"Bella!" My mom ran and hugged me as soon as I walked into the door. "Oh I've missed you so much! Oh and Alice dear you haven't changed a bit!" My mom exclaimed hugging Alice. "Come in, come in. Charlie!" my mom yelled to my father, "go get Bella's things from the car!"

"Oh actually mom, didn't I tell you, I just rented and apartment off Rodeo drive. It'll be ready in a few days, so I guess I'll just leave most of my stuff in the car."

"Oh well that's great I guess. You'll only be 10 minutes away. That's a lot better than 10 hours. I know Stanford is a great school and it has been your dream to go there for so long, but I just missed you so damn much," my mom explained as she led Alice and I into the kitchen.

"Well, I'm home now mom," I said smiling into Renee's eyes.

After have a late lunch/early dinner at my parents house, Alice and I drove towards the Cullen house. They lived only 5 minutes away from the Swan residence, but they had such a much nicer landscape than my parents house did. As I pulled up into the circular driveway, Alice was beaming. Obviously she was a lot more excited to be home than I was. I felt bad, I really did. It was my fault she never came home, because if she came home, I knew I would have to, and I just couldn't. Mostly because of Edward, but I would never admit that to anyone else.

As soon as the car was parked, Alice was out the door and was running toward the front door. I took my time rolling up the windows, shutting off the stereo, turning off the car and walking inside to where Alice was. I was immediately greeted with open arms from Esme, Alice's mom. "Oh it's so good to see you dear. We've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, I'm sorry I haven't been home, school's just been so crazy, thank god it's done." I really was sorry I hadn't seen them in so long, I always saw the Cullen's as my family, rather than Renee and Charlie. They were never happy.

I hadn't noticed, while I was hugging Esme, that the rest of the Cullen's were now surrounding Alice and I. Each one hugged me after the next, Carsile, Emmett, Rosalie (Emmett's wife), and then there was Edward. He obviously didn't know whether he should hug me or not, so to make things less awkward, I went and hugged him.

"It's good to see you Edward, it's been so long."

EPOV

"Come on man, you know you like her" Emmett began on my situation with Bella. "I know you do. Ever since you screwed things up with her senior year, you've been beating yourself up about it. You haven't been the same. Seriously though, how many girls have you had for more than a week?" I put a finger up to protest, but he quickly started talking again. "And don't say Tanya," damn, he knew me to well.

Though I hated to admit it, I knew he was right. I did change, I wasn't myself these past few years, and it was because of Bella. I just knew that if things did happen between us then, at that party all those years ago, that we would get serious. And I couldn't afford that happening with my future. I went to Harvard Law School and I knew she would be going to Stanford, I just thought it best for me to lie, save us both.

"Just let it go man. I lost my chance."

"Ohh, I don't know about that," what is he talking about? Was there something he wasn't telling me? I never got the chance to ask because just then I heard my sister Alice yelling that she was home from the front door. Emmett and I slowly walked out of my old room at my parents house and into the foyer to see Alice, and Esme hugging Bella I assumed, but I couldn't quite see her face. Just then, Esme pulled away, and I saw her. Her beauty was reflecting nicely off her tight jeans and light blue blouse. I loved that color on her. As soon as I was out of my pensive state, Bella hugged me.

"It's good to see you Edward, it's been so long," she said to me.

"You too," I replied. Ugh, two words? That's it? You couldn't come up with anything else? Nice job jackass.

Before I knew it, Bella was out of my line of sight, and replaced by Alice, my twin sister. Ugh!

"Good to see you Edward."

"Umm, yeah."

"Alright everyone, err I mean everyone under the age of 50," Alice began, eyeing mom and dad on that last note, "tonight, we are going to the club." Oh this should be great, I thought sarcastically.

BPOV

The club? Jeez Alice, we've only been back for 2 hours and you already want to party? Well I guess that's Alice for ya.

The group separated with the girls, Alice, Rose and I, heading upstairs into Alice's room to get ready for tonight. We spread out all of our makeup across the counter and heated up our flat irons and curling irons.

"So Bella, Alice tells me you have the hots for Edward?" What?!?! I'm going to kill Alice. Jeez, I barely even knew Rosalie. I only met her a few times when she and Emmett would come and visit Alice at Stanford.

"I umm," I couldn't form any sort of sentence.

"Rose, I told you, she'll never admit that she does, will you Bella?"

"Alice, I can't. I can't have feelings for him. He'll just stomp all over my heart again. I can't."

"Oh My God! I can't keep this up, EDWARD IS IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

"Wha…what?" was all I could make out.

"He's talked to Emmett like a thousand times about it who in turn told Rose, who in turn told me. He even loved you at the time of that party senor year. He just thought with you guys going to separate colleges and all that it would be better. But he loves you, and he wants you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I began trying to sound dignified, but I didn't fool anyone with my voice cracking.

"I only found out a few months ago. But it didn't seem relevant. That's why I've been trying to get you to express your feelings for him these past few months. Bella he loves you, and he wouldn't hurt you again, I know it."

