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

"Stop pulling at it!" the woman barked at me again. I met Alice's eyes in the mirror, trying to hide my smile.

"You look stunning. It doesn't need to be any higher. Let the poor woman do her job," Rose said, walking behind me and peering over the shoulder of the seamstress.

I said nothing, just stared at my reflection and tried to resist the urge to tug on the top of the bodice again. The gown had looked stunning while I watched Alice's fitting, but suddenly it seemed too low in the front and the bottom seemed to stop way too high. Rose's dress, which she was still wearing after her fitting as well, had a long white train embroidered with beautiful beads from the hem to the deep red sash that rested just over her hips. Our dresses were meant to be the inverse of hers—short, red, with a white satin sash that tied in the back. It was a beautiful concept, but with so much of my thighs exposed I was beginning to like it less and less.

"Ok, I am finished. What do you think?"

"Can't it be just a little longer?"

"Bella, stop fussing! It is not too short. I have forced you into dresses much more revealing than that one," Alice barked.

I sighed and said nothing more about it. Obviously I had no choice in the matter so there was absolutely no point in trying to argue. Besides, it wasn't my wedding and I was certainly not going to put a damper on Rose's special day.

"Right, now off with them, all of you. They will be ready tomorrow."

I swallowed hard as Alice pulled the keys from the ignition, Edward's car parked straight ahead. It was time to face him, though I couldn't imagine what I would do or say. I did know I wasn't ready to tell him yet—it was neither the time nor place. When I told him we needed to be alone with room to breathe afterward, not in a house with nosey siblings. I stepped from the car, the small heels Alice had put me in trying to find balance on the dirt edge of the driveway. Now I just had to find a way to politely postpone the inevitable.

"I don't think a more attractive trio of ladies has ever graced our doorstep," Emmett said as he opened the door at our approach. I stifled a laugh, knowing he had probably been trying to come up with that line for a few hours before our arrival. He reached out and took Roses hand, "Carlisle and Esme are out back getting the grill ready."

"You mean Esme is getting the grill started and dad is standing back pretending he knew how to do it all along?" Alice giggled as she skipped into the foyer.

"You know it," Emmett agreed, making Rose laugh.

They all moved quickly toward the kitchen but I hung back, looking around. Everything was exactly as it always had been, making me feel more than a couple years younger than I am, as if being here again meant I was back in high school—back to the days of simplicity it would now seem. I wandered in the opposite direction of the others, toward the piano that still resided in a room off to the right. I sat down on the bench, remembering the first time I had sat before the beautiful instrument and how many times I later relaxed and watched Edward play it. I stroked the middle C, not allowing it to make any noise but hearing it ring in my memory anyway. I had missed this place more than my own home it seemed.

"Seeing you sitting there takes me back. May I join you?"

I jumped, startled by the voice in my ear. My head turned quickly, putting me nose to chest with Edward. I lifted my chin, looking up into his handsome, though somewhat tired face. "Y-yes."

He smiled and sat beside me, his hip leaning into mine as it always had when we sat together—it had been one of my secret pleasures. His fingers splayed across the keys and he played a light lullaby, "How are you, Bella?"

I could feel the blood in my face all but boiling as I stared at him, but his eyes were fixed on the music holder, as though reading invisible pages. He didn't seem at all upset or angry with me. His tone was friendly and there was a regular Edward smile hanging on his lips. I could barely speak, the pain, embarrassment, and guilt twisting my tongue, but managed a quick, "I have been ok Edward, how about you?"

"Today I am excellent," he said, smiling a full smile and turning his eyes to mine. "Didn't have the most comfortable sleep, as you can imagine, but otherwise fantastic."

"Oh, yes, well, my room was wet or, ugh, I mean flooded, and you weren't supposed to be here until—I mean Alice said you had told her you wouldn't be here until today and the hotel didn't have any other room so we figured no harm but then you were sleeping on the couch this morning and…" my voice died. I couldn't believe how terribly the words were coming out of my mouth. I felt like I was trying to think with a head full of cotton. It reminded me of the one time in elementary when I had to get up in front of the whole school and introduce a speaker, the way that every line I wanted to say vanished from my mind and I suddenly lost control of my mouth and just started blabbering. It had only made it worse when I tripped off the stage after it all as well. But this… this was Edward. My Edward. The Edward that I loved and respected and could tell anything to… well, almost anything anyway. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to get rid of the nervousness.

"Yeah, I know. Jasper told me this morning. He said it explained why you went to their room with fire coming out of your eyes at 7 in the morning."

"I thought she might have lied to me and done it purposefully," I admitted quietly.

"Not this time, she had no idea I was coming. I finished what I had to earlier than I had expected." His fingers fell silent for a minute, then switched to a more upbeat tune, the smile still playing on his lips as he turned to look forward again. "So, when are you going to tell me why you have been doing whatever is possible to avoid talking to me?"

For some reason it helped to release the knot in my stomach. The fact that he was able to smile about it meant he didn't hate me for it, that he wasn't even holding it against me…yet. When I spoke, I felt like I was a little more in control. "I will Edward, but not today, not here. Is that ok?"

"I will wait as long as you need me to, Bells. But you have to promise me something."

I closed my eyes, not sure if this was anything I wanted to promise. "What is it that you would like me to promise?"

"That we can be friends until the point you decide to tell me. That we can just pretend there is nothing until then."

My eyes popped open and I found them immediately attracted into the thick golden pools of Edward's. Tears began to fight their way out of my tear ducts, no matter how hard I tried to push them back. "Edward, you are going to hate me."

