When I got home I forced Alice to leave. The only company I wanted was still at work. It took twenty minutes of convincing her that I was fine to get her to leave. I'm sure if she didn't have to work in the morning she would have argued more. Eight hours of hair styling, or rather stand up all day, had a way of wearing you out.

The apartment felt extremely empty for some reason. Normally I cherished my time alone because it was so rare. But it was the last thing I wanted right now, even if I had sent Alice away.

Edward didn't sound like the man that I originally fell in love with so long ago. Listening to him made me feel like... property. Or, an angry child simply throwing a tantrum about nothing. That was far from the case. And, I didn't like the feeling.

Jasper defending me like that was amazing because I knew he would have said the exact same thing if I hadn't been standing there listening. Watching the emotions dance across his face were a little confusing though. Sometimes he was just so hard to read. But the one emotion I understood clearly was anger. The way his eyes flashed when he say something stupid made something stir in me, which surprised me. It made me want him, even with Edward standing right there. I had never been defended in such a way.

I knew he was trying to give me an escape route when he handed me the drink. I tried to take it, throwing a grateful glance as I went but of course Edward saw me. I knew exactly what he thought I looked like, and he it made me feel dirty. He didn't have to finish the sentence to hurt me. The damage was already done.

I decided to take a shower to wash away the thick makeup and too much hair spray that Alice had covered me in. Afterwards, I decided to simply go to bed. There was no point staying awake. I didn't want to think anymore anyway.

I wasn't sure what time I saw Jasper standing at my door. I had been going in and out of an uneasy sleep. He was just standing there, a slight smile on his handsome face. After he came to bed with me I slept so much better. I felt secure in his warm embrace, his sweet breath blowing across my neck. It was almost like a dream- falling asleep this way.

When I woke up in the morning my stomach was strangely... warm. Not in an unpleasantly so. I slowly opened my eyes to find Jasper's head resting against my bare stomach, my shirt slightly raised. He was still asleep, even though his legs were dangling off the edge of my twin sized bed.

I ran my fingers through his hair, laughing a little bit. He slowly began to stir, opening one of his eyes. "What?"

"If you were uncomfortable yo could have gone to your room." I said, pushing his curly blond hair out of his eyes.

"I'm fine," he said sleepily, snuggling his face into my skin. I felt his warm lips brush my flesh, causing it to tingle. I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

"Can you even feel your feet?" I asked.

"Uh huh," he mumbled. "They're cold."

I laughed softly. "Sweetheart, go to your bed."

He rolled his head to the side and sucked in a deep breath. "I don't wanna. Do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to be comfortable."

He lightly kissed my stomach, nuzzling his nose against my belly button. It was slow and gentle, so it didn't tickle. His fingers grazed up my side. "I'm right were I want to be."

I looked over to the clock. It was around a eleven thirty. I had slept longer than I meant to, forgetting to set my alarm last night. "I wish we could stay like this all day."

"Why can't we?" He asked, his eyes closed tightly. I wondered if he was really awake at all.

"I have to go to work at two today." I said with a heavy sigh. I knew that he didn't have to work today and it sucked. Work was always more fun, and went by faster, when he was there.

"Why so early?" He asked, finally raising his head.

"Someone rented out the club for some sort of party. It's from two to five." I shrugged. "At least I don't have to set up."

"What time do you get off?" He asked, crawling beside me. I rolled over to my side to face him.

"Ten."

"At least you get off fairly early." He said, running a gentle hand over my hip. It wasn't a sexual action, but a comforting one.

"The best part is I get gratuity and whatever they leave as a tip for the party. That should be decent." I shrugged. I never minded working the parties. I always made decent money when I did.

He pursed his lips in thought for a moment, thinking to himself. Jasper looked as if he was about to say something but suddenly stopped. Slowly he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. His lips lingered for a moment. "I liked laying with you last night." He said suddenly.

"I liked it to. I think we may do it in your bed next time though."

"I think you're right." He chuckled, looking down at his feet that were dangling off the edge of the bed.

OooOooOooOooOooO

I had a quick bowl of cereal before hopping into the shower. I worked quickly to get my hair styled and my makeup on. I didn't usually pay this much attention to myself other then when I went to work. I usually made better tips. I pulled my hair into a pony tail, and sprayed on some perfume to finish.

I turned to look at myself in the mirror. It was standard for the girls to wear black pleated skirts. They were a bit short for my taste, but they weren't horrible. The winter shirts, the long sleeved ones, were rather comfortable. I didn't see the appeal in an outfit like this, but I'm sure some could. At least the shoes we wore were comfortable. They had to be flat non-skid, which was good for me. I had a bad habit of landing on my rear.

When I came out of the bathroom I saw Jasper sitting on the couch, still shirtless, watching TV with a bowl of cereal on his lap. He smiled when he saw me, which was adorable because you could tell he had cereal in his cheeks.

"Well, I'm heading out." I informed him as I grabbed my jacket and purse.

He nodded his head, shallowing his food down. He waved me over towards him, a little glint in his eye. "Come here first."

