Thank you soooo much for your detailed and lovely reviews! I'm so utterly grateful and I hope this chapter is just as thrillng and that you'd be just as kind to leave your opinions and thoughts!

Also, just a litle side note- I roughly try too aim to post every week or so (give or take a few days). So I am so so sorry for my lateness but I have kinda got a little schedule, still I swear. Haha!

Thank you!

It's got to the point where some shitty little doorbell has me shutting my eyes in worry. There's silence for a moment as everyone stares at each other. Not wanting to open ourselves up to the intruder at our door. Carlisle's white enough in the cheeks that I've come to notice is his face of regret.

My heart genuinely goes out to him.

After a tense pause of us all staring at the Saint in question, he sighs nervously then heads over to invite her in. He smiles politely, looking very much like a member of the British Royal Guard as he hides behind the open door and welcomes in what can only be described as a horrific accident in a make-up department.

Oh God. She's dressed like she's going to a nightclub. A nightclub with a power cut.

Her frizzy blonde locks are curled into tight pinwheel spirals that pull at the extension line of her horse hair. She's wearing a lot of make-up, too much really, with her overdrawn sparkly red lipstick and seventy pairs of fake eyelashes. Her black dress is short as a hell, similar to the one I wore last Saturday except mine looked appropriate. She got huge heels, lots of jewelry and quite a bit of older-lady perfume that's making my eyes water.

And Carlisle looks afraid. Good. That's what I want.

I look to Rosalie. We share a knowing look, one full of malicious humour but say nothing. Blondie can be fun to bond with in times such as these. Alice shakes her head at the two of us, rushing forward to introduce herself and everyone else, before Carlisle has the chance.

He conceals himself well, smirking at my own laughter, midnight eyes bemusedly locked to my face as he deciphers what I'm thinking. But Tilly quickly brings us out of our staring, throwing a tanned hand flat the middle of his chest and squeezing. In the weirdest greeting I've ever seen?

She's not been in our house for two seconds and she's already touching him way too much.

'Care for a drink?' He offers, leaning slightly on his back heels he reads out what we have.

'I'll take a very large whiskey, thanks.' I say, holding my pint glass up. He apparently forgets she was mid-sentence, smirks and snatches the empty glass from my hand with a grin.

'So what are we all doing?' She asks, a little enthused, a little afraid of Rosalie's glare. I really am loving that girl at the moment.

'Just catching up really.' I say with a reserved shrug. 'Until Emmett suggested a drinking game...'

'I did?!' He questions, a little excited. Rosalie hits him. 'I mean yeah, I love drinking games!'

'What are we playing?' Carlisle asks confused, I thank him for the drink and take a mouthful, hiding my expression and taking it down as quickly as possible. He's deliberately watered it down because he thinks he's funny. But I don't give a shit. Despite his proud smirk, he still went and got it.

'Yes, Esme. What are we playing?!' Edward this time, oh lighten up, it's just a bit of fun.

'I don't know, we could always do a card-?'

'No!'

Everyone stares at Bella, a little confused while she hides in her glass of wine.

'Err, that just sounds really boring? Why don't we play something else?' Well, she's not fooling anyone.

'As the guest, I propose Never Have I Ever!' Tilly demands, excitedly. She's watching Carlisle, in fact she's staring at him, wetting her lips, rubbing the colour off but he hasn't noticed. He's looking at me, his mouth an enticing smirk.

What are we? Twelve year olds? Ew no.

'That sounds like fun?!' Alice lies, offering to get the shot glasses and the cinnamon whiskey that burns when you try and shot it. It doesn't take long for everyone to seem enthused. I'm neutral. The game is going to end up like they always do. With a hangover tomorrow.

'Thanks.' Carlisle mutters playfully, deliberately taking a vacant seat next to where I've re-positioned myself on the floor. He has to pull his knees up to get comfortable, exposed forearms resting over the top of them, fingers laid together. Everyone takes note and huddles around our coffee table. Tilly sits a little too close to him, for me at least, but he fails to care.

'Are you actually going to play then?' I whisper, unable to hide the surprise in my tone. He smiles and shrugs his shoulders, now positioning his left hand close to mine as he leans back. I'm still looking at the back of his hands when he speaks.

