A/N: Hey guys. I've been writing a lot recently, so here's the latest chapter. I have a lot of the ending done, so hopefully I can start updating consistently. Enjoy :)


CHAPTER 10:

"So Jake, where are we going?"

"Um, I was thinking about Linea Caffe."

"Sounds great."

Heading inside, I went up to the counter while Jake picked a table. He sat in a chair facing the window, but also against the wall. Those were my favorite spots in restaurants because it made you less vulnerable and gave you the best view.

We ate silently; I was still exhausted. Jake was talking, but I wasn't really listening. Continuing to nod at all the right places and inputting words like "oh" or "wow," I was physically in the cafe…but my mind was elsewhere.

What did Seth mean about good luck? Is he not confident that I'll blend in? Why were they so surprised by me? I mean I was quiet, but that was more than just a startle. And that glance. What did that mean?

It had been quiet for far longer than it should have and when I glanced up to check, his glare made me bite my lip. I should have been paying better attention to him.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been the best listener today."

"No, it's okay. It's time to get going anyway." The clock behind him ticked on. I had been a horrid listener for about an hour.

My hand went to grab him reluctantly as we left the restaurant. I really should have been paying better attention, especially since earlier he thought I was cheating.

His face was still set in the anger from when he first entered the apartment. Squeezing his hand, I quietly hoped that I could undo earlier, "I promise after this case is over, I'll never leave you."

"Never?" His body turned to me with a more open posture.

"Okay, maybe not never. But I never want to leave you." He swung me to the front of him and wrapped his arms around me. Going on my toes, I kissed him.

"I'll take that promise." He smirked. "Do you really have to go? We could hang out at my apartment. I found a good movie earlier."

"Sorry Jake, I really do need more practice. You have no idea how long it took to just get that. It's only a fourth of the dance. "

"Well at least let me walk you home."

"Okay Jake." He put his arm around my waist.

On the walk back, we returned to our usual banter. I was just relieved that he wasn't one to hold grudges. His laugh captured me so much I almost forgot about Seth and Edward's conversation earlier, almost. I couldn't figure out why that bothered me so much, but it did.

"Thank you Jake for a wonderful meal, next time I'll try to keep better company."

"Bella, don't beat yourself up over it. I enjoy just being near you."

"Aw," I kissed him on the check, "Bye Jake."

As I ascended the staircase, my heart pumped faster. The curiosity was eating me up inside. I knew it was probably something simple, but I couldn't help but to be interested. The longer I lived with Edward, the more he was a mystery.

Swinging the door open, it almost made a dent in the other wall. Thank goodness for door stoppers. The door flew violently back and almost hit me. On the other side of the room I heard a laugh.

"That was not funny." I almost got hit.

"You're wrong. That was hilarious. Was the date so bad that you could wait to get back?" His shoulders moved up and down from laughing.

I gave him a look and he shut up.

"Sorry," he apologized as I sat on the couch. "So, if you weren't running from your date, then why were you in a rush to get back."

I figured it would probably be better if I told the truth, "I overheard you and Seth talking earlier…and I got curious and anxious and—"

He cut me off, "This is what you get for eavesdropping."

"Edward, pleaseee," I begged.

"It's none of your business." Staring at his eyes, I was hoping to lure it out of him. Then, I tried the puppy dog look that Jake always used on me; Edward didn't buy it. Huffing out a breath, I looked him straight in the eyes and just waited. Unfilled silence made people nervous, more likely to talk.

"Okay, since you obviously are invested in this 3 second conversation, I might as well tell you what it was about." I was so happy it worked; I was practically bouncing up and down. He smirked.

"Seth was just giving us good luck on the operation," his hand rested on the left side of his face and then combed back his hair. Liar.

"Edward, the truth would be nice."

He froze, looking worried. "That was the truth Bella, I don't know what more you want."

I grabbed his hand, "You know you can tell me anything."

Speaking under his breath, it sounded like he said, "I wish." Then he spoke louder, "I promise it's nothing to worry about."

"Sure," I rolled my eyes, "But I'll be thinking about it all night."

"How about we watch a movie?"

I sighed. This is pointless. He was just as stubborn as I was. "How about we practice? I don't feel confident in the moves. I think I've already forgotten most of it."

