Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Author's Note: You guys are awesome for sticking to my story. I know it's hard to read—trust me, it's really hard to write. I sometimes just want to get right to the good stuff, but I have this story outlined a certain way and in the end, I think it will turn out a lot better.

***Some good news, though. I stated this in the forums, but I don't know if everyone visits it so here it is again: I was editing the outline to this story the other day and due to some changes that have occurred in the story—it's beyond my control since the story pretty much writes itself—the turning point has been moved to Chapter 14. I don't think I will change it again so I hope that makes everyone a little happier. Also, as of now this story is expected to be 28 chapters long and that is including the epilogue, so it is kind of perfect that the climax is halfway through the story. The story might turn out to be longer (I doubt it would be shorter), but for now that's just a heads up!

And you guys have been doing an amazing job so far with being patient with me and I thank you dearly for that! Just a couple more chapters until the main event! Thank you so much for your support and enjoy this chapter! :)

Edward POV

Extraordinary.

That was the only way to describe my birthday. And it was all because of Bella.

I was so touched that she had even gotten me a gift for my birthday, but that wasn't the extraordinary part. It was what she had gotten me. It was perfect and I had never been more inspired to write a musical piece in my entire life. She inspired me. She always inspired me. She was my muse and I wasn't sure if she even knew it.

And I couldn't forget that kiss. My lips still tingled when I thought about it. It was absolutely amazing. I wanted to thank every person in that room who pressured Bella into kissing me because it was one of the best moments of my life. At that moment everything felt right. It was as if we were really still together…happily married…sharing a passionate kiss in front of my family.

But once we got into bed that night and lay on our separate sides with the invisible wall up between us, it slowly sunk in that none of it was real...no matter how much I desperately wanted it to be.

I wanted to have my happily every after with Bella, but how could I do that when we never truly talked about our problems? I had originally planned on bringing it up yesterday, but then my family had to go and throw me a damn surprise party. The worst part was that it actually made me reconsider. Bella seemed to finally be happy and I didn't want to take that away from her so soon.

I knew our talk would create tension—it was inevitable—but the wait could definitely be prolonged. Maybe I could just enjoy my time with her a little while longer. She may be pretending…but I sure as hell wasn't anymore. And I would take what I could get for as long as I could get it...and when the time came, I would finally sit down with her and 'The Event' would take place.

For now I would enjoy this.

I was lazing in bed, staring out the large window that led to the balcony while Bella breathed evenly beside me. I heard my phone vibrate on the night stand beside my bed and I quickly grabbed it and quietly got out of bed, walking out to the balcony and softly shutting the door behind me. I looked at the caller i.d. and my heart immediately plummeted into my stomach.

It was Felix. Our divorce lawyer.

I took a deep breath and answered. "Hello?" My voice wavered slightly.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen. How are you?" Felix replied pleasantly. He was a really good man and I probably would have enjoyed his company if the time spent with him wasn't to finalize the divorce papers for me and the love of my life.

"Hey, Felix. What can I do for you?" I asked warily, not sure why he was calling me so early.

"I was looking over the files this morning and I just wanted to let you know that you and Bella can finally sign the papers now and get them approved. You have to do it within the next two weeks otherwise you would have to wait another eight months. Would you mind if I sent the papers out to you parent's lake house like we discussed? You two can sign them and send them in. Piece of cake," he finished with a chuckle. Felix was always trying to make light of the situation, seeing as it was a pretty fucking hard situation to be in.

We had told Felix we were going to my parent's lake house for four weeks with the knowledge that our divorce papers would be coming in any day now. We were both expecting this to happen, but that didn't mean I was any more prepared for it.

We also agreed that the papers could be mailed to the lake house where we would sign them and send them in. But now…fuck…I couldn't do this now. I needed to talk to Bella first. Maybe we could put it off…work through things…get on good terms before we made this decision.

"Uh, yea, sure, Felix. That's fine," I replied flatly.

I made up my mind that I would just hide the papers until Bella and I talked. Then we could both sit down and figure out where we wanted to go from there. Even if we had to wait another eight months—if we missed the deadline the first time around—then we could spend that time rebuilding at least a friendship between us…if anything.

Friends.

There's that fucking word again.

It killed me to even think about just being friends with Bella. The thought was an impossibility. A laughable—yet fucking humorless—impossibility.

Focus on the now.

"Great," Felix said, sounding a bit disappointed. This confused me slightly, but I decided not to call him out on it. "The papers should be delivered within the next week. Make sure to fill them out immediately and send them back to the return address on the envelope. Any questions, just call my office. You have a good day, Edward, and tell Bella I said hi."

