Chapter 9: If you run

~*Bella*~

I ran through the hotel, attempting to navigate the maze of long corridors, my heart thumping in my chest and my breathing erratic as I tried to remember the location of the exit. I flew round a corner and, luckily, straight into a sign that was pointing me in the right direction. I sprinted through the lobby with my joke of a dress hauled up around my knees, fully aware of the curious glances being thrown in my direction. A runaway bride - I bet that made their fucking day.

In my haste to leave, I caught the heel of my shoe in a randomly placed rug, tripping and stumbling my way through the door like a complete idiot. I thankfully managed to stay on my clumsy feet, narrowly avoiding a face full of polished marble floor tile. I glanced around the parking lot, looking for my Volvo out of habit before remembering that I'd been driven here by Jake's sister Rebecca. Fuck it! Fuck fuck fuck! The lump in my throat tightened as I panicked. I had two options: I could wait for a cab or walk. The cab would take too long and the apartment was at least five miles away. Shit!

I jumped when I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder. I spun round to see Seth's sweet face staring back at me. I breathed a sigh of relief. He looked worried but surprisingly calm.

"Seth I'm sor..."

"Shut up! Come on, let's go!"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the shiny blue truck he'd bought just a few months ago. He popped open the door and gave me a leg up into the cab before striding round to the driver's side. He was behind the wheel and backing out when I looked over my shoulder and noticed the commotion. Jake was yelling at the top of his lungs, writhing and struggling to free himself from Paul's vice-like grip. He had no chance. Paul was like the Incredible Hulk, except he didn't turn green when he was pissed, he just saw red. Whilst Seth had the truck idling, I could see Billy trying to talk some sense in to his son. He of all people should know that Jake never listened to anyone; he was wasting his breath.

"Seth, I'd really like to leave now please."

"Sure."

He slipped the truck into drive and slammed his foot down on the gas. I didn't look back. Instead, I stared down at my hands, which were balled into little fists in my lap. I was squeezing so hard my knuckles were turning white...almost as white as the hideous fucking dress I was currently wearing.

Seth sighed quietly. "Whatever you decide, I'll help you Bells."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty stupid question." He flashed me his boyish grin, and I couldn't help but smile. We weren't related. We shared no blood whatsoever, but he was my little brother and I loved him, now more than ever.

"I know, but I don't want you dragged in to all this shit. I love you."

"I love you, too. That's why I'm your getaway driver!" We sniggered at his juvenile joke.

"So which bank are we robbing?"

"Bells, I've stolen something more valuable than all the money in the world."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trapping the tears I refused to shed over him. I felt his hand grip mine as he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'd be lost without you, you're my Pititchu."

He leaned over and placed a welcome kiss on my forehead. "So what's the plan?"

"Can you take me to the apartment? I need the Volvo, I'll drive to Alice in Seattle."

He nodded. "You got enough gas?"

"Full tank, I filled it yesterday."

"Spare tire?"

"Check."

"GPS?"

"Check."

"What about..."

"Check, check and check! I adore you for worrying but I'll be fine."

"Well, alright then, but mind your speed limit and make sure you pull over if..."

"SETH!"

"Shutting up."

There was a comfortable silence in the truck for the remainder of the ride. When we finally reached the apartment, he parked the truck and shut off the engine, reaching for the door.

I grabbed his arm. "Seth?"

"Yeah?" He'd stopped and turned to look at me, apprehension creeping onto his face.

I swallowed hard. "I know..."

His expression was now solemn. "He swore me to secrecy, Bells, but it didn't matter. You're a smart girl. I knew you'd figure it out."

I took a deep breath. "Just in time right?"

"You can say that again! How long have you known?"

"I bumped into her at the store last week. Jake was picking up beer, but it was really warm so I decided to wait out by the car. I thought maybe I was just over reacting, but then Jake appeared. When he saw me with her, the look on his face was just...guilty, shocked, and horrified all rolled into one. I realised then that I was right."

He was frowning. "Did you tell him?"

I shook my head. "No...I have no idea if he's even aware that I know."

Not that it mattered now anyway. I opened the door and turned to face Seth.

"You don't need to come up. I'll be okay from here."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, but would you mind just...keeping everyone away? For as long as you can? I have some things to do before I leave."

"Consider it done."

"And if anyone asks, you have no idea where I am."

"Of course."

I kissed him softly on the cheek and got out of the truck.

He waited for me to get to the door before pulling away, and I turned to watch him leave. I buzzed myself in to the complex and made the short elevator ride to the apartment. I wasn't going to chance the stairs in this damn dress. I pulled the spare key out from under the ceramic gnome. It had been a house warming gift from Alice and Jasper. Despite everything I smiled to myself. I missed her and her ugly-ass gnomes. I'd see her soon enough, but I had something important to take care of first.

I let myself in and threw the key onto the counter. I headed straight for kitchen and took a beer from the fridge, popping the can open on my way to the bedroom. He always liked the cheap, shitty Natty Light beer. I grabbed Jake's baseball bat from behind the door and stalked out in to the living room, coming face to face with the flat screen monster I hated so much. I walked over and tipped the can, pouring beer in to the holes on the back of the TV, hearing the electrics inside hiss and crackle in protest. I kept going until the entire can was empty and turned my attention to the bat in my hand.

"Mother fucking lying, cheating, greedy, spineless, lazy, worthless bastard..."

Pure unbridled anger coursed through my veins, the rage seeping through my hands and into the bat. Adrenaline kicked in as I aimed for the middle of the screen and took a swing. I'd hit my target with surprising strength, causing the TV to fall backwards off the stand. Something in me snapped, and suddenly I had no control. All the things I'd never said, all the shit I'd put up with, all the fucking times I'd never called him out on his crap, all the giving I'd done, everything he'd taken, and the endless excuses I'd swallowed which were only now making sense. I'd taken it all.

