The alarm went off at 8am Sunday morning. Jacob reached over and hit the snooze button as I groaned and tried to stuff my head under a pillow. But before I could finish, I felt Jacob kissing the back of my neck. "Hey sweetie," he whispered as he rolled onto his side and pulled me even closer to him. "It'll be almost two weeks 'til I get to do this . . . or this . . . or this," he murmured as he kissed different spots on my neck and shoulders and caressed my arm and hip and stomach. "You really are too delicious. I'm not sure I'm going to let you go," he said as he gave me a squeeze.
I giggled and then sighed. "I wish I could stay, too. I had so much fun this weekend. But I need to go back there. You know, get used to my life in New Haven," I said with a hitch in my voice.
"Hey, no crying now," he said into my hair. "Everything is going to be OK. That's why you took the year off. And you know that I will do anything I can to help you... keep, I mean, so you are healthy," he ended with a rush.
I rolled over on my back and glared at him. I hated being the weak victim that everyone had to take care of and worry about. "I'm fine, I told you that already, like one thousand times," I sneered. "Uch, you're worse than my mother."
"Yes, I do an excellent neurotic Jewish mother imitation," he replied, as he stroked my arm. "However, we both know that I have a legitimate reason to be worried. But I'm not, yet. So let's not waste our last bit of time fighting," he finished as he leaned in to kiss me and slipped his hand under my camisole top.
I'm easily distracted.
After a few more minutes, the alarm sounded again. Jake reached over blindly and smacked it into silence. Three more times. Finally, on the fourth round, he looked at the clock and groaned. "Come on, it's after 8:30 already. Hate to be late for that guy that agreed to drive you home. Maybe – uh, what is his name again?" Jake asked as he rolled out of bed.
"Um, it's Edward something," I replied as I fumbled for my glasses.
"And where are you meeting him?
"He said to meet at some gym parking lot?" I said uncertainly.
"Sure, he must mean the lot by the OMAC," Jake answered. "That's a short walk from here, but I think I'll drive you on the Honda anyway," he smiled. "I don't want Edward getting the wrong impression," he said with a slightly wicked look on his face.
"Jacob, I don't think you have anything to worry about," I said as I pulled on my favorite jeans and a Yale sweatshirt. "I doubt he'll even glance in my direction for more than two seconds," I finished in annoyance.
"You are so clueless, Bella," he said as he walked over to me. "So I'm not planning to take the chance that he thinks you're up for grabs," he finished as he pulled me back down on to the bed and began kissing me deeply and slowly.
After a minute, I pulled away. "You know, I like you enough to date you even though you are Jessica's ex-boyfriend – I don't think you'll be getting rid of me too easily."
"That's exactly what I'm counting on," he replied.
. . . . . . .
After saying goodbye to a mostly sleeping Embry, who grunted in reply and rolled over, we walked out of Jacob's dorm toward the parking lot. I was so glad that I'd found this ride back to Yale – I really did not have the money to pay for a round trip on Amtrak every few weeks. Maybe this guy, Edward, came up to Brown all the time — maybe he has a girlfriend up here! I would have to work that into the conversation on the way home.
My thoughts continued to wander. Hopefully, he wouldn't be as big a jackass as he had seemed when I called him on Thursday to confirm the ride. His stereo had been blaring when he answered the phone and he kept yelling at me to repeat myself. I almost told him to forget it, but then my lack of income kept my pride in check, and I screamed my name and cell number one last time. He had left a message on Saturday night for me to meet him at the parking lot at 9 am. What a tool. Why did he have to be in such a rush on a Sunday morning? I didn't even usually get out of bed before 11am on the weekend.
"What does Eddie look like?" Jacob asked as he handed me my helmet and climbed on to the bike.
"I have no idea," I replied. "He just said that he has a silver Volvo and to meet him at 9am. I kind of assumed he'll be the only idiot standing around in a parking lot at this hour," I ended in a surly tone.
Jacob snickered at me as I continued. "I don't even know what a Volvo looks like. Isn't that the 'we're boxy but we're safe' car?" I said with a sneer. "What kind of guy drives a Volvo?"
"Yeah, real men drive motorcycles!" Jacob said with a huge grin. "Alright, hold on spider monkey." And with that, he pulled out of the parking lot and flew along the empty streets through campus to the gym. It really was the greatest feeling, except for the nagging panic that we would crash and I would be killed or really badly injured.
