Friday night, even though she was feeling a bit tired from the stress of a first week at a new job, she let Alice and Rosalie drag her out to a night club. They knew she wasn't particularly into clubs but, after they agreed to not drag her out to another until after the wedding, she agreed to go. She even let Alice style her hair and Rosalie pick out her clothes. Alice put her hair in large, loose curls and loaded her up with enough hairspray to choke a horse. Rosalie picked out a form-fitting, v-neck, short sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans and boots that came up to the middle of her shins. All in all not bad; Bella approved their choices.
“Jasper said he'd meet us there.” Alice gushed with a big smile.
“He works at a bar,” Bella said as they left their apartment. “I'm surprised he would want to go to one on his night off.”
She shrugged. “He seemed okay with it. Besides, it's not a bar, it's a club.”
There didn't seem like much of a difference to Bella. Bars and clubs both had alcohol, music and guys trying to hit on girls with cheesy pick up lines. They only extra thing a club had was a designated dance floor.
The three of them arrived at the club about twenty minutes later and got right in. Emmett had called Rosalie on the car ride there to tell her that he'd meet them after he got out of work. He'd had to work a later shift that day.
They ordered drinks and grabbed a table. Jasper met them a few minutes later and was formally introduced to Bella and Rosalie.
It wasn't until Emmett arrived that Bella realized she was going to be the fifth wheel that night. Normally she would have had Alice to talk to while Rosalie and Emmett danced and made out. Alice and Bella tried extremely hard to ignore when they did that.
Emmett walked away to get beer from the bar, taking Jasper with him. All three girls guessed it was so Emmett could size Jasper up to make sure he was a good guy; Emmett was very protective of the three of them.
“Isn't he great?” Alice asked them as soon as the two men were half way to the bar.
“He seems really nice.” Bella replied with a nod.
“He is. He's such a gentleman.” Alice sighed. “He holds doors for me and pulls my chair out when I go to sit down.”
Bella smiled, feeling the slightest bit of envy. She wished she could find a great guy like her two best friends had found.
“Emmett used to do that for me.” Rosalie said and paused to take a sip of her Cosmo. “Now he's a lazy bastard.”
Bella and Alice laughed.
Emmett and Jasper returned a minute later with someone else in tow. Bella almost choked on her rum and coke when she realized it was Edward.
“Oh look, it's Edward.” Alice told her.
Bella shot her an icy look and turned back towards everyone else.
Edward wore a brown plaid button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone; she could see the slight bit of hair on his chest. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket.
'Oh god,' she thought and shifted in her chair.
“We found this bum at the bar.” Emmett joked, sitting down next to Rosalie.
“You told me to meet you here, you ass.” Edward laughed and took the seat between Rosalie and Bella.
Bella could feel her face start to heat up and held onto her glass with both hands. She suddenly didn't feel much like drinking.
“So how's it going, Edward?” Rosalie asked. “Haven't seen you in a while.”
“Fine.” He replied. “Been busy with work.”
“He's a workaholic.” Emmett added. “He has no life.”
“I wouldn't say that.” Edward shrugged.
“I would.”
Bella giggled and bit her lip when Edward looked at her. She was too nervous to even look at him.
'Coward.'
“Oh, I love this song!” Alice said excitedly as a new song came through the large speakers. “Dance with me?” She asked Jasper who promptly took her hand and walked with her to the dance floor.
“What do you say, Rosie?” Emmett asked Rosalie, holing out his hand.
Bella could feel her anxiety double as she watched Rosalie and Emmett go out to the dance floor. The prospect of being alone with Edward in a social setting was both terrifying and exciting. She thought she felt her hands start to shake so she set her drink down on the table. The thought that Edward might take that move as a hint that she also wanted to dance came into her head then and she picked up her drink back up.
Edward laughed quietly and she forced herself to look at him.
“Does alcohol make you figity, too?” He teased.
“No.” She replied quickly. She would bet anyone a thousand dollars that her face was bright red by that point.
He nodded. “How's your head?”
“Fine... thanks.” She took a sip of her drink and looked over at her two best friends and their boyfriends. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edward set his beer bottle on the table.
“Bella?”
She turned back to him and was surprised to see him looking at her so intently.
“Do you want to dance?”
“Um,” she laughed, “remember the whole clumsy thing? It applies to dancing, too.”
