A/N: I apologize for such a late update. This chapter had been, um, tricky for me to write. And it had a lot of errors, which my Beta, Mariana75 had been kind enough to correct and that's why it took me so long to post this.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and put it on favourites list/alerts.

And a huge bucket full of thanks to my super awesome Beta, Mariana75.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all Twilight characters.

Bella

"Please, at least give it a try. You have nothing to lose here," I pleaded.

I knew I was treading on thin ice when I brought up the issue of him playing the violin. Naturally, I expected him to get upset, angry even, but I was much too used to his mood swings to let that bother me. The only thing that kept me going was the way his face lit up and his eyes sparkled each time he talked about his music and the love he felt whenever he played that instrument. And I knew that if I could just convince him to perform anew, he'll be able to take his first steps into enjoying the act of living. And maybe, just maybe, one day, he will become once again the laughing, carefree man he used to be.

With a resigned sigh, he got up and walked into his bedroom. I used his momentary absence to ponder on something else entirely. Staying up for two consecutive nights, clearly, had not been my brightest idea. Not that I had much choice in the matter, but still. How could I have fallen asleep here, in his apartment? But then, instead of following my self-deprecating mood, something else distracted my train of thought and as the drowsiness left me completely, my mind became substantially more coherent. I remember falling asleep on the very same single couch I was currently sitting on. Then, how in the world did I end up lying on the loveseat? I did talk in my sleep but Renee had never mentioned that I had sleepwalking habits as well. Unless Edward….

At that moment, Edward walked out from his room, holding a black violin-shaped case. He gently placed it down on the table and opened it holding the latch. And there, inside the case, laid an exquisite violin. I could tell that the violin was definitely worth a fortune. I couldn't help but continue looking at it in awe. Edward retrieved the violin from its case as I started to get up. He lightly pushed me back down on the couch with a hand on my shoulder and I swiftly obliged.

Inhaling deeply, he placed the instrument on his shoulder and closed his eyes.

And then, something truly magical happened.

The moment he moved the bow across the strings of the violin, an impossibly sweet melody filled my ears. The music haunting and full of pain, yet hopeful and optimistic at the same time, knocked the breath out of me. I felt goose bumps along my arms as the intricate tunes pulled and tugged at my heart in strange ways. My breathing accelerated as I realized what an incredibly talented musician Edward really was and I felt devastated by the fact that he had been keeping himself away from creating such magic. My heart gained an unusual rapid pace when he struck the highest notes and it kept pounding loudly against my ribcage, well after the bow had stopped its movement on the instrument.

After a rollercoaster of music induced emotions, the now silent room made me realize my hands were pinned to my sides and my body had become frozen. He sluggishly opened his eyes and the, now familiar, emerald green colour in them bore into mine. A shiver ran along my spine as a slow smile crept across his lips. I realized he was waiting for a verdict. I cleared my throat and began, "That was…." I was suddenly at a loss of words. I wished desperately for a better vocabulary.

His expression turned downcast within an instant. The glorious smile disappeared and a sombre look took over his perfect face, completely misunderstanding the reasons behind the delay in my response.

"Magnificent," I finished, when I could finally find my voice.

Gradually, I rose to my feet, hoping my trembling legs wouldn't collapse under my weight. I willed my legs to move forward but they shook underneath me, hindering my progress. I stumbled and one of his arms impulsively reached out. He steadied me by placing his fingertips on the small of my back, while his other hand still clutched the violin and bow. I placed both of my hands on his arms and unbidden images assaulted me, for we had been this close only twice before.

"Did you really think so?" he asked, tilting his head to one side; surprise and disbelief laced in his voice. His sweet breath fanned over my face and my legs felt even more wobbly, threatening to give away at any moment.

It took me a while to figure out what he was talking about. Oh right! He was talking about his violin performance.

"Of course, I did," I said, with a reassuring smile. At that reply, he exhaled profusely, looking extremely relieved. My eyes searched his face, looking for any sign of discomfort at such close proximity. I could recognize nothing of the sort. He just kept staring back with that same look of relief and a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. For the moment, I forced myself to concentrate on keeping my breaths even, but it was easier said than done, especially since I was still being encased in his embrace. Slowly, my hands ran up along his arms and with a jolt of surprise, I realized he was pulling me closer. My breath caught in my throat as my gaze dropped to his lips. Keeping one hand on his arm, I raised hesitantly the other one and I caressed his strong jaw line with the back of my fingers. He shivered slightly under my tender touch and I had to fight back a smile. I looked up to meet his eyes again and that was when he spoke.

"Bella, I-I am not the person you think I am," he said, his voice pleading me to grasp the situation.

I scowled at his choice of words. Like I hadn't heard that one before…..

