"Is this love that I'm feeling?

Is this the love that I've been searching for

Is this love or am I dreaming

This must be love …"

- Whitesnake

BPOV

The night had been…amazing.

Edward had been sweet, kind and a true gentleman the entire time. He also hadn't bothered to hide his desire for me, which made my own need for him come bubbling to the surface.

I loved the way he looked at me – like I was the most delicate of porcelain, the sexiest of women and the reason for his existence – all wrapped up into one. The way he held my hand, the way his eyes caressed my face, made me feel wanted.

Loved.

My brain was telling me it was entirely too soon for that, but my heart told a different story. I was also under no illusions that this thing between Edward and I would be innocent and carefree. There was something deeper, something steady and true beneath the surface. I knew I could trust him with everything I had and more.

So much for thinking this would be a simple date and that would be the end of it.

Honestly, I tried to pull it back – to pull it in and make myself believe that I was jumping too quickly into believing what I felt for him – but I knew better. I knew that this wasn't a normal reaction; people didn't always find someone to make them feel the way Edward made me feel. It was scary and liberating all at the same time.

So instead of fighting it, I just went with it.

I returned his flirtatious behavior, taking that silly bet and doing my best to distract him while he bowled. It didn't take much to realize that I had him wound up tighter than a coil and he was ready to spring.

Seeing his rock-hard erection had sealed that deal.

When he had rushed us out of The Garage, there was no second-guessing about what we were doing or whether we were moving too fast. We were moving at our own pace, and as long as it worked for both of us, I wouldn't question it.

Our first kiss was indescribable. I floated and clung, wanting to hold on to that moment forever. It was the best first kiss I had ever had. It was the best first kiss anyone had ever had.

When we separated and got in the car, I debated asking him to come home with me. Fast or not, I hadn't wanted to be away from him. I wanted to spend the rest of the night kissing those perfect lips, tracing the lines of his beautiful face with my fingertips and feeling his body press up against mine. I wanted to curl myself along his body and bury my face in his neck, breathing in his tangy, musky scent.

Except something held me back.

I knew where things between us could go. I knew that this thing between us could easily develop into a serious relationship and that I was riding in a car with the man that I could potentially spend the rest of my life with.

Quick or not, it was the absolute truth in my heart. My head was having a hard time catching up to my heart.

So, some questions needed to be answered before I allowed those feelings to become a possible reality. My head needed those answers. It may have been horrible timing on my part, seeing we just had the most amazing first date and first kiss ever, but I needed to know.

"Edward? Will you tell me about Tanya?"

Immediately, the whole atmosphere in the car changed. His fingers tightened on mine once again, before releasing them and letting go completely. His whole body was tense and not in a good way. I almost regretted asking, but I knew that if we were going to move forward with whatever this was, I needed to know about Tanya.

And I would have to tell him about the accident and Joe.

Edward ran a hand through his hair, something I was coming to realize he did when he was anxious or upset. He was definitely agitated and I felt bad for it, but ultimately, I knew I needed to hear from him what had happened. I wasn't about to turn over my heart and my trust to him if he was still hung up on his ex-girlfriend. Even though Alice had filled me in on what she knew about Edward and Tanya's relationship, I needed to hear it from him.

He sighed and I bit my lip to stop myself from telling him that he didn't need to explain anything to me. So I stalled instead.

"Come on, let's go inside." I patted his arm before turning and opening my door. I was half way out of the car when I felt him grasp my elbow.

"I'd rather not do this with an audience, if that's okay. We can go to my place. Em's working tonight so we'll have it to ourselves."

I dropped back in my seat, nodding my head in acquiesce. Having this conversation with Alice listening, or horning in, was not an option.

The ride to his apartment was quiet, with only the radio playing softly in the background, breaking up the silence. The space between us seemed to grow the longer we drove. By the time we got to Edward and Emmett's apartment, the atmosphere was incredibly tense and my nerves were screaming.

It hit me like a truck in that moment – I was head over heels for Edward already.

If he told me that he had been in love with Tanya, I thought I would vomit. If he told me he was still in love with Tanya, I would break. I had known it the first time I saw her – between her and I there would be no contest. She would win, hands down, every time.

