A/N: Thanks repeatedly for all the support and love, guys. You have no idea how much it means to me! Thanks to the awesome Birdee for helping my understand the ways of the comma, much much better then I do.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own

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Ryan

Come on, Ryan. Pull it together. What are you doing?

I shook my head slightly and ran a hand along the length of my jaw, feeling the five o' clock shadow that had appeared overnight. I had forgotten to shave, but Bella usually lik-

No. You're not jealous. You're just feeling protective. Get over it. Its Edward, get over it. They're meant to be together. Just help them realize it.

But, were they?

I shook my head again and crept closer to the counter of a fast food restaurant I had jumped in line for. I wasn't sure what I was waiting to eat, but I didn't seem to care, either. I was too focused on Edward and Bella. It surprised me how quickly I felt rage pass over me when I saw how fast Edward seemed to get under Bella's skin. I didn't understand why I felt so protective of her so suddenly. But, then again, my feelings for Bella seemed to be mixing into a weird concoction of lust and friendship lately. It scared me as much as it thrilled me. I never really pictured Bella more than my best soul partner, but lately, I started noticing tiny things about her that made my heart jump or beat slightly faster. I noticed how she had a slight sexy swagger to her hips when she walked. How her lip curled playfully when she was attempting a serious face when teasing people. How inviting those pink lips of hers really were..

But, God, when he made her blush that sweet, cherry blush; my blush. Mi-

What the hell? Stop it.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Bella finally emerge from the ladies' restroom in a new pair of jeans and looking refreshed. I felt myself smile inwardly, but it sank as she approached Edward timidly with a smile. He jumped up from his seat immediately with a sheepish grin and offered a hand in what I assumed as a truce. I watched her shoulders shake lightly as she took his hand and shook it, leaving them both looking into each other's eyes longer then necessary. I felt my body tense when Edward pulled Bella into a hug. I looked away quickly.

I wanted to set them up. I made the damn bed, and I was going to lay in it.

No matter how much it seemed to be killing me. I heaved a deep, cleansing breath and vowed to let this roll off my shoulders. I would help my best friend find love. She deserved it.

With me…

After another five minutes of waiting in line, I grabbed the bag of muffins I had ordered and shuffled back over to a now giggling Bella and a smirking Edward. Edward was playing with her sleek curls, and Bella was swatting at him playfully. I felt a new surge of jealously course its way through my veins.

I wonder what Edward's face would look like inside out, hmm.

"We're going to miss the plane if we don't leave now." I barked more then I intended to. Bella's brown eyes looked up at me in surprise-but didn't question my sudden outburst of masculinity. She simply nodded and opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a sudden outburst of Phil Collins belting, "Sussudio". I felt a grin cross my lips.

A blush flushed through her face as Edward rose an amused eyebrow.

"Didn't take you for a Phil Collins fan, Bella," he teased and flipped her hair again.

Roar.

"It's an inside joke between the two of us." I growled, then tried to play it off by clearing my throat.

She smiled at him and got up, shooting me a questioning look before answering her phone. I shook my head and shrugged.

"I'll be five seconds," She mouthed at me and answered her phone with her 'Editor' voice. I turned back to Edward who was wearing a satisfied smirk.

"I think she likes me."

"No shit, Sherlock," I answered back and threw the bag of muffins into his lap then grabbed the two suitcases by my feet and started walking towards the terminal marked- "L.A."

"Hey, you okay man? You look like you're about to go Bonaduce on someone's ass," Edward asked, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm peachy," I answered through clenched teeth.

"You sure you're seriously okay about Bella and me? I mean, I can't thank you enough, man, I owe you. I really do." Edward smiled and caught up with my brisk pace and settled beside me.

I grimaced. "Anytime, man."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edward

We had successfully made it onto the plane without any trouble besides Bella tripping, repeatedly, on an invisible force that seemed to follow her. I wasn't complaining, though. It gave me an excuse to wrap an arm around her tiny waist without an objection.

Now, I was seated facing Bella and Ryan who were deep in conversation about the upcoming convention we were attending the next day. I couldn't decipher any of what they were saying; most of it was dealing with directors I've never heard of, or gore techniques I'd rather not know of, so I took to just watching Bella. I was transfixed by the way she moved her hands while explaining something. The way she would smile when Ryan would pick on her. She was absolutely stunning with every thing she did.

