38.

It's been three weeks since that faithful afternoon where Charlie showed up on Bella's doorstep. She's been okay for the most part, especially since he's probably never coming back. Not after Ben clocked him a good one, and told him to leave Bella alone. She's practically an adult, and clearly doesn't need him.

I was expecting some sort of mental breakdown from Bella, but instead I've been rewarded with a happy girlfriend. She's that girl from months ago - all sex and sin - combined with the sweet girl I was able to get to know while we were getting re-acquainted.

I've been mulling things around in my head, like what if things had been different, would we still be here right now?

And I don't think we would be. I don't think I would have found the confidence to stand up for myself if I hadn't had to prove to her that I was a good guy.

I don't know how things will be for us in the future. We both want out of here, that's for sure. The rumors about us may have ceased, but I can't help but imagine us living somewhere out east, where we can walk down that beach hand in hand and relive some of the memories we made there.

We've been trying to create new ones though. Like last weekend when I licked ice cream off her chest, or last night when we explored the back seat of my car. Yeah, okay so we're still hormonal teenagers and given how we met, it's to be expected, right?

But tonight, I'm doing something we've never done before. Mom and dad are going out and I have the house to myself.

"Bella," I sigh when her teeth graze my earlobe.

We've actually managed to make it all the way to my room.

With my hands on her hips, I push her back on the bed and lay over her, settled between her thighs.

"This is better than sand and rocks," she giggles and scrapes her nails down my back, making my entire body shudder.

"And the car," I add. We can't forget the car. Seeing her lying in the back seat, legs wide open, inviting me into her. Yeah, not gonna lie, that was hot.

"Hmm, yeah... the car," she mules when my hands make their way down her sides, slipping under the delicate fabric of her blouse and back up over her abdomen.

Cupping her breasts, I swipe my thumbs over her sensitive nipples, feeling them harden under my touch. "I love how your body responds to me," I admit, dropping open-mouthed kisses down her collarbone.

She brings her hands up under my shirt and slips it over my head, smiling when she sees my bare chest. "I love how my body responds to yours too." She giggles and presses the balls of her feet against my ass, making me grind into her.

She's been giggling a lot more too, which is good. It's my second favorite noise that comes out of her pretty little mouth. The first one is when she calls out my name when she comes.

Moving her shirt up, I lower the cups of her bra, exposing the pink peeks of her breast. "These... I'll never get enough of these." My mouth waters at just the sight of her tits. They're perfect and perky and just right.

I touch them and tease them until she's writhing underneath me, grinding against my dick, and telling me she can't stand it anymore and that she wants me inside her.

I smile against her skin and stand by the bed. I watch as she takes off her top and bra, throwing them across the room. Smirking, she then shimmies out of the rest of her clothes as she watches me do the same. We never got to be completely naked before. This is new, and I like it.

I take her in, all of her as she lies there, bare and glistening for me. "You're so beautiful," I whisper against her skin as I kneel between her parted thighs. She's open and waiting. So patient and always ready. "I want to taste you," I whisper breathily, inhaling the skin on her inner thigh and leaving a wet kiss behind.

"Please... I need you." That sound, what she's telling me... she needs me... it gets me going every time.

I kiss her pubic bone and flick my tongue over her center as she writhes and squeals under my ministrations. It doesn't take very long before my name falls off her lips. My name. Nobody else's. Mine. She's mine.

And I show her she's mine. Kissing my way up her body, she cradles me between her thighs, and lines me up with her. She's slick and warm around me. It's the best feeling. So tight when I push into her.

She feels amazing under me, over me, kissing me, and getting lost in me, as I get lost in her.

My name rolls of her lips over and over again in a breathy whisper, as our bodies find that perfect rhythm that works for us, pushing, pulling, taking, wanting, and most of all needing.

I need her just as she needs me.

And when we both fall apart, that feeling - of two gentle souls finding each other in the midst of it all - it consumes us both.

"Have I mentioned I love your bed," she sighs when I pull her against me, tangling our legs together.

I smirk. "Amongst other things, yes." I believe her exact words were along the lines of: I love your mouth, I love your tongue, and my favorite, I love your cock.

"Yes, well... that was... yeah." She grins and kisses my cheek.

Before finding her, I was drowning, not knowing, or caring about where life would take me as long as it was away from here. Right now, in this moment, I don't care where I end up, as long as she's by my side.

"I love you, Bella." I kiss her deeply, slipping my tongue inside her mouth and finding hers as she sighs and relaxes against me.

Pulling back, she examines my face briefly before replying, "I love you too, Edward. Always."

…

Always. Always like this. Always with him.

THE END

Thank you so much for the reviews, recs, and wonderful words of encouragement. It's very much appreciated. Writing for you guys, and knowing you enjoy my words, is all a writer ever needs. :o)

Also, I couldn't have done this without Joey, who constantly holds my hand and encourages my crazy; Jen, who made sure my typos, ellipses, and commas made sense; and Scrimmy, because she saw something in me nobody else did way back when I thought I'd never write another word again. You girls are awesome, and I can't thank you enough. :oD

xox

Missy