Edward

Bella didn't want to talk to him.

What the hell was he trying to accomplish, anyway? It would have been different if she had shown no interest. If she had just gone and joined the others right away, had spent no time talking to him, although if he thought about it, Bella had been seeking her friend—not Edward. Could it be that she actually found happiness with Emmett? That made it more difficult now. She was barely making eye contact with him…after Edward admitted things weren't working out so well with him and Rosalie. If only they hadn't been interrupted by Alice and Jasper, they may have been able to continue the conversation—he might have been able to find out where she stood with her marriage. Now, uncertainty lingered like a plume of black smoke.

While the idea of hanging out in the jacuzzi hadn't appealed to him—being in close proximity with Bella did…but he considered Emmett. This situation was such a puzzle. He didn't know whether Emmett was still interested in Rosalie or if he was now into Bella. Where did that leave all of them?

He mulled this over as he sat at his piano, allowing the notes to wash away some of the uncertainty. Losing himself in the music was much easier than forcing himself to face a possibly awkward situation. Then he heard a hiccup—a very female, loud one — followed by the movement of a tall plant, and then he caught sight of a figure tumbling to the floor with a thud.

Bella had been listening. Apparently, she'd been drinking as well. It wasn't long before the producer came to him and commented on how lovely the music was. Maybe she'd not been aware of Bella there at all—how she'd scurried away like a frightened rabbit. The producer didn't mention Bella, following the compliment with an "I wonder how it's going with the others." She raised her brows at Edward meaningfully. Stop being a hermit, Edward. Go join your wife and friends.

It was the last thing he wanted to do. By the time he arrived at the hot tub, the group was laughing. There was more hiccuping, everyone was sipping from their drinks, and he climbed into the bubbly water, which left a small section between him and Bella.

"Finally!" Rosalie said. "You're missing all the fun!"

His gaze shot to Bella, whose eyes were shut, and her hand was clamped over her mouth. The giggles flowed as fluid as the alcohol.

Just as Edward settled into his seat, a server appeared with a tray and handed him a glass of wine.

"What is going on?"

Hiccup!

Emmett laughed. "Oh! You all heard her! Everybody, drink!"

Bella giggled again, and Alice spoke up, "Somebody get her a paper bag. Or maybe we should change our drinking game."

Bella held up a finger. "Somebody, please get me a…" Hiccup!

Jasper laughed this time. "It's fun. We're having fun."

Rosalie elbowed Edward, as Edward let the horror sink in. They were laughing at Bella's hiccuping! "You have a lot of catching up to do. Drink, dear."

"Dear," Emmett teased.

And Bella followed it with another hiccup—at which they all laughed and took another drink.

Edward spoke up this time. "Uh…maybe what she needs is some water."

Bella nodded. "Yes…water…pleaa—" Hiccup!

The group laughed, and Rosalie turned toward him. "Look, Dr. Edward, we're just having fun. Look at her—she's laughing. We're all having a good time. Tell him, Bella."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was another hiccup, followed by another round of chuckles and snorts. But this time, Bella's frown took over her face.

Emmett leaned in to her, and Edward didn't like how close he was getting, though how could he be jealous? "Maybe Edward's right. Can we get a glass of water for her?"

"Yes, please! For all of us," Alice said. "I don't wanna end up having to pay for this tomorrow."

A server brought a tray with six glasses filled with water, and Emmett handed one to her. "Drink it slowly," he said. "Good girl." She nodded, and Edward watched as Emmett put her arm around her. "My little wifey here might be looking at an early bedtime."

He wanted to take her to bed? For God's sake. Edward did not care to think about that.

"I'm okay," she insisted.

"My friend here—let me tell you—can definitely handle her alcohol," Alice said, "but let's play something else."

"No, maybe he's right," Jasper said. "Sitting in hot water and drinking isn't really the smartest thing."

Edward pointed to Jasper in agreement.

"Ahhh, poo, Edward," Rosalie said. "You're still way too sober for this conversation."

No doubt he was the most painfully sober of the bunch, and hyper aware the film was still rolling, he hated to think how this was all going to look to America. How this would make Bella look. She'd finished the one glass, holding tight to the stem, and everyone's eyes were on her, waiting to see if the hiccups had finally departed.

"I think she's done," Emmett said.

"I don't wanna go to bed yet," Bella said. "See. I just need some more…" Hiccup!

