AN: Barely two weeks. I'm impressed with myself since I've been running around like a nut getting ready for college (I'm leaving on Wednesday!). But the title is officially changed, the summary is tweaked, and there's a new chapter. I'd say that's a pretty good day. Hopefully you guys like it too. Although, I feel like I should mention that near the end of this chapter, I tend to drop F-bombs fairly often. But this fic is rated M, so deal with it. :)

Thanks again to my beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea. I don't own Twilight and I never will. Damn...

Chapter 7 – Sober Choices and Drunken Sexcapades

BPOV

When I hung up the phone after talking to Edward on Wednesday, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Talking to him always managed to cheer me up, but he'd also given me hope that I wouldn't be going to bed grumpy or depressed on Friday. Well, probably more like Saturday morning.

I put my phone on the small table next to my bed. The framed picture that sat there caught my attention. My fingers trailed along the frame.

Edward had remembered when I made the comparison between my life and Ariel's. I hope your story turns out like hers, he'd written on the back of the picture.

Did he mean getting out from under my parents' thumb and being free to make my own decisions? Or did he mean getting to be with the one I love?

I sighed and got up to tuck the picture into a drawer, hiding it from view. My mother was planning on invading my room on Friday and I didn't want her taking that out. She didn't need to know about it. I made sure it wasn't anywhere near where she usually liked to snoop. She'd already found my stash of sweatpants and I couldn't risk losing more of my clothes.

I spent all of Thursday holed up in my bedroom reading. It was my pre-party ritual: I'd spend the day hiding out doing things I liked while avoiding everything I hated. My mother was fully capable of setting up the details for the party on her own.

James tried to come into my room, not believing my mother when she told him of my habit. She didn't agree with my choices, of course, but she didn't argue either. Thankfully I'd locked my door and turned up my music very quickly after waking up.

My father informed me that James had stormed out of the house, muttering about not being able to see his fiancée.

James haunted my dreams that night. It was almost like the night three years before. The only difference was the lack of Edward. He wasn't there to save me.

I tried to stay brave through the initial beating. No Edward.

I froze when James' rough touches marred my skin. Still no Edward.

I woke up, gasping, when James crushed me to the wall, forcing his mouth on mine. The clock read 3:24. I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and biting my lip to keep from screaming.

That dream was basically my worst fear. Edward was the only good thing about that night in the alley. James was the worst thing in my life now. Putting them together was enough to make me cower in my bed, afraid to go back to sleep.

Once I was able to control my breathing, my body carried me over to where I'd hidden the sketch Edward had given me. It was the one thing that would calm me down since I refused to call him this early in the morning. I sunk to the floor when I had the frame safely in my grasp.

The picture was a simple rendering of Ariel breaking the surface right after Ursula has turned her human. It was the most poignant shot in the movie for me, seeing her get her first taste of a different life, feeling freedom and change in one moment. Edward understood that need in me, as well as my stubborn and loyal nature, and still loved me. He loved me despite my countless attempts to shove him away.

Little did he know it got harder to say no every time.

I pulled myself off the floor and set the picture back on my bedside table. I was beyond caring if Mother would object. Short of hearing Edward's voice, having the picture out would be the only way for me to get to sleep.

I couldn't deal with having that dream again, so the picture stayed out.

I couldn't remember any other dreams when I woke up the next morning. However, that could have been partially due to my mother bursting into my room.

"Isabella! What are you still doing in bed?" she shrieked. "You know how much I have planned today!"

Yeah, shoving me into as many dresses as you can before I threaten you, I thought bitterly as I sat up.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was after ten thirty. Well, I had to give her some credit at least. I'd agreed to be up and ready by ten. My dad deserved a thank you.

"Give me fifteen minutes, Mother, and I'll be ready," I said through a yawn. "I promise."

She cocked an eyebrow at me for a few seconds before nodding. "Not a second more," she said brusquely before leaving my room in a huff.

