AN: Hi guys, sorry for the long wait!

Here's the next chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter 45

EPOV

Emmett took me home and though I knew rationally that was the smart thing to do, I hated it. I wanted to be with Bella. I wanted to make sure she was okay and not worrying about everything too much.

'She's fine.' Emmett said suddenly. I started and looked at him. He glanced over at me. 'I'm not that stupid. I know you're worried about her.'

'how did you know?' I asked.

he rolled his yes. 'come on, dude. Give me some credit. I've been your best friend for a long time. plus you didn't see yourself when she walked away from you to go talk to the police.'

'was it obvious?'

'just be glad it was me and Carlisle in the room with us. If you want to keep this a secret for a while longer, you're going to have to work on your poker face.' He grinned.

I smiled at him. 'I'll keep that in mind. Are you sure she's okay?'

'Arnold won't let that slimebal get close to her. she needs to do some damage control for the club. You need to let her run it without making her worry about you as well.'

'I don't do that.' I protested.

he just gave me a look. 'you both worry about the other too much.' he grumbled.

I thought about that for a moment and then conceded he might have a point. Still she was my girlfriend, wasn't that simply part of the deal? Plus, an asshole tried to attack her today, I felt kind of justified in my worry this time.

we arrived at our building and Emmett got my bag for me. he took me up to my apartment, making sure Mike didn't knock into my injured elbow.

'Get some ice on that. I'll go walk Mike for you.' Emmett said, already clipping the lead on him before I could protest.

'thanks.' I muttered, heading to the kitchen to grab a bag of frozen peas. I wrapped it up in a towel and held it against my elbow. Carlisle had insisted on putting my arm in a sling, to minimise the damage. I was sure it was just a bit of a bruise form breaking Laurent's nose with it, but I listened dutifully. I kept it in the sling and the ice on it for the next twenty minutes.

'I'm back.' Emmett announced just as I removed the ice and put the peas back in the freezer.

'want a drink?' I asked him.

Emmett nodded. 'beer?'

I nodded and pulled out a bottle for him, and grabbed one for myself. We sat down on the couch and I sighed heavily.

'you did good, man.' Emmett said.

I shrugged. 'I should have done more.'

Emmett shrugged. 'you protected her. you got to beat up that asshole and Hunter is banned from the club, I don't see what else you could have done.'

well when you put it like that… I grinned.

Emmett grinned too.

We talked for a bit longer about everything and Emmett assured me again that Bella would be fine. I still had a hard time believing that, but I also trusted both him and Bella. Bella could take care of herself I did know that. She was amazingly strong, she'd proved that these past few months. I knew this wouldn't shake her too much, but still I was her boyfriend and it was my prerogative to worry about her.

At six Emmett offered to walk Mike again and take him to his place for the night.

'that would be great actually.'

'is Bella coming here?'

I shrugged. 'I'm not sure. We didn't really make definite plans.' I rubbed the back of my neck, wincing slightly as I hit a sore spot.

'then you should call her. she'd probably appreciate it.' Emmett said with a shrug.

'when did you become so smart?' I groused.

he grinned and feigned hurt. 'I've always been good at giving advice. You just never bother to listen.'

I shook my head and quickly grabbed Mike's things for him. When we were saying goodbye the doorbell rang. Emmett smiled at me and opened the door as he was already standing next to it.

Bella stood in the doorway, looking nervous. He lip was between her teeth and she was wringing her hands together. As she spotted Emmett her eyes widened.

'Emmett, hi.' She squaked out.

'Hi Bells. I'm just leaving. Have fun.' He said, walking past her with Mike in tow.

I stared after him, shaking my head. Then I turned to Bella. 'would you like to come in?'

she smiled and nodded.

I closed the door after her and only had a moment to turn back to her, before she fell into my arms, her body shaking with sobs.

I wrapped her up tightly in my arms, ignoring how it hurt my arm slightly, and rubbed soothing circles on her back. 'hey, it's alright. I'm fine. It's okay.' I told her.

she sobbed into my shirt as I rocked us gently. I held her until finally her sobs subsided slightly.

'I was so worried.' She admitted softly after a moment.

I pushed her away slightly so I could look into her eyes. 'I'm okay, I promise.'

her eyes trailed over my body, taking in every inch. 'does it hurt?' she asked as her hand came up to cup the side of my face, her thumb gently traced over my cheekbone where a wicked bruise was probably forming. Concrete was hard after all.

I shook my head. 'not much.' I told her, turning my head slightly to kiss her palm.

'thank you for protecting me.' she whispered.

'I will always protect you.' I told her, wrapping her up in my arms again. we stood like that for another moment, before my stomach growled.

Bella pulled back and laughed. It lifted my heart.

