Never Say Yes

by beautiful.ivory

Bella is the working at a journalism company, and she has a strict no-dating policy, period. Especially with people from the office. But when a new employee, Edward Cullen, decides that Bella is what he wants, can she keep him away from her everything and keep her feelings in check?

7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Edward knelt above me, as I lay on his soft black bedspread. He was shirtless, and I was fully clothed and unusually warm. He observed me, his eyes doing all the talking as his lips spread into a sly smile. His ice-cold fingers tailed over my bare shoulders, along my neck, to the edge of my shirt. He kissed my neck softly as he started to undo the buttons of my shirt, fingers lingering. His eyes were doing more to me than those kisses had. He pulled my shirt off and blew on my pale stomach, and I whimpered, anticipation making my skin crawl. He reached the button on my shorts, and slipped them off down my slender legs, taking his time. I was feeling fluttery all over. He lay above me, body pressing into mine. My hands went to his own hands, moving them along my stomach, my legs and my hips. His fingers played with the underwear on my hips, holding the fabric tightly. He breathed in, and my breathing stopped all together. 'Ready?' He asked, tracing small circles on the skin he had revealed on my hips. 'I'm…'

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

'What?' I said, groaning with sleep. Eyes closed, I felt the buzzing in my pocket of the tights I was wearing. I fished my phone out, eyes closed. 'Yeah?'

'Bella, where are you?'

'Emmett!' My eyes jerked open immediately, and I saw where I was. I was in a bed with a black bedspread. The room was big, with dressers and books and CD's lining the walls, obviously a master bedroom. But the most startling thing was that there was a body next to mine. Edward Cullen's body.

'Um, Emmett, can I call you back?' I whispered, not wanting to wake him and face the wrath of a sleep-deprived male.

'Bella, this is important.'

'Okay, hold on.' I was fully dressed, thank God. I pulled the duvet off and left the warm and comfortable bed. Casting a glance at Edward, I walked outside the room and shut the door with a click. I left the main room with the kitchen and lounge room and walked into the hall.

'I can talk now. What is it?'

'It's Rose.' He sounded stressed and confused.

'I'm going to need a little bit more than that.' This was no time for guessing.

'Rose…she's acting strange. She's locked herself in the bathroom and won't come out. I don't know what to do. She's crying and she says she wants to talk to you. Please, Bella, I need to know what's going on here.'

'Me? As in me, me?'

'Yes. Please come here, we're at home. She's getting louder and she's, I don't even know. She's just off.'

'Okay, I'll be right there.' I hung up and walked back into Edward's apartment. I walked into his bedroom where he was still asleep. I grabbed my shoes from beside the door and my purse which was resting neatly on the bedside table. I ran my fingers through my hair and washed my face in the bathroom. What the hell is wrong with Rosalie? She wants to talk to me? What on earth about?

I hesitantly left the bathroom, ready to leave. Edward would freak out if I wasn't here when he woke up. I found a bit on paper in a desk which had a computer resting on it, and scrawled him a note with a pen, explaining that something came up and I was sorry. I left it on the kitchen counter and walked out of the apartment, to catch the bus back to my house.

When I got there, Emmett was in havoc. Baking.

'Hey,' I said cautiously.

I had never seen Emmett bake before. My shock was written all over my face.

'She's in the bathroom.'

'I noticed that.' There was wails coming from that direction. I threw my purse on the counter and ran down the hall to the bathroom. I softly knocked on the door. 'Rose. It's me.'

'Come, come in, B-Bella.' I walked inside to see the beautiful Rosalie Hale crying, sitting on a toilet, holding a packet. She looked broken. Eye makeup smeared on her face

'Rose, what's wrong?'

'I- I'm not pregnant.' Rosalie had been disappointed by not getting pregnant before, but never like this. I knelt down in front of her. 'Start from the beginning. Tell me the whole story.'

'E-Emmett and I went to the doctor to see wh-why we couldn't get pregnant three months ago, but l-last month I went alone.' She said, snivelling and avoiding eye contact with me. She studied the thing in her hand with intense concentration.

'The doctor did some tests and then gave me these pills,' she handed me the packet she was holding, tears in her eyes. It was a prescription drug called Clomiphene. 'They're supposed to help me ov…ovulate. I've been on them for four weeks now and nothing had happened, except I missed one. But now, Bella, I'm bleeding.' She started to cry harder, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. 'So this means,' I said, connecting the dots Rosalie had provided. 'It means I can't ever get pregnant.' She had stopped crying, feeling all the pain on the inside. I hugged her, and the floodwaters broke. She cried, and cried. 'I can't have a baby. No, no, no.' Rosalie was made to be a mother, it was her dream, amongst modelling.

