Here's the next chapter all!! I'm just throwin them at you left and right I know. But I want to say thank you to all the people who are reading the story, and reviewing! It means so much to me, you have no idea. *AM*
D/C: I do not own Twilight, nor any of the characters portrayed in the book/movie.
Studying with the group after the kitchen 'episode' wasn't as calm as it had been before. For one, Emmett was now there, and he had claimed my original spot on the couch as his own, forcing me to move next to Edward. Normally I would have just moved over, welcoming the distance between the sex crazed Edward and I, but everyone had warned me that if I had remained next to the bear of a man, I would have been the object of his torture. So, while Emmett stretched his long legs over the cushions of the couch, throwing handfuls of popcorn towards Jasper in hopes that some kernels would stick in his hair, I picked up my school bag and moved to the floor next to Edward. Next to the man who had felt me up in the kitchen. Next to the man that made my heart skip when he looked at me.
I was immediately glad for the spot on the floor, and ecstatic that Emmett was exceptionally unobservant. From his position on the couch, all he had to do was look down at Edward and me and see that Edward's hand was running slowly up and down my thigh. Alice and Jasper were lost in their world of flash cards- a lightning round of questions had ensued on the history of France in the 1700s, and they were intently staring at each other as the questions flew back and forth. Emmett was lying on the couch, his French book raised in the air above him. I could hear soft words come from his direction. 'Je ma'pelle Emmett. Comment allez-vous. Je vais bien.' My eyebrows rose slightly at his horrible accent.
"Psst," Edward whispered. I looked up from my History book, glad that I was almost caught up with the work I had missed so far. Edward was peeking at me from the corner of his eye, smiling the crooked smile he had shown me in the kitchen.
"Mmm." It was the only acknowledgement I would give him just then, scared that I would draw the attention of the others.
"What are you doing this weekend?" he muttered in an undertone. My head started shaking on its own, the automatic reaction giving in. I was in disbelief. What was happening? I didn't know everyone that well, and I was getting asked on a date? Is that what was happening? I looked around again, making sure that everyone was still occupied, and I ran my pen along the paper in front of me quickly. Edward looked over and watched as my note to him unraveled.
I don't have any plans as of yet, why? Edward smiled and grabbed the pen out of my hand, boldness doing wonders for my outlook on him.
I know things are somewhat backwards here, but I was wondering if I could interest you in a date. Maybe movie and dinner? My heart was soaring. I smirked as I grabbed the pen back from him. I noticed then that Alice was no longer looking at Jasper, but at Edward and me with a look of wonderment. I chose to ignore the stare, too caught up in what was happening between Edward and I.
I'll say yes if we make it a group thing. You're not the only one I want to get to know after all. Edward laughed when I set the pen down, not giving him the chance to snatch it from my hand.
"Okay, study time is over!" Alice's voice reverberated though my thoughts, and everyone's attention snapped to her. She was sending me a look of amusement, and I blushed, knowing she had seen the exchange between her brother and me.
"Finally!" Emmett yelled. He sprang from his resting position on the couch and trucked towards the large television.
"We're playing games now," he stated. Edward and Jasper laughed and jumped up immediately. I watched Edward's muscles tighten as he lifted from the floor in one graceful movement, and I smiled when he pointed to the notebook in front of me and nodded. That was his acceptance, I realized. I had a date. Well, group date. Now I just had to run it by Alice to make sure her and Jasper, and maybe Emmett and Rose, were game for coming.
The guys surrounded the game consoles, discussing with sudden passion which game they wanted to play. Alice though, grabbed my arm and led me out of the room.
"I'm going to give you the rest of the tour because I know we interrupted you and Edward before." She had a good hold on my arm, skipping ahead of me. I had no choice but to follow her up the stairs, glancing once behind me in hopes to catch a glimpse of Edward.
On the second level of the home, I found a long hallway leading to several different rooms. It was almost a different theme than the first floor, which was full of soft colors and the feeling of warmth. The second floor let off a tropical feel. Welcome to the jungle, I thought.
"Over here," Alice motioned to the right, "is my parents' bedroom." She opened the door so that I could see inside. My eyes were wide when I saw that one of the walls in their bedroom housed a large fish tank. Many fish floated throughout the coral, blues and greens emitting off of their fins. The light from the tank was the only light that emanated throughout the room, and I was able to see the deep blues and browns that scattered the upholstery.
