A/N:

So, I need to tell you guys something. My exams are just a month away and I need to take some time off to study. You guys have been so amazing these past few months and I can't thank you enough for all the support you have shown. I am hoping to start writing again when my exams are over in February. I also hope that when I do start writing again, you guys will be here and read more of my story. Till then, hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you once again.

On a side note, have you guys seen New Moon? It won't been released in my country so I had to watch it online, (shame on me, I know). I watched half of it and it was AWESOME!

As always, huge thanks to my Beta, Mariana75. This chapter would have ended up in a wastebasket if she hadn't made certain changes. You rock!

Bella

The rest of the day passed in a constant state of daze. Melanie finally approved one of the designs that Michelle had created and we both heaved a sigh of relief. I attended to, at least, a dozen phone calls from advertisers, publishers and a couple from David's admirers. Right after the clock struck eight, David said I was done for the day, and I truly couldn't have been happier. It had been a long day; I longed to get back home and take a luxurious bubble bath.

Once I was outside the office building, I tried catching a cab. The traffic wasn't too bad, yet I couldn't find a single one to take me home. Just as I started to get a bit restless, I noticed a silver car parked on the other side of the road. It was getting dark and I had to squint my eyes a little before I realized that it was a Volvo; Edward's Volvo.

He was leaning against his car with his hands inside his jacket pockets. He saw me looking at him and smiled tentatively. Even from a distance, I felt a shiver running down my spine as I realized he was staring back at me. Feeling the inevitable magentic pull from him, I had half a mind not to run across the street to where his car was parked. I did not run, of that much I was certain; dignity still intact, though, I couldn't avoid to walk at a very fast pace.

"Edward," I said, feeling a little breatheless, "what are you doing here?" I felt overjoyed at seeing him so unexpectedly. I didn't dare to hope but the fact that he seemed to be waiting for me made me giddy with happiness.

He just shrugged and said, "Well, I was just passing by and thought I could give you a lift. That is, if you don't mind," he said hesitantly, leaving the choice completely up to me. Who was I to decline such an offer?

"Oh, so you were just….passing by?" I realized I sounded rather disappointed. I gazed at his face and saw that he looked a bit skeptical, doubtful. He remained silent for a few seconds, yet I could tell there was more to it because he seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

"The other day," he began, removing his eyes from my face and clearing his throat, "I read in the newspaper how unsafe the streets of New York were getting nowadays. And I-I immediately thought of you…and…" he trailed off, still not meeting my eyes.

"Oh," was all I managed to say. I had to look away from his face too as I felt my cheeks reddening. The corners of my lips twitched as a huge dorky smile threatened to creep upon my face. We both remained silent for a while, looking away from each other.

"That was… v-v-very th-thoughtful of you," I said, breaking the silence. He finally looked back at me, and smiled; my reassuring and stuttered words, apparently, had a calming effect on him because he seemed a bit more relaxed. He walked over to the passenger door and held it open. It took me a few moments to grasp onto the fact that he was holding the door open for me.

"Really, Bella, do I have to carry you now?" he asked, feigning a worried look on his face. I shook my head, kept my smile in check, and without another word, got inside his car.

The drive back to my house was a quiet one. The only noise came from the low hum of the engine. Throughout the entire drive, I had to fight the urge to look his way.

We soon reached my house and he parked the car on the street a few meters from my doorstep. I didn't get out immediately and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave either. I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to have that talk with him.

I cleared my throat and began, "Look, Edward, about what happened the other day…."

There was a pause as I gave him time to remember which day I was talking about. I mean, I knew that the memory of that day was permanently branded in my brain but I was certain that must not be the case for him.

"Yes, Bella, about that, I've been meaning to apologize to you," he said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Apologize to me?" I asked, still unsure if I had heard him right.

"Yes," he said, turning to face me. "It was wrong to….." Again he seemed to be at a loss of words.

And I knew it. I knew that he thought our kiss to be a mistake. I wondered why hearing the confirmation straight from his lips stung so much. After all, I had known all along, that the kiss had meant nothing to him.

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who started it," I said, as I felt angry tears prickling my eyes. I realized my tone sounded bitter.

"Yes," he said with a sigh, "but I could've stopped it." His head fall back on the headrest of his seat.

In a small voice, heart constricting painfully in my chest, I said, "Maybe, I didn't want you to." It was no more than a whisper. I turned to look at his face. He closed his eyes and replied, "I was afraid you would say that."

That was when I decided that I couldn't take this anymore. I knew his rejection was coming, and coming fast, so before he could make all of my worst fears come true, I decided to back down from this myself.

