A/N: It's Monday again. Why?

"Wow, Bella. You're looking all kinds of good tonight." Siobhan whistled when Bella opened the door. "You trying to impress someone?"

"Um."

Before Bella could say anything, someone pulled the door open wider. She didn't have to look to know Edward had appeared behind her. Siobhan's eyes went wide. Bella smirked and blushed at the same time.

"Hello." Edward offered his hand. "I'm Edward."

"Siobhan." She shook his hand with gusto.

"I'll catch you ladies later. I have to pick up Benjamin," Edward said, squeezing past them to head down the walk. He turned to look at Bella and reached out, brushing her arm in a quick gesture.

Siobhan whistled again. "Wow. So, you know how you watch those TV shows or movies where you can see a disaster brewing from a mile away? Yeah, that may or may not be our night."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked. She tugged at her shirt.

Her friend grimaced. "Well...You know, Jacob still asks about you."

A tendril of something uncomfortable churned in Bella's gut. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. He just said he didn't have anything to do tonight. He wants to see you." Siobhan shrugged. "I told him where we were going to be hanging out, that's all. Doesn't mean he'll show up."

"That's so comforting."

"You said you and baby daddy weren't together." By necessity, Siobhan knew a warped version of the truth. She knew Bella had a daughter, with whom she was estranged, and that Edward was her daughter's father.

"We aren't."

Siobhan hummed. "You know he wants to be, right?"

"Come in. I'll give you a tour of the place."

~0~

Bella had been through too much in her life to be naive. She was well aware Edward was attracted to her. She was a pretty girl, and he'd seen her naked. The feeling was mutual. Attraction was easy to recognize.

What threw Bella off was everything else. The way he looked at her sometimes was more than just attraction. It reminded her of before.

In the brief time they knew each other at Stanford, there had been a handful of intense moments. She remembered watching Edward blink blearily at his computer, his eyes red from strain. How at first, he'd been just a little bit annoyed that she kept asking him questions.

"Some of us aren't art majors, doing creative art pieces. Some of us have to put work into their classes," he'd said.

"Oh, oh, oh. It's only because I know in five seconds your brain is going to catch up with your mouth and you're going to say…"

"Shit, Bella. I didn't mean it that way."

Edward had pushed away from his desk and come over to her on his bed. They started talking, and he ended up with his head on her lap, his eyes closed to rest them. She ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed the spot just behind his ear.

When his eyes opened, Bella's breath caught in her throat. There was just something in the way he'd looked at her. His eyes were sleepy and soft. It took her forever to realize she was staring and at least five seconds longer to realize there was no reason for her to feel ashamed; he was staring too.

He'd reached up and with the tenderest of touches she could imagine, a skim of his fingertips so light it almost tickled, he began to trace the lines of her face. She closed her eyes, breathless as he ran his thumb over her lower lip.

"Bella. Earth to Bella." Siobhan laughed as she gave Bella's arm a little shake. "Ah, I missed you. You and your space-out moments. Now, come on. Let's go get our grubby bar on."

"It doesn't look so grubby," Bella said. She was somewhat startled when Siobhan looped an arm through hers. It took her a second to sync their steps. Then, she wondered if she was supposed to let go.

Ah, the endless questions of the socially awkward.

"Hey. Over here."

Edward and Benjamin were already there, tucked into a round booth. Bella hesitated, but Edward was already scooting over. She slid into the booth beside him.

"Got you this," he said, sliding a tumbler over to her after he'd introduced her, as a friend, to his friend Benjamin.

"What is it?"

"Shot of Jim Beam with cherries in it." He smirked. "Basically they're alcoholic cherries." He plucked a cherry off the top of her stack and popped it in his mouth.

"What would your mother think of you sticking your fingers in someone else's food?"

"This is a drink."

Bella fished a cherry out of her glass. "This is food."

"There is no nutritional value in that."

