A/N: Thanks to my awesome betas, Siouxchef & TwilightMundi.

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I hummed and closed my eyes, pulling her as close to me as I could. I wanted her to know that there was no leaving this time, no running away. As we fell asleep together, I realized I was happy again. So fucking happy.

I woke up in quite possibly the best position ever; Alice was nuzzled right against me, her face planted between my breasts. Christ, I wasn't even sure how she could breathe like that. She seemed to be managing just fine, though, so who was I to complain?

Sometime during the night, I had woken up and had the urge to wake Alice. I needed her again, the desire almost overwhelming my body, but I just couldn't bring myself to disturb her seemingly peaceful slumber. I was struck again at the irony and frustration of putting someone else's needs before mine. I reached my hand out to stroke her hair, smoothing the short strands over her head. I kissed her lips softly, a ghost of a kiss. If I couldn't bring myself to wake her and have my wicked way with her, I could at least steal one tiny kiss to hold me over, I rationalized.

It was no surprise then, that when I woke up again and the sun was out, I decided Alice had certainly had enough for one night. I wiggled in my spot, flexing my hips toward her as I moved my breasts around her face. I couldn't help it, it was kind of funny watching her face scrunch up, as if she had no fucking clue where she was and why she was surrounded by flesh. The motion of my laughter must have shaken her awake a little more. Her hands circled around me and ran up my back, pulling my chest closer to her.

She let out a contended sigh and turned her head, wrapping her tongue around my nipple before sucking it gently into her mouth. She hummed against me, the vibrations making my nipple stiffen quickly.

"Good morning, Alice."

She mumbled something against my breast, her hand moving to cover the other one and tease the nipple with her fingertips.

When did she turn into something I needed, like air, water, food? This was not the Bella I was used to being – the one that remained in control at all times. It was slightly alarming, my need for her. I had a job, family, plenty of other things that required my attention, but if I had a choice at that moment, I would gladly have given them all up to stay in bed with her, doing nothing but enjoying each other.

As if on cue, the reminder that I could not spend all day fucking Alice came to me quickly and I practically ripped myself away from her.

"Fuck. Sorry, I have to pee. I'll be right back," I shouted as I sprinted to the bathroom.

I could hear her soft footsteps behind me and I almost stopped... but I did have to really pee. Was she actually going to follow me into the bathroom? I closed the last few steps between me and my temporary salvation, turning to face her.

"Ali, really, can I pee in privacy?"

"Like I didn't just have my face all up in your lady business? Seriously?" she asked, quirking a brow. "Besides, I got a peek of this bathroom before and I fully intend to drag you into the shower with me when you're done." She leaned against the doorframe and gave me a smile.

Chuckling, I conceded and sat down. My bathroom was one of the shining stars of the whole house. I loved nothing more than coming home from a long day at work and losing myself in it. It was almost the antithesis of what most people thought of as "Bella" – it was soft, romantic, bathed in warm, glowing candles and soft lights. It was my haven, aside from the kitchen, and I couldn't imagine anyone else I wanted to share it with.

I finished up and took her hand, leading her down to the shower stall. It wasn't huge, but it would fit the two of us just fine. I had always loved the built-in bench for shaving, but seeing the look Alice had in her eyes made me think I was going to have a new reason to love it. I opened the door and turned the water on, backing out to let it warm up.

Turning, I drew Alice into my body again. She was so warm, and I couldn't get enough.

"Do you want to get some breakfast once we're showered?" I asked. "Maybe you could invite Edward and I could invite Jasper?"

"That might work. Let's text them and see what they say once we get out. I plan to have you in there awhile."

She unwrapped herself from my arms and I nearly whimpered.

Alice had a spark, a fierceness and independence that I could tell would not wear on me. She didn't outwardly need me, but I knew she wanted me. There's a stark contrast between being with someone out of need and being with someone because you want to be there. Even though I'd told her I wasn't a scary U-Hauler, at that moment, I could already see her there, living with me.

