Author's note: Okay villagers, you can put away your pitch forks! LOL. Here is chapter 10 and chapter 11 is nearly done. Thanks to AgoodWITCH for taking the time from her own writing to work on this for me. Also, I have a few other announcements. I am in the All Hallows Eve Anonymous contest http:/www. fanfiction. net/u/2496726/AllHallowsEveContest And the A Picture Says it All Anonymous contest http:/www. fanfiction. net/~apicturesaysitall. Please go check them out. I'm also excited to be able to share that my story, The Children of Creation, won Judge's Pick for the Young Adult category of The Writer's Coffee Shop Original Fiction Contest! I also managed to complete my first draft of the novel and will begin editing soon. What the means for you? Well that means I'll have more time to write, but still not up to my usual output speed. I will also be posting Return of the King updates soon as well! Thanks for all of your support and reviews!

One thing I loved about college was the extra long winter break before the Spring term began. Classes wouldn't start until January 10th. We were going back a couple of days early to deal with settling in again and making sure we had our books and things for the term, but that still meant we had a whole week after New Year's at home. At first that had seemed awesome, but after the events of Christmas and New Year's I was quickly changing my mind.

I had never been the kid who snuck out or snuck around. Emmett and Edward were constantly sneaking out to meet friends or girls, but I was always the good one who never indulged. That was probably the reason why I was feeling so horribly guilty about sneaking around to spend alone time with Edward. We had two really close calls, and one time it was so close Mom nearly walked in on me and Edward, both shirtless.

Yeah, I know, it sounds bad. I mean, we had our first kiss on Christmas and I was already half naked with him the day after New Year's, but for the love of Pete, we both had years worth of sexual tension built up. We already know pretty much all that there is to know about each other, so in a way, the sexual stuff is like the final frontier with us because we've already covered everything else.

With the exception of the secrecy part of things, my relationship with Edward was as easy as breathing. I had sort of worried when we started this that it would change things between us, but honestly, it didn't. All it really did was add the ability to do the things we'd both been daydreaming about anyway.

It seemed like the longest week of my life, but finally, on January 7th Emmett, Edward, Rose, and I all piled into Emmett's SUV to drive back to school. Emmett and Rose were more or less oblivious as we drove back as Edward and I huddled under a blanket in the back seat, our hands drifting toward slightly dangerous places on an off throughout the three hour drive. I was surprised at how thrilling it was, playing with fire like that. From the look in Edward's eyes and his state of alert below the waist, I knew he was enjoying the thrill just as much as I was.

When we finally got back to campus, we all went our separate ways to unload and put things away. Edward and I had plans to meet us later in whichever one of our rooms was free. We were both looking forward to some time alone, not having to worry quite as much with being caught, especially since Jasper had pegged Edward's feelings for me the weekend of our big fight at the beginning of last semester. I was shocked he had figured it out so soon, but Edward wasn't. He said that once we got to school, things got even more complicated for him, and it was almost impossible for Jasper not to notice. I had wondered right then and there if Alice knew as well.

The question of Alice's knowledge was answered the second I walked into our room. She ran across the small space to hug me before pulling away and looking at me with wide, appraising eyes. Her eyes popped wider as a big smile spread across her face.

"You guys did it! You finally hooked up! It's about time! I swear, I was about ready to string the both of you up by your toes between his mess with Tanya and your practically Amish boyfriend. I'm so glad you finally saw how perfect you were together! So how was it? Did you handle the first time okay? Did it hurt too bad, because with me, it hurt really bad the first few minutes but then it got really, really good…"

She continued to babble on as I blinked at her in bewilderment. After a minute, I put up my hand to stop her. "Whoa there, Pixie, you're way ahead of me here. First off, yes, we're together, but we didn't actually DO IT."

Alice's eyes glazed as she cocked her head like a confused puppy, her hands popping up on her hips. "You mean you guys DIDN'T? REALLY?"

