Never Think - Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10:

***Author’s Note: Sorry this one is short - I just couldn’t pass up the cliff hanger at the end! :)

**********
I got back to my room shortly before 5:00 p.m. When I walked in Mike was standing across the room near the window, pacing back and forth on the phone with someone.

"Yea, yea I got it. I got it today."

He noticed me then and looked up at me.

"Hey man, I gotta run. I'll let you know okay? Alright, later."

He hung up. "Well there she is,” he said smiling and walking towards me.

"Hi." I smiled back. "What was that about? What'd you get today?"

"Oh, my buddy Chris and I were just talking about some email he kept trying to send me, which I finally got today."

"Oh, okay." I said. I didn't really care, I just wanted this night to be over.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips to mine lightly.

"Oh, about that. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about our cast dinner tonight. I have to be there, but I'd like for you to be my date?" I smiled, hoping he wouldn't be too upset.

He laughed. "Ugh! I'm never going to get you alone!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We can be alone afterwards right? There's no after party bullshit?"

"Not that I am aware of, we will just come back here afterwards." And then I'll break up with you. I thought to myself.

"Okay, that sounds good."

"I'm going to jump in the shower, okay? I think we are meeting downstairs at 7:00."

"Do you know where we're going?" He asked.

"Um, I think it's sushi, nothing too fancy," I said as I disappeared into the bathroom.

I took a really long shower for obvious reasons. I just got so jittery being in the same room with him. Sometimes I was tempted to just blurt it out to him, but I didn't want it to be that way. I came out of the bathroom to figure out what I wanted to wear and I noticed Mike wasn't in the room. I looked at the alarm clock. We had to be downstairs in an hour. I wonder where he went.

"Hm. That's strange." I looked around the room for a note or something and then I checked my cell phone.

Two texts - one from Rob and one from Mike.

I'm counting down the minutes until your all mine. I do believe your other boyfriend is quite the charmer though. But don't let that sway you. I love you more. -Rob

What the fuck is he talking about and why is he texting me?? He said he wouldn't unless I did him first. I moved on to the next message.

Hey babe, I ran out for a few minutes. I'll be back soon. -Mike

I called Rob, he had just sent the message a few minutes ago.

"What a pleasant surprise," he said as he answered.

"Hey, I don't have long, what was up with that text?" I asked.

He laughed. "I saw your boyfriend in the lobby a bit ago. He's chatting up Ashley as we speak. He should be to your room any minute."

I'm so confused. "So Michael is hitting on Ashley? Is that what your saying?" I asked, trying to figure out why Rob thought Michael was such a "charmer.”

Rob laughed. "No darling, he will be charming you. You will see."

I heard mike unlocking the door.

"I gotta go!" I whispered.

"Kristen, remember I love you more." I heard him say before I hung up. I ran to the closet to pretend like I was looking for something to wear just as Mike came in. I had to walk around the corner to see him. I was standing there in my towel.

Oh my.

"Are those for me?" I smiled. They were seriously the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. It was a huge array of tulips in every color possible. They were beautiful and they smelled divine.

Mike laughed. "No Kris, they're for my other girlfriend," he joked. "Yes they are for you."

Your going to wish you had another girlfriend by the end of the night, I thought.

I took the flowers from him, admired them, and set them down on the entry table. I turned back to look at him. "Why?" I asked him. Mike was a good guy, a great boyfriend, but he never just got me flowers for no good reason. In fact I think he's only gotten me flowers once, and that was after a huge fight we had a couple of years ago. He was laying on the charm tonight.

"Just because," he answered. He wrapped his arms around me. "Because I love you, and I've missed you, and you seem down lately, I thought maybe this would cheer you up." He kissed me.

I kissed him back with more fervor than I had in some time. I thought perhaps this may be our last kiss. I finally pulled away. "They're beautiful. I love them, thank you." I smiled.

"Your welcome."

He began kissing down my neck, his hands ran down my hips and I felt his right hand slip under my towel, inching it's way to my backside.

"Is this what you're wearing tonight?" He joked. "You look really hot."

I laughed. "Mike we can't. I have to get ready!" I said, pushing his hand back down. I pulled away from him and headed back to the closet.

"We have 45 minutes! Since when does it take you a long time to get ready?"

I laughed. "Since I'm not even dressed and my hair is wet!"

"Gah!" He said, laughing and falling back into a chair and flipping the TV on.

I threw on a short denim skirt with black leggings and a black top. I blew my hair out, attempted to curl it, and actually put on a fair bit of make up. I think there was a part of me that wanted to seem desirable to Rob, although fully knowing he wouldn't be able to be near me. I came out of the bathroom and picked out my favorite pair of sneakers.

"Okay, I'm ready!" I exclaimed to Mike.

"It's about time," he said. He had his jacket on and had obviously been waiting on me. He stood up and headed towards the door. I threw on a light sweater and grabbed my phone and cigarettes and followed him out the door. We rounded the corner towards the elevators and Rob was standing there, alone.

He looked speechless. I could see him eyeing me up and down. I spoke first. "Hey Rob, what's up?"

"Hey man, " Mike forced out.

"Hey guys. I wasn't aware you were in town Mike, good to see you again." Rob said, extending a hand.

Mike shook his hand and the elevator opened. We all stepped in and headed downstairs. Once we arrived to the lobby it was clear the limos weren't here yet because everyone was standing around talking.

"Rob, we're going to go out and grab a smoke, we'll see you there okay?" I said casually, grabbing Mike's hand and heading out the front doors. Just then one of the limos pulled up. I knew there would be two if the entire cast was going. I took a few quick puffs of my cigarette and put it out. I wanted to get in the first limo, hoping Rob would get in the second.

Mike and I were talking with Nikki and Jackson when I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out of the back pocket of my skirt and leaned to the side a bit, so Mike couldn't see. I figured it would be from Rob.

Did you do your sexy eyes and get all dressed up for him?? That frustrates me. You look so beautiful and I can't go near you. You're killing me. - Rob

How perceptive, he noticed my eye make up. I wouldn't say I was dressed up, but yea, I guess if I'm in anything other than skinny jeans and a tee, I'm dressed up. I laughed to myself. There was something appealing about the fact that I was attractive to him, that I was killing him. I didn't respond to his text message, fearing I would get caught. Our limo filled up quickly and I never even saw Rob come out of the hotel when our limo pulled away.

A few minutes later I felt another text.

I want to pull that little skirt up and have my way with you. I want you Kristen. - Rob

Oh my God! Is he trying to get me in trouble?? I thought. I wanted him too, though. He actually dressed up a bit tonight as well. He had black slacks on instead of jeans, and he wore dress shoes instead of his Nike's. He had a loose fitting dark blue button up shirt on that made him look good enough to eat. It complimented his eyes perfectly.

I want u too. I'll find a way to talk to you later tonight, I can't now, he's right next me. - Kris

I typed into my phone and sent it as fast as I could and put my phone away before Mike starting asking who was blowing up my phone.

We finally arrived at the restaurant and we all hurried inside. It was a bit chilly out tonight. We had a private room in the back of the restaurant with a very large long table. I believe it was originally put together to seat 18 but they had squished us all together, preparing for about 30 of us. My side of the table didn't fill up as quickly as I would have liked. I didn't want Rob to sit near me, I don't think I would be able to handle myself. I could tell the second limo had arrived when I started seeing people who didn't ride with us. Rob sat across from me, but he was a few people down from me on my left. Michael was to my immediate right and Nikki on my immediate left. Hopefully they would keep me entertained enough to not stare at Rob all night. The director made a few opening comments once we all had our drinks.

The food was really good, especially the sushi. I was actually having a good time with Michael and Nikki and trying not to pay too much attention to Rob. He was busy talking to Peter and his wife anyway. I had no idea when Peter's wife had come into town. I've been so wrapped up in my own little world.

Towards the end of dinner different people started making toasts about various things to do with the movie. Just before it seemed safe to get ready to head out to the limo, Mike stood up. I thought he was standing up to leave, until I heard him speak.

"I'd like to make a bit of an announcement," he started. He turned to look at me, and reached for my hand, asking me to stand with him. At that moment my heart stopped beating and I stopped breathing. What is he doing??? I thought as I stood up. This is so unlike him, to do or say anything in front of all these people, my co-workers. I stole a glance in Rob's direction. He looked at me with questioning eyes, as if I knew what was going on.

"I'm sure you all know Kristen and I have been together for a couple of years now..." he continued.

Oh. My. God. He isn't. He is not doing this. Not right now.

"...with her being gone so much lately filming these movies it has really made me realize that I don't ever want to be without her." He turned and looked at me, instead of everyone else.

Oh no. Please God, nooooo!! I started sweating. My face was flushed, I'm sure my cheeks were the color of fire. I wasn't even hearing anything he was saying anymore, it was a blur.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little black box.

Oh my god. Oh my God. Oh my God. What do I do?? I glanced at Rob again, my eyes huge. I couldn't possibly say no to Mike's proposal and embarrass him in front of all these people, but I couldn't say yes in front of Rob. Rob's face looked stunned, tortured and outright mad. As Mike began to get down on his knee, I only saw one solution to this problem.

I fainted. At least I pretended to...


***Author’s Note: Sorry to end it like that! ;) Big news coming in the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Comments/reviews are appreciated! And if you haven’t already...check out my newest fic “Repentance.” It’s posted here and on FF.net!

Follow me on Twitter: @AllOrNothingKR

**CHAPTER 11 - CLICK HERE**

Repentance - Chapter 1

Note: This is an All Human Bella/Edward story. It is rated NC-17 for adult content. There is also a rape scene described in this chapter. It's not extremely graphic, but you've been warned!

