A/N: Thanks for the reviews and faves. I'm glad y'all are enjoying it. Thanks to RachelFish for the awesome comments and for catching those little things I miss! :)
A good song for this chapter: "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones
Sneak Peek: ""Well, as far as planets go, all is well. But I think the universe has it in for me lately."
Two weeks later, I see her again. I recognize her right away, even from afar. My heart thumps from both running and anticipation. I slow my pace and give in to my inner creep to watch for a bit as she runs down the Battery. Her black shorts expose long, toned legs. Her ponytail bobs up and down with each stride as she crosses the street and runs on the opposite sidewalk for a few minutes. Then she crosses again and resumes her previous path, leaving me puzzled.
I pick up the pace and catch up with her quickly, tapping her on the shoulder as I fall into step beside her. She jumps, startled, making me really feel like a stalker.
"I'm sorry," I tell her. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay," she says with a smile. "I was just sort of lost in my thoughts. Edward, right?"
"Right." I briefly wonder what thoughts she was lost in, if the guy she was crying about before is still in her life. If he is, I hope she's made him pay for whatever he did. "Sorry to interrupt."
"No! It's fine. I'm glad to see you again."
I grin. She seems sincere. "How are you? Obviously much better than last time I saw you."
"I'm okay. Not great, but okay."
"Okay's not bad."
She laughs. "You're right, it's not bad."
"So could you use some company? Or would you rather be alone?"
"I don't mind the company at all," she says, then smirks at me before turning her attention back to our path. "As long as you can keep up with me."
An embarrassing snort escapes me. "I'll do my best."
We run in silence for a few minutes. I'm just glad to be here with her. Despite my best efforts at keeping my eyes peeled for her around campus, I haven't seen her since our first meeting.
"So, have you decided yet?" she asks, but I'm not sure what she means.
"Decided what?"
"What to major in."
I groan. "Not you too. No, I haven't decided yet."
"Hey, I'm not pressuring. Just making conversation."
Slowing my pace a bit more to catch my breath, I run through my classes in my head. None of them interest me all that much. She might not be pressuring me, but it seems like everyone else is. I just had this conversation with my dad at dinner last weekend. To be honest, my parents don't really push either. They just want me to find what makes me happy. Of course, wasting time in school isn't the smartest financial movie either, so I feel like I owe it to them to make a damned decision already. I shake my head and tell myself to forget it. Forget anything but running and Bella.
"Well, let's see…" I answer after a few long seconds. "I've decided not to major in politics, English, or history."
"Narrowing it down. A step in the right direction."
I wonder to myself if she realizes that I said those last words to her the first time we met. Probably not. She's not obsessive like I am. "How about you? The planets and stars all aligning properly?"
She laughs. "Well, as far as planets go, all is well. But I think the universe has it in for me lately."
"That so?"
"Yeah."
Another silence falls, but it's comfortable. More out of necessity than awkwardness. I don't even realize that we've run straight past my stopping point until she slows to a stop to stretch and cool down on the patch of grass in front of her house. "Are you going on from here?" she asks. "I guess this wasn't your normal route."
"I was just finishing up when I saw you." I rub the back of my neck, feeling kind of stupid. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
"Oh," she says. The blush that spreads over her face is captivating.
"I guess time got away from me."
"Want me to drive you back to your car?" she asks hesitantly.
"Nah," I say at first. I could manage the extra mileage just fine, but… "Actually…yeah. That'd be great. I'm a little tired." The truth, of course, is that I just want to be near her. She draws me in like a magnet.
"It's the least I can do," she says. "You did the same for me. Sort of. Want to come up for water?"
"I don't want to put you out."
"Not at all."
My grin is huge as we climb the stairs to her apartment. "Any plans for the day?"
She shakes her head and huffs. "None. It took enough energy just to roll out of bed and run. I haven't been exactly…mobile for the last two weeks."
"I'm sorry to hear that." I instantly hate her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend, I hope—more than I already did. My lips are pressed together in a straight line when she looks at me, and I try to rearrange my features into a friendly expression.
