Chapter 27: Family

I woke up to the sound of the TV blasting through the walls. I turned my head towards Edward's side with a groan, only to find it empty, which was more than fucking weird. Sitting up a bit, I rubbed my eyes before I let them roam the bedroom. 

Edward never, ever, leaves me alone in his room.

He typically stays in bed until I decide to wake up, and if by any likely chance I'm sleeping longer than he deems necessary, then the prick annoys the shit out of me until I'm up and swingin,' literally. He claims that he's lazy and patient. I, on the other hand, claim that it's because he can't leave his bed unmade. 

Like I said, the kid has OCD tendencies.

He knows it, I know it, so why deny it?

Climbing out of bed, I used my teeth to tug the elastic band off of its place around my wrist before I put my hair up in a messy bun, scrunching my brows together at the feel of a slight chill running down my body. Lowering my gaze, I groaned as my eyes met my nakedness. "Christ on my inner slut," I grumbled to myself as I stumbled over to the kid's drawers, pulling one of them open as I looked for something to wear and steal. 

Just sayin'.

I snorted at Edward Cullen's color coordinated organization that he referred to as a 'skill,' shaking my head as I grabbed onto a pair of grey sweats and a white tee shirt. Slamming the drawer closed with one of my hips, I took a few sniffs of the fabrics before pulling them on. 

Hey, people. Don't look at me like that. 

Kid's laundry detergent smells superb. 

After walking into his shiny — too clean for a man's — bathroom, I took a hold of my toothbrush and lathered some paste on top of it after running some water over the bristles. Noticing my reflection in the mirror when I went to detoxify my morning breath, I hummed in appreciation. 

I like the morning after look.

So much so, that I want it again. 

But, no.

I don't need Mr. Arrogant knowing how good he is in that apartment. 

Oh, what the hell am I saying? Edward Cullen knows how good he is.

The kid has talent, I'll give him that. 

Again, Bella Swan's not one to deny something that's fucking obvious.

I made his bed — even though I knew that he was just going to remake it later on — before I walked out of his too neat for my taste room. Hearing the TV on, I remembered what woke me up in the first place. 

Who the hell is here?

As I slowly made my way down the hallway with caution, my eyes roamed the dim corners before I would pass them, holding my snort in when it wanted to make an appearance as the mission impossible theme song rang through my mind.

Yeah, as you can tell...it doesn't take a lot to amuse me.

When I reached the living room, I found it empty. After walking over to the entertainment stand, I turned the TV off, thinking that maybe Edward forgot to do so before he left for wherever he needed to be. 

Rare, but likely.

Wait. Does that even make sense?

Mm. It doesn't.

I shook my head, trying to stop the conversation that I was having with no one but myself, for it was beyond weird and was starting to freak me the fuck out. As soon as I swung the kitchen door open, I went to turn on the light but froze as my eyes fell upon a dark figure who was leaning against the counter. "Fucking shit!" I yelped, fear and what the hell running through my system as I got ready to run out of there like I was made for track.

Which I wasn't, seeing as to how...

I'm was on the floor after tripping over my goddamn feet.

I was about to crawl the hell away but froze as soon as the psychopathic killer called out my name, in Emmett's voice. I leaned against the door and quickly pushed myself up from the floor before I turned the light on. As soon as his face came into my view, I whispered his name.

He forced a smile across his face with a small nod. "Hey."

Slowly, I walked over to him and paused when I reached the kid, seeing as to how he looked away from me, like he was nervous, or something. Without any more hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him and laid my forehead against his chest as tears started running down my cheeks. "Emmett," I cried, "I'm so sorry." Leaning away, I looked up at him as his hands rubbed his face in some rough as all hell manner, causing my own to brush them away before gently taking over. "Are you okay?" 

"Of course I'm okay, Kiddo," he gritted, his voice tense as he pushed my touch away. I stepped back a little and placed my arms across my chest, not understanding his narrowed eyes that showed me nothing but frustration. "So what if I just found out that my dad has been abusing my goddamn sister ever since I left for college. So what if I shot him, right? Yeah, I'm cool. Perfectly fine, really." 

"Em," I whispered, trying to grab his hands as he lifted them, "I'm sor—"

"You're sorry?" he shouted incredulously, interrupting me as he turned around and slammed his fists against the counter, completely ignoring my blurry eyes that widened as he continued his assault on the marble, "I can't believe you!" 

"Please!" I yelled, my try of stopping him useless, "You're going to hur—"

He quickly turned around and faced me with an un-amused laugh that instantly killed my words at the sound of it as it echoed throughout the room. "What, B? I'm going to hurt myself?" He grinned, shaking his head. "Don't worry about that, Kiddo. You already took care of it. You hurt me real good, right?" 

More tears ran down my face as I lowered my head. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Emmett." Noticing that he walked away from me, my eyes met his form as he pulled out one of the chairs that were placed around the table, the sound of the legs scratching against the floor deafening. "Please believe me when I say that." 

Taking a seat, he shook his head before he ran one of his hands down his face, avoiding my gaze all the while. "Kiddo, I can't even begin to understand the reason as to why you didn't tell me about this shit from the very beginning."

"This is why!" I yelled, my hands up in the air, "God, man! You over—"

He growled, meeting my eyes with a glare. "If you're planning on telling me...that I am overreacting right now...I suggest that you leave this goddamn room. Because what you saw that night, isn't going to even compare to what I'll do."

I grabbed a hold of one of the chairs and went to sit next to him, but he shook his head at me as he kicked it away. "Are you kidding me?" I asked in disbelief, "Now you don't want me near you, really?"

"I can't even look at you right now."

Yeah.

That fucking burned.

"Jesus Christ, Emmett!" I cried, wiping my stupid tears away, "I told you that I was sorry! What more do you want from me? You're acting as if I kept this information to myself for shits and giggles!" 

He quickly pushed himself away from the table and stood up on his feet, causing the chair that he was sitting on to tip over in his haste. My eyes widened in fear of not seeing his own again as he started heading towards the door. "I can't be here with you right now. His idea was a wasted effort." 

"Emmett, no!" I shouted, running over to him. As soon as he was about to leave, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, clinging onto him as I ignored the pang of hurt that I was hit with when he tensed up at my touch, "Don't go...just...no." 

Taking a hold of my wrists, he pried my hold off of him and turned around to face me. "Stop."

My breathing picked up at the visual of him actually trying to leave me as I pushed myself past him to block the door. "Just...God...Please," I begged, praying that he would just fucking give me some time, "Stop this...avoidance bullshit, for one second, so that we can talk it out like we always do. I can't handle you being pissed off at me...I need you to just...talk to me."

Looking away from me, he shook his head. "It's too late for that, B."

As my hands started to noticeably shake, I shoved them into the pockets of my hoodie as I lowered my head and closed my eyes, already feeling his departure. "Emmett McCarty, you're the only family that I have left."

I opened my eyes, feeling his hands underneath my arms. After lifting me up from the floor with ease, my brother carried me over to the counter and sat me down on top of it before he bent his knees a bit so that we were leveled with each other, face to face. "What family?"

Fucking burn.

My bottom lip trembled a bit before I quickly covered up my mouth with one of my hands, his crystal blue eyes looking into mine with a single brow raised as he waited for an answer. "What do you mean, what family? You and me."

His gaze left mine as he shook his head in disagreement. "Your family is long gone," he told me in a whisper that I heard loud and clear as he started backing away from me, "You fucked it up, Bella. And for that, I'm sorry."

I lowered my head as soon as I heard the door shut behind him after he walked out of the kitchen without another word said. Covering my face, I let go, completely, the only sound in the room my cries as my shoulders practically shook my...everything...from how I felt inside. 

I deserved that. 

---

For the rest of the day, I spent the majority of my time drowning within the quietness that was in my bedroom with the door locked, not wanting any interference whatsoever from Edward as I watched reruns of 'I Love Lucy,' on the TV. 

Don't mock the shit. Lucy was genius.

Rose kept on calling me, nonstop, throughout the day...but after about the twelfth time that she tried to get a hold of me, I put my cell on vibrate, loving that I wouldn't hear Meredith Brook's voice afterwards, for I found out that I wasn't such a big fan anymore, what with her constant tune annoying the shit out of me.

Calling it a night when I noticed that it was past ten o'clock, I took a quick shower and climbed into bed again, trying to get as comfortable as I could after I placed my phone underneath my pillow with the intent of not wanting to miss an important call, such as Emmett's. 

Yeah, I know, friends. Wishful thinking.

I guess, I just...hoped that he would call.

There was no desire for hearing a 'Sorry,' for he did nothing wrong.

Every single one of his words, were true.

I just missed my brother's voice, already. 

---

My eyes snapped open as I felt my cheek...vibrating. 

Emmett!

After throwing the pillow that said cheek was laying on top of onto the floor, I quickly grabbed a hold of my cell phone and flipped it open with one hand while my other one ran over my eyes. "Emmett?" I croaked before I cleared my throat and tried again by repeating myself, "Is that you?"

"Bella?"

Pushing myself up to a sitting position, I looked down at the screen with scrunched together eyebrows, not recognizing the voice or the number. "Who's this?" I asked after bringing the phone back to my ear. 

"James. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that I changed my number."

Laying back down, I closed my eyes in disappointment. "Hi." 

"You asleep?" I mumbled a no in answer as my fingers found the top hem of the blanket that was covering my upper body. "Listen," he continued as I lifted the heavy material up to my face, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep, "I heard what happened with your brother, and I just wanted to say that —"

"It wasn't his fault, James, so don't give me any of that bullshit."

"I didn't say that it was his fault," he replied, earning himself a raised brow from me as I kept my eyes closed, waiting for him to continue. "It's been a couple of days since I've heard from you, so I was just calling to make sure that you're alright." 

"Where are you?" I whispered, wanting to change the subject.

"I'm at this bar, it's called Breaking Dawn." My eyes opened at his answer. Tossing the blanket off of me, I sat up a bit, wondering how he found himself there. "You should come down here for a couple of drinks, yeah?"

"Who's bar-tending?"

"I don't know, I just got here. I'm smoking a cigarette outside."

I shrugged before climbing out of bed, concluding that I probably won't be able to fall back asleep if I even wanted to anyway, the more that I think about the shit. Plus, the offer of alcohol sounds somewhat good right about now. "Alright," I whispered, "What the hell. Give me twenty minutes and I'll be there."

---

Pulling into the parking lot, I sighed in relief as I looked around and found no signs of Esme's car. After parking, I stepped out of my truck and walked over to the entrance, giving James a small smile as he pushed himself away from the wall that he was leaning against. "Hey, you."

He returned the greeting, tossing the cigarette that he was done with over my shoulder. "I didn't want you to have to look for me when you got here, since it's pretty fucking crowded in there." I nodded my thanks, shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie as I looked around us. "No offence, but you look like you might need a drink, yeah?"

Returning my attention back to him, I exhaled. "Fuck yeah."

