Disclaimer: Twilight and all related characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer.
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I woke up with an arm around me and it felt good. I was just about to snuggle closer to the owner of the arm's chest when my survival instinct kicked in. There shouldn't be an arm around me. I leapt out of the bed and got into a defensive posture.
"Whoa, Bella, take it easy. It's me, Edward, remember?" He sat up and held his hands up in a surrendering way.
Okay, it came back to me now. I had asked him to stay with me last night to keep me company. That's why he was in bed with me.
Then I noticed his face. It was all swollen and black and blue with dried blood from his nose and lip. "Oh, my god, Edward, I'm so sorry. Your face, I…"
He gingerly touched the bridge of his nose. "It's okay, Bella. I'm fine. It doesn't feel like anything's broken."
I ruined his beautiful face. How could I have done that to him? "I'm so sorry I hurt you. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
"It wasn't your fault, Bella." I snorted at his comment, it was so my fault.
"What do you mean it wasn't my fault? I'm the one who hit you."
"It wasn't me you were hitting. You were someplace else."
I needed to change the subject; I wasn't ready to rehash my past again. "How about I make you some breakfast."
He shook his head. "I think I better get going."
"Come on, the least I can do is make you breakfast." I gave him the sad little puppy dog look. "Pleeeease?"
He could never resist that look. "Alright, if it isn't too much trouble."
"No trouble at all. Which do you prefer, Pop-Tarts or Rice Krispies?"
"Pop-tarts sound tempting but I could never say no to a bowl of Rice Krispies."
"A man after my own heart. Sorry I can't offer you anything else. I wasn't expecting any guests so I just got some simple stuff for me." I could tell he was fighting a smile, but he followed me to the kitchen.
He sat at the table as I got out the bowls and the milk. "That's okay. My breakfast usually consists of a bagel and coffee."
I poured some Rice Krispies into our bowls. I was just about to sit down when I heard the Eye of the Tiger start playing from my bag.
Shit. It was Jessica.
"That's my office. I need to take this." I grabbed the phone and headed to the living room.
"How was your date with Mr. Kitty last night?"
"I really can't discuss that right now," I whispered as I looked over my shoulder to make sure Edward wasn't listening.
"Oh, my god! You're still with him, aren't you?"
Shit, this wasn't going good at all. "Can I get back to you on this later?"
"Bella, are you fucking insane?" Great, now Mike was on the phone.
"I'll get back to you later on that." And I hung up on them. I shut the phone off so it would go to voicemail if they called me again.
I made my way back to the kitchen. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, nothing major. I can deal with it later." I hope.
"Sorry about the whole freaking out thing this morning. I'm not used to waking up next to someone."
He gave me a warm smile. "Neither am I. But it was a nice change of pace."
I felt the blush run up my cheeks. It was nice indeed. It had been a long time since I had woken up next to a man and I realized I missed it. Maybe I should have tried to work things out with…
"Uh, I better get going. I need to get to work." He got up from the table and put his bowl in the sink. "Listen, Bella, I meant it when I said I wanted to be your friend and try to help you."
I gave him a small smile. "I know you did, Edward, but there really isn't anything to help with. Last night was a fluke. I've never had anything like that happen to me before."
Well, at least not in the last six or seven year. I had broken Sunny's nose twice while having flashbacks before that, but I wasn't going to tell Edward that.
He gave me a hard look. "Somehow I don't believe that." He could always read me like a book. "Anyway, you need anything, you have my number." He started heading towards the door.
"Are we still on for lunch?"
He turned around and gave me that sexy ass crooked smile. "You bet. Meet you at the Coffee Shop around one o'clock?"
"Sure, see you then."
After he left I went to get my phone. I had to deal with them sooner or later, might as well get it over with.
They picked it up on the first ring. "Of all of the stupid, idiotic things…"
"And a good morning to you too, Mr. Newton."
"Bella, how could you sleep with a target?"
"For you your information, I did not sleep with him. Well, I slept with him, but we didn't have sex."
"What?" He all but screeched into the phone.
"We were reminiscing, it was late, we had a little too much to drink, and we fell asleep on the couch. Nothing happened, honestly." I really didn't want to explain what actually went on. He would flip out about that as well.
"Do you really expect me to believe that lame ass story?"
"I really don't care if you believe me or not, Mike. Whether or not I slept with him has no bearing on the mission what so ever."
"You better fucking believe it does!" He was practically screaming into the phone now. "I'm calling in a new team on this."
That was it. I had had enough of this shit. "If you call in a new team I will put a mother fucking bullet in your fucking head! I am the fucking team leader and you will listen to what I fucking say, you understand me? I am not fucking around. If you question me one more fucking time I will have your ass pulled so fucking fast you won't know which fucking way is up. I will not tolerate anymore of this second guessing bullshit, am I clear?"
He mumbled something that sounded like a yes.
"I said am I fucking clear?"
"Yes. Crystal."
"Good." I was still fuming. Where the hell did he get off on questioning me? I guess that's whatI get for treating them more as equals than as subordinates. "I'll call back at noon for a full briefing."
I hung up the phone and headed up the stairs for a shower. Maybe that would help me calm down a bit.
The hot water indeed did the trick. I immediately started to relax once the water had hit my body. There was nothing more soothing that a nice hot shower. Well, maybe a nice long soak in a tub, but either way it felt great.
My mind wandered back to waking up in Edward's arms. I had to admit it felt wonderful and it brought back wonderful memories. We had only been able to spend the entire night with each other a few times, but each had been magnificent and special. I had wanted more than anything for it to happen again after each time.
I felt that way now. I wanted to wake up in his arms again and again.
But that wasn't going to happen. I couldn't let it happen.
All I could do was string him along until I got what I needed to get. Then I kill him.
I had to erase last night from my mind. I had made a mistake and let my emotions get the better of me. I let someone in again.
And he was definitely the wrong someone. And it wasn't just because of the me having to kill him thing. I had never reconciled my feelings for him. Of course there was hate but there was also love. Even after all these years of trying to forget him it was still there.
And there had been so much love left over at first that it drove a wedge between Sunny and me. A part of me was still clinging onto Edward that I couldn't give myself completely to him. When I told him I couldn't marry him it tore him apart and another piece of me died as well when he left me. He had helped me through the dark times of my life and I repaid him by breaking his heart. What a fantastic person I am.
Apparently I wasn't done destroying men; the destruction on Edward's face was proof. Plus he wanted to help me too, and we all know that isn't possible. Sunny was a true example to that. There was no hope for me, and the sooner I accepted that the better.
I need to stick to what I know best, being a detached ice queen and getting the job done. Edward was just a job. The only problem now is if I can just follow through.
