Author's Notes: Thanks so much for not only 1,700 but for 1,800 reviews as well! You guys are the best! So sorry for the delay though. I've been really sick, but I'm finally starting to get better. The weather keeps changing and it's really throwing my system off. Lots of rest, medicine, and fluids have been helping. So in return for my absence, I give you a chapter with some very sexy time in EPOV! Yay!

If you guys didn't already know, voting over at The Cullen Awards has started!

Hello, Stranger is up for the Alice Award (Best W.I.P.) and for the Rosalie Award (Best AU or AH).

A Little Less Than Before is up for the Jasper Award (Best Angst).

And I'm up for the Stephenie Meyer Award, which is for the best author! I'd appreciate it a lot if you went over and voted, even if it's not for me. I'm up against stiff competition after all. But, if you DO vote for me, many more thanks! Here's the link: http://app(DOT)formassembly(DOT)com/forms/view/88183 .. Just get rid of the (DOT)s and replace them with real dots. Thanks guys! :)

Disclaimer: Still don't own. Sigh.

Hello, Stranger

Chapter Twenty-Two

Agree to Disagree

*****

Edward Cullen

Bella and Leah's eyes shifted from me to Jacob, trying to figure out who would speak first. I didn't know where to start. There was so much to say and such little time to get it all out there. Bella squeezed my hand in reassurance, letting me know that whatever happened, she'd be there. By my side.

And I fucking loved her for it.

"First of all," Leah spoke up. "do you guys actually hate each other, or is it all just a misunderstanding?"

The attention turned to me, and because I knew Jacob was still too stubborn to throw his word out first, I gave in. "I never had a reason to legitimately hate Jacob. I was well aware of the drama his family had with mine, but I never found it in myself to care since it happened so long ago."

"Then, what's with all this bullshit, Cullen? All this threatening back and forth, if you don't hate me?" Jacob asked, his voice laced with annoyance. "If this is all a show for Bells-"

"It's not." I interrupted, getting slightly irritated as well. "Why should I hold some grudge just because our family didn't get along in the past?"

"You're obviously holding some kind of a grudge. You get defensive as hell when Bella is involved."

"Because Bella is my girlfriend," I countered. "The reason I get so aggravated is because every time you come along, you either try to weasel your way back into her life or you make her upset. What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't try to steer her away from that?"

"So, you going after her had nothing to do with our family's feud?"

I shook my head and heaved a sigh, wondering if this really was going to go anywhere or not. "Why the hell would I force myself to be interested in a girl just to get back at you for something that wasn't even your fault? I thought you'd be able to tell just how much I really do care for her by now."

"What else was I supposed to expect? You were right there when I messed up. Like you were waiting for it, or like you knew it was going to happen and were just waiting for your chance to become her knight in shining armor."

Leah huffed and slammed her hand down on the table. It wasn't loud enough to distract anyone else from their group discussions, but was enough to get the attention of all of us. "The purpose of me bringing this up was to get your family crap out there, not to discuss both of your feelings towards Bella." She looked over at Bella and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Bella. I don't mean to be rude."

"No, it's fine. I don't want to hear about it either." she agreed, giving my hand another gentle squeeze. "Jake, Edward and I being together has absolutely nothing to do with your family's history. Trust me."

He snorted and sat back in his seat lazily. "Okay, well then, you tell me what Daddy Carlisle told you about all of this."

I shrugged and decided to go with the truth. "Daddy Carlisle and the rest of my family don't talk about it much. I'm sure you don't know this, but my sister and brother aren't related to me by blood. We're Carlisle and Esme's adopted kids."

Leah and Jacob's eyes widened at this, both seeming to be suddenly interested in what I had to say. It couldn't have come off as too much of a shock, right? None of us looked alike.

"I remember him mentioning it briefly when we were old enough to understand it somewhat. Something about Carlisle's great great great..."

"Yeah, they're old. We get it. Just include one great and I'm sure we'll figure it out from there. The story will be easier to follow." Leah insisted.

I nodded and continued on. "Carlisle's great grandfather and other pastors led hunts to rid the area of evil, witches, and all that other stuff that doesn't exist anymore. One day, while they were keeping watch of the area, they came across someone who seemed to be possessed by the devil. He was screaming, shrieking out incoherent things, and because they were frightened of what he was capable of, they killed him."

"Turns out, that person that Cullen's great grandfather killed was my great grandfather." Jacob joined in, arms still crossed and still refusing to make any sort of eye contact with me. "An all-out war started between the Cullens and the Blacks after that. Neither side had any sort of mercy towards the other."

