Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its beautiful characters. This story is loosely based off of plot lines from the original Beverly Hills, 90210 TV series. I have taken many liberties with them. No infringement is intended to any media franchise. The remainder is my original work.

Chapter 8
"Courting"

"Bella, my belle Bella, do you honestly have no idea of my feelings for you? I care about you… so much. I want more with you." His words—spoken with such earnest and intensity—were the answer to my every prayer, yet they only served to overwhelm me at that very moment.

"What?" I gasped, failing to form a more coherent reply. He stepped closer, trapping my body against the desk and bringing his hand up to stroke the length of my hair. His eyes searched mine; for what, I wasn't certain. His close proximity jumbled my thoughts, and I found myself once again battling against the fog in my head that his very presence seemed to create as I grasped to understand his intention.

"I want to be with you, Bella. It's all I want. You're all I think about." He said it with so much sincerity that it was all I could do not to throw myself at him, but I needed more. I wanted to know what had prompted his declaration.

"What… Why are you saying this?" I whispered in desperation.

"Because it's the truth, and it has been for a while now. Don't you feel this? This thing between us, it's so strong and overwhelming sometimes that it feels almost tangible." As he gestured back and forth between the two of us, I was overcome by many simultaneous emotions. There was relief that I wasn't stuck in a crazy one-sided crush. There was elation that he truly felt something for me—wanted me. But there was also nervousness and fear because I had already fallen for him, and it had caused so much unnecessary hurt and upheaval in my life.

He didn't understand the power he had over me—the power to completely break me if I allowed him to get that close. The rollercoaster of emotions I'd experienced the past few weeks had been crushing. If I made the effort and it didn't work out, it could potentially destroy me. I had too much at stake to let some teenage, hormone-induced feelings for a boy shove me off course no matter how badly I wanted him and to be his.

"Edward…" I started and stopped, trying but failing to voice to my concerns, "I don't know what you want me to say." I heard my voice crack with frustration.

"You don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know everything. It's up to you now. Where do we go from here?" He made it sound so simple, but it wasn't. There was so much he didn't know that could drastically alter his feelings for me.

"I don't know. I just… wow. I mean, a couple weeks ago to hear you say these things to me would have been like a dream come true, but now… I don't know." I peered up at him just in time to watch his breathtaking smile slowly fade from his face. I wanted to say something—anything—to bring it back, but I just couldn't. I had to be honest with him. "I'm not sure I can do this. Since you've moved here, everything has gotten so complicated and distracting and… I have other things I should be focused on right now. I just don't think the high school dating game is for me. I just—can't."

"Bella…" he whispered, my name leaving his lips as a heartbroken plea.

"I'm sorry." The dejection in his eyes was too much to bear, and I had to give him something to soothe away the despair. Without much thought, I rose up on my tiptoes and kissed him softly on his cheek just above his perfectly sculpted jaw line. He froze the moment my lips made contact, and his breath fanned across my face as I lightly pressed my mouth against his smooth skin. I breathed him in—inhaling his scent and essence—as I slowly lowered myself back down to my normal height and took a small step back, leaving me staring squarely at his broad chest. My lips still tingled from the sensation of his skin under them. I steadied myself, avoiding his eyes, as I silently reached behind me to retrieve my backpack from the desk and turned to leave. When I finally gave into the impulse to glance back at him, I noticed that he hadn't moved a muscle. He was simply staring after me, whether stunned by my kiss or stricken by my rejection I wasn't sure.

My vision blurred, my eyes becoming glassy at the look of pure sadness on his face, and I knew I had to escape quickly before I caved and threw myself at him, begging him to forget everything I had just said. Nothing good could come from that. He didn't know me—not really—and in the end it could only serve to hurt us both. I had secrets I had to keep.

In some twisted way, I had come to think that Tanya had been a blessing all along, allowing me time to reign in my adolescent hormones before I made a real mess of everything. If Edward truly wanted me, and Tanya hadn't been in the picture, I know I wouldn't have been able to resist him. He owned me from the first moment I saw him walk into our French class weeks ago.

Needing a moment to myself, I headed to the journalism classroom early. The term 'deafening silence' had never felt as real to me as it did the moment door closed behind me and I was left alone with only my thoughts to occupy me. In an attempt to distract myself from over thinking everything that had just happened, I booted up one of the many computers lining the far wall of the room, and forced myself to begin working on the most recent article submission for the paper. After reading the same sentence for the sixth time in a row without comprehension, I realized my efforts were in vain as my traitorous thoughts kept drifting back to a beautiful bronze haired, green-eyed boy.

For a moment, I allowed myself to ponder how different this situation would be if I was like every other student at West Beverly. Had I come from a more privileged background with the means to buy myself into any school of my choice this could be so much simpler. When Edward confessed that he wanted to be with me, I would have wrapped my arms around him and pulled him to me. Maybe I would have taken Rose's advice and made him sweat it out a little bit, but I knew I would have been a goner after he poured his heart out like he did. We would've shared a passionate kiss, and he could call me his girlfriend. He would pick me up at my house for dates, and we would flirt and fill each other's lives with laughter, happiness, and possibly even love.

I sighed at my simplistic thoughts and then frowned when I realized how petty they truly were. I had a great life, and I was on path to earn my way in the world. Money was nothing. Maybe it made certain things in life a bit easier to attain, but it didn't fix anything. I had a dad that worked hard to provide for me and goals to strive towards. Nothing else mattered, not in the scheme of things.