I groaned and lay back on the bed for another minute before forcing myself up to get ready.

Another day of preparing for parties, another day of avoiding questions about my relationship with James.

"So, how is James?" my mother asked as she started sorting through the atrocious amount of dresses in my closet.

"No idea, Mother. I haven't spoken to him in two days. He's been working a lot."

"Oh, well, I'm sure he's just dying to see you. We'll have to find you a spectacular dress to make up for it. And don't be afraid to sneak away with him in the middle of the pa-"

"I'm not going to sneak away like a fifteen year old," I said sternly. "Believe me; I can handle myself around James."

"Oh, Isabella, he's your fiancé. You must feel like you need to sneak away at least some of the time." She almost sounded hopeful. She really didn't notice that I couldn't stand him.

It wasn't time to reveal that I was hoping to end the engagement. She would never take it well if I spilled it in the middle of a fitting session. It had to be a carefully coordinated meeting with both of my parents. I needed a good reason, I needed support, I needed evidence, and, above all, I needed Edward.

I knew the last point was impossible, but I planned to at least talk to him before it came out. I needed his support. Jasper and Alice assured me that they would be there with me, but it wasn't the same as having the man you love – and who loves you – standing with you.

Somehow my mother dropped the subject when she realized that I wasn't going to answer her. Instead, she focused on the stack of dresses that she'd set aside for me to model for her.

"Okay, let's try on the simple black one first," she said. "You can never go wrong with a little black dress!"

Of course, my mother's version of a little black dress and my version were completely different. Mine was a simple, knee-length dress with no frills.

Hers was a floor-length, elaborate ball gown with embroidery and beading beyond necessity. It was frilly, poofy, and grotesque in my opinion.

I suffered through five dresses of similar styles before I put my foot down. "Mom, seriously, I can't wear these," I said. I went to an area further into the closet where the dresses that Alice and I had picked out as backups in case something like this happened. "You can pick which ones you like from these."

She looked through the options I'd given her and made a few faces. "How can you want to wear these, Isabella? They aren't anything like what you usually wear."

"I never said I like what I usually wear, Mom," I replied. I smiled as I touched one of the dresses. It was the same shade of green as Edward's eyes, though I claimed I'd picked it for the style. It was a simple design with a sweetheart neckline and an A-line skirt that came to my knees. It was perfectly appropriate.

Before my mother could say anything else about my tastes, I plucked the dress off the hanger and ran to my bathroom. I changed into it quickly before coming out to show her.

"What do you think about this one, Mother?" I asked when I had her attention. She walked slowly around me and I held still under her gaze.

"It fits you perfectly," she started. "And it looks wonderful on you."

"But?" I knew it was coming. It had to be coming.

"But I'm not sure if it's appropriate for tonight's event," she finished.

"Mom, it's a house party, not a gala event," I said carefully. "I don't need a ball gown."

"Then I'd say it's perfect, Isabella."

I smiled and went back into the bathroom to change into my regular clothes.

When I went back out into the bedroom, my mother was holding the picture Edward gave me. My first reaction was to run over and snatch it from her hands, but I resisted. Instead, I let her continue to look it over.

"Where did you get this?" she asked. "I've never seen this in your room."

"It was a gift," I said shortly. I didn't need to give her too much information.

"Aw, that's sweet of James. You always did love The Little Mermaid," she said softly.

Of course she would jump right to James.

"It's wasn't James."

"Oh, Jasper and Alice, then?"

"I have other friends, Mother. You haven't met the one who gave me this." I gently pulled it out of her hands and put it back on my bedside table.

"I guess it's not my place to pry then," she said. She sounded a little put out about not being able to know every little detail about my life. Sensing her defeat, my mother changed the subject. "You'll be alright getting ready later?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said. "Alice said she'd come help me with my hair."

"Alright, well, there are things that need to be prepared," she said awkwardly.

