Here's another chapter for Charlie and Carlisle. This is actually the first half of it, since it's actually a lot longer than the other three were, and I think they're only going to get longer. These guys, along with Jane, keep showing me more of what happened when they were teenagers, and hey, I feel compelled to let all of you reading see it as much as I feel compelled to write it.

Things get a little more complicated in this chapter - in this half and the one coming up - so don't say I didn't warn you. I'm really liking writing these two, and I'm glad a few people are enjoying it too.

Usual warnings for this stuff applies. If you're not 18, don't read it. And I don't own the characters. I just like to make them play with each other.

See you at the bottom!


Holiday Love

It's the day before Thanksgiving before I realize it. Only four days separate me from when school starts back until Winter break, and even though I know it'll have to go back to the way it was before, right now, it feels pretty good to pretend. Especially since I'm currently laying on a soft bed in an old barn several miles from home with Charlie's chest beneath my ear. The day after the bonfire — and after I showed Jane the swimming pool house in town — Charlie showed me this place so we could come here to be alone.

There's a fireplace and wood burning to keep us warm. A fleece blanket covers me from the elements, and Charlie is rubbing my scalp with his fingertips. It's raining outside, and the top of the barn is drafty. I don't care.

"I'm hungry," he says.

I lift my head and set my chin on his chest. "We'll have to get dressed."

He grins, and I rise up to my hands to crawl over him. Once my face is above his, he lifts to his elbows until our lips meet. Slowly, his tongue slips inside my mouth, and I give him more control than I have since our first time kissing. Propping himself up on one elbow, he lowers his other hand down my chest and then strokes the line of hair over my lower abdomen.

Chills shake my body. Cold air seeps into the gap between us, and he wraps his hand around my cock. Blood rushes to the center of the body. My heart is pounding, and I'm losing control over my breathing. He starts to stroke me, squeezing me and allowing his palm to graze over the head of my cock.

"Shit," I hiss.

He kisses my jaw and whispers. "Watch your language, Cullen," he teases. "People are gonna start noticing."

He nibbles on my neck, stroking a little faster and squeezing a little tighter.

"I don't care," I moan.

Unconsciously, I start moving with his hand, chills slipping up all over my skin and causing a smile to spread across my face.

He lets go intermittently, still stroking me but also stroking himself. I realize this when the tip of his cock touches mine. It feels so amazing — more amazing than when his tongue touches me. He's hard like I am, and before long, the length of my cock is rubbing against his.

"Shit, you've done this before," I moan, squeezing my eyes shut and gripping the sheets in my clenched fists.

He still kisses my neck, licking my collarbone and slipping his fingers just behind my balls. A new set of chills slip up my spine, and I open my eyes to see him watching me even while he kisses my jaw again.

"You want me to?" he asks, pleading with a deep, lust-filled voice.

I'm uncertain. Up to now, he's only stroked my cock and sucked on me. So far, that's all I've done to him. He's never even really alluded to wanting to do something remotely close to this, but I can't deny that I'm curious.

"Will it hurt?" I ask dumbly.

He grins. "I guess that depends on how well I keep you relaxed."

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and he leans closer to kiss me, allowing his finger a little further up my crease. Tingles ignite up my back, and the tip of his finger makes contact with my ass hole. Never in my life have I ever imagined I would ever let anyone touch me like this, and for several seconds, I'm conflicted. Is it okay if I let him do this? If he goes this far, I know without a doubt that I won't be able to keep it off my face when I see him at the Council dinner tonight.

Gently, his finger slips just inside me, and just that sensation makes me come.

"Fuck," I whisper harshly.

Charlie laughs softly as I continue to shoot streams of cum all over him. "That's it," he whispers back, still stroking my ass hole and kissing my neck again.

I grunt and groan through the rest of my orgasm, and I have trouble catching my breath as Charlie releases my body and lays back down. My limbs feel like wet noodles, and I lay down next to him still trying to breathe deep enough to stop panting. I notice he's still hard, and though I don't know if I have the energy to do anything else, I reach for him only a minute after laying down.

He jumps at the contact, and I start stroking him while leaning closer to kiss his cheek.

"I don't even want to know who showed you to do that," I breath into his ear.

He groans low in his throat, turning his head and kissing me as he lifts his fingers to my face. "I was fifteen the first time," he moans. "I couldn't look my father in the face for over a month. The guy I was kinda seeing left for college then. I never saw him again."

I speed up stroking him, moving my mouth to his neck and then his shoulder. I don't let go of his cock, sliding my lips and tongue over the side of his body until I'm kissing his hip. In one swift movement, I lift up to my hands to face his erect length, extending my tongue and licking his tip. Only a minute passes as I do that before I close my mouth around him and then lower my lips over his velvety shaft.

He fills my mouth until the tip of his cock touches the back of my tongue, and he lowers his hand to my head to push me back. He's done this the last several days, and I'm a little annoyed that he keeps stopping just short of it. I lean back before he can let go of his own orgasm, eyeing him reproachfully.

"I can do it too," I gripe.

He rises to his elbows. "I know. I just — You're so innocent and shit, and I kinda like you this way. And besides, how do you know I'm ready for you to do it?"

"You were almost there," I accuse. "I saw it on your face."

He exhales heavily, rubbing his own hand over his cock and groaning as he strokes himself while we argue. His head falls back, and I lean forward, kissing his neck and replacing his hand to take over. Instead of laying back, Charlie stays on his elbows to watch me.

I lower my mouth over his cock again, stroking him with my tongue and lifting my eyes to look at him. He bites his lip, and his nostrils flare. We make it back to the rhythm we had before he stopped me, and gently, the tip of his cock touches the back of my tongue. I lift my hands to his balls, squeezing and stroking as I keep sucking on him. Just as the tip of my nose touches his lower abdomen, I feel the head of his cock slip into my throat.

I've never done it before, but somehow, it feels like having a hot, pulsing poker against my skin. I gag a little, but I'm determined not to screw this up anymore. He's done it to me enough times for me to know how it feels. I want to do the same to him.

His balls tighten as I suck on him, and I watch his head fall back again as his cock twitches in my mouth. I don't let him pull away, holding him in place as he comes even more beautifully than he did the first time almost a week earlier.

"Shit, Cullen," he groans. "Fuck, you're really good at this. It's almost wrong. Oh, fuck!"

Hot, thick streams fill my mouth, and I take all of it until he relaxes over the bed beneath him. I lean away from him, licking the underside of his cock and then rising to my hands despite my arms being weak. I watch him pant and grin and moan softly, laying over his side and kissing his cheek again.

"You taste good," I whisper against his skin.