"Come on, then," he laughed, holding the door open for me.

I thanked him with a roll of my eyes before I bent down a bit, passing underneath his arm as I stepped into the establishment that would normally brighten up my mood without delay, except for tonight. As the both of us neared the bar, I groaned when I saw Esme bar-tending. "Oh, this is just...great," I stated with obvious sarcasm drowning my voice as I stopped walking, "Exactly who I needed to see at a time like this."

James nudged my shoulder. "You know that bar-tender?"

"You don't?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, a bit stunned.

Looking over at the bar, he shook his head. "I don't recognize her." 

Huh.

And here I thought all along that Edward and James were buddies. I guess, maybe, they aren't as close as I assumed they were, what with him not knowing Cullen's mom. Or hearing about her, nonetheless. I mean, everyone who's connected to the kid in any way knows how much he cherishes Esme.

I don't know why I lied, but I felt a certain something telling me to do so as I gave the bar another quick glace before shrugging it off in dismissal. "Never mind, man. My mind's playing tricks with me, or something. I thought that she was someone else."

When we reached the counter that I knew Esme wouldn't be working, what with Ralph always taking this side of the bar whenever he was here, James and I took a seat on the stools that he pulled out for us. "So, tell me, B. What have you been up to?"

I shrugged, turning around in my seat so that I could face him. "Same shit, different day." 

"What can I get for you guys?"

I turned my head towards Esme's voice as soon as I heard it, and when her eyes met my own, they widened a bit before she coughed, clearing her throat as she looked at James. "I apologize," she started, avoiding my gaze as she gave the kid who was sitting next to me a forced as all hell smile, "It's been a long night, as you can probably tell, seeing as to how unbelievably packed it is. What can I get for you kids?"

Leaning forward a bit, James raised an eyebrow at me as he took his wallet out of his back pocket, not noticing the quick glance that Esme gave me before she returned her attention back to him as if it never left. "I got it tonight. What are you getting?"

"I'll uh...I guess, a Miller Lite's fine."

He nodded, giving Esme a smile that she returned. "Make that two." I hid my raised eyebrow as Ma turned around with a sweet — and therefore highly suspicious — murmur of 'coming right up,' keeping my attention on James as he kept his own on me. "So, have you talked to Andy?"

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him since that night at the club." 

"Me, either. I've been pretty busy with bullshit that's related to work." I nodded, not really caring about what kind of 'bullshit' he was talking about as thoughts of my brother started running through my mind, distracting me. "I'm thinking about stopping by the house later on tonight," he continued in a slightly louder voice as the music that was coming from the speakers changed its tempo, "You should come with me, if you want, of course."

Giving him my attention, I grimaced a bit before shaking my head. "Nah, I think that I'll pass. I'm just going to have a few and then go home. I'll give him a call, or something...maybe meet up with him later on, when shit calms down a little, you know?"

He nodded, otherwise remaining quiet as he turned around in his seat to face the dance floor. A few seconds later, Esme walked over and placed the beers on top of the counter with one hand as her other one grabbed a hold of the money that James left for her, ignoring my expression of complete confusion as she glared at the back of the kid's head all the while.

And, it wasn't just a glare, people.

It was an Esme Cullen glare.

When James turned around, the woman smiled at the kid, her eyes all of a sudden too bright and more than fake. "Can I get you anything else, honey?" He shook his head at the same time that I did, and she gave him a nod of obvious dismissal before turning her attention over to me. "I'll be here until closing, so if I'm needed, don't hesitate on calling me over, yes?"

I nodded, kind of dumbstruck. "Okay?"

"Perfect," she replied, giving James a quick glance before walking away.

He nudged my shoulder. "Are you sure you don't know her?"

"Yeah," I replied with a quickness that I wished I could take back, keeping my eyes on Ma as she helped another customer, "I have absolutely no idea of who that woman is..." or, of why the hell she's acting like the kid who I was hanging out with was an enemy instead of a friend, I finished in thought.

---

As the night continued, we ended up talking about what we have been up to these past few days. Well, James ended up talking about what he had been up to these past few days, and I pretended like I was paying attention to half of the shit that he was going on about as I drank beer after beer.

Every now and then, I would give him a nod of agreement, or a mumbled reply of "You're totally right about that, dude," and, "I'm so with you on that." At times, I would catch him with pursed lips as he tried to hide his amusement to my obvious uncommitted ass when I realized that half of our conversation consisted of me agreeing to absolutely nothing, since he stated that he had said not one word.

As you can tell, I was definitely feeling the effects of the amber liquid. 

Fuck feeling it, I was goddamn living it.

James said something about needing to take a piss as he stood up from his seat, and I shrugged like do what you gotta do, man, once again not paying him any mind. As soon as he was out of sight, Esme started heading over towards me with narrowed eyes, acting as if I was the one who was in trouble here while I waited for her so called shit storm to begin with a menacing smile, knowing that it was coming.

When she reached the counter, she leaned over it and grabbed a hold of my chin, bringing it towards her and therefore giving me no chance of looking away from her killer eyes. "Go home, right this instant!" she whispered angrily, grabbing onto my bottle of beer with the hand that wasn't practically choking me, "I don't like that kid who you're hanging out with, not at all!" 

I laughed something that was supposed to sound dangerous as I pushed her grip away from me, leaning back a bit as I placed my arms across my chest, so in her game and ready to play. "Tell me something, Esme. Why is the 'kid who I'm hanging out with' claiming that he doesn't recognize you? I don't know about you, but I find that highly suspicious, seeing as to how your son is 'friends' with him." 

Her eyes darkened and I raised a brow in return as I went to grab James' beer. As soon as my fingers wrapped around the half empty bottle, she snatched it out of my hold with a feminine growl and tossed it over her shoulder, keeping her warning-filled gaze on me as I closed my eyes with a grimace, waiting for the sound of glass shattering against the tiled floor. 

Nothing.

Opening my eyes after a couple of seconds, my jaw dropped when I saw Ralph holding the now empty and intact bottle. "Oh, come on, dude!" I shouted as he shrugged, tossing the shit into the trash can, "That little performance was sooo planned! Don't you act as if you're a ringmaster of some sort!"

The man grinned at my narrowed eyes before returning his attention back to one of the regulars who went by the nickname of 'Big Boy Bobbie,' who in my opinion was a 'Boy Boy Pussy,' what with the dude ordering a shot of whiskey instead of being able to handle a glass of it. "Why I don't like the kid is not any of your concern," Esme interrupted my thoughts with a pointed finger, "If you don't leave this bar within the next minute, I am going to call Edwa—"

"Oh, don't you threaten me, Mrs. Cullen!" I growled, interrupting her with my own point of the finger, jabbing hers out of my face. "James is my friend, and I see no problem with us hanging out like true buddies do nowadays, having a couple of drinks. I'll leave when I'm not thirsty anymore."

"Ralph, watch my customers," she gritted with a smile that chilled my bones as she started backing away from the counter, "There's a young girl who I need to take care of." Placing my arms across my chest — like bring it, old lady — my narrowed eyes followed her 'let's handle this in a rational manner' form as she made her way out of the bar. Before I had the chance of standing up, the lady who I deemed an undercover assassin dug her fingernails into my arms with a growl before she quickly pulled me off of my seat. "Who do you think you're talking to like that?" I went to say 'you,' but she covered up my mouth, interrupting me as she anticipated my response, "That wasn't a question that I wanted an answer to, you smart-ass."

I gaped at her curse — like holy hell, did Mrs. Watch-Your-Language really just call me that — as she started pulling me towards the entrance, her grip over my hoodie's sleeve making not following her more than impossible. As soon as she stepped outside, I grabbed a hold of the door frame with gritted teeth. "I'm not ready to leave."

Letting go of my fabric, the evil lady turned around with a glare and faced me before she started taking off her earrings, one by one. "Ms. Bella Swan, if you aren't outside by the time that I finish this sentence, I will have no choice bu—"

I stepped outside, raising my hands up into the air.

Hey, listen, motherfuckers...I'm not a bitch.

Okay.

When it deals with this lady...maybe I am.

Lying.

I most definitely am.

Not going to deny it.

Stepping to the side, Esme waved one of her hands in front of her as she silently told me to proceed. I rolled my eyes at her smug-filled smile, lowering my arms down to my sides as I walked past her. As soon as I saw Edward leaning against my truck, looking all sexified while he smoked a cigarette, I turned around with a groan of annoyance. "God, Ma! Your son didn't have to pick me up, I'm perfectly capable of getting myself home!"

The devil herself winked at me with a smirk before she turned around to walk back into the bar that I wished I hated, the desire of wanting nothing more than to bomb the place a false hope. "Go home, get some much needed rest, and call me tomorrow."

At her departing words, I ground my teeth together as I stomped over to Edward, who raised an amused eyebrow at my growl as he tossed his cigarette down onto the floor with one hand, the other one catching the keys that I threw at him. "Shut up," I simply spat as I headed towards the passenger's side of my truck, "One word from you, and I'll snap your neck."

---

When we reached the door to our apartment, the kid whose mother I wanted to cause harm to barely had the bitch unlocked before I pushed him aside in some impatient kind of a way that caused a small laugh to escape his throat as I stomped into the living room. "Jesus Christ, Bella. Fucking relax." 

"What...did I say?" I growled, turning around with a glare.

He raised his hands up into the air. "Not one word. Got it."

Hearing him locking up, I walked over to the kitchen door and threw my leg back before I kicked the motherfucker with vengeance. "Cocksucker son of a gun!" I hissed, jumping up and down on my good foot as my other one started throbbing like mad. In the process of bending over to alleviate the pain, my forehead decided to smack the wood that I wanted to take my anger out on a second ago. "Mother...EFFER!"

Remaining quiet, Edward placed his arms across his chest, hiding his grin quite well from my narrowed eyes as I kept them on him, silently daring the kid for its appearance while I tried to pull my chucks off of my feet with the one hand that wasn't leaning against the wall, supporting my balance.

Honest to God, I just wanted to hit something. Or, someone.

And, that is where Edward Cullen comes into play.

I wasn't mad at him, per say. I was just...beyond livid, man...

About everything. The whole goddamn situation.

I started spitting out every curse word that ran through my mind as I continued thrashing about in some manic kind of a way with one leg up in the air, my more than irritated fingers trying to rip the uncooperative chucks off of my feet that wanted nothing but fucking freedom!

"Bae, are you...alright?" I froze to glare at the kid's smirk, warning him with my eyes that serious injury will — most definitely — occur if he — moronically — decided to continue. "I mean, I know that you have some sort of a strong connection with your chucks, but Christ. It can't be all that serious, yeah?"

Gritting my teeth, I leaned against the wall and lifted one of my legs up to my chest. Using both of my hands, my extremely pissed off fingers started tugging on the laces like it was their job to do so. Pushing myself away from the support that I evidently needed after numerous seconds of getting nowhere, I performed a spin that was only meant for ice dancers, seeing as to how I fell on my ass with a hiss of "Fuck!" after I lost my balance.

