Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do own my OCs, this storyline, and a 20 year old cat who likes to sit on my computer.

A/N: Thanks as always to readingtime! You rock my world! Happy Birthday Juliet!!! My reading selection for the week is Hello, Stranger by Burrberry Bugsy. It is an all human story. Bella and Edward had a crush on each other in high school, but neither ever knew. When they meet again in college and are forced to act like a married couple for 28 days for an assignment, will romance blossom? This is a really sweet story and there is something about her Edward that I just love. You'll find it on my favorites list. Theme song for this chapter? "Don't" by Jewel.

Edward's POV

Bella's breathing became stuffy overnight and by morning she had a fever. Her nose was red and runny, she couldn't stop coughing and sneezing, and she barely had the energy to get out of bed to make it to the couch. I poured her some orange juice and brought her over a box of tissues while she sprawled out on the couch under a blanket that she alternately kicked off and wrapped tight around her.

"I'm going to get you some cold medicine, I'll be right back." Luckily, Esme had stocked the bathroom with just about every over the counter medicine known to man, so it was relatively easy to find what I was looking for. I heard her cough again and then blow her nose loudly. Damn Jasper for taking her out in the freezing rain like that!

I brought back her medicine and handed her the pills while I put my free hand to her forehead to gauge her temperature, about 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Your hand feels so cool against my skin, it's very soothing," she said. It made me feel so good to be able to bring her comfort. I ran my hand along her forehead and the back of her neck in long, slow strokes for a few minutes before she took my hand and pulled as though she wanted me to lay down on the couch with her.

"Just let me send Alice a text to let her know that we're staying home today so she can pick up our assignments, alright?" Bella nodded and blew her nose again. After I sent Alice the text message, I scooted behind Bella on the couch and spooned her to me. She fell back to sleep almost immediately. It felt wonderful to be so close to her, but she was so heated against my skin from her fever that after a while it warmed my marble skin the way the sun heats a rock and makes it hot. She was starting to sweat, my body no longer cooling her, so I decided to get up and make her some chicken soup. It was almost time for her to take some more medicine anyway.

Bella moaned when I woke her, sounding truly miserable. I gave her a mug of soup and some saltine crackers, but she only took a few sips before putting it down, making a face like I'd tried to sneak her snake blood. She swallowed the cold pills with a grimace, saying her throat was sore. Her fever was about the same, and her hair was starting to stick to her face from sweat, so I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, setting her down on the bed so I could draw her a lukewarm bath. I left her a pair of summer pajamas to change into when she got out. The flannel ones were doing her no good right now.

While she was in the tub, I changed my clothes into a sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of shorts, allowing my own body to cool down once more so that when she got out of the tub, I would be able to assist her again if need be. I folded down the comforter so that she could lay with just the lightweight sheet on her and waited. Bella fell asleep in the tub, and I had to knock hard twice on the door before she woke up with a splash. She dried off and dressed slowly and shuffled her feet back to the bed, flopping down on it rather unceremoniously. I tucked her in under the sheet and kissed her forehead. She muttered something unintelligible before drifting back to sleep.

Alice stopped by after school to drop off jello and chicken soup in addition to our homework for the week. "Just in case," she said before she flitted away again. Somehow I had a feeling that was code for this was going to take a few days for Bella to get over. When Bella woke up, I cajoled her into eating a little cherry jello, but that was about it.

"Will you lay with me? I really did feel better when you were next to me. We could watch a movie or something. I'm tired of sleeping." We decided on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I laid down under the covers with Bella and held her close. I could feel the heat radiating from her. I hated seeing her sick. I pulled her a little further on top of me and, hesitating for only a moment, slid my hand under the hem of her tank top in the back, placing my palm on the small of her back, trying to gain the most direct contact possible to relieve her fever. She gasped a little at the initial shock of my hand against her damp skin, but then hummed from the coolness I provided. Her sweet sounds emboldened me and I caressed her lower back by splaying my fingers and just twisting my wrist left and right. Although I was doing it for her, I couldn't deny that even with her skin being so hot and clammy, it felt wonderful to be able to touch her like that. Bella lifted her head to look up at me and I gave her a tender kiss. Bella looked startled.

