Pick A Pic Challenge
Title: When Pain Is Too Hard
Penname: imafffan
Banner: #11
Rating/ Disclaimer: M for language, mature theme and lemons
I own no rights to Twilight or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters and no copyright infringement is intended in this fanfic.
Summary: Edward's world is filled with intrigue and danger when he encounters two women who each have their own power over him. Edward/Bella & Edward/Jane AU Rated M Lemons

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A/N – Too much to cover in a o/s so this is the will be the first chapter of a short story instead, hopefully. Traffic counters are down so the only way I'll know if there's interest in reading more of this one is by leaving some love in a review. Hate to ask, but I won't know if anyone's even reading otherwise! Thanks!

When Pain Is Too Hard

Leaving home to start life on your own is never easy but I'd dare say few, if any, have encountered what I have. Moving across the country, arranging housing, applying for loans and registering at university would be enough of an adventure for most. I, on the other hand, have found myself in a precarious position having survived all of that; a tale involving me falling in love for the first time, a cold-blooded waif wanting my soul, and a strange dog/beast that followed me around. No one would believe me if I told them so I'm chronicling the details in the event of my death. If I don't make it out alive, this is what happened to Edward Masen, 3rd year university…

- / -

"Pub night!" my roommate Jasper announced as I entered our apartment, classes finished for the week. "You should come. Some of Alice's friends will be there."

"Set up?" I smirked. Alice and Jasper had been together since the first day of classes in our first year and they were constantly trying to pair me up. Some of the hook-ups had been fun – no complaints – but I wasn't looking for a long-term deal. Relationships of the heart came with complications I didn't need. I had yet to meet someone who could change my mind.

Laughing, he poured me a starter shot. "Seriously, just a group of friends hanging out, getting wasted. No pressure."

We were 3 of about 20 people in the pub, all students. It still amazed me that after 3 years here, I still didn't know all of Alice's friends. She seemed to import them. Tonight's newbie was a tiny little waif of a girl, but I was assured she was legal despite her youthful appearance. Introduced as 'Jane', that's all I ever knew her as. No last name, no birthplace nor date. She was simply Jane.

Jane had my number from the moment we met – her cool demeanor kept me at arm's length while I pounded back the drinks and built bravado but her flirtatious looks and provocative dancing kept me intrigued. I was practically drooling as she played me those first few hours. I almost came in my pants when she touched me briefly during one dance. I excused myself to get some air.

"Too hot for you?"

"You have no idea," I muttered in response to the person also taking a breather.

"Is it always like this? I thought pubs were quiet and quaint."

I turned to take a better look at my companion. I'd seen her before, but couldn't place her. She was cute, but basically non-descript. "During the week it's different but when the student body converges on the place… I know you, don't I?"

She nodded. "World History."

"Ah. You transferred this year?"

"Nope. I've been here all along."

"Noooo!" My state of extreme drunkenness suddenly emerged. My voice seemed loud even to me. "Why haven't I seen you here at the pub?"

"I just turned 21. Figured it was time to have a legal drink," she smirked.

"No! It's your birthday? Today?" Still loud, despite my awareness of it. "I'm gonna buy you a birthday drink… uh…" Leaning against the wall, I stared into her eyes as if they'd tell me everything I wanted to know about her. "I don't know your name," I said apologetically. "I should know your name. I should know your number too. Your place of birth, your life's dreams, your heart's desires…"

Her smirk seemed to weave in front of me and when she rolled her eyes, I swear the irises disappeared altogether. "I'm sorry," I said, controlling my voice and hormones. "I'm quite drunk."

Her smile softened. "I noticed, yeah."

"Edward." I held my hand out and she actually took it.

"Bella."

I took Bella inside and procured her promised drink before introducing her to my friends. I was enjoying being the one to bring someone new into the mix for a change. As I prepped myself with a shot to ask her to dance, the first pain hit me. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt – a searing hot poker in the gut was the only thing I could think of. I looked down as I clenched my hands over my stomach, certain I'd been stabbed. No blood.

"Need some air?" Seductive Jane whispered in my ear.

I nodded and followed her outside. Immediately, the pain vanished. My drunk buzz picked back up and I found myself pressed against the bricks as the tiny seductress stared me down. I couldn't look away if I had tried – something about her worked every nerve ending in my body. She was intoxicating even without the alcohol I'd ingested.

"You were ignoring me, Edward," she purred as her fingertips traced my jawline. "Don't you want me?"

