A/N: I'm so stoked on all the reviews I've been getting for my little ol' story. Thank you all so much for taking the time to write and let me know how you like it. I really appreciate it

That being said, I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter and please don't hesitate to leave me some love 'cuz it makes my little heart go pitter-pat for reals.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the lucky bitch who owns Edward Cullen. Sigh. All I did was put tattoos on him.

BPOV

"Well, remember when we talked before you left for tour? Do you remember what you said?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.

There was a moment of silence. Finally, he said, "Yes…"

This was it. I breathed deeply and responded, "Well, I'm ready."

There was complete silence on the other end of the line. I started to sweat. I held my breath, just waiting for his reaction. Maybe I shouldn't have done this over the phone. I could have waited for him to get home from tour.

I was just about to break out into hives when his voice finally filled my ear. "Are you sure?" he said, sounding skeptical.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake off the butterflies battling in my stomach. "Yes…," I said, a little breathlessly.

There was another pause, shorter this time. Then I heard him let out a big sigh before saying, "If you're sure… I don't want to pressure you, Bella. I want you to be ready before we start anything."

I could hear some voices in the background, and Edward started talking to somebody else. I waited for him to come back to the phone, not really knowing what to say. I felt like I'd just bared my heart and I was feeling a little disappointed at the way this conversation was shaping up.

"Sorry, Bella, hold on," Edward said, sounding distracted.

I sighed, starting to feel really stupid. His conversation continued with the other person, and I finally said, "Edward? I'm sorry but I've got to go." I felt like crap. I had no idea what to think about this.

Edward came back to the phone, sounding apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I'll call you tomorrow when I don't have people talking in my ear, okay? I really want to talk to you. I miss you," he added, sounding impatient.

"I…miss you too, Edward," I said, somewhat half-heartedly. I really did miss him, but I wasn't about to throw myself at him until I knew he was in this as much as I was. I wouldn't be a fool over Edward Cullen, no matter how perfect he was.

I hung up on Edward and tossed my phone onto the bed with a feeling of disgust. I felt let down. When Edward had professed his feelings for me before he left for the tour, I'd believed every word. I may have been afraid, but I'd felt like he really meant what he said.

Now I wasn't so sure.

EPOV

I hung up my cell phone, feeling frustrated. I wanted Bella, and when she'd told me she was ready to start something with me, I'd felt galvanized by hope. I had to restrain the whoop of joy that wanted so badly to escape.

Then reality had snuck back in, with its killjoy tendencies. Bella only broke up with Jake about four months ago. Was she really ready for a new relationship? She had been with him for years, and on top of that, I knew she had some issues from her parents' divorce that she was still trying to resolve.

I couldn't rush her; it could ruin something that felt so promising that I'd been ignoring all the girls who threw themselves at me at every show. I didn't want to just jump into a relationship with her, knowing that she may not be as into it as I was.

I thought back over our conversation and cursed myself. I'd come off like a disinterested asshole. Great. The girl I'd been dreaming about was probably kicking herself right now because I couldn't tell Emmett to leave me alone long enough to have a proper conversation with her.

I groaned as I tried to decide how I could make this up to her. I wanted her to have faith in me and us.

I ran through the possibilities. I could send her flowers- no, too lame. I could make her a ridiculously romantic mix CD- eh, maybe. I could tape Emmett's mouth shut and call her back, telling her what a jackass I'd been… hmm, possible. Then again, she'd probably ignore me if I called her now. Crap.

Then I felt divine inspiration hit me. This would have to work, or I was totally screwed.

I grabbed my laptop and opened up my music player to compile a list of songs. I would have to come prepared.

BPOV

I opened the front door and tossed my book bag next to the coat tree. I didn't bother to call out for my dad because I knew he wouldn't be here. I sighed in relief at having the house all to myself.

Charlie was gone on a fishing trip all weekend with Jake's dad. I was relieved; I was still moping from the conversation with Edward last night. I didn't want him to ask questions, because I knew he was still pretty upset over Jake and I breaking up.

I walked over to the TV and put a Saddle Creek sampler on that I hadn't listened to in awhile. It felt good to play my music loudly. I turned and went into the kitchen to start pulling things out for my solo dinner.

The pasta was boiling and the vegetables were sautéing on the stove when my phone beeped, indicating I had a text message. I grabbed it from my bag and opened it up.

From: Alice

To: Bella

You better tell me everything, missy!

