THE OTHER WOMAN

DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS IT ALL.

August 16

EDWARD

I check my watch and see that it's nine-thirty already and the stage is filling up with couples. I notice Emmett and Rosalie and my parents gracefully dancing to Al Green's Let's Stay Together. I run a hand through my hair and spot Alice talking to her friends. I avoid any eye-contact with her and continue walking in Bella's direction. When I get close to her, I see tension all over her face. Bella gazes at me and tears prick in her beautiful eyes.

As I approach her, I notice her face has gone white. I reach the table and sit down in the chair next to hers.

"Hey."

Bella turns to me. "Edward, I saw him. I really did. Do you think he is following me?" Her voice breaks and my heart constricts seeing her terrified expression.

I look over at Alex—who also seems anxious about Bella. "Alex, give us a minute." I ask softly and he leaves us alone.

The lights grow dark in the background and I sigh softly. I twist her chair in my direction and scoot it closer so Bella faces me. Our knees touch and I find her staring at her lap.

"Bella look at me," I murmur and she shakes her head. "Bella please," She finally does and there is a stream of tears on her cheeks. Fuck. "Oh god, don't cry." I quickly wipe away her tears and gaze into her distracted eyes. I cup her face in my hands so her attention solely remains on me.

"Talk to me about it. Anything you want to tell me. Who did you see?" Bella takes a shaky breath and I offer an encouraging nod.

"J-James Smith."

"Okay," I tuck an errant piece of hair behind her ear. I stroke her cheek and patiently stare at her. "Who is he? Do you know him?"

She hesitantly nods. "He's an ex-boyfriend."

My hands involuntarily tighten their hold on her face. How can that fucker even think about dating someone like Bella? Someone so out of his league. And why on Earth would Bella go out with him?

"How long ago did you date that man?"

"Four years ago."

"Was it serious?"

"We dated for six months." That's way too long.

I brace myself for the question I'm going to ask. "Why does he scare you so much?"

Her head drops, and she stares at her lap again. I sigh sadly when I watch how her hands are shaking as she sniffles. I take hold of her ice cold hands and encase them with mine.

Bella bites her bottom lip and looks up at me. "J-James and his mother," She chokes on a sob and closes her eyes. "T-They threatened me… He p-pushed me … They made me go… I refused and they," She blubbers out in broken sentences.

"Maybe it's not the appropriate place to talk about this. We'll discuss it later," She nods and nervously looks around. "It's okay, Bella. At least you shared something. That's a start, right?"

"Yes." Her voice is nothing but a whisper.

"I'll keep him away from you. If you want, I can ask securi—"

Her brown eyes widen and she shakes her head. "No! I don't want to cause a scene."

"I won't," I wipe away her tears and brush my hand against her hair. "Now, let me tell you something," She frowns softly. "It's the same James who works for me. That's why he is here."

There is a look of on her face and she shudders. "I can't believe I was in the same building as him! I hate him. I hate him so much."

I cradle her face in my hands and make sure there are no tears on her cheeks. "I know, hush now. It's okay."

Bella nods closing her eyes and takes a cleansing breath. Her face seems more composed when she opens her eyes. A tentative smile breaks out on her face.

"I won't think about him. I can do that. I'm confused as to why Jake has never mentioned this to me." She mutters and I sigh.

"A lot of people work in the company, Bella. Plus, they work for different departments on different floors. Maybe they have never crossed paths." And they won't from tomorrow onward either.

"Maybe," She whispers and tiredly exhales. "Thank you for being so understanding about it. If my being happy is what it takes to remove that worried look off your face, I'll do that."

I smile and press a kiss on her forehead. I tilt my head until our foreheads touch.

"That's my girl." I stroke her cheek and she blushes.

"I hope my face looks presentable because I forget all the last-minute make-up instructions that Angela gave me a while ago."

My laughter is cut short when a throat clears behind me. I turn to see Alice standing by the end of table with her hands on her hips and a heated glare my way. I politely smile at her friends standing next to her and stand up.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I believe I certainly mentioned that my friends wanted to meet you."

I generously grin at her friends. "Hello, ladies. You look lovely tonight." I hear a couple of shy thank yous. I chuckle.

"You know what? I'm taking Bella away. Come on, Bella. Let's go," Alice says as I snort and turn to find Bella anxiously gazing at me. I clasp her hand with mine and help her stand up.

Bella leans towards me and her lips brush against my ear. "Edward, what if—"

"Bella," I whisper, turning to her. I soothingly rub her back and she sighs. "I'll take care of it. Maybe Alice and her friends will distract you."

"Okay." She kisses my cheek. "Thank you so much."

"Have fun," I say softly and she chuckles, although her smile looks strained. I kiss her forehead and shake my head. "Don't."

I face Alice and her friends and find them openly staring at us with smiles on their faces. One of them sighs and looks at me.

"You guys are really cute."

I look at my sister who seems to be enjoying her little arrangement to keep Lucy away from me. "You couldn't come up with anything else to get your friend off my back?"

"Nope," She pops the 'p' and grabs Bella's hand. "I hate you, Edward. Goodbye."

"Bye ladies." They answer with a chorus of 'Bye Edward' and leave me alone.

I take my phone out and frown when I see there is no new email from Victoria. She was supposed to send me the details hours ago. I can feel someone's eyes on me so I look at the stage and find four pairs of eyes staring at me. Emmett seems intrigued and I don't waste my time to look at Rosalie's vile face.

Mom has hurt written on her face and she doesn't hide it well. There is irritation in her eyes and I know she is testy about the fact that I have gotten so close to Bella. My dad blankly stares at me and I positively see a hint of a smile on his face before he turns to face mom again. Did he like Bella? God, I hope so.

My view becomes clouded when Carmen and Eleazar stand in front of me with their beaming faces. Carmen kisses my cheek and gives me a tight hug.

"Edward, dear you look so handsome tonight."

I resist the urge to push her off me. "You look just as lovely, Carmen." I release her and fetch myself a flute of champagne. I politely shake hands with Eleazar.

"Missing Tanya?" Eleazar smirks at me and I choke on my drink. I cough a little and dab my mouth with my napkin.

"My apologies," I look back at Tanya's dad. "And thinking about your daughter is probably the last thing I would do."

They both share a look and then Carmen grins at me. "Tanya mentioned that she wanted to throw an engagement party next month."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening." I shake my head.

"And I'm so excited to plan your wedding!"

"I don't see that happening either." I whisper and drink my champagne.

Eleazar thoughtfully stares at me and his eyes fall on something to his far left before looking back at me.

"I'm sure my daughter won't appreciate your getting cozy with some woman behind her back."

"Well, tell your daughter that she shouldn't sleep with men that are only too willing to talk when I throw cash at them. It's just going to add to her violations in the lawsuit."

"L-Lawsuit?" Eleazar asks and I smirk when the stutter doesn't escape my ears.

"Yes. Two lawsuits, actually. One is for Tanya and the other," I stare into his flurried gray eyes and smile. "Let's keep that one a secret for a while."

