2022: The Reprisal Game

by BodiceRippersContest

Ignorance is bliss, they say. Edward & Bella are best friends, but when they discover that their partners have been cheating on them with each other all along, they know they cannot go back to the bliss of not knowing better. With forgiveness out of the question, a reprisal is in order. But their deeply unorthodox, deeply sinful revenge might just set them on a path to get more

Story Title: The Reprisal Game

Summary: Ignorance is bliss, they say. Edward and Bella are best friends, but when they discover that their partners have been cheating on them with each other all along, they know they cannot go back to the bliss of not knowing better. With forgiveness out of the question, a reprisal is in order. But their deeply unorthodox, deeply sinful revenge might just set them on a path to get more than they bargained for.

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

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I. Wicked Proposal

*Edward's Point of View*

It was one of those days — when the rain is so heavy and your mood so low, that you wouldn't get out of the house for all the money in the world. Well, unless your best friend asked you to.

I tried to work on my bachelor thesis, only to discover that my will to tackle academic obligations was completely non-existent. Analyzing Chopin's concertos was not exactly something I was in the mood for, so I dropped it quickly. I felt oddly restless, not quite finding my place.

As I paced back and forth around my bedroom, my eyes settled on the cover of Dear John, with a deep sense of dread. I was instantly reminded that it had been over three months since I promised Tanya I would read it, without even opening it to skim through the first page.

With nothing better to do, but mostly with the weight of an unkept promise weighing heavily on my shoulders, I picked the book up from the pile on the desk and started reading, trying to find comfort in the company of rain. Besides, after the fights we had been having for the past few days, I felt inclined to make it up to Tanya.

I barely got past the first chapter when Bella called me.

"Hello, stranger." She sounded playful, which was a stark contrast to my current disposition. But I tried to play along.

"We don't talk for three days and I'm already a stranger to you?"

"So, you've been counting too."

"I'm just good with numbers," I quipped, not really willing to admit that yes, I had, in fact, been counting.

"I don't believe you, Edward."

"I've been having some difficult days with Tanya, that's all. I didn't want to burden your mind with my problems."

"You know that's impossible. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Over the phone? Not really. But we can meet up on Monday though."

"Yes, about that… I kind of need you here, today."

My heartbeat stuttered at her words, and I felt guilty in an instant. Because surely, she did not mean it like that.

When I met Bella three years ago, at a party for the freshmen at our university, my world collapsed, if only for a few minutes. I had noticed beautiful women before, but not even once did I feel the need to pull them close, get them alone in the darkest corner and ask them if I could have my way with them until light found its way back to us. Noticing beauty had always been an objective act for me — it was part of who I was, at my core.

But meeting Bella turned my convictions upside down.

She was beautiful, of course. Beautiful in a way that made you look twice, so that you could see what you missed the first time around. The disparity between her long, untamed, dark locks and her fresh cream-coloured skin made every feature of her face stand out: the unnervingly wide eyes, the plump, uneven lips, the sharp chin. It was decidedly a beauty of contrasts.

Yet what struck me the most was the fact that she looked as if she wasn't even trying. If every other girl at the party had found a way to show as much skin as possible without being practically naked, Bella seemed comfortable enough in blue jeans and a Homer Simpson T-shirt that looked older than dirt.

The only problem? She was already taken, as I learned minutes into our first conversation when her boyfriend showed up to greet me — a knowledge that served to crush my nonsensical fantasy to the ground faster than a freight train. She arrived in Chicago with her high school sweetheart, Jacob, and it was not difficult to understand why they were head over heels in love. They had only been together for five months at that point, that perfect honeymoon phase when nothing could go wrong. I didn't know what it felt like, but I had heard enough stories to guess. At the time, I congratulated them on what seemed to be a perfect relationship. But selfishly, monstrously, I hoped that the honeymoon wouldn't last.

Not because I wanted to see either of them suffer, but because I wanted her all to myself.

It got worse when I realized what it would be like if Jacob was not in the picture. In our second year of college, he left his dorm room in Chicago and moved overseas for a semester to study in London, leaving a visibly distraught Bella behind. Maybe I still had some decency left in my bones, or maybe I simply wasn't that guy, but I didn't want my friendship with her to be just an excuse for me to sit around and hope she would choose me one day.

So I never made a move.

I never told her how her laugh made my stomach twist and curl under the weight of the butterflies attacking it. Or how taking deep breaths and picturing the deep chocolate wells of her eyes was my best remedy when I felt anxious. Or a far more perverse reality — how thinking about her dressed in her old camisole and shorts had been at the core of countless earth-shattering orgasms for me. I could never ruin what we had with my insolence.

While Jacob was away, we got closer. We spent most of our evenings together. At times, we made an effort to be productive and visit museums or art galleries. But more often than not, we were content with just enjoying a good meal at her place or mine, and talking until we fell prey to the Sandman's ways. Not only once did I fall asleep on her couch, waking up the next day to the smell of freshly brewed Earl Grey — my favourite.

By the time Jacob returned from London, Bella and I were already joined at the hip. Somehow, she found a way to fit me into her new schedule, even if it meant that I got to hang out with both of them. It was a different kind of torture, having to watch them as a couple from up close for prolonged periods of time, but it was infinitely better than having to wave goodbye to my best friend. Besides, he accepted me, which was a blessing in itself, because I wouldn't have known how to keep my distance without going insane if he hadn't.

I found Tanya a few months after — or rather, she found me. As I studied in the library, she made no attempts to hide her flirtatious interest. She asked me out before I even got to find out her name. I accepted out of curiosity, although a part of me craved the possibility of finding a distraction in her. We got along well enough; not in the overwhelming, all-encompassing way that Bella and I did, but enough to bring her home after our third date and discover what sex felt like for the first time ever.

It had been less than a year since then, and we were still together. Somewhere along the line, my dates with her turned into double dates with Bella and Jacob. And it felt right — not having to look away when his hand touched hers, or when her lips roamed his jawline, because my attention had to be on Tanya. On making her the focus of my attention. Not Bella. Never again Bella.

But I still slipped every now and then.

"What do you need me for?" I queried, trying to appear cool. Collected. Pretending that my mind hadn't chosen the worst direction to go into.

"Do you remember how I told you about that weird noise I heard two weeks ago?"

"Right before Jacob got home. Of course."

"So, it happened again a couple of nights ago. Actually, it was the night before he left for that conference in Rockford. But I installed a security camera last week, to see if it was something serious or just a stray cat."

"Hmmm, following my advice for once, I like it."

"Well, yes, but I've got a bit of trouble with it. I've been trying to get the footage, but it just won't work."

"Have you tried rebooting the camera?"

"Yup. And nothing."

"Checked if the software is up to date?"

"Yes, still nothing. Although I might have not been clear enough. I have the footage, it just won't open for some reason. Which is why I need your help."

"Then I'd better get there before the rain gets worse," I offered.

"Worse? It's been like this all day."

"You're not exactly helping your cause."

"Right. But maybe some Earl Grey will."

"That's a risky bet. I guess we'll have to find out."

She didn't need more, I didn't need less. We were already laughing together.

The short walk from my car to Bella's door proved to be more than enough to get my clothes soaked. Luckily, I had had enough foresight to put a hoodie over my regular T-shirt. I opened the door, not one bit surprised to discover it wasn't locked. For every reasonable decision Bella made, such as installing a security camera, she made ten more questionable ones, such as not locking her door and forgetting to close the curtains, as if she had some warped equilibrium to keep up.

"Would it hurt to lock this door for once?" I grumbled, mostly to myself.

"You got here earlier than I expected," she observed.

"As it turns out, there aren't an awful lot of people willing to face a mild hurricane on a Saturday evening."

"You're the best, Edward."

I tried to not let her words tickle my ego too much, choosing instead to set myself free from the hoodie before joining her in the kitchen, the very place where, a lifetime ago, we spent late nights talking for hours. My eyes closed in on her for a few seconds, taking in the sight of lean legs revealing themselves from underneath the oversized button-up shirt she was wearing. I forced myself to look away, only to find that on the small table by the window, a laptop and two steaming cups of tea awaited.

"That's quite the set-up," I noted, right as she sat down at the table. She handed me one of the two steaming cups in front of her, and I gladly accepted it. "Thank you."

"No, thank you! You're a saviour for coming here in such hellish weather."

"We've got to know if your residence is safe or not, how could I miss such a thing?"

I sat down, taking a decent gulp of tea as I did, quietly wondering how Bella always managed to get it better than I did, considering we used the same brand.