I wanted to run; I wanted to tell Edward to forget it, that I really didn't want to know the truth about his relationship with Tanya and what it meant for us. Hearing anything other than that the story Alice told me was the absolute truth would devastate me in ways I didn't even want to think about right now.

He already had a hold on me and my heart.

This was too much, too soon, but there it was.

In the span of two weeks I'd found someone who tore down every wall I had built. He wormed his way in, without even trying, and I was at his mercy.

The silence continued as we rode up the elevator to the penthouse. Edward fumbled for his keys before opening the door and leading me inside. The apartment was huge, with windows giving a beautiful vista of the Seattle skyline and the Sound. I could see a black baby grand in one corner and I remembered that Alice told me Edward had been playing forever.

I walked toward the windows, giving me a chance to step away from Edward while taking in the gorgeous view. He turned on no lights, allowing the city skyline to light up the room.

I heard his footsteps, echoing slightly on the hardwood floor beneath us. Edward stopped just behind me, not touching me, but close enough that I could feel his body heat.

"Would you like something to drink?" His voice was low and taut with something more than the tension that had plagued us the entire car ride.

I nodded. "Water would be good, thanks."

I sensed him moving away from me, and I continued to stare out the window, barely registering the small noises Edward made getting our drinks.

"Bella…" His voice was quiet, but there was plea in it that I couldn't ignore, even though part of me wanted to. The urge to run was still great, but I knew that in order for us to move forward, I had to hear whatever he was going to say, even if I didn't like it.

After all, I couldn't be positive he'd be thrilled to hear about my past either.

We were going to have to trust one another, and hope like hell we didn't break each other.

I turned, finding Edward standing next to a black leather couch that was in the center of the living room. As I faced him, he held out a hand for me to come and take. I couldn't ignore the pull that drew me to him, and I quickly crossed the floor to meet him.

Taking my hand, he gently tugged so I was following him down, until we were both seated on the couch.

We, almost instinctively it seemed, turned to face one another. I slipped my shoes off and tucked my feet beneath me, curling them up to try and keep them warm, as the apartment was slightly cooler than I was used to. Edward placed one foot on the floor with the other crossed in front of him, his right foot touching his left knee. Our legs were just barely touching.

There was more silence, the two of us just staring at each other for countless minutes, brown falling into green. It was easy to get lost in his eyes – channeling Debbie Gibson here – and I wondered if he would mind if we just sat here for the rest of the night, staring rather than talking.

I saw him swallow and I wanted to follow the outline of his Adam's apple with my tongue.

I was so stupid to ask him about Tanya. I should've waited. We could be doing something so much more enjoyable now.

Edward looked down, no longer meeting my gaze. I could see him collect himself, taking a breath and sitting up straighter before looking at me once again.

"Tanya was, for lack a better term, a friend with benefits."

I blinked. I was slightly shocked, though I shouldn't be, considering what Alice had told me, but there was no other word for it. I just was not expecting him to tell me that. I worked myself up over the fact that he was going to tell me he loved her or still wanted her and it was she that broke it off. I steeled myself to hear that he wanted more from her, but lied to his family to save face when she dumped him on his ass.

So "friend with benefits" was a little unexpected.

I opened my mouth to speak, but snapped it closed when I couldn't think of anything to say.

Edward sighed. "Bella, I had a feeling you would ask about her at some point and I wondered how I'd answer this question when you did. I'd hoped for more time to come up with a better answer for you," he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I blushed and shrugged. Nothing between us had gone as expected, so why should me asking about his ex…friend with benefits, be any different?

"I'm just going to tell you the truth, without trying to pretty it up and make me look like less than an asshole. I used her. I was lonely; I was tired of having dates that lasted no more than one night and Tanya made it clear she was available for whatever I wanted from her."

Wait; did he just allude to the fact that he's a man whore? And that he used someone for sex?

The pit of dread grew in my stomach and part of me wanted to tell him to stop talking before I heard anymore. I almost wished he had told me he had been in love with her, because I wondered if I would be able to deal with that easier than knowing he used her and slept with countless women throughout Seattle.

I shuffled back away from him, almost before I realized what I was doing. The pain and regret in his eyes was evident and I had to fight the urge to reach out and soothe him.

