xx This update? This update is for everyone who's been waiting. For everyone who has been dying for an update. And even those who are furious. I love you all. Every single one of you. I haven't forgotten, I've only been delayed by school and schedules and... yeah. Junior year.

xx Hm... I don't like this chapter. Something's off about it. I PROMISE THIS IS THE LAST DRAMA FILLED CHAPTER! LOL! Edward is a bit of a drama queen in this one.

xx The song in this chapter is called Dare You to Move by Switchfoot.

. : I'll Eat You Alive : .
.: I'm sorry... so sorry... Your beauty is so vain... It drives me... Yes, it drives me... absolutely insane. :.

I dare you to move—

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.

I dare you to move...

Like today never happened—

Today never happened before.

Welcome to the fallout.

Welcome to resistance.

The tension is here...

Between who you are and who you could be.

Between how it is and how it should be.

Maybe redemption has stories to tell...

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell...

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Where are you gonna go?

Salvation is here.

• Recap Of Last Chapter •

"Edward..." she whispered, her tired eyes opening and showing a bright, warm gold.

Edward smiled, his porcelain skin still sparkling from the sun. "I know," he whispered.

And then he leaned over her, and his lips pressed against her forehead.

I love you too.

• End Recap •

» Chapter 24 Start::

"Shall we go back to the house now, love?" Edward's soft voice was a haven for Bella.

Bella grumbled as she moved closer into his arms, closing her eyes as the sun warmed her body. She was naked, utterly and completely bare, as Edward's arms held her close. Edward chuckled softly, using one of his hands to move a stray hair away from her face.

"I know," he replied to her grumble. "You don't want to face your father, do you?"

"No!" Bella squeaked, burying her head in his chest.

Edward purred softly, and Bella looked up at him in question. His eyes, a brilliant golden, locked onto hers.

"I hope that you look at me that way in ninety years..." Edward said softly.

Bella's eyes widened, and she climbed on top of him. "Edward," she began, looking straight into his eyes. "I love you more than anyone can ever love... the love I have for you does not dissipate in a hundred years, two hundred, three hundred..." She leaned down closer to him, and his breathing became shaky. "Nothing you can say or do will ever change how I feel about you. Edward, you are my mate. My soulmate. My everything."

She kissed his neck and she felt him harden underneath her. When she pulled away, his eyes were alight with love.

"Bella," the way he whispered her voice was the way one would pray to their god. His hands reached up to cup her face in his hands. He was speechless. She had rendered him speechless. "Let me spoil you," he whispered. "Let me shower you with gifts, and jewels, and diamonds... let me express my love in a million different ways. I feel as if I am not enough."

Bella giggled. "Edward, you are too much."

Edward raised a brow and in a teasing voice he asked, "Too much? What is that supposed to mean?"

Bella stood up and faced away from him, towards the direction of the house. She stretched out her arms and laughed.

"I'll tell you if you can beat me back to the house."

She blew him a kiss, and shot off. He growled playfully, accepting the challenge she would most definitely lose.

-x-

-x-

-x-

Edward could have caught up with her... except for the fact that he was enjoying the view of her behind way too much. When Edward's window finally came into view, Bella jumped for it and Edward pounced, landing on top of her.

"Caught you," he rasped, his breath swirling around her. Intoxicating her.

Bella tried her best to compose herself, and then answered, "You went slow on purpose, didn't you?"

"I-"

"Edward Cullen, you are a pervert."

From outside their door, there were voices.

"I'm just going to see if Bella is ready to face her dad," Emmett said. "I miss my little sister."

"No, Emmett! Wait for them to come out!" Alice hissed. "Privacy while-"

"Shit," Bella said, looking up at Edward.

It all happened within the span of 30 seconds. Edward pulled Bella up and behind him, shielding her naked frame with his own. The door opened, and Emmett's eyes widened in horror. He let out a loud, insanely girlish scream (one you might hear in a horror movie, when a woman rounds the corner to find an axe murderer waiting for her), and shouted "OH MY GOD, I SAW EDWARD'S JUNK!" The door slammed shut, and a loud smack was heard as Alice hissed at him.