"Wow," I muttered as Alice shut the door carefully. Bringing me to the next room, she smiled.
"This is one of the guest rooms, but my father tends to use it as a study." When she opened the door, I instantly understood what she meant. To the right of the large bedroom was a king sized bed, adorned in a deep lavender comforter set. It was almost as if a barrier was set up to distinguish where the sleeping quarters and the office space separated. To the right was a large mahogany desk, covered with stacks of files and papers.
"My father is a doctor over at the hospital, and he tends to bring home a lot of his work." What I knew about the medical field immediately came to my mind.
"Isn't that against the law?" I asked carefully. I didn't want to tread on anyone's toes. Alice laughed though and nodded.
"He doesn't actually bring home patient records," she explained, "he does a lot of surgeries, so he does his research and preparation at home." It made sense, so I didn't say anything else about that. The next room was clearly just a guest room, and I admired the impeccable taste in design.
"My mother is an interior designer," Alice said proudly. "That's why each room seems to scream 'professional'." We laughed as she led the way to the third floor, and I wondered just how many more rooms there were.
"On the top floor is just mine and Edward's room, and then one more guest room," Alice said, answering my silent question. The tour of the guest bedroom went just as it had the others, and Alice mentioned that it could be somewhere I stayed if I ever spent the night. I liked the thought of that, and my imagination started to go wild again. Thoughts of girl nights sprung to mind; movies and ice cream… and Edward. Of course he would join us. He was a friend, and would be here anyway. I blushed.
"That door there," Alice pointed to a door that had been painted a light blue color, "is Edward's room. I don't think he'd appreciate me in his bedroom, so I'll wait for him to show you that." I was disappointed. I was thriving to glimpse a peek into his life, into his room. What would it be like? Would it be a typical boys' room, covered in pinups and pictures of cars? I was left to my imagination as Alice led me into her own bedroom.
"And this is my sanctuary!" she squealed. "It's been so long since someone new has been in here, so this is awesome. I love feedback!" I looked around and my mouth hung open in shock. The entire room was a very light pink color, almost too light to realize it was an actual color. The only reason I was able to decipher was because very large, bright pink stripes ran vertically down the walls. The bed was large, surely a king, even though the petite girl couldn't cover more than a corner of the bed. The comforter was a deep pink, matching the stripes that ran down her walls. All of her furniture was a light wood, blending with the color scheme. It was a fairy tale princess' dream.
"Holy crap Alice," I breathed. My own room, with its light blue walls, suddenly seemed so…ordinary.
"You like?" Alice asked. I nodded, not trusting the words that would come out. I immediately wondered if Edward's room was like hers… an unbelievable sight. But then again, Alice was an unbelievable person. The room seemed to match her.
We sat on her bed, and I was afraid I would mess up the ambiance of the room by messing something up. But Alice jumped onto her bed, throwing her feet under her.
"So what's going on with you and Edward," she asked boldly. My eyes grew wide, and I stuttered for the right words. Did she know about the kitchen?
"What do you mean?" I finally asked. She rolled her eyes though, as if I were treating her like an idiot.
"I mean," She said sweetly, "I saw you two exchanging notes while we were studying. What's up?" I breathed a sigh or relief that I hoped she couldn't hear. Just the note, that was all. I cleared my throat and told her the some-what truth.
"Edward wanted to know if I was free this weekend. Something about getting everyone together and seeing a movie." That wasn't so bad. But Alice's reaction made it that bad.
"Oh my gosh, like a group date?" I shrugged, hoping that she would drop it. Please drop it. Please.
"So does Edward not have a girlfriend?" I asked her. Alice stopped bouncing and jumped off the bed. She ran for the door, closing it firmly, and then reappeared next to me. All within seconds. The girl could move.
"You like him?" she asked. My eyes were wide again. The stuttering came back, and I was at a loss for words.
"No! I didn… I don't know what… why?" Alice just smiled though.
"Edward is not with anyone, nor has he been for a very long time." I reveled in her statement. My smile broke out across my face, and I could tell my charade was up.
"He usually doesn't date," Alice continued, pondering something in her mind. "He usually just sticks with us. Jasper was just saying last month how he hates the fact that Edward is usually the fifth wheel. Not that we don't mind, but Edward always looks so angry or depressed about it. Bella!" Alice scared me as she lumged a foot away from my face.