Barely five minutes later, Jacob pulled into a large parking lot and wound up and down a few rows. When he saw an empty space, he slowed down even more and put his legs down to balance as he slid the bike into the parking spot. I pulled off my helmet and started scanning the parking lot, looking around. When I saw a guy by a silver car two rows over, I tensed. "Let's do this," I said, gritting my teeth together.
Jake slid off the bike and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry, Bells, we'll see each other again in just 13 days," he said in a comforting tone.
We started to walk across toward the car. As we got closer, I realized that two guys were leaning against it, talking. One had curly brown hair and a muscular frame. He seemed to be laughing at something as we approached. The other guy was taller and thinner. He had on a baseball hat, with sunglasses on top of the brim. Oh, the tall one must be Edward. He sounded like the kind of poser who would wear his sunglasses on his hat. Great. Probably one of those annoying frat boys. Who knew that Yale had frats?!
I took a deep breath and walked the last few steps to close the gap between all of us. I thrust my hand out in front of me and said, "Hi, I'm Bella Swan. Thanks for agreeing to give me a ride back to Yale."
Both guys looked at me and Jacob. "No problem," the taller one replied as he shook my hand. "Edward Cullen," he offered, and then pointed to his muscular friend. "This is Emmett McCarty and that," he said with a derisive tone, "is the next American Idol," as he waved his hand in the third guy's direction.
I hadn't even noticed there was a third guy. He was standing a few feet away with his back to us, singing along with his iPod, oblivious to all of us.
"Not likely," I quipped before I could stop myself, and then I blushed a deep red and popped my hand over my mouth. I looked at the third guy with chagrin and back at Edward and Emmett and whispered, "Did he hear that?"
"I doubt it," Emmett answered, shaking his head and grinning.
Edward immediately walked over and hit James on the back of the head. James spun around looking murderous, and then slid his headphones down around his neck. "Are we finally ready to go?" he asked as he glanced from me to them.
"Yeah, dickhead, we're ready," Edward replied. "Try not to drive the girl crazy with your singing, OK?" he finished as he turned and reached to take my bag from Jacob.
Suddenly, I realized that I'd left Jake standing there like a dork for a minute. "Edward, Emmett, uh, James, this is Jacob Black, my, um, boyfriend."
Jacob placed my duffle on the ground near my feet and shook each of their hands. "Thanks for giving Bella a ride back to Yale today," he said as he looked Edward in the eyes. Then he turned back toward me, pulled me in close, and planted a big kiss on my lips.
I gave a little sigh, and then stepped back. "I'll call you later, after I get back and plug in my phone," I said, feeling the blush turn my cheeks pink again. Hope enjoyed marking your territory. Next time, why don't you just pee on my leg?
"Yeah, don't forget your charger next time," Jacob called to me as he walked back across the lot to his bike.
I turned toward back to the car and bent over to grab my duffle. "Let me," Edward said as he grabbed the bag from my hand and placed it lightly in the trunk, then opened one of the doors and motioned for me to climb into the backseat next to James. Edward slipped into the driver's seat as Emmett grabbed shotgun, and in a matter of moments we were pulling out of the lot. I quickly looked out the window to wave goodbye and watch Jacob hop on his bike and ride away.
James already had the headphones back on and had resumed his singing. Looked like he wasn't going to be much company for the ride. I leaned forward between the two bucket seats and hooked a thumb in James's direction, asking, "What is the deal with the singing? Is he always like this?"
"Well, yes, if by 'this' you mean, incredibly annoying," Edward answered without a smile.
Emmett let out a little snicker. "James is just practicing for his audition for an a cappella singing group," he explained, glancing back at James and me. "He tends to get very focused on whatever he's doing. He's dying to get with this girl Victoria, and she's really into the whole Yale singing thing—"
"Yeah, what the hell is up with that?" I interrupted. "The constant singing is just so fucking annoying. Can't they just get drunk and play quarters like normal people?" I asked.
Edward and Emmett both laughed in surprise. Then Edward's eyes met mine in the mirror. Oh my god, he is cute. Cute enough to be forgiven for the hat and sunglasses combo. How did I not notice those eyes when we met a minute ago? They're really green. Color contacts? I think my heart stopped beating and I held my breath for a second.
