AN: -waves—Hey, you guisseee. Sorry this took forever and a day to get to you. Please thank tkmoon712 and araeo for harassing me every day to get this written. Also, those of you who PMed, DMed, twitter-stalked, and left amazing reviews. Apparently you guys missed Campward. Who knew? Just know I am not planning on abandoning this story. It's going to be completed one way or the other. And I really hope you stick around to find out what happens next :)

Thank you times a billion to my fantastical beta. She has returned to me. Be jealous. Lisa89, you're such a light in my life, and I have missed you.

~Bella~

After kissing Edward one last time, I stumbled back towards my bunk, tripping over the threshold of my cabin, dizzy with contentment. I held my breath, hoping I wouldn't wake any of the sleeping campers who were happily tucked away in their beds.

I flopped down onto my bed, smiling like a crazy person. My hair may have been tangled in knots, dampening my pillowcase with remnants of lake water, but I didn't care. Tonight, Edward had told me he loved me.

He had. He might not have known it, but he had. He really, really had.

The first time he'd said it, he stopped me cold. I almost thought I'd imagined it. Or maybe it had been some hideously unfunny joke. But when he'd said it again, I realized that he had no fucking idea the words were even coming out of his mouth.

"I love you and your lack of filter…"

"I love you, but…"

I couldn't decide whether I was let down by the fact that there wasn't some huge moment commemorating the words or whether it was romantic because it was completely subconscious.

But as I closed my eyes and a very specific image danced across my eyelids, I knew that when I said it back, the event would most definitely be commemorated. And I had a really outlandish idea of how to do it; I just wasn't sure if I was completely out of my mind or not for contemplating it.

x-x-x

Morning came too quickly, interrupting the less-than-chaste dreams swirling around my head. The rest of the day passed in the same way—too quickly. It was as if time ceased to exist. I was floating through life, not even minding the still-sticky heat, which clouded the small Fine Arts room.

As Jasper cleaned up, I sat at one of the low wooden tables and sketched. The image had branded itself into my brain, and I knew the only way to expel it was to let the muscles in my hand get it out.

"That's neat looking, B-Town," Jasper drawled, peeking over my shoulder. "What's it for?"

"Nothing." My arm swept over the drawing, blocking it from his sight. I totally wasn't ready to admit to anyone what I was doing, much less explain it Jasper. Yet.

Eyeing me skeptically, he sat down, pulling the chair out from across me and slouching over the table to get a closer look at the shrouded paper. "Sure, nothing. That blush really tells me it's nothing."

I sighed and leaned back. It was Jasper; he was going to find out. He had some sort of innate power where he just knew. He and Alice both had it, especially with me.

"It's embarrassing…" I grumbled.

"What is?" Alice's all-too-curious voice asked from behind me. Groaning, I let my head fall onto the paper. "How you're going to be the third wheel on my day off with Jasper tomorrow? Yeah, I know. Totally embarrassing."

My head snapped back up to look back and forth between the couple before me, who were now cozily wrapped in each other's arms.

"Huh?"

Alice tugged on a short lock of her hair and leaned forward. "Here's the deal, LB. I miss you. This was supposed to be our summer together, you know? And so far…I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you're out doing dirty things past curfew in the lake and I've found the love of my life, but we always talked about this summer being the one where we'd get crazy piercings or dye our hair and do something rad together. And so far, the raddest thing we've done is to go bald eagle, and, well…that's not enough."

"I…but…"

My mind struggled to keep up with Alice's mouth. She was right; we had planned on doing all these crazy bonding activities together, of which we'd done very little, but first—how had she known about my lake rendezvous with Edward and second—had she just called Jasper the love of her life? From the blush spreading over his ears and neck, I was betting that was the first he was hearing of it, too.

"No buts, Miss B," she stated resolutely. "I don't want to hear it. Jasper and I are going to take you straight up to the main office and change your second day off to tomorrow. And, for the record, I'm thinking I want to get my nose pierced. What do you think? A little stud right here?"

"A stud wouldn't be too bad," Jasper said with a grin, pinching her nose as if she were a small child and tucking his thumb under to steal it from her. "You might even look a little bad ass."

"Bad ass? Oh, yeah, totally. Like X-Tina when she first got Dirrrty. But a little classier than that."

Alice continued to talk logistics of her nose piercing to Jasper as I grabbed the rough sketch, and we walked up the hill to the office together.

