I don't own twilight. What I own is my character's behavior, personality, background, and the plot of the story.

A huge thank you to my beta Madmooey18 for putting in the effort and helping me make this story what it is.

Author's note at the end of the chapter.

Bella looks at her watch and goes back to wearing a hole in the carpet beneath her. They are ten minutes late. Janet and Tyler who are doing her hair and make up are ten minutes later. This is a disaster. She was supposed to have two hours to get ready for Martin Mathew's party and now those two hours are less than an hour.

Martin Mathews is a fashion designer and cinematographer. He has worked for some of the more exclusive fashion design houses before he started working as a cinematographer. What started as him taking photographs as an intern when he was twenty to make extra cash evolved over fifteen years into him becoming a respected cinematographer. His star rose in fashion and cinema simultaneously. Martin Mathew is known for launching many models careers either in fashion or cinema.

Bella might not be sure that she wants to pursue acting seriously, but she sure as hell would rather turn an opportunity down than not have one.

If you attend, that is.

Right as that thought enters her mind, the doorbell rings. Bella runs to it and yanks the door open and before she knows it, she is engulfed by two pairs of strong arms.

"I missed you so much," she tells both of them and holds them for an extra thirty seconds before she pulls back and states, "Okay, now that we are done with greeting each other, let's get to work. We don't have much time left."

She pulls both of them into her apartment and closes the door behind them as she states, "You know your way around the apartment so you don't need me to tell you where the master bedroom is." They nod and head down the hall.

Janet and Tyler used to be her mum's hair and make-up people. They had been with her mum since Bella could remember. She first met them when she was five. It was her mum's first big event and she couldn't afford any of the high end hair and make-up in New York, so Renee took a chance at a couple who worked in New Jersey. Lucky for her, they turned out to be great, and that night her look was the talk of everyone. Her look made many big names contact them and they ended up moving to New York.

"Oh Bella, you look amazing. Your mum would have loved this look," Janet tells her as she helps her step into her heels.

Bella faces the mirror and for the first time since they started, looks at her reflection. Her hair is in an updo, with her bangs parted in the middle and curled to the side. The makeup is on the softer side with the smoky eyes, but the bright red lips add drama to the scene. But all of that ceases to be noticeable with the gown she has on. Made with black velvet, the gown is a long sleeved strapless dress with a deep V-neck. The edge of the V-neck is embroidered with gold with strips of fabric vertically embroidered with gold too. The dress almost seems like an exquisite coat with the sides folded over each other and held together with a black and gold belt above the waist.

Bella waves her hand across her face, willing her tears to not fall and messes up her makeup as she tells Janet, "Yeah, she would have loved it. Do you think that she is happy with me?"

It's Tyler who lightly nudges her before saying, "Of course she would. Why wouldn't she?"

Her voice cracking, she told them, "I mean she set me up with a great job then I went and got pregnant before I finished high school. Now, I am trying to make modeling happen at 23 years old."

That's something Bella has been afraid of for a while. She knows that with how things played out, she never had a chance. The deck was stacked against her before she even entered Forks, but would her mum see all that she had gone through and say that Bella was stupid? Or should she have fought harder? Or been smarter?

Janet hugs her tightly and tells her, "Of course she is proud of you."

Bella smiles at her in the mirror reflection and then turns to face them. "I think I am ready."

Right as she says that, her mobile phone rings. "Hey Bella. Are you ready? I am five minutes away," Edward asks, instead of hello.

She tells him she is and then they hang up. After making sure everything she needs is in her clutch. She tells the boys goodbye and leaves to meet Edward.

He stands in the foyer of the building waiting for Bella to arrive when he hears the elevator open. He looks up from his phone, and finds himself lost for words. She looks like a devil coming from heaven or an angel coming from hell. He isn't sure which one, but he knows that she looks to die for.

"Wow," he whispers to himself as she walks toward him. She gives him a nervous smile and he gives her a reassuring one as she steps near him and he hugs her.

"You look amazing," Edward whispers as he squeezes her close to him.