But I needed to hear more.

"I'm not proud of my actions, especially when it comes to Tanya. I've made mistakes, Bella, huge mistakes that could've been avoided if I hadn't been selfish and stupid."

Edward paused, collecting his thoughts before he continued.

"I met Tanya when we began our residencies together, but I only started seeing her last April. I hadn't been out with anyone in a while and I was…I was lonely. Tanya asked me out one night, and I took her up on it. Our jobs can be stressful and I thought maybe it'd be easier to be with someone who understood that. At the time, I even wondered if we might be able to build on it. For a while, I tried to make it something more. I let her refer to herself as my girlfriend; I introduced her to Emmett, and I…I tried. She understood my job; she pushed me to be a better surgeon. I thought it would be enough..."

Edward trailed off, his eyes begging me to understand. I had questions, but instead of asking them, I motioned for him to keep going.

"I enjoyed her company at first, but eventually, I saw things about her that I really didn't like. I should've broken it off then, I should've ended it. But I was so tired of being alone; seeing Emmett with Rosalie only made it worse. I wanted to belong to someone and be a part of a couple. I was tired of dating endless women and not having it work out."

My eyebrows raised and I backed up even more. It was hard enough to think of Edward with Tanya. Thinking of him with many women just made me ill.

"I'm sorry. I've screwed this up so badly already…" He looked devastated and I pulled myself together. I knew Edward was no virgin and he was so handsome that I knew there would be no shortage of women flocking to him. I couldn't let what happened before me matter so much.

Unless it had to do with Tanya.

She was the one he decided to try and have a relationship with, the one he allowed to call herself his girlfriend.

"Edward, I asked you to tell me. I want to hear this. I need to hear this," I said.

And I did. I might not like it, but I had to know for my own peace of mind. I wouldn't allow Tanya and my questions about their so-called relationship to threaten our future. I needed to know this so I could accept it as part of his past and move forward. My timing may have been crappy, after such a wonderful first date, but I knew that this thing between Edward and I wouldn't be stopped. And in order to be okay with how fast this seemed to be going, I had to know about his past and come to terms with it. He, after all, would have to know about mine and be okay with that too. We both had baggage, myself probably more than him. We had to lay it all out there and make sure we were both okay with everything we brought with us.

Edward sighed, and then continued.

"I was convinced she could be different, that I could be different with her. Weeks, months, went by and I ignored the fact that I didn't even like spending time with her anymore and that my brother fucking hated her. I refused to acknowledge that she was an absolute bitch to everyone and the only time I saw any admirable qualities inside of her was when we were in surgery together. I kept trying to convince myself that would be enough.

"I fucked up, Bella, fucked up bad. I have no one to blame but myself for how it all turned out, since I knew Tanya thought of us being more serious than I did. She had been hinting at meeting my parents for weeks, wanting me to take her to Forks. She even started talking about the two of us moving in together. But instead of just breaking up with her, I avoided her. I ignored what she said or just changed the subject. I knew she'd be pissed when I broke things off, and I just didn't want to deal with it."

Edward ran a hand through his hair, messing his already destroyed locks further. "I'm going to tell you something, Bella, and I hope it doesn't scare you away. I'm going to put it out there with the hope that you feel what's between us and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from."

Feelings of dread and hope swirled around in my stomach and I had to remind myself to breathe. I couldn't seem to form any words, so I just nodded my head.

"The night that Emmett, Alice and Jacob brought you to the hospital for your ankle changed everything for me. There was just something about you that made me want to hold you, protect you. It was irrational and it was illogical, but there it was. And I knew then, when I looked into your eyes, that I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to spend time with you and get to know you as more than my sister's best friend. I wanted to know the woman you'd become and learn everything about you. When Emmett told me that you and Jake were together, I wanted to hit –"

I held up a hand. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Edward just gazed back at me, his eyes holding nothing but honesty and sincerity. "Emmett told me that you and Jake were together. Well, he didn't say together, but he said the there was something between you two and that –"

I couldn't help it, I started laughing. And not just a small chuckle, but full-blown belly laughs that had me clutching my stomach and tears of laughter rolling from my eyes.