The bat crunched against the plastic as I watched it splinter in to tiny pieces, the screen shattered and cracked beyond all recognition. There were wires hanging out of the back from the huge gaping holes I'd made. I'd been brutal and smashed every inch of it before finally stopping to catch my breath. My arms ached, and I felt drained. But I felt satisfied beyond belief.

I grabbed a few trash bags from the kitchen drawer and went into the bedroom. I found his huge gym bag at the bottom of the closet, threw it on top of the bed, and proceeded to fill it with every item of clothing I owned. Purses, shoes, everything, but I wasn't finished. I repeated the same process, only this time I was throwing everything he owned into the trash bags. I dragged them to the kitchen and opened the window, poking my head out to make sure no one was outside. The coast was clear. I managed to haul the bags up onto the counter before dropping them out of the window one by one.

I took the beer from the fridge and poured every single can down the kitchen sink before swiftly working my way through his DVD collection, snapping each disc in half. I grabbed my car keys and purse off the counter, leaving my phone and walking out, slamming the door behind me without so much as a second glance. I reached down, picked up my gnome, and headed for the elevator with him tucked safely under my arm. I had the perfect home for him.

I located the bags outside and dragged the gym bag over to the Volvo. I crammed it successfully on to the backseat and slammed the door. I plucked my lighter from my purse and dragged the remaining bags in to the middle of Jake's parking spot. I retrieved the bottle of cheap, nasty perfume he'd brought me for my birthday. I'd taken it from the bathroom especially for this. I unscrewed the cap and poured the contents over the plastic bags. I threw the bottle on top and took my lighter to the first bag, watching the flame as it flickered and caught, spreading rapidly over the small pile of belongings. I stood back, leaning against the hood of the car, watching everything he possessed slowly burn beyond recognition.

My anger faded with the flames only to be replaced by intense humiliation, stupidity, and hurt. I grabbed the day-old bottle of water from my car and used what was left to put out what remained of the fire. I unzipped the gym bag and slipped out a single photograph. It was taken just before we'd moved into the apartment. Jake and I had gone back to Forks to visit Billy and Charlie, his Dad and mine. We were goofing around on the beach at La Push, and someone, I think Charlie, had managed to catch it. I felt mocked by the two wide, happy smiles staring back at me, like they were a farce, a lie. I used a stray stone to weight the photo down in to the pile of ashes.

I spoke, my words loud and unashamed.

"Fuck you Jacob Black. Fuck you."

I got into the car and started the engine, slamming it into gear and pulling out of the parking lot. I made one stop to leave the gym bag outside the local homeless shelter. One of the volunteers would find it soon enough.

With my gnome stowed safely in the passenger seat, I was now bound for Seattle. And at that moment in time, that was the only thing I could be certain of.

Chapter 8: Mezzanine Moments

~*Edward*~

I grabbed her hand under the premise of showing her around the apartment, but it was really just another excuse for me to touch her, which had suddenly become something I liked to do.....a lot. Her hands were soft and delicate, I loved how tiny and fragile they looked when I held them in mine. I brushed my thumb over her palm before shoving my hands into my pockets, conscious that she might actually notice the frequent touching and presume that I'm an overly touchy-feely fucker with some kinky hand fetish.

"First tour stop on the itinerary: the kitchen."

She ran her hand over the marble counter "Wow! This is bigger than my entire apartment!"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "You have an apartment?"

She nodded. "Well, back in Washington yeah...I mean I shared it with..." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Before I could ask if she was okay, she spoke again. "But it's just your typical complex space, y'know? Small, square, and generic. It pales in comparison to...I mean it's...Edward, this place is amazing."

She stood in the middle of the kitchen, taking in the open plan surroundings, and fuck she looked cute, like a little girl seeing snow for the first time, all wide eyed, open mouthed, and stunned with wonder.

I remember the day I'd come for the viewing. The real estate guy was a total fucking asshat, all designer suit and sales pitch. His constant talking was starting to irritate me, and we still had three other places to see...providing I could resist the urge to tie his tongue in a knot and shove it back down his throat in order to shut him the hell up. Thankfully, he'd stepped out to take a call on his cell, which, much to my annoyance, rang as much as he talked: constantly. I relished the silence as I wandered around the empty space that had formerly been a warehouse. A small company had planned to renovate the place and convert it into a bunch of apartments, but they had trouble stumping up the cash. Funds weren't a problem for me, but finding the right property had proved to be a ball ache. Seven months of searching had so far proved fruitless, but all the agencies, endless calls, viewings, specifications, and asshole realtors had been worth it. I had a good feeling about this place; my only hope was that it came with living space and that the prick in the suit hadn't led me on a wild goose chase. I spotted some metal stairs towards the back. They looked safe enough, so I decided to venture up to the next floor for a look around. The ground floor had looked promising, but it was nothing compared to what was directly above it. The amount of space up there was phenomenal. It would need pretty extensive work to make it inhabitable, but it was light, open, and airy with huge windows and high ceilings. A loft space just begging to be lived in. Downstairs would be my livelihood, and this...well this would be my home. I'd finally found exactly what I'd been looking for. The loft space was the clincher for me. I had to have it and I would pay over the odds to get it. The following day I signed my name on the dotted line, the deal was done, and the place was mine. I called Emmett, glancing down on the keys in my hand as I waited for him to answer his phone. The place needed a lot of work and my brother was, as far as I was concerned, the only guy for the fucking huge job.

Emmett ran his own construction company and had managed to build quite a name for himself. He'd started out small with Cullen Construction, doing general fix-ups and extension work on residential homes, and, as a result, two people in particular became a permanent fixture in our lives: Alice and Jasper Whitlock.