'I won't do the shot but if you'd like me to play, I'll play.'

Jasper gawks at him.

I should be gawking too. The fuck has Tilly done to him?! He's actually going to play a drinking game?! Is anyone filming this? The non participant is participating? I'm expecting poor Alice to be rocketing from her seat with excitement but she's actually just murmuring something to Edward that I can't quite hear.

The stupid questions start as they usually do; Never have I cheated on a test, on someone and all that typical bollocks. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. Three questions in and no shot, that's a first for me.

'Never have I ever had sex at school.' Edward states.

Unsurprised, I take a drink. So does Emmett, Jasper and Alice. Now that, I'm shocked by.

'Never have I ever had sex more than once at school.' Alice says, returning her modesty. I roll my eyes.

'Is this once counted as you only had sex once or you only met to have sex once?' I ask, waiting patiently to lift the shot glass to my mouth.

She shakes her head at me.

'Both.' Rosalie says so I take two shots, enjoying the sting of cinnamon through the nose. I'm feeling good. Fight me alcohol.

'Never have I ever been in a police car.'

I take another shot, so does Bella before we all remember her dad is a cop so there goes that tale. Then Carlisle pushes a shot glass towards me.

I stare at him.

'You have not?!' I say, watching wide eyed. He smirks, staying tight-lipped. I'm about to take a drink for him when the intensity of his stare stops me.

I have an idea!

'Not puking already, Es?' Emmett grumbles, clearly disappointed.

'Of course not!'

Excusing myself from the awkward circle of people I quickly grab one of the alcohol-free mixers from the refrigerator and bring it out with me. Everybody is staring as I fill several small glasses with the sickly brown fizz.

'There you are.' I say, offering a shot glass to our Saint. He keeps his hand out to me in warning when I climb back into my seat, wary of me falling, all the while holding the glass in the same spot with lack of understanding.

'Er, thanks but-'

'Just neck it, Carlisle.'

His pink mouth curves up in my favourite way and he suddenly realises the whole group is staring at him in anticipation.

'I don't-'

Tilly leans closer to him as if she's about to whisper in his ear like a devil on his shoulder but he keeps his confusion on my face.

'Trust me, will you?' I insist, hand on my hip.

He does implicitly and without another pause, he tips the dark liquid into his mouth, swallows quickly and shudders. I'm incredibly flattered, and a little giddy to be honest.

It's a very hot image.

'Root beer?'

'So you can join in.' I say with a shrug. Instead of frowning, which he should do considering he doesn't like the stuff, he smiles more widely, showing perfect teeth in a perfect mouth

'If I keep drinking that all night, I'll get a glucose-overdose.' He complains lightly, his perfectly arched eyebrow curving just like his golden fringe over his forehead.

'I think that's the point.' Jasper states obviously.

'Take it like a man.' Emmett agrees, flexing out his large arms and making a face that has everyone laughing. Carlisle simply smiles and nudges my arm playfully.

'Never have I ever been in a police car getting arrested.' Tilly says, clarifying and the shit quality of her questions, and the doe-eyes she's pushing onto my flatmate has me draining my watered whiskey with a bite. Alice is smirking at me.

Carlisle reaches to push a glass towards me as well as take a non-alcoholic one for himself. He's waiting for me to go first. I'm still bemused so I don't know whether to drink it or question it. He shudders after swallowing, clearly not pleased at the dangers to his teeth.

'When was this?' I try to ask him but he refuses to reply. Instead, the side of his mouth curves again. When offered his statement, he pathetically denies the chance and passes his go.

'Never have I ever been a third wheel to someone having sex.' I proudly proclaim.

All of them, excluding Emmett, take a shot which has me giggling but more surprisingly, Carlisle pushes another one my way and smuggles his laughter wile he sips at his root beer, pulling a face of dislike once he's completed that.

'You are kidding?!' I can't hold the words anymore, I have to know!

'Hmm?' He murmurs, hiding his expression but not the shape of his mouth. Now I can't be the only one whose interested. This is the Saint himself and he's third wheeled someone having sex?!

That's almost a threesome!

'When?!' I ask wearily, immediately assuming he's misunderstood the statement. He rolls his eyes.

'You can't leave it there, Carlisle. Come on, spill.' Jasper says, smirking. He sighs once before grinning.