He laughs, still relaxing, and I sprawl myself across his chest, laying my ear over the left side to listen to his heart. It's still pounding, and as it stills, a creaking board takes our attention away from each other. Charlie nudges me up, and then he rises to his elbows. Half a minute passes, and no other sounds reach our ears. Then another creak slips up to where we're laying, and Charlie sits up to grab our clothes.

"Carlisle!"

Jane's voice startles me, but Charlie relaxes and lays back down as her approaching steps find the ladder to the loft we're laying inside.

"I hope you two are at least covered! I'm coming up."

Within a minute of giving her final warning, her brunette head pops up from the floor boards. It's not dark, with light seeping in through cracks in the wood, and as soon as she looks in our direction, her eyes widen a little. Then she smiles.

"Obviously I've interrupted something," she jokes, coming closer and seeming a little too comfortable with the fact that Charlie and I are both sitting — laying in his case — naked on the bed in front of her.

"What's going on?" I ask. "What are you doing here?"

"It's almost four," she reminds me. "We have to get ready for the dinner that your mother invited me to. And I thought you might want a heads up that your father told me to get you ready since he thinks you're at my house."

"Cullen, you seriously need one of those cellular phones I keep hearing all the rich people in town talking about getting," Charlie quips, rising to his elbows as the blanket covering him barely covers him to his hips with his bare leg hanging out suggestively.

I'm not angry at Jane for coming out here. So far, she's the only other person who knows, but I'm mad that I have to leave Charlie.

"Turn around," I tell Jane, gesturing with my head for her to not watch me get dressed.

There isn't much else for me to do. If my father says it's time to get ready, then I have to go. I know I'll see Charlie at the dinner even if I won't be able to talk to him the way I want to. We'll probably say hello to each other, and his father will probably talk to mine. But that'll be it. Trust me when I say it royally sucks ass.

As soon as I'm dressed in the jeans and sweatshirt I was wearing when Charlie and I left Jane's a few hours earlier, I sit down to put my shoes back on. He sits up behind me, pressing his chest into me and whispering in my ear.

"Even if you take a shower, I'm gonna be all over you for the rest of the night."

Chills shake my body, and he leans closer to kiss the edge of my jaw. After a minute, he lifts his mouth and sucks on my ear lobe. Lightly, he nips the end with his teeth, laying away from me with the blanket still barely covering him. I glance at him, tying my shoes and rising to step away form the bed.

"See you later, Jane," he waves.

She glances over her shoulder at him and smiles, waving.

Charlie smiles at me, and with little else, I guide Jane away from him so we can leave.

I lower myself down the ladder, helping her and pulling her to the barn doors, and just before I step outside, I turn back to see Charlie standing at the railing naked with a promising look on his face. He nods, and I know what he's saying, ducking out of the barn with Jane and into the cool late afternoon as it drizzles lightly.

"I can see you enjoyed yourself," Jane says as we mount the dirt bike I took from the docks the morning after the bonfire.

She scoots closer to me as I turn the engine over, and without answering her, I put the bike in gear to shoot off toward the highway that will take us back toward town.

"Are you mad?" she asks over the hum of the bike.

I glance at her and see a little fear in her eyes. I smile as quickly as I can. "Not at you."

She holds onto me tighter, turning her face from the wind and laying her head down. I never think to ask her how she got out here, but since my father told her to perform her task, I'm guessing she walked. It's only about four or five miles, and I know she could walk it easily.

Thankfully for me and Jane, I can turn off the highway before we make it to town, and as I take the road that will end just before we get to my house, Jane lifts up and kisses my cheek. I'm not sure why she did it, but I only glance at her still smiling. Just in the last week or so, I've spent as much time with her as I have with Charlie now that we're going to the pool every morning.

She really is a distance swimmer, and she keeps challenging me to swim as much as she does. I'm out of breath before I can get to 350 meters, and she's usually swimming around me while I rest. Sometimes, early in the morning now, she reminds me of a shark circling its prey. She thinks it's great that Charlie and I have this spot where we can go now, but sometimes, I look at her like there something else going on in her head.

Does she like me? Do I like her — the way I like Charlie?

We make it to her house less than ten minutes after leaving the barn, and we slip through her house without her mother seeing us so I can go upstairs and take a shower. I left my clothes for the dinner here when Charlie came by to get me, and they're setting on the counter when I emerge from the shower ten minutes after stepping inside.

I'm pulling my shirt on over my pants when I see a red mark on my neck just above where my collar lays. Upon further examination, I realize Charlie must've sucked on me a little too hard.

Holy shit. I have a hickey.

What am I supposed to do? Do I cover it up? Would that be right?

"You didn't fall in, did you?" Jane calls through the door.

I huff loudly. "No, I'm okay."

She turns the door knob and opens the door slowly. I look at her without meaning to seem so scared, but she steps closer and turns my head to look at my neck.

"Oh, wow," she whispers. "He means business, doesn't he?"

"Don't joke," I demand. "What I am supposed to tell my father? He notices everything!"

She lays her fingers on my lips, halting my exclamation. "Not so loud." She looks around, making sure her mother hasn't heard us. Then she lifts hers eyes to mine. "I mean, I'm going with you. Maybe he'll think I did it."

"Then he'll sit me down and give me a fucking lecture about sex and protection and making sure I'm being responsible," I grumble.

She smiles. "Well, you are being responsible," she teases. "Right?"

"This isn't funny," I hiss. "My mother's going to go nuts thinking I'm doing stuff like this!"

Before the whole last word of my sentence gets out, Jane steps forward and kisses me full on the lips.

I should be pushing her away, but I don't. I'm not sure why.

Her lips feel different from Charlie's.

While his lips are strong and firm, Jane's lips are soft and warm. She lets go before a whole minute passes, gazing up at me with eyes that are pleading with me to shut up. She tastes like chocolate and caffeine, but there's cinnamon and sugar mixed in too. It's nothing like what Charlie tastes like, and I'm momentarily intrigued.

"What did you eat before you came to get me?" I ask absently.

"Jane!" her mother calls up the stairs. "Jasper is here for his brother."

She presses her fingers to my lips again, turning out of the door. "It's okay. Just let him up." Then she looks at me. "Take your shirt off and go to my room."

For a reason unknown to me at this point, I follow her instructions, unbuttoning my shirt and slipping up the hallway and then the stairs to her room in the attic before Jasper can see me.

My brother's overly heavy footsteps pound up the stairs, and Jane comes up into the attic pulling her hair up into a bun on top of her head. She hurries to her closet and pulls out a royal blue dress that almost goes all the way to the floor. Without saying anything to me, she unbuttons her shirt to reveal a white lacy bra beneath it. Then she turns to me.

