Hey! This is probably one of my quickest updates... and it will always be like this for a while, due to a fact called No School. Isn't that just awesome? :D


Starlight - Chapter 13: Those Three Simple Words

Bella's POV:

"Just what do you mean by nobody won?" Rosalie demanded. "I'm supposed to win!"

"Actually Rosalie, I did," I told her quietly. "Back at the carnival."

Her eyes bugged open. "What?" she screeched.

"Guys!" Alice yelled, trying to get us in control. "That's what I'm talking about! There is no bet! This was just... um... I guess 'scam' would be the best way to describe it."

We both faced her. "You have one minute to explain yourself," Rosalie said.

"Listen... uh... okay, Bella, I know you kissed Edward back at the psychic's tent," Alice said.

"What?" Now I was the one who screeched. "How did you know? I never told you! Did I?"

"No... But seriously? You did? Then you did win after all," Rosalie mused.

"I told you, there is no bet!" Alice yelled in frustration. "It was just a way to get you guys together! And Bella, do you know how I knew about the kiss? It's because Jasper has-"

"What does my brother have to do with this?" Rosalie interrupted.

Alice took a deep breath. "Actually... everything."

"Explain," Rosalie demanded.

"Look... I think we should call the guys. They're just as involved, too," Alice said timidly.

"Alice... you just better explain everything, or I'm going to really regret meeting you in the first place," I muttered.

"Trust me... I will," she said.

-0-

"Can't we just talk about this tomorrow?" Emmett groaned. "Can it be that important that you need to wake me up?

"It is for us," Rosalie said. I nodded as I leaned my head on Edward's shoulder and he placed his arm around me.

Alice faced us, Jasper beside her.

She started speaking. "You know how we all met here when we transferred? But in our case, we met a long time ago. I met Jasper in summer camp three years ago."

"We had a relationship," Jasper continued. "But as the camp ended, so did it. We lost touch, and we have never met again until that day."

I progressed this information.

"Now... I knew that Edward liked Bella," Jasper said. "If not always talking about her proved it. But I also knew that he would be too shy to ever ask her out. I knew that they will never be together." I sneaked a look at Edward, and he was blushing crimson, staring straight ahead, and avoiding me.

"So Jasper told me about it," Alice continued. "And I told him that Bella liked him too." Hey... did she just say that to everyone? Now I was the one avoiding Edward's gaze. "I also knew about how Emmett and Rosalie liked each other, but they would never accept it, especially Rosalie." I heard Rosalie sniff defiantly. "So we decided to play matchmaker. I thought of having a bet. Jasper challenged the boys while I challenged you girls."

"Is this true?" I whispered.

"Yeah, pretty much everything she said," Edward whispered back.

"Then we learned there was a carnival. I have a friend whose mother is a 'psychic' that works in carnivals. I contacted her and gave her a list of things to say to all of you," Jasper admitted. "That's how she knew your names."

"The pink paper," Edward realized.

"Yeah... that was mine," Alice spoke. "I wrote my phone number there in case she had to contact us. And when I saw the exes, I told her to go to you guys, to 'rescue' us. I saw you run into her tent, so she went there directly, in time to see you kiss. She told Jasper about it later... she also said she lost the paper with my phone number, so she had to ask her son for Jasper's number. So that's how I knew about it, Bella."

"You're a genius, Alice, I have to give you that," I said.

"Thanks," she grinned.

"That day when we had the bet, you immediately disappeared after we did it. Were you meeting Jasper?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was," she admitted. "He was telling me how it went with the guys."

"Wait," Rosalie interrupted. "I have a question. You guys got together before anyone of us kissed, right?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"So you won the bet," Rosalie sighed.

"For the last time, there is no bet!" Alice yelled, almost red in the face.

Rosalie giggled. "I know. I just wanted you annoy you."

"Not funny, Rosalie!" she growled.

"Now, can we go back?" Edward asked. "Yeah," Alice nodded. "We're just sorry we had to trick you like that. But it was worth it, right?"

"Wrong," Rosalie said. "Look." I turned around to see Emmett asleep, leaning on her.

"Aww... Little Emmett's asleep," I cooed. He shifted and started thumb sucking. That was a funny sight. A grown man, thumb sucking? "Wait- so he never heard your explanation since he fell asleep?"

"I guess not," Alice shrugged. "Never mind. I don't think he needs to know. I think he can live without the knowledge of it."

"He looks so cute!" I giggled.

"Don't wake him!" Alice warned. "Let me take a picture first. You never know when a little blackmail is needed." She got her camera and snapped a picture. I looked at the screen. Emmett looked so peaceful and innocent, snuggled up against Rosalie, thumb in his mouth. Plus, he was wearing his teddy bear pajamas, and he had a night cap on his head. Rosalie looked like she was being tortured while he looked like a guy who was stuck in childhood.

"I think you guys should just sleep here," I said. "You can crash on the couches."

"Thanks," Jasper yawned. 'I think we might just do that."

"What about me?" Rosalie yelped. Just then, Emmett shifted so he was leaning on the couch, and his arm around Rosalie. She smiled as she snuggled against him. "You know what? I'll just sleep here... One of you go sleep on my bed..."

"I'll just sleep on this couch," Edward murmured, kicking his shoes off.

"No, you go sleep on Rosalie's bed," Alice ordered. Hey... what was she doing? Her bed was right next to mine.

"But-" He couldn't finish his protest.

"I said go," Alice repeated.

He shrugged and went in our room. I pointed to him where Rosalie's bed was and I went to the bathroom. After a few minutes, I went out, ready to sleep. I froze in shock as I saw Edward on my bed. A few seconds after, I regained control over my legs. I decided to just sleep on Rosalie's bed. As I sat on her bed, Edward turned around and faced me.

'Why aren't you sleeping in your bed?" he asked sleepily as he shifted to the side. "Come here, there's still enough space. Don't worry; I won't kill you in your sleep."

I nervously got in beside him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head.

"Goodnight love," he murmured.

"G'night," I murmured sleepily.

With Edward beside me, I fell asleep immediately in his arms.

___________________________________________________________

Edward's POV:

I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. I looked around. This isn't my room... where was I? I looked down to see my beautiful angel sleeping peacefully. Then I remembered. What happened was real; it wasn't just some wacky dream.

But what woke me up?

I tried to go back to sleep when I heard some noise.

"No..." Bella mumbled.

She sleep talked! So that woke me up. I waited for more.

"Maxie... no... Bastard... go to hell!" She fell silent for a few seconds. "Psychic... scary... Jasper...Alice...why?" I guess she was dreaming about what happened today.

"Edward..." she mumbled my name. "Beautiful green eyes..."

"I love your brown eyes too," I whispered. I felt silly talking to someone who's asleep.

"I love you, Edward......"

I smiled. She loved me. She loved me. I felt like screaming with joy. Those three simple words... they made me feel whole.

"I love you, Bella, love. And I will, forever."


I hope you enjoyed that! Did you expect the twist I added with Alice and Jasper? :D

Lately, I've noticed that the reviews have gone down... Is it because of the slow updates? Or is the story getting boring and too dragging? Please tell me so I will be able to improve my writing! I'll have quicker updates, though. The story's almost done... just one more twist, and then it's the end. :( But I think it will take plenty of chapters to do the last twist...

Answer to last chapter's question: You use cameras, not wooden legs! This chapter's question:

How many times can you subtract 5 from 25?

Please review!!! :D

Jen