I find Kate speaking with Dave to my left and she unexpectedly meets my gaze. I tilt my head toward the Denalis and she grins at me, but understands my message and gracefully struts in my direction.

"I'm so sorry for the intrusion but I really need to steal Edward away for a few minutes." Kate says with a charming smile and Carmen nods at her.

"Yes, of course." She mutters and I smile at her flustered expression.

"They have a lot to think about, anyway." I whisper and happily sigh once I am out of their earshot.

"You could've easily excused yourself." Kate mumbles, taking the drink from my hands and chugging it down herself.

I chuckle. "I know. I just wanted to make a classier exit after what I told them."

"I didn't hear that but alright. And just so you know, I'm taking the day off tomorrow." She says firmly and I raise an eyebrow.

"And what grunt work did you do today that you can't come in to the office tomorrow?"

Kate rolls her eyes, sipping on my drink. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."

I chuckle. "And as your boss, I'm asking you Katherine Gill; why do you want to take a day off tomorrow?"

"First, you conducted a meeting on a Sunday and tired the fuck out of everyone there," I hide my smile and she continues. "And second, I haven't taken a day off in the last six months."

"Really?" I ask quietly and she nods. "Well if I recall correctly, you took three days off after Jon Snow died."

She glares at me. "Hey, you leave Jon Snow out of this!"

"Fine, Kate. Do whatever you want."

"Good," Kate smiles at me. "And I'd like you to meet someone. Aro Volturi is here if you want to have a word."

My mood perks up. "Oh! Of course."

At least there is someone here that I actually want to meet.

I ignore Kate and Alex standing by my side as my eyes are busy searching for the douchebag who is somewhere in this room. I spot James where I expected him to be. The bar. I try to maintain a calm demeanor and resist the urge to do something I might regret.

My eyes fall on someone who has skipped my mind. Alistair Raymond. I still have no idea what that dickhead is doing here. Even though I don't want to speak with him, I know I have to.

Alex follows my gaze and groans.

"Really? Why the hell is he here?"

"I have no idea but he is definitely up to something."

"You think so?"

"I'm certain."

Kate cocks her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, what's the deal with that man?"

I shrug. "Nothing much. He is one of the presidents of Raymond, Tuscan & Lee Architecture. The company that has stolen several of our featured projects and senior management employees by making false unprecedented claims about our work. Alistair Raymond is the biggest arrogant bastard you'll ever meet."

"I still think you both should have a word with him," Alex and I share a look and go back to staring at the jughead. "God, you guys are lazy."

"Relax, will you?" Alex sighs. "We'll talk to him later. Right now, I'm looking for Alice."

My eyes search for Bella and I spot her laughing about something with Alice's friends. I can't help smile watching her so happy. I watch Lucy glaring daggers at Bella—who is thankfully ignoring her. Alice is chattering like a monkey while the others chip in their thoughts once in a while.

Bella cranes her neck to look at the table we were previously sitting at and her eyes turn anxious. She frantically scans the room before her eyes meet mine. Even in the dark lights, I can see her shyly blushing to find me staring at her. I frown when I hear Alex and Kate chatting about something. My ears perk up when I hear my name but maintain a steady gaze on Bella.

"… I know, right? I mean, he shouldn't be such a big dumbass." Kate probably questions Alex who sighs behind me.

"It's really sickening sometimes to see how much they like each other but won't do anything about it." My cousin offers his precious thoughts about Bella and me.

I glare and turn in their direction watching their eyes comically widen.

"Excuse me," I politely smile. "Do you mind if I join the conversation?"

"Uh no thank you," Alex smiles nervously. "We weren't talk about you," He looks over my shoulder and creepily laughs. "Look, there's Alice. I didn't even see her… or Bella."

"Yeah, I can see that." I murmur and he avoids eye-contact.

"Gotta go, Edward. And mom was looking for you; she hasn't seen you all day." He rushes away from me.

I give Kate an unreadable look. "Dumbass, huh?"

"I'll be right there, Alex!" She shouts and smiles at me. "Alex asked for me. I had better go." She strides in the direction he just went.

I sigh and shake my head. I find Aunt Jane at the Bank Area looking rather busy with all the volunteers. I see the bid sheets and photographs of the numbered items from the auction.

"Aunt Jane!" I exclaim and she looks up from her mess. There is a hint of relief in her face when she spots me.

"Edward, hi dear," She walks over to me and I give her a hug. "I haven't seen you since you got here. Wow, look at you, handsome as ever."

"You look wonderful."

"Thanks, Edward. Were you with Alex just now?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of people we've been meaning to talk to. And small talks eat up a lot of time."

"That's true. People were asking earlier why you weren't here. It was a nice surprise for you to come when you said you wouldn't."

I chuckle. "I really wasn't going to but Alex and Alice started texting me like crazy to get here when I stopped answering their calls."

Aunt Jane laughs. "Yeah, they really wanted you to come. Are you having a good time?"

"It's better than last year."

"More people and better items," She shrugs. "Anyway, did you meet my son's date?"

I scowl at her. "Yes."

"Pretty one, isn't she? I heard she's single. Maybe I'll suggest Alex to ask her out. He has been so attentive and mature tonight. I think Bella made that possible. Otherwise, he would barely stay away from the bar and the ladies to know what the fundraiser was really about."

"Aunt Jane, please don't start with that again." I shake my head and she smiles warmly.

"What? I'm serious. You can't ask her out, you have Tanya," I sigh. "You are young and it's probably just a crush. It'll go away. Alex is crazy about her. I haven't heard him talk so much about anyone before."

"What do you expect me to say?" I desperately ask her and she ruefully smiles.

"You don't have to say anything. You look tortured. Don't think too much." She gives me a comforting hug and I sigh. Forty days. I can do this. It's just a month… And ten more days after that. I can manage everything.

I pull back to look at her. "Did you see the way mom and Rosalie were looking at Bella? She has done nothing wrong."

Aunt Jane surprisingly laughs. "Oh dear. Esme loved Bella," I raise an eyebrow and she sighs. "I mean, before Rosalie fueled crap about Bella and you. Es really did. She told me herself. She thought Bella seemed mature, smart and very beautiful."

"I couldn't help notice you said everything in past tense." I blandly mention and she rolls her eyes.

"Your mother is just being overprotective. Just give her some time."

"Right because she'll warm up to Bella by the end of the night." I mutter dryly.

"You cannot do anything right now to make things better. They'll only get worse. She is really conflicted right now. I'll speak with her."

"It really hurts me that I can't do anything to make Bella happy. You should've seen the look on her face when she was speaking about mom."

"Bella wasn't even smiling until you got here. You made her forget all about Rosalie and Esme. She seems happier and more relaxed now. Don't berate yourself over it."

I crack a smile and nod. "Okay, thank you."

"No problem," Aunt Jane gives me a tired smile. "Now, let me get back to my work."

"I can help." I volunteer and she laughs.

"There is no need, honey. I love this part of the fundraiser. I get to know how much everyone bid. It's a great topic for gossip at various functions. I'm having my own little party, go enjoy yours."