My gut screamed, cried out, told me to run. Doubts ran through my head faster than water tumbling over the edge of a waterfall, crashing against the rocky shore. I was conflicted. There were many reasons I hadn't let someone get close to me before, but suddenly they were crumbling in front of me.

I watched Alice walk over to her purse on the nightstand and pull her cell out, typing away. I could see her muscles flex as she shifted her weight and I bit my lip. Her back was to me, the perfect view of her ass in front of me. The movements of her hands and arms caused her back muscles to appear and fade back into her body periodically and I stood, mesmerized. She must have felt my gaze, and she turned around, giving me a stern look.

"Bella, if you want to get in the shower with me, you better start texting. The water won't be hot forever."

Fuck.

I walked to my phone and texted Jasper with the shortest message I could think of while still getting my point across.

J, breakfast w/us? PP? -b

I literally threw the phone on the bed and went back to the bathroom. Alice was already in the shower, hair wet, water trailing down her body in streams and drops. She was running her hands through her hair, standing in one place with her back to me, just getting used to the water I guess. I opened the door and walked in, practically attacking her.

Walking up behind her, I nuzzled my head into the crook of her neck, my body pressed as tightly into hers as it could be. I wrapped my hands around to cup her breasts and began kissing her, sucking her skin lightly every now and then.

"Fuck, Alice, do you have any idea what you do to me?" I halfway whispered. For some reason, this seemed like a deep, intimate confession from me. Sure, lovers say those words all the time to each other, but I meant them in more than a sexual way.

She leaned her head back and sighed, eyes closed.

"Show me."

One of my hands reluctantly left her breasts and I trailed it down her body with just the tips of my fingers touching her. I was slightly jealous of the water – it got to be everywhere, all over her, at once. It was touching and caressing every part of her that I wanted to. I brought my hand to her pussy and wasted no time sliding my fingers between the lips. She laid back, resting against me, and I was suddenly grateful for the small space. I was able to lean against the tiled wall and spread my legs, bringing her between them. I supported us while my hand dipped lower, two of my fingertips teasing her briefly before pressing in.

Wrapping my other hand around her body, I brought it to her clit, rubbing slow circles as I felt the swollen bump sliding beneath. My fingers from the opposite hand were still slowly moving in and out of her. I was enjoying taking my time with Alice just as I had the night before, soaking up every last bit of her.

"Put your leg up on the bench," I whispered.

She did, and I appreciated the change in access it gave me to her body. I could tell that I was hitting deeper inside of her, but I kept my slow pace. I needed her to know just how much I needed her, even if it scared me out of my mind. Even if I couldn't say it out loud. Even if I might not trust that it would last longer than this shower.

"Stop teasing. Fuck me harder, please," she begged.

"No, sweet girl," I said softly. "I'm going to enjoy this nice slow, gentle fuck with you."

I trailed kisses along her neck, willing her to slow down and enjoy the moment with me. I could feel her body shake with frustration and I knew she was getting closer.

I kept my slow pace but increased the pressure just slightly over her clit, pressing harder and hopefully drawing her closer to the edge. She pushed back against me and I knew it wasn't going to be long. She started to babble and talk softly, almost to herself. Her head was shaking slightly, and I could hear the confusion in her voice.

"... must be dreaming," she whispered into the air.

I lowered my mouth to her ear and kissed it softly. It seemed like she was still afraid of me, afraid I was going to leave, I guess.

I whispered just as low and soft as she had. "Do you get fucked like this in your dreams often, Alice?"

"Oh fuck," she cried out, and I could feel her orgasm overtake her body.

Her back arched against my body, and her breathing had picked up to a heavy pant. She raised up on her toes as she came, one leg still on the bench. I giggled to myself, not stopping my hands. When she lowered her body, I felt it much more as she slid down against me, our bodies slick from the water of the shower and our combined sweat. Every curve and line brushed against me, and I needed her even more.