"Well, come here," she beckons.

Dumbfounded, I move forward, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders. She's warm and small, and I feel like I should be keeping her covered up. Unconsciously, I hold her against me without realizing what she's doing. She leans up and kisses me the way she did in the bathroom, and less than a minute later, I hear Jasper.

"Oh shit," he exclaims.

Jane jumps at the sound of his voice, covering herself and turning away. "Hey!"

I turn to see him there with a sly grin on his face, and I understand instantly. "Jasper, wait outside," I order.

He doesn't acknowledge one way or another, stepping into the hall having just seen me standing in a girl's room without a shirt on kissing her while she's in a bra and skintight running pants.

As soon as he's gone, Jane laughs, and I turn to face her.

"You could've warned me," I gripe.

She shrugs, turning around to pull off her bra. Blood floods my face, and I turn away to keep from seeing her naked.

"Am I making you nervous?" she asks.

"You're not wearing a bra," I say obviously.

She giggles. "You have no problem seeing Charlie naked, but me?"

"It's different," I insist.

She steps behind me then, and her bare chest is pressed up against my back. All I have to compare it to is when I see Charlie, but I know it's not the same. She's small and warm and soft, and she has breasts and other girl parts that Charlie doesn't.

"Does it turn you on?" she whispers, wrapping her hands around my shoulders and kissing my neck.

Charlie's never done this before, and the last time I was even close to another girl, I was so repulsed that I couldn't wait to get away from her. But Jane is different. I know her, and I know what she's like.

Even after everything I did with Charlie that afternoon, I can't hide my shock when my body starts responding to her. I can't say I don't like it when I feel like this, but I'm confused. It's Jane doing this to me. No other girl has ever had this effect on me.

"Carlisle," she whispers.

The little hairs on the back of my neck stand up instantly, and she giggles again, kissing the other side of my neck. Then she lowers her hands to my arms, turning me to face her as she still stands there bra-less.

"It's okay," she says. "Trust me. I've done a lot worse than this."

I stutter helplessly, staring at her chest. "But — "

She stops me, laying her fingers over my lips. "I know you like Charlie." She laughs softly. "I like Charlie. It's just me, Carlisle."

I have to trust that she knows what she's talking about. Other than my little sister, Jane is the only other person who knows about me and Charlie. So if I'm reacting this way to her, and she's saying it's okay, I have to believe her.

Does this mean I like girls too? Or maybe just girls I know who know me — not like Heidi or the girl I kissed when I was fifteen.

Jane steps closer to me slowly, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and stepping up onto her toes to be level-eyed with me. I automatically put my arms around her like I did before, and she smiles.

"It's okay," she says again, leaning forward and kissing me a third time.

I only know what it feels like to have Charlie against me. The sensation of having Jane's bare chest against mine sends a completely different set of chills through my body. Her lips mold to mine in a way Charlie's never have, and I lay my hands over her back near her waist. Her skin is so smooth, and as I rub my hands over her spine, goose bumps erupt all over her back. I can't believe this is happening, but I can't stop.

Her nipples are hard and rub against my skin, heightening the chills cascading over my shoulders and settling into my hips. The moment her tongue slips over her bottom lip and touches mine, my instincts take over, and my feet are moving before I realize it. Her back hits the doorframe of her closet, and then her head follows.

"Ow!"

She releases my lips and lifts her head to the back of her head.

"Fuck," she whispers.

I let go of her and step away. "Sorry."

She rubs her head and lifts smiling eyes to mine. "It's okay. You're a pretty good kisser. Charlie teach you everything he knows?"

I blush and unconsciously lower my eyes to her chest again. Her breasts aren't exactly small, but they're not big like Heidi's. Though Heidi was wearing a shirt the night of the bonfire, I could still tell. I didn't care about it at the time, but now that I'm standing in front of Jane, I can't stop thinking about it.

Jane's skin is nearly translucent and has a slightly pink color everywhere. She smiles at me, taking my hand and then lifting my palm to lay it over her breast. My palm tingles the instant my skin makes contact with her. Jane pulls me closer, and instinctively, I rub the pad of my thumb over her nipple. It's still hard, and she bites her lip gently, laying her own palm over my chest so it's over my heart.

"Are you okay?" she whispers.

I nod, amazed that I'm standing here doing this. She feels so different, and even though I'm still confused, I'm not scared anymore.

Jane leans in until her nose and lips are close to mine. "We really should get dressed," she reminds me.

I keep rubbing her nipple, and without responding vocally, I close the distance between our mouths to kiss her again without her prompting me. Her stomach presses against mine, and a little lower than that, I can feel the span between her legs fitting around my cock that's actually getting harder the longer I stand there.

"You feel kind of good," I breathe against her lips.

A knock on the door to the attic breaks whatever spell that seems to have been cast over us both, and I lean back to look at Jane as her mother's voice pierces the air.

"Jane, honey, it's almost five. We've got to go soon."

She sighs heavily, lifting her hands to the back of my neck.

"I'm confused," I whisper.

"I know," she nods. "And that's okay. We'll talk later, all right?"

I realize the moment we've just had is gone, and I release her more reluctantly than I ever believed I would. I have to breathe deep to calm myself, and I pull my shirt on, buttoning it and tucking it in as she turns to the closet to pull the royal blue dress over her head.

She suddenly looks even more like a girl than she did a minute ago with no shirt on, and when she turns to me with a little container in her hands, she grins.

"You approve?" she asks.

I swallow hard and nod.

"Good. Here," she says, opening the container to reveal a little thing of foundation make-up. Without asking, she gently rubs a small amount over my neck where the hickey is still probably screaming, 'here I am, here I am!'.

She smiles again when she finishes. "There. No more red mark."

I bow my head. "Thanks."

"Now, go on, and my mother and I will be there in a few more minutes."

I don't argue with her, biting my own lip and turning to leave.

"Carlisle."

I look at her, and she laughs softly.

"Try not to forget where you are tonight when you see him, okay?"

I smile and nod, stepping out of her room and facing Jasper instantly.

"Thank God," he exhaled. "I thought for sure you were some sort of fag. Especially with what I heard at school."

I don't acknowledge him as I turn to leave, and he follows me down the stairs.


I don't want to sit next to Jasper in the car, but Rose wants to sit with our mother. I try my hardest to not even look at him, especially now that he has a smug look on his face. Jane is sitting next to me, and her mother is squeezed in against the door.

This was not a good idea.