I chuckle and bid her goodbye. Mr. Black strikes up a conversation with me and fifteen minutes into it, Alex walks over with a worn out smile. He taps his watch and I sigh.

"Yes, alright," I turn to Mr. Black. "Excuse us, Mr. Black. There is someone we need to speak with."

Alex and I find Alistair Raymond sitting at his table with a couple of dad's friends. He spots us and a smirk tugs on his face as he stands up. I plaster a smile on my face and shake hands with him.

"Mr. Raymond, we're glad you could make it tonight." I politely mumble and he nods.

"It is a great turnout this year. Quite frankly, I didn't expect such a grand event." Asshole.

"Maybe because you haven't been invited to any of our events before." Alex says with a pointed smile on his face. "Anyway, how is work?"

"Well, life's been pretty good. Our company just signed a contract for the Financial Center in China of—"

"The CINIC group, yes," I nod at him. "We declined that project two years ago, didn't we Alex?"

Alex flashes him a smile. "Yes, we had two featured projects lined up and two more following them. It would've taken our focus off of them. I hear it's looking good though."

Alistair recovers his grumpy expression. "Of course it is. My experience has led me to where I am today. You boys are too young to have that."

"Grandpa Victor told us it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. You can only lack experience if it's done the same old way. We aren't following the old way; we're making a new one." I say softly and he huffs.

"How is your family?" I kindly ask and Alistair gives me a self-satisfied smirk.

"Family's good. How about yours? I hear you have a girlfriend or something."

I chuckle darkly. "You should know, Alistair. You seemed very friendly with her at the Architecture Digest gala three months ago."

His smile turns shaky. "She is a smart young woman."

I frown at him. Nobody has ever said that. Now, I'm really intrigued. Alistair really thought she was smart from spending three hours with her? No. There has to be some catch. I am taken out of my reverie when I hear something vibrating. I look past Alistair and find his phone is ringing on the table.

+33 4 93… Alistair hurriedly grabs his phone and disconnects the call before I can read the number.

"Nice?" I curiously ask and he turns to me startled.

"Um, what?" He looks at his phone and then at me. "Oh? The call. Well, I we have a project starting in Nice."

"What a coincidence," I smile at him. "Tanya is in France as well."

Alistair composes his demeanor. "That's interesting."

"That better not be her." I joke but he can hear the threat in my voice.

"If you'll be excuse me. I have to make a phone call."

"I think you ought to." I patiently nod and he scurries away from me. I turn to Alex. "I told you he had something planned by coming here."

"I don't get it."

"I do."

"Whatever, Ed. Now if you'll excuse me. My lovely date needs my attention." Alex winks and saunters away from me. I glare at his retreating form.

I make a phone call to Zidek.

"Mr. Cullen." He greets me on the second ring.

"Evening, Zidek. I need a couple of tasks to be done."

"Yes, sir."

"I need Alistair Raymond's call log, get me Tanya's location and I need you to get me the CCTV surveillance footage from The Plaza, New York for May 28th. There was an Architecture Digest gala held there that night."

"Sir."

I end the call and notice a flurry of activity out of my periphery. A very familiar person is making his way in Bella's direction. James shouldn't even think about messing with Bella. I button my tux jacket and watch him stagger a little. He looks very drunk. I stride in his direction, catching his eye. He pales and stands rooted where he is.

"Good evening Mr. Cullen."

"James," I nod. "How are you?"

"I'm good, sir. It's a fine fundraiser."

"When did you get here?"

"Two hours ago."

"I don't see your family around." He anxiously shakes his head.

"No wives or girlfriends. My family is not from Seattle."

"You look drunk. Have you been at the bar this whole time?" I snap and he looks at me. I cast him a glare noticing how bloodshot red his eyes are. I take a step back when the stale scent of whiskey and cigarettes assaults my senses. I feel nauseated just standing next to him. Ugh.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I just saw an old friend of mine." He smiles and I clench my fists.

"Really? And who might that be?"

"An ex."

"Stay the fuck away from her. I'll have you beaten to death if you even look in her direction. Do you hear me?" I say with menace and he audibly gulps, nodding his head. "And if you talk to her, you have no idea which corner of the world my men will throw you."

"Y-Yes." James stumbles away from me and I watch him walking in the bar's direction. I spot Bella standing next to Alex as they speak with Alice and her friends. I feel better watching her smile.

Rosalie's parents; Chris and Jill give me matching Cheshire cat grins and I begrudgingly go talk to them. In fact, they are wonderful, loving people unlike their only daughter. Thankfully, she isn't around when I talk to them although I spot her warily staring at us. I smirk to myself. I have threatened her a lot. She wouldn't dare make a scene.

I excuse myself when my phone rings and I check the name before I answer it.

"Yes, Aunt Jane?"

"Edward I need your help, dear."

I chuckle. "I'll be right there."

Around half an hour later, the emcee announces everyone to take their seats again. I find mom staring at me from the neighboring table and I look away. Bella sits next to me again and I offer her a smile, making her blush.

"Did you bid on anything?" Bella whispers and I chuckle.

"I was with you the whole time in there, did you see me?" She shakes her head. "Our company funds the money for this event and we donate a set amount annually."

"Oh, that's nice."

"And thank you for your generous contribution of keeping Alex sober so he could bid on something. We can donate a couple of more bucks now."

Bella giggles and nods at me. I offer her hand a soft squeeze and we go back to staring at the stage where the winners are being announced. Alex wins a watch and some other item that I don't bother to listen about. Alice squeals when she wins the trip to Paris and gives me a tight hug.

"It's a romantic trip, Alice," Alice frowns at me. "You don't have a boyfriend." I mention and she throws me a dirty look before leaving for the Bank Area to donate the money for the trip.

A polite applause follows for all the winners and it takes a considerable amount of time to announce them.

"Tired, Ms. Swan?" I ask, placing my arm around the back of her chair.

"Yes," She whispers tilting her head on my shoulder. "What's after this?"

"The winners will be given the details of their shipment addresses and make their donations while people mingle and brag about their lives and some couples might even dance. And at the end of the night there is a fireworks display." Sleep flies out of her eyes when I say the last phrase.

"Really? Fireworks?" I nod and she grins at me. "I love fireworks! I have only seen them on TV!" There is so much excitement in her beautiful eyes.

"I had no idea." Until Alex told me about it and I had this bit arranged for her.

"How is it organized? There is no way the fireworks can—" I cut her off.

"It's all taken care of. Don't worry. You are an attendee, so all you need to do is go to the rooftop at the end of the night and watch the show."

"Hey," Bella shifts to my side again and I chuckle. "Will they announce the person who bought that necklace?"

I shake my head. Mom and Aunt Jane wanted the exact thing to happen; People asking about the necklace. To create a certain hype around it. I can't believe Bella fell for the strategic scheme. Well, any woman might after seeing the necklace.

"Why?"

"What if it's a guy?"

I scowl at her. "Are you planning to flirt with him?"

Bella giggles softly. "Maybe. It's so pretty."