My name had just been placed on the list next to Alice and Jasper's names when I felt two athletic but feminine arms wrap around my waist.

"What the…"

"Why didn't anyone call me to tell me that Teddy finally came to his senses?"

My body froze, but a large smile made its way across my face. I tilted my head backwards, craning my neck to see if who I thought had just grabbed me actually had. And sure enough, staring down at me were the piercing jade eyes I'd come to love so much…only, their feminine counterpart.

"Tanya?"

She spun me in her arms, squeezing me tightly to her barely-clad body before pushing me away to look me up and down. My uniform t-shirt and shorts looked far inferior to her most likely Megan-Fox-inspired ensemble of denim cutoffs and a cropped tank top, but she didn't seem to care.

"Not going to lie, B, you are looking mighty fine. Being in love suits you. Come with me, I need to see you in better light."

Did she just say…

Not asking permission, she grabbed my hand and led me from the office to the Adirondack chairs, which seemed to be becoming the place for memorable moments this summer. Alice and Jasper trailed behind us, looking equal parts amused and shocked as Tanya continued her prattling.

"If I weren't sure it'd get my non-existent dick chopped off, I'd totally make a move for you. Way to go, Teddy. Way to finally stake your claim. But seriously—" she sighed, looking around with purpose "—I'm going to strangle that little boy for not calling me. Where the hell is he?"

I'd forgotten what a force of nature she was. With her snarky banter and quick wit, Tanya had managed to see in less than a minute what Edward still hadn't realized. I was in love with him.

"I'm, uh…" I stuttered, unsure of how to respond. Thank God, my boyfriend came in like a white knight to the rescue.

"T?"

So, obviously he hadn't known she was coming either.

"T-t-t-teddy!" she shouted, hopping up from the chair and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"T-t-t-tanya," he said less enthusiastically than she, escaping from her death grip and taking a large step back, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to check in on you, obviously, since you don't know how to pick up a phone anymore." She glared at him and then smiled at me, making it excruciatingly obvious as to what she was checking in on.

He chuckled uncomfortably, scratching at the back of his scalp as he sat on the arm of the chair I was currently lounging in.

"You drove all these miles to see if I finally took my head out of my ass?" As he spoke, his warm hand slid over mine, automatically shifting mine to flip over and intertwine my fingers with his.

She bit her lip and flicked her eyes down towards our hands before placing her hands on her hips and tossing her hair dramatically. "Well, there's that…which, by the way, we're spending all day tomorrow hanging out so I can get all the details from you, pumpkin," she directed at him with a wink, "but there's also the promise of getting laid…really well."

"Tanya," Edward groaned, burying his face in my hair.

"Teddy, it's not my fault that your best friend knows how to use his—"

"Stop!" he cried, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes, presumably trying to wipe away the image of his sister and his best friend getting it on from his mind.

"Speak of the devil…" Jasper chuckled.

"TANYA!"

Jake barreled up the hill, taking the longest strides I'd ever seen him take before clutching Tanya around the waist and spinning her around, much like he had the first time they'd been reunited. I couldn't help but think back to my first introduction to her and how different the circumstances were now.

It had been barely a month since Tanya had last been here, but oh how the tides had changed. Instead of pining and torturing mercilessly, I was giving hand jobs in the lake at midnight and getting fingered on the tennis courts, and in the costume room, and…

"Sounds good to me," Edward agreed with a squeeze of his hand, bringing me back into the present.

"Hm?"

"Movie night in Bunk Seven tonight," Jake reiterated, keeping one arm firmly placed around Tanya's waist. I eyed them skeptically. From what I knew, this was the third time he and Tanya would be together. And I really didn't think Jake did repeat hookups. Interesting. Interesting, indeed. "And I'm coming, so you'd better pick a watchable movie."

Apparently I'd zoned out for longer than I'd thought, and there'd been a multitude of plans made in the absence of my consciousness. Oh well. If a movie was included, I wasn't going to fight the plans.

x-x-x

Shortly after climbing out of the shower and getting into my comfiest but cutest pajamas, I decided to stop by Rosalie's bunk. I hadn't really seen her yet today, and my mind was kersploding with everything I needed to tell her.

I knocked swiftly on her bunk door, which opened quickly. She scurried around the room, dressing to coiffed perfection, simply pointing to her bed, where I sprawled out, stretching my warm muscles.

"Spill, woman," she said sternly, continuing to line her eyes with a short, dark pencil.

