Chapter 11

The Lies We Tell

Edward

"What happened last night?"

My brows raise and I blow out a breath. Getting to my feet, I have a moment of clarity when I realize that Bella doesn't remember anything from last night. Truthfully, she was plastered, three sheets to the wind, drunk off her ass, and would probably be embarrassed if I told her what she did on the way home, let alone what we did at the tavern.

If you would've asked me yesterday morning if I had expected last night to turn out the way it had, the answer, without a doubt, would've been no.

Seeing her standing in the middle of the dance floor at Twilight Tavern, swaying her hips from side to side, lit a fire under my ass. I hadn't expected to walk up to her and take her in my arms. Hell, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind before then that she'd even want me to touch her. I'm not an idiot. I'm pretty sure it was the alcohol motivating her actions. I hadn't expected to take her beautiful face in my hands and kiss her sweet, creamy lips, but I did and she let me, and I absolutely did not expect for her to respond so willingly to my touch and that kiss, but she did. I couldn't help myself with any of it. I needed to place my hands on her body, feel her soft skin beneath my fingertips, and show her how much I wanted her from the moment we met. Sure, she came off as a nosy, bitchy neighbor, but I was a fucking asshole my damn self, so I guess we're even. God, I just want to feel her under my fingertips.

Prior to last night, I haven't been able to think about anything but her. I hadn't been sleeping well and certainly hadn't been able to shake her from my thoughts. But last night, seeing her there, swaying to the music, I had no other thought but to walk up to her and wrap my arms around her, and now that I made that choice, my will to stay away from Bella Swan is lost.

I'm done for. I'm a goddamn sucker for this beautiful woman and I hope that she doesn't regret any of what happened last night if she ever finds out because I sure don't. But instead of cranking up the humiliation meter, I lean against the wall and give her the version she'll most likely accept.

I explain that when I arrived at the tavern I saw her dancing by herself and asked if I could join her. When she accepted, we danced for a while. I lied and told her that she starting yawning and asked me to take her home, leaving out the fact that we had shared a kiss that would make the porn industry proud as hell. She goes on to ask how we got to my place and where her car was. I tell her that I left my Harley inside the tavern and brought her home in her car. But I didn't mention that on the way home Bella decided to hang out the passenger window waving at each and every car that passed by and damn near mooning a police officer who was ticketing some dude with a blown tail light. I was actually thankful for that, considering I got to see half of her bare ass before I pulled her back in the car. I also don't tell her how she leaned into me and kissed the shell of my ear, begging me to hurry because she couldn't wait any longer. I also don't tell her that as soon as we got to her house I was fully ready to take her upstairs and fuck her into oblivion. Since she can't remember one bit of last night, I decide to leave that part out.

"So why didn't you just leave me at home?"

I tell her that when we got to the front door neither of us could find the keys to her house. Apparently Bella had some strange habit for separating her car and house keys instead of putting them on the same key ring.

"That doesn't explain why I woke up like this," she says, looking down at herself and then back to me. "Did we, you know. Did we do anything?"

My heart crashes against my ribs when I notice her face twist with unease.

"I undressed you," I admit, still looking at her face. I can't help it. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, save for the fact she could be a big pain in the ass sometimes. Most times, but whose keeping track.

I explain that when I got her up the stairs, she immediately fell asleep. I tell her that I didn't want her to be uncomfortable so I put one of my t-shirts on her. What I don't tell her is that she'd gotten so sick she threw up everywhere, making her clothes un-wearable in the process. I also don't tell her that when I successfully got her undressed, I put her in the shower, and bathed her from head to toe. I keep out the fact that after I laid her in my bed, I picked up her nasty clothes and put them in the washer. No, I didn't tell her any of that.

"We didn't do anything, Bella. Your virtue is still safe from the bad man next store," I reply with a light, uneasy chuckle.

"My virtue," she says so quietly I almost don't hear her.

We stay quiet for a few moments before I head for the door. Reaching for the handle, I turn back and say, "I'll leave you to get dressed. Your clothes are hanging in the closet."

And with that, I'm gone.

Until Next Time...

OzellaMarie