AN: I found out that Caribbean Dreams was voted into the TwifanfictionRecs in 9th place and I am beyond pleased. My thanks go to everyone who voted, making it possible. I never thought I would be on the same list as the fabulous LyricalKris and Tufano79 who have both written so many of our great Fandom stories.

On another note, I am totally green - as green as grass - the fabulous SunflowerFran, aka Frannie Walsh, Cheryl Sunshine Edmonds, and Louisa Cullen, actually had the best of luck meeting Rob in person. I would have been only a little more excited to have been there myself and I am made up for them both. I'd trade places but I doubt any of them would!

My thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, read and reviewed my last chapter of Irrevocable - something else to be excited about. I haven't yet answered any of those reviews because my next writing project - Skyjacked - has taken up a lot of my time this week. That isn't likely to post before Christmas because I always want a stockpile of chapters ready to post.

Anyway, after all that excitement, and the long AN this week, please read on to Chapter 5 of Irrevocable

Irrevocable

Summary

It doesn't matter when I live my life, as long as it's with you.

Chapter 5

Bella

I was pissed! My boss insisted that everyone in the office take their vacation time; he was a great believer in the power of down-time.

"Stupid idiot," I muttered under my breath as I towelled my hair dry, "What the hell am I supposed to do with a week off!"

I had asked that very same question when Mr. Volturi had informed us of his request, or order. His reply was to visit family, go out with friends, or spend some quality time with a boyfriend or a loved one.

Funny ha-ha, not! I had been an only child and my parents died just before I was eighteen. I would never be totally over that, but I had come to terms with it. They had also been only children, so no aunts or uncles and my grandparents had long since passed away. As for friends, I only had a few close ones, most of whom I worked with.

And, right now, no boyfriend, though the thought of Edward crossed my mind. What was he to me?

It being another hot and humid night, I dressed for bed in shorts and a cami. Sitting on my bed, I reached for the comb on the dressing table. The vanity set was far too pretty to be left in a box, and I was sure Esme Cullen would be happy it was being used.

By the time I had finished getting rid of the usual tangles in my hair I was feeling hot and faint. Maybe I was coming down with something. The room whirled as I lay back on the bed, closing my eyes to help with the nausea coming over me in waves. No matter what I did, the room became darker as consciousness left me.

I slowly came to, with bright sunshine streaming across my face. Opening my eyes, I was faced with a room that was definitely not the one I fell asleep in, if that's what you could call it. This room was far more feminine, but somehow I could feel that it was Edward's house, the same place I had been the last time we were together. The bed was surrounded with light gossamer curtains and the walls were plain; the furniture lighter than that of the previous room I had awoken in.

I walked around the room, finding a bathroom much the same as the one in Edward's room. After splashing water on my face, I tossed my messy hair up in a ponytail and headed for the door, determined to find out what the hell happened, and more to the point, how?

I opened the door to find Edward standing on the other side, his hand raised to knock. His eyes travelled from my face down my body and back to my face. Everywhere they looked it felt as if my skin was branded. I swallowed hard, pushing the sudden heated flame inside me down, and ignored the clear lust in his eyes. I wanted answers and wouldn't get them if I gave in to that again.

Mixed with the lust, I could see shock, and for a minute I wondered why.

"What the fuck are you wearing, Mary-Alice?" I had no idea why he was shocked, but my temper was running free at his tone.

"It's none of your business what I wear, Edward! And my name is Bella, not Mary-Alice! I don't know what your game is, but it's not good manners to mix girls' names up. If you're already married to this Mary-Alice, why the hell do you keep chasing me?"

Edward heaved a sigh, shook his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked endearingly confused and I wanted to hug him.

What the hell, Swan? Endearing? Hug him?

"Will you listen to me please, Bella? I'm so confused."

I looked at him for a minute, and although I was still aware of the lust coming from him, he also had my empathy for the confusion. I was feeling it, too. I stepped to one side, letting go of the door; an open invitation for him to enter. Taking a few strides toward the seating area of the room, I took a seat in one of the armchairs. I didn't think sitting next to him when I was so attracted to the man was a good idea.

Edward waited, still standing. "Would you like some breakfast, Bella?" he asked politely.

I smiled at him, "That would be lovely, thank you."

"I'll just be a moment. And thank you, Bella, for agreeing to listen to me."

Edward pulled the cord hanging beside the unlit fireplace, and then took his place opposite my seat.

"Please ... err ... forgive me for saying, but could you, maybe put something more on?" The tips of his ears turned pink, and with a little giggle ... me, giggling! ... I sought for a robe in the closet.

