A/N - I can't apologize enough for the ridiculous amount of time it took me to update. As of now I had all chapters up to 10 completely finished and will be updating much more regularly now.

If you're still hanging in for my crazy little story, then I thank you so much.

I hope this was worth the wait. Love you all!

"I'm sinking like a stone in the sea,
I'm burning like a bridge for you body."
-Tatou by Brand New


We were waiting for our food in an uncomfortable silence.

Married.

Married.

Married.

It kept buzzing in my ears over and over, like an annoying bug. I needed to disrupt not only the buzzing that only existed in my mind, but also disturb the silence that wafted between us.

"Mr. Cullen," I reached across the table and took his hand, a bold move, but I couldn't help myself. "I know we don't know each other all that well, but you can talk to me. I'm here to listen."

His grip gently tightened around my hand and he smiled. But just as quickly as his smile appeared it disappeared and his features turned cold once again.

"Thank you," he said stiffly, taking his hand away as the waiter arrived with our soup.

We weren't even at the main course yet and we'd already been through a rollercoaster of emotions. Ever since I had met Edward Cullen, that's all I'd been doing – riding a never-ending roller coaster of emotions. The ups, the downs, I was dizzy just thinking about it. What was it about this man that turned everything I had ever known around in my life?

From the moment my eyes first met his, the world I had been living comfortably in was turned upside down. I had no control over anything anymore. My emotions were running amuck. I needed clarification. I needed power over my own mind. I needed a fucking therapist.

I stared at my soup which had gotten cold while I was deep in thought. I needed to break the silence between us again or else I would go even crazier.

"Mr. Cullen," I began just as he held his hand up, stopping me.

"Bella, I don't think I ever told you, but please call me Edward," He smiled and the sudden change in moods was giving me whiplash.

"Right, Edward," I said trying to contain my emotions. Saying his name aloud sent chills down my spine. Then the word vomit took over again. "Look, I'm just going to come out with it, but for the past week I have done nothing but think of you. I feel this connection to you that I can't explain. Sparks, chemistry - whatever you want to call it, it's there. You don't know me and I don't know you and it doesn't make any sense. I feel like I'm going crazy, I really do, and I'm pretty sure you think I'm crazy too now."

His brow furrowed and I was afraid he was about to call the nice men in the white coats, but I knew I had done the right thing no matter how mental I seemed.

"It would be a lie to say I haven't felt the same way." His words made my heart speed up. I didn't know what he was going to say next, but whatever it was didn't matter.

He felt the same way.

It shouldn't have had an effect on me, but it did.

"So, what now?" I asked, unsure of what the future held for us.

"Well, we're going to finish our lunch, go back to work, and hopefully repeat that process everyday." That damn smile that could dazzle a lion into submission spread across his face. Just like that, I was his.

For the rest of the week, we did repeat the process. I hardly saw Jasper. His job was filming concerts and interviews at night after I got off work. The sad part was, I didn't miss the time with him. That only made me feel guilty again, but I couldn't help soaking up every moment with Edward.

His every breath became my reason for coming to work. It was sad and pathetic, but true. Time flew by and stood still in his presence. He was a contradiction my mind struggled to solve daily.

Subtle glances and delicate touches here and there were what the days consisted of. Spark after spark, I hungered for more of him. When I wasn't around him at work, I stayed alone in the apartment thinking of him. If I had thought he consumed my thoughts before, I was wrong.

Sunday, my day off came. It had been three whole days since I'd seen Jasper, which to us used to be a lifetime apart. Before Edward Cullen became a permanent fixture in my mind.

"Bella," Jasper tried to get my attention, but his efforts were futile. My mind wandered farther and farther away, as I slipped into insanity and delirium.

"Bella!" He yelled, finally grasping my attention, if only for a moment. "What is going on inside that pretty little head of yours?"

"Um," I stalled, searching for the words. "Work. Work is. Crazy."

My answers were short, sweet, and simple, never divulging too much.

Sunday dragged by slowly, but as soon the Monday morning sun shone through my window I was out the door.

My mind and body yearned for one glimpse of him constantly. It was pathetic how obsessive I became. Physically I would perform the actions expected of me, but mentally I was his. He possessed my thoughts.

I rushed through the doors of the gallery. The cool, mechanically controlled air contrasted the humid air outside, sending goose bumps up and down my body. Then, as if like clockwork, the bumps transformed from those of temperature change, to ones of lust. His scent filled the room before his beautiful face. Those green eyes met my dull brown eyes and that was that. I was sent over the edge.