"I'm sure you'll get what you need to done. You always do," I said. Even I wasn't sure how I meant that to be taken.

I fell on my bed after my mother closed the door. My eyes fell on the sketch once again. The most famous song in the movie seemed to be playing on repeat in my mind. I'd never understood it completely until then.

There wasn't a single thing I could think of that I wanted more than to be a part of Edward's world.

By three in the afternoon, I was a mess. I'd been pacing my room for over an hour and I hadn't gotten a thing accomplished. As I turned once again, my gaze fell on the Ariel sketch.

Again.

I groaned and stormed out of my room, flying down the stairs. Food was always an easy way for me to sort through my feelings, so I headed to the kitchen with every intention of asking the advice of two very wise, rich men, Ben and Jerry.

The doorbell rang as I was reaching for the freezer handle. I waited a minute for Maria, the maid, to get the door before I remembered that my mother would be roping in as much help as she could find for this party. My father was still at work, so that left me.

"I'll get it," I called to no one.

I didn't even bother looking through the peephole before opening the door, so I was surprised to see three people standing in front of me when I was only expecting one.

"Jasper, James, I didn't expect you two to come early," I said, shocked.

James stepped forward quickly and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. His fake displays of chivalry were really starting to piss me off.

The thought of where his lips may have been since the last time I saw him didn't help the situation either.

"Is it such a bad thing for a man to want to see his fiancée before there are too many distractions?" he said with a sly smile.

"Actually, James, I've claimed Bella for this afternoon," Alice piped up as she let herself and her husband in, closing the door behind her. "If you'd talked to her in the last week, you would have known that."

"Oh," he said. "Well, I'm sure my brother and I can find some way to entertain ourselves while our women over indulge in their beauty treatments." I nearly gagged at the way he said "our women." I hated how possessive he was over me when there was no feeling behind it. "Oh, and Isabella? Don't forget to wear a necklace. You look like a giraffe without one."

Without another word, he turned to make himself comfortable in my house without an invitation. Jasper's shoulders fell when he realized that he had to join his brother.

"Save me," he hissed. "Soon."

When Jasper was safely in the other room, I grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her up the stairs. The door slammed behind me as I practically bounded into my room.

I grabbed a pillow off the bed and screamed into it, as loud and as long as I could. Before long, my screams turned to sobs and I sunk to the floor, clutching the pillow to my chest. Alice came and knelt in front of me.

"Bella, honey? What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"How am I going to live with him?" I said through my tears. "I can't stand even being in a room with him for more than a minute and I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with him. I want to cringe every time he touches me, but pulling away will just make him want to be with other girls more often. It's… it's not right."

"You need to talk to your parents, Bella," Alice said. Her tone was soft, but her expression was hard. "They need to know that this is hurting you. You can't keep acting like you're okay with this in front of them."

"How can I tell them, Ali? I can't just come out and say 'By the way, my fiancé's a manwhore and I'd rather be out fucking an orphaned tattoo artist whom I love?' How will that make any of this better?"

"They're your parents, Bell. They need to know that you aren't happy."

I sighed and rested my head against my bed. "I'm just so scared of what they'll think. That they won't believe me," I whispered. "To them, it's always been about finding the perfect husband for me. They think that's James. I can't do this to them."

Alice came and sat next to me. "You've been selfless all your life, Bella. I've always told you that," she started. "But I think it's time for you to do something selfish. Something you want. And everyone else be damned."

I stayed silent, not wanting her to know how much I wanted to do just that. If there was even the slightest chance of it being okay, I would go downstairs and throw the ring back in James' face before running to find Edward.

Alice sighed and got up. She came back quickly holding something. She set the only framed picture I had in my lap.

"Jazz told me this was from Edward," she said. "I'd wondered why you'd gotten it framed, but it makes sense now. It's the one thing that reminds you of him that you have in your own house."

I stared at the drawing behind the glass, letting memories flood my mind. Thoughts of Edward and me.