"It's the dress, hair and makeup," Bella whispers back, suddenly feeling self conscious. She is good looking, she'll knows that. She also knows that Edward thinks that, but not because he finds her extremely beautiful. It's because everyone thinks she is beautiful. Him finding her beautiful doesn't make what he thinks of her special. His reasons aren't significant. She could have been a random person on the street or someone in his office and it wouldn't change a thing.

She doesn't want to delude herself into thinking that he cares specifically for her.

"No, it's you. Those things are just a garnish," he replies, kissing her cheek.

She pulls back and whispers her thanks, suddenly feeling shy. The look on his face is sincere in a scary way.

"Shall we?" he asks her, smiling as he gives her his elbow.

Swallowing her fears, she smiles at him and replies, "We shall," and then hooks her arm with his.

They walk together to the car and he helps her step in and get situated before he goes to the other side and gets in himself.

"How did you get invited?" Bella asks curiously, after a couple of minutes of silence.

Edward turns to her and answers, "Dalida and I wrote a song for a film he was involved in two years ago. We became friends with him and he invites us to any event he is a part of. He's a great guy. You will love him."

Bella nods her head and is quiet for a minute and then asks another question. "How do you write a song for a movie? I mean, is it different from writing one for an album?"

Edward thinks her question over and then replies, "The pre-write stage process is different. It's more time consuming and less time thinking. You try to read the script, speak with the writer, director, and actors. You watch the movie or parts of it if possible. You do all of that in hope that you can capture the essence of a movie and channel it during the writing process"

"Making music seems super interesting," she tells him.

He nods his head and tells her, "Yeah, it's the most rewarding thing I do everyday. I love it. What about modeling? I'm sure you love it."

Bella turns to him with a smile and tells him, "Yes, I do. Modeling is slightly different in the sense that I don't get to have a very active role in the creative process as much as you do in music, but nonetheless, it's amazing. The energy of the place when a photo shoot is going on is amazing."

Edward opens his mouth to ask a question but Jared cuts him off when he tells him, "We're here."

Edward takes a deep breath and exhales as he tries to calm his nerves. He hates these events as he always feels anxious about them. He hates that he has to attend them. A hand suddenly lands on his and holds it rubbing his knuckles in soothing circles.

"You have no reason to worry. You were personally invited. Do you know how many desperate people come as dates hoping that he will be their breakthrough?"

He looks up at her and as if reading her mind, he tells her, "You aren't desperate."

Bella laughs lightly and tells him, "I wasn't including myself in this category but thanks for the boost of confidence."

"So you aren't hoping that he will give you a breakthrough?" Edward asks her as Jared opens the door for him.

Bella shakes her head and pauses as she watches him leave the car and then joins him before saying, "No. Expecting that would be unrealistic. I'm here to mingle, have fun and meet new people," then she pauses and leans forward to whisper, "Tim's short is premiering in the same film festival Martin's next movie will. I will have something to network then."

Edward throws his head back laughing and tells her, "I should have known that you had a plan all along. You are extremely strategic and I love that about you. Good thing you aren't in the business world or you would be giving me a run for my money."

Bella raises an eyebrow and states, "Never say never," and that prompts him to laugh even harder.

As Edward gives their name to the security guard, Bella looks around the place and finds herself awed by the effort and location. It's a seaside or maybe a Riverside venue, Bella doesn't know. The place is decorated in a minimalist way, elegant with flowers and abstract shaped light fixtures.

"Let's go and say hi to Martin and then we can find Dalida," Edward tells her.

Bella smiles a knowing smile and tells him, "You aren't much of a mingler, are you?"

"Nope."

Bella laughs lightly as he leads her toward the man of the hour.

Before Edward can go down the introvert's stereotypical downward spiral of wondering how he will catch Martin's attention without being rude, Martin spots him. "Edward, my man. I was just wondering when you would arrive."

The couple of people standing with him turn to face Edward. His first instinct is to hunch his shoulders to make himself smaller but Bella rubbing his shoulder stops him.

"You're invited and not desperate. Remember?" she whispers under her breath.

Edward rolls back his shoulder and takes a breath then marches to Martin with Bella at his side. "I wouldn't miss it. You know that."

Both men do the one arm hug before Martin introduces Edward to the people around them and then pauses for a second before telling Bella, "I don't think we have met."

