A ping from the office front door, signaling a customer or Sheila's return, forced Bella back into the present.

"Thanks so much for hanging around, sweetie," Sheila said, looking a bit frazzled.

"Seriously, all good. Everything go okay?"

"Oh yeah, it's fine, just an annual check-up. Don't turn forty. Once you do, they see fit to assault your breasts in every which way. They're not Play-Doh for chrissakes."

Smiling, Bella tempered her amusement, "I'll see what I can do. But being that I'm not nearly as blessed as the Hale women in that department, maybe I'll get lucky, and it won't be as awful. I mean unless I can figure out how to stop time."

"Yeah, well, let me know if you do. I swear, I still feel thirty. I just want my body to stop saying otherwise," Sheila joked from her office before coming back to relieve Bella of her front desk duties.

"You'll be the first to know. I promise. Need anything from me before I head out?"

"No, it's fine, thanks, sweetie. Want me to ask one of the guys to give you a ride?"

"Nope, I'm good. See you tomorrow. Love ya," Bella waved behind her as she headed out the door to make the trek to the coffee shop where her group met. As she did, she couldn't help but go back to that night…

Bella surprised herself by suggesting they find somewhere more private. What the hell are you doing? She wondered to herself. Without knowing or caring, she allowed Edward to pull her up from the blanket cocoon they created, kissing her before pulling her by the hand to do just as she said.

She couldn't help the giddiness or the smile behind her hand as she followed Edward through Emmet's hallway, putting his ear to the doors to listen for movement inside. With only three bedrooms in the house and a bathroom that seemed to be occupied by a couple who had beat Edward and Bella to the punch, it seemed they might be out of luck. She felt equal parts relief and disappointment; although she had initiated taking it further, the fog of lust began to clear her brain, and she questioned whether she was ready for whatever was next.

"Hold on. I got it." Edward said, leading them to the end of the hall and opening a door that led to a darkened room.

"I swear if this a utility closet-"

"Bella, you're too pretty to fuck in a utility closet. For the first time anyway. It's the laundry room; is that okay?" Edward asked, flipping on the lights and turning to look at her.

God … those eyes, she thought as she nodded her consent, smiling wide as he pulled her in. Locking the door behind her, he gently backed her into it as he took in her face.

"Do you know how sexy you look right now?" He asked, rubbing his thumb against her kiss-swollen bottom lip.

Before she could answer, his mouth was on hers again, pinned to the door by his hips. Getting lost in kissing him again, Bella felt her reluctance melt away as he began to make his way down her body, pulling her dress straps down with him. Edward groaned in appreciation as he gazed through half-lidded eyes, quashing any insecurity Bella felt.

"Jesus, Bella," he said before circling each one gently with his tongue. "I'm going to find a way to spend more time with these. But, I just want you to know I'm clean, okay?"

"Okay." She responded dreamily, "me too."

"Can I taste you?" He asked, already trailing down her body, leaving kisses in his wake as he kneeled before her, looking up.

Bell thought he looked like a desperate man praying at her altar. Feeling equal parts powerful and needy, she whispered, "please." In a millisecond, Edward had his hands at the hem of her dress, letting his fingers run up her legs as he lifted it higher. With Bella's head against the door, she let her eyes close, trying not to let fears about how she might taste or smell down there ruin the feelings of pleasure he was creating in her.

"Watch me," he demanded. "I want to see your face when you come." He said before pressing a kiss on her panty-covered pussy. Groaning, Bella ran her fingers through his hair as he took his time teasing her. As she watched him hook his fingers over the top of her underwear, her body tensed with anticipation and nervousness. Sensing the change, he looked back up to her face for permission, only to freeze at hearing someone call her name.

"Bella," Rosie whispered as she walked along the hall, tipsy from sharing Royce's flask in his car. Seeing the light coming through the bottom of a door- she gently knocked while whispering, "Bella, are you in there?"

Bella stood frozen with fear, moving into action as Edward rested his head against her stomach, groaning in frustration. Scrambling to cover her breasts and pulling her dress back over her hips, she watched as Edward stood back up, reaching down his pants to adjust himself with a look of pain on his face.

Bella looked at him in apology, hoping her face didn't reveal the relief she felt to be interrupted. She wanted him, but maybe not like this. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the laundry room door, opening it just enough for her face to peek through.

"I'll be out in a second. Did Royce leave?" She asked, hoping to distract her friend from the very obvious.

"No, can he come in and crash on the couch? He'll leave before everyone wakes up, Rose responded, pretending not to notice the flush on Bella's cheeks that spread to her chest and the puffiness of her lips.

