A/N- Hii, thanks for all the reviews again! I love that we're well into the hundred's now :D I'm writing to everyone in a minute... but yeah thanks so much. The comments for this story are always too sweet.

I did aim for this chapter to be out sooner... as I like to update every monday if I can. However things have been a bit crazy at the moment, so this has taken a week longer then I wanted it to. But ah well... its done now. The next chapter will be out sooner then this one though!

Anyway, hope you like this chapter... please review!

(The book of love- Peter Gabriel)

"The book of love is long and boring,
No one can lift the damn thing.
It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing,
But I… I love it when you read to me,
And you… You can read me anything.

The book of love has music in it,
In fact that's where music comes from.
Some of it is just transcendental,
Some of it is just really dumb.
But I… I love it when you sing to me,
And you… You can sing me anything.

The book of love is long and boring,
And written very long ago.
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes,
And things we're all too young to know."

Fearless

Chapter Seven.

That night in the rain was just the start of it… the start of the rest of my life with Edward.

Until that day, it seemed as if time had just dragged by – like I was just floating through the days not really attached to my own body… and more like I was just watching the lifeless shell of myself floating around. Before I met Edward, it was like I never felt anything… and it was like I felt it was actually okay to be just be invisible and not making anything of myself… of my life.

However, ever since that day in English class… everything changed as I allowed myself to live again, and to fall in love for the first time.

And that night in the rain, as we breathlessly danced together, allowing ourselves to just feel the moment and to appreciate everything, I realised for certain this was it… he was it for me. This wasn't just some high school fake relationship, or just 'love-struck' kids… it was so much more then that.

It was everything.

The rest of the autumn flew by and quickly turned into the winter and then gradually the approaching spring… which was now.

We did almost everything together… we celebrated our 18th birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's day… all those occasions. Not to mention, after much persuasion I convinced him to apply to college, telling him that he was more then able to go… and that I would help him. We eventually ended up both applying for Dartmouth as well as several others, which were of our own choices.

I could tell that Edward always worried that his disability would eventually affect the way I felt about him and that I would end up deciding I didn't want the burden… which I knew wasn't true. I didn't see his blindness as a disability or a burden… I saw it as something that was a part of him, something that only helped me fall in love with him even more.

It was now Late March, and with the end of school and graduation rapidly approaching we were determined to stay calm… which meant helping eachother as much as we could.

We were currently sat in Edward's room on his bed studying…

"I never saw a more promising inclination; he was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her. Every time they met, it was more decided and remarkable. At his own ball he offended two or three young ladies, by not asking them to dance; and I spoke to him twice myself, without receiving an answer. Could there be finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the very essence of love?" - I read the words of Pride and Prejudice out loud.

"Hm, that book seems so much more interesting when its you reading it," Edward commented from beside me. We were both sitting on the bed, propped up against the headboard; our sides pressed together with books littered all around us.

I leant my head against his shoulder, looking up at him amused- "so you're saying that you don't think that the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is the best love story ever written?"

"No, I don't," he replied dryly, the smallest hint of a smile on his face.

I nodded, and ended up losing myself in my thoughts – which were just typical ramblings, and simple imagination.

"What are you thinking?" Edward's soft voice eventually whispered.

I looked up to see him smiling contentedly, his head facing in my direction.

"I was just thinking that we would make a better love story then Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, that's all." I admitted to him shyly.

He chuckled quietly, "you're right," he murmured, moving so that he was lying down, and pulled me with him. "We really would," he whispered as he wrapped his arms tightly around me, pulling me against his chest.

The broken girl and broken boy meet, and gradually heal eachother, falling in love in the process…

Yes… we would.

A few more days passed and something had changed in the atmosphere at school. I couldn't figure out what it was… nothing really struck me despite my strange feeling. Of course as the months had passed, we didn't really change… Edward and I continued sitting at the same lunch table with Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper, mostly keeping to ourselves.

So why did something feel off today?

I looked around the crowded room at the groups of people… noticing Angela and Ben sitting close together, looking like they were studying. A couple of tables down, Lauren and Tanya were sitting, surrounded by their usual friends. I quickly looked away, not bothered by them anymore… despite their threats, they actually hadn't bothered me since that day in October. Luckily for me they soon got boyfriends after that day and suddenly weren't interested in Edward anymore, so decided there was no need to say anything else to me.

