A/N: We've reached the end of the week and it's time for a new chapter. I hope those that read the previous liked it enough to keep coming back. Without further ado, chapter two!
Ch 2 October – Dating
When Edward and Isabella got to the carnival, it was already crowded.
"So what do you want to do first?" he asked.
"The Ferris Wheel. It has a short line." They traveled quickly through the line and were placed on the ride.
"I love to put my hands up in the air as the cart moves over the top. It feels like I'm about to fall. I always end up grabbing the bar after a millisecond," he mentioned. "Watch. Here we go!" He held his hands up, but quickly held on again. "See."
"You're such a chicken. I bet I could keep my hands up longer," she goaded.
"Oh really? Let's see," he challenged. They were back at the top and both held their arms up. As they came over the top, they both grabbed at the bar.
"I think it was a tie!" she concluded.
Suddenly the wheel abruptly halted. She grasped at the back of Edward's hand. He looked at her as she looked at him, and he smiled. As their cart swung, he turned his hand over so he could hold her hand properly. She could feel her insides beginning to flutter, so she let go when the cart stopped swinging.
"I wonder why the wheel stopped," he mused to break the tension. He looked down and saw a person vomiting on the floor. The passenger's cart door was still opened. "Oh, someone lost their lunch down there."
"Yuck. Now we'll smell it every time we pass. This is why I always eat after the 'throw up' rides."
The wheel began to revolve again. As they passed the operator, Edward asked if they could get off. The operator let them off the ride after one revolution.
"What do you want to ride now?" he requested.
"Let's try some booths." They went from booth to booth, but they never won any prizes.
"How about some cotton candy?" she quested.
"You could have some. I don't like cotton candy. I prefer a pretzel with mustard."
"Ew." She made a face.
"Oh come on! Cotton candy is nothing but sugar fluffed into a cloud. At least a pretzel is sustenance."
"Yeah, but with mustard?" she complained.
"It tastes good," he defended. "If you try some with mustard, I'll try some cotton candy."
"You first," she injected.
Edward bought the cotton candy and pretzel. He also took some mustard packets from the stand. He gave the cotton candy to her then took a small piece off to eat.
"That's tiny, take a real piece." She took a hunk off with her fingers and dropped it into his hand. He stuffed the hunk in his mouth and tried to not make a face.
"You have to swallow it," she stated.
"I'm trying!" Edward said with his voice muffled. Once he got it down, he broke off a piece of the pretzel and gave it to her with a packet. "Now it's your turn."
She opened the packet and put some mustard on her piece. She placed it in her mouth. "Not bad."
"See," he laughed. "Don't knock things till you try them. Oooh, batting cages. I haven't played baseball in so long." They ran over to the cages.
"You played baseball, but didn't learn to ride a bike?"
"I played in school." He grabbed a bat and put a helmet on. He put a token into the machine. The first ball flew past him.
"Strike!" she called.
"I'm a little rusty," he justified. The next ball came by and he swung. There was a loud crack as he connected with the ball.
"Wow!"
When his turn was over, he gave her the helmet and bat. "I'm not very good."
"Give it a try." He went safely behind the fence and she put a token in the machine. The ball flew passed her as she swung each time without connecting to the bat.
"You're holding the bat too loosely and your stance is off," he criticized.
"Well then could you come and help me? I don't know what to do."
Edward took the bat from her and showed her how to stand. "Feet apart, bend the knees. Put your hands here and hold on tight." He gave the bat back to her. "I'm going to touch your hands, okay?" he asked. She nodded. He stood facing her and put his hands on top of hers. She tried to ignore the odd tingling beginning in her hands.
He positioned the bat over her shoulder and slowly swung it around toward him. "Like this," he explained. "And try to hit the ball when the bat is horizontal, got it?"
"I think so." She put the bat down and he stepped out of the fence again. She rubbed her hands together trying to be rid of the sensation, shaking her hands out before picking up the bat once more.
"Here's another token. Try again. I think you could do it." After missing the first, Isabella nicked the second and got good distance on the third.
"You see! That wasn't so hard."
"Those balls were flying really fast. Now my hands hurt."
"Let me see?" She gave him her hands and he massaged them. Her cheeks darkened as the fluttering in her stomach began.