"Eh. I feel a lot better today." She grins at me as she unlocks the door. "Remembered the key this time."
I follow her inside, where her roommate is reading on the couch. She spits out a mouthful of tea, and I choke on a laugh.
"Well, well. If it isn't the white knight," she says.
"Edward," Bella reminds her.
"I remember."
"Simmer down, Rose. Go back to your steamy novel. We're just getting water."
"Look at the color in your cheeks, though!" Rose teases her as she follows us to the kitchen. "I told you a run was just what you needed."
"Yeah, you were right and I was wrong. Enjoy it, because it's a first and last-time thing."
My eyes dart back and forth at their sarcastic volley. "You sound like the Gilmore Girls." The words slip from my mouth before I have a chance to censor them, and I'm suddenly very pissed off at Alice.
Both girls turn to me with puzzled looks. "You watch Gilmore Girls?" Rosalie asks slowly.
My face is hot. "Uh…I…I have a sister…"
They look doubtful.
"Seriously, I do. Her name's Alice."
They're still looking at me like I've got two heads.
"We have these family night things. She and my brother and I eat takeout and watch whatever she feels like watching."
"What's your last name?" Rose asks suddenly, confusing me.
"Cullen."
Her forehead scrunches. "What's your brother's name?"
"Emmett."
"Geez, Rosalie, what's up with the inquisition?" Bella asks in an attempt to save me from the grilling.
"I knew it!" Rose says and smacks her hand against my chest. She catches me off guard, and I stumble back a step.
"Ow."
"You're Emmett Cullen's brother!"
"That's what I just said." This girl's confusing. And the slightest bit nosy.
"No, I mean when you said your sister's name is Alice and she makes you watch girly TV, it sounded familiar." She slaps the counter with her hand as her eyebrows shoot up in recognition. "And now I know why you look so familiar! Pictures on Facebook."
"You know Emmett and Alice?"
"Yeah. I mean I know Emmett Cullen. We're dating."
It all comes together. He's been going out a lot, and I assumed it was with a girl, but he doesn't talk about it. Alice said a few nights ago that whoever it was must be someone special, because he's never been able to keep anything a secret before. "Ah, so you're the mystery woman he's been sneaking off to see."
"Mystery woman? He's been keeping me a secret?"
"Nah, I'm just messing with you. I knew he was seeing someone. I just didn't know I'd already met you."
She purses her lips, and I wonder for a second if she's mad, but then she smiles again. Her moods—her expressions, anyway—change quickly. "Does that mean you'll be at the party tonight, then?"
"Yeah." My heart thuds heavily a few times. I almost forgot about the party at my house tonight. Alice invited a bunch of her friends, who she says invited a bunch of their friends… I'm not really looking forward to it. But the prospect of Bella coming makes it so much better. "Were you two planning on coming?"
Bella groans. "I hadn't really—"
"Of course we are!" says Rose, grabbing her arm before she can finish. "We're very excited."
I can't stop the smile that threatens to split my face.
"I—I should get you back to your car." It's all Bella says. I don't think she really planned to come. But it's plain to see that, thanks to Rosalie, there's no way she's getting out of it now.
"Oh. Yeah, I've got lots to do before the party." I pull Alice's to-do list out of my pocket and wave it around.
Rose grabs it from my hand and says something about delegation, but I'm not really listening. I try to be covert while I study Bella's face, hoping she won't back out.
"It was nice to see you again, Edward," Rose says loudly, and I jump a bit.
"Likewise." I make a weird salute with my water bottle. I don't even know what I'm doing. It's definitely time for me to go home. "Guess I'll be seeing you again tonight."
"Ready?" Bella asks, jingling her keys and looking anxious.
"Thanks again for doing this," I say, happy just to have her full attention again once we're in her car.
"No prob," she says. "Sorry about Rose. She can be a little much sometimes."
