Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

~0~

Good morning, you got back to the hotel OK? B

Yes, where R U? E

My room, you? B

Gym, working out, not easy after too many beers. E

Oh, have fun! Will I still see you tonight, VIP bar? B

Have you eaten lunch yet? E

No. B

Have lunch with me? E

Sure, where? B

Usual spot, 2pm. E

The bar? B

Yep, see U there 2. E

OK, B

~~Bella~~

Friends ate lunch together, right? I couldn't refuse his invitation. Why should I choose to be alone in this hotel when I knew he was here somewhere alone as well? It was 11.45am, a Sunday. I'd only have to kill two hours and fifteen minutes before I could see him.

Crap!

After the gig last night, Angela had taken me backstage. I had one of those panic attack moments and decided that I wouldn't hang around for long. Edward seemed to be acting a little distant, and I thought it may have something to do with the fact that he was surrounded by musicians, getting caught up with the thrill of it all, but being forced to stay out of the public eye because he feared being mobbed.

I stayed close to Angela. We chatted and she introduced me to the other band members and their partners. Edward would occasionally catch my eye and smile, but it wasn't the gloriously sexy grin he usually gave me, it was almost reserved, timid. I made an excuse about being tired and hurriedly said goodbye to Ben and Angela, thanking them for dinner, before walking cautiously to Edward.

"I'm going back to the hotel; I'm feeling a little sleepy."

"Okay, well then I'll see you in the bar tomorrow night." It wasn't a question, his words sounded forced and my mind started reeling back to remember if I had said something to have made him upset with me.

"Well, yes, I'll be writing, I expect so. I mean I'll be there." Fuck, I have to get out of here. My face blushed in embarrassment.

I started for the door. "Bella, hold up a minute," I froze as he came up behind me. I glanced back at him.

"Um, sorry, I wish I could go back with you, to the hotel. It's just that there will be photographers and fans out there, and I really don't want you to have to deal with that shit." He wasn't looking at me; rather he was playing with the label on his Heineken, which he had started to pick from the bottle.

"That's okay; I didn't expect you to come with me. See you tomorrow." I spun quickly and hurried towards the stage door. When I walked through it, there were about twenty or so women milling around and all of them were straining their necks to look through the door before it closed, obviously hoping to get a glimpse of Edward Cullen.

I almost laughed. He could have any one of those women; any one of them would shed their clothing for him in an instant. I was no better than them. I was allowing my mind to construct unrealistic fantasies that involved him, and after tonight, they would involve a certain too low and squishy sofa in his best friend's music studio!

So much for me trying to curb my lust for Edward Cullen.

I sent him the text because I was still stressing about what could have spun his mood during the gig. I had no reason to think it had anything to do with me, yet I was worried it might.

Maybe he'll tell me at lunch. We're friends.

~~Edward~~

I couldn't stop berating myself for my behavior towards Bella last night. She had no idea that I had watched her the entire set and debated to myself why I couldn't just man-up and tell her about my feelings. She had no idea that I had made a promise to myself that we would just be friends until the whole song thing was sorted. She had no idea about my history with Tanya. I felt wretched.

When I received her text message, I knew I couldn't wait to see her. Sunday lunch. We could share a meal and talk about the song. Talk about last night.

Friends.

I lifted weights, expending my pent-up frustration into the workout. I couldn't get Bella out of my mind, and I didn't want to think about how I was going to deal with Alice. Why can't any of this be simple?

I knew this would be a turning point. If we were going to be just friends, I would not be able to touch her, or talk about anything suggestive or flirty. I certainly would NOT be using my, according to Ben, 'panty-drop' smile.

I continued my reps, adding more weights to the bar as I went. I was sweating, adrenaline coursing through me. Just the thought of seeing Bella and eating another meal with her was motivating me.

"Edward! Fuck, what are you trying to do?"

Emmett grabbed on to the bar, holding it easily, and stared down at me with a strange look on his face.

"What?"

"Are you trying to win Gold? Do you want to actually use your arms tomorrow?"

