AN: Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.... Hmmm, what do I want to do on my birthday.... Update my story for all my wonderful readers! :) So technically it's the end of my birthday right now, but it still counts. And I managed to still be under the two week mark. That gets me some points, right? Well, maybe this chapter will, then.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, favorited, and even sat there yelling at your screen for me to update (somehow I think I heard some of you) as well as my awesome beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea (who got sick again, but still managed to get back to me). Oh, and I still don't own Twilight, though I did get some awesome Twilight paraphernalia for my birthday.
Warning: I finally came out with something akin to citrus. If that citrus happens to be a lemon, awesome. If not, I tried. You have been warned.
Chapter 14 – Surprise!
EPOV
The suspense was killing me. I was starting to realize why Bella hated surprises so much. She didn't mention exactly when she planned on coming into the shop, only that it would be sometime after lunch.
"I think I might call someone in for an impromptu tatt if you don't get rid of your jitters," Drew called from the front.
"Hey, don't make fun of him," Rose admonished. "He's just freaking out because his girlfriend is planning something for his birthday."
Pete cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you've only been with her for a few weeks. She's already planning shit for you?"
"No, see, they've been head over heels for each other for three years," Rose divulged. "They just finally got their heads out of their asses."
"Aw, come on, Rose, you know that was mostly my fault, not Edward's," I heard a cheery voice from behind me.
"Bella!" I exclaimed. I turned and threw my arms around her, picking her up and spinning her around.
"Edward! Put me down!" she huffed dramatically. It was easy to hear the smile in her voice, though.
I gently set her down in front of me, but kept my arms around her waist. "I missed you," I whispered.
"I missed you too, Edward," she replied before leaning up to kiss me.
We simply stood in each other's arms, refusing to move for a few minutes. It gave me a chance to look at what she was wearing. She had on a dark green dress with a sweetheart neckline – I would kill Rose for teaching me terms like that – and a black sash right under her breasts. The hem hit the middle of her thighs and I thought I caught a glimpse of black pumps. Her hair was done in tousled curls that looked amazing.
A smile crept across my face when she blushed. She didn't try to hide herself from my gaze like she had in the past. This was an improvement of which I would never tire.
"You look magnificent, Bella," I breathed.
"Why do I feel like I'm watching the beginning of a soft-core porno?" I heard Pete stage-whisper behind me.
"Because they won't fuck each other yet and the sexual tension is rising exponentially by the second," Rosalie answered in a normal tone.
I gave my friends the one finger salute behind my back and they burst out laughing. Bella's face grew bright red at the comments and she burrowed her head in my chest. She hated attention like that, but I would be lying if I said it didn't affect me. I knew she felt it when she shifted against me.
"Stop squirming or you'll make it worse," I teased her quietly.
"Don't give me the opportunity then," she shot back, finally looking up at me.
I chuckled and kissed her quickly before we turned back to face my friends. "Are you guys done making fun of us?"
"Are you gonna throw her on the counter and play tonsil hockey anytime soon?" Drew quipped with a smirk.
"No, asshole," I replied with an evil grin. "Besides, you'd be too blown-away by my skills to even comment."
"Edward!" Bella gasped, once again embarrassed.
"Jeez, Romeo, brag much?" Rose laughed.
There were no appointments scheduled, so I decided to give Bella a "grand tour" of the place. She was thoroughly impressed by the time we circled back to the front. I noticed her eyes lingered on the pictures scattering the walls.
"They're all the big pieces that we've done over the years," I explained. "The ones in the very back are the oldest, from before Rose and I were here. The ones up here are the newest."
Bella walked around the front waiting area and lingered on a few of the pictures. She eventually stopped at one of them and traced the design with her fingers.
"You did this one, didn't you?" she asked.
I chuckled and moved to stand next to her. The picture focused on the very beginning of Garrett's back piece when he'd proposed to Kate. "Yes, I did do this one," I told her with a smile. "This is actually the beginning of a very intricate design and I've done every step of it. It's also the guy that helped me get information about James."
Her head whipped around to look at me. "Really?"
"Yes, really. And I want you to meet him some day as well," I said.
We spent close to an hour at the shop. Emmett came to pick up Rose around four-thirty stating that they had special plans for the night. Bella and I shared a laugh, figuring we knew exactly what they'd be up to. I sent Pete and Drew home shortly after because I knew that I could handle it alone until it was time to close.
