Title: Last Name
Summary: A wild night in Vegas tangles the lives of two complete strangers. AU/AH
Rating: M
Beta: The lovely Eriks Dark Angel
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, although I wouldn't mind owning Edward and the rest of the Cullen boys ;)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes
I'm feeling weak and weary walking through this world alone
Everything you say, every word of it, cuts me to the bone
I've got something to say, but now I've got no where to turn
It feels like I've been buried underneath all the weight of the world
I try to hold this under control
They can't help me 'Cause no one knows
Now I'm going through changes, changes
God, I feel so frustrated lately
When I get suffocated, save me
Now I'm going through changes, changes
-"Changes" by 3 Doors Down
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward slid into the back of a sleek black town car with a soft sigh. His gaze lingered on the window, taking in even the most trivial details of the world beyond his temporary prison. He was acutely aware of Bella's presence in the seat across from him; the tension in the air was tangible. He groaned inwardly as the car started to pull away from the curb, but he stubbornly kept his eyes glued to the window. He had to gather his thoughts and compose himself as much as possible for the impending conversation; it would be difficulty simply based on what he had to ask, actually more like demand, of Bella and he really was not in the mood for one of their verbal sparring matches, no matter how much he seemed to enjoy them on some levels. His eyes flicked briefly over her small frame, curled up in a defensive posture, as she fidgeted slightly in her seat. Either from nervousness or from the growing discomfort that his silence had created, Edward did not know or bother trying to figure out. Why he was so aware of her every move was also another path he refused to let his mind wander down. He was not interested in some introspection and trying to make more of the situation than it was. He was aware of her every move simply because she was a live wire and he did not want to be burned. Right?
He noticed Bella shift again in her seat and he felt her eyes boring into him, waiting for him to divulge the details of why things had to change even more in both of their lives. Hers more than mine he thought, as a wave of guilt washed through him. While Edward knew that the situation was not completely his fault, he still couldn't help but feel guilty that Bella's life would change dramatically for the next few months all because he was in the public eye. If he was just a normal guy, they could easily go their separate ways and only have to see each other again to sign the annulment papers.
With a soft sigh, Edward slowly tore his eyes away from the window and focused them on Bella, deciding that he had wasted enough time avoiding the conversation and he wanted to get it over with before they met up with everybody on the chartered plane ride home. Keeping in mind that Alice had threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't 'act like an actual human being and try and be nice to her and sympathize with her situation,' Edward carefully rearranged his features into a smooth, apologetic mask as he began to speak with as much sincerity in his voice as he could possibly could. He silently thanked God that he had had a few years of faking emotions in front of the press and public, and desperately hoped Bella wouldn't see through is falsity.
"Bella," he began gently waiting until she turned to face him to continue, desperately trying to ignore the look of resignation marring her angelic features, "I would first like to apologize that my situation in life is making this extremely difficult for you, and for all the complications it is continuing to cause."
He was about to inwardly congratulate himself on his eloquent apologizing skills when he saw a small frown form creases between her eyes as she turned to gaze out the window once again. A small flash of panic shot through his system followed by a small wave of guilt at his falsity as he realized she probably saw through it, and he waited with baited breath for her to call him on it. After a few moments of silence, Bella slowly turned her face back towards his, her deep brown eyes meeting his in an expectant gaze. Realizing that he needed to continue, Edward thought of Alice's threat one more time before launching into the explanation.
"Now that the press knows who you are, it is going to be harder to keep them away from you. They probably already know where you live and work and paparazzi are probably already staking out the best places to capture photos of you doing anything and everything. I know you are going to hate what I have to say next but it's in everyone's best interest if you were to temporarily move in with me. It will be a lot safer for you because of all the security around my house, and it would corroborate the story Jasper has given to the press. We haven't figured out what to do about your work situation, especially since I don't even know your profession, but do you have any suggestions?"
Edward finished with what he hoped was a concerned/hopeful expression on his face, and waited tensely for Bella to respond. He knew she was going to hate the idea of having to live with him, especially after only a few hours earlier he, along with the rest of his friends/family, assured her that her life wouldn't be changing all that much. Originally he and Bella would go their separate ways and they both would just keep a pretty low profile until they could get the annulment. He and Bella would only have to see each other on a few occasions in the public eye to keep the press sated, and then there would be the staged break up and then they both would be free to go their own ways. Now they would be forced together every day of the next two months and he was dreading that with every fiber of his being. Although if that was true then why did he feel a stirring of excitement at that prospect deep within? He quickly shook his head at that thought. He was not excited about this; he hated Bella! She was uptight and bitchy and made his blood boil with every look and every word uttered through her full lips. He was definitely not the least bit happy or excited about this!
