A/N:

We're back! Thanks for sticking around! Things seem to be going pretty good for Bella and Edward, huh? He's got a bit of a crush, do you think she does too?

Big hugs to Emmy415 and Sweek539.

We don't own Twilight.

Chapter 5 (BPOV)

Friday morning hit me like a ton of bricks, and I found myself at work, just wanting to go home and crawl back into my warm, comfortable bed. I was up half of the previous night overanalyzing everything that happened during dinner with Edward. When I walked into his apartment, I swore to myself I wasn't going to give into him easily; but after talking with him, I realized that our separation was partly my fault. His apology seemed sincere, and I realized that I wanted us to move forward, not dwell in the past. Sure, we still had things to discuss, but harboring grudges wasn't going to get us anywhere. In all honesty, I was elated to have my friend back. Was I still a tiny bit angry at him? Sure, but we had to start somewhere, and this was a good place to start.

"Knock knock," Angela tapped lightly on my doorframe, and then came waltzing into my office, two coffee cups in hand. She set one in front of me, and I let out a grateful sigh.

"You, my dear, are a lifesaver. I was ready to crawl under my desk and sleep away the day," I mused, leaning back into my leather chair, and taking a sip of my mocha latte.

"So, we're running the Masen's review tomorrow," she said, a slight mischievous gleam appearing in her eyes.

I started at her suspiciously. "And?" I pressed.

"And...I just thought I'd let you know, since you and Chef hottie-pants over there seem to have some sort of history. Is that why you were so nervous all week?"

My mouth dropped open slightly, and I fumbled for my words. "I wasn't nervous...it's just...we used to be friends, that's all. We've known each other since we were kids. I was just...surprised...to see him. That's all."

She put her coffee cup up to her mouth, visibly trying to stifle a giggle. "Bella, I'm a reporter. I get paid to be a good observer. I notice things; you should know this. I know you two were more than just friends in passing."

I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. "Ang...I don't want to talk about Edward right now. Maybe later, after I've processed everything."

She chuckled. "And that statement right there tells me that I'm right. Fine Bella, but I'll get the details from you eventually. I always do." She patted my desk lightly, and stood up, turning to leave the room. She paused at the door, looking over her shoulder. "And Bella? Take off a little early today; you look exhausted."

I rolled my eyes, but saluted her, and turned back to my monitor. I lazily clicked through my e-mails, answering those that needed it, and deleting the mountains of junk mail that had accumulated overnight. I then switched over to Outlook, and finalized my schedule for the following week; something that was ritual for me on Fridays. I noticed that I didn't have any events this weekend, and I smiled. Free weekends didn't come around much for me, and I was going to try to make the best of it. After I edited my column on the "20 Best Things to do in New York in the Summer", I leaned my head back in my chair, and let my mind drift again. Last night at Edward's, Rose's voice kept echoing through my mind, telling me that "I have it bad" for Edward. And each time, I wanted to smack myself in the forehead for even reminding myself of that asinine comment.

I mean, really? Edward? Not happening.

Sure, he's gorgeous. Any woman would be lucky to have him, and I'm sure that many women had. But he was still Edward. He was the 5-year old Edward that wouldn't share his crayons with me. He was the 12-year old Edward that didn't talk to me for a week because I laughed at him when his voice started squeaking. We used to take baths together, when my chest was as flat as a board, and he was just a chubby toddler. It would be really weird to harbor any sort of romantic feelings for him with all of those visions in my head. But god, he most certainly wasn't chubby anymore. He was tall, and lean, but muscular all at the same time, and his hair looked like he'd just had an afternoon romp in the sack. And I most certainly had boobs now. But still...weird.

My phone started vibrating, dancing across my desk, and I picked it up just before it bounced onto the floor. I checked the caller ID and noticed Edward's name flashing on the screen.

"Hello Edward," I said, sinking back into my chair.

"Hey Bells. You at work?" he asked. I felt tingles all down my spine at the sound of his voice, and scoffed at myself for being such a girl. Edward Cullen was most certainly not going to make me melt into the floor with five words. No way in hell.

"Yeah, I'm at work. Trying to be productive, but its Friday, and I would like nothing more than to just get the hell out of here."

