A/N: Long chapter for this one, but I couldn't cut the scenes. One more fluff before we plunge right into the real stuff. Don't forget to tell me what you think through the review box below – what's one little thing to put a smile on my face, right? *winks* Enjoy!

~WHAT IT TAKES TO STAND~

Chapter 7: Walking Metaphors

The moment I walked into Alice's office she instantly threw me a bar of snickers.

"Cut through all the crap and tell me what you needed to tell. Oh, this is exciting."

I remained looking at my fingers and at the bar of chocolate as I worked up my nerves to speak. After a minute, Alice spoke again.

"Alright, sorry for getting all wired up. I know it is a huge step for you as it is that you wanted to talk all on your own."

I nodded, not paying too much stress on the "huge step".

"The guy I met…"

"Yes, the stranger guy."

"Yeah. Turns out he's really interested and he got me to promise a dinner with him tonight. He's been asking me out nonstop and I finally relented."

I glanced at Alice to see her smiling from ear to ear.

"I really wanted to squeal, I really do, but that would be unprofessional."

I chuckled.

"What do you think poses as the problem then?"

"My problem is I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. Would I let him into my life? Was it a wise decision? What if he breaks my heart? I know it is only one dinner, but I'm nervous as hell."

She nodded in understanding. "Where is he taking you?"

"I told him I'll decide the place and tell him at lunch. I wanted to run it into you first."

"Well, you did the right thing."

"Was that on my decision or on seeing you first?"

"Both, actually. Bella, I know that I've told you a hundred times that this – your condition – isn't more on the accident but on the fact that your past has been haunting you, and that is true. The reality of why you still can't walk, even after I made counselling with you for five years, is your inability to forgive yourself, living with guilt. And that mainly is because you have been alone for all these years. It's like time stopped for you that day of the accident and you set your mind on not experiencing anything new from then on. This guy, this is something different. You are only being hindered by fear, and self-loathing. You have no confidence in yourself, and you gave up all confidence in your physical appearance. Therefore, you closed yourself and barred anyone from entering. When was the last time you looked at the mirror and liked what you saw?"

I can't decide if Alice is a psychologist or really a psychic by her last question. "Last Thursday. That was the first time in all six years."

She smiled. "See? It only took you a week with him and there are already changes in you. You even went here to talk about it. You're already opening yourself up without realizing it. That is a good thing."

"What if I get hurt?" I finally asked the important question that has been plaguing me.

"Then you move on. Bella, even after your experience, you can't guarantee that life wouldn't suck, because that's how it is. And you live every day blindly, not knowing what the day has installed for you. The only way to make life living worthwhile is to cherish all the happy moments and learn from mistakes. Does this guy make you happy?"

"He does make me giddy like a schoolgirl. I don't know if that's happiness," I admitted.

"Well then, all the better. You're attracted to him. Bella, you need to face everything – happiness, loneliness, courage, fear. Everything. – head on. Only then will you live and not cower from your fears. Don't run away. Run forward."

I had tears in my eyes after what she said.

"Call that guy. Tell him you'll date him at your apartment. You're not yet ready to face other people, but I think you're ready to face him. One step at a time, Bella. And one more thing: don't be afraid to love and get hurt. What's more scary is to not love and then live your life in regret. The words 'what' and 'if' don't mean that much at the start of any sentences, but if you placed them together, they are one hell of scary words: 'what if'."

Tears flowed more from my eyes. After a few minutes, I've calmed enough and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dr. Brandon, I never knew you're borrowing quotes now."

In a very unprofessional manner, she stuck out her tongue to me. "Most quotes make sense."

I nodded. Then furrowed my brows. "What's up with all the 'walk' metaphor?"

"Yeah, I'm purposefully offending you." She rolled her eyes.

I chuckled.

At seven, I was a ball of nerves as I await Edward. I texted him my apartment's location at lunch and he replied fast with I'll be counting the minutes and warmed my heart all over again with his sweetness.I told him to come at seven thirty. I've been fixing things since four and so all I could do was to wait for him. Every ticking of the clock felt like a lifetime.

At exactly seven-thirty I received a text message.

Sorry. Can't make it.

Tears formed in my eyes as I read it, shattering my heart to a pool of rejection. I felt really stupid for believing him, thinking how here I was ready to finally open my heart and he crushed it with only a few words.

