Thank you for your continuing support and patience. This is basically the majority of the chapter I lost. It's not what it was but it's the happiest I'm ever going to be with it.

Still. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts!

The kids at the nursery are nuts and with a mystery behind me, I'm surprised I manage to focus enough on chasing after their painted fingers, their leaking noses and sticky fingers. One kid in particular thinks it's really funny to push his tiny hands into my chest, planting painted handprints on my red polo shirt right where I'm half wishing Cullen would notice me. Realistically, I'm not too grumpy. This kids are fun to be with and it's not long before I'm giggling with a group of them.

In fact, after spending most of my morning with my eyes on the clock begging for one o'clock to make an appearance, I've soon settled enough into the natural rhythm of the busy day. I'm having fun painting various animals. As much as it might damage my evil exterior, I couldn't escape the fact that I genuinely enjoyed being with children. They were a great source of entertainment, clever in stupid ways and in need of as much affection as anyone present. They cuddle up to me regardless of my terrible decisions, their bright eyes full of wonder when I taught them something new and the glow of their smiles when they looked at me had the power to make me feel about 30 feet tall.

As if I didn't act like it already.

It's was a shame the Twins had been the very description of malevolence. Inevitably it lead to a lot of the love loss between them. In spite of it all, I was happy at the nursery. They gave me purpose. And also manage to make me seem less of a bad person which was always an ego booster.

I'm running late. It's finally one, well, just after. The kids have all been picked up by their parents and the other set of youngsters are being bought in by my boss as I try to hurry my ass up and tidy away the craft pieces.

'Afternoon, Miss Platt.'

Like always, I jump a little but my shoulders soon slump to their relaxed state and I find myself beaming, purposefully taking my time to turn around. A few strands of my fringe disrupt my way so I fix my presentation and pull away my loosened curls to face him. I don't know what gets the worst hit. My heart or my stomach. It hasn't been long since I'd seen him and yet his beauty still strikes me.

As does his damnright fuckability. Urgh. Someone get me a bowl, I'm drooling.

'I thought you promised not to be late?' He says playfully, running a tongue along the edges of his teeth.

He's leaning on the door frame, his favourite position, dressed in his surgeons uniform rather than his doctor's suit: the long white coat with the green scrubs and holy fuck, I'm seconds from killing over. Once more, he's almost evaded his neat character quirks with the long disarrayed locks of his hair but somehow, he's managed to rake it back in with those perfect teeth and crisply neat uniform. His mouth is parted slightly, a brighter pink as he smirks in a way which is unlike smirking. It's like a genuine smile as if, despite his completely drawn face of utter exhaustion, he was actually pleased to see me. He is clearly tired though. Like he could wobble any given moment if he didn't sit down which was enough motivation to get moving.

Even if Mr. Perfect had suddenly taken a walk down some sexy-side street.

'You look like shit.' I greet, trying not to smile too much in case he thinks something is wrong. He doesn't seem to take any offence to my comment and instead rubs underneath his heavy eyelids.

'As charming as ever. Well, I can't exactly say the same for you and your... attire...' He nods down to my shirt with a pointed eyebrow but doesn't necessarily look. For some reason he's too busy staring at my face.

'Kids. Fiesty buggers.'

He hums a little in amused agreement before catching a glimpse of the afternoon kids. He sighs a little, looking sad in ways that I couldn't explain nor understand though smiles at me again.

'Are you ready?' He asks, tearing his look away to where I'm still rushing around.

I ask for a minute, finish off my time-sheet and quickly let my boss know I'm finished until my next shift. Then I happily follow the sexy student doctor to his sexy as fuck car to which I nearly throw myself on.

Sure, a guy having a car was always going to be a little more pleasing than usual (especially while mine was in for 'maintenance') but with a car as beautifully sleek and dark as Cullen's, no other guy had an inch of a chance.

And that's coming from the liberal.

'So why are you in the doghouse?' I ask only once I've gratefully accustomed myself to the seatbelt and such. The side of his face moves in a grimace and he pretends to focus on engaging the car for a few seconds before answering.