"I wouldn't have picked you for an a cappella hater," Emmett said with a laugh. "Bad previous experience? Did some a cappella singers kill your cat?"
I laughed, and then answered. "No, they are just so annoying," I replied, reluctantly breaking eye contact with Edward. "I mean, as a freshman, those groups won't stop singing at you. And I can't sing. I don't want to sing. I don't want to listen to people 14-way harmonize or whatever the hell it is they're doing," I said in a rush. Then I blushed again. "Wait, you two aren't in the Duke's Men or something, right?" I asked in a panic.
"No, definitely not," Emmett replied with a huge grin. "We hate the singers, too."
"Well, hate is a little strong," I replied, feeling a little silly. "Uh, you guys are both sophomores, right?"
Emmett nodded and smiled. He started to ask another question, when one occurred to me. "If you are only a sophomore," I said, meeting Edward's eyes in the mirror again, "what are you doing with a car at school?"
"I hate to be away from my car," Edward replied as he patted the dashboard. "I feel, sort of, anxious, when I'm away from it for too long. And I don't want my sister, Alice, trying to claim possession," he ended with a crooked smile. My heart did a little backflip. Holy crow, this guy just got better and better. That smile, those eyes, yikes. And his voice.
I struggled for something rational to say so I could keep my jaw from hanging open as I stared at him. "So, um, were you guys all up here for the game, or to visit your girlfriends?" I asked with what I hoped passed for nonchalance.
"The game and to visit a couple of Edward's friends from high school," Emmett replied, while giving Edward a pointed look that I caught.
"And I take it that you spent a little less time with them than you intended to?" I asked Emmett, glancing between them.
Emmett laughed and twisted further in his seat to look at me. "I," he began, with a pause, "spent just as much time with them as we planned." He glanced at Edward again. "Edward may have gotten, um, lost, on the way back to the room last night, right?" he finished with a smirk.
"You all left me at that snack place, as I recall it," Edward replied with his eyebrows raised.
"Left you chatting up that blond with the sweet rack, as I recall it," Emmett retorted.
Look, when you swung and missed, I felt I owed the girl," Edward replied with a snide grin.
"I thought that blonds weren't your type," Emmett said with a pout.
"Yeah, I prefer brunettes," Edward said with a grin. "But, you know, beggars and choosers and all that," he finished with a shrug.
I snickered, and then blushed furiously when I noticed that Edward had glanced at my brunette hair reflected in his mirror. Emmett turned to glance at me, too. "Yeah, you stick with the girls with Bella's hair color next time, OK, and leave the blonds for me."
Edward gave a slight grin and shrugged again, glancing at me over his shoulder. "And obviously you came up to see that guy…" Edward started.
"My boyfriend, Jacob," I answered, thrilled for the change of subject. "It seemed like a good weekend to come, with the football game and all, 'cause I figured I might be able to get a ride home," I said with a shrug as I gestured at the car. "So, uh, did you guys go to the game yesterday? It was fun! I mean, the game, well . . . I really liked the tailgates," I said with a little giggle.
"I take it you're not a football fan" Edward replied.
"Oh, actually I really like it. But was that actually football yesterday that they were playing?" I joked.
"You really like football?" Emmett asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I love it. Pro really. I don't know anything about college football. The whole BCS thing turns me off. And clearly the Ivy League is living up to its reputation where sports are concerned. But I'm crazy about the NFL. Especially the Giants," I finished.
"No shit! Edward is, like, the most intense Giants fan I've ever met," Emmett replied with his huge grin. "Maybe, if you're lucky, he'll let you watch with him," he finished with a wink as Edward glared at him.
Suddenly James jumped into the conversation. "Guys, are we stopping for breakfast?" he asked as he leaned forward with his headphones around his neck.
"No, moron," Emmett replied. "We're going to the Kosher Kitchen for bagels. That's why Edward was in such a hurry to leave Brown this morning. Well that, and to avoid having to give that girl anymore information about himself," Emmett finished with a huge grin. I giggled. I really liked him. He was just hilarious.
"The Kosher Kitchen? Are all you guys Jewish?" I asked with a look of surprise.
"Yup," Emmett replied. "Just your average carload of New York Jews."