She takes in my bemused expression and clasps her hand with mine. "I'm kidding. Even though you don't have that necklace, you are a good person. I'll stay here."

I snort. "You had better," I look over at Aunt Jane and she nods at me. "And they're done."

"Thank god."

"I second that."

I frown when mom and Aunt Jane walk over to the stage and a small vertical billboard covered with a royal blue satin sheet is wheeled next to them. Bella quizzically stares at me but I'm just as puzzled as she is.

"Good evening once again everyone," Mom gives a warm smile to the slightly restless audience. "We have been getting a lot of requests to unveil the bidding item that has been kept under wraps all night and Jane and I are very eager to do so."

I groan and run a hand through my hair. I gaze at Bella who is barely able to contain her excitement. "Why are women so complicated?"

"Because women are unpredictable." She kisses my cheek and brushes her thumb over it to get the lipstick mark off. I chuckle and shake my head.

When Aunt Jane resumes speaking, I look at her. "The biggest item of the night was sold before the fundraiser and it's a priceless necklace," She takes off the sheet and I hear murmurs go around about the beautiful necklace on display. I see some camera flashes in the dark which makes me roll my eyes.

"The bidder wanted to donate a large lump sum amount to the charity other than his many contributions to the fundra…" Their voices become a buzz when Bella squeezes my hand and I look at her.

"See? It's a man."

"It's a sixty-year-old man." I mutter and she huffs making me laugh.

"No wonder they made him buy it for the hefty cash he donated. Anybody would if he does so much work for it." I shrug at her comment.

"… and now can the winner please stand up?"

I look around the room, running a hand through my hair and watch Bella curiously surveying the room like any other person. I glare at my mom and Aunt Jane who seem very pleased with the little speech of theirs. It was completely uncalled for and not in the itinerary.

When the whispers turn to chatters; mom and Aunt Jane glower at me and I resentfully stand up, leaving my hold on Bella's hand. I give them both an unreadable stare but all they offer me are apologetic smiles. Both are completely useless. I can hear a loud applause for me and Bella is staring with her mouth hanging open.

I crack a smile gazing at her adorable reaction which is the best I could ever receive. I impatiently wait until mom stops speaking about me and the work I've done and sit back down on my chair.

"Sixty-year-old man?" Bella hisses at me and I chuckle.

"Come on, start flirting."

She furiously blushes and stares at her folded hands on her lap. "I didn't know you were the guy."

I chuckle and look over her shoulder to find my sister staring at me expectantly. "What?"

"Edward, when are you giving the necklace to me?"

I pretend to look thoughtful. "Well, today is August 16th," I mutter and look at her. "So, never." I say flatly and she glares at me.

"Hey!" She scowls at me and I smile making her giggle. Thank god, she didn't get angry.

My phone buzzes and I check the screen to see it's Victoria calling. I answer the call.

"Vic, hi. I still haven't received the emails. Is everything alright?"

"Actually no, I'm sorry but my OS crashed and I have no way to send you an email right now. Mr. Omar sent in the numbers so I have a hard copy."

"Great, hold on," I wedge the phone between my shoulder and ear and take a pen out of my jacket. I grab a napkin and note down the figures Victoria dictates to me.

"Edward, your flight and team details are in. You'll find them on your desk tomorrow."

"Great."

"Hey, is it alright if I let you know my confirmation by the end of the week?" She asks shyly and I frown, holding the phone to my ear.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm very reluctant about going on this business trip because of Jared. His summer break will end by the time we get back from Dubai and I haven't been spending enough time with him as it is. I'm sorry if I'm being unreasonable but I hope you understand. I know you need someone to take care of your schedule for the office and your site. You lose track of time when you're working—"

"Alright, calm down," I chuckle and she sighs on the other line. "I'll work it out on my own. Don't worry about it. I'm sure Jared would like to spend some time with you too. You're not being unreasonable and I understand your concerns."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm really not."

"Take Julie, she's good."

I laugh. "Maybe not. Anyway, have Kyle sent a spare laptop to the office until yours gets repaired. I'll see you tomorrow if I get enough sleep after this fundraiser ends."

"I'm so jealous that you're sitting amongst snotty, rich people. Enjoy. Good night."

"Night, Vic."

I let out a deep sigh and place my phone in my pocket again. Bella smiles at me and I smile back. Her eyes fall on the napkin just as I fold and place it in my jacket pocket.

"Numbers?"

"A couple of ladies were interested in the necklace so they left me their numbers." I hide my smile and she frowns.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I lean in so my lips brush against her ear. "But, I am still going to give your flirting skills a chance." I watch goosebumps rise on her skin and she gives me a tiny glare.

"Very funny."

"Ha ha funny?"

"No."

The DJ starts playing music again and I see couples eagerly walking over to the stage to resume dancing. I find Bella staring at them with a smile on her face. Alice like the brat she is, demands me to show her the necklace and I reluctantly give in.

I take Bella with us to keep me sane in contrast as to how irritating Alice can be. I let Aunt Jane show them both the necklace along with the other ladies who are gawking at it. I check every part of the event room and find James sitting at a far off bar with a queue of empty lowball glasses on the platform. The waiter refills them and he resumes tossing the drinks into his system.

At least he'll forget about Bella.

Dad drags me to meet a couple of his friends who discuss the medical innovations that have recently occurred. One recent innovation is the Robotic "Flight Simulator" Surgery and Enterprise Cloud Business Intelligence Software, and I need to know about it.

I find Bella speaking with Alex back at our table. I try to watch them through the gap between the two doctors in front of me. Bella is covering her mouth with her hand but I can't see why. Ugh, these doctors. I struggle against them and see what is really going on.

It's an item from the auction. A gold bracelet. He clasps it around her wrist and the glimmering diamonds poke my eyes even from a distance. Bella seems reluctant but I'm sure Alex is being very obstinate to give it to her. Bella finally gives in and tightly hugs him.

Out of my periphery, I feel someone's eyes on me. I turn my head and find it's Eleazar. His lips are pulled into an arrogant smirk and I send a withering glare in his direction. Carmen is weeping by his side as she speaks with mom about something—who is trying to console her.

Mom patiently speaks with her and then turns on her heels to strut in Bella's direction. My eyes widen and Eleazar and Carmen have a hint of smiles on their faces. Oh, they didn't just do that. Bella is sitting on a chair with a beautiful smile on her face as she gazes at the bracelet. Where the fuck did Alex go?!

Bella immediately stands up when she finds my mom walking her way. Mom crosses her arms across her chest and heatedly talks with Bella about something. I watch Bella's face fall with every word my mother speaks. What the hell is mom doing? They speak for five minutes before mom walks away from my Bella who looks downright miserable.

I excuse myself from the doctors and make my way over to her. I can feel mom watching me as I sit on the chair in front of Bella's.

I clear my throat. "Hey."

"Hi." She whispers as she tries to take the bracelet off with shaky fingers.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

"I don't think I'm good enough for such a gorgeous bracelet. Maybe Alex should give it to someone else." Her voice breaks and I grab her right hand in mine and stroke the bracelet.