"Of course, Felix. Thank you." It was a little fucking weird thanking someone for ending my marriage, but I knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't caused this.

I said my goodbyes to Felix before opening the balcony door and walking back into the room. Bella was sitting up in bed, rubbing at her eyes sleepily. She sensed my presence and looked up at me.

"Morning," I said softly, smiling slightly at her as I walked over to my nightstand and plugged my cell phone back into its charger.

"Good morning," she replied quietly. "Where'd you go?"

I paused and contemplated my response. I didn't want her to know the divorce papers were being sent to us because I didn't want her to speed up the process anymore than necessary. I decided to lie.

"One of my colleagues called. I told them to call me if they needed anything. He just had a question," I replied smoothly as I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.

She nodded and sighed, running a hand through her hair—a habit she had picked up from me.

"Thanks again for yesterday, Bella. That journal means a lot to me," I said sincerely. It really had meant a lot to me. I couldn't wait to use the piano in my parent's den so I could start composing immediately.

She smiled sweetly at me before waving her hand dismissively. "It was nothing, honestly. I just figured I should get you something you would use so…" she trailed off.

"Either way, I'm grateful."

She smiled at me again before sighing and standing up. "I'm kind of starving. Do you want to go downstairs and see what there is to eat?" she asked me shyly.

I nodded—probably a little too eagerly—and stood up, wordlessly following her downstairs where the smell of food being cooked was already prominent in the air. We rounded the corner and saw Jasper and Alice in the kitchen, working away making waffles, eggs, and bacon.

I thought that everyone had work today, seeing as that is what they had told us, so I was surprised Alice and Jasper was home. I was actually looking forward to being home alone with Bella again. I thought we could finally talk.

Why does 'The Event' keep getting fucking cock-blocked?

Alice turned around to go the fridge when she saw Bella and I standing in the entryway of the kitchen.

"Morning, sleepy heads!" Alice chirped happily. "Bet your excited to see us. We made you breakfast!"

Shit. Alice wanted something.

"Whatever it is, Alice, the answer is no," Bella stated firmly, almost as if she had read my exact thoughts. She walked over to the counter and sat at one of the barstools. I followed slowly after her, sitting in the barstool beside her.

Alice's face fell as she put food on four plates. She and Jasper stood across from us and ate as Bella and I remained seated on our stools.

"You know me so well," Alice huffed. "Well Jasper and I—" Jasper cleared his throat and Alice looked at him and rolled her eyes before shaking her head and looking back at us. "Okay, I," she started again, "was wondering if you guys would be so kind as to come with Jazz and I to register for wedding gifts. Please, Bells? I need your advice and my mom and Rosalie are at work so…you're my only hope."

"Thanks, Alice, I feel so honored," Bella replied sarcastically, causing me to laugh.

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes again. "Are you going to make me beg? Cuz I will, Bella. And you and Edward will get so annoyed that you'll have no choice but to finally say yes," she said smugly.

"Don't be so confident, Ali," I retorted playfully.

"Come on, you guys. When we get back…Jazz and I will even take you guys out on the boat. It's supposed to be really sunny and nice today and it'll be a lot of fun. Please?" Her eyes went wide and she gave us the puppy dog pout.

"Fine," Bella finally relented. "I'll go and offer my opinion, but remember I'm not Martha freakin Stewart, so don't expect me to be very helpful."

"Oh, I don't," Alice deadpanned, causing Bella to glare at her.

"Thanks, Bells," Jasper breathed in relief. "Now I can hang out with Edward and not have to be dragged around stores all day."

"Oh, yes you do," Alice clarified firmly. "They," she said, gesturing between Bella and me, "are coming for moral support. You on the other hand are staying by my side all day. It is our wedding after all, Jasper. Don't you want a say in what we register?"

"No, not really," he replied quickly.

Alice opened her mouth, but nothing came out. For once she was speechless. And I didn't even have a fucking camera.

XxXxX

"Oooookay, so how about this for silverware?" Alice asked, holding up another set for Bella to look at. Jasper and I both chuckled and shook our heads.

"That one…looks exactly the same as the other one, Alice," Bella replied warily, probably afraid to piss Alice off.

Alice simply rolled her eyes. "It's a different design, Bells. Now, Jasper?" Jasper's eyes widened and he looked like a man about to walk on death row. "What do you think of the silverware?" she asked.

"It's perfect, darling. Anything you want," he said smoothly.