"Bella, I could never hate you. Now, promise me to be my friend," I felt his fingers wrap around mine. "I need my best friend back. I have some very important news for her."

"What news?" I asked with a little sniffle, intrigued.

"Uh-uh. Promise first," he insisted, his smile growing. My breath was momentarily taken—it had been too long since I last saw him, my guard was down.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself and managing to reign in the tears. "Ok. I promise."

"I did it. I made the switch," he said quietly as he started playing the piano with one hand, running through basic scales.

I was confused, not entirely sure what he meant. "You switched what exactly, Edward?"

He leaned in, putting his lips next to my ear, "I switched my major."

My eyebrows shot up, "Really? Have you told Carlisle yet?"

His smile faltered a little, "No, I wanted to tell you first."

I unlaced my fingers from his and poked him in the chest, "You mean you don't know how to tell him and want my help."

He laughed suddenly, his fingers coming to a halt. It was like hearing the first bird chirp after a long, cold winter. For a moment it really did feel like there was nothing hanging between us, nothing that would break the already fragile foundation of our relationship. "No Bella, I mean I wanted to tell you first."

I watched him closely for a moment and the smile slid away as he held my gaze. The nerves that were obviously lingering just below the surface were exposed for a moment, the raw fear shinning through his eyes. "They will understand, Edward. They love you so much; nothing will change that. Carlisle will just accept your decision because he will know that you are doing what you truly believe is best for you. He has always respected your choices, Edward. Why are you so scared that he won't be able to handle this one?"

He blinked at me several times, the drawn out silence making every second last ten times as long, making time feel as if it had halted while the universe pushed its ear in on us, waiting for any sort of response, straining to hear our conversation.

"Bella! Where did you get off to? Why aren't you— Oh! Sorry! I'll come back later then!"

I turned my head just in time to see Alice's retreating back as she hurried out of the room. It didn't matter, the spell had been broken and I was able to again breathe normally. I took a deep breath and exhaled before looking back at Edward, withdrawing my fingers from his. "Edward, you have to trust me on this. And you have to know deep down in your own heart as well. Everyone will accept your decision without the blink of an eye."

I looked back into his eyes and the fear was again well hidden behind the golden bars. In a way it made me sad to see it go, to be locked back up inside Edward's head again, needing to be released and not harbored. The smile didn't return to his lips, but I felt his fingers grab mine again. "Bella—"

"I should go find Alice. Obviously she wanted something." I retreated as hastily as possible without running from the room. What the hell was I doing? I felt light headed and queasy, lost in my own mind. I had to tell Edward that I had slept with someone else and all my mind could do was go fuzzy at the sight of him? I thought I was well over the torture of teenage hormones, the misery of having no control over my own thoughts, my own body… and yet here I was again, my brain hardly functioning, my body yearning to throw itself back into his arms, my mind trying to persuade me to just never tell him, to never ruin it. But that was not who I was, not who I had ever been. It was like for years and years I had been fighting a constant battle against my heart. Sometimes it seemed that my brain and common sense would side with me, and sometimes they just made the struggle harder. I was exhausted, unable to even hold up even a simple shield for shelter from the onslaught, never mind try to retaliate and return the blows as I used to manage. It was like all the years of trying to talk myself out of this stupid crush had finally failed and I was left with nothing but an empty shell of who I once was, all my energy having been wasted, and nothing but a clock full of wasted time to show for it. It would be so easy to just give in, and yet because of that tiny voice in the back of my head I couldn't bring myself to do it. Too much time wasted and too much energy applied to let it all fall through…

-EPOV

Bella seemed to avoid me for the rest of the afternoon. If I entered a room, she was already leaving it. Her gaze wouldn't come back to mine even when I sat right across from her at the table. She didn't seem to be talking to anyone unless she was asked a direct question and even then would mumble her answer to the plate of untouched food before her. I watched her closely as she used her fork to rearrange the large portions again and again without ever lifting it to her mouth. When lunch was over, she was the first saying goodbye, trying to back to the door as quickly as she could.

Alice seemed particularly worried that I had done something to offend Bella. After her quick departure my sister cornered me and pushed her finger into my chest. "What did you say?" Her teeth were gritted, her eyes full of flame. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing about whatever is bugging her, Alice. She said it wasn't the time to tell me yet. I swear to you this time I know I didn't do anything wrong, ok? I don't know what is wrong with her; I just want my Bells back. Just like you."

That seemed to shut her down quickly enough, her anger receding. She bit her lip and stared at her feet. "Edward, I'm sorry. This all happened because of me." Her voice trembled a little as she sighed and continued, "I really wish I could go back and just kept out of this. I just kept pushing her and trying to get her to be more like… me. If I had just left it to her none of this would have happened."

I took my sisters hand, more than a little surprised by the tears that I could see running down to her chin. "Alice, you love Bella. She knows that. Anything you did was because you thought it would be in her best interest. Sometimes your view is just a little askew, you know? No one can be right all the time, even you. Whatever this is, it'll be over soon, ok? I don't blame you or Bella for any of this. I just need Bella to talk to me, then we can just let it all go. But as of now… she won't even look at me."

Alice lifted her face, looking up at me. "Edward, when she does tell you it's going to hurt her so much worse than you. And it will hurt you, brother, but I need you to promise me that you'll try your best to keep it together. If you lose it Bella isn't going to be able to handle it, do you understand?"