We stood, my arms wrapped around her, for what had to be several minutes. I had one hand at her waist and the other at her breast. It wasn't sexual; I wasn't cupping or teasing her, I was feeling the heavy thud of her heart, the movement of her body with each gentle breath entering and escaping.

I am so fucked.

Just as the "flight" part of my brain tried to overrule my heart, Alice turned in my arms. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes as I looked at her. Her heart was wide open and it reminded me again of the precious gift she was giving me. I closed my eyes, hoping the spray of the shower would mask the tears rolling down my cheeks, and lowered my head to her shoulder. I hummed against her skin, wanting so badly to give her what she deserved. Hopefully, she could make do with what I was capable of for the moment.

"The shower's going to get cold soon," she said. "You don't want to miss out on your turn, do you?"

I felt her hand at the side of my face, tiling my gaze back to meet hers. Whereas the previous night she had been overflowing with passion, heat, and roughness, right then, she was so small and soft looking. She kissed me gently, her lips pressed into mine with tenderness. She smiled against me as she turned us in the shower, using one hand to push me carefully onto the bench.

In the blink of an eye, her smile turned from soft and sweet to devious and wicked.

I sat on the tile-covered bench, thankful the water spray had been mostly going that direction, meaning it was warm. Alice turned the shower head away from us and pulled my legs out slightly, forcing me to tilt back even further, as she sank to her knees. She looked up at me, her hair dripping water onto my legs, and kept my gaze as she lowered her mouth over one of my nipples. She sucked it in, the surface extra slippery from the water, and it slid back out with ease as she relaxed her lips.

Placing her hands on my knees which were resting on either side of her small body, she leaned over to kiss my tattoo softly. She trailed the kisses down from there, over my hip, and to the top of my pussy. Everything we had done, not just that morning but the night before too, had been building the need for release in me.

"Please, Alice..."

"Be a good girl and wait your turn. I promise I won't make you wait long, but I want to take my time this morning and savor every last drop of you."

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Alice wasn't kidding, either. Before she even began to lick me how I needed her to, she kissed, touched, and nibbled all around me, swiping her tongue out across my lips, up to the top across my clit, and every other spot she could find. She brought her hand up and traced her fingertips around the same places, sometimes gently using her fingernail to add a different sensation.

I moaned loudly as she tilted her head to the side and took one of my lips into her mouth, running her tongue underneath it as far as she could and sucking gently. I lifted my hips up slightly, causing her face to press tighter into me, giving me added friction. As she released my lip, she used her hand to open me to her entirely and flattened her tongue against my clit. She waited there a moment, teasing me with the pressure and the heat, not moving a fraction of an inch, before she began to gently lap at me.

I could hear her and see her, the sounds of us reverberating off the shower walls into a sexy, sensual composition. She hummed against me and I let go. My eyes flew shut, head thrown back against the tile. The immediate dull throb where I smacked my skull did nothing to slow or stop my orgasm. I lifted my hips as high as possible, pressing Alice's tongue against me.

Bringing my hands to her head, I laced my fingers into her hair to still her movements. She got the hint and began to kiss my thighs and raise herself back up. I brought my legs to a bent position and sat her down on my lap, her head resting on my shoulder as I caught my breath.

"Thank you, Alice," I said softly.

I felt her giggle above me.

"We should probably actually get clean if we want to meet the boys for breakfast. It's going to be brunch at this rate."

Knowing she was right, I sighed.

She moved off my lap and we washed each other. She smiled when she saw my strawberry body wash, taking a deep sniff of it as she put a drop into her hands. Just like in bed before, Alice insisted we not use a washcloth or net scrubby, instead using only our hands. After she washed my body (rather thoroughly) she moved onto my hair, washing and conditioning it. She took her time, never tangling it between her fingers. I returned the favor and we shut the water off and got out.

As we stood there drying off, I realized Alice had no clothes to change into. I got distracted by the chirping of our phones, and I laughed, wondering how long the guys had been trying to get ahold of us. I checked my phone as Alice looked at hers.

