*V*V*V*V*V*
"Do you think I could pass for twenty-two?" Alice asks me, critiquing her appearance in the visor mirror of her Porsche, plumping up her cleavage.
"Closer to twenty," I say diplomatically, though even that is generous. She's so petite and elfin that she probably won't look twenty-two even when she is twenty-two.
She huffs out a breath. "Good enough. I'm just worried about meeting his dad."
"It's going to be fine. Carlisle is cool just like Jasper," I assure her. "Oh, and I want to introduce you to Tori, too."
"Oh, yeah, I'm curious about her. She sounds super hot."
"She is. It's a little intimidating honestly, but she's pretty laidback."
"You're not going to replace me, are you?" she teases me.
I laugh. "Only if she offers."
She rolls her eyes at me. "So fickle."
"You know I love you best." I'm just joking anyway. I've already promised myself to not flirt with Tori anymore. I've been down the too-old-for-me road before – let alone the inappropriateness of her being a coworker.
"I love you best, too, Jelly Belly. You ready?" Alice asks. Her eyes are a little wide with nerves, but I know Carlisle will love her. Who wouldn't love Alice?
"Yeah, come on."
We step out of the car and cross the street into the double doors of Bedford Publishing. Jane is not at her usual post at reception, but they did close early today.
Alice and I get on the elevator, giving each other a final onceover before the doors open on the sixth floor. I've never been up to the sixth floor before, but it is packed with people, most of whom I don't recognize.
"Jasper said he would be by the drinks," Alice tells me. "He probably wants to show off his bartending skills."
Luckily, we can practically smell our way to the alcohol. Dozens of bottles are set up on a banquet table where people are pouring their own concoctions. I even spot the fancy bottle of Russian vodka Demetri has bragged about for days.
"Over there," Alice says, pointing out the corner just a bit further from the table. Jasper is waving at us, dressed in jeans and a button down. He looks delicious.
Between the loud music and the crowded floor, I'm reminded of Volterra for a moment, though somehow the club seems tamer than the possibility of work associates getting wasted together; even though we're only half an hour late, it's clear that a large portion of the crowd is already inebriated.
"Perfect timing," Jasper says as we push our way through. "Alice, I want to introduce you to my family. I think they're over there." He points across the room, but I can't tell through all the people crammed into this space.
Alice gives him a look. "You said it was just your dad."
"My brothers showed up, too," he says with an apologetic shrug.
"Oh my god, Jazzy."
I sympathetically squeeze her hand. "Should I just meet you back here?" Really, I'm a chicken shit and lose my nerve to face Carlisle again.
"No, I want to introduce you, too. You're my favorite intern, after all," he jokes.
I roll my eyes at him. "I'm your only intern, jerk." In truth, I think he just wants me there as a buffer in case his family does not appreciate him dating a high school student. I can certainly empathize.
"That doesn't mean it's not true." He grins at me and gestures for us to follow him, ducking back into the crowd.
I hear him say, "Hey, guys, this is my girlfriend, Alice, and my favorite intern, Bella," and then I break through the crowd to the small circle of Jasper's family, fixing my eyes upon his father and brothers.
When I see who waits for me, I skid to a stop, almost falling over.
I expect to see Carlisle with his gleaming blonde hair and perfect smile.
I don't expect to see Edward and Emmett staring at me with equal amounts of surprise – though neither of their faces compare to my deer-in-headlights shock.
"Alice and Bella, this is my dad, Carlisle, and my brothers, Edward and Emmett."
Carlisle says something apologetic about not having taken me to eat yet, but I barely hear him.
In unison, Edward and Emmett ask me, "What are you doing here?" and then look at each other with confusion, wondering why the other asked.
I think I'm going to vomit.
Alice, at the very least, understands the mortification seizing my chest. She's met Emmett and lord knows she's familiar with Edward.
"How do you guys know Bella?" Jasper asks, so clueless.
Emmett speaks first. "This is Izzy," he says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. I look at Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper in quick succession, seeing that Emmett's nickname for me registers with familiarity.
Carlisle's smile vanishes abruptly. "Your high school girlfriend?"
"Well," Emmett sighs, scratching the back of his head and looking at me wistfully, "we're not together anymore. I didn't know you worked here, Izzy."
I don't respond because my mouth is wide open and not currently functioning.
Jasper, who has paled slighlty, asks, "Edward, how do you know Bella?"
"She and Alice are students where I teach," he says tightly. "I didn't know she worked here, either. Or that she was Emmett's ex-girlfriend." He sounds accusatory, his voice hard.
"Oh, shit," Jasper mutters, looking at Alice with wide eyes and then back at Edward. "I thought you taught at Clallum Bay."
"I live near Clallum Bay; I don't teach in Clallum Bay." Edward's face is a mask without discernible emotion.
"Shit," Jasper says again. "I'm an idiot."
I want to comfort Alice because she is clearly horrified, but I'm incapable, still frozen in shock.
"Wait a minute," Emmett says, beginning to laugh. "Your girlfriend is Izzy's best friend? Her very best friend?"
Of course, Edward and Carlisle don't understand his tone, but I have never regretted telling him about having sex with Alice more than I do in this very moment.
Jasper's jaw clenches.
"Yeah, she's my best friend," Alice says with as much charm as she can muster, though her eyes are narrowed in warning. She has never liked Emmett.
"And you're both Edward's students?" Emmett asks, still grinning.
