Yahoo! Chapter 4 comin' atcha.
Thank you to ShearEnvy for her fantastic beta insight and for being a wonderful lady. Thank you to stephk0525 for prereading and being awesome!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
I'm so nervous that my stomach hurts and I hardly slept last night.
I've run through this scenario in my head a thousand times since Edward and I started secretly dating, however all those versions had a hazy, dreamlike quality and were carefully edited with music and slow-mo interludes.
In reality, the picture is a whole lot sharper.
I'm ready half an hour before his car pulls up, but I still wait a full minute with my hand on the doorknob before I go outside, trying to keep up the pretense that I'm not about to jump out of my skin.
He has a little smile on his face as I get in the car. I lean over, kiss him quickly on the lips and pull back. Almost like a test—a question.
Do you want to do this?
He reaches over and grabs my scarf, pulling me closer. I'm suitably reassured. After a minute I break our kiss and look at the clock. My mom is standing at the front window as we pull away. I can't make out the expression on her face, but she spent the entirety of dinner last night asking me questions about him. I knew about half of the answers.
"Did you sleep?"
He shakes his head, but he doesn't look bothered by it.
"Neither did I."
By the time we pull up to school the lot is mostly full, and I'm surprisingly calm until he pulls into a spot across from where Jasper, Emmett and a group of their friends are standing. Edward doesn't show any emotion through his cool exterior.
I can see the familiar letter jackets behind us in my side mirror when we come to a stop.
"We had to park here?" I ask, turning to look at him and take a deep breath.
He shrugs. "Does it matter?" and then looks me over from head to toe. "Nice...shirt," he says, focused on the tiny amount of cleavage showing over my v-neck t-shirt and below my scarf.
"You seriously have a one-track mind," I say, and zip my sweatshirt up further, but my nerves abate a little.
"Ready?" he asks, and he's not just asking about getting out of the car. I smile, so he opens his door and gets out. I follow his lead and keep my eyes on the ground until I get to where he's waiting for me by the trunk of his car.
Someone says "What the fuck?" quietly, and I look up, only at Jasper. His gaze bounces between us, disbelief and anger obvious.
I can't stand the scrutiny and turn to look at Edward. When our eyes meet he reaches for my hand; I take it, and then it's done. There's nothing left open to interpretation in that gesture.
We walk through the parking lot, both of us looking at the ground in front of us. In my peripheral vision I see people stop and stare, but the only person I focus on is Edward. I've gotten used to the whispered hush of gossip around me, but he's not. When I glance at him, he's barely hiding his smile, and I realize that my expression mimics his. Neither of us want to flaunt it, but our happiness peeks through regardless.
"You don't have to walk me to my locker, you know," I say quietly as we approach it.
He lets my hand go so I can get my books out, leaning against the locker next to mine. "I've been told," he says significantly, "that this is what normal people do."
"Rose," I say, rolling my eyes.
He smiles.
"What does she know about normal?" I whisper, leaning in with one hand on his chest, pressing my lips to his ear. "Thanks for the ride." I mean thanks for a lot more, but I think he understands that.
We stare at each other for a few seconds, and he kisses me once on the lips. Someone near us gasps audibly, and we both grin but don't look to find out who it is.
I keep my head down for most of the morning, like I did right after Jasper and I broke up, but it's to hide the fact that I'm fucking giddy right now more than anything.
Jasper corners me in the library during English.
He sits in the cube next to mine, dropping his books carelessly on the desk. His cologne makes me feel nostalgic, but also kind of sick at the same time.
"What's up, Jasper?" My voice comes out weary, like I'm already tired of this conversation.
He looks over, his eyes narrowing. "How could you?"
I laugh out loud, and then remember where I am and lower my voice. "How could I?" He glares at me. "Oh yeah, you're such a victim."
He looks down.
"Are you still going to San Diego?"
The question catches me off guard. We planned to go to school together, which is something I've been debating since we broke up. The only reason I wanted to go there was because of him, and now it's the reason that I don't want to go. My dad almost had a heart attack when I told him that I was thinking of taking a year off. He's threatening to make me intern at his law firm if I don't go to school.
"I don't know."
"I'll miss you."
I look away to collect my thoughts for a second. "I don't even know what to say to that. Why are you acting all wounded? We haven't talked in months." I know why, though.
His words are quiet, but his tone is desperate. "Fucking Cullen, Bella? First you cheat on me, and now Cullen?"