I chuckled as I nodded, picking my bags back up and moving across the room to my dresser to put them away. "Yes, Really. I mean, we've done some stuff, but not that much. It wasn't exactly easy with having to hide it from our family and stuff. We almost got caught a couple of times."

Alice bounced on the balls of her feet, clapping happily as I continued to share slightly edited versions of some of the things that happened. When I was done, she squealed and hugged me before she set off rambling again about room schedules so each couple could have as much alone time as we could swing. I smiled as I asked if Edward and I could use our room most of the time, limiting the threat of Emmett busting in on us. Yeah, he had learned to schmooze his way onto my floor, but there was no resistance with Edward's room at all.

Fifteen minutes after I was all unpacked, Edward's ringtone chimed from my cell. I smiled as I picked it up and answered while Alice flitted around behind me, grabbing some things to spend the night up in the boys' room with Jasper, giving Edward and I our first, truly safe, time alone since we became official, or whatever you'd call it.

"So, I'm all unpacked," his smooth voice intoned into my ear.

I smirked and twirled my hair as I leaned against the windowsill. "Me, too…so what do you have planned for the rest of the night?"

He chuckled before humming quietly. "Well, I was thinking about maybe picking up some supper and bringing it over to my gorgeous girlfriend's room so we could have supper together. I don't know, what do you think?"

I felt my cheeks ache from my wide smile as I toed the floor. "I don't know. What if her roommate is there? It might kill some of the romance."

The chuckle in response made my stomach tingle. "I happen to have it on good authority, little girl, that your roommate is planning on spending all night with MY roommate. Seems I don't have a place to sleep tonight."

I cleared my throat as my knees slammed together, my bottom lip suddenly trapped between my teeth. "I'm sure we can work something out, Mr. Cullen. If nothing else, you can always take the palate on my floor again."

I smiled when I heard a small rumble coming through the phone. "Only if you're sharing it with me, beautiful. I have no intention of sleeping alone tonight."

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard Jasper's unmistakable laugh in the background. "Okay, you two, stop all the phone flirting and get yourselves in the same room already. Alice and I need some alone time thanks to all your second hand pheromones anyway!"

My face flushed red, but I couldn't help but chuckle. Edward was laughing too, but it was slightly strained. I knew he was feeling it as much as I was.

"Okay, Bella. What do you want me to grab us? I'll run and be in your lobby in half an hour tops."

I sighed, "I don't care. I'm not feeling picky tonight. You know what I like from everywhere, so just get whatever you like."

He hummed quietly before mumbling to Jasper. "Jazz says they're having some kind of deal at Pizza Hut. Large, any way you want it for ten bucks. Want me to order some carryout?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Half supreme, half ham and pinapple?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds perfect."

"Alright, babe. See you in half an hour or so."

"I've got sodas here as well as napkins, so we should be all set. Text me when you're here."

"Will do," Edward chirped back before ending the phone call.

I turned back toward the room to find Alice beaming at me. "You guys are just so perfect for each other. You make me puke in my mouth a little from the sweetness, but it's still adorable. How could you guys have not figured this all out earlier?"

I sighed, picking up a picture of our family from on top of my dresser. "It's not that easy, Alice. He's my step brother. Our parents aren't going to take it well, and our ultra conservative, stick up its ass town is going to treat it like the Clinton Impeachment. We've both resisted for a long time because we know it's going to be a shit storm, but when you find your soul mate, you can only stay away so long before you can't resist them anymore. That's where we finally are."

Alice squealed again, running across the room to hug me around the neck, her shoulder cutting off my air supply in her enthusiasm.

"He is your soul mate, Bella. You guys are meant to be. I just KNOW this will all turn out alright in the end."

I sighed, rubbing my neck and hoping I wasn't bruised. "I hope you're right, Alice. I really do."

