It's Thursday! So here we are again. Hope you all had a good week. The song for this chapter is "Gold on the Ceiling" by The black Keys youtu*be/6yCIDkFI7ew

If you've ever been to San Francisco, you know the true stars of the city are the sea lions. They are hysterical to watch and will always put on a show. i46*tinypic*com/68vw5d*jpg

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Big thanks to our incredible team of betas: karenec, LJ Summers, and jakeward.

Chapter Fourteen: Apology

I spent several days thinking about the conversation Riley and I had over the phone. The more I thought about where we were in our lives, the more confused and lonely it left me feeling. I knew Riley wasn't coming back, but it didn't change the fact that my heart was still with him in D.C.

I wasn't ready to move on, but I wasn't entirely okay with the way things had ended with Edward, either. The way he'd said goodbye to me outside of my building had been so final. I wondered if he had given up on me. Frankly, he'd made more of an effort than I deserved. I'd treated him terribly. The day at the park had been fun. More fun than I had had in months and truthfully, I kind of missed the banter we had established, and how he always seemed to lift the fog of my depression. I debated if I should call him, eventually giving in to the urge. As the phone rang, I leaned back in my chair, crossed my legs and tried to stop myself from nervously jiggling my left leg, unsure of what to say to him and how he'd receive it. I wanted to ask him to lunch to apologize for the way I'd treated him.

"Edward Cullen, Special Exhibits and Collections. How may I help you?"

"Hi, it's Bella," I answered nervously.

"Bella." His voice was neutral, neither pleased nor displeased to hear from me.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Fine...you?" I pressed on despite the coolness I could hear in his voice.

"I'm fine." I swallowed hard, nerves building in the pit of my stomach. "I was calling to ask if you would you like to come to lunch with me?"

He hesitated for a moment and I wondered if I had interrupted him. "Is this another company event?" his tone was a little more clipped and I felt my stomach drop.

"No. This is me asking you out to lunch."

"Today?"

"If you're available." I was hopeful that he didn't have plans, but I would understand if he didn't want to see me.

"I'm not; I have a meeting in about twenty minutes that will probably run long."

"Oh." I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. Rather than push the issue though, I suggested another time. "Later this week?"

He hesitated. "I have some time on Thursday, if you could go around noon."

"I can't," I said apologetically. "I have an appointment with a client scheduled." I would have loved to have cancelled my appointment but I had just signed on to take a new case and I could already tell this client was going to be difficult.

"Maybe next week?" he offered.

"What about this Saturday?" I was bordering on sounding desperate but I didn't want to wait that long to see him.

"Yeah, I can do lunch on Saturday. Where would you like to go?"

"What about The Crab House at Pier 39?" The restaurant was known around the area for their amazing crab dishes but it was still casual. Perfect for a friendly kiss-and-make-up lunch in a neutral location.

"That sounds good."

"Does one p.m. work for you?"

"One is fine. Hey, I need to get going. Have a nice week, Bella, and I will see you on Saturday."

"Thanks. You, too, Edward."

I grimaced at the phone for a moment before I hung up. It had been such a strange, awkward conversation. I didn't really blame Edward for being short with me. He was so wary of me now. While I couldn't blame him, I felt disappointed. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and dove back into work; I had too much to do today to spend more time thinking about Edward.

I spent the day immersed in depositions and case files. I waved goodbye distractedly to Bree, who popped in before she left to make sure I didn't need anything. Lauren was, of course, already gone. In fact, she had been leaving early lately, and was often not around when I needed her. I was going to have to have a word with her soon.

I was still holed up in my office working when the phone beeped hours later. Assuming it was a reminder to eat dinner, I reached to silence it, but I was surprised to see a text message from Edward.

Sorry if I was a bit short with you earlier, you caught me by surprise.

I felt my breath catch in my throat at his text. I couldn't blame him; in fact, I half-expected Edward to be a bit put out with me. I sent him a reply a few minutes later.