"You know what, Edward? Forget about it. It was a stupid thing for me to do and I don't want you to ever feel guilty about it. You needed comforting and let's just say, we…got….carried away." Yes, we got carried away like the bunch of teenagers that we clearly weren't. I flinched at the nonsensical words I had let escape from my mouth; deeply mortified at how sad and lame my explanation sounded!

And so, without sparing a second glance at his way, I said, "Thanks for the ride," as I scurried away from him, and his car as quickly as my trembling legs allowed.

Edward

That was the second time she had walked out on me. The second freaking time.

To say I was angry would be a laughable understatement.

I was furious: at Bella, at myself, at my stupid hormonal urges.

Throughout the whole torturous drive to her house, I had forced myself not to look at her; I had forced both of my hands to remain on the steering wheel, whereas I was perfectly capable of driving with just one. I had to do this because for some unfathomable reason, my hands had this unquenchable urge to reach out and softly place, behind her ear, the loose strand of hair that kept falling on her face. I mean, it was bothering her, after all, and my intentions were perfectly noble and…

Oh, who was I kidding? Never in my life had I felt less noble. In reality, all I wanted to do was glide my fingers across the flawless skin and then she had to go ahead and remind me of that kiss….

Jesus Christ! What the hell was I doing? This was Bella I was thinking about. The sweet, pancake-making, Bella. The one who tripped on staircases, carried around old paperbacks of Austen novels, liked walking barefoot in Central Park….

The Bella who talked about peace, truth and faith and made me realize that there was hope left after all, even for a lost case like mine.

How could I, after that just one darn kiss, start having these bizarre thoughts…or fantasies, to be more precise, about Bella? At one moment, she's all about sunshine and butterflies and all the nice things life brings and the next, I keep imagining her in my arms again, with her hot, sweet breath on my face as she gasps for air, her soft fingers trailing along my arms, raising goosebumps…

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts that I felt bad for having them in the first place. So, I decided I should apologize to Bella. Even though she wouldn't know the real – lust filled - reason behind my apology, just by doing so, would make me feel better.

"Yes, Bella, about that, I need to apologize to you," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask what exactly I was apologizing for.

"Apologize to me?" She almost shouted.

"Yes, it was wrong to…" I trailed off. Wrong to what? To fantasize about her in such licentious ways? To imagine how her soft lips would feel against mine again? No, of course, I couldn't tell her that.

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who started it," she said. She sounded harsh, like she regretted her actions. That realization hit me with a numbing pain.

"Yes, but I could've stopped it," I said, feeling defeated, knowing with clear certainty that was what she hoped to hear. Feeling helpless, I laid my head back and rested it against the headrest of my seat.

She remained silent for a few second. I heard her breathing get steady and the next moment, I heard her taking a deep breath. Before releasing it, she said softly, "Maybe, I didn't want you to."

Pure joy flooded through me as she uttered those few words. My lips curved into an involuntary smile, which, of course, she couldn't see as my face was turned away from hers. But that didn't make things any easier between us. It was then that I realized that I hadn't felt this happy in a long, long time. And all because she said she hadn't had wanted for me to end our kiss. However, my happiness was not the most pressing issue for us to deal here. I still didn't know what Bella wanted, or for that matter, what I wanted. I closed my eyes and said in whisper, "I was afraid you would say that."

Even before I had uttered that last word, I heard her release another forceful breath. I turned my head towards her and her expression was completely unnerving. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving up and down as she glared at me. Her eyes were wide and angry. She was mad, at me.

"You know what, Edward? Forget about it. It was a stupid thing for me to do and I don't want you to ever feel guilty about it. You needed comforting and let's just say, we…got….carried away."

I couldn't believe my ears. Had I been wrong in assuming that she felt something for me? Was it only my imagination?

Before I could say anything else, though, she swiftly muttered, "Thanks for the ride," and got out of the car, leaving me completely baffled.

I sat in the darkness of my car, accompanied by the frenetic thudding of my heartbeat. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as I stared at the empty passenger seat, pondering on what the hell had just happened.

The conversation hadn't gone well, at all!!

She had misunderstood everything I have said and that was awfully irritating and not to mention, frustrating. For every step forward we took, we ended up taking two steps back. I closed my eyes and again, I leaned my head back against my headrest.

I wanted nothing more than to step out of this car and run after her. I wanted us to talk and not create more misunderstandings, for a change.

What do you plan on telling her, then? How exactly do you feel for her?

