Twelve

*Bella*

I raised an eyebrow at my computer screen when I heard a whispered argument taking place behind me.  Alice and Angela had been acting strange and shooting curious looks at me all damn morning and it was getting to the point where they were driving me insane.  I'd done my best to ignore it for the most part, but now it was getting impossible.

"You do it!" I heard Angela hiss.

I pursed my lips at the screen and sighed heavily, turning around in my chair and staring at the both of them.  They quickly sat up straight and shot me identical grins.

"On with it," I stated, waving one hand at them.

"We're going out to dinner tonight after work," Alice started, still grinning at me.  "All of us.  And we were wondering if you wanted to come."

"We'll ask Edward, too," Angela piped up, peeking over Alice's shoulder.

Alice elbowed her and I raised an eyebrow at them.

"Who's all of us?" I asked slowly.

"Me, Jasper, Ang, Ben, Emmett and Rose.  And you and Edward, of course, if you guys want to come."

"Carlisle and Esme?"

"They've got plans, I guess," Angela shrugged, still smiling brightly at me.  "He told us to have fun tonight."

I eyed her.

"Where?"

"Olive Garden in Port Angeles."

"Why?"

Alice shrugged and tilted her head to the side, smiling innocently at me.

"Just because."

I sighed and shook my head at her.

"Yeah, okay.  Right after work?"

"Six-thirty!" she chirped, clapping her hands.  "You'll have plenty of time to go home and get changed."

I looked down at my dress pants and sighed, waving her off and turning back to my computer.

"Yeah, okay, fine.  I'll be there."

"I'll go ask Edward!" Angela declared, out of her seat and prancing towards the door before I could say anything.

I blinked after her, my hands poised over the keyboard of the computer as I listened to her hasty footsteps in the hallway.

Fuck, I was confused.

"Are you two dating?" Alice asked bluntly once the door swung firmly closed.

I slowly turned back to face her and blinked.  I think I had entered some alternate dimension without me realizing it before now.

"What?"

"Well, are you?  You've gotten very close very fast."

Shit, she was observant.

"We're friends," I managed, still blinking at her.

"You aren't attracted to him at all?"

"Alice, have you seen him lately?  He's gorgeous."

"That didn't answer my question."

"What does it matter?" I sighed, reaching up and running my hand through my hair.  "We're friends and that's all."

"I don't believe you!" she chirped.  "I think you wanna hump him."

"Oh good Christ," I mumbled, slapping my hand on my forehead and turning back around.  "I'm done with this conversation."

"You do!"

"I do not!"

"You're lying!"

"No, I'm leaving," I laughed incredulously, shaking my head as I stood up.

"Bella!" she whined.

"I need coffee!"

Angela pranced her way back into the office with a poorly contained grin.

"He's in!"

"What the hell is up with you two?" I asked, sighing heavily and placing my hands on my hips.

"Not a thing, dear Bella," Angela smiled, reaching up to pat my head.  "We're just excited to have the two of you joining us."

"Uh huh," I mumbled, eyeing them.  "I will kill you if there is another motive, got it?"

I pointed at the both of them and narrowed my eyes as Alice pressed her lips together and Angela placed a hand over her mouth.

"Promise!" they both sang at the same time.

I huffed and walked out of the office, mumbling that they had some severe mental issues before walking into the kitchen.  I found Edward staring at the coffee maker, one of his hands tangled in his hair and his eyes wide.

"You okay?" I asked slowly, edging into the doorway.

His eyes snapped to mine and I leaned back.

"Please tell me you're going to this dinner thing tonight," he pleaded, dropping his hand.

"Yes, I'm going.  Why?  What did she do to you?"

"Questions," he whispered.  "Lots of questions in a very short amount of time."

I laughed and walked over to him, reaching up and rubbing his back with one hand and grabbing a coffee mug from one of the cabinets with the other.

"You'll get used to them in time."

