I'm an asshole. Also, it's a short one, guys. Sorry.

Disclaimer: Steph Meyer owns Twilight. I own very little other than a shitty internet connection.

Chapter 10

I paced in front of the two very guilty looking adults that were sat upon Jasper's couch. I couldn't help but feel like a disgruntled parent disciplining a couple of misbehaving children and honestly the whole image made me want to burst into laughter; but they seemed to think this was a big deal, so I decided to play along.

"Who knows?" I tried to channel my inner Dad Voice, though I'm sure I sounded ridiculous as I spoke in a lower octave and turned my somewhat stern gaze in their direction.

"No one," the both answered. Alice was holding Jasper's right hand, her knuckles white from the strength of her grip, and I noticed Jasper was wincing every now and then.

"Oh!" Alice jumped slightly in her seat, glanced quickly at Jasper, and then faced me again, "Shelley knows. Mrs Cope form next door."

I nodded and didn't ask for futher details, because I really really didn't want to know how Mrs Cope found out. And from the pink tinge on Alice's ears, it seemed she also didn't want to share that information.

I wasn't really fascinated by the situation between Alice and Jasper. Yes, I'd seen some of the lingering looks they'd shared and just assumed there was some underlying sexual tension there. But I was honestly just grateful that I had found these two dry humping against the wall and it wasn't some axe murderer breaking into my home.
I rubbed my forehead for show and closed my eyes, "How long has this been going on?"

They both answered at the same time.

"About a month."

"Four and a half years," Alice countered.

They both looked at each other in shock before Alice lowered her eyes and looked down at the carpet. "Fuck," she muttered, and my eyes widened in surprise at hearing the curse leave her mouth. It sounded wrong in her melodic voice.

Jasper heaved a sigh and confirmed what Alice had previously said, "Four and a half years."

I nodded again and sat down in front of them on the coffee table. Alice didn't raise her gaze from the floor and Jasper was alternating between bouncing his leg and constantly shifting his weight on the couch. I'd never seen Alice so anxious before and it was strange to me to see the cool, calm, and collected detective beside her so uncomfortable and nervous.

"What do I do now?" I queried.

Jasper cleared his throat and leaned forward, still keeping Alice's hand in his own, "Well, we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Edward."

Alice raised her head slightly and looked at me nervously out of the corner of her eyes. I looked back and forth between them and didn't say anything, just letting them sit there and stew for a moment.

"Okay," I finally said after a couple of minutes.

Alice's head shot up all the way and Jasper looked confused.

"Okay?" He clarified.

"Yeah," I shrugged casually, "It's none of my business – you're both consenting adults – and you've been keeping it from him for half a decade so clearly you have your reasons."

Jasper sagged in relief but Alice was still looking at me in surprise, her mouth opening and closing and no sound coming out.

I waited her out, raising my brow and gazing at her patiently.

"We're not…we don't want to lie to him." She finally stammered.

I shook my head, "Like I said, Alice, it's none of my business. I'm not going to lie to him, but if he asks me straight out I'll just ask him to talk to you."

She huffed and turned to Jasper, who had his usual pleasant smile back on his face once he realised he wasn't in any trouble. Upon Alice's glare, however, his expression morphed once again to one of confusion.

"She shouldn't have to lie for us, Jazz," she whispered, her voice broken and sad.

Jasper frowned and pulled Alice down so her head was resting on his shoulder. I looked away because the moment seemed far too tender and private.

"Do you want to tell him?" Jasper asked.

"I don't want to lose you," came her quiet reply.

I stood and awkwardly cleared my throat, "I'm just going to go," I pointed in the direction of the door when they both looked up at me, "Let me know if… Yeah, I'm just going to go."

I quickly scuttled away and made my way to my own apartment. I didn't expect them to be so…intimate and caring with one another. And why where they hiding it for Edward?

"None of your business, Swan," I muttered to myself as I collapsed on my bed and threw an arm over my eyes, "None of your business."

000

She was late. She'd never been late before. In fact, every time we'd met she'd been sitting in our booth waiting for me. I was worried she'd run off after giving me everything she had, and that wouldn't look good for her – innocent people didn't run.

Then again, after all the extra information I'd gathered over the weekend it was entirely possible that she wasn't innocent after all.

I kept my eyes on the door while playing with my now cold coffee cup. My stomach was already churning, and I knew caffeine would only make it worse. My mind was in overdrive, contemplating my next move. I had to decide what to do if she didn't show. The obvious thing to do would be to speak to Marcus or Aro, because while her absence wasn't necessarily proof of guilt, it was suspicious, and I'd need to investigate her and I'd need the force's help to do it.