The bell rang, and I continued to stare blankly at the computer screen as I listened to the sound of my classmates shuffling into the room and the roar of the hallway every time the door opened. I swear I actually felt the moment he walked into the room. My body buzzed like a livewire at the mere thought of his presence. I braced myself to look over and see if he was faring any better when Ben plopped down into the seat next to me.

"Hey. You okay? You kind of disappeared suddenly from lunch. I think Ang was worried about you."

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. I just needed a minute to myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to Angela later. Promise."

"Okay," he continued to stare at me for a moment before he gave me a mischievous smirk. "So you really kissed Alice today?"

"Oh god," I groaned as I let me head drop down to the table. "I'm never going to live that down am I?"

"Hell no. That's epic," he laughed—at my expense and utter humiliation.

By the time Mr. Banner called the class to order, I had momentarily forgotten the stress of the situation with Edward. When I spun around in my chair to direct my attention to the teacher, I noticed Edward was staring right at me, but it was as if he was gazing straight through me and not really seeing me. I tried to smile at him to help him relax but he didn't even flinch. His ardent stare was making me increasingly uncomfortable, until Mr. Banner addressed him about his current assignment.

"Edward… Earth to Edward," he called playfully.

"Oh… Um…" I watched his ears turn red with embarrassment as he tried to figure out what the teacher was asking of him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Banner. Here's my outline."

"Uh-huh. Something or someone got you a little distracted this afternoon?" Mr. Banner asked with a teasing grin. I felt my own cheeks flush with the implication. Edward didn't give an answer, but instead began to fidget uncomfortably under his scrutiny. When his knee started bouncing at an unbelievably rapid rate, Mr. Banner took pity and moved on to his next victim.

The rest of the class Edward dutifully ignored me and most everyone else in the room. He sat silently staring down at his desk, his head propped up on his hand while he doodled on the corner of his notebook. He never looked up, never spoke, and hardly moved—an act that was highly out of character for him. I willed myself not to feel hurt by the action, knowing he was struggling far more than I was at the moment.

As soon as the bell rang, he bolted from his seat and all but ran out the door. I gaped after him confused and unsure of how to proceed. I really didn't want to lose his friendship over this and hoped that he just needed some time to come to terms with everything.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat at his cold actions and forced myself to plow on through the remainder of the school day. Anatomy was as uneventful as ever, but History was another story. Jasper took the opportunity to tease me relentlessly about kissing Alice. I think he really just wanted a detailed recounting of the kiss. I made an attempt to turn the tables on him by asking why he hadn't made a move to kiss Alice yet, to which he shied away. He obviously liked her a lot, so I didn't understand his hold up.

I spent the rest of the class period fretting over Edward. By the time the bell rang, I had a plan of action. I was bound and determined to break the ice and salvage our friendship. I walked into our French classroom—a girl on a mission—with a determined look on my face and a plan in my heart. It all started with 'I'm sorry—or rather, 'Je suis désolé.' I had read the pronunciation over and over again during History, making sure I would get it just right. I knew he would at least appreciate the effort, and with any luck, perhaps I would be awarded with the return of his smile.

Edward was already seated at his assigned desk. He was gazing quietly out the side window, seemingly oblivious to the flurry of students around him. I walked right up to him without any prelude and confidently recited my practiced French.

"Zhuh swee day-so-lay," I said with careful and deliberate enunciation.

Edwards head whipped around to face me. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to piece together my butchered vocabulary. I could actually see the moment it clicked because his beautiful mouth broke out into a heart stopping smile for a split second before he lost all control and started laughing hysterically.

"Je suis désolé," he repeated back to me in his silky voice after he regained his composure. Who knew 'sorry' could sound so damn good. "That was horrible, Bella. Absolutely horrible," he chuckled. I resisted the urge to become offended, because in the end I got my desired result. Edward was talking and laughing with me.

"Well, my pronunciation may be crap but I am sorry—truly," I said with as much sincerity and conviction as I could convey.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I just thought… You know what? It doesn't matter." He huffed out a breath as he looked down at his desk. I was about to speak up when he looked at me with a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "I can't believe all my efforts in tutoring you the past couple weeks failed so miserably. You clearly need more work than I thought."

"That was pretty bad, huh? Maybe I should fire my tutor," I jibed back, enjoying the playful banter. This was us. The way we were comfortable together.

"Oh, don't you dare blame that gibberish you're trying to pass off as French on your tutor. I have it on good authority he's the best there is—le maître. You obviously just need more work."

"Oh is that so?" We teased back and forth until Madame Wand called the class to order. A few minutes into her lecture, I felt Edward pluck my lucky red pencil out of my makeshift bun. He proceeded to jab me lightly in the shoulder with it every time the teacher called on someone to answer a question or read a passage out loud. I couldn't contain the smile on my face every time he did, because to me, his light teasing meant that we were okay. I wasn't going to lose my friend over this.

When class ended, he walked me to my locker as usual and then we headed out to our respective vehicles together. We were quieter than normal, and perhaps a bit awkward, but he seemed lighter and happier than he had since our mishap at lunch.

"So… what are you doing tonight?" he asked suddenly from right next to me, surprising me as I chucked my backpack up onto the bench seat of my truck.

