AN: Less than a month! Better than I expected. I am really sorry it took this long though. Hopefully the next one won't take as long now that I'm settled in at college. I also want to say thank you to my beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea, who was able to do this while recovering from being sick. She's awesome. Also, the title of this chapter comes from the song The Fixer by Pearl Jam. I thought it fit Edward well with him trying to fix everything so that he can be with Bella.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do own a Bible that I feel really weird highlighting during class, though....

Chapter 8 – The Fixer

EPOV

"Edward, you know you're going," Emmett said matter-of-factly.

"No shit, Sherlock," I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair; it was already a mess from doing that a hundred times.

"If you know, then why the hell are you pacing a hole in the floor?"

He really was oblivious.

"Emmett, you've seen how I am around Bella on a normal day. Now put her in tighter clothing and a dark, crowded room and pump music that is specifically meant to make people want to fuck one another through the speakers and then tell me how the fuck I'm supposed to be able to resist her," I explained.

My cousin thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I guess I can see your point," he said. "Maybe it's just time to give up resisting her."

"I can't do that, Em. I can't force her into it."

He hopped off the countertop where he'd perched himself despite my protests and stole a piece of fruit. "Well, you've got a few more days to decide," he said, polishing the apple with the hem of his shirt. "We're going on Saturday by order of the midget."

"Yeah, I'll be there," I sighed. "You know I will."

Emmett put his hand on my shoulder and added cheerily, "And just think: Bella will probably be in the hottest outfit you've ever seen her in. How can that possibly suck for you?"

And with that, he happily bounded out of my apartment, already on his way to see Rose. Sometimes I wondered how he could be related to me.

I sighed and flopped onto the couch. It seemed inevitable that I would end up going to the club with everyone and that I would be subjected to a serious case of blue balls. I was just hoping there would be some way to lessen the blow.

The next day dragged on. It was a slow day at the shop and there was no word from Bella. She had mentioned something about color schemes and invitations the last time I'd talked to her, but I didn't want to think about that.

Instead, I decided to follow Rose and bring a book with me.

"Edward?" Rose asked when she came back from her break. "Are you… reading?

"Yep," I answered, simply, not looking up at her.

"And is that what I think it is?"

"If you think that it's Pride and Prejudice, then you'd be correct," I replied.

"Wow," Rose gasped. "You really must be bored." She settled herself into the chair behind the counter and propped her feet up on the glass. "So, is it good?"

"Not sure yet," I said. "But this Darcy guy seems like the biggest ass in the history of the world."

Rosalie smiled. "You're at the part with the dance, aren't you? Just keep reading," she said. "Maybe you'll learn something."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"Nothing, jeez…. Don't get so defensive over nothing."

I went back to reading, still confused over what Rose had said, but found myself enjoying the difficulties that the characters found themselves in. By late-afternoon, and with only a few walk-in appointments, I was already done with the book and thoroughly impressed with it.

"So, what did you think?" Rose asked excitedly.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this excited about a book, Rose," I chuckled, evading her question.

"Eddie, it's Pride and Prejudice. It's every girl's duty to know and love that book," she stated firmly. "Now answer my question, damn it."

"I liked it," I said with a chuckle. "It reminds me a little too much of my situation, though."

"What Darcy and Whickham?"

"Well, Whickham and Collins combined," I said with a sigh. "Except that Bella doesn't like either version of James."

"Cheer up," Rose said. "You get to see her in a skimpy outfit and grind on her all night. How can that be bad?"

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "You have no idea," I mumbled.

I heard the doorbell jingle as someone came in, but I didn't even bother to look up.

"Baby, what did you do to Edward?" Emmett's voice carried across the room. "He didn't kill himself, did he?"

Rose laughed. "No, he's just frustrated. He's probably going over all the ways to not jizz his pants while he's dancing with Bella."

"Thanks, Rose," I snapped, finally looking up. "You're so supportive."

