Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: hiya guys! Glad you all liked the lemon in the last chapter, it was my first ever so it's good to know that you liked it.

Now prepare for a bucket load of angst and try not to hate Edward too much, he has his reasons for acting the way he did.

Chapter 5 - I see you standing there, but you're already gone

Edward POV

An hour later and I was at home attempting to come up with a lesson plan for tomorrow but I could not focus, after ten more minutes I went into the kitchen. Opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water, I opened the bottle taking a deep gulp, but wanting something stronger. Closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose I sighed, leaning against the counter top.

I had changed and had a shower when I got back but it didn't wash away any of the things I did with Jacob. I could remember quite vividly how his lips felt on mine, dominating and passionate at the same time. Shaking my head as an image of us sprawled out on his couch came to my mind, as I thought about what he could do with his lips.

Hearing my mobile phone ring I walked back into the living room picking it up from the dining room table. I looked at the screen and saw it was Jacob, ignoring the call I mentally berated myself. A kiss, fair enough when Jacob was too drunk to remember, it could easily be dismissed as a mistake. But kissing him again, twice, then...what happened at his apartment.

I was confused even more so now that we had gotten so...intimate. Did I want more from him? A part of me hated myself for running away, another part reminded me I was engaged, to Bella, my girlfriend of two years. As my phone rang again I looked at the caller ID ready to ignore it when I saw that it was Bella.

"Hi Bella, what's up?" I could hear the forced lightness in my voice as I acted like everything was fine.

"I was talking to Esme and we have a date for the engagement party, it will be this Saturday"

"That's only three days away"

"Yeah, but why wait? We'll be married in less than three months' time" sitting down I started to put my work away as I listened to Bella go on about the 'amazing' menu my mother had put together for the party.

"That sounds good, as long as your happy my love"

"I am, okay I have to go but don't forget about the dinner with my parents tomorrow" I internally groaned, I had met her parents on many occasions before we got engaged, but it was always quite uncomfortable. Charlie hated my guts, for no reason I could fathom other than I wasn't good enough for his daughter. Although it could have something to do with my history of speeding, that I am sure he looked at. As a police chief I also suspected he wouldn't hesitate to get his gun on me if I ever hurt Bella.

It wasn't that Renee hated me either, it was that she was completely indifferent towards me. So you could say I wasn't really looking forward to the dinner I had agreed to two days before hand.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything"

"Great, see you tomorrow, love you"

"Love you too" dropping the phone on the table, I rubbed my temples as I felt the start of a headache come on.

Three days later I pulled up to my parents' house with Bella in the car with me. She wore a white blouse with short sleeves tucked into a deep purple coloured high waisted A-line shirt ending just above her knees, black heels and minimal jewelry. With dark brown eyeliner and pale pink lips, her hair was carefully styled into her usual loose waves, the top part neatly pinned back.

Getting out of the car we walked into my parents' mansion hand in hand. We were greeted by my mother, who hugged both of us rather enthusiastically and then ushering us into the living room. My parents were extremely well off and so their mansion was huge with a living room the size of my whole apartment, I always felt uncomfortable when coming back home not because of my parents but of the wealth they owned.

As a kid I had not liked it either, the society and country club was not for me so when I was 18, I choose not to become a doctor like my father but go into music instead. My parents had disapproved at first but they came round soon after realising it was I wanted, so I went to an arts college rather than medical school.

It wasn't until my music career didn't really take off that I decided to go into teaching. It was when I volunteered to play for some kids in the hospital that my father worked at, that I saw how brilliant it was interacting with these children.

Everything that I own I've had to work for, my car and my apartment all come from the small paycheck I get for teaching. I wouldn't trade my job for anything but I can't help but feel like a reluctant kid forced into his Sunday best when his aunt comes over, when I am reminded of the enormity of my parents' wealth.