"Why are you putting on makeup to watch a movie?" I laughed and propped myself up on my elbows to get a better look at her.

"Emmett and I are heading out pretty soon, actually," she explained, waving the pencil in the air. "We're not staying for the movie. And we're certainly not staying for the encore."

She raised her eyebrows, making me blush and chuckle with the realization that Emmett and Rosalie were leaving for the night so that Jake and Tanya could have the room to themselves. How awkwardly sweet of them. And considerate.

"So, are you two staying out the whole night, then?" I asked, trying not to let too much curiosity seep through my tone.

At my words, Rosalie froze and slowly placed the pencil down on the small ledge under the mirror. She turned to me with a small but devilish smile and whispered conspiratorially, "B, are you asking me if Emmett and I are having sex?"

"Uh…"

"Not that I'm opposed to you asking," she continued, her smile getting wider, "but you've never taken an interest before, so I'm wondering if maybe this has something to do with your own life." My mind whirled, completely taken aback by Rosalie's intuition. At my lack of response, she bit her lip, suppressing a squeal, and hopped onto the bed next to me. "Okay, now…spill!"

As I ducked my head away from Rosalie's prying eyes, I could feel the blush creeping up my chest and neck, pooling in my cheeks.

"B?" She held out a comforting hand, clasping mine within her own. "You don't have to tell me anyth—"

"He told me he loved me," I blurted out. Our eyes locked in shock, both of us simultaneously surprised by my admission.

"Really? Oh my God, Bella, that's fantastic! Emmett and I haven't done that yet. The sex? Hell yes." I cringed. I so did not want to know about them having sex. There was I reason I hadn't asked about it before. "But love?" she continued, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "How did he do it? Did you say it back?"

I took a large breath and gushed. Every detail from the night before came flooding forward—the dinner overlooking the water at sunset, the movie, the heat, the lake, even getting caught by Jake in our state of undress.

Rosalie's laughter couldn't be contained when she found out Edward's admission had been completely accidental.

"What a complete d-bag! Seriously, he's a monumental idiot. But I'm so happy for you, B. So, are you going to call him out or let him say it for real?"

I shrugged, feeling a little overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and attention.

"I had this idea, but I'm—"

My confession was stopped short as Alice blew through the room, yelling at us for taking so long. Rosalie threw me a helpless look, but I waved her off. I'd tell her my plans later. For now, we had a movie night to attend.

x-x-x

Rosalie and Emmett stayed for all of about five seconds before the fighting over which movie to watch commenced. I couldn't say I blamed them. Watching Tanya and Edward fight over what movie to watch was like watching a cockfight or gladiators in the ring or something. I was completely astounded but loving every second of watching the small, infuriated boy trapped inside Edward try to take swipes at his big sister.

Curling up on his bed, I sank onto his pillow and watched the show, trying my hardest to contain my amused chuckling.

"Oh oh oh!" Tanya danced around with a DVD in her hand. "I found it. It's perfect. And you own it, so I know you love it."

Edward sighed loudly and motioned for her to show him the movie. His eyes flitted across the cover before he groaned loudly in protest. "The Prestige? Are you serious, T? I have a hard enough time competing against one Christian Bale, much less two and God knows however many Hugh Jackmans!"

Tanya shoved his shoulder, making his face turn into the most adorable pout I'd ever seen.

"Teddy, you can't seriously be that insecure. You got your girl!" She waved a flailing arm at me, causing him to slide his eyes towards me and grin. "See? There's no competition when you're in love. And it's this or Eurotrip, so make the call and let's watch already."

"EUROTRIP!" Jake called out loudly from his spot, stretched out on the floor. Tanya shot him a warning look, but he simply smiled in return. I was definitely beginning to wonder about those two.

Edward looked helplessly at me and then at Alice and Jasper, who were far too wrapped up in one another to even care about what was playing on the TV, before shrugging in defeat.

Tanya squealed and turned around to put the movie in, so I turned over, sitting up just enough to make room for Edward on his own bed. Instead of following my lead, though, Edward crawled over me, pulled me back down so I was lying flat, and then decided to use my ample rack as his pillow. His head buried into my chest with a soft sigh, and I couldn't resist letting my hands trail up his neck and run through his hair.

As my fingers continued scratching lightly, I felt all his muscles relax, sinking into me with every slow exhale.

"Mmm," he purred, making me giggle softly as we settled in to watch.

