Hi All!

Happy Holidays! I am up in the mountains with scarce reception, and sketchy wifi, so bear with me on responding to reviews! I am reading all of them, and will be able to respond once I get home after this weekend.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah! (and happy Friendsgiving to Edward and Bella ;) )

BPOV

I ring the buzzer at Jessica's condo, balancing an apple pie in my free hand. It's thirty degrees outside, and my teeth chatter while I bounce on my toes and beg her to hurry up.

"Come on in!" Jessica's cheery voice says over the intercom as the door unlocks. I rush into the building sighing in relief at the warmth. I'm excited to see my friends out of work and to meet Jessica's boyfriend- according to her soon-to-be fiancé. She's sure he's going to propose, so recently, she's spent most of her free time snooping around their condo, hunting for a ring.

Girl can't handle surprises.

My phone dings before I make it up the stairs, I check it, hoping it's an update from Tony.

I'll be done with work in half an hour- at the party by eight-thirty. -T

I write back an "okay" with a kissy face emoji. It would be nice to walk in on his arm, but I'll survive as long as I can show him off at some point tonight.

The door is open when I reach the apartment, so I don't bother knocking. I step inside and glance around for a familiar face.

"Hey! Welcome, let me take that for you." A blond man with a contagious smile steps out of the crowd, reaching for the pie in my hands.

"You must be Mike. I'm Bella Swan." I smile back. He's cute with boyish features and a warm disposition. I can understand what Jessica sees in him.

"Bella! Nice to meet you! I've heard a lot about you!"

"Good things, I hope."

"Of course," he chuckles. "Come on in. I'll introduce you to everyone."

I shrug off my coat as he introduces me to a few of his co-workers, then spot Angela and Eric on the other side of the living room with some of my other colleagues. After a few minutes of small talk, I excused myself to say hello to my group.

"Hey, where's Tony?" Angela asks as I greet her with a hug.

"He got caught up with work. He should be here in less than an hour."

"I can't wait to officially meet him!"

"I know. I'm a little worried about what Jessica has planned for him, you know? She's dead set on having Mike interrogate him."

"Don't worry. I think Mike's got a better head on his shoulders than she does."

"Who doesn't," I laugh. "I'm going to get a drink. Need anything?"

"Nope, I've got my cab. I'm happy!" She says, holding up her glass.

I sift through the wine selection on the kitchen counter, which is doubling as a makeshift bar, and opt to follow Angela's lead with the cabernet.

"Hey, you made it!" Jessica appears next to me, selecting a mixer. "Is, uh, Tony here?" She asks, scanning the crowd.

"He'll be on his way soon."

"Before he arrives, I need to talk to you."

"Okay… what's up?"

"Not in here, let's-"

"Jessica!" I recognize the girl who comes running toward us- Bree, a nurse who switched hospitals last year.

"Oh my God! You made it!" Jessica squeals, throwing her arms around her friend.

"Hi, Bella! How are you?" Bree asks when she's released.

"Good! It's nice to see you."

"I have a surprise," she says, turning back to Jessica. "I'm pregnant!"

"Oh my God! When are you due? Where's Jared? I need to congratulate him!" Whatever Jessica wanted to tell me is long forgotten with Bree's announcement.

"Congratulations, Bree," I tell her before she pulls Jessica away.

I'm excited for her, too. Maybe not as exuberantly as Jessica is, but the idea of having a baby is kind of thrilling. Huh. I've always been indifferent to women who were expecting. Something- or someone- must be changing my mind.

I sip my wine and venture around the room to mingle. I get a chance to talk to Mike and meet a couple of people I only see in passing at work. I'm surprised when Jessica announces that the food is on the table and everyone should come to grab a plate.

I dig my phone out of my purse. I have three missed texts.

Hey, something came up. I'm stuck for a little while longer.-T

Baby, I am so sorry. I can't leave. I'm not going to make the party.-T

Bella, I swear I'll make this up to you. -T

I fight back tears of frustration as I slip my phone back into my purse. While everyone congregates in the dining room, I take off in the opposite direction, searching for a bathroom. I find a small hallway and spot a sink through a door that's cracked open. I start toward it, then pause at a voice coming from a room across the hall.

