Disclaimer: We don't own Twilight. That is all.

I smiled as I heard my phone give off his ringtone. A text. I snatched my phone from my purse to read it;

Going to dinner Mom & Dad's. Have 2 check on Pt. Meet me our spot.

I couldn't help the smirk. He's just like all the rest. Men are so damned predictable.

I hurried out of the mall and jumped into my baby, my white sports car. I wanted yellow, but the shade was not what I wanted. Why do car manufacturers insist on the horrid baby shit yellow? Don't they know I wanted BANANA yellow? I would have settled for red, my second favorite color, but the nearest one was in California, and I didn't want to wait for it to arrive, so I got the white. And I'm quite satisfied with it, actually.

I made it to the hospital in record time, only to find him waiting, half undressed. "You're late," he said with a growl.

I grinned. "Nordstrom waits for no man, or booty call for that matter, Edward. Didn't you know that? And the fabulous Ferragamo's I bought certainly couldn't take one more moment of misery. You should have seen the fat fuck trying to get her feet into those precious shoes."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I don't have time for your dalliances. I'm on a time schedule."

"Yes, well, you're not the only one with places to be, Edward. Perhaps we should just forget about this…" I turned toward the door only to have him snag my arm and drag me back to him, shoving me into the wall.

He growled and I smirked. Oh yes, so very predictable. He started ripping at my clothing and I said, "Hey, this shirt cost me a fortune, Edward. You rip it, you buy it."

He shoved my skirt up and ripped my panties down my legs. "Well, it would be worth it. You aren't a cheap whore, now, are you?"

My breath caught. Somewhere deep down, I realized how wrong this was. I knew what I was doing to his marriage. But I'd been hurt by men before. And, what is the old adage? A leopard couldn't change their spots? I was trying, hard. But…I just wasn't sure I could. The fact remained, I did not like being called a whore. I didn't, however, show it, and fired back with, "You know it, honey. And maybe it's time you started paying me for my troubles."

He laughed as his body lined up with mine. "You know, in these stilts, you're just at the perfect height…"

"For what?" I asked, but then I felt him thrust into me. I cried out as my pussy clenched him. I hadn't even noticed him slipping the condom on. "Edward…" I whimpered.

"That's it. You like that, don't you? You like it when I fuck you, don't you?"

"Yessss…"

His hands were everywhere as he fondled my breasts roughly. I loved it. His hand danced down to my clit and I saw stars as he tossed me over the edge. He pulled out and I whimpered at the loss of contact. I turned toward him, but he shoved me into the wall again. "No, I don't even want to see your face today."

"So, I'm a faceless fuck now, am I, Edward?"

"You're always faceless because you mean nothing to me," he growled. "You're nothing but a whole for me to stick my dick in."

"Is that what you think?" I taunted.

He growled and shoved into me again, but not where I was expecting. I felt a tear leak out of my eye as he thrust into my asshole. "God, Edward…fuck. That hurts!"

"I'm a bastard, didn't you know?" he said as he licked my neck. His fingers tempted and teased my clit again and I felt the pain give way to pleasure and I couldn't help the moan.

"Yes, that's it," he cooed into my ear. "You really are a whore, you like this, don't you? You like me fucking your ass, don't you?"

"Fuck you," I said, even though, he was right. He was a bastard, and I did like it. I just wondered what that said about me.

He started grunting and I knew that meant he was close. "Come for me, Eddie. You know you love fucking your little whore. You know you love having me on the side. You know your precious Bella wouldn't let you fuck her up the ass. Only me. I'm the only one that can do this to you, I'm the only one that can make you feel this way. Come for me."

He let out a roar, pulling my head back hard by my hair as he came.

He pushed himself away from me physically and I smirked as I turned around. "What's the matter, Eddie? Didn't you enjoy yourself?"

"We can't do this anymore," he said as he sat down hard on the chair.

I smiled as I knelt before him. I took the condom off, tossed it into the trash bin, and kissed the head of his still semi-hard erection. "Come on, Edward, we both know what we're doing. And we both know you need me. Seriously? Do you really think your precious wife would let you do half the shit to her that you do to me? You need me just like I need you."