I stared at her, shaken by how serious she had suddenly gotten. It was very rare when Alice lost her smile and pep, but suddenly she was stoic, so much grief etched into her eyes she hardly resembled my sister. "Alice, I will do whatever it takes to be with Bella. I am beyond tired of fighting what I have wanted for years. And I know she's feeling the same. We just have to get over this one last hill and it'll all be downward coasting. I will take whatever she has to tell me without an angry word, I swear to you."

She nodded and walked away quietly, leaving me standing alone at the bottom of the stairs. I turned, staring up the staircase, and shook my head. It wasn't like I didn't have an idea of what was coming anyway. For weeks after Bella's hasty leave I ran through worst case scenario again and again. It didn't take a P.I. to figure it out. And I had already dealt with it in my mind. Did it really matter? Did it change who Bella was? Not at all. It wasn't like I would have been her first, anyway. No more than she would be mine. As far as I was concerned at this point at the time we not together by mutual choice. She was free to pursue whatever she had wanted. Besides, I could already guess how it all went down just by how Alice was acting. There was no doubt in my mind that Alice had set her up on date and pushed her until she agreed to go just to make Alice stop bugging her. It was how Alice and Bella's relationship had always been. Bella had as much an inability to say 'no' to my sister as I did. When I first tried to wrap my head around it, of course, I hadn't been particularly happy. My stomach had ached for days, just the thought of food making me ill, but I quickly recognized the idiocy of it all. Would jealousy over a single night really keep me from spending the rest of my life with the woman I had always loved?

So, of course, when she finally decides to tell me it would be as simple as saying it didn't matter and then I would never think about it again. Bella was everything that I wanted and nothing would stand in the way of that. I just had to prove to Bella that she was all that mattered to me, that there was no need to fight what we both wanted, that we could really be happy. I had hoped my lack of concern about any of it today would be enough to relax her, but obviously it hadn't worked out quite the way I had planned. I still had few days and I was determined to have her back before the end of the wedding.

I was the second to leave. Alice seemed determined to stick by Rose's side and make up for Bella's absence by talking for two people while Jasper was having too much fun observing her eccentricity to even consider leaving. Emmett was sitting with Esme and Carlisle, going over the plans they had made. The Cullen's had decided to take care of the setup of the wedding, wanting to be able to surprise Rose. Rose seemed perfectly happy with that arrangement, relaxing back into the couch as if she didn't have a care in the world. The only job she had been left to handle was the dresses for herself and her bridesmaids, Esme knowing better than to take that away.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow!" I called and hurried out to my car before anyone could come chasing after me to find out where I was going. It was about 4:30 now, Bella having left nearly an hour before. I hadn't been sure where she was going, but my first instinct took me right back to the hotel rather than Charlie's. She loved her dad but he was not the person she would run to if she was upset. She would go looking for peace and quiet. Sure enough, her car was parked just a few spots away from where I had found it the night before.

I whipped into a spot right next to hers and hopped out, determination in every step. It was time for this to end. I walked through the lobby to the elevators and waited as patiently as I could until it finally dinged open. Then I stopped… I didn't know which room she would be in. Probably Alice and Jasper's but that morning Jasper had been at my room without me seeing where he had come from. I sighed and walked toward my own door, pulling my key from my pocket. I would go inside, call Alice to find out which room, and then go and find her. No reason to stand in the hall looking like an ass. My key was just slipping into the slot when a door at the end of the hall opened. I glanced up hopefully, meeting the beautiful eyes of Bella who had frozen in her step.

"Edward," she gasped as if she had thought that the hall was the last place she would see him.

It took me a moment to recover but when I did all I could do was laugh. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, the same panic in her face as right before she was about to fall. Her face went red and she stepped fully into the hall, looking away from me as she did so. When she turned back she didn't lift her gaze from the center of my chest. "Bella, can we talk?"

Her eyes snapped up suddenly, panic overtaking the embarrassment on her face. "I- I would Edward but-" she paused, "but I- I have to go meet Charlie."

She stumbled over every word, stuttering as if she hardly knew how to use her tongue. I felt the smile slip from my face, stunned at her reaction. She was speaking as if she had never talked to me before. "Bella, please. We need to talk."

She took a deep breath, the blood draining away from her cheeks and an ashen color replacing it. "I know, Edward. But I just got a call from Charlie—he heard from Renee about me being in Forks and insisted that we all go have a nice dinner when she gets here in a couple days. He's… not handling it too well."

I nodded, still not able to pull the smile back. "Ok. How about tonight? Let me take you dinner."

Her eyebrows drew together, tears filling her eyes. "Edward, we'll talk. I promise. Please, just let me handle this first. If I get back early enough I'll let you know."

I nodded and faked a smile but that seemed to simply make the tears begin to leak as she hurried past me, turning at the elevator and taking the stairs instead. I stared after her as the heavy door slammed. Obviously it wasn't going to be as easy as I had thought.

-BPOV

It was well past 8 when I got back to the hotel and was certainly in no mood to talk to Edward. I hurried by, watching his door closely, terrified it would pop open at any second. I had never avoided Edward as I was now and it felt a betrayal in itself. He just wanted to talk to me and I was skirting around him like he' was a pariah. And I had to admit I dearly missed talking to him. I wanted to know if he had told Carlisle yet. And I really wanted to tell him about Charlie's sudden idea that he needed to find a date to the wedding since Renee was going to be bringing Phil. It had taken the greater part of the day to convince him that it was entirely unnecessary, and even when I left he was still staring out the window dejectedly, just as he had been when I walked in. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing he was well fed.