"Christ, I hope so," he groaned, lazily draping an arm around my shoulders and leaning heavily against me.  "She's like a one-woman wrecking crew!"

I laughed and leaned against him as well, concentrating very hard as I grabbed the carafe and poured.  With my luck, he'd find a way to distract me and I'd end up spilling the entire thing all over the counter.

"Is that for me?" he asked, leaning his head against the top of mine.

"No," I said slowly, smirking.  "You can get your own damn coffee."

"But it tastes so much better when you make it for me," he whined.

"I don't do anything differently than you do."

"Sure you do.  You stir it in a different direction."

I blinked at the coffee mug on the counter before I set the carafe down next to it and backed away from him slightly.

"What?"

"You stir clockwise," he said simply as he stood up straight, "and I stir counter-clockwise.  It's better the way you do it."

"So why don't you stir clockwise?"

He sighed dramatically and shook his head as if I was asking him the dumbest question I could possibly think of.

"Because that's what you do and I like it when you do it."

"You are officially a pain in my ass," I grumbled, moving from him completely to step forward and open the cabinet again.

I grabbed another coffee cup and snapped it on the counter, sliding a glance over my shoulder at him as I grabbed the carafe one more time.  He was grinning like an idiot and I'm sure if he wanted to, he probably would've been hopping from foot-to-foot like a little boy at the sight of his first bike.

And while there was a part of me that wanted to feel awkward and worried about the way we were acting with each other right now – sickeningly cute and comfortable with each other like we'd known the other for years instead of days – I didn't have it in me.  For once in a very long time, I didn't feel pressured or uptight with another guy in the same room; I just felt like me.

The me I used to be, anyway.  I missed that part of me and if Edward was bringing it back, I didn't want to question it.  I was tired of second-guessing and questioning and if anything, Edward had proved that he wanted to stick around.  He wanted to be a part of my life and he wanted me to be a part of his.  I may not have understood exactly why he'd fought so hard for someone so broken, but at this point, I refused to question it anymore.

I had someone to turn to and I was the person he could lean on when he needed me.

I smirked to myself and stood up a little straighter as I poured the coffee into the second mug.

Someone needed me.  I couldn't say that about everyone in my life and it was nice to know that I could be someone else's support system when he needed me to be.

"And you," he leaned in and quickly kissed my cheek, sending shockwaves through me and causing my hand to falter a little, "are officially my goddess."

"Well," I said, huffing out a breath and puffing out my cheeks, "you'd better start treating me like one."

My heart was thundering in my chest and I quickly set the carafe back on the coffee machine, grabbing the sugar bowl and swallowing hard.

"Anything you want."

Kiss me.

I dropped the sugar bowl onto the counter and pressed my lips together, sucking in a deep breath as I blinked at the two mugs sitting in front of me.

That wasn't right.  That shouldn't have even been a passing thought in my mind.  Where the hell did that come from?

"You all right, Bella?"

"Fine," I squeaked, clearing my throat as I quickly pulled out the drawer and grabbed a spoon.  "Just uhm… it's heavy, you know?"

"Mhmm," he hummed, stepping behind me and placing his hands on my shoulders.

I jumped, blowing out another deep breath as I dug the spoon into the sugar and dumped two heaving scoops into his coffee cup.

"Calm," he whispered, suddenly right down by my ear.  He started rubbing my shoulders and I closed my eyes, fighting to breathe evenly as I tried to concentrate on his hands.  "You're all right with me."

I forced myself to relax and nodded quickly, swallowing hard again as I opened my eyes and slowly stirred his coffee.

"See?" he asked softly, his hands rubbing my upper arms.  "Clockwise."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, shaking my head and elbowing him gently.

"Ass."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me against him and squeezing me gently.

"You'll learn to like it."

"That's what you think."

He laughed and squeezed me again before he released me.  I sucked in a deep breath, set the spoon on the counter and turned, handing him his coffee and shaking my head at him.

