AN: If you like it, please share with your friends. If you don't, that's okay too.
Enjoy!
Chapter 9
The lecture hall was filling up quickly and I was grateful to find a seat close to the back where I could pretend to blend into the taupe colored walls. I took a sip of my coffee. It went down easily, lukewarm from the amount of milk I had added. It was supposed to jolt me from the sleepiness that was threatening to overtake me, but it would be no help I was afraid. If I could barely stay awake before the class began, it would be a fruitless attempt to stay lucid when the professor started droning on.
"Can I sit here?"
I looked up to see Emmett staring down at me with his big smile. It was as if he had forgotten about all the ways he hurt me. He probably had or didn't even care that I could be hurt by his actions. He was the school's golden boy and he believed he could do no wrong.
My answer was a non-committal shrug with my gaze continuing to face forward. I waved at Kate as she came in. She made a disgusted face at Emmett when she saw him sitting next to me and I returned her look with an eye-roll. Kate's hearty laugh filled the room.
"You two friends now?" he asked.
"Yup." I opened up my notebook and wrote the date carefully in the corner. I might as well begin writing my notes neatly, because as I drifted off to sleep during the lecture, my script was going to become unintelligible scribble.
"Is it weird being friends with Katie? I mean you both were with—"
"Nope." I started looking over my notes from the last week's class. Mathematic Principles was my worst class after French and I didn't have the time to waste talking to Emmett McCarty.
"Aren't you going to give me more than one word answers?" He sounded frustrated. "Look at me, damn it!"
I refused to let him have the satisfaction of having me follow his request. Instead, I looked over to where the professor was walking toward the large screen in front of the room. He was stereotypical in tweed and khaki. His bifocals were placed on the top of his shiny, bald head like an unneeded headband. The florescent lights made the man's scalp glow. He clicked on his laptop and the screen filled with algebraic equations. I couldn't contain my groan.
"I missed that sound," Emmett announced cheekily. "I loved being the one making you moan."
His words made me look at him with a glare. "If you're talking about my annoyed groans then excellent job. You mere presence causes me to make awful sounds."
The best way to ignore him was to jot down those terrible numbers that would confuse me for weeks. I needed to drop this class and take remedial math.
He placed his hand over mine, making an angry streak across the page with my pen. Emmett whispered loudly, "I've missed you."
"Use your lines on somebody who cares," I hissed, pulling my hand away.
A studious girl to my left shushed us and started typing away on her calculator.
"Come to my room after class," Emmett whispered in a softer voice. "We can talk."
"Bullshit. You don't talk, McCarty, you put on Dave Matthews and get girls naked." I started writing again. "Been there and done that. I don't want a repeat."
"I bet you dream about a repeat, button." His chuckle was a bit too loud and several students gave us dirty looks. The professor just kept talking. He probably had his hearing aids turned off. "I'm being serious. I'll try to keep my hands to myself."
"No thanks."
He sighed loudly. Emmett volume was permanently on bullhorn setting. He started drumming his large hands on the desk. There was no rhyme or reason to the noise. It was disorienting. I tried to keep my attention on the professor who was almost as confusing as Emmett.
"Bella, I'm trying to show you that I'm trustworthy." His drumming became louder in his frustration. "You could at least give me a chance. We can watch MTV or something."
I stared at the shiny light radiating off the professor's skull. I hated that a part of me craved the attention Emmett was giving me. There was also a part of me that found going back to his room to be terrifying. After what happened with Royce, I found myself timid when it came to being alone with any man except for Tyler. I wondered if it would be comfortable if I was around Edward, but he had disappeared again.
The only time I felt okay being with unfamiliar men was after I had a good amount of liquid courage coursing through my veins. This school was toxic to me.
"I hate bubble gum pop." I started writing faster.
"We can watch whatever you want, girl." His fingers hit the desk louder. "That Buffy chick? The one who kills vampires? I hear you girls love that shit."
I placed my pen down. "You are only interested in me when I'm ignoring you. Find a new hobby."
"Is it that gay guy? You like him or something?"
"What?"
Emmett started to drum the theme song to some old eighties theme show. "Cullen. He's in my German class. I see you hanging around him."
"We're friends. He has a girlfriend." I bit my lip and thought of Edward.
I missed Edward's smile. That's life, I guess. He was never mine to begin with, so it should be easier to get over him. Someday, I hope.
"Probably a drag queen," Emmett stated with a large belly laugh. His hands hitting the desk hard.
"The equation is equal parts—" The professor adjusted his hearing aids. "Is there a supposed to be a thunderstorm today?"
There was a series of hisses and shushing noises coming from our classmates directed at us. I stuck my hands on Emmett's. I whispered harshly, "Cut it out! You're going to get us in trouble!"
He beamed and those dimples were in full effect. They made me melt. Emmett must know the power that they held over everyone. Mostly me. He brought my hands up to his lips and kissed the back of them. "You want to hold my hands."