Emmett reached for another full glass and handed it to her. "Here ya go."

Edward didn't want her to leave yet, but he wondered if it was for the best.

"What have you been up to?" Alice asked.

He'd hardly spoken to Alice directly. "I was playing the piano."

"I told you," Rosalie said. "He's very talented. He's working on his own composition. Maybe you can play it for them before we leave."

Edward's gaze darted to Bella, who still had her hand clasped over her mouth. Her large brown eyes settled on him. So glassy. He would've loved to play for her…audience of 1. "Sure. Maybe. We'll see if there's time."

They were to go on a hike the next day, and after an early dinner, they were to head back to the hotel. Decision day was nearing.

Rosalie lifted the bottom of his wineglass to encourage him, and Edward thought it odd since drinking wasn't something that either had partaken much in. "The night is still young."

Jasper held up his empty hand to Alice. "I'm getting a little pruney. Do you want to get out?"

Alice's eyes darted to Bella, raising her brows in a way he couldn't decipher. "Sure. Yeah. What about you, Bella? You and Emmett? Are you staying in for a while?"

"I should probably get out."

"Well, I'm kind of enjoying this."

"Then stay," Bella said. "Enjoy yourself. Please don't get out on my account."

Emmett's brows shot up. "Uh oh…" He held Bella's elbow as she rose. "Don't wanna piss off the wife."

Edward watched as Emmett helped Bella into her robe, and she'd almost stumbled, stepping out, but he'd caught her—looked like he was used to this.

"It's okay, Emmett. I meant it. Stay."

Edward wondered if he could make an excuse to get out as well, but didn't know what he would say.

"Nope. I'm gonna at least see you get there safely."

She turned to Edward and Rosalie, holding her glass of water. "Good night."

"You're really calling it a night?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, I think I just need to drink water from here on out." She turned to Edward. "Though, if you play the piano again, come get me."

Rosalie's mouth dropped open. "You have a fan, Edward!" She shoved his shoulder, and he tried not to watch Bella and Emmett as he held her upright.

"It's no big deal. You have thousands." Though his heart beat a little faster at the thought. Bella had been impressed and made it known she wanted to hear more. He was more than happy to oblige.

"I have an idea! You can take requests, and we can have a sing along!"

"Uhhh…I don't know about that. I play mostly classical."

"Oh…I know a few…and between us, we could probably manage."

"Maybe…let's see if anyone else is interested."

The bubbles bubbled, and Edward and Rosalie sat in silence, sipping their drinks. And without everyone else and the cameras watching them, they didn't seem to know what to say to one another.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Edward asked her.

"I'm having a great time. And you? You don't seem like you are…so much."

"I am most comfortable in smaller groups," he said, though he could be extroverted when he needed to be. But not when he had to play alcohol patrol. Right now, all he could think about was how to talk to Bella again.

"I get it. Well, maybe it's time to get out." They put on their robes and headed back up to their room. And Rosalie stole the bathroom while Edward changed out of his wet clothes and into a pair of pants and a shirt. Edward was combing his hair with his fingers when she came out. "I wonder if they got any more dessert down there."

"Dessert?"

"Yeah. I thought I saw chocolate cake."

Rosalie, despite her career, was not worried about calories. Though, she'd stuck closely to a strict jogging workout regimen.

"How about you? Do you feel like a nightcap? Or we could give the piano a little spin?"

"I…" He gave her the best excuse he could come up with. "I'm going to grab a quick shower first." He headed towards their bathroom.

She lifted her brow. "Okay, then."

After waiting a few seconds, he opened the door and found he was alone in their room, and he knew for a fact that Bella would not come knocking. From the door, he heard laughing from downstairs and recognized that his wife had company. And while Emmett was occupying her attention, he hoped maybe Bella would appear and stopped at the first door on the right, wondering if it was the hallway bathroom when he heard voices.

"I told you, Bella," he heard Alice say from the other side of the door. "I was serious."

"Okay, but I can't read your mind."

Alice and Bella were in the restroom together, having a private meeting.

"So, are you sure?" Bella asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Just don't screw it up! Go to bed."

Then the door opened, and Alice nearly stepped out into Edward's chest. "Hi, Edward," she said, louder than was necessary. He hoped that now the cameras weren't picking this up. "What are you…I haven't seen Rosalie." Their laughter floated from downstairs. "Guess she's down there."