I gulped as her icy fingers went to my lips. A moan escaped in place of a reply and she knew she had me.

Coolly, confidently, she stood on her toes and pressed me further into the brick wall as she pulled my head towards her. My mind swirled as our mouths met in a steamy kiss. Her skin felt cold and refreshing against me as I over-heated. I slumped down slightly to match her tiny stature and deepen our kiss. There was something mind-altering in her lips, her tongue, and her breath as we made-out on the sidewalk. I had to keep separating to breathe but was instantly drawn back to her mouth once my lungs were satiated. I'd never been so turned on by a kiss.

"Do you want me Edward?"

"I fucking need you Jane," I muttered as I nibbled on her bottom lip. My hands gripped her hips, pressing her against mine to show her just how much I needed her.

"Tell your roommate to stick around here for a while. A long while. You won't want to rush through what I have in mind for you."

I nodded obediently and ran back inside to find Jasper. "Dude. You've gotta stay away for a bit, do you mind? I'm taking Jane back to our place."

His smug grin didn't even piss me off. "Yeah? Hit it off huh?"

"She's driving me crazy… I've gotta have her…" I couldn't even begin to act cool about it. My dick had completely taken over every lick of common sense or ounce of decorum I normally possessed. "Here, have a few drinks on me. I think I'm about to get laid like I've never been before… pray for me," I joked as I slipped a $20 in his pocket.

The brisk walk home sobered me slightly – enough to realize that I'd most likely embarrass myself with a slight case of whiskey dick. "I shouldn't have drank so much," I uttered in warning as we arrived at my place. I hoped she had experienced sex with a severely drunk guy before and knew what to expect. If not, I'd wake up alone in the morning with the stubborn boner that wouldn't cum when it had the chance and a hangover. I begged with my dick to please cooperate… just this once…

As if defying me, it cowered the moment Jane touched me after we'd removed our jackets and headed for my room. "You're freezing!" I exclaimed and rubbed at the goose bumps on my bare arms briefly before moving to embrace her. I figured she'd warm up soon enough but I was wrong. "Um… we have to do something to warm you up or the show will be cancelled," I half-joked. "The star refuses to come out of his dressing room when it's cold."

"It won't be a problem, trust me." Jane gave me a shove towards my bed and claimed my mouth once I was seated. She was still freezing but life seemed to be renewing in my lower region. At least it listened to her. After sucking on my tongue, she released me abruptly and glanced down with a slight crease in her brow. "You do want me, don't you?"

Nodding zealously, I undid my fly. It was alert, though not stage-ready. Maybe if it had some air things would progress a little more smoothly. She stepped back with a coy grin and began slowly undressing in front of me. I licked my lips and watched in anticipation. Her figure was smoking hot in contrast to her cold skin and my dick definitely rose to the occasion, poking its head out as she neared, fully nude. She smiled appreciatively as she knelt on the floor between my legs. "That's more like it."

- / -

I did, in fact, awake alone in my bed. Though not hung over too badly, my body felt like it had been abused. Repeatedly. No morning wood greeted me but my dick was still red and swollen from over-use.

"You are alive," Jasper greeted me after a long shower. "I didn't think you'd survive the night."

"What do you mean?"

"Jesus, it sounded like she was going to devour you. All night. I must confess, despite the annoyance of the persistent banging at 4 in the morning, I am jealous. You got a good month's worth of screwing done in one night."

"That's what happens when you save it up too long," I joked in return. "She must have sweated the booze out of me too… I'm not as hung over as I should be."

"You seeing her again?"

Good question. I didn't get her phone number and I only knew her first name. "I have no idea how to get in touch with her. Alice would have her number, right?"

"Alice? Why would she know anything? Jane didn't even talk to her last night… and believe me, I heard all about how she was only into the guys and all that shit. You know how girls get when a hot chick comes around their men."

"But they're friends, aren't they?"

Jasper shook his head. "No idea where she came from. Never seen her on campus. She must have came with the other group."

I don't know why I assumed she was Alice's friend. I didn't even recall who actually made the introduction. I did know that I had never experienced sex like that and would gladly take it again. I planned to be sober next time. If there was a next time. I prayed for a next time. Soon.

- / -

The Jane Effect (swollen dick, burning need for her) slowly dissipated as the week went on without so much as a glimpse of her on campus. She was the furthest thing from my mind when I walked into my World History class and spotted Bella. It had been almost a week since we'd officially met and I hoped she had forgotten how drunk I'd been that night.

