Sorry it took so long! Finals were horrible. I have my last one tomorrow (woo hoo) and then I have a whole month to read & write fanfictions. Amen.

Thanks for the reviews; they kept me going whenever I decided to take a break from British Literature *shiver*.

EPOV

I pounded on Jasper's door, ignoring the lady glaring at me down the hallway. Finally the door creaked open to reveal a tired-looking Alice whose face instantly crinkled into one of displeasure.

Scratch that. Not displeasure- hatred.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly.

"I need to speak to Jasper."

"No, you need to speak to Bella." She crossed her arms and glared at me.

I sighed; I was willing to get down on my hands and knees at that moment to beg her to let me see him.

She must have gotten the idea by my expression. "Edward, what's wrong?"

"Please, Alice."

Maybe it was because I looked that messed up or that she was my sister and attuned to me, but for once in her life, Alice didn't give me a hard time. She stepped aside to let me pass and then disappeared in the kitchen somewhere.

Jasper came shuffling out and looked startled to see me pacing in his living room.

"Dude…," was all he could manage.

"I'm sorry, I know it's really early but I had to see you."

"What happened?" he asked as he curled up on the sofa.

I started pacing, running my hands through my hair.

"People live below me, Edward…," Jasper pointed out. "Does this have to do with Bella?"

I snorted; everything in my life had to do with Bella these days.

Alice came out with two steaming cups of coffee. I tried to smile at her in gratefulness but my lips just wouldn't turn up. She smirked at me and scampered off to the kitchen. She didn't fool me; I knew that little evil thing was listening intently to our conversation but I didn't care.

"So…," Jasper prompted, looking at me like I was a lunatic. I couldn't blame him.

"I slept with Bella again."

I had meant to dramatically lead up to it, explaining how in love with her I was, and I had hoped it would come out a hell of a lot more eloquently than it did. But out the words came and I grimaced at the subsequent gasp from the kitchen.

"I don't know what to say. Congratulations, I guess? What does this mean for you?"

Falling into the chair, I shook my head. "I don't know. I've never felt this way before."

"You love her." It wasn't a question. "I never thought I'd see the day, man."

"It's not funny, Jazz, I've hurt her. A lot. She practically beat the shit out of me last night."

Alice wasn't even attempting to disguise her snort this time. I lifted my shirt to show the scattering of bruises on my stomach. Jasper's eyes widened.

"I didn't know she had it in her," he murmured. I nodded somberly. "So what the hell are you doing over here with me?"

"She pretty much hates me." Jeez, I was beginning to sound like a woman.

Jasper shook his head in disbelief. "I doubt that, even if you've been acting like a major dick."

"I don't deserve her."

"This again?" Jasper put down his mug and stood up. "Do what you want to do, Edward, but quit fucking around with Bella and never come to my apartment this early again unless someone is bleeding or dying or something."

"But what do I do?" I practically whined. "I… love her so much. What if I fuck up royally, even more than I already have? I've never had sex with someone I loved, Jasper. Never. I… never knew it could be like that. It scared me."

Okay, it was official: I was a woman. But it was true; every moan, every movement was that much more exciting because it was Bella doing it. It killed me that she'd been there, right under my nose, all of this time. I had been a bigger ass than I'd initially realized. But I had her now, or at least I hoped I did.

Alice ran into the room, eyes huge. Her cell was clutched in her hand and she was staring at me like I was some monster.

"Did you… did you just bail this morning without saying anything to Bella?"

Jasper sucked in a deep breath. I stared back at Alice in frustration; did she have a point?

"You did, didn't you?" she accused, her eyes in slits.

And then she punched me in the face. Hard. Now, I knew I deserved it the night before from Bella, but what the fuck? Why was everyone hitting me?

"You're an idiot," Jasper agreed, pulling back my sister who looked like she was preparing to throw another punch.

"What?"

"Can you really be that clueless?" Alice seethed. "What the fuck do you think Bella's going to think when she wakes up alone this morning?"

My stomach literally dropped. It hadn't even dawned on me; I just assumed that I'd be back in time or that Bella would call me or… something. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh, you fucker!" Alice yelled, flailing in Jasper's arms.

I was actually scared of the tiny thing for once in my life; she looked like she wanted to inflict some heavy duty damage. Looking around for something, Alice finally huffed and threw her cell phone at me.

"Ow!" I screamed, rubbing my thudding forehead.

"Get the fuck back there before she does something stupid!"

I froze.

"No, Mr. Ego, she wouldn't kill herself over you. She just texted me and told me she was going back to school a day early without me. I wonder why."

Shit. Shit shit shit. Shit!

I barely heard Alice screaming out other profanities and threats as I spun around and raced back to Bella, where I belonged.