"I have to work until eight o'clock, then just homework I guess. You?" I felt his eyes rake over me before he cleared his throat and responded.

"Oh, um nothing really. Probably just homework," he said, anxiously fiddling with the untucked edge of his short sleeve button down shirt. "Well, I guess you probably need to get going. I have to wait for Alice. She and Jasper seem to be getting more and more lost in each other every day." I found myself momentarily smiling at his statement, delighted for my friends, before a wave of envy washed over me wishing it could be as easy for us to enjoy that form of happiness. I quickly locked the jealousy away, disappointed in myself once again.

"Yeah, I should get going. Bye, Edward."

"Have a good night, Bella. Drive safe."

Ever the gentleman, he gently closed the truck door behind me after I climbed in. I drove to work a little more confused than before about how exactly Edward fit into my life. I couldn't deny that I wanted more with him, and now that I knew he wanted more as well, my thoughts were becoming convoluted. A relationship just didn't seem viable, all things considered, but it was becoming impossible to ignore the chemistry between us. I felt like I could trust him, but fear of the unknown held me back.

I spent my four hour shift at the library thoroughly distracted by my thoughts of Edward. A mini movie of every sweet smile, every thoughtful gesture, every incidental touch that ignited my body, and every laugh we'd shared ran on a constant loop in my mind. It was quickly followed by glimpses of heart break when I reflected on the pain I'd felt when I thought he had asked me out only to discover he had a girlfriend he hadn't told me about, and ultimately when I had to face Tanya and her harsh words.

By the time I got home, I was more confused and agitated than ever. I needed to talk this out with a girlfriend—someone that truly understood me and I could trust to be honest with me.

"Hello," she answered sounding a bit distracted.

"Hey, Ang. It's me. You have time to talk?" I heard papers shuffle and a door close as she replied

"Hi, Bells. What's up?"

"I need advice… on boys… well on one boy," I mumbled.

"One boy, huh?" she giggled. "So you're going to give Seth a chance after all? Aww, you're going to make his little fourteen year old heart beat right out of his chest." She was goading me. Figures.

Ever since Seth had showed the slightest interest in me, each of my friends had been unrelenting in their teasing. He was a sweet kid, but he reminded me a little bit of puppy. While he was unquestionably attractive, he had a baby face that only accentuated our age difference. That wasn't to say that his celebrity cousin wasn't a total heartthrob, because he was. I understood the push from my girlfriends to get close to Seth as a means to get close to Jacob Black, but I would never use him like that. He was too sweet and innocent.

"Shut up. I'm not talking about Seth, obviously. And he's fifteen not fourteen."

"Oh, so you've discussed age, have you? Trying to put a spin on it that doesn't make you look like a cradle robber?" she mocked with playful laugh.

"Aaannng," I whined.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop—for now. So, do you want to tell me which boy you want to talk about then?"

"Oh good grief… Edward. It's Edward."

"Ha! I knew it," she exclaimed victoriously. "And Edward is no boy. He is well on his way to being a man, if you know what I mean. So what's the trouble?"

"I still like him—so much—way more than I should considering how long I've known him. I don't know what to do. I thought I was getting over him, but then Rose made that comment at lunch calling me his girl and I just… Well, I panicked because I really liked the way it sounded. I want it to be true in my heart, but I know in my head it's just not possible."

"Why not? He's single now. Maybe you should tell him how you feel? He seems really into you. I mean, he practically fought with Mike to buy you a soda all last week. It was ridiculous and funny as hell, but also kind of sweet. He just might surprise you, Bells. You won't know if you don't try."

"See that's the thing… he kind of already told me that he liked me today."

"What? Oh. My. God." I held the phone away from ear as she proceeded to squeal in delight. "He told you he likes you? Oh, I'm so happy for you. When did this happen? What exactly did he say? Did he kiss you? This is so awesome. He seems like a really great guy, Bells. I mean, I know it was shitty the way he led you on, but when you two are together, it's like you're all he sees. I really don't think he ever meant to hurt you."

Tears pricked my eyes as I listened to her proud rambling. She sounded genuinely happy for me. I proceeded to tell her everything that had taken place after I fled from the courtyard and into the sanctuary of the newspaper office. She ooh'd and aww'd in all the right places, but didn't seem to understand what the problem was.

"So let me get this straight. You like him?"

"Yeah."

"He told you that he likes you, and that he wants to be with you?"

"Yeah."

"He said you're all he thinks about?"

"Yeah." I could hear the smile in my own voice confirming his sweet words.

"Then why the hell did you tell him you didn't want to be with him?"

"Because I'm scared. He doesn't know the whole story about school and my parents. What if I tell him and he rejects me? What if it gets me kicked out of West Beverly? What if he realizes I'm not as intriguing as he's built me up to be and gets bored? I'm really into him, Ang. This could end so badly." I was practically in tears trying to vent my frustrations to her, but she knew exactly what to say to calm me and make me really think through my options.

"Why does it have to end badly? Sure, relationships are scary. There's always a risk that someone could get hurt, but Bells, it could be so amazing if it works out." She paused for a moment, likely deciding the best way to convince me. "Listen, you're practically a sister to me, so you know I'll support any decision you make, but I have to tell you… I've never seen you like this. You're different around him—in a really good way. I think you should take some time to think about what it is you want. There's no reason to rush into anything. If it's meant to be, Edward will still be waiting for you when you're ready. But I think you can trust him, and I don't think he's given you any reason to think he would judge you for your circumstances."

