One Stupid Thing

A/N: The conversation in the bar continues, as do the memories from ten years ago. A few more puzzle pieces and clues to their history. And more horny Little Edward, because I love him so.

I'm not inclined to infringe. This stuff...well, the basics, not Pissy Youngward...belong to Stephenie Meyer. But Junior Highward is all mine.

Chapter 4: Upside to a Beatdown

August 27…8 months ago

EPOV (23 years old)

I glanced over in the direction of Tyler Crowley, sitting with Mike Newton on the far side of the bar.

"So, Bella, your entrance didn't go unnoticed…" She looked in the direction I nodded my head before looking back at me.

"You mean Tyler and Mike?"

I nodded again, smiling a little and she just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied with a sigh. "They both waved and he called out a hello. I'd stop and talk to Mike but I have no desire to spend much time talking to Tyler."

"Is it because the ex-Homecoming King is now the Dirty Laundry King?" I smirked at her.

She giggled. It was such a lovely sound. It made me feel warm and happy. I'd always loved the sound of her laughter.

She leaned in toward me and spoke a little more quietly. "I guess when you own the town's only Laundromat and drycleaners that does make you the "Dirty Laundry King," she acknowledged with a grin.

"And Tyler does have quite a bit of dirty laundry of his own, besides what turns up at the Wash and Dry," I added, smiling a little more now.

"I'd imagine most of the women of Forks in his age group are part of that dirty laundry. Me included." She looked down at her hands, folded on the bar counter.

I frowned, instantly regretting I had led the conversation in this direction. "Bella, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. You are not part of his dirty laundry. Don't even say that."

She sighed. "Oh, I know, Edward. I just still wish I could rip that page out of my life's book and burn it. I was very naïve back then; I didn't know the first thing about Tyler Crowley or the kind of person he was. I wish I'd known back then that I was part of some stupid high school senior bet."

"Me too," I said honestly, feeling my frown deepen. "I've always felt bad about that; I would have told you if I'd known, Bella."

"Edward, you were just a boy. How were you supposed to know that Tyler and his buddies were placing bets on who would be the first one I'd agree to go out with here in Forks? I don't even know what the big deal was. For some reason the 'new girl'was of interest to them and Tyler just happened to be the first one who was confident enough to persistently ask the Chief's daughter out on a date until she gave in."

I nodded. "I know; but I would have told you if I'd known. Emmett had no idea. He was as upset as me. He didn't really hang out with those guys; he was always too busy with Rose. I'm just glad for you that it ended pretty quickly."

She grinned back at me. "I have you and Emmett to thank for that. You two Cullen boys were so sweet to stand up for me. I'm just sorry you got so beaten up that day."

"Yeah." I chuckled at the memory. "I'd hate to think of how I would have fared if Emmett hadn't arrived home when he did. Crowley might have disfigured me for life."

"You did look pretty bad those next few days. I had no idea you were going out there to fight with him. I thought you were just going to ask him to leave."

I smiled. And then I realized what an idiot I'd been this whole time, talking to her and never even thinking to ask what she wanted to drink.

"I'm sorry; I never even thought to ask…can I get you something? You're here at the bar, after all…" I smiled, gesturing at her perched atop her barstool. "It's on me. What would you like?"

"How about a tall gin and tonic with two limes?" She was suddenly smirking at me.

"Really?" I asked, smiling in response. She nodded, her eyes crinkling up at the corners with her smile.

She remembered that was my personal drink of choice?

"It's become my usual," she volunteered with a shrug as she leaned a little closer.

No girly drink with an umbrella for Bella. She was still very no-nonsense. Well, she'd asked for two limes; maybe a little bit of nonsense.

"Any preference for the gin?" I asked her, already suspecting her answer.

"I can't believe you need to ask; Tanqueray, of course!" she said, grinning a little more, but biting her lip as she did so.

"That's my girl! Coming right up!" For some reason it made me really happy to know that she remembered my preferred drink and that it had become hers now as well.

