AN: I am so very sorry that I never posted this way back when, and left you guys hanging for (literally) years. Life has been hectic and a whirlwind, but I think I might have a handle on it. I'll be picking up with Chapter 6, which will be donated to a fandom charity compilation, Babies at the Border. As a mother of two young men, this cause hits home for me. You can find out more info about donating on their FB page or Twitter (BatB_2018).

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Chapter 5: Runaway

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We spend fifteen minutes in silence, nursing our respective drinks. I want to ask her why she left without speaking to me first, but it's a stupid question. The Dear John note she left that morning made it pretty obvious she was only interesting in a one night stand. But, here she is, sitting next to me. Why? The question is burning on my tongue, but I can't seem to form the words for fear that she'll just disappear again.

She sighs, and it pulls my eyes to her face. I can't help but to drink her in—the way her hair flows like silk, or the slope of her cheek and her button nose. She's wearing a light amount of make-up, only soft coral on her lips, which is the complete opposite of my ex. That woman carried a ten pound cosmetic bag around with her.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here?" she asks softly, keeping her eyes downcast as she plays with a peanut shell on the bar top.

I swallow as I search for the right words. "I must admit that you've sparked my curiosity." I'm trying to appear cool, calm, and collected, when in reality I am none.

She looks up, and I'm caught in her warm brown eyes like a deer in headlights. There's a sadness there, and for some reason it makes my heart ache.

"That morning—" she stops, and a bright pink blush tinges her cheeks.

My cock hardens, remembering how her face turns that same shade as she climaxes.

"I was an emotional wreck, and I needed to clear my head. I never imagined that once I left, I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about you."

She gives me a wry smile before running a hand through her hair. "I was hurt by my boyfriend, and I felt like I needed to prove something. And prove it I did," she chuckles darkly. "It was supposed to be a one night stand, something that I could just walk away from."

Bella turns in her seat, facing me now, and I'm enraptured by her voice. "I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you, but I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I didn't try and find you again, to explain."

My stomach twists nervously. "Is that all you wanted? To explain?" My voice is steady, but my hands start to feel clammy. I don't know how I'd be able to take it if she enters my life again, just to saunter right back out of it. I've never wanted a connection with someone so bad before.

The right side of her mouth quirks up, and my heart beats faster as I realize she's trying to fight a smile. This might be going in my favor after all.

"Honestly, Edward, I wasn't sure what would happen, but I do know I wanted to see you again."

I reach out and softly run my fingers up her neck until I'm cupping her cheek. "Want to get out of here and talk someplace more private?"

Her eyes darken slightly, and her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip. The sudden urge to bite it overwhelms me. Thankfully, she nods and puts me out of misery. I throw a few bills down on the bar, not even paying attention to the denomination. I have a feeling that James is going to have very good night in tips, though.

Her hand feels small as it's encased in mine, but at the same time, it feels like a perfect fit. My need for her pulses just under my skin, and the feeling is much more welcome than the numbness I'd experienced before her. I wonder if I'm really ready to let someone in, without my issues ruining it, but I can't ignore the way my pulses races around Bella. I don't really think I want to.

We're half-way to the exit when someone steps directly in front of us. I immediately recognize her tiny friend from the night we met. Her hair is now a brilliant shade of red, instead of the black it'd been before. She's eyeing me warily, and annoyance lances through me. The last time we'd seen each other, this girl seemed sympathetic that Bella had tried to bail on me, and now she's acting as if I were a predator.

Bella rolls her eyes and reaches out to touch her friend's shoulder.

"Jane, knock it off. Weren't you the one encouraging me to find him?"

Jane shakes her head and her stance relaxes, giving her friend a slight smile. "Fine, fine," she murmurs before turning her gaze to me. "Don't make me regret it. She's like my sister, so don't fuck her over."

"I promise," I reply, whole-heartedly. I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous. The only person who'd ever defended me like this is my brother, and our relationship is in the shitter right now.

Jane nods and gives her friend a swift hug before disappearing back into the crowd. Bella turns back to me and looks embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," she murmurs.

I can't help but to smile. I've only spent roughly twelve hours in this woman's company, learning how she tastes and the way her body trembles when she's excited, but there's something more—something that calls to me, and I can't quite put my finger on.

"It's alright," I assure her. "She's only being a good friend. I admire that."

Bella smiles before placing her hand back into mine, and I lead us to my car. The drive to my apartment is short, but filled with anticipation. My body is vibrating with the need to have her—touch her, taste her.

As soon my apartment door is closed, Bella pushes me up against it, and kisses me for all she's worth. My hands automatically grip her hips, pulling against me. Somewhere in the back of my head, a voice is niggling for us to slow down, talk this out first. My body is acting on instinct, and I doubt I could stop if I really wanted to, but somehow she senses my hesitancy and sets my mind at ease.

"I promise I'm not going anywhere this time," she whispers hoarsely against my lips.

And that quiet admission is all it takes to open the floodgates. I hitch first one leg up to my waist, and then the other, before spinning us around and pressing her against the wall. She gasps and it goes straight to my cock, which I promptly press against her pussy, bringing forth a deep moan. We kiss desperately, along with a few minutes of grinding, before neither of us can take any more.

Our clothes are nothing but scraps on the floor by the time I grab a condom and bend her over the back of my couch, easing into her from behind. Fuck, she's so wet and tight. It takes every ounce of inner strength I have not to blow my load right here and now. This isn't going to last long, I know.

