A/N: Okay, so I believe that I owe everyone a huge apology. I had no intention for this chapter to take so long to get out, but for a moment I wanted to just end this story and move on to my next project. I had to actually force myself to continue this story, youmay be able to tell as you read. But thanks to some amazing reviews and my sister I have decided to continue with TI and finish it the way I planned when I first started writing it. I will admit that things are a little crazy right now for me, but I promise to be better about updating given that time premits and the story flows from my brain to the keyboard like it did a year ago. So I'll cross my fingers and get back to writing while I hope that you like this chapter. Please Review!

Chapter Thirty

BPOV

I slept better than I thought I would especially after the night I had. No, I slept better than I should have but for some reason the events of last night just didn't have me twisting and turning like they should have. I had been afraid, scared out of my mind however only until I blinked up and Edward was standing there as if I had wished him there. From that moment, after I realized that he'd actually come for me, my heart was filled with nothing but happiness. It was nothing to be happy about I knew, but I just couldn't control the feeling. I had fallen more in love with Edward and even James and his psychotic excuse to acquire revenge on Edward couldn't stop my heart from overflowing with joy.

Even now standing in the mirror brushing my wet curls, I couldn't help the smile on my face, well that was until I glanced at my phone and saw what time it was.

Crap I was going to be late. Today I was heading home for Christmas vacation. Seven days of nothing but family and friends, just what I needed right now to help keep my mind off of Edward.

The sky was grey when I landed in the small airport a few miles north of my hometown in Forks, Washington. I was surprised that it was my mom standing there, to greet me home. I'd assumed that it would be Charlie. I mean it always had been.

"Bella!" Her face lit up when she spotted me in the tiny crowd that had exited the plane. I hadn't actually seen my mother since I'd moved to New York and I couldn't hide the joy I felt when I spotted her. I almost didn't recognize the petite women standing less than ten feet from me. I rushed to her and threw my arms around her. I

"Mom," She hugged me long and hard, she'd missed me too. She pulled back when I told her I couldn't breathe.

"Oh Bella, I've missed you so much." She stated touching my face.

"Look at how grown you are." My face flushed red. "But I see something's never change." She was referring to my inability to ever hide my embarrassment. I watched her for a moment before I finally realized why she'd looked so different.

"Your hair," I touched it. It wasn't its usual short dirty blonde, but jet black and past her shoulders. It looked good, made her look younger, sexier. I wondered how Charlie felt about it.

"Oh just trying something new. Do you like it?" she grinned as she turned around so I could see it from every angle.

"It looks great!" She gazed at me for another long moment before she pulled me in for another embrace.

"Bella I missed you so much, why'd you have to move so far away?"

I sighed. "I missed you too." She'd never understand how much.

It wasn't just her that I missed. I missed the smell of the rain, the neutral colors of trees. I missed the two lane roads with no bumper to bumper traffic. I even missed this drive whenever I came home from a trip to Florida. I missed home.

There was at least a foot of snow already on the ground, probably from the snow storm Washington had experienced earlier this week, quite early in the year for us.

The car was silent for a moment as I stared at the white scenery. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my mom turn to look at me. I glanced over at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," she grinned. She must have forgotten that I knew her well enough to know that her smile never meant 'nothing'. I turned away just as she turned to me again. I breathed.

"Mom,"

"What? I didn't say anything." She said in a cheerful voice, the voice she used when she was obviously up to something.

"You didn't have too, but you want to say something so just spit it out." I rolled my eyes. She was so dramatic. Alice and Renee would get along tremendously well.

She hesitated before she blurted out. "So what's he like?" She had my full attention then.

"Who? What are you talking about?" I honestly hadn't the faintest idea of what she was trying to get at.

"You know who I'm talking about. This guy you like."

My face immediately turned red. Oh that.

"And don't lie to me and tell me there's no one." As if I could.

"How did you know?" Her eyes darted back to the road and then back to me.

"Jacob." I sighed. I should have known that my best friend couldn't keep a secret, not from my mother at least.

"How's Phil?" I asked turning away.

"Phil's fine, he's flying up in a couple of days. But don't think you can change the subject." I should have known better than to try and get that trick by my mother, the queen of avoiding sticky situations.

"Tell me about this guy! What is he like? Is he cute?" I could see the excitement practically dripping from her pores. She was way too enthusiastic about this even if one of her goals in life was to see me married before I turned 25. I turned away, embarrassed to be talking about Edward to my mother.