There was also the possibility that her absence was something bigger – something dangerous. My instincts were telling me that we were caught up in something huge and terrifying and we'd both need to tread lightly if we wanted to find Bree.

I almost collapsed in relief when Charlie stumbled through the door and half-tripped towards our booth, heavy bags under her eyes and her hair falling out of her low bun.

"Sorry I'm late," she panted slightly and reached for my coffee cup, drinking freely.

"No problem, Reneesme," I replied calmly.

Her eyes widened and she carefully put the cup back on the table, swallowing audibly.

"Or do you prefer Nessie?" I continued, my expression carefully blank.

She raised her chin slightly, meeting my gaze, "Yeah, Nessie's good with me." She reclaimed the cup and, looking over the plastic rim, asked with feigned nonchalance, "How'd you find out?"

"Bree's landlord. Lovely little man. Had you in as her emergency contact. Didn't seem to know that you were living with her."

Her gaze hardened she murmured, "Fucking Caius," under her breath before taking a longer gulp of coffee and slowly lowered the cup once more, "And how'd you find out I was living with her?"

I raised a brow, "I have my ways," I replied cryptically.

Nessie snorted, "It was one of her friends from the pet shop, right? Or someone from the bar?"

"What bar?" I asked a little too quickly.

Nessie rolled her eyes and leaned back, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, "Why are you investigating me instead of, oh I don't know, trying to find my friend?"

I stole my coffee cup back from her, "I need all the facts, Nessie. You wouldn't give them to me, so I decided to get them on my own."

She scowled but didn't argue, and I decided to use that to my advantage.

"How long have you known Bree?" I fired at her.

She shrugged and inspected her nails, "Little less than a year, maybe."

I fought the urge to whip out my notepad, knowing she'd become even more defensive if I did. "How did you meet?"

"College."

I frowned, taken aback for a moment, and couldn't help asking incredulously, "How old are you?"

Nessie raised her eyebrows, a slight smirk on her face, "Twenty-two."

"I thought you were seventeen or something," I breathed out in amused shock.

Nessie opened her mouth to reply, mischief in her eyes, so I quickly cut her off to get us back on track.

"When was the last time you saw Bree?"

What little light was left in Nessie's eyes diminished quickly as her face fell. "October 24th," she whispered.

I leaned forward and lowered my voice, matching her whisper, "Can you tell me about that day?" I asked gently.

She licked her lips nervously and lowered her arms, playing with the ever-present bracelets on her wrist, keeping her eyes fixed on them, "It just…it seemed like such a normal day." Nessie's voice had taken on a sort of dream-like tone, almost like she wasn't aware of what she was saying, "She was a little nervous in the morning, but sort of like an excited nervous, you know? She hadn't mentioned anything to me about the interview – probably because she didn't want to get my hopes up just in case she didn't get it. I had a shift that night so I knew I probably wouldn't see her until the next day and…that was it. We ate a late breakfast together, and then she was gone."

Nessie took in a deep, shaky breath, but still didn't raise her eyes. I gave her a minute before I decided to push my luck just a little bit.

"Was Bree just a friend?" I asked casually, sitting back a little and taking a sip from my now almost empty cup.

Nessie's head snapped up in shock, though she kept her expression suspiciously blank, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I leaned forward again and lowered my voice, "You said you wanted me to find your friend. But you and Bree were more than just friends, right?"

Her expression didn't change save for the slight hardening of her jaw.

"No," she responded after a minute.

"No?"

"No, we weren't more than friends. There was never anything between us. I was in trouble and she helped me out. I owe her." Nessie stood then and gathered her bag, "You don't have to help me," she didn't look at me as she spoke in a detached and cold voice, "I'll find someone else, or I'll find her on my own, I don't care. But if you're not going to help then tell me, because you're wasting my fucking time. And I can't waste time when it comes to Bree."

And with that she turned and barged out of the café without a backward glance.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, and called out, "Nessie!" I jumped up after her and tried to follow her out, but was knocked over by a man to my right as soon as I was out on the street and I lost sight of her as a result. The sidewalk was littered with businessmen and women, quickly making their way to work, and the copper curls of Reneesme disappeared in the waves of black and navy suits.

000

"I find you in this position way too often," Edward mused as he wandered into the break room Wednesday night, propping himself up on the bench and watching me wallow in self-pity.

Story of my life, apparently.

"I think better when surrounded by food." The repeated banging of my head against the table muffled my response.

"Does losing brain cells also make you think better?"