"With my luck, you never know," she said.

"All right, let's see what this whole thing is about then."

She pushed her laptop on the table until it was closer to me, and in doing so she managed to drag her chair across the floor, so that she was closer too. I quickly ordered myself to ignore the fact that she smelled like lavender fields on a sunny day, and how that particular fact made my head spin with a need that had no place here.

"Where are the files stored?" I questioned, in a bid to remind myself of the purpose of my visit.

"In that little folder right there." Bella pointed to the screen, and I inhaled deeply as I clicked, overpowered by the way her fragrance pulsed in waves in the small space between us. Soon enough, the issue with the footage became obvious. The video files were damaged. If I had to guess, the damage had been done at some point throughout the importing process. Luckily, there were more than enough third-party softwares that could help with recovery.

Half an hour later, when I clicked on one of the retrieved videos and it finally worked, Bella appeared to be decidedly delighted, and instantly took back control of her laptop, fast-forwarding through the video; her enthusiasm slowly started to fade once she realized that nothing interesting was actually happening.

But she didn't give up. She went through each video patiently, and I stood by her side as she did, playing with my empty cup of tea to keep myself busy. I was starting to think she was ready to call it a day when she talked again.

"Wait, I think I've got something. I'll skip back a few seconds."

I looked up from my cup, not really sure what it was that I was supposed to see. It was nighttime, but the scenery was still calm and empty, her front porch occupying most of the screen. I looked at Bella in disbelief, and she motioned me to wait, so I did. And soon enough, I saw movement. At first, it was a dark blur, nothing more than a shadow. But then, the shadow got closer, and I recognized Jacob's bulky form easily.

By my side, Bella sighed softly, seemingly grateful it was Jacob.

"God, for a second, I thought…"

"False alarm, thankfully."

She chuckled, hiding her face in her hands. "Actually, I should have known it was him. He got here late two nights ago, and he was probably a little drunk and wobbly after hanging out with Seth and Sam in the dorms, hence that noise I heard."

While she talked, I kept my eyes on the screen, trying to understand why Jacob was still lingering on the porch, or why he was gesturing with so much enthusiasm, although he was seemingly alone. I kept watching, and it didn't take long for another figure to emerge.

I felt an instant knot in my stomach once I realized who the new figure was.

"You didn't tell me Tanya came by your place," I said, my voice tense despite my conscious effort to make myself sound normal.

"What do you mean?" Bella got out from her improvised hiding place, bewilderment plastered all over her face. "I haven't seen her in over a week, since you two came by our house to play charades."

"Then what was she doing on your porch?"

She glanced at the screen, then back at me, then back at the screen, and her gaze remained glued there once the most improbable thing happened right before our very eyes. Jacob grabbed Tanya's waist and he kissed her with such longing, the knot in my stomach got so tight I was convinced it would snap.

"What… the actual… fuck?" Bella's words hung in the air, and their presence felt almost mocking once the images on the screen entered a downward spiral of complete madness. Jacob and Tanya moved until he had her up in his arms, and even if what they did was not entirely visible to the camera, I didn't have to use my imagination to understand why their shoulders were moving up and down with a precise rhythm.

"Does he not know about… the camera?" I managed to ask. It was hardly the only question I had, but it was the one that was most eager to get out.

"I didn't… I didn't get to tell him."

We didn't look at each other. On-screen, our partners kept at it, and when Tanya pushed her head backwards for a few seconds, light hit her face and I could tell that she was completely lost in bliss. My insides churned uncomfortably, because nothing made sense: the betrayal, the fact that it happened on the very night she and I last fought, the possibility that it might have not been the first time she and Jacob were doing this.

I searched inside me, expecting to feel anger. I was entitled to that much, wasn't I? But there was no rage inside, only a haunting resignation. While I had not really expected this, I couldn't say that I did not deserve it, if only for all the times my mind slipped into a world of forbidden fantasies of Bella. Musings were a special kind of sin, but a sin nonetheless.

I didn't know how much time had passed when the action on the screen stopped at long last, and Jacob and Tanya parted. But I knew I could not remain silent further, not with the gritty tension cursing every molecule of the air I was breathing. I paused the video and moved my eyes to Bella. She looked as if she was either going to burst into tears or burn down her own laptop.

Or maybe a little bit of both.

"Are you all right?"

She remained distressingly still. "I don't know. I… I can't really find my words."

"I wonder how long it's been going on."

"Long enough, I bet."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I checked.

"As if it's going to solve anything…"

"I know, but it's not like there's much to be solved here either way. At the end of the day, one fact remains. We are being cheated on. And it's been happening for God knows how long."

She nodded absently, and I noticed she had closed her hands into tight little fists, that she kept on the table. I found myself longing to reach out and touch them. To feel them unfurl under my palm, letting go of the anger they held. But it was not the time and place.

I tried to look away, but I couldn't. I had missed the precise point she turned around to meet my eyes, but all of a sudden I felt trapped. Her irises were two relentless drops of chocolate as they dug holes into my very soul. The sudden wave of heat that hit me was so hot, so brazen, I wondered if she felt it too — at least a fraction of it.

"Are you furious?" she demanded to know.

"That's not really the word I would use."

"Then what word would you use?"

"Overwhelmed."

She squinted at me. "Were you expecting something like this?"

"No, I never even actively thought about it."

I made an effort to keep focused on the indecipherable emotions swimming in her eyes, and less on the fact that she had moved her chair several inches closer to mine. Deep down, a yearning to know precisely what she was thinking started scraping at the walls of my conscience.

"Tell me one thing," I pleaded, hoping that my voice wouldn't betray how utterly conflicted I felt. "What's going through your mind right now?"

"You won't like it."

"It can't be worse than what we just saw."

"Maybe, but it's mean," she persisted.

"I can handle that."

"Still, you might think it's a terrible, terrible idea."

"Try me."

She hesitated, but not for long. "I'm thinking… we should do to them exactly what they did to us." She paused, her eyes searching mine cautiously. In return, I tried to look for a sign that she was messing with me, but there was nothing there. Then she continued, erasing any doubt about whether she was joking or not. "And we should make sure they know about it."

I had to make sure my own sense of understanding wasn't failing me.

"So you want to cheat on him?"

"No, I want us to cheat on them." Oh. So I did understand her properly. "Together." Fucking hell. "As revenge." And there went everything I thought I knew. How many times had I wrongly fantasized about what it would be like for the two of us to succumb to the overpowering lust that had been plaguing me ever since I saw her? So many times, yet I was still unprepared to go through with it.

"Bella… you don't mean this." My voice didn't sound convincing — not to me, and probably not to her either. But I couldn't risk appearing too eager, not with everything happening so fast. Mere minutes ago, I was just finding out about my cheating girlfriend. There had to be some type of mourning period, even for a relationship as unexciting as the one I had with Tanya.

"No, I mean every word. I want to have the upper hand for once."

"I get that, but… why me?"

"Because I trust you fully," she answered instantly. "And what I have in mind wouldn't work if I didn't. Besides, you were betrayed as well, it's kind of a two-way street."

"What exactly does your plan involve, Bella?"

The pink in her cheeks got even brighter. "I was thinking… we should make our own tape and send it to them. Like a reprisal of sorts."

"A tape?" I repeated, feeling more perplexed and more aroused than before. I was beginning to feel self-conscious about the shameless way my cock strained against my jeans, wanting to get out. "You want us to fuck on tape?"

"Y-yes. It'd all be scripted, of course. I mean… I don't expect either of us to finish or anything, since we're friends, and I very much hope to remain friends, just… you know, to put on a show for the camera."

As if I needed to put on a show when it came to her. It was ridiculous how she wasn't even naked, and I was already good to go.

"Wouldn't they be able to share the video around?"

"Not if we send them that video of them fucking on the porch as leverage," Bella explained. "And even if they did decide to share it, it would be pointless, because we won't show our faces. But they can recognize our voices, so they would know."

"This is insane…"

"I know. Although probably not nearly as insane as what they did." I nodded in agreement, struggling to keep my hands in my lap, where they could casually hide my erection, and away from her protruding nipples. "So do you want to do this?"

Truthfully, I could picture it. Unbuttoning Bella's shirt and throwing it away, so I could properly gaze at the perfection hiding underneath. Lifting her on this very table, and parting her legs. Succumbing to the primal call of her body and kneeling down, where I could worship her with my tongue and fingers. Turning her around, to bury my cock inside her depths, and fucking her until she could no longer take it.

