"Bella, please," Edward pleaded for the—I think for the thirtieth time…or more.

I heard Alice say coldly, "It's your freaking fault."

Edward sighed. "Alice, can you please, stop?! Bella please, please talk to me!" I can tell he was sitting down near the door. I was sitting down, leaning on the door.

I sniffed. "No, Edward. Stop," I ordered tiredly. I didn't get much sleep due to all the crying I did. "Go back to your dorm and sleep." Edward didn't sleep, too. Alice told me she was going to sleep on the couch, but she didn't get much sleep, either.

"No, I want to talk to you, Bella. Please!" he begged.

I groaned. "Stop being stubborn, and go to sleep!"

"No," he said. "Bella please let me in! We need to talk!"

"What's there to talk about?!" I demanded. "There's nothing to talk about!"

"Bella, just talk to him," Alice said exasperated. "He's just as stubborn as you. I want some sleep!"

Should I let him in?

I sighed. I got up, and opened the door. I saw Edward sitting down with bags under his eyes. He still looked gorgeous, though. I didn't notice the others—Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper.

Emmett was glaring at Edward, but looked up at me and smiled. I smiled a fake smile at him—that made him frown. Rosalie was glaring at Edward, too. She smiled when she saw me. Jasper was holding Alice—she was sleeping now—and he looked upset at Edward.

I groaned, grabbed Edward by the arm, and pulled him in the bedroom. I put my hands on my hips.

"Okay. Talk," I said looking at him. He took a step towards me.

"Bella, I…I…," he struggled for the right words. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Bella… What do you want me to do in order for you to forgive me?"

"Say you love me back," I said.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. I tried so hard not to cry. "I'm sorry, Bella! Give me time!"

I collapsed and started to cry. "Why don't you love me?" I bawled. He collapsed, too in front of me, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Bella," his voice broke, "I really do want to love you…but…I don't…know. Love is just complicated."

"Love, Edward. I love you, Edward!" I cried. "Don't you feel anything?"

He started to cry. He buried his head in my chest, and just sobbed in my shirt. I automatically wrapped my arms around him.

"Bella, when you said those three wonderful words, my heart was leaping for joy. I was about to say it back, but…I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't want to lie to you and say 'I love you' and don't mean it; that's going to hurt you more. So, I just told the truth—but you're still hurt…," he whispered sadly.

"Yes, Edward. It hurts deeply," I said. I buried my face in his hair.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he mumbled in my chest.

"It's alright, Edward." I picked up his head, so he could look at me. I smiled softly at him. "I forgive you."

His eyes lit up. "Really?" he asked eagerly. I nodded. He attacked me by kissing.

"Mm! Edward!" I mumbled in his urgent kiss.

"Leave me alone," he growled against my lips. I giggled.

"Ed—Ed—Edward—wait!" I said. He sighed and reluctantly let go of my lips.

"What?" he asked annoyed.

"I still love you, though," I reminded him.

He grinned, which made my heart splutter. "And I still…" His grin faded. "…still not love you. I tried not to frown.

"I told you—its okay!" I assured him. "I mean, I can't force you to love me."

He sighed. "That's true… I really, really, really, really like you, Bella!" he exclaimed.

"But you don't love me," I whispered not looking in his eyes.

"Bella," he sighed. "All right, I have an idea."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be, Cullen?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes at me. "A very good idea, Swan," he teased back.

"Ah."

"Uh-huh. You want to hear it? You might not like it," he warned. I nodded. How bad could it be?

I waited.

"Well?" I urged.

He grinned playfully. "Nah. I'm just going to drive you insane." I glared at him.

"Tell me!" I demanded.

He smirked. "Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'.

I growled at him—really badly I might add.

He laughed. "I'm scared," he said sarcastically. Then he became serious.

Now I laughed. "Are you having your period, Cullen?"

He rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored my teasing remark. "I'll tell you."

"Okay, that's better," I said.

He sighed. "Why don't we…be, you know...friends?"

I stopped breathing.

"I thought you said that you really, really, really, really like me?" I asked suspiciously. "Or was that a lie?"

He shook his head. "No, Bella. Look, here's the deal—in order for me to love you, you have to give me time."

"Edward, what are you talking about?"

"Okay, how do I say this in a way you'll understand, and won't hurt your feelings?" He thought about it for awhile. Then he snapped his fingers. "Okay! I got it! Let's be friends for quite some time. I'll still walk you to your classes, and when crazy hormonal boys come up to you and flirt with you, I'll see if I get really jealous."

"You mean like an experiment?" I asked.

"Sure, let's put it that way. While we are friends, I'll find out the strong powerful emotions I'm feeling for you." He grinned.

"Um…okay. I think that'll work. But there's one problem to your crazy, evil, diabolical plan," I noted.

He laughed at my choice of words. "And what might that be?"

"No guy likes me other than you." And don't know why you do like me, I added mentally.

He sighed. "Bella, you don't know how many admirers you have in this school."

I blinked. "What…?

"Almost about every boy in this school has a crush on you. There are four that are on the top."

"Who are they?"

He smirked. "Well, the first one in this tedious list is me," he said seductively. I blushed.

"There is nothing boring about you other than the other ones in this so called list," I muttered.

He chuckled. "The second one is"—he grimaced—"Mike Newton." He shuddered, so did I.

"No wonder why he always likes winking at me," I said. "I always thought he had a twitching problem."