Bella, meanwhile, was waging an internal war of her own, much like she had for the greater part of the day. She had been silent for quite awhile now, trying to sort through the multitude of thoughts and emotions assaulting her from every angle. She had refused to speak to Edward, even in greeting, when she had met up with him in the lobby of the hotel and was glad when he seemed just as unwilling to speak with her as they climbed into the town car. At first she had been awed at how comfortable and luxurious the interior of the car was; from the outside it looked like a normal Mercedes or BMW or another of those more luxurious brands of car. But her awe quickly switched to annoyance, and she bitterly thought about how lavishly the rich and fortunate live. Forcing herself to look out the window, she tried desperately to calm all of her emotions. She knew this was not going to be a fun conversation and she was emotionally exhausted and really not in the mood for another verbal sparring match with Edward.
Her anger flared up again however when she detected the false sincerity in his voice when he finally began to speak. The pig doesn't even have the decency to feel the least bit of remorse for this whole ordeal, she thought as a frown creased her brow. Bella knew that this whole thing wasn't Edward's fault, but she did know that if their positions were reversed she would feel guilty for upsetting his life, hell she was just and ordinary girl and she did feel at least a little bit guilty for the trouble she was causing him. Ok well maybe she didn't feel guilty for disrupting his precious life, but she was sorry for all the trouble she was causing his friends and family as they worked to preserve his image. After all, how could she feel guilty about troubling the life of the man she hated with a fiery passion? She should be rejoicing over the fact that she was a complication in his life and an ever-present thorn in his side.
Dragging herself out of her slightly more cheerful thoughts, Bella turned her attention back towards Edward as he continued to speak. She felt her small shred of happiness evaporate the minute he mentioned her having to go live with him, and her mood spiraled farther down into the pits of despair as he mentioned her job. She had almost completely forgotten that she was now unemployed, and that thought pained her once again, especially as the memories of how that news was delivered to her came back to her once more. She had lost her job and two closest friends all in the span of ten minutes. Granted she had never been completely attached to Jessica and Lauren and would sometimes question herself on why she was friends with two shallow, and sometimes mean, women. But Bella had known them for years, and usually they all got along great. Now she didn't even know if they really were ever friends or if Jessica and Lauren had just been using her to help advance themselves in life.
"Bella?" his musical voice broke her out of her thoughts, and when her eyes flashed to meet his brilliant jade ones she was shocked to see them filled with… concern? It was then that she realized that a few tears had rolled down her cheeks during her melancholy reflection. Quickly swiping the back of her hands across her face, Bella inhaled shakily and tried to compose her thoughts. No need to be in tears for the second time today in front of Edward, she chastised herself, not wanting Edward to see her as one of those women who cry over every little thing because they are incapable of coping with their emotions in other, more productive ways.
Turning her eyes back to his, she saw the same emotion she labeled as concern underneath his questioning gaze, and immediately berated herself once more. I'm making him uncomfortable with my tears. I should have seen that right away and not have mistaken it for concern. Discomfort is the only logical explanation for that look! Bella gave an infinitesimal shake of her head, trying to clear it of all unwanted trains of thoughts so she could give her full attention to what she wanted to say, and how much she wanted to divulge to this man, practically a stranger, in front of her. How much could she reveal without looking like the failure and disgrace she felt she was. How much did he even need to know and what parts or her recently tumultuous life were a necessity for her to reveal? Bella could barely sort through the millions of questions running rampant through her mind, let alone concentrate enough to answer them. At the back of her mind she realized that she and Edward had been sitting in silence for quite some time and he was still staring at her with a questioning gaze. She felt compelled to speak, to say something, anything, and this compulsion seemed to disconnect her brain from her tongue.
"I've been fired," she blurted out before she could stop herself or contemplate a better way to phrase it. Her eyes instantly widened at her blunt delivery and her face flushed with embarrassment at her current unemployment. She quickly averted her eyes and went back to gazing out her window, unable to hold his gaze after her revelation.