I sighed, wondering if Edward had told her about my phone call last night. It would be pretty embarrassing if I'd made a fool out of myself in front of Edward and my new best friend as well.

I decided to ignore the message for now, because I was still feeling too depressed. I really liked Edward, and now that I'd made the decision to give it a chance, I was feeling let down. Maybe Edward had gotten over me in the three months they'd been gone.

Or, the voice in my head said, maybe he's already met someone else. I groaned in frustration and decided to distract myself. I would try not to make assumptions until I spoke to him again.

The timer for the pasta went off and I busied myself draining it. Some of the boiling water splashed over my hand and I cursed in pain. I quickly finished dumping the water out and turned the cold water on.

I was running my red hand under the faucet when I heard my phone ringing. I turned the water off and wiped my hand on a towel, hoping it wouldn't blister before I picked up my phone.

I felt my stomach twist into knots as I saw Edward's name flashing across the screen. I took a fortifying breath and answered.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, Bella. What are you doing?" he asked.

"I was just cooking some dinner for myself. What about you?" I replied.

"Just hanging out," he said casually. I wondered if he would get to the point and bring up our talk, but he just continued with the chitchat. "So where's Charlie?" he asked.

I was starting to get impatient. I was dying to know what he was thinking. "He's gone for the weekend. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about last night. I know you've been gone a long time, so I don't want you to feel bad if things have changed on your end...," I began before he interrupted me.

"I have been gone for a long time, and I want to talk about this too, so why don't you come open your door?" he said.

My brain stopped working. Wait, what?

I must have been silent for too long, because all I could hear was the song switching and the frantic pounding of my heart. My favorite song on the sampler drifted from the speakers in the living room.

"Breathe, Bella," Edward said. That's when I realized what he'd meant. I dropped my phone and ran to the door, yanking it open.

There, on my front porch, was the most amazingly gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on. Edward was leaning against the railing, holding his phone and grinning from ear to ear.

"Edward!" I said breathlessly.

"Hey, you," he said softly.

"Breathe to release
And dispel what you dream
Just be glad we can kiss…"

Without warning, Edward stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. He lifted me up and I felt my entire world shift as his lips landed on mine. I sighed as I sank into the kiss. I could feel a thousand tiny starbursts erupting over my skin, making me incandescent. Edward's scent wrapped around me and I clenched my eyes shut in ecstasy. This was the most romantic moment of my life, by far.

His arms were hard and warm around me as his mouth continued to move softly on mine. I reached up to bury my hands in his hair, half expecting him to pull away and tell me not to touch it. Jake always ruined moments like that with his hair obsession, but Edward never missed a beat. He actually seemed to enjoy my hands tugging on his hair.

The music washed over us, amazingly perfect. I was in heaven and I hoped Edward was right there with me. It would be a shame for me to die from happiness in this moment, only to leave this perfect specimen of manhood behind.

"It's just I finally found
A place where I can breathe
It's just I finally found
A place where I can sleep…"

Edward set me down gently without letting me go. I looked up at him, completely dazed. The song ended and he smiled down at me so sweetly I swore my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

"Hi," I breathed. Somewhere in my brain, I knew I sounded like an idiot but I couldn't muster the brain power to care much at this point. Edward was here and he had just given me the most beautiful kiss I'd ever had.

"Hi," he said back, still smiling. "So, does that mean you missed me?"

"Yes!" I squeaked. I was so happy to have him here; I didn't even know what to do. I tried to shake the fog out of my mind and looked around, trying to decide what to say next. What did one say after a moment like that, anyway?

He chuckled and I blushed, embarrassed by my obvious distraction. Finally, he said, "Do I smell your dinner?"

I gasped and ran to the kitchen to turn off the burner under the vegetables. They didn't look too overcooked, so I quickly tossed them with the pasta. I threw it all in a bowl and put it on the kitchen table before returning to the living room.

Edward was standing in front of the TV, flipping through my CD's. "See anything you want to listen to?" I asked.

"Hmm, I think I want to check out this Amandine band. They're Swedish, right?" he asked as he pulled it out of the case and put it in the DVD player.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied. I really wasn't very interested in my music collection right now; I had more interesting things to talk about right now.

He stood up and I walked over to him with a goofy smile on my face. "I just can't believe you're here," I said. "What did you tell everyone? How long are you going to be here? Wait, don't tell me that because I don't want to know. I'll just be sad because I know it won't be long enough for me," I said.

He laughed and said, "I didn't really tell anybody anything too revealing, but I'm pretty sure Alice figured things out when I was so mad at Emmett for interrupting our phone call last night."