Sure, b.. the usual? -j

Hmm, that was too easy. I texted him back.

Yep, 15 minutes? b

I walked to the closet and looked over at Alice. "You want to come pick out something to wear or do you trust me?" I gave her a wicked grin and she walked into the closet with me.

"I'm not ready to let you dress me up just yet," she said, winking.

I wanted to be casual and comfortable, so I picked a khaki skirt, a navy t-shirt, and my new navy ballet flats.

It was warm outside, rare for late September but not unheard of, so Alice picked some Army green shorts and a white polo shirt with my black flip flops. I also loaned her a fresh pair of panties and a cami tank for underneath her polo. She'd have to go braless – there was no way any of mine would fit her, but she was small enough that no one would probably notice. I found her a cute purse to match, and we were all set.

"What did Edward say, by the way? Jasper agreed way too easily... I usually have to talk him into it."

Alice laughed. "That's so funny – normally Edward is already up, showered, fed and working on a cure for cancer by this time of day, but he texted me back too, to say he could go. I need to let him know where and when though?"

"Ah, Jasper should be here in 15 minutes. He lives a few houses down, so we usually meet here and I drive. We're going to Ruth's, so Edward can just meet us there."

Whenever I could talk Jasper into breakfast on Sundays, Ruth's was where we went. The wait was a bitch, but we usually had a bloody mary to tide us over as we people watched.

Once Alice and I were dressed, I fixed my hair, and she rummaged through my bathroom drawers for a tube of hair gel I was positive I had somewhere. She gave up, resolved herself to flat hair, and I gave her pouty lips a kiss.

There was a knock at the door, so I went to let Jasper in, grabbing Alice's hand so she would walk with me. I was entirely unprepared for what I saw when I opened the door – Jasper was standing there – with Edward.

And holy shit, are they holding hands?

I blinked a few times and stepped aside to let them in.

"Good morning, boys."

EPOV

"Jasper, Edward, I'm going to take Alice back to my place so we can talk. Will you two be okay to get home?" Bella asked.

"Oh yeah. I drove and I haven't had anything but water," I said.

Jasper just nodded and Alice came over to hug me goodbye. She told me not to worry about her and let me know that she would call me in the morning. I told her to have a good time, and she was off with Bella.

It was awkward, the two of us left there, seemingly nothing in common except the fact that we were gay. Well, I was gay; I had no clue about Jasper.

"So, Jasper? Would you like to go grab a coffee? I'm sorry if I behaved rudely before. I guess you could say I was more than a little surprised to see Bella here, much less learn that she was my sister's not-so-one-night stand."

I laughed, and he turned to look at me, smiling. He was gorgeous, and even though we hadn't gotten off to the best start, I found myself attracted to him.

"It is a little awkward, right? They just bring us here and then ditch us at a lesbian bar?" he said, incredulous. "We have to get them back somehow."

"I like the way you think."

"All right, where can we go for coffee this late?" he asked.

"There's a Starbucks down the road; they should be open a little while longer."

"Okay. You don't mind driving?"

"Not at all." I smiled and led the way out of the loud club.

I wasn't sure if Jasper had even realized yet that I was gay. It wasn't like I had a rainbow flag on my button-up. I tried to keep my private life very private. I was already dreading the conversations that might come up with Bella, but at least I knew she had something she wanted to keep private as well.

We walked to my Volvo and I could see Jasper chuckle.

"What?" I asked him.

"A Volvo? Of all the cars I might have imagined you driving, Edward, a Volvo wasn't one of them."

Once I got over the near instant hard-on I had at hearing him say my name, I formed a coherent response.

"This is not your grandma's Volvo, Jasper. Get in, I'll show you."

We each slid in and buckled up. I started the car and revved the engine, wiggling my eyebrows at him. He laughed and I pulled out of the parking lot as slowly as I could manage, turning onto the busy street that would take us to our coffee.

When we got there, I insisted on paying, since it was my idea. Jasper sat at a table waiting for me as I grabbed our drinks and brought them over, taking a seat across from him.