"You really are a pain in my ass."

He grinned before lifting the mug to his lips and sipping from it.  He moaned, closing his eyes as he swallowed.  My mouth went dry and I blinked slowly at him before turning and quickly picking the spoon up again.

You're losing it, Bella.  Something like that should not have you getting all hot and bothered.  You shouldn't be feeling like that anymore.  Your time has passed.

"And you really are my goddess," he said quietly, kissing my cheek again before walking towards the open doorway.  "I'll pick you up at your place tonight?  We can ride together?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I said, clearing my throat and drying off the spoon before plunging it back into the sugar bowl.

"Bella?"

I slowly looked over at him to see that he was staring intently at me, his fingertips tapping against the coffee mug.

"You're okay with me."

I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip as I dumped sugar into my mug and absently started to stir it.

"Yeah."

I watched his jaw twitch as he clenched his teeth together before he nodded once and ducked out of the kitchen, the carefree attitude he'd had when I made his coffee completely gone.

Your fault.  Fucking relax, Bella, and maybe you wouldn't destroy everyone who wanted to get close to you.

I put the sugar bowl away and walked to the refrigerator, yanking it open and grabbing the caramel creamer I adored.

He told you everything and you can't even get through the smallest details.  You're not being fair to him.  You're not being the friend he needs.

I slapped the creamer bottle onto the counter once I'd poured it into my coffee and stirred it again, staring down at the light brown liquid as I chewed on my bottom lip.

You promised everyone that matters that you'd try and you won't even let yourself do that.

I grabbed the creamer bottle from the counter and stalked the few steps back to the refrigerator, all but throwing the bottle inside and slamming the door closed.  Growling at myself, I grabbed my coffee mug as I stormed out of the kitchen and down the hallway, loudly knocking on his closed office door and tapping my toes.

"Come in!"

I pushed through the door, letting it slam closed behind me to find that he was leaning over his desk in much the same way as when I walked in on him singing a few days ago.  He slowly sat back in his chair, clearly not amused or even the least bit interested as he looked up at me.

I didn't give myself time to think about it or try deciphering it as I snapped the mug down on the edge of his desk and slapped my hands palm down in front of him.

"I know and I'm scared," I said, my voice stronger than I thought was capable.  "You scare me, Edward, and I don't know what to do about it.  You're not… normal for still wanting to be around me after everything I've already put you through and I don't know what to do.  Guys don't stick around me for this long because of how I am and you are and I don't know why.  I don't know why and I don't know what to do with it."

I swallowed hard, looking directly into his eyes and seeing absolutely nothing.  There was no emotion; no understanding, no revelation, just nothing.  I retreated, slowly picking my hands up from his desk and reaching over for my mug.

"So," I said softly, wrapping my hands around my mug and looking down into it.  "I know.  And I'm sorry for…"  I huffed out a breath and laughed humorlessly, shaking my head and biting my bottom lip.  "Being me, I guess."

He didn't say anything and I nodded once, turning on my heel and walking back towards the door.  I pulled it open and walked out, quietly closing it behind me before walking down the hallway and back into the front office.

That's what you get, Bella.

"Bella!" Alice chirped, turning to me and grinning.  "I was thinking that we could all go out for drinks afterwards.  You in?"

I shrugged one shoulder and offered her the best smile I could manage before nodding.

"Yeah," I said softly, swallowing hard.  "That's fine."

"Are you okay?" Angela asked, leaning back in her chair and looking over at me.

Numb.  Just… numb.

"I'm fine.  Just tired.  It's been a long couple of days."

I sat back down in my chair and pushed my coffee off to the side, suddenly completely uninterested in it.

"It'll get better tonight.  I'm sure of it."

I smirked humorlessly at the screen and nodded, pulling up the report I needed to finish and placing my hands on the keyboard.

"Yeah, maybe."

