Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do, however, own Adrian, this storyline, and an amazing collection of MAC cosmetics that my sister bought me.

A/N: Thanks to the best beta in the world -- readingtime. This chapter is lovingly dedicated to the LFBs -- Lillie's Forum Bitches -- They rock like no others!

Edward's POV

After Adrian went to sleep, I decided to go into the study and read some more. I picked up the picture of Bella and studied it. God, the happiness and love in her eyes, in our eyes. I set it down remorsefully and opened the guide. For Christ's sake, he even has me calling it that now! I rolled my eyes and turned to the bookmarked page.

March 9, 2005 – Oh my God! Today was a great day! Edward picked me up from school and of course Jessica ambushed me as soon as we hit the sidewalk, wanting to know everything that happened yesterday. Edward told me to tell her we were dating! Does that mean we are? I think so! I did admit to her that I was disappointed that he hadn't kissed me yet, and that I think I like him more than he likes me. I knew he'd be listening in. When I got out of class, he was standing there, looking like a Greek god. He seemed both amused and irritated. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Then we talked about it at lunch. Oh – he actually can eat food! He took a bite of my pizza. Said it tasted like dirt. Anyway – he said that I was wrong to think that I care more about him than he does me because if he would leave me and hurt himself to keep me safe, then he must care the most. That's so stupid, though. Of course I would do the same for him. Heck, when he made a joke about keeping me safe feeling like a full time job, I briefly considered FINDING ways to put myself in danger just to keep him close to me. Not that I'm telling him that.

We're not going to Seattle on Saturday after all. It's going to be sunny, so he's going to take me somewhere alone so I can see what he meant about how they look different in the sun. He wants me to make sure that I tell Charlie I'm going to be with him, but there's no way I'm doing that. If, God forbid, something should happen to me, I don't want them going after Edward. He'll feel bad enough already, I'm sure.

So Emmett likes bears, and Edward's favorite food is mountain lion. I think that's cool, it kinda suits them both. Edward freaked out when I asked him if I could watch him hunt, though. He said it's because they give themselves over to their senses, lose control. Even I can admit it. That could be bad.

I remembered everything about that conversation. Bella dared to call herself ordinary in comparison to me. Silly girl. She really thought that I didn't want to kiss her? All I had done all morning was take every sexual fantasy Jessica had about me and replay it in my mind with Bella in her place. Did she not realize how much I hungered for her lips…her skin…her body, even then? I didn't think she'd want to kiss me, she shouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near my teeth. But then again what Bella wanted and what was best for her always were two different things. I pondered on that for a moment. Was it that very type of thinking that drove a wedge between us? Who am I to say what was best for her? Obviously I was wrong to assume that kissing her would result in her death.

She thought about finding ways to put herself in danger? Knowing what I know now, that doesn't surprise me a bit. Ironic, though. At the time, I was looking for excuses to have to keep her safe. I was ridiculous with worry when Peter and Charlotte came to visit Jasper, even though in my heart I knew they would never harm her.

Maybe if I had told Bella about Alice's vision of me killing her in the meadow, how real the possibility was that she might not have returned that day, she would have understood my fears a little better, listened to me when I asked her to give me an incentive to bring her back. I still can't believe how self-sacrificing she had been. She was right before. I thought that even considering leaving her to keep her safe would prove I loved her more. But I was wrong. Her being so willing to risk her life to be with me, and cover her tracks to ensure I wasn't blamed for it if I killed her, that proved that maybe she really did love me more. I was just too blind to see it.

I laughed when I read Bella's thoughts about our hunting conversation. I had thought regaling her with tales of Emmett hunting irritable grizzlies would scare her, but no, not my Bella. She thought it was 'cool.' At least she took my word on watching us hunt. I shook my head and continued reading.

We watched a movie in Biology today. Well, there was a movie playing, but I wasn't watching it. I was too distracted by the electricity that flowed between Edward and me. I wanted to touch him so bad it took everything I had not to do it, especially when I looked at him and saw those smoldering eyes of his looking back at me. His hands were balled into fists, too. Was he feeling the same thing I was?

Yes, Bella, I was.

He touched my cheek when he walked me to gym! I was so excited I'm surprised I didn't start hyperventilating. Mike got jealous. He said that Edward looks at me like I'm something to eat! That's hysterical! If he only knew!! Haha! Edward was listening in, though. The whole class – saw me whack my head with the badminton racket and everything. I wish he wouldn't do that. I didn't want him to see me in gym – it's so embarrassing! Besides, how am I supposed to know if he's watching me get changed in the locker room through Jessica or Angela's thoughts or something? I'll bet that would scare him off for good! I doubt he'd do that, though, he doesn't seem to like me that way.

I always knew that reading people's thoughts was an invasion of privacy, but never really thought much of it. Sure, I tried to give my family privacy when I could, but I'd never hesitated to use my gift to get information when I wanted it. Bella had tried that day to make me promise not to eavesdrop again but I wouldn't do it. I supposed that was something else for me to ponder. I highlighted it and made a note in the margin to ask about it the next time she or Adrian stayed over.

March 10, 2005 – Edward left to go hunting today before our date tomorrow. He left me this note in my car!