He chuckled. "I hear you. But listen, my friend Jasper is in this band, and they're doing a show tonight. I was planning on going, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"

I thought about my earlier internal conversation about making the most of my weekend, and smiled at the prospect of going out tonight.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. Do you mind if I ask Emmett and Rosalie if they'd like to come along?" I could use a buffer between me and him.

He replied without hesitation. "Of course. I'd love to see Emmett again. The show starts at 8:00 at the Highline Ballroom."

I wrote it down and smiled brightly. "I know where that's at. We'll meet you there at around 7:45, is that alright?"

"Sounds great. Bye Bella."

"See you later, Edward."

*****

As I was putting the last coat of mascara on my eyelashes, there was a loud knock on my door.

"Come in!" I yelled from the bathroom, hoping they would hear me. The door flung open and banged the wall, and Emmett came waltzing into my apartment, with Rose trailing a few steps behind him.

I checked my appearance one more time in the mirror and walked to the kitchen to find Emmett rifling through my refrigerator.

"Jesus, Bella. No beer?" he asked with a frustrated huff. "I just drove through traffic, and my nerves are shot. I need a beer."

I opened the cupboard above the fridge, brought down a bottle of vodka, and thrust it at his chest. "Here, you big goon, drink away."

I glanced over at Rosalie, who was looking at me up and down, appraising me with her eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her, and waited for her to speak.

"You look hot, Bella. Trying to impress somebody?" she quipped, throwing back a shot of vodka that Emmett had just handed her.

Rolling my eyes exagerratedly at her, I picked up my handbag, and walked towards the door, waiting for them to follow. "Come on Em, you can drink when we get there."

The Highland Ballroom sat on a busy street full of bars and resturaunts. The outside was a nondescript brick building, with a large bouncer standing by the rickety old door. I walked ahead of Rose and Emmett, flashing my ID, and taking in the expansive club once I made it inside. There was a large empty floor, with a stage that rose up about 5 feet high on one side of the room, and a long bar sat on the other side of the room. A DJ booth sat in the corner, and what must have been the opening band was playing some modern rock music in front of us. The floor was about a quarter of the way full, but I had no doubts that it would get much busier as the night went on. I scanned the bar for a familiar bronze head, and smiled when I saw him in the corner, nursing a beer, and talking to a blonde guy. I motioned for Em and Rose to follow me, and made my way over to him.

"Bella!" he chirped happily when I approached him, pulling me into a quick hug. "This is Jasper. Jasper this is Bella," he said motioning to the blonde next to him.

I thrust my hand out and shook his outstretched one. "It's very nice to meet you," he drawled out, smirking at me. He was definitely good looking, not my type, but with his blonde shaggy hair and tan complexion, he could easily pass for someone born and bred in California.

I smirked right back at him. "It's very nice to meet you too. Edward has told me a lot about you." And about how you want to bang his sister.

Edward looked behind me at Emmett and Rosalie, and I broke my grasp from Jasper. "Oh! Guys, this is my brother Emmett, and his wife Rosalie. Emmett, you remember Edward, right? And this is his friend Jasper, who is playing tonight." They exchanged pleasantries, and I saw Emmett shoot Edward a look, no doubt trying to intimidate him. I knew his 'don't fuck with my sister' look. He'd used it a million times, on every person that I've ever brought around him with testosterone. Edward grabbed my arm lightly and leaned over closer to me, brushing my hair over my shoulder to talk into my ear.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, still lightly gripping my bicep.

"Sure," I replied sweetly, stepping back a bit from him. "A beer is fine. Thanks Edward." He nodded, and shot off to the bar. Emmett followed him to get himself and Rose a couple of drinks, and Jasper turned away from us to talk to one of his bandmates.

Rose turned to me, a deadly smile on her face. "Bella, Bella, Bella. See that man over there?" she asked me, pointing at Edward's retreating form. I nodded slightly, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed.

"If I wasn't married to your brother, I'd be banging that man like a screendoor in a windstorm. He's hot. And he's got the hots for you, my dear."

I shook my head frantically from side to side. "No, no, no. He does not."