"Hey, I gave you enough fantasies to last the week. You owe me."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take an extra shift next week," I grumbled. "Now, go do whatever you guys do on random weeknights."

"You're coming to dinner with us," Emmett said. I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, you haven't been to a restaurant for god knows how long without Bella."

"Fine, but I'm not paying," I said.

"I still owe you for the groceries, so whatever," Emmett said with a shrug.

Dinner was nice. We went to a small restaurant near the edge of town and just talked like a normal family at mealtimes. It felt wonderful to have that feeling back. There was still an ache in my chest at not being able to share in this with my parents, but it was comforting at the same time. There were people who cared that I was eating right and not holing myself in my room. The feeling of belonging to the world again was remarkable, but there was still something missing.

If only Bella could be here, I thought.

"Hey, Edward?" Emmett said when we were finishing our entrees. I looked up at him in response. "You know how we were planning to get together for dinner at Mom and Dad's this week?"

"Yeah, why? Did something happen?" My mind instantly jumped to the worst conclusion. I couldn't go through that again.

"No, nothing bad," my cousin was quick to assure me. "Dad just had a last minute conference to go to. We're just pushing it out to next week. Maybe Sunday brunch or something."

I let out a small sigh of relief. "Yeah, that's fine. My schedule's free except for work and that's flexible."

"I'll let you know after I talk to them then," Emmett said with a smile. "They'll be happy you're still coming."

I groaned and let my head fall back. I still felt horrible about not talking to them for so long. Esme and Carlisle had always been perfect to me and I'd let them down, time and again. It kept getting worse, despite the fact that I knew what I was doing. I regretted hurting them, but I couldn't face them while I was screwed up. They deserved more than a screwed up, orphaned, broken nephew.

"What do I say to them?" I whispered, more to myself than to Emmett or Rose. "How can I apologize for all the shit I've put them through?"

"They still love you, Edward." It was Rose who spoke this time. "They always ask me to keep an eye on you and let them know how you're doing. They want you to be healthy and happy. They were overjoyed to hear how well you've been doing." She put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "You still deserve to have a loving family."

"Thanks, Rose," I said quietly. "But I don't know…"

"Ed, man… you need to stop wallowing," Emmett interjected. "You're still a part of this family, so you damn well better get used to the idea."

"Thanks, Emmett," I said with a smile.

Emmett and Rose dropped me off at my apartment and reminded me that they would pick me up on Saturday to go to the club. Apparently Alice didn't trust me to show up if I didn't have escorts.

I was lounging on my couch and flipping through the James files again when Bella called that night.

"Hey," I said with a smile.

"Well, don't you sound cheery," she said with a giggle.

"I've got a great person to talk to; why wouldn't I be cheery?"

"Yeah, don't push it," she said. "You wouldn't want to lose your dance partner for this weekend, would you?"

I gasped in mock astonishment. "Are you really threatening to leave me dateless? That's just plain mean, Bella."

"Aw, you know I have to go. Alice won't let me out of it," she said.

"The little spitfire hired escorts for me to make sure I get there," I grumbled.

"She bribed Emmett with beer," Bella confessed.

"That bastard sold his soul for beer?" I said with a gasp. "That better be fucking good beer."

"Edward, I thought you wanted to go," she asked, a little confused.

I sighed, "I just don't want to be forced into it like a five year old to a school function."

"They just don't want you to miss out," she explained. "Plus, I don't want to be stuck along with them."

I chuckled softly. "I will be there to keep you company. Even if it means dragging you off to dance for every song."

I heard her breath catch and I couldn't tell what that meant. "Edward, I don't know if I can handle every song. I might spontaneously combust."

I smiled even though she couldn't see me. "Then we'll have to make sure you stay cool, that's all."

"And all this dancing is supposed to have no effect on you whatsoever?" Bella shot back.