'For coming in tired…' He confesses quietly.

Now looking outside the window I realise he's already started driving. I'd been staring again We're waiting at the traffic lights and I'm very aware he's forcing himself to seem more alert than I bet he actually is... Perhaps he really didn't sleep well?

'Have you made any mistakes?'

'Not yet.' He looks to me and the grimace changes into a smile. It's warm in the car so I shrug out my jacket and check my appearance once more- I should've straightened my hair, this fluff is going crazy, I bet I look like a goon.

'Don't panic, Cullen. You've got this.'

He's just coming up to the campus car park and takes a space on the left, close to the entrance of my building so that we're sitting in the shade with the radio on. That in itself is semi-embarrassing because it's playing one of my favourite slow songs; passionate, romantic and yet still vulnerable. He's smiling at something else entirely.

'What?'

'Hmm?' He asks, playing the fool.

'What? What are you smiling at?'

He opens his eyes wide and lifts his shoulders up. 'Nothing?' But the higher octave of his voice has already given him away.

'Yes you are! What is it?'

'No, I'm not.' The grin is getting bigger and now he's almost laughing. 'Nothing at all.'

'Cullen.' I murmur pathetically. 'Just tell me.'

I try to flutter my eyelashes in an un-Tilly way but the more I do it, the more I seem to forget to be ironical with my actions...I'm fluttering my eyelashes at him...deliberately. That gorgeous face of his breaks into his perfect-teeth smile and now he realises he has no choice but to answer me.

'It's nothing. Just that...' He exhales peacefully and watches my expression with a grin. 'I think I prefer you calling me Cullen. At least then, I know where I stand.'

Those eyes catch my frown but he decides not to relieve my confusion all the while I desperately try and figure out what the heck that's supposed to mean. His hand finds the volume control and turns the numbers up a touch. With that done, he passes me a shy smile, readjusts the seat and leans far back with his eyes closed.

There seems to be an immovable lump in my throat.

'What does that mean?' I ask dubiously. Do I really want to know what that means? He pouts a little and moves his lower jaw in a grind.

'Are you asking me to explain yesterday evening?'

I'd been thinking about it all morning. The mystery of the blue button down, one of his regular workshirts, and how it came to sit on my body. There is something about his expression which suggests that despite his effortless beauty- perhaps I'm better off in the unknown.

'No.' I answer honestly.

His fingertips play with a piece of thread on his scrubs, finding an excuse to hide most probably.

'I think I should anyway?'

He opens an eye to judge my reaction again, which is sufficiently blank, and reverts to staring above. I gesture for him to go ahead.

'Maybe it's better if I start from the beginning?' He suggests, pulling himself up to his elbows just like on our cliff. He's looking little nervous now, pinked cheek and shy. 'When you…kissed me-?'

'Nope!' I half yell. 'No lets not! End of conversation. Moment over. Not happening.'

Now would be a nice moment just to fall through all the cracks in the world and burn to death.

'Es,' he sings playfully, using a tone that pierces me on so many levels. 'Come on, you've got to let me explain…'

'Hell no-'

'Just please hear me out.' He deliberately pauses to allow me to vent my groans and whines untill I give in. 'Without interrupting?' he adds peacefully. I actively decide not to agree to anything until I hear the damage.

'I'm going to start by reminding you just how badly you cope- or in fact don't cope- with embarrassment-' He holds a finger up to my muffled sounds of argument and continues with his narrative using an even and calm tone. 'And I'll add that drinking while taking anything is neither clever nor funny nor a joke and if you ever do it again without warning me, I think I'll shit myself out of panic-'.

I grimace loudly and try to null myself in the deep alcove of the space between seat and door all the while trying not to suffocate myself in embarrassment. Or rather, trying to suffocate in my embarrassment. He rubs his neck, rubbing a hand up his throat as if to feel for any missed shaving patches. He never did miss any. Perhaps he was quite unable to grow a beard.

'Esme, when you kissed me… I'm not trying to blame my inexperience but I just really wasn't expecting it and in my defense I was completely and utterly unprepared and I just- panicked?'