His expression slowly lightened until a small captivated his whole face. "That sounds like a better idea."

We stood side by side pushing the couch against the television stand to create room. While he worked on moving the side tables, I pulled out the speaker and started the music. A warm feeling filled my chest as the guitar began to strum.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I responded.

Taking my hand, he led me to the left. His crooked smile appeared as we dipped. Without Seth, the moment seemed more intimate. It felt strange. My heart pounded in my chest as we restarted it. I had forgotten a chunk of the choreography, but somehow Edward remembered.

"I just don't understand. How can you be so good at this?" I barely got out as we stomped to the other side of the room.

"I actually took lessons. When I was working as a waiter for this restaurant, they made us dance occasionally. It paid well so I didn't put up a fuss. "

"I can't really imagine that." I imagined young Edward holding a dancer in his arms with a rose in his mouth. I chuckled.

"I usually try to forget. But it helps sometimes, like this instance."

"Well, I think it was time well spent."

"Thank you." He grabbed my waist with one arm and dipped me.

The room was becoming humid from our movements. We decided to turn the music down lower as the ninth continued; we would have gotten complaints otherwise. Eventually, we heard the domestic sound of our neighbor's grandfather clock. Shit, it's late.

"Break?" He suggested as we continued to move.

"Break?" My eyes popped out of my head, "Edward! It's twelve at night. This isn't a break, this is stopping."

"Oops," he laughed and then released me from his grasp.

"Can I shower first?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll be up doing some more research."

Scurrying off to the bathroom, I cleaned as fast as possible with all my muscles aching. By the time I ended up in bed, my legs were throbbing as my body melted into the mattress.

"Bella," I had an arm around me pulling me up.

"What the heck Edward! I'm sleeping."

"No, what you are is late. I've already woken you up five times before this. You just conveniently fall back asleep. But I'm not letting it happen this time." Grabbing me, he made sure that I stood up before he left.

"Get dressed, he's going to be here in five minutes."

"Everything hurts though."

His laugh trailed through the door as I tried to find something to wear. I settled for yoga pants and a tank top. Heels. I rolled my eyes.

Coming out of the room, the red heels hung in my hands. "I don't want to wear these. I have blisters."

"Here," he handed me a pack of bandaids. Thanks.

I grabbed a clip to throw up my hair and then slowly started bandaging my entire foot. Once the shoes were on and tight, Seth barged into the room. "Hola muchachos. Buenos días."

"Hola Seth. You're just in time."

"Bella, what happened to your feet."

"You, you happened to me."

"Lo siento. We only have two more days left, so we have to rush. Sorry."

I walked over to him, a bit wobbly. "I understand. Let's get started."


I couldn't feel my feet. Actually that was a lie. My feet prickled…probably from the blood. Bandaid wrappers covered the kitchen.

"Again," Seth yelled while sitting on a kitchen stool.

I exhaled a large breath and surrendered to his request. Edward grabbed my hand to start as Seth hit the speaker.

"It'll be okay. We only have thirty minutes left."

We spun around and once I was certain Seth was out of hearing reach, I whispered, "I'm exhausted. I don't think I can do much more of this."

"Bella. Come on. You need spice and sparkle and sass," Seth yelled.

Stepping up my game, I worked on trying not to lose my footing. We did it again and again and again. The competition usually only got partners the day before, but Seth worked out a way that we would be guaranteed to be together. And with that, I had a lot more time than an average contestant to prepare.

"Bella, focus." I narrowed my eyes toward him.

"Ten minutes Bella. You can survive for ten minutes."

He was right and I knew it; I still wanted to refute him though. I had spent all day practicing, while Seth and Edward swapped places.

Spinning in circles, I tried to keep what Seth called a "spot." The timer went off in the middle of the turn and without much thought I completely stopped the motion. Thankfully Edward backed up at the opportune moment and only I fell to the floor.

"I've got to go. Ciao Bella. Be ready for tomorrow," he shut the door and I collapsed.

"You can't just stay on the floor."

Squinting at him, I laid completely flat while staring at the ceiling. "I can and I will."

He took my hand and jerked me up from the lovely floor. "You need to eat something."

"I could have done it from the floor," I pouted.

