A/N: Here you go guys.

All characters belong to S. Meyer. I'm just playing around with a not-so-perfect Edward.

Chapter 20 – Can't Buy Me Love

Chapter Song Rec: The Reason by Hoobastank

I held Bella's hand tightly in mine between us on the short ride to Nitelock; our fingers intertwined while I traced small circles with my thumb inside her palm. She sighed and tightened her grip, keeping her eyes forward and staring out of the windshield. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the peaceful, content expression on her beautiful face. I took a deep breath, letting the scent of her fill my lungs and wash over me. With a small smile on my own face, brought on by the knowledge that time with Bella was no longer borrowed, I let it out slowly.

It had been a surreal twenty-four hours: Bella lying in my arms in her bed, my fist connecting with Mike's face, followed by the indescribable pain at the thought that Bella would be leaving me. And now…

Now the joy I felt was beyond words. I grinned to myself. Yeah, that's exactly what I was right now. Beyond words.

The ride to Nitelock had been quiet – Bella and I were both lost in our own thoughts – but it had been a peaceful ride, especially compared to the turbulent scene in my office less than an hour ago, the fighting, the yelling, and then the uh…the make up.

My grin widened.

"What are you grinning about?" Bella asked with a smile in her voice.

I chuckled guiltily and brought our intertwined hands up to my mouth, placing a soft kiss on her hand.

"I'm smiling because you're here..." I answered honestly "…and you're mine." There was no apology or shame in my tone.

Out of my periphery I could see her turn to look at me with a smirk and one eyebrow raised.

"You are aware that means you're mine too, right?"

I gave her a quick sidelong glance. "Trust me Bella, I've been aware of that for a long while now."

Bella brought our hands to her lips, kissing my knuckles carefully.

"Are you sure your hand's okay?"

I smirked. "My hand's just fine."

She nodded and brought her eyes to the windshield again.

We still had a lot to talk about; but we'd agreed not to talk about the dickhead just yet. Now was for us. Now was to give us just a little time to relish in the knowledge that we'd finally found our way to one another; that we'd surpassed the biggest obstacles between us, and that no matter what obstacles still remained, we'd be facing them together.

And of course, now was to bask in the afterglow of the fact that we'd just had the most mind-blowing, hot-ass, fantasy-fulfilling sex imaginable.

I brought my eyes to Bella. She grinned impishly, her creamy cheeks obviously flushed even in the dimness of the car.

Yeah, she was basking too.

After work tonight, she'd be coming home with me, and then we'd talk about everything else. I knew that fucker-whose-name-I-refused-to-even-think-of-at-the-moment wasn't going to just take getting his ass and his ring handed to him lying down.

I chuckled internally. He'd taken the ass-handing lying down.

But the internal chuckle soon died away and was replaced by an internal cringe.

Bella – my Bella – owed that fuckface a shitload of money, and she'd signed an agreement to take a job back at his office.

I knew now what kind of asshole Mike was - what kind of asshole he'd been all along – and with all the pieces of the puzzle I now had, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. The loan, Bella's signature on the job agreement, the signature he would've gotten on the apartment lease if she hadn't finally realized she couldn't live a lie - they'd all been ways of tying her to him. And under normal circumstances, when dealing with a reasonable person, they were all agreements which could be worked out or dissolved without too much trouble. But working things out easily had never been Mike's intention. He'd meant to bind her; to make it harder and harder for her to pull away from her life in New York; to tangle her into his life.

But he'd made a couple of mistakes when he'd set up his game. The Bella he was trying to tie down didn't exist, and therefore couldn't be bound.

His other mistake?

He hadn't counted on me.

I stole another look at Bella – my Bella – and turned back to the windshield, trying to hide my flaring nostrils and clenched jaw in the darkness of the cabin.

I would get her out of this, no matter what I had to do.

Bella's soft voice broke through my building fury. "What are you thinking about now?" she asked softly, as if reading my mind.

