A/N: SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE! UPDATES MORE REGULAR FROM NOW ON! HOPEFULLY ONCE A WEEK!

~ Chapter 7 ~

Now that I was finished hunting I didn't know what to do. I had been outside of the house pacing for about ten seconds, which could feel like an hour for us. I knew Edward was aware that I was outside, I mean he could smell me and well the rest of the family went inside already. Everyone was with their lover which means Edward was alone, something I knew for a fact. I just didn't know how to go about seeing him again. I knew he was hurting for some reason I didn't know and even though he was my best friend I didn't know how to make it better.

Alice had been with him for the hour we had been out hunting and I know she knows him better than anyone else in the family, except for Carlisle. We had gotten so close over the last year, so close I feel like I know him better than anyone. But I can't help but feel like there are things he doesn't share with me that he shares with everyone else and I don't know why.

I suddenly got an idea. There was one thing I could do that I know would make him happy that no one else could ever do. My face brightened up with a smile as the idea registered in my mind. This would be perfect.

I entered the house and ran to the kitchen grabbing what I needed before I and upstairs so I was right outside of Edward's room. The door was closed but I knew he was in there. I cracked his door open slightly knowing he had known I was outside before I even opened the door. I slipped the the white napkin that I had gotten from the kitchen in his door lightly waving it around.

Truce? I asked opening my mind to him.

I heard his breath hitch and I stuck my head around the door still waving the known symbol of truce, my white flag.

Truce? I asked again and this time I saw the glint light up his eyes as well as the smile light up his face. When he didn't answer I tried again.

Am I forgiven?

"There is nothing to forgive, you've done nothing wrong." He said keeping the smile in place on his face. His tone was as polite as it always is and that kind of bugged me.

I mean just an hour ago he was furious for some reason. He was hiding out in his room and what he said to Tanya was the first non gentleman like comment I have ever heard him say. How could he just pretend nothing had happened? I wouldn't be able to do it and he shouldn't have to. He should want to talk about it, we are best friends. Aren't we?

"Of course we are." He said as he got off the bed and walked over to the door where I was standing. "Bella how could you think that, you're the best friend i've ever had, ever wanted." He said as he wrapped his hand lightly around my own and pulled me to his bed with him. He sat me down next to him and wrapped his arm around my waist. I snuggled further into his side but pulled my head back so I could look at him.

"I'm sorry about today." I said and saw his eyes glint with something, hurt? Oh god I hurt him. This beautiful boy in front of me was hurt and it was my fault.

"You think I'm beautiful?" He asked cockily and I knew it was to lighten the mood, so I let it.

"See this is why I don't like letting you into my mind. I might just have to shut you out again." I said with a fake agitated sigh.

"Don't you dare." He playfully growled and then pouted as I started to shut him out again.

"Fine, but only because I need to keep my man happy. Can't have him leaving me for someone else," I saw him frown slightly so I tried to ease the tension again. "especially someone like Amber, I mean her hair is like so last season." I said mimicking Amber's voice perfectly from earlier this morning. He laughed at my imitation of her voice and smiled at me.

"I won't leave you for her if you don't leave me for Josh." And he said Josh in such a voice that I was in hysterics. He was attempting to sound buff and on anyone else it would sound ridiculous but on Edward he somehow made it sound slightly sexy but hilarious at the same time.

"I have been known to be quite sexy." He said wiggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Stupid mind reading not sexy at all vampire

That just caused him to laugh even more and soon he had his face stuffed in my hair in an attempt to keep from laughing so loud and interrupting his family and their time together. I couldn't help but to smile and giggle along with him. His laugh is so lovely and after his episode earlier today I was happy to hear him laughing so soon and so genuinely.

"So are you ok with what I did at school?" I asked him.

"Of course, I'm used to having those reactions but understand that you aren't." He said.

"But you won't mind you know... pretending to date?"

"No all we will have to do is hold hands and do other couple like stuff." He said shrugging.

"Like?"

"Like... I walk you to class, maybe a kiss on the cheek, you know normal couple things." He shrugged again and I giggled.

"So we are cool?" I asked hopefully.

He chuckled and smiled at me, "Of course baby." He said trying to keep down a laugh at the end.

"Oh I'm baby?" I raised my eyebrows in amusement.

"Of course."

"No, to cliche and not you at all."

"What about Love?" He asked and my heart fluttered. That did sound awfully nice.

