I'm so sorry that this one is late. I know I thought I would get to post on Friday but then Friday came along and then the weekend and it was about as hectic as I never could have imagined. As a reminder, I'm using the same song from chapter four, only because it's a continuation of that same night.

I also wanted wanted to take a quick moment to again thank everyone for your feedback/responses, it really does mean a great deal to me and I appreciate the moment you take to acknowledge the story. Anyway, with the holiday this week, and my job(s) fairly easy this week, I'm hoping to get some writing done and maybe have another chapter to you all this week. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful upcoming week!

Chapter Six - Before

The lingering question kept me up

2AM, who do you love?

I wonder 'til I'm wide awake

And now I'm pacing back and forth

Wishing you were at my door

I'd open up and you would say, "Hey"

It was enchanting to meet you

Enchanted, Pt 2.

Bella was acutely aware of Edward's presence on the couch next to her. His arm was thrown over the back, and she was certain that at moments, she could feel his fingers graze the tips of her hair. Her body was buzzing, butterflies taking up residence that only heighted the light feeling the champagne had created.

They all sat around the coffee table; a deck of cards being shuffled through Emmett's large hands.

"Right, rules!" Jessica grinned, tossing Bella a pair of socks to ensure everyone started with the right amount of clothes. "You only have to take something off if you lose, and you can't bet more articles of clothing that you are wearing! We take turns dealing and the dealer doesn't play so that's a round you are guaranteed not to lose anything. If you fold, but you have the worst hand, you're still gonna owe us a garment."

"I think I'm going to call it a night," Mike said quietly, attempting to stand from his place on the floor.

"I think fucking not!" Jessica shouted, "don't be a loser."

Edward looked over at Mike and smiled softly, "hey, let's just stay for a little while and if you're uncomfortable, we can leave, or we can end the game."

Bella was struck by his kindness, warmed at the thought that this man, this attractive man, also had something that so few had: compassion. She watched as Mike nodded and settled back down into his seat just in time for Emmett to begin dealing the cards.

After playing for about an hour, Jessica was down to her bra and panties, a lacy number that left very little to the imagination, Alice still had her shirt and underwear, Emmett still had most of his clothes only having lost his socks, Mike and Edward were down to their jeans and underwear and Bella had just had the losing hand.

"Take it off!" Jessica giggled. "Take it off!"

Bella looked down at her clothes and then at the cards in her hand, a pair of fives. She had been pretty confident going into the game, but the last three hands had her quickly shedding her layers, making her wonder if her luck had worn out or if the champagne had made her take unnecessary risks. She bit her lower lip, she had to choose between her bra or her dress. If she chose the bra, her next losing hand would leave her in just her panties… but if she took the dress, at least it would be like sitting in her bathing suit. The thought gave her a thrill of nerves intermixed with excitement. Was she really going to strip down to her bra and panties in front of five people she had only just met that day?

"Take it off B!" Emmett joined in, Alice echoing him everyone laughing, except for Mike who still looked like he would rather be anywhere but here.

"Hey…" Edward said, shifting to face her directly. As he leaned forward a few strands of his bronze hair fell forward and Bella nearly had to sit on her hands to stop from reaching over to smooth it back. But then she quickly remembered he was half naked, his bare chest just inches from her and it was hard not to get caught up, studying the lines of his stomach. She became aware that she had been staring longer than she should have and forced her eyes up to his face, he was smiling broadly, but not in a mocking way, rather, as though he was proud she found him attractive. "Hey, don't let them bully you, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Bella reached up and raked her hair back through her hand before standing up. "Fucking hell…." she said, partly at herself, partly in disbelief that she was actually going to do it. She knew she could heed Edward's advice, stand up and smile graciously while telling them all how great it was to meet them but it was late and she should really go to bed… But in the end, she would only be separated from them by her bedroom door. They would still be there, drinking, playing, maybe mocking her, the way Jessica had mocked Mike when he wanted to leave. And on top of that, Jessica was her roommate so she would never, ever live it down and that was not how she wanted to start her four years at Harvard: a sore loser with no sense of fun.

But then there was the part of her that wanted this. She wanted to be as effortlessly cool and sexy as Jessica was, who down to panties and a thong had no problem flaunting herself across from her with a wicked glint in her eyes. She wanted to be Alice, beautiful, brash and cynical but so confident that she was unfazed by her own state of undress.

She wanted to be one of them, accepted by them, and while she knew she was, she also knew she was also going to have to act like it and really embrace it rather than question everything she did from here on out.

"Come on Bella! Take it off!" Jessica called again.

Bella felt like she was about to jump off the cliffs at La Push for the first time. Her stomach flipping and flopping as she reached down and fingered the ends of her dress before swiftly pulling it over her head. Her cheeks were flushed scarlett, and she wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry, but settled for crossing her arms over her now bare stomach. She was looking everywhere but doing her damndest to avoid Edward's gaze.