"Umm yeah, that's fine; there are blankets in the closet just around the corner. I'll be out in a sec, don't lay on my floor set-up," Bella responded gratefully, knowing full well she'd be explaining everything to Rose in the morning.

With a nod and a cheesy smile, Rosie turned around. Bella shut the door again, resting against it as she felt the mortification settle in her belly. That is, until Edward hugged her from behind, kissing the back of her neck.

"It's okay, let's go lay down before your friend comes back."

Looking at him over her shoulder, she felt relieved that he seemed utterly unaffected by getting caught. Clinging to that, she opened the door, making her way back out to the living room with Edward's hand on her lower back. Reaching the room, they found Rose and Royce already cuddled on the couch, watching whatever movie Edward had randomly put on. After quick and awkward introductions, Bella and Edward settled back into the nest they had made earlier. Pulling Bella closer to him, they were resigned to watching the movie, falling asleep soon after.

Upon waking, Bella was disappointed to see Edward was gone with no indication that he had even been wrapped around her just hours ago as they slept.

Sitting, she found Rose already awake and typing away on her phone. "Good morning, you little hoochie. Did you wanna hang out for a bit or head home?"

Groaning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Bella replied, "let's go home, and I'll tell you everything."

With little belongings to account for, Bella drew a heart on the magnetic whiteboard on Emmett's fridge before meeting Rose at the front door. As they stepped out, they were met by Edward returning with a bag of McDonald's and a cardboard tray of coffees.

"Oh, hey," Bella greeted him awkwardly.

"Morning," he responded sleepily, looking too good for staying up so late and waking even earlier. "Are you leaving?" He asked, kicking himself for how dumb a question it was.

"Yeah, we gotta get going- umm, nice meeting you. Bye." Bella rushed out before moving past him to be greeted by Rose's knowing smile.

As they sat in her car on the curb, Bella covered her face in her hands as Rose laughed at her discomfort. "Shut up and go, please," Bella begged, pulling down the visor to ensure she didn't look a complete mess in the mirror.

She did.

Still laughing but thankfully starting the car and pulling away, Bella looked towards Emmett's, only to see Edward walking back down the path, presumably to his car, breakfast, and coffee still in hand.

As she neared the coffee shop, Bella wondered how things might have been different if she had never met Edward, or at least, did not get swept up in his attention. Guarded, her heart a bit more diligently. While she didn't regret any of it, per se, she did wish she had the confidence to assert herself back then the way she would have now.

Filing her memories away, she found her classmates at the back of the shop in their usual place. As an Environmental Health major in her last year, she discovered she actually enjoyed working in groups, especially with peers who were as passionate as she was in marrying environmental protection and community health. As she sat, she was grateful to see her favorite fruit-infused kombucha waiting for her and was excited to analyze their current case study, an assessment of a public housing site, and recommendations to refurbish or condemn the dwellings.

After wrapping up with her friends, Bella decided to make a pit stop at her favorite taco shop while scrolling through Tinder. She was comfortable with where she was with Mike, but she knew from experience to keep her options open. After looking at profile upon profile of dudes holding fish they've caught, shirtless selfies, and one poor dead deer, she closed the app and checked her Instagram instead.

After ordering her tacos and a watermelon agua fresca, she was surprised to see that Edward had 'liked' her most recent picture. It was at a community garden harvest event. She was in a tank top and worn baseball cap, holding a dirt-covered carrot just above her open mouth as if she were about to eat it.

"That fucker," Bella muttered to herself as she clicked on his profile. He still hadn't updated anything since 2018. She was torn between ignoring him and calling him out for trying to pull the same shit as when she was eighteen. But rather than responding impulsively, she put her phone away as she waited for her food, weighing the pros and cons of talking to him. Or, more importantly, whether she should engage so he could see what he had been missing all these years.

While she was gracious with her eighteen-year-old self for being naive, twenty-two, almost twenty-three-year-old Bella knew better and held herself in higher regard. She no longer questioned her attractiveness or intelligence. She knew what she liked in bed and how to drive her partners crazy. She was all sugar and a little spice back then, but she is a fucking force now.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tease him just a little. With that set, she decided to take a selfie as she took a sip of her drink, making sure her lips were puckered in an appealing way as she stared at the camera. It wasn't her most creative thirst trap, but at least if Edward were stalking her again, he'd know she saw his 'like' and chose to ignore it. Opting to post without a filter and tagging the restaurant, she placed her phone on the table, intent on enjoying her meal without distractions.

Bella was unbothered and ready to play.

AN:

I've got nothing other than THANK YOU, FRAN