A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight. Duh.

Yes. It's been a while. Yes. You're allowed to hate me. No. I haven't met Robert yet, I think he's hiding. Don't worry though, I'll find him.

Okay, okay. I'll let you read.

Chapter 7

I was in Esmee's room, just having changed out of my soaking dress into a pair of jeans and a black top, when I heard a knock on the door. Looking up, I saw Rosalie peek in, a speculate look on her face.

"Hey hun, how's it going?" she asked, stepping into the room with Alice in tow.

I pulled on the black boots Esmee had also lend me, and leaned against the drawer. Shaking my head, I tried to find a good way to explain the chaos going on in my head. Not the easiest thing in the world I might add.

I shrugged, "I have absolutely no idea, Rose. And that's the honest truth. I'm so fucked up right now, it's not even funny."

Alice stepped forward and took my hand, giving it a light squeeze and smiling a tentative smile.

"It's okay to be fucked up when something like this happens, Bella. I know it's not easy for you to accept, but I saw the way you looked at him, and I know what's happening."

I shook my head again and walked past her. I couldn't think about all this right now, I needed to go home and get a good night's sleep before I tried to dig deeper into this mess.

In love with Edward Cullen... Way to set yourself up for the heartbreak of the century, Bella.

"I'm not in love, Alice. I don't even know the guy." Well, it wasn't a total lie. I didn't know him, not really.

Alice sighted, "Whatever you say, honey. But we're gonna talk about this tomorrow when we're all sober and when you've had time to clear your head."

She always knew. It was kind of creepy, but I still appreciated it.

"Thanks, Ali." I said, and then looked over at Rose. She was watching me skeptically, and I knew why. "Don't even start, Rose. I'm not that stupid, I promise. Falling for Edward Cullen is the last thing I would ever let myself do."

She nodded, but I could see that she wasn't entirely convinced yet.

"Good. Because Bella, you know better than me that men like him are not to be trusted, under any circumstances."

Yeah, you could say that again.

When we got back downstairs and out into the garden, most of the guests had began to drop off. Only a few remained, standing in a group around Esmee and Carlisle, who both looked very pleased. The party had been a success, as usual.

I looked around for Edward, but before I could spot him, James was suddenly there, looking at me with an amused smile on his lips.

"Hi there." he came to stand before me, and I saw from the corner of my eye that Alice and Rose went over to the rest of the guests, giving us privacy. "I must say, as much as I loved what you were wearing before, you look great this way as well."

I returned his smile, "I had a little accident by the lake. A costume change was necessary."

James laughed, "Now I understand why Edward was dripping wet and asked Carlisle if he could borrow something dry to wear." he raised one eyebrow, "Did you push him into the lake?"

"No." I rolled my eyes, "He scared me, and I fell in. Then that idiot tried to save me, which was not even necessary since I very well know how to swim."

"Of course a girl like you know how to take care of yourself, but you can't blame the guy for trying, right?" he kept smiling, and I found that I liked James more and more every passing second. He was kind, funny, really fucking handsome and probably a gentleman. He also had that bad boy "I'm not looking for something serious, but if you're up for it, we could have some fun" attitude.

Perfect.

"Guess not." I smiled, and then caught sight of something bronze and tousled in my peripheral vision. I ignored the way my heartbeats picked up, and kept my focus on the gorgeous man in front of me instead of looking over at Edward.

But of course, I couldn't help to peak over at him as James kept talking, and when I saw Edward walk up to a beautiful, blond woman and whisper in her ear, I didn't even pretend to listen to what James was saying anymore.

Who the FUCK is that? My subconscious snarled, baring her teeth.

The woman was fucking hot, I had to admit. She had perfect, white smile, which she showed off by laughing out loud at something Edward had just said, and her body was that super trimmed, 'I go to the gym 6 times a week because it's sooo fun' kind. She looked appallingly perfect.

I hated her guts already.

"So what do you say, Bella? You up for it?"

I snapped my eyes back to James, realizing I had no idea what he had just said.

"Uhm, yeah. Sure, sounds great." I answered, clueless to what I had just agreed to.