I moved away to the other side of the bar to get a highball glass so I could mix her drink. I glanced over and saw Bella's foe and former beau watching me and I started thinking back to that point in time ten years ago, right after the Tyler Crowley Beatdown.

March 4…10 years ago

EPOV (13 years old, 8th grade)

On Wednesday afternoon, before Bella was due to come over, I looked at myself in the mirror as I was brushing my teeth; I really looked awful after Monday afternoon's fight with Tyler Crowley. I had a hell of a black eye. It actually wasn't so much black, as it was a collection of deep, dark purple, blue, green, and brown. Today some yellow was also beginning to appear. It was a virtual rainbow of destruction. The gashes on my cheekbone and brow bone were both healing nicely but then again, how nice can a gash look, even if it is healing?

Emmett had walked away with a fat lip, after it had gotten cut from a punch to the mouth. His bloody nose had cleaned up fine; it wasn't broken, maybe a little swollen, but not bad. I was the one who looked like my face had been hit by a truck.

My dad had been concerned with what had happened to both Emmett and me. Actually he had been furious. Emmett however, had a way with words and a way with bending the truth and omitting certain facts and embellishing others. And he had such an honest-looking baby face when he was trying to hoodwink a parent that my dad fell for his nonsense.

Emmett had explained that I'd gotten into an argument with Tyler Crowley, a senior, over his mistreatment of Isabella Swan. Crowley had then promptly started a fist fight with me. And since I was only thirteen years old, Emmett had come to my assistance, family being important beyond anything else, blah, blah, blah. Complete typical Emmett horseshit. I had a hard time controlling myself and not bursting into raucous laughter as I listened, nodding my head thoughtfully while he explained to our father.

It really was close to the truth and fairly believable, and so my dad had chosen to believe him. That was probably easier on his blood pressure anyway. He had tried to patch us both up, to the best of his ability, good doctor that he was. He had that lofty position, after all, and he couldn't very well ignore our medical needs and send us out into the community looking like hell.

My mother had merely stood there, shaking her head, aghast at what had happened to both of her sweet boys as our dad applied medicine and butterfly bandages to my cuts and inspected Emmett's fat lip and checked his nose to make sure it wasn't broken.

Forks is a small town. Word travels fast. Emmett also knows who the best people are to tell important information to, especially if you want that information to spread throughout the community. The story I had been hearing, for the past two days, was pretty wonderful and painted me in a very favorable light.

Tyler Crowley had been a jerk to his girlfriend, the very lovely and intriguing, relatively new girl, Isabella Swan, daughter of Forks' Very Finest, Chief Charlie Swan. Even Edward Cullen, quasi-delinquent thirteen-year-old junior high school kid, knew that the way Crowley had acted was not the way you treated a young lady. So once Edward took it upon himself to point this out and discuss this with Tyler in the Cullen's front yard, and that discussion had gone terribly awry, Emmett Cullen had arrived home in the nick of time and jumped into the fray to save his younger brother from serious physical injury at the hands of a high school senior.

I had to admit, it sounded like a good beginning for a made for TV movie. It sort of brought tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat. Most importantly, it pointed out to the populace just what a douche Tyler Crowley was. He could kiss his undeserved popularity goodbye.

Emmett now had a slew of admirers at Forks High and I was Mr. Knight in Shining Armor over at Forks Junior High, in spite of my battered face, for standing up to an asinine eighteen year old on behalf of a fragile beauty. A lot of the girls in my classes started looking at me a little differently, but I only had eyes for one girl and she didn't attend my school.

But she was due to show up at my house any minute.

So, as I stood there looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, I realized there wasn't really much that could be done regarding my face. It would heal in time and the rainbow would disappear. I had other problems to ponder, far worse problems, I realized, as I looked at my reflection. I'd had a growth spurt last summer and was already five feet ten inches tall. So now I was tall and gangly and I hadn't filled out yet at all. My weight was lagging behind my height. I looked positively rail thin and my clothes hung on me. I had opted for a sweatshirt today; it added some much needed bulk to my beanpole frame. At least I had minty fresh breath. I rinsed my toothbrush and smiled into the mirror, instantly lamenting my sparkling braces.