I squared my jaw and shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. She stared at me, and then leaned over and pressed her mouth gently to mine. And even though I'd been buried deep inside of her less than an hour ago, something as simple as her mouth on mine was enough to jolt every single part of me into awareness all at once. We both groaned quietly as her lips brushed against mine.

"Now is just about you and me," she murmured, pulling away. "Remember?"

Her words excited and soothed me all at once. The tension that had been slowly building immediately fell away. I let go of her hand and brought my arm around her shoulder, pulling her into my side. She molded herself into me, just like a missing piece, and sighed contentedly.

"I remember," I agreed.

We'd work it all out later, after work.

And then we'd have some more mind-blowing, all-consuming, hot-as-all-hell sex.

OOOOOOOOOO

When we got to Nitelock, Jasper and Alice were standing outside the club, leaning against the wall while Alice leaned against him. Their eyes followed me carefully as I got out of the car and walked over to Bella's side to open the door for her. And as soon as Alice saw us walk hand in hand towards them her face broke out in a grin almost as big as her body and she pulled herself away from Jasper to walk over to meet us, clapping her hands excitedly as Jasper looked on, smirking.

"Yay!" she cheered, "You guys worked everything out! Finally!"

Bella smiled up at me and I grinned, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on her. Except my mouth lingered over hers for quite a few seconds longer than planned as we both alternated tasting each other's lips.

"Holy shit, and you had sex!" Alice cried suddenly, coming to stand in front of us. Bella and I both pulled away quickly and stared at her. Alice covered her mouth with one hand. She gazed at us, blinking successively, and then wrapped her small arms around both our waists, digging her head into both our sides. "I'm so happy for you both," she squeaked emotionally, her mouth muffled against us. Before either Bella or I could react, Alice lifted her head and her gaze moved from Bella back to me.

"What a friggin' night, huh?" She looked over at me sheepishly. "Edward, you're not mad at me are you? For telling you to leave earlier? Things got crazy and I just wanted to calm-"

"Alice," I cut her off, "you were looking after Bella. I'm not mad at you."

Alice grinned widely again. "See? You understand me." Her grin turned into a scowl. "B, you told Edward right? How you chucked his ass out, ring in one hand, bloody nose in the other? Ahh, it was priceless," she exclaimed, raising her chin high to the sky.

I turned to Bella, raising my brows.

She smirked, getting on her tiptoes to kiss me quickly this time.

"Later," she promised.

Alice chuckled and looked from Bella to me carefully. "Yeah. Later," she agreed, putting one hand out in front of us and moving it around in a circle. "You don't want to ruin that post-coital glow you've both got going on with talk of him."

Even in the dark I could see Bella's cheeks burn red.

"Alice," I warned, smirking.

"Alright, alright," she chuckled. Then she leaned in and whispered something in Bella's ear that had her turn an even brighter shade of red, though whatever it was made her grin widely and nod.

Alice cried out smugly and did a fist pump in the air. "Yes! I knew it!"

"I don't think I even want to know what that's about," I said dryly.

Alice chuckled wickedly. "Oh trust me Edward, you do."

Bella elbowed her in the ribs and Alice laughed harder. "Ow!"

After a few minutes of joking around, Alice accompanied Bella inside, whispering something in Bella's ear that earned her another elbow to the ribs.

"That Alice a'mine's one little minx," Jasper said proudly, walking up behind me. I snorted my agreement and turned around.

Jasper put a fist out in front of him. "So all's good man?"

I met his fist with my own. "Yeah. All's good."

"Good."

And that was it.

See, unlike Alice, and most women in the world, we men didn't need every single gory detail analyzed and narrated frame by frame.

All's good?

Yeah?

'Nuff said.

Jasper and I stared at each other for a few seconds while I rubbed my chin with two fingers.

"So what the fuck happened after I left?"

"Fuck man, you should'a been there!" Jasper blurted, as if the words had been burning a hole in his tongue.