'The Christmas party?' He suggests, leaning against the sofa tiredly. I suddenly realise that the intensity of his focus is somewhat deliberate.

'Me?' I ask confused.

'Oh, I thought the nightclub.' Alice adds. I'm lost.

'Don't remember much from Envy, d'ya Es?' Edward pipes up, laughing louder when Carlisle shakes his head.

'You promised you'd never mention that again.' He murmurs with a gentle warning but a group of them laugh together. I'm clearly in the dark. What the fuck have I missed?

'Can someone please enlighten me on Envy?' I demand playfully to the group. Three of which seem to understand my point.

'You met someone and proceeded to get to know him… behind the club.' Alice explains quickly. I'm about to make a noise of complaint but Emmett's laughter is distracting me.

I grab another shot glass and raise it muttering, 'sex in the alley' and drink. Tilly loudly giggles the whole time she drinks, which is bizarre considering she wasn't there to enjoy the nostalgia but I don't even care. Is she even old enough to get into a club? Let alone have sex behind it? Should we even be letting her drink? Who knows.

'You were arrested, I tried to talk you out of it and you ended up…with the guy in the police car.' Carlisle talks quickly, trying to cover up embarrassment for both of us by speaking under his breath but I couldn't be more surprised.

'I nearly got you arrested?!' I ask in utter in-explainable joy. Woah, revelations lighting up here. Wait, he went to a club with us?! I thought he hadn't done that since Edward's first year?!

'Got me arrested.' He corrects with a grin and it's as if he'd said I was the reason he won $40 million dollars.

'Wow, Cullen. Do you usually go running when she calls?' Our guest moans sourly and I nearly fucking implode from the inside out, I swear.

The first thing to be amazed by is that it's not me currently choking on my drink. It's Edward. Horrified and disgusted and in a state of total abnormality, like the Kid, I just glare at the horse in front as she pouts to my flatmate. He looks equally as horrified.

Cullen? Cullen?!

She called my Cullen, Cullen?! Oh hell fucking no-.

'It's more like speed dial.' Carlisle diffuses playfully. 'For emergencies.' He adds, shrugging and though he's shying away from her snooty looks, his face is far too flushed to be comfortable.

'Cullen?!' Edward finally wheezes out, rubbing around his neck as he gasps a little, relieved for air. Alice is gently patting his back but he's looking to our guest, enthralled.

'What? That is his name?'

She says it shortly at first, like she's A-Okay with creating enemies of the people who live here. Now she's looking only at my flatmate and running a hand along his shoulder like they're a fucking thing?

Ew.

I don't even think, just grab the nearest bottle and fill my glass up till the liquid is spilling over the top. Cullen knees my leg but it does little in bringing me back to the present. I'm too focused on not growling or throwing that bitch out by the extensions in her-. Carlisle touches my knee again, his index finger on my outer knee as he points towards the spillage.

With an eye-roll directed more to myself, I move to find a cloth to clear up with. Edward is stuttering in front while I buff the glass clear, my shirt exposing my shoulder.

'Urm, well. I guess? It's just-'

'You can't call him that, though!' Edward intervenes, saving Carlisle despite his obnoxious grin. 'That's like an Esme-thing.'

Despite how annoying he can be, I'm incredibly flattered by Edward's attentiveness today. It's verging on kind. Tilly flashes her heavy eyes first at him, then to me. I'm reminding myself that I don't want drama and how I'm doing that is by drowning myself in all this liquid while flitting my eyes up to Jasper.

'It's one of the few ways to tell you've broken through the exterior.' Carlisle teases, scrunching his nose a little in a way that makes me drool. 'You've only made it once Es has granted you a nickname. Hey, Hon?'

This time it is me who splutters up my drink but that's only because he's just 'pet-named' me in front of all these people….When I've professed myself to not be a 'pet-name' person. He's just called me Hon.

Hon like Honey.

Like I am familiar with the concept that calling you such things makes your insides curl like flowers in the autumn. Honey as in the very sound of his sweet, toned, hushing words on my neck.

Hon like I know how to commandeer your attention with three fucking letters.

That. That's what he's called me. That. In front of people. And only one other person seems to give a shit and that person is not my landlord.

