Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its original characters. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.

A/N: Happy Sunday! A lot happens in this chapter. Much thanks to my beta, myonlyheroin, June was a busy month for her, but she still managed to hold my hand and beta my business like no other, *wink*. Not much more to say here, so let's get to it!


Wolves & Sheep

Chapter 15

...(Edward)...

Five days down since Bella's family had flown back to where they'd spawned from, leaving her behind here in Miami for Alice and I to pick up her pieces.

In five days time, she seemed to be doing a hell of a lot better, both emotionally and mentally.

I hadn't caught her lost in deep thought once since yesterday morning. That was a full twenty-four hour period. This was progress. An absolute win, and one I was hoping we could celebrate together later tonight.

She was also supposed to call Jake this afternoon.

We'd talked about that last night when we'd made dinner together at her place, and again while sharing a bowl of ice cream in front of the TV.

It hadn't taken us long to fall into a couple-like routine together.

It had happened almost naturally, without us even making a big deal about it.

I'd been sleeping at her place and driving her to and from work daily. I'd brought a toothbrush over to keep in her bathroom, and stuck a couple of my things into one of her top drawers. Hell, I'd even bought her some groceries yesterday, and gone by the water department to drop off their bill payment so she wouldn't have to do it herself later that day, freeing up her time to just lay around with me.

We were, without question, official but still not yet exclusive.

Bella was ready to take that leap though, and I was ready to jump with her.

She was ready to tell Jake all about what had happened between us… physically… and how it had changed everything for her, even though it hadn't happened again since.

After everything with her dad, I hadn't wanted to rush us back into something that would have inevitably created even more guilt over her head.

She needed to talk to Jake first, and he needed to accept that I was who she wanted now. Not him.

Once that was out of the way, then we'd be able to let go again and just, be.

Thankfully, our nights, at the very least, consisted of some under the clothes making out on her bed, and I'd gotten a pretty fantastic handjob with her mouth at my neck this morning before I'd even opened my eyes.

Other than those stolen PG-13 moments, we'd been walking the line again, and I was okay with that. I honestly wasn't complaining, but I was also ready to move forward a couple of spaces.

Because of that, her phone call this afternoon couldn't come soon enough, and today would be my errand day.

That would help distract me, even though the errands I needed to run were all things I'd been putting off for the last week of my life.

I would drive Bella to work, drop her off, then head over to Riley's to finally confront him about his behavior around her. Once that was out of the way, I'd have to head over to the office to get my paycheck and also have a sit down with Aro.

I wasn't looking forward to any of these things.

Except for getting my paycheck.

Especially since I'd billed almost forty hours worth of calls and chats this week while Bella had been busy at work or out with Alice.

"I'm ready when you're ready."

I looked over to find B smiling with her emerald green work apron tied around her hips, and her hair pulled up into a sexy as hell messy bun at the top of her head. After standing up from the couch, I grabbed my keys off the countertop and walked towards her with overly dramatic sadness in my eyes.

"You're absolutely sure you can't call in sick?"

She grinned and shook her head, "I need to make money, honey, or Alice and I will be digging in grocery store dumpsters for expired food."

The fake pout on her bottom lip was calling to me.

I walked closer and took her hips into my hands then gently placed my parted mouth against hers. She moaned against me, and I felt her fingers getting lost in my hair as she slowly pulled me down further into her body before playfully shoving me away with a frustrated sigh, "Stop it! You're seriously going to make me late, and my boss already hates me."

How could anyone hate her?

Ludacris.

I was going to have to meet this boss, because they had to be Satan themselves.

With no other words leaving her tongue, Bella took my hand and began escorting me down the hallway towards her front door, "Bye Alice! We'll see you tonight. Don't forget, eight sharp!"

"Love you hard, B-honey! See you guys later! Arrive alive!"

We were all going to the movies tonight.

Double date.

Dinner and a movie, together with our two best friends.

Such a typical couple we'd become, and I was loving every goddamned thing about it.

As we'd approached the elevator, I'd been too busy smiling down at the pretty girl on my arm to notice someone else had already been standing in front of the closed double doors waiting for them to open.

"Um. Edward?" Bella suddenly whispered after slowing us down.

It was Tanya.

She had her gym bag in her hand and a sneer on her overly made-up face.

Fuck my life.

My ex's eyes met mine, and her jaw clenched, highlighting her perfect cheekbones under the morning sun, "Oh, you are alive. That's good to know. Rents due again, even if you are only using our place as a work office now."

She'd put air quotations around the word 'work' for some reason.

That annoyed me.

She'd known it would.

"I'll leave a check for you on the fridge this afternoon."

Tanya was eyeing Bella now.

I already knew what she was doing. She was trying to find something vindictive or petty to say. After all, Jasper doesn't refer to her as Petty Crocker because she's good in the kitchen.

"That's a um… cute outfit, Bella."

Bella does look cute in her work uniform.

This was not a lie.

"She'd be gorgeous in a paper bag. Nothing turns me on more than a woman who actually works to provide for herself. You might want to try it sometime, Tan."

My ex has never held a job for longer than two weeks at a time, and that was usually only out of necessity because her dad would get mad at her over something, and he'd cut off her credit cards temporarily. Then again, prior to my own current situation, I'd never been much different.

"Is that an invitation, E?"

Okay, you'd walked right into that one, Cullen.

"If I do become a professional working girl, will you invite me over to play house, too?"

