You already know…if it isn't right, tell me. I want to (breaks out into song) Get it right. Get it right. Get it tight!

Chapter 24: Una Linea Delgada (A Thin Line)

EDWARD

I woke up to an empty bed.

Where was Cindy?

Panic overwhelmed me until I heard the roaring of the shower waters. Cindy was in the shower. But why could I hear the distinctive crash of the water on skin? It was when steam from the shower slowly came into the room that I realized Cindy left the bathroom door open.

I gulped, comprehending that she was standing in my glass walk-in shower naked. I didn't want to see her…revealed.

Quickly, I grabbed a nice shirt and a pair of jeans and rushed out of my room, eyes focused straight, and feet moving. But my train was quickly derailed when Alice was in front of me.

"Is breaking and entering part of your friendship package?" I asked crossly, a little peeved that she was here.

"What is she still doing here?" Alice inquired, with her arms folded her chest. She looked just as angry as I was.

"She needed a place to stay," I shrugged.

"And she is has been staying for long time. Your ex girlfriend can't stay with you, Edward," Alice hissed. "Think about Bella. Would you want her sleeping with Marco?"

"I don't know," I whispered, lying.

"You do know," she snapped. "Does Bella have any idea she is here?"

"No, she doesn't," I said, defeated.

"And I know that girl in there can do far worse than what Tanya can do. And Bella and Tanya actually talk and know each other. Cindy in there, she is like a foreign virus. Our little supposed panacea doesn't work in this case, Edward. So, you better make something happen…or I will."

"Okay, Alice," I sighed. "I will…talk to Cindy. Thanks for being concerned."

"I'm not doing this for you," she whispered. "I just don't want Bella to get hurt again."

Alice walked herself to the door just as Cindy was coming out of the room.

"Who was that?" Cindy asked as she pulled her shirt over her bare abdomen. "Was that your girlfriend?" she smiled.

"No. That was her best friend," I answered as I went into the kitchen. "And Cindy, I need to lay out some rules."

She frowned. "Edward, what's gotten into you? I knew you were different. But geez, you sound like my folks."

I ran my hair through my hair in frustration, before I gulped down a cup of water. "Cindy…things can never stay the same. I grew up and you did you. We had a relationship and you ruined it, okay? You checked out when you decided to mess around with another person. I found someone…and she loves me and I love her! I can't have her thinking that I was lying to her. She has been hurt before like I have. We both…I…I can't handle this."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know I was cramping your style, Edward. I mean, I can change. I'm not the same Cindy you knew. I'm different. I can be different. Look, I have already changed my hair!" Her voice was almost pleading as flashed me a lock of her platinum–colored hair.

"Cindy…" I was shaking my head in disagreement. "I don't know. It's different, now. I supposed to meet her soon, and I have a competition. I have too many responsibilities, let alone adding you on top of them."

"I promise you won't even notice that I am here, Edward," she said quickly. Before I could protest, she stated, "I will do what you tell me to do, and I won't fraternize with anyone that you don't want me to do. I will just me like a ghost. Just let me stay a little while longer, Edward. That's all I ask for. Please?"

"You promise?"

"Promise," she smiled.

"You know what that entails right?"

"Well…no, actually," she admitted. "What do you want me to do?"

"Cindy, you know I would let you have whatever you want?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"But I think it's time for you to get a job," I declared. "If you want to get on your feet, you have to start somewhere. You can't stay in hiding from your…husband."

"Oh," she whispered. "Anything else."

"And…I don't think it's a good idea for you to sleep in my bed anymore. It's not right for us to put ourselves in that predicament."

"Girlfriend doesn't like you being shared with an ex?"

"My girlfriend doesn't know," I said a little defensively.

Cindy's eyes widen in surprise. "Edward, I was only kidding. But…I see that you have been keeping secrets from the love of your life." Her voice made the words love of your life sound trifle. She stepped closer to me, laying a lone finger on my chest – her method of seduction she used on me time and time again. "If you don't want me to, I won't say a word. You know they say ignorance is –"

"Ignorance is bliss, I know," I promptly finished, moving her finger off of me as I remembered I said those words to Bella when she had a wardrobe malfunction. "Cindy, don't," I warned her.

"Edward," she smirked. Her hands wrapped around my neck. "What's one more secret?"

I pried her off me as gently as possible, which was hard to do when she was using all her force to hang on. "Another burden," I replied, moving out of the kitchen so I wouldn't be cornered like prey.