Chapter 1:

This was never easy, but it was becoming manageable. I think I had gone an entire week without crying this time. That was the longest stretch of time since it happened.

I was a content honor’s student in college before everything changed. I didn’t lead a privileged life by any means, but I had good friends and I was on my way to being an English Professor, which is what I always wanted. I never partied much, never skipped class, and I never accepted candy from strangers. I did everything my mom and dad taught me, but I never knew things like this happened to girls like me.

I had heard the rumors going around about one of the fraternities initiation rituals - raping unsuspecting girls. I assumed this only happened at the out of control frat parties held off campus, after a lot of alcohol. Girls were stupid for being there anyways, they were asking for it, or so I thought.

It all happened so fast, I never saw it coming. I had been to the library late one night cramming for a history exam. At 1:00 a.m. I decided I should head back to my dorm to get some rest.

It was dark, cold and pouring rain that night. Typical weather for Washington. To make matters worse, I had forgotten my umbrella. I pulled my rain coat tight across my body and pulled the hood over my head before throwing my bag on my back and heading out into the rain. I couldn’t run for the weight of my bag. All I could hear was the rain hitting metal roofs nearby and mixing with the soiled grass. I never heard him coming. When I hit the ground, I initially thought I had tripped. When I was forcefully turned on my back and drug a few feet behind some bushes, I realized that wasn’t the case at all.

The man that towered over me stuffed a rain soaked cloth in my mouth to muffle my cries. He had a black ski mask on and he tried desperately to avoid my eyes. I could smell the liquor on his breath, even through the mask. I tried to fight him off, but when I heard guys laughing nearby, I knew there was no hope. I had become the victim of an initiation ritual.

His hands were shaking violently and he struggled to undo my belt and the button on my jeans. After several encouraging remarks from the guys watching nearby, he managed to get my jeans down to my ankles. He only used one hand to rip the delicate fabric of my panties away from my skin. I pleaded with him through my eyes not to do it as he got into position on top of me. My sobs were causing me to hyperventilate and I thought I would surely choke on the cloth in my mouth.

He hesitated for a moment before he plunged into me with full force. The pain was unreal. I felt like I had been ripped open. I gasped for air and screamed in pain, the cloth only slightly concealing my loud cries then. I heard the other guys clapping and offering congratulations.

It only lasted a few minutes and he was done. He collapsed on top of me momentarily before he heard the footsteps of his friends getting closer. He shifted his weight off of me, looked me in the eyes and in barely a whisper, he said, “I’m sorry.” His friends pulled him to his feet and they all disappeared into the darkness between two buildings nearby.

I laid there for hours praying to die. Somehow I felt like the rain was cleaning me, so I didn’t move. Someone must have found me the next morning. I spent the next two days in the hospital recovering from hypothermia and telling the police everything I knew, but it wasn’t enough.

I dropped out of school and moved back to Forks, with my dad. He was the one who made me go to the doctor when I got sick. I knew what was wrong. I didn’t need a doctor to tell me. I was pregnant.

Everyone around town seemed to know what happened. Word travels fast in a small town. I got a job at the diner and made pretty good money off tips because people felt sorry for the Chief's daughter. I had never felt more ashamed of myself, especially when I started showing. I wasn’t wild about the idea of an abortion, and Charlie was totally against it. I couldn’t afford it in time anyway. I was going to give the baby up for adoption as soon as it was born. With any luck, I would be back in school the following year. That was the plan.

Things didn’t go as planned. The only people in the room with me when he was born were the doctors, my mom and Alice. Thank God for Alice. She was the only one I could depend on, besides my parents. The nurse mistakenly put him in my arms after he was born. I wasn’t supposed to see him. I saw my mom and Alice exchange nervous looks. The nurse realized her mistake and rushed to take him away, but I wouldn’t let her. I couldn’t stop staring at him. I thought he was going to look like a monster, but he was beautiful. I held him for four hours before I officially made up my mind. I wasn’t giving him up. I had no idea what I would do with him, but I couldn’t live with myself not knowing where he was or how he was.

My mom stayed in town longer than was planned and Alice became a life saver. I didn’t have much. Alice bought me a bassinet as a gift and several outfits for him. Charlie and mom went in together and bought a few months worth of diapers and formula. By the time my mom went home to Jacksonville, I had everything I would need.

I named him Masen. Masen Charles Swan. Fortunately, he was born during the summer and school wasn’t in session, so Alice stayed with me the entire time. She kept Masen while I went to work at the diner. I insisted on moving back to Seattle before the next semester started.

I had been so busy over the summer, working as much as possible and sleeping very little, that I hadn’t really taken time to think about what happened. I needed to stay busy, to forget.

Charlie was sad to see us go. It took some time, but he grew to love Masen. Alice and I followed Charlie in the U-Haul to Seattle. I was so glad he let me take my bedroom furniture. I had nothing else and didn’t want to waste the money. I sold my truck for extra cash. I got a tiny apartment in the city so I wouldn’t really need it. Charlie promised he would come get us whenever I wanted to come home.

It was dark by the time we had my stuff moved into the tiny apartment. It was time for Alice and Charlie to go. Fortunately, Alice was staying just across town with her boyfriend, Jasper.

I could tell Charlie was worried about me. “Bella, are you sure this is what you want? This isn’t the best part of town.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s fine, and it’s close to the library. We’ll be okay.”

Charlie handed me a check. “I put some money back for both of you. It’s not much, but its all I could do in the short time.”

The check was for a thousand dollars. I hugged him tightly. “Thanks, Dad. It means a lot.”

“I did too.” Alice chimed in, with tears in her eyes. She handed me a check.

I didn’t even look at it. “Alice, no. I can’t. You don’t even work!”

“Please, Bella. Take it. I’m going to get a job when school starts. It’s from my trust fund.”

“Alice, I can’t.”

“Stop being too proud, Bella. Take it. He’s growing so fast, he’ll need new clothes soon. And who knows when you’ll be able to find a job.”

I looked at it. Three thousand dollars. I shook my head. “No way, Alice. This is way too much. Why don’t you hold on to it and if I need it, I’ll let you know.”

“Nice try. I will not accept no for an answer.” She kissed my forehead. “Sleep tight, Bella. Call me if you need anything at all.”

I gave in and nodded my head in agreement. They both headed to the door. Alice hugged me goodbye. Charlie hugged me too. “Bye, Bells. I love you. Call me, everyday. Okay? I’m going to be worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine, Dad. Really, don’t worry.”

I closed the door behind them. I took a deep breath. Who was I kidding? I was scared to death. I had never been alone since it happened. I locked my door and re-checked it several times. I even went so far as to push my couch partially in front of the door. Just in case. I checked on Masen to make sure he was still asleep before I got in the shower.

After I got in bed, I realized I only had enough formula for Masen in the morning, and nothing for me. I sighed and went to bed hungry. I had planned the following day to go see about getting the help that single mom’s got. Food stamps, free milk, whatever, I didn’t care. Every little bit helped. I had stashed a fair bit of cash, and Charlie’s and Alice’s contributions definitely helped, but the fear was still in the back of my mind that I wouldn’t be able to succeed.

That was the first night I had nightmares, when I was alone in that tiny apartment. I woke up screaming, which caused Masen to scream. I heard an angry woman knocking on the wall in the apartment next to mine.

The nightmares never let up. I wasn’t sure if it was being alone, or being back in Seattle. The anxiety of knowing that the man that did this to me was walking around somewhere in this city was getting harder and harder to deal with. I wondered if he would recognize me. I certainly had no idea what he looked like. I knew Masen must look like him, because he barely resembled me. I spent many sleepless nights wondering if Masen would turn into a monster, like his father.

I found a job just before school started. I was a receptionist at a moderately sized law firm across town. It wasn’t hard, and I could do my homework and study during the day and attend a few classes at night. It would take me forever to finish school at that rate, but I would eventually.

Masen stayed at a government controlled daycare while I was at work. It wouldn’t have been my first choice of places for him, but it was close by and I got a discount through the state. Alice kept him the three nights of the week I had class. I felt like I never saw him anymore.

***

After a year back in Seattle, I was almost feeling normal again. I had settled into my routine and so had Masen. It was still hard. I still cried, a lot. There were many times when I felt like I couldn’t do this anymore. I wanted to give up.

I had massive anxiety when it was dark and raining outside. I skipped a few classes because I was afraid to navigate the campus alone after dark in the rain. Fortunately, I had confided in my professors and they were very grateful to send me the assignments via email if I missed class.


The first time I met him, it had been a horrible day. I was really busy at work and didn’t get to work on school stuff. I was late picking up Msaen and had to pay a dollar for every minute I was late. It was only ten dollars, but that was a lot to me. I just wanted to get home. I had Masen in my arms along with my purse, backpack, and two bags of groceries. It was cold outside and I was still two blocks away from my building.

One of my plastic bags caught on a vendor’s display rack on the street and cans of soup and spaghetti o’s went rolling down the sidewalk. As tears stung my eyes, and Masen cried, I followed the cans with my eyes. They were stopped a few feet ahead of me by a pair of brown leather loafers. I stood up straight and looked at the man who stopped them. He was dressed nicely for this part of town. He had on khaki pants and a dark green cashmere sweater with a button up shirt under it. He must have been at the public library up the street. He had a satchel slung across his chest. As my eyes found his face I noticed he looked shocked and scared. He was making me nervous.

“Are you alright?” I asked, noticing the color fading from his face.

