A Ceathair (4)

A/N: Here we are with another chapter. Thank you so much for all the reviews and kind words. I'm so happy that everyone loves this strong Bella, and I will admit I love her too. Edward is getting there but we all know it's not that easy. Thanks to my pre-readers SassyNoles, AGoodWitch, Maplestyle, 2 brown eyes and BitterHarpy—they are amazing. Mel C betas and she is a machine, in the best way. Alright, these two are gonna try to hang out, let's see how this goes.

Rose and I made our way to the bar to place our order, and I felt freer than I had in a long time. I would still work at the hospital for two weeks, and while I enjoyed working there, I was moving on to better things. I would have my own practice. I could have a social life. There would be no need to scrimp and scrape to actually survive. Sure, the legality of what I was about to engage in kept slamming to the forefront of my mind, but I immediately shoved that thought right back where it belonged.

We found an empty table and talked for a couple minutes while we drank our alcoholic beverages. Shortly after, we went to dance. Two good-looking women, unaccompanied, was like throwing chum in shark-infested waters, so we danced closer together. Incest certainly wasn't my thing, but I preferred to keep the vultures away. Some type of upbeat song by a pop singer was blaring through the speakers. It wasn't what you'd call my taste in music; I preferred something heavier, but I let my body get lost in the beat.

I turned and saw a big guy coming up behind Rose, and when the lights flashed white, I noticed it was Emmett, so I kept myself from smiling and giving him away. Surprisingly, the big guy had moves, and I watched him pull Rose's hips close to him from behind, and I laughed when she turned and realized who it was. They both started laughing as she playfully punched him. I inclined my head toward the table to let them know where I was going.

I saw Edward sitting there by himself before I made it to our table. I was super quiet and covered his eyes, singing, "Guess who."

He seemed surprised for a moment, and then he chuckled. "Bella."

I uncovered his eyes and sat next to him. He was messing with his phone. It looked like he was texting several people and had some document open he was looking at.

"This is so weird to see you in regular clothes. Wasn't aware you owned anything more than button downs and that trench coat. It looks good on you," I said, realizing I was coming close to rambling.

"Thanks, I think. You look great, too," he replied.

I smiled at him. "Are you seriously working, while sitting in a club with dancing and alcohol?" I asked, shocked. I had a hard time getting a read on Edward. He was gorgeous, but he didn't seem to have a girlfriend, and I didn't know if that was by choice or his seeming lack of personality. He smiled at me sometimes like he had a sense of humor, he and Emmett joked around, but did he not know how to have fun?

"Yeah, this isn't really my scene."

I covered his phone screen, causing him to look at me with his eyebrow cocked. "Look, people call me a workaholic, but you are taking it to a whole new level. I'll make you a deal."

"What is your proposition?" he asked, intrigued.

"Come with me to the bar. We'll both get one drink, and we'll chat, then one dance. If after all that you are still bored or miserable, I will let you go back to your work without complaining."

"And if I reject this deal?"

"Oh, well then I will definitely bitch and give you a hard time. The words 'old man' might actually leave my mouth at some point. So, what say you, Mr. Cullen?"

Edward gave a huff. "How old do you think I am, Miss Swan?"

"Does it really matter?" I asked. He continued to stare at me, eyebrow raised. I huffed and rolled my eyes. "I have no idea. How old are you?"

"That's not a guess, and don't roll your eyes," he said, smirking.

"What is your problem with me rolling my eyes?"

"It's disrespectful. Makes my palm twitchy," he said, humor shining in his eyes. "I'm 34."

"You don't look your age."

"You don't either. You don't look 29, at all."

"Do I look older?" I asked, horrified.

He chuckled. "Definitely not."

"Aw, you are sweet. I knew you could be. Let's go," I said, getting up and putting my hand out for him to take.

"One dance and one drink."

"I'll have you begging for more by the end of the night." I teased, and I dragged him to the bar with me. Edward immediately got the attention of the bartender, and he ordered both of our drinks, slyly handing the girl the money before I could protest. We went back to our table to find that Emmett and Rose were sitting there. We all talked and joked around. It was great to see that Edward was starting to relax and he did have a personality. I finished my drink and looked at him expectantly. "It's time, Edward." He huffed. "Don't huff; it's disrespectful," I said, failing to keep the smile off my lips.