A knock made me turn to my door. Ridding my face tears as I wiped it with my hands, I opened the door, not having any will to do so.

A man with a bouquet of flowers greeted me.

"You must have the wrong address – oh, wait, if it came from someone named Edward Cullen, tell him to shove it up his ass." I spitefully said.

I was so angry that I was lashing out to him. However, even with what I've said, the man handed me the flowers.

And then he spoke, and I snapped my head up at him, recognizing his voice.

"Did you really think that I stood you up? I'm hurt. You really have little faith in me, Bella."

Edward was looking at me with amused eyes as he smiled his crooked smile at me. I blinked several times.

And then I hastily wheeled away to slam the door at his face as I retreat in my apartment.

"Wait, Bella! Let me in!" He was pounding on it hard, begging me to let him in.

"That was a bad joke! A very bad joke, you ass! Faith, you say? You hadn't even earned it yet!"

I was so angry I had fresh tears on my face. The fool had the audacity to laugh after the stunt he pulled off. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"You can also shove that up your ass."

"I'm really sorry," he said between his laughs. "I was merely trying to make a point."

"What point?" I asked, still in anger.

"That I will never stand you up. And that I'm really attracted to you."

My anger dissipated a bit.

"I get the first one, but not the second."

"Well, both explanations come into the form of the flowers."

I looked at the bouquet of flowers on my lap. They were red tulips, which as a coincidence I happen to remember mean "a declaration of love" and "believe me" in the language of flowers. That made me calmed down even more and I finally was able to open the door. My scowl was still in place, and the fool had on his smile.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think that you'll react that strongly."

"I'm a lady on wheels, Edward. You are the first person to ask me out after six long years. What do you expect I would react?"

"Shhh." He hushed me, leaning down to wipe my tears. "You look really pretty. You should be smiling instead of crying."

I hit him with his flowers. "Then you'll be sweet like this. I really want to kill you." He laughed loudly. I wheeled away from him to finally let him into my apartment.

Upon entering, he observed my apartment, settling his eyes on my meagre furniture. Cheeky came into view and he went to run his hand on her head. Cheeky acted all charming and I scowled at her fake façade.

"Don't be fooled by that cat. Cheeky's still on fake sweetness mode because you're a stranger, but she bites people off."

"Well then, she's not much different from her owner."

I huffed as I settled to put the flowers into the vase. Edward gets himself comfortable with my place as he sat at the couch with Cheeky.

"You have a nice place. It's very clean and seems comfortable enough," he observed.

"What do you want to do first?" I asked as I wheeled myself back at the main room.

For some reason, I felt that Edward's stunt wasn't merely to make a point but to also warm myself to him, because after breaking down in front of him, I now don't feel that nervous around him.

"Why don't we watch a movie first and then decide what to do later?" he said as I scanned his appearance. I didn't notice at first because of my drama but he looked really comfortable. Rid of the office vibe, Edward was wearing tight jeans and black shirt. Casual, but still sexy.

"What movie do you want to watch?" I asked.

"You choose. I'm mostly watching you anyway."

I settled on American Hustle since it has become one of my favorites. I pulled up myself to sit at the couch not too close to him. As the movie starts, he drew nearer to me and placed his arm at the couch's back armrest, arching it around my shoulders. Every once in a while, he would play with my hair and I would hold my breath. I didn't even know how tensed I was until the movie ended. Cheeky was sound asleep beside us.

I stretched to find him also doing the same. We looked at each other and he offered me an amused smile.

"Are you hungry? I've prepared some quesadillas and burritos."

"Mexican? Now I'm starving."

I was about to go back to my wheelchair when Edward stopped me.

"I'll get it. You just sit there and get comfortable. I can be a gentleman at times."

He rose to go to the kitchen. I told him to reheat the food in the microwave, and he asked where I placed my utensils. After a few minutes, he was back and he dragged my small table to fix our dinner.

I watched him as he took his first bite. He moaned.

"God, this is wonderful!"

I chuckled at his reaction. "My mom wasn't really a good cook, so I have to learn preparing food at an early stage."

"Really? Where is she now?"

That question stumped me. My hand quivered and I couldn't look at him.

"Anyway, I loved Mexican food, and I loved cooking, so it was a good thing she couldn't do it." I blabbered. Observing me, he took hold of my quivering hand and I stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I guess that was a hard topic for you."