"Sorry," Alice squeaked from outside the door. "I tried. He did that on purpose, although he thought you'd have clothes on-"

Bella broke down with laughter and Edward turned to her and cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow at her hysteria.

"You didn't have to do that, you know..." she giggled.

"I don't want anyone but me to see you the way you look right now. Freshly fucked."

The last two words off of his lips almost caused Bella's knees to buckle.

"You're such a caveman."

"I'm your caveman, love."

They took their time getting dressed and showering (Bella managed to convince him that showering separately was the best thing to do at this point). Edward explained how Charlie was over at Billy's house with Jacob, so they had plenty of time to prepare an explanation. After Edward threw on a pair of dark jeans with a black t-shirt, he laid on the bed and propped up his elbow to rest his head on his hand as he watched Bella fret back and forth with her panties and bra on. His eyes memorized the way her body moved, and he found himself satisfied with how he painted her body with his venom.

"You're exquisite," he found himself saying. And then he would've blushed if it was possible, because he spoke his mind without thinking twice about the timing.

She stopped moving and her eyes found his. Her face lightened with a smile, and he smiled back.

"I'm sorry about going crazy," she sighed, breaking her gaze with him. "I... I just don't know what to do. I have to tell Charlie that I'm undead. How do I explain to him that I don't have to breathe to live anymore... how do I tell him that you asked me to marry you and I accepted?" Her eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Are you embarrassed of me?" Edward said, with mock hurt.

"You know that's not it."

"I know."

Bella picked up the dress that Alice laid out on the bed. It was a light summer dress, a mix between blue and green that fell above her knees. There was a deep cut in the front that would most definitely show cleavage. She sighed as she slipped it over her head, murmuring about the way Alice shops for her.

"Shoes..." she mumbled.

"Here, love. Allow me."

Edward held up her shoes and patted the bed next to him. She sat next to him and went to take the shoes but he shook his head. He took her slender leg in his hand as he concentrated on his work. He maneuvered her foot gently into the high-heeled shoe and then went to work on the straps (thanks again, Alice). He seemed perfectly at ease and happy, so Bella didn't complain. His electric touches weren't so bad, either.

"Thank you," Bella breathed.

He leaned forward, eliminating the space between them. "No problem..." As soon as their lips were about to touch, he growled and ripped away, to the door.

Bella stared at him in confusion and he gripped the door handle, his back facing her. "Jasper's right, if I end up kissing you-" He cut himself off, taking a deep, uneven breath. "Shut up, Alice..."

"What's going on?" Bella asked, getting up.

Edward's shoulders tensed as he turned to her. "I don't want to start something I'm not going to have time to finish. Charlie is going to be here in twenty-five minutes, and Carlisle is holding a gathering before he comes in. About what we should say, how we should explain ourselves..."

"O-Oh." Bella seemed relieved that she didn't have to make up an excuse on her own.

Edward's brow furrowed, assuming she was upset that he had torn himself away from her so fast.

Edward held out his hand, "Come, beautiful. We'll have time alone later, and I'll make it up to you."

She went to him and his hand enveloped hers. Edward led her downstairs to the living room where the entire family sat talking.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Rosalie said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting-" Bella said quickly, taking an empty seat on the couch. Edward sat next to her, and then pulled her onto his lap. His hand traced shapes on her back as the Cullens started to talk about the human that knew their secret.

"If we don't tell him," Carlisle began. "The Volturi will become aware, and Aro will not hesitate to send orders to kill him. If we do tell him... then he'll have to become one of us."

"Are there anymore options?" Bella prompted. "There has to be! There has to be an easier way..."

"We could... try to convince him that he hit his head a little too hard?" Emmett suggested.

"Genius!" Bella gushed.

A loophole.

"And if that doesn't work?" Jasper countered.

Rosalie snickered.

"Then we'll give him his options," Carlisle replied.

"This is all my fault..." Bella mumbled. "If I didn't barge in, maybe if I had handled the situation differently-"

"Don't put the blame on yourself, Bella," Alice soothed.

"It was, after all, Edward who brought the whore home in the first place." Rosalie muttered.

And that's when it all came crashing down.

