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Age 15 (continued)

Bella

"Bella?" Edward asked, breathing out deeply in relief. "How are you feeling?"

I slumped back onto the pillow, spent, but my eyes slowly flickered open, getting used to the bright white room. I thought it was all a dream–everything from the pain in my chest to the angel soothing me with his touch–but that wasn't what mattered most at the moment. Edward was here with me. In New York.

"Edward?" I rasped out, my throat dry as sandpaper.

"Oh, Bella." He sighed in relief. "I was terrified when Mom told me what happened. I….I thought you were dead."

I sighed heavily, my eyes gazing at our joined hands. "I'm fine, Edward," I tried to tell him, but he was looking at me like he was scared of me breaking or something. "I'm….I guess I'm just a little sore, but – "

Edward shook his head and gently cut me off. "You need to rest, Bella, for just a few days. I'll get you a glass of water for your throat."

I fidgeted anxiously with the tube hanging from the IV, wishing that I could just rip it off and go home. Looking around the room, waiting for Edward, my gaze finally landed on my leg. My eyes widened as I realized there was a huge cast around it. I had forgotten about what the doctor had said before, when I had still been floating under the dark waters, but it was all flooding back horrifyingly into me again.

The door opened and Edward walked back in, his eyes looking nothing but concerned. "Are you okay?"

"A broken leg," I croaked out. "What am I supposed to do with a broken leg? This summer…what am I going to do?"

Edward handed me a glass of water and said, "Relax, Bella. I know it's a lot to take in right now. I…I know it's not right for me to be with you…umm," he trailed off. "I'll call Renee and Charlie for you, I guess."

My heart thumped. What…was he going to leave me so soon? "No!" I said, my voice stronger because of the water I had gulped down. "I mean…I need to ask you something."

Edward sat down and held my hand again. "Anything, Bella."

His eyes looked nothing but sincere, and I hoped with all my heart that what he had said before wasn't my imagination.

"Edward, before you knew that I was awake…you said that you loved me. I…" I took a deep breath, feeling my cheeks heat up, and continued, "I mean…it probably was just my imagination, but…"

Suddenly, Edward's large hands were caressing my face, his face just inches from mine. My heart skipped a beat as his eyes burned into mine, dazzling me.

"I love you, Bella. I always have. I just wanted to wait for the right time to say it," he said, before adding hesitantly, "It's okay if you don't feel that way yet. I'll always wait for you."

"I love you," I said softly. "I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but I just chickened out whenever I had the chance."

Edward laughed gently, and then moved forwards until our foreheads touched. "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is you and me."

He hesitated and then pressed his warm lips very softly against mine. My hand was aching to touch him, but the IV connected to my hand strained my arm. Instead of twining my arm around his neck, I touched his arm gently and kissed him back, my lips moving fluidly against his.

The door opened and Edward pulled back abruptly.

My eyes widened at who was standing there.

"Mom!" I said, my voice full of love.

She was standing by the door so still, like she had seen a ghost, but after what she had probably witnessed, I guessed it was a reasonable reaction. The room was silent for a second, until Edward spoke.

"I'll give you two ladies some privacy," he said, standing up and walking towards the door. "Renee, thank you for all the support you have given me these past days. It means a lot to me."

The door closed softly behind him and my mother seemed to come back to life.

She had a knowing look on her face and I groaned internally. "So," she smiled. "You and Edward, huh?"

"Mom, I'm so glad you're here!" I said in what I thought was a bright and happy tone, hoping that I could manage to steer the conversation away from Edward.

My plan seemed to work. Her face softened immediately, and as she bent down and gave me an awkward hug, I felt tears on my cheeks.

"I was so worried!" she said, brushing some strands of hair back from my forehead. "You were in a coma and everyone seemed so grim about the situation and I…"

She shook her head, apparently lost for words.

"Mom, I'm so sorry, but I'm fine now," I said soothingly, trying to comfort her.

"You've got a broken leg and some fractured ribs," she croaked out with tears in her eyes. "And that doesn't even cover it. There are some scrapes on your forehead…and honey, if you do this to me one more time, I'll lock you up in the apartment. I knew New York was too dangerous."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, it's okay. New York's great. I have some friends here–have you met Angela?"

"The girl with the brown hair? She's a lovely person. Did she mention that a friend of yours snuck in to give you some flowers?"

I stopped smiling. "Wait–Mike was here?"