She was feisty when she was riled. Images of how that could translate to other situations jumped to mind immediately. The flood of emotions settled enticingly in my lower extremities. So much for no blue balls…

"Believe me, Bella. I can't even talk to you without having some sort of reaction," I answered honestly. I was still following Rosalie's advice and reminding Bella of what she meant to me. Granted, it wasn't the best way to bring it up, but it was still a reminder.

Her breathing got heavier. I could tell she was trying to hide it, but it wasn't working.

"Edward, can I ask you a favor?" she said timidly.

"Of course, Bella. Anything," I replied.

"On Saturday, can you wear those dark wash jeans and one of your vintage band tees? I know Rose is going to try to get you into something nicer, but-"

"That sounds perfect, Bella," I said honestly. Not only would I not have to worry about Rosalie torturing me, but I knew that Bella would like what I wore. "But why?"

"I want to make sure we can find you if you get there before us," she said. It sounded like a rehearsed explanation, but I let it go. I could use it to my advantage, so why should I question it?

"And what if you get there first?" I asked. "What will you be wearing?"

She hadn't expected that.

"We-well, um… you know, I'm not really…" she fumbled for the right words. "How about I tell you when I know."

I smiled. I would take any excuse to talk to her. "Sounds like a plan."

"Well, I should get going," she said sadly. "But I will call you when I know."

"Okay, Bella. And don't worry about it too much. You'll look beautiful in anything."

"Goodnight Edward," she said in a teasing huff.

I chuckled, "Sweet dreams, Bella."

I went to bed that night with a smile plastered on my face.

The shop was slow again the next day and I found myself flipping through James' files again. One of them kept drawing my eye.

Victoria was apparently one of his ex-girlfriends. She accused him of domestic abuse almost two years before. He had severely beaten her when she refused to have sex with him one night. She had been trying to avoid telling him that she was pregnant and was afraid it would slip out in the heat of the moment. She said James had threatened to kill her if she didn't sleep with him, but somehow the charges were dropped.

Her number was listed near the bottom.

I stared at it for a full minute before I was able to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" a panting voice said after the third ring.

"Hi, is this Victoria Stryder?" I said cautiously.

"Yes, who is this?"

"You don't know me, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about James Whitlock?" There was a strong possibility that she would hang up on me, but I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

She didn't hang up, but she definitely wasn't polite. "Listen, whoever you are, I don't know what you know about between me and that son of a bitch, but you don't know anything. So you can take your questions and shove them up your-"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Stryder," I interrupted. "I didn't want to bring up back unwanted memories, but I hope you will hear me out."

Victoria stopped her ranting and hesitated before continuing. "Why do you want to know?" she asked slowly.

"The woman I love is being forced into a marriage with him," I started. "She doesn't love him, but she can't figure out a way to get out of it. I need to prove to her parents that she wouldn't be safe with him. I got your information from a series of cases filed against him and I thought it might be a good place to start. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, but I swear it was not my intention."

There was another pause and I thought I could hear a sob in the background. Victoria sighed through the line. "Look, sir-"

"Edward," I supplied.

"Edward, that time in my life isn't one that I enjoy looking back on," she started. "But I understand why you're doing this. It isn't something to do over the phone, though. Would you be willing to meet me at a café downtown?"

"Of course," I said. I was stunned that she agreed so easily. She really must have been a hopeless romantic at heart. "There is a small bistro on East Street, if that would be convenient for you."

"That sounds fine," she said. "It will have to be after two in the afternoon. Riley doesn't get up until one-thirty and then I need to get him ready…"

"I can work with whatever time will be best for you," I said. "I have a very flexible schedule."

"Then I guess I will see you there tomorrow, unless that's not enough notice."

"Tomorrow is fine," I said, not wanting her to change her mind if I hesitated. "Thank you for doing this."

"You're welcome. I hope it's worth it."

I hung up the phone and took a deep breath. I was one step closer to getting James out of the way.

"Are you okay, Edward?" Pete asked. I hadn't even realized he was up front with me.

I looked over at him. "Yeah, why? What's up?"

"Nothing… you just got this really weird look on your face for a minute," he said. "You know that manic grin that cartoon villains sometimes get on their faces? It looked a lot like that."