"You can be the number six, and everything will be perfect!" What the fuck. Alice was a little too excited about this, and I could feel my skin flush in panic.
"No, no, Alice, I don't want to be set up or anything, so please..." but I was interrupted.
"Trust me dear, I would not be setting you guys up. From the look in both your eyes and Edward's eyes, I wouldn't have to do any of the work." My eyebrows rose in shock, and I leaned forward instinctively. I felt foolish that I was having this conversation in what now felt like a huge bubble gum bubble, but I needed to know.
"What? What do you mean?" I was a silly high school girl then, talking about the possibility of a guy liking me. Sigh. What a sight we must be.
"Don't get me wrong," she held up her hands as if she wanted to fend off any misconstrued words, "it could be that you're just that nice. But I haven't seen Edward smile like that in a long time." My heart was pounding.
"Edward usually keeps to himself. Girls throw themselves at him all the time, you'll see it at school and when we all head to Port Angeles to race, it's funny. Amusing, really." I had the image of a blonde haired, slutty girl throwing herself into Edward's arms, and I felt the pang of jealousy. "But Edward is a loner. He concentrates on his car, school, and music. That's usually it."
"And what exactly is he doing differently around me?" I pressed. I had to know. Alice laughed and patted her hand on my knee.
"Well, first off, he won't keep his eyes off of you. Hell, Jasper is the one who pointed that out." My stomach tightened. "And second, notes? Never ever would he write little notes to someone. He's too tough for that."
"So he likes me?" Alice looked at me and smiled.
"From what I could tell, yes. So cheer up! We have a group date to plan!" Alice tore away from me and threw herself into the hallway, leaving me on her bed in my own thoughts. I could hear her tiny feet stumble down the steps and even her voice as she ran to the guys who were, no doubt, lounging in front of a virtual fight of some sort.
"Movie night on Saturday!" she squealed. I sighed and forced my pulse to slow. Carefully I left her room, closing the door behind me. Descending the stairs, I finally made it to the first floor, and saw that Alice was trying to get the guys' attention. All but Edward were still staring at the screen, forcing two cartoon figures to engage in a brutal fight to the death.
Edward's eyes flittered from Alice's face to mine, and he smiled. I returned the gesture, feeling somewhat bashful that everyone was thrown into this. From what I could tell about Alice, no one would have a choice in the matter – everyone would be attending 'movie night'. But I could hear Alice calling it 'date night' which caused my heart to pound again. Edward stood, setting his controller on the couch cushion next to Emmett.
"So," he said, walking closer to me, "I'm guessing Alice is all for movie night?" I laughed and nodded as I watched him step closer to me. His face had lit up, and he seemed as excited as Alice.
"You're okay with a group?" I asked. What Alice had told me lay fresh on my mind, and I tried to understand the new Edward she had explained. He usually wasn't like this? Part of me was happy about that, knowing that I was different. I wanted to roll with that one thought. I was different, and Edward liked me.
Edward smiled and ran one of his fingers along my forearm.
"Yes, I'm okay with that. Just don't back out and leave me with the four of them. Then I would be upset." We laughed and approached the group, sneaking small glances at each other. This was interesting, I thought.
The night had ended peacefully, and I had waved bye to everyone before heading home. Before I backed out of the driveway, I had snuck one last look at the vast greatness of the Cullen home, and was pleased to see that Edward was still standing in the doorway. He smiled and waved to me, and my stomach jumped.
The drive home was filled with my mental anguish, telling me that today was crazy. Day one and I was already sneaking peeks at a gorgeous man, feeling him up in his own kitchen. Day one and I was already falling back into the continuous thoughts of cars and racing. Day one and I was already part of a group, a group of people that accepted me and were thrilled for my arrival in their town.
Dare I call 'Day One' a success? I glanced at my reflection in the rear view mirror, noticing the difference in what I looked like now to how I was that morning. Just twelve hours ago, dead eyes stared back at me. Now, the same eyes were flashing with excitement, bright and happy. Would Charlie notice the difference?
I pulled into the driveway, making sure that my car was locked and secure before I trudged through the front door. As safe as everyone claimed this town to be, that was a trust that would be earned, not just given so freely. Charlie was standing in the kitchen, putting a box of pizza into the fridge.