"Good and you can definitely call me that," It had always been a secret desire of mine to be called that and by the smirk on his face I knew he heard that. "But we need another one too, something more personal."

He looked in deep thought for a second, "I don't know." He admitted reluctantly with a small frown.

"That's alright love is good for now, you can think of something else later." I smiled and he smiled back.

"Alright love, your turn." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes and him but smiled non the less. "Ok hmm how about Eddie." I said knowing he would say no right away.

"No." And he didn't disappoint.

"Ed."

The look he gave me told me what I already knew. Hell no.

"Ugh I can't think of anything!" I said in frustration. "I'll just wing it, call you whatever I'm feeling, i'll find something eventually."

"Sure." He laughed while rolling his eyes. It was so nice to see him laughing with me, all forgiven already.

"It really wasn't your fault." He sighed as he stopped laughing. "Tanya has always been like that and it, well it just got to me. I always make it clear that I don't share her affections but she's relentless. She just won't leave me alone." He said aggravated as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Edward."

"She doesn't get it! Vampires only change once, when they fall in love and I didn't change when I met her, I would know."

"Edward." I said a little louder but his rant still did not cease.

"My family would know and they know that she is not for me, thank god I mean I would not want her to be the person I spend the rest of my life with."

EDWARD! I screamed in my head so that no one else would be disturbed, although I doubt they would be bothered at all by it. They probably wouldn't even hear it.

He stopped his rant and looked at me with wide confused eyes. He looked so cute and confused that I couldn't help but to mentally giggle a little causing him to role his eyes at me.

"You don't have to explain it to me Edward. Whatever happened with you and Tanya isn't my business." I said smiling as genuine as I could.

"Of course it is, you're my best friend Bella, my world." He smiled crookedly and kissed the top of my head.

My heart fluttered at his words and his actions. We never shied away from mentioning our friendship but he had never gone so far as to say I'm his whole world, no one has.

"But you are." He said so quietly that had I not had such super hearing I wouldn't have heard him.

"And you're mine." I said turning my head so that I was facing him again.

His hand brushed the hair from my face and pushed it behind my ear.

"Bella, you're beautiful." He said as he continued to look into my eyes. He started to lean in and I lost all thought, I could feel my shield snap back in place under the loss of concentration. His eyes were beautiful. They're the same butterscotch as the rest of the Cullen's, my own and even Tanya's eyes yet they somehow looked so different. So much deeper and softer. So much more passionate and mischievous and like I could get lost in them. There was some part of me that noticed that the last thing I said was actually happening at the moment but I couldn't dwell on it because at that moment he started to lean in.

Vanilla and honey assaulted my senses. It was all I could think, smell, and feel. It felt like we were morphing together.

Vanilla and honey mixed with strawberry and freesia. Such weird combinations that at the moment were the most intoxicating thing I had ever experienced.

His hand cupped my cheek as he leaned in closer. My eyes closed as his scent became stronger.

Vanilla and honey.

My new favorite scents in the world.

I felt like I was drunk, all lightheaded.

I forgot that Edward was supposed to be my best friend, I forgot that I had never kissed anyone before and that I had been waiting for someone special, I even forgot that Edward felt the same way. All that mattered was him and me and the fact that this moment was perfect.

His lips brushed lightly against mine, not quite touching yet making me desire for him to never stop what he was doing. I could feel him getting closer when a shrill sound broke me out from my vanilla and honey induced daze.

Both our eyes popped open and the moment was shattered by Edward's alarm. He set an alarm for thirty minutes before we needed to leave for school so that we wouldn't stay talking all night and would actually get to school.

I hadn't realized Edward and I had been talking for so long and apparently neither had he for he looked just as shocked as I as his eyes popped open as well and I pulled back.

"Um, I, um" I stuttered not knowing what to say. "I need to get ready, i'll um i'll see you at the car." I said already out of his room and in mine by the time I finished the sentence.

I quickly got undressed and hopped in the shower hoping the hot water could wash away my confusion even though I couldn't feel the hot part.

What happened?

Edward, my best friend Edward almost kissed me! His lips were almost one mine, and the scariest part is that I enjoyed it and I know that I would have kissed him back. Not only that but when we were interrupted I felt sick, and I don't know if it was because I almost kissed my best friend.