"I hope that embarrassed him," he chuckled again. "Okay, the third one is Eric Yorkie."

My left eye twitched. "He was always a bad flirt. He kept saying cheesy pick-up lines at me. Like, 'if I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.' He should stick to Star Wars, man!"

His expression was unreadable. "The fourth one is Tyler Crowley."

I gulped. "That guy freaking creeps me out! He likes to grin at me for no freaking reason! I just wanna kick his little—" Edward covered my mouth.

"Now, now, no violence please," he warned. "That's my job. Those three are on my wanted list. Nobody harasses my girlfriend."

I wagged my finger at him. "Ah-ah-ah! As of right now, I am your temporary best friend!" I declared.

"Oh, yeah…," he grumbled sadly. I gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"We can still kiss, you know," I said lightly. His face lit up. "But we can't kiss-kiss—only like a small kiss, or a peck kind of kiss." He became glum after I said that.

"That's not fair!" he whined. Edward Cullen was freaking whining!

I kissed the tip of his nose. "Life's not fair. Deal with it!" I grabbed his hand and went outside.

"Be warned," he said. "Emmett is pretty pissed off."

Emmett got off the sofa and shouted, "WHAT THE FREAK?! I COULDN'T EVEN HEAR A SINGLE THING IN THAT ROOM! Not that that's bad. So, anyways—WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?! YOU GUYS ARE HOLDING HANDS NOW!"

I sighed. "Okay, first of all: shut up. Second of all: Edward and I made a deal," I explained.

At the sound of 'deal', Alice woke up. She got off of Jasper's lap, and ran towards us.

"Do my ears deceive me?!" she squealed.

"How the heck did you—?" Emmett, Edward, and I said at the same time.

"Shush! There's no time for logical explanations!" she said hurriedly. "Now what's this talk about a 'deal'?"

"Uh, Edward and I made a deal," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got that, Sherlock. I meant, what was the deal about?"

"Edward and I are going to be friends for awhile." Everybody—with the exception of my Edward—looked at me with their mouths open. I blushed at the attention.

"No freaking way!" Rosalie shouted. "You guys are so totally made for each other!"

Alice joined in, "Yeah! Just like Rosalie said: You guys are like, made for each other! You guys can't last one second without making out! Anyone up for a bet?" she said mischievously.

Emmett smirked. "What bet?"

"Who will cave in? Bella or Edward? My pick is Edward," she said slyly. Edward growled at her.

Alice scoffed. "What are you—a vampire or something?"

Emmett laughed. "So you're not picking your siblin', eh? My pick is Bella then, since you stole little Eddie."

I glared at him.

"Why does everybody think I'm going to give in first?" Edward asked. Everybody—including me—raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not my fault she's a good kisser," he grumbled. I blushed.

"So why are you guys going to just be friends?" Rosalie asked.

"We still quadruple like—" I started saying.

"Quadruple like?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, quadruple like. We still quadruple like each other, but Edward's wants to find out for himself if he loves me back, since he's not sure of his feelings for me," I said in one breath.

"That's stupid!" Alice cried. "Edward's stupid!"

"I feel so loved," Edward muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah, Edward's stupid for not knowing that he actually does freaking love you, Bells!" Emmett yelled. "It's all visible in his stupid eyes!"

"Why does everybody like to insult me now?" Edward asked to himself.

I ignored Edward's misery. "Ho—how do you know, Emmett?"

"Bella, you're stupid, too for not knowing," Emmett said.

"It's not my fault for not knowing!" I defended.

"Yes, it freaking is!" they all said—except for Edward.

"You guys are in love with each other—whether you like it or not," Alice stated, closing the conversation to an end—for now.

-x-

Edward and I were in our AP literature class. We were reciting the words of Romeo and Juliet since we were late. We both missed a lot of periods, but who cares? It's college!

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off. It is my lady! O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am too bold; 'tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!" he recited perfectly—his velvety voice was so romantic. By the way, we're doing the balcony scene.

"Uh, uh… 'Ay me!'" I was too busy staring at Edward. I heard Edward chuckle.

"Okay, class! Before we keep on going, what does 'Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return' mean?" Mr. Ramirez announced.

I didn't raise up my hand like I normally do; I was too busy staring at Edward still. Don't cave in, Bella! Girl power! Edward rose up his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Ramirez asked.

"It means that—" he turned to me and looked at me in the eyes—"her eyes are so bright that it seems two stars have traded places with them," he answered. I blushed.

The girls sighed dreamily when he said that. I heard the guys grumble, 'Mr. Perfectionist', but I didn't care.

"Good job, Mr. Cullen! Now, continue…"

-x-

"Ugh!" I groaned. "I hated that! Normally, I would like being in that freaking class, but—ugh!"

"Ah, Bella." Edward shook his head. "Stop furrowing your eyebrows—you'll get worry lines."

"Whatever…," I muttered. Suddenly, Alice came bouncing towards us.

"Hi, Bells! Hi, person-who's-going-to-cave-in-first!" Alice greeted. Never bet against Alice, I sang in my head.

"Do you like to put me down?" Edward grumbled. I rubbed his back.

Alice growled at me. "Bella—don't make me lose this bet!"

"Sorry," I said.

She beamed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! Anyways, guess what we're gonna do?!"

"What?"

"Shopping!" she shouted.

Let the torture begin…

-x-

Sorry late update!! I would like to thank bellaandedwardxcullen4ever for trusting me so much!!

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