Even Bella had tried to hide her smirk just now as the three of us had gotten onto the elevator together.

"Be careful with him, honey. Edward has been known to get bored rather quickly in the past. I surprised them all. The only way I was able to do that, though, for as long as I did, was by bending to his kinks."

This also was not a total lie.

In fact… it was probably the most honest thing Tanya had said out loud in front of me in about six months.

However, me agreeing with her out loud did not seem like the right thing to do in this situation.

When the doors finally opened again to let us off on the ground floor, Tanya gave me one last smile, paired with an impulsively obnoxious kiss to my cheek, then pinched it hard with her fingers.

"Leave that check or your stuff will be in the pool come tomorrow morning."

That wasn't a threat.

It was a promise.

She walked away, clutching her gym bag in her hand with her head held high, but I could see it in her eyes before she'd turned to leave. Everything she'd just said had been rehearsed several times. It was almost as if she'd known one day we would find ourselves in that situation, and she'd been prepared for it before it had even happened.

Our walk towards the parking lot was silent, but Bella hadn't let go of my hand.

This was good. It helped me relax.

Unfortunately, I'd definitely have to go into the office now if I wanted to get my paycheck into the bank to write Tanya that damn rent check without it bouncing tomorrow.

I walked us around to the passenger side of my car and opened the door for Bella, then closed it once she'd taken her seat.

On my way back towards the driver side of the car, I'd accidentally looked over towards Tanya's Lexus and found her staring right at me with obvious tears falling from her face.

Always the actress.

I noticed Bella also noticing Tanya's theatrics after I'd taken my seat beside her behind the wheel, and let out a frustrated sigh.

This was not good.

"She's great at hiding it until she can't, huh?"

"She's great at hiding a lot of things until she can't," I mumbled back, before turning the key in the ignition.

We drove most of the way in continued silence until she finally reached over to turn on the radio before resting her hand over my knee to give it a light pulse, "You okay?"

It made me smile… her asking me that, "Yeah, baby. I'm fine, you?"

She's hesitating, and I'm thankful when the traffic light in front of us turns red, so I can put my foot on the break to look over at her.

Bella was grinning, and her right brow was slightly raised.

I narrowed my own gaze and waited for her to say something.

"About these kinks of yours… anything I should know about, or study up on?"

She's really trying hard to hold in her laughter, but she's floundering right before my eyes.

Her eventual laugh is contagious, which is good because I have no fucking idea how to respond to her question. Sure, Tanya and I had to do some wild stuff to keep things interesting in our relationship, but I didn't really feel comfortable talking about any of that with Bella.

At least not yet… or when I was minutes away from dropping her off at work for seven hours.

"I mean, are we talking whips and chains, or just some role playing stuff? Because I think I can handle the role playing stuff. The chains might scare me, though. Can our safe word be 'Lamb-Chops'? Referencing the stuffed animal, of course, not the food."

I shook my head, avoiding her eyes again, and began to feel my insides heating up.

"Edward M. Cullen, you are blushing!"

"Shut it! No, I'm not."

She's laughing hard now, and reaching over to touch my cheek with her hand. "So handsome you are. Even when I force your guard down. By the way, I've been meaning to ask… When are you going to tell me what the M stands for?"

In the blink of an eye, my mood instantly changed and she seemed to notice. I saw her eyes flash with wonder but tried my best to relax my own reaction before clearing my throat and tightening my grip on the steering wheel.

We're at a point now where not answering would seem suspicious.

What if she's like her father, and she's asking questions she already knows the answer to, Cullen.

To say I'm panicking would more than likely be the understatement of the day.

I would do anything to be served a legitimate distraction right now. Something that wouldn't seem calculated, or deliberate, because I know she'd catch on otherwise.

A cat to dodge.

An interrupting phone call from my mother.

An asteroid falling from the sky right in front of us.

Anything at all would do, and I would be forever grateful.

"Wow, it must be really embarrassing. I guess naming you after high-class royalty wasn't bad enough. What is it, Melvin? Marvin? Moses? Oh my God, please tell me it's Moses!"

Not good.

This is what you get for using your damn middle name as your aliases while getting strangers off with your words and voice.

"How about if we save it for another round of twenty questions later tonight. I've got a few I've been wanting to ask you myself."

She smirks, but I can tell I've only heightened her suspicions. "Fine, be that way. I'll have a list ready and waiting, neighbor boy."

My shoulders fell with relief, and I turned us into the plaza where the coffee house was located, then pulled up in front of the main entrance. Bella unfastened her seatbelt to lean between the front seats to reach for her bag behind me, but before she could sit back down, my hands were appreciating her perfectly tight ass in her snug fitting khaki pants and she's giggling while swatting me away.

"Behave, Mr. Cullen! To be continued in seven hours."

"Six hours and fifty-five minutes too long," I mumbled against her lips, feeling her smile spread against my own.

"Thanks for the ride."

"Thanks for the handjob this morning."

Her opened palm smacked at my chest, and she laughed that laugh that makes everything else right in the world, then slowly pushed the passenger side door open with her foot to get out of my car.

She's thinking about something again.

That deep thought look was back.

Dammit.

"I'm going to call him after work. I promise."

"Bella, I'm fine. We are fine. No rush."

"Yeah well, you're the one getting morning handjobs, so, there's that."

"All you have to do is say the words, and I'd return the favor," I reminded her, smiling wickedly in her direction.