I realized Bella was still waiting for an answer when I heard her sharp intake of air. I knew then there was no way I could lie my way out of this, not when I wanted it, wanted her. If I were to stand up now and walk away, she would see exactly what kind of effect she had on me. She would know I was nothing but a hypocrite.

So there was no room for lies here.

"Hell yes."

II. Sinful Revenge

*Bella's Point of View*

The room might as well have been on fire, it would have burned me just the same.

I wanted to keep my cool, but it was impossible. Even now, with every inch of my skin uncovered, I felt like I needed to take more garments off. I tried to remind myself that I had no reasons to feel so agitated, because this was Edward, after all. Edward, my best friend in the whole world. Edward, the friend who had seen my highest highs and my lowest lows and didn't run away. Edward, the man who, unbeknownst to him, had been starring in my wildest, guiltiest fantasies since he first stared me down with those forest green eyes of his at that party I almost didn't go to.

Edward, the man who was about to fuck me and film the whole thing.

I ran one hopeless hand through my locks one more time, knowing I could not linger in the bathroom for longer than I already had. I told Edward I was only going to the bathroom to get rid of my clothes, in an attempt to erase the more intimate aspects of what we were about to do, but I had conveniently omitted the fact that I had locked myself in here to also get my own arousal under control.

Because honestly, I couldn't remember if I ever got this wet. It wasn't the thrill of getting revenge on Jacob, the man that had been disappointing me for the better part of last year, that was exciting me beyond control, but rather the way Edward's eyes sparked when I made my proposal to him. Or how his hands had been unable to hide the mighty erection in his pants as I kept talking to him. However, I didn't want to seem too desperate either, even though, considering how my sex life had been practically non-existent for the past month or so, I totally was, so I spent five minutes in the shower just trying to wash away the thick liquids streaming down my thighs. The water did its job, but it did nothing to soothe the pulsating yearning tearing through my pussy. That yearning was there to stay.

By the time I was drying myself with a towel, I could feel the inside of my thighs getting slippery again, so I gave up and got out, heading to the living room, where I knew he was waiting for me.

The sight of Edward laying on my old couch, wearing nothing but his boxers as he played with my camera, caused me to lose my breath for a few moments. Ten minutes ago, when I disappeared into the bathroom, he was still fully clothed, but now his jeans and T-shirt were on the floor. All of a sudden I found myself unable to do anything other than staring. Every line of his body was a fine work of art. Some of those lines I was familiar with — such as the strong contour of his arms — but others were completely new. The rugged planes of his chest were a delight in their own right, but I could not focus on them for long, because I was quickly distracted by the muscle pattern on his abdomen. The pattern ended right where a happy trail of unruly hair began, only to be interrupted by the band of his boxers.

My heart started beating faster once I realized he was still very much hard as rock. And not only that, but without his pants on, the contour of his cock seemed much more daunting in size. Deliciously so.

"Welcome back," he offered warmly, making me feel less awkward about spending so much time in the bathroom. At their own volition, my eyes found his face, quickly realizing he too was studying me from head to toe. The awareness of my own nakedness came back in full force, but oddly enough, I didn't feel like hiding. "Hmmm, you know, I have to be honest with you. Even with the risk of sounding crass… you look fucking incredible without your clothes on, Bella."

I could feel the temperature in my cheeks rising. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

He smiled, and his pine-coloured eyes met mine at long last. He placed the camera on the small table in front of the couch, and moved from his lying position, inviting me to take a seat beside him. I wasn't sure when or how, but it felt like the dynamic between us changed slightly.

My knees felt like jelly when I sat down. I was close enough to feel the heat of his body, but it wasn't enough. I wanted more.

"I'm not sure where to start," I admitted, my voice weak with emotion.

"We don't have to start right away."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is I'm not a caveman. I'd like this to be pleasurable, not just a chore. We can explore each other a little bit, to see what works, before we start anything else. We do want to seem believable, right?"

Hot tingles made their way down my back as I listened to him, already imagining a dozen sinful scenarios, all involving his hands on me.

"Right," I confirmed. "And… we should probably set up some ground rules."

"Anything you want."

"No kissing," I said, half-wondering why the idea made my heart sink as soon as I let it out.

"That's a given. We're not together."

"Glad we're on the same page. Also, it's probably for the best to not utter each other's names while we're filming, in case… you know…"

He nodded solemnly. "Agreed, we don't want to leave any breadcrumbs behind. Anything else?"

"Well, I kind of mentioned it already, but… we really don't have to go all the way to the finishing point." My own body disagreed with me, tensing up tightly at the idea of not finding complete relief in the next few minutes, but I ignored it. This was about revenge, not my twisted fantasies. "If we can get a few minutes of us on camera, it'd probably be enough to get the message across. Besides, I still want to be friends after all of this, I don't… I don't want to ruin it by going all the way."

"Aren't we about to go all the way anyway?" He almost seemed amused.

"Well, yes, but with a purpose. What I meant was… all the way to the end. That's probably a line we shouldn't cross."

I didn't know how to interpret his new smile. Did he agree, or was he merely playing along? "As you wish," was all he said. "Anything else?"

"Anything else… is fair game."

I felt paralyzed, knowing that we were about to go over an uncrossable line, and it wasn't until his arms opened in what looked like an invitation that I realized I could still move.

"Then why don't you come over here?"

Still trying to rein in my excitement, I crawled over on the sofa, hesitating for the shortest second before climbing into his lap and getting closer to him than I had ever been. The first thing I noticed was his warmth; his temperature almost rivaled mine as the insides of my thighs touched the outsides of his. And God, his smell… it was out-of-this-world amazing.

But nothing — not his temperature, nor his fragrance — compared to how unfairly ravishing he looked. I had always been aware of this, starting from the moment I met him, when his bewildering eyes and his alluring lips had me so captivated it scared me. And while his beauty had always been obvious to me, I never got the chance to bask in it like I was doing now. Guilt and ethics had always been powerful motivators to keep my lustful thoughts to myself, without once acting on them. But now that I knew how much Jacob cared about loyalty, I couldn't care less.

With my heart racing wildly, I draped my arms around Edward's shoulders, trying to focus less on how damn handsome he was from up close and more on the task at hand.

"How are you feeling?" he checked, his own arms finding their way around me in a comforting embrace.

"Safe," I responded, because it was true. Despite the unhinged nature of what we were doing, I had no fears. "You?"

"Quite turned on, actually."

I almost fainted then and there. "I am too," I admitted.

"I want to touch you."

All I could do was nod, a little too lost in front of this side of him to be able to speak coherently. This side of him knew precisely what it wanted to take and I wanted to see how far he was willing to go. His hands moved away from my waist, leaving fire trails behind as they climbed up my ribcage. Slowly, all too slowly, he went higher, and higher, lingering when his palm met my erratic pulse, and stopped once he was happy with his destination — my breasts.

If I died now, I would have died a happy woman.

I whimpered ever so slightly when his grasp got tighter, suppressing the need to moan. His eyes were stuck on what he was doing, and I could see the way his tongue grazed his bottom lip as his fingers closed in on my nipples, as if he wanted to have a taste. Instinctively, I pushed my chest forward, closer to the proximity of his mouth, hoping he would get the hint.

But Edward was in no rush. He softly traced the contour of my nipples, teasing me with drawn-out circle patterns that kept them stiff and aching with need. The echo of his movements reverberated everywhere inside me, culminating between my legs, where my pussy trembled impatiently, clenching in on itself at the thought of being filled by the hefty cock Edward was still hiding in his boxers.

The thought, paired with the way he switched from caressing to pinching my nipples, caused me to let out an unrestricted moan.

His eyes flew up automatically, curious and hungry, and I pushed myself forward again, desperate for more. It didn't take him long to understand. He kept on the relentless pinching and rolling motion, but this time, his efforts were joined by his mouth. Soon enough, his right hand abandoned my breast completely, getting back to my waist, allowing his lips and tongue to do the work. He licked and sucked, licked and sucked, stopping only to alternate with prolonged bites.

My own hands couldn't stay put. I went up and down the length of his arms several times, then over the sculpted perfection of his chest, before finally settling in his tousled hair.

"You're enjoying this," Edward managed to say right as his lips traveled to meet my other nipple.

"You bet I am."

"Good." And with that, his free hand left my waist and landed on my ass, grabbing my right buttock and pulling me forward, until my bare cunt aligned with his ungiving erection. "I am too."