"It's not clean."

"Sure, sure whatever you say." I took a step forward and then collapsed back down. Shit. Sharp pain shot through my calf so that I couldn't move it. Heaving out breaths, I tried to move it but the more I tried the more it hurt.

"What's wrong?"

"My calf is cramping."

"Oh."

"Oh, that's all you have to say. Help me up, I have to walk it off." Meandering about the kitchen, it eventually wore off, leaving an ache.

"You only have two days until the performance and then you can start really investigating."

"I'm not feeling very optimistic about this."

"You'll be great. Here," he handed me a sandwich.

We ate with the music still playing in the background. Something in me told me I should keep moving. Of course, everything hurt, but I needed the practice.

"Time to practice."

"You fell earlier from leg cramps and you want to practice?"

"Yes, now come over here."

The night carried on like the previous one and I slept like a rock.

I woke up to repeat the same actions, but this time each was filled with nerves. I only had one more day to get this all correct.

Seth yelled a lot at the beginning of the day and soon realized that I did worse with harsh criticism. Carefully, he weaned in little corrections that I soon learned were a good thing in dance.

He came and went, leaving Edward and I dancing in the middle of the living room. I wondered when we would ever put the furniture back, but honestly I liked having the dance floor open.

We repeated it until I could no longer stand the music. I bit my lip as we went in for the last dip.

"You'll do fine tomorrow."

"There are so many things that can go wrong."

"Don't think about it. You'll do great Bella." The moment felt a little too intimate so when the music stopped, we parted ways.


Backstage. We're backstage. A weird combination of excitement and nerves worked their way through me. Thankfully, Edward never went far away and Seth had taken to giving me small reassurances every time we crossed paths.

As much as the nerves ate at me, I had a job to do.

"Andrew, can you zip up the back of my dress?" I asked Edward. Code names were vital, but I still loathed using them. I occasionally slipped up.

"Of course." He picked up on it instantly. While he walked closer to me, I tried to take mental notes of the people surrounding us. We stood backstage with tons of different dancers running around. The air reeked of hairspray and nerves. A row of women checked their makeup in the mirrors while the bulbs made the air humid. The men on the other hand were in a circle laughing. Then someone's phone timer went off and everyone rapidly formed a line with their partners.

Looking for Seth, I waited for Edward to finish zipping up this tiny little costume. He leisurely pulled up the small piece of metal in an attempt to not hurt me. Staring at the mirror, I focused on his expression. He was calm as always, while my stress had already caused me to sweat.

Then, I glanced at my own face. Make-up was plastered onto my skin and the false eyelashes stung. Thankfully, I wouldn't be wearing it much longer. My eyes inspected my skimpy outfit. The sparkles covering the dress reflected the bright bulbs attached to the mirror. I sighed. I feel naked.

"You look beautiful."

"I look uncomfortable," my shoulders hunched. I didn't even have the advantage of having my hair down to cover some of me.

"Beautiful nonetheless."

"Thank you." Turning around, I forced myself to smile.

"You'll do amazing. I'll see you in a couple hours." That wasn't really true, he would be near me almost the entire time, just out of sight.

Honestly, I didn't want Edward to leave. The people here weren't what I was used to. Everyone was perky and upbeat. The energy surrounding the dancers was unmatched and it frightened me. They were such a tight pack, and to think that one of them was slowly killing off the others was disturbing to say the least.

Glancing around the room for Seth again, I found someone less appealing. Wearing a black satin costume with gaudy makeup, she strutted her way towards me.

"Hi Jessica" I faked a smile.

"Oh my god Katie. Is that your boyfriend?" She eyed him like he was a prize. Edward leaned against the wall across the room, waiting until it was time for the audience to sit down.

"No, just an old friend."

She looked at me with shock, "You're not sleeping with him." I noticed that she used her hands a lot while talking.

My face turned to show my disgust, "No, I'm definitely not sleeping with him."

"But he's so hot. Do you mind if I take my shot?" Please go ahead and try, I'd like to see a show.

"No, go straight ahead." Gesturing towards him, our eyes connected. This would be interesting to see. I had watched Edward turn down every girl he had seen in the past few years. Of course, he attracted girls like honey attracted flies, none of them were ever worthwhile.