But Cindy was persistent; she followed right behind me. "Edward, you know you want me," she giggled.

I have heard those words before – Tanya had used them. "Cindy, I have no desire to have you any other way than as a sister." I crossed into my living room, but there she was. She was like a wildcat I couldn't shake off. "Cindy, you don't want to do this," I talked to her. "This could end very badly for the both of us."

She laughed. "Edward, nothing bad could happen," she spoke as snuck closer to me. "We have a history, Edward. History that isn't finished, yet. I know you remember how I felt in your arms, how I felt against your lips. I know you remember me, Edward. You miss me, don't you?"

I nodded, swept up in reverie of the old days. "I do remember that we were happy," I whispered.

Cindy smiled. "I know you remember. Do you ever forget?"

"Unfortunately, no," I hissed. "Cindy, I am warning you. You are going to take this too far." But she wasn't taking me seriously; she was hugging her body close to mine and I was angry. "You have two seconds to remove yourself."

"What are you going to do?" she smiled, while she stroked my cheek.

"One," I growled. "Tw-" My countdown was cut off by the immediate aggressive contact of her lips crashing into mine.

BELLA

The summer sun was slowing bringing in autumn's breeze. This wasn't the first morning that I didn't remember anything from the previous night. I couldn't recall a dream nor a word exchanged between Marco and me.

And it was scary feeling.

It was like being intoxicated, complete with the loss of memory – the only difference was my body was rested, unlike if I was really under the influence. My body wasn't in any pain, but my mind was. For some reason, I wanted to remember. I wanted to know why Marco was in my bed for another night and why Peter was on my nightstand.

I looked over at Edward's bear, who was grimacing at me. A slight compunction flooded my emotions as I glazed at the doleful stuffed animal.

"I'm sorry," I mouthed to Peter. "I'll do better next time." I had to be going crazy because it seemed like the bear's expression was skeptical. I shook my head, dispelling the thought. Edward's bear actually communicating – how silly would that be?

Snores droned from the sleeping body next to me. I turned over to see Marco still lying atop of my sheets. This was just one of the many nights he spent in my room. But this time, I was on top of the sheets, too. I needed clues to find out what happened. I rose from my bed, checking the perimeter for anything out of the ordinary. I found an Anatomy textbook – Anatomía - on the floor at the foot of my bed. We must have been studying and fell asleep. Being too lazy to actually get out of bed and pick it up, I bent down and reached as far as I could – still too far.

Once or twice, my fingers brushed against the hardcover of the book, but I couldn't cling on to it. Finally, the book started slipping in my direction. However it wasn't the only thing slipping.

"Hey," Marco chuckled as he caught my leg. "You were about to crash into the floor." Gently, he began to pull me up back up in my arms when I launched at him. Surprised by my attack, he fell back on my pillows and collapsed on top of him.

"Um…Bella," Marco smiled. "You're crushing me."

I giggled, "I'm sorry for laying all my fifty thousand pounds on you," while I stumbled to get up.

"Let me help you," Marco suggested as he secured his hands on my arms when my room door opened.

Liz stood in the frame, petrified on what she encountered. I knew it looked bad. Here I was laying on top of her brother who was holding me in a very compromising way. To an outsider on the situation, it might have looked like Marco and I were going to….

A physical shiver rolled over me. "Liz, it's not what you think," I said cautiously. At this point, I don't why my native language didn't pour from my tongue, but the language I was practicing fluttered from my mouth. "Su hermano y yo estamos estudiando anoche. En mitad de la noche, nosotros nos quedamos dormido."

Liz just kept shaking her head in disagreement. "Bella, tu amas Edward. ¿Verdad?"

"Sí. Sí," I answered. "Marco y yo somos sólo amigos." At that, I pushed myself off of Marco who quickly rose from my bed.

Liz turned to her brother, "Marco – vaya," she said calmly. Marco nodded and walked out of the room, leaving me and his sister. Liz turned to me with a pained expression. "Bella, what are you doing? Sleeping with my brother?" Before I could say anything, she corrected, "Well, actually falling asleep in the same bed as my brother."

"Liz, you don't understand. I…Marco…nothing happened. All Marco and I did was sleep. That's all we ever do."

"Are you sure, Bella?" Liz questioned. "What else do you and my brother do? Do you eat lunch together everyday? Go out at night? Sleep in the same bed? Walk each other school? Whisper in the night? Do you like to be in his arms?"