I don't know whose pinkier, him or me but then if he grew anymore pink I think he might explode. Me on the other hand. I'm at a standstill. Immovable. Maybe even dead.

'Excuse me?' I ask mutely.

He blinks twice before gulping and forcing his typical crooked smile to the side of his face.

'Are you saying-' My world plummets to whole new understandings.

'Again I'm not trying to make excuses, I know how much you hate that-'

'Carlisle Cullen- are you saying I was your first-'

'Must we be so dramatic?'

'First kiss?!'

Just like that, I couldn't tell if I'd risen to heaven or if heaven was crashing around by my knees.

'To put it simply?' He responds weakly.

'Are you saying the whole reason you were so repulsed is because of your lack of experience?!'

He rolls his eyes for a second before nervously searching my face.

'Okay, repulsed, never. Stunned-' he's about to correct.

I can't begin to explain myself, if my heart could beat any faster, I could die. First kiss?! I couldn't be more relieved. Everybody's first kiss was shit. Your first ever kiss at 25?! And he is such an over thinker, too. It was a relief! It explained his whole reaction... And Yet… his first kiss. I'd stolen that from him. Something he'd never offered…

I took that from him and didn't even have the decency to make it good. And that made me feel about three inches tall.

When he said he didn't have much experience I assumed the much was at least some. Not even a kiss- How did that even happen with a face like that?! He was the kind of guy who would get robbed of snogs.

In other words I was a thief.

Typically, he seems to be fighting the want to both face me straight on and run back to his little bat-cave. I couldn't blame him. As embarrassed as he was, I was certain I felt ten-times more conflicted. I was elated, frustrated, confused, relieved and sour all at the same time.

On his own admission, he has once been close to someone... had he never been brave enough to kiss her? To want to kiss her?

He was a lot of things but coward didn't fit to me.

Confused. I am utterly confused. Made more certain by his dazzling smile, of course.

'In which case... I'm sorry it went so badly...' I murmur nervously. He might be grinning. He might be teasing. His ego is bruised though.

Perhaps it deserves to be after making me out to be a bad participant. Me?

'Are you inferring that I'm a bad kisser, Miss Platt?'

... I have no idea how the fuck I'm meant to respond to this. Except advise him that it's certainly not me whose at fault.

'You can't be bad at something you didn't do.' I try to reassure but the look on his face is a pained one.

'Please remember the Virgin has feelings.' He winks to show he's not too badly wounded, breath soft and elongated against the music from the speakers.

Winks. He closes an eye at me. What the fuck does that mean? Other than if I don't calm the heck down I'm going to spontaneously combust at any moment.

'Sorry.'

He bites his lip, still drumming that tune into his thigh as he looks to my face, blankly at first and then forcing a look of suave confidence.

'Besides, I am curious to know the marking criteria?'

… Er? What?

'Excuse me?' I ask slowly, just to ensure that he hears my every vowel.

'How do I know you're not critiquing too harshly?' He asks, cocking that arched eyebrow at me.

Those midnight orbs seem to be swimming in something erotically toxic because he has such a playful glint in his eye that if I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear, it would be a likely chance I'd be riding his gear-stick out of peaked frustration right now.

It wasn't just my lady-beast that wanted it. So did my mouth and my hands and every single fibre of my being. If I thought he'd handle it I'd snog him now. Someone give me some breathmints and chapstick.

'Are you asking for a re-submission?' I squeak. Likely in a tone that can barely be considered English. Utterly over shocked and almost lying on my death bed, that is me at the moment. What am I saying? Never mind what I am saying- what am I hearing?!

That little smirk seems to grow into a wide and friendly grin and with an unsteady breath, he settles himself back to the reclined seat. Eyes resting closed.

'Essentially, yes.' He finishes, acting as if the chewing on his lip would neither be a turn on nor a conscious act.

'Now?!'

I'm choking on my dreams- Please be right now. I needed a pick me up. He could twizzle his hand along my jaw, weave it into my hair and gently entice me into his-.

'Perhaps not now,' he whispers, slowly.

Never mind.

