A/N:

On the onset of everything... I should not have posted last night in an emotional state. Therefore... I'm reposting again with a formal apology. It was wrong of me to take out my frustrations of the weekend on you all. So for that, I'm very sorry. It will not happen again.

Now… This chapter is inspired by a Jon McLaughlin song… I'm kind of obsessed with him right now… I want to run my fingers through his hair… And I want him to sing to me with his beautiful voice… Oh man… I SO have a type…

You Found Me
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

Chapter Ten

She loves her mama's lemonade
And hates the sound that goodbyes make
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her

She swears that there's no difference
Between the lies and compliments
It's all the same if everybody leaves her

She would change everything, everything, just ask her
Caught in the in-between, a beautiful disaster
She just needs someone to take her home

She's given boys what they want
Tries to act so nonchalant
Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction

She never stays the same for long
Assuming that she'll get it all wrong
Perfect on in her imperfection

She would change everything for happy ever after
Caught in the in-between, a beautiful disaster

Jon McLaughlin, "Beautiful Disaster"

----------

She moved deeper into the warmth of the bed, her head pushing further into the soft pillow. She was dreaming of Edward and she could have sworn that he was there with her; his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as his breath warmed her neck sending delicious shivers that traveled to the base of her spine.

She smiled into the pillow and pressed herself against him; he groaned into her hair, his hand traveling up to cup her breast.

"Edward…" She sighed contentedly but only heard a gruff laughter.

"Dreaming of Edward Rochester again?" Jake mused aloud; though it didn't go unnoticed that he seemed upset with that. She pulled away and saw that he was laying there in the bed with her. She had forgotten that she had finally agreed to let him back in their bedroom; he apparently took that as meaning he could grope her if he felt inclined to do so. She figured he realized that wasn't going to happen after the countless times he had attempted while they had been in Saint Tropez. Apparently she hadn't been blatant enough with her desire to still keep intimacy at bay. She might have let him back in the bedroom but that didn't mean she was inviting him back into her body.

Her cheeks flushed with his comment however, but for the first time, she was thankful of her obsession with classic British Literature. She made a mental note to thank Charlotte Bronte if she ever ran into her in an afterlife.

"I don't see the appeal," he muttered under his breath which elicited a swift slap of her hand against his chest. "WHAT?!"

"Don't you dare speak of my Byronic literary characters like that."

"I just don't understand."

Bella just shook her head. "You use to."

Jake left her comment unacknowledged and scooted closer to her, trying to grab the delicate curve of her hip to pull her against him. They hadn't had sex in nearly three months and he was growing tired of it. Had he not had Leah, he would have been jerking off in the bathroom multiple times a day.

"No Jake." Her voice was stern but he was stronger than her and rolled his weight on top of her.

"Come on… You said you weren't angry anymore." He leaned his head down to her neck and kissed her there. She shuddered and he took that as encouragement.

Her hands pressed against his broad shoulders, pushing him away from her. "I never said you were forgiven."

"You said I was off probation."

"Probation yes… That meant you could sleep in the bed."

"So when do I get more than that?"

"When I figure out if it's worth it anymore."

He rolled off of her and groaned as he stood up. "I'm going to be late for work anyways."

She wrapped her arms around her sides wishing that she was back asleep and in Edward's arms. Even if they had been Jake's it was nice to think likewise. Besides, that was what the imagination was for and it was something that she was growing to use more and more, even before she and Edward had become intimate; for three months, she had been wishing and pretending that the body she laid next to each night was his and not her husband's.

"You know…" Jake called from the other side of the room and she turned to face him. "If you do leave me, you'll never find anyone else. No one will want a divorcee who may never be able to have children." She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes. "Just face it Bella, this is about as good as it's going to get. And you think Charlie will welcome you back with open arms? He loves me. Besides, you wouldn't want to turn out like him right?"

---------

Once Jake had left for work, Bella made her way into the large bathroom. She had made only two requests when she and Jake had been looking for a place to live: a large kitchen and a bathroom with a large tub. She pulled her tank top off her head and let it pool to the floor with her boxers and underwear as she tub filled with hot water, steam rising to the ceiling and clinging to the mirror. Her eyes fell on the clothes that lay scattered on the bathroom floor, her shorts and tank as well as Jake's boxers; she had wished they were Edwards.

