SURPRISE! It's only Tuesday and we are back with an update. This is an outtake from Edward's POV that falls after chapter fourteen. We hope you enjoy a look into his head and it clarifies how he feels about Bella.

A HUGE thank you to our speedy-quick beta's karenec and AshesAshes. They busted this thing out and got it back to us in less than twenty-four hours. We love you guys like crazy!

We have a couple of pics for this chapter!

Outtakes Banner: i46*tinypic*com/1es7dh*jpg

Advice, Straight Up Pic: i46*tinypic*com/2ekqhae*jpg

Liz Pic: i45* /121g4qo*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.

Advice, Straight Up

EPOV Outtake

Bella Swan. What a mind fuck. She was the most incredible woman I'd ever met but I couldn't figure her out. When we spent time together, things would be good between us for a few hours, and then something would send her running. It left me reeling, frustrated, and disappointed. Still, I couldn't shake my attraction to her.

She must have really been something before Riley broke her heart. Why the hell had he left her? I couldn't work it out, and she wasn't willing to tell me. I was caught in limbo, wanting to give her a chance but knowing that if I wasn't careful, she'd walk all over me. I tried my best to be patient, but sometimes I just wanted to snap at her. I wanted to tell Bella that he wasn't coming back, he was an idiot for leaving her, and she needed to move on with her life.

One night when I was feeling particularly wound up and frustrated by Bella, I called Liz, a woman I was casually seeing. My relationship with her wasn't anything substantial. We hooked up when we needed to unwind. There was no future for us, but we had fun when we were together. It was simple and uncomplicated. That night, Bella had me on edge and I just needed to get her out of my mind for a few hours. I wanted to help her, but I could only go so far before she had to deal with things on her own.

Bella and I met for lunch. I was a little wary, but she apologized for the way things had ended after I'd accompanied her to her company picnic. Things seemed to be going well; we were laughing and enjoying the day together at Fisherman's Wharf. I asked her to come back to my place, and she completely shut down on me. One second things were fine and then the next we were back at square one, as if nothing had changed. It left me confused. Emmett called later that day to ask if I wanted to go out with him and Rosalie and I figured why not. I wasn't going to let things with Bella ruin my night.

I meet up with Rose and Emmett at a club and we caught up over drinks. Rose had invited a friend of hers from college who happened to be in town, but the blonde, Jane, didn't really do much for me. She was smart, and though I found her quite beautiful, I wasn't interested.

I went to the bar to grab us another round of drinks, and by the time I got back, Jane had left. Apparently, she had an early flight in the morning and needed to get back to her hotel. Rose, Emmett, and I caught up a little more about where they were traveling to next, and I filled them in on my latest project at the museum.

When I got up to order some more drinks, Rose stopped me, saying they had to get going. They were only in town for a few days and needed to catch up on some sleep. The real story was probably that Rose was ready for some alone time with Emmett. They said their goodbyes and apologized for having to go. I gave Emmett a pat on the back and told him to have fun. He just laughed and led Rosalie away.

.

I was just contemplating whether or not I was going to stay and have another drink when my phone chimed with a message. It was Liz.

Have any plans tonight?

I smiled and replied. At the club, but my friends just left. Want to join me?

Sure, where are you?

I sent her a reply and went up to the bar to order a drink to nurse until Liz got there. While waiting for my drink, a woman approached me. I spoke to her briefly, but I didn't want to give her the wrong idea so I politely excused myself. I took a seat at a nearby table to relax and listen to the music.

A short while later, I felt an arm wrap around me and slide into my shirt, just under the third button.

"Hey, handsome," Liz purred and kissed my cheek.

I turned to Liz with a smile and let my eyes roam over her body. "Hey. You look great."

She really did. She was a tall, fit woman just a few years younger than me, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. We'd met at cocktail party one night and one thing had led to another. Liz arrived dressed in a white dress and tall heels that showed off her legs. I leaned in to brush a kiss against her cheek and her nails lightly raked across my chest, immediately causing my body to stir.

"Thanks. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," I said honestly.

She was an intelligent, successful woman, and no slouch in bed, but she didn't get under my skin the way Bella did. She didn't frustrate me the way Bella did, either.

I ordered Liz a drink and placed my arm on the back of her chair, occasionally letting my fingers brush across the bare skin of her shoulder as we talked. We kept the conversation light, and flirtatious. Her fingers running across my thigh felt good, and I knew that if I went back to her place tonight, I wouldn't be disappointed. Sex with Liz was always an excellent stress reliever.