"No, I have to make things work with my wife."

"You'll come back to me, Edward." They always do.

"No, I won't. I'll see you around. I can't not see you, can I? But…not like this."

"Fine," I said on a snarl. "Go on and go!"

I watched as he pulled his pants back up and he walked out the door. I picked up my shirt and slid it back on, tucking it into my skirt. I picked up my panties, sliding them on as well. I smirked as I looked at the door. Let's see what Miss Bella thinks when she realizes you aren't Mr. Perfect, Edward. "Let the games begin."

Bella POV

To say my day had been anywhere close to normal would be a gross injustice. Edward had taken off to the hospital to check on some patients and knowing that Esme would probably appreciate the help, I decide to head off in my own car and just meet him there.

Edward had been attentive and sweet the entire morning, almost too much so. After our shower he had toweled off my body and carried me back to our bed despite my squeals of protest. Next was breakfast in bed, followed by him insisting I stay there and relax while he tidied up around the house. Every few minutes he would come back for a chaste kiss or to check and see if I needed anything.

Weird was not the word for it.

It was like he was trying so hard to make up for something, but what? If anyone should be playing the groveling servant card, it should be me. But there I was; lapping that shit up like a kitten to milk, when just a few hours earlier I had been snuggled in bed with his brother.

I should have 'Bitch' tattooed across my forehead.

Or at least in a visible place where I could see it because as soon as he had walked out the door, my hand was reaching for the phone to call Emmett.

Twenty three calls later and I still had not talked to him. After the fifth message left on his cell I decided to try the house. Not wanting to raise Jasper's suspicion, I had called the home phone, asking if Alice was there. With a telling sigh, he informed me she had caught wind of a big sale and had flown out the door. Casually, I asked to speak to Emmett.

I caught a moment of hesitation in his voice, before he said that Em had been holed up in his room all day and he thought it best to not disturb him.

So every few minutes, I hit the redial for his cell in hopes that he would pick up. My only assumption was that he was upset at me for sneaking away while he slept. More than once I caught myself in the wrong lane of traffic heading for my in-law's house while I pushed at the buttons on my phone, sending him text after text of apologies. And still not a word back from him.

I finally pulled up at the expansive white house and let myself in the back door. Delicious smells wafted through the air as I called out towards the kitchen.

"Esme?"

No answer was returned, but the aroma of garlic and spices led me through the family room to the place I was sure to find her.

I made my way to the kitchen, only to be accosted by my extremely attractive in-laws, getting quite hot and heavy over the granite island. Both their backs were to me as he spooned in behind her, the khaki skirt she was wearing inched higher by his hands as soft sighs drifted from her lips.

"Mmmm, Carlisle. Don't stop."

I backed away, hoping to go unseen, when my foot caught on the doorstep, sending me flat on my ass.

The pair jumped at the noise, both flushing bright red at being caught in such an intimate moment. My own skin flared at being the one to have done so.

"Oh, Bella, sweetie I had no idea you were here," Esme mumbled while hurriedly tucking in her shirt and smoothing her skirt.

"Sorry, I called your name. I guess…you didn't hear me. I should have… ummm…" My words faltered trying to come up with a good excuse for disrupting such a private moment.

"Nonsense," Carlisle responded while offering his hand to help me up. "Our house is your house, you know that. What can I say? Sometimes it is hard to keep my hands off this beautiful woman."

He sent a quick slap to her bottom, which was returned with even more blushing, by both Esme and myself as he left the room chuckling under his breath.

"Well, dear, sorry you had to witness that. You know how our men can get sometimes, right?"

I hung my head at the thought. Yes, I did know exactly how 'our' men could be, both of the younger ones in fact.

"So, where is Edward? He didn't get called into the hospital, did he?" she asked while stirring the large pot of sauce on the stove.

"No, he just went to check on some patients. I told him I would drive on over here and see if you needed some help with lunch."

She tossed me an apron from the pantry and directed me towards the cutting board surrounded by vegetables.

"That was so thoughtful of you. And I really could use the help. I got a little distracted earlier so an extra pair of hands would be great." She gave me a quick wink before she turned back to the pot on the stove.

