Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I know you guys are angry at me leaving you at such a bad cliffhanger. Sorry. But good news, this story finally has a beta! This is the first chapter she's beta-ing and has done an amazing job. Give it up for Greekchic. She rocks my sock! (My rainbow coloured ones, especially)

This is my longest chapter yet. So, here it is! Chapter 14 inEdward's Point of View

Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. Yet.


"Good bye, Bella," I said hugging her tightly, just like I always did. Only maybe to her, it may seem like a friendly gesture - to me it was something more. It was something that I needed.

The past week, I learned more about her than I probably know about myself. I could confide my inner most feelings to her. And what compels me the most is her reaction to everything. It is so different from everyone else's. When she's around, my world is full of colour and everything in comparison to her is dull and bland.

It was not only her beauty that drew me in deeper, but her personality. I've never met a person as amazing as her.

She probably only thought of me as a friend though. I was not good enough for her. She deserved some one much better.

But the thought of her being with another man hurt me more than it should. It was then I decided that though I would never be good enough for her, I never wanted to let her go. I hugged her tighter, inhaling her sweet scent and savoring the feel of her warm skin against mine.

"Bye, Edward," I heard her sigh.

I let her go and scrutinized her face as I told her that I wouldn't be able to visit in a few days. Unfortunately, Alice came down with the flu and everyone has to leave town, which left me. Jasper offered to stay and was willing to skip a meeting which was in Arizona but I assured him I would be able to take care of Alice.

She smiled. "Of course. Tell her that I hope she feels better soon. Do take care. I don't want you catching it too."

My heart soared when I heard her say those words. She truly did care for me. I nodded and turned around, grabbing my things to leave.

"Oh, and Edward?" her sweet voice called from behind me.

I turned around and as she flung herself on me. I chuckled. She stood on her toes to give me a kiss on the cheek, but because of my height, it landed on the side of my jaw. My skin tingled when her lips came in contact with them.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" she said, looking up at me from her long lashes.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and gave a faint nod. I ruffled her hair a little and left the room. I sighed when I closed the door. I wouldn't be able to see her until a few days.

I unwillingly made my way to my car and started the engine. The whole ride back, my mind wandered to Bella. How I loved to see her smile; hear her laughter.

I got home and shouted, "Alice, I'm home!" as I locked the front door. All the lights in the house had been turned off but there was a faint glow coming from the living room.

"In here," her voice croaked. Her usually squeaky, bubbly voice was now rough and hoarse. I walked towards the living room and I switched on the lights. I found my sister spread out on the couch with a box of tissues by her side and a pile of already used tissues. Gross...

Alice was wearing a pink sweater and long sweatpants. Her pitch black hair was jutting out in all directions and she looked exhausted.

"Hey Edward," she said, giving a drowsy smile. She blew her nose into a tissue and threw it into the large pile.

"Hey, how you feeling?" I asked putting my hand on her forehead to feel her temperature. She was bathed in cold sweat.

"I'll go make you some hot soup," I offered. She nodded weakly in approval. I headed towards the kitchen and searched the cupboards for a can of soup. After reading the instructions, I poured the thick goo inside the can into a large pot and added some water to let it simmer.

I stood there, absent-mindedly stirring the soup. My thoughts kept racing back to Bella. Her perfectly shaped lips, her soft ivory skin, her -

My thought were interrupted by Alice's voice. "Edward, if you don't turn off that stove soon, the soup's going to burn and I'm going to end up with food poisoning instead of recovering and Jasper's going to kill you."

I quickly turned off the stove and apologized. As I was pouring some soup into a bowl, Alice, who sat on the counter turned towards me and seemed to be staring perplexedly at something.

"Your really falling hard for her, Edward," she said.

"No. It's just a crush. It'll pass"

"Oh, really? You were standing there, stirring soup with a smile on your face. You didn't even notice the slight burning smell and I did! I was in the other room, mind you. And not to mention the fact that you hardly eversmile. And I just caught you smiling at nothing in particular. Explain that!" she argued.

