Disclaimer: I take no credit in the characters within this story; those are the sole work of Mrs. Stephenie Meyer. I do, however, take credit for the specific, new traits I gave them and am quite proud of them.

Note: Completely unedited, but I was eager to get these last few chapters up. I love you all! Hopefully these last few chapters are all that you hoped for! I'm keeping it short and simple—ENJOY!

-BPOV

"Bella… I still don't understand," Alice said as she handed me the keys. "What do you mean you need to go home? I thought everything was going so we—"

"Alice, I need to get out of here now. Please… I'll go stay at a hotel for tonight, and be back here tomorrow at whatever time you want to pick you up, ok?"

"But why, Bella?" she demanded, "Talk to me! What happened?"

I reached up and grabbed my head, pushing my fingers into my hair, frustration slamming inside of my chest. "Alice, I can't right now, ok? I need time to think and I can not do it here. I have to go away for tonight, and then go home tomorrow, ok? Just try to be my best friend for one second and understand that I am doing what I know is going to be best. Trust me just this time. I love you, and I need you to do this for me. Tell Edward… that I am sorry."

She let go of my arm, giving me a stunned look as I lifted my bag off the ground and backed toward the car. "Ok Bella. Just please call me when you check in somewhere. Let me know you're safe."

"I will Alice. I am sorry for this. I'll see you tomorrow."

I tossed my bag into the back seat, then climbed behind the wheel. I buckled as quickly as possible and sped away from the campsite. My heart was slamming against my ribs as I bumped over the dirt road. The more the distance between Edward and I grew, the worse I felt.

-EPOV

"Hey Alice, where's Bella?" I asked as I came out of my tent to see Alice standing there, arms crossed.

She shook her head, confusion written all over her face. "I don't know."

"Weren't you just with her?" I asked. I had heard Alice's and Bella's just a minute before while trying to dig out my iPod from my bag. "I could have sworn…"

She nodded, "Yeah, I was. She grabbed her bag, asked for my car keys, and left."

I shook my head, "Wait, what? I'm confused. Where was she going?"

"She said she had to get away, she's staying at a hotel tonight, picking us up tomorrow, and then going home. She told me to tell you that she is sorry. I don't understand. I thought she had been happy, but… did you say anything to her that would scare her away?"

"No… Alice, why did she say she was sorry?"

"She didn't, Edward!" Alice sounded frustrated. "I don't understand this. She wouldn't tell me a thing, she just looked absolutely miserable when she came out of the trees."

"Who was she talking to on the beach?" I asked, reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone. Alice didn't answer, just started walking quickly toward the lake with pure fury in her face. I dialed Bella's number and called. Two rings, then voicemail. I dialed again. Same thing. The third time it just went straight to voicemail. Fine, if she wasn't going to answer I'd leave a voicemail and try again later. "Bella, where are you going? Is everything ok? Call us back, please! We just want to know you are ok. You have nothing to be sorry for. Please call me back! I—" My mouth caught the word love right at my teeth. "I really want to talk to you. It's important."

After hitting end I followed the path Alice had taken through the trees to everyone else. Alice and Brie were nose to nose right at the edge of the volleyball court, both fuming. I could hear Alice's angry shrieks, but could not distinguish what she was trying to say. Jasper stood with Emmett and Rose a ways down the beach, all eyes turned toward the commotion Alice was making. Neither set of parents seemed to be anywhere nearby.

I hurried toward the two women, "Alice, stop screaming for God's sakes!"

"Seriously Alice, I have no idea what you are screaming about. All I did was tell her that I had overheard you and Rose talking earlier about—"

"That is enough!" Alice snapped at her. "I want you out of this camp now. You just drove off someone who has ten times the right you have to be here. Go. Now."

"Oh, what, you don't think Edward should hear?" Brie sneered at her.

"What you heard was absolutely none of your business and it's certainly not up to you to decide if Edward does or does not need to hear it. Get out of here. I don't want to see your face in this camp again, do you understand me?"