I rolled my eyes at the comment before letting out a little chuckle. At least it was nice to see one older married couple who had not lost their spark for each other. I could only hope that Edward and I would one day be the same way.

Or Emmett. I thought to myself.

I went on autopilot as Esme launched into a recap of her week, every once in a while interjecting an um-huh or a nod to seem as though I was paying attention. When in effect my mind was trying to reconcile that no matter which one I chose, I was going to destroy the family that I adored.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize that a couple of familiar voices had joined us in the kitchen, until I looked up to see both Jasper and Emmett, standing across the kitchen island from me.

"Hey, Bells. What's up? Where is that no good husband of yours? I have a bone to pick with him," Jasper asked, popping a cucumber in his mouth.

I watched the line of Emmett's lips tighten as he bore his eyes into mine.

"Umm, he had to run by the hospital, but he'll be here later." I mumbled.

I watched as Esme scooted in between Jasper and Emmett to grab a handful of onions. For just a moment it seemed as though Japer tensed against her touch, but then it was gone. I glanced back up from my cutting to see Emmett still staring at me.

"I hope you boys aren't fighting. I can't stand it when any of you are ill at each other. Not to mention my furniture. The last time Edward and Emmett got into a scuffle I had to replace the lamp in the den." Esme said as she bumped Emmett's hip playfully.

He looked down and gave her a sad smile before mumbling something under his breath about needing a drink and leaving the room.

"What is wrong with Emmett, Jasper?" I questioned, not exactly sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"I have no idea. I swear, Edward is supposed to be the Emo one, you know? We rode together after Esme called and invited us to lunch. I couldn't get a hold of Alice, probably eyeball deep in designer shoes. So, I left her a voice mail to meet me here and just rode with Em. He did not say two words the whole way here. I don't know what has his panties in a wad, but it must be some major shit for him to act that way."

"Maybe I should go talk to him?" I asked.

Both Jazz and Esme gave me a strange look, but then silently nodded as I began taking off my apron.

I was headed through the den, towards the stairs that led to the downstairs media room, when the back door swung open. An exuberant Edward swooped in grabbing me around the waist. Swinging me as he went, he finally sat me down, only to bow me over while his lips crashed into my mine.

His tongue probed my mouth as his hands drifted down to my ass, gently massaging, pulling me towards him. Without thought, my hands found their way into his hair as I moaned into his lips. I allowed myself to get lost in the sensation of his touch. Forgetting everything but the feel of his hands and mouth on my skin, I surrendered myself completely to his embrace.

Without warning, a large crack pulled me from my haze. My eyes whipped around to Emmett standing at the entrance to the room, his tumbler of amber liquid shattered on to the hardwood floors, the remnants of glass at his feet.

Edward's eyes bulged at the site of his brother's hand covered in alcohol and rivulets of blood. It was obvious that he had not dropped his glass but had somehow crushed it in his hand.

"Whoa, big guy, you alright?" he said as he released me and made his way across the room. "Let me see that, you may need stitches," Edward said, reaching for Emmett's still clenched fist.

"Back the fuck off, Edward." He grunted, his eyes never moving from where I was still standing.

I wasn't sure whether to go to Emmett or not. My feet were rooted to the ground as my breath came in shallow gasps.

"Emmett, I am serious, let me look at it." Edward stated as he attempted to grasp his hand again.

Slowly he lifted it to Edward's eye level, never once taking his eyes away from mine. It seemed like hours we stood with our gazes locked, though mere seconds had passed. I could not bear the contempt that seemed to be directed towards me.

"I'm sorry," I mouthed as I fled from the room.

I barely made it to the kitchen before the tears started to flow.

All my fault, all my fault…

Esme and Jasper, deep in conversation beside the sink, looked up to see my weeping form.

"Bella, sweetie what's wrong?' Esme asked. Her voice was so full of concern that it sent my sobs into even deeper hysterics.