“Then it's a good thing I'm already here.” He said and held out his hand.
The bright smile on his face was what ultimately made up her mind. He could probably get her to do anything just by flashing that smile.
Bracing herself for what she expected to be a completely embarrassing display on her part, she set her drink down. She wiped her palms nervously on her jeans and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor, stopped by their friends and turned to face her.
Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words they say so many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awakening wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day.
“Yeah, Bella!” She heard Alice cheer from a couple of feet away.
Dancing with Edward felt awkward at first and she had the feeling that he found her nervousness amusing. She kept one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm while he gripped her hips.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
They started out with a respectable amount of space between them but as they danced he pulled her closer and closer.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun there ever standing still.
Bella was glad to have dancing as an excuse for her heavy breathing. In actuality, the feeling of his hands on her hips and his body pressed against hers was her undoing.
It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anyone.
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I love to sense it all so clear.
She looked up at Edward to find that his beautiful smile had disappeared. Instead, there was an intense look in his eyes; the normal emerald green had darkened. His lips were parted slightly and she barely resisted the urge to grab his hair and pull his mouth down to hers. Her heart jumped at the mere thought of kissing him. She forced herself to turn around before she did anything foolish.
And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
As soon as she felt her back against him she knew she had made a mistake. His fingers curled strongly on her hips and he pulled her closer. A chill ran through her entire body and stopped to throb and ache in her lower abdomen.
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
She reached up and loosely draped her hand around the back of his neck. The loud music drowned out the gasp she let out as he ground against her backside.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still.
She could feel the growing bulge in his jeans. She could feel his hot breath against her neck and realized his mouth was right next to her ear. She couldn't help but grind back against him.
Edward grunted just loud enough for her to hear. One hand tightened its grip on her left hip as the other slid up slowly.
And fighting time so much I ask
I will this morning last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
Remain inside of me.
He stopped his hand at the top of her jeans and let his fingers snake up under the bottom hem of her shirt. The moment his fingers made contact with her skin she laced her fingers into the hair at the back of his head and tugged lightly. She earned another grunt from him and smiled smugly to herself.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
For just a moment she let herself believe that she was in control of the situation when she knew, deep down, that she wasn't. He was setting her body on fire with just his hands and she wondered how much better it would feel if she felt his mouth on her as well. She bit back a moan at the thought and tried to think about anything other than the sexy man behind her.
'The sexy man who is touching your skin.'
Her head fell back against his shoulder. She felt his nose drag against her skin, from the base of her neck to the sensitive skin behind her ear, and shuddered.
I had no faith before that day in any vow or deed.
Days followed days and years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen.
She pushed back against him again and frowned when she realized the song was ending. She wished it would never end, even though she knew dancing with Edward had been a bad idea to being with. All it did was increase her attraction to him, when she wasn't even allowed to be with him in the first place.
This would end badly for her.
“Excuse us!”
Bella's eyes snapped open just in time to see Rosalie come at her. Rosalie grabbed her hand and dragged her away from Edward, towards the bathrooms. Alice was following behind them and Bella would have been worried if she hadn't seen the smile on her face.
The volume of the music decreased dramatically as soon as the bathroom door shut behind them. Rosalie dropped Bella's hand and went to stand in front of the mirror with Alice. Bella watched the two of them warily as they concentrated on reapplying their lipgloss. Alice was the first to speak.
“Y'know Bella,” she said sadly, “I thought you loved me. I thought we were best friends.”
Bella's eyebrows came together in confusion. “We are! What are you talking about?”
“No!” Alice shook her head and turned to face her. Bella was relieved to see her smiling. “If we were best friends you would have told me that you have a thing for Edward.”
Bella's face felt hot again and she looked away. “I don't know what you mean. I don't...”
“Oh, please.” Rosalie said as she slipped her lipgloss into her pocket and turned to face them. “You two were practically fucking right there on the dance floor.”
Bella bit her bottom lip.
Alice let out a high-pitched squeal. “I knew it! You do like him!”
Throwing her hands up in frustration, Bella looked back over to them. “It doesn't even matter. Even if he liked me like that, we couldn't have a relationship anyway. We work together and Carlisle has that rule about no dating.”
“Screw his dumb ass rules!” Rosalie rolled her eyes. “If you want Edward then go after him.”
“Besides,” Alice added with a shrug, “Emmett said people break that rule all the time.” A sly grin appeared on her face. “I bet it would be hot to be in a secret relationship.”
