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I sighed. "I really hope you're wrong, Edward Cullen. Or else… I'm fucked."

His eyes sparkled as he gave me a heartbreaking crooked smile. "You'll figure it out, my girl." He said before he stood up and went to the kitchen to grab another beer.

I sighed and took another sip from my bottle. I really hoped I wouldfigure it out… whatever itwas. Soon.

CHAPTER 4

I had been in Fort Worth a week, and as much I hated to admit it, it was nice to have a familiar bed waiting for me when I finished my shifts at the bar. I hadn't seen Emmett or Rosalie since we got home from dinner at Alice's on Sunday. They were at work by the time I woke up on Monday.

I had seen Alice quite a bit while I was working at the bar. She had a lot more to do with the bar than she had initially led me on to believe, basically acting as the HR department while Jasper handled all of the general management responsibilities. I had really taken a liking to both of them. Where Alice was overflowing with exuberance and energy, Jasper was much calmer and had a way of keeping her down to Earth without completely breaking her spirit. It was nice to see, and it made me happy that she had found someone that accepted her so wholly for who she was. I hadn't known her long at all, but she had such a kind soul that it was hard to not wish the world for her.

I was wiping down the bar one last time before my shift ended early Friday evening when someone sat down at the barstool directly in front of me. I looked up and was a little shocked to see Edward sitting there in a black suit, looking haggard and annoyed.

"Rough week?" I asked.

He nodded and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Double bourbon neat. Please."

I made his drink and set it in front of him. I watched as he took a slow sip and then let out a heavy breath.

"Just you here tonight?" He asked.

"No, my shift ends in about ten minutes. Hoping to get relieved very soon."

"Big Friday night plans?"

"Not really, but I mean, I do live in a bar so… I'm sure I won't get too bored." I laughed.

"Wait, are you staying upstairs?"

I nodded. "Just for a little bit. I promised my brother and Rose I'd hang out in Fort Worth for a while, and Jasper's kind of been a godsend in the whole situation."

"Yeah, he's a good one." Edward commented and then downed the rest of his drink. "Another, ma'am."

I raised an eyebrow at him but made it for him.

My relief came in then, and I clocked out. As I passed by Edward to leave, I saw him turn in his barstool out of my periphery as he called to stop me. "Hey, bellbottoms, why don't you stay for a couple rounds?"

I tried to hide my smile as I turned around and tilted my head at him.

He nodded me over.

"I'll stay for one."

He smirked and pulled out the chair next to him. "Whiskey coke for the lady, please."

I held up a hand. "Actually, I'll take a Coors, Carmen." I told the bartender, shaking my head with a smile. I took a sip after she handed it to me and then looked over at Edward.

"Someone's on their best behavior tonight." He commented pointedly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I do work here now."

"So, you do worry about your professionalism, then?"

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes. "There's a difference between taking it easy and turning into a grandpa for the sake of a good reputation."

"Are you calling me an old man?" He almost looked offended.

"You take that however you want to, honey. I just made a comment. I can't help it if the boot fits."

"I'm not even thirty."

"You're being awfully defensive."

He huffed and downed his drink again, this time slamming the glass on the counter. He ordered another drink but switched to beer.

"Wanna talk about it, bud?" I asked him.

"Not even a little bit."

"Well, alright. But if you keep going the way you are, you're gonna get trashed before it's even supper time."

"Is there a law against being drunk before dinner?"

"Well, no, I don't like to think so, but I also usually only have enough money on hand that I'm forced to choose between dinner or a bottle of Evan Williams… and well, I'm just going to be honest, I'm not the best person to ask."

"Yeah, I'd choose the whiskey, too." He said, looking forward at the bar as he took another slow and deliberate sip.

I smiled a little and played with the label on my beer.

"You're pretty funny, ya know that, kid?"

I turned and looked at him. "Yeah, I know." I answered, cockily.

We kept talking for a while, and I had a few more beers. People were starting to trickle in for the night, and I was a little sad to lose what felt like our little private bubble. Edward was actually surprisingly easy to talk to. He was a little uptight, but part of me wished I had met him before his lawyer days. Before he had lost his wild streak he had talked about the week before.

"Hey, can I ask you something that'll probably piss you off?" I asked. The beers were flowing, and my filter was weak. I was going to ask a stupid and nosey question, but I was too curious not to ask.

He shrugged. "Believe me, after the day I've had, I'm out of fucks to give. Go ahead."

"Do you actually like your girlfriend?"

Edward choked on his beer. "Um, yeah."

"That didn't sound very convincing." I accused.

"Well, I don't know why we're even talking about this."

"I told you it'd probably piss you off."

He sighed. "I'm not mad… I'm just shocked, I guess. No one's outright asked me before."

"You sound like that surprises you. Why?"

He shot me a glare.

I shrugged innocently, holding my hands up in surrender. "Look, she's really pretty. I get it, but do you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone that doesn't like your mom's pecan pie?"

"Not this fucking pie crap again." He muttered hopelessly and then turned to me. "Alice told you?"

"Any insult on momma's cooking should be fight on sight, my man. What are you doing?"

"We want the same things. Big house, picket fence, kids. It fits."

"Sir, it's Texas. Believe me, there's plenty of nice girls that would want nothing more than to be barefoot and pregnant and raise your babies."

"I'm almost thirty, Bella. I'm kinda on a time crunch here."

"Yikes."

"What?"

"Look, I know I'm not the right person to be giving relationship advice, okay? I can't touch commitment with a twelve foot pole, but the idea of spending the rest of your life with a chick that does nothing but talk about herself and give backhanded compliments just because you're worried about being the gray haired dad at graduation? Oof, Edward. OOF."

