A/N: Hey, so I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
Anyway, I really suck at these things, so here's chapter 5. I hope you enjoy.

Footprints in the Sand

Chapter 5

"There you go. All done," I say after tying the blue hair band around Addie's braid. It only took ten attempts to get it right, but what she let slip completely threw me. A part of me wants to ask her more, but I can't think of anything more pathetic than grilling a five year old for information about her father. Besides, the obvious conclusion is he was humoring her again, no differently from how I became Bella-from-next-door-to-grandma's-house. I let it go, despite the length of Alice's smug grin, and producing a compact mirror from my purse, I open it and hold it out for Addie to peer into. "You like?"

"Oh... it's pretty!" she exclaims, her smile wide. "Thanks, Bella!"

"You're welcome, sweetie." Tugging on the end of her hair playfully, I help her down from the stool.

"Uncle Emmett!" she suddenly broadcasts as Alice and I both glance toward the entrance.

The oldest Cullen son has arrived with a stunning blonde on his arm, and I quickly realize I know this woman; she's the other half of Cullen/Hale and Associates.

Addie immediately makes a beeline in her uncle's direction, and with a big cheesy grin lighting up on his face, Emmett hoists Addie into his arms and plants a kiss to her cheek.

"Rose, look! Bella braided my hair," I hear Addie say, before I turn my back and attempt to pull myself together.

I'm beginning to feel like I've fallen into an alternate universe.

"Sure you don't want one?" Alice offers, holding up the near full bottle of wine.

"Make it caffeine. Addie's here. It's not right..." I say with a sigh. It was something my father was militant about; no alcohol around children for any reason. He wouldn't even drink a beer in my presence until I was in my junior year of high school.

Still, with Addie's father in the same room as me, casting his intense gaze in my direction intermittently, alcohol is something I really do need.

Alice obliges me, and pulling open the fridge door, she thrusts a can of coke in my hands and leans discreetly toward me. "By the way, I hope you're going to talk to—"

"Babe," Jay speaks up from behind, cutting Alice off as Addie returns to the kitchen and grabs my hand.

"Bella, my Uncle Emmett is here!"

"This is Rosalie," Jay introduces us to the Hale from Cullen/Hale before turning back to her. "This is my fiancé, Alice, and this is Bella."

"Nice to meet you," Rosalie says with a smile. "Call me Rose." Like Frowning Daddy she appears to be straight from work. She's wearing a Chanel suit, her hair and makeup are flawless—she's the sort of woman who'd give anyone an existential crisis—but she doesn't appear as pretentious as you'd expect.

While I return her pleasantries, Alice's greeting is accompanied by alcohol.

"Have some wine." After handing a glass to Rose, she pours herself one. "The damn church canceled on us..."

This is when I usher Addie over to Mrs. Cullen on the living room sofa, but she refuses to let me leave.

"Don't go, Bella," she pleads with me, grabbing my hand and making me feel like a monster.

"Addie," Mrs. Cullen cautions her, "you need to stop bothering Bella so much."

"But Bella doesn't mind—do you, Bella?" She turns to me and stares at me with her clear green eyes wide and beseeching.

I open my mouth to reply, but hesitate. How the hell can anyone have kids? It's one long, continuous guilt trip.

"I... Of course I don't," I quickly cover just as Frowning Daddy makes his way toward us, his attention squarely on his child.

"Come on, Addie. Time to go." He holds his hand out to her.

Addie sucks her breath in and immediately shakes her head, her small hand clutching mine tightly. "No. I want to stay!"

"Addie..." His eyebrows furrow, his gaze momentarily resting on mine as if I'm the reason his daughter is defying him.

"I'll take her home shortly, Edward," Mrs. Cullen assures him. "There's no reason for you to leave so early."

He releases his breath, and placing both hands on his hips, he appears to consider it. "You know Rose drinks like a fish," he says lowly, as my eyes dart to the left of me where Alice and Rose are currently laughing together in the kitchen.

"I'll keep her with me. You just got here, and I don't plan on staying long. Your father will be home soon."

"Fine," he says behind another sigh as his eyes once again find mine. His expression almost appears to warm, but before I can be sure of it, he bends down to Addie. "You," he tweaks her earlobe playfully, "no giving Bella a hard time."

"I don't give her a hard time, Daddy," Addie replies as if her father's statement confused her, while I stiffen in my seat.

