A/N:
Who would've thought that focusing on one fic at a time makes it easier to write on it xD lol!
Title: Three's a Crowd
Author: MarieCarro
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Bella and Rosalie are roommates and best friends. When the third friend of their BFF trio moves out to live with her boyfriend and her newborn baby, the girls need to find someone new, and it appears that someone just happens to stumble into their laps.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER 10
Rosalie carefully moved the glass stand with the simple cake over to the table so she could decorate it, humming the birthday song to herself as she did so. When Bella entered the kitchen, she broke out into a smile when she saw the cake and joined Rose at the table.
"That looks great. That cake mix really saved our asses, didn't it?"
"Yeah, and the frosting totally covers all the cracks."
Bella didn't agree with that, but she said nothing because she knew Edward would love it no matter what because it was something they made for him for a change. She would just have to assure him it was actually edible.
"So, what's the plan? How are we getting him to Fred and Julie's?" she asked and wiped a bit of frosting hanging off the side of the plate and promptly put it in her mouth.
"Oh, that's all taken care of," Rosalie said confidently. "When Edward comes home, I'll say 'oh no, we're out of orange juice,' so he'll go to the convenience store, and—surprise!—Fred will be waiting for him there and take him to the library."
Bella knitted her brows together in confusion. "The library? Why?"
"Well, Fred will pretend he's reading this book about cocktails, so at the library, he'll say 'wow, I could go for a drink right now' and suggest that they—surprise!—go to Murrey's!"
Even more confused than before, Bella leaned forward on her elbows and looked questioningly at Rose. "But we're having the party at Fred and Julie's. Not Murrey's."
"I know!" Rosalie exclaimed with excitement. "So Fred will play some pool with Edward when—surprise!—I call and ask them to go to the bus stop where there will be a note that says—surprise, surprise!—they should go there. Isn't that the best plan ever, or what?"
Bella tightened her mouth and smacked her lips to keep herself from blurting out the truth. "Absolutely. But, uh, couldn't you also ask him to go on a walk with you and just return half an hour later?"
Rose thought about it for a second and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess that could work, too." She reached for the piping bag and held it against a spot on the cake, but nothing came out.
"There's a spot right there that needs to be filled." Bella pointed at where the sponge was peeking through.
"Yeah, I know, but it's not working." Rose grimaced and looked into the end to see if something obstructed it. Unfortunately, she grabbed the bag a bit too hard and the frosting shot straight into her face.
Bella burst out laughing but helped to wipe away the worst of it from her eyes. Luckily, Rosalie was also laughing. "Oh honey," she said. "You were supposed to cover the cake, not yourself."
Using the piping bag as a weapon, Rosalie started chasing Bella through the apartment.
"Wait! Hold on! Hold on!" Bella said as Rose stalked her. The doorbell rang, and Bella breathed a sigh. "Ah-ha! Truce, please."
Rose pursed her lips and headed for the bathroom while Bella went to answer the door.
Outside stood a dark-haired flight attendant, exposing all of her pearly white, perfectly aligned teeth. "Hi!" she said enthusiastically, but her smile fell quickly when her eyes landed on Bella, who, despite her best efforts, had a spatter of frosting in her hair. "Oh, I'm sorry. I believe I'm in the wrong place."
"Why? Who are you looking for?" Bella asked politely and combed her fingers through the tresses where the frosting was dangling close to her face.
She glanced into the apartment. "Well, I thought Edward Cullen lived here."
Bella froze as an uncomfortable surge shot through her, and she wondered if there was about to be a repeat of what had happened with Emmett's conquest a few weeks earlier. "He does," she said carefully.
"Oh!" the girl exclaimed happily. She stepped through the door without waiting for an invitation, her overnight bag noisily rolling over the floors. "Then you can let him know that Heidi Schultze is here."
"I'm afraid he's not home at the moment. What do you want with him?" Bella said, divulging nothing. There was something about Heidi's energy that she didn't like.
"Do you think he will be long?" Bella shrugged, but it didn't deter Heidi, who immediately smiled bigger and handed Bella her bag. "Then I'll just wait." She sat down on the couch and acted almost as if she owned the place. "Are you his maid?"
Every drop of politeness within Bella dried up, and she glared at the back of Heidi's head. Without caring for the potential damage to it, she let go of the handle of the bag, which caused it to topple over.
"No, I'm not Edward's maid." She clicked her tongue in annoyance and closed in on Heidi, who looked over her shoulder at Bella. When they got eye contact, Bella clenched her jaw. "I live here."