"I don't teach either one of them, but they go to Forks," Edward answers flatly. His hands are clenched at his sides.
Emmett guffaws. "Oh my god, that's hilarious. Edward, I thought you taught near Clallum Bay, too or I would have warned you to look out for these troublemakers." Edward coughs uncomfortably, but Emmett's attention wanders back to me, smirking. "So you've had my brother as a teacher this whole time? And now you work for my other brother and my dad?"
"I'm not her teacher," Edward repeats, jaw muscles tensing.
I can't do more than nod even though I want to deck Emmett.
"Jesus, what a small world," he laughs.
Say it again, I think. What the fuck is going on? Why are all the pieces of my life colliding so catastrophically?
"Wait, did you know any of us were related?" Emmett asks.
I shake my head emphatically, making eye contact with each of them individually to emphasize my point.
"Why do you all have different last names?" Alice demands. A very good question that didn't even occur to me.
Carlisle intercepts this time. "Edward was born before his mother and I married, so he has her last name. Jasper was born after we were married, so he has my last name. After Elizabeth passed away, I married Emmett's mother, but we divorced quickly, so he has her last name," he says robotically, like it's an explanation he's had to give often, though there's an edge to his voice.
Edward Masen, Jasper Cullen, and Emmett McCarty. At least Emmett is only their half-brother, I think for a second – like that is any better. But how could I have known they were related? That is a truth I need to cling to, I realize. I didn't know. I had no idea. I never would have . . . god, the thought of what I've . . . holy fuck. It occurs to me that literally every single human being I've had any kind of sexual contact with is standing before me at the office party from hell. And most of them are related.
"I need a drink," I announce abruptly.
"You're not old enough," Edward says first.
I shoot him a dark look and head towards the drink table anyway, pouring myself a whiskey sour that's more whiskey than lemonade; my hands are shaking so badly that I drip booze everywhere. I bring my cup to my lips and don't lower it until all of its contents are burning down my throat, immediately mixing myself another.
"Stop." It's Edward, putting his hand over mine to make me set down my new drink.
"I mean this in the most polite way possible, but fuck off," I tell him, yanking my hand – and the whiskey sour – away from his grasp.
"You're mad at me?"
"No, I'm just having a mental breakdown and don't want to be interrupted."
"You really didn't know?"
"No," I growl. "Do you think I'm fucking insane?"
"Edward!" a voice squeals. None other than Tori wraps her arms around Edward from behind, laughing in his ear. She's clearly drunk and giggly.
I raise my eyebrows, but when Edward puts an arm around her in turn, I realize that not only is the world small, it's fucking microscopic.
"Oh, good! You've met Bella! She's my favorite intern! Bella, this is Edward."
I don't even feel shock anymore. I tilt my cup up to my lips and finish it in a few swallows, wincing at the burn. Edward narrows his eyes at me, but I hold out my hand to him. "Nice to meet you, Edward."
He follows along, shaking my hand, squeezing tightly in warning.
I don't know what to say, so I just stare at her, dumbfounded. Then I stare at the both of them together, twenty-four and twenty-five with different shades of red hair, both sexy and intimidating with careers ahead of them. How perfect for them.
"Bella, I love your hair tonight," Tori squeals, lurching forward to finger my locks. "But you look so hot all the time!" God, she is toasted.
"Oookay," Edward says tightly, pulling her back. "That's enough."
"Awww," she whines, "she has nice hair, though. And you did mention something about getting turned on by long, dark –."
"Tori, stop talking," he orders, turning an impressive shade of red. He blushes like Jasper, I think numbly – of course he does; they're related. "I'm taking you home."
For some reason, despite the incredible amount of stress I am under – or perhaps because of it – I start laughing. Tori is the last straw, really. Because what else could happen tonight to make things even more awkward? Everything feels surreal for a moment and I pour myself more whiskey with a splash of lemonade.
"Stop," he repeats with more venom in his tone than last time.
"Mental breakdown," I mouth at him, though I sip from my cup instead of chugging it this time.
He gives me a hard, searching look before exhaling and helping Tori stumble to an exit despite her protests that she doesn't want to leave yet.
"Nice to meet you, Edward," I call because I'm a bitch.
He doesn't turn around, though I see his shoulders stiffen.
Unfortunately, my liver is beginning to realize the reckless amount of alcohol I've consumed and I sway on my feet for a moment, deciding to stagger in the direction I last saw Alice. I need Alice.
Strong arms lock around me, preventing me from landing face first. "Whoa, there, Izzy. Been hitting the booze hard, huh?"
Of course it's Emmett. Who else would it be? They're coming in waves, I swear to god. "Let me go. I need Alice."
"She's over there with Jasper." He jerks his head in the opposite direction I was heading. "Are you ok?"
"No," I say honestly.
"Yeah, I probably would be freaked out, too, if I found we all were related."
God, how little he knows. "I need Alice," I repeat.
"Ok, let me help you."
I don't protest because I think my body is actually shutting down – though the shock might be more to blame than the alcohol. Emmett essentially carries me over to Alice and Jasper who are clearly in the middle of an argument.
"Bella," Alice cries when she catches sight of me, "are you ok?"
"She's had a lot to drink," Emmett explains for me, propping me up. My feet feel weird.
"I want to go home," I say. I feel myself falling again, but my eyes shut and everything goes black.
*V*V*V*V*V*