Disclaimer: Twilight and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jessica0306! She actually sent me this today when she should be eating her weight in cake instead.

Bella was not acting rationally. When she explained the conversation she had with Edward, Alice took it upon herself to step in. This meant wrestling the phone away from Bella when she was on the verge of drunk dialing. This meant taking Bella out to watch movies nonstop to help her escape from the real world. This meant calling in reinforcements like Rosalie, who always knew what to say. This also meant turning the car around half way to the diner when Rosalie called to warn Alice that Edward-Fuck-Face had brought a date.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked. She was still clutching the oh-shit handle of the car after Alice's stunt like u-turn.

"I'm sick of the diner," Alice answered straight-faced.

"Um, but everyone is expecting us…" Bella replied, and then narrowed her eyes, "Hey, who just called?"

Bella hadn't heard from or seen Edward since that night at the diner. She had been hoping to run into him tonight. She had wanted to call him numerous times before, but her anger always won out or Alice would interfere when they were a bit tipsy. Now, after four days, the anger was receding and her nerves were kicking in. Without the anger, Bella was an emotional mess.

"Alice?" Bella questioned.

"He brought a girl," Alice replied.

"Oh…"

Bella didn't say anything else. She didn't know what to say. Alice told Bella she would be right back when they arrived back at their place. She tried to talk to Bella some more, but Bella just waved her off. Inside her apartment she grew restless. She hated being this person. Again.

She grabbed her phone and dialed before she knew what she was doing.

"Can you pick me up? I need to get out of here," she asked.

Jacob was there in less than twenty minutes. They grabbed food from a drive thru. They ate silently in the car while the radio played.

"Sooo, are you ok?" Jacob asked.

"No," Bella replied.

"Do you want to ta-"

"No."

"Alright."

When Jacob was done eating, he started the car and drove back to his place. Bella didn't question him and just followed him inside. She sat on the couch and he grabbed her a soda. She thanked him. It was all pretty cut and dry.

When Bella yawned, Jacob stood up and gathered a pillow and a blanket. He tossed it beside her on the couch.

"You want to just crash here? Or do you want me to drive you home?"

"Here is good, if you don't mind?" she asked. She looked up at him with teary eyes. He just gave her a gentle smile and nodded.

She didn't want to go back to her place. She didn't want to sleep on her bed. Especially that bed. She felt bad for intruding on Jacob, but didn't really know what else to do. She turned her phone off. She didn't want to know anymore from Alice or Rosalie. Not yet. She did keep the phone clasped in her hand though. She also debated with herself about turning it on again. She really wanted to know. She wanted to cry and bitch to her friends about it. She wanted to hear them tell her it was going to be alright. But it wasn't. So, she didn't.

She called in sick to work the next day. She was lucky they hadn't fired her. She didn't move from Jacob's couch. He ditched class to watch TV with her. Around three, he drove her home. She showered and threw on some pajamas, but even though she wanted to just sulk, she couldn't stand to be in her apartment. She got dressed instead and went to the library.

When the library closed and kicked her out, she turned on her phone and called Jacob. She ignored the missed calls.

"Can I crash at your place again? I promise I won't bother you after tonight."

Jacob laughed into the phone and told her that having a pretty girl sleep over was not a bother. He picked her up and let her take over his couch again.

Bella sent Alice a quick text letting her know she was alright before shutting her phone off again.

When Bella woke up the following day, she was mad. She was feeling bitter and spiteful. Before she could reign in her feelings, she acted because of them in full force. She caught Jacob off guard while he was pouring a bowl of cereal.

"You want to go out tonight? On like a date…not just out?" she asked.

Jacob's head jerked up in shock and he overflowed the cereal bowl. The contents spilled on the countertop and he rushed to clean up the mess.

"Um, ok?" he answered, confused.

"Cool. Well, could you drive me home now and maybe pick me up later?"

Jacob swallowed and then said, "Sure."

His breath smelled like coffee. It was bitter and it made her eyes water. For the rest of the date she went out of the way to avoid close conversations. Only at the end did she relax. His hands folded around her face and she closed her eyes.

He wasn't him, but she needed this.

Jacob was a nice guy. She needed nice.

The kiss was also nice. It was just a peck. She wasn't ready for more, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stand his coffee breath.

Not all kisses could be Edward Cullen kisses. It was still nice.

They said some parting words and then he drove off. Bella turned to make her way up to her apartment.

Edward came bounding down the stairs, screaming awful words. His face was twisted and his mouth looked deadly. Bella's whole world came crashing down around her. She thought it was going to be sweet and wonderful to finally be able to be assertive. It sort of was actually. It was beautiful and terrible all mixed together.

He does care, she thought as he pointed his finger in her face.

"You have no right," Bella yelled back. "I know you were out on a date the other night."

"What?" Edward asked perplexed. "What date?"

"You were at the diner. My friends told me. You don't have to play dumb."

Edward let out a frustrated growl and slammed his hand down on the railing. "Bella, I wasn't on any date. If you would have just talked to me you would have known that. I don't know what you heard or what they told you, but she was just a friend."

Bella scoffed. She stepped past him to make her way up the stairs. Edward grabbed her arm a little too hard and pulled her around to face him. He took a deep breath. He let himself settle down.

"I can't get through to you, no matter what I do," he whispered. "You don't get it. I've always loved you."

And with that, he released her arm, backed up, and slammed the door behind him.

She found it hilarious that she didn't even have to say anything when she had got home. He already knew. He had known. Somehow he's known all along. If it didn't hurt so bad, she'd laugh.

Alice answered her phone on the second ring. "Bella, Jesus, why haven't you called me back?"

"I just ran into Edward."

"Yeah, well I have been trying to call you. I wanted to tell you that I was wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"I went back to the diner, right? And Rosalie pulled me into the bathroom as soon as I walked in. She was waiting for me. She asked where you were. I explained that you were devastated and I left you at the apartment and that I was heading right back after I kicked Edward's ass…"

"Alice."

"Anyway, she told me she had been mistaken. That Edward had just finished explaining that he'd brought this chick to meet us… like, you included. She was new and didn't really have a lot of friends… I guess she's his partner in some class and he wanted her to meet you because he thought you guys would get along…"

"What!"

"Yeah, I called you right away, but you didn't answer your phone. And then I came straight over but you were gone. Where the hell did you go anyway?"

"Oh, fuck. Alice! I really fucked up."

Recommendations:

Dead On My Feet by Cesca Marie

Grand Jeté by stella luna sky