Disclaimer: Characters property of Stephenie Meyer.
A/N: Hugs and kisses to my readers and reviewers! Without you guys, I wouldn't have the motivation to write this story. And I'd also like to acknowledge EC4me in guessing that Michelle was the girl with Angela Weber back in Chapter 1. An extra hug...from Edward! Even if he doesn't know it yet...
(Originally, this chapter didn't include Edward's POV, but after getting tipped off that his exit was a little fuzzy, I decided to include it)
As always, happy reading. Four
Edward POV
"No, I can't believe it," I replied with difficulty, trying to untangle the hold Michelle had around my neck.
This was definitely on the top list of coincidences. I had gotten the impression that she was supposed to be in Harvard.
"And don't call me 'mon coeur'," I added.
"Shall I rephrase it into English, then?"
"No!"
What was she doing over here? We'd made it a clean break back in high school. It was only supposed to be a casual relationship, nothing serious. Now she pops back speaking in that native tongue of hers, thinking she could still win me over.
Yes, I was won over, but not by her. Never her. Never again.
"Edward, aren't you happy?" she asked when I finally managed to push her off...in the politest way possible.
"Sure. Now meet Bella Swan. She's my sister's..." My heart stopped.
Bella was gone.
Michelle laughed flirtatiously, but I barely heard it. "Oh, Edward, you're hilarious, introducing me to an imaginary friend. Aren't you too old for that sort of thing?"
I could almost read traces of Bella's thoughts in the air before she bolted. She'd just confirmed gossip. She'd also just listed me as something I wasn't. Narrowing my eyes, I thought back to Alice and what Bella had said.
"Someone told me that..." Ha. "Someone"? From what I knew, she and Alice had been best friends since nursery school. Bella would definitely want to protect her-- especially if she went around spreading gossip. I'd never thought it would be in Alice's nature to do that.
My stomach tightened. I guess you just never knew a person.
I had to fix that, and I had to do it soon. I simply couldn't bear it if Bella went on believing that I was...
"Darling, are you still with me?"
Taking a breath, I gave a courteous smile to Michelle, nodded, and walked away from her. She wasn't stupid; she'd get the message. Meanwhile, I needed to have a talk with my so-called stepsister.
O)- O)- O)-
Bella POV
Did my day suck? Oh, no. It was highly educational in the ways of love, and how it creeps up behind you, ties a handkerchief over your eyes, and kicks you over Mt. Everest.
At least I didn't fall in too deep. I don't think…
Stopping, I bit my bottom lip and shifted my book bag on my shoulder after mindlessly running off to wherever my instinct brought me. Glancing around, I realized that our dorm was close by. So instinct did work, in the end. The grip on the strap of my bag tightened as I thought again of what could have happened between me and…him. A fresh roll of anger crashed over me and I felt the familiar, prickling wetness of tears hovering behind my eyes.
I had really wanted to see Jessica and Alice proven wrong; really wanted to see that there was more behind gorgeous good looks than what met the beholder. But most of all, and this is what disappointed me most, I really, truly wanted to get to know Edward.
I was a fool. Even worse, I was a sad fool.
I ducked my head to brush at my eyes as someone passed by and hastened to the only place of refuge that I knew of. I tripped once as I made my way to the dorm room. Fumbling for my key, I finally managed to twist it with my benumbed fingers.
"Hey, Bella, having a nice day?"
Blinking, I assessed the room. Emmett? But what was he doing here? The only normal fixture in the room was Alice, who was busily scribbling something in a notebook and glancing at her laptop. Rosalie, who had been practically inseparable with Emmett, was nowhere in sight.
Dropping my bag at the foot of the door, I stared at my cousin as he sipped from a glass of lemonade and resumed reading his Stephen King novel.
"Did Rosalie finally get tired of your insufferable behind?" I asked, ignoring the obvious edge in my words. I took the few necessary steps to cross to my bed.
"Cranky much?" Emmett frowned at me.
Alice answered my question without a break in her notes. "No, I convinced her to go back to classes, but she wouldn't allow Emmett all alone in her flat. So she dropped him off here."
"Wonderful, we're babysitting a twenty-two year old." I sat down on the corner of my mattress, chastised at taking out my emotions on the two closest people to me in the university. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for love.
Decisively, Alice set down her pen and turned around in her chair wearily. "What's up, Bella?"
"The sky."
A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "And what's down, then?"
She was humoring me, but I didn't mind. Anything to get rid of the awful knot in my chest. "Grass, dirt, weeds…"
"Pretty bleak picture," Emmett muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, well, go back into your world of…" I quickly scanned the description of his book, and then rolled my eyes at finishing. "…'a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.'"
"Shut up."