The memory of the night he first told me he loved me.

Every time he offered up his apartment as an escape.

The way he looked as he was teaching me to defend myself.

The way his lips felt against mine…

I slid the picture out of the frame and flipped it over. My fingers traced the message that Edward had written for me. I knew Alice was reading it too, but I couldn't care at that moment. My mind was too busy arguing over what to do about James and Edward.

"Maybe I can do something for myself for once," I said, thinking aloud. "I can't get rid of James yet since I have absolutely nothing to show for it, but I could still be with Edward…."

My eyes widened as I realized what I was saying. I looked at Alice. She had been smiling, but it fell as she took in my pale, shocked expression.

"Bella?" she questioned.

"That makes me like him," I gasped. "That makes me like James."

Her face softened in understanding. "No, it doesn't. You're doing it out of love," she explained. "He is doing it out of a need for power and for himself. You're doing this for you and Edward."

"Right," I said, taking deep breath. "This is for Edward."

My cell phone vibrated on my bedside table, interrupting my thoughts. I got up to check it, confused as to who could be texting me. Opening the phone, a smile broke out across my face.

Good luck tonight. And I meant what I said about calling me later. My phone will be on. –E

How did he do that? How did he always manage to say the right thing at the right time?

I took a few deep breaths before I turned back to Alice with a soft smile.

"Okay, I think I'm alright now," I said.

"Good, because now I need to help you decide what you want to wear tonight," she said, bouncing toward my closet. "I know your mom's taste and trust me-"

"I've already picked out my dress, Ali," I said happily.

Alice turned to me, confused. "She didn't make a horrendous choice?"

"I picked it," I said with a chuckle. I walked a few feet into my closet and pulled out the green dress to show my best friend. It took her a second to recognize it, but her face lit up when she did.

"I know exactly how to do your hair!" she said excitedly.

We headed to save Jasper about an hour before the party was set to start. Alice had done my hair perfectly. Some of it was pulled back, but just enough of it remained free so as to frame my face. The rest of it fell in loose waves around my shoulders and down my back. It looked almost effortless, but took around an hour to perfect.

Jasper sighed in relief when he noticed us enter the room. His eyes were drawn to Alice who was wearing a dress specifically chosen to make up for sticking him with his brother. It was strapless and fairly tight in the bodice, but had a flowing skirt that swirled around with the slightest movement. It was designed to accent a woman's breasts and that was exactly where Jasper's eyes were drawn. He slowly approached his wife and they were instantly lost in each other's gaze. I had thought they were out of that newlywed phase, but apparently not.

James was still sitting across the room chatting away with my father, who acknowledged me with a smile. It took my fiancé a full minute to realize that my father was no longer answering him – clearly trying to steer his attention to me. James looked in my direction, sizing me up. He stood up and came over to me, stopping with about two feet between us.

"Well, you look wonderful, Isabella," he said, clearly pleased. He hadn't even noticed that I wasn't wearing a necklace – which I left off specifically to piss him off – since his eyes were glued to my chest. It wasn't an intimate situation as what Jasper and Alice were doing. Not by a long shot.

"Thank you, James," I said. It was polite, but my tone was flat.

My father shot me a look from behind James' back, silently asking me what was wrong. I shook my head slightly to keep him from asking out loud.

"If you'll excuse us, sir, James, my wife and I need Isabella for one more thing," Jasper said from behind me. He put a hand on my shoulder and started pulling me away before my father or my fiancé had a chance to answer. My friends and I found refuge in the empty game room.

"So, I'm hoping there's a good reason I had to put up with James rambling for a few hours straight," Jasper said.

"I'm really sorry about that," I said. "But he would have been suspicious if you'd come up with us, but he wasn't allowed."

"I understand that," he said, rolling his eyes. "However, that wasn't what I was asking."

"There's a perfect reason, Jazz," Alice said excitedly. She elbowed me in the ribs. "Come on, tell him."

