Oh happy news to share, I have a beta: MariahajilE
I know this is a huge relief for most!
Thank you ever so much MariahajilE
On we go...
Chapter 8
"This is our last class together," Edward comments as he looks through the microscope.
Bella pulls her lips into her mouth and looks at his profile. She holds a pencil between her finger tips; it's still.
"I'll miss you."
"Nah." She finds her words. "You'll meet loads of people at college." She heard through the lunch table group that he's going to Seattle Community College for two years. She knows he got into other colleges and universities, but he's sticking close to home.
"None like you," he says before turning his head to look at her. "Duel." He tells her the answer to the last activity on the term in biology. It's just a fun activity. No credits or points, just fun.
Bella nods and writes the answer down as he picks up the next slide.
Sleeping with Garrett wasn't as scary as she had thought it would be. It was pleasant, nice, and enjoyable. He's such a wonderful guy. For college, Garrett isn't sticking close to home. He's going back to the east coast for school. She knew this in her heart; his has always been in New York. She understands that and is willing to try and make the distance work, because he is and wants to. He loves her.
Edward watches Bella pack up her things. "Bella?"
"Hmm?" She glances at him.
"I asked you a question," he says with a small smile. Befriending Bella the past few months has been so easy, normal. He thinks it's because they were so in tune with each other when they were alone. No one made any comments. No one even cared. He hates that this is the case. He kept her away for so long in fear that people would care. If he's perfectly honest, they probably would have, but Garrett and Alice made all the difference. He deserves Bella, and Bella deserves him.
"I'm sorry. What was it?" She blinks a few times, waiting.
Edward smiles. "Did you get a dress for prom?"
"Oh. Do you really care about my dress, Edward?" She laughs a bit.
"I do a little." They haven't met in the meadow at all since she stopped their thing. He hasn't spent any nights with her. Their friendship, which takes place in the light, is all they have, and it's very real for him, to him. It's also very important.
Bella smiles. "It's blue."
"Hmm…"
"Are you going with Tanya?" She isn't sure of what exactly she's heard through the grapevine of the lunch table. She's so much more accepted. In September, when Garret and Alice came to school, seems like a lifetime away. It was only months. But so much has happened since then. She sits with her old tormentors. It's surreal. Maybe all of it wasn't real, because no one acts like it even happened. Everyone just goes about their days. Maybe because they're very stressed about finishing high school, all of the other crap isn't even important. It just happened, and that's it.
Edward shakes his head. "Why would you think that?"
"Nevermind." She shrugs. "I'll see you?"
"I'm going alone."
"You can't go to your senior prom alone," Bella argues. She leans against the lab table. The room isn't clear.
Edward watches her for a few moments before he speaks. "Be my date."
"Edward." She shuts her eyes a moment and shakes her head. "I can't."
"Do you want to?"
"Edward, don't." They're good; they talk, they get on with each other, and everything is good.
He smiles sadly and nods his head. "Okay, I'm sorry."
"I'll see you," she says again.
"Yeah."
The last week of school is coming up on them. "We have the whole summer." Garrett rolls on top of her in his bed.
"I know," she sighs. "But that'll end."
"You are so glass-half-empty." He smiles, kissing her nose.
"Do you blame me?"
"Well," Garrett says with a sigh before nuzzling her. "I love you."
"I love you," she whispers, staring at him. Her eyes shut when his hand strokes the apple of her cheek. She kisses him back when his lips touch hers.
"You are perfect for me."
Bella smiles and turns her mouth away. "You say the sweetest things."
"I do try."
"But you're so corny," she laughs, bucking him with her hips.
"Oh no, you don't," he laughs, grabbing her before she gets away.
Bella squeals.
"Keep it down in there! Other people are trying to make out, too!"
Garrett groans at the sound of his sister's voice shouting from across the hall.
Bella ducks her head and laughs into his neck.
"She's too much." He rolls off Bella and onto his back.
Bella climbs over him and rests her chin on his chest. "You love her."
"Not making out across the hall with Jasper," Garrett groans, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips.
She copies him and rubs her forehead. "Garrett?"
"Yeah?"
"I have to tell you something," she says, looking up.
He stops his rubbing and turns his head to look at her profile as she's staring up at his ceiling. He can see she's blinking. "What is it?"
Bella sighs and turns her head. She looks at him, wanting to say something about Edward. She needs to tell him. The secrets between people break them apart. He's been so wonderful, just what she needed this year after how everything in high school was going.
"Are you alright?" he asks, pushing up on is elbow and looking down at her.
"Yeah, I just need to tell you something."
He smiles down at her. "You said that."
"I slept with Edward." Bella watches his mind spin with questions. His brow wrinkles, and he sighs. "Not while we were together," she adds. Her hand reaches up to touch his face.
Garrett shakes his head and pulls back to sit on his knees. He watches her sit up and leans on his headboard. Both of his hands rub up and down his thighs as he sits back, waiting for her to finish, to say something more, anything.
