Chapter 3

Charlie POV

Bringing Bella Home

"Hey Chief, call on line two."

I will never, as long as I live, forget the Friday night I'd received a phone call from an unknown number with an Arizona area code at the station.

Banner- University Medical Center.

Was I Isabella Marie Swan's father, they'd asked me.

My child, they had said, had begged them to call her father. She didn't have a working number, but she kept telling the social worker that her dad was Chief of Police in Forks, Washington, and his name is Charlie Swan.

The social worker.

Because Bella had begged, begged the doctors and nurses to bar her mother and her mother's fiancé from her room, and had become so hysterical that they'd had to sedate her.

They refused to give me specifics over the phone, but wanted me to show up as soon as possible, or Bella would have to go with Social Services upon release until her "situation was investigated".

I grabbed my 'Bella Folder' where I still kept her original birth certificate and social security card, and floored it with lights and sirens to Sea-Tac and drove myself insane considering all kind of horrible scenarios with Renee and what she had done to my child in the 5 hours I had to wait for the next available flight to Phoenix.

I took a taxi directly to the hospital and ran inside like a man possessed.

My kid.

The last picture I had of her was years and years old, but I knew her as soon as I laid eyes on her.

From my pictures, I knew she had brown eyes, but she'd had her head turned and was staring out of the window just then. She had crazy curly hair that was a product of both her mixed heritage, and mine, tied in a half-assed looking ponytail under left ear and covering her arm down to the elbow.

I cleared my throat so she'd notice me, at the same time, hoping she wouldn't just yet so I could keep looking at her. She stared at my hands first, where I was wringing the life out of that old manila folder, then looked at my hip, where my badge was clipped to my belt, then finally up to my face.

She looked exactly like me. And exactly like her mom. It was crazy, and amazing, and I hated Renee in that moment for stealing my opportunity to watch her grow up, and myself for not fighting her on it because I was scared to drag Bella into a long drawn out court battle.

"Da-" She stopped. Cleared her throat. "Dad?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Hey kiddo. I, uh. Give your old man a hug?"

When she lifted both of her arms for me, like Alice used to do when she was a toddler, I wanted to cry again for all of our missed time. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the side of her bed, hugging her to me just as hard as she hugged me to her.

"You came." She whispered.

I don't know how long we sat like that, hugging and crying before the doctor and social worker came in, both holding clipboards. Bella sat with her legs drawn up to her chest staring at the foot of her bed while social worker offered to sit with her so the doctor could pull me out of the room and explain what was going on.

Bella had been assaulted by one of the little shits at her school, the spawn of her mother's piece of shit boyfriend. One of the janitors heard a scuffle in the empty auditorium and when he investigated, showed up just in time to witness him slamming her head into the floor and ended up having to bodily drag the twerp off of her.

Her skirt had been flipped up and there were fingernail marks on her legs. The testing done by the sexual assault nurse confirmed the presence of skin cells not belonging to Bella, but no other "genetic issuance".

All that they'd known had come from the evidence and the witness' statement. Bella had refused to talk about it. Had refused to say a word until her mother had arrived.

The woman had the audacity to bring her low-life boyfriend with her to Bella's hospital room, and they both told the doctor that Bella was attention seeking, that she and the boy had been in a sexual relationship for months and she was acting out because they'd had an argument.

The nurse who'd done the exam had been in the room to hear this bullshit, and had been in the process of informing both the doctor and Renee that based on Bella's examination, it was blatantly obvious she had never been in a sexual relationship with anybody-

But Bella had started screaming then that they were liars and for someone to make them leave. The nurse had called the social worker then.

Renee had gotten so furious, she'd shoved Bella back onto the bed.

She and Phil, her fiancé, ended up being escorted from the premises by the police, and I'd been called.

I was angry. Felt sick. How could that bitch treat my baby girl this way? I'd never before wanted to hurt a woman, but I sure could strangle my ex-wife. Happily.

Since they really didn't have any reason to keep Bella another night, and had basically been stalling on her release until I got here, they discharged Bella into my care. Renee and I never had a custody agreement put in place, so it was easy enough to prove Bella was my kid and get her the fuck out of there. I got 3 copies of her hospital records and the file from Child Protective Services for my folder while one of the nurses was thoughtful enough to bring Bella a change of clothes from the gift shop.