Edward stiffened underneath Bella. The room went silent for a couple of seconds, and Bella turned warily to Edward.

Please don't take the blame on yourself... it wasn't your-

"Excuse me," Edward murmured, placing Bella on the couch cushion and then disappearing out the door.

"Damnit, Rosalie!" Bella hissed, striking the wooden table with a deafening crack. "We were passed this, we were finally passed it- and you have to go around saying things like that! You know why he was like that, you know it wasn't his fault!"

"I know he did it," Rosalie said calmly. "And I know he had the willpower to stop if he wanted to. He was using her as a distraction."

"Rosalie! I don't know how far up the stick in your ass is, but if you stop to look at our whole situation, maybe you'd learn to keep your mouth shut! Edward is the victim in this- not me! He hasn't been himself for the longest time- he's been manipulated by Tanya and by that cursed fountain in Volterra!"

She didn't respond, just crossed her arms defiantly.

"And now, when I get the man that I love back, he has to deal with repercussions that haunt his every moment. To top it all off- you! Can you at least be supportive of your brother?! Can you put everything behind you, just as he has?! You were not even directly involved-"

Bella stood up, her anger manifesting itself in the air around her. Rosalie's chair flew out from underneath her, and before she could register what was going on, she fell to the floor with a "huff!".

"Y-You make me so... furious! I know you're mad at him, for what he's done to this family! You're not the only one suffering from what he did and what happened to him, and you have to understand the fact that his wounds are still fresh! I just managed to put him back together when you rip open the stitches so very easily all over again-"

Bella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from sending Rosalie out the window. Rosalie stood up, her eyes sharp and wary.

"Please- please- do not hurt my reason for living anymore." Bella's hushed whisper was desperate, and her eyes looked to the wooden table in front of her. She slid back onto her chair in one fluid movement.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Rosalie said, clearly not used to apologizing. "I- I won't bring it up again..."

"Bella, Rosalie, please calm down. We can't deal with Edward right now... Charlie is pulling up in the driveway. We'll go with Emmett's plan... I can't believe I'm saying that- but its our best guess right now. We'll try to convince him that he imagined what he saw before he blacked out, since I'm sure Bella wants to save his humanity. Alright?" Carlisle said.

The Cullens dispersed in response, and Bella went to the door look for Edward. He was no where in sight, of course. She didn't want to face her father without her mate. Why would he run off like that- over-reacting again? When she needed him? Charlie's cruiser pulled up and Bella pulled on a fake smile.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" Charlie shouted her name before he was all the way out of the car. "Get in this car right now!"

Bella took a deep breath of the air outside to calm her nerves. Pine, the array of flowers planted by Esme outside the house, the fabric of the dress she was wearing, the bird flying overhead, the smell of the water in the brook a mile or two away. No Edward.

She frowned.

"Dad, listen. You're overreacting."

Alice appeared at my side, whispering lower for human ears to pick up. "We have to get him inside, to talk to him about what happened. Everyone's waiting in the living room."

"ISABELLA!" Charlie was angry. He slammed the cruiser's door stalked towards them.

Alice held took Bella's hand.

"You can do this." Alice whispered.

Bella looked at Charlie's furious expression. She thought about Edward being upset, then angry, and then storming off. Over-reacting. Running away. She wanted to run away, too.

"No." She said, her golden eyes brimmed with sadness. "I don't think that I can."

"I'm sorry Alice, but Bella won't be able to come over for a long long time," Charlie sneered, taking Bella's free hand.

Alice released her hand and Bella allowed herself to be taken to the car by her father. She sat down when he opened the door, and winced when he slammed it. She looked to Alice through the glass window and sighed. Esme, Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett stood behind Alice at the door.

"I'm sorry about Edward," Carlisle spoke.

Rosalie appeared next to Emmett with a frown, "I really didn't mean to say what I did. I should've kept my mouth shut. I'm sorry, truly, Bella."

Bella nodded, and used her telekinesis to pick a gentle, blowing freesia from the garden in front of the house. It landed in Alice's hands and she whispered, "Give this to him if he gets back, tell him... everything's going to be okay. Tell him..."

Charlie got in the car, furious and not saying a word to her. He revved the engine and sped down the driveway.