Kiss ass.

"Kiss ass," Bella mumbled.

I looked at her, shocked. She took the fucking words right out of my mouth.

Jasper just chuckled and shook his head as Alice gave him a quick kiss on the lips and continued looking at plates and silverware.

"Fun day, huh?" I asked Bella sarcastically as Alice and Jasper walked over to the other side of the store.

Bella looked at me and sighed. "I want to help her, but…I'm just not that good at this sort of thing," she said regretfully, crossing her arms and biting her lip.

"Hey," I said softly, placing my hand on the small of her back. I felt her stiffen before she relaxed slightly. "You just being here means a lot to her. You know that. Alice is just in…wedding mode. But you know she's grateful. And you're doing fine," I finished gently.

She looked up at me again and smiled slightly. "I know…thank you."

I nodded just as Alice danced over to us holding what looked like a champagne glass.

"Yes? No?" Alice asked of both of us, holding the glass up for us to examine.

"It's perfect," Bella and I said at the exact same time. We both looked at each other and burst into quiet laughter as Alice muttered, "Freaking lunatics," and walked over to Jasper.

After we finished registering Alice and Jasper for wedding gifts, we went to a restaurant nearby and had some lunch. I was extremely worried that it was going to be hard being around Alice and Jasper without them noticing something was off with Bella and me, but it was pleasantly simple. And by simple I didn't mean that it was simple to fake it for them, but that it was getting easier and easier to be with Bella.

I had to face the reality of it. Who in the hell was I trying to even fool? I wasn't pretending anymore and I'm pretty sure Bella knew it. She had to know it—feel it.

I wondered if she was still faking. I wondered if maybe when she touched my hand casually in passing…or kissed my lips for show…or laughed at one of my jokes…if she was just doing it for Alice and Jasper's sake, or if she was truly, genuinely happy around me.

God, I hoped.

As promised, Alice and Jasper told us to go get ready to go on the boat once we returned to the lake house. It was still early afternoon and a pleasantly sunny day in Seattle so we were going to make the most of it.

Bella went into the bathroom and changed into her swimsuit while I stayed in the bedroom and put on my trunks and a t-shirt. She walked out a few minutes later wearing a white sun dress. Her black bikini was visible through the thin material and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, exposing her beautiful neck.

"Ready?" she asked me sweetly.

I nodded, breaking out of my haze as she started walking toward the door.

"Bella," I called after her, grabbing the bottle of what I knew she would need from my suitcase. "You should put sun block on. You burn easily."

She turned and looked at me surprised. But her eyes also showed another emotion. She seemed touched by the gesture as she smiled shyly and took the bottle from me.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

We both walked downstairs and out the back door toward the steps that led down to the lake. Alice and Jasper were already on the boat getting everything set up. I helped Bella get in so she wouldn't fall before hopping in myself. Jasper quickly started the engine soon after and we were off.

I was sitting next to Alice while Jasper was showing Bella how to steer the boat. My heart would flutter every time I heard her laugh or say something funny to Jasper because I knew that she was actually happy. And that made me smile.

"Beer?" Alice offered, handing me a bottle. I graciously accepted and took a long swig before looking at my baby sister.

"Oh! Tomorrow night is the banquet dinner for Emmett's advertisement agency," Alice suddenly said. "He wanted me to tell you guys. A lot of their companies are going to be there and it's supposed to be really fun. Don't tell Bella, but I already bought her a dress and it's going to look perfect on her." She grinned evilly, taking a small sip of her own beer.

"Is this a black tie event?" I asked, hoping it wasn't. I had to wear a suit to work pretty much everyday so it was nice getting a break for a few weeks.

"Of course, Edward. And the whole family will be there to support Em so you better dress to impress. His colleagues will be there, too, obviously. He's been doing such a great job. We're all really proud of him." She murmured the last part with a faraway look in her eyes. I could tell how proud she was of Emmett.

I was proud of him, too. I sometimes hated being so far away from my family at times because it killed me not seeing them everyday. I knew Emmett was doing a great job at his advertisement agency since we talked on the phone several times a week, but I still wished I could be here for him at times. He was my big brother and I looked up to him.

"I'm proud of him, too," I said. It came out sounding sadder than I intended.

"Hey," Alice chided playfully. "We're all proud of you, Edward. You made it big as a lawyer at such a young age…"

"I know, Alice, that's not what I meant," I interrupted softly. "I just…miss you guys. I love living in New York, don't get me wrong, but my whole family is here…Bella's dad lives in Forks. I just hate being so far away sometimes."