After climbing out of the shower I wrapped myself in a towel and quickly dried off. Walking downstairs was awkward. By the way everyone stopped to look at me for a second I knew they all knew what had happened.

Did they think it was weird? Were they mad we almost kissed? Mad Edward would give himself to me if not only for a second?

"Morning sweetie." Alice said breaking the silence in the room.

"Morning." I replied not daring to meet anyones eyes.

"Well I'm off to work." Carlisle said before kissing Esme lightly on the lips. "I should be home at around six thirty tonight but if anything is needed,"

"Yes we will call." Esme said finishing for him with a beam. "Have a good day honey, save some lives." She laughed and I couldn't get over how normal their exchange was. It wasn't like they were two vampires but two ordinary humans in love with the man going to his normal job.

He laughed at her and smiled, "I'll do my best." He replied before he kissed her again lightly and said goodbye to everyone else, then he was out the door.

"Ok you guys need to leave if you want to be on time." Esme said ushering us out the door.

"Who said we want to be on time." Emmett joked before Esme hushed him with a laugh.

"Have fun at school today." She said mockingly as she closed the door.

"Damn luck getting to stay home, knows we won't have any fun at school." Emmett grumbled while he hopped into the drivers seat of the jeep. When I followed after him Edward grabbed my hand.

"Where are you going?" He asked confused and almost looking hurt.

It was the first time I had looked at him since the almost kiss and he looked good. He had hunted while I was in the shower really quickly because he hadn't been able to go last night with everyone else, Alice had gone as soon as we had all gotten back. His eyes were brighter and the purple like bruises under his eyes almost gone yet I have never seen him look so tired, so lost.

I smiled at him to show that we were ok, or that I hoped we were because honestly I don't know what we are at the moment.

"Um I thought we could take one car and the jeep is the only one we can all fit into..." I said nervously noticing that Rosalie had joined Emmett up front and Alice and Jasper were all the way in the back knowing we would be sliding into the middle seats.

"Oh, um ok yeah. Ride with everyone else, alright." He muttered before opening my door for me.

"Always the gentleman." I joked but even I could hear how forced it sounded.

He smiled or well attempted to but it wasn't fooling anyone, including me.

After I climbed in he walked around the truck to his side and got in. Right when his door closed the car took off down the road. Emmett put on some music but other than that it was deadly silent.

"So whose excited for day two of school?" Jasper asked and I felt a sense of calm and easiness pass over me. Although I know it's fake I welcome it as I can tell everyone else does.

"Joy." Emmett answers with a grumble and a huge pout causing us all to chuckle at him.

"Yeah god those people are vultures, I don't know how you have done it for so long." I said honestly. I really didn't know how they did it. I was ready to smack the humans and it had only been one day.

"It's easier when you have someone to distract you and to be with." Rose said smiling at Emmett lovingly.

"Yeah poor Edward gets it the hardest, having to read all their thoughts and although he has us he never really had someone he wanted to share it with." Alice said patting Edward on the shoulder.

"Yep you're right, my own personal hell that I suffer through alone." Edward joke back and although I knew it was a joke I could tell that there was truth in his words.

"You're not alone." I said looking over at him and smiling. Words that I have spoken have never been so true before. He wasn't alone, I was here and we would get through it together.

"Not anymore." He answered smiling back. Just like that I knew we would make it through everything because although we would be fake dating and other drama would be bound to happen we would always be there for each other and we would always make it through our problems. We are best friends and we will always stick by the other one whether we are needed as friend or fake beau we would be there. I would always be there for him because I love him.

What girl doesn't love her best friend?

A/N: ok so so so so so so soooo sorry for the REALLY long wait it's gross and it won't happen again! Constant updates from now on, at least one chapter a week! All my other stories will be updated by this weekend! If you didn't give up on me and you are still reading this you are amazing and honestly the whole reason I write this in the first place.

If anyone can think of any cute nicknames they can call each other that would be awesome because I can't think of any lol! And if you could think of a back story for them that would be even better because I really want them to have cute names that only they can call the other.

SHE SAID SHE LOVES HIM! but as a friend, it's true who doesn't love their best friend? Oh well she'll find out in time... I hope lol!

Anyway if you are still reading this you are awesome and you don't know how much it means to me! I know I don't deserve it but if you guys could review i'd be so grateful ESPECIALLY if you can give me ideas to the whole nickname thing! Thanks for reading :)

-twilight-saga-lover95