"Trust me, Bella. He was looking at you the way Emmett looks at me when he wants to get laid. Which, actually, is all of the time...but that is besides the point. He wants you, babygirl. Suck it up and enjoy it."

I was about to protest again, when I felt a hand on the small of my back and a beer pop up in front of my face. I turned slightly to see Edward grinning down at me.

"Thanks, Edward." I said, slightly mesmerized by his smile. No, Bella. Don't even go there.

By that time, the opening band had finished, and Jasper headed backstage to get ready for their set. A tall man with dreadlocks started spinning top 40 hits, and Rose dragged me out to the dance floor.

"Rose," I whined. "Come on! You know I can't dance." She giggled pulling my back up to her front as 'Cherry Pie' by Warrant flooded the room through the massive speakers.

"Sure you can," she pressed, putting her hands on my hips, and started rocking them side to side in time with hers. I danced, keeping my body rigid and tense, until she smacked me on the ass and I gave in, relaxing and going with the beat. We were dancing and laughing until the end of the song. When the song faded into 'Love Game' by Lady Gaga, we started grinding our hips faster to the beat. When I saw two familiar heads weaving their way through the ever-growing crowd towards us, Rose giggled in my ear.

"Uh oh, Bella. Here he comes. You better dance with him," she laughed out. I tensed up again, and shook my head, just as they reached us.

"Rosie! Let go of my sister, and show me some moves, baby!" My brother yelled excitedly, moving to rip her away from behind me. Before he could though, Rose pushed me off of her, right towards Edward, where he caught me around the waist.

"Whoa there," he chuckled, standing me up straight. I smiled tentatively, and tried wiggling out of his grasp to walk off the dance floor, but he held on to me tighter.

"Dance with me?" he pleaded, his eyes shooting green laser beams right into my brain. I couldn't shy away from them, no matter how hard I willed myself to.

I nodded somewhat hesitantly, and he smiled crookedly down at me. He grabbed my free arm that wasn't holding my beer and wound it up around his neck, then pulled my body flush with his torso and pushed one of his legs between mine. I could feel my heart start to race as I felt the entire length of his body pressed so intimately into mine, and his hands gripping my waist tightly. We moved together with the beat of the music, seemingly melting together as the song went on. As the current song ended, and the next began, Edward spun me around and pulled my back against his chest. His body started moving again, his hands directing my hips. I sighed and let myself sink back into the warm body behind me, and let myself succumb to his direction. We moved in unison again, grinding together, and my heart once again felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest. As right as it felt to be dancing with Edward, part of my mind was screaming at me that it was wrong. Terribly, and undeniably wrong. I gasped for air, and took a long swig of my beer, letting the liquid slide down my throat and hopefully make my fears dissipate. I caught Rose's eye, and she winked at me, before turning around to face Emmett.

What am I doing?

I wrenched myself away from Edward, and turned to give him an apologetic look. I leaned over close to him so he could hear me, and told him I was going back over by the bar. His hand was on the small of my back again, leading me through the crowd of people until we were over by the bar. I hoisted myself up on a barstool and he took the stool next to me. I let my heart calm back down, and chugged the rest of my beer, setting the bottle down on the counter.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me when I motioned for the bartender to get me another.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked, his eyebrows bunching together with worry. "I didn't do anything to upset you, did I?"

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and shook my head. "No, I'm not upset, it's just..." I paused and looked up at him. His face was etched with concern and worry, marring his beautiful features. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Are you sure? This isn't one of those tricks where 'nothing' means 'something', is it?" he asked, eyeing me warily.

Leaning towards him, I took his face between my hands. "I'm sure," I said, staring into his eyes. "I'm fine."

He laughed and pulled back, taking my hands in his and pulling me off of my stool. "Come on, Jasper's band is about to go on."

With his arm slung haphazardly over my shoulders, he led me through the mass of people to where Emmett and Rosalie were standing near the front of the stage. Rose saw us approach and grinned widely at me. I childlishly stuck my tongue out at her in response, but the corners of my mouth quickly turned up into a smile just as Jasper and his blonde hair made it's way on stage. He took his spot center stage in front of the mic, and slung his guitar around his neck. After greeting the crowd quickly, they broke into their first song. Edward was standing directly behind me, and because of the close quarters, he was pressed tightly up against my back. Every so often I'd catch Rosalie staring at me with her 'I told you so' face, but all I could do was shake my head and laugh. Jasper's band played a wonderful show, getting the crowd into the music. After the hour and a half show, we applauded and whistled loudly, then grabbed a table near the back of the room to wait for him. As I made my way through the crowd, I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and I turned around quickly to see who it was. I frowned as soon as I saw the face that greeted me.

