An: Happy Tuesday. I want to thank everyone for all the great reviews on chapter 6. Y'all had such great things to say, and some very strong opinions. I love it. We all seem to be in agreement that this deal isn't the best idea, so we shall see how it goes. Truly, it's all semantics. They are completely about each other.

Who's ready for some baseball? Let's go to Truist Park and see our Darling and Shug in action.

**All mistakes are mine. Fiddling was had.

Chapter 7

"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd;

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win, it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."

"Take me out to the Ballgame" by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer

~oOo~

Edward was tying his shoes as he finished getting ready to leave. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Nothing really. Just working out, doing laundry from the trip, the usual. Why?"

"Wanna go to the game as my guest? I get six tickets per game." He looked up at her, his sexy grin on full display. "There's one with your name on it, if you'd like to go."

"Oh, thanks. I don't want to be a bother. I'll be fine staying home. Lots to do."

"You're not a bother. I'm asking. I'm asking my friend if she'd like to come and watch me play. It's gonna be a great game." He leaned in and gave her a light peck.

"A great game, you say? Who're we playing?"

"Oh, now it's a 'we'?" He chuckled. "'We' are playing the Phillies."

"Yes, it's a 'we.' The Braves are my hometown team too, you know. And let's not forget Emmett," she chided.

"Yeah, yeah. Forgot about Emmett."

"How is that possible?"

"Wonders never cease."

Bella internally debated if it was a good idea. The look on Edward's face made her want to go, despite everything in her brain telling her not to. For one thing, running into Rose could pose a problem, and that problem would ask questions she wasn't quite ready to answer. She thought giving them some space was the smart thing to do after their big talk. Apparently, he had a different idea.

"Come on, shug. You know you wanna go. Please?" He made one final plea while his fingers lightly traced her arm, enticing her even more.

With a heavy sigh, she relented. "Okay. Against my better judgment, I'll go. Laundry can wait for another day." She really hoped she wasn't going to regret this, but damn, he was so flipping hot when he begged.

"Great. And I have just the thing to make the day even better." He opened his travel bag, the one he'd retrieved from his car earlier that morning, and pulled out a jersey.

Bella looked at him in surprise. "You just…you just happened to have a spare jersey with you? Do you pick up innocent women off the street, beg them to go to a game, and then give them your jersey to wear? Is this a fetish I should know about, Cullen?"

He chuckled as he held up his hands in surrender. "Simmer down, now. I had a photoshoot away from the stadium the other day. I went home afterward and just threw it in my bag."

Bella noticed she'd knocked a little of the wind out of his sail. His smile wasn't quite as large, and the sparkle in his eyes had dimmed. There he was, being as nice as he could be, and she was giving him shit.

"It's okay, Bella, you don't have to wear it." He started to fold the jersey to put it back in his bag.

Bella put her hand on his arm to stop him. "Edward, I'd love to wear it. Thank you. I didn't mean to spoil—"

"It's okay. I didn't mean to be so pushy. Wear whatever you want."

"Okay…" She bit her bottom lip as she apprehensively reached for the jersey. "I'll take this then." She took the shirt and cradled it to her chest, discreetly inhaling his lingering scent.

"Yeah?" His big smile returned to its full glory.

"Yeah." She beamed back at him, knowing it was the right thing to do. She loved how he thought of her, how much he tried to engage her. It was the little things she noticed about him that made her realize he was absolutely the most dangerous type of man. The type a woman could easily fall in love with. The type she was deathly afraid of.

~oOo~

Bella arrived at the stadium in plenty of time. She grabbed a drink and a bag of peanuts before she descended the stairs to her seat. Keeping her ball cap low on her head, she met the usher as he graciously showed her to her seat. The seats were perfect—the evening sun wasn't going to be in her eyes, and the heat wouldn't be excruciating. It certainly was premium seating.

Her row was vacant, so she was instantly put at ease. She was hoping to remain anonymous tonight and not have to explain who she was. She met a few wives and girlfriends at the same party where she met Edward, but tonight she was completely out of her element. She hadn't considered what to say if any of them asked who she was or why she was there.

Thinking it through, she decided she would go with what Edward had suggested earlier. If she was asked, she would keep it simple—they were friends. It really was the best way to avoid any uncomfortable questions, and it wasn't a lie. They were friends, but no one needed to know exactly how good of friends they were. That was no one's business but theirs, and they agreed to keep it that way.