"You…thought…that Jake and…I were…together?" I managed to gasp out, still rolling with the absurdity of the idea.

Edward looked perplexed and overwhelmed. "Well, yes. He wouldn't leave you alone with me, the way he was holding your hand…just the way he was there for you. All you had to do was reach out your hand and he was right there to take it. It's obvious there's something special between the two of you."

"Of course there is! Edward, he's my best friend. We used to make mud pies together when we were little and got close when I came to live with Charlie during high school. There's absolutely nothing between Jake and I except friendship. He's the brother I never had." I wiped my eyes, waiting for Edward to say something.

There were a few beats of silence while Edward took in what I said. Finally, he fell back into the arm of the couch and spat out, "That fuck nugget."

"I'm sorry?"

Edward sat back up and looked at me. "My brother, the fuck nugget. That asshole knew what I was going through that night and he fucking played me. I'm gonna kick his ass."

I shook my head. "I don't understand…"

Edward sighed. "That night, I was extremely jealous of Jake, and it was hard for me to understand why. I took a few moments alone to try and collect my thoughts when Emmett came to find me. He started saying all this shit about you and Jake, apparently playing me, so I'd get all pissed off. It worked, because I wanted nothing more than to go back into the E.R. and kick Jake's ass and take you away from him. My fucking brother saw right through me and played me. He did it on purpose."

Now it was my turn to sit back. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "That fuck nugget."

Edward threw his hands up in the air. "Exactly!"

We both started chuckling and it lifted the tension in the room for a few moments. We smiled at one another and I couldn't help myself. Lowering my arms from around my legs, I slid forward until I was on my knees, our heads on equal level. I leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips. I began to pull away when Edward's arms snaked around me and pulled me toward him. We situated our bodies until I was sitting sideways in his lap, my head pillowed between his chest and shoulder. Our fingers were twined together, his thumb continuously moving against my own.

Again, logically, this wasn't the place to finish having this conversation. But it was where I wanted – needed – to be.

We sat quietly for a few minutes before Edward started speaking again. "It was that night that I realized that what I felt in just being around you for a short while was more than I had ever felt for Tanya. When I got home that night, I decided I was going to end things with her.

"She must've realized something was up, because she spent the entire week avoiding me. I finally got her to agree to meet me on Sunday afternoon, but as you know, she showed up at our family dinner on Saturday night instead. After everyone left, we had a…discussion, and I told her it was over."

I could hear Edward's heart beating steadily through his shirt and part of me wished I could crawl inside of him and never leave. Here, in his arms, I felt safe, steady and completely and utterly cared for. He had done exactly what I asked him to do and told me about Tanya. While I wasn't thrilled with some of his confessions, or his treatment of her, I at least somewhat understood where he had been coming from. And his name was Joe…

"Okay."

I felt him shift and I looked up to see him gazing at me, looking slightly puzzled.

"Just like that? Okay?"

I shrugged. "It is what it is; you can't change it." I paused, but then I asked the question I knew I needed to in order to let all of this go. "Did you love her?"

"Oh, fuck, no."

I nodded. Edward reached up and gently took my shoulders, pulling me away from him.

"Bella, I need you to look at me." I complied. "I need you to know this, even if you believe nothing else I've told you tonight. I never loved her. I admired her as a surgeon and in the beginning of our involvement, I liked her. When I realized that it was never going to be more than that, I should've ended things. I will forever regret that decision because it wasn't fair to Tanya and as much as I dislike her right now, I did something pretty shitty by not ending our involvement sooner. She has every right to be angry with me and you have every right to never want anything to do with me again. I know how lucky I am that you didn't go running out of here when I explained to you how I felt about her and how horribly I acted. I get that and I'm so very grateful you stayed."

As if I could say goodbye.

There was a part of me – the part Charlie raised – that was screaming at me to leave. The fact that Edward readily admitted to acting like a grade-A, major asshole to a woman he was supposed to care about should've had me bolting out the door. I had enough baggage of my own and certainly didn't need to take on whatever Edward's issues were.