"Say something," she whispers, staring at him.
"I thought… Well, I had a clue I wasn't your first, but never did I think it was Edward," he states calmly. "I didn't think it was Edward, because you lead me to believe it couldn't be."
"I know. I'm sorry," she sighs. "I just… No one knew. No one knows."
Garrett nods. "I- How did- You two weren't even- They weren't even nice to you." He's confused.
"Edward was."
"He wasn't. I saw him with you."
"That wasn't how he was when we were alone," she says, her voice low. Garrett's eyes flash with hurt. "I didn't mean like that," Bella clears up, not wanting him to think about her, Edward, and sex.
"Okay. Then how did you mean it?"
"I mean, we had a friendship. It was private." She ends there, because she thinks she's explained enough, and the fact is, it's in the past.
Garrett arches an eyebrow, waiting for more.
"There isn't anything else to tell. We formed a private friendship and had sex. It ended."
"Why?"
"You."
"Me?"
"You came along, and you were amazing to me; just plain wonderful. I couldn't do it anymore with him."
Garrett nods. "Okay."
"I'm sorry," she whispers, unsure. This… fight is new to her, if it is a fight.
"Don't be sorry for how you feel, Bella." He offers her a smile. "Never."
Bella nods. "I should have told you."
"You didn't tell anyone, right?"
"No one knows besides Edward, me, and now you."
"Well, then I think that's fair enough," Garrett says understandingly, because it's not like he was in the dark alone.
"Thank you."
Garrett crawls over to her, and she scoots down and stares up at him. "I love you," he tells her.
Bella smiles. "You're so wonderful."
He settles down over her and rests his body on hers.
"It's different with you," she whispers, her fingers stroking his hair. "Better."
"I like to hear that," he confesses. He's a male and feels hurt that he wasn't Bella's first. She wasn't his, so he should be reasonable. He's glad to be with her now. Turning his head, he kisses her shoulder. "Let's sleep," he whispers, rolling away and settling on the side of her.
"Can you believe we're going to the senior prom?" Alice gushes, twirling in her underwear.
Bella smiles, sitting at Alice's vanity. "No, not really."
"Me, either. Jasper is- Ugh. I lost my virginity to him two nights ago," Alice confesses.
"What? Alice!" Bella's eyes bug out of her head.
"I wasn't his first, but I don't care. It was wonderful."
"I'm happy for you." She smiles.
"Look, I know you and my brother…" Alice shuts her eyes for a moment before looking at Bella, who's smiling. "Stop smiling."
"I really love him," she confesses. "Really."
"Yeah, he feels the same."
Bella smiles and sighs. Her mind drifts to Edward. She bites her lip and turns back to the vanity as the two continue to get ready for the senior prom.
Esme walks through with her camera. "I can't believe my son doesn't have a date to his senior prom," she grumbles.
Edward smiles and shrugs one shoulder, fiddling with his bow tie. "I don't even know why I'm going."
Carlisle watches his son and wife interact.
"Because I am your mother, and I want to see you dressed up."
"Mom," Edward grumbles more.
Esme smiles and snaps a photo.
"You look amazing." Garret brings her close and kisses her deeply by the side of his car. "So amazing."
Bella smiles and presses her hands against his chest. "Thank you."
"Are you ready for this?"
"We've already gotten over the sex, so there won't be any awkward first times in a shady motel tonight."
"So cliché."
"Very," Bella laughs as he hooks his arm with hers. They head into the prom.
Edward stands to the side; he eyes the scene around him. He doesn't know why he's here. All of his friends have dates. He just couldn't bring himself to ask anyone and spend a night trying to enjoy their company when he wanted to be in someone else's. His eyes spot her as she walks in with Garrett, in Garrett's arm. Happy, smiling, beautiful.
"Hey, man." Emmett comes up with Rose on his arm. He's so thrilled; he got a football scholarship to the University of Seattle. He wants to play pro for the Seahawks when he grows up. Rose is going to the University of Seattle, too. Everything's perfect. They just don't need to get pregnant tonight.
Edward nods his head. "You look stunning, Rosalie."
Rose frowns at Edward. He seems sincere and different… Lately, he's been different. "Thank you. Who's the lucky lady tonight?"
"No one," Edward admits.
Rose frowns again. She knows he didn't ask Tanya, who had been dropping not-so-subtle hints. Or Lauren. But she thought he would cave in the end. "Oh."
Emmett pulls her close and kisses her head. "Do you want to get some food?"
Rose laughs and turns into his chest, punching his stomach a few times lightly. "Sure."
"Later," Emmett calls to Edward, giving him a look before heading off to find some mini delights.
Bella smiles as she sits with Garrett, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rose. They're laughing at Mike and Jessica dancing but mainly at Mike, because he's acting a bit crazy. She won't be drinking the punch.