'Emmett will hate me,' she sobbed, and I stroked her tangled hair.

'Shh, no he won't. He'll understand.' I cooed.

'No, Bella, he will. All he ever talks about is having a little boy to teach football to and talk about women too. He always makes jokes but he wants a baby as much as I do. If I tell him, he'll hate me. It has to be our secret. Please.'

'He'll figure it out eventually, Rose.'

'I'll tell him, I'll tell him I'm pregnant.'

'What?'

'Just for a few months, and I'll tell him I lost it. And that I'm too scared to try again.' She played with a hair tie on her wrist.

'That's not a good idea, Rose. You could lose him by doing something like that.'

She suddenly grabbed my arm, nails digging into my skin. 'I love him! I would prefer to have three or four months with him pretending than to have him leave me right now. He'll leave me for someone else who can give him a baby. I love him so much, I can't let him go! Please! If you fell in love, you'd understand.'

'Ow, Rose! Fine!' I thought about how I would do anything for a person I love. 'This can be our secret. Just think about what you're doing before you tell him you're pregnant. Is this worth it?' She let go of my arm.

'Love is worth anything.' She said, with a crazed look in her wet blue eyes.

'It's your decision.' I shut the bathroom door, hard, behind me, to be met by Emmett in oven mitts. 'What's going on?'

'She has food poisoning. Doesn't want you to see her sick. Just leave her for now, she'll be fine.' Avoiding his eyes, I could hear the guilt in my voice. Now I was lying to him.

'Thanks, Bella. That's a relief.' He walked away to pull a cake out of the oven, still tense. Leaving me and my guilt in the silence.

Work proved eventful the following day, Monday.

Somehow, word had gotten out that I spent Saturday night with my co-worker and everyone appeared to have the same impression that we slept together. In the literal sense, we did, in their sense, we didn't.

Mike Newton approached me before work, concern on his face. 'So, Bella, I heard that you and that Cullen guy were hanging out the other day.' I stopped walking.

'What are you getting at, Mike?'

'Are you two together now?'

'What? Who did you hear that from?'

'Jessica said that she saw you guys at the hospital in Forks, and he picked you up afterwards. She said you looked well, really relieved.'

I crossed my arms, as we walked through the office doors and handed in our ID badges. 'It was cold, wet, I had just got out of hospital, and I wanted to go home. That doesn't make me his old lady now. I'm practically a woman of God. I don't date much.' Excluding recent times.

'Sorry, Jessica's really nice so I put two and two together. And I thought you weren't religious.'

'I found faith when I was in the hospital. And she's nice to you because she likes you Mike.' I stated as we slid into the elevator, and pressed the button to the fifth floor.

'Jess? No. We were friends in high school and...' He was blushing, usually that was my feat.

'I remember, I was there. She liked you all through high school and now, I guess it was like kindling on a fire. I'd embrace it, she clearly likes you a lot.' Obviously. Jessica Stanley doted on Mike, but he didn't reciprocate all through high school because he told me he liked someone else. He didn't tell me who, but she apparently had long brown hair and a heart-shaped face. The elevator doors dinged open to show Victoria standing before us, obviously waiting for someone.

'Hey, Vic. Who's in trouble today?' She was standing before us with her curly hair down, obviously a bad sign as she hated it when her hair was down. Her delicate face was pinched in annoyance, and she appraised us with narrowed green eyes.

'Miss Swan, I need to see you in my office. Now.' She said to me, leaving Mike and I in united stunned silence. She turned away, red hair bouncing around her head. She pushed it away with ferocity, and glanced back at me to make sure I was following. 'Now, Miss Swan.'

I hurriedly followed her, smoothing out my formal jacket and skinny blue jeans. I followed her into her office, leaving the door open. I took a seat at her desk and she sat down, facing me.

'Bella, there's been some allegations that you and Mr Cullen are…how to put this delicately?'

'Shacking up?' I suggested, unfazed. Damn Jessica to the pits of hell.

'Basically. I understand how you can be transfixed by the man, he is good looking and famous, but I need to know that these allegations are incorrect. Or if they're not, that they need to start being incorrect as of now.'

'Victoria, we're not together.'

'That's not what I'm asking.'

'You think we're sleeping together?' I asked in disbelief. How had she known?