She pulled them away. "They're fine now. Thanks."
They decided to go on the Scrambler next. While waiting, she glanced at the other couples standing on line. She noticed they were holding hands or touching in one form or another. She wanted to be like everyone else. She looked over at Edward. He was watching the ride spin around. She told herself she needed to get used to it and slipped her hand into his. The fluttering in her stomach intensified and her heartbeat increased. He looked at their hands for a moment and then slowly turned his head to her. She gave a weak smile. He tightened his grip to hold her palm.
Isabella's breaths became pants. "You don't have to do this. It's fine if you want to let go," he said.
"No," she said between breaths, "I don't want to."
She held his hand for the entire ride and only let go when the ride came to a stop.
"I think I'm ready to go home," she muttered. Her skin sensitivity was beginning to overwhelm her.
"That's fine. Let's go to the car." He was amazed at how long she held onto him and hopeful her obstacle may be overcome.
When they reached her dorm, he walked her up to her room.
"I had a nice time," she complimented softly. "Thank you."
"I'm glad." He lifted his fingers ignoring the automatic step backwards and touched the tip of her hair. "Your hair smells like strawberries. What shampoo you use?"
"Elite, the Strawberries and Cream one." Her cheeks pinked again as she felt the tingle in her scalp while he twisted her follicles.
"I'm just going to take a good whiff." He leaned in as Isabella was stuck unmoving, wide-eyed as he slowly inhaled. Her heart beat so loud she swore he could probably hear it. "Goodnight," he uttered as he stepped back and turned to go.
"Yeah, Goodnight," she whispered.
She entered her room and instantly wrapped her arms around her tummy and bent over a little. "Too much, just too much." She bit her lip for a moment. Too much yes, but she yearned for more.
._.
The next morning Edward was knocking at Isabella's door. "Who is it?" she asked still sleepy.
"It's Edward. I've come to take you to breakfast."
She opened the door a crack and mumbled, "It's 8:30 in the morning. Doesn't a girl have a right to sleep in on a Sunday?"
"I have to work later."
"Kay, give me ten minutes. I'll meet you downstairs," she yawned.
._.
They walked to the café just off campus and sat down at a table. Both of them ordered just a croissant and coffee. The café was a popular breakfast area and within minutes it was packed. The two were enjoying the atmosphere until some cheerleaders walked right to their table.
"Hey, aren't you in my Psych class?" the tallest one asked. Edward just shrugged. "I'm Rosalie." She had beautiful blond hair and good sized breasts so not to hinder her athletics. She skimmed over Isabella, "Who are you?"
"Isabella."
"Well Annabelle, you don't mind if my crew and I crash here?"
"It's Isabella."
"Actually we do." Edward injected. "Go share someone else's table."
The cheerleaders left to invade another table and successfully coerce the occupants to vacate. Edward viewed his companion's face. "Well she was thoroughly rude."
She shook her head. "I can't stand girls who do that — get your name wrong purposefully to imply you're not important enough to remember. I know I shouldn't let it get to me."
He reached out to take her hand unconsciously, but she pulled her hand away. "Sorry," he murmured.
"No, it's okay." She took his hand and his thumb started stroking the back of her hand.
"I have to get some work done, but I want to see you later if it's okay."
"Yeah, not a problem." She was holding in her unease as her heart thumped its rapid beat.
He got up releasing her hand. "See you later."
As he left the café she rubbed at her fluttering tummy wondering when this feeling, if ever, will stop occurring.
._.
In the mist of his business doings, Mr. Jay told Edward he scheduled him for a last minute business dinner in Château Paris with some clients at 7:00pm. There was a problem with some things and only he would be able to resolve them.
"I can't. I have plans," he said.
"Well break them. This is important, you don't want them pulling out of the deal," Mr. Jay stated.
"Maybe I could bring her along. Will their wives be there?"
"Her? You made plans with a girl? I thought you were going to get a business degree, not a girlfriend."
"Can't I do both?" he chuckled. "You don't understand. This one is different. She makes me earn everything."
"Uh-huh. Why is it we always want what we can't have?" Mr. Jay commented.