And yet, here I sat. And not just sat, but cuddled up to him like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I settled back against his chest, unsure of what to say or how to react to his confession. I wasn't happy with him by any stretch of the imagination, but at the same time, I kind of knew where he was coming from. Things between Joe and I hadn't exactly been copasetic before I left Sacramento. Edward and I had a bit more in common than he thought…

I was startled out of my reverie by Edward clearing his throat.

"Bella, there's something more I feel I should tell you. And this might actually have you really running for the door."

Mother of God, I don't know if I can take much more.

How did one of the most wonderful nights of my life deteriorate into such a clusterfuck?

Because you just had to open your damn mouth thinking you'd get the answers that would reassure you.

I nodded. "Go ahead."

What else was I supposed to say? "No, don't tell me anything more?" That would hardly solve our problems.

"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked quietly.

The smile came to my face without me even thinking about it. "Sure, it was right after Alice and I graduated from high school. You were home from college for the summer and we were in your parents' kitchen. You'd just woken up and were standing in the kitchen doorway with terrible bed head."

I paused, my cheeks flooding with color. I covered my face with my hands, mortified. I couldn't believe that I just admitted to remembering our first meeting with such clarity.

Edward laughed softly, pulling my hands from my face. "Oh, baby, don't be embarrassed. It actually makes me feel really good that you remember it so clearly. It might make what I have to tell you much easier."

He was holding my hands again, giving me a small smile. "I'm about to confess to you something that I've never admitted to anyone. I've only just recently admitted it to myself. I hope you won't hold it against me or think…" Edward trailed off, looking unsure of how to continue.

I bit my lip. "Just tell me, please."

He sighed before beginning. "That day in the kitchen, something happened when I looked at you. I felt compelled to you; I just wanted to be near you and get to know you. Then my mother came storming in and that was the end of that. You left for the summer and by the time you got back, I was gone. But it didn't stop me from thinking about you. In fact, I've thought about you a lot over the last ten years."

I sat there, stunned into silence, trying to wrap my head around what he was telling me.

I'm completely and utterly overwhelmed. After his confession about his involvement with Tanya, I don't even know how to wrap my head around what he might be telling me now.

"I…don't…what are you saying?" I asked.

Edward swallowed hard and ran his hand through his hair. "I... shit, Bella, I was attracted to you that day and for some reason, it stuck. And instead of just finding a way to tell you the next time I saw you – anytime I saw you after that, really – I was a coward. By the time I finally got up the nerve to talk to you and ask you out, you were already dating someone else and it sounded serious. So I locked it away. But when I saw you again, that night in the hospital, I knew…"

Holy hell.

There are thousands of words in the English language and I couldn't think of one to use. I was completely and utterly speechless.

And I can't lie; I'm slightly creeped out and flattered, all at the same time.

We sat in silence – his nervous, mine contemplative. I thought about what he told me tonight and what he just revealed and I realized something very clear.

I could look at this in two different ways.

The first being that he was a jerk who screwed up royally with the last girl he was involved with. He also was a bit of a creeper, admitting to having a crush on me for the last ten years.

Or I could look at him as being someone who wasn't perfect, who admitted to his mistakes and was willing to take responsibility for them. He was willing to be vulnerable and trust me with a secret he'd held on to for ten years.

Comparing the two, the answer was clear.

I reached up, turning and wrapping my hands around his neck. I pulled his head closer to mine until our foreheads were touching. I closed my eyes and spoke.

"Thank you for being honest with me and trusting me. I'm glad you decided to say something this time. Really, really glad."

And with that, I leaned in and touched my lips to his.

His kiss was tentative at first, but grew as he realized I wasn't going anywhere. He sucked on my bottom lip before touching it gently with the tip of his tongue. I needed no further prodding, opening my mouth to his, letting him inside.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but eventually we were lying length-ways on the couch, Edward pressed up against the back, his arms around my waist. We continued kissing each other – lips, necks, ears – only stopping to gaze at each other and smile. Sometimes he would take his fingers and trace my face, over my eyelids, cheeks and lips, down to my chin and neck. His hands never went lower and while part of me was screaming at him to touch me everywhere, I appreciated that he was taking things slow and just letting us settle into this new thing with each other.

Eventually, the kisses slowed and we laid there, holding on to one another. I felt Edward's chest rise and lower beneath my cheek, the beat of his heart steady and sure. I lifted my head to see that he had fallen asleep. I snuggled back in, trying to get comfortable.

