A/N: Sorry for taking so long for this one. Family..schooletc. But no more excuses. Here's the next chapter.

Lying on that soft grass with Bella tracing over my face, my arms, was like having my own mini experience of heaven. Then she started to trace my lips and I sort of gasped. I didn't quite expect the shocking thrill that her touch caused.

I tried to mask whatever it was that I was feeling. This…longing…was almost more than I could bear. Oh how I wished for a taste of her lips for even with my eyes closed I could still see her beautiful fact burning through my eyelids.

And the next instant I felt something soft press against my lips. I knew it was impossible and that I was probably hallucinating so I snapped my eyes open only to reveal two brown ones just as wide as mine were at the time.

She shot up quickly before I could do anything or respond in any way. She clamped her hands over her mouth as if she didn't believe what she had just done.

"Edward! Oh that was wrong of me, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me it was very out of line!" she said, her hands muffling her words a bit. I sat up slowly and just stared at her, dumbfounded.

Had she really kissed me? But if she did, why would she so readily apologize? Had she meant to? If of course this isn't just a very confusing dream, that is.

I suppose there was only one way to find out. So I put my hands on either side of her face and pulled her towards me. Our lips touched and it was if there was an explosion of emotions inside of me. Bella Swan was the most extraordinary person I'd ever met. Possibly the most extraordinary person in the world.

She sighed into our kiss and I closed my eyes contentedly. But then she suddenly pulled away.

"Edward," she said.

I opened my eyes even more confused. The kiss felt so right even though it would probably be considered so wrong. But Bella sounded very uncertain after all.

"Bella," I responded, sounding like an odd mix between apprehensive and dreamy.

"Edward, you didn't have to kiss me. I mean I never should have done that and I understand if you just didn't want to hurt my feelings."

"But Bella I—"

"No Edward. It's all right with me. Can we just go back now?"

I could have protested. I could have told her that I didn't kiss her out of pity for her feelings but that I really meant it. I could have and probably should have but instead I just said, "Sure Bella. We can leave now if you wish to."

She didn't speak after that, just gathered up the contents of her lunch basket and started back out of the meadow the way we came. I offered to take the load off of her hands but she refused. We just walked in silence for what seemed like eternity.

Finally when I couldn't talk it any longer I said, "I did, Bella."

She stopped walking and so did I. "What are you talking about?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Back there in the meadow, you said that I didn't have to kiss you back but I did. I wanted to. Even if I tried to I couldn't have stopped. That was the greatest present that I could have ever imagined for. I don't know how to explain it but it's like you have some kind of control over my emotions. Whenever I am around you its like my heart wants to leap out if my chest. It's almost to the point of pain when I feel like this. I just…I—"

"Edward…" she stopped me.

"Yes Bella?"

"I want you to know that I did too. I do too. I can't even begin to explain this confusion going on inside of me. But it's wrong for this to happen. You and I both know it," she said. I heart something like regret in her voice. So maybe she does return all my feelings but I guess one of us has to be the sane one because if it were my way I would disregard all rules and regulations that society has and go by how I felt. Right now I felt like kissing her.

I leaned down towards her mouth but she put her hand between our mouths before they could make any kind of contact.

"Edward as much as I admit to wanting to kiss you, we can't. I really shouldn't have let any temptation get in the way of what I knew about right and wrong so what happened back there has to stay there. Nothing good can come of it right now. It's too soon," she said to my utter disappointment.

"I'm sorry Bella. I promise I will never do that again," I said, almost like a child getting scolded.

"It's okay Edward because I understand your feelings I think."

"Do you really Bella because I think…I think what I feel for you is…love."

She didn't say anything for a long time after that to my dismay but I thought I knew somewhere deep down all along that it wouldn't be reflected back from her.

I just gently took her arm and we walked back to her house in silence.

The next few days I didn't see Bella at all alone. Whenever we saw each other we would be polite and I would try my hardest to talk to her as much as possible when the opportunities arose but she withdrew herself from practically all communication with me whatsoever. If I had known that this was going to happen I would have not said anything that afternoon.

It was the day before Benjamin and Angela's wedding and their parents were having a celebratory dinner party in their honor. Bella had been hopping around the entire day trying to help out as much as possible with whatever she could. I had asked to come over with her as early as she had come to help as well. Even though Bella tried to persuade me otherwise Mrs. Weber said that she'd appreciate my help so here I am now.

Mrs. Weber had asked Bella to go to the store to get a few things she was missing. She's been gone for about two minutes when Mrs. Weber said, "Edward, I forgot to ask Bella to get a few more things that I needed. Could you bring her this new list that I've made? But you'll probably need to stay with her and help her carry all it back because it seems that there is quite a few items I hadn't known that I needed."

"No problem Mrs. Weber," I said, ecstatic about the chance to speak with Bella alone.

Bella's POV

Angela is getting married tomorrow!!! I couldn't be more excited for her but my heart ached just the same because after Edward's birthday things between me and him just haven't been the same. I've sort of kept him at bay because I didn't know how to handle this raging war of emotions going on inside of me. I don't know what I would do if I allowed myself to be too near him for long periods of time.

He probably thinks that I do not wish for him to be near me at all. Whenever we are together and he tries to include me in a conversation or that sort of thing I always have an excuse ready.

I only wonder if I am taking it all too seriously. I'm sure Angela and Ben have kissed many times. I'm sure my parents did too before they were married. But maybe they weren't as in love as I am with Edward. But I feel like such an idiot. He told me he loved me and I just stared at him. He probably thought I was some kind of an idiot. Or maybe he regretted saying those words immediately after he said them. Maybe—

"Hello little lady" I heard next, the voice breaking through my thoughts.

"Are you lost beautiful?" said a different voice.

I looked up to see four guys walking towards me. They were probably only a few years older than I was, possibly in their very early twenties.

"Hello," I said quietly, and then tried to make my way quickly around them. They parted to make a path for me to walk past them but I could hear them following me.

"Would you like some company sweetie?" I heard from close behind me.

I tried my hardest to ignore them and just continue walking towards the store. On such a bright and sunny day as it was there were no other people around and I was scared of what might happen to me here…alone…with these men. Scared out of my mind.

"We'll take care of you, gorgeous," said one of them from my right side.

He put his arm around my waist and the one on my other side put an arm over my shoulders.

"Please. Just leave me alone. I can walk alone," I said, trying to sound confident but sounding more like a strangled cat.

"A lovely lady such as yourself shouldn't be walking around all by her lonesome."

"Maybe you should take the lady's word for it and leave her alone," came a voice from behind us. To those thugs near me the voice probably sounded menacing and terrifying but to me it sounded like the voice of a hero."

I know, I know. It's cruel but I just want to get a chapter up now because it's been so long. The next part of this chapter will be up quicker than this one was if everything works smoothly. Review please.