'It's been known that some people are involved in romances in the workplace. In some circumstances it is appropriate, but this isn't one of them.' She said, her tone sharp and cutting.

'What would happen if the allegations are correct?' She raised an eyebrow. 'Not that they are, but if they were what would be the repercussions?'

'Bella, I need you focused on the article.' She said, avoiding the question. 'You've been keeping up but if you want that promotion you need to start working on it now. Baseball is a huge break I've given you two, it's the Olympics and I've spoken to James, if we cover this, and this is good, it could go international.'

'What? We could go internationally? Seriously, the Seattle Times?'

'Yes. You see the urgency now? And we'd change the names. We were thinking Seattle International. You're one of the best writers here Bella, we need you to be focused.'

'I understand, but can I be an international writer? Am I ready for that?'

'If you wanted to be. I know that you prefer writing Literature, Shakespeare and such, and if you helped us build the company to the level that James and I are working to, you could get a job writing anywhere. We'd both get you sparkling recommendations and you'd be writing with whoever you wanted to.'

'That's, that's amazing. Okay, I can assure you that the allegations are incorrect.' To a certain limit. 'But what would have been my consequence if it were true?' Curiosity getting the better of me, I had to ask. Victoria could be cruel, but she wasn't cold blooded.

'If it was serious, we'd consider making an exception. But if it's just two workers fucking each other,' Whoa. 'We'd have to tell James, and go higher up to the Board. And they could decide your fate, either getting fired or never writing with a company again.'

My blood ran cold. Never writing again. 'Okay, consider me safe. Thanks for telling me the whole Seattle International deal Victoria, it's probably private.'

'We're announcing it at the next staff meeting in a month, the week before we all fly off to London.' I stood up, and walked towards the door. I pulled it open, when Victoria grabbed my arm.

'Bella, just between you and me, is Mr Cullen single?'

'As of my recent knowledge, but why? You just told me that interwork relationships aren't allowed.'

'There can be exceptions. Bye, Bella.' She said, dismissing me, and closing the door loudly with a wink.

Once I got to my office, I found Edward already working on something on his laptop. I sat down across the table and fired my computer up, but waiting for it to kick-start into action, because of its ancient lifespan.

'So, I got your note.' He said, as I waited, removing one of his earphones. I was blushing, due to my dream from the other day.

'I had to go. Something came up.' Rosalie came up.

'So I read.'

After a minute or two, while my computer was still starting, I decided to tell him.

'Edward, we have to start working on the Olympic article now.'

'You haven't told me what we have to cover yet.' He took out his headphones and shut the laptop lid closed.

'Well, we have to cover baseball.' I whispered, trying to soften the blow.

He groaned. 'I knew it. I would have taken anything else but this.'

'It's a really big deal, Edward. If we do the baseball article well, we will boost the companies' benefactors, get more readers, we'll get noticed, and it's a great offer. You should have heard what Emmett and Dimitri got. Water Polo.'

He sighed deeply, leaning back in his swivel chair, suppressing a light laugh. 'You're right, but it's still where I was about to go if I hadn't injured myself. Damn. What will the press say?'

'Don't worry about them. Worry about where you are now, and the opportunity that we've been given. You can't live in the past, you can only focus on the future.'

Edward smiled at me, and then it was gone. 'You don't switch off, do you? You and your self-fulfilling prophesies about hard work.'

I smiled back. 'Never. Count on that.'

When I got home, Rosalie and Emmett were in a deep conversation. I could feel the tension in the room as soon as I entered our little apartment. As soon as I made myself present, Emmett and Rose jumped away from each other, like lightning.

'Uh, sorry for the interruption.'

'No big deal Bella. What do you guys want for dinner?' Rosalie asked, opening the panty door in our kitchen, and not waiting for a reply, starting pulling out ingredients for Chicken Tonight. Emmett was watching football, and I sat on the floor leaning against the couch. Rosalie was out of earshot.

'Emmett, can I talk to you about something?'

'Sure. I actually needed to talk to you about something too.'

'Okay, you go first.'

'Rose has received a new job offer, and I think she's going to take it. So she's going to make an announcement at dinner tomorrow.'

'Why tomorrow?'

'Because she wants to throw a dinner party with the family.'

'Your family?' Emmett didn't really agree with his family.

'That's what Esme strongly argues.'

'How, why, what happened to you? You've compared your family to Dracula and Jaws, in public company, I might add, and now they're staying for dinner?'