That's okay. I didn't mean to bother you. I am looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Me, too. I'm glad you called.

Good.

"Good? What was I thinking?" I wondered. Why did I always sound so strange and awkward when I talked to him on the phone? And what was it about Edward that made me so nervous I second-guessed everything I said to him? I sent off another reply telling him I'd see him soon and put my phone out of reach.

The rest of the week had me wrapped up in a particularly grueling case that needed my full attention. By the time Friday evening rolled around, I was exhausted and went to bed early. In the morning, the fog was so thick that I could hardly see, so instead of my usual outdoor run, I used the treadmill in my home office. I watched the news and my mind began wandering until they did a segment on the museum's new exhibit. Apparently, the Governor's wife was quite the art enthusiast and was making a visit today. I felt a sense of pride for Edward, knowing he was the one who had put it all together.

After that, I could think of nothing but my lunch plans with Edward. I spent far too long picking out something to wear. I finally settled on a pair of dark jeans, a loose brown silky top and a cream-colored belted cardigan. Cream heels and a dangling pendant necklace pulled it all together. I had straightened my hair after my shower earlier and I gathered it into a low ponytail that draped over one shoulder. I kept my makeup light and neutral and as I dabbed gloss on my lips and threw it into the slouchy brown leather hobo bag.

I realized I was primping just a little too much for a casual lunch.

I drove to Pier 39 and eventually found a parking spot. The fog had cleared, although it was still overcast and cool. I got to the restaurant with fifteen minutes to spare. It was a popular place, so I had made a reservation earlier in the week and the table was ready and waiting when I arrived. The restaurant was clean and bright, with a vaguely retro feel. White subway tiles lined the walls and the floor tiles were black and white. The tables were small and cozy, and it had a relaxed, energetic vibe and fantastic views. I took a seat and just moments later my phone vibrated.

I reached for it, wondering if Edward was calling to cancel. To my surprise it was Vanessa.

"Are you all right, Bella?" she asked, a slight panic in her voice.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You're fifteen minutes late for our lunch and you're never late for anything!"

"Shit. I completely forgot we even had lunch planned." Guilt washed over me as soon as I heard her words. I hadn't remembered our plans when I made my lunch date with Edward.

"I take it you're not coming." I could hear the disappointment in her voice and it made me feel awful.

"I'm sorry, I can't make it today," I said apologetically. It wasn't like me to blow Vanessa off, but it was too late to call Edward and reschedule. Plus, I realized deep down, I really wanted to see him.

"Damn it, are you working on a Saturday again?" I chuckled internally; leave it to Vanessa to know me so well. It was nice knowing that she cared.

"No, I made other plans."

"You're standing me up?" she said incredulously. "It better be for Charlie."

"Uh... no." I wasn't sure I wanted to tell Vanessa about Edward yet. It wasn't that I was hiding him. I just didn't know what he was to me at this point and I knew as soon as Vanessa knew, she would interrogate me about him.

I looked up just in time to see Edward at the front of the restaurant and he grinned when he spotted me and made his way to the table.

"Oh my God, you're having lunch with a man who isn't your father or a co-worker?" There was excitement in her voice and I knew next time I saw her she was going to ask me a million questions.

"I didn't say that," I protested.

Edward took a seat at the table and I mouthed 'one second,' holding up my index finger. He nodded and looked down at the menu while he waited.

"You didn't have to; I could just tell." Vanessa giggled. "Is he there right now?"

Trying to keep my conversation private, I casually replied, "Yes," as if my call was just any random business call.

"Fine, but you are going to tell me everything later." I could feel my cheeks heat. I needed to get off the phone.

"All right, I need to go. Talk to you later, Vanessa."

"Have fun. Go do something I'd do."

"Goodbye, Vanessa." I rolled my eyes in amusement and hung up my phone. "Sorry, Edward."