Alice smiled at me sympathetically and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, hugging me tightly. "Just visit more, Edward. We would love that."

I smiled at her and hugged her tightly as Jasper called her to take over for Bella. I chuckled and released her as Bella walked over to us and took the seat where Alice had just been, right beside me—I wasn't going to lie, that surprised me. There was plenty of space on the boat so she could have easily sat anywhere else.

She's doing it for show. It's all for show.

The reality crept back in. Funny. It always had a way of doing that.

"Can you rub some sun block on my back?" Bella suddenly asked softly, holding the bottle out to me nervously.

I looked at her—she was shocking the hell out of me a lot today—and nodded wordlessly, taking the bottle from her and squirting some lotion onto my hands. She turned a bit in her seat so that her back was to me and held her hair up out of the way.

I applied the lotion to her back slowly and gently, making it last for as long as possible. I selfishly drew out the moment a little longer than necessary, but Bella remained patient the entire time as I made sure to rub the sun block into her skin.

After a few amazing minutes of rubbing her back, I finally had to pull away. There was only so much masochism I could take for one day.

"Thanks, Edward," she said, turning back around to face me as I set the bottle back down.

I looked at her and smiled softly, wishing at that moment that I could just say everything I needed to say to her—just lay it all out on the table. So I decided enough was enough. I was sick of being scared. It was time to bite the bullet.

"Bella," I started nervously. "Can we…talk later?"

She seemed confused and a bit taken aback, but a flash of understanding quickly passed through her eyes before it disappeared just as swiftly. She nodded wordlessly. I smiled tentatively at her just as Alice and Jasper called us both over to look at the lake where there was some sort of swim meet going on.

"You go. I get nauseous if I stand too close to the edge," she said softly, smiling at me encouragingly.

I smiled back at her and nodded before standing up and walking to the very front of the boat where Alice and Jasper were watching a few people racing. I tried focusing on them and on what Alice and Jasper were saying, but all I could focus on was my talk with Bella.

I could not believe she had agreed to talk to me. That was the part I was most worried about. I was afraid she wouldn't even allow me to initiate any sort of discussion with her relating to our problems, but she shocked the hell out of me—yet again—and agreed.

I wasn't sure when it was going to take place, but just the knowledge that we both knew it was coming was enough to have me grinning like an idiot as I gazed out onto the lake, not really even looking at the swimmers. All I could think about was Bella…what I would say to her…what she would say to me. And what it would mean for us in the end.

It was at that moment that I was brought out of my haze…because suddenly I heard her scream.

I didn't even think. I immediately turned around and to my horror, I saw Bella about fifty yards away from the boat. She was in the lake. She didn't know how to swim. And she didn't even have a life vest on. Beside her, I saw what could only be a small girl, clingy to her. The little girl didn't have a life vest on, either.

I scanned the rest of the lake and spotted the boat that the little girl probably belonged to about thirty yards off to the left. The parents of the child were frantically steering the boat in their direction and I could hear Alice and Jasper panicking and doing the same thing, but all I saw was Bella struggling to hold the little girl above water while she, herself, was practically drowning.

I didn't think about my next move. I didn't even think to take my shirt off as I kicked off my sandals and dove head first into the freezing water. It didn't take long for me to swim to her. She was having trouble staying above water and the little girl in her arms was crying violently, clinging to Bella for dear life as Bella struggled to remain above the water's surface. I grabbed Bella's waist as soon as I reached her and held her up while I kicked my feet furiously to keep us afloat.

"Bella," I gasped, my breathing erratic. "You're okay. Alright, baby? You're going to be okay."

She nodded at me furiously as she shivered, her teeth chattering together violently. I knew she was freezing and was probably going to go into shock just from the incident alone.

The parents of the child's boat reached us first and I immediately took the little crying girl from Bella's hands and swam the couple of feet to the boat. Her mother cried and she and her husband thanked us profusely as I gave them their daughter.

"Don't worry about it," I replied absentmindedly, quickly going back to Bella's side and securing my arms around her waist once again.

"Thank you so much!" her mother cried, clutching onto her daughter.

I looked at Bella and her teeth were still chattering together as she looked past me to where Alice and Jasper had finally reached us. I denied the couple's offer of repaying us and told them not to worry about it as I helped Bella get onto the boat. I didn't want any rewards and I knew Bella didn't either. All I wanted was to make sure that Bella was going to be okay.

I climbed onto the boat as Alice and Jasper huddled around Bella. She was lying on her back on the boat—not moving—just staring up at the sky. Her eyes didn't seem to be focused on anything.