She let out a sigh and nods her head, "Which is why I'm calling him after work. I need all the favors." With the completion of her sentence, she leaned back into the car and grabbed me by my shirt to pull me towards her hard and fast, bringing her lips back against mine.

Our kiss was intense. It's the kind of kiss that would make most people look away with jealous lust and envy taking over their own dirty thoughts. In any other setting, I would have demanded she get into my car for a few more minutes, but there was no time for that this morning.

Christ, the things I want to do to her.

The things I'm going to do to her...

"Get out of here before I kidnap you and phone in a ransom to your father."

She heeds my warning with a returned pout from her bottom lip, then gives me one last wave from her hand before closing the passenger door to disappear inside the building.

Like that, she's gone, and I'm already craving more of her again.

It's going to be a long seven hours, just like it's been every day since her family left and she'd had to work to cover all of her expenses now that she was completely on her own.

After putting my car into drive I make a hard right back out onto the main road that will take me towards my cousin's apartment across town. I'd start there since it would be the easiest of the two rather awkward conversations I'd have to have today.

The only time Riley has ever made things difficult with confrontation has been when he's had a couple of drinks in him. At nine in the morning, I didn't think I'd need to worry too much about that.


When my cousin opened his door, he seemed genuinely surprised to see me, even though I'd sent him a text twenty minutes ago letting him know I would be coming by soon.

"Edward, hey! I um… I was just about to head out. What brings you by this early?"

He keeps glancing over his shoulder.

There's someone inside he doesn't want me to see.

Of course, my first thought is Kate.

I've decided to make him sweat a little, "Oh yeah? Where are you heading?" I'm also not hiding the fact that I'm clearly trying to look past him now.

He shifted his weight in front of me, then slowly stepped further outside so he could close the door from behind his back, "Band practice."

He's lying.

"At nine in the morning?" I scoffed, my eyes quickly looking out towards the parking lot in search of any familiar cars besides his own. For a brief second, I think I see Tanya's Lexus and I'm surprised by the lack of a reaction that triggers.

It's not Tanya's car though… just some other red Lexus with over priced rims.

"Who's here, Riley?"

I didn't have time for his games. I was here with a purpose, and I had other things to do today.

"Is it Kate?"

"No," he laughed, "That's totally not it."

"Then who? What are you trying to hide?"

Before he could say anything else, his front door started to open and I felt my fists swiftly clench at my sides when my father appeared from behind him.

''Hello, son."

It's been months since I'd seen his face in person.

Even longer since I'd heard his voice.

"What's this, family brunch? No, you know what? I don't even care. I just came here to tell you to stay away from Bella. She's off limits."

My cousin laughed, and shook his head in defiance, "We made a deal when we were twelve. No one is ever off limits until the other-"

"She's mine, Riley. I'm staking my claim. Fuck what we said when we were twelve. Respect what I'm saying now, or we will have a serious problem." I turned to look at my father and straightened my shoulders, "Enjoy prison, pop. Tell mom I'm doing fine. Your bullshit has not affected me, or my life. I'd die first before I'd ever let that happen."

"Edward, please-"

I didn't let him finish.

I also didn't wait for Riley to say anything in his defense.

Neither of them was worth my time, and I couldn't have cared less about what else they might have had to say.


The office was quiet when I walked inside.

Almost too quiet.

I scanned the break area and saw signs of life, but no one seemed to be around. Emmett had told me he'd be in at eleven when I'd sent him a text mentioning I was going to stop by.

After driving around for over an hour, cooling myself down from my run in with my family, it was now almost eleven, but Emmett's office was still dark and all locked up.

I continued down the hall and came to Aro's opened door. His lights were on and he was sitting at his desk with his feet kicked up over its well-polished surface. I cleared my throat to get his attention, and he looked over but motioned he was on the phone. While waiting quietly in the doorway, I pretend there's something important on my own phone's screen, but really my thoughts won't let go of what I'd walked away from at my cousin's apartment.

Was my dad staying with him?

Did my mom finally have enough of his bullshit and kick his ass out?

Had things gotten that bad?

"Come on in, Cullen. Sit down, let's play a round of catch up before Em gets here."

Aro's sudden invitation snaps me out of my mental game of tug-o-war, and I dropped my phone back into my pocket before walking further into his office to take a seat in front of him. I returned his smile, even though his creeps me the hell out, then leaned back into my chair and crossed my arms in front of me on impulse.

"How's my best employee doing? You really came through this week after Emmett lit a fire under your ass. I'm impressed, to say the least. You've really got a nice little fan club in your corner, and it's only been a month!"

While nodding my head I forced another guarded smile, "Being able to work from home has helped. I'm definitely able to relax more, and enjoy some of the calls."

"Oh, I bet it has, and I'm sure you are. You're a natural. We've got someone else starting from their home this week. I'm hoping it works out just as well with them, though I don't expect anyone to touch the numbers you're reaching."

I didn't know what to say.

I was good at what I did when I was being Masen.

I had a way with words and a graphically dirty mind.

It wasn't like I was out there saving any lives, or changing the world to make it a better place when I was on the clock, stroking my cock to faceless strangers.

"So, Edward… why are you here to tell me you want to quit, when you've clearly got so much going for you?"

Now my eyes were wide and my mouth was partially opened with surprise.

Aro laughed loudly and slowly brought his feet down from his desk to lean forward, then pulled some papers out from a drawer and set them down in front of him.

I can see it's my contract.

