I am so very sorry for the delay. I have my mind stuck on another story idea which has completely consumed me. Up side, I will have another story to post soon, and it will be complete before it is posted, so there will be no delays when posting starts. Plus... I was nasty sick since I last posted. Hope you enjoy this... We have to get these two back together, don't we?

Only God Can Judge Me

The plan for today was to pound out a new song. We were done performing with covers and the first song we wrote, which was about love. Since us all faced recent heartbreaks, Carlisle excluded, we couldn't help but put our emotions into our words. Our general feel from here on out was about lost love, at least for our debut album we wanted to send to a few record labels. It was easy to find a groove in the pain we were all individually facing.

Yet, as I tried to write about heartbreak and loss, I couldn't help but want to write about newfound love and romance. My mind couldn't help but drift to brown hair and deep brown eyes. There was something about her that drew me in. My hair fell out from under my pulled up hood. My fingers lightly strummed the strings on my guitar. The song which had started dark and pained was slowly turning light and fresh as I thought more and more about her.

I thought of how she was mysterious in a way. She was nothing like I had ever been attracted to before. She clearly was an intelligent woman, yet she drank enough to the point of passing out, then left me alone in her home; without a second thought.

Her roommate seemed to be the one that would be an adventurous type, due to the fact she also provided me with no information as to her name, or my sleeping beauty's, yet she let me stay in their home all night. Either these women didn't think clearly, they had too much trust in the fact I would be easily identifiable, or they didn't care about their lives.

Either way, I was happy for the lack of caring about strangers lurking, because it gave me some time to study her face as she slept. Even though I slept on the couch, I couldn't help but make my way to her room to make sure she was still breathing. Plus, the way her lips curled as she slept, and the way her nose scrunched up as she closed her eyes tighter all added beauty to her.

Although I had many women before in my bed, I had never looked at any of them as I had looked at her. I had never watched any of them sleep. Watched the way they looked when there wasn't a care or worry on their face.

Something about her was creating a want inside of me. I just wish I knew what it was I wanted. Ever since Kate broke my heart, I hadn't let myself open up to anyone else. When I went to talk with this woman at the club, I didn't intend to find more than a night of enjoyment, yet my mind wouldn't let me move past her.

"Yo, Ed," Emmett called from the corner, he was blowing out his inhalation from the joint in his hand. "What's with the love feel?"

I stopped strumming and walked over to Emmett, taking the joint from his hand and taking a drag.

"I don't know, man." I blew the smoke from my lungs. "Something about that girl." I shook my head, taking another drag.

"I didn't see her. She must be smokin'."

"She's nothing over the top. She's pretty normal I guess."

"But?"

"But, I can't get her off my fucking mind. I sat there, watching her sleep, worrying about her."

"Gimme that joint back, you're already stoned."

I rolled my eyes, taking one last drag before handing the grass back to him.

"Not stoned, my man. Maybe if I was, I wouldn't be locked on her."

"Got ya, my man. In love, huh?"

"Fuck you." I got up and walked back to where my guitar was, all while Em continued to spit shit out about me being in love.

We kept pounding out new riffs we wanted to throw together. Em and I worked our fingers, strumming away. Jasper was keeping a light rhythm going on the drums. Carlisle wasn't here, but that was pretty typical for him. He added at the end, once we were set on how we wanted the sound.

Plus Carlisle spent time finding us paying gigs. Money was always tight for us. We were single guys, Carlisle excluded, and we tended to blow our money.

After hours of working on the same piece and getting nowhere with it, Carlisle burst in, deciding to join us. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, and Esme hanging on his hip.

"I got us something," he announced, waving a paper. "Nothing that great, but they'll drop us a couple grand."

OGCJM

BPOV

"Bella!" Alice sang as I answered my phone. I really wasn't in the mood for her, but I needed to bitch her out.

"Alice Mary!" I yelled, walking out of the hospital. My day was over and I was ready to crash back in my bed. Something about drinking too much and passing out didn't make the following day easy.

"It's Mary Alice. If you're going to mom me, at least get it right."

"You let that man stay in our house! What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking? At least I didn't leave him alone in the place."

My heart dropped. My anger toward Alice subsided. Worry instantly bubbled up in me. "Did he rob us? I was late for rounds and I bolted. Shit!"

Alice's laughter broke through my worry. "What's so funny?"

"He didn't rob us. But he did leave you a note. I think he's smitten by my book worm." She made kissy sounds into the phone.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, doubt that." I climbed into my car, waiting for the Bluetooth to pick up. "I'm pretty sure he only wanted to get laid."

"He stayed the night. He asked to help with you. He has to be smitten. If only Jasper was as smitten."

I rolled my eyes. I was supposed to be angry with her. I wasn't supposed to be chatting with her about guys.