He fumbled for words. “Um, yes. I’m alright. Let me help you,” he finally said, picking up the cans at his feet. “Are you going far? I’ll walk with you.”

“Um, just a few blocks. I think I’ll be okay.”

“No, please,” he said, as he put the cans in his satchel and took the other plastic bag of groceries from me. “It’s no problem.”

I finally agreed, as I felt the weight of Masen making my arm cramp. We walked silently to my apartment. He took the elevator up to the 5th floor with me. I unlocked my door and let everything fall from my arms as soon as I was across the threshold. I put Masen in his playpen in the corner. He was almost 16 months old now and he got into trouble every chance he got.

The nicely dressed man unloaded the cans on to my kitchen counter and then stood by the door. I noticed he was looking around my apartment, he was probably disgusted. He had probably never seen government housing before.

“It’s all I can afford,” I finally said.

He glanced at me quickly. “No, I wasn’t...”

“It’s fine. It’s not easy being a single mom. I’m doing the best I can.” It was one of those days where I just wanted to feel sorry for myself and I wanted people to stop judging me.

He stood there speechless. He fumbled for words again. “I didn’t...I wasn’t...”

I cut him off. “Thank you for helping us.” I opened the door and held it open, waiting for him to leave. He didn’t move. His attention was focused on Masen who was standing up in his playpen, staring back at him. “Sorry about him, he’s never seen a guy in here before.” I laughed.

“No, no. It’s okay. I’m sorry,” he darted out the door quickly.

“Awkward,” I said to myself as I closed the door and locked it. “You scared him, Masen!”

Masen laughed loudly and bounced up and down in his playpen, begging for my attention.



A couple weeks passed before I saw him again. They had been a few good weeks. The nightmares had let up, and I was getting a little more sleep. I was in the library getting some reference books for my English mid-term when I noticed him asleep at a table nearby. His hair was unmistakable and recognizable anywhere. It was a big bronze disheveled mess.

“What are you studying?” I asked, startling him. He picked his head up from the desk quickly and his face lost color again.

“Um, contracts and torts,” he replied.

“That’s exciting,” I said sarcastically. “You in law school?”

“Yes, thank you for waking me. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.”

“No problem. Hey, thanks again for the other day. It was a bad day.”

That was the first time I saw him smile. It seemed familiar. He was beautiful when he smiled. “Your welcome. What are you studying?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m just getting some reference material for my English paper,” I said, holding up the books in my arms. “I better get going, it’s getting late.” In fact, it was getting dark and it was raining and I didn’t want to get caught outside in the rain and the dark.

“I was just leaving. Let me walk you home?” he asked, as he gathered his books up.

I turned around and glanced out the large glass windows that faced the street. Rain was coming down in sheets and there was no trace of the sun. “Okay.” I agreed. “Let me check these out real quick and I’ll meet you out front.”

He shook his head in agreement and I headed downstairs to the checkout counter. When I finished, I turned around to see him standing near the exit doors with a large umbrella that must have been under the table upstairs.

“I never caught your name,” he said as he pushed open the door for me.

“Bella.”

“Bella,” he repeated. “I’m Edward. Edward Cullen.”

“Nice to meet you, again.”

He smiled that crooked smile again and we headed outside and he held the umbrella over us the entire way back to my apartment. He stayed with me all the way up to the apartment, stopping at my door.

“Thank you for walking me home. You can’t come in though. My best friend is inside with Masen and she’ll flip out if she knew I let some strange guy walk me home.” I laughed.

He laughed too. “Just some strange guy, huh?”

I felt my cheeks flush. “You know what I mean,” I said, looking down.

“His name is Masen?”

I looked up quickly. “Oh, yes. My son. Masen.”

“That’s nice.”

I smiled. “Thanks, I better get inside.”

He shook his head and started to walk back towards the elevators. He stopped and turned around. “Bella?”

I looked up from the door handle where I had inserted my key. My eyes met his. “Hmm?”

“Would you like to go to dinner sometime?”

I was at a loss for words. Why would he want to take me to dinner? I looked down at myself, trying to remember what I had worn that day. I was still in my work clothes, a pair of black slacks and a red sweater. Nothing fancy. I probably smelled like diapers.

“Um...” I hesitated. My door flew open and startled me.

Alice popped her head out. “She would love to!” She disappeared behind the door almost as quickly as she had appeared. She must have had her ear glued to the door. I was so embarrassed.

Edward and I both laughed. “I’m sorry,” I said, apologizing for Alice’s behavior.

“It’s quite alright. I hope she’s right,” he said.

“Right?” I asked.

“I hope she’s right, that you would love to go to dinner sometime.”

“Oh.” I blushed again. I took a deep breath. “Okay. After mid-terms though. I’m so busy.”

He smiled. “That’s perfect.” He took a few steps towards me and handed me his cell phone. I looked at him with a confused look on my face.

“Put your number in there,” he laughed. “I’ll call you next week, after mid-terms.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, I’m not used to...”

He cut me off. “It’s okay.”

My fingers shook as I typed in my cell phone number. I handed it back to him.

“Thank you. Goodnight, Bella.” He turned back towards the elevators.

“Goodnight, Edward.” I walked into my apartment, not yet ready to deal with the wrath of Alice.



***Author’s Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it. There’s much much more to come!

Follow me on Twitter! AllOrNothingKR


**CLICK HERE TO GO TO CHAPTER 2**

Never Think - Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Several weeks passed and things were as normal as they could be back in Vancouver, I guess. Rob and I snuck around and saw each other when we could, but we were really trying to keep things quiet until I officially broke up with Mike. Mike was doing better, finally. I was really starting to feel like I could end things amicably with him. He was coming up to Vancouver to spend a few days with me, and I decided I would end things then. I hated the thought of him being around Rob, but our filming schedule was tight and there was no way I could make it to L.A. to see him. Mike was supposed to arrive tomorrow and I really wanted to snag some alone time with Rob beforehand.

I called Rob, hoping he wasn’t asleep yet. We had had a long day of filming.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Hey, did I wake you?”

“No, I was just getting ready for bed. I was just about to call you to tell you goodnight,” he said.

“Aw, well why don’t you come tell me in person?”

“Hmm, that sounds like it might be a good idea. When is your other boyfriend arriving?”

“Rob! Stop saying it like that. He gets here tomorrow. I wanted to see you before he got here, since I probably won’t get to for a few days.”

“When are you going to tell him?”

“I don’t know. He’s only here two nights. Either tomorrow night or the night after.”

“Alright, well I guess I’ll be down to your room in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

I hung up and stretched out across my bed, waiting for him.

Two knocks and a pound.

I smiled and got up and let him in. As soon as I closed the door I pushed him up against it, claiming his lips.

“Mm, feisty this evening, aren’t we?” he said.

I giggled. “Just a little; I missed you.”

He smiled. “I’ve missed you too, but before we go to bed, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.” He took my hand and led me over to the bed. We both sat down.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I know this is going to be hard for you, breaking up with him...”

I sighed and looked down. Even after everything that happened with Michael, a part of me still cared about him. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dreading the next few days.

Rob continued, “I just wanted to let you know that I’m here for you, no matter what. I didn’t want you to think you had to hide your feelings about him around me. After you tell him, if you need me, I’ll be here.”

I just stared at him in disbelief. He was amazing. “Rob, you’re entirely too good to me. It will be hard, and I am dreading it, but once its over, it will be a relief. I do care about him. I just hope he doesn’t flip out, and we can at least stay friends. I just want it to be over. This entire thing, it’s not fair to you at all.”

Rob’s hand caressed my cheek, his thumb lazily traced my bottom lip. “I don’t see it that way. I see it as finally having a chance with you. I’ve always thought it would be impossible. I never thought you’d give us a try.”

“I’ve just been incredibly stupid. I knew what I felt between us was real, all along I knew. But, it was hard. Michael was all I’ve known. I felt like I had to remain loyal to him. He had been good to me...”

“I know, you don’t have to explain. I’m just glad I’m getting my chance.”

I smiled. “Me too.” I pressed my lips to his gently, savoring everything about him I could. We made love for hours. It was slow, sensual, and sweet. I took it all in, the feel of his skin, his smell, his hair, his scruffy face, fearing I wouldn't be able to see him for the next few nights.

It was nearly midnight by the time we tangled ourselves up with each other and settled in for sleep.

Knock, knock, knock.

I sat straight up in bed. I felt Rob’s hand on my bare back. “Lay back down, it’s probably just Nikki or Taylor.”

I exhaled and laid back down next to Rob, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had.

Knock, knock, knock. “Kristen? You in there?”

I gasped and sat back up. “Michael.”

Rob looked panicked. "Shit! What do I do??" Rob looked at me, as if I had the answers. I had none. I began to cry, in defeat.

“Kris, don’t cry. I'll of think of something." He got of bed and pulled me along with him. He grabbed my phone from the nightstand and ushered me back into the bathroom, far away from the entrance to the room.

"What are we doing in here?" I asked after he closed the door.

"I thought he might call you. I didn't want him to hear your phone ring through the door."

I sighed in relief. "You're a genius."

He smiled. "Okay, here' s what we do. When he calls, tell him you're out, with Nikki or someone. Tell him you'll come back to the hotel and tell him to meet you in the lobby, downstairs. While he's gone, we get out of here. You can take the back stairwell, and go into the lobby that way, tell him you came in through the back to avoid the paparazzi."

"You're amazing!" I said, in awe of his plan.

"Yes, and I will just go back to my room, alone, and ponder all of the horrible things you two are doing to each other." He said sadly as he ran his hands through his disheveled hair.

"Rob, I'm not going to sleep with him." I shook my head. "I can't."