"There isn't really anything to tell yet." My gaze was focused on my hands, wringing them together in my lap.

"Of course there is!" Alice cried in exasperation. "She finally agreed to go with her feelings!"

Jasper still looked confused. "What are you talking about, Ali?"

"She's going to stop resisting Edward," she said more slowly.

"Really?" Jasper said, looking at me. I nodded slowly and he smiled at me. "I'm really happy for you, Bella," he whispered and he hugged me gently.

"Thanks, Jasper," I said. "But I still have to deal with James until I can officially end the engagement."

"Edward's got a plan," he said with a smile. "We've all been told not to tell you what it is, but he's got a plan."

I scoffed and shook my head. "Of course he won't tell me," I grumbled. "He says he loves me, but he refuses to let me in on anything important."

"Aw, cheer up, Bells," Alice said happily. "You don't have to have an excuse to make out with him anymore."

I stared at her for a minute, shocked, before I burst out laughing. "You know, that's a good point. I'll have to remember that," I said. I happened to look at the clock and sighed. "I guess we should get back, though. My mother is probably wondering why we're not greeting the guests that haven't shown up yet."

When we returned to the rest of my family and James, there were a few guests starting to trickle in. We made small talk as a group until there were too many people to make that possible. James, in an effort to look like he had a reason to be there, instantly dragged me away from any of the people I really wanted to be near when groups started to form. From that point on, the conversations just became more unbearable.

"So, how are the wedding plans going?" one woman – the neighborhood gossip – asked.

"Just wonderful, wouldn't you say, Isabella?" James said looking down at me with what should have been a sweet smile. It looked forced and malicious to me.

"Yes, they're coming along nicely," I said with fake enthusiasm. "It would be a lot easier if we had a color scheme to work with, but we can't seem to agree."

I nearly gagged at my own words. This was the ploy I was using for my mother. Make it look like we're doing something while having a perfectly legitimate reason for not having anything ordered.

"Have you decided on a honeymoon destination yet?" another woman asked.

I hesitated, not quite sure how to answer that one and definitely not wanting to. "Um, well, n-"

"Actually, it's all planned out," James responded cockily. "I want to surprise my beautiful bride."

Ugh… I really hoped he was lying through his teeth. But with my luck he probably had the entire thing planned out: big fancy hotel in a foreign country and the most I'd get to see of it would be out the balcony window while he slept. He seemed like one of those guys who would be more interested in what would happen in the bed rather than outside, spending time together.

"Well, I certainly hope it's worth it," I laughed.

An hour into the party, my mother pulled me away from James while he was showing me off to a few of his colleagues.

"Isabella, I need to introduce you to a few people who might be able to help with the plans for the wedding," she said, dragging me off to a different part of the house.

"Mother, I thought we agreed no planning for a while," I hissed while pleasantly smiling as people greeted me.

"Oh, honey, you didn't mean that," she said. "You and James are doing wonderfully and there's no reason to put if off."

I cringed. I really hoped Edward knew what he was doing with that plan of his.

By midnight, most of the guests were pleasantly buzzed. I'd been staying clear of the drinks, choosing instead to sneak small glasses of water from Maria. My parents were definitely drunk since they knew they weren't going anywhere and I made sure to avoid them and any awkward situations that would come with it.

James made a big show of saying goodbye around twelve-thirty. He moved in to kiss me, but I turned my head so that his lips met my cheek. I blamed it on his breath; he'd been drinking a bit. He didn't seem too offended and left.

As soon as he was gone and everyone else went back to their conversations, I booked it upstairs, grabbing my cell phone and dialing as soon as I could.

"Hey Bella," Edward answered after the second ring.

"Hey," I said, absently looking around the room for something to clean my cheek with.

"Are you okay? You sound distracted," he said cautiously. "You can call me back later if you need to, you know."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just looking for something."

"Okay. Well, how did the party go?"