Brie just gave a sharp laughed and walked away. "Yes, ma'am. I was already about to leave, thank you very much. Way too much drama going on over here."

Alice continued to fume as she watched the younger girl disappear down the beach. I stared at my sister, waiting for any sort of explanation to why Bella had gone, but Alice seemed completely oblivious to presence. Finally I prompted her, "Alice, what was that about?"

"Edward, I do not think Bella is going to let you see her again for a little while. Brie just fucked up any promise there was of her letting you guys repair this." She finally turned and met my eyes, her own pooled with tears. "And it's my fault. I am sorry. I couldn't keep my mouth shut on my best friend's secrets and because of it Brie was able to use it against her. I know what she is thinking, and there is no way that you or I will be able to change it until she tells you."

"Tells me what, Alice?" I growled. Anger was pouring off of me. Alice had screwed up. If Brie had overheard something that Alice should not have talked about, then it certainly was neither Bella nor Brie's fault.

"Edward, I can't be the one to tell you that. I drove Bella to it, it's my fault too, but if I tell you… then I probably destroy my friendship with her completely. I can only imagine how angry she is with me as it is…"

2 MONTHS LATER

-BPOV

The phone rang. I sighed and dropped my pen, pushing the marked pages away from me. Thank god for a momentary distraction from editing. I reached for the phone and checked the ID. Alice.

With a smile I answered. "Hey, gorgeous."

"Hey! Are you all packed and ready?"

I laughed, "Alice, I'm not leaving until tomorrow. I still have all day."

"I was hoping you would say that. Don't pack a thing, I already have your bags, just meet us at the hotel tomorrow then!"

"Alice, no. I already know what I am bringing. I am not going to leave my trust with someone who loves squeezing me into the tightest jeans she can find, ok? Just trust me, please?" I said, keeping my voice even so she understood that I was serious and there was no room for argument.

I heard a deep sigh, "Fine, but I am at least bringing you something extra to wear on the wedding day, ok?"

"Sure Alice. So what about you, are you all packed?"

"Bella, you act as if you don't even know who I am."

I laughed, "You've been packed for a few days, haven't you?"

"Of course." The cheerfulness of her voice was contagious, bringing a smile to my lips. "Bella, I hope you know what you are in for. I already have Rose's bachelorette party all planned."

"Yeah? What did you have in mind?" I asked anxiously. I was both intrigued and afraid, not entirely sure how big Alice was planning to go with it.

"Ha! Like I would give you a sneak peek after you tell me no! You just wait, ok? It'll be a blast, I promise." She paused for a long breath and I knew something bad was coming. "You know Bella, Edward still calls me a few times a week and asks me about you. He says you still don't answer his calls. I am honestly proud of him for not just going over there."

"Alice…" I warned. I had stopped this conversation every time that Alice called me in the last month.

"Don't 'Alice' me, Bella! You understand that in three days you are going to have to see him whether you like it or not! You are going to have to deal with this. You are going to have to tell him. He already knows that it was all my fault! I don't know why you feel like putting it off is going to make it any better!"

"Alice I—"

"And he's so worried about you! Every time he calls he tries to pretend it's to check up on me, but within two minutes he's asking if I have heard from you, if you told me why you have been ignoring his calls, if he did something wrong, if—"

"Alice!" The line went quiet as she came to a sudden halt. "I don't want to talk to him over the phone, I want to talk to him in person, ok? I have a plan. Just let me handle my own stuff this week. If I don't do it, then you can yell at me all you want, ok? I need to do this my way and in my own time."

There was a long pause. "Ok. But if you don't by the end of the week I am going to beat him with you. I can't take this anymore. The two of you drive me nuts. You both need to find some sense, and soon."

"Enough, Alice. Please, just leave it alone for the next few days; let me handle this on my own."

