Football is back! Is everyone excited? Personally, I'm over the moon, but that's only because NBA is still on damn lockout. Anyway, if you can be bothered, tell me who do you go for and why? But not before giving this a read.

"I want to stop off and have a shower, get changed," Bella announced, "then we can go house hunting for you. I've already called Rosalie to let her know I'm coming."

"Rosalie?" Edward asked, as he texted from his new iPhone.

"She a model I met at UCLA. I'm staying with her for a while; I wasn't really expecting to get employment here to be honest."

"A model hey?" Edward said, smiling slightly.

"Yes, and come to think of it, she's also Emmett McCarty's girlfriend, so you better not even think about it."

"Emmett McCarty, as in the Emmett McCarty. As in the Giants linebacker?"

"The very same. He got me this job pretty much,"

"I'll be sure to thank him for that," replied Edward sarcastically.

"Edward?" asked Bella hesitantly.

"Yeah?" he replied, watching the world go past out of the window.

"Do you think, I mean I know I don't deserve it, but is it possible we could start over again? You know, clean slate?" she asked, watching him closely. Rosalie and Emmett didn't know any of her past and she would prefer to keep it that way.

He returned her gaze, and nodded slightly.

"I'll never be able to forget what happened, because I told you more about me than anyone ever. You know, or at least, knew, more about me than my parents, how I felt, how insecure I was. You betrayed that trust. So I can forgive, but not forget."

Bella simply nodded as the cab cruised past Central Park at the Columbus Circle and continued up along Broadway. Trump International Hotel and Tower passed them by on the right as they turned towards Columbia University and the northern tip of the Upper West Side where this model named Rosalie lived.

Forty-five minutes later, the cab pulled up outside a townhouse in the Upper West Side, and the two of them got out. It was a nice, leafy part of New York, and Edward paid the cab driver, and removed his bags from the boot.

Bella meanwhile, skipped up the front stairs, and produced a key. She unlocked the door, and ushered him inside.

He stepped into the hallway, still awkwardly holding his bags.

"You can ditch those in the spare room, if you like," Bella offered, as she walked through, gesturing through an open doorway. Edward gratefully dropped them on the bed, and followed her through the house.

"Oh Bella, how was Seattle? Was he as unbearable as he seemed on tele..." the voice trailed off as Edward followed Bella into the room.

The living room was a spacious, open plan affair, combining the dining and living rooms. Edward stood awkwardly in the doorway, waiting to be introduced to the two people in the room, although one of them was the massive Emmett Cullen, who was clearly giving him an appraisal, and the other who had just called him unbearable.

"Ahhh..." began Bella awkwardly, "Rosalie, Emmett, I'd like you to meet Edward Cullen. Edward, these are my friends Rosalie and Emmett."

"Pleasure to meet you," said Edward, shaking Rosalie and then Emmett's hands.

"Well, I'm just stopping off for a shower and to get changed, and then I'm taking Edward house shopping."

"I'll come help you pick an outfit," said Rosalie firmly, taking Bella by the arm.

Emmett was watching the second week of the playoffs on the plasma television, and he gestured to a seat.

"Feel free to wait it out, man, if Rosalie has anything to do with it, you might be waiting all day."

Edward nodded appreciatively, and sat down to watch with his new teammate.

"What is going on Bella? Why have you brought Edward Cullen home with you!"

Rosalie barely managed to stop herself from bursting out until they were behind closed doors.

Bella sat down on her bed, and lay back.

"I'm his agent and his publicist, at least for now, anyway. Not my choice, believe me."

"How did that happen?" Rosalie demanded.

"John Marks. Managed to get out of me that I knew Edward in high school," Bella said.

"You never told me that!"

Bella closed her eyes. She hadn't meant to say that.

"Yeah, he thought I should help him settle in because I knew him in high school. Didn't give me a choice apart from losing my job, actually."

"Just how well did you know him in high school?" Rosalie asked, looking dangerous. She was way too perceptive for Bella's liking.

