A/N:

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Into the wicked mind of lies…

Covering my bases on sensitive issues:
WARNING: PORTIONS OF THIS CHAPTER AND/OR STORY CONTAIN INSTANCES OF FLASHBACKS THAT CONTAIN THE SUGGESTED THEME OF NEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT. THIS IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN 16, OR WHO MAY BE TRIGGERED BY SUCH REFERENCES. YOU READ AT YOUR OWN RISK…

INERTIA

10.

-(*)-

*E.D.W.A.R.D*

-(*)-

"Isabella!" I said, gathering her wrists tightly in my grip. "Bella, stop fighting!"

Bella's struggles stopped immediately, and her open eyes bore into mine, the terror in her panoptic eyes scanning my face. Her breathing was erratic, and her hands were shaking under my fingers.

"Bella," I whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you so badly. Are you alright?" I asked, letting her wrists go and placing my hands on either side of her face.

"What are you doing, Edward?" Bella asked, her voice cracking and shaking with both relief and anger. "I thought you were Mi-somebody else!" Her hand flew to her heart.

"I'm sorry! I just-I'm sorry," I apologized, ghosting my hand down her cheek, under her chin, and lifting her face up to look me in the eyes. "Tell me you forgive me for my lapse in judgment, Isabella."

Her eyes still reflected traces of anger, but her mouth twitched into a small smile, and her hands came up to swing around my neck. My hand fell from her chin and wound tightly around her slim waist.

"Tell me what you're doing in here, first. This is a girls' bathroom, Edward." She smiled, bringing her lips closer to mine.

I could tell she was still very much shaken by my stupid actions, but seemed really relieved to see me.

"Yes, that's true, but it's only a single bathroom," I reminded her, bending down and pressing a chaste kiss on her warm lips. "And," I added, turning from her to lock the bathroom door behind me. "I plan to take full advantage of that small, inferior detail."

I smiled the most wicked, lustful smile I could muster as my hands found the small of her back. I pressed her roughly against me, and she moaned.

"What?"

"We only have like…ten minutes, Edward," Bella replied, her right hand falling to the material of my tuxedo jacket. "And you like to play slowly," she chuckled.

I laughed, and then bent down to kiss her bare shoulder with small, chaste kisses. I looked back up at her through my long lashes and smiled, again.

"I promise to be quick. Besides, all you have to do is stand here and look beautiful," I told her, bending beside her to grab a towel off the vanity top. "I'll be the one getting dirty."

I kissed her again. This time, my lips opened hers and she moaned against me. I hesitantly broke the kiss and threw the towel to the floor, spreading the terrycloth material out with my shoe.

"Edward, what…?" Bella started to ask.

I shook my head and smiled, then fell to my knees in front of her on the towel. I gazed up at her face once more. My hands fell to the hem of her long white dress, which fell around her ankles. I looked back down to my hands on the hem, and pulled up lightly on her dress. I felt her hand graze up my shoulder as I lifted the material of her dress over my head, ducking inside the warm tent between fabric and soft skin. I heard her gasp softly as my hands ran up the backs of her calves, inching up slowly, tantalizing her with my fingertips. I could see the white cloud of her panties from the V between her legs as my head went further under her dress. I curved my hands around her outer thighs, nudging her softly to open her legs wider for me.

"Edward." I heard her exclaim softly. Her hands fell from my shoulder as the dress came down around them.

Her legs automatically parted, allowing my fingers to ghost up over her hips and downward, pressing into her soft flesh with my fingers as I felt her heat. I reached up and pressed my palms to either side of her hips, looping my thumbs into the elastic band of her panties and pulling them slowly down her baby-soft legs.