The team had just started warming up when Bella took her seat. The bullpen was active, with Crowley warming up his arm. She watched him pitch while the rest of the team was stretching and throwing the ball around. She finally spotted Edward. He and Jasper were doing some running drills, while Emmett was at the plate stretching.

Edward was a sight to behold on the field, smiling and laughing. A real leader. He was in his element. Bella was watching so intently as she ate her peanuts that she missed the area around her filling up. As she watched Edward throw a ball to Emmett, a cold feeling ran down her spine.

Rose, she remembered. Was she here? If she was, could she be avoided?

"Shit," Bella whispered. "What the hell was I thinking?"

Bella whipped around to see if she could spot her. Thankfully, Rose was nowhere to be found.

The players were winding down on the field and began to retreat into the dugout. The game was getting closer to starting, and Bella watched the groundskeepers setting up the field. Edward made eye contact with her as he was running toward the dugout and called her name.

"Swan." He motioned for her to come down the last few steps to the railing.

She looked at him in surprise, glancing around her to see if anyone was paying attention. Realizing that no one was watching, she got up and jogged down.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hey, you." He tapped the brim of her hat, teasing her. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too. You're looking good out there."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Bella looked into his green eyes as his face crinkled with a smile. She couldn't help noticing how happy he was to see her. Feeling bashful, she wasn't quite sure what to say with all the people around, since she was trying to stay discreet.

"Have a great game," she blurted out. Bella tugged on the white jersey, wrapping it tightly around her.

"Thanks. I'll do my best," he replied with a chuckle. Edward noticed her pulling the jersey close, looking a bit uncomfortable. He knew the attention was more than either of them wanted at the moment, but he couldn't help feeling excited to have her there.

"Well, I better let you go." She smiled nervously.

Edward chuckled. "Yeah, I gotta get back." He motioned to the dugout. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard Jasper call his name.

Ignoring his teammate, Edward focused on the woman in front of him. "Will I…will I see you after the game?" he asked, hope spreading across his face.

Last night and this morning were fun and easy, in spite of the heavy conversation that took place. He wasn't ready to let her go yet, and he didn't quite know why.

"I'm not sure…"

"Swan, it's no big deal. If you can't, you can't." His smile faded with his words.

Biting her lip, she replied quickly, "I have an early practice in the morning, that's all."

"Okay. I get it." His eyes were full of understanding.

"But…maybe we could hang out for a little while after the game. If that works for you."

"Sounds perfect. I'll text you when we finish."

"Great."

"Great," he responded with a nod.

Edward walked away while Bella stood there dazed and grinning, wondering how the hell the man kept getting under her skin. Just as she was about to turn around to head up the stairs, she heard him call her name.

"Hey, Swan." Bella turned around and saw a ball in Edward's hand. "Catch," he yelled as he tossed the ball to her between the netting.

She reached out with both hands and caught it. Her elated smile told a story all on its own. She cupped the ball close to her body, holding on to it for dear life.

"Thank you," she mouthed to him as he beamed up at her.

He gave her a wink of acknowledgment before he ducked into the dugout.

"Lucky bitch. Who the hell is she?" Bella heard someone mutter behind her.

She couldn't help noticing the Omni looming over the field in the background. Her eyes went straight to sixteenth-floor balcony, still holding tightly to the ball Edward had thrown her. Her memories of that evening came rushing back, the evening that managed to change so many things for her in such a small amount of time.

Bella turned around, ready to rush back to her seat, and she was met with the all-knowing eyes of one Rose McCarty.

"Fuck," she mumbled under her breath as she walked up the stairs. Her fear and dread coming to fruition.

"Bella, what are you doing here? Come to see Emmett play?" she teased in a singsong voice as she played with the ends of her long ponytail.

Bella knew full well that Rose wasn't stupid. Rose loved to toy with her, and Bella was going to do her damnedest not to play into it.

"Yes, that's exactly why I'm here. Thought I'd surprise you."

"In a Cullen jersey? That's definitely a surprise." Rose arched her brow as she raised her perfectly manicured finger and reached out to touch a button on Bella's jersey. "Come sit with me. There's no one next to me today."

Bella knew there was no way out of this. So, sighing, she decided just to go with it. She sat down with Rose, who was in the same row as her seat. Apparently, there was no escaping this eventuality.

"All right, shoot."

"What?" Rose responded coyly.

"You know what. Just…say it."

"Say what?"

Bella adjusted her hat, pulling her ponytail through the hole at the back. It helped keep her hat in place, as well as lift her hair off the back of her neck. It was a hot day, and the conversation was beginning to make her feel even hotter.