James winked, "Alright then, I'm just gonna say goodbye to Esmee and Carlisle, then we can take off."

Oh. That's what I agreed to? Huh, interesting.

I saw Edward and Blondie also heading to where the host couple was standing. The blonde bitch was still smiling her fucking Colgate smile and clinging to his arm like a freaking 3 year old.

"I'll come with you." I said quickly, and James held out his arm for me to take. Which I did, gracefully. Not in the way the bitch was doing. No fucking manners, that one.

I looked around and noticed that the only guests left now were me, James, Alice, Rose, Emmett, Edward and Blondie. I briefly wondered where Rose would be sleeping tonight. Judging by the arm around her shoulders and the way she leaned into Emmett's side, I would guess that at least she wouldn't be sleeping alone… I was happy for them both, but would sure as fuck kick Emmett's ass if he screwed up even a little.

We reached Carlisle and Esmee at the same time as Edward and Blondie did, and an awkward silence occurred as my girls and Esmee looked from me to Edward, and Edward glared at James.

Carlisle was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat quietly. "So, I hope you all had a good time?" he said, smiling.

"It was great. Thank you so much, Carlisle, Esmee. I'm so glad I could make it after all." James said, and I realized that he and Carlisle were probably the only ones who didn't quite get the weird tension in the group.

Well, Blondie most likely didn't get it either, but what else could you expect from someone who looked like a freaking Barbie doll with fake boobs?

Rosalie caught my gaze and lifted an eyebrow, giving me a look that said; 'easy there, tiger.' Was it that obvious what I was thinking about Edward's new arm accessory? Huh, lucky I didn't give a crap.

"I'll be sure to return your clothes first thing on Monday, Esmee. Thanks again." I said as I stepped forward to hug her goodbye.

"Don't worry about it, darling. I'm just happy we're the same size!" she laughed, kissing my cheek.

More goodbyes were exchanged, and I miraculously managed to avoid both Edward and Blondie in the sea of hugs and handshakes. I heard her say thank you to Esmee, and had to stop myself from gagging at the sound of her sugary, ingratiating voice.

While James was exchanging a few words with Emmett, my girls pulled me aside.

"Who's that Playboy girl trying to hump Edward's leg?" Alice asked, gesturing towards Blondie.

Rose crinkled her nose as if smelling something bad, "My skankradar went off just by smelling that nasty cheap perfume she's obviously taken a bath in. And hasn't anyone told her that less isn't always more? I mean, look at that dress! It's the size of a handkerchief for fucks sake!"

You know someone is wearing something too revealing when Rosalie comments on it. She's the queen of miniskirts and short dresses, and has taught us the exact length that is acceptable on various occasions. Blondie obviously never attended that class.

"I have no idea, but I don't give a shit. I mean that man probably has ten of those back in his apartment, waiting for him to bother taking a look at them." I met Edward's gaze, giving him a 'Are you seriously going to fuck that chic?' look, and then turned my back on him. "I'm spending the night with James, anyway."

"You're going to have sex with him?" Rose asked, straight to the point as always.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "What happens, happen. It's not like it's a big deal, right?"

My words were met with silence, and I looked from Alice to Rose, confused by how similar their expressions were. They seemed to be thinking; "Oh, that poor girl has no idea."

Wow, that was annoying. Seeing that look once was enough, and now they had ganged up on me? Traitors, I say.

"Cut it out, please. I'm a big girl, I wouldn't do anything I'm not comfortable with, and you know that." I turned and walked away before I had to witness another one of those pity glances.

I grabbed James' hand and pulled him with me towards the parking lot, waving goodbye to my girls as I went. I would probably get some crap for this tomorrow, but right now all that mattered was that I put as much distance between me and Edward as possible.

James tagged along, obviously delighted that I was so eager to leave. I kept telling myself that I was doing the right thing, because I really was. I wasn't committed to Edward in any way, other than that he was my client.

Huh, that shit would be awkward come Monday morning, I realized. But there was no point of dwelling on it now. He would go home and fuck Blondie, and I would fuck James all night and then some. Yes, I could do that. Edward would not be on my mind anymore; I could lose myself in James and forget all about the mess and confusion Edward created.