I absorbed her words, internalizing and embracing them. She was right; there was no rush. If I was worried about knowing if I could completely trust Edward before I made any step forward with him, it had little to do with his actions so far and more to do with the little amount of time I had known him. Time—it was a novel concept. I instantly felt more at peace with the entire situation. I thanked Angela for showing me the light, and we continued to chat about Edward and then shifted to Ben for a while longer.

"Okay, enough with the boy talk—" she started, before I cut her off.

"I thought you said they were men," I teased.

"Oh, shut it. I want to know more about this kiss with Alice. I mean, really, if you wanted to experiment with a girl..."

"Gah! Stop, stop, stop. It was nothing, really."

"So you don't have anything you need to tell me?" she asked suspiciously with an obvious playful tone. I burst into a fit of laughter at her suggestion.

"No, Ang, I'm one hundred percent sure that I'm straight. The not-so-clean thoughts I've been having ever since Edward moved here are proof of that." She giggled at my confession as I dived into the retelling of the events that lead up to my first femme kiss earlier in the day. It really was one of those moments I was unlikely to ever forget.

When I'd walked into the theater at the beginning of class, Alice was there waiting for me, practically vibrating with excitement. I asked her what was going on, and she proceeded to squeal and clap while merrily telling me that she'd heard from a friend in the second period drama class that we were going to be working on stage kisses today. I giggled along with her at the thought of having to kiss any of our classmates. Most of the guys in there were true thespians—theater geeks to the core. I was honestly a bit nervous about the whole idea, but Alice seemed positively delighted.

She went on to explain that Mr. Brody had pretended to kiss a senior girl on the cheek. Of course being a credible drama teacher his lips never actually touched the girl, but in Alice's mind, she had devised a foolproof plan to volunteer for the same demonstration and then turn her head just enough at the last minute to make contact. Unfortunately for her, Mr. Brody foiled her idea by wisely ignoring her bouncing hand and whimpers when he asked for a volunteer. Instead, he'd selected a soft-spoken freshman who was unlikely to cause a scene.

After making all the girls in the class swoon with his very romantic demonstration, he went on to explain the different ways to angle your face and position your hands to make even a simple kiss appear deeper and more intimate than it truly was for the actors.

My plight began when he once again asked for volunteers, but this time for students to try it together. Of course, Alice was still on a mission to seduce Mr. Brody, even if the idea was laughable. She thought she would appeal to his other head by showing him just what he was missing. I didn't bother to tell her that I'd seen his wife on campus with him before, and I highly doubted he was missing out on anything.

Without any real explanation, she grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the stage, not waiting for the teacher to call on her.

"Come on, Bella. Let's show 'em how it's done," she enthused.

I looked around, confused about who she expected us to kiss since no guys had joined us on the stage. Before I fully realized what was happening, her tiny hands were on each side of my face angling my head down to her. It was odd, being slightly taller than her, and I'm sure the shock registered on my face, but she bravely stepped forward, closing the distance between us and pressed her lips to mine. The raucous cheering coming from our audience spurred her on, and instead of following Mr. Brody's instructions to fake it, she began to move her lips fervently against my own. It all happened much too quickly to analyze, so I just went with it. There was no tongue—thank god—but she continued to deepen the kiss, and I met her move for move. When she decided to really make a show of it by stroking her hand down my neck, a series of cat calls and dog whistles broke out, forcing a giggle to erupt from deep within me. We broke apart and fell together on the stage in a pile of hysterics while the class cheered wildly.

Mr. Brody's face was red with embarrassment at our display, but even he clapped for the performance. One thing was for sure, we had his attention. I wasn't so sure it was a good thing though.

"So that's pretty much what happened," I said after I recounted the story to Angela. "Rose and Alice thought it would be a good way to make Edward jealous, which I thought was completely ridiculous. That's why they made such a spectacle of it at lunch. Turns out they were right after all."

"That's classic. I hope you realize no one is going to forget this for a very long time."

The next morning, I arrived at school later than normal after getting stuck in traffic due to a four car pileup on the freeway. I pulled into my usual parking spot next to Edward's Volvo and headed towards the front steps where all of my friends were already gathered waiting for the morning bell to ring. As I approached the group, their conversation quieted and they all eyed me cautiously. That was when I realized Edward wasn't with them. I thought we had left things okay between the two of us yesterday, but perhaps he had decided he wasn't comfortable being around me after all. That thought stung more than I cared to acknowledge.

"Morning," I said shyly as I stepped next to Angela.

She pulled me into a side hug and quietly whispered in my ear, "You okay?" I nodded and tried to give her a reassuring smile. I looked around to the faces of all my friends that were still watching me with undisguised curiosity. This was awkward to say the least. I assumed word had spread by now, no doubt making me look like a bitch for turning down Edward when I was so clearly attracted to him. The thing was, I didn't think Edward was the type of person to speak ill of me to our friends, even if he was upset. He was so calm about everything that had happened with Tanya, and I was so much less significant.

I debated asking Alice flat out where he was, but I didn't want to address the entire group. Somehow reading the concern etched across my face, she saved me the embarrassment and spoke up without any prompting.