"Edward, you shouldn't do that," Bella chided. "I'm sick."

"It's not like I am going to catch your cold," I reminded her.

"True," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. I kissed her again, and this time she returned it. I didn't let it go any further than a soft, chaste kiss before breaking away.

"Rest, my Bella." Bella smiled at me and laid her head back down on my chest. Eventually Bella fell asleep. I got up for a while to allow my surface temperature to go back down, but Bella's nightmare came back and so I returned to bed to hold her and promise her yet again that I would always catch her if she fell.

The next three days continued much the same, me caring for Bella and her being lethargic and miserable. I made her soup, massaged her neck and back when she complained of muscle aches, and held her whenever she got too hot. Outside of Alice's one brief visit and a text from Kelly wondering if Bella was alright when she missed their lunch date, we hadn't had any contact with the outside world. If it weren't for the fact that Bella was so sick, it would have been really nice, just Bella and me in our own little cocoon.

On Thursday evening, Bella's fever finally broke, but I convinced her to stay in bed one more day anyway. On Friday morning, I made her some tea and brought it to her with some toast with jam.

"Good morning, beautiful," I said as I placed the tray over her lap. "You look like you're feeling better this morning."

"I am," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. You shouldn't have had to do that."

"It was my pleasure, Bella. There's nowhere I'd rather be," I said as I sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.

"We missed almost a whole week of our two weeks to start acting like a couple again. Do you think it'll hurt us? Do you think they'll figure it out now because of me?" I could tell she was starting to panic. It was the only thing that kept her words from cutting me like a knife. I knew she didn't mean it the way that it came out, but it still stung a little. In my mind, the past couple of days felt as though we were a couple again. Acting hadn't even crossed my mind. I guess she didn't see it that way. She probably just saw a good friend helping her.

"Bella, calm down. For one thing, isn't this something most couples do for one another? Take care of each other when they're sick?" Bella snorted and rolled her eyes at me.

"Not when half the couple is a vampire who never gets sick."

"If it will make you feel better, I could pretend to be sick and you could take care of me…" Bella smiled, then she ducked her head away and blushed. What could have possibly caused that reaction?

"What? What were you thinking just now?"

"Nothing. No way. Forget it. Moving on," Bella insisted, biting her lower lip.

"Why won't you tell me, Bella?" I asked seriously.

Bella chose to answer the question with another question. "Edward, do you find any of this…confusing? Us being together, but not."

"No, I don't find it confusing at all. Bittersweet and painful, maybe, but not confusing. But Bella, it's different for me. I love you. I am still every bit in love with you now as I was when we were together, if not more so. I know you're not oblivious to that fact," I touched the charm on her necklace where the clasp had drifted to the front and pressed it gently to her skin for emphasis. "Just as I'm certain that deep down you knew I wasn't dealing with our separation as easily as I let on."

Bella contemplated that for a moment and then nodded her head. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

"You always seem to believe the most outrageous lies, even in the face of the most fundamental truths. It is actually number three on my list."

Bella was intrigued. "Number three? What was number two?"

"Your insecurities. No matter how many times I told you, you would never believe that you were beautiful, that you were worthy of any amount of love or sacrifice. It was beyond frustrating at times."

Bella surprised me with her quick retort. "I can imagine. I'm sure it would be similarly frustrating to having to deal with a vampire who insisted he was a soulless monster, who refused to be convinced that he was worthy of any amount of love or sacrifice."

My mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Bella smirked in satisfaction before scooting her body down under the covers again.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I'm still really tired. Can we finish this conversation after a nap?"