Alice left a few minutes later, leaving me to pace and start to stress a little about Edward's arrival. All this soul mate, meant to be talk, and I was still worried that when it was just us, things might not be as perfect as they seemed. In so many ways, I felt like I was living in a fairy tale and I was just waiting for the story to end and the book to close, leaving me in my childhood bedroom wishing it were all real. I couldn't help but feel that nagging in the back of my mind warning me that the clock will eventually strike midnight and I'll be Sisterella once again, only this time without the easy relationship.

By the time Edward texted me twenty minutes later, I had managed to get myself all worked up. I couldn't help the deluge of images in my mind, awkwardness, stiff conversation, and boredom in his eyes within minutes. I had never been known as the life of the party and I was not a girl with movie star looks. What would happen when his curiosity was sated? When he got what he wanted and then he found out it was more about the forbidden aspect than the real me?

I sat out the sodas before walking down the hall to let Edward in, my bottom lip trapped in the vice grip of my teeth. He smiled that beautiful crooked smile at me when I opened the door, holding the pizza over my head to kiss my lips before walking past me down the hall to the door to my room. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I followed him.

Once in the room, he flitted around like he owned the place. I was relieved to see that at least that part of my fears were not the issue. I frowned at him in confusion as he climbed the first few rungs of the ladder leading to my loft before reaching up to yank my comforter off the bed and lay it in the middle of the floor.

My frown turned into a smile as he sat the pizza box in the middle before snatching out drinks off the top of the mini fridge and holding his hand out to me with a smirk. I took his hand, letting him pull me down to the blanket next to him.

He kissed my lips gently before opening the box with a little too much flare and pointing to my side of the pizza. I nodded, allowing him to hand me a slice before taking one of his own. He never understood my love for the ham and pineapple. I'd been telling him for years he needed to try it before condemning the delicious combo, but he never, ever would. I smirked to myself thinking maybe tonight I could force him to try the taste, especially if it meant gaining the experience through kissing. I was certainly glad he couldn't read my mind, because my whip lash mood swings were driving me crazy, much less anyone else.

He started in immediately with this funny story about a guy with an orange Mohawk that came close to poking his eye out while he waited in line, making a dramatic plea that I should thank him properly for risking life and limb for my food. The longer we sat and talked, the more the fears I had about us being weird around each other melted away. When he was around, it was easy to keep my neurotic alter ego under control, but apparently being separated made her go hog wild with her over active imagination.

Unfortunately, another downside of being back at school meant we wouldn't see nearly as much of each other as we had at home. We had compared schedules after we registered, sad about the fact that we only shared one class. Already our academic courses were diverging. By next fall, we wouldn't share any classes at all.

I sighed, leaning against his arm as my thoughts drifted to future semesters. I was still so insecure in our new relationship that I had a hard time counting on that future. You would think considering my close relationship with Edward that I would be more secure than I would in any other relationship.

Edward shifted next to me, moving to tip my face up to his as he stared down at me with concerned eyes. "Bella, what's all the sighing about? What's wrong, sweetheart?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head, which of course, Edward would not accept as an answer. He moved the pizza box off the blanket as well as the rest of the napkins and things atop it before shifting me so I was facing him. He stared down at me with piercing eyes as he rubbed my arms attentively.

"Bella, tell me what's on your mind. I need to know what you're thinking."

I sighed, closing my eyes again. "I'm just feeling insecure that's all."

I glanced up at him through my lashes to see him frowning down at me. "Insecure? In what way?"

I shrugged and sighed.

"About us?"

I shrugged again, my eyes cinched tightly. I relaxed a little as I felt his fingers drift over my cheek before slipping to caress my lips. I opened them a bit and leaned into his touch, kissing his finger.

"Look at me, Bella," he whispered huskily. I let my eyes flutter open to see his clear eyes, the color of polished sea glass, boring into me. "You have nothing to be insecure about. I love you, Bella, with all of my heart. I've loved you for years, baby. There can't be any more security than that."

I sighed, a tear trickling down my face. "When you're around I know I'm being silly, but my mind just goes nuts. I find myself wondering if once you've actually had me that you might get tired of me. I'm worried that I won't be enough."