He lifted the bar completely from my grasp and placed it back on its frame. I lay there, trying to calm myself, feeling the sting and stretch in my muscles. I groaned.

"Hey, it's not my place to ask, but you've been acting a bit strange this morning."

Emmett had been my bodyguard for almost two years. The studio hired him after my first movie broke box-office records and I became like some piece of meat to hundreds of stalker fans.

I sat up on the bench, took in Emmett's concerned and sympathetic expression and proceeded to blurt the whole thing; meeting Bella in the bar, her writing the song lyrics, about the demo I was to play to the director tomorrow. It was a relief to tell someone about her, someone that did not know my sister Alice.

"The worst is, I'm having a hard time reconciling the way she makes me feel against knowing I can't get intimate with someone I'm in a professional relationship with."

"God, don't tell me, I know how that feels."

I looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean..?" but he diverted the conversation straight back to me.

"You're doing the right thing," Emmett nodded. "You just need to keep it casual. Pretend like she's your sister or something, when she touches you or you think inappropriate thoughts. That's what I do."

"Does that work?" I couldn't hide the skepticism in my voice.

"Mostly. Shit, I'll be honest; it doesn't work all the time. But, I don't have a sister; it should be easier for you to do that, right. Just think about your sister, which should like, you know, turn you off?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Emmett made sense, in a twisted way. Maybe I could treat Bella like she was my sister. Alice and I were best friends. And I'd never had a problem being friends with girls.

Except Bella wasn't just any girl.

I finished my workout and cooled down before going back to my room to shower and change. I called the VIP bar to tell them I wanted to dine there with Ms Swan at two. Of course they would accommodate my request. They said the restaurant would give my order priority. I fucking loved some bonuses of being an actor. I just never wanted to be an asshole that used that power inappropriately.

I played my guitar to chill out, and did my best to keep my mind off Bella. The demo Ben and I had recorded yesterday was beckoning me to listen, but I knew if I did, I'd want to change or add something, and there was no way I could do anything else to it. It was good enough to give the director an idea on whether he wanted it or not.

The clock read 1.53pm. I took a deep breath as I left my room to go and meet my friend Bella for lunch.

~~Bella~~

I didn't have many guy friends back home. Most of the men I knew were dating my friends, so there were never any issues of attraction. Also, none of them were as gorgeously sexy, beautiful or lick-able as Edward Cullen. But hey, I can do this! I remembered my chant. He's just an ordinary guy.

Well, that wasn't true, he was anything but ordinary, he was too beautiful, intelligent, funny, sexy, talented. Get a grip!

I swiped my card over the reader and walked into the bar. I had only ever been in the bar at night. Now the room was bathed in natural daylight, the atmosphere was surreal. I turned to look out the floor to ceiling glass windows to see the sun glinting off the blue water of the Burrard Inlet. It was simply breathtaking.

Edward was already sitting at my booth, menu in hand, Heineken on the table.

Mmmm even more breathtaking than the view. Fuck, just breathe.

"Hi," he greeted me, without his normally sexy smirk. Thank God.

See, ordinary.

"Hey, how was the workout?" I tried so very hard, but I couldn't help looking at his arms and hands. Yum, not so ordinary.

"Tough. I think I overdid it. Lucky for me I'm not doing any strenuous scenes tomorrow."

I slid into my normal spot in the middle of the booth. Edward handed me the menu.

"Here, take a look and we'll order. They'll bring the meals up to us here. I don't like eating in public; there's nothing more publishable than a photo of me stuffing my face."

We both laughed. This might be easier than I thought.

We ordered and Edward started talking about the song and how he was going to play it to the director and the producer tomorrow. He seemed really excited as he told me how awesome it would sound when professionally recorded. He talked about the sound engineers he had always wanted to work with, how it would feel to work with an orchestra.

I tried to keep him talking, because he was back to his normal self, minus the sexy smiles and casual touches. I didn't want to ruin the moment by asking why his mood was off last night.