While she changed, I called Phoenix PD and let them know I was coming to get a copy of the police report, too. They let me know that Renee, Phil and her spawn were all still in custody, and since it was the weekend, they weren't releasing the former 2 until they Monday. The shithead kid had to wait to formally see a judge.

"What's your address?" I'd asked Bella when we hauled our asses in the back of a taxi. She flinched, and looked fucking terrified. "Only to get your shi- uh, stuff." I assured her. "Then we're leaving."

No fucking way in Hell was I allowing her to stay in this place a single day longer. She gave me an address, and the driver took us to a decent looking neighborhood about 20 minutes away.

I showed the lady in the leasing office my badge, and she let us into the apartment, since Bella didn't have a key. The apartment was in decent shape, aside from the fucking beer bottles and ashtrays everywhere.

But Bella's room...

Jesus Christ.

What the hell was Renee doing with the child support I was sending her? The kid didn't have a bedroom set, just a mattress on the floor and a small stack of clothes and books I could see on the closet floor. No posters, no pictures, no blinky lights or whatever the hell teenage girls put in their rooms.

Just a mattress, with a fitted sheet and one of those horrible, old ass fuzzy hotel blankets that always make my nose stuffy. My hands burned with the need to hit something, and I had to excuse myself with a gruff "Gather your things, baby girl. Everything you want to take, we aren't coming back."

I crossed the hall to where the other two bedrooms sat, and if I opened the doors and saw what I was pretty sure I would, I was going to lose my shit.

Sure enough, both rooms were furnished had televisions, and were completely decorated. The little shit's room even had 2 different video game systems and a shelf full of games to go with them.

"Fucking bitch." I grumbled. "Fucking bitch."

Set that asshole's bastard up like a prince while her flesh and blood, MY flesh and blood, was sleeping on a mattress on the floor without so much as a cardboard box to put her things in.

I swore again. "Fucking bi-"

"I'm ready."

I hadn't heard her, so quiet for a teenager. Way quieter than all of the Cullen kids, with the exception of Edward.

She held 7 books and a small stack of clothes, that awful blanket tucked under her arm. Christ, I hoped she wasn't attached to it…I felt stuffy just looking at the damn thing, but I grabbed it anyway, and carried it and her books while we let ourselves out of the apartment.

Pettily, I didn't let the leasing office know we were done so they could lock up. Let someone rob their asses, I didn't give a fuck. I hope they took all that little shit's expensive electronics.

We got back in the same cab, which thankfully had stayed like I asked, and went by the police station to pick up the police report and then to the airport. At a gift shop before we hit the security check, I bought her a white backpack that was completely covered in rhinestones. It was stupidly expensive, and completely overboard.

Was I over compensating? Probably, but I wanted the kid to have something girly. Shit, I didn't even know if she liked girly, but considering she wore the pack backwards after loading her things into it, and wrapped both arms over it as if she were protecting it, I figured she liked it well enough.

Security wasn't quick but was relatively painless. Bella hadn't flown before so didn't know at first to take of her shoes and gave the floor a disgusted look when I told her she had to put her shoes in the basket. After that though, it was smooth sailing.

This time, thank the Lord, there was only an hour wait before they boarded our flight. I grabbed us some pizza, and almost had another fit of anger when I asked her what she wanted and Bella told me she couldn't ever remembering actually eating pizza so she didn't know.

Her mother had her on a diet, because she was "getting fat", so while she sometimes made pizza for the others, she hadn't been allowed to eat it at home.

I bit my lip to avoid what really wanted to come out and ordered us each a slice of stuffed crust Meat Lovers that the kid behind the counter had just put fresh in the display case.

"You're not fat." I growled, and traded her, taking her bag and handing her both the pizza boxes. I lifted her chin and made sure she was looking at me when I told her in no uncertain terms. "You eat whatever the fuck you want."

An old lady behind Bella nodded approvingly and Bella and I went to take our seats at the gate.

I could tell she was hungry, so I encouraged her to eat both slices, and with one quick double check to make sure I wouldn't want it, like I would dare take it from her now, even if I hadn't lost my appetite, she tucked in.