"So, Jasper, have you always lived in Utah?" I asked.

"Most of my life. I went to high school with Bella down in Sandy, actually."

"Huh. Ever want to go anywhere else?"

"Of course, but Bella's my family and I couldn't leave her. She's pretty settled here, actually. I guess by now you've figured that out. She mentioned after we walked in that you work with her, so I assume you've met her sister Rose as well."

"I did, and wow." I briefly wondered if Jasper was fishing for information on me. "She's pretty hot too, isn't she?" I played along and noticed his eyes drop to the table.

"Yeah, she is."

"Of course, she's not my type."

I stretched my leg out under the table to rest my calf against his. It was a small enough move that I could deny any meaning behind it if he reacted poorly, but grand enough that he could take the bait if he wanted.

"She's not?" he said, laughing. "I thought Rose was every straight man's type."

I smiled. Gotcha.

"Yes, well, that's the problem: I'm not straight."

His ocean blue eyes were twinkling and I took a moment to get lost in them.

"I see," he said. "What brought you back to Utah, Edward?"

There he goes saying my name again.

"Much like you, I didn't want to be away from my family anymore. I had an... incident with an ex in Seattle, and it was just time for me to come home, I guess."

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence as Jasper and I looked at each other for a moment.

"Edward, do you want to go back to my place and plot our revenge against the girls? Maybe have a drink or two?"

I could see the mischief in his eyes. I dipped my head low, contemplating the potential complication of dating the best friend of my new boss. When I raised my head back up to look in his eyes, I gave him my signature crooked smile before answering.

"I think I'd like that."

We finished our coffee and walked back to my car mostly in silence. We made smalltalk on the way to Jasper's.

"So, you know I'm a lawyer; what do you do?" I asked.

"I'm a therapist, actually."

He seemed slightly embarrassed. "Do you enjoy your job?"

"Sure, most of the time. I work with kids. It can be draining dealing with some of them. I feel so awful for them, so small and sometimes subjected to the most horrific of situations. It doesn't always restore my faith in humanity."

"Christ, I can only imagine."

I shook my head, imagining listening to abused or damaged kids all day. It was absolutely not something I could bear to do. It was bad enough when I'd worked on a few court cases involving kids. I never understood how my brother and father could work at Children's Hospital either, but I was thankful for the people in the world strong enough to handle it.

Jasper gave me the turn-by-turn instructions to get to his house, and I was surprised. I imagined him in a fancy apartment somewhere. We were parked in front of a humble, bungalow-style house.

"You live here?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. See that house three down, the blue one? Bella lives there."

I was starting to get a sinking feeling. So much of his life seemed wrapped up in Bella and what she did. Would he ever be happy for himself without her? Was it even possible, or had he mentally committed to her and shut himself down?

He must have noticed my curious expression. He let out a soft laugh and said, "Come inside. Let's talk about it more after a drink."

I gave a small nod and we made our way through the front door. His house was nice, nothing over the top.

"What can I get you to drink?" He smiled as he spoke, and it was the most genuine smile I'd seen from him all night.

"Do you have any scotch?"

"I think I have a bottle of Macallan hiding; let me go check. You can have a seat in the living room. I'll be right back."

I sat down on the couch and tried to steady my nerves. I had been with my ex for four long years. Dating was a strange concept for me. I just wanted to meet a nice guy and have a family.

"How do you take your scotch, Edward?" Jasper shouted from the kitchen.

"Just a little water, no ice."

He came back with my glass and had a beer in his hand for himself. He sat on the opposite end of the couch, and I was glad that his invitation wasn't a ruse for a quickie. Sure, I was interested, but not in one night.

"So, how are we going to get the girls back?" I asked.

We spent the next few hours planning our attack against Bella and Alice for ditching us. We also plowed through several more drinks each, Jasper eventually switching to tequila. The conversation slowly shifted back to us and I learned more about Jasper and his family. His parents had died a few years back in a car accident and he was an only child.

