A/N: As promised, here comes Assward. You have no idea how much I love writing this!

The Pierces - Secrets

Chapter One

Got a secret, can you keep it? Swear this one you'll save. Better lock it, in your pocket
taking this one to the grave, if I show you then I know you
won't tell what I said, 'cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead…

Why do you smile like you have told a secret, now you're telling lies 'cause you're the one to keep it. But no one keeps a secret, no one keeps a secret.
Why when we do our darkest deeds do we tell? They burn in our brains, become a living hell
Cause everyone tells, everyone tells…

-B

I was in the kitchen putting the leftovers in the fridge when I felt someone come up behind me. I knew it wasn't Edward, I could still hear him from the living room, telling stories about his adventures and causing every single person to burst out in loud, collective "ooh" and "wow" every other second. That man was some story teller, and he had plenty to share.

"Hey" Nathan said, putting his arms around my waist and pulling me towards his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder as I placed the plastic boxes wherever they would fit on the overstocked shelves.

"Hey" I said back, trying to sound like my old, cheerful self. "How's it going?"

He let go of my waist and jumped up to sit on the counter, picking up a strawberry from the bowl next to him and popping it into his mouth. "It's great, Bella. I can't believe Edward showed up, I was so surprised!"

"Yeah, you and me both…" I mumbled, turning to throw the food that wasn't worth saving in the trash.

Nathan didn't seem to have heard me, he kept chatting while I worked around him with tidying up the kitchen. Typical male behaviour if you ask me.

"I'm so glad you got to meet him, I've wanted to introduce you forever. I haven't seen the guy in two years… Remember? The one time he came here you were in Italy with Alice. It was such a damn coincidence! Well, Edward comes and goes as he pleases. Always have, always will."

I washed my hands, trying desperately to keep my expression in check and avoid looking in his direction. He could read my face so well, and I didn't want to risk him getting suspicious.

"Mhm." I mumbled, pulling out plates from a cabinet, "I guess that comes with the job. Has to be great to be that kind of journalist and get to travel for a living. I wouldn't stay in one place for long either."

"Oh, it has nothing to do with the job. Edward's just like that. He's constantly moving, I don't think he's ever stayed more than a few months in the same place since he was a kid and living with us. I wonder if he will ever just meet a girl and settle down. Maybe if he finds someone who can live up to his high standards and doesn't just throw herself on him." he mused, picking up another strawberry.

"I would have thought he liked it when the girls threw themselves at him. Saves him the trouble of hunting them down."

"Oh, I don't think Edward has ever had to chase a girl in his entire life." Nathan chuckled, "I remember the first time he took me out drinking, when I was just 17 and he was 22. He was friends with the owner of the club we went to so I didn't have to show ID or anything. Anyway, the girls were throwing themselves at him then and I don't think that has changed."

"I remember that time. You were so excited that Edward had come to visit, even if he only stayed a day. I missed him that time too." I furrowed my brows, wishing that I had met him back then so I had known who the hell he was when he showed up yesterday.

I'd realized why I had recognized those green eyes. It was from a picture I had seen of him and Nathan when they were kids. Their mother, Esme, had showed it to me when we had gone to visit them a year or so ago. Edward couldn't have been more than maybe 10, 11 at the most, but his eyes were exactly the same. Apparently, he wasn't a fan of being photographed; there weren't any pictures of him since then.

"Yeah, that was before we were together." Nathan caught my hand when I put the plates on the table. "Back when we were just friends. Feels like forever ago."

I nodded, "Sure does."

A quiet cough from behind made me turn to see Edward standing in the doorway.

"Is this the Edward Cullen fan club? I've heard my name being spoken more often than when I walk down the street without my mask on."

Nathan laughed while I tried not to fire back with a snappy comment. I couldn't act like I didn't like him, he had given me no reason why I shouldn't. Today, at least. And that meant that Nathan would be confused if I started being rude to his beloved brother all of the sudden.

"Wearing a mask? Is that necessary? Don't you think you should let people know who you are?"

Wow, Bella. How inconspicuous of you.

Edward raised an eyebrow, looking amused. His expression kind of said, "Sure you wanna do this now?"

Mine probably said "You're the biggest scumbag in the whole world and you should be neutered for the good of the planet."

"It's much more fun to hide your true self, you get a better chance at seeing other people for who they are."