"I think," Alice began thoughtfully, reaching across her desk to open the mini-fridge, "that we're in need for the expertise of Ben and Jerry's—don't you?"
"Hey, is this some kind of girly ritual thing?" Emmett set aside his book, watching Alice pick out two tubs with interest. "If so, ladies, then I'm in."
It was wonderful to know that my cousin could still break through even the bleakest moments. "Don't be one of those poor, gender-confused souls, Emmett," I told him gaily. "Be a man!"
"I am a man. And real men participate in feminine voodoo…especially if it involves ice cream."
Alice rolled her eyes as she lobbed a tub of vanilla in my direction. Typically, I missed. "Emmett, it's 'real men cry'. And unless I was mistaken, you're not Italian, are you?"
"Jasper's not Italian," Emmett retorted.
"Don't make this a thing between my boyfriend and Italians!"
"Too late, I already have, so ha."
"Emmett, go cut off your head."
"Sugar, I'm not Anne Boleyn."
"Oops, my bad—she got someone else to do it for her."
"Alice, put down that letter opener!"
I struggled to pry open the cover of the tub after retrieving it from the floor, purposefully strode to my desk drawer for spoons, dug one into the vanilla, and stuck it in Emmett's mouth before he could make Alice even more defensive. "You know what Italians are good at? Ice cream. So why don't we just sit here and pretend we have some of that, okay?"
"And cars," Alice added, promptly brightening. "Did you see that Lamborghini Mr. Hale wanted? Gorgeous!"
Emmett nodded agreeably and helped himself to another scoop from my tub when I offered it to him. For a little while, I could pretend that things weren't as difficult as they used to be. That Edward Masen had no part in our lives and I could just relax and be the odd one out as usual, with Alice spouting out enthusiasm and Emmett messing around. Sitting cross-legged at the foot of my bed, I snatched the vanilla ice cream from Emmett before he could eat it all.
But the peace was destroyed.
Alice's cell phone rang loudly and protestingly from beside her notebook.
Emmett and I exchanged a knowing glance; this had to be Jasper.
She held up a finger with a smile as she flipped open the phone and held it to her ear, licking off chocolate ice cream from her fingers. "Hello?"
"What do you think they're doing today?" I asked Emmett, smirking.
"Hmm, if I recall him correctly, Mr. Smooth-and-Slick probably grabbed tickets for the play downtown at the Civic Auditorium."
"That sounds about accurate."
Jasper was known for his smooth efficiency—hence the nickname—in his dates with Alice. But while it would appear arranged and meticulously planned by anyone else, he had the mysterious skill of making it casual, totally unplanned, and so, so romantic. It was a good thing we liked him, else Rose, Emmett, and I would be driven to suspicion.
I shivered from the amount of ice cream that I'd shoveled into my mouth and passed it off to Emmett. Grabbing the nearest pillow, I hugged it to myself, watching Alice when none of her usual giggling poured forth.
This was odd.
Instead, there was a fast-fading smile on her face, and she was chewing on her cheek. There was a nervous sheen over her widened eyes as they flickered to me and away.
"Um, excuse me?" The sudden flash of insult in her tone caused me to put aside the pillow. This couldn't possibly be Jasper.
"Alice?"
She glanced at me briefly and mumbled something into the phone before putting a hand over it. She gave me a natural smile. "Bella, I'll be just a sec, okay?"
"Wait, why can't you talk to whoever's on the line here? We won't bother you."
Alice shook her head quickly as she walked to the door and pulled it open. "No, you look like you need some rest." She passed a hand across my forehead as though expecting a temperature. "I wouldn't want to intrude on it."
"You aren't…"
I heard my voice fade off as she held up a finger while shutting the door. The last words that I heard before the lock clicked were, "Will you please explain to me again why…"
Frowning, I made myself move back to Emmett and took the ice cream tub away from him again.
"Hey, I was eating that!" he complained.
Sighing, I placed the tub between us so we could both have our fill of soothing vanilla.
O) - O) - O)-
Alice POV
Christ! Agitatedly, I ran a hand through my hair and leaned against the door as my head reeled from the punch Edward had just delivered. He was speaking low and terse on the other line, but I barely registered what he was saying, gathering my wits to speak.
"Edward, how could you say that?" I finally whispered, deeply hurt.
His breath was rough on the other end. "Which?"
"I'd never do or say anything that would upset you to anybody, not even my best friend."
"Never is a strong word, Alice."
"I mean it," I persisted earnestly. I truly meant it. He had to hear that I meant it.
Silence. And then a heavy sigh. "It's too bad that I don't believe you."
"But—"
"For god's sake, Alice, would it kill you to withhold at least one thing from Bella?"
"I've withheld Jasper," I replied nervously, trying for humor.
"Alice."
