Fifteen years. That's how long it had been since that first fantastic Saturday afternoon together when I fixed her piece of shit ten-year-old desktop. Since the first time that we had made love frantically in our childhood bedrooms. Since I followed her around high school like a lovesick fool and she tripped over her own feet because she couldn't take her eyes off of me. Since the first time that we ran off to our little private meadow behind the school, though certainly not the last. Since I fell in love with the most beautiful person in the universe and I got lucky enough that she actually fell in love with me too. 

I awoke to warm soft kisses spreading along my bare chest, her delicate lips making their way down my stomach in a pleasantly teasing manner. Her tongue darted over my belly button, making me groan and wriggle as she knowingly tickled me. I grinned and stretched my arms above my head a little. Bella inched the blanket downward very slowly, purposely taunting me and my raging morning wood.

“Good morning,” she said in a wickedly amused tone. I didn't need to open my eyes to know that she was smiling. I also didn't have to open them to know that she wanted to play and what mood she was in. When I didn't respond, her hand wrapped tightly around me, giving my erection a squeeze.

"Mornin'," I laughed out sleepily. Leaning my head back in pleasure, I lifted my hips up to meet her tiny fist. "Someone's in an excellent mood this morning."  

Bella massaged me for a moment, twisting and stroking up and down gently. Her skin was so soft and warm that it was easy to lose myself in her affection. I craved her attention and relished in her admiration. I needed more of her. I always needed more of my Bella. Mine, and only mine. 

Always.

Fifteen years and she could turn me into a stupidly possessive and horny teenage boy again at a single touch.

"Oh, well. You see..." she drew out playfully as she squeezed again. "I have many reasons to be happy," Bella informed me in a matter of fact tone. She threw the blanket off of my bare legs, straddling my waist. When I opened my eyes, I was saddened to see that she was wearing a little green silk robe. Why was I the only one nude? It hardly seemed to be fair.  

"And what are those reasons?" I teased her, tugging at the knot of the offending garment. It slipped open easily, giving me complete access to her deliciously bare body. I ran my fingers along her soft, smooth stomach, touching her perfectly thick hips. 

"Well," she continued to tease me as she swung her leg over my body and got off the bed. I tried to make a grab for her, but she wasn't having it. Bella practically skipped across the room to the small table that resided to one side. "Let's see. I got to sleep in this morning after having hours of amazing sex with my sexy as hell husband of ten wonderful years. My children, whom I love very dearly, are spending the week bothering their Pawpaw Charlie. Which means even more alone time to fuck some more. Andddd..." She drew out the word as she picked a magazine up off the table and waved it in the air in my general direction. "Your interview in Forbes came out today." 

It wasn't my first interview with Forbes. But, this one was special to her. The cover was a picture of us, taken in our beautiful home several months before. It was in front of the enormous window that took up the back wall of my personal home office, the light spilling in. It was a clean, slick place. Bella had designed it perfectly for me. She knew how I worked best. In the picture, my fearsome little wife was standing in front of me with a strikingly serious and beautiful expression on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. My hands rested on her shoulders, looking forward with a slightly crooked, but very proud smile. The headline read, "Edward Cullen: from backwoods to billion dollar video games. The true romantic story of the extraordinary week that helped inspire his latest triple-A success." 

I groaned quietly. I hated doing those stupid interviews. They only picked certain bits of information. They never got the whole story. I suppose there really wasn’t any way for them to do so. They couldn’t know all the breathtaking details. Or all the fun dirty ones. “You should have been a bigger part of the interview, too. You’re better at telling the story than me.” 

She just shook her head with a little eye roll. Bella wasn’t the face of our company, nor did she wish to be. I couldn’t believe the woman she had turned into since that first week. Confident, quiet, strong, brilliant. She was everything. 

Bella had to quit cheerleading because of her broken hand. She didn't want to hold the team back because of it. Also, she no longer felt comfortable around some of the football team for obvious reasons. Though they never said anything to her, Emmett said he had to kick some asses because they were mad at her for making them lose three of their best players. In my opinion, they were blaming the wrong people. They never came up to me either because they knew exactly what I did to Mike. In fact, not a single person at that damned high school ever said a rude thing to my face again. 

Mike was arrested on a long list of charges, the worst of which was not actually the attack on Bella and myself, but that he had enough steroids in his car to kill a herd of elephants. Not a small one either. As far as I knew, he spent seven years in prison and was still on probation. Eric and Tyler, of course, were not charged as heavily but they were still expelled because of their own drug use and their part in the act. I didn’t know what happened to them and I truthfully didn’t care. They weren't important to me. Only Bella and my family were. Those jackasses... Well, they couldn’t touch us anymore. I moved so far past their stupidity that it was actually mind-blowing. 

The week after the attack, I went to the sheriff's station and began to work for Charlie. He insisted on it. He even tried to talk me into being a cop at one point, but I declined so I could stick with my computer work. I completely reorganized their personal computer system, but that wasn't enough for me. The program didn't work well enough, in my opinion. It was sloppy and confusing for people who weren't used to using computers. So, I designed a new one. A better one. One so easy anyone could use it. Then I streamlined it into an app that they could use on their phones. Literally, every cop with a phone could have instant access to every possible file they might need within seconds.  
    
Within a year, half the state of Washington had the program through Charlie's hard pimping. There was no other way to describe it. He helped me patent it and the app and took me to police conventions for a couple of years until it completely took off. 

By the time I was twenty-one, I had made my first million. The word spread like wildfire. This was the best system around. It quickly became the standard in the states before it began to spread internationally. 

But, that never stopped me from going to college. Nor did it stop Bella either. Together we went to school, working towards our very different degrees. I majored in computer systems and programming while she surprised me with hers. After her frustration at trying to figure out Mike and why he did those things, she decided to go into Behavioral Psychology. It gave her some knowledge that helped her move past the attacks. She could never be satisfied with therapy alone. She had to know everything, and it drove her to be wildly successful in her own field.  

We graduated together, both of top of the classes. We were married right after school, a small wedding despite my sister and mother's outcries for a larger one. Alice had gotten Jasper to give in on their own and Rosalie and Emmett's was a wild drunken bash that was still being spoken about in whispers. There was no way we were going to go through that chaos again. In my eyes, our wedding was perfect. They were bugging us about renewing our vows.  

Any excuse for a party. 

I built my own company during and after school that focused on filing programs for larger companies, along with military contracts. It made me money, of course, but that wasn't exactly what I wanted to do with my life. There was no spark. There was no life in it at all. Zero fun. So, I sold my company at twenty-five. I was sad to see it go, but the almost billion dollars that I sold it for made it a tad easier. It easily funded two of my next major projects.

Video Games and fatherhood.

The same year that I sold the company, Bella gave birth to our first daughter. She had just had her eighth birthday before our anniversary. I still couldn't believe that she was as old as she was. Eleven months after that, Bella gave birth to our twins, also girls. Three years after that, she gave birth to our youngest daughter. We were toying around with the idea of having another, not using condoms or any birth control to see if it happened on its own. Though at the rate we were fucking, she would be pregnant by the end of the weekend.   

How Charlie could deal with four girls fishing, I would never know. He would enjoy it, though. He was retired and was going appreciate his life with his precious grandbabies. I think he was hoping for boys, but he loved his gaggle of girls. I would bet a fair sum of money by the end of the day though that they convince him that they weren't having any fun fishing and rather go to Chuck E. Cheese. Or, something along those lines. Perhaps a movie instead. They had him completely wrapped around their tiny little fingers. They would snap, and he would hop to it. But, so did my parents. The girls were wildly spoiled.  

But, I couldn't say anything about it to any of them. They had me wrapped as well. It was a good thing that Bella was a responsible parent because I wanted to give them everything in the world that I could. It was because of her that they were turning into such fine little women. All of them made me proud every single day. All five of the loves of my life. 

Emmett teases me about only being able to produce girls. I told him he was just jealous because it was my lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful women. He had two sons, so I didn't have to worry about carrying on the Cullen name. He had that covered. I was just waiting for the day Alice and Jasper finally decided to start their own family. I knew it was going to happen sooner rather than later. Jasper was ready to be a dad, too. He loved his nieces and nephews fiercely. Our children had a wonderful family to grow up in.  

Somehow during that hectic five year period, I was able to produce, with the help of Ben and his very wonderful wife Angela, three best selling award-winning video games. Together we built three separate game development studios on two different continents. Since then, we had come out with several more million dollar games and a whole new gaming system that was knocking the competition on its ass. No one had seen us coming, and we were taking the world by storm.   

This was due in large part to Bella.

She was the basis for the heroine in the most popular series. Beautiful and strong who also kicked ass at martial arts. The latest title was a prequel of sorts, inspired by our story.

 After Bella's hand healed up completely, she started going to daily classes with me. She was determined to never be a victim again. She was now a fourth-degree black belt and scary as hell when pissed off. She got to go to classes a lot more often than I did, but I still tried. Most of my exercise was running up and down stairs at the office.  

Bella was quite the warrior, but the only place she really scared me was at work.

She began working with me a couple of years before to help with game development. It was surprising how much insight she brought to characters. She really helped to round them out and the story in ways that I never expected. We sometimes bucked heads about certain things.  But it usually ended up with us having sex on some piece of office furniture in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. 

Sometimes I liked to rile her up just to get a reaction, and she knew it. She liked it as well. We were solid as a rock. She could take anything I said to her, and so could I. We were never mean, just stubborn. It had almost become foreplay. But everything she did still turned me on.  

I watched her in wonderment as she slid the robe from her shoulders. It brought me back from my thoughts, drawing all my attention to her. Bella sat on the edge of the table. She flipped to whatever page she was looking for in the magazine. Her legs were spread just slightly so I could take in the view. She was teasing me, and I knew it, but I couldn't give less than a damn. I wanted the torture. I wanted anything she was willing to give me.  

Every day I was thankful whatever good karma I had created in my past life. I worshiped Isabella with every fiber of my being.

"Edward Cullen," she looked up at me with a smile as she began to read, "head of Breaking Dawn Studios and CEO of New Moon Systems, is a surprisingly humble man. When I spoke to him, I found him to be both polite and gracious, not something you would expect from a multi-billionaire businessman," Bella looked up at me with a wicked little smile. "Humble, Yeah. Okay. Shows how little time this person spent with you." 

“Haha, very funny,” I teased her back dryly as I got out of the bed slowly. Smiling with amusement, she eyed my erection before going back to the magazine. I began to stalk towards her. She tried to pretend to not notice what I was doing. 

She cleared her throat, “the topic of his wife, Bella, is the one he was most enthusiastically passionate about. When asked about her he said-”

I cut her off by grabbing her waist, scooting her ass to the very edge of the sturdy table. She gave a little squeal of playful amusement. She threw her head back as my nose dragged along her neck to her ear. “That she’s the hottest woman on the planet and that I love to fuck her hard over and over again until she screams.”

The magazine dropped to the floor. Bella wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her lips. “I don't remember reading that last part in there,” she whimpered against them.

"Oh, I'm sure it's there. And I hope it's in big, bold fucking print too," I growled at her, kissing her firmly. It was far too early in the morning for foreplay, and she knew that. She knew what she was doing in teasing me. Bella moaned loudly, grinding herself against my hard cock. Her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. 

"Breakfast," she mumbled like she was going to get me to stop. I pushed her back hard with my hand, making her lay back against the tabletop. Something came crashing down onto the floor, but I couldn't have cared less. 

I pressed myself inside of her as I leaned forward to lick between her breast. “Do you really think I'm going to stop fucking you to eat breakfast? You should know me better than that, my love.”

I had gotten bolder with age, especially sexually. I knew every move to make, every word to say, just to make her moan and writhe in pleasure. Bella taught me the right way to do these things to her. With every action and reaction, she molded me into her perfect lover. It might be a little arrogant, but I think I deserved to be about some things. Bella loved my confidence. It turned her on. I could tell by the heat between her legs.  

She liked to play innocent but wasn't in any way. She liked it hard, fast, and dirty, and I could only pray to the furniture gods that this table was steady enough for what I was about to do to her. I didn't care if the table broke, but I didn't want her, or myself, to be hurt in the process. We had broken many beds, and other things, in our quest to make sure we loved each other thoroughly every single day.  

I unwrapped her legs from my waist, grabbing her thighs as I forced myself a little more deeply inside of her. I pulled out slowly before slamming back in again, soaking in her warmth and beauty. Bella moaned loudly, her back arching off of the table about a foot so that only the top of her head was touching the surface. With each movement, her beautiful and ample breasts jiggled and bounced perfectly, giving me the best show to watch as I played with her swollen and sensitive clit. I moved faster and faster within her, leaning my head back as I just enjoyed being inside of her. 

“Yes! YES! RIGHT THERE,” Bella all but shrieked. She was a little too excited about the fact that she didn't have to be quiet. That was something we struggled with when the kids were around. I think she was making up for the lost time. That was fine with me. She knew I liked it loud. As much as I was her perfect lover, she was mine as well.

"I know you're close. Give me what I want," I commanded her as I swirled my thumb around just the right spot. I wanted to feel her constrict around me. Though my body may have reacted like a teenager when it came to Bella, I didn't have the same recovery time. I wanted us to enjoy it as much as possible. 

Her hand forced mine away so she could begin to rub herself furiously. Hot liquid ran from her tight body and dripped down my legs and onto the table. The smell of sex filled the air around us. It was so erotic to me for some reason. I loved the scent of our time together. Or, perhaps it was just Bella’s aroma that I liked. 

She cursed loudly as her body began to contract around me, squeezing hard. I moaned in pleasure, trying to think of anything to hold out even just a little bit longer.

I was going to make the most of our vacation as possible.

But, just as I had learned to push Bella's buttons, she learned to press mine. If she wanted me to cum, she knew exactly what to do. 

I felt her clench some muscle deep within her, pulling me closer with her thighs. Her hands went to her breasts, giving me a show that she knew I loved. There was nothing more delicious than watching my wife play with herself in any way. As she rolled her nipples between her thumb and forefinger, she whimpered softly, “Edward, please... Cum for me, please. I want you to cum inside me.”

“Dammit,” I hissed as my body instantly gave in, spilling forth in her depths. She giggled happily as I fell forward, my head resting on her stomach. “That's not fair,” I complained loudly, kissing her belly button. The taste of salty sweat lingered on my lips.

“Well... You could always ask your dad to give you a prescription for Viagra if you don't think you can keep up with me,” she teased. I growled loudly against her stomach. She laughed as I picked her up, throwing her over my shoulder. “EDWARD! I was joking!”

I slapped her ass hard, just making her laugh harder. Throwing her onto the bed, I bounded on top of her. She squealed with giggles as I attacked her neck, licking and kissing it wildly. I nibbled my way over her breasts and down her stomach until I reached the part in her legs. With the palms, I spread them wide open for me before diving in face first. Bella gasped as my tongue ghosted over her clit, my fingers slipping inside of her.

"Do you really think you'd be able to handle it if I did have a prescription of Viagra?" As I spoke the words, I curled my fingers upward, hitting the perfect spot inside of her. Her hips rose up to meet them, a tiny gasp of pleasure escaping her lips. She began to shake as I twisted my fingers, my tongue flicking over her clit again. I nibbled at it gently, tugging it before I pulled back. "Answer me," I said firmly. 

“No! Oh… fuck… no… .”

She became utterly lost, spilling into my hand as my mouth found its way back to her. I kissed her lips lightly as I pulled back, watching with satisfaction as she continued to tremble. 

I did that to her. Me and only me. No other man could. She was happily and unabashedly mine, and I was hers.  

I flopped beside Bella, running my fingers through my wild bedhead. I could tell I needed a shave as well as a shower, but I didn't want to move. She curled beside me, throwing her leg over my hip as she got comfortable in our favorite snuggle position. "My body doesn't want to work now," she mumbled sleepily. 

I pulled her firmly to me, covering us both with the blanket. I knew it was close to noon, but I didn't really care. There was nothing I needed to do that day except spend time with my beautiful wife. I could think of no better way of doing that than what we were doing. She arranged the quilt so that it fell over both of us better before snuggling back into place in my arms.  

 “I love you,” I whispered into her hair, yawning widely as I felt the darkness creeping in.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered just before we fell into a comfortable, peaceful sleep.  

“You've got to be fucking kidding me,” I muttered under my breath. Bella's arm tightened around my own as we looked at the three guys standing in front of us, blocking the nearest exit of the alleyway. It was Mike, Eric, and Tyler. If their strong smell was any indication of what they had been doing, they had been celebrating with a keg of beer or seven. Mike was standing in front of the two boys, all of them looking stupidly amused.

“So what, Bella? Need to feel good about yourself? Just horny? Or, A little bit of charity, maybe?” Mike asked, his words slurring slightly. “Why are you doing this?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” She demanded angrily, her fingers digging into my arm. I think she was trying to keep me from beating the hell out of them. Or maybe she was trying to keep herself from doing it. Mike deserved it at the very least, and the others did too for not stopping his dumb drunken ass.

“I mean... Fucking Cullen. Really? What? I don’t get it. Is he doing your homework for you in exchange for a good blow now and again?” He laughed at his words, the other idiots snickering behind him. “If you’re not getting anything out of it, you’re just a stupid slut.”

“Shut the fuck up, Newton,” I growled, the anger beginning to course through my veins wildly. I was literally shaking as I tried to stay in place. But, as Bella said earlier, I didn't need to get arrested because of the fool. I didn't need to go act like a caveman to prove myself because of the likes of Mike.

“I just don't see it, Bella,” he said, ignoring my very presence as he took a step closer menacingly. I hated how he kept saying her name. “Can you just not handle a real man or something? I heard you had some weird Indian kid stick it to you before and now this freak. Seriously, do you have a fetish for the fucked up?”

Bella snapped. I could see it in her eyes just before she dropped her hands from my arm. Before I could stop her, she went charging towards him. "You listen to me, you drunk jackass. You wouldn't know a real man if he punched you in the fucking face. Edward is thirty times the person you are. I'm so sorry that I won't lay down like you want me to and just take it. I actually have some fucking standards. Go bother someone else." 

“You little bitch,” he grunted as lunged forward.

That was it. I was not going to stand by and just let it happen, but everything seemed to be moving so fast. Mike went forward, and Bella slapped him hard across the face. He was not deterred, though. I was about to make a grab for him when two sets of arms went around me. I saw Mike slam her against the wall just before I freed myself from Tyler's grip by slamming his back hard against the opposite wall. Eric was next as I kicked his feet from underneath him. He tripped easily, falling face first into the gravelly asphalt with a hard bounce. That's what he got for being sloshed and trying to start shit. If he had been sober, he probably would have been fine. When I stood from up from that attack, I saw Mike pawing at Bella's breast through her shirt as she struggled against him. I grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him off of her. Then I punched him in the face for good measure. 

“Mike, come on! This isn't worth it!” Tyler shouted at him, half coughing it out from having the wind knocked out of him. He was wheezing like an angry goose. Eric had already stumbled out of the alleyway. His nose was broken from the fall most likely, blood gushing from his nostrils and down onto his shirt. When he didn't say anything, they just left him behind. I figured he probably wouldn't be far behind them. He wasn't stupid enough to stick around for more, surely.

I went to Bella, trying to make sure she was alright. She didn't seem to be bleeding or anything. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and her face was a bright red. I wished I could have killed all of them for hurting her. She didn't deserve any of what she was getting. 

"Son of a bitch," I heard muttered behind me when Mike's hands went to my waist, throwing me backward. I stumbled, falling onto my ass in a puddle of water. Mike laughed like a donkey, braying loudly, and Bella took the chance to punch him in the face. The crunch of bone on bone was not a pretty sound. Mike cursed loudly, and Bella shrieked in pain. I got up as she tried to run forward, out of Mike's grasp. His arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, though. 

With a surprising amount of speed and grace, despite her obviously broken hand, Bella flipped Mike onto the ground like a pro. Just as I had shown her the once. Pride surged through me as I watched the action quickly unfold. With a hard kick, she cursed at him.

I came to her immediately. "Your hand," I whispered, unable to find my voice. I tried to look at it, but she drew it to her chest. 

“I know,” she answered back simply.

“Call the police, okay?” I said softly just before I heard Mike standing up once again. How could he not have had enough yet? Even an untrained, admittedly athletic, little girl was kicking his ass. “Stay behind me,” I commanded her. I was going to finish whatever Mike started.

He lunged forward at me, landing a weak punch against my shoulder. I barely felt it though, rolling off like it was nothing. I came back, punching him in the jaw. His lip split open, blood dripping from it and onto my hand. When he came forward once again, I kicked him directly in the gut. Mike went flying backward, landing against the brick wall. 

“Bella should be with a guy like me,” he said as he spat out some blood. I could see nothing but rage in his eyes. His hands balled into fists at his side as he looked at us, the anger coursing through him. I could see veins throbbing in his neck and arms. I had never seen someone so enraged before. 

"You mean some fake ass nice guy bro who literally attacks girls in dark alleys after being rejected? Go fuck yourself," I hissed back, preparing myself for the obvious attack that was coming. He came forward again, punching at me. I deflected it, but another punch landed against my jaw. I felt my lip tear open painfully. I spit out the blood that pooled in my mouth. Mike looked too proud of himself. He was going to regret that, though. 

I kicked him in the knee, blowing it out easily, before delivering a roundhouse directly to the side of his head. I knew exactly what I was doing with that move. My heavy boot covered heel connected to his temple, rattling his brain around dramatically in his thick skull. Mike was not going to get up after that, at least for a few minutes. It was the only thing that was going to stop his stupid ass at that moment. If we kept going, I could have easily killed him. I had to stop myself from the temptation because it was exactly what I wanted to do after what he did to Bella.

I stumbled back to her as she had pressed herself against the wall. My arms wrapped around her, just wanting to feel her calming presence. Bella finally brought her phone up in her shaking hand to her ear, calling the police. She had been too shocked to before.  

"Hi… Ummm… My boyfriend and I were attacked. We're right behind the movie theater in Port Angeles. There were three boys, but two of them ran away. Yeah, we know them. Uh," she swallowed, shaking. "His name is Mike Newton. My name is Bella Swan, and my boyfriend is Edward Cullen. I think… I think I broke my hand. Mike? Oh, um… My boyfriend knocked him out. He- He just kept getting up and going after us," she cried softly. "I think Mike was drunk. Thank you," I heard her whimper out brokenly through a strained tear-soaked voice. I closed my eyes, leaning against her as I panted. I had been in fights before but never like that. I had never actually felt scared for more than just myself. "They'll be here in a minute," she informed me. 

“Thank God,” I breathed.

Bella slowly sank down against the wall with the phone still to her ear, a broken sob leaving her lips. Her broken hand was cradled against her chest. I slid down beside her and carefully brought her onto my lap. She curled up against me, beginning to weep hard. “I'm so sorry,” I whispered into her hair. “I should have done more. I should have stopped him before he did those things to you.”

“I shouldn't have gone after him like that. I knew he was drunk,” Bella replied, dismissing my apology. The operator was still on the line. “Yeah, I’m still here,” she answered. “I’m so stupid.”

"He never should have touched you like that. If I were doing a better job of protecting you, he wouldn't have-" She cut me off before I could finish my thoughts. 

“Edward, you've stopped him now. That's all that matters. Please, just hold me,” she begged, laying her head on my chest. 

My arms tightened around her. I felt a sob break in my throat as I buried my face in her hair. "I'm so sorry. I love you, and I just want to keep you safe." 

The realization of what I had just said out loud hit me about five seconds later.

Bella looked up slowly, sniffling as she did so. Carefully she ran her finger over my busted lip. With her sleeve, she gingerly wiped away some blood, “I love you, too.”

I pressed my trembling lips to her forehead, crying softly now as well. The adrenaline rush came crashing down on me. The sound of sirens came whirling around my ears, but I couldn't listen to them, not really anyway. I was too busy holding Bella to me. I was too busy feeling too many emotions to respond.  

“They’re here,” she quietly whispered before hanging up on the 911 operator. 

“Sir? Ma'am?” I heard a male voice call to us. Slowly, I looked up, wiping a few tears from my eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I'm okay, I think,” I nodded my head. “I'm pretty sure she broke her hand when he attacked her though.”

"Okay. We have two ambulances on the way now. I need you to tell me exactly what happened," the older officer stated firmly. Another officer was standing over Mike, checking his pulse. It had only taken a couple of minutes for the cops to arrive. After he was sure there was one, he searched him for weapons. Of course, just like any other country boy, he had a knife on him. I was so glad that he hadn't taken it out. 

What could have happened if he had terrified me beyond measure.

"We had just come from dinner at the diner just down the street. We were going to go to the movies. After we were going to get some dessert, so we decided to leave the car there and just walk it since it wasn't too far away," I began. I took a deep breath, swallowing back some of my emotions. Bella nodded against me, shivering slightly. I took my coat off and wrap it around her. She whispered her thanks, burying her face deeper in my neck. "We were walking this way when we heard footsteps behind us. Mike," I pointed at his limp body, "was there, along with a couple of his buddies. We all go to school together." 

“What are all their names, if you know them?” The cop asked, writing down all the information quickly.

"Mike Newton, Eric Chow, and Tyler Crowley. We're all from Forks," I explained. "Mike... he hates me for some reason. I don't know why. He's always treated me like the scum of the earth, but then he started calling Bella these terrible names. She basically told him off for it, and he attacked her. Eric and Tyler grabbed me while Mike... while he..." I stopped, unable to say the words. I choked back my sobs.  

“While he touched me,” Bella finished for me, her voice barely above a whisper. “He groped me through my shirt.”

“You look awfully familiar,” he said to her, looking her over slowly. “What did you say your name was again?”