He smirked again and grabbed my hand; except this time he was dragging me to the dance floor. "Future Sex/ Love Sounds by Justin Timberlake was playing, and I got right up into his personal space. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, then he put one of his legs in between mine. The lyrics coming over the speakers poured over us.

You know what you want, yeah

And that makes you just like me

See, everybody says you're hot, baby

But can you make it hot for me

The intense look that Edward was giving me was starting to make me feel really exposed, and he could dance, so I turned in his arms, my back to his front. He gripped my hips and swayed with me.

Her body's pressed up on me

I think she's ready to blow

Must be my future

Sex, love, sound

I could feel his breath on my neck, and I leaned my head back slightly, and then his face was right there next to mine. If I turned my head, it wouldn't take much to kiss him, but even with the hum of the alcohol in my veins, I knew that wouldn't be the smartest idea, no matter how much I wanted to. I turned my face the other way, which caused his lips to ghost along my neck. I bit back the moan that wanted to come out.

I tried to focus on the music and how good Edward's body felt against mine. Rose and Emmett caught my eyes, and they were all over each other. I brought both my arms up and reached behind me to run my hands through Edward's hair and pull him closer to me. He ran one of his hands up my side and ran his fingertips across the underside of my arm. I almost felt like I might spontaneously combust.

I turned back around to face him, and he continued with that smoldering, intense look. He licked his lips, and I actually might have quietly moaned. I told myself to get a grip and just make it through this song without completely embarrassing myself. We were entirely focused on each other, but when the song ended and went into another song, we broke apart.

"Drink?" he asked, his voice a little gravely.

"Yes, please," I said.

He told me that he would get our drinks, so I went back to the table. Edward was gone for a little bit, and when he came back, he was on his phone, Emmett and Rose following him. He didn't look happy at all, walking right past me. Emmett gestured for me to follow him and Rose. We allowed Rose to get ahead of us. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"We have an emergency. Alice called Edward completely freaked out. Her fiancé got shot. I don't know how bad it is, but we gotta go."

"I don't have any supplies, Em."

"Don't worry. We got it covered, just need your brain and skills."

"What about Rose? Are we gonna drop her off? She can't drive my car because it's a manual."

"No time. You're gonna go with Edward, and I can get your car and Rose home."

"Emmett…" I started. I wasn't sure how to bring up that Carlisle used him as a threat to my sister. He got it before I had to ask.

"Look, Bella. I know what Carlisle said, but I wouldn't hurt your sister. You're a friend, and I really like her. Be safe and don't take anything Edward says too seriously. His sister is one of the most important people in his life."

I nodded. I wasn't used to Emmett being this serious, but I appreciated it all the same. It reassured me he meant what he said. I gave him my keys, and he led Rose away, before I jumped into the passenger's seat of the SUV. I didn't want to find out what fun asshole things Edward could come up with, so when he hung up the call with Alice, I held my tongue. It was really hard, but I was learning how to act around the Cullen men. After about five minutes of silence, I realized I needed to know what I was walking into.

"Can you tell me about the patient's injury?"

"Jasper," Edward said through clenched teeth.

"Okay, can you tell me about Jasper's injury?"

"All I know is he got shot. Alice is a nurse, but she just graduated, and she isn't a surgeon. I was talking to my mom, not Alice."

"So, Alice is there alone, trying to help him?" I asked. He nodded. "Give me your phone."

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm not giving you my phone."

"Okay, fine. I was gonna call Esme and try to help Alice until I get there, but fine."

Edward sighed, opened his phone, dialed his mom, then handed it to me. When Esme answered, I asked her if I could talk to Alice. I heard doors opening and then I heard a man groaning in pain and what I assumed was Alice trying to talk to the guy. Esme must have turned on the speakerphone and told Alice that I was on the phone and I was a doctor.

"Bella, oh god. I can't get the bleeding to stop."

"Alice, it's okay. I know you're scared and worried, but I need you to take a deep breath then exhale. Okay, you're in control now. I need you to tell me everything you can about the wound. Where is it? What does it look like?"

Alice started describing that he had an entry wound in his lower calf and she didn't see an exit wound.

"Okay, Alice, what is the first rule of any flesh wound that is bleeding?"

"Apply pressure."

"Do that. Bear down on whatever you have—towel, gauze—and do not let up. That will slow the bleeding. Because the bullet is probably lodged in the muscle that might cause him some pain, but you can't let that affect you. How far are we, Edward?" I asked, looking at Edward.