She frowned slightly and turned the water off. The steam floated off the surface and she touched her toe to it, wincing from the burn that she felt against her cold feet. Biting her lip, she lowered herself into the water slowly, allowing her body to grow accustomed to the hot water against her skin. Once she was submerged, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting the memories of the past that she was clinging to, fill blank darkness behind her eyelids.

"You know I hate heights," she grumbled as she leaned against his large frame. "I've never had any desire to go to the top of this thing."

"Oh come on…" he grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist tighter, his fingers grazing the soft material of the dress he insisted she wore. "Nothing's going to happen. I promise."

"The elevator could plummet," she stated wryly which caused him to laugh loud enough to receive a glare from the other couple they were sharing the elevator with. "It's almost fifty years old! What if the wind blows too hard and knocks it down! I mean, really, how sturdy could this be?"

"Oh Bella, you worry far too much." He smiled into her hair and placed his hands on her swelling stomach. "Must be all those hormones… Are you nesting?"

She elbowed his stomach and he winced. "Don't you dare Jacob Black!"

"Or you'll what, Isabella Swan?"

He didn't get a response, instead he watched as her face contorted uncomfortably as she grabbed at her stomach.

"What's wrong?"

"I think I'm going into labor."

***

"It's not funny," she pouted as he took her hand into his own.

"You really do have a fear of getting engaged don't you?" He was laughing as they sat in the hospital room holding her hand.

"I'd like to see you go through Braxton…" She didn't finish. The weight of his words finally sinking in. "Engaged?"

"I had it all planned out…" He grinned, reaching into his pocket and extracting the small black box. "A nice romantic dinner with a view of the city… And just as we see the Sound as it stretches over Lake Union…"

She bit her lip as she looked at the box. "Can I see it?"

"Nope. You had your chance," he teased. "Besides… You don't want to get married anyways."

"But I do want to get married to you!" Her voice was loud and he was smiling wide.

"Wow, Bella… If I had known you wanted it that bad…"

"Oh shut up you big oaf." She looked up at him and watched as all laughter ceased.

"Isabella Swan… I love you… Marry me?"

She didn't reply, but merely nodded her head and watched as he slipped the gold band on her finger. In that moment, everything felt right. They would be married and three months later, they would have a baby. It was the family she never knew she wanted, and suddenly, something she knew she couldn't live without.

The sound of her ring tone reverberated through the small bathroom, causing her to sit up in the tub and look to the bedroom. She could see the light on the screen illuminate a dark corner where the light from the window did not reach. She couldn't remember turning it on though; she always turned the phone off at night, especially since meeting Edward incase he were to call and Jake was to answer. It was safer that way.

She thought momentarily about answering it, it was possible that he would call her and see if she had plans for the day but part of her felt a need to stay home, to think things through. Jake's words before he left seemed to linger in her thoughts. Would Edward still want her if he knew she might not be able to have children again? Would he be able to look past that? Sure, Jake had, but she wasn't even sure he wanted children. After they had lost the first, he assured her they would try again when the time was right. The time, apparently to him, never seemed to come.

She heard the beep of her phone; whoever had called had left a message. Her eyes closed and her head found the back of the tub once again.

"Bella… Baby you need to eat something," Jake said softly as he place the bowl of soup on the bedside table. She could hear the worry in his voice but he sounded so far away that she couldn't bring herself to care. "She's been like this since we got home yesterday."

She looked out the window, her hands resting on her flat stomach, touching it, waiting for the movement that had been there only three days ago.

"She just needs time… When she's ready, she'll come around." The voice was feminine and soft but in her state, she couldn't quite place the voice. Angela? Rebecca? They were all one in the same to her. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"You can tell me."

"I need to keep it together… I can't break down if she is."

"Do you want to go out for a bit? I'll stay here with her."

"No… I want to be there for her."

"What did the doctor say?"

"On top of the injuries from the accident… The extraction was difficult and there is a possibility that we won't be able to have any other children."

She could feel the tears as they fell down her cheeks. She hadn't cried for a few hours, but at his confession, the wave of pain once again washed over her and her eyes watered before she could try and stop it. His hands were brushing her hair off her face, she could feel the warm pads of his fingers against her wet cheeks but there was a wide gap between them.

"Jake… Go and get some air. I'll stay with her." She felt the bed move and his hands leave her face.

"I'll be back baby… I love you, no matter what," he whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek.

The water was cold now and Bella stood up, reaching for the towel that lay at the floor by the tub. She wrapped it around her and stepped out of the water, pulling the towel closer to her body. The temperature difference was startling and a small chill ran down her spine, causing her body to shiver.