"I'm sure there's something. Anyway. Stop sticking your fingers in my drink-food. No one knows where they've been."

"Oooh." Benjamin clapped. "I think she just accused you of masturbating and not washing."

Edward turned to Bella. "You'll find that one of Benjamin's more charming qualities is his tendency to state the obvious thus making the joke realllllly awkward."

Bella's lips quirked.

When Edward's friend Zafrina showed up, they had to squeeze together even tighter. Edward put his arm over the back of the booth to make more room. Bella was all but tucked up against him. He smelled good-the right amount of cologne.

It was easier than Bella would have expected to get along with their little group. Benjamin turned out to be hilarious, and Zafrina was interesting too, when they could get her to stop making eyes at Siobhan. Conversation was easy and light-exactly what they needed. Bella made an effort to let all her worries, even her worry that she was being accidentally socially awkward, aside.

Just as she was trying to figure out a way to insert herself in the current conversation, she was distracted by a touch to the back of her neck. A thrill shot down her spine, making her sit up straighter. She turned to the side, wondering what the hell Edward was doing, only to find him involved in a side-conversation with Benjamin.

He was stroking the back of her neck absently-an intimate touch that seemed entirely subconscious. She was still for a moment, enjoying the sensation of tender touch.

That was the other thing Bella remembered well about Edward. Her stepfather's friends had touched her, of course. Touched her without her permission. Their touch was violent, even when it hadn't hurt, even when she hadn't struggled. Then others-the boys and men she'd come in contact with whose touches weren't necessarily unwelcome, but they'd had one aim-clumsy touches of adolescent boys and young men with a single-minded purpose. She could have been anyone.

Then came Edward.

She'd seen the attraction in his eyes on the stairs the night they met. She'd seen his annoyance fade away, replaced by a want, and then he'd offered to take her to dinner. That was novel. No one had ever asked her out. Maybe that was a difference with college boys-at least you got dinner first.

She went. They talked. And talked. He kept his hands to himself and looked her in the eyes. He was involved in their conversation, and at the end of the night, he asked if she wanted to come with him to a lecture the next day. His touches then had begun just like this-innocent and tender. Absent-as though it was the most natural thing in the world to just need some part of him to brush against her.

On the other side of her, a soft snicker alerted her to the fact her abstraction had been noticed. Again. "I'm sorry, what?" she said, blinking at Siobhan.

"I said I need a refill." Siobhan shook her empty glass, ice rattling.

"Oh. Okay. I'll come with you."

"No, no, no," Siobhan said, a little too quickly. She turned and put her hand to Zafrina's shoulder. "Zee wants to help me. What does everyone want?"

When they walked away, and Benjamin excused himself to go to the bathroom, Edward put his arm around Bella in a casual way. "Your friend likes my friend.'

Bella looked over at the bar where Siobhan and Zafrina were turned toward each other, grinning at each other. She smiled. "Apparently."

He didn't move to take his arm from around her shoulders. He tilted his head to speak low in her ear. "Now… please keep in mind I am very tipsy. I know it's not appropriate for me to say so, but…" He pointed at them. "That's hot."

Not expecting that at all, Bella did a spit-take. That made Edward giggle. He straight out giggled. That made Bella laugh in between coughs. It felt good to laugh, and that only made things worse. Edward rubbed her back helpfully.

"It is kind of hot," she said when she could breathe again.

He hummed his agreement. His head was still tilted down toward her. His breath smelled like whiskey and cherries. Bella realized too late she was staring at his lips. She raised her eyes to find him staring at her, and she was suddenly positive he was about to kiss her.

"Hey, Bella. There you are."

Bella's head snapped. She cleared her throat and smiled wanly. "Hey, Jacob."

~0~

Here was the thing-Jacob had no chance. He'd never had a chance, really. Once upon a time, before all this, maybe she would have tried a date with him. He was attracted to her, and he was nice. He might have been a good step. That was what she had been doing before all this-taking one step after another, trying to figure out how to be a real, functioning human being.

