-14 weeks-

The past few weeks have been nonstop. Not only did I have to go to work and answer countless questions about my pregnancy, thanks to my morning sickness, but I've also had to deal with Jake and our lawyer. We all unanimously decided that it would be best if we only filed for legal separation, for insurance purposes and so I wouldn't be under any unnecessary stress during the pregnancy. It was obvious that Jake was hoping it would give us more time to reconcile. When he found out about my truck he gave me a car. The old Bella would have complained about being able to take care of herself but the new Bella is practical. However, I did end up taking whatever that car was to another dealership to trade it in for a little Toyota suv. It made me feel a bit better.

Oh, and there's also Edward.

We spend time together almost every day, and even on the days he has to check on the progress of his office he still takes me along. It doesn't matter what we're doing, whether it's watching a movie or going to a museum, we always have fun. He's slowly becoming one of my closest friends.

I just hope I can continue to keep pushing those pesky other feelings aside.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

It's Friday night and we're sitting in Alice and Jasper's living room trying to decide on something to do tonight. Their house has become our group headquarters over the last few weeks, and even though it's probably because of its location I like to think it's because of me.

"What about salsa dancing?" Rosalie suggests. She and Alice clap their hands excitedly, while me and Emmett shake our heads and groan. Edward looks back and fourth between us with an amused expression.

"Babe, I look like a mega idiot when I try to dance, you know this. All this muscle mass doesn't exactly give me rhythm and flow."

Rosalie gives Emmett a sultry smile. "Really? I distinctly remember having plenty of that just this morning."

Emmett grins. "Yeah well that was also on a horizontal surface, well… semi-horizontal."

"Yup, and if you ever want counter sex again than you will take me dancing."

Well that shut him up. "Alright fine, but you owe me big time."

Rosalie gets out of her chair and saunters over to sit on Emmett's lap. She whispers something in his ear and judging by the way he squeezes her thigh, I'm guessing she found plenty of ways to repay him. Alice looks nauseous and Edward and I laugh at her.

"Alright, now that I'm thoroughly grossed out, that just leaves you Bella." Unfortunately for everyone else there is no one to offer me sexual favors in return for public humiliation.

"Nope. No way no how, not going to happen."

They all conspiratorially look at each other, and then I'm immediately surrounded by five pouty faces.

"Seriously guys, you think that shits going to work on me?"

Emmett scoffs. "You're going to be such a mean mom."

"Well that was unnecessary. I'm honestly surprised you guys are even trying."

"Wait," Edward interjects, "What's the big deal about going dancing?"

"You've obviously never seen me try to dance, it's rather unpleasant." Jasper widens his eyes and nods, "she's right."

Edward chuckles, "Oh Bella, haven't you ever heard that-"

"Edward, if you say "it's all in the lead" I will punch you in the junk."

He scowls. "Talk about unnecessary. How'd you know I was about to say that?"

"Puh-lease. All you young attractive guys have the same pathetic lines. I'm actually disappointed in you."

"You think I'm attractive?'

"That's the only thing you even heard, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. I think you should be grateful that this attractive guy will dance with you."

"Who said I'll be dancing with you?"

"Me."

"Oh well now that we have that cleared up… no."

Alice turns to Emmett and whispers loudly, "do you think this is some sort of comedic foreplay for them? Like, should they have a sitcom together or rip each others clothes off?"

I blush, and luckily Rosalie speaks up before things get awkward, "Okay Bella, I want you to really think about this. Are you seriously going to deny me and Alice the chance to dance all gritty and sweaty with our sexy men?"

She's pointedly looking at me like she's trying to stress some hidden meaning, and then I get it.

Sexy Men

Edward

Gritty and sweaty

"Okay."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Forget counter sex, good luck having any sex at all once I castrate you."

"Come on babe, I said I was sorry."

Apparently Emmett thought it would be completely fine to just get the address of the first salsa club result that popped up on Google, which leads us to the reason why we are huddled in the back corner of the club Palazzo trying to steer clear of the other clubbers.