"It's perfect for you. What did my mother say?"

Bella snatches her hand from mine when I ask her that question. "Nothing. And you don't have to stick around to keep me company. You can leave if you want to."

"Do you want me to?" I ask and her tear filled eyes meet mine. My heart clenches watching that expression on her face.

"If you want to."

"Say it and I'll leave you." I promise her and she can sense the undertone in my voice. She bites her bottom lip and looks over her shoulder before staring back at me.

"Don't."

I smile. "Then I won't." I wipe away her tears and she blushes with embarrassment.

"Something must have gotten in—"

"You don't have to lie, Bella," She can hear the honesty in my voice. "Tell me what my mother said to you."

"To sum it up; I don't belong here and shouldn't stay around you. I don't want to tell you the rest."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. Whatever she said doesn't matter. You are a beautiful, independent woman and the strongest person I know. Stop blaming yourself and letting them undermine your self-esteem."

"Okay."

"Now that that's settled," I stand up and extend my hand in her direction. A smile tugs on her lips as she takes it hers and rises to her feet. "I think you owe me a dance."

Bella makes a face. "I don't."

"Well if you're not going to flirt with me, you should share a dance at least."

"I can't dance." She nervously mumbles and I chuckle.

"I don't remember the last time I danced so we're even. Come on."

"I just don't want to embarrass you." I frown and step closer and stare deeply into her eyes.

"You can never embarrass me," She nods and I smile. "Let's go. Just be careful with your dress."

"Don't blame me if I fall and break my neck." I laugh and lead her to the stage.

I turn to Bella and take her left hand in mine and hold it off to the side and place my free hand around her waist. I pull her flush against me and she gasps softly and keeps her right hand on my shoulder. I smile and her cheeks flame with an alluring blush.

One of my favorite songs comes over the speakers and I chuckle.

"See? Perfect timing." I say softly and she gives me an amused look.

"The Lady in Red?"

"It's one of my favorites."

Bella seems to have a permanent blush on her face as we gently sway to the music and she follows my lead perfectly. I frown when she edgily looks everywhere but at me and I wonder if she's nervous.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Who are you dancing with?"

"You."

"Then look at me."

Her mesmerizing brown eyes meet mine and she relaxes gazing at me. I close the space between us and hum the song under my breath. She gives me warm smile. "You're a good dancer."

"Better than Alex?"

"Not to boost your ego but sadly, yes."

I laugh and shake my head. I lift my right arm and twirl Bella in a circle before bringing her back in my arms. She beams at me and kisses my cheek. I sigh softly as I stare at her radiant face. She is so perfect. I lean in closer and gaze at her striking face.

"You look very beautiful tonight." I whisper and she bites her bottom lip, looking at me from under her eyelashes.

"I hope you're not just repeating the lyrics of the song," I chuckle and press my lips together. "I didn't know you liked romantic songs."

"Maybe I am a romantic at heart." I mention and Bella nods at me.

"Maybe. And I like this song too."

I smile and she gradually closes her eyes when she hears me sing the song against her ear. She blushes and her eyes flutter open.

"You sing really well."

I laugh. "Thank you." I catch Alex staring at us with a wide grin on his face although Bella can't see him. He gives me a thumbs up and I roll my eyes.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" I look at Bella.

"When are you leaving for Dubai?"

"Next Monday."

"Oh and when will you be back?"

"September 08."

"What?!" Bella startles me with her squeaky voice and a couple of heads turn in our direction. I chuckle and she hides her face against my chest.

"Bella, it's okay." I press my lips against her hair.

"Really, that long?"

"Yes, but I'll be in town for Alice's show."

"For that weekend?"

"No, ten hours."

Bella shakes her head in exasperation. "You are travelling for more than twenty four hours back and forth from Dubai to stay in town for just ten hours?"

I shrug. "It's important for Alice. I want to be there for her."

"That's nice. I'm glad you are making an effort to spend time with your family."

I smile at her. "It's the least I can do."

We remain silent for the next few minutes as we continue dancing to the slow music. Bella has a pensive expression on her face and I wonder what she is thinking. Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a small smile.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I curiously ask and she interlaces her hands behind my neck and tilts her head on my shoulder. I smile and kiss her cheek.

"How often do you play the piano?"

I frown. "Whenever I'm free. Why?"

She shrugs. "Intrigued. How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was three. We had one in our living room at home and I loved it."

"Are you the only person in your family who plays?"

"Actually, no. Rosalie plays too. That's probably the only thing we have in common."

Bella giggles. "Can't say I'm not surprised. You seem very comfortable with each other. No awkward tension, no snide comments."

I laugh. "I'm used to the sarcasm from everyone by now."

She pulls back and her warm gaze meets mine. "You should try to resolve your issues with her."

"She's not worth it."

I can't believe Bella wants me to solve my disputes with Rosalie even after that awful woman made horrible comments about her.

"Maybe you should give her a chance." Bella continues probing the topic and I sigh.

"I'll think about it." I suffice her with my answer and she strokes my cheek.

"That's all I'm asking for. And are you having an engagement party next month? She was talking about it."

I let out a humorless chuckle. "You really think it's going to happen?"

"Yes?" It comes out like a question making me laugh.

"No love," I lean my forehead against hers and close my eyes. "I'm not marrying Tanya. Hell, I'm not even engaged to her."

"What do you mean?"

I open my eyes and smile at her. "There is no ring on her finger. Do you really think I would propose to her?"

"An engagement ring is not an absolute necessity in order to get married."

"I don't believe that," She rolls her eyes and I chuckle. I grab her left hand that is wrapped behind my neck and hold it in mine. "Do you know the importance of an engagement ring?"

Bella gives me a thoughtful look. "Um, a promise of marriage."

"Yes and the fourth finger is believed to have the vena amoris; a vein connected to the heart. That's why rings are placed on this particular finger," I stroke her ring finger and she smiles. "And couples are believed to be joined at the heart," I place her hand on my heart and she blushes. "See? Maybe it is a necessity."

"If you say so," Bella regards me with amazement. "Sometimes you can be very unpredictable."

"So I've been told." Her arms tighten around my neck and I place my hands on her hips and drag her closer to me.

"It's always interesting to find out more about you."

"Well if you wouldn't have asked me millions of questions, I would've discovered something about you."

She frowns. "There is nothing much to know. I've probably shared everything with you."

I laugh making her smile. "That's good to hear."

I finally take my eyes off her and realize we are the only two people on the stage. How many songs did we dance for? I can feel many pairs of eyes staring at us as we dance. Okay, that's a little weird. I look back at Bella and she smiles at me.

"Alright, this is no big deal," I tell Bella—who seems puzzled. "Everyone is staring at us but don't panic. We'll take our seats when this song is over."

"What?" Bella studies the place and a blush flames her cheeks. Her eyes widen on their own accord and she stares at me.

"Can't we walk away right now?" She whispers making me chuckle at her adorable expression.

"No, the song just started. Plus, you should get used to the attention by now." I stroke her cheek and her blush deepens.

"Your mother must be infuriated with me."