"Fine!" It sounded like agreeing to it caused her physical pain. She paused for a moment. "You know, I bumped into Val the other day…"

"Bumped?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. "With the size of Seattle, how do you just bump into him?"

"Bella, you know how much I love his food!" she pleaded, confirming my suspicions. "Am I not allowed to go there anymore just because you slept with him?"

"Of course you are, Alice. Just be straightforward about it. I hate it when you try to beat around the bush."

She sighed, "He wishes you would call him. He knows that there is something very wrong. He only wants to clear the air with you."

"I'll call him."

The phone went dead quiet for a minute. When she spoke the disbelief in her voice was thick, "You will?"

"Yes. I have needed to. I'll call him as soon as I get off the phone with you, ok? Now, can we get off of me for a few minutes? How are things with you and Jasper?"

"I think he's going to ask me to marry him!" she said quietly, like her excitement was restricting her throat.

I felt my face go slack. "Hasn't it only been a few months, Alice?"

She giggled, "I didn't mean right now, Bella. I was in the bathroom the other day and he was on the phone with his mother. I had just got out of the shower and I heard him say that he found the girl that he wants to stay with forever."

I smiled, "Well I thought you already knew that."

"It's one thing when he tells me that, it's another when he tells his mom!" she squealed. "Bella, I am so happy. I love him so much. It's like we were made to balance each other out."

"And I am happy for you! Looks like you finally found the one that actually deserves you. How long do you think it'll be before he pops the question All-Knowing-Alice?"

"Honestly, Bella, I am not sure. It doesn't really matter. It could be tomorrow or three years from now. I have no fear that either of us will change our minds. We are perfect for each other." She sounded so sure, so secure. For a moment I felt a bit of jealousy. In my entire life I had never felt as sure about anything as she seemed.

"As long as you are happy. Listen, I should get this over with, Alice. I will see you tomorrow night, ok? I'll let you know when I am almost there."

"I can't wait! I will see you then! Love you, Bella. Good luck."

"Love you too. Bye." I set down the phone and closed my eyes. I was about to do something that I really was not entirely sure I was ready for. I needed to talk to Val, yes, but I did not really want to. We had had a great time together, and now I had to talk to him after not calling him back for more than two months. It was going to be awkward and uncomfortable for me. He had told me that night that he was not looking for anything serious, but at the same time he had treated me so well… I had been just as unfair to him as I had to Edward. The guilt of all of it had been settling on me more and more lately and it had been clear that if I didn't face it in both directions soon I was going to go out of my mind.

I grabbed my cell phone and scrolled through the contacts to the bottom. Before I could back out my thumb pushed send. It was time. Three rings and then…

"Hello?" his voice purred through the receiver, making my tie itself in a knot. Panic ran through me and the temptation to hang up was overwhelming. "Bella, are you there?"

"Hi, Val." I was proud of how calm I sounded, but it didn't fool him.

He chuckled quietly, "Bella, there is no need for you to be nervous. I'm glad you called. Are you well?"

I spun in my chair, trying to let some of the nervous energy out through movement. "I am… for the most part. How have you been?"

"Busy with work, as usual. For the most part, huh?"

"I've been feeling guilty," I admitted.

"Because you betrayed your feelings about Edward. And because you never called me. I know, Alice was just here last night. You aren't going to want to hear this, but I dug a lot out of her while she was here…" He stopped for a second, maybe giving me the chance to say something, but with knots in my throat I couldn't even breathe, never mind speak. "Bella, let me clear your mind a little. You are a smart, funny, impossibly sweet, and beautiful woman. I can't imagine a man on this earth that would not want you as his. And you have set your heart on the man who you feel is the right one, no matter what your brain tries to tell you. He is among the luckiest of all men in the world. But that man left you broken hearted for a while. When we went out that night you truly believed that it was completely over with Edward, that it was a lost cause. Without even knowing it I took advantage of that pained piece of you by giving you what you were craving from him. How can you blame yourself so fully?"