Oh shit.

"Uh, hi Jake. What are you doing here?" I asked, looking up at his huge frame.

He smiled his blindingly white smile before speaking. "I'm here to see Jasper's band. I can only assume you're here for the same reason. Did you come by yourself?"

I wanted to cringe in response to the way he was looking at me; like an animal stalking its prey.

He took a step towards me, and I instinctively took a step back. "No, actually, I'm here with my brother and some friends." I put emphasis on 'my brother', hoping Jake would take the hint and kindly step off. I didn't particularly care for the idea that Jake was also friends with Jasper. Since Edward and I had vowed to make a conscious effort to spend more time together, that meant I'd probably be seeing Jasper quite a bit as well. Which, in turn, probably meant I'd also be seeing more of Jake than I really cared to.

Fantastic. I shuddered and frowned at the thought. I felt a hand on my back and another beer pop up in front of my face.

"Here Bella, thought you might need another one," Edward stated softly, sidling up beside me, and placing his hand on my waist.

"Oh, hey Jake. I didn't see you," Edward said, sticking his hand out for Jacob to shake.

Wait, they know each other too? Great.

"Edward," Jacob greeted, with a nod of his head. I could've sworn I saw a small sneer appear on his face. I glanced up at Edward and saw he had the same look of resentment on his face. They were in a stare-down of epic proportions when Emmett and Rosalie showed up with Jasper in tow.

"Hey, Jake!" Jasper called out. "Glad you could make it tonight."

When Jake turned his attention away from me briefly, Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear. "What's his deal? He was looking at you like you're something to eat."

"I'll explain it later," I said quietly. I kept my eyes forward but heard and felt Edward sigh in response. He always hated when I kept things from him.
Rose walked over to me, and leaned in close to my ear. "Hey Bells, we're going to go home. You want to go with us?"

I panicked slightly, looking over to Edward, and then back to Rose. "Um...yeah. I'll go with you guys." Edward must've been eavesdropping on our conversation, because he quickly turned his head and shot me a pleading glance.

"Bella, if you want to stay, I can take you home. It is only 11:30...stay awhile." I looked up into his pleading eyes and slowly lost my resolve for going home.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rose trying to stifle a laugh that was ready to erupt at any moment as she started pulling Emmett towards the exit. Jake was still deep in his conversation with Jasper so I turned back to Edward.

"Looks like I'm staying since my ride home basically just left me here." Edward beamed down on me, obviously thrilled that I was staying.

"Do you want to go sit down? Dance? Stand here?" he asked, shifting himself from one foot to the other.

"Sit, definitely. My feet are killing me in these boots," I said with a grimace.

He laughed as we walked over to the table. "I'll never understand women and their footwear. If they hurt so much, why do you wear them?"

As we sat, I propped my feet up on his lap. "Oh, Edward, don't you know? It's not about comfort, it's about style. Pain is beauty."

He shot me an incredulous look. "But what most women don't realize, is that they look just as good in a pair of flip-flops. At least to men that aren't shallow."

I shot him a gaping look back. "You mean to tell me that you think a woman in flip-flops is just as sexy as a woman in stilettos? I think you're full of shit, Edward Cullen."

He smiled back at me, and ran one of his hands up the length of my boot. "I'm serious, Bella. It's the inside that counts, right? Although, I do have to admit, these are nice."

"Ha!" I teased. "I knew there was a typical man hidden somewhere inside of you." I leaned back in my chair, and enjoyed the sensation of his hand through the leather of my boot.

