A/N: Firstly, sorry about the delay in posting! Things have been pretty hectic and I haven't had much time to write. Consequently, this is quite a short chapter but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging any longer! I will try and get the next chapter up this week.

Secondly, THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Calendar Guys in the Lemonade Stand's Fic of the Week. We made it into the Fab Five again! Well done to the hilarious Awkwardly Yours for topping the poll. I love that fic! :)

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Chapter 29

It was enormous. Bella didn't think she'd seen anything so big in her life. She tried to count the windows and gave up after she reached twenty. Esme Cullen must be absolutely loaded to own a place like this. And it was only her holiday home. Emmett pulled the car into the grand-looking driveway, and Rosalie threw open the door and jumped out with excitement. Bella followed up more cautiously. She felt sick with nerves about seeing Edward again. Pulling out her cell phone, she took another look at his reply to her last text message, trying desperately to see some hidden meaning she'd missed the last hundred times she'd read it.

SORRY I HAVEN'T CALLED YOU BACK. WENT OUT WITH LEAH ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND HAVE HAD THE MOTHER OF ALL HANGOVERS. SEE YOU AT THE BEACH HOUSE. E x

Bella had forced herself to resist the urge to text him back. Edward had finally made contact with her. He'd even signed the message with a kiss. It meant he didn't hate her and it explained why he'd not returned any of her phone calls. She guessed Leah had probably dragged him out to drown his sorrows. She'd been so tempted to pick up the phone and call him back straight away, but she knew everything that needed to be said should be done face to face. And she was utterly terrified. She took a deep breath, walked up the steps to the front door and pressed the doorbell. It felt like an age before someone came to answer it. Bella supposed in a house this big it would take a while to get to the door. She half expected it to be opened by Carson from Downton Abbey. But it wasn't a butler who appeared pale-faced and smiling nervously behind the door; it was Edward Cullen.

"Hi Bella."

"Hi Edward." She felt tongue-tied. There was so much she needed to tell him, but words completely failed her. Not quite able to look him in the eye, she fixed her gaze on his torso. He was dressed in a dark blue sweater, which clung to his lightly muscled chest. Bella could see a few dark hairs peeking out from the deep V of the neckline. She swallowed; her mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

As she wracked her brains for something to say, Emmett broke the awkward silence by pushing past her into the house, loaded with the luggage from the car. "Guys, are we going to stand around on the porch freezing our asses off all day, or we gonna get this party started? Is there a bar in this place, or what?"

"Nice to see you again too, Emmett," laughed Edward.

"Sorry about him," said Rosalie, as she greeted Edward with two air kisses. "He's a little… excitable. Down boy!" She giggled.

"Yeah, Emmett," added Bella. "Some of us actually have a job to do first, remember. Are the models here yet, Edward?" She was relieved to get back to business.

"Not yet. Leah travelled up with me, and Alice and Jasper arrived earlier. They've gone for a walk along the beach, like love's young dream." He smiled wryly and rolled his eyes. "Come on in and I'll show you to your rooms, then we can get everything set up."

Bella followed Edward into the house, where he gave them a tour of the main rooms and they said 'hi' to Leah, who was watching TV on a giant flatscreen. Everything looked painfully expensive. Bella took great care not to be her usual clumsy self for fear that she might trip and break something. She smiled to herself as she remembered how Edward was almost as much of a klutz as she was. He'd probably cost Aunt Esme a fortune in replacement ornaments over the years. The first bedroom they came to was for Rose and Emmett, who threw their bags to one side and quickly closed the door behind them. Bella suspected they wouldn't see the pair of them for a good while. She felt a sudden wave of panic wash over her. It was just her and Edward now.

"Alone at last," he joked, pushing his glasses up his nose with his forefinger. Bella laughed nervously.

"I guess I can't put it off any longer," she said, half to herself. Edward didn't ask what; he just kept on walking down the long corridor, his eyes on the ground. "Edward, I owe you an apology. A huge one. I'm so, so sorry if I misled you in any way to thinking we were on a date, and I was a complete idiot for leaving you to go meet Jacob. I-"

"Bella, it's okay," he interjected. "I'm sorry too. I reacted badly and I shouldn't have blamed you. It's not like I made my intentions clear. I was just so embarrassed. Still am, truth be told. How did your date with Jacob go anyway?" Edward looked as if he didn't really want to know the answer.

"Honestly, it was… awful," she smiled, relieved beyond belief that Edward had accepted her apology. "The guy's a jerk."

He mirrored her smile, clearly delighted. "Cool," he said, nodding his head. "I'm glad."

"You're glad I had a bad time? Thanks a lot!" Bella laughed and playfully poked Edward in the ribs. She was so happy they were back on friendly terms. "Actually, I had way more fun on my date-that-wasn't-a-date with you…"

"Really, Bella?" He looked down at her searchingly. She noticed dark circles under his golden eyes. Clearly she wasn't the only one who'd been having sleepless nights lately. What were they doing to each other?

"Yes, really. It was cool."

"It was, wasn't it?" He flashed her a crooked grin. "Maybe we could do it again some time. As friends, I mean. Not a date. I just want to make that clear in advance. To avoid any further embarrassment."

"Actually, Edward, I-" She wanted to tell him that a date would be just fine with her, but he put a finger on her lips before she could finish. She felt a shiver down her spine and resisted the urge to take it in her mouth and suck it.

"Really Bella, please. Let's not say any more about it. It was excruciatingly cringe-worthy. I just want to forget it ever happened and move on. And besides, here's your room. I've saved the best one for you." He opened the door for her and ushered her in. Bella felt her jaw drop to the floor. It was beautiful. A large, four-poster bed sat in the centre of the room, loaded with pillows. She could see another door opening into a lavish en-suite bathroom, and at the far end of the room a set of French windows opened onto a balcony overlooking the beach. Even though winter was fast approaching, the view was breathtaking.

"Wow, Edward, thank you! It's incredible!" She turned around and threw her arms round him in a hug. He pulled her in to his body tightly and murmured into her hair: "You're welcome, Bella." She felt a flush of heat at the unexpected close contact with his body. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt sure Edward would be able to feel it through the thin wool of his sweater. She loosened her grip on him and stepped back, his hands sliding round her back to rest on her hips. She felt her eyes drawn to his and was startled to see how intensely he was looking at her. Was he going to kiss her? She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak. "Edward, I-"

Ding-dong.

"That's the doorbell," said Edward dumbly, his eyes still locked with Bella's. "I should get that."

"Um, yeah, you should." She broke away her gaze, breaking the spell at the same time. Edward left the room and Bella flopped down onto the luxurious bed, marvelling at the irony. It seemed Edward had gone from being the cock-blocker to the cock-blocked.