He breaks into a grin, then straightening himself back up, he returns to Jay, his brother, and a couple of other people who are grouped together chatting in the dining room.

"I'm terribly sorry, Bella," Mrs. Cullen feels the need to continuously apologize.

"It's fine," I give her my standard reply.

"Jasper assured me it was only going to be a small gathering and appropriate for Addie, but—"

"Bella, what does drinking a fish mean?" Addie suddenly cuts in, turning her curious gaze toward me. "Daddy says it all the time, and Uncle Emmett always says 'stop saying that about her'," she lowers her voice in imitation while I pull out all stops not to burst into laughter.

It's Mrs. Cullen's expression that quickly sobers me, though; she looks appalled. "Addie, hush."

"But..." Addie complains.

"It's adult talk, darling. You'll understand when you're—"

"As big as Bella?" Addie finishes for her.

"Yes," Esme says, turning her apologetic gaze toward me once more.

I offer her an placating smile and subtly shake my head. It seems to be becoming the basis of our interactions lately.

For the next hour Mrs. Cullen engages me in small talk, while Addie, wedged between us on the sofa, turns her large eyes from me to her grandmother, and back again, with her forehead knotting. She doesn't attempt to interrupt; instead she appears fascinated by our conversation. Which is stiff at best.

This child does not know how to sit still, though. She plays with my fingers and hair, and bounces on the sofa so much it causes Esme to spill the third glass of punch Alice provided her with down her hand.

She reminds me so much of myself when I was young that I'm starting to suspect she's afflicted with the same attention disorder.

As much as I really don't mind hanging with her, or even Mrs. Cullen and her ambiguous reception toward me, I'm beginning to feel restless. I am too hyper aware of Frowning Daddy as much as he appears of me. His sharp gaze often pulls in my direction. Each time it's accompanied by his trademark frown, and more than once he drags those long, rigid fingers through his hair and yanks on the collar of his shirt. It's more than obvious he doesn't approve of Addie spending so much time with me, and I fully expect him to berate me about it before the night is out.

Alice eventually cajoles Rose into reviewing her collection of wedding magazines, and drags her into the living room beside me. They both come sans alcohol, thank god, so I know my less than discreet glares got through to her.

Alice is terrible with facial cues though. Especially a few drinks in.

By nine pm Addie, who'd become a willing accomplice in wedding gowns and floral pieces, is almost asleep, and Mrs. Cullen uses it as an excuse to leave.

"Goodbye, Bella," Addie mumbles, clumsily rubbing her eyes before wrapping both her arms around my neck.

It both surprises and moves me, but her father has noticed as well, and his expression is beginning to reach critical levels.

"Bye, sweetie." I pat her back and hastily hand her over to Mrs. Cullen while attempting to keep my cool.

Frowning Daddy's child has an attachment to me, and it's definitely going to cause problems.

Meeting the two of them half way, he lifts a drowsy Addie into his arms. Then planting his lips to her temple, he speaks something against her brow. Addie nods, lays her head on her father's shoulder, and is completely out cold three seconds later. Her arms fall from around him, and the last thing I see as he carries her from the apartment are his initials and my name above them printed on her cast.

"Girl, he is definitely dilf material," Alice murmurs, her half-drunk lips way too loose by this point.

"Please shut up," I plead, dropping my forehead into my outstretched hand, but at least now that he's gone, I can finally relax.

"Shall we open another bottle?" she suggests, her eyebrows raised high.

"God, yes," Rosalie answers for the both of us, but while Alice returns to the kitchen, I head to the bathroom.

I'm a damn nervous wreck, but at the same time, I can feel my skin prickle and flush beneath this skimpy little dress Alice hamstrung me into wearing tonight. As someone raised by a single father, nothing is more sacred to me, and Frowning Daddy wears that label well. More than well, in fact; dilf doesn't even begin to do him justice.

I have never seen anything more attractive than that handsome man whispering to his sleepy daughter, and just the thought of it is making me want to swoon.

I have to get a hold of myself.

After washing my hands and splashing my face with cool water, I stand at the vanity and stare into my father's eyes for far too long than necessary. He passed down his best physical feature to me, and I've always been grateful for it. Even that snake Tyler used to tell me he often got lost in my eyes. They're large, chocolate brown, and flecked with gold, and it's hard not to lose myself in time as I gaze at them.