"It's fine," he reassured me.

"Apparently, I stood up my friend Vanessa today."

A quick look of disappointment washed over his face. "Do you need to go?" he said apprehensively.

"Oh, no. I can see her anytime. She works at Swan and Volturi, too. We get together for lunch all the time. We'll just reschedule."

"You're sure?" His face brightened and it reminded me how awful I had been to him just days before. He really was a nice guy.

"Absolutely. It's just strange that I did that; I'm normally meticulous about keeping my schedule up to date. I usually have my phone on me all the time and it's synced to my calendar so I never miss anything."

Edward gave me an amused glance. "That doesn't surprise me about you."

"How was your week?" I asked.

"Good. Finalizing some of the details for the upcoming Richard Serra exhibit."

"Richard Serra. . . he does the large scale sheet metal sculptures, doesn't he?"

"You do know your modern art," Edward said, sounding impressed. "I usually get blank looks from people unless I'm discussing the handful of really big names that the general public knows."

"There were a handful of elective classes I had to take during my undergrad, and I took art history. I've tried to keep up on it since."

"It's refreshing, honestly." He gave me a pleased look. "And yes, that is the Richard Serra I'm talking about."

"Aren't most of the sculptures pretty site-specific? I mean, can they even be moved? The scale is just enormous."

"They are site-specific. We're actually doing a retrospective on his drawings. He used black paintstick and they're really fascinating. They look very simple, but they're these stark forms that manipulate the viewer's sense of mass and gravity." He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly searching for the images. "I can show you a quick example. It'll hardly have the same effect on a three-inch screen. It should give you some idea of what they're like though."

I took the phone from him and studied it. "Hmm, I would like to see it in person."

"It'll be at the museum from mid-October through January. If you'd like a private tour I might know someone who could arrange that."

I handed him his phone back. "It's always good to have connections." I grinned. I was so mesmerized by his answering smile that I didn't even notice the waitress arrive.

"Hi, I'm Becky, can I get either of you something to drink? Maybe something from our Mojito Bar?" she asked.

"What would you like, Bella?" Edward asked.

"A mojito would be great actually."

"Absolutely, we have seven different kinds." The waitress showed them to me on the menu. They all looked fantastic and it took me a moment to decide.

"The classic mint and rum mojito, please."

"Sure thing, and for you sir?"

I watched Edward as he ordered a beer. He was very focused and friendly with the waitress without being flirty or inappropriate. It was the same way he had charmed all of the women at the company barbecue.

When she left he looked back at me. "The exhibit will also have Serra's early sculptures. He worked mainly in lead, rubber, and fiberglass."

I nodded. "I will definitely have to come see it."

"Good. Now, I guess we should decide on our meal before the waitress comes around again."

"Probably. I can talk art all day though."

"Don't say that—I turn into such a nerd about it and you'll never get me to stop. Trust me; you will get sick of it."

"It's a nice change of pace from the law. I love it, but sometimes I feel like it's all I think about." I looked down at my menu for a moment, wondering what I should order.

"Have you been here before?" Edward asked.

"A few times, you?"

"Yeah, I came here with my friend Emmett a month or two ago. He can eat an alarming amount of crab."

It was nice hearing something about Edward's life. "Any idea what you want to get?"

"I was thinking about getting the bruschetta, would you like to split that?"

"Sure. I think I'll get the crab cioppinno stew and the mixed baby greens."

"That sounds good. I always want to try other things here, but invariably I end up getting a Caesar salad and a half-order of the killer crab."

"I have a few restaurants like that. I'm sure they have other delicious things, but I can't resist my favorites." We spent a few minutes talking about our favorite restaurants until the waitress brought our drinks and took our order.

"How was your week?" Edward asked when she was gone.

"It was fine. I have a case that's a bit overwhelming at the moment, although I'm sure it will settle down eventually."

"So, what do you do for fun?" he asked.