I pinched the bridge of my nose and thought about what she meant to me. Every single time I met a woman, thoughts of Angela haunted me. My mind remained in constant torment, believing that I was somehow cheating on my wife. Just the bare thought of moving on was physically painful. But with Bella Swan, it was anything but agony. She swayed into my life so suddenly, like a warm summer breeze to my everlasting winter. I had come to realize that she treated my heart with the utmost care, like it was a fragile thing; maybe she was right…

I sat up straight and stared out in front of me, when it suddenly hit me. Somewhere along the way, Bella Swan had become one of the most important people in my life.

I thought, as always, back to Angela, and was surprised that the guilt I usually felt was almost non-existent. Thinking of Bella in my life was effortless, easy; it was soothing and natural.

I turned quickly and stared at her empty seat again. I needed to talk to her, the sooner, the better. I knew that there was so much we still didn't know about each other. I knew that there was still so much more ground we needed to cover. I was scared —no, petrified— really. But I had to do this. I knew I had to get out of this car and move on from my tragic past; completely aware that I would never forget it but at least, after all this time, I would be coming to terms with it.

Putting aside the inescapable physical attraction I felt towards her, I had also come to realize that I wished for her to get to know me, the real me, the same way I wanted to get to know the real her. First thing I needed to do though, was to get that ridiculous notion —that kissing her was mistake— out of her head.

Snapping myself out of musings, I started noticing once again my surroundings. It was late in the evening. With the exception of the occasional noise caused by the passing of a random car, Bella's neighbourhood was a quiet one. The streets were dark, except for one solitary lamppost standing on the pavement, a couple of yards to the left of her home. Bella's house was a modest two-storey building that looked cozy and well-kept. I could see some lights downstairs, while the upstairs was in complete darkness.

At that very moment, an idea played across my mind. I was not certain how well my plan would go, but at least it was worth a shot. Reaching inside my pocket, I scooped out my phone and dialled the first number that appeared in my missed calls list.

"What is it, Edward?" Alice asked, stifling a yawn.

"Were you asleep already?" I asked, surprised. I checked my watch. It was only ten o'clock.

"When you have younger brothers who need to wake up at six for school, you need to call it an early night," she said, before yawning again. She sounded annoyed.

"Okay, sorry about that then," I said and I meant it. "It's not going to take much time. I just need to ask you something."

She waited and I swallowed once before speaking again. "Um…so, I was wondering…if, maybe, you had Bella's cell phone number?"

---------------------------------------------x-----------------------------------------------

I stared at my phone for two whole minutes, wondering if it was the right thing to do. Finally, I decided I might as well call her before she went to sleep. If I didn't talk to her now, I doubted she would even want to see me again after this horrible debacle of misunderstandings. And I clearly wasn't prepared to take the risk of not having Bella in my life.

So I sucked it up and with trembling fingers, I dialled her number. I waited as the phone rang once, twice and thrice. What if she didn't answer to unknown calls?

Thankfully, just as I was thinking this, someone finally picked it up and I heard a breathy "Hello?" from the other end of the phone. Releasing a sigh of relief, I opened my mouth to answer back, but no sound came out. My words got caught up in my throat.

"Who is this?" she asked, sounding somewhat worrried. "Um, Bella. It's me." There, let her figure it out.

She was quick to respond. "Edward, is that you?" she asked, still sounding uncertain. A flash of light caught my eye. I looked ahead and saw that, suddenly, there was a light in one of the rooms on the upper floor of Bella's house.

"Yes…I…uh….so, do you think you could…maybe come down…for a while? I am outside your house…I never left…..and I…have to talk to you."

I heard some sort of movement going on. There was a banging noise, followed by a muffled "Ouch."

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, yes, I am fine. I am coming down." And with that, she hung up.

I snapped shut my phone, removed my keys from the ignition and got out of the car. After locking the doors, I stood with my arms crossed over my chest, leaning against the front of my car that faced her house, so that I could see her when she came outside.

I kept waiting and occasionally checked my watch. Ten minutes had passed, and then five more minutes later, the front door of Bella's house opened, throwing a brilliant beam of light on the otherwise dark street in front of it.

I saw her walking towards my car carrying some sort of massive bag along with her. As she approached me, I stood up straight and squinted in the darkness to make sure it was really her.

A second later, she was standing in front of me. She was wearing a sweatshirt with matching pants; her hair was wet and fell all over her shoulders. Her face looked slightly flushed and her wet hair stuck to her forehead. She must have been in the shower when I called her, so she must have got out of it just now. I couldn't, for the life of me, remove my eyes from hers so, I really wasn't paying close attention to what she was carrying and I asked her, "Jeez, are you planning to run away with me?" I thought maybe starting with a joke would warm her up to me; I fought the desire to laugh and struggled to keep a straight face.