"My place or yours?" James asked, pulling out his car key. I was glad when he pushed the unlock button to a black convertible, proving that this was a man with both style and money. He opened the door for me, and I gave him a seductive smile as I climbed in.

"Your place." I said, because I didn't really like inviting men over to my place if I didn't know them. I liked my privacy, and I valued having the opportunity to sneak out in the morning if I so wished. When you invited them to come to your place, it was much harder to avoid the whole 'Wow, that was great. Do you mind if I stay for coffee? Want to go out tonight?' talk in the morning. I hated that part, so I usually didn't let the guys get past my front door.

Well, that's not entirely true, I realized. Just the other night I had actually dragged a man across my threshold, and he had been the one to leave before I woke up in the morning. Fucking Cullen, always making me do shit backwards.

oOoOoOo

James Miller had an amazing home in the right neighborhood, and I was impressed by how clean the place was. I'd seen my fare share of bachelor apartments throughout my dating days, some of them too appalling for words. Let's just say there wasn't room to execute even one of my favorite karma sutra positions, so I usually pulled my standard 'Oh shit, I just realized I forgot to feed the cat' line and got the hell out of there, before he could force me into some boring 69 shit or expected me to fuck on his minimal kitchen table.

But hell, this place was both huge and also perfectly masculine. As an interior designer, I recognized great taste when I saw it, and James definitely had taste. The tall windows, cream white sofas with cushions in different shades of brown, a huge open fireplace and various landscape paintings on the walls was the perfect mix of a warm and elegant style.

"Very nice." I complimented as James took my jacket, "You've done a good job, the place looks great."

"Coming from you, that really means something." James laughed, leading the way to the sofas. I sat down and smiled, feeling very comfortable. "Can I get you a glass of wine?" he asked, and I agreed with a nod, looking at the beautiful framed picture to my right. It was lovely view over New York at night, showing a black sky and a thousand lights coming from the huge buildings. I found it a bit comical as I looked out the floor to ceiling windows and saw almost the exact same view, but decided not to comment on it. The guy had to be allowed to have some flaws, didn't he?

James returned with a bottle of red wine and two glasses, putting them down on the table in front of me and uncorking the bottle with a flourish.

"So, Bella Swan, tell me about yourself." James said as he sat down beside me, putting his arm casually on the sofa edge behind me.

I mentally rolled my eyes, knowing very well that a guy like James wasn't really interested in hearing a girl's lifestory at 2 in the morning. I wasn't interested in sharing either, so I decided to skip the bullshit.

I took a drink of my wine and then put the glass down, scooting closer to him so that our legs were touching.

"Why don't we get to know each other in a much more interesting way?" I whispered as I leaned forward, letting my lips grace the skin just under his ear. I felt him shiver slightly, and knew that I was on the right track.

His voice was a bit huskier when he spoke again, "Sounds like a plan. Should we get to know each other here, or do you want to get familiar with my bedroom as well?"

I smiled, leaning back so that I could look him in the eyes again. "Well, this couch is awfully expensive looking, so maybe we should relocate…"

James stood up and extended a hand for me to take. I usually would have hated the gesture, since I was fully capable of getting off the couch by my self, but I figured I could humor him.

He pulled me up flush against his body, smiling down at me with intense eyes. I bit down on my lip, something I had discovered turned men on like hell. As James hand found mine and he started leading me through the living room and towards his bedroom, I couldn't help but to miss the feeling of someone else's hand around mine. I tried to shake that unwelcome thought, intent on going through with this without any intrusion. Edward Cullen would not be ruining the moment for me.

The bedroom had the same color scheme as the rest of the apartment, and my eyes immediately fell on the huge bed placed in the middle of the room. To say it looked inviting was to put it mildly.

So why did I feel a knot in my stomach at the sight? And why did I have the sudden longing to be in my own bed, with a different man at my side? I couldn't make sense of it all, this weird sensation was so foreign to me. It had been years since I had craved a certain man's touch this way, and I wasn't comfortable with the feeling.