'Do I have one?' Rose asks, intrigued as she takes over the limelight. I release a breath I didn't realise I was holding and nod. Se is pouting a little and I'm not sure if it's challenge or a threat.

'Nothing original.' I murmur, apologetically. 'Just Blondie…' And occasionally Ballbag but I feel like it's not a crime to omit that part.

'And me?' Bella is giving me a friendly but awkward smile. I look to Carlisle who has relaxed his posture towards me in order to face Bella. At her question he turns and watches my reply with eagerness.

'Err. Just Bella?'

An instrumented coughing fit from Edward.

'Alright, so I can't say your name without singing it. Nothing special.'

'You sing my name?' She seems flattered. She shouldn't be. The way I sing her name is in the same tone that Carlisle and I use to tease Edward. I nod.

'And-'

'Oh for Fuck sake, if I have to do the rounds, I'll do them. Emmett is usually just Em or something pathetic like Brainless because-' I slow, realising how badly this could be taken. 'Coz, he can be quite,um…simple?'

Laughter. Thank God.

'Jaz is just something along the southern route. Usually cowboy or whatever. Alice, you know yours and Edward- well, I guess it's how pissed off I am with you.'

Edward grins proudly and nods to Carlisle. 'See, we're the favourites because we have more than one.'

'Hardly call that special rather than a pain in the ass.' I retort quickly. He smiles so that both eyes close and pushes his glass to Carlisle's water in a congratulatory manner.

'You can tell who runs this place.'

'Never doubted it, Kid.' Cullen replies and they clearly share some joke which is meant to be playing on my Reign of Terror.

'So go on then, Esme. What is mine to be?'

Once again, I've forgotten about the inevitable squawk in the room and shrug slightly.

'Urm? Yours?' I repeat delicately.

Carlisle's eyes widen and in an effort to hide his grin, he drains the contents of his water.

'Well, here I am?' She insists, drawing attention to her open chest by fiddling with her dress strap and pinging it to her skin.

Not for long if I have any say in it.

'Never have I gotten an STI.'

'Emmett! Fucking hell. Way to kill the mood.' I whine but I'm so utterly relieved for the distraction that I'm thinking about repaying him in millions of sports game tickets. That's until I realise everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to drink.

'Oh my God, guys! That's so rude!'

'I'm sorry Es but you do give off an impression-'

'Jasper!' I yell, offended.

'That's not fair, Jasper. If anyone's promoting safe sex, it's Esme.' Carlisle defends, quickly restoring my nearly harmed honour. I nod in agreement. I'd already had a appointment booked for next week, I'd had one last month and if there was anyone who could honestly say they were concerned, it should be Carlisle since he literally had his hand up there.

The reminder has me rolling the neck on my shoulders.

'Thank you, Carlisle.'

'And there's clearly no better birthday gift than condoms?' Edward adds, raising his can of beer in a salute. Emmett is nodding in agreement. I poke my tongue out.

Of course, our stranger of the group thinks she's taking the perfect time to conceal her shot but she hasn't. When I look round to Rosalie, I realise her eyes are nearly falling out her skull and the reason why is because she's staring at the pushy behaviour of the intruder. All I know is that after that shot, whether accidental or not, there is no way in hell I'm letting her even breathe too much on him.

God, now I'm wishing we just left it as a drinking sesh with the newbies. Rose clearly has a fun perspective.

However, it isn't long before our once exciting game is getting incredibly boring with only one person taking a drink, the weirder the statements get.

Unfortunately I am that person.

'Sex on a roof?!' Rosalie demands, amazed.

I groan, taking another one. But I know I'm fine because, despite his smile at my expense, Carlisle is keeping a watchful eye on every drink I gulp and offers, at every opportunity, to pass his water to me. Which is also not great because I'm drunk and I'm sadly staring at him because he's so fucking gorgeous and so sweet and he makes me feel…

Urm, good?

Then there's the added tease of having my lips on the same glass where his lips were. My mouth and his mouth touching indirectly. My hand was also touching the same floor he was touching, my legs were intertwined against the same table his legs were against.

So in essence, we were having sex on the coffee table. If indirectly.

This is while sitting next to his 'date', of course. Stupid alcohol, stupid Cullen, stupid slaggish me, making myself look even worse while this total cow eye-fucks my favourite person.