"No we haven't. I am Bella Swan," Bella tells him, sticking her hand forward to shake his.

Martin shakes his hand as he mutters, "Bella Swan, Bella Swan. Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?"

Bella shakes her head waiting for the light bulb moment and she doesn't have to wait for long. "Oh, I got it. You're Renee Swan's daughter," mutters one of the men standing beside Martin.

"I am my own person too, but yes, I am her daughter," Bella tells him.

"I am sorry for your loss," a third person in the gathering, a woman, tells her.

"Only Renee Swan could have people paying condolences to her daughter years after her passing," Bella tells her.

"I worked with her. She was a bit of a diva. Not that she hasn't earned the right to be one with how good she was." Bitched the one who guessed her relationship to her mother, tells her.

Bella tilts her head to the side and tells him, "Opinionated, smart, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to tell it like it is, yes my mum was in fact a diva."

Everyone standing in their group laughs at her answers. "You aren't that different from her, are you?" the guy tells her, not bothered by her playful criticism.

Bella shakes her head silently trying to not laugh.

"You and I are gonna be good friends," he tells her.

"I don't know about that. I have an extremely rigorous vetting process," she tells him.

They all laugh at that and he tells her playfully, "And what? I can't pass it?"

Bella shrugs her shoulders and states, "I didn't say that. You did."

Everyone laughs and then the topic changes and new gossip is discussed. Bella is silent while Edward makes a comment here and there. After five minutes of that, Edward excuses both of them and then leads her away.

Once they are no longer within hearing distance Edward stops and turns to face her, places his hands on her shoulders and tells her, "You are a genius."

Bella looks at him and finds him looking at her in awe. "I don't understand."

"Don't play coy with me. You gave all the people standing with him attention but not him. That's genius," he tells her whispering conspiratorially as if telling her the hottest gossip.

"I didn't mean it that way. I just figured that it's a waste to try to impress him since he is on the defense, so I decided to impress the others around him," Bella tells him defensively.

"Well, Martin hates when someone ignores him, so he will most definitely be intrigued," Edward informs her, calmer than he was a couple of seconds ago.

"I guess that's an added bonus," she tells him, winking.

He smiles at that and leads her to Dalida who has her arms wrapped around a tanned good looking man. On closer look, she realizes that the man is the Mexican actor Juan Marquis. Bella realizes then how little she knows about Dalida.

Why the hell do I not know much about her? She is best friend's with Edward.

Because he isn't your boyfriend.

Shut up. He is my friend. I know stuff about my friends.

Bella greets both of them. She listens carefully to his every word hoping that he will subconsiously give an advice about acting, but instead all she recieves is side splitting jokes, and before she knows it, she finds herself throwing her head back and laughing so hard at what Juan said that she holds onto Edward's shoulders to make sure her knees don't give up from under her. She doesn't let go of Edward and leans into his side until she needs to go to the ladies room.

"I will come with you," Dalida tells Bella the moment she excuses herself.

They walk to the bathroom silently and Dalida touches her make up while Bella does her business. "Did I tell you that I love the dress you are wearing?" Dalida compliments her while leaning back against the wall and watching Bella wash her hands.

Bella shakes her head and tells her, "No, but thanks for telling me."

"I like you," Dalida tells her. Her statement feels loaded. The way she looks at her is as if she is feeling her not just admiring her dress. She is telling her that Edward and her fit well together and she approves. She sees how much Bella cares for him.

Bella could have made a funny, or snarky comments then, but instead she moves her face into what she hopes is a smile and conveys a, "Thanks."

Silently, Bella dries her hands and leaves the ladies room and Dalida follows her. They go back to stand with the men and Bella wraps an arm around Edward's waist and leans her head against his shoulder. If Edward is surprised by her move, he doesn't show it. Instead, he wraps an arm around her shoulders and keeps talking without pausing.

Bella is mostly silent for the next hour or so. For some reason beyond what she is willing to admit to herself, her interaction with Dalida has shaken her to the core. Dalida knows how much she cares for Edward. She sees through Bella's "I don't care for anyone but myself" act. She sees her. She may even know Bella's depth of feeling more than Bella herself does.