"Just as long as he doesn't start hiding away in a laboratory underground somewhere," Rose said from behind me. I turned and glared at her, but she just ruffled my hair and went to finish up with a customer.

I spent the night trying to figure out to the best way to go about the interview with Victoria the next day. There was no good way to ask a woman about the worst experience in her life like that. She would probably hate me for that alone, but I needed this.

Bella needed this, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

As if she could tell that I was worrying, Bella called me.

"Hey," she said cheerily.

"Hi," I said with a sigh. I didn't bother hiding my agitated state.

"What's up, Mr. Grumpy Gills?"

"Only you would quote Disney movies at a time like this," I said, managing a small laugh. Then I sighed again. "I'm just worried."

"Worried? About what?" She suddenly sounded more attentive, like she was doing something beforehand but she'd stopped to give her full attention to the conversation.

"Just a part of my plan, Bella," I said, trying to keep her from overreacting. "It's not a big deal; I'm just not sure if I'll get out of this with my balls intact."

Her laughter rang through my ears and calmed my body down. I sat on the couch, a smile playing at my lips.

"Edward, if any man can get out of a situation with his balls intact, it better be you," she said. "Those self-defense classes you gave me better have done something for you at some point. Unless of course whatever this is entails going to prison or something. Then there's nothing I can do."

"I'm not going to prison, Bella. At least I hope not…"

"Can you at least tell me about it? Any little hint?" she begged.

I thought about it for a minute. She deserved to know something at least. I could tell her enough to get her by without actually telling her anything.

"Well, I'm going to talk to someone about their interactions with James in the past. However, it isn't something they like to talk about on a regular basis," I said. "So, if I say anything out of turn, there is a distinct possibility that I may be missing a vital extremity the next time I see you."

"Then don't you dare say anything out of turn," Bella said. "You're going to make some girl insanely happy with that extremity some day."

I hope you will be that girl, Bella, I thought. I came very close to actually saying it, but I didn't want her to push me away again.

"I'll make sure to wear a cup if you're so worried," I said, trying to make a joke out of it.

"Please do," she said. I could hear the smile in her voice. "I guess I should let you get back to preparing for your plan. I hope to see you fully intact on Saturday. Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella," I chuckled. "Sweet dreams."

I decided to just go to sleep at that point. Having her voice be the last thing I heard made sleep come remarkably fast.

Rose was fine with me taking the majority of the day off. "Go play cop. Nothing could possibly happen here while you're gone," were her exact words.

It was hard to walk away with a straight face while she was laughing at my expense.

I got to the café about ten minutes before Victoria was due to get there. I found a table by the window and sat with my mug of straight, black coffee while I waited. Coffee probably wasn't the smartest thing to have while I was already jittery, but it was all I could stomach.

Ten minutes later, I saw a frazzled woman with flaming red hair come in, toting a toddler and large diaper bag that was almost bigger than the child. She couldn't be more than a year or two older than myself, but I knew it had to be Victoria.

I cautiously got up and walked over to her. She was scanning the room, obviously looking for someone.

"Victoria Stryder?" I asked cautiously. Her head whipped in my direction and her eyes inspected me.

"Edward?" she asked. I nodded. She visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank god. I thought you were going to be some crazy biker guy with a deceptive voice. But you're just like any other rebel college kid. Would you mind holding the bag for a minute? Riley won't stop fussing," she said, tossing the diaper bag in my direction.

"Uh, sure, I guess," I sputtered as she readjusted the child on her hip. He was a tiny thing, maybe eighteen months old, with shining blue eyes – Whitlock eyes – and bright red hair sticking out everywhere. He tugged at his mother's sleeve while pointing at me. I smiled at him as gently and genuinely as I could and he giggled.

Victoria stopped what she was doing when she heard her son and smiled. She looked at me happily. "He likes you," she said. "He doesn't usually like anyone this quickly."