James turned to face me when we were right by the bed, and I forced myself to stop thinking so much and just go with it. I began to unbutton his shirt, but before I could finish he grabbed the edge of my top and pulled it up, so I stretched my arms out to help. When it was off, he wound his arms around my waist and placed his hands on the small of my back, pushing me towards him.

This is where the normal Bella would have taken charge, shoving him back onto the bed and climbing on top of this gorgeous man who could most likely do things to me that few men could. James had that certain something, and had I met him pre Edward Cullen, I wouldn't have had a doubt in my mind that I was doing the right thing.

But as James lips touched mine, my whole body screamed at me to stop.

"I have to feed my cat." I blurted out, taking a step back.

He raised one eyebrow, looking a bit confused. "Your cat?"

"Yeah," I said, picking up my shirt from the floor, "I totally forgot I haven't fed her tonight, she's probably starving by now."

It was probably blasphemes, giving that line to a man like James, but I didn't have a choice. I had to get out of there before I started to freak. Maybe I would have to get a cat just to make up for it…

James chuckled, undeterred by my sudden mood swing. "Baby, I was planning to feed your pussycat all night, but if you gotta go, you gotta go."

Okay, that was kind of corny.

"I don't think she'd eat what you can offer, but thanks." I winked at him, hoping there weren't any hard feelings. I didn't want him to think that I was a cock tease, because that was certainly not the case.

"As you wish, I guess we'll just have to take another raincheck."

I smiled, "You've got it." And with that, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left, wondering what the fuck was wrong with me these days.

oOoOoOo

The next day I was able to postpone having to endure the interrogation from my girls for a few hours, because Emmett called me and asked if I wanted to meet up for lunch. I agreed, happily, and decided that we should go the newly opened restaurant "Cantina" by Central Park.

Emmett didn't waste any time, we hadn't even gotten our drinks before he started questioning me.

"So, spill the beans, Hells Bells."

I shrugged out of my denim jacket, putting it on the chair beside me. "There are no beans to be spilled." I answered noncommittally.

"Is that a metaphor?" Emmett snickered, "Does it mean you didn't have sex with that dude from last night? Cause Bells, you look like shit today, no offense, so I would have thought you'd been at it all night and all morning."

"Geez, thanks Emmett." I muttered, trying to fix my messy ponytail. I hadn't slept well that night, I'd been too busy wondering what the fuck Edward and Blondie was doing. The result? Dark circles under bloodshot eyes, fucked up hair in need of a wash and no make up. I just loved Emmett for pointing shit like that out to me.

Our drinks arrived then, and I took a huge gulp of my Heineken to try and chase the hangover away. "I didn't have sex with him, you nosy bastard. And if you know what's good for you, you won't say a word about what you and Rose did last night." I threatened. I was well aware that I would have to listen to Rose go on and on about him later that day, and I wasn't in the mood to hear the same shit twice.

"Fine, fine." Emmett said, smirking. "But just so you know, we didn't have sex."

"Of course you didn't." I rolled my eyes and picked up a piece of bread to chew on.

"Seriously, we didn't."

I looked up, "Was that her decision or yours?"

He beamed, "Mine. I like that girl, so I figured I'd take it slow and shit, you know? Be a gentleman and all of that."

I couldn't help but to laugh, "Damn, who would have thought I'd see the day? Emmett the manwhore turns gentleman, now there's an unexpected twist."

"Yeah, well I sure as hell didn't think I'd ever see the day where my best friend falls head over heals over some hot shot guy and passes on a perfectly good fuck because she can't get hot shot out of her head."

I froze. "What?"

Please tell me Emmett did not just say that shit, because if he could have figured it out, I was way too obvious.

It was his time to roll his eyes now, and he decided to torture me by taking a big piece of bread, popping in into his mouth and then gulp down half his beer before answering.

"You forget that I know you really fucking well, honey. I saw you with him that night we were at Palace, and then again yesterday. You can't hide shit like that from me." he took another swig, "and besides, you have no pokerface what so ever."

I groaned, "God damnit, Emmett. This is so fucked up! I don't even like that asshole."