The noise in the club suddenly got louder and I glanced up, catching the glitter of a bracelet on an upraised arm on the dance floor. For a moment, I swore I saw Bella. I blinked in surprise and squinted, trying to see if it was really her or if I was just imagining things. My eyes focused and I saw it was her. She was dancing with a guy who looked barely old enough to be of legal drinking age.

Immediately, I turned away. The fact that she was dancing with another guy was really none of my business. I had no room to talk, not when I had a woman sitting next to me that I'd probably end up sleeping with later. Bella and I had no claim on each other, but I couldn't deny that I was jealous of the guy touching her, knowing she'd likely take him home tonight.

"Edward?" Liz said softly, gently squeezing my leg.

"Huh?" I shook my head. "Sorry, I thought I saw someone I know."

"It's fine. C'mon, let's get out of here; we can head to my place." She rubbed my thigh a little higher, lightly brushed her fingertips against my cock, and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "You're going to love what I have on under this dress."

The soft groan I released was genuine, and I grabbed her hand and stood, eager to get back to her place. We went to the bar so I could settle my tab for the night, and Bella and her date suddenly passed by, heading towards the door. What struck me was how solemn Bella looked. She wasn't laughing the way she did when we were together, and her eyes didn't sparkle. Her expression was flat, and although she was holding hands with the guy she was with, her other arm was wrapped around her midsection as if protecting herself.

I couldn't stop the wave of frustration that rolled through me. She was better than this. I could see it but she couldn't, and she wasn't going to stop doing this to herself until she did. I was afraid she wasn't going to see it until she got hurt.

My frustration with was irrational, and quite frankly, annoying, but I couldn't hide the irritation in my gaze as our eyes met. The guilt and shame on her face was so clear, but she didn't stop. Letting the guy pull her behind him, her eyes locked on mine and we stared at each other until the last moment when they walked out the door.

Once again, Liz had to get my attention. I was grateful when all she gave me was a curious glance but didn't ask about the woman I'd been staring at. I couldn't begin to explain Bella to her and really, with our arrangement, I didn't need to. I turned to face Liz and pushed Bella out of my mind. It wasn't my business what she did with anyone else. Even if a part of me wanted it to be.

"Are you ready?" Liz asked.

I looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, let's go."

~LTOYL~

"There's another woman you're seeing, isn't there?" Liz asked, wearing nothing but a sheet. She had it wrapped around her body as she walked me to her door a few hours after we got to her place. I'd been able to put Bella from my mind while I was in bed with Liz, but the moment I got up to get dressed, there she was, invading my thoughts once again.

I stopped in surprise at her question and turned to face her. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, the way you were looking at that girl at the club was hard to miss," she said dryly.

"I'm sorry about that."

Liz shrugged. "It's fine. I know what we are. Who is she?"

"Just woman I met at while ago," I answered. "It's … complicated."

"Are you dating her?"

"I have no idea," I said, my annoyance with Bella clear in my voice. "I have no idea if she wants anything to do with me to be honest."

"You're a great guy, Edward. I'm sure whatever happened between the two of you can't be that bad. You'll figure things out with her, and if you don't … Well, you know how to find me." She ran her hand through my hair and I smiled at her, grateful that things with Liz were so simple.

"I know. Thanks for tonight."

"Any time," she said with a smirk and leaned in to kiss me goodbye.

I left her place feeling satisfied, but a bit lonely. The sex was good, great even, but I didn't have any urge to stay, and I knew Liz didn't want me to either. It was entirely different from when I was with Bella.

Knowing my mind was too unsettled to sleep; I grabbed a cab and took it to Leah's place, needing to unload on her. It was convenient having your favorite local bartender as one of your closest friends.

When I got there, I shrugged out of my suit jacket and tossed it on an empty chair before unbuttoning and rolling up my sleeves. Leah caught one glimpse of me as I settled into a chair and raised her eyebrow. She grabbed three shot glasses and the bottle of Macallan she kept on hand for me and headed my way. The bar was nearly deserted, and a quick glance at the clock on the wall told me it was nearly closing time. Sam followed just a moment later. They took seats on either side of me and I reached for the bottle of scotch. In the morning, I'd probably regret treating the bottle of expensive scotch like it was cheap tequila, but I needed a drink and the advice of my friends.

Leah folded her arms and stared at me. "The bitch is back, isn't she?"

Leah had made no secret about her dislike of Bella or her opinion on how I'd been treated. "What makes you say that?"