"Em…oh God, he cut…his hand. Edward…"

"Jasper, go find Carlisle and tell him to get his medical bag. Bella…just sit, try to calm down. We have two doctors in the house. I am sure it is nothing that can't be fixed." She patted my shoulder before she headed to the cabinets, pulling out a handful of towels.

"Can't be…fixed, Esme. I'm sorry…so sorry." I whispered.

She gave me a strange look, stopping to pull my head to her chest, softly stroking my hair.

"Everything can be fixed. Believe me." And with that, she was gone out the door, leaving me to sob into the dishrag she had dropped on the table in front of me.

I still had my head laid on the table when the entire family filed into the kitchen.

I glanced up through blurry eyes to see Emmett holding his bandaged hand close to his chest. He had stopped directly beside me, so close I could still smell the antiseptic along with the bourbon he had been drinking. I made to stand up when Edward's tight arms wrapped me from behind.

"Are you alright, love? I know how much blood bothers you."

"I'm fine. Are you…" I reached out to touch Emmett's arm but he jerked back like he had been burned. I caught the moan that tried to escape.

"Is he okay?" I whispered.

"Just some superficial lacerations. And he had quite a few hunks of glass we had to remove, but that was the worst of it. Boy just doesn't know his own strength, now do you?" Edward asked, releasing me to give Emmett a playful punch to the shoulder.

"I think I know my strengths and my weaknesses, brother. Now if you and dad are through playing Operation on me, I am going to get another drink and wait for lunch."

The entire room fell silent as he left the room without another word. Esme exchanged glances with Carlisle while Jasper stared at Edward, leaving me to bore an invisible hole into the ceiling while chewing on my lip hard enough to break the tender skin.

The silence was broken by Jasper's obnoxious braying.

"Fuck me, Edward. Are you and Emmett both on the rag? First you pissing and moaning last night and now him with a stick shoved up his ass. Is there some sort of shot I need to get to ward off the hormones? 'Cause I sort of like having my man card, whether you two pussies want to keep yours or not."

"Umm…Jasper. Do you think we could have this conversation some other time? You know when my parents are not here, though I am sure they are fascinated by your language." Edward shot Jasper a look that would freeze molten lava, but the words just kept flowing.

"Well we wouldn't have to have this conversation if my best friend didn't have a fucking conniption last night over me fuck…" The door to the oven slammed shut forcefully as Esme pulled a tray of garlic bread and set it on the counter.

"You know, boys, lunch is ready. I think your father and I will check on Emmett while you two bring everything to the table." Esme pulled off her apron and hurled it towards Jasper. "And no more talk of man cards and sticks and well you know…behave. I swear it is like you two are still teenagers sometimes."

As soon as she left the room, I slowly rose from the table and directed Jasper towards the large container of spaghetti and Edward towards the salad bowl while I gathered the bread into a warming basket.

"Man, this smells so good!" Jasper exclaimed holding the pot under his nose, deeply inhaling. "I am about to starve. Especially after the workout I had last night."

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly, but quickly returned to normal as I thrust the salad tongs into the bowl.

"I'm with you on that. Worked up quite an appetite myself, earlier this morning. Wouldn't you agree, Bells?" Edward smirked as he headed behind Jasper to the dining room the two of them chuckling at the blatant sexual innuendos.

I grabbed the basket of bread along with some salad dressings and slightly nodded my head.

The boys may be hungry…but I had suddenly lost my appetite.

We were well into the meal and I prayed that no one was noticing that I had done nothing more than push my pasta around the plate.

Edward and his father were deep in conversation about some big time surgeon and a new procedure he had been perfecting. Most of the language was so far out of my scope that I could not have kept up even if I had been interested.

Jasper and Esme were discussing some new program that they had both found interesting on the History channel, leaving Emmett and myself to a staring contest.

Every time I looked up from my plate, he was staring at me. Each time I offered a smile and every time I got a scowl before he returned to pushing his food around his plate as well. I had yet to see him take more than a few bites of his food, although he seemed to have a never ending supply being funneled into his wine glass.

After a few more moments, Esme seemed to realize that the two of us were not engaging in conversation.

"So, Emmett, we haven't heard much from you lately. What have you been up to?" Esme asked as she pushed the bread basket towards him.