My eyes were watering as I leaned back into my chair, "Val, he deserves better."

"No Bella, you both deserve each other. You're both good people who just seem determined to not be happy." The line went silent. After a few moments he spoke again, softer this time, "Stop trying to convince yourself that you have so little meaning in this world. You have had such a good effect on so many peoples' lives. There is so much love in this world for you—stop hiding from it, just embrace it."

I opened my mouth, but the tears made me choke on my words. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be loved. But for so long I had known it was not meant to be with Edward—that I wasn't even remotely good enough for him—that it seemed impossible to convince myself otherwise now. And lord did I want to be convinced. I wanted to know that we could be happy together, complete together. "How do you know, Val? How do you know that Edward and I deserve each other?"

"Because I saw the way that he looked at you. Bella, you get watched with hunger all the time, I can guarantee that. But Edward looks at you with nothing but adoration and respect. He loves you for everything that you are, and he can't hide it to save his life; no more than you can."

My lips trembled as the tears continued to drip from my chin. "I am so sorry, Val."

"Bella," he sighed, "I would give my right arm for you, but I would never stand between you and the person you are meant to be with. I only hope that someday I can find the woman that is meant to make me as happy as the two of you can make each other."

I smiled, "You will. I have no doubt about that."

"Well I have to open the restaurant for lunch now, Bella. Please know that you are always welcome to come see me."

"Ok. Bye, Val."

"Ciao, Bella."

There was a spot not too far from the entrance of the hotel lucky for me. As I climbed from the car, wrestling with the large duffle that had kept me company in the passenger seat, Alice skipped through the doors to greet me.

"You're late, Bella!"

I laughed, pulling her into a hug. "You know Alice, there are a lot nicer ways to say 'hi' to people that haven't seen for a few months. A 'you look good' wouldn't hurt."

She smiled, "You do look good, Bella. But you are also late. You're lucky I was here to check in the rooms or everyone would have been screwed. They are overbooked for this weekend."

"Well that's what we count on you for," I teased as we walked into the lobby. "Who else is here?"

She eyed me, obviously having noted the tremble in my voice. "Rose, Emmett, and Jasper. Edward isn't going to be here until tomorrow night now. He called me a few hours ago. Something about having to finish up some paperwork at school." She swished her hand through the air as if clearing it. "So, how did your talk with Val go?"

I stared at the door of the elevator as they closed us in, trying to decide what to say to make Alice ask as few of questions as possible. "It was good. He was very understanding."

She eyed me as she pressed the button for the third floor. "And?"

"And everything is fine. The air is cleared with us."

She continued to stare at me as the elevator began to ascend. "…And?"

"And what, Alice?" I tried not to snap but my tone was still brisk.

She frowned, "I am sorry, Bella. I'm trying to get better about not bombarding you with questions and I am doing it anyway. If you want to tell me about your conversation you know I would love to hear, but you do not have to. Is that better?"

"Alice, I love you. Thank you."

The door slid open and she smiled as she led me to the right, reaching into her purse and pulling out a stack of key cards. "Well, you are in room 312, Jasper and I are in 320, Rose and Emmett are in 303, and Edward will be in 308."

"Great Alice! How much do I owe you for the room?"

"Not a dime, of course. This is all Carlisle and Esme's treat for us. Four rooms for a week. Room service included. We are going to have lunch with them tomorrow, by the way. Get to go home for a while! You should call Charlie and invite him."

We stopped in front of room 312. "I will in the morning. I just called him yesterday to let him know that I would be in town, so he may be working."

"Oh yeah because the crime in Forks never sleeps, right?"

My laugh died in my throat as the door swung open to the room. The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that there was a very humid smell pouring through the door. Second was a strange gurgling noise coming from somewhere beyond. The third was that when I stepped into the room to turn on the light my foot made an awkward squishing noise. I flipped the switch and could not believe the sight that lay before me. The bathroom door was open and all that could be seen was a pool of water, flowing out onto the carpet. I hurried forward to look into the bathroom. The sink was on, stopper down, water flowing over the basin to add to the flood on the floor.