Renee laughed, and I was glad that she was going back to her normal self. "No, silly. The hospital wouldn't let him, but I thought it was sweet that he gave you some flowers you know…There aren't many boys like him anymore."

My happy mood was replaced by annoyance. I glowered at my mom. "What about Edward?"

"Oh, honey. He's great, but you know, it wouldn't hurt to have some male friends, too." She sighed and smiled at me. "And talking about Edward, it seems that you have some explaining to do, young lady."

"Mom," I said hesitantly. "I really do like him, and he likes me, too."

Renee surprised me by laughing out loud. "Oh, Bells! I'm not here to criticize you or anything. I think everyone in the family was waiting for the day you two would figure out what you guys meant to each other. Esme and I used to laugh about the way Edward seemed to watch over you. It's really sweet."

"You gossip too much," I complained as she continued to reminisce about my childhood.

"Just promise to take good care of yourself, okay?" she said, her voice suddenly serious. "No more accidents. I swear, next time you'll give me a heart attack."

I laughed and rolled my eyes again. "Mom, you said that to me when I was six because I knocked your mug onto the floor."

Renee had always been erratic and childlike; her reactions to things were as predictable as next month's weather. Charlie had always said that it was my hare-brained mother who made me more responsible and able to wash dishes at a really young age.

She checked her phone and looked up at me smiling. "Phil's just finished ball practice. I'll be back later with Charlie, okay? He'll be thrilled to hear you're awake already."

"Okay, Mom. Can you tell Edward to come in on your way out?"

Renee kissed my forehead and whispered, "Sure, sweetheart. I love you. Take care."

I fidgeted uncomfortably. Renee and I hadn't been this close in years, and I replied hesitantly, "Love you too, Mom."

My face lit up when the door opened again after my mother left, hoping that it was Edward, but it turned out to be a nurse.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, checking my tubes and heart monitor. "Are you experiencing any dizziness? Soreness?"

I shook my head. "Just a little tired."

The nurse, who looked to me like she was in her early twenties, smiled at me. "Just relax and take it easy. It seems that there was some impact on your brain, and if you feel a little confused, just call a nurse or your doctor, okay?"

She shuffled some papers on the clipboard and took some notes.

"Do you have any questions? Worries?" she asked.

I nodded. "When can I start walking?"

"Your leg is fractured and it is best if there is no pressure on it during the recovery," she said, observing me carefully. "You're still a teenager, so you should recover quite quickly. I'll call in Dr. Gerandy if you like."

"No," I said quickly. "I'll be fine."

The nurse nodded, checking my heartbeat again before leaving.

I closed my eyes, feeling weaker after the conversation. Relax, Bella. That's what the nurse told you to do, I told myself. I was about to give in when a cool hand pressed onto my forehead gently.

"Bella?" Edward asked. "Are you okay?"

My eyes flickered open. "I'm okay. I just want to go home."

He chuckled softly. "So impatient."

I glared at him. "Shut up. You're lucky you aren't confined in a bed all day."

Edward's smile slid off his face immediately, and I wondered what I had said that was wrong. "You'll get better quickly, Bella. Then we'll spend the summer together, just like we planned."

My heart sped up at the mention of summer. I was going to spend as much time as I could with Edward this vacation and make the most of it. He lived miles away from me, and we only got a couple of months each year to be together.

"I'll be stuck at home, though," I said miserably. "And so will you."

"But we'll be together," he said firmly, as though that fact could cure all the problems.

I yawned. God, I was spent.

"Go to sleep, Bella," Edward said, squeezing my hand gently. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" I asked, my voice slurring a bit.

"Promise."

The white room blurred and closed in over me.

…

"Bella!" someone chirped. "I'm here! Did you miss me?"

My eyes opened and focused on a girl with dark spiky hair. "Al-Alice?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

Alice pouted. "What? Aren't you happy to see me?"

I giggled softly. I couldn't believe she could be hurt because of what I had just said. I was just surprised, that's all. "Of course I'm happy!" I assured her. "You're here…and so is…"

My eyes landed on Emmett and he grinned.

"Hey, Bells." He chuckled. "How's the leg going?"

"Alright, I guess. I'm not sure," I admitted.

"So, no water fight this summer?" he asked, teasing me, and if I could have slapped him with my arm, I would have, but he was just standing too far away. Thank God the nurses had removed the wretched IV.