We ate, still chatting away. I asked him about the plot of the movie, his favorite films and what he did in his spare time. The conversation was flowing freely. Unlike previous times we had talked he didn't stare into my eyes or give me that intense attention. It was comfortable, and friendly. I felt myself loosen up.

Then he stopped talking mid-sentence, thrust his hips towards the top of the table and dug his long fingers into the front pocket of his jeans, just like he did the other night.

Instead of turning me on, it made me giggle, because really, he was just getting his phone out of his pocket. I hadn't had sex in three years; of course anything even mildly suggestive had made me want to jump him.

He glanced at me.

"What? My phone is vibrating," he laughed. He looked at the screen and then placed his iPhone on the seat next to him, his brow furrowed.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" I questioned.

"No, it's my sister Alice. I can't speak to her right now."

"Why's that, did you have a fight or something?" Angela had told me they were very close, so I was curious to know why he wouldn't answer her call.

"No, it's just I know she is going to bug me about something and I don't want to have to deal with it. I'll call her back later. When she gets talking, she rabbits on for hours." He laughed and drained his bottle of Heineken.

Okay, he'd rather speak to her when he was alone. I didn't ponder too long; instead I asked him something I had been dying to know.

"What music do you listen to, I mean, what bands do you really, really love? Sorry, I sound like one of those pop magazine journos, don't I?" I laughed.

His face lit up in a huge grin. I saw he lived and breathed music. Of course, that must be what made him so unhappy last night. He would have been itching to get on that stage.

Edward proceeded to describe to me in detail the songs he loved, the musicians that inspired and influenced him. He spoke about Ben's music and then Jasper Whitlock's, who he explained was Alice's boyfriend. His tastes ranged from classical Austrian composers to a Welsh indie folk artist.

"How about I make you a playlist?" His eyes were shinning with enthusiasm.

"Yes!" I laughed, nodding my head instantly.

"So, what about Australian music?" he asked.

"Well, I can make a playlist for you too." We grinned at each other.

Time fell away. It was working. I could now confidently look at my friend Edward Cullen and not go weak at the knees.

~~Edward~~

Bella kept asking me questions and I let go and told her everything. It was liberating. I was used to restraining myself from revealing too much. As she inadvertently reminded me, the only people that asked me these types of questions were journalists and more often than not they would misrepresent my words to get a better headline.

We'd been chatting non-stop; there were no uncomfortable pauses, no stunned silences. I felt comfortable speaking to her; she was an intent and easy listener. Before I knew it, people were arriving at the previously empty bar, ordering drinks, chatting. I looked over the top of the piano out to the view. The sky was dark. I glanced at my iPhone. We'd been sitting there for three and half hours.

"I've been keeping you from your writing." I said. "How's everything coming along with it?"

"Umm, it's not coming along at all." She looked frustrated.

"What do you mean?"

"The last thing I wrote was the song. I thought that once I gave you the lyrics, I'd be cured of writer's block, but it hasn't turned out that way. I haven't touched my novel since Wednesday night."

Here I was worrying about whether the director was going to like the song and she was suffering writers' block and not saying anything about it to me. Some friend I was turning out to be.

"Okay, we need to work on that. Why don't you get your laptop and we'll workshop through what may be the issue," I encouraged. I wanted to help her embrace her creativity and I remembered my mental promise to myself to do just that.

"Um, I don't know, I'm sort of finicky about showing people my stuff before it's edited," Bella replied. She looked extremely apprehensive.

"Okay, then maybe you can help me with something?" If I can get her thinking creatively about things, she may be able to break through it on her own.

"Sure, I'd love to help. What is it?"

"It's the second song I've been working on. The music just isn't coming together; I'd really like to play what I have for you so far."

"I would love to hear it Edward," her face lit-up in an excited grin and she bounced in her seat. I laughed to cover my startled reaction. Why did she have to be so goddamn alluring?

Think of her like a sister! Pretend she's Alice.