He assured me repeatedly that although he was at one point in love with Bella, he knew that there was no future there. He wasn't sure what he wanted from life, if he wanted kids or even to settle down, but he wasn't opposed to the idea if he found the right person. He had a slight hopeful look in his eyes, as if he was hesitant only because he wasn't sure there was someone out there for him. It made me ache for him and realize how lucky I was that I had a whole family and support system.

After he got up for the next round of drinks, I sprawled out on his couch, my shoes somewhere on the ground. Putting my hands behind my head, I closed my eyes. I felt comfortable there with him, even though we hardly knew each other.

I must have dozed off for a moment, hearing a whispered "holy fuck," from Jasper as he padded back into the room. I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me, my abs exposed from where my shirt had ridden up.

"Do you like, live at the gym, Edward?"

I laughed. "Thanks for the flattery, but no. I do try to go every morning, though."

"Me too, but trust me, my abs look nothing like that. Scoot," he said, motioning with his hand.

"I'm comfortable," I said, giving him the trademark Cullen pouty face. "I don't wanna."

"All right, you asked for it."

My eyes widened a bit. He licked his lips and there was nothing I could do anymore to prevent it, I strained against my pants, my cock instantly hard for him. He straddled my waist and brought his hands just under the hem of my shirt, resting them on the abs I had never been so fucking thankful for before.

I closed my eyes and exhaled as I felt him slowly unbutton each button of my shirt, leaning his body over mine as he got closer to the top. Once every button was undone, he ran his hands back down my body and lowered his head to kiss each nipple, giving them a small flick of his tongue before moving on.

"Edward? Open your eyes and look at me."

I willed my eyes to fucking open already, and they did, at a snail's pace. I wasn't even sure what I was so afraid of.

"I don't want to go too far. I'm pretty drunk, but are you okay with this?"

Seriously?

I laughed and his body shifted on top of mine, only serving as a reminder that there was a fucking hot man pressing against me.

"Yeah," I said. "Now get the fuck up here and kiss me properly."

He laid kisses his whole way up my abdomen and chest, stopping only to dip his tongue into my belly button briefly. Once he was even with my face, he started kissing me so softly I wasn't sure he was even doing anything. His feather-light touches thankfully grew in pressure and intensity, and soon we were in a full on high school make out session.

I had forgotten how nice it was to kiss and be kissed. Running the calculations through my head, I realized it had been almost a year since I'd kissed anyone. My hips shifted up against Jasper's and I felt him moan against my lips. I knew if we were going to stop, we needed to do it soon. He was too attractive, too sweet, too genuine to have our first time be sloppy drunk. He deserved better, and frankly, so did I.

"Jasper," I whispered, "please, Jasper, you have to get up."

"In case you can't tell, I am up."

"Not like that, you turbo perv. If you don't stop I won't be able to control myself, and much like you, I plan on remembering our first time together."

At my words, he did stop. He huffed and sat up on the couch. I sat next to him and put my hand on his knee.

"I really like you. Do you think I could see you sometime?"

He laughed. "I practically molest you on my couch and we talk about wanting to remember the first time we fuck, then you ask me out? We've got some things backwards here, I think..."

I brought my hand to his face, then gave him a soft kiss. Running my thumb over his cheekbone, I smiled.

"Jasper, I'm pretty drunk."

"Me too, Edward, me too."

"Do you want me to call a cab?" I asked.

"No, unless you're uncomfortable, you can just crash here. I keep the guest bedroom ready."

"While I am uncomfortable," I stopped speaking to pointedly adjust my pants, "it has nothing to do with cabs or sleeping. I'm sure that I would rather crash in your guest bedroom than cab it home," I said with a quick wink. I saw a faint blush cross his cheeks.

He led me to the room, stopping to make out with me a little more before we each said goodnight. Was it a bad idea to wank in your future date's house as he slept? I promised myself that I'd keep it in my pants until the next day – who knew what the morning would bring.