We boarded a little early, and the loud noise of the plane prompted me to slip her prescription out of my pocket and hand her one of the pills the doc gave me for the headaches he was sure she would have coming once the stuff he'd put in her IV wore off.

She swallowed it dry and waved off my apology for not thinking to get her something to drink from the pizza place. Soon we were lifting off and I made sure the window cover was raised so Bella could enjoy seeing this place turn into a speck beneath us as we got far the hell away. "Last chance kid," I told her. "Wanna wave goodbye to this hell hole?"

Bella didn't say anything, but when I leaned away from her to dig that horrible blanket out of her bag, I saw her flip a quick bird at the glass and grinned.

Oh yeah, she was my kid alright.

"Here," I tucked her blanket around her. Once we got the all clear to start adjusting our seats, I showed her how to let hers back. "It's been a long day, baby girl. Try to get some rest."

The flight home was emotional. Not because anything happened, per se. In fact, Bella was a light weight, and as soon as we reclined her seat, she was out like a light.

What made me emotional was when she curled up in her sleep, not away from me, but into me. She tucked her feet under her and rested her head on my shoulder, both of her arms wrapped around my left one.

I kissed her on her forehead, lingering for a moment with my eyes closed (so nobody would see them watering), before hunkering down in my seat for the duration.

We landed, and though groggy, Bella was functional, and since her bag was a carry-on and I didn't bring one, we headed straight out to the lot and got into the cruiser. Bella didn't bat an eye at having to ride in the police car, simply clambered in, wrapped up in her blanket, and passed right back out.

Present Day

"Dad?"

Bella's quiet voice brought me out of my day dreaming and I grinned at her as we pulled into the driveway. "What's up short stack?"

"About this sleepover? Um, and Edward…"

"What about them?"

One thing I was learning about my kid is that she didn't inherit any of Renee's wiles, or guiles, or whatever you wanted to call them. It might take her a minute to get comfortable enough to speak her mind about something, but when she does, she just spits it out, no beating around the bush.

Which I can appreciate, but holy shit, is she really gonna talk to me about boys? I can't say I expected her to EVER talk to her old man about boys. I stupidly felt like a cool dad. A dad for about 20 minutes, but a cool one nonetheless.

You blow this Charlie, and she'll never talk to you about anything important ever again!

No pressure.

"So, he asked me to go to his family's party. But then he amended it and asked me to be his date."

"Yes, Alice said as much." I told her. "Are you uncomfortable with the idea of dating, after Phoenix?"

Because to be honest, I was. After the shit she's been through, I didn't like the idea of her dating, ever. I wanted her here, with Dad, where I could make sure nobody ever tried to hurt her again.

But to be honest with myself, if she did date, Edward was the best possible choice. I knew the kid, had had a hand in raising him. He wouldn't be disrespectful, or pushy, and if he looked out for her like he did Alice, nobody else would even get close to her. Kid was the best guardian Alice Cullen had ever had, and I liked the idea of him watching out for my Bella too. Just not if she was uncomfortable around him.

Bella flushed, another trait she inherited from me, because Lord knows Renee didn't get embarrassed about shit. She wasn't quite as mocha as her old man, so you could definitely tell she was reddening.

"It's not that," she admitted. "Not fully. It's just…I was a joke in Phoenix. I don't want to be a joke here too."

And then she explained. Fucking Renee again.

Bella POV

I'd made a promise to myself on that plane when I'd "waved goodbye" to Phoenix.

I didn't want to mute myself like I'd done there. I didn't want to just hide who I was and bide my time until school was over every day. I wanted to enjoy myself for once, but it was only the first day, and I'd already sunken back into the Bella that I'd turned into when Renee started to get really extreme. The Bella that wanted to keep her head down, not get noticed, not speak up or argue back.

I didn't sing anymore, didn't do anything creative or anything that made me stand out, and I missed it so much. I'd given up all of my outlets because Renee had ruined them for me, had gotten obsessive about my voice, my appearance. She monitored what I ate and drank, made me get on a scale every day and then belittled me for not weighing what she wanted me to.

When I'd finally had enough, I seized my chance the summer before my freshmen year. I'd been sick, very sick. My cough was horrible, but it wasn't until my voice went completely out that I was finally taken to the doctor, and when my mom stepped out of the room for a second, I pleaded and begged the doctor to tell my mom that my voice wasn't going to be the same and I couldn't sing anymore.

