So, thanks for all the well wishes, I'm feeling much better, my son's bronchitis is nearly gone, and my other son's hay fever attack has turned into a slight cough and green snot so YAY! At least we can all function better now. Now, I hope you enjoy your chapter and what Edward says to Bella. Here we go!

Twilight Crystal is my beta and twifey and I only own the plot.

Cover Girl Chapter 18

"Bella," he said softly, his throat tight and his mouth dry, "I'm…I'm sorry."

Bella stood directly in front of Edward, not moving, not speaking, so he continued.

"I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I didn't realize it until I read your letter and talked to Emmett about it, but you were right that I shouldn't have said those things. But you were also wrong, Bella. You aren't the one to blame in all this, I am. And I don't know what I can do or say for you to ever forgive me, but please know that as long as I live I'll never forgive myself for the hurtful words I said to you. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I was young and stupid and reacted horribly-"

Bella spun around and interrupted Edward, jabbing him forcefully in the chest with her finger as she began to yell at him.

"You're right! You did react horribly! I took a chance and confided in you!" Bella said with another poke to Edward's chest.

"Ow." He said in reply, taking a step backwards while Bella advanced on him.

"You were supposed to be the one who accepted everything about me and still wanted me!" Another poke.

"Ow!" Another step backwards.

"You were my best friend, the one I could tell anything to! You and I were inseparable and not matter what I did or said, you were always there and had my back when we were kids!" Yet another stabbing poke.

"OW!" Edward growled as he stepped backwards again.

"You were supposed to show me that I wasn't delusional in thinking that someone would want me when they found out about her!" Another poke, even harder than the last.

"OW!" Another step backwards as Edward rubbed the increasingly tender spot.

"You broke my heart! You threw me out! And you're right, it was your fault!" Bella accentuated each short statement with more pokes to Edward's chest and he stepped backwards even more, increasingly aware of the gathering crowd around them.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I-" Edward tried to speak but Bella cut him off again, continuing with her tirade.

"And on top of all that, you called me a whore!" Bella cried out and, instead of poking him in the chest, she raised her hand to slap him and Edward forgot about everyone around them and focused on the fact that she was absolutely stunning as she verbally ripped him to shreds. There was only one thing he wanted to do to her at that moment and he seized his chance.

When her arm swung through the air he reached up and caught her wrist, twisting her arm around behind her back which drew her in closer to him. And when she was pressed right up against his chest, her face red with anger and her eyes alive with fury, he used his other hand to tangle in her hair and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

She didn't return it at first, so Edward pressed harder, slipping his tongue in between her taut lips hoping that she wouldn't bite it off. After a moment she began to yield and actually received the kiss, giving some in return. Edward slowly backed the kiss off, finishing it with three soft pecks to Bella's lips, and then he opened his eyes and took in her serene face and closed eyes.

He couldn't help the slightly cocky smile that spread across his face, and when Bella finally opened her eyes, Edward was happy to see her own mouth start the upward curve of a smile. He released her hand and she brought them forward, sliding them up his arms and around his neck. And when she tilted her head up, Edward closed his eyes and prepared for another fantastic kiss.

But the kiss he was expecting never came, and instead, Bella's hands fisted in his hair and pulled his ear toward her mouth. The words she snarled at him were a shock, and Edward didn't have enough time to react before the worst happened.

"Maybe next time you'll ask before assuming someone wants your tongue in their mouth," Bella growled and then he felt the pain of all pain.

Bella released Edward right as her knee came up swiftly and Edward felt and heard the impact. With a deep 'oof' he grabbed his crotch and dropped to his knees before falling to his side. He could see Bella through teary eyes as she walked away from him, climbed into her old red truck, and rumbled off through the parking lot. The group of people that had surrounded the scene began to disperse, but not before there were laughs and jeers thrown at him.

He heard several snide comments, a lot of snickers and giggles, and then someone was grabbing him around the chest and helping him off the ground. Edward looked up and saw his roommate, Benjamin, was there looking at him with a kind expression, and he immediately regretted every mean thing he had thought during the Miley torture sessions.

"Come on, big guy, let's get you out of the spotlight," Benjamin said as he picked up Edward's stuff and started off toward the dorms.

Edward limped behind him, trying to keep his pants off of his extremely tender junk, but no matter what he did, the pain was there. He hadn't received a knee to the boys since he was in middle school and he accidentally elbowed Jessica Stanley in the breast. He had been careful to not receive that punishment from a girl since, but Bella had broken that streak and had really, really, really bony knees!