"You really think so, Alice?" I questioned, unsure myself.

"You're in love with her, Edward. There's no doubt about it. Everyone's noticed. Even Emmett," she said. "Emmett," she repeated with slight emphasis.

Is it true? Do I really love Bella? I thought hard. I always wanted to see her happy and was willing to give up anything just to see her smile. Yes, I did love Bella. I felt a smile creeping up to my lips.

"I-I love Bella," I murmured to myself.

"Yes, you do,"

I laughed nervously, still trying to absorb everything in. But then, a thought hit me. What if she doesn't love me back? What then? I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and handed Alice her soup. She quietly ate it, allowing me sometime to think.

"Alice, do you mind if I go out for a bit? I need to clear my head," I asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to take a nap, so I won't be much fun to hang around with anyway,"

"Thank you," I grabbed my car keys and left the house. I drove to the trail. After walking for god knows how long, I finally reached the meadow. I laid down on the soft grass and looked up at the stars. I couldn't help but wonder if Bella was doing the same thing right now.

I thought about Bella, the woman who I now realised that I loved. But what would happen when the contract was finally signed? I wouldn't be able to see her ever again. Then again, she said that she would leave when she was eighteen. Maybe I could offer for her to stay at our house in the meantime. But what if she didn't want that? What if she already had a house to stay at?

All thoughts of Bella circled my head. After a while, I decided to go back. It was getting really late and Alice might need my help.

When I got back, all the lights in the house were off because Alice had fallen asleep on the couch. I laid the blanket over her so that she wouldn't get cold. When I went up to my room, I took a quick shower and wore only boxers to sleep. I put on my Debussy album and soon fell asleep, my dreams entirely about Bella.

The next few days passed and Alice got better. I was excited at the thought of seeing Bella again. While Alice was in bed, I told her all about Bella - how beautiful she was, how different she was from other people and how benevolent she was.

That night, I got ready to see Bella again.

As I was leaving the house, I heard Alice call from the living room, "Edward, you better make your feelings known to her before she thinks otherwise!"

I quickly made my way to the car and before I knew it, I was speeding towards Seattle. The place was packed when I got there. I took a seat at the same table I always sat at. Strippers came out one by one but I didn't spot Bella the whole evening. I did my work, but kept getting distracted by my worried thoughts. What if she was hurt?

Then, people slowly began to leave and soon, I was the only person in the room. I continued doing my work, seeing as I was in the 'flow'. I readjusted my reading glasses while counting the sum of a few renovation costs.

Then, I heard a small sigh and looked up to see Bella, leaning against the wall, staring at me.

"How long have you been there?" I frowned. I could have been spending more time with Bella instead of doing all this work.

"Not long," she shrugged and walked towards me. I noticed her slow movements as she came to sit beside me.

"Why didn't I see you up there today?" I admit that it was a little too straight forward but curiosity got the better of me.

I suddenly realised what I seemed to be implying and my eyes widened. I quickly shook my head and waved my hands furiously in front of me. "No, no! I don't mean it in that way. I mean, uhh. Never mind," I flushed tomato red as she giggled.

"I was just a little sick. I'm fine now, though," she said. I noticed her hesitance. I could tell she was lying but I knew that she was sick or hurt.

"Are you sure? Did you take any medicine? Did you get enough rest?" I was worried, I have to admit. What if had caught a dangerous flu or a deadly disease? I placed the back of my hand on her forehead to check her temperature just in case. She felt fine. Maybe I was just over reacting.

She suddenly relaxed from her earlier tense position but I caught her wince slightly. I frowned even more. She was clearly not alright.

"Really, I'm fine. As fit as a fiddle," she assured. She was smiling so widely just to convince me. She looked so cute that I burst out laughing. She glared at me. "Do you think my smile is funny?" she said, placing both hands on her hips.

It was amazing how she could look so beautiful even when she was furious.

"On the contrary. I think it's quite cute," I smirked.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the papers on the table.