Edward hung up and called Isabella to fill her in on the plans tonight.
"I don't have anything to wear for a business dinner."
"I'll have something sent to you around six and I'll pick you up at 6:45. What's your dress size?"
"I'm a four, but you don't have to."
"I want you to be comfortable," he insisted. "It should be over by 8:30. We could do something else afterwards. Bring a change of clothes."
._.
At 6:40 he called her to meet him outside. The group was running late. She came downstairs wearing the pearl satin cocktail dress he had sent. It clung to her hips and the skirt was pinned up in rows to give it an elaborate curtain-like appearance. Her usual loose hair was wrapped up neatly in a twist. A white limousine pulled up beside her.
"Whoa," she gasped. Edward stepped out of the limousine in a black suit and tie.
"I know." He smiled in his crooked way. "But the clients like to arrive in style. I have something for you." He handed her a box with a red bow.
"What's this?" she asked as she took it.
"Happy birthday," he muttered.
"How did you know?"
He grinned again. "You were my employee, remember? You wrote it down on your application."
"Well don't tell anyone."
"Why?"
"Birthdays aren't something I usually share. I don't like the fake attention." She reluctantly opened the box. It was a silver necklace of her name in a delicate script.
"It's so everyone will know your name," he said softly.
She couldn't believe how thoughtful he was. "Could you help me put it on?"
"Sure." He took the necklace from the box and she turned around, giving him the opportunity to lift the necklace over her head and linked it together by her neck. Her skin tingled at his touch. He couldn't help leaning forward and inhaling her perfume. "We're already late," he said, slightly distracted. "Let's get into the limo."
Inside were two couples. The men wore gray suits of different shades. The woman beside the darker suit wore a dark purple A-line dress, which had a low neckline. Her auburn hair was puffed up in front and held together in a sleek low pony. The other woman wore an above the knee red dress and a black satin bolero. Her short black hair was loose and parted down the center of her head. The men introduced themselves.
"I'm Eleazar Bradley and this is my wife Carmen." He gestured to the woman in purple next to him.
"I'm Jasper Whitlock and this is my wife Alice." He turned to her and smiled.
"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Isabella Swan."
._.
They were all seated at a large table with more couples and the men started discussing product sales and investments. Isabella didn't understand anything they were saying. Even the other ladies were making comments, adding to the conversation. It made her nervous. She began to fidget and Edward turned to her.
"Are you all right?" he whispered.
"I feel out of place," she answered.
"Relax. It's fine. You look beautiful by the way," he dazzled her with his glistening teeth. She smiled back still worried.
"... And Mr. Jenks and his clients are still questioning the line. What do you think, Mr. Masen?" Mr. Bradley asked.
"Oh. Sorry. She was just wondering where the ladies room was," he responded quickly.
"Down there to your right," a waitress answered. Isabella got up and followed the direction.
She was joined shortly after by Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Whitlock. "So what are your intentions with Mr. Masen?" one asked in an almost parental tone.
"Excuse me?"
"We just want to know if you're one of those gold-digging girls," the other stated.
"It's fine if you are. We won't tell. Believe us, there are a few wives out there like that," the first added.
Isabella felt offended by these two women. She suspected they wanted to expose her as a bad seed and felt the need to defend herself. "I'm not like that. I really like him."
"Yeah, that's what we expected you to say. But still, he is head over heels for you. I could see it in the way he looks at you," she explained. "We never saw him so—"
"Wait, what about Tanya?" the second interrupted.
"Who?" Isabella questioned.
"Oh, she's the last girl he brought to a dinner meeting. He was crazy for her, too. She was blonde, blue-eyed, and absolutely stunning."
"Oh. Was he serious about her?" she asked.
"Doubtful since you're here. Little known fact, blondes always get thrown back. It's the brunettes they keep." The first gestured to herself and her friend.
A familiar lady slipped her head through the door, "Hey dinner's served."
The three of them exited and went back to the table. Isabella glanced around the table at the other two wives. Neither one was blonde. Through the rest of dinner she was apprehensive. Edward asked her what was wrong, but she just shook her head and said, "Nothing."
When dinner was over, Isabella and Edward changed in the restroom to their light sweaters and denim jeans, while the limousine took the others back to their hotel. The two college students walked over to a nearby park to go for a stroll. Isabella stared into space.