Fuck.

When the doorbell rang I hurried to answer it before my mom could maybe get there and embarrass me somehow. I could just hear her, "Oh, Edward, you changed your clothes, combed your hair, and brushed your teeth! What perfect timing, since Isabella was coming over!

Yeah, that'd be a fucking hoot.

I opened the door and Bella stood there in tight jeans and a snug, dark blue hoodie with a little lacey shirt poking out from underneath. Her hand had a bandage wrapped around it. She had some little weird brown moccasins on her feet. Her hair was up in a ponytail but a few of the strands were escaping. I noticed all of these things about her. How could I not? She was beautiful.

She gasped as soon as she saw me. "Oh my gosh! Edward…your face! How awful!"

I felt like some sort of monster: hideously discolored face, dark and crusting scabs, barely recognizable humanity. As I looked at her, her expression changed from surprise, to horror, to disgust. I suddenly felt ill and was on the verge of telling her I wanted to just skip today's session when two unbelievable things happened.

First, she began talking, explaining the facial expressions I had seen.

"Oh, Edward, your poor face! Your eye—that's got to be the worst black eye I've ever seen! That Tyler Crowley is just the worst possible kind of creep. I can't believe he did that to you!"

That was all quite nice to hear, because I realized she wasn't horrified by me, or disgusted by me. It was him, Tyler Crowley, who horrified and disgusted her and she felt dreadful for what had happened to me.

But the second, even more wonderful, unbelievable thing that happened, was that she reached up and placed her palm gently against my cheek, touching my battered face.

She touched me.

In my mind this would have been where the orchestra would have burst into a sweeping and uplifting and romantically expanding composition. I suddenly began feeling an uplifting and romantically expanding sensation going on in my jeans and realized I'd better focus on something other than Broadway musicals or the fact that this sweet and beautiful high school girl was touching my face with her soft hand and cool fingertips.

"You poor thing!" she said, sounding so dismayed. "I owe you big time." She seemed to think about it for a moment before she continued speaking. "Bring your schoolwork, Edward. We can go to the diner and work there. We'll get ice cream sundaes; my treat. It's the least I can do after what that obnoxious idiot did to you."

I happily grabbed my schoolwork and followed Bella out to her truck, admiring the movement of her hips once again. I had really missed our rides to and from the Spoons-n-Forks. It had always been a nice little chance to visit and chat a bit before getting down to work. But in the past couple weeks, when she had been dating Crowley, he had dropped her off and picked her up and our lovely rides together had disappeared. I was so happy now to have that opportunity back.

I was happy for another reason as well. The other day, when the three of us had been sitting in the kitchen, icing down our injuries, she had told Emmett and me that she would prefer it if we would call her Bella. She told us 'Isabella' was her legal name, but her friends had always called her 'Bella' and she would like for us to do the same. So that made me a friend and not just some dumbshit kid she tutored.

And today we were about to head to the Spoons-n-Forks together to work there and have ice cream sundaes. March was really shaping up to be a good month.

She climbed into her truck and I followed her, opening and then shutting her door for her before heading over to the passenger side. She leaned across the bench seat and unlocked the passenger side door for me.

"Hop in, kid!" she said, smiling brightly as I opened the door.

I climbed in, slamming the heavy door and then I sat there for a minute, a little disappointed and deflated. I deliberated about whether to say anything or not. Finally I decided to just say it.

What the hell, right?

"Um, Bella, I'd rather you didn't call me 'kid,' please. That sounds kind of childish and well…I'm thirteen and I'll be fourteen in a couple of months. That's not so young."

She looked over at me as she started up the truck. Then she smiled warmly and shook her head, "You're right, Edward, fourteen isn't so young. I shouldn't have called you 'kid.' It's not like I'm that much older than you; I'm only sixteen myself."

