Lots of love, hugs and thanks to my PTB betas, AddictedtoEdward and Ms. Ambrosia. They keep me focused and thank God for that!

To my girl, Browns, who took the time out of her weekend to help me out. If you aren't reading her story "Oh, What a Tangled Web we Weave" you should be. That story owns me.

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. .

BPOV

Did she just say girlfriend?

You've got to be kidding me.

I'm not sure if it was conscious or not, but I found myself taking a step back from Edward so our bodies were no longer pressed together. He didn't immediately let go of my elbow, so I gave it a gentle tug. He took his eyes off Carlisle and Tanya for a split second, glancing down at my arm before looking up into my eyes. I gave him a small, tight smile and tugged my arm again. He finally let go.

Everyone had fallen silent with Tanya's introduction to Carlisle, with the exception of Emmett, who just gave a small snort. I turned my head and saw Rosalie giving him a look of warning. Alice looked as surprised as I felt, meeting my gaze with one eyebrow raised. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing.

Ewwwww!

I looked back to the scene playing out in front of me. Edward looked completely mortified. Carlisle shook Tanya's hand and introduced her to Esme. Esme gave Tanya a polite smile, but I could tell she was completely bewildered. My father just stood there, looking out of place and uncomfortable. Even he could tell that something just didn't feel right.

"Carlisle and Esme, it's such a pleasure to meet you. Edward has spoken so highly of you both. I'm so thrilled that we've finally had a chance to meet – although it would have been nice if Edward had told me you were going to be in town. I would have joined you for dinner tonight."

Emmett wasn't nearly quiet enough when he snorted, "As fucking if!"

Tanya shot him a nasty glare over her shoulder and then sneered at Rose. Rosalie narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, but Emmett stopped her by throwing an arm over her shoulder.

Tanya's eyes skimmed over Alice and I, before turning back to Edward, Carlisle and Esme without a word to either of us. Charlie didn't even make a blip on her radar.

"Dr. Jackson, I'm afraid my son has never mentioned you, so your introduction to us has taken us a bit by surprise. Do you work at Harborview with Edward?" Esme's voice was cool and barely polite. I saw Carlisle's eyes widen with surprise at the tone in his wife's voice. I heard Edward groan quietly as he ran a hand through his hair.

Tanya huffed. "Yes, Esme. Edward and I are on the same surgical residency rotation. We've been together for the last five years."

"It's Mrs. Cullen, Dr. Jackson." If possible, Esme's tone had grown colder.

Carlisle rocked back on his heels and I was almost positive that I heard Emmett mutter, "Fucking hell."

Before Tanya could reply, Edward firmly grasped Tanya's bicep. "Everyone, please excuse Tanya and me for a moment. I'll meet you all outside." With that, he marched her away.

We all stood silently for a minute before everyone started talking at once to cover the uncomfortable silence that was left in Edward and Tanya's wake. Emmett and Rosalie led the way out of the restaurant, with Alice and me right behind them. Carlisle, Esme and Charlie followed us, talking quietly.

Charlie caught up to Alice and me as we neared his car in the parking lot. "Girls, it might be best if we head back to the apartment now."

Alice whipped around to look at him. "And miss the show that's about to take place between Mom, Dad and Edward? No way in hell, Charlie."

Charlie tried to look stern and disapproving, but it wasn't something that had ever worked on Alice. I could be reduced to tears and admit to crimes I hadn't even committed when he gave me that look; Alice just smiled and looked mildly amused.

"Then Bella and I will head back to the apartment, so why don't you see if you can get a ride from your brother or your parents. This is a family matter, and I don't think we need to intrude."

Part of me wanted to argue with him, knowing damn well that Alice would tell me what happened and Carlisle would end up telling Charlie as well. But I needed the break from the tension; I also needed to take a step back and figure out what the heck was going on between Edward and me, considering he apparently had a girlfriend.

One he's been with for five years and never told his family about. Nice.

Alice nodded and she walked over to Emmett and Rosalie to ask them for a ride home. She turned back to Charlie and nodded to him that they would give her a ride. When he saw her give the okay, Charlie strode over to where Esme and Carlisle were standing a few feet away.