Alright. So maybe we needed just a little more detail.

"Tell me."

"So that fucker and his nose are making a big fucking mess all over Al and B's sofa" – he grimaced – "which is pissing me off no end 'cause that's the one she and I get busy in when no one's home and-"

"Stick to the relevant facts please."

"Okay," he chuckled. "So he's whining and brooding, 'Ow, that asshole broke my nose!'" - Jasper continued, mimicking said asshole's whiny tone and making it impossible for my lips not to twitch - "and I'm like, 'you better get the fuck up and out man'" – he jerked his thumb behind him to illustrate - "'Ed's got a fucking black belt to go with that temper and he may just decide to come back and use it.' Man, you should've seen the asshole's eyes practically bulge out of their sockets," Jasper chuckled heartily while I snorted. Then he crossed his arms. "So I'm waiting there with my arms crossed in front of me for him to finally get his ass up and out, and he starts yelling 'Bella! Get out here! Get out here Bella!'"

I had to admit, up to that point I'd been amused and, okay, maybe a bit a smug. But when Jasper said the fucker started calling Bella out, the smile fell from my face and I felt my body stiffen.

"So at this point I'm debating finishing the job myself," Jasper practically growled. "But then Bella comes out-"

"Wait!" I snapped, putting a hand up. "She came out?"

Jasper nodded.

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly, breathing out through my nostrils.

"But wait!" Jasper said, "Listen to this part. She-"

"Wait, wait, wait," I urged him again, putting a hand up once more. "Don't tell me any more."

Jasper frowned.

"Bella said we'd talk about it after work. I'm just…" - I huffed and ran my hand through my hair – "I'm just going to wait to hear it from her."

"You sure?" he asked, sounding almost disappointed.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay," Jasper shrugged, kicking the air in front of him with one foot and sticking his hands deep in his pockets.

"Yo Ed," he asked half a minute later, watching me curiously, "what the hell was all that Crusty Cullen bullshit that asshole kept spewing back there?"

I pursed my lips and snorted. "That was a nickname he made up for me back in high school. Crusty Cullen." I repeated, pausing. "Because I had a bad case of acne and wore thick glasses."

"The fuck outta here," Jasper snorted, glaring at me incredulously. When I failed to say I was just joking, he snorted again, shaking his head.

"You know, my voice didn't change 'til senior year of high school."

I pursed my lips and shook my head doubtfully.

"It's true!" he assured me with a slightly bitter chuckle. "They used to call me Whiney Whitlock on account of the fact that I sounded like a whiney little girl whenever I opened my mouth. People used to call the house and I'd answer and they'd think it was Rose on the other line." He shook his head, a far away and long ago look crossing his face. "In school I was so embarrassed to talk that I never asked anyone out. Wasn't 'til freshman year of college I finally got the balls to start datin'."

"You're fucking with me," I grinned.

"Does that sound like something I'd make up just to fucking bond with you or something?"

We both chuckled.

"Anyway, so fucking what?" Jasper exclaimed, shuffling his feet. "So you had acne and I sounded more like Rose than Rose did. What about that fucker, what was he, like some big shot jock or something?"

I twisted my lips into a snarl and nodded.

"Well look at us now man. Never mind the fact that we're not half bad-looking, if I do say so myself," he grinned, blowing on his knuckles before rubbing them on his shirt. "We've got two of the most beautiful, smart and talented girls in the world in love with us. Who cares about high school?"

And though I had to agree, it was what he'd said about 'in love with us' that had left my mouth hanging.

"What?" Jasper asked, puzzled by my expression. He smiled slowly. "Don't tell me you didn't know she's crazy in love with you?"

I'd lost my voice.

Jasper clapped me on the back. "Well Ed, I don't know 'bout you bein' crusty, but you sure as hell are one slow motherfucker, 'cause the rest of us have known that shit for quite some time now."