"How do you feel about dancing?" Edward's voice cuts through her inner turmoil. Bella shrugs her shoulders unsure if she wants to dance. She's not even sure if she remembers how to dance. It has been so long since she has done that, and Bella's brain is feeling so foggy that she isn't sure it will be able to move her legs the proper way.

"Let's dance," Edward invites her with conviction and drags her to the dance floor before she can object.

He leads her to the outskirts of the dance floor and stops in his place. He places one hand on her waist and takes her other hand in his other and raises it slightly.

"You're supposed to place your hand on my shoulder," Edward whispers. Bella quickly raises her hand to rest on his shoulder then she follows his lead as he starts swaying them.

"I haven't done this in a very long time. I've forgotten what dancing feels like," she whispers after a full minute of swaying.

He spins her around and then returns his hand to her waist and questions her, "Did you enjoy dancing?"

"I loved it," she softly speaks.

He is silent for a full minute before he spins her again and once she is back in his arms he tells her, "A new rule in this deal; we will dance together at least once a week."

Bella opens her mouth to tell him that he doesn't need to do that for her then thinks better and tells him, "That's too much dancing," instead.

"There is no such thing as too much of something that brings one joy," he simply replies. She smiles in spite of herself and nods her head.

They continue dancing for a second song and then a third song. When a rock song comes on and Edward and Bella leave the dance floor. Bella curses that stupid song. She doesn't want their dancing to end. For the first time in her life, Bella felt safe being held in the arms of a man who isn't Phil or Aro.

She knows that this isn't real. She knows that Edward probably doesn't want to deal with what dating her entails. He is just trying to make their fake dating bearable. Why else would he do all that he does?

But God, does Bella wish it was real. She is the kind of girl who wants to give love and get love. She wishes she wasn't the girl you approach with caution because she is difficult to handle. She wishes she was the kind of naive young woman who approaches everyone with an open heart. She wishes she was good enough for Edward.

You know that someday Edward will meet someone who is as pure and kind hearted as him. Do you really want to get attached only to have your heart broken?

I know that. I know everything you are saying, but I can't help myself. Is it a crime to appreciate the way he treats me?

It is not about the way he treats you and you know it. It's the full package.

Stop it. It's not like I don't know that.

Then get your act together and do NOT fall for him. You will be the one who has to pull yourself together after you fall apart once you see him with someone else. He is good and pure, something you will never be. He deserves someone like him. You will never be good enough for him.

"I'm getting tired. When can we leave?" Bella asks. Leaving and going home is the only way to shut down the voice in her head.

Edward looks at her with concern and notices the slight shiver that goes through her. He quickly shrugs out of his jacket and places it on her shoulders and calls Jared to bring the car around.

They say goodbye to Dalida and Juan and then they go outside to wait for the car. Bella holds on to Edward's elbow tightly as the paparazzi get too close to comfort while snapping pictures of them together. Once they both enter the car, Bella sits in the far end of it, placing the entirety of the seat between them.

Edward seems to anticipate her need for silence so he doesn't ask her any questions or try to make small talk. Instead, he whistles a tune she recognize. Before she can remember where she heard it or ask him, the car stops in front of her building and after giving Edward a brief hug Bella leaves the car.

Entering the apartment, she finds most of the lights are turned off and is relieved to find that the boys and Seth are sleeping. She doesn't have any energy to talk to anyone. In contemplative silence, Bella gets ready for bed and then slips into it.

After an hour of tossing and turning, she finally succumbs to sleep with Edward's tune playing in her mind.

Hello lovely people,

Long time no see. Hope you are doing good. Bella's dress is from the "Zuhair Murad Autumn-Winter 2021-2022 Couture show". If you are interested in seeing the dress search for the show on YouTube and you will find it at the 6:12 time mark which is something I advice since my description of it could never do it justice.

What do you think of What happened? Will Edward ask her out anytime soon? Why does she feel lie she isn't good enough for Edward? Does she trust Edward already, or does she need more time?

I want to hear all of the theories you have, or any constructive criticism you can think off. Honestly I wouldn't have grown as a writer this much if not for your support, so thank you very much.

The next chapter will be updated as soon as my beta finishes editing it, so until then,

Stay Safe