"Competitions broke out. Competitions to try and prove which family was better because anything was better than being lower than the enemy." I added. I personally thought it was all a stupid misunderstanding.

"Wait a second," Bella interrupted, shifting her gaze between Jacob and I. "It had to have been some sort of a mistake, right? Carlisle's great grandfather was just concerned about the well-being of his people. Didn't they talk things out?"

Jacob shrugged. "They were so blind-sighted by their fury of the Cullens murdering one of their own that I guess an explanation was never needed. When Dad told me the story, I was just as pissed off. I mean, fuck. Didn't your family feel any kind of remorse at all?"

"Of course they did," I argued. "You think they threw a celebration when they found out they killed an innocent person? Carlisle's family may not be my family by blood, but he is the only father I've ever known. This Cullen Black bullshit has nothing to do with me, but he's my dad, and I stand by what he tells me."

Both Leah and Bella sighed in unison. Leah smoothed her dark hair down and turned to Jacob. "Would you just listen to Edward? Stop jumping to conclusions and let him finish his side of the story."

It was amazing how much of a strong person she was when it came to keeping Jacob in check. I appreciated her more for that.

"Carlisle told me that after examining the damage they had done to him, it was revealed that Billy's great grandfather had attempted suicide. He was delusional and screaming because he swallowed some kind of poison. It makes you bleed to death from the inside out."

Jacob remained silent as Leah turned to him, eyes widened in surprise. "Jake, is that true?"

"Billy mentioned something about his great grandfather crumbling beneath the pressure of being the leader of his tribe. Something like he was too young to handle it all. I wasn't sure if he really tried to kill himself though. That's the first time I've heard that."

I shrugged. "That's what Carlisle told us. He said that if they hadn't had run into him, he'd die an even slower and more painful death. They thought he was possessed because of how loud and how eerie his screams were. Wouldn't you have thought something was off if you ran into someone like that?"

Jacob was quiet for a minute before he slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Still though, they could have just asked what was wrong instead of just piercing him through the heart without warning."

"Because he would really be able to answer them in the state he was in, right, Jake?" Leah asked sarcastically.

"Well, I'm not going to deny the fact that they should have investigated further before coming to such a drastic conclusion, but what can we do about it now? I can't bring your great grandfather back from the dead, Jacob." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "But, I can... apologize on my family's behalf. I don't know what good it will do, but make of it what you will. I am sorry.

"My family, they've been over it for years. Just remember that. That night we were drunk and I hit you in the face, Jacob, I could've sworn Carlisle would yell at me and lecture me about doing that. I knew he'd think it was because of our family's shit because he had no clue about what was going on between you, Bella, and I."

I sighed and ran my free hand through my hair. "I always thought this was all a crazy Romeo and Juliet wannabe type of thing. Your family hates my family, blah blah. But, hating each other for no reason is such a waste of time, and I don't want to keep doing that. As long as you understand and respect the fact that Bella is my girlfriend now, I've got nothing against you."

Bella smiled at me and leaned over, completely unfazed by Jacob or Leah as she placed a soft kiss against the weak spot of my neck. "I can't believe how mature you are for apologizing. I'm so proud of you."

For once, Jacob didn't try to interfere our moment and instead stayed where he was, holding onto Leah's hand. He didn't make any crude remarks, or snort at our displays of affection, or anything like that. Bella finally pulled away and laughed to herself. "How embarrassing is it that we're the only ones still in here?"

All of us looked around the room and realized everybody was gone, including Professor Peterson. We all stood up and gathered our things since nothing else needed to be said or discussed anymore. Bella and I were headed for one direction while Jacob and Leah were headed in the other.

"Hey," He turned to Bella, a small smile playing on his lips as he extended his arms towards her. "I'm sorry for everything, Bells. You forgive me?"

She stayed where she was, wondering and debating whether or not she should take the offer of his open arms.

"No more games, I promise." Jacob laughed. "I've been neglecting Leah too much and I already know just how much you and Cullen care about each other. I just... I miss my best friend."

Bella smiled then and took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his torso as he snaked his around her shoulders. For once, that's all it was. A hug between two friends who had been fighting for too long. It wasn't anything more, nor was it anything less. He pulled back and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head, turning to me once more as he released his hold on her.

"One word about you ever hurting her and I'm back to hating the shit out of you."