Of course, he wasn't the same person I thought he was when I first saw him. He never ceased to surprise me; more and more qualities kept popping up the more time I spent with him, confirming the good man he really was underneath his gruff exterior. I used to think he was inconsiderate, pompous, self-centred and basically a round-the-clock pessimist. And even though, the latter feature still applied to him, all my other misconceptions had started to vanish since the first time he had truly let me in his own world; that was the night of the fund-raising concert. Now that I have come to know the real Edward, I was able to conclude that he was generous and funny, when he wanted to be; that he possessed a beautiful, genuine soul; and that sometimes, well most of the times actually, he was too hard on himself. But then, that was Edward for you. And those were just a few of the reasons that had made me fall in love with him. So, at that point in time, as I kept looking back at him with uncertainty, I knew that in my whole life, I would want no one else, but him; even if he didn't feel the same way.

Very lightly, I continued to rub my fingertips against his jaw line and he sighed, making my heart flutter. Then it stopped beating altogether when he leaned his face forward, angling it towards mine. Blood in my veins circulated forcefully, making pounding noises in my ears while my pulse raced at a manic pace. He closed his eyes and so did I, truly expecting myself to snap out of this dream-like frenzy at any moment. But I didn't, because even with my eyes closed, I was very much aware of Edward; how his body was closely pressed against mine and how his memorable smell engulfed me. I cupped his chin with one hand and when he didn't push me away, I snaked the other around his neck and pulled him closer.

After what seemed like an eternity, his lips, as light and soft as a feather, tenderly grazed mine. He gasped at the first contact and I felt him pulling back minutely. With all my strength, I crushed my body against his and urgently touched his lips with mine again. I sucked deliberately on his lower lip and he moaned out loud, making me smile against his lips. My stomach was full of fluttering butterflies and moths and all sorts of beings that were wreaking havoc inside of me. He kissed me back a bit more enthusiastically, increasing prodigiously the intensity of the moment as I felt my heart soar to new heights.

He tried to push the boundaries a bit more by opening his mouth against mine but that made me freeze instantly. I pulled away a little and with my eyes still closed, I whispered, "I have to go."

He surprised me again by holding me even closer. He brought his lips to my ear and murmured in a husky voice, "No, you don't." I smiled again, in spite of myself. And even though, I would have been more than happy to stay forever in his arms, I knew that I had to move away from this place, as soon as possible, before I completely lost myself.

I snapped open my eyes and quickly stepped out from his embrace. He immediately dropped his hands from my back and just like that, we were no longer touching. I tried not to ponder at the emptiness I felt at the sudden loss of contact. He was still holding his beloved violin in one hand and ran the other through his hair.

I avoided making eye contact with him and so with my face turned away, I said "I'll see you….soon." I licked my lips to relish the remaining traces of him and a violent shudder went through my body. I decided I should make a run for it while I still had an ounce of sanity left in me.

He called out to me, "Bella, listen…" but I didn't turn back. I wrenched open the door and flew down the stairs. I kept running until I reached a main street; my breath was ragged and coming out in short spurts from the exertion.

My clothes were drenched with sweat from running in the warm New York afternoon. Tired from the lack of sleep and emotionally frazzled, I stopped a taxi and got in. After giving the proper directions to the cab driver, I realized that my heart was still beating at a ridiculously fast pace and I checked my reflection on the rear-view mirror. My cheeks turned a deep shade of red, a signature move of mine, as I recalled the sweet taste of his lips. Never in my life had I felt so outrageously happy yet utterly scared, at the same time.

The cab driver happened to be a cheerful North Indian dude with a thick, long beard and a blue turban. His name was Kuljeet and he filled the silence with incessant one-sided chatter. I welcomed the distraction as I laid back on the seat and tried to calm my nerves.

"Miss, would you mind if I turned on the radio?" he asked with a heavy Indian accent.

I raised my head and saw him look questioningly at me through the rear-view mirror. He must have – finally!!- sensed I wasn't in a conversational mood. I shook my head and he smiled gratefully. Soon, the car was filled with a high-tempo Bollywood number with lots of drums and trumpets. I smiled at this, realizing that the foreign words from the lyrics would keep my mind occupied long enough, so that I wouldn't be able to dwell on matters that I wasn't yet prepared to face.

Kuljeet started singing aloud with the song and he seemed to know each and every word. I asked him what the lyrics meant. He replied saying, "You see, Miss, there is this boy and a girl who are madly in love but they are forbidden to be together because of some old enmity between their families. It's a very conventional concept of Indian movies," he added with a laugh.

"But then of course, like all other movies, the two indeed get married in the end, thus providing the audience with the happy ending everyone craved for," he concluded with a sigh.