I laughed, somewhat uncomfortable. "Fun? I'm not sure I have that anymore. I work an incredible number of hours a week, and I go out with my friend Vanessa when I can, and to Leah's bar occasionally, but that's about it. Honestly, the time I spent with you in the last couple of weeks has been the most I've gone out to do something in a long time." I looked down and took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about the way the barbecue ended. I had a great time."

"Can you tell me what happened? Things were going well and then it was like you disappeared. I didn't know if I did something wrong or..."

"No, it wasn't you. This sounds ridiculous, but it wasn't you, it was me. This time last year... I was at the barbecue with my ex, and it brought up some memories."

"Bad memories?"

I shook my head. "Good memories. Some of the best in my life, honestly."

"You miss him."

I was quiet for a moment before I spoke. "Yes." The waitress brought our appetizer at that moment and I was never more grateful for the interruption.

"But, you asked what I did for fun," I continued when she left. "I run, a lot actually. Nearly every morning. Usually about forty-five minutes along the waterfront."

"I run, too. Usually at the gym, although an outside run sounds nice."

"Unless it's storming, I really prefer to be outside. I have a treadmill in my apartment, but I don't use it unless I have to."

"You obviously go to museums for fun as well," he teased me and I grinned.

"Yes, I do. Your museum is my favorite in the city, to be honest. Although, I try to go to others, too."

"Have you ever been to the Exploratorium?"

"I can't help thinking that is the worst name for a science and art museum." I chuckled. "But no, I haven't been there in years, actually."

"There are so many incredible museums in the area, I never have the time to visit them as often as I'd like."

"Me either," I admitted.

For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to say something. Instead, he hesitated and took a bite of the bruschetta instead.

"What do you do for fun?" I asked.

"I actually find my job incredibly fun. I certainly have my share of stressful days, especially when we're scrambling right before an exhibition opens. Researching them and pulling the pieces together from various other museums around the world, however, is incredibly enjoyable for me."

Edward sipped his beer and I watched his lips on the edge of the bottle and his long fingers wrapped around the base of it. His tongue caught a stray droplet of the gold liquid and I felt myself flush at the memory of that tongue against my body.

"I spend a fair amount of time with my family, too," he added and I shook myself out of the lustful haze I'd been in. "My parents and sister live in the city, so I see them often."

"That's nice. I take it you get along well?"

"Yes, we do."

"You've met my family," I said. "So, you probably figured out that my father and I are very close, and my mother..." I sighed. "She's not the same woman she was when I was a child. She's always been concerned about her looks and social status. It's reached a nearly pathological level lately. I don't even know who she is anymore."

I looked down and took a sip of my drink. Edward's hand covered mine and he lightly squeezed my fingers. "Are you an only child?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I don't actually know if that was by choice, or because they weren't able to have more. My parents never talked about it. But, either way, I always wanted siblings growing up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't really mind now, although when I was little I wanted a sister," I said wistfully.

"I would have given you mine. I love her now, but we drove each other crazy as kids. We fought all the time."

"It's nice that you get along now."

"Yeah, it is. I'm pretty close to her husband, too."

He took a sip of his beer. "Do you have many close friends?"

"Vanessa and I are pretty close. We met at Georgetown when we were in law school. Her family is all out in Maryland and I think she was looking to get away from them. So when I told her about positions opening up at Swan and Volturi, she took the bar out here and got hired. She's really brilliant."

"I didn't realize you went to Georgetown for law school."

"Yes, Stanford undergrad, and Georgetown law."

"Wow. I am very impressed."

"Where did you go?" I asked.

"UC Berkeley for both undergrad and grad school."

"Do you ever plan to get a PhD?"

He shrugged. "I've considered it; I'm just not sure if it's worth it. I would need a PhD if I wanted to advance within the museum, to take over the Director position, but I'm not sure I ever want to. I'm really happy with what I'm doing now. I could see doing it for the rest of my life."