"Really?" I asked in surprise. They didn't look like the guys in my largely Jewish high school. Or have names like them.
"No! We're Irish Catholic! You know, Cullen, Emmett, James – we're practically mics right off the boat," Emmett said with a chortle. "But we are all New Yorkers."
"Oh, you're New Yorkers? Me too!" I burst out. "A New Yorker and Jewish, I mean. Well, I used to be."
"You used to be Jewish? Aren't you a little young to convert?" Emmett asked with a grin.
"No, no. Still Jewish. No, I mean, used to be a New Yorker. My parents divorced a few years ago, but we all stayed in New York until recently. My mom just remarried and moved to Florida and she wants me to come, too," I ended.
"She wants you leave Yale for Florida?" Emmett asked jokingly.
"No, no. She's not a complete fool. She just wants me to go there for all the breaks and the summers. But then I won't see any of my friends, or… so anyway, I'll probably stay with my dad, Charlie, and my step-mom, Sue, at least for winter and spring breaks. I actually listed them as my home address, which really pissed off my mom," I finished, looking at my hands in my lap.
"Won't you miss your mom?" Edward asked gently. When I looked up, our eyes met in the rearview mirror again. He almost looks concerned? That's weird.
"Yeah," I admitted, turning to stare out the window at the other cars on the highway. "But I won't miss her new husband, Phil," I spit out, a bit more bitterly than I meant to. "But enough about my fascinating family," I continued with forced lightness as I turned back to face the front seat. "Where in New York are you all from?" I asked as I glanced between them.
"I'm from Long Island – or should I say 'Lawn Gisland,'" Emmett said with an exaggerated imitation of the accent. "Plainview, specifically. That's how Edward and I met, sort of. His family lived there 'til they moved to – where did you move?" he asked as he turned back toward Edward.
"Chestnut Ridge," Edward answered. "I'm sure you never heard of it," he said, glancing quickly at me over his shoulder. "It's in Rockland County. You probably never heard of that either."
"Um, yeah I have," I replied. "I'm from New City. Or, at least I was until my mom remarried and moved us to Boca Raton for Phil," I finished glumly.
"You grew up in New City?" Edward asked. "How funny! That's like 15 minutes away from where I live," he explained to Emmett. "What a coincidence!"
"Did you guys go to school together?" Emmett asked.
"No, no, different school districts. But I bet we must know someone in common. Even though you are a year younger," Edward added. "Maybe you know some of my sister's friends!"
Edward starting naming people, but I wasn't paying attention. His assumption, the assumption that everyone made, was that I had just graduated from high school. But I hadn't. I was really their age. I should have been a sophomore, too. But it just wasn't worth getting into the whole story about taking off the year, and explaining why, or more likely, giving my half true version of my year . . . My reverie was interrupted by a familiar name.
"Lauren Mallory?" Edward said and glanced in the mirror at me as I started.
"Yeah, I actually know her! She is really close with one of my best friends, Emily Young. They did gymnastics together. How do you know Lauren?"
"Lauren's family lives on my street. Are you good friends with Lauren, too?" he asked cautiously.
"Not at all. I just know her through Emily," I replied.
"Oh good. I actually can't stand Lauren," Edward said with a bit of disgust.
"Why? Bad break up?" I asked with a grin.
"No. Ugg. She and my sister Alice had a brief and ill fated best friend stint, and, well, she just rubbed me the wrong way," he sort of explained. "Emily, on the other hand, is great! Where did she go to school?" he asked curiously.
"She's a freshman at Harvard," I answered.
"That sucks," he said with a grin. "She must not have gotten into Yale." We all laughed, then he started talking again, something about six degrees of separation, but I had already stopped listening. Yikes, maybe Edward had heard about me. I had been the star of a juicy bit of gossip for a few weeks last summer. No, if he knew, he wouldn't have made that comment about Rockland. I was probably only world famous in New City. And that was over a year ago. Even in a tiny town, your 15 minutes of fame of only last so long.
I drifted back into paying attention to the conversation between Emmett and Edward. "Oh, for my dad's job, of course. When he got the job as chief at the hospital in Bergen County, he was supposed to be as close to the hospital as possible, but my parents had some weird objection to living in New Jersey, and Chestnut Ridge is basically attached to Jersey, so we moved there." Edward stated matter of factly. Hmm, I guess Emmett asked him why his family didn't live in the same town as mine.
