So we finally hit the fluff

There have been a lot of questions repeating themselves in the reviews, so I'll take the time to answer them here.

1. Why doesn't Bella just tell Edward what happened already?
This is probably the most frequently asked question. There are a lot of reasons why she doesn't tell Edward. One, she has developed such a sense of self-loathing that she thinks that everyone hates her as well, and what's more, she deserves it. Of course, it's an irrational fear, because as we all know, there is nothing in this world that could make Edward hate Bella. But all that self-hatred isn't going to go away overnight so it's going to take a little while for it to dissolve.

Two, she's in denial. It's been three months since the event in question, but she still thinks that if she doesn't remember it, if she continues to deny the event, then it won't be real. She's trying so hard to forget about it so she can act like it never happened. If she admits to it now, then it will be real. She won't be able to forget it once she finally divulges her secret.

Three, she doesn't want anyone to suffer with her. In her mind, this kind secret is too big for her tiny shoulders, but asking for help is absolutely out of the question. This kind of secret will invariably hurt anyone to whom it is divulged, and Bella is loath to hurt anyone. Actually, this little detail is pretty important, so remember it for later. ;)

2. Does Edward know what happened to Bella, even if she didn't tell him?
Edward has his suspicions. Bella told him herself that Alan didn't try to kill her. So why is she so damaged, so absolutely terrified? Carlisle told him about the hospital bed fiasco and he watches Bella at night and knows that she doesn't go anywhere near the bed. And he also sees that she goes out of her way to avoid touching people, especially males. Edward isn't stupid; he can put the pieces together. But he's waiting for her to tell him. Part of it is because that's the gentleman's way, but a much bigger part of it is because he doesn't want to believe that something so horrible could happen to such an innocent person. Like Bella, he's in denial. As far as he's concerned, until she admits it, it's not real.

3. Why isn't Bella curious about vampires? Why isn't she asking any questions?
The easy answer is that she's really self-absorbed. She's been too preoccupied with everything going on in her broken life that she doesn't much care about vampires.

But the much more in-depth explanation is that she can tell Edward is self-conscious about who he is. He's always afraid that she's going to turn her back on him because of who he is and she knows this. And of course, Bella has secrets of her own and she knows what it's like to be constantly questioned about them. So she's waiting patiently for Edward to tell her details about his life of his own volition because that's how she'd like to be treated.

Phew. I hoped that made sense to you guys.

This chapter will probably be everyone's favorite, and I don't really blame them. It's a good chapter (if I do say myself) and a lot of cutesy, Bella/Edward stuff goes on. I've deprived my readers of romance for so long that this undoubtedly serves as a long awaited reprieve from the massive amounts of angst.

However, while all of you might adore this chapter, I have to say that next chapter is the one that I'm really looking forward to. It was probably the hardest I've had to write so far, but it's still one of my favorites.

So I'll give you guys a wonderful little teaser because I love you all so much.

“Come on!” Alice shouted excitedly when she spotted a store across the street flaunting fashionably-clad mannequins in the window. “We’ll start there!”

Rosalie and I followed at a much slower pace. “Should I be scared?” I whispered to her out of the corner of my mouth. It was useless to whisper with Alice around because I knew she’d be able to hear it anyway, but it didn’t stop me from trying.

The blonde Cullen sister nodded. “Yes.”

Scared was a little bit of an understatement; shopping with Alice Cullen was like shopping with a tornado. The moment we crossed the threshold of the store, she tore through racks with the most conspicuous clothing and tossed the hangers into my bewildered arms, not bothering to ask me my size. After picking at least sixteen different dresses, she pushed me to the back and into the nearest dressing room.

The second the door closed, I sighed and pulled the first dress off the hanger. It was pretty, I suppose, but much too fashion forward for a high school dance, much less a Forks High School dance. I turned the tag over and felt my eyeballs bulge out of their sockets at the price.

“Bella?” called Alice impatiently through the dressing room door. “What’s taking so long?”

“Alice, this dress costs five hundred dollars!”

“So?”

“I can’t try this on!”

“Yes you can,” she insisted. “I probably won’t even buy any of the stuff you have with you right now.”

I tried to glare at her through the thin wood. “Then why are you making me try them on?” I demanded.

Her muffled sigh permeated the door, like an exhausted teacher trying to explain a simple concept to an even simpler student. “I’m trying to find your aesthetic.”

“What?”

“Quit stalling!” she cried. “Try them on before I go in there and force them over your head!”

There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that she would, so I hastily threw the dress on.

This isn't the reason I love the chapter so much, but I hope it's enough to keep you interested.

If you haven't reviewed, please go back and do so! Reviews are my lifeline. They feed me. They clothe me. They pay for my college expenses.

Not really, but you get the point.

Ciao.