I didn't care what lie she'd told her, but just tell her anything that would get her off my back. Singing wasn't fun anymore and I just wanted to be normal. I'd cried, gripping onto the sleeve of the doctor's pristine white coat and begged over and over until she took pity on me.

When my mom came back into the room the doctor rubbed my back consolingly and fed her a complete line of bullshit. Asked my mom if I was a singer, or theatre student, said that she could tell by the extremely stressed appearance of my vocal chords, that I was one or the other, and I had over done it. She'd seen it a lot in young kids who performed a lot, of course, and most times the damage was irrevocable and forcing me to further use them would only damage them worse and increase the risk of nodules forming.

I was beyond grateful. Renee was furious. Instead of the peace I'd envisioned, what I'd gotten was worse. Half derision, half apathy and indifference. Sometimes she was petty, and things would happen like my things would be broken or "stolen" during a move.

All of my pretty clothes from when I needed to look good for a talent show or pageant, trashed or given away. When my breasts had appeared and my hips spread, Renee started calling me fat. Her boyfriends creeped me out and some would be downright inappropriate, and Renee never once corrected them. Just rolled her eyes and told me to get out of her sight.

That's when I started deliberately getting my clothes too big. Plain and frumpy. Hiding.

Her creepy "friends" backed off but then I got teased at school. The teasing evolved into bullying, and I found it easier to keep my mouth shut. The bullies got bored of harassing someone who didn't bother to speak to them, and by then I discovered that the only way I could get anything close to the peace I'd longed for was to just make myself invisible.

Every now and then I would be the butt of someone's joke. Boys would pretend to think I was cute, girls would pretend to be my friends, only to see who could embarrass me the worst. I only fell for it a couple times before I learned my lesson.

Phil's son Garrett was a one-off.

He didn't try to talk me into dating him, or being friends like the others. He'd walked in my room with his camera out while I was changing for bed, leering, and from then on, he was on a constant mission to catch me alone.

Dad was quiet while he listened, but his face was turned a scary shade of dark purple. I really didn't think he was breathing, until I finished and he pulled me to him.

"I will never forgive myself for not fighting for you." He told me, rocking us both. "I hope you know that Bella. I never wanted to be separated from you. For so long, I couldn't find you, couldn't figure out where your mother had hidden you both away. When I finally found you in Phoenix, it had been so long.

"You were 6 or 7, and on stage in all this make up and a singing in a school thing. I sat in the audience and your mother told me you didn't need me, that you were happy, thriving. And you looked so happy up there that I believed her, and I left. I'll never regret anything as much as I regret not forcing her to let me be a part of your life. For thinking you were better off without me."

"I thought you didn't want me." I whispered into his shoulder. "She told me you didn't want anything to do with us. But you came for me. I called, and you came for me."

Dad pulled away from me, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, and then his. "I will always come for you, kid. You can be 40 and married. If you call, I'll come for you."

He set away from me a little so that I could see his face, and told me this:

"That being said Bella, listen. You don't have to hide here. Yes, Forks is small and some of the kids are stupid, but not all of them. Wear what you want, eat what you want, shit, dye your hair rainbow colors, I don't care. As long as you're not half naked, you be whoever the hell you want to be. And don't let these assholes bully you. Stand up for yourself.

"You're Charlie Swan's daughter, and we don't stand for that shit, you understand me? And if you need me to come up to the school and put the fear of God into some little shit who doesn't respect boundaries, I'll be there before you can hang up the phone.

As far as the Cullens, they're good people."

He sighed deeply. "Did your mother tell you that I was in the FBI when she met me?"

I shook my head 'no'. This was news to me. He sighed and got up, plucked a picture off of the mantle that I'd never really noticed, and brought it back to the couch.

"When your mother was about 7 months pregnant with you, I got this case. Awful stuff. Drug dealers in Seattle who were looking to get into human trafficking, so they started swiping kids from orphanges.

"My team was called in to track them down and find where they were keeping the children and what they were doing with them. It took almost 3 months to locate them. When we caught up to them, it was awful. They were in a rundown shack with the windows boarded up.

