A/N: Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Wanna publish a book some day. But, this probably isn't it!

I am having too much fun with this story. I hope you guys like it.

PLEASE let me know if you have any critiques for this story.

Yes, I have steamy moments coming. This almost was one, but someone told me it was too much. XD

Day Four:

Step Two: Denial

I have tried to reach Edward for the past twelve hours. After he tended to the wound on my forehead, I don't see him again in the hospital. He signed off on my orders to be released without a CT scan...and then I hear nothing.

I tried to call him. I sent him five texts which I'm sure makes me look like a crazy person.

I'm slowly starting to think that I am going insane and that I didn't kiss Edward in the ER. I feel like, maybe, I could have imagined the entire thing in a concussion induced haze.

As I sit in my office, trying to actually pay attention to Jessica Newton - your average desperate housewife who wears clothes she can't afford, has a really terrifyingly expensive blonde dye job and who really needs to stop cheating on her husband or divorce him - I keep glancing at my phone.

I hit the screen as nonchalantly as possible and see Edward's text chain.

Me-

Hey. I wanted to try and get together today. Is there a time that works for you?

Time Stamp: 8:38 am

Me-

Are you alright?

Time Stamp: 9:25 am

Me-

If you're avoiding me because of what happened last night, we can move past this. We're adults.

Time Stamp: 10:00 am

Me-

I'm not mad...but, I am a little worried.

Time Stamp: 10:01 am

Me-

Dammit, Edward...I have clients that I can't focus on because of you! Please, let me know if you're ok.

Time Stamp: 11:25 am

I deeply sigh. He probably thinks that I'm psycho...and he's probably avoiding me.

He probably regrets what happened last night. We both crossed professional boundaries at this point. If he were a paying client and not just a friend I had made a bet with, I would be turning him over to a different therapist and filing a complaint against myself with the licensing bureau. As it is, I'm only justifying what happened because he was on duty and crossed a professional boundary as much as I did...if not more.

As Jessica Newton's session comes to a close at one o'clock, she is still rambling about how her husband, Michael, has "jealousy issues."

"It's not my fault that the cashier was flirting with me! He has no reason to be angry that I'm getting male attention!" She is slightly fuming.

I stop her. "Consider this, though: were you flirting back or encouraging the attention?"

Jessica stops and seems miffed. "I can't help that I'm attractive!"

I shrug. "No. That's true. And there is no need to hide your body or be ashamed of it. However, if your husband is uncomfortable with the attention, think about your own actions: are you flirting back? Are you encouraging the attention? Then, put yourself in his position. What if the same thing happened to you while you were in his place?"

Jessica freezes for a moment. I take this opportunity to wrap up the session. "For the next two weeks, I ask that you take the opportunity to journal about these instances that happen...and to write about how you would have felt if the roles were reversed."

Before she can say anything else, I reach for the intercom button on my desk phone. "Angela?"

"Yes, Ms. Swan?" Angela's cheery voice comes back.

I smirk. I love her fake customer service voice. "Can you schedule Mrs. Newton a follow-up appointment for two weeks out." I turn back to Jessica. "Would the same time work for you?"

Jessica shrugs. "I don't see why not. It lets me take the day off work so I can do a little shopping…"

"Same time," I cut her off to talk to Angela.

Angela nearly laughs. "Yes, ma'am!"

I let go of the intercom button. "Well, Mrs. Newton, unfortunately, I need to get to my next appointment...But, please, journal and bring the journal entries with you to our next session."

I hustle that woman out the door as quickly as possible.

I close the door behind her and slide my way down the door to the floor. I am mentally exhausted.

The intercom buzzes on my desk phone and I groan. I have an hour lunch. I don't want to be bothered. I stand up and cross to my desk, pressing the button. "Yes, Angela?"

I hear a muffled giggling. "You have a visitor, Miss Swan…"

I roll my eyes. "Unless they come bearing gifts of food or sex, I'm not interested."

There is a slight pause before Angela replies, "It's Edward Cullen."

I feel my heart plummet to my toes. "O-...oh. Um…" I think I'm the color of a boiled lobster. "Was I on speaker?"

Angela pauses for a long moment. "If I tell you 'no', will that make you feel better?"

I gulp. "Well...that's...that's nice. Go ahead and send him in." I quickly glance at my expression in the mirror and flatten out my hair and rumpled clothing. My heart is in my toes.

He's probably coming to admonish me. He's probably coming to tell me that he thinks this is a bad idea...

I steel my shoulders and stand as straight as possible, waiting for the door to unlatch. I plaster my best customer service smile on my face as he walks into the room. I'm actually shocked by what I see.

Edward is still glistening from a shower, his curling hair still wet and a shade darker than his normal copper. He is dressed in a very well fitting black polo and jeans, his leather jacket over it cutting quite the impression.

