Hey everyone. You don't know how truly sorry and ashamed I am, for not updating for over a month!
Yes, you may yell at me if you like. After I finished my other story, I just felt the need to take a little break from writing, as it took too much of my time. But when ideas for this story popped into my head at night, I figured that it was time to continue.
Now, I'd like to thank my amazing beta. Thank you so much for your help!!

And for the rest, I don't believe there's anything left to say.
Except maybe: 'Enjoy the Chapter!'
Which is exactly what I WILL say.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

The rest of the dinner was really awkward, because Edward didn't say a word to me. I did catch him looking at me sometimes, though he always looked away quickly when he saw me.

Alice was chattering away, pretending she didn't notice all the awkwardness around the table. I hardly noticed her mouth moving, all I could think about was Edward.

Did he really want me? Would he dump Tanya? Would I go out with Edward, if they broke up.

Of course, I would be breaking the girl rules if I started dating him. You know, not dating your best friend's ex-boyfriend. But on the other hand, I saw him first. And ever since my eyes met with his, I've known that he was special. That he was really someone I should hold on to. The problem is: How can you hold on to something you never even had?

But the truth was: I may want to be loyal to Tanya and girl rules, but I knew I couldn't turn down Edward. If he so much as looked at me with his piercing green eyes, I wouldn't be able to say no to him. More than that, I didn't want to.

Another problem: How would I break the news to Tanya? She would definitely kill me, if she found out. Oh no, Tanya! She didn't even know Edward was about to break up with him. Right now she was probably thinking about the best way to seduce him.

How would she react if she found out that, for the first time ever, she lost a guy… to me. That would probably shock her quite a bit.

"Bella? Can you please focus?" Alice snapped her fingers in front of my face, waiting impatiently for an answer. "Do you even know what I just asked?" Her eyes were wide open, as if she were in shock. I noticed Edward trying to hide his laughter from the corner of my eyes.

I blinked my eyes a few times from the surprise. "I'm sorry Alice, but I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

Alice rolled her eyes, but I could tell that she wasn't mad at me since she was still smiling. "Nothing important, Bella. I was just asking if you knew what time Tanya would come home?"

I started blushing. It was almost like she knew I had been thinking of Tanya. "I don't know exactly, but it's probably going to be late."

Alice's face lit up, for reasons that would always be unfamiliar to me. "So you'll be all alone tonight, if you come home?" I looked at Edward, silently asking him what Alice was going at,

but he quickly averted his eyes from me, acting like he hadn't seen me.

I turned my red face to Alice, instead of trying to make contact with Edward. I was beginning to look like a socially disturbed person for not answering Alice's question sooner. "I guess so, Alice. Why do you ask?"

But instead of answering, Alice just sat and grinned at me. I saw Edward giving her an angry glare and his left hand reached at something beneath the table. I felt the urge to look under the table to see what he was doing.

"Well, Bella," Edward murmured through his teeth, apparently not very pleased with Alice right now, because he wasn't looking at me while he said this. He turned his face towards me now, and his expression softened. "We wouldn't want you to be home alone." My eyes shifted between Alice and Edward for a moment. There was something going on between the two of them. What was wrong?

Because I still hadn't answered Edward's…comment, I quickly told them that it didn't matter, that I was alone all the time and that I liked it that way.

Of course, if Edward would keep me company, there would be nothing wrong with that, either.

The second I said it, Edward and Alice started protesting, telling me that they wouldn't leave me alone, especially not tonight because Tanya would be out late. They told me that they would walk home with me and stay until I went to sleep.

I even told them that they could be late, too, but they said it didn't matter.

My objections didn't help and after having another fight about the bill (Edward said he would pay for my food, but I told him I could afford it myself. Edward got his way, of course.) the three of us walked to the apartment Tanya and I shared.

"They did not!" The words came out in between my laughter.

"They did. They actually went up this big company, telling them they were there to ask them questions about their toilet paper. The company actually believed it, too, and even answered about eleven questions before Rose and Em got kicked out." Edward was laughing too, though he had heard the story Alice was telling.

She told me all about their family, about how good they all got along and how funny Rose and Em were together.

"They actually went up there again once, to ask if they could borrow some sugar." Edward said, causing me to laugh even harder.

"It's a shame I don't know them that well. If I get the chance, I'll try to get to know them. They sound like fun." I said after I calmed down a little.

"They are." Edward answered. "You know what, you should come tomorrow. Our parents are having a dinner and I would like it very much if you'd show up."

Alice immediately shrieked, almost yelling at me that I should come. I covered my ears with my hands, unable to handle the volume of Alice's voice. "Oh Bella! That would be fantastic! My parents would adore you, I know that for sure. I told them lots of things about you and they're dying to meet you!"

My cheeks got warmer by the second and I was slightly embarrassed because of what Alice told me. "You told them things about me? That's it. Then I can't come anymore. There can't be any positive things you could tell them."