He ground his hips back and forth, as if to prove his words, his length parting my slick folds in half and pressing directly against my clitoris. The pleasure was so sudden, so intense, I had to bite my lip hard to prevent the string of moans that was threatening to evade from my chest.

Somehow, Edward noticed my restraint. "No, don't do that," he whispered, his mouth going in circles around my breasts. "Don't hold back now. Let it out."

I felt the unrelenting push of his hips hitting my clit once again, and there was no stopping my ecstatic sounds anymore. In my fervour, my fingers left his hair alone, and quickly found the elastic band of his boxers. I pulled down harshly, not really caring about being more careful, and he helped me accomplish my mission. We had to part, so that he could get rid of his underwear altogether. He seemed more than ready to get back to caressing my breasts, but I signaled him to wait, because something else got my attention.

Without anything to cover it, his cock was absolutely intimidating. Thick, long, and riddled with veins, with a dense web of hair covering the base, it was most definitely not what I was used to. Even with my limited experience, I knew that what I was seeing was far from the norm. The strangest mix of elation and fear made its way inside me, as I began to consider a new thought.

How the fuck will we ever fit together without me ripping in half as a consequence?

"Is everything all right?" Edward probed.

"I… am… not sure it is."

"We can stop, if it's—"

"No. no, it's not that… it's…" Carefully, I reached to touch the thick, round tip of his erection, only partly aware of the way his body quivered when met with my touch. I was equal parts fascinated and frightened by how something so massive could feel like velvet to the touch. "Your size might be a little too much for me."

I grabbed the head of his cock with a little more courage, trying to get accustomed to it. It felt hot and silky to the touch, in contrast to how menacing it looked. And as if it had no self-preservation instinct whatsoever, my cunt responded to the sight by gushing more.

"Bella…" His voice was strained as my hand made its way down the impressive length, all the way to the base. "I'll get you good and ready, I promise. Come here." He grabbed my wrists, and quickly moved us on the couch, until he was resting on top of me, between my parted legs. "I said I wanted this to be pleasurable, and I meant it."

Now that we were face to face, I could see the fierce resolution in his eyes. He wanted to make this work, maybe more than I realized.

"We'll start slowly," he cooed, so close to me I could taste the sweetness on his breath. I started resenting the no-kissing rule.

His eyes remained locked on mine, while one of his hands started traveling down my body. He took his time with my breasts once again, before daring to descend even lower. I no longer had the ability to breathe regularly by the time he reached my hip bone. I was a needy mess, ready to beg if he didn't continue.

Luckily, I didn't have to.

Moving gently, as if we were stuck in the haze of a dream, his fingers met my yearning flesh. Edward paused when he heard my delighted sigh, but he kept going once he noticed I was nodding in approval. His fingertips stirred my juices, spreading them around wherever he liked, without a particular goal.

"Fuck… I didn't know you'd be so damn wet," he murmured.

Alarm bells started ringing in my head — a reminiscence from the time spent alone in the bathroom earlier. Maybe I was scaring him, after all. "Is it… too much?"

"Are you kidding me? It's all I want."

With him still watching me, I felt the movement between my legs getting more precise, until Edward's fingers closed in on my clit, kneading rapid, deliberate circles around it. With my self-control out the window, I cried out, and moved my hands back to his hair, pulling roughly.

"Like that?" he breathed.

"Yes, yes, exactly like that!"

And instead of changing his rhythm, like I feared he might once I confirmed how much I was enjoying what he was doing, he kept at it, his pace unyielding in the face of my desperation. All I could do was cling to him, tighter and tighter, sensing a dangerous feeling building up inside me. The feeling was familiar, yet the speed and intensity with which it grew were most definitely not. Not even a full minute had passed since he started playing with my pussy, I couldn't possibly be so close to the finish line already… right?

With the last ounce of clarity I had, I made an effort to push my hips back into the couch, getting away from the fast-approaching undoing he was creating inside me. He stopped, and I noticed I wasn't the only one panting as if I had run a marathon.

"Too close," I managed to say.

His palm pressed against my still-burning cunt, almost as if it was trying to get it to calm down. Needless to say, it didn't work. My previously-shattered orgasm reared its head, ready to rearrange itself and explode. I moaned under his ministrations, not quite sure how to handle the edge he had me on. It would be so easy for him to push me into the abyss, if I only let him

Searching for something to keep me grounded, I stretched my arm between us, grabbing his cock once more. The girth took me aback yet again, while also making every cell in my body beat with sweet anticipation, forming a beautiful dichotomy. I rubbed up and down, daring to imagine how it would feel once he would finally make his way inside me. Whatever level of pain awaited, it would probably get drowned into the divine feeling of fullness.

Almost as if he could read my mind, Edward groaned and moved my hand away. "Not yet."

His sensual rubbing continued, parting my pussy lips with his thumb and forefinger, spreading me to his liking.

"I want to be inside you." His words, almost a purr, were laced with such primal need, I fell into a pit of speechlessness. Maybe it was the fact that, not that long ago, I had been seconds away from coming, but I felt as if another barrier between us had fallen. It became obvious that Edward was no longer just playing to see where he could take me. He was actively enjoying this too. "So, so much…"

He didn't need more than hearing me moan my approval to proceed. All too slowly, aided by my copious liquid arousal, he slid one finger inside me, taking his sweet time as he went deeper, until there was no more room to go and his knuckle rested between my dripping lips. Without warning, he added a second finger, squeezing its way inside.

"Goddamn, Bella, your cunt is so fucking tight," His fingers curled upwards, and I almost died from the combined pleasure of what he was doing and what he was saying. I pulled on his hair once more, and we both cried out loudly as I did, not losing eye contact. "So tight and greedy, it's dripping all over my fingers."

I had never seen this side of him, nor heard him speak so shamelessly, but I had to admit it suited him. Passingly, I wondered how in the world Tanya had ever been willing to look for another man when she already had the full package at her door.

My wandering thoughts shattered when I felt a third fingertip pressing at my entrance. My hips instantly raised up, encouragingly.

"Can you handle more?" he muttered.

"I need more."

Spurred on, his finger pushed beyond the initial resistance, joining the other two deep inside my weeping pussy. I couldn't suppress my vocal delight, it was getting too much. Especially when he started moving his hand back and forth, establishing an agonizing rhythm. He fucked me slowly, more than delivering on his promise of getting me good and ready. His fingers stretched my inner walls perfectly, working their magic in a way I had not even thought possible.

"Play with your clit," he ordered softly.

I didn't have to think twice; in the haze of my own desire, I would have done anything he asked. I reached out between my legs with one hand, finding my aching bundle of nerves easily. It was coated in juices that made it slippery, which only made my job easier. I pressed against the hood, daring to pull it back and touch my throbbing centre of pleasure.

With Edward's fingers still dancing back and forth in my cunt, the feeling made me lose myself completely. I started rubbing my clitoris in circles, closing my eyes and cursing when his fingers curled inside me again, hitting that earth-shattering spot I loved so much. My instincts took over as I hurried the rhythm of my strokes, seeking one thing and one thing only.

Relief.

Accompanied by the sound of Edward's ragged breaths, I couldn't remember why in the world I shouldn't let go. I trusted this man, and I had been dreaming of the possibility of him having his way with me for longer than I cared to admit to anyone else but me. We had already crossed most lines at this point, an orgasm wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world.

My eyelids swung open, and my reason returned in full measure once I saw his forest eyes again. I couldn't picture a world in which seeing them was not a given constant in my life. As long as we weren't bringing each other over the edge, we could still say that we had only done this to accomplish a revenge mission and nothing more. Orgasms were such delicate, intimate things, after all; if I willed myself to be consumed by one in front of him, there was no going back.

Maybe I was fooling myself, but I couldn't take additional risks.

"Edward, wait!"

He stopped moving, panic shooting across his face, but his fingers remained inside me. "Am I hurting you?"

My mind fought to find a reasonable explanation. Could he not see how far he had brought me? Could he not feel it in the way my inner walls clasped around his fingers, not wanting to let them go?

"No, you're incredible," I assured him, using my elbows to lift up slightly and looking for a way to not make an absolute fool of myself. "Let's… let's start filming, all right?"

It took him several seconds to gain control over his breath. And several more to finally retreat his fingers from my pussy, brushing against my clit as he passed over my mound, leaving wet trails on my bare skin. He pulled away, and now I had a much better view of his cock. It looked painfully hard.

"Fine," Edward said. "I'll handle it."