"Bella? Bella!" I called frantically, crouching down beside her and shaking her a little bit as I brushed the wet strands of hair from her face.

"Edward, what's wrong with her?!" Alice cried, panicking.

"Fuck!" I yelled, exasperated. "She's in shock, Alice. Bella, can you breathe? Please, love, answer me!" I yelled desperately.

Bella turned her shocked gaze to me. "Edward?" she rasped out.

"I'm here," I sighed, wrapping my arms around her to keep her arm. "I'm here. Fuck, Bella…you scared the living shit out of me." My voice shook slightly as I spoke.

"What were you doing in the water, Bella?" Alice asked worriedly as Bella continued to quiver in my arms. I grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it tightly around her, holding her close to me.

"Little girl...fell…parents weren't looking…no one was paying attention…too loud…had to…s-s-save her….I can't swim…" she stammered out.

"Oh, Bella," Alice breathed, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly. It was a little difficult since I didn't let her go.

Alice pulled away and rubbed Bella's arms to create friction as Jasper walked over to us.

"Come on. I called Carlisle and he's waiting for us at the hospital. He thinks it's a good idea to get her checked out just in case," Jasper said, helping me get Bella off the ground.

"You should carry her, Edward," Alice said, concern evidence in her voice.

I nodded and picked Bella up easily and carried her to Jasper's car. The ride to the hospital didn't take too long. I sat in the back with Bella lying in my lap—seat belt laws be damned. I held her close to me, rubbing her arms up and down to keep her warm.

I thought I was going to lose her. When I saw her in the water, all I could think about was that she didn't know how to swim. I thought she and the little girl were going to drown.

The fact that she had jumped in—despite not knowing how to swim—just to save that little girl made me feel so much respect for her. She had put her life on the line for a complete stranger.

Carlisle was waiting at the hospital for us and quickly got Bella checked into her own room, examining her vitals and blood pressure just to make sure she was okay. The water had been extremely cold and she had obviously swallowed an excessive amount of water, but she was going to be fine.

Carlisle came out a few minutes later to tell us she was resting on the bed and that she was going to be released in a couple of hours. She had been in shock shortly after the incident, but had quickly recovered and was breathing normally again.

"Can I see her?" I asked, running a hand through my hair nervously.

"Of course, Edward," my father replied, putting a hand on my back reassuringly.

I nodded and walked past him to her room, opening the door and stepping in without any warning. Bella was lying on the bed in the scrubs the doctors had given her since her clothes were soaked. Her eyes were open and she had been watching the door, as if expecting a visitor.

"Hey," I said, my voice wavering slightly. I still couldn't get the image of her helpless in the water out of my mind.

"Edward," she breathed, holding her hand out to me. Her eyes were red-rimmed and I knew she had been crying.

I quickly walked over to her and didn't hesitate to lean over and wrap my arms around her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I was so scared, Edward," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "No one heard me screaming. I thought I was going to drown. All I could think about was saving that little girl. Just…making sure she would be okay…" Her voice broke on the last part and she began sobbing quietly in my arms.

"I thought I was going to lose you for a second," I whispered. "You were so far away." I wasn't just talking about how far she had been from the boat, but the state she was in on the way to the hospital. She had been in shock and was staring off into space like a zombie, shaking furiously in my arms the entire way. She wouldn't even respond to anything anyone said to her.

I felt her nod against me before she pulled away and lay back down on the bed. I brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, lingering there a little longer than necessary.

"Thank you for saving me…again," she said quietly, smiling weakly at me.

I pulled back and smiled crookedly at her. "Always."

At that moment, all I wanted to do was tell her how much I loved her. Even though she thought I was the one saving her, she was in fact the one saving me…just by breathing she saved me. She gave me something to live for.

But she needed to rest. And I needed to think. She meant more to me than the world over and I decided at that moment that I didn't want to talk for the sake of leaving things on good terms. I wanted to fix this—us. I wanted to be with her forever and I didn't care how long it took to convince her that I needed to be with her. I would spend the rest of my life doing that. Even if she moved on, found someone else, grew old with someone else, I would never disappear. I would always be there on the sidelines waiting because she was the only one for me.

I didn't care if I wasn't the only one for her.

I rubbed small circles on the back of her hand as the door opened and Alice and Jasper walked in.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Alice asked, rushing to Bella's other side and leaning over to hug her tightly.

"Yea, Ali," she rasped out. "I'm okay." I knew she was trying to keep her tears at bay for the time being.

