A/N I don't own Twilight. Shocking, I know!

I'm so sorry for the delay, real life is a bitch!

Thank you to EternallyCullen for the Rec's this month and beta skills.

Thank you to all who voted for our Angela in The Sunflower Awards and a HUGE thanks to those who nominated us to start with.

So, as always... on with the story!

Chapter Nine

The music in the park was low, and instead of the ever present Motown, recent music was playing. Florence and her Machine were telling us that her boy builds coffins - in an utterly haunting fashion.

'Hey, Carlisle,' Mike piped up from behind me.

Hey Florence, that boy is going to need a damn coffin, I seethed to myself.

'Mike,' he nodded then looked down at me.

'Good evening, Bella, I trust you're enjoying your first staff night?' He asked curtly.

Did he just ignore the last minute? Why wasn't he telling me it was going to be my last night as an employee after having relations with his spawn?

'It's been, err... fun?' I stumbled over my words and it came out as more of a question.

'I'm glad to hear everyone has been so welcoming,' he added a little smirk, he wasn't pissed.

I took that as a you're in the clear, for now look.

'Mike, is Edward in the office?' He asked over the top over my head.

'Yep, all on his lonesome too,' Mike grinned back.

A yelp broke his smile, followed by him furiously rubbing his shin.

I looked to the person sitting opposite him: Angela.

She sat with a grin bigger than Mikes had been previously.

'Sorry, Mike. It's that damn twitch again. You know it flares up when I'm around stupid people.'

She was trying - and failing, to keep her laugh in.

'I can trust you all to clean up, yes?' Carlisle asked.

We all nodded and muttered our agreements

Carlisle turned to walk away, but after taking only a few steps, he stopped and turned back around, to look at me.

He opened his mouth and shut it again, like he was second guessing what he was going to say.

I focused my attention back to my now, slightly, cold food.

'Bella,' he asked.

'Uh, huh?' I replied and turned to face him ungracefully shovelling a fork full of noodles into my mouth.

He looked at his feet, then back up at me.

"Don't get attached, yeah?" He didn't wait for me to answer; just quickly turned and stalked towards the office.

I heard a gasp behind me: Jessica.

'Oh my gosh! He knows what you are...'

'Jess, shut the hell up before I stab you with my spork,' shot Angela.

We fell into an uncomfortable silence.

He knew! Carlisle knew!

I suddenly didn't feel like finishing up the noodles in front of me.

I pushed them away and rested my head on the table, trying to rid the brick that was currently lying in the pit of my stomach.

"Awkward, much?" Jess started up, again, only to be interrupted by Angela.

"Ok we're leaving, come on Bells! Home time." she pushed herself off the bench and held her hand out to me.

I took it and she helped me to my feet.

We started towards the lot with hasty goodbyes- I just wanted to leave and drown in my own embarrassment.

Out of habit, I turned to the office window, to see Edward looking out into the park.

I raised my hand to give him a small wave.

He waved back, kissed his hand and blew it my way.

I was forgiven.

Ang swung her arm around my shoulder.

"See, you can do no wrong," she whispered to me, "and if he starts his bullshit, I've got your back."

She wrapped her other arm around me and pulled me into a hug.

Holding back tears I whispered back to her.

"I love you, Ang," then gave her one last squeeze and stepped back.

"Save it for your boy, Bells. It looks like it he might actually be worthy," she grinned and pulled me through the darkened park towards my truck.

Once I finally made it into the somewhat chilly atmosphere of my truck, I heaved a sigh. What did Carlisle mean? '

Don't get attached?'

Because that sure didn't sound like I could 'do no wrong', as Ang had said. Did Carlisle say that to all the girls Edward had been with?

I halted my thought track there, not wanting to wonder off into that unknown territory-preferring it stay that way.

After all, I was probably over-analyzing. As always.

Angela had said that I had a knack for that.

Ellie Goulding's 'Guns & Horses' played away as I pulled away from my parking space, headed home for the next few days that I had off.

On the way home, I wondered if I'd be happy to ever wake up next to Edward.

My conclusion was… yes, yes I would be.

Shutting the front door as quietly as possible when I arrived home proved a challenge. As I stepped in, my foot accidently kicked it, and it went flying into the wall behind it causing a loud crash. I was surprised that I didn't smash the window.

"Shit, shit, shit, sorry, sorry, sorry," I called quietly out to the door, as if it were about to turn around and punch me in the face for being so rude to it.

Don't be a twat, I cursed myself.

"Bells, that you?" Charlie called down the stairs.

"Yes, sorry," I replied.

"No problem. You always know how to make an entrance."

"Funny," I mumbled.

"Could you grab me a glass of water and bring it up for me?" Charlie asked.

"I suppose so, old man!"

I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a glass, filled it up then headed upstairs. I handed it to Charlie and smiled like the amazing daughter I was.

"Thanks. Alright, well, I'm going back to bed, Bells. Try not to hurt yourself," I heard Charlie grumble.

"Goodnight, Mister! Much love to you and your superb sarcasm!" I answered, lightly punching his shoulder as I walked past him into the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth, tied my hair and made my way back to my bedroom, shredded off my clothes and slipped on my pyjamas. It felt nice to finally relax.