“Bella Swan,” she whispered, rubbing a hand over her cheeks to wipe away the moisture. There were tiny flecks of blood on her forehead from being so close to the fight. I brought my hand up and gently tried to wipe them away.

"Wait. Chief Swan's kid?" He asked in shock. She nodded slowly, not really up for talking anymore. The day had been too long for her already. It had taken a toll on her, and she was in pain, I could tell by the shaking. She leaned fully against my chest. "Alright, honey. I know he's on duty tonight. I'm going to give him a call. Give me a second." 

He talked into his radio for a few minutes a few feet away from us with his back towards us. The sounds were too muffled there. Bella whimpered quietly, clutching her arm tighter to her chest. I rocked her back and forth gently as we waited for the cop to finish whatever he was doing. We were still waiting for the rest of the emergency services to show up. Sometimes it took a long time in small towns.

“Alright. After he grabbed you what else happened?” The cop asked, squatting down in front of us. I realized he had taken a slightly softer tone since he heard that Bella's father was a fellow cop.

"I threw Tyler off of me, and I tripped Eric so he'd let go of my arm like I've been taught to. He fell. I think he broke his nose. They decided that it wasn't going to end well and they left. I threw him off of her. I thought Mike would leave after that, but he didn't. Why didn't he?" I asked the last question too quietly for him to hear me.  

“Do you know martial arts?” The cop asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

I nodded my head slowly. “I do,” I couldn't lie about it. It’s not like they couldn’t figure out where I worked. “I tried not to- I didn't use excessive force. Mike-  Mike just kept getting up and coming after me. I could smell the liquor on him,” I said, my voice strained. I swallowed again and again. “It was so strong.” 

“Okay. Tell me what happened after that?” He asked, realizing that I was starting to lose my cool. One of the ambulances finally pulled up. I knew Mike was going to go first since he was in the worst shape. He still hadn’t moved from the ground. 

I licked my lips, thinking out my words carefully as the scene flashed in my mind. "He grabbed me and threw me back. He went after Bella again, and she punched him in the face. It didn't even slow him down, though. I could hear the sound. The sound of her knuckles..." I shuddered, taking in a deep breath. My hands were shaking. "She tried to run, but he grabbed her again. She... she flipped him. I'm not sure how but she did it with her hand. It must have hurt so much." 

“Do you know martial arts?” The cop asked Bella. She just shook her head. He nodded, writing something down. “Continue, please.”

“He got up... then Mike punched me. I hit back, just trying to stop him. He tried to punch me again, but I deflected it. But then he punched me in the mouth. He just talking all this shit," I sputtered out, getting lost in my own words. "I kicked him in the knee and then the side of the head. I didn't mean to do any real damage. I swear. I just wanted to stop him. He just kept coming after Bella and me. I couldn't let him do that to her. I'm so sorry." 

Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I buried my face in her shoulder. Her unhurt arm wrapped around my own, holding me to her tightly. I felt like a coward all of a sudden. 

“Alright,” the officer sighed. “Well, Chief Swan is on his way over here. He wasn't that far away. The second ambulance is on its way as well. You're both going to have to go to the hospital to get checked out. We're going to have to talk about this some more as well.”

Shit, I thought to myself. I was going to go to jail because I defended her. And did a crappy job at it.

“I'm so sorry,” I whimpered out, kissing her cheek firmly.

“No. Don't be. I love you,” Bella said quietly but in a firm voice. Her good hand went into my hair, tugging my face down to hers. I kissed her softly, leaning my forehead against hers. Just then, I heard a voice I never wanted to hear again.

Mike was just being placed on the stretcher when he came to. He began to flail, his arms going all over the place. He took a swing at one of the EMTs, cursing and shouting the entire time. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO ME!? PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN! Where is that stupid prick? I'm going to kill him! That fucker! That stupid fucking slut, too. FUCK YOU! LET ME GO.”

The police officer that was watching over Mike cuffed him to the stretcher, just smirking. “Charming,” I heard him mumbling. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law...” the man continued as his screaming continued.

Bella curled into me more, new sobs breaking forth. I hushed her, whispering words of love into her ear. Thankfully, they got the bastard into the vehicle before I decided to shut him up myself.

Just as the second ambulance showed up, so did Chief Swan and what looked to be his deputy. The young man followed behind, just trying to keep up with the frantic father. 

“What the hell happened?!” He shouted as he took in our appearance on the ground. My arms tightened around Bella, my protective instincts kicking in once again.

“Chief Swan,” the older gentleman that had been talking to us earlier called to her father.

“Jones,” he sighed. “Thanks for calling me. Tell me what you know?” He asked, his tone softening slightly. Two EMTs came up to us and began to look over Bella and me as the cops talked to each other. It was a good thing. I didn't think I could retell the story. I knew Bella couldn't.

"We need to get these two to the hospital," the female EMT said to Bella's father. "She's got a broken hand for sure, and he needs stitches in that lip." 

Even though I didn't want to stand, I knew we had to. The paramedic began to walk Bella towards the open doors of the bright red ambulance, and I followed behind, but Charlie stopped me. I just knew at that moment I was about to be arrested. He was going to hate me after all of this. He would never let me spend time with his daughter ever again. I just knew it.  

“Did you really knock that guy out?” He asked seriously in a quiet voice.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Did he- Did he really... touch her?” He growled angrily.

I just nodded my head, unable to look at him. If I had just punched him out earlier in the day, the whole thing would have never happened.  But, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought Mike was just full of hot air. "I'm sorry..." 

“I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry you didn't kill that stupid little fucker. Boy, you've got a whole hell of a lot of restraint not doing some kind of major damage to him. I know you could. Thank you, thank you so much for watching over her. Don’t worry about anything. Alright? Everything was self-defense. Just... just don't walk in dark alleys again, okay?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” I said quickly, looking up at him with wide eyes. I couldn’t believe he was serious.

“I'll take care of everything with the police here,” Charlie sighed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is your car still at the diner?”

“Yes, sir. It is.”

"You ride in the ambulance with Bella. I know she needs you right now. I don't think I'll be any comfort to her. I'm too mad, still. She doesn't need to hear me rant and rave. Give me your keys, and I'll have Sam here drive your car to the hospital. They're taking you to the hospital in Forks, to your dad. I won't allow that son of a bitch to be within a hundred yards of her ever again. I swear to God." 

I stared openly at him for a long second. I felt like hugging him suddenly. But, I didn't want to ruin any positive opinion he might have had of me by frantically groping him. After pulling my keys from my pocket, I dropped them into the palm of his hand. 

"Thank you for being so understanding." 

Charlie was flushed slightly, looking a lot like his daughter for a moment. “Go on, kid. Get in there. She's looking for you.”

And, then he shook my hand.

I actually felt like an adult for the first time. I looked into his deep brown eyes, the same brown as his daughter’s, and gave him a brief smile. “Thank you again.”

“Sure, sure.” He blushed a bit more, getting slightly uncomfortable. “Go on.”

I went into the ambulance with Bella. She was sitting on the stretcher, staring blankly at the ceiling. They had her hand wrapped up and covered with cold packs.  My jacket was wrapped around her, but she still seemed cold. She looked over at me slowly, stretching out her hand to me. I took it quickly, bringing it to my lips. "Hold me," she whispered. 

Thankfully the EMT didn't say anything when I went to the stretcher and pulled Bella onto my lap. Together we laid back against the slightly raised bed. Her head settled on my shoulder as she took in slow breaths. At least she wasn't crying anymore. They shut the door and began to go back towards Forks, the evening not ending at all as I had planned.

“Are you alright?” I asked after a few minutes, no longer able to stand the silence. It was too much.

"I'm... I'm kind of in shock, I think," Bella said quietly, her voice void of emotion. "I can't believe that just happened. I knew Mike was a jerk, but I didn't think he'd do anything like this. I don't get it. I just turned him down for a dance." 

“He was drunk,” I pointed out.

“That's even worse!” She said, her voice raising slightly. “When- when Eric and Tyler had you and he was touching me,” she shook her head, “he was telling me how he was going to show me what it was like to be with a real man. Edward, he would have raped me. That monster... That,” she groaned, frustrated. The emotions were coming back. The main one being pissed off. “How could he think that he was a man? Or, even fucking human!?”

“Shhh,” I hushed her, kissing her temple. I wanted her to talk, not to get upset again. “It's over now. I will never ever allow that jackass within a mile of you again. I will protect you. I promise.”

Bella turned slowly and ran her fingers over my jaw gently. She eyed the bruise that was growing there. “I know,” was all she said before leaned forward and kissed the unbruised side of my mouth. I didn't care if it hurt or not, I had to kiss her better than that. I wrapped my fingers into her hair, bringing her closer. I had to show her just how much I loved her. We pulled away after a moment, resting our forehead against each other.

We sat in silence after that. I was tired, my rush of adrenaline wholly gone for the night. Bella snoozed, for lack of a better word, against me. She wasn't really asleep, I think, but she wasn't really in the present either. I rubbed my hand over her back gently, pretty sure she was sore in a few different places. I knew I was, but I was a lot better off than she was. 

When the ambulance came to a stop, Bella and I stood together. My father was standing in front of the doors, concern written all over his face. For once he didn't seem like my fresh-faced goofy dad. He was a worried doctor, fear dancing slightly in his green eyes. 

“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled under his breath, running his fingers through his wild blond hair.

I got out of the bus first, hopping down carefully. Taking Bella by the waist, I set her down to her feet. She leaned against me, not meeting my dad's eyes. "Charlie called and said you were on your way. He told me what happened. Are you okay?" 

I sighed. I knew I would be answering that question a lot. “I'm fine. Bella's hand...” I said, not really wanting to say anything else. He nodded his head quickly and wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her into the ER.

"Don't worry about a thing, darling. I'll take care of everything personally, and I'll get you two out of here as quickly as possible. Do you have any other injuries? Are you hurting anywhere else?" He asked, his hand on the small of her back as he led her down the halls. I followed behind, finally relieved that an adult that I trusted and loved was taking over. Charlie was great and all, but there was no one like my dad. I loved him more at that moment than I ever thought possible. I was so proud to be his son.  

“I think I have some bruises, but that's it,” Bella shook her head at her words. We came to a small room at the very end of the hall. She sat down numbly, running her unhurt hand through her hair. “I'm just- I don't know... I feel so tired and confused. I hurt. I just-” And then she began to cry again. My father came up to her quickly, pulling her into a gentle hug and shushing her. Her face buried in his chest, letting him comfort her.

“It's okay, dear. I'm going to get you a mild sedative and some painkillers. Then we'll get you into x-ray and see what damage has been done. You've been a brave girl tonight. Can you be brave for me just a little bit longer?” He asked, lifting her chin. She nodded slowly, her eyes still watering with her full bottom lip pushed out slightly. “That's a good girl. Edward,” he called to me. I knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to take over the comforting. I came to her side, rubbing my hand up and down her back. She leaned into me, pushing her face into my chest. “Alright, I'm going to get all of that into the works. I'm going to send a nurse in to look at that lip. We need to get it at least cleaned.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He rubbed a firm hand over my shoulder before kissing my forehead. I reminded myself to give him a huge hug later. I didn't do it often enough. After that, he left us alone.

I played with her hair as she began to calm down again. She rubbed her eyes roughly, her bottom lip sticking out still. Her face was extremely blotchy, and her eyelashes were clumping together. "Bella, you're kinda cute when you cry," I blurted out, instantly feeling stupid. 

“Shut up, you liar,” she laughed brokenly, looking up at me.

"I'm serious," I defended myself quickly. "But I think you're cute all the time." 

She gave me a small giggle, running her fingers over my neck. “I love you,” she said again. I loved it. I would never hear it enough.

“Say it again,” I pleaded. I needed to hear the words again.

A small smile grew on her face. “I love you, Edward.”

My fingers wrapped around the back of her neck. “Again,” I pleaded as I brought her closer.

Her smile grew even bigger. “Edward Cullen, I love you. So much.”

I kissed her firmly, ignoring the pain in my lip. 

“I love you, too, Isabella Swan.”

"Alright, I'm here to see a man about a broken lip!" A nurse I had known since I was a little kid came in, her scrubs a too bright pink shade. She was probably just around my dad's age, starting at the same time as him at the hospital. She was another one of my dad's good friends. Tanya knew what she was interrupting, and it amused her far too much. "Boy Edward, you sure know how to bust up something right," she mumbled as she examined my lip. Thankfully, she didn't ask Bella to move. I don't think I could have let go of her at that moment anyway. "Well, I need to get this all cleaned up and get all the lipstick off of there before we can patch it up," she said with a slight smirk. 

“What can I say?” I asked with my chin raised up high. “I like to be pretty.”

Bella burst into laughter, shaking against me. I laughed as well, the rush of emotions too much. It was also around midnight already. I knew I had gone off my rocker a bit, but I think we needed to break some of the tension in the air. The nurse rolled her eyes, smiling to herself.

"Oh, and it's just your shade, honey. But it's got to go! Now, I'm gonna get it cleaned up and then I'm going to put some liquid stitching on there. I think that'll fix you up." 

"Thanks, Tanya," I gave her a small smile. She returned it sweetly, running a thin hand through my hair. It made me feel like I was five again, but with her, that was okay. She was practically my aunt.  

Charlie came in about that time, looking naturally concerned. The sweet nurse had already wiped my mouth with a wet washcloth and was now rubbing an alcohol-soaked pad over it. "Christ," I muttered through the burn. 

“You can handle three drunk football players but you whimper over an owie on your lip?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. I smirked, unable to help myself. He gave me a small smile in return, patting me on the shoulder. “By the way, we picked up the other two. You did break his nose. Stupid little-” he cut himself off, shaking his head.

Tanya swabbed something over my lip quickly before declaring me done. It honestly felt a bit like super glue. I moved my mouth around, just trying to get used to it. "I'm done here, kiddo! No more fights." 

“I'll try,” I teased her. “I never start them.”

“Just finish them?” Charlie smirked a little. I grinned a little proudly to myself, pushing my face into Bella’s hair so no one could see it. 

“Alright Ms. Swan, I come bearing many happy drugs.” My father came back in with a slight smile on his face, holding three bottles and a single needle. Charlie's eye got wide. Tanya sneaked out of the room, already able to tell there would probably be some sort of trouble with that. Nurses had that sense. “Oh, hi Charlie,” he said as they shook hands. “I've got a mild sedative for her and some painkillers. She'll need them once we start the cast. I'm going to give her a prescription for at home as well. Oh, and we have something for her stomach as well. Painkillers can have a nasty effect.”

"Be warned, she's a lightweight. She gets loopy really easily," Charlie chuckled. My dad began to prepare the drugs, putting them all in the same syringe. Bella cringed beside me, holding onto my arm tighter. If I were to guess, I would assume that she didn't like needles and neither did her father. "So, um... I've got a lot of paperwork to take care of. If you want me to, I can stay, but I'm sure you don't want to-" 

“It's alright, Dad. I've got these two. I'll be fine,” Bella assured him.

“Okay, sugar. I'll be back in an hour or so. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

She said no, and he quickly left before my dad could shoot her up. "Shoulder, gut, or ass? It needs to be in fat," Dad asked her playfully. I rolled my eyes at his misguided attempt to be funny.  

Bella grinned nervously. “I guess in the gut.”

“Gut, it is,” he replied as he lifted her shirt carefully. She squeaked quietly, leaning her face into my neck. I chuckled softly, hushing her as I rubbed the back of her head. She stiffened as the needle sunk in then just sort of melted against me.

“I feel warm,” Bella said in a sleepy voice.

“That's the morphine, my dear. I gave you the good stuff,” he answered her. “We're bringing the x-ray in here in a minute. You'll have to go for a little while until she gets that done.”

The machine came rolling in, along with the x-ray tech. I carefully moved Bella off of my lap, and she swayed backward. "Wow, this is some good stuff," she mumbled, looking very wide-eyed at nothing at all. It was kind of hard not to laugh at that. 

I waited with my father in the hall, my arms crossed over my chest. I was antsy being away from her right then. I didn't like it in the least.

“You did good,” he said quietly.

“I could have done better,” I countered.

"You shouldn't have been walking down a dark alley," he pointed out. "But it is Port Angeles. They probably haven't had a mugging in ten years. They barely have traffic accidents." 

“It had nothing to do with being in a dark alley. It was personal. I was so scared, Dad,” I confessed to him. “If anything happened to her- I don't know... I don't know what I would have done. I don’t think I can live without her.”

“God, you are just like me,” he said in a quiet voice.

“What do you mean?” I asked him in a curious voice, looking over at him.

“Hard and fast.” He shook his head. “And I hope forever. If you’re lucky like me.”

I smiled slightly at his words. “I hope so, too.”

He sighed heavily and dramatically, throwing an arm over my shoulder. “Well, at least you picked a pretty one.”

I shoved him off of me, and he chuckled, pushing me back. Before I could forget, I gave him a big hug. I felt him sigh against me, hugging me back tightly. "Please don't tell Mom I'm being soft," I muttered as I pulled away. 

“Yeah, she'll want to take your picture to remember the occasion.” 

We both laughed quietly for a brief second before slipping into silence again. I don't think either of us really wanted to talk after that. I rubbed my hand over my lip once more, hating the soreness and the uncomfortable pull. It felt strange, but I would have to get used to it. I wouldn't be too surprised if I ended up with a scar. 

About ten minutes later, the x-ray tech finally walked out with the machine. "I'll get this to you as soon as possible, Carlisle." 

I didn't wait for my dad's response because I needed to get back inside with Bella. When she saw me she smiled, my coat finally away from her shoulders. She was actually a little flushed, her eyes wide. “My pillow is back,” she slurred out, smiling wider. ”Yayyy…”

I chuckled, sliding in behind her on the small bed. Placing both of my legs on either side of her body, I wrapped my arms around her stomach as she leaned back against me. She had fresh ice packs on her arm, almost all the way to her elbow. She snuggled into me, enjoying the warmth of my body against her. I loved it as well. We laid together in silence for I don't know how long. I think I fell asleep. 

"Well, you've got two busted knuckles, and a couple of the bones in your hand are broken, along with a smaller one in your wrist. We're going to have to put a cast on it," my father called as he came in. The sudden noise surprised me, making me jump. Bella giggled, bringing her good hand up to my hair. She tugged on it gently. 

“You're funny,” she said simply, her eyes still closed. “And, really cute.”

“You know, you could probably ask her anything you wanted to right now and get an answer. The stuff she's on is like truth serum,” he joked as he pulled out all the supplies he needed for a cast.

“I don’t think there are any questions I’d want to be answered in front of my father,” I informed him with a smirk. He got a rueful, shit eating, grin on his face. Maybe I did have some of his humor.

“Oh! Like sex questions?” Bella asked with a giggle, a little too high pitched. They are the fun drugs. “You don't need to ask any questions about that. Nope. Nope. Nope.” She waved her finger in the air drunkenly before touching my nose. “You're great. And, apparently, it runs in the family because Rosalie never shuts up about how good it is. Now I see why.”

I flushed instantly, and Dad burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh, I'm very proud," he wiped a fake tear from his eye.  

“Please shut up,” I muttered to him. I was going to be teased for the rest of my life. I just knew it. So was Emmett for that matter. I guess there were worse things. 

"You should be! Edward is great," she hummed quietly, running her fingers over my cheek. "I love him very, very, very much.”

“Can we talk about something else before Chief Swan comes back and I get shot? Seriously. That's not how I want to die,” I said in a low voice to my high girlfriend. She giggled again and kissed my cheek firmly. “Bella, I'm serious, baby.”

"Okay, you two. What color cast do you want?" My father asked, finally getting more serious. Bella picked out a blue one, and he quickly went to work. Somewhere along the way, she fell asleep in my arms. I held her tightly to me, running my fingers through her hair. I loved having her in my arms. Charlie came in just as Dad finished the cast. 

"Here," he said to him, handing him a bottle of pills. "I had it filled at the pharmacy here, so you don't have to worry about this in the morning. She's going to be in pain. She did a lot of damage. Brave girl." 

“Thanks, Doc. I guess I should get her home then,” Charlie said with a little sigh. He ran his hand over her shoulder, shaking her gently. “Come on, Bells. It's time to get you home.”

“No,” she whimpered, curling tighter into me. “No, I want to stay with Edward.”

I held her to me, knowing exactly how she felt. "Look, I don't want to leave her side either. I know- I know we're young, but I would never do anything to hurt Bella, especially right now. I just- I need to stay by her side. I can sleep in the rocker in her room or on the couch in my room, and she can have the bed, but I just need to make sure she's alright tonight." 

Both fathers looked at me and then each other. She had already fallen back asleep in my arms, clutching onto me so tightly I wasn't sure they would be able to uncurl her fingers without a fight. Charlie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I do have to go back to the station tonight. Carlisle, would you be willing to have Bella stay at your house?”

"Of course," he agreed quickly. "They'll be fine, and Esme will be there if Bella needs anything." 

Charlie sighed again and handed me my keys back. I had totally forgotten about them. I clutched them in my fist, looking at him in surprise. “Thank you,” I breathed out in relief. It was far easier than I could have ever expected. I guess they knew in the end that nothing really could have stopped me from doing so. I wasn’t leaving her side. He handed Dad back the pills since she was coming to our house.

I moved quickly before they could change their minds, picking Bella up in my arms. She hummed quietly, leaning her face into my chest to shield her eyes from the light. “Could one of you get my car door for me? I don't want to drop her.”

My father smirked and nodded, taking my keys from me. He walked me out and opened the passenger door for me. Charlie followed behind, looking concerned. “Look, kid, I should get done by four. If you want to bring her first thing in the-”

I cut him off before he could finish. “You get some sleep. I'll bring her home after lunch.”

“Thanks,” he breathed before patting my back. He went back to his squad car, pulling out a cell phone as he did. I knew he had a lot to deal with the paperwork and all that. Always more paperwork. I was glad he was taking care of everything. I knew Bella wouldn't make it through the story again, especially right then. I knew we would probably have to deal with it later, but at least not that night.

I drove home quickly, opening the door and scooping my girlfriend up into my arms once again. My mother was waiting for me, her expression almost frightened. She opened the front door, letting me inside.

“Is she okay?” She asked, touching her hair gingerly.

“Just tired,” I assured her. “And drugged up. Dad drugged her up pretty good.”

“She probably needs it. She needs to rest. Why don't you get her to bed?” I nodded my head. Before I could go up the stairs though she stopped me. “Are you okay?”

“I'll be fine,” I assured her. “Goodnight, Mom. I love you.”

I took her to my room, not turning on any lights. I had enough harsh lights at the hospital. Laying Bella back on the bed, she barely moved or responded. I took off her shoes and socks before pulling off her jeans. I didn't want to remove her shirt because I didn't think I could do so without hurting her. I laid her under the covers before I slipped into my own sleep pants. 

“Edward?” Bella called into the darkness quietly.

"I'm here, love," I whispered to her, slipping in behind her. I knew I said I would sleep on the couch, but I had to hold her. I had to make sure she was alright. The only place that I felt safe was with her by my side. I draped my arm over her waist, pulling her flush against my body. 

"I love you," she breathed out, her uninjured hand seeking my own. She gripped it tightly, pressing my palm to her stomach. I buried my face in her neck, lightly kissing her ear. 

“I love you, too,” I said it like a promise,  “Bella, I love you so much.”

She turned her head to the side, and we kissed for a few moments gently. Pulling away first, she pressed a kiss to my jaw. "Goodnight." 

And that was the first of many nights I fell asleep with her in my arms.

The End

I was a little too excited to pick Bella up before school on Friday morning. I was way too excited all the way around, as a matter of fact.

About our morning together in the car, even if it was brief.

About our date, even if it was still hours away and I would have to sit through school, a pep rally, and a football game to get to it.
About her cheerleading uniform.

I put condoms in my wallet. That was the first thing I did after I had that thought when I woke up in the morning. I knew it was kind of assuming a lot, but I was positive that keeping my hands off of her was going to be a problem. It was a far better idea to be safe rather than sorry. I loved Bella, but I did not want to be a father in nine months just because I couldn't keep it in my pants while she was wearing a cheer uniform. 

When I got ready that morning, I decided to wear contacts again since we were going to a movie that night. Glasses tended to slip a lot and give me a headache while looking up at the big screen. Once again, I also did my hair. She seemed to like the day before. With a little practice, I was sure I could actually get pretty good at it. I threw on a pair of faded and slightly shredded jeans and a blue button-down before slipping on a pair of black hiking boots. I knew the football games tended to be crowded, and I didn't want my feet to be stomped on. 

I came clomping down the stairs, ready for my coffee. When Alice saw me, she exclaimed, "holy crap!" 

“What?” I asked, rolling my eyes at her dramatic and wide-eyed expression. My sister needed to go into acting.

My mom turned around from the stove to see what the fuss was about. A large smile spread over her face. Oh no, that was never a good thing. Before she could even say anything, I turned quickly. "Nevermind. I'd rather starve." 

“I will get your picture, sooner or later!” Mom called after me loudly.

Alice followed behind, her voice cheerful, “you look nice.”

“Thanks,” I called back to my sister, ignoring my mom. Let her threaten all she wanted. Her good camera would go missing permanently if she wasn't careful. iPhones could be misplaced. 

I grabbed my gray wool peacoat and dark shades before running out the door. Doughnuts it is then. There was a decent shop right before you got to the main drag, so that wasn't a problem. I was early, so I had plenty of time to get some. I was pretty sure Bella wouldn't mind some either. She seemed to be willing to try anything. 

At the shop, I picked one of just about every flavor just to be on the safe side though. I wanted to make sure she did get something she liked if she even ate a donut at all. I grabbed a huge coffee for myself and a hot chocolate for her. I knew for sure she would like that at least.