That ship had sailed. That life had sailed, and maybe that was why tonight was so surreal. How much time had Bella spent wondering what would have happened if she'd told Edward she was pregnant? That ship had sailed too, and yet...here they both were. Two lives that hadn't happened.

She was way too tipsy for this line of thought. Also, she was becoming increasingly more distracted.

"Okay. I can't take this," she said, pushing up from the booth.

Bella was tipsy. Edward was almost drunk, and it showed. She couldn't help but smile. It had been a long while since she'd had anything to drink so it was affecting her more quickly than she remembered, but she could still handle her drink. Meanwhile, this guy…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Bella put a steadying hand on Edward's shoulder. "Step away from the pool table, slick. You're about to hand this kid the game." She winked playfully at Jacob as she took Edward aside. "Let me learn you a thing or two."

"I'm good at this game," Edward said, his smile large and lazy.

"Oh, you so aren't."

Edward shifted on his feet. "Oh. Right. Darts. Darts is the bar game I'm good at." He looked at Jacob. "We should play darts."

"I'm thinking pool is the way to go," Jacob said, smirking. He leaned on his pool cue and waggled his eyebrows. "Come on. This sounds like it's going to be quick and fun for me."

"That what you told your last girlfriend?" Zafrina asked, making the others cackle.

"Give me a minute," Bella said.

"That's cheating," Jacob said.

"Call it a handicap. Now hush." She turned back to Edward. "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of genius? This is all about math."

"Math?"

"Yes. Math and keeping your stick straight and strong."

He smirked. "I feel reasonably sure I can do the math part. Now tell me more about this straight stick business."

Some minutes later, Bella was fixing his fingers around the pool cue, leaning over him as she guided his hand.

"How is this not emasculating to you?" Jacob asked, still teasing.

Edward looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Being bent over a pool table by a beautiful woman. This beautiful woman?" He huffed. "Worth it."

~0~

Edward was drunk. He was also happy. It had been a long time since he'd felt this free. He sat in the booth, humming to himself.

"You have some very interesting friends," Benjamin said, across from him. The girls and Jacob had gone to the restroom and to get the next round respectively. "I always wondered what you looked like when you relaxed. Been a stress-free few months for you then?"

His head lolling on the back of the booth, Edward started to laugh. "Someday, you will understand how unbelievably hilarious that was." He opened his eyes, staring straight at the ceiling. "But it's been a good night."

"Yeah. You know the pretty girl adores you, right?"

Edward knew he should play it cool, but the smile spread wide across his face before he could help it. "You think?"

"I think you could probably get laid tonight, ethics aside. Try again next week with less alcohol, and it'd be a sure thing."

In spite of himself, all Edward's blood rushed to his cock. He swallowed a groan, shifting in the booth. There were times it was very hard not to remember what it was like to have her pinned beneath him, her breathless laughter shaking the both of them, cut off by a gasp as he entered her.

Benjamin laughed. "Been awhile, huh?" He shook his head. "I did try to set you up that once."

"I remember." Edward straightened up, looking across the bar to where the women were making their way back. "I'm really not a blind date kind of guy."

"The better for me. I went out with Tia myself." He stretched with a grin. "I'm glad you're so damn antisocial." He craned his head back and greeted the returning ladies with a grin. "Did everything come out okay?"

Snickering, Zafrina bopped him on the nose. "You're horrible."

Bella scooted over, flashing a grin at Edward as she pressed up against his side again. "Hey."

Her breath smelled sweet-like the lemon drop she'd drunk last. "Hey," he said back, reaching up to brush her hair away from her eyes.

It was a good night.

~0~

Siobhan drove them home, since neither of them were in any kind of shape to get behind the wheel. They were all in high spirits though. Siobhan wouldn't shut up about Zafrina. It was cute.