Edward was at a loss of what to do or say, something that had been happening to him a lot since he woke up this morning. Normally he was the king of cool and suave and always had a witty remark or the perfect line to deliver in a smooth, even tone, but today it seemed as if his collected façade had cracked wide open and he only had flashes of his old wittiness as it crumbled around him. In this situation, his mind was failing to come up with any sort of response that would lighten to atmosphere and hopefully elicit a smile from Bella. It was not lost upon Edward that something bigger than their drunken wedding and life style changes were affecting her. Hell hadn't he walked in on her having a breakdown only a few hours before? He still had yet to receive an explanation on that, and then an idea sprung to life in the recesses of his mind.
"Is that what made you so upset this afternoon?" he asked as gently as possible, desperately wondering if that had been what set her into hysterics. At her small almost imperceptible, nod Edward sighed inwardly, his mind desperately trying to come up with something to say. He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to deal with this situation or what he was supposed to do. Luckily for him, the car slowed to a stop on the private airfield and a minute later the door was opened for them. Climbing out of the car, he nodded slightly at his sister and moved towards the open door of the private jet, hoping that Alice would know what to do in regards to Bella.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, his sparkling green eyes flickering towards the brunette curled up in the farthest seat from him in the small private jet. He knew his current discomfort had everything to do with what awaited him when they landed in a few minutes; after all it was inconceivably impossible for the source of his discomfort to come from his luxurious surroundings.
Bella had drifted off into a seemingly peaceful sleep about ten minutes into their short flight, approximately eight and a half minutes after she assured Alice that she did not feel like talking and that she just wanted to be left alone for the time being. Alice looked slightly hurt by Bella's dismissal as she headed to her seat next to Jasper, but Edward had heard the exchange and knew that Bella had been very polite towards the little pixie and that Alice's hurt feelings were purely because Bella had spurned her advances at making a new friend. Edward knew that Alice would not be dissuaded from befriending Bella, especially not after he explained the state he found her in earlier and the information he learned in the car.
"Poor kid," Emmett said softly, throwing a sympathetic glance towards the sleeping woman. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement except for Rosalie who scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"So she lost her job. People lose their jobs every day and they don't have a complete emotional breakdown over it. She needs to get over herself and learn how to deal with things like an adult." Anger immediately coursed through Edward at Rosalie's words, but he was far too enraged to wonder where it was coming from.
"You need to get over yourself," he growled out before he could contemplate what he was saying. Rosalie seemed taken aback by his incensed tone and sharp remark, but was too bewildered with his unreasonable, in her opinion, anger to say anything, which just encourage Edward to continue.
"She has been through quite a bit today and I have a feeling that there is more to all of this then her just being fired. She seems way to put together to let something like a drunken wedding and being fired turn her into an emotional wreck. I would love to see how emotionally unstable you would be if something like this happened to you. God knows you already flip a bitch if you gain a pound," Edward finished with a sneer but almost immediately felt a little guilty. He knew the pressure on Rosalie as a supermodel was intense, and he knew she already took enough crap for maintaining the weight and figure she did.
Rosalie flat out refused to look unhealthily skinny and instead advocated for a more natural and healthy look. Many designers and magazines admired her and supported the growing trend of healthy looking models, but many still gave her and the models like her a lot of flack. While Edward admired her tenacity and agreed that healthy was what was hot (even he could admit that Rosalie had an incredible body to go with her gorgeous face) he also knew that remarks from the press and public could hurt. Hadn't he caved numerous times to the pressures of the media and public? Wasn't his desire to please everyone one of the things that had launched him into this downward spiral of alcohol and women and general unhappiness with how his life and career were going?
"Stepping into the role of husband already are we Eddie? Not married a full twenty-four hours and you are already defending your wife's honor," Rosalie bit back scathingly. Edward flinched at her tone and use of his much hated nickname and threw a murderous glare in her direction, completely offended by her statement. He really wanted to shout 'am not' and stick his tongue out at her but he knew how petulant and childish that would make him look so he opted to leave it with the death glare.
Feeling the plane begin its final descent into L.A, Edward turned his attention from his brother's girlfriend and let his eyes wander freely about the cabin. Emmett was still staring intently out the window like he had the moment Edward and Rosalie had started their little spat, desperately not wanting to be involved in an argument between his brother and his lover. Having to choose sides in a fight like that was a lose-lose situation so he always avoided immersing himself in the argument whenever he could. Edward's eyes met Alice's piercing blue ones for a moment as his gaze traveled over where she was sitting next to a serene looking Jasper. The wide smile and knowing look in her eyes unsettled him to no end. Why Alice was looking like the cat that just swallowed the canary was beyond him, and he definitely lacked the energy to try and determine what was running through his sister's mind once more. That look usually never meant anything good.