"That's it. I can't take it anymore! What's wrong? You go into the ladies room to relax, but you come out worse than when you went in. What happened in there?"
"The ladies from the limo ride asked me questions about you. They told me about Tanya."
"Oh!" He sat down on the bench by the tree. "I didn't know they remembered her. I planned to tell about her, but much, much later."
She sat down too. "Well, tell me about her now."
"I don't know."
"Please? She's blonde, blue-eyed, and stunning they said."
"Curly blonde and I hated how long it took her to fix it. She wasn't anything like you. Actually, she was quite the opposite. Not very smart, she didn't get into any college. And ..." he grinned, "She couldn't keep her hands off me. I liked her a lot."
Isabella slightly pouted her lower lip. "How long did you date?"
"For three months."
"Who ended it?"
"I did. Apparently, she couldn't keep her hands off anyone else," he said with a slightly irate tone. He averted his eyes so not to give in to his anger.
"Oh." She looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" He looked back at her. "It's not your fault."
She touched her necklace. "Someone once told me if a guy gives you something personal it means he really cares about you."
"See that's why I don't give gifts to girls I date. They always try to interpret it into more than it is. Couldn't it just mean I'm trying to get into your pants?"
"What!"
He chuckled, "Just kidding! It's your birthday." He leaned closer. "And of course I care about you."
"Oh." She paused. Her heart beat soundly. "There was something else the ladies said."
"Oh? What?"
"See, you and I have only known each other for about a month, and they said blondes are thrown back and brunettes are the keepers."
"I don't think hair color has anything to do with … wait, you think I want to keep you. Well why not?"
Isabella focused on the ground. "I think they meant marriage."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down there! I don't think I know you well enough yet."
She lifted her eyes to him and smirked. "That's what I was thinking."
He held out his hand and she took it. She felt her hand tingle and her racing pulse, but she held on.
"Thank you for the necklace and the dress. I couldn't have picked a better choice."
"You're very welcome." He lifted his other hand to stroke her cheek. She moved away slightly, and he paused. "You're so beautiful."
Her middle knotted. "I'm ready to go home now."
._.
The next day Edward came up to her dorm room and knocked. Angela answered the door. "She's still in bed. She keeps muttering about a wonderful dream about midnight strolls in the park. I have no clue."
"Tell her I'm here," he told her smiling.
"Bells, time to get up. Edward's here," she called into the bed area.
"It's Isabella." She extended her necklace. "See Isa-bel-la. Learn to say the whole thing. Oh tell him I'll be five minutes."
True to her word, she was washed and fully clothed in five minutes.
"See curly hair would have taken forever," he chortled.
She grimaced. She didn't like being compared to Tanya. He pulled out a paper bag and gave it to her. When she opened it, she pulled out a muffin. "Breakfast?"
He stuck a candle in it and lit it with a lighter. "Birthday breakfast. Make a wish and blow out your candle."
She half smirked. "But my birthday was yesterday."
"I don't think it matters. You still deserve a wish." She smiled, closed her eyes and blew the candle out. The pastry was chocolate chip and she enjoyed eating it on her route to class.
._.
At lunchtime Edward was standing outside of her calculus class. "I was going to sit in, but I noticed you were having a test. Why didn't you tell me? You could have been studying last night," he rebuked.
"I never study the night before. It feels like cramming.
"I had a test, too. I completely forgot about it. I hope I didn't fail."
"What was the topic?"
"Management and business strategies," he said with a smirk.
"Fail? You probably aced it!"
"Probably," he grinned. He offered his hand to her. She hesitated a moment pondering, but then took it. She wanted to become comfortable with his hand and she thought continuing to have contact might get rid of the ill effects. Her breathing became shallow as she tried to breathe through the fluttering.
Once they sat down in the cafeteria, she let go. They talked over their lunch about their childhood with their dads. "He used to take me bike riding after school," Isabella explained. "This way it gave my mom time to cook dinner without distractions. She was a very unpredictable cook back then."
