Well, I think I can safely say no one is a fan of Renee's right now! I'd love to say we're through with her and Phil, but they may make a reappearance sometime soon...

However, we're going to give Bell and Edward a break and let the two of them enjoy themselves a bit in this chapter ;)

I apologize for not being great about responding to reviews, please know that I am seeing all of them, and I appreciate all of your kind and encouraging words! (And your distaste for Renee and Phil, LOL)

Hope you enjoy chapter fifteen!

On September thirteenth, I turn seventeen. Mama Esme and Alice make me a delicious red velvet cake that Rosalie forces them to take away before she "eats the whole thing." Charlie hands me a card full of cash, which I appreciate. He has no idea how to shop for me. But best of all, Edward takes me to the beach at dusk to give me a delicate white gold bracelet with a paintbrush pendant dangling from the chain and sweet kisses I'll hang onto forever.

October comes, and I change the mural in the coffee shop to fall leaves and pumpkins. Carmen wants me to push our caramel lattes and pumpkin spice everything. The boutique next door hires me to do weekly drawings on the chalkboard they put on the sidewalk. I tell Charlie that I'm officially a paid artist. He hums and nods. At least this time, he doesn't bring up business school.

Edward plays baseball. A lot of baseball. His Jacksonville team has started traveling, and he's spent a couple of nights in Tallahassee and one in Savannah. We talk on the phone when he's gone, and it reminds me of three years ago when this was the only way we could communicate. He plays well- most of the time.

It's noon on a Saturday when Rosalie texts me a single word.

Bonfire- R

I'm lying on my bed with my sketch pad, working on a drawing of Edward in his hot-as-fuck baseball uniform, standing on the mound ready to throw a pitch, so I roll to my elbows to grab my phone off my nightstand.

Where are you?- B

Work. But I get off at six. I can pick you up.-R

Edward's in Jacksonville and told me he won't be home until after supper, so I agree but gnaw at my bottom lip. I haven't been to a party since the night at Emmett's, where choices were made that still leave my stomach in knots. I'm afraid of the dark side of Edward reappearing when the options of alcohol and weed surround him.

But he's promised he'll stop. Maybe I can make an appearance with Rosalie and convince Edward we need time alone when he shows up. The mix of school and work over the past few weeks has me wound tight. The release Rosalie is offering is too tempting to pass up.

In reality, any type of release tempts me. I sigh and sit up, running my fingers through my hair. It's bushy, disheveled, and I grimace when I see myself in my dresser mirror. If this is what I usually look like, it's no wonder Edward's still keeping us at a very PG rating.

Maybe it's my fault. Other than on my birthday, I've put little thought into my appearance, settling back into the comfort of denim shorts and t-shirts for school. When we're together on the weekends, I usually wear loungewear while we watch a movie or eat dinner with his family. Tonight I'm going to change that.

Stuck without Rosalie's help, I begin rummaging through my wardrobe, immediately nixing anything I consider school appropriate. If I want to convince Edward to put his hands on me, I need tits and ass and anything that won't let him ignore my curves. My eyes fall on a collection of dresses I have stuffed in the back of my closet. I am not a dress girl, but…

There's one that could work. It's navy with a ruched bust, spaghetti straps, and a little keyhole tie over the chest that shows a peek of cleavage. Technically, it's a sundress, but it's tight and short, and Rosalie has begged me to wear it since she forced me to buy it last spring. The tags still dangle off the side.

I chew on my lip as I hold the dress in the air examining it. With soft waves in my hair and gloss-tinted lips, this might get me what I'm looking for. Stripping out of my sleepwear, I pull the dress over my head and wiggle until I tug it into place. I stand in front of my mirror, spinning and checking every angle, and holy shit, it's perfect. My tits are enhanced, and my ass looks round and perky. My legs have the illusion of length, and despite losing the slight tan I gained over the summer, the dark color flatters my skin tone.

Excited, I snap a picture and text it to Rosalie. Fifteen minutes later, I get a "Damn, girl!" response. Followed by, "Y'all are gonna round third if you're not careful."

I don't plan on being careful.

oOo

Emmett pulls his Jeep right onto the sand, the speakers in the back pumping music through the throngs of high schoolers gathered around the crackling bonfire. Rosalie convinced him to play anything other than rap, so she and I are thrilled to sing along to classic rock as we stick our toes in the shallow water running back and forth at the coastline. The waves are rocky tonight, unsettled, indicating a storm off the coast. But it's aimed at the Carolinas. Amelia Island is in the clear.

"Tell him I'll bring Alice home if she wants to come," Rosalie has to yell over the sound of a crashing wave and the AC/DC song that's blaring.

Rosalie says bring Alice. She'll drive her home.-B

My text to Edward sits unread for a minute. He's probably showering the grit and grime of baseball off of him. He texted me only five minutes ago that he arrived home.