I watched as she slowly jogged in her heels. She caught Edward's arm, and he smiled at her. From a distance, I watched him flirt? What the hell was he doing? His smile was overly friendly as he moved closer to her. He laughed? For the week that I had known Jessica, nothing she ever said was funny.

Seth stood near them, so I made my way to the "future couple" and listened into their conversation. I tapped my foot impatiently as she made some of the stupidest remarks possible. And I waited and waited for him to turn away. He never did.

"I was wondering if you would like to get coffee sometime," her overly perky voice asked.

At least I knew he would never do that, until he responded, "Yeah, that sounds wonderful." What the actual hell!

I eyed him with a glare. She just wasn't good enough for him. Of course, she was pretty, maybe. I shook my head. Of all the people in the world he picked Jessica? Her smile widened as they parted. She winked at me on the way back to her mirror.

I know I have no right to tell Edward who to date. But her? She has no personality. Okay, I need to calm down. It's his life. And yet, it still deeply bothered me.

Seth knew I was unfocused and he gave me a quick tap.

"Kate, focus." Rolling my eyes, I watched Edward leave the backstage area to the audience.

"Lo siento. Andrew's being stupid and it's distracting me."

"You think that, but maybe he likes her." I rolled my eyes again.

"Let's go." I grabbed his hand and led him backstage. Looking past the curtain, a row of three judges lined up.

"Seth, this is never going to work. We're not that good." The nerves were starting to get to me. Feeling slightly nauseous, I stared at the floor.

"We just have to be good enough that they notice, that's it. Plus the judges look at a lot of things like choreography, technique, and costumes."

"I really hope they like this because I'm certainly not wearing this for myself." He laughed.

"Kate, we've got it. They also like facial expressions, a lot."

"What kind of expressions? Shouldn't you have told me this earlier?"

"For what I watched you already have them down." I panicked a little. He muttered something under his breath with Edward's name.

"What?"

"Just pretend you're in the apartment dancing with Andrew."

Tilting my head, I replied, "That's a little weird. But if it works, okay." I shrugged.

The audience erupted in applause as the couple in front of us finished. The judges only had good reviews. My heart raced as I stepped on the slippery floor.

"Tell us about yourselves." The judge in the middle asked while a pen tapped her upper lip. She was blonde and very put together; she obviously took this job very seriously.

I didn't know if I should answer. Afraid that my voice would crack, Seth handled it, "My name is Seth Clearwater and this is my partner Kate Lofton. We're from Washington State." The audience listened intently.

"And what do you hope to get out of this show?" The man on the right spoke. As his lips moved, his eyes looked at me up and down. I couldn't tell if he was judging the outfit or me, regardless I felt uncomfortable. Although his appearance was mostly clean, I got a grimy vibe from him.

"We're hoping to learn a lot and hopefully win."

"Well we wish you luck," the last judge spoke.

Seth and I moved to the center and set up our beginning pose. The music began and my heart skipped a beat.

Attitude. Step out. Step back. Smile, Gaze into his eyes. Spot. Oh God don't fall. Seth exuded confidence where I was terrified. Once the first few movements passed, I let the music take over me. My body replied to the muscle memory attached to the sound. All I had to do was to smile and "look like I was in love." Seth's hands moved to my hips and then away.

We hit the dip and I realized we were almost finished. I looked up into the stage lights. The varied colors made a halo above Seth's head. I felt alive, it was wonderful. The music slowed as Seth and I hit our last move. The crowd applauded.

My body shook slightly. I had no clue how long we would have to stand in the pose. Seth moved his hand and I straightened up. My eyes looked at the audience briefly, hoping to see Edward's face. But then one of the judges spoke, breaking my focus. I smiled brightly as the judges assessed our performance.

"Absolutely wonderful, both of you. I could feel the chemistry." I glanced at Seth and grinned.

"I loved everything about this dance. You, Kate, are a very beautiful dancer." It sounded like the word "dancer" was tacked on, like it wasn't the original thought. It was the same judge that made me feel the unease earlier.

The last judge spoke, "I can't wait to see what you two do next."

Seth and I walked off the stage. Our breath was heavy both from nerves and from the dance.

"We did it," I hugged him.

