Alice stared open-mouthed at us, and I blushed. Thoughts of what had just happened swirled through my head, and I felt a flare of resentment at my friend for interrupting what had to be the best moment of my life. All of a sudden, everything slammed into me at once and I gasped. Alice, my best friend, had just walked in on me kissing her brother. I had been trying to get Edward out of my head for a reason. This was never supposed to happen! This could ruin everything.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She exclaimed. She turned and ran out of the room. I could hear her small feet pound on the staircase as she sprinted upstairs. Her door slammed and I flinched.

What have I done?

I inhaled a deep breath and turned to look at Edward. His look of horror mirrored my own. I stood, but was stopped from leaving the room by a large hand that wrapped around my wrist.

"Bella, wait. Give her a little while to cool down."

I sighed and let him pull me back down beside me, he looked away from me, his eyes looking at nothing in particular.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have done that. I can't believe I did. I don't know what came over me, I just... I don't know. I'm not sure if you can ever forgive me, but can you at least accept my apology?" he asked. A silent tear slipped down my face as I realized he regretted the kiss. Everything was ruined now. My friendship with Alice, my sort-of friendship with Edward, any chances of being with him were now gone.

I felt like running out of the room as rejection washed through me. I knew I needed to talk to Alice, but all I wanted to do was get out of there, go home, to my own room and cry my eyes out.

"And don't hate me more for saying this," he continued when I didn't answer, still looking away from me, "But I don't regret it. I wouldn't change it if given the chance. I know that later, when you're gone and will probably never want to see me again, I will be angry with myself and possibly regret it, but I can't right now. And at least I'll have that as a memory when you're gone."

He turned to look at me then, staring straight into my eyes.

"I don't hate you, Edward." As soon as the words left my mouth, he tenativly reached his hand up to brush away my tears. My next words halted his hand an inch from my face. "But I don't accept your apology." Anguish flashed through his eyes. "There's nothing to appologize for," I whispered.

A small smile spread across his face, a bright flicker replacing the pain. I wanted to lean in to him, closer to the comfort that he offered me, and I knew that he would hold me until I calmed down enough to talk to Alice, but we couldn't do that. If Alice walked in, she would be even more upset. And I needed to talk to her now. Not later. She had had a few minutes to think, but if I waited any longer, she would start to think too much and would think I didn't care enough to comfort her when she was hurt.

I sighed and stood up. I briefly touched Edward's arm as I walked out.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

"Yes. But it's probably not the best idea, so you better stay here."

--_--_--_--_--_

"Alice?" I asked softly as I knocked on the door. Something slammed against it from the inside. It sounded like she threw a shoe at it.

"I'm coming it, don't throw something at me please. I want to talk to you."

"Go away, Bella," she spat.

I tried to open the door, but of course it was locked.

"If you don't unlock this door, I'm going to go back downstairs, drag your brother up here and have him break it down. You want me to do that?"

I heard a click and the door swung open.

"I said go away. Look, just give me a little while, okay. I'm angry and upset. I'm confused and I feel betrayed. I'm shocked and surprised, I never saw this coming, and you," she narrowed her eyes, "didn't feel the need to tell me that you even liked my brother. Isn't that the kind of thing you're supposed to tell your best friend? Or are we not friends? Were you just using me to get to Edward? You're just like Jessica." She slammed the door again, locking it.

"Now leave me alone."

I sighed. "I'm so sorry, Alice," I said just loud enough for her to hear if she was listening.

"I'm so so sorry," I whispered.

Sinking down, I leaned against the door opposite to Alice's, just staring across the hall, hoping the door would open and my smiling best friend would come out, hug me and let me explain.

I had been planning to tell Alice soon. I was just trying to get the nerve to do it. That kiss was never supposed to happen. And Alice was especially never supposed to see it if it did happen. I hadn't even thought he liked me. Totally unexpected. I wanted to explain all of this to Alice, to tell her that I still loved her like a sister, that I always would. We would always be friends, wouldn't we? We had to be? You couldn't loose friendship like that, could you?

A tear slipped out of my watery eyes and down my cheeks. This was all my fault. I had wrecked everything I had with my best friend. She hated me now.

A warm finger brushed the seemingly cold salt drop away from my face. An arm of the same warmth wrapped around me and rocked me back and forth. I put my face in Edward's shoulder and let a few more tears fall down.

"Everything will be fine. I promise you it will be. And think of the positive things. At least we got each other out of this mess."

I nodded and wrapped my arms tighter around him.

He kissed my cheek and stood again. I remained where I was, turning back to look at the bottom of Alice's door. Edward banged on it with his fist.

"Alice. I came to tell you what you already knew. I'm an idiot! Would you like to punch me? 'Cuz I deserve it. Come punch the rotten, stupid, little brother. You know you want to... Come on, Alice. Moron out here, waiting for you to open the door..." I giggled quietly.

When her door did open, Alice's face was tear streaked, but she was smiling. She had her bright, striped, polka dot pillow in her hand. She shoved forward, pushing Edward.

"You big dumby," she laughed. It was a spluttering, miserable attempt at a laugh, but it was a laugh. I stood up and wrapped her in a hug.

And somehow, I believed Edward. Everything would be okay. Eventually.