I don't have to say that they're one and the same, because he can tell by my silence and the look on my face.
He slams his chair into the desk when he leaves, making me jump. I collect myself for a minute, swallowing back tears, before I get up to sneak out of the library and go hide somewhere.
Jessica and Angela wave me over to their table on my way out. I can tell they didn't see me with Jasper, because Jessica wouldn't hesitate to ask me what he said. She, as always, starts talking like we're already in the middle of a conversation. I sit after a second, finding that I don't mind the distraction after what just happened.
"Doesn't he, like, have a police record? Also, I heard he has a tattoo of a dragon on his back."
"He doesn't have any tattoos, Jess." I ignore the police record question, because frankly I have no idea.
She sits back in her chair, smoothing her skirt down and tightening her ponytail. "I'm just saying, everyone's talking about you two."
"I'll give you this," Angela chimes in, reapplying her lip gloss, "Edward is fucking hot. So basically, every girl in this school wants to be you. Again." She rolls her eyes, but smiles while she does it.
Jessica throws her hands up. "It's so unfair! Some girls have all the luck! There are, like, no good, available guys at this school now that Jasper's fucking Ali…" she trails off, looking at me apologetically.
"Jess!" Angela cries out, smacking her arm. The people at the table next to us glare in our direction so we lower our voices.
I laugh, even though the image of the two of them together makes my stomach turn. "It's fine, you guys. I'm the one who cheated on him, so…whatever."
Jessica leans forward and glances around conspiratorially. "Speaking of…how is Edward in bed?" she whispers. Angela gapes at her but Jessica ignores her and keeps going. "Is it all true?"
Despite herself, Angela turns expectantly to hear my answer. Apparently my expression answers for me.
"I fucking knew it," Jessica whisper-yells. Angela just smiles, shaking her head.
"Hey, how are things with you and Mike?" I ask Jessica, in an attempt to change the subject. She drops her head onto her forearms dramatically. Angela speaks for her. "Alice had a party last weekend." She pauses. "Sorry." I shake my head. "And Mike did, like, eighty shots and pulled a Risky Business…sans tighty whities." My jaw drops and Jessica peeks up at me before hiding her face again.
Angela nudges her with her shoulder. "I don't know why you're so embarrassed, now at least everyone knows why you put up with his idiocy." She holds up her hands to indicate his size, smiling at me.
"No," I gasp.
"Yes," Angela confirms. We both look at Jessica, who flicks us off.
We laugh until the librarian shushes us and we lower our voices.
"How's the squad?" I ask, feeling a twinge of remorse. There are things that I miss. I miss the competition, and the camaraderie.
Jessica shrugs. "It's fine. No one does a liberty like you, though."
"We miss you," Angela says sincerely, and that makes my eyes want to tear again, so I look down at my books, pretending to read something. "You could come back, you know. Alice is a bitch, but it's not like she doesn't realize how good you are."
I shrug. "It's not Alice. It's just…everything feels different now. I can't explain it. I'm not saying that I'm totally happy, but I wasn't then either, you know?"
It's obvious that they don't know, but that's okay.
"I love you guys," I say, instead of trying to explain further.
"I'll love you more if you text me pictures of Edward's dick," Jessica says. I toss a notebook at her and we get kicked out of the library for laughing too loud.
Duuuuuude, party at Newton's Friday. –R
Most high school parties are segregated into different schools, and then within the school, into different social groups. Jocks, theater kids, potheads, nerds…whatever. It's rare to find a party that encompasses all of these groups of people. That is, unless Mike Newton's parents are out of town. His parties draw kids from all around the city. Mike is just one of those people who knows people, and it's difficult not to like him.
No fucking way. –B
She doesn't respond, but Edward's phone vibrates a second later.
"I'm not going," I say, before he can check his phone. He smirks and picks it up to read the text.
"Why not?"
I'm lying on his bed staring at the art that covers his room while he sketches next to me, leaning against the wall. "All my old friends…jello shots and keg beer…just no." I really mean that Jasper will be there, drunk, and I don't want to deal with it. I've deleted more than a few late night text messages from him the last week, and endured some really pathetic gazes at school.
"Oh come on. My boys from South will probably be there."
South is our rival high school from across the city, a school that's known to be rougher and not as well funded as ours.
"I do want to meet your friends," I admit, thinking back to who was standing in front of the record store with him.
"Cool," he says, but there's uncertainty in his tone now.