He reached for the camera and used his still-wet fingers to turn it on. Seeing he was momentarily distracted, my hand wandered off, almost on autopilot, to stroke my clit. I kept a light pressure, remaining on the very edge. I didn't realize I had closed my eyes until I heard Edward's voice again, throaty and more sensual than ever.

"I have an idea."

I opened my eyes, but didn't really stop what I was doing. I couldn't.

"What idea?"

"Keep playing with your pussy and follow my lead."

I kept at it, barely keeping myself together as I watched him move, noticing the appealing way his arm muscles tensed up when he lowered the camera, angling the curious lens right between my legs. I was completely exposed, and for a moment I forgot who I was putting up a show for. It felt as if the world was reduced to me and Edward, as he observed me closely.

I was reminded of what we were actually doing when the red light of the camera started flickering back and forth, signaling it was on.

That was it. No going back now.

"You just can't get enough, can you?" Edward asked, and something about his tone made me understand that this was part of his act. He used his free hand to probe around my entrance, and my heart almost exploded. "Look at this." There was no hesitation when he sank two fingers into my waiting pussy,thick juices flooding out, disclosing precisely how turned on I was. "You made a mess with this wet cunt of yours. I might just have to lick it all off once I'm done fucking you."

Holy. Fuck.

I could not believe what I was hearing. Deep inside, I knew he did not mean it like that, if only because we didn't want to show our faces. But the mere possibility… it was so easy to picture it, to picture his head between my legs, his mouth placing wet kisses all over my pussy, his tongue lashing over my clit…

"I'd still want more," I said, entering his game.

"If you could take more." I wasn't ready for two more fingers to make their way inside me, but Edward seemed to be on a wavelength of his own. I cried out, almost getting out his name in the process, as my body got used to the new sensation. The feeling was sublime, once again bringing me too close to perdition.

I stopped rubbing my clitoris altogether, to give myself a much-needed break.

"I can't stand it anymore," I whispered, not one trace of acting needed to convey just how hungry I was for him. "Fuck me, please!"

The corners of his lips danced their way into a devious smile. "Beg and I'll think about it."

There was no masking the shock on my face, nor my desire. He was playing me like an instrument, every word and every action making me fear the inevitable snapping. I didn't know how much of it was the result of him knowing what was at stake, and how much of it was the real him.

But right now, I didn't care. I was more than ready to beg if that was what he wanted.

"Please, fuck me already!" My voice trembled with every word, as Edward kept his restless pumping inside me. "You've teased me enough."

His smile was still there, but he didn't budge. "I'm not convinced."

Good God, was my best friend some kind of sadist and I was only learning about it now? It was getting impossible to curb my instinctive responses, and he was doing nothing to help me in this regard. He couldn't possibly believe that I was that good of an actress, he had to know he was pushing my limits.

"I need you to fuck me," I implored. "I need your cock deep, please, please…"

At this point, I could hear clear splashing sounds as he went in and out. My thighs clenched in anticipation once the rhythm between them slowed down. When Edward withdrew his fingers, they were shining in the soft light of the living room. For the shortest moment, he seemed transfixed by the sight. He just kept staring at the translucent fluids coating his fingers, with dilated pupils and a clenched jaw, not saying anything.

When he talked again, he sounded as if he was tailgating his own lust. "Turn around, I want to see your ass when I fuck you." He retreated, giving me enough space to do as he commanded. I felt exposed in a completely different way once I was on my belly, knowing that he could see yet another part of me he had never seen before. I was still processing the newness of it all when I felt his palm smacking my right buttock, with enough force to leave a burning sensation behind. I wailed, half in pain, half wanting him to do it again. "On your knees." I didn't have to think twice, especially when I felt the tip of his cock brushing over my ass in passing. "Good girl." God have mercy on me.

Whatever fear I felt before, it was gone now. I was ready in every sense of the word for him. He teased me again with his tip, moving it back and forth over my sensitive clit. I pushed my hips back, to let him know what I wanted, and he took the hint. With one hand on my waist, he pulled me back, angling me so that he could press right into my flesh.

Then, at long last, he pushed himself in, his cock splitting my aching cunt in half effortlessly.

He had only managed to get the head of his erection inside, but I already felt full. We moaned together, mesmerized by the gratifying feeling of being united like this, and he sank deeper, every inch of him strangled by my overly-welcoming pussy. Despite my initial fears, he filled me so fully, so perfectly, as if we had been designed to fit together.

The way my body stretched to welcome him got me even wetter, as I came to terms with the fact that all of my worries had been in vain, because this, right here, was the best thing that had ever happened to me.I had been dreaming of this moment for so long, without ever thinking it would come true. Sex with Edward had always been an idea doomed to be safely stored in the guilty-fantasies-that-should-never-see-the-light-of-day cabinet in my brain. In my mind, that cabinet had to remain closed. Now that it was open and spilling out, I didn't know what to do, because not only was it better than whatever it was that I imagined, but it was also the kind of thing that I would need again. And again. And again. And again.

Like heroin, one dose was enough to break me for the rest of my life.

With the new realization setting in, I had had no time to mentally prepare myself for what came next. With one last push of his hips, he entered me all the way in, until his balls slammed against my clit. I groaned, once more stopping myself from getting his name out at the last minute.

I felt his hand gripping my waist tighter, as he let out his next words in a strained breath. "Fuck, you're so tight, I love it…"

Edward allowed me to get used to his size, but not for long, before he started moving. Maybe he was just as out of control as I was, or maybe he just wanted to get this over with, but he didn't waste any time with gentleness. The time for teasing was long gone, as he fucked me with such fierce avidity it was almost scary. For a second, I dared to imagine he had been dreaming about this moment too, hence his unbridled passion.

The single crumble of reason that allowed me to still think shattered when Edward's rhythm quickened. Awfully fast, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and I found myself in need to chase it all the way to the end. My instincts led the way, as I took his unforgiving pounding.

"Harder…" I gasped, voicing my needs. "Harder!"

And harder he went, his cock burying its way in and out of me with more force, more speed. I was ready to hide my face into the small pillow on the couch, to muffle my ever-louder sounds, when Edward did the most cruel, most unforgivable thing in the world.

He stopped completely.

It took me far too long to understand what was happening. My head was still stuck in a cloud of unlimited pleasure, closer to the light than ever. My pussy was still sheathing his hard rock all the way to his balls, and yet… he was no longer moving.

"I stopped filming," he announced, and I heard a small sound behind me — if I had to guess, he had probably placed the camera back on the table. "We've got a few full good minutes of footage."

I tried to get my breath under control, but I found out soon that I couldn't do it. My muscles trembled and pulsed, pleading with me to end their suffering. The painful yearning in my womb, coupled with how deep inside me Edward still was, reminded me that I was nowhere near done.

"Bella?" There was a hint of worry in his voice. "Have I hurt you?" He started retreating, but I could not have it. I pushed back, forcing him all the way in. He grunted, and his palms landed on my hips, keeping me impaled on his cock.

"Fuck me," I whispered.

"We're no longer filming."

"I know." It was an effort to keep talking. "But I need this."

I felt his fingers sinking in my hips, as if he was battling with himself to make the right decision. He backed down again, only to thrust back into my depths, then repeated this motion a few times.

"You don't understand," he said. "I'm too close."

"No… you don't understand. I'm close too."

Edward moved again, and one of his hands went up, grabbing the ends of my hair into a fist and pulling on them. "You know that there's no going back if we go there, right?"

"I know."

"And you know that if I keep fucking your perfect little cunt, I'll come in no time, right?" he continued.

"Yes, Edward."

Whatever battle he was fighting, I knew the stakes had changed, because he was no longer fighting against me, nor against his urges. He started moving back and forth, using long, deliberate pushes, as if he was testing me. But it didn't take long for our bodies' unstoppable demands to take the reins. With all the rules gone, our fucking turned rabid. I could hear him urging me to let go, but little did he know I didn't need additional encouragement to do so.

I tried — God, I tried — to postpone my climax, but after chasing it away all evening, my force to do so was weak, almost non-existent.

Less than a minute had passed when my orgasm hit, crashing against me and dispersing my conscience down to atoms. I must have cried out Edward's name so loudly, anyone passing by my house would have been able to hear. All the tension from before exploded, bleeding out rivers of satisfaction into my tissues, into my brain, into my soul.

For a while, I felt weightless, limitless, as if I had died and found a secret path to heaven.