"I saw pictures of me as a toddler sitting on my dad's lap at work. He had some work papers open and he was reading them to me. My mom said he did that a lot. I used to join him after school in his office and did some odd jobs at first. But when he saw I had an aptitude for this stuff, he made me more central to his work. So I learned the business and took over after him."
"Didn't you have school friends you wanted to hang out with?"
"I had a few friends who lived in the neighborhood, but mostly I became close with the people at the Masen-Down Corporation. That's the name of my dad's investment business."
"I have to get to chemistry class," she uttered after checking the time.
"Hey, one minute. You have a test in English coming up, right?" She nodded. "Well, I do, too. Do you want to come over and study together?"
"I tutor in the Center after my classes, but I'll be through after 4. I'll come over then."
._.
There was a knock at Edward's door. He slowly opened it to let her in. She surveyed the scene. "This is a single room. You don't have a roommate?"
"Nope."
"So we're alone?" She hesitated before stepping in further.
"If you're uncomfortable, we could go to the library. I just thought here would be easier since we would not need to whisper."
"No, it's ... it's fine," she assured him lacking the full confidence she should in that statement.
He understood her waver. He tried to be a good host. "Do you want something to eat?"
"What do you have?"
"I've got frozen waffles, frozen pizza, frozen fish sticks—"
"I'm beginning to see a theme here," she jested. "What about some cereal?"
"I've got the colorful kind."
"Sure." He went to the kitchen area and served her a bowl. He knew people tended to feel better when they had food in them.
When she finished, they went to the couch and started pulling out the literature study sheet. They thoroughly read through their notes and the important parts from the book. After a solid two hours and a half of studying, Isabella excused herself for a bathroom break. When she came back Edward was pulling out cookies from the pantry.
"Want one?"
"Sure." She picked one up and sat down on one of the chairs. He took out some milk and sat in an adjacent chair.
"Isabella I was wondering, do you still see your dad?"
"Sure. My mom and dad are friends now. He comes around during the holidays and we spend it all together like a normal family minus the PDA."
"How is that possible with the way your mom was dating?"
"She slowed down a lot," she defended. "The two have a mutual agreement; she could date any man she wants and so could he."
He choked on his cookie. "Your dad is gay?"
She smiled. "You okay there?" He nodded and sipped some milk. "I'm not quite sure. I haven't seen any hard evidence, only suspicions, but it does explain my mom's behavior at first. She needed to prove she was desirable." He nodded again. She added, "Who wants to see their parent's PDA anyway? It's gross."
Edward looked at the ground.
"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I bet you would give anything to see your parents together."
"Yeah well, my dad being dead makes that impossible, but I do have a stepdad. He's great. I was upset at first, but he makes my mom happy. I love seeing that — my mom smile, especially since the way my dad was with me and then through his illness."
"How was he with you?" she questioned.
"We were so close, almost inseparable. My mom probably felt excluded."
"So what's your stepdad's name?"
"Carlisle. They've been together for more than three years and they still look at each other like the first time. I want that."
"What?"
"I want to be able to look at a girl and think, shit, she's still around?"
Isabella lightly shoved his arm as she joined in his laughter. A smile was still on his face as he slowly took her hand, watching carefully to tell if it would be okay.
"And I'd be glad she was." He gazed at her as his thumb lightly rubbed circles on her hand. He pulled her closer as he leaned toward her. His eyes dropped to her mouth.
Isabella's heart thumped wildly as she saw what was coming and she lurched back, her face turned away. Her breaths came out shallow and loud.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
"No, it's fine." She gazed straight ahead. She took a few breaths. "Edward, I want you to kiss me."
He stared at her profile. "You sure?"
"Yeah, I just don't think I should see it coming." She could feel the knots forming with her request. After a moment she closed her eyes.
"What, you mean now?"
She nodded. Her eyes were still closed. He walked around and bent down in front of her. On his knees he lifted his body up quietly, tilting his face, pausing for a moment in anticipation, and then their lips met. A small smile formed as he closed his eyes. His hand came up to caress her face as he deepened the kiss. She tilted her forehead forward breaking the connection. Her breathing was erratic.
"Deep breaths Isabella," he whispered. "In through the nose. Out through the mouth." He breathed with her as they focused on each other's eyes. "In. Out. In. Out."