I shrugged and ran a hand through my hair, embarrassed. "I suppose I'm just good with kids?" I guessed.

She chuckled. "No one is that good with kids," she said. "I think it's the hair. You match."

I felt better now that the ice had been broken. It was a little less awkward as we made our way back over to the table I had snagged. Riley managed to wriggle his way out of Victoria's grasp as she searched for something in the diaper bag, but I wrapped my arm around his stomach before he got too far and set him on my lap. I was surprised when he just giggled and squealed in delight.

Victoria was still smiling when she pulled out a small sippy-cup for her son. She didn't even try to take him from me.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk about today?" she finally asked.

"Well," I started hesitantly, focusing on Riley and his strange, fumbling drinking habits. "I really wanted to focus on why the case was dropped, but any information you are willing to give me would be amazing."

Victoria sighed. "The first part is actually really easy, but not something I'm proud of," she said. "He offered to open an account with a starting value of two hundred thousand dollars to fund Riley's college education. James always knew exactly how to get me to cave. I think it was his God-given talent."

"You dropped it to pay for your son's education," I said, just wanting to clarify that I'd heard correctly. I didn't mean it to sound bad, but she took it to mean that I was judging her.

"Look, I know it's not a good thing. He basically just bribed me. But I knew I was going to be a single mother. A single mother working as a bank teller during the day and waitressing three nights a week will never be able to pay for a good college education for her son," she said, trying to explain something that already made sense to me. "I needed this for him."

"I understand, Victoria," I said, hoping to reassure her. "You want what's best for your son, especially when his father is a psychopathic moron with absolutely no moral standing. I get that. But at the same time, was it worth it? Could you walk away after dropping the charges and feel satisfied that all you got was your son's education?"

The thought bugged me. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that anyone could feel satisfied in knowing that the one that they were accusing would just walk away with nothing. It didn't sit well in my mind.

She looked down at the table, absently playing with one of the straps on the diaper bag. I silently handed her son back to her. Victoria took Riley back gratefully, sighing as he cooed and snuggled into her side.

"I still have nightmares about the things he did to me," she said quietly. She was lightly combing through her son's hair. "I hated every second of it. But knowing that he wouldn't come after me if I dropped it—that he wouldn't come after Riley—was a chance I had to take."

I nodded. I still didn't fully comprehend, but I understood the principles behind her decision. She wanted her son to be safe. Nothing mattered beyond that. It didn't matter what happened to her.

"I think I understand," I said. She just nodded and smiled down at her drooling bundle of joy. "Would you mind telling me more about what exactly happened between you and James?"

Victoria looked up at me, but her arms tightened around Riley. It suddenly made sense why she wanted him with her. He was her security blanket for this discussion.

"I met him while I was waitressing one night three years ago," she said. Her voice was almost hollow, like she couldn't be engaged in the story. "He came back every night for a week and sat in the same spot before he asked me out. He was the most attentive boyfriend I'd ever had. Always looking out for me, asking my opinion, making sure I wasn't cold….

"The first time he hit me was after a stressful day at work. He took me out to the movies and I forgot my coat. He smacked me across the face and called me a forgetful whore because now all the guys in the theater could see that I'd dressed up," she continued.

Here she paused to move Riley and keep him from falling off her lap. He was still having a grand old time, completely oblivious to his mother's discomfort with the situation. Victoria's expression softened as she looked at her son and I sensed that only one good thing came from her time with James.

"I found out I was pregnant just over two years ago now. I couldn't tell him right away, but I was doing everything I could to keep James happy," she said. "I didn't want to give him a reason to hurt my baby. It came out one morning when I locked myself in the bathroom to keep him from seeing me throw up. He realized what was going on and tried to beat it out of me. He threw me out of the apartment without anything. I managed to get myself to a hospital to make sure the baby was okay." She looked down at Riley again and smoothed his hair down as the boy flipped over his cup, clearly fascinated that the drink wasn't coming out. "He ended up coming three weeks early, but he's healthy as a horse. I couldn't ask for a better gift from God."