Alice poked her head around the corner as I stepped in through the door. "Oh good Bella. How's Charlie doing? Edward told me where you were."

"He's fine. Calmer now anyway. Hear anything about the room?"

She smiled and nodded. "All clean and ready for you. The keys are sitting on the counter beside you. I already brought your bags over. Would never even know it had been flooded last night."

I smiled back, grabbing the key and backing up. "Ok, well I am exhausted. I'm going to go get some sleep. Have a good night. I'll see you in the morning!"

"Bella…" Alice warned as the door closed behind me. I didn't want to hear it. I hurried to my own room, my eyes again glued to Edward's door, the unmistakable fear of being caught constricting my lungs. It wasn't until I was safely in my room that I relaxed again, my breath returning to normal.

"No, please, let me go pick them up," I begged, Rose. "You know I hate shopping. Rose, please, I will back before you guys are done, ok?"

Rose eyed me, "Alice is going to kill me. Fine, you go pick up the dresses, but if Alice decides to buy you clothing you are required to wear it. If your not there to talk her out of it I am not doing it for you."

"Deal," I said with a sigh or relief, pulling my keys from my purse. "I'll be back before 3, ok? I'll keep the dresses in my room."

"Sure. Drive safely Bella, it's really wet out there."

Edward eyed me as I nodded absently and backed off the sidewalk toward my car. He knew why I was trying to get away and it had nothing to do with the shopping. He would have one hell of a time trying to prove it though. The key was getting away before Alice got back from the bathroom. If she saw me leaving she would stop me. If Rose told her after I was already gone there would be nothing she could do.

I was out of the parking lot in no time, glancing into my rearview but unable to see my friends on the sidewalk through the sheets of rain. I drove slowly across Port Angeles, enjoying the peace and quiet of the car. I couldn't seem to get the look Edward had given me as I escaped out of my mind though. It had spoken so many words so fast that I hadn't understood any of them. It had been intense and penetrating, one of those looks that had turned my legs to jelly so many times. For a vague moment I could feel his lips on mine and my hunger for him roared. But I beat the beast down and focused on my driving.

After collecting the dresses and loading them carefully into the car under the narrow eyes of the seamstress I rushed from the city and rode 101, fighting off swirls of gold with a mental flyswatter. After about fifteen minutes I turned up the radio, using it to blast all thoughts from my head. 101 was quiet, no one else seeming to want to drive in the downpour. I went slowly, watching carefully out at the road, sure to be ready for a sudden deer hopping out in front of me.

Suddenly my dashboard let out a loud DING! as the gas light popped suddenly on. I stared at it, shocked. Had I not even looked down at my gas meter? How was that possible? A sign on my right alerted me to a turnoff coming up in a mile onto Sol Duc-Hot Springs Rd. I knew I had a gas can in my trunk but was only half sure there was gas in it. The turn off seemed a good place to stop without the fear of being hit by a car that couldn't see through the deluge.

I turned down the road, pulling an additional 100 feet forward where the shoulder broadened and my car could sit safely. I left it running to keep the temperature up and popped the trunk. I hopped out of the car, slamming the door hard behind me before I remembered the auto lock. It was as if the rain dumping down on my head suddenly turned to ice as I froze in place, not daring to even glance back at the door. I closed my eyes and reached for the handle. One hard tug answered my question and my heart sank deep into my feet.

Anger suddenly filled me and I shouted out in frustration, slamming down the trunk lid. Now what was I going to do? Water had drenched me, soaking through even my coat to wet the clothes beneath. I peeled it from my skin and lifted it over my head, hurrying to the trees just off the edge of the road. The wide limbs provided some shelter, but the rain still dripped down through the leaves causing aggravating, cold drops to occasionally run down the back of my neck. I dug out my phone from my pocket, staring at it as if at any moment it would disappear. Thankfully, I wasn't so unlucky.

I shook and shivered, closing my eyes as I tried to calm my breathing and get the sudden flare of anger under control. My fingers curled tightly around the phone, thanks on my lips as I lifted it. Alice's number, which I momentarily felt bad for calling, was the first I could input. It rang six times before it was answered by a silky voice, "Bella?"

-EPOV

I sat on the bench outside of the dressing room, holding the girls' purses in my lap, mentally kicking myself for going. I should have known Bella would run when she saw me there. She had made it quite clear she was avoiding me, and yet I just kept throwing myself in her path. The proper tactic was to try to sneak up on her. It would have been a hell of a lot smarter, for instance, to have just so happened to bump into them rather than begging Alice to bring me along so I could talk to her finally.

Suddenly one of the purses began to shake and scream a loud ring, making the entire store turn to glare at me. I fumbled to open Alice's bag, searching for the vibrating thing so I could smash it. When my hand clasped around it the sound muffled and the urge to throw it faded. I glanced at the caller ID and froze, not sure what to do as a picture of Bella, her beautiful brown eyes gleaming, stared out at me. I remembered the day I had taken that particular picture very clearly.

"Edward? Would you please answer my phone?" Alice called from behind the door.

I swallowed hard and opened the phone. Her name sighed through my lips as I remembered finding her sleeping form in my bed only a few nights before. She had no choice but to talk to me now. "Bella?"

She seemed to choke for a second and I could imagine the bewildered look on her face. "Edward? Where's Alice?"

"Busy," I said softly, slowly, now noticing the sounds in the background; a definite sound of rain running through leaves, not bouncing off the roof of a car. And, just below that, the rattle of chattering teeth. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you assuming anything is wrong?" she asked, irritation blending with nervousness in her voice.