Edward snorted as I sat there on the floor, like I'm going to kill you.

Kill him. Not the chucks. Never the chucks.

"If it was up to me, I'd vote for your advance to the next round." Standing up in some slow kind of a way after hearing his statement that only further ticked me off, I dug into one of the jean pockets that were covering my ass and grabbed a hold of my cell phone. His jaw dropped in shock after the solid that I deemed a weapon connected with the side of his face. "What the hell, Bella?"

I ignored him as I turned around to push the kitchen door open. After stomping over to the counter, I bent down and grabbed a hold of the whiskey bottle that was hidden in the cabinet that was placed underneath the sink, not paying Cullen's appearance any mind as he entered the room that I was in. As soon as I had the shit untwisted and ready to drink, Edward snatched it out of my fingers. "You are just...asking...for it."

"I think that you had enough for one night," he stated with a shake of his head as he walked away from my 'ready to perform an execution' being. My eyes widened in 'oh hell the fuck no,' as I watched him toss the bottle into the trash can after...emptying it, wasting my only source of alcohol that was available within the apartment.

"You should call the cops."

He raised an eyebrow at my advice. "And why should I do that, Bae?"  

So, I charged for him. I gave him a suggestion that he chose to ignore.

He grunted when I jumped on his ass, immediately placing his hands over my hips as he tried to push away the vice grip that my legs had around his waist. Stumbling around the kitchen as I continued pulling on his hair, he growled after a few seconds of unsuccessful disentangling and slammed me against the wall before his fingers took a hold of my wrists, ignoring the hiss of pain that his aggressiveness caused me, which I instantly returned by taking a large bite out of his neck. "Motherfucker!" 

After giving my wrists a sharp tug, he lifted my arms and placed them above my head with a glare, keeping his furious eyes on mine as he took a hold of both of my hands in one of his as his other one quickly found my ankle. "Unwrap your legs from around me, Bella...or I'll squeeze the tendon out of your goddamn Achilles." 

I couldn't help but grimace at the kid's threat...

For anything touching that area creeped me out. 

My ass was about to meet the floor again as I instantly let my legs drop, but he quickly grabbed a hold of my waist and held me up for a second before he placed me on my feet, his entire demeanor dismissing. "Christ," he gritted, running his fingers through his hair as I looked away from him, suddenly feeling bad for taking my frustration out on the kid as said kid's shake of the head caught my attention, "What the hell is wrong with you, Swan?" 

Feeling nothing but ashamed, I mumbled an apology before I left the room, and as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind me, I lifted my gaze from the floor and was met with a glaring Rose who had both of her hands over her hips. "Why are you ignoring my phone calls?" she asked, her voice hard.

"Rose," I whispered, "Whatever you have planned...now is not the time." 

"Fuck that nonsense!" she growled in a tone that was a whole lot louder than I desired, "What? You think that you're the only one who's affected by this bullshit, Bella? It's my life, too!" 

"Keep your goddamn voice down," I hissed, narrowing my eyes at her. 

She gasped, laying a hand over her chest. "Am I being too loud for you?" 

I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm as I walked further into the living room, knowing that she would follow me as I headed towards the front door that she evidently had a key to, her predictable tag along not surprising me at all, what with the broad not being done with what she had to tell me. "Listen, Rose..." I started as I turned around, "I get that we should talk about...whatever, but...Edward's home right now, and honestly, I really don't need him getting himself involved, which will happen if you continue with all of your unnecessary shouti—" 

My eyes clenched shut as the bitch full out screamed, like she was auditioning against Jamie Lee Curtis for some scary movie that was bound to make her millions. After about seven seconds of nothing but shrillness that practically pierced my goddamn eardrums, I just about had enough, so I ran over to her and covered up her mouth. The scavenger bit right into my palm and I hissed in pain a second before the both of us turned around to the sound of the kitchen door slamming against the wall. 

At the visual of Edward stepping out of the kitchen with his eyes on me and the aim of his gun on the broad who was standing next to me, I groaned, rubbing both of my palms down my face as Rose's hands flew up in the air with a whisper of "What the hell?" leaving her being.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, now you fucking keep your voice down." 

Noticing Rose's glare, Edward broke out of his shock and mumbled an apology to her as he quickly shoved his pistol into the waistband of his jeans. "I just...I heard screaming, so I thought that..." he paused, noticing my anger as I placed my arms across my chest, returning my attention back to the broad who brought this shit on. "What the hell is going on here?" 

She gave my shoulder a hard push that had me stumbling back a bit, not expecting it. "Tell me why you're avoiding me," she ordered, ignoring Cullen's question, "I haven't done anything to you, and you're acting as if I have."

"Rose!" I growled, "I'm fucking exhausted! I'm not doing this right now." 

"You're not the only one!" she hissed, stepping up to me, feeding my fire. 

I threw my hands up in the air before I pushed her away from me, not appreciating the silent threat that her body gave mine with its approach. "I know that I'm not the only one, Rose! Everyone is fucking affected, I get it! It's my own goddamn fault that this shit happened, and I fucking understand this!" 

Rose shook her head as she lowered it. "Emmett's right." Edward placed his arms across his chest, standing nearby but otherwise out of our way as I waited for her to continue. "You fucked up," she whispered, meeting my eyes again. "And because of that, my boyfriend is going to be behind bars for God knows how long." 

Ignoring Cullen's short laugh of disbelief that echoed throughout the living room, I looked away from her, unable to handle the pure coldness that her eyes gave mine. "Rose, I'm...I don't know what else to say, except that I'm sorry." 

"Fuck you," she spat, pushing me back. I raised my hands up by my shoulders as I kept my eyes on her own, stumbling from the force of her shoves as they continued gaining momentum on every step that she took towards me, "No, honest to God, Bella...fuck...you!" 

Edward took a hold of her arms after she pushed me into the wall that he was standing next to, his expression full of shock from not understanding what was going on. "Rose, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, quickly pulling her away from my still form as she went to come at me again, "Stop treating her like that." 

Ignoring the kid's incredibility, she yanked one of her arms out of his grip with a growl before she pointed a single finger at my face, smiling at the frown that showed up over my features. "I fucking hate you." 

I was about to tell her that I was sorry again — for I didn't know what else to give her — but as her palm met my cheek with a loud thwack after she flung her arm back, my apology was replaced by a sharp and completely unexpected inhale. "Jesus Christ, woman!" Edward shouted, grabbing a hold of her as he kept his eyes on my own that were filled with nothing, dragging her away from me, "Are you out of your fucking mind?" 

"Let go of her." Cullen froze at my whispered demand, keeping his hold on my thrashing friend as he narrowed his eyes at me. "The girl obviously wants to let it out," I continued, "So, let her go, Edward." 

A certain understanding passed through the kid's gaze after a few seconds, and when my only wish of giving Rose an outlet for the anger that dominated her system was granted as his hands left her, I raised my own up in the air as she started walking over towards me, silently letting her know that I wasn't going to hit her. Grabbing a hold of my shoulders, she pulled me forward without a word, only to slam me back into the hard surface that I was previously leaning against before she placed her face right in front of mine. "I fucking...hate you," she cried, "I never thought that I would, but I do. I fucking hate you, B." 

I nodded, looking into her eyes as my own teared up. "I deserve that." 

"God!" she screamed, her trembling fingers taking a hold of the front of my hoodie, "You don't even understand!" I let my arms drop down to my sides, letting her take it out on me as she started with the pulling and pushing again, simply because she had every right to do so, for I had a part of ruining the future that she had planned. "I hate you, I hate you, I...fucking...hate...you!" 

Well now. 

My back after a few more slams into the wall? 

Holly hell. 

No lie, it won't shock me if the shit was broken. 

Noticing the pain that I was trying to hide, Edward ignored my shake of the head that begged him for not interfering as he quickly placed himself in between Rose and I, his body tense with receiving a hit or two from the girl who didn't notice his presence until he gently pushed her away from him with one hand at the same time that he placed his other arm across me. "I think that you proved your point, Rose. Enough, alright?" 

She laughed, looking at the two of us as she placed her arms across her chest. "Well, isn't this an interesting thing to see," she whispered, "I'm glad that someone won't be alone when this shit actually goes down." 

I shook my head at her words as I pushed Edward's arm down to his side, taking a step forward so that I could stand next to him and therefore, be a bit closer to her. "Rose, don't act like this," I whispered as she started backing away, her retreating form slow but measured, "It's not as if you don't have me and J, or even Cullen here. Hell, Carlisle and Esme ado—" 

"I have no one!" she cried, interrupting me. 

I glared at her. "That's bullshit, and you know it!" 

"You know what I know, Bella?" she asked in a broken whisper that made the irritation that her previous declaration created within me vanish, "I know that I'm..." her voice caught as instant tears overshadowed her eyes, causing my own to burn something that wouldn't be shown. Clearing her throat, she lowered her head. "I know that I'm fucking pregnant." 

My jaw dropped at the same time that Edward groaned a few curse words, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes went down to the floor. Snapping my mouth shut after countless seconds passed us in nothing but eery silence, I shook my head, thinking that I must have heard her wrong. "I'm sorry, you're what?" 

"You heard me," she said, meeting my eyes again...

Causing my own to bug the fuck out. "Pregnant?" 

She simply nodded in answer, looking away from my shocked-as-shit being as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Another thing that I know is that...my baby's father won't be around for it, because of you." 

Edward's jaw tensed a bit from the truth that effortlessly left her mind and made its way into my own, where it quickly imprinted itself there with no argument from its owner. "Now that right there is fucking uncalled for, Rose. I've heard enough of your bullshit, and I'm sorry to do this but, if you're going to keep on spitting that goddamn nonsense, then I suggest that you leave." 

Turning around, she nodded. "That's perfectly fine with me." 

I went to follow her, for I had a million and one questions that I needed answers to, but Edward grabbed onto my arm and stopped me as I went to take the first step. "Rose, wait." Looking over her shoulder when she reached the front door, she paused. "Don't go, shit," he tried, "I didn't mean to kick you out like that. Let's just...why don't we all sit down and...I don't know, talk about this, yeah?" 

Meeting my eyes, Rose gave me a tight smile as she pulled the door open, dismissing Cullen's attempts of keeping her here, at a place where she noticeably felt un-welcomed. "I appreciate all of this, Honey B. Really. Good job." 

After watching her step out into the hallway, I cringed at the sound of the door slamming shut behind her as I bent my knees some, letting my hands run along my face with a groan. "Oh God. I can't...even think about what..."

This means.

Edward walked past me to lock the door. After turning around, he leaned against it with his arms across  his chest, and when I noticed the slightly narrowed eyes that were directed at me, I raised a brow as I straightened myself up, wondering about the kid's all of a sudden pissed off demeanor. "What, exactly, did your brother say to you this morning?"