"Are you sure you guys will be okay alone?" Siobhan asked, laughing when Edward tripped as he got out of the car.

Giggling, Bella got her arm around Edward, holding him up. "We'll be okay."

"Okay, kids. Be good." She waved at them as they went up the walk.

It took a few tries, but they managed to get inside the house. They stumbled into the foyer together.

"So Siobhan and Zafrina…" he said.

"Oh, are you still on that? You pervert." She laughed. "I can't take you anywhere."

"It's not that." He slung his arm around her waist, bringing her to face him. "It's just funny."

"What's funny?" Her hand was warm against his chest.

"I don't know." He sighed, and they swayed together. "Easy love stories."

Bella's smile gentled. She played with the collar of his shirt. "You never know how they're going to turn out." Her eyes met his. "We ran into each other on the library steps."

"That does sound romantic." He raised his hand to cup her cheek. "And easy."

"You calling me easy?" she asked, teasing.

"No," he answered, serious. "So…"

"So."

He tilted his head, looking at her, drinking her in. Her expression was relaxed, serene. So why he chose that moment to ask the next question, he would never know. "That guy from your work. That Jacob kid."

A grin spread across her face, and she giggled and that tipsy, tittering way. "The Jacob Kid. That sounds like an old west gunslinger or something."

He grinned back, momentarily distracted. Her smile was so lovely. Smiles and laughter-they both needed more of that. "He likes you. The notorious Jacob Black."

"I did get that impression," she said, still smiling. "Of course, I knew that when we danced a few months ago."

A shock went down Edward's spine. His hands at her waist twitched. "You went dancing with him?"

There was mischief in her eyes. "Yes and no. We went out-a few of us from work-to a club. He convinced me to dance with him. I think if I'd stayed at work, he'd have asked me out. Just the two of us."

He had the distinct feeling he was being teased, but she was also telling the truth. His hand spread wide over the small of her back. "Would you have said yes?"

Her eyes met his and the mischief faded. "I don't know."

He shuffled a step closer to her, swallowing more of the space between them. "If he asked you out now, what would you say?"

"No," she said, the word soft. Her hands fell down his shoulders, making him shiver with pleasure.

"Because of Katie?" he asked.

Their lingering gaze was intense now. Her eyes searched his, and her answer was a whisper of breath. "No," she said.

"Bella…"

His words were muddled by drink, but his thoughts had never been more clear. Rather, everything was blurry except her. She was the only thing he saw. He took her face in his hands, lost in her eyes. For the first time in months, his world was simple; an easy love story.

It had been years since he'd kissed this woman. Their last kiss had been a shocked, desperate goodbye. This one was like coming home. As their lips met, she sighed into his mouth, her body going soft and pliant against him. He wrapped his arms around her. Nothing, no one, had ever felt as right pressed to his chest. Her lips were soft and responsive to his. Her hands slipped into his jacket, her fingers pressed into his back.

They kissed once and again. Tender kisses that quickly turned hungry. Edward's hands tightened at her waist, his fingers itching to begin tugging and pulling at cloth.

With a groan, Bella pulled away from him, panting. She didn't let go; she simply pulled away from his kiss. His shirt was tangled in her fingers.

He kissed her once again, a small kiss, and groaned himself. "We need to stop, don't we?" he asked, dizzy and breathless.

She licked her lips. "Um. Yeah. Yes."

He groaned again and kissed her sweetly. "Are you sure?"

She laughed. A shaky sound. "No." She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. When she opened them again, her eyes were conflicted but pleading. "I've just… I've made so many mistakes in my life and had some made for me." Her fingers traced patterns against his back.

"You don't want this to be one of them," he said, reaching up to run the backs of his knuckles down her cheek. They were both so very drunk, and everything about their lives uncertain right then.

"We were supposed to be trying to be friends," Bella said.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I think we tried that once before and failed then too." He sighed and kissed her lips once more before stepping away.

A/N: So!

How are we doing?