Disclaimer: All recognizable Twilight characters belong to S

Disclaimer: All recognizable Twilight characters belong to S. Meyer. I however own "White Carpets and Wall Sconces."

A/N: So sorry this has taken so long. Work has been insane, but I promise I'll try harder. Hopefully I still have some readers.

Thanks so much to Adrena and Blynn…without them I'd be completely lost.

Edward's Point of View

The reaction of my family and friends was far better than I expected. Silence is golden. Silence doesn't give anything away.

Bella had asked if she could have a shower, and although I wanted nothing more than to join her, I left her alone. Realistically I needed time to think and it was very late (or very early depending on how you chose to look at it,) so I decided it was best to leave her to her own devices. I needed a shower too, so I padded down to the bathroom on the ground floor, knowing full well that there was no way Alice would let me use hers. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and through the wall I could hear the hushed voices of the six people in the kitchen.

"I think this is something we should support," Alice's voice said quietly, seriously.

"Support so he can screw her over just like everyone else?" Rosalie's voice was an angry hiss. "Do you think she's equipped for all that is Edward?"

"Give him a chance" Jasper's voice interjected. "Maybe he's seriously considering this." I felt a surge of relief toward Jasper. Maybe Jasper wasn't so bad.

"He's not going to be able to handle it," Emmett said softly.

"He's doing a lot better," Alice argued. God I loved my sister.

"Why couldn't he handle it?" It was the voice I didn't recognize. It must have been Kate.

There was a pause and I distinctly heard Alice and Emmett take a breath. "Edward…" Alice started, obviously weighing her words. I wondered how much she would say. "Has some baggage," she finished.

"What kind of baggage?" Tanya's voice rang out. She sounded like her interest was piqued.

"That's not our story to tell," Emmett replied firmly. I was unimaginably grateful to my older brother. No one needed to know about that. I wasn't ready for people to know about that; about her.

"We really should head out," Tanya said pointedly to Kate. From my hiding spot on the stairs I watched them both head for the door, leaving four in the kitchen. It was a quick departure; they obviously felt that they wouldn't be learning more.

"What happened?" Jasper's voice was quiet, subdued, much less Jasper like than I was used to.

"It's not really my place," Alice told him. I slumped down to sit on the stairs and continue listening. "He just…" she paused "has some commitment issues," she finished. I held back the snort that was threatening to rip from my chest. I hardly had commitment issues.

"Because that wasn't obvious," Rosalie drawled. I wanted to punch her. She didn't know anything. She had no right to comment.

"Rose," Emmett's voice warned.

"He's going to have to tell her" Rose continued. "I don't get it. I mean Tanya practically threw herself at him, and it would have been simple, one night, Edward's favourite. Instead he got the clingy chick who doesn't know when to let go."

I clenched my teeth to keep myself quiet.

"He doesn't seem terribly opposed," Emmett contradicted. Rosalie huffed indignantly. She really was being completely unfair. Did her friend need to get laid that badly?

"Look," Alice interrupted. "Maybe this is a really good thing. I agree that eventually Edward will have to tell Bella about his past, if this is going somewhere, but us sitting here arguing about his intentions is not going to help the matter one bit. Edward will have to tell Bella about Charlotte and that's all there is to it." Everyone at the table must have gawked at her. I know I gawked from where I was sitting. How dare she? That was not her name to speak. This was not her place. I clenched and unclenched my fists angrily.

"Alice," Emmett hissed. They both knew that that name was taboo. That was twice in the last week that Alice had dared say her name and that was not acceptable.

"Who's Charlotte?" Jasper asked quietly. I heard a chair scrape on the floor and before I knew it Alice was rounding the corner.

"Oh, Edward." Her voice was tiny and her entire stature was on the defensive. I wanted to get mad at her. I didn't want them talking about me behind my back, but I didn't have the energy to fight with her. Hearing her name did that to me. It drained me of all of my energy and left me a listless shell.

"Whatever Alice" I said, pulling myself up and heading toward the bathroom without a backward glance. I didn't want to look at her, I didn't want to replay Alice saying her name, and I didn't want to fall apart in front of my sister. Because she was right, and I would have to tell Bella about her if I wanted anything to happen. But it was a catch twenty-two because once I did; Bella wouldn't want to be with me anymore.

Bella's Point of View

The shower felt great after the cold air, and once I was dry I pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, wishing I had more attractive sleep wear, but pushing the thought from my mind, since I doubted I'd be wearing it much longer anyway. Edward seemed eager, regardless of the fact that I'd told him we were sleeping. I had very little intention of sleeping anyway. I knew he'd cave. I knew I'd cave. Edward was that kind of irresistible. I knocked on the door, but when there was no answer, tentatively turned the knob and stepped in. He wasn't there, but I didn't know where he'd be, so I decided to sit down and wait.

I pulled a text book from my bag and flipped it open on the bed. I needed to get some work done; what better time to start? I plucked a highlighter from the front pocket of the backpack and chewed the cap between my teeth thoughtfully. I was pretty engrossed in the chapter when I heard a familiar voice.

"Wow, you really meant it" he said, stepping in and closing the door. I looked up and pressed my glasses up my nose again. He stared back at me, eyes blank, mouth down-turned. I could see the muscles in his neck clenching. His shoulders were slumped and he had his face angled toward the floor.

"Well, yeah" I said lamely, snapping the cap back on the marker and closing the book. "You okay? You look stressed." I reached over and placed my book on the desk and set my glasses beside it. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt, like I'd been doing it forever. I sat up and patted the bed beside me. "Hmm?" He was still staring at me, a glazed look in his eyes, his shoulders tense. He crossed the room stiffly and sat down on the edge of the bed beside me. "What's wrong?"

