Y'all are killing it with the love *crying face* thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

Hadley is also killing it. Her help is so appreciated.

Next update will be Sunday. But a teaser will be posted to my FB on Friday. And there's a straight-up lovely photo to go along with it, because Lizzie is the best!

"I think Edward is Masen."

Jess frowns. "Really?"

I shove my sunglasses onto my head. "I think Masen is Edward."

Jess thinks about it for a split second. "Yeah, actually, that makes total sense."

"What the fuck?" I blurt. "More mimosa. Now. Fill it up."

"Jesus, hold on…" Jess refills my glass, waving the waiter over. "Hi, yeah, we need that second pitcher now. Can it be all champs, no OJ? Thanks."

"I'm…" I nearly drain my glass. "I feel stupid."

"He's the one who should feel stupid."

"He probably thinks I'm an idiot!" I all but shout.

"Aw, Bell. I doubt that."

My mind is running in circles.

"He probably thinks…" I stop. "I mean, I kinda dry humped and made out with Edward on Sunday night then messaged Masen after he left."

I guess Edward's cold demeanor on Wednesday makes a little more sense now. Unwarranted for sure, but... yeah.

"Whore."

"Jess!"

She laughs. "I'm fucking kidding. Who cares? He's the one playing you. Who gives a shit if he thinks you were being sketchy? Which you weren't, by the way. You weren't exclusive. You're allowed to date multiple guys."

"Right. Right!" I find myself agreeing with her and growing angrier by the second. "He doesn't get to be mad at me when he's the sketchy one. And I was honest with Masen! I told him I had feelings for someone else even though I liked him, too."

Oh my fucking God.

I told Masen I had feelings for Edward… before I ever admitted to Edward that I had feelings for him. Which isn't the worst thing. It just feels really unfair that Edward was able to get inside my head like that.

Shit is fucked.

I think back to that exact conversation with Masen, when he said he was helping a friend take care of some stuff. I was that friend. I'm the person he likes more than he can comprehend... not Rosethorn. It's stupid, but it makes me happy.

And then I remember Masen is Edward, and has been lying by omission.

My mood shifts drastically.

"Fuck."

Am I going into cardiac arrest? I grab at my chest. But nope, it's just heartburn from the champagne.

"You okay?" Jess asks, leaning away in case I hurl.

"I'm... I don't know."

I open Instagram and immediately go to our DMs.

I know who you are motherfucker, I start to type, but stop myself before I send it.

"Don't message him yet," Jess warns.

"Why not?"

"We don't actually know if this is all true."

"It's true," I say assuredly. "And I feel so stupid."

"Don't feel stupid. Why would you automatically assume they're the same person?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm pretty sure he dropped hints. A shitload of hints. And I just… I was consumed by both sides of that fucker." I tip my head back and groan, and my sunglasses slide off my head. "What am I gonna do?" I ask, reaching over to pick them up.

I don't send my message to him, deciding to hold off while Jess thinks for me.

"Before you say anything, let's make sure it's true. Do you follow Edward on Instagram?" she asks.

"No."

"Go to his profile, and see if there are any clues there. Like tattoo shit or… I don't know. Maybe his profile says 'Hi, my alter ego is Masen.'"

"Yeah, fucking right."

I open Instagram anyway and go to the search bar. I type in "Edward Cullen," but no profiles come up.

"I don't think Edward's on Instagram. And if he is, I don't know his username."

"I guess even if he did have a profile, he could still have two separate accounts. One for work, one for personal life," Jess points out.

"Actually, Edward doesn't strike me as the type of person to have any sort of social media unless it serves a purpose."

"Serves a purpose as in showcasing his work as a tattoo artist?"

"Right." I think back on his vague description of his occupation. He makes art. People buy stuff. I roll my eyes remembering it all. Then my heart softens just a little when I remember him saying his dad doesn't approve of what he does. This all makes so much fucking sense now.

"Do you have Edward's phone number?" Jess asks.

"Yeah."

"Sync your phone contacts to Instagram," Jess suggests, moving to sit next to me. "If he's linked his phone number to his profile, it'll show up as a suggestion for you."

"You're a motherfucking genius. Now, how do I do that?"

Jess grabs my phone from me and clicks through some things a little too quickly until we're staring at a screen of my phone contacts that are on Instagram.

