Friends with Benefits

Chapter One Hundred Forty

Things I own: my sanity (though, that's debatable at times), not enough time to write and incredible friends and family!!

Things I don't: Twilight, Edward and Bella (Damn. It.)

Chapter 140

EPOV

The joys of make-up sex are amazing. We went through the entire can of whipped cream, ruined my sheets and fucked each other stupid. I never slept so hard in my life. When the alarm went off, I just wanted to call in sick and stay home, holding my girlfriend. Alas, that was not doable. She had her final day of instruction before finals and I had a lunch date with my ex-girlfriend.

Putting on one of my suits, I went to work, going over case law regarding sexual harassment. I was preparing for the meeting with the judge and other attorneys on Friday. At eleven, I left the office to meet Angela at the Corner Bakery in Water Tower Place. I found her standing outside, fiddling with an older-looking Smart phone. She was dressed in a conservative suit and looked very wary. "Hi, Angela," I said. She jumped slightly before looking up at me. She smiled. "Were you waiting long?"

"I just got here. I was responding to an email from a coworker. Shall we?" she asked. I nodded and we went into the shop, ordering our meals before sitting down. She sipped her water, looking like she wanted to ask me a question.

"What, Ang?" I chuckled.

"Sorry. Did everything work out with you and Bella?" she asked. "Emmett told me that you two had a fight."

"It's a work in progress. She's feeling a great deal of guilt and is struggling to get over it, but I've forgiven her. I think I forgave her as soon as I saw her the next morning," I replied. She nodded. "So, you and Emmett...I thought..."

"Right," she giggled nervously. "A lot has happened since we broke up, Edward. Before I get into that, I wanted you to know that I think that you are one of the kindest men I'd ever met. You remind me of my father with the way you act." Her eyes filled with tears. She dabbed her cheeks before continuing. "When we got together, I was torn between choosing a life with God and continuing along my path to become a teacher. You were everything that I had hoped for in a man, but when we had sex, I was unprepared. Meaning, I never knew anything. In fact, yours was the first..." Her eyes trailed down to my crotch and she blushed furiously.

"I get it," I chuckled nervously. I was the first guy she'd seen naked. I'm not even that big.

"My mom was very conservative and so was my father. Sex was never discussed. It was taboo. It carried over to me. However, my relationship with you was my rebellion, but I'm not the rebellious type. After being with you, though, I couldn't...my path was set and I broke it off, moving into a convent near my childhood home. I spent a year there when my mom called me in a panic. My father, who was only fifty-seven, had a stroke. I left the convent to help my mom and care for my two twin brothers, who were only eight at the time. My father passed away because the damage to his brain was too much. We had him cremated and my mom, she lost it. She was a ghost, wandering around the house in a fog, wearing my father's old clothes and talking to an apparition of him. I tried to shield my brothers, keeping them occupied and maintaining normalcy." She stopped when our food arrived but didn't continue. She was trying not to sob and she was clutching a handkerchief. Reaching across the table, Iplaced my hand on her arm. That broke the dam.

"Ang..." I frowned. I got up and gave her a hug as she sniffled. It was awkward, knowing that she was dating my brother and that I was in love with my best friend. Eventually, she wriggled and gave me a watery smile. Getting up, I moved back to my seat, concerned for her.

"Sorry. It's still hard for me to talk about it," she said. "Regardless, about a month after my father's death, I found my mother. She had taken all of her anti-depressants, anti-anxiety pills and all of her sleeping pills. She overdosed. She left a note saying that she couldn't be in a world without my father and left the boys in my care. Within two months, I lost both of my parents and became a single mother. I wanted to call you, ask for your help, but I remembered what I did and I knew that you wouldn't talk to me." I gave her a stern look. "I wasn't thinking rationally, Edward. I'm still struggling. I'm working as an administrative assistant and living in a small condo on the near north. The boys, they're fourteen and going to a private Catholic school. However, they are a challenge. They don't see me as their mother, but as their conservative older sister who has a stick shoved up her ass." My eyes bugged out when I heard that. Angela never swore. "Things have changed, Edward. I've had to change. I moved here so I could be closer to my father's younger brother and his wife. They are helping with Anthony and Alex. I'm their guardian but every so often, they visit my Uncle Steve to let off some steam. Uncle Steve works for the Bears organization with Emmett and that's how I met him. So, we've come full circle."

"I'm so sorry, Angela. I can't even imagine," I frowned.

"I can't either and I'm living it," she snorted humorlessly. "I just wanted to talk to you. Is it weird that I'm dating Emmett? I don'twant to cause you any stress..."

"Angela, Emmett's a good guy. A bit crass and not the sharpest tool in the shed, but his heart is good. I'm very lucky to have him as my older brother," I smiled crookedly. "I understand why we didn't work out, but I'm not about to turn away your friendship. I'd like to be your friend."

"I'd really like that, too," she breathed. Her phone chirped. She picked it up, furrowing her brow. "Crap. I've got to go. My boss needs me." She flagged down someone, asking for a box for her food. Wrapping it up, Angela scurried to the door. She gave a cursory wave, leaving me in the restaurant.

A/N: And there's Angela's story...There's zero weirdness for her to be dating Emmett and Angela is a good character. She won't mess with Edward, Bella or whomever. She's been dealt a shit hand of cards, barely keeping her head above water. Leave me some...