I press my forehead against hers and smile. "Doesn't matter. I am too angry at her to care about it."

"Is that why you wanted to dance with me? To rile up her anger?" I can hear a tinge of irritation in Bella's voice.

"No. I wanted to dance with you because I wanted to spend some time with you. Just us. We didn't get time to ourselves tonight. So, I thought we could have a conversation while we dance and not have people staring at us," She giggles, shaking her head. "Yeah, it backfired."

When the song comes to an end, I release Bella and bow while she nods a courtesy to me. I grab her hand in mine and she pecks my cheek. I can hear a collective sigh going around the audience. I find everyone giving us curious smiles and all of the men are openly ogling Bella.

I do a double take at my parents' table and find my mother smiling at Bella and me. It is my mom, isn't it? When her eyes meet mine, she switches back to her poker face. I roll my eyes and help Bella sit on her chair.

As soon as I am settled, I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. I'm extremely exhausted. I need some sleep. I can hear the emcee praising the people who made generous contributions and supported tonight's fundraiser in order to make it a grand success.

My mind is occupied with the thoughts of my three-week business trip to Dubai. I need to focus solely on my project instead of the other shit happening in my life. There is no way in hell I can afford to postpone any technical work for the residential project. I'll have to keep the Denalis off my mind until I get back from Dubai. It's going to be hell.

I open my eyes when I hear the soft murmurs in the crowd increase in volume and feel Bella's hand atop mine. I stand up with her and she anxiously stares at me. I glance around to find the guests leaving for the rooftop. I give Bella a reassuring smile and leave my hold on her hand.

"I'm fine. Why don't you go ahead with Alice? I'll be right with you." I murmur and she nods, walking away from me.

I take a good look around the room searching for James but thankfully finding him nowhere around. He must have left. I couldn't be happier. I double-check with security outside but they inform me that James hasn't left the premises. Fuck, where the hell is that idiot? I hope he is passed out in the restroom or worse.

The sight of Alistair Raymond talking to Bella makes my blood boil. He is standing too close to her for my liking. Alex is nowhere to be found, and it's just she and Alice standing next to that asshole. I saunter over to them and Bella sighs with relief when she spots me.

I wind my arm around her waist and pull her close to me.

"Alistair." I nod at him.

"I was just talking to your friend here."

"I believe introductions have been made?" He nods and I politely smile. "So we had better be going. If you'll excuse us, Mr. Raymond."

Alice chatters about last year's fundraiser to Bella who quietly walks by my side. I stop walking when I notice Aunt Jane tirelessly working with the volunteers. Bella tugs on my hand and I smile at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to have a word with Aunt Jane." I give her hand a soft squeeze and she follows Alice outside.

The room has almost emptied, and the fundraiser has thankfully finished without a hitch. I walk over to Aunt Jane and tap on her shoulder. She turns and offers me a smile.

"Aunt Jane, there isn't much left to do for now. Why don't you go as well? I'll stay here if they need my help."

"But—"

"Go." I pointedly mutter and she nods, giving me a hug.

I pick up where Aunt Jane left off and smile when I hear Emmett's voice booming on the microphone from the floor above. Man, he is really drunk. Fifteen minutes later, I make my way to the spacious rooftop where the guests have gathered. I maneuver through the crowd and reach the front where my family is.

I find Alex engaged in a conversation with Kate while Alice is standing with her bunch of friends. Where's Bella? I frown and walk over to Alex.

"Where's Bella?"

"Uh, I saw her with you and Alice. I thought she must be with you," I run a hand through my hair. "Missing her already?"

I roll my eyes and stride over to Alice.

"Alice, where's Bella?"

"Jeez, relax. She had to use the powder room. She'll be back."

I sigh with relief and nod. I constantly look for James but find him nowhere around although my eyes catch Alistair animatedly talking with Mr. Black. My mouth twists into an unhappy grin when I notice they seem comfortable with each other. I knew Raymond was up to something. I need to ask Zidek to keep an eye on them both.

"So Edward," One of Alice's friends gives me a suggestive smile. "Maybe we can dance together sometime. You seem very passionate when you dance."

Alice coughs, covering her laughter. "I'm pretty sure it was the woman he was dancing with."

Her friend suddenly frowns. "Where is Bella? It's been quite a while since she left."

Alice gives me a reassuring smile and I feel a hand on my arm. I turn around and see that it's dad. I sigh softly. Dad drags both Emmett and me over to meet a group of philanthropists and their wives—who quite frankly are making us uncomfortable. Emmett and I share a look when they start touching our arms.

"That's it. We're out of here." Emmet mumbles and I excuse us both. We distance ourselves from the trophy wives and meet up with Alex and Kate.

I check my watch and impatiently sigh. Okay, I can't stay here anymore. I push past the guests and try to search for Bella's beautiful face. Maybe she lost her way. I reach the powder room but find it empty.

Panic sets in me and I rush back to the Spanish Ballroom where our fundraiser took place. I enter the room and watch the hotel staff clearing up the mess. I ask a couple of people about Bella but nobody seems to have seen her here. Where on Earth is she?

When my mind draws a blank, I race over to the adjoining event room; The Mezzanine but it's locked. I call Matt and inform him to tell security to look for Bella. Maybe she went downstairs to get away from everything. I decide to walk back to the rooftop in the vain hopes that Bella is there.

I look around the dark, empty passageway and hear nothing but my rapidly beating heart. I halt my footsteps when I make out a whisper behind me. A faint whimper that is oddly familiar. I turn and come in contact with a deserted, black hallway. I walk through it and the muffled sobs get louder. My shoe steps on something and I squat down to see it's a gold bracelet. It's Bella's bracelet.

I stuff it in my jacket pocket and stand up. I sprint as fast as I can and stand at a foyer by the end of the hallway. The only source of moonlight is coming from the arched window illuminating the black baby grand piano situated next to it. My eyes widen when I see Bella's clutch haphazardly lying beside the bench.

"Bella?! Bella, are you here?!" I take two steps at a time and my head snaps to the pitch black corridors when I hear the feeble sounds again. I follow the noise and find a tall, lean figure looming over something. I feel wrath surging through me because I know very well who it is.

Bella struggles against the hand covering her muffled cries and the other one lowering the strap of her gown as she stands facing the wall. James is pressed up against her back, whispering something in her ear. I grab the back collar of his shirt and throw him off Bella. She gasps, trying to catch her breath and pulls the straps back up. Her eyes glisten with tears when they meet mine.

Our moment is broken when I hear a grunt behind me. I turn and march over to his staggering form and throw a jab in his stomach. James stumbles and backs away from me as I take slow, steady steps in his direction. I can hear Bella's footsteps behind me and I want to take her in my arms and reassure her but I want this fucker out of my sight.

"What the fuck did I tell you, James?" I ask in a low, dangerous voice and his hooded, glazed over eyes look at me. My closed fist hits his right eye, and he clumsily falls on the carpet.

"Get up." I whisper as he groans in agony. His hand touches the newly formed bruise as he continues scooting away from me. "Get the fuck up you son of a bitch!"

