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Chapter Nine

An hour later I found myself sitting on a bench in the middle of a mall, literally people watching. I wasn't sure exactly what it was I was supposed to do since this was by far the more bizarre thing anyone had ever asked me to do, but it was something that Edward apparently wanted, so I was here for however long he decided to 'people watch'.

"So I have to ask, exactly what are we going here?" I asked, curiously.

"I have a question for you first," he said, turning to face me on the bench.

"Okay, shoot," I said, sounding much more confident than I felt.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asked like he was asking what the temperature would rise to today. I stared at him blankly before turning my head away from the ridiculousness of his question.

"Look," he said, grabbing my arm, "play a game with me, just one game, and as long as you answer honestly you'll understand where I am going with this, okay?" I looked at him for a moment, wondering if it would have been better just to pull the cover up over my head this morning and ignored the knocking on the door. Then I thought about how cute and shy he looked this morning and knew that was a fucking stupid idea, so I nodded my head and crossed my fingers that I just didn't agree to something painful. He smiled at me and flung his arm across the bench behind me.

"Okay, we'll start out slow, lets see," he hummed, scanning the crowds as people ambled past us. "Okay, there," he said, pointing to an older lady and a small child, "tell me their story," he said, staring at me expectantly. I cut my eyes to the older lady picking up the child and scolding him for something before turning back to Edward, giving him a blank stare.

"I...don't understand," I said slowly, trying to figure out what exactly what we were doing here. He laughed, which kind of annoyed me if I was being honest, but he said I had to be honest, so I guess I was playing along correctly. I narrowed my eyes at him wondering if this was some kind of trick he was playing on me when he shook his head and began to speak.

"Look at the necklace she's wearing," he said, pulling me from my thoughts, "it's a cross right?" he asked, scooting closer to me so that the left side of his body touched mine from knee to shoulder.

"Yeah..I- yeah," I said lamely, suddenly aware of how his breath tickled the hair on my neck, the timber of his voice vibrated against my ear, and smell from his aftershave filled my senses.

"So okay, lets give her a story," he said in a low voice, moving impossibly closer and doing things to my body that were so far from the friend zone that we may as well have been on another planet. "Lets say she's Catholic, and that little boy is her grandson," he started, pulling back slightly, much to my relief and disappointment. I nodded my head for him to continue, curious where exactly he was going with this.

"Okay, she's here shopping for her son, because he can't leave his house," he said, then nodded for me to take over. I really wasn't sure what to say, but I figured winging it was my best option.

"Because he's sick?" I answered like a question, I really had no idea what the hell I was doing here.

"Okay, he's sick," Edward confirmed, "because he's healing from a gunshot wound," he added proudly while I gaped at him.

"What?" he laughed, "you want him to have a cold? What's the fun in that?" he asked, squeezing my shoulder that was under his hand resting on the back of the bench. I rolled my eyes td him and just went with it.

"Because he's a mob boss," I nodded, "and someone tried to whack him, but his goons took them out." This wasn't so bad, it could actually be pretty fun. He looked over at me with a smirk and bobbed his head in agreement.

"Whack? Goons? A fan of mob movies are you?" he asked, smiling at me. I shrugged my shoulders. Who didn't like a good ganster flick?

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," he said, lifting his hand to his face and trying, but failing miserably, to sound like Don Corleone in the Godfather.

"Oh God," I laughed, covering my face, "that was terrible, never do that again," I pled, putting my hand on his knee to brace myself, before realizing what I had done. I peeked up at him through my hair to see him smiling down on me, his eyes dancing as he watched me. I cleared my throat and straightened my back, trying to focus on anything else other than the buzz coursing through my body, the way I sort of vibrated with nervous energy and my fingers flexed to go back to where they had rested on his knee.

"Okay, so what's next?" I asked, looking around at the people surrounding us. I heard him sigh before he picked his next victim. And so it went for the next hour, he would point someone out and then come up with the most ridiculous story he could imagine. I don't remember laughing this much since I was a teenager and the toughest decision I had to make was whether to be Peach or Luigi in Mario Cart.

"Now," he said, shifting in his seat, his tone of voice immediately setting me on edge, "remember I said we were going to play a game, and you promised to be honest?" he asked, as I nodded my head warily.

"So I am going to point someone out and I want you to tell me what you think."

"Edward, what are you-"

"Just, try, okay?" he asked, cutting me off. I tried to swallow around the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat, I had the sinking feeling that I wasn't going to like this game very much.

"Okay, so, her," he said pointing to a girl that looked to be somewhere in her twenties, she was covered in tattoos and piercings and had a streak of bright pink hair running down the middle of her back.

"Uh," I mumbled, not sure exactly what I was supposed to say.

"What is the first word that comes to your mind when you look at her?" he prompted me.

