Beta: Fran

Prereaders: Jill, Ariel, and Pearly

My heart: Yours

Things I don't own: Twilight or the FBI


-44-

"Hello?" Bella's voice travels through the phone's speaker pressed to my ear, sending a jolt down my spine that I have to immediately will away.

"Bella? Hi, it's Edward," I try to sound confident when I speak, but I'm anything but. Angela insisted I shouldn't be watching Bella when I made the call, so I can't even see any of her cues to know if she's happy to hear from me or wants me to go find a hole to die in.

But Angela is watching her on my computer, and she looks both amused and a little upset. The latter I chalk up to her being as serious about her job as I am.

Bella is quiet for a beat longer than I'm comfortable with, and I realize why as soon as she speaks again.

"Edward, so nice of you to remember me after all this time." She's annoyed. And honestly, she should be. I never intended to call her after my slip-up of asking her out. But I don't do anything I intend to with this girl, so nothing should really be a shock at this point.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. I had a business trip pop up last minute, and I was gone a lot longer than I anticipated. I called as soon as I got back."

"And they didn't have any cell service where you went? Or even before you went? You couldn't have spared a quick moment to shoot me a text?" I can tell she's still smiling, even though she's not exactly happy with me.

"Look, I'm really sorry. Men are fuck-ups, haven't you heard? Let me make it up to you," I can feel myself floundering, so I busy my free hand with a loose thread on my pants.

"Wasn't this date already supposed to be you making things up to me?" She asks.

"No, it was you making things up to me. For taking my shirt," I tease. I don't say it to be shitty, of course. This is just what she and I do. The back and forth. The banter.

"That you offered. To make up for ruining my date," she quips.

Damn. She's got me.

I look over at Angela, who's holding her lips between her teeth to keep from laughing. I may not be able to see Bella, but I know her well enough by now to be able to picture her so clearly. The way she's standing, her weight resting just a little more on her right leg than her left. The way her mouth is curving in that sarcastic grin, how she's chewing the inside of her lip because she tries not to bite it when she's in public for some reason.

She does at home, though, and man, does that drive my dick nuts.

"You're right. One more chance?" I offer the pleading in my tone leaking through even though I don't want it to.

Another pause. A swell of hope in my chest.

"Look, Edward, you seem like a nice guy, but I don't exactly have the time to be playing these games."

And the hope bubble bursts stupendously.

"They're not games, Bella."

"Even if you didn't intend to play, it's a game. Thank you for your interest, but I think I'll have to pass."

My mouth hangs open when she ends the call before I can respond, but Angela's loud laughter doesn't allow me time to dwell on it for long.

"Holy shit, I like her," she says, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.

Yeah, me fucking too.

"What do I do now?" I ask instead.

Angela shrugs, her grin never faltering. "Guess you gotta work a little harder than that, Casanova."