She did feel better with each breath. "How do you know how to do this?"
"You're not the only one whose heart races. Want to feel mine?" He took her hand and put it to his chest.
"Wow! How can you stand it?"
"I kind of like it." He lifted his hands to her face and pressed his mouth again to hers. He switched sides giving her a chance to take a breath in between.
He shifted down to give her a chance to calm. He could feel her pulse rushing under his fingertips by her carotid arteries. "You know what's running through my head?"
She took a deep breath. "No," she whispered as she breathed out.
"I'm kissing Isabella!" They both gave a shallow laugh as he kissed her once more. "I'm never going to want to stop."
He was going to kiss her yet again, but she interrupted. "Maybe we should." She pulled in some deep breaths. "It feels like I'm about to faint."
He smiled again. "Deep breaths Isabella, deep breaths."
After a few moments she stood up. "It's getting late. I really should go."
He settled to the floor; the pain of all his weight on his knees finally took over. She put her books in her bag as he glanced up at her. "You know you really are amazing," he huffed.
"Thanks," she said by the door. "You too." Then she walked out.
She ran all the way to her dormitory and set her books down. She sat on her bed shaking. That was too much, she thought. She really liked him, but she didn't want to get hurt again.
._.
The next day Isabella woke early and left for the library to avoid any chance of seeing Edward. She also took her time getting to the cafeteria for lunch. Edward didn't understand why she didn't wait for him that morning, but didn't have a chance to find her during lunch. He and some of his classmates from psychology class had an impromptu study session in one of the booths.
They were going through Erikson's stages of development when he spotted Isabella sitting in a far off corner. He thought he caught her eyes, but something seemed off. He thought it best to leave her be, but he caved before the day was through. He decided to visit her while she was tutoring.
Through the window in the doors of the center he saw her sit down and wait for someone to need help. He walked through them and right up to the front counter.
"I need a tutor. What does she teach?" He pointed to Isabella.
"Algebra," the helper stated.
"Yeah, I need help with that," he smirked. The helper handed him a slip to fill out and Edward walked to her table. Her head was down. He placed the slip in front of her on the table. She read the name on the slip then snapped her head up.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered conspiratorially. Her heart began a steady increase.
"I need help with algebra," he whispered back.
"You're not taking algebra."
"I could be taking algebra."
"But you're not. You're taking trigonometry."
"Well then I need help with trigonometry."
"That's Naomi over there," she pointed.
"I don't want Naomi. I want you. I missed you."
A warm sensation started permeating through her, beginning in her stomach reaching out to her limbs. A smile peeked out from her lips. "You did?"
"Yeah." He set his things down and took a seat.
She glanced around. "You're going to get me in trouble."
"Not if you're actually tutoring me."
"But you're not taking algebra," she whispered through her teeth.
"We could study for our English test tomorrow, just until you have an algebra student to help."
"Fine. Take out your notes." She glanced around once more. They were able to study undisturbed.
When Isabella's shift was over, she took his slip to the desk and signed it. He walked her to her dorm to bid her adieu. His hand came up to move a strand of hair behind her ear. The tingling from his touch reddened her cheek and she gazed down. Her chest tightened as he stepped closer to her, inching his face forward for a goodnight kiss. She kept her face down. He noticed her hesitation and just planted his lips softly to her cheek.
His hand gently lifted her chin for her to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, but he could tell something was still off. She hadn't taken a breath the moment his mouth found her cheek and the tension in her chest intensified. Her heart sped and the knot in her tummy grew.
"Have a good night," she said with her last bit of air. She quickly entered her room and shut the door behind her.
Edward spent the rest of the night speaking with Mr. Jay, going over decisions and some paperwork, e-mailing things back and forth. In the back of Edward's mind he had an inkling he needed to figure out what was bothering Isabella.
._.
Edward went first thing in the morning to her dorm before she had time to escape. She was surprised to see him outside her door. "Good morning," he uttered.
"Oh, good morning."
"I thought maybe we could go get some breakfast before class. Maybe we could talk." He was good at this — client relations. That's why he was still head of his company, even while in ASU. He was good at discovering what people wanted and giving it to them.
"About what?" she asked.
"Anything."