An hour later, I'm coming, unable to stop my hips from pushing forward against his tongue. I'm resting back against my elbows so I can watch.
"Holy shit you're good at that," I breathe out, flopping back onto the comforter.
He kisses the skin beneath each of my hipbones as I stretch my arms over my head. He flops down next to me on his stomach. I trail my fingers over his back and we're quiet for a while.
"So...maybe we shouldn't go to that party."
I stare at the ceiling, and suddenly feel the need to get dressed. I sit up and pull on my tank top. "Okay."
"Okay," he says, and neither of us move for a minute.
"Okay, why not?" I ask finally.
He sits up, rubbing his hand over his face. "I thought you didn't want to go."
"I thought you did," I counter, raising my eyebrows at him while I pull my underwear on.
"My friends...they're just different than people you know. We used to do a lot of stuff that I'm not proud of...some of them still do."
I consider that, and turn to face him, sitting cross-legged. The dog tags that he never takes off hang down his chest against the defined muscles. I found out one morning that he uses the bar above his doorway to do pullups, which accounts for the arms, and chest, and back... my lips press against his shoulder and he relaxes.
"I think exactly the same thing all the time."
He smiles, and my fingers trail down the silver chain that lies against his skin. "Alright, let's go. I know they want to meet you."
I press my lips to his neck, smiling. "Did you tell them about me?"
He swallows. "They know."
I get up on my knees and straddle him, and his arms automatically move to my waist. He pulls me closer. "Are you done waiting yet?" I ask.
"Waiting for what?" he asks, kissing my collarbone.
"Oh please, don't act like it's not all you can think about." His lips find mine and confirm my statement, as does his grip on my hips.
"I thought we were having fun," he says, tugging at the hem of my tank top to expose more of my chest, kissing the skin that slides into view.
"You're such a fucking tease," I say, gasping when he gets to my right nipple.
He flips me over and hovers over my body, one knee between my legs. "Want me to stop teasing?"
He's serious. I nod, my mouth open slightly and my eyes half closed.
The relief in fucking him is very physical, but that doesn't explain the tear that slides down my cheek when he's fully inside me for the first time since...the first time. He brushes the tear away, and we watch each other, both taking in the other's expressions and bodies, where we connect and how we move together.
It's better than I remember, but as I lay there afterward with my head on his chest I realize why he wanted to wait.
We're in deep now.
We ride with Rose, so we're late and have to park almost a block from the party. The bass is still audible from that far away. People are walking toward the house in groups, passing joints and sipping off bottles.
"Isn't this great?" Rose says, spinning with her arms in the air. "You never know what could happen!"
The same reason that she's excited is the same reason that I'm nervous. Rose has been really supportive of Edward and I, but she's also been acting strange lately. I try not to pry into her friendship with Edward, but I did ask him what he thought. He just shook his head, but I could see the concern on his face.
A group of guys stand in a circle on the front lawn, smoking what looks like a blunt and taking turns rapping to the bass sounding from the house. They're all dressed like Edward, with hoods up over baseball caps pulled down low. Rose runs up to them, throwing her arms around a guy that I recognize as the one who helped me pick up my books in front of the record shop. She turns but keeps one arm around him, whispering in his ear as the two of them watch us approach. Edward and I walk up hand-in-hand.
"Where you been at, E?" One guy asks, eyeing where my tits are obscured by my coat while he passes Edward the blunt.
"This is Bella," Edward says in response, pausing to exhale a stream of thick smoke.
"I like it," the big guy answers, looking me up and down and winking at me from under the brim of his hat.
"Bella, this is Jake, Sam, Quil, Embry and Paul." I give them a small wave, smiling.
Rose kisses Jake full on the lips. "I need a drink," she says, turning to strut toward the house. It only takes that kiss for me to place Jake in the context of Rose's life. They're friends, but they occasionally mess around. I try to block out the things that she's told me about him in that regard. I'd like to be able to look at him without picturing his dick.
I hear a collective roar sound as she throws the door open dramatically and dances in.
"We're so taking a cab home," I say, looking after her. I have spent many a Saturday morning driving around side streets in the city, looking for Rose's abandoned car. At least this time I'll know where it is...I hope.
Edward passes me the blunt, and I look at it apprehensively before taking a tentative hit. They laugh when I cough, but it's not mean-spirited.
Jake hands me a bottle of something clear to wash it down. It's not water, but I manage to keep my cringing to a minimum.
"So how do you all know each other?" I ask.