Three years. That's not such a big age difference. And I'm bigger, height- wise; though maybe not weight-wise. Shit, I need to start eating more. Maybe I should have a really big sundae. Maybe I could start working out a little, too; build some muscle. I could always use Emmett's weight set.

"So you're sixteen and a junior in high school? Like Alice right?" I asked her.

"Well, actually, no. I have senior standing this year."

"So you're really a senior this year; like Emmett? I don't understand how you can be only sixteen years old and yet you're a senior. Emmett's already eighteen." I squinted in the glare of the sun trying to figure this mystery out. I figured in that moment that she must be a genius.

She glanced over at me and smiled as she drove. "Ever since I started high school in Phoenix I've taken summer school classes every summer. My summers were boring and I always liked school, so I've just gotten ahead fast. I'm a junior now, but with senior standing, credit-wise. I'm actually going to graduate at the end of this year and start classes in college in the summer. Plus, I have some Advanced Placement courses, so that puts me ahead with college credits already too."

So she wouldn't be at Forks High next year, when I started ninth grade; my freshman year. She would be gone already; off to some college somewhere.

My mind was suddenly reeling with that dismal information but she was continuing to explain and I tuned back in to listen to her.

"I've taken summer school classes and had a full schedule enough semesters that it equaled up to a whole year of high school classes. If I take college classes this summer, after I graduate from high school, and take the maximum load both semesters next year at college and in the following summer, I could be a junior in college that following year."

I was astonished. I'd never heard anything like it. She was phenomenal. She'd be two years ahead of students her age.

"Are you some kind of a genius, or something, Bella?" I'd decided I had to ask her. I wanted to know because if she was brilliant or something, I would know instantly that I'd never match up.

She laughed. "No, not quite, Edward. I mean, I guess I'm fairly smart, but I guess I'm mostly driven. I'd like to just get ahead and get on with my life, you know? I know what I want to do, and I'm ready to start getting there."

"What do you want to do?" I asked her as she pulled her truck into the parking lot of the Spoons-n-Forks diner.

"Isn't it obvious?" she smiled over at me as she parked the truck and removed the key.

"No, not to me. What do you want to be?" I asked her as we climbed out of the truck.

"I want to be a teacher. I'm tutoring you, Edward, because I really enjoy helping someone learn something. I've helped other students learn things, throughout my own school years. You know, I've been a study-buddy with a friend here and there; I worked with some fourth graders when I was in seventh grade, helping them with math facts and reading skills. In ninth grade, when I was living in Arizona, I worked with some other ninth graders that would go help out seventh graders at the junior high school and work on their math skills. It's always been something I've enjoyed doing."

"So you enjoy tutoring me?" I could be hopeful, couldn't I?

"Of course, silly! Why? Did you think I didn't?" Her smile was infectious.

"Well, I mean, you're getting paid, you know?"

"But that doesn't mean I'm not having fun working with you, Edward!"

I was officially on Cloud-Fucking-Nine. She said it was fun working with me. I got this warm feeling in my chest and I kind of felt like bursting into song, but this wasn't a musical and it would probably be frowned upon, here inside the Spoons-n-Forks. So I kept my mouth shut while I tried to tone down my face-splitting grin.

Bella waved and smiled to the waitress, pointing toward the back of the diner, and just led the way to a booth.

"I used to work here in the fall and early winter," she explained to me over her shoulder. "I had to quit, though, because the hours got too late and I was having a hard time getting all of my schoolwork done."

As we walked between the tables to the section with the booths, I realized that people were looking at us. Watching us. Much as I wanted people to be reflecting on what a handsome looking couple we made, realistically I knew that they were probably wondering what the hell had happened to my face instead. I saw two people point and lean close to whisper to each other, so maybe they had heard Emmett's version of the news and knew that I was the Cullen Kid or that Bella was the Chief's Daughter.