"Well enough?" Bella skirted around the question. "I tutored him in senior year."

"So what you're saying is not only is he obnoxious and full of himself, he's also stupid? Way to break the footballer mould, Cullen."

"No, he was valedictorian, although I don't think he was actually the top performer. He was just the high school king, and he could do no wrong," Bella replied bitterly.

"So he was an arrogant jerk, and you hated him?" Rosalie asked.

"No, he was really nice... I don't really want to talk about it; actually, I'm off to have a shower." Bella said, opening the bathroom door, slamming it after her.

Edward was still sitting on the couch when Rosalie appeared back in the room.

She sat down on the couch, and reached for the remote, and turned the television off. Emmett protested loudly, but Rosalie shook her head.

"I want a word with our guest a second, while Bella is otherwise engaged."

"But Rose, its playoffs," whined Emmett pitifully, and Edward couldn't help but grin at the pathetic looking man mountain.

"Men and their football," said Rosalie derisively, "now be quiet, it'll only be quick."

She turned to Edward.

"Now I don't know you. I only know of you. And what I know, I don't like. What I do know is that you went to high school with Bella, and although she won't say it, you have something over her, something from then is affecting her now. And that wasn't happening before you arrived. So let's get something straight; if you don't anything to hurt Bella in any way, shape or form, I'll tear your balls off. Do we understand each other?"

Edward breathed out slightly, his eyes wide.

Emmett was violently nodding his head, suggesting that Edward agree, and quickly.

"I think," Edward began, "you should discover the full story before you make idle threats, Ms. Hale. I think you might have the wrong end of the stick, so to speak."

Edward continued. "I don't know you either, and I don't know anyone in this town so I don't want to be making enemies on my first day here because your boyfriend seems like a good guy, and Bella obviously thinks a lot of you, but don't be threatening me. Period. Especially if it's completely unwarranted. Tell Bella I've called a cab and I'll be waiting outside. Nice meeting you both and I guess I'll see you at preseason training Emmett."

With that, Edward walked out.

Bella slipped into a pair of tight black jeans, and red halter top with a white, belt-up coat over the top. She admired her creation before making her way downstairs.

"Where's Edward?"

"He's waiting for you outside," Rosalie said shortly, from where she was sitting in silence on the couch.

"Ahhhh... okay, well I guess I'll see you later then. Bye Emmett!" she called as she walked out the door.

Edward was sitting on the stairs, using his phone.

"Wanted some fresh air, did you?" Bella asked, as she walked down to the cab that was already waiting.

"Something along those lines," Edward replied in a dark tone, not looking up from his phone.

"You didn't fight with Emmett already, did you?" groaned Bella.

Edward's expression got even darker.

"Why does everyone automatically assume anything that happens is my fault?" he asked angrily, as he held the door open.

"So what did happen then?"

"Should probably ask Rosalie. Don't want to be accused of giving a biased account or anything," Edward replied as he followed her into the rear seat of the cab.

"I can't be doing with driving around in cabs for the next two weeks until my stuff arrives," grumbled Edward, as the cab cruised along 97th Street Traverse Road through Central Park, past the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and south down Park Avenue into the heart of the Upper East Side.

They stopped at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Madison Avenue half an hour after departing for Rosalie's townhouse in the Upper West Side.

This was at Bella's suggestion, who had asked Edward what he was looking to spend, to which he had answered "as much as possible".

They stepped inside the offices, and were met by a receptionist who gave Edward a toothy smile, and ignored Bella completely.

"Good morning sir, how can I help you?"

"Hi," Edward said, "I'm a professional footballer who's looking to spend a bucket load of money."

He had a real estate agent at his arm in a second.

Edward was standing in his future apartment. He'd never been more sure of anything in his life. It was a beautiful location, on the corner of 5th Avenue and West 59th Street, just across the street from Central Park, over which it had the most magnificent views.