"Em," I groaned. "You're supposed to be supporting me. This summer is going to be hell if you're going to be so negative!"

"Negative?" he snorted. "You know who's negative? That pain in the ass boyfriend you have, who is currently taking a leak for the first time in a week. He never leaves your side, does he?"

Emmett boomed out a loud laugh and knocked Alice out of her seat while Alice squealed out a "hey!".

"What the hell is going on?" The door opened and Edward stood there, looking like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "What are you doing to Bella?"

"Oh, c'mon, Eddie!" Em guffawed, slapping him on the back. "I was just telling Bella something funny about your stench. What's with this hospital? Everyone here smelling like five-day-old shit!"

Edward ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "Em, seriously. Bella's injured, and she's not going to put up with you clowning around."

"Awww, don't get all soft right now. Bella's as healthy as a horse," Emmett said loudly. "No, seriously. You need to loosen up a little or Jazz will mistake you for Carlisle when he comes. You've got stress lines…and wait, is that a grey hair over there?"

"Fucking bastard," Edward muttered under his breath.

I burst out laughing. It was so Emmett to say something like that, but Edward really was tensed up. I'd never heard Edward swear like that before, but it didn't sound offensive to me; it sounded hot.

"Hey, did everyone forget about me here?" Alice said, glaring at Emmett.

I was going to console her but Emmett butted in. "'Course not," he said. "You may be small, but you have a girly aura no one can stand. Not even Rose."

I rolled my eyes at his statement, but Alice looked like she was ready to take his head off, so I decided to calm her down. "Alice, maybe we can go shopping or something when I can finally walk, because I won't be able to play sports this vacation. We'll have heaps of fun together."

Alice's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? Shopping in New York again? That's great! Maybe we can invite Angela and some of your other friends," she gushed. "Oh, I really have to start making a list of necessities for your wardrobe then, and maybe-"

Emmett groaned out loud. "You just punctured a water pipe, Bells."

Edward laughed and my body rejoiced at the sound of it. I was glad that he was beginning to loosen up, even though I knew he was worried about me.

"Dr. Gerandy came in when you were sleeping and I asked him about your leg. He said to give it a month, so maybe it won't be as bad as you think it will be," Edward said when the room had calmed down.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really?" I asked excitedly. Just a month. Then I could start walking normally and everything.

The door opened and Charlie came in. "Bells," he said, grinning. "You feeling okay now?"

I looked at him suspiciously. He was acting a little weird and seemed to be hiding something behind his back. "I'm great," I answered cautiously. "What's that you got behind you?"

Charlie winked at Edward, which made me even more confused. "A surprise."

"Okay," I said, not getting it.

Charlie chuckled and held a pair of crutches in his hands. "You're gonna learn how to use these today."

My mouth fell open. "Wait…I'm going to be able to get up today?"

Edward smiled the crooked smile I loved so much. "Yes," he said simply.

Emmett whistled, impressed that I was really going to try. "Do I get to help her?"

I hated how he thought I was weak. I mean, fine – I'm a girl, but surely he didn't think every single female fit in the same mold, right? I wasn't an Alice or a Rosalie, and definitely not a Tanya.

Edward glared at him. "You always manage to get your way, but if she ends up with a scratch or a bruise, you're dead."

Instead of feeling pressured and scared, Emmett roared with laughter. "You're kidding, right? I could beat you up in no time whenever, wherever."

Charlie cleared his throat and Em shut up at once. "So Bells? You ready for it? Dr. Gerandy's outside waiting. You're lucky he's got free time right now."

I shrugged and felt my chest tighten at the movement. Crap, I thought. I had forgotten my ribs were healing, too.

It turned out that getting me off the bed was the hardest. I felt a little disoriented as my head swirled–I had been lying in the hospital bed for far too long, I realized.

"Whoa," I said. "Head rush."

Edward chuckled. "It's because you've been in bed for so long, sleepy head."

Thank God his humor is coming back, I thought. I missed that Edward so much.

The rest of the day was spent outside in the small garden where Dr. Gerandy occasionally assisted me with the crutches. I had once dreamed of using those wretched things–when Leah sprained her foot and the whole class got excited instead of upset for her because we all got to use them. It wasn't as fun as I had imagined.

"Oof." I fell onto the bench, spent.