The waitress cleared the appetizer plates and brought out our salads.

"I never wanted to be anything except a lawyer," I said, after I'd taken a bite. "I'd go to work with my dad on the weekends and bring my toys or books, and I'd watch him. And sometimes he'd tell me a little bit about the case, and the law and how he was helping people. I wanted to be just like him."

"And you succeeded."

A smile spread across my face. My father was a wonderful man and a lot of people really admired him. It made me happy to think that I had even come close to being like him. "I'm trying. I'm doing my best to earn partner and not just have it given to me because it's my father's firm. So, I put in twice as many hours as a lot of the other lawyers, just to prove there's no favoritism. It feels like I'm still scrambling to earn the title and the respect he has."

"What you're doing is very admirable," Edward said. "I have a lot of respect for you."

"Thanks." I looked down at my salad. "Tell me more about your travels in Europe."

"After I finished grad school I bummed around Europe for a year. Just a hobo with a backpack really. I stayed in youth hostels and one night I even slept on a park bench. The only time I stayed in hotels was when my parents came to visit. They met me in London and Prague, for a week at a time. The rest of the time it was just me with my backpack and scruffy beard."

I chuckled, trying to picture Edward as the typical bohemian art student bumming around European cities, dressed in ratty cargo pants and holey T-shirts. "I'm not sure I can even visualize that."

"Don't, it wasn't a pretty sight. Or a pretty smell either sometimes, but I loved it. It's probably the happiest I've ever been." A frown quickly passed over his face and then cleared. "It cost me a relationship though."

I wasn't expecting him to discuss his relationship history and I really wasn't sure where to go with that statement. I didn't want to get into our past relationships but knew I had to say something. "I'm sorry," I finally managed.

"It's fine. At the time, it was a hard decision to make. As much as I loved her, I think we both knew it wasn't meant to be long-term though."

"What was she like?" I asked. His comment made me curious to learn more about his history; although, I was somewhat concerned he'd ask questions about Riley that I wasn't prepared to answer.

"Her name was Heidi. We met in undergrad, started dating pretty much right away. She knocked me right off my feet. She was all golden, long sun kissed light brown hair, tanned skin and light brown eyes. I thought she was a goddess." He seemed far away, remembering. "Not your typical Microbiologist."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I have a thing for exceptionally smart women." He winked at me and I murmured a distracted thank you to the waitress who had come to clear our salad plates and bring out our entrees.

"Heidi and I were together for undergrad and we both went to grad school at Berkeley, so that was easy. But after I graduated, I wanted to travel and she went right into the PhD program. And there was no way to try to maintain a relationship. It never occurred to me to stay for her and it never occurred to her to go with me. It was hard, we'd been together for almost six years and I loved her. After a while, it was kind of a relief, though. I had never really been able to picture her as my wife and the mother of my children. We weren't bad together, we just weren't right together either, you know?"

"How old were you when you left for Europe?"

"Twenty-four."

"You probably weren't in any hurry to settle down then."

"No, but it was always a long-term goal. In fact, that was part of the reason I wanted to do the trip to Europe, I wanted to have that time to really immerse myself in art before I began my career and settled down. Luckily, I am in a field where it was an asset on my resume instead of making me look like a lazy slob."

"That's the only downside to my career, no real time to travel. But I do hope to make some time in the future. I'm not sure if I could handle the backpacking bohemian lifestyle though." I tried not to cringe at the thought.

"I am not sure I could anymore either. The thought of sleeping on those beds in the hostels that are about a foot too short for me...no thanks. I've gotten used to my king size bed. I'm spoiled now." He laughed ruefully.

I looked down and realized I had eaten the majority of my stew without even tasting it. I had been so wrapped up in my conversation with Edward that I hadn't really noticed what I was eating. I dipped a grilled piece of sourdough in the broth and ate it. Now that I was finally paying attention to my meal, I realized how delicious it was.