I miss my father incredibly, and the last several months without him has really hit me hard. He was the only family I had. Holidays are the hardest, and I'm always the first person to raise my hand to work them. The alternative really sucks, though.

"You are Charlie Swan's daughter and you will not fall in love with him," I instruct myself through the mirror in a mumble as my thoughts inevitably stray back to Addie's completely too beautiful daddy.

I snort to myself at how delusional I am. He barely humors me as his mother's neighbor, let alone as someone he wants around his daughter.

I'm Bella-from-next-door-to-Grandma's-house, forwarding address withheld.

I exit the bathroom, and make my way back to the living room for wine and, no doubt, more wedding discourse, when I walk straight into a warm body.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," I utter apologetically only to look up straight into Frowning Daddy's intense, clear green eyes.

"A word, Bella," he says, the timbre of his voice light and smooth, as his hands wrap around my upper arms to prevent me from falling against him.

I gaze at him awkwardly, my mind scrambling to find coherent thought. He doesn't appear to be patronizing me, and yet that smirk ghosting on his lips is entirely too familiar.

I expel my breath inevitably as words flood back to me. "Look, if you're worried about Addie, I can find a new route to run. It's fine." I move to walk past him, but taking my elbow, he draws me against the wall and turns his body to fully face me.

"I have no problem with you being around Addie," he tells me, his eyes boring intently into mine. "She's always surrounded by adults, so I'm... glad she's found a friend."

It takes me a lot longer than it really should have to comprehend the meaning behind his words. I scoff openly, and come very close to humorless laughter. "Well, I am very relatable to five year olds," I say dryly before attempting to brush past him.

He won't allow me to, though; he uses his tall, intimidating presence to block my path. "I... shit..." he mutters, squeezing his eyes closed and rubbing his forehead. "I didn't mean it like that. Look..." But whatever he was about to add he abandons, leaving the two of us in this very compromising position in the event someone walks in on us.

"Is there something you want to say?" I put to him dubiously when his silence begins to border discomfort.

"I... didn't think you were real," he admits, while I only stare at him in complete confusion.

"...I-I'm sorry?" I stammer.

"She's always talking about you. 'Bella' this, Bella' that, and she's always at my parents' house, so I thought you were her... imaginary friend."

I'm pretty sure my mouth falls open because it definitely explains the fact that he addressed me the way his daughter would on her party invitation without bothering to add any contact details. "You... didn't think to ask your mother?" It's the only thing that comes to mind.

"No," he admits almost sheepishly.

I shake my head slightly to myself as confusion digs in its heels. "You don't see my mail at your mother's house?"

"Why would I go through my parents' mail?" he counters, his brows half raising.

"I..." I break off only to laugh to myself awkwardly. "Well, I guess that explains why you told Addie you'd marry me."

I have to remind myself that I haven't, in fact, been drinking, because I am nowhere near this candid usually.

"She told you that, did she?" he asks wryly, scoffing softly to himself.

"She did. The day you handed me my mail and then slammed your parents' front door on me," I point out with an edge of sarcasm behind my voice, only to silently berate myself. My father's voice immediately echoes through my thoughts, reminding me never to wear my heart on my sleeve.

It was another one of his lessons for life that I repeatedly failed.

In response, Frowning Daddy actually appears to blush, but just as quickly, he frowns again. "When you knocked on the door I was heading to the bathroom. I had food poisoning, and I... couldn't exactly hang around and chat," he mumbles, his eyes severing from mine for the first time.

I think I blink several times vacantly, until I'm recalling Addie's words the next day how her father had been throwing up all night.

Could it be possible that I'd got him all wrong? With the way I tend to completely overthink everything, it definitely wouldn't be the first time.

Expelling my breath, I drop my head until my chin thuds against my chest. "God, I'm sorry," I mumble more or less to myself as opposed to in reply to him.

"Why are you sorry?" he asks, and when I glance up at him, he moves back his suit jacket, buries his hands into his pants pockets and leans against the wall beside me. I can only stare at him for a moment because what the hell is happening? Is he... hanging out with me? "What's wrong?" he quizzes.

"Uh..." I shake my head and pull myself hastily together. "Nothing. It's just... I told Alice you were... rude," I admit ashamedly.

He takes a breath and releases it into a hum. "Well, it would have appeared that way. Bella...?"

"...Yes?" I ask with more than an obvious amount of uncertainty. Enough that it brings the smirk back to his too-handsome features. He's inches from me. So close, in fact, I can feel the warmth emanating off him.