"Of course, love. Shall I hum you your lullaby?" I asked as I laid down next to her, and she assumed her usual position with one arm and one leg flung over my body, her head in the crook of my neck. She fell asleep quickly, and the nightmare about falling quickly resurfaced. I wished she would say something that would give me a better idea what her nightmare was about. Did she fall down a well? Was she watching too many Lassie reruns on Nick at Nite? I was mentally recapping every television show and movie we'd watched together searching for a clue when her murmurs changed.

"Tired of fighting…" she moaned. The leg that was between mine hitched up, pressing her knee firmly against my member, eliciting an involuntary hiss from me as I hardened against the friction. I scooted up a little to put some space between me and her knee, but Bella just followed me, pressing her heated sex against my hip and her knee against my now painful erection.

"Mmmmm…." Bella slid her hand up from where it was resting on my shoulder to cup my neck and began placing soft kisses along my collarbone. I took a sharp intake of air and was bombarded with the scent of her arousal.

"Bella?!" I realized her nightmare had ended and she was now having a dream of a more sensual nature. I started to disentangle myself from her before the situation became any more awkward. It was always hard enough on me when she would have these dreams when we were together, but when you added in the very real possibility that she was dreaming about Jasper, it became even more unbearable.

"Mmmm…Edward…" What?! One look down and I saw that she was definitely still asleep. "So good…I had no idea…" I was frozen in place, absolutely shocked. Bella began grinding herself against my hip, her knee rubbing against me. I could feel her nipples harden and press into my side. She became flushed and she picked up speed. "Just like that, Edward…don't stop…" I knew I should move. I should push her off of me and stop this. But while my brain said 'Go,' my body said 'Stay.' Then she said the words that allowed my heart to be the tiebreaker. "Edward…I love you." I stayed. I didn't touch her back, I didn't move, but I didn't leave. I was certain I would regret it, but for the moment, I was just going to close my eyes and enjoy it. I let her work her body against me, let her hands wander over my chest, let her lips press against my skin as she moaned and writhed.

When her hand made its way to my crotch, my body involuntarily bucked against her and she squeezed me. I found myself biting my lip, trying to steel my body against the feeling building in the pit of my stomach. Bella started stroking me through my jeans, harder and faster. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander, visualizing what it would be like to make love to Bella. Was she dreaming of me making love to her, thrusting into her with every stroke of her hand? I could feel myself throbbing beneath her touch. How I would love to be truly connected with her, feel myself deep inside her welcoming body. Bella cried out my name as she reached her climax. "Edward! Yes!" I exploded under her hand, groaning and gritting my teeth together, grabbing the sheet for support as I came in my jeans. I had never felt anything so pleasurable in my entire life! It was so much better than I'd ever dreamed. But I was immediately gripped by the iron hands of guilt. It felt wrong to me to allow that to happen without Bella's express knowledge. But…she was thinking of me. She had enjoyed it too, even if it was in her sleep. I knew I would have to tell her about this when she woke up. I hoped she wouldn't hate me for it.

Bella's breathing returned to normal she began softly snoring. Her grip on me had loosened, and I was able to sneak out from under her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before heading for a much needed shower.

Once under the hot spray of the shower, I thought not just about what had happened, although my mind wanted to think of nothing else. I thought about what she'd said. Bella said she loved me. Granted, it was in a dream and she didn't know she said it. But she had said it nonetheless. It reminded me of the day she'd said she loved me in her sleep when we first met, and it filled me with the same sense of hope and determination as it had then. If Bella truly loves me still, then I would just have to find a way to prove to her that we were meant to be. I would show her that I could make all of her dreams come true and be the man I should have been before. If Bella loves me, then nothing would stand in our way. I just had to figure out a way to find out for certain that it wasn't all just a dream.

A/N: The Cullendales are in the Windy City, visiting Edward's old stomping grounds in Chicago! Only a few more stops left in the US before they head back overseas. Get your requests in now! Emmett would love to personally introduce you to Spike (and he isn't talking about a rhino)!