Even though I practically ordered her not to help, Bella seemed comfortable with helping me close up shop for the night. She wiped the counter while I quickly swept the floor. By the time we were done, I could tell she was getting antsy about something.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind as she turned to look at the clock. "I'm guessing we have to be somewhere by a certain time," I said.
She sighed and nodded, turning to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yes, we need to get going soon. But I'm driving," she insisted. I started to protest, but she cut me off. "No whining. It's a surprise."
"Fine," I relented.
We left a few minutes later and Bella ushered me to the far side of the car. As soon as I was seated, she handed me a strip of cloth.
"You've got to be kidding me," I recoiled as she held up the blindfold.
She looked down at me with wide, pleading eyes. "Please? I really want this to be a secret, but I need you to not see where you're going."
I sighed. "Only for you," I said. "If it were anyone else, I'd tell them to go screw themselves."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said gleefully before quickly kissing my cheek and skipping to the other side of the car.
Bella made sure I couldn't see anything out of the blindfold. She could tell I was tense about it and held my hand through the entire car ride. I tried to determine where we were going by the turns Bella was making, but I had a feeling she wasn't using the most direct or the most common routes so that I wouldn't be able to guess.
We finally stopped about twenty minutes later. Bella ran over to my side before I even got my seatbelt undone to help me out, still refusing to remove the blindfold.
She kissed my cheek as she led me somewhere. "It's not much longer, I promise," she assured me. "Not even another minute, really."
I heard her open a door and she led me inside a building. I didn't have enough time to get my bearings before Bella stepped in front of me. She placed a soft kiss on my lips before slowly slipping the blindfold off.
"I'm sorry for that," she whispered as she pulled back, biting her lip nervously.
My eyes were trained on only her, not registering anything else, until I heard the yelling beyond the beautiful woman standing in front of me.
"Surprise!! Happy birthday, Edward!"
I finally looked up to see everyone in the world I actually enjoyed interacting with standing in my aunt and uncle's living room. Rose and Emmett stood proudly in the center and I knew they'd been up to something. Alice and Jasper stood near them, the little one practically bouncing out of her husband's embrace in excitement. Garrett and Kate were both smiling, happily perched together on the couch. A few of the guys from New Moon Pizza were scattered throughout the back of the room, but clearly visible.
And finally, my aunt and uncle were standing at the very edge of the room. Aunt Esme looked like she wanted to cry and Uncle Carlisle seemed content to just stay with his wife.
Everyone but my aunt and uncle converged on Bella and me. They all wished me a happy birthday. I smiled at everyone in appreciation – I hadn't had this many people around to celebrate my birthday in a long time – and kissed Bella on the cheek before I made a beeline for my aunt.
I needed to thank her for this. It was stupid of me to not want this for her. She wanted nothing more than a traditional birthday celebration for me and I denied her that. However she involved Bella was genius, but I still felt incredibly guilty over not letting her plan it in the first place. It meant the world to me and she needed to know that.
"I know you wanted this," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her. "I'm sorry I didn't seem supportive. I'm glad you still got to do it."
She smiled up at me, but shook her head. "This wasn't me," she said. My brows furrowed and she hurried to answer my unspoken question. "The only thing I did was to consent to the use of my living room. The rest was done by that lovely young woman over there."
She pointed past me and I looked back to see Bella looking sheepish and trying not to eavesdrop. I took a moment to look around the room and realized that Esme wouldn't know most of these people. If she had planned it, it would only have been Emmett and Rose standing over there beyond my beauty.
"She didn't want you to have to choose between your friends and your family," my uncle said. "She had Rose call us to let us know how many people would be coming and organized it all herself."
"Wow," I breathed.
I looked back at the girl I loved to see her biting her lip nervously. Her eyes were wide and fearful as though she thought I would be mad or disappointed. I gave her a reassuring smile and silently held out me hand, asking for her to come over. She came over and gingerly laced her fingers with mine.
I pulled her closer and leaned in to give her a tender kiss. "Thank you so much," I whispered. "Thank you for doing this. You have no idea what it means to me."
Bella smiled up at me, blushing profusely.
I smiled back before turning to look back at my aunt and uncle. "Uncle Carlisle, Aunt Esme, I'd like you to meet Isabella Swan, the woman I love. Bella, this is my aunt and uncle."
