Okay, it's official, everyone hates Edward! That's okay, I was hating him too. He's a mess, but hopefully he can see the error of his ways. Thank you for all of your feedback. The attention this story has gotten has truly warmed my heart.

AN: I do not own Twilight and all errors are my own.

Chapter 10

The Backlash

EPOV

"You're just going to let her go like that?" I faintly registered that someone was actually talking to me. I wasn't hearing it though because the words 'I quit' had been ringing in my ears since Bella said them with the force of daggers. I just watched as she hastily gathered her stuff and walked out wondering what the fuck just happened.

Because that definitely was not supposed to happen.

"Edward." The voice said except this time it was louder, sharper. I looked to where it was coming from. Tanya was standing there with one hand on her hip and a look that let me know she was irritated. I had totally forgotten she was there.

"Um, look Tanya. I know that you thought that we'd…" Thank God she cut me off from my mediocre explanation. Even I wasn't buying it.

"Save it, Edward. I get it. You and I are not going to happen. I kind of figured it out when you used me to piss off that bartender." I looked to the floor completely ashamed. I had done that and managed to hurt and disrespect two women at the same time. What is wrong with me? My mother would be rolling in her grave.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't, but whatever the fuck that was, you better figure it out. I'm pretty sure she was more than just a bartender by the way you were looking at her every ten seconds while talking to me." My stomach rolled with guilt. "Look, I came here because I thought you were single." I tried to speak up that I was but she cut me off by lifting up her hand. "Maybe you are, maybe you aren't, maybe you just don't know what the fuck you are, but I do not play in another woman's playground. So if and when you are truly unattached in every sense of the word, look me up. But until then, it's a no go."

I nodded not knowing exactly what to say. She picked up her purse off the bar and got off the stool.

"Well, thank you for the drink, Edward. I hope things work out for you. Now, maybe you should get to work since you are down a bartender." I looked down the bar and saw that Alec was trying to handle the busy bar with some difficulty. People needed drinks. I needed to help him.

"Good night, Tanya…and sorry again." She waved away my apology and made her way through the crowd toward the door. As much as I wanted to take a few minutes for myself and think about what had just happened, business called. I swallowed down a pound of regret and turned to a guy with money in his hand.

"What can I get ya?"

~GTaM~

The next afternoon I got a visit from Emmett. A very bothered Emmett. I watched cautiously as he put his police hat on the bar and sat down on a stool.

"You look like shit." I sighed as I poured him a soda and sat it down in front of him. I knew I looked like shit. I hadn't slept. At all.

"So, Bella told us she quit last night." With that one simple sentence my mind brought me back to the awful scene and my horrendous behavior. I grimaced knowing what was coming. "I asked her why and she just shrugged and gave some bullshit answer about needing to spend more time on her school work. But I know she has been balancing her shit very well. It just doesn't make sense. Care to enlighten, little brother?"

"She gave me the same answer." I lied. And Emmett could tell. He could always tell. I didn't back down as he stared at me. Until I did. "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Em. Apparently she didn't quit her babysitting job if you saw her today. Why do you care so much?"

"Because, Assward, you know this has nothing to do with babysitting. I could tell it wasn't just a conflict of schedules. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying. Now, she would never throw you under the bus, she's not like that. But god damn it, Edward, I know this has something to do with you. Now tell me what it is!" By this time his menacing form was off the stool and he was leaning towards me.

"Okay, okay. We, um…we…"

"Oh my god, you fucked her. After I told you not to you did and then dropped her like you do every woman." Now I had to jump in.

"First of all, keep your damn voice down. This is my place of business for Christ's sake. Second, we may have participated in some consensual activities, but that is none of your business. And for the record, I never meant to hurt her. Did she really look like she had been crying?"

"Yeah, Edward, she did. And you may have not meant to hurt her, but you did and that is not okay with me. And on top of all that, she felt she had to quit a job that was perfect for what she needed. You screwed her over, Edward, in more ways than one."

When Emmett left, I felt like a complete asshole. He was right, I did screw her over. And for what? So I didn't have to face the feelings this girl was pulling out of me. It proved even more that I was no good for her. She deserved more.

I still wasn't convinced what I thought she wanted, but the least I could do was try to give her job back. It wasn't fair that she had to give it up because of me. If I had to schedule her when I wasn't working to make her feel more comfortable, I would. I picked up my cell and called her. There was a mixture of disappointment and relief when it went directly to voice mail. I left a message asking her to come back and promising we could make it work. The ball was in her court. All I had to do was wait.

~GTaM~

Two weeks later and I was still waiting. I would like to say that things got better, but they hadn't. In fact, they had just gone downhill since. The bar was busy and without Bella it was barely manageable. As far as the staff knew, she quit for personal reasons. I never said anything about it, but I think Alice had called her and that was the reason she gave. However, based on the glares I received, Alice seemed to know more than she was willing to let on. Charlotte kept asking me when I was going to hire someone else and I consistently told her I would take care of it soon. But the reality was that I was holding out for some miracle that Bella would walk in and want her job back.

It never happened. I didn't hear from Bella at all. And it sucked. Truth was, I missed her.

"You look like shit." I looked up from what I was doing to see Jasper standing there looking at me with judgment in his eyes. He was performing tonight and as much as I was hoping he would bring in a crowd like last time, we were still down a bartender. I was a little nervous. And on edge.

"You don't look so great yourself, Jasper!" I snapped. Pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers I willed myself to calm down. This was not Jasper's fault. "Look, dude, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous about tonight. Without Bella…" His knowing gaze was calming, reassuring. He always had this way of making you feel more relaxed. Some freaky voodoo or some shit like that.

"Listen, Alice told me a little bit about what happened with Bella." I stiffened. I hadn't realized Bella had told Alice what happened. I hadn't realized just how good of friends they had become.

"How much did she tell you?"

"Enough." I groaned into my hands. "Don't be mad at her. She needed to tell someone and you were not an option at the time. I haven't nor will I let on that I know anything to anybody. But Edward, look at yourself. You're miserable."

"Yeah?" I knew I was but I didn't know it was apparent to the whole world. "What's your point?"

"My point is you and Bella have been dancing around each other for months. It was just a matter of time before something happened. Do you regret it?" He had put the question to me I hadn't been able to put to myself. I stopped for a moment and really thought about it. Did I regret having sex with Bella?

The answer rolled around my brain. It bubbled through my chest and up my throat.

"No, I don't regret it, not one bit. And not because it was the most amazing sex of my existence. It's because of her. It was perfect. She was perfect. And I hate that I hurt her, made her regret it. Fuck, I'm a mess. What do I do, Jas? How do I fix this?"

I sounded so desperate but the fact was that I was desperate…for her. I liked Bella, a lot. And yeah, I wasn't sure exactly know where it would or should go, but the thought of her hating me and never seeing her again was painful. So very, very painful. I needed to at least make this up to her.

"Well, I think the first step is an apology. In person."

One word, so simple but not. Not really. It would be the most important apology I ever made. But I was going to do it. I was going to go to her house and beg for her forgiveness.

If I was lucky, well, I couldn't even dream about that yet.

So he got some advice and made a little progress. Next up, a little visit with Bella. Thanks for reading!