'Sex in the woods?' Jasper asks, I'm suddenly aware everyone is watching me now, including Tilly, waiting for me to give in.

Hmm. I drink again. With a hysterical laugh, Alice lightly head-butts the table.

'In a parent's bed?!' Edwards asks, exhausted by the questions, I am too. All they ever centre around is sex. It's never any cool questions like; never have I ever stolen a car. Which I haven't, Alice has.

I'm about to reply when I realise Carlisle is chuckling to himself, apparently thinking of last week. His inability and his heavy efforts to keep his amusement concealed is making me also giggle. To the point that we probably look incredibly suspicious and somewhat weird.

He rubs his shadowed cheeks with one hand, his shoulders shaking a little with a new laugh every now and again.

'My parents or someone else's?'

My Saint snorts with laughter and then tries really hard to seem a little more composed as he 'awaits' my answer.

'Any.' Edward whines, shrugging.

And down goes another drink into my little fountain of regret.

'In a moving vehicle? In a car? An aeroplane?!' Bella asks, throwing her arms up in defeat.

I roll my eyes, noticing Emmett's amusement, and go for another little neon cup, Carlisle puts his hand on mine to stop me.

'Why don't we play another game?' he says gently, interrupting my groans. Thank fuck for that. I thought I was going to pass out from boredom.

Like everyone here, I don't want to play this boring game and despite my sore ass, (which I miraculously seem to forget about the moment I'm with Carlisle), I'm feeling reclusive. Like I want to curl up with a book and a warm fire- Or maybe just curl up with a warm person and snooze on him.

Very soon, we seem to abandon the table in front and resort to adult conversation. Which is pretty hard to do with a slaggy prepubescent in the room. Tilly doesn't go to college. Her life is the coffee shop. She wants to be a dancer but wouldn't be hired for a strip club. She admits to a distracted Carlisle that she could wrap her legs around anything but he doesn't even blink, he just nods and turns to me with the intention of being polite.

'Es, you were a dancer when you were younger, right?'

I'm surprised he's sweet enough to remember this even if he's only remembering from the bulk of our first year conversations But it's sweet considering the various other random knowledge he's acquired of me over the years. Because I don't want to get involved with the conversation, however, I simply nod. He sighs tensely and places his left hand behind the back of his head, rubbing his hair down, his side open to my position.

So it's while in my stage of slight dizziness that I choose to watch them. And I'm beaming.

As expected, he can't and hardly looks at her. He is polite at all times. Smiles often but says little, always preferring to jump into someone else's conversation. As he does to Bella right now despite the fact she's wasted. He also unusually stiff in half his posture. The leg closest to me is on the floor while his right knee is up like a sort of barricade, stopping Tilly getting nearer. He's done it unconsciously however. That's what makes it so funny. He looks tired, and hides his yawns with great difficulty but I can see it, I could read how he felt without the pleasure of even seeing him.

Just from the energy in the room. He wears his whole system on his sleeve and it is painfully clear, he is as uncomfortable by her presence as we are drunk.

Tilly is something else. She's almost trying to curl into him but his position forbids it. She's holding her arm close to him but because he's leaning forward, she's not touching him. She's pushed her chest upwards (and to commend the girl, she's held the pose for a good few hours), tried to elongate her legs and is breathing all over him, only facing him while he addresses the whole room.

They're in opposites and for once, the opposition isn't working out.

This pleases me to no end.

'So,' Alice sings drunkenly, clambering around the table to push her way between the space by me and Jasper.

'You're drunk.' I whisper to her, giggling a little so that her she scrunches her nose up in slow motion, her hands wobbling about in front of her.

'I am but shhh.' She puts a sloppy hand to her mouth and winks. 'Don't tell my boyfriend.'

Looking over to the cowboy and the Kid, I find them deep in some excitable political debate about yet another rich guy in power. My eyes roll but at least they were having fun. Blondie on the other hand is explaining the work done to my car and if I didn't know Carlisle better, I'd say he was getting a hard-on as she explained.

He liked motors so if there was anything to get his engine purring, it'd probably be that. Though I am briefly grateful that Rose is running her hand along Em's leg, leaning into his arm while Cullen focuses on the image in his mind.

Good. If he was getting turned on, I'd like to be reassured to know it wasn't for Rose.

