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The warmth of his smile and our easy conversation took me all the way back to our apartment. I hardly noticed the cold.

Chapter 10

Two days later, on Friday, Edward and I had coffee again during my break between American Lit and Creative Writing. I insisted on paying this time, and he grudgingly allowed me. I laughed at him because he was actually pouting as I handed over the bills to pay for our drinks. He laughed with me good naturedly.

We talked more about our time at college this time, sharing some more memorable stories that peppered our time here. Apparently, once drunk and on a dare, Edward streaked through the quad in only his running shoes. Unfortunately, he ran into the dean of the college, a matronly woman who always wore long skirts and shirts buttoned up to her chin. The way Edward told it, she got so flustered looking him up and down, focusing on a specific part of his anatomy that he tried desperately to cover with his hands, that she just stood there stammering. He mumbled out an apology and ran quickly back to his friends who were holding his clothes.

I laughed so hard that my sides hurt. He was such a great story teller. He got really animated, and his hands gestured this way and that. It was enthralling to watch. I was almost late to Creative Writing because we lost track of the time.

That evening, as Alice and I waited for the bouncer to check our IDs at the Grill, I wondered if Edward would be coming tonight with Emmett. I didn't have to wait long to find out. There, standing with the rest of my friends around one of the high tops, was Edward. He looked good in a charcoal grey button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was wearing dark colored blue jeans that looked like they were made especially for him. My stomach did a flip flop as I tried not to stare.

"Hey guys!" Alice chirped brightly.

"Hi everybody," I greeted. We received the customary acknowledgements from everyone and a sunny smile from Edward. I tried not to think about what that meant.

Rose immediately pulled me into a conversation about something her crazy philosophy professor had done today, and I did my best to pay attention to her fully. Friends didn't obsess about other friends. I was friends with Edward. I would not obsess about what he was doing or saying. I would treat him like everyone else.

"Ooh! I love this song! Let's dance!" With a strength unnatural for such a tiny girl, Alice pulled me and Rose out onto the dance floor. Apparently a really good song was enough to break the divide that currently separated Alice and Rose. They still weren't back to normal, but it was a start. I laughed with my friends and relaxed for the first time since I walked in. I threw my hands up in the air and twisted my body to the rhythm of the music. I didn't look as sexy as Rose or Alice, but I was confident. I moved my hips and ran my fingers through my hair.

After a couple songs, several men had taken notice and started circling our trio, trying to get up the nerve to come dance with us. Emmett and Jasper must have noticed too because they appeared the next moment to claim their women.

I felt a body come up behind mine and a hand come to my hip. "Can I have this dance?" Edward's quiet voice filled my ear. I gulped and nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak. He kept his hand on my hip and moved his body closer to