"So deception is your way of getting to know someone?"

"Sometimes, yes. It can be very revealing."

"And when they find out who you really are?"

"They I sit back and watch it play out as it may."

"Even if you totally fuck someone over?" I should probably back down by now…

He smirked, "Especially if I get to fuck someone over. And over, and over…"

Nathan laughed and held up his hands, "Okay, okay, Edward. We get it!"

Edward chuckled, still watching me. "Quite the feisty girl you've got there, little brother. Can you keep up with her?"

"Yes, he can." I said before Nathan could answer. No way in hell that he was coming here and start asking questions about mine and Nathan's relationship.

Mrs. Cullen called on Nathan from the living room, and he gave us both a smile before exiting the room, leaving us alone.

I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him, waiting for him to explain himself.

He leaned against the wall, still smiling as if he was watching an extremely interesting and amusing reality show.

"You're an ass." I finally snapped, not able to keep quiet any longer.

Edward chuckled, "Thanks. You have a great ass."

"You have no moral standards at all, do you?"

"You have way to much, don't you?"

"How could you do that to your brother?"

"How could you?"

"I didn't do anything!" I spat, dropping my arms to my sides and taking a step forward in aggravation.

"No? Then whose leg was hitched around mine the other day?" he stepped towards me.

"That… That doesn't count. You caught me off guard."

"Oh please, Bella. You want me so bad, you haven't even noticed that your nipples has gone hard and are staring straight at me." he glanced down at my chest.

I gasped, folding my arms over my chest again and raising my chin. I felt a blush cover my cheeks.

"It's cold in here."

"The hell it is." he stepped again so that we were only inches apart, and I felt the warmth of his body against mine. I hoped he couldn't see that my hands were shaking. "You're so turned on by me right now that you wouldn't even protest if I grabbed you and fucked you on the counter where your boyfriend sat a few seconds ago."

My eyes grew huge at his absurdity, "What are you talking about?"

"You're biting your lip and licking it, your breathing is uneven and shallow, you can't take your eyes off me, you're squeezing your thighs together and then of course, the nipple situation. You're much more obvious than you think, Bella."

"Shut up." I took a step backwards but he followed, his eyes blazing.

"Make me."

I thought of punching him in the face. Probably not such a good idea since 23 of his loving relatives was in the next room.

"Stop coming on to me."

He reached one hand out, almost touching my waist. His face was only inches from mine as he leaned forward, angling to whisper in my ear.

"Start coming on top of me…"

I didn't have time to think before I heard footsteps coming closer, and then the sound of clatter from behind me. I realized Edward had reached to take the plates from the counter I was pressed up against. He swirled around and left an appropriate distance between us just as Esme entered the kitchen, carrying the last of the dishes from our meal.

Her eyes were wary as she looked from me to Edward, taking in our stiff poses and taut expressions.

"Is everything alright in here?"

I gave her what I hoped was a convincing smile, "Yes, everything is fine. We're just getting acquainted."

Esme didn't look quite convinced, but since she didn't seem to know what to make of the situation, she simply smiled and put the dishes in the dishwasher before she walked back out.

"That was close." Edward snickered, close to my ear.

This time I flung my arm up and smacked his cheek before he could pull away. I didn't hit him hard, but he pretended to be hurt. He was holding his hand to his face as he stared at me with an open mouth.

"Well now, Miss Swan, I didn't think you had it in you. Oh, this just opened up a whole new window of opportunities for us. Tell me, do you like to be the Dom, or do you prefer to be a Submissive?" he gave me a devious smirk as he leaned in again, "I'm good with what ever you choose just as long as there are handcuffs involved."

I forced myself not to visualize what he was saying, but it proved to be too hard for my weak, overworked brain. I needed a break from this man, ASAP.

"The only handcuffs you'll see are the one's the police will put on you after I've called them to report that a crazy, perverted sex maniac is stalking me and invading my personal space. Now, get out of here and bring those plates with you."