"What the hell?" Alice asked from behind me as I carefully splashed across the bathroom and shut off the sink.

I started walking back toward her, the water rising over my feet and soaking my sneakers. I was halfway there when my heel slipped out from under me and I ended up on my ass in the middle of the room, soaked from the neck down. Alice stared at me from the doorway, hands covering her mouth, unsure what to do.

"Welcome back to Forks, right Alice?" I growled, suddenly reliving so many embarrassing slips and falls that I had tried to not think about whenever possible.

Suddenly she started laughing, "Oh, Bella. What am I going to do with you?"

I stood up, picking my soaked duffle bag off the floor, trying to give a little laugh of my own. It was hard to see the humor in the situation when I was the one covered with water and no dry clothes to change into, but I had to try none the less.

Alice smothered her giggles and pulled me over to the bed. "Wrap yourself in the blanket, I am going to call down to the front desk and let them know about this." I watched as she picked up the phone and pressed zero from the warmth of the comforter. "Hello, this is Alice Cullen. I am calling about one of our reservations, room 312. The bathroom is flooded. It's like someone plugged the sink and just left it running. The woman who is supposed to be staying her just slipped in all the water on the floor when she was trying to shut it off." She paused. "Yes, it was still running when we came in." She paused again. "The entire area around the bathroom is soaked. From the closet to the door."

She listened for a moment, then her face fell ever so slightly. "Completely? As in not single one available?" She took another long pause as she listened, a deep frown on her face. "Yes, I understand. We will figure it out. I appreciate it."

She turned to me as she returned the receiver to its cradle. "So they weren't kidding when they said the entire hotel is full. There is not a single room available to move you to. However, since Edward is not here tonight you can stay in his room. I am going to give you the key that I got, and he already has a second key waiting for him at the desk. There are a couple of rooms opening up tomorrow morning after 11 a.m. checkout, so you'll have a new room by then. There are people coming up to sort this out right now."

"What if Edward does show up?" I asked, suspicious.

"He told me he would not be here until tomorrow morning. We will be out of here by 9 anyway—Rose wants to take you and I for breakfast and then for dress fitting. It'll be fine. Just sleep in there tonight and we'll get you a new room by morning."

I looked at the floor where I had dropped my dripping duffle bag. "Alice, do you have any clothes that I can wear for tonight?"

She laughed, "Bella, what a silly question. Come to our room, then we'll get you set up in 308."

-EPOV

For a Monday, I had expected a much worse day. I simply assumed that switching majors was going to be the biggest hassle of this year so far, but it proved itself to be surprisingly easy. No arguments… at least yet. What Carlisle would say was yet to be determined and I could already imagine his disappointment. Years of working to be a doctor, just like him, only to turn it all around at the last minute. So much of the time he spent with me—taking me to the hospital with him, going over his books and diagrams with me, training me in all parts of medicine—only to back out. Even I was disappointed in myself for doing it. And yet there was a relief so profound that had washed over me when I had signed the papers that neither my fear of disappointing my family or myself could take the smile off my face.

My foot pushed harder on the gas pedal, hurtling me down 101. I had the windows down despite the coming chill of winter and the air brushed my senses awake. Another 20 minutes and I would be to the hotel. Alice would be amazed—she had told me on the phone that I would be a day late for my own funeral if I had the option, but I would prove her wrong this time. Surprise her for once.

I pulled my phone from the passenger seat and glanced at the clock. 1:30 am. Hopefully she was still awake. I dialed her number but there was no answer, just voicemail. "Hey Alice, I have a surprise for you. I'll be to the hotel in about 10 minutes. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning I'm sure. I hope you made sure I can get a key from the front desk otherwise I'll be sleeping at Esme and Carlisle's tonight. See you tomorrow."