I smiled at her, walked over to the piano and started to play. This composition was more upbeat than Episode. The bare bones were solid, but it didn't flow. I stumbled through it, and then tried playing it at a different pace, but it just didn't work.

Bella stood at my left hand side, the same spot she'd been standing three nights ago when she handed me her lyrics. I felt the static charge before I met her eyes. She was smiling, hands on her hips. "I think maybe we'd both be better equipped to get through our creative blockages on a weekday! I'll meet you back here tomorrow night?"

I must have looked disappointed.

"We can sleep on it then come back and motivate each other, that's what friends do, right?"

She's right. Friends. I fucking can't wait until tomorrow night.

~~Bella~~

Monday morning was cool and overcast. I decided I needed to do some exploring so I went for a walk. I had a map, and no sense of direction, so it didn't take me long to get lost, or rather, I misplaced myself.

It was just before midday, so I found a little café and ordered a coffee. I decided to send Edward a text; he probably wouldn't get it straight away, but maybe on a break?

Have you spoken to the director yet? B

I hit send, then remembered that Angela suggested I meet her for lunch. I took a chance and called her. Maybe she could help me figure out where the hell I was.

"Bella! I was just about to call you! Can you meet me for lunch?"

"You read my mind Angela, I'm somewhere in the City, but umm I'm kinda lost." I twisted the map around, idiotically. I should really find what street I'm on.

"Okay, just get in a cab and tell them to take you to the Bank of Montreal on Burrard Street. I'll be okay to leave in ten minutes. My favorite café isn't far from here."

"Okay, I'll see you soon." I popped the phone back in my pocket and tried to re-fold the map, to no avail. Stupid map. I shoved it into my backpack, creasing the edges and possibly ripping the end off.

Angela was waiting for me when I got to the bank and we strolled to the café she'd suggested. She asked me what I had being doing, apart from getting lost, and if I'd enjoyed Ben's concert.

"Ben's band is fantastic Angela; you must be so excited for him."

"Yes! He's recording a few songs at the moment for an E.P. and he's planning a mini tour of the U.S. which I'm really hoping coincides with Thanksgiving, so we can spend time with my family in Forks." She grinned expectantly, and I wondered if she knew that Charlie Swan was my dad. The look on her faced confirmed it.

"Did Edward tell you about Charlie?" I asked as we sat at table for two by the huge glass windows at the front of the café. The waitress brought a jug of water and glasses.

"Well, he told Ben and Ben told me. I can't believe it Bella; my dad is a pastor and he knows your dad really well. Shame you didn't live with your dad, we would have been best friends, at the same school together, that would have been so awesome!"

"Did Edward tell Ben that I nearly went to live with Charlie when I was sixteen?"

"No! You were going to? Well, I mean you obviously didn't, what happened?" Oh, why didn't I keep my mouth shut? I hesitated. Of course I can tell her. Angela didn't seem like the type of girl to gossip, even to Edward. I launched into the sordid details.

"I had a crush on this boy in school. His name was Riley Biers." My heart rate spiked when I spoke his name.

"Anyway, he kissed me once, at a party, when I was fourteen. I always hoped that he would ditch his girlfriend and ask me out. When my mum thought I was being a little obsessive about the whole thing, she tried to get me live in Forks with Charlie for a year. I hate to say it, I was so completely infatuated with Riley, I couldn't bear to move so far away from him. I look back now, and realize how immature I was."

"Hey, that's not so immature. You know I liked Ben for a really long time, but he never let on that he liked me. We hung out and studied together, but he never made a move. I was about to give up all hope, when out of the blue he asked me out! I'm pretty sure Edward prompted Ben after he caught me in history class scribbling Angela Cheney on the inside of my notebook," she giggled, a happy smile played on her lips.

I smiled back, remembering my own high school scrawling - Bella Biers, Isabella Biers, Isabella Marie Biers…I felt myself blush. The waitress returned to take our lunch order.

"Don't you wish you knew then what you know now?" said Angela. "I should have asked Ben out myself, none of that pining and waiting around. I would have been more assertive!" she looked at me with a wry smile and I felt my blush expand. She isn't insinuating that I should ask Edward out, surely?

