Baby You Can Stop Running
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…

Chapter Sixteen

EPOV

The heat in the car was overwhelming and I wasn't sure if I could blame it all on the heater. My body was going into overdriving having Bella that close; and the hot air radiating from the heater, clinging to her and sending her scent pulsing through the small space, seemed to intensify the sweetness of her scent and I felt the need to adjust myself in my seat. That's embarrassing. I will you to stop. There will be none of that. As though talking to my anatomy was going to do anything. She was intoxicating and she set my body on fire; this small, unintimidating, scared girl created a slow, pleasurable burn that caused an ache in my chest that was indescribable.

I once believed that there were only two ways of being in this world, two ways that a person could be made and no exceptions, good and bad. The good people in my life heavily outweighed the bad; Carlisle and Esme, who took me in without a second thought and loved me as one of their own, Alice who loved me unconditionally as her own brother, Jasper who, though he tried with all his will to get me to come out of my shell I never was able to, my parents, though I scarcely remember them in their entirety, I know that they loved me for that to be enough. The bad people had left their impression as well, and in so many ways, their pull was stronger. But now, here I was, stuck in this grey area, a place between good and evil and a place that had always been uncharted, unnavigable water. I was torn between my past indiscretions and my desire to be good, to be good enough for her. Was I even capable of it? Could I love, could I give her the love that she deserved when I couldn't scarcely love myself?

I glanced over towards her for a moment and noticed that she had fallen asleep, her long mahogany hair covered half her face like a curtain and I clenched my hand around the steering wheel in an attempt to not reach towards her and brush it away. I hated it when I couldn't look upon her beautiful face, when she tried to hide herself from the world. Aphrodite would never think to cover her beauty; Bella seemed to long to find a way to do so, always using her hair to cover her face, dipping her chin down to her chest, even occasionally hiding herself in the palms of her hands. My goddess had a complete lack of understanding of her own beauty and I wanted to be the one to show her, to make her understand. I shook my head slightly with the thought, I would never, ever have that chance, she wouldn't give me the chance because I knew once I divulged my past, she would turn away. I glanced at her once more, attempting to drink in as much of her as I could, trying to fix her into my memory so I could remember her long after she was gone.

"Then don't tell me to stay away from you. I don't think I can." She had no idea what she was getting herself into. She moaned softly and my eyes darted back to her, watching as she changed her position in the seat, her head falling to my shoulder. I inhaled sharply as she nuzzled her nose against the fabric of my shirt and I cursed that I had worn long sleeves. I wanted to feel skin on skin contact, to feel her warm breath directly on my skin, not to feel it through the fabric of this damn shirt. A groan escaped my throat and I felt the blood rush to my groin once again. The proximity of her allowed me to smell more then I had before, for instance, the delicious smell of strawberries that came from her hair. I thought about leaning my head down and burying my nose in her hair, and I cursed the fact that the road was not accommodating to such desires. The self disgust began to flow through my veins, she was so innocent, and I was taking advantage of her, picturing her with all her abandon gone, picturing me with her… I cringed. This will not due. I turned my focus on to her, thankful that she was asleep, thankful that she seemed okay after the night's dramatics, thankful that I had gotten there in time because had I not, this moment would have only been a figment of my overactive imagination. This is reality? Right? It had to be, if it were not, my imagination would have progressed much farther than this, she would have been in my arms, moaning my name and not asleep… I'm a disgusting shell of a man to even be thinking such thoughts.

I drove slowly along the road, not because she had asked me to, but because I wasn't quite ready to bring her back home. I knew Emmett would be waiting up for her, but I wanted to keep her here with me, it was the only way I could be certain that she would be safe. I looked down at the odometer, forty five miles an hour, much, much, slower than usual, but I thought that I could go at this pace forever if it meant keeping her there. I resolved to always drive slowly when she was sitting in that seat, just another precaution, and an easy precaution at that. I hated that I knew she wanted me around, it would make leaving a much harder task, I could push away my own selfish desires if she hated me.

I reached forward and pressed the seek button of the CD player, no longer enjoying the sound that was coming from the speakers. Clair de Lune filled the small space and I relaxed into my seat, leaning my head to the side and pressing my cheek against the crown of Bella's head enjoying my recklessness. The hand that I reached forward was now resting against the far end of the console, my fingers just centimeters away from her left leg and I wondered if she would wake if I touched her. I wanted to touch her, I wanted to feel her under the weight of my body, I wanted to press my lips against the gentle hollow of her neck, I wanted her writhing underneath me, begging me for more because she couldn't get enough of me. Disgusting. I'm not a hormonal teenager, I must control these feelings. Worthless, worthless man, I am no better than her attackers.