'let's get you something to eat.' She stated, pulling me along by my good hand into the kitchen and sitting me down in a chair. 'now what are you in the mood for?'

'spaghetti?' I asked.

she nodded and started pulling open drawers and getting supplies for pasta carbonara. It was one of her favourites as well as mine. I smiled. She set to cooking and whenever I tried to get up to help she scolded me and told me to stay there and not move. She also brought the icepack back over telling me to ice my elbow. I smiled at her and did as she told me.

In no time she had plated up the food and put it on the table so we could eat together.

'thank you.' I told her, pulling her in for a kiss as she set my plate in front of me. She kissed me back and I smiled against her lips. We pulled back after a moment and she sat down opposite me.

we ate for a moment in companiable silence, then Bella cleared her throat. 'Are you pressing charges against him?'

I nodded. 'I didn't want to at first, but Carlisle thought it would be better. Laurent might try to spin this like I was the aggressor, by pressing charges at least the facts will be told right.'

Bella nodded. 'Arnold gave the security tapes to the police. It backs up your story.'

I nodded gratefully. 'hopefully he won't be a bother to us much longer.'

Bbella nodded in agreement. 'I can't really tell you this, but I trust you to keep it to yourself.' When I nodded she continued. 'I'm asking Kate to look into firing him and suing him for breach of contract.'

My eyebrows shot up. 'That would be amazing.'

she grinned. 'hopefully we'll get it done by the end of the week.'

'good.' I grinned. 'and Hunter?'

she shrugged. 'Security escorted him off the property, and I told HR to get in contact with his paper, but I'm not sure if we've seen the last of him. But they don't know if he was around when Laurent was carted off.'

'Shit.'

she nodded. 'but Leah put out the statement already, so that should inform the headlines tomorrow.'

I nodded in agreement. 'let's hope the police will do their job and then we can just say that he was a violent idiot who tried to attack you.'

'perhaps not the idiot part.' She hedged, but with a smile on her face. I just shrugged. 'how's your arm?'

'it's fine. Just a bit bruised.'

'don't try and act tough and get yourself more injured than you already are.' She said with a stern look. I smiled.

'I'm really fine, Bella. Emmett won't let me play tomorrow and I'll probably be benched next game. But after that I'll be right as rain.'

She sighed. 'I hate that he hurt you.' she came over and sat down in my lap. I held her tightly against me. I loved that she was acting so free around me, no more hiding her emotions, or unsure about us. She was just doing what she wanted and I loved it.

'I'm glad he hurt me and not you.' I told her. then I turned her to face me, my own expression turning serious. 'please, don't ever antagonize someone that's already that angry. I don't want you getting hurt.'

'I never thought he would snap like that.' She muttered.

'I know. Neither did I, but you're important to me, so please look out for yourself.'

she laughed and nodded. 'I'll try.'

I kissed her nose. 'let's go watch a movie or something,'

her brow quirked at that. 'or something?' she asked. 'I don't think you'll be up for much more than sitting on the couch today.'

I shrugged. 'I might surprise you.'

'how about I run you a bath first? You can relax those muscles. You must be a bit sore.'

'will you joing me?' I asked her, holding her tightly against me when she made a move to get up.

She looked into my eyes. 'are you sure that's a good idea?'

'what if I promise to behave?' I batted my eyelashes at her.

'can you?' she asked with a smile.

'let's find out.' I muttered, hoisting her up with my good arm, making sure the other remained still against her back.

'careful!' she scolded me immediately. 'your arm.'

'it's fine.' I assured her. 'I'm strong enough to carry you with one arm.'

she rolled her eyes at me and wrapped her legs tightly around my waist, supporting most of her weight herself. 'let's go then.' She told me, kissing me softly for a moment.

Later in the evening I laid in bed looking down at her sleeping form next to me. I had been good and behaved myself the entire evening, though holding her in the bath and doing nothing else had been it's own form of torture. But the bath had been good for my admittedly sore muscles. We'd watched a movie and then we'd gone to bed, where Bella fell asleep pretty much as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was exhausted and I was glad she was staying the night. She'd asked Angela to look after Jake for her and had brought a change of clothes. She'd thought of everything so she could stay by my side. and I loved her for it.

That realisation slowly sank into my bones.

I loved her.

I pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and traced her cheekbone with my finger. 'I love you.' I whispered to her sleeping form. I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to tell her to her face yet, but her sleeping form? I had no trouble telling her now.

I snuggled close against her sleeping form and held her tightly against me. She sighed and burrowded against my chest in response. I smiled. I could get used to this.

'Edward.' She muttered in her sleep.

'I'm here, love.' I muttered softly.

Suddenly she gasped and wrenched upright in the bed, her breath coming in fast pants and her eyes wild.

