A/N: So most of you thought it was Edward at the door. Is it him? Read on to find out!

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

Chapter 18

Bella pulled on her robe and headed for the door, remembering just in time to pull off her long leather boots, leaving them lying forlornly on the bedroom floor. Her uninvited guest had somehow got in through the main entrance to the building – she was guessing one of the neighbours must have buzzed them in – and was now hammering on her apartment door. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that it might be Edward. His cock-blocking was becoming quite a habit. And he'd certainly been drunk enough to do something crazy like turn up at her home in the middle of the night. But why? What reason could he possibly have for showing up unannounced? Whoever it was, they seemed pretty desperate to be let in.

"Okay, okay," called Bella. "I'm coming!" Not in the way I should be though, she thought to herself angrily. She slid the chain across the door, just in case it was an axe-wielding murderer, unlocked it and peeped round. What she saw made her slam the door shut again. No, this can't be happening. Not now. Not him.

It was Mike.

Bella turned around and collapsed back against the door, her heart racing. The room was spinning and she could suddenly taste the tequila burning in her throat again. She let herself slide down to the floor. Just a glimpse of her ex-fiancé had completely unravelled her. After a few seconds, she remembered to breathe.

"Please Bells, let me in. I need to see you," Mike pleaded through the wood of the door. "I'm going crazy out here. Please!" As if in a trance, Bella slowly stood up and unchained the door. She pulled it open, letting Mike in without a word. He burst in and threw his arms around her in a crushing hug. "Oh my god, Bella, I've missed you so fucking much." She stood motionless in his arms, too stunned to respond.

The smell of alcohol coming off him was pungent and it startled Bella back to her senses. She pulled away from his sloppy embrace. "M- Mike. What the hell?" She was angry. Angry at him for turning up like this, angry at him for being drunk. Most of all, angry at him for stirring up a whirlpool of emotions that was threatening to suck her under any minute. She fought hard to regain control. "Seriously, what the fuck do you think you're doing coming round here?"

Mike fell down to his knees, a sorrowful look on his face. The face she'd once found so handsome, with his twinkling blue eyes and boyish grin. Now when she looked at it, all she saw was pain and loss. A rusty knife of a memory that cut deep and jagged. Yet she couldn't look away.

"Bella," he started. "Bella, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." She could see tears welling up in his eyes. "I fucked up. I know that now. I just needed to see you… to tell you how sorry I am…"

Bella swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Mike," she said slowly in barely a whisper. "You already apologised. I've heard it all before. Why are you here? Why now?"

"I miss you, Bella. It's you, it's always been you. I was just too fucking stupid to realise it." He ran his hand through his blond hair, in a gesture that was at once both so familiar and so alienating to Bella. "I know you can probably never forgive me for what I did, Bells, and I don't blame you. But I still love you, Bella, and I had to know… I had to try…" The tears were falling freely down his cheeks now. Bella was taken aback. She'd never seen Mike cry before, not even when his favourite grandmother died. Did he really mean what he was saying? Or was it just the alcohol talking? Mike always had been a messy drunk.

"What about…?" She couldn't bring herself to say that slut's name. Jessica. She didn't need to say it. The silence hung between them like a dirty cloud of smog.

"It's over," said Mike, wiping his eyes and getting back up to his feet. "She's nothing compared to you, Bella. I've been such an idiot. What we had was so perfect. I still can't believe I threw it all away…" He took a few unsteady steps towards her, reminding her of drunken Edward in the bar earlier. She found it hard to believe that was only a matter of hours ago – it felt like days.

"Mike, how much have you had to drink?" she asked. He'd never been able to handle hard liquor.

"I- I don't know. Not much," he slurred. "Bella, come here. I need to hold you…" He reached out his arms towards her. She hesitated, tempted by his embrace. Her head was telling her to kick him out, but her heart was clinging on to the ghost of happy memories, of better times. She felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes, wishing – not for the first time – that she could turn back the clock to before this whole sorry mess had happened.

No, she told herself, firmly, brushing Mike's hands away.

"Let me make some coffee," she said, avoiding the hurt and remorse in her ex's eyes and making her way to the kitchen. He followed her.

"Mike, do you honestly think you can just show up here and fix everything by saying sorry?" Bella asked, as she fumbled with the coffee maker. "After everything you put me through, that I'll just forgive and forget?"