The plane touched down gently, the slight bump jarring him from his thoughts. His wandering eyes once again swept over the sleeping form of Bella as they taxied slowly off the runway, and he was surprised to see that she was still asleep. He was sure that she landing would have woken her, but he then surmised that she was either very exhausted (emotionally and physically) or that she was a very deep sleeper. Neither of those scenarios boded well for him at the moment because they both resulted in a still sleeping Bella whom somebody would be obliged to wake. He knew that someone would be him; his friends and family had made it clear that Bella was his responsibility. That's not to say that they were going to leave him completely alone with her. They were all curious, well except for maybe Rosalie, to get to know her and Alice especially was dying to befriend her.
Edward sighed softly as the plane finally came to a stop and his siblings and their significant others rose to their feet. A few hugs and handshakes goodbye passed between them along with a promise from Alice that she would stop by to keep Bella company when he had to head into a meeting with his record label the following afternoon, and then he was alone with her once more. Running a hand tiredly through his hair, he slowly made his way over to where she was sleeping, taking measured steps the whole way as he argued with himself over the best ways to wake her up. Stopping next to her seat he called out her name softly, then louder when she didn't stir at his initial attempt. When that failed he tentatively reached out and shook her shoulder gently, finally rousing her from her slumber after a few moments.
Bella opened her eyes slowly and was immediately met by the sight of Edward staring down at her with an apprehensive and tentative look on his face. Yawning quietly her mind quickly deduced that they must be in L.A. and she immediately rose to her feet and stretched slightly before following Edward off of the plane and towards a shiny silver Volvo. She briefly wondered why someone of his stature didn't drive a flashier car until she slipped into her seat and noticed the luxurious interior. It may not have been as flashy on the outside as some of the cars he could easily afford, but this car was obviously a luxury car.
Edward slipped into the car and an uncomfortable silence settled between them immediately. Bella could tell that he wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how to preface it. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him open and close his mouth several times, but he never was able to actually formulate his thoughts and articulate them. He sighed in seeming defeat and slid the keys into the ignition and the engine came quietly to life. Above the soft purr of the engine, strains of gentle music flowed from Edward's impressive sound system. It took Bella only a few seconds to recognize the tune and she gasped in surprise.
"Claire de Lune?" she questioned quickly, amazed that someone like him listened to classical music.
"You know Debussy?" he shot back, equal amazement evident in his voice.
"My mom used to listen to classical music all the time when I was younger, and my favorites stuck with me," Bella answered with a hint of sadness tainting her voice. "I didn't think someone like you knew classical music," she added before Edward could dwell on her previous statement.
"I'm a little offended by that remark! I am a musician you know," he defended himself quickly
"Yes, you are," she conceded, "but I wasn't aware that international pop stars were familiar with classical music or held an appreciation for it."
"The differences in what I perform and my personal preferences all come down to public expectations and desires," he replied softly and Bella immediately detected the slight bitterness and sadness in his tone. Risking a glance in his direction she saw the anguish in his eyes, even if his face was an impassive mask.
"Alice suggested to me that I run you by your home so you can get some clean clothes. She also offered to go back with you tomorrow so you can pack up anything you would like to have with you for the next few months." His quick change of subject was not lost on Bella but she decided not to push the issue further even though her curiosity was piqued. Was it possible that there was a lot more to Edward Cullen than meets the eye?
"Ok, I live in an apartment in Woodland Hills."
"I know the area. I have a house in Malibu so it's not too far." With that final comment, Edward pulled out of the airfield and headed in the direction previously stated by his companion.
The ride was passed in silence only broken by the classical music playing softly in the background. Several times Bella snuck a glance over at Edward, and more than once there eyes met as he was sneaking his own glances at her. Every time she got caught, a light blush lit up her pale features, but for some strange reason she wasn't deterred from continuing trying to study him. A curious person by nature, Edward's slightly cryptic admission earlier had piqued her curiosity and it was only growing with each passing second. Edward, however, now appeared to be the one not interested in talking, and he spent the ride staring straight ahead, tight-lipped and a slightly grim expression marring his well crafted face. The only time his eyes deviated from the road was when he sparred a quick glance at Bella, mainly in response to the repeated feeling of her eyes on him. The silence that settled between them wasn't uncomfortable for once, but it seemed unbreakable, and neither dared to try.
