A/N: Aaaaaand she's baaaaaack! Sorry about the long wait everybody, I got moved around to two different offices at the hospital I work at, was sick with a lovely cold, and on top of everything by boyfriend and I are eloping in two weeks. Thank you all for your lovely reviews, they inspired me to continue and get this finished. I'm not fully satisfied with this and its shorter than I planned but hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Stephanie Meyers, I just own my plot and OCs.

Little Bit Stronger

Part 2

Bella tugged nervously on the end of her dress, wondering how on earth she'd managed to let Jen put her in the thing. It was a short blue sheath dress, held up with two thin straps and hitting her about mid-thigh, in a dark midnight blue color that was overlaid with a layer of glitter covered tulle. Strappy silver sandals accented her lean legs that had managed a decent tan after three months of the Arizona summer weather, even with sunscreen.

Simple silver jewelry completed the outfit, with her hair curled and swept up to frame her face. She'd given in and applied a smoky eye that Jen taught her with blues and browns, some bronzer and blush to highlight her cheekbones and a layer of clear glitter lip-gloss. If someone had told her three months ago that she would be standing here wearing all of this and waiting to be picked up in a limousine she would have thought they were crazy. Heck, she thought she was crazy. When Bryce had told her that he had something important to tell her at dinner that night and she should be dressed very nice she tried to get him to tell her what was going on but he refused to budge.

Jen and she had speculated on what it could be and had come up blank. So here she was, waiting for Bryce to pick her up as she nervously played with the bangles on her wrist as she glanced at the clock. Her phone ringing made her jump and she dug through the dark blue clutch until she found it and pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"Is he there yet?" Jen's voice was impatient and Bella rolled her eyes and sighed.

"No, not yet. You know him, he's always right on time, never late and never early. I used to think that was a nice trait but now it's pissing me off." She tugged the edge of her dress down again and idly wondered if she could find something else to wear.

"Don't even think about it Bell. That dress looks phenomenal on you, don't you dare take it off." She made a face, annoyed with how well Jen knew her and sighed again.

"Fine, I'll keep the hooker clothes on." They both laughed at her teasing tone and then Bella paused as she saw lights pull up outside the house. "He's here Jen. I'll talk to you later."

"You better! I want all the dirty details." Jen replied slyly and Bella blushed as she picked up her wrap.

"Jen! I'm not sleeping with him, and I don't plan to. We're not going out or anything and I don't find him attractive in that way." She swung the shawl around her shoulders as she heard Jen sigh loudly.

"Fine fine. Just let me know what happens. Have fun, eat some obscenely priced dessert for me, let me know when you get home. Love ya Bell."

"Bye Jen, love you too." She quickly hung up and threw her phone in her clutch as she heard the sound of steps on the porch and then a knock at the door. Taking a calming breath she glanced in the mirror to check her hair and makeup before walking to the door and swinging it open. There stood Bryce ar Fáil, looking dashing as he always did in a black suit. His blond hair was slicked back, very Alexander Skarsgård she noted absentmindedly. Stupid Jen and her True Blood show, she'd gotten Bella hooked months ago and now she was anxiously awaiting the newest episode.

"Bella. You look lovely tonight."

She was pulled from her thoughts by his smooth voice, the faint accent making her name roll off his lips as he took her hand and kissed it with a smile. She could feel a blush start on her face and she gently pulled her hand away as she stepped outside and shut the door. "Thank you Bryce. You look nice too."

He offered her his arm and she followed him down to the street, eyebrows rising when she saw the limousine that was waiting for them. "What's this for?"

He smiled at her again as the driver opened the door and he helped her inside. "Well I certainly couldn't ask you to ride in my car when you're dressed like a queen. You deserve a horse drawn carriage. They were all rented already so this is the next thing I could come up with."

She laughed as he slid in beside her and the driver shut the door, Bryce grabbing a bottle that was chilling in the ice bucket. "Champagne?"

She shook her head and he chuckled as he poured himself a glass and then reached under the seat to a bag and pulled out a can of soda. "Always the stand-up lady. I suppose that is what I get for taking a police chief's daughter to dinner. Very well, one soda for the queen of the evening."

She took it from him while hiding a smile, her expression vanishing as she sucked in a sharp breath. Bryce saw her face and set his glass down as he reached for her hand with a frown. "Bella? Are you okay?"

She bit her lip as she nodded slightly, the warm soda gripped tightly in her fingers as memories of a leaky garage, the smell of gasoline and motor oil, the murmuring laughter of two friends accompanied by the clink of tools on metal. 'Jake…'

"Bella?"