Even in the dark, I could tell she rolled her eyes. She walked past me, dragging that thing with her. "You are hilarious, Edward," she remarked in a mocking tone, looking straight ahead as she continued her way. I was somewhat disappointed to hear that there was no trace of humour in her voice. I kept up my pace and followed her, wondering where she was heading to. That's when I noticed a few garbage cans standing in a line at the far corner of the street. Finally, I realized that what she was carrying was a black polythene garbage bag. I felt really stupid for not recognizing it before; I felt even more stupid for not helping her carry the bag myself.

Soon, she reached the trash cans. She carefully removed the lid and dumped the bag inside it. I stood a few meters away, waiting for her to turn back so we could talk. She stood up straight, turned and started walking towards me. I was about to open my mouth when she strode past me, yet again. Damn it, woman!

I sighed and followed her. As she was about to walk past my car, I reached out and as gently as I could, grabbed her arm. She stopped, but struggled to loosen my hold on her arm. I let go of her and raised my hands in surrender as she finally turned to face me.

"What?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I can't leave things the way they are," I explained, feeling a little bit annoyed at her behaviour.

"I don't understand," she replied, her voice devoid of any curiosity. She was looking back at me with a cold and indifferent look on her face. I felt a sharp twist inside of me, for this was so unlike her.

I closed my eyes and sighed again. I opened them and said, "When I apologized to you earlier, I was not apologizing for what happened that day. I was sorry for…." I wrung my hands as I struggled to find the right words. "I was sorry for taking advantage of that situation. I mean, I didn't even know if you wanted that to happen in the first place. I just assumed you wanted it, as much as I did. That was an inexcusable behaviour on my part and I am sorry for acting in such an ungentlemanly manner." I groaned internally at my poor choice of words.

She remained silent throughout the time I spoke and when I was done, she dropped her shoulders, heaving a sigh. "I am having a very difficult time trying to understand you."

Was she serious? Didn't she see the effect she had on me? Weren't my actions rather obvious?

"Bella," I began, "You are a very unusual person and that is what I like the most about you." She blinked furiously a couple of times and then stared at me with her wide eyes. "I just don't want any sort of misunderstanding to drive a wedge between us. So, if any of my actions have made you uncomfortable, I am truly sorry for that," I said, finally dropping my eyes from her face.

"Please, Edward, don't feel bad about offending me. That has never even crossed my mind. You've done nothing of the sort, believe me," she said, in a small voice.

Tremendous amount of relief washed over me after hearing those words come out from her mouth. That reminded me of the real reason for calling her in the first place. I still needed to know if she felt something for me.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and got closer to the still wide eyed Bella. Slowly, I met her eyes, seeking silent permission as I lightly took her hands in both of mine. When she didn't step back, I lowered my head. Raising my trembling hands, I brushed away the damp hair falling on her shoulders, exposing her pale neck. I smiled at how divine she smelled–like raspberries. At my first touch, she closed her eyes and her head fell slightly back, inadvertantly giving me more access to her alabaster column. Gently, I grazed my nose from her temple, to her cheekbones and down to her jaw. Pressing a small kiss there, I dipped my head into the crook of her neck and continued the trail right until I reached her left ear. Turning my head slightly, I pressed my lips lightly below her left ear, at the base of her throat. As I lingered my lips on her heated skin, I felt her shudder momentarily and I knew, then and there, I had gotten my answer.

Carefully resisting my violent urge to kiss her lips, I stood up straight and stepped back. Now that I had gotten my answer, there would be plenty of time for kisses later. Slowly, Bella opened her eyes and what I saw there, took my breath away. Her usually grey eyes were darkened and I couldn't look away from them. All that emotion was staggering and I just remained there, completely transfixed, gaping at her while I waited for her breathing to regained its steady pace.

Finally, it was her who broke the silence. "I have to get back," she said, indicating behind her with her thumb towards her house. But she made no attempt to move. I smiled a little as I pushed behind her ear, that elusive loose strand of her hair that had been tempting me throughout the evening. She lowered her head and I knew that, if it weren't as dark, I would have been able to see a tantalizing blush creep up on her pale cheeks. "I'll see you on Thursday," I said, as she raised her head to meet my eyes. After nodding once, she turned back and ran towards her house as fast as she could.

A/N: So, Edward is moving on. What do you think?