I rolled my eyes at the topic that he wanted to discuss, placing my hoodie over my head. "Rose just dropped a goddamn bomb on me by telling me that she's going to be a fucking mother to a child whose Pop won't be here for its birth, and you're interested in talking about bullshit that I find completely irrelevant right now, really?" 

"What did Emmett say to you, Bella?"

I shook my head, mumbling that it didn't matter as I walked over to the couch. Taking a seat, I leaned back and closed my eyes, thinking about what this meant for my brother, wondering if he even knew about the shit that I was told. "I can't believe that Rose is pregnant, man...this whole thing is just...beyond insa—"

"It does matter," Edward tension-filled voice above me interrupted. I opened my eyes at once, only to be met with him standing in front of me. "Bella, you actually believed all of that shit that Rose told you."

"Edward, it was nothing but the truth." 

"Bullshit," he growled, showing me the irritation that my statement gave him as he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging here and there. "I didn't let him come over this morning, only to fucking ambush you, Bae...and that's exactly what he did! He gave me his goddamn word, and he broke it without a second thought about the shit!"

"Just let it go, Edward. I'm not worried about that right now." 

He bent down a bit so that his eyes were leveled with my own before he took a hold of my chin with the intention of keeping my attention on him, letting his other hand rest on top of my knee. "Did Emmett say anything insinuating that what happened that night was your fault?" I shook my head, trying to keep my gaze on him but failing miserably, seeing as to how he groaned an "Unbelievable," straitening himself up. "I love how you fucking lie to me, man."

Watching the kid with nervousness as he walked over to the TV stand, I stood up when he grabbed the keys that were placed next to the cable box. "Edward, come on, where are you going?"

"Emmett's."

I quickly but carefully ran up to the front door and blocked it before he had the chance to reach it, my denial of providing him an escape earning myself a roll of the eyes as he walked over to where I was standing. "It's not worth it, Cullen. Please, just let it go."

"Fucks sake, Bella! You're acting as if I'm planning on killing the kid."

"You don't need to go there," I tried, "It's...there's no reason for it."

"Yeah, there is," he calmly argued, ignoring my groan of disagreement as he placed his arms across his chest. "I want to know what he said to you this morning, and if it's what I think it is, then I'm going to handle it." 

"Edward, fuck, just...stop with this bullshit and listen to me for a second!" I snapped, pushing him away from me, wanting nothing more than to lengthen the distance that he had with the front door. "No offense, but...I got his. I don't need you to handle anything."

Before I could even think about anticipating his next move, the prick replied with a grumble of "Too bad," as he quickly picked me up, his arms supporting my body weight as one went underneath my knees while the other one found its home against my back. I closed my eyes in defeat as he carried me over to the couch, his soft snickering rubbing it in. "Awe, come on, no worries. I mean, it's alright to lose sometimes, Bae. You can't always be like me, yeah?"

"I hate you."

"As I, you." My eyes snapped open when I felt his lips pressing themselves against my forehead as he went to give the skin there a kiss. After pushing his face away from mine with a glare that was directed at his wide grin, I yelped as his hold left me before I huffed, landing on the cushions that I would be spending the rest of the night laying on top of. "Don't wait up."

Fucking Great.

Just...grrreat.

---

Chapter 26: Girl Fight

I groaned into my pillow that the kid's face was currently trying to hijack before I turned my own away from his morning breath at the same time that I unsuccessfully pushed his arm off of my waist. "Dude. You're deafening my eardrums with your obnoxious snoring, and singeing the hair out of my nostrils. Turn the other way, or something."

Edward mumbled something that was completely unintelligible as he moved his head away from my space, allowing it to rest over his own pillow as the arm that was wrapped around me tightened. When that stupid thumb of his that I wanted to break made its way into the back of my sweatpants, where it tucked itself inside of my waistband all home-y like, I growled, the feeling of the rest of his digits spread over my ass maddening.

What did I tell you about Edward's cuddling?

Mmmhm. A problem that can't be dealt with.

Rolling over with a shiver so that I could maybe gain more warmth by laying on my stomach instead of on my side, I took a hold of the thin sheet that I was previously sleeping on top of before I threw it over my body with a grunt, mentally cursing the cooling by the second temperature that existed within Edward Cullen's goddamn bedroom that disguised itself as Antarctica. "I swear to God," I started in a grumble, "If it gets any colder in this motherfucker, I am going to suffer from some kind of an intestinal disorder that I will not think twice about suing you for."

Clearing his throat of sleep, the kid grabbed a hold of the thick blanket that he stole from me at some point during the night and placed it over my body, kicking the bottom of it out so that it covered my feet. "Well if you would stop giving me your shit," he mumbled, acting as if the material wasn't taken from me, "Then you wouldn't have to worry about the diarrhea that my bedroom is accused of producing."

I hummed, turning my head to the other side so that I could meet his eyes. Giving his tightly pressed together lips a small smile, I placed one of my hands underneath my pillow before the other one went to the chaos that he considered hair as he rolled onto his own stomach to mimic my position. "How do you even control this thing?"

He rolled his eyes at me before he pushed himself up a bit, letting one of his elbows support his upper body as he leaned over to the side to grab a hold of his cell that was sitting on top of his bedside table. Telling me to fuck off as he shook his hair away from my fingers, he flipped his phone open and groaned before he returned his attention back to me once again. "I gotta go."

"Are you going to the police station?" Ignoring me, he climbed out of bed and stretched, peaking my interest to a whole other level as I started fantasizing about the muscles that he was unconsciously flexing. Shaking my head when he let his arms drop to his sides, I sat up a bit. "Edward, are you?"

He nodded, finally giving me the answer that I have been waiting on pins and needles for as he headed towards the bathroom. Jumping out of bed when I heard the water running from the shower that the kid just started, I placed my hoodie over my head as I walked up to the closed door and leaned against it with an eyebrow raised. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah," I heard him mumble on the other side, "I didn't get in yet."

Seeing that he was just brushing his teeth after I opened the door, I walked into the small room and closed it behind me before I started heading over towards the counter that he was standing in front of, my fingers tugging on the bottom hem of my hoodie as he kept his curiously-filled eyes on me, not understanding what was making me so nervous all of a sudden. "So, I was thinking...maybe I can come with you, yeah? I mean, I can be ready in five minutes if you're in some kind of a hurry, or whatever."

Looking down at the sink and therefore away from me, he shook his head as he placed his toothbrush on top of the counter. "It's not necessary," he whispered before leaning over a bit to rinse his mouth out, "I think that I can handle going there by myself."

"Please?" I groaned, "I just want to see Emmett, for Christ's sake."

"It's not happening, Bae. Leave it alone, will you?"

"No, Edward. I'm not going to just leave it alone," I hissed, mocking the nonchalance that he had about the goddamn subject matter. "You're acting as if the kid means nothing to me, man. He's my fucking brother, I have a right to see him."

He quickly grabbed a hold of his toothbrush two seconds before I went to snatch it up from the counter, knowing my intent of wanting to poison his precious bristles with my morning breath as he held it out of my reach, his eyes narrowed. "Do you know how disgusting that shit is, Bae?"

"Let me come with you."

Shaking his head, he handed me a new toothbrush after unwrapping it from its case. "No," he replied, shoving his own 'plaque attacker' into the holder that it, according to his OCD ass, belonged in. "Just give it a couple of days. There's a lot of shit that going on right now, and you need to stay out of it."

Not understanding how my presence could worsen anything, I raised an eyebrow at the kid, running the brush underneath the water before repeating the act after placing some toothpaste on top of it. "Can we back up for a second, here? Why, exactly, am I not allowed to go? I mean, this whole thing involves me, Edward. Give me a decent reason as to why I am being kept away from all of this?"

Giving me a smirk that I didn't appreciate one bit, he nudged my hip with his own before he moved behind me. "You know why you're in the dark with anything that pertains to this situation, Bae? It's because you're a sneaky motherfucker when you need to be, that's why."

I rolled my eyes as I shoved my brush into my mouth. "Ihm sewious, Ewdwarwd! Thwis wole thwing iws nwot a jwoke!" 

The kid snorted something that was contagious as I heard the water being adjusted. "Jesus Christ on you being a hazard to yourself," he laughed over my shoulder as I nearly choked on the chemicals that were cleaning my chompers, "I think that you should just shut up for a goddamn minute so that you can safety finish brushing your teeth, yeah?"

After spitting the paste into the sink with narrowed eyes, I cupped my hands together and placed them underneath the faucet before I brought them up to my chin so that I could rinse my mouth out. Knowing that he despised the shit, I placed my crest-filled toothbrush next to the holder and turned around with a big smile so that I could face Edward.

Edward, who was definitely in the shower already.

Thank God that his 'essentials' were covered up by the steam that was over the glass, or...I bit onto my bottom lip and squinted my eyes a little as I cocked my head to the side to get a better look...maybe not.

Maybe a couple of minutes passed by with me staring.

Maybe, I said.

And, I might have been thinking of how to get in there.

Bullshit. I definitely had a plan laid out, for sure.

I gasped, seeing him rubbing soap that I was jealous of all over his body...

"Bae?" Edward called, interrupting my thoughts, "You still in here?"

"Where?" I asked as my eyes on the glass told the steam to go away.

The traitorous glass moved, so not on my goddamn level as it revealed the kid's face and chest as he peeked out a bit. "Are you...checking me out right now?"

"You piss me off!" I stated as a matter of fact, glaring at his smirk.

"You were trying to see what was behind this glass, weren't you?"

"Yeah right!" I scoffed, totally lying. "In your fucking dreams, Cullen."

His smirk widened to a level that made me wish for its demise. "I mean, all that you had to do was ask me, Swan. I'd have no problem with giving you a little sneak peak."

Stomping out of the bathroom, I slammed the door shut on his over-the-top laughter that continued to follow me as I made my way out of his bedroom that I wanted to set on fire. "Prick!"

---

Here I am at Breaking Dawn, with a half empty whiskey bottle laid out before me. Looking towards my left, I raised an eyebrow at Pixie, who was in her own little world, nodding her head to the music in some dramatic kind of a way. 

No. Dramatic is putting it lightly. 

I'm pretty sure that her head was going to fly off of her neck at any given second. And, it wasn't as if we were listening to any heavy metal music, man. 'Fever,' by Peggy Lee was the song that was currently playing through the speakers. I couldn't help but snort as the chick started waving her hands around, talking about how she was some kind of an antibiotic.

No joking. Pixie was tanked.

I shook my head at the broad before I returned my attention back to my bottle. Picking it up, I raised an eyebrow at Esme as I took a long swig of the alcohol, wondering what caused that 'I can't believe that you just said that' expression over her face as she scoffed at Rose, who was sitting down next to her. "Goodness no, child!" 

"Ma, I'm serious, it works!" Rose shouted in a slur, "Look at the bottom of his earlobe next time and tell me that I'm lying. It gives you the size and the thickness of the shi—oot. It's the fu—riken truth!"