Bella waved to two guys who were seated at another booth before we sat down. I recognized them as Ben Cheney and Mike Newton, both seniors in Emmett's grade…well, in Bella's grade, too, come to find out. They were watching our every move. Cheney played baseball and was the senior class president or some such thing and Newton played the big three: football, basketball and baseball just like Emmett. Newton's family also owned The Outdoorsman, Forks big sporting goods store, so he might have had a slight edge with the sports thing.

Bella took her place on one side of the booth and I slid into the opposite side. We both looked at the list of fountain treats. She ordered the Hot Fudge Sundae and I said I wanted the Banana Split, hoping the extra calories would latch onto my beanpole frame and help bulk me up. I hoped my order didn't seem vulgar. 'Banana', you know? When you're in junior high you're really aware of all of that kind of shit, but she didn't seem to care; she didn't have any kind of adverse reaction to my preference.

I unpacked some schoolwork from my backpack. There was an essay I had to write for my English class. I had already made an outline and she kind of looked it over, asking questions and pointing out a few things I needed to add or change around. We kept spinning that piece of notebook paper around and around on the table, so she could look at it, make a few comments and then I could look at it, and make some adjustments, and so on.

After a few minutes of that, she stood up and said, "Spinning this paper back and forth is making me dizzy and giving me a headache. Scoot over."

And with that, she stood up and slid into my side of the booth.

I couldn't breathe. I was now officially dizzy as well. I didn't have a headache like she did but my pants were feeling a little restrictive.

We actually usually sat next to each other when she was tutoring me at my house. But that was at the kitchen table, where we each had our own chair. When she slid into the booth next to me, and we were on that one bench seat, she just seemed so much closer and I couldn't help but notice how much smaller she was than me.

I couldn't actually move all the way down against the wall, to make more room between us because my backpack was there on the bench next to me and I sure as hell was not going to move it. I must have had horn-dog's intuition, because I had placed it on the side of me that was nearest the wall. Imagine if I'd placed it on the outermost side of me! It would have been an effective barrier between my hard and hormonal body and her softer, so much more mature one.

Her leg brushed lightly against mine, and I almost jumped out of my skin. I swear I could feel the heat coming off of her body and I know my own body was suddenly overheated because I could feel myself sweating.

I felt a wave of relief when the waitress came over and set our ice cream creations down in front of us. But that feeling of relief was short-lived when Bella picked up her spoon and began eating her ice cream, licking the spoon. I nearly swallowed my own tongue. And as I kept watching her I thought I would pass out and slide off the booth and under the table in an ice-cream-erotica induced coma.

Somehow I managed to eat my banana split, only occasionally allowing myself a glance in her direction as she licked and sucked at the ice cream on that spoon. I have to admit, I was physically uncomfortable during most of that dessert. I knew, from this day forward, I would have a new respect and fondness for Hot Fudge Sundaes as well as a whole collection of new visual images to recall during those intimate and personal moments I seemed to be needing more and more often.

I finished up the rough draft of my essay and then I realized that I needed a little help with my algebra. I had to scoot towards her to pull my backpack out, to get my math work. For a few moments I was leaning up against her, touching her body with mine, from my shoulder all the way down to my calf. It was a sensation I would reminisce about often, privately, of course, in the days to come.

Once I'd gotten my math and opened up the book, it dawned on me that if I wrote small, she just might be forced to lean over a little more closely toward me to read what I'd written.

Oh, I was such a sneaky, horny, little bastard!

I don't remember much of what she said. I tried to pay attention, but the scent of strawberries wafting off her body and hair and the occasional feel of her leg against mine, pretty much blotted it all out, even at the time. An awareness of any of those things was overshadowed by the odd jittery feeling that seemed to sort of hum through my system. It was the first time I'd ever felt something like that. It was amazing to think that a girl could do that to me.

BPOV (16 years old, 11th grade)

The day I slammed my hand in Tyler Crowley's van was a wake-up call. I went back to the Cullen's house for ice and when Edward answered the door and pulled me inside I just felt so stupid. I was hurt, both physically and emotionally. I couldn't believe I had thought Tyler Crowley was worth my time. He had been insensitive and rude.