The morning was foggy, a slight mist in the air. The air had a slight chill to it. I was glad to have the warm coffee in my hands. I drank about half of it before I even got to her driveway.

When I pulled into behind her rusted truck, I was going to be a gentleman. I was going to go to her door, knock, take her book bag, and open the car door for her. But, she wasn't going to let me do that, not that I minded what happened instead.

Bella came walking out of the fog like out of some sort of bad fantasy eighty's teen flick. She was wearing a halter style top that was a soft baby blue, showing off just enough cleavage to make me drool for the rest of the day. But that wasn't the best, or maybe worst, part. The halter cut off right at her hips, a small part of her stomach showing before it got to the pleated baby blue skirt. It barely covered her ass. With every step her cute little ponytail and breasts bounced, the skirt moving slightly in the wind.

I was going to die. Forget her father. She was going to kill me. She was far more dangerous than her dad in that outfit. She was literally heart-stopping. 

She opened the door and slipped in, a small smile on her face. “Mm, good morning. Something smells lovely in here.”

My mind screamed YOU, but I kept my mouth shut. Instead, I cleared my throat and pulled the box of pastries from the backseat. "Breakfast?" I offered her quietly. Tapping the lid gently, I showed her the hot chocolate that I got her as well. "For you, too." 

“Edward! That's so sweet! Thank you!” She said happily, leaning over to kiss my cheek. I leaned into it for a moment before I realized something.

The chief's cruiser was parked in the driveway.

"We better not do that. If your father looks out here, he might figure out that we're dating and he'll kill me," I muttered as I pulled the car into the reverse. Bella giggled softly, picking one of the doughnuts from the box and taking a little bite. "What's so funny?" I asked quietly. My death, though worth it to even be with her, was not funny. 

“He already knows we're dating,” she informed me. I nearly slammed on the brakes in shock.

“Really?” I asked. “Did he know last night?”

“Yup,” she popped the word before taking a sip of her chocolate after putting her half-eaten donut on the lid. “Mm, this is so good. Thank goodness, too. I didn't have breakfast this morning. I was running behind. You are a literal angel.”

I blushed softly, smiling to myself. “I'm glad you like it.”

She leaned over while I was driving and pressed a very warm kiss to the side of my neck. It was a battle to keep my eyes open. "You look so sexy right now, by the way. If the chief wasn't around today, I would have told you to just come inside with me." 

I groaned loudly, taking a deep breath. “You’ll be the death of me, you know that?”

She giggled, running her hand over my thigh. When we got to a red light, she actually cupped my erection through my jeans. At least she waited until then. "Also, you know you forgot your panties last night. I wouldn't mind returning those to you." 

“Are you wearing them right now?” I whispered hoarsely.

She nodded her head, kissing my neck again as she did so. In my mind, I kept chanting 'we will get to school soon. Just don't wreck the car. Do not wreck the car.' As soon as I pulled into space, I attacked her mouth while placing both hands on the side of her face. She moaned loudly into the kiss, her hands on my shoulders to keep herself from falling into my lap.

If she did fall into my lap, she might have been stabbed to death. Who knew erections could be so dangerous?

When she pulled away, Bella had a huge smile on her face. “You get the drinks, I'll get the doughnuts.”

With that, she was out of the car.

What the hell, I whimpered to myself.

Of course, she could get out of the car quickly. She wasn't the one with the hard-on shoved into ultra tight pants. I took in deep breaths. Baseball. Basketball. Football. Cheerleaders... Okay, trying to get it to go away by thinking about sports wasn't working. Like Bella knew what I was thinking, she tapped on my window, an innocent expression on her face. “Edward, no one will be able to tell. Your coat is more than long enough.”

I smirked slightly and sighed, giving up on hiding anything. Hell, half the guys there would probably have boners because of the cheerleaders that would be walking around that day.

I got my bag and grabbed both warm foam cups, quickly falling in step with Bella as she walked to the courtyard with the iron picnic tables. Angela was already sitting at one, Ben by her side. Well, that was nice to see.

“Hey, guys!” Bella said brightly as she sat down. She took the pastry she had nibbled on earlier off of the top of the box and then passed it to me. I took one for myself and offered the open box to the couple sitting across from us. But, they just gaped at me.

“Um, hi,” I smiled back, curling my fingers in their direction. That seemed to get them out of their fog.

“Oh! Hi!” Angela giggled suddenly, laughing a little embarrassed. She took a bear claw with a small thanks and shoved it into her mouth.

Ben snickered, picking a jelly filled. “Man, Bella... you worked some real magic over on him. Good job. You can almost not tell you're a major nerd underneath it all.”

I snorted then flipped him off, giving him a smile to show that I was joking. He winked, taking a massive bite out of his breakfast. Angela rolled her eyes, leaning into Ben slightly. "Be nice you two. You do look good, though, Edward." 

“Thanks,” I said quietly, blushing as I looked down at my half-eaten pastry.

"Ben," Bella said in a quiet but fierce voice. "I didn't ask him to change anything, just to let you know. I like him just the way he is. I loved the way he looked before, and I love how he looks now. I just want him to be comfortable and happy. That's all that matters to me." 

Oh. My. God. Awwww...

Not to sound too much like a sap, but it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard a person say about me. Without a single thought, I leaned over and kissed her temple firmly, letting my nose bury in her hair as my arm wrapped around her waist. "Thank you," I whispered into her ear. 

My eyes were actually prickling with tears. I blinked them back quickly, really glad I was wearing sunglasses at that moment.

Ben and Angela sat quietly, eating their food and allowing us to have our moment. Bella nuzzled my neck before placing a light kiss on my cheek. “It's true,” she whispered.

"I know," I answered back sincerely. I knew, without a doubt in my heart that she was being entirely truthful. And, I knew with those words that I was totally and head over heels in love with her. I would always be. She was the girl for me. I didn't give a damn that it had only been a week. It was enough time to know that she was it for me. She was my soul.  

Bella pulled away from me and decided to try to actually eat breakfast. It seemed like a great idea to me. I finished off my first and grabbed another doughnut. There was no sense in letting them go to waste.

But, our morning peace was interrupted. The nasty nasally voice of Lauren pierced my eardrums. “Oh, my god! I didn't know we were getting a new student. I'm Lauren Mallory, and you are?” She actually brought her hand up to me and cocked her hip to the side, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Everyone stared at her in quiet confusion for a long beat. 

Ben burst into nervous laughter, and I heard Angela scoff. It almost seemed like a foreign sound coming from her lips. Bella stiffened beside me. 

“Are you serious?” She mumbled under her breath. Lauren either didn't hear her or ignored the comment.

I didn't take her hand. Instead, I pulled off my sunglasses and set them on the iron table. "Morning, Lauren." 

I was surprised her jaw didn't hit the floor. She really was dumber than a bag of rocks. “Oh, um, hi Eddie. Love what you did with your hair and glasses. Makes you look like a whole new guy.”

"Thanks," I said, looking anywhere but her. I glanced over at Ben, who widened his eyes.  

“Well,” she said quickly, embarrassment filling her face. I almost felt bad for her but then she sent Bella a nasty look, ruining that. “I'll see you at the rally.”

She didn't even bother to wait for anyone to say anything. She just kind of skipped off. “Bitch,” Bella muttered under her breath. Ben burst into another fit of giggles.

“Bro, was she just about to straight up hit on you in front of your girlfriend?” Angela slapped him hard on the shoulder, making Ben shut up. We all decided to ignore him. It was all for the best.

“I'm going to hit her,” Bella sighed quietly. I chuckled, giving her a kiss on the lips.

“You have nothing to worry about,” I whispered quietly in her ear. “I am all yours, my love. No one else's. You have my heart.”

She flushed brightly, pulling back to look deeply into my eyes. She gave me a small smile, running her fingers over my cheek. Bella looked like she wanted to say something, but the bell rang. 

“Gym,” she gave me a small smile. “Well, at least we don't have to dress out today.”

"Thank goodness for small favors," I smiled. I had forgotten that you didn't have to dress out on days there were pep rallies. They had been decorating the gym, and they didn't want anyone messing it up. That was fine with me. I hated doing it. "Why don't you take the doughnuts with you?" I offered. 

Bella nodded her head and lightly kissed my cheek. “See you in a little while.”

When gym class came, I decided it was a good time to talk to Ben about Angela. I had no idea what was going on there, especially after that morning. They seemed awfully cozy together. I sat on the bleachers beside Ben, who had pulled out a huge box of Magic cards. He was the one dork still playing. He raised an eyebrow at me, waving his hand over the cards. "Wanna build a deck and play?" 

“Only if you don't take for fucking ever,” I teased him, pulling out all of his blue cards. Ben had a massive collection and liked to carry his 'duplicates' with him so we could play. Hell, he even had his favorite ones in frames on his walls in his room.

It was kind of funny. Even I wasn't that nerdy.

I started to build an 'all seeing' deck, first getting all my mana needed before shifting through the cards to pick the best. “So, Angela,” I began lamely.

"Ah-huh. What about her?" He asked dimly as he began to sort through his white cards. He was building an angel deck of some sort most likely. Those tended to be his favorites. That and green elf decks. 

“What's up with that?” I rolled my eyes, finishing up with my cards pretty quickly. I always took far less time than him.

“Ah, um... well,” he gave a little nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “She's awesome.”

“I gathered that,” I smirked as I picked a purple twenty-sided dice from his small bag of tokens. “Are you together? Are you two friends? What?”

"You sound like a little bitch," he muttered under his breath as he began to shuffle. He couldn't even hold my gaze, and he was beet red. 

"Oh! I see. So, I take it that you two are together?" I chuckled. He looked up, his eyes wide. "Or do you just want to be?" 

“I'm not really sure. I mean... God, Edward. She's great! I mean, really great! Guess what she wants to major in when she goes to college?”

“What's that?” I asked in amusement. So, this is what I must have sounded like to everyone. No wonder they seemed so surprised by me.

“Computer technology! Edward, that's so fucking hot. I'm serious, man.” He shook his head and gave a little sigh. “We're going to have pizza tomorrow.”

“That's awesome,” I assured him with a little smile, getting my cards ready. Okay, too much chatting about feelings. We needed to fix that. “You go first, Romeo. Prepare to have your ass kicked.”

Okay, I admit it. I had skipped every single pep rally our school ever had up until that point. It was kind of a forced thing. I never understood it. Shouldn't it have been for the people who actually had school spirit? I mean, I knew I had none. I was just waiting for the time where I could blow out of this trash heap of a town. At first, I just hid in the bathroom, but when I got my car when I turned sixteen I just went home early. 

I had no idea what to really expect.

I saw Jasper and Ben coming out of whatever class they had together. I would have walked with Bella, but she was excused from our final class together to help the other cheerleaders get ready. Alice danced over from whatever class she had, going to hold Jasper's hand. "Are you excited?" She asked me with a big smile. 

“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes in confusion.

"Um, because you're about to watch your fine ass girlfriend hop and jump around in a tiny little outfit?" Jasper replied. Alice glared at him, frowning at his choice at words. I expected Ben to laugh, but he didn't. Instead, his eyes got wide, and I think he just then realized that he was going to see Angela doing the exact same thing. 

“She looks good whatever she's doing and whatever she's wearing,” I informed Jasper. Alice grinned, tugging on my arm.

"Good answer, brother." She pointed at him with a severe expression. "Learn from him." 

"Ah, he's just in a new relationship. He'll stop being so sappy in a little while. Just give him time," he teased my sister just to annoy her. She stuck her tongue out at him, even as she did press herself closer to him. They might not have been as openly mushy as some couples, but you could see the love in their eyes. It kind of made you feel like you were invading their private time together when they were looking into each other's eyes. I looked away, clearing my throat. 

We sat in the middle, just above the football players. Alice gave Emmett a hug just as Jasper sat beside him. Ben sat beside me, totally feeling as out of place as I was at that moment.

“This thing only lasts like thirty minutes, right?” He whispered to me.

“I think so,” I shrugged. “Are you going to the game tonight? You know, to watch Angela?”

“There is something sick about just going to a football game to watch the cheerleaders,” he gave a soft sigh, looking off at the gathering band.

“I take that as a yes,” I chuckled. He nodded his head, smirking slightly. “We can sit together and not know what the fuck is going on together.”

“Sounds good to me,” he sighed just as the band struck up, the noise grating on my ears. Everyone began to cheer around us, even Alice. I felt so out of place.

But none of that matter when Bella, along with the rest of the cheerleaders, came out the door. She did a little flip, as did Angela. The other girls jumped or did little dances. A song came on that I didn't hear because all the blood was rushing past my eardrums to my groin. Then they all began to do a dance together, which all ended beautifully with Bella doing the full splits in the very front. 

“Fuck me hard,” Ben muttered beside me, gazing at Angela hungrily as she panted and smiled in his general direction.

“All kinds of hard,” I answered in agreement.

They continued to dance, and the coach gave a speech. The band played, and the crowd cheered. When Bella caught my eye, she winked and blew a small kiss before going off to do whatever she needed to next. By the time she was done, you could see a light sheen of sweat covering her skin, her chest rising and falling rapidly from all her exercise. 

I was in pain in an awful way. 

Finally, after what seemed like decades, the rally ended with the singing of the school's motto. Bella got lost in the crowd as I looked for her, walking around the throngs of people. I was about to give up and wait outside when I felt a tug on my arm. She had me by the hand, and she was pulling me to, of all places, the boy's locker room. 

“What are you doing?” I asked her in shock. “Aren't the football players going to be in here soon?”

“They use a stadium locker room. Once they finish clearing out, no one will come in here,” she said with a wicked look in her eye, dragging me into one of the shower stalls into the very back hidden corner. With a sharp shove, Bella pressed me against the tile and kissed my lips firmly. “I've wanted to do that all day.”

She tasted sugary sweet with a hint of salt. My hands went to the small of her back, pulling her closer to me. “You taste so good right now,” I moaned against her neck, lapping my way up to her ear. She groaned softly, her body melting against my own. “I want to taste you everywhere.”

“Edward!” She gasped as my hand slid over her ass, making her hips flush against mine. “oh, yes! Please?” She pleaded as I kissed down her cleavage. That was something she was never going to have to ask me to do twice. I turned us slightly so I could place one of her feet on the shower seat. Sinking down in front of her, I looked deep into her eyes as I pulled down the little shorts like things down her legs, along with the sexy as hell panties that she had bought for me. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to forget those this time.

I moved her foot up gently, carefully so as not to lose her balance and placed it on the ledge. She was opened up for me perfectly. I gave a little hum of pleasure, leaning forward to lick her lips lightly. Bella gasped softly, her legs shaking a little. I wrapped both of my arms around her thighs to keep her steady, burying my tongue within her.

She groaned loudly, the sound echoing throughout the locker room. I didn't give a damn though. Let her scream out my name. Bella's fingers wove into my hair, pushing my face deeper into her flesh. “Oh, god! That feels so good! Right there, Edward. A little harder,” she instructed in a husky voice, breathless and panting.

So, I did what she asked. I laid my tongue flat against her clit, rubbing it hard as my hand massaged her ass. She came wholly undone above me, shaking and shivering as she moaned. I was surprised at the force that she yanked me upwards. I attacked her lips, pushing her against the tile this time. 

“Fuck me,” she pleaded roughly against my lips. “Please tell me you have a condom.”

“Wallet,” I mumbled, pulling it out quickly. I snatched out one of the silver squares and Bella took it from my grip. Dropping the wallet to the seat, she began to kiss my neck wildly. Her fingers went to my jeans, pulling them down quickly as she did. One of my hands massaged one of her breasts through the top while the other went to her bare thigh as I kissed her neck. When she got the condom on me, I asked, “how?”

I couldn't come up with any other words at that moment, and I hoped to God that she understood what I meant. Both of her hands went to my shoulders as one of her legs wrapped around my waist. "Against the wall. Take me against the wall." 

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to do that, but I sure as hell was going to figure it out. My cheerleader girlfriend just asked me to fuck her against the locker room wall. I don't think any teenage boy in the history of high school had gotten that lucky. I didn't care if they did the same things, they weren't with Bella. And I was. 

Placing my hands on her thighs, I lifted her up. She seemed so light against me. Both of her legs wrapped around my waist, guiding me to where she wanted me to be. Bella's arms curled around my neck, kissing me firmly on the lips. I could feel her literally soaking against my thighs.

And then I slid into her. I had never felt anything so... tight, before. We both groaned, her head falling back as I began to move within her. My hips pumped upwards towards her. One of my hands settled against the wall to keep myself stable as I began to move faster. Bella slid easily against the wall, her body completely flushed, and her mouth opened in pleasure. 

“You are so damn sexy,” I moaned against her neck.

“I'm so close already,” she panted out, her head falling against my shoulder. “You're rubbing against me. It feels so good.”

“Let go,” I whispered to her. “I want to feel you like that again. Please,” I whimpered, beginning to lose myself already. Bella's body instantly reacted, tightening up on me considerably. I groaned, my eyes closing tightly as I tried to last through the feeling. I wanted to ride it out until the very end. She hissed loudly, liquid dripping down her legs and onto my own.

I was only clinging to reality by a string when Bella began to whisper in my ear huskily, “Edward, oh god, Edward. That feels so good. Please don't stop. Don't ever stop. I'm yours, too. Make me yours.”

With every word, I began to pump harder and harder. And then she began to shake, tightening up again. She literally screamed, holding onto me for dear life as I gave up and gave in to her words. I came so hard that I felt like my knees were going to give out. I stopped as soon as both of our orgasms lulled, laying my head on her shoulder as I tried to calm my breathing.

Gently, I set her down to her feet and made sure she was stable before pulling up my own pants. I went to fetch her some towels. Kneeling down in front of her, I gently wiped her legs down. She looked down at me lovingly, tugging me upwards with a kiss when I was done.

“How long before you have to go get ready?” I asked her quietly, kissing her neck softly.

"Four thirty," she said, looking at her watch sadly. It was just before four, so we had a little bit more time. I brought her over to the seat, pulling her down onto my lap. My arms went around her, my hand settling on her bare upper thigh. 

We kissed lazily, unhurried. We knew we would have more time that night to do it some more. My fingers dragged from her thigh all the way to her back underneath her skirt, refusing to let her put her underwear back on yet. Bella smiled against my lips, playing with the ends of my hair.
"Edward, I think that I-" she began, but she was cut off by a disgusting sound.  

Mike.

“Oh, my god! You are both fucking freaks. You know that? Why don't you put some damn panties on, you fucking slut?” He growled as he stared openly at us.

Bella and I both stood quickly. I was going to punch the son of a bitch, but she pushed me back with her hand and walked forward. With a movement so quick I barely saw it, she slapped Mike hard across the face. "Get out of here! Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to be a prick. Why don't you go out on the field and actually practice? God knows you need it. Go find somewhere else to juice." 

“Whore,” he muttered as he stomped off, leaving us alone again. Bella sighed heavily, running her hand over her face as she leaned against the wall.

“I'm going to kill him,” I said, going to make my way after him but she stopped, grabbing my arm.

“Don't. Don't get yourself arrested for that son of a bitch. Seriously, it's fine. It's just a case of sour grapes anyway. Just... stay with me and then walk me to the field, okay?”

"Of course," I said quietly. She gave me a tiny sad smile before bending over to pick up her panties and shorts. She put them on, tugging them up her legs quickly. Bella offered me her hand, and we began to walk together in silence. "You know he's not right, don't you? You're not any of those things he's called you." 

"I know," she smiled at me, nodding her head. "It's just frustrating. I know the reasons that I'm with you, and he doesn't. And frankly, it doesn't matter that he doesn't know. That's our business. But, it doesn't give him the right to act like some crazy prick." 

“Hey,” I said, pulling her to a stop before we went into the gym. “We both know, and that's all that matters. Bella, you have no idea how much I care about you.”

“I care about you too, Edward,” she smiled, leaning up on her toes to plant a kiss on my lips. Bella gave another little smile and let go of my hand. “I need to get going. Where are you going to sit during the game?”

“Uh,” I shrugged, not really knowing the answer. I was going to be there early enough so I could sit anywhere I wanted. “Our side to the left, I guess.”

“Okay, I'll look for you.” She pecked my cheek before whispering her goodbyes. I really didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to stay and talk about what just happened. I was just hoping like hell that it didn't upset her too much. It just pissed me off that he said some pretty horrible things about her. I was used to that kind of abuse. Bella was too sweet to deal with all of that bullshit.

I had some time to kill before the game started so I went to the small gas station to pick up a drink for Ben and myself, since I knew he was going to be there, along with a bag of pretzels. It was going to be a long time before I would actually get dinner and I didn't want to get anything from the nasty looking concession stand. It was just around five o'clock when I settled into the stands. I pulled out my phone and began to listen to music just to kill some time. About fifteen minutes later, my friend was there and then not long after that, my sister.

“Drink,” I offered as I practically shoved the bottle in his direction. Ben thanked me, taking a big swig of Dr. Pepper. My baby sister stole a pretzel from my bag before taking a sip of her own drink. “Alice,” I began, “you go to all these things to watch Jasper play. What's it like?”

“Um,” she cocked her head to the side. “As much as I love Jazz, the marching band and the dancers are the best part. I mean, they win, but I think this is a stupid game. So it means little to me. I’m just here to be supportive.”

I snorted at her answer, and she smiled over at me innocently. "Don't worry, I won't tell Jasper." 

“Oh, he knows!” She laughed. “Don't tell Em. He may get mad.”

About fifteen minutes before the game was supposed to start the band began to play, and the cheerleaders came out onto the field. They were pretty much just bobbing to the music, saving their energy for the game itself. Bella was talking to Rosalie, smiling every once in a while. Like she could sense that I was looking at her, she looked up into the stands and smiled at me brightly. 

It made me feel instantly better.

Alice was right. The best part of the game was the band, surprisingly. And, the cheerleaders, not at all surprisingly. I was amazed at how flexible Bella really was. She did flips and cartwheels with grace and ease, the strength in her entire body evident with every move she made. Every once and awhile, she would wave at me or smile. She even winked a time or two. I noticed as well that Angela was doing much the same thing to Ben. 

“We are lucky bastards,” I mumbled to him.

“Yes, we are,” he agreed with a chuckle.

My friend and I sat in silence for a long time after that, just staring at the girls. I could have watched Bella all day long. She was so lovely and graceful, the long lines of her body flowing into beautiful shapes as she moved.

"Man, I'm going to have to rub one out when I get home," Ben muttered to himself. I don't think he meant to say it out loud, though. At least, I hoped not. I would pretend so either way. 

"Ew! TMI!" My sister shouted at him. I just laughed. I couldn't say anything, really. I knew exactly how he felt about the matter. 

Thankfully the game ended shortly after his moment of oversharing. I think we won the game. Everyone seemed excited, so I could only assume that we did. I couldn’t have cared less. I came to the edge of the seating, standing right in front of where Bella was on the field. She seemed to sense I was behind her and she turned, a tiny grin on her face. 

“I'm going to go get changed,” she shouted up to me. “I'll meet you by the entrance, okay?”

“Sure, love!” I called back loudly. She just grinned at me before running off towards somewhere I couldn't see.

I said goodbye to Ben and my sister before going down to the entrance area of the small stadium. People filed out past me to get to their cars, talking amongst themselves. I noticed that a lot of people were giving me weird looks. I wondered if I looked that strange. I ran my fingers through my hair before sticking a mint in my mouth for good measure. I was planning on kissing Bella a lot that night, so it was a good idea either way. If I did look strange, there wasn't really that much I could do about it right then anyway. 

I closed my eyes and took in a few calming breaths, slipping my shades over my eyes for good measure. Leaning my head against the fence, I let my mind wander. This was sort of our first official date. We hadn't done anything out together. But, somehow it felt like we had already been together forever. I couldn't imagine a past or a future without Bella in it. And every second we spent not touching seemed like a second wasted.

A warm set of hands slid underneath my shirt along my waist as an even warmer set of lips found my jaw. I hummed quietly, bringing my hand to the back of Bella's neck to guide her mouth up to my own. I kept my eyes closed as we continued to kiss, letting the people move around us. Let them fight traffic. Making out seemed like a better idea to me anyway.

“What did you think of the game?” Bella asked against my ear.

"What game?" I asked playfully. She giggled softly, letting her hands slide up my back. 

“You know, the one with the ball and the field. Throwing, kicking, running,” she teased me, letting her sharp nails drag deliciously down my skin.
“I didn't notice. All I saw was this stunning cheerleader. She really took my breath away," I answered her as I dragged my tongue over her earlobe. She shuddered lightly, leaning her head back. "It was hard to notice anything else." 

“You know, you shouldn't lust after your brother's girlfriend,” Bella said in an emotionless voice. My eyes snapped open to see her smiling broadly. I swatted her bottom hard, making her squeal and laugh.

“That's wrong. Very very wrong,” I accused her. “Rosalie is like my bitchy older sister who's mouth needs to be surgically sewn shut.”

"Oh! That's harsh!" She laughed, taking my hand as we began to walk out towards the car. Most of the people were gone, only a few vehicles dotting the parking lot. 

“It's true. And trust me, Bella, you were the only cheerleader I was looking at tonight.”

She was quiet after that as we began to drive up to Port Angeles. It actually made me kind of nervous. She was staring absently out of the window, picking at the pair of jeans she had changed into. About twenty minutes in, I gave up waiting for her to say anything. “What's on your mind?”

“Nothing,” she replied too quickly. She gave me a forced smile before looking out the window again.

“Bella, please. Something is bothering you. Please tell me.”

"I'm-" She began but shook her head before starting again. "I'm sorry about earlier, with Mike." 

“Why are you apologizing to me? It's not your fault,” I told her as I glanced in her direction. I put my eyes back on the road. “That's not it, is it?”