I don't understand the laughter that follows my question, and wait for an explanation. Their dynamic is interesting, like they are all completely in tune with one another. Much of their communication is nonverbal. I'm aware that I'm an outsider, but I'm also strangely drawn to their warmth and sense of family, maybe because it reminds me of what it feels like to have a cohesive group of friends. Even Edward laughs, and Jake punches him lightly on the shoulder. It's the first time I've ever seen Edward seem so comfortable...so at home.
"E's my brother from way back. When his mom left, he lived with me until Esme's fine ass showed up."
He and Sam slap each other's hands in some handshake. I expect Edward to stiffen, or show some sign that Jake said too much, but he just says "asshole" and laughs.
He clears his throat lightly. "I blame these fuckers right here for any trouble I've ever been in," Edward says.
The whole group groans. "Bullshit!" Jake yells, pointing at him. Edward laughs, which makes me smile.
Sam throws his arm around my shoulder. "Girl, we could tell you some stories..."
Edward pulls me away from Sam and toward the door, but he's smiling. Jake jogs up behind us and stops us before we get to the steps. "Yo, E. So..." his eyes flick to me and back, "...Leah and Rachel are here."
Edward doesn't really react, but I can see the slight difference in his expression. "Thanks," he says, as he and Jake share a look.
I watch him, waiting for him to explain, but he just opens the door for me and gives me a small smile, though I can see the stress behind it.
It's hot, full of writhing, scantily clad chicks and guys who are desperately trying to rub their groins on them, which is pretty typical for a party at Mike's. Edward keeps me close as I take my coat off, mean-mugging guys who check me out and ignoring the girls who eye him as we walk by. We throw our coats into the pile that formed in a corner of the den.
"Beware the coat pile," I say as we walk toward where I think the bar is, trying to lighten both his mood and mine.
"What?"
"Someone always fucks on the coat pile," I say knowingly.
He laughs.
"Oh you laugh now, but just wait until you have jizz on your jacket," I say as he hands me one of the shots lined up on the bar.
Jessica and Angela stop to talk to us. Both of them look up at Edward, almost dazed when he speaks, even though it's only a few words. He hardly makes eye contact with either of them, and I start to realize that's part of his mystery. He doesn't really look at people, so when he does it renders the unsuspecting defenseless.
Two girls, who I figure are Leah and Rachel, saunter up while we're talking.
"Where the fuck have you been?" one of them demands, punching his arm. They look like twins, tall, dark and lean. Both of them eye Jessica and Angela until they walk away, whispering and glancing back at us.
As before, he answers that question by introducing me. Rachel, the one who punched him, gives me a nod in acknowledgment while Leah looks me up and down.
"So, you're the cheerleader."
"Leah," he says, warning in his tone.
"I was."
"And now what are you?" she asks, her eyes burning into mine.
"I don't know," I answer, because...I really don't know.
"I think I know what you are," she says coldly. Rachel hands her a shot, rolling her eyes. I glance at Edward, hoping for some clue as to why this chick is being so hostile. His unhappy expression spells it out.
"Chill, Lee," Rachel says.
"Fuck off," Leah says back, but she looks at me while she says it.
Mike Newton takes that opportunity to walk up, throwing an arm around me jovially. "Bella!" He's already drunk, although he's like this even when he's sober.
Leah stares at Edward, who's looking at the ground. Rachel is flirting with the guy standing next to her at the bar. Mike is chattering in my ear about football and shots, all the while raising his glass to people around the room. He's oblivious to the tension.
I shrug out from under his arm and he pats me on the back before turning to someone else.
I've been avoiding Edward's gaze for the moment, but now I gesture between him and Leah, irritated and embarrassed that I have to ask this question. "So you two...dated?"
Edward shakes his head, but there's clearly some guilt there.
Leah's jaw sets and her eyes narrow as she glares at him. "No," she bites out. "Apparently we were just fucking."
The noise of the party deadens in my ears as blood rushes to my head. Both sympathy and rage war inside me. I know how she feels, but I really, really want her to go away.
She leans in too close to me, and I hear Edward say her name again angrily, but it's distant over her words. "I heard you begged Jasper Whitlock to take you back, but he didn't want to date a slut anymore." She backs off, laughing cruelly, but I see a hint of something behind that. Maybe genuine pain.
I've found my breaking point. "I didn't know about you," I say firmly.
Leah looks between Edward and me. Her gaze softens infinitesimally. The pain that I wasn't sure I saw is plain on her face now.