"No… no! Bells, I don't blame you if you never want to forgive me. I just had to see you." Mike gingerly stepped up behind Bella and tentatively put his hands on her waist. She knew she should push him away, order him to leave – but the feel of his touch pulled on her heartstrings. It was like touching something burning hot – you know you should pull your hand away, but something inside you makes you hold it there until it really hurts. Mike leant his head forward and rested it on Bella's shoulder. "Oh Bella…" he said, quietly into her ear. A sob escaped her, even as she turned her face to lay her cheek against his. She could smell his favourite cologne over the alcohol on his breath. It felt like coming home, to find strangers have moved in while you were away. Her vision became blurry with tears.

Mike lifted a hand from Bella's waist and brushed her long hair back from her neck, replacing it with a light kiss. The fight in her was almost gone; she was ready to surrender to old feelings. She took a deep breath.

"Bella!"

Oh fuck. Garrett! She'd completely forgotten about him in the shock of seeing Mike.

Mike pulled away from her. "What the fuck was that? Is someone here?"

"Hey Bella, what's going on?" Garrett called from her bedroom. "Can you come and let me out of these things? I can't feel my hands any more!"

Mike looked at Bella as if she was a piece of dog turd he'd found on the bottom of his shoe. "You have a guy in your bedroom?"

Bella snapped. It was one thing Mike turning up uninvited to fuck around with her feelings – but now he was chastising her for seeing someone new? After cheating on her with Slut of the Century and Mr. Dildo? She raised her hand and slapped Mike hard across the face. Twice.

The look of shock on his face was priceless. Bella wished she'd had a camera.

Shaking his head and rubbing his cheek, Mike stormed out of the kitchen and headed in the direction of her bedroom. Oh shit, thought Bella. "Erm, Mike, you really don't want to go in there," she called, racing after him. It was too late. He was stood in the open bedroom doorway, staring at Garrett lying naked and helpless on the bed.

"Uh, hi there," grinned Garrett, sheepishly. "I would come and shake your hand, but… erm.. I'm a little tied up at the moment as you can see." He attempted to shrug.

"Mike, get out of here, now," commanded Bella, feeling in control for the first time since her ex had arrived. He dumbly followed her back into the sitting room, and collapsed trancelike on the sofa, too shocked – or drunk – to speak. "Mike, I can explain…" started Bella. She checked herself – she didn't need to explain anything to him. "Look, Mike… Just wait here." She left him on the couch and went back to Garrett.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she apologised, working quickly to unlock the handcuffs. "He's my ex, he just turned up. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him…"

"Hey, Bella, it's okay. These things happen… I guess," Garrett smiled, sadly. "Look, tonight's been great, but I should probably be going." He gave his arms a shake to get the circulation going again and reached for his underwear.

"Oh, sure, of course," said Bella, mentally kicking herself. Another encounter ruined. "Um, maybe we could exchange numbers or something?"

Garrett paused. "Bella, I think you're a great girl. And, god, so fucking hot. But… I don't really want to get involved in any ex drama, if you know what I mean. I hope you understand…"

"Oh, things are well over between me and Mike, honestly," she protested.

"Really? Then why's he showing up at your place in the middle of the night?"

"Garrett, I—" Bella stopped what she'd been about to say. She wasn't going to beg. "Okay. I'll show you out."

They collected the rest of Garrett's clothes from where they'd been discarded on the floor and he left after a brief kiss goodbye. Bella was too emotionally shell-shocked from Mike's visit to really care. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and shut out the rest of the world. But before she could do that, there was one small problem she had to deal with – Mike.

She closed the front door and went back to the sitting room. Mike was passed out on the sofa. She breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't ready to speak to him again just yet. Bella found an old blanket and draped it over Mike's comatose body. He was already snoring loudly – the one thing about him she hadn't missed. She hoped he had a serious hangover in the morning.

The thought reminded her of Edward, who was probably crashed out in a similar state right about now. She smiled fondly. Poor guy. She went into her bedroom, picked up her phone and texted:

HEY EDWARD, I GUESS YOU WON'T GET THIS TIL THE MORNING BUT JUST CHECKING IN TO SEE IF YOU'RE OK. YOU WERE PRETTY TWISTED LAST NIGHT! HOPE THE HEAD DOESN'T HURT TOO BAD! BELLA X

She pressed 'send'. She wasn't sure who was going to feel worse tomorrow – Edward, Mike, or her.

A/N: Ugh, I hope Mike feels AWFUL in the morning. He deserves it!

Thanks a million this week to Midnight Cougar for featuring Calendar Guys in Rob Attack's FanFiction Friday recs, and to Vamps Have Laws for including it in The Lemonade Stand's Nursery. :)