"You scared us, Bells," Jasper said, smiling in relief as he leaned over and kissed Bella's cheek before enveloping her in a firm hug.

"I know. I'm sorry," she replied softly.

"What happened, Bella?" Alice asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking Bella's hand in hers.

Bella let out a long sigh before looking at all of us. "The girl…she couldn't have been more than six years old…she was leaning over the boat's railing, looking at something in the water and suddenly she fell. But her parents' boat just kept going. They hadn't been watching her and they didn't know she'd fallen.

"She didn't have a life vest on and she couldn't swim. I tried calling you guys, but the race was so loud…and no one heard me. So I jumped in and finally made my way over to her.

"The water was freezing, but I just held her to me and started screaming. She kept…crying and crying. Finally I saw Edward turn around…" she turned her tear-filled gaze to me. "And he jumped in and…I felt so relieved…but I still couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to drown…" she trailed off as more tears fell down her face. She looked down at her lap, shaking her head. "I thought we were both going to die until Edward got there," she whispered.

"Oh, Bella," Alice sighed, relieved, as she hugged her again. "You're okay now and that's all that matters."

"Edward the hero," Jasper said smugly, smirking at me.

I chuckled humorlessly and shook my head. I was anything but a hero.

Alice finally pulled away and Jasper put his arm around her.

"Carlisle says you're good to go now. Ready, Bells?" Jasper asked her.

Bella nodded and got off the bed slowly. I held onto her arm gently to make sure she didn't fall over since Carlisle said she was getting dizzy from the medication they had given her.

We signed her out and said goodbye to Carlisle before making our way out to Jasper's car. The ride to the lake house was silent. Every now and then I would rub Bella's hand and she would smile softly at me before I pulled my hand away and continued staring out the window.

I helped Bella up to our room as Alice and Jasper remained in the kitchen to begin cooking dinner for everyone. I knew Bella was exhausted and needed rest so I led her straight to the bed and laid her down. I grabbed a throw blanket from the closet and placed it gently over her.

"Do you need anything, Bella?" I asked her softly.

She shook her head sleepily, her eyes already half closed. "No…Edward…just…" she trailed off tiredly. Carlisle said the medication he had given her would make her extremely drowsy.

"What do you need?" I asked her attentively.

"Just…just lay down next to me…" she whispered, her head lolling to the side as her eyes fluttered closed.

I was taken aback by her request, but I quickly walked over to the windows and closed the blinds and the curtains so it would be dark enough for her to fall asleep. The sun was just barely setting on the horizon.

I kicked off my shoes and gently got into bed beside her. She turned over onto her side facing away from me and I watched as her body rose and fell with her even breathing.

"Edward," she whispered after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"Yes, Bella?" I asked concerned, wondering if she wasn't feeling well. She had told Carlisle at the hospital that she was feeling a bit nauseous.

"I'm cold," she said quietly.

"Do you want me to get you another blanket?" I asked, sitting up quickly.

"No," she replied, not turning to face me.

I waited in silence for her to say something else as I lay back down on my side of the bed and watched her quietly for a few more minutes.

"Just…hold me," she whispered, almost uncertainly...shyly.

I didn't think twice before moving closer to her and draping my arm across her waist and pulling her back close to my chest, my hands splayed gently across her stomach as I held her to me.

"Like this, Bella?" I whispered into her hair, taking in her sweet scent once again. I was pretty damn sure I was overstepping my boundaries holding her like this. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable…but I couldn't find it in me to move away.

"Yes," she breathed, pulling the blanket so it draped over both of us. "I'm sleepy…" she murmured groggily.

"I know…Carlisle gave you some meds. Just sleep, love. I'll wake you up for dinner in a few hours."

"Don't go, Edward," she mumbled tiredly.

"I'm not going anywhere, Bella. I'm staying right here." I wondered if she could sense the deeper meaning in those words—how they exceeded far beyond this current moment.

I held her close to me until her breathing evened out and I knew she had fallen asleep. I followed soon after, falling into a deep and peaceful slumber—something I hadn't had in ages and didn't realize until that moment was because I hadn't been sleeping with Bella in my arms for months.

There was a shift today…an electrical change. I knew she felt it, too. I also knew that when Bella and I sat down and finally talked…I wasn't going to let her walk away again. I couldn't. And I would tell her that if she didn't already know it.

"Don't go, Edward," she had said.

Silly girl. Where else am I going to go?

Author's Note: Heroward lives again :) Thanks for reading!