"But either way, don't ever fucking talk to me like that again."
Edward puts a hand on my arm, which I shake off. "Just..." I put my hands up and shake my head, hoping he reads my signals clearly. I need a minute. I grab my full beer and walk into the crowd, leaving them all behind. No one moves to stop me.
Mike has a great house. It's huge, and has some secret spots that Jasper and I discovered over the years of partying here. There's a porch on his third floor that not many people know about. It's empty tonight, lit by white Christmas lights that are strung across the beams in the peak. The windows look out in every direction. I can almost see my house from here, with downtown in the distance.
I struggle to find some perspective.
The heavy footsteps moving toward the porch make me tense, but I'm not expecting to see Emmett when his head pops through the door. He grins and comes out, standing next to me to look out over Mike's neighborhood.
"Hey, Em," I say, my voice breaking. I turn my face away.
"Hey, B." He puts an arm around my shoulder after a minute, and I lean my head against him. I realize that this is the first time I've had any real contact with any of the guys that I used to call my best friends. I also realize that I've really missed Emmett, because he didn't end up on this porch by accident. He must have seen what happened and followed me.
I shift away from him, wiping my eyes as I sigh. "I feel like I just got thrown to the wolves. That's one thing I miss about Jasper...I always knew what to expect."
"You were bored out of your mind."
I laugh. "So are you."
He nods, grinning. "True. So, what happened?"
He listens while I relay the story about Leah, nodding and making the appropriate faces. "Rose mentioned her at one point, but it didn't sound like they were serious. It did sound like she was a bitch, though," he throws in at the end. He smiles when he says Rose's name.
"What?" I don't mean for it to come out as harsh as it does.
True to Emmett's character, he takes it in stride. "She didn't tell you about us," he says, resigned. It truly sounds like he's just figuring that fact out. It takes me a minute to process everything and respond.
"I knew about last year...but apparently, I have no idea what the hell is going on now," I say. His expression makes my heart hurt. He's always been one of my favorite people, and at one point was someone that I felt could understand my unhappiness. He might still be able to, I realize, looking at him.
"It doesn't mean she doesn't like you, Em," I say, although I can't say for sure that she does.
He shrugs. "And her not telling you about Leah doesn't mean she's not a good friend," he says.
I look out the window. Someone is throwing up in the bushes behind the house. For some reason that depresses me more than anything else that's happened tonight. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"How is he? I mean really, how is he?"
Emmett sighs. "Okay," he says quietly. "But he took that shit really hard. I hate to say it, but Alice has actually been really good for him."
That makes me curious. "How so?"
"She doesn't put up with bullshit, so she's completely got him by the balls."
I laugh despite myself. "That doesn't surprise me."
"He's still not over you, though."
I rub my eyes, remembering too late that I'm wearing eyeliner. "He came up to me in the library."
"He almost broke his hand punching a wall after that," he says, looking down at his hands and palming his fist, like he can feel that pain.
My shoulders sag under the weight of his statement, but I understand that it's not only mine to bear anymore. We're all a part of this mess.
"I should go find Edward," I say, guessing he's probably upset.
"I'll go with you." He stands, helping me to my feet.
"How long have you guys been...whatever?" I ask as we walk slowly down the steps. He understands that I'm talking about Rose.
"Couple of months. We fight a lot...mostly about the drugs."
I sigh. "I've been there." I reach up and squeeze his shoulder.
We walk into the living room and right into the middle of a standoff.
Jasper is squared off in front of Edward, muscles flexed and fists clenching. "Fucking dick."
Edward looks at me over Jasper's shoulder. I neglected to fill him in on the fact that Jasper knows everything now. He doesn't look angry, though.
He surprises me. "I'm sorry," he says over the music, looking Jasper in the eyes.
Witnessing a fight brew is like watching the fuse burn down on a stick of dynamite. It's tense and slow, and then it suddenly moves in fast forward. They never get it right on TV. It's not choreographed, it's messy, and you never really know what happened until it's over.
Jasper swings and Edward backs away so he just misses him. I lose track of the movements then as people crowd around us, shouting, but I hear a few hits connect, the distinct sounds of fists on flesh audible even over the music. Emmett grabs Jasper and Jake grabs Edward, and then all that's left is a space where their rivalry culminated, after all these years.
Blood pours out of Jasper's nose and he struggles out of Emmett's grasp, wiping his face and glaring at me as he walks out of the room, his boys following suit.