In the meantime, a light knock at the door revealed a tall, shapely, blonde-haired woman. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on me, followed by confusion washing over her features. I wondered about that, but drew on the robe I found, as she left with Edward's breakfast order.

Returning to my seat, I encouraged Edward to continue. "Tell me."

"I'm not sure where to start, really." He hesitated.

"Okay, for starters? Who's Mary-Alice?"

He raised his eyebrows at my suggestion, which was normal considering how we first met, but with a deep breath he began, "Mary-Alice Isabella Brandon and I have an arranged marriage, which was agreed upon when she was ten years old."

He stopped when I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"What?" he demanded, "Arranged marriages are not that unusual!" He glared at me and I waved my hand for him to continue.

"Anyway, last Saturday, against my ... my ... not exactly wishes, more my wants ... Mary-Alice and I were married. I am slightly ashamed to say that I didn't take her feelings into account, and said the words that bound us together until death us do part, without regard. And then I left; just left her there. God, I know it was cruel to just leave her ... you ... there; I didn't even stop to raise her veil."

His hands made his way to his hair, tugging at the strands in what I was becoming to understand was a gesture linked to his emotions. "I was so angry. I was angry at everything and everyone; at my parents at making the arrangement, at my father for not believing that I could turn the business around, and at Mary-Alice's father for having the money my father coveted, and damn it, at her, for agreeing to it all in the first place."

He stopped there, breathing heavily as a quiet knock came from the door for the second time that morning. He opened the door to the same blonde woman as before, who pushed a small cart into the room, placing a coffee pot on the table between the sofa and chairs, followed by two covered plates. He said nothing as she turned to leave the room.

I glared at him, and spoke directly to her. "Thank you."

Edward rolled his eyes, correctly interpreting my look, and muttered the same under his breath.

The door closed quietly behind her as I leaned forward to uncover a full breakfast, at which my stomach growled loudly. He looked at me and smirked, but said nothing while pouring two cups of coffee.

Moaning around the first mouthful of the delicious French toast, I raised my eyebrows at Edward, whose eyes were firmly fixed on my mouth. Dropping his gaze, his tongue sneaked out, licking his lips. Just like that, my mind was filled with every memory of the previous week and lust for this man filled me. I looked away from him and back down at my food, picking up the coffee to fill the sudden vacuum in the space between us.

He looked away, too, and cleared his throat. "Anyway, after I left the church all I could think of was drowning out the thoughts swimming in my head. I went straight home and into the study to get a drink, and I have to admit, more than one. With every mouthful, I got angrier. I was psyching myself up to follow through with the ... you know..."

"Okay, okay, I get the picture."

He paused, then strode around the table and knelt in front of me, taking my hand as I put down my fork. An electric tingle made its way from my fingers and spread all over me, and from the look on his face I figured he could feel it, too.

"I know this makes me look bad, but I truly believed you were Mary-Alice. I have not set eyes on her since she was a child. I don't remember when exactly but it must have been about six or seven years ago, so naturally when I found you in my rooms, the assumption was that you ... she ... was waiting for me."

As he spoke, I remembered how rough he was, and while that was okay with me, a thought about Mary-Alice crossed my mind.

"Wait, if she's only ..." I quickly calculated, "Seventeen ..." I stopped again and narrowed my eyes at him. "You accused me of not being a virgin, which means that you knew she was ... and ... you were so rough." My voice faded to a whisper at the last word as I looked at him in horror.

He stood, pacing up and down, tugging at his hair again as he stumbled through his explanation.

"God, that makes me sound like an awful person, and I promise you I am truly not like that. I would never force myself on someone who didn't ... didn't ... reciprocate. I knew from that first kiss that something was different, but I had no idea what, and when you gave as good as you got, I did lose control. But at no time were you in any danger; tell me you know that? I would have stopped if you had shown any hesitation."

He stopped in front of the window, facing away from me, his hands linked behind his neck.

I sat and thought for a minute, aware of his honesty. I believed that he never meant any harm, and to be honest, he hadn't hurt me at all. I remembered him making sure that I was ready for him before ... images of us from that night assaulted me and my feet were taking me to him without conscious thought.

Resting my head in the middle of his back I snuck my arms around his waist. I felt him relax and his arms came down to rest against my hands. The electricity was back again and I could feel my nipples harden involuntarily, along with the goose-bumps travelling from where his hands touched mine.

Whirling around, his arms embraced me as my hands found their way into his hair. Just like that, the conversation was over, and his lips descended on mine. I could have protested that we had not finished discussing 'Mary-Alice'—that he was married, or the odd situation I found myself in, but nothing else mattered right now other than his body surrounding mine.

**Irrevocable**