"And now we wait?"

"Yeah, I haven't figured out much yet." I knew everyone's name and where they were from, but I needed to get closer to figure out who was desperate to win.

Jessica snuck up on me, "Hey, you guys are welcome to come to the party. Most people are coming," she said with a stuck up attitude. Apparently her bright attitude earlier was just a mask.

"We would love to." I responded. The party would give me raw information. People rarely left parties sober and it was so much easier to get information out of drunk people.

"I think I'll invite Andrew too."

"That's a wonderful idea." Well at least I don't have to explain why Edward is there anymore.

While we waited for the show to end, I used my mirror to watch the contestants behind me. Most of them were anxious, making their emotions more organic than usual. As the time passed, Seth and I talked about mundane topics. Next week was the elimination round and Seth was already picking out a song. I no longer minded dancing; it was exhilarating. Seth wrapped his arm around me as we went back out to say thank you to the audience. Everyone stood up. Everything was so surreal.

Walking outside, Edward's face brought me comfort. I swung my bag over my shoulder and then approached him.

"Kate that was incredible." His reaction seemed genuine from his tone of voice.

"Thank you," this time my smile was real. I was so charged from the dance that I hugged him without much thought.

"I never thought it would have turned out like that."

"How could you have doubted my dancing skills?" I teased.

"Well for one, you doubted your own skills and secondly you trip over everything."

"Okay, I guess that's true. I'm kinda excited for next week," I admitted.

We waited a moment while everyone was clearing out. Seth was still talking to some friends. And then, of course, little Miss. Annoying showed up.

"Hi Jessica." Edward spoke, his voice seductive.

"Hey Andrew," she was slightly nervous, "there's a party later and I was wondering if you would be my date."

I was conflicted on what I wanted him to say. "That sounds lovely, I'll meet you there."

She examined my closeness to him and gave me a foul look. Moving her hips a little too much as she walked, she got into a taxi.

"You ready for the party?"

"Not really, at least I get to change right?"

He laughed. But I was freezing, and some comfortable clothes would be nice. The stage door slammed shut as Seth approached us. The slight breeze in the air caused me to shiver. And like a gentleman, Edward noticed and put his jacket around me. The jacket made me feel much more comfortable than before.

"Let's change and then we got to go," Seth spoke while jogging. He was already hailing a car.

"Do I have to wear anything specific?"

"I'll pick it out," he said. He's going to pick out my outfit. This can't be good.

The taxi halted at our apartment. Heading up to the apartment, I told Edward what I had figured out, it wasn't much.

"The contestants are María, Ana, José, Noah, Liam, Javier, Selena, and you know Jessica."

"Bella, are you upset I'm going on a date with Jessica?" He chuckled.

"Maybe a little. I know I shouldn't be telling you who to date," I spit out as fast as possible, "but her? She's really rude."

"I think she's really nice." I sighed. He grabbed my arm as I passed him on the way up. "I don't like Jessica at all. I'm doing this to keep you safe."

"Ohhhh. Then I should be apologizing." Feeling bad about making assumptions, we entered the apartment.

"It's all fine, but I really do hope you think I have better taste than her. I'm not a fool, I know she treats you poorly."

"Sorry. I guess you're just a great actor." By this time, Seth was already digging in my closet for something suitable to wear to this party.

"Come on Seth, hurry up."

"Bella, you can't rush this. You don't have many options to choose from."

"I have plenty of clothes," I said slightly offended. I wasn't a fashionista, but Alice did help out occasionally.

"Not the type we need though."

"What do we need?"

"Remember your costume."

"Of course I don't have anything like that."

He rushed out the room and shoved a piece of clothing into my hands. "This should work."

Going into the bathroom, I looked over this top. The shirt was low cut crop-top with black velvet. I wasn't too opposed to this one.

I slipped it on with tight jeans and tall black heels. Walking out of the room, Seth whistled. "Bella, you look hot."

"Thanks. Now can we get going?" I let my hair down to cover my exposed shoulders.

The car ride over to the party was silent. My muscles spasmed and ached from the rehearsal and performance earlier.

We opened the door to the club that held the party. On a table in the back, multiple dancers downed shots. On the other side the DJ played Latin music so loud that I could feel the vibrations from the beats in my chest.