"Shit, Ed... party… our house!" It's Mike. I shouldn't listen to his conversation, but some sixth sense won't allow me to move. I creep closer to the door, pressing my ear against it. "Tonight? No. I'll get the warrant. I know, I agree. Just hang in there."

He stops talking, and I slink back toward the bathroom. I lock the door and stare at myself in the mirror. I feel bad for Mike. He's getting pulled away to work during his own party. Yet I'm furious with Tony. What construction firm makes their employees work on Saturday nights? My gut twists with the suspicion that he's not telling me the truth.

I take a few minutes to calm down, using a rag to wipe cold water on the back of my neck. I decide to make up a story and tell everyone that Tony came down with the stomach flu. Hopefully, it will go over better than saying he ditched me to work late.

"Jess!" I jump as I come out of the bathroom, finding her waiting in the hallway.

"Hey, sorry. Um, Mike had to leave with a couple of the other agents. Something happened with one of their cases." She's worrying her lip between her teeth.

" I'm sorry, that sucks. Unfortunately, I have to head out too. Tony called, and he's come down with the stomach flu. I need to go take care of him."

"Bella, wait. I have to tell you something," she says, grabbing my arm. "It's about Tony."

"Huh?" My heart drops as she looks at me with sympathy written all over her face.

"I'm not sure Tony works in construction."

"What are you talking about?"

"I- I saw a picture of him. Yesterday, I was in Mike's office cleaning up for the party-"

"Also known as snooping for an engagement ring?"

"Fine, whatever. But that's not the point. I found some pictures in a case file."

"Okay?"

"Tony was in one of them."

"Why would Mike have pictures of Tony?"

"Why would Mike have pictures of anyone?"

"Wait. You think Tony's being investigated?"

"It didn't look like he was the one the investigation was on. I think he works for the guy being investigated. Bella, I think you need to be careful."

I forget to breathe as I process what Jessica is saying. In my heart, I know something is off with Tony. But is he a criminal?

"Listen to me," Jessica scoffs. "I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill. I do that, you know, over-exaggerate."

"No, I'm glad you told me. I'll try to talk to him."

"Okay, well, before you leave, fill up some Tupperware. There's too much food out there."

"Thanks, Jess, but I'm feeling kind of queasy. I think Tony might be contagious."

"Oh. Yeah, okay. I guess I'll see you when you get back from your trip. Have a good Thanksgiving. And Bella, feel free to call me if you need to talk or whatever."

"Sure, thanks, Jess," I mutter and head off to locate my jacket. I slip out the door without saying goodbye to anyone else.

As I hurry home, I work to wrap my mind around the information Jessica dumped on me. What the hell did I get myself into?

When I think about it, Tony has a giant red flag waving over his head, but I'm too blinded by his charm to notice. God, I should never have gotten involved with a man who showed up at the ER after a freaking bar fight!

How many lies has he told me? What about all the times he's "worked" late, going so far as to run out on me?

"Jesus, Bella!" I scold myself for jumping to conclusions.

I should give him a chance to explain himself. Jessica always makes things seem worse than they are. What are the chances that the person she saw in Mike's pictures is Tony Masen? She hasn't seen him since the night he got his stitches. Her memory could be fuzzy.

I rush down the few blocks between Jessica's place and mine, shoving my hands deep in my pockets to protect against the cold. But when I reach my front stoop, I want to turn back and run to the safety of the party.

"Bella, don't freak out." A figure steps out of the shadows behind the stairs. A figure I do not have the patience to deal with right now.

"Jacob. I told you I would call the police the next time you showed up." I pull my phone out of my pocket, but he's quicker than I am and knocks it out of my hands. The glass makes a sickening crack when it hits the ground. "What the hell!"

"Bella, I'm in trouble. I need a place to crash tonight. Please, I'll do anything! I just need to lay low for like twenty-four hours."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I scoff. "No! What did you do, Jake?"

"I made a bad business deal, and some guys are after me, okay."

"What kind of guys?"

"Bella," he whines.

"No! What are you trying to pull me into!"

"What the hell?" he mutters as he glances over my shoulder.

I spin around and narrow my eyes. You've got to be kidding me.

"Jacob," Tony spits in a voice that shoots ice down my spine. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

A/N: Uh, so where the heck was "Tony?" What pulled Mike away from his own party? And now Jacob?!

I think s*** is about to hit the fan!

See you soon! ;)