She looked back into her room noticing Angela getting out of bed to begin her day. She didn't want her to suspect anything.
"Fine. Let's go."
All the while they went to the café and took it to go, they were quiet. Her heart beat steadily at a slow increase. They sat on a bench within campus. A knot formed not only in her stomach, but also in her throat. She knew the feelings building inside her were too much, but how could she explain it to him.
"So Isabella," he began. "How is everything?"
"Fine." She kept her face forward and to the ground.
"Are you sure? Because it seems like something is bothering you. Did I say something — do something wrong?"
"No, it's me." She turned to face him. "There has been a knot in my stomach, a strangle hold in my throat that I can't release. I can't breathe."
"Oh. Do you want me to take you to a hospital?"
"No," she minutely smiled. "It's not like that." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I need to be away from you. I can't breathe when I'm around you. My heart, my lungs, my stomach, even my head doesn't work right." More of her tears overflowed down her face.
He grabbed onto her wrist. "No!" His word came out with force.
She struggled against his tight hold. "Please let go." He released his grip.
"I don't understand. You don't make any sense. If we're going too fast, we could slow down. We don't have to break up."
"Every time I think about you, it happens. I'm worrying all the time. Even now," she panted as the salty drops flowed from her eyes, "I can't breathe."
"Then take a breath." He used a napkin to softly wipe at her cheek. "Take a breath and see what you're saying won't help." His breathing increased as his heart rate did. "It's just the tension between us. You just need to release it." He gently took hold of her face and kissed her. Their eyes were closed but watery. She kissed him back, loving the feeling of him there fighting to keep her, but she knew this feeling was temporary and the uncomfortable knot grew larger. "See?" he said after a moment.
"I'm sorry Edward. This isn't helping. I have to go. Maybe I'll see you around." She got up and left.
He sat there in shock. He was just dumped by a girl he knew liked him too much. He wanted to, needed to, do something drastic.
As Isabella made her way to class, she felt the knot loosen and her heart slowed down. "That's it," she whispered to herself. "No more touches. No more Edward." She felt her uneasiness go, but her tears didn't stop. She sat in the back of all her classes and didn't feel very hungry at lunch.
._.
"Angela I think I've done a bad thing."
"Why, what happened?"
"I broke up with Edward."
"What? What did you do that for? You looked like you were doing well with him."
"It just was too much for me. When we kissed, it felt like … I don't know, like I might pass out. My heart raced and I could barely breathe."
"You idiot! I told you all those things happen because you like the guy. And he really liked you! I can't believe you blew it."
"I was uncomfortable!"
"Well, how do you feel now?! Do you feel better now?"
"No!" Isabella uttered. "I feel wretched. I feel empty, like someone shot a hole through my center."
._.
The next day Isabella tried to spot Edward between classes or in the cafeteria, but she couldn't find him. She felt embarrassed on her way to his dorm, but that was the only place she thought he might surely be. She went there a few times, even knocked on the door with no answer. All phone and texts went unsent. It appeared he had vanished.
Isabella had trouble sleeping on most nights, only falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.
._.
Weeks passed and Halloween was on Saturday. Everyone was invited to the KU Fraternity costume party. Angela and Isabella planned to go together, but then Angela got a date.
"Go anyway, maybe you'll see Edward there," she suggested.
"No. I think he doesn't want to see me. Besides, it's a costume party. Even if I do see him, I won't know it is him."
"Yeah, but depending on your costume, he'll know it's you."
"Sure that will make him reveal himself," she said sarcastically.
She thought it over. It was apparent to her that it couldn't hurt to go. For the most part it would be a distraction. She acquired for herself a green fairy costume with wings and a wand. She chose this costume, because it didn't cover her face. She put her hair into a high pony and applied glittery makeup above her eyelids. She roamed around the party looking at the people intently. She tried to guess if one was Edward, but then gave up. She thought to herself she had truly messed up.
Determined to have fun anyway, she began to dance with the crowd being careful not to get too close to the other bouncing bodies. A male dressed in an all black cowboy outfit took an interest in her. He danced closer and adjusted his steps to match hers. After a few minutes, he asked if she was thirsty and directed her to the punch bowl. The two sat down by the tables amongst others who rested. The fast beat tired her out and a conversation seemed appealing.