I watched the mother and son interact for a few moments after Victoria finished what she had to say. She clearly loved Riley more than anything in the world.

The boy held up his cup to show his mother, a lock of hair falling into his face. She chuckled and fixed his hair, urging him to keep drinking. He just kept shaking it and enjoying himself. Victoria was shaking her head, but smiling.

"You make a great mother," I commented.

She blushed, but looked up at me again. "I just know what he needs, I guess," she said.

"Well, whatever you do seems to work. You're a natural."

"Thank you, Edward," she said. "You know, I think this has actually been good for me. You've made me realize that I can't keep living in the past. I need to move on and raise my son to never be like his father."

I smiled sweetly at her and nodded. "Glad to be of service," I said.

We spent a few more minutes in the café, mainly fawning over the adorable toddler, but also discussing different random things to pass the time. Riley climbed off Victoria's lap at one point and catapulted himself at me. I chuckled and lifted him up, gently tossing him before handing him back to his mother. He giggled and clapped, begging me to do it again. I obliged once as we walked out of the café.

"It was nice meeting you," Victoria said as she took her son back in her arms.

"The pleasure was mine," I said with a smile.

"Whoever this girl is that you love, I hope she appreciates what you're doing for her," she said. "If not, it won't be worth it."

"Thank you," I said. "But I think she does know. She just can't let herself admit it yet."

"Well, good luck with everything."

"You as well. I hope he grows up like his mother."

She blushed and we finished our goodbyes. It had gone better than I could have ever expected. Not only did I now have more information on James, but I also had concrete proof against him. Maybe this would be easier than I thought.

"So how'd it go?" Rose said, practically jumping on me when I returned to Twilight. I raised an eyebrow at her, shocked by her interest, and pushed passed her into the shop. "Come on! Tell me. It's been dead here today. I sent Pete home an hour ago. I need something."

"You didn't call Emmett?"

"He's no fun at work," she pouted. "And he refuses to let me see him in the jumpsuit for fear that I'll never let him leave the bedroom again."

"Really, Rose? I'm back for two seconds and you're already telling me about your crazy fantasies? God…" I said, shaking my head.

"Will you please tell me what happened?" Rose said. She sat down behind the counter. "Was she nice? Did she try to rip your head off when you started asking questions? Did you get any answers?"

"Slow down, Rosalie," I said with a chuckle. "She was very nice. And her son was adorable, almost Haley Joel Osment in Forrest Gump level adorable."

Rose's expression softened. She had a soft spot for kids and I knew she was just waiting for the day when she could start a family with Emmett.

I told her everything that happened, from the unconventional icebreaker to the hope that Bella would understand everything I was doing. I could tell Rosalie agreed that nothing could have gone better.

"I don't think you could have gotten anything more perfect," she said. "You know that the next few meetings are going to give you some trouble, right?"

"Well, I'm hoping that when I mention the reason I'm asking is because I love Bella they will all feel the same way Victoria did," I said, not seeing an issue with my logic.

"Edward," she said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "For a guy who's been through all the shit that you've been through, you're incredibly naïve. Some of those girls had their lives ruined because of James. They won't want to talk to you. You got lucky because of that kid."

I stopped to let those words sink in. She was right. Why was I willing to make them relive the worst experiences of their lives just so that I could have the woman of my dreams? It seemed incredibly unfair.

But I had to try.

Bella's happiness meant much more to me than anything else and I was willing to do this for her.

"I need to do this, Rose," I said, staring at her, trying to make her back down. "Bella needs this."

"No, she just needs out of her engagement. You just need to hope she'll want you," Rose corrected.

I avoided doing anything else toward my impromptu investigations against James after our conversation. I didn't want to rush into everything and make a mistake. It was better to spread the meetings out a little and not make anything look too suspicious in case James noticed what I was doing.