"Esme, Carlisle, thank you so much for dinner; I'm glad we got a chance to get everyone together in one spot." He shook Carlisle's hand and gave Esme a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course, Charlie. I'm glad we were able to come out and see the kids. Thanks for the ride." Carlisle smiled, but I could see the tension beneath it.

"You two are all set to drive back tomorrow?" Charlie asked.

Carlisle nodded. "The plan is to check out and have a leisurely brunch before driving back to Forks."

"Sounds good. You drive safely." With one last goodbye, Charlie headed back to the car and got inside.

I leaned in and gave Esme a warm hug. "Thank you both so much for coming out to see us. It was wonderful to spend time with you."

Esme held on a little tighter. "You call if you need anything, anything at all." She stepped back, holding on to my shoulders. "Promise me, Bella. Anything."

I nodded. "I promise. Thank you for everything, Esme."

Esme didn't answer me, just reached up and touched my cheek gently.

I turned to Carlisle and he enfolded me in his arms. "You take care of yourself, Bella."

"I will, Carlisle. Please drive carefully."

He squeezed me tight once more before letting me go. I walked back to where Charlie was waiting for me, waving to Alice, Emmett and Rosalie; I hoped I'd be seeing them soon.

Charlie and I rode back to the apartment in silence. When we got back, I convinced him to sleep in my room, arguing that I didn't want Alice to wake him up when she finally got home. He agreed only after I told him I'd sleep in her room that night and not on the couch.

I really just wanted to make sure I didn't miss Alice when she got back and being on the couch practically guaranteed it. I also didn't want Charlie driving back to Forks tomorrow morning without enough sleep. I'd be a nervous wreck until he called to say he was back in Forks anyway, and I didn't need to worry about him being sleep deprived on top of all my normal anxieties.

I changed into my pajamas, grabbed my pillow and snuggled up on the couch. An old episode of Family Guy was on, so I left the channel where it was while I waited for Alice's return. It only took a few minutes of watching Stewie plotting to kill Lois before my brain kicked into overtime.

I knew I wasn't crazy – Edward had definitely been flirting with me this past week. Granted, I'd only seen him twice, but still, the way he had been the night of Esme's arrival and then tonight at dinner was definitely considered flirty. It was certainly different than his attitude the day I had gone to the hospital; it was different than any way he had acted with me since we'd first met.

But why would he act that way if he had a girlfriend?

That was what I couldn't wrap my head around. It just didn't make sense. It didn't seem like something that Edward would do; I certainly knew that Esme and Carlisle hadn't raised him to be anything but respectful toward women. And even if he was willing to take the opportunity to be overly-friendly to someone other than his girlfriend, why me?

As much as I considered Tanya over-processed and fake, I also couldn't deny that she was what most men would consider beautiful. I also knew that I was not. I was quite plain. If I was having a really good day, I might be able to pass for mildly attractive. I had absolutely nothing on Tanya. I was an unemployed, former schoolteacher who was broken in so many ways that my own boyfriend hadn't stuck around to support me. In a Tanya vs. Bella contest, Tanya would be the obvious winner.

I sighed and buried my face into my pillow. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I had mistaken Edward's friendliness for flirting and in reality it had been nothing more than Edward just being nice.

I fell asleep on the couch around midnight, tired of waiting for Alice to arrive home.

The sun was streaming through the windows, warming up the apartment to an almost uncomfortable level. I threw the blanket off of me, walking half-blind to the thermostat to turn down the heat. The temperature for January in Seattle was usually somewhere around forty degrees, but it had been running much above normal for the last few days. We were constantly adjusting the thermostat as the days got warmer and the nights turned cold.

I didn't hear anything from anywhere else in the apartment. Checking the clock on the microwave, I realized it was after ten and Charlie would've left already. Sure enough, there was a note on the counter.

Bella,

I didn't want to wake you, so I just let myself out.

Call me when you can.

Be good.

Love,

Dad

I sighed, upset I hadn't seen him before he left. Farewells were hard for both of us lately. It would've felt better if I'd had the chance to hug him goodbye.

I folded the note and walked down the hallway to my room. Alice's door was shut, so she must have gotten home at some point last night. It rankled that she didn't wake me up, but I shrugged it off. I had no idea what time she got back and she may have been tired and not in the mood for a conversation.