I slid into bed and turned on my side, falling asleep as soon as my head moulded into the pillow.

~….ToL….~

The smell of coffee assaulted my nose.

That was some strong shit Charlie was brewing.

I rolled over, feeling much more awake due to the Starbucks aroma that had currently taken over my house.

The green light on my Blackberry was flashing, this to me was 'The Green Light of Doom' and it meant only one thing. No Goodnight text from Edward.

I brought the screen to life opening the message box and quickly typed my standard morning message.

To: Edward

Good Morning, Boy. Sleep Well?

Bella x

I quickly dressed, glancing at my phone every few minutes, just in case it had forgotten how to ring. Yet the little green light flashed away, merrily mocking me.

"Piece of overpriced shit," I mumbled to myself as I headed down the stairs, bumping into Charlie at the bottom.

"Jeez Bells, walk much?" he laughed at me.

"Dad, you did not just quote The Faculty," I said, surprised at his pop culture knowledge

.

"Hey it's good and that one woman who gets her head chopped off… HOT!"

I grinned.

"Ok, see this?" I pointed to myself, "This is me leaving."

I stalked into the kitchen, spying my 'I Heart WA' mug, full of coffee on the counter.

"Thanks Dad," I shouted in the direction Charlie had been headed.

"Uh huh," was the only grumbled response I could make out.

I lent on the cool marble of the work top, drink in hand, wondering what to do with my day.

I could go shopping? No. I hate shopping.

Angela? She's at work.

Mike? Not the best idea, frankly.

I huffed and slid into a chair at the table.

I could tell I was slipping into a sort-of mood already, and a part of me knew that it was because I was anxious that Edward hadn't text me.

Stop being so stupid, I cursed myself, standing up and going to pack a day bag.

I'd drive around and find something to do.

I scooped up my phone, frowning as I did as it was still completely free of texts and then grabbed my keys on the way out.

I jumped into the truck and started it up and reversed slowly out of the drive, onto the road.

As I slipped into first gear, a massive bang sounded and my truck jerked to a halt.

I huffed, turning the engine on and over in an attempt to restart it.

Nothing.

I tried again.

Nothing.

Fucking excellent.

I got out of the truck and slammed the door shut, leaving it on the road, outside my house.

"Charlie!" I called once I'd opened the front door, "The trucks not working! It's broken or something!"

I slipped out of my shoes and nudged them towards the shoe stool by the front door.

"What?" Charlie asked as he came out of the kitchen.

"The truck. Broken. Working-no-more. It hates me. Seriously, it really must do," I babbled on, stressing myself out with each passing second. Charlie held his hands up.

"Ok! Ok! I'll take a look! If it's something I can't do, I'll take it down the garage. I'm sure it can be fixed in no time. Go take a happy pill or something."

"Mature." I huffed as I walked past him, up the stairs and pushed my bedroom door shut with a bit too much force, causing a picture on the wall to fall and smash on the ground.

I threw my bag down onto my bed, after placing my phone back onto my bedside table, and the contents spilled out onto the floor.

What is it with my luck today?

I kicked my chest of drawers in anger before bending to pick the picture and scattered glass up, forgetting I had only my socks on.

"Shit!" I shouted, dropping to the floor, holding my toe.

Oh, the pain! The pain!

"Language Bells! You may be eighteen, but you're still not fully legal if you're living under my roof!" Charlie's voice boomed up the stairs.

"Oh, sod off," I whispered under my breath.

I turned over the picture to see the wolf standing in the centre, snowy mountaintops surrounding him. I'd always loved that picture. I mentally noted that I'd need to buy a new frame.

I placed the picture atop the chest of drawers and gathered up the fragments of glass afterwards. I began to carry them over to the bin in the corner of my room when a sharp stabbing sensation hit my left foot.

I hopped the rest of the way to the bin, dropped the glass in and hopped back over to sit down on my bed. I hiked my foot up and turned it over, seeing a small glass shard sticking out of my sock, surrounded by small red dots.

"Why is today so damn pleasant?" I snarled at myself.

I braved a quick look to check that I had a proper hold on the glass, then yanked it out of my foot. A few tears fell from my eyes at the pain, as I lightly pressed to make sure I'd gotten all of the glass out.

I hobbled to the bathroom to grab a band aid and placed it over my foot.

"Car's all fixed, Bells, you just had something wrong with the…" his voice went in one ear and out the other. Car talk was boy talk, right?

"Thank you!" I yelled down the stairs towards him.

"Any time. I'm headed out now. Want me to bring anything back for dinner?"

"Pizza. Bring Pizza."

The door lightly tapped closed and I heard Charlie's police cruiser take down the road.

I limped back into my bedroom and flopped down onto my bed with a huge sigh.

The green light on my Blackberry was still merrily flashing away at me.

Prick, I thought.

At least I didn't have to cook tonight.

The day passed into night, Charlie brought in pizza. Cold pizza. Awesome.

I decided to give up on the spectacular fuck up that was my day and hit the sack.

Edward 'I'm far too high and mighty to associate myself with staff' Cullen could kiss my ass.

I decided to let him know I was pissed.

To: Edward

GO FUCK YOURSELF

Bella x