I didn't respond or look up, but I did, childishly, indicate with my middle finger that he should go fuck himself.

"What's got you in a mood?" I heard the chair next to mine scrape against the linoleum as he pulled it out to take a seat, "You're not –"

"Don't," I straightened quickly and put my hand firmly against his lips, his green eyes wide with shock and amusement, "I swear to God if you say anything about PMS I will do everything I can to ensure you can never procreate."

I felt his warm lips twitching beneath my palm and I assumed they were curving into his signature smirk.

"Ever," I emphasised with a raised brow and what I hoped was a firm glare.

He tried to school his features, but couldn't keep the mirth out of his eyes. He did, however, nod once, and I cautiously lowered my hand from his lips, ignoring the warmth of my palm and fighting off the irrational jealousy that was burning up inside me.

Yeah, I was jealous of my fucking hand.

I had to do something about that.

I returned my gaze to the table and lifted my hands to my temples, partially to try and sooth the migraine I was currently suffering from and partially to hide the burn in my cheeks.

"But seriously," Edward leaned back in his seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him and hooking his feet around my chair legs so he could turn it to face him. I let out a little squeal and grabbed the edges of my seat to steady myself, shooting another glare at Edward who just shrugged unapologetically, "You've been down the past couple of days. What's up?"

"Just stressed out, I suppose," I mumbled, wrapped my arms around my middle. I felt so completely exposed around this man and it made me uneasy after going almost a whole year of being invisible and forgettable.

"About what, Swan?" He seemed relaxed, lounging casually in his chair, but his eyes… God those eyes didn't miss a thing; they were sharp and intense and focussed and a complete contrast to his unconcerned posture.

I found myself, once again, staring for a little too long, and I silently berated myself before quickly responding, "Stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Just work stuff, Edward," I answered impatiently, huffing loudly and looking away from him.

"What work stuff?" he pushed, unfazed by my shitty attitude.

I glared at him, "You're kind of a pain in the ass, you know that?"

He nodded seriously and I shook my head, though I couldn't stop the small smile from spreading across my face.

"I'm fine," I offered, "just a little overworked, I guess." I look at him seriously and bit my lip, "Thanks for asking."

He gave me a small, crooked smile, "I know you're lying," he said gently, "but I'm just letting you know that I'm here if you wanna talk or complain or cry or…" he waved his hand in a silent sort of 'etcetera etcetera.'

I smiled hugely and looked away, because that was one of the wonderful things about Edward: he could be annoying and pushy and frustrating, but he knew when to back off and let me make my own decisions. He trusted me to know what was best for me, and that's something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

The fact that someone understood, that someone knew exactly when to push and exactly when to pull back, filled me with so much comfort and hope; hope for a future where I wouldn't be stuck in this horrible place and I could finally find life again.

I wasn't quite there, but maybe with time and a little help from my co-workers…. no, my friends…maybe I could get there.

I was snapped from my thoughts by a loud groaning sound, and looking to my left I saw my phone vibrating on the table, Emmett's name flashing on the screen. I reached towards it but before I could get it Edward had snatched it up and answered with a pleasant, "Hello?" while my jaw hit the break room floor in shock.

Edward grinned widely at me and said in an overly sweet voice, "No sir, this is Edward Cullen. I've heard so much about you!"

"Edward!" I hissed, reaching over to grab my phone, but Edward stood calmly and turned away from me, continuing his conversation.

"Mostly good things. Can't say she doesn't complain about you from time to time." I tried fruitlessly to pull on Edward's arm, but he was a lot stronger than me; he didn't even budge and I groaned in frustration. Edward turned to face me and winked, using his free hand to push me away.

"She does get easily agitated, doesn't she?" Edward said playfully, still skilfully dodging my attempts at grabbing the phone, "Far too sensitive. But I have to say she has lightened up a bit. Did you know she called me an asshole on her face day here? It was the only thing she'd call me for the first three weeks, but now she hardly ever says it."

"I'm thinking of starting again," I snarled, shoving him hard into the counter top. He stumbled slightly but his smile never faltered. Instead, something Emmett said made him raise his eyebrows in surprise and possibly triumph.

"Really?" he breathed almost reverently, "I'll have to remember that."

"Remember what?" I asked frantically, pushing Edward again.

"Just one second, Emmett," Edward cupped the bottom of the phone with his hand and turned to me, "I'm on the phone, Detective Swan," he said seriously, "and I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me finish this call."

I gasped and smacked his arm hard, grinning when I saw his slight wince. He wrinkled his nose at me and rubbed the spot, returning to the phone call.