OOOOOOOOOO

I spent the next hour or so cleaning up the mess Bella and I had made in my office while we uhm…fought… – a broken lamp I had no idea how or when we'd knocked over, ditto the turned over potted plant, a few skewed frames on the wall, and of course, the mess of pens, papers, paperclips, staples, stapler, etc. to accompany the laptop that had been flung aside carelessly when I'd laid Bella over my desk and ground into her. I grinned widely, my dick twitching at the very recent memory.

Emmett bounded into my office a few minutes after I'd returned from dropping Bella off at work, just as I'd been whistling a happy tune to myself as I rebooted the laptop.

He plopped himself on the chair opposite me and frowned.

"Hey Ed, when'd you get that boombox in your office?"

"What boombox?" I asked distractedly.

"The one with that super bass that was banging up against my walls for about half an hour before. Shit, talk about boom, boom, boom!" He chuckled heartily.

I glared up to find him dancing in his seat with an amused expression.

"Boom, boom, boom, let's go back to my room! So we could do it all night, and you can make me-"

I flung a paperweight at him, but was unable to completely suppress the grin that morphed onto my face. Emmett dodged the paperweight and laughed.

"So I guess that means you and Bella worked your shit out?"

"Yeah," I breathed with a smile, "We worked it out."

OOOOOOOOOO

Emmett and I headed for Nitelock a few hours later. He, to pick up Rosalie, and me, anxious as all hell to see Bella again.

She grinned widely and sighed when her eyes met mine across the bar, her expression full of relief; as if in the few hours we'd been apart she'd been as restless as I had. It sent a thrill up my spine, that she would openly look at me that way now, and it made me wonder how much truth there was in what Jasper had said earlier. Had it really been written all over her face that clearly all along?

All along?

Bella and Rose were cleaning up the bar. When Rose caught sight of Em and me, she frowned and pursed her lips, but there was a hint of mirth in her eyes.

"I swear, you Cullen men are seriously animals," she sneered, resting her palms on the bar. I furrowed my brows, looking between her and Bella. Bella shook her head and turned as red as the frilly scarf she was wearing around her neck; a scarf I was pretty sure she hadn't been wearing earlier.

Rose saw me eyeing the scarf curiously and smirked. "I had to tie that around her neck to hide those hickeys you gave her. Next time you're going to suck that hard, at least have the decency to do it in a less conspicuous place."

Emmett, Jasper and Alice burst out laughing. I shook my head guiltily and closed my eyes.

"Rosie baby, go easy on my poor brother there," Emmett chided Rosalie, planting his lips soundly over hers. "The self-control required for properly hidden hickeys is an acquired art form. Just 'cause I know how to strategically situate them all over your body doesn't mean he-"

"Alright, enough!" I growled, putting a hand up, palm out to stop the cracks. I lowered my head to Bella's and moved the scarf aside, touching the pinkish bruises lightly with a finger.

"Jesus, I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I guess I got carried-"

"Don't listen to them," Bella chuckled quietly, her eyes sparkling. "They're not that dark anyway. I didn't even notice them until I went to the ladies room a couple of hours ago." She moved her mouth to my ear and murmured only for me to hear, "Besides, seeing them gives me the most wonderful butterflies in my stomach." Her lips brushed over my ear. "They remind me that what happened back in your office was real, and not just another dream…"

Her words served to raise more than just my goose bumps. Fuck I needed to get her home.

I brought my mouth down to her neck and kissed her bruises gently. "That's exactly how I felt while I was cleaning up the office," I chuckled against her warm skin.

She pulled away and smiled, that beautiful red color all over her face again, and I could only imagine what she was thinking.

"How's the laptop?" she asked impishly.

"A few nicks and scratches, but no worse for the wear."

"That's good," she chuckled.

"Yeah," I agreed with a crooked grin.

We gazed at each other for half a minute.

She pulled back and started wiping off the counter again. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Take your time," I grinned.