I only nodded. He easily changed the topic.

"Tell me about Cheeky."

That made me smile and forget my earlier agitation.

"She was a stray cat. After my accident, I couldn't find a will to get on with my life any longer. I don't have a job, and I just finished high school and doesn't have the means to go to college – well, at that time. I was easily slipping into depression.

"One day, as I was learning how to drive without using my feet, I came across an alley. I'm really not good with places and easily get lost, coupled with the fact that I'm still learning how to drive using only my hands, so you could imagine my panic. I stopped near that alley, and got out with my wheels to ask for directions. But what I saw there surprised me.

"There was a group of people living in those alleys – beggar, they are. They were making fun of a dead cat. And then I saw a white cat, all dirty, came from behind the dead cat and hissed at them. She was so thin, and she had on really ugly fur. She even had a wound on her foot, which I learned later. At that I figured she was defending her mother, although dead, and trying to fight her life.

"After seeing her, I realized that I was wasting my time feeling sorry for myself and not doing anything to fight life. She's only a cat yet she's better than me, a human. That was the moment I decided that I wouldn't sulk anymore and would do something in my life."

Edward was looking at me intently.

"So you saved her from them."

I smiled. "Cost me ten bucks. She's one expensive cat."

He lifted Cheeky from her slumber, and like the cheeky cat she was, she stretched a bit and pressed her mouth to Edward's hands.

"I can now see why you hate dogs."

I chuckled. "I should have really saved a dog instead. Cheeky's a real diva. Look at how fat she is? She saunters here like she owns everything."

A smile was on his lips. "I knew you were a dog lover at heart. Don't worry, I won't tell." He winked. I laughed.

"Don't tell that in front of her. She'll murder me in her sleep."

We finished eating, talking all through random stuff about ourselves, and Edward volunteered to clean the plates. After I fed Cheeky, I sat back at the couch and waited for Edward. I realized this was the make or break part. Most dates end up with either the couple kissing, or sleeping together. I didn't know if I could handle any of the two.

Edward slowly sat beside me and watched for my reaction. He noticed my apprehension and exhaled a loud gust of air.

"Okay. I know you're still not that comfortable around me, so I figure I'll tell you a little something about me.

"My full name is Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen, age twenty-six, Marketing graduate at the Stanford University in California. After that, I spent the next years figuring things, until I finally decided to get on in the family business."

"Living in the constant rain here must have been pretty hard for you." I can't imagine giving up sunny California for cloudy Washington.

"It's okay, I grew up here. Though I sure miss catching rays sometimes." He smiled – reminiscing, and then continues on in his profile.

"I have one dog, his name is Doggy 'cause I'm a lazy-ass on general and couldn't come up with a better name." I cracked at this. "I have a collection of quotes, because I'm a sappy shit like that, and if you tell anyone I'm gonna have to collaborate with Cheeky in murdering you." I laughed more.

"I've been in and out of relationships before, dated at least fifteen women, but stopped seeing girls after I graduated because I got tired of the easy lay. I'm not proud of it, but I think you need to hear everything."

"Well, I admire your honesty." He smiled and blurted "thank you."

"One day, as I was walking towards Cullen Enterprises to go to HR to transfer to the Information System Department, I saw a beautiful woman staring at me from her cubicle." I gasped, knowing where this story is headed. "She had a really beautiful brown hair, really good skin, and the deepest brown eyes I've ever seen. I looked at her and surprised, she looked away from me. I've never have someone look away from me before. Most girls are easy to convince to date, but just by that interaction, this girl proved to be different. I couldn't move; looking all stupid with my mouth hang open, until I received a call to proceed to HR. I waited the other day for her and when she finally looked at me, I waved, and she knocked on her coffee. I was really having a bad week that time and I finally got to laugh at something.

"I came next week to learn that I'm working with her so I had the biggest grin on my face. When I saw her, I only got to focus on her. She was trying hard to avoid me all day, and that got me so intrigued I almost begged for her the next day to go out with me. After my constant pleading, I was finally here, sharing the night with her. I'm learning more and more about her, and I like her more and more. I wish she would stop shutting me out because I really wanted to get to know her more."

I had tears in my eyes after his declaration. I couldn't look at him because I knew what I would see, and it scares me to know he really wants me. How could I let someone want me when I couldn't even like myself?

"You forgot one important thing."