"He's cute….I guess." I stated knowing damn well that cute could never describe Edward.

"And?" My mom probed.

"He's um, tall, has blond, no more like honey blonde hair. Green eyes."

"Wow he sounds like quite the looker. Does he know how you feel?"

I exhaled as if I was suddenly exhausted.

"No," And that was my dilemma. I wanted to tell him just so I wouldn't have it on my chest anymore but I was too scared of what I thought his reaction would be. Every time I thought about the women of his past, how beautiful and perfect they must have been and that none of them have been able to catch him yet, I assumed I had no chance. So instead of throwing myself over the edge, especially when I knew there was no hope that I could fly, I stayed quiet, avoiding the issue altogether.

I hadn't even realized that I'd fallen asleep until I felt my mom gently nudge me. I guess I hadn't slept as well as I'd thought. I looked up and observed the house I'd called home since I was seventeen. Nothing had changed; it never did which was the very reason why I love it so much.

"Come on kiddo, everyone's waiting," My mom stated before she slammed the door to my truck. It was a miracle that it was still up and running. I was pretty sure that was Jacob's doing.

"Everyone?" I glanced at the porch just as my dad swung our front door open. He must have been waiting in the foyer and the sound of the car door slamming had alerted him our arrival although it was pretty hard not hearing my car from the next county. Billy, in his wheel chair and Sue Clearwater came strolling out behind my Dad.

I stepped from the wagon dragging my duffle bag with me.

"Bella!" Charlie stopped about five feet from me.

"Hey Dad," I didn't have a problem calling him Dad anymore. It was so natural now.

There was the awkward pause as there always was before we both leaned in to hug each other. Neither of us was very comfortable when someone invaded our personal space. It was amazing that my Dad had survived as long as he had when my mom and him were still together. Then again it's shocking that I'd survived living with her most of my life.

That night all attention was on me. They wanted to know about my life in the Big Apple and thankfully no more questions about Edward came up but I was positive my mom hadn't forgotten. She was just waiting for another opportunity to bring it up.

After my first day back, I realized that one, not much had changed since I'd up and left seven months ago. The beach was still the hang out spot however it was way too cold to be out there right now. And two, home was exactly what I needed right now. The retreat that I so desperately needed after my whirl wind friendship with my boss and James's crazy attempt to feel better about himself.

The pressure of four inch heels and designer suit were of no consequence here in the small town that favored logging more than 5 star restaurants and the Opera. In fact jeans and a t-shirt was the extent of my wardrobe here in Forks, much to my mother's dismay. She was expecting to see me in Dior and Valentino, but didn't bark too much when I just threw all my city clothes her way.

The morning, two days after I'd arrived, and the day before Christmas I crept down the hallway to my father's room. Charlie had taken to the couch without compliant and had given up the room they'd once shared to my mother. I rapped lightly on the door before I pushed it open. I was still dressed in my sweats and a t-shirt haven just woken up.

I laughed as the gestured startled my mother and she slammed her laptop shut. I was a little surprised that she was up.

"Bella, my God." She breathed. "You scared me." she huffed touching the place over her heart. I continued to giggle as I moved toward her.

"What are you looking at?" I asked as I slipped into bed next to her.

"What? Oh nothing, just checking my Facebook." She smiled nervously. My mother was a much better liar than I was so it was rare that I caught her actually lying.

I reached for the laptop and she moved it away from me. I glanced over at her suspiciously.

"Just checking your Facebook, huh? "I questioned before I reached for it again and took it from her. She sighed defeated. I laughed again at her and flipped open the computer to come face to face with a large photo of Edward. My jaw dropped as I turned to her.

"I just wanted to know what he looked like," My mom added, her face turning a pretty pink. I turned back to the picture. I should have known that she would do this. In fact I was pretty sure that this wasn't the first time she'd been to this site.

"I told you what he looked like," I stated just to jest. I scrolled around viewing the other photos. My god, I'd been away from him for less than 48 hours and already I had forgotten how amazing he was to look at.

"Yeah, and you lied to me. That man," she pointed to the laptop. "isn't cute at all. Cute is what you use to describe small children and baby animals. Edward Cullen is known by the world as one of its most beautiful people."

Thanks for reminding me. I closed the computer.