Dr. Gerandy chuckled. "I think you've done yourself justice today. If you experience any leg pain, don't hesitate to ask for one of the nurses. I think you're good to go tomorrow–I just want to make sure your condition is completely stable."

I grinned. I am good to go tomorrow. Just one more day. Thank God. "Thank you so much for helping me today, doc."

I was restless that night as mixed emotions coursed through me. Sure, I was disappointed that once I got home, there wasn't much I could do. All the stuff I wanted to do, like playing basketball and having water fights with Edward in La Push, I was positive I wasn't going to do for at least a month, but at least my friends were going to be there for me. I would make sure to include Angela and Ben as well.

The nurse came shuffling into my room bright and early the next morning, which I was thankful for.

She smiled at me and said, "Sweetie, I think you're all good. Just take it easy on your ribs – you still need to apply those bandages for a few more days until there is no pain."

"Really?" My eyebrows shot up. That was it? I could just…go?

The nurse chuckled. "Your father and a young man are outside waiting for you. Your doctor suggested you take a hot shower when you get home and don't get too stressed about your leg."

I nodded. That was something I could compromise on. "Okay."

"How's the leg?" Edward asked as we got ushered to the car by Charlie.

I smiled at him. "It's great. Actually, yesterday I managed to limp around the garden for half an hour before falling over."

Edward laughed. "You're not usually that clumsy, are you?"

I glared at him. "You're so mean–just like you were ten years ago."

Charlie cleared his throat loudly, which put an end to our argument. "I'm gonna drop you guys off at home and then I gotta head back to the office, okay? No fighting – I don't want to come back home and see you guys in a bloody mess on the floor, because I get enough of that at the station, got it?"

"Got it," Edward said, grinning at me.

…

Emmett greeted me with a bear hug when I got home.

"Em!"I gasped as a stinging sensation ripped through my chest. I hoped that he hadn't managed to fracture my ribs again or I was going to kill him. "My ribs, remember?"

Emmett let go of me at once like I was a boiling hot kettle. "Oops," he said, and then whispered, "Please don't tell Edward or he's gonna ask Charlie to take you back to the hospital for another check-up. This place has been a little odd without you."

I snorted. "He's not that ridiculous, is he?"

Em looked at me seriously. "No, I'm not kidding. He's like your over-protective guardian angel."

I stifled a laugh as Edward came into the living room. "Who's an angel?"

"No one," Em and I said at the same time, and we both burst out laughing again.

Edward looked at me questioningly as though he was waiting for an explanation, but I'd rather have another check-up than tell him what had just happened.

"Nothing. Em was just talking rubbish like he always does," I tried saying offhandedly and wasn't surprised when Edward raised his eyebrows. I wasn't exactly the best actress.

"Hey!" Emmett said indignantly.

Edward grinned at him. "Well, it's true. All you do is talk shit, even in front of my girlfriend's father. What kind of idiot does that?"

"I did not talk shit in front of Charlie!" Em replied hotly.

"What about the time you arrived at the hospital and, instead of greeting Charlie, you asked him if he had any Doritos in his house?" Edward challenged.

"Okay, guys," I said, standing awkwardly in between them. My crutches were becoming a massive handicap for me. "Can we talk about something different?"

Edward turned back to me. "So who's the angel?" he whispered quietly so Em couldn't hear.

I looked down. Thank God I hadn't told anyone else about what I thought I heard when I was half-unconscious at the hospital. "It really was nothing, Edward," I said, looking at Edward, pleading for him to let this go.

Edward chuckled and took me in his arms. "Well," he whispered, his face so close to mine. "You'll always be my angel."

I reached out for him the same time he did, and I pulled him down so I could press my lips onto his in a firm, yet still gentle kiss. I moved my fingers into his hair, holding him tightly against me. Unfortunately, a loud throat clearing in front of us ruined the blissful moment.

"Dude, don't upset my stomach!" Em complained, hitting Edward on the head playfully. "I just ate a pack of donuts."

Edward was too busy looking at me to care. "Go find Rose, then," he said, leaning in to kiss me again.

…

One of my feet splashed around in the water while I watched all my friends swimming around in the creek. Emmett turned towards me and lobbed a large amount of mud onto my face.

"Em!" I yelled as he swam away. "What was that for?"

"I thought you said you wanted to have a water fight?" he asked innocently.