"Sorry about that. I did have a question for you, Emmett."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion and Edward turned away from me again.

"Will we being seeing you for Christmas?"

Shit! The only thought running through my mind was that I had to get Edward off the phone before he caused any more damaged.

I jumped on to his back, tightly wrapping my arms and legs around him. He grunted at the sudden weight and fell forward slightly, catching himself with his free hand against the counter. Now that I was close I could hear Emmett fumbling for an answer through the phone, hesitating and unsure.

"That's cool, man," Edward stopped him, his voice a little strained, "Let me know when you figure it out."

I reached over to snatch the phone but Edward swerved suddenly, moving backwards, and I was forced to tighten my grip on him.

"It's just that I know Bella would really like to see you," he continued, twisting back on forth trying to throw me off as I growled in his ear.

"Do you know what Emmett? This really isn't a good time. How about I call you later this week?" Edward kept slapping my hands away, so I bit into his shoulder, and he gasped and reached down to pinch my thigh.

"All right, bye!" Edward rushed Emmett off the phone, hung up quickly and then began texting.

"What more could you possibly have to do!?" I exclaimed in shock, reaching towards the phone. But Edward stretched his arms to their full length and I had no hope of reaching them, so instead I squinted to try and see what he was typing.

"I'm sending Emmett's number to my phone, you maniac," he replied in a surprisingly calm manner.

I dropped my head to his neck in resignation as Edward sent the text.

"This is the worst day of my life," I moaned.

I felt Edward's body shake with his quiet laughter, "If it makes you feel any better, you won't have to deal with me at all tomorrow. Or Friday."

I frowned in confusion and lifted my head to see his expression, though all I got was the side of his face, "Why's that?"

Edward turned his head towards me, and his nose brushed mine before he pulled back a little, "It's Thanksgiving tomorrow. Did you forget?"

"Oh," I murmured, distracting by his warm breath hitting my face, bringing with it that familiar but unusual scent of salt water and cinnamon and a little something else. He was so close, so close, that I could see that his irises were circled with a light brown colour around that vibrant shade of green that I was so familiar with. I was so close that I could see each individual eyelash, a shade darker than his hair, as they curled up and framed his eyes, so long and thick but not in a way that subtracted from his masculinity.

And those lips…God, those lips. They were pink and soft and slightly parted and just so. Fucking. Close. It would be so easy to lean forward and taste them, to pull his full bottom lip between my teeth and to taste his tongue with my own.

I looked back up to his eyes and felt my breath catch in my throat at the sight. Only half a second ago those eyes were their usual bright and shocking green, but now his eyes were almost entirely black and I could barely see any colour in them – all I saw was desire. I felt his breath against my cheek coming a little faster and his hands that had previously been holding my phone were now resting on the outside my upper thighs. I could feel the heat of his hands moving torturously slowly – up and down – through the thick material of my pants and my legs instinctively tightened around his waist.

It was too much – the feeling of his hands and the look in his eyes and his scent and his proximity… it was too much and I felt a familiar tingle between my legs, my stomach jumping at the sensation that had become almost non-existent in the past year. I wanted him closer; I wanted his hands on my skin, not my jeans. I wanted to taste that salt water and cinnamon scent on my tongue. I wanted his hands on the inside of my thighs amongst other places.

My eyes were drawn back down to where his pink tongue peaked out quickly to wet his lips, leaving them glistening. I felt my mind go blank and all my anxious thoughts disappeared and gave way to the instinctual need I felt, and I slowly moved closer and closer, his lips just a breath away…

A sudden crash from behind me made me jump back as my eyes widened in shock and flew back up to Edward's, seeing the same surprise reflected there. His gaze then moved over my shoulder and whatever he saw there made him swallow audibly and drop his hands from my thighs. I took the hint and lowered my legs and arms quickly, subtly stretching them as they were stiff from being tense for so long. I took a deep breath and tried to control my expression before turning around to see Tanya standing in the break room, her eyes flashing with confusion, hurt, disappointment, before finally settling into a blank mask.

I cleared my throat quietly, straightened my shirt, and turned around again to grab my phone, which Edward had apparently placed on the counter. I didn't make eye contact with anyone as I turned back to walk out of the break room, keeping my gaze on my shoes the whole time, and trying in vain to ignore my burning ears and whirring thoughts.

A/N: I'm so sorry to do this to you guys (again). Remember when I moved states? Yeah, I moved again. My internet connection has been scarce at best.

I split this chapter in two because it was a monster. Part two should be (fingers crossed!) up soon.

Furthermore, I'm looking for a beta. If you're interested please let me know!