"Bella?" he called. Who else would it be?
"Yes dad," I muttered, throwing my bag at the foot of the stairs. I didn't plan on staying down there long, and hoped that after Charlie's prying questions he would let me go to my room.
"So, where did you end up going? I wasn't able to ask since you so rudely hung up on me," he said. I closed my eyes, telling myself that rolling them was not the best way to express my feelings at the moment.
"Sorry dad, I didn't mean to do that," I said as nicely as possible. "This morning I almost had a collision with a car, and when I was on the phone with you I saw said car in the parking lot at school." Charlie raised his eyebrows and sat down at the table. He motioned for me to do the same, and this time I did roll my eyes
"Collision?" I nodded, explaining the incident that morning, but I left out the attempted racing, who the car belonged to, and which one it was. If I ever got up the courage to bring Alice and Edward to my house, the last thing I would want is my father catching on that Edward was a reckless driver.
"So you got pulled over by Jake?" he laughed.
"Surprised he didn't tell you," I admitted. Charlie just shook his head though.
"No, the kid isn't one to tell on the locals. Just be careful not to speed again. A warning around here is somewhat unheard of. After all, how do we make our quota with such a small population?" Charlie's sarcasm actually made me laugh, and I stood to search through the fridge for a bite to eat. All I had eaten that afternoon were some chips and snacks at the Cullen's. Alice had invited me to stay for dinner, but I had explained to her that I had to be home to eat dinner with Charlie. If I had known that he had already ordered pizza, I would have said screw it, and stayed.
"There are some leftovers," Charlie motioned towards the open fridge, and he stood to head towards the living room. I mumbled my thanks, and prodded the containers, wondering if I should just make something from scratch. The clear material that lined the shelves was housing food I didn't remember cooking over the past few weeks. I made a mental note to clean the refrigerator out, and then go grocery shopping for something edible.
"So you made some new friends?" Charlie's voice shouted from the living room as he turned on the television. The latest sports game, no doubt, sounded through the air, and I slammed the door shut.
"Yeah, I was at the Cullen's this afternoon," I yelled back. Opening the cabinets, I removed a can of clam chowder, settling for the easiness of the meal. But before I could remove the can opener from the drawer, the television turned off and Charlie was storming back into the kitchen.
"You were where?!" I froze. Didn't Emmett say to me at lunch not to tell my father who I ate with? And why didn't I listen? I set the can down, and turned slowly, a look of fake innocence spreading across my face. Play it cool, I told myself, just play it cool.
"Alice Cullen. I met her today and she was really nice. She offered for me to come over with her brother and their friends and join in on their study group." I tried to give my father a stern look. "They actually helped me catch up on all the homework and studying I had to do in just one afternoon. I thought it was really nice of them." Charlie's face was red, and he was torn between anger and just plain frustration.
"Those kids are trouble," he finally said. There it was— the 'trouble' comment. I sighed.
"And how do you suppose that?" I pressed. Charlie stared at me for a moment and shook his head.
"They have a bad reputation in this town, and I don't like it!" My arms folded over my stomach.
"A reputation for what?" Charlie didn't want to answer me, I knew this. If I was going to call these kids friends, I knew he didn't want to get on my bad side and immediately shun them. Honestly, I was curious as to what the 'outside' world was thinking about them.
"They race. They break laws and are constantly trying to find their ways around the police." I laughed at this. Unbelievable. I took the can of chowder from the counter and shoved it back into the cabinet. I was suddenly losing my appetite.
"Dad," I started as I left the kitchen and made my way towards the stairs, "every one of them- Alice, Edward, Emmett and Rose- hold a perfect grade point average. They study like they're supposed to and they're nice. Alice and Edward even have jobs." I was throwing what little I knew about them towards my father, knowing it would make him feel insecure about his own thoughts. And I was right. Instantly, Charlie was looking at the ground, and I could tell that he felt bad for degrading my choice in friends.
"And if they did race," I added nonchalantly, "how come each and every one of them still has a license? I thought racing was illegal?" I mentally patted my back on that one. Charlie was now red with embarrassment.
"Okay Bells," he said reluctantly as he watched me lift my bag from the floor, "just be careful. If I find out that group, and you, take one step out of line…" I stepped in.