I felt her tense up as my fingertips drifted lazily back up her inner thighs, my nails pressing into her softly. I scooted forward a little, and angled my face upward toward her radiating heat, my lips nearing her nether lips as my hands glided over her pubic hair and onto each thin hip, effectively shifting her closer to my face as my hands wrapped around to rest on each ass cheek. My tongue darted from my salivated mouth and pressed into her core, eliciting a throaty groan from Bella as I moved my tongue flatly against her sex, licking her deep as I ascended. When I got to the top of her slit, my mouth hungrily sucked in her clit. She tasted sweet and salty, and her legs bowed wider, opening her further for me as my mouth sucked on her studiously. Bella groaned again, pressing the top of my head with her hands through the fabric of her dress. I lifted a finger to help her pleasure, when a quick knock on the door made Bella gasp and pull back, leaving me alone on the floor with my finger raised, and my ego bruised.

"Bella? Are you still in there? Charlie wants to start the show," Alice's voice called through the door. "Come on!"

Bella cleared her throat, and replied with a quick, "Yes. I'm coming."

There was no reply as we stood there waiting for one. Finally, still on my knees, I palmed my face and exclaimed sharply. "Fuck!"

Bella lifted her panties and fixed her dress, then shot me a glare from under her lashes.

"Told you we only had a few minutes," she said, walking forward and helping me to my feet. "You said you'd be quick."

"Nothing's quick with you," I told her, pulling her firmly against me and kissing her roughly on the lips. "Just a minor delay, that's all," I murmured against her lips. "When I get you home, there will be nobody to save you from my mouth, my fingers, or anything else I choose to use to play with you."

She laughed against my lips.

"You are a liar, though, Isabella," I told her, pulling back from her face.

"Mmm…how so?"

I leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, "You aren't coming. But you will be if I have any say." I pulled her lips back to mine and shaped myself to her tightly.

I felt her smile against my lips and pull away. I reached behind me to unlock the bathroom door, opening it and sticking my head out to see if anyone was around. The hallway was empty; the only sounds were coming from the lobby. I pulled myself from the bathroom, and waited until Bella was behind me before heading into the lobby of the gallery. I licked my lips with automation, her taste still lingering on them, making them salty-sweet in flavor.

"Well, later we can try your dancing moves. You are going to dance with me, right?" I smiled, pulling her hand into mine.

"Of course, Mr. 'I don't dance'. If you make a fool of yourself, you can always blame me," Bella retorted playfully.

"It's nearly impossible to blame you for anything, Isabella. Let's just hope I don't step on your dress and accidentally rip it off your body," I smiled. "Second thought, let's hope like hell that does happen. Your Dad will have to murder me later for my stiff reaction," I chuckled, playing the mental image in my head and already getting hard.

"Rose will kick your ass, it's her dress."

"Ah, even more reason to rip the damn thing off. Either way, whether it's the hard way or the easy way, that dress is coming off you, later. I'm not opposed to the hard way…yes, I quite like the hard way."

She laughed and lifted her lips to kiss under my chin. I kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand softly.

"There's Alice," Bella pointed to the back right corner of the lobby.

I latched onto Bella's elbow and guided her through the throng of people until we finally managed to reach the spot next to Alice and Jasper. Emmett, I saw, was standing a few feet away, with Rose, his arm around her shoulders. I looked at Bella in confusion, but she just smiled and shook her head.

I took a fleetingly amused look at the horror on Bella's face, and then looked ahead at Charlie, who had walked to the mike.

"You promised to make an excuse to take me away, Edward," she teased, completely mortified at the thought of her dad making a scene, no matter how big or small. "Use your 'lips of steel,' or something."

"Sorry, Bells. Would you like me to ease your tension?" I whispered huskily into her ear, my hand running down the back of her dress and cupping her ass. "That can definitely be arranged."

She laughed a sexy, little giggle, and then went silent as her father started to speak.

-(*)-

*B_E_L_L_A*

-(*)-

"Welcome to Quileute! " Charlie started, speaking into the squeaking microphone, and waiting for the applause that waved through the lobby to end. "Thank you, thank you. As you know, the art show is usually held at the Art Center, but Mr. Yorkie and Ms. Weber have given us the rare opportunity to have this year's show at my gallery opening. Thank you for that, you two," Charlie said, turning from the mike and nodding to the two of them, standing right beside him.

