My love, if I'm below the come and go of your legs
If I'm sinking in the come and go of your hips
This is heaven, my heaven
Run away love, you take me,
You leave me, you squeeze me
and throw me aside

-MANA lyrics: Labios Compartidos

Five weeks had passed since I had seen Edward outside my home and sitting on my steps. Five weeks since his lips had graced my own. I had finally broken down and called my friend Rosalie. She was many miles away from me, along with all the rest of the people who meant anything to me. Normally I would have confided in my best friend Alice, she was about a block away from Rose at that moment, but all the same, I knew her too well... she romanticized everything! No doubt she would of found some twisted way of making this romantic, and trust me when I say that there was nothing sweet or loving about this situation.

When I called Rose, I had been at my lowest. It was just after Edward had left and it took every ounce of pride that I had not to go after him or call him. She listened quietly while I admitted everything that had transpired between us. I told her about the baby and the kiss he had just given me. At this point Rose spoke up and gave me a very detailed list of why I should have broken his wrist for touching my belly and then an even more detailed list of why I should have kicked him in the balls for having kissed me then left. I had to admit it, by the end of the call I was laughing, but just before she hung up, the true advice came out.

"You're laughing! Good!" It was at this point I had started crying again.

"God Rose, what am I going to do?" I sobbed gently. She gave me the answer to that quicker than she had anything else.

"You're going to get up, get showered and sleep this day off. Tomorrow when you wake up, you're going to walk into that office and hold your head up high. You are not a slut, Bella. Don't you dare let anyone treat you as such. Now as for Edward, well, you're just going to have to come up with a new game plan that doesn't include him... he doesn't deserve you, Bells... I think you know that without having to hear me say it. But If by some miracle he decides to jump on board, then good... but don't hold your breath. Life goes on, the world keeps turning and that baby will keep growing, with or without him by your side. Be strong for that little one... your all it's got."

That call had been my saving grace... that call had put it all into perspective. This baby was going to come, with or without Edwards blessing, and the sooner I focused on that and that alone, then I would get to a place that didn't consist of letting Edward walk all over my heart.

"Isabella, I need you to cover the Cullen Inc. event tonight. Jessica is out sick and you already know all the main players in that field."

I tried to find my voice as Darren went on and on, but it never came. Before I could even breath fully, he was gone and I was holding a flier for the Cullen Inc. Charity Auction. Super. I thought sourly. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to see him... I didn't want to see him with god knows what on his arm as a date. I felt the pity party starting but before it could take full effect, I pulled myself together and grabbed my things to leave for the day. I knew there was no way I could get out of this, so I sucked it up and took off so that I could get ready for what was sure to be an eventful evening.

I arrived with enough time to skip over the entrance of Edward and whichever eye candy he had decided on for the night. I already had a week stomach from being fourteen weeks pregnant, these days it didn't take much to send me running for the porcelain gods, and seeing him with anyone that wasn't me was sure to do the trick.

I stuck to the corners and took notes on the comings and goings. It was your typical Auction for Charity, packages to this, vacations to that, dates with this guy, dates with this girl. I really hated my job sometimes. I tucked my note pad away and decided it was time to get some food and headed to the hors d'oeuvres tray. I grabbed a plate and filled it with a few different things and then tried to hide myself away so that I didn't draw too much attention to the very pregnant me. I was just about to walk out back and sit out on the balcony, but I was stopped in my tracks by a velvet voice.

"Would you like to sit down?"

I turned slowly and placed the cracker I was about to shove into my mouth back onto the plate. When I was fully facing the voice, the pain I had been fighting off for the last weeks made another guest appearance just in time for Edwards cameo in my life. I shook my head 'no' with an appreciative smile and tried to leave quietly, but Edward wasn't having that.

Just as I was walking away, I felt his hand reach out to stop me. I felt a lump make its way into my throat as I felt the heat from his gentle palm resting along my hip where my belly was poking out. I was visibly pregnant now, a far difference from the way I had looked when he last seen me.

"You should get back to your event... people will notice if your gone." I did my best to get the words out evenly and with no emotion, but it was a useless fight. I could even hear the pain in my voice as I said it.