"So, you're telling me I have to interview Rob Zombie?" Bella asked through a whine, breaking the spell I seemed to be under. "You're kidding right?"

"Oh, come on, Bella. You'd just be asking a few questions," Ryan chided, a teasing tone hidden in his voice. Bella's eyes narrowed. My curiosity perked.

"I don't think his wife will be too thrilled."

"Oh, just say that Wild Turkey had possessed your body, making you feel unusually confident about finding out, just wanted to prove that the bulge was not gym socks like I suggested," Ryan finished, trying with all his might to stop the twitch threatening to turn into a smile. Bella buried her face into her hands. I gaped at her.

"You…you panted Rob Zombie?" I gasped between laughs. Bella let out a strangled moan.

"It's not my fault," she said looking through a hole between her fingers. "If someone would have been watching me more closely and noticed I was drowning myself in the alcohol I was ingesting…" She shot a glare through her fingers at Ryan who was looking down at their itinerary with an innocent expression of curiosity etched onto his face.

"Oh, look! George Romero is going to be there," he stated lightly, unresponsive to Bella's death stare.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned over carefully and slipped Bella's hands from her face. I felt electricity shoot through my hands and travel quickly through my body as my skin made contact with hers, stopping in the middle of my chest, warming it slightly. I smiled, taking in her deep brown eyes.

"I hate not being able to see those perfect eyes," I whispered simply, holding her hands in mine a little longer then I should have.

Another delicious blush flushed across the tops of her cheeks and she ducked her head shyly, staring over at the itinerary that was on Ryan's lap. I gave each of her hands a quick squeeze before letting them go and settling back into my seat.

I was trying my best to do a 180 from the sarcastic ass I usually became around Bella by showing her that I could be a gentleman-when I attempted. It was tough when she gave me so many openings to convert back to my sarcastic self, but I had to prove that I was more then a clever ass, so I bit my tongue and chose to answer with a smile instead of a comment.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"You. Have. Got. To. Be. Shitting. Me." Ryan articulated slowly and clearly for the fifth time.

After retrieving our belongings after filing our way off the plane, we were now at the car rental desk looking downtrodden.

"No, sir, I'm not shitting you," The woman behind the counter stated, emphasizing the fifth word in her sentence. She looked annoyed and was tapping her manicured fingers rapidly against the desk. She swung a wave of her fake blonde hair over her shoulder, a piece almost whipping Bella in the face. I swallowed a laugh.

"Look, there has got to be something other then a truck," Bella tried, only to be shot down with a condescending stare and a loud popping noise as the fake blonde sucked her piece of gum back into her mouth. I grimaced.

"Either take it or leave it, sorry. We have a lot of people in town and a lot of cars are out. You could wait until tomorrow-"

I cut her off with a dismissive wave of my hand. She looked over to me for the first time, her eyes lighting up slightly. A lazy smile crossed her lips. "You could wait. I could bring you wherever you wanted-- after you take me to dinner of course." She finished her statement in what I assumed was her seductive voice and a quick wink. It looked more like a dust particle had worked its way into her eye and was causing pain in the process.

"It's fine, we'll take the truck."

"But, it only has one bench seat-" Bella began to argue. I waved my hand at her, dismissive, yet again.

"It's fine. You'll just sit in the middle."

"But, neither of us can drive a standard," Ryan stated, gesturing between him and Bella.

"Do you not own balls, Ryan?"

He just stared at me.

"Oh my God." I rolled my eyes and snatched the keys from the fake blonde's hand and started to walk towards the parking lot.

I stopped in front of a small white Toyota truck. I snorted.

Well, this should be interesting.

After staring at the clown car for another moment, I walked over to the driver's side and unlocked the door so I could scoot into the small contraption. I leaned over and unlocked the passenger side. Bella just stood next to it, looking apprehensive. I rolled my eyes and opened the door.

"I don't bite."

"I know," she answered and fumbled with her fingers. "It's just…my thigh won't even fit in this thing."

"Just get in the truck, Swan." I growled at her playfully.