"Don't look so shocked. You might be a natural here, but you're still no different from the rest when they start out. The first month is the easiest and the hardest. You guys over do it, then you feel like you've already done it all. You still have a lot left in you, Cullen. Sorry, but I'm not going to let you walk away that easily. You're far too valuable to me, and we still have so much to accomplish together."

"My situation has changed."

I didn't know what else to say. I certainly didn't feel like explaining I'd fallen for the girl next door, who also happened to pop my cyber cherry on my very first night here.

"Situations always change. What's going on in your life this week could be done and gone tomorrow. There's no reason for you to do anything drastic when it involves your only source of income. We're a family here. Tell me what you need. What can I do to make things better for you? I'll bend where I can, but you'll need to meet me halfway."

If you open my mouth and tell him you've met someone, he will laugh at you again and call you a fool.

Perhaps I am a fool… but that doesn't mean I need to hear it from his mouth to my ears.

I could already tell no matter what I said, nothing would be good enough. He wasn't going to make this easy for me, but I needed to remain calm and not back down. There was nothing he could do, or say that would convince me to stay on. Not when it would mean I'd be in risk of losing Bella, if she were to ever find out what I actually do here to make money.

Just then the door opened, and Emmett came waltzing in with his signature grin already smeared across his smug face. "Hey guys, sorry traffic was a nightmare. What have I missed?"

He looked at our faces and slowed down to a complete stop, "Uh oh, is Mase actually trying to quit on us this time?"

I smirked on impulse and began rubbing at the back of my neck, "I just… I need to make other things my priority right now. I'm not saying I won't come back."

"We talked about this, E. Bella is great, but she's not going to pay your bills for you."

"Bella? Your neighbor, Isabella Marie Swan?" Aro casually questioned, as if he'd just commented on the weather.

I narrowed my eyes and sat up straighter in my chair.

How did he know her full name, and how did he know she was my neighbor?

What the hell was going on here?

"Tell me something Edward, Does the screen name B913 mean anything to you? I mean it should… since they were one of your first regulars to help you climb the ladder here."

Now I was standing on my feet.

"I didn't know her when she called. It all happened by chance."

Emmett quickly positioned himself between us with dumbfounded confusion taking control of his own face.

"You broke your contract, Cullen. You've been meeting up with a paying customer."

"I just told you, I didn't know who she was when we first met. She was just some girl who had moved in next door." My thoughts were turning into rapid chaos in my head. I wasn't expecting any of this. The worst I'd prepared for was Aro and I going back and forth for a few uncomfortable minutes before I'd inevitably have to finally walk away with my last paycheck in one hand, and my middle finger being displayed on the other.

"Jesus, we don't meet up so she can pay me for sex. I'm not turning tricks on the side like some gigolo," I further tried to explain.

"You signed the contract. I have all of the calls recorded, and the proof I need to show you've taken advantage of my trust. Do you have a good lawyer? Because you're going to need one. Maybe your dad's attorney will be able to help you out? I heard he was able to get him a pretty sweet plea deal with the state."

I looked over at Emmett, but he still appears to be just as stunned as I'm feeling.

"Wait, so… you and B… you take calls from her? Here? She's a client? Holy fuck! Does she know?!" He finally boomed when everything eventually came together for him.

"No! Of course she doesn't know! That's why I need to quit!"

"Oh, man! No wonder you were so anal at her party about us getting our work story straight. This is crazy! What are the odds! I mean, I believe him, Aro. I've met Bella… she's not the type to mix fantasy with her reality. Not this kind of reality anyway. She's a good ol' country girl, with a heart of gold."

Aro clicked his tongue a few times then leaned back in his seat again, "Oh, I've heard their calls. Believe me, she's much more than some virginal country girl. It doesn't matter though. This girls existence is threatening to take away my best employee, and my best employee broke his contract. If I'm going to lose out on the revenue he brings in, then I'm going to have to take him to court to make up for that. You know how this works, Emmett. I wonder how it will look for the Cullen name to be back in the headlines again. This is the type of story people love to eat up. Dad goes to prison for scamming old people out of millions… son takes on a job in the adult industry to pay for the lifestyle he's used to, then starts meeting up with real clients on the side to help keep his head above the water."

I could feel my rage building as the tips of my fingers dug like pointed knives into my clenched palms down at my sides.

"Aro, come on. I know E wouldn't break any rules on purpose. Cut him some slack. He couldn't control who moved in next door to him."

My nostrils were flaring at this point, and my heart felt like it was going to beat straight from the center of my chest with all of the adrenaline that's pumping through me.

"I'm a fair and honest guy. Emmett knows that. It's why he's trying to save your sinking ass right now, Cullen."

"I'm not your slave. You can't force me to do anything," I growled in return, my eyes digging into his.

"No, you're right. You are not my slave. You are however my paid employee, and I crossed all of my t's and dotted all of my i's when I wrote up this contract you signed." Aro stood up to come towards me, with my contract in his hand, but he stopped short of actually crossing over in front of his desk, "Let me remind you again what you have today, can be gone tomorrow, but there's one thing I can assure you, I will not be gone tomorrow, my boy. You will continue to work for me, and you will do it with a smile and continue to clock in forty plus hours a week, or I will sue your ass. Trust me, if that happens, you'll really know what it feels like to be dirt poor, with limited opportunity in this city. I also think it goes without saying, that if you don't want to mess things up with your new girlfriend, you might want to keep yourself out of court over this matter. The less she knows, the better."