"Ugh, horrible. Everyone was asking about wedding plans and James was parading me around like a thoroughbred," I grumbled. "Aw, screw it, I'm going to the bathroom and using soap," I stated when I gave up on searching.

"And why, may I ask do you need soap that badly?" Edward asked, sounding amused.

"James kissed my cheek," I said with a shudder. "He went for my lips, but thank god for him being drunk. I turned my head and he only got my cheek. But still…. I need to wash my cheek now." Edward burst out laughing on the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, well, I'd rather not have him be the one kissing me goodnight."

"Oh, Bella… you don't see the humor in the fact that you want to wash your fiancé's kiss off your cheek?" he said. "It just sounds so wrong."

"Well, apparently so is my notion of not wanting to marry him," I grumbled, pulling a washcloth out of the closet. "My mother says that James and I seem to be getting along splendidly, so we don't need to put off the wedding plans anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said quietly.

I soaked the cloth and rubbed some soap off before scrubbing my cheek. I made sure the phone wasn't near the water, but I didn't say anything.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Edward asked, still in the same quiet tone.

I sighed, putting down the washcloth and drying my face. It felt infinitely cleaner. "No, I don't," I answered. "It'll only make it worse and I don't want to end up crying tonight."

"Alright, then. We need to stay completely away from anything that will make you cry," he said. He was trying to sound upbeat, but I could tell it was a little forced.

I knew I shouldn't have told him that we were continuing with the wedding plans. But I couldn't lie to him. Aren't relationships supposed to be all about honesty? I needed that with Edward.

Of course, he didn't know that I was willing to start a relationship with him yet. I needed to take it slow and I would make it official when I was ready. I needed this on my terms for once.

"So, Jasper says you have a plan to get rid of James," I said, knowing that he would be distracted.

"Oh, no. You're not getting it out of me," he said with a laugh. "Wait, he didn't tell you, did he? I specifically told him no-" I chuckled and he stopped abruptly. He continued after a few seconds. "You knew I told him not to tell, didn't you?"

"Yep," I replied cheerfully.

"And you knew I would react like that, didn't you?"

"Yep. Well, not exactly like that, but close enough."

Edward paused again. "You're sneaky, Bella Swan."

"Why, thank you. I'm glad to know it's worked to my advantage."

"And at my expense," he sighed dramatically. We both burst out laughing.

I lay on my bed, smiling. Neither of us said anything for a while, but it didn't matter. I knew he was still on the line and it never really matter how much we said. It was a while before either of us said anything.

"So, I'm going to see my aunt and uncle next week," Edward said quietly.

"I thought you didn't really talk to them," I said, confused.

"I don't, but I wanted to change that," he explained. "Emmett asks me to their weekly dinner every time, but I haven't agreed since I left. Until yesterday that is."

"That's wonderful, Edward," I said.

"Yeah, I'm just worried, though," he said.

"Why? They're your family. It's not like you're going up against the Minotaur."

"But I walked out on them, Bella. I ignored everything they ever tried to tell me and threw it in their faces when I started the drugs and more so when I left." He sounded miserable, his voice trembling. His tone rang with remorse and apology. I wished that I could be there with him, to comfort him. "They deserve more than me. They don't deserve a reformed drug addict."

"Don't say that, Edward," I said forcefully. "You're more than that. You're a wonderful person, dedicated to your work for more than the money. You quit doing drugs because you wanted to. Emmett clearly still loves you. I've heard you say that your aunt and uncle are loving people. If that's true, I guarantee that they will be overjoyed to see you."

"Thank you, Bella," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice and I was glad that I could help him. "That was exactly what I needed. I don't believe half of it, but I still needed to hear it."

"I'm always here to help, Edward," I said.

The rest of our conversation was much lighter. I told him that I was avoiding going to the shop because Rosalie wanted to give me a piercing. He assured me that it was nothing, but I just didn't think I could handle it.