Bullshit. If it was up to me I would've slung her over my shoulder caveman style and growled and pushed my way out of there.

She moved away to clean the other end, and then my eyes met Rosalie's.

"God-damned vampire," she grinned wickedly before chuckling and going to help Bella.

We all pitched in to help clean the club up, and then I quickly helped Bella get her jacket on.

"Hey Ed, B," Alice called out, "we're going to order food and play some pool in the back. Are you guys going to stick around and-"

"No!" Bella and I both said in unison, loud and clear, walking away hand in hand.

"Shit Isabella," Alice laughed, "let a person get a sentence out."

We laughed and got the hell out of there before anyone could offer up any more invites or cracks.

OOOOOOOOOO

We stopped by Bella's apartment to pick up an overnight bag for her and Jake.

Yeah. Jake.

According to Bella, Jake had had a rough night. She kissed him on top of his furry brown head when we walked in.

"You were such a good boy last night. Yes, you were," she cooed while he wagged his tongue and his tail happily.

And honestly, remembering the way the mutt growled and snarled at Dickhead, I owed the mongrel big time.

Once Bella was done petting and patting him, Jake sauntered over to me, wagging his tail insistently, and if I didn't know any better, I would've sworn he was smirking smugly. I patted him vigorously.

"Yes, you were a good boy," I agreed with a chuckle.

Jake and I had bonded over a mutual enemy – we'd both drawn blood from the same prick. The way I saw it, we were sort of blood brothers now. The least I could do was allow him to sleep under my roof.

And throw a big fat juicy steak his way come morning.

Back at my apartment, while Bella took Jake's leash off and settled his doggy bed and supplies wherever they needed to go, I took her bag into my bedroom. When I came back into the living room, she was standing by the window, staring off at the Puget; the city's blurry lights bounced off of the water and made it sparkle like black onyx.

I walked up behind her and carefully wrapped my arms around her waist. She lifted her hands and laced her fingers through my own. I rested my chin on her shoulder, suddenly unsure about what came next.

"Are you hungry?"

She shook her head. "Rosalie and I shared an order of wings. How about you?"

"Emmett and I ordered another pizza pie and he was kind enough to save me a slice."

She chuckled shakily.

"Thirsty?"

She shook her head again.

We were silent for a while, both of us staring at the rain falling diagonally across the window. Over by the sofa, I could hear Jake snoring quietly on his doggy pillow.

"Everything okay?"

She'd been quiet again on the ride back to my apartment, but this time I'd detected a note of anxiety in her silence.

She didn't answer right away and my mind immediately started imagining the worst.

"I'm…a bit nervous," she finally murmured in a shaky voice.

I trailed my hands up her sides, resting them on her shoulders and holding her tightly.

"Why are you nervous?" I forced myself to ask, though I was afraid to hear her answer.

She turned herself around to face me, meeting my eyes while she bit her lip.

"What happened before…in your office…" She was trembling now. "...I…don't want you to think that I…" she trailed off and looked away, biting down on her lip furiously. I lifted her chin and forced her to meet my eyes again.

"You don't want me to think that you what?" I asked gently, holding my breath while I waited for her answer.

She gazed at me apprehensively, searching my eyes, and sighed before answering.

"The last time Mike was here, that night the four of us went out for drinks…after he picked me up that night and we went back to the hotel he was staying at…"

I automatically stiffened, my jaw instinctively locking together. I wasn't sure if this was something I wanted to hear.

She drew in a deep breath before continuing, dropping her eyes to my shoulders. Her hands moved nervously back and forth over them. "I'd spent the past few weeks hanging out with you, and we'd just spent almost two hours together having drinks, and even on my way home with Mike, I couldn't get my mind off of you…"

I lowered my head to her field of vision. "What are you saying Bella?"