The dynamic of our friendship was definitely changing. I didn't know if it was good or bad and I didn't know if I was scared or elated. I was probably a little bit of both. I didn't want to admit to myself - or anyone else for that matter - that maybe Rosalie had been right. Edward's actions weren't just that of a reunited best friend; they were seemingly much more than that and that scared me. Not in a bad way, but I didn't want things to become awkward between us if it turned out he really did want to be more than friends. I silently watched him as he absentmindedly moved his hand up and down the front of my boot and bopped his head in time with the music.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Both Edward and myself looked up to see Jasper and Jake staring at us. Jasper was grinning from ear to ear but Jake looked like he was ready to explode.

"Did, uh...did we interrupt something?" Jasper said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh yeah, I was just about to mount Edward and beg him to take me right here on this table."

Wow. Apparently 3 beers makes Bella word vomit.

All three sets of eyes looked at me in disbelief, and I felt the blush cover my entire face. "Um...wow, yeah, ignore me. The alcohol has clearly taken over."

Jasper took the moment to burst out into laughter. Edward continued to gape at me, and Jacob looked at Edward liked he wanted to rip his arms off and feed them to him. I just shrugged and took another pull of my almost empty beer.

"Alright guys, I'm going to get out of here," Jake said, slapping Jasper on the back and walking away.

"Well, he's pleasant." Edward snorted when Jake got to the door.

Jasper sighed and dropped down into a chair next to us. "He's a good guy. At least, he used to be; Maybe he still is. He's just...changed a lot since college it seems. He was always that person that was never afraid to go after what he wanted, but he told me that lately he's been in the most difficult pursuit of his life."

His eyes lifted to meet mine. Clearly, Jake had told him all about how he'd been constantly asking me out and was constantly being turned down.

"Yeah, well he's not going to catch me, that's for sure. I don't know how many more excuses I can think up to turn him down."

Edward's head shot towards me. "Wait...you're his difficult pursuit? How do you know him anyways?" The vein in his forehead was popping out and he looked angry.

I sighed, shredding the napkin in front of me into small pieces. "I work with him. He's asked me out every week for the past few months, at least."

"So, let me get this straight," Edward said, leaning forward to put his arms on the table. "You've constantly been telling him 'no', and he still continues to ask you out? Can't that be considered as some sort of harassment? I knew there was something I didn't like about that guy."

"One other thing," Jasper said "I, uh, might have told a little white lie and might have told him you guys were dating. Yeah."

"You WHAT?!" Edward and I yelled at the same time.

Jasper cringed. "I know! I'm sorry! I just wanted to help Bella out, and with you two being so touchy-feely all the time, it was believable. I figured if he thought you guys were together, he'd lay off."

I huffed, and crossed my arms over my chest. Edward broke into a smug grin, and turned to me. "He's right, Bella. Jake just might leave you alone now. Besides, how often will we actually be in the same room as him. It's all harmless."

I glared at him. "Harmless? You really think this will be harmless?? Now I'll have to face the Spanish Inquisition at work! Trust me, even though he doesn't know you, he'll try to explain to me all of your flaws and why we shouldn't be together."

He then leaned in close to me, and whispered seductively into my ear. "Flaws, Bella? Do you think I have flaws?"

I scoffed, and stuck my pointer finger to his chest, pushing him away from me. "Yes, Edward. Flaws. Hasn't anyone ever told you that you are extremely frustrating and arrogant?"

He grinned smugly at me, his eyes boring into mine. "Confident, Bella. I'm not arrogant, I'm confident."

Jasper chuckled next to us, and I turned to him, completely forgetting that he was sitting there. He looked like he was completely enthralled with our conversation. "Well you two sure argue like you're married. I don't think you need to try very hard to convince Jake that you're actually together."

I rolled my eyes, and turned back to Edward, pretending like Jasper wasn't even there. "Careful, Edward. Your head might not fit through the door if it gets any bigger. I'm actually glad that we ran into each other again. You need someone to knock you down a peg or two."

His answering grin made me want to punch him in the face and jump on his lap all at the same time. Frustrating, arrogant, hot piece of man.

Jasper stood up, and pushed his chair under the table. "I'm going to go grab my stuff, and get out of here. You kids have fun, and don't kill each other." He gave Edward one of those weird man half-hugs, and smiled at me before taking off backstage.

As soon as he was gone, Edward turned to me. "You wanna get out of here?"

