Sorry about the delay! I've been working + planning my wedding. Thanks for reading.

FIFTEEN

"You sure this is wise?" Alice trots beside me in high heels, trying to keep up with my pace.

"Positive," I look around the coffee shop, "I know I can fix this."

When I see her, I wave, pretending to be still in on her sick joke.

Alice parts ways with me, acting as if she is a stranger as I turn to approach my boyfriend's wife. Ex-wife. Yuck.

"So it's out. You exposed his affair?" I take a seat before her, "you didn't mention my name right?"

"No," she shakes her head, "we had a deal. Besides, where did you go the other night? James and I missed you."

Is she flirting with me?

"I'm sure," I say slipping my hand into my handbag, and pulling out a stack of paper.

"What's this?" She asks.

"Your contract," I say, "you didn't read the fine print correctly."

"What do you mean?" She picks it up, flicking through.

"On page three it says specifically that you cannot reveal my identity. It can lead to loss of business on my part," I say, "you went to the media and exposed your husband's affair. One he is currently having - without consulting me first. If it is my name that comes out, I go into damage control which frankly I can't be fucked to do. You needed to wait for my call."

"So what? I didn't name you," She glares at me.

"It's too close for comfort. I'm calling this off right now before you damage my reputation," I stand, "I won't be refunding the money. I'm using it to make a sizeable donation to Edward's mother's charity."

"Wait," she reaches for my arm, grabbing my wrist in a deadlock hold, "just wait. I can pay more."

"And have you throw my cover? I'll never work again," I say, "this is my job and you and your sticky husband are fucking with it. You said you would bring him down publically, not me with him."

"Does he love you yet? You would be so close to it. You're exactly the sort of woman he would…" she stammers, "Edward falls in love hard, but it has to be the right woman. I was never that. You are. I know he is almost in love with you. I need him to be in love."

"So you can destroy his life from the inside out?" I pull my arm free.

"So I can walk away from this with something too. If it comes out this baby isn't his, that I was the cheat… I'm ruined," she says, "I'll never work again either. I'll have no way to support my child. But if he fell in love with another woman it changes the narrative completely."

Oh, this bitch wants sympathy.

"You want to keep me, you gotta play by my rules okay?" I sighed sitting down again.

"Lay it all out," Victoria nods.

"You want to bring Edward down, you can be more creative than this," I motion to her stomach.

I have her right where I want her.


Alice laughs loudly, leaning into Rosalie as she shows her an image on her phone. Rosalie watches amused, trying to get a closer look.

"You have this tattooed on you?" Rosalie's eyes narrow amused and focused intently on the image.

"We were pretty drunk," I smile defensively as Edward looks at me curiously, "Vegas does that to a girl."

"Don't even tell him about the stripper," Alice laughs.

"She's really drunk," I roll my eyes.

"What about the stripper?" Jasper smiles at me.

We'd eaten pizza, played a few too many rounds of cards against humanity and now we were laying around Edward's newly furnished lounge room. I sat on the floor beside Edward. He had his hand on my thigh. The football highlights played softly as we reminisced.

Growing bonds from stories of our separate bonds.

"I convinced a stripper to come back to the hotel with Alice and I," I shrug, "a bunch of men were begging for her attention and I bet some guy I could convince her to come home with us instead."

"You slept with a Vegas stripper?" Rosalie's eyes widen at us, equal parts shocked and impressed.

"We had some flirty fun," I laugh, "I also won $300 from the bet to buy us all a room service buffet after."

Jasper stares at Alice shocked. He has no idea what she has in her.

"Was this before or after you started your business?" Emmett asks me.

"Oh after," I sit up slightly, Edward's hand lazily shifting to rest higher in my lap, "I wasn't that confident before all of this."

"So what's the tattoo?" Emmett asks.

"It's the stripper's name," Jasper gasps, realisation covering his face.

He'd obviously seen her more naked than I'd thought. The tattoo is on her ass.

"Candy was lovely," I laugh.

"She taught us so many tricks," Alice winks at Jasper, "I can show you later."

Jasper trades a glance with Emmett. Boy language.

"Did you learn tricks?" Edward leans into me smiling, kissing me where my jaw meets my ear.

"None as fun as the ones I'm picking up as I play with you," I mutter.

"So what happened with the lawyers Edward?" Emmett asks suddenly.

"They're serving her tomorrow," Edward looks at his brother, hand moving not even an inch from my upper thigh, "my lawyers got enough out of that clinic and they're pushing to speed up the divorce."

I glance at Alice hoping she keeps her mouth shut.

"Victoria looked frazzled today," Alice looks at me.

In her defence I hadn't told her the visit today was secret.

Edward's head snaps to me like a whip.

"You met up with her?" He says shocked.

I can't find my words. Because the flash of distrust and betrayal behind his eyes hurts.

"Baby," I begin.

"Why did you do that?" He removed his hand, my leg immediately feeling the heat evaporate.

"I'm still under her employment as far as she knows. I thought I could help," I say, "I have a really good idea."

"I told you, you didn't need to involve yourself anymore," Edward stands.

The room is silent. The football seems so loud suddenly. The jolly mood from before is gone.

"Edward she was trying to help," Alice defends, "her idea really is brilliant."

"This is my marriage Bella," Edward ignores her.

I stand, wanting to be even with him.

"She hired me," I stand tall, "not you."

By Alice's expression, I can tell that was nasty. Oops.

"You said you were done," he snaps.

"I will be when I finish this job. My job is to have an affair with Victoria Cullen's husband. And I am," I motion towards him, "but today I threw in a major discount to her package."

"What?" Rosalie answers for everyone.

"You already said you want to tell the world you're moving on with me," I answer her question facing Edward, "so I kicked off your plan. I told her a better way to take you down."

His face. He looks as if I have hit him.

"You fed her weaponry?" He snaps.

"Yep," I bite my lip, "I told her that you are still in love with her. That you won't fall in love with me, because you still love her."

"What the fuck," Edward shouts.

"It has to happen this way," I try to reach for him but he pulls away, "she has to believe this."

"I don't love her," he turns away from me and begins to stride out of the room, before he disappears around the corner he turns back to me, desperation on his face, "I love you."


Thanks for reading!