"I suppose so," I sighed. "I was pretty shy in school. I don't think I could have handled the rejection, and Riley already had a girlfriend, a really scary one!"

"So what happened with him?"

"When he was nineteen, he had a terrible motorcycle accident."

"Oh, Bella, I'm sorry…I…"

"No, Angela it's okay; he was hurt really badly - he suffered a spinal injury - but he eventually recovered. Actually, if he hadn't had the accident we would have never been together."

"You were together?"

"Yes. When I found out he was in the hospital I sort of lost it, you know? I had such intense feelings for him, I thought he was going to die and I knew I would never forgive myself if he did and I lost the chance to tell him how I felt." I took another gulp of water.

Angela sat forward in her seat. "So what happened?"

We were interrupted as the waitress placed our meals in front of us. She smiled apologetically and disappeared.

"I rushed to the hospital as soon as I heard; I couldn't see him, of course. He was in intensive care for days. I went back every day to ask how he was. The doctors kept him in a drug-induced coma; they were concerned about his spinal injuries. Eventually they moved him to his own room. For weeks I visited him every weekday. One of the nurses must have worked me out, so she spoke to his mum. She confronted me, and I told her I was a friend of Riley's from school." I felt my heart race as I thought back. I had never recounted this story to anyone.

"I would go to the hospital in between my Uni classes, to just sit with him, read him poetry, or the daily comics from the newspaper, stuff like that. He was still with his girlfriend, but she went to Macquarie University, which was forty minutes away. She only visited at nights and weekends, so it was easy to avoid her."

I took a bite of my salad sandwich, then washed it down with some water.

"I don't know how long he was unconscious for, weeks, months? Then one day I overheard the doctors talking to his mum. They'd stopped whatever drugs they had been using to keep him under and were concerned he hadn't woken up yet. I was freaked out. Next time I sat with Riley I was so emotional, I ended up crying and saying that I needed him to wake up so I could tell him something."

Angela scooted her chair closer to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "You don't have to tell me Bella, if it's upsetting you."

"No, it's okay. Riley woke up that night. They did some tests. He had spinal cord damage. They said they could operate and he would recover. He was in hospital for another six months. I kept up the daily visits and we would talk. We became friends. I was happy with that; I knew he was still with his girlfriend, Victoria."

"The scary one?" Angela queried.

"Yes. I used to be delusional about that, but once I saw he was going to be okay, I sort of accepted he'd be with her and I accepted that we would only ever be friends. He never led me on or anything,"

"But you were together, after that?" she sounded confused.

"When Riley had been through his operations and started rehabilitation he went home from the hospital. I couldn't go to his house - too masochistic, even for me! I still had these intense feelings, but inside I knew nothing could ever happen. I didn't see him, or have any contact with him after that. But five months later he turned up at my front door."

"Oh my God Bella, that must have been weird?"

"It was, I was in shock. He had fully recovered. He looked fantastic, like he'd never even been in an accident. We talked for ages. He said he'd tried resuming his studies but he'd ended up working for Victoria's father instead, to pay his parents back for his medical bills. Then he thanked me for visiting him. In fact, he told me the reason he pushed himself to recover was so he could thank me. He asked me out for dinner."

"And…?" Angela prompted me.

"Oh, and he told me Victoria had left to go to the U.S. on a backpacking holiday. More than that, he hinted they had split up."

Angela's eyebrows shot up.

"So he took me to dinner and we kept in contact. He would call me; he came to my apartment after work and on weekends. Then, well, I was still in love with him, and we - well, we got together." I could feel the heat of my blush. Angela just sighed as if she knew what I meant.

"You guys must have been happy then?" she couldn't disguise the inflection of doubt.

"I was blissfully happy; I finally had the boy I had always wanted. We lived and breathed each other. It was the best three months of my life."

"Only three months?" Angela's eyes furrowed. I took in a deep breath. I could say it out loud. It was three long years ago. I can talk about it now. It happened, I'm getting over it.