"Not much really, just working," he muttered towards his plate.

"Just working? Really honey, you work too much. Now tell me, do you have anybody special that you are seeing?" I could see him physically tense at the question.

He lifted his head and looked directly into my eyes. I felt the few bites of pasta churn in my stomach as my hand gripped the napkin laid across my lap.

"No. I mean I thought I had…but no. There is no one special."

He grabbed his glass and turned it up, gulping down the contents in one long swing before quickly refilling it.

"I'm sorry, dear. I wasn't trying to pry. I just want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. I know one day that perfect girl is going to show up and just turn your world upside down." She gave him a bright smile and a quick wink. "Just think, one day you will have your own Bella - just like Edward does."

God, please, just let the earth swallow me up now.

Edward looked towards his brother and gave him a crooked grin while reaching for my hand under the table and bringing it to his lips.

"I don't know about that, Mom. There is only one Bella and I was lucky enough to land her. However, I am sure Em will find his perfect girl one day."

I watched the pain ripple across Emmett's face as his eyes locked onto our entwined hands. I gently tugged, trying to pull mine away from Edward's but he just readjusted his grip, pulling them into his lap. He cocked his eyebrow at Emmett before shoveling another forkful of food into his mouth with his free hand.

Pain turned to anger as Emmett's fork clattered onto his plate.

"Well, actually, little brother, I do have my sights set on someone. And I don't plan on stopping until I have made her mine." He threw his napkin on the table and made to stand up.

Oh God, Oh God…here it goes.

I tried to shut my eyes, but I was frozen like a deer in the headlights as I waited for the inevitable.

Edward's eyes twinkled mischievously towards his brother. "So, is it the tiger from the other night? You know the one with the scratches?"

Oh Jesus, he had seen the marks I had left. I could feel my food slowly starting to make its way back up from my stomach and I wondered if I had time to remove the sharp pieces of silverware in Edward's hand, lest they be turned into a weapon.

"Actually, it is. And there is something you…"

A rush of air and Chanel filled the room as Alice glided through the open dining room door.

"I am so sorry I am late everyone! I did not get Jasper's message until just a little while ago and I had to rush home and change before I could head over here." She quickly kissed Esme and Carlisle's cheeks before settling into her seat.

"You just got my message? I called you hours ago. Where were you? What were you doing?" Jasper fired off each question in quick succession.

Alice turned and gave him a pointed stare.

"I told you I was going shopping and that's where I was. I did not realize I had left my phone in the car. Would you like a detailed timeline, Jasper?" she snapped, reaching for a piece of bread.

"I, um… I just couldn't get you…and I…" Jasper's voice trailed as he stared at his plate.

Edward took a long drink from his glass before turning towards Alice and chuckling under his breath.

"Shopping again, Alice? You know when you and Jasper finally do get married you will have to have a spare bedroom just for your shoes. Thank goodness Bella hates to shop, right, love?"

I watched as her eyes narrowed and her perfectly manicured fingernails tapped on the table top.

"Well Edward, what can I say…? Nordstrom waits for no man. Which reminds me, Bella, I need to talk to you after dinner. It is very important."

I nodded my head just as a large amount of Edward's wine got stuck in his throat and he spit it across the tablecloth. I turned and gently hit his back as he tried to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, just went down the wrong pipe. Ummm… Jasper didn't you say something about taking Alice to a movie after lunch?"

"Well, yes I was hoping to." Jasper turned in his chair towards Alice. "I mean, I know it is spur of the moment, but we have not to spend a lot of time together lately."

"I would love to, Jazz, but I really need to go to the office and work for a while. I have got to get…"

"Not again, Alice. I swear it is like I need to make an appointment to spend time with you anymore!" He threw his napkin down, pushing his chair away from the table.

"What do you mean? I have to work, Jasper. This client is one of my most important. You know how much it will mean to land his business. Why are we going through this again?"

"Why? Because there is ALWAYS some emergency at work or some sale or some reason you can not be with me. I have to be important too, Alice!"

He shot out of his chair and barreled from the room. I watched as tears began to form in Alice's eyes.