"Nothing to apologize for. She's…" Dramatic is the only word I can think of at first, but a nicer one comes to mind. "Enthusiastic."
She laughs, and it's full and beautiful. It's the first time I've heard her really laugh, and even though it's only the second time we've met, it makes me incredibly happy.
"Enthusiastic," she repeats. "That's one way to put it."
When we're back at the Battery in a couple of minutes, and I guide her to my parking spot. I don't want to get out when she pulls up next to my car. "Thanks again, Bella," I say, wishing I knew how to stall for time. How to convince her to show tonight. "I'll see you later, right?" The possibility of seeing her there is the only thing pushing me out the door.
Her look makes me doubt she'll say yes, but she surprises me.
"Yeah. See you tonight."
"Great," I say a little too eagerly. When I step out of the car, I blow out a hard breath and roll my eyes at myself. I have no idea when I turned into such a goon. But when I lean down to look at her through the open window, she's smiling. "Drive safely. You know, all two or so miles you have to go." Then I say goodbye and walk away before I can't.
She actually shows up at the party. Though she said she'd come, part of me didn't think she would. But there she is, standing with Emmett and Rose. Alice is just walking away from them as I approach, and she winks as she passes me. I know what's going through her head. For fuck's sake. She's such a meddler. But for now, she leaves me alone.
Surprisingly, I hear my name as I approach the other three. "Looking for me?" I ask.
Emmett turns and throws his arm around my neck. He's in his element. "Hey, bro. Just wanted to introduce you to Rose."
"Hi, Rose," I say with a smirk. "It's nice to meet you."
She giggles. "Likewise. I'm sure you'd be interested in meeting my friend Bella here."
"I'd love to meet Bella. Hey there. Can I get you something to drink, Bella?" I ask, making sure to take in my brother's confused expression as I take her arm.
"Sure," she says. "Lead the way."
We make our way to the kitchen through the larger-than-anticipated crowd, and I offer her a drink.
"I'm driving," she says, "but I guess I can have one glass of wine."
I nod and pour her a glass of red. "Here's a lovely plastic cup of wine," I say. "We spare no expense around here."
"I see. Well, I'm sure it's the finest quality plastic."
"Of course. It complements the bouquet of the wine."
"Of course," she agrees, and her laugh does things to me.
The conversation lulls as she sips her wine, and as I take a swig of beer, I watch her and try to gauge her mood, whether she's up for questions. "So, how are you?"
She presses her lips together, so I amend my question.
"I mean after getting back to running today."
It's obvious that she's on the border of closing down, but then she relaxes visibly. "Good. A little sore in the quads, but it felt good to get back to it."
"Yeah, I fall out of the routine sometimes, too." I want to make her feel comfortable. Like nothing was ever wrong.
"How about you? Those extra miles do anything for you?" she teases.
I love the banter. I want to keep her talking. I want her all to myself. "I have to admit I was a little beat. I took a nap in the hammock."
"How southern of you."
"It's comfortable. Want to see it?"
She shrugs. "Why not?"
The deck out back is filled with people, some of whom I recognize, and others I've never seen in my life. I nod at a few people as we pass and reach back and grab Bella's hand so I don't lose her. The things I feel when our hands lock together… I don't think I've touched her before, aside from helping her get up from the pavement that first day, and it feels like she stalls for a moment before I pull her through the group of people blocking our way.
"This is it," I tell her after we manage to descend the stairs and find our way to the grouping of oak trees.
Bella sits on the edge of the hammock and hums as she sips her wine. "You're right. It's pretty comfy." Something back at the house catches her attention then. "Shit," she utters and disappears behind one of the oaks.
"Bella? Are you okay?" I have no idea what's going on.
"No," she says in a small, choked voice.
I peer around the tree to see her sitting on the ground, leaning up against the trunk with her knees drawn up to her chest. "What is it?"
"It's him. And her."
"Who?" She's shaking and covering her face with both hands, and it hits me. I look back up toward the deck. "Which one?"