BPOV

I tried not to cry as I packed my things. I was tired of crying. Esme was being really sweet to me, but I just wished she'd stop coming to pop into the bedroom. I was fairly certain she'd caught me sniffling a couple of times.

"Are you sure you don't need any help, sweetie?" she asked from the doorway.

I resisted the urge to groan and just smiled weakly back at her. "I'm almost done."

"Well I have some pancakes downstairs for you when you're ready, okay, honey?"

"Okay."

She hesitated and I realized she had more to say. I blushed as it hit me that Edward and I hadn't been exactly quiet last night and that Esme and Carlisle had probably arrived home long before we got naughty.

"Bella could… could I talk to you for a moment?"

I reluctantly nodded and sat down on the bed. She came further into the room but did not sit down.

"I wouldn't necessarily call Edward my favorite child, because I don't believe in having favorites, but I hold a special place for him in my heart. Edward's never had it easy, contrary to popular belief. And he's never had love, real love, staring him in the face. He's certainly never been in love before, but that's not surprising considering the women he kept company with."

She waited for me to say something. I just stared back at her.

"You're angry with him," she said. Then she walked over to the window and sighed. "You should be. I know he's been very unfair to you."

Unfair didn't cut it but I held my tongue. How the hell did Esme know all about this, anyway?

I was going to kill Alice.

Esme must have been watching my face because she let out a light laugh. "Everyone thinks I'm so blind but I'm much more observant than people give me credit for. Plus, Edward wasn't exactly subtle on Thanksgiving. Neither of you were last night…."

I blushed furiously. Oh, my God. She had heard us last night. I nearly collapsed in mortification.

"It's all right, Bella," she said, smiling sweetly. "I'm not naïve enough to think my children are virgins. Especially not Edward."

I involuntarily winced and then hated myself for it; it was one thing to be feeling all of this but it was another entirely to have the mother of the object of your affections witnessing it.

"Why are you going back early, Bella? The truth; you can tell me. I won't say a word."

It would be nice to confide in someone but I wasn't ready to talk about what happened yet. And when I was, I doubted I'd want to talk to Esme about it.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not."

"I know you think that Edward doesn't care for you… I know he's done plenty to make you think that way. But I know my son, Bella, that's the point I'm trying to make to you. And I know he cares for you, deeper than he's ever cared for anything or anyone in his life. It terrifies him. At least wait until he comes back to talk to him before leaving like this. It would be a big mistake."

I nearly laughed in her face. A mistake? Mistakes were all I made lately. I could handle making one more, if this could be considered a mistake.

"I told you, Esme, I'm expected back."

She gave me that maternal frown and then nodded dejectedly. "I'll see you downstairs."

Then I was blissfully left alone to sob on the bed.

I was unenthusiastically munching on cold pancakes when the front door slammed. I froze, terrified that Alice had come over all the way from Jasper's this early in the morning to beat the crap out of me. I nearly ran out onto the patio because I was so scared.

"Bella."

Oh. The silken voice I would never forget, not even when I was old and senile and baggy, purred out and caused a flicker of excitement down my back and all the way to my toes. Despite everything, his voice still managed to soothe me, like the sweetest lullaby, and arouse me at the same time. For a moment, I was able to let go of the rage and the humiliation and the utter devastation. For a moment, I smiled at the countertop.

And then I heard Edward moving closer to me and I panicked. So quickly I nearly fell over, I spun around and glared at Edward.

"What do you want?"

He sighed and smiled slightly at me. He looked tired. "To talk."

"Well, I'm leaving." I didn't mean to sound like a huffy brat but I did. My cheeks burned and I knew Edward was thinking the same. He didn't look angry, just amused. Prick. "Excuse me."

I tried to glide past him but his warm and heavy hands on my shoulders effectively stopped me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. I had to take care of something."

My eyebrow quirked. "Uh, okay."

"Why else wouldn't I be there?"

He almost sounded genuine. Asshole.

"You were avoiding me."

"Bella," he cooed, smirking slightly, "if I were avoiding you, would I be seeking you out right now?"

"Yes, because now you want to tell me how sorry you are and what a mistake it was again."

Crap. Had I just said that out loud? The pained expression on Edward's face told me that, yes, yes once again I acted like a fool.

"I have to call my cab," I whispered.

As I turned to run out of the room, Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. "You're not going anywhere, Bella. At least not without me."

I stopped fighting him to stare into his eyes. They were serious and pleading me to listen. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm in love with you and I don't want you to leave me. I told you last night how I loved you."

The words I'd waited for so long to hear were finally said, lingering between us like a breeze. I watched him, waiting for him to laugh and tell me he was kidding or to sneer and make fun of me or to falter and look slightly unconvincing. His gaze, however, was intense and did not once waver. The light of emotion in his eyes, the clenching of his arm around mine, and the unmistakable conviction in his voice told me he was telling the truth.