Edward was so kind and worried and sweet. He got me a bag of ice and sat down with me, worried I might have been broken something. I couldn't even talk. Not just because of the pain and tears but because I was so embarrassed I had allowed myself to be treated so poorly by someone like Tyler.

And yet this boy, this thirteen year old boy, knew that what I was putting up with wasn't right. He gently wiped my tears away with a tissue. That one simple action would never have occurred to Tyler Crowley. And yet Edward had been the one people thought was a problem child; verging on juvenile delinquency. How ridiculous!

Edward asked if I wanted him to tell Tyler to leave and I nodded. I didn't want to look at Tyler's face; didn't want to talk to him or hear his voice. Edward got up and left the kitchen. The next thing I knew I heard yelling and swearing and the slam of the van door outside. I stood up from the kitchen table so quickly that the chair fell over backward loudly onto the kitchen floor.

I dashed out the front door to see Edward and Tyler yelling and punching at each other. I stood there in shock for a moment before I began yelling at Tyler to leave Edward alone and just please leave. Emmett drove up then, looking at the spectacle in the yard in front of their home. He took one look at me, standing on the porch with my hand wrapped with the bag of ice, yelling at Tyler to leave Edward alone and just get out of here.

Emmett ran over to where they were fighting and looked back at me once more to make sure he had read the situation right. At this point Tyler was sitting on top of Edward, punching the younger boy as Edward punched him in return. Emmett reached down and pulled Tyler off of Edward roughly and suddenly the two Cullen boys were on top of Tyler, pounding on him with their fists. I heard Edward yelling at him.

"What's wrong with you, you motherfucker? Don't you know how to treat a girl? Don't you know that she's special? Get the fuck out of here! You leave Isabella alone, you goddamned jackass!"

Somehow Tyler got away from them and ran back to his truck. As he drove off I watched the two Cullen boys, standing there breathing heavily and catching their breath. When Emmett high-fived Edward it just struck me funny. I was so relieved to be done with Tyler and relieved that neither Edward nor Emmett seemed too horribly hurt. I started laughing and couldn't stop. They both looked up at me in surprise, and came back up to the porch and we went into the house.

I got them both ice bags and the three of us sat at the kitchen table as they cleaned themselves up. Edward was explaining to Emmett what had happened. Edward was still so incensed at Tyler's actions, or maybe complete lack of actions was more to the point. We were eventually all laughing, rethinking what had happened. I was just so glad that Emmett had showed up when he did because I hated to see Edward get hurt on my behalf.

Two days later, when I showed up at the Cullen's home for tutoring, I had been shocked at Edward's appearance. That poor kid looked just awful! He seemed instantly upset about my reaction to his appearance, and then I felt bad, because I knew it had been my fault. I told him he had the worst black eye I'd ever seen, and that Tyler Crowley was just the worst kind of creep.

Really, to have beaten up a kid four years younger than himself…who does that?

I felt so bad. I put my hand against Edward's face to see if it was swollen, trying not to hurt him. I told him I owed him big time. He had gotten rid of an embarrassment for me, he had stood up to him for me, and he had taken a beating for it. I decided to take him for an ice cream sundae. It wouldn't really soften the blow, or blows, rather, but maybe he would like me treating him a little bit.

I called him 'kid' and he asked me not to do that. I hadn't thought about it before I'd said it, but he probably was sensitive about being younger after being roughed up by an older guy. I told him I was only a few years older than him.

He seemed surprised to find out I was going to graduate a year early. I explained how I'd managed that because I thought he might like to know what was possible if you put your mind to it. I knew he was already turning himself around in school in the short time we'd been working together. He was earning a lot of A's and B's on current work and his grade point average was slowly but steadily on the rise.

Edward asked me what I wanted to do after college and I was a little surprised that he didn't know. I guess I'd never mentioned wanting to teach, so how would he have really known? A thirteen year old isn't going to be thinking about careers. He seemed surprised when I told him, and even more surprised to find out I enjoyed working with him.

