AN: I was going to wait to post this last chapter of the fic until Friday, but what the heck. I'm just going to do it now. Happy New Year! More after the chapter, bbs!

EPOV

Standing on the red carpet for the second time in three nights was not my idea of a good time. In fact, I wouldn’t have done it at all if Emmett didn’t need watching and I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Bella so much.

Even in the few days we’d known each other, she’d totally blown every preconceived notion I held about women out of the water. Being from the South I was used to being told and reminded at every opportunity that women needed to be protected. Bella, on the other hand, didn’t need protecting at all.

She was strong and fiercely independent. She wouldn’t need me to make a simple decision for her. Conversely, she’d probably chop my balls off if I even tried to.

She didn’t let me get away with any of my crap, and my skin nearly tingled whenever we were together. I’d sworn that I’d never be as vulnerable as Emmett was with Rosalie, but I’d already come to the conclusion that it wouldn’t take much more time in Bella’s company to make me Emmett’s twin.

I wanted Bella, and I wanted her so much that I almost no longer cared about being emotionally untouched. She’d brought me to my knees, in only a few short days. A woman like that was worth holding on to.

A long black car pulled up at the very end of the red carpet, and in an almost exact replica of two nights ago, the door opened and Bella emerged, looking sinfully gorgeous.

Finally, her hair was down, and its retro waves perfectly matched her short black cocktail dress. Her tight cocktail dress. I nearly groaned at how perfectly the satin fabric outlined her body.

She smiled shyly at me as she finally reached my side. “You look beautiful,” I said, wrapping an arm around her. “Absolutely stunning.”

Laughing, she told me, “You’re lying, but thank you.”

I shook my head a little as we entered the big ballroom. She might not know she was gorgeous, but I knew the truth.

Inside, the benefit was in full swing, and I left Bella’s side to get us drinks.

The line was unfortunately several partygoers deep at the bar, and by the time I’d fetched her white wine and my Scotch, I had to search to find her.

When I did, I wished that I’d never left. My heart stopped and I nearly panicked.

Bella was with Emmett and that woman we were trying so hard to disprove as a lying, money-grubbing bitch, and the press were paying serious attention, snapping away pictures.

I walked up behind her, and setting the drinks down on a nearby table, hooked one hand with hers, and tugged.

She turned toward me and her eyes were big and apprehensive. “Come with me,” I whispered, and I took her out a side entrance into an empty hallway.

“You told me that Rosalie was coming!” I hissed. “We were two of the last arrivals, and she hasn’t shown up yet. She probably sent that woman to make more crap for us.”

“Rosalie is coming!” Bella said angrily. “She promised me she would. She told me that she’d made a big mistake about Emmett.”

“Well then where the hell is she and why hasn’t she called him to apologize!” I knew I was blowing up at Bella, who had done everything she could to make sure this evening went well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to help myself. I had to let off the steam somehow, I reasoned.

But Bella’s face was growing more and more upset by the moment. “You told me to trust you,” she insisted, “yet you don’t trust me at all. Rosalie is coming. She gave me her word—and I gave you mine.”

“Fine,” I snapped, and stalked out the doorway, not expecting Rosalie to show up at all.

Except, there she was, standing next to Emmett, with her arm around him, and they were both beaming with happiness. The woman was off to the side, looking angry. The press were all happily gobbling the drama up, but it looked like Rose and Emmett had offered enough of a united front that doubt about the woman’s story was beginning to creep in.

“There? Happy?” I heard Bella snap from behind me and I turned to look at her.

She was glaring at me, and I wasn’t sure that her reaction wasn’t totally deserved.

“Next time,” she snarled, “before you castigate me, wait for the facts first.”

She flounced away, clearly very upset with me and I almost went after her, but I didn’t know what to say. I needed to think about the right words to say first.

BPOV

I hated him. I really did.

I went and hid in the ladies lounge area and tried to tell myself that getting involved with Edward Cullen was bad news all around.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling very smart and all I wanted, still, was him.

Finally, after my tears were dry, I emerged from the bathroom, only to have Rosalie immediately pounce on me.

“Thank you so much, Bella,” she said, smiling and beaming in her beautiful white gown. “I needed what you said, so much.”