"Honey, I don't need to know that stuff," Esme whispered with a shake of her head, trying to keep her voice down so that the people who were sitting nearby wouldn't hear us, "Believe me when I say, that Carlisle is well endowed."

I grinned. "Do I even want to know what you ladies are talking about?"

Rose leaned in a bit, looking at Pixie but addressing me.

Obviously, Alice wasn't alone in her drunken state.

"Honey B, tell her that it works! How big is Edward?"      

The whiskey that I just went to swallow? 

Yeah. All over Pixie. 

The dust groaned, wiping herself down. "Bella Boo..." 

I apologized, keeping my narrowed eyes on Rose. "I wouldn't know."

"Oh don't act as if you two aren't getting it in," she spat with a roll of her eyes, "You and smirk-ward probably have that crazy and passionate sex because of the love hate shi—stuff going on."

I raised a brow at Ma's dreamy ass grin. "What's with the cheese?"

"Oh, Bambina," she whispered, waving one of her hands in the air as the other one picked up the bottle of beer that was sitting in front of her, "I know that my son has sex. Don't insult me, I'm not that stupid." I was about to tell the woman that I wasn't involved in that shit but I gulped instead, noticing that her eyes kind of glazed over a bit. "Plus, it wouldn't take me by surprise to find out that you are the other participate, what with how crazy the two of you kids are for one another. Imagine how good looking my grandki—"

Yep. Nope. Not going...there. 

One of my hands went up into the air and stopped her nonsense at the same exact time that my other hand grabbed a hold of Pixie's wrists to interrupt the goddamn clapping that dominated the music that was playing around us. Narrowing my eyes at Cullen's caretaker and at the broad who was sitting next to her, I shook my head. "First of all, Edward and I are not getting it in." Rose nudged Esme's shoulder with a roll of her eyes, nodding towards me when she got her attention as she mouthed a 'Liar.' "Second of all," I continued, "I'm actually pretty disgusted right now, Ma. Your son and I having kids? Throw up in my mouth."

She shrugged before raising a brow at Pix. "What do you think about this, sugar?" 

The dust abruptly stopped dancing around in her seat at the mention of sugar and I pursed my lips together in amusement as I lowered my head, finding that the broad's short spanned attention was more than great. "Did you just ask me something, Esme? I uh, wasn't paying you ladies any mind, because this song is the shit!" Ma glared at her choice of words and Pixie rolled her eyes before she corrected herself with a "This melody is simply lovely." 

"Pix, honestly, do you even know what this melody is called, or who exactly sings it?" I asked her with a wide grin, trying like all hell to change the subject. 

"Uh yeah," she stated like duh, kind of pissed off. 

I raised an eyebrow. "Tell me then, what's it called?" 

"Hmm," she hummed in some angry type of a way, keeping her narrowed eyes on my amused ones as she addressed Esme, "Ma, what exactly did you want to know? I, more than likely, have the answer for it." 

I — internally, of course — growled, remembering that Pixie did in fact know a lot more than she should have as Esme answered the acknowledged twat. "I wanted your opinion of Edward and Bella, what do you think about their little situation?" 

Looking up at the ceiling as she leaned back into her chair, the broad who I was this close to dismembering smiled like 'paybacks a bitch, ain't it?' "Well, let's see..." she started, "It's kind of funny that you asked me that, because I have caught the two of them in a compromising position bef—owe!" 

Letting go of the pinch grip that my ragged fingernails had over the back of her arm, I forced a smile across my face. "Alice doesn't know what she's talking about right now," I gritted, "The chick has been throwing beer back like she's celebrating Ralph Lauren's birthday."

"Hah! I knew it!" Rose shouted in triumph as she smacked Esme's shoulder, nearly causing the poor lady to fall off of her seat, "Your son and my B Honey are sooooo getting it in! Look out, grandma!"

Christ. 

I rolled my eyes at Ma's narrowed ones that were directed at my slut-bag of a friend, standing up. "What I am soooo doing, is getting another bottle," I told all three of them, because as you can clearly see, more alcohol is needed, being with these women.

Oh wait.

Are you wondering why I'm here to begin with, instead of being at the station? Hmm. Well, let me enlighten you, hookahs. I share an apartment with a goddamn manipulator, who thinks that he owns me.

What with that appetizing yet revolting smirk of his that drives me insane, and those appealing yet unappealing lips of his that I want to rip off of his too good yet not too good looking face of his that I want to curse yet worship at the same exact fucking time. 

Oh, and the kid's body? 

Yeah. 

That's a different story.

---

One Hour Earlier

I looked away from the random and unknown TV show that I was watching when I — at once — sensed Edward's presence as he walked into the living room...shirtless, with a flimsy towel carelessly wrapped around his waist in some 'an ant's touch can drop me,' type of a way that had me praying for a slight gust of wind. 

Oh, and did I mention that the kid's chest was still wet? 

No?

Well, yes. Yeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssss. It goddamn was. 

The fucker who had a secret agenda strolled over to the couch that I was sitting on and tossed me his cell phone. "Ma wants to talk to you about something that she quoted was of 'great importance,' Bae. Give her a call, yeah?"

My complete attention snapped away from his lower abdomen that I — all of a sudden — wanted to lick dry, and when I lifted my gaze up to his face and noticed the smirk that he was trying to hide from me, I narrowed my eyes at him. "What does this something of 'great importance' have to do with me?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, turning around, "Just call her." 

Flipping his cell open as he walked into the kitchen, I stood up from the couch and hit the green button after I found Esme's number. Placing the phone against my ear, I started heading towards the room that Cullen's body was located inside of, all the while waiting for his caretaker to answer.

"Bambina!"

I snorted at her excitement as I pushed the door open and walked inside. "Hey, Ma!" I mocked her before I grimaced at no one but myself, hearing Cullen's snickering as he faced the counter, "So uh, Edward told me that you wanted to talk to me about something. Is everything alright?" 

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart," she whispered in some sad type of a way that had me frowning as I walked over to the fridge to get a bottle of water, "I am just so...depressed, all of a sudden, and I wanted to talk to you about a possible...cure, so to speak."

I raised a brow, shutting the fridge door with my hip. "A cure?"

"A cure, that involves a girl's night out," she clarified, to my horror. 

I turned around in some quick as shit type of a way and narrowed my eyes at Edward, whose all of a sudden interest-filled attention — just as rapidly — moved to the coffee machine as his fingers started pressing on the buttons that were over it in a random kind of a manner. "A girl's night out?" I croaked, dreading her suggestion already.

"Yes, Bella, a girl's night out," she responded to the blatant aversion that she heard within my voice, sounding more than exasperated. "I say that we go to Breaking Dawn and have a couple of alcoholic beverages while we chit chat about the latest and mingle with whoever we deem...worthy of our...presence." I grinned a little bit, not able to help the shit. "Rose and Alice are going to come along, too...so, you know, let's hit it!"

Let's hit it, though?

This woman, I swear.

Shaking my head, I grimaced. "Ma, I mean...I don't know."

"Please, honey?" she begged, causing my grimace to widen, "After everything that has happened, you honestly can't just sit there and deny that break that you are in need of. That all of us are in need of."

"I understand that and all, but...I'm planning on going to the station with Edward today so that I can finally see Emmett, what with how I haven't been able to do so ever since the...incident. I need to make sure that the kid is okay or at least, alive...and with my own eyes."

"Bella, your brother is with Jake and Carlisle. All three of them are alive."

As his caretaker started talking about specific feminine activities that we can possibly pursue on this adventure of ours that is so not going to happen, I walked over to Edward and smacked the back of his head. After giving him the middle finger as he quickly looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, I took a seat on one of the chair that were placed around the kitchen table, running my hand down my face. "Esme, listen. With all due respect, can we do this whole chick thing another night? It's just...not a good time for me right now, you know?"

"Oh," she whispered too quickly, "I understand."

Bull.

Shit.

The Cullen's? Yeah. Non-understandable m'effers.

I raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You understand?" 

"Of course I understand," she whispered in some 'my heart is completely shattered' type of a way that had me pursing my lips together so that I wouldn't start laughing out loud. "Why in the world would three young women of the night want to hang out with an old hag like me? I'm practically senile, Bambina, so please excuse me for even thinking about suggesting that we should take a break. I mean, my bones are nearly breaking as it is, what with how brittle they're becoming. Mingling? I'll be doing enough of that next year, seeing as to how my husband is probably looking around for a nursing home to place me in. Alcohol? Yeah right. Give this geezer a cup of tea, why don't you? Oh God, I'm aging by the second!"

I groaned, placing my arms on top of the table before I laid my forehead over them. "Esme, Jesus Christ, don't be ridiculous. I said nothing about you being an old hag, and women of the night? What does that even mean?"

"It's alright, Bambina. Like I said, I completely underst—"

"Okay," I interrupted in a mumble, "I'll come, no worries."

"Grrrrreat!" she shouted in some Tony the tiger type of a way that had me snorting in holy shit, Esme is one of a goddamn kind, "I'll see you there, bye!"

I stared at the screen as the dial tone rang out. "Unbelievable." 

"What's up?" 

Looking over at Edward while he leaned against the counter with his arms across his chest, I narrowed my eyes at him as I pushed myself up to my feet, unnecessarily swinging the chair out of my way. "Oh don't you even try to act like you have no idea of what that was about!" He raised a single brow that I wanted to set on fire. "Your mother played the 'I'm too cool to hang out with her' card. And you know what? You made her do it, just so that I won't go to the station with you."

He rolled his eyes at me. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bae."

"And look at you!" I continued in an angry whisper as I pointed at his body that started to distract my trying-to-fucking-focus ass, "All wet and practically naked. Its like, what's up with that? Prostitute."

The kid choked on the coffee that he was in the middle of drinking, and I nodded like 'Good, you got what you deserved,' as I placed my arms across my chest. "Did you just call me a prostitute?"

"Don't stand there and act all coy, you asshole."

"I'm not trying to act coy," he told me with a smirk, keeping his eyes on mine as he lifted the cup up to his mouth to take another sip of the coffee that I wished that I poisoned earlier, "I'm just, you know, wondering if I need to go and put a shirt on right now, or something."

Heeellooo, bice—

I shook my head, growling at the preoccupied state of my goddamn brain. "That actually sounds splendid, Edward!" I shouted in annoyance, "Also, while you're at it, why don't you go and dry the fuck off, seeing as to how you're still wet! I mean, didn't you get out of the shower fifteen minutes ago? How is that even possible? What are you, a glass of condensation?"

He gave me a quick nod, his lips tight. "Come here, Bae." 

"No," I told him with a shake of my head, "You're just going to dazz—"

Really? I was about to tell the idiot that he dazzles me?

Holy Christ on my need for a serious goddamn evaluation.

"I dazzle you?" he asked, the grin over his mouth too wide.