'Bella?' I asked concerned, sitting up as well.

Her eyes swung to me and she let out a relieved breath, falling into my arms. 'oh! It was a dream.' she muttered, holding on to me tightly.

'are you okay?'

'it was just a dream.' she muttered again.

'Bella?' I asked. 'did you have a nightmare?'

she nodded once.

'do you want to talk about it?' I asked softly, caressing her back and hair, hoping to calm her down.

she pulled back and then grabbed hold of my face, turning it this way and that. Then she started kissing me all over, my forehead, my nose, my eyelids, my cheeks.

'Bella.' I tried again. 'not that I'm complaining, love, but what's wrong?'

'I just…' she stopped kissing me for a moment. 'I had a dream you were hurt.'

'I'm fine, baby.' I told her, stroking her heek.

'I know… it just seemed so real… I just had to feel you for a moment.'

I smiled gently at her, leaning towards her and pressing my lips to her. 'I'm right here, love.' I told her. 'I'm fine.'

I laid back down, pulling her with me, arranging her with her back to my chest as I wrapped her in my arms and held her tightly against me.

she sighed and finally relaxed against me again. 'thank you.' she muttered.

'You never have to thank me Bella.' I told her, pressing a kiss behind her ear. She shuddered. 'go back to sleep'

for a moment it was quiet, then she turned around in my arms, her eyes finding mine in the darkness. Her fingers started stroking up and down my chest. We looked at each other for a long time as her fingers danced across my chest and mine mimicked her patterns across her back. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to my jaw. Her lips travelled up my chin and finally she pressed her lips to mine. I responded immediately, holding her tight as her tongue traced my lips. Her fingers continued stroking down my chest, getting lower and lower with every pass, until her fingers wrapped around me. I grunted into her mouth. She bit my lip in response. I trailed my hand down her thigh, hooking it around her knee and hitching her leg over my hip. She gasped and I smiled against her mouth, pressing my hips forward slightly. She moaned softly and I moved my hand to her centre, feeling her wet and ready. I kissed her harder as my fingers teased her sensitive flesh. Her hips responded and her moans continued. Her hand started moving faster over me and I groaned.

'Bella.' I muttered, capturing her lips.

'Please Edward.' She muttered against me as my hand moved faster against her folds. My thumb found her sensitive bundle of nerves and she moaned loudly, her hips moving against me as she climbed higher to her release. I added a bit more pressure and her leg tightened around my hip, pulling me closr to her as she tensed all over and threw her head back. A breathy moan escaped her lips as she shuddered.

I slowed my movements but continued stroking her as she came back down again. Her lips captured mine hungrily. 'do you have a condom?' she asked between kisses.

'drawer on your side.' I muttered back.

she drew back just enough to grab it, then quickly tore it open and in the same movement rolled it on me. I grunted in surprise at the sudden feel of her hands on me again.

she stroked me a few times before guiding me to her entrace. 'I need you.' she whispered.

I groaned and didn't waste any more time. I pressed my hips forward as I held her leg firmly up, finding my way inside her slick heat. She moaned ludly as I entered her slowly, her hips moving against mine impatiently. I grinned at her eagerness. She grabbed hold of my hair and pulled may face to hers.

'Take me, Edward.' She panted. 'hard.'

I groaned. 'Bella.'

then I grabbed hold of her hip in earnest, and started moving into her at a punishing pace. She moaned and her hips pushed against mine, struggling to keep up. I couldn't help my grunts of pleasure as her body quivered against mine from the onslaught. I rolled us so she was underneath me and pressed into her deeply.

'your arm.' She gasped out, 'careful.'

'hush.' I shushed her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. I sat back on my heels, keeping us joined together and lifted her hips to me with my good arm.
she smiled but then moaned as I continued slamming into her again. it didn't take long in this new position for her walls to start tightening around me and her moans and pants to come faster.

'Edward; she moaned. 'I'm close.'

'I know baby' I grunted. 'let go.'

I moved my hand to her centre and started circling her clit with my thumb. With just a few passes of my hand her walls constricted against me and she let out a loud moan along with my name.
I thrust into her a few more times before letting go myself and collapsing on top of her, making sure not to crush her with my weight.

we lay like that for a moment, both panting heavily. Bella wrapped her arms tightly around me pressing a kiss to my head. 'thank you.' she muttered.

I couldn't help but chuckle. 'you're most welcome.' I muttered back, lifting my head slightly to press a kiss to her shoulder.

I rolled off her and quickly disposed of the condom in the bathroom. when I came back Bella was curled up on her side and her eyes were closed again. I smiled and crawled back into bed behind her, gathering her close and finally closing my own eyes. Falling into an easy sleep with Bella wrapped up tightly in arms.