'When I was in the hospital, Esme came to visit me, and we hashed it all out. Carlisle too. Even Alice and Jasper. Everything's okay now.' Jasper is Emmett and Edward's metaphorical brother, I knew that. Alice was their adopted eighteen year old sister.

'That's great. I don't have to come to this dinner thing, do I?' He looked genuinely happy now talking about his family. Yes, you do. I want you there and Esme is dying to meet you. Edwards coming too, he said he wants to talk about the format of the piece you guys were writing. What did you need to tell me?'

'Um, well I thought you should hear it from me before you hear it along the Jessica Stanley vine. Edward and I are not together, obviously we're very different people. But we've got an arrangement.'

'What kind of arrangement?' I heard knuckled menacingly click in the background.

'An understanding of delicate matters.'

'Edward's uninvited. But I knew it! 'Format of the piece you are writing', what is that, like code for something?' He sounded annoyed and sickened.

'I can assure you, it is not a code. Why aren't you more like 'Oh my God, you're sleeping with my brother? That is disgusting! Is it a secret?'

'I'm like that on the inside. This information has scarred my brain, disturbed all my innocence. Though, is it a secret?'

'He willed me into it and yes, it's a secret.' I laughed, Emmett was using his disgusted voice.

'It's not disgusting that you guys are sleeping together outside of wedlock secretly, it's just disgusting that you've seen him naked.'

'Don't be such a girl about it, Emmett, it's not that big of a deal. And I haven't seen him naked yet.'

'Can you do me a favor?'

'Depends what kind of favor.'

He leaned down to my ear and whispered.

I smacked him over the head with the TV remote.

'GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER EMMETT!' And I walked into my bedroom, whilst hearing his booming laughter.

'Remember that everyone comes in all shapes and sizes, Bella. Want me to lend you a 'Where Did I Come From' book?'

'SHUT UP!'

The dinner party was surprisingly successful. I met Esme Cullen, whom I really liked as she had a motherly charm about her and she was perfectly polite. She was a small, petite sized woman, with caramel coloured hair and soft brown eyes. Alice Cullen, on the other hand, had every charm about her but motherly. She jumped on me the moment she saw me, excited and conversational. She was two years older than me. She was the embodiment of beautiful, so beautiful that Rosalie herself scowled at her. She was a smaller and skinner than Esme with cropped black hair and bright black eyes, that shined. She had pale skin like the rest of her family. She took an intense liking to me, saying that she could just tell we were going to be good friends. After about thirty minutes of talking at me, which I didn't dare interrupt, Jasper arrived.

He was Texan, which both surprised me and amused me. He approached me with a shy smile.

'Good evenin' ma'am. I'm Jasper.'

'Good evenin' to you too, brother. I'm Emmett.' Emmett came up to us immediately, before I could greet Jasper back, intimidating his accent hilariously. 'He always lays his accent on when he's around the ladies, it's like the equivalent to a voice break.'

Jasper scowled at him, and I laughed. 'I'm sure it isn't. You should hear Emmett voice when he saw a centipede last month. He screamed so loud that I thought Justin Bieber fans were outside our house.'

'When Emmett was in college, he was a Justin Bieber fan.'

'Oh really, Emmett?'

'He's an aspiring teenage rock star from Canada. It's the Biebs!'

'Come on, sing us a round of One Less Lonely Girl. Or I could show Bella a recording on my phone?' He laughingly said, and Emmett became shocked.

'You wouldn't.'

'You know I have before.'

I knew from that point of that Jasper and I were going to be great friends. Before I could enlighten Jasper with more Emmett stories, Edward came towards us holding a glass out for me.

'Bella, can I talk to you for a minute?' He looked casual, but there was a brisk tone to his voice. I glanced nervously at Jasper, who was engaged in conversation with Alice, and she was enthralled in conversation, giggling. I glanced at Emmett, who raised his eyebrows at me, smirking.

'Sure.' I said to Edward, and he grabbed my arm and dragged me into a secluded corner of the room, next to the bar.

'Um, someone is going to be joining us for dinner.' He said and took a sip of his drink. Scotch. Typical, I thought.

'Who?' I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

'Victoria.'

My champagne went up my nose. 'My boss, Victoria?!'

'Who else?' He looked passive.

'But why? What are you thinking?

'Because she and I are…somewhat together. Like myself and you.'

'What?'

'I don't have to explain anything to you.' He started to walk away, but I put my glass down and grabbed his arm, hard. Alice was glancing over at us, confused. But I couldn't care less.