I scowled at her catechization. I did and like all of those things. I liked…Marco. "Oh, I see what you mean," I muttered. "And…I think your brother likes me."

"You catch on fast. I thought you would have noticed by now. But humor me. What evidence do we have?"

I was oblivious to the obvious signs until I couldn't ignore them anymore. Marco was like family, but his behavior wasn't. And I wasn't making matters any better. "We have nothing," I whispered. "I don't know what we have, but I know it isn't right. Something is wrong! Wrong with me! The thing is I don't know what your brother and I have, but when Edward finds out…"

Liz whistled as she shook her head. "Riña."

"Stop saying that. There will not be a fight, especially one over me. I will just have to set your brother straight." I smiled at the new plan. "Yeah, I will just tell your brother that this cannot go on."

Liz shrugged and sighed. "Tu eres una gringa loca pero mi hermana americana."

I sighed also. "I know. I just keep messing everything up. But this has to be done. Edward will be here before I know it. And I love Edward. I love him with all my heart. I wouldn't want to do anything that could jeopardize our relationship. He put some much faith in me, but I don't deserve it."

"Now, don't doubt yourself. Love and like are two different verbs, in which one is definitely stronger. As long as you know where your heart is, there should be nothing wrong with telling my brother anything. He's a man, he'll be alright. Just…just don't be too hard," Liz advised. "Because in the end, I will have to live with him."

I chuckled. "Okay, I understand."

I never had the pleasure of dumping many people. There was only one person I could have potentially dumped but in the end, he beat me to it. So, now I was going to have to woman up and face the music. I was going to have to fix the mess I created.

EDWARD

It took my brain a moment to register that this was not the past, and Cindy was not my current girlfriend. I abruptly broke away from here and wiped my mouth in aversion. "Get out," I whispered, realizing I couldn't trust her around me.

She looked at me with eyes widen with fright. "Edward, you can't be ser –"

"Get out," I reiterated firmly. I knew this was the only way to make things work between us.

"But…"

"But nothing! You just crossed the line, Cindy! I warned you not to challenge me and yet, you did it anyway. You are always crossing the line. When we were together, you were always pushing my buttons. But I was young and naïve; I didn't really know what love was. This isn't working. You haven't changed one bit!" I fumed. If she wasn't going to leave than I was. I breezed by her side, heading for the front door. I snatched up my keys and grabbed my shoes, while saying "I know you liked me for my money. You know where I keep it. Take however much you need, but just be gone when I come back." I slammed the door behind me and stalked out towards my car with fury.

My knuckles clutched the steering wheel as my head fell into the center, causing the horn to sound. How could I be so stupid? How could I fall into another one of Cindy's traps again? Was I this gullible? Was I that easy to dupe? I should have been more guarded than I was. Not just for me, but for us – Bella and I.

Bella will be heartbroken when she finds out. I have to tell her.

I was a stupid gentleman. That is exactly what I am. A stupid, gullible gentleman who was pursued by women to no end. But I didn't act like a gentleman with Cindy. She pushed me to that limit.

I sighed, picking my head and putting the key in ignition. Changing the gearshift into DRIVE, I rode down the Seattle streets. I could see the weather was changing. Spring was on the way. When I got back home, I was going to start packing so I could be ready to go.

Truth is I was ready to leave now. I didn't want to go back to my house and still feel the negative emotional charge of the confrontation. I should have seen it sooner. I should have just gave Cindy some simple assistance – help lines, cash – and send her on her way. Instead, I let her stay. Even worse, I let her sleep in my bed. Alice will have to remodel that one next.

Not really concentrating on the direction of the car, I just drove around. Subconsciously, I started counting all the coffee shops I passed. I turned left at the next intersection and followed the road out until the high-rises disappeared behind me. I knew where I was going now.

Pulling up in the parking lot, I came into the small office where a guy was stationed.

"Can I help you, sir?" the man asked, confusion written on his face.

"Uh, yes. I need to have an oil change. And I would prefer if Jacob Black could handle that. He knows what my car likes."

The man chuckled while saying, "Jacob Black is one of the most talented mechanics in the Seattle area. Are you good friends with him?"

"He's more like a brother," I replied.

"Well, man. I'll get him from the back so you can be on your way." The man exited into the garage while I stood at the desk. In less than a minute, Jacob came out.