Tanya and Jake excused themselves about an hour into the movie, and honestly, I was impressed they'd even lasted that long. I was surprised that Edward hadn't made a fuss about it, until I leaned down and realized he'd fallen asleep on me.

His face was totally relaxed, pressed against the place where my heart was now pounding against my ribs. I knew without a doubt that I was in love with Edward, and I truly believed that he was in love with me too. And no matter what, I wanted to go through with my plan. Hopefully he wouldn't freak out or go running for the hills.

Hopefully.

At the end of the movie, I hated to wake Edward, but I knew I was going to have a long day, and Alice, Jasper, and I were all ready for bed.

I scratched his scalp lightly again, trying to rouse him from his sleep without jarring him.

Bleary-eyed, he clutched me closer as I tried to wriggle out from underneath him.

"Edward," I whispered, "I have to go."

"No…" he mumbled. "Stay…comfy…"

Alice and Jasper looked on with amusement as I tried to extract myself from his sleepy-but-somehow-steel grasp.

"Edward, you need to move just a little." I pushed his hair from his forehead, and his eyes cracked opened a bit, allowing small slivers of green to peek through.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice still laced with sleep.

"Hi."

"I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I just need to go back to my bunk now." I squeezed his hand, and he finally rolled to his side, sliding off just enough to let me escape.

"No," he moaned, reaching out for me in the place where I'd just been. "Come back, MB."

He looked so adorable, groping the blankets blindly, his eyes shut and well on their way back to slumber.

"I'll be back tomorrow after Portland."

"Portland?"

"Mhm, I'm going with Alice and Jasper tomorrow. But we won't be back too late, so I can hang out all night."

He nodded slowly and reached his hands up, motioning for me to come closer. Once within his reach, he slid his hands over my cheeks and pulled me into a warm kiss. I expected it to be chaste, since, you know, he was half-asleep, but before I could pull away, his lips parted and his tongue slid, wet and soft, into my mouth.

Apparently, sleepy Edward was a little slutty. And I was two hundred percent okay with that.

My hands clasped his shoulders, needing to brace myself against something as Edward's tongue moved against mine, making my legs tremble and my body heat up.

From somewhere behind me, a throat cleared, and I knew I had to leave anyway. Sad but content, I pulled away, leaving a pouting Edward behind.

"Good night, Edward," I whispered, placing one last kiss on his lips, hoping they'd tug back into a smile.

They did.

"Night, MB," he mumbled back, turning his now-smiling face into his pillow. "I luff yuh…"

The thick fabric covering his mouth muffled his words, but they were unmistakable nonetheless.

My heart stuttered and stopped before taking off in flight.

"Did he just say…?" Alice whispered.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, he did." Jasper wrapped his arm around my waist, coming to stand next to where my feet were still frozen next to Edward's bed. "Looks like our boy loves you," he said with a pinch to my side.

I bit my lip but failed to stop the wide grin overtaking my face. Yes, Edward was in love with me. I was sure of it. And tomorrow, I'd say it back.

But tonight, I'd sketch.

x-x-x

My feet shuffled slowly along the cobblestone streets of Portland, one hand gripping Alice's and the other clutching my sketch, nearly paralyzed with fear. I couldn't believe I was going to do this. This was one of those things you looked back on and thought to yourself, Why was I such an idiot? Why can't I go back in time and tell my younger self not to do this? But I was ignoring that voice.

Jasper stopped in front of us, and I looked up at the huge sign that read "TATTOO" in massive glowing letters.

"B-Town, you're looking mighty pale. You don't have to do this if you don't want."

When I'd showed Jasper and Alice my sketch at lunch, telling them that I wanted the image tattooed onto my skin, branding me for eternity, I had some mixed responses. Mainly, Alice thought I was incredible and brave and poetic and a slew of other very positive adjectives, while Jasper thought I was out of my mind. Rightfully so. I mean, I knew I was a little out of my mind, but the gut feeling in my stomach was telling me that this was it—this was the right way to tell Edward I loved him. And no matter what happened, I was going to love Edward forever.

"I want to do this," I insisted. "I'm just not big into needles. And what if Edward hates it? Or if he hates girls with tattoos? I…I should have discussed this with him, right?"

"I'll hold your hand, LB. It'll be fine," Alice cooed, rubbing her thumb across the back of my hand in a comforting gesture. "The drawing is beautiful, and it's about something that's important to you. And, okay, it has a little to do with Edward, but it's not like you're getting his name tattooed on your ass or anything. I wouldn't worry about it."