Irritated, Bella responded sharply, "Ask me why I'm here and why I'm wearing this jersey."

"Fine, Bella. Why are you here, and why are you wearing his jersey? Happy?" Rose huffed.

"Edward invited me," she mumbled.

"He did, did he?" Rose elbowed her in the ribs, causing Bella to giggle.

"Yes, Rose, he did. And it was actually very sweet."

"Sweet? Are you goin' soft on me? What happened to your 'no athletes' rule?"

"Edward is a friend."

"A friend?" Rose questioned. "And how well do we know this…friend?"

"Enough to know that I enjoy his company. I ran into him at the gala last night, and he invited me. No biggie." She shrugged as they stood for the national anthem.

She was grateful for the reprieve. Her eyes moved straight to number seven. She noticed his cap over his heart, his body slightly swaying to the music. He was directly in front of her, so she couldn't help but peruse, appreciating the muscles in his arms, his long sinewy body, the tightness of his ass.

Damn, she thought, what he could do with that ass.

Shaking off her thoughts, she sat back down next to Rose and waited for the game to start. The announcers began to introduce the team in their batting order. The crowd went wild as each of their favorite players' pictures was displayed up high on the scoreboard.

When Emmett's name flashed up, Bella and Rose clapped and screamed, showing their support along with the rest of the stadium. Emmett was already garnering a lot of fans; jerseys had been bought and worn, posters were on display, and kids were chanting his name. Atlanta had quickly embraced him.

Edward's name and face were next to flash up on the screen.

"Batting sixth, playing shortstop, is Atlanta's own Edward Cullen."

The crowd erupted. Their whole row responded in kind, as well. It seemed the hometown boy had a lot of fans already, and they loved their "darling" fiercely.

Men, women, and children alike donned his attire. Girls were going crazy, wearing Cullen jerseys, and what appeared to be very little else. There were marriage proposal signs and "Can I have a kiss? It's my birthday!" signs. Some little leaguers even had signs wishing him well, as well as invitations to their games. It was absolute chaos.

How had she not noticed it last time? she wondered. Her eyes darted around, taking it all in. Could it simply be the first time she was cognizant of it because, well, she was much more aware of him, or had his popularity suddenly zoomed off the charts?

Bella got the sudden urge to leave. It was overwhelming, triggering her, and frankly, she had been in this type of situation before. When she started to stand, she felt Rose's hand on hers, gently halting her from rising all the way. Their eyes locked as Rose shook her head no, giving her a look of love and understanding.

"Bella, stay. He wanted you here."

Nodding at Rose, she looked out onto the field, letting out a long, shaky breath. The moment allowed her a brief repose. They were friends, and they'd made a deal. Edward asked his friend to come and enjoy the game. There were no strings attached in this scenario she'd created, so why should she be all revved up about something she didn't remotely have with him?

She reminded herself: that was what she wanted.

Unscrewing the cap on her water, Bella took a big swig, letting the cold drink calm and ground her.

Rose took Bella's cue and let her be; giving Bella a moment to compose herself, and Bella couldn't have been more grateful. Rose was there for all the sordid, ugly details of Bella's last relationship; she knew where and when to tread lightly with her sister.

Bella knew Rose meant well. Rose was fiercely protective and loyal, and so was Emmett. They had taken up the mantle of protectors where Bella was concerned. Though she was perfectly capable of handling it on her own, it was wonderful to have them both in her corner.

The walk-up music started when the first player for Atlanta came to the plate at the bottom of the first. A single bounced into the outfield on a 1-2 count, and the Braves had a man on first. The game was off to a good start. During the first inning, the Braves were up 1-0.

After a scoreless second inning for Philadelphia, Emmett was up to bat, with Edward on deck. After Emmett was introduced, "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath rang out into the stadium as he walked up to the plate. Bella and Rose looked around, seeing people head banging as the song's intro played. It was amazing to see how invested and engaged people got with the players.

Emmett was an imposing figure at the plate, one that certainly seemed to affect the pitcher.

After the pitcher walked Emmett, Edward was up.

"Ladies and gentleman, number seven—Edward Cullen." The song "Thunderstruck"by AD/DC blasted as the whole place yelled, "THUNDER!" at exactly the right moment. His walk-up song was epic—everyone was under his spell.

Edward was aware that all eyes were on him. He could feel their stare. Shaking it off and "clearing the mechanism," as he liked to call it, he zeroed in on the pitcher, becoming laser-focused on the task at hand: hitting the ball.