When she was dry, she walked back into the bedroom and picked up her phone. It had been a missed call from Charlie. Her eyes fell on the clock, 10AM; that meant it was nearly two in the morning back in Washington. What had Charlie been doing awake? She could feel her panic, her fear that something had happened to him and without her there, she worried that he was all alone. You wouldn't want to turn out like him? Jake's voice called out in her mind.

She dialed the number. If it wasn't important, if he was fine, he wouldn't answer. Three rings later and the phone clicked.

"Bella?"

"What's wrong dad?"

"I hadn't heard from you…" His voice trailed off. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. You sounded strange on the phone last time we talked."

"So you call at one in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep," he confessed and she imagined the sheepish look that always graced his face when uncomfortable. "I was worried."

"I'm fine dad… You should get some sleep. Call me later when you're rested… I wouldn't want you to be tired on the job."

"Alright Bells," he replied. "Is Jake there with you?"

The familiar taste of iron and rust filled her mouth and she realized that she was chewing violently on the inside of her cheek, drawing blood. "No. He's at work." She tried her hardest to keep her voice level and even. She didn't want him to know that Jake had left her upset once again; she knew how much he loved him.

"Alright… Tell him I said hi," She nodded though she knew he couldn't see her. "Have a good afternoon."

"Goodnight dad."

The line went dead and she walked to the closet. She had no idea what it was she was going to do that day but she knew more than anything that she had to be alone. She was too confused. She wanted to be with Edward but she was tied to Jake. She knew he wasn't the same person that he was when they had been married but part of her wondered if it was merely the stress of the promotion, of his job. She didn't want to believe that he was really as cruel as he treated her. She wanted to hold on to the hope that he was still the same old Jake; the Jake who held her hand when she was upset, the Jake who held her in his arms at night to keep her safe when she had nightmares, the Jake that she knew as a child who would do anything to make her laugh. It was a long shot, she knew that, but until he stopped showing her glimmers of that person, it would make leaving him difficult. She didn't want to give up on him for fear that one day, he would wake up and the person he was, would be inhabiting his body. She loved that person. She just hated the person that he was now.

----------

Edward checked his phone for the fifth time that morning. Nothing. Not one single missed call or text message and he was beginning to worry. Had the little trip that she took with her husband fixed everything? His heart was in his chest and he felt like he couldn't breathe as his throat constricted. He wasn't sure what he would do if she wanted to go back to just being friends. Being friends wasn't an option for him anymore, not since he had loved her.

"What can I get you?" He looked up from his phone to the girl who stood behind the counter, batting her long, blackened eyelashes at him. It was hard, but he fought the urge to roll his eyes; she was probably no older than seventeen.

"Grande vanilla latte." He usually ordered a plain cappuccino but it reminded him of Bella and the order escaped his lips before he could change his mind.

"Will that be all for you?" Her voice was syrupy sweet and it made him sick inside; he never could understand why women thought that men liked that voice.

"That's all." She gave him his total and he passed her his money before walking away without getting the change. He didn't really feel up to dealing with her any longer. He was too consumed by his thoughts of Bella and his worry about what their future might hold.

He sat at an empty table and looked at his phone. He wondered if he could will it to ring and for her voice to be the one on the other end. He had missed hearing her voice and though he took pleasure in the fact that they had remained in touch all weekend, and now he was trying hard to not be angry with her lack of communication now that she was back in the city. It only made him wonder what she was thinking and the more he wondered about that, the more he feared that their time together was drawing to a close. He felt the familiar rise in his heartbeats as the thoughts began to run through his mind.

He heard his name called and walked to the bar where his drink was. He saw the number scribbled on the paper cup but thought nothing of it and left the coffee shop without looking back. He knew she would call him; he just needed to give her space. She was confused, she was lost, and when she was ready, he would be there.

----------

Rose glanced at the number that was stored in her phone. She hadn't wanted to meddle in Bella's relationship with him but she knew that she was omitting her past to him. It wasn't her place, but she knew that he had to know before continuing anything. To her, Bella's guilt was written all over her face but she knew Jake was too preoccupied to notice and she wasn't sure Edward knew her well enough to see it.

She pressed the call button and listened as the rings indicated that the call had connected. Emmett squeezed her shoulder and she looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello?" She could tell by his voice that he was confused and unsure as to who it was that was calling.

"Edward Cullen?"

"This is he."