I shook my head, my thoughts interrupted when I felt her arm wrap around mine effectively pulling herself closer to my side. She was still sleeping and as I looked down once more she looked so peaceful, so content, unlike her rest from the night before. What seemed to puzzle me the most however, was how, after everything that she had been through in this one day, could she still be so calm. She had been put through the winger, between speaking with her father, granted I knew nothing about the conversation, running into Jacob, and then those horrible pitiful excuses for men that had tried to hurt her. I shuddered for a moment as I thought about the night once more, though not wanting to wake her, not wanting my rage to return I focused my attention back to the angel that was holding onto my arm as though she were afraid I was going to leave. Silly Bella, don't you know, don't you understand that I could never leave you if you wanted me to stay?

"Edward…" She said, her warm breath causing goosebumps to appear on my covered arms, a pleasurable chill running from the base of my neck to the bottom of my spine. I shivered for a moment, relishing in the feelings that she gave me.

"Bella?" I whispered, unsure if she had woken up or if she was merely dreaming.

"I don't want you to go." She moaned and I wondered what she was talking about. I wasn't planning on going anywhere, I would stay by her side until she no longer needed me, until she no longer wanted me. "Don't leave… Edward I don't want to be alone."

She had abandonment issues, and I suppose that made sense; being taken away from her father and brother… Presumably this had something to do with Jacob as well. Was he not as good as he seemed? Did she truly not want him anymore? My heart swelled, my angel was afraid of being alone, but more importantly, she wanted me. I suppose that shouldn't have been much of a revelation, she had after all, told me that she wouldn't stay away from me. I knew in that moment that I wouldn't be able to leave her, ever. She would have to leave me. And I was certain that she would, it was only a matter of time, I didn't deserve her.

"Your soul is made to love with the purity and passion of angels; but perhaps it can only love another angel, in which case I must tremble with apprehension." I whispered into her hair the words of Victor Hugo, amazed that I could even remember them… Still, it seemed fitting and I almost wished she could hear the words, could take them in. She would never love me the way I loved her, she would be incapable of it. I knew that for so many ways I would always regard her as my salvation, but that was because she was an angel. But just as the bird could never love the fish, the lion never love the lamb, the angel could never love the sinner. I sighed in my revelation, I would take the love she would give me, and I would give her more of myself than anyone would ever be able to have.

The music filled the silence and I sat there, one hand on the wheel, the other occasionally grazing the fabric of her jeans while I wondered what she was thinking, what she was dreaming about. The car plowed forward, like the beat of my heart, rapid one moment, calm and steady in another.

There was an unfamiliar car parked in front of the Swan's house when I drove into the driveway, the front bumper of the car a foot apart from the tailgate of Bella's red truck. As I turned the ignition off and she did not stir, I knew I would either have to wake her up, or I would have to carry her. As easily as I could, I slipped my arm from her grasp and inched away slowly, causing her to stir and sit up, her head no pressed against the back of the seat, her lips graced with a smile as though she knew what she had been doing all along.

"Where are we?" Her voice was thick with sleep and she looked up through her thick eyelashes at me and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"We are home." I replied, her eyes still looking at me with a mixture of exhaustion and confusion. True, it wasn't my home, though I felt as though it was. Strangely, I felt that anyplace where she was, was a place that I belonged. I felt brave knowing that she would probably never remember and I gave into the yearning to lean forward and press my lips against the soft skin of her forehead. I didn't fail to notice that she leaned into it. "Stay put."

I stepped out of the car and jogged to the other side, opening it and leaning down so I was level with her body. She leaned into me, allowing me to wrap my arms around her and in one quick movement, she was in my arms and out of the car. I used my hip to close the door before standing up straight once more, trying to find my breath, though it was impossible. Her arms were draped around my shoulders, her head buried in the crook of my neck, her lips just inches from my jaw, and then I felt her fingers in the soft hair on the nape of my neck. I fought back the groan that was building in the back of my throat, and looked towards the house.