I let out a huge deep breath and ignored him. Lying down on my stomach, I gathered a large sample of mud in one hand and stood up, hopping on one foot towards the edge where Emmett was currently facing the opposite direction. My stomach tightened in anticipation – this was going to make up for all the crap I had to put up with while being on crutches.

Splat!

I had hit him right on the neck, where it splattered all over his hair and dripped down his bare back. Edward looked up and grinned at me, mouthing a "good job". I smiled back. Maybe having a broken leg wasn't going to be too bad after all.

Emmett turned around and let out a giant roar, scaring the wits out of me. He rubbed his eyes and laughed when he saw me.

"Oh, sorry, Bella," he apologized. "I thought you were some hooligan or something."

I grinned. "So…about this mud fight…"

Emmett grinned at me. "You in?"

I laughed. "You bet!"

I hopped towards the bank where the creek met the muddy ground and gathered blobs of mud in my hand, but I suddenly felt something wet on my back, and I realized Alice and Angela had joined in. Guess they aren't on my team, I thought.

Mud trickled down my face and, as I wiped it off with my shirt, I saw that Jazz, Edward, Em and Ben had all taken their shirts off. I stopped playing with the mud, mesmerized by Edward's toned chest. God, what wouldn't I give to touch that right now…

"You all right, Bella?" Edward asked, looking concerned.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"I got a plan to get them all wet," Rose whispered in my ear and I grinned. "I'll pretend to fall over and they'll all come over to the edge. Then we'll chuck all that we've got and they'll be totally whipped –Edward's ego just might manage to shrink a little."

We looked over at him, where he was currently doing a touchdown dance because he had managed to get Emmett's face fully into the water.

"Okay," I said. This could be fun.

The ground sloshed as I hopped towards the build-up of wet dirt Rose had gathered. Rose fell over and let out a loud "Shit!", startling the passers-by who were walking their dogs in the park. Yes! I thought as Emmett and Edward scrambled towards her. Ben and Jazz, who were not as athletic, were only trailing inches behind, which I was thankful for.

I could see Rose smiling as she crouched down, pretending to be in pain but was actually holding two large handful of mud in her hands. Edward was the first to come and Rose gave him a head full of mud while I splashed Em, accidentally getting some in his mouth as it was half-opened, calling out for Rose.

"Hey!" Edward said. "What was that for?"

Rose and I grinned at each other. "Fooled you all."

The guys looked pissed off and a little exhausted, so we all headed back towards the apartment, leaving wet and dirty footprints behind us. The soft plastic covering my cast was slipping and I hoped that it wasn't wet. The hospital was a place I now dreaded to go back.

As I hobbled back to my room after showering/cleaning off, I saw that Edward was waiting for me.

"So, you managed to fool me, huh?" he said, grinning at me.

Uh, oh, I thought. Here comes trouble.

I sat on my bed, my back against the headboard, before replying.

"Uh, yes?" I squeaked out pathetically. God, Bella – who the hell is scared of their own boyfriend?

Edward laughed at me and lay beside me on the bed, tickling me until I had tears in my eyes.

"That's for what you did at the creek," he said as I recovered.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You don't play by the rules."

Edward smiled cockily. "Never said I did. I'm super awesome. I don't need rules."

"You know, I think Rose was right," I told him. "Your ego's going to take up all the time we're going to have together."

Edward snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" I wondered aloud, changing the topic. "Where do you sleep these days?"

Edward looked down, clearly uncomfortable. "Charlie said I could take your room."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. I looked around my room and found the evidence – a pair of blue shorts on my bathroom floor.

"Well, I obviously don't have to anymore," Edward rushed on "I'll share with Em, Jazz, Rose, Alice, Ang, and Ben. They have two guest rooms to themselves. And your mom and Phil stayed in a hotel nearby so…"

"Edward, relax," I said. "Of course you can stay in the same room as me."

The words left my mouth before I knew what I was saying. I blushed and looked away. Sure, Edward was Edward – the boy I used to have baths with when I was five–but this was different. He was my boyfriend, and him sleeping in the same room as me…the same bed…what would my friends think? And never mind my friends – what about Charlie?

"Charlie probably won't let you," he said, confirming what I had been thinking before.

I smiled at him and winked. "Well, you could always sneak in."

Edward grabbed my face roughly and molded his lips against mine. "I might just take you up on the offer, then," he said as we broke apart, gasping for air.

"Bella," he suddenly said, sitting us both up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. What's wrong?" Edward was looking kind of weird and he wasn't looking at me.