"You're right. I shouldn't be taking relationship advice from you."

I rolled my eyes and motioned to Carmen to get me another beer.

"And while we're giving advice, I'm not sure that this," Edward motioned to me, "you're whole thing, isn't just a character to hide behind."

"What are you talking about?" I grumbled.

"I think you want it. I think you want the picket fence and the dogs in the backyard and the husband with a nine to five. I think you want all of it, and it scares the hell out of you."

"You're wrong."

He shook his head. "Then why keep running? If you're not worried about getting attached to anyone, why run?"

I huffed. "Fine… Sure. Sometimes, I find a town I like, meet a nice guy, and then bail when I start to catch feelings, but that doesn't prove anything. I've already said I'm not a fan of commitment. It's better for them that way. The sooner I leave, the less I hurt them. They want the picket fence. I don't."

"Or it could be that if you leave them, they can't leave you." He had struck a nerve, and he knew it. He hadn't even known me for a week yet, and he already knew exactly where my buttons were. And I hated it. I hated him. "I know you, Bella. I was you. I didn't hop from town to town, but I know bailing when things get too real. It was my signature move, and it's going to get old."

"I'm not you, though. It's not going to get old. It can't get old. I don't have a backup plan. This is it. This is me. All I have is my guitar and old bar rooms. So, I don't plan on changing course any time soon."

Edward finished his drink and shook his head. "For your sake, Bella, I honest to God hope that's not true." He got up, threw some cash on the bar to pay his tab, and left the bar without another word.

I got Carmen's attention. "Shot of the cheapest bourbon we have. And keep 'em coming."

~ Coffee & Bourbon ~

"You asked him what?" Alice screeched, laughing and holding her sides.

"I don't know what came over me, Alice. And I brought up the pie."

"The pie!?" She hollered, slapping her knee.

"The fucking pie... I'm sorry if your brother never talks to you again."

It had been two hours since Edward left the bar. About thirty minutes after he left, Alice came in and saw me drinking my weight in booze and trying to forget everything from my conversation with Edward. She immediately asked what my problem was, and for some insane reason, I spilled my guts to her. I told her everything. Everything except for the fact that he called me on my bullshit. I wasn't even quite ready to admit that to myself.

She waved me off. "Oh please, he would not dare avoid me. I still can't believe you did that. I fucking love you so much. Jesus Christ. What did he say?"

I made a face. "You're not gonna like it."

"Ugh, tell me anyway." She said, sipping her cosmo.

"He's not gonna leave her."

"Boooo."

I nodded.

"Did he say why?"

"He's ready to have a family, and she's a willing partner."

"He said that?"

"I paraphrased."

"Is it bad that I actually feel kinda bad for Tanya?" Alice asked me.

I shook my head. "She's a bitch, but I still don't think what he's doing is right."

Jasper walked over to us then, and Alice gave him a tight hug and kiss.

"What was that for?" He laughed.

"I just got really lucky with you." She replied.

I looked down, feeling a little awkward as they shared their moment together. For a split second, I was a little jealous of what they had. The security of it. The coziness of it.

I went to bed early that night at about ten o'clock. I was mentally exhausted and still slightly uneasy from my talk with Edward earlier that day.

I laid in bed for what felt like hours, trying to quiet my racing mind. I hated how much he had affected me. And I hated that he acted like he knew me so well. He didn't know anything about me. He didn't know my hopes and dreams and the series of events that had led me to where I was now.

Eventually, I drifted off into a restless night of sleep.

I slept most of the day away on Saturday until it was time for me to get ready to go to my shift at the bar. I pulled on my favorite pair of flare jeans, a black shirt, and my boots before throwing my hair in a ponytail and running down the stairs.

It was already pretty busy when I got there, and I took a minute to look around the bar to see what the crowd looked like. My breath caught a little in my throat when I saw Edward smiling and talking with one of our regulars. He had an arm draped lazily over Tanya's shoulder as he sat there.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes and got to work.

For the entire first hour, I had managed to forget he was even there. But the peace was short lived when Tanya called me over.

"You're working here, now?" She asked with excitement in her voice. She was obviously plastered.

I nodded. "Just for a bit. Can I get you anything?"

"What do you suggest? I've been drinking the same thing all night and I'm sick of it."

I couldn't lie. Drunk Tanya was actually quite tolerable and almost nice. I made a mental note to tell Alice my discovery before answering her. "I hear Carmen's been pouring a strong Long Island tonight." Though I wasn't sure Tanya needed that much more alcohol.

"Yeah, I'll try that." She said happily. "Do you need another beer, sweetie?" She asked, looking at Edward.

I turned my gaze to him.

"Yeah, Miller Lite." He told me coldly.

I nodded and went to get their drinks.

I was putting their drinks on the bar in front of them when a tall figure walking through the front doors caught the corner of my eye. I turned to see why he seemed so familiar, and I stood frozen when I realized who it was. I shook my head to clear it and handed them their drinks when Tanya noticed my change in demeanor. She looked in the direction my eyes were in.

"He's cute. Do you know him?" She commented.

I nodded.

"Who is it?" Drunk Tanya was also incredibly nosey, but from the corner of my eye, I could see Edward also looking at me with interest.

"The reason I don't drink Jim Beam."

A/N Let me know what you think. Chapter 5 will be up in a few days. I will warn you that these two may be a little hard to love in the first few chapters (with the sass and bluntness and all), but I promise within the next three or four chapters, their true personalities start to show and they end up being pretty dang lovable. Also, the first few chapters are short, but they do get longer over time. See y'all at the next one, bebs.