"Because I can hear it. Why aren't you in your car?"

"I… got locked out…" she answered slowly.

"Out of your car? How? Why did you get out in the first place?" Worry suddenly washed my system. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she breathed, "I ran out of gas and got out to check if I had the gas can in the trunk filled… I popped the trunk and went to check but the doors locked behind me… I accidentally left the key in the ignition," her voice sped up as she spoke, and I noticed the last word crack, "I don't know what to do."

I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt the pounding in my chest begin to increase, her breaking voice reeking havoc on my heart. "Bella, it's okay. I'm on my way. Where are you?"

"But-" she sounded panicked.

"Bella, please, just tell me where you are."

She was quiet for a minute before answering, telling me the name of the road which was just about 45 minutes away. Her voice was kind of hollow, making me feel bad for being so pushy; she didn't want it to be me who picked her up, she made that perfectly clear. But I couldn't help the satisfaction of knowing she would have nowhere to go hide this time. She would have to talk to me. "I'm on my way Bells. I have my cell if anything changes."

"Let me speak to Alice," her voice was filled with panic.

"Bella, Alice is in—"

"Edward, give me the phone and get going!" Alice called from the dressing room, her hand bending out of the door and waving frantically.

I blinked twice before placing the phone in her open palm. "I'll be back as soon as I can Alice, I have to go help her."

"Oh yeah Edward, because we are going to have a REAL problem with being left shopping for longer," Rose laughed from inside of the other dressing room. "Just go!"

I dropped the purses in front of the door without another word and walked out of the store at a pace probably a bit quicker than necessary. I just wanted to get to her, to see that she was ok with my own eyes. I ran into the rain without a second thought or backward glance. My keys rose from my pocket moments before I reached the drivers door, and the car was started before that door shut behind me. I peeled from the parking lot, sufficiently scaring two other cars in the process. It was the closest I had ever come to an accident, and I could almost hear Bella's scolding me for the speed from the seat beside me. But its all for you.

As I sped along the highway I couldn't make my heart stop its jumpy beating as worse and worse thoughts ran through my head and nerves suddenly kicked in. What if she really did hate me? What if she refused my help? What if she had decided I wasn't what she really wanted anymore and she just couldn't tell me? What would I do if I could never have her? Never touch her? Never taste her? What if I one day had to watch her get married? Have kids? Be happy with a different life? Would I be able to survive that? Accept it? No. I would be happy for her, of course, but I would never be able to be happy myself. Bella was the one I wanted to spend my life with. She always had been. And she had wanted it too… but did she still? Was it possible that I had gotten it all wrong? What if she hadn't just found someone else, but had decided she wanted to be with them more?

Each passing moment added pressure to my foot, driving the car forward with more and more speed. Her chastising tone echoed through my head again, making me slow as I peered into the rain. It would not do to be reckless now, while she was stuck in the rain just off the highway. I tried to think of more positive thoughts that didn't involve her.

Emmett is finally going to be tied down. I have never seen him so smitten. Rose seems like a good woman for him, able to keep him under control, and definitely in love with him. Jasper seems pretty taken with my sister as well. I wonder if that will be weird later, when they are all married. All four of them, happy and married, kids coming if not already there. That will be wonderful…The darker side of my mind spoke up. For them. What about me though? What if Bella found someone? She is so loving, beautiful, funny, smart. What man wouldn't bend over backward for her? But as long as she is happy… right? That is what is important. Bells being happy, loved. If worst comes to worst would I be able to accept that? Maybe eventually... but probably not.

My heart ached at the thought, and I let out a painful moan at the images that came to mind. But I wiped them away quickly, replacing them with visions of us together, living a life, having children of our own. If I could only hold her to me, I would never let her go. I would never hurt her again. If she would tell me that she felt the same I would never leave her side for any reason. I would do whatever she asked. And I knew she would never ask too much—not my Bells. MY Bells—I wish. She didn't even want to see me right now, never mind actually talk to me about what was going on. No matter how much I wanted her it didn't make her mine just yet.

I cast off the doubt, the fear. Bella and I had been destined; I could feel it from the moment that I first laid eyes on her. The doubts, the fears, they were what caused me to screw it up in the first place. I had to forget them, to let them go. I had to trust in what I knew with all my heart I wanted. And put simply, that was nothing more or less than Bella.

-BPOV

I saw his car appear around the corner, slowing down and pulling off to the shoulder. I stayed where I was under the trees, my jacket still held above my head, trying to shelter myself from the rain that fell from the leaves above. At least it wasn't as intense as the water that soaked Edward instantly as he climbed from the driver's seat and ran toward me, taking the rest of the small amount of shelter that the trees provided. "Are you okay, Bells?"

I laughed, bitterness coating every word, "Oh yeah, I am simply fantastic Edward."

He stared at me, half of a smile relaxing the concern from his face. "I already called the tow truck. They'll be out here in an hour to pick up your car. They'll have it unlocked for you by 3 he said."

I nodded, tilting the coat so the puddle that was forming would spill on the ground rather than over my head… again. "Thank you, Edward."

"Hmm?" he asked. I had spoken so quietly he hadn't even been able to hear me.

"I said, thank you, Edward."

This time a full smile broke across his face, "Oh, don't thank me just yet, Bells. You owe me something in return."

My heart began to pound against my chest as I chewed the inside of my cheek. I knew what he wanted—the truth. He wanted to know what had happened. He deserved to know. And now I was trapped; now I had to tell him. "Edward, can we at least get into your car first?"