Heidi's confident expression fell, and she stood up from the couch at the same second that Rosalie came out from the bathroom, most of the frosting wiped off, but there was still some remaining on her shirt and neck.
"And so does she," Bella finished.
"Hi!" Rosalie offered her hand with a friendly smile, but it resulted in Heidi's fingers also being covered with frosting. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! That wasn't on purpose." Heidi grimaced as Rosalie hurried to fetch her a towel to wipe her hands on.
"This is Rose, and I'm Bella. Rose, this is Heidi. She knows Edward."
"Right," Heidi said, her upper lip curled back in revulsion. "Let me get this straight… So the two of you are sharing an apartment with Edward?"
"Yeah, but we're all just friends," Rosalie said. "Don't worry about one of us being involved with Edward."
Heidi rolled her eyes and let out a soft scoff. "Why would I think something like that?" she asked and pushed the towel back into Rosalie's hands before sitting down again.
Bella narrowed her eyes at the offending piece of skanky trash in front of her and wished she could drag her out of the apartment by her mahogany-colored hair. She met Rosalie's eyes and saw the comment equally pissed her bestie off.
It was true they were both dressed for comfort, neither of them done up, hair clipped away, and the frosting certainly didn't make their appearance better, but Heidi's attitude was uncalled for.
"Well, my sincerest apologies," Bella said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But, you know, we don't always look like this." She gestured toward their getups, but Heidi didn't read the tone.
"No worries. You don't have to apologize. I never judge a person by their outer appearance," she said, her eyes following Rosalie as she sat down. "I mean, a person can't help what they look like, right?"
Bella gaped at her behind her back. She couldn't comprehend how anyone could be that conceited, and if she was truly Edward's acquaintance, what did he see in her? She parked herself on the armrest next to Heidi without caring that she was infringing on the woman's personal space.
"So, are you and Edward close friends?" she asked innocently.
"We are, yes," Heidi replied with a satisfied smirk.
"How close?" Rosalie pressed and leaned her chin onto her fist. Like Bella, she'd taken an instant dislike to Heidi, and over the months that had passed since Edward moved in, Rose had grown protective of him. She wasn't about to let just anyone get close to him.
"I guess you could say he and I are more than just friends."
"Really?" Bella exaggerated the question. "More than friends, you say? You make it sound like the two of you are—ahem—an item of sorts."
"Great," Heidi said and stood up and fished a lip-gloss out of her purse. "Because we are."
Bella wished she could jump Heidi and tear her hair out of her scalp, but she controlled herself. "Right. It's just that he's never mentioned you to us. Or"—she turned to Rosalie—"has he said anything to you about her?"
"No."
"No, so I'm sure you can understand our confusion."
Heidi looked at them over her shoulder, her brow raised in an unimpressed expression.
Rosalie reached up to whisper in Bella's ear. "You don't think she's his secret girlfriend, do you?"
"Absolutely not."
"What?" Heidi asked and Bella covered up with a smile.
"Nothing. So, Heidi… Do you see Edward a lot?"
"Not lately." She found their hall mirror and studied herself in it. "I've been quite busy with work. Flying all over the world, you know."
Bella nodded as if she totally understood the plight. "Of course. Totally understandable. With you up in the air and him down here on earth, it's not exactly easy to find time for… nookie."
Even though she didn't like Heidi, Bella was having fun making a fool out of her, despite the fact that she was the only one in on the joke. She was also doing it to keep up appearances with Rosalie.
She was building up the courage to tell her best friend that she and Edward were in a relationship, but every time she thought she'd psyched herself up, she lost it and had to start over. Fortunately, Edward was being wonderfully patient now that he knew she was actually planning on doing it.
"He'll probably be here any minute," Rosalie said and looked at the time. "Since it's his birthday and all."
Heidi whirled around to face them. "Birthday?"
"Yeah, and we have a special surprise for him."
"I had no idea it was his birthday." She looked around the apartment. "Would you mind telling me where the bathroom is? I'd love to freshen up a bit."
Bella silently pointed her in the right direction, and as Heidi closed the door behind herself, Bella collapsed over Rosalie's lap. "Holy shit! Talk about a piece of work."
"Yeah, poor Edward."
"What's 'poor me'?"
Both girls turned their heads to look at Edward, and his impeccable timing, walking through the door. Bella groaned and sat up.
"There's someone here to see you."