"Good morning, Bella," he greeted me. "Nice to see you arriving so early, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything," I replied, honestly and openly willing for any task that he threw my way.

"I need you to go to the airport and pick up Brandon in a week." I cocked my head to the side like a confused puppy.

"Brandon?" I questioned.

"Yes, Brandon. You know, the artist whose photographs will be displayed here in two weeks. They're coming into town next Monday and I will be unable to pick them up. You on the other hand, I'm giving the day off to do so. Clear?" he said.

"Right, sorry," I apologized for my temporary stupidity.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I felt embarrassed to be asked that same question twice in twenty-four hours.

"No reason." He turned, his face suddenly saddened. I grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.

"Are you alright, Edward?" His eyes met mine again and I could see something was troubling him. To be honest, I knew deep down even then what the problem was.

"Follow me," He took my hand in his and I did as he said, following him to his office. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it.

Between his forefinger and thumb, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he abruptly opened his eyes.

"We're," he took a deep breath before continuing, "friends, right?"

I nodded urging him to carry on.

"And as, " another deep breath, "friends, we can talk about things. Things that never leave these four walls."

My heart fluttered at the thought of gaining a piece to the puzzle that was Edward Cullen. I nodded again, biting my lip in anticipation.

"As you know, I'm married, but as of recent times, that marriage is not doing so well." He looked away, almost as if he was ashamed he was failing at something.

Puzzle piece number one. Not a fan of failure. Or marriage.

"She cheated on me." His eyes stayed fixed on the marble floors of his office.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." The pain he felt in his heart, I could feel within my own. I wanted to take that pain away from him, take away every ounce of it.

I approached him and embraced him in a hug, as if he were my child and not my boss. It took a moment for him to shake the sudden shock of my action, but I soon felt his arms snake around my waist. There was nothing romantic about the moment in the slightest, but my body decided that it indeed was erotic. I could feel the blood rushing between my legs and I stepped away from him.

"Thank you." Shock was still apparent on his face, but it was intertwined with another emotion - perhaps relief? Whatever it may have been, I felt I had done something right, no matter how my body reacted.

We left the office with that secret buried deep within both of us. A secret bond brought us closer together through that single confession.

As always my time with Edward Cullen went by too quickly. Lunch came and went, and soon I was driving home.

That same routine of waking up, working, lunch, working, home, repeat went on for the next five days without a hitch. The gallery was abuzz with preparations for the high fashion photographer who went by the name Brandon.

Everyone I asked really knew nothing about him. Just that he was the best of the best. In my imaginative mind, I likened him to look something like Karl Lagerfeld, even though I knew I was probably wrong.

Apparently, he had worked with the biggest models and designers, but his identity has remained a mystery. Sunday evening when I had free time I even tried Googling the elusive photographer, but the only results I could find were his portfolio, most of which was already at the gallery awaiting the unveiling of the exhibit.

Though I did have a few other things to focus my attention on, my mind always wandered back to Edward Cullen, especially since our conversation the previous Monday. The fact that he felt so comfortable with sharing something so personal with me made my heart soar.

Jasper and I continued the barely seeing each other routine, too. His work demanded him during the hours that I would be home and vice versa. That in all honestly didn't bother me as much as it should have.

Monday morning came and I had to not leave for work, but finally to meet the mysterious and talented Brandon. I arrived at the airport right on time and even had one of those signs to hold up with "Brandon" written in big letters on it.

There were many people coming in off the flight from New York and I scanned all their faces for who I thought I was supposed to be looking for. A man with white hair and a stylish suit who I was sure was Brandon, but he walked right past me. I turned thinking he didn't see me, but when he greeted another man I knew I made a mistake.

When I looked back towards the terminal I saw a petite brunette, her hair cropped short walking straight up to me. She wore leggings and a long tee shirt with something that looked like graffiti played across the front.

"I believe I'm the one you're looking for," she said matter-of-factly. "Are you from Twilight Gallery?"

"Um, yes," I stuttered. "Are you, Brandon?"

"A. Brandon, fashion photographer at your service, but you can just call me Alice." She held her small hand out for me to shake, and I did. "I just use my last name because you wouldn't believe the jobs I've missed by being just Alice Brandon. It's a very sexist world, unfortunately."

"I'm not going to lie, I really did think you were a man," I laughed as we started walking towards my car.

"That looked like Karl Lagerfeld, right?" She cocked her head and winked at me.

I had a feeling Alice Brandon and I would become very, very good friends.

A/N - I hate to resort to bribery, but if you review I will give you a sneak peek of chapter six! :)