One of his newer clients, dubbed Mrs Robinson by his work force, had become very fond of Emmett during his work on her home. It turned out she was more interested in his own extension rather than the one he was building, and she asked him to do some renovation work on an old store she'd bought. It was a gift to her daughter so she could get her business off the ground. Mrs Robinson was filthy stinking rich, and, apparently when you acquire that much damn dollar, you acquire certain connections right along with it. Connections she was more than happy to use to Emmett's benefit. He was suddenly very much in demand by some very wealthy fucking people, and it was definitely a well deserved break for him. He worked his ass off, day and night, weekends and holidays, whatever it took to get the job done without compromising on quality or attention to detail, and it blew his reputation through the roof. Initially, Emmett's girlfriend Rose was quick to bitch and moan about the hours he was putting in and how she never saw him, but, after seeing the size of the paycheck Emmett brought home from the first job, the whining unsurprisingly stopped.

One phone call, a handful of plans, a lot of destruction, and six months later, the club was renovated, open, and doing a good trade. Emmett, Rose, Jasper & Alice were all regulars.

The noise from downstairs was getting louder, which meant the club was getting busier. "Um...you've already seen the lounge so that just leaves..." I swallowed hard "uh...u-upstairs."

"Okay." A slight blush crept on to Bella's face, pinking up her cheeks, and fuck it was a huge turn on. My dick apparently agreed, twitching against my boxers as I turned and headed for the stairs, which I took two at a time, my haste allowing me to hide anything incriminating I may have left lying around. I did a quick scan of the room, which, to my relief , was tidy for a change, not a pair of dirty boxers in sight. I heard a small gasp, and realised that Bella had cleared the stairs and was now standing beside me.

"It's so beautiful up here." She took a few steps forward, drinking in her surroundings, which pretty much consisted of my double bed, the en suite bathroom, and the small walk-in closet. I had a very large, full bookshelf dominating one wall, and my guitar was propped against the chair in the corner.

I nodded in agreement. "I like it, too. I had the Mezzanine added when the place was renovated; it wasn't here before."

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "So being kinda, well, out in the open like this...that doesn't...um...bother you? When you have people over?"

The question seemed thinly veiled, like she was too polite to ask what was really on her mind. Now I was curious; I wondered how she'd react if I said it to her. Out loud. "You mean does it make sex awkward?"

"What? Oh! I didn't mean...well I just...oh God...uh...it was..." Her tongue flicked out briefly to lick her bottom lip before she captured it between her teeth, biting it gently. The sight caused my dick to throb so hard it almost ached. Where the fuck is my self control? I balled my hands into fists and exhaled a long shaky breath. Calm the fuck down. It wasn't working.

"Bella, I'm sorry I shouldn't have..."

She cut me off. "Said that? Why not? It's what I was thinking, but it seemed really rude to blurt it out. I was just surprised...annnd a little embarrassed. It was almost like you were reading my mind."

Her composure seemed to have righted itself. She was stuttering less, and all evidence of that pretty pink flush had vanished, much to my disappointment.

She quirked her eyebrows at me. "So...the answer?"

Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed. "I wouldn't know. I've never...um..." I ran my hand through my wild hair, tugging on it lightly as I did "No one's ever stayed...here...with...with me."

To say she looked stunned was an understatement.

"What? No one? Seriously? But Edward you're so fucking beautiful!" She slapped her hand over her mouth instantly, apparently shocked at the words which had tumbled from her pretty pink lips. The same lips that, since she had licked them, had been taunting me, begging me, to touch them, kiss them, taste them. I stepped closer to her and slowly reached out, ghosting my fingers lightly over the back of her hand before sliding them down and wrapping them around her skinny little wrist. I tugged gently to release her hand from her mouth and pulled it towards me, cupping it in both of mine. The sound of my heart thumping in my chest was ringing in my ears, the only other sound was her quiet but shallow breathing. I looked up at her, my face wearing a silent plea. Her breath hitched, and she nodded. I leaned in, rubbing my thumb softly over her wrist, my lips barely touching her soft, warm skin as I placed a small kiss on to the palm of her hand.

"Edward..."

I glanced up, letting go of her, anxious that I'd gone too far, overstepped the mark, crossed the line, whatever the fuck you wanna call it.

She took two steps forward, and suddenly we were almost nose to nose, our faces mere inches apart. I could feel her warm breath on my skin. I could hear her shaky inhales and exhales. I was looking right into her eyes which were unsure yet imploring, sad yet warm. If her eyes were the window to her soul, I'd open it wide and let the light stream in.

"...please..."

She leaned in closer, sighing softly. I reached up with one hand, softly brushing the hair out of her face. I ran my thumb slowly along her jaw, closing the distance between us, my nose brushing hers as I searched for her lips. Two inches, one inch, half an inch...

A shrill, high pitched sound cut through the air like a knife, effectively ending the moment before it had even begun. We both jumped, startled at the unexpected noise. It took a second for my brain to adjust before I realised it was my phone. I yanked it out of my pocket and glanced the caller ID. I groaned. "Alice." Little cockblocker. Bella threw me a tentative smile as I mouthed that I was sorry and hit the accept button

"What?"

"Eddy, darling, you have T minus 10 seconds until I start telling people to come on back and help themselves. It's crazy down here! Emmett's arrived but even he can't get the drinks out quick enough!"

"Okay, I'm on it."

I hung up and stuffed my phone back in to my pocket. Bella was waiting patiently by the top of the stairs, looking a lot calmer than I felt.

"I guess we lost track of the time." She smiled sweetly.

"Bella, I lose track of everything when I'm with you."

She looked so surprised as she opened her mouth to speak and quickly snapped it shut, clearly stuck for words.

"C'mon, Alice and Emmett need rescuing from behind the bar before they start handing out free drinks and steal the tip jar!"

And just like that, the moment was over...for now anyway.

Chapter 7: Eight legged introductions

~* Bella *~

His banter with Alice was...interesting, to say the least. He cussed...a lot, so I was a little surprised when he held out his hand to me. It was such an innocent, sweet gesture, and, after hesitating for a second, I took it. It felt surprisingly soft and very warm. I'd been watching him stacking glasses earlier and couldn't help but notice how long and slender his fingers were, with slightly squared knuckles and short, but thankfully clean, fingernails. Appearances were certainly deceptive; his hands looked musician-like, delicate and gentle, seemingly incapable of inflicting any kind of pain or damage. Something tells me the that the drunk in the back of the police cruiser wouldn't have agreed with me on that.