Chugging down the last of my beer, I stood up and moved my finger in a circular motion, silently telling him to turn around. When he did, I climbed up on his back. "We can leave, but you have to carry me."

"Aren't we a little old for this, Bella?" He asked, letting out a laugh. "I mean, people are already looking at us funny."

"I don't care! Giddy up pony boy!"

First with the word vomit, now I'm just plain crazy. Oh well, might as well just go with it, since he's playing along.

I lightly tapped the heels of my boots on his thighs, and he cracked up laughing, walking out the front doors of the bar. "Oh, Bella," he said gasping for breath from laughing. "I've missed you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I missed your ass too. Now where's your car?" I asked impatiently. He veered to the left, and walked down the sidewalk, stopping when we got to a sleek black Volvo C70.

"Ooooo...pretty car," I squealed, jumping down gracefully from his back, and wincing when the pavement hit my already sore feet. "Is this what you use to pick up all of your chicks?"

He hit the unlock button on his keyring, and opened up my door for me. "No, silly girl. I use my bike for that." Before I could reply, he made sure my legs were tucked in, closed the door and then slid into the drivers seat. I started laughing hysterically.

"You pick up girls on your bicycle, Edward? Wow, I bet there's a line of girls waiting to catch a ride on that." My sarcastic comment didn't seem to amuse him as much as it amused me. He leaned over, and put his hand on my face, turning it towards him.

"No, Bella. My Ducati. It's a motorcycle. And its very, very fast." I swallowed hard and my eyes raked over his face, unable to focus. His eyes were displaying so many emotions, they were very hard to read. I used to be able to read him like a book when we were younger, and it was killing me that I couldn't decipher his expressions anymore. I could see a little bit of a mischievous hint in them, but also amusement, and something else I couldn't figure out.

I watched him as he started the car, and shifted into drive, smoothly pulling out from his parking space. He turned his stereo up a bit, and I listened to the soft music that was drifting out of the speakers, my head lolling back on the headrest. We sat in a comfortable silence, and I marveled at our ability to change courses from teasing and sarcasm that quickly.

"Edward?" I whispered, staring out the windshield in front of me at the taillights in front of us. "I really have missed you."

He smiled softly, and took my hand in his. "I missed you, too. More than you know. Now, where do you live?" I gave him directions to my apartment, and it seemed like we arrived there in no time at all. He parked at the curb in front of my building. I was astonished at his luck of finding a spot in front of the building...I never had that kind of luck. He shut off the car, and I held my hand up.

"You don't have to walk me inside Edward, I'll be fine."

He shook his head. "No, Bella. I'm walking you to your door. Esme would have my head if she knew I just dropped you off at the curb in the middle of the night." He slipped out of the drivers seat, and I opened the door, getting out and shivering when I felt the cool night air hit my face. I hooked my hand in the crook of his elbow and we walked together through the doors and to the elevator in the lobby. I hit the button for my floor, and we stepped in, still not saying anything to each other. We just snuck soft smiles at each other, and I squeezed his arm affectionately.

We arrived at my door, and I put the key in the lock, pushing the door open. I propped the door open with my foot, and turned to face Edward, who was leaning comfortably on the doorjamb.

His eyes were twinkling, and he brushed a piece of my stray hair away from my eyes. "Well, girlfriend, I guess this is it."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Ha, ha. Laugh it up. I'll be calling you to come rescue me when Jake is still following me around like a lost puppy come Monday."

He held out his arms, and stuck out his bottom lip until I gave in and walked into his embrace. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and his face was buried in my neck.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sleep well. I'll call you soon...I'll be at Masen's all day tomorrow."

"Goodnight Eddie. I had a lot of fun tonight. We need to do this again," I said, pulling back to look at his face. "Oh, and I'm sorry about the whole 'mount you and take me on the table' thing. That was embarrassing." I let my hair fall forward a bit, to cover the blush on my cheeks.

He let go of me and started walking backwards towards the elevator, grinning like like he held the secret to life. "Who's to say I wouldn't have enjoyed it?"

I stared at him in shock as he winked and turned to continue down the hall.

He couldn't have been serious.

A/N:

E's starting to pull out the big guns.

Think he'll succeed? Will Bella cave?