"I'm Isabella."
"Joham."
"Wow, that's an interesting name."
"Yeah, well my parents took one look and decided they didn't like me enough to give me a plain name."
She giggled.
"Well plain-named Isabella, it's nice to meet you." He extended his arm. She just stared at his sweaty hand and he pulled it back.
"It's hard to believe you're not here with a date," he mentioned breaking the odd tension.
"Yeah, shocking," she spoke sarcastically.
"You sound sore." She shrugged. "Yeah I'm sore, too. I just broke up with my girlfriend. She's over there dancing with the Lone Ranger. Not even a week went by and she already found someone else." He pointed to the edge of the dancing crowd. Isabella glanced over, but couldn't tell who the Lone Ranger was dancing with.
"Oh I'm sorry. I guess we are both in recovery mode. I'm getting over a breakup as well. I messed up."
"How?"
"I made a mistake of letting him go and now I can't find him."
"Why would you want to find him? You're free. You could have anyone you want."
"Yeah, but what I want is to tell him I'm sorry. I panicked, but there was no reason — he was perfect. I am really worse without him." She paused. "I'm sorry; I don't even know you. I really shouldn't be unloading my problems."
"You know what you need? You need to forget about him. Cheer up. If he's gone, it's his loss," the costumed fellow remarked. "Let's dance and leave our troubles behind us."
They got up and went to the dance floor. As they danced the music slowed. Some people sat down, while others got up. Isabella was about to go sit, but Joham put his arm around her waist to pull her close. She instantly felt an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. She squirmed a little and he held her tighter placing his other arm on her back.
"Relax and go with it," he whispered in her ear.
"Please let go," she begged. She couldn't decipher if he was just trying to dance or he was actually assaulting her. All she knew was she wanted him to release her.
"Shh. It's fine. Don't worry," he said.
"I want you to stop," she commanded louder.
"Come on, this is a party." His eyes dropped to her lips and he leaned in to kiss her. Suddenly, she was pulled out of the way and a fist hit Joham in the face. He crumbled to the floor in an unconscious heap. There was someone dressed as a white tiger standing beside her.
"Thank you," she said breathlessly.
The person's voice was clear through the mask. "You're welcome."
"Edward?" she said in shock.
He took off his mask. "Hi." His face reddened. He wasn't planning on revealing himself so soon, but she needed help.
"Omigosh, Edward! You're here. I'm so, so sorry." She put her arms around him without a thought. She was bathed in an overwhelming feeling of euphoria, tinged with remorse.
He was surprised by the embrace at first, but then he held tight and melted into her. He thought it would be difficult to convince her to take him back. This was a welcomed turn of events.
"It's okay."
"No, you don't understand. I was completely wrong." Her eyes began to tear up.
"Don't worry about it," he dismissed it lifting her chin. He looked into her liquid eyes.
"I misunderstood. I thought I was uncomfortable with my heart racing and my tummy in knots, but I didn't know once they were gone — once you were gone, what pain really felt like. I didn't want to get hurt, because when you kissed me, I liked it. It scared me. I thought if I ended it, I could avoid the pain, but I ended up hurting anyway." She hugged him again. "I realized my mistake right away. I looked for you, but you were gone." She pulled away from him. "Where did you go?"
"I went home."
"I checked your dorm."
"No … home. Chicago. I needed to see someone and he's not in Phoenix."
"But your classes …"
"I spoke to the professors and a few extra assignments will solve that problem." He sighed. "I missed you so much." He lifted his hand and moved a few of her loose strands behind her ear. Her cheeks pinked. "How does that feel?"
She felt a tummy flutter begin. "Not so bad."
He looked down at her mouth and lightly rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. "You hurt me," he murmured.
"I know." She cast down her gaze.
"Don't do it again," he whispered into her ear. He moved slowly and connected his lips to hers. She felt the fire burning inside her enflame brightly, but he pulled away not wanting to push her too far. They began to sway to the slow music with their arms around each other.
A/N: Well? How did I do? Did you like this version better? I did. I'd love to hear from you.
To read the previous version read "The Important Touch" on my story list.