With a growl of embarrassment, I turned around and started heading towards the door so that I could get the hell out of dodge, only for him to wrap his arms around my waist from behind not two seconds later. "Let go of me," I mumbled as he pulled me away from the wood that served as my escape, my hands over his own keeping me from tripping over our feet that were moving backwards, "I need to go and get ready for the torture that is a girl's night out."

His nose brushed my hair off of my shoulder, and when I felt that irritating smirk of his over the skin that was covering the side of my neck, I rolled my eyes. "So I dazzle you, yeah?" he asked in a whisper that was trying to hide how smug he was about the shit as his back hit the counter.

Prying his hold off of me, I turned around to face him. "You're retarded."

Taking a hold of the edge of the counter, the kid nodded in some distracted kind of a way as his eyes fell down to my mouth, where whatever he found there seemed to capture his undivided attention, instantly. When that tongue of his made a quick appearance, running itself along his lips, I gritted my teeth and just...stared at the slickness that it created afterwards.

There is absolutely no denying of the shit.

Stalker of Edward Cullen's tongue?

Me. If I could've, I would've raised a hand. 

Class in session? Abso-fucking-lutely. 

Lowering my head, I let my eyes drop down to the kid's lower abdomen as the tips of my fingers started running themselves along his sides, their featherlight touch causing a slight twitching of the muscles that were underneath my heavy gaze, and when I heard him hum a bit from above...

I was done.

Looking up at him again when my digits reached the top of the towel that was loosely wrapped around his hips, I grinned at his raised eyebrow that silently told me to 'go the hell ahead and do what you want to do.' Keeping the prick waiting, just for the fuck of it, I ran my knuckles along the slightly damp fabric until I gripped a hold of it as he started to slowly lower his face down to mine, centimeter by goddamn centimeter.

And when the kid's lips were right...there, the kitchen door swung open.

Edward groaned something about 'cock-blocking family members' as he placed his forehead against the side of my neck. After looking over my shoulder and finding Blue Eyes just standing there with a grin across his mouth, I straight up glared at the cowboy until he laughed an "Oh shit," quickly taking a step back before adding an "I wasn't here, as you two kids were" with a wink, letting the door close in front of him.

Returning my attention back to Cullen as he lifted his head, I let my arms drop to my sides at the same time that he placed his hands over my hips. "I uh, kind of guess that I should go and get ready for that, you know...thingie...that I uh, have to sort of go to...right?"

He cleared his throat, taking his eyes away from my mouth. "Right."

"So..." I started after ten seconds, "When are you planning on letting go?"

"Right-about-now," he told my raised eyebrow in a quick whisper as his fingers left my hips and went up to his hair in a speed that practically imitated lightening, "I'll uhm, just...stay here, yeah?"

Turning around after giving the kid a small nod, I pursed my lips together as I headed towards the door, adding a bit of a swag in my step. Looking over my shoulder when I reached my destination, I grinned as I caught Edward Cullen's eyes on my backside, his head cocked to the side. "Stop checking out my ass."

His gaze lifted at my voice. "I wasn't." 

"Mmmhmmmmmm," I hummed, pushing the door open with a smirk before leaving his declaration that was filled with nothing but complete bullshit, adding a "Take that, you cocky motherfucker," as I made my way towards my bedroom.

---

Back At Breaking Dawn

So, that is how it went.

As you can see, he fucking won this one. 

Taking a seat on one of the stools that were surrounding the counter, I waited for the bartender to finish making a drink for someone else as I strolled through my phonebook, pausing at Emmett's number as I thought about pressing the green button, whose color seemed a bit faded, what with the numerous attention that it received ever since I got here. Knowing that he wouldn't answer my fucking try of getting a hold of him, I growled to myself. "What the hell is the point of having this goddamn device if you're not going to u—"

"Four Miller Lites and one tall glass of our best whiskey, Ralph."

I looked to my right as soon as I heard the recognizable voice. "Pop." 

After accepting the drinks and thanking the bartender, he gave me a small smile as he slid the glass towards me. "Hey, sweetheart." I quickly looked over my shoulder, ignoring Carlisle's forced happiness as I let my eyes search for the man who has been avoiding my goddamn existence. "Emmett's not here," he whispered, interrupting my 'where is he? Where is he? Where is he?' as he ran one of his hands down my back, "He's perfectly fine, but he's not here."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Stay put. Let me take these bottles back to the girls, alright?"

I nodded, and as he walked away from me, I pulled the stool that was placed next to me out so that I could save a spot for him, laying my bag on top of it for an extra measure of 'back the fuck up from this area,' making it more than clear that it wasn't open for whoever would think that it was, which was a brilliant idea on my part, seeing as to how some random dude walked over to it with a smile a second later. "Uhm, are you kind of retarded, or what?"

He scrunched his brows together. "So, is that a no on the seat?"

"Oh get the hell lost!" I hissed with narrowed eyes, impatient as a mother.

Taking off, the idiot bumped into Pop as he returned, who raised an eyebrow at the back of his head before dismissing it with a shrug, grabbing onto my bag as he called for Ralph again. After telling the man to place my shit behind the bar, he took a seat. "Carlisle," I gritted as I noticed that he kept avoiding my gaze, "I need something, please."

He nodded after a few seconds as he finally met my eyes, whispering an "I know," before calling for the bartender once again, who raised a brow at Pop that silently screamed 'you're giving me a goddamn headache, boss dude,' as he walked over to the counter to see what was needed. "Let me get you another drink, yeah?"

Giving my full glass of whiskey a quick glance, I placed my arms across my chest as I leaned back a bit, cocking my head to the side as I returned my attention back to Carlisle, wondering if he was hitting the bottle more. "You do know that you just ordered this one for me not even five minutes ago, right? I mean, sure, alcoholism runs in my family but Christ, Pop. I'm not there yet."

"No worries, I'll help you along by getting you something stronger."

I closed my eyes, hearing him ordering two shots of something that I have never heard of before. "It's that bad?"

"None of that cheering bullshit," he mumbled, ignoring my apprehension as he handed me one of the small glasses before throwing the other one back like a goddamn pro who would have made me proud, if the circumstances were different. "Drink up, Bella."

Taking the shot, I cringed at the burn that it produced. "Is Emmett okay?" I asked, trying not to cough up the liquor that tasted like death.

"He's...hanging in there," he answered as he leaned over the counter to grab a bottle of water. After uncapping it, he handed it over to me and nodded at my whispered thanks. "The kid isn't worried about himself, which is...judging from how you act more times than none...'hereditary,' it seems." I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of the drink that would calm the fire that was still in my throat. "I think that he's more upset over what actually happened to you for all of those years."

"Figures," I mumbled to myself, "So, where is he anyway?"

"He's leaving the police station tomorrow morning, but..." I raised an eyebrow at his pause, and he turned around in his seat a bit, causing me to follow the act so that we could face each other, "I don't know how to tell you this without just...saying it." I nodded, urging him to continue as I tried to remain calm. "Sweetheart, I know how to feel about this, how you think that it's your fault, but...unfortunately for you, the system isn't looking at it that way. You are the victim, whether you want to deny it or not, and Emmett is the twenty four year old man who should have known better. Please don't feel as if I'm blaming him for everything that happened that night because I sure as hell would have done the same exact thing, but in the law's opinion, he is to blame."

"You're not telling me anything."

"I don't know how long he'll be gone for, but he is going in, regardless."

"Oh man," I laughed in complete disbelief, shaking my head as I turned in my seat so that I could face the counter again, "I can't believe that this is happening right now. Am I in the middle of a goddamn nightmare, or what..."

"Bella, we tried everything. I'm sorry that our efforts weren't enough."

"I need to go."

Following me as I stood up from my seat, he nodded as he grabbed a hold of the bag that Ralph held out for him, immediately sensing that something was wrong what with how he appeared out of nowhere. "I'll take you home." I shook my head, telling him that I needed to be by myself. "Bella, I don't think that being alone is a good idea right now," he whispered, quickly placing his arm behind him, denying me of my shit when I went to take it, "Let me just drive you home, alright?"

Lowering my head, I held one of my hands out towards him while my other fingernails dug into the skin that was covering my palm from the pure irritation that was starting to take over my blood. "Carlisle, I'm warning you. If I don't get my shit back by the time that I reach the number three, I will scream bloody fucking murder that will, without a doubt, deafen every single one of your wife's paying customers. One. Two."

"I'm sorry," I heard him say in a quick whisper, handing me my bag.

Turning around without meeting his eyes, I went to take my first step away from him but groaned instead, instantly realizing that I might have disrespected the man with my words. Looking over my shoulder, I grimaced. "I'm uh, shit. I didn't mean to be so rude with the cursing, and all. That was kind of ignorant, and I'm sor—"

"No worries," he interrupted my apology, "I'm unfortunately used to it, seeing as to how I have a son who goes by the name of Edward Cullen...whose, keep in mind, first word was shit."

I nodded, returning his small smile with my own. "Thanks, Carlisle."

"Not needed," he whispered with a shake of his head, "Just...be careful." 

---

Getting out of the shower, I scrunched my eyebrows together when I started hearing voices that sounded like they were coming from the kitchen, what with the slight echo that rang throughout the apartment. After pulling on a pair of boxers that I stole from Edward's dresser one night, I shoved an old tee shirt over my head before following it with a hoodie. Walking out of my bedroom, I decided to investigate the company that Cullen invited over, hoping that the kid wasn't in the middle of planning on throwing another rave. Plus...I needed something to drink, feeling as if dehydration was beginning to set in, what was how that one shot of death that I took earlier soaking up all of my bodily fluids. 

Stepping into the kitchen, I groaned as I saw Ms. Butting-in-on-everyone's-goddamn-business-is-my-part-time-job leaning against the fridge, only to have the broad wink at me in return with a cheeky ass smile across her mouth. Turning my attention over to Edward who was sitting down on top of the counter, I narrowed my eyes at him as I walked up to Jasper to give him a quick kiss. Noticing that the cowboy was appraising the attire that I had on, I raised a brow. "Are you jealous that I look more comfortable than you, or something?" 

Lifting the half empty bottle of Corona that he had in one of his hands up to his mouth, he grinned against the top. "Whose boxers are you sporting, Brown Eyes?" 

"My own," I lied as I placed one of my hands in front of Edward's face, what with him sitting in the way of what I needed to retrieve. The kid rolled his eyes at my silent demand before he pulled a glass out of the cabinet that was behind his head, handing it to me as I kept my attention on his cousin, whose grin widened to a whole other level. "Seeing as to how you're most likely going commando under there, if you desire the option of loosening up a bit by dropping the jeans that are practically strangling the tool that deserves no play from Bonnie's engine, I can always be a darlin' by letting you borrow a pair of my boxers, what with me having more than enough to go around."

"I bet," he laughed, holding his hands up into the air, "Darlin.'" 

Turning around in a dismissing type of a way that had Blue Eyes laughing even harder, I headed towards the ice machine that the nosy-good-for-nothing-piece-of-what's-supposed-to-be-a-female blocked as she kept her position against the fridge. "Move," I growled, already cutting to the chase, which had Edward jumping off of the counter with a groan.