Finally making it back to their dorm, Edward collapsed on his bed while Benjamin disappeared for a few minutes, and when he returned he had an icepack from the common room. He tossed it at Edward, who luckily caught it so that he didn't add insult to the injury he had already sustained. He gingerly placed the icepack on his boys and lay back on his pillow, moaning and sighing at the same time.

"So, I imagine you did something pretty bad to get that kind of treatment from someone you were kissing, especially since you were kissing her like you knew her," Benjamin said and Edward nodded to signify that Benjamin was right.

"So, what did you do?" Benjamin asked and Edward debated on telling him what all had happened.

The thing was he couldn't tell everything because it wasn't his story to tell. He refused to betray Bella and give away her most intimate secret about her other identity. So, Edward decided to give Benjamin a brief rundown similar to the one he had given his mother.

After Edward was done revealing all he felt he could, he didn't know what to expect Benjamin to say or do, but laughing at him was the last thing he thought would come out of his roommate's mouth. But Benjamin was laughing, bent over, holding his stomach, and laughing hysterically.

"Dude! I didn't tell you this for you to laugh at me!" Edward grumbled and he grabbed one of his shoes off of the floor and threw it at Benjamin.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but it's epic that you finally reconnect with your childhood sweetheart, and then you get even deeper with her, and when she reveals her deep, dark secret you called her a whore and kicked her out! In what alternate reality did you think throwing her out on her ass would be a courting ritual?"

"Shut up!" Edward fumed and Benjamin just laughed harder.

Pissed off, Edward sat up quickly, not thinking about the ice pack on his crotch, and he crushed it into the still sensitive flesh, hissing as the pain radiated through his body. Benjamin only laughed even more at him. Just as Edward was about to walk, or crawl, out the door, Benjamin finally got his hysterics under control and stopped him.

"Sorry, sorry, I promise I'll try not to laugh," Benjamin barely said through a gigglesnort and a cough to try and cover it. "And if you want, I'll even help you out with her," Benjamin offered and Edward turned and spoke before he realized what he was saying.

"And how could you even know how to get a girl?" Edward sneered, and then instantly face-palmed himself as he apologized.

"No worries, man," Benjamin shrugged it off as Edward returned to his bed and sat down. "I've heard worse. And yes, I'll admit I've only ever dated one girl and it was just as a cover to keep the jocks off my back until I realized that I didn't care what they thought or if they said anything to me. I decided to be myself and I didn't care if they hated the fact that I was gay. I wasn't hitting on them, I wasn't trying to steal their girls, and they finally realized that I wasn't a threat. But, as a cheerleader I'm around girls constantly! I hear them vent about their boyfriends, I sit with them as they sigh dreamily at the romantic movies and verbalize their desires to be with Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles or Lloyd from Say Anything, Patrick Verona in Ten Things I Hate About You, Jack Dawson in Titanic. They dream of being with Josh in Clueless, Woodchuck Todd in Easy A, Jack in Burlesque, and Blaine in Pretty in Pink, though Duckie is quite sought after as well.

"They want the romance, the wooing, and the grand gestures. They want you to chase them and show you that you want them above all others. And when you do get them, you can't stop just because you won. You have to keep the romance alive and there. It doesn't have to be big gestures, oftentimes it's the small things that matter most. You'd be surprised how a single flower that was handpicked means more than a store bought bouquet, or how a sweet note tucked in their book will bring a smile to their face, or telling them they're beautiful when they have no makeup, horrible hair, and are in their ratty pajamas will affect them. Now, I'm willing to help you, but you have to do as I say even if she rejects you at first, and know there is no guarantee that even after you do all this that she'll forgive you. So, are you up for it?"

Edward paused for a few minutes, not instantly answering Benjamin. He mentally ran through the movies that Benjamin had mentioned, not really remembering anything any of the guys did other than hold up a stereo and die in the middle of a frozen ocean. And then he thought of all the sick jokes that Benjamin could pull on him under the guise of helping him out.

"You're not going to make me change how I dress or look or make me wear makeup or make a fool of myself, are you?" Edward questioned, honestly worried that Benjamin might try to completely change who he was.

"Nope, at least on how you dress or look, and I'm definitely not going to make you wear makeup. As for you making a fool of yourself, you don't need my help to do that, you did a pretty good job on your own earlier," Benjamin joked and Edward actually joined in with the laughing that time.

Once they both calmed, they got to work and started figuring out Edward's plan to get Bella back, or at least get her to talk to him without damaging his boys again. Edward felt confident in the plan, even though it required him to run the risk of severely embarrassing himself. He was fine with that though, because Bella deserved the ultimate apology and Edward was determined to give it to her.

So, what do you think of Bella's reaction? And about Benjamin? And what do you think Edward's plan will entail? See you this weekend!