Hey, if you have recieved the update for chapter 26 and you're confused as to why you are just reading the same thing it's because I messed up the chapters I posted and skipped the chapter that was supposed to be chapter 24. So you can go back and read that.

So sorry for the confusion :(

"I don't understand." Alice wrinkled her nose, shaking her head, "Your mother wants Mr. Cullen. But he wants her to have Edward?" She cocked her head to the side and twirled her red pen between her fingers.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen want Edward and I together. They're the sane side of this whole -" I shook my hands in the air. "Whatever the fuck." I palmed my forehead and leaned back in my chair. "It's everyone else that's against us."

"Don't be dramatic, Bella." Alice rolled her eyes before studying the paper in front of her and shaking her head. "I bet you can't name more than two people that want you apart."

I held up a hand, "Mom, Tanya, oh and let's not forget all of the other bitches Edward has fucked." I pursed my lips, shaking my head at Edward's less than perfect whore record.

"It must mean he's good at what he does though, right?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"Uh… Very good. But I don't need half of Washington knowing that." I leaned forward and she looked at me over the rim of her cat eye glasses. "I swear, since we told our parents, there have been pictures of us in the newspapers and now everyone knows that Washington's Most Eligible Bachelor is Off the Market. I can't walk down the street without some random woman glaring at me. He's not only eligible but he's a heartbreaker!"

"Bella…" She rolled her eyes. "You were friends with him for what? Twenty years? There is no way you haven't noticed this stuff before."

"Alice I wasn't even on the media's radar until a few months ago-"

"I meant with other women."

"No, they didn't give a shit about me because we were friends." She rolled her eyes. "He'd come with me, flirt with them and they'd be happy. But his attention is solely on me now." I gloated on the inside... and the outside. "They don't like that."

"Bella, it's not like every woman you see is jealous of you."

"Damn near!"

"This is more ridiculous than I'd thought." I slammed my purse down on the table and pulled out today's newspaper and tabloid that someone dropped at my doorstep every morning when I was in it. It was weird as fuck, but it did keep me updated.

Childhood Friends Spotted and Confronted Once More! The tabloid read, a picture of Edward and me in fucking Starbucks, talking to Lauren. She was glaring at me as I sat beneath Edward's arm. His eyes were on his coffee and she was wearing the Starbucks apron. She'd been forced to take on more jobs as her parent's empire crashed around them. She hadn't gone through college when provided the chance because she was "born and raised to be a housewife."

She was absolutely furious when Edward and I walked in; it was the Starbucks in Tacoma because her parents would rather she drove two hours a day than them having people know they were essentially bankrupt.

Edward and I were visiting an on-site at Tacoma and stopped for a latte before we headed home.

"Did she really confront you?"

"She told him that my seeing her struggle scared me into getting off of my ass and hooking up with someone who was essentially my Daddy Warbucks." Alice gasped slamming her folder closed.

"You're lying!"

"Nope. I was stopped in the mall, when I was looking for Esme's birthday gift and some random woman asked how I managed to snag him." Then the woman started crying, I had to give her an uncomfortably long hug to get her to stop wailing. Only to find out that she didn't even know Edward.

My life.

Alice covered her mouth as she started to laugh and I shook my head. "I can't even begin... to understand these women."

"Edward is an enigma to them. He's a gorgeous player, who had it all, and then he just dropped part of what made him, him for you." She shrugged waving off my raised eyebrow. "To you, Edward is just Edward. Your best friend. You don't question him because he's always been weird and you get that. That's why he likes you."

I shook my head, wondering how the hell she made it sound so simple. She'd just summed up everything like it was nothing. "What do you mean he dropped what made him, him?"

"Edward Cullen is four things. Gorgeous, rich, eligible, and a player." She shrugged, ticking off her fingers as she spoke. I frowned, there was so much more to him than that. "His dating you has taken half of him and thrown it out the window. Now he's Edward Cullen, Bella Swan's boyfriend."

"I doubt that will be what he's referred to as…" I frowned, holding up a finger as my phone vibrated. "I'm sorry." She waved me off and looked back down to her books.

"Isabella, I want to buy your gown for the gala." Mom said, referring to the charity ball that Kate Rochester's parents were hosting. Edward and I were being forced into going to this thing, from both sides of our family's. My phone buzzed against my ear to show me that Edward had texted me.

"Uh, I don't want you wasting your money, I can get it myself." I said, trying not to let my pride completely saturate my tone as I spoke. Working for Edward did end up paying very well.

"No, I know that you are still trying to build things up for yourself. Why don't you just buy your jewelry and what not. Or you can have Edward get it for you, he's got money." Her voice held a longing that made me sick.

"Look, to be honest I can get a dress myself. I didn't want a thing from you."

"You will take the dress and I'll leave you alone. Deal?"

One she won't be able to keep.

"Okay, Mom, thank you." Relenting was easier than fighting. "Do you want me to go dress shopping and just tell you how much, or are you picking it out?" I didn't really want her to have the second option, but if she wanted to buy me the dress she had every right to pick it out as well.

"No, you go shopping with a girlfriend or something." I looked up at Alice who lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, what about Tanya?! You two haven't done things together in a while." My hackles rose at the very mention of the bitches name and I curled a lip.

"Mom, Tanya-" I shook my head and Alice put a hand on my arm. "Tanya and I aren't friends. But thank you, and I'll send you a picture of the dress…"

"Tanya? What in the world could you have done? She such a nice girl!" I pursed my lips at her automatic assumption that I was in the wrong.

"She's a whore." I said, grinding my teeth. Mom gasped and was silent for a while before she huffed.

"How could you say something like that about your friend?" She asked, making me want to throw up my hands. Alice shook her head and looked back down at her books.