By the time I look up to where Edward was, he and Jake are gone.
The circle breaks and people stand there for a second, but eventually drift away to get another drink, some disappointed that the fight was broken up, some relieved. I just stare at the spot on the floor, a few drops of blood the only indication that it happened.
I lift my eyes to meet Alice's, and the look on her face is the thing that really bothers me later. Devastation…resignation. She stares at me, her eyes wet with tears, before turning and walking away.
Rose's arm curves around mine, and when I look over she looks appropriately apologetic. Edward must have told her about Leah. She doesn't apologize, because that's not her style, but I really wish she would. We stand together for a second, the party resuming around us. It's all too much. This night...this year...I take a deep breath and try to will my heartbeat to slow.
"I need to get out of here."
We turn together, and she doesn't let go of my arm as we walk out. I glance over, and see her eyes darting around like she's looking for someone. Then it dawns on me who she's looking for.
"You're fucking Emmett," I say. In another situation, this would be a joke, but right now I can't muster the humor to lighten my statement.
Her gait falters but she keeps walking, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "Fine. Yes. But I don't really like him or anything." She smiles, but I don't.
There's something profoundly sad about her inability to allow someone to get close enough to her to pierce the armor. I wonder if this is why we all get half-truths from her. Because if everyone knew everything, we would all see each other clearly, including her.
We stop to get our coats, and I watch while she finds the fur coat that once belonged to her mother and shrugs it on. Her mom won't notice that she took it through her perpetual haze, and Rose says it's got these hidden inside pockets that are perfect for contraband.
"Liar," I say quietly yet seriously. She stiffens but doesn't look at me.
"I should've told you about Leah," she says, with an uncharacteristic regretful look on her face.
"That's not what I mean. Don't shut Emmett out just because he's not what you thought the right guy would look like," I say, shaking my head.
Her eyes flash and I can tell I hit a nerve. "Says the girl who dated the wrong one for six years," she says bitterly.
She's right, but that doesn't matter. "So, I say it from experience then."
Her hand slips into her coat and produces a flask, which she opens and upends into her mouth. "What's your problem? I said I was sorry."
"No, you didn't."
She looks at me finally, and her eyes shine with anger and sadness. "Well, I am."
The door slams behind her when she walks out.
Rose and I very rarely fight, but when we do it's usually because I get too close to something that she doesn't want to examine about herself or her life. I'll be in the dog house for at least a week after this conversation.
I get my coat, and Edward's, and find everyone on the porch. Rose is tucked under Jake's arm, and she pointedly ignores me. Edward has a bruise forming under his left eye and his knuckles are swollen, but other than that he's unscathed. We stare at each other from a few feet away.
Jake walks off, pulling Rose with him. Emmett must still be with Jasper, not that he'd probably want to walk into this crowd right now. The rest of Edward's friends trail behind Jake and Rose, and most of them nod at me as they leave, less talkative now than at the beginning of the party. Usually it's the other way around.
When they're gone, I turn back to Edward, resisting the urge to walk into his arms. "Are you okay?"
He nods, flexing his hand.
"I'm sorry about Leah. I just didn't want to make you feel worse than you already did," he explains.
"I get it, but you can't just keep things from me and say you're protecting me." He looks me in the eyes. "I mean...what else don't I know?" I shiver, pulling my coat tighter around me.
He exhales, looking off to the side, and it comes out in a disjointed stream. "I've been arrested four times. Three for trespassing and vandalism and once for assault, but it could've been a lot worse, considering the shit I've done. My dad died four years ago, and then my mom left..." his voice catches, "...I hated her for it, but I don't now. She lives in California now."
He looks at me, and I have to fight to keep my composure.
"As for Leah...it wasn't like she was my girlfriend. I told her I couldn't see her anymore right after." He smiles sadly. "She keyed my car."
I smile, but it's shaky and I have to bite the inside of my lip to keep from crying.
It only takes him three steps to get to me. He picks me up so I can wrap my legs around him and we stay that way for a few minutes, wrapped around each other. I back up to kiss him, my face damp. The shift makes me aware of his body.
"How are you hard right now?"
He just smiles and kisses me.
"Let's go," I whisper, and he puts me down, taking my hand and leading me away from the last of Newton's parties that either of us will attend.
Thank you so much for reading! Come find me on twitter if you want to talk smack or if you enjoy hugs and occasional tipsy tweets. Hee. (at)sweetlolapop
Next chapter is EPOV. I'm excited. :)