I keep thinking about the stupid remark Jasper made before we left Jane's house, and I feel like slapping the shit out of him. Even though our father isn't always the forgiving kind, I've never heard him use that kind of language or speak that way about another person. Jasper has obviously been spending too much time with his friends at school, and it's starting to take its toll.

Jane is holding my arm and squeezing my hand. Flickers of her bare chest assail my brain, and I'm almost instantly hard. I never thought a girl would ever cause this kind of reaction in me. I have no idea what this means. Will Charlie know? Can I ask him about it tonight?

"You need to relax," Jane whispers in my ear.

I have to breathe deep to keep from thinking about kissing her again. But I can do this. I have to.

There's only one steak house in town called Jon B's, and it's a throwback from the fifties. This is where they always have the council meetings. There's a lot of Elvis memorabilia, but it's also got a shitload of sea shells and aquariums. They pride themselves on those. I think it looks tacky.

I hate this place.

Ever since I was twelve, I've had to come, and I'd rather be doing something else. Like lay in the barn with Charlie until I'm so tired I can't get up — well, yeah. But strangely enough, I can't help thinking I'd rather be spending time with Jane too. As we pull up to the parking lot and get out, I scan the parking lot. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him and his parents pulling up in a tan pickup truck.

He's wearing a black suit and a black shirt with a royal blue tie. Something tells me he and Jane have decided to coordinate, and I feel like an idiot for not realizing how alike we're all dressed. But then I feel like jumping on top of him and having him right here in the parking lot. He grins in my direction like he knows what I'm thinking, and it isn't until Jane grabs my hand that I remember where we are.

"Keep your cool," she says. "It's just for a few hours."

All I can do is let her take my hand to pull me inside.

Inside, it's warm and bright, and a middle-aged woman at the front takes coats before she walks us all up to the second floor where a large room is reserved for the council. Several people are already standing around waiting. Some of them look in our direction as we arrive, and the tables are all marked with our names where we're supposed to sit.

I dislike this kind of order. I always have to sit between my mother and Jasper, and he kicks me under the table like the idiotic little brother he is. I've never noticed where Charlie sits, but this is the first year I've noticed him, so I look around for his place. Our table is next to the windows that overlook the parking lot, and Mom and Rose sit in their places while we wait for the council president to arrive.

I pace while we all wait, seeing my own place and two extra spots at our table. Somehow, this year I've been seated between Jane and her mother Chelsea. At first, I'm relieved. I've always hated sitting next to Jasper, but then I realize I'm going to be sitting across the room and facing Charlie at his table with his parents and another family.

Great.

Lee and Samantha Barnes, who are about my father's age and have been on the council together most of the time I've been coming, arrive as president and spouse probably twenty minutes after we do, wearing matching colors and smiles. Their twin boys, Austin and Conner, are in my class, and they're both mildly attractive. But neither of them compare to Charlie.

"Good evening, council members," Lee greets.

A few people mutter their own greeting, and he guides his family to their table, which happens to be the one where Charlie will be sitting.

"First order of business," he says. "Let's eat!"

No one argues, and a series of waitresses file into the room to take our orders and bring us our appetizers.

I need to eat. If I don't, I know I'll be light-headed later, and later is when I want to spend time with Charlie. I don't want to ruin it, but if I eat, I know I'll probably puke when I get home after this is all over.

I want alcohol to take the edge off, but my parents frown on that. So I order a Coke, and Jane does too. We share an appetizer, which my mother obviously thinks is cute by the way she smiles when we tell our waitress what we want. Once our appetizer is ordered, we go ahead and order our main courses. Jane orders a variety plate that comes with a local fish, shrimp and crab, and she asks for a side of corn and potatoes. I want something that will help me not throw up later, so I stick to the baked fish and vegetables. When the waitress asks if I want butter, I say no.

I don't know what Charlie orders, but as soon as he does, he looks at me with these eyes that nearly cause me to come unglued. I think Jane sees, and she lays her hand over my thigh.

"You okay?" she whispers.

I look at her and plaster a fake smile on my face. "Yeah."

Of course, my father orders a steak, and my mother gets a salad. Jasper tries to act like he's a big boy and orders the fattest sirloin they have. Rose goes my route and just order fish and vegetables, but she gets cheese on the side with the buttered rolls that come with it. Jane's mother seems to be at a loss, and to be polite, I try to help her. She settles on the lobster tail, smiling at me and then at Jane.

Oh, yeah. I just earned bonus points like Jane is always talking about.

Dinner is loud for the room, but at our table, no one really talks until my mother starts talking to Chelsea. My father is scoping out the room like he usually does to see any new council members. Jane and her mother are guests, and whether they're allowed to be on the council is entirely up to Lee and Samantha. I don't care one way or another.

My fish and mixed vegetables are gone before I realize it, and I'm nibbling on bread from a bowl in the middle of the table when Lee stands up from his chair and moves to the podium at the front of the room.

He always likes to make a speech about goings on in the town, and I'm expecting no less than that. I know nothing exciting ever happens around here anyway, and his points are typical of a man on a council in a small town. The biggest Church in town, which we belong to, is having their annual potluck thing the first week of December, and I'll unfortunately have to go to that too. I'm already dreading it. The school is having its Christmas parade the Friday before, and I'll bet Charlie will have to do some stupid team thing for it.

More time I won't be able to spend with him.

Lee Barnes is what you would expect of a small town man. He's religious, pushy and judgemental. My father can sometimes be pushy, but the last time I can really remember him being pushy or judgemental was when I started swimming at four. I was either going to do it the right way or not at all. So I naturally began swimming most days of the week until I could work out my own schedule because of school.

Then Lee mentions the fact that a gay couple has bought the Marshall place northwest of town. He makes a point of saying he doesn't condemn their behavior, but he wants us all to know what the bible says about it. He also makes sure we know to leave them alone.

Anger and confusion simmer beneath the surface of my skin, causing me to clench my fists. I don't usually care what Lee says. I don't usually pay attention. But of all the stupid, cruel things he's ever said, this tops all of those. Is this how I'll be treated if I ever decide to tell my parents what I am? And what about Charlie?

"Carlisle, honey, are you okay?" my mother asks me.

I look at her, and her forehead is creased with concern.

It takes a lot of self-control to unclench my fists and sit up straight. I have to lie to make her uncrease her forehead. "I'm fine. My, um, stomach hurts."

She looks at my father, but he doesn't say anything.

Lee finishes with his speech, and the meeting is officially over. Now it's just a matter of mingling so everyone sees me and talks to me. Jane attaches herself to me, and I'm thinking she knows why I looked so upset during Lee's speech. We talk to Lee and Samantha — or well, Jane does. Lee winks at me and pats me on the back.