"Um… Edward said to tell everyone hi, but that he had to take care of some things for a class this morning, and he will see us at lunch." She smiled sweetly at me, and even though I was still worried that I was the cause for his absence from our unspoken morning meeting place, I felt somewhat relieved by her casual statement.

I leaned back against the hand rail of the steps and inhaled the smell of fresh cut grass in the early morning air. I allowed my mind to go blank while I gazed up at the palm branches swaying in the breeze as my friends resumed their previous conversations.

On our way to first period English, Angela asked if I was going to try and talk to Edward today about needing some time to figure out what I wanted. I told her I was going to play it by ear. I wasn't sure where Edward's head was at. I didn't see him at all between my morning classes, and a small part of me worried that he was intentionally avoiding me.

When my free fourth period rolled around, I entered the small newspaper office to be greeted by the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers I had ever seen. It was an arrangement of at least three dozen multicolored tulips. Curious as to who they were for and where they had come from, I walked over and glanced at the accompanying card, half expecting that they were intended for a teacher and had been accidentally delivered to the wrong room. My fingers brushed over the small, crisp white envelope with elegant black ink scrawled across the front of it as I read the name scripted on it—my name. 'Bella' had never looked so lovely spelled out in black and white as it did right then, sticking out of the middle of that beautiful bunch of flowers.

I felt an uncontrollable smile break out across my face as I gently plucked the card out of the bouquet. No one had ever given me flowers before. It felt like a rite of passage. My pulse raced as I opened the envelope and pulled out the tiny card, praying they were from him.

Dearest Bella,
I know this in no way makes up
for the hurt I have caused you,
but it's my way of letting you know
I won't ever stop trying to be deserving of you.
Please give us a chance.
Affectionately yours,
Edward
Les belles fleurs pour une belle fille.

I could feel my heart melting as I glanced back and forth from the flowers to the card. I had read more romantic literature than the average seventeen year old girl, and I was certain that more beautiful words had never been written. I stared at the card for an indefinite amount of time, running my fingers over the tender words as if to absorb them into my soul. A stupid, happy grin took up permanent residence on my face as I realized that this was my very first love note that didn't involve yes and no check boxes. Between this sweet gesture and my conversation with Angela the night before, my resolve was definitely wavering.

A tentative knock on the door startled me. I looked up to see Edward nervously running his hand through his silken bronze hair. He looked from me to the flowers and back again.

"Bella, can I come in for a moment?" I nodded, the corner of my lips turning up into a reassuring smile as he stepped inside the small room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Edward, hi. Thank you, the tulips are lovely. I've never received anything like this before," I said softly, blushing like a fool as my fingers ghosted over the delicate petals of a violet tulip.

"You're welcome. I didn't know if you had a favorite flower, but I thought these were very beautiful," he replied. He took a steadying breath and gestured to the bouquet as he continued. "I didn't know if this was too much too soon, and I don't want to scare you off, but I wanted you to know that I'm not giving up." His lips pulled up into his signature crooked smirk, causing my heart to flutter.

"I don't want you to give up," I said with confidence. I was rewarded with a breathtaking smile. "I just need some time, maybe, to think about this and adjust to the idea. Is that okay? Can we take it slow? Get to know each other better before…" I trailed off, hinting at the possibility of a future relationship.

"Of course. You can take as much time as you need, and we will go as slow as you want. There's no rush. I just want to make you happy."

"You already do." We grinned at each other like idiots for a moment before it dawned on me that he should be in class right now. "Hey, what class are you ditching to be here?"

"Gym, but I have an excused absence. I'm supposed to be hunting down the baseball coach to see if there is still time for me to make the varsity team this year. Emmett and his buddies pulled some strings for me and put in a good word."

"Baseball, huh?"

"Yep, second baseman. I've played since I was five years old. Do you watch baseball?"

"Yeah, my dad is a diehard Dodgers fan."

"Ugh, Dodgers, really? I don't know about that," he teased.

"Hey, you're in L.A. now, buddy. It's the Dodgers or Angels around here."

"Guess I better not show up to your house wearing my Twins paraphernalia then, huh?"

"No! Definitely not," I laughed.

"Well, I should get going. I'm glad you like your flowers. I'll see you at lunch." He winked and smirked, while I swooned and sputtered out something that sounded roughly like goodbye. One thing was for certain, Edward's confidence was back, and if he wanted to win me over I didn't stand a fighting chance. Damn adolescent hormones.

When I made it out to the courtyard for lunch, Alice, Angela, and Rose were all waiting for me with expectant grins on their faces, obviously in on Edward's plan to crumble my defenses. Alice had her hands clasped over her mouth in a vain attempt to contain her excitement while she waited for me to spill the details. I feigned nonchalance and sat down quietly next to her.

"I can't take it anymore!" Alice finally burst. "He made me keep it secret all morning so he could talk to you in private first. What did you think? Are you guys finally together now? The unresolved sexual tension between you two is killing me," she said dramatically.

"Oh my god. We do not have unresolved sexual tension," I retorted, to which three pairs of eye glared back at me. "Okay maybe we do… a little… but still."

"The flowers, Bella, focus," Angela said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"He got me a huge bouquet of tulips. They're beautiful—really beautiful—and he was so sweet. He said he wasn't going to give up, and I told him I didn't want him to." All three girls squealed simultaneously.