Biting my lip, I nodded and crossed the threshold of the shop. It was nothing like I'd thought it would be. I had been preparing myself for some scary-looking shop, poorly lit and crowded with intimidating employees.

I should have known. This was Maine.

The tattoo shop was large and bright with Dave Matthews playing on the sound system. Four large adjustable chairs sat proudly, lined up closest to a bright red wall, which was plastered with pictures and sketches of the artists.

"Hey, can I help you?" A stocky bald guy sidled out from behind the counter, revealing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Not scary at all.

"I'm looking to get my nose pierced, "Alice jumped in, coming to the rescue, since my brain was acting slower than usual today. "Just something small. I saw a blue stud over there that looked like it would match my eyes perfectly," she rambled, pointing to the array of jewelry behind the glass. "And my friend wants a tattoo. She designed it and everything. She's an artist."

He came closer and held out his hand to me, but my right hand was still clutching my sketch, so I couldn't figure out how to shake his hand. "I'm Mike, and I'm the only artist in the shop today. You are?"

"Bella," I answered, wishing my voice didn't sound so tiny.

"Tony!" he shouted over his shoulder, causing a lanky-looking red head to meander out to the front. "Can you do this girl's nose?"

He shrugged noncommittally, waving his hand in acceptance.

"And I'd love to see what you want done, Bella," Mike continued, turning back to me and gesturing at the parchment in my hand. I handed it over timidly. He appraised it thoroughly, nodding and humming. "First tattoo?" I nodded. "Where were you thinking of putting this…and is it to scale?"

This I had actually spent time thinking about and could answer confidently. "Yes, it's to scale. And I want it on my left hip with—"

"With the end wrapping around your side a little bit?" he asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between my side and the paper in front of him.

"Yeah."

He nodded again, and I wasn't sure how to read him. He just seemed very serious. I hoped that was a good thing. "All right, well, I just need to draw up a stencil, but that shouldn't take too long. And it's not too big, but the color will take a little time, so I'm thinking it'll be our hourly rate of a hundred dollars?"

I nodded, wondering if this was supposed to be this easy.

"Great. If you could fill out this paperwork while I work this up, that'd be great." He handed me a clipboard and motioned to the seats by the front window, leaving me to myself for the time being.

Jasper and Alice sat in the chairs, flanking me and rubbing my arms lightly as I filled out the standard questions, giving my consent and making sure I wasn't intoxicated.

Mike came back soon enough, not letting me give in to the butterflies squirming around in my stomach, and motioned for me to hop onto the chair. He reclined it and then motioned for me to lift up my dress.

"Oh shit," Jasper drawled. "Edward is going to murder me. Darling, you know I'm here for you, but I'm going to wait by the entrance until Al's ready for her piercing. Plausible deniability and all that."

I bit my lip and turned to Alice nervously. "I didn't really think this one through, did I?" I chuckled uncomfortably, lifting my sundress to lay across my stomach and reveal a pair of light blue cotton undies.

Alice grabbed my hand and shook her head as Mike lowered the left side of my underwear. He swiped my skin with cold alcohol, making me break out into goosebumps as he covered the newly cleaned flesh with the stencil.

"Okay, Miss Bella, go look in the mirror and see if you like that."

As I caught sight of it in the mirror, I gasped and grinned. It was perfect. Everything I'd imagined it to be.

I turned to Alice, who was grinning in return and clasping her hands excitedly. "Oh my God, LB. That's…it's just…eeee! Come sit down!"

My best friend may have been an overexcited yippy dog sometimes, but fuck, I loved her.

Nodding in approval, I lay back down on the chair and grabbed Alice's hand again. I couldn't look at the needle. Shudder.

"I'm going to do a few test strokes," Mike explained. "Let me know if something doesn't feel right, and I can slow down if you need."

I nodded my agreement and clutched onto Alice's hand. At the first whirring sounds of the needle, I noticeably tensed, but Mike calmed me down and asked if there was any specific music I wanted to listen to. Thank God, Alice had the sense to ask if he had any Led Zeppelin, and soon the soft strains of "Going to California" were echoing over the dull hum of the needle.

The first few strokes stung a tiny bit, and I tried my hardest not to wince. But as it continued, it became more like a low burning sensation coupled along with a really annoying pricking feeling, as if someone were poking me in the hip with a fork.

Alice did a damn good job of distracting me, and Jasper even wandered over eventually to check out how it was going.