"This is going to be an experience." I looked up at Edward.

"Agreed." We separated. I walked to the bar to get a drink. I ordered water. If anyone asked I would tell people I drank vodka, but that dulled the senses and I couldn't afford that. Propping myself on a stool, my eyes observed the scene. Seth was in the corner dancing with María and Jessica was making her way toward Edward. He smiled and asked her to dance. And I sat here alone. I knew at some point I would need to socialize, but I would have rather just observed from afar.

A few more people trickled in. Some of them people from the audience, more dancers, and I think one of the judges came in.

Ordering another drink from the bar, someone approached me, "Hello gorgeous."

It was that judge that had looked me over earlier. Just his presence put a disgusting taste in my mouth. He was certainly someone I didn't need to talk to. He certainly didn't need to remove the competition.

"Hi," I said dryly, hoping he would leave me alone.

"Would you like to dance?"

"Sure," I couldn't refuse him. It would hurt our chances later.

He led me out to the dance floor and grabbed my waist. He pulled me a little too close for comfort. I sighed and hoped that after the song was over he would pick some other girl to focus on. The music changed and I moved to break away from him. He tightened his grasp on me. And then his hand moved slowly down my body. If he puts his hand on my butt, I will punch him in the nose. As predicted, he slid his hand farther down until he was groping me.

"Please get off me." I spoke loud enough to know he heard me, but quiet enough that it didn't cause a scene. Waiting patiently for him to get off me, I glanced around to look at Edward.

Instead of doing what I asked, he squeezed my butt and it took all of my self control to not take him down. I thought about every way I could make him regret his decision.

"I'll give you three seconds before I do something drastic." I counted to three and my eyes locked with Edward's. I mouthed the words "help me".

Seconds later, Edward was behind him. Being 6 foot 1, Edward towered over the judge.

"What do you think you're doing?" Instantly, the judges dropped his hands, but his body was still pressed up on mine.

"None of your business."

"Well, you see she is my business so get the hell off of her." He said that a little too loud and the people around us started to stare. The judge was still too close for comfort. He slid his arm around my waist.

"What is she to you?"

Edward couldn't control his anger any longer. I ducked as his arm swung to hit the judge's jaw. Before the judge had time to react, Edward grabbed my waist and held me close. The disgusting man's face was filled with rage.

"Leave her alone," Edward's voice was low and steady. Hopefully Jessica, on the other side of the room, didn't hear his response. I don't even think the people around us cared much. Once Edward punched, they all continued to dance around the scene. From their inattention, I assumed this was a normal occurrence for this scum.

Edward led me out of the club, his hand gripping my waist harder than necessary. His face was red with anger. We rounded a corner. No one from the party was in sight.

"Edward you can let go of me now." His hand slowly released, but he didn't back away from me.

"Bella, are you okay?" His eyes gazed into mine with sincerity.

"I'm fine." He examined my state. I wasn't scared or shook or anything. This had happened before and it would probably happen again.

"Why?" He took a deep inhale, "Why did you let him touch you?" Why was he getting mad at me now?

"He's a judge and I would compromise our efforts if I turned him down. Of course, I didn't expect him to grope me." My aggressiveness came out in my tone.

"You should have said no." Is he really trying to parent me? Now that I was mad as well, I put my back up against the brick wall of the club.

"I agree."

"Just don't leave my side next time." He held me close as if the event somehow traumatized me.

"I don't understand how I'm going to do that. We'll get more information if we split up."

"No." Would it kill him to think logically for once?

"Edward, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"But just a second ago…" I cut him off.

"If he held a second any longer, he would have ended up on the floor in less than 10 seconds. I can handle myself. I think you forget we went through the same training." I tried to focus on the idea that he was worried about me and less on the idea that he doubted my skill. Either way, I was offended by his remark.

"I just don't like the situation. I'd rather you be taking down a murderer than getting groped." He acts like women don't have this stuff happen to them all the time. Not that I like it, I just know how to deal with it.

"Me too, but I can do things myself."

"We are sticking together." His words sounded final, but we both knew it was impossible to be together 24/7.

"Edward, it's one judge and now that I know he's a creep. I won't come near him. Can we just go home?" He tried to put one arm around me, but I, in the most polite way possible, shoved him away.