I turned my back to him to take out the cake I had prepared from the oven, hoping he would do as I said for once. He was so damn frustrating, I didn't know what to make of him. How could a person be so… so void of any sense of right and wrong? Nathan hadn't told me much about where Edward had been or what he had gone through before he came to live with them, I only knew that his mother had died in cancer when he was 3 and then his father had disappeared, leaving 8 year old Edward behind. I hadn't pressed for more information, I didn't know how much more Nathan knew regardless. Since I had never met Edward, and his family didn't often speak of him since he very rarely kept in touch to inform them about what he was doing or where he was living, I had considered Edward to be something of an enigma. I had heard stories about him, of course. He would travel the world, date rich and powerful women in every county he visited only to leave them a couple of weeks later and never contact them again. He was quite the famous ladies man, and despite his efforts to stay out of the gossip columns, his name would appear frequently, always without picture. I bet the guy was camera shy. But it sure added to his enigma.

His job seemed to fit him perfectly. He wrote a praised column in the New Yorker, kind of like a male version of Carrie Bradshaw, only with a dirtier language and more focus on sex than actual relationships. Because of its success, he was allowed to travel wherever he wanted to get inspiration and writing material. According to Nathan, he was also writing a book…

Any guess to what it's about?

Yeah, sex. Big surprise there.

We had dessert and chatted for another hour or so, Edward entertaining the group with his antics once again while I tried to laugh along with the others at his jokes. I had to admit, he was very enchanting to listen to. He had a way with words that was captivating and colourful, allowing you to experience everything with him as he spoke. It was a gift all the best writers shared.

When everyone had finished their cake and the last of the coffee was gone, people began to leave in groups. I said goodnight and thanked everyone for coming, noticing Esme's slightly worried expression as she came up to say her goodbyes. She didn't mention anything, but I was sure that she really had picked up on something between me and Edward.

Edward stayed when everyone else left, he was sleeping in Nathan's guest bedroom since he hadn't had time to find a hotel yet. I tried to sound glad that my boyfriend and his brother would have so much time to talk and re-connect, but I'm not sure how it really came across.

Later that night, when I was just getting ready for bed, my phone buzzed on my nightstand table. Picking it up, I saw that it was Nathan calling.

"Hey baby." I said as I slid on my favourite sleep t-shirt, which I had stolen from Nathan two years ago.

"Hey, honey. I can't talk for long, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving town again tonight." he sounded stressed, and I could hear the distinct sounds of an airport in the background.

"Are you okay? What's happened?"

"There have been some conflicts with the new client, so the company wants me to go back to New York and help sort everything out. It might take the whole week, I'm not sure yet, but I'll call you as soon as I know, okay?"

I sat down on the bed, chewing on my bottom lip. This was not good at all… I needed him here now, especially if Edward would hang around for any length of time.

"Okay, Nathan. Good luck with everything, I hope you make it back soon."

"I do too… I'll call you tomorrow, sweetheart."

"Sleep tight. I miss you."

I went to bed feeling like I had been hit by a train, thrown off a cliff and pushed down a rockslide. My head was so messed up that I fell asleep just thinking about all the shit that had happened that day.

o o o

Monday morning I woke up not by the sound of my alarm clock, but by the constant drops of water hitting my forehead.

"What the…" I mumbled as I opened my eyes. Looking around the room with blurry vision, I saw that the floor was practically covered in water.

I jumped up, my feet sloshing as they hit the wet floor. "Shit, shit, shit!" I cried, rushing for the phone.

An hour and a half later, I was on my way to work, dressed in the only dry clothes I could find a pair of shoes I'd had stocked on a shelf instead of on the soaking floor. I had called the landlord, who was apparently on the way over already after having received a call from the tenant living in the apartment below me. The leak had started in the apartment straight above, and was quickly spreading. I had been told that the damages would take at least a week to fix, probably more, so I was also carrying a big bag full of clothes that I would bring over to Nathan's place where I had decided to stay during the time they worked on my apartment. I really hoped Edward would have found a new place to stay be now…

When my work day was finished, I picked up my heavy bag and walked the 4 blocks over to where Nathan lived. I had tried calling him several times, but it wasn't until I was already in the hall outside his front door that he picked up.

"Hi, Nathan, I've been trying to call you…" I told him about the leak and that I was heading over to him to stay there instead.

"Of course you can stay at my place, honey, it's just one thing."

I put my bag down and pulled out my key, pinching the phone between my ear and shoulder as I struggled to open the locks. "What thing?"

The door suddenly flung open, revealing a shirtless Edward standing in the doorway, his hair in a complete disarray and wearing only a pair of sweatpants.

He grinned when he saw me stare at his naked chest.

"Edward is staying there too." Nathan spoke in my ear.

I dropped the phone.

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