Squeezing the soft flesh of her ass, I pump my hips quickly, causing Bella to practically mewl. Leaning forward, I wrap a thick piece of hair around my fist, pulling back tight enough to arch her neck and back, but not enough to be painful. This pulls me much deeper, and I can feel her walls squeezing me. I've never felt anything as intense before; it's mind-boggling.

When I feel her start to shiver, close to her own orgasm, I release her hair and start slamming into her body harder. The sight of this sexy woman, practically bent in half, her body manipulated by my hand, is an incredibly erotic sight; one that I hope to have burned into my memory. She cries out, burying her face into the cushions as she comes, and I can't help but to fall over the abyss with her.

I gently collapse against her back, clammy with sweat, as I try to steady my weight on my forearms. After I catch my breath, I stand up and ease out of her slowly, before stepping away to dispose of the soiled condom. When I turn back around, she's laying flat on her back across the length of my couch, with her eyes closed and small smile playing on her lips.

And not for the first time, I find myself captivated by her beauty. She's not supermodel gorgeous, but she's very pretty. Something tells me that she's even more beautiful on the inside, and for the first time in a year, I actually want to get close enough to someone to find out. I swallow the lump in my throat, and feel my stomach burn with anxiety. It's too soon; I shouldn't be having these kind of thoughts. I'm not ready to move on yet. Do I even want to put myself out there again? If you'd have asked me earlier tonight, I'd have told told flat out no.

Bella opens her eyes and smiles shyly before sitting up and grabbing the blanket on the back of the couch. She wraps it around her shoulders, and curls one leg under her bottom before glancing my way and patting a spot on the couch next to her.

"I guess we should talk about everything?" she asks in a quiet voice, nervously biting her lip.

As I'm seeing her in this light, I can see she's very different than the woman who I just plowed into a few minutes ago. The girl left in her place is shy and unsure of herself, making me wonder what her story was.

I pick up my boxers from the floor, before sitting down next to her.

"I think talking this through would be a good idea," I reply simply, trying to leave the ball in her court.

She nods. "I want to start off by apologizing to you. I mean, I can give you every excuse in the book, but I still feel guilty for my actions. I came home early from work that day to find my boyfriend fucking my roommate. We started shouting and fighting and it got really ugly. He said some things that shattered my self-esteem and twisted me up. When I told Jane, she suggested we get drunk and prove Jacob wrong. Well, I had no intentions of doing anything other than getting drunk and trying to forget everything, but then you showed up. Jane kept trying to talk me into picking you up, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it, but at the same time, something kept pulling me back to you."

She takes a deep breath and wipes at her eyes. I'm biting my tongue as to not interrupt her story, but I so badly want to ask her just what he said to break her spirit.

"And then I went home with you and had the best sex of my entire life. I slipped out the next day because my mind was a mess and I had so much shit to deal with. Even as I packed up all of my stuff from Jacob's later that day, I kept thinking about you, and playing our night over and over in my head. Instead of being heartbroken about being cheated on, I found myself just not giving a shit about the situation anymore. It was a life lesson that proved I wasn't where I was supposed to be, and it saved me."

She pauses and looks over at me, a sad smile on her face. "But then I couldn't stop thinking about you and that night. I know, crazy, right?" She laughs humorlessly. "Silly Bella. First, you're not good enough to keep your man faithful, and then you get caught up in a one night stand. Pathetic."

Hearing her down herself annoys the shit out of me. "Cut it out."

She glances at me in surprise. "What?"

"Cut out the derisive crap. That was one of the best nights of my life, too. Your idiot of a boyfriend is to blame there, not you. If he wasn't happy, all he had to do was open his mouth, not his zipper. You aren't pathetic."

Her bottom lip shakes and she blinks away tears. "Thanks," she whispers shakily.

Something in her tone makes me want to make her feel better. "I'm serious. I think I have you beat on the pathetic meter."

Her eyes are curious, and I can't believe I'm about to tell her something I barely admit to myself. "Little over a year ago, I walked in on my brother fucking my fiance and ever since I've taken to fucking a different girl who looks like her."

Bella's mouth pops open in surprise. "Oh, I see."

"Except for you," I quickly add, seeing the wheels begin to turn in her head.

She cocks her head slightly. "You mean I don't fit the mold?"

Her quick mind is another thing I'm finding incredibly attractive about her.

"Yes, she was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. Cold personality and kind of mean, looking back. I wish those were things I would've seen sooner."

Bella nods thoughtfully. "Interesting..." she murmurs.

"See? I've cornered the market on pathetic," I add, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughs and shakes her head. "How about we just move on from pathetic?"

I nod in agreement. "Where do we go from here?" I ask, desperate to have some kind of steady ground.

She bites her lip. "Well, I don't think either one of us is ready for a relationship, but I know I could use a friend."

"A friend?" I ask dubiously. The only friend I've had in years is Jasper, and I certainly don't have the urge to burying my hands in his hair as he sucks my cock.

"Friend," she replies, before adding with a wink, "with benefits."

I raise an eyebrow in speculation. If I'm being honest, that's the perfect solution. I can get closer, but not close enough to get burned, and still be able to fuck her senseless.

I hold out my hand, offering her a handshake to seal the deal. Again, I'm hit with the feeling of... rightness, as my hand encompasses her smaller one. I was right those few months ago, this girl is going to turn my world upside down.

The only difference is that this time, I'm ready and willing for it.

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This was literally written over 5 years ago, and just posting now. Even though we've fallen out of touch, many thanks to the awesome ysar, for not only beta'ing, but creating CN's amazing banner! She was (and I'm sure still is) a great person.