But Edward didn't stop. He kept going, hard and steady, and my bliss started taking a new form, as it rearranged into a new ball of fire that detonated without warning. A new orgasm washed over me, riding out the shockwaves of the previous. My helpless pussy clenched around the massive cock filling it — once, twice, and then, suddenly, it was no longer there, leaving me empty and sore.

"Fuck, Bella, I'm coming… Oh, fuck, oh, God!" Edward let out a long string of profanities, and in the middle of them, I felt something wet and warm splashing on my back. I couldn't see, but I could feel it pooling and running down my spine, and it was a lot. I gasped as I felt more and more of it landing on my back, and collapsed on my belly once he was done at last.

He remained on top of me, his face hidden in my hair, breathing heavily, not saying a single thing. We lay like that for the longest time, doing nothing but trying to separate where either of us ended and the other began. My mind was a large mass of mush, unable to form any cohesive thoughts other than how content I felt.

Edward was the first to move. He lifted himself up with a sigh. "Wait here, I'll bring some tissues to clean you up."

I didn't even flinch. In my current state, I could have died without noticing. I was halfway into the land of dreams when, some time later, Edward carefully ran several tissues down my back, collecting all the cum he had spilled on me. His movements were so delicate, I quickly fell back into sleepiness, hoping he would join me back on the couch. I wouldn't have minded falling asleep in his arms.

The only thing that really kept me up was his voice, when I heard him talk again. "Listen, I've got to go now, do you need anything?"

"Hm?" It was all I was capable of to express my confusion. Why was he in a hurry, all of a sudden? I heard more noises, signaling that he was getting dressed up.

He sighed again. "I have to go, Bella. But call me if you need anything." I didn't say anything. I couldn't. "You heard me, right?" I nodded, fighting back tears. "Will you call me?"

"Yes."

My response was automatic. I processed his words, trying to understand what went wrong. By the time I found the strength to raise up, he was long gone, the silence in the house weighing heavy over me. And if before I thought I would have the best sleep of my life, now my mind was alert, replaying Edward's last words over and over again, like a broken cassette.

A new, awful clarity settled in.

Had I just ruined everything with him? Did he despise me for the way I abandoned the most important rule of our deal — the very rule I suggested?

The clarity turned into a sense of dread, once I realized I might have lost my best friend over a plan born out of lust and thirst for revenge.

The hours passed by, but I didn't fall asleep. I remained curled up on the couch, struggling to understand the fluttering feeling in my stomach — a feeling that seemed to hide behind a solid wall of fear. It wasn't just the fact that I had done the unthinkable and slept with my best friend that was haunting me, but also the fact that I enjoyed it beyond the strictly physical aspects. I enjoyed it so much that I had longed for him to wrap me in his arms and let me sleep there, in the circle of his embrace. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that being left alone immediately after he finished broke my heart.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. I wasn't supposed to feel so torn over the consequences of my own decisions. Yet when the darkness outside began to wither, mixing itself with the uncertain light of a new rainy day, there was nothing left inside me but butterflies.

Scared, terrified, doomed butterflies.

III. Loving Aftermath

*Edward's Point of View*

I couldn't remember if time had ever passed at a slower rate.

Only a week separated me from the moment I last saw Bella, and yet it felt as if I was ten years older. I waited for her call, the morning after I left her house in an awkward hurry. And the following evening. And every single day after that. I expected her to call the day Tanya came to me to tell me she saw the videos and that she was sorry and that she wanted to start fresh, assuming that Jacob had tried a similar approach with Bella. I ended up at my piano, playing depressing songs all evening — not because I felt some type of sadness after breaking up with Tanya, but because I was afraid the silence meant I had lost the one woman that actually mattered to me. My Bella.

At some point during the third day, I started considering the possibility of breaking the ice myself. I wanted to tell her that what happened between us was nothing, even if it had been everything, and that I really, truly could behave like a civilized man upon seeing her again, instead of listening to my instincts, like I did when we made that damned video.

The truth was, I thought about that video more often than I liked. My days began and ended with cascading thoughts of it.

Secretly, perversely, I wished I had a copy of it, just so that I could get another glimpse of the passion Bella and I shared. It had been unlike anything I had ever experienced until then. It felt shallow to label it as "the best sex of my life", because it was infinitely more than that. Simply being inside her had been a transcendental experience. Then hearing my name rolling off her lips, seeing her so helpless in front of her own lust, feeling her squeeze the living hell out of my cock with her orgasms, seeing rivulets of my cum converging into small lakes on her delicate back, suppressing the hunger that called me to lick her freshly-fucked pussy and add to the mess with a new orgasm…

These fragments of perfection haunted me, because they confirmed something I had always feared might be true: the fact that Bella and I might be pretty fucking amazing together.

Not as friends. Not as lovers. But as both at the same time.

So I didn't call — at first.

But I was only human, so when Saturday rolled in and I noticed a poster for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland carnival in Humboldt Park, I could not resist. I knew how Lewis Caroll's book was the one that really got her addicted to reading when she was ten, and this was the kind of adorably ridiculous event she could appreciate. I dialed her number before I could change my mind.

I didn't have to wait long.

"Edward?" She seemed startled, and I fought with myself not to hang up. But hearing her voice was a good enough reason to keep going. I missed the warm inflexions of her spoken words, her sweet cadence.

"Hello there, stranger." I tried to sound relaxed, as if I had not spent the last seven days obsessing over her. It didn't work, because all I got out of her was a small, sad chuckle.

"Hello," she mirrored me, clearly not in the mood to entertain a conversation.

"How is everything going?"

"Nothing to write home about. What about you?"

So my fears had not been for nothing. She was, in fact, mad at me, and rightly so. My abrupt leaving had not been my proudest moment, but it had arguably been the safest option. When I saw Bella immediately after the act — naked, consumed and with my cum glazing her back — all I wanted to do was to take her into my arms, get her to the bedroom, lick the remains of her orgasm off of her spent cunt, and fall asleep with her in my arms. But neither of those things were acceptable options within the limits, if I still wanted us to remain friends after.

And by God, I wanted to, which was why I was not willing to give up just yet. Worst case scenario, she turned down my invitation. At least then I would have more reasons to leave her alone.

"I was done with grocery shopping for today, when I saw this poster right outside Walmart. Have you heard of the Alice in Wonderland carnival?"

Her moment of hesitation was followed by something beautiful: a sense of hopefulness. "Is that a real thing? Or are you messing with me?"

"I can send you a picture if you don't believe me."

"No, I do, I just… I'm surprised it exists."

Stepping on my anxiety, I let out the most important question. "So, do you want to find out what his whole thing is about?"

"W-what?"

"I was thinking we could go to the carnival together. Who knows when they'll set up something like this again?"

"Oh." Hesitation again. "Would you really do that?"

I was taken aback by this, but not enough to not answer immediately. "Absolutely."

"All right then."

"Perfect," I said, not quite managing to keep my insane enthusiasm under control. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight, how does that sound?"

"I'll be ready."

I didn't get to rest much that night. I was kept up until the early hours of the morning by thoughts of what I was going to say once I would be face to face with Bella again.

When I picked her up the next day, I made a point out of not staring too intently at her, despite the fact that she was wearing a blue dress that made her skin look like creamy clouds on an azure sky. But then she got inside my car, on the passenger seat, and I realized her dress had a slit that revealed enough of her thigh to grab my attention. I was instantly reminded of how appetizing the sight between her thighs was — wet, pink, throbbing — and my cock hardened as a response.

With my jaw clenched, I reached over the gearshift and hugged her, like I always did. She hugged me back, but there was a certain restraint in the way that her arms circled around my neck, almost as if she had never done it before. When I pulled back, my lungs were so full of her scent, I wanted to hold my breath just to make sure the soft tissues got imbued with it.

The atmosphere was decidedly different as we spoke sweet nothings about how our day had been. I could tell she was holding back. Her laughs were always cut off a little too early, her smiles disappeared with a tremble, and her eyes never held my gaze for longer than three seconds. I didn't know how to make her feel more at ease. Maybe ignoring everything was not the way to go, especially when the elephant inside the room was growing bigger and bigger the longer we allowed it to exist unnoticed.

We were waiting in line for tickets when I finally gathered up the courage to address the obvious.

"So, how are things with you and Jacob?"

Her eyes widened for the shortest second before she put her mask back on. "Well, we broke up."

She seemed to want to leave it at that, but I couldn't. "That's what you qualify as nothing to write home about?" I quipped, hoping to convince her to expand.

"What can I say? I guess I'd known for a while the end was coming. I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

"What do you mean you knew?"