I drifted to sleep thinking about Jasper. Jasper. His name was like music to my ears, and the way he said mine, oh god. I couldn't wait to hear him moan it in the throes of passion.

I woke to chirping, and a dull throb in my head. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. A glass of water, a bottle of Tylenol, and a note were on the nightstand.

Went for a quick run, back by 9. -Jasper

I looked at the clock and it was 8:55. I decided to take two Tylenol and check my phone. There was a text from Alice, asking if I wanted to go to breakfast. I texted her back asking when and where, wondering what Jasper's plans for the day were. As soon as I set my phone back down, I heard the front door. He appeared in the bedroom doorway, a panting, sweating mess.

Fuck me.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

Oh dear god, he's a morning person, too.

"Good morning," I said, smiling back. "Thanks for the Tylenol."

"You're welcome. I wasn't sure if you'd wake up feeling like I did or not," he said, laughing. "Bella texted me while I was out running – she and Alice wanted to grab breakfast. You want to join us?"

"I'd love to," I said. "I actually got an invitation on my own from Alice. Is it okay if I walk over with you?"

I wasn't sure how much from the night before Jasper had really meant. Sometimes, you get drunk and your hormones got the better of you. I understood, and wanted to let him off the hook easily if that was the case.

He walked over to me and I could smell his salty sweat. I had to stop myself from licking his neck as he bent down, giving me a soft kiss on the lips.

"Of course it's okay," he said. "You do still want that date, don't you? I was thinking maybe we could spend the day together."

My heart swelled. And when I say "my heart," I only halfway mean my cock.

"Of course I do. I just wasn't sure how much of last night was real and how much was a dream."

He walked to the doorway and laughed, mumbling about dreams, before turning to look at me again.

"I have to go get cleaned up. I think for the sake of arriving to breakfast on time, it's better if we take separate showers... this time." He laughed, then smiled at me. "Do you need some clothes?"

"Hmm, yeah. Can I borrow a shirt?"

"Of course," he said. "I'll bring you a few to choose from after my shower. There should be clean towels in the bathroom cabinet and toiletries and such in there, too. See you in a few."

He turned and walked away, and I had to fight the urge to follow. He was right, though, if we wanted to be on time, we'd need to make showertime quick. I can't speak for Jasper, but I know I couldn't keep my hands to myself under the spray of the water. It had just been too much teasing and the sight of him all sweaty, knowing he was in the other bathroom soaping up his body... it was just too much.

I got out and toweled off, putting my jeans back on, sans boxers, since commando would be fine. I opened the door to the bathroom to see if I could tell how far along Jasper was, and I jumped. He was waiting right outside with a few shirts.

"Fuck, Edward," he said, shaking his head. "You look even better half-naked in the light of day." He stood there, holding the shirts out for me.

I picked the navy polo, since Alice was always telling me that the dark blue brought out my green eyes.

"Thanks, Jasper." I kissed his cheek and he wandered back to his bedroom, muttering to himself again.

I put the shirt on, then went out into the living room to wait for him. When he came back out, I had a chance to notice what he had on. He was wearing jeans similar to what he wore on the day before, with a tight fitting t-shirt and some black and white checked Vans. I could see the "V" on his shirt, and I laughed as I realized he was an amusing combination of designer duds with Payless shoes. Alice would have a field day with him.

I stood up and he took my hand to lead me down the street to Bella's house. I was nervous since Alice had no clue I'd gone home with Jasper, and I wasn't sure what she would think about everything. Hell, I didn't even know what to think about it yet, other than my excitement at our planned day together. I also had no clue how their night had gone; obviously Alice stayed over, but what did that mean for the two of them?

Jasper knocked and Bella opened the door shortly after, Alice at her side. She looked completely and utterly shell shocked, but in a good way. The smile that spread across her face was one I hadn't seen before, since I'd known her only a short period of time – it was broad, yet somehow soft, and completely genuine.

She stepped aside and motioned for us to come in.

"Good morning, boys," she said with excitement in her eyes.