The apartment itself was large, completely open plan, the entire downstairs being entirely one room apart from the outside decking and pool area. Yes, his penthouse suite had a pool on a decking, the entire area of which had a retractable glass window on the outside of the building that could be remotely raised or removed to make the decking indoor or outdoor.

The apartment itself was 65 feet long from the front door, not including the private lobby that the elevator that needed special code to get to his floor arrived at, and spanned 165 feet in width. The kitchen was on the left as you walked in, taking up the area between the pool and decking, and the near wall.

What sold Edward on the apartment though, at least from the downstairs perspective, was the window. A massive pane of glass, apparently worth $300,000 in its own right, covered 90 feet of the front of the apartment, and continued around the corner to take up another 30 feet of the right hand side wall as you walked through the front doors. A feature window didn't even cover it, more like a transparent football field.

Up the staircase in the right hand side back corner, this was a circular affair, entirely of wood, which was in fitting with the style of the apartment, up to the second floor.

The second floor was not quite as long or wide as the first, because it had been cut away from the right and front wall, leaving a gap of about 6 feet between the walls and the walkway overhead, allowing the view out the front window to be fully appreciated.

There were two upstairs bedrooms, naturally each with massive ensuites and walk in wardrobes. There was a laundry and finally a spacious study, which lay directly above the pool area, and had another great view over downtown New York.

"I'll pay whatever the asking price is," Edward announced to the agent, who was dressed immaculately.

Bella was still staring open mouthed at the beautiful apartment, lost for words.

"Well sir, there have been a number of expressions of interest, it's a very sought after residence, you have to understand."

"I'm prepared to top whatever else has been offered."

They were standing on the second floor, Bella looking out over central park as the two men discussed the terms.

"Well sir, the developer has an asking price of $15,000,000. However, he has also set a reserved upper limit of $17,500,000 which if sir is prepared to meet, the developer would sell immediately."

"I'll do it. I assume I am able to make the necessary financial transactions with at your offices?"

"Once I check with Mr. Wilson, the owner/developer of the property that everything is to his satisfaction, the issue of payment will be dealt with, and the paperwork can be submitted."

"Is there any way in New York of waiving the compulsory one month waiting period for settlement?" Edward asked, as he signed a form, and they headed to the elevator.

"I'm afraid not, there are strict tenancy rules in New York, which are enforced. I'm afraid you will be forced to wait until the government returns the papers before you can reside in your purchase. You are however welcome to visit with the developers permission, of course."

"Damn."

"Well looks like I'll be holed up in a hotel for the next four or five weeks," Edward said, as he and Bella stood in Madison Avenue.

The agent had driven them back to the agency, where Edward had filled out the required forms, and committed to paying a greater sum than she was sure the total value of the houses in her street in Forks had been worth.

"I texted Rosalie earlier," Bella said, "when he said you would have to wait, and asked if you could stay at her place,"

Edward paused slightly. He wondered how Rosalie really felt about having him staying with them, given their early confrontation

"I mean you don't have to," she rushed, "if you would prefer the service and luxury of a hotel it's completely your choice. It's just an offer,"

"No, no, I'd love to," Edward responded, surprising himself. Normally he would have taken the hotel any day of the week, but some company and the chance to get to know one of his teammates was too good to refuse. And Bella would be there, he added as an afterthought.

"Means we will be able to make career and image decisions on the spot," Bella said, smiling.

She wished she could honestly say that was the only reason she wanted him there, but she was intrigued by him. There was still something about him that drew her in, but she was sure she wasn't the only girl sailing in that boat.

Nonetheless, Bella smiled happily as the two of them got into yet another cab, to make the trip back to Rosalie's house on the other side of town.

Now last time I asked something, I got a great response, but then I realised it sounded like I was desperately pleading for reviews. I was actually genuinely more interested in why some stories have lots of reviews despite reading like the back of a cereal box. It's more a give your opinion if you've got one than a pump up my tyres exercise. But thank you anyway, they were all much appreciated, even if I did feel like I was fishing for compliments when I reread it.