I'm officially ready to slug the guy.

Several times.

Very hard.

Using his position over me as blackmail had gone too far and Emmett could see that on my face. He quickly took me by the arm to put some distance between Aro and I, then lowered his voice beside my ear, "Simmer down, E. Don't make things any worse for yourself. Let it go." I was already pushing to get past him with every word he'd spoken, but he managed to hold me back.

"What do you want from me? What will it take for you to just let me walk away, Aro?"

"I want six more months of your life, Edward, with you giving me the same numbers you've been giving me. If you still want out after that, I'll terminate our contract, and erase all of the calls I have on file, and all of the other evidence I've got gathered over there in my safe."

I scoffed at his words and shook my head, "That's too fucking long. I can't keep doing this for six more months."

"My boy, in six months time, when you sit back and look at your bank account you'll be thanking me. Now get out of my office. There's nothing else for us to talk about. Time is money, and I have an interview coming in any minute."

Even though he's told me to go, my body remained still.

Emmett nudged at my shoulder, and then cleared his throat, "E, come on." I glance at him with my jaw clenched, but say nothing.

"I'll walk you out."

"Oh, don't forget your check, Mase. Remember, this is what makes it all worth it. If I really wanted to be a dick, I'd take back the generous bonus I gave you."

After reaching forward and snatching the piece of paper from his hand, I looked down and felt my eyes go wide with returned confusion.

Nineteen hundred dollars and sixty-five cents, for thirty-seven hours worth of work.

This couldn't be right.

I looked over at Aro again, thinking he must have made a mistake.

"Yeah, you won't be going anywhere. I'm going to be the Daddy you wish you still had. You'll see, Cullen."

I stuffed the check into my pocket but still said nothing.

My shoulder pushes forcefully past Emmett to get through the door, and I made my way down the hall to walk outside and punch the first solid thing my eyes could find.

Not smart.

"Jesus! Fuck!"

I'm in serious pain at this point and shaking my fist out at my side with blood dripping from my knuckles when Emmett finally catches up to me beside my car.

"Did you just punch a damn brick wall?"

"What the hell did you let me get roped into?!" I roared, after grabbing him by his shirt. Emmett didn't flinch or try to remove himself from my grasp.

He stood there silently, a good foot over me, and calmly shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not your keeper, man. I told you what happens if you meet a client outside of here. How was I to know what you were up to? You knew the rules."

"What part aren't you people hearing?! I-didn't-fucking-know-her-before-I-took-this-job, and I still didn't know her when I took her first damn call! We met afterward, by absolute chance, and I put it together! It's not my fault! Goddamned fate is kicking me in the ass now, for something I had no control over, and it's bullshit!"

Emmett's hand loosened my grip on his shirt, and he slowly lowered my fist down between us, "Look, you need to relax. You're making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. This is actually the first time ever Aro's let someone slide. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?! What the hell are you talking about? What conversation were you just a part of? I'm literally being blackmailed into working for that scumbag!"

"You can handle six months," He's smirking and shaking his head.

I'm now seconds away from punching him in the face with my bleeding clenched fist.

"No. I can't. I can not keep lying to her. She's asking too many questions. I'll ruin everything if I keep doing this. I won't risk it... she… she means too much to me. I've worked too hard to mess it all up because of a stupid job I don't even want anymore."

Now Emmett is really shaking his head, this time with a bit of anger in his eyes, "What did I tell you? I warned you about this, and don't give me any bullshit about not being in control of who you fall in love with, because I've seen all those stupid movies and they're all garbage. You can control it, and you do control it. You control you, E. You've gone this long, what's another couple of months. Just suck it up and find a way. You might not want this job, but you need it. It's called being an adult, and doing the things you have to do in order to survive in this world."

"I… I have to tell her. I might still be stuck with the damn contract, but at least she'll know the truth."

"Your funeral," He snickered. "Do what you have to, as long as you don't fuck yourself in the ass by thinking you can beat Aro at his own game. He's been doing this for too long. You won't win."

There was something about the way he'd just said that.

His tone made me pause, and narrow my eyes.

Did Aro have something on Emmett that he was holding over his head in order to keep him in his back pocket as well?

It certainly wouldn't have surprised me if he did.

I knew better, though, than to pry right now.

Right now, I just needed to get away.

"I've gotta get out of here. Don't come looking for me. I need time to process all of this."


Later that day, on my way to pick up Bella, I'd called Jasper to tell him I'd need to change our plans for this evening. If I was going to come clean to Bella, I didn't want there to be an audience, and I also didn't want her to be able to run to Alice before I'd have the chance to fully explain myself.

He'd agreed to keep Bella's best friend out with him, and had wished me luck before also adding that I could come by his place after I'd dropped the bomb to stay the night… insinuating that Bella wouldn't want to be around me once said bomb had actually been dropped.

As soon as I'd pulled up, Bella was out the door and running towards my car before I'd even been able to put it into park.

"Longest. Day. EVER!"

Her exhaustion was palpable, but also sexy as hell. I smiled in her direction before leaning over to place a kiss on her lips, then prompted her to buckle her seatbelt.

"Oh, my god! Your hand!"

My eyes looked over to where my knuckles were wrapped with a bandage, grasping at my steering wheel in front of me. I'd cleaned myself up after going home, but the damage I'd done was far too obvious to actually hide, so I hadn't even bothered to try.

"I got into an argument with my boss."

"You hit your boss?!"