He stalked forward, putting himself less than a foot from me, "No, Bella, this is something I want to hear now."

Anger suddenly rose up in me again and I lashed out at Edward before I thought. "What, you want to know what I did so badly that you don't have the courtesy to at least let me be a little more comfortable before I tell you?"

His eyes tightened and he shook his head, "That isn't what I want to know right now. What I want to know is if you love me, Bella. I want to hear the honest answer from your lips."

I went deaf for a moment. My entire body flushed, my head spun, the rain stopped making any noise, time stopped ticking, and my heart gave a very final thud as what he said registered. Then everything went into fast forward as my mind quickly tried to come up with the escape phrase but drew up blank. "Edward I- what do you- how can you- but- I mean- Edward!"

He laughed, stepping back and waving his arm as if ushering me to pass toward his car. "Good enough for me."

My feet wouldn't move for a moment as I stared at the top of his bowed head, but when he lifted his smiling face and met my eyes the urge to run took over and I hurried past him out into the rain. I made it four steps, to the point I was right beside my own car, when his hand wrapped around my arm and he turned me. I felt his arms encase me as I almost lost balance and my feet left the ground only moments before his lips were on mine. My system went into shock first. My brain could not make sense of the situation, did not understand why he was kissing me, but then it really didn't matter anymore as baser instinct took over.

My arms circled his neck, holding him tightly to me as my lips returned the pressure. Nothing was real suddenly. Nothing mattered. There were no problems, no dilemmas, just Edward and his lips and his body. That was suddenly all my world consisted of. The pounding rain was nothing more than background noise now, a quiet drumming as it pinged off of the roof of my car. He leaned into me and I lifted my legs, wrapping them around his hips as he pushed my back against the passenger door. Suddenly, Edward pulled his lips from mine and stared deep into my eyes for a moment. "Stop trying to run from me, Bella."

I pulled his lips back without thinking, knowing that while we should be getting out of the rain and into Edward's car all I wanted was to stay there forever. He sighed happily as he lifted one hand to my cheek and rubbed it gently as our tongues met. I tightened my legs around his hips, pulling him harder as I deepened our kiss. He moaned and dropped his hand to my thigh, lifting me just a little higher. It was my turn to moan as I buried one hand in his hair while the other dug into his shoulder. My hips swivelled without permission, making our kiss end as we began to breathe even harder and push even closer. The need that bound us together was the accumulation of the tension that had stretched between us for our entire relationship. It all built into this one moment, pushing us together with enough pressure to make me feel like I was going to either explode or sink into him. I gripped him harder and harder as my eyes closed and our lips met again. His hips bucked a little, making my head fall back and my vision become spotted as a moan escaped my throat again. His mouth found the sensitive skin of my neck, running kisses down to my shoulder, sending shivers throughout my body.

He pulled back again and looked down into my eyes. "Are you cold?"

I laughed and didn't respond as I leaned up to his lips and made it so that they almost touched, almost met. He closed his eyes and leaned closer, trying to kiss me but I pulled back just far enough to allow a small graze. He opened his eyes again, giving me a dark, heated look. I smiled and pushed forward, capturing his mouth while he wasn't prepared and pulling his bottom lip in my teeth. I felt the shiver that ran down his body, pulling his shoulders together as he leaned closer to my face. I trembled a little as I closed my eyes and released his lip. "No more than you are."

"Bella," he groaned, his hand running up my jeaned leg, over my hip, and finding the skin of my hip, left unprotected by the soaking shirt that had ridden up several inches. My stomach gave a sharp twist, my breathing increased more and lust took over every single sense. I could suddenly feel every inch of me that touched Edward, feel the way it all tingled and begged for more, feel the way my quickly rising and falling chest pressed so hard into his. The thick smell of rain and wet forest seemed sensual, basic. All I could hear was our comingling breath, our pounding hearts, our occasional moans of pleasure as we pawed at each other and deepened the kiss more and more. Suddenly the sound of tires splashing through the puddled road made Edward draw away, lowering me onto my shaking legs as an old pickup bumped by with squeaks and a slight sputtering of the engine. Even when it was fully out of sight I had not caught my breath.

"Let's get you warm." Edward's fingers wrapped around mine and he tugged me urgently toward his car, opening the passenger door for me as he always did, but his eyes full of so much fire I was surprised he didn't burst into flames. He ran around the nose of the car after closing me safely inside and hopped into the driver's seat, leaning toward me over the stick shift, and immediately finding my eagerly waiting lips again. He started the car without looking, the heat blasting out through the vents. It was the first thing that distracted me from him, my trembling, ice cold hands longing for the warmth. I had been standing in the rain for a good 40 minutes before Edward had showed up and even his kisses weren't enough to bring blood flow back into my aching fingers. Edward seemed to sense this and pulled back, angling the heaters toward me.

I placed both hands directly over them, kicking my sodden shoes off and lifting my toes toward the vent under the dash as well. Edward watched me, his lips red from the intensity of our kisses, and a sexy smile waiting for me every time I glanced in his direction. It was all I could do not just hop over onto his lap and begin another round. But suddenly it all fell back onto me—I had to tell him about Val.

"Edward, I have to tell you…" I mumbled, unable to put any power behind my voice. I was so nervous suddenly that my throat seemed to have restricted itself, raising my voice by a couple octaves.

"Then tell me, Bella."

"After you left, when I went to stay with Alice, I went on a date with Val." I watched as his eyes suddenly narrowed.

"It was Val?" his voice had lost its soft, sexy undertone.