She met my eyes. "I was just so tired and so god-damned confused when we got back to the hotel. My feet ached from standing up for so long, and my head was pounding from all the noise and the band's music…and my brain and my heart hurt…and your voice echoed in my mind over everything. All I could see were your eyes and I just couldn't…" – she shook her head quickly and then her brown eyes dug into mine intently – "He and I…we haven't been together like that in a long while. I don't want you to think that I'd go from being with him that way to being with you that way so quickly-"

I wrapped my hands around her face and cut her off. "Bella, do you seriously think I would ever hold your relationship with him against you in any way? You were in a long-standing, serious relationship with him," I said, though the words burned my throat. "Is it something I want to think about? No," I snorted honestly. I traced her lips with one finger. "In a perfect world I would've been your first…we would've been each other's only." She smiled sadly. "But I gave up the right to make that a reality the day I left Forks without looking back."

We were both silent for a long while.

"Did you ever think of me Edward?" she whispered, her eyes searching mine. "After you left Forks. In college. Did I ever cross your mind?"

"Bella, I've spent the past six years putting you out of my mind," I said truthfully.

She drew in a sharp breath, and an almost silent whimper escaped from between her lips. But she nodded and broke away from our gaze.

"Bella look at me," I asked in a whisper. Her eyes fell on me for a split second before moving away again, her bottom lip quivering.

"Please, look at me," I pleaded again, holding her head between my hands firmly until slowly, reluctantly, she met my gaze again, her expression tense, wary; hurt.

"I convinced myself that anything and everything I'd thought I'd felt for you was just a lie, a stupid teenaged crush." The corners of her eyes glistened, and I caressed her face, moving in closer to her. "But at night, when I'd be sleeping, there, you'd always be. Every night." I ran one hand through her soft hair. "I'd see your long brown hair," – I traced her lips with one finger – "your pouty pink lips," – I moved my finger to brush under one eye and then the other – "I'd lose myself in these dark, beautiful eyes…" – I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly – "So yes, I thought of you, even when I was consciously trying not to."

She stared at me, studying my eyes, my nose, my mouth. And then she lifted one hand and traced my cheeks with the tips of her fingers, moving down my jaw line and across to the other side.

"I didn't know…"

"I know you didn't," I murmured, lowering my hands and wrapping them around her waist. "And I'm sorry I-"

"I didn't know he'd started the whole thing," she scowled suddenly. I frowned.

"The whole Crusty Cullen thing." She choked around the words. "Back at the apartment, after you left…I couldn't think straight Edward," she moaned apologetically. "Everything happened so quickly. But the look in your eyes…it killed me because I knew you'd been blindsided, and I knew I should've been the one to tell you. You looked so betrayed…so angry." She closed her eyes and shook her head vehemently.

"After you left, I heard him calling for me-"

I stiffened. This was what Jasper had started telling me about.

"and suddenly, I felt so angry," she hissed. "He'd been provoking you all along, and then he called you that…hateful name-"

"That's not what provoked me Bella," I said coolly.

"Well it provoked me," she seethed. "I'd wanted to do things the right way, Edward. To explain things to him properly; I felt I owed him that much."

"After the way he's treated you Bella?" I snarled incredulously, dropping my hands. "You didn't owe him shit! What he deserved was to have that ring shoved up his-"

She wrapped her arms around my neck quickly, and the feel of her warm hands in my hair soothed and calmed me. I didn't finish my sentence, but I couldn't completely clear the scowl from my expression, or the way my breathing had suddenly gotten heavier.

"Edward, listen to me. I told you I'd tell you everything right?"

I nodded tensely, my nostrils flaring.

"The truth is Edward that I've been unfaithful to Mike since the second I turned around in that street a couple of months ago and saw you standing there, since the moment I jumped into your arms and wrapped myself around you."

"No, you weren't!" I said sharply. "You and I never fooled around behind his back. He has nothing to accuse you of." As much as I may have wanted to, Bella had always kept me at arm's length.