I smiled slightly, and continued my sweeping gaze of the cafeteria not noticing anything off at all. I returned my attention back to my table, and glanced at our group… Alice and Jasper whispering things to eachother, Emmett and Rosalie were doing the same, with content smiles on all of their faces.

I looked up at Edward at that moment, noticing how deep in thought he looked… something big was clearly on his mind.

"Hey… you okay?" I whispered, squeezing his hand, which was holding mine.

"Fine," he replied somewhat robotically, his expression as hard as stone.

Oh no.

"What's wrong?" I asked shakily, not liking the idea of him being upset at all, "you can tell me you know that."

He turned his head in my direction, and sighed softly, "I know… and I will, but not here," he murmured softly, "How about tonight though?"

I nodded, though I was still concerned- "Sure… is it something bad?"

He shook his head, "No… not at all," he told me gently, a slow smile spreading across his face.

So why act cold and detached earlier?

I was about to call him out on that, but instead I only found myself feeling too relieved to see him smiling – it was nice to see it after seeing him looking upset. I decided to forget about it for now… I knew that I would get my answers later after all. "Okay then… we'll go for a drive or something after school then?" I suggested.

His smile grew wider, "sounds good," he replied softly.

"Great," I grinned as I kissed him on the cheek; "I'll be back in a minute, just going to the bathroom." I told him as a stood up from my chair. He nodded, so I kissed him on the cheek again, and walked off quickly, hoping to get back as soon as I could.

As I made my way into the bathroom, I considered what it was he was going to tell me… was it something about college? A sudden wave of dread hit me as I remembered that he still hadn't gotten his acceptance, whereas I'd gotten mine a week ago. Could that really be what it is though? He had said that it wasn't bad news, and surely not getting into Dartmouth could constitute as bad news…

Wouldn't it?

I tried to push that possibility to the back of my mind… Edward's smarter then I am, and if I managed to get in, there's no reason why he wouldn't.

Once I was finished I walked up the sinks to wash my hands and literally jumped when I saw Rosalie's reflection in the mirror staring at me. What surprised me the most wasn't that she was here… it was more her expression.

It wasn't cruel… it was interested… or curious even.

"Erm, hi," I mumbled quietly, before turning the hot water on, and looking down at my hands instead of her.

I didn't expect anything at all… perhaps a rude under the breath comment or a grumble under her breath as she slammed the door on her way out. What I certainly didn't expect was a friendly, genuine reply.

"Hi, Bella," she said softly, her voice barely audible above the running water.

I looked up in surprise, my brown eyes meeting her ice blue ones in the mirror… I mentally prepared myself for some horrible comments; after all it had been coming for a long time… she'd never outright told me how much she'd hated me, she'd only shown it through her expressions which were never kind.

However the horrible comments I expected never came.

Instead she only waited until the water stopped running to whisper, "I'm sorry."

I whirled around to face her, "what for?" I asked – though we both knew the answer to that. I just wanted to hear her say it out loud.

She shrugged and stepped towards me, her heels clicking against the tiles. "For the way I've acted around you… I've never been nice or welcoming, and I'm sorry for that," she told me gently, and by looking at her face expression and how sincere she looked… I knew that she really meant it.

I nodded, knowing that I needed more then that before forgiving her… I needed the real reason for her hostility. "Okay then, can I ask you one thing…?" I asked waiting for her to nod before finishing the question - "Why…? Was it something I did or said? Did I do something wrong?"

"Erm… not exactly," she replied vaguely looking somewhat guilty.

"Then why?" I asked, getting more determined for a response now. "Is it because of Edward?"

She looked up at me slowly, "Yes, it was."

I drew in a breath, suddenly nervous of the answer. Was it because she liked Edward, and wanted him to be with her? … I wouldn't know how to react if that was the case… I mean, I knew that other girls liked him – Tanya and Lauren proved that – but they were girls who didn't know him. Rosalie was his friend… what if he decided he wanted her too?"

"Well, go on then… explain it," I told her quietly, my voice showing my nerves.

She blinked in surprise at either my expression or my tone, but quickly answered my question – "I was afraid that you were just using him… as a way to get over your friend Jacob who died."