"What's the magic word?" she asked, placing her arms across her chest. 

"Hooker," I gritted, "If you don't move your little she-male ass away fr—"

A mumble of "Jesus Christ," interrupted my threat at the same time that Edward snatched the — what I considered — weapon out of my hand with a roll of his eyes. After shoving his bitch of a buddy away from her spot, he pressed the button for crushed ice and filled it halfway before finishing it off with whole ice. Following him over to the counter, I stood on my tippy toes when he reached the sink, looking over his shoulder to make sure that he was getting the shit right as he turned the faucet to the middle, letting the water run a bit as he used his fingers to make sure that it wasn't too cold before filling the glass. Turning around, he held it out to me. "There, princess."

Ms. Snoopy Mc-prier-tin and the Tim McGraw wannabe coughed, together, as I grabbed the glass out of his fingers with a growl of "I'll show you princess, just you wait." Turning my attention over to the two people who were now both smiling, I raised an irritated brow. "What's the goddamn problem?"

The broad who I wanted to toss into a dumpster shrugged, a certain twinkle in her eyes as she pursed her lips together. "Oh, nothing, nothing," she whispered as if it was something, walking over to the kitchen table. Taking a seat after pulling one of the chairs out, she leaned back a bit and placed her arms across her chest. "That whole thing with the ice and the warm water, I just thought that it was super...cute, that's all."

"Boots, chaps, and cowboy hats!" Blue Eyes shouted before joining her, "And here I thought that I was the only one who thought the same exact thing. I'll be damned."

Taking a seat on the chair that was placed in between the two fuckers, I gritted my teeth and kicked Jasper's kneecap underneath the table, loving the hiss that it produced as I gifted the bitch a middle finger of mine, showing the both of them exactly how much I appreciated their goddamn words. "Girl's night," Edward started with a raised eyebrow, sitting down on the other side, "How did it go?" 

Leaning back, I shrugged as I placed my arms across my chest. "Good." 

"Good?"

I nodded, wanting to get to the fun stuff. "Quite interesting, actually."

"How so?" he asked, seeming a bit skeptical as he mimicked my stance.

"Well for one thing, your father is quote on quote, well endowed..." I paused, grinning a bit as Sarah snorted, "Of course, those were your mother's words, certainly not mine. And, just so you know," I continued as the kid's narrowed eyes turned into a glare, "I'm almost positive that the two of them fuck like rabbits." He groaned, pushing himself up to his feet as he gave Jasper's cheek a quick smack, noticing that he was trying to hold back on laughing, to which I had no problem with doing as he mumbled something about how this discussion was inappropriate, heading towards the counter. "Don't be such a prude, man. It's the truth. All that I'm saying is that they're like...one of those married couples who get it in all the time. I can just tell. Plus, get this, Edward!" I shouted, making sure that my words were heard, "Before I left, I could've sworn that your Pop insisted on taking Esme on for a quickie, to which...dude. I have never, ever...seen two older people run into the bathroom that fast...it was pretty track-tastic, if you want my opinion. I mean, all in all, my point is...whoa on your parent's hormonal beings."

Placing her arms across her chest, the broad who was sitting next to me smirked. "Well, everyone gets it in, Bella. Why people deny the shit, is what I find prudish. Take you and Edward for example, acting as if nothing is going on between you two." Blue Eyes choked on his Corona, shooting beer out of his nose as his cousin's jaw tensed, his attention on the chick who I was ten seconds away from knocking the fuck out, "You know exactly how hormonal the kid can be, so why don't you just admit it? Behaving like a bunch of goddamn teenagers is not what's cool in school these days."

This bitch.

Now, let's think about this for a sec, shall we?

Usually, I'm not a chick who would throw the first punch, and especially over something that is as pathetic as this, but as my eyes met that goddamn expression of hers that was filled with nothing but smugness...

Not tonight, hooker.

Not.

Tonight. 

My arm was already swung back as I shot out of my seat and punched the broad who should have kept her thoughts to herself from the beginning, loving the hiss that came out of her being when my fist connected with her nose. 

Edward's jaw dropped as he slowly pushed himself away from the counter, his wide eyes on Sarah when she stood up from her seat, blood pouring out of her nose. "Oh hell no," she spluttered, "You are so dead, white girl."

I grinned, hiding my grimace as I cracked my knuckles, just waiting for the shit. "Bring it on, white girl!" 

"Holy shit," Blue Eyes whispered incredulously, quickly pushing his chair away from the table with his feet before standing up, "They're serious right now." I shot him a sideways glare, silently telling him to keep out of it. "E, should we...do something?"

Edward placed himself in between Sarah and I, and when the broad cracked her neck, he rolled his eyes at her before he groaned, seeing as to how the all of a sudden gymnastic champion started 'warming up,' doing all of these unnecessary air hits and leg kicks and...whatnot. "Alright, so..." he paused, raising a brow at his cousin as his fingers started running through his hair, "I think that you two ladies need to calm down, yeah? I mean, should we...talk about what brought this on?"

Before I could even anticipate the shit, the track-star ran past Edward with a manly scream, jumping on my ass as soon as she reached me, causing it to land on the floor with a groan leaving my chest before said chest was straddled. Taking a hold of my wrists, she pinned them above my head and I growled, turning my face to the side before biting the shit out of one of her forearms. "You bit me!" she yelped, snatching her hand away from my mouth when my teeth went for more, "This bitch bit me!" 

I grinned as she clutched onto her arm, using it to my advantage as I quickly rolled us over to reverse our positions. "Bad move, hooker..." I gritted, mimicking her previous attack as I grabbed a hold of her wrists, slamming them down onto the floor before pinning them above her own head that I seriously wanted to head-butt right now, "Bad...fucking...move."

Okay, so maybe I didn't exactly mimic her previous attack, per say.

I may have dug my fingernails into her knuckles during the pinning.

Hey, man. Being a complete copycat ain't so rad nowadays, whatev.

Blue Eyes walked over to us when my ass started a jump rope match...on her stomach, causing her brows to scrunch together in some 'what the hell is this broad even doing right now?' type of a way that had my ass moving up to her chest, where said chest served as the new trampoline. "Is it kind of sick that I..." he paused, cocking his head to the side a bit, "I don't know if I want to interrupt any of this..."

"Jesus Christ," Edward groaned, ignoring his cousin's amazement as his hands went to my hips to try to pry my body away from my victim's own soon to be dismembered one, "Let go, Bae."

Sarah laughed slashed grunted under me. "Bae? Oh, that's fucking epic!"

I gritted my teeth with a grin as her amusement turned into a hiss of pain when I shoved my knees into her sides. Grabbing a hold of my wrists, Cullen pulled my hands away from the grip that they had over her own with a growl. "Sarah, just stop talking for a goddamn second, will you?"

I mimicked the sound that came out of the kid's mouth as she tugged on my hair after she grabbed a hold of it as soon as she saw the opportunity available, what with Edward granting it to her. "Are you really pulling on my hair?" I shouted, like what a goddamn chick, "You little bi—OWE!" I hissed in shock more than in pain as her other hand shot out towards my face and smacked the shit out of one of my cheeks, "Oh, that's it!" 

"Jas, a little help here would be nice," Edward spat, still trying like all hell to pull me away from her as Sarah growled, seeing as to how I was now using her head as a yoyo, my fingers wrapped around her pretty locks that I planned on ripping out, clump by motherfucking clump.

Blue Eyes knelt down a bit above her head and placed his hands underneath her arms before he pulled her out from below me, making sure that the hold that she had on my hair was off after I karate chopped her elbows. As I was lifted into the air by Edward, I threw one of my legs out and kicked her hip before she had the chance to be carried away. "Motherfucker!"

Wrapping his arms around my waist as I mimicked her sneer with a middle finger, Cullen started carrying my thrashing body towards the kitchen door, laughing at my act of wanting to escape his hold as the tips of my toes scratching the floor tried to stop his evasion. "Okay, we're done. I'm taking her to bed. Goodnight."

"Awe, taking her to bed! How nice and…super cute!" Sarah yelled.

He tightened his hold around me and kicked the door open with the back of his foot as I cursed the broad's goddamn existence. When we reached the kid's bedroom, he locked us in before letting me go, which had me thinking that he was a wise man for doing so in that order, for I had no control on what I was capable of doing to his female buddy who had a mouth that talked too fucking much. Pulling off my hoodie, I rolled my eyes at his grin as I threw the fabric over to his couch. "You good, killer?"

I shrugged, walking over to his bed. "I'm over it." 

"You're crazy, you know that?"

Sitting down after crawling over to his side of the bed that was considered my side whenever I slept in his room, I raised an eyebrow at him. "And why am I crazy, Edward? Because the bitch can't mind her own goddamn business?"

"Sarah's like that," he replied, rolling his eyes as he walked over to the bed, "Under all of that prying bullshit, she's a pretty decent person, though. Honestly, Bae...you two would probably get along great if you guys would give each other a chance." 

Shaking my head as I got underneath the blanket, I held back my response of yeah right as he turned on the nightlight that he invested in a few weeks back and instead whispered my thanks, to which he nodded before climbing into bed after enclosing the room in a dim of darkness. "I uh..." Pausing my whispered start, I turned onto my side so that I could face him before he mimicked the position, his eyes meeting my own in a silent question, "I saw your Pop tonight."

Placing one of his hands underneath the pillow that the side of his face was laying on, he brushed my hair off of my shoulder with his other hand as I lowered my head, shaking it a bit as my mind raced with thoughts of what this entire thing meant for my brother. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I should have been the one to do it."

At his declaration, I lifted my head and met his eyes. "What?"

"I know how important Emmett is to you, yeah?" I nodded even though I didn't understand how the kid thought so little of taking that responsibility, seeing as to how he knew what my brother had to face for the next couple of years. Running his hand up and down my arm, he shrugged before he continued. "I don't blame him, you know? I understand why he did what he did, completely."

"Edward, it wasn't worth it," I argued, "I mean, it's just m—"

"It's just you, I know," he interrupted me in a bored and exasperated kind of a tone, shaking his head before lowering it. "Bella, you don't see yourself clearly, at all."

Closing my eyes, I rolled them. "Right."

"Hey." Meeting his gaze after hearing his whisper, I raised a brow at his slightly narrowed eyes. "Would you stop saying shit like that, as if you hold no worth? Because Jesus Christ, Bella...you're wrong. You need to realize what people see in you."

I nodded, deciding to just let him have that.

There was no energy left within me to fight. 

I heard him whisper my name after I closed my eyes, and hummed. "Whatever happens, I just...I want you to know that I'm here for you, yeah?" Keeping my gaze hidden, I gave him a small smile as he pulled my body closer to his, wrapping his arms around me afterwards. "I mean it."