I did as I was told, coming to stand behind where he sat. He leaned his head back, his large hand coming up to grip the back of my neck. I lowered my lips to his, tasting the sweetness of his frosted flakes. "Have a good day at work." He said as he stroked the side of my neck with his thumb.

"Mm," I hummed softly. "Is this going to become a ritual for us?"

"I certainly hope so," he said with a charming smile spread over his full lips.

"So, what are you going to do today?" I asked, stalling a little bit. I honestly wanted to stay at home with him.

"Do the dishes, watch a little porn, maybe go to the grocery store. You know, the usual." He said dryly, obviously trying to make me blush.

I laughed and gently swatted the top of his head. "Well, could you get me some tampons while you're out?"

"Ewwww..." He muttered like a teenage boy. "Mood killer."

"That's what you get for being a pervert." I told him with a giggle before leaning into to kiss his forehead, leaving some lipstick there. I'd let him find that a little later, on his own. "I'll see you later."

"Alright darlin, see you tonight."

OooOooOooOooOooO

The party wasn't too bad. It was some sort of business meeting, from what I could tell. Not that they got much business done. You would have thought that they wouldn't drink as much because they were working. We actually had to call a couple taxis. Though, they were good tippers.

When Jake came in later that evening he made a point to come find me, a grin that could not be describe in any other way than shit eating covering his deep russet colored skin. "Hey good looking!"

"Hey Jake." I said, giving him my best smile. He was a friend of mine, but sometimes he could be kind of immature.

"I heard about Edward, and I'm sorry." He said, surprising me. I could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"It's alright. I'm fine." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know." He told me, patting me on the arm.

"Thanks, Jacob. That's really nice of you." I told him, giving him a real smile.

"So... you looked hot last night." He began, the immature male that I knew returning with a vengeance.

"I looked like a whore." I said in a little voice.

"Says who?" He said angrily in return. "Bells, seriously, you looked great. I've never seen you look so sexy. You should dress like that more often."

"Why? So guys like you can ogle me?" I teased, trying to find a way to change the subject. I was having trouble thinking of anything. Though, I'm sure I could find an escape in work fairly quickly.

"Hell yes! I wish I had a camera."

"Ugh, I've got to go make sure my section in ready. I'm sure you have some work you need to do, Jacob." I said in a firm voice.

"Yeah..." he mumbled, frowning a little bit.

OooOooOooOooOooO

It was getting pretty busy when I left since it was lady's night. That always meant three times as many guys as there was women. I was more than happy to leave a little early when my relief showed. They had asked extra people in because the new owner, which we had yet to meet, was going to show up sometime. I wasn't totally ready to meet him yet. The man was suppose to be a loud one with a big personality. I wasn't in the mood to fake cheerfulness.

It was about nine thirty when I got out of there. I walked to my truck in the back. There was someone leaning against my door. I paused, thinking about getting my mace ready until I realized who it was.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, stomping up to him. The sadness I had felt was now turning into anger.

"Not long, about twenty minutes." Edward said, looking at his feet.

"What do you want?" I said in a serious tone, my arms crossed over my chest.

"I fucked up, didn't I?" He asked in a little voice that was so unlike him. I didn't know what to do or say. This was strange. I didn't know how to deal with this Edward. "I can change, Bella."

"Edward, you've had two years to change. Why would I believe you? And, honestly, you shouldn't have to change. But, neither should I."

"I want to be with you." He said, looking up at me through his thick copper lashes.

"Edward, I've always been your second love. I will always be second when it comes to you." I said, my arms dropping to my sides.

"I never cheated-" He began.

"I was always second to your music. That's fine. That's you. I just don't want to be second anymore. You have certain ideals of what a woman should be, and I'm not it. You should find someone that fits what you need and want."

"Bella, I can change." He said again as he brought his hands to my shoulders.

"I don't want you to." I said shaking my head.

He brought his mouth to mine swiftly, kissing me. He was always a good kisser, but it didn't hold the same things for me anymore. There was no thrill behind it. No desire. I slowly disengaged. I knew he wasn't trying to force me into anything, but this wasn't what I wanted anymore. "I'm sorry." I said, brushing his hands off.

"So, that's it? You don't love me anymore?" He said, looking away.

"I will always love you. A part of me will. But, this isn't healthy for either of us anymore. Neither one of us is happy. You're afraid of change and I was too much of a coward to do anything about it-until now. Maybe one day we can be friends. But, not right now."

"Jasper was right. You want me to leave you alone." He said pushing himself away from the car door. He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking towards the ground again. "Where did we go wrong?"

"We don't have enough time for that." I smiled a little sadly, pulling out my keys.

He snorted, running his tongue over his bottom lip before speaking. "I guess you're right." Slowly he leaned in, giving me time to pull away, and pressed his lips to mine. When he pulled away he pressed his forehead against mine. "I love you and I'll see you later."

"Maybe after the first of the year, we'll talk." I offered.