The romantic stories you read would have you believe that I should have fallen asleep instantly, comfortably wrapped in the arms of the man I lo…liked.

Yes, liked. I wasn't going to say love. Too damn soon for love. Definitely liked.

But the truth of the matter was, I felt like I was going to fall off the couch any minute, the edge of it pressing uncomfortably into my side.

I tried to situate myself so I could give into my exhaustion and fall asleep next to Edward, but it wasn't happening. Deciding enough was enough, I poked him, hoping to wake him up so he could move and either give me more room, take me to his bed or take me home.

Instead of waking though, Edward rolled over and unceremoniously dumped me off the couch.

I landed on the floor with a muffled "whoomph," and laid there in disbelief. I looked up at Edward through my curtain of hair waiting for him to apologize profusely and help me up off the floor.

The bastard was still asleep.

Slowly, I sat up, waiting for Edward to wake up and realize what he'd done. Instead, all I got were small, muffled snores. I poked him, hit him lightly and even pinched him. Still, he slept on, not even realizing I wasn't by his side.

Huffing, I got to my feet and looked around. There was no way I was sleeping on the floor or in a chair for the rest of the night. I was going to find his bed and make use of it.

Edward hadn't turned on any lights during our talk, so all I had was the light from the skyline to show me my way. I had no idea where his bedroom was, but figured it couldn't be too hard to find. He had mentioned earlier in the evening that he won the master suite from Emmett by winning some stupid video game, so I would just look for the bigger room and camp out there.

My only problem was that both rooms were huge, and both had their own bathrooms.

I took a chance and moved into what looked like to be the bigger of the two rooms. I stripped down to my bra and underwear, finding a t-shirt lying over a chair in the corner of the room. It was huge on me, but that meant nothing, considering both Edward and Emmett towered over me.

I figured in the long run neither Emmett nor Edward would care if I borrowed their shirt or the bed for the night. If I was in the wrong bed, I had no doubt Emmett would kick me out when he arrived home. In fact, I was counting on it.

I climbed into the king-sized bed and was asleep within minutes.

I woke up hours later, wrapped tightly in Edward's arms.

It wasn't until I pressed my body back into his and realized that none of this felt familiar that I panicked.

Emmett…

I tried to push myself out of Emmett's embrace, but he held tight, snuggling in closer, his morning erection pressing into my back.

I'm mortified – completely and utterly mortified.

I hope I can get away before he wakes up because if not, I will never hear the end of this.

I tried moving again, but instead all I got was poked with Emmett's penis and a murmured, "Oh Rose, baby. Hmmmmm…."

Then he started kissing my hair.

I squirmed, trying to push and shove at him, hoping he'd wake the hell up already. My actions were small, considering how tight he was holding me and how wrapped up around me he was. My attempts had less than the desired effect.

"Oh baby…. hmmm…. scratch…harder. Hmmm…more…."

Is he for real?

"Emmett!" I said, forcefully. "Emmett, wake up!"

He didn't let go, in fact, he squeezed me tighter and grinded into my back harder.

I was going to scream bloody murder if he didn't stop trying to screw my back with his monster dick.

Yes, I said monster. I may be involved with his brother, but when confronted with a dick this size, one does tend to take notice.

Though I doubt his brother and his girlfriend would be happy that I did.

I tried again. "Emmett! Emmett, will you wake the hell up!"

He continued to grind and moan, making this extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

"EMMETT!" I finally screamed at the top of my lungs.

Two things happened simultaneously. First, there was a loud crash from the living room. Secondly, Emmett stopped moaning and grinding on me. I pushed away from him again, trying to get him to let me go, but he still held on tight.

"Wh…what?"

"Emmett, will you let me go?" I said, as loud as I could through clenched teeth.

I had a feeling I knew what the crash from the living room was and I wanted to be up and out of Emmett's bed before Edward came running. Explanations would be hard enough with me just being in Emmett's room. I couldn't imagine what would happen if Edward actually found me still in bed with his brother.

And obviously the universe hates me…

Before I could say another word, Edward was in the doorway, staring at me lying in his brother's arms, in his brother's bed.