"Edward, you look…" Jacob trailed off at a loss of words.

"It was the ex," I shrugged. "She pushed me to the limit. She is in the process of leaving right now.

Surprised was Jacob at my words. "You mean she stayed with you all that time!"

"Yeah," I sighed. "A mistake, of course. But enough about that. Are you going to change the oil or what?"

"Why does Bella like to spend time here? I could point out a million ways she could get hurt," I commented while I waited for Jacob to finish up.

"Edward, Bella is a woman, a big girl. If she trips, which is common, she knows how to put a band-aid on herself. Bella is alright. It's more dangerous for her to be in a different country than it is in here. So, chill dude."

"I guess you're right," I frowned.

"So…what brings you to my neck of the woods?" he asked while under my car.

"Usually I am a loyal customer of the dealership. But I thought I would give you a try. And…I just need someone to talk to," I admitted. "I don't know how to troubleshoot my car, but maybe you can teach me."

Jacob chuckled. "How do you not know how to fix your car, dude? This is like my heaven: repairing, building, and driving cars. Automobiles are my life. But I could teach a thing or two."

"That sounds good."

"Have you told Bella?" he questioned.

"No," I answered, comprehending where he was coming from. "At first, I didn't see the need to. Bella would have gotten all anxious. It just wasn't worth it."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Yeah and I guess I have to. Alice kinda threatened me over it while Cindy was in my shower."

That made Jacob slide out from underneath. "The girl…was in…your shower?"

"Yeah, and she had the door open. It was quite alarming," I frowned. "I had forgotten Cindy would do stuff like that. Like when she stepped out, she was still pulling on her shirt."

Shaking his head, Jacob muttered, "I wonder how many girls would strip for you."

In my head, I mentally thought three: Cindy, Tanya, and Bella. "But Cindy kissed me today, so I have to tell Bella, now."

"If they get into a fight, my money is on Bella," Jacob announced. "And I wouldn't trust where Cindy's mouth has been. If she is as big a whore as you make her out to be, she may be packing things that are worthy of clinical attention," he joked.

I laughed, while I a thought crossed my mind. "Jacob, how do you feel about going to Argentina?"

"Mr. Money Bags, not everyone can be as loaded as you." Another joke.

"Umm…Jacob, you do know I am rich don't you?" I brought up.

"No, I didn't." His face was composed. "But I suspected it. So, what does this have to do with leaving for another country?"

"I'll pay for your ticket and you come with me. We will go see Bella."

"I don't speak Spanish," he pointed out.

"I can help you learn a few words. And they speak English as well."

He argued, "I have a job now. It's what I do, now that finished school."

"I can talk to your boss. I can even pay for your time off," I suggested.

"You're desperate, aren't you," Jacob smiled as he rose from the ground. He was done working on my car and now wiped his hands. "Okay, I'm going to entertain your idea. If I was going to go with you, when would we leave?"

"Tonight."

BELLA

Marco wanted to stay home for lunch, but I insisted that we go out – the plan needed to be executed out in public. Seated at a local café, Marco was just as happy as he usually is. He didn't look like he knew what was up. He was clueless which meant that Liz kept her mouth shut.

When we had our drinks, I hurriedly gulped down my water. Marco laughed at my behavior.

"Bella, this isn't the end of the world," he teased.

"Sorry," I smiled. "I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"About what?" he asked.

Crap. "Well…I'm worried about what would have happened with Edward." That wasn't a lie. I was truly worried about him after the abrupt phone call that was so long ago. But that wasn't my main concern.

"Trust me, Edward is like a rock. He doesn't change much. And when he does, it's usually concrete. So, don't stress yourself out of it."

"Thanks," I said to both him and the waiter as I had another glass of water. I took a small sip. I just needed to cut to the chase.

"I was thinking that we could go out on a b–"

"Marco, we need to talk," I began. He smiled as if I didn't just interrupt his thought.

"Go right ahead."

I inhaled a deep breath of confidence and courage. "Marco, these past months have been great. Everything was…perfect. But –"

"Bella," he interfered. "You don–"

"Let me finish," I sighed. "Please?" He nodded for me to continue. I readjusted my seat so that my shoulders were squared, and I held my chin up. "This" – I gestured between us – "has to stop. We can't keep seeing each other like this. I mean, I know you are my guide and all, but I know you have other friends. And then there is Edward.…"

Bewilderment was riddled all over Marco's face as his brow was drawn up and his lips pursed. "Bella, I don't understand. Yo no comprendo."