"I'll be signing the deal tonight," I murmured. I had to tell her. I had put it off long enough. She looked at me, but I couldn't bear to see her expression. I looked down but felt her hand tip my head upwards. She looked at me, as if trying to figure out how I was feeling. Her face displayed the same emotion mine had; sadness.

"Oh," she replied. She looked so upset and I could see her eyes start to tear up.

I hugged her, not knowing what to say to make her feel better. I placed my chin on the top of her head and gently traced circles on her back with my thumb. We stood like that for a while before I spotted the watch on the wall and found that it was nearly midnight.

I slowly pulled away. "Bella, it's getting late,"

She nodded and slowly stood up. We stared at each other for a moment. Her lovely brown, doe-like eyes stared at me. I felt my breath get caught in my throat at how beautiful she was.

"Bella," I breathed. Our bodies were so close now. We slowly leaned forwards towards each other and I tilted my head slightly and gently pressed my lips against hers. I felt huge jolts of electricity coursing through my body. Her lips were soft as they moved against mine. I poured all my feelings for her into that kiss, hoping the message would come across. She slid her fingers through my hair, bringing me closer to her. I slid my hands around her petite waist, pulling her body closer to mine. The feel of her chest against mine brought out such a warm feeling and I continued to kiss her warm, soft lips.

We were interrupted by a loud knock on the door, making Bella jump. I was gasping for breath and so was she. I quickly ran my hands through my hair, trying to make it look less messy than it already was.

"I'll be out in a few!" she shouted. Wow, she kissed me. I could still feel my lips tingling from the kiss.

"Goodbye, Edward," she said sadly.

"Good bye, Bella," I said, slowly brushing my lips against hers. I looked at her, not knowing when I was going to be able to see her again. I studied her face, not ever wanting to forget it. Then, she turned around and left the room. Goodbye, Bella.

That night, after finally signing the deal with Jerry, I stayed up in bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Because of that, I only managed to get about two hours of sleep that night.

I got up the next morning and moped around the house the whole day. Alice and Esme tried cheering me up but that wouldn't work. Rosalie was shouting at me for not stealing her away from the place. There are no secrets in this house.

It was two days until Bella's birthday. I never forgot the date when she told me the first time we met. That night, I went to Seattle to cash in some cheques at the bank.

Suddenly, I got a call from an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" I greeted to the stranger on the other end of the receiver.

"Hello? Edward?" asked a very frightened sounding Bella.

"Bella is that you? Where are you? You sound frightened. Are you alright?" I was very worried now. What was wrong? Was Bella hurt? God, please don't let Bella be hurt!

"Edward, I need you to come. Please. There's this man and he's planning on raping me tonight. Please, Edward." I could hear her sobbing on the other end of the phone. Rape?! No pervert is going to lay a finger on Bella if I have anything to say about it!

"What?! Stay wherever you are and lock the doors. Don't come out until I -" I was cut off by the sound of a door being slammed open.

"No!" I heard my angel cry. I quickly hung up and ran to my car. I could hear the bankers voice frantically calling me to collect my money but I didn't care. All I could think about was saving Bella.

I revved up the engine of my car which was already going at 100 mph. When I finally got there all I could was, 'Please don't let me be late, please don't let me be late'

I pushed through the large crowd, ignoring the blaring music. I searched through all the rooms in the building when I finally heard some one sobbing from the room at the end of the corridor. I ran there and slammed the door open.

Bella was pinned against the wall by a blond man who had just unzipped his pants and was kissing Bella's neck. He whirled around when he heard the loud noise.

I couldn't control my anger anymore. "Get off her, you son of a-" and I gave him two hard punches on the jaw and face, the second being harder that the first. The blonde man fell on the floor and was now unconscious.

I stood above him, my nostrils flaring as I thought of another way of hurting the scumbag. But my violent thoughts were interrupted by Bella's voice. "Edward," she cried, running into my arms. I quickly put my arms around her and let her cry into my chest as I gently stroked her hair.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm here now," I whispered, trying my best to calm her down.