Our waiter who had just arrived with our food widened her eyes at my choice of words, and when she had put our pizzas on the table, mumbling "Enjoy your meal." she hurried away.

"Don't scare the poor girl with your foul mouth, Bells. You're such a man." Emmett laughed, and I had to join in.

"Whatever, dickhead." I chuckled as I started on my pizza.

He nodded approvingly "There's my girl. So what are you gonna do about the Edward situation? I mean you can't not fuck him, since you can't fuck anyone else because of him. Tricky."

I sighed and chewed on my pizza for a while before answering. "Maybe I'll become a nun. Imagine how easy their lives must be."

Emmett stared at me for a minute, disbelief in his eyes. "Fuck, Bella. Don't say shit like that, you're scaring me. It's like saying you'd give up beer." he shivered, and then shook his head. "What you need to do is get to know the guy. He's really great, believe me."

"Maybe you should fuck him then." I snapped, only because he had more or less stated what I knew I should do.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders, "Nah, I like to have somewhere to put my dick."

I laughed, "Yeah? Well, I can think of other places to-"

"Shut up! Too visual, for fuck sake, Bella." he put his hands over his ears like a small child, and started humming.

We spent the rest of our lunch talking about what had happened back home since I'd been there, and also a great deal about Rose. I was glad that he seemed to be serious about her, because I would really hate to have to castrate the motherfucker if he screwed up.

Alice texted me and told me that she had met a guy who'd asked her out that night, so she wanted to know if it was okay to reschedule our girlsnight. I didn't mind, I really felt like spending the night at home with a good movie and a glass of wine, without having to think of or talk about Edward. Well, I could probably not avoid the thinking part, but I'd have to work with that.

Emmett was glad to hear of our cancelled plans, since that meant Rosalie would be free for him to ask out. He called her while I devoured my cheesecake, and was so wrapped up in whatever she was telling him over the phone that he didn't even notice when I ate his dessert as well.

I had to put something in my mouth now that I wasn't getting what I really craved. Fucking Cullen, he'd make me fat if this was to continue. I didn't even get my favorite workout since I couldn't have sex.

That's it. This shit had to end. I would not allow any man to stand in the way of me getting laid, uh huh. Maybe James was just wrong, somehow. Maybe I needed something else, or rather someone else. It couldn't hurt to try, right?

Screw movie night, I needed to find a man.

"Emmett." I called, waving a hand in front of his eyes to get his attention. He looked up at me, the phone still by his ear.

"Yeah?"

"I need to go out tonight, and you and Rose are going with me."

Operation Man Hunt was about to begin.

oOoOoOo

Edwards point of view.

I'd never believed in that love at first sight crap, neither had I ever believed that people should pare up in two and two and expect that they will be together for the rest of their lives. I'd seen too many failures to ever think that shit could work. I lived by the conviction that a person should do whatever the fuck he or she wanted to, and not go setting themselves up for heartbreak by trusting another person and thinking they were the exception to the rule.

Because the truth is, nothing lasts forever.

I was well aware that the women in my life were hoping and praying that I would change my mind and begin seeing them as something more than just a easy fuck, even though I'd told them over and over that that shit wasn't going to happen. Monogamy was for gays and religious people. Or so my best friend and ally, Jasper, would always say. He was a bigger player than I was, and that was saying something.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a complete asshole. I make it very clear right from the start that I am not looking for something serious, neither do I expect a woman to be monogamous to me. I'm a very busy man, and trying to make a relationship work while running my own company was not something that interested me. My mother always said that it all came down to the fact that I hadn't met the right woman yet, and that when I eventually did, I would understand what I had been missing.

My mom, Elizabeth Masen, was the only woman who I loved and trusted. She had always been there and when my father had passed away, she and I had sort of become a team. She supported me when I was struggling to build my company from scratch, always encouraging me to be involved in every aspect of my businesses and to not be afraid to ask for advice when things got tough. Which they did, a lot, in the beginning of my career. But now, I had achieved every goal I had ever set up for myself.