"Tell him that I love him and that I'm sorry... but... I need... time. I'll handle things with Charlie by myself..." she whispered. "Thanks for your help, guys but... I'll probably... you know... get grounded."

She heard Alice snicker low, and then Bella smiled slightly. Bella was so much stronger than Charlie, yet so much more afraid.

"What do you think your smiling about young lady?! Playing a prank like that on your father- smashing up the house and-"

"I didn't-" play a prank... Bella began. "I... I'm sorry."

"I don't know what the Cullen kids got into you. Carlisle and Esme must be furious-"

Bella stayed silent. Can this car go any faster?

"And Edward was with you! Edward of all people-"

That over-reacting fiance of mine.

"I knew he was bad news, Bella. I forbid you to see him! Wait until I tell your mother-"

"Don't tell her," Bella breathed. "Please, don't."

"Right now you should be worried I don't send you back to Seattle!" Charlie fumed, his hands furiously gripping the steering wheel.

"This... this vampire nonsense. This also has to stop. I don't know where you got it, and how many people you've gathered to play along... but you're old enough to realize there is no such thing as vampires. You render me unconscious, and then I wake up at Billy's house! You owe me more than an apology, you owe me— You owe me—"

He had no idea, but she knew that once he came up with something it was going to be bad.

"You can't... forbid me to see him, dad." Bella said calmly. "I love him."

Charlie's eyes bugged out of his head, and his voice dropped to a dangerously low octave. "Come again, Isabella?"

Bella twisted the ring on her finger once, twice... and then brought her eyes back to his.

"WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR FINGER—?!" Charlie roared, the car yanking itself into the driveway.

"It's... it's-" Be strong, Bella... come on... "Edward proposed."

Charlie looked to be at the point of self destruction. "We'll see about that. Give me that ring right now."

"No, dad. It's mine."

"Give me. That ring. Right now Isabella SWAN or I will pack your things up the moment we get into the house and send you on the next plane out to your mother—"

I can't do this.

Bella ripped the ring off of her finger and got out of the car. She threw the ring on the passenger seat and shouted, "Maybe it's time you let me grow the hell up, dad! I love him and he loves me and you can't stop something like that just because YOU don't like it!"

She stormed into the house and up to her room, she slammed the door which made the hinges almost fly off. Glancing at her clock, she learned that it was 4:32 in the afternoon.

Great. Time to kill.

She laid on her bed, which felt slightly awkward, since it had been so long and it felt so empty. Empty.

She was pissed at Edward. Every little thing- any little thing- that got too heated, conversations that led to his not-so-perfect past... caused him to flee. The past caused her pain as well- but she didn't run away from conversations about it.

Yeah, Bella... but he's ashamed.

So what! She argued with herself.

Boys are stupid.

She closed her eyes and bit her lip. She could hear Charlie's blood pumping from upstairs. He was still angry. She rolled over, and realized that five minutes had passed. That's it?

Her eyes opened when she smelled a certain... disgusting smell. Jacob! A rock pelted her window and she jumped out of bed and flung the window open.

"'But soft! What light by yonder window breaks?'" Jacob snickered.

"Funny, Jacob." Bella replied flatly. "What are you doing here?"

"'It is the east, and Bella is the sun!'" Jacob laughed.

Bella raised a brow as she watched his performance. "You better keep it down, Charlie is gonna flip if he hears you. What are you here for?"

"I haven't had you to myself in a long time." He pouted and crossed his arms. "Went to the Cullen house today looking for you, and was gonna help you with the whole 'explaining to Charlie' thing but you weren't there. And neither was Charlie... or Edward. Alice told me everything. Sorry 'bout that, Bella."

"You've nothing to apologize for."

"Doesn't it bother you that he always runs off because he thinks its 'best' or some bullshit like that? Remember last time he ran off?"

At the cottage. When he was warring with himself.

-

-

"- as if tearing her emotions apart isn't enough?!"

Realization flickered in Edward's eyes.

"As if coming back to Forks and taking away her humanity without her consent wasn't enough!"

Edward's eyes widened, pain showing clearly through them.