"I walked in my boyfriend's house the other day, to see her wearing nearly nothing." I huffed making Alice's eyes snap back up to mine.

"Well, that seems like you and Edward have a few boundaries to define." Mom said like it was obvious. I shook my head, my eyes widening with disbelief.

"Yeah, of course." I sighed, "look mom I've got to go, thanks for the dress though."

"No problem, Isabella." I nodded, at a loss for words. "Well, have a nice day and please, get a decent dress." I nodded and ran my hand through my hair.

"Alright, mom. Bye."

"Goodbye." I hung up quickly and Alice's hand smacked down onto the table.

"How the hell could you have forgotten to tell me about that?!" She almost screamed, making everyone in the coffee shop turn to her.

"There's kind of a lot I haven't told you." I bit my lip and checked Edward's text.

Have to go tux shopping, looks like we're actually going to this thing. Sorry, babe.-E

"I'm being rude," I sighed, "I'm sorry, but may I?" I pointed at the phone and she shrugged.

No problem, I've gotta go dress shopping anyway. So I'll probably get in late. -B

My phone buzzed almost immediately. And I looked bashfully at Alice who paid me no attention.

Ah, okay. Love you-E

Love you too, have fun.-B

I looked back up and tucked my phone away.

"Are you ready to go? Because I have a feeling that a coffee shop isn't the appropriate place to have this conversation."

~~/!/~~

I sighed and hung my keys on the board on the inside of the garage door. I'd just come from dropping my dress off at my place and was dead tired. I walked in quietly and pulled off my coat as I went. My little talk with Alice had been draining, to say the least. I'd explained more than just Tanya, telling her about my parents and my financial situation. She'd flipped her shit and stormed out if the bridal shop before coming back in with an uncaring shrug. She only wanted to know why I kept it from her. That was easily answered.

Edward was sleeping in his recliner when I entered the living room, looking all kinds of attractive.

He was shirtless and had a blanket pulled up to his waist, making me hope he was also pantless. Even in his sleep, his lips were pulled into a sexy smirk. I smiled and picked up the remote turning off the television as I debated on whether or not I should wake him.

I, sadly, settled on letting him sleep. I lightly trailed my fingers over his forehead and pushed his hair from his face.

"Are you going to keep poking at me? Or are you going to kiss me?" He asked reaching out and touching my hip. His voice was husky with sleep and my pussy wept for him.

I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, taking his bottom lip between mine. He moaned into my mouth and lifted his hand to my ass, pulling me into his lap.

"I missed you." He sighed as I shifted so that my back was on his chest and I maneuvered between his legs. "I don't like you not being here when I get home. Makes me feel lonely." He pouted, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Sorry, babe." I whispered, moving back so that I could kiss his cheek.

"That's when I came to the realization that I want you always." He pressed a kiss to my neck and my breathing hitched as he grabbed a small black box from the table, bringing it in front of the both of us.

"Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the pleasure..." I started to subconsciously choke. Don't ask me how I did it, no clue. And I felt him smile into my neck as he opened the box. There, laying nestled in the black velvety fabric was a shimmering silver... key. "Of moving in with me?"

"You know what would be hilarious?" Edward asked as we worked out the costs of our fake wedding and then our fake house for our finance class. Of course I got stuck with him for the thing. Meaning I'd have to endure whispering in the halls, and Tanya and Lauren's bitching for days on end.

"You actually helping me?" I asked pointing at the desk as he walked around with my carton of ice cream.

He shook his head and spooned out a heaping amount before shoving it in my mouth. "Shh, be happy." He dropped a kiss on the top of my hair and I rolled my eyes.

"No, listen. When I get older, like really old, after I've had my fill of hot chicks and getting laid." I rolled my eyes at my virgin best friend. "Once I settle down, get all boring and shit,"

"I get the point."

"Well when I ask my girlfriend to move in with me, wouldn't it be great if I put the key in an engagement ring box?" He laughed maniacally and slapped a hand against his thighs.

"Unless she sees the ring box coming and says no." I said waving a finger at him.

"Yeah, that could get awkward." He pursed his lips and leaned over me.

"You didn't multiply that right." He pointed at the large chart in front of me.

My hand came down firmly on his thigh and he jumped, "Jesus, baby!"

"That wasn't funny in high school and it's not funny now!" I growled pushing away from him and stomping out of the room.

"Ah, damn." I heard the footrest of the recliner click back into place and then he was right behind me. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. "Come 'ere, baby. I'm sorry, I thought you'd enjoy that." I pushed his arms away and he sighed.

"Edward!"

"I love you..." He said softly, at a loss for what to say.

"Edward, you jerk!"

"At least I didn't propose that you make me a sandwich." He shrugged, making a smile tug at my lips even though I really wanted to be mad at him. He pointed at me and touched my cheek. "I see you smiling, cutie." I waved him off as a giggle bubbled up in my throat.

"Damn it." I laughed as he pulled me back into his arms.

"Come on, move in with me?" He turned me to face him.

"Fine." I huffed, he beamed and hugged me to him, lifting me so that my toes barely touched the ground. "You're lucky I love you." I joked, smiling just as wide as he was, into his neck.

"Oh tell me about it." I ran my fingers through his hair before I pressed my lips to his.

"I definitely think that we should celebrate." He winked, carrying me into the kitchen and propping me up on the counter. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a seventy eight Shafer, that I'm sure came from his dad. Seeing as we weren't alive in seventy eight... He poured two glasses handing me one before we held them up.

"To new beginnings." I toasted.

"To us." We clinked glasses and I pecked his lips before taking a sip.

To us.

/~/~/

I hope you all enjoyed!

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Even if I continuously fail to reply...

I'm really sorry... I didn't account for an eight hour rehearsal yesterday so I didn't get to reply.