Chapter 10

A/N: Alright, here we go. One day early! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the recs and the reviews. We love all you and your reviews make our day. It's great to hear your thoughts so keep them coming. As always, thank you to our amazing prereaders Maplestyle, SassyNoles, and 2brown-eyes, they give us great suggestions and comments. Also thank you to Alice'sWhiteRabbit because she helps us make this readable. Love all you girls. Let's see what Bella has to say.

Songs- "When the Party's Over"- Billie Eilish; "I Knew You Were Trouble"- Taylor Swift

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Once my days off were over and I'd thought a lot about what had happened in Edward's office, it was time to go back to work. I had analyzed the complete annihilation of my feelings for him from every angle, wondering why it had to be this way. But I was a stronger person than I had been in Forks where I'd stayed in a relationship that made me unhappy and lived in a toxic environment. Edward had fucked up, and there wasn't a shred of evidence he had a heart, so he wouldn't miss me when I left his life and his business.

When I arrived at work, it was the same as it always had been. There was zero weirdness between me and my friends. Rose still was her sassy sexy self. Alice was hyper and cute as hell. Emmett was still loud and a big child. Jasper was still calm and too cool. It was the owner whom I had a problem with, and the man was currently walking toward us. I rolled my eyes and left to go get dressed, eager to get away from him.

Tonight, Rose wanted all three of us to perform the first dance to get everyone all excited. I wore a blood-red corset with a little skirt, ripped thigh highs, and shoes that Alice got for me that made my legs look awesome and fuck hot.

Rose and Alice were already dressed when I'd gotten here so I rejoined them in the main room. They were already dancing around to some dance music that Jasper was playing. Emmett was in the middle of them, getting rubbed up and down. I ran and jumped at him. He easily caught me, and I slid down his front. I danced with Rose and Alice around him. We were only dancing for a minute before Edward barked out Emmett's name.

"Duty calls, ladies," he said, seeming distracted and suspicious.

I brushed it off because I officially didn't care what may or may not be happening in Edward's corner of the world.

Rose started showing us her ideas for the dance, and we ran it once or twice. It was just a simple stage show with no pole dancing. There was the three of us doing some belly dance-type moves and, of course, getting topless. We were just about to run it again when Edward came out of his office again. He started talking to Rose, and she was being respectful, but all warmth and friendliness were gone from her face. Alice was staring daggers at him.

Over the weekend, once it got back to Rose, from Emmett, what had happened, she came over, and I told her the whole thing. Every word and every touch. She wanted to go all Wonder Woman on him, but I told her that she needed her job, and Edward wasn't worth it. When he finished talking to Rose, he turned to me and winked. I glared at him and left the main area. I felt a hand grip my wrist, and it was Edward.

"Is your day going okay?"

I just hummed and nodded my head.

"Are you still upset at me."

Again, I just hummed and nodded my head.

"What is going on?"

I didn't say a word, just stood there not making eye contact with him.

"Okay, enough with this shit. Everyone around here has lost their damn minds. In my office. Now!" he yelled. I huffed and rolled my eyes.

When I got to his office, I sat down in the chair by the door, folded my arms, and waited for Edward. When he graced me with his presence, he sat in his desk chair, turning it to me. He just looked at me for a minute, and I just dared him with my eyes to do it—open his mouth and dig his grave just a little bit deeper. He sighed and steepled his fingers.

"So, this is the childish behavior I can expect from you from now on."

"Childish. Your behavior from the beginning has been childish. Fuck, what do you want from me? You may be okay playing with people and discarding them when you're done, but I'm not, so I'm done being your plaything. You made your feelings crystal fucking clear, if you even fucking have any. You took things too far and couldn't handle it because, really, no one matters but you, right? That's fine but find someone else's head to fuck with. Consider this my two weeks' notice 'cause I'm fucking gone." I got up out of my chair, and of course, he stopped me.

He always had to have control. He pushed me up against the wall. Even though I'd convinced my mind that I needed to let the idea of him go, my body apparently didn't get the memo. He cupped my cheek, and goosebumps broke out all over my body. He seemed to hesitate, but then he leaned in and slammed his lips to mine. He traced my mouth with his tongue, and our tongues entangled.

I fisted my hands in his hair, pulling on the strands, hoping to cause some pain. I pushed him over to the chair he'd been occupying earlier and straddled him, our lips never breaking apart. I realized with startling clarity that our kiss had become soft, almost gentle, and Edward was cupping the back of my head with a soft touch that made me sigh. This kiss was unlike any other we had ever shared, and it confused the hell out of me. I pulled away from his lips, and we just kind of stared at each other. I got up out of his lap and left the office without even looking back at him.

I didn't avoid him the rest of the night, but I didn't seek him out. I wanted to berate myself for thinking about the kiss we had shared in his office. There was something there that had never been there before. Because Edward still wouldn't let me do private dances, I had taken to helping Dally bartend. I messed up two drink orders before she noticed something was up. "Maybe you should call it an early night, B. You look like you've got an awful lot on your mind."