I held her body close to me, my body involuntarily shaking each time she exhaled, her breath, warm against my neck. Though as I walked closer I saw a body slumped against the railing and I paused, taking a few steps back and surveying the area. The last thing she needed tonight was this, was him just sitting there. Before I had the chance to bring her back to the car, he sat up, his dark eyes glaring at me and then shifting to the girl who I was carrying in my arms. I felt my jaw tighten as he stood up and made his way over.

"What are you doing here?" I gritted through my teeth, my grip on her body tighter, as though I was afraid he was going to try and snatch her from me.

"I should be asking you that." He spat back.

"What part of leave her alone can you not get through your thick head?" I was growing angrier by the second.

"You really think that's what she wants?"

"I know that's what she wants."

"Oh… Cullen to the rescue." He said sarcastically. "You've known her what, three days? I've known her for 20 years. I think that if anyone knows what's best for her, it's me."

"Edward what's going on?" She muttered into my neck and I pressed my eyes shut, hoping that she was merely talking in her sleep.

"Nothing's wrong." I whispered and looked to the door which was now being opened and Emmett's large body moving through the frame.

"Jacob." His voice was low but firm. "I told you to get the hell away from here." Jacob didn't seem to feel threatened because he merely stood there, his eyes glaring daggers at me, though I shrugged them off. She was, after all, in my arms, not his. She was asking for me, not him.

"If you don't get off this property I swear you'll live to regret it." Emmett had advanced closer and I watched as Jacob flinched slightly. "Remember what happened last time? It will be ten times worse and you'll need plastic surgery if you ever want to resemble a human being ever again."

"Bella." He spoke, ignoring the threats and I felt her stir, her grip around my neck loosening as she rubbed her eyes against my shirt. "Bella look at me."

"Go home Jake." I growled.

"Jake?" Bella questioned, lifting her head from my shoulder to meet my eyes. She looked torn, conflicted and confused. I wanted to press her head back against my chest, I wanted to rock her in my arms, I wanted to press my lips against her forehead again… But I was also filled with an inner longing to set her down and punch Jacob. I would concentrate on the first three desires.

"I won't let him near you if that's what you want." I said and she nodded her head and I looked from her soft face which was once again resting against my chest, back to him. "You got your answer, leave." I didn't wait for another response and instead brushed past him and Emmett, bringing her into the warm house.

"Is the dog still out there?" I heard a female voice ask which startled me, until I turned around and saw Rosalie sitting on the couch.

"Dog?" I questioned and moved into the living room, sitting down though never letting her out of my arms. The feel of her arms wrapped around my neck, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the intoxicating scent of her body that was so close… I couldn't bring myself to let go, I didn't want to, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I had to leave.

"That worthless excuse of a man that Bella use to date." She snarled and I chuckled.

"I take it you don't like him much."

"I've never really met him." She admitted but shrugged as though it didn't matter and I lifted an eyebrow, wondering if she would tell me anything else. "Emmett told me the whole story and anyone who treats a woman like that… Especially one like the one that has you so obviously whipped in two days, doesn't really deserve to be treated as anything other than a dog."

"I'm not whipped." I stated, my heart racing. I was trying so hard to not make it obvious. "It's not like that."

She grunted and shook her head. "You should stop lying to yourself… I'm not judging… You're not worse off than Emmett. I trained him early too."

"So now I'm trained?" His voice came through as he looked at her, an amused expression on his face.

"Like you didn't already know." She grinned and he just smiled back at her, falling down on the couch.

"I swear if that kid comes around here one more time I'm going to personally make sure he will never walk again." He snarled, but Rosalie just moved closer to him and I watched as he visibly relaxed at her presence.

"I want to go to bed…" Bella's voice mumbled against my shoulder and I realized that somehow I had begun to stroke her hair, feeling it's soft, silky strands through my fingers. I glanced up and my eyes met Emmett's questioning glance. What would I say to him? What could I say to him? It was obvious that I was already terrible at hiding my feelings. Rosalie, who had been around us twice had already seen past my façade. I must be losing my touch.

"I can take her if you want…" He said, pausing for a moment, his eyes raking over us. "Though I'm not sure she would let me pry her from you." He was chuckling now.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, standing up slowly once more, putting at much of the weight in my knees.

Emmett grinned and stood up and walked over. "Come on Bella let me bring you to bed." His hand was resting on her shoulder.