I tossed the phone back onto the seat, leaning back and making myself comfortable. There was a nervous churning in my stomach—tomorrow I would see Bella and, for better or worse, I would find out what was going on. I just wanted to put it all behind us, to get over the last hurtle and call the race won. I knew she would be proud of me for doing what I had this morning, even if the rest of my family didn't understand. Bella would always understand and I was more determined than ever to prove we could make this work. Alice was right; we were just keeping ourselves apart for no reason. We were meant to be together.

I arrived at the hotel and searched the lot for Bella's car before trying to find a spot. She was there. I decided then and there that even if Alice hadn't instructed the front desk to give me an extra key if I showed up late I would simply stay in my car for the night. I probably wasn't going to sleep anyway. I wanted to see Bella, I wanted to talk to her, and the nervousness and stress had already been keeping me up for a few nights.

I grabbed my phone and bag and headed inside. The low lights of the lobby showed a lone man standing behind the check-in desk. "Late night."

I smiled and nodded, "Yes. My name is Edward Cullen, I have a reservation with my family for the week. My sister was supposed to make arrangements so I could pick up my key just in case I came when they weren't here."

The man clicked on a little computer that was hidden from my sight. "Yes, Mr. Cullen. I just need to see some identification." I handed him my license with a smile—a bed would be much more comfortable than my backseat. He handed it back with a keycard and smile. "You will be in room 308, Mr. Cullen."

"Thank you," I said and started toward the elevator. "Have a great night."

The room was easy to find, just to the right as I got off the elevator on the third floor. I glanced down the hall, wondering which room Bella was sleeping in, how close she was to me. A little shiver ran down my spine and I busied myself with sliding the key card through the lock and letting myself in. The room was black, but the light from the hall illuminated a switch on the wall. I flicked it up and the front hall lit, the door to the bathroom just on the right, and the room straight ahead though only the pullout couch and window were visible. I dropped my bag and closed the door, taking a deep breath while I poked my head into the bathroom. I had to pause for a moment at the sight—why was there already a toothbrush on the counter?

Confusion took my mind off of Bella for a moment as I walked into the bedroom and looked around the corner at the bed that was nestled next to the wall. My heart stopped. She had kicked the covers clean off the mattress, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Her arms wrapped around a fluffy pillow, hair covering her face. Her body stretched like a pale diagonal line across the white sheets, barely covered by a silky nightgown—obviously the work of Alice.

The thought woke me up. Alice could not have possibly known I was coming tonight… she couldn't have set this up. She wouldn't have set this up. My eyes stayed glued to the beautiful woman in the bed I had thought I was sleeping in as I sat down on the couch. My entire body ached to join her, to wrap my entire being around her while we slept, but I couldn't even find the strength to swallow, never mind trying to get back up. What was she doing here? How could I have been sent up to her room rather than my own? And why did it taste like fate?

-BPOV

My phone began to vibrate beneath my fingertips, waking me slowly from my sleep. I lifted it, shutting off the early alarm. I rolled onto my back, stretching and yawning, trying to convince myself to wake up rather than just go right back to sleep. It would not be wise to miss breakfast with Rose and Alice when it was supposed to be to begin preparations for the wedding. After a minute of staring up at the ceiling, trying to find the energy to move, I sighed. The night before had possibly been the best night of sleep I had had since Edward and I had first fought. Despite the early time I felt surprisingly well rested and at peace, like a burden had lifted itself from my shoulders.

I sat up and froze. The room was dark, only the smallest amount of sunlight peeking around the edges of the curtain, but that was enough to reveal a form on the couch with a rising and falling chest. At first I panicked, a cold sweat immediately breaking out on my skin as fear engulfed me… but when the figure did not move toward me or sit up it was clear that whoever was there slept soundly. I reached out to the bedside table and flicked on lamp to the first setting, barely lighting the room above a dull glow. I would have been less surprised if it was someone that I had never seen before.