Many of the guests that Bella and my mother invited were already here, I knew most of their faces but some people were unrecognizable to me. Bella steered me towards of side of the room where her parents were, they had drinks in their hands and they were politely conversing with my father, Renee kept looking around clearly impressed by the expensive decor of my childhood home. In the massive living room a long rectangular table had been set up, a white table cloth over the top. It looked like there were about twenty people already here, music was quietly being played through the house, it was some jazz music that my parents liked.

Chatting to my future in laws I was not paying much attention as I was bored out of my mind. Hooking a finger under the top of my tie I loosened it slightly and took off my suit jacket, hanging it on the back of my chair. More people arrived, most of them members of the country club and friends of my parents.

It was after half an hour of mindless chatter that Leah and her date arrived, followed by Jacob. He wore a light grey suit, with a plain light pink shirt, with no tie the top couple of buttons on his shirt were undone. Giving the impression that he had casually thrown on whatever he found, I had hardly ever seen in a suit other than the one he wore for work and so seeing him out of his t-shirts and jeans was something new. He looked really good as he ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture, laughing at something Leah said to him.

For a moment I forgot myself and smiled at him as his eyes swept round the room and saw me standing by Bella. He looked a little taken aback at my smile, then I remembered why that was and stopped smiling turning back to Bella.

"Edward?" said Bella bringing my focus back onto her.

"Yes?"

"I was asking you if you had chosen your best man"

"Yeah, it's Jacob" she nodded then went back to the conversation with Renee on the pro and cons of having a train on her wedding dress. Leah came up to us with her date and Jacob with her, greeting each of us with a brief hug or handshake, she then turned to the guy she was with.

"This is my...boyfriend Jared" smiling nervously he shook our hands, I could tell he was clearly quite intimidated by the spectacle that was my parents' house. Although wonderful people they had very expensive taste, it wasn't overly flashy but tasteful due to my mother's love of interior design which led to the company she currently owned.

"Nice to meet you Jared, we've all heard many things about you" Bella smiled as Leah took his hand and brought it to her lips laying a quick kiss on the back of his hand, he smiled genuinely at her as he relaxed his shoulders and looked back at Bella to respond to her statement.

"All good things I hope?" she nodded and he squeezed her hand lightly. Jacob greeted my father and Bella's parents with brief handshakes, giving Bella a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Pulling away from her he turned his head to look at me, giving me a curt nod and a tight lipped smile before looking away from me. At that point Emmett and Rosalie arrived, she looked flushed and Emmett's hair was a mess, he attempted to smooth it down but it barely made any difference. Jacob nodded at Rose and she nodded back going to Bella and giving her a brief hug, Jacob gave Emmett a handshake.

"Sorry we're late we got…er…delayed" it was fairly obvious what happened, but my dad just hugged him and his daughter in law. Rose tried not to laugh by pressing her lips together, but when he turned his head and winked at her suggestively a small snigger left her lips.

"Talking about delayed, where is Jasper and Alice?"

"I don't know Alice said that they would be late but she didn't say why" at that point Bella's phone rang, extracting it from her handbag she flipped it open.

"Speak of the devil" answering the call she listened to Alice on the other end of the line. Hanging up after a minute she was about to open her mouth to speak, but then my mother walked into tell us that dinner was ready. We all took our seats as the food was served and the wine started to flow.

Halfway into the main course Jasper and Alice arrived, he sat down in between Jacob and Bella and Alice sat in between Leah and Rosalie. They looked away from each other immediately engaging in conversation without an explanation for their lateness, Jasper gratefully took the glass of wine Emmett offered him, drinking it down in two deep gulps. Alice raised her eyebrow and then looked away when he looked in her direction, he huffed and poured himself more wine drinking it slower this time. Emmett raised an eyebrow at me looking to Jasper than Alice

A little over half an hour later when all of the plates and food were cleared away, my parents stood up and walked towards me and Bella. When they were stood next to us me and Bella turned in our seats to face them. My father took out a crisp white envelope from his inner jacket pocket, handing it to me with a smile.

"It's a pre wedding gift from me and your mother" I raised an eyebrow and looked at Bella, she smiled at motioned for me to open it. Flipping it over I saw that it wasn't sealed, reaching in I pulled out a check for me and Bella.