He took in a deep breath and said in a rush, "Have you ever kissed anyone besides me?"

I felt myself going red. "N-no. Why?"

Edward nodded. "Just wondering. So I really am the only guy you've kissed?"

"Yes," I laughed. "And I'm glad that's true."

Edward looked at me incredulously, and I shook my head.

"Edward, no guy in the world could compare to you. You make me feel special and happy – no one has ever given me this much."

"I have to tell you something, though," he said softly. "You're not going to like it and I was scared to tell you but…"

"What is it," I probed. I was probably too narrow-minded to think of anything too extreme, so I was just going to let him tell me.

"I've kissed girls before – heaps," he blurted out with a disgusted look on his face. "I've had sex before, too."

My mouth opened in shock and my stomach seemed to drop a little. I really didn't know what to say, or why he decided to tell me right now.

"Um," I gasped out. I felt like a slug was inside my stomach. I got off the bed and hopped towards the bathroom, in case I puked or something.

"Bella!" I heard Edward say in alarm behind me. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

I shook my head and held out a finger. "Just give me one minute," I said, closing my eyes, trying to get rid of the sick wave.

I looked into the mirror and saw Edward standing awkwardly by the door, his hands running through his hair.

"Are you okay now?" he asked as I returned to the bed.

I nodded. "Just a little shocked. Why…why did you decide to tell me?"

Edward let out a hard laugh. "I just wanted to let you know what a douche I was before I was with you. I wanted to let you know before any of our friends tell you. I just want to tell you that I have changed since I met you. I don't do random hookups anymore."

"Thanks for telling me," I said in a sincere voice. I was glad that he had the courage to tell me this, because I was sure there weren't many people out there who would admit this sort of stuff.

"I just thought that…you know, just because I'll be in the same bed with you, it doesn't mean that I expect anything of that sort," he said gently, holding me tightly in his arms. "You're too special, too important to me to be messed around with."

I looked into his eyes and could see nothing but love and sincerity. It was a wonderful feeling.

The following nights Edward managed to sneak into my room without being caught by our friends or Charlie, which was a very good thing, but what I noticed, and I was positive he noticed too, was the obvious tension between us when he came in. I ached for his touch.

One night, the door opened when I could tell it wasn't even midnight.

"What are you doing here so early?" I whispered in the dark.

Edward turned on the bedside lamp and said, "Charlie's got the night shift today, remember?"

I felt an odd thrill in my stomach as I realized that we were actually alone without my dad's attentive ear for tonight.

"Well, that's good isn't it?" I whispered into his ear, my breath tickling him. His breath was becoming faster and I decided to tease him by biting gently on his ear.

Edward emitted a low growl, which made my heart speed up. "Always knew you were a little vixen. You have no idea how sexy you looked in the shopping centre. Em and I had to scare off all the guys checking you out today."

I rolled my eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

Edward looked at me seriously. "I'm not joking, and you have no idea how that bothers me. I swear I wanted to kill all of them. Perverts."

I laughed. It was so unlike Edward to be jealous, but Jealous Edward – I liked it.

"Did I lock the door?" he asked suddenly.

I nodded, and he pulled me on top of him, pressing his lips onto mine, our tongues intertwining.

"God, I needed this so bad," Edward whispered against my lips.

I let out a small moan and he growled.

"I want to touch you, Bella," he breathed. "Will you let me touch you?"

I felt like squealing in excitement. Edward wanted to touch me.

"Okay," I said softly.

"Yes, what?" Edward asked me, looking at me intently. "I need you to let me know this is going to be okay."

"Yes," I said urgently. "Touch me, Edward. I love you."

"I love you, too," Edward said before crushing his lips back onto mine.

I could feel his hands move lower and lower as our lips intertwined and our tongues danced together. There was a slow ache burning below my stomach and as Edward suddenly rubbed against my apex I let out a small squeak.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, stopping all movement.

"Yes," I said quickly. "Just touch me."

Edward pulled my pants down slightly, and his hand slowly made their way into my panties, which were a little wet. His fingers parted my folds, making me feel absolutely alive. Slowly, he slid a long finger inside me.

"Edward!" I gasped. This feeling was so foreign – so electrifying.

Edward's finger pulled back and thrust a little quicker into me. The feeling of him inside me was amazing and I loved it. The ache wasn't being sated though – it wanted more; I wanted more.