"Come on," I placed my coat on her and led her out the door, keeping one hand firmly around her waist, not wanting to let her out of my sight. I glared at all the men who were giving her dirty looks as we passed them. I ushered her into the passenger seat of my car and climbed into the driver's seat. I quickly drove to the nearest, decent hotel and handed my keys to the valet.

I headed towards the reception and asked for a room. Once that was done, I quickly turned my focus back to Bella. She seemed to still be frightened and I pulled her closer to me.

When the receptionist finally gave us our room card, I slowly pulled Bella towards the elevator and pressed the number '6'. I rubbed circles on her back soothingly when I noticed that she was still shaking.

When we got to our room, I slotted the card, opened the door and pulled Bella to the bed. I searched through the wardrobe and took out the long, white robe that the hotel provided.

"Come on. Let's get you changed," I said gently. "Can you put it on yourself?" It was quite obvious that wouldn't feel very comfortable sleeping in that 'costume'.

She shook her head silently and I knew she was still traumatized. I sighed. How am I going to do this? I pulled her up and asked her to face the other way. I gently slid off the top of her costume. Her back was not completely exposed but I had to stop myself from reaching out to feel her soft, ivory skin. I held the robe up and asked her to slide her hands in and she did. She then tied the strings herself and took off the bottom half of her costume.

"You done?" I asked. She replied with an 'Mhm' and turned around. I didn't know what to do. There she was, standing in front of me in nothing by a robe. I had to push all these thoughts aside. She then walked to me and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist.

"Just hold me, please," she murmured. I nodded. I would be more than happy to. I pulled her to the bed and laid her down. I adjusted the comforter and pulled off my pants because I couldn't sleep with my them on. I was about to take of my shirt when I remembered that I would be sleeping with Bella. She wouldn't be able to handle that right now.

I slid into bed with her and wrapped one arm around her waist as she snuggled into my chest. I gently stroked her hair and began humming the tune of the song which I wrote for her. Her lullaby.

She soon fell asleep but I stayed awake a bit longer, just staring at her beautiful face. How could someone hurt an angel like her? It should be illegal. I stared at her a bit more before finally falling asleep.

I was awaken by the warm feeling of her fingers tracing my face. As she traced my lips, I couldn't help but smile. I gave her finger a small kiss and slowly opened my eyes. She smiled warmly at me and my heart almost melted. She was too beautiful for her own good.

"Good morning," I whispered. She smiled. "Good morning,"

"How you feeling?" I asked, making sure that the vile pig from last night hadn't caused her any injuries.

"Okay," she croaked. I felt her hand wandering under the comforter and finally grabbing mine, squeezing it a little. I brought her hand up to my lips and gently gave it a kiss. I then heard her gasp.

"Oh my god, Edward. Are you alright?" she asked bringing my hand closer to her as she delicately caressed the scratches on it with her fingers.

"It's nothing. It doesn't hurt really," I admitted.

She looked at me and cupped one hand on my cheek, I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth that was spreading through me from her touch.

"Edward," she said as she gently stroked my cheek with her thumb. I opened my eyes and looked at her. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

I smiled as we stared at each other in comfortable silence. How did I get so lucky and stumble upon such a exquisite woman? I mused.

Finally, I sighed and climbed out of bed. "I'm going to go take a shower and get you some clothes to wear while you shower later," I said. I grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom.

I took my time in the shower, relaxing myself until I finally decided that I had been in there long enough. I wore the clothes I wore yesterday and got out the bathroom. I found Bella standing outside on the balcony. Her eyes were closed and her hair was gently flying with the wind. She took my breath away.

I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind her. "Hey," I whispered into her ear. "I'll be right back. Don't open the door for anyone other than myself, okay?" She nodded.

I left the room and walked to a shop near the hotel. I picked out some clothes for myself and changed into them, paying for it as I left.

I then walked to another shop. I browsed through the shop but had no idea what to get for Bella. I headed over to the counter where a woman probably in her mid fifties was reading a romance novel.