"Don't let Addie sweet talk you with those eyes of hers." His smile briefly broadens as if that's exactly what she does to him.

I laugh softly. "Well... she's good at it."

He actually grins this time, showing off a set of near perfectly straight teeth. "She is, but..." Shaking his head to himself he doesn't elaborate. The frown returns to his face though, and he falls back into silence.

"I... should probably get back. I'm sure Alice is dying to fill me in on table arrangements and place cards," I say lightly when the atmosphere between us becomes everything but.

There's an intensity about him that is both intimidating and insanely appealing, but what's surprising me is how easy he is to talk to. How he can be perfectly amiable when he wants to be.

"Hmm." Amusement warms his expression and he tilts his head in acknowledgement.

He doesn't move to leave, but neither do I.

"I thought you were leaving," I say, surprising myself.

Am I stalling?

"I'm sorry?" He gazes at me steadily, his brows bridged low over his eyes.

"With Addie, I mean," I hastily clarify.

"Oh. No... I was helping my mother get Addie into her car," he explains, turning his head to stare down the hall. "She can be a handful."

"She's five," I state the obvious. "She starting school this September?"

"She is." He nods once, continuing to avoid my eyes as his drop to his feet.

My gaze follows to his brown leather lace-ups crossed at his ankles. "Okay, well... I'll see you later."

His eyes immediately capture mine, a look of surprise in them that's really beginning to confuse me.

This man is a complete enigma.

"Do you mind if we talk later?" he asks.

I'm nodding before I can open my mouth in reply, even as my heart threatens to stall in my chest. "Sure."

"I'm Edward by the way," he introduces himself with a smile that suggests he's aware of this—whatever the hell it is—between us. "And you're just Bella."

"Just Bella," I muse, ironically missing the way he'd call me Bella-from-next-door-to-Grandma's-house when I thought he hated me.

He holds out his hand then, and for one horrifying moment I only stare at it unsure what I'm supposed to do. When I get a grip on myself, I place mine around it, noting how large and warm it is.

He squeezes gently. "I never got the chance to introduce myself," he offers in explanation.

"You didn't..." I agree.

Releasing his hand, he shoves it back in his pocket and throws me a quick smile. "You go first."

I nod and return his smile, and pushing off the wall I make my way back down the hall to the living area on shaking legs.

He doesn't follow.

"What the hell was that?" I mutter beneath my breath in complete and utter disbelief.

"So...?" Alice questions me the instant I sit beside her. The innuendo behind her tone is blatant, but luckily, Frowning Daddy's partner in law doesn't appear to notice. She sits to the left of Alice, flipping through one of her bridal magazines with a glass of red to her lips.

"So?" I play dumb, narrowing my eyes in silent warning.

She gets it, thank god, and winking she places a wine in my hand. "There's no little pair of eyes watching anymore, so drink up."

"How do you know Addie, Bella?" Rose suddenly enquires, her eyes severing from the pages of the magazine to meet mine.

"I live next door to Mrs. Cullen," I reply hoping it will be answer enough.

"You do?" This appears to surprise her. I have zero idea why. Though, no doubt she's wondering how I can afford to live in the same neighborhood as her boyfriend's parents with my profession.

I only nod and throw her a tight smile.

"A word of advice," she adds, leaning slightly over Alice to bridge the gap between us. "If you're using her to get to her father, I wouldn't waste my time. He's pretty to look at, but he's built a wall around himself so high not even he can see over the top of it."

Anger immediately simmers to the surface of my skin, flashing boldly in my face. "Using her?" I echo, my voice rising several decibels. "I've known her and Mrs. Cullen for a year. I met her father a couple of weeks ago—"

"How about some music?" Alice interjects looking suddenly anxious. "Alexa, play playlist three."

One of Kelly Clarkson's songs begins softly through the device, but does nothing to ease the tension between me and Edward's business associate. Of course, Alice being Alice, she attempts to smooth things over.

"Bella's not like that. Not to mention, she only just came out of a long-term relationship," she says delicately, but her loyalty for me overrides and her tone restricts.

In response, Rosalie arches a completely contradictory brow. "I apologize, if that's the case," she says to me, pursing her lips. "There are always exceptions."

"I appreciate that," I retort without an ounce of sincerity, before turning to Alice. "I think I'll go."

"Bella," she appeals to me immediately crestfallen. "Please stay."