"I'm... I'm just wondering when you're going to figure out that I'm too much trouble, you know?" She said in a strained voice. "You're already changing yourself for me, and I don't want you to. Not at all. I don't want you to feel like you have to do that and then resent me for it later. I like you just the way you are, Edward." 

I sighed heavily before I pulled over to the side of the road. Bella didn't say anything else as I turned to look at her. “I know that you didn't ask me to change. I didn't buy these clothes or contacts just for you. This is a part of who I am too. I'm not just a nerd. I'm not just into video games. I'm not just into karate. I'll admit I did my hair for you, even if that does sound kind of girly. But, there isn't anything wrong with changing. There isn't anything wrong with trying to look good for someone you like. You do it too, don't you? I mean, obviously with last night. You put a lot of effort into that. Do you resent me for it?”

“Of course not! I loved every single second of it!” She said, biting her bottom lip.

"Look, I like who I am with you. I may change a little, but you know... I'm still a kid. I've got some growing up to do before I'm everything I'm going to be. If what I become is something better for you-" 

“I don't want it to be for me though,” she sniffled, wiping a tear away from her eye. “I want it to be for you.”

“Aw! God! Don't cry!” I said, cupping her face in my hands before kissing her firmly. “Jesus, I'm saying all the wrong things.”

“No,” she disagreed, once again sniffling. “It's just right. How do you always know the right things to say? You always make me feel so good and so special. I want to make you feel that way, too.”

“You do, love. God, you don't how... how... honored, I am that you allow me this time with you. That you allow me to touch you. Allow me to kiss you. Every second I'm with you is special." 
“You're too much,” Bella smiled through her tears, kissing me firmly on the lips. After a few moments, she wiped her eyes gently, sniffling a final time. “Sorry, I’m just feeling emotional, I guess. Why don't we go get something to eat? I'm starving. That’s probably part of the problem.”

We had dinner at a small diner that was opened twenty-four hours a day. It wasn't that busy, thankfully. It was actually nice and quiet. Bella sat on the same side of the booth as me, allowing me to wrap my arms around her. She let her head rest on my shoulder as we talked about nothing important. We both had a burger and some fries, along with a chocolate milkshake. It was actually delicious. We probably sat for another thirty minutes, just laughing and talking. I left a good tip to our waitress for taking up her table for so long. 

After we ate, we decided to just walk over to the theater since it was just a couple blocks over. When the movie was over, we were going to stop in for some dessert and maybe coffee anyway, sugaring ourselves up for the ride home. Bella clung to my side, my arm draped over her shoulder as we walked and talked. The streets were dark, only a street light here and there. The small town seemed to shut down at nine o'clock, if not earlier. 

We had just turned down a back alleyway right beside the theater when I heard a crunching noise behind us. Bella seemed to notice it too, the smell of liquor floating past my nose harshly. She stiffened beside me, and we both turned to see what the source of the sound was. 

“Oh, look! It's the freak and the slut!”

Bella greeted me that morning sleepily with a firm kiss on the lips. I held her against me, her back against my chest with my arms draped over her shoulders as we waited for the bell to ring. I was surprised neither one of us fell asleep at the rate we were going. I actually think I was nodding off at one point. She gave me a soft kiss on the jaw before walking off to her classroom with a slight smile on her face just before I fell completely asleep.

She didn't know how beautiful she was, even when she was tired.

At lunch again, we sat together as a group. Ben and Angela did the same thing they did the day before. They just stared at each other with big stupid grins on their faces. I think even Emmett noticed. It was kind of impossible not to. I reminded myself once again to ask him what the hell was going on. It would have been kind of nice if they got together. I wouldn't feel like such a stranger in a strange land. 

After school, Bella walked me to my car while holding my hand. Just before I had to leave, she kissed the hell out of me. And I mean that in the best possible way. It was spectacular. I loved her lips. The way they felt against mine was like magic. I had never felt anything better in my life before. I wondered if she knew she had this magical power. Because that's precisely what it was. It was power. She could lord it over me anytime she wanted though.

But, because of the sensational kiss, I had to rush home to get changed for karate. I wanted to take Bella out somewhere nice maybe later on during the weekend, or the weekend after that. And besides that, I wanted to save up some money for her birthday. I was considering taking her up to Canada for the weekend if her father would allow me. We could stay in a charming bed and breakfast for a night and just... be. I doubted it, though. It was a nice thought though.  

I was sounding more and more like a sap by the hour.

I didn't mind in the least though. Not if it made Bella happy.

Aro greeted me with a huge smile when I got to the karate school. “Hey, my man... How's it hanging?”

"Good, besides the fact that you talked to my dad," I sassed him, throwing my stuff in the corner of the room. The class, which was mainly girls and one lone boy, was already stretching. It was mostly higher belts that day, and they knew what they were doing. I would have a few minutes to talk to my teacher. 

"Did you expect anything less?" He laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Honestly, Edward, we've been friends since before you were born. What am I supposed to do? Omit the fact that I caught his extremely shy son making out with a gorgeous and apparently very flexible cheerleader? Hello, I'd be shouting that from the rooftops if I were you.”

“So glad I'm not you,” I muttered under my breath as I threw off my shoes.

“He's just happy you've found someone that you connect with, Ed,” Aro said earnestly. I was surprised he had a serious mode. It was something I rarely saw in him.

“I'm happy about that, too,” I answered back as I straightened my belt.

“Well, it doesn't hurt that she's smoking hot either, by the way. That girl has got a nice ra-”

"Finish that sentence, and I will stomp you into the ground," I warned him. "Don't look at my girl's anything, you perv." 

Aro started laughing again, patting me on the shoulder. “Protective already. You make for good boyfriend material. Well, Romeo, go attend to your class. You've got a busy day ahead of you.”

That was the truth.

Three hours later, I was dead tired. I wanted nothing more than to get showered and eat something, then perhaps melt into a chair and not move for a little while. I would, for sure, go to bed early that night. There wasn't going to be another choice besides that one. 

I grabbed some fast food on my way home, opting to eat in my room because I didn't want to offend anybody with my sweaty stench. The house was pretty quiet, which was nice. Only Jasper and Alice seemed to be around, and they were doing their homework. My parents went out to dinner alone, wanting a romantic evening. I couldn't blame them for it. It seemed like a good idea to me, too. 

 I ate my chicken nuggets, bacon cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate frosty in my room quickly. I was just glad to have something in my stomach. I probably ate too much, but I really didn't care. It was just all so good and greasy. 

You can’t eat game hen and grilled salmon all the time.

When my fingers were good and covered in salt, I decided to take a shower. A relaxing bath sounded better, but that would take more work and time, and I was fading pretty quickly at that point. I was so glad that I had already gotten my homework done, otherwise, it wouldn't have happened. 

I showered, scrubbing all the grime from my body. I think at one point I actually fell asleep against the wall because after what only seemed like a couple of minutes the water turned to ice, waking my ass up.

“I shouldn't be this tired,” I mumbled to myself as brushed my teeth. I even had circles underneath my eyes. Leaving my glasses in the bathroom, I wandered back into my room to search for some sleep pants.

I was bent over in the nude, shifting through my bottom drawer when my phone vibrates loudly. I almost jumped out of my skin. It was like I had been caught doing something really bad, not looking for clothes in my own room.

When I picked up the phone to see the text, I smiled.

“Is it sad that I already miss you?”

“It's not sad at all. I miss you, too. I can't wait to see you in the morning,” I typed back quickly.

The reply was almost instant. “I can't wait to be with you alone tomorrow night.”

I shivered. Well, I would have to take care of a personal problem before I went to bed. I was too easy. Did she know what she did to me?
Wow, I had been thinking that a lot lately. 

Well, two could play that game. Or, at least, I could try to play that game. I would probably lose. “I promise that it will be a great night, my love. For both of us." 

I think the next reply was even faster. I wasn’t sure how that was even possible. ”You are a cruel, cruel man, Edward Cullen. You shouldn't tease me so." 

“It's not teasing, it's a promise,” I wrote back.

"Perhaps I need to go on to bed then. Need to make sure I have enough energy for whatever you're planning to do to me. Goodnight, Edward! ;)" 

I smiled back happily at the message. “Goodnight, love,”  I typed back.

After our little bit of texting, I felt more awake and it was frustrating. Truthfully, I wanted to go to bed and dream about her, but that looked like it wasn't going to happen right away. So, I decided to do something I hadn't done much of in a few days. 

Play a game.

It wasn't anything hard. Just a simple turn-based strategy game. I wasn't in the mood to play Fortnite. That would take too much effort. I just wanted to mellow out for a while. So, with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk by my side, I played Civilization for about an hour before finally deciding to call it quits. I was starting to just stare at the screen, and that was never a good thing. 

I climbed into bed, pulling Bella's panties from underneath my pillow again. But, when I looked at them, I didn't get aroused. Well, okay, that was a lie. I did. But I felt more than that. I missed her. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to love her like she deserved to be.

Love. There was that word again.

I fell asleep holding them in my hand, wishing I was holding her instead.

I was eager to see Bella the following morning. So much so that as soon as I saw her, I kissed her wildly on the lips. She laughed against them, throwing her arms around my neck. “Someone is enthusiastic this morning,” she teased quietly.

“You have no idea,” I told her truthfully, running my fingers through her hair gently. She hummed in pleasure, leaning her head back. I brought my lips to her ear and whispered quietly, “I fell asleep last night thinking about what it would be like to hold you in my arms, cuddling you close all night long.”

Bella's eyes opened slowly, and she blinked, biting her bottom lip. "Really?" 

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked quickly. “I'm sorry. I'm probably moving too fast.”

“No! Not at all! That's such a nice idea. I wish we could,” she answered as she leaned her head against my chest, her arms around my waist.

“Maybe we can soon. Maybe for your birthday,” I answered, speaking against the top of her head. Bella nodded her head against me, speaking into my chest.

“I would love that.”

“Consider it done then,” I said just before I kissed her forehead. I would just have to find a way to make it happen. 

The day had never dragged on like that before. I mean ever. Time must have known that all I wanted to do was see Bella that night. It was torturing me for some unknown reason. I didn't know what I had ever done to it, that was for sure. But finally, by some miracle, the day ended, and I left Bella with a kiss at the gym doors. 

“So, tonight then?” She asked shyly before I left, giving me a rueful grin that could have made me done anything she asked. “Around six thirty?”

“Six thirty on the dot, I promise,” I said, giving her a quick hug. I knew she had to go. I kind of wished I could have stayed and watched her but I knew I would be nervous if I did. My dad said cheerleading was dangerous. I didn’t know what I would do with myself if I had to watch her do all those stunts and possibly mess up. Hopefully, they wouldn't do anything too risky at the game.

When I got to the car, there was a note on the windshield, surprising me. I picked up the folded up piece of notebook paper and read it quickly. “Just to let you know, you'll need to bring those panties tonight if you want to exchange them. ;)  You might also want to pick up some other items while you're at it.

Love,

Bella”

I flushed a bright fire engine red and smiled like a horny moron. How the hell did she even do that? When did she have time to put the note on my car window? I would have to ask her later. I couldn’t believe how adventurous she was being. 

“What do you got there, Romeo?” Jasper asked from behind me, making me jump a mile high. I placed my hand over my heart, willing it to calm down. “Sorry,” he snickered.
“Um, a note from Bella,” I answered back. Before I could fold it up and put it away, it was out of my hands. “Shit! No!”

“Oh, my god...” Jasper breathed and then whistled. “Very nice. What does she mean exchange?”

“I could give you the dictionary definition of it if you'd like,” I answered back quickly, ripping it from his fingers before my sister could see it. There was no telling when she would pop up. “To trade one item for another.”
“So, it would figure that she perhaps has something of yours that she'd like to trade you for. Something of equal value? Perhaps another pair of roos?" He teased, leaning against the side of his truck. "Yours, perhaps?" 

“No.” I shoved the note into my pocket. “I, um, ended up with her panties in my pocket after we almost got caught going at it in her living room. I've kinda kept them since then. She likes that particular pair though and offered to trade me a pair in my favorite color.”

“Hopefully, you'll be able to retrieve them after they've been on her body,” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows. I flushed an even brighter shade and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Hey! There is nothing to be ashamed of. Bella is a beautiful girl. I'm surprised you haven't been shouting it from the rooftops. Does Emmett know?”

Everybody and their damn rooftops!

“He walked in on us,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. Jasper burst into laughter. “Do you know how embarrassing that was?” I asked of him. “Your dumbass big brother walking in on you losing your V card?”

“I'm surprised he hasn't told everyone yet,” he continued to laugh, giving me a small smile. “Thank God for small favors, huh?”

“Isn't that the truth,” I laughed in return just as my sister walked up. “Tell no one,” I told him before she could hear us. He nodded his head with a slight smirk. 

“What's so funny?” She asked, narrowing her eyes on me.

“Nothing at all,” I smiled at her happily. “I'll see you at home.”

I didn't have time to chat with my sister. I had some things to do before I went over to Bella's that night.

I ran up to my room before my mother had a chance to get to me. I wanted to hurry. It was already three thirty, and I didn't want to be late to Bella's. I had to find a couple of things, and I wasn't totally sure I would find what I wanted in this crapshoot of a town. 

I washed up and shaved, going over my face twice just to make sure it was smooth. I also decided that my glasses would get in the way, so I decided to wear my contacts. Also, I wanted to look nice for Bella, so I dressed in a pair of black slacks and a nice shoes. Picking out my best white shirt, I pulled on my leather jacket. It was getting close to September, and it was getting colder. Hell, I even slicked back my hair with this balm stuff my mom had forced upon me the year before. I don't know why I didn't throw it away, but right then I was glad I didn't. 

Of course, my attempt to avoid Mom may have worked the first time, but it did not work the second. 

"Oh, my god!" She gasped loudly, clapping her hands together. "You look so handsome! Carlisle! Come here and bring my phone so that I can take a picture." 

"You act like I'm going to frickin prom, Ma. I'm just going to hang out with Bella. Do not take my picture," I commanded her. My father came in just as I said it, and he instantly started laughing. 

“Wow. What we do for women, eh?” He asked, handing my mother the rose gold iPhone.

“You're both nuts!” I proclaimed as I went running out of the door, the flash of a camera behind me.

“Damn,” I heard Mom curse as I got to my car. “I missed. I'll get him when he gets home.”

Well, that meant I was going to have to figure out a way to get into the house without alerting her. Maybe I would just sleep outside in the woods instead.

But I would think about that later. I had other things to do. 

First stop was easy enough, I thought. Pharmacy. Condoms.

Um... I thought to myself as I gazed at the selection.

It was harder than I expected, no pun intended. Or, maybe pun a little bit intended.

Why on God's green earth would you need four million different kinds of condoms? The larger sizes I got, but flavored, ribbed, textured, scented and blah blah blah. I just wanted one that would keep me from being a daddy in nine months.

Finally, after about twenty minutes of reading boxes, I picked out some basic ones that seemed to fit what I would need. If Bella wanted something fancier later, then we would pick that out together. Or she could just tell me what to buy next time. 

Next stop was the florist. I wanted to get Bella some kind of flowers, and I had no idea what to get her. It didn't help that the nearest flower shop was like thirty minutes out of town. I was already running a bit short on time after my search at the pharmacy. I would have to be quick to pick something out if that was possible. 

“Hi!” The florist said brightly. “Can I keep you?”

"Excuse me?" I asked in the hopes that I misheard him. 

“Can I help you?” He smiled brightly, looking me over. I felt like meat for a second.

“I'm looking for something nice for my girlfriend,” I told him quickly.

“How long have you been together? What's her favorite flower? What message are you trying to send?” He asked in rapid succession.

“Um, not long, not sure, and that I really care about her.”

“Hm,” he said, tapping his chin thinking. “Do you love her?”

It surprised me how quickly I said it, “yes, very much so.”

"Aw!" He gushed and clapped his hands. "That's so sweet. Okay. I've got the perfect thing for you. It'll take about ten minutes, and it'll be thirty dollars. Can you handle that?" 

I looked down at the leather banded watch on my wrist. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks.”

“I bet you can handle it,” I heard him say to himself as he walked into the back. I flushed and ran my hand over my face. I had never been hit on by a guy before. I couldn’t believe how grateful I was that Emmett was not with me right then. I would never ever live it down.

Ever.

Somehow, by the grace of God perhaps, I made it to Bella's house by six twenty-five. I shoved the condoms into my pocket, along with the panties that were hidden in my glove box, and grabbed the flowers from beside me. I was so nervous that I was shaking. I wasn’t sure why. I guess because I normally knew what I was walking into with her. Right then, I wasn't at all.

I had to knock only once before Bella opened the door. She peeked from the other side before opening it fully and giving me a beautiful smile. “Wow! Well, hello there.”

God help me... She was only wearing a robe. A short, thin, satin robe that was only kept in place by a slippery satin tie.

I think I actually drooled a bit.

I rubbed my mouth roughly, trying to make sure that I hadn't before I spoke. Not that much came out. “Wow...”

Bella giggled softly, “come in. Are those for me?” She asked, pointing to the flowers in my hands.

“Oh, yeah! I hope you like them,” I mumbled out stupidly. Talking was not my strong suit when she was wearing that robe. My brain was too focused on not shutting down from the lack of blood.
"They're lovely. Here, I'm going to put them in a vase. You go up to my room and wait for me there, okay?" She instructed as she took the flowers from my hands. But, before I could get away, she stopped me with a hand on my arm. Bella leaned up and lightly kissed my cheek. "By the way, hi." 
I chuckled and returned the kiss, whispering my hello, before going up to her room. I was blown away at what I saw there.

The room was decorated with candles spotting every single surface except for the bed. Music was playing in the background, but it wasn't like some cheesy romantic pop lovefool mixed tape. It was a little dark and very sexy. I took a step forward, shrugging out of my jacket before throwing it onto her computer chair. 

“Take off your shoes and socks then lay on the bed,” Bella whispered in my ear as a song I loved came on. I felt my heart thump with the heavy beat. 

I turned around slowly and held her gaze as I pulled them off, tossing them so they wouldn't be in the way. I went to touch her, but she stopped me. 

“Let me do it my way,” she whispered to me, looking at me through her thick eyelashes while biting her bottom lip. I nodded my head, unable to speak for a moment, and walked over to the bed. I laid down on it, letting one of my legs hang over the edge. I rested up on my elbows, watching her. “Thank you. Do you have the panties?”

I flushed as I pulled them out of my pocket, along with the box of condoms. I placed them both on her nightstand, careful not to accidentally light them on fire. That would have been a great way to ruin the evening.

The song changed, one I wasn't sure of the tune, but it was sexy as hell... especially when Bella began to take off her robe. Each movement was slow, sensual, and deliberate. She let the fabric drop to the floor, puddling around her feet. 

I was surprised I didn't cum in my pants right there.

Fuck me... my brain screamed. It was going to be a good thing that I was a teenage boy and could recover rapidly because I was going to lose it very quickly. Maybe even if she just came any closer. Bella ran her fingers through her curly hair, shaking it out slightly, so it spilled over her shoulders before running her fingers between her breasts. "I hope you like it. I got them just for you. It took me two hours to find them yesterday, but I wanted to find the perfect thing. I wanted to make tonight unforgettable for you." 

“You didn't have to do all this to make it unforgettable for me. Just being with you is... God, Bella,” I breathed out her name. She did all of this for me? How the hell did I get so lucky?

Bella was… fuck, there were no words. She was just mouthwatering. She was wearing a dark navy blue corset thing that was lace and completely see-through except for the cups that held her breasts. It had hooks all along the front, and it stopped about two inches above her belly button. And the panties. Oh... my... Those panties were going to be mine. I could have jumped for joy on the bed. They were lace and barely there. And they had a bow. She was wrapped up like a gift. 

For me. No one else. She was a gift just for me.

"Do you like it, though?" Bella asked as she did a little turn. 

Her ass was amazing. I wondered briefly if she would bend over for me to get a better look before I remembered that she asked me a question. “Bella, I love it.”

She began to walk forward, and I heard a clicking noise. She was wearing heels. Oh. My eyes lingered at her legs and moved their way up slowly, skimming over the creaminess there. Just before she got to the bed, she stopped and picked up her other set of panties. She gave me a little smile before throwing them into a hamper. "You look so handsome tonight. You do normally but... wow. I do miss your glasses though,” she said as she leaned down, running a tiny finger over my nose. When it skimmed over my lips, I kissed her fingertip.

“You really like them?” I asked, taking her hand in my own and bringing her wrist to my lips. I peppered it with kisses before running my lips over her palm. She moaned softly, slowly coming onto the bed with me. Gingerly she straddled my waist, careful to not pull her hand out of my grasp.

“Yes, very much so. You have gorgeous eyes,” she answered as I began to suck on her thumb, rolling my tongue over the very tip.
“You're gorgeous, Bella,” I answered, pulling her down to kiss her sweet mouth. She was so soft and warm against me. The feeling of lace and skin under my fingertips made me feel like I was on was fire. I got so lost, letting the music set the pace.

“You are the one,” it sang. “My sweet prince. You are the one. You are the one.”

I let my fingers dip along the edges of her panties, caressing the curve of her ass while my other hand knotted with the hair at the very back of her neck as we kissed for a long time.

Okay, I wasn't a virgin anymore, but I had a strong feeling that Bella was going to make me feel like a real man that night. In fact, I already did. I wasn't some teenage boy kissing a pretty girl. I was a man about to make love to a beautiful woman for the first time. 

Slowly and carefully, I rolled Bella over on the bed, so I was on top of her. I settled on my knees between her legs, taking in her entire body. I placed both of my hands on her sides, slowly sliding them downwards until I reached her ankles. Bringing one of them to my lips, I kissed the top of her food as I pulled it from the shoe and dropped it to the floor. Doing the same to the other, I could feel Bella tremble underneath my lips. 

“Are you okay?” I asked her, leaning down so I could look into her eyes.

"You are so much more than I deserve," she answered, pulling me down for a kiss. It was her turn to touch, not allowing me to reply back. Bella let her hands roam my back as she pulled my shirt up and over my head. Her nails dragged over each muscle before she actually grabbed my ass with both of her hands. Somehow I held in my squeak of a surprise, but I wasn't able to keep my hips from bucking forwards. She groaned softly, her head thrown back. 

She changed our positions again, taking control as she kissed down my chest. Bella lapped at every muscle in such a way that I felt myself begin to shake. It was so perfect. Her nimble little fingers pulled at my pants, freeing the button. She slid the slacks down my legs, taking my boxers with them. Then, just to tease me, she placed a slow kiss on my belly button before coming to kneel beside me on the bed. "I believe these panties are yours now," she teased in a light voice that was still laced with the smokiness of lust. 

“I was hoping that it was all mine,” I answered before I could stop myself. My arm wrapped around Bella's waist and pulled her down on top of me. “Tell me you're mine.”

"Is there any doubt? Edward, I'm yours." She smiled as she sat up. "All of me." She popped each hook out of place, making her breasts spill out of the corset. When her fingers came to her panties, I stopped her. She looked at me in confusion until I took over, pulling the fabric down to her knees. Bella laid on the bed beside me, and I quickly sat up to remove them the rest of the way. 

I was going to cover her body with kisses, especially her breasts, and worship her but she shoved me onto my back roughly. She straddled my hips, and it was the best feeling ever to have her warm wetness against me. I hissed as she adjusted herself so that she slid over my erection. My eyes rolled up into the back of my head. "Stop it or I'll cum all over you before we even start," I warned her. 

"Maybe you don't remember, but I like it when you cum on me," she answered back with a sassy little smile. My hips bucked upwards, wanting to find a warm wet place to bury the raging hard-on that I had. 

Oh, no. That was it. I was done with being teased. Normally I would have laid back to let her have her way with me, but I wanted to feel some control for just a little while. I had been wanting and waiting for her for days. I missed her body. And, after all the sexy clothing and music, I was done in completely. 

I flipped her onto her back, holding her arms above her head while I kissed her wildly. Finally, I freed them as I began to nip at her earlobe. “Get. A. Condom,” I commanded her in a rough voice, my erection rolling against the warm flesh between her milky thighs. The spot was wet and warm… and just heaven. 

I didn't watch her reach for the box, but I could hear her scrambling to get it as I suckled her nipple roughly, massaging the other one with the palm of my hand. My other hand slid down her body, cupping her. She moaned, grinding herself against my palm. She was soaking wet. I slid my middle finger over her clit over and over again until she was shivering underneath me.  

“Condom,” she finally whimpered out. I looked up and smiled as she showed me the little square. Kneeling back, I took the wrapper from her fingertips. Bella spread her legs a bit further apart, rubbing herself as she watched me roll the latex over myself. I stroked myself for a moment as I watched her, transfixed by the way her fingers dipped inside.

“I love watching you do that,” I mumbled, moving my fingers over her own very lightly. She gasped loudly as my fingers brushed over her clit again, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

"Edward, now. Please? I need you..." Bella whimpered, her cheeks red hot. I leaned down quickly, my hands on either side of her head as I pressed myself deep within her warm body. She gasped loudly again. "Edward..." She chanted my name over and over again as I moved with her. We rocked to the slow, steady beat of the music. 

I brought one of my hands to her thigh, pulling it up and over my hip so I could hit at a different angle. When I did, all noise stopped short in her throat, coming out only as a strangled cry. I was almost worried that was hurting her as I took in the fact that she was clutching the sheets and her mouth was shaped into a big O. Her foot dug into my ass, forcing me to move again.

And boy did I move.

It wasn't quick and shallow pumps. No, it was better. I moved slowly, letting every inch of me slide into her before pulling almost all the way out. I let my hips press against hers with every pass, pushing in as deeply as possible. I felt like I was being swallowed whole. 