Because it's Friday night, and If Emmett would have actually looked at the goddamn website, he would seen that on Friday nights Palazzo turns into Transylvania, Arizona's largest Gothic-Industrial club, with black lights and everything.

I'm pretty sure the only reason we got in is because with my pale skin and tight black dress, I look like a regular. Now that I think about it, I'm also fairly certain that the bouncer was wearing vampire teeth.

So wrong.

Rosalie is pissed, Emmett is sulking, Jasper and Edward are laughing, Alice is looking around the club in morbid fascination, and I have my hands over my stomach in a desperate attempt to block out the raunchy death lyrics from seeping into my baby.

Alice slaps her hand on the black leather sofa and stands up. "Look guys, we're too dressed up for the sports bar and the only decent clubs we know are all the way out in Scottsdale; we're here and we're hot so we might as well make the best of it," she turn to Jasper with a pouty sex face, "Jasper, is my big mean vampire going to dance with me?"

Jasper grins and starts snapping his teeth at Alice, and she runs into the crowd squealing.

So wrong.

Rosalie gets up too. "You know what, she's right. I did not spend 45 minutes getting my ass into this fuck-hot dress just so I could watch a bunch of freaks get their freak on."

"Hold on," she interrupts Emmett's dramatic fist bump to Edward, "Just because I would rather dance with you than Uncle Fester over there does not mean you're forgiven, got that?"

Emmett sullenly nods, but while she grabs his hand and leads him into the crowd he looks over his shoulder and winks at us.

Now it's just me and Edward, and we look at each other and awkwardly laugh. Fuck this, I decide. I don't care if I look certifiably nuts when I dance, he is wearing a leather jacket and taut dark jeans and my god I would give anything to press my body up against his and for one night pretend that we're together.

Just as I open up my mouth to ask for a dance some bitch ass skank walks right past me and gracefully plops herself onto Edward's laugh. She leans back and purrs sexily, "Hello, I'm Bree."

Edward, being the gentleman he is, reflexively grabs onto her thigh to keep her from falling, and I watch in horror as I see his hand grip the bare skin at the top of her slit. Who knew that a floor length black velvet dress could be so slutty? Well, apparently her boobs do because they are practically spilling over onto Edward's face. He chuckles my sexy chuckle. "Nice to meet you, Bree."

"I'm just going to get some fresh air," I say more to myself and push through the club to get to the patio outside.

The club is actually a pretty cool place, I notice as I sip my Shirley temple. The patio has it's own bar and is decorated in blue candles, and looking through the glass wall I can see the inside bar, the dance floor, and the cat-walk style balcony that overlooks it.

I see Emmett and Rosalie on the balcony, and she is busy swatting his hands away each time he puts them on her ass. Laughing, I look around more to find Jasper and Alice, and that's when I see them.

Edward and that succubus are grinding on the dance floor. Her back is pressed against him, and she is moving slowly up and down his body, with his hands on her hips and his cheek pressed into her fake black hair. His lips are moving and she lazily smiles. I imagine he's saying "I want you tonight" or something similar and my stomach twists at the thought of it

"I know," I say louder than intended to my belly as I rub it.

"Whoa there," I hear a smooth voice behind me. I turn around and there is an attractive man holding two glasses, "I was going to offer you a drink but it looks like you started the party without me."

I grimace. "Sorry about that, it's been a rough night."

"I'm Eric, and it must be pretty bad when a beautiful woman starts talking to herself. Do you mind if I keep you company?"

"Bella, and I don't mind at all."

He sits down on the barstool next to me and passes over a glass. "I figured rum and coke was a safe option."

"Perfect." I smile and pretend to take a sip. Even if I wasn't pregnant there is no way I would take a drink from a stranger.

"So gorgeous, you don't look like the vampire type."

"Hmm, you'd be surprised."

"Oh really?"

I laugh. "No, not really. Apparently salsa night is on Saturday." He throws his head back and laughs, and I take the chance to give him the once-over. He has sandy brown shaggy hair and is dressed casually in a plaid shirt and black jeans. "This doesn't look like your scene either, Eric."

He shakes his head. "Nah, my buddy chased after some chick he met at our frat party and dragged me along."