Finally, forty-seven minutes later, Mike declared me finished. Carefully, I strode over to the mirror and took in the image now permanently branded on my hip. And I loved it even more than I'd thought I would.

Standing proudly on my hip was an old-fashioned film reel, shaded in blue. The reel was partially unrolled, giving way to light brownish purple film, which wrapped around my hip slightly up to my side. Over the film, in my large scrawling handwriting, it read: I can't see anything I don't like about you.

"He's going to die!" Alice squealed. "I kind of want to jump you right now, so I can only imagine what he's going to say…"

Jasper groaned and buried his face into the top of Alice's head. "I don't know, but we're certainly not going to stick around the bunk to find out."

"That's fine," Alice said with a small grin, tilting her head up. "We can find other places to go. Isn't that right, darling?" She kissed the underside of his jaw, and Jasper's blush intensified so quickly it was as if he went from ghost to lobster in t minus two seconds. It was pretty fucking adorable.

As Mike rubbed lotion on my skin and bandaged my side, I wondered how Edward would react. Would he want to jump me? Was I ready to have sex? I think the answer to that is a hell fucking yes, Bella. Better yet, was I allowed to have sex?

My ears perked back up as Mike explained the rules and regulations of my healing tattoo.

"You're going to want to remove that bandage as soon as you get home. A tattoo is a wound, so it might bleed, but it needs air to scab and heal. I want you to get some sort of non-scented moisturizer and rub it in every two hours or so. And make sure not to submerge it in water for twenty-four hours. If you need to take a shower tonight, just make sure the tattoo doesn't get in the direct line of the water. Other than that, here's my card. Just call if you need anything. I have a lifetime guarantee on my artwork," he explained with a wink.

After paying and thanking him, we walked back to the car and settled in for the hour-long ride back to camp. As I buckled in my seatbelt, I caught a glimpse of something shiny and screeched.

"Alice! You got it pierced, and I missed it? How could you do that when I wasn't even paying attention?"

She giggled and turned her head over the center console to show off her newly pierced nose. It suited her. Just a little bit of flare and drama.

"Sorry, Bella, you were too busy thinking about God knows what, so I went for it. But you'll get to enjoy it every day for the rest of the summer! Yay!"

With a small shrug, I sighed and leaned back, ready to get back to camp. Back to Edward.

As soon as we pulled back into the parking lot and hopped out of the car, Alice dragged Jasper towards the dance studio. I, on the other hand, headed straight to Bunk Seven. My body was itching to see Edward—or maybe that was just the tattoo. Either way, I was a girl on a mission.

The bunk was dark when I got there, completely abandoned. Seeing that I had already trekked the entire way there, I figured I could hang out for a while until the boys got back from wherever they were. Trying to not feel awkward, although it was a little bit, I lay down on Edward's bed and reached for the remote. I was too lazy to get up and change the DVD, so whatever was in the player would have to suffice. I just hoped someone had switched The Prestige out because I didn't think I really wanted to watch that again.

Lucky for me, someone had changed the movie. And, oh, was it a good one.

Whoever had last been watching had turned the television off right in the middle of my favorite scene of Secretary. I watched on attentively as Maggie Gyllenhaal got on all fours with a carrot in her mouth, serving James Spader, her boss and dominant, who just happened to be named Edward. The longer I watched, the more I started to squirm. I wondered if Edward had been watching this. It made sense, since Jasper had left earlier in the morning.

I pictured Edward on his bed, in the very spot I was lying in, stroking himself and thinking of me in that position…on my knees.

Whoa, Bella, where did that come from?

Yet, the longer I let it ruminate, the more I wanted it. And I wanted him to want it. He had to want that, right? What guy didn't want their girlfriend's mouth on them? That only seemed logical.

I watched the movie, completely enraptured by the lascivious images on the screen. So consumed on my burgeoning lust, I didn't realize Edward had returned to the room until he was lying down next to me.

"Hey," he said with a grin, his green eyes twinkling with the reflection of the flickering images on the screen.

"Hey," I replied as I moved my leg to drape over his hip, needing to be as close to him as possible.

Feeling all kinds of horny and uninhibited—which I fully blamed on the film—I rolled Edward to his back, letting me straddle his hips. I leaned down to kiss him, but it was not gentle.

What was the line from the movie?

Who's to say that love needs to be soft and gentle?