Emmett let off a loud wolf whistle and Bella's eyes bounced from him to Edward's when she watched Edward's arm reach out and slap his shoulder, though the two just smiled after.

"And that deserves a drink!" Jessica said, eyes wide and bright with laughter, cheeks flushed from the champagne as she handed a bottle across the table to Bella. Bella pressed the bottle to her lips and took a pull, feeling the fuzzy beverage filtering into her, before passing it back.

They went back to the game shortly after. Alice losing her shirt, now matching both Jessica and Bella's state of undress, Emmett managed to lose his shirt, and both Mike and Edward were now down to their underwear: boxers for Mike, boxer briefs for Edward.

And for the first time as the next hand was dealt, Bella was concerned knowing that she was getting closer and closer to losing yet another article of clothing: her bra, or her panties. She could not lose again. Stripping down to her underwear was one thing but getting naked? Could she do that? The tension in the air was palpable and she took some solace in the fact that she wasn't the only one who was dreading the outcome of this next hand: Mike had pulled his knees to his chest, shielding his body from view, Alice was chewing on her lip, and Edward…

As if pulled by some kind of invisible force, her eyes flicked once again to Edward. But this time he was already looking at her. Their eyes met and she felt a spark of something that sent an electric shock over her skin, causing every little hair to stick up. Just as quickly as their eyes had met, tore her gaze away, her cheeks flushed a deep red and she was sure someone had to have noticed and would call her out on it.

Jessica dealt the cards this time with an antagonising slowness. While Alice, Emmett, and Mike opted to look at the cards as they were dealt, Bella couldn't help but notice that she and Edward preferred to wait until all five were in front of them: easier to hide your reaction if a card you wanted, or needed, happened to make its way to you.

It was more or less clear who had a good hand as Jessica passed out the fourth card. Mike was flushed and Bella was sure he had a shit hand. Alice was a little harder to read though Bella assumed her cards were a little more middle of the road. And then there was Emmett. Emmett looked like the cat that ate the canary and she knew instantly she was fucked. Regardless of what Edward's cards were, she had played enough rounds with Emmett to know that he had a shit poker face so his hand had to be nothing if not the winning one.

As the last card was laid, Bella reached forward and collected her cards. It was nearly as bad as she had suspected: a pair of fours. Pretty much as weak as it got.

"I fold," Mike said quickly, throwing his cards down to reveal a pair of sevens.

"One garment," Alice said as she flipped her cards face down on the table in front of her.

"One," Edward followed with a grin that made Bella's nerves double over. He only had his underwear left and there was no possibility of him raising the stakes any higher.

"Bella?" Jessica asked.

"One," she squeaked out, her mouth dry and she reached for the bottle of champagne to try and muster up the liquid courage. One sip became three before, "one garment." There was no point in folding, her cards were worse than Mike's, so she was going to lose regardless. Maybe, Emmett was bluffing?

"Two-" Emmett started before looking around the table and laughing, "Just kidding, I don't want to screw you all over that much. Just one."

"Alright, show em'." Jessica grinned.

"Three of a kind," Alice smiled and Bella noted the three sixes. It was a good hand, significantly better than her own. "Beat that," she said, looking directly at Emmett.

"Well, hate to disappoint a beautiful lady, but… flush." Emmett said, flashing a wide smile and showing his hand: five spades.

"Fucker," Alice luaghed, but wasn't too worried given that she knew she didn't have the worst hand in the game.

It was down to Bella and Edward.

Bella looked over her shoulder at him. He was leaning back against the couch, legs stretched out long in front of him, and his arms folded across his chest. He was smiling, and Bella was sure that he had a good hand. She noted the quick quirk of his brows and she knew instantly that he was sensing her desperation. Her heart thumped hard against her chest and she could feel her breathing get shallow with anxiety. Could she do this? Could she take off her bra in front of them all?

"Bella?" Jessica requested her voice hitting a sing songy note.

Bella swallowed. Reaching across the table she once again took the bottle of champagne in her hand and drank, one then two before she put down one four… then another…

But before she could lay any more down, Edward let his cards drop on the table next to her, face down.

"I'm out," he said, his lips pulling into his perfect crooked smile as he stood up, making a show of hooking his thumbs in the waist of his boxer briefs, "looks like I'll be removing these."

The room was silent.

"Anywayyyyyy," Alice stood up, breaking the silence and interrupting the impending strip show. She began to dress as she continued, "that's enough of that as far as I'm concerned. I like you Ed but I'm not sure I'm ready to see the family jewels when we've only known each other for a few hours."

"What!?" Jessica yelled, sounding wronged and Bella noticed that she had leaned all the way forward, her eyes transfixed on Edward's nearly naked body. "You've gotta be joking!"