"It's very nice to meet you," Bella said politely. "I'm sorry for imposing like this, but it just seemed right to have it here."
"Don't worry about it, dear," Esme answered warmly. "We're more than happy to have everyone here. And I'm honored to finally meet the woman that brought our Edward back."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella," Carlisle said. "Edward's told us so much about you."
She blushed from the attention. Again. "Oh, I'm so sorry. You must think I'm such a horrible person for being with Edward while I'm trying to get out of another relationship," she sputtered, hiding her face in her hands.
Esme and Carlisle were both shaking their heads furiously, but she couldn't see them. I sighed and tried to pry her hands away.
"Bella, love, please don't do this," I whispered. "No one thinks that. I promise. Please, don't hide."
She dropped her hands, but she still refused to look at us. Esme smiled softly and took a few steps forward to whisper something in Bella's ear, I couldn't tell what she said, but whatever it was made Bella look up in shock.
"Really?" she gasped.
"Really, really," Esme chuckled.
"Ma, did you just quote Shrek?" Emmett called, aghast.
"And what if I did? I am allowed to quote movies when I feel like it," she stated proudly. "If that happens to be a children's movie, so be it. You can suck it up, Emmett Cullen."
Bella giggled as she tried to hide next to me. I kissed the top of her head.
"Come on, this is my party, right? Let's go celebrate then," I said.
We spent hours hanging out with everyone. We forgot everything going on in the outside world and just had fun. Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle spent the most time talking to Bella, Alice, and Jasper, wanting to know as much as they could about Bella's situation to know how they could help.
Rose, noticing that Bella was uncomfortable all the attention, announced that we were getting so much new influx at the shop that it might be beneficial to upgrade. We'd talked about it a few times and decided that we would probably do it, but it would take time and money. It would be best to take it one step at a time in order to upgrade. Even so, everyone was thrilled about the idea.
It wasn't long after that the girls scurried into the kitchen to retrieve the cake. Esme remembered that my mom always made me a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. She smiled sadly and I showed my appreciation with a quick hug and whispered thanks.
Presents followed after we all indulged in a piece of cake and some ice cream. I assured everyone that they really didn't need to get me anything, but they insisted. The guys at New Moon Pizza gifted Bella and I with unlimited access to what had become "our booth" and a free meal. Garrett and Kate got me a new photo printer – someone must have told them about my new fascination with pictures. Emmett and Jasper splurged to get tickets to an upcoming Red Sox game for the three of us. Rose and Alice collaborated on replacing the piece of crap couch that currently resided in my living room. The new one would be a chocolate brown leather sofa with reclining ends. Rose knew just how much I wanted a new couch and I definitely approved of their tastes. Carlisle and Esme got me a new set of screwdrivers. The tool set I'd inherited from my father was lacking some things because of the many times he had lent out various tools and never gotten them back.
Finally, it was Bella's turn. She shyly handed me two packages. "I know you didn't want anything, but it didn't feel right to give you nothing. Don't worry, I didn't spend too much."
I smiled at her before opening the top one. "Really? Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Bella?"
She giggled and nodded. "I know you read the original and I thought you might find this one funny."
"Only you, Bella," I laughed, shaking my head as I opened the second package. My smile grew softer when I saw framed pictures of the woman I loved. The first was a baby picture, but it was clearly Bella. Her eyes still held the same sparkle that they did as I looked up at her.
I looked at the second one to find a more recent picture from within the past few years of her posing in a pale pink cocktail dress. Near the edge of the photo, I saw a hint of pale blue. My brows furrowed as I took the back padding off to find a ragged piece of pale blue fabric. I held it up closer to my face and saw the dirt smears near the edges. Gasping, I looked up at Bella.
"Is this what I think it is?" I whispered.
She fidgeted a bit in her seat. "I know it seems stupid, but I was feeling nostalgic. If it doesn't mean anything to you I'll just take it back, but I thought-"
I cut her off by pressing my lips against hers. "It's perfect," I whispered as I pulled back.
"Do we get to know what he just went all girly over or are you two gonna keep suckin' face?" Emmett yelled from the other side of the room.
"Emmett Cullen!" Esme hissed. "Be nice!"
"It's part of the dress she was wearing when I met her," I said, still staring at Bella.
"There's no way I can wear it again, so I put one piece behind the sketch of yours I had framed and put another part with this," she explained.