We left the bar and walked toward the back of the club, slipping through a door marked "Private" and into a softly lit hallway.

"The office, staff room and kitchen, cleaning closet, stock room, which also leads to the cellar, annnnnnd...the elevator."

I raised my eyebrows. "No stairs?"

"Outside, yeah, but they're unsafe at best and not exactly rain proof!"

"Now you sound like a man talking from experience."

"Uh...you could say that...I mean if a broken rib, black eye, fractured wrist, and a sprained ankle count as experience." He grinned widely at me.

"Jesus! And you had the nerve to tease me for having issues with your bar stool."

The corners of his mouth twitched as he pressed the button and the doors quietly slid open. "After you Bella." My name slipped off of his tongue so quietly it was almost a whisper.

I stepped in to the lift and he stepped in beside me, punching in a 6 digit code and pressing the button to go up. I waggled my eyebrows. "Is that code classified information?"

He laughed. "If I told you I'd have to kill you and feed you to the dogs."

"Wow, you're full of charm. I bet you say that too all the girls who get to ride in your elevator."

He said nothing but smiled shyly, and I felt a sudden pang of guilt. My filter had failed me. All the girls? Fuck, Bella, you've just met the guy, and he'll think you already have him marked as a man whore! I also realised, to my horror, that my word vomit sounded much like a poor sexual innuendo.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I never meant..."

He cut me off. "I know...it's okay, really." His face showed no indication of anger, offence, or irritation.

"I was just joking, but it came out all wrong! I'd never imply...I mean it's none of my..." I stopped and sighed. "I'm shutting up. You should be aware by now that I'm a complete idiot!"

I covered my face in my hands to hide my shame. The silence was broken by the ping of the elevator, signalling we'd reached the right floor. I heard the doors slide open and was startled by a pair of hands ghosting over mine, slowly and gently prying them away from my very red, embarrassed face. Biting my lip, I cautiously opened one eye and was instantly drawn to the green eyes staring back at me. I opened both eyes and could see Edward grinning from ear to ear.

"I told you already, it's fine. I know what you meant, no harm done, okay?"

I nodded, still biting on my bottom lip. He was holding my small hands in his big ones, his fingers softly brushing over my palms in a soft, soothing motion.

"And Bella? I don't think you're an idiot..."

My breath hitched in my throat, the air thick with anticipation. The silence was deafening. "T-thank you...I..."

The elevator doors suddenly started to slide shut, snapping us both back to reality. He dropped my hand and reached out to jab the green button, the doors sliding open this time. I smiled sheepishly as we finally left the elevator. I could feel his long fingers tangled in mine. He was still holding my other hand.

We were now standing in front of the large black door to Edward's apartment. "Well, I'm not sure what you're expecting, but they're still young. They tend to get easily excited, so the chances of them going crazy when you walk through that door are...well it's fucking inevitable, really!"

I had to laugh at his admission, but, at the same time, I was slightly worried. If he felt the need to warn me first, how big exactly were these dogs going to be?

He ran his gaze over me, casting a cautious glance at my feet.

"What?"

"Uh...it might be wise to lose the heels. I'd recommend it. So you don't topple over."

I laughed. "Damage control?"

He nodded as I leaned one hand against the wall to steady myself and slipped them off.

"Those shoes are..." He swallowed hard. "I mean, they look like death traps; you're practically inviting a broken ankle."

Standing there barefoot, swinging my shoes in my hand and now standing five inches shorter, I was suddenly very aware of the fact he was a strapping 6'1". "So how's the air up there?"

"Probably colder than way down there short stuff!"

He laughed and grabbed the door handle again, raising his eyebrows and silently asking me if I was ready. I nodded, and he opened the door. Thinking worst case scenario, I braced myself, preparing for the onslaught of a Great Dane or St Bernard, and followed him in. He closed the door quietly behind me and put his finger over his smiling lips, indicating that we should be quiet. I nodded and managed to deposit my shoes on the floor without making a sound.

I felt a familiar sensation as I realised he'd grabbed my hand again. I was starting to like that...a lot. His fingers were running small circles on the back of my pinky finger as we walked down the hallway and stopped just short of the lounge. He gestured for me to look, so I peeked around him and covered my mouth with my free hand to stifle the laugh that was threatening to explode and give us away.

There was a huge couch in the middle of the room, with enough space for a family of ten, at least. Curled up at one end was a large, stocky-looking pit bull, who was black all over and sleeping soundly. Sprawled out lazily on top of him was a little French bulldog, who, from what I could see, was all white with a little black patch that surrounded one eye and covered the ear. It was, by far, one of the cutest sights I have ever seen.

Having not known Edward for very long, I'd found it difficult to predict what breed of dog I thought he'd own. I'd figured a Labrador or perhaps a snappy little terrier. I have to admit, I was a little surprised, not only by his choice of breeds, but also by the stark contrast in the size and colourings of the duo.

I looked up to see Edward put his fingers in his mouth, and a shrill short whistle rang out around the apartment. Before you could say "run while you still can," the previously sleeping dogs were awake, frantically scrambling off the vast couch and making a beeline straight for...me. Fuck! I dropped my bag to the floor while I had the chance, and a split second later I was face to face with the pit bull, who had lept up onto his hind legs and dropped his front legs over my shoulders.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, I was assaulted by two sensations. The first was something soft, small, and bulky knocking in to my ankles, shortly followed by the feeling I was falling backward. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for impact. I was flat on my back and ready to surrender. I opened my eyes to see a very surprised looking pit bull standing over me, chewing down on a rubbery blue ball that squeaked with every bite. All the while, my face was being given a very thorough licking from what I could only assume was the little bulldog, unless Edward had a fetish he'd felt the need to suddenly share with me. Nope. Definitely the bulldog.