"God, kill me now," I muttered to Edward, who smiled and squeezed my hand as the crowd applauded.

Charlie turned back around and smiled, continuing on with his speech.

"Art is close, and has always been close, to my family. I tried to instill art in my daughter, Isabella." He smiled in my direction. "From a very early age, I always knew she had potential, and it was proven so this afternoon." He pointed at me with his finger, and his mustached face turned up into a huge grin.

"Oh, shit. Here we go," I groaned, frowning at the people who turned to look at me, smiles plastered on their gentile, porcelain faces.

"Relax, Bella," Edward mouthed, squeezing my butt lightly. I relaxed infinitesimally.

Charlie moved to the side of the mike as the crowd's applause simultaneously came to an end, and motioned for me to join him.

"My daughter," he started once more as I let go of Edward's hand, and he hesitantly let go of my ass, and made my way through the bodies of people, regretting even showing up tonight with this little show-and-tell Dad was putting on. "She recently passed her art finals! She will officially be just like her dear old Dad," he said proudly, watching me with admiration and fatherly love as I finally managed to make it up beside him. He hugged me tightly and whispered that he was proud of me into my ear.

My eyes immediately flung to Edward's, who looked rather amused at my stony expression. I smiled at him and he winked, crossing his arms and chuckling slightly at my obvious awkwardness. Edward knew that he had some hand in helping me pass my finals, and he knew how much this meant to me, simply for the fact that it made my father a very happy man.

"Now, after we see all the pieces in the gallery, and get some refreshments, there will be another announcement later, then dancing until midnight, so please enjoy your 'selves!" Charlie beamed; his arm still hung around my shoulders.

The crowd began to dissipate, and I really just wanted to fucking get back to Edward. Better yet, I really, really wanted his lips on me again. Holy shit, he pretty much had made me feel horny just by that sexy little wink he had given to me.

"Go have fun with Rose, Bella," Dad said, people surrounding us to talk to him about some of the matured art pieces, and perhaps, offer money for his foundation to bring art to needy schools. "Business calls, but I'm not done with you yet, so stay close."

Fuck. There go my plans to have my carpet cleaned…with Edward's mouth.

"Sure, Dad," I said, hugging him, and then turning around to walk back through the crowd toward Edward and his 'lips of steel.'

Or I would have, if he were around anywhere.

My eyes searched and scanned, but there was no sign of Edward anywhere that I could see. I walked back to the corner where I last saw Alice, but she was gone, too. I cocked my eyebrow and turned around with my hands on my hips.

"He was here a minute ago…" I muttered absently, my eyes still actively scanning faces of people who passed.

I backed up a step to avoid the people walking in front of me, and bumped into somebody from behind. I smiled a small smile, an 'aha, gotcha' smile, and turned, fully intent on seeing his perfect features obstructing my vision. However, the person behind me was one I wished to never, ever see as long as my heart still beat. My smile faded rapidly and was replaced by a liquid frown.

"I know where he is, Bella," Mike said, a cocky grin on his face as he held a glass of wine in his hand. "But, I wouldn't want to know if I were you."

I swallowed hard, and instinctually crossed my arms over my breasts. This was the first time in nearly five years that I had seen his face up close. He still wore those cocky lips, and his eyes were still the same piercing, shocking shade of blue that they were back then. His face was unkempt; waxy skin, and oily hair. He snickered as he caught the fear in my eyes. He took a sip of his wine and winked at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a soft, mechanical voice, watching as he licked his lips.

"Aw, Bella! Is that any way to greet an ex-boyfriend whom you haven't seen in…what? Five years?" He shook his head and closed his eyes briefly. "Actually, I was invited. I always get invited to do these things, Bella," he said, his implications in this last sentence clear and obvious.

"Where is Edward?" I demanded, watching as his eyes traveled down the outline of my dress, to the curve of my hips, and the slight outline of the V between my fabric-covered legs.