She took a deep breath and looked up at her husband who was nodding at her. "This is Rosalie McCarty. We met at The Huntsman a few weeks ago." She paused waiting for recognition.

It didn't take as long as she had thought. "Is Bella okay? She hasn't called… Please… She's okay right?"

She smiled as she heard the genuine concern in his voice though it didn't surprise her that he thought something was wrong if she hadn't gotten in touch with him… Still, the fact that he was worried was, in her mind, a step in the right direction; at least, in terms of her plans to push Bella to leave Jake.

"She's fine." She heard him sigh a breath of relief. "But I'm at the coffee shop that you met Bella at… I was wondering if we could talk?"

"I'll be there in five minutes."

She placed the phone on the table and reached for Emmett's hand. Bella would hate her if she ever found out about this but she knew it was the right thing to do; Edward had to know the truth and if Bella wasn't willing to voice it, she would have to do it. It was true that she hadn't known Bella back then, but she knew that it was a large part of the reason why she was so reluctant to leave and she knew that if Edward cared for her the way she thought he did, that he would be patient and wait for her. Rose was certain that all she needed was time.

"He's coming?" Emmett asked, wrapping his free arm around his wife and pulling her chair closer to him.

She nodded and smiled as she felt his fingers in her long hair; it was an act that comforted her. He knew that this was something she was nervous about.

"Good," he said softly, leaning down and placing a kiss to the crown of her head. "This is a good thing."

"I know," she responded, leaning into his embrace as they waited.

----------

She walked though the stalls in Covet Garden, her eyes lingering on the ones that sold photographs. It was the closest thing she would get to art work that day. She was afraid that Edward might be loitering around the National Gallery and she wasn't sure she was ready to face him. She knew that if she spent time with him, that it would only lead to more confusion. How is it that this was possible? It was only three months ago that she led a completely normal, albeit depressing, life. But still, she wasn't struggling with the thoughts that constantly went through her mind.

Her eyes fell upon a portrait taken at Brighton Pier and she closed her eyes.

"Do you want to go on a ride?" He grinned as he laced his fingers with her own.

"Aren't they for kids?"

He shrugged and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Who says we have to be adults today?" She grinned up at him. "Besides, I'm a twenty-five year old in a band… I don't really think I'm an adult."

"True… You're kind of just a big kid."

"Well, Ms. Swan… What will it be? I'm personally rooting for the Wild River… Anything where I get to wrap my arms around you and have you come out all wet seems pretty appealing." He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

"You have a one-track mind Mr. Cullen." She managed to say after her laughter had calmed and they stood in line.

They didn't say anything after that. He just stood behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and pulling her hard against his chest as they waited their turn; occasionally he would lean down and drop a kiss to her neck or shoulder and she would slap his arm and tell him to stop being so obscene around the children and he would just laugh and kiss her harder, much to her own pleasure.

Someone bumped into her hard and she was pulled from what was quickly becoming one of her favorite memories. She grimaced and looked at the watch on her wrist. It was after two. She had spent the past three hours wandering around London, avoiding places where she knew Edward could be but it seemed that each place she went to, he still managed to infiltrate her thoughts. She was beginning to wonder if running from it was even worth it anymore. It seemed that her attempts to escape her reality were futile; they always ended up with one of two conclusions: thoughts of Edward or thoughts of Jake.

She pulled out her phone, half expecting to have received a call or a text message from him, but there was nothing there. Nothing from Edward and nothing from Jake. She sucked the left side of her lower lip into her mouth and reached into her pocket to where her travel card was. She had made up her mind; she missed him too much to keep herself away.

----------

Edward walked into the coffee shop and looked around. It didn't take long to spot the beautiful blonde that was Rosalie, though he was confused by the presence of the rather intimidating man who had his arm around her shoulder. To say he had been surprised when he had received the call would have been an understatement. At first, he could only think that something had happened: that maybe she had gotten hurt while she had been on holiday, or that her husband had found out about their affair and managed to hurt her in some way. He hadn't heard from her and to hear from Rosalie first, who knew of their relationship, it was the only conclusion that he was able to make.

Their eyes connected and he walked closer to her, his heart beating in his chest. He had no idea what it was she wanted to talk about and he was terrified that she was going to ask him to stay away from Bella. He knew that her husband worked with Jacob, at least, Bella had mentioned that in passing once, and he had no idea what the relationship was like exactly. She had made it sound as though they were never fans of her husband, he still couldn't help but wonder why it had been so important to her that they met, especially behind Bella's back.