"What kind of doctor is your dad?" I asked.
"Well, now he does a lot of administration, but he is technically a plastic surgeon," Edward answered, with a funny look on his face. Embarrassment? Why would he be ashamed of that? Hmmm, maybe that's why he is so pretty . . . Oh. Maybe his dad did all his friends' nose jobs!
Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the radio. Edward had done something to switch the music from one of my favorites, Linkin Park, to some lame 80's song, right in the middle of Leave out All the Rest. "Hey, why did you change the station? I love that song! Are you nuts?" I challenged. Then I blushed and popped my hand up to mouth.
Luckily, Emmett immediately guffawed.
After another very long second I said, "I'm sorry. That came out a bit more aggressively than I intended it to."
"Don't worry, Bella," Emmett said as he saw the guilty look on my face. "Everyone gives Edward shit for his taste in music. I swear, if I hadn't seen him close the deal with a dozen different girls, I would swear he was gay. The guy loves ABBA for Christ's sake."
Edward met my eyes in the mirror again and grinned crookedly. "What can I say? I love Kelly Clarkson and Rianna, too?" he suggested.
"You're not helping your 'I'm really a heterosexual' case," Emmett replied and got me giggling again.
Amazingly, we were soon pulling off I-95 onto the access road into New Haven. My stomach did a little flip-flop. I was still so nervous here, almost all the time. Well, maybe Rosalie waited for me for brunch. I hate going to meals alone.
Edward seemed like he was reading my mind, as he suddenly asked, "Do you want to come with us to the Kosher Kitchen for bagels? They aren't quite H&H, but they beat the crap out of the circular white bread that passes for bagels in the regular dining halls."
"Um, yeah, thanks, I think I will," I answered, surprising myself. Whatever, Rose could have brunch without me.
"Hey, it's the least I can do for a girl who's practically from my home town! I'll park over on Wall Street for now and we can drop you at Old Campus afterwards, if that is OK with you," Edward suggested.
"Sure, that will be great," I answered with a smile.
"This should work for James, too, since he's in Silliman. Normally, I would drop him at the furthest point possible and make him walk, but since we are going to Wall Street anyway, it's just not worth the extra effort to annoy him," Edward explained. I smiled immediately. I could easily picture the snickering that would follow dumping James at some random inconvenient location. Why were Edward and Emmett friends with him anyway?
Edward managed to find a legal parking spot in moments. "He has a gift," Emmett said with undisguised awe, and we were in the Kosher Kitchen before noon.
The time seemed to fly there, the three of us talking and laughing about Brown, New York, bagels, and music, when Edward suddenly looked at his watch and jumped out of his seat. "It's almost one," he said urgently, "Come on, time to go."
A look of confusion crossed my face, and then I said, in almost perfect unison with Emmett, "The Giants have an early game."
"Yes, so I'm sorry to hurry you, but I need to get you back to Old Campus in the next three minutes so that I can claim a decent spot in front of the flat screen," Edward explained.
"Your college has a flat screen TV?" I asked in surprise, and with obvious interest. My college, Trumbull, just had some beat up couches and an ancient rear projection TV. Then again, I had heard that Trumbull was one of the poorest residential colleges – maybe all the rest of them had flat screen TVs. "I was going to try to watch with the guys in the suite below me, and I don't even know if they have cable," I admitted with a twinge of jealousy in my voice.
"Davenport has an OK TV," Emmett explained. "It's our friend Garrett's house that has the 67 inch Samsung flat screen," Emmett said with some kind of awe. I must have inadvertently encouraged him, because he continued, "It's so sweet. It is DLP, the format preferred by the NFL. It is really superior to plasma and LCD. It has this superb audio system that I helped install last year…" Emmett trailed off as he saw the glazed look on my face.
"Slick, Emmett. And this is why, again, the girl will be coming with me and not you," Edward said with a wicked grin.
Wait, had he just invited me to watch the game with him?
"Come on, we'll have to hurry if we are going to make it to Park Street before kickoff," Edward said as he led me out to his car.
We said goodbye to Emmett quickly, and suddenly I was back in the Volvo, speeding through campus toward some unknown destination to watch TV with a guy I had just met. I was thrilled.