"I told you, already. You don't want to know. It's a shame about his painting, isn't it? Oops," Mike said, shrugging his shoulders and smirking. "How clumsy of me to ruin such a beautiful painting."

"Where is he?" I repeated, my voice rising slightly in irritation.

"Curiously," he said, not bothering to answer my question, "he wasn't too upset with me about the painting. Well, at least not when he was asking me how I got to touch you all over. How you let me," Mike scoffed, holding up his glass and gazing at the tepid liquid before taking a deep sip of his wine, again.

"I didn't," I defended, trying to peer away from his gaze. "Edward never asked you anything, you're a liar!" I shoved at him, my face flicking upward in defiance.

"Feisty. Why couldn't you be this way the night you teased me, Bella?" He smiled and walked forward until he was an inch away from my body. "I like it when you fight back. Makes it much more arousing, don't you think?" His breath stunned my face.

I looked around at the people passing us, but they seemed to be in a world of their own, possibly thinking that this interaction was good-willed and innocent. I wasn't going to hang around and listen to Mike's fleeting, egotistical brutal lies anymore. I turned from him and started to walk away. Mike shot his hand out and latched forcefully onto my wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said angrily. "I'm not done talking to you, yet."

"I think we're done here," I told him. "Get your dirty, filthy rapist hands off of me."

"I never raped you! I never did!" He seethed, gripping my wrist even harder.

"You tried, you scumbag. If Rose didn't hear me scream…" I trailed off.

"You fucking teased me that night, and you know it! You wanted it more than I did. It's not my fault you have some real fucking issues letting someone fuck you. Your new beau had to ask me how to get you to let him fuck you, Bella. He's no better than I am, if you think about it."

"Where is Edward, Mike? Don't make me make a scene."

He looked around cautiously, then let go of my wrist and clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"I wasn't kidding when I said you probably didn't want to know. You are such a stubborn bitch, Isabella Swan. I don't want to hear your boo-hooing shit, either. I warned you."

"Thanks for the warning. Where is he?"

"I saw Angela Weber talking to him, and then I watched them go into the supply closet in the hallway," he said, clearly amused at the knowledge.

"Goodbye, Mike," I told him placidly, turning from him with a burning in my heart.

"Oh, this isn't goodbye, Isabella," I heard him murmur as I walked briskly through the crowd.

Past the vast lobby, I could see the lights of the hallway had dimmed some, reflecting partial shadows against the doors that were closed on either side of the hall. I walked briskly until I came to the end of the hall, my back to the lobby, and stepped into the narrow walkway. Down three doors, in the most shadowed area, was the supply closet. My hands numbly reached for the doorknob, but stopped when I heard loud shouting erupting from the two people inside.

"You try to pull that off, Angie, and you will be signing your own resignation! Pulling a fucking stunt like that at her father's opening? Are you mentally retarded?" I heard Edward yell.

"It's not a stunt if it's true, Edward. Look at this picture! It's her!" Angela's voice muttered.

"Angela, there is just a slight problem with all of this; the fact you dragged me in here, the fact you are showing me this shit…it's all for nothing, Angela," Edward replied nastily, a thump issuing from the other side of the door.

"Why is that? Does she mean that little to you, Edward? You going to throw her away just like you did to me?"

"Not at all. It's because I already know it's Bella, Ang. I already fucking know."

My breathing sped up, and my hand slid off the doorknob.

What are they talking about? What picture?

I certainly had no clue…but, I would find out.

I put my ear to the door in hopes of hearing the conversation more clearly, not knowing that soon, once their conversation ended, I would be the one with the questions.

-(*)-

*E_D_W_A_R_D*

-(*)-

"What the fuck are you talking about? How can you know? You can't know! You said before you didn't know!" Angie replied exasperatedly. "Look at this!" She shoved one of the pictures that Alice had shown me yesterday, the one that I discarded on the floor.