“You're beautiful,” I breathed against her neck as I slid one of my hands between us where we were joined. As best I could, I massaged her in time with my strokes.

I felt hot liquid pour from Bella's body, spilling all over my thighs. She began to milk me, crying out for me to cum inside of her. I felt every muscle in my own body flex and tense as I let go of myself for her. My fingers dug into her thigh as my head fell forward into her shoulder. I cried out, shocked at how awesome it felt. I was in literal awe. 

Slowly, I rolled beside her. I began to take in deep breaths, blowing them slowly out through my mouth. Bella snuggled in close to me, her entire body hot and flushed. I brushed my fingers through her hair, smiling a little bit too brightly. “Are you okay?”

“I think I need to change the sheets,” she muttered into my chest. “God, I am so embarrassed.”

“There is no reason to be,” I laughed despite myself. I was overjoyed with my performance. I lifted up her chin so I could look into her deep and beautiful brown eyes. “You know, women do that as well? Ejaculate, I mean,” when I said the words, Bella scoffed and nearly turned purple in the face. I snickered, kissing her nose. “I have to say, it's kind of...umm... ego boosting. I know you're not faking it. That would be kind of impossible to fake, I hope. If so, bravo.”

She laughed, smacking the side of my arm. I laughed again, pulling her on top of me. “Edward, one thing I would never do is fake it. I'm not about to try to boost your ego. I want to feel good, too. Just like you... And, I know you'd do everything in your power to do that,” she said in a soft sensual tone. 

“Well, I do like to strive for excellence,” I teased her, running my hand over the curve of her lovely ass. “You know, it takes loads of practice and studying to be good at anything. Sometimes, I have to study all night. I am willing to put in the hours of practice to perfect the craft.”

“Yup, you already don't need your ego enhanced,” Bella smirked teasingly as she stood up from the bed. I instantly missed the heat of her body. “I'm going to get cleaned up and then I'm going to order some pizza. How does that sound?”

"Hm, can it not involve clothing?" I asked hopefully. Instead of answering, shaking her head she turned and wiggled her ass at me as she walked to the bathroom. Well, damn. It was worth a try. It was a beautiful parting view, though.  

I got up off the bed and waited my turn to get cleaned up. I looked at the bed and couldn't help but smile at the fact that it was all kinds of rumpled. After straightening the sheets and blankets, I picked up my clothes from the floor. 

“Now, that is a view you don't get to see every day,” I heard Bella say from behind me. I nearly jumped a mile high. She giggled, running her hands over my back as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I could feel cloth against my back. Damn clothes.

I brought Bella around to face me, lightly kissing her neck. She was wearing a pair of purple plaid pajama pants with a matching solid purple tank top. “You know, you could if you wanted to,” I said as I nibbled her ear.

“Oh! That's a lovely thought. Hm, will you come every morning before school and strip down for me? I can't think of a better way to start the day,” she said jokingly, kissing my chest lightly.

“I was thinking of holding you all through the night then we could wake up together, nude,” I spoke against the top of her head, not really wanting to let her go, ever. “Get up, shower together. Eat breakfast in the nude…” I trailed off. 

"I like your idea better," Bella answered softly. She lightly dragged her nails over my back, gently kissing my pec. "Go get cleaned up. I'll order us some pizza. Is pepperoni okay?" 

“Sounds great,” I assured her as I gathered up my clothes.

After getting dressed, we went downstairs. Thankfully the pizza didn't take long. I was starving. By nine that night, we were stuffed full and lazing happily on the couch watching TV. She placed her legs over my lap, a blanket over both of us as we laid in opposite directions. I wasn't sure what we were watching, but Bella seemed to enjoy it. She giggled and smiled, hugging the blanket to her chest. 

And then we fell asleep, again.

We really needed to stop doing that. We just kept wearing each other out.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, but when I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything. Dimly I realized that I had my arm over my eyes. Slowly I moved it and looked around. I was greeted with the sight of Bella's father's face. It scared the hell out of me. 

Oh, Jesus! I sat up quickly. “I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I'm sorry. Don't kill me,” I begged him. I was completely confused when he started laughing.

Death was no laughing matter.

“Son, I'm not going to kill you. Do I have a reason to?”

“No!” I answered quickly and a little too loudly.

“You're acting like I caught you in bed with her, not asleep on the couch in front of the television. It's fine, son. I trust my daughter. She’s a good kid. But, I do have one very important question to ask you.”

"Y-yes-s s-sir?" I stuttered out. Oh, I knew the question he was going to ask, and I knew my face would give it away. I thought it was going to end so badly. I was sure I was going to die that night. 

“Is that pizza from tonight?” He asked, pointing at the box on the table. I sighed in relief, relaxing somewhat against the couch.

“Yes, sir. It is.”

“Oh, good!” He smiled happily. “I should probably get Bella up to her room first.”

I stood up, running my fingers through my hair. I glanced over at the clock. It was just after midnight. Hopefully, my mom wouldn't be too mad at me for being so late. “You know, I'll get her up to bed. Enjoy your pizza.”

"Thanks a bunch, kid," he said, plopping down in his Laz-E-Boy without even bothering to get a plate. He put the box on the lap and began to devour a piece. 

Carefully, I brought my arms underneath Bella's light body. She hummed softly, resting her head against my chest as I hauled her up the stairs. She didn't even stir until I laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her body. I leaned down and lightly kissed her forehead.

“Where are you going?” Bella mumbled sleepily.

“Home, love. I need to get going. It's really late,” I said sadly, putting the box of condoms in my pocket. It was a good thing Charlie didn't take her up to bed. I would have been dead then.

"No. Bed. With me. Naked," she whimpered, tugging on my hand. I chuckled and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. She returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping her fingers into my hair. "Stay." 

“Your dad is home.”

She shook her head before kissing me again. “I don't care.”

"Well, I like my testicles, and I want to keep them from being shot off of my body. Someday soon, I promise. Sweet dreams," I said, brushing my fingers through her hair. 

“Goodnight, darling,” Bella mumbled before rolling over and falling back asleep. It was so sweet. I tucked the blanket perfectly around her tiny body before going down the stairs.

“Goodnight, Charlie!” I called from the front door.

“Night, kid. And thanks for keeping an eye on Bella lately. I hate for her to be alone so often,” he called through a mouthful of pizza.

“It's not a problem at all,” I assured him. “It's my pleasure.”

I played my music loud to keep myself awake until I got home. The only light that I could see on was the one in the foyer, so I decided it was probably best to go that way. I was about three feet in the house when I heard my father's voice calling to me. Damn. I sighed heavily and turned towards the room with the noise, the living room.

“Hey, Dad,” I called to him quietly, sitting beside him on the couch. He had been watching ESPN in the dark. He was in a pair of scrubs, probably going in for the late night shift soon.

“You were out late,” he said quietly. It wasn't an accusation or anything. It was just an observation.

“Yeah. I fell asleep at Bella's on the couch again,” I told him truthfully.

“You really like this girl, don't you?” He asked, muting the sound to turn so he could talk to me. He had such a concerned look on his face. It was kind of sweet. I smiled a little bit, rubbing my knuckles under my chin as I considered how to answer him. 

“I... do...” I said carefully. “She's just... Bella is everything I expected her to be and more, you know? She's kind and generous and just so damn beautiful. Every time I'm with her, I just feel so... content. I didn't know I could feel like this. It's so awesome." 

"That's how I feel when I'm with your mother," he said thoughtfully, looking down at his clasped hands. "You know, I met her when I was just a bit older than you, but I knew she was the one right away. I saw her for weeks before I finally got the courage to ask her out. And then that first day together... I knew then that I never wanted to go another day without her. Edward, you are young, though. I want you to be careful." 

"Bella won't break my heart," I shook my head in thought. I bit my bottom lip before looking at him. "I'm afraid of hurting her, though." 

“How so?” He asked, his eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Bella... She should be with someone like Emmett, you know? A pretty popular football player. I mean, he's not as much as he was last year, but he's still ten times more popular than me on my best day. And she's gorgeous. A literal ten. She's going to wake up one day and realize she's stuck with just me, and she'll be too sweet to tell me to go away." 

I leaned back on the couch, looking up at the dark ceiling as he processed what I said. "I saw the way she looked at you on Tuesday. Edward, she's already head over heels for you. I don't think Bella is going to pop up one day and go 'huh, he's not popular enough.' I don't think she is shallow like that, do you?" 

“Of course not!” I said quickly. “That's not what I mean.”

"Son, trust that you're a good guy. There is no point about worrying about that anyway. She's a big girl, and she can make choices for herself. Just be the best man you can be for her and everything will work out," he said as he patted my leg before standing up. He turned off the television before stretching his arms above his head. "Now, it's late, and you should get to bed. I've got to work. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." 

“Alright, Dad,” I said as I followed him out of the living room into the foyer. “Thanks.”

“For what?” He smiled, slipping on his jacket.

“For everything,” I said as I began to walk up the stairs. “Especially for not getting the phone to Mom quick enough this afternoon.”

He laughed, the noise echoing through the tiny room. "You better learn to sneak out better if you're going to keep dressing like that. She's going to get you one day. I hid the actual camera from her, but that'll only work for so long." 

“Thanks,” I laughed before telling him goodbye. I went to my room and collapsed onto my bed, hating the empty space beside me. I missed Bella so much already.

I felt like dancing. I felt like singing. I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs. I felt like doing about three dozen things all at once, and I wasn't sure which I wanted to do first. The day had been such a good one, and I hoped it was just going to get better from there. Bella was coming over. It had to be a good evening. I didn't care what my brother did or what my father said. Let them be idiots. As long as she was around, I was going to be fine.

I came humming into the living room, hanging up my messenger bag on the hook on the wall after leaving Bella at the school. I was greeted by the wonderful smell of baked goods. Just as I was about to run up the stairs, my mother came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her filthy apron. I couldn't even begin to make out she was cooking by the mess she had made on it.

“Hi, Edward!” She called to me brightly, “you seem chipper.”

“Yeah, I am,” I chuckled stupidly. It was like I was stoned and yet hadn't smoke a thing.

“Well... that's good," Mom said slowly, kind of surprised by my attitude. "Bella still on for tonight?"

“Yup!” I smiled at her, walking up the stairs. Well, it was more like skipping like a moron but who really cared?

“Edward! Your shirt is all dirty. And you've got grass in your hair. Did you get in another fight?” She said in a shocked and worried voice once she took in my full appearance. Oops, forgot about that...

“No,” I told her truthfully as I took the steps faster.

“What? Have you been rolling around in a pile of yard clippings, then?" She yelled after me. I knew she was being sarcastic, but I was having a hard time holding in my laughter. I lost that fight quickly.

I started giggling, the sound low and a little hysterical. "Something like that, Ma. I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll come help, okay?"

“Okay," she said, a bit dazed and confused. Not that I could blame her. I wasn't acting like myself, that was for sure. I wouldn't have been surprised if Dad had another 'drug talk' with me in the next few days. Not that it would have ended up a serious one. It would have been more like my father asking me if I was a junkie, and then I would tell him no. Then he would say to me that if I were, I would have to share. Or perhaps he that he knew where to get the good stuff if I was interested, you know being a doctor and all. He was funny like that.  

I took a quick shower, washing my hair, and scrubbing my body clean. There was a bunch of grass circling the drain, and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it. No wonder Mom thought I was crazy. After that I got dressed, I didn't even bother with my hair. I started bounding down the stairs, going to help her with dinner as I had promised.

“Carlisle, it's just so amazing,” she said to my father in the kitchen. Apparently, it was my week to listen in on conversations. I wondered just how many conversations they had listened in on. It was only fair, of course.

“What do you mean?” He asked distractedly as I heard the newspaper, or whatever it was, turn. It was the local paper, I was pretty sure.

“Edward, he's just- Oh, Carlisle. Honey, I don't think he's picked up one of his video games in five days. “

Okay, she shouldn't have been so amazed by that. I did have other hobbies. And it wasn’t entirely true. I had played some. Just not as much.

“Really? Huh. Well, Bella seems good for him. I talked to Aro yesterday. He says he likes her a lot and that she seems to be really interested the boy as well,” my father explained. I would have to talk to my teacher about keeping his mouth shut later. I would have to do that the next day as a matter of fact.

“I suppose so. I mean, muffins! He made this girl muffins!” Mom explained in a girly squeal that sounded like something from a bad romantic comedy. “How sweet is that?”

“What's sweet about that was that they were actually edible,” he snarked. There was a sharp smack. “Ow. What?”

“You could do that now and again, you know. Would it kill you?” She snapped back at him. “Maybe you could take a lesson from your son.”

“Well, you know, darling, there are things that I can do instead...” I heard him trail off in that nasty seductive voice he liked to use on her. I would have to put that to an end.

I came stomping into the kitchen loudly, my mother in his arms. “Can we break up the love fest? Seriously. Virgin eyes around. Please don't scare the children.”

She smirked, slapping at me with her kitchen towel. Dad chuckled, leaning down and burying his face in my mother's stomach. He started making playful, gnawing noises until Mom squealed. Then she began to whack him in the head with the towel. They were a bizarre couple, but at least they were happy. Not a lot of people could say that.

“Get out of my kitchen. I've got to cook,” she ordered him when she backed away, pointing at the den.

“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted, glad to get away. He wasn't the best cook in the world. I wouldn't want him making muffins for me, that's for sure. The only thing I would trust him for is to order pizza or Chinese.

“Don't get too comfortable,” she shouted at him. “You'll be starting the grill very very soon, young man.”

“Ah, how you flatter me so,” he called in a thick British accent, waving his hand over his shoulder. Mom huffed before turning her attention to me.

“What can I do to help?" I offered with a slight smile. I was trying to be as good as possible. This was for my girlfriend after all, even though I didn't really want to. But, I figured if I were any kind of bad right then it would come back to bite me in the ass sooner rather than later.

It is never a bad idea to suck up to your mother if you have the chance...

Mom bit her lip as she thought, then glanced at the clock. It was just then four in the afternoon. "Those hens on the countertop, the ones that have already been prepared, need to be put in the brine. There is a bucket for that underneath the island. Get that for me," she instructed, picking up a few things and hulking them over to the counter.

I did as she asked, not sure what to do next. "Now, what?"

“Fill it about two-thirds way full with cool water," she said distractedly, pouring what looked like pink salt and red peppercorns into a bowl after measuring it. By the time I brought the water back over, she had added something that looked like seeds and something that looked like one of the ferns outside. I wasn't going to ask, though. I learned to trust my mother's cooking at a young age. "Bring it over here and get me a big spoon."

I put the bucket in front of her and then went to go get a large wooden spoon to stir. She poured the bowl of stuff inside of it and started to mix slowly. Mom then took the mini-chickens from the other counter and put them inside the water. “Remind me to take those out in an hour, okay?” She asked.

“Of course,” I smiled at her. “Oh, and Mom?”

“Yes, baby?" She said as she went over to the sink to wash her hands. I came to stand beside her and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. I was probably a full foot and a half taller than her when she wasn't wearing her heels.

“Thanks for this.”

Mom looked up at me slowly, looking somewhat dazed once again before she smiled sweetly. "You're very welcome."

Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and I waited impatiently in the living room for Rosalie and Bella. I knew they got done with practice around five o'clock, but Rosalie always arrived by around six. I knew they would want to shower and change before coming over. Emmett and Jasper played some football game that I totally didn't understand while Alice and I played chess. My mom had waved me out of the kitchen not thirty minutes after she put the chicken in the water, claiming that I asked too many strange questions and then ordered my father to start up the grill. The smell of poultry was just starting to perfume the air. My stomach growled loudly, demanding food.

“So, you got home fast this afternoon,” Alice said conversationally as she moved her white knight to take my black pawn. She was walking perfectly into my plan.

“Oh, did I?" I asked, not really looking at her as I did so. I moved my bishop to take her rook, which was left open by moving the knight earlier.

“Yes, you beat me by a full twenty minutes at least," she answered, taking the bishop with another knight. Her king was almost totally open. It was only a matter of two more moves, and the game would be over.

“Hm,” I mumbled, moving my own knight.

“Want to tell me why?” She smiled at me knowingly. Damn her and that face. Why did she have to pretend she knew everything?

“Nope, not really,” I answered back with a smirk before waving my hand at the board. It was still her turn.

“Ah huh,” she laughed, moving her queen nearly across the whole board. “Check and mate,” she answered as she stood, flicking her tiny finger over the little marble piece.

What the hell just happened? I growled in my head. I frowned, replaying the game in my head. She totally got me. That was rare, but it still happened. It frustrated me, though. I swear she could see my moves before I made them sometimes.

I was about to ask how she did it and what strategy she used when the doorbell rang. I jumped up from my seat a little too fast, bumping the chess board and knocking down most of the pieces. Both Jasper and Emmett started laughing.

“A little excited there, Ed?” Jasper asked with a smile.

“A tad,” I told him truthfully.

“I don't blame you," he whispered as I passed by. "She's hot." Alice smacked him on the shoulder with a deep frown on her face. With her tiny fists on her waist, she looked so fierce. "What?" He asked.

“Behave,” she mumbled to him.

I rolled my eyes at the displaying, walking towards the front door. My mother was waiting for me there, which frightened me slightly. She waved at the door, wanting me to answer it.

And there stood Bella.

She was all I could see. She was my entire world for that long second.

Rosalie walked past me, mumbling a hello that I didn't answer. I heard some talking around me, but I couldn't make out any of it. It was just Bella. She was standing there in the cutest little tights and a long baby blue tunic that went to her thighs. Her hair was French braided, tiny little curls and wisps of hair coming free from the hold around her neck and ears. Silver hoop earrings dangled from her ears, drawing my eyes to her neck which I so desperately wanted to kiss.

Parents. There are parents around.

“Edward,” Bella smiled, biting her bottom lip as she looked at me from underneath those long curly eyelashes.

“Bella,” I replied back, smiling like a total and utter idiot.

“Edward, well, aren't you going to invite the girl in?” My mother called behind me, pulling me out of my fog.

“Oh, Jesus, yes. Please, come in,” I said, stepping aside so she could move past me. Mom almost instantly pounced.

“Hello! You must be Bella! I am so excited to meet you!” She gushed, wrapping her arms around the poor girl. She looked like a deer in headlights at being squeezed by the random crazy woman.

“Mom,” I muttered in embarrassment, pinching the bridge of my nose.

She ignored me, stepping back but leaving her hands on Bella's forearms. "You are such a pretty girl! Oh, where are my manners? I'm Esme, and this is my husband, Carlisle."

“Mrs. Cullen, Dr. Cullen, it's so nice to meet you and to see you again,” my girlfriend offered with a warm and casual smile. She glanced back at me, her smile brightening slightly.

“Please, honey. Call us Carlisle and Esme," my father said as he took her hand. Much to my horror, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. I glanced over at my brother and sister who were trying to hold in snickers. Rosalie was actually pressing her lips together and closing her eyes in an effort to hold in her laughter.

“Of course, if you insist,” Bella said, stepping back by my side. I was wondering at what part of the evening I could take her and hide up in my room alone. I had a strong feeling though that wasn't happening anytime soon though. “Something smells wonderful. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Oh, no, dear! You're a guest!” My mom assured her. “Edward, Emmett, why don't you two get the girl's something to drink? Dinner will be in about ten minutes.”

I nodded my head and pressed my palm against the small of her back to guide her towards the dining room. We already had a couple of types of drinks set up in there. When I was pretty sure I was out of hearing range of my parents, I leaned down and whispered, "hi," into Bella's ear before pressing a kiss to her temple.

She turned her head up towards me and gave me a gentle smile, running her fingers over my cheek before leaning up on her tiptoes. With soft sweet lips, she pressed a kiss to my jaw. “Hi,” she said in return.

I heard a girlish squeal behind me, and I turned just in time to see my father pushing Mom into the kitchen. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose once again. "You aren't too overwhelmed?" I asked as I grabbed a cup full of ice for her. She pointed to the pitcher of lemonade, and I poured her some.

“No, it's kind of sweet actually. Your parents seem really nice,” Bella answered as she took the glass from my grip. Rosalie came with Emmett trailing behind. He had lipstick all over his mouth, Rosalie most likely kissing him senseless. That probably didn't take very long.

“Em, you got a little something right here,” I said, making a circling motion with my finger over my entire face. He rolled his eyes, grabbing a napkin from the table. Rosalie snatched it from him and began to wipe off his face like she was his mother and not his lover. I leaned into Bella really close and whispered in her ear, “I bet you a dollar she licks her thumb and wipes the corner of his mouth.”

“That's not a bet I'm taking,” she said ruefully.

I chuckled and began to lead her into the living room. Just as we were out of the room, I heard my brother exclaimed, "oh, gross! Rosie, did you have to do that?" We both laughed.

We cuddled up on the couch while Jasper and Alice flipped through TV channels. Dinner was smelling so good right then. I think Bella would agree with that because I heard her stomach growl loudly. I chuckled as she blushed with embarrassment, running my fingers over her cloth covered stomach. “Do I need to get you something to eat now?” I asked playfully.

“Apparently so,” she muttered through her hands as she rubbed her face. I pulled her hands away and softly kissed her lips.

“Don't be embarrassed. You've worked up an appetite today. I'm pretty hungry myself. Oh, and speaking of getting you food, I wanted to ask you something.”

Bella wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning her head against my shoulder as she pulled her legs underneath her. “What's that?”

“Would you like to go out with me on Friday?” I said in a quiet voice. She pulled back slightly, looking at me a bit confused for a second.

“There is a pre-season game on Friday,” she frowned slightly, biting her bottom lip.

“Oh," I said even more quietly. "Nevermind, then."

“No, no. I want to. Let me think for a minute," she said, bringing her finger up and closing her eyes while scrunching her nose. It was all very adorable. "The game starts at six so it should end by nine, maybe a little sooner. So, maybe you can go to the game, and we can leave directly from there and go to Port Angeles?"

I nodded my head, pursing my lips. "What can we do there, though?"

“Well, we can grab a quick bite to eat then go to a late movie,” she began before turning around. I hadn't even realized that my parents had been standing there. I was far too focused on Bella. “I mean if you don't mind if I keep him out that late.”

“No!” My mom said excitedly. “You two have a good time. It sounds like fun.”

“What movie do you want to see?" Dad asked conversationally after my mother told us the food was ready. We all got up and started to head into the dining room where Emmett and Rosalie were already sitting. Everything was on the table, and my brother already started to fill his plate. Rosalie was trying to be polite, but she was eying her favorite potato salad.

“Well, I wanted to see that new Tarantino movie. I mean, if that's okay with Edward? I'm not picky.” She looked over at me expectantly.

It’s something I had wanted to see, too. Knowing we had similar tastes in movies made me feel like I had just fallen in love with her a little bit more.

Wait, love?

I blinked my eyes, trying to concentrate on what Bella had just said and not that I said I was in love with her. The phrase was blinking like a neon light in my head, but I quickly shook it away. I would have to deal with it later. "That sounds amazing. You don't think your dad will mind you being out that late?"

“No, he works. He wants me to have a life.” She shrugged her shoulders delicately. Bella then licked her lips slowly as she looked down at the table. “Um, so... wow. There is a lot of food here.”

“Mom goes a little overboard,” Emmett chuckled, his face covered in barbecue sauce already.

“Shut up,” Mom answered him quietly in a defensive voice before clearing her throat and turning her attention towards my girlfriend. “So, we've got Filet Mignon, grilled barbecue game hens, or grilled salmon for your choice of meat. There is potato salad, slaw, sweet honey baked beans. Um, what else...” She looked over the table to see what she forgot. “Oh! And cornbread with honey pecan butter. And for dessert-”

“Hey, Mom?” I called with a slight smile.

“Yes, darling?”

“Why don't we get to dessert later before the food gets cold?”

Dad snorted but then masked it with a cough. She was not fooled and sent him a nasty glare. “Sorry,” she apologized to Bella. “I just get a bit excited.”

“No! You should be! This is a wonderful meal! Everything smells so good," she giggled softly. "I'm a little worried that I'll overeat and end up looking like a pig. I want to try everything!"

“Rosalie eats enough for three people. Feel free to,” I whispered loudly. Rose smirked and threw a piece of ice at me. I grabbed it midair and popped it into my mouth with a smile. “Mm, refreshing.” She rolled her eyes but smirked.

Dinner was a flurry of talking, eating, and joking. Bella and I should have just shared one big plate because we were picking stuff off of each others. She would try a bite of steak off of mine, and then three more before I tried her fish. It was easy to see that both of my parents loved my new girlfriend, and she liked them as well. Actually, everyone got along really well. It was all so natural. I didn't feel worried. I didn't feel like I had to be anyone else, for once.

I felt like I was home. I mean, complete at home. I had everything I would ever need in this world right there around me. My friends, my family, my girl, and delicious food in a safe and comfortable space.

My mother brought out three desserts. A caramel flan, chocolate cake, and mini strawberry tarts. Once again, we should have just gotten a big plate and shared. It would have been easier that way. But, we did at least share a glass of milk. By the time dinner was done, Bella had her legs across my lap and had turned completely towards me.

“Ugh... I am so full. Mrs. Cullen, I need all your recipes if your cooking is always this good,” she said, her hand on her stomach.

Mom laughed happily, her cheeks flushing slightly at the compliment. “Thank you, dear! I would love to give them to you, but only if you promise one thing.”

“What's that?”

She gave her a warm smile. “If you promise to call me Esme.”

“Okay, Esme.” Bella smiled slightly. “What can I do to help you get cleaned up?”

“Please! You guys go on! Hang out! I've got this,” she said as she shooed us away. Dad stood up as well. “Where do you think you're going, Dr. Cullen?”