"Rocker?" I said like a question. She was definitely into rock music, if her looks didn't give her away, then the Metallica shirt she wore did.

"So not, freak, or ugly, or anything like that?" he asked curiously.

"Why would you say that?' I asked annoyed, pulling back from him slightly. "Just because she's different doesn't make her a freak or ugly," I said, become more agitated. He just nodded his head in acceptance which pissed me off even more.

"And her, the fat chick?" he asked casually and I totally wanted to throttle his fucking face. I thought he was different, I thought that he was special, but he was putting down these girls in the same way that Garrett had done me.

"Is that what you see?" I asked through gritted teeth as tears threatened to seep from my eyes.

"What do you see?" he asked nonchalantly, looking lazily over the crowd of people.

"I mean yeah, she's overweight," I sputtered, because that fact couldn't be denied, "but look at her face, she has really pretty eyes, and her smile is beautiful, and you are an asshole," I said, standing from the bench. I'd had enough of this shit, I should have known better than to think he was any different from all of the other assholes I'd met. I turned to walk away when he reached out and grabbed my hand pulling me back down onto the bench beside of him.

"One more," he said before standing and walking over to the kiosk in the middle of the mall. He spoke with one of the girls at the counter before she handed him something and smiled. He nodded his head before strolling back over to me. He sat heavily on the bench and stared at me for a second before thrusting the object in his hand into mine. I looked down in my hand and was met with my own reflection.

"Now, tell me what you see," he whispered. I sat there stunned, finally figuring out what he was doing as tears that I had no control over rolled down my cheeks and splashed on the surface of the mirror. I turned my head and looked away, I didn't want to play this game anymore.

"What do you see," he asked again more forcefully, pushing the mirror back towards me. I didn't say anything, I couldn't, because I knew what I would see and it would not be the answer he wanted to hear.

"How can you," he started, pulling the mirror from my hand and setting it on the bench, "see the beauty in people that everyone else in this mall would immediately scoff at," he paused, taking my hands in his while turning his body to face mine, "and not see what the rest of us see, staring back at you in your own reflection?" he asked thickly.

I shook my head furiously, tugging my hands free from his. This was too much, I couldn't do this.

"You don't know me," I whispered.

"I don't," he agreed, "but that doesn't mean I don't have eyes. You're absolutely beautiful, and you not being able to see that is a fucking shame," he said, shaking his head.

"Look, I know we barely know one another and this may seem like too much, but as a friend," he emphasized, "I just want to help you. Can you please let me do that?" he asked, smiling at me softly. l stared at him blankly, realizing that he completely played me today, not to be mean or unkind, but to try and help me. I blew out a harsh breath and gathered my bag.

"I think I've had enough people watching for today," I said quietly. He sighed heavily beside me before pushing himself up off the bench. He walked over to the girl at the counter who eyed him curiously, returned the mirror, then jogged back over to me.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he said, guiding me out of the mall. The trip back to my apartment was quiet, I will still trying to absorb everything that had happened today and he was obviously letting me. When we reached my door he shifted from side to side, much like he did this morning, before straightening his shoulders and looking me in the eye.

"I know that things haven't ended on the best note today," he started hesitantly, "but I had a really good time with you. And maybe what I did was too much and I came on too strong, but I really did it with the best of intentions. I didn't mean to upset you," he said apologetically. I knew that he wasn't trying to hurt me, now, but earlier, I'm not going to lie and say it didn't feel that way.

"I know, and I had fun today with you too, mostly," I added with a half smile.

"So did I send you running for the hills?" he joked, but there was something in his tone that let me know he was seriously concerned what me answer would be. I shook my head no at him and took a hesitant stop closer to him.

"Thank you for today," I said before wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a quick hug. His arms coiled around my waist immediately and he squeezed my body against his tightly before letting go.

"Can I stop by the bar later this week?" he asked timidly, "I have a lot of work I need to do, but maybe I can get away if you're okay with that."

"Uh, yeah, sure, that'd be okay, I guess," I said, sounding as out of sorts as I felt. He stared at me for a split second before his face broke out into a grin, causing me to forget why he was smiling in the first place.

"It's a date," he laughed, leaning over and pressing his lips to my cheek just like he had done the last time. Before I could respond he was already half way down the stairs. Friends can have dates, right?, I thought as a smile of my own broke out across my face. I may have forgotten what his smile was for, but I knew there was no way I'd forget the reason behind mine.


A/N

So too much? Not enough? Progress? I think so. Thanks to iambeagle for just being her. This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Julie, who managed to make me cry while staring at magnets with the words cock and slit on them. Only you, Jules. Hugs and kisses to you! It'll be a few days before the next update, Meg and I have to write Dirt Roads, if you're not reading it, why the hell not? Go, shoo, it's a break from the angst! Let me know what you think!