He looked a little relieved. He was about to say something when my phone rang.

I took a deep breath. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby, where are you??" Mike said.

"I'm out with Nikki, we just went to grab some coffee. Where are you?"

"Well, I'm actually at your hotel, I got an early flight, I was going to surprise you, but you weren't in you're room."

"You're here??!! I'll head back to the hotel right now. Meet me in the lobby, okay? I should be there in 15 minutes!"

Mike laughed. "Okay, be careful, I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay!" I hung up. "Whew."

"Let's go, we've got to get this place cleaned up." Rob said as he ushered me out of the bathroom. We cleaned up the room and headed to the door. Rob turned around to take another look at the room. "Are you sure I've got everything? I'd hate for him to find my knickers or something."

I laughed. "I'm sure you're wearing them, everything is perfectly tidy. Don't worry."

"Okay." Rob cradled my face in his hands. "Everything will be fine. I'm not going to call or text you, unless you do me first. I don't want to cause any problems."

I smiled. He was so incredibly understanding.

I took a deep breath. "Let's do this," I said, as I opened the door.

Rob went back to his room and I headed down the back stairwell. I was so unbelievably nervous. My knees were shaking. I really thought I was going to fall down the stairs and break my neck or something. I took a deep breath before heading into the lobby. I saw him sitting in a chair near the main door.

"Mike!" I went up to him and threw my arms around him.

"Hey Kris - Where did you come from?" He hugged me back.

"We came in through the back, to avoid the pap's. Nikki already went to her room."

"Oh, well let's get to yours!" He pulled me towards the elevator bank.

I laughed, I tried to stay light hearted and care free so he wouldn't sense my tension. I didn't know when I would do it, if it would be tonight, tomorrow, I just didn't know. I was an absolute train wreck.

We stepped onto the elevator and the doors closed and he caught me off guard, kissing me immediately. It felt...wrong. I mean, it wasn't like when Rob kissed me. I tried to seem into it, but it was difficult. It had been difficult for me even before now. The last several months Mike and I were together, the physical aspect of it just seemed forced on my end.

"Surprise," he said, after he finally pulled away from me.

It took me a minute to register what he was saying. He had surprised me by getting here early. "Surprise indeed!" I said laughing.

We stepped off the elevator and I instinctively looked to the left towards Rob's room. I couldn't help but feel his pain, to be sitting in there alone, wondering what Mike and I were doing. Suddenly I realized we were walking towards Rob's room. "Oh, no." I stopped Mike. I turned back around to the right. "It's this way, sorry, I always get turned around." I laughed.

Mike laughed. "What have you been smoking?"

I laughed. "Nothing, I'm just tired. It's been a long day." We walked into my room. My heart started beating faster. I felt like he would be able to smell Rob or something, or what if Rob did leave something behind? I was an absolute mess.

Mike sat his bag down and jumped on the bed. I just changed into my pajamas and got in bed as well. Mike was already down to his boxers and under the covers. We snuggled up to each other. He kissed me. How was I going to get through this?? He obviously expected sex. I couldn't do it. There was no way. All I wanted to do was run to Rob's room and hide.

"Kris? You okay?" Mike asked, noticing my distance. I felt his hand slip under my tank top.

"Yea, I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I have to get up at 5:00 a.m." I said, as I reached over and grabbed my phone to set the alarm on it.

He pulled me closer to him. He kissed down my neck, his hand reached up to my breast. "I can be quick. I've missed you so much."

“Ouch!” He didn’t really squeeze that hard, I don’t know why I was so sensitive. "Mike, it's my time of the month." I said, as a last resort.

"Oh." He hesitated for a moment. "That doesn't normally stop us, let's take a hot shower." He responded.

Oh my god. He was never going to quit. I wanted Rob so bad I nearly burst into tears. "Why are you being so persistent? I'm sorry, I just really don't feel up to it, my stomach is cramping, I really just want to get some sleep,” I lied.

He laid off then. "Oh. Okay. I'm sorry, I just miss you being around."

"I know, I'm sorry too, I'm a party pooper tonight." I laughed. "I should be done around 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. We'll do something, just the two of us. Okay?"

"Okay." He kissed my forehead. "Get some rest baby; I hope you feel better."

"Thanks, good night." I rolled over and grabbed my phone again. I held it off to the side of the bed so Mike couldn't see it. I sent a text to Rob.

Don't text me back. I just seriously miss you. I didn't have the nerve to tell him tonight. I will tomorrow. I'm coming to your room at 6:00 a.m. Make sure you're awake to let me in. xoxo - Kris

I set the phone back on the nightstand and tried to get some sleep. I knew both Rob and I didn't have to be on set tomorrow until 8:00 a.m. I had to get a few minutes with him alone before we started filming.

*****

It was 4:45 a.m. I was laid in bed awake, and stared at the ceiling. For once, 5:00 a.m. couldn't come fast enough. When my alarm finally went off, I jumped out of bed, careful to take my phone with me. Mike was never a snoop, but just in case. I took a long, hot shower. I had nothing better to do to pass the time. I didn't even dry my hair, I just pulled it up on top of my head in a messy twist. I put some powder on my face, so I didn't look so pale. I brushed some clear lip gloss on and put just a dab of perfume on in the appropriate places. Nothing like a hot date at 6:00 a.m. I smiled to myself in the mirror. I couldn't wait to see him. I looked at my phone, it was ten till 6:00 a.m. I thought I'd send Rob a text to remind him, to make sure he

Morning baby, I'm about to head your way. You up? (You can respond). I turned my phone on silent and sat on the edge of the tub and waited.

He responded almost instantly. Morning luv, of course I'm up, I'm waiting for you...

I smiled. I took one last look in the mirror, and quietly opened the bathroom door. I grabbed my bag and kissed Michael on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

He mumbled something unintelligible and I quietly left the room. The hallway was deserted with the exception of an older business looking man stepping out to grab his paper.

I knocked, our knock, on Rob's door. I barely finished and the door was open.

I smiled as soon as I saw him. How did I ever go so long without him, without us, like this? I thought.

"Rob!" I hugged him, hard, nearly knocking him back.

He laughed. "Gosh, you're awfully glad to see me."

"You have no idea." I laughed. "I don't know what I was thinking, having him come here. It was the worst possible thing. I feel so bad, and it's even worse having to be in the same bed with him, wishing he were you."

"Um...did you two?" He hinted towards his question without actually saying it.

"No, no way. I couldn't. He really was persistent, but I told him I was on my monthly."

Rob crinkled his nose up. "Ew."

I laughed. "Yea, but I'm not, and we have approximately 1.25 hours until we have to be downstairs." I winked at him.

Rob smiled that crooked smile. "Hm, Kristen gets kinky in the morning?"

I giggled. "I'm always kinky around you." I reached up and kissed him. He pulled me back with him onto the bed. I hovered over him, admiring his grin and his beautiful eyes, looking back at me. He pulled my t-shirt up and over my head, tossing it somewhere far away.

"This is hot." He said, as he fumbled with my wet hair, all twisted up on my head. "But I'm going to have to let you're hair down." He pulled at my elastic pony tail holder.

"Ouch!" I laughed.

"Sorry, I'm not good at these things." He gave it one more strong pull and my semi-wet big curls of brown floated down my back, and over my shoulders. I got a chill from the dampness of it, touching my bare skin.

He smiled as he ran his fingers through my wet locks. "You're absolutely beautiful. A natural beauty, yet so unbelievably sexy and desirable."

I felt my cheeks turn pink. "Thank you."

He pulled me down on top of him and kissed me, the most sensual kiss. We had our fun in the sheets and were laying side by side under the covers catching our breath.

"Don't fall asleep." I joked. I leaned up to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "We have to be downstairs in 30 minutes."

I felt a heavy sigh escape from Rob. "I know. I wish we could stay here all day." I was curled into his chest and his arm was around me, tracing small circles on my upper arm.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

I shot up and looked at Rob. "Who is that??" I knew it wasn't Mike, he would never knock so damn loud. I nearly had a heart attack.

"I don't know," he said, sitting up.

We both looked at each other, neither of us moving.

"Yo Rob! It's Kellan - open up!"

"Whew." I sighed with relief. I started to get out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Rob asked, alarmed. "You're not answering the door like that!"

I was butt naked. I laughed. "I know silly, I'm going to hide in the bathroom. You take care of him. " I picked his gray boxer briefs up from the floor and threw them to him.

"Right." Rob said, as he stood up to put on his boxers and lounging pants that were nearby.

Rob opened the door. "What's up, Kellan?"

"Hey man, you got an electric razor I could use? Mine just got fried, dropped the damn thing in the toilet!"

Rob laughed. "Uh, yea sure come on in." As Rob was walking to the bathroom he realized I had gone in there to hide. He spoke loudly, so as to warn me. "So how did you drop your razor in the loo??"

"Dude, my cell rang and scared the shit out of me!" He laughed.

Rob slowly opened the bathroom door, peeking inside to make sure I had gotten the clue and was behind the shower curtain.

Rob pulled the razor from his travel bag. "Here, just take it to...."

ACHOO!

Fuck!!! I sneezed. I couldn't hold it.

Rob started coughing, trying to cover for me.

"Dude!!" Kellan exclaimed. "Have you got a chick in here???"

I could tell Kellan was coming closer so I had to poke my head out of the side of the shower curtain, before he pulled it back and fully exposed me. "Um...Hi, Kellan."

"Whoa!!" He looked back and forth between Rob and I. "Dude, give me some love!" He did this weird handshake, gesture, man thing with Rob. "That is awesome! I knew something was going on with you two, but I didn't realize you guys were hooking up. How long has this been going on??" He said, looking at me. "Wait!" It was as if he had a sudden realization.