"I mean being with Jacob started becoming a burden a while ago."

We made a step forward in line, but all of my attention was on her. Because if what she was saying was true, I might have known a whole lot less than I thought I did. "A burden how?"

"I don't know, just… constant fights, I guess. And our interests no longer overlapped. When I wanted a quiet day, he wanted a loud party with our friends. It's like… we've grown up to be different people from who we were when highschool ended."

"You never told me this." It wasn't really an accusation, more of an afterthought that I happened to voice out loud. I didn't even expect an explanation, but she gave me one anyway.

"I wanted to. But then you found Tanya and it didn't seem fair to burden you with my problems when you were falling in love properly for the first time."

"I wasn't in love," I assured her.

"You know best, but you seemed happy there… for a while, at least."

"All surface level, Bella. I broke up with her anyway."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yes. But not before she tried to tell me we could start again, since we were even."

"Wow, that's… one way to react after you're caught red handed."

Once inside the carnival, it felt as if we had entered a teenager's psychedelic dream. There were giant flowers, hidden cat faces and swirling black and white patterns everywhere, all of them lit up by thousands of purple kaleidoscopic lights. The evening was barely setting in, but the soft breeze of the twilight had been overtaken by the heat coming from the popcorn machines and the burning sugar.

"How do we like it?" I asked Bella.

"Whoever set this up is a secret genius."

I laughed, motioning her to follow me through the dense crowd. We swam through the sea of beating hearts, making our way past a giant ferris wheel, through long lines of people waiting to try the new carousels, until we reached an area that didn't seem as packed. When I turned around, she was right behind me. A part of me wanted to get back to our discussion from earlier, but seeing the new glimmer in her expression got me to stop.

For the first time today, she seemed joyful. I wasn't egotistical enough to think that I was the reason behind it, considering we were in the heart of her childhood favourite story, but I was confident enough to believe that I could keep her high spirits up, if I made an effort. Spotting a line of claw machines — with most of them already in use by several kids and teenagers — I invited her to take a look and tell me what she wanted the most.

"Come on, you know these things are rigged." She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but it won't kill me if, for a night, I pretend they're not. We're in Wonderland, after all, are we not?"

Bella found this new thread of logic more acceptable, so she nodded in agreement, biting her lip and getting me to forget where I was for a moment. "Then surprise me."

I entered the first coin into the machine, then started maneuvering the joystick around, aiming for the green cat in the corner, knowing that, as a self-proclaimed cat lover, she would appreciate it. The claw entered its sharp descent, grabbing the toy's head and lifting in the air, only to let it fall immediately after.

"See? That's what I was telling you about!"

"Shhh, I've got plenty of coins left to make this thing work."

"You may end up financially ruined."

"Worth it," I replied.

Five unfortunate trials later, Bella was laughing so hard, I could hear her better than the rapid-fire tempo music blasting from every speaker.

"All right, now I need that cat," she managed to say, in between bursts of laughing. "It looks so stupid, with her little head cut off, I just—"

She didn't finish her sentence, as another round of insane giggling took over her.

"Watch me win this thing," I announced proudly.

Ten minutes later, she was still laughing at my utter inability to catch something, this time with a caramel apple in her hand. She took small bites out of it, while I kept making a fool of myself just to see her happy.

I must have lost around fifteen dollars by the time the giant claw grabbed the headless cat's underbelly and lifted it into the air victoriously, without letting it drop this time.

"Oh, my God, it's happening, it's happening!" Bella squealed, witnessing the miracle.

Once she finally had the maimed green toy in her hands, she thanked me and jumped to wrap me in a lavender-scented embrace. I responded automatically, pulling her tight against my body, and allowing my cheek to rest on top of her head. We lingered past the acceptable point of when we should have let go, just basking in the warmth of being close again after the most torturous week.

I suddenly felt weak. Weak enough to tell her I had been thinking about her every waking moment in the past seven days. Weak enough to cave and kiss her if she looked up now.

"Someone's getting laid tonight, boys!"

"Woo-hoo!"

Reluctantly, I followed the direction of the sound, seeing that right across from us, a few teenage boys were chuckling as they observed the show of affection in front of them.

"You and Susie could never, 'cause you can't catch toys for shit."

Bella must have heard them too, because she parted from me, frowning towards our interrupters.

"Just ignore them," I suggested.

She responded with a nod and she got further away, closer to a trash can, where she could throw the stick of her caramel apple. Her previously joyful mood had certainly taken a back seat. It was evident to me that hearing those words coming from strangers had not been easy for her, considering our recent troublesome history. We had just managed to slide back into a more natural, less awkward rhythm with each other, but now it appeared that we were back to where our evening started — in that tense place, in which we were hyper-aware of each other.

"I think I saw a house of mirrors earlier," Bella said, out of nowhere. "Let's go there."

This time, it was my turn to follow her as she traversed the warm crowd. I tried to keep my composure, but the way her hips swung back and forth, revealing the round contour of her ass, got me erect again. It was hardly the first time she had this kind of effect on me, but now it was arguably worse, because I knew exactly what I was missing.

Inside the house of mirrors, nothing made sense, apart from the fact that I could now admire Bella from every angle while she walked in front of me. The lights were too dim, the music creepily low in volume, the pathways uncomfortably tight, the voices of others finding their way out of the mirror maze resonating from afar.

I felt trapped here, in this place where my lust and feelings reared their heads at every corner, not allowing me the chance to break free from them.

Hopelessly, I attempted the endeavor of repositioning my unrelenting hardness, so that it wouldn't be the first thing she noticed if she happened to turn around. We walked in silence, with Bella leading the way, still holding on to her green cat toy. I trusted her ability to find the correct path out of the creepy labyrinth, not suspecting for a bit that she might get confused.

I should have known better.

Because next thing I knew, she bumped into a mirror. And because I had not been paying attention, I bumped right into her, my rigid length pressing right between her buttocks.

"Sorry," I rushed to say, taking one step back at the exact same moment she turned around, cheeks flushed, even in the poor lighting. "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't worry. It was my fault."

She glanced at me, then at the visible excitement in my pants, and it was actual torture that I couldn't just press her against the mirror, crush my lips into hers, and fuck her until she came hard, screaming her rapture into my mouth. How was I supposed to think clearly, with these scenarios swimming in my head?

"Let's move," I urged her, because I didn't know what else to do.

Bella stumbled as she squeezed between me and the mirror wall, to get in front once again. Desperately, I looked up — at anything else that wasn't her ass — only to be met by the demure sight of her cleavage staring at me from the mirror ceiling. I closed my eyes, feeling caught in the strangest limbo.

I was starting to think this might as well be a fever dream, when I opened my eyes again, with Bella nowhere near in sight. A cold tingle ran down my spine, announcing the incoming panic, but the tingle withered the moment a soft whisper got my attention. I followed its trail, squashing myself through yet another tight pathway, getting further away from the illuminated part of the maze, closer to complete darkness.

Several more steps, and I could no longer see any mirrors, only pitch black. For one reason or another, someone had forgotten to cover every secret crevasse of the labyrinth.

"I don't think we're supposed to be here." Bella's voice was still soft as a phantom. And even if I could not see her, every inch of my body was aware of her staggering presence. Pure electricity flowed between us, making the air itself taste like fire.

"I don't know if you're aware of this, but you are testing my every limit," I warned, right as she placed her palms on my shoulders. I couldn't resist, and wrapped my arms around her waist.

We breathed in, breathed out, and I had no idea how we even managed to find our way back to walking on the same dangerously thin line that separated what we thought was right from what was actually right. The same line we walked one week ago.

I was surprised when she repositioned herself in my embrace. I felt her moving, heard a delicate rustling, and then she was back to being motionless, palms on my shoulders.

Only this time, she had slipped something in my hand.

"This is what you did to me all evening," she murmured. "I thought I could handle you, but I can't."

Carefully, I analyzed the little gift she had given me, guiding myself using my tactile sense only. It was something light, almost airy in weight. And definitely lacey, pleasant to the touch. And… apparently fully drenched in warm liquids that I recognized instantly.

I was transfixed. Shocked. Convinced I was imagining this. Aware that I was not.

My fingertip started tracing patterns in the small pool, against my better judgement, and a delicate waft of Bella's arousal made its way to me, sweet and decadent. In response, my erection twitched painfully and my tongue twinged with hunger.

She didn't know it yet, but I had just gone past my breaking point.