That struck a nerve. Aren't we all, in reality, looking for the so-called 'happy endings' in our lives? What happened to stories like mine? How did they end? Maybe what happened today was the peak point in my story; it just wouldn't get better than this. Maybe that's the most I would get to share with him – just a heated kiss and nothing more. Nothing serious, no strings attached. He was a broken man and from what I could only guess, he just needed a source of comfort, namely me. And while I did provide him with that, I also let my countenance slip and in a bold move, made the first advance by grazing his arms. So perhaps, he thought it would be too impolite to reject me so blatantly. Maybe the kiss had just been a gesture meant to say 'thank you.' And here I was, running away like a scared cat, making other assumptions and constructing misconceptions.

Edward

I remained rooted at my spot long after Bella had left. I kept pulling the strands of my hair yet that didn't seem to alleviate the frustration I felt. A loud growl erupted from my chest as I was reminded for the umpteenth time about what had just passed between Bella and I.

What had I just done?

The last thing I remember was Bella tripping on her way towards me and I had to reach out to hold her steady. A second later, it felt like as if someone had turned off the logic switch inside my brain. It all started when she confirmed to me the fact that she thought my music was bearable. I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude, not just because she appreciated my music, but because of all the changes she had brought along with her, that I just couldn't control myself. A wave of unexplained emotions crashed against my long dead heart and I found myself getting inexorably closer to her.

And then she danced her delicate fingers along my bare arms and my body was on fire. Desire flooded through me and it clouded my thoughts. Acting on the basis of some crazy instinct, I pulled her closer, knowing how dangerous, for both of us, that was. It was dangerous for her because she was still so young and had her whole life ahead of her; which is why it would be terribly foolish of her to be this close to someone like me, who couldn't offer her the happiness she deserved. It was also risky for me to allow this closeness because my feelings regarding her were still quite confusing.

Then her soft fingers touched along my jaw and all my muscles, beneath the skin she managed to graze, relaxed as I tried to remember the last time a woman had made me feel that way.

I realized I needed to say something, to bring some sense back into her; something, anything to make her stop…..

"Bella, I-I am not the person you think I am," I said, frantic for her to grasp the meaning of my words. Her expression turned a bit sour as she digested that. Her forehead creased as she thought things through and for a second, I felt as if she would pull away.

But she didn't.

She kept moving her fingers across my jaw and I concluded that my lame attempt at convincing her that I wasn't the man for her had been insufficient to change her mind. Yet, the worst part was I didn't regret the fact as much as I should have. Without thinking anything further, I leaned forward, still feeling uncertain about what I was about to do. Of course, the rational part of my brain ordered me, or rather screamed at me to stop. Nonetheless, the less logical part of me wouldn't even bother itself by listening to that other voice.

While constantly reminding myself to be mindful of the precious creature I held in my arms, I lightly touched her tantalizing, soft as petals, lips with mine. The contact was completely unexpected and unnerving. It felt alarming because the touch scared me; it absolutely terrified me. I was frightened of what had yet to come. I was unsure about my capability of controlling myself and that uncertainty was horrifying as well. In addition, I was anxious and panicky about how Bella would react to this simple kiss. However, it turned out that pulling away after that first touch had been a good decision after all, because what came next almost crippled me.

With forceful strength, Bella slammed her body against mine and caught my lips in a deep, feverish kiss. I could see fire behind my closed eyelids as liquid flames seemed to surround me. Her lips moved against mine in harmony, moulding their shape with mine. She softly traced the contours of my lips and the tenderness with which she did so made my heart swell and I let out a deep moan. After putting my brain on disabled mode, I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss and my progressiveness startled me, but I couldn't care less. Her hands started playing with the hair at the nape of my neck, her fingers leaving a fiery trail behind and making my toes curl.

It was then that I felt Bella's body freezing against mine. She pulled back and I squeezed my eyes shut to keep myself from feeling the pang of disappointment and hurt that was threatening to surface. She replied, confirming my worst fears, "I have to go." She sounded breathless.

To my surprise, I found my arms tightening their hold around her as I whispered back, "No, you don't." After a strenuous pause, Bella removed herself from my embrace. Resigned, I let her go.

Without facing me, she said, "I'll see you…soon." She seemed to struggle to keep her voice composed. Without another word or a backward glance, she rushed out of the apartment.

I won't lie. Her promise to see me 'soon' gave way to optimist thoughts inside me that seemed utterly foreign to me. However, the moment Bella left, my mind began working overtime again. What was I thinking?

A part of my brain tried to console me, by saying that it was perfectly normal for a grown man to act on his hormones. But the other sensible part complained that we had been given brains for a reason, and that was to control such actions. There was no denying the fact that I had made an advance on Bella and I was in a perfectly stable state of mind, I might add. Other part of me gloated at the fact that she hadn't tried to resist me and yet another saner part told me that I should be thankful that Bella had pulled away before things had gotten way out of hands. I tried to tune out my exploited brain, feeling exhausted all of a sudden, and kind of crazy too, as a numbing headache started taking over my mind.

A/N: So how was it? Please kindly let me know by reviewing because nothing else makes a writer happier…