Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original characters, content and ideas of this story are mine.

Chapter 17

Testing the Waters

EPOV

After tossing and turning in my bed for hours I finally gave up on sleeping and decided to fix something to eat and watch some TV. I still can't believe I am sitting in my apartment by myself while my Bella is out on a date with James, of all people and for the first time in a long time I actually felt, lonely. I can't believe it's almost 3am and Bella's not here yet she never stays out this long. I wonder if she is okay, maybe I should call her cell phone. No Edward, because then she will think you are keeping track of her. But what if she is in trouble and I'm just sitting here like an idiot, I thought as I paced back and forth in my living room. I should probably call the police; yes I'll call the police I thought as I dialed 911.

"911 emergency how may I help you?"

"Uh, uh…I must have hit a 9 instead of a 4, sorry."

I hung up my cell phone feeling just as stupid as I probably looked when I heard a key turn in my front door lock. Realizing Bella was home, I ran and dove onto the couch and quickly adjusted myself to a sitting up position while grabbing the remote and trying my best not to breathe any harder than necessary. Bella came in and stood next to the couch leaving my front door standing wide open.

"Hi" I said looking up at her and noticing her drooping eyelids not to mention how red and glassy her eyes looked.

"Hi" she said flopping down on the couch next to me and yep she had definitely been drinking. I turned and looked back at the TV, because now I was pissed that this bastard had taken her out and gotten her drunk and only God knows what else he may have tried. Just the thought alone made my stomach churn.

"How was your date?" I asked not really wanting to hear her response.

"It was…nothing to talk about really."

"Well I'd say there should be a lot to talk about considering it's after 3 o clock in the morning and judging by your eyes, you're drunk." I said trying to hide the anger in my voice and searching her eyes.

"I am not… drunk." She said trying not to slur but failing miserably and she still had not realized that she left the front door open.

"Uh huh, so is that why my front door is still standing open?" I said folding my arms across my chest and cocking an eyebrow at her and the expression that covered her face as she whipped her head around instantly made me regret what I had said. She was mortified and I felt like the meanest prick in the world. She tried to get up but lost her balance and without thinking I quickly but gently pushed her back down on the couch making sure to not let go until she was steady. I then went to close my front door and when I turned back around Bella had her face buried in her hands and her shaking shoulders let me know she was crying, way to go Cullen. I kneeled down next to her and placed my hand on the back of her neck to soothe her and to let her know that I wasn't upset but she kept her face down. Finally needing to look into her eyes and make sure she was ok I used my pointer finger to lift her face and when I saw her tear stained cheeks it broke my heart. I grabbed her and hugged her as tight as I could without hurting her and placed soft kisses on the top of her head and this seemed to make her cry harder.

"I… I'm sorry Edward…I just had a little too much wine and this is not me." She choked out and buried her face in the crook of my neck and I could feel her warm tears on my skin as I rubbed soothing circles on her back and kissed the top of her head. The last thing I wanted was for her to cry and I was kicking myself for upsetting her and then she looked up at me and I really felt like crap.

"Bella you don't have to apologize to me, I'm so sorry for upsetting you."

"No you are absolutely right, I did have too much to drink and I don't know what I was thinking about staying out with James like that."

"Hey you're an adult and you have the right to have fun every once in a while, I… mean who am I to get angry about it?" I said as I placed my hands on either side of her face.

Bella eyes flashed to my lips as did mine to her lips and I placed my forehead against hers trying to resist the urge to kiss her, but when she closed her eyes placing her arms around my neck and licked her lips my self control went right out of window.

"Bella, open your eyes." I said wanting to look into her eyes to see if this was something she wanted just as bad as me and what I saw when she looked at me made my breath hitch in my throat, passion pure passion. I leaned in and brushed my lips softly against hers and then I deepened the kiss not caring about being cautious, but rather making her feel through this kiss how much I loved her and wanted her. Kissing Bella was like eating a slice of mom's best apple pie on a summer night with perfect weather while watching an awesome firework show all rolled into one. I was nothing less than dazzled as I sucked on her bottom lip trying to wrap my psyche around this moment.

Without thinking I placed one arm behind her back and another under her knees and lifted her up into my arms. As I carried Bella down the hall I wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her all night and wake up and see her next to me.

"Stay with me" I whispered while rubbing my nose against her cheek and when she gave me a nod I proceeded to my bedroom room holding her close to my body as she rest her head on my chest.

I lay her on my bed and she scooted back to the top while crawled up to meet her capturing her lips in another kiss and this one is full of passion, need, want, lust, desire, and love. Bella is not shy at all when she has alcohol in her system to give her the courage she normally would not have and she pulls at the hem of my shirt before pulling it over my head. She then runs her fingers from one hand down my bare back as she pulls me closer to her deepening the kiss and fisting my hair in her other hand. Who is this person full of fire that I'm kissing?