"I think that's a great idea." He hailed a taxi.

The taxi ride was filled with an awkward silence. I sat on the edge of the leather seat trying to increase the distance between Edward and I. He sat in an open position, his back against the window. He hoped we would talk more, but I couldn't handle him yelling at me. Turning to the window, I put my chin in my palm and watched as the street lights went by.

The vehicle stopped. Paying the driver, I slid to the other side of the car to get out. Edward offered me his hand, and because I was angry and slightly petty, I refused it. The silence continued until we got to the apartment.

"Bella, come on, talk to me," his olive eyes begged.

Making direct eye contact, I calmed myself and proceeded to say: "I'm tired of you treating me like I don't know what I'm doing, like we aren't equals. I wouldn't have even asked for your help if I knew this would happen."

"I never meant for it to come out that way," he shook his head. " Obviously, I know you're a good agent. I trust you with my life, but that doesn't mean I won't back you up. I have an issue with people touching you like that. It disgusts me."

"Well as long as that's it, then I should be thanking you for earlier. If I had punched him, it would have ruined our shot at winning. Not that I expect to win, but you get the point. Seth and I need to stay for as long as possible."

"I just like to know that you're safe." I didn't know how to respond. The moment felt too intimate, so I tried to get away.

"Thanks," I smiled. "Just to let you know I'm going to head over to Jake's place. I haven't seen him in a while." His happy expression dropped. Running into my room, I packed a more comfortable outfit. When I walked back into the living area, Edward sat with his eyes glued to the news that blared from the TV.

"Bye," I said. He didn't respond.


Knocking on Jake's door, my lips formed a smile. I had missed his presence, his smile, and his lips. My eyes focused on the white trim surrounding the door while I waited for him to answer. I knocked again, more excited than the first time.

He opened the door. It looked like he had just gotten up, his eyes squinting and his hair tangled. Instantly, his face lit up, which of course caused me to smile so hard my eyes squinted.

"Bella!" He grabbed my waist with one arm and took my bag with the other. Throwing my duffel bag across the room, his lips already connected to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck to get closer to him. My hands played with his hair as he pressed me closer. With our bodies still tangled, he led us to the couch.

Eventually, we both ran out of breath. "That was one hell of a welcome."

"I missed you," I bit my lip.

"I didn't expect you tonight."

"Is it okay I'm here?"

"Of course, you're always welcome here." His fingers twirled my hair as he talked.

"Well I'm glad and I'm keeping my promise." He raised an eyebrow. "I said I would come over after the case. It's not done but I figured I had time, so why not."

"Oh yes. I remember. You said you'll never leave. I hope that offer still stands."

"It does," I leaned back and our lips connected again. The heat between us grew. Holding my face, his heated breath fueled the passion. We ran out of breath once again.

"I think I'm going to change."

"Okay, come back soon though," he winked which caused little butterflies to form in my stomach.

Quickly, I changed out of my skinny jeans and black shirt into old sweatpants and tank top.

"I feel much better."

"You look gorgeous both ways." I joined him on the couch and leaned against him.

"So how was today?"

I sighed, this was not my favorite topic. "Umm, can we talk about something different."

"We can, but it seems like you need to talk." He rubbed my arm soothingly.

"Well, the dance was great, way better than expected"

"But?"

"But afterward we were invited to a party. One of the judges was there and he kind of groped me. Then Edward got him off of me," I could feel Jake's heart pounding in his chest, "And now Edward doesn't think I can handle myself."

His breathing was heavy; it lifted his chest which lifted me. "Jake you good?"

"I just don't like that," His words were very staccato.

"I don't either."

"Who is this judge guy?" His voice was rougher than usual.

"I think his name is Santiago Rodriguez, but I could be wrong. Why?"

"Just in case he does something again."

"I doubt he will. Edward got in a good punch. He was knocked on the ground."

"I don't usually like Eddy, but this time I do."

"It's Edward."

"I know, but I like nicknames." I rolled my eyes. During the first couple months of being Edward's partner, I tried out the nickname Eddy once. And that's all it took for me to see how much he hated it. He said it was the name that Alice called him when she teased him.