"So what does this mean? Are you together now?" Angela asked.

"No. I thought about what you said last night and told him that I needed some time. He was perfectly fine with that—happy even. We're just going to get to know each other better and see where it goes."

"What are you girlies gossiping about?" a deep voice asked from behind us.

"Hi, Em," Rose purred with her signature flirty smile. "Edward gave Bella flowers. We were just getting the scoop."

"Ah, yeah. He was nervous as hell about that. You weren't too hard on him were you, Bella?"

"I don't think so."

"Good. He cares about you a lot. Gotta stick up for my boy, even if his ex was a royal bitch to all of us."

My mood instantly soured at the thought of Tanya. Unfortunately, Edward walked up just in time to see my frown. He cast me wary look as he took the seat next to me and gently placed a can of Diet Sunkist in front of me.

"Everything okay?" he asked quietly, his velvet soft voice caressing my soul and stirring up the butterflies in my tummy. I nodded as I glanced down at the can of soda he bought for me. It was just a fifty cent can of soda—much less significant than the extravagant bouquet waiting for me in the newspaper office—but it meant so much to me. It was a bit ridiculous how much value I placed on the gesture, but it implied that he had taken the time to observe something unique to me.

"I'm better than okay." I replied, grinning at him while I popped open the top of the can and took a long pull of the sweet orange goodness.

"Good." He propped his elbows up on the table and angled his body towards me and began to eat his lunch. I was acutely aware of the proximity of his body to mine. Every move he made sent a static buzz coursing through me. I must have been lost in my haze of lust for him, because he gently nudged my shoulder with his and nodded his head in his sister's direction.

"Hey, where'd ya go just now, Bella?" Alice asked with a knowing smirk.

"I was just thinking," I clipped with a playful glint in my eye. She just giggled at my attempt to keep her from embarrassing me.

"Uh-huh. Well, I was asking if you wanted to come over to my house on Friday night. Rose has a date, and she needs our help getting ready."

"Um, okay. Who all is coming over?"

"Just you and Rose. Ang can't make it."

"Hot date?" I teased Angela.

"I guess, if you call Ben getting us tickets to some lame martial arts film marathon a hot date," she snarked. Ben's head popped up from the conversation he was having on the other side of the table and murmured 'I heard that.' Angela playfully rolled her eyes at him in response.

"So, why don't we just come over to your house?" I asked, turning back to Rose, somewhat confused.

"Because she doesn't really know this guy, and we thought it would be better if he didn't know where she lived just yet," Alice replied for her.

"Oh. Who are you going out with?"

"This guy I met at the gym. He's older, like nineteen or twenty I think, and in college. He's so hot! But I just met his last week so…" I was more than a little concerned about what a college guy would want with a high school junior, but Rose seemed excited. Emmett, on the other hand, looked like he was about to have an aneurism, glaring at his half-eaten sandwich. It was really unlike him to let perfectly good food go to waste. I knew he and Rose had some kind of history together, but I didn't know any details.

I turned back to Edward who was quietly watching me, and felt a sudden rush of self-consciousness. "Um… are you going to be home on Friday night?" I asked. He beamed at my question and nodded that he would be.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you… I mean only if you want to… If maybe you'd want to hang out with me after you're done with the girls?" he asked expectantly.

"I'd like that."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good, then it's a date." My cheeks flushed once again at his choice of words.

The rest of the week Edward was as sweet and attentive as ever, but he never pushed me. We talked a lot and took advantage of every free moment we had together to get to know every minute detail about each other, with the obvious exception of some rather significant information about me that I was still skeptical to reveal.

Friday night found me fidgeting nervously outside the Cullen mansion, waiting for someone to answer the door. Instead of Alice or Edward, I was greeted by a handsome, older, blond gentleman that I immediately recognized from pictures as Dr. Cullen.

"Why, hello there. You must be Bella, I've heard so much about you. I'm Carlisle, Alice and Edward's father." I blushed wondering if he knew about the mutual attraction between Edward and I, but tried to recover by politely extending my hand for a shake.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen. It's nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Carlisle. I prefer to drop the doctor title when I'm not at work, it seems so pretentious to me."

"Yes, sir. Is Alice around?"

"She's up in her room with Rosalie. You know the way?"

"I do, thank you."

I walked up the staircase and paused by the study when I heard beautiful piano music emanating from the other side of the hardwood double doors. I briefly wondered if it was Esme or Edward who played, but didn't want to intrude uninvited.

I entered Alice's room to find both girls sitting in the middle of her bed surrounded by heaps of clothing and shoe boxes. Music blared from Alice's iPod dock as they shuffled through a pile of fashion jewelry and chatted away.

"Yay! You're here," Alice exclaimed when she looked up.

"Hi, Bella. Get over here and help me figure out what to wear," Rose called, pushing the piles around on the bed to make room for me.

"Hi, are you ready for your date?" I asked her.

"I'm kind of nervous. And Alice is no help, the way she constantly changes her mind about how I should dress. I just want to look good, you know? I've never been out with an older guy before." I was somewhat taken aback by Rose's nervous babbling. She always exuded so much confidence.

"You'll look amazing, as always. So tell me more about this guy. What's his name?"