"Maybe not so much physically." She agreed, taking one of my hands and wrapping hers around it before placing it on her chest, over her heart. "But in here, I was unfaithful." Her heart beat quickly, like a bird fluttering its wings. "In here, I disregarded our engagement and gave myself to you completely."

I swallowed thickly. I knew her words were meant to make me understand why she'd felt she'd been unfaithful to Dickhead, but all I heard was the fact that her heart belonged to me, and it made my own heart soar.

"When he arrived at the loft last night, I could see in his eyes that he knew I wouldn't be going back to New York, but he refused to accept it because he was angry, and no matter what, at that moment he had a right to his anger."

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. "Bella-" I said through clenched teeth.

"But he had no right," she continued in a steely tone, "to the venom that spewed from his mouth towards you."

"Or towards you Bella," I growled, tightening my hold around her waist.

"Or towards me," she confirmed. "So when I came out to meet him after you left, I wasn't feeling quite as concerned about his feelings anymore. Then to top it all off he was bleeding all over the sofa," she grimaced, "and Jasper looked about ready to deck him too, because you know, he and Alice have their happy times on that sofa. They think I don't know but-"

"Bella."

"Sorry, got off track there. I walked past both of them and went into the kitchen to get a towel for the sofa and he came in after me."

"Did he touch you?" I growled, holding her waist between my hands tightly; possessively. If he'd put so much as a finger on her-

"No, no," she assured me quickly. "Edward, if I'd known he started that whole Crusty Cullen thing, if I'd known how mean and hateful he really was, I would've never spoken to him again at that party back in college. I would've never-"

I pulled her body against mine, keeping her face just a few inches away so that I could still look in her eyes.

"Listen to me," I said intently. "I don't care anymore what he had to say about me, not back in high school, and not now."

"But I do!" she cried vehemently. "Because I should've known! I should've seen what kind of man he was and I didn't! I let him hurt you then and I let him hurt you now!"

We locked eyes. "The only way he hurts me is by hurting you."

She held my gaze and drew in a shaky breath. "He stood behind me while I was running the towel under the faucet and started saying some nonsense about getting my stuff ready and leaving right away. And then I turned around" – she smiled bitterly – "and he just stopped talking. He looked in my eyes and finally went silent. I held out the towel for him in one hand, and in the other…I held out his ring."

I couldn't help the way my lips twitched, regardless of how smug or petty the action may have appeared.

"I was tired Edward," she admitted in a drained voice. "Tired of being someone I didn't want to be, tired of denying to myself where my heart really was. I waited for him to yell and scream, but he simply took the towel and held it up to his nose, and took the ring and stuck it in his pocket. I think he saw in my eyes that…enough was enough. And that was it," she shrugged.

I took her chin in my hand. "He said nothing else to you?"

She bit her lip. "It doesn't…matter."

"Tell me," I said firmly.

"It's nothing I wasn't already expecting Edward."

I locked her in my gaze. She sighed heavily.

"He reminded me that the job agreement I signed stated that the corporation would be within their legal rights to seek compensation for any damages my withdrawal would cost them and that…his lawyer would be in touch with me to transfer all costs related to Charlie's medical care back to me as well as to set up a payment plan for the money I owe him."

I closed my eyes. "Motherfucker," I growled.

"It's a relief Edward," she breathed, getting on her tip toes to wrap her hands around my face. I opened my eyes up slowly. "This is how it should've always been. I was wrong to let it go on this long. I feel relieved now. And the corporation…if they decide I owe them any money for lost time or prospects or whatever, well, they'll just have to get in line." She chuckled weakly.

I shook my head and stared at her; so open and trusting, and while yes, I could see the relief in her expression, there was also a twinge of fear in her eyes, though she was trying desperately to hide it.

How the fuck was she planning to pay her father's medical bills, her debt to Mike, and possibly a damages claim from a big corporation?

I brought my hands up to hers and laced our fingers together.

"I'm writing you a check in the morning."

"What?" she spat.