Edward was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, watching the scene unfold before him, a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Edward...this...isn't...urgh...quit licking already...funny!" I got no response, only a hearty laugh as there was now a pitbull enthusiastically nuzzling at my breasts. I wonder if Edward liked to...

"You've robbed me of my dignity!" I huffed and reached out, making a lame attempt to free myself from the dynamic fucking duo.

"I warned you first!" A strong pair of hands reached out and grabbed me by the waist, somehow managing to untangle me from the mass of legs, eager tongues, and wet noses.

He was chuckling as he righted me up onto my feet. "Are you okay?"

I grinned sheepishly at him. "Yeah, thanks."

Another sharp whistle resounded from Edward, and the dogs instantly sat. Just like that. I looked at him in amazement. "How did you..?"

"Obedience training."

"Wow." I was momentarily impressed before something dawned on me.

"Hey! If they're trained to sit, then how come you subjected me to the licks of death?"

"What, and deny them a little fun?"

I poked him in the chest. "You had just as much fun as they did!"

He absentmindedly rubbed the spot on his chest that I'd just jabbed and flashed me that little lopsided grin. That was all the confirmation I needed.

I brushed myself down. "So do these two deviants have names?"

"The big boy with the squeak fetish is Turtle, and the little bulldozer over there is my girl Pancake."

I couldn't help but giggle. I looked at him questioningly. "Pancake? Should I even ask?"

"Well," he gestured for me to sit, so I perched precariously on the edge of the huge sofa, not daring to get too comfy in case a quick escape was needed. "I'd only had her a few hours when Jasper came over with the boys. They asked me her name, and, when I explained that she didn't have one yet, they decided to...uh...help." He laughed, obviously remembering, and I turned to see him grab 2 bottles of water from the fridge. He waved one at me. "Drink?"

"Yes, please."

He strolled over and handed me the cold drink. I popped the cap and took a pull as he flopped down beside me on the sofa, elbows on his knees. He gulped back at least half the bottle before coming up for air.

"Thirsty?" I asked.

He nodded, and I noticed his lips were wet and shiny from the water. I'd love to just reach out and... I was snapped out of my daydream by a loud squeak and noticed that the dogs still sat where we'd left them. Well, Pancake anyway. She was looking at me like I was about to become her next meal. I shifted in my seat, a little uncomfortable. Turtle's behaviour was altogether different. He was lying in a heap on the floor, legs sprawled in every direction, giant tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his beloved blue squeaky toy clutched between his front paws. I had to laugh.

"So how did the boys come up with Pancake? It's a little...different."

"The stab-in-the-dark method."

Now I was confused, and it must have shown on my face. He was grinning quizzically at me.

"They blindfolded me, opened the dictionary, shoved it into my lap, and made me point to a random point on the page."

I giggled. It was certainly a unique method. "So I'm guessing the book was open on the letter P?"

"How very observant of you."

I shrugged. "So you didn't choose Pancake because you have a secret fetish for breakfast foods? It's not too late to confess!"

He was grinning from ear to ear as he laughed loudly, his whole upper body shaking. "Well, it was a tough choice, the name Waffle was always an option..."

I slapped him playfully and a loud bark echoed around the apartment. Pancake was suddenly over by Edward's feet.

He reached down and scratched her ear. "We were just playing. Don't get your tail in knot!"

"Something tells me she's not keen on me." I was eyeing her cautiously.

"It's not you personally. She's just a daddy's girl. If you hit me, she'll get protective, and, if you get too close, she'll pretty much turn green with envy. For a little dog, she has a huge attitude. I don't think sassy covers it."

"What about Turtle?"

At the sound of his name, he stopped mid-chew and looked up from his ball, all wide eyed and slobbery tongued. My heart melted on the spot, although the irony of feeling more at ease around the bigger dog was not lost on me.

"Can I pet him?"

"Sure."

I stood up and made slow steps towards him. He made no attempt at jumping up, much to my relief, so I knelt down beside him. "Hey Handsome!" He nuzzled his head into my lap, so I tickled him behind his ears, which he seemed to like. He wriggled forward until eventually the entire front half of his body was in my lap. I was now sitting on the floor, my back up against the couch with my legs stretched out in front of me and a pitbull making himself very comfy. I stole a glance at Edward, who had leaned right back into the couch and propped his long legs up on the coffee table.

His lips twitched up in to a sly grin. "I think it's safe to say he likes you."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely."

I turned my attention to the dog. "Are you a ladies man, Turtle? Huh? I bet you chase all the girls down the street."

"He does love the ladies, but he's very selective in his choices."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he hates Rose, and he's not so keen on Alice either."

"I can't say I'm surprised. They're not really uh...dog kinda people."

He scoffed. "You can say that again."

I was absentmindedly stroking Turtle's head, just behind the ears. His eyes were closed, and he was dozing quietly in my lap. "So what's he like?"

"The total opposite of this little lady."

Pancake was curled up next to him, one protective paw on his leg, claiming her territory. I felt the sudden need to challenge her. Jeez, Bella, she's just a dog!

"She's stubborn. If she doesn't wanna do it, then she won't. She's a bossy little thing. She's not very affectionate, and she likes routine. Turtle's a whole different ballpark. He'll do whatever you tell him to. He's a pretty laid back kinda guy, but don't let that fool you. He has a huge delinquent streak. Chewed his way through countless t-shirts and boxers when he was a puppy, as well as a few pairs of Nikes."

I was giggling uncontrollably. "Did he grow out of it?"

"Kinda. I'll buy him anything that squeaks to keep him distracted, and I have to hide my Nikes a little better."

"Sounds to me like you have a diva and a doofus on your hands."

"In a nutshell."