~*~

I didn't see him for the rest of the day.  He'd either memorized the appointment book very well or had suffered through Tanya and all of her absolute insanity to avoid talking to me again.

It hurt, but I couldn't blame him.  Half the time, I didn't want to be around me, either.  He had the option to ignore me; I didn't.  And if I'd had to be on the other end of my spiel from earlier in the day, I'd probably do everything in my power to avoid me, too.

I shut down my computer and grabbed my purse from underneath my desk, slinging it over my shoulder as I silently followed Alice and Angela out of the office and into the lobby.  I waved at them as we reached the parking lot and had to search around in my purse for my car keys, stealing glances at Edward's Volvo from its spot next to mine.

His fancy, upscale car next to my beat up, nearly dead piece of crap only managed to emphasize that he was better without me.  He was clearly out of my league and even trying to be friends with him obviously wasn't going to ever work.  I wasn't good enough for him and he'd obviously finally realized it.

I sighed and swallowed hard, shaking my head as I unlocked the door and fell into the seat.

"You're such a fucking idiot, Bella," I grumbled to myself, jamming the key into the ignition and pulling my seatbelt across my lap.  "Can't even give a little with the one guy in the world who wants to know something about you.  Hell, why would he when you talk to yourself?"

I growled in frustration and slammed the car in gear, pulling out of my parking spot.  I made it to my apartment and stalked my way up to the door, unlocking it and slamming it behind me.

He probably wasn't even going to dinner anymore.  And if he was, he probably wasn't picking me up anymore.

"He's not the ass, Bella, you are."

I stormed into my bedroom and grabbed a pair of panties before stomping my way into the bathroom and starting the shower.  Hell, the day couldn't get any worse so why not go to dinner with everyone who would just stare at me and make me uncomfortable anyway?  Emmett would know something was wrong and would want to get it out of me, Rosalie would just glare at me for the entire night and the rest of them would probably just be uncomfortable in the entire situation.  Why was I even going?  There was absolutely no point in going because I'd just make everyone uncomfortable like I always did.

"Big fucking ass," I mumbled, sniffing when I felt the tears coming before hopping into the shower.

Half an hour later, I climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me, still sniffling like an idiot as I padded out of the steamy bathroom and into my bedroom.  If anything, showers were the best places to cry and moan over the shit I should've done as opposed to the shit that I had done instead.

Everything was wiped clean once I was out.  My heart was heavy in my chest, the numb feeling was back in the pit of my stomach and I was the same person I'd been a week and a half ago.  The person I'd been before Edward showed up and the only people I had in my life were my brother, my mother, Carlisle and Jake – when he was allowed.

Everything was normal for my life again.

I grabbed a pair of jeans that Alice might approve of and a long sleeved green sweater before walking back into the bathroom and dropping them onto the toilet seat.  I got dressed and threw the towel over the curtain rod, fluffing my hair and running my fingers through it before I grabbed the blow dryer.  Just as I put my finger on the switch to turn it on, I heard a knock on the door and sighed heavily.

Maybe it was Jake and maybe he wanted to make amends or realized that I was completely wrong and he didn't want to be in my life anymore either.  Maybe it was just the day where I pushed every single person in my life away from me.  Maybe I'd be better at the bottom of the fucking ocean.

Running my hands through my hair one more time and deeming it styled enough to answer the door, I sighed and grabbed the doorknob as I reached it.  I yanked it open and blinked at Edward standing on the front step, nervously playing with his keys.

"What are you doing here?" I asked softly, swallowing hard and gripping the doorknob tightly.

"I'm supposed to be picking you up," he answered just as softly, shrugging one shoulder.

"Edward," I sighed, reaching up and fisting my hand in my wet hair.  "What are you doing here?  You avoided me for the rest of the day and you… I didn’t figure that you were… what do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

I dropped my hand from my hair and sighed heavily, slumping against the side of the door and looking up at him.

"Why?"