"His name's Royce. He goes to UCLA, and his dad owns some small, independent record label. I met him at the gym and he has a nice body from what I saw. He's seems cool, but I'm sure he's, like, more experienced and stuff. God, what did I get myself into?"

"Relax. It will be fine. I'll call you an hour into your date, and if you aren't having a good time, you can fake an emergency and split," Alice said in attempt to soothe her. "I do it all the time. It works like a charm."

"Okay… Yeah, that's a good idea."

Alice put me to work curling Rose's hair into soft spirals while she painted her nails to match the shoes they'd finally settled on. The two of them came up with multiple outrageous tales that Rose could tell Royce should she want to bail on the date early.

"I thought Emmett was going to shit bricks when he heard you say you were going out with an older guy," I blurted without thinking.

"Wait, what?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Yeah. He seems really protective of you. You two dated before, right?" I asked hoping I wasn't crossing any lines.

"Um, not officially. I mean, we dated, but we were never together. It's kind of a long story."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just noticed he seemed jealous, I guess. That's all."

Rose remained quiet for a moment, staring down at her freshly painted nails. When she glimpsed up at Alice and me, she looked lost and sad.

"I first went out with Emmett freshman year. He was the most gorgeous guy that had ever paid attention to me, and I was completely taken with him. On only our third date, we lost our virginity to each other. We've had a handful of one night stands together since then, but he's the only guy I've ever slept with. I don't think he even knows that." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sniffle. "I was so in love with him… I guess I still am, but…"

"Aww, honey, why are you going out with these other guys if you're so clearly in love with Emmett? He seems really great, and he obviously still cares about you," Alice asked.

"Because I was too easy. I practically threw myself at him, and now he just thinks I'm an easy score. He was all I ever wanted, and I screwed it all up." She started crying harder while Alice and I held her, swiping away at our own tears.

After the crying subsided, we worked together to get Rosalie cleaned up and ready for her date. I apologized for bringing up such a sensitive subject to which she just shook her head at me and gave me a warm hug. She looked stunning, with legs for days, in a dark denim mini skirt juxtaposed to her delicate ivory peasant top, finished off with a pair of red peep-toe heels.

"You look amazing. Do you know where Royce is taking you?" I asked as we walked downstairs to wait for his arrival.

"Nope. I gave him the address to pick me up here at seven o'clock for dinner. That's all I know."

When we walked into the living room, Edward was reclined on the couch watching television. He looked up when he heard the click of Rose's heels on the Spanish tiles. His eyes widened as he took in her attire, and I felt each insecurity I'd experienced throughout past few weeks come flooding back. Then his eyes found mine, and his lips turned up at the corner into a shy smile. My petty insecurities were immediately washed away and replaced with a feeling of complete adoration. He made me feel beautiful and desirable. I flashed him my own bashful grin and slowly made my way over to him.

The rest of the room fell away as I approached. He made room for me on the couch and lightly patted the seat next to him. I sat primly perched on the edge and whispered a 'hi' to which he replied with his own whispered greeting.

Esme came flitting through the room just then. "Bella! Hello, dear. Edward said you were staying for dinner to spend some time with him, is this true?" she questioned with obvious excitement. I was a bit surprised that Edward had been so candid with his mom about my visit.

"Yes, if that's okay."

"Of course, dear. Dinner is almost ready. Carlisle is actually taking me out tonight—our first date night since the move. I'm so excited."

"Aww, he still takes you on dates? That's so sweet." I guess that explained where Edward got his romantic inclinations from.

"Yes, almost twenty years of marriage, and we're as close as ever, if not closer."

"Your parents are amazing," I said after Esme headed back into the kitchen. "Twenty years is quite a feat."

"Yeah, they really love each other. Um… how about your parents?" I wasn't quite ready to give Edward the full, unabridged version of my life story yet, so I told him the quick, publicly acceptable one.

"Uh, my parents are divorced, and I live with my dad. My mom left us when I was five…. I hardly ever see her."

"Geez, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It was a long time ago."

"Must have been difficult, growing up without a mom."

"Yeah, it had its moments, but my dad is really great."

"He must be to have raised such an amazing person." I found myself blushing furiously at his statement. Would I ever be able to take a compliment from him without it sending my blush into overdrive? It didn't seem likely.

"Royce just pulled up," Alice squealed from the other side of the room, breaking me from my Edward-induced trance. I got up to see Rose off and wish her luck on her date.

The doorbell rang, and Rose walked over with an air of confidence to greet her date, her hips swaying as if she were on a cat walk. I envied her ability to check her nerves at the door and put on such a poised façade.

A young man stepped into the foyer looking a little uncomfortable to have such a large audience to pick up his date for the evening. He had deep blue eyes, dark brown hair arranged impeccably without a strand out of place, and a strong build. He looked to be a couple inches shorter than Edward, but still tall enough to look good standing next to the likes of Rosalie.

Rose made quick introductions of everyone and waved at us as she stepped out into the cool evening air with her new beau. Alice flashed her an enthusiastic thumbs up in approval and then made a telephone sign with her hand, promising to call one hour into the date.

Shortly after they left, Esme and Carlisle came downstairs dressed to the nines for an evening out on the town. Esme let us know that dinner was in the oven and ready to be enjoyed. We bid them farewell, and the three of us headed into the kitchen to eat.