I sip my cherry seltzer, letting my phone screen go dark while I watch Emmett sneak up behind Rosalie and kick water over the back of her legs. I laugh when she squeals and turns to chase after him, her skirt dancing upward in the wind as she goes, forcing her to ball it in one fist and pull it tight while she balances her drink in her other hand.

I think Alice is already there- E

My phone chimes, and I read Edward's text. Scanning the crowd, I spot his sister, illuminated by the flames of the bonfire, her face glowing from the light and her laughter. I recognize the girls she's with, other cheerleaders. But my chest twists with concern when I spot the Juuls in their hands and the bottle of vodka being passed between her group. The girl I remember from the bake sale passes to Alice. I step closer as I watch her sniff the drink before lifting it to her mouth and taking a tentative sip. Her face scrunches in distaste as she sticks out her tongue, and the other girls laugh. I'm relieved when she hands the bottle off to the next girl, shaking her head. I'm sure she's blushing, but I'd rather her be embarrassed than wasted.

I pull out my phone and text Edward back.

Yeah, I just found her. I think she's making friends :) -B

Good. I'm on my way. -E

Rosalie returns, giggling, her face flushed and hair tousled. I scrunch my nose when she winks toward Emmett, telling me exactly what she was up to when she disappeared down the beach.

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I can't hold back from asking, "Doesn't sand get everywhere when you have sex on the beach?"

"We didn't have sex, Bella." She rolls her eyes, combing her fingers through her hair, facing the wind so it doesn't tangle further. "You think sex is that fast?"

"I dunno." I push my toe into the wet sand and sip my drink to dispel the unease of my lack of knowledge.

She digs through her purse for a hair tie, giving up on taming the wild strands. "Well, how long does it take for you to get Edward off?"

I choke on my drink because, oh my God. "I haven't really- I mean, that first night, but…"

The hair tie sits on her wrist while she appraises me, brows raised in amusement. "What the hell have y'all been doin'?"

"Watchin' movies, talkin'." I shrug. "We kiss and all." I'm mumbling at my toes now as I let them freeze in the Atlantic water.

"Oh, Jesus, girl." She places her drink in the sand and finishes her hair. "I thought you wanted him. What's holdin' you back?"

"It's not me." I throw my hands up, some of my almost full seltzer splashing out of the can and sliding down my arm. I brush it away. "I don't know what I'm doin' wrong, but he just doesn't… want to."

"Bull shit." The wind picks up, making my arms break out in goosebumps while her ponytail whips behind her head. "I see how that boy looks at you. He's picturin' you naked half the time he's with you."

"Then why isn't he makin' a move?" I inch away from the water as it rolls up. I need the warmth of the dry sand.

She follows me and points toward the bonfire. "Why don't you make a move?"

"Won't that make me a slut?" I ask quietly as we move closer to the group. But the proximity to Emmett's blasting music makes her give me a "Huh?" So I have to repeat myself louder… right as the music switches to a new song.

The following laughter has me ducking my head and pinching my eyes shut. Jesus, what the hell are people gonna think I'm doing behind closed doors?

Rosalie bumps me with her shoulder and mouths, "No." She sticks her hands out toward the warmth of the fire as we approach the burning logs.

Continuing to drink and sway to the music, I allow the heat to seep into my veins until my frozen fingers and toes no longer ache, and my buzz has my worries sifting away into the darkness. Soon I'm calmer than I've been in weeks, feeling light and free.

Long, strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, and I lean into the sculpted chest touching my back. I'm surrounded by the fresh scent of Edward's soap and shampoo as he breathes his hello into my ear.

"Havin' fun?" He asks, rocking me to the beat of the music.

"More now that you're here."

I'm swept up in our moment, heat surrounding each part of me and building into a crescendo that will have me running into the ice-cold water if I can't control it. Edward's too close but not close enough, and I'm already thinking of ways to get him away from here so we can be alone.

"Ed, what's up, man." Our intimate bubble pops when Jasper appears, hand out to slap Edward's in greeting and a joint dangling from his lips.

Edward straightens, turning to the side, but keeps me locked under one arm. "What's up?"

"How'd the game go?"

My shoulders tense instinctively, and I berate myself for the reaction that has Edward gripping my waist tighter. I force my body to calm with a breath in and out to decrease my worry.

"Not great," Edward mumbles, his eyes dragging toward the fire. "My arm fatigued, and I didn't make it through the third innin'."

My hand shoots to his shoulder as if I have some ability to heal him through touch. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." He shrugs, but I can hear the underlying concern in his voice.

"Rough. Sorry, man." Jasper pushes away the front strands of his hair, only to have them fall quickly back in place. "Here. Looks like you need this." He holds his barley-smoked joint out to Edward. I grasp the fabric of Edward's T-shirt, instantly regretting the choice to come tonight.