So true. Every inch of my body wanted to consume him. Over twenty-four hours had passed since we'd been naked together, and in my personal opinion that was far too long.

Edward groaned into my mouth, clutching onto my ass and rubbing it against his hips in an attempt to gain more friction. When I pulled away, we were both panting and I could feel his hardness underneath me. And, yes, I still wanted to taste it. Damn Maggie Gyllenhaal for making me want to slut it up with my boyfriend.

"Fuck, where did that come from?" he panted.

The moaning and screaming from the television suddenly came into focus, and I nodded backwards toward it. Something in his eyes changed, darkening ever so slightly as a wry grin appeared on his face.

"You want to be dominated?" he croaked out, his voice betraying his face's newfound confidence.

I bit my lip, ready to nod, when all of a sudden I was on my back with Edward on top of me. His lips found mine quickly, pressing into them forcefully and parting them with his tongue. My hips bucked towards his of their own volition, but Edward wasn't ready for that yet.

His hand clutched my hip, roughly pressing it back into the mattress as he continued his assault on my lips.

The searing hot pain shooting up my side was enough to make me cry out, wincing at the feel of his palm pressed against the wound I'd so stupidly forgotten about.

In a flash, Edward pulled back onto his knees as far away from me on the bed as he could possibly get with his hands held up in the air.

"What happened? Are you okay?" His words were strung together.

I nodded, clenching my eyes shut, trying to focus on anything else but the burning sensation spreading over my hip and side.

"Bella? You're scaring me. Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?" The panic in his voice was evident, so I did the only thing I could think of. Lifting my dress slowly, I revealed the white bandage on my side.

"Shit," he swore, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself. "Bella, what happened?" He grabbed my hand and helped me sit up, but I cringed again, unable to truly sit up. "Never mind." He hurried to lay me back down, stroking my stomach softly with the pad of his thumb.

My God, this was really going to be it. There was no turning back now.

I propped myself up on my elbows and attempted a feeble smile. The confident girl I'd just been was now not so confident and trying not show her impending freakout.

"It's actually time for the bandage to come off…if you could, um, help…me?"

Edward nodded quickly, his fingers fumbling to help remove the tape without hurting me more. His eyes flicked up as I sucked in a sharp breath.

Cool air caressed the skin, lightly caked with blood. And then it was Edward's turn to gasp.

"Did you…is this a…" Slowly but surely, more of the bandage was removed, until finally the entire image was revealed. "Holy shit, Bella, this is…"

His finger brushed over the surrounding skin, taking in the image, letting it sink in. He muttered the words softly, whispering, "I can't see anything I don't like about you," before letting his eyes snap back to mine.

I bit my lip, nervously chewing on the skin there. I couldn't gauge his reaction, and I was starting to panic. "Is it—"

"What?" he interrupted, scooting closer to me on the bed.

"Is it okay? I mean, do you like it? Or are you totally opposed to tattoos, and now I've made a complete—"

He silenced me with a kiss, his lips moving slowly against mine, coaxing me to respond and reawaken my libido.

"It's incredible, Bella. I love it," he breathed, pulling back to look into my eyes. "I love you."

Hearing him say it consciously, knowing exactly what he was saying, was so much more than I thought it could be. My body started to tingle, and I could suddenly feel my pulse everywhere. Mindlessly, I responded to him.

"I know."

I nearly hung my head in shame. Those were so not the words I had intended to respond with, but they'd been on the tip of my tongue. Luckily, Edward didn't take it personally and came back with an adequate quip.

"Oh, do you now, Han Solo?"

I thought about calling him out, telling him how he'd told me on our date, but I couldn't bring myself to inadvertently spare us from our matching grins. Instead, I pulled him back to my mouth, kissing his soft lips and repeated the sentiment.

"Mmm," I hummed. "I love you, too."

"I know," he mumbled against my lips. He didn't stay there for long, though. Soon his lips dragged across my neck and collarbone, sucking at the skin there. Not wanting to be obviously bruised, I tried to angle myself so that he'd bring his lips back up to me, but he wouldn't be deterred. In fact, I was fairly certain I'd just egged him on.

Within seconds, my dress was pulled over my head, exposing my breasts to the cool air before he plunged his mouth over one. I gave a shocked yelp, but my hands automatically fisted themselves in the back of his hair. His tongue laved against the sensitive flesh there, making me release some of the corniest porn-like moans I'd ever heard.

