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Chapter 3
She remembered me. I was pretty sure my face just lit up like a fucking Christmas tree, but I couldn't stop smiling. She fucking remembered me.
"Look at that, she does remember you, Eddie!" Emmett grinned, voicing my thoughts. "I knew she would."
I wanted to throttle him, but restrained myself. I gave her a little nod, tried to look cool, laid back, like this didn't matter. "Hey, Bella. Long time." I grimaced internally as the words left my mouth. Could I sound like more of a douchebag? Be even less articulate than my sixteen-year-old self would have been?
"Wow, it has been," she replied. "I can't believe it – someone else at Dartmouth who matriculated at Forks High!"
"Go Spartans!" I responded feebly.
We stood there awkwardly for a moment. Emmett and Rose were observing us as though we were the night's entertainment and they were waiting for the performance to start.
Emmett finally broke in. "So, can a couple of fans get an autograph?" He produced two Playboys and tossed one to me. "I picked yours up before we left," he said, as though he'd done me a favor.
"Emmett, I told you, I am not signing that thing," Rosalie protested.
"Babe, c'mon," he whined. "This could be a collector's edition one day."
Bella gave a little eyeroll as the two started to get revved up. "So, I think I'm going to grab a drink. Thirsty?"
I nodded and followed her past Emmett and Rosalie, now nose to nose and totally ignoring us. We were no longer the main attraction.
The kitchen was quiet, and I tried to think of something to get the non-existent conversation started again. What did you say to the girl you hadn't seen in years that you jerked off to on a regular basis?
You looked so fucking hot in this Playboy. All copies, everywhere should be burned. Except mine.
I mentally thwacked myself in the head. No. Just . . . no.
"Um, so you're roommates with Rose?" Hello, Captain Obvious, like that's so much better.
Bella smiled as she fished in the freezer compartment for some ice for her glass. "Yeah. We were on the same hall last year and hit it off."
"Rose is cool," I replied. Fantastic. What next, was I going to ask her about the weather?
"And you live with Emmett and Jasper? They mentioned they had a friend who was coming back from studying abroad."
"That'd be me." I took the glass she offered me and filled it with tap water, suddenly feeling parched.
"I hung out with them some last year when Emmett and Rose were still in the middle of their mating dance." She shook her head. "They're quite the pair." She lowered her voice and glanced towards the living room, where soft moans could now be heard. "They're . . . passionate. And loud."
I laughed softly. "Yeah, they've been doing that dance on and off since we were freshman."
We listened for another minute to the macking noises until Bella started to giggle. I edged over towards the kitchen door and peered into the living room. Rosalie and Emmett were on the couch, so immersed in each other that I wasn't sure how either was still breathing. Bella stopped behind me in the doorway and peeked around.
"They do that a lot," she whispered. "They'll eventually come up for air, but it could be awhile. Want to get out of here?"
I nodded, two steps behind her as we tiptoed past the couch and out the door. Bella jangled keys in front of her and pointed to a beat-up looking compact at the edge of the driveway. "That's me. Did you drive over here?" she asked.
I shook my head. "I rode with Emmett."
"I can drive you home. Or . . . would you want to go grab some dessert? I mean, if you don't have other plans? I'm feeling hungry." She gave a little shrug and patted her stomach.
This was it. The point where I could just claim other plans and walk away. Except, I didn't want to.
I was feeling hungry too, but probably not for the same thing she was. Whatever it was that had made Bella, well, Bella, it was definitely still there. There was still that something about her that made me not want to take my eyes off her. Made me want to bring her flowers, kiss her breathless, and then make her scream my name. Repeatedly. And maybe not in that order.
I was in so much trouble.
She paused at the driver's side door, keys in hand, and noticed I was still standing on the sidewalk staring at her. "We don't have to. I can just take you home, if you want."
I immediately started to protest. "No, sorry, just zoned for a minute there. Dessert sounds great." I opened the car door and slid inside.
She smiled then, that same radiant smile I'd witnessed a few times in high school, the one that lit up her whole face when she was genuinely happy about something.
The lusty feelings that had started bubbling inside when I first saw her were definitely intertwining with that weird fluttering. I gave a little cough as I rubbed at my stomach. Her smile made me feel like a damn thirteen-year-old girl drawing hearts around the name of her first crush.
"Awesome," she said. "I'm gonna take you somewhere I bet you've never been."
Yes, please. Take me, Bella.
I tried to think of a more appropriate response as she cranked the car, the engine giving a ragged rumble before settling down as we pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. She headed for the main highway and drove north.
"So where is this place?" I asked.
"I took this writing class last semester on oral histories, and we had to go out and find people who'd lived through different eras to record. My professor hooked me up with this ninety year old lady who lives almost an hour from here, just across the state line. She had an amazing story." Bella smiled. "I hope my life is half what hers has been. On the way, I found this little diner that makes the best damn pie I've ever tasted, and I make a mean pie myself. I stopped there every time I went to see her – I probably gained ten pounds."