"I am so sorry, Edward," I began but he lifted a hand, stopping me in mid sentence. He seemed to be battling with himself as he turned to stare out the window. He only whispered one thing before starting the car.

"Of course it had to be Val."

-EPOV

My mind was racing through the night again and again and again. The way he had looked at her, the pompous way he carried himself, the way the girls cooed over him after dinner. I couldn't get it out of my mind and I slammed the car into gear and pressed down on the gas petal, turning us back onto the road. She could have fucked a complete stranger and it wouldn't have bothered me, but of course it had to be Val. I didn't know why it hadn't occurred to me before, of course. If Alice was going to set Bella up with anyone it was going to be her opinion of the best. Alice had already clearly shown that she felt Val fell into that category.

I could feel Bella's eyes on me even though she did not speak. I couldn't bring myself to look at her, jealousy twisting my stomach back into tight knots. He had managed to get her before I did. I had known her for years, built a relationship with her like no one else, and he had still managed to get her into his bed first. One moment I felt nausea, then anger, then the need to create some sort of destruction, eventually fading back into nausea. I sped down the highway, hurtling us toward Forks about 20 miles over the speed limit. No cops seemed to be out.

When I was pulling into the city limits of the town Bella's trembling voice broke through my silent rage, "Please take me to Charlie's."

I slowly lifted my foot from the gas petal, easing the car back down to the limit. I glanced at her for the first time since I had turned the car back on, but she was no longer looking at me. She stared into her lap, tears pouring down her face, her eyes puffy enough to say she had been crying for quite some time. "Bella-"

"Don't say anything, Edward. I know what I did and it is obvious how you feel about it. Please, just take me home for tonight. It's where I need to be." She turned her head so she was staring out the window, hiding the larger tears that were now streaming from her eyes. "Just know that I am sorry. I have regretted it for every day since it happened."

I stayed quiet as I drove to Charlie's house, more because I was at a complete loss of what to say than anger. Bella's tears had eased away the sting of what had happened and replaced it with a new pain—my own shame. I had sworn to Alice I would be careful, that I would measure my reaction, that I wouldn't hurt Bella in the process. As I brought the car to a halt in the driveway beside the police cruiser I tried to find the words, "Bella, I am-"

"Please, don't," her voice was trembling, but she wouldn't look at me. "Tell Alice I will see her in the morning. Let her know I'll still bring the dresses to my room once I pick up my car. Thank you for coming to get me." She stopped and took a shaking breath, but it did not help to steady her voice which was becoming higher pitched with every word she spoke, "I wish everything could have gone differently."

She was out of the car, the door closed gently behind her before I could even attempt a response. She ran to the door of the house and closed it behind her without a backward glance at my car.

I sat there for a very long time, the windows becoming fogged as I stared out the window at the rain that distorted my view of the yard and the house. She hadn't come back out and I couldn't find the strength to go to the door and try to talk to her again. Alice had warned me how much it would hurt her and I still managed to screw it all up… again.

After a long period of time the door to the house opened and Charlie came out, striding up to the car. I unlocked the door and he opened it, sliding into the car seat. "Edward, I know you're a good guy, but Bella told me to come out here and ask you to leave."

"I understand, Charlie." My voice sounded hollow, dead.

"She'll be better tomorrow, I am sure. Once she see's Alice again. Your sister has always had a way of cheering Bella up."

I nodded, trying a fake smile but unable to hold it. "Yeah. I'll make sure she comes by tonight after I pick her up."

"See you on Friday, Edward," he said, climbing back out of the car and walking back into the house.

I pulled away and began the long drive back to Port Angeles to pick up Rose and Alice. I had gotten myself into a mess this time. Alice was going to kill me and I was sure that Rose would probably help. How was it that such a simple task, just keeping calm when Bella told me something I already knew, had gone so horribly wrong? Why couldn't anything ever just work as it was supposed to?

-BPOV

It was about 2 in the morning before Alice and I finally fell asleep. She had coaxed me back to the hotel around 11 with a bottle of wine which we had finished before midnight and then promptly opened a second. After watching several bad movies on the TV we both relaxed into the bed, still laughing at the cheesy plot lines.

"Do you feel better?" she asked, her slurred words even more indistinguishable due to a yawn.

I nodded, giggling to myself as I reached for the last sip in my glass. "Oh yes."

She smiled and yawned again, "Oh good. Edward wanted me to make sure you felt better."

My stomach suddenly flipped and the wine revolted, making me terribly nauseous. "Edward?"

Alice nodded, her eyes drifting closed. "Uh-huh. Told me he upset you earlier and you needed a friend."

"Why would he care?"

Alice giggled like only a trashed girl does, her eyes opening again, "What a silly question, Bella! Because he loves you."

I shook my head, the burn rising up my throat, "He can't. Not after what I told him, Alice."

"Of course he can," she yawned, her eyes again closed. Her face went slack before I even had a chance to respond. Her quiet snores filled my mind and put me under a few minutes later.

"Bella, wake up!" Alice chimed in my ear like a particularly annoying clock. "We have so much to do today. And it all starts now."

"Ugggggggh!" I moaned, burying my face deeper into my pillow. My eyes felt like they were swollen shut. "Not now, Alice. Please, just another hour. I feel like.."

"Like you had a bit too much to drink?" Rose asked, placing a cool hand on my foot, "That's because you did. But not to fear, Alice says she has the cure."

I still couldn't open my eyes. "Noooooooooooooo."