"Trust me, nothing is going to happen." He nodded and walked around me, brushing his hand along my shoulder. He reclaimed his post in front of the television, turning his game back on. I took that as my cue of dismissal, and trudged up the stairs in slight anger.
I didn't know what to say about the friends I had made that day. They all seemed great to me, especially the Cullen's, but I wondered briefly what my father was thinking about when he said they were all trouble. They had admitted to the racing, and I didn't worry about that at all. Charlie was oblivious to the world I came from, and had no idea his precious daughter had the speed gene in her blood. But what on Earth could Charlie be talking about?
I shook my head of the thoughts, blowing through my bedroom door with more anger than I thought. The door hit the wall on the other side, and bounced back in a close. I stilled for a moment, hoping that Charlie didn't hear. When I heard the sound of the game continue on the television below, I threw my bag onto my bed. Looking around, I smiled at my normal blue walls. The contrast of them from Alice's was a lot more calming. How did the girl sleep at night?
My pocket started to vibrate, and I fished through my jeans to look for my cell phone. Pulling it to my face, I saw that I had a text message from Alice. Before I left her house she had grabbed my cell and entered her number, throwing her own phone at me to do the same. It sent a thrill through me to see she was texting me so soon, so I rolled the track ball on my phone to see what she wanted.
Just heads up Edward stole my phone n stole ur #. Sweet dremz c u 2morow ~ Al
A squeal left my lips, and I laughed at my sudden noise. Edward had my number. Edward wanted my number. What now? I didn't have time to think though, because my phone vibrated again, and I looked down to see what else Alice had to say.
But it wasn't Alice. Instead a number I didn't recognize came up, flashing to accept a text message. I pressed 'OK' slowly, hoping and praying that Edward's words were on the other side.
They were.
Did you get home ok? ~Edward. I smiled, letting my fingers fly over the keys in response.
Yeah, just got thru the door. Had fun 2nite. It didn't take long for a response, and I found myself sitting on my bed, legs tucked underneath me, waiting for the words I was longing to read.
I had fun 2. Hope u dont mind that I stole ur # from Al. Didnt get a moment to ask 4 it myself. Mind? Nope, I did not mind at all.
Dont mind at all. My fingers paused on the keys, and I thought carefully as to what I should say. I usually didn't have problems, especially if I wasn't sitting in front of someone. After all, they can't see my expression, right?
Still need 2 talk about what happened in kitchen 2day. I finished the text and sent it, leaning back on my headboard in wait. After a minute I felt my confidence drop a level, and I grew somewhat nervous. Should I not have mentioned that? Was that something we were supposed to forget happened? At least until after the group movie thing this weekend?
But my phone lit up a second later, this time with a call. My confidence was gone then, wishing he would just response in text. What would happen if my voice wavered, and showed how scared I was of this?
"Hello?" I answered timidly. I could hear the soft breathing on the other end, and my heart rate spiked.
"Bella?" Edward's voice was soft, almost whispering. I could hear doors closing in the background, and I wondered where exactly within that house he was.
"Hey," I smiled. I could hear him walking, sounding somewhat out of breath.
"Hold on Bella," he said suddenly. There was shuffling, and I looked around my room instinctively. What was going on?
"Alice, get away from me!" Edward's voice yelled. It sounded distant, and I knew that the phone was not pressed against his mouth anymore. I laughed, picturing Edward running through the maze of a home, trying to get away from the prying eyes of his sister.
"I told her you stole her number Edward!" Alice's sing-song voice trilled after him, and he laughed in response.
"Who the hell do you think is on the phone? I'm not magic Al! I can't pull her number out of thin air!" Alice started shouting at her brother, and I just leaned back and listened to the banter. Finally Edward seemed to be clear of her, and he returned to talk.
"Sorry about that," he breathed, "Alice was becoming my little stalker." I laughed and blushed, suddenly happy that he wasn't able to see how easily I reacted to him.
"It's okay, where did you end up hiding?" I asked curiously.
"I'm on the second floor, in one of the guest rooms. I can hear her upstairs looking everywhere. It'll take forever for her to find me." I laughed again, imagining Edward hiding in a closet, his cell phone pressed to his ear protectively. If Alice was right, and Edward never acted like this, then I felt somewhat special. After all, didn't he always try to be the tough guy?
"Sorry you couldn't stay longer," Edward was saying. I smiled and stood, working to remove my jacket.