"Bella," she turned her entire body toward me. Oh no, I knew that tone. My mother supported me in everything I wanted to do. But occasional she was a voice of reason when even she knew something was out of my reach. It was that tone that she was using which made me know what was coming next.

"This man…"

"Is above my level….. I know." I pushed the computer away. "I'm well aware of that mom."

"I was not going to say that." She stated. "I just don't want you get hurt. Men like that," Yes men like Edward Cullen could never see me as pretty. "When they can have anything they want, they use people and throw them out when there done. Bella, I"

"He's not like that," I said before I fully realized what it was I'd said. And it took me a instant to realize that my mother had not been attacking me. She wasn't telling me how impossible it would be to be with Edward, instead she was making sure that I didn't fall for his hollow charm. But Edwards charm was not hollow. Nothing about him was.

"How do you?"

I turned to her. "Because despite the fact that he is who he is, he's still one of the most genuine people I have ever met. I've seen where he comes from. I see the way that he treats people. He treats everybody like their someone." Even me. Tears already were trickling down my face.

"It's easy to believe those things about him, I mean I did at the beginning. But somehow he turned out to be the complete opposite. And I'm not just saying this because I love him." My mother gasped at my words, pulling her hands to her face. She stared at me and I eyed her back. My heart was racing, after all it was the first time I had admitted out loud to anyone that I loved Edward. But at the same time I was terrified because the pain in my chest became so real. The depth of the need I had for him. The amount of love I had built for him had become painful visible. He had taken over my entire being and I was helpless. There was nothing I could do, not in the current state we were.

My mom took a moment to let everything sink in before she relaxed.

"You love him?" I nodded pulling my knees to my chest. I felt her touch my head, then felt her head on my shoulder.

"That's the first time I've heard you say that," she uttered.

I blew out a breath. "I know,"

"So what are you going to do about it?"

I shrugged. If I had the answer to that question, I probably wouldn't be sitting here crying. My mother didn't mention Edward for the remainder of my vacation.

I'd just taken a shower and was pulling on a pair of Victoria Secret leopard print pj's, the only ones I had, when my cell phone rang from across the room. Honestly it had been so silent that the loud jiggle scared me enough to trip me up as I stepped into my bottoms. I went down with a thud but somehow I dashed across the room, one leg still half-done and answered my phone before they hung up. If it was Alice, well she hated to go to voice message particularly if she knew you weren't really doing anything.

"Hello," I breathed just in time before my voice mail kicked in. I sounded winded.

"Bella," His deep voice surprised me as I expected it to be Alice's childlike tone.

"Edward?" I caught myself. "I mean Mr. Cullen." I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and I couldn't tell if it was from shock or the fact that I had almost broken my neck less than a minute ago.

"Sorry, did I call you at a bad time."

"No, no, I just wasn't expecting you to call. Was there something that I could help you with?" Hearing Edwards voice both surprised me and made me extremely happy. Just hearing the simple baritone of his silky tone made my heart flutter. He was silent for a moment before I heard him let out a low breath.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have called," I could tell he was about to hang up. But why? He'd called me because he needed something, right?

"Wait! Did I say something wrong?" In my head I repeated everything that I'd said up until now. Nothing seemed out of place.

He sighed again.

"No Bella, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me but it's okay I'll let you go now." Why was he trying to hang up on me?

"Edward please tell me what's it is you need. I'm here to help you? That's my job." As soon as the words slipped form my mouth, I shuttered. That definitely didn't come out that way it was suppose too. I prayed he wouldn't get the wrong idea. The idea that I only wanted to speak with him because it was part of my job. I noticed that once again Edward was silent on the line. Oh no! Had he hung up!

"Mr. Cullen, are you still there?" I had to say I'd never heard Edward like this. Usually when he called, he got straight to the point in a nice way of course. And he always thanked me but tonight was different, like he wasn't really in his comfort zone somehow. He almost scared me when he spoke again.

"I'm sorry I'm acting like this. It's just that it took me three hours to build up the courage to call you."

"To call me?" I wasn't sure if I was hearing him clearly after all nothing had made much sense since we'd gotten on the phone.

"I know it's silly but I just wanted to…" he breathed. "Never mind. Sorry to have bothered you. Good Night."

"Wait. Please finish what you were saying." Now my heart was pounding in my ears. I wasn't sure. I wasn't quite clear what his words were going to be but I wanted to hear them, almost needing too.

"Edward," I relaxed unto the edge of my bed.