"I don't think it is healthy for you to spend all your time with me. There has to be other women you accompany on a daily basis. Don't let me be the only one. It's all about balance."

"Bella –"

"We shouldn't be sleeping together either," I whispered to him. An older lady looked over at us; she shook her head with remorse. "It's not a good situation to be in anymore. I mean, I don't think I would want some girl with Edward in his bed." Marco sighed as he was about to speak again, but I didn't let him get a word in. "Don't think this is all you. It's me, too. Just because Edward is miles away, doesn't mean I don't love him. I know. I shouldn't have led you on in any way. Not that I meant to. But you understand, don't you?"

"Bella," he said sternly. And I stopped talking. He closed his eyes briefly as if this was tough to hear. "Are you…breaking up with me?"

Biting my lip, I contemplated over the term. We weren't going out, but yes, I guess that was the appropriate term. I nodded solemnly.

Unexpectedly, Marco burst into laughter. Not a quiet chuckle. But on the brink of hysterics. And every time he got a glimpse at my confused expression, he would start back up again. So, I waited for him to calm down. But his laugh caused my face to flush and embarrassment rode in like the cavalry, dominating all emotions. Marco was making me feel stupid. His choked off his hysterics when he saw I was agitated by his response. "That was…I'm terribly sorry for laughing. But I wasn't laughing at you, but at the situation. You see, I know you love Edward, and Edward loves you. I was just trying to be your friend. Sorry if you thought otherwise."

"Oh," I whispered, looking down at the nice decorative table. "That makes sense. That totally makes sense. So, you were just being nice. All of your comments had no value?"

"No, I wasn't lying when I said you were beautiful. But I was also being friendly. I guess I was a little too friendly."

"You got that right," I muttered under my breath.

"Bella," Marco sighed. And I looked up to see his apologetic smile, showing his remorse. "I didn't mean to cause you to feel uncomfortable with our circumstance. I know it is hard to be away from home, away from all of your loved ones. So, I was trying to be there for you, as good a friend to you as I could for you and Edward's sake."

"That makes sense," I smiled, realizing Marco was just naturally affable. "That makes a lot of sense. But you know you could have said that before, right?"

He chuckled and extended his hand across our small table. I secured my in his and grinned. "I'm sorry for confusing you. I thought my sister would have told you about me. I'm always like this."

"She could have warned me," I muttered.

"But I told you she likes her drama," he pointed out. "I wouldn't be surprised if she knew and just didn't say anything." After a moment of mental deliberation, he said, "She wouldn't do that to you. So, maybe she thought I was genuinely interested in you."

"Oh, so you aren't interested in me?" I teased as the phone was placed in front of us.

"You're a very good person, but you aren't my type," he smiled.

"That's good news to me," I laughed. "I don't think I can deal with more than one guy at a time. You know, I think I'm going to call Edward. It's in the afternoon for them. Excuse me for a moment." I pulled out my cell phone, pushed speed dial button number two, waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" a female's voice answered. I panicked and dropped the phone into my lap. Then, scrambling to close it, I muttered curse words as I mashed the wrong button. "Hello?" the voice said again, only louder because of speakerphone.

Finally, I slammed the phone closed, trying to concentrate on keeping my breathing even.

"What's wrong?" Marco asked, alarmed by my frantic state.

I closed my eyes to keep it from being real. It couldn't be true. Could Edward really be seeing another girl? Was this going on when he ended our phone call early? My breaths didn't stay even. Erratic, shallow gusts of air burned through my lungs. Everything hurt. Thinking, breathing, moving, they all were painful.

"Bella, what happened?" Marco demanded.

"A…girl…answered…Edward's phone," I whispered weakly as I slide my phone across the table. "I can't believe it."

"Bella, there has to be an explanation for it. Edward wouldn't do that to you."

It was happening again. I felt like I had been hit by a bus after I just recovered from a previous injury. I thought I had avoided this. I thought Edward was different. This could NOT be happening to me.

"You call," I mumbled out. "You will see."

Marco sighed as he called the last number. I waited as did he.

"…Cindy?" he muttered with confusion. "What are you–?"

Cindy? Wasn't Cindy Edward's last girlfriend? What was she doing answering his phone? What business did she have at his house?

Better question was what did Edward want with Cindy?