He leaned forward to me to wipe my tears away.

"I think I told you everything."

I shook my head no. "You forgot how not normal she is for you. How inadequate she is, and inferior she is compared to you. She is just some girl on a wheel, Edward. There's nothing special about her."

He hushed me and made me look at him with his hands. "No. It is true that she's a girl on the wheels but she is stronger and more beautiful than any other girls that I've known. And I seriously want her to be mine."

I couldn't help but to crush my lips to him as more tears flowed. I briefly registered how only a moment ago, I was dreading on whether I could kiss him, but now I was the one to initiate it.

It started as a slow kiss: I was focused on his lower lip, until it built up and our need grew. He held my head to him, and worked his hands towards my back, resting at the back of my hips, as he pressed his body to me. He plunged his tongue on my mouth and I sucked on it. I kneaded my hands to his hair, making it more tousled than it already was. Our breathing became jagged and erratic as I pressed more and more of myself to him. I sensed his need, and mine grew. Desire, thick and strong ruled every nerve-ending in my body as everything became instinctual. All that was running in my mind was my need for him. And how it has been such a long time since a man made me feel like a true woman.

He kissed his way down my jaw as I gasped for air. I moaned as he kissed my neck. He leaned towards me, and crushed on top of me, as he worked his mouth towards my collarbone. However, when he started unbuttoning my shirt, I tensed. That momentary clarity has brought my mind the reality of the situation. I was willingly giving into my desire of him. If I wouldn't stop this, I would end up giving everything to him, even my heart. And at that moment, I took hold of both his hands and said in a weak voice "stop."

Although my plea was very quiet, Edward froze. We both catch our breaths as slowly, we disentangled from each other. After a few minutes, he finally lifted off of me and helped me sit up. I closed the few top buttons of my shirt he managed to open.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled when I was finally breathing normal.

"No. I'm sorry I pushed you too hard."

I couldn't look at him, afraid that my reaction has drawn an end to our budding relationship. Finally, he noticed my silence and made me look at him. When he noticed my tears, he grew panicked.

"Hey, hey. I'm really sorry, okay? I got carried away. I know it already is a big deal for you to agree to this day. I pushed my luck too hard. I shouldn't have done that. What was I thinking?"

"No," I mumbled. "I kissed you. I initiated it. And I lead you on. I was responding – of course you would continue. I'm just…" I blinked the stupid tears in my eyes.

"You're not yet ready for more."

I nodded and kissed his palm, thankful for his understanding.

"It's okay. We'll take this one step at a time."

I nodded again. Then scowled at him. "What is really with you guys and the walking metaphor? Even my shrink uses it."

He smiled amusedly. "I'm glad you find me annoying."

I huffed to his satisfaction.

"Well, I think I've gotta go now."

He rose to leave. I tightened my hold on his hand. He smiled at me.

"I'll be back and spend more time with you that you'll grow tired of this face, alright? Don't worry."

"I don't think I'll easily tire at you. You really have a handsome face," I admitted with a blush. He laughed loudly and I blushed more.

"I knew it! You were checking me out. Finally, you admit of my charms."

"Yeah. And you have a nice ass."

"Not as robust as yours."

"How did you know? I'm always sitting."

He smiled playfully. "I had the privilege of touching it a while ago." I rolled my eyes.

He went to go out. I was about to go back to my chair but he shook his head no. "I get it. I'll lock it from the inside before I leave."

I nodded.

"By the way, I'm not really sorry about the kiss. We could definitely do that again. That was hot." He said with eyebrows raised. I chuckled.

"Me too."

He hesitated before leaving, and then walked back towards me. Hurriedly, he kissed me again. We were careful not to escalate anything but it was sweet nonetheless.

"Bye," he breathed after a moment.

"See you on Monday," I mumbled.

"I'll be counting the seconds. Again."

"You really are a sappy shit."

He laughed. "You emasculate me a lot. I should really prove myself to you," he moved his eyebrows suggestively.

"Get out of here, you horny piece of man."

He finally walked away with a chuckle and closed the door.

The moment he was gone, I squealed like a teenage girl and hugged Cheeky, feeling the buzz of Edward's kiss on my lips.

Cheeky was irritated by my high pitched squeal and bit my chin. I dropped her, wincing over my chin. But it was hard to contain my happiness and the smile was still evident on my face.

I couldn't wait for Monday.