Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything

Chapter 11

Edward's POV

I had been home for a few minutes. When the door was suddenly flung open and in stormed Alice. She looked angry and was coming straight at me. I stepped back honestly afraid of her.

"Edward Cullen what have you done" she screamed.

"Wha…"

"I can't believe you would say that to Bella. I really thought you liked her!" she yelled walking closer to me.

I looked at the floor.

"Answer me"

"You didn't ask any…"

She cut me off again waving her hand impatiently "Why did you do that to her? She was devastated and crying her eyes out"

I felt a pang in my heart at the thought of hurting Bella. "I'm sorry it's just…"I trailed of having no idea what to say.

"It's just what Edward? I thought you'd changed. I really did. But I guess I was wrong" she looked at me with disappointment and walked out of the room.

I stood there with shame washing over me. Trying to convince myself that it was better this way.

I walked out of the house. I couldn't handle being there anymore.

Bella's POV

When I arrived home I still felt upset. I tried to everything I could to get Edward and his rejection out of my mind.

I cleaned my room, did my laundry and when that didn't take up as much time as I wanted it to I decided to clean the whole house. It didn't really help I was still obsessing over Edward but at least the house was clean.

I walked into my room and decided to take a nap hoping this would take my mind off him.

Edward's POV

It was getting late. I walked around aimlessly feeling miserable the whole time.

The streets where deserted which wasn't surprising; it was a Monday night. I was walking towards the small amount of shops that Forks had and was considering heading back home. There were a few people around doing last minute grocery shopping before the stores closed.

As I was walking around the back of the stores I suddenly felt myself being pushed into the ground. I looked up in shock my mouth and eyes covered in dirt.

"Hey fag" someone said. I wiped the dirt from my eyes and tried to see who it was. I recognised him from school a huge football player whose name was either Mick or Rick I wasn't sure. I had never spoken to him before.

"What?" I sputtered spitting out the dirt from my mouth. I tried to get up but I was then kicked in the back and I fell back down.

Mick/Rick wasn't alone.

He crouched down and looked me in the eyes "So you think you can just turn Lauren down. You hurt her you know and no one hurts my friends and gets away with it" he picked me up and then punched me in the eye.

I fell on to my back and when I opened my eyes I could see at least five other guys there and that's all I could see before they started kicking me.

When they were done Mick/Rick spat on me "You tell anyone and you die ok?" when I didn't answer he kicked me again "Ok?"

"Ok" I whispered. Squeezing my eyes closed trying to block out the pain. I heard there footsteps as they walked away.

I struggled to get up the pain in my ribs sharp and throbbing.

I stumbled down the footpath with no idea where to go. I couldn't go home I didn't want my family to see me like this. There was no where else I could go.

Bella's face flashed in my mind. I didn't want her to see me like this either but she was the only person who had ever shown they cared about me.

I knew where I had to go.

Bella's POV

Edward's face was looming towards me. His face perfect. His lips coming towards mine as he whispered in my ear and I felt goosebumps start to travel up my arm.

Then I woke up and groaned in disappointment. Of course it wasn't real. I heard an insistent tapping. That's what must have woken me up I thought in annoyance. I looked around wondering where it was coming from.

It started to get louder and I realised it was coming from the window. My first thought was that it was a branch from a tree banging on my window in the wind. I walked towards it and opened the curtains and jumped back in surprise.

It was Edward.

Seriously what was this? He had said he didn't want to be friends and now he was at my window? I opened the window and was fully prepared to give him a piece of my mind. Then I saw his face.

"Edward…what happened?" his face was bruised and there was a cut above his eye that was bleeding a lot.

He didn't answer. I grabbed him arm and tried to hep him into the room. He flinched while he was getting in and held his hand to his ribs. I realised that it wasn't just his face that was hurt.

"Bella" he whispered as I led him to my bed and helped him sit down.

I knelt down in front of him and looked into his eyes. "Tell me what happened" I said firmly.

He looked at his hands "I don't know…these guys were angry at me for turning down Lauren"

"So they beat you up?" I asked outraged that anyone would do this to him.

He shrugged.

"You need to go to the hospital"

"No!" he said loudly. I flinched

He grabbed my hand "I'm sorry…I don't want to go. I'm fine" I looked at him in disbelief. "I mean nothings broken. There just bruises"

"Are you sure?"

He nodded

"Um Edward why did come here? Why didn't you go home?"

He looked down "I…I didn't want to go home" I looked at him questionably "I didn't want them to worry"

"Ok" I said uncertainly

"I didn't know where else to go" my heart sank "and…and I wanted to see you" I looked at him trying not to get my hopes up again.

"I…I'll go get something to clean up your eye"

I walked out of the room towards the bathroom. I got the first aid kit and walked back into the room. He was still sitting on my bed looking like an angel in spite of the bruises.

I knelt back down and got a swipe to wash his cut in antiseptic. He looked into my eyes as I swept it across the cut above his eye. I couldn't breathe. I had to look away so that I could catch my breath again.

"Does it hurt?" I ask. I looked back at him.

"No" he said simply. The look in his eye made me believe him straight away. He wasn't trying to be brave, he really meant it.

I placed a bandaid on the cut.

"Is it only you face that's hurt?" I asked

He nodded but he didn't look at me so I knew he was lying. I knew there was more.