"No!" I laughed, finding it a little interesting that she'd thought I might have it in me to actually do something like that. "I hit a brick column outside of the office on the way to my car."

When she remained quiet, I glanced over at her, but she still doesn't say anything.

"I'm fine. Everything is okay. We had a disagreement, that's all."

"About what?"

She was asking all of the questions I knew she would.

Thankfully, I'd prepared.

"My hours. He wants more than I want to give."

This was not a lie.

I already knew where her head was going, so I quickly shut it down, "It's not your fault. You're not allowed to feel guilty about this." I bluntly insist while waving my injured hand up into the air.

Once we'd pulled up to a red light, I looked over at her again, but she was clearly still trying to make up her mind over what to actually believe.

"I've been waiting to see your smile again for the last seven hours. If you don't give me what I want in the next ten seconds you will be sorry, Ms. Swan." I playfully threatened, with my brow suggestively raised.

Slowly, but surely, her smile spread, and with it so did my obsession for her.

"Thank you. That's much better."

With my last word, she took my right hand from the top of the steering wheel and brought it over to her knee. I feel everything else slowly wash away once she begins stroking my knuckles with the tips of her fingers before guiding my wrapped injuries up to her lips to kiss them softly. "No more punching," She whispered, and I melt, but do my best to not show it.

"Don't ask me to make promises I can't keep."

She laughed in response, then let out an exasperated sigh, "Such a man."

My shoulders shrugged in reaction to her abundantly accurate observation, and I carefully turned the wheel with my left hand to pull us into our buildings parking lot.

On our way up, I asked her about her day and listened to a few short stories involving coffee being spilled on her manager, and scones being accidentally crushed under her feet. Once we were on our floor, I stopped in front of my door and waited for her to notice I'd slowed down.

When she does notice, her brow arches and she places her hands firmly over her hips, "Get your ass over here. I've been waiting seven hours to kiss your smile. If you don't give me what I want in the next ten seconds you will be sorry, Mr. Cullen."

Bella started to giggle as soon as I'd rush towards her to take her into my arms and press her body against her front door. I brought my mouth against her lips and carefully pinned her hands beside her ears with our fingers laced tightly together. Seconds later, her lips are moaning into mine, and I extend our moment as if we're the only two people in the world who matter.

"I'm obsessed with your mouth," she breathlessly whispered, her eyes still closed, and her hands holding tightly onto mine.

"And to think, you've only gotten to experience a fraction of what this mouth can do." I shared into her ear, creating another falsetto of giggles from her parted lips before she sends a firm kiss to my cheek.

"Do you want to come in while I shower? I'm going to call Jake when I get out. He's in class until four-thirty, but he'll be expecting me."

My head, of course, goes straight to the gutter.

"When you say come in… while you shower-"

She laughs again and pulls me inside after opening her door from behind her back. "Lock it please, and shoes off, or Alice will have your head!"

I followed her request, then went straight into her living room to take my usual spot on the sofa while she walked around getting herself situated. I liked watching her walk around. Especially when her head was too busy to notice I was watching. The way she'd side step around random things, and make a little dance out of it… or how she'd flip her hair almost obsessively when she'd turn a corner, or bend down to pick something up.

I could literally do this all day, and I'd never find myself bored.

"Can I get you something?" She'd caught me already smiling and looking in her direction. This, of course, caused her to shake her head in embarrassment after her cheeks began to flush, "Stop."

"What?"

"Stop watching me walk around this place like a crazy person."

"It's cute," I confessed, smiling a little wider now.

"You need a hobby."

"What I need is you over here in my lap."

Bella rolled her eyes and opened the fridge, then grabbed us both a bottle of water to toss one over to me when she passed by the couch again. "You're going to want to hydrate yourself, neighbor boy. I'll likely be looking to play catch up for the last five days as soon as we finish up dinner tonight."

She knew all the right things to say to get me going.

The only problem was, I had a feeling she'd be pulling the brakes on her plans before we'd even get the chance to start them, once I'd had my own talk with her.

There was, of course, a little voice in the back of my head pointing out that Bella might be even more pissed at me for waiting to tell her about my job, until after she'd completely broken up with her boyfriend, but the other voice in the back of my head was much louder, and that was the one I'd already decided to listen to.

After she'd disappeared into the bathroom, I passed the time by scrolling through Facebook on my phone. Riley had tried calling me for the sixth time, but I'd sent him to voicemail again, before standing up to walk out to the balcony after grabbing a beer from the fridge.

As soon as I'd stepped outside, I was regretting it.

"Thanks for leaving me that check, honey."

Tanya was on our own balcony right next door, having a cigarette with her friend Jane.

I raised my beer bottle up into the air, paired with a nod from my head acknowledging their existence a few feet away from me, "You started smoking again."

"I've started doing a lot of things again."

"Meh, something tells me you never actually stopped doing them in the first place." I quickly shoot back, then take another long sip from my beer to swallow it down, "Hi, Jane."

Tanya's friend offered me a brief wave from her hand, but she stays quiet.

"I'm having some people over tonight." My ex casually shared, after exhaling a large cloud of smoke from between her perfectly painted lips.

"Have fun."

"You and your country bumpkin are welcome to come party with us. I promise to be nice."

"Much obliged, but we have our own plans."

I can see her frustrations growing. It was a nice thing to witness. The only thing that would make this moment perfect would be if Bella wandered out here in nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around her glistening body.

As if on cue, the door opened from behind me.