I gave Turtle a little tickle on the neck and was thanked with a huge, sloppy lick of my hand. "Jeez, you're such a slobber bucket! Typical guy."

"Hey, I resent that!" Edward's lips were twitching as he tried to hold back his amusement.

"Don't be a baby." I chuckled and leaned down, planting a big kiss on the top of Turtle's head.

"How come he gets a nice kiss?" He was pouting now, like an indignant five year old boy, and fuck did he look cute doing it.

"Because," I looped my arms around Turtle's neck and hugged him. "I love him."

The look of surprise quickly disappeared, replaced with a shy smile. "Well, I was gonna give you the grand tour, but if you don't wanna part with him..."

"I want the tour! I'm sure he'll get over it." I put one hand on the couch to push myself up from the floor, and there was a high pitched whine.

"Looks like he wants you to stay."

I managed to worm my way out from under Turtle, who proceeded to whine. I crouched down in front of him and looked him straight in the eye. "Turtle, I'm going with your Daddy now, but I'm coming right back. So you just have to wait here like a good boy, okay?" I planted a tiny kiss on the end of his nose and produced his blue squeaky ball from behind my back, rolling it across the floor. The whining stopped, and I was forgotten as he went charging after his little squeaky blue friend.

Edward was standing, his hands in his pockets, waiting patiently, and a little Pancake-shaped ball was sound asleep on the sofa in the spot he'd been sitting in.

I glanced at her and then him, shaking my head. "Definitely a daddy's girl."

"Well, Turtle now thinks you're the love of his life, so it looks like we're even." He smirked. "Come on, I'll show you around."

That was the second offer from him tonight that I couldn't, and wouldn't, refuse.

Chapter 6: Cat & Mouse

~* Edward *~

Motherfucker! Not in my goddamn club! I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and hauled his drunk ass outside, shoving him up against the wall hard, my forearm pressing down on his throat as I pinned him to the spot and watched him start to squirm.

"I've been very fucking patient with you all night, but it's starting to run out, a lot like your luck." He smirked at me, his eyes rolling around in his head like marbles on glass as he muttered under his breath. I pressed harder on this throat and slammed my fist in to his stomach.

"First off, asshole, my bathrooms are for pissing not puking, so, if you can't handle your drink, I suggest you go and fuck up someone else's two thousand dollar tiles." I dropped my arm from his throat and stepped back, watching him splutter as he clutched at his stomach, one hand on this throat. I threw another punch, hitting him hard and square in the face as I heard his nose crunch under my knuckles.

"Secondly, if you ever come back, you will leave with more than a lousy fucking hangover and a broken nose. Understand?"

Blood was dripping on to the front of his shirt as he groaned and straightened up, stepping closer before deciding to lunge at me with his hands fisted. Not the smartest move; the beer had obviously clouded his judgement, as well as making him physically fucking incapable.

I grabbed his arms, squeezing tight as I pushed him, crashing him back into the wall. I knew Mike would have called the cops when he saw me "escort" him outside, so now it was just a waiting game to keep him here until they arrived. If only I had a dollar for every time I'd kicked a drunk out of my club and onto the street. I'd have enough to jack it all in and retire somewhere fucking quiet.

I loosened my grip on his arms. I'd seen his type drowning their sorrows a thousand times before, and this wouldn't be the last. The typical broken businessman. Last month's suit minus the silk tie, dark circles under his eyes, a now-empty briefcase just for show, scuffed dress shoes, a crumpled shirt, a week's worth of stubble, and the strong smell of stale cigarettes. Despite the fact they drank too much, trashed my bar, and gave me a damn headache, deep down I felt sympathy. They'd fallen from grace. The sad thing was they'd obviously had no one to catch them.

"Look, I'm gonna let you..." What. The. Fuck? There was saliva dripping down my left cheek. He'd spat in my fucking face!

Screw sympathy, now I was just plain pissed. My fist connected with his mouth, splitting his lip and shedding more blood in the process, which he apparently found hilarious. I turned him round and slammed his face in to the brick wall, my hand gripped tightly around the back of his neck, hissing in his ear. "Am I still fucking funny now?" He soon stopped laughing.

I glanced over my shoulder, the flashing lights announcing the arrival of the cops.

"Cullen."

I nodded. "Marcus."

He smirked, all chubby face and crooked, yellow teeth. "Wouldn't be a Friday night without a little visit from us now would it?" I had to laugh. The guy was a complete fuckwit, God knows how he'd actually managed to become a cop. But his lack of competence meant he didn't ask too many questions, so I couldn't really complain.

"I guess not. Just the usual." Mr. Business had been hauled away unwillingly by another officer and was currently being frisked up against the cruiser, not that they'd find anything on a guy who had nothing. Marcus took out his pad and sucked on the end of his pencil. Seriously, who fucking does that shit these days?

I smirked. "So, two cruisers tonight? Special occasion?"

He just glared at me as he flipped to a fresh page. I'm guessing that Mike didn't think it necessary to tell them they were only coming for one guy, not several. Idiot.

"So, Cullen, you know the drill. Any drugs or weapons?"

I sighed. "No. No porn, bombs, fake cash, needles, or stolen shit. Just another drunken asshole."

He was scratching away on his pad with his little pencil. "And our reason for being here again?"

Seriously. For the love of fucking God. "Removal from the premises due to disorderly behaviour."

I was smirking at him as he looked up, snapping his beloved little pad shut, and spoke. "A night in the cells should sober him up."

I scoffed. "Yeah well good luck with that!"

Marcus wasn't my biggest fan, he never had been. "Do you always have to bloody them up? It ruins the upholstery in the cruisers..."

I cut him off mid sentence, my face pulling into a scowl as I leaned against the car. "Are you shitting me? He smashed at least 20 glasses, threw a bar stool at the goddamn wall, and, not content with just hurling all over the bathroom floor, threw up all over my fucking leather couch." I raised my eyebrows "You wanna clean that shit up and pay for the damage?"