I tower over his form and kick him in the ribs. He doubles over in pain and coughs up some blood. Bella takes a sharp breath and I bend down to grab the lapels of his jacket. With a swift motion, I pull James to his feet and his wobbly form tries to escape. I realize we've reached the top of the stairway.

"Don't you ever think about Bella again," I warn him and hit his jaw with a gust of force. "I'll make your life even more miserable than it already is you pathetic fuck!" I promise him and shove my fist at his face again.

"Edward, stop!" Bella weeps behind me and I halt my actions. "You'll kill him. Stop now. I'm fine, sweetheart."

I turn to stare at her beautiful tear streaked face in the moonlight. I leave my hold on James and he rolls down the stairway. Bella gapes at his motionless figure lying at the foot of the stairs. I don't take my eyes off her face and her eyes return to stare at mine.

"It's a small stairway. He won't die. Just a couple of severe fractures." I gently assure her and a small smile escapes her lips through her tears.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"If it helps," I murmur and my eyes fall on James. "I have to make some calls. Stay right here."

"Don't leave me." Her eyes sparkle with a fresh round of tears.

"Never. I'm right here."

I call Matt and security and James' limp body is taken away within seconds. I check my call log and find a couple of missed calls from Aunt Jane and Alice. I call Aunt Jane and she answers on the first ring.

"Edward, where on Earth are you? We're waiting here. The people are getting restless! The show hasn't started. Is there a problem? Do you want me to call them?"

I open my mouth to speak but the sounds of uncontrollable sobs coming from the top of the foyer stops me. I find Bella hunched over the piano bench as she cries in her hands. My heart constricts watching her grief-stricken form.

"I don't care, Aunt Jane. Do whatever you want." I hastily reply and end the call. I climb the stairs and Bella looks at me when she hears my footsteps. She stands up and throws her arms around my neck as she tightly hugs me.

I fold my arms around her waist and bury my nose against her sweet-smelling hair. I feel her heavy breathing against my skin and tears soaking through my shirt. I rock her back and forth in my arms and she holds onto me for dear life.

"Oh baby he didn't hurt you, did he?" I ask, and she shakes her head but her form wracks with gut-wrenching sobs. I release her and cradle her face in my hands.

"Do you need something, love? Water?" I ask as I wipe away her tears.

"Just you," Bella whispers and hides her face against my chest. "Please, don't go."

"I'm right here, Bella. Hush now. I'm never leaving. Stop crying for me, please?" I plead and she nods against me. I stare at her back and find her gown is unzipped and hanging open. I should've killed James. I zip up the gown and kiss her hair.

"I'm sorry this happened," She sniffles and her voice breaks. "There was somebody in the restroom upstairs so I went to the ballroom but they were cleaning up and the other room was locked. So, I came here and I was looking at the piano and he just came out of nowhere…" Bella trails off and lightly shudders.

"It's okay. I'm not blaming you, love. I know it wasn't your fault," I take her hand in mine and frown when I notice it's red. "What happened to your hand, angel?"

Bella pulls back and I see blush flaming her cheeks. "Um, I hit him a couple of times. But it didn't do any good."

I smile and her brown eyes shyly gaze at me. "I'm glad you tried to help yourself."

"Do you think he'll come back?"

I lean my forehead against hers and cup her face in my hands. "He is never coming back. Trust me. He'll be out of your hair forever."

"Thank you," Bella murmurs, tracing imaginary circles on my chest. "I don't know why you do so much for me."

I sigh and kiss her forehead. "I want you to be happy, Bella. Happy and safe. I would do anything for you," I stroke her cheek. "You are absolutely, astoundingly beautiful and that's the least interesting thing about you."

Bella gives me a cute smile and wraps her arms around my neck. "Very smooth, Cullen."

"You think so?" I get that a lot." I murmur and she adorably pouts making me chuckle.

Our eyes meet again and I feel her heavy breathing matching mine. I can feel the air charging around us. It's electric and feels foreign to me. Her lips slightly part as she sucks in a huge amount of breath. I lean in until our noses touch and her eyes immediately pierce mine.

Bella bites her bottom lip and I glue my eyes to her rosy lips. Oh, they are begging to be kissed. I pull her bottom lip out of its assault and brush my thumb against it. I hear her heart thumping in her chest and I snake an arm around her waist while my other hand cradles her face.

My eyes close as I tilt my head and lightly brush my lips against hers. When I am about to pull back; her lips part and she plants a soft kiss on my lips. Our eyes open in unison and her brown eyes anxiously stare at me.

"Edward, we uh probably shouldn't." Bella whispers but remains locked in our embrace.

"You're right." I mumble and let out a shaky breath.

"You have a girlfriend and even though you don't want to be with her, it's not right."

"We should wait until things get less complicated in my life. With Tanya and her family and everything." I nod at Bella and stroke her cheek.

"How much time will that take?"

"Forty days." I murmur and my mind gets distracted when her lips remain inches away from mine.

"That's six more weeks."

Bella stares at me from under her eyelashes and her thoughts seem conflicted. I pin her with an intense gaze and for a brief second I see her eyes sparkle with anticipation.

"Yeah and I hate wasting time." I rasp out and throw caution to the window as I press her against the wall and capture her lips for a frenzied kiss.

I can hear the fireworks streaking across the sky as Bella passionately kisses me back. A low moan escapes her lips as I slide my tongue inside her mouth and let our tongues dance. Her hands knot in my hair as she draws me closer to her.

One of my hands travels north from her hips to her delicate waist and settles on the nape of her slender neck. I gently bite her lower lip and let my teeth graze her lip as I pull away. I tilt her head as I lightly nibble her neck and she whimpers in appreciation. Bella runs her hands through my hair and brings my lips back to hers.

I cradle her face in my hands and tenderly kiss her back. I could get used to this. For once, I can't possibly think of any problems in my life. My mind is only occupied with thoughts of Bella. I try to savor every detail of our incredible kiss. The feel of her soft lips brushing against mine, her hands soothingly stroking my hair and arms.

Bella all at once breaks our kiss and breathlessly gazes at me. I hold her face in my hands and touch my forehead to hers. She gives me a chaste kiss and presses her face against my neck. I firmly hug her and nuzzle against her hair.

"Edward, we can't." Bella croaks out and sniffles.

"I know." I whisper and rub her back.

"I hate that we can't."

"Me too."

She pulls back and I see that her cheeks have tears on them. I embrace her again and screw my eyes shut.

"Don't cry, baby. Hush now, it's okay." I murmur and she shakes her head.

"It's not okay."

Bella grabs the lapels of my jacket and leans over to brush her lips against mine. My hands find her waist as I kiss her back. I taste the saltiness of her tears and feel them against my cheek. We pull back when out of breath and she wipes her tears that are present on my cheeks.

My eyes flicker to the window and I realize the fireworks have stopped. I sigh softly. So much for showing them to Bella.

"I'm sorry." I murmur, brushing her tears away.

"What for?"

"You missed the fireworks."