"I don't know what to say," I was finally able to gasp out.

Edward smiled, really smiled, and pulled me closer. "You don't have to say anything. Just kiss me."

And so I did.

We didn't have sex that night. I was glad, not because he wasn't amazing or anything (duh), but because it made it easier to believe him. He told me about how he went to Jasper's in the morning, utterly clueless about what to do with all the emotions he was feeling. I listened as he told me what hell it was for him to think of me with Jacob. I told him some more about Mike and then a little more about how I always knew I was in love with Edward. As he pulled me tight, I smiled and then frowned. I could get used to this and it frightened me.

"You know it's going to take me some time to get used to this, right?" I asked as I stroked his chest.

He laughed and gave my nose a peck. "Same here, Bella. I'm new at this, too."

"You really fucked up, Cullen." I had meant it to come out as a joke but I sounded pitiful instead.

Edward sighed and closed his eyes. "I know. But I'm going to spend every day making it up to you."

I tried not to let myself hope too much but it was too hard what with the way Edward was looking at me and touching me. Everything he said was uttered with reverence and sincerity.

As we fell asleep that night, wrapped up in each other's arms, I heard Edward whisper "I love you" against my hair.

And for the first time that day, I truly let myself believe it. I fell asleep instantly, feeling the most peaceful and happiest that I had in weeks.

"Bella, I mean it- if you move again, you're going to get burnt."

"I didn't even want you to curl my hair," I muttered under my breath.

Alice ignored me and continued humming. "Isn't it nice that Edward and Jasper are taking us to the station?"

"They picked us up from the station, too, Alice."

She refused to be deflated. "Well, this will be all romantic. They can give us good-bye kisses in the station and everything."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Edward and I aren't… anything yet. Not really."

"So you keep telling me," Alice said dismissively. "I don't care what you say. Not everything has to be labeled."

"I know, thank God."

"Would you want to date him?" she asked as she wrapped one particularly unruly piece of hair around the curler.

Did I want to date Edward Cullen? My dream man who had majorly let me down in reality? Who had, with certainty, put a huge damper on my Thanksgiving? Who had made hardcore passionate love to me just a day before? Who had declared his undying love to me and really seemed like he meant it?

A grin slowly spread of my lips.

"Hell, yeah."

Alice looked surprised.

"If we took things slow," I clarified.

Everything wasn't Edward's fault. I'd put him up on a pedestal way too high. I let myself get too drunk that night. I jumped to way too many conclusions. To be honest, ironically enough I never gave Edward a chance. Not to say he hadn't been a total douche, because he had been, but I wasn't perfect, either.

A knock on the door disturbed us and in walked Edward, looking too delicious for his own good.

"We have to leave in ten, ladies," he purred, winking at me.

The way he emphasized ladies had me inexplicably turned on. The man could say "cardboard" in that voice and get a nun wet.

Ew. Bad mental picture.

"AH!" Alice shrieked. "I'm not even close to being ready!"

She scurried on out, leaving me alone with an amused Edward. I looked over at him, baffled.

"I thought the train didn't leave for another three hours."

"It doesn't."

He laughed at my face.

"If I don't tell Alice that now, we'll never leave on time."

I grinned in understanding. He came over to me quickly and hungrily placed his lips to mine. "I've been waiting to do that since you walked out this morning," he sighed against my lips.

"Walked out?" I scoffed. "Kidnapped, is more like it."

He chuckled and leaned back. Then his face grew worried and sad and the dread in my stomach grew to a big black hole. I felt sick. He was regretting it already. He didn't want this.

Oh, God, how could I have been so stupid?

"I'm going to miss you so much," Edward whispered tenderly, leaning back to me again to softly kiss my forehead.

Oh. It was going to take me a long time to adjust and trust Edward. But as he pulled back from me, his eyes closed and his mouth upturned in explicit bliss, I knew that when that day finally came it would be worth it.

Then as his eyes opened and it seemed that all he could see was me, and he smiled the most beautiful, perfect smile, I knew it would be. Edward would be worth it.

I didn't intend on them getting together so soon but it just kind of happened. But don't fret you angst lovers- I'm not finished with this story yet (unless you want me to be). Things aren't perfect between them; Edward is still scared and Bella is still wary of him. I'm having fun with the prospect of her going to England soon, muhaha.

Just a weird sidenote- have any of you ever seen the Harry Potter puppet pals on youtube? If not, go watch; if you have, then you'll understand why I keep envisioning the Harry puppet banging his head on the wall muttering "angst, angst, angst". Every time I say or read the word, I immediately think of that.