He looked a little surprised at first, but he cleared his throat. "We're close. Like five minutes."

"Is Esme still there?"

"I'm here." I heard Esme say.

"Alice, did you do clinical rotations in surgery?"

"Yes."

I told Alice to have Esme take over for her on holding pressure, and I told her all the instruments to get ready for me and had Alice take Jasper's vitals. Once Edward pulled up to wherever we were, I threw the phone at him. "I need to change. I can't operate in this; it's got sequins that can fall off."

Edward shut the vehicle off and told me to follow him. We were in front of a massive house. I didn't have time to appreciate the beautiful architecture of the house because I had a patient who needed my attention. Edward pulled me into a side entry, and I followed him up two flights of stairs. Before I knew it, we were in a room that had three walls and the fourth one was entirely made of glass. Edward handed me a regular white t-shirt and a pair of scrub bottoms.

Because I was in a hurry and had a patient waiting, I wasn't really caring about modesty, so I shimmied out of the dress, glad I was wearing matching underwear and pulled the shirt on followed by the pants, which I had to roll down at the waist. Edward was staring at me with his mouth open. I snapped my fingers in front of him. "Where is your sister and mom?" I asked, pulling my hair into a low ponytail. He shook his head and headed out of the room. I followed him as we made our way downstairs to a basement area. A few feet before a door at the end of the hall, he stopped and turned to me.

"Jasper needs to make it through this, do you understand?" he said through clenched teeth. Esme opened the door, and I motioned to her to give me a minute.

I raised my eyebrow and was surprised we were back at square one. "Are you calling my qualifications into question, or do you just want another chance to threaten me? Because honestly either one is gonna piss me off. I went to school for thirteen fucking years, Edward, and I'm not your employee. I work for your father, so if you have a problem with anything I do, then take it up with him." Without waiting for him to answer, I started to walk away. Before I could get farther, he grabbed my arm.

"I'm getting tired of your mouth, Isabella."

"Get your hands off her, Edward Anthony!" I heard Esme yell. I looked at her in surprise and the look on her face made me scared for Edward. He must have realized his mother was not in the mood for his bullshit because he immediately let go of me. "Bella, Alice is waiting for you. I need to speak with my son privately." I nodded my head and went through the door, but before I closed it, I saw Esme smack the back of Edward's head. When I came in, Alice was standing over a guy I noticed from the meeting I had with Carlisle the first night. Oh, shit. That meant this guy was important to the family, and he was currently passed out. Alice turned and saw me, relief calming her features.

"Please tell me you're Bella."

"I am."

Alice started giving me information rapid fire, and I was merely amazed at how fast she was talking. I luckily was able to keep up with her, because as a doctor in an emergency, you had to give and receive information quickly. As she spoke, I swiftly got to work. Alice was a great help, giving me what I needed when I needed it and sometimes anticipating it before I had to ask. We worked together seamlessly, and soon, I had the bullet out of his leg. I had to tie off a nicked vein, which Alice freaked out a little bit over. I had to keep her calm while keeping my patient from hemorrhaging. Finally, he was ready to be stitched closed. Alice knew how to do stitches, so I let her take over to do that. I took my gloves off, washed my hands, and when she offered a bottle of water, I got it from the mini fridge she pointed to.

As she was finishing up with our patient, I took his vitals, happy that his pulse already seemed stronger than what she originally told me. She got everything cleaned up, and I told her his new numbers. She smiled and brushed the hair away from his forehead. The love I saw in her eyes as she looked down at him made me ache. I was an independent woman, and I certainly didn't need a man in my life, but I was twenty-nine years old. I wasn't getting any younger. Back when I was in my early twenties, I had certainly hoped that by this age I would have a family. That fantasy was becoming less of a possibility with each passing year.

"Thank you for your help, Bella. I don't think I could have gotten through this by myself."

I nodded. "That's why they don't allow you to operate on people you know. Emotions cloud your judgement and reactions. I'm glad that I could help you and he should make a full recovery in no time. Make sure that he keeps the wound clean for 24-48 hours, have him prop up his leg anytime he sits or lies down in the next 72 hours, and you can take his stitches out in two weeks." I knew she was aware of this information, but it was a habit to spout off aftercare to family members.

"Thank you." She looked at me and seemed like she wanted to say something. She opened her mouth but was cut off when the door opened. Edward entered the room and he looked at the blood on my shirt and then over at where Jasper was laying.