"I love it," I said. "And I know exactly where these pictures are going."
Another hour or so went by before people started heading out. Garrett and Kate left first claiming that Kate could only take so much excitement while she was pregnant. Jake and the guys left after forcing Bella and I to promise that we'd stop by soon. Emmett and Rose left abruptly, leaving no doubt as to why they were headed home so fast. It was a miracle that they'd kept their hands off each other for that long.
Alice and Jasper were the last to leave. I wondered why, but my answer came quickly as I noticed that Bella looked confused about something. They could tell she was debating whether or not to stay with me.
"Sweetheart, if you don't feel comfortable coming home with me, we can just call it a night," I reluctantly told her.
Her eyes widened. "You… you still want me to stay with you?"
"Of course I do, love. I've been looking forward to this all week," I breathed, taking her into my arms. She noticeably relaxed in my embrace.
Jasper smiled over at me and told Bella they were going to leave. Alice skipped over and kissed her best friend's cheek, whispering, "I told you so."
Bella and I stayed a little longer in an attempt to take the cleaning duties off my aunt and uncle. Carlisle shook us off and Esme gave us a motherly "You two kids go have fun." We said our goodbyes and took off.
Sensing that Bella still didn't believe me about her staying over, I held her hand and brought it up to my lips every so often while I drove. She relaxed, but it was clear that she was still nervous.
"What's wrong, love? Are you worried about something?" I finally asked.
"Kind of," she admitted. "I still have one present left for you. I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone else because I wasn't sure how you'd react."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it," I reassured her with a smile.
That seemed to cheer her up and get her excited about whatever it was. Bella pulled an overnight bag from the backseat when we parked – she must have stashed it there before she came into the shop earlier. She grabbed my hand and basically dragged me up to my apartment, impatiently tapping her toe as we waited for the elevator.
My brain finally fought through my amusement and realized what she was doing. She was pulling us toward an empty, private area where no one would interrupt us. Images upon images of how I could take advantage of that flowed through my mind, and suddenly I was the one running and pulling her behind me.
I frantically got us both through the door. The second the door was closed and she'd dropped her bag, my arms wrapped around her and my lips found purchase on hers. Her fingers knotted into my hair as she moaned and deepened the kiss.
We stood in front of the door, lost in the kiss, for a few long minutes. When we finally needed to take a breath, I trailed kisses down the side of her neck before laying my cheek on her shoulder.
"This," I whispered. "This is the only thing I wanted for my birthday. You, here, in my arms. Thank you."
"I love you," she said.
"I love you to, my Bella," I replied. "Now, what's this about another present?"
She gently wriggled out of my arms and went over to her bag. "Go sit on the couch and I'll bring it to you," she said happily. At least she seemed less worried about how I would react.
I settled myself on my crappy old couch and smiled as I thought of the new one that would be replacing it soon. Bella joined me soon after, holding an oddly shaped package in her hands.
"At least pretend you like it, okay?"
And just like that, her nerves were back. I smiled reassuringly and took the gift from her. It didn't matter what I said, she would still be nervous about my reaction, so it would be better for me to just open it.
As I pulled back the paper, I revealed a delicately designed antique frame with empty spaces where two pictures would go. The designs were beautiful, but the engraved plaque at the bottom was what drew my attention. It read "Ed & Liz – Loved and Remembered Always."
My fingers gently traced the fancy, looping letters before I looked up at Bella.
"Did you have this engraved?" I whispered in awe.
She nodded shyly. "I knew you'd want to pick the pictures, so I didn't even bother trying to pick any out. I mean, the engraving itself was presumptuous enough, but-"
My lips covered hers and effectively ended her explanation. "It's beautiful," I said. "You didn't need to do this, but thank you."
"You really like it?"
"Bella, I've been looking for something like this for a while and couldn't find the right thing. This is perfect."
Relief flooded her eyes and she melted into my arms. "I was so worried that I'd cross a line," she murmured.
"Hey," I said softly. I nudged her chin to get her to look up at me. "You don't have to worry about stuff like that with me. I will love anything you do simply because you did it."
"I'm glad you like it," she said.
Bella leaned up to press her lips to mine and it quickly progressed past what could be considered chaste. Her legs found their way to either side of my own and she was straddling my lap. I was hard enough already from the kiss, but to feel her on top of me was still a relatively new feeling. My cock twitched and grew further with the feeling of her against me.