When Saturday rolled around, I was anxious to see Bella. I talked to her briefly on Thursday night about what she would wear. She said that Alice had found the perfect thing out shopping and told Bella that she just had to wear it. Bella didn't even know what it looked like. It had taken every ounce of energy to get Alice to even admit that it was a shade of blue that "would go perfectly with her eyes and make Edward want to drag her off into some dark corner."

That last tidbit of information had come from Jasper, not Bella. She would never admit to hearing that.

But I was intrigued. Just thinking of all the possibilities was making it hard to even think about the upcoming night out without my pants tightening. The fact that I would have even the slightest chance of dancing with Bella was not helping me get rid of the hard-on, either.

We planned to meet outside Club Skunk at nine, but Rosalie showed her face at my apartment promptly at six-thirty.

"Come on, into the shower with you," she said, pushing me back toward my bedroom not two seconds after I let her in.

"I showered two hours ago, Rose," I protested.

"I don't care. You've probably been pacing around here, wearing a hole in your floor, trying to get rid of your Bella-induced haze which means you probably work up a sweat," she said. "Therefore, shower time."

She was right, but I'd never admit it. Damn that woman and her accurate ways of reading people.

As soon as I got out of the shower, I could hear her rummaging around in my closet. Thankfully, I'd already set aside the clothes Bella requested, so it was time to burst Rose's bubble.

"Hey, Rosalie?"

"What, Edward? I'm in the middle of finding you the perfect outfit. I need to concentrate. So shut up."

"Uh, Rose, I already know what I'm going to wear."

She whipped around to face me, shocked. "What? How?"

I didn't even bothering answering her, I just showed her what Bella had requested. Rose looked over it carefully before meeting my eyes.

"You didn't pick this," she accused.

"I never said I did," I answered honestly.

"Who did you ask? Alice?"

"I didn't ask anyone."

Rose scowled and looked down at the outfit again before understanding brightened her expression.

"Old school high tops?" she asked. "The plain black and white ones?"

"Yeah, they kind of go, don't they?" I asked hesitantly.

Rose shook her head. "Bella…. Of course she would go with the vintage look."

"Is there a problem with that?" My tone was a little harsher than I intended and Rose noticed.

"Nooo…. Though you might want to back off a bit there, lover boy. I don't know if she's that kinky."

I groaned. "Rose, I don't need that. Not now. And, frankly, not ever coming from you. You're like my sister."

She smiled up at me and kissed my cheek. "It distracted you. Therefore my job is done," she said. "Get dressed. Emmett will be here soon."

"Rose, it's not even eight," I said. "Why so early?"

"Because we're getting there first." I stared at her blankly, not understanding what was going through her head. "Look, Bella requested that outfit so she would know what to look for, right?" I nodded. "Well, then we let her look for you. For once, we let her chase you. See where I'm going with this?"

I nodded, but I would be lying if I said I really understood. It seemed illogical to force Bella into something that she clearly didn't want, like chasing me. I followed her around like a lost puppy and there was no problem with that, so far. But she never chased me. It seemed backwards.

Rose left me alone to change and I put in one of the mix CDs Bella had made for me. It happened to be the one that she'd given me the night I told her about my parents. I skipped right to my mother's favorite song and let the notes wash over me.

To anyone else, it was simply a cute little number that they had turned into a Fantasia cartoon. To me, Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 was what I grew up with. My mother used that for all the mock swordfights I had with Emmett while pretending to be Peter Pan. It was the soundtrack to many Saturday mornings doing mindless chores around the house.

It was also the one thing guaranteed to connect both my old life – my childhood spent with my parents – with my new life, one I was hoping to spend with Bella.

I dressed quickly after I realized that I was daydreaming. By the time the song was over, my thoughts were no longer innocent, no longer pure. The music now had no effect.

My mind was sufficiently sucked into techno, hip-hop, and rap. Images of Bella gyrating to the beat danced across my mind as I tried to keep my reactions at bay.

Nine o'clock couldn't come fast enough.

