wished I had a camera. Even with her nose scrunched up she was beautiful.

Cheers broke out along with a few whistles. I looked over, and Emmett had Rosalie bent backwards as he ferociously attacked her lips. When they came up for air, Alice and Jasper were with us, giving hugs and words of congratulations. Still holding Bella's hand, I leaned over and gave Rosalie a hug.

"Keep an eye on her okay?" she asked quietly in my ear.

I looked at her questioningly, suddenly wondering what she knew or was thinking. I didn't get a chance to ask, because Bella's hand was tugged away as Emmett gave her a bone crushing hug. Her face was bright and happy but when he released her, she stumbled and all the color drained from her face. She was staring oddly over Emmett's shoulder. Alice was in my way, but Jasper was behind her in an instant, steadying her. At his touch, her features softened and relaxed.

My stomach twisted and a memory came back to me -- the morning she woke up screaming. It was the look of terror on her face when she saw me. That was the same look she just had. Without thinking, I found her hand and began pulling her out the back door onto the deck.

Once we were outside, I was finally able to touch her chin and bring her eyes to mine. Some color had returned to her face, but her eyes were watery. She was nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Do you want to go home?"
"I'm fine," she replied with absolutely no conviction. I was just about to take the option away from her and escort her home when Alice bounced through the back door, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie in tow.

"There you guys are. Here," Alice said handing me a cup. Bella got one, too. "We need a toast"

"More like we need to get rid of the lingering taste of Jager. I can't believe you picked that. What the fuck were you thinking?" Rosalie gave Emmett a playful slap.

"Hey I didn't pick it," Emmett tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, right, and I'm not a natural blonde."

"Okay. Before you guys share too much information, lets have a toast." Alice passed around a bottle of tequila she produced from thin air and waited for everyone to fill their cups.

"To Rose and Emmett!"

"To Rose and Emmett!" we all echoed. The four of us downed our shots. We were waiting for Rose and Emmett to drink when Emmett produced two slices of lemons and a shaker of salt.

"I only do body shots, so get over here, baby," Emmett growled at Rose. She took a wedge and the salt and motioned for Emmett to pick his spot. He eyed her thoroughly before kneeling and pulling her foot up to rest on his knee. He then raised her skirt just high enough so she wasn't flashing anyone and licked a spot on her inner thigh. Sprinkling some salt on her skin and placing the wedge on her knee, he licked, drank and sucked the whole slice into his mouth as his lips stayed in contact with her skin.

"That was the fucking sexiest thing I have ever seen," Jasper muttered. I had to agree. Alice and Bella just laughed.

"My turn," Rosalie smirked, taking the shaker back from Emmett. She then told him to bend over. She pulled the back of his shirt up so you could see curve of his lower back. With a lick, she moistened his skin and then sprinkled the salt. I could just picture Emmett's eyes bulging out of his head as her long hair brushed against his exposed hips. In one smooth motion, she lapped up the salt, threw back the tequila and then popped the wedge into her mouth and bit down on it letting the lemon juice trickle onto his skin.

"You two need to get a fucking room," Alice announced.

"I second that," Emmett smirked grabbing Rosalie and giving her a loud wet smack on her lips.

The music was now going full blast from the house. The stereo system Jake jacked up was causing the deck slats to vibrate.

"Oh, music. Come on girls. Lets hit the basement." Rhythm and Alice went hand in hand, so I wasn't surprised when Alice grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her back into the house with Rose right on their tail. Emmett followed them like a fucking puppy dog.

I would have stopped her. But that little display of body shots left me wanting some time to readjust.

"Things seem to be going good," Jasper speculated me as he was the only left outside. I looked his way and realized he purposely stayed behind.

"Huh?"

"You and Bella. Things seem to be going good," Jasper continued as I stared at the door where Bella disappeared.

"Yeah." I think my brain left the deck with Bella, as I couldn't form a complete sentence to respond to Jasper.

"Edward?" Jasper laid a hand on my shoulder, bringing my focus back to him. "Just take your time. Whatever is going on with her, I can tell she takes comfort in being around you."

"I know, Jazz… I know."

Jasper prodded me into the house without another word. For a moment, I thought the world has shifted, and I was in a different dimension, where Alice was psychic, Jasper was an empath and Rosalie was just plain scary. Twice in the span of twenty minutes I had been reminded that our friends were concerned about Bella, as well, and they trusted me to watch over her.

It's not like I hadn't already been doing it. But now there was a certain amount of pressure involved as well as, a kind of a safety net. They may not know what was really going on, but I knew they'd have my back. I'm not alone in this.

Everyone had pretty much moved to the basement to dance, so Jasper and I headed in that direction. As I passed the entry to the stairs, Paul hands Jasper and I a cup.

"What is this?" I ask.

"Fubar Juice," Paul replies. Instinctively I took a sip and realized there was enough fruit juice to mask an obscene amount of alcohol. Jasper didn't even take a sip. The look on my face told him all he needed to know.

"Who made it?"

"James."

"Make sure this is the last batch," I told Paul.

"Yeah. Sure," he replied, but the sneer on his face told me he's full of shit.

By the time we found the girls, their punch cups were empty

"Fuck," Jasper hissed. I understood his concern. A similar pang hit my stomach at the site of Bella's empty red cup. A silent communication passed between Jasper and I, signaling who would take the first watch. As Alice chose this moment to notice her boyfriend, he was up first. I slid back through the crowd and headed towards the bar. What better place to observe than the spot where everyone eventually comes.