Once I had showered and dressed, I decided to take a walk to the espresso bar down the block. The sun was shining brightly and there was a hint of spring in the air. The air was still much colder than what I'd been used to in Sacramento and Phoenix. Sometimes I missed the sun, but I doubted I would ever leave Washington again. It had become stunningly clear just how much I needed to be near Charlie, Jake, and Alice. Leaving them to start over someplace else would never be an option again.

Entering the café, I smiled and said hello to the barista. I ordered a latté for me, and a tall house blend coffee for Alice, with the hope that she would be awake when I returned.

I could hear Alice moving around the apartment as I put my key in the door. She gave me a small smile when I walked in. I immediately held her coffee out to her. She took it from my hands without hesitation.

"You are a life saver." She breathed in the strong aroma and her smile grew brighter.

Taking off my jacket, I hung it in the hall closet before moving into the living room where Alice was now sitting curled up on the couch. I wanted to start asking questions about last night right away, but couldn't figure out a way to start the conversation without coming across as a gossip. Thankfully, Alice saved me the worry.

"Did you hate that bitch on sight like I did?"

I hesitated, not sure how to answer her question. Normally, I would agree at once and we would move into tearing Tanya apart. But I was afraid my answer would give Alice an insight to my still unresolved and confusing feelings about Edward, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that conversation just yet.

Alice didn't seem to require an answer. "I don't know why I bothered asking, anyone with any taste would hate her on sight. Rosalie wants nothing more than to punch her every time she sees her and don't even get me started on the stuff Emmett had to say about her."

"Have Rose and Emmett spent a lot of time with Tanya and Edward?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know the answer, but I couldn't help myself.

"No, Emmett hates her. I mean, he just loathes everything about her. But according to Em, he's only met Tanya a handful of times and the four of them have only gone out together twice."

I was definitely confused. "That seems…odd, considering how long Tanya said she and Edward have been together."

Alice rolled her eyes. "They haven't been dating for five years – they've been with the same surgical program for five years. They only started dating nine months ago, and according to Edward, it was never that serious. Apparently we can add manipulative bitch to her list of attributes."

I definitely needed to hear the whole story. "Okay, you're gonna have to start from the time when Charlie and I left. What did Edward say? What did your mom and dad do? What do Emmett and Rose know about this woman?"

Screw not knowing. I was dying for answers.

"We ended up waiting outside for another ten minutes before Edward came out. Tanya had obviously slapped him, because he had a nice red palm print on the side of his face. I thought Mom was going to go back inside and give the bitch a smack down, but Dad managed to calm her down. Dad asked Edward to go back to the hotel with them, and I went home with Em and Rose. Edward got there about an hour later."

"Your parents –"

"…Were pissed. I think they felt as though Edward had been lying to them all this time, especially when they thought he had been with her for so long. I think they were more disappointed to think that Edward would keep from telling us he had a girlfriend for five freaking years, but he said they calmed down when he explained the situation to them. They still weren't thrilled with the fact that he's been dating her for nine months and never mentioned her, but they'll get over it."

"Is he…okay?"

Alice shrugged. "I guess so, though I'm seriously starting to doubt his taste in women."

I couldn't help it – I blushed.

Alice leaned back, making herself comfortable and smirked. "I knew it!"

"Ali…"

"Bells, I saw the way he was looking at you and the way you were looking at him. There's something definitely going on between you two. Spill."

Huffing, I pulled my knees up to my chest. How did I explain something I didn't understand myself?

"I don't know that there's anything going on. He was a jerk to me at the hospital, but the next day, when he came over, he was friendly – flirty, I guess. And you saw what happened at dinner last night." I shrugged, unsure of what else to say.

"Do you like him?" Alice was practically vibrating with excitement.

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, seriously?"

"Just answer the question."

"I don't…I don't know." Alice looked extremely disappointed. I think she was waiting for me to give a declaration of undying love for her brother. "How can I know if I like him when I barely know him? We've exchanged maybe ten sentences in the last ten years. He's never treated me like anything other than a polite acquaintance."

"Yeah, last night? That thing where he fed you from his fork? That was definitely not a 'polite acquaintance' move."

"Yeah, well…. He has a girlfriend, so that definitely means I won't be doing anything about finding out if I do like him."

"He broke up with her."