I wasn't sure if I should be horrified by the circumstances or hysterical at the look on Edward's face.

Shock, disbelief and confusion colored his features before it settled back into just disbelief. I was thankful anger hadn't made an appearance.

Yet.

I twisted out of Emmett's arms, who was finally coherent enough to realize that I wasn't Rosalie and he needed to let me go. I turned, sitting up and trying to scoot as far away from Emmett as possible.

Too bad I didn't notice I was right on the edge of the bed. I tumbled over it and landed on my butt.

No one moved until Emmett peeked over the side of the bed and looked down at me.

"Fuck, Bells. It wasn't that bad, was it? Or was it that good?" He leered at me.

Someone kill me now.

I was sure my face was the color of ripe tomatoes. Emmett was grinning down at me, looking too much like the Cheshire Cat for my liking. I didn't have the guts to look over at Edward.

I huffed, awkwardly trying to get to my feet. I did my best to not flash either of the Cullen boys, but in my haste to stand up, I ended up getting tangled in Emmett's shirt and fell back to the ground, exposing my backside to both Edward and Emmett.

At least I had underwear on…

Emmett started howling, his laughter coming out in loud squawks.

"Jesus, Bella!" Edward rushed to my side, trying to help pull me to my feet and cover my butt all at the same time. We were a tangle of arms and legs, me full of apologizes and Edward silent, while Emmett continued his guffaws in the background.

I finally got back on my feet, Edward holding the top of my arms gently.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quietly. I couldn't tell by the look on his face or the tone in his voice what he was thinking.

I nodded, looking at the floor. I'm never going to be able to face him again.

Emmett had stopped with his cackling finally and the silence settled back in the room. Finally, Emmett spoke.

"Bella, I think we should tell him. It's only fair."

I whipped my head around and giving Emmett an incredulous look. He was sitting up in bed, lying back against his pillows, hands linked behind his head. He was wearing nothing but a sheet and a grin.

"Emmett…" Edward said, a warning in his voice.

"Oh, come on Eddie. No reason to be a poor sport. It's just obvious what happened here."

My mouth dropped open in shock. What the hell?

Emmett just continued to grin. "Sweet Cheeks, was he really that bad last night?"

Edward cursed and I gaped.

"What? I mean…no! Emmett, it's not…Edward, I thought…" I lifted my hands, dropping my face into them.

"Darlin', it's fine, really. I understand. When faced with that…" Emmett gestured to Edward. "And then given the choice for this…" He pointed to himself. "I totally fucking get it."

I couldn't help but stare at Emmett. Was he freaking serious?

It took me a second, but I finally caught the twinkle in his eye and came to the realization that the grin on his face was more of a…smirk.

Bastard was playing me.

I chanced a glance up at Edward, who had his lips pressed tightly together, trying not to laugh.

Oh, hell no.

I let out a huge huff of indignation and stomped from the room. I marched up the hallway, finally finding a bathroom. I stepped inside, slamming and locking the door.

Those jerks.

Jerks…who have my clothes.

In typical Bella fashion, I stormed out, leaving my clothes on the chair in Emmett's room.

So much for my plan to get dressed, call a cab and get as far away from my humiliation as I could.

There was a knock at the door.

"Bella, I have your clothes." It was Edward.

I looked at the door for a few seconds, debating whether or not to open it and face him, or just wait it out and hope he left my clothes in the hallway for me.

I wasn't really mad at either of them, because, well, it was funny. Only I would end up in the wrong brother's bed.

That's just my luck.

But I was embarrassed beyond belief. The thought of facing Edward now was just mortifying.

You're gonna have to do it at some point, Sweet Cheeks.

Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Edward was waiting on the other side, my clothes in his hands. He gave me a small, tentative smile.

"I thought you might need these." He held them out to me.

I took them with a small "thank you."

Edward nodded. "Um, I'm not sure if that bathroom has towels or anything in it, but if you want to take a shower, you can use mine."

I opened my mouth to tell him I would just shower when I got home, but Emmett came strolling by at that moment. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, stretching and scratching his stomach.

"Mine's open too, Sweet Cheeks. You're more than welcome to it." He shot me another grin and winked.

I slammed the door in Edward's face.