Perched up on the bar I had a perfect view of Bella. Watching her was mesmerizing. Bella would close her eyes and her limbs would sway to the beat, her long hair swaying around her face and shoulders. Every once in a while, a strand would get caught in her eyes. She would sweep it away with a delicate gester. She was entranced by the music, her body momentarily fusing with the notes, its pulse slowly wiping out her memories and pain. It was such a subtle change. Anyone who didn't know the truth would never have caught it.

A few of the guys came over to talk, but I wasn't really paying attention. One or two even commented on my lack of party participation. I laughed it off, saying it had been a long week. I kept a steady eye on the group. Jasper and now Emmett were attempting to surround the girls. Bella was in the middle, and I couldn't help thinking that was intentional.

Soon more people were entering the house, bringing the house party into full swing. The tap was pouring. The lights were flashing. The music was cranked. I caught site of Angela and Jessica coming up to the bar for drinks. Embry filled their cups from a pitcher he pulled from under the bar. Four cups for two girls. My fucking RA senses started to tingle.

"What the hell are you serving," I yelled over to Embry.

"Punch," he replied, before filling another empty cup.

It quickly got so crowded I lost sight of Bella. I totally unnerved me. I had to relax. Friends surrounded her. She was safe.

For a moment, I thought about joining them not to watch over, but to participate, to use the music and dancing to be closer to Bella. I was just about to hop down from the bar when her words came back to haunt me.

"How can you look at me…after…?"

"I can't handle your pity."

And even though we covered that under the tree and the evening had turned around, I just hated the thought that I might remind her of ????. The music, the friends, even the alcohol had freed her for a time from that horrible memory. I swung my antsy feet and cracked my muscles. I did everything and anything to dispel the incredible desire to go to her because I dreaded what my presence would remind her of.

"Hello, Edward."

I turned towards the voice, seeing James sidling up to the bar.

"Glad you could finally make it," I snapped. Fucker skipped the pinning. Must have thought it was beneath him. It worked out for the best, though. Emmett and he had clashed a few too many times, sometimes so badly that it took a few people to break them up. Emmett is strong, but James fights dirty. I could just imagine James trying to fuck with Emmett before the pinning. I know he would have made a scene with Jasper being at the house, seeing that he's not a brother.

"Sorry about that. I was a little busy. At least I made it to the party." His snide tone made the hair on my arms bristle.

"Of course. We all know you can't pass up free alcohol."

"Don't forget the scenery, Edward," his hand gesturing out towards the dancing crowd. My stomach lurched at the thought.

"What. You and Victoria taking the night off?"

"No. She's actually upstairs. Just looking for some appetizers. Variety is good," he revealed before grabbing a bottle of vodka from under the bar and taking his leave.

"Fucking ass," I mumbled to myself. The more he talked, the more I hated him. Thank God I didn't live at the house. I'd have to fucking share a shower and shit where his ass touched. The less I saw of him, the better.

"Yo, Edward. You wanna beer?" Embry called from behind the bar.

"Naw. Just grab me a water bottle from the blue cooler."

Embry complied and tossed me the water. I didn't have anything more than the two shots earlier and a beer. I was glad. Knowing about the punch and listening to James made me incredibly edgy, and I wanted to keep an eye on him. Drinking the water, I decided I couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer. I hopped down and searched the crowd for Bella. Emmett and Rose were happily groping each other. Angela was now dancing with Ben, but Alice, Jasper and Bella were nowhere to be seen.

I figured they probably went out for some air and some quiet. The noise level in the basement was enough to make your ears ring for a week. I hopped down and started making my way through the crowd to the stairs. As I turned the corner, Alice plowed right into me.

"Have you seen Bella?" she asked before I could speak.

"What!"

"Have you seen her? She went off to use the bathroom and now I can't find her."

"Shit!" Panic started constricting my chest. I whipped my head around the basement. Emmett. Rosalie. Ben. Angela. Jake. Jessica. James. No Bella. "She's not down here. Where have you looked?"

"Bathroom. Front porch. Lounge.."

"Did you check the upstairs bathroom or the pool room? What about Emmett's room?"

"No." And with that Alice was off and up the stairs with me close on her heels. She didn't mention the back porch, so that was my first destination. Pushing through the small gathering in the lounge, I quickly passed through the back door.

The moon was out now, giving me a better view of the deck. I must have been loud rushing through the doors, because the person standing at the far end whipped around dropping her cup. With only the light from the moon, I knew that figure.

"Bella!" I called taking long strides towards her. She stared at me as I approached. Her breath hitched as I drew closer. There was enough light for me to see the wetness in her eyes and cheeks. She took the last few steps to me. Her body collided with mine, and before I could speak, her arms snaked around my neck pulling me to her waiting lips.

Review Review Review, even if you're pissed that this chapter took so long.

Bella has a journal that goes with this fic. Check it out.

.net/s/4936743/1/Stages_Bellas_Journal

Total Teaser. Because I owe you guys and I promise not to take too long with the next chapter.

"Make me forget."
"Bella. I can't."
"Please."
"I can't. It's not right."
"You don't get it. I need you. I need this to be you."
"Why?"
"Because you are the only one. You are the only one to make it disappear. I don't smell him when you are this close. His touch vanishes under your fingertips. I want to forget. I need to forget. I need this to be you. I need a new memory. Please. Please. Give me a new memory."

I hope you still love me...