There were no more fights left in me. I was in love with her, my ethics be damned. And I wanted her with an urgency that would have left me scared if it weren't for how much I loved her. I could not deny these truths forever.

Led by my needs alone, I stuffed her underwear in the pocket of my jeans and shimmied the skirt of her dress up, rolling it across her hips, and kneeled in front of her. Bella parted her legs dutifully, and in the shadows my mouth started a discovering journey from her knees to her thighs, from her thighs to their apex, and finally — at long last — arriving at the destination.

Feeling her taste on my tongue was a new kind of paradise, one I had been dreaming of for years. She was so wet, that her juices instantly dribbled down my chin once I had my first taste.

In an effort to get more from her, I grabbed her buttocks tightly in my palms, forcing her body to press down on my hard-working tongue. I took my time, licking at her dripping entrance, then kissing along the slit of her pussy, then back at her entrance, finding an exasperatingly sweet pace. I teased and teased, wanting to preserve this moment for as long as possible, taking in every minute reaction from Bella.

Her breath was coming in short gasps, her thighs trembled against my ears as she tried to remain steady on her feet, while her fingers were in my hair, pulling and caressing. When my tongue grazed Bella's clit and she shuddered in pleasure, I could no longer be patient. I returned to her hardened pleasure point, moving the flat of my tongue from left to right, then alternating with more circular strokes.

No words were shared when she came. Her first orgasm flooded my mouth violently, and I kept her on the crest of the wave for longer by continuing my onslaught on her clit. In comparison, her second orgasm felt calmer, deeper — not like the tsunami hitting the shore on a sunny day and ravishing everything in its wake, more like the slow, gradual return of a tide at night.

I savoured it with her, swirling my tongue lazily in the ocean between her legs, to help her ride the afterwaves all the way to the shore. Once she came back to earth, I became more aware of other looming necessities. My cock was straining painfully against the zipper of my jeans, ready to burst out, overly jealous of my mouth and tongue.

Revved up, I climbed my way up her body with kisses, that soon turned into bites, born out of frustration over the fact that she was still covered by her dress. I stopped, content at last once I found her barren neck, and started suckling on the fragile skin there, while my hands grabbed her ass and lifted her up, pushing her right against the obvious bulge in my pants.

"Please," she implored, wrapping her legs around me. Her impatient fingers managed to set my erection free in no time. Next thing I knew, the tip of my cock was nestled between the silky lips of her pussy, basking in the sloppy aftermath of her orgasms. "Please!"

I didn't offer her the chance to beg again. I lowered her body and entered her all at once, sinking in the hot tight depth with one long upward push of my hips. With nothing to hold it back, her cry echoed in the darkness, reverberating beyond them, right into the mirror maze.

Knowing we couldn't risk being heard, I stopped her sounds quickly, by placing a palm over her mouth. She moved her hips frantically, attempting to establish a rhythm, but not quite managing to from where she was.

"I know," I murmured. "I know how you want it."

I felt the vibration of another moan in my palm once I started thrusting back and forth, sliding almost all the way out of the thrumming home of her cunt, before sliding back inside, balls-deep. It seemed to drive her crazy, going by the way her nails started digging paths in my back, over my shirt, so I kept at it, wondering how long I could withhold myself from coming at this pace.

Barely a minute had passed when I heard voices beyond the wall, getting closer to us. They were laughing, and didn't seem to be aware of the depravity unfolding behind the mirrors. Still, I stopped, slowly exiting Bella's body and letting her feet back down on the floor.

"Someone's close," I muttered, zipping my jeans back up. "Come on."

Without thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed her hand and guided her out of our hiding place, back into the labyrinth. Several feet in front of us, a young couple with two kids were trying to find their way out. We said nothing as we walked behind them, but we didn't let go either. Our hands held onto each other, as one last remain of the secret we shared.

When we were back outside, it felt like another world. The night had fully set in, with the carnival lights glowing brightly from every corner. I breathed in the popcorn-taffy-saturated air, disappointed only because my previous bliss met its end, but also because, somewhere between the exit door and getting back outside, Bella had let go of my hand. I looked at her, surprised to realize she still had the decapitated toy in her hand. I followed the direction of her gaze, and I saw the giant ferris wheel, shining brightly not that far away.

"Do you want to go there?" I asked. "The ferris wheel, I mean."

"Y-yes, let's… let's do that."

Whatever game we were playing, it was starting to wear me off. Because to me, the stakes were too high.

My frustration was almost palpable when we finally arrived at our destination and got onto our seats, buckling in. It wasn't until we were up in the air that my inescapable thoughts started to get the best of me.

And I could have taken a more tactful approach when I opened my mouth to talk, but I had gone past that point not that long ago. "I've reached my limit, Bella."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everything changed, and I'm tired of walking these blurred lines. Believe it or not, I'm not playing games here."

"I'm not playing games either," she retorted, almost insulted, and hearing her irritation got my own indignation to bubble up and spill over.

"Then why didn't you call? Not even once, even though you told me you would."

"Edward, you left my house the second you finished, what was I supposed to do? I thought you regretted everything, and that you no longer wanted me around… like, at all. Not as a friend, not as anything."

Startled, I tried to digest the meaning of her confession, quite in disbelief. "I left like that because I wanted to still be your friend. And I couldn't do that, had I actually done what I wanted to."

"And… what was that?"

I took a deep breath in, no longer battling if I wanted to be honest all the way or not.

"I wanted to fall asleep with you in my arms. And to wake up the next morning still holding you there. And to repeat the cycle again and again and again." She went silent, but something about her rosy cheeks encouraged me to continue. "I knew you said you only wanted to make that video as revenge, so I didn't want to cross any additional lines with you at that point. Because if I did, I risked losing you altogether."

"Edward—"

"No, I'd like to finish this, because I've been carrying this weight on my shoulders for way too long." Her eyes went wide, and in the background of my conscience I realized we had almost reached the top of the wheel. "You don't know how it's been eating at me. For days on end, I thought everything ended. Your silence only cemented my convictions. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't focus on anything but the fact that we weren't talking and instead we were behaving like strangers. And I thought that was it. That was, in fact, the very end of us. But I couldn't come to terms with such a thing. How could I, really? You know me better than anyone, losing you is the equivalent of having half of myself removed forever. So I called you. And I thought I could strangle that part of me that wanted more when I saw you again, but then we went into the mirror house, and I knew there was no escaping it. There is no escaping it. Whatever I try, however I struggle, it all circles back to the same things. I want you. I need you. But above all else, I am in love with you. And I have been pretty much from the moment I first laid eyes on you."

With all my secrets out, I felt lighter. And even if a thousand lights were shining below my feet, all I could focus on was Bella — and how, out of all the things she could be doing right now, she was smiling.

"You were faster than me," she said, leaving me confused.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean earlier, when I interrupted you, I wanted to say that you hadn't been alone in wishing you stayed that night. I wanted you to stay too, Edward. It broke my heart that you didn't. And… it was the moment I stopped fighting my own feelings. For years, I tried to play it off as a harmless little fantasy of mine, as if the way your very presence made my heart beat faster was nothing but my dumb brain playing tricks on me. But the more I fought against the idea, the worse it got for me. And it did take me being cheated on to finally admit to myself that he was never going to be the one. But you are, Edward. So yes, you were faster than me, but that doesn't change the fact that we reached the same conclusion. I'm in love with you too. And each second I spend without touching you is killing me as we speak."

Speechless, shocked, relieved — and, above all else, happier than ever — I turned around in my seat, realizing she was closer to me than I realized.

"I love you," I admitted out loud, knowing that I no longer had to worry about allowing the truth to roam freely. Leaning forward, I witnessed my wildest dream come alive as our eyes closed and our lips met. After the initial sweetness dwindled, something raw and a million times more powerful came to take its place.

"I love you, Edward," she managed in between two strokes of our lips.

Not ready to part, but mesmerized by hearing her declaration of love, I pulled back, admiring what was in front of me. I missed the moment we had reached the peak, but it didn't matter. My Bella was positively glowing.

"So, how about a date?" I asked, only half-joking.

"Doesn't this count as our first?"

"Mmmmm, absolutely not," I disagreed, carefully tucking a few stray strands of hair beneath her ear. "What kind of man would I be then? Fucking you on our very first date… I can do a whole lot better than that, gorgeous."

"Hmmm, I wouldn't be so sure. I can think of something even better."

"And that would be?"

She giggled. "Well, fucking me on our second date as well, obviously."

By the time our ride reached its end, our lives had already begun again.