I really didn't want him to move his mouth, but I wanted to feel his skin against mine. Trying not to squirm too much and upset my tattoo, I tugged on the collar of his shirt, hoping he'd get the idea. Luckily for me, my boyfriend was smart and didn't need to be told twice. Soon, his shirt joined my dress in a pile of our discarded clothing.

Instead of attending to my breasts as I'd hoped he would, Edward decided to explore new territory. Alice had been right. He was totally ready to jump me. My body shivered in delight at the thought and then shivered again as Edward began to move slowly down my body, kissing my stomach down to the spot on my hip where the tattoo began.

"Bella, this is…you are…" he stuttered. "Can I?" he asked, moving his fingers to the elastic band at the top of my underwear.

My temperature skyrocketed, and I was pretty sure my entire body was blushing. The burning feeling only intensified as I thought it over. Edward wanted to take off my undies? I was going to be fully naked for him? Oh. My. God.

Mistaking my hesitation for rejection, he shook his head and told me not to worry about it, that he didn't mean to pressure me, and that I could take my time. He must have been out of his fucking mind if he thought I didn't want what he wanted. I mean, yes, I was awkward as fuck and had no idea how to do this, but if Edward wanted to take charge, I wasn't planning on stopping him.

"No!" I protested as he began his ascent back towards my tits. "I mean…" Shit, I hadn't meant to oppose so fervently. Now I sounded like a massive whore. Way to go, Bella.

"No?" He raised his eyebrow in question.

"I mean, yes. Yes, you can…um…I want…that," I stuttered.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to do anything you're unsure about." His voice was so sincere; I just about melted into his bed. Or maybe that was the ocean flooding my panties. Who knew?

"Edward, believe me. I'm four thousand percent certain I want this." I blushed again as his cool fingers started to drag down my underwear. The panic started to surface again, so I started babbling, as I was wont to do in these kinds of situations. "It's just that I've never done this before, so I don't know what to do. Not that I have to do anything, right? I mean, I think I can just kind of lie in state, right? Oh my God, somebody please shut me up."

I had no idea why I felt the need to fill in the emptiness with my inane chatter, but I did. Edward didn't seem to mind, though, simply chuckling against my freshly bare skin…down there.

As my panties were tossed aside, Edward pushed my legs up, bending them at the knee. I felt so oddly exposed. We were over the blankets, so I could feel even the slightest movement against my wet flesh. As I propped myself up further, needing to see Edward's face, he made some sort of keening sound, like a horse dying or something.

"Is, um, everything okay?" I asked nervously.

"Everything is perfect," he groaned, placing a soft kiss just above my clit. I nearly jumped out of my skin. In the best way possible. Holy fuckballs. This was going to be good.

His tongue flicked out to slowly tease me, and I was already gone. My legs fell open, completely unable to stay upright during this kind of torture. He moved slowly, taking every one of my reactions into consideration. I'd never felt so adored. Or loved.

Unable to stop myself, my hands flew into his hair, urging him forward and telling him I was more than okay with what was going on. My hips fell into a rhythm with his tongue, undulating slowly and following his pace. It felt wet, but not sloppy wet. Like, just-right wet.

Guh. Stop saying wet. You're driving yourself crazy!

The heat in my body began to spread, turning my exposed skin a light shade of pink…everywhere. His fingers entered the mix, sliding into me with ease as his mouth continued its slow but effective torture. After that, I didn't last very long. The explosion came quick and hard, making me shudder and moan in delight. I could swear, my noises were so porntastic that I couldn't tell the difference between my own and Maggie Gyllenhaal's on the screen behind me.

I called out his name several times, along with some more exciting words, not knowing what else to say. My string of curse words seemed like the most appropriate response to the orgasm I'd just experienced. Edward's tongue might have even ruined Edward's fingers for me. That was how incredible it was.

My legs were completely still, and my body felt like lead, dead weight against the comforter. He crawled up slowly beside me with a wide grin on his face. I rolled towards him as he let his hand glide gently over the tattoo again.

"Thank you," I sighed, unable to come up with the perfect words to say. That worked as well as anything.

"No—" he leaned in and kissed my shoulder "—thank you. This…" He stroked the tattoo lightly. "…It's perfect, Bella. I can't see anything I don't like about you, either."

And despite our awkward fumbling and slower-than-anything progress, for the first time, I really believed him.

Chapter End Notes: So, they've said I love you…you all know what's on the way, right? Review you little hearts' contents out, and once again, sorry about the delay in posting. I flove you all.