"Come on, baby," I urged my truck, as it shuddered along the uneven path to the Cullen house. I would have to ask Rosalie to take a look at it.

I tried to calm my racing heartbeat, knowing that the minute I stepped in the doorway, every vampire in the house would know I was nervous. Especially Jasper, I groaned internally. At least Edward can't read my mind

Edward and I hadn't spoken since our friendly breakthrough at school on Friday. It had felt so comfortable at the time, and I worried that the awkwardness would return. I felt like I was walking a precarious tightrope, and I was doing everything I could to keep my clumsy butt from falling. I wanted it all. I wanted Edward's friendship, along with the friendship of the other Cullens. I wanted Jacob's love. I wanted too much, I thought.

So much could go wrong. The Cullens and my La Push family were natural enemies. As much as they had forged an alliance, it was still a hesitant, forced relationship. Edward loved me, and I didn't want his desire for me to make a friendship with him impossible.

And Jacob

The threat of imprinting still hung over our heads. Just yesterday, after Jacob and I had headed back to the group — still giddy from our revelations — I saw the power of imprinting firsthand. Collin, one of the 14-year old "babies" of the pack, had stood to throw away some pizza boxes and locked eyes with one of Rachel's friends, a 17-year old girl from the Makah reservation named Charity. The instant connection between the two of them was indescribable. Even as Charity laughed uncomfortably with her friends while Collin followed her around, it was hard to miss the strange warmth and affection in her gaze toward the younger boy.

To my surprise, Emily and Sam seemed very uncomfortable with this turn of events. They whispered and frowned and kept a constant eye on both Collin and Charity. However, whatever objection they had was put aside as Emily put her sympathetic educator face on. She waited until the crowd thinned before taking Charity and Collin aside, out of earshot, so Collin could have some time in private to try and explain the incomprehensible. I watched as Charity's eyes grew wide, shocked, scared. She made a half-hearted attempt to walk away before Collin's pleas stopped her in her tracks. I observed them closely. It was clear that Collin was enamored, but Charity seemed terrified of her immediate feelings for the younger teen. I tried not to stare, but couldn't help myself. Before Jacob and I left, I heard Charity pull Rachel away from Seth and Paul, who were still teasing and flirting with Jacob's big sister, and ask for a ride home. But, before she left, she paused in front of Collin and finally gave her overwhelmed werewolf a hug and a promise to call him the next day.

I was even more confused when Jacob seemed as agitated about this imprint as Sam and Emily. After he dropped me off at my house, with a quick kiss and a mumbled endearment, he hurried off with the excuse that he had to talk to Sam. It seemed important, so I assumed he'd tell me what was going on. Eventually.

The house came into sight amid the trees, while my truck coughed and protested. I parked in front of the garage and was startled when Rosalie appeared right outside of my window. Her eyes were excited, and it was the friendliest I'd seen her toward me.

"Bella," she said simply, opening the door for me and reaching down by my feet to pop the hood. Then she stepped back to give me a chance to climb out. "I'll have it running perfectly in an hour or so!"

I didn't entirely trust the brightness in her eyes. I knew she had been itching to get her manicured hands under the hood of the truck, to see what she could do with the classic engine.

"Just fix it, Rose," I pleaded. "No fancy stuff, please."

She just grinned at me and glanced over at the porch, where Emmett was waiting in the doorway, his arms folded across his massive chest. Walking to him, I heard a tinkling giggle from Rosalie.

I saw the rest of the Cullens waiting for me behind Emmett's bulky frame. Edward glared daggers at his brother's back, and I felt immediately wary of the gleeful expression on Emmett's dimpled face.

My fears were confirmed when he caught me up in a bear hug and his loud voice boomed, "Bella! You little vixen…seducing a werewolf in our living room? I always knew you had it in you!"

***

Esme had gracefully diffused the situation before the house suffered any damage. Emmett's well-intentioned teasing had not gone over well with Edward, who growled lowly at Emmett's words. But it had been Alice, snarling "Emmett, you idiot," who had crouched down in preparation for attack. Esme quickly suggested that Emmett help his wife with my truck, and Emmett, realizing he had gone a bit too far, obliged. He muttered a low, but sincere, apology on his way past me, and I smiled to let him know I had no hard feelings.

I was incredibly embarrassed, though. Edward distracted me quickly, asking if I wanted to go upstairs to the library with him. I agreed with enthusiasm and we made our way to my favorite room of the Cullen house. Carlisle and the rest of the family had amassed an impressive amount of literature over the centuries. Shelves and shelves of classics, countless medical texts, and even a small section on auto repair that Rosalie cherished. The large room smelled of aged parchment and leather covers, and I inhaled and hugged myself tightly. It was the first time I had been here since September.