"That's a nice girl you got there," he compliments.

"I know," I say with as much finality as possible.

A few of the other council members, most of whom know my father and therefore think they know me ask me about my swimming, and I mention that Jane also swims at the pool with me. They all think it's cute, but beneath a lot of their smiles, I can see judgement in their eyes. I have to swallow a lot of my remarks about what might be going on in their lives for me to judge them.

Jane and I settle into a corner away from the main crowd to wait on my parents. Jasper and Rose are congregating with their friends from school whose parents are on the council, and I figure we'll be here another hour before finally going home.

I can't wait.

"You two sure look cozy over here."

I look up to see Charlie there with a glass of something in his hand, and I blush without realizing it.

Charlie smiles at me and then looks at Jane. "So what did you think?" he questions. "Now you've seen a small man act like he's the president of the United States with his own religious path and everything."

Jane doesn't smile, looking at me. "It was . . . interesting."

"Well, then you should definitely see what he's like in six months, right around graduation when he lectures all the kids about drunk driving and premarital sex," Charlie quips. "It's a sight, for sure."

She nods. "I'm sure it is."

I bite my tongue in an effort to keep from speaking. I know something undesirable will come out of my mouth if it opens.

"Do you know who it is?" Jane asks. "The people who moved into that house."

Charlie shrugs. "One of them bought the nursery in town, so it makes it kinda hard for the townspeople to avoid them."

"Nursery? Like with kids?"

He smiles. "Uh, no. It's a plant nursery. The only one in town. People on the council aren't going to sign a permit for anybody like that take care of their kids."

"Anybody like what?" I ask, trying not to sound angry and failing. "People like us."

The smile on his face fades, and I feel like I've hit a nerve. I'm not speaking loud enough for anyone to hear me, but right now, I wish I was shouting.

Charlie glances at Jane. "You know that's not what I meant," he argues. "And I'm not talking about this now. See you around, Jane."

Her smile is a little forced. "See you around," she waves.

He turns and leaves. I want to stop him, but I don't.

I'm so stupid. And pissed. And confused.

Jane turns to face me. "What did you do that for?" she whispers.

I feel even sicker now than I did before. "I don't know. I just — It's not fair. And it's not right to hate people because something they have no control over."

She takes my hands in hers and squeezes them gently. "I know. It wasn't like this in Miami. But it was a bigger place, and people weren't as closed-minded. It won't be like this when you leave for college. It's okay."

I'm grateful for her saying that, but now I feel like I'm going to faint.

"I have to go outside."

She doesn't argue, releasing me gently.

The walk outside is quick and quiet, and the cool, salty air fills my lungs the minute I'm on the front porch of the steakhouse that's actually built like a house.

"So are you sayin' we're gonna be like those guys one day."

I turn to see Charlie sitting on a bench near the railing, and instinctively, I move closer. "I don't know. I just know it's wrong to treat people like that — to talk about them like they're not people. And if I stay here, they'll end up talking about me like that."

"And me?"

He rises to meet me, and I have to look away.

"I don't know. Does it bother you?"

He doesn't respond immediately, and I force my eyes up after a minute. He tips his head back, gesturing to a dark swath of space on the other side of the porch that's partially obscured by manicured bushes. I don't understand until he moves off in that direction, and then I follow him.

"Cullen, talk is cheap," he says softly as soon as we're alone and in the dark. "I don't really give a rat's fucking ass if some jerk on a little town council thinks it's wrong that I like to kiss you or touch you or suck on you. He thinks he's doing good putting shit like that in everyone's head, but I know he's really scared. They all are. They all think if any one of us approaches one of them, we'll strike like a goddamn cobra or something. So they talk big about saying they don't condemn it. I know what the bible says, but I also know that if God was unhappy with me, I wouldn't be standing here with you now."

He steps closer to me, suddenly only a couple of inches away the way he was just a few hours earlier. My back hits the wall behind me, and he presses the front of his body to mine. I can feel him through his pants, and I'm sure he can feel me too. The dress pants I'm wearing are thin and don't hold in a lot of heat, but then he slides his hands over my ass.

"You're thinking no one will see us," I breathe against his lips which are now mere centimeters from mine.

He grins and caresses the tip of my nose with his. His hot breath dances over my face, and I shake as cool air slips between us. "I know no one will see us here," he chuckles confidently. "Not unless they hear us, and not unless they come looking. Besides, we got probably half an hour before the grown-ups feel like leaving. It's not a school night, after all."

He extends his tongue then, licking my lips, and I take the initiative, closing the space between us to kiss him as deeply and completely as I can given our location. It takes no motivation for him to grind our hips together, and he lowers his mouth to my neck.

"What are you two doing?"

Jane's voice permeates the air around us, and Charlie leans back to look at her. She comes closer, glancing behind her as she arrives at where we're standing.

"Your mom's looking for you," she says to Charlie. Then she looks at me. "And your dad said to make sure you're ready to go. Rose is tired, and Jasper is spending the night with one of his friends. My mom and I have to leave with you, so I told him I'd find you."

Charlie stands up straight, facing her a little too possessively. "Kinda lucky you came to find us, huh?" he taunts.

She shakes her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. And I don't like what you're implying. I was just trying to help."

He smirks and shakes his head. "Yeah, I see how you're helping. And I'm not implying anything when I see it happening right in front of me."

Her face turns defensive. "I'm lying to my mother just the same as you," she argues. "And if Carlisle needs me, he knows I won't judge him and brush him off. It's not my fault it's obvious he needs someone to talk to if he can't talk to you."

Charlie takes a step toward her, and I move just as fast.

"Stop, both of you," I demand. "Don't fucking start this now. Not here." I turn to Charlie. "If I have to go, then I just do. I accepted it would be like this because you're still in school like I am. It's not Jane's fault that my sister wrangled her into this, but she's my friend. Just like you. Don't start complaining now over a situation we created together. You know I like you — a lot more than I thought possible."

He brings his hands to his hips and purses his lips. He knows I'm right, and I have to stop myself from saying this is mostly his fault.

I'm honestly kind of impressed that he's obviously jealous and possessive, but I'm not his. Not yet.

He looks at Jane as she stands behind me. "Sorry," he says about as sincerely as he can. "I don't know why I did that."

A little smile creases the left corner of her mouth. "It's okay. I know why. And that's okay. I get it. I really do. But if you want to keep doing this, you have to be careful. We all do."

The front doors of the restaurant open with a chime of a little bell, and I hear Lee and Samantha as they descend the stairs, talking about how nice it was to see me with Jane. Our time is up at the moment, and I half-turn to Jane.