"He's fine. He's going to make a full recovery," I reiterated to him.

He nodded and walked over to Alice and gathered her in an embrace. They were whispering words to each other. The emotion, love, and gentleness in his expression surprised the hell out of me, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on a private moment. I opened the door to go stand in the hall until they were done, but Alice's voice stopped me.

"Bella, wait." I turned, and she was heading toward me. Edward looked somber again, almost like comforting Alice was soothing to him. "Will you go to lunch with me tomorrow? I would love to talk to you, without it being a life-or-death situation."

"Uh, yeah, Alice. I would love to have lunch tomorrow. It's actually the last day I have available before I go back to work."

Alice looked a little confused. "But I thought—"

"She has to give notice, Alice. She works at Virginia Mason."

Alice looked at her brother and then back to me. "Okay, well great. I already have your number, so I will text you tomorrow to solidify a time and place."

I wanted to ask how she had my number already, but I figured it was a moot point now. Carlisle and Edward knew everything about me, so it only seemed logical that the rest of the family would know as well. I nodded my head and was surprised when she hugged me. I briefly returned the hug and then she walked back over to Jasper's side. Edward kissed her on the forehead and then gestured for me to follow him. I hesitated for a moment, and when he turned back to me with his eyebrows raised, I fought hard against rolling my eyes and followed him.

The minute we got back out into the hallway, I was pushed up against the wall, with Edward leaning into me. The entire length of our bodies was touching, and I almost stopped breathing completely. He rested his hand on my throat again. "I understand that you're smart and you don't enjoy people questioning you, but the way you talk to me is unacceptable. Yes, my dad hired you and I answer to him, but I don't answer to you and it would be in your best interest to remember that." His tone was deep and dark, and I suppressed a shudder that wanted to wrack my body. Despite his dad's wishes, he looked like he wanted to throttle me.

"Are you threatening me, Edward?"

"I don't make threats, Isabella. It's a warning that action will follow next time. Think of it as a promise," he said, his hand leaving my throat and gripping my chin. I tried to jerk out of his hold, but he had me literally trapped. "Don't underestimate me because that would be a grave mistake on your part." Having him so close to me and basically threatening me into submission was too much. I was attracted to Edward and there was a side of him that was fun and nice, but he was also rude and gruff at times. I was having such a hard time keeping up with his mood swings and I couldn't have him this close. I pushed at his chest, and I know I only got away from him because he let me move him.

"That's fine. You want to threaten me and have me obey you, fucking whatever, but never touch me again. I may have to listen to you and do what you want, but I'm not your personal punching bag," I said. I glared at him, and then with my head held high, I walked away from him. I went back up to his room and changed back into my dress and took the clothes with me. Esme ran into me on my way back down.

"Please let Edward know that I will return his clothes to him when they're cleaned."

"Isn't he giving you a ride home?"

"I would honestly rather walk, Esme. Or take a cab."

"I'll give you a ride home," Edward said, his voice floating out of the darkness as he appeared behind his mother.

"No, you won't. I'm not getting in a car with you."

"Don't be childish, Bella."

"Don't patronize me, Edward. I need some space from you, and regardless of what you think, my job description doesn't include getting rides from you. If you want me to get in that car, this time it will take tying me down," I said, throwing the choices he gave me that first day back in his face.

Esme looked in between me and Edward. Edward started toward me, and I scrambled back, the look on his face scaring me shitless. That look like he wanted to throttle me was back again, and this time I was worried Esme being there wouldn't deter him. Esme placed her hand on his chest. "Edward…go cool down. Demetri will take her home."

Edward gave her a shocked look. He huffed and an emotionless look settled on his face. "Fine." Then, he abruptly turned on his heels, stomping down the stairs. I didn't breathe until I heard the front door slam downstairs.

Esme rubbed my back soothingly. "Come on. Let's go downstairs and I will have Demetri summoned. He can take you home. You shouldn't have to take a cab."

I nodded and numbly followed her downstairs, wrapping my arms around myself for comfort. I just wanted to go home, take a bath, and then pass out in my bed. This shit was getting all complicated, with the hot asshole looking over my shoulder everywhere I fucking looked. I really didn't know how much more I could take from him, and I was looking for some sort of reassurance and guidance on where to go from here.

A/N: Well, one step forward, two steps back. How do we feel? We met Alice and know that she wants to get to know Bella better. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading, and see you next week lovelies.