Edward stands against the wall and watches her. He wonders what her plans are for the summer. He knows Garrett is going to New York in the fall for school, and she has one more year of high school. Alice will be with her. All of her old tormentors are her 'friends' now and are also leaving school. Some are staying in Forks, but people are moving on with their lives. He feels like he can't move on, because he has lost, left something important to him. Frowning, he's not sure she even knows how important she is to him.
Bella turns her head and meets his eyes. She's felt him all night. Even with this crazy distance between them physically the last few months, she still feels close. She can still feel him all the time around her. And what's worse, she wants to feel him. Garrett's wonderful' he's been there, been her savior the past months, making this school year so much better than the others But in her mind, in her heart, she knows she would gladly take the previous year over this. It's like she's a masochist. She would rather take her moments in the meadow, in his piano room, making love to Edward, over fitting in and being accepted. And that's so crazy, but it's true.
She can't think of a single person who would rather feel like she felt at school just to feel fleeting moments of what she felt with Edward when they were alone.
"You okay?" Garrett pulls her from her thoughts.
She turns away from Edward and smiles. Maybe Garrett going is a good thing for both of them. Maybe these feelings are telling her they won't work with the distance between them. It doesn't mean she and Edward will work, but she knows what will take place between her and Garrett.
Edward sighs and drops his head. "Dance with me," Tanya croons.
"I'm on my way out, actually," he tells her.
"Oh, come on."
"I don't think Felix'll be too happy with my dancing with you." He glances at his former teammate. He nods his head to him, and Felix rolls his eyes. They're not the real deal, but she's still his date tonight.
"Oh, please."
"Goodnight," Edward says.
Bella watches him leave. She feels like she needs to say something to him tonight, anything. They haven't interacted at all other than him looking at her or her looking at him. He's achingly handsome. So is Garrett. She hates how confused she feels. She feels like she's struggling for answers as to what to do and how to feel, how to act, and she can't seem to get a handle on it. But she's only sixteen. Maybe she isn't supposed to know just yet.
"I need some air," Bella says softly to Garrett. "Will you excuse me?"
"Sure." He kisses her hand and stands when she leaves the table.
She smiles at her. Perfect gentleman.
She walks slowly out of the building when she sees him. She hoped to see him, hoped he was still here. She moves with more grace than she thinks she has towards the lighted gazebo he is standing in. His back is to her, his hands deep in his pockets. His head is bent, looking down.
Stepping up, she stops and says nothing more. Her body leans on the frame of one of the entrances, and she just watches him.
"So are you gonna dance with me or what?"
Bella gasps softly before he turns around and lays his eyes on her.
He looks at her wide eyes. Her body's frozen in place.
"I don't dance," she tells him, stepping into the gazebo. She walks around the edge, her fingers ghosting over the rail, which is decorated.
"No?"
"Nope," Bella says, stopping in her tracks and turning to him. She leans against the rail.
Edward smiles and walks over to her. He presses his body against her.
"Edward," she sighs. Her hands come up and push him away.
Edward takes her wrists and holds them. "Don't," he whispers. "Just don't."
Bella stares at him, her mouth slightly ajar.
He dips his head. "Can I kiss you?"
Her belly does flip-flops. "Edward, please."
"Dance with me," he whispers against her cheek. His hand slips around her lower back, and he opens his palm and flattens it against her body, pulling her close. He steps backward into the center of the gazebo. He laces his fingers with hers and holds their hands up. There's no music, but the song he is dancing to is in his head. "You look beautiful. So fucking beautiful…" he mutters, staring down at her.
Bella licks her lips. She shouldn't be out here with him. She should be inside dancing with Garrett, but she can't bear to pull away from Edward.
He moves slowly with her, carefully. The care he takes with her now is how he should have been with her before. Edward stares down at her. Their movements are fluid, smooth. He sighs when she finally looks away and drops her head to his shoulder.
"I shouldn't be here with you," she whispers. She's pushing herself closer.
"We're friends, aren't we?" he questions into her hair.
"Yes, but‒"
"Friends dance," he argues.
Bella smiles and shakes her head. "Your reasoning has always been flawed."
"I resent that."
"Resent all you want, but it's true."
Edward turns his head into her hair and smiles. Their swaying stops, and he just holds her. "I miss you."
"I'm here."
"No, Bella. I miss you," he says again. He can feel her heart beating against his.
"You had me. You had me in every possible way."
"I don't anymore."
She says nothing. Her hands slide up his arms, and she holds him there. When he pulls back, she does, too. "I should go."
Edward looks at her. He dips his head and presses his lips to her throat. "I love you," he whispers into her skin.
Bella's head is clouded and full of emotions, mixed and confusing. Never would she have thought he would say that to her and now of all times. "I have to go." She pushes him back. "I'm sorry." She picks up the front of her dress and hurries off, her heart beating rapidly.
I don't know what is happening next. Let me know what you think!
Once again the welcome to this story is amazing. I am honestly shocked...I guess people like high school stories!