"We should go," I say. She nods, and I look at Charlie. "I'll be at Jane's later."

He nods, and without much else, I take Jane's hand to pull her back to the front doors.

The ride home is quiet as Rose sits up front with her head on Mom's shoulder and no Jasper. Jane takes up the middle seat with her head on my shoulder and her hands wrapped around my arm. My father drives silently, and without the radio on, the only sound is of the tires hitting the asphalt.

He drops Jane and her mother at their house, and Jane kisses my cheek before she follows her mother inside. I watch a little more certain of where we stand, and I'm already thinking of what to say to my parents when I leave the house.

My room looks the way it did earlier that day when I left to go to Jane's as a cover-up to spend time with Charlie. I change almost as soon as I'm inside, finding a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt before I pull on my trainers and grab my jacket. I look through the books on my shelf, picking out a book I haven't read in a long time, and then I leave my room to hurry downstairs.

"Mom, I'm going to Jane's," I call through the house.

"Not too late," she calls back.

I'm out the door instantly, running from my house to Jane's as the light downstairs switches on along with the attic light.

The first time I was inside Jane's house, I was surprised to realize that her room was all the way in the attic, since it's the farthest from her mother as it can be. It's bigger than my room, but only because it's meant for storage and not occupation. Jane has the same amount of furniture as I do, but it's more spread out, and she has two balconies — one with a ladder that leads to the ground. I used this one earlier to escape with Charlie. I wonder if he'll use it tonight to come to me.

Chelsea lets me in the front door only half a minute after I knock, and even though I know she thinks Jane and I are just friends, I absently think of the kiss I shared with Jane earlier. I climb the stairs slowly, making it to the cracked-open attic door and then moving further up the steps to the open space above me. I can hear Jane moving around, and as a precaution, I move slowly so I don't walk in on her changing or anything.

Soft music is playing, and I poke my head up above the platform to see her pulling a t-shirt over her bare chest as she wears the same pair of leggings she had on earlier.

"I'm coming up," I announced.

She laughs, hanging her dress up and stepping in front of her closet. "I'm dressed."

I make it to the floor, looking around and taking my spot on the couch next to the balcony that faces the beach — the one with the ladder.

She closes her closet, moving to the couch to sit across from me. "Well, that was fun," she huffs.

I know she's being sarcastic, and I smile.

"Are you okay?" she asks, reaching for my hand to hold it in hers.

Confused, I shrug. "I'm fine."

Slowly, she moves forward, crawling to me and then laying against me with her arms around me. I'm a little hesitant to reciprocate, but after a minute, it feels okay. So I put my arms around her as she presses her ear to my chest.

"You were really upset," she says softly. "I was worried."

"I wish I could slap Lee Barnes across the face," I confess even more quietly than she spoke. "I think he needs to be shoved in a jail cell with somebody who could show him how wrong he is."

She laughs. "By doing what?"

"Making him see how normal they can be, no matter who they love."

A minute passes, and she doesn't respond.

The soft music fills the air, and then after another few minutes, she speaks.

"Can I ask you something?"

I laugh. "You just did."

She leans back, pressing her hands to the couch under me. "I'm serious."

"Okay," I shrug.

"Why did you kiss me earlier?"

My smile fades. "What?"

She leans closer, now on her hands and knees as she speaks again. "Why did you kiss me? I mean, I know why I kissed you. If you got any louder, my mother probably would've heard you. And this is supposed to be a secret — this thing with Charlie. But why did you kiss me? It felt like you liked it."

I can't lie to her. "I did like it. I don't know why, and I'm confused. But you're my friend, and I know you."

She lifts her hand to my shoulder, leaning back though she's still kind of knelt in front of me. "I thought you didn't like kissing girls. Like you said about that one girl who kissed you, and you hated it."

"I didn't know her," I insist, absently holding onto her arms. "And she didn't know what she was doing. Charlie knows what he's doing. You know."

"So you wanted to kiss me?" she clarifies.

I nod.

"Do you want to kiss me now?"

I gaze up at her sheepishly. "Kind of."

She sighs heavily and sits over my legs, folding her arms over her chest. The fact that she's naked under her shirt becomes even more obvious, and I sit up to face her.

"It's different with you," I explain. "You feel different from Charlie. He's kind of overwhelming and take-charge. You're warm and soft, and you understand. It's kind of arousing," I confess.

Her cheeks turn red as she laughs, and I lean forward, wrapping my arms around her to hold her against me. She returns my embrace easily and smiles down at me.

"I still like Charlie," I shrug. "But I like you too. Like I said, it's confusing. But I'm figuring it out. You can both help me."

She leans down slowly, caressing the tip of my nose with hers and brushing her lips against mine. A new set of chills shakes my body, and I tilt my head back only a second before she kisses me a little different than she did that afternoon.

Her lips are softer now than they were earlier, and she combs her fingers through my hair while she kisses me. I lower my hands to her waist, and she scoots a little closer until her legs are straddling my hips. I'm not scared or worried. She feels just as good now as she did before.

Her tongue slips just inside my mouth, and even though I was freaked out the last time a girl did this, it's different now. After kissing Charlie all this time, I'm actually ready, responding more enthusiastically than I did the first time a girl kissed me. It surprises Jane, and she leans back to look at me.

"Are you sure about this?" she asks softly lifting her hands to my face.

I hold her a little tighter, and with blood rushing all over my body, I'm hard and panting and kind of needy. "I'm sure I don't want you to stop," I whisper.

She bites her lip and leans closer, kissing me again. After a little bit, she slips her tongue inside my mouth. I follow her, instinctively holding her against me and rubbing my hands over her hips. Her crotch is rubbing against mine lightly, but I want her even closer.

"I want . . ."

Her lips slide down my neck, and she grabs the hem of my shirt to pull it over my head. The soft fabric of her shirt tickles my skin, and I sit up to pull her crotch a little closer to mine.

Is this really happening? Am I really making out with a girl right now? And it's not just any girl. This is Jane. She's a girl, yeah. But she's the girl who came to get me while I was laying naked on a bed with Charlie naked next to me. She's the girl who covered up my hickey without flinching and then kissed me so my brother would catch us and tell all his little friends who will now go off to tell older kids my age.

I, Carlisle Cullen, now have a girlfriend that I've been naked with — well, half naked.

Around here, this is serious.

While grasping onto her hips and then her waist where her leggings are covering her, my fingers feel slivers of skin under her shirt. I don't think about it, grasping the hem of her shirt and pulling it up until she realizes what I'm doing.