"You don't have to worry about that, Jacob." I chuckled as Bella slipped her hand into mine.

He smirked and did the same with Leah. "Surprisingly, I believe you." With a slight laugh, he shook his head and turned back to me. "And, I think that's why I hated you for the longest time. Not so much because of our Romeo-Juliet family feud, but because I already knew you were so much better of a guy to Bells than I ever was. And, I mean, that was one hard kick in the gut for me because you've only known her for, what, a month? I've known Bells my whole life and I was never half the man you are to her. I can't make up for what I did, but I can promise you," he turned to Bella. "Bells, I'll be a better boyfriend to Leah. I won't treat her the way I treated you."

She smiled and nodded. "That's good, Jake. She deserves it for sticking around."

"And, hey, Cullen?"

I turned back to Jacob, who had his hand out and a nonchalant look on his face. With a brow arched, I placed my hand in his and we shook on it. It wasn't a truce or surrender or even an agreement to get along, just an understanding of where the other was coming from. So maybe he didn't believe Carlisle's side of the story and maybe I was still bitter at him for thinking of my only father as a murderer, but it was a step up from what we were before.

We weren't friends, but we weren't enemies anymore either. We were two individuals tied together because of Bella. Two very different people who finally put the bullshit aside.

And that was fine with me.

"So, how are you going to start yours off?" Bella asked as she held out her chopsticks holding lo mein to my mouth.

I took the offered noodles and chewed while thinking of an answer. "I already have an idea of how I want to start the essay off. I think I'll talk about marriage outside of this assignment. Like, how I see my parents and stuff together. Does that make sense?"

She nodded and shuffled through her drafts and other pieces of paper as she chewed on a piece of shrimp I fed her. Since Bella and I decided on having a study date tonight, we ordered Chinese food, and situated ourselves atop my bed that was scattered about with binders, paper, my laptop, pens, pencils, and white-out.

"What are you going to write about the first week's twist? The wedding veil and garter?" Bella asked, taking a sip of her soda before she set it back down on my nightstand. "I only have 'embarrassing to the extreme' written down. I need more info, so give me what you've got."

I laughed and offered her a snap pea I found within my takeout box, knowing she loved them. "I don't think I have much written down for that week either. Oh, hold on a second. I have that you told me to put your arm around you so people would stop looking."

"What was even the point of that lesson?" she asked with a slap to her forehead. "I mean, you're supposed to be looked at with happiness because everyone's glad for you, right?"

"Maybe us looking happy was the point then?" I suggested, digging through my noodles to find a piece of beef. Did I give it all to Bella? "For the first few minutes we were out on the street, I'm sure we must have looked uncomfortable. It was after you and Jacob split, right? So, it was a little awkward for us at first and I'm sure it must have seemed that way. An awkward couple who had just gotten married is bound to receive awkward looks."

"And once we acted like a happy couple who had just gotten married, everything changed." Bella added, smiling as she jotted down her thoughts.

"Exactly." I chuckled, bending down to give her a quick kiss. "Mmmm, you had sauce on your lips. Did you do that on purpose?" I pushed my laptop aside and circled my arms around her waist, nuzzling my face into her neck.

She slapped my chest playfully. "Stop that. We're never going to get this done if all you do is try to make out every five seconds!"

"But, I waited what like, two minutes that time. Cut me some slack." I laughed, kissing a trail up her neck and ended at her lips. "We've been working on this for an hour already, love. Can't we take a break?"

"Later," Bella laughed. "Now the two week separation twist. Tell me your thoughts on it."

Hmm, later. I'd definitely hold her to that. "I was going to admit that I was weak and couldn't stay away. But, it was the whole point of the assignment to break the rules, so I don't know what to write now. I don't have anything written down for it, but I remember the days all too well. I remember bending the rules a bit to see you. I texted you and even wrote on U.S. currency."

"I still have that five-dollar bill you know." Bella smiled. "I couldn't believe you'd do such a thing!"

"Yeah, I broke the law for you."

"What?! Is it illegal to write on currency?"

"Well, yes. But that law is rarely enforced and you usually only get caught if they actually catch you in the action of writing on it." I laughed when she playfully swatted my arm. "I've got that cup still, as well. You're not the only one who keeps those types of things."

"You kept it?"

I nodded and pointed to the top of my dresser where the medium Java Monster cup that I rinsed out stood tall and proud, scribbled with Bella's love note. She gave me a kiss for that, and went back to discussing the assignment after.