'The hell you don't. I thought you were with only me!'

'Keep your voice down!' He whispered. 'I told you. Non-exclusive.' He closed his eyes, breathing out. I had been told he had a horrible temper, but othertimes he was a complete gentleman. Maybe he's bipolar. Bipolar and disturbed.

'So am I not satisfying you, am I?' I said loud enough that no one would hear us.

'Well, considering the fact that we haven't even had sex yet, I'd say yes.'

'Does she know I'm here too?' I ignored his last remark.

'Yes. I told her you're friends with Emmett and you were invited.'

'Great.' I said, sarcasm lacing the word. His face darkened, he had told me he hated sarcasm at work, and I had purposely said it to irritate him.

The funny thing was, I knew I shouldn't care that he was interested in someone else. He had laid out the rules clearly at the start of this relationship. But the fact he felt that he needed to have two women with him disgusted and irritated me. It made me feel inadequate.

'Fine. You want me to fuck you? Meet me at my house afterwards, and you can be 'satisfied.'' With childish dramatics, I stormed away from him, as the doorbell rang to reveal Victoria, smirking like a cat that got the cream.

Esme was a good cook. I would give her that. She baked a roast dinner that had my mouth watering, and everyone exquisitely full. I, still in my childish demeanour, was avoiding the piercing green eyes of Edward. Refusing to blush and give away my true thoughts which threated to scream, I engaged in conversation with Alice about her job. Apparently she designed clothes, and helped Esme with interior design. I had no idea that Esme even worked.

Alice, Esme and I were talking about design of fashion and how that would help Esme with her own career (turns out Alice has a knack for colour schemes and different types of wood), Emmett was engaging in talk about Grand Theft Auto with Jasper and Edward, Carlisle and Victoria were deep in discussion, but I could tell Edward was staring at me when Rose emerged from the kitchen, with a bottle of champagne.

Clearing her throat and nervously brushing her hair behind her shoulders, she called everyone's attention.

'I would like to make an announcement. Two days ago, I received a job offer at Ralph Lauren to be a part of their runway team for their fall catalogue. It's a huge opportunity, and Emmett and I are thinking about moving out of Seattle anyway.'

What? The whole table looked happy and surprised at this.

'The money is massive, and it would make me famous and in demand for other agencies. I have been thinking about it a lot…'

She drifted off mid-sentence, adding suspense to the big reveal that she decided to take it. And I thought I was dramatic.

'And I decided to reject the offer.'

There was a surprised silence spread over the table. Even Emmett looked dumbfounded. Alice was the one who broke it.

'But, why?'

'Because.' Rosalie Hale put her manicured hand on her stomach.

Oh god no. Please no, Rose. I tried to send telepathic thoughts to her.

'I'm pregnant.'

There was no silence at the table. Everyone exploded into admiration and adoration for the happy couple, but Esme said that she was expecting there to be a wedding first. More like scorned Emmett, but her traditional values were compromised by her glee to be having a grandchild.

As Emmett was being cheered on by the guys and Alice and Esme were in conversation about the nursery, I grabbed Rose and demanded answers.

'What are you doing?' I demanded, towering over her even in my sneakers.

'I'm trying to keep Emmett happy. I'll get pregnant for sure in the next month, I promise.' She almost had be convinced with those baby blue eyes.

'Are you insane? You can't keep a secret like this, Rosalie. What about doctors' appointments? What about the money?'

'Emmett has a secure job that can provide. But you'll need to move out, Bella, we can't have you live with us forever. You are twenty-four, you need to leave the nest sometime. And I'll be expecting you to help me arrange doctors' appointments. You have lots of friends, I'm sure you could arrange something to make everyone believe. Please.' She held my hand that was sweating so hard from tension.

I pulled my hand out of her grip. 'I would move out if you were actually pregnant. And I will not help you fool your family and loved ones. This is madness! If you don't tell Emmett, I will.'

She smiled, somewhat menacing. She grabbed my hand again, and wouldn't let go. Her red nails matched her dress. 'And how do you think he'll react knowing his best friend lied to him. He'll be ropable with you, and in doubtfully kick you out of the apartment. Then you'll be living on the streets. If you say anything to him, you'll be relying on Daddy to help you. Living in Forks would bring back great memories, won't it, Bella?' She batted her eyelashes at me.

'That's none of your business. Emmett was never supposed to tell you about my life in Forks.'

'He did. So help me, or it's your neck on the line too.' With that, she went to join into the festivities.

Keep on reading, and thank you.