Emmett was sitting on my couch when I came out. He was camped out, watching some car show and critiquing every little thing they did.

"Where's Rose?" I asked.

"Getting ready. She told me to tell you not to sit down-" I stopped in mid-squat, about to sit next to him on the couch, "- and that you can't get your clothes dirty. And if you do, she will tell Bella exactly how much you were obsessing over this shit tonight."

I groaned and stood up. "Sometimes her rules go a little over the top," I complained.

Emmett just shrugged and looked back at the TV. "Not my problem, man. I will listen to whatever the fuck she says."

"And that, my dear cousin, is what we refer to as whipped," I said.

"And you're not?" he accused.

"How can I be whipped if I'm not in a relationship?"

"You're more of an idiot than I thought," Emmett muttered, shaking his head.

It took a minute for his words to really register in my head.

Was I whipped?

For three years I'd been silently – well, not-so-silently – pining for Bella because she refused to leave her family's way of life. Lately, I'd been doing everything in my power to get her out of a situation that she hated, but saw as inevitable. It was my idea.

That didn't constitute being whipped, did it?

No, of course not.

But I was.

It was the fact that I was there for her whenever she needed. Even if it was inconvenient for me, I was there. I bent to her will. I did everything I could to make her happy.

"Oh good, you didn't ruin your clothes yet," Rose said as she came out of the guest room. She had a bright red silk top that hugged her curves and a pair of white skinny jeans on. Emmett wouldn't leave her side all night.

"No, I didn't. But thanks for the vote of confidence," I grumbled.

"No problem," she said cheerily. "Now, let's get going."

"Rose, it's only eight-fifteen," I noted.

"Yeah, and?"

"And…. Why the hell are we getting there so early?"

"Because, unlike you, some of us have drinking to get to," she said. Rose grabbed my arm and started dragging me out of the apartment. "Now let's go!"

Forty-five minutes later, I was sitting at a small table in the back corner of the seating area at the club, watching my cousin and his girlfriend eye-fuck each other over their drinks. I sighed and sipped my Coke and checked my watch every few seconds, wondering when Bella would get there.

Just after nine, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

We just pulled up, are you here? –B

I smiled and quickly typed out a reply.

Look for the outfit. See you soon. –E

"Oh, the princess must be here," Rose laughed. She was almost yelling over the music. "Princey's on alert."

"Nah, Edward's not the prince," Emmett retorted loudly. "If anything he's the stable boy who wants to bang the princess."

I scowled at my cousin who was laughing at his own joke. "Fuck you," I said seriously.

"Why are we mad at Emmett?" a beautiful voice said from behind me.

I turned to see Bella, smiling, behind me. She was wearing a dark blue corset adorned with lace paired with a short, denim miniskirt.

I let out a ragged breath as I looked her over. There was no way in hell my pants would ever feel loose again that night. My cock liked that image way too much.

"Edward, are you okay?" she asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Yeah," I said, shakily. "I'll be fine."

She could tell I was lying, but she let it go.

As the conversation flowed between everyone – Jasper and Alice had come in with Bella, but I hadn't noticed – my eyes kept going back to the beautiful creature sitting next to me. She looked over at me every once in a while with a smile and I just had to smile back. Once, she happened to look down and she must have noticed the tent in my pants because her smile morphed into a wicked grin.

I was fucked.

AN: So, how was it? I would love to know, so please, please, please hit that review button. I got over 10 reviews for the last chapter without really begging (and that is a lot for me, so don't make fun of me for it) including review number 50 - thank you sassy spacey! Also, to one of my anonymous reviewers, I promise the plot is moving forward after this chapter! The last few chapters have really been filler and build up for what's coming, but it really was necessary.

Next chapter: The club scene (finally...)! Also, a twist regarding where Bella ends up after a night of dancing and a dream that propels the plot forward.

Again, please review! It will make my day. And I hope to have the next chapter out within the next 2-3 weeks, but check my profile from time to time for updates. Thank you for reading! :)

-Kaylee