"The handcuffs. How did you feel about those?" I asked, putting aside my box of Chinese food. "In my notes, I wrote that I was annoyed at such little things. Like the whole showering thing, and us getting into a disagreement over condoms of all things."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, gosh, I pretty much have the same things written down. Remember the night we first got them on? How we were trying to be all sexy with each other, but couldn't because of how awkward it was to have my hand dangling here?"

"That was the worst," I admitted. "And how stupid we looked every time we climbed into the Volvo." I shook my head in remembrance of the situation, hoping to never deal with something like that ever again.

She was silent for a second until I realized she was still scanning through her notes and because I knew she wanted to get it done, I released her and went back to typing on my laptop. The essay didn't seem like it would be too hard. All we really had to do was retell the four weeks through a first person perspective. Five thousand words was a lot, but I knew I could do it since I had more than enough to say about the entire thing. "Bella, did Professor Peterson say if we had to include anything about week four? We're not doing anything, right? We're just turning in our work since that's the end of the assignment?"

Her brows were furrowed as she remained silent, staring down at her piece of paper. I nudged her with my elbow to get her attention and she finally turned to me, her lips slightly parted with a questioning look on her face. "Huh?"

"What are you reading?" I asked with a chuckle as I snatched the piece of paper she was staring down. I scanned through the many words scribbled on it and stopped.

Be sure to thank Professor Peterson for partnering me up with someone like Edward.

A smile played on my lips as I continued reading.

Someone once told me that there are no time limits when it comes to your emotions, that sometimes you just can't help how you feel about someone. Being around you is the easiest thing I've ever had to do, and something I'd gladly do over and over.

Bella's hand caressed the side of my face as I looked at the last line on the paper.

Be my girlfriend?

"Now, I remember this," I chuckled softly, turning to her lovely brown eyes that were pooling with small tears of happiness. "I'm surprised you didn't scribble it out."

"Why would I scribble it out? It was value to me." she laughed, wiping at the few tears she had shed while rereading my lines of corniness. "I can't believe this assignment is almost over. It's how it all started."

"Just because the assignment is ending, doesn't mean that anything else has to, love. Look at Alice and Jasper. They've been together for years. Did you think that when this whole thing ended, so would you and I?"

She shook her head and snuggled into my chest. "No, it's just that this assignment has a special place in my heart now. I'm excited to see how things will go after it's over."

I kissed her forehead and held her close to me, inhaling her strawberry scented hair that I washed for her earlier. The simple thought of her right beside me in the shower as the water fell over both our bare bodies was starting to stir those arousing emotions within me as I fought to keep them back. We were having one of those moments and me getting all turned on wasn't going to do us any good.

But, Bella never failed to surprise me. Her hand ghosted over the lower half of my waist as my eyes widened in surprise, tightening my grip on her as she looked up at me innocently. Damn. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know, Edward, what am I doing?" She shrugged and shoved all our schoolwork to the floor and because I was an unexplainable moron, I became even more turned on.

"Our essays, Bella," I wanted nothing more than to fucking shut up because my girlfriend was touching me and holding me and I was talking about school. "We need to get them finished."

"Fine. I thought you wanted to take a break?" Bella arched a brow and pushed herself off me. "You're right though, Edward. Let's finish our work."

Without a second thought, I grabbed Bella's wrist and pulled her roughly to my lips, moving them against hers as I snaked a hand up the small of her back and sighed against her mouth. "Fuck our essays." I wanted her too damn much to even think about anything else. If I tried to write with my mind in the place it was currently at, Professor Peterson would be reading five thousand words of Bella's beautiful body I was still working to memorize and worship.

We couldn't have that, now could we?

I shoved the rest of the stuff on my bed aside, and pulled her down with me so she was straddling my waist. She was more than compliant with my actions as she slipped her hands underneath my shirt to caress every inch of skin from my stomach up to my shoulders. I groaned against her, feeling the electricity her fingertips left as my hands tightened on her hips.

She pulled away from me to tug the shirt up over my head as I followed her lead and lifted my arms up so she could do so. There was something so incredibly sexy about this Bella. My Bella was sweet and clumsy and shy and everything I remembered she was five years ago. This Bella was feisty and sexy and could set my body on fire with her caresses and lips. They were two very different sides of her and I loved them both the same.

And they were both mine. Mine, mine, mine.

I slipped my hands underneath and reveled in how soft her skin was. She repeated my previous move and lifted up her arms so I could yank the shirt off, and I had to fight back the growl I wanted to release when I saw what was underneath.