I was slightly surprised with how happy that statement made me feel, but again, it was not the time to examine the feeling. "Because of what happened at the restaurant?"

"When Edward was with Mom and Dad, I grilled Emmett about Tanya. I won't get into everything he said, because it's not important, especially since Edward broke up with her anyway. Let's just say, she's not a nice person – and that's putting it mildly."

Alice set her coffee cup on the table before continuing.

"Emmett's been trying to get Edward to break up with her for months; they even had a huge blowout over it at one point. Emmett has his theories about why Edward never did, which again, aren't important. But about a week ago, Emmett said that Edward was practically floating around the apartment. Em said he hasn't seen Edward that happy in years. Being Emmett, he flat out asked Edward what was going on and all Edward would tell him was that he wasn't going to waste anymore time and was finally going to go after everything he's ever wanted."

"What does that mean?"

Alice rolled her eyes and gave me a pointed look. "Really, Bella?"

"I don't…." I shook my head, confused.

Alice waved her hands out in front of her, dismissing whatever I was trying to say. "Okay, you'll just have to get there on your own. Anyway, when Edward came home, he apologized for Tanya's behavior and said that she wouldn't be an issue anymore. He broke up with her at the restaurant and that's when she slapped him."

"He broke up with her right there?" I may not have liked her on sight, but that seemed a bit harsh, especially after they'd been together for nine months. To be dumped, seemingly out of thin air, just seemed cruel. Joe…

"According to him, he's considered breaking it off for the last three months. Finally, he just decided he had to go ahead and do it. He said he'd been trying to get her alone to tell her all week, but she was avoiding him or canceling on him at the last minute. Remember when he said he couldn't do dinner with everyone on Friday night? He was supposed to see her then and was going to tell her it was over, but she called him and told him she was sick. Edward was shocked to see her at the restaurant because he'd thought she was supposed to be working. She apparently gave him the excuse that she was meeting her sisters there for a late dinner, but Edward said that it just seemed a little too convenient."

"She's following him?" So apparently, Tanya's a crazy, manipulative bitch.

Alice shook her head. "Not that he can prove, but it was too much of a coincidence, you know? He did say she's been hinting at meeting our parents for a while, but that something kept holding him back from letting it happen; he said the relationship never felt like it was serious enough for that. Maybe she didn't set it up to work out the way it did, but he thinks she may have seen the opportunity and took it."

"That's…creepy."

"Agreed."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, Alice giving me the time I needed to adjust to all the information she had just thrown at me.

"So, does any of this change your mind about getting friendlier with my brother?" Alice was smirking again.

I shrugged and her smirk died a quick death. "Ali…I just…I'm not sure that Edward and I are meant to be anything more than…well, what we are."

"Which is?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The same thing we've always been – polite acquaintances with only you in common. I told you, I barely know him."

"And you just said that the only reason you weren't going to explore the possibility of getting to know him better was because of Tanya. Well, she's out of the picture, so what excuse do you have now?"

"I didn't say it was the only reason."

"Whatever. Stop arguing with me. Are you, or are you not, going to spend some time getting to know my brother better to see if there's an attraction there?"

"I never said I wasn't attracted to him." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I clamped a hand over my lips.

"HA! I knew it!"

Part of me wanted to smack the smug expression off her face and part of me wanted to laugh at it.

"Attraction or not, I'm still not sure about…anything really. I don't know if I'm ready to explore anything with Edward, or anyone, right now."

Alice's smile dropped and her eyes held concern. "Bella, you can't stop living your life."

I shook my head slightly, causing some of my hair to fall into my face. "I just mean that so much has changed in the last few months for me that I'm just not sure I'm ready for anything more than being someone's friend. Sometimes I worry I'm not even being a good one of those."

Alice took my hand. "First, you're a wonderful friend, you always have been. Secondly, I'm not saying that you have to marry my brother. I'm just curious to see if you might be willing to explore this new thing that seems to be starting between you two?"

I didn't answer her for a few moments. Eventually, I gave her what I could. "Maybe…yes, I would be willing to spend some time with him and just…see."

"Good, because he's coming over tonight." The smirk was back.

I glared at her, but she just continued to smile before speaking again. "So, what are you going to make for dinner?"

I wondered if Edward would be upset if I killed his sister.