"It's two thirty," Alice replied pointing to the clock, "I want to be conscious tomorrow for some of the events."

"Yeah," Emmett stood up, pulling his shirt and then socks back on his eyes on Alice. "I'm with her. Wanna walk me back to the dorm?" He was grinning, his dimples and bright blue eyes lighting up his face as they looked at each other.

Alice shrugged but followed him to the door.

"You are all such party poopers!" Jessica grumbled, but accepted defeat as she began to gather up the empty bottles that were scattered around the table.

"I'll probably call it a night too," Bella said softly, reaching for her dress that she held against her like a shield as she stood up. "Night, everyone."

Edward looked up at her immediately. "Night Bella," he said softly.

"Yes, good night Bella. Thank you Jessica, I had a great time." Mike said awkwardly which only made Jessica snort.

"The fuck you did. You looked like we were torturing you all night."

Mike had no idea how to respond, waiting a beat until, "Are you coming Edward?"

"In a sec," he replied as he was pulling up his jeans, his eyes pinned on Bella as she gathered up the remaining cards. "I'll be right behind you in a few seconds. Won't be long."

"Night, Jessica," Bella said. Her voice was soft, she didn't like thinking she was already pissing off her roommate, her potential future best friend by calling the night when it was clear she wanted to keep going. She held the extra cards out in front of her.

Jessica took them. "Night." It was terse, and Bella watched as she shoved them into the pack. With nothing else, Bella backed up towards her door, sparing one last glance over at Edward who was pulling on his sweatshirt before she turned and walked into her room.

As her bedroom door closed behind her, Bella sighed in relief, but her head was still spinning from the drink and the high that she had all night. Isabella Swan had been around a group of people she never thought would ever accept her. For a moment, she was back in Forks - to the group of kids who hung around the gas station, trying to buy beer. Maybe there had been people at her school who drank champagne and played strip poker, but she was sure, none of them ever thought she would be one of them.

But she was. At least, she was now. She was attending one of the most sought after schools in the world, surrounded by people she would have never had the courage to speak to had it not been for her luck in getting Jessica as a roommate.

She tossed her dress over her desk chair and pulled on a silk robe. And in that moment, she was filled with a sense of gratitude. Here she was, roommates with someone who was so effortlessly cool, and so beautiful she looked like she stepped off the cover of Cosmopolitan. Maybe this was her chance to reinvent herself. Gone were the days of mousy Bella Swan who spent her days at school and her nights studying. Here she could be someone new. Someone who Jessica would be friends with had they not been forced into this proximity. Perhaps she could even be someone that Edward would look twice at.

Edward.

Edward, who had sat next to her, watching her with that lazy crooked smile.

Edward, who had stayed back at the end of the night when he could have returned to his dorm with Mike.

Edward, who. She paused for a moment, a clear vision of the cards that she had picked up and handed to Jessica at the end of the night. She had turned them up and she realised now they hadn't been hers. There were five of them-a single 2 and then four queens. Four of a kind. Not just a good hand, the winning hand.

Not her hand. Edwards.

Edward had saved her. He had taken the hit rather than force her to remove her bra. Why? Was he just nice? She thought of the way he spoke with Mike, the way he spoke with her. Did he pity her? Had he realised how attracted to him she was and she felt as though maybe was throwing her a bone to be nice. Edward Cullen could never be with someone like Bella Swan, she thought to herself in his voice. But, could it be something else? She thought of his hand helping her up from the table after dinner, his fingers grazing the bottom of her hair, to his eyes trained on her when she looked up at him, to the jolt of electricity that radiated up her body as though there was something binding them together. Was there something more?

Maybe it wasn't too late to find out. Edward had hung back. Had he wanted to spend more time with her? Did he do it on purpose?

Bella looked at herself in the mirror. She licked her lips and pushed her hair behind her ears. As she stared at herself she saw a girl with a wide, full mouth, huge dark eyes that shone in both terror and excitement and her cheeks flushed with anticipation of what might happen next.

Please don't be gone, she thought to herself. Please God, let him be here.

Her stomach flipped and she knew she had been prepared tonight to bare all to these strangers, so she could do this. Something had happened between them, some spark of desire, of attraction and she had to acknowledge it because it had to be mutual–didn't it?

She opened the door. He wasn't gone.

He was standing on the far side of the room, but he didn't turn as Bella's door opened.

His arms were around Jessica's waist and she could see Jessica's fingers twisting in his copper hair. Though she couldn't see, she knew that they were kissing and she felt her stomach drop, her throat close.

Neither turned to notice Bella as she stood there, frozen in her door. She watched as Jessica disentangled one hand from his hair and moved it down to his waist while the other cupped the back of his neck, pulling him impossibly closer to her. They walked, front to font to Jessica's door, Edward blindly twisting the knob as the door swung open and they stumbled in.

Then the door closed behind them, and Bella was left alone.