A/N: All recognizable elements contained herein belong to their respective owners.

"She was blonde!" Leah exclaimed (as if being blonde was an egregious affront to mankind) while I picked pieces of cookie, frosting, and candy out of my hair from the gingerbread house she had hurled at me.

"Is that illegal now, being blonde?" I chuckled and poured myself another finger of Jameson. I had no idea why she was always so pissed off at me. Luckily, she fucked as passionately as she fought.

"Do not laugh at me, you sonofabitch!" Leah smacked the drink from my hand, splashing perfectly good whiskey down the front of my pajamas and sending the glass careening to the tile floor.

"What the fuck?" I glared at her. "I just opened that bottle, Leah." I sucked the tips of my fingers into my mouth, tasting sweet whiskey and frosting. I crossed the kitchen to wash my hands and dry my shirt.

"You disrespect me and never give a shit," she hissed as she stooped to clean up the mess. "Just… get out."

The cabin was mine, but I didn't feel like arguing over who should be the one to leave. So I packed a bag and called Seth.

"Yeah." Seth's tired voice answered my call after three rings.

"I need a ride." I exhaled warm breath and smoke into the cool, early morning air. "She's throwing baked goods." I replaced my crumpled pack of Camels in the pocket of my overcoat and took a seat on the deck box.

"Jesus. What did you do this time?"

"Who knows?" I inhaled and felt my head spin. "Just get me out of here, man."

Seth said he'd be there as soon as he could, and we ended our call. I was freezing. Pajamas are for bed, not for sitting around outside in Maine in the wee hours of the morning, and I would normally wear socks with my Cole Haans in- or outdoors. Also, my shirt was damp and stinking from Leah's whiskey shower.

"Cullen, you're fucking pathetic," Leah said as she shoved my guitar out onto the wooden planks of the deck. "You better call a cab, because I took the keys to your precious Audi out of your pocket while your drunk ass was changing into your jammies."

Her shrieking made my head pound and my mouth dry. I wanted a drink and a nap.

Hair of the dog would be fucking glorious right about now. I thought to myself. A beer and a blowjob… fuck, I'm still drunk.

"I called for a ride," I mumbled and cracked my neck.

"Who? That whore from Billy's?" Leah's voice grated against my skin.

She crossed her arms, pushing her braless tits together and up. She was wearing a pair of my boxer shorts and one of my old, worn Lacrosse t-shirts.

"Seth," I mumbled trying to avert my eyes from her perky nipples.

"Seth?" Leah snorted. "You know he thinks you're shit, right? My whole family thinks you're shit, Edward."

Behind Leah I could see Bella, my eight-year old Siamese cat, shivering under the kitchen table—from the cold or Leah's ire, I would never know. I just wanted to close my eyes and wake up with Leah riding me in ignorant bliss.

"Okay," I shrugged.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

What did she want me to say? This happens every other week. I do what I do, and she gets pissed.

"Leah, you fucking knew who I was when you moved in here." I lit another cigarette to keep me warm. "And I never promised you a goddamned thing."

"I see." She straightened her posture and gripped the edge of the doorframe. "So what you're really saying is, you have no common decency, and I shouldn't expect any. Is that it?"

She stood still and watched as I silently finished my smoke, stubbed it out, and leaned my head against the wall to wait for my rescue.

"Yeah," she breathed and shifted her weight. "I guess that's it."

At some point, I must've dozed off. The slamming of a car door suddenly woke me, and the sky had lightened as it does just before dawn.

"Nice shoes." Seth snarked, walking toward the deck.

"Thank God," I groaned, standing to stretch. My stomach lurched and my brain sloshed. "I thought you'd never get here."

I turned to pick up my bag and guitar just as Leah was exiting the house. She had several of her own bags in hand and was dressed in those tight little jeans that I love and her confusing Ugg boots.

"I think I got everything," Leah said as she slid the door shut. She took a deep breath and looked me in the face. Her eyes were red and swollen. "If there's anything else, I'll come for it later."

"Have you been crying?" I asked, slightly befuddled. I had never seen Leah vulnerable, sad, or scared.

She scoffed lightly and rolled her puffy eyes. "Yes," she answered and hiked her backpack higher on her shoulder. "That's what happens when a person has feelings. Sometimes they get hurt."

"I'm sorry." I blinked. "I didn't know-"

"Don't." Leah held up a hand to stop my semi-drunken babbling then turned to Seth. "Will you grab a couple of these bags?"

Seth stepped up onto the deck, slung one bag over his shoulder, and grabbed a duffle bag in each hand. He made his way to his car, and Leah turned back to face me.

"I fed Bella and cleaned out her box." Leah fumbled with her bag and adjusted her coat around her small frame. "You need to get some more litter, and you're almost out of orange juice."

"I'm sorry." I caught her fidgeting hand, but she deftly pulled free of my grasp.

"I'll talk to you later," she mumbled and turned to jog down the stairs to her brother's waiting car.

I slumped back onto my deck box, propped my face against my fist, and watched them drive away.

"Fuck."