I remained silent, chewing fretfully on my finger and staring sightlessly at the opposite wall, waiting for him to speak again. When he didn't, I ventured, "Edward?"
"What is it?" His voice was weary.
"Could you somehow, please, make me understand what's going on?"
"You tell me."
I didn't know what to tell him. But now, I attempted to recall the words and phrases that had come through the phone while my mind was in turmoil. "Um, you're saying that I allegedly told Bella something about you that I shouldn't have?"
There was a low laugh on the other end, grim. "I knew I didn't have a dumbass for a sister."
"I didn't tell her anything!" I protested.
"Think back and think hard, Alice."
I'd always wanted an older brother, and Edward was the best there was. I'd do almost anything for him, even though we didn't have the solid bond of blood between us. Taking a breath, I decided to talk it out.
"I told Bella about our parents getting married…"
"Yeah, I was there. Go on."
"…and how wonderful a sibling you are."
"You really think that?" he asked, his voice calmer now, softened.
"Sure I do. I mean, you don't beat on me like other brothers usually do."
He chuckled on the other end of the line, and a wave of relief spread over me.
"I'm sorry for whatever I said, Edward."
There was a heavy release of breath. "Is that all you told Bella?"
"Well…no."
More silence. And then, in a conversational tone worse than his anger, "Did you happen to tell her that I had a girlfriend? Sound familiar, Alice?"
"What? No!!" The vehemence of my denial surprised me—but hey, it bolstered up the truth.
"No?"
"Why on earth would I go around telling people that you have an imaginary girlfriend? What do you think I am, one of those weird overprotective, control-freak sisters that sabotage their brothers' lives? Are you for serious?" My hand, which had been waving and jabbing at the air, now waved at a person that passed by. He stared at me like I'd gone insane while walking away.
"Alice!" Edward shouted at me from the other end.
"What?"
"So you didn't tell her that I was taken?"
"Why does it matter?"
"It doesn't. Listen, just answer the question!"
"No, of course I didn't. And you're not…right?"
"No!"
"Oh, okay, just checking."
We both shared a laugh, mine relieved, his oddly triumphant. When it subsided, I leaned back against the door, waiting for him to continue. Somehow, I knew that I wasn't off the hook just yet.
"What else did you tell Bella?" he asked after a beat.
Uh-oh. "Uh, I don't know if you won't care about it or not, because you're better than that, and know for yourself whether it's true or not, so…"
"You're babbling."
I mentally thanked him for stating the obvious. "Right. Well," I took a breath, "I may have told Bella that you're the kind of guy that doesn't stay very long in a relationship, that you're a heartbreaker, and that she could do better than—"
"ALICE!!" He groaned.
Crap. Oh crap. "So…I wasn't supposed to tell her that."
"NO."
This was the second time I felt chastised and cornered, and I had to get myself out of it. I shot back, "In my defense, she's my best friend. And anyway, it's true, and you know it Edward Anthony Masen! Isn't it fair for her to know what she'd be up against flirting with you?"
"You—"
"And furthermore, no offense, but you need new shoes. Yuck, like I'm going to let Bella go out with someone with worn footwear and a reputation to boot."
I waited for his response and heard a sharp intake of breath. I had been his sister for over a year now; the guy had to understand my wardrobe criteria.
"A bit of advice from your older brother?"
"Yeah, shoot."
"Update your calendar."
Wait—what? I held the phone closer to my ear. "Excuse me?"
"The…one-night stand theme? It's over."
This was interesting. This was new. I really did have to update my calendar. "Congratulations. Nice to see that you're shedding your high school reputation, Ed."
I could almost hear him grimace on the other end. "Don't call me that."
"I need details now, you know me. So spill!"
There was a rustling on the other end and the muffled voices of his roommates. While I waited for him to come back to the phone, I marveled at his decision. Edward was a Mr. High-and-Mighty in high school, with a name as a marvelous halfback in football. And, among other things, a reputation with the ladies that didn't escape anyone's notice. If Bella was the cause of this groundbreaking news, well…!
"Alice, I have to go."
"Okay. Hey, Edward?"
"Yes?"
"Are you free tomorrow for lunch?"
He laughed. "Are you setting me up with someone?"
"No. We're going to talk. I really think we need to," I added, a small smile beginning to unfold. Really, I was just asking him out of courtesy. If I had it my way, I'd just grab him at a moment's notice, and force him to sit at a civilized luncheon…coupled with a shopping trip.
"Alright, then. Who's driving?"
"Me."
"Fine. And, Alice?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for being honest."
"Love you, too."
We said our goodbyes, and for a long while, I just stood there outside the dorm, assessing the situation. And planning who Bella could have lunch with tomorrow. Smiling at inspiration, I turned back and went in.
"Hey, is there more ice cream?"