"He hadn't really split up with Victoria. She came back from her trip, in fact, she had been back for three weeks before I found out."

"What? You mean he was two-timing you?" Angela's voice rose in anger. I felt a dead weight in the pit of my stomach.

"I ended it as soon as I realized. I didn't speak to him. I cut him completely out of my life. I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. I went on holiday to LA and San Francisco as soon as University broke over summer."

"Oh Bella, I don't know what to say, that's...awful!" Angela was rubbing my back, then she rummaged through her bag and offered me a tissue, even though I refused to let myself cry.

"Thanks Angela, I'll be okay, it's just that I thought he loved me. He said he did. I felt pretty stupid; I mean, I should have guessed something wasn't right. We hardly ever went out, he'd always come to my place. I never met any of his friends, it's like he hid me away. I was his dirty little secret and the frustrating part of it was that I didn't even think that was strange at the time. As long as I could be with him I was happy. I thought we were happy, together."

"Hey Bella, that's not your fault, you didn't know."

"I'm sorry Angela; I've taken up half your lunch break whining over Riley Biers, he doesn't deserve another thought. You must have to head back soon?"

"No, not yet, let's get a coffee. How about you come over to my house tomorrow night for dinner? Ben is going to be at band rehearsals. We can watch a movie and just hang out?" She gave me a big smile.

"I would love that. Angela, a girly night is exactly what I need!" She didn't know how much.

~~Edward~~

I was back in my trailer for a wardrobe change so I checked my phone. Three missed calls from Alice and one text message from Bella.

Have you spoken to the director yet? B

I couldn't help but smile; just knowing she had taken the time to type a message to me. I wonder what she's doing.

Yes, going to have dinner with him tomorrow night. E

I had been hoping that the director would just let me play the song for him but no, at his insistence we had to 'have dinner'. The executive producer had gone to LA on urgent business and I got the impression that the director was a little lonely and missing his family, so I agreed, as long as it was just us and he didn't tell the fucking PR people about it. There was nothing more appetite destroying than having the paparazzi show up and photograph me through the windows of a restaurant.

But dinner with him would mean a late night out; I wouldn't be able to meet Bella in the bar. SHIT!

Cool! I'm going over to Ben and Angela's tomorrow for girly night! B

What? Fuck! I called her number straight away.

"Hi Edward," I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey Bella, you're going to hang out with Angela tomorrow night?" I tried to keep my voice calm. I don't know why I'd panicked; I just didn't want Ange accidently slipping any details about Alice.

"Yes, we had lunch today and she suggested it. Ben is rehearsing tomorrow, so Angela and I are going to hang out, watch a chick flick, you know, girly stuff!"

She sounded excited. I pushed away my stupid paranoia and let myself be glad. Angela was the kind of friend Bella needed. She was kind, supportive and not at all a gossip.

"You'll have a great time with Angela, but be warned, she'll make you watch some Johnny Depp movie, guaranteed," I laughed. It was so easy to talk to Bella. Yesterday had been wonderful. I was looking forward to seeing her tonight.

"Well, I quite like Johnny Depp so that won't be an issue! I'll still see you in the bar tonight, won't I?" It's like she can read my mind.

"Yes, I'll be there, but I'm not sure what time we'll be finishing up." I put on my best authoritative Head Master voice. "Have you attempted writing at all today, Miss Swan?"

"Umm, no, I went exploring this morning and I just got back from having lunch with Angela, so I'm going to open my laptop as soon as you hang up!" She laughed. The sound made my pulse accelerate and I imagined her lying across my hotel bed stripped down to her panties and…Fuck!

Think of Alice, think of Alice.

"Well, I'll let you get to it then. See you tonight Bella."

"Bye Edward."

~0~

A/N: know, I know, slow burn...so to alleviate my frustration at these two, I wrote a smutty one-shot for the Twific Auto Erotica Challenge. It's called Extremities and you can read it here:

www dot fanfiction dot net/s/5729995/1/Extremities