Hey, guys? POLL: Who ever suffers writers block? I do, hence the short and four day late update. New Chapter being posted on Friday. I'm working on it. Oh, and always, thank you for reading. Seriously means the world. PM me if you have any questions, comments, queries.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights go to their respective owners.

Chapter 5:

Emmett was visiting me again. He hadn't left my bedside since I was with Edward- but more on that later. I was free to go home today, the ridiculously good-looking Dr Carlisle Cullen had given me a clean bill of health. All I needed was to organize a way home, since Emmett's jeep had been totaled. But with his money, he could buy ten. Charlie hadn't visited me, although I was sure news had gotten round in a small town like Forks. Charlie and I had a difficult relationship, and he had sent me a text this morning saying how much he missed me and was glad I was okay. I would call him later, as a short thank you.

'Please Bella, just let Rose drive you home with me.' He pleaded as I came out of the bathroom in my normal, almost free of blood clothes.

'I would rather not, as you're getting scolded by her. Although Rose will want to be all serious, and I think I can do without any serious talk for a while.' I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I had been in a car accident. I didn't even remember it, and it seemed to surreal, like something out of a movie. 'I'll take a cab,' I had about a hundred bucks on me, and I think that would get me for the hours' drive to Seattle from the hellhole I had spent my childhood in.

'Okay, that seems like a legitimate reason. I'll see you at home, are you okay to get discharged and get home?'

'Yes, I'll be fine. I promise. See you then.' He gave me an awkward, on my part, one armed hug and slowly walked out the door to where I could hear a distraught Rosalie arguing with a doctor, Emmett looking like he was walking to the gallows. Rosalie was his eternal doom.

After about an hour when I was sure Rosalie and Emmett had gone home, I was deemed free to go. I ended up standing on the raining curb, waiting for the stupid cab to come as I got drenched by the ever-continuing rain, my hair dripping onto my t-shirt and chilling me to the bone. I had been avoiding Edward Cullen like the plague, and I wanted was to go home and spend a nice night with me, myself and I watching a ridiculous movie I could laugh at, like Hannah Montana; the Movie. Just to distract me from my confusing lack of love life.

A car started to come around the corner, but I was a black shiny car. I didn't know that cabs were now black, but this car looked professional enough. Before I could protest, I ran to the door and jumped into the back seat, closing my eyes and resting my head on the headrest. The car was warm.

'Seattle, please. I'll tell you the address when we are closer.'

The car moved forward, and a voice came from the front.

'Oh good, I was hoping I wouldn't have to persuade you.' My eyes fluttered open, and I chocked back a scream. Edward Cullen was grinning at me through the rear-view mirror, those emerald-gold eyes smug and amused.

'What- what are you doing?' There goes my plan to ignore him, literally left behind me as he sped down the Forks main street toward Seattle.

'Giving you a ride home.'

'Why?' It was a stupid question, but necessary for my current shock. I almost let out a surprise fart, and was gasping for air that had left my lungs.

'Because you looked like you were getting a cold. You're as pale as a ghost. I have to go to Seattle anyway, I'm seeing my sister. Do you want to climb in front with me?'

'Alice? And no thanks, I'm comfortable back here.' The more space, the better.

'Yes, Alice. She couldn't come to the hospital, so Emmett and I are meeting her tomorrow.'

'Oh.' It seemed like a real excuse, but I was so confused. Yesterday didn't we kiss? I basically agreed to fool around with him, and here he was, acting all casual. It was driving me crazy.

'Please, contain your excitement.' He joked, and I held back a giggle. A freaking giggle, so I decided to distract myself. The car's interior was black, the dashboard alight as the night was falling. A feel-good pop song was softly playing, and I felt anything but good.

'Are you okay, you look sick?'

'Thanks, I'm fine. Just a bit lost.'

'How so?'

'Just general feelings of unease.'

'Bella, don't bullshit me. You look like you need a drink. Badly.'

I shot him a glare, and stuck to staring out the windows as we drove.

'Do you want me to stop the car, because I will if you don't want me to drive you? I can call you a cab, Swan.'

'Are you always so bossy?'

'Sorry.' He said as he fiddled with the heater dial, unshaken.

'No, I'm sorry. I'm just confused. Why are you driving me, and acting so casual about kissing me only a few hours ago? I don't know how often you get kissed, but this isn't a usual thing for me.' He'd probably been kissed lots of times, judging on his looks.

Why was he even kissing me, when he's practically a god? He could be a model and a doctor and a business man, he fit into every stereotype. Women probably fell at his feet. I was one of them, and I hated it.

'Isabella-'

'Bella,' I corrected.

'Okay, Bella. I don't know about you. But I want to live my life. I don't want to let a woman go by who is beautiful enough for me to like.'

'So you play women who you deem well enough for you?'

'No. I let you be happy with me, a relationship in all respect. But I'm not exclusive. I don't kiss on the mouth, last night and when I was drunk was just an exception. I'd be more like fooling around. No strings attached.'

'You want a plaything…ah.' It all made sense now, how he could be so casual about kissing. He probably had done a lot worse with a lot better.

'I wouldn't put it that way…' He groaned into his hands, he could tell I wasn't impressed. I was pretty close to telling him to get stuffed and walking the rest of the way home. 'I want you, Bella, just forget the rest. I can make you feel happy. Give you a real relationship. Not exclusive, a pressure release. Working with me, you'll build up pressure. I'm a bit of an asshole at business. Are you in, or out?'

'I'd figured that out already. The asshole bit, I mean.'