"So that I can tell you that you scare me, too."

I blinked at him and looked into his eyes, swallowing hard before finally moving out of the way and letting him in.  I closed the door behind him and stepped away from him, crossing my arms over my chest and looking down at my feet.

"I don't have friends anymore, Bella.  My friends cheated on me and the last I heard, they were engaged and she was pregnant.  So I don't have friends; I don’t have anyone to talk to or joke around with or to have coffee with.  I wanted that when I first came here.  I didn't have anyone and then you…"  I looked up when he sighed heavily and saw that one of his hands was in his hair.  "With your eyes and your broken heart and your inability to trust anyone and I don't know why I can't stay away from you.  I don't know why and I spent the rest of the day trying to figure it out.  I wasn't able to think of anything other than figuring that maybe I shouldn't because I hated not seeing you for the rest of the day.  It didn't feel right.  So yes, there is the possibility that I'll get hurt again and there is the possibility that I'll lose everything in the process but I can't stay away from you."  He looked up at me again and dropped his hand, letting it slap against his thigh.  "You make me feel how I don't want to feel anymore and it scares me."

"So… I don't… what are you…?  Edward, I'm not forcing you to stay.  If you don't want to, then don't."

"You aren't listening to me, Bella.  I can't stay away.  I've tried not to care and that didn't work, either.  I'm stuck with you."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" I asked, swallowing hard when my voice shook.  "Because hearing you say that you want to stay away and that you don't want to care and that you're stuck with me like some kind of curse or sickness really isn't making me feel all that great right now."

"That's not what I…"

"Just go," I said quietly, shaking my head and swallowing hard.  "I won't bother you anymore."

"Bella, that's not what I…"

"Edward, I don't want to be the problem in your new life, okay?  You're starting over here and you don't need me around to make it worse."

"You're taking this all wrong!"

"Then make it right because I'm not sure what the hell you mean!" I exclaimed, dropping my arms and sucking in a deep breath.  "What do you want from me?"

"I don't know!"

"That clears things up," I mumbled, scoffing.

He took a step closer to me and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay exactly where I was.  Even if this was his way of subtly saying that I was dragging him into something he didn't want to be in, I needed to hear him say it.  I needed that definite answer before he left just like everyone else before him and I'd be damned if I was going to back down when I needed this.

"You confuse the fuck out of me, Bella.  And I just… I want to… there's…"  He grabbed the sides of my face in his hands and my eyes widened.  "I want to do this all the time," he whispered before his lips were on mine.

I stood completely still, my eyes wide and my arms limp at my sides as his lips slid over mine gently.  He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and my eyes slid closed as my hands clenched into fists at my sides.  Sparks, fireworks… everything I never thought I was capable of feeling again was just there.  My heart was in my throat and everything I thought I knew before shifted, skewing my reality and making it something completely different.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he whispered, his lips brushing over mine before he kissed me again.

I lifted my hands and placed them on his upper arms, not entirely sure what I was going to do or what I was supposed to do.  I hadn't had to worry about this for a long ass time; this was new and it didn't feel like it shouldn't be happening.

"Tell me," he whispered, working his bottom lip in between mine and gently touching the tip of his tongue against my top lip.

I dug my fingernails into his arm, taking a slow step into him and tentatively moving my lips over his.  More sparks, more fireworks; brighter, more fierce.  I dragged my hands up his arms and up his neck, threading my fingers through his hair and pulling his mouth more firmly against mine.  He breathed out a small laugh against my mouth before he dropped his hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against him and working his tongue in between my lips.  I touched the tip of my tongue to his and gasped when the sparks intensified, causing him to open his mouth to mine and run his tongue completely over mine.  I untangled my fingers from his hair, wrapping my arms around his neck and reveling in the way his arms tightened around my waist.

None of this felt wrong.  It didn't feel like I should step away or like I should run as fast as I could in the opposite direction.  It was different, it was something real and I wasn't opposed to it the way I should've been.