"Jacob, stop it!" Bella said quickly, though her voice did not hide her pain well enough.

And then Edward was gone, out the door so fast that Bella barely caught it.

-

-

"Yes. I remember."

"And here we are again. You and me, baby."

"Jacob, don't even ask me. I can't go anywhere tonight, tomorrow, or probably for the rest of- ... well, a really really long time. Charlie is flipping out."

"Oh, right! I guess he's not taking the vampire thing very well."

"I didn't even tell him! He thinks I pranked him. So I just went along with it."

Jacob let out a howl of laughter, and Charlie grumbled downstairs. "Isabella! You better not be on that computer!"

"Ugh," Bella rolled her eyes.

"Let me in your room, and I'll keep you company?" Jacob offered.

Bella laughed. "Edward won't be happy about this."

"He screwed a blonde whore behind your back and you're worried about what he thinks?"

"He didn't-" Bella whispered, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "He didn't."

"I don't care about him or what he did. I care about you. I'm the friend who will always be there."

"Jacob..." Bella's gaze softened.

Jacob gave a thumbs up and scaled the tree in ten seconds. "Lemme in."

And she did.

Always here to catch me when I fall.

Thank you, Jacob.

-x-

-x-

-x-

"He took my ring, Jacob."

Bella managed to down one slice of pizza that Charlie ordered. She had to throw it up afterward. Charlie yelled at her throughout the entire meal, and she couldn't get a word in edgewise. She sneaked three slices of pizza up to her room for Jake, and then they started to play poker on her bed.

"He did?" Jacob replied, glanced at her ring finger and his eyes widened. "Well... damn."

Bella nodded, glancing at the cards in her hand. Trying not to focus on the fact that her ring was gone. She missed it. She wanted it back.

"Well, let's take your mind off things, huh? How 'bout we make this round of Poker more interesting and we play... Strip Poker?"

"Absolutely not!" Bella laughed. "Plus, I've only played a couple times and I don't even have a lot of clothes on-"

"Accept my challenge, Bells. You know you can't resist..." He flexed one of his arms muscles and Bella giggled.

"One round. If it goes too far, I'm out!"

"Fine."

-x-

-x-

-x-

"This is not fucking fair, Jake, and you know it."

"I think this is extremely fair." Jake said, a chesire smirk on his face.

Bella was in her underwear, one hand covering her exposed breasts and the other holding the cards. Jacob was still in the pants that he arrived in, content. And thoroughly satisfied.

"Another round?" Jacob cocked an eyebrow.

"No way!" Bella threw down her cards and crossed her arms over her chest.

Jacob licked his lips and went for his second slice of pizza. "It's not my fault that your eyes are an open book."

Bella got up and faced away from Jacob while slipping on her bra. She turned back to face him to see that he had finished his slice of pizza.

"Your body is rocking, Bella."

Bella gave him a gross look as she watched him eat the pizza.

"I don't see what's wrong with the pizza, Bells." He picked off a slice of pepperoni and offered it to her. She snickered and flicked it at him. It landed on his forehead and they laughed as silent as they could.

"Better go check up on her..." Charlie grumbled from downstairs. He rose off the couch.

"Got it," Jacob said, taking his pizza, shuffling the cards under her pillow, and diving for the closet. Bella laughed. "Nice, Agent J."

He snickered from the closet as Bella laid back on her pillow. Charlie opened the door and then closed it quickly.

"... Thought I heard noise up here. Sorry, I didn't know that you were changing."

Bella looked down at herself. Oh yeah.

"Nope, been trying to get some sleep, actually."

He nodded, and the door clicked closed with his leave. Jacob tumbled out of the closet, holding his cellphone.

"Ugh. Text from Seth. I have to go, Bells. I'm sorry-"

"I've hogged you here enough. You shouldn't have to suffer with me."

"It's been a pleasure, Juliet." He walked over to her and took her hand, his lips gently grazing her skin.

Bella laughed. "Get out of here, Romeo. You smell like pizza and dog."

"I'll visit you tomorrow, as early as I can."

"Yeah yeah."

He chuckled and shimmied down the tree and into the woods. Bella laid back on her bed and looked up at the ceiling.

