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{ - I'M SO SORRY GUYS!! FUCKING BURN ME 😭😭 I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON. Being a freshman in high school and texting your best friend all the time really takes up free time... So this is an EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA long chapter for you guys because I have no idea when I will update next. I'M SO SORRY!!! - }

-= Bella =-

It... was Tanya?

I knew she was psychotic, but this was something I didn't think anyone would do. Who would burn someone's house down, with them inside, over a guy?

Edward gazed at me, concern adding into the conflicted emotions I saw in his eyes.

"Bella, are you okay? Ugh, of course you're not okay... It will be okay though, alright? She's going to jail, we will get you a restraining order, I will pay the cost of the damages-" Edward began to ramble quickly before I cut him off.

"You're not paying for that," I said, my voice quivering.

"Yes, I am." he insisted.

"No, you're not."

"Bella... we'll talk about this later, okay? Just relax for now. You're shaking."

I nodded slightly, leaning back against the pillows. There was no point in stressing about this, because I already knew that Edward was going to win the argument. Besides, I probably couldn't even afford paying for that once I paid for the damages to the house.

I wondered if there was anything even left of the house, or if it was just a large pile of ash on the side of the road.

Thinking about all of the things left in there that I had probably lost, I began to tear up.

"Bella? It's okay. I promise. Everything's going to be alright," Edward told me. However, I could hear in his voice that he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince me. I glanced up at him, and even through my blurry eyes, I could see the guilt in his expression. He was blaming himself.

"It's not your fault, Edward. Don't you dare feel guilty. This was all Tanya, okay?"

He nodded, but the expression didn't fade. He looked around for a moment, biting his lip, as if he was trying to figure out what to say. I decided to break the silence that was hanging around, suffocating us in this small room.

"Thank you for being here, Edward. Thank you for saving me."

He looked confused, and sat at the end of my bed. "I didn't save you, Bella. They wouldn't let me. I just stood by and broke down while you were being burned alive."

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "I wasn't being burned alive. Plus, you tried harder than anyone to get to me. You were with me every moment you possibly could be. What I don't understand is... Why did you care so much?"

Now it was Edward's turn to laugh bitterly. He stood up and walked to the window, opening the blinds and staring out at the sunrise for a moment before turning around to look at me. I couldn't read his expression, there were so many mixed emotions in his eyes and his mouth was twisted into a grimace.

"How obvious can I be, Bella?" He asked me, gazing into my eyes. "How have you not realized yet?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What was he talking about? "I don't understand what you're talking about." My nails picked at the fabric of the hospital blankets as I stare down at my lap. My mind whirled as I heard his footsteps draw near until he was standing beside me.

"Bella..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look at me, please."

I leaned back again and looked up at him. His expression was even more confusing than before, and I was getting a headache as I tried to figure out what was bothering him.

He hesitated before leaning down, his face inches from mine. I could smell the mint from his breath, I could feel the air escaping his lungs.

The heart monitor accelerated, and I blushed as he glanced at the monitor and an even stranger expression flickered across his face. Shock maybe? I couldn't tell, but when he looked back at me, his eyes locking with mine, the beeping got even faster.

"Why are you nervous, Bella?" He asked me as his brows knitted together.

His warm, minty breath washed across my face, and I felt my head go fuzzy. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again as I realized that nothing was going to come out.

Edward sighed softly before placing his hands on either side of me and moving even closer. Our noses were so close to touching... his lips were so close to mine, and I wanted so badly to close the distance.

The monitor was going frantic, and I quickly realized that he was experimenting. I frowned when it dawned on me, and he furrowed his eyebrows even more.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You're testing," I replied. I sounded bitchy, but I didn't care. I felt like he was almost taking advantage of the feelings he wasn't supposed to know I had for him.

"No," he sighed, taking a moment as if he were finding the right words to say. "I'm wondering why you're reacting this way. Why your heart is beating quickly. I'm wondering if it could be... that you feel the same..." he trailed off, worry flickering in his eyes as he realized he said too much. He pulled away from me and sat back down in his chair, staring at a black smudge on the linoleum tiling.

"Edward?" I asked weakly, watching him as he appeared to be having an internal conflict. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Of course you don't." He frowned deeper, almost sneering.

My eyes widen at his harsh tone, and I stare at the lumps at the foot of the bed where my feet were.

"I'm not trying to be rude, Bella, but I don't understand... why are you making me come right out and say it?"

I look at him again, getting frustrated. Why is he making it seem like I'm being the confusing one?

He looks back up to me, the same frustrated expression mirrored in his eyes. We weren't getting anywhere. Someone needed to man up and say something.

But how can I do that when I had no idea what he was talking about? I thought.

I wanted him to at least give me another hint, but I could tell that it wasn't going to happen. Apparently he had already given me hints, but according to him I was too "oblivious" to see them. I scowled as I thought that, and Edward looked back at the floor.

Suddenly he stood up and started pacing.

Is he on his man period or something? I thought to myself. He was calm and sweet one moment, and then the next he's getting irritated at me and pacing around the room.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, not wanting to deal with it anymore. I thought about taking a nap and just letting him sort it out himself, before I suddenly felt the bed dip on either side of me.

Opening my eyes, he was there again. Inches away, his arms on either side of me like a cage. He leaned even closer, moving his lips to my ear.

"Why don't you see Bella?" He whispered lowly. I shivered, my eyes wide open now. "How have you not realized?"

I take a deep breath before replying shakily. "I don't know... I don't know what you mean Edward."

He chuckled softly and pulled away from my ear to shake his head before staring into my eyes seriously. There was determination burning in his eyes, and my heart dropped to my stomach and started pounding double-time as I waited for what seemed like hours for him to just say it already.

And then... he leaned his forehead on mine and whispered four little words.

Just four words, but everything stopped when he spoke.

"I love you, Bella."