I smiled stiffly in return. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it all worked out.”

Rosalie’s eyes narrowed. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing, nothing,” I insisted, half-turning away, afraid she’d see my still-red eyes.

“Tell me,” Rosalie demanded. “If Edward’s been an asshole again, I am so sorry. He just. . .is that way with women.”

Rosalie’s words confirmed what I already knew about Edward. He was a player. He’d never been serious about me—his words yesterday in the coffee shop had been meaningless.

I drooped even more and Rose clucked over me, hiding me behind her. “It’s okay,” she said kindly. “It’s more worth it to find out now than to wait and fall for him and find out then.”

I miserably thought to myself that it was probably already too late; I’d already fallen for the man. But I didn’t say that to Rose. I just wanted to leave here as soon as possible.

As soon as the auction started, I could duck out, go home and cry myself to sleep for being stupid enough to think that Edward Cullen could ever be interested in me.

“Thanks, really, you’re right,” I reassured Rosalie who then left to go find Emmett.

I just prayed that Edward wouldn’t try to approach me again until after I’d had a chance to escape.

Finally, the auction started, I ceremonially held up the first prize for bid, and then I gratefully gathered my things and hailed a cab. I sat down and let my head fall back in utter disillusionment and disappointment.

Ten minutes later, the cab driver stopped outside, and I paid him quickly and got out, ready to hurry to the door to prevent me from freezing to death outside my brownstone.

Just as I was about to unlock the door, a figure stepped out from behind one of the stone pillars that flanked the doorway, and I nearly fell over in surprise.

“Bella,” Edward said entreatingly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Of everything I had envisioned waiting at home for me this was the last thing I’d expected. I’d thought I’d be free and clear once I left the ballroom. Never in a million years had I thought he’d follow me—or that he even knew my address!

“I could file a restraining order, you know,” I told him coldly. “You’re practically stalking me these days.”

“Secretly I think you like it,” he murmured, taking off his coat again and wrapping it around my shoulders. I was cold so I didn’t argue.

“I don’t,” I insisted. “I just want you to leave me alone. You don’t like me and you certainly don’t trust me.”

“I asked Rosalie,” he continued, smoothly interrupting me and ignoring what I’d asked for, “what you said to her to make her join Emmett tonight at the benefit. She said you talked to her about trust in the one you love.”

He sighed. “I let you down, Bella. I should have trusted you, like I asked you to trust me, and I didn’t.”

“Yes, you really royally screwed up,” I said petulantly. “Now can I go inside?”

“Not until you invite me in,” he said with a jovial smile. “And I don’t think you’ll do that until you forgive me for being the most unmitigated ass.”

I stared at him. “You’re sorry?”

“Duh,” he deadpanned. He shook his head slightly then took my hands in his, though I tried to fight him off, unsuccessfully. “Bella, I don’t think you know what you’ve done to me. You’ve changed everything.”

I raised one eyebrow skeptically. “Isn’t that what they all say?”

“Well, maybe, but it’s the truth with me, I swear it. Just please, please give me another chance to prove how much I want you.”

I hesitated. I wanted to believe him so much. I really did. I wanted to believe that he’d turned over a new leaf, for me. I wanted to believe that he was sorry for the way he’d acted earlier. But I still had doubts.

“Please,” Edward pleaded, and he looked so desperate in that moment—so honestly truthful about his need for a second chance that I couldn’t help myself. Me, who never gave in, who never gave a single inch, who kept everyone at an arm’s distance, capitulated.

“Okay,” I said, a small smile dancing across my face. “With one stipulation.”

Edward groaned, but I could tell he was smiling too. “Anything,” he said. “Anything you ask for.”

“You never make me kiss Emmett ever again.”

Edward laughed and pulled me towards him, tucking my head under his chin. “Trust me, no complaints about that. I’m the only one doing the kissing from now on.”

And he was right.

awwwwww!

Thanks again to Alaskangirl for allowing me to publish her story, and also to CallistoLexx for being a fabulous beta and for the Twinster and Angel for letting me bounce ideas off them. There will be ONE more small little one-shot that will go with this story and that will be a lemon I'm going to write for Smut Mondays on Twilighted--and yes, I will be posting it seperately here, on fanfic.