"Bella," I moaned. I tentatively rolled my hips upward to meet her center.
"Edward," she whimpered. "Don't stop. Please…"
Our movements became more frantic. Bella's fingers knotted in my hair and her breathing quickened. My hands ran a circuit from her back to her ass to her breasts. Her moans of approval encouraged me to continue moving my hips against hers.
Pulling her legs around me, I carried her from the couch to my bed and sat back, once again allowing her to have some control. She'd told me she wanted to learn how to make me feel good and she would never know if she didn't try. Though, frankly, she was doing a damn good job so far with little guidance other than my answering moans.
Any experience I'd had with sex before couldn't compare to the effect Bella had on me. The results of my fantasies of her already eclipsed the most intense orgasm I'd felt while actually being with another person, but being with Bella – even fully clothed – was better than anything I could ever imagine.
"Baby, ungh, Edward… please…"
The need in her voice, paired with a slight panic, announced that we were definitely nearing uncharted territory. I wanted to control this for her. She didn't need her first orgasm to be from some arbitrary dry hump session. I wanted – no, needed – to touch her.
"Bella, love," I said, moaning as she ground into me again. "I want to try s-something new."
"Anything, just don't stop," she said. "It's feels so… so good…"
"Can I touch you, baby?" I whispered in her ear. My voice had dropped to an obscenely husky tone and she gasped. I thought she might not like it, but Bella erased that fear with another breathy moan. I smirked and continued since she hadn't answered my question. "Do you want my fingers against you? Can I feel how wet you are for me?"
"God, Edward, yes!"
She stayed above me for another few seconds, still savoring the sensation, but when she felt my hands start to move up her bare legs, she put her hands over mine and tried to get me to go faster. She was eager. But I needed to draw this out, to make sure I stayed in control, to give her the best possible experience. I needed this for her.
"Shh, baby, let me take it slow," I said, trying to soothe her. I let my fingers continue, skimming the skin right below the hem of her dress. She continued fidgeting, so I moved up her body to maintain eye contact. I spoke softly to her, kissing various parts of her exposed chest and neck as my fingers made their way up her legs. "You're beautiful, Bella. I would trade anything in the world to simply spend an hour with you. I love you, my sweet, wonderful girl."
"Edward, it f-feels so good," she gasped out. "I need you. I need more."
"You'll get it soon, I promise. Just trust me, baby."
I kept my face up by hers as I continued my ministrations. She bit her lip as I peeled off her panties. I kissed her and gently advised her not to do that in case it started bleeding. I had no idea that would make her even more vocal than she'd been before.
"Fuck, Bella, you're so wet," I groaned when I finally touched her.
Her own moans had become indistinct and unintelligible, but I continued whispering to her as I touched her. She deserved to be treated like a goddess and I was doing all I could to accomplish that.
James would never be tender with her. He would take what he wanted before moving on. Bella needed to see that not everyone was like James, that I wasn't like James.
"Edward… Edward, I-I'm…" she gasped.
I smiled and moved my fingers faster over her clit and pushing one finger gently into her. "Let go, angel. Don't hold back," I said, kissing her neck.
Despite her moaning before, her breath caught in her throat as she climaxed. I sighed into her neck as I felt her walls clench around the tip of my finger. She'd come for me. She trusted me enough to let me do that for her.
When her breathing finally evened out, she leaned down to kiss my forehead. I looked up to see her smiling at me.
"Thank you," she whispered. "That was amazing."
I kissed the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "No, Bella. That was beyond words. Just seeing you like that…. That was the best birthday present. Ever."
We spent a few minutes kissing softly before she declared her need to get out of her dress. It was clear that she was tired. I bit back a comment about helping her out of it, instead choosing to strip down to my boxers – the easiest and most comfortable pajama choice. She came back after donning a thin tank top and long flannel pants.
I opened my arms and she snuggled into my side, sighing as she laid her head on my shoulder. It didn't take either of us long to fall asleep once we were comfortable. That was the most restful night's sleep I'd had in the month since Bella told me she loved me.
I woke up to soft, hesitant, and fucking amazing fingers stroking my cock. It seemed like a dream, but Bella was actually sitting next to me on the bed when I opened my eyes. Her hands were really touching me through my boxers.
That changed the moment she noticed I was awake.