"You don't look it," I murmured, letting my eyes rake over her, remembering the way she'd looked in that picture, just the right amount of curves. I tried to steer my thoughts in another direction as I felt Little Eddie getting fired up.
She tossed her head back and laughed, nodding at the magazine I was still holding. "That photo, you mean? They must have airbrushed the hell out of that picture. I almost didn't recognize myself."
"I did. Immediately." What the fuck? Could I not keep my mouth shut? Why not just spell it out?
Hey Bella, did you know I've been perving on dreams of your sexy little body for fucking years now?
She just grinned and slid me a sly glance. "Well, you always seemed like an observant guy."
What did she mean by that? That she was glad I recognized her? Or that she noticed me staring at her like her own special stalker our sophomore year? Was that why she remembered me?
I decided to change the subject as I discreetly dropped the magazine to the floorboard of the car.
"So, how did you end up at Dartmouth? Jasper said you transferred last year."
She nodded, watching ahead of us as the beams cut through the darkness of the two lane road. "I started at UW. Forks High was . . . well, you probably remember. Not exactly a top notch preparatory school." She shrugged. "I knew I wanted to write, and I had a great professor my freshman year who really took me under her wing. She encouraged me to apply for some more scholarships, enter some writing competitions, that sort of thing, and then started talking to me about transferring. Dartmouth had what I was looking for, I liked the size, and-" she gestured with one hand at the trees surrounding the road on both sides, "-this place kind of reminded me of home a little."
She glanced over. "What about you?"
"Me?" I raked my hand through my hair. "My dad went to Dartmouth, so I guess it was kind of expected. I just grew up with it, and I didn't even apply to many other schools. But I like it here."
"That's cool."
We fell into an easy conversation about her classes and mine and our mutual friends and before I knew it she was pulling into a parking lot on the side of the road, the tires of the car crunching on the gravel. I surveyed the ramshackle building that bore a neon sign flashing the word DINER at about half-wattage. On the other side of the parking lot was a small building with another neon sign announcing VACANCY in vertical letters. Behind it were a series of cottages that could have used a couple of new coats of paint.
"Um, Bella, are you sure about this place?" I asked, wondering if she'd think I was weird for wanting to check the sanitation rating.
She rolled her eyes at me. "Please, Edward. Come on, you're going to love it."
The diner was mostly empty as it was nearing midnight. She waved to the waitress, who adjusted her apron and trailed us to the booth in the rear that Bella headed for automatically.
"Bella, we haven't seen you in these parts for ages. How are you, sugar? And is this fine looking young man yours?"
I watched as a faint blush spread across Bella's cheeks, before she shook her head. "I went home for summer break, Nadine, and just got back in town. And this is Edward. We went to high school together for a little while, and just ran into each other again tonight."
"Well, that beats all. No such thing as coincidence, you know that, sugar." She shook her head and whipped out her notepad. "Now, what can I get for you? The usual?"
Bella nodded. "Absolutely. One piece of cherry pie, hot, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream on the side. And coffee."
I didn't even bother with the menu after watching her eyes sparkle as she ordered. "I'll have what she's having," I added.
"Two cherries and cream, coming right up."
Nadine walked away and I watched Bella across the booth as she smiled back at me. "So, catch me up on Forks," I requested.
She raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know about Forks?"
I shrugged. "Sure. I know I wasn't there long, but . . ."
She laughed. "Okay, hmmm, let me see. Most people ended up how you would expect. A few went to college, most started in factory jobs, logging, that kind of thing. Ohh, let's see, this is a good one. You remember Angela?"
I frowned, trying to remember back. "Your friend, the minister's daughter? The one that was the head of Coc, uh . . . the chastity club?"
Her nose wrinkled as she laughed. "You mean Cockblockers United?" My jaw dropped as she laughed harder. "You think we didn't know what the guys in the school nicknamed that club? Well, that's what so funny. Angela was so earnest when she founded the group. Very true love waits. And then she started dating Ben Cheney."
"Ben . . ." I trailed off, drawing a blank.
"Sweet guy, glasses, a little geeky? Really loved Star Wars?"
I snapped my fingers. "Wait, did he dress up as Luke Skywalker for Halloween? Even had the light saber?"
Bella nodded enthusiastically as Nadine put our plates down in front of us and took back off. "Yes! He wore that costume for years, every single Halloween. Well, Angela started to date him our junior year, and her dad was so proud. They were like the poster children for abstinence, promise rings and everything."
She picked up her fork and dug into the flaky crust of the pie, cutting a small piece off and lifting it to her mouth to blow lightly on it. I watched, entranced by the shape of her lips.
She noticed my stare as she lowered the piece back to her plate. "I like to blow on it before I get started."