Edward watched me with a small smile on his face. "Shall we?" he asked, walking over to the leather armchairs in the corner and taking a spot on the ground. I froze.

Back when we had been together, one of our favorite things to do was to spend the afternoon in the library. I would sit in a chair and Edward would sit between my knees with his head resting on my thigh. I would read a book aloud to him while running my fingers through his hair and rubbing his scalp. It was our quiet, shared tradition, and we both reveled in our mutual adoration of classic literature.

Now it seemed incredibly intimate. And incredibly inappropriate.

Edward, sensing my hesitation, leapt up with haste. "Oh, I apologize, Bella. I wasn't thinking. Of course we can't…um. Well, what would you like to do this afternoon?"

"We can still read together, Edward," I said softly, walking over to him and pushing him back until he sank into the chair behind him. "I'll just sit in this other chair across from you. Is that okay?"

Relief brightened his features. "That sounds wonderful."

I walked over to my favorite shelf and devoured the titles. Turning to face Edward, I asked, "What do you think...Hemingway today?"

He looked thoughtful. "No…not in the mood for tragedy. Maybe something lighter?"

Laughing, I ran my finger across the spine of a Bram Stoker classic. "Don't think you'd consider "Dracula," would you?"

"Bella, we have this conversation every time…" He was shaking his head, but smiling too, enjoying our private joke.

"Well, one of these days you'll give in." My eyes fell on a collection of short stories. "I don't want to have to think too much today…can we just read some O. Henry?"

Edward pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his stone arms around them, hugging himself tightly. "Sounds perfect."

I settled across from him, found the beginning of a story and began to read aloud.

***

I kept sneaking glances at Edward over the book. I had been reading for the last hour, and his amber eyes never once left my face. I felt distracted, feeling his gaze on my moving lips, the blush of my cheeks, my fingers as I turned the page carefully, to avoid papercuts. He stared at me as though nothing else existed in the room. The intensity of it had me a bit on edge. Every time he caught me glancing at him, the corners of his mouth jerked upwards in a small, pleased smile.

I was just finishing "The Ransom of Red Chief" when Alice appeared in the doorway.

"Edward, you've been hogging her attention entirely too long," she declared, pulling me to my feet. Edward's eyes darkened in annoyance momentarily before he sighed.

"Bella, I'm sorry for what you're about to endure," he said, his voice offering genuine sympathy. My eyes widened and I looked at Alice in alarm.

"Why? What are we doing?"

She grabbed my hand and towed me up to the room she shared with Jasper.

"I told you I needed your help," she declared dramatically. "Fork's prom is in three weeks and I can't decide between dresses. Jasper is 'coming home' from college to take me," she added with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, I have no clue which dress is best for you. This is your area of expertise, right? Wouldn't Rosalie be better at this than me?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Just humor me," she said.

I sighed, feeling defeated. "Okay, so how many dresses are you stuck on?"

"Twenty-three," Alice said ruefully, shaking her head. "It's a real dilemma."

"Twenty-three," I repeated numbly. "Of course…"

Luckily for me, Alice's vampire speed and agility made for fast changes. Dress after beautiful dress passed by my inspection, and Alice looked amazing in each one.

"There's no way I'll be this picky when I get mine," I muttered under my breath as Alice whirled to remove the ice-blue satin gown she was wearing and prepared to try on a red lacy number that looked more like lingerie on the rack than a prom dress.

Instantly, Alice was kneeling in front of me, practically nose-to-nose. "When you get yours?" she squealed, her golden eyes blazing in mad excitement. "Are you planning to go to a dance, Bella? Are you taking Jacob to our prom?"

"No," I said. "I'm going to the reservation prom with him."

Alice's lip immediately pushed out in a pout. "But…but then I won't get to see you in your dress. We won't get to dance together like girlfriends are supposed to at their senior proms. Do you think Jacob would reconsider, and come to Fork's prom instead? Ooh, we could double date!" she shrieked, jumping from one thought to the next quickly.

"Not likely," I chuckled softly, thinking of Jake and Jasper awkwardly standing next to each other in photos. "Besides, the res prom is on Friday and Fork's is the next night, when Jacob has patrol duty…he won't be able to go anyway."

"Won't Sam give him the night off if he asks?"

"It's not like that," I tried to explain. "It's not like they're being paid for this. I'm sure he could get the night off if he asked, but he won't. He's been assuming a lot more responsibility for the pack lately, almost like a 'co-manager' with Sam. And Saturday nights are when everyone wants the night off — most of them are teenagers, after all, and a lot of them have girlfriends. Jacob and Sam agreed to do every other Saturday night so the others don't have to. I think it's an Alpha/Beta thing," I shrugged, using the explanation Jacob had given me. "It wouldn't be fair to Sam or Emily to have them pick up the slack, and Jacob seems physically unable to do anything that would be against the well-being of the pack. They always have to come first." Unless he imprinted, I thought bitterly. Then she would always be first in his heart and mind.