Edward reacted to the tone of her voice and looked between her and Rosalie with dreaded confusion. He hated the strong sense of déjà vu, but at least Bella wasn't running from him this time. "I don't see anyone."
She pointed at the bathroom. "She's in there… freshening up."
"Who? And are you sure she's looking for me?"
"Huh. I guess we didn't ask that," Rosalie mused. "At least you'll get to see her face to face this time."
"And you're not gonna give me her name?" He looked at Bella with pleading eyes, and she sighed.
"I'll give you a hint." She raised her hand to her mouth and pretended she was talking into a speaker microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the crew I ask that you please direct your attention to the monitors above as we review the emergency procedures. There are six emergency exits on this aircraft. Take a minute to locate the exit closest to you. Note that the nearest exit may be behind you."
"Damn," Rosalie said and gaped at Bella. "Maybe you should become a flight attendant, too."
Edward's eyes widened. "Too? Are you saying she's—" He pointed at the bathroom before his entire face contorted into an expression of fear and defeat. "Fucking hell, it's Heidi Schultze."
"So you do know her," Bella said, her tone tired, and he immediately looked at her.
"Unfortunately, yes." He wanted to reassure her that Heidi was in his past and she was his future, but as long as Rosalie was there, his hands were tied. "But I haven't seen her for almost a year."
"And yet, she was very adamant about you two still being a thing."
Edward groaned and threw himself down in the armchair. "It's a long story, but she left."
"That must've been the shortest long story I've ever heard," Rosalie said and grinned humorously.
He glared at her, but it only lasted for a second before his eyes dimmed with recollected heartbreak. "Best to keep it that way, too."
Bella's defensiveness melted away, and she crouched down next to him. "She hurt you?"
"Repeatedly. And I was too stupid to stay away."
"I'm sorry," she said and grabbed his hand to squeeze.
"She appeared to be really into you now, though," Rosalie said, and Bella glared at her. "What?"
Edward scoffed. "Yeah, because I'm her San Francisco conquest. She's got one of us in every town she could possibly land in and have to stay for a layover." He clenched his jaw and stood up with determination. "You know what? I don't even want to see her. I know why she's here, and I'm not interested. Feel free to tell her I'm taken and throw her out on her ass. I'll be down at Murrey's."
He headed for the door, but the girls exchanged a look and shot up after him.
"Wait! But wouldn't you just love to tell her that yourself?" Rosalie asked.
"Yeah. And see that embarrassed look in her eyes when she realizes you'll no longer play her game? You know, she didn't even ask if you're seeing anyone else. She just assumed you're single."
"She assumed nothing," Edward said, and shook his head. "She's pulled me and other guys away from girls before. It's part of the thrill for her."
Bella gave him a worried look. "You mean you've cheated on past girlfriends with her?"
"No, not like that," he hurried to say. "I've never been exclusive with anyone before now, but Heidi always managed to hook her claws into me and ruin me for other girls for months after she left again."
Rosalie tilted her head sideways. "Wow, she sounds like a real delight." She lightly slapped Edward on his arm. "But you just said it yourself. You're exclusive with someone else, so it should be easier to handle her now."
"Maybe, but I don't want to." He went for the front door handle again, but the bathroom opened and Heidi's eyes zeroed in on him. Her mouth stretched into an almost predatory grin as she stalked forward.
"Edward Cullen. Long time no see." Her tone was seductive, and the getup she'd changed into left very little to the imagination. "How's my favorite little chef?"
"Heidi," he said curtly and looked away. With every step she took forward, he shrank back. Bella wanted nothing more than to step in between, but until Heidi crossed the line, she stayed to the side. "What are you doing in town?"
"You don't know?" she asked while looking at him through her lashes. She was close enough to reach him now. "I came for your birthday, of course."
Edward's indifferent expression fell, and Bella saw red. The little skank hadn't even known it was his birthday ten minutes earlier, and the last thing Bella would accept was her manipulating Edward into thinking she actually cared about him.
"Okay, that's enough," she said and pressed herself in between them.
Heidi gasped and grimaced at her. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Now, back off." She felt Edward's hand lightly settle on her waist, but not to restrain her or push her away. With the way he was gripping her shirt, she understood he wanted her there.
"You can't tell me what to do," Heidi said. "Edward and I go way back, and I think I know what he wants better than you do."
"Sure you do," Bella said and rolled her eyes. "And if he wants to see you, he can just call 1-800-TRAMP."
Heidi gaped at her. "You little bitch!"