"So?" I shrugged, looking at the picture, but making no attempt to touch it. "I know all about those, I am the one who flung them where you found them. What the hell are you doing, anyway? Didn't I tell you to keep your ass out of my studio?" My eyes narrowed, and I sneered.

"That's not the point, Edward. I think you are misreading my fucking hint. I've seen them together before, Edward," Angie emphasized, her eyes locking onto mine with trivial awareness.

My attentiveness became peaked as Angie's eyes silently provided me with uneasiness.

"Yeah? They used to go together, I'm sure you have, Angie," I said, pursing my lips in impatience. "Bella is probably wondering where the fuck I went."

"Edward, it's her." She held the picture up eye-level, and pointed to the picture. "From-"

"I know. I already know it," I repeated, my fingers coming up to run through my hair. "Somebody already beat you to it. You're here to make me feel guilty, Angie, and it won't work."

"So then you know that-"Angie started to say.

My fist balled up at my side, and I struggled to contain the anger welling inside me. "I know more than you give me credit for, Angela," I replied.

"And you're not the least bit concerned about her well-being?" she asked me, pulling the picture away from me and shaking her head. "I-"

Angela's next sentence was cut off by an audible thump that seemingly echoed from the other side of the closed door. Both Angie and I turned our heads sharply toward the door and quieted our movements.

"What the hell was that?" Angie whispered, looking up at me.

All I could do was shake my head at her and shrug, my hand jutting out to close over the silver knob of the door. I listened carefully, but heard nothing further. I took my hand off the knob and turned to Angie. My hand reached out to grab the picture from her hand roughly, my other hand pulling her toward my body. This was no intimate spooning moment.

"You ever pull a stunt like this again, making me follow you into some small, dirty closet, we will have one major problem, Angela," I told her, my teeth grinding down hard. "This picture…." I held it up to her face. "This is your bargaining chip. I'm not fucking stupid."

"There's got to be something you don't know in all this, Edward. I'm going to find out what it is. I'm like you, Edward. I get what I want from someone by manipulation. Isn't that what you do?" Angie smiled, clearly loving the rough contact against her body. "You're a million faces, Edward. Which one hasn't she seen yet?"

I roughly pulled her face to mine and opened her mouth with mine, scraping my teeth against her bottom lip. She gasped out a laugh. I reached back with the hand still holding the photo and tugged her hair. My lips left her lips and traveled up to her ear.

"Manipulation wears off, Angie-being a cold, heartless fucking tramp who blackmails painters for sex because they harbor something they wish they could undo, never wears off," I whispered, pushing her head and body away from me with a quick jerk of my hand, so that she flew into the wall behind her.

"What is it about her, Edward? After all this—after knowing what happened to that girl, why are you still picking her?" Angie asked, righting herself straight.

I looked at Angie and debated telling her to go to hell, but something in me urged to tell the truth. I sighed, shoved the picture in my tux pocket, and gazed at Angie solemnly.

"Because I love her," I replied truthfully. "Nothing in her past could make me love her less. Nothing."

"You can't say the same for yourself, Edward. You know if she finds out what you know, what you did, that your past will be the reason you can't love her," Angie said, no trace of condescension in her voice.

"I know," I said so softly that I was sure it was more to myself than to her.

I turned around and opened the door. Walking past the threshold of the doorway a little, I stopped when I heard my name being called. I turned my face to the right, and felt a hand belt sharply across my face, rocking me back on my heels and into the supply room. I pushed my hands out to break the rapid decline of my body. I looked up to see Bella hovering in front of me, her eyes an electrical shade of pissed. Tears had crept down her face, ruining the porcelain tone of her skin and smudging the makeup around her eyes.

"Bella, what the hell-?" I started, trying to ignore the stinging across my cheek.

Before I could finish the sentence, however, Bella turned quickly and ran down the hallway, and out of sight.

"Bella!" I shouted. "Bella, wait!" I yelled, getting myself straightened and attempting to head off to chase her down.