He's staring at my gormless expression, thinking while I go and plan for the rocket science in my nerves.

He leans up closer to me, stretches out his hand and gently pushes a chunk of my curling fringe out the way of my face, placing it by my ear and being careful to let his fingertips linger at my cheeks a little. The touch burns in the most gorgeously incredible way that I almost give myself over, sign away my soul to him and fall to my knees in offering.

'In all honesty, I don't even have the energy to fight a butterfly at the moment.'

As if to prove his point, he has to retract his hand back to cover his mouth as he yawns.

'Is that an excuse to get practicing on your hand?' I tease softly, once more losing all sight of who the fuck I'm talking to. It didn't matter. Whoever it was, there seemed to pull a strong magnetic pull between our small encounter and I couldn't resist but let myself move closer towards him.

'Would you judge me if it was?' He answers with another sloppy grin.

I goofily laugh and lean even closer, both of us smiling like fools now.

'Carlisle Cullen, I wouldn't judge you if you were the cause for the destruction of the earth.'

As typical for him, he raises that curved blonde eyebrow as if the very thing represents his gorgeously tired face tied in with the Karma Sutra.

'You know, I think I've changed my mind? I actually quite like you calling me Carlisle.'

I have to look away to conceal both my blush and horrendously painful smile but at the heart of it I'm euphoric. I couldn't be any more pleased (or sexually frustrated, or utterly bemused). With a groan, he rubs his tired eyes, yawns and pretends not to notice me turn the radio down in an effort to silence the several more awkward slow songs.

'See, you're embarrassed again.'

'I'm not embarrassed.' I lie pathetically. '...I'm just looking at the time.' It wasn't much of a lie, I couldn't be more than gutted that we only had a few more minutes more of each others company.

'Why? You hungry?'

I shake my head. If I ate anything it was almost a guarantee it would only end up down my front due to this giddy excitement that I just can't seem to bottle.

'No, me either.' He confesses, tiredly. 'I'll let you off today though I do hope you'll grab something. We'll just have to have a bigger dinner to make up for it.'

My eyes catch the time again. It felt like mere moments left. Moments that I didn't want to spend arguing now I'd realised that maybe he didn't find me as repulsive as I'd mistakenly thought. But deceiving him was a step I knew I was too pathetic to take.

'I've kinda got work.' I say guiltily.

'After classes? How long for?'

He looks like he's thinking about something. If so, he keeps stopping himself from saying it.

'Start at four, finish at nine but I've got to get my submission done and I was going to do it here…' I point to the large building opposite his windshield. It had the best workspace I'd known since being kicked out the Architecture building at graduation. That and it was mainly empty at night which I loved.

'Until when?' He's frowning but I don't think he knows why. I don't either. This isn't good.

'Till it's finished.' I answer obviously.

He grimaces, ruffles his blonde locks.

'Es, that's not good, you need sleep. Can't you do it at home? There isn't a time limit on it?'

That was the most hypocritical statement I'd ever heard from him. Saying I needed sleep when he couldn't keep his eyes open for more than four minutes. Besides, I wasn't known for my aptitude at pacing myself. It was all or nothing with me. Particularly when it came to my classes.

'I know but I want to get it done as soon as possible and…what? Why are you staring?'

He's staring right through me, thinking hard with an expression of hard hitting worry. It's panicking me.

'When you say 'work'? You don't mean the bar, do you?'

Oh. That grin from earlier has transformed and for some stupid reason, I come to the conclusion that no reply is the best reply.

'Please tell me you're joking. You are joking?'

'I'm sorry?' I say quietly. He scrubs at his eyes painfully.

'Please.' He groans gutterly. If he wasn't so sour maybe it'd be kinda cute. Fr now I'm too aware he's peaking deprivation insanity. Better not piss him ff. Not after he's just asked to kiss me. Unless that's a joke of course? 'Es, please. Don't. I really don't trust him and you're clearly not comfortable-'

'It'll be fine. It's fine, don't worry about it.'

Can't we just drop this?