I think she's going to stop me, and for a minute, I'm frozen. Is this right? I was sucking on Charlie's cock less than five hours ago. Is it cool that I'm about to strip Jane's shirt off so I can feel her skin against mine?

After a minute of what feels like an eternity, Jane lowers her hands to mine as I grasp tightly onto her shirt, and without me saying anything, she pulls it over her head. Pink, smooth skin fills my eyes as I gaze over her chest. Flickers of our kissing earlier penetrate my mind, but this time it's different.

We're alone up here, and Jasper isn't coming to interrupt us.

I forget about everything else, and it surprises me that I'm able to do this. Nothing else registers as I lean up and kiss Jane again. Only a few seconds pass before I move my hand and lay my palm over her breast near her heart. Her pulse is racing as fast as mine is, and I'm lost in the moment.

Until something taps on the window with a tiny peck.

We both jump, startled, and for half a minute, we don't move.

Another peck hits the window, and she climbs off pulling her shirt back over her head to step to the window. Then she sighs softly.

"It's Charlie," she says, opening the door that leads to the balcony so he'll know it's okay for him to come up.

I pull my own shirt on just seconds before he makes it up to the balcony and steps inside. He's wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and for a second, I think he's here to do the same thing he did earlier. Why wouldn't he be?

He grins when he sees me on the couch, laying his hand on my head and kind of smoothing my hair down. "You pulling your hair out or something, kid?"

The lump in my throat that I have trouble talking over makes his grin fade a little as I realize that my hair is all messed up. I can't look at Jane. "I was worried," I say instead. "And Lee kind of pissed me off."

Charlie huffs and sits on the couch in front of me. "Yeah, he needs to keep his fucking trap shut if you ask me. But I got six months, and I'm out of this place for good."

I laugh nervously. "For good? What do you mean?"

He chuckles. "What do you think I mean, Cullen? Once I go to college, I ain't coming back. I can't. This place as backwards as it is. I'm not gonna live here my whole life living a stupid lie."

I open my mouth to speak, but I don't know what to say. Up until now, he hasn't really talked like this.

"So," he says. "You ready?"

This time I look at Jane. "Why don't we stay here?"

He grins. "Well, we can't exactly do what I was wanting if we have an audience," he quips.

I blush, and for a few seconds, I can't say anything.

"It's cool, Carlisle," Jane says. "I'll see you at the pool in the morning."

Charlie doesn't wait for my response, grabbing my hand and pulling me outside.

"That was rude," I tell him as we're climbing down the ladder to the ground. "If it wasn't for her, I would've popped Lee in the mouth tonight."

Charlie laughs as he steps to the ground, and as soon as I'm down, he turns me to face him. We're hidden from my house here, and since it's dark, no one can see us from the road either.

"Are you starting to like her, Cullen?" he teases. "Because I was pretty sure she was just supposed to be a ploy to keep your parents from knowing what we're doing."

"That doesn't mean you have to dismiss her," I hiss. "And she's my friend too. You can at least be nice to her."

He holds his hands up in surrender, still grinning and stepping closer. He lowers his hands to my hips and leans in to kiss me. Then he whispers. "Did I ever tell you it's kinda cute when you get mad?"

I sigh softly. "Every time I get mad," I whisper back.

He kisses me again, slipping his tongue inside my mouth and lowering his hands to my ass. Lifting my hands to his arms, I grasp onto his sweater and sigh softly while he moves his lips and tongue over my jaw to my neck. My heart is pumping blood all over my body the way it usually does with him. I'm getting harder the longer we stand here, and he grinds our crotches together. He's hard too, and I want to touch him.

Then he whispers in my ear. "You're not wearing any underwear."

Blood rushes to my face, and he kisses me one last time before grabbing my hand to pull me away from the house.

His car is sitting down the street from the drive leading to Jane's house, and I don't ask him anything, sliding into the passenger seat as he sits in the driver's seat. Less than a minute passes, and he turns the car on, shifting gears and pulling away slowly. He reaches for my hand, holding it through the darkness and taking us to our place.

"I'm sorry if I treated Jane bad," Charlie says as he drives. "I can't help it if I'm jealous."

"There's no reason for you to be jealous," I assure him. "If Jane wasn't helping us, it would be different. But I like her. And I know she likes you. She likes you with me. We can trust her."

The countryside is black around us, with only a little green and brown highlighted in front of the car as we drive along the road toward the barn. I'm not nervous the way I was the first time we came here. It was completely different from every other time we've been alone. If what happened this morning is any indication, something I'm not expecting will happen again. Now I'm not worried. I'm ready.

The path leading to the barn is small, and we have to park the car about half a mile before we get there. It's cold and breezy, but my pulse is racing faster the closer we get to our destination. Charlie holds my hand as we walk, silent until just before the barn comes into view.

"You really like her, don't you?" he asks about Jane.

I shrug. "She's nice. And she's cool. She's got me covered."

He smiles. "Really? Have you kissed her yet?"

I blush and bite my lip. "Is that bad?"

He steps closer to me. "Do you like it?" he asks softly.

I shrug. "Kind of."

"Well, now I'm really jealous," he teases, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and encouraging me forward.

The barn isn't exactly lit up like a Christmas tree, but there are string lights along the rails and up the ladder to the loft. The fireplace is blazing, and it's warmer in here than I thought possible. It feels kind of nice.

Charlie lets me go up first, and he follows me, turning me to face him and pulling me closer until we're face to face. I don't hesitate, leaning in and kissing him on the mouth. He lays his hands over my hips and grasps onto my shirt, pulling it above my head so he can kiss my neck and then my shoulder.

I shake with a fresh set of chills, and within a minute, he's walking me back to the bed as it lays unmade from earlier. I push off my shoes and grab the hem of his shirt to pull it off. He laughs and sits me on the bed before kneeling in front of me. More kissing ensues, and I scoot back onto the bed with him in front of me. His bare chest meets mine instantly. I lower my hands to his ass to pull him closer.

He takes control of the situation quickly and moves his mouth down my chest to my stomach. I watch as he hooks his fingers into my jogging pants to pull them down, and my hardening cock meets him without hesitation. Charlie smiles and extends his tongue to lick the underside, and I jump slightly. My jogging pants disappear, and I'm naked as he crawls over me so his face is above mine.

"So, tell me, Cullen," he says with a smirk. "When you kissed Jane, did it make you hard? Did you want to strip her clothes off and have your way with her?"

He wraps his hand around me, and with my heart hammering in my ears, I can only breathe in response. He begins stroking me, and I grasp onto the sheets beneath my hands. After a minute of this, he leans in and whispers again.