After another pause, she finally slipped in and sat in the middle, the shift stick between her legs.

Oh, interesting indeed…

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" I grunted as my eyes zoned in on the slight bounce of her breasts as I went over a bump to exit the parking lot.

"Eyes up front."

"Right."

After countless 'accidental' leg grazes and a few mumbled protests later, we had made it to the hotel and finally settling into our rooms. Ryan and I were sharing one, while Bella had the adjoining room to herself.

The hotel was swanky and modern looking and was right in the middle of downtown L.A., so the convention was in walking distance. It was nicer than I expected it to be.

A knock sounded on the adjoining door suddenly, causing me to drop the pair of boxers I had been placing into a drawer and shot over to the door, tripping on Ryan's shoe in the process. He shot up a cocked eyebrow.

"Anxious?"

I glared at Ryan before I opened the door to reveal a very agitated Bella.

"Trouble?" I asked with a slight smile.

"I need a drunk. Right now." She shook her head slightly. "I mean drink."

I looked over at Ryan to see if it was okay and he just waved us off. I nodded and grabbed a room key from the table next to the bed then took Bella's arm and tucked it in between my right one to lead her down to the bar below.

After settling at a table and ordering both of us drinks, an awkward silence filled the air between us. I cleared my throat, trying to think of a conversation topic.

"So..Fangoria, huh? I bet that's a dream come true?" I attempted, weakly. Bella looked up from picking at her fingers and she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, it truly is," she answered, looking past my head at something at the distance.

I tried again.

"I always knew there was something weird about you."

She shot me a glare.

"Oh." Shit. "Not like that, I just meant that I knew you would do something pretty great. Even if your obsession with gore is slightly offsetting." I tried to save, but failed.

Smooth, Edward. Smooth.

An amused smirk tugged at her lips. "Uh-huh, well, it has its perks. I know how to successfully trick a guy into thinking I'm snipping off his manhood, care to give it a go?"

"Uh, no." I answered then took a huge gulp from my beer. Why was I so nervous around her?

"Cullen," Bella leaned over the table and brushed her fingers tips lightly against my cheek. I closed my eyes at the sensation and leaned into the touch slightly, lips parted. "You're shaking." She finished in a whisper.

I opened my eyes as she retracted her fingers from my cheek and saw that her gaze had darkened. Her plump lips were also parted slightly, looking entirely too inviting. Blood began to pulse down to my lower region, waking me up suddenly.

"You tend to have that effect on me," I whispered in reply, making sure that my breath fanned across her face. Her eye lids drooped heavily as her head tilted to the side. I smirked and ran my fingers across her jaw line.

"Did you know that your skin is the smoothest texture I've ever touched," I questioned in the best seductive whisper I could muster. She snorted in reply and shook herself out of the haze I had put her under, successfully killing the mood.

"Hands, Cullen," she answered playfully and shoved my fingers back to my side of the table.

After that, we fell into a steady flow of conversation and booze, catching up with each other. I found out that she was living with her two best friends still, and I still suggested that my two roommates, Jasper and Emmett, were Alice and Rose's perfect matches. She shrugged it off and sucked down another sip of her margarita. She giggled suddenly and slipped out her chair.

"S'room please?" She slurred slightly.

Good job. She's drunk.

I shook my head slightly and grasped her waist close to mine.

"Alright soldier, room it is."

We walked; well I did. -Bella stumbled-down the hall to the elevators, still eliciting quiet giggles. I felt her begin to slump against me, and I pulled her tighter against me trying to not pay attention to how warm and perfect she felt at my side. The elevator doors finally opened with a ding, and I lugged both of us inside.

We rode in compatible silence for a few seconds.

"Pssst, Edward..psssst," a giggling Bella whispered as she pressed her face against my chest. My heart started to beat rapidly inside of my chest as I felt her lips graze my nipple through my shirt.

"W-what, Bella?" I asked, stammering slightly as I attempted to gain control over my lower region. She's drunk, Edward.

"I have a confession to make," she mumbled against my chest. The doors dinged open once again, and I led her out and walked towards her room. We reached her door, and I grabbed the key out of Bella's front pocket and swiped it through the lock to open it. I propped the door open with my elbow as I tried to balance an off-centered Bella.