I could tell Edward was pleased to know I actually enjoyed our time together. He probably felt his efforts paid off if he was pleasing several people: his parents and me. I realized with him being thirteen, he was probably also a little self-conscious, so I think it must have made him feel a little less so around me, knowing I liked helping him and that this wasn't merely a business transaction.

We sat at a booth in the diner and ordered our ice cream sundaes and started in on his schoolwork. He worked on an outline and rough draft for an essay. I was impressed with his vocabulary. He even spelled things correctly for the most part. I thought Edward was bright and rather well-spoken for a thirteen year old.

I knew a lot of students in high school who couldn't spell very well. There had been times I'd been passed a note from a friend, only to have trouble deciphering it because it was written so poorly. I sometimes had the urge to fix the note with a red pen and return it to the sender to be re-written. I guess I really am cut out to be a teacher.

It was really kind of nice, just sitting there in the diner, leisurely eating our sundaes, getting through his schoolwork. Maybe the change of atmosphere was a good idea. Edward seemed to really focus on me as I explained things to him. He was a good listener and worked cooperatively and diligently to complete his assignments. I was glad to see it had become so important to him to do well in school.

There was no other explanation for his behavior.

August 27…8 months ago

EPOV (23 years old)

I set her drink down on a napkin in front of her a few moments later. "One Tanqueray and tonic with two limes," I announced.

"Thank you, Edward." She picked up her drink and stirred it with the straw and then took a sip of it, licking her lower lip afterward. "Oh, that tastes perfect!" She smiled. She looked down at her watch then and looked around the bar. "You know, I should probably go get a table and wait for Angela; she should be here any minute." She hopped off her bar stool and stood there for a moment.

I had been so caught up in our conversation and my memories and thoughts I had completely forgotten that she was meeting Angela Webber tonight. I had to say something quick before she slipped away.

"It's really nice to see you again, Bella." I meant that so sincerely and I hoped she would realize that and not just think it was some trite line.

"It's nice to see you, too, Edward," she said with a faint blush. She paused for a beat. "So…are you living with your folks, now that you're back?"

I smiled. "Yeah, but not for long. I'm going to rent an apartment. It's really hard coming back here and moving in with my parents again after living in an apartment in Seattle for two years. I need my own space."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. As much as I love my dad, it's nice to have a place to call my own."

I nodded in understanding.

Thank you for the drink, Edward," she said with a smile as she slid her purse up her arm and picked up the glass and napkin.

"You're more than welcome, Bella."

I watched her walk away toward an empty side table. It seemed I always watched her walk away. I needed to go sit in the office and find some busywork to do. Mostly I just needed to reflect quietly on this most recent encounter with Isabella Swan, and the fact that I would be seeing more of her now that I was back here, living in Forks.

Shehad surprised me, coming in here to Cullen's Bar and Grill tonight. I didn't expect her to show up here tonight but that was always the case. I hadn't expected her since day one, all those years ago when she first showed up as my tutor in eighth grade. I was never expecting her, but she kept reentering my life with regularity, like she was supposed to be there.

Whatever trepidation I'd had when I first saw her tonight was now gone. We hadn't really talked about anything important but things felt a little smoothed over, regardless. I was glad we had spoken a little.

I had caught myself numerous times during our short conversation this evening staring at her mouth as she spoke. I had been so focused on those lips, thinking about how they had felt that one, single, singular time I had kissed her. I wondered if they would still feel as extraordinary now. I wondered if I would ever find that out. It honestly didn't look good for me. It seriously never had. The cards had always been stacked against me from day one and the odds were not in my favor.

Still, I can dream.

A/N: Hmmm… a few more memories, a little more history. What are your thoughts? Would you care for a Hot Fudge Sundae? or maybe a Banana Split? Yeah, that's right...I said "banana" Or maybe you'd like a tall Tanqueray and tonic with two limes? That's what I'm having.