Bryce's voice tore her mind back to the present and she swallowed back the emotion clogging her throat as she loosened her death grip on the can and blinked her eyes before turning to Bryce. "Sorry, I'm fine. So, what is tonight all about?"

His face told her he didn't believe her but he simply picked up his champagne and took another sip as he nodded his head at the driver to pull away from the curb. "Oh, that's a secret that you'll just have to wait and find out. How are things at the bookstore?"

She raised her eyebrow slightly at his abrupt subject change but ignored it as she discretely placed the can of soda to the side and fiddled with the fringe on her shawl. "Pretty good. Got a new shipment coming in that I'm excited to sort through, hired a new barista that starts next week…nothing too exciting, at least compared to a personal acquisitions expert. Didn't you just get back from Paris?"

"Italy actually, although I did stop briefly in Paris for this fine bottle of champagne that you refuse to drink with me." He winked at her and she gave him a shaky smile as her mind darted around in a panic over his mention of Italy. She quickly distracted herself with listening to his story of his trip until the limo slowed to a stop and he glanced out the window. "Ah, we're here."

She waited for him to open the door and slide out before offering his hand to her, helping her gently to her feet outside the car. She was distracted by making sure she didn't trip and it took her a moment before she realized that they were at the entrance of a fancy restaurant. "Wow Bryce, you really went all out."

He chuckled as he offered her his arm and led her up the steps to the entrance where a doorman pulled open the heavy wooden door and they stepped inside. Bella looked around the dimly lit space in surprise, turning to Bryce with a frown. "Are you sure they're open? This place is totally empty."

With a grin he led her farther in the restaurant and shrugged one shoulder casually. "You'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you pull some strings and offer some extra cash to the manager."

Her eyes widened as he led them to a candlelit table by one of the floor to ceiling windows, staring at him incredulously. "You rented out the entire restaurant? Bryce, that's crazy!"

His blue eyes met hers as he smiled, using his free hand to pull out her chair, and he helped her sit before pushing her chair back in and going around to his seat. "Nothing is too crazy to do for you. You deserve it and more."

She could feel the blush rising on her face and reached for the menu so she'd have something to hide behind, but Bryce's hand intercepted hers and he gave her a soft smile. "Now don't be hiding that beautiful face of yours. You should accept compliments Bella, especially genuine ones. Afraid of becoming vain are we?"

She had to laugh at his teasing and she shook her head slightly as she felt the blush fading, opening the menu on the table as she smiled at him. They chatted lightly until a waiter came for their order and then took away the menus, leaving nothing to distract her. In desperation, she snatched the napkin off the table and twisted it in her hands, glancing out the window at the city lights as she watched Bryce out of the corner of her eye. He took a quick sip of his water and cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. "Bella, I know you're curious about why I asked you to dinner tonight, why I did all this."

She nodded and he swallowed before reaching across the table to grasp her hand, giving her a smile. "Bella, I know we've only known each other a short time, and that we really aren't even dating to begin with, but I feel like there's something special there between us."

He glanced up at her and took the paralyzing fear that clogged her throat as her encouragement to continue as she tried to keep herself from hyperventilating. "My company has decided to give me a promotion and a more permanent location to work from. They're moving me to New York City to run a special branch of the acquisitions department for some of our older clients. I get a huge corner office, secretary, car, and a paid for condo in one of the nicest areas of the city. But I feel like it's all meaningless without someone to share it with. Bella, I'd like you to move there with me, for us to have a real relationship."

Screw the trying to prevent her hyperventilating; now she was just focusing on a mental battle with her inner self that had gone feral with Bryce's intimate touch on her arm and his words that seemed to weave a spell around her, leaving her teetering on the very edge of accepting his offer. The only thing that seemed to be holding her back was the raging voice in her head, yanking her away from the edge and back to her own reasoning. 'I'll tear him apart! We are not his, he is not ours. Only one is ours, he needs us, we have to go back, we can't leave him. This one means harm, death, he is evil!'

She blinked in surprise; her inner self hadn't been this vehement even with Edward's touch. Slowly she pulled her hand away from him under the guise of pulling her wrap around her shoulders as she took a steadying breath. Bryce was still staring at her and she bit her bottom lip absentmindedly as she tried to calm her tangled thoughts, closing her eyes to focus. After several moments she heard Bryce shift in his chair slightly and then his questioning voice. "Bella?"

Letting out her breath she straightened in her chair and opened her eyes with a soft smile. "Bryce…"

A/N: I know, another cliff. Don't hate me! What did you all think of Bryce's little plan? And what has Bella decided? Well we won't know for awhile, the next chapter is Jacob's second part of You Don't Know Her Like I Do. Let me know what you all thought, review review! :)