I tried to pull them away to no avail. He held them so tightly. "Please let me go."
"Never. These are mine now, girl." Emmett's lips went back to my hands. "Come and watch TV with me. I have chips."
Weakly, I pleaded, "I need to take notes."
"I get straight A's in this class. I'll tutor your sexy ass." He continued to hold my hands to his lips. I was tingling. It was ridiculous, but I was craving the feeling of being wanted.
"You say that most offensive bullshit." I hated that I found it charming.
He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and buried his head in my neck. Kissing up and down. "You love it. I love your blush, button."
"You need to—"
Stop?
Kiss me more?
Become Edward?
My thoughts were a jumble.
"Come back with me after class. Please." His mouth sucked my earlobe.
I was a dumb ass.
I closed my eyes at the sensation his mouth created on my skin. "Okay."
XXXXXX
I felt younger. There was a spring to my step that I hadn't realized had been missing. Love makes you feel a giddiness that is reminiscent of the joyful experiences of youth. The first taste of a strawberry ice cream cone. A soft breeze that hits your skin and smells like honeysuckle. Fireworks filling the night sky with colorful lights. This feeling was amazing.
I whistled a happy tune as I stared into the mirror of the women's bathroom in the dorms. A towel wrapped around my body and my skin feeling like it was covered with dew. I ran my fingers through my damp hair and imagined that they were Edward's.
"You're whistling," Alice observed, as she exited on of the stalls. She looked exhausted. "Why are you so happy?"
"Edward."
My reflection was smiling back at me.
"Nice," Alice announced.
I turned toward her and crossed my arms. "Why do you look exhausted?"
"My stalker named Jasper." She washed her hands and sighed. "The bastard grew up to be a nice guy."
"What an ass." I gave her a wink. "You forgive him and can now move on to greener pastures?"
She frowned at me in the mirror. "I'm going with him to eat breakfast in town. I have no time to like this guy, but I couldn't say no."
"Oh."
"I was planning on fucking him and moving on, but the stalker wanted to talk." She grabbed her lipstick out of her makeup bag and proceeded to color angry looking red lines on her mouth. "Damn him."
"You don't have to go, Alice," I pointed out. My fingers squeezed hers.
She gave a little smile. "Yeah, I do. It's the possibility, you know. You just have to go with it. Jasper really is hot. I wouldn't mind seeing if he's a good kisser."
I couldn't help laughing.
Alice continued, "You want to come? I need a chaperone."
"You are on your own, Ali. I'm meeting—"
"Edward. Keep it in your pants, woman." She gave me an evil grin. That's when Edward walked into the bathroom. "I change my previous statement. At least try to keep your towel on. This is a public bathroom, you perverts."
"Does she really have to, Ali? She looks like she needs a proper drying off." Edward's eyes never left me. He licked his lips and I mimicked his actions.
"You two are dirty. I like it," She started to head out, but turned around. "If you two do anything nasty on the sink, there's some Lysol in the janitor's closet."
I couldn't stop blushing at the thought. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed. I stared down at my purple flip flops. "Hi. What brings you into the ladies bathroom?"
Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted my chin with his other hand. "Kate told me to find you in here. I missed you being with me."
"I was missing you too," I agreed. His hand traveled from my face to my neck. His fingers made circles on my skin.
"You're still wet, pretty girl." I took in a sharp breath at his words. "So very wet."
I blurted out when I felt his thumb go under the top of my towel. "You make me that way."
He lifted me swiftly and placed me on the sinks. Edward's mouth crashed onto mine and I felt cool air hit my naked body as he undid the towel. He placed a hand between my legs and rubbed slowly at first and then increased the speed. The pressure he applied was maddening. Edward's head went down and he nibbled on my breast.
The noise that escaped me was loud and primal.
I tried to gain control. My breath was ragged. "What if someone comes in?"
"Katie promised to guard the door," He explained lifting his mouth off of me. A finger entered, pulsing in and out. I felt a heat spread all over me. He made me feel like I was on fire.
My hands went to his belt, but Edward rocked his pelvis away from me. He added another finger and his thumb circled my clit. They moved in concert with each other. It was like he was directing a symphony. He whispered huskily, "I need to see you come undone again."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I hissed, "I want you."
"Tonight, tomorrow, morning, noon and night is all in our future, lovely." He pushed in faster and he was in so deep. "I'm not going to lose this again."
Our lips touched and he made me lightheaded at the sensation of falling apart. It was beautiful and it felt like everything was right in the world. I let loose a chorus of moans and cries. "Oh Edward!"
I was done for.
"My girl," he whispered into my clavicle. His lips left feather light kisses there.
My head rested on his chest as he wrapped the towel around me. We hugged each other tightly. I asked quietly, "How did this happen? How did we get so lucky?"
"Our stars aligned, love. Finally," Edward explained.
It felt true.