He knew that already but knew better than to correct her, because, after all, what would he say? No, I wasn't looking for my wife. Emmett's down there already, keeping her company. I want to see Bella. Instead, he nodded.

"I'll accompany you," Alice said, holding out her arm.

"Where's Jasper?" Edward said, taking her arm, but his heart was sinking. Bella was there in that bathroom alone, and he couldn't have a second alone with her.

"Finishing his cigarette, I hope."

There was a lot of irritation in the way she said that.

"Don't get me wrong. I love the guy, but I hate the cigarettes."

As if on cue, Jasper entered from the side double doors. "I leave you alone for a second," Jasper said to Alice and Edward jokingly.

"We were about to find out what Rosalie and Emmett are up to."

When they entered the round arch to the kitchen, they found Rosalie feeding a piece of cake to Emmett seated at the marble bar around the corner, but once they were spotted, she dropped the fork onto the counter and chunks of brown crumbs and frosting plopped onto the floor.

"We were just playing," Rosalie said, and red had crept up into her face.

"Looks like it to me," Alice said.

Emmett looked more guilty than his counterpart, wiping a streak of frosting from his lips. "Yeah. We were just…messing around."

Edward squinted a look at Emmett. Exactly what kind of game involved another man's wife spooning some chocolate cake into another man's mouth? He looked all around for the cameras, but it looked like they were already on red. So, had any of this been captured? Or was everyone just left to speculate?

"I'm going to bed," Rosalie said, darting off past them. "See ya all in the morning.."

Wiping his mouth, Emmett turned and left in the opposite direction. "Good night, all."

Edward turned on his heel. Should he watch to see if his wife made it into the room unaccompanied? What should he do? What did all this mean? He was already frustrated by not being able to speak to Bella. He couldn't make any sense of what Bella and Alice were talking about in the bathroom, not that he should have been listening. And now, he'd found his wife feeding chocolate cake to Bella's husband? What the hell? What would Bella think about all this?

He closed the door behind him, and Rosalie was brushing her teeth as he walked in to confront her. "So, you wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"We were just eating cake."

"You were feeding him cake, Rosalie."

She sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. The wine went straight to my head, and he was flirting with me. And I was flirting with him, And I am evil, Edward. I think you should just go out there right now, find the producer, and demand a divorce."

What?! A divorce! As appealing as that sounded, it's not like he would just resort to that. What else had gone on in that kitchen? Was Emmett onboard with all this? Or was he trying to have the best of both worlds?

"No, I will not do that. I mean, is that how you really want to end it? When we're days away?" Divorcing on legitimate terms seemed the better option.

"I want a divorce, yes. But, no, I guess I don't want to end it this way. It's just Emmett…once I get around him, my sense of decency just goes right out the window."

"What else did you do in there?"

"We just flirted. The cameras weren't watching, and it's just that he and I really have a connection, you know?"

"I guess," he said. Flirting…after all the trouble he'd gone through to seek Bella. This should have come as no surprise. He still remembered very well how Emmett had flirted with her at Rosalie's birthday party.

"Look, Rosalie, I know it's no secret that you and I didn't have that 'connection', but don't we prefer to come out of this with a good reputation? Believe me, you have hundreds, if not thousands, of women looking up to you, who will watch you on this show."

She nodded. "Right. And I don't want to disappoint them with my behavior. But what I don't want to do either is show that I'm going to stay in a marriage that I shouldn't."

"Agreed. Have you and Emmett already worked all this out?"

"Hell no! We just laughed and joked around. For all I know, he was just playing around and is in love with Bella."

So she wouldn't be divorcing him to be with Emmett…

Which made him feel even more guilty because in his heart, he'd already divorced Rosalie and would've loved to get on one knee and look up into Bella's eyes…Or at the very least just go back to that kiss.

"Can we please just get through tomorrow?" Edward asked.

"Of course. That's more than fair. I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to embarrass you or make you look bad."

"Nah. No, you didn't."

"Okay, well, I promise you then. I'm going to be the best little wife until then."

"Two more days?" he asked.

She took his hand in hers, and her smile didn't touch her eyes. "Two more days."

A/N: Wowee two updates in four days! Thanks to my awesome beta-Anakinsmom for her help! Am hoping to keep up with at least twice/week this way with this and with Law of Attraction as well. Many thanks for reading, and special thanks for the reviews! I always enjoy reading them and connecting. :) Stay with me for more fun and reality show drama!