'Esme.' He's thrown his head to the steering wheel. 'What about if he gets… over friendly again?' If he bites his lip any harder, he's going to make himself bleed.

'Don't worry about it, I can fend for myself.' I say haughtily. He silently groans again.

'I don't doubt that but…please? I'm begging you.' He pleads with a deep frown. Exhibit A on How to destroy the ego you've just created.

'The more I work, the quicker I can quit.' I say playfully, nudging his elbow slightly.

He sighs painfully and puts his fingers to his mouth to stop himself saying something regretful. Good choice. Though it is fairly obvious he's not exactly pleased right now. More than displeased. More like sickened. Which is concerning. If he was panicked and he didn't even hear the phone call then what the hell was I supposed to be?

I didn't want to know.

'Promise me you'll be careful-'

'I'll be fine.' I insist. It's funny how the more I try to convince myself, the worse I sound.

'Esme-'

'I promise you I'll be careful. You know me.'

He frowns a little but lets the comment slide. 'And you'll call me at the first given sign of trouble?'

'Sure.'

He closes his eyes in dismay.

'No not 'sure'. I need a yes. I need a legitimate promise that you're going to do everything you can to be safe.'

There's something about his desperation which is making me think he's not just asking for today. Nevertheless, I hold up two flat palms and smile. The focus of his eyes makes my arrogance crumble.

'Yes, I'll be safe. Yes I'll phone you if there's trouble and yes to whatever else you're expecting me to do-' I catch his un-amused face. 'Sorry.'

'Why do I feel like you're saying yes to shut me up?' He asks tiredly.

'Because you're sleepy?'

He concedes and snorts slightly, resting his cheek on a closed fist to smile at me. 'Very much so-'

As if on cue, we're both interrupted by a high pitch buzzing. I make a face, he groans even louder and pretends to whimper.

'You'd better answer that.' I warn him. He shakes his head and bites his lip again.

'Don't make me a good person.' He whispers pleadingly.

'I think you'd better answer that, Doctor Cullen.'

He screws his face up before reaching to the side of his waistband and clipping his pager thus showing me a gorgeous sight of his underwear. I'm such a pervert.

'I've got to-'

'I know.'

'I wish I didn't have to.' He murmurs, miserably.

'You're such a liar. What on Earth would you rather be doing?'

'Sleeping?'

'Go save lives, Carlisle.' I grab my bag and jacket from the footwell of my seat and try to get myself together with my hand on the door. He's reluctant to start the engine. 'Well go then?'

'I never explained about last night?'

As if this is a bother to me. Of the two of us, he's the only one who feels the need to air his since. I n the other hand am quite comfortable being left in the dark. Safer even. I can't help but roll my eyes as I jump out the car and slam the door. He starts the engine and winds down the window from his side.

'Please be safe.'

'Stop harassing me, you Stalker and get lost!'

He doesn't find it as funny as I do though he does smile. The car drives off and I'm left to deal with the fact my enjoyable lunch just got cut short by 15 minutes.

Alice won't stop texting me through the lecture. I mean, her annoying personality is difficult to deal with on the non-busy days so on the really busy days, it feels like a personal vendetta.

Busy. I text her.

Avoiding me. She replies.

I'm in a lecture. It's painful how crap I am at hiding this stupid phone under the desk.

And I'm taking a shit- we're made for multitasking!

She's trying to get on my nerves today. And that Goddamn Professor just knows I'm not listening. The one time I actually try to turn up, it's typical for my life to try and get in the way. I didn't even want to do my lessons today, I wanted to sit and galvanize where Cullen's sudden confidence had come from. I wanted to obsess over everything he said and how it looked and why he smiled in the way he did and where he got the Viagra from.

Gal, what do you want?! I demand, furiously typing.

Meet me after class?

I'm working. I reply, trying not to get pissed off.

Meet me anyway?

Alice, I'm seeing you tomorrow. What's the urgency?

I need to discuss my sex life?

Hilarious. I'll phone you later.

No. Meet me later.

I'm going to lose my shit, I'm already behind with the reading this week, I do not need anymore distractions.

I HAVE WORK.