His hair was still wet so I assumed he'd taken a shower. It dripped onto his bare shoulders, and then trailed down his beautifully sculpted chest. I reached over and caught a drop from his earlobe. "Edward" I whispered, leaning close. "What's wrong?"

He turned to look at me, sad smile playing on his lips. His eyes glistened with what looked suspiciously like tears. He leaned in and kissed my forehead softly. "Nothing," he whispered. I could have sworn his voice broke.

I crawled behind him and squeezed his shoulders. "Relax" I cooed, rubbing my hands down his back and over his arms. I kissed his neck sensually and rested my chin on his shoulder, my hands still gently kneading down his sides. "You're so tense," I whispered. "Just relax. Let me do this for you."

"Bella" he whispered, his voice was full of sorrow and longing and something else that I didn't quite recognize. Guilt?

"Yes?" I continued to knead his shoulders between my finger tips, leaning in close and inhaling his scent, kissing his neck.

"Um," he looked at his hands, pausing a long time before continuing. "There's something about me that you don't know," he said quietly. I stopped rubbing his shoulders and moved to sit beside him. I waited, looking to his face for some sort of clue as to what was going to come. I had no idea what he was going to say. I didn't even want to venture a guess. He reached out and took my hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. "But I can't tell you right now." He finally managed. I saw that his face was twisted and he was blinking very quickly. "But I guess you should know that…" his voice trailed off. He peeked sideways at me and I met his glistening green eyes with my own. "My family is jumping to conclusions," he said clearly, reaching over and brushing my hair from my eyes.

I nodded slowly, not sure what any of that had meant, but knowing I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything that there was to know about Edward. And not Edward the womanizer, but the Edward behind the mask; Edward the person. The Edward who had brought me coffee and laughed at my roommate and taken me on the ferry. The Edward that worried if I slipped on the ice, and who chased me through the streets in February instead of shacking up with the blonde goddess. "Okay" I whispered, reaching out and tracing his jaw with the end of my fingers. He leaned over slowly and kissed my mouth softly with his own.

"Thank you," he murmured. He kissed me again, more urgently, with more depth than he'd kissed me previously, more passion. He leaned me back to the bed, our lips still connected, his bare chest pressed against my clothed one. "Thank you so much."

I stared into those wide green orbs, unsure of what I saw there. There was lust, that I was sure of, and the remnants of whatever sadness had overcome him earlier, but there was something else, something I couldn't put my finger on, or perhaps wasn't ready to put my finger on just yet. I saw this relationship that was blooming between Edward and me becoming far more complicated than I'd thought.

Edward's Point of View

The way she looked up at me made my heart pound. She lay underneath me looking up, eyes wide, pulling me in. I was sure she saw everything. She made me feel vulnerable, and for the first time I didn't mind that particular feeling. I wanted her to open me up, I wanted her to want to mend the tears and put me back together, because the fact is, I was pretty fucking torn up inside and I had a sneaking suspicion that she was the only one that had the ability to do so.

She reached out with her hand and cupped my cheek, running her thumb under my eye and over my cheek bone. It was the single most intimate gesture I'd ever experienced. "Anytime" she whispered, her full lips forming the simple word.

I leaned down to kiss her softly once more and rolled over, gently tugging her on top of me. She laid her head on my chest and I watched her rise and fall with my breath. She was magnificent. "You're beautiful," I told her; quietly, reverently. It was true. She was so much more than gorgeous, she was beautiful; because beauty is more than skin deep and Bella was more than physically attractive. Everything about her was true and honest and good. Her mind, her soul, her body. I never thought I would feel like this about another person, not since Charlotte. I never thought I'd see true beauty again, and I'd always thought that if I did, I would feel guilty, but guilt was the last emotion playing over me. I felt peaceful, more peaceful than I had in a long time.

She smiled, but didn't respond. She only leaned up and kissed me softly once more. I rolled onto my side and pulled her towards me, wrapping my arms around her tiny body, inhaling her scent. I kissed her head and she snuggled into my chest. I could feel her hot breath on my bare skin. It was soothing to know she was there, and that she wasn't going anywhere.

I heard her breathing slow and her body relaxed slightly. I knew she must have finally fallen asleep. I buried my face in her hair and closed my eyes. She smelled like summer; strawberries with a hint of sunshine and flowers.

As I lay there, unable to sleep, an angel peaceful in my arms, I went over the last week. As much as Bella had occupied my every thought for the past eight days, I realized that we had spent very little time together for me to be feeling the way I was. I felt like I'd known Bella forever, and yet I was aware that I knew very little about her. I'd barely scraped away the first layer, and yet I was comfortable for the first time in a long time. I was also scared. I was scared of what getting too close could do to me, and to her for that matter. I was afraid that I would do something to push her away and that she'd never come back. I couldn't imagine being without her now and that was after spending less than twenty-four hours with her. I wondered if that was healthy. I felt like she was my life line, like I needed her to breathe, like she was my heart and without her I would surely die. I would be the tin-man. I had been the tin-man until she came along. My heart had been stolen away. I'd lost sight of it that fateful night, and now she'd brought it back to me. I couldn't bear to lose it again.

Her breathing slowed even more and I could feel her eyelashes flutter against my chest. She was dreaming. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. "Edward," she said softly. "Why? So sad." I felt as though something was squeezing my heart, threatening to burst it. "So beautiful," she murmured. "Something is missing." I wondered how much she really knew. I wondered how she really felt. Did she feel the connection that I felt? "Edward" she said again, her voice breathless. She moaned, but it was one of frustration. And then, her breathing was back to normal, her breath hot on my chest, her hair tickling my neck. I kissed the top of her head lightly and matched my breathing to hers. It wasn't long before her presence lulled me to sleep.