Edward talked about what he was doing to his apartment to make it look lived in. The one time I went in, it struck me as a sparse, temporary space. It surprised me that he had lived there since he dropped out of college.

He had started with pulling out pictures. He decided it might be better for him to keep the change if he had more life in his apartment and the pictures from his childhood helped. He even found a few to use as blackmail for Emmett.

"There is one person that I'm missing, though," he said casually.

"Who, Rose?" I asked, confused.

"No, Emmett made sure of that as soon as he figured out what I was doing," Edward sighed. "I now have more pictures of the two of them than I ever needed. Rose assured me they were doubles."

"Then who? You've got some of your entire family. Is there an old friend of yours that you haven't mentioned? An old girlfriend maybe?" I bit my lip as I asked the last part, internally arguing whether or not I really wanted to know.

He sighed, "No, Bella. I don't have a picture of you."

"Oh," I said, stunned.

It shouldn't have surprised me that he would ask for one of me. He constantly reminded me – without saying it, of course – that he loved me. This was just another way to show that.

So why was I surprised?

"Um, well, I'll see what I can do, but I can't guarantee anything," I continued. "Most of the recent pictures are posed with James or the other losers my loving mother has posed me with. Then we get into school pictures in the awkward years and you're not getting anywhere near those. You would want to claw your eyes out."

"I highly doubt that," Edward said with a small laugh. He'd tried to contain it, but it hadn't worked.

"The only real acceptable pictures of me are from when I was nine or younger. There are more candids and I actually look happy in most of them," I continued, ignoring his comment. "Those pictures sometimes have Jasper or Alice in them, but typically both."

"Well, I'll take whatever you'll give me," he said. "But I'd prefer one of you now with no one else in the picture."

"Aw, why? You don't want to see me with buck teeth and splashing in the kiddie pool?"

"I never said that," he laughed. "I'd like to see you in every stage of your life. Including the awkward teen years. But if I had a choice, I would like to have a picture of you now. If only so I can see your beautiful face every day."

I blushed at that. Even over the phone, he still managed to disarm me. It was unnerving, but I liked it. And it scared the crap out of me.

Yet another reason to take it slowly.

"Well, you'll see my beautiful face when we go clubbing," I said, trying to act nonchalant while I threw his words back in his face. "But for now, I need to go hope for sleep. Or at least drown out the loud, embarrassing, drunk sex my parents are sure to have when all the guests leave," I sighed. "I'll talk to you later, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella," he said sweetly. "And I'd suggest an investment in ear plugs."

I hung up the phone with a sigh, but I was still smiling. Talking to Edward always managed to cheer me up. And I was glad that he was finally reconnecting with his family.

He was always so happy when he was talking about his family. Esme and Carlisle were like second parents to him, even before he lost his parents. Edward spoke very highly of them. He adored Esme and admired Carlisle.

His leaving them hurt him more than he cared to admit. I noticed that he visibly tensed whenever the subject came up, but his eyes always shone with respect. That led me to believe that he did regret leaving.

My thoughts were interrupted when Alice burst into the room, giggling like a lunatic. She staggered over to the bed as I looked at her, confused. She fell onto the bed with me, still giggling.

"Oh, Bella!" she said in a sing-song voice. I was surprised she wasn't hiccupping every few seconds. "You know what you need? You need a good fuck. Not just a good lay, that won't do. No, you need a real man, not a pencil dick like James. I can't even believe he's related to Jazz. But Edward? He looks built. Oh, I'm sure you'd get a good, hard fucking from that boy. Whew, if I wasn't made for Jazz, well, I'd go right over there and-"

I jumped off the bed, startling her enough to stop talking. She cocked her head, trying to figure out what I was doing as I ran to my door. I whipped it open and looked both ways down the hall. There was no one there, but the bathroom door was open.

"Jasper Whitlock! I know you're up here!" I yelled. "You're supposed to be keeping tabs on your drunk wife!"

