Chapter 4

I figured the best way to get Edward to leave me alone would be to just bite the bullet and have lunch with him. I didn't understand his persistence on the matter, but I didn't really care at the same time. All I wanted to do was to figure out whatever the hell I was going to do next, and then leave that godforsaken town and never look back. Soon enough Edward would be nothing more than dirt in my rearview mirror again, and I could go back to forgetting him. I just needed to get through the afternoon, and then like before, he'd get bored and move on to his next conquest.

"So… A couple years of med school and then ultimately deciding to become an EMT…what else have you been up to…you know, besides bar hopping and one night stands?" I asked him as casually as possible at lunch. We were eating at a little café in the next town over, simply because I refused to eat at the diner and there wasn't really anything else in Forks besides pizza parlors and fast food.

"Actually the bars around here don't typically allow hopping, that's more your arena" he joked. When I didn't laugh at his stupid remark he sighed. "Oh, come on, lighten up a bit."

"I was just trying to make small talk," I said defensively.

"No, you were forcing small talk. Just let it happen naturally."

"When has anything between us ever been 'natural'?" I asked condescendingly.

"On the contrary, our relationship started out very natural and innocent."

"Innocent?" I said with a laugh. "Ignorant maybe, but what we used to do together wasn't innocent."

"Says who?" he challenged.

"Uh...how about society. Most people frown upon prepubescent fondling with one's sibling."

"We are not, and never have been, siblings," he argued. "We were just…helpless passengers on our parent's momentary ride into legally bound cohabitation."

"Is that what that was?" I said, amused despite myself.

"It was. Perhaps the only reason they were ever married at all was to bring us closer together so we could end up together one day," he said shamelessly.

My mouth fell slack, but I quickly closed it and chose not to respond any further to his comment. I was positive he only said it for shock value or to get a rise out of me, and I refused to play into his games. The idea of us being anything more than friends was beyond ridiculous, and as it was, even the title of 'friends' was stretching it.

"How's Carlisle been?" I asked, redirecting the conversation back to a safer topic.

Edward looked at me disapprovingly, but must have decided going along with it was easier. "He's doing great actually."

"So what was going on the other day when you mentioned how stressed he was?" I questioned.

"Work related stuff, but I don't think I've ever seen him happier in his personal life."

"Did he ever remarry?"

"Yeah, and Esme is perfect for him; I'm fairly certain they're in it for the long haul. She's got a couple of grown kids around our age - Emmett and Alice, both of which are way too intrusive in my life," he said with a smirk. "But it's nice to have siblings; I always hated being an only child."

I nodded. "I used to feel that way…but then you came into my life and I realized being an only child was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"We weren't siblings Bella, not really anyway, and if you honestly think that's how siblings act together then it's no wonder you have relationship issues."

"I do not have relationship issues," I said offended.

"No?"

"No."

"Then why are you single?"

"What? … What does my lack of a boyfriend have to do with anything? Maybe I'm not with anyone because I'm fresh off a breakup and haven't found the right person yet."

"Or maybe it's because you're terrified of becoming like your mom…or maybe you just know that you'll never feel as close to anyone as you did to me…or maybe it's a little of both."

"Or maybe you have no idea what you're talking about," I said bitterly. After ten years apart, he had the audacity to pretend like he knew me? What's worse was that he was probably right, and that pissed me off more than anything. "You're single too, why don't you psycho-analyze yourself. Why don't you have a girlfriend, Edward?"

"I was waiting for you," he said straight-faced.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't be a moron."

"I'm not."

"This is just a waste of time," I said with a huff before starting to get up to leave.

But of course he refused to let me go. "Okay look, can we just call a truce?" he asked with a heart-stopping grin. God, I hated how beautiful he was. "No more bickering."

"Fine, then stop antagonizing me."

"Done," he said quickly. "Let's talk about you…in a calm and respectful way."

"There's nothing to talk about. I had my own business, but now I don't and I'm here working at the diner. My friends are all mutual friends of my ex's so I haven't spoken to anyone in weeks, and I honestly don't intend to in the future either. My life sucks at the moment."

He nodded absently. "So let's go make it better."

I didn't have time to respond because he immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me right out of the café. "Where are we going?" I asked in a rush. "I'm supposed to be getting back to work."

"Nope. You're going nowhere there, it's time to get hopping."

He towed me to the passenger side of my car and opened the door, but I refused to get in. "I'm not letting you drive my rental," I told him stubbornly.

"You're lucky I just called that truce, otherwise I would be arguing with you right now," he said lightly before pulling me around the car to the driver's side and opening the door for me.

"Where are we going?" I whined as I got in.

He ran back around to the passenger side before climbing in and then replying – "Seattle."

"Seattle?" I asked incredulously. "That's like three hours away."

"That's okay; I want to show you something there. We'll get a hotel for the night, and head back in the morning."

"A hotel?" Lord, help me. "What about work?"

"I told you, it's time to move on."

"What about your work?"

"Eh…I'll text my partner and tell him I'm not coming back today; I already have tomorrow off anyway."

"We can't just drive to the city. We don't have a change of clothes, or anything to sleep in…"

"Gah, you are so freaking prudish!" he shouted unexpectedly. "What happened to that girl who decided to ride her bike all the way to the coast on a whim; the one who convinced me to help her free all the grocery store lobsters so they wouldn't end up someone's dinner?"

"I thought you weren't going to fight with me anymore?"

"I'm not fighting, it's just… you were always the one who was up for adventures. I just wish we could find that girl again."

"Well, I'm not a 'girl' anymore," I said bitterly.

"But you could still be spontaneous. Come on…I dare you," he said with raised brows and a mischievous grin.

Ugh, how the hell was I supposed to back down from a dare? He knew that was my weakness; the jerk wasn't fighting fair. Damn him. And damn his irresistible grins!

"Do you want to get changed first at least?" I asked while gesturing to his uniform.

He smiled triumphantly. "Nah, I'll just wing it," he said while pulling off his button down to reveal the perfectly fitted white T he had on underneath. "See, problem solved. Now, let's go."

"Fine." I put the car into drive and headed towards the freeway. I couldn't believe I was actually going along with his harebrained idea of impulsively ditching my current job to find something else…something else not far from Forks, none the less. He was right of course, the diner monotony wasn't for me, but I certainly didn't want my next step to be so close geographically. Maybe California or even north to Canada, but the last place I wanted to end up was Washington so going on that little trip was pointless… But somehow, someway, I found myself driving to Seattle anyway, and even enjoying Edward's company far more than I cared to admit. What the hell was the man doing to me?