They made it to Bella's apartment complex in record time, and Bella made a mental note to request that Edward slow down on the way to his house. It had not been lost on her that he had been driving well over the speed limit the entire way, and she was not comfortable with his reckless driving in the least. Directing him in the parking spot normally occupied by Jessica's car, Bella was suddenly grateful that she had left Vegas a night early and didn't have to worry about another unpleasant encounter with her angry friends. She was content with avoiding Jessica and Lauren until they had calmed down and come to their senses.
As Edward smoothly pulled into the parking space and killed the engine, Bella was instantly unsure if she wanted to invite him into her apartment or not. Edward broke the silence, however, before she could give it too much thought.
"Would you like me to come in, or stay here, or give you directions to my house and you can drive there yourself?"
"Well I guess it would be nice if I had help carrying some stuff," Bella answered in a neutral tone and they both climbed out of the car, "and I don't have a car at the moment," she added, although she wasn't quite sure why; it wasn't exactly an important fact since it didn't seem like she would be able to go many places on her own now that the press and public knew who she was, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone only to find herself cornered by paparazzi.
Edward followed her into her apartment, slowly trailing behind her as she flipped on lights and headed into her bedroom. He stopped at the threshold of her room, unsure of whether he should enter or not. He didn't want to make this situation any more uncomfortable than it already was, so he opted to lean casually in the doorway and let his eyes wander about her room. Edward noticed that her room was pretty neat and tidy and that the only things that didn't seem in order were the numerous books strewn about the room. His wandering eyes skimmed over Bella a few times as she bustled about her room, throwing clothes from her dresser and closet haphazardly into her luggage set. Edward smiled slightly as he pictured the shock on his sister's face if she were to see how Bella was packing. He knew she was just trying to be as quick as possible, and that the clothes wouldn't be in the suitcases for very long, but he knew Alice would still have a heart attack. Even after all these years of living with her, and the past few years of his stardom, he still didn't understand how anyone could be that obsessed with clothes.
A small thud and a muttered string of profanities snapped Edward out of his internal musings and his attention was turned to a Bella picking herself up off the floor. It appeared as if she had tripped over a stray article of clothing that had fallen from the pile on her way from her closet to her suitcases, and it took everything in Edward to suppress the chuckle he felt rising in his throat at the indignant expression on Bella's face. He couldn't tell if she was more incensed over her apparent clumsiness or if she was actually angry at the article of clothing; she was glaring at it as she snatched it up and shoved it into her suitcase as if it had really offended her. Luckily he was able to suppress his urge to laugh at her mishap, because she looked as if she was about to kill something for approximately five minutes after the incident, and Bella was grateful Edward didn't comment or worse laugh at her mishap. She had already tripped around him once that day and that hadn't ended very well.
Placing the last few things into her suitcases, she zipped them up and indicated for Edward to come help her carry them out to his car. On the way out of her apartment she noticed that the light on the answering machine was flashing. Telling Edward to hold on for a second, she pressed play assuming it was just the landlord with information about an upcoming tenants meeting or something equally unimportant as that; all the important calls always went to her or Jessica's cell phones and very few people had the number to their landline. The minute the message started playing, all the color drained from her face and she instantly regretted stopping Edward as her father's voice echoed throughout the silent apartment.
"Isabella Marie Swan! Why haven't you answered your phone or returned any of my calls? First I find out from Billy that you have broken up with Jacob, and then it is all over town that you married some famous singer last night. You ungrateful whore! How do you get off thinking you can treat Jacob like that? The poor boy is heartbroken and you are off being the world's biggest slut! And after everything Billy and him did for you! You are lucky Jacob even dated you let alone proposed to you, you ungrateful, worthless child! Did your idiotic self learn nothing living under my roof? I want answers young lady so you better call me back!"
The message ended with a beep and silence descended once again. Edward's eyes were fixed on Bella as his mind moved at almost impossible speeds trying to process what had just happened and the emotions he was feeling. Bella was frozen in place; her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the little black machine were glazed over. Edward took a small step forward and softly called out her name only to receive no response. He took another step forward and reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and that seemed to break the spell. Her eyes immediately snapped to his and she inhaled a deep, shaky breath. Shrugging her shoulders at his intense, questioning gaze, she stepped to the side and quickly hurried past him out to his car.