Jasper did have a tendency to shirk his duties on that front when Alice got drunk. He settled for having me deal with her until I came at him, yelling and screaming, for him to do his job.

There was still no movement, so I figured I'd up the ante. No use in not bringing out all the ammo at this point.

"Fine, then I guess you'll never know why she's planning on screwing another man," I said casually.

I had just turned back into my room to see Alice covering her mouth to stop the giggles – she'd clearly enjoyed my threat – when Jasper came rushing past me. He scooped his wife off the bed, grumbling incoherently. He paused on the way out of my room to kiss my forehead.

"Bye Bella. I need to go deal with my wife," he said, clearly agitated. "She'll call you tomorrow."

I was once again alone in my room. I changed into my pajamas and threw my hair into a bun unceremoniously. Before I knew it, I was asleep, oblivious to anything around me.

I skipped into New Moon Pizza happily, maybe more happily than ever before. It was a little unnerving.

My gaze was fixed on Edward sitting at our usual table in the back of the restaurant. But as I approached, it morphed into a darker, cozier, more romantic atmosphere. I sensed that my clothes had changed as well, and I looked down to see an elegant black gown.

Edward stood up and met me halfway. He was wearing a suit that fit him perfectly. It was black, perfectly tailored ensemble with thin, white pinstripes running the length of the jacket and the pants. He looked breathtaking.

He took my hand and turned me around slowly to get the full effect of my dress. When I was facing him again, he slipped his arms around me and pulled me flush against his body. It was easy to feel just how much this dress affected him.

"You look ravishing, my Bella," he said in a low, husky voice. His tone sent shivers through my body, straight between my legs, and I was melting in his arms.

"Your outfit suits you," I answered lamely when I regained my breath.

"It should," he said with a chuckle. "It is a suit after all."

"Shut up and kiss me, please," I said weakly. I was sick of playing. I wanted him and I'd be damned if I couldn't have him.

"As you wish, Bella," he whispered before he touched his lips to mine.

The kiss started out gently, but grew more passionate as I parted my lips and sought his tongue with my own.

"Bella," he groaned. "I need you."

He moved his lips from my own, down my neck, to suck at the top of my collarbone. My knees started to give out.

I was thankful there was no one else in this mysterious restaurant.

"Edward," I moaned. "Take me. I'm yours. Please…"

"God, Bella," he panted.

He scooped me up and set me on the table. Edward's eyes found mine, reflecting a dark lust I'd never seen on his face before. It made me tremble in anticipation.

I felt his hand start inching its way slowly up my leg. It was up to the middle of my thigh when my breath hitched and I realized exactly what he was doing. My hands knotted in his hair and I moaned softly.

"Bella, beautiful Bella," he crooned. "Let me do this for you. Let me make you feel good…"

His voice faded…

…and I sat up abruptly in my own room, panting like a moron with a throbbing ache between my thighs. It took me a second to fully register what happened.

I'd had a sex dream. Well, an arousing dream at best. My underwear was soaked and my heart was racing, but I'd woken up before I'd gotten off.

Now all I could see was my mind's interpretation of what an aroused Edward would look like, kneeling in front of me with every intention of giving me the best – first – orgasm of my life.

I groaned and fell back on my pillow because I knew that if I saw that look now, there was no way I could stop him.

AN: There you have it. Bella's losing confidence is her plan already. It's kind of sad. And don't worry, she will get around to telling Edward that she loves him. You just have to wait a while. :)

Next chapter: Edward goes to talk to someone about James and (at least) the beginning of the club scene. We'll see how well Bella keeps to her plan.

Please, please, please review! I'm not above begging. I really do want to know what you guys think. Also, if you are curious as to the inspiration for the sketch Edward gave Bella, I'm posting a link on my profile. Be sure to check it out. I'm not sure when I'll get to update again, what with college starting next week, but I will try to make it as soon as I can. :)

-Kaylee