“Totally hot.” Rosalie nodded.
Bella shook her head and sighed. “So, now what? What should I do?”
“Play hard to get.” Rosalie suggested.
Alice agreed. “Pretend like nothing happened out there. Be cool.”
'Yeah right,' she thought, 'I'm awkward as hell around him.'
“Okay, I'm ready for some more dancing!” Alice announced with a clap of her hands.
Bella's eyes widened in panic. “But if you two are dancing then I'll be left alone with Edward. I won't know what to say to him.”
“You'll be fine.” Rosalie said as they headed back out to join Emmett, Jasper and Edward.
When they reached their table Bella was surprised to find only Emmett and Jasper there. Her nerves were replaced with anxiety as she wondered where Edward had disappeared to.
“Where's Edward?” Alice asked.
“One of the girls from the ER is here,” Emmett replied, “and roped him into dancing with her.”
“He didn't seem too happy about it, though.” Jasper added when he saw the slight frown on Bella's face.
“Yeah, really.” Emmett said. “That Lauren chick is annoying.”
“Lauren?!” Rosalie all but screamed.
“The Lauren that was always hitting on you?” Alice asked him as she patted Rosalie's arm, trying to calm her.
“Yeah,” Emmett nodded and took a sip of his beer. “She has her sights on Edward now.”
Bella could feel the jealousy rise inside of her as she finally spotted Edward and Lauren on the edge of the dance floor. She tuned everyone around her out as she watched them.
I'm on a mission
And it involves some heavy touching, yeah
She wondered if it was just her hopeful thinking but it looked as though Edward felt a little uncomfortable with having Lauren rubbing herself all over him.
You've indicated your interest
I'm educated in sex, yes
And now I want it bad, want it bad
A love game, a love game.
Her jealousy spiked and she took a couple of large gulps of her rum and coke.
It was then that Edward looked up and locked eyes with her.
Hold me and love me
Just wanna touch you for a minute
She had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves as he kept staring at her.
Maybe three seconds is enough
For my heart to quit it
He grinned crookedly at her and pulled Lauren back against him. Not once did he break eye contact with Bella as he continued to dance, putting his hands on Lauren's hips.
Let's have some fun, this beat is sick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick
Don't think too much just bust that kick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.
She couldn't stand to watch him swing his hips with Lauren's but she couldn't make herself look away from his smoldering eyes.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
Edward's tongue darted out to wet his lips and Bella's heart jumped a little in her chest.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
When she lifted her glass to her mouth again she found it empty. 'I need another drink.' She thought desperately.
She chanced another glance at Edward and he winked.
“O-kay.” She said loudly. “I need another drink.”
“I'll go with you. You're too quiet, you'll be waiting forever for your drink.” Emmett said and they both headed for the bar.
Once they got there, Emmett got the bartender's attention and ordered her a rum and coke and beers for himself, Jasper and Edward. Right before the bartender walked away, Bella asked for a little extra rum in her drink, causing Emmett to raise an eyebrow at her.
Bella ignored his look and drummed her fingers on the bar. She put all of her energy into not looking over at Edward.
“So, what's up, Bells?” Emmett asked.
She looked up at him, seeing the large grin he was wearing. She chose to ignore that, too.
“Not much, Em. What's up with you?” She plastered a fake smile on her own face.
Emmett chuckled at her avoidance of answering his question seriously and shook his head. “Seems like you were getting a bit jealous over there at the table.”
She looked away. “I don't know what you're talking about.” To have Alice and Rosalie know about her crush on Edward was one thing, but she would not admit her feelings about him to Emmett, one of Edward's best friends.
Their drinks were set down in front of them and Bella immediately took a large gulp of hers. Emmett laughed again and told her to pace herself.
Edward was at the table when she and Emmett go back. Emmett sat down next to Rosalie, leaving the only open seat the one directly across from Edward. She took the seat and then another sip of her drink. She smiled to herself when she started feeling the effects of the alcohol.
She couldn't decide which spot was worse; next to Edward or across from him. Sitting next to him made her nervous, but sitting across from him made it hard to avoid looking at him. As it was, she could already feel his eyes on her. She felt hot under gaze.
Her thoughts went to when they had been dancing. She could practically feel his fingers on her skin just by remembering it. His touch had sent a bolt of electricity through her whole body and she longed to feel it again.