"Damn that Emmett!" I said, half-jokingly.

"Yeah, I really wanted to throttle him for it but whatever. I'm here now, and not even Emmett's big fat mouth can get in the way now," he laughed.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest, squeezing him with all my might. He smelled so heavenly. I could never figure out how the Cullens always smelled so clean and fresh on tour while the every other person I knew always smelled like a dump truck on the road.

I took his hand and tugged him into the kitchen so we could eat. We sat down across from each other and I dished up the pasta, handing him a heaping plate.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"I landed at SeaTac about two hours ago," he replied. I did some quick mental math and decided he must have teleported here, because nobody in their right mind would drive that fast from SeaTac to Forks.

He must have seen my expression, because he laughed and said, "I was a little bit impatient to get here."

I blushed and looked down at my plate as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. I was so happy he was here. I felt like an idiot for doubting him now that I could see with my own eyes how much he must like me.

I tried to act nonchalant, but I was jumping up and down inside. He was so good looking, and he was here at my kitchen table. He was here because he wanted to be with me, and I was just dying in happiness.

We finished eating and I got up to clear the table, but Edward stopped me with a hand on my wrist. "Let me," he said simply.

I nodded and sat back down, watching as he picked up the dishes and took them to the sink so he could wash them. He was being so sweet and I just sat there, bemused. I was completely dazzled by him.

The sun had gone down outside, and it was dark in the rest of the house. The music was drifting through, seeming to emphasize how alone we were. I cleared my throat nervously as my hands began to shake. I didn't know what to do with him now that the food was gone.

You could always jump him, my brain whispered. That idea certainly had merit. I considered it for all of about five seconds before I discarded it. I didn't want to look too desperate or slutty. I wasn't even sure what was going to happen between us; sex at this point would just complicate things.

I sighed, feeling disappointed. I wasn't normally a very sexual person, but then again, I'd never had sex with someone like Edward. Something told me he'd be able to turn me into a very sexual person.

Edward finished up in the kitchen and came back to the table, looking at me with an amused expression on his face. "So, what would you like to do now?" he asked.

I shook my head to clear it of the thoughts about Edward and sexy times, still not really sure what we could do. "Er, how about we watch a movie?" I asked lamely.

"Sure," he answered. He reached down for my hand and wrapped it in his before pulling me up to stand next to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me gently to him, burying his face in my hair. I could hear him taking deep breaths as I wrapped my arms around him and did the same.

"You smell even better than I remember," he said.

"So do you," I said, blushing. I loved the way he smelled; it was all spicy and fresh.

He pulled his arms back and released me, and we walked into the living room hand-in-hand. I let him pick the movie and we curled up on the couch together to watch it.

The movie passed in a blur. My mind was too focused on Edward's warm body next to mine. I wanted to kiss him again so badly, but I was afraid to let things get out of hand. His fingers were busy combing softly through my hair, and it felt wonderful.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew the movie was over and Edward was pulling me up into his arms. I looked around groggily as I realized he was carrying me up the stairs. "Which room is yours, Bella?" he whispered softly.

"The one on the left," I whispered back, my voice thick with sleep. He pushed the door open with his foot and walked over to the bed, setting me down carefully.

I tried to wake up more, because I didn't want to waste a moment of time with him. I reached my arms toward him and he came over to me and lay on the bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I cuddled into him.

I peeked up at him from beneath my lashes, wondering what he was thinking. He looked pretty tired himself; it was no wonder, considering the fact that he'd flown here and all. His eyes were drifting closed, but I wasn't ready to go back to sleep yet.

"Bella, unless you want to spend the rest of the night making out like a couple of horny teenagers afraid of second base, you better stop looking at me like that," he said gruffly.

I couldn't help it, I snickered. I definitely wanted to spend the rest of the night making out like horny teenagers. I bet Edward had been hot, even as a teenager.

His eyes popped open in warning and I choked as he flipped me over on to my back, pressing his chest against mine. His mouth swooped down and claimed mine, and the heat was undeniable.

His delicious lips moved over mine as I tried to remember to breathe. I felt consumed with a sense of rightness so profound that I was left shaken. I wrapped my hands around his neck and lost myself in his presence.

Maybe being a horny teenager had more going for it than I remembered.

A/N: So, you likies? I likies. It's overly romantic but that's the way I always saw Edward in the books, so nyah. Sorry it's kind of short, but a girl's gotta do her homework too. I can't just play with Edward all day, sadly!