Silence.

"No, I figured as much." I heard a door slam and looked over to see Mr. Business getting lively in the back of the other cruiser.

"Well, thank you, Cullen. No doubt we'll be seeing you soon."

Lucky me. "Oh, I'm sure you will. Good night, Marcus." I stepped back, watching as the cruisers pulled away, the clacking of heels suddenly catching my attention. "Alice, Rose..." I nodded at the girls. It was good to see them, but...holy fuck...I was staring in to a pair of huge brown eyes, momentarily stunned. "You must be Bella?" Alice had called the night before. Thank God I'd been paying attention for once; I'd remembered her name.

She spoke quietly, her voice soft and sweet, just like her face."Um...yes…Edward, right?"

All I could do was nod and smile. My throat was dry, and my brain had apparently cut all contact with my vocal chords, the power of speech currently escaping me.

In what felt like a second, I'd managed to commit every inch of her to memory but, for fear of drowning in her vast brown pools, I glanced down at her feet in an attempt to distract myself. A distraction was definitely what I got. Jesus Christ. She was not just a beautiful, wide-eyed woman. She was a beautiful, wide-eyed woman wearing fuck me heels; it didn't get much hotter than that. Well, actually it did, and it involved her wearing nothing but those black, shiny, five-inch....shit Cullen, get a grip and keep your dick in check.

She was a total stranger to me, and there she stood, completely clueless to the fact that she had me by the balls already. It was all down to her face, that body, and, of course, those damn heels. I didn't know whether to kill or thank Alice as she danced past me and twirled her way in to the club, winking as she passed. She had some fucking explaining to do later. Rosalie Hale sauntered past me in a dress so red you couldn't possibly miss it and so tight I'd put money on it splitting before the night was out. I'm pretty sure that would please Emmett greatly, horny bastard that he was.

My skin suddenly began to tingle, and I looked back to see Bella slowly approaching, her head down, a look of concentration on her face. She was biting her lip. Had I made a bad impression already? Probably. Fuck. I was pretty sure Alice would cuss me out for that later. She made a hurried attempt at brushing right past me, and, before my brain could catch up with my body, I had reached out and grasped her elbow. I leaned in close, my lips just inches from her ear and my voice quiet and low as I spoke. "Welcome to Masen's, Bella."

Bella managed to stutter out a thank you before being summoned to the bar by Rose and Alice, who were waiting, albeit impatiently, in the doorway. I followed them in and did a quick scan of the club to survey the damage from earlier. Mike had done well. The broken glass had been cleaned up, the trashed bar stool had been replaced, and my violated leather couch had disappeared, a black velvet one now sitting in its spot. I could see the "wet floor" sign outside the men's bathroom and took it as confirmation that someone had been given the unpleasant task of de-vomiting the floor. I breathed a small sigh of relief and slipped behind the bar.

As regulars, I knew what Alice and Rose would be drinking tonight, but I was curious to see what Bella choose. Alice was a cocktail girl; she liked that sweet and fruity shit with sugar round the rim, floating cherries, and those little fucking umbrellas. Rose had a love/hate relationship with Jose; she favoured anything containing tequila but always regretted it the morning after. I eyed Bella for a moment; she seemed so shy, sitting quietly between two such strong personalities.

I smiled to myself and leaned forward. "Would you like a drink Bella?"

She nodded, and, for the first time tonight, she smiled. In that exact same moment, I swear I felt my insides go up in flames. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Jack & Coke please. A double."

I smirked. She'd just ordered my own drink, even down to the double shot. "OK, coming up."

One by one, I slid the glasses over the bar. Alice and Bella both reached out, money clutched in their hands for the drinks.

I shook my head and grinned. "Not tonight ladies. Have fun!"

Alice grinned and shoved the money back in to her purse. Bella on the other hand looked a little shocked.

"T-thank you. Are you sure?" Her words were hesitant.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah I'm sure. But you look a little surprised, if you don't mind me saying. Has a guy never bought you a drink before?"

She turned the most adorable shade of pink and I realised I'd made her blush. "Um...no not really…" She looked down in to her glass, and I felt a sudden pang of sadness for her. I couldn't help but wonder what else she'd missed out on and why.

"First time for everything, Bella." I smiled and politely excused myself.

The books for last nights takings would sadly not do themselves, and, since it was fairly quiet, I snuck in to my office and closed the door. I sighed as I flopped down in to my chair, running my hands through my hair, trying to shake off the image of a beautiful blushing Bella. C'mon focus....books…books…gotta do the fucking books.

Two hours had passed. I sat up and threw my pen on to the desk, stretching my arms and legs out in front of me. Number crunching and paperwork a big pain in my ass. I'd eventually managed to concentrate long enough to finish up the admin from the previous night. I pulled a bottle of Jack from my desk drawer and filled a small glass. Shoving the bottle back, I swallowed the contents of the glass and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. Bella appeared, all brown eyed and blushing again. Full pink lips that just begged for me to kiss them.

I jumped with a start when the door flew open and in bounced Alice. "Christ, don't you ever knock?"

She giggled and popped the cherry from her glass in to her mouth. "Don't you ever socialise?"

I huffed and rubbed at my eyes with the heel of my hands. "Yes actually. Did you want something?"

She perched on the edge of my desk and shook her head. "No, but you do Edward, and I have no idea why you're sitting in here hiding away from it."

"Alice, what are you...?"

"Bella...you're hiding from her."

"How much have you had to drink?"

"You know, Eddy, Mike is out there with her, putting on his bar-charm and trying to sweet talk his way in to her panties."

That sleazy bastard! I jumped out of the chair and stalked my way out of the office. Sure enough, there at the bar, exactly where I left her, was Bella....with Mike, who was staring, quite obviously, at her chest as she continued to talk. I approached the bar.

"Newton, time to knock off man." He glanced over in my direction and checked his watch. "I know it's early, but we're quiet tonight. I can take it from here, but you'll be paid a full shift." I wasn't asking him to leave. I was telling him.