She points him out—Emmett's new friend Jake. And Charlotte. The ones I introduced at another party a few weeks ago. She wouldn't leave me alone, so I pawned her off on the first guy I saw. Fuck. I introduced Bella's boyfriend to the girl he cheated on her with. I panic internally, but outside, I keep it together. She doesn't need to know, I convince myself. It will only complicate things more.
"I'm sorry, Bella," I tell her, touching her arm.
She looks me in the eyes, and at a moment like this, how can I think only of how gorgeous she is?
"What do you have to be sorry for?" she asks.
"I…I'm just sorry you had to see them together."
"It's not your fault," she says. "I guess it had to happen sometime."
At a loss, I run a hand through my hair and sit next to her, mimicking her position against the tree.
"Can I tell you something weird?" she asks.
"Sure."
"I'm…sort of glad you were with me when I saw him."
It's the last thing I expect her to say. It sort of floors me and makes me happy at the same time. "I'm glad I was here for you."
"I feel comfortable around you," she adds, and my head spins. "If Rose had been here with me, it probably would've turned into this whole…dramatic...thing." She sighs. "It's nice to have a friend that makes me feel relaxed."
I reach down and squeeze her hand. "I'm glad to have you as a friend, too."
We're quiet for a minute, but it's not awkward at all. She breaks the silence by telling me that she met Alice. I knew she did, because I saw them talking.
"She recognized me somehow," she says.
"I told her about you."
She gives me a quizzical look. "About me?"
"Yeah. The day I met you. You were so sad and…well, broken. I felt so bad for you. I asked Alice if she knew you." I shrug.
She just says, "Oh," and I worry for a minute that I've said something wrong. I crane my neck so I can look around the tree to the deck to check for any trace of Jake or Charlotte. "I think they're gone," I tell her. "Do you want to go back inside? We can hide out until you leave."
When I'm sure there's no risk of running into them, we go to take cover in my room. She's stuck here until Rose is ready to go. And I'm secretly happy.
Rose, who's already at least one sheet to the wind, seeks us out as soon as we step foot inside. "Bella, I saw him. You okay?"
"I'm fine. Edward was with me."
"We're going to hide out in my room for a bit," I tell Emmett, who looks a little worried and as guilty as I feel.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Rose asks.
"I'm fine," Bella answers. "I promise."
As we make our way down the hall, though, the bathroom door swings open, and two people come tumbling out in a heap. I realize who it is a second after Bella does.
Bella makes a pained noise. Jake utters, "Fuck," and so do I. I grab her arm, pull her into my room, and slam the door. And suddenly she's sobbing in the middle of my bedroom. I hesitate before pulling her into a hug, unsure if she wants to be touched, but I do it anyway.
"Shh. I'm sorry," I tell her, tightening my arms around her. The more I hold on to her, the more she lets go and sags against me. I have to admit that I've thought about holding her like this, but in my imagination, she was never crying.
"It's—not—your fault," she hiccups.
I sigh heavily as guilt eats away at me. "It sort of is. In a way."
She shakes her head as the sobs begin to ebb. When she pulls way, I grab a box of tissues and hand them to her, then gesture to my big leather armchair. "Sit down."
She does, and she takes deep, calming breaths as she dabs at her eyes with the tissues.
"You okay?"
She nods slowly. "Like I said, it had to happen sometime." Her voice is watery and hoarse, but she's nowhere near as wrecked as she was that first day.
"They didn't have to do that in public where they knew they might run into you." I clench my fists so hard my fingernails dig into my palms.
"He didn't know I'd be here. He knows I've been depressed. Probably didn't expect to see me out and about."
Her reluctance to assign blame is baffling. "Still—"
"Let's talk about something else, okay?"
I watch her for a moment to make sure she's really okay, and then make a feeble attempt at changing the subject. "Okay. Um…any plans for Halloween?"
She nods and gives me a little smile as she dabs away the last of her tears. "I'm taking my little brother trick-or-treating. I've been neglecting my family lately."