I had my very successful company, and I was able to get involved in causes that were close to my heart, but not profitable, thanks to its success. I participated in several charity sports events, and hosted an annual event to support the families of victims killed by drunk drivers. When I was 11, my dad was killed by a man who had been driving under the influence, and I had always known that I wanted to do something to help people in the same situation me and my mom had been.

But after completing goal after goal, I had recently begun to wonder where it was all going. That nagging voice in the back of my head, also known as my mom's voice, kept telling me that there was no point in achieving all of this if you didn't have anyone to share it with.

I argued that I did share, a lot. I shared with a hell of a lot of women, and I loved it.

Well, up until recently, when I saw a certain brown haired woman down a glass of vodka as if it was water, and then do the sexiest pole dancing known to man.

Bella Swan was something else entirely, and I had no idea how to even begin to make sense of her. I'd never met a woman who was so fucking competitive and strong, neither had I met anyone who cursed as much. To say I was impressed by her would be an understatement. And there was also the little detail about how she seemed to want to defy me in everything; she wasn't like all the other girls who would throw themselves at me whenever I snapped my fingers.

It was so fucking frustrating, and also hot as hell. I'd never had to chase a woman like this, and to be honest, I didn't know why I did it. I could have anyone I wanted, so why was I so fixed on the idea of having her?

The feeling I'd got the night at Palace, when I'd seen her in the arms of that fucking James Miller, was unsettling and more than a little confusing. I had tried to occupy myself so that I could forget about her presence, a feat that had proven to be impossible. But when I saw her getting in a cab with that scum, I hadn't been able to control myself. Too much to drink and also on a strange Bella Swan high, I had gotten into a cab and told the driver to follow her. I was more than relieved when she'd been the only one to get out of the car, and that's when I had made the somewhat unconscious decision to go into her apartment building after her. The rest of that night is still kind of blurry, but I can still remember her sweet scent and the way she looked when I woke up next to her in the morning.

I wanted her, but I didn't know for what. She wasn't the 'screw her and leave her' kind of girl, neither did I think I would ever be able to do that. Since the first time we'd fucked outside that club, I hadn't been able to think about anyone but her. Hell, I hadn't even been able to have sex with anyone after that. All the women I met were the same, boring type, and I didn't find that shit attractive at all. Every time one of those blond chic's tried to seduce me, I kept imagining a pair of brown eyes, and the moment was ruined.

Get what I'm saying? I couldn't fucking enjoy sex anymore, thanks to Bella Swan. Well, I couldn't even get as far as to try to enjoy it, because the women didn't turn me on. All I wanted was to have her in my arms, to feel her touch and to hear her voice saying my name.

I was more than a little pissed at myself, since sex was usually the way I let off steam and managed to relax. Now I was fucked up and had to go to the gym twice a day to get some tension out of my body.

I wanted Bella Swan, craved her, but I had no fucking idea how to get her.

I realized that I would have to wait to figure that shit out though, cause as it were, I was sitting in my car, trying to drive home from Esmee and Carlisle party while Jasper's little sister Tanya had her hands all over me.

Tanya was the most persistent girl I knew, but I doubted even she could set my mind straight right then, seeing as how I had my head full with the vision of Bella in that soaking wet dress.

I should probably try to pry Tanya off of me and leave her at Jasper's place, though he would be pissed at me for it. He knew I'd been fucking his sister for years, but it wasn't as if he gave a crap about it. He and Tanya didn't exactly get along, so he wouldn't appreciate having her show up at his place in the middle of the night.

But fuck, who was I kidding? The guy was probably out partying or busy charming some girl's panties off.

So drop off it was, Tanya didn't have anything to offer that I wanted right now anyway. I would go home and bang my head in the wall, trying to clear my fucking head so that shit could go back to normal. And I would not, under any circumstances, let myself think of the fact that Bella was with James right now.

Cause then I would sure as fuck find out where that shithead lived and storm the place and make sure he kept his dick far from my girl.

Wait a second, Cullen. MY girl?

Oh fuck, I was so screwed.

Aha! A little peek inside Eddies head. Hope you enjoyed! Leave me looooove :)