He pouted out his bottom lip. “I guess I can't go hang out too?”

“What do you think?" She asked in a sarcastic voice as she snapped a set of tongs in his direction. He threw a dirty napkin at her, and she laughed loudly. I decided to pull Bella away from the line of fire before it turned into a makeout session between the paternal units. Because that's where it was headed.

“So..." Emmett said, dancing around excitedly like a little kid on Mountain Dew and Pixy Stixs. "Lets, rock!"

“Ugh, you always want to do that,” I complained from the couch. Bella sat beside me, pulling her legs underneath her once again. “What year is it again? 2005?”

“Shut up, you baby. You're just mad because I'm the most awesometastic at it,” he stated as he flicked on the TV.

“First, awesometastic is not the word. That sentence is all kinds of wrong, babe. Hate to tell you that,” my girlfriend started in a hilariously sarcastic voice, “and two, what in the world are you guys talking about?”

“Guitar Hero!" My brother cried, doing terrible air guitar as he did so.

Rosalie leaned over slowly and whispered loudly, “I'm so sorry. He's had too much sugar. This is his favorite game.”

Emmett glared at her, but Jasper decided to step in before he said anything stupid. He knew his best friend too well and knew that it would probably end up to those two fighting before making out. Nobody wanted that visual. "Have you ever played, darlin?" He drawled in his thick southern accent. He could melt butter with it, and most girls just oozed. But not Bella.

She looked at me nervously, biting her bottom lip carefully between her white and very straight teeth. Man, I like way too many parts of her, I thought to myself, but I couldn't help it. "Um, I think I'm just going to watch for a while if that's okay?"

“That's more than fine with me,” I assured her. “I don't want to play that much myself.”

“You will play me, bitch! I challenge you!" Emmett cried stupidly. Jasper snorted, and Rose rolled her eyes as Alice clicked her tongue. Talk about an ego that was trying to inflate itself. He knew he always lost to me. I don't know why he ever bothered even really trying. Rosalie was going to have to spend the rest of the night letting him win to stroke his ego.

I looked over at Bella and sighed. She just smiled. “Play for me?”

“Sure,” I nodded my head thoughtfully. “Fine,” I told Emmett in a grunt. “But, I get to pick the song.”

“Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm still going to beat you,” he said to pump himself up. I rolled my eyes and stood, grabbing my favorite black guitar controller and turning the game on. Emmett took the white one that was covered in stickers, hopping in place like a maniac.

This is going to be interesting.

I scrolled down the list, looking for the perfect song. I smiled to myself as I selected it. Stellar, perfect.

I knew this song by heart anyway. I could have played it with my eyes closed on the game. I looked over at Emmett, who was biting his tongue in concentration as he waited for the song to begin. When it did, Jasper snorted.

“Oh, this song has no meaning whatsoever. It's not directed towards anyone,” he said sarcastically.

I flipped him off quickly before beginning to kick Emmett ass. Like Emmett even had a chance on expert. He needed to practice up a bit more on medium or hard before he challenged me again.

Alice and Rosalie started singing along behind us, making me laugh. Bella giggled, starting to sing along with them as well even though she didn’t know the words very well. We had all heard these songs a million times Emmett played it so much.

“Fuckity, fuck... shit... shit...shit...” He muttered to himself over and over again as he missed like every third or fourth note.

“Make me feel like you do... How do you do it... It's better than I ever knew...” I heard Bella sing behind me, and my grin grew as blood filled my cheeks.

I did the star power, throwing my score well over double that of Emmett's. It didn't help that I hadn't missed a single note either.

Okay, I'll admit it... I was showing off for Bella. Everyone knew it, and if they said a single word about it, I would beat them all the hell up.

I began to mouth the words towards the end of the song, really getting into it. “You are stellar... How do you do it? Make me feel like I do. How do you do it? It's better than I ever knew...”

The song ended, and Emmett muttered fuck again before putting his guitar down and sulking over to the couch. Rosalie sat beside him, whispering something in his ear which made him smile. He nodded his head, and she giggled before kissing his nose. I took my own controller off, fighting the urge to gloat and passed it off to Alice and Jasper who played next.

“That was amazing,” Bella whispered to me, snuggling into my side with her arm draped over my stomach.

“Okay, remind me to actually play the guitar or the piano for you sometime? That's far more impressive than pressing buttons,” I teased her, lightly pressing a kiss to her nose. She smiled up at me, her big brown eyes shining. “Can I kiss you?” I asked suddenly, the words just tumbling from my mouth.

“God, yes. Please do,” she answered back, leaning up quickly and pressing her lips to mine. I gathered her up in my arms as her fingers dragged over either side of my jaw.

We kissed like it would be our last. Passionate and full of emotion, soft and slow but with so much urgency right below the surface.

My tongue was halfway in her mouth when I realized that we had a crowd around us... and they were clapping wildly and loudly like jackasses. I pulled back, beet red. Bella looked down shyly, just as red as me.

“I didn't know Eddie had it in him,” Jasper snorted, looking back at us from his position by the television with Alice, who was also starring slack-jawed.

“It's always the quiet ones,” Rosalie waved off his comment, winking over at my blushing girlfriend. “He's had it building for a while. Right, Bella?”

“Oh, my god,” I muttered in embarrassment as my family continued their teasing banter. I buried my face in her neck, hiding it from them. She started to giggle, holding me close to her.

“Don't be embarrassed,” she whispered in my ear, her lips brushing against the lobe. It felt so good. “Let them say what they want to. I'll deal with them.”

“And, how do you plan on doing that?” I asked into her skin. I felt her shiver against me.

“Watch and learn...” she instructed. My girlfriend pulled back, looking very seriously at everyone. “Shut the hell up and play your damn game.”

Jasper snorted again and rolled his eyes before turning back to the screen. Emmett and Rosalie were already distracted by each other. I chuckled, getting more into a position so that I was holding her instead of the other way around. Bella settled into my side.

"So, it's that easy for you, is it?" I asked.

“Yes, sir, it is,” she said with a yawn. Her head went to my shoulder, her hand resting on my stomach. Her fingers curled slowly, very gently scratching over my abs.

“Tired?” I asked, feeling my own yawn come on.

“Very,” she yawned again.

I pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped us both up. Resting my head on top of hers, I closed my eyes. The length and the activity of the day came crashing down on me. It was amazing how quickly I fell asleep, but I felt so safe and warm with Bella by my side. She just fit right there perfectly, at my side. Even if we were on the couch, I don't think I had ever been so comfortable before in my life.

I wasn’t really sure how long we slept for, wrapped up in each other's arms. But, when I opened my eyes when I felt the tapping on my shoulder, I realized that it was dark in the living room. I sucked in a deep breath, rubbing my hand over my face roughly. I felt a pleasant weight against my shoulder and realized that Bella was still dead sleep, her face totally peaceful. I smiled at the sight.

Then there was that tapping again.

“Edward, honey,” my mom whispered quietly. “Edward, wake up.”

“I'm awake,” I said rather drunkenly.

“I'm sorry. I hate to do it when you look so comfortable, but it's almost ten thirty. I'm sure Bella needs to get on home or at least call, so she doesn't worry her father," she explained, actually looking apologetic about having to do it. I smiled up at her.

“Yeah. Thanks, Mom. We didn't mean to fall asleep. I think we both got up early and after so much good food… And, we’re just so comfortable. You know how it is,” I said, rubbing some of the sleep out of my eyes. I honestly felt a little heavy with it. I wanted nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep with Bella. But, in my bed and completely nude. I wonder if we can ever arrange that...

“Alright, sweetie. I'm heading up to bed. I'll see you in the morning,” she said, rubbing her hand through my hair affectionately. She left me alone to wake up Bella. I was grateful for that.

“Love,” I whispered quietly as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. She hummed softly, curling up against me even more. “Love, it's after ten. We need to wake up so we can get you home.”

“I don't want to go home,” she mumbled in her sleepiness. “I want to stay here with you. I don't want to be alone.”

“I don't think your father will like you sleeping with some loser he doesn't know,” I teased her, pushing her hair behind her ear.

“Can I see you tomorrow afternoon?” She asked with such large sad eyes that my heart broke a little bit for her. She was really sad to be leaving.

“I have two classes to teach tomorrow, and then I have a private lesson," I explained to her, hating myself as I did so. "Thursday, maybe?"

“I've got cheer in the afternoon, but we can see each other in the early evening if you want to? If you want, you can come over to my place and have dinner. My father will be working late again."

“That would be fantastic,” I whispered against her forehead before leaning down to kiss her soft and warm lips. Her fingers worked their way into my hair, tugging it so gently that small shivers ran up and down my spine. Placing both hands on the small of her back, I brought her closer to me. After a few minutes, I finally had to pull away. “Come on, before I haul you over my shoulder like a caveman and take you up to my room.”

“What if I want that?” She asked in an innocent voice even if the words totally weren't.

I groaned softly, “woman, you tease me so...”

Bella stood slowly, grabbing my hand and tugging me upward. "It's not a tease. I would love nothing more than for you to do that right now. But I think your parents would mind. And my father would get mad if I got home after him."

We walked to her truck in silence after that, hand in hand. The moonlight floated over her skin, kissing it with the lightest of glow. I could see her eyes shining up at me as her fingers traced my jaw with sweet gentleness. My thoughts of love earlier struck me again, and before I could say anything stupid like declaring my undying love for her, I kissed her.

Her hand settled on my fast beating heart as she pulled away. Bella looked like she wanted to say something more, but instead, all she said was, “goodnight, Edward.”

“Goodnight, my love,” I whispered as she drove away.

​

The class was flying by. Though time was supposed to fly when you were having fun. I loved hanging out with the kids. They were always so great.

First, we did some stretching and then warm-ups before we practiced our forms. Finally, after that, a little sparring to finish up. It was about fifteen minutes until the end of class, so I decided to play a game with them. Maybe that way they would wind down a little bit before going home with their parents. I kind of doubted that. It never calmed me down when I was their age. 

Besides that, it was usually fun.

"Alright, everyone, who's ready for the king of the mountain?" I called loudly to the class. King of the mountain was one of those standard MA games that we always played beside a form of tag and kickball. The main goal was to get the other person out of the square without getting out yourself- by any means possible. 

There was a bustling of noise so loud that I almost missed the bell attached to the door as it went off. This was most of the kids favorite game, and they let it be known. I glanced over, checking to see if it was a parent in the waiting area. I was surprised to see who it was instead. 

Bella...

I instantly smiled. It didn't matter why she was there. I was just happy that she was. I would have to ask her later why though.

"Wouldn't it be queen?" One of the girls in the class called sarcastically, bringing me out of my sexy girlfriend induced haze. I gave her a crooked grin before turning my attention back to my class. I had to remember where I was. I was working, and I needed to be good for my class. They deserved a teacher that was there and not in la la land. 

“Not if I win,” I smiled wickedly in a challenge. I loved messing with the kids. “Now, everyone line up. I'll take the overall winner. You two up first,” I said as I pointed at two of them, a blond girl with pigtails and a brunette with short wild curls. The two girls clapped their hands excitedly before running out into the middle of the square, getting ready for their mini power struggle. They were so into it.

It didn't take long for the small class to declare a winner. There were only four battles anyway. The winner was an amazingly small girl, a red belt, who was too quick on her feet even if she was the tiniest. She always had a way of getting away or slipping from someone's grip. She was also good at knocking people off balance. She had beaten me before, but I wasn't going to allow that to happen again. 

“Alright, Caroline... You ready for me?” I asked in a playful growl as I stepped in the middle of the square.

"Yes!" She squeaked out. I raised an eyebrow at her slip, and she instantly corrected herself. "Yes, sir..." 

I began to circle her playfully, bending at my knees with my hands up as I prepared for her 'attack.' She circled me nervously, biting her lip as she considered what to do since I obviously wasn't going to be the first one attack. Suddenly she charged, grabbing my legs and tried to push me down to the ground. It wasn't working though. I was too ready for her, too steady. 

She was pretty strong for a ten-year-old, though. But, not strong enough, of course. I was determined. I wasn't going to let her catch me off guard and knock me down to my ass. I wasn't going to be embarrassed like that while Bella was here. So, I decided to go another route. 

I grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over my shoulder in one smooth movement. Her legs were swinging wildly until I wrapped my arms around her knees. I didn't want to be kicked in the face, of course. She squealed, smacking at my back with her tiny clenched fist. “Put me down!” She yelled loudly, laughter floating through her voice. “Master Edward! Put me down, please!”

"Nope," I laughed, shaking her a little bit. "Everybody, line up!" I called to the giggling girls. They were just loving what I was doing. I was one of the better teachers with the kids I had to admit. The girls listened to my instructions instantly, still laughing as they did so. "Bow!" They did, and I returned the gesture with the girl still on my shoulders. I let her dip down before swinging her back up. She squealed again, this time clutching onto my jacket for dear life. "Dismissed." 

The girls ran off, laughing still to their parents who were waiting for them in the wings. I set Caroline to her feet, kneeling in front of her afterward. I placed my hands on her shoulders to make sure she had her balance. It wouldn't do for her to fall now. "You did really well. Want a sucker?" 

“Yes, please!” She beamed up at me happily. “Green, please.”

“A girl after my own heart,” I teased as I fetched her one of the candies from the small store we kept. It always made sense to keep things like that and drinks handy.

“Thank you,” she said with her big brown eyes batting at me before running off to her parents who were gathering her things already. She was so adorable.

"I think someone has an admirer," Bella teased quietly when she walked over to the edge of the carpeting when all the parents had left. Some of them had me answer some questions or said thank you. I talked to anyone that wanted to. It was part of my job. But, we were practically alone now. 

I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck as I did. “Nope, all the kids are like that with me. They just like me, I guess.”

"I'm sure... Especially the girls. If I knew that the karate teachers were this cute I would have joined ages ago," she said in a seductive voice that made shivers run up and down my spine. Did she do this stuff on purpose, or was she just naturally good at it? I wondered briefly if I would ever figure that out. 

I opened my mouth to say something but Aro came out of the back. He wasn't all that great with the kids really. Well, girls anyway. He preferred to rough house with the boys. So, he had been hiding in the back. His eyes instantly got large when he saw Bella. She was a horse of a different color, of course. Not that I could blame him. “Well, hello there. How may I help you?”

"Oh," Bella blushed a little bit under his gaze. "I'm sorry. I'm not a customer. I just wanted to let Edward know he wouldn't have to pick me up tomorrow for school. My guy fixed the truck. It was just a loose belt or hose or something," she explained before lowering her voice. "You forgot to give me your cell again, and I didn't want to call you at home again, especially too late. I don't want your mom to think I'm a stalker or something. That would be bad." 

Aro raised his eyebrow at me in question. I knew the teasing would come soon. I didn't care, though. Let him tease me if he wanted to. He waited in silence, waiting for something. Then I realized what. I sighed softly, "Aro, this is Bella, my girlfriend. Bella, this is Aro, my teacher, Master Aro Tori." 

“Your girlfriend?” He grinned evilly. I pleaded with him with my eyes. Dear god, behave, please! Like he heard me or something, his grin softened slightly. "You know if you guys want to run off, we can do your lesson another time. I really don't mind." 

“Oh, no! I don't want to interrupt anything. I'm sorry I'm keeping you guys from your stuff,” Bella said bashfully.

“Well, you could always join us,” Aro said, winking at me when Bella wasn't looking at him. “I'm sure Ed wouldn't mind giving you a private lesson or two.”

"Really?" She asked with sparkling eyes. They were so beautiful. "You wouldn't mind?" She said as she turned to me. Who could say no to that face? To that body. To that voice. To her, in general. 

“You're joking, right? That sounds fantastic!” I said excitedly. Her grin grew, as did mine.

“Alright,” Aro said as he clapped his hands together before rubbing them together in his own excitement. “Take off your socks and shoes.”

"I'm going to get a bit more comfortable too," I informed him, going over to my stuff that was shoved in the corner of the room. I took a drink from my water bottle before I tugged off my belt and removed my jacket. When I turned around, Bella was staring at me as she stood in the middle of the padded floor. She had removed her boots and socks, along with her sexy black vest. I just could make out the curve of her breast that was pushed up by her bra. When I finally noticed her heated gaze, I asked, "what?" 

Aro cleared his throat just as the phone rang in the back. He sighed, running a hand over his forehead. He hated that part of it. Office work wasn't his thing. “I'm going to get that. Help her get stretched out,” he said, surprisingly sounding a bit relieved. I guess I wasn't the only one that could feel the tension in the room. Or, maybe it was just in my head. 

I walked to her, not really sure where to start, especially with the way my nerves were going. After a minute, I instructed her to sit. She did so instantly. I sat behind her with my legs on either side of her body. With my hands on either thigh, I slowly and carefully spread her legs wide. She was amazingly flexible, and she was almost in a full split easily. 

Bella leaned back against me, her lips about an inch away from my ear. “You're so hot,” she breathed.

“Sorry,” I mumbled as I scooted back about a foot and a half without a single thought.

“No,” she laughed as she pressed herself against me again. “I mean as in I want you to tie me up with your black belt and fuck me within an inch of my life kinda hot,” she whispers so only I could hear her. 

When she finished, she bent down and pressed her forehead to her knee, which also forced her ass against my throbbing crotch. "Holy Mother," I gasped as she switched to the other knee. I took in a slow and deep breath. 

“Wow,” Aro said as he came back in, taking in the scene around him. “I don't think she needs your help after all. You've done this before?”
“I do it for cheerleading,” Bella informed him quietly, a smirk still playing at her lips.

His eyebrows raised, looking directly at me. I just smiled. What was I supposed to do? Do a victory dance? Even if I did feel like doing one... “Well, I bet you have one hell of a kick, girl. We'll have to work on that some other time though. We were going to work on flips today if you think you're up to it.”

“Flips?” she asked curiously as she stood. Her ass was perfectly eye level for a moment before she turned to offer me her hand to stand. I hopped to my feet, all the time willing my erection down. My pants weren't exactly great for hiding things like that. Thankfully Aro wouldn't say anything. I hope.

“Yeah, like flipping someone,” I informed her. Bella's eyes got wide at my words.

“I can't do that,” she said quickly.

“Anyone can do it. Remember that little girl from earlier?” Bella nodded her head slowly. “She's flipped me before. She's half your size. You can do it, baby.”

“Something tells me you don't call your other students that,” Aro muttered to himself.

“Oh? Well, come here, sexy,” I called to him, blowing a kiss his way. The entire time I was trying to hold back a laugh.

“Shut up,” he laughed loudly at me. “I'm going to teach this girl to toss your skinny ass to the ground, you know that?”

“If she wants me on my back then all she has to do is ask,” I said before I could stop myself. Me and Aro were like this normally, but I didn't want Bella to know that. But really, I didn't regret it. I just smirked to myself as she scoffed quietly, amusement dancing on her features.

“Edward Cullen!” Aro shouted loudly. “I am so proud of you!” He playfully wiped his eyes. “You're becoming a real man.”

“Screw you, you old bastard,” I muttered.

“Edward is all man,” Bella stepped in for me. “I can account for that.”

My jaw almost dropped to the floor. The urge to do that victory dance came on again.

“Oh!” Aro laughed loudly. “Feisty. Me likey.”

“Jailbait, you pedophile, for one. Two, my girlfriend,” I pointed out with my hands on my hip and a raised eyebrow. We stared at each other for a long moment. Aro tried to look serious. It wasn't working.

“I turn eighteen next month actually,” Bella informed me with a small smile.

“Don't encourage him,” I smirked, but I couldn't help but smile back at her in return. There were lots of possibilities for her birthday. I would have to talk to her about that later.

“Okay. Let's get down to business, kids," He raised his eyebrows in challenge. I decided to let that one slide. Compared to his old ass, we were kids. "Bella, stand here. Edward is going to attack you from behind." 

“And how exactly is he going to attack me?” She asked brassily. I could tell Aro liked her sarcasm. Just what he liked in his women. He was a dirty old perv though.

"Show her, Ed," he told me. I instantly grabbed her, not too tightly, around her arms. She melted against me, leaning into my touch. My face was almost buried in her hair, and it was so tempting to take a deep breath. "Don't get too comfortable." 

“What am I supposed to do?” Bella asked quietly. “I'm not sure I can do anything.”

“You are so much stronger than you know,” I told her in a whisper in her ear. She turned and quickly pecked my cheek.

Surprisingly, Aro didn't say a thing.

“Well, it's all about how you put your weight, princess,” he began to instruct. “Grab onto his left arm with both of yours. Grab it tight.”

Bella did so, her little fingers digging into my muscles pleasantly. "Now, what?" 

"Turn your left hip into his side. Push him slightly. See how he bends a little. That's where you can knock him off balance." She nodded at his words, so he continued. "Move forward slightly, bring him-" The phone rang again. "Jesus Christ! They'll never leave me alone. Gah, I'll be right back," he said, stomping into the back. 

So, I decided to take over. “Bend over slightly. You'll bring with me naturally. I'll be completely off balance. That's when you bring your hands into play. Bend now,” I instructed. She did so slowly. “See? Just like that.”

“I don't think I can do it,” Bella told me again.

“Yes, you can. Now, do it faster this time, but throw more weight into my hip while pulling my arm,” I instructed into her neck, breathing in her scent as I did so. I could taste it on my mouth.

"Ready?" She asked as if I had never done it before. I nodded, and she began to move. Putting as much weight into her hip as she could, she threw me back before pulling my arm forward. I tumbled to the floor while tucking my head in, landing with a huff. Bella gasped, putting her hands over mouth. "Oh, my god! Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" 

She dropped to her knees beside me, completely worried. It was so sweet, but I couldn't help but laugh, "good job, baby." 

“Are you okay?” She asked again. She leaned over me, looking for an injury of some sort.

I slipped my hand behind her neck and pulled her down to my lips. Right before I kissed her, I whispered, "I am more than alright. You did fantastic." 

We kissed on the floor, my fingers in her hair while her hands were on my chest to keep herself upright. I wanted so badly to take her on that floor. That was a fantasy of mine. Being with her at the school, all alone. 

“Oh, good god! Get a room,” Aro said in annoyance before turning to go into the back once again.

Bella pulled back, beet red while biting her lips between her teeth. “Sorry,” she mumbled quietly. “I should probably get going anyway.”

I sat up on my elbows. “Okay,” I said, pouting a little bit. She went to the carpet and sat down to put on her boots. “Oh! Wait! I forget something. This is going to sound so stupid but my mom really really wants to meet you. She's going to have a... thing... tomorrow, and she wants Rosalie and Jasper there as well. Do you want to come? I mean, I totally understand if you don't want to. Like... I don't want to come, and she's my mom." 

"Edward," she laughed. "I'd love to. That sounds great. But, it'll have to be after cheer. But, I guess if Rosalie is coming, she already knows that." 

“Yeah,” I nodded.

"Sure. My dad has been working late a lot, anyway. It'll be nice to eat with people," Bella slipped on her boots after putting on her socks. Then she finally stood to put on her vest. I stood as well and walked over to her. 

“Thank you for coming by,” I whispered to her. “It was fun.”

“It was. You really should give me some private lessons. I think you could teach me a lot,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “By the way, you still need to give me your cell number.”

“I'm not sure if I want to. I kind of like you coming to find me to tell me things,” I teased her, my arms draping over her shoulders.

“Think of it this way... it'll be easier for me to find you,” Bella smirked up at me, kissing my chin after.

I sighed, "I don't want to let go of you." It was kind of pathetic and sad, but I didn't care. 

“I don't want you to either,” she replied back.

I kissed the top of her head just as I got a good idea. Moving my hands to her ass, I lifted her up. Bella giggled, automatically wrapping her legs around my waist. She was such a light little thing. I could have carried her all day. So, I walked to the store area and picked up a permanent marker. Sadly, to write my number on her hand, I would have to put her down. I sat her on the counter, pulling her wrist to my lips first. I kissed it firmly, sucking on her pulse point for a moment before writing my number neatly and slowly on her palm. She shivered quietly, watching me intently. 

"There you go." 

“Thanks.” She smiled at me as she slid down from the countertop. Her entire body brushed against mine as she did so. “I'll see you at school tomorrow.”

"Yeah," I said, not wanting to say goodbye yet. She began to walk towards her purse, but I grabbed her, quickly stopping her. Firmly yet sweetly, I kissed her lips. "I'll see you, then." 

“I'll be in front of the gym in the morning,” Bella informed me, “if you want to share breakfast with me?”

“Sure.” I smiled happily. “That would be great.”

"You bring a little something, and I will too, okay?" She beamed at me, picking up her purse. 

“That sounds great,” I said, giving her another kiss. “Bye, love.”

“Bye,” she replied, walking out the door with a backward glance towards me.

“Holy shit. What was that?” Aro asked me, coming from the back to stand beside me.

“What do you mean?” I asked him seriously.

“You two are, like... attached at the lips. You're going all muppet googly-eyed on me. How long have you been with this dame?”

“Dame? How old are you?”

“You're avoiding the question,” he pointed out to me. All I could do was roll my eyes. “She really likes you. You really like her, don't you?”

“I do,” I nodded. “I feel like a magnet right now. I'm just so attracted to her. And she makes me feel...” I shook my head, not sure how to explain it. “I didn't know I could feel like this. She's so sweet. Everything about her is just so beautiful. I want to just hold her and kiss her and give her everything she’s ever wanted.”

“You know who you remind me of?” Aro asked as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“Who?”

“You remind me of Carlisle when he first met Esme. You Cullen men fall fast. I'm almost jealous,” he teased me. “Alright, kid. Now it's time for me to kick your ass. I had to watch you shove your tongue down her throat. That deserves a severe punishment.”