I barely managed to not whimper audibly as I was assaulted with a sudden image of my chaste high school angel turned fuckable vixen on her knees in front of me. I grabbed the coffee and hastily took a sip instead, nearly choking on the scalding liquid as she watched with alarm.
"Edward? Are you okay?"
I nodded shakily. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Didn't know that would be so hot. What was that again?"
She looked down at her pie. "Oh, yeah, I get really impatient, so I always blow on it a little to try to cool it off. It's always too hot to eat when it first comes out." She shrugged. "I don't like to wait when I want something."
"Sure," I replied, gesturing at the coffee, trying to distract myself. "Me too. So, uh, Angela and Ben?"
Bella jumped back into her story. "Yeah, so like I said, poster children. Her dad even had a guy do a write-up in some Lutheran newsletter about them and their commitment. My dad loved her – was always telling me I should be like Angela." She snorted. "As if he'd have let a guy get within five feet of me alone in high school."
I nodded, poking at the pie, remembering Chief Swan as an imposing man, with an equally imposing mustache and downright terrifying gun strapped to his thigh. I'd always been a little afraid he would read my thoughts and shoot me just for those. "Yeah, I remember that your dad was a little . . ."
"Overprotective?" she filled in. "You could say that. So we get to the end of senior year, about a week before graduation, and Angela asks me to drive to Seattle with her one Saturday. Turned out Ben was the kryptonite to her super chastity belt, they'd been going at it like bunnies for years, and he'd finally knocked her up. I was the maid of honor for her at City Hall that weekend."
"Nice," I replied. "So how'd they turn out?"
Bella laughed. "Awesome. They really were in love. Angela was so worried her dad would kill Ben when they got back to town, and he started to, until her mom tore into him about how Angela was a little surprise that had caused them to elope when they were eighteen too. It was hilarious. Apparently Pastor Weber turned purple, then red, then held out his arms and welcomed Ben to the family. They had a cute little baby girl."
She dug into her pie, scooping up a bite, then swirling it in the bowl of melting ice cream before plunging it into her mouth and moaning. "That's the best thing I've had in my mouth in ages."
My cock went from the half-mast I'd mentally coaxed it down to, back up to Hello Bella in a heartbeat.
She glanced up. "Try yours."
I followed her example and scooped a bite off the plate, my fork separating the flaky layers and gooey filling as I caught a dab of ice cream and took a bite.
I moaned a little myself. She was right. It was heavenly. She grinned and pointed her fork at me. "What did I tell you? Good, right?"
I nodded and dove for another piece. "Fantastic. This crust just melts in your mouth."
We ate in silence for a few moments, humming appreciation as we savored the pie. She gave a little sigh and took a sip of her coffee. "So, yeah – not that many exciting stories about Forks High. Angela getting knocked up was probably our biggest scandal."
She set her cup of coffee back on the table. "Edward, can I ask you something?"
There was a serious note in her voice, the humor from a minute before drained away. I swallowed and sat back, suddenly nervous. "Sure, Bella."
She laced her hands around the cup, staring into its dark depths. "Did you . . . did you not like me in high school? You never seemed to want to talk to me."
Not like her? How could I even begin to explain that to her?
"No, Bella. I did. I just . . ." I let out a breath and decided to go for it. "I was a stupid sixteen-year-old guy who didn't know how to talk a girl that he . . . had a crush on."
She looked up then, a strange expression on her face. "You had a crush on me?"
I shrugged. "You mean you couldn't tell? Bella . . . you were just . . . you were beautiful and kind of unattainable and . . . you made me so nervous I couldn't even talk to you."
She let out a small laugh. "Really?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
She looked back into the cup. "I had a crush on you too. You were such an enigma." I watched as her cheeks pinked up again as she slowly raised her eyes to mine and held them.
I couldn't look away. All of the lust and desire from long ago that I'd rolled over and over in my mind for years into impossible fantasies was before me, mirrored back and magnified.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this," she murmured, her eyes still holding me prisoner. "You were my first."
"Your first?" I repeated back.
She leaned forward and I found myself doing the same, until our faces were only a few inches away.
"My first orgasm. I thought of you . . ."
Something inside me snapped and I slid out of the booth, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet and digging out a couple of twenties that should more than cover the cherry pie. No matter how fucking delectable it was, I had something I wanted to eat much more.
I leaned down to her side of the booth and whispered, "You have no idea how many times I've come screaming your name." I slid my thumb across the corner of her mouth, swiping away the tiny hint of cherries and cream there before I licked my thumb clean, watching her eyes darken further as she inhaled sharply. "Delicious. Want to get out of here?"
She nodded. We headed towards the door with a quick goodbye to Nadine and out into the cool fall air. The dull glow of the neon vacancy light next door caught my eye and I stopped. Bella followed my gaze and then pulled me forward.