"You wanna know what it's like?"

I can only vaguely understand what he's saying, but I know what he means. I remember that he said he had sex with Renee while they were dating. Do I want to know what it feels like now that I've kissed Jane and nearly felt her up?

Charlie slides his lips and tongue down the front of my body then, licking my nipples and rubbing his nose down the center of my abdomen until the heat of his face envelopes the length of my cock. He's still stroking me, and he leans back to lick the very tip. I jump again and shut my eyes as he swirls his tongue around me only a few seconds before his lips close around me. He lowers his mouth over my cock and rubs my balls.

Unconsciously, I lift my legs and plant my feet over the bed, effectively spreading my legs so that his head is bobbing between them. With his fingers, he lowers the tips over my crease, continuing to stroke me and finding my hole. Hot chills assail my body, and I lower my hands to his head to grasp onto his hair. My hips buck up into him, and with each time, his fingers slide closer to his mark until he's stroking my hole open the way he did before.

I have an idea of what this will feel like now, so I'm not nervous. I'm not scared. But I'm confused as he takes his fingers away and leans back so his mouth and tongue are still hovering over my straining cock. I'm panting and moaning, and I don't know why he stopped. And I don't know why he's smiling.

"What's wrong?" I whisper hoarsely.

He doesn't say anything as he reaches around me to a bag I didn't see upon stepping onto the floor. He unzips it with one hand, extracting a little bottle and popping it open. I'm confused until he pours a little over my skin. It's warm and slippery and smells vaguely like powder. He smooths it over my skin, and it gets warmer as he wraps his warm, slippery hand around my cock to keep stroking me.

Slowly, the liquid makes it way down my cock and then my balls to drip over my crease. Charlie helps it along, scooting closer until my tail bone is in the air and my ass is spread in front of his unbuttoned, unzipped jeans. He strokes my crease, and with the warm, slippery liquid, opens up my ass hole. I bite my lip and watch as he leans down and licks the skin under my balls.

"Oh, shit," I moan.

"You like it?" he groans, still stroking my cock and slipping the tip of his finger inside my ass hole.

I nod furiously, reaching for him and grasping onto his legs.

"Fuck, you're so hot like this," he grunts.

He lowers me down to the bed with my ankles still on his shoulders, and he leans down to keep sucking on me as the length of his index finger slides up inside me.

"Oh! Holy fuck."

My cock twitches inside his mouth instantly, and I'm coming before a whole minute passes. "Oh, God! Oh, shit," I whisper.

Charlie raises up slowly, removing his finger and then crawling over me until he's above me. "My God, you're so fucking amazing. Did I ever tell you that, Cullen?"

I smile slightly, still relaxing, and he pulls his jeans off to be naked like I am before he lays at my side.

The crackling fire fills the air as we lay there, and once I catch my breath, I speak again.

"What is it like?" I ask him. "Is it like that?"

He props his head on his hand, gazing at me in a way he hasn't since we met. "Sort of. But it's still different. They move different, you know?"

I nod since I can still remember what Jane felt like. "She's small," I say softly. "And warm. I like her. I like the way she feels. I mean, it's different, yeah, and I like you a lot more. But — "

He leans closer and kisses me before I can finish, moving his lips to my cheek and then my neck. "It sounds like you know from experience," he whispers, licking my ear lobe.

I shake with chills, and he wraps his slippery hand around my limp cock. Just doing this makes me get hard again.

"It was just today. Jasper was coming, and she was trying to make him think we were making out or something."

He keeps stroking and whispering. "Did it work?"

"Yeah," I exhale, moving my hips with his hand again.

He does this a lot. We jack off or he sucks on me, and I orgasm before he starts again. I don't mind. I love it, actually.

"Well, good for her," he breathes against my ear. "You wanna kiss her again?"

I nod. "Yeah."

"Does she want to kiss you?"

I swallow gently. "I think so."

He makes me come again while I'm laying there, and I don't care about anything else. The whole world could disappear, and I wouldn't notice. But then I remember what he said earlier at Jane's about leaving and not coming back, and I know that while this is fun, it won't last. And that bothers me for the slightest moment.

I turn away from him after the second time, facing the fireplace as he watches me, and he scoots up behind me until his hips are pressed up against mine and his hard cock is lined up with my slippery ass hole.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly.

I don't know how to say it, but he presses up against me harder, and I can't ignore him. "You said you're leaving in six months and not coming back."

He kisses the back of my shoulder and rubs my hip. "Yeah? So?"

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

I turn my head to look at him. "What are we doing?" I ask more forward than I ever have.

He raises to his hand, above me as I rest on my elbow. "I thought it was pretty obvious," he argues.

I look away to the fireplace. "Yeah, I know we're fooling around," I sigh. "And I know how much I like it. But what does it mean?"

"Why does it have to mean anything?" he demands. "Why do you have to fuck it up now?"

I sit up away from him, aware that we're both naked and embarrassed that I'm pissing him off. "I don't know," I say sheepishly. "I just started thinking about it."

"Well, stop," he shouts. "I wouldn't be doin' any of this shit if I didn't want to. I wouldn't be doin' it if I didn't want you. And I know I'm leavin' in six months, but that doesn't mean this has to mean anything. It's not like we're getting married or something!"

I jump as he yells. "I know. I'm sorry I brought it up. I should go," I say. "I'm not supposed to be out late. I'll walk."

I don't say anything else as I rise and move around to pull my clothes back on. Once my shoes are on, I turn to leave.

"Cullen, wait."

I look at him as he sits there alone. I can see he's sorry for yelling, but I don't know if it's good enough. I've never done something like this with anyone, and I don't like the fact that in six months, it'll be over.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he says.

I nod. "Okay."

I leave slowly, descending the ladder to the ground and leaving the barn less than an hour after stepping inside. I'm upset that I caused this, but I can't change it now.

I walk home slowly, feeling the cold but not caring about it at all.


And before we go crazy trying to figure out what Carlisle is doing with Jane, if you're reading the main story, you'll remember that Carlisle has mentioned her a few times. This is truly the back story of what happened to her, and what happened between him and Charlie because of her.

The next half will be posted later next week when I've got it edited. I hope you'll tell me what you think of this new development. As a time reference for this little piece, cell phones did begin showing up in a smaller portable form in the early nineties, but they were really expensive, and these boys living in a little town on the South Carolina coast. It'll probably be another four or five years before either of them have anything like that, and it actually plays into what went wrong with them.

I'm already giving too much away, especially since we all know it didn't work out.

So there it is. Ooh, and I have a poll of my profile for you to pick which story I should post next! Go vote!

See ya next time!