"You have a brother young enough to go trick-or-treating?" The surprise must register on my face in a pretty apparent way, because she laughs and sits up straighter.
"Benjamin. I call him Benji." Her face brightens as she talks about him. I want it to stay that way. I do my best to keep her talking.
"Benji? As in the dog from the movies?"
She swats at my arm, but I dodge it and laugh at her reaction.
"No, not after a dog! I just thought it was cute."
"How old is he?"
"Six."
"Six?"
"Long story short, Mom and Dad divorced when I was little. They remarried when I was in high school, and they had Benji when I was sixteen."
"So a happy ending."
"I guess," she says. Then she seems to slip back inside her head.
"It's too quiet in here," I say, reaching around her to turn on the radio. "Can I get you some more wine?" I ask when she doesn't say anything else. Her cup is empty.
She snaps out of it and gives me a sheepish grin. "I think I might need it."
"Back in two secs," I say as I open the bedroom door. When I realize how that sounded, and I redouble like an idiot. "Er, seconds."
She laughs, clearly surprised and enjoying my embarrassment. "It's okay. Go."
I close the door and lean against the wall out in the hallway, shaking my head at myself and running my hand through my hair. Getting drinks is no easy feat when I'm stopped every few feet by another acquaintance. To be honest, I keep to myself a lot. Sure, I know a lot of people, but I don't really have close friends these days. It's not a conscious decision I made. It just happened. Finally, I manage to get through the crowd and grab drinks and a couple of snacks.
When I step back inside my room a few minutes later, I'm surprised to see Bella standing at my bookshelf, giggling to herself. "What's so funny?" I ask, kicking the door closed with my foot.
She jumps slightly and turns to face me, wearing an ear-to-ear grin.
"Something amusing about my reading choices?"
She shrugs and glances at the tray in my hands.
"I pilfered some libations," I tell her with a smirk.
"Nice SAT words," she says with a snort and pulls a book from the shelf. "Dabbling in Astrophysics now? Did I interest you in exploring a major in science?"
Shit. How do I answer that question? The truth is I bought those books because of her. I wanted to be able to talk to her about things she's interested in when I saw her again.
"Something like that." I take the book from her hand and toss it onto the bed, replacing it with a new glass of wine. "Maybe you can explain some of the more head-spinning logic to me."
"Head-spinning?" she repeats.
"Yeah. Like wave-particle duality."
"I don't want to talk about that right now."
"Does that mean you don't understand it either?"
"Well, I don't know exactly how to explain it to someone else."
"So that's a yes."
She huffs. "Yes, I admit quantum mechanics make my head spin."
"I knew it. You science geeks just make it all up as you go, right?"
"No!" She takes a gulp of wine, and her sparkling brown eyes dance. "Maybe sometimes."
I sit on the floor, leaning back against the bed, and gesture for her to do the same. The tray of food and drinks rests between us. "So how long have you been a runner?" I have so many questions. I want to know everything about her.
"Since I was a junior in high school, when I discovered my tendency to grow outward instead of upward."
I laugh, looking her up and down with an exaggerated stare. "You don't seem to have a problem with that to me."
She raises an eyebrow at me, and I worry for a second that my teasing sounded more presumptuous than funny. "Well, thanks, but it's true. If I didn't work out, I'd be as big as a house."
"I have a hard time believing that," I say, then stuff a tortilla chip in my mouth so it will stop skipping right past my filter.
She shrugs and sips some more wine. "No one said you had to believe me. I am a rather bad liar, though, so… How about you?"
"I think I'm pretty proficient when it comes to stretching the truth."
She taps me on the knee. "You know what I mean."
"I started soon after I moved in here. It gets pretty crowded. Emmett and Alice are always pestering me. I just needed a way to be alone and clear my head—not have to answer to anyone."
"Mmm," she says in agreement. "It's peaceful."
"What's your brother dressing up as for Halloween?" I ask between a swig of beer and another tortilla chip.