"I've spent the night with a woman who barely tolerates me, while babysitting a child who isn't mine, only for a complete stranger to make offensive assumptions about me. I'm no longer in the mood."

"I really am sorry," Rose reiterates, grabbing my hand as I pull myself to my feet. "Edward and I are partners in his law firm, and believe me, there's never a shortage of women eager for his attention. It's made me cynical, and what I said came out all wrong."

"Are you sure you weren't testing me?" I put to her, allowing Alice to tug me back to the sofa beside her.

Rosalie smirks before breaking into a rueful grin. "Guilty, but please don't take it personally."

I open my mouth, but make the decision to let it go behind a conceding sigh. "I won't," I relent, wondering how the hell I even got here. Last month Addie was just the sweet little girl from next door who chatted to me over the fence, now I'm becoming embroiled in her entire family, and it's definitely not a positive.

It doesn't help that Frowning Daddy's eyes keep ensnaring mine every time I even glance randomly in his direction. I'm sure it hasn't escaped Rosalie's attention, either, completely contradicting every word out of my mouth.

Still, for the rest of the night, I make a concerted effort to avoid him, and stare for the most part at the glass in my hands that Alice keeps topping up.

By midnight, I'm tipsy, but I prefer Rosalie's presence in this state of mind. My initial assumption about her was right; she's not pretentious, but I suspect she might be an elitist. Despite that, she's pretty out-going, but then, that could just be the alcohol. Whichever it is, I cannot relax around her, and she's definitely noticed the way her partner's eye's keep fixing to me and narrowing. He keeps pulling back his sleeve to check his watch, too. I'm ashamed to say I've watched him from my periphery more times than I'm comfortable admitting.

He wants to leave. That much is obvious, but I really can't blame him. So do I.

The party wraps just after one. Rose is so drunk, her hulking boyfriend is forced to practically throw her over his shoulder. The two of them are the first to leave, while Alice insists on making me coffee.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," she blurts, but it isn't the first time. She's been mouthing those same sentiments to me for the past couple of hours.

"It's fine," I say shrugging my shoulder as I sip from the mug she handed me.

"It was totally uncalled for. She didn't know you from Adam," she insists, her expression darkening.

"Al, it's fine," I repeat, "and I get it." I do.

"So, why do you think Mrs. Cullen doesn't like you?" she asks curiously, changing the subject.

"She humors me as much as Edward does," I say dryly.

"Oh, so it's Edward now," she emphasizes with a cagey grin.

I only sigh pointedly, but let it go.

"Are you going to tell me what he said to you?" She leans closer as if I'm about to disclose juicy details.

"He thought I was Addie's imaginary friend," I relay casually.

Alice almost chokes on her coffee before she stares at me with the cogs clearly turning over in her brain. "That actually makes so much sense."

"It does," I'm forced to agree.

"He didn't take his eyes off you all night, I hope you know," she adds as if it were common knowledge, but it didn't escape my attention, either.

"I confuse him," I murmur. It's the only conclusion I can make.

"How do you mean?" Alice asks, tilting her head to the side and giving me that doubtful look of hers.

"I'm not using his daughter to get to him," I say sarcastically, quoting with my fingers even as my hands remain wrapped around the coffee mug.

"You're really bothered by that, aren't you?" It's not really a question, and she's right.

"Yeah... I don't know."

"Bella, you need to stop over analyzing everything all the time." Alice's voice softens as she places a gentle palm to my shoulder.

"I think that ship has sailed, Al," I say ironically as Alice chuckles, but she gets it. "'Kay, I'm going to head down and hail a cab." Placing the half-empty mug to the counter, I turn to Alice and pull her in to my arms.

"I'll meet you at the cafeteria for dinner Monday night," she says as I break into laughter alongside her.

It's an inside joke between the two of us, because we're lucky if we get two minutes to grab an instant coffee in the break room, much less anything else.

After saying a quick goodbye to Jay, while avoiding Edward's gaze at all cost, I grab my coat and scarf and leave the apartment; calling the taxi company as I do.

Outside the air is like ice that it quickly sobers me. I have to work the next day so getting drunk was definitely out of the question. This is despite the fact that my head is swimming and I can't rid it of Frowning Daddy for the life of me.

I'm starting to think he was never the jerk I initially suspected he was.

A/N: Yay? Nay?
Thank you for reading. See you next week.