I turned my head and then smile like I haven't smiled all day. There she was. Wrapped in a damn towel, with a devilish smirk on her gorgeous unmade-up face, glistening body and all.

"Hey babe, can you get the cap off of this new bottle of body lotion? Oh! So, so, sorry! Hi-yah, Tanya!"

Bella wasn't sorry.

I could tell by the look on her face that she'd known exactly what she was doing when she'd come outside the way she had just now.

Christ, this girl is amazing.

A goddamned dream come true.

And I was about to risk it all with honesty.

I took a step towards her and brought the bottle of lotion into my hand while Bella continued to smile sweetly in my ex's direction. "Nice day, isn't it?"

Tanya let out a huff and ordered her friend to follow her back inside our apartment, which Jane quickly does… but not before I'd noticed her own hidden smirk over Bella's ability to put my ex in her place.

"One point awarded to you, Bella Swan." I teased, then leaned in to kiss her once we were all alone outside. She laughs against my mouth and drops her arms over my shoulders after I reach behind her to open the door and guide her back indoors.

Before I know it, we're laying on her couch with her beneath me, and my hand is traveling up her bare thigh, then under the towel that's wrapped around her body. Our mouths move with purpose and needful lust to have more, neither of us slowing down until her phone begins to vibrate on the coffee table.

We both turned our heads to glance at the clock on the wall.

It's four-thirty-one on the dot.

"I guess he couldn't wait for me to call him first."

"Always the cock block," I toyed then kissed her forehead before moving to the side so she'd be able to take her cell up into her hand.

"This shouldn't take long. Five minutes and I'll be out to get dinner started. I've got something special planned for dessert." She sends me a wink from her eye, then leans over one more time to kiss my lips before heading towards her bedroom to close the door behind her.

It was really happening.

This was it.

I grabbed my own phone up from the table to check it for any new messages but found nothing, which was a nice surprise. That was when I heard some loud talking coming from behind Bella's closed door. This caused me to sit up straighter over the sofa. It was taking everything in me to not move closer in hopes of being able to actually catch some of her spoken words.

It didn't sound like things were going as smoothly as she'd hoped.

Three more minutes past with me picking at my cuticles, while my foot tapped rhythmically at the carpet, then finally her door opened and I turned to face her.

She wasn't crying.

She doesn't even look sad.

If anything she looked… at peace… relieved… happy.

"Done."

"Done?"

Bella nods and begins walking towards me without taking her eyes off of mine, "He's angry and hurt, but he's accepted my decision. Not that he had much of a choice after I told him about you, and what I'd let happen." She sits down next to me, and I take her hand into mine, then kiss it before asking if she's okay.

"I am," She instantly answered, "Really okay, actually. I thought I'd cry, but I didn't. Not once. He didn't either. He just yelled. He's definitely not your biggest fan."

She'd laughed a little with that last line.

This allowed me to relax beside her.

I take a deep breath, then slowly let it out, "I don't need any fans. I just need you." I teased back, feeling the best I've felt all day. Such a weight has been lifted, but I have another heavier weight already waiting to take its place.

"I'm going to start dinner, want to help me in the kitchen?" It's way too early for us to eat, but I'm pretty sure she's only looking for a distraction from everything she's just had to endure with Jake on the phone.

However, I'm not about to say that out loud.

Instead, I crack a joke, "Early bird special this evening, Ms. Swan?"

She laughs and smacks my arm affectionately, then begins pulling me up from the sofa to drag me into the kitchen with her.

"The faster we eat, the sooner we get to have dessert."

"In that case, maybe I should go run down to Mcdonald's and grab us a cheeseburger."

Her hands were already placing a purple apron around my body, and she's tying it at my back, "You hush. I will spoil you with my culinary skills, and you will let me. Now chop some carrots, Cullen!"

I followed her orders and quietly set up the cutting board in front of me to get to work. When I glanced over at her, she was smiling to herself in deep thought, slicing through the raw chicken she'd pulled out from the fridge to section it off.

She looked so happy.

Really happy.

I'd helped her achieve that.

In an hours time, though, I could be taking it all away.

Hopefully, it would be brief, her anger, but truthfully, there was no telling where my own honesty might take us. For now… I just wanted to enjoy this time, and not over think anything. I'd helped free her from the invisible chains the Black's and her father had wrapped around her ankles.

That had to count for something.

Regardless of anything else, I'd done that for her, but it had still been entirely her decision to make, without me ever forcing her hand.


When we'd finished our meal, I'd helped her clean the dishes by drying them off after she'd rinsed them at the sink. She'd smiled at me every once in a while, after catching my grin, and I'd feel my heart catch fire each and every time.

Once we were done being all domesticated, I'd taken her by the hand and walked us into the living room.

It was now or never.

She'd broken up with Jake.

That thread had been cut.

The anchor fully pulled.

I knew what she'd want to come next with her freedom, but before we took things into the bedroom, I needed to get everything out into the open, or I would more than likely lose my mind the next time silence crept up on us in a quiet room.

She leans over towards the coffee table and refills her wine glass, then lowers herself back against me before taking a sip from its rim.

This was her fourth glass of the evening. I've been keeping track. If I don't hurry, she'll be too tipsy for the conversation we still need to have.

That would not be good.

"What's on your mind, neighbor boy?"

Shit.

She was actually calling me out.

"You've been weird ever since we started cleaning up dinner."

I forced a smile, and take in a deep breath.

You can do this, Cullen.