Internally, I beg Edward to ignore him. To walk away and deal with the stress of his game in a way that won't cause pain or destruction. I glare at Jasper. As far as I'm concerned, he's Satan, feeding an addiction.

Edward fists his hands while he squeezes his eyes shut, fighting an internal battle that I need my Edward to win. Eventually, he sighs, and my throat constricts. He's giving up, falling on a cheap release, breaking my heart.

"Nah, man, I'm good."

Jasper nods, lifts the joint to his mouth, and takes off searching for someone else to corrupt. I duck my head because the smile stretching across my face is too big, and my pride in Edward reaches all the way to the clouds rolling in overhead.

"You…" I squeeze him as my arms circle around his torso.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, I wanna say hi to Emmett, and then we're out of here." The corner of his mouth twitches, and I know he's proud of himself, too. Saying no for the first time was more challenging than it should be.

I let out a little scream when he pinches my ass, his mood turning giddy at the progress he just made. He rushes away toward where his boys congregate around coolers, Rosalie with them, stuck to Emmett's side. Right before we reach our friends, Edward spots his sister with the other cheerleaders who have, thankfully, put their Juuls away. He sneaks up behind her and reaches out to tickle her waist, making her jump and scream before she turns around and swats at him. My lips curl down when Alice's friends watch Edward with leering eyes, and as I pass, I hear things like "You know Edward?" and "Lord, that boy's fine." I'm glad Alice is making friends, but now I'm worried about cheerleaders hanging out around the Cullen's house.

We stay for half an hour, talking to Emmett and Rosalie, Mike and Jessica, Tyler, and some girl named Bree, who I know is drunk enough that Tyler's gonna be getting some before the night's over. Edward sips on a Coke, I ditch my seltzer for water, and no one brings up baseball.

When the wind begins to spray us with droplets of mist coming off the water, I tuck myself tight to Edward to stop my shivering. He kisses my head and starts our goodbyes. My sandals dangle from my hand as I collect my bag and let him lead me over the sand to where he parked the truck near Emmett's Jeep.

"Four-wheel drive comes in handy," I joke when he starts the ignition and pulls across the beach to make a U-turn.

"I could just drive down the coast to get us home," he offers with a smirk.

"You're ready to go home?"

I see my chance to get him alone long enough to attempt something. It's nine-thirty, we have hours. Hours where I can… Jesus, I don't know what. Rosalie didn't tell me how to make a move, just to do it.

His tongue peeks out as he licks his lips, his fingers rapping on the wheel. "Um, where do you wanna go?"

Shit. I never thought this through. Driftwood is out, obviously. The rental house we used once has new tenants, and our parents are home. "Uh…"

"I have an idea." He drives past the dent his truck left in the chainlink fence months ago, and we pull onto the paved road. I thank God in prayer for giving Edward the strength to stay out of trouble tonight.

The radio plays low as I hum along and angle myself so that my dress rides up more than it should. At a red light, Edward glances over when I shift in my seat, and his eyes spend a beat longer than normal staring at my thighs. He grunts when his eyes meet mine, a fire simmering under the surface.

We turn onto Beach Street, and he lets a hand fall off the wheel, bringing it to rest on my exposed skin. The tips of his long fingers skim the inside of my leg. The temptation to wiggle just enough to have his touch at the apex of my thighs is overwhelming. I have to bite my lip hard to keep my urges under control. We pass the turn that would take us home, pass the beaches on the North End, until we're on a stretch of road with a thicket surrounding us. If I were with anyone other than Edward, I wouldn't trust the dark path he takes us on, nothing but a sandy trail leading our way through the marine growth. The truck bounces over uneven ground until the headlights illuminate waves crashing in front of us.

We emerge onto a small stretch of beach before Edward K turns the truck until we're parked so the bed faces the ocean. "Come on," he mutters, grabbing something from the back of the cab and jumping out. I follow, in awe of the private beach he's found that I knew nothing about.

"I had no idea this was here." I glance the fifty yards up and down the sand. It's not pristine like the other beaches. Twigs and shells cover the ground, but it's beautiful in the moonlight. The waves aren't as high, rolling in at an angle, and maritime trees with low-lying palms line the forest behind us.

"I found it by accident. Remember that first night I was back?" He asks. I hum as he lowers the tailgate and climbs in, throwing a thick blanket over the bottom. "I was frustrated at how things went between us, and I didn't wanna deal with goin' back to my parents until I sobered up, so I just drove." He holds his hand out, helping me up.

"You ended up here?" I settle on the surprisingly comfortable cushion he's made us as he produces another blanket and drapes it over my legs.