“As if you could, you dirty old man,” I snorted at him. “Especially right now. How’s your back, Gramps?”

“Get on the floor, little boy. We'll just have to see exactly how it is.”

He wiped the floor with my ass. 

After my private lesson, I finally headed home. I was utterly worn out. Surprisingly it was quiet inside when I arrived. I wandered into the kitchen to find my mother. She was stirring something in a large metal pot with a big wooden spoon. "Hey, Mom." 

“Hey sweetie,” she said distractedly, putting a handful of green stuff into the pot.

“Where is everybody?” I asked, coming to sit at the island.

“Dad's at work and Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice decided to go out. That leaves me and you, kid. Unless you're leaving me, too.”

“Nope, I'm having dinner with a wonderful woman tonight,” I told her. It was best to start sucking up right away. I wasn't sure what would happen to me the following night.

“Oh? Bella?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head and smiled at her.

“No, Ma. Don’t be silly. What are you making?”

“You are such a sweet boy.” She came over to kiss my forehead. I smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as she leaned against me. “Even if you stink.”

“Gee, Mom. Thanks,” I smirked at her. “Whatcha’ cookin?”

"Angel hair with tomato sauce and olive oil with a touch of cheese on top," she explained, putting on her best chef face as she did. 

“And, those fools decided to go out to eat instead?” I teased. “Need any help?” I offered to her, standing up from my stool.

“Set the island for us. Oh, and why don't you get the tea in the fridge?”

“Sure thing,” I said, hopping to work. “Any bread?”

“Oh! I almost forgot about that,” she said, rushing to the bread box. “Thanks for reminding me.”

We worked together, putting the meal on the table once it was done. The room smelled pleasantly of freshly baked garlic bread. I put some noodles in the bowls. Mom took over and added the sauce and more olive oil before passing the bowl back to me. I threw a massive handful of cheese on top of my own. I poured us each a glass of mint tea before sprinkling even of a different cheese on my pasta. I began to mix it together, not looking at my mom. 

"So, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" 

"Not sure. I think we should grill out. Maybe I'll just make a mix of things. You know, chicken, steak, burgers. Something for everyone. It won't be too fancy. Are you going to talk to Bella about it at school tomorrow? Do you think she'll come?" My mother asked excitedly. "Maybe, you can call her tonight." 

"Uh, I already talked to her," I explained quietly. My mother looked a little confused. "Bella showed up at class. She needed to tell me something, and I forgot to give her my number before. She didn't want to call here and make you think she's a stalker." 

She laughed, “I wouldn't have.”

“I know that, but she's worried about it for some reason,” I said before taking a bite of garlic bread. “Anyway, I talked to her about it then. She said she'd love to.”

“That's great!” She said before taking a sip of her drink. Then her head snapped up. Well, that was never a good sign. “Wait. Did Aro meet her?”

“Um...” I trailed off, avoiding the question by shoving food into my mouth.

“Oh! No! Aro met her first?!” My mother pouted at me. “That's not fair.”

“I didn't mean for her to meet him first,” I promised. “It just happened. Hey! Be happy she's coming tomorrow! Okay?”

“Fine,” she mumbled before clearing her throat. “So, how's dinner?”

“I love it, Mom! You really are the best cook. You know... Bella likes to cook, too. I'm sure you two can talk about food tomorrow,” I said in a way to distract her from her mild annoyance. Of course, it worked.

After I helped her clean up the kitchen, I went up to my room and took a shower. I scrubbed myself down thoroughly, enjoying getting the salt and grime of karate off of me. I always felt like a mess afterward. I let the hot water melt away my tension, just enjoying how it flowed over my body. 

After reading a chapter for my Lit class, I climbed into bed while wearing only my boxers. I pulled Bella's panties from underneath my pillow, imagining what the special blue ones would look like. I enjoyed feeling the fabric in my hands, but I enjoyed exploring it on Bella's body even more. 

After a quick private session with myself, I fell into a deep asleep, entirely spent.  

​I was pretty happy when I got home. Okay, that was an understatement. Cloud nine didn't cover how high I was at that moment. I was probably skipping like a freak, but no one could have blamed me. I just spent the afternoon with a beautiful girl that liked me. There was no better thing in the world.

None.

This even beat out every video game combined. By a mile. By a million miles. That was saying something.

"Hello, parental unit," I said cheerfully to my dad as I came into the living room. My father was sitting on the couch, flipping through some large book with a marker, a pad, and a pen. I propped my feet up, snatching up the remote. I really didn't want to watch television, but I needed to do something with my hands.

“Hello, offspring number two,” he answered back distractedly. I was blessed with understanding parents. They knew I was strange and they just ran with it. “Where were you this afternoon?” He asked, highlighting something in his medical journal.

"Mom didn't tell you?" I asked in surprise.

“Your mom and sister went out for manicures before I woke up,” he explained, closing his book with a snap and picking up his coffee to give me his full attention. I think honestly he was looking for an excuse to stop.

“Because they're not gorgeous enough." I rolled my eyes, trying to skip over his question if I could. I loved my dad, but I knew instantly where this would lead, and it would probably be embarrassing for both of us in the end.

“I know,” he scoffed. “So, where were you?”

I frowned before sighing. Embarrassment it is. “I had lunch with a friend.”

"Oh, who?" He asked, looking rather interested. I didn't go out a lot, and I only had a couple of friends.

"Um, this girl that I fixed a computer for yesterday," I told him truthfully. "It was slow, and she didn't have the money to get a new one, so I offered to kind of boost it," I explained to him, trying to distract him with details. I could tell instantly that it wasn't working.

"Oh, well. That was nice of you." He smiled like he was proud. I think sometimes they, my parents, forgot that they taught me how to be a gentleman. I knew it didn't soak into Emmett's thick skull, but I was smarter than that. "So, what's her name? Is it anyone I know?"

“Bella Swan,” I said quietly.

“Swan? The police chief’s daughter?”

"One in the same." I shrugged. I tried to look around for an escape route, but it wasn't happening. I didn't have homework to finish, and he knew that. Also, Mom wasn't around to 'need my help.' Video games wasn't a good enough excuse. I was doomed.

“She's a very... pretty girl,” he said, trying to be diplomatic. I could also tell that he didn't want to sound like an old pervert. “I've had her a couple of times in the E.R. She's a cheerleader. Dangerous sport.”

“Yeah, I know.” I nodded my head thoughtfully. I never really thought about it like that way. I suppose it could be rather dangerous. That just made me worry for her more.

“A cheerleader, huh?” He said proudly.

“Oh, come on, Dad,” I said at his instant change into... well, basically Emmett. “She's more than a cheerleader.”

“Are you two dating?”

The million dollar question...

"I... uh... I- I don't know," I said, running my fingers through my hair roughly. "I mean, I love spending time with her, and she seems to like me, but we haven't called it anything yet. And she's great-" I stopped myself before I could say anything else. Anything stupid anyway. He raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to answer. "She's a great girl and a good friend."

"Ah, huh," he said in a chuckle.

“Don't look at me like that,” I said nervously.

“Like what?” My dad smiled.

“Like you know what I've been doing,” I accused.

His smile grew even wider. “Is there a reason I should know what you've been doing?”

"God, no!" I nearly shouted before collecting myself. "That's kind of private. She's just a great girl, and I like being with her. Shall we leave it at that?"

He picked up his book again, a rueful smile on his face before he adjusted his glasses. “Do I need to have the birds and the bees talk with you again, son?”

“Argh,” I growled as I got up from the chair in a flash. Dad was snickering on the couch, amused by my embarrassment. I could see where Emmett got his sense of humor from.

That night I kept true to my word and fantasized about Bella bent over, except in my fantasy I was behind her doing some amazing things. It involved nudity, lube, and lots of pleasurable screaming on her part. Hopefully. I fell asleep thinking about her. And then I dreamed about her.

None of this was helped by the fact that I still had her panties from earlier.

I think I was becoming slightly obsessed.

Only slightly, right...

I woke up in an odd mood. I didn't know how to feel truthfully. I was worried about what school would bring. Bella was a popular girl, and I could ruin that for her. I wasn't going to put her in that position either. I didn't want her to have to choose between me or her status. That wasn't fair. And even though I wanted very badly for her to be my girlfriend, I could deal with being just her friend or hell, her fuck buddy if she wanted. Being with Bella in any way was better than no way at all.

And, in my heart, I knew that Bella wasn't like that. She didn't care about status and popularity, but what she felt and did could be totally different things.

I walked down the stairs to the kitchen. I could hear quiet talking in there, and I knew it wasn't Emmett. He had football practice before school. It wasn't Alice because I knew she was still getting ready. I heard the hair dryer when I passed her door. She always took the longest, of course.

“So, what do you think about all this?” My mom asked Dad in an excited voice.

“I'm not sure what to think, but you should have seen how happy he was when he came home yesterday afternoon. It's been a long time since I've seen Edward smile like that. Hell, Esme, he was practically glowing.”

“He was happy last night too. Usually, he just stays in his room. But you're right... he was glowing, to use your wording," Mom said before I heard a slurp, probably her morning cup of espresso. My mom was an energetic woman, and half of that came from her morning dose of black sugarless sludge.

“Afterglow, perhaps?” My father offered. I held in my groan of annoyance. My father knew me too well. I would have to hold that in or something. Was it possible to mask an 'afterglow'? What the hell was an afterglow anyway? Was I that obvious?

Would I even have to worry about it again?

"You don't think...?" My mom said in a surprised voice. My father must have nodded. "Really? I've never seen this Bella girl, but Emmett said that she was very, very pretty and that she was a cheerleader."

"I've seen her, and she's gorgeous. Big brown eyes, full lips, long shiny brown hair and she's got a great personality to boot. She's been nothing but sweet when she's seen me. Even when I reset her shoulder earlier in the year after she fell and dislocated it. It's hard to be nice when you're in that much pain, Esme."

“Do you really think that they're together?” My mother asked again.

"You shouldn't be surprised. He's a Cullen after all. Beautiful women come to us naturally," he teased her, and I heard her giggle loudly. I gagged a little, not wanting to know what my father was doing to her at that moment. I was so glad I couldn't see through walls.

"You think too much of yourself, Dr. Cullen..." Mom cooed. I had heard enough, and they weren't talking about me anymore. I was about to go back up the stairs to get my messenger bag when I nearly ran into Alice.

“Geez!” I shouted at my little sister. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“You know what they say about eavesdroppers, Edward Anthony,” she said in a chiding voice that she did too well. I worried about my future nieces and nephews.

“Yes, I do. But, in this case, I didn't hear anything terrible. Besides, I was just curious,” I explained to her as I walked past her.

"Mom drilled me for information on Bella yesterday,"  she warned me. Alice was my best friend, and she understood me more than anyone else. I was glad that I had her on my side. She could be a dangerous enemy when she wanted to be though.

“What did you tell her?”

“That she has to meet her but that she was a wonderful person. That's it.”

I smiled, “you're a good girl.”

"That's my job. Oh, Jasper is picking me up today, so you don't have to worry about giving me a ride," Alice said as she hopped down the stairs to the kitchen. "I've got ballet after school. What about you?"

“Karate at five.” I shrugged before running up to my room. Everyone in my family was always busy.

I was really looking forward to karate that day. I wanted a good workout. Especially after Bella seemed to like how 'solid' I was. I mean, I knew I was pretty well muscled even though I was lanky, but I had never gotten that kind of reaction before. It was kind of flattering and flustering all at the same time.

Also, I needed to let some tension out.

After a quick breakfast of toast and milk, I ran out of the house. I usually had Alice in the car with me, but it was a nice change. She had her own car, a gift for her sixteenth birthday, but she hardly ever drove it. She preferred for others to drive for some reason. Maybe it was her hardcore case of princess syndrome.

I turned on some soothing music, trying to gather myself. I didn't know how to speak to Bella at school. We had almost every class together, except for Gym and Spanish. Could we speak to each other openly? Would she want to sit beside me? Would she like to hold my hand? Would she tell people what we were?

What were we?

Ah, that question again.

As I got closer to Bella's house, I saw that her truck was still in the driveway. The red rusted thing was hard to miss, even in the rain. As I was just feet away, I realized that the hood was up and smoke or steam was coming from it. I didn't know all that much about cars so I wasn't sure why it would do that, but I knew it wasn't a good thing. I saw the big black umbrella leaning over the engine, but I noticed that the cruiser wasn't there. It must have been Bella.

I turned into the driveway and pulled the car to a stop. Bella leaned over, and when she saw me, she smiled.

"Engine trouble?"

"Yes. Boy, am I glad to see you! I tried to start it, and then it just started doing... this," she waved her hands over the engine.

"You should have called me. I would have given you a ride," I said a bit nervously, walking towards her. The rain wasn't that heavy, but it was a little cold. The end of August was hard to gauge how the weather was going to be.

The words made me nervous. Why hadn't she called me? I guess she really didn't want to be seen with me. I gave Bella a small smile when I saw her biting her lip. I was just going to tell her nevermind, she didn't need to answer me, when she spoke, "well, I did try to call your house, but your mom said you already left. I don't have your cell phone number."

I am such an idiot.

“Oh! I'm sorry! Well, I'll program it into your phone in a little bit. Why don't we get you into the car before you get too wet?” I offered.

Bella nodded her head before running to the truck to pull out her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder as I took the umbrella from her. With a hand on the small of her back, I walked her to the passenger side door, opening it for her.

“Edward?” She started out shyly after she put her backpack down, standing at the opening of the door. Her eyes were so innocent and wide. They were beautiful.

“Hm?” I hummed with a smile as I looked at her.

"Can I have a good morning, kiss?"

My grin grew as I leaned down, kissing her fully on the lips. With the hand not holding the umbrella, I brought her in closer to me so that our bodies were touching. She leaned against me, her arms going around my waist. “Good morning,” I whispered. “How are you?”

“Better now.” She smiled up at me sweetly.

“Me, too,” I agreed, smoothing some hair behind her ear. I couldn't not touch her. I had to. She was just too beautiful not to. I leaned down again and kissed her softly. "We better get to school."

“Yup, I suppose so,” she agreed with a slight nod. Bella slipped inside, buckling herself safely into my car. She looked so good in it. Like she fit perfectly.

I stood there simply looking at her for a moment. It was the first time I took in her appearance that morning. She was wearing tight dark blue jeans with sexy black boots that went up nearly to her knees. She was wearing a short-sleeved white button-down with the top buttons undone and a silky black vest. Her hair was braided, draping over her right shoulder. When she noticed me staring, she smiled. "Coming?" She asked.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” I mumbled as I shut her door and ran to the other side. We were still going to be on time, maybe even have a few minutes to spare. I pulled the car out into the street and booked it to school, just trying to keep my eyes on the road. It was hard with Bella beside me. We rode in silence, the classical music flowing softly around us. I pulled into the senior row, the parking area reserved for the seniors only and killed the car.

“You drive fast,” Bella mumbled as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Maybe it only seems that way because your car doesn't go over forty?” I offered with a teasing smile.

“It goes to fifty-five,” she defended it quickly.

I laughed, unable to stop myself, “at the moment, it's not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, I'll have to call a mechanic,” she said in a dejected voice. It was easy to see that she really did love her truck, even if it was a piece of junk. She told me the day before that her father had gotten it for her as a homecoming gift and that it was the most precious thing that he had ever given her.

There was an uncomfortable silence between us, the first we ever had. I had to say something, and I wanted to get it out without upsetting her.

“Look, Bella, I understand if you don't want to be seen with me,” I started out.

“Why wouldn't I want to be seen with you?” She asked with her eyebrows knit tightly together.

“Because look at me and then look at you. We're not exactly even on the scale. I just want you to know that I understand that if you don't want to worry about me. I understand and-”

Bella leaned forward quickly and smashed her lips to mine, her fingers going into my slightly damp hair. “I see you. And you're right, we're not even. You are so much better than me. I love being with you. Can you please understand that?” She asked seriously.

“No,” I told her truthfully, “but I'm grateful.”

She ran a soft fingertip over my cheek before giving me one more kiss. I looked out onto the yard, the dark tinting of my windows giving us the last bit of privacy for the morning. What would everyone think once we got out of the car? I looked back at Bella and sighed heavily. “Are you okay?” She asked in a tender voice.

“I think so. I hope so.” I gave her a small smile. “Come on. Let's get it over it?”

She nodded her head and got out of the car, throwing the backpack over her shoulder once again. I got out as well, throwing my messenger bag over mine. I walked to the front of the car where she waited for me. I was completely shocked when she offered her hand to me.

At that moment, I realized that I needed to trust Bella and what she said.

But, it was the others in the school that I didn't trust not to be cruel.

I could feel so many eyes on me for once. Usually, I felt so invisible, but I didn't like it in the least. I fought the urge to walk faster, but I forced myself to stay in time with Bella. She seemed completely blind to the attention. I wondered how she could be so strong. She looked over at me, shyly, biting her bottom lip. I gave her a small smile, feeling my nerves ball up in my stomach.

The first order of the day, do not throw up. Second order... Don't throw up.

"Hey, Bella!" Jessica, the snottiest of bitches, called from the breezeway. When she saw me, she looked confused. "Uh, hi... Edward?"

“Hey,” Bella said with a half smile. I could see her annoyance dancing just behind the surface.

“Good weekend?” Jessica offered in the way of conversation as she looked over at me. Well, it was more like gawked at me. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if I had spilled something on my favorite gamer tee shirt. It was a Final Fantasy shirt, special from Japan. My dad had gotten it for me when he had to go to a conference there a few years ago.

“The best,” the sweet girl holding my hand said as she smiled at me.

“Oh, you'll have to tell me all about it,” Jessica said with slight disdain. “I'll see you in the gym.”

Bella clicked her tongue as the other girl walked away, turning her attention to me. “What are you going to tell her?” I asked before she could say anything.

“Can you read my mind?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I'm sure Jessica is curious to what the hell is going on between us. She's probably going to ask if we're dating or not.”

"Oh, and what should I answer to that particular question?" Bella said with slight innocence, but I could see the wickedness in her eyes. I smiled at her, feeling a little bit of my confidence return. She wanted me. I had to believe in that.

“I'll be waiting to find that out myself,” I told her just as the bell rang. The first and Fifth period were the only classes we didn't have together. I knew she had gym class and I would have to run off to my Spanish class all the way across campus. It was worth it if I got to spend just a little more time with her.

Spanish was so boring. I was actually great at the language and already spoke it fluently. The teacher never called on me for fear of me correcting her. So, I just sat, twirling my pencil while I daydreamed about Bella. I couldn't wait until my next class, which was our second and third hour English. We had assigned seating, alphabetical order, but I could look at who I was fantasizing about, at least.

I hopped out of my seat, excited to at least see Bella when the bell rang. I practically ran to my next class. She was already there, a sweet little smile on her face. I grinned back, unable to help myself. She nodded her head towards my desk, and I realized there was a note waiting for me. My smile grew. I picked up the note as the bell rang again.

“Mr. Cullen. Why don't you take your seat so we can begin?” Our English Lit teacher called to me. I flushed and ignored the snickers as I sat, or really sank, down into my seat.

When all the attention was safely off of me, I opened her note.

Edward,

        Well, you were right. Jessica wanted to know what was going on between us. I gave her the answer to that question. I hope it's the right one...

            Bella

Well, what the hell did that mean? Women could be so confusing. I scribbled on that back in large letters so I could just hold it up when the teacher wasn't looking. We were both on the very back of our rows, two rows apart.

What answer was that? I asked in large letters.

Bella stifled a giggle before she wrote something on her own paper, holding it up for me to see. That's for me to know and for you to find out.

I pouted a little bit. I'll admit it. She flushed a little, biting her bottom lip as she smiled over at me. I felt like a dopey lovesick fool when I looked at her.

“What do you think, Mr. Cullen?” My cow of a teacher asked. She never liked me for some reason. Maybe because I corrected her as well. It just bothered me when the teachers got it wrong.

“Excuse me?” I stumbled out, looking up at the front. “I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?”

After that, I actually had to pay attention in class. I already had a full ride scholarship to Dartmouth, and I wasn't going to ruin it my senior year because I was lovestruck. I really liked Bella, and I knew she would understand. Anytime I would sneak a peek at her, she was working as well, which made me feel a little better. One day I actually wanted to be the kind of man worthy of her, and going to Dartmouth was a good way to start that.

When the bell rang, I felt her by my side. I couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in her direction when I glanced up after picking up my stuff. "So, are you going to give me the answer?" I asked her bluntly.

“Nope,” she said, popping the P with her lips. “Like I said, for me to know and for you to find out.”

“Well, that's no fun,” I whined as we began to walk to our next class together. This was where I first made a fool of myself the other day. We didn't have assigned seating in there. Where she would sit would give me a bit of my answer. I sat down at the large desk where I normally sat by myself. The classroom was only two down from our last class.

“Oh, do you think I'm going to make it so easy for you?” Bella teased quietly.

“One could hope. You do realize I am a novice. A tutorial would be handy,” I said to her truthfully. She sat beside me, placing her purple binder on the desk. Jessica didn't even look back at us.

“You're a smart boy. You'll figure it out.”

She was going to end up killing me. That was all there was to it.

Biology two was beyond boring to me as well. I didn't go for that kind of science. I liked the technical side to it, and I liked chemistry. I was surrounded by plants and trees all the time already. I was kind of sick of them by that point. The best part of the whole thing was that we had a project we had to do with lab partners.

And Bella picked me. She would have normally picked Jessica.

She put a slide into the telescope and looked into it before pushing it over to me. She got the right answer right away and allowed me to do the next one. We worked so well together. Anything I didn't know, she knew right away and the same in reverse.

We were the first ones done in the class by at least ten minutes.

“So...” Bella started off after she handed in the paper. “I was kind of hoping that you'd sit with me at lunch today. What do you think?”

"I think I'd love to." I smiled brightly. I normally sat with my siblings, but I don't think they would mind. I was normally on the edges anyway. Emmett was more popular than I was, but he should have graduated the year before. A bad injury prevented that. He had missed too much school. Alice was an outsider, kind of like me, but just in a different way. She was an artistic type. I was just a nerd. We were an interesting combination- when it was just us. Then throw their girlfriend or boyfriend into the mix, and I was the fifth wheel. I was looking forward to not being that for once.

“Hey, Bells,” Mike Newton said as he came over to our desk after he finished his project. I never liked him. He was a phony and a jackass. Plus, his hair was greasy. Did he not know how to take a bath? “How's it going?”

“Fine, Mike, how are you?” Bella asked politely, but she really wasn't that interested. You could tell by the look in her eyes. He, on the other hand, was drooling like a dog.

“Fine.” He smiled that cheesy smile that just made me roll my eyes. “So, I was wondering if you'd like to go to Homecoming with me?”

Wow, well, that was blunt. I wondered if he realized that I was trying to burn a hole through his heart with my mind. I was, of course, invisible to him. Nothing new there.

“Nope. Thanks for asking though,” Bella said right away. I almost laughed when Mike's jaw dropped open like a fish. Like no one would be able to turn down his good looks and charm.

"Why not?" He asked, rudely. Wow, he had zero tact.

"Because, I don't want to," she almost laughed meanly. "I was trying to be polite about it, but I can go into all the reasons why I wouldn't like to go to Homecoming with you. Would you like me to list them?" When he didn't say anything, Bella lifted up her hand, holding up a single finger. "One, you hump anything in a skirt. Two, you think anything in a skirt will let you. Three, I'm wearing jeans today."

Mike just turned around and walked away silently.

I barked out a laugh, covering my mouth quickly. “Wow,” I chuckled out.

“What?” She asked with narrowed eyes.

“That was awesomely harsh. Thank you. Mike had that coming. He's a man whore,” I explained with a cocky smile.

"Mike isn't my type. We went on a date once last year, and he put his hand under my dress. I stomped on his foot and slapped him. Apparently, he's forgotten about that already."

"No, he's just gone through everyone willing, and now he has to start back at the top," I said quietly. Jessica turned around and gave me a nasty look. When she turned back around, I whispered, "I bet she's next."

"I bet she says yes," Bella whispered back. I laughed, and she shrugged. "It's true."

I brought my head a bit closer to her and whispered in her ear in a low voice, “I love seeing you all... harsh. It's very... appealing for some reason.”

As I pulled back, I realized that she shivered, her entire face flushed red as she stared at my lips. She licked her own, and I could tell exactly what she wanted. I wanted to kiss her, too.  

I wanted to get up and dance on the table because she wanted me to do it to her and not Newton, one of the most popular guys in school.

She wanted me to kiss her.

Take fucking that, Newton!

I leaned in a little closer, going to try and sneak a kiss if I could when the bell rang. How was time flying so quickly? Maybe it knew I was having too much fun. Bella began to gather her things, so I did the same. Gym class was next.

Great...

“Um, so... I'll see you at lunch?” She asked hopefully, her eyes still dancing up and down from my eyes to my lips. I felt my cheeks heat and something else harden. I placed my binder in front of the strain, trying to hide it. I doubted I fooled her.

“Of course.” I smiled, clearing my throat.
    
"I'll see you then," Bella said as she began to walk out of the room. She was gazing over her shoulder at me like she didn't want to take her eyes off of me for some reason. She stumbled a little bit over nothing before correcting herself. Her cheeks turned a bright shade, and she laughed nervously. "Bye..."

Wow. What just happened?

​I walked Bella back to her truck after we had... finished up for the second time. It was much quicker, though. We were a bit worried about being caught by someone more important... like my mother. I had already strapped her computer into her car, but I was stalling for more time. I was still worried it was a dream, and if she drove away, everything would all disappear.

“So,” Bella said with a little smile on her face, her hand still in my own. It seemed like she didn't want to leave either.

“So.” I smiled right at her like a giant dope.