So? I'll meet you for a coffee?

What is with your obsession with me? :P

Great, now I'm lost with whatever this man is chatting to us about and have no idea what this rambling professor is saying?! Thank you to my amazing friends who are just trying to fail me!

I miss my bestfriend?

I love you. I write guiltily. Please don't make me late.

To be fair, I have to scramble the rest of my life together to try and get the rest of the man's piece down which is difficult enough on it's own without being distracted by Alice and then half distracted by the point that actually...I was in fact mostly naked in Cullen's bed last night,

It meant I spent near on the whole week with him against me in the night, sharing covers, space, body heat...

Hold on- How'd did I even get that shirt on in the first place? Wasn't I sleeping?!

The seminar goes a little better. I'm not literally distracted by another presence which in turn means I'm completely absent from the discussion. I've got as far as doodling a tall skyscraper on my page but not much else. Which isn't great considering how much this blasted seminar is costing me. It just reinforces one thing:

If I don't hand in the single most stunning piece of art to accompany my application, I'm officially buggered.

We're dismissed once again by the seminar leader and I have about ten minutes to hurry up and change into my shirt and black trousers when I've suddenly realised, I've left my fucking cardigan at home.

Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck! There's no way I wanna fuel the fire with my bra but I have no time to run back and get it- I'm not even sure where it is?

It's just typical that Alice is parked in the same spot as Cullen's was. Just it's acceptable to complain that her little yellow car is smaller and uglier and incapable of getting other engines running.

'Well you look happy.' She complains as I climb into the car.

'Yes, hilarious. Get driving before I get fired.'

'No, no. Lets discuss why you're so pissed off?' She says cheerily, smiling in that way that scrunches up her nose and eyes. Admittedly, it did feel nice to see her and even better, steal her posh ass perfume. Ooooh. Very floral.

'I'm not pissed off. You know I'd love to chat to you but I really don't have time.'

She sucks the air through her circled mouth and taps the steering wheel with both hands, all the while musing to herself as to why I might be so wound up.

'Why, O why, O why.'

'Alice!' I whine, pointing to her keys. If she doesn't turn the engine back on in a second, I swear I'm going to push her aside and start driving this heap of junk myself.

'Might it be because you haven't seen your best friend in sooooo long?'

'Sure?' I say impatiently, grinding my back teeth together while I try to tie my long waves of knots away from my sweaty face.

'Or is it because you haven't had sex in sooo long?'

Why is it always sex with her?

Why is it always sex with me?

Why is it never sex with Cullen?!

'Of course it is, Alice. Please. Let's get moving.'

'Ooooh!' She whistles, jumping up in her seat. 'I know, I know, I know! It's because someone didn't remember their coat?'

'What?'

She reaches behind my seat to pull out a ball of black which she chucks at me. I catch the fabric with both hand and stare at it before groaning with relief. My cardigan and work apron. My ass (or in this case, my tits) are fucking saved.

'I love you so much.'

'Thank fuck for Carlisle, huh? He phoned and said you would need it.'

My hands pause from where I'm now tying the apron strings around my waist. I stop for a few more seconds and try to act nonchalant.

'He did?'

'Huh?'

'Cullen? He phoned you?'

She rolls her brown eyes at me and finally starts the engine. 'Yeah, a while ago. Anyway, you owe me coffee.'

Considering it's now late afternoon on a Thursday, I'm surprised by how busy it is inside which means it takes me a while to clock in and get things done. My boss hasn't noticed I've started yet. He's in his office with the door shut and bolted which was perfectly fine with me. I am completely content about being forgotten.

'So chat me up?'

'You phoned me?' I remind her with a frown. I'm wiping a few of the empty tables down with a wet cloth as she follows me around, chirping about whatever she's decided to chirp about.

'True. So how's life?'

I sigh impatiently.

'Really. Really? How's life?'

She's following on my tail as I gather several dirty cups away into the dishwasher, still grinning and dancing at my heels. It was stupid but I was happy to hear her go on. Even if it contradicted my face. I look pissed off for a number of reasons. Firstly my boss being a constant threat to anyone's sanity. More importantly... I have to be pissed off. It is part of the cynical charm. if I started to really act as dizzy and as floaty as I felt...