'I got your back.' I promise, puling my attention back to a drunk but beautiful Alice.

She looks proudly at her boyfriend who is looking typically boyish in his intoxication and then turns back to me. 'I'm getting laid tonight.'

'Nice.' Edward and I simultaneously mutter disgustedly, and for a second I think Cullen briefly looks my way.

'Well please be polite and use my floor. I really don't want your…' I stop myself. '…Just keep my bed clean?'

Surprisingly lucid for someone who has done far too many shots this evening.

'We're in your bed?' She realises with a grin. By 'we', she means Jasper.

'Uh-huh.'

No fucking way in hell, no matter how drunk I am, will I be letting someone Christen Cullen's bed before he gets a chance to do it himself. That's just disrespectful.

'What about you?'

'What about me?' I ask, maybe a little shyly.

'You and Emmett aren't going to a club, are you? You're not looking for some hook up?'

Jeeeez. And they call me the whore.

'Alice!' I complain with a frown, indicating my fluffy boot with a wiggle of my toes. 'Of course not, look at what I'm wearing!'

Without understanding why, I turn instinctively to my right to see Carlisle watching the two of us now. He's looking a little conflicted again, struggling to voice himself until the words slip out in flurry.

'I like the socks. I think you look…fine.'

'Fine or Fine?' I repeat stupidly, staring at him with a pathetic grin. He nods slowly, my favourite smirk on his face.

'Don't tell her that, Carlisle. She stole your shirt!'

There were a number of way that Alice resembled my sister and her tattle-telling wasn't the least of them.

'Alice!' I whine. Not that she was even aware she was doing it but her wingwoman skills were bumming us all out. I say wingwoman but I'm pretty sure Tilly is still here- Oops?

'It's okay, Alice. It looks a lot better on Es, than it does on me.' He shrugs casually so I mimic him, the shirt exposing my shoulder again. 'Besides, she'll be stealing my bed later, too so it won't be the least of her robbery-'

It's amazing how, with one simple sentence, he can turn me from a bitchy cow into a heartfelt romantic. He's unbearable. Alice looks to me with drunken jealousy but for the moment, I'm blinded by adoration.

'How is it fair that your flatmate gives you everything from clothes to bed when my boyfriend won't even share his food with me?!'

Wait- if he's giving me his bed does that mean he's not sharing?!

'That's your T-shirt?' Tilly intervenes, her nasal pitch racking into my ears like fire alarm and yet again I seem to have forgotten that she is kinda meant to be his date.

…But then so has he?

'This ol' thing?' I slur picking at the fabric on my shoulder in mock disgust. 'I've been wearing it for years.'

'Doesn't make it yours, though does it?' Carlisle mutters, cocking a pleased eyebrow at me. Ugh. Yes please. Just that face. That's all. Mm.

'Oh bite me, Saint Peter.'

'I've told you before, you keep inviting someone to do that and I'll do it just to shut you up.' He says this with a pout but the thought of his teeth on my bare skin has me flatlining.

Something's pulling on his arm and with that realisation, he swallows thickly and lights up like a Christmas tree.

Okay.

One, I have never been 'told' before. If I had been 'told', I can assure anyone that I'd be parading the puncture marks with pride. Two- Is he actually flirting? In front of people? To me?

But I've forgotten to take notice in the fact that Alice is talking because that's the hottest compliment by the sweetest most gorgeous piece of arrogant frustration that I'm ever going to get. I smile guiltily at Tilly, because I am feeling surprisingly bad, and watch as she excuses herself to the bathroom. The look on her face changes dramatically however when she thinks we're not looking…

Carlisle frowns when he looks to me, a grin takes over.

'Hey Cullen?' My Cullen.

'Hmm?'

I've ignored the fact that Alice is still chatting into my ear and lean closer to his warmth so that we're huddled a little.

'You do realise she's gone to have a snoop in your drawers?' I sing playfully, my eyelashes touching the top of my eye socket as I let my words fall to his neck.

'Huh?' He whispers.

'Your date.' The word feels worse on my tongue than the alcohol does. 'She's snooping in your room as we speak.'

Even from where I sit on the floor below, I can hear her feet cross into territory that I can swear is not the bathroom. In fact the sound is coming from right above our heads…right where Carlisle's room is. Coincidence? Of course not.