Finally making it into her room without incident, I plopped her onto her bed and sat across from her.

"What would you like to confess?"

She stared at me for a few seconds, swaying slightly. A goofy smiled splayed across her face.

"S'I've been in love with you since my freshman year of college, but you were too beautiful to notice."

My eyes widened in shock at her very blunt confession.

She hiccupped loudly.

"I-uh-what?" I stumbled across my words, trying to make sense of what she had just said.

"I.love.you," she stated with a smile on her face. She hiccupped again.

I ran a hand through my hair and got up suddenly.

This isn't right, this isn't how it's supposed to happen.

"Well, I'm going to get you a glass of water and then I'm going to go back to my room."

I walked to the bathroom and grabbed a plastic cup that was sitting on the counter and filled it with water slowly. My brain was in a buzz, trying to figure out what had just happened.

I was caught by surprise when I felt two tiny hands tug at the waist of my jeans slightly, then felt myself being whipped around forcefully to face Bella again. Her hair looked like she had pulled her hands through it numerous times, leaving it wild and puffy. Her cheeks were tinged with the slightest color of pink and her lips were pushed into a delicious pout; as if she were offering them to me. I attempted to swallow, but my mouth was suddenly very, very dry. She smirked as she pressed herself completely against me and I was lost yet again in the familiar sensation of electricity and warmth. I felt my eyes begin to close as a feeling of becoming whole flooded through me.

"I just.." I heard her begin. Her voice was low, husky. I opened my eyes and saw that her gaze had darkened. "..want to know, what it would be like.." she finished and leaned up slightly, her lips just a few tantalizing inches away from mine.

"want to know what would be like?" I shuddered as she moved her lips against mine, grazing them. Teasing them.

"-You being in love with me."

Before I could force a coherent thought through my head, her lips came crashing down onto mine with such force that I stumbled backward and felt my spine come into contact with the corner of the cabinet. I moaned both from pleasure and pain. Bella seemed to take that as a greeting, and she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and lifted herself up until her legs were firmly wrapped around my waist, effectively pushing my swollen erection directly into her core.

This wasn't right, she was drunk. So very drunk and I was letting her kiss me. I started to push her away but stopped when she took my bottom lip between hers and sucked softly. I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head.She is going to make me combust. I never understood spontaneous combustion until now. Holy-She stopped my mind's monologue instantly when I felt her begin to grind against me. Except, for some reason, I wasn't feeling the delicious friction that it should be causing.Then I realized why. She was rubbing herself, vigorously, against my lower stomach instead of her desired destination. I couldn't stop the smile nor the sarcastic comment that escaped my lips."Oh god, Bella, I love it when you grind my stomach," I moaned loudly into her mouth. I felt her body stiffen in embarrassment.

Seconds later, she released her grip from around my neck and untangled her legs from my waist. I felt a frown tug on my lips as she pulled herself completely away from me.

"Bella, hey, where are you going? I thought we were making progress," I suggested playfully as I attempted to pull her back to me. She slipped her fingers out of mine.

"I think you should go." She seemed to have sobered slightly.

"Bella, I-" She cut me off before I could finish.

"I'm really tired and I'm not in the mood to deal with an asshole right now, so if you could kindly find the door and let it hit your ass promptly on the way out, that'd be great."

"Oh, Bella…"

I felt like a jackass. I felt horrible. How could I let my word vomit kill such an intense moment? How could I take advantage of her like that? My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach.

"Bella," I tried again, fishing for words-anything- to make this better. I could see it in her eyes how badly I had bruised her ego. I felt like someone took a swift punch at my gut.

She held up her hands to stop me. "You know, despite what you may think, I have feelings. You're not the only person." Her voice was thick, a warning of tears. She laughed slightly without humor and shook her head. I felt her eyes burning holes into my chest. My throat constricted and started to burn slightly. My stomach was suddenly very upset with the beer I had digested.

"Obviously, this was a mistake," she finished quietly then looked away, fumbling with her fingers. "Just go."

I stared at her for a few more seconds, then stumbled from the room in a haze of guilt. Once the door clipped the back of my heel, I snapped out of it and the entirety of the situation fell onto my shoulders, weighing me down even more.