"I failed to get your number as well as your heart's desires," I said as I took a seat next to her. "I'm hoping to rectify that."

Without even a glance in my direction, she took out a notebook and scribbled something down before passing it to me. 'Go to hell', is what the note read.

Sighing, I pocketed the note and slumped down in my seat, mirroring Bella's posture. "Would you rather I leave you alone?" I asked quietly.

"Did you even read the note?" she retorted.

"I did. I'm keeping it as a reminder of my failures. I have a box of them. It's huge. Half my apartment. I'm keeping the other half open for you."

She almost smirked but corrected herself quickly. "Look, this was somewhat cute when you were drunk, but now it's just really lame."

"Go away then?"

"At the very least, shut up."

"I can do that," I muttered as class, and my silence, began.

I began seeing Bella all over the place. I'd barely noticed her before that night at the pub and now that I wanted to know her, she blatantly snubbed me. What she didn't know was that it wasn't a deterrent – it simply made me want her more. My normal seat in World History was abandoned for the one next to her. She didn't move to avoid my company, she merely ignored me. In the cafeteria one day, she stood a dozen people back from me to pay for a bottle of iced tea. I purchased one with my own lunch and presented it to her in the line.

"No thanks. I don't drink iced tea."

I motioned to the bottle in her hand. "You'd rather wait in line than accept this from me?"

"Looks that way."

I handed it off to Alice as she joined the line. I walked away grumbling to myself about Bella's stubbornness. I did love a challenge, however so I persisted. "What's it gonna take to get you to talk to me?" I asked in a low voice during class.

There was a long pause and I thought she wasn't going to respond at all. "I may or may not tell you you're on fire, if in fact, you were on fire."

"So if I light myself up, you'd talk to me?"

"I said may or may not. You're willing to take that chance?"

"If I'm willing to take a chance, why can't you? Just have lunch with me. Or go for walk. Something. Anything. I just want you to talk to me."

"Why do you even care?"

"I just do," I sighed. "I'd like to get to know you better. If you gave me a chance, you'd see I'm not always a jerk. I rarely get as wasted as I was on your birthday. And I won't be so annoying when I'm not forced to constantly come up with ways to get your attention."

She looked at me for the first time since the pub. "You really are annoying."

"I'm sorry. Just one date and if you still hate me, I swear, I'll leave you alone," I vowed.

"A date? We've gone from you wanting me to talk to you, to a date?"

I grinned. She was softening. "Okay. We'll work up to that. Can I call you?"

"No."

"Walk you home?"

"No."

"Walk you to your next class?"

A hesitation and then a tiny nod. "I guess that would be okay."

YES! I felt accomplished even though she didn't say more than a dozen words to me on the way and it made me late for my own class. It was a start.

- / -

I spent much of Saturday doing research for a project due soon and had just shut down the computer to get ready for work when there was a knock at my door. I wasn't expecting anyone – I figured Jasper forgot his keys.

"Jane!" I exclaimed. The last person I expected… I hadn't seen her in over a month.

A slow smile spread across her face. "Hello Edward. Miss me?"

Honestly, I hadn't thought about her since the first week but with her right in front of me, my dick was sending out the message that yes, I had missed her. "Yeah, you left without leaving me a contact or anything…"

"Are you going to ask me in?"

"Sure… yeah. I uh, I have to be at work in an hour or so… Maybe we could get together after?"

She had other ideas, clearly. Her tiny fingers worked at the buttons on my shirt as she nibbled along my jawline. I tried to keep my shit together as desire filled me to the point of dizziness. I had forgotten how cold she felt… soon, it didn't matter. I didn't notice it when I was buried inside her pussy. I was also reminded of why I'd been so sore after our last encounter – this girl didn't go for slow, easy loving. And she had this gripping manoeuver that she'd pull every time she sensed I was about to cum, thus delaying it.

"Jane! You've got to give me a break here," I panted as I pounded into her. "I'm gonna be late for work!"

Giggling at my situation, she gripped me again from the inside as she sucked on my earlobe. She had me growling before she opened herself up to me. She came as I pumped furiously before my own release and instantly pushed me off before my last shudder was even complete. "Go shower. I'll drive you to work."