I gasped, "how did you know that?" I asked her shocked.

"It's a small town… I heard the gossip when you first moved here," she explained somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry for your loss by the way."

I nodded but didn't say anything, finding it harder to breathe all of a sudden… it was the first time he had been mentioned in months, and to know that people had been gossiping about his death really hurt.

She realised that I wasn't going to talk so she continued herself, "when Edward and his family moved here, you may have noticed that me and Jasper instantly made friends with them. I got on really well with Emmett, as did Jasper with Alice… but Edward seemed like the one that was left out. He never said anything or acknowledged me or Jasper, and I quickly realised how hurt and alone he must have felt." She told me quietly, "… anyway, you and him made friends, and I guess I got defensive… I didn't like you, because I thought you were using him…and Alice, to get over your loss… as a replacement."

"That's not true," I whispered, stung by her accusations.

"I know that now," she told me softly. "I've seen you two together… and although it's taken me a long time to come to my senses, I have now. You're really good for him, Bella… and he's good for you. You are both so different from what you were in September. Even I can see that," she smiled slightly.

"Thank you," I whispered, touched by her words. "So that's why you acted that way then…? Because you thought I was going to hurt them?" I asked her quietly, just to confirm what I already believed.

She nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. It's stupid I know… but I just started acting like that and couldn't stop. I've had people use me like that, and I didn't want you doing the same to them."

I also nodded- I could kind of understand that. "So, is that why you were happy then – that day that Tanya and Lauren were horrible in here? Because you thought they would scare me off?" I asked her slowly, sadness and hurt thick in my voice.

She frowned for a moment, clearly remembering the incident before gasping in horror, "What? No… no, I honestly didn't."

Right.

"Then why the smile?" I challenged her.

"Because I respected you," she replied instantly, surprising me. "They warned you off, and when most people would have just run away without looking back, you just got up, and went back to Edward… acting normal, like they didn't even affect you."

"Oh…" I gasped, stunned by what she was saying… it made sense. "That smile was misleading, you know." I managed to smile at her.

She bit her lip guiltily, "sorry, I didn't realise."

"It's okay," I told her, knowing that I was only speaking the truth… it really was okay.

Her expression softened, "can you forgive me then? For the way I treated you?"

I pushed the hair back from my eyes, "yeah, I can. Although I think you went about it all the wrong way, I understand what you mean, and I like that you're just looking out for them all." I told her sincerely.

Her expression softened even more at my words, becoming a full, kind smile that lit up her face. "Thank you," she breathed.

I knew then that things would be okay between Rosalie and me… we would probably never be best friends - we were too different for that - but we had certainly come to an understanding. It was nice to know that she didn't hate me after all…

"So… tell me about him then," she grinned at me.

I instantly felt a wide smile spread across my face as I thought about Edward, "he's amazing… so gentle and kind, it's so easy to love him, because theres not one thing I dislike about him. He's so brave too – I know I wouldn't cope with blindness the way he does…"

Rosalie laughed quietly, her expression still kind - "I didn't mean Edward… I meant Jacob, your friend." She told me softly.

Oh… wow. I wasn't expecting that.

"Oh, sorry…" I murmured quietly, not knowing what to say… I didn't really talk about Jacob to anyone apart from Edward after all.

She must have noticed my discomfort because she quickly changed her question, "Nah, its okay… start with Edward first actually, I want to hear about you and him." - She smiled kindly as she saw me visibly relax, - "… So when did you first talk to eachother then?"

I leaned my back against the sinks, smiling as I remembered back to September - to our good and not so good first meeting in English. I took a deep breath and gladly begun my story, relieved to not feel intimidated by her anymore - "Well, it all started in English class…"

"What's the view like?" Edward whispered beside me.

I let out a soft breath and tore my eyes away from him from the first time tonight, and finally looked around us. We were currently in Port Angeles, having driven here, and were sitting together on a bench facing the river.

The rest of the day had just flown by… following a very girly type of talk with Rosalie, I went to the rest of my classes and then met Edward at the end of school, ready for him to tell me his news.