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment, and then her eyes lit up.

"Oh my God, you could come to prom with me!" This possibility obviously appealed to her as she took on a maniacally happy visage.

I snorted. "Alice, I'm not going to be yours and Jasper's third wheel…and I'm not going with Edward, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh, no…of course not," she said dismissively. "I don't think Edward's going to prom at all. He never participated in them before he met you, so…" I winced slightly at the reminder of Edward's century of loneliness. "And I don't have to go with Jasper…we could make it a girl's night. Jasper and I have been to more proms than I care to remember. This would be something totally different." Her tone changed as she grabbed my hands and pleaded. "Please, Bella? It would be so much fun!"

"I don't know, Alice…"

"Oh, please? You agreed to go with Jacob!"

I sighed. "That's because he didn't force me into it like you and Edward did last year."

The pout returned. "I'm not forcing you now. I'm asking."

"Aaaalice…" I whined.

Reluctant brown eyes met eager golden ones, and I realized I wouldn't be able to say no to her. As much as I wanted to resist her, I actually liked the idea of a girl's night with Alice.

Her eyes fogged over in a vision and she crowed with happiness. "Oh, it's going to be so much fun!" she cried, throwing her cold arms around me and squeezing me a bit too tightly. "We have to find your dresses!"

"Dresses?"

Alice became deadly serious as she regarded me. "My dear Isabella…you don't honestly think I'm going to allow you to wear the same dress to both proms, do you?"

"Aaaalice…"

***

Edward saved me from Alice's preening nearly an hour later, suggesting that we go help Esme finish my dinner. I was only too happy to oblige, leaping up from the pile of silk, satin and tulle surrounding me and rushing to his side. My eagerness seemed to please him quite a bit, for his face stretched in a broad smile, making him look more like the 17-year old man than the century-old vampire.

"It's taking her a bit longer than she thought," Edward explained, "and she's insisting that you have to have dessert, too."

"Dessert? What all is she making for me?"

Turning the corner into the kitchen, I noticed three things right away. First, the kitchen island had been replaced since the incident with Edward. Second, Esme looked incredibly flustered. Third, the kitchen was a mess. As we entered the room, Esme looked at me, stricken. Behind her, a small TV was turned to the Food Network.

"I think dinner will be a few more minutes," she said, turning back to regard a large pile of soiled dishes.

"Esme!" I exclaimed, "You don't have to do all of this!"

She dropped her head, and the large scar on her cheek glistened in the bright kitchen lights. "I wanted to take care of you, Bella. You're like a daughter to me, and I always take care of my children. You just have…special needs that I'm not used to."

From the living room, I heard Jasper snort. "Yeah, Bella's our 'special needs' sister!" he shouted.

Ignoring Jasper's bad joke, I walked to Esme's side while Edward regarded us both with warmth in his eyes. "Esme, you take wonderful care of all of us," I reassured her. "But next time ask for my help. Half the fun is doing this together…I love having a cooking partner!"

"How about making it a team?" Edward asked, coming up to the other side of the kitchen table and leaning over it slightly.

I grinned at him. "I'm not used to seeing a man do anything helpful or successful in the kitchen," I teased. "What makes you think you'd be any different?"

He grabbed a dishrag and the soap to start on the pile of dishes. "Because, my dear," he smirked. "I'm not a man…I'm a vampire."

An hour and a half later, the three of us had made a gorgeous dinner — steamed clams in a white wine sauce with vermicelli, salad and garlic bread. Edward prepared the bread, and made Esme and me laugh by yelling, "No! The garlic…it burns!" and feigning collapse — I couldn't recall ever seeing him be so silly. Alice heard us laughing and came to join our conversation.

I'd never had clams with pasta while they were still in the shell, and was excited to expand my palate. We had even managed to make homemade cannolis. There would be plenty of leftovers for me to take home.

"Make sure to share some with Jacob," Esme said warmly. "I do hope he likes it too."

I looked over to Edward in alarm, wondering what his reaction would be. He just looked at me, seeming to war with himself over something. Then he shocked me by adding: "Maybe next time he can come over with you. I'd…I would like to get to know him better." He smiled weakly at me as Alice clapped her hands and beamed. "It only makes sense to try and earn his friendship when I value yours so much."

Esme and I gaped at him, but he ignored our stares and started scooping food onto my plate. I turned my head quickly to fight back the emotions that overwhelmed at his words. He had set the plate down and was looking at me with concern.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

I sniffed. "Yes, Edward. I'm actually great. It's just…you don't know how much that means to me."