"How is the crab?" I asked him.

"Honestly, I don't really know," he said, sounding puzzled. "I have been so busy talking with you; I haven't been paying any attention."

"Me either," I admitted. "But the bite I just had was really good."

"Good. I am glad you suggested this place."

"Me, too."

We finished our entrees and as Edward wiped his hands clean and swallowed the last of his beer, I realized I was disappointed that our lunch was ending.

"Do you want dessert?" he asked, pushing his plate away from him, relaxing back against the chair.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? There's Tiramisu."

"That is tempting."

"Come on, we can split it," he coaxed.

"I don't need dessert," I protested.

"Bella, you're an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but you look like you could eat Tiramisu three times a day for the next couple of months and not have it be too much."

I sighed. "I get so wrapped up in work I don't always remember to eat; I promise I'm not deliberately starving myself." I laughed trying to lighten the mood. Though my words were true, it wasn't really something Edward needed to be concerned over.

He protested, "Oh, I didn't think that. I just want you to enjoy yourself today. Don't worry about doing what you should do. Do what you want to do. Do what feels good."

His fingers covered mine and he squeezed them gently.

"Let's split some Tiramisu then," I said.

"Great idea."

We finished our meal with dessert and coffee. As I watched him eat I couldn't help but feel a little flutter of anticipation, wondering where the rest of the day could take us. We haggled over the bill—good-naturedly—but he finally relented when I reminded him that I had invited him to apologize.

"What next?" he asked, and I nodded, smiling to myself because he wanted a next time. "Do you have somewhere you need to be?" he asked as we made our way out of the cafe.

"We could go see the Sea Lions; I haven't done that in ages."

"Sure," he said. The smile that spread across Edward's face was so sweet, I melted a little.

We made our way down the stairs to the first level of the pier. The best area for viewing the sea lions was near the tip of the pier and we walked slowly along the water. The sun had come out during lunch and although it was breezy, it was pleasant out. I felt light and relaxed with the sunshine on my face and the wind fluttering the hem of my cardigan against my thighs.

Edward looked relaxed, too. I hadn't even noticed earlier, but he was dressed fairly casually as well, in a pair of dark jeans and a slate blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The color set off his eyes and the sun glinted off the red hues in his hair.

"What?" he asked, and I realized I was staring at him.

"Sorry, you just look really relaxed and happy," I commented.

"I am. You look really good." He brushed a strand of hair that had blown loose from my ponytail away from my cheek. "Like you're enjoying yourself."

"I am."

When we reached the end of the pier we stopped to watch the sea lions cavorting in the water, their sleek bodies glistening in the sun.

"I used to watch them for hours when I was a kid."

I leaned against the railing and he stood behind me, pressed lightly against me, his arms on either side of mine, his hands braced on the top rail. I felt his breath against my hair and the soft rise and fall of his chest. I had missed the feel of someone holding me. When the loneliness crept in, I could always feel it across my upper back, and it only faded when my back was pressed tight against someone's strong chest.

I fit in Edward's arms and it was too easy to give in to the feeling. Too easy to close my eyes and sink back in to his embrace. Edward confused me, left my thoughts muddled and hazy. After a while, I exhaled softly and he leaned back, his hands moving from the railing to my arms.

"You good?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I've had my fill of the Sea Lions."

"All right." We took the long way around the pier and back to the Embarcadero, walking hand in hand.

"I should go," I said, somewhat reluctantly.

He gently pulled me to him, kissing me softly for a moment. "I think you should let me take you back to my place." I raised an eyebrow at him suggestively and he snickered quietly. "Mmm, yes, that sounds good. Let me take you back to my place so I can make you dinner a little later. We can watch a movie or something..." His voice trailed off as he kissed his way down my neck and then back up again. "Then maybe I can tempt you back into my bed."