"Bella, today is my bachelorette party and I will not have you postpone its start because you have a hangover. Self inflicted injury gets no sympathy my dear. Now up up up!" She lifted my foot several inches off the bed and dropped it.

I groaned again and then forced myself to sit up, "Rose, you are so lucky I love you, or I would kill you right now."

Alice grabbed a glass of OJ in a tall champagne glass from a tray sitting on the nightstand. I put it to my parched lips and chugged half of it before I noticed the bubbles. My stomach gave a sickening jerk and I thought I was going to be sick for a minute. "Alice," I choked out, "why are you giving me a mimosa at," I peaked under one heavy eyelid at the clock, "9 in the morning."

"Nothing better for a hangover than a bit of alcohol. Besides, you can't be against booze just yet. We have a long day ahead of us girls. I got it all planned out. Don't worry Bella, by the time we hit the bars tonight you will feel much, much better."

The idea of going bar hopping after already having had one night of blitzed bliss was sickening, but obviously it was going to be beyond my control. When Alice made plans, you either held on and went with or got dragged across the pavement behind her, fighting it tooth and nail. Either way, she would win.

The morning was surprisingly peaceful. Alice drove us back into Port Angeles where we were apparently going to spend the day. The first place she took us was a particularly high end spa where we soaked in the hot tub for what felt likes hours before getting massages, facials, waxes, and finally hair cuts. By the time we walked back out of the front doors I felt like a whole new person. I had spent the morning laughing and enjoying myself like I hadn't since the camping trip. Even with the terrible end to the conversation Edward and I had (if you can call it a conversation, that is) the fact that I had told him, finally gotten it off of my chest, seemed to have lifted an extremely heavy weight from my shoulders. I could breathe so much easier, I could laugh again, hold a smile on my face without excessive force.

We went for lunch at a fantastic bistro, enjoying every bit. Our table drew stares from all over the room, all of us glowing after our spa morning. Of course following lunch was a bit of shopping.

"Now Bella, I know you weren't going to be happy with anything I would have picked you out, so today you have to find the outfit you are going to wear tonight."

We searched through store after store. Rose and Alice said everything that I picked out was either too plain or too conservative. Everything that they tried to get me try on or buy I said was either too flashy or too small. Needless to say it seemed that we would never be able to compromise until, some four hours after we had started looking, we found the dress. I had never seen anything like it before. The fabric was soft and flowy, but held a weight that make it shift and shimmer with every small movement. It hung around my thighs at just the right length, the blue and gold fabric positively stunning as it crossed over my chest before tying behind my neck. I couldn't take my eyes off of it once I had it on.

"It's perfect," Alice breathed as I stepped out of the dressing room. "Bella, you look incredible."

Rose nodded her agreement, seeming to be at a loss for words.

I purchased the dress and pair of low blue heals with a golden clasp that would match. For once I was truly excited to wear it. By the time we got back to the car it was 6. Alice looked like she was ready to bounce out of her skin. She got behind the wheel and drove us to a large, mostly empty parking lot. The only other car was a large, stretch limo. Alice turned to Rose and smiled, "Now, for the real fun to begin."

We left the car in the parking lot, moving into the back of the limo with our newly purchased clothes, and stared around in fascination. There was enough room fifteen people to fit comfortably. Alice beamed at us. "The driver has a specific list of places to go, though times do not make any difference. First stop is dinner. Reservations at 6:30. That means we have half an hour to get ready!"

Our hair already done we slipped into our dresses and shoes, slouching slightly awkwardly in the back of the limo while we changed. Once comfortable again Alice pulled out a large bag from her purse and opened it to reveal an entire makeup kit. She did the quickest job of my face that she ever had, yet it looked as perfect as ever. But Rose looked positively stunning; beyond drop dead gorgeous with her large, perfect blond curls and stunning blue eyes hovering over her maroon dress, every curve accented just right. And Alice could have made an entire crowd turn their head in awe with pearly white smile that matched the shimmering silk dress, offset by the scarlet belt whose shade was identical to that of her lipstick and shoes.

When we got to the restaurant Alice had chosen and climbed from the back of the limo we were greeted by an extremely enthusiastic maitre d' who decided to give us a grand tour of the restaurant on the way to our table. Once we were finally seated we were immediately presented with one of the best white wines, 'in honour of the bride-to-be.'

We enjoyed every bite of our meal, every drop of wine. When we left we were not only well fed, but just buzzed enough to keep me from complaining when we pulled up to the first of a pretty long list of bars. The first few shots loosened me up enough to enjoy the second bar as well, which had a large dance floor that Alice insisted we take full advantage of even though there was no one else dancing. She loaded up the juke box and pulled Rose and I out to the floor. If I had been any more sober I probably wouldn't have been half as comfortable dancing with the guys who seemed to appearing out of nowhere, a new one materializing out of thin air before me every time a new song started.

The third bar was by far the best though. They had a giant wheel that you spun with a different shot after each peg. There must have been 100 different shots listed. Each of us spun it once, getting three of whatever it landed on, no matter how horrible it sounded, looked, or tasted. The worse by far was the rattlesnake tequila. The jar sat on the counter, a large, preserved snake floating in a large amount of clear tequila. When bartender handed us the shot she instructed us to use our teeth to strain out the scales. It was salty and horrible tasting, but within a minute my head was spinning and a comfortable euphoria took over as I joined Rose and Alice once more on the dance floor.

The rest of the night blurred. I lost count of how many drinks we had. I spun out of control and could not focus on anything until my head hit my pillow back at the hotel, my dress and shoes still on, the sky outside an inky black that you can only see between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m.