"Yeah. It's just been one of those weeks, you know." She gave me an understanding smile and nod. I headed toward the dressing room, got back into my street clothes, and removed my makeup. I was staring at myself in the mirror when I saw Edward's form show up in the mirror. I turned around and looked at him. He just stood there with his hands in his pockets. He looked almost sad, maybe resigned. It made my heart clench and seeing any emotions on his face completely unnerved me. We just locked eyes, and again, I was the one who broke eye contact and walked out of the room.

When I got home, I immediately felt like something was off. I hung my keys up on the hook and let the duffel bag fall off my shoulder. I wasn't a neat freak, but I kept my apartment fairly tidy. Yet, I know before I went to work, I had thrown some clothes in the corner when I was packing my duffel bag. Those clothes were no longer there, and there was just an air that someone had been here recently.

I headed to the cupboard to get a bowl of cereal. That was all I had currently, but when I opened the cupboard, it was full of food. Rice-A-Roni, dried pasta, cans of condensed soup, Ramen noodles, mac and cheese, bread, and it went on and one. Okay, someone had been in my house, which would normally freak me out, but who the hell would break into someone's house to stock their cupboard. I opened the fridge, simply curious, and yep, there was a ton of food in there too. "What the actual fuck?" I exclaimed. This is the craziest thing that has ever happened to me, I thought as I closed both the fridge and the cupboard doors.

Maybe when I woke up, I'd find out that it had all been a crazy dream. I headed to my room and took off my sweater as I walked in. When I dropped the sweater in my hamper, I turned and faced the bed. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous." On my bed was a brand new, ice blue comforter. I touched it, and it was soft and filled with feathers. I pulled down the comforter, and there were two new pillows, both, yep, you guessed it, down-filled.

I huffed. I wanted to take it all off the bed and throw it in the closet, but my old ratty comforter was gone. This shit was getting too fucking weird. I stomped back to my living room to lock up and turn the lights out. I dropped to the mattress when I got to my room and quickly fell asleep.

The next day, I scoured the internet for new jobs and must have applied for around 20 jobs. It was hard being a different person than you said you were. When I got one of my first checks from Edward, I took the money and used it to legally change my last name. Everything was now in Bella Masen's name. It still felt dishonest, but it was the only way to be absolutely sure my dad didn't find me. I thought I was a stronger person, but I'd caved to Edward completely, so what was stopping my dad from bending me to his will if he showed up?

I mean, I guess I should feel bad about lying to Edward about who I was, but at this point, it didn't really seem to matter. I would be out of his life in two weeks. Sure, he seemed sad last night, but God knows if it was about me or when he would suddenly change his feelings about me. It still caused a stab of pain in my heart to think about how everything went down between him and me, but I had more self-respect than panting after someone who seemed incapable of human emotion and love. I was still resolute in moving on.

When I returned home from work that night, I was more than a little freaked out. There was a large vase of roses on my counter, and it made fear clench in my stomach. I hated roses, with a passion, especially red ones, but Jacob bought them for me on several occasions. He didn't care enough to remember I didn't like them. I immediately picked up the vase and took them out to the dumpster for my building.

When I got back up to my apartment, I locked the door and allowed myself to panic. This was all just so fucked up. Someone had gotten into my apartment and was taking care of me anonymously. Last night, I had a fleeting thought that it might be Edward, but I dismissed the thought immediately because it was absolutely ridiculous, and now with the flowers, not his MO at all. This could totally be Jacob; it was the type of thing he would do. He wouldn't care about the obvious invasion of my privacy, and he had always tried grand gestures to get me back.

But how could he have found me? I changed my phone number, and no one knew where I was … Wait. My mind ran back to before I started working for Edward. Why I had gone to the strip club in the first place. Jessica. She knew where I was. She didn't particularly like Jacob, but her boyfriend was friends with him. Jessica was very flighty and flaky, so there was the possibility she told Mike, who could have told Jacob.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! I picked up my phone and tried to call Jessica. The phone went to voicemail all three times I called. "Answer your phone. Shit!" I threw the phone down on my couch and clutched my hair in my hands, pulling it back from my face. I knew I was spiraling, but this was a potential disaster. If Jacob knew, then my dad would soon, if not already, and I couldn't let my mind accept that.

I called Rose and told her I wouldn't be in the next day, and she understood, though she thought it was too hard for me to be around Edward. I let her think that because no one knew about Jake or my dad. Those were off-limit topics for me. I took the bat I left under my bed and put it on the nightstand in plain view before I locked up and fell into bed. I stared at my ceiling, willing my mind to shut off. I tried a relaxing technique I had learned shortly after my mom had committed suicide, and I found myself drifting.

I woke with a startle. I instantly forgot what I had been dreaming about. I let out a loud exhale and tried to calm my nerves. It wasn't working, and I couldn't understand, but it felt like someone was watching me. It was that same smoldering feeling I got when I knew Edward was watching me in the club. I heard a creak of wood, and my head swiveled in that direction. It was dark in my apartment, but it looked like a shadow shifting, indicating something was moving. I was up and had my bedroom light on in an instant. Nothing was out of place, and I almost laughed at my paranoia. Knowing someone had been in my apartment during the day without me was really getting to me. I let out a relieved sigh, shut the light off, and went back to bed.