Alice rolled her eyes and playfully punched her fist against my arm. Even though she's such a small lady, the girl had an enormous strength. Although I know she didn't mean to, it hurt pretty bad. I resisted the urge to shout "OW" very loudly.

"Come on Bella, don't be so naïve. You know you're a great person and so do we. You're coming tomorrow, whether you like it or not!"

I laughed, but Edward didn't seem to think it was that funny. "Alice, you can't force her to come. If she doesn't want to, we can't make her."

Alice laughed. "Of course she wants to come, you silly big brother." Edward looked at me to make sure I did and I nodded at him, telling him I thought it sounded great and that I would love to come.

"But do you think your parents will be okay with it?" I asked them to be sure. I didn't want to come there and be told that I wasn't invited.

But Alice simply waved all my concerns away, telling me that her parents would love to meet me and that of course it would be okay for me to come.

Edward told me the time and place and I made a mental note not to forget it, though Alice told me not to worry because she would call me tomorrow and tell me again where it was and what time I should be there. She also hinted that she might give me more details.

I thanked them both for being nice and didn't say another word until we arrived at my place. It didn't take a long time, really, since we'd been only a couple of houses away from mine when we were talking about the dinner.

"I expect you both want to come up with the excuse of not wanting to leave me alone?" I asked playfully, though I actually meant it. "Or have you both changed your mind?"

They both came up with me to the apartment after another protest from Alice when I asked them if they changed her mind. Seriously, how could the girl be so alive and so cheerful all the time? I mean, I had a hard time being cheerful for just four hours, but it seemed as if Alice was able to do this all day long. She even seemed like a morning person, though I haven't exactly seen her in the morning.

I closed the door behind Edward, who was the last to enter through the door. "Would anybody like a drink? I could make coffee…" I suggested this because I wasn't sure what they would be in the mood for. "Or maybe something a little more stronger? There are a lot of things in Tanya's fridge. I don't really know what's good and what's not, it's not really mine, but you can go ahead and help yourself if you'd like some."

Alice smiled, telling me that they didn't want anything with alcohol in it – Apparently they didn't like it very much, though occasionally it could be good. – but that coffee sounded just fine.

So that's what I did. I made some coffee, while making small talk with Alice and Edward, who were now sitting in the living room, making themselves at home.

"I'm really sorry about the coffee," I said as I entered the room with three cups in my hand (The upside on working in a restaurant is learning how to carry a lot of things at the same time), "I'm just not very good at making it. But please, feel free to leave it here, I won't hunt you down if you don't drink it."

Edward snickered. "You're lying, Bella Swan. Your coffee tasted delicious the last time I had some."

I rolled my eyes and put the cups in front of them. "Here you go." I said, sitting down on the couch.

After a while everybody was comfortable sitting there and we were telling each other stupid things we did in the past and we would laugh about other people's stories and tell them that we did exactly the same thing.

It was a lot of fun, at least, it was a lot of fun to me.

Until she showed up.

I heard a key in the lock of the door. Since Tanya and I were the only ones who had a key, it could only be Tanya. Edward's eyes popped open a little and I wasn't exactly comfortable either. Here I was, sitting with my best friend's soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend, having a great time, while she was out with a few other friends, not knowing that I had a meeting with her boyfriend and his sister.

Or that they invited me to have dinner with them and their parents tomorrow.

But Alice was just sitting in her seat, as relaxed as always, as if there were nothing going on.

When Tanya opened the door, I immediately knew that she was drunk. She almost fell down when the door opened, her hands quickly gripping the nearest thing to her body.

"Edward!" She said with a bright smile, her keys in her left hand and her right hand still on the doorknob. "What are you doing here? You told me you didn't want to come!" Edward stayed still, not answering Tanya's greeting nor her question.

"Tanya." I questioned. "How much did you drink tonight?"

Tanya giggled, walking forward, slamming the door shut behind her. "No more than usual.." She slurred, almost falling into the end table. "Just a few drinks…"

Then her attention went back to Edward. "You." She drawled, pointing lazily at Edward. "I can't believe you said you didn't want to come tonight. You are so stupid. Everyone wants to come with me!" Her voice was still very cheerful, but you could hear she was drunk in every word. "You know how many phone numbers I got tonight? Fourteen! You know how many drinks people offered me tonight? A lot more than fourteen." She giggled. It sounded like she added an extra 'sh' to the end of every word. "You are so STUPID Edward."

Edward looked at me and Alice, searching for help. But both Alice and I didn't know what to do. He was on his own. And so he did something. On his own. "Tanya. Let's go outside. We need to talk."

Ooohh, exciting isn't it?
I'm guessing this is will be the moment where a lot of you have been waiting for./
But, being the way I am and unable to help myself from being mean, I'm making you all wait for the next chapter.
Maybe a lot of reviews will make me update so much faster? Who knows.

I love you all.

xxx
me.