How much longer? This is torturous. And I miss Edward.

One hour passed. Two hours.

Charlie was downstairs, asleep on the couch. Bella looked at her clock, and it read 9:23 pm.

She opened her old favorite, Wuthering Heights, and her eyes scanned over words she had read many times before. She was reminded of her time in Italy, when Edward and her were having sex and how the whispered lines to each other.

I miss you.

That's when she heard it. The sound of someone racing in her direction from several miles away. The steps were light and ghostly, yet they were loud enough for her to know that they were meant to be heard. That's when his glorious scent filled- intoxicating- Bella's senses.

She didn't care that she was mad at him. She could yell at him later.

She opened her window and peered into the darkness.

"Ed-Edward?" she whispered, ready to let him have it.

WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU?

WHY DID MY STRENGTH LEAVE WITH YOU?

WHY DO YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME?

"Bella." His voice was a broken whisper. "I'm so sorry."

His hair was a chaotic mess, and his clothes were marred by various smudges of dirt and rips.

What happened? Where did you go?

His eyes were desperate, pleading forgiveness. His hands were behind his back.

"I'll never run away again." He said, his eyes were shifting, nervous, at her mercy. "I... I need to handle myself better... I'm... just not used to... human reactions- I- Bella... in my whole life... you and I... feeling this way... what I happened when I left... what I did when I came back..." He scrambled for words.

Bella's gaze never faltered from him. But it did soften.

He pulled out a bouquet of freesias from behind his back looked up at her without a word, yet saying so so much.

"Edward-"

"Forgive me, love. I'm... I'm a monster."

"I missed you, Edward..." Bella breathed. "I missed you so much."

Edward's brooding facial expression faltered, and Bella's favorite smile appeared on his face. "I missed you too, love."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Edward looked down at his hands, which held the freesias. He looked up at her and raised his hands a bit.

"I feel like a child... but I... I brought you flowers- when Alice showed me what you left, I-"

"Thank you," Bella said quickly, smiling.

Another couple of moments of silence and then Bella sighed. "I'm grounded."

"I know."

"Charlie thinks we pulled a prank on him."

"I heard."

Again, his eyes glazed over in pain. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when he arrived. Alice didn't see him acting so rash... in everyones' mind I could see your face... when your father arrived at the house. Alice held your hand. Bella, that should've been me."

"I know." Bella sighed. "But I've already forgiven you."

"Why?" Edward was incredulous.

"Because I love you."

Edward stared up at her, then shook his head and looked away, murmuring something about how he didn't deserve her in the first place.

Bella broke the silence, "Edward, he... he found the ring."

Edward's eyes flew to her hand and narrowed when he found the rock missing. A growl emitted from deep within his chest.

"It's the worst kind of scenario- him finding out this way... he..."

Edward's growling didn't cease, in fact, it increased.

"... forbid me to see you, or go back to your house... or marry you, for that matter... and I..."

His lips curled back over his teeth, which glinted white in the light of the moon. In a blur, he disappeared with the flowers remaining on the ground where he once stood. In the distance, thunder roared. Bella could taste the moisture in the air. It would downpour any minute now.

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, and Edward was standing just where he was thirty seconds ago. Only this time, he held out her ring.

"My ring-"

"Your ring." He smiled, enjoying the words on his tongue. "It was in the cruiser."

Another crack of thunder echoed in the distance, and rain started to trickle. Edward's hair stood on end as water droplets bounced off it.

"Aren't you going to ask to come in?" Bella teased.

"Only if you invite me in."

Bella chuckled, "Isn't that how vampire myths go? An innocent girl allows the vampire inside and then he takes advantage of her."

Edward cocked a brow. "We'll it's a risk you have to be willing to take, isn't it?" He smirked.

"Come in," Bella breathed.

"With pleasure." Edward replied.

He entered her room through the window embraced her in a tight hug.

"Marry me," he whispered in her ear.

"You have me," she managed to reply as he slipped her ring back on.

"Love, what are you doing in your lingerie... with the smell of that dog soaking this entire room?" He didn't pull away from her, but his voice dropped to a low staccato and his grip on her got tighter.