"I am sorry for ruining your lunch, Esme. If you would excuse me…" She quickly exited the room amid her soft sobbing.

"You know, I think I have had enough for one afternoon myself. I think I am just going to go downstairs and watch some TV, give those two a little time before I see if Jasper needs a ride home." Emmett said slowly rising from the table and leaving the room as well.

The four of us sat in silence for another moment. Gradually Edward and his father picked up their previous conversation and I began helping Esme gather up the dirty dishes.

We had everything brought back to the kitchen as I started to scrape the plates into the trash can.

"Bella, sweetie, why don't you go check on Emmett? You have always been able to lift his spirits and he seems like he could use a friend now. Knowing Edward, he and Carlisle will be talking shop for the next hour."

Slowly I set the plates upon the counter and made my way to the stairs leading to the family room. I hesitated, wondering if I should even try to talk to Emmett. I gathered my courage and made my way silently down the stairs. There he was, sitting on the large sofa, staring at the blank TV screen. I cleared my throat. He turned his head towards me and I was overwhelmed by the sadness in his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright." I crossed the short distance to the couch and stood behind him, wanting to sink my hands in his thick hair.

"I'm just great. I mean, why wouldn't I be? I have totally fucked my life all to hell. I am in love with someone who doesn't love me back. I am either going to destroy myself or my family. Why would I not be great?"

The sigh that escaped my lips was not lost on him. He turned quickly and grabbed my wrists and pulled me into his lap.

"Tell me. Tell me right now what last night meant to you!" he growled.

I struggled in his embrace, not completely sure if I was scared or aroused by his tone.

"What do you mean? It was wonderful. And I am sorry I left without telling you goodbye, but you were sleeping so peacefully and I know you are mad…"

"I am not mad about that. I came to your house, Bella. To-to see you…to…be with you. B-but I saw…" His voice trailed off as his head flung backwards to the couch.

"What, Emmett? What did you see?" I pulled his face until his eyes were locked with mine.

"You and Edward…making love. I had brought you some flowers and I knocked but you didn't…you didn't come…so I went to the patio door…and oh fuck…I saw you two. And I don't know what the fuck I am doing anymore. I don't want you with him…don't you understand?" His voice and words were coming in such rapid succession and the hurt in them was so thick that it took me a moment to comprehend everything he was saying.

He saw…he saw Edward and I. Together.

"Emmett, I don't know what you want me to say. I am so confused. What we shared last night meant so much to me. But I still…I still love Edward. And I don't know if it is because I don't know how to not love him or what."

My head dropped down to his neck and I breathed in his scent making the tears once again well in my eyes.

"And what about me, Bella? Where do I stand in all this?"

"I don't think I can be without you now. " My lips found his collarbone and I allowed my tongue to swirl against his flesh as one of his hands slid underneath my shirt, tracing circles upon my back while the other snaked into my hair. He gently tugged until we were staring into each other's eyes once more.

"You know you can't have us both, right?"

I silently nodded while my eyes traced the contours of his face, finally resting upon his lips.

"Then I will give you the time to decide exactly who and what you want. But just so you know, I was not kidding. I am going to do everything I can to make you mine."

His lips crashed against mine as his hands traveled back under my shirt, this time going to the front. His large hands palmed my breasts as I felt his erection grow through his jeans. My breath hitched as one hand traveled down and began massaging my clit through the thin material of my slacks.

"Fuck, need you now," he whispered as he rose from the couch, sweeping me in his arms bridal style.

His eyes searched the room, finally landing on the door to the small adjoining bath.

"I know it is not the romantic place, but I need to be in you… now," he said as he headed towards the open door.

I didn't care where we were going. I didn't care that my husband was right upstairs. Didn't care that my best friend was fighting with her fiancé and was upstairs crying her eyes out…my only coherent thought was of being as close as humanly possible to this man that had just told me he loved me and was going to fight for me.

He sat me down in front of the bathroom door and my hands slipped into the waistband of his jeans. I licked my lips at the thought of what was going to happen.

"What are you two doing?" echoed through the room as we both turned our heads to the sight of my mother in law, standing at the bottom of the stairs.