He didn't move his hand though, instead I felt him move forward so that his palm was resting more evenly over the bump. I could feel his fingers flex gently once more as if trying to hold on, and then his thumb began making gentle circuits over the skin.

"You're beautiful, Isabella." His voice sounded pained and the tone he used was gentle. I did my best to ignore the burning need to turn and see him. I knew it would be my undoing, and I knew that if I were to act on the feelings I had been doing my best to bury, then he would push me away and the pain would be fresh. I didn't want to start from scratch, so facing away from him I stayed.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen... Have yourself a good evening." I don't know how I did it, but I managed to make my feet move one foot in front of the other until I was safely away from where I saw him standing in the reflection. I abandoned the plate on an empty table and instead of staying for the rest of the evening; I left the party and headed for home.

EPOV

I did my duties as VP of Cullen Inc. without missing a beat tonight. I had arrived precisely on the time that was planned, I was accompanied around the room all evening with the woman my father had requested be my date at my side, and I even bid on a few of the auctions. I was doing everything that was required of me and not even a slight less than what was expected.

I found time during the evening to extricate myself from my date Kate and used the time to speak with the different people I had on my radar. I had just finished up a very promising business conversation and headed for the bar to grab another drink. I never made it to the bar though.

Instead my attention was pulled to a dark corner where I saw Bella taking notes and looking absolutely bored. I took up residency at the opposite corner and just watched her. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she moved around from each auction table glancing at the items for bid and making small notes. I found myself smiling as she huffed out clearly exasperated and shoved her notepad into her small clutch. I was about to just walk over to her, but then I saw her turn around as if looking for something, and for the first time since watching her, I saw her delicate round stomach that her dress was hugging. I felt the air leave my body, but none came back in its place.

I found myself walking quickly to her and trying to breathe all at the same time, but it was useless. She was a vision... my god, she was a vision. Before I could collect a thought or even a breath, she was in front of me. I watched silently as she filled a small plate with some light hors d'oeuvres and smiled to herself when she had just enough to fill the small portion. I frowned and began looking for a bigger plate; surely she should be eating more than just that. She was eating for two. She needed to feed our ba... our baby more than just …

It was in that moment that a wave of shame hit me. Our baby...

I stayed silent still, watching her gentle smile and the soft curves that her baby bump was creating. I wondered momentarily what it would feel like this time... It looked firm... she looked good. I was pulled from that thought when I saw her begin to move toward the back doors for the far left balcony. It was as if she were trying to make herself invisible... I didn't like that. She should not be hidden. Without thinking I invited her to sit with me. I stood still with anticipation to see if she was going to acknowledge me. I had no idea what I would do if she did, but I was far more worried about if she didn't.

When she turned to me, I nearly choked on the pain that hit me. She looked so scared... defeated. She offered me a partial smile before turning back toward the balcony doors as if to go away, but before I could think about it, I reached out for her... I didn't just reach out, I held on.

She quivered beneath my fingers, but from my touch or from her nerves I didn't know.

I closed my eyes as I felt the small bump that rested just beneath my fingers and the pain that I had felt just moments ago was replaced with... I... was it peace? I didn't understand it, but I didn't want to lose it either. I was about to ask her how she was doing, but she beat me to speech and stated, "You should get back to your event... people will notice if your gone." at that moment I didn't care about the event... I didn't care about the people.

I stepped forward, greedily holding on more firmly. With that one step I was able to rest my hand entirely over our... over our baby. I felt emotions running so deep within me that were foreign, but I welcomed them. I knew I should have let her go, anyone could have walked up or could be watching us right now, but instead my thumb grazed gently over the top of her bump and I said the most honest thing I could.

"You're beautiful, Isabella." She truly was. Pregnancy had been very kind to her, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her in my arms and show every man in that room that she was with me... that she was carrying our child and that it was I who had filled her. I didn't get to do that though... instead she stayed facing away from me and whispered, "Thank you Mr. Cullen... have yourself a good evening."

I watched her walk away from me and gently discard her plate on a table near the doors. I waited there for who knows how long, until I realized that she was not coming back.