"Hey, now!" Rosalie said and placed herself next to Bella in front of Edward. "Think over your next words very carefully."
"Well, I'm not going to let some low-class trash call me a tramp," Heidi spat. "Who does she think she is?"
"My girlfriend."
It was only quiet for a fraction of a second as Edward's words hung in the air, but then Rosalie turned around and stared at them both.
"What?"
The revelation meant little to Heidi, but she narrowed her eyes at them all anyway before she grabbed a hold of her bag. "Keep him. He's not worth all of this." With a flourish and stomping steps, Heidi left and the three roommates were left alone.
Bella was frozen. She didn't dare to look at Rosalie because she could feel the shock, and anger, and betrayal rolling off her in waves.
"Edward, you only said that to get rid of Heidi, right?"
He didn't answer her, but his silence was confirmation enough, and Rosalie turned her back on them for a second, only to spin around again.
"Is this for real? Is that what's been going on around here?"
"Rosalie—"
"No," Rosalie stopped him. "I don't want to hear this from you. I want to hear this from her."
Bella slowly looked at Rosalie, her guilt clear in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
Rosalie shook her head in disappointment. "Sorry for what? For fucking our roommate behind my back or for getting caught?"
"I've been trying to tell you for weeks," Bella said at the same time as Edward said, "It's not just fucking."
"No, it isn't, is it? Weeks." She snorted out the word without humor. "Because apparently, you two are boyfriend and girlfriend. Exclusive and all that sappy shit. This must have been going on for months."
"It really hasn't," Bella said, but once again, Edward spoke at the same time and made everything worse.
"It depends on how you look at it."
Bella turned to glare at him with a tight, grimacing smile. "Will you please shut up and let me handle this?"
"But shouldn't she know the whole truth?" he asked.
"Yes, but there is a way you can go about it. You don't just blurt it out."
"Just stop it!"
They both shifted their attention back to Rosalie.
"I don't even care about the entire truth, so spare me the details. All that matters is that you two have been sneaking behind my back for a long time." She blinked as her eyes welledl with angry tears. "You're my best friend, Bella. How could you? And all those fucking rules you set in place, always reminding me he was off limits, but I guess they only applied to me, huh?"
Bella stepped forward and tried to plead with her. "Rose, please, it's so much more complicated than that. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I wasn't planning on falling in love with him."
"Maybe not," Rosalie said. "But I was under the impression that you respected me enough that you'd actually tell me, and not actively keep it a secret from me. I guess that only goes to show you never truly know a person as well as you think."
With one last look of betrayal, Rosalie grabbed her coat and walked out the door, but even as Bella tried to follow her, she didn't want to chase her down the hallway.
"Fuck!" she exclaimed and slammed the door shut.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Edward said, and Bella nodded.
"Yes, it is," she agreed, but then took a deep breath and sighed. "But it's also mine. I should have told her after the first time we slept together. I know she would've handled it better then."
"We can't go back and change the past."
"Thank you, Einstein, I hadn't noticed that." She threw herself backwards onto the couch. "And all of this on your birthday, no less. We had a surprise planned for you and everything."
"Is it the party at Fred and Julie's?"
She looked up. "You already knew about that?"
He shrugged. "Emmett might have accidentally let it slip. But I was gonna act surprised!"
"Great. Now that's ruined too."
Edward sank down on the floor in front of the couch and grabbed Bella's hand so he could kiss the back of it. "I don't need a party. We can celebrate just you and me."
"No. We have to go. All of us have put so much work into it, and it would be rude to Fred and Julie if we didn't show up. But I'll be thinking of this clusterfuck of a reveal the entire time."
"I really am sorry," he said again. "I just wanted to put Heidi in her place, and I wasn't thinking."
"It's too late to take it back now, and maybe this was the only way it could be said, since I'm such a coward."
"But you're my adorable coward."
Bella supported herself on her elbows and looked at him affectionately. "Come here so I can give you a proper birthday kiss."
He smiled and stretched until their lips could touch. "Mmm," he hummed in satisfaction.
"Happy Birthday, Edward," she whispered against his mouth before he pressed forward for another one.
A/N:
Yeah, Rosalie didn't take that too well, but that was also expected. However, notice she's not mad that they're together. She's mad that they've been going behind her back.
Once again, I don't know when the next chapter will be, but considering I've actually managed a bit more than usual on this story, I'd say chances are pretty good it won't take too long ;-)
Stay Awesome!