How nice of you to dress up to dump me… I mentally note as he walks into the room. I quickly shake that thought. He can't dump you. You're not even dating him. I bite my lip and decide that I'm going to just grit through this and pretend that none of it ever happened.

It isn't until he is all the way in the room that I realize that he has another bouquet of flowers - this one much nicer and professionally put together in a gold and white vase - and a bag in his hands. I twitch.

You bring gifts to break up with someone?

"Hello, Mr. Cullen," I say, as professionally as possible. I grasp my hands behind my back. "I honestly wasn't expecting to see you today." He smiles at me, but I don't even give him a chance to speak. "I tried to text you earlier…."

He nods, not betraying a single emotion. "I got them. Last night was just...a little bit of a long night at the hospital. I went home and slept in much later than normal." He runs a hand through his hair. "And...I needed to think through some things."

I blush like an idiot. Of course he was overthinking. I was, too. I was too pushy and too attached and I'm just not ready to let him go yet.

Dammit, Bella…

He motions with the flowers in his hand. "I brought flowers."

I grimace at the giant display of white roses - the same flower he handed me at the restaurant. "Thank you...but, roses are for girlfriends…you buy this kind of thing for a girlfriend...not your therapist."

Edward shrugs. "Or someone that you intend to pursue romantically, yes?" He holds the vase out to me gently. "Last I checked, you were not my therapist." I bite my lip and hesitate to take them. I'm trying not to read into his words. "I can get you a different flower, if you wish…"

I shake my head and take the flowers, carefully. "No...they're...very nice…"

Edward smirks. "So, it only took me 3 days to get you to accept flowers from me?"

I glare at him. "Who is supposed to be fixing who, exactly?" I quickly go to toss the bouquet he brought me four days ago and replace the entire arrangement with this much nicer and generous gift. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Friends can give other friends flowers…plus, I like them."

He quirks an eyebrow. "Friends?"

I nod, approvingly as I fluff the flowers, satisfied. Depressingly, I'm fairly certain this is the nicest thing that a man has ever given me. "Well, I thought we were at least friends after our arrangement." I shrug, not really turning back to him. I'm trying to purposefully keep my tone flat. Do not betray your feelings for a man who doesn't look at you as desirable.

Before I have a chance to turn around, I feel hands on my shoulders, gently sliding down my arm. I shiver. Maybe he wasn't as adverse to the previous night's events as I thought…

But, he simply turns me around gently and becomes immediately clinical. He gently touches the cut on my forehead and examines the bruising. "How's the cut doing?" His emerald eyes are cutting and I'm not sure what to say because he's just looking at my head and I'm now unable to breathe because of how close he is to me. I force myself to take a breath, but, suddenly, I find that I can't remember what he even said to me or how I am supposed to respond.

"I...I'm sorry. What?" I quickly try to recover.

Edward frowns. "I wasn't originally concerned about a concussion, but short term memory loss can be a sign. As can spacey-ness…" He rubs his chin, pondering.

"Edward," I snap, "I am not a case study. In case you have forgotten, I also have a doctorate. And I don't appreciate being treated like a lab specimen." I'm sure my words come across as sharper than intended. I sound angry. I'm not really able to identify my emotions with him so close to me and I purposely step back into the table with the roses on it, knocking the vase over.

"Fucking hell…" I mutter and immediately stoop down to try and pick up the flowers. At least the vase didn't land on the floor and shatter.

Edward's forehead wrinkles. He kneels down next to me and helps me pick up the roses that have scattered. His hand accidentally connects with mine and I jolt away, taken by surprise. I am far too jumpy and nervous suddenly.

Edward pulls back slightly and studies me. "Bella, are you alright?"

I nod, certain that I am blushing furiously. I gather the flowers and let Edward hand me the rest. I sigh as I carefully stand up and put them back in their rightful place. "Edward...I think we need to talk."

Edward nods, standing across from me, that same stupid, confused look coming back over his features. I would pay a ridiculous amount of money to be a mind reader just to understand what goes through his head with that look. "I agree. There's some things that we need to discuss."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I gesture toward the couch in my office for him to sit and I take a seat on the chair adjacent. I take a deep breath and steel myself for what I'm about to say. "Victoria sent me some files for a few women that she has been working with that she thinks will be a good match for you...she sent them yesterday, but, we weren't supposed to see each other and…"

"Bella," Edward interrupts. "That's actually what I want to talk to you about." I wince, hoping he doesn't catch it. "I'm not interested in using Victoria's services."

My eyebrows hit my hairline. "What? Why!?" I am leaning so far forward in my chair that I'm afraid that I am going to end up in Edward's lap. "Victoria is very skilled at what she does and she's -"

Edward shakes his head as a way of cutting me off. "I understand that and I do feel confident in her abilities...especially given that you trust her and that she's already sent over some women that she thinks match my specifications."