"Oh, god, I'm sorry," she squeaked out, pulling her hand back into her chest. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"Baby, I would be the happiest man alive if I got to wake up to that every day," I answered honestly.
"Really?" she asked, still skeptical.
"It felt amazing, Bella. I would ask you to do it again if you didn't look so terrified."
I reached up and gently caressed her cheek with my thumb. That seemed to calm her down a bit. She took a few deep breaths before meeting my eyes. Her gaze held some form of determination or resolve that I didn't quite understand until she'd placed her hand back on my erection.
"God, baby," I moaned.
She kept her hand there, moving it slightly, but not enough to do much. "I… I'm not really sure what to do," she admitted.
I thought that might be an issue with how hesitant she was being. "Okay, I'll help you."
I placed my hand over hers and brought it inside my boxers for skin-to-skin contact. This made everything seem so much more real. I kept my eyes on Bella's face, which in turn was focused solely on the action between my legs, and I found that it was turning me on even more.
It didn't take me very long to reach my peak. The memory of Bella's face as she climaxed the night before was enough to send me right over the edge.
"Wow," she whispered. "I'm all hot and bothered just from that."
I chuckled shakily, still recovering. "That's a good thing, love."
We spent the rest of the weekend in my apartment, not wanting to share each other with the world. The activities from the previous night and that morning were not discussed, though we did periodically recreate the results.
Bella was so much more relaxed around me, no longer skittish or hesitant. She wasn't afraid to tell me if she was nervous about something or when she liked something I did. She was learning and we were both happy about that.
It went unspoken that we both wanted more, but it didn't seem like the right time yet. I wanted her connection with James to end and she wanted to be more confident in herself.
I could give her that time.
Monday morning started out silent. Neither of us wanted to bring up the fact that our happy bubble of bliss and solitude was about to be ruptured. I held Bella in my arms on the couch, occasionally kissing some part of her face and murmuring how much I loved her. She clung to my shirt and curled around my body.
I noticed one tear fall down her cheek when Alice and Jasper finally knocked at the door.
"Hey guys," Jasper greeted us sadly. "Sorry to break this up."
"It's okay," Bella said shakily. "We'll see each other tomorrow."
We made sure Bella had everything packed and they were headed for the door before I remembered something.
"Wait! I forgot. I have something for you." I hurried into the kitchen to grab the manila folder I'd been adding to for months now. I handed it to Bella. "Hopefully this will be enough."
She stared at me blankly before understanding flooded her eyes. "Edward… even if it isn't enough to convince my parents, I'm still planning on ending it this week. Tonight if I can," she said. "I can't go on like this anymore. I love you and I want you. Only you."
I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Bella. Now go, I don't want to get you into trouble."
Bella stood on her toes to kiss my cheek before she and Alice brought her things out to the car. Jasper stayed behind.
"I take it that was everything you could get?" he asked.
"Everything. Anything. Some of the girls were less than helpful, but it should at least help," I said. He nodded and turned to leave. "Jasper?" I asked hesitantly. He turned around again. "Will you and Alice go with her when she tells them? I'm afraid they won't believe just her. She mentioned that she and her father are doing better, but this is all about proof. She needs someone by her side."
Jasper smiled and nodded again. "I would have asked her anyway," he said. "I can't imagine her doing that alone."
Minutes later, I was once again alone in my apartment. It felt empty without Bella there. She made it feel like home. I couldn't wait for her to someday be able to move in with me, for the day that I could be the one to put a ring on her finger.
But first, she needed to deal with her own relationship issues. All I could do was wait and hope for the best.
AN: Yay for citrus? Let me know what you though about the chapter! Please review, PM, whatever, but I want to know what you thought! I will even change the rules for a teaser to being if you can get to the double digits with reviews for this chapter rather than beating the record.
Also! I have a fic-rec. is writing this great fic called "Picture This" about a 17-year old photographer, Bella, who falls for a 23-year old actor, Edward. It's really well written so you should all check it out (http:/ .net/s/ 5648584/1/ - take out the spaces).
Next time on UP: Bella finally stands up to her parents!
I warn you, this next chapter may take a little longer than the two weeks I've been trying for. I plan on it being longer - possibly needing to be split - and I also have a paper, tests, you name it. I will update on my profile and let you know when I have a better idea of the next post date! :)
-Kaylee