'Hon, I think you need to slow down. You're getting paranoid.' He teases with another wink. I'm half dying all over again. Especially because I'm drunk. Hon. His Honey. His sweet thang- Oh God he's right. I need to lay off the alcohol.

'Don't patronise me Carlisle Cullen. I know what I'm saying.'

'I never suggested, you didn't.' He promises, pushing his new glass of water towards me. I take it gratefully and drink over half. Sighing, I turn towards Alice who is still going off on one. Despite the fact I'm not facing him, we're sat so close together that when I speak, he automatically knows I'm addressing him.

'When can these people leave? I just want to sleep.' I whine gently, leaning until the back of my head rests on that hefty bicep.

Mmm.

But he makes my whole life ten-thousand times better when he shifts a little to accommodate me so that we're both more comfortable. I'm lying against his chest, watching Alice without registering the words she's spitting, consumed in my own waves of calm slipping down my spine with every breath he takes.

'Don't say that too loud or your reputation will be ruined, Miss Platt.'

I chuckle lightly, rolling my shoulders a little and watching the performance ahead of me. I think she's spewing her guts about one of her lectures but it's hard to focus because a gentle touch is combing through the waves of my hair. Warm fibers of electric seem to race down the back of my spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake and making my eyes seem extraordinarily heavier.

Jeeez, if I knew he was this easy to warm up to, I would've got drunker way earlier.

This time I have to rub my eyes to focus on her point, really trying to summon up some energy. It's a long time before Tilly comes down. So long in fact that Alice has changed the conversation so many times, she's back where she's started and she's going on about how much she loves Jasper.

Last time I'm letting her shot tequila.

'Why don't we go back to Never Have I Ever?' Tilly pipes up from by the stairs. I jump a little at hearing her voice and quickly pull myself up into a more respectful position, away from my flatmate and towards Alice.

The girl takes her cue as quickly as possible and seats herself between me and him. I look to Carlisle who is looking guilty as he tries to lean out of her grip but she's not letting him go far. She legit just went to put her fucking claw on the inside of his leg before he, thankfully, jumps out of his skin and moves.

'We never did finish that game!' Bella says cheerily and all of a sudden I realise Edward is leaning on her shoulder as she strokes his side. When did he move over there?

Carlisle grimaces. 'It is getting quite late?'

'Awww, quit it Cullen. The night has barely started!' Emmett teases with a grin and to start the round he fills up all but one glass with a neat vodka. Carlisle winces.

'Alright, never have I ever done Anal.'

'Emmett- for fuck sake. Stop choosing the obvious!' I whine but from the corner of my eye I can see my co-worker placing her grubby hands on the leg of my flatmate again. It's not the jealousy in my gut or the contempt I have for this bitch seeing as she just wanted a bit of 'fun', but rather Cullen's discomfort which is winding me up. He's completely tense with his right hand hiding his mouth while sitting towards the table in a way that looks painful.

A few of the group take a shot and the circle moves on.

'…walked in on my parents.' Rosalie continues, bored. Bella shudders and takes several shots. I take a measly one and Tilly seems to be wanting competition as she doubles Bella's three. Emmett seems to be finding this whole scene hilarious.

Which is ridiculous. Weren't we done with this game?

'Had sex outside!' Bella says.

I pick up a shot, barely thinking about drinking it but then Tilly's giggling all over him, pushing her chest onto him and I'm so wound up that I swallow it down thickly. It was a dumb idea to continue this game, we're all bored again. To the point where little conversations are breaking out in the group and we're all doing anything we can to avoid saying the usual questions.

'We could just play vodka pong?' Edward suggests.

'That's actually a much better plan!' Jasper agrees and despite my fuzzy head, I love the idea too. It's active, it's better. It'll be fun.

'No! Let's continue this one!' Tilly whines and yet again I glare at the side of Cullen's skull in annoyance. He had to invite her.

'If we play vodka pong, everyone can take part?' Alice suggests, nodding over to Carlisle who hasn't said anything since being split into the further side of the room. Marginalised. Isolated. Kidnapped.

I'll rescue him somehow. Let me think of something...

'I have a good one, though!'

'Last one, and we'll move on.' Rose complains, frowning as hard as I am.