I pinch myself to keep from laughing. A college kid. I'd be more surprised if there wasn't GHB in that drink.

So wrong.

He leans in close to me and talks in my ear. "Look, since we both agree this isn't our thing, why don't we get out of here? Nothing shady, we can just chill out in my room."

I feel someone sit down on the other side of me, and just as I'm about to respond to Eric I hear the other person clear their throat.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you."

I groan and turn towards Edward. He's looking at me with a smug smile. Eric tugs on my hair to get back my attention.

"Well what do you say, brown eyes?"

"I think-"

Edward interrupts once again by putting his hand on my stomach and taking my glass. "Honey, you know this is bad for the baby."

My cheeks flame in embarrassment while the color drains from Eric's face. He looks back and forth between my stomach and Edward, and then walks away without saying a word.

I flick Edward's forehead. "What the hell is your problem?"

He laughs and rubs the spot. "Me! I don't think he was referring to his hotel room, Bella."

"Please, I was just trying to have a little fun."

"Well have fun with me, let's go dance. Unless I'm too old for you."

Don't sound jealous, don't sound jealous…

"What about Bree," I sneer.

"Bree was a nuisance. I was about to push her off until someone thought it would be funny to ditch me with Elvira. Not cool, she felt like my grandma's couch."

Oh

"Yeah, I thought that was hilarious. Um, let's go."

I take his hand and we head inside. He pushes through the mass of bodies into the middle of the dance floor. He brings our bodies flush together, and he must notice my nervous face because he gently puts his leg in between mine, and he places his hands low on my waist so I can lean back. I try to focus on the music. It's surprisingly a little slow and sensual, no lyrics and a heavy bass. I close my eyes and tilt my head back, and we start to dance. At first we just slightly sway, but the more I get into the music the more confident I get. Before I know it we're slowly grinding against each other, our breaths are harsh and our skin is glistening with sweat.

He grips the back of my shirt tightly, and I open my eyes, surprised to see that he's already looking at me. As we stare at each other our dancing gets rougher, and I can't help the soft moan that escapes me. His response is to pull me closer, and just as I press myself harder against his leg the lights go out.

The music stops and we hear someone announce over the loud-speaker that it's time for the famous midnight black-light show. People start to clap and cheer, and just as upbeat electronic music starts the place lights up. Everything is glowing, especially the girls who start to dance on the balcony and bar, wearing tiny black one pieces and white thigh-high boots. The crowd goes crazy and that's when everyone really starts to dance. Edward spins me around with my back against him like with Bree, but I can feel how different it is just by the way he's gripping my hips. We're grinding now with a little bounce, and with a brave move I slide down Edward's body to the floor, and when I slide back up I forcefully grind my ass into his pelvis. He's now slightly thrusting against me as we move, and I feel electrocuted when I feel how hard he is. His face is buried into my neck, and I moan as I feel the wetness of his tongue.

The stage girls are now dancing with each other, and I focus on one pair who are dancing like Edward and I. As one girl moves her hand down outside of the other's leg, I take Edwards hand in mine and instead drag it down to the inside of my thigh. He grunts a sharp "Fuck" in my ear and I twist my other hand in his hair, bending his head back down into my neck.

It's the single most erotic moment in my entire life. My body starts to burn like fire from my toes up, and just as I think I can't take anymore I hear our names being called over the music.

Emmett and Rosalie are pushing people out of the way to get to us, and I see behind them Jasper carrying Alice on his back. Rosalie shouts that Alice is feeling sick, and it's just now that Edward releases me. I follow behind everyone to the exit of the club, too embarrassed to look at him, even though he guides me with his hand on the small of my back.

Rosalie and Emmett go home in her car, and I drive Jasper's car so he can sit in the back with Alice. Edward immediately passes out in the passenger seat, and I wonder how much he's had to drink, hurt that he probably was barely coherent while we danced. I look in the rearview mirror at Jasper. He's cradling Alice in his lap, whispering in her ear and stroking her hair. It's the only time I've ever truly been jealous of my best friend.

Sorry if the club was cheesy but it's a real place and I just had to put it in.