The pitcher was throwing shit, trying to make him swing. Edward knew what his game was, so he stayed out of his own head and focused on the pitch. When the count was 3-2, he knew the pitcher was going to give his best pitch. Predicting what the pitcher was known for, Edward prepared for his fastball, and damn, if he didn't throw exactly that.

Edward swung with everything he had. The hard crack of his bat as he made contact resounded throughout the stadium. All eyes were on the ball as it headed out toward the Chophouse. The crowd was on their feet instantly.

"It's a home run!" the announcer screamed into the microphone.

The sirens started ringing, and the scoreboard lit up with the words "Home Run." Edward ran to first base with his arm riding high in the air, pointing his finger upward. When he rounded first base, the coach gave him a high five. As his smile lit up the evening sky, Edward gave his first chop of the game.

Bella and Rose were on their feet with everyone else, cheering and screaming, jumping up and down. They watched a few teammates gather at the plate to congratulate Edward. He and Emmett embraced, swatting each other on the ass in utter elation. The score was now 3-0, Braves.

The rest of the game droned on. The Braves continued to hold onto their early lead. The next highlight was the seventh inning stretch singing of "God Bless America" and "Take Me out to the Ballgame." This was always a crowd pleaser.

Rose left to go the bathroom as the seventh inning stretch ended. When she returned, she had two beers in her hand.

"Meh, it can't hurt, right? It's just one." Rose signaled to Bella as she handed her the beer.

"Nah…one can't hurt."

She took a quick swig. The early evening had gotten a bit muggy, so the cold beer felt good going down.

Bella and Rose continued their banter, keeping an eye on the men as the game progressed.

Edward was on fire tonight. The number of outs he contributed to, the balls he caught, as well as his batting, made him a very happy man. The game so far was a runaway, with the Braves up 8-1 at the top of the eighth, but one never took that for granted. It could be taken away in a heartbeat.

There was no time to be cocky, but Edward was an extremely competitive man. He was ready to get this one in the can so he could get to the rest of his evening. But he couldn't think about that yet.

Bella was ready for the game to end, as well. She felt the longer she sat with Rose, the more opportunity her sister would actually have to question her. So far, she had remained quiet, but knowing Rose, she was lying in wait. Bella didn't want to be around when she was ready to pounce.

"So, Bella, I was wondering—"

Here she goes, Bella thought. "Rose…please don't."

"Okay, okay…but at some point, you're going to have to share how you got one of Edward's 'regulation' jerseys," she teased, playfully nudging her shoulder.

"Rose, keep it down, please," Bella scolded her sister. She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation, but all eyes seemed to be focused on the field.

"Inquiring minds want to know. What can I say?"

"Aren't you a nosy Nelly?"

"Just looking out for you, Bella," she murmured.

"I appreciate that, but maybe…just maybe…this time I don't need you looking out for me. Have you ever thought of that?"

"I have," Rose considered.

"Good, because, right now, I'm not in the headspace for any complications."

"And Edward is a complication?"

"Rose…" she admonished.

"Okay, sorry."

Bella sighed into her drink, taking the last sip. "Edward isn't a complication because…we're just friends. Please don't try to make this out to be more than it is, okay? I have a very good grip on this. Trust me. Nothing is going to happen that I don't want to happen, I promise. Edward's a great guy, and it's really nice simply to have a friend with no expectations. No one is letting the other person down. No one gets their feelings hurt…"

"Oh, Bella, don't tell me—"

"Don't tell you what?" Bella glared at her sister, daring her to finish the sentence.

Rose looked at her expression and knew not to push any further. "Nothing, nothing at all."

The game ended around nine-thirty. The Braves won 9-1. The music and fireworks blared as the crowd cheered an awesome win. The girls stayed seated as they watched both Edward and Emmett being interviewed. As the row in front them got up to leave, Rose sucked in a breath loud enough for Bella to hear.

"Rose, are you okay?"

"Mrs. Cullen," Rose cooed, grabbing Bella's wrist gently.

"Rose." Mrs. Cullen leaned in to give her a hug. "How great to see you, and this is…"

"Bella…this is my sister, Bella."

"Bella, how lovely to meet you. I'm Esme Cullen. But please call me Esme, both of you." Her smile brightened as she took in the two of them. "This is my sister, Liz." She turned to her left to make the introductions.

Rose chatted with Edward's mother and aunt while Bella died a little inside with each glancing look Esme gave her.

"Did you enjoy the game, Bella?" Esme asked, engaging her in conversation.