"There were drugs everywhere and we caught the dealers trying to run out back carrying a 4 year old kid. I found two other kids in a closet that was behind a dresser. When I opened the door...this little boy was standing in front of this tiny little girl, protecting her. They were only a year old Bells. They were both frail and filthy and they had track marks on their arms from where drugs were used to keep them quiet.

"While they were in the hospital, you, your mother and I were staying in a hotel in Seattle. I was looking for a place for us, wanting you out of the big city, and visiting the kids every day and looking for a family to adopt them.

"I found a nice couple here, in Forks, who said adopting three kids wouldn't be an issue. They couldn't have children of their own and didn't mind that they may have some residual problems from their kidnappings.

"Found out this place didn't have much of a police force, and they were looking for someone to fix that, so I bought a house nearby. I figured I could keep an eye on them and keep you and your mother safe as well."

He handed me handed me the picture then. I accepted it and realized then that my hands were shaking a little. There stood my dad, in all black and a bullet proof vest emblazoned with the letters FBI.

He held two small toddlers and a tiny baby me in his arms with a third toddler hanging off his hip. I smiled through my tears. It was a cute picture, he looked like a baby jungle gym.

Something a bout the smallest toddlers looked familiar to me. The little boy had dark red hair and green eyes, the little girl had back hair and green eyes. I could make an educated guess about the bigger child, but I knew... I knew for sure who the others were.

Jesus. My dad had saved Edward and Alice.

"I've watched them grow up Bella. I took you with me on visits until your mother took you away. I've spent Birthdays and holidays and Sunday dinners with them since I delivered them to Esme and Carlisle.

"The only thing that could have made that better was you with us. I babysat them when their parents were working late, I've chaperoned field trips, listened to their frustrations with they way things are going at school. They're good kids Bella, all of them. And if you're interested in Edward-"

I winced at him blurting it out so boldly, and he laughed at me.

"-then I think you should give him a chance. I'd actually prefer him to any other boy in Forks. Don't worry honey." and he kissed my forehead. "Regardless of what you do here, it won't be like Phoenix. I won't let it."

I was still reeling from our conversation as Dad drove us to the Cullens' place. It seemed that the twins and I had some things in common. My dad had saved us all from a crappy past, though theirs was much more horrid than mine.

Finally, we pulled up to a huge contemporary house with glass walls. Jesus. I couldn't stop gaping at it.

My dad laughed. "Looks out of place in Forks, doesn't it?" I nodded. But it was the most gorgeous house I'd ever seen. I immediately felt...extremely ordinary. Like my old clothes would contaminate the modern beauty of this place.

Before either my dad or I could knock, the door swung open and revealed a happy smiling Alice. She pulled me inside immediately, and my dad shook his head, chuckling. "Easy Alice. I think she'll need her arms in the future."

"Hi Chief!" She hugged him tightly. "You're staying for dinner aren't you?"

"Not today Kid. I've got an early morning date with a boat and some fish."

I could practically hear Alice's pout as she led us through the house. I've never seen such a thing. It was all neutral colors and very glamorous and expensive looking, like something out of a magazine.

Alice tugged me into the family room, where I found myself gaping at 3 more Cullens.

"Look who's here!" Alice was literally bouncing again. "It's Bella! Bella, this is my mom, dad, and brother Emmett."

Mother of God, I hoped I wasn't staring, they were all so, so….There wasn't an ugly or plain one among them. 5 for 5, all of the Cullens were ridiculously gorgeous. How unfair.

Emmett was huge. Both tall and bulky with curly hair and dimples that distracted you from the fact that he could certainly twist a person into a pretzel with very little effort.

Carlisle was a porcelain looking blonde with the bluest eyes I've ever seen. And Esme.

Dear God, Esme was magnificent.

Her deep teal blue hair was piled on top of her head and tied down with a scarf, reminiscent of Rosie the Riveter….if Rosie had been even more badass. Her tank top revealed colorful tattoos all over both arms and what looked to be Carlisle's name peeked out above her neckline. They were all smiling at me, but it was Esme who got out of her seat and pulled me into a hug.

"Hello Bella. It's so good to finally meet you! Your father always talks about you and Alice has been excited since she came home from school. Welcome."

"Thank you Mrs. Cullen. You have a really beautiful home."