"So, Alice, how are things with Jasper? You two seem awfully cozy every time I see you together. Matter of a fact, I don't think I've seen him much without you recently." I asked as we feasted on Esme's delicious enchilada casserole.

She beamed at me in reply. "Things are good. He's taking me surfing tomorrow, actually. Then we're spending the day together."

"He still hasn't kissed you?" I asked, baffled by the idea of Jasper taking something so slow.

Alice bit her lip and shook her head slowly, but she was still smiling. "No, but I think he just wants me to know that he's in this for real. I'm not worried about it. I know it will happen when the time is right."

"Like, maybe when you're bobbing out on the water tomorrow?" I teased.

"Maybe!"

"Don't encourage her," Edward said playfully. "All I hear about any more is Jasper this and Jasper that." I giggled as his voice went high trying to impersonate Alice.

"Oh, shut up. You haven't been much better yourself, mister," she teased, causing Edward's ears to glow red. "Okay, I'm going to go call Jasper and leave you two alone to do whatever it is you're going to do," she said suggestively, earning a balled up napkin tossed her way from Edward. She laughed as she ran out of the room and up the stair case singing, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Edward turned his emerald gaze back to me and asked what I would like to do. After running through the options, we settled on a movie. I couldn't tell you what we ended up watching because I was too busy noting the way his arm was draped behind me on the back of the couch and every twitch his lips made as he watched the film.

My whole body was lit up with energy being that close to him. At some point, he lowered his arm down to rest on my shoulder. He started to softly stroke my hair, and I felt my head begin to lean into his touch on its own accord. He turned his focus from the flat screen to his hand in my hair as his eyes followed its movement. His eyes—swimming with devotion—locked on mine, and the air around us crackled with tension. With the way he was looking at me, it was all I could do to contain myself and keep from begging him to forget about my request for some time and just kiss me already. Thankfully for my self-control—or lack thereof—Alice came bounding down the stairs ending the magical moment.

She eyed us nervously before speaking up, "I'm sorry for intruding, but I need to go pick up Rose."

"Oh, no. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, but it sounds like her date got a little handsy. She doesn't want to stay with him, and she's too nervous to ask him to take her home. She called me from the women's restroom at the restaurant."

"Okay, we can all go pick her up," I suggested, pulling my body up and away from Edward who looked more than a little put out by the idea.

Alice laughed at his expression. "Sorry, Edward. I know how much this evening meant to you. Maybe you could just give me your keys, and I could go pick her up so you don't have to interrupt your time with Bella?"

"Alice," he reprimanded. "That'll just get us both in trouble. You don't even have your license yet."

"Yeah, I don't mind going, Alice. I don't want you to get in trouble," I interjected.

"Come on. It's just down the street. Give me the keys, and I'll be right back. You won't even have time to miss me," she whined. "Plus, you'll have the house all to yourselves," she sang, trying to appeal to our desire to be alone.

"Pick her up and come right back here." Edward said with an air of authority as he fished his keys out of his jean pocket.

"I promise."

We resumed pretending to watch the movie as soon as she left. The tension that her presence dissipated returned instantly. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see the steady rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. His arm moved suddenly, leaving the backs of our hands pressed together on the couch between our thighs. Slowly, he drug hand back and forth caressing mine. The sensations he was causing were so powerful I thought I might combust.

After a moment, he slid his hand on top of mine pressing our palms together. I looked down at our hands and watched in wonder as he slipped his fingers between mine, interlocking our hands. I let out an audible sigh at the feeling of him holding my hind. It was so simple, yet so intimate. Prompted by my sigh, he peered over at me with a questioning look in his eyes—uncertain if his gesture was well received.

The sudden buzzing of his cell phone across the surface of the coffee table caused us to jump apart. He picked it up and furrowed his eyebrow in concern before pressing the 'talk' button.

"Hello… What? Oh my god. Where are you? Okay… Yeah… Did you call the police? That's fine… Is anyone hurt?"

I stared at him expectantly, trying in vain to decipher the one sided phone conversation. As soon as he hung up, he turned to face me with wild, anxious eyes and said the words that made my stomach drop out.

"Alice and Rose were in a car accident."

"Oh my god. Are they okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. Just a little shaken up. I hate to ask you this, but can you give me a ride?" he asked, the panic and worry evident in his voice.

"Of course. You don't even have to ask." Without over thinking it, I grabbed his hand firmly in mine, interlocking our fingers once more and giving it a reassuring squeeze as I hastily pulled him behind me and out to my truck.

xxx

French Translations
belle – beautiful
Je suis désolé – I'm sorry
le maître – the master
Les belles fleurs pour une belle fille. – Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl.

A/N: *Gasp* A cliffie! Anyone remember the accident in 90210 when Brenda and Kelly took Brandon's car and rear ended someone? Well this one is a bit different, but don't worry no one is hurt. Are we feeling better about Bella and Edward now? I know I am. The masses seemed divided on who hated Bella for turning Edward down, and those who thought he needed to try harder last chapter. Hope all of you enjoyed this less angsty update! I'm so excited for the next few upcoming chapters. They've been playing out in my head since the beginning. Good times!

Thank you to the usual suspects, my beta Hibbleton78 and prereader Holly1989. These gals are pure win! Love you both! Come join us over on the Twilighted thread for some fic recs and fun discussion. Link is on my profile.

Let me know what you thought. Reviews get teased!