"But…?" I wave my hand, exaggerating my need for him to get to the point.

Edward sighs, deeply. "I think...I think I've already found the woman I'm supposed to be with."

My heart falls straight to my toes again. Just when I thought I had hit the floor already, there's a lower plane to fall to. I chew on my lip as I feel that weird, irrational jealousy and anger rise in my stomach. "You're...getting back with your ex."

Edward seems surprised by my comment. "Tanya? No. Oh, good, God, no." I swear I almost see him shudder.

I relax slightly. "Then, who?"

I've known Edward for years, but, never as closely as I had over the past 5 days. What I did know about him was that he wasn't someone who rushed into judgement, which made this entire situation all the more eerie. He had never mentioned another woman other than his ex - whom I now find out is named "Tanya". My brain is so busy processing what is going on that, I almost don't have the mental fortitude to understand what happens next.

Taking a deep breath, as if he, much like myself needs a stiff drink, Edward leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and looks pointedly at me. "Bella, I really need to ask you about last night."

I look immediately at the ground, pursing my lips and coloring like my favorite shade of lipstick again. "I...I was hoping that we could just...move past that," I say, quietly.

"Move past it?" Edward sounds almost bitter. "I have wanted to kiss you for years and, last night I break a million different moral codes and possibly the law, and you want to just move past it?"

I look up in shock. "I don't...catch your meaning." Because, I surely don't. Do I?

Edward immediately stands up and starts to pace my office like a caged lion. He runs a hand through his still damp hair, causing it to become incredibly disarrayed. I gulp. I'm not threatened by him, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned. "I...I'm having trouble understanding, Bella, because, unless I severely misread the situation, I thought that we shared a kind of...unspoken attraction. And, I honestly want to continue to grow that attraction into a more meaningful relationship." I suddenly realize he's pacing because he's nervous. I don't think this is a conversation I can finish on my lunch hour…

"Edward, I-"

"It appeared that you were interested in much more than just a kiss last night, too. But, if I have grossly misunderstood your interest in me, please, tell me now! Because I feel like I've made a fool of myself by coming here!" He turns to me with a look on his face that speaks of torment and frustration. "If your interest in me is purely sexual, I absolutely understand, but, I would appreciate knowing now."

I think my jaw is on the floor. I'm having a bit of difficulty locating it at the moment. "Edward...the bet was to have you married in thirty days to a woman that...was worthy of you. That was perfect for you…" I try and remain calm and detached in my perch on the chair. I take a deep breath. "Edward, I'm not that person…"

Edward kneels down in front of me, slowly. "Are you telling me that you have no interest in seeing if there's a future there for us?" He gently takes my hands from my lap and holds them in his. It makes it incredibly hard to concentrate. "You did once agree to marry me yourself if you couldn't find me a wife in thirty days."

I laugh at his terrible attempt at a joke. "Edward, I'm broken and can't keep a man for longer than a year. And I can't give you my baggage after four days and say let's make a go at it."

Edward narrows his eyes. "Then give me thirty days."

I feel my eyebrows raise. "What?"

He takes my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it. I shudder...and he smirks. "You made a deal. You have thirty days to try and marry me off...give me thirty days to try and make you fall in love with me."

"I-" I try to speak, but Edward moves to my wrist and gently nips the skin. I bite my lip to suppress a moan. There is something severely wrong with me and I'm fairly certain this is coercion.

He looks very smug at my reaction. "Give me a chance...and I'll give your way a chance."

I take a deep breath as he gently lowers my hands back into my lap, still crouching in front of me. "I...I guess that's...fair?"

He stands up and leans over me with the litheness and predatory nature of a cat. "Excellent," he murmurs, his lips inches from mine and his eyes never leaving my mouth.

I feel my breath catch. Someone needs to save me from myself...before I do something I regret. "What are you doing?" I ask the question way too breathily. If he didn't know I was attracted to him, he knows now…

Edward's eyes darken, betraying that he can hear my need in my voice. "Just thought I would see if you really wanted to be plyed with gifts of 'hot sex'."

I may have accepted this offer, if my door didn't fly open. I immediately push Edward off me to see Angela staring at me with the widest eyes possible. "I'm interrupting something…"

I bite my lip hard.

Edward leans forward and whispers in my ear. "I'll see you tonight?" He pulls away and it leaves me feeling empty. He nods to Angela as he walks out the door.

Angela waits for the front door of the office to close before her head does some strange bob and she says, "He's not interested, huh?"

A/N: Flames and critiques welcome with praise! :)

Reviews also equal quotes! Please let me know if you like it! It helps me keep writing! :)