This chapter was beta'd by hollenheist and chatnoirmd. I'm forever grateful to the two of you.

Chapters for this story will be on the shorter side, which means more frequent updates.

Happy reading!

4

Bella

"Wait, I'm confused. Is he not an asshole?" Rose asked when we're on the phone later that night. She's getting ready for a date with Emmett and I'm sitting on my bed, trying to figure out what the hell happened with Anthony in Central Park this morning. To say I'd been shocked when he came up to me and apologized would've been an understatement. My guard was still up, but a part of me, a teeny-tiny part, thought that maybe he wasn't entirely awful.

"I wouldn't go that far." I throw aside the book I'd been reading. There's no way I'd be able to focus on it anyway. "His track record still isn't in his favor. He's been an ass two out of the three times I've seen him."

"Yeah, but he's hot." Rose quips. "And you need to get laid."

I scoff, "It hasn't been that long, Rose." As the words come out of my mouth, I think back and was having a hard time remembering the last time I'd been with anyone. Casual sex wasn't something I did often at all, and the fact that I couldn't remember the last time was a little shocking. It had been way longer than I realized. "Besides, can you imagine me getting some with Embry in the corner? I think that would be traumatizing for us both." My dad still hadn't let up about Embry being my constant companion. While I understood his reasoning, I was itching for a little taste of freedom.

Rose cackles loudly, making me pull the phone away from my ear. "Oh my God, that mental image killed me!" She laughs some more. "Although, he seems like the type to like to watch, so he might enjoy it."

Her words make my skin crawl. I wasn't a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but the thought of Embry watching while I fucked anyone made me want to throw up. "Thank you for putting that in my head. I'm now going to have to give myself a mental bleach."

"I'm just saying." I can almost see her shrugging her shoulders like it's no big deal.

"How did we get so off topic?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair. This was not the direction I expected this conversation to go. "We're supposed to be talking my possible asshole of a stalker." Anthony was a conundrum. I thought I'd had him pegged, then he went and changed everything with being nice. I hate to admit that I fell for it a little and flirted. The universe seemed dead set on us running into each other.

"I don't know what to tell you, B." Rose huffs. "He's either an asshole or he isn't."

"That's very helpful, Rose." I flop back on the bed.

"Sorry, that's all I got. Only time will tell, I guess."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that." He was either playing a masterful game, or he was being sincere. The only way to know for certain was time. I just hated that meant I would have to see him more to find out. The worst outcome: he was being honest.

"Listen, I gotta go, but I'll text you when I get in later and we can brainstorm some more."

"Okay. Enjoy your night with my asshole brother."

"Oh, I will." She laughs when I gag.

"Gross." I laugh with her.

-SC-

The conversation I had with Rose proved to be in vain, because I didn't see Anthony again for the next several days. I was both relieved and disappointed; my feelings surrounding that entire situation were a jumbled mess that was impossible for me to decipher. I ultimately came to the conclusion that, after Wednesday palates came and went with no sign of him, I was happy that he had seemingly fallen off the face of the Earth. Even though that tiny voice was still in the back of my mind telling me that I wanted to see him again and that I was lying to myself. I'd just told the bitch to shut up and moved on.

"Bella," My father called as I walked by the entrance to the living room on my way to the kitchen. "Can you come here for a minute? I'd like to talk to you."

I stop in my tracks, my mind racing trying to think of a reason he'd be using his authoritative tone with me, but come up empty. Since that night Rose and I went to Dirty Martini, I hadn't strayed from my carefully crafted box, not crossing the lines that had been drawn for me. Embry's constant presence didn't hurt, either.

I walk into the living room, my dad once again in his favorite chair looking at me with hard eyes.

"Yes, Papa?" I put on the sweetest voice I have, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Emmett talked to me." My heart plummets and goes into overdrive trying to figure out where the hell he's going with this. The sinking feeling in my gut says he's not happy and I should start bracing myself.

"He said that he thought I was being too hard on you." He pauses, and I know he's waiting for confirmation, but I'm too on edge to find my voice. "He said that you deserved some freedom and that I was treating my grown daughter like a child."

Another long pause that feels like it slowly kills me. "I think he's right. I came down too hard on you and I wouldn't listen." He stands, coming over to me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "I'm, sorry."

My ears must be deceiving me, because there is no way I heard him right. My dad was not the type to apologize.

"It's hard for me to not be overprotective, especially with everything going on with the Masen's, but I shouldn't have taken that out on you. I've reassigned Embry, so starting today, you'll once again have free reign of the city on your own, within reason." He smiles at me, and I see the softness that's so easy to forget is there shining through. "But please, Bella. Don't go into the Masen's territory again. I'm getting too old for that. I swear you gave me new gray hairs."

"I promise, Papa. I won't step into their territory again." After all, if I stayed on our side of the city, there was no way any of them would be able to touch me.

See you next time!