"No." She mumbled like a petulant child and I felt my heart race. "I don't want you Emmett." Rosalie was laughing and I noticed that Emmett's eyes were lit with amusement.

"Come on Bells, you need to go to bed."

"NO." She said more forcibly, her grip around my neck tightening and when Emmett moved one arm under her own arms, she untangled one arm and smacked him away. "I don't want you Emmett."

"I think the child has spoken." Emmett laughed and closed the distance between him and Rosalie in a few strides. As he sat down, I watched as he pulled her into his side and she tangled her legs with his own. "Upstairs, first bedroom on the right."

I laid Bella down in her bed and moved towards her dresser, looking for something that she would wear that would be more comfortable than her clothes. Emmett appeared in the doorway and observed my actions.

"I'll get her changed, you should go home and get some sleep." His voice was low but full of authority. Emmett was playing the father role… And could I blame him? So I nodded. There was no use in getting on his bad side.

"Edward don't leave." Her voice interrupted and we both turned to see her sitting up, the weight of her body resting on the palms of her hands.

"You need to sleep." I said, holding back the emotion that I knew was probably evident.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Silly Bella, you aren't alone. Emmett will be here." I responded and moved to her side. I let my finger graze the white bandage on her chin. "You're safe."

She sighed, her eyes meeting mine and not leaving them. "It's late. Too late for you to drive home." She was begging now and I felt the strings on my heart pull, the slow, steady ache returning as I knew that I had to leave. Emmett did not want me to stay, and that I could understand. She leaned closer, her head against my shoulder. "I want you to stay with me… I don't want you to leave."

"Here Bella, put these on." Emmett interrupted, putting them down on the bed. "Edward can I talk to you?"

I sighed and followed Emmett out of the room, giving Bella the privacy she would need to change.

"I'll leave Emmett." I said, and he sighed.

"You don't have to leave Edward… I just want you to know that she is fragile and she's had her heart broken pretty terribly and the last thing I want is for it to happen again. I feel like we, Charlie and I, are just finally getting her back and I don't want to lose her again."

"I don't want to hurt her. I couldn't hurt her…"

"I know…" Emmett responded, his hand on my shoulder. "Goodnight."

I wanted him to tell me to leave, to give me an excuse to leave her side because without it, I knew I would stay. I knocked on the door and received no response, so I slowly opened it, my head peaking in and seeing that she was under the covers, her clothes strewn across the floor. I walked in and closed the door behind me, my pace to the bed slow and steady, waiting to see if she would stir.

"Bella?" I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm awake." She replied and I realized that she was crying. I closed the gap between us in a matter of moments and sat down on the bed next to her. She moved closer, her hand tentatively touching my arm. "Will you stay with me?"

"I'll stay with you tonight." I replied, holding my arms out and watching as she moved into them, her head resting against the nook in my chest, her tears creating a water stain on my shirt. I suppose the shock was finally settling in, and I was torn between happiness that I was there, and a feeling that maybe I was getting myself into something deeper than I should have been.

Still, I knew that I would not allow myself to sleep, nor would I be there when she woke. If I was able to wake up next to her, there would be no turning back and I wasn't prepared for that yet. I still had to hold out hope that I would be able to leave her if I had to, and I wasn't sure I would be able to do that if I woke up with her, if I could see the way she looked when the morning light touched her face for the first time… I would settle with the dream of what it might look like in my head, and hope that somehow, once she learned the truth, that she would find a way to love me, regardless of all my many flaws and the monster hidden deep within me.

A/N:

Wow, haven't written an entire chapter in one person's POV in a while… Once again, this is kind of just a filler chapter. I couldn't just leave the last chapter as it was… There had to be some kind of closure on the day… Still, it observes Edward a little more… And quite obviously the next chapter will be predominantly Bella… Waking up alone… And what not… There will be more Twilight plot line coming up in the next chapter as well!

Thank you to all my fantastic reviewers!

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You all are fantastic!

The next chapter is going to take a little bit longer probably… I'm going to have to put to use my journalistic talents that have been hidden away for a LONG, LONG time… I haven't written anything resembling a newspaper blurb since high school when I was an editor for the school paper… So that was almost four years ago. But, regardless, the next chapter will result in Bella making some discoveries though not the WHOLE story…

Please let me know what you thought of the new chapter! I'm excited to hear from you all! You make my day!