His back rests against the truck's rear window as he pulls me against him. I curl up, resting my head on his chest as I take comfort in the rise and fall caused by his breaths. "I saw the turn-off from the road, and I got curious. I think a few people come out here to fish durin' the day, but that's about it."

The trees block the breeze, so I allow the bare skin on my arms and neck to remain uncovered. But the goosebumps return when Edward's fingers dance in lazy circles across the inside of my wrists.

His cheek rests against my head as we fall into the rhythmic constant of the waves. The sound lulls us into a comfort that makes me never want to leave this spot.

"It's hard to believe there was a time I thought I wouldn't see you again," he murmurs into my hair, his arms tightening around me.

I twist to look at him. "You thought you wouldn't come back?"

"I wasn't sure you'd want me back."

I wiggle, pushing up with my hands while he loosens his hold reluctantly. "Of course, I wanted you back." My palm lifts to rest on his cheek, where a bit of stubble has grown since he shaved for school yesterday. He doesn't have a full beard, but it's weird that the boy from my childhood has facial hair at all. It scratches my fingertips as he cocks his head.

His eyes hold mine, a silent communication passing through us made of devotion, need, and a past and future intertwined.

He releases a determined breath, pinning me under his gaze.

"Bella, I love you."

My heart stops, starts, and beats in time with the rapid pulse I feel as my hand slides to his neck.

"You love me?" I'm breathless and floating with the stars peppering the sky.

He chuckles at my disbelief and pulls my shoulders forward so he can place a gentle kiss on my lips. Resting his forehead against mine, he repeats, "I love you."

I crash myself to him, one leg swinging over his so that I straddle his waist. He wastes no time stroking his tongue over mine and tangling a hand in my hair to guide my head and deepen our kiss.

The blanket falls from around my waist, and the fabric of my dress rides up my hips as his other hand takes purchase on the curve of my ass. His fingertips graze the side of my panties as he gropes, pulling me tighter against him. He's rapidly growing between us, making me moan when his length brushes against my thinly covered core.

It's the furthest I've gotten with him in over a month. Internally I rejoice as my fingers find the hem of his T-shirt and slip underneath. His abdomen clenches while he groans as I run my palm just above the waistband of his jeans.

"Bella," he mutters into my hair when I move to lick along the taut cord of his neck. "Oh, Christ! Bella…" He grips my shoulders as I lift his shirt, moving when I reach his arms to lift it over his head. His chest heaves, and his eyes remain hooded, falling to look at where we're lined up. My black lace panties are on display, resting against the denim covering him. "I don't wanna push you too fast."

I'm caught off guard, dizzy with the headiness being with him brings. "Too fast?"

He shifts as if to sit straighter but only succeeds in pushing us against each other where we're joined. His hand grips my waist to still me as a shuddering sigh falls from my lungs.

His eyes pinch tight as he tries to center his thoughts. "I don't want to go further until you're ready. Before, the night in the pool and the day in your room, I didn't think. I just did what I felt. God, I'm sorry. I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything with me. I'm not goin' anywhere."

I laugh. It's loud and hysterical, but I can't help it. Who is this boy trying to protect my virtue? But then my laughter dies because I know this boy. He's the one that writes in journals and gives first kisses on back steps, and I fall a little deeper in love with him.

"Edward. You're not pushin' me. I want this as much as you do," I say. He swallows, his eyes snapping to mine in disbelief. "I mean, we don't have to do everything at once, but how about I just tell you if somethin' is too much?"

He nods quickly, his fingers twitching where they rest on my waist as if waiting to move them over my body is the hardest thing he's ever had to do. I don't make him answer because I'm not sure he can right now, so I lean in, reconnecting our lips and tongues and moving my hips over his.

His hands travel and grope, first up to my chest, where he unties the bow above my bust and slips the straps of my dress down until I'm exposed to him, bare under the fabric. He nuzzles and kneads, even tentatively licking at my pebbled skin while words like "beautiful" and "amazing" fall from his lips. Soon, his fingertips dig into the flesh of my bottom, dipping under the lace of my panties. We stay in this limbo for so long that I wonder if it's my turn to touch him, but then with a question in his gaze, he pulls back, letting his fingers travel to the front of my dress and stall at the top of the black lace. I nod with a shaky breath as he pushes the fabric aside, sliding down and exploring a part of me I've never given to anyone.

He's gentle when I need him to be and firmer when I beg until I'm boneless and collapsing against his chest. When I can move, I look into his eyes and find awe, love, and devotion. I give him my thanks with a kiss and reach between us to the button of his pants.

"You don't have to," he tells me. But his chest rises and falls rapidly with anticipation as his eyes flutter closed. So, I do.

When he cries out his release, I crave him all over again.

A/N: Private beach with Edward Cullen? Yes, please! We always knew he loved her. How could he not? If only they could stay in the perfection of this moment forever *sigh*.