I rested my head on his shoulder as I softly explained what I could see, "We're in front of the river… the sun's barely visible through the clouds but you can see it. It's setting right now, so there's a slight orange glow… even the water is an unusual colour. It's really pretty," I told him.

"It sounds it," he murmured, sounding slightly jealous and awed. "It's only a matter of time though…"

"'Till what?" I asked, looking back up at him.

He smiled down at me, "you'll see," he murmured, as he turned his head back in the direction of the river.

I frowned at him, growing more annoyed by his secretiveness – he had avoided all of my questions today following lunch. He hadn't even given me one hint as to what he had to tell me, apart from the fact that its 'not at all bad.'

Like that helps with my curiosity much.

I turned to look at the water too, and decided to just ask instead of letting my mind go crazy- "Can you tell me now?" I asked him, my voice slightly hurt… because I didn't like that he was keeping something big from me.

He turned back to me, tightening his arm, which was resting around my waist. He then dropped his head to my shoulder, "yes, of course," he whispered against the fabric of my coat.

I moved my face to his hair for a moment, taking in a deep breath. I decided to help him along a little – "Is it something to do with college?" I asked him.

"No… nothing to do with that," he whispered, "it's about my sight… my blindness I mean."

"Oh… what about it?" I asked softly, trying not to let my confusion become too obvious.

"I've been doing some investigating recently… about the possibility of getting my sight back," he explained, "and I've found something… a surgery that specialises in retinal detachment."

I gasped in surprise and joy; "Oh… wow… that's great! You mean you actually could…" I stuttered, barely able to get my words out – I was too in shock… I hadn't expected something as wonderful as this at all.

He lifted his head from my shoulder and pulled me into his arms. "It's great isn't it…? In a couple of weeks I may be able to see everything… the view you were talking about, the sky at night… you."

I smiled at his sweet words, burying my head against his neck, "Yeah… I'm so, so happy for you," I told him sincerely, before stiffening as something he had said registered with me - "Wait… in a couple of weeks? You mean you've already seen a doctor to book it?" I asked him confused.

I felt him take in a sharp breath, clearly not expecting my question, "Uh… yeah. I started looking for information around when we applied for college... I saw the doctor for tests a month ago." He told me softly, as he began running his fingers through my hair soothingly.

I relaxed at his soft touch but still felt hurt, "Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered against his skin.

"I… what?" he asked, shocked.

I felt tempted to pull away from him, but his touch was too soothing, even if it did nothing to get rid of the hurt I was feeling - "Why didn't you tell me before? I could have taken you to the appointment… wait, where is it anyway? It's can't be in Fork's surely?" I asked in a rush – my head was hurting through the mix of emotions I was feeling.

"It's in Seattle," he replied instantly before sighing softly, "… and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before… I just didn't want to build up false hope. I didn't want to disappoint you if the doctor told me I wasn't eligible for it."

His words were sweet, and I felt the anger and hurt slowly slipping away, "You still should have told me… I would have been there for you," I told him quietly.

"I know," he whispered, kissing the top of my head, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I told him honestly, pulling away so I could see his face, "I'm just so happy for you… when is the surgery?"

"Two week's today," he smiled, reaching out to trace my face with his fingers.

His hand cupped my face and I immediately leant against it, loving the warmth. "And the chances of it working are good?" I asked him softly, hoping that this question wouldn't worry him too much.

He didn't seem fazed though, and instead only grinned wider as he replied - "Very good."

I smiled wider, and placed my hand over his, closing my eyes slowly. "Can I be there? At the hospital with you?" I asked him shyly.

"Of course… I wouldn't want anyone else with me," he told me sweetly, rubbing his thumb along my cheek.

I leant in then and kissed him gently taking him by surprise. I kept my lips against his as I whispered- "I love you so much… you know that right?"

He nodded, "I love you too," he whispered, before he adjusted himself so that his lips were brushing against my ear as he softly whispered, "… and I can't wait to see the world with you."

I can't wait either.

Okay, so this is the start of the second part now, hope you like the direction its shaping up to take. So far, my outlines going completely to plan - so as of now there's only three chapters left. They'll be long chapters so I won't be surprised if little bits get added in so we'll have another chapter or so.

Anyway please review... I think you'll all like the next couple of chapters, so yeah? How about a little bit of love?

Thanks for reading... Emma.x