I didn't understand any of it at all.

One of his arms moved from my waist and his hand was on my cheek as he pulled away from me, gently kissing my top lip a few times before resting his forehead against mine.  I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at him, seeing that his eyes were still closed tightly.

"Please don't tell me that was a mistake," he whispered, his voice sounding almost weak.  "Please."

"I don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me.  Like you couldn't get away from me if you really wanted to."

"I don't want to.  That didn't come out the way it was supposed to," he whispered, chuckling sadly and shaking his head.  "I don't think I could walk away from you even if I wanted to."

"Do you want to?"

"No," he whispered, rubbing his thumb over my cheek.  "I want you to trust me, Bella.  I want you to have faith in me and I want you to count on me with everything you hold close to you."

"Edward," I whispered, shifting on my feet.  "What are… what is this?  What are we doing?"

"What do you want, Bella?" he whispered, finally opening his eyes.

"I don't know."

He seemed to search my eyes before leaning up and pressing his lips against my forehead, his breath hot against the top of my head as he moved his hand from my cheek and threaded it into the still wet hair at the nape of my neck.

"Then I don't know, either."

"This is all happening so fast," I whispered, closing my eyes.

I felt his lips purse against my forehead again before he nodded.

"For me, too," he whispered back, shifting slightly and resting his chin on the top of my head.

"There's so much to," I swallowed hard and buried my nose into his chest, "think about and… I don't know what's… my head is…"

"Hey, it's okay."  He untangled his hand from my hair and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, keeping me firmly pressed against him.  "We have time.  Just please… don't say there's nothing there, Bella."  He squeezed me tightly.  "Please."

I shook my head and moved my arms down a little to clutch onto his jacket, my hands curling into the material as I concentrated on breathing once more.

"You're safe with me," he whispered.

I nodded and tilted my head up, resting my cheek against his neck as I breathed out, "So are you."

~*~

"Did they make reservations?" Edward asked as we pulled up to the restaurant.

"I have no idea."  I looked over at him as he shifted the car into park and smiled slightly when he looked at me.  "I'm sure Alice managed to get us a pretty good table no matter what, though."

"She seems rather persuasive."

"You have no idea."

He laughed and nodded, grabbing the keys from the ignition and pushing open his door.

He'd waited for me to finish getting ready, sitting patiently in my living room while I dried my hair and did my best to calm my shaking hands and pounding heart.  I didn't know what was going on; I didn't know what anything meant when it concerned Edward anymore.  The lines were just starting to form on our relationship and then all of this happens.  My head was in sixty different directions and my heart wasn't helping me at all.  It seemed completely content with Edward around and I didn't know why.  Everything was so out of order and I felt like I was going to explode.

I'd walked out of the bathroom prepared to tell him that I wasn't sure I wanted this, forcing deep breaths into my lungs and demanding that I stay firm.  We could be friends, but nothing more could come of it.  I wasn't capable of more; he'd just get hurt and I didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already had been.

But then he'd looked at me and everything slid back to where I hadn't realized it should've been.  My heart calmed down, I stopped shaking and everything I wanted to say had been forgotten.  I hadn't been sure whether to enjoy it or question it and the minute he'd stood up and held out his hand to me, I stopped caring.

I was scared; fucking terrified.  But knowing that I wasn't alone in that somehow made it easier to deal with.

"So, there's a whole bunch of people in there, right?"

I nodded and pushed open my door as well, sighing heavily as I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car, reaching back in to grab my purse.  He popped up on the other side of the car and we both slammed the doors at the same time, turning and staring up at the cream-colored side of the restaurant.

"Yes."

"And this is just a dinner for the hell of it?"

We met at the front of the car, nervously looking at the front entrance.

"Supposedly."

"It's a dinner to feel me out," he said, looking over at me, "isn't it?"