I hung my head. Oh God. We're so screwed.

"Kellan, that's not appropriate to ask a lady." Rob said.

Kellan laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure what isn't appropriate is the fact that I could have sworn I saw Mike in the lobby last night when I came in."

My eyes flew to Kellan’s. I nearly jumped out of the shower - naked. "Rob give me a fucking towel!" I demanded.

Rob grabbed the nearest towel from the back of the door and handed it to me.

I wrapped it around myself and stepped out. I was furious. I cornered Kellan up against the sink and pointed my finger in his face. "You don't tell anyone!! You fucking understand me?? Mike's here because I'm going to end it with him, he doesn't know yet. Don't fuck it up, Kellan. I swear to God if you tell ANYONE about Rob and me....I will fucking kill you."

"Whew! Feisty!" He turned to look at Rob. "Is she like this in bed??"

Rob didn't know what to say, and he didn't have to say anything. My hand instantly flew across Kellan's face, smacking him hard. I just stared at him, trying to burn a hole in his eyes. "Keep.Your. Mouth. Shut!"

"Kristen, calm down." Rob interjected. Pulling me away from Kellan.

"Jesus Christ - I won't tell anyone, I won't." Kellan held his hand up to the red spot forming on his face. "Ouch, that fucking hurt."

Rob handed Kellan the razor and it's accessories. "Alright man, I think you should probably get going."

"No shit. Listen, Kristen, I'm sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean to. I was just playing. I won't tell, I promise. I don't want to get in the middle of this shit."

I sort of felt bad. Maybe I did overreact. Maybe not. He was pretty fucking rude, insinuating I was some whore or something.

"Apology accepted. And for your information Kellan, Rob and I aren't just fucking, I'm not some whore!"

"Kristen..." Rob was warning me to watch what I said.

I looked at Rob. "I'm not! I'm not!" I shook my head. Was I trying to convince myself? I nearly started crying. What else do you call a girl who cheats on her boyfriend? Who sleeps with another man while her loving boyfriend is three doors down, sound asleep, with no idea.

And I lost it. Tears started pouring.

"Kristen, I don't think you're a whore, I'm sorry! I won't say anything! I promise." Kellan said, trying to smooth things over between us.

Rob sighed. "Kellan, I know you don't think that." Rob began walking him out to the main door. I followed, but waited behind the partition to the bathroom to listen. "Sorry man, it's been hard on us. Especially her. But, like she said, we're not just sleeping together, we are together. I'm crazy about her, I love her, I don't want her to get hurt or be labeled in all this mess with Mike. You keeping this confidential is really appreciated, by both of us."

I melted. He's crazy about me. He loves me. I smiled. He referred to us. I really wanted to just get things over with tonight with Michael. I would do it tonight.

I heard Rob and Kellan give one of those manly hugs/hand shakes. "No problem man, seriously. I'm happy for you. I hope everything works out. I won't say a word - not that everyone doesn't already suspect it, but I won't say anything. Please, apologize to her again for me. I was really just playing."

I heard the door open.

"I know, she knows too. I’ll tell her. I guess we'll see you downstairs in a bit?" Rob asked.

"No man, I am off today! I'm going to town to do some site seeing and shopping. But I will see you both tonight!"

"Tonight?" Rob asked.

"Yea man, the cast dinner is tonight, remember?"

"Oh, shit. I totally forgot. Mandatory, huh?"

"Yup! See ya there bro!" Kellan left.

I heard the door shut and I peaked around from my hiding spot, still wrapped in my towel. I gave Rob the most innocent sweetest face I could muster up, fearing he was mad at me.

He grinned, that grin that makes me turn to putty. He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm not mad at you," he said.

I smiled. "Good, sorry about my outburst."

"It's alright. I should've said more. I should've hit him." He laughed.

I laughed too. "No, I got too much pleasure from it!"

"I'll remember not to piss you off!" Rob joked.

I reached up and kissed him. "So, you're crazy about me?" I asked, it came out against his lips, just barely a whisper.

I could feel him smile against my lips. "Terribly," he said.

I smiled and kissed him again. "We have got to get out of here!"

Rob sighed. "I know." He headed towards the bathroom and then stopped and turned around. "Oh, hey, did you hear what he said? That cast dinner is tonight."

"Oh! Yea. Fuck! I promised Mike we would do something alone, so I could tell him." I took a deep breath and blew it out quickly. "I guess I'll just invite him to come with me. It will sort of let me avoid conversation with him until we're alone."

Rob shrugged his shoulders, obviously not excited about me inviting Mike to be my date to the dinner.

"Ugh! Rob, what else can I do?? He's still human, he still came all the way here to see me, I can't make him stay locked up in my room all the time."

"It's fine." Rob said, not very convincingly. He turned around and went into the bathroom. I got dressed, for the second time that day. I sat on the bed waiting for him to come out.

"Why are you still here?" he asked when he came out.

It caught me off guard. I felt a lump forming in my throat. "I was waiting on you?"

"Well, that's very sweet of you, but we can't go downstairs together," he said sternly.

I stood up from the bed. "Right. Sorry." I headed to the door and he didn't even try to stop me. I turned around to look at him from across the room. "Rob, I'm doing the best I can, it will be over soon. I promise."

He sighed. "I know you are." He didn't move from where he was standing.

I wanted him to come kiss me. We surely couldn't get any more alone time together for the rest of the day or night. "I won't get to touch you again...until tomorrow maybe."

"I know. I'm not going to kiss you. It will give you more reason to get the job done faster." There was no hint of him joking. He was serious.

"Ugh." I said in frustration. "You're impossible. I thought you said you were going to be there for me." I opened the door and left, not waiting for his response.

I made my way downstairs and crawled into the waiting limo. For once, I wasn't the last person to arrive.

"I heard Mike was in town," Nikki said.

"Um, yea, he is." I replied, looking down, trying to convey the message that I didn't feel like talking.

"Um...I actually ran into him. A few minutes ago," Nikki revealed.

That caught my attention. I snapped my head up and around to look at her. "What do you mean? Where? Where is he?"

"Well, he was in your room, I was looking for you. I didn’t know where you were. He said you left hours ago."

FUCK!!! She could read the panic on my face.

"Don't worry Kris, I covered for you. I told him I completely forgot you had to be on set early today."

Just then Peter and Ashley got in the limo.

"Thanks, Nikki." I said. I was grateful the others had joined us. It would no doubt put an end to the questions she was dying to ask.

I felt my phone vibrate in my jacket pocket. I pulled it out to look at it.

I'm sorry Kristen. I am here for you, always. This is hard on me too. It kills me to see you with him. It absolutely kills me.

I felt tears sting my eyes. I took a deep breath to fight them off. I can't even imagine how he must feel. I would not let him hang out with his soon to be ex-girlfriend all night in my presence. I started to text him back when I heard the limo door open again and he crawled in.

"Good morning everyone," he said cheerfully. He was a better actor than I was in this respect.

I went back to my phone to respond to his message. I'm so sorry I'm doing this to you. I'll make it up to you. I promise. I hit send quickly and shoved my phone back into my jacket pocket, hoping nobody would pick up on the fact that we were texting each other.

Fortunately his phone was on vibrate as well. Nobody was paying attention when he flipped his phone open and then looked up at me. Our eyes met. Neither one of us had to say anything else. We knew we were okay now. He mouthed the words I love you while nobody was looking. I smiled and laid my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. I wanted this day to go by as quickly as possible and by the grace of God I would be back in Rob’s arms by midnight.




***Author’s Note: Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter! There probably won’t be another one until next weekend, but at least this one was pretty long! The next chapter is full of drama! ;)

Also, be on the look out for my new story REPENTANCE. It’s an All-Human Bella/Edward story and I’m really excited about it. I should have the first chapter up soon. Here’s a summary of the plot:

Bella was a 20 year old college student who was chasing her dreams. She wanted to teach English at the college level and she was determined to reach her goals. She followed the rules, didn’t party much, and always made good grades. Everything was going according to plan until one night, everything changed. She became the victim of a horrible fraternity initiation ritual. She dropped out of school temporarily to deal with the consequences of that night.

Will she be able to overcome her past and learn to love again? How will she react when she learns the one she loved had been keeping a horribly dark secret from her?

**Stay tuned! Please review and follow me on Twitter! @AllOrNothingKR

Thanks for reading!

**CHAPTER 10 - CLICK HERE**

The Intruders - Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Nothing really changed in the following weeks. Charlie continued to be even more distant and Edward insisted we didn’t “practice” anymore until my birthday.

On my birthday I sat by myself on the couch in the living room as I watched the sun slowly disappear over the horizon of the forrest. I had no idea where Charlie was. Edward skipped class and went hunting. He was supposed to be here by now. He promised me dinner at a nice restaurant in Port Angeles, like normal couples would do. I insisted I didn’t want a party or any sort of celebration so to speak. I just wanted to spend time with Edward.

I heard the front door open and turned around quickly, expecting to see Edward.

“Oh, hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Bells. It’s Tuesday, why aren’t you at work?”

Even my own father didn’t know it was my birthday. “Dad, it’s my birthday.” It’s okay if I want to forget my birthday, but it’s not okay if my Dad does.

I saw the horror cross his face. “Bells, I’m so sorry. I completely lost track of time; I’ve been so busy.”

Yea, busy with your new girlfriend who you still haven’t told me about. I thought. “It’s fine, Dad. I get it.” I stood and walked past him. “I’m going for a walk. Edward is supposed to be picking me up, eventually.”