"Me too, I ended up coming home and my dad had already eaten. So much for me rushing home just for him." I threw my jacket on the back of my desk chair, setting a mental reminder to hang it up before it got too wrinkled. Kicking off my boots, I crawled back into my posture on the bed, pulling my bag up with me. I only had the desk lamp on, not wanting to blind myself; the darkness was actually inviting, and hearing Edward's hushed voice settled me into a world that I welcomed with open arms.
"Did you want me to come get you? We could go get something?" Edward asked, sounding almost hopeful. I blushed furiously, wondering momentarily what would happen if I left my room, telling Charlie that I was going to go grab a bite to eat with Edward Cullen. Of course, an aneurism would ensue.
"Rain check," I found myself saying. "My dad would die if I drove off again."
"Rain check," Edward repeated. I heart shuffling on his end, and then a sudden 'bang', causing me to jump.
"Edward, what was that?" I could hear his breathing slow, and then there was silence.
"It's Alice," he responded a moment later, very quietly. I laughed, suddenly wanting to be in the house as their little game of hide-and-seek commenced.
"Did she find you?" I asked. Edward was very quiet, and I heard another door open on his end.
"Where are you?" I asked again. Edward let out a small laugh.
"Closet," he whispered. I laughed louder this time, and the image of Edward in that closet reappeared in my mind. Oh, how I wished I were there. A few silent moments later, the door on his end closed again, and I could hear him sigh with relief.
"She's gone," he said louder. I started running my fingers along my throw blanket I kept on my bed, wondering if I should bring up my text.
"So, about earlier," Edward said. My eyes were wide. Could this man read my mind?
"Yes?" I pressed.
"I want you to know that I don't usually corner girls in my home and have my way with them. Actually I never do that." I laughed, nodding to myself.
"Yeah, that's what Alice said." Edward's breath caught in his throat and I could hear him stutter.
"Alice knows?" he asked, sounding very scared. I realized the slip I had made, and how it must have sound to him.
"Oh! No no, no she doesn't know," I rolled my eyes at myself, wanting badly to hit my own head in frustration. "When she took me on a tour of the rest of the house, minus your room, she cornered me about you."
"And?" I felt my heart swell.
"Well, she said she and Jasper noticed how we kept looking at each other, and she told me that you must like me because you didn't act like that way with anyone. That you were a loner of some sort." Edward's laughter echoed through my line, and I closed my eyes at the wonderful sound. It was musical, and I wanted badly to watch his lips as such a sound left them.
"Great, she makes me sound like a loser!" I joined in with the laugher for a moment.
"No, not a loser," I corrected, "I think she just wanted me to know that you may like me. She had great intentions." Edward's laughter died off, but I swore I could hear his smile through the phone.
"She's right," he admitted. And I grinned.
"What are you doing right now?" Edward asked, changing the subject. I looked around the room, at the unpacked boxes that scattered my floor.
"Nothing," I admitted. "I finished homework at your house, so I guess I'm caught up with everything. Maybe unpack?" The question was aimed towards me, but Edward was agreeing.
"You don't want to live out of boxes," he scolded me, "it gives the ambiance of not being settled. After all, you're not going anywhere." Really.
"I'll let you go," Edward sighed, "Alice is going to be making the rounds again very soon, maybe even calling you to get you to tell her where I am." I laughed at the idea of a frustrated Alice.
"That'll teach her a lesson," I smiled. With that Edward laughed, and I could hear him open a door, undoubtedly leaving his hiding place.
"I'll see you tomorrow Bella," Edward said softly.
"Indeed you will, good night."
"'Nite," he laughed quietly. And then the call ended. I stared at my phone for a moment, contemplating what was happening. I used the trackball on my phone to scroll back through my call log, adding Edward's number to my Address Book. After that was done, I smiled, throwing the phone onto the table to charge. I lay in bed for a while after that, wondering what would have happened if I had stayed for dinner that evening. Or what would have happened if I accepted Edward's invitation for him picking me up? I couldn't think that way though, because day one was done, and I was letting my mind wander to situations that could easily get me into trouble.
So... what do you all think? Please let me know!! My mind is reeling with ideas for the story, and I am so excited to share them all with you. Again, please please PLEASE read and review, because the reviews fuel my fire, and I thrive to please you all.
BTW- I love Edward. *sigh* thought I would let you know that. :) *AM*