"Yeah," he said simply before walking to his Volvo, which was parked next to mine. Edward always waited to make sure my truck started, claiming that it was a piece of junk. He offered over and over again to buy me a new one. He never understood that I never wanted that. I never wanted his money.

I surprised myself by not crying on the way home. I actually felt relieved. I didn't think that the next time I saw Edward it wouldn't be full of panic and an overwhelming feeling of frustration. Maybe a little uncomfortable, even some remorse, but that was better than the fear or worry.

I made my way to the building, leaning against the elevator wall as I pressed the five to get to our apartment. I could hear the music when I got off the elevator, though our apartment was right across from it. I could hear hotel California playing. Jasper was probably playing one of his mixed classic CDs while doing something.

The door was already unlocked so I slipped inside, throwing my purse on the side table by the door. I was greeted with the wonderful scent from the kitchen, the music radiating from there.

Jasper was a decent cook and could do the basics well. But, he had a few things that were out of this world. I could already tell this was one of them. I walked into the kitchen, letting my nose lead the way.

"Something smells amazing." I whimpered out, my stomach growling. My bowl of cereal was long gone.

"Hey darlin, you're home earlier than I thought you'd be." He smiled at me, sticking something in the oven. "I figured you be hungry so I decided to make us something good to eat."

Jasper closed the door to the oven and walked towards me, pulling me into a hug. It surprised me a little, but I quickly sank into his grip. I still a felt a little cold from the chilly night and his body was so warm and inviting. "I'm starving."

"Well, that's good. Because I made a lot. Beef stew and corn bread sound good?" He asked, kissing the top of my head.

I nodded, my face planted in his chest. He always smelled so good. Like citrus and something else I couldn't figure out. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to, besides, a man has got to eat too. It won't be done for another twenty minutes or so. Why don't you get more comfortable?" He offered, slowly releasing me.

"Probably a good idea. I'm sure I smell like beer." I frowned.

"Nah, not too bad." He said playfully. I knew he was just trying to make me feel better. You always smelled at least a little bit like beer when you got off work, if you worked at a bar anyway.

I took a quick shower, not bothering to wash my hair. I slipped into my sleep shorts, and a long sleeved shirt. I even put on some knee socks. It was starting to get colder and my feet always got chilly. When I came back into the kitchen Jasper was leaning against the counter, a far off look in his eyes. He took a sip of his drink, a hard cider that he was rather fond of. I came to lean against him, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Hi," he said softly, smiling at me.

"Hi," I mimicked, stealing a sip from the deep green bottle.

He grinned a little, pursing his lips a lot like he had earlier. I leaned up and lightly pecked his lips, leaning my forehead against his chin. "I miss you today." He said softly, almost like he was a little embarrassed to admit it. He looked a little uncomfortable for a moment for some reason, and I wanted to make him feel better.

The song changed. Something slower than it was before. I tugged his hand, coming to stand in the middle of the floor. "Dance with me."

He grinned and sat down his drink. Jasper's large hands circled around my body, bringing me closer to him. We swayed together, moving slowly. He lowered his lips to my ear, softly singing the song. "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and this house ain't no home anytime she goes away..."

"I missed you too." I admitted, turning to kiss his cheek.

He pulled to look at me, something glowing in his perfect blue eyes. Gently he ran his fingers over my face, one of his large finger grazing my bottom lip. He was just about to kiss me when the timer went off. He let out a frustrated breath, the spell of the moment broken.

OooOooOooOooOooO

Dinner was quiet. Jasper seemed to have a lot on his mind. Though, everything was amazing. It was nice coming home to something warm. With a promise to do the dishes in the morning we both headed into our rooms.

It felt... awkward, but I wasn't sure what to do about it.

I hadn't told him about Edward. I wasn't sure if I was at all. Though, it might be a good idea. I didn't want him to haul off and punch him next time he saw him. I wasn't angry at Edward anymore. I didn't want Jasper to be angry either and I didn't want him to ruin his friendship over me.

It was around midnight when I made a decision. I pulled off my covers, not bothering to put my shorts back on, which I had shed earlier. I padded my way to his room, a little bit of light coming through the crack in the door. I quietly knocked on the door before opening it. Jasper was sitting against the headboard, his quilt covering his long legs. The side lamp was on, giving off a little bit of light. He had a book in his hands and his reading glasses on. He didn't need them for anything other then reading. Slowly he looked up at me, his eyes gliding over me.

I leaned against the door way, not sure what to do or say. He set down his book and opened the blanket so that I could join him. I slowly crawled in, laying my head against his chest. He wrapped one arm around my waist, the other placing the book to the side and removing his glasses. He switched off the light and slid down onto the bed. Lightly he kissed my forehead then my lips. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

A lot of you have wondered if Edward is the new owner. He's not. I bet you can guess who now. Like I said before, I don't want Edward to be the bad guy, just the ex. Most exes aren't bad guys, just not the right guys, you know?

If you want to try some of the cornbread that Jasper made for dinner go to the store and buy a 35 cent box of Jiffy. Hehe good old southern Jiffy is the best.

The song is "No sunshine when she's gone by Bill Withers."