"Edward"

He looked up "They kicked me as well"

"Where?" I asked

He sat there for a moment and then he stood up and pulled up his shirt. I gasped. His ribs and stomach were covered in bruises. I couldn't believe someone would do this to another person. Especially him. I couldn't help but to notice how beautiful his body was. It was like a sculpture with the most perfect abs I had ever seen on someone who wasn't a model. I felt bad that he was hurt and I was ogling him. Bella snap out of it I told myself sternly.

He pulled his shirt back down and sat down again.

"I'll get you some ice" I whispered softly and he nodded.

I walked down the stairs horrified by his injuries. I couldn't understand why he had come here especially after what he had said earlier today.

I walked back into the room with an ice pack and he placed it on his eye.

"Thanks…Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I just… wanted to say sorry for today"

"That's ok" I lied "I'm glad you told me how you feel" I said trying to keep the sadness out of my voice.

He looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"I mean if you don't want to be my friend I'm glad yo…." I broke off when Edward leaned closer to me and suddenly his lips were pressing against mine.

I sat there for a moment frozen. He started to pull away and suddenly I was able to move again and I pulled him to me pressing my lips to his harder. My hands trailed up his back and wrapped themselves in his beautiful soft hair. He murmured softy and I smiled this was much better then my dreams.

His hands travelled to my waist and brought me even closer. I pressed myself closer to him and he jumped back softly.

I pulled away horrified "What did I do something…"

"No" said quickly "You just knocked my ribs" he motioned towards his stomach.

"Oh" I said in relief. He smiled slightly and pulled me back towards him.

Edward's POV

I was grateful Bella's house was close to the stores. I didn't think I would have made it much further. Somehow I managed to climb up to her window. Not wanting to meet her father by going through the front door.

I tapped on the window and when she didn't come after a few moments I briefly worried that she wasn't home. Then suddenly the curtains where drawn open. She jumped back looking shocked. She started to open the window with an annoyed look on her face. I knew she was thinking about what I had said earlier today.

She must have just noticed my bruises because her face was suddenly filled with compassion.

"Edward…what happened?" her concern was etched on her beautiful face. I didn't know what to say so I just stayed silent.

She grabbed my arm and helped me in to the room. I tried not to flinch when it jolted my ribs and a sharp pain shook through me.

"Bella" I said wanting to explain why I was there but I was unable to find the words.

She pulled me towards the bed and helped me sit down.

She knelt in front of me and looked into my eyes with her beautiful brown ones. "Tell me what happened"

I looked down. No one had ever sounded that concerned about me and I didn't know how to handle it.

"I don't know…these guys were angry at me for turning down Lauren"

"So they beat you up?" She asked sounding furious.

I shrugged.

"You need to go to the hospital"

"No!" I said loudly and was quickly ashamed when she flinched

I grabbed her hand wanting to make everything ok "I'm sorry…I don't want to go. I'm fine" she looked at me in disbelief "I mean nothings broken. There just bruises" I knew if my ribs were broken I would be in a lot more pain. I knew that from experience.

"Are you sure?" she asked sceptically

I nodded.

"Um Edward why did come here? Why didn't you go home?" she asked softly.

"I…I didn't want to go home" she looked at me in confusion "I didn't want them to worry" that was only half true I also wanted to be with her but I didn't know how to tell her that.

"Ok" she said but she didn't sound like she believed me.

"I didn't know where else to go" she looked sad so I quickly added "and…and I wanted to see you"

"I…I'll go get something to clean up your eye" she said and walked out of the room.

I sat there for a moment until she returned soon after.

She knelt back down and swiped antiseptic gently across the cut above my eye. I looked into her eyes unable to look away. She looked away after a moment.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"No" I said. I could handle physical pain it was preferred to the pain I felt inside

"Is it only you face that's hurt?" she asked after she put a bandaid over the cut.

I nodded and didn't look at her. I didn't want her to worry even more.

"Edward" she asked. She knew I was lying.

I looked up at her "They kicked me as well"

"Where?" she asked

After a moment I stood up and pulled up my shirt. I looked away not wanting to see her reaction. I heard her gasp.

She didn't say anything so I pulled my shirt back down and sat back down

"I'll get you some ice" she whispered and left the room.

She returned with the ice and I place it on my eye. It made if feel a lot better.

"Thanks…Bella?" I asked wanting her to know how I felt.

"Yeah?" she asked

"I just… wanted to say sorry for today"

"That's ok" she said but she looked sad and I knew she wasn't telling the truth "I'm glad you told me how you feel"

I looked at her and how beautiful she looked. And I made a decision.

"I mean if you don't want to be my friend I'm glad yo…." She stopped when I leaned towards her and did what I had been dreaming of doing. I placed my lips on her soft ones. It was better then I had imagined it.

After a moment she wasn't responding. Horrified that she didn't want this I started to pull away but to my surprise she pulled me back towards her and pressed her lips even harder to mine. Her hands went up my back and into my hair. I moaned softly and I felt her smile.

I let my hands fall to her waist where her shirt rid up and I felt the soft silky skin there. I pulled her even closer. She would never be close enough. She pressed herself to me and knocked my ribs and a pain shot through them and I jumped back.

She pulled away looking horrified "What did I do something…"

"No" I said trying to reassure her "You just knocked my ribs"

"Oh" she said in relief. I smiled at her and continued what we started.

AN reviews please