"I want you" she whispers into my mouth while sitting up to unbutton her blouse. Never breaking our kiss I lift my eyelids just enough to see her undoing one button, two, three, four… and suddenly I pull away because I've never seen her body before and it's more perfect than I could have ever imagined. I look down at the perkiest most perfect pair of breast I've ever seen and every inch of my body reacts. Noticing me ogling her "girls' Bella reached back to unclasp her black lace bra and that's when my good sense finally kicked in and I reached behind her back and grabbed her hand bringing it back to her front.

"No… no not like this… this isn't us and I… I don't want it like this." I said sitting myself next to her on my bed.

"You… you don't… want me?" she said with hurt evident in her shaky voice and pained eyes.

"I want you, believe me I do…I just have too much respect for you to do it this way, Bella."

"Okay let me get this right, I'm here… half naked in your bed telling you that I want you and you are giving me some crap about respecting me too much! Seriously Edward, you need to get past Tanya and you're never going to get over her if you don't start opening yourself up and leaving the house other than to go to work." She said while putting her blouse back on.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…you think me not wanting to sleep with you this way has something to do with my feelings for Tanya because you're dead wrong. I could care less about what Tanya is doing, however I do care about sleeping with you after you've been out all night drinking and may not even remember what happened in the morning." I hissed a little irritated now.

"OH…oh so what, now I'm so drunk that I wouldn't remember something like making love to you all night. What are you size challenged or something that I would so easily forget?"

Did she actually just ask about my manhood and refer to me as being possibly size challenged? My ego wanted to throw her down on the bed and show her that even in her intoxicated state of mind, not only would she remember, she would need a day or two to recover, at least physically. But the logical side of me ignored her comment and did not let it get the best of me.

"Look, Bella I don't want to argue with you."

"Well then why did you even bring me in here, Edward?"

And to be honest that was a good question why did I bring Bella to my bedroom knowing the state of mind she was in. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I thought I was protecting her but from what or who is the question. I just wanted to know that she was safe and lying right next to me all night. I had never intended on taking advantage of her, but I guess that's not what it looks like.

"Bella I just wanted to make sure you were okay and safe."

She laughed through her nose and shook her head looking down and when she looked back up I could see the tears wailing up in her eyes.

"I don't need you to protect me Edward; I've NEVER needed you to protect me, please get that through your head!" she said as she stood to leave my room and I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to me.

"Bella please don't leave like this I'm sorry I…."

She cut me off by taking both her palms and shoving me in the chest which caused her to stumble.

"No Edward I don't need your pity, or… or your sympathy because you think I'm so damn fragile and you have to take care of me." She said between sobs. "I've managed to make it for twenty four years without you and now you want to treat me like some charity case! I may need a lot of things from you, but commiseration is not one of them." She continued and now tears were streaming down her face and my heart was crushed all over again.

"Bella you are so much more…"

"Save it Edward I get it I really do… me and my stupid emotions and wishful thinking that had me actually believing we had a chance, but you know what I'm a big girl I'll get over you too and for the next two weeks until my apartment is ready I will be staying in a hotel. So after tonight I won't be here for you to "worry" about." She said while making quotes in the air with her fingers and stormed off to her room slamming the door.

I stood there dumbfounded trying to figure out how I went from kissing her lips to her not speaking to me again and moving out before her apartment is even ready. No, I can't allow this to happen and she is truly overreacting to this whole ordeal so I lightly knocked on her bedroom door.

"Bella please let me in."

"No I don't want to talk anymore."

"Bella… please… I'm sorry I didn't mean…"

"To upset me." She said snatching the door open and getting in my face and raising her voice an octave. "Is that what you were gonna say Edward, that you didn't mean to upset me? Because I've heard that before you never mean to upset me but for some odd reason you think it's your job to look out for me and keep me safe and make sure nothing happens to me and make sure no one's taking advantage of me and make sure I'm around the right people and the list never fucking ends! But if I wanted someone just to protect me and keep me safe I would hire a damn body guard now leave. me. alone. or I will go to a hotel tonight!" she said slamming the door in my face.

I had never seen this side of Bella, yelling, eyes bugged, nostrils flared, face frowned up and small sprays of spit leaving her mouth as she ripped me a new one; I thought her head would spin around and green stuff would fly out of her mouth, so I did exactly what I was told and left her alone, but honestly I felt like I should perform an exorcist, throw some Holy water on her and kneel and pray!

Jesus Christ, only you Lord could possibly understand the mind of the female gender and what makes them tick!

A/N: Drunkenness and trying to control your hormones, not a good combination! Lol! But you know charming Edward will find a way to get her back! What do you think Bella will do now and what kind of trouble will she get into away from Edward? Keep reading to find out. Thank you for the story alerts and reviews and please leave me more reviews with your thoughts!