"He kept me company," Bella said stubbornly, crossing her arms. "... while you away."

Edward's grip loosened on her.

"He picks up the pieces, Edward." Bella said softly. "Just like I'll always do for him."

Edward lowered his head into her neck, gently nuzzling.

"... Nothing happened, of course. We ate some pizza and played Poker."

He pulled away from her, hearing something else in her voice. "That's it?" He asked.

"Well... it was... Strip Poker."

Edward's eyes grew dark, hooded with anger and laced with possessiveness. And then, deeper than that- there was sadness.

"Edward- seriously don't turn this around on me. I'm tired of all this drama!"

"How would you feel if I played Strip Poker with Jessica- or Lauren?!" Edward snapped.

Bella stepped back with a sharp intake of air. Edward never— never— snapped at her this way. Edward raised his hand to bring her back but she took another step back, one hand raising to a fist right below her collarbone. Her eyes burned with nonexistant tears. She suddenly felt very naked- too exposed. Vulnerable.

"Bella, I'm—"

Anger pulsed through her with what he was about to say.

"You're what?!" Bella said, her voice shaking and rising slightly. "You're sorry?! You're always sorry! And I always forgive you! If you love me, you have to trust me! After all I did for you— after all I went through— all you put me through—"

Her breathing was heavy as she stepped up to him, glaring up into his ocher eyes.

"— you still doubt my love for you! Every time Jacob's around me you fill with anger and jealousy! I can't stand it, Edward! I'm not going to just stop being friends with the person who holds me together after you watch me fall apart!"

Her voice was loud now. She didn't give a damn if Charlie heard.

"I went through a fucking hell for you. You turn me into a vampire the night you get back, you tell me you love me, and the next day I learn that you're engaged to Tanya, whose so beautiful that I look like filth when I stand next to her! I had to watch you when her tongue was down your throat and put up with her abuse towards me! And then when Jacob comes to comfort me, AND YOU FUCKING WONDER WHY— I have to put up with your anger too when I shouldn't be the one apologizing in the first place!"

"ISABELLA MARIE WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO—" Charlie stirred from the couch downstairs.

Several moments of silence passed between them. Bella was breathing heavily, her gaze not breaking from Edward's. This was an issue that had to be addressed so that they could move on.

"I deserved that." Edward finally said, looking away towards the window. Charlie's steps were heard on the stairs. "I should go."

Don't run away from me again, Edward.

"If you leave me tonight—" Bella hissed. "Don't you dare think of coming back."

Charlie was twelve steps away from her door. Edward shot a tortured look her away before disappearing out the window.

He left me. Again.

Bella bit her lip and threw on a huge t-shirt that went fell above her knees while throwing her hair up in a messy bun. She took out her cellphone to cover up her talk with Edward.

Charlie opened the door. "I knew it! No cellphone when you're grounded!" he shouted, taking the phone from her grasp.

"But dad-" Bella acted the part.

"No buts." He shut the light on his way out. "Go to sleep. We'll... talk in the morning."

He shut the door and Bella went to the window. Edward's presence was in the tree just outside.

"You're beautiful." Edward said in a broken voice.

"If you think that's getting you out of this—"

"And I am so in love with you."

"Edward—"

"I'm sorry I'm so possessive over you."

"..." Bella took a deep breath.

"And I'm sorry that I forget how in love you are with me. I... doubt myself a lot. I trust you, Bella. Truly, I do."

"Please—"

"Bella, I'm—"

"I need you," Bella whispered. "I love you. All of you. Your possessiveness, your protectiveness, every single part of you. You are magnificent. You are flawed. You fill me where I am empty and no one in the world compares to you. I'm sorry I blew up before... I didn't mean to address things that furiously. I hate fighting with you... and—"

Edward was silent, staring her in the eyes before a crooked smile appeared on his features. "Let me in."

"Yes." She said softly.

He came through the window and shut it behind him. His eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"From here," he lifted her off her feet and she laughed by his sudden mood change. "We start with a clean slate."

He laid her down on the bed, crawling on top of her while allowing his nose to skim from the top of her neck to her collarbone. On his way back up her neck, he left a single burning streak with his tongue against her skin. She shuddered, her breathing picking up.