"Probably."  I swallowed hard and reached over to grab his hand in mine, squeezing it tightly.  "I'm apologizing in advance."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

But he squeezed my hand, sighed heavily and pulled me along with him as we took the few steps to the front door.  He pushed through the glass door, letting go of my hand and allowing me to walk in ahead of him.  The brunette behind the hostess podium looked up and smiled brightly, her eyes focused intently on Edward.

Yeah, well, that wasn't something I should've been surprised about.

"Welcome to Olive Garden.  How can I help you?"

"We're meeting…"

"Bella!  Edward!"

We both looked over to find the whole lot of them seated at the bar.  I smiled at the oblivious hostess and rolled my eyes when she ignored me, walking in front of Edward and over to the small corner that had been deemed the bar.  The guys all had glasses of beer already, while Alice and Angela were stealing sips from Jasper's and Ben's.  Rosalie sat next to Emmett, her legs crossed, her nose in the air and her peach sangria held up in front of her with a completely disgusted look on her face.  I sighed heavily and took the final step towards them, pasting as much of a genuine smile on my face as I could while my heart ran rampant in my chest.  I felt Edward place his hand on the small of my back and relaxed minutely, shooting him a small smile over my shoulder.  He grinned at me and moved his hand up to rub in between my shoulder blades.

"Hey guys," I greeted, sucking in a deep breath.

"Bells!" Emmett exclaimed, sliding off his chair and immediately wrapping his arms around me.

I laughed and hugged him back tightly, briefly burying my face in his chest before I caught sight of Rosalie and backed away from him.  She rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, tapping her long manicured fingernails against the glass.

So it was going to be one of those nights.

"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted, nodding his head and keeping one arm around my waist.  "Still thinking about that bike?"

"Give it up, Em," Jasper laughed, casually leaning back against the bar and shaking his head as he slung an arm around Alice's shoulders.

"Seriously, dude," Ben piped in.  "You'll have to actually do some work tomorrow."

"I am working!"

"Ben, Jazz, this is Edward," Angela interrupted, laughing and shaking her head as she rested one hand on Ben's shoulder.  "Edward, this is my husband, Ben."

"And my future husband, Jasper!" Alice exclaimed proudly, stepping up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

I laughed when Jasper rolled his eyes but he smirked down at Alice, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"And this," Emmett started, quickly moving from me to stand beside Rosalie and hold his arms out as if she were some prized treasure, "is my girlfriend, Rosie."

I held my breath, watching as she looked Edward up and down before nodding coolly at him and sipping from her drink again.  Emmett's arms fell, his hands slapping against his thighs as he sighed and leaned his elbows behind him on the bar.

I didn't understand why he stayed with her.  More than that, I didn't understand why she'd even come tonight if she was clearly going to be in a bitchy mood.

"Nice to meet all of you," Edward said quietly, nodding his head.

"Is our table ready?" I blurted, chewing nervously on my bottom lip and looking over at Alice.

"Yes," she said quickly, turning and grabbing her purse from the bar.  "We were just waiting on you."

"As always," Rosalie mumbled before gracefully standing up and waiting for Emmett.

He smiled sadly at me and shook his head once before grabbing his glass and wrapping his free arm around her waist.  I knew it was pretty bad – or he just really wanted to get laid when they got home – when he failed to say anything to her.

I looked down at my feet and turned, letting everyone else go ahead of me before looking up.  I barely bit back a screech when I saw Edward waiting for me with his shoulders hunched slightly and a nervous smile gracing his lips.

"She's a bitch," he stated, pointing over his shoulder.

I immediately relaxed and laughed, nodding as I stepped up to his side.  He grinned and pushed my hair over my shoulder before slinging his arm around me.

"Off to the lion's den," he mumbled, quickly kissing my temple before leading me in the direction everyone else had taken.

Yes, it was the lion's den, but with him at my side, it suddenly didn't seem that bad anymore.

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