Edward quickly followed her, calling out her name, but after she viciously snarled at him to leave her alone and that she didn't want to talk about it, he fell silent and quickly loaded her suitcases into the trunk of his car. The car ride to his house passed in an uncomfortable silence, and continued all the way into his house until he quietly told Bella he would show her to the room she would be staying in. Alice and Jasper had stopped by his house while he was taking Bella to her apartment in order to prepare one of the guestrooms for her use. Leading Bella up the stairs and down the hall he began to grow wary of his sister's intentions when he saw that the guestroom that was situated right next to his bedroom was the one that Alice had quickly fixed up for Bella. Logically it was the best choice seeing as it was the largest and most comfortable out of all the bedrooms besides his own bedroom, but he didn't think that was the main factor behind Alice's decision.
Flipping on the light he walked into the room and placed the bags he was carrying at the foot of the bed before turning to face Bella. She was standing just inside the room, her eyes uninterestedly surveying the space around her. The vacant look in her eyes bothered Edward and unnerved him in ways he couldn't explain. He had no idea what was going on in her life, or why her father (he assumed as much) had left such a message for her but he was determined to find out. He had let too many things slide by today in his weariness, and he wasn't about to let that happen again.
"Bella," he stated firmly and was rewarded with eye contact, "you really should talk about what just happened, and why you were fired, and anything else going on in your life."
"Why?" she spat back, her expression instantly angry once more. "Why should I talk about any of this with you? Do you really want to hear how fucked up my life is at the moment. Do you really want to hear that I was in Vegas because my friends decided I needed a week away after walking in on my fiancé of the last five years screwing some blonde bimbo from his work? And then I go and get shit-faced drunk and wake up married to an egotistical, womanizing pig that just happens to be a famous singer. Said incident then leads to me being fired because it brought negative attention to the newspaper that I was a writer for. And this lovely piece of information was delivered to me by the two people I considered to be my best friends, one of which I live with, and they were completely pissed off at me because they had been fired too, and it was all my fault like everything always is. Do you really want to know how horrible my home life has been ever since my mother abandoned my father and I when I was 10, or how since that night nothing I have done has ever been good enough for him? Or the years of him telling me that I was the reason my mother left?" She paused there to suck in a few deep breathes to calm herself; she had worked herself very near the point of hysterics. "But I am the reason she left," Bella continued despondently in a low voice, "she left because I wasn't good enough for her to stay, just like I haven't been good enough my whole life. Not good enough for Jacob, or to keep my job or friends. I'm completely worthless, and completely alone." She tried to choke back a sob after her last words but her resolve not to cry again finally crumbled.
Edward had remained silent during her whole rant; instinct telling him to just let her speak. Throughout her angry tirade he felt his heart break for the poor girl in front of him and then instantly fill with a compassion he hadn't felt since…He instantly refocused his thoughts and attention back onto Bella; no need for both of them to sink into their darkest places. Walking forward he tentatively enveloped her into a hug, just as her legs gave out from under her. For the second time that day, she collapsed in his arms and Edward immediately scooped her up and carried her over to the bed as she continued to cry. Setting her down on the soft mattress, he immediately kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed from the other side; he had no intention of leaving her alone when she was like this. Leaning against the headboard, he pulled her small frame into his arms and rubbed small circles on her back until she cried herself to sleep. Slipping off the bed, he removed her shoes before pulling the covers over her. He paused at the door and turned for one final glance at the woman who had unexpectedly been thrust into his life, a torrent of emotions racing through him.
"You're not alone," he whispered before flicking off the light and pulling the door closed behind him. He had no idea what the next morning would bring, or the next day, or week, but he did know that he was determined to help the beautiful brunette sleeping in the room adjacent to his get through this huge rough patch in her life. For the first time in a long time, Edward felt as if he had a purpose in this life and he drifted off to sleep for the first time in a long time thoroughly excited for the next day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Hello by fantastic readers! It been a while I know, but I have a pretty demanding course load this semester and after I get done writing for my creative writing classes I always feel drained of creativity. I finally got this chapter together and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Please review and let me know what you think; I am open to any and all comments/suggestions/ideas. Plus, whenever I need an inspiration boost, I go back and re-read the reviews you guys have left me and it really gets my ass in gear ;)