"No more..." He continued, lifting up the giant t-shirt. "Regrets... from here on out..."

He pulled off her underwear while he worshiped her body.

"We'll build from nothing... and never..." He lifted off his own shirt. "... let the past we've encountered ...come back to..." His pants dropped. "... haunt us anymore."

Bella admired him as he moved on top of her. He moved much like a predator admiring its prey before the pounce. His golden eyes were hooded with lust and love and admiration and... redemption. He was going to do anything and everything he could to make up for what he put her through. And she would do anything and everything to show him that she loved him.

She felt the hard bulge against her inner thigh as he ravished her neck.

"Edward..." she moaned.

His mouth quickly went over hers, muffling her moan. "We need this, love. But we can't be loud. For obvious reasons-"

"Yes-!" Bella squeaked, her body trembling as her eyes shot to his boxers. "P-Please..."

Her fingers went to his boxers, and she trembled as she slowly pulled them down. Their eyes locked as soon as they were both stark naked. There would be no foreplay.

He spread her legs and thrust his cock up and down the outside of her entrance with slow, powerful thrusts which coated him with her wetness. She whimpered and he hissed when she thrust herself upwards and into him. He leaned over her, his hands on either side of her while he panted in her ear.

"So wet..." he said, as if he couldn't believe it.

"So hard!" she moaned, arching upwards again, which caused her soaked core to thrust against the length of his hardness. "Inside- inside!"

"Bella-" Edward growled. "I'm going to end up breaking your bed if you act that way-"

"Break it-" Bella moaned as he bit softly into her neck. "... ahhh... break me, too!"

Edward hissed against the skin of her neck before taking his hand to his shaft and guiding himself to her entrance. With one thrust he was inside, and with four more he was as deep as she could take him. His hips moved in a beautiful, rhythmic motion and his mouth was slightly agape- his teeth tightly clenched.

She cried out, and Edward was too busy on focusing on not cumming yet to muffle her noise. She was just too tight tonight. All his inhibitions went out the window. A second of silence passed between them, their eyes focusing on each other while listening to see if they had woken up Charlie.

But they didn't.

And Edward couldn't hold back anymore.

Fuck the quiet. Fuck this rickety bed. Fuck Jacob Black and Charlie and the laws of physics and everything else that could possibly stop him now.

He started thrusting into her at the speed that he pumped himself when he thought of her. He slammed her into him, and at first her head thrust back and her mouth opened wide before her lips curled back and she snarled, flipping him over.

He gripped her hips in the same second, his eyes narrowing up at hers.

"I wasn't finished fucking you," he hissed under hooded eyes.

"Since we're hell bent on waking up Charlie and any other fuzzy woodland creature within a five mile radius, it'll be your moans that will wake them up... not mine."

Her hips ground into hers and his eyes snapped shut and a groan fled his lips. His fingers tightened against the flesh of her waist as she continued her movements. Her hips moved against his, grinding against him as he moaned wildly.

"Faster," he hissed. "You have to move faster-"

Always speed with this man.

"Faster, baby?" Bella teased, slowing her movements.

He growled viciously at her teasing, and flipped her over, grasping her hands with one of his and lifting them above her head. He thrust his pounding cock into her at a dangerous speed- the bed slammed viciously against the wall, and the walls seemed to vibrate-

"Baby, baby!" Bella shouted.

And it was when her hips ground against his movements that he let out a feral growl.

So wrapped up in themselves- in this moment- they failed to notice that Charlie had made his way up the stairs.

Down the hall.

And to her room.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE-"

And Edward turned to the door in surprise and shock. Bella screamed and buried herself in the covers.

And then the bed frame shattered into several dilapidated pieces, falling and clattering on the floor. The wall behind the frame was dented in... That wall was layers of cement and brick and framing-

And then Edward, in all his beautiful naked glory, ran a hand through his hair and smirked, a sigh passing through his lips.

"Mr. Swan, just take a deep breath, you're turning purple-"

And then Charlie fainted.

-x-

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To Be Continued...

» Um... I haven't updated much? Hehe... Sorry everyone.

Much Love,
Mezzanottex3