"Edward, please," I begged. "Faster."

His fingers parted my folds and this time entered me with two fingers, making me moan out softly. Pleasure was beginning to ripple through me and my breath was becoming faster as each thrust of his fingers began to push into me quicker and harder. Suddenly, his thumb touched my clit and with his lips connected to mine, the overwhelming feeling began to push me over the edge.

"Edward," I rasped out. "Please."

A strange sensation was happening in my body, and I knew I had never felt anything like this before. Edward seemed to have noticed, as he began to thrust quicker than ever before. My body started to shake as large waves of pleasure rippled through me, head to toe. The walls inside me clamped around his long fingers and I cried out.

"That's it, Bella," Edward whispered. "You're coming. Come for me, Bella."

The intensity of the feeling made me weak and my eyes closed, pleasure flooding through my body as I rode out my first orgasm.

When I came back to Earth, I felt Edward lift his body off mine and he looked at me with adoration in his eyes.

"Thank you, Bella," he said, and I knew what he meant.

The lamp light cast over Edward's pants and it looked like a bulge had formed inside. I didn't know how I knew what it was, but I asked timidly, "Can I see it?"

Edward laughed. "What?"

I ran a finger over the bulge softly and heard Edward let out a low hiss.

"God, really, Bella? Are you sure?"

I nodded and loosened his pajama pants.

"Is this what happens when…" I questioned.

Edward laughed again. "Yes."

We were silent for a few minutes as I traced the outline of the bulge timidly.

"Can…can you show me?" I asked softly, my face as red as a tomato now.

"You don't have to, Bella," Edward said, caressing my face gently. "It's okay if you don't."

I shook my head. "No, I want to see."

Edward pulled down his boxers slowly and his penis stood up, erect. I gasped at the sight of it. I had never seen one before, but Edward's…Edward's looked beautiful.

"It's beautiful," I murmured and Edward choked out laughing.

"What?" he asked, surprised. "Beautiful? It's big, Bella. That's what I'd call it."

I rolled my eyes at him. His ego was now officially taking up more than half of our relationship.

"Here, I'll show you," Edward said, holding my trembling but eager hand and running it from head to shaft. Edward let out a low moan, and I realized this was what pleasured him.

Edward let go of my hand, and I circled my fingers around the head of his penis. "Is this okay?"

"Amazing," Edward said.

I moved my hand from head to shaft and back again. The male anatomy suddenly seemed really intriguing. It was hard, but there was a soft skin around it with a vein or two, which would twitch with my hand's every move. Edward's stomach was tightening and there was a look of pleasure on his face. What would happen if I lick it? I wondered.

I touched the bead of pre-cum on his slit and licked it. Edward let out a loud moan.

"Fuck," he breathed out. "That feels so fucking amazing."

I let my mouth encase the head, wondering whether or not Edward would enjoy it, but it seemed that he did. His whole body twitched, and I tried to take in more of his dick without gagging. Suddenly, Edward let out a loud groan, and I felt him coming in my mouth. I was unsure of what to do, but I held my mouth there, taking his cum into my mouth.

Do I swallow? What do I do?

Edward jerked with the pleasure of his orgasm and, when he finally calmed down, he whispered, "You don't have to swallow, Bella. It's okay if you don't."

I swallowed anyway, and Edward looked at me with awe.

"Was that okay?" I asked shyly.

"Okay?" he said. "It was fucking brilliant."

He got up and held me tightly in his arms, carrying me to the bathroom.

"You probably need to rinse out your mouth a little," he said sheepishly when I asked what he was doing.

"That was amazing, Bella," he said softly as I rinsed my mouth out. "It's never felt like that before. I'm so glad I have someone like you – someone to share everything with."

"I love you," I said and realized there were tears on my cheeks. Way to go, emotional Bella.

Edward kissed my tears away and whispered his love for me.

After a year, I was still in awe that he loved me and wanted to be with me. Being with him was the best feeling in the world, and suddenly not being able to walk properly didn't seem like a problem at all.

And after what we just did, I had a feeling this summer was going to be amazing and the best one yet.

This chapter was the longest I had ever written :)

Thanks to all the readers and reviewers as well as Rags88 and AnthroBug for beta'ing this chapter.

The next chapter might take a little longer because I got caught up in the Queensland Flood because I live in the affected area. I'm guessing the next chapter will be up in a week + two days or so.

Please review :D