There was a part of me that was tempted. It had been a great day with Edward. Lunch had been wonderful and I really liked talking to him. But his idea for the rest of the day was too cozy and romantic sounding. Too much like something a couple would do. Too much like something Riley and I had done. I gently pushed Edward away from me and his face fell.

"I have plans tonight and I can't cancel," I lied. I did have plans, but they were with Vanessa and if I told her I was going out with Edward she wouldn't complain at all. In fact, she'd encourage it.

He stepped back, releasing me. "A date?"

"And if it is?" I questioned.

"I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just really was having a great day with you. I didn't want it to end."

"I had a nice time, too. But I do have plans. I'm going out to a club with Vanessa. I already stood her up for lunch."

"All right," Edward conceded. "I suppose I'll have to let you go. But call me when you'd like to go out again." His thumb brushed my cheek as he leaned in to give me another soft kiss.

I didn't respond to his words, but I did kiss him back.

"Hey, would you like a ride home?" he asked.

"No, I drove, but thanks. Have a good rest of the day, Edward."

"You, too, Bella." And with that, I walked away.

~LTOYL~

Once I was home, I called Vanessa. She eagerly agreed to meet me at Ruby Skye later that night. I knew she was dying to interrogate me about what was going on with Edward. Her grandmother was still sick and she'd flown to Maryland to visit her several times in the last month, so we hadn't spent as much time together lately. Plus, I hadn't exactly been forthcoming with information about him. I'd had no problem dishing about the other guys in the past, but somehow I felt strange telling her about Edward. Still, when we were at a table in the lounge with drinks and she fixed her gaze on me, I knew it was just a matter of time before I spilled everything to her.

"Oh my God, you have to tell me everything. All I know is there's some guy you've gone out with a couple of times."

"There's nothing to tell, Ness." I sat back in my seat, crossing my legs. The black dress I had on was loosely draped on top with a deeply plunging V in back and a short skirt. I had kept my look simple, with red lips, red Louboutins and a cuffed bracelet that glittered in the lights of the club.

"How did you meet him?" she asked.

"At Leah's."

"Who the hell is Leah?" Ness asked.

"Leah is the owner of a bar I go to occasionally. It's not far from my place. I go there sometimes when I want a drink to unwind."

"Oh, okay. So you met him there?"

"Yes."

"Did you fuck him that night?" she asked rather loudly.

"Jesus, Ness. A little quieter would you? Yes, we got together that night."

Vanessa gasped and squealed like a high school girl; I felt like I was telling her about my first kiss or something. "Have you seen him since?"

"I ran into him at the museum when I went with James." I tried to keep the tone in my voice even; I didn't want her to get too excited over Edward. I'd mentioned James, but we hadn't yet discussed what happened at the museum.

"Ooh, juicy. Was there a fistfight?" Her eyes twinkled with excitement.

"No, Ness." I laughed. "There wasn't a fistfight. They didn't even talk to each other. While James went to get me a glass of wine Edward came over to talk."

Her face grew thoughtful as the wheels in her mind started to work. She raised one eyebrow and squinted a little, obviously thinking of something. "Then what?"

"After he left, James came back for a few minutes before he got a phone call." I said. I really didn't want to tell her what happened next so I took a large drink, averting my eyes to the dance floor. Cautiously, I peered back over to Ness who was still staring at me, waiting for more details. Taking another drink, I looked to the table and rushed through describing the rest of the night. "He left and when I went outside to find him he was fucking some redhead."

Nearly choking on her drink, Ness replied, "Wait, Edward was?"

"No, James. So, I was feeling really overwhelmed. I broke down crying. Edward somehow found me there. We talked for a little bit before he took me out for coffee and we went back to his place."

"How was it?"

"Spectacular." I paused. "But … then Riley called later that night."

"Holy shit! How did I miss this?" Ness's eyes gleamed.

"You were out of town visiting your grandma."

"So...what did you do?" she asked curiously.