I woke up feeling fully rested, though my dreams had been fucking weird. Voices whispering words I couldn't hear, and hands reaching out to me that were just out of reach to touch. It was kinda creepy and unsettling. I shook it off though because I didn't want to think about what a clusterfuck my life had become lately. I took the bat I had placed on my nightstand and put it by my front door, thinking that was the best place for it.

I made breakfast, which was just an English muffin and jelly. I had no idea how I was going to eat all the food that my mystery stalker had left. Either that person had a huge appetite and didn't know what someone my size ate as a single person, or they were just going overboard. I was thinking about planning out my day when I got online and saw that there was a burlesque club in town that was holding auditions today for an open dancer position. I smiled at my turn of fortune and ran to go take a shower and get dressed.

Hope you kill it at your audition! I smiled at the message from Rose and typed a response out as I climbed the steps to my apartment. I had texted her on my way to my audition and didn't see her response until now. I think I killed it myself, but I was told that I would get a reply by the end of the day. They had to see everyone who wanted to try, and then decide. I pulled my key out to unlock my door when I noticed it wasn't completely closed.

Ah, so my stalker had returned. I opened the door without a sound, grabbed my bat by the door, and crept down the hall. The light was on in my bathroom, so I crept up beside the door. When someone opened the door, I swung. It glanced off the person's shoulder. I found the bat being ripped from my hands, and I was shoved up against the wall with a hand on my throat.

"What the fuck, Bella!" The hand around my throat dropped, and I realized it was Emmett standing in front of me.

"Emmett, what the fuck are you doing here. I thought you were Jacob," I said before even thinking. Emmett's eyebrows raised, my eyes widened, and I covered my mouth. Shit, I couldn't believe I let that slip out. I knew Emmett, and he wasn't going to let this go.

"Who would Jacob be, why would he be in your apartment, and why would you attack him, little one?"

"It's nothing," I said, praying he would drop it.

"Come on; tell me. Is someone threatening you?" he asked, his face going menacing in two seconds flat. At that moment, I was scared for anyone who ever threatened me. I have never seen Emmett anything but happy or joking. I saw him miffed at Edward before, but never anything like this.

"No. Damn. You can't tell anyone, but I had a boyfriend before I moved here. I was very unhappy in our relationship, and we broke up several times, but every time, he wormed himself back into my life." I noticed the new toiletries on the bathroom counter over his shoulder before I continued. "Are you the one who's been leaving all this new shit in my house and filling my cupboards with groceries?"

Emmett waggled his eyebrows and nodded his head. We went to go sit on my couch. I breathed in a sigh of relief—it hadn't been Jacob. Thank God, but this was not what I was expecting. "Emmett," I said, smacking his chest. "Do you realize how freaked out I've been? Why?"

"Well, honestly, I'd love to take credit 'cause all this stuff you really needed, but this is all at Edward's request."

What. The. Fuck. I was taken back by his admission. "Um, excuse me. I thought you just said it was Edward's idea."

"No, you heard right."

"Why?"

"Because he cares, B. Edward doesn't show his emotions often, if ever, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. That's why I told you not to give up. I know things you don't. Just try to take it easy on him. He didn't mean harm with all this stuff, okay?"

I nodded, completely dumbfounded. I had no idea Edward was capable of something so, well, creepy but completely thoughtful. To some, it may seem really weird, and it was, but for Edward, it was a really big fucking deal. I smiled to myself. I had just been given a little evidence that Edward had a heart. We weren't completely okay because he had a LOT to apologize for, but maybe someday down the road, we could be friends. I gave Emmett a hug and kiss on the cheek. "I'd tell you the hug and kiss were for him, but I don't think you'd kiss him, so just tell him 'thank you'."

I told Emmett that if he continued to come over to "help out", I wouldn't hit him with a bat next time. He smiled and left me to my thoughts. I went to take a look at the toiletries, and it was all expensive, top-of-the-line shit. I rolled my eyes. Edward was such a bougie guy sometimes. I laughed and went back to my living room.

My phone rang right as I sat down, and I saw it was the club where I'd auditioned. I talked to the lady on the phone, and I had gotten the job! I jumped up and down after I got off the phone. I called Alice and Rose to let them know, and they were happy for me. We ended up chatting for a while, and soon, I was wiped out and ready for bed. I locked up and got into bed, smiling to myself as I drifted off to sleep, happy at the good day I'd had.

Shortly after I fell asleep, I was startled awake and felt that feeling of being watched again. I saw the shadows shift slightly and noticed someone was sitting within them on a chair that had been pulled in from the kitchen. I looked straight at the person, and without seeing his face or hearing his voice, I knew it was Edward. I knew his body and his smell better than the back of my hand. He leaned forward, out of the shadows, as I continued to watch him, and I finally got to see his face. After all that I had learned in the last few hours, my heart leaped. I smiled at him, feeling a sense of calm come over me.

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A/N: So, how do we feel? There's so much more of Snarkella and Assward to come. I'm not going to defend either one of them because they are both keeping a lot hidden, but it will come together. Enjoy the ride until then. Let us know what you think and until later this week lovelies!