"But I felt them." She murmurs with a smile and I smile back.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"More than better and a little freaked out," I can hear the honesty in her sweet voice. I kiss her forehead and gaze into her beautiful eyes. We can't tell this to anyone. If your mother finds out about—" I cut her off.

"Hey there is nothing she can do to keep me away from you," Bella nods. "My family should be the least of your concerns. Do you want to go back?"

Tears prick her eyes and she cuddles closer to my chest. I curl my arms around her again. "They talk about me, Edward. Your mother and Rosalie. If I go back in there, they'll talk more. I'm sorry but I just can't." A sob escapes her chest and my heart clenches for her.

"Don't baby. Don't cry about them. It's fine if you don't want to return. Do you want to go home?"

"Yes."

"I'll call Matt and he'll drop you off home, alright?"

"Are you going to come too?" She asks in a small voice and I regretfully sigh.

"I'm sorry love but I have to stay here with Aunt Jane and make sure that everything is taken care of. It might take me some time before I get back to my place."

Bella pulls back and strokes my cheek. "You look so tired, honey. Please get some rest."

"I will," I kiss her forehead and take my phone out to call Matt. "Let me get your clutch, I think I dropped it somewhere."

"I'll get it." She whispers and looks for it.

I call Matt and he answers on the second ring.

"Mr. Cullen."

"Matt, have the car ready at the entrance. I want you to drop Bella off at her place."

"Sir." I end the call and untie my bowtie, letting it hang around my neck. I undo the first button and let out a gust of breath.

Bella saunters over to me with her clutch and I offer a soft smile. She stares at my shirt and shyly releases the second button. I chuckle and she furiously blushes.

"Shall we get going?" I ask and she nods suddenly looks disturbed and guilty. I interlock our hands and start descending the stairs.

"Edward?"

I twist to look at Bella and my eyes close when her lips meet mine for a kiss. Her lips are rough and urgent against mine and I can't help but worry. She is distraught and thoughtful at the same time. It feels like a goodbye kiss, like I won't see her again. No, that can't happen. She's mine.

"Bella," I murmur against her lips and she pecks my lips. "Don't do this."

Her eyes meet mine. "Do what?"

"Don't walk away from us, baby. I can't let you go. Please."

"I'm not." Her voice wavers and I can see it in her eyes that she is lying to my face.

"You're a terrible, terrible liar," I whisper and place a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry I screwed up everything. Let's go, it's late."

I unwrap my arms from around her and we quietly walk together to the elevators. The ride is silent and her breathing falters when we walk past the reception lobby. Her eyes nervously gaze everywhere and I see tears pouring down her eyes. I hand her my handkerchief and she dabs her eyes with it.

I see cars lining up and spot my car parked at the entrance with Matt patiently standing next to it. I turn to Bella and her eyes dejectedly gaze at me. Gone is the joyous, playful and confident woman from the evening and in contrast here she looks so… lost.

Bella extends the handkerchief in my direction and I politely decline. "Keep it. Will you give me a call once you safely reach your apartment?" I gently ask and she bites her bottom lip.

"I will." Her voice betrays her words, and I know that she is lying again. I smile sadly and place a kiss on her cheek.

"Good night," I murmur and a pained emotion flickers on her face as tears threaten to spill from her eyes. "Don't cry about James. I'll take care of him."

I open the rear door for Bella and she unexpectedly throws her arms around me. I sigh and wind my arms around her waist. She tightly clings to me and I hear her taking a deep breath against me. I place a soft kiss on the side of her neck and she shivers.

"Are you cold?" She pulls back and shakes her head but trembles in my arms. I open the trunk of the car and grab my black bomber jacket from the duffle bag. I hand it over to Bella and she obviously refuses. "Put it on. You'll need it."

Bella wears the jacket and hugs it to her body. She sits inside the car and I shut the door. I turn to Matt and walk over to him.

"Wait until she safely enters her apartment and give me a call. I might be here for another hour or two. I'll let you know when I'll be ready to leave."

"Yes, Mr. Cullen."

"Bye, Bella." I give her a small smile but she doesn't return it and instead furiously wipes away her tears.

"Bye." She mouths and I know she is going to cry on her way to the apartment. The car disappears from my sight within seconds and I am left standing alone in the dark night.

I feel oddly crushed when I reach the rooftop where my family is. It was minutes ago that I had Bella in my arms and we had our phenomenal, staggering first kiss. I am in a complete daze as people bid me goodbye and the memory of Kate reminding me of some emails is clouded in my head. I spot Alex and walk over to him.

"Matt is dropping Bella at her place. She was feeling a little uneasy." I inform him and he frowns.

"What happened? Is she going to be alright?"

"Once she is a five-mile radius from Rosalie and my mother; she'll be fine." He chuckles and, lets out a tired sigh.

"Quite a night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." I murmur and let out an exhausted sigh.

"You seemed to have a lot of fun. You got to dance with Bella." I got to kiss Bella. But, I shouldn't think about that now because there are a lot of disturbing thoughts connected to that.

"Anyway, where's Aunt Jane?" He smiles.

"Right behind you." Aunt Jane says and I turn to her.

I find her warily staring at me as Alex politely excuses himself. My eyes fall on the people leaving the venue before gazing at her again. God, she knows something has happened. She purses her lips and brushes her napkin against the corner of my lips.

Aunt Jane gives me a knowing look and my composed expression crumbles as I tightly hug her. I close my eyes and press my face against her shoulder.

"I don't know what to do. We were doing fine and then her behavior just changed out of nowhere. I'm so scared. I know she doesn't want me. It's all my fault."

"Edward, maybe she is just as scared as you are. You don't know what goes on inside of a person's head."

I pull back and look at my aunt. "I know her. Just the way she looked at me. I ruined it, didn't I? I should've stayed away from her in the first place."

"Dear, maybe you are misinterpreting this. You're tired and need some rest. It was a long night for her as well. I know you are under a lot of stress and you should go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day, and you can think with a clear head."

"Bella always made the stress go away. She was crying so much when she left."

"Edward…"

"I love her," I whisper when the realization dawns on me. I meet my aunt's gaze. "I can't wreck this with her. We were close friends. I could've lived with that. I love her so much."

Aunt Jane smiles at me. "I know you do. This is exactly what I was waiting for you to confess. You've been in love with Bella for quite some time now. There is nothing that can go wrong with the two of you, no matter what happens. I know it."

"But, she—"

"Don't judge her feelings so quickly. She feels the same way about you. I saw it when you danced together; the way your eyes never left each other's gaze or how you held each other. You are perfect together."

I run a hand through my hair. "If you say so."

"Now, I want you to go home—"

"No, I'll stay back with you. You and mom must be tired, let me help."

"Okay, thank you dear," She kisses my cheek. "Now, think about what I said." With that she leaves me alone with my thoughts.

Bella. I love her. Holy fuck, I don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone before. There is no way I can stop myself from falling for her and she doesn't know it yet. What if she doesn't want me? Oh god, I'm losing my mind!

So it's true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.

Special thanks to EdwardsFirstKiss for editing this chapter!

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Love,
Paint the Walls.