"Let's change the subject, I don't want to talk about him or work or anything related to that."

"I think that's a great idea."

"So how was your day?" I kissed his check.

"It was pretty average, but it got better when my amazing girlfriend showed up."

"Aw. My day got a lot better too." His lips grazed mine.

We watched that movie that he had mentioned a few days ago. It was a horror film. The horror genre wasn't my cup of tea but having Jake's arms wrapped around me felt nice. He was so warm that I started paying more attention to him than the movie.

Once the movie was over, it was almost 2 in the morning. "Jake, I'm tired, can we go to bed?"

"Of course." I went to stand up, but he scooped me off my feet and carried me into the bedroom. The cold sheets laid beneath me. Watching him grab a blanket, I kicked off my sweatpants.

He threw the blanket over the bed and wrapped it around me. Even though I knew I would get hot in the middle of the night, I accepted. He slid into bed. His muscular arms wrapped around me. I fell asleep curled up next to him.


Opening my eyes, it must have been in the early morning. The light just barely came in through the windows. Watching Jake's chest move up and down, I snuggled closer to him. His grip on me tightened unconsciously. His eyelids fluttered from dreams. I laid still next to him not wanting the moment to end. I felt more comfortable here than home.

But the clock said 7 and had to be at home by 8:30. Wanting to spend longer in his warmth, I closed my eyes, but the anxiety of being late kept me awake. I tried to untwist our bodies, but Jake was deep and sleepy and he was kinda heavy. Prying off one of his arms, he just tightened it back around me again.

I kissed his forehead, "Jake, babe, I got to go."

"Don't go." He pulled me closer with his lips grazing my neck.

"I've got to learn my new dance."

"What happened to staying with me forever?" His eyes were still closed.

"I'll come back but I've got work." He removed his arms and I kissed him briefly before I went to put on a new set of clothes.

Pulling up a pair of black leggings, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Black circles stood out under my eyes. The late night had done a number on my skin, but at least I was happy.

Rushing out of the apartment, I said a quick goodbye to Jake. Instead of taking a taxi, I decided to go on a run to the apartment. I left most of the clothes I brought to Jake's house.


"Hey Edward," I pressed the button on the coffee machine. He walked out of his room wearing plaid pajama pants.

"Hey Bella, how was your night?" The seemingly friendly question was put in a tone that had an underlying meaning.

"It was great."

"That's wonderful," he rolled his eyes.

"You're just annoyed because you didn't get a lot of sleep," I handed him a cup of coffee. Grabbing the cup of coffee, he shuffled to the couch. HIs head tilted back and he stared at the ceiling.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." Something was really bothering him, but I wasn't going to intrude so much as to ask what it was. Walking the couch, I put the warm liquid up to my lips. A surge of energy rushed through me.

I sat on the grey polyester fabric. The sun shone onto the mini-terrace outside. Watching butterflies land on the flowers, my worry about Edward grew. Although I wasn't looking at him directly, I knew that he was zoned out. His hands held the coffee mug; he hadn't taken a sip in almost 5 minutes.

Using a wooden stirrer, I watched the little bubbles disappear. I bit my tongue trying to hold back from asking him what was wrong.

I lifted up the cup waiting for the coffee to appease my last buds, but it never came.

"I can't sit in silence any longer. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, leave it alone." He barked out at me. Instinctively, I curled away from him. His fingers tapped the arm of the couch impatiently.

I wasn't going to wait for him to snap again, "We need to move the furniture before Seth gets here." Without saying a word, he got up and put his mug in the sink. The dark coffee was still filled to the brim; he had to use a steady hand as he walked or it would have spilled.

He put his hands on the brim of the sink. His shoulder hunched. Standing still, I watched him loathe in his issue and then abruptly leave the kitchen.

Pulling the end of a couch, he got up to help me. All his movements seemed passive-aggressive. The couch was pushed up against the wall. We stacked chairs on top of it.

There was a knock at the door, and I finally felt relief. At least Seth would be a good distraction.

"Hola Bella. ¿Cómo estás?"

"I'm doing very well Seth. How are you?"

"I'm ready to get started." I gestured to let him into the room. Edward left into his bedroom. He wasn't exactly dressed for company.


A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please leave a review :)