She beamed at me. "Thank you sweetheart. And please, call me Esme."

Emmett was next, he towered over me and gave me a one armed hug that still managed to lift me clear off my feet. "Nice to meet you Bella!" His voice was huge and enthusiastic. "I wanted to be here to meet you, but I'm heading up now to get some homework done. Feel free to come by later if you and the pipsqueak wanna play some Xbox."

He fist-bumped my dad, gave Alice a noogie, and then made his exit.

Lastly Carlisle approached me, and hugged me as well, though more sedately than his largest son.

"I'm so glad you're here Bella." Holy cow, he had an accent that I couldn't quite place. Australian maybe? "Charlie called me from the road after he got your call. I offered to go with him, but he was already halfway to Seattle. Peeled out of here like a bat out of Hell, he did."

I blushed again as Carlisle kissed me on my forehead, much like my dad had done. "Glad to have you back, little one."

"There's only one more person for you to meet," Alice said. "Bree, but she's having a nap, so you'll meet her at dinner."

Esme smiled at us. "Dinner is a little later than usual tonight. I'll call you down when it's ready. Bella, have you eaten yet?"

"No, ma'am."

"Do you like meatloaf?"

"Yes ma'am."

"So polite, but you don't have to call me ma'am, Bella. I'm going to check on dinner, so you two have fun."

Thankfully, the introductions had been quick and only slightly awkward on my part. I did notice, however, that Edward was missing. Was he even here? Did I even want him to be here?

Ha, I knew the answer to that. Of course I wanted him to be here. Not only because I want to apologize to him, but because I just...wanted to make sure he didn't hate me after that little incident in Bio.

My dad, ready to make his exit told me that all of the Cullens had his number programmed and to just borrow one of their cells if I needed anything. We hadn't gotten around to getting me my own yet.

Pretty well assured that if I called he'd come immediately, I was comfortable with him leaving.

Alice and I walked him out, and then I was alone with the Cullens.

Well. I still felt guilty, so I decided I'd ask Alice about talking to her brother. May as well get it over with.

"Hey Alice?" Crap. My voice sounded stupid and obvious, even to me. Sure enough, she seemed to know something was up.

"Hold on, let's get in my room first Bella." When she opened the door, I smiled at how much it just screamed 'Alice'. It was bright, bubbly and colorful, everything that she is. And in true Alice fashion, she pulled me over to her bed and grinned at me.

"Spill." She demanded. "Has this got anything to do with what happened in Biology?"

"What? How did you-"

"Edward asked me why you hated him."

Hell, now I really felt bad. "I don't hate him Alice. I just..."

"You're scared of him? Well not of him per se, but that he's just playing around with the new girl?"

I nodded, honestly a bit ashamed now that I knew about their past. "Bella, my brother's not like that." She said quietly. "I'm not like that."

"I know Alice, and I trust you. I do. It's just that anytime a girl has been nice to me, it's been because of some mean joke. And the only time a guy acted like he liked me...it didn't go very well."

She was quiet still, which kind of unnerved me. "Uh...is he here? I kind of want to apologize to him and see if he maybe wants to still...uh..."

"Oh Bella!"

All at once, Alice was a happy flurry of activity. I found myself walking alongside her, trying to keep up with her brisk pace as she chattered excitedly.

"Bella, you don't understand. This is so awesome! He's talked about you all day at school and now he's moping on his youtube channel because he thinks you don't like him. He's never liked anyone before and you guys are gonna make such a cute couple!"

"What, his youtube- Alice, breathe!" I laughed nervously. Then she knocked on a door, pushed me in front of it, and left me there. "Go away Alice." Edwards voice floated through the door and I found myself wanting to press my ear against the wood.

Hell.

"It's...uh…Bella."

The door was open almost before I shut my mouth. And said mouth fell open.

"Holy Mary, mother of baby Jesus." I whispered before I could stop myself. Edward Cullen was a sight to behold in his basketball shorts and a wifebeater. His left arm was covered in black and grey tattoos from shoulder to halfway down his forearm. He smirked at me, but I just stood there, wholly distracted until he asked "Did you need something?"

I blushed. "Yes, uh. C-can I talk to you?"