"Whoa, $40,000, that is…we can't accept that Esme"

"Nonsense, put it towards the wedding and your honeymoon, any leftover you can put towards a house"

"Mom"

"Edward, I know you the freedom from earning your own money and you've never asked us for anything. So let us do this for you dear" I sighed in defeat and Bella jumped up and hugged my parents kissing their cheeks.

"Thank you for this"

"It's nothing" she shrugged smiling and kissing my forehead before returning to her seat with dad. At that point Emmett stood raising his glass as he did so.

"To Edward and Bella's future happiness!" he boomed grinning widely at us, all of the guests echoed his words then drank to our good health. Bella leaned over placing her hand on my knee smiling as she kissed me on the lips, I kissed her and as she pulled back I saw Jacob drain his drink and pour another one immediately after.

As the drinks flowed and the music started up again, my father twirled my mother onto the space cleared for dancing, the table put away. The chairs along one side of the room, as more people danced and drank and laughed. Feeling hot I stepped outside into the garden, taking off my tie and rolling up my sleeves I saw Jacob a little way ahead of my sitting on the garden bench. Hearing my footsteps he turned his head round, he had a cigarette between his lips and a glass of whisky in his left hand. Taking a puff from the cigarette he removed from his mouth and took the last sip of his drink, before dropping the cigarette into the empty glass and standing up. As made to walk away from me I took a few more steps towards him, effectively blocking his path.

"Jacob" he sighed and took a step to the side, walking past me. "Jacob" he stopped and looked up at me his eyes narrowing his lips turned down in a scowl.

"What?" hearing the hurt in his voice, I felt ashamed for ignoring him for the past three days.

"I'm sorry" he looked taken aback but then composed his features into calm indifference.

"What for?"

"For what happened on Wednesday" he nodded taking a step towards me.

"You made it quite clear it meant…nothing"

"We just got…carried away, it didn't mean anything"

"Are you sure about that, Edward?"

"I…don't…I don't know" I whispered the last part and he kept his eyes on me, silence falling on us for a moment before Jacob spoke again.

"It always means something, maybe not to you. But it means something" his voice turned icy as he threw my own words back at me.

"Jacob" I called out as he started to walk away.

"What, what do you want from me?" I didn't know what to say so I fell silent. "Unless it wasn't obvious enough I can't be your best man, so do me a favour and…just leave me alone" I didn't stop him from leaving this time, I just watched as he walked away, remaining rooted to the spot until he was well out of sight. I groaned out loud, when did everything get so complicated?

Watching him leave I shook my head, then followed him inside jogging to catch up with him. Calling out to him he ignored me and walked back into the living room and went to Leah where she was dancing with Jared. She tried to pull away but he grabbed her by her hand and spun her towards him, she laughed as he kissed the side of her neck but then she batted him away when Jacob approached her. After a few words were exchanged she hugged him and then he left, not really knowing what I was doing I followed him outside where he strode to his car.

"Jacob, stop" his hand froze on the door handle and I jogged towards him as he turned to face me a frustrated look on his face.

"What it is now, haven't you said enough?" he crossed his arms across his chest and started to turn away again.

"I don't want us to fall out because of this, we've been friends for too long to let this get in the way" he nodded his head and looked back at me still furious at me.

"What exactly is 'this' huh? We kiss and it's nothing, it's not an issue in fact you initiate it but it goes a little further and you just…run away"

"Well, er…" I hesitated and he shook his head.

"If it didn't mean anything it never would have happened in the first place. So like I said unfortunate as it is you'll need a new best man, probably one you don't want to be making out with" I reached out and touched his shoulder as he turned away and he stiffened under my touch.

"Jacob please I just want us t-" without any warning he swung back his right arm and punched me in the face my left eye bore the brunt of his fist and I staggered back as he got into his car. His jaw set he drove off fast not giving me another look as I fell on the floor.

A/N: sorry for the lateness of this chapter I have my exams on at the moment so I decided to bang this out while I had a day off, I should be studying but here I am! :P

Until next time thank you all for reading.