My note telling her to 'Be Safe' had been taped onto her diary. Even on the reproduction, you could see the care she took in securing the memento into her book.

I am so excited about tomorrow that it hurts. I am a little scared, though. But if he wants so badly for me to be safe, then he couldn't possibly hurt me, right? I just have to have faith in him. What other choice do I have – lose him? No way. But if he does lose control, I hope it doesn't hurt TOO much. I'm too wound up to sleep. I'm going to take some Nyquil, see if it helps.

So she did have a survival instinct after all! That's definitely good to know! I heard Adrian get up and head for the bathroom to shower. I begrudgingly put the book down. Time to get ready for the game. After last evening's fireworks, I was not looking forward to the four of us hanging out for three hours at a football game, but it's important to Adrian, and therefore to Alice and Bella, so I had no choice, really. If they wanted me there, there I would be. I grabbed a quick shower and threw on the scarlet and grey polo shirt and blue jeans that Alice had bought me for the occasion. Adrian was running late, so I toasted him a bagel and poured some orange juice in a travel mug while he was getting dressed so he could have breakfast in the car on the way to the stadium.

"Hey, man, thanks! I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Nerves, I suppose." Adrian ripped a chunk of bagel off with his teeth and devoured it. It briefly occurred to me that he would make a very messy vampire. As it was, I was going to have to vacuum out the Volvo later to get all the crumbs out.

I dropped Adrian off at the player's entrance and navigated through the traffic to find a parking place. It was amazing to me how popular these games were. The entire town seemed to shut down for the game. Two way streets became one way roads flowing towards the stadium before the game, and would switch to become one way roads away from the stadium after the game. The horrendous smell of sweat, kielbasa, and beer filled the air surrounding the multiple tailgate parties I passed by on my way to the gate to meet up with everyone else. When I saw them, my breath hitched in my throat. Alice had obviously been playing Bella Barbie again. They were both wearing matching jerseys with Adrian's name and number, tied in a knot on the bottom hem so they fit the girls snugly, showing off their curves, with a pair of form fitting jeans and black ankle boots. Bella's hair was pulled up in a ponytail and curled, with scarlet and grey ribbons hanging down from the elastic. Her makeup was light, with just some lip gloss and mascara, not to mention a temporary tattoo of a block letter "O" on her cheek. Bella looked so sweet and innocent, and yet so sexy at the same time. Jasper must have caught a trace of my lust, because he shot me an evil glare. I closed my eyes and focused on the calm I needed to block him, and walked up to join them. I kissed first Alice, then Bella on the cheek and extended my hand to Jasper's to shake, which he begrudgingly shook. He was singing the Ohio State Fight Song in his head on repeat.

"Come on, already! Let's go find out seats! Bella, do you want something to eat before we go in?" Alice was bouncing up and down with excitement.

"No, I'm alright. Let's just get settled. I can get a pretzel and some soda off one of the vendors that go up and down the aisle." I was very proud of myself for suppressing the urge to tell her she should eat better.

We took our seats; Jasper, then Bella, then Alice, then me. Jasper leaned over and asked, "Are you sure you don't want something to eat? I think you were supposed to take those pills on a full stomach, weren't you?" Alice snorted and Bella shot her a warning look.

"Now that you mention it, I could really go for a thing of those nachos with cheese sauce. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"No, not at all." Jasper gave her a quick kiss and disappeared back up the aisle. I was fraught with worry and couldn't resist.

"Bella, what pills? Are you alright?"

Bella looked at Alice, who started laughing again. She rolled her eyes and looked back at me. "It's just some antibiotics that Alice asked Carlisle to overnight to me. Apparently, she had a vision of me getting an infection…of some type. It's just a precaution." Bella blushed, completely embarrassed.

Alice laughed even harder. "It's not my fault, blame Jasper! He's the one who wouldn't let you pee." Before I could even wrap my brain around that one, Alice screamed. "They're coming on the field! There he is! GO ADRIAN!!!"

Bella screamed "Adrian! Go Buckeyes!" and then we all sat back to enjoy the game. I had to admit, college football games were exciting. Between the entire stadium doing the wave or shouting "O – H – I – O!" and Adrian's superb skills, half time came before we knew it, and the Buckeyes ended the half up 21-0. Bella excused herself for a human moment, and barely got back in time to watch the marching band do Script Ohio before the second half started. The second half of the game was even more exciting than the first, with Wisconsin making a comeback attempt. Alice panicked, though, when Adrian got sacked. I think it was one of those moments where she was cursing the fact that she couldn't see his future. In the end, though, he was fine and Ohio State beat Wisconsin 28-14.

Alice was so excited that she decided we all needed to go out to celebrate. She had apparently heard of a new nightclub off campus and thought it would be fun to go dancing. Bella groaned, but begrudgingly agreed after Alice promised that Bella could get ready herself and wear what she wanted. We all went home to change, and agreed that we would meet at their house in an hour. I had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.

A/N: The Cullendales are playing to a sold out crowd in the Meadowlands in New Jersey! We've got the boxes reserved for my loyal reviewers, where the two new members will be giving a private show...