"It doesn't matter what he is, he's no good for me, Alice. And you are no good for me either. You caused me such trouble today."

"Sorry, Bellie. Didn't mean to."

I grunted at her and pressed the end button on my steering wheel, terminating the call with her.

By the time I got home, it was darker than normal. The impending storm that seemed to roll in while I was working in the pathology lab was about to drop a bunch of rain on us.

I ran to the front door, taking a look around me before placing my key in the lock. Something about knowing I left someone alone in my house had my mind spinning. There were so many things he could have done with us gone. Alice says he was smitten, but he could have snooped, put cameras up, set up a way to stalk us. Who knew? But now I felt like I was being watched.

Paranoia at its finest.

I opened the front door with one last glance behind me, right as the clouds let go and the rain started to fall. A flash of lightening and a clap of thunder were my greeting as I closed the front door.

"Bella," Alice called from the kitchen, "here's the note from lover boy. He left his number. I think you should call him."

Alice was a ray of excitement. A shining object in the current storm of darkness. She held the paper out between her thumb and index fingers, bouncing on her toes.

"Alice, really?" I grabbed the paper from her and slid it into my back pocket. I moved my way past Alice, into the kitchen. I grabbed a frozen dinner out of the freezer and popped it into the microwave. I didn't have it in me to cook. Frankly, I was dying to climb back into bed and sleep – for days.

"So, ya gonna call him?" Alice asked, hopping up onto the kitchen counter next to me.

I pulled my steaming dinner out of the microwave and slid it next to Alice. "Probably not."

"Why not? He's a hot piece of ass. Plus, he has to be interested. He left his number."

"He is only interested in sex, Alice. I'm shocked he even left a note." I grabbed my dinner, done with this conversation. "I'm going to eat in my room."

Once in my room, I set my processed meat dinner on my desk and looked around.

My room looked the same for the most part. My notebook was moved on my desk, but I figured that was where he got the paper from.

I plopped down at my desk chair, flipping open my medical book. Trying to make up for the night before, I got to taking notes and reading. I picked at the food I made, suddenly uninterested in eating the rubbery meat.

I took my book and made my way to my bed. I had read the same line four times before I realized I wasn't going to get far with my mind stuck on the guy I had left in my room earlier that day.

I pulled the note from my back pocket, flipping the folded paper over before unfolding it.

Edward.

I realized until now, I hadn't the slightest of clues to his name. Well, I was sure I realized it on some level, but not consciously.

Call me.

I flipped the paper over, looking at all sides. His number was there, and part of me, a deep part that I tried to ignore for years was telling me to call him. That he was what I needed. The rest of me, the part that I tried to use to direct my daily life told me it was a bad idea.

I closed my eyes and thought of his messy hair and tatted body. I was sure he had more; ones hidden under the shirt and pants he donned on stage. My mind thought to his face, the caring look he gave me with his eyes this morning as he checked on me. His concern, confusion, and shock all ran through my mind. Each expression was different.

A knock on the front door caused me to open my eyes and pull myself from the thoughts of a man I needed to stay away from. I folded the note back up. Not able to part with it completely, I placed it in the middle of my book, in a chapter I knew I wouldn't need for a long time, if ever.

I hopped from my bed, making it to the door of my room, as Rose came in the front door.

"Rose?" Shock and confusion were shared between Alice and me. Rose never just dropped by.

"Bella, Alice, I have news. Awesome news!"

"Oh?" Alice and I said at the same time.

Rose came in, setting her umbrella down next to the front door. "So, remember how I was telling you all about Emmett?"

"Emmett?" Alice asked.

"Yes. Emmett. He's the extremely sexy, rugged, bassist for Only God Can Judge Me. Well, I found out they were going to be at a meet and greet for Q103 and I got us tickets!" Rose held out three tickets, handing one to Alice and the other to me.

Alice started bouncing on her feet. I didn't know how to attempt to decline.

"How did you get these?" I asked.

"Won them. I told you how I know everything about him, well I was able to get some inside information that they would be at this meet and greet, even though the station hasn't released the information. I'm so excited!"

I had never seen Rose so excited before; for anything but maybe a slide of tuberculosis infected blood.

"Rose, I can't go and see him again." I shook my head, holding the ticket back at her.

"Like hell we can't!" Alice snipped. "We are going. You are going. It will do you some good to get out there again."

"Yeah, like last night did me good?" I glared at Alice, unamused that she wasn't taking my side. I understood her want to see Jasper, but shit, I couldn't allow myself to get lost in Edward. I wouldn't allow it. I was so close to finally pushing past everything I had ever done wrong in my life. I couldn't allow one guy to bring me back to the danger zone. Back into the place I used to be in.

"When is it?" I asked, sounding extremely unexcited.

"Next week! We need to prepare! I can't believe I'm going to meet him." Rose sank into me, moments before she passed out.

See you all soon...