A million things were running through my head at that moment. Mostly of how I have hated Edward ever since that night he turned me down, and now I realize he did it for me. And he was right; it was so much easier that way with us going to different colleges and what not. Boy do I sound like a real ass. I have to talk to him. But how?

"Come on guys," Alice interrupted my thoughts, "the club's waiting."

With that we all climbed into Carlisle's SUV and we were off. Emmett was driving, with Rosalie in the front seat, Alice in the middle left seat, and after picking up her boyfriend, Jasper, that left me to sit in the back seat with Edward.

Once arriving at the club, we all got out and walked right in, thanks to the VIP parking service. Being the second to last person to get out of the car, I was behind everyone else, except for Edward. So when I felt a hand lightly grab my arm, I knew it was him. I turned around, shocked at how close his face was to mine.

"Can we talk later?" he asked.

"mmhmm," was all that would come out of me. I was too stunned by the sweet smell of his breath. What I wouldn't give to kiss him, to have that sweet smell inside my mouth, to have those perfect lips kissing all over my… No Bella! Don't start with that! Edward put his left hand at the small of my back, and we walked into the club. I looked up at him and he smiled, as I did back.

The loud music playing, people dancing and grinding everywhere and drinks all over the place was like a reminder of my happy place. This was my comfort zone. I could be myself at clubs.

As I began to dance to the music and walk towards the bar with everyone else, I grabbed Edwards hand, to not loose him in the crowd of course, at least that's what I kept telling myself. As soon as I got to where Alice and Rosalie were standing with the guys, they grabbed my hands and yelled, "lets dance! See ya boys!"

We went straight to the center of the dance floor. We began grinding with each other, and though I didn't know Rosalie very well, she was beginning to grow on me. It seemed like we were the best of friends the way we were dancing. Not long after we started dancing, guys were encircling us, but I didn't care to look to see who they were. All of a sudden some guy grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into him. Continuing to dance, I put my arms up in the air and around his neck, placing my hands inside his hair. I swore I could hear him groan.

After a few songs, the guy behind me whispered in my ear, "need a drink?" I turned around shocked because I knew that voice. I just nodded looking straight into Edwards's eyes. He led me to the bar and we sat down on two stools. I didn't know what to say, I had no clue it was Edward behind me the whole time, but, if I was being honest with myself, I'm glad it was.

"A carona please, and a.." Edward gestured toward me.

"A shot, vodka," the bartender nodded and began to make the drinks.

"Uhh, make that two shots," Edward told the bartender and winked at me. The bartender then put the two shots on the bar. "Cheers!" We gulped them down.

"Aw man! Doing shots with out us?" I heard Emmett yell. And when I looked around I saw him walking over to us with Rosalie. Just for Emmett's sake, we all did another shot. Just as we gulped those down, Alice came over with Jasper.

"Shots are so last year. I'm gunna say, BODY SHOTS!" Alice then stated. Oh lord.

"All right ladies, up on the bar," Emmett said, while motioning with his arms to Alice, Rosalie, and unfortunately me as well. I began to hop onto the bar stool when I felt Edward grab me around the waist and help me up.

"Thanks," I said to him. I laid down on the bar, just now remembering that I was in a mini skirt. Great. While I laid down, Edward, who was of course my partner out of default, pulled up my shirt exposing my stomach and poured salt just around my belly button. He then leaned his head over mine, being just inches away.

"Open up," he said and I could smell his breath once again. I obeyed and opened my mouth for him to place the lime.

"One, Two, Three," I heard Emmett say. With that, Emmett, Jasper and Edward all bent down to lick the salt. Edward did a fine job. Once done licking off all the salt around the circumference of my belly button, he began to kiss the same places he had just licked. Edward pulled away and grabbed his shot, drank it, and bent over to take the lime out of my mouth. As he was just centimeters from my face, he smiled a cocky smile, knowing he was making me go crazy. He placed his mouth on mine for one long, hot, juicy second, grabbed the lime with his teeth, and straightened up. Damn was that hot.

"Damn, that was hot," Edward said to me while helping me off the bar. I could still fell his hot lips on my stomach, smell his cool sent on my lips. I must've not been concentrating on what I was doing, because as soon as I tried to walk out to the dance floor, I wobbled, and Edward caught me. He chuckled. "Maybe you should sit down."

"I think you're right," I said and he led me to a seating area, while the rest of our group went out to dance. Edward led me to a chair while I had one arm around his neck, and he was supporting most of my weight with an arm around my waist. "Sorry, I guess a few shots don't do so well on an empty stomach," I said after Edward sat me down on a couch, as he sat right next to me. He chuckled. After a few minutes of silence, I began to feel less queasy; I knew it wasn't because I was drunk, I knew how to hold my liquor. I was queasy because I really liked Edward. Oh crap. "So what did you want to talk about?" I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Umm. Now's not really the place. You wanna come over to my apartment after and we can talk?"

"Sure. I'm ready now." He smiled and said he'd be right back. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Just as he did, a man I recognized waved to me. Oh no!