Edward lay across the couch, his head balanced on the arm rest, legs hanging far over the other side. He looked positively uncomfortable… and handsome as ever. I couldn't take my eyes off of him for a full minute, couldn't think of anything but how wonderful it felt to see him again, how much I had missed him. But then the memories caught up and I was left with a heavy guilt stone sitting in my stomach, making me nauseous. My eyes disconnected from him and I got up from the bed quickly and hurried out the door without a second thought. I found my fist banging on the door of 320 before I even realized I was down the hall.

"Comin'" someone mumbled quietly from the other side of the door, obviously not Alice. The door opened and Jasper stood there, his hair a mess, eyes still half closed. "Alice is in the shower, Bella. She said you would be coming over."

He stepped back and let me in. I knocked on the bathroom door while Jasper headed back into the main room. I thought I heard him lie back down, but was more focused on the knocking.

"Bella? Come in!" I heard Alice's muffled voice call from the other side.

"Alice, did you know?" I asked the steamed room in a quiet voice, anger restricting my throat. If she had known… if she had planned it…

Her head came out around the curtain, her eyebrows raised, "Did I know what, Bella?" She stared at me for a moment, "What's wrong?"

"Edward came at some point last night. I woke up and he was sleeping on the couch."

"What? He told me he wouldn't be here until this morning at best!" she shouted, her voice echoing around the room. It was a relief knowing she hadn't had anything to do with it. I sighed, closing my eyes. He just got there earlier than expected. Of course he wouldn't know that I had been in there. I am sure he was just as surprised to find me there last night.

I sighed, "Ok. I am going to pick out my clothes for today before I take a shower… is my bag still by the closet?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Are you ok?"

I smiled as well as I could, "I am fine, Alice. I was just surprised. I'll see you when you get out."

I left the bathroom, closing the door securely behind me. I took my bag to the couch, glancing briefly at the sleeping Jasper, and took a deep breath. It had been a strange start to the morning, but I could not let that ruin the day. This week was about Rose, Emmett, and the wedding. I would not destroy it with stupid drama. I unzipped the bag and reached in—the clothes on top were still wet. Far from a waterproof bag, apparently. I looked at the bathroom door; it was a good thing Alice was here, she always had extra clothes for me. I took a seat next to my bag and leaned my head back, staring out the uncovered window at the pale grey sky.

We stepped from the room, leaving Jasper to sleep peacefully for a few more hours. Alice had apologized probably 90 times, swearing she hadn't checked her phone after she shut off her alarm, that she hadn't realized he had even tried to call.

"Alice, please stop. I understand. I don't blame you in the least, ok? Just, please, stop." I said, eyeing the door to the room I had slept in as we headed toward the elevator. Half of me expected it to open just as we walked past, that Edward would know that I was on the otherside and would come out and insist on an explanation. I was, thankfully, not quite so unlucky. We made it to the lobby before seeing a soul. Rose sat, waiting for us next to the front desk, looking beautiful as ever in her dress and heels.

"Bella!" she cried, standing quickly and hurrying over to me in a series of quick clicks. "I am so sorry Emmett and I didn't see you last night. We got back from dinner so late! How was your drive?"

"Don't be sorry, Rose. I am just so glad to finally be here!" I hugged her tightly. "And I am so happy for you Emmett. How are feeling?"

"Excited," she said, smiling, "and a little nervous."

"No cold feet now Rose; you have already been accepted into this insanity called the Cullen family. You will never be able to leave. I'm living proof," I said, laughing while I linked arms with Alice. "Once they get you it's like you are a part of them. No escape."

Alice laughed, "And if you try to run away we just follow you."

She smiled, "I have no reason to run and no cold feet. I can't wait to be a part of your family—I haven't felt so at home since I was a little girl. Now, lets go to breakfast, then we have a your gown fitting at 10:30. Just wait until you see them!"

I swallowed hard, beginning to wonder if I had really thought agreeing to be a bridesmaid through or not.