“Bella, wait...”

I felt tears start to sting my eyes. I took a deep breath, ignoring Charlie’s request and I headed out into the woods behind my house.

This is so lame, I thought to myself. It was 6:00 p.m. and only my mother and some of my human friends had acknowledged my 18th birthday, as if any of them mattered. My Dad, whom I shared a home with, had completely forgotten and my vampire boyfriend was off chasing deer tail. I nearly lost it as I felt the heel of my shoe sink into the soft ground beneath me. I even dressed up for Edward. I wore black cropped pants with a dress sandal, which was now covered in mud, with a dark crimson 3/4 sleeve blouse. I even spent an hour perfecting the waves in my hair. I wanted him to want me tonight, and so far I couldn’t even get him to show up at my house. I quickly wiped the tear from my cheek that managed to escape my left eye.

“Bella? Is that you?”

I inhaled sharply, glancing around the woods quickly until I noticed the shadowy figure off to my right. I walked towards the familiar voice. As I got closer, I could see that it was Anthony. He was sitting by himself on a large downed tree limb.

“What are you doing out here?” I asked.

“I come out here sometimes, to get away. I just live about a mile through the woods that way,” he pointed behind him.

“Oh. I didn’t know you were so close.”

“Well, it’s not close by road, but it’s not too bad through the woods. You look really nice. I heard it was your birthday; sorry I didn’t get to tell you in class. ”

I smiled and sat down next him. “Thanks. It’s been a really crappy one so far. My dad completely forgot and Edward was supposed to pick me up an hour ago.”

Anthony laughed. “Ouch. I guess my night hasn’t been so bad then.”

I laughed too. “What’s going on with you?”

That uneasy look returned to his face and I could tell he was about to retreat back to that dark place he kept off limits to me and everyone else. “Oh, just some stuff with my mom. I can’t really talk about it.”

I put my hand on his arm. “You can talk to me, Anthony.”

He stood quickly. “No, I really can’t.”

“BELLA!” I heard Edward calling my name in the distance. I looked between Anthony and to my left, in the direction of my house, where Edward’s voice was coming from.

“You can Anthony, you can trust me. I promise. I have to go, but maybe we can continue this another time.”

“Maybe,” he said quietly. I turned to head off in the direction of my house.

“Oh! Bella!”

I heard Anthony yell for me and I turned around quickly. “Yea?”

“Happy Birthday.”

A genuine smile spread across my face. “Thank you.”



A few minutes later I stepped into the clearing, out of the woods, to face Edward.

“Where have you been?” Edward asked, as he saw me emerging from the woods.

I nearly laughed. “Where have I been? Edward, where have you been? You were supposed to be here over an hour ago!”

He completely dismissed my question.

“Bella, who were you talking to?”

My initial reaction was to say nobody, but I knew he must have heard me. I stood there, silent for far too long, further incriminating myself.

“I just happen to run into him out there, Edward.” I knew that he understood who I was talking about.

“Why were you in the woods to begin with, Bella? It’s dangerous to be out there by yourself.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, let’s see, my dad is so caught up in this woman he’s seeing that he completely forgot it was my birthday; I got all dressed up for my date with my vampire boyfriend and he didn’t even show up when he said he would because he was too busy chasing after his dinner! So, I went for a walk, I needed some air!

I stormed past Edward in the direction of my house. I heard Edward laughing momentarily at my outburst. I stopped and turned around to face him. “It’s not funny to me, Edward,” I said seriously.

He was inches from me before my mind could even process the fact that he had moved. I felt his cold hands on my shoulders.

“I’m sorry I laughed, Bella. I know it isn’t funny; you’re just so cute when you’re angry.”

He kissed me before I had a chance to respond. It was a passionate kiss, the kind of kiss I normally only dreamed about with Edward. It felt like gravity had been lost and I was floating outside myself. That high had to be better than any narcotic could provide. Edward literally had to push me away from him. A large smile spread across my face as our eyes met. How could I stay mad at him after that?

“Happy Birthday, Bella.” He put his arm around my waist as we headed back to the house. “And, in case you couldn’t tell by my kiss, you look beautiful, muddy feet and all.”

I looked down at my mud covered feet and shoes and laughed with him.




Dinner with Edward in Port Angeles was even better than I expected. He was incredibly charming. He even ordered an entree with me so I wouldn’t be the only one eating. He just picked at his food though, but it was the thought that counts.

I fell asleep in the car on the way home. I was slumped over, leaning against Edward’s arm and shoulder. Our fingers were tangled loosely together near the gear shift. I was awakened by the sound of gravel crushing under the tires of Edward’s Volvo. “That was fast,” I said, as I noticed we had arrived back to my house already.

Edward laughed lightly. “You slept like a baby the entire way.”

I smiled at him. “I was tired.”

“Are you too tired for a birthday practice session?” he grinned.

“I’m never too tired for that, Mr. Cullen!”

I gave him my best sex kitten face as we headed inside. I wanted to pounce on him as soon as the door was closed behind us, but the colorful display on the kitchen table to my right was catching my attention.

Edward was silent as I admired the small arrangement of colorful flowers on the table with a card and cupcake next to it.

“Aw!” I smiled as I tore open the card, trying to remember the last time my dad had been so thoughtful.

Bella,

I’m sorry about earlier, I knew it was soon, I just lost track of time. I’ve been dreading this day for the past 18 years. You’ve grown up into a beautiful young woman and I’m very proud of you. I know we don’t see each other much anymore, but I’m glad you’re here.

I won’t be home tonight, I’ve got to work the overnight shift.

Edward can spend the night for your birthday, if you want. You’re an adult now, just remember to make good decisions.

Happy Birthday Bells. - Love, Dad.

I quickly grazed my fingers across my cheeks to remove the tears that fell without my knowledge. I turned around and handed the card to Edward. He read it silently and then his eyes met mine.

“That’s very sweet of him, Bella.” He handed the card back to me and I held it close to my chest as I felt the inevitability of the warm liquid stinging my eyes again. It was sweet, and thoughtful, and so unlike Charlie, but that wasn’t why I was crying. I was crying because, if I had my way with Edward, I’d have to leave Charlie behind. Forever.

“Do you understand now why I so desperately want you to remain human?” He spoke softly as he gently rubbed my back. “It’s not just about me, Bella; it’s about everyone around you, who loves you just as much as I do.”

I stood there crying into his chest for entirely too long. I decided I didn’t want to think about being changed into an immortal tonight. I just wanted to enjoy what was left of my birthday with Edward. He sat quietly with me at the table as I ate my cupcake. It was homemade. Cora at the diner must have made it for Charlie.

After I devoured the cupcake and a few moments of silence between Edward and I, I tried to lighten the mood. “I can’t believe my dad said you could stay the night.”

Edward laughed. “Me either, and he won’t even be here!”

I smiled at the thought of it all and I was reminded once again why I wanted to be like Edward. So I could have all of him, and be on the same playing field, forever young. “Ready for bed?” I asked, getting up from the kitchen table and glancing back at him longingly.

Edward took my hand and followed me up the stairs.


Edward POV:

I closed the door behind me as Bella and I entered her bedroom. She turned to face me and the excited smile on her face melted my cold heart. I wanted so badly to give her everything she wanted, physically. I wanted the same things she did, I just had no idea how I’d find the strength to control myself. I never want to hurt the beautiful creature standing before me, but tonight... tonight I would try to give her as much as I possibly could.

“Edward?”

Her words interrupted my thoughts. “Hmm?” I said, looking up at her, noticing a little ball of clothes in her hand.

“Will you move so I can go to the bathroom to change clothes?”

I was still standing in front of the door. I stepped out of the way, but gently grabbed her arm as she tried to pass me. “Bella, you don’t have to go.” Her big brown eyes pierced mine, questioning my logic. “This is your room, your house, I won’t look.” I walked away from her and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the wall, and removed my shoes while she changed into her sleeping clothes behind me.

“All done,” she said, letting me know it was okay to turn around.

I turned and laid down on her bed, patting the spot beside me, inviting her to join me. Her hair was still perfectly wavy and she wore a fitted spaghetti strap tank top and a miniature pair of shorts instead of her usual oversized t-shirt.

She sat close to me, leaning against the head board with her legs straight out in front of her, her hands clasped together neatly on her lap. My hand cupped her cheek at first, as I trailed my fingers down her neck, shoulders, between her breasts, and down to her waist, “Is this new?” I tugged gently on the cotton fabric of her shirt. I could tell she had stopped breathing. Chill bumps raced across every visible part of her skin.

“Yes,” she whispered.

My hand moved to the outside of her left thigh, trailing upwards and eventually stopping at her hip. I gave her hip a firm squeeze, “Bella, even if you were wearing a trash bag, I’d still want you.”

She pulled me closer to her, grinning, and biting on her bottom lip. It was an innocent, yet incredibly sexy gesture. I instantly wanted to ravish her and I fought an internal battle to control myself. I held my breath and let my lips find hers. They were soft, moist and warm. Our tongues danced together, sending a jolt of something powerful through my body. Every time we kissed like this, I imagined what it would be like to have all of her, the way Emmett could have Rosalie, and Jasper could have Alice. It was times like this where I actually considered turning Bella into a monster. I pushed the thoughts from my mind, and tried to focus on the task at hand. The burning sensation in my throat was becoming stronger. I swallowed hard, begging to ignore it. I let my hand trail down her slender frame, my fingers resting dangerously close to her innocence. I pulled back from our kiss, searching her eyes for permission. She was breathing heavily and her brown eyes instantly locked on my own. She shook her head, encouraging me to go on, before enrapturing my lips with hers.