"You only get like this when you're frustrated with her crazy ass," Leah replied and Sam snorted, rolling her eyes.

I sighed and scrubbed my hand through my hair harshly. "I am frustrated!"

"Then move on, Edward. She's fucked up and not worth your time," Leah said, reaching for the bottle and pouring us each a round.

"I just feel like I could do her some good, you know?" I said, taking a shot. "There's this amazing woman inside her. She's fucking brilliant, and driven and fierce. It's all hidden behind the hurt, but it's there. I've seen it."

Sam sighed and placed her hand on top of mine, her blue eyes worried. "You can't save her, Edward. She has to do that herself."

I downed another glass. "I know. But what if I can guide her in the right direction? Remind her that she can move on."

"Is it worth getting hurt over?" Sam asked softly.

"Yeah, I think she is," I admitted.

"You don't normally have this kind of hero complex, Edward," Leah said sharply. "What the hell is it about this woman that has you so eager to do something stupid like this?"

"Because I can see who she must have been before her ex fucked her up. And God, Leah, that woman is exactly the kind of woman I want."

"What if you can't help her though?" Sam asked.

"I honestly believe that things can't get much worse than they are now," I pointed out and tossed back the contents of the last of the three glasses. "Almost anything has to be better than what she's currently doing. I can't get rid of the gut feeling that tells me I can help her."

Leah rolled her eyes and reached to re-fill the three glasses, this time downing one herself. Sam waved her off when Leah handed one her way and spoke again. "Okay, but what if you help her, and she moves on?"

"Then she moves on, and I know I've done the right thing."

"Jesus, that's awfully masochistic of you, Edward. You're in love with her, yet you're willing to let her just stomp all over your heart?" Leah snarled, taking Sam's shot.

I shook my head and downed the third. "I'm not in love with Bella. Not even close. Look, I like her. I'm intrigued by her, fascinated by her, yes. She's an enigma to me, and I have to admit, I find the challenge kind of exciting. If she can find her way through all the shit that's holding her down, I have a feeling we'd be great together. I see the potential there. I'm gambling on that. But I'm not so invested that I'd be heart-broken if it all blows up in my face."

"I hope you know what the fuck you're doing," Leah said, offering to fill the three glasses up again with the amber liquor.

Sam nodded and downed a shot. "I do, too. I think it's wonderful that you want to help her, but be careful, Edward."

"I'm not going to seek her out," I promised. "But if I see her again, or she calls, I'm not going to sit by and do nothing. Maybe I should, but I don't think I can just write her off. I want to offer her a way to move forward."

"And what does that entail exactly?" Sam asked curiously.

"As a way to stop with the random guys, who are making her feel like shit about herself, I'll offer myself to her, instead. I know she's not ready for a relationship, but she needs to know that someone gives a shit about her." My voice grew louder in frustration and I was starting to feel the effects of the scotch. How many have I even had? I wondered; I had lost count. Thankfully, the place was empty except for one guy slumped over in his stool at the end of the bar.

"Her mother is a real piece of work, too. She rips into Bella and puts her down and then rubs it in her face that her ex is gone. She seems to have no close friends, aside from the one she goes clubbing with. Even then, I get the impression they don't really confide in each other. Her father is her boss. He seems like a great guy, but I get the feeling she tries hard to pretend that she's all right and isn't falling apart. I don't think he has a clue how badly she's really struggling."

I took a deep breath, rolling one of the two shot glasses between my fingers and my palm. "I just want a chance to show Bella that things could be different. Remind her that she doesn't have to sleep-walk through the rest of her life just because her ex is gone."

"I hope you're the man for the job," Leah said reluctantly, "and that she doesn't break your heart in the process." She took the third glass and held it out for me to cheer. We clanked our glasses and she tipped hers back.

Leah stood up and walked over to the bar, stopping halfway to look back at me. "I'm stocking up on Macallan just in case she does. And you're going to owe me big time when you come crying to me about the way she's dicked you over."

I sighed and took a final drink of scotch, savoring the flavor on my tongue. Maybe Leah was right, but maybe, just maybe, she was wrong.

"Good luck," Sam muttered. "I think you're going to need it."

So there you go. What did you think? Is Edward where you thought he was? Don't hate too much on Liz, she fills a need for Edward but doesn't cause any damage.

A few of you have asked if we will be posting on Thursday since it is Thanksgiving. The answer is no. BUT, we will post on Wednesday of this week so we don't have to skip.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!

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