He sucked in a deep breath as he walked the last few steps to where they were sitting.

"Hello Rosalie." He smiled and sat down at the seat that she pointed to. "It's nice to see you again."

She smiled back at him and he knew that it was genuine. "It's nice to see you again too Edward. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk much the first time around." He nodded. "This is my husband Emmett."

Emmett reached across the table and they shook hands. Edward noticed the firmness of the grip and he knew that he squeezed hard to make a point and he nodded, accepting his dominance.

"It's good to meet you," he finally said once they had dropped their handshake.

"You too," Emmett replied with a hint of coolness and Edward watched as Rose's elbow made contact with his side and he muttered a quiet profanity.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to meet with you."

"The thought crossed my mind but it must be important."

"I just know that things are getting serious between you and Bella and I'm just afraid that there are things about her past that she hasn't told you." He looked down at his phone, a quiet recognition of that fact. "I know that it's not my place and if she ever found out I'm pretty sure she'd be furious but…"

"She's been happier since she's been spending time with you," Emmett interrupted. Edward looked up from his hands to see the sincere look on the burly man's face.

"I've been happy too…" He replied.

"I just…" Rose started but paused when Emmett cleared his throat. "We," she corrected. "Just thought that you should know what you're up against… I mean, if you really are invested in this."

He nodded his head.

"First off… You know her parents divorced right?"

"It was one of the first things I learned about her."

"Did you know her father never really recovered from it?" He found himself shaking his head. "And I take it you didn't know that her father and Jake's father are best friends?"

His lips pulled into a tight line and he clenched his jaw. "No…"

"I've never met Charlie before… He's never visited out here, they usually go back to the Seattle and Emmett and I go back to Chicago to visit family… But I've heard a lot about his love for Jake."

"Basically, what my wife is so poorly stating is that Charlie always pushed Bella to Jake… Even before they were in a relationship…"

"And because she never really spent much time with him until her mother remarried, I think she thought she owed it to him to be with Jake… I'm not saying that she didn't love him, because I honestly do believe that there was a point when they did truly love each other…" She continued, glaring at her husband briefly. "I guess… I just think that after a while, the relationship changed and she loved him… But not as a lover…" She raked her hands through her long hair. "I don't know if this is making sense."

Emmett laughed. "Sweetheart, we are men. The less words you use, the more we comprehend." Edward laughed with him and she just shrugged. "What she means is that after everything happened, the miscarriage and all, Bella and Jake became friends as opposed to lovers."

"She said that it made her relationship stronger."

Rose just shook her head. "I think she is mistaking stronger for something else…"

"Like what?" He probed.

"Friendship." It came so quickly that it wasn't hard for him to believe; she was so confident in her assessment and he knew that she knew Bella better than anyone else. "They had always been friends and I think that because Charlie always wanted her to end up with Jake that she made herself believe that it was love… I think they both made themselves believe it was love…"

"So what's that have to do with her and me?"

"I was getting there," she replied. "Charlie was over the moon that the two of them were getting married… He was never the kind of man to show much emotion, something she swears is related to her mother leaving him… I think she was so happy that he was happy…"

"You think she won't leave him because it will upset her father?"

Rose nodded her head. "She doesn't want to disappoint him. But there's more to that Edward…"

"What do you mean?"

"I know that she told you about the miscarriage." He nodded; it had been brief, just a comment that was said just as quickly as it was passed over. He hadn't wanted to press the issue too much as it was early in their acquaintance when she had mentioned it. "Did you know that she may never be able to have children again?"

----------

She stood outside the door to his apartment and ran the buzzer but there was no reply. She sighed. She just wanted to see him and he wasn't there. It seemed that nothing as going her way: from her early morning fight with Jake, to her father's concerned phone call… The day was just slowly becoming an uphill battle. She didn't even want to think about what would be waiting her back at the house when she did finally make it home. She knew that Jake would probably still be holding some animosity towards her and her choice to continue to withhold sex from him.

She sighed and let her body sink down against the wall. She would just wait. She had to see him again, to hear this voice and see his smile. She wanted his arms around her, to hold her and tell her that things would work out; that they would work out once things were settled. She wanted Edward but in a moment of clarity, she realized that she was afraid to leave Jake: afraid to hurt him even though he had hurt her so many times. She was afraid to hurt everyone if she left Jake: her father, Billy… They were her family and she was terrified that they would turn their back on her.