She had, yet again, put on the last and final set she had bought with Alice. Because we left the dim lights on, I could see her curves much better. The pink bra was absolutely divine on her, and I suddenly loved my sister so much. Alice drove me crazy, but she definitely knew how to shop. Bella must have known I wanted to see it as a set. She took her bottom lip between her teeth the way she knew I went crazy over, and slowly tugged down her pajama pants.

I took in a breath through my nose and drank in the sight of her before me. Bella was just as beautiful in lingerie as she was naked. I could look at her day after day and still be so mind boggled at how entirely gorgeous she was.

"You like?" she teased with a shy giggle, making her way back towards me.

"Jesus Christ, Bella, you're going to be the death of me." I mumbled as I ghosted my hands over the fabric of her bra, leaning in closer to nip at the bare skin of her shoulder.

By the time she had moved her hands down to the waistband of my pants I usually slept in, my head was clouded with one too many thoughts of how it would be with her beneath me as I explored her from the inside. I hated thinking like such a hormonal driven teenager, imagining my girlfriend's face and sounds as I moved above her, but it couldn't be helped.

Her lips left my mouth, and trailed down my collar bone, chest, and stomach until she reached the area that was crying out most for her attention. In one movement, she had my pants off, and I was lying beneath her once again, feeling just as vulnerable as I did before. Bella traced my left hipbone with her tongue, kissing it gently right after.

I gripped the bed sheets within my grasp as I sighed and thought back to the day I was lying down and getting the Cullen crest inked on my body. Thank you, Alice, for picking that spot for me. I know I noogied your head until there was no tomorrow and swore and ranted, but I forgive you, and I fucking love you for choosing that place for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Before I could comprehend what was going on around me, the cold air of the room hit my bare skin as I jumped up in slight shock. Bella was giggling from her spot, covering her mouth as her shoulders shook with laughter. My eyes narrowed as I tried to feign anger. "Bella, it doesn't exactly make me feel too great that you're laughing at me while I'm naked."

She laughed again and if she hadn't been so goddamned close to my arousal, I'm sure it would have been long gone at that point. She was not helping, at all. Slightly frustrated that she was pretty much killing my buzz, I reached behind her and tried to undo the clasp.

Bella smacked my hands away and shoved me back down, clicking her tongue at my attempt to take her remaining articles of clothing off. "Behave, Edward."

Arguing was the farthest thing from my mind once I finally realized what she was trying to do. "Bella, you don't have to. Come here, lie next to me-"

"You talk too much sometimes." Bella sighed.

I was about to open my mouth again to tell her she really didn't have to do this, even though I was desperately, pathetically hoping she would. My words didn't make it out because her soft hand wrapped around me like the previous night and I was back to bliss. Maybe now I could find some sort of control because I had been through this before. I let out a shaky breath and nearly choked on air when I felt something other than just her hand below me. I had an idea that this was probably what she was planning on, but I couldn't help the shock that came with her actually doing so.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Bella," I let out a strangled groan and twisted the sheets beneath me, trying to focus on something other than where her lips were, otherwise I'd lose it all too soon.

She did nothing but continue, up and down, in and out, and holy fucking hell, it was absolutely amazing. My chest was heaving and my breaths were coming out as grunts and groans of sheer pleasure. I didn't understand how someone so inexperienced could be so good, but I wasn't going to complain. I knew I was the only one she had ever been this intimate with, so I wasn't going to question it.

"Edward." Bella whispered, stroking my thighs gently. Part of me was happy she stopped even for a little so I could restrain myself and the other part of me wanted to tell her to keep going because I had never felt anything like that in my life.

"Edward," she whispered again, placing her hands atop mine to pry them off the blanket I had had a death grip on. "Relax. Just enjoy. This is about you tonight. I want to make you feel good."

"You do, Bella, god, you do." I mumbled breathlessly, releasing the sheets.

She smiled at me and kissed my inner thigh before taking me in her mouth again. I let out a few expletives because I still wasn't used to good it was, but relaxed like she told me to and just enjoyed the feel of it.

"So... so good, love. Holy shit,"

She hummed in appreciation as I groaned loudly, feeling every single vibration of her vocal chords around me. I wanted to prolong the moment, wanted to let her enjoy this as much as I was, but with her doing things like that, and her mouth and her lips and the warmth... it was all too much.