Opening my eyes, I rested my forehead against his and kissed his lips twice, just wanting to show him my gratitude for that statement, simply because it meant a whole lot to me, more than he could ever think. "I know that I have you, Edward. Thanks."

My fingers gripped onto the front of the kid's tee shirt as he placed his hand over my jaw, and when I felt his tongue slide against my top lip when he licked his bottom one a bit, I closed my eyes, knowing and anticipating what was soon coming a second before it actually came...his soft mouth over mine as he pulled my face towards his, the low hums of satisfaction that left the both of us at first touch.

Without breaking contact with my needy lips, he pushed himself up a bit and hovered above me as I ran my hands underneath his shirt, pushing it up slowly yet impatiently. Leaning away for a second, I pulled it over his head and threw it...somewhere, not paying any attention to the fabric's landing as he rolled on top of me, groaning against my mouth at the feel of my legs wrapping around him.

I growled in disapproval as he kept his arms stretched out beside me, his weight nonexistent against my body that wanted nothing but it. Running his mouth down my neck, he smirked over my skin as I extended my head back a bit, loving the heaviness that he granted me as he lowered himself down to me, his nose nudging the top of my shirt away from his teasing. "I'm..."  peck, "not..." nibble, "crushing..." bite, "you?" tongue.

Did he…ask me something?

His elbows supported his upper body as my teeth caught onto my bottom lip, and as he lifted his gaze over to my own and ran his thumb across my mouth with a throaty groan, I shook my head in answer to his retarded question. Placing my hands against his chest, I pushed him away from me a little, his eyes on mine as he got the hint and sat up, pulling me along with him until I was left straddling his waist, on top of his lap. Taking a hold of my shirt, I tugged it off and threw it over his shoulder as his mouth found my collarbone, whispering my name against it as I unhooked my bra and let it fall down onto the bed beside us.

Running his fingers along the waistband of the boxers that I was wearing, he grinned a little something something against my sensitive skin before he lifted his head and met my eyes. "You stole these," he accused as I laid my arms over his broad shoulders.  

"I did," I breathed, "And don't think that you're getting them back, either."

He smirked, laying his lips on top of mine. "You won't hear me complain."

My teeth took a hold of his top lip and his breathing stuttered for a second before I grinned, letting it go as he wrapped his arms around my waist to bring me impossibly closer to him. "I'm glad that I have your understanding." 

"You're still talking," he whispered, changing the subject with a grin over his mouth as he leaned back a little bit, placing his hands against the sheets that were behind him while his eyes hungrily roamed my body, "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to shut up, Bae?" 

Mimicking his stance, I let my fingernails dig into his thighs as I went to reply to his question by repeating it back to him, since he was the one who started talking in the first place, but when he ran one of his digits straight across my nipple, my response came out as a moan before it was quickly forgotten.

Bringing one of my hands to the back of his neck for leverage, I opened my eyes and kept them on his as I rolled my hips into the kid, once...twice...three times, the tense jaw that it was creating so edible. "You're killing me," he gritted, his fingers over my hips indenting the skin there as they assisted with my body's movements.

"I want you," I declared, my voice just above a whisper as I pushed myself up a bit, letting go of him before running the both of my hands down his chest until they reached the front of his boxers, "Now, I want you."

He moaned something beyond sexy as his dick sprang out and slammed itself against his lower abdomen after I pushed the fabric aside, finding its presence completely unnecessary. "Bella, I don't know if that's a decent id—" his words were cut off as his eyes followed my hands movement when I brought it up to my mouth to lick my palm, and as soon as I wrapped my wetness around him, he groaned a long "Chrrrriiiisst," placing his forehead over my own as we both watched my work. 

"I don't want soft." The kid's heavy-lidded eyes met my own as I gently ran my thumb across the very tip of him while I leaned back again, my one arm wrapped around his shoulders bringing him with me. "Give me anything but that, Edward."

He groaned my name and I swallowed his breath as he shook his head. "I can't do that." 

"Please," I begged, "I promise that I won't be like any of those other chi—" A gasp caught my throat as he rolled his hips into that one goddamn spot, causing my thighs that were wrapped around them to tighten. "I'm not going to expect anything more after this," I tried to assure him as he laid me back, "No worries."

Moving his lips down my jaw, Edward stopped their descent as they reached my chest. Looking up at me, he lightly ran his nose across my nipple, licking his lips a bit before running his tongue along the same area, making said area perk up immediately. "No?"

"Edward," I hissed as his body crept lower and lower, his mouth kissing every spot along its way as my fingers found his hair, "Please." 

"You're not someone who should expect anything less than what you deserve," he whispered, running his lips against my scarred skin when he reached the waistband of my boxers, "Please, don't let anyone tell you anything different, Bella." 

I met his honest to God eyes with a whole new level of sincerity as I lifted my hips a bit, letting him pull off the clothes that were separating him from me. When I felt his hands running up my legs after tossing my boxers and boy shorts onto the floor, I sat up a little and leaned on my elbows so that I could watch him, interested in what he had in mind. I bit onto my bottom lip as his palms found my inner thighs, and when he spread them apart, I waited with baited breath. "Stop teasing me..."

His eyes remained on mine as he lowered his mouth down to my hip, giving the skin there a few light kisses as I sighed, extending my neck a bit before returning my attention back to him when I felt his cool breath hit my center. "Fucking beautiful," his lips whispered, right above the shit.

My mouth opened in pure anticipation as I watched his tongue peek out a bit to wet his lips some, and as soon as the underside of it tapped against my clit for starters, my eyes clenched shut. "Oh..." too much, already, "God."

I wrapped my fingers through his hair with one of my hands when he repeated the shit so that I could pull him towards me, but he brushed my arm away with a growl of annoyance, his one palm over my stomach forcing my back to fall against the bed as I gripped the shit out of the sheets that were underneath my hips. "Stay put," he whispered in a soft hum, returning his attention back to me, "I'm just getting started."

Oh well, I thought, I have no problem in getting the kid new sheets, because by the time that he's done with me, I'm sure that they'll be ripped apart by my digit's tugging. In my goddamn opinion, it was so worth the mon—"eeeeeeyyy, shit!" I gasped in slight surprise as his lips closed around my clit, the feeling of his tongue playing nice games with it making me come, instantly. 

"So fucking nice," he whispered, his tongue leisurely running itself along places that were far too sensitive as my thighs continued trembling besides his head. Placing his hands underneath my ass, he lifted me up a bit as I started coming down from my high, ignoring my widened eyes as he brought me up to his face. "Give me more, Bae."

I inhaled his name with a heavy breath when I felt the tip of his tongue run feather light circles around my entrance. Shaking my head, I gently pushed his own away from that area, knowing that I couldn't handle any more of what he had in store for me. "I can't...take it."

"No?" he asked with a sly smirk, sitting up on his knees as I shook my head in answer. Keeping my legs spread apart with one hand, he let his other one fall down to the spot that his tongue stopped caressing a second or two ago, and when his thumb gave it one touch, I clenched my eyes shut. "You don't want to be played with, right here?"

Prying my gaze open as I felt his hand over my knee leave, I groaned when I saw it over his boxers as he adjusted himself with a soft hiss that was barely heard while his digit continued moving over me. Not even five seconds later, my second orgasm hit me from the visual of him touching himself, embarrassingly so, and he kept on going, still, slowly letting my body ride it out while we both panted heavy breaths.

Sitting up with a lazy smile, I pushed on his shoulders until he was laying on his back. Kissing down the kid's chest, I brushed his hand away and pulled him out of his boxers, grinning at the soft groan that left his being as he caught onto what I had planned. "I think that it's my turn, yeah?"

"Bella, you don't have to do tha—mother…fucker," he finished in a hiss as I took him into my mouth, as far as I could for starters, my hands over his hips keeping him in place as his own slammed against the bed in fists. Keeping my eyes on his clenched shut ones, I closed my lips around him and slowly lifted my head, coating him as he let out a satisfied hum of "Chriiiiisst."

Placing soft kisses over the sides of the taunt skin that my lips never left, I reached for one of his hands and laid it against the back of my head. "Edward, give me your pace," my eyes told his own as they met each other, "I want you to show me what you like." 

He nodded and after a few seconds of nervous hesitation, I felt his hand moving down to the back of my neck before he started guiding me, his finger's grip around my hair not as strong as I thought that it was going to be...but not as weak, either. It was perfect, and I fucking loved it.

Closing my eyes, I enjoyed listening to the different sounds that the kid gave me as my mouth continued moving along him, on his pace. The slightly quickened pants that came from feeling something new, and the soft barely there hums that I earned when Edward found my actions soothing. His "Like this," and lovely groans of "Yeah, just like that." 


Feeling his thumb run along my chin as his breathing stuttered for a couple of seconds, I opened my throat and gave him all of me as I took as much of him as I could, looking up at him while he looked down at me, growling a "Shit, Bae. Move. I'm gonna come."

I hummed in absolute disagreement and 'yeah the fuck right" as I tightened my fingers around him and quickened my pace some, loving the way his body tensed up a bit in response as his breathing stopped altogether. Losing it as soon as I looked up at him, he threw his head back with closed eyes, his body trembling underneath mine as I swallowed down everything that he gave me with no disgust on the matter.

After kissing the tip when the kid seemed to relax a bit, I carefully crawled up his body and placed my forehead against one of his shoulders, trying to catch my own goddamn breath as my thoroughly spent being rested on top of his limp one. "That was..."

I mean, hoooooly shit on not being able to pinpoint the exact word.

Lifting my chin after a few seconds of not hearing me finish my statement, I raised a single brow as those green eyes of his searched mine for any signs of regret. "Are you okay...with what happened?"

I gave him a soft laugh before I nodded. "It's just...wow, you know?" 

A small grin appeared over his features. "I can't believe it happened."

I hummed in agreement as I pushed myself off of his body, letting him tuck himself back into his boxers as I laid on my side so that I could face him. Noticing the uncertainty that he was trying to hide from me as he sat up and started looking around the room, I rolled my eyes as I took a hold of his arm to pull him down, next to me. "Thanks."

He raised an eyebrow at me, turning onto his side. "Thanks?"

"Thanks for, you know, whatever."

Edward laughed, shaking his head. "You're delusional, Bae."

I placed my hand over his when he reached for the blankets that were underneath our legs, interrupting his intent of covering up my nakedness. "This might come out as a shock to you right now, but holy hell. I'm actually pretty hot right now."

The prick smirked as he laid back down. "Yeah you are."

"And you call me a smart-ass," I scoffed with a roll of my eyes, placing my hands underneath my pillow as he shrugged something cocky, getting comfortable. "On a serious note, though...we're good, right? No awkward feelings, or anything like that?"

"If you're telling me that you're good, then I'm telling you that I'm good," he whispered, his voice full of sleep and therefore, more than mouth watering.

I nodded, not being able to help the yawn that escaped  me as I closed my eyes, my entire being more than ready for some rest after the activities that seemed to wear it out. "Goodnight, Edward." 

"Night, Bae."

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