"Yes, it was exciting. Edward had an amazing game."

"He did, didn't he?" The sparkle in Esme's eyes could not be missed. She was a proud mom, Bella noticed. "That home run will surely have him riding high, as if he needs any more confidence." She giggled. "You know my son?"

"Edward?" Bella croaked.

"Yes. The very one. I see you're wearing his jersey." She smiled.

"Oh, yes, um, sorry…yes. We're, uh, friends," she stumbled, feeling like an idiot.

"Oh, I'm so glad. Edward can always use some new good friends in his life." Then, in the flashiest of flashes, Esme Cullen winked at her as she squeezed Bella's arm with affection.

Damnit, Esme overheard them. She just knew it. Esme Cullen knew her son was Bella's newly ordained friend with benefits. Her fuck buddy. Her midnight rendezvous.

As if he knew he was the center of conversation, Edward popped his head over the railing and called out to the group.

"Hey, Momma, Aunt Liz. I didn't know y'all were coming. Hey, Rose." Edward gave Bella a quick glance, hoping she was doing okay. He knew she was skittish about coming today, and he was sure running into his family was definitely unexpected.

"Hey, darlin'. Great game. I'm so glad I didn't miss it." Esme beamed at her son, Bella observed, as Edward quietly basked in the accolades from his mom and aunt. "Liz was able to make it after all, so we decided to come on down at the last minute. You know your daddy had a late practice, so he decided to watch it at home and not make the trek down here."

Esme kept chatting and Edward continued to nod his head, partially listening to his mom. His eyes kept wandering over to Bella's, trying to reassure her as best he could that everything was fine.

"Well, I'm glad y'all could come," Edward began. "Thanks for the support." His eyes glimmered and a small smile splayed on his face as he looked back at Bella.

Bella gave him a faint smile in return, trying desperately not to call attention to herself.

"I gotta go get cleaned up. I may have an interview or two in the clubhouse. No idea what's in store for me once I head back in." Edward moved his thumb behind him, motioning toward the dugout.

"Have a good night, Edward. You deserve it. Dinner soon? Maybe you can bring one of your new friends with you?" Esme flashed her eyes over to Bella and back to Edward.

Rose made a coughing sound, trying to draw attention away from Bella, but no one bought it.

"I'll let you know, Momma. I'll see you soon." He stared directly at his mother, trying not to give a thing away. He knew she'd probably figured out something was going on, but what, she wasn't quite sure. He wanted to keep it that way, for everyone's sake.

"Love you, son."

"Love you too, Momma. Ladies."

And with that, Edward climbed down the railing, holding Bella's gaze. Hoping against hope it wasn't too much for either one of them, he motioned that he would text her once he was finished. With the smallest of nods, Bella acknowledged him before returning her attention to the rest of the group.

"Well, I hate to cut this short, but I gotta head out," Bella chimed in, pulling away from the conversation.

"I'll walk out with you," Rose responded.

They all walked up the stairs out onto the concourse together. Bella tried to get away before getting sucked into any more conversation. She didn't want to engage with Esme any more than was necessary. The woman was kind and inviting—the type of person you wanted to spill your deepest, darkest secrets to, and all Bella's deep, dark secrets at the moment were about her son.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. Good to see you, Rose."

"Nice to meet you, too, Esme." Bella smiled as Esme took her hand and squeezed it.

"Good to see you again, Esme," Rose replied.

"Hope to see y'all again sometime soon? Maybe we can host a group of Edward's friends from the team one day. Carlisle would absolutely love it. Braves in the house again!" Esme called out as she and Liz walked down the concourse, melding into the crowd, waving.

Bella gave Rose a confused look.

"Carlisle was a Braves pitcher. Didn't Edward tell you?" Rose taunted.

"Uhhh…no."

"Well, when y'all hook up tonight, you can ask him all about it."

"Who said anything about hooking up?"

"Please, Bella. That boy couldn't keep his eyes off you, and you were just as bad."

"Do you think Esme noticed?"

Rose guffawed as she answered Bella honestly, "Yes."

"Well, shitfire."

An: Oh my lanta. Do you think Esme overheard? Wouldn't you just die dead? Pretty sure Rose has already called Bella's bluff. She knows her sister well.

The Bodice Ripper contest is underway as well as the A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Summer Camp edition. Check out these great contests on FB. There are already submissions for you to enjoy. Get reading and VOTE.

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See you in two weeks.

~Be Happy

~Be Kind

~Be Blessed

~DrivingEdward