"You... you have, to get off. You have... to... Fuck," I cursed, failing horribly at saying what I needed to say. This only spurred her on as she quickened her pace, making me grip the sheets again because she was going to be the death of me. "Bella, oh, god."

That same sound came from her once again as she looked at me from underneath her eyelashes, and damn it all, she was so beautiful. It was not helping. I needed to get her off.

"Bella, please," I all but begged, pulling on her arms. "You have to get off. Now."

Finally compliant with my request, she backed away and ran her hand up and down a few more times. I was tossed off the edge then, groaning out her name, and another round of quiet expletives as I tried to get my body to come down from the high it had just been on.

As I stayed where I was, a sweating and panting mess, Bella wiped my stomach clean with one of our towels from earlier. Once she was finished, she snuggled up next to me and leaned down to press her lips against mine. I threaded my fingers through her hair and pulled her closer, thanking her the only way I was capable of at that moment.

I ran my tongue along her bottom lip, not even caring where she had just been not even two minutes ago. I wanted so badly to tell her I loved her, to let her know with words just how much she fucking meant to me, but decided against it for now.

I couldn't tell her I loved her for the first time after something like that. It'd seem like I was only saying it in exchange, which was most definitely not the case. My arms snaked around her waist as I pulled her closer, stroking her soft tongue with my own in our heated act of intimacy. She moaned quietly against my mouth, moving her hands to my hair to pull on it softly the way she always did.

"Mmmm, Edward," she smiled once we broke for air. "I told you tonight was about you. So, keep your hands where they are and don't you dare try to cop a feel."

With a laugh against her skin, I ghosted my lips over the spot just below her ear. She let out a slight gasp as I ran my tongue along that sensitive area of her neck, grazing it with the lightest scrape of my teeth. Her fingers tightened in my hair as I suckled her skin a little rougher than I usually did. I had a purpose this time.

I released her skin from my mouth and kissed the area once more. She was mine, and even though it was such a small way of showing it, I didn't care.

I love you, Bella. God, I love you so much.

And soon enough, I'd let her know because I was only falling more and more.

The next morning, I woke up without Bella lying next to me like I thought she'd be. I blinked a few times to rid myself of the bits of sleep that remained and to get adjusted to the early sunlight. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, phone held to her ear and whispering in a tone even I couldn't hear. I didn't want to interrupt her call, so I just stayed where I was and stared up at the ceiling, doing the best I could to keep my thoughts away from the night before to avoid getting too... excited. It was something I had always heard about and something I knew existed, but didn't know whether or not would be a reality for me.

Bella had made it a reality for me. And for some reason, not because I was a testosterone-driven hormonal dude, I loved her even more.

Finally, she snapped her phone closed and turned to me with a small smile. She was wearing my shirt from last night, and as she crawled over to me, I caught a glimpse of her sexy pink panties.

"Who was that so early in the morning?" I asked, nuzzling my nose into her hair.

"That was my mom, Edward. Renee. I told you about her, remember?"

"Mmmm... the one who lives in Phoenix?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," I mused, pushing the stray strands of hair that were falling in front of her face. "What were you guys talking about?"

Bella sighed and dragged her index finger along my jaw line and collar bone. "My mom... she, umm, wants me to move back to Phoenix."

My heart fucking dropped into my stomach.

*****

End of Chapter Twenty-Two

Author's Notes: And so the slight drama begins. Yes, I said slight, so don't murder me! I know this wasn't as long as my usual chapters, but I gave you fluff and sexy time, so no complaints right? At least I hope not. Haha! Don't worry my dear readers, I can promise you this story will end with a HEA (happily ever after) for our beloved Edward and Bella. They just need to hit a speed bump prior to it.

Don't forget to place your votes at The Cullen Awards! The link is on my profile :)

Also, check out my newest story A Little Less Than Before if you want some full-out angst and heartbreak! That is also up for an award, so read it if you've got the time? It'd make me super happy! That will be updated within a day or two. Yay for super speedy betas like IcelandGirl812! Love, love, love her.

Oh, man. If you've got a Twilighted account, go check out the story Not Like This by pomme_de_terre. It's a humanized version of New Moon and is just as heartbreaking as it is well-written. There's only seven chapters out, and I'm hooked! Totally had to throw it in here because she is not getting as many reviews as she should be! So, go! :) Here's the link: http://twilighted(DOT)net/viewstory(DOT)php?sid=4444

I'm finally getting well again, and reviews would only make me feel that much better. So, pretty please? :)

And Happy (early) Mother's Day to all of you out there who are mommy's!

-BB