"Oh...uh...OK…I guess I'll see you Saturday then?"

I thought about it for a moment. "No, take Saturday off, you did good on the clean up job tonight." He looked so fucking confused that I had to cough out loud to stifle the laugh that was threatening to escape.

"OK...thanks…I think..."

"Night, Newton." I watched him take one last look at Bella before he grabbed his jacket from under the counter, waved, and made a hesitant exit. I felt a little hand on my shoulder from behind.

"That's more like it, Eddy."

"I want answers, Alice. I'd better get them."

"You won't need them; you'll understand soon enough."

"Understand what, Alice?" I was getting irritated now. I couldn't deal with her riddles; I liked my shit straight forward, uncomplicated.

"Tell me you don't feel an inexplicable pull to her, that you don't want her in any way or feel the need to protect her. Tell me you don't feel possessive of that little brown cookie out there, and I will answer all your questions."

I opened my mouth to object and tell Alice how ridiculous she was being when I saw Bella, sitting there, all alone, biting her bottom lip and fumbling with the sleeve of her jacket. She was in my club surrounded by people, and she looked so fucking lonely. I closed my mouth and said nothing. I couldn't deny any of those things. Not a single one.

"That's what I thought. Now man up, grow some balls, and go talk to her."

"Jesus Alice, why do you have to be so goddamn fucking right all the time?"

With a shrug and a shrill giggle, she skipped off towards the dance floor. I sighed and started towards the bar...well, more precisely, towards Bella, who looked a lot like a frightened little mouse. Does that make me the nasty big cat?

"Hey, little mouse, why so glum?" What the fuck? Was I thinking out loud now? This could be awkward, not to mention fucking embarrassing!

She jumped in her seat, looking up at me with a shocked expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"N-no you didn't. You just startled me, that's all."

I flashed her a goofy grin. "I'm usually too noisy to catch people off guard." But it was me who was caught of guard when she laughed. She was smiling from ear to ear and making a surprising little chuckling sound. That shit was cute. I couldn't help but smirk. "What's so funny?"

She was still smiling as she spoke. "Don't take offence, but you don't exactly seem the quiet type. It's not hard to imagine you getting caught being sneaky. I bet you got busted with your hand in the cookie jar all the time when you were a kid."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "You're right, I did....I still do actually!"

She scoffed. "Well that figures! Ever thought about changing your strategy?"

"I tried every damn trick in the book, but apparently I'm just not cut out to steal cookies!" I pouted in mock disappointment, which elicited another little giggle from her. I was starting to really like that sound, along with the huge smile that seemed to come with it. I gestured to her empty glass. "So what will it be this time?"

"Um, I'm not sure. What do mice like to drink?" She was playing me at my own game.

"I have it on very good authority that they like Corona."

"Corona it is then. Actually, can I grab a couple of bottles to take home with me? Alice only has wine in the house and it's not really my thing..."

Holy shit, she was a beer drinker....in fucking hot shoes no less.

"Yeah, sure. Remind me before you leave."

She nodded and took a pull from the bottle I'd placed in front of her. "How much?"

I shook my head. "Mice drink for free tonight."

"In that case, maybe the cat would like to join me?"

I stood there, stunned for a split second, my mouth wide open like a complete moron. "Sure, I'll join you, but for the record, I'm really a dog person."

Her lips curled in to a small smile. "You traitor."

I shrugged. "I should have known you'd be all for the felines."

She shook her head. "Nope, I believe we sit on the same side of the fence here."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"I always wanted a dog, but my Mom had allergies. When I moved away, the apartment was strictly no pets so…" She looked wistful and a little sad as she peered in to her bottle, peeling away at the label.

Don't be a fucking pansy ass Cullen, just ask her already!

"Bella...do you, uh...I mean, would you like to...meet mine?"

Her head snapped up. "You have a dog?"

I grinned, nodding. "Two actually."

Her face lit up light a fucking Christmas tree. "I'd love to! Um...when could I...?"

"How does now grab you?"

"Now? What about the club?"

"Don't worry. We won't be going very far, so the club will be just fine. Alice can watch the bar for a bit."

She gave me a quizzical look, imploring me to stop being so vague.

"I live upstairs, above the club."

Realisation crept slowly onto her face as my words sank in, and she smiled sheepishly at me.

"C'mon, let's introduce you to the monsters."

She was so eager that in her haste to get up she slid a little clumsily off the bar stool she had been occupying. I couldn't stifle the laugh that escaped me.

She pouted and jabbed me in the chest. "Didn't you know it's rude to poke fun at those less physically coordinated than yourself?"

I held my hands up in mock surrender. She looked so sulky, it was fucking adorable. "It must have escaped my mind. My humble apologies."

"Okay, well maybe your mother taught you to mind your manners after all. Apology accepted." She huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

I put my fingers into my mouth and whistled loudly to grab the attention of Alice, who was in the process of shamelessly throwing herself around the dance floor. It was the funniest thing I'd seen in a long time, and I'd seen all kinds of shit. I made a mental note to tease her relentlessly about it later on.

She stopped and turned on her heel, looking flustered and a little pink in the face. I gestured for her to come to the bar and had to snigger to myself as she pranced her way over. All she needed now was a fucking tutu.

"Yes, Eddy?"

"Firstly, quit calling me Eddy, or I'll catch those killer moves on video and YouTube that shit for my enjoyment and your embarrassment. Secondly, I would have yelled, but you wouldn't have heard me over that fucking song! Would you mind working the bar for me? We won't be long…30 minutes tops."

She nodded, looking a little smug, no doubt feeling pleased with herself. "Sure! But if you're not back before closing time, I'll tell Rose where you keep the imported tequila."

She could be such a bitch. I smirked. "Get Rose to watch the door, so at least you know there won't be any trouble. That's a full body search no one would ever fucking forget."