He laughed, and I felt myself soften into the seat.

Maybe this was a once in a lifetime deal. Something I could laugh about with my husband, a husband that would never be him evidently, joking about my past relationships. When I was a child, people would tell me to loosen up. Don't care about my grades so much, live my life, be young, go out, all of that. I never listened to them. I was always prude Bella, insecure Bella, cautious Bella.

Now it wasn't just about experiences. It was about exploring my life, not just being a bystander to something I couldn't control. I wanted to live.

'Fine, I'm in.'

We were about thirty minutes outside Seattle, when Edward broke the silence. Uncomfortable silence for me, probably normal silence for him. When he spoke, I jolted in my seat.

'Do you have any questions you want to ask or anything you want to tell me?'

'I'm not ready for it yet. I don't want to be rushed, okay?' I said, hoping I wouldn't have to explain what 'it' means. That would bring the ride to a new level of awkward.

'Sure. I understand that. It's different to what women usually say, but I'm open for it.'

'Thanks. How many women have you done this with?'

'Three.'

Wow.

'Are you a serial killer?' That would be a less confusing reason to go after women for recreational purposes.

'What? No! Why?'

'My mother always told me to make sure of all men I ever got into a car with him.' Renee Dwyer would kill me if she knew what I was doing, a serial killer would be the least of my worries. Her mantra was 'It is always no, Bella. Always. No.' Charlie's mantra was 'Don't ask, don't tell.'

'You're different, Miss Swan.'

'Cullen, this has to be a secret. I can't lose my job. I'm still your boss, and you still have to treat me like it at work, no matter the time.' I demanded. This would ruin my life, and I would be all to blame. Not only endangering mine, his would also be on me. Fun always comes at risks, and I'm a natrual worrier.

'Trust me, I'm good at keeping secrets.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' I asked quickly, surprised by his answer.

'Just pondering the untold.'

'I hate you.' I snickered, a smile creeping over my face.

'Good. I'm dangerous, you should probably stay away.'

'Are you always this cryptic?'

I didn't realize how fast time had gone, until he pulled up outside my apartment. It was almost eight o'clock, and Emmett and Rosalie were most definitely home.

'Thanks for the ride.'

'No problem. I'll wait here until you go in.'

'You don't have to do that.'

'I want to. Go, it's raining.'

I scowled at him and smiled, and ran out to the apartment steps and porch, pressing the buzzer for the apartment, because Emmett had the keys. After a solid three minutes, and no response, I looked up and down the door, hoping they would come out. I noticed a white piece of paper slipped under the door, and picked it up.

Bella, we've gone out. Hopefully we'll be back before you get this, we're staying the night at Rose's house. I'll see you tomorrow.

Great, he forgot about the keys and won't be home until later. Excellent. Upon this note, I realised how much I needed to move out. But one problem at a time, please. Realising that Edward was still waiting potentially for me to go inside, I ran back towards him, getting my almost dry hair wet again. He rolled down the window, his face scrunching in confusion.

'Emmett and Rosalie are staying at her place tonight, and I don't have keys. I'll wait here until then. See you on Monday.'

He raised his eyebrow at me. 'You can crash at my place for tonight. Not for that,' he said as he noticed my horrified expression, 'You can't stay out here all night, it's recklessly dangerous.'

'I like danger, and I've stayed out here before.' I interjected, but he clearly wasn't buying it. Come on, you can't stay out here. Please, Bella.'

'No…'

'Get in the damn car, Bella. Before I drag you in.' Despite the threat, I was smiling when I pulled the door open. Like a teenager.

'Thanks.'

But I was pretty sure I was thankful for more than one thing. A dangerous thing, when it came to Edward Cullen.

When we walking in his apartment, I did a double take. It was like walking into a house. Of course, stupid, it is a house. It made my apartment look that a shoebox. The interior was white and black, clean, like a hospital and the door lead into the living area that connected to the hallway and opened to a hallway-like-tunnel, with more rooms leading of it.

'Do you like it?' He asked, as he threw his jacket on the table, and walked over to the TV on the east wall, turning it onto the cooking channel.

'It's okay.' It was so much better than okay, but I didn't want my materialistic side to come out. Money wasn't something I was okay with being part of the deal. Money had never impressed me, and money was a partner in crime with gifts.

'I'm glad. Are you hungry, I can order some Chinese or something?'

'No thanks, I'm fine.' Snakes were currently feasting on my stomach lining and crawling up my oesophagus, but I decided to keep that information to myself.

'Okay. Do you want to watch a movie? I'll watch it with you.'

'How about Hannah Montana; the Movie?' I asked, seriously.

His expression almost made me laugh out loud. A mix of disgust and disbelief.

'I have made it my objective to keep that out of my collection – infinitely.'

'What about Zombie land then? Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone are a mixture too good to deny.'

'Okay.' He pulled out the film and with some effort, it was playing on his screen.

'You should get changed, your shirt's got blood on it. I have some shorts and a t-shirt you can wear. They're a bit big, but more comfortable.'

He walked into a room that I presumed was his own, and in an instant was by my side, giving me some blue silk boxers and a white t-shirt.

'Is there a bathroom...?'

'Yeah, down the hall.'

Once I got my body through the right holes and looked like an over-sized lump of clothing, I walked back into the room, and my stomach growled as the smell of pizza filled my nostrils. He was eating and watching the opening credits when I walked in, embarrassed and therefore blushing, I recalled my favorite quote from Shrek as a child.

Donkey: We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!

Fairy tales aren't far off the truth sometimes.