Bella POV

Is this really happening? Is he really touching me like this? My entire body was on fire and his cold skin against mine felt absolutely intoxicating. After giving him the encouragement he needed to continue, I instantly felt his ice cold fingers slip beneath the fabric of my shorts and panties. A throaty moan escaped me as his fingers violated me in the most pleasurable way. His cold lips and tongue trailed down my neck and collarbone. It felt as if his tongue were an ice cube skating across my shoulders. It sent little tremors through me and as his fingers continued to work their magic, I felt my body losing control.

“Edward!” I yelled his name without even thinking. I sought such a great relief that it felt good to say his name like that.

“Am I hurting you?” I heard him whisper. My head was nearly lost, deep in my pillow, my eyes squeezed tightly closed.

“No, no...it’s wonderful, don’t stop.” I felt him smile against the crook in my neck, his fingers moving even faster than before. I nearly felt ashamed at what I was feeling, the way I was reacting to his touch, nearly sending me into convulsions. I felt a slight tinge of embarrassment before I relaxed and let my body lead me, ignoring the hyper awareness of my mind. This is what I wanted. I felt the pressure inside me building and just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I felt the most incredible sensations rush through every inch of my body. I yelled out in pleasure, clawing at Edward’s back, not even looking at him, for fear I would feel embarrassed at him seeing me like this. I let my body wined down, slowly feeling the incredible sensations ceasing.

When my eyes opened, they immediately meet Edward’s. He was hovering over me, waiting for a reaction. I nearly laughed. I cupped his face in my hands. “There are not words to describe how amazing that was, how amazing you are.” I kissed him gently, feeling him pull away after just a second.

“I had no idea what I was doing,” he laughed. “It feels really nice down there though.” He looked down, as if suddenly sad, or upset.

I laughed at first, until saw the far away look in his eyes. “Edward, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I knew what he was thinking, that he wasn’t strong enough to really be with me completely. “You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

I sighed. “I do know it. You were so perfect, just then, you didn’t hurt me at all. You just...loved me, tenderly, and perfectly.”

“It wasn’t easy, Bella,” he said, looking away from me.

“Edward, please don’t ruin this for me.” I felt tears sting at my eyes about the thought of it being so difficult for him to touch me like that, as if he instantly regretted it.

“I’m sorry, Bella. I didn’t mean it like that. I love you more than you’ll ever know. I want to give you everything you desire. I really do, it’s so hard for me though. You have no idea how badly I want you, all of you. I have to control myself though, I can’t bear the thought of hurting you.” His hand cupped my cheek and I felt him relax on top of me, feeling the full weight of his body against mine - and something else.

I moved my leg a little bit to make sure that wasn’t my imagination. “Edward, is that?”

He laughed momentarily before propping himself up with his elbows again, putting more space between our bodies. “Yes, that’s what you think it is.”

I felt my smile spread widely across my face. “Wow.” That’s all I could think to say. I wiggled out from under him. He rolled over on to his back so that he was facing me. I straddled his waist, feeling his excitement growing beneath me. I pulled on his shirt, wanting him to sit up. He obliged and I made quick work of removing his shirt before he could protest.

“Bella...”

“Please, Edward. I just want to feel you against me.” I raked my hands up his stone cold chest. I pressed my lips to his and I felt his hands in my hair. His lips parted and my tongue sought his. I heard a low growl escape him.

“Bella, I can’t. We have to stop.”

“Please, Edward. It’s all I want. I want to make you feel the way you made me feel.” I pressed my lips quickly back to his as I gently rocked my hips against his excitement. I could feel him letting his guard down by the way he kissed me and the way his hands were exploring me. I pressed my hips against him harder, enjoying the sensations it caused in me. I heard him growl again, and then it happened. He bit my bottom lip. I don’t think he meant to. He’s teeth are sharp. If it weren’t for the small amount of blood I tasted and for the fact that he was a vampire, I would’ve thought nothing of it. His face was full of panic. His eyes were glazed over, he looked possessed. I got off of him, slowly making my way off the bed. Suddenly he lunged forward, at me.

“Edward! No!” I yelled.

“Get out!” He screamed.

I did as he demanded, quickly leaving the room. I went to the bathroom to assess the damage. It was nothing. He just barely punctured the inside of my lip. I rinsed my mouth out a few times and it stopped bleeding. I cautiously went back into my room. He was gone. The window was open. I ran to it and glanced around quickly, not seeing him anywhere. “Edward, come back! I’m not upset, it’s okay!” I spoke loudly, but I didn’t scream. I hoped he could hear me, although I had no idea how far he had gone.

I called Alice.

“I know, Bella. I saw it.”

“Is he there?”

“No, he’s hunting.”

I sighed. “If you see him, tell him to come back. I’m not going to sleep until he does. I’m not mad at him, he didn’t hurt me. I’m fine.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Bella.”

“Thanks, Alice.”

After a few hours I decided I would go look for Edward myself. I got dressed and headed out into the forrest. I was hoping he hadn’t gone far. I called his name a few times, hoping his expert hearing would pick up on it. After about an hour I felt completely lost. I sat down on a fallen tree limb just as I felt my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. It was Alice.

“Hey, Alice.”

“Bella, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Get out of the woods!!”

“I was looking for Edward.”

“He’s on his way to you now. You’re not supposed to be in the woods!”

“Why not?”

“He didn’t tell you?” Alice asked.

“Tell me what?”

Alice sighed. “Nothing, Bella, just stay put. Edward will find you.”

She hung up. It was a few more minutes before Edward came up behind me, nearly giving me a heart attack.

“What are you doing out here? Come on.” He grabbed me and threw me on his back before I had the opportunity to speak. We were back in my bedroom in a matter of minutes.

He closed my bedroom door behind me and I sat on the bed. “I’m sorry, Edward. I just wanted you to come back.”

“Well, you got what you wanted.”

I didn’t know what to say. “I thought you were out there giving yourself a hard time. What happened was nothing. You didn’t hurt me.”

Edward shook his head. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even know I did it until I tasted you.”

I got off the bed and walked over to him. “I know you didn’t mean to. It’s okay. I’m fine.”

Edward shook his head. “You’re lucky you didn’t get your wish tonight. You taste even more divine than I have ever imagined. We can’t do anything like that again, for a while.”

I sighed as I felt the tears sting my eyes. I turned and sat back down on the bed, determined now more than ever to get what I wanted. I hated being this fragile little thing to Edward, but now wasn’t the time to argue.

“What haven’t you told me?”

Edward seemed to instantly know what I was talking about. “Bella, I was late picking you up tonight because I was talking with Alice. She had a vision, about your little friend.”

“Who?”

“Anthony.”

“What about him?”

“You can’t be around him anymore. He is connected to Victoria somehow.” he said, running his hands through his hair.

“Victoria? How?”

“I don’t know. Alice just had a vision of them together. They were in Forks. Victoria must be coming back. You have to stay out of the woods and away from that guy.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“You should get some sleep.”

I shook my head. “Will you lay down with me?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he crawled into bed next to me.


***Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! Thanks for reading!

The Intruders - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Charlie POV

I headed out of the station after another uneventful day in Forks. Im hungry and I know Bella won’t be home because it is Thursday night and she always works on Thursdays. I guess I’ll grab something at the diner instead of sitting in front of the TV with another Hungry Man meal.

I grabbed a seat at the bar next to an unfamiliar face.

“Hey, Chief! How are ya?” Cora, the waitress, poured me a cup of coffee.

“Doing good, Cora. How are you?”

“Just fine. What can I get you tonight?”

“Let me do the fried chicken salad. It is sort of healthy. Bella’s been on my case about eating better.”

Cora laughed. “She should be!”

Cora disappeared into the kitchen and I focused my attention to the naturally beautiful woman beside me. I admired her for a moment before speaking. I’d never seen such an attractive woman before in Forks. She had golden bronzed skin and wavy blonde hair that hid her face. I waited momentarily to see if she was with anyone. Nobody accompanied her. I noticed she wasn’t wearing a ring on her left hand. I chuckled to myself, wondering when the last time I had checked out a woman’s ring finger was.

“Hi there. Are you new in town?” I asked her, catching her off guard.

The wavy blonde hair slowly turned to the side, revealing a beautiful face that glanced in my direction. She had piercing blue eyes. She hesitated for a moment. “Um, yes. I am new to the area.”

“Well, I’m Charlie Swan, Chief of Police here in Forks. It’s nice to meet you...” I reached out to shake her hand.

She quickly obliged. “I’m Emma.” She removed her small hand quickly from mine and went back to her dinner.

“What brought you out here?” I asked, wondering if this was the mother of Bella’s strange peer at school.

“Well, my mom lives just outside the city and her health is deteriorating. I came out here to take care of her until she passes.”

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that, Emma.”

She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “It’s not so bad out here. I chose to live in Forks because I liked the schools here better.”

“You have children?”

“Uh, yes, two boys, only one is with me though. The other stayed behind with his father; he didn’t want to come here.” She laughed. “It’s not quite like the hustle and bustle of California.”

“California, huh?” That’s where you came from?”

“Yes. I miss the sunshine already. However, this is kind of a nice change. Forks is much smaller and cozier than where we’re from.”

“Well you’ll certainly loose that beautiful tan in no time at all.”

Emma smiled momentarily before looking down at her plate again. She left some cash on the bar and stood. “I better get going. It was nice to meet you Charlie.”

“It was nice to meet you too, Emma.” She started to walk towards the door and I stopped her. “Hey, listen, if you ever need anything, here’s my card. My cell number is on the back.”