I did as I was told and arrived at work at the very last minute. I uttered apologies to my boss as I tied the apron around my waist and checked which section I was assigned to. The restaurant wasn't very busy yet, I only had one table waiting to be served. Approaching it, I saw a familiar face smiling at me. Emmett had been in most of my science classes all 3 years. I motioned that I'd be right there before stopping to grab a pitcher of water. It was then I noticed his companion – Bella. Sighing, I resigned myself to the fact that my pursuit was over. Emmett got to her first and there was no competition. He was the smartest guy I knew, super friendly and totally ripped. No one would choose me over him.

"Hey guys," I said amicably as I set the water and 2 glasses down. "How are you doing?"

"Great! There's 3 more people joining us – so you're prepared."

"Cool. I'll get more glasses. Drinks while you're waiting?"

"Actually, I see them now. We'll just let everyone decide what we want and order in a bit?" Emmett stood to greet the others as I stepped aside. He laid a big kiss on the tall blond and I couldn't help but smile. "Edward, this is my girlfriend Rosalie. And that's Jake and Leah. And Bella says you're already acquainted."

I bid hellos with a big dopey grin. Jake and Leah were obviously a couple as well. Bella was without a date. Awesome! When they were ready to order, I crouched by Bella. "This could be problematic, what with your limited vocabulary around me. If you'd prefer, you can simply point out what you want on the menu and not have to speak to me at all."

She rolled her eyes with the same playful grin she wore at the pub the first night. "I actually haven't decided what I want yet. You can leave me until the end."

I jotted down the orders and pocketed my pad and pencil. "I'll bring an appetizer for you while you're waiting… on the house. What would you like?"

The guys voted for wings, the girls were leaning towards veggies and breadsticks or seafood. "I know what Bella really wants," Rosalie said with a grin.

I looked to Bella for a response. Her cheeks were flushing beautifully. "Shrimp," she replied with a glare in her friend's direction. "I want shrimp."

They ended up with my own appetizer combo… extra veggies on the wing platter and a separate serving of shrimp for Bella. I was graced with another blushing smile so it was worth me losing part of my tips for the night to pay for their treat. It was worth the tray of plates dropped from the table I'd just cleared as well when Bella crashed into me on the way out from the ladies' room.

"Oh my god! I am SO sorry!" She stooped to help me gather the intact pieces as I dashed for the dustpan. "I can't believe I did that… actually, I can… it happens a lot. I'm just really sorry."

"I'm not. It made you stop and talk to me," I grinned, scooping up the shattered pieces and food remnants.

She responded with a sincere smile. "I'm done with that."

"Talking to me?"

"No. I'm done with ignoring you. You were right – you aren't always a jerk."

When they left, Emmett passed me a tip and Bella passed me a folded piece of paper with her phone number and a little smiley face. They weren't even out the door when the strange pain that had overtaken me a month earlier took hold again. I asked a co-worker to cover my tables while I went to step outside. That had helped the last time. It didn't grant me the immediate reprieve as it had previously, but it was bearable. I was bent over with my hands on my knees to take some deep breaths when I heard the growling from the other side of the dumpsters. Standing up slowly, I backed towards the door to the kitchen in case I needed to make a hasty retreat inside. I figured it was a hungry stray that would keep coming around if I fed him, but I wasn't in any condition to outrun a rabid dog so I stayed clear of it. At least my intuition at that point was strong – when the neighboring restaurant opened their door, it shot past me… one massive fucking dog… or something. I'd never seen any animal outside of a zoo that large. On all fours, it would have towered over me if I was still bent over. Instead, I was pressed against the wall with my heart pounding in my chest as it fled down the alleyway and out of view. When my fear began to subside, the pain seemed to return.

Mike came out to check on me after taking care of my customers. "Dude, you don't look so well. You're sweating."

"I know. This is intense." I clenched my teeth as even speaking those few words caused more pain to ripple through me.

"Come inside. You should go to the hospital. We'll see who's available to take you right now."

I didn't have a choice. Something was seriously wrong inside of me and I now knew it had nothing to do with drinking. I was completely sober this time.

"Okay," Mike squatted down next to my chair behind the bar. "Laurent says he can't spare anyone since we're already short on the floor with you out, so… taxi or ambulance?"

"I'll take him wherever he needs to go."

We both looked up at the sweet voice that rang out. Jane. I hadn't even seen her at the bar. As far as I knew, she could have been there all night. Maybe she hadn't left after dropping me off. Regardless, I was happy for the ride – to the hospital – and I felt a resurgence of gratitude for the ride back at my apartment as well. In fact, as soon as I was in her car, all I could think of was reclining the seat and banging her… that seemed to be all I could think of with her in the vicinity. The pain had faded. I could go again. God help me.