She took an unsteady breath as she stared down at the tabletop.
“Bella?” Alice nudged her with her elbow.
“Hm? What?” She looked up. “What?”
Rosalie laughed.
“I was wondering if it would be okay if Edward drove you home.” Alice said. “I'm going to Jasper's.”
“Oh, uh...” Bella couldn't think for a minute. The thought of being alone with Edward was a little overwhelming in her inebriated state. All she could think about was sitting on his lap in her living room, her fingers in his hair and his tongue in her mouth.
When she finally snapped out of it, she nodded. She couldn't help but look across the table then. Edward shot her a dazzling smile and her heart jumped in her chest.
“Ready to go now?” He asked.
'Oh yeah. So ready to go right now.' She thought and sucked down the rest of her drink.
Jasper, Alice and Edward stood up and she followed their lead. Apparently Emmett and Rosalie were staying a little longer.
Bella stumbled a few times as they headed for the door. Every time she stumbled, Edward would reach out to steady her, causing her to giggle. When they got outside, he stopped and went to stand with his back to her.
“Hop on.” He said, looking back at her over her shoulder.
She snorted a laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. This way I don't have to worry about you falling.”
She stared at him for a moment and then shrugged to herself. Placing her arms around his shoulders, she hopped up onto his back and his hands gripped the undersides of her thighs. As they made their way to his car, she wondered if she was too heavy for him, but decided she didn't care when his scent hit her. As discretely as she could, she leaned her head a little closer to his and breathed him in.
'Ugh, he smells so good.' She whined to herself and tried not to squirm too much while he carried her.
He set her down next to his car and opened the passenger side door for her. When she was settled he went around and slid into the driver's seat.
The ride to her apartment was quiet, save for when she had to give him directions. She kept sneaking little peeks at him while he drove. She found herself dwelling on his hands gripping the steering wheel. The strong hands she'd had on her while they danced. His fingers that had been on her bare skin.
Bella took a deep breath and licked her lips. Forcing herself to look away, she stared down at her own hands.
“Bella?” Edward said, breaking into her thoughts. “We're here.”
She looked up to find they were indeed parked in front of her apartment building.
“Oh, okay.”
He surprised her by turning the car off and getting out. She dragged herself out as well and dug into her pocket for her keys. Acutely aware of how closely he was following her, she entered the building and headed for the elevator. She glanced at him curiously when he stopped beside her.
“I just wanted to make sure you got to your apartment okay.” He explained.
Once again, she thought about him in her apartment, but this time she had her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her down the hall to her room.
Bella cleared her throat and nodded.
The elevator ride was a little awkward but it was probably just her feeling that way, she decided.
The doors finally opened on her floor and she walked quickly to her door. She could feel him standing right behind her, causing her hand to shake as she tried to unlock her door. He reached around, wrapped his hand around hers and helped her turn the key.
“Um, thanks.” She mumbled and pushed the door open.
Edward didn't follow her in but stopped in the doorway.
“So... thanks for bringing me home.” She said and bit her bottom lip nervously.
A moment later his hand was cupping the side of her face. His thumb gently pulled her bottom lip out from between her teeth.
“I don't want to have to stitch up your lip, too.” He teased but didn't pull his hand away.
She couldn't help but lean into his hand and let her eyes close.
“Bella...”
She looked up into his green eyes and suddenly felt the need to confess how she felt about him. How she couldn't stop thinking about him. How she didn't care about the idiotic no-dating policy. How badly she
wanted him.
Edward stepped closer to her and slid his hand back to curl around the back of her neck.
“Edward...” she said, trying to keep the desperation that she felt for him out of her voice.
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. She watched him closely. His eyes were closed and he had a slight frown on his perfect lips.
'Please let me kiss those lips. Let me kiss that frown away.'
Before she could decide to just kiss him, he leaned back up. His lips pressed softly to her forehead; a lingering kiss on her hairline, over her stitches.
She had to keep herself from whining when he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Goodnight, Bella.” He said quietly and turned away.
She was silent as she watched him walk back to the elevator. He looked back at her once and, after the elevator doors closed, she forced herself to head inside and go to bed.
Edward's clothes @ the bar.
Songs used:
Standing - VAST
Lovegame - Lady Gaga
Songs used:
Standing - VAST
Lovegame - Lady Gaga
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