I cleared my throat. She looked up at me and smiled. "Excuse me, my... girlfriend and I were on our way to Forks to visit my family but it was getting late so we decided to stay at a hotel for the night. We didn't bring any clothes, you see. And I was hoping to surprise her. Could you help me chose something nice for her to wear?"

She looked at me with believing eyes and smiled. "Sure."

She asked me what colour I would prefer andI thought hard. She looked exceptionally beautiful in blue so I suggested it. The woman nodded and picked out a blue dress, a white hat and a pair of heels to go with it. I paid for the clothes and made my way back to the hotel.

When I returned, Bella was sitting on the bed, staring pensively at the floor.

"Bella?" I called. She looked up and smiled. She looked at me and raised and eyebrow. "Nice," she said motioning towards my new clothes. I chuckled.

"Thanks. These are yours. Go get changed and then we'll go down for breakfast. I didn't really know what to get you so I had to tell the person at the desk that it was for a girlfriend of mine," I laughed nervously and scratched my head.

She giggled and took the bag. When I heard the bathroom door close, I walked out to the balcony and looked around. There was a park nearby that we could go to get some food. When I heard the bathroom door unlock, I went back into the room.

She came out looking stunning in the dress which made her glow.

She suddenly became very nervous as she noticed my probing stare. "What? What's wrong? I look bad don't I? I should take this off. I probably look like - "

I quickly cut her off. "No, you look fine. You look beautiful," I assured her, looking into her hazel eyes.

She blushed and muttered a thanks. Then, she glared at me. Okay, that was unexpected.

"Edward Cullen. How much exactly did you spend on these clothes?" she asked in a demanding tone. I knew she wasn't one for people spending money on her.

"Not telling you," I teased. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Fine! But I will find someway to pay you back for all this."

"What ever you say, Bella," I chuckled. "Come on. Let's go get some food."

I took her hand and pulled her out the door.

As we left the hotel, we walked a while, making small talk until we finally reached a small hot dog stand in the park. I glared at all the men who were ogling her on the way but I couldn't blame them though. She was just too irresistible.

She raised her eyebrow. "Hot dogs for breakfast?"

I looked at my watch. "Well, it's nearly twelve. I doubt any shops are still serving breakfast,"

She rolled her eyes.

"Two please," I said said to the man, sticking up two fingers.

"Okey-dokey," said the man. He handed us both our hot dogs and muttered a friendly 'Enjoy'.

We then went to get coffee and sat down on a bench and We joked about little things which took us a longer time to finish our food. Bella then picked up a piece of tissue.

"You've got some sauce on your face. Hold still," I stopped moving completely and watched her as she concentrated hard on wiping the sauce of my face. She was so adorable. When it was finally gone, she exclaimed, "Done!' with a triumphant smile. She was simply a magnificent creature.

She blushed when she noticed me staring and looked away.

"The colour blue suits you," I complimented.

"Thanks," she turned even redder.

"Bella," I said. She turned to face him again. "I-I need to tell you something,"

My breathing was unsteady. I was contemplating whether or not to tell her. I decided that I would. I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Bella, I've only known you for no more than two weeks but feel like I've known you for longer. When I'm with you, everything feels so right and my life is suddenly bright again. You light up my life Bella. You are the most important person to me right now. I l-love you, Bella," I was stammering when I got to the end. I stared at her, waiting to see her reaction. She breathed out. My hands were sweating from the anxiety.

"Edward," she whispered. "I- I don't think I can,"

With those few words, my world came crashing down. I looked down, ashamed. For the first time in my life, I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes that were threatening to spill.

"Oh," I whispered. "I understand,"

"No, Edward. Let me finish," she said, taking my face in her small hands, making me look at her.

She then inhaled deeply before continuing.


Yay! I've finished. Thank you,Greekchic for getting rid of all those pesky grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. You rock!

Now, don't you guys feel a teeny bit better after reading the extra ending in Edward's point of view?

Review and tell me what you think. Don't forget to vote on the poll on my user page. Review and I might post up the next chapter really fast, just like this one. -hint- hint-

-Sabrina-