The concern on his face relaxed. He held my plate out to me and chuckled. "Actually, I think I do. And it makes me happy to make you happy. That's all I want, Bella. I love you and want you to be in my life."

My face grew hot at his words, wondering if there were flirtatious reasons for him to be so sweet and understanding — if he was using subtle ways to draw me in. But when I saw him standing in front of me, holding the food for me, I only saw complete sincerity in his gaze. Esme and Alice's eyes flickered back and forth between the two of us as we silently regarded each other. A surge of happiness blossomed in my chest and I couldn't stop the choking laugh/sob from escaping.

I closed the few feet between us quickly, taking the plate from him and setting it down before throwing my arms around his granite frame. He froze for a second before gently reciprocating the hug. I couldn't see his face, but I could feel the need in his embrace, and so I squeezed harder. We held each other for several moments.

"I really appreciate you, Edward. And you know I'll always love you, too…as much as things have changed, that never will." I laughed over his shoulder, enjoying the hug. "This isn't nearly as awkward as I thought it would be."

The words had barely left my mouth when I felt Edward turn his head toward my neck. His arms around me tightened slightly and I felt his nose ghost against my pulse point as he inhaled deeply. Something was wrong. It felt entirely too intimate, and I began to pull back a bit. The arms squeezed harder. A low, rolling vibration tickled my ear. With a jolt, I realized he was growling at the same time the side of my body was slammed roughly to the side amid the tumult of several crashes.

My eyes flew open and I cried out a startled, wheezing "ooof!"

Esme held me in her arms on the other side of the kitchen while Alice held Edward back with her petite frame. Edward seemed angry, and yelled at his sister.

"Get off me, Alice. I wasn't losing control, I swear."

Jasper peeked his head into the kitchen and gave Alice the once-over. Satisfied that she was unharmed, he chuckled. "Edward's telling the truth. I could feel it. He wasn't thirsty — he didn't want her blood..."

"Jasper…" Edward's voice sounded like a warning.

Esme's grip on me loosened. "Oh, thank goodness."

Jasper laughed again and Edward glared at him. "No, Edward wasn't going to bite Bella…he was going to kiss her."

"Kiss me?" I said incredulously. "Oh. Oh. Edward…" I looked up to meet his eyes, but his gaze was to the floor. He looked ashamed, guilty for his weakness.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Your heartbeat overwhelmed me. I…I'm trying…I really am." And before I could respond, he was already outside, running away faster than my eyes could see.

I stared at the place where he had been standing. Alice flitted to my side and took my arm, concern written on her face.

"Bella? Are you alright?"

I continued to stare at the spot where he had been only moments before. I was unsure how to react, and embarrassed when a few tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Oh Bella," Esme sounded sad, and her gaze darted from my face to the door where Edward had disappeared.

"It's okay…I'm okay," I stammered, feeling anything but. I swiped at my tears furiously, wishing the whole family would stop staring at me with pity. I was so disappointed. It seemed like Edward and I were making real progress, and now I feared we were back at square one. "God, can I do anything but cry?" I hissed, forcing myself to laugh.

I felt a strange sense of numbing relief and looked up to see Jasper leaning in the doorway, smiling at me sympathetically. Usually, I didn't like it when he manipulated my emotions, but for once I was glad. Taking a shaky breath, I smiled back at him and looked around at Esme and Alice. Emmett and Rosalie had come in from the garage and were trying to remain inconspicuous in the background.

"So what now?" I asked them. "Is he going to run away for another few months?" My disappointment was slowly turning into frustration. I turned to Esme. "Doesn't he know that I want to work on this? I'm not going to run away."

"We know that," Esme said sympathetically. "But Edward has never experienced love and loss. He may be 107 years old, Bella…but he's also a 17-year old boy, especially when it comes to relationships that aren't familial. He doesn't know what to do."

Alice added, "Just think of how some of the boys at school act around girls. I bet Eric Yorkie has more experience with girls than Edward!"

"I wish he trusted me enough to work with me on this," I said sadly, taking a seat at the island and pulling the plate over in front of me. "It's just like it was in September. He left rather than stick around and work through our problems. He's taking the decision out of my hands."

"Except this time, he'll be back," Alice said, taking the seat next to me. "Trust me."

I chuckled softly and grabbed the napkin, laying it gently on my lap. "I know better than to bet against you, Alice."

***

Author's Note: If you like this story, come visit us on the forum at Twilighted, in the "New Moon" section. Also, you can follow me on Twitter EllaB_twilight

Reviews are much-appreciated! Let me know what you like about this story, suggestions you may have, ANYTHING. I really love hearing from my readers.