Well, my reputation would be endangered.

'Alright. Talk to me about Edward.'

Okay, this catches me off guard. I turn to frown at her once more before forcing that eyebrow upwards in a very Cullen-esque move.

Except I don't look hella fuckable when I did it.

'Edward?'

'Yes, Edward. It's the other flatmate you live with if you hadn't noticed?' She says sarcastically, placing a hand on her hip and acting like we're in a sitcom.

'Ha. Aha. Ahahahahhaha. You're so hilarious! What do you want to know?'

It soon becomes pathetically clear why this is her chosen topic of conversation, especially as I'm clearing up behind the counter and she's leaning on it. As cleverly as she always does, she invades me with questions about what Edward's been up to, has he been any different recently, is he more talkative, et cetera.

Peculiar actually as I don't remember seeing him this Morning? But then again, when did he even wake up these days?

'Why does it matter, Alice?'

'I'm just making conversation.' She diffuses brilliantly.

She stays for about three and a half hours trying to harass me out of any details on offer which is hard to even think about when I'm too busy trying to get stuff done all the while trying to keep a lookout for some weirdo boss.

'So you're saying he's-?'

'Just come out with it, Alice, what does Bella want to know?!'

Her eyes widen once more and she grins like Cheshire cat before bursting into a serious of chiming giggles.

'Who said anything about Bella?'

'It's written all on your face- what's up with her?'

'Nothing.'

'Gurl.' I stand up to look at her as straightly as I can while her hand fiddles with the coffee cup, sloshing the liquid around before taking a sip.

'She wants to know if Edward is still interested?' She tris to play off her apparent betrayal by fiddling with her hair and looking any way that isn't my unamused expression.

'Obviously?' I tell her, shaking my head.

'Really?!'

It's already super clear what she's going to say before she's already said it. Her mouth opens, she's part smiling and her phone is in her hand.

'She's going to be-'

'Go on then, go run and tell her.'

'No, no. I never meant that!' Her lies are so pathetic it's funny.

'You've stayed long enough anyway, we'll catch up tomorrow.' I check the clock at the end of the room and smile. Majority of the way through this shift and have been lucky enough to avoid the presence of the perv. That was beyond lucky.

She grimaces. 'I- can't.'

Hilarious. 'Hon, I don't need a babysitter? I have got work to do, you know?'

'I know!' She insists. 'It's just...well Carlisle asked...'

'Asked what?'

She pushes her lips out to the side and plays with her fancy looking dress, pulling at the ends and trying not to look so guilty which is impossible for her gleaming mischief. Why do I have the worst feeling that she's going to say something I won't like.

'He asked that I stay here till the end of your shift?' She confesses and it's literally like she would've done better vomiting words out. At least then I could put them in order.

'What? Why?'

She shrugs her shoulders, pulling her mouth down to avoid smiling. I try not to be infuriated by the condescension of it irks me so much-.

'How should I know?' she asks, raising her slight shoulders. 'He just phoned and asked a favour.'

Urgh, I don't need a guard dog?!

'Don't look so pissed.' She tries to reassure, touching my arm. 'I'm sure it was just-'

'Esme.' Someone commands behind me. Great. 'We're not paying you to sit and chat, are we? There's dishes in the back that need to be-'

'I've got it.' I murmur quietly, glaring up at Alice. She grimaces once more and steps away from the counter.

'I'll speak to you later, Babe.' She whispers, gradually making her escape, I wave her off and wait till she's finally out the door to turn around.

'I'm sorry.' I say hurriedly. 'She just needed my-'

His very look silences me. I don't know if it's because I've avoided him in the last few days but he seems taller. Taller, older, gloomier and far more creepy. The lump in my throat seemed to be swelling...

'I'll be expecting you to make it up to me. Isn't that right, My Little Brown-Eyes?'

'Apparently so.' I say, forcing a smile and this time, when his hand gropes my ass, it sounds out like the thundering toll of a Church bell.