Tilly readjusts her dress to hoist it tighter around her 'tits' and flicks her heavy hair over her shoulder. She seems to be looking at me, pushing a glass towards me though I'm too busy staring at the ceiling. I'm easily distracted now I'm fairly intoxicated so I'm thinking of JD from this afternoon and his little cotton feet. And also what Carlisle was saying about children…

'Never have I ever used sex to get my way.'

I'm still not really giving a shit until I realise it's too quiet in the room and I'm being expected to say something. She's glaring at me. So hard I realise she hates my fucking guts. I kinda knew that anyway. Look at how hard she's trying to touch up my -urm- our flatmate.

'What?'

'Isn't it your go?' She says impatiently.

'Oh- Never have I-'

'No!' She interrupts. 'You drink.'

'Huh?' She tries to have a little eye-d show down with me before realising this isn't going to work and so throws her hands in the air, falsely laughing .

'Fine, if you want me to be so explicit. Never Have I ever had sex with my boss.'

I don't move, just watch her but Cullen is sitting up now staring not at her but at me. Excusing my old garage manager, who was another age and person entirely, then no. I hadn't and I wasn't about to drink to my current boss no matter what situation demanded it.

'Well go on, Esme?'

Tilly is glaring at me with a look I don't think I've ever seen aimed at me before. It takes me a few seconds to realise it's probably jealousy which is really odd considering I'm nowhere near Carlisle at the moment. Her posture is a little wobbly, especially in those heels and even though she's got a hand on Carlisle's shoulder, he's barely letting her touch him.

'Tilly.' I murmur, reading the distaste in her face, I slowly shake my head, 'Don't.'

'Don't what? We're all friends here?'

No, you're not.

'Stop it.' I say, forcefully.

My sleepy nature has abandoned every fiber of my being and with a stuttering heart, I act as if I'm facing a crazy person with a knife. To be fair, it suddenly felt far more dangerous than that at the moment.

'What does it matter, you're clearly such an open person anyway?'

'Now, now Girls. Chill out.' Emmett starts to say, his jovial smile weakening when he sees my face.

'Don't.' I repeat, stiffly, feeling myself rise into a steep hill of alarm.

'So what if you're a slut?'

The ability to breathe is the first thing to go as I feel myself panicking, my chest tightening. I don't know what to do…

'Esme?' Carlisle says quietly, keeping very still as he watches me. 'What is she saying?'

Her giggle is so high pitched and so piercing that it shatters through me twice over.

'Leave it.' I punctuate in desperation but she's got me exactly where she wants me and now I can't move.

'Something to hide?' She says with a laugh.

'I haven't slept with our boss!' I seethe, my chest rising and falling so quickly that I realise I'm taking very little air into my lungs. Carlisle has got his dark eyes on my face but he's staring in horror as I feel my world start to crumble.

She giggles, in a chilling manner, and pushes on my arm. I don't know when, but I've suddenly appeared on my feet and the small movement from her hand, despite her height, is enough to make me stumble a little.

'Don't lie to your friends, Esme, I saw you sucking off the boss earlier today.'

Eight pairs of eyes are locked onto me. They're keeping me in place, forbidding me to move as my whole chest seems to cave into itself. My mouth is just hanging down in devastation, my eyes to the floor but it's when I look up that my face betrays me.

Because that's what his does first.

Void of nothing but desolation and disgust, it's those blue eyes which cause mine to spill over. Like mine, his mouth is falling open but his expression isn't one full of tears like mine is. He looks…hurt.

I can't do anything.

'Do anything for more money, won't you Esme? Won't do the shift but gladly put his dick in your mouth-'

'Hey-' Rose barks.

It's too late. I've seen Carlisle's face. So I just grasp the first bottle my hands reach and escape upstairs as quickly as possible. As suspected, I'm in such a mess for a moment that I don't really know where to go, the bathroom, Cullen's room, mine? None of them are good enough, they're all on too much display so instead, I hide out in the airing cupboard, sinking to the floor of the built in-wardrobe and putting my back to the door.

One good thing about being in an enclosed space, it's easier to cry without feeling exposed and even though it's the last thing I want to do, I sob again into my hands and try to drown as much of that blasted bottle as I can get down my throat.