Enough progress has been made.

All of that progress will hopefully give you a fighting chance.

"You really are an amazing cook."

"Ha! I grew up cooking for three men, four if you count Jake, and that's the first time anyone has ever complimented my cooking." She shared with a proud smirk, then raised her brow in further suspicion. "Really though, what's wrong? You're making me nervous."

Do it now, or suffer the consequences when she finds out some other way.

"I need to um… I need to talk to you about something I probably should have told you the first morning we met."

Now she really does look nervous.

I hated that.

Her body sat up away from mine, and she sets her wine glass down onto the round table in front of us then tucks her legs in under her bottom to better face me, "Go ahead," she softly prompts after crossing her arms.

"Earlier, I promised you a game of twenty questions."

Bella's brows furrowed, but a soft smile also positions itself across her lips. "You're right. You did promise me that." I can see it in her eyes. She was trying to figure out where I was going with this. "Okay… what's your favorite Adam Sandler movie?"

I laughed out loud and grabbed up one of the couch pillows to hit her in the side with it. "We've talked about this. Adam Sandler is the most overrated comedian to ever be birthed from SNL, but if I had to choose one… Punch Drunk Love."

"Oh my God, that's not even a comedy!"

"I know, that's why I like it."

She kicks me lightly with her foot then rolls her eyes, "What's your favorite over the top comedy then?"

"It's a tie. I'll give you a hint. They're both Will Ferrell movies."

I watched her actually think this over for a few very long and quiet seconds, then began counting down out loud from ten to signal her time is running out.

"Elf and Step Brothers!"

My mouth dropped open in dramatic disbelief, "I think you'll need to marry me now," I teased with a nervous laugh, then pulled her into my lap to kiss at her neck. She giggles against me and wraps my arms more firmly around her hips before nuzzling her head into my chest.

"My dad and uncle used to lovingly refer to me and Riley as, Brennan and Dale, whenever we'd start acting like idiots in high school. It's kind of a long-standing joke with us."

"I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned your dad and uncle, besides our talk by the pool."

I stiffened under her, and she's quickly apologizing for having pointed out the elephant that had joined us in the room.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right. It was the first time. There are good memories there. I just don't want to relive any of those right now." I gently explained, then pulled her back against me. "It's a good fucking movie though."

She giggled again and nods her head in agreement, "It absolutely is. I think James and Sam could give you and Riley a run for your money though. They literally tried to make bunk beds when they were in middle school. It was a disaster."

This made me laugh, "Oh, I'm sure it was. What's your favorite over the top funny movie?"

"Half-Baked," She replied rather proudly.

Interesting response.

I'd have to remember that for a semi-related follow-up question at a later time.

It was her turn again.

I nudged her with my shoulder and waited for her to come up with something.

"Okay. Something good. If you could travel to any place in the world, that you haven't already been to… where would you go?"

I thought this one over for a minute, but once I'd found my true and honest answer, I knew it was perfect, "I'd love to be able to see your hometown, and look up at the black night sky without any city lights around to drown out all of the stars. The way you'd described it on the boat… I'd like to be able to experience that with you someday." She looked deeply into my eyes and I start to see them tear up a little. She doesn't seem sad though, so I press on. "Plus, going home with you would mean we'd been able to prove your dad wrong. That's kinda sorta become a life goal of mine. What about you? Where would you like to-"

"Shut up and kiss me, Edward M. Cullen."

She wouldn't have to tell me twice.

Without wasting another second, I shifted her over my lap and tilted her chin with my finger so that I was able to reach her lips.

When we connected, it was like no other kiss we'd shared before. The hunger we had for one another was like a fire, and our need to have more quickly spread. She took my bottom lip between her teeth, then slowly released it from her soft bite as she pulled at the back of my neck, deepening our embrace. Her tongue moved against mine with needful purpose and she carefully wrapped her legs around my hips to shift her weight even further into me. She's smirking against my lips now and panting, obviously feeling all of my excitement being pressed between her legs. I'm aroused as hell and losing myself with every movement her mouth makes against my skin. The friction she drives into the center of my lap sends a fresh feverish wave across my body, and I can feel myself beginning to lose complete control.

If I don't find a way to slow things down, I'm going to have her screaming my name in two minutes, and then I'd be hating myself for it seconds later.

I pulled away to catch my breath but brought my lips to the nape of her neck to send a gentle nibble above her clavicle as she continues to pant wildly from above my ear, clearly craving more from me.

When I'd leaned back, she was still closing her eyes, but also grinning like I'd never seen.

She's so goddamn beautiful.

So extraordinarily superior to any other woman I'd ever met or been with.

It was almost hard to believe she was real, and that I was this close to making her mine, and only mine...

"Masen," It had left my lips before I'd even realized I'd opened my mouth to speak.

Her eyes sprang open and her body tensed almost instantly, "Wha- what did you just say?"

"My middle name… the M… it's for Masen, B."


A/N: Yup... that's where I'm leaving you. ;)

The bomb has been dropped, now how will B react to it?

So much happened in this chapter, I'd love to hear your thoughts! From Riley not wanting to give up on his chance with Bella, to Edward's dad being at his cousin's place so early in the morning... then throw in Aro and his blackmail over E's head... Lot's to digest!

**Reviews make me smile.**

As thanks, for leaving me your words, I will share an outtake from Bella's POV that will include her break up conversation with Jake...

Let's just say she sugar coated some things for E. *wink*