Edward's soft green eyes went stormy, his grip tightening slightly on my arms, but not so much as to be painful. With his gaze locked on me, he leaned in close, his breath brushing my lips as he spoke.

"I will never grow tired of you. This isn't some stupid infatuation, Bella. I love you with every fiber of my being. I have daydreams of marrying you and having kids with you and building your dream house wherever you want it. I want to grow old with you, and sit on our back porch and watch the sun go down when our vision is so bad it just looks like a big orange blur in the sky. I don't know how else to say this, but you are it for me. That's not going to change. Not ever."

I swallowed thickly, my breath picking up speed as I stared up at his eyes, so deep and sincere. I knew he meant the words he was saying. The question was would they stand up to the test of time? It only took seconds for me to answer my own question. Yes…yes it would. Edward Cullen was never a fickle child. He knew what he wanted and he went for it, and he would never give up until he got it. This time it was me he wanted, and once he got me, he wasn't ever going to let go.

My heart exploded in my chest at the realization, sending chilling tingles through my extremities as a smile pulled at my lips. The heat in Edward's eyes never left as he looked down at me. After a few minutes, I could no longer resist. With a whimper, I jumped to my knees and shifted to kneel before him, wrapping my arms around his neck and sealing his lips in a kiss.

Edward moaned as my lips parted immediately, my tongue probing at the soft pink bow of his upper lip. As the kiss grew deeper, his hands slowly slid around my waist, pushing at my lower back to close the space between us. I melted against his chest, loving the feel of my breasts trapped between us, as well as the growing hardness behind the zipper of his jeans.

My hands found purchase in his hair as I moaned loudly in his ear, tugging a little, pushing him back to sit on his heels as I moved to straddle his thighs. The freedom of knowing we had the room to ourselves with little likelihood of being caught spurred us on more as Edward grasped my hips and shifted me against him a few times before his hands drifted to the bottom hem of my shirt. A few seconds later, he ripped it off my body with lightning speed before reclaiming my lips and then moving to drift down the column of my neck to the swells of my breasts. I arched into his mouth, loving the freedom of being away from home.

Soon, both of our shirts and my bra were gone, our bodies undulating against one another, as he lapped at my flesh before claiming my mouth and then going back to my neck or breasts. He seemed to be particularly enamored with my right breast, teasing it relentlessly with his lips and teeth as his hand slid over the denim covered apex of my thighs. I felt my body instinctually move against his hand as I rubbed my leg up and down the bulge in his pants.

All too soon, we reached that boundary that we had yet to cross. I was nervous. Other than a couple of awkward attempts by Mike Newton, nobody had ever encountered what was below the waistband of my pants without the barrier of a couple of layers of thick clothes. I gazed into Edward's eyes as he stared intently down at me, his breathing slightly labored, just as mine was. We both wanted it, but we also knew it was another point of no return and that I was scared.

The intensity faded from Edward's eyes as they softened, a small smile playing at the sides of his lips before he leaned down to kiss my temple softly. "It's okay, Bella. I don't want you to do anything you're not ready to do. I can be patient…for you."

I nodded, my heart aching with desire and need to not disappoint Edward, and yet a sense of relief. Edward moved to kiss my stomach in reverence before resting his head over my belly button while lying on his side, gazing up at me. His eyes sparkled with so much emotion as his fingers slid up and down my ribs.

I nibbled my lip, as I looked down at him, feeling his love through his gaze, and making a promise to myself that the next time we were alone together, I would not stop the progression. I wanted to feel his touch on the bare skin of my nether regions as much as I wanted to feel his manhood without the rough barrier of denim. I wanted to make him feel desired and fulfilled, and I swore to myself that the next time I would.

Half an hour later, we had repositioned ourselves side by side, my naked upper half snuggled to Edward's with my head on his chest as he wrapped us up in my comforter. As we drifted off to sleep, content to be together even if it was on the hard floor, I castigated myself for stopping just before my eyes fell closed in sleep.