We scroll through the entire list. I see acquaintances I went to school with, and a handful of people I tried dating, but I don't see any profile that would be considered Edward's.

"Oh. Duh!" Jess brightens. "You have to unfollow Masen on Instagram."

"Why?"

"Because this is just showing the phone contacts that you're not already following," she explains. "You might already be following Edward… if he really is Masen."

"Right. God, what would I do without you right now?" I go to Masen's profile, finger hovering over the "unfollow" button.

It's frustratingly confusing how badly I don't want to unfollow him.

"Well, go on," Jess urges.

"Wait. What if we're right? What if Edward is Masen?"

"Then, mystery solved."

"What happens after that? I mean… I've spent all this time thinking they were two different people. Shit, he acted like two different people. I just…" Uncertainty rises in my chest, and I push it down. "Then again, I have feelings for both of them. So, maybe this is the best-case scenario." When I think of it that way, I almost feel relieved that Edward could potentially be Masen. I mean, I'm still pissed. But relief honestly overshadows my anger.

"Come on," Jess says. "Rip the Band-Aid."

So I do.

I unfollow Masen, then scroll through the contact list of profiles that I'm not currently following. Lo and behold, Masen's profile appears on the list. Which means I have Masen's phone number in my phone. And the only way I would have Masen's phone number is if he's Edward.

So my theory was right.

100%.

Case closed.

Wow.

Jess watches my face. "You okay, girl?"

I set my phone on the table between us and drain another glass. "I think so. God, what a little shithead, though. He was playing me! This entire time."

And I fucking fell for it. All while falling for him.

"Are you gonna tell him you know?" Jess asks warily, refilling my glass.

My leg bounces, and I shake my head. I click on Masen's profile again and re-follow him.

"No. In fact, fuck that. I'm not going to tell him I know. Not yet. He's had the upper hand this entire time—now it's my turn."

xx

I try to push away all thoughts about Edward/Masen for the rest of the day. I want to have fun and celebrate Jess's birthday, but it's hard to keep him and my newfound information out of my mind.

We're at our second brewery when I get a DM from Masen.

Masenry: Did you unfollow me then re-follow me?

Swannie: Now why would I go and do that?

Masenry: Dunno. That's why I'm asking. I got an alert that you were following me again.

Swannie: Maybe it was a glitch?

Masenry: Maybe. Are we cool? I know I've been a little quiet lately. Sorry.

Swannie: We're cooool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Never been cooler.

Masenry: Are you busy? You seem distracted... and upset?

Swannie: I'm out for Jess's birthday. Boozing it up.

Masenry: Day drinking, huh?

Swannie: Mmhmm. Hey, I have a great idea! Why don't you join us?

Masenry: Thanks for the invite, but I'm not really free right now.

Swannie: I figured you'd say no. Are you at work?

Masenry: Yeah, 'til eight.

Swannie: Well, we're ending the night at King's if you wanna come.

Masenry: Maybe.

Swannie: Remember how I mentioned that other guy that I kinda liked?

Masenry: Yeah.

Swannie: He's out of the picture now.

Masenry: What happened?

Swannie: Long story. Basically I don't think he was that into me. Hot… cold. Not really worth my time when I was really into him.

Take that, fucker.

Masenry: Did you try talking to him?

Yes, I did. And you refused to reply to me last night… fucker.

Swannie: And say what? "Hey, you act like you're into me, and then you don't, and you're giving me fucking whiplash with the mood swings, buddy." Yeah, pretty sure that would go over super well.

I think the beer is talking for me now, but I don't actually mind. I never really had a filter when it came to Masen, anyway. Why stop now just because it's Edward?

Masenry: Maybe he wasn't sure you were into him? Maybe he thought you were more into someone else.

I actually laugh out loud. Is Edward basically telling me that he was jealous of himself? I know making out with him Sunday and then immediately messaging Masen wasn't a great look for me, but this was his doing. He made me fall for him as both Masen and Edward.

Swannie: Why would he think that I'm into someone else? I haven't talked about anyone else to him. As far as he knows, he's the only guy.

Masenry: Maybe it was a vibe he got?

Swannie: A vibe, huh?

Masenry: I'm just trying to play devil's advocate. Make you see all the sides.

Swannie: Oh, don't you worry, Masen. I see allllll the sides now.