I felt Angie grab onto my tux jacket and pull it roughly. "Let her go, Edward."

I turned irately to Angie, the stinging on my face becoming less ignorable.

"She heard us," I told Angie, who had my sentiments written in her face, too. "She heard me talking about her in here!"

"She has no idea what you were talking about, Edward. She only knows it was about her. It could have been anything," Angie said, shrugging.

"She wouldn't have heard anything if you would have just kept you're fucking vindictive ass home! You fuck everything up!" I yelled at her.

I turned from her and quickly ran down the hall. I had to find Bella before she got too far away, and had time to think about this. I ran into the crowd of people and dodged my way across the vast lobby as the lights dimmed down. I was right at the double glass doors, convinced she'd left, when a hand reached out and pulled me lightly to the side.

"She's gone," A voice said, loud and rough.

I turned my head to see Rose frown at me.

"Where'd she go? What do you mean 'she's gone'?" I asked frantically.

"Someone took her home. I got to admit, I thought you would fuck up sometime, but not this soon," Rose said, taking her hand off my arm.

"Who took her home?" I demanded. "You're her friend! Shouldn't you have taken her?"

"Emmett said he would drop her off, so relax. What the fuck did you do to her, Masen? Fuck and duck? Hit it and quit it?" Rose sneered, her face in bitch-mode.

"I didn't-"I started.

Rose's facial expression changed at something behind me. I turned my body to follow her gaze. My heart instantly dropped. Emmett was walking toward us, keys in his hand. He joined us, and frowned at me.

"Dude, what the fuck did you do to that chick?" Emmett asked. "She was a mess."

"Em, how long did it take you to drop her off? You just left!" Rose asked, turning to the big idiot who shrugged.

"Some dude offered to take her home. He said he knew her, and she agreed. She said it was fine… Why? Was that wrong?" Emmett shrugged and scratched his head with his keys.

The horror of what he had just revealed poured out of me in waves. I was about to whack the shit out of him when Rose shook his shoulder hard.

"Who, Emmett? Who did she go home with?"

"That dude from your studio, Ed. Mike something-or-other…He said he'd take her home, and she said yeah. Did I do something?"

The next thing I saw was Rose removing her high-heels, and running in a flash through the thinning crowd, and out of the glass doors.

"Stay here!" I told Emmett, running in the same direction as Rose.

I burst through the glass doors and down the stone steps, onto the sidewalk. I could see Rose running down the walk, and started running after her, the bounding of my feet slapping against the concrete. I caught up to Rose a few seconds later, out of breath and confused.

"Rose-Rose, what's going on?"

"Get in," she commanded, running around her Turbo parked on the street. She hurried into the driver's side and flung open the passenger side door.

I flung myself in and shut the door just as Rose pulled away from the curb, peeling her tires as she went.

"What the hell is going on here, Rose?" I said, holding onto the dash for dear life as she sped up.

"What did you do to her?" She demanded, gripping the steering wheel with firm pressure.

"Angie cornered me about those fucking pictures, and she tried to tell me it was Bella that night, but obviously I already knew that," I told her. "She heard us talking, I guess. What's going on, Rose?"

"We have to get to her, quickly, Edward. Trust me," Rose replied, turning slightly to meet my eyes.

The words I meant to speak to her flew out of my mouth as she made a hairpin turn. The red light in front of us—the same one Bella and I had stopped at this afternoon—turned, and she raced on through the intersection.

"You are going to kill us!" I roared.

"Who do you want to save more? Yourself or Bella?"

"Save?"

Another hairpin turn and all thoughts were lost in inertia.

*What a turn, eh? Everything will be revealed soon...promise :) You guys thought it was Mike...don't be surprised to see him try this again with Bella...will anybody be there to help her out?

*I have started a new fic called "Midnight Dream Astrid" and plan to start another one after Christmas called "Broken Whispers"...you can get more information on this particular fic at the end of next chapter...that one will be NC17 as well. All fics will be updated January 15th! See ya then!