"I'm writing you a check," I repeated firmly. "For you to pay off your entire debt to Mike. You can have your father's medical expenses transferred to me, and if that fucking corporation determines any damages, I'll write you another-"

"No!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She glared at me, dropping her hands and backing away from me. "No," she whispered, staring at me with an incredulous expression on her face. "No, I don't want you to-"

"Listen to me Bella," I growled, taking a step towards her, "I don't want you being indebted to him anymore! You don't need to be indebted to him! I've got money too!"

Her brown eyes darkened, growing huge, and she stared at me as if I'd turned into someone else right before her eyes, a look of pure horror crossing her face.

"Don't do that," I hissed. "Don't look at me like I'm Mike!" I spat his name out like a dirty word.

"Then don't try to treat me like I'm an object to be bought!" she whispered intently; her voice laced with pain. The hurt in her eyes instantly tore through my indignation, lifting the haze of fury and hatred towards Mike that had surrounded my brain, causing me to temporarily lose sight of the real priority here.

"Oh Jesus Bella," I breathed, wrapping my arms around her. She put her palms on my stomach, her hands burning through my shirt. But she was tentatively holding me back. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, brushing my lips over her cheeks, over her eyes. She fisted my shirt in her hands, and I could feel the hesitancy in her touch; uncertain as to whether to push me away or pull me in. For two seconds my heart went to my throat, but then she wrapped her arms around my waist and clung tightly to me.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I didn't mean it that way, I swear. I just want to help you Bella. To make things easier for you because I…"

I pulled away enough to be able to meet her eyes and swallowed thickly. She returned my gaze anxiously, her deep brown eyes sucking me in and soothing me all at once.

I swallowed thickly. "Bella, what you said before, about not wanting to deny your heart anymore?" Her eyes seared through me and gave me the courage to continue. "I can't deny mine anymore." And then the words just poured out.

"I've been in love with you since I was seventeen years old, and no amount of time or space or other people in our lives has ever changed that." I let the words flow before I lost my nerve. "As a matter of fact, over these past few weeks I've fallen in love with you even more. I love you Bella, and all I want is to make things good for you; better for you; to be the one there for you-"

She chuckled once, a solitary tear rolling down one eye.

"See? That's all I need. I've been waiting to hear those three words since I was fifteen."

And then suddenly she was on her tiptoes again, kissing me, taking my bottom lip in between hers and then alternating with my top lip. Chuckling and kissing me while a few warms tears rolled down her face.

"I love you too," she finally said, laughing and crying at the same time and kissing me all over while I did the same.

"I love you…"

"I love you…"

"I love you…"

Eventually, she pulled her lips away from me and gazed into my eyes. "Just love me Edward, and I know I'll find my way."

With our eyes locked on one another, I lowered my hands to her hips and lifted her up, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. And never breaking our gaze, I carried her into my bedroom.

This time we took it slowly, letting ourselves enjoy more than just the act itself, but the fact that we could claim each other's bodies and souls completely now.

I undressed her slowly, taking in every part of her body, the small mole on her right thigh, the little scar on her left knee, kissing and tasting every inch of her creamy skin while she moaned and writhed under me. And when I sucked and marked her skin this time, it was in places no one but I would ever see.

Then she undressed me and did the same, her hands and fingers exploring my shoulders, the planes of my chest, every dip and groove in my stomach, lower and lower while her mouth and tongue followed every line her hands traced, until she had me seeing stars and moaning her name.

And when she lowered herself over me and took me inside her, our cries were filled with relief as much as ecstasy, because we'd finally found where we belonged.

Together. Yeah, we'd find our way.

A/N: Thoughts? Comments? Should she just have accepted the money? Reviews are always welcome.

The first chapter to the new FBIward story will post next week. Keep an eye out for it. It'll be called "Thief of Hearts." Put me on Author and/or Story Alert if you haven't yet and want to read it.

Two or three chapters left to this story, and then the Epilogue.