"Edward, are you still there?" I knew he was. I just knew it. What I didn't know was what was going on with Edward, he was acting really weird. He must have called to tell me something, but right now I didn't think he needed his assistant. I took a deep breath and hoped that following wouldn't be too much out of line.

"Edward, how was your Christmas?"

"Huh?" I smiled.

"I asked if you had a good Christmas."

"Oh, yeah. It was great. How was yours?"

"Good! It's so cold here though, much colder than New York."

"Really? I heard you guys had a little storm the other day." Finally, Edward was starting to sound more like himself.

"Yeah, two feet of snow." Just then a thought hit me. "How did everyone like their gifts? You told them I'm sorry it wasn't much, right?" I'd almost forgotten that I had sent gifts to the Cullen Family. It seemed only right after they housed me for Thanksgiving. I gave tickets to a sold out basketball game to Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and Jasper. Floor side tickets that were gotten through a person that knew a person that knows a person that Alice use to date. And an expensive spa day for Alice, Esme and even Rosalie, not that any of them needed it but I figured every girl could use a day of pampering. Especially Rosalie who was in the middle of planning a spring wedding.

"Everyone liked them a lot and wanted me to thank you. I've also got something waiting for you when you get back. From the family."

"Oh they didn't have too." I answered. They have been so kind to me already.

"Esme knew you'd say that, and told me to tell you that they wanted too. They most really like you. You're the first person, aside from my last girlfriend they've gotten anything for. Even Rose pitched in."

"That's because I'm the only one that can get you to eat when you go on a 72 hour work binge." I laughed even though the mention of his former girlfriend made me cringe a little. They were just friends now but it had been years since they had dated. I wondered why he hadn't found someone new. I mean surely it couldn't be that hard? He could have anybody he wanted so why was he single? Maybe that was why he paid so much attention to me, turning to me to amuse himself while he waited for the perfect women to come walking into his life.

I sighed. I didn't want to think about Edward with another woman even though that was probably what was going to happen very soon. Very soon because he'd get bored with me soon and that would be the end of that. It was this time I was waiting for, because I'd quit and move unto what it was I really wanted to do. I already knew it was easier said than done but I needed an exit strategy.

"Bella?" I jumped at the sound of my name. My brain had wondered of so far.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I love you,"

At that moment my eyes opened and I was staring at my ceiling. Shit I had blacked out again. I placed my hand over my heart and felt it racing. Had Edward really said those words?

I love you. I smiled then frowned. Something wasn't right. Something didn't feel the same about this black out. I usually remembered everything up until that moment, but my memory was blurry as I tried forcing myself to remember. In fact now that I thought about it, I remembered yawning a lot as I sat up talking to Edward way past my bedtime. I barely remembered slipping between my sheets as we continued to chat.

I sat up quickly, quite upset at myself. Everything made sense now. I hadn't fainted, I had fallen asleep. My face burned at the realization. Everything had been a dream.

Of course it had been. There was no way that Edward would say that he loved me. These dreams were getting out of hand, and they were becoming more and more realistic, too realistic if you asked me.

I threw the sheet off of me and heard something hit the ground. Very wobbly I moved around my bed to where the object had fallen. I spotted my cell phone lying on the ground. How did this get here, I thought has I picked it up. And why was it still on. That's when I noticed that it was dialing a number. Edwards's number.

"Shit," I stated as I hurried, trying to unlock it so that I could hang up before it rang on the other side. Just as I was about to the end the call I heard exactly what I had been dreading.

"Bella?" I froze. Crap, what was I supposed to do now? I could just pretend I wasn't here. I mean my butt dialed numbers by accident all the time. I glanced over at the clock. But not at 6:57 in the morning.

He called my name again and just couldn't bring myself to ignore him. I would just explain to him why I'd woken him up.

"Edward,"

"Bella, you're up. I thought you were still asleep." I could hear him moving around.

"Asleep? Well I was?" I stated, quite confused. Had he expected me to be up? I never rose before 9 if I didn't have too.

"I know." He replied and for a moment it sound as if he chuckled. "I could hear you. You fell asleep on me?" He laughed but my heart stopped. I heard him laugh again before adding.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" I dropped the phone then and I watched as the ceiling rolled over and everything went black.

I feel so bad for Bella at the end... Who knows what she's said while she was asleep. The fact that Edward didn't hang up either is quite interesting. Hope u liked it. Next chapter soon! Review.