"You're doing the right thing," Charlie said as Bella looked up from him while smoothing the white material of her wedding dress. "I've always known that you two would be happy together… He'll take care of you… He loves you."

"I love him too," she replied and she meant it. She did love Jake and as she touched the six month swell of her stomach, she knew that he would not only take care of her, but also of their baby that was growing in her stomach. She had fought against this for so long, but it seemed right. He was her best friend; and he had become her lover too and she always remembered hearing that best friends made the best lowers. So she was certain that it would work, how could it not when she saw how happy the decision made everyone?

"Bella?" She heard his voice and looked up from the ground to see him standing there before her. Her eyes took him in: the disheveled hair that was only made messier as he ran his fingers nervously though it, his green eyes swimming with some kind of sadness that she had never seen before, and the small smile that appeared weak against his face. This was not the Edward she had left four days ago: this Edward wasn't recognizable.

"What are you doing here Bella?" He asked softly and reached down to take her hand to help her up.

"I wanted to see you." She bit her lip, suddenly afraid that he might have made other plans and that she should have called him first. "I should have called… I'm sorry."

She began to turn away but he held onto her arm tightly. "Don't go."

She nodded and let him pull her into his arms. Her eyes closed and the buried her nose into the fabric of his shirt, breathing him in, a surge of comfort washing over her as she did so.

----------

"I was worried when you didn't call," he admitted as he pulled her tighter against him. They hadn't done anything but cuddle on the couch though it took a great deal of restraint on his part. He kept thinking about everything that Rosalie and Emmett had told him and he couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be ready to leave her husband.

"I'm sorry…" she replied, nuzzling her head against his chest. She couldn't seem to get close enough to him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he weaved her long hair between his fingers, combing it gently, enjoying the feel of the silky strands.

"I just feel lost…" She sighed. She could hear his heartbeat through his shirt and it seemed to sooth her.

"Bella?" She looked up at him. "If something happens… Between you and Jake… You would tell me right?"

She nodded. "I promised that I would always be honest with you."

"Is that why you couldn't come? Why you wouldn't call me?" She had never seen him so nervous and she placed her hand against his jaw, rubbing her thumb against his cheek.

"I haven't slept with him in nearly three months," she confessed. "He did try this morning…"

She felt him tense. "But I stopped him."

"He's your husband Bella… You didn't…" He didn't get to finish as she had placed a few fingers over his lips, silencing him.

"He knows that I'm not happy Edward… I told him that I won't do anything until I know…"

"But you can't hold him off that long…"

"Three months… I've already held him off three months."

He pulled at his hair. "We've known each other for three months."

"I know."

----------

Edward wrapped his arms around Bella as she napped against him. He couldn't keep Rose and Emmett's conversation out of his mind and though it gave him hope he was still concerned that she would never leave Jake. They had both made it very clear that she was afraid of the backlash that she could receive from her family if she did end the relationship. Still, he was comforted by how both had voiced their opinions about how happy Bella had been since they had met, even when Jake was a complete ass to her, she still seemed to be relatively at ease.

"Edward…" She mumbled and he leaned down and kissed her head, glancing at the clock to see that it was now a little after five. He wasn't sure how late she could stay but he had made plans with Jasper and the rest of his band mates to practice a bit.

She tightened her arms around him and tossed a leg over his own. "Don't leave me."

"You don't leave me…" He knew she couldn't hear him, that she was deep in sleep, but it was the only thing that he thought he could say. "No matter what… I'll probably always love you."

"I love you." She murmured, and he wondered if she was awake after all. "I don't deserve you."

He sighed. He wished he could make her see that she was worth it.

----------

A/N

I've never been in this kind of relationship but I've watched my parents relationship and I've watched my mother struggle to stay with my father because it was all she ever knew… Even though she wasn't happy… She wasn't doing it for me or my brother (we are both grown and have moved out) but because it was all she ever knew… And because she was ashamed that she couldn't make it work… The only reason that I know these things are because I have a good relationship with her and we've talked about it because she doesn't want me making the same decisions with my own life…

There will hopefully be a new chapter of Baby by Friday! Be on the lookout!

One last thing: a GIANT thank you to my amazing beta Zgirl21… I appreciate more than you know the constant feedback, and for really letting me rant and get it all out there. As well as validation that this story does have good characters… I needed that to keep going because I was getting seriously frustrated… And thank you again for reading that short story I sent for my class… It goes above and beyond the Twilight beta duties!