She smiled, took the card, and left the diner. I sat there for moment staring after her. I think it was the first time I’d ever thought another woman was attractive since Bella’s mom. I had to find out more about her. I had to see her again. I’m pretty confident there is no relation between this woman and the new kid at Bella’s school.





Bella POV

A few weeks had passed. Not a lot had changed. Edward still didn’t like Anthony; although, I think Anthony was getting more and more accustomed to Edward’s presence. Alice still saw nothing of importance in Anthony’s future and she was bored with searching, but Edward insisted. I made a little leeway with Anthony, but not much. We were cordial to each other, but I hadn’t come close to breaking down his barrier. Charlie hadn’t found out anything about the Anderson family, but he was getting home later and later, and I wasn’t sure why.

It was sunny today, so Edward and the other Cullens weren’t in class. I normally hated school without them, but today I would use it to my advantage. I didn’t get a chance to sit near Anthony today in calculus, but the luck Gods were gracing me in chemistry. Anthony’s lab partner was out, and so was Edward. Mr. Henderson insisted we pair up today because we had a group lab activity. I immediately jumped up to join Anthony at his lab table so he would feel more comfortable. I thought sitting in Edward’s empty seat may cause him to close up. Mr. Henderson explained the assignment and the room filled with voices as everyone began their work.

At first, we worked diligently on the task at hand, mixing different chemicals, and keeping the conversation strictly on the assignment. As soon as I was starting to feel like he was letting his guard down, I tried to turn the conversation in a different direction.

“So, how are you and your mom liking Forks so far?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t really like it.”

“Oh, does your mom want to go back to Texas?”

“Yea, but we can’t,” he said, looking down.

“Why not?” I asked. I caught a glimpse of panic on his face, as if he didn’t mean to say what he said.

“I mean, you know, we’ve already bought a house here and everything. We’re kind of stuck.”

“Oh, I see. Well, maybe it will grow on you. You should try to make friends and not be such a loner.”

He didn’t respond. “I’m sorry,” I finally said, thinking my comment was inappropriate.

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I know I keep to myself. I just don’t know how long we’ll be here. It’s kind of complicated. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay.” I had pushed enough for one day.

***

I got home later than usual that night from work. I was surprised not to see my dad’s patrol car in the driveway when I pulled in. I still yelled his name when I went through the front door. “Dad? Are you here?”

“He’s not here, Bella.” I looked up the stairs to see Edward standing there. “You’re late tonight.”

I looked at my watch. It was almost 9:00. “I know, we got out late, and I had to stop for gas. Has Charlie been here at all since you got here?” I asked as I ascended the stairs.

“No, not at all.”

I sighed. “That’s odd. He’s been getting home later and later, but he’s usually not this late.”

Edward took my bag from me as we walked into my bedroom. I immediately went to my dresser. I grabbed some pajamas and began putting them on quickly, with my back turned to Edward.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that in front of me,” he said sternly.

His comment caught me by surprise. I turned around to look at him, just as I was pulling my tee shirt on. I stared at him blankly with my mouth hanging open, unsure of what to say. I knew why he said it, but it still sort of hurt.

“Bella, don’t look at me like that. You know I enjoy the view, but when you’re throwing clothes around the room and your hair is all tousled from pulling your shirts on and off, your scent flies around this room like an air freshener. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”

I sighed out of frustration and crawled into my bed with him. “Okay, I’m sorry.” At that moment, I silently wished my boyfriend was human. I hated hearing Jessica gush about all the intimate things she and Mike did together. She often asked me about how Edward was in bed; I always lied to her. I wish I knew.

Edward noted my foul mood. “Bella, don’t be upset with me. I’m sorry. I just don’t want to risk hurting you.”

I sat up and turned to look at him. “You’re not going to hurt me, Edward!!” I screamed out of frustration and it alarmed him when tears started forming in my eyes. I sighed and rolled over, facing away from him.

“Bella, what’s wrong? Tell me.”

“No,” I cried silently, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

“Do you want me to leave?”

I turned to face him. “No, stay.”

“Bella, I don’t know what you’re so upset about. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“Ugh! Edward don’t you get it? You know what I want and you refuse to give it to me!”

He looked down. “Oh, this is about that.”

“Yea, it is. You don’t know how hard it is for me to be asked by my girlfriends how Edward Cullen is in bed! I just have to lie to them and pretend like I know! I can’t tell them my own boyfriend is afraid of touching me! I want to be changed; I want to be like you.” My hand reached for his shirt, pulling down on the soft cotton momentarily before slipping my hand underneath it and feeling the coldness of his skin. “I want to be able to really be with you, without worrying about you stopping me.”

He removed my hand from under his shirt and more tears fell down my cheeks. I laid back down and rolled over again, not facing him.

I felt his cold hand on my arm. “Bella, please, let’s not argue about this right now. I’m only doing this to protect you. I love you. I love your body. I love your touch. I want nothing more than to be with you that way, but it’s not worth you being turned into a soulless monster.”

“It’s worth it to me, Edward!” I sat up again. “If you’re never willing to change me, if I’m always going to have to leave my own room to change clothes, if we can never really be together, then maybe we shouldn’t be together at all.” I regretted the words almost immediately, fearing he would agree with me.

“You don’t mean that,” he said softly.

I fell into his embrace and squeezed him tightly. “I know.”

He sighed. “Bella, I’m sorry. I’m sorry this isn’t how normal human relationships are. I want to give you everything you want, but not that, not now. Maybe we can compromise.”

I pulled back to look at him. “Compromise? How?”

“Well, maybe we can practice being a little more intimate if you promise to drop the subject of being changed.”

I sighed, weighing my options. “I promise to drop it for now. But not forever.”

“At least until Senior year is over?” He asked.

I shook my head. “Deal.” I smiled, instantly wanting to start “practicing.”

Edward laughed. “That doesn’t mean we start right now! We have to move slowly; I really don’t know if I can control myself. I don’t want to hurt you, Bella.”

My eager face deflated into a pout. “Please?”

Edward sighed. “Only if we keep our clothes on.”

I smiled. “Okay!” I kissed him quickly, the way I had been dying to kiss him since I met him. Our tongues found each other’s instantly and my hands were tangled in his hair. I could feel his passion with his lips and the hold he had on me, but I desired his hands to move from the spot they were frozen in on my lower back. I pulled out of our steamy kiss, looking into his dark golden eyes. “Edward, loosen up. You’re not going to hurt me. I want to feel your hands on my body, explore me.” I begged, as I kissed him again. He kissed me back with more force than I had anticipated and I was instantly on my back on the bed, his cold hands searching my body. I cringed momentarily as I felt his cold lips reach my neck and linger there momentarily before returning to my own. His body pressed into mine and I could feel his desire building on top of me. I wanted him now more than I had wanted anything in my entire life. Of course, he suddenly pulled away from me then.

“I can’t, Bella. I have to stop. It’s too much, too soon You are entirely too enticing.”

I smiled at him and ran my hand gently across his cheek. “You did fine; you weren’t going to hurt me.”

Edward shook his head. “You don’t know what kind of thoughts entered my mind.”

“But you didn’t act on them. That’s exactly what I wanted, what I needed. I needed to know that you desire me as much as I desire you.”

My last comment seemed to startle him. “Bella, don’t ever think that I don’t desire you. I fight an internal battle every day to keep my hands and lips from ravishing you. It’s not easy.”

I smiled. “Thank you for trying tonight. I love you, Edward Cullen.” I kissed him and he kissed me back with more passion than usual.

He pulled away from me, a large grin spread widely across his face. “I love you.”

I fell asleep in his cold arms. I awoke a few hours later when I heard the front door close. My dad was home. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It was nearly midnight. I looked at Edward.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered, kissing my forehead and disappearing out the window. I would normally pretend to be asleep when Charlie came in to check on me, but tonight I wanted to talk to him. My door creaked open slightly as Charlie poked his head in.

“Hey, dad, where have you been? It’s late.”

“Yea, sorry, Bells. I got caught up with some stuff at work. I left you a note on the fridge.”

“Oh, I guess I missed it. I came straight to bed.”

“Sorry. I’ll try to call next time.”

“Don’t worry about it dad, goodnight.” I said as I rolled over.

“Night, Bella.”

He was lying. Why was my dad lying to me? He didn’t open the door all the way because he was wearing regular clothes, not his police uniform. I saw the sleeve of his plaid shirt just beyond his hand on the door knob.

Edward came back through the window quickly and snuggled up next to me, noticing my pained expression. “What’s wrong, Bella?”

“What is going on with Charlie? He’s lying to me about where he has been, but I don’t know why.”

Edward sighed. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

I sat up quickly. “About what? What’s going on?”

“Well, Bella, Alice had a vision about your dad.”

“What about him?” I asked.

“He’s seeing someone.”

I inhaled sharply. “What? Like a woman? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I’ve only known a few days. I wasn’t sure how you would react. It’s Charlie’s business, not mine. He doesn’t want to tell you until he’s certain of how things will work out with her. He’s not sure what you would think either.”

“Well, I want him to be happy. He could use a woman in his life instead of still pouting over my mom.”

Edward laughed. “She’s really beautiful.”

“You’ve seen her?”

“Yes, Alice showed me. He seems very happy Bella; he’s enamored with her.”

I laid back down, curling into Edward. “Hmm. I wonder when he’ll tell me.”



***Author’s Note: I hope you liked it! Things are slowly starting to come along! Reviews are appreciated! This story is also on Twilighted.net and fanfiction.net if you prefer to check it out there!

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