"I left, and tried to call Riley back, but I couldn't get a hold of him."

"Wait, you left? "Then what?" She leaned forward until she was perched on the edge of her chair, her eyes wide.

I grimaced. I didn't want to talk about this anymore. It really wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be. "I went home, carried on as usual. No big deal."

"Bella-"

Interrupting her, I figured I might as well just tell her. "A week later, I found out Edward had left me a couple of notes with Jacob, and Jacob never gave them to me."

"Aww, I love Jacob. He's such a cute old guy," Ness said.

"Well, he messed with my mail, so I'm not very happy. But I called Edward, apologized, and ended up asking him to the company barbecue."

"Oh damn, I am sorry I missed that. Could have met the new boy toy." She gave me a wink and smirked.

"Anyway, we made plans for lunch today."

"Hmm, four dates, huh?" Again with the smirk.

"I guess."

"So, you slept with him three more times?" Jesus, in Ness' world every date had to end with sex.

"No, just twice. He didn't come home with me after the barbecue."

She was quiet for a moment, then said, "Why not?"

"Ness, can we just drop it? I was having a rough time with Riley being gone." I couldn't quite meet her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You like this new guy though, right?" Her tone was soft, the concern in her voice clear.

I paused hesitantly. "I do like Edward, I mean, he's really interesting."

"And good in bed?" Vanessa prompted, trying to make a joke.

"Yeah, he's good in bed," I couldn't hide the grin that lit my face.

"Better than the other guys?"

"Definitely," I said, amused by the idea.

She hesitated before quietly asking, "Better than Riley?"

My throat closed and I blinked back tears. "Ness..."

"Shit, Bella, I'm sorry."

"I know." I sighed.

I couldn't believe she had asked me that. It was the one thing I had never let myself consider. Riley and Edward were different, and that was as much as I had ever admitted. I had loved Riley since I was sixteen. He had been my first and only lover until he left. The depth of my feelings for him meant that every encounter after that paled in comparison. Except, the way Edward had touched me affected me far more than I liked to admit. To him, I had denied the connection I had felt. To myself, I wasn't sure if I could.

"All right, I think we need to dance," I said firmly.

Determined to put Edward out of my mind, I plastered a smile on my face and began to move to the music. Everything that had happened over the last few weeks had unsettled me. It was too easy to forget that Edward was just a guy I'd gone out with a few times. It didn't have to be more serious than that. Clearly he was hoping for more, but there was no way I was ready for a relationship. His jealous comment earlier lingered in my mind. I decided that there was only one way to prove that Edward meant nothing to me. All I had to do was find another guy to replace him. How hard could that be?

It wasn't long before we had a handful of guys showering us with attention. I picked the blue-eyed blond named Kyle who seemed just a little bit shy. He seemed a little bit in awe of me, and the power I had over him was kind of intoxicating. He warmed up once we started dancing and, if the way he moved his hips was any indication, I wouldn't be unsatisfied that night. I decided to take him home, and when I whispered in his ear that I wanted to fuck him, he gulped hard and nodded.

I took Kyle's arm and just as we passed by the bar on the way out, I saw Edward. I felt like his eyes were boring into me, and I flinched, feeling inexplicably guilty. His lips thinned and he frowned at me. He didn't look away, just stared at me with a level, disappointed gaze that made me cringe. He was pissed. Even after he turned away to talk to the people he was with and I followed Kyle out of the club, I couldn't shake the feeling of Edward's eyes on me. I'd proven to myself that I could easily find another guy, inadvertently showing Edward that I had no intention of letting things get more serious between us. Why did it feel like such a hollow victory?

All your reviews have been great and super supportive. Some of you have started to question how long Edward will stick around when Bella is clearly not over Riley. Just keep in mind that Edward hasn't really asked her for much. He's still trying to see where things go, too. This is a long story and we're only about a third of the way through but we promise there will be a HEA for Edward and Bella.

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