"Not sure," she says. "I think he's narrowed it down to Batman or Luke Skywalker."
I suddenly want to meet this kid. "He likes Star Wars?"
"Loves it. He gets that from me."
The pop culture geek in me is suddenly even more taken with her, but our conversation is interrupted when Emmett sticks his head in through a crack in the door. Rose follows close behind as he comes in.
"Jake's gone," he says. "Bella, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't know—"
She holds up a hand and finishes off the last of her wine. "Don't worry about it."
Rose sits next to Bella and leans heavily against her. She looks like a mess, but a happy one. She's definitely gone. Not that I'm a hundred percent sober myself. Now that the intimacy of our hideout has been disrupted, now that my focus is torn from Bella only, I realize I might have had more to drink than I remember. How long have we been in here, anyway? I wonder silently.
"How are you, my love?" Rose asks, patting Bella's hand.
Bella giggles, and I wonder if she feels the same way I do. "I'm fine."
"You're not supposed to be drinking." Rose takes Bella's cup and tips it back, only to find that it's already been drained.
"I know. Sorry. I got a little carried away."
"Say no more," Emmett says, pulling Rose up by her arms. "You two can stay here tonight."
Bella sits up straighter. "What? No, I can't—"
"Don't even argue about it," says Emmett. "We have a spare room you're more than welcome to use."
She relaxes against the side of the bed again and gives in.
"I'm taking Rosie here to bed," says Emmett as he picks her up and slings her over his shoulder.
She squeals and giggles, and even though I don't know her well, I can tell she loves it. "Bye, Bells. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she calls out as Emmett carries her from the room and slams the door shut behind them.
Bella snorts. "That's not a very long list."
I let loose with an embarrassing, overreactive laugh. "You're so funny," I say, and then I tap her on the nose. It's silly. I doubt I've ever tapped anyone on the nose in my life. I feel stupid.
"Did you just tap my nose?" she asks, reading my thoughts.
I'm pretty sure my face is bright red, because it feels like it's on fire. "I think I did."
She shakes her head and stretches out on the wooden floor. I toss her a pillow, and she lays her head on it and looks up at me with a grin.
"Your little brother sounds like a cool guy," I say, unable to deal with the way she looks up at me from under heavy eyelids and long lashes. "Do you have any pictures of him?"
"No. I have about a million on Facebook, though."
I immediately grab the laptop that sits on my desk and plop down on my stomach beside her. "Friend me, friend,"
She types in her password and searches for my profile. When she finds me, she examines what little she can before we're Facebook official. "You know Angela?" she asks with a hint of surprise.
"Angela?" I peek at the screen. "Oh, she's in my poli-sci class. She's really nice."
"Yeah, she's sweet," she says, going back to the task at hand. "There. Friend request sent." She browses through her photos then and slides the computer back to me.
I click through and am instantly enamored. I mean the kid is cute, but Bella… God, she's gorgeous. I chuckle at a few pictures of the two of them monkeying around for the camera. Her brother's face is a rounder, more boyish snapshot of hers. "He's cute."
She grabs my beer and takes a sip. "Do guys really say 'cute'?"
"I'm inebriated," I say, as if it acquits me of anything that comes tumbling through my loose lips.
We chat a bit more about inconsequential things, and before I know it, she's drifting off to sleep right next to me. I watch her long lashes make slower and slower passes over her eyes with each struggling blink until her eyes stay closed and her breathing evens out.
I reach out tentatively and trail a finger down the side of her face. God, she's beautiful, I think as sleep comes to claim me quickly. The last thing I want is for her to sleep on this cold, hard floor, and I don't find it appealing myself, either. I tap her arm, and she wakes just enough for me to help her up onto my king-sized bed. There's plenty of room to lie far enough from her to keep her from feeling creeped out when she wakes up, but secretly, I'm delighted at seeing her in my bed. I allow myself one last gaze at her peaceful face—more peaceful than I've seen it in the short time I've known her—before I drift off to sleep.