He stared at me for a while, and when he stepped back, I was sure he was going to close the door in my face. Instead he motioned for me to enter. I squeezed by him- dear God his body was hard- and looked around, not sure how to proceed. His room was decidedly masculine.

Deep tones of blue and brown with sports and music things scattered about. There was a couch against one wall, a camera on a tripod in front of it, but it seemed safer to sit there than anywhere else. I just sat on the corner opposite the camera. Just in case.

He came to stand at the edge of his huge bed. I got lost in him again until a hand waved in front of my face. "Bella?"

"I'm sorry!" I sputtered. "I got distracted by your arms."

"My arms?" He smirked at me again, and I nearly melted right there on his couch.

"They're all muscly" I said intelligently, still staring. "And the tattoos."

He laughed at me then, and I think he even flexed. I slammed my eyes shut before I did something embarrassing.

"So what did you want to talk about Bella?"

"Right.. Um." I tried to look at him without getting distracted by his body.

"I want to apologize about the way I treated you in biology. I was excited when you asked me out because I think I really like you, but I don't understand why you would like me that way so I thought it was all some awful joke and then Jessica told me that she was your girlfriend and that you were trying to use me.

"But then I talked to my dad and he told me that you and Alice are good people and oh, Lord, I've caught your sister's word diarrhea."

He laughed again, and I turned away, sure he thinks I'm an idiot. And then he was kneeling before me, his hands on my knees as he grinned.

Oh boy.

My gulp was audible to both of us.

"So." He began. "Let me get this straight. You think you like me but you thought I was just trying to make fun of you. And Jessica told you that she and I were dating?"

I nodded, but I was barely holding on to the conversation.

Did he know that he was stroking my knee?

"Bella."

His voice was deep now. All low and very sexy.

"Jessica Stanley is gross."

"Huh?"

"I'm not dating her. I wouldn't go out with her if she was the last girl on Earth and she paid me. She likes me but I have never EVER liked her."

Oh.

"Also, I was being 100% honorable in my intentions as far as asking you out. I like you Bella. A lot."

Oh...

OH.

I was so very tempted to pinch myself. Edward, who is quite possibly the best looking male I have ever laid eyes on, likes me! ME!

This has got to be a dream right? Focus Bella, he's talking to you.

"So what made you change your mind and apologize?"

"Um, my dad. I'm sorry, I know it's personal, but he told me how he met you guys, but he also told me that I should give you a chance."

"Good." he whispered, his eyes bright as he leaned towards me. God, they're a pretty shade of green. "And I don't mind you knowing about my past if it helps you trust me."

He leaned closer still, tilting his head just the slightest bit.

"I'm sorry Bella." he groaned. "But I've just got to-"

And then his lips were on mine.

Softly at first, gentle and warm. I froze, not really knowing what to do. Edward Cullen was kissing me! Oh hell, where do my hands go? Where do I put my head? How do I move my lips?

"Bella." Edward pulled away the slightest bit.

"Stop thinking so hard. Just do."

And then those wonderful lips were back on mine, teasing, coaxing until I found myself mimicking his actions, kissing him back.

"Fuck." he groaned into my mouth. I found the cuss word oddly sexy, which made it Hell to pull away. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No." he sat next to me and leaned his forehead against mine. I savored the feeling, feeling like a couple in a romantic movie that everyone else swooned over.

"But, I'm sorry I just kissed you like that. I couldn't help myself."

That made me feel just a little sexy. "I liked it." I assured him. And I did. I liked it a lot. So much so that I wanted to do it again.

A bit empowered, I braced my hand on his shoulder and went for seconds.

I had barely touch my lips to his when to door to his room burst open. I tried to move to the other side of the couch but couldn't make my body go.

"Well now!" Alice's grin was indescribable. "Looks like you two are getting quite cozy."

"I-uh-we-" I stammered.

"Damn it, you have the worst timing ever."

She laughed at her brother. "Mom wanted me to tell you that it's dinner time. Come on Bella, let's give Casanova here a minute alone."

Out of his embrace and on the other side of his closed door, clarity doused me like a bucket of could water.

"You two kissed." Alice stated, leading me down the stairs. "So are you going to date my brother?"

Her tone was soft and I couldn't tell how she felt about the situation.

"...If he asks me." I admitted.

"Good."