“So, I was kind of wondering... Well, hoping really, that maybe you'd like to come to have lunch with me tomorrow?” She said in a soft voice that made my heart skip about fifty beats.

“Really?” I asked in surprise.

“Yeah, if you haven't noticed... I kind of like you, a lot,” Bella said with a half smile, her back pressed up against the side of the dirty red truck.

“Really?" I asked again. I knew we just had sex, but the fact that she liked me boggled my mind.

“Oh, yes," she said, moving her hands up my arms slowly until they were wrapped around my neck. "I've liked you for a very long time. Since the very first time that I saw you in biology class. I know it's not exactly as long as you but," she gave me a beautiful smile when she paused, "I think you can forgive me the thirty minutes."

“I think I could forgive you anything.” I smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her lips. We stood there for a long moment, just kissing again. My lips traveled down her neck,  kissing at her collarbone eagerly.

“So, tomorrow?” Bella asked breathlessly.

“Tomorrow? Do we have to wait that long?” I said, nipping at her shoulder. Bella laughed and pushed at my head. I pulled away finally, smiling bashfully. “Sorry.”

“Don't apologize for that,” she said as her fingers dragged over my jaw. “I love it... I just suspect that we don't have much more alone time left.”

Just as she said that my mother pulled into the garage. I don't think she had seen me yet, though. I would have known instantly if she had. I pressed my lips to Bella's again quickly before opening her door for her. "Should I pick you up at eleven thirty?"

“That would be great." Bella smiled as she brought the truck to life and gave me a wild smile. "Oh," she said as she pulled out a marker from beside her. "This is my cell phone number." She wrote the number out on my hand. "I'm not sure if you have it or not, but why don't you call me later?"

“I'd love that.” I smiled before telling her my goodbyes. I shut the door and watched in a pout as she drove off. Walking into the garage, I resigned myself to helping my mother put the groceries away.

“Who was that?” My mom asked as she pulled out the cloth bags from the trunk.

I could have lied, but I knew it would bite me in the ass if I did so. “Bella Swan. You know, the chief of police's daughter. I fixed her computer for her.”

“That's very nice of you," my mom gave me a sweet smile before pressing a kiss to my forehead. I probably smelled heavily of her perfume. Luckily for me, she didn't say anything. "Why don't you take the waters in for me? I need a nice strong boy for that."

“Emmett's at Rosalie's.” I smirked at her.

“Har har,” my mother scoffed. “You'll do in a pinch.” She swatted me along. I laughed and picked up the huge case, putting it on my shoulder. I might not have been stronger than Emmett, but I could hold my own.

“I'm glad I'm around to be your grunt,” I said sarcastically, following her into the kitchen.

“You know, for a grunt, you sure talk a lot," she teased wickedly. I loved my mom's sense of humor. I think it's where I got my own. It was so dry, and she said it with such a perfect smile.

“Uhhhh... uuuurrrr...grrrooo...” I slurred out, dropping the water onto the counter. “Un, mistress of the home, what else do you require?”

“I need you to stop playing so many video games.” She rolled her eyes at my sarcasm. “And, go get the sodas out the trunk.”

I bowed my head dramatically and pretend to limp off. I felt something light hit my back, and I realized it was one of the cloth bags. "Hey! No real violence," I shouted behind me. "Only virtual violence."

“Oh yes, because that's so much better,” she laughed. I smiled, walking back to get the sodas as she had asked. Emmett leaned against the trunk, his arms crossed over his massive chest as he smiled.

Dammit...

“So... baby brother... how are you doing today?” He asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“I'm perfect, so don't ruin it for me," I said in a dangerously low voice.

He put his hands up quickly in defense. “I won't say a word. Promise.”

I nodded my head, picking up a couple of bags and leaving the heavy stuff to him. “Thanks,” I said quietly.

“Hey, what are brothers for?” He grinned before he began again, “so, Bella Swan?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and grinned, unable to hide my blush. "Yeah, crazy, huh? I wonder why she'd go for a guy like me."

“Hey, look- I may make fun of you a lot and call you a computer playing dweeb and a freak of nature, which you are, but you're still a good guy. And, you share genes with me. So you can't be half bad looking. Not that I'd look at you, but I can see why she might go for you," Emmett said in his weird reassuring sort of way. I gave a little laugh and smiled at him.

“Uh… Thanks, jock strap,” I said, breaking up the male bonding moment. We both needed it. I knew neither of us was that comfortable with this flowery friendly talk.

“You are very welcome, four eyes.”

“Aw, you're bonding,” my mother said teasingly, calling us out perfectly, as I set the bags onto the counter. Emmett plopped down the sodas, sitting himself down at the island. “How's Rosalie?”

“She's good. She's all excited about the start of football season. Cheerleading and all that. Oh, by the way, Ed, Bella's on the team with Rose this year. I wasn't sure if you knew that or not.”

“Bella, as in the girl you helped with the computer?" Mom asked with curiosity. I shot him a glare, but he just shrugged. I knew he wasn't really saying anything that would lead her to think we were together. Probably the opposite. What would a cheerleader want with me?

“Uh, yeah,” I answered with a shrug. I could feel the heat dancing on my cheeks.

“Oh, is she a friend of yours? I've never met her before. You should invite her for dinner,” she began, doing it at almost hummingbird speeds. So, that's where Alice got it from...

“Slow down there. Don't get too excited.” I rolled my eyes, picking up an apple she had gotten at the store. I wiped it clean on my shirt and twirled it between my fingers. “I just fixed her computer. I'm not sure if that makes us friends or not.”

“Ah, Bella's not like those other snobby bitches," Emmett said, yanking the apple from my grasp and taking a massive bite out of it before handing it back. I frowned and gave it back to him.

“Emmett, language," Mom sighed at him. It wasn't something that she was going to fix, but she still had to try. Emmett didn't really listen to anyone but Rosalie, and she cursed like a sailor.

“Yeah, you damned apple stealing savage,” I mumbled under my breath.

“You behave too, mister.” My mom raised an eyebrow to challenge me before turning to look at my brother.

“Sorry,” we mumbled at the same time.

“Go, wash up. You two are going to help me make dinner," she directed, her hands on her hips as she waited for our complaints. Of course, we didn't disappoint.

“Where are you off to?" My mom asked as I practically hopped down the stairs the next day. It was around ten forty-five, and I was leaving to meet Bella for lunch. I was already on cloud nine. "You look very nice," she complimented when I came to a stop in front of her.

For once, I really tried to look well dressed. I wore clean khaki cargo pants that were still new enough that my converse hadn't rubbed a hole in the hem yet. I was wearing a pressed white shirt over a brand new gray tee shirt which matched the steal frames of my glasses. I even brushed my hair, so it was all in one direction.

“Thanks...” I smiled at her until I realized that she wanted me to answer her question. “I'm going to lunch with a friend.”

“A female friend?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Mom, please,” I muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

“Please what?" She smiled, straightening the lapel of my shirt. "You wouldn't dress this nicely for any guy. Is it for this Bella girl that Emmett was talking about?" My non-answer said everything. "Fine then, don't tell me about her. If you're dating, you'll have to introduce me sometime."

“We're not dating,” I answered in a frown.

“Oh? Really? Is this because of her or you?”

“Mom," I sighed again, but she wasn't going to let this go. "We just really started talking. When I know something, I'll let you know. Okay?"

She sighed heavily and nodded her head. Alice, my baby sister of nine months, bounced down the stairs behind us. She whistled when she took in my appearance, "lookin' sexy."

“Thanks,” I scoffed at her, picking up my keys and shoving them in my pocket before grabbing my wallet.

“Where are you off to?” She asked.

“What? Is it interrogate Edward day?” I said in annoyance. Why couldn't they just leave me alone about this? Lord knows Mom would fill her in later and ask my sister for everything she knew.

“Edward is going to meet a girl,” my mom said proudly. Like it was an achievement or something. I guess for me it kind of was, but that wasn't the point.

“Oh! Who?” Alice clapped her hands and bounced on her heels, smiling happily at the news.

“Her name is Bella,” Mom said before I could tell them to both butt out. Alice squealed and clapped her hands together even harder.

“Oh! I love Bella! She's so smart! And she's funny, too. And, sweet. Besides Rosalie and Angela, she's the only other cheerleader I like. When did you two hook up?”

My face instantly flushed. I turned quickly before they could see me, frowning at my lack of control on the subject. "You know, you two sound like a couple of gossipy old biddies," I said sarcastically as I walked out the door. "Have fun and gossip without me here, please."

“I am not old!” My mother called after me.

I couldn't help but laugh and wave my hand behind me.

I knew where Bella lived, not that I stalked her or anything. There weren't that many houses in the area, and hers was off the main route surrounded by the forest on the edge of town. Besides, I drove past it on my way to school every single day, and it was hard to miss the police cruiser. Which, thankfully for me, was missing when I arrived. Bella's rusty truck sat in the driveway, telling me that I was in the exact right place.

I took a deep breath and then frowned before I popped a mint into my mouth. I was probably acting like an idiot, but I couldn't help it. I closed my eyes and began to reassure myself.

I will not fall and bust my ass. I will not make a fool out of myself. I will not embarrass myself.

It wasn't working. I should have been just happy that I got to have the day before with her. I couldn't expect anything better than that. You can't expect anything better than perfection.

I continued to take deep soothing breaths with my eyes closed, trying to calm my racing heartbeat.

So, when there was a loud tap on my window, I nearly jumped a mile high.

“Jesus Christ!" I shouted in surprise, my eyes popping open as my head bounced against the roof of my car. Bella stood outside my door with an odd expression on her face. It was a mix of worry and amusement. "Sorry," I said as I opened my door.

“It's okay. Are you alright, though?" She asked nervously, backing up so I could step out of the car.

“Yeah, I'm good," I muttered as I rubbed the back of my head gingerly. For once, it was warm outside, or as warm as it got in Forks, and it wasn't raining. Bella was wearing a short plaid skirt with knees socks like out of some dirty fantasy of mine. To top it all off, she was wearing a rather tight black shirt that said 'rock and roll' on it in silver. "You look like a dream," I spouted out before I could stop myself.

Bella blushed, looking down at her feet with a small smile, “a good dream?”

“A wet one,” I replied with a nervous chuckle, making her laugh.

“Should I change?” She asked nervously.

“No, please... don't. Just don't be surprised if I have to… um, adjust... myself- a lot,” I told her truthfully. She smiled a bit wider and took a step closer to me, all but pressing her body to mine.

“That reminds me... I haven't gotten to kiss you yet today. Where is my hello kiss?" She asked wickedly.

I closed the distance between us, placing my hands on her cheeks as I leaned down. I was soaring already. She wanted me to kiss her again. She was even looking forward to it! My lips instantly molded to hers, and I could taste the mint of her toothpaste still sweet on her tongue. Bella hummed loudly, her body pressing against mine with her head tilted up and her arms wrapped around my waist.

"Hello," I whispered as I pulled away.

“Hi,” she grinned, her chin against my chest as she looked up at me with fluttering eyelashes. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah. I skipped breakfast this morning. Where would you like to go? I have all day so we could even go to Seattle if you wanted. Or, Port Angeles. Whatever you want is fine with me. Personally, I-" I began, but Bella covered my mouth with her tiny little hand. I kissed her fingertips, unable to stop myself.

“I was hoping to cook for you. I kind of wanted to be alone with you. Charlie won't be home until after dark probably so we have the house to ourselves.”

“Charlie?” I asked in confusion.

“Yeah, my dad...” She shrugged. “He went fishing. So, why don't we go inside?”

“Oh, sure... That sounds great,” I said as she took my hand, leading me into her home.

The house was modest, to say the least. It was hard to tell a girl even lived there other than the fact that it was immaculate. Bella led me into the kitchen, totally skipping the living room. The cabinets were a too bright yellow, chipping and peeling with time. The countertops were an odd color of green, also too bright. The only new thing was the refrigerator.

“I was thinking Mexican unless you don't like it. I just don't get to have it too often. There aren't any good Mexican places around here, and Charlie doesn't like spicy stuff too much. I mean-" It was my turn to cover her mouth with my hand. She smiled, turning her cheek, so it was in my hand. "I'll make anything you like."

“I'm sure whatever you make will be great,” I told her, brushing my fingers down her jaw.

“Taco Salads?” She offered.

“Yum.” I smiled, leaning down to kiss her slowly. She melted against me, her hands resting on my hips. “What can I do to help?”

“You don't have to do anything,” Bella said very seriously. “I invited you over.”

“You helped yesterday. I want to help today. So, tell me, mi'lady, what shall I do to help?" I said with a stupid sweeping gesture. Bella laughed, her hands grasped in front of her face in cringey amusement.

“Can you chop?”

The time we spent cooking together flowed by quickly. It was so easy to talk to Bella. She was so passionate about so many things, and she was so kind. She never made fun of me cruelly, and if she did tease me, she finished it off with a kiss. If she was going to tease me like that she could do it all damn day long. Every once in a while she would bump against me, touching me, or I would steal kisses. I couldn't help it. Eventually, she pulled off her shoes and practically slipped and slid against the tile floor as she danced from the counter to the stove or oven.

Finally, after about an hour, the food was done. Bella didn't do anything halfway. She made her own creamy dressing, roasted peppers, and made her own seasoning for the ground pork she had in them. Bella set up the table prettily, everything arranged just for us. Tortilla bowls, ground pork, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted red and green peppers, sour cream, shredded cheese and finally the dressing, along with some sort of soda with Spanish writing on it.

“What are these?” I asked as I took in the deep green appearance.

“Spanish Lime Soda. They're kind of hard to come by so I save them for special occasions. They come in all different flavors. My mom sends them to me from Florida. They're my favorite,” Bella explained as she began to put things on her plate. I followed suit.

“You know, you don't have to it waste on me. I don't mind drinking water or milk,” I said, touched that she would do that for me.

“Edward, I would count this as a special occasion.” She told me as she handed me the bottle opener. I looked at it in confusion until I realized that it wasn't a twist top.

“And, why is that?" I asked seriously.

“Because I'm with you,” Bella said with a soft smile that tugged at her full pretty lips. I wanted to kiss them so badly. Instead, I reached over and stroked her cheek.

“Okay,” I said, popping the top on mine and then did hers. I picked up my drink as she took her own. “Cheers,” I said, clinking the glass bottle against hers.

I was hypnotized by the way her lips shaped around the bottle top. A tiny drop of green liquid lingered on the corner, and her tongue flicked it away before pulling back into her mouth. "What do you think?" She asked.

I think I am too hard over something so innocent.

I took a quick swig and nearly choked on it. It was really sweet, but it tasted pretty good. "Not the tastiest thing I've tasted today, but not bad at all," I told her truthfully. She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.

“You don't like it?”

“No, I do.” I smiled, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles lightly. “Just nothing taste as good as you.”

Bella smiled, blushing a deep shade as she looked away. “Come on, let's eat before it gets cold,” she said shyly. I nodded my head and dug into my food.

After we ate Bella suggested we watch a movie. I had no problems with that. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to do, but since what I wanted to do was triple X rated, I thought I should keep my suggestions to myself. I didn't want to seem like too much of a horny pervert.

“Anything you want to watch?" Bella offered when I plopped down on the couch, leaning against the armrest. There wasn't a huge movie collection, and what there was were mostly guy flicks. I didn't want to pick out anything she disliked, so I just shook my head.

“You choose,” I offered. “I'm not picky.”

She plucked something from the stack and placed it in the DVD player before coming to sit with me on the couch. I opened my arms to her, and she crawled into them eagerly. She laid back against my chest as she grabbed the remote and a throw blanket off the back of the couch. Bella snuggled in against me, making sure to brush her ass against me in every possible way as she got comfortable. I'm pretty sure I was stabbing her thigh by the time she was all arranged.

“Romeo and Juliet?” I asked in when the movie finally started.

“It's my favorite. I hope you don't mind,” Bella said, looking over her shoulder at me. “I can change it if you want.”

“No. It's just ironic is all,” I explained, pushing her hair away from her neck.

“Why is it ironic?” She said as the narrator began the who 'Two households' thing.

“I'd say we're pretty star-crossed, don't you think?”

“Our parents don't hate each other," Bella pointed out, but I shook my head.

“Our friends. Our groups. We're completely different," I said in sadness. It hit me somewhat hard that the happy little bubble I had created for us would pop when we went back to school. The weekend was almost over.  

“We're not that different,” she said as she rolled over onto her stomach, pressing against me completely. My arms tightened around her waist, wishing that were really true. “Edward, we're not,” Bella tried to reassure me.

“How are we alike?" I asked, seriously.

“Well, I think we're both rather smart. We both like music. And I think we have similar tastes in food. And you know, I'm sure there are some things we have in common that we haven't figured out yet,” she leaned forward and lightly kissed my neck. I sighed, turning my face towards hers to kiss her forehead. “But, the things we don't have in common don't matter. Edward, it's what makes us interesting people. I love that you're into computers. I love that you're not a jock. I love that you have that dry sense of humor that always makes me laugh.”

“Really?” I asked in surprise. “I thought cheerleaders were supposed to go for the jocks.”

“Jocks tend to be big ass jerks who think too much of themselves. Emmett's not so bad, but...”

“Emmett is that bad,” I laughed, tugging on her hair playfully. “But, he's a nice guy. But, I guess I can see where you're coming from. By the way, I'm not totally sports free.”

“Oh, really?" She said in polite curiosity.

“Yup. I love baseball and camping. And I've been into martial arts since I was seven.”

“Wow, that explains why you're so solid,” Bella muttered to herself as her hand trailed down my stomach. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. “But, that doesn't make you a jock.”

“And, that's a good thing?” I wanted to confirm.

Bella nodded with a smile as she lifted up and kissed my lips softly. My fingers wound into her hair, my other hand going to her back to massage it gently. She hummed against my mouth, her body fitting perfectly between my legs. She felt so good there. It just felt so right.

After a few minutes, Bella rolled over again, laying between my legs with her head on my shoulder, my arms around her waist. “Romeo is kind of a dumbass, though.”

“Why do you say that?" Her voice was a little angry.

“There is nothing in this world that would keep me away from you if you wanted me. He did everything wrong. He should have stolen away Juliet in the night, and they could have lived out their lives somewhere instead of fighting with her cousin," I said, struggling to explain. I didn't want to upset her over something so silly.

“Oh,” she breathed, her voice softened. “You're a sweetheart.”

“No, I'm not. It's the truth..." I pressed another kiss to her cheek and held her tightly against me. We didn't talk much after that, Bella was too much into the movie, and I was too much into her. I didn't realize she was asleep until a soft snore left her lips. I couldn't help but laugh.

“What?” She mumbled, curling into me slightly with a yawn. I guess my laughing woke her up.

“Comfy?” I asked, still chuckling as I played with her hair.

“Very. Be better if we were in bed nude, though."

“Oh,” I groaned, feeling my hard-on instantly begin to press against my khakis. It was Bella's turn to giggle, wiggling against my aching arousal. “You're doing it on purpose,” I accused her.

“Only a little,” she said as she stretched out. “I love being able to tell that you're attracted to me. I wish it were just as easy to show you that I was attracted to you.”

“Are you?" I asked quietly, my hand grazing her stomach in a slow rub. She squirmed a little underneath me before taking my hand and sliding it between her legs. She spread them slightly, guiding my fingers right to where she wanted. Her panties were thoroughly drenched. "Fuck, you're wet..."

“I'm very attracted to you. I wanted to jump you all through dinner,” she purred, pressing my fingers against her panties and grinding herself against them. I moaned, moving my fingers in a circle against the sensitive mound. “Oh, yes...”

Bella moved her hand away from my fingers and grabbed a handful of my hair. She brought my head down so I could kiss her as she tilted her head towards me. I eagerly obliged, my tongue snaking out to take in hers. My other hand wondered to her breast, grabbing and massaging it through the bra as my other hand slipped underneath her panties. She gasped before she began to roll her hips against them, which just happened to rub against my erection.

“Is this okay?" I asked breathlessly. "Am I doing alright?"

“For the love of god, don't stop,” Bella whimpered, her other hand going to her other breast.

She moved against me without even knowing it, her ass grounding against me as I worked her wet skin. I was in heaven. She called out my name between kisses, her eyes screwed so tightly shut that I would be surprised if she could open them when we were done. I pinched her clit between my thumb and forefinger, tugging on it gently. Bella whimpered, throwing her head back as she began to lose herself.

“I'm going to cum all over your ass if you don't sit still,” I warned quietly.

Unexpectedly her hand moved between us to undo my pants and pull me out of boxers. I gasped as her warm fingers went around me, guiding me out into the open. Slowly she turned around, pulling off her panties and tossing them to the side before straddling my waist. “I want to do something... is that okay?”

“You can do whatever you want,” I told her breathlessly, loving the way her warm center felt against me.

Bella brought her hand between us again and took a hold of me, guiding it between her legs. I wasn't sure what she was doing until I felt her twist her hand around me, pumping me as she rubbed my head against her clit. With her other hand, she tugging her shirt over her breasts, exposing them to me.

“Oh, god,” I groaned, leaning forward to tug one of the cups of her bra downward before wrapping my lips around her nipple. One arm wrapped around her waist as the other held her breast firmly so that I could lick, kiss, and nip at it just the right way.

She kept herself upright with a hand on the back of my head, keeping me exactly where she wanted me. I could have stayed there all day, but I was quickly going to go over the edge again. "I'm- I-I..." I began to stutter, "I'm going to cum, Bella."

“Yes! Please,” she panted. “Cum on me.”

I shouted against her breast in pleasure, my orgasm gushing out of me and spreading all over her thighs. Much to my surprise, I felt Bella jerk and shutter against me while her own hot liquid seeped down me.
    
“I've gotten you all messy,” was the only thing I could get out. Bella just laughed breathlessly, continuing to hold onto me.

“I like it,” she said against the top of my head.

“Me too.” I smiled, holding her waist with my face still pressed against her breast. “But I think we need to get you cleaned up.”

She walked with me up the stairs to her room, where she pulled out a pair of jeans before going to the bathroom real quick. I went after her, making sure to clean myself up and making sure I didn't have any tell-tale signs on my pants. When I came back in, I was greeted with the perfect view.

Bella bent over with no skirt or panties on while she pulled up her pants.

I am a lucky, lucky boy.

“None of my fantasies have compared to the reality,” I blurted out. Bella turned around with a smile on her face as she buttoned the jeans. They were tight around her body, hugging snuggly to her features.

“You fantasize about me?”

“Frequently,” I breathed quietly as she walked up to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist tightly.

“Nice to know we have that little thing in common,” she giggled at me.

“Well, if I had an ass like that I'd fantasize about it too," I teased. Bella swatted at my shoulder, and I laughed as hugged her to me.

“No, fool. I fantasize about you.”

I took off my glasses and placed them on her face. “Here, I think you need these more than I do. You must be blind.”

Bella took off the glasses with a serious expression on her face. Slowly she leaned up and kissed me firmly, putting a lot of emotions in it that I didn't understand. I held her back, never wanting to let go.

“Don't put yourself down, Edward. Please?”

“Does it bother you?" I asked quietly. She nodded, her big brown eyes peering into mine. "Then I won't do it anymore. It's a hard habit to break, though."

“Maybe if I keep telling you how wonderful you are and how much I like you, it'll get easier.”

“I don't believe you, but it's sweet all the same." I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Bella huffed and frowned, pouting out her bottom lip but she didn't say anything else. Instead, she took my hand and led me back downstairs. We were just about to start another movie when I heard the door open and close. I looked at Bella with wide eyes.

“Charlie," she explained. I stood up quickly, surprised for some reason. I was sure we would be caught, and I was looking for evidence that we might have left behind. When I looked down, I realized that Bella's panties were still on the floor. Snatching them up, I shoved them into my pocket just as he walked into the room. "Hey Dad," Bella called, standing up as well.

“Hello.” He looked at me in confusion.

“Um, hi Chief Swan,” I babbled out.

“Dad, this is Edward. You know the guy that made my computer faster for me,” Bella explained with a smile.

“Oh! Right, right! Nice to meet you,” Charlie said, holding out his hand so I could shake it quickly. I did so, dropping my hand down to my side nervously. “That was really nice of you.”

“It was my pleasure. I'm kind of a computer nerd.” I shrugged. “I love doing it. I mean, fixing computers.”

I am a babbling moron.

“You know, we've been having some troubles with the computers down at the station. You should come in. I may have some work for you to do.”

I looked between Charlie and Bella in surprise. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled awkwardly. "Sure, I'll have to do that. Um, I guess I should get going, Bella," I said, looking at my watch. It was just after four in the afternoon. I was kind of hoping to have more time with her, but I didn't feel comfortable with her father around. Besides, I needed to get home for dinner.

“Okay,” Bella said sadly.

“I'll see you at school?" I said with a hopeful smile. I was kind of worried about what school would bring, but I could only be happy with what I had.

“Of course!” Bella grinned. “Why don't I walk you to your car?”

“Nice to meet you, Chief Swan,” I called out before I left, Bella following behind me as I made my way to the car. It was starting to turn a little dark, the clouds beginning to roll in. It was supposed to be rainy all the following week. “Thank you for lunch.”

“It was my pleasure,” she said, repeating my words from earlier to me. “Thanks for stopping by.”

I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead before kissing the tip of her nose. I let my lips linger away from hers, letting her decide if she wanted to be kissed that way or not. Bella reached up on her tiptoes, closing the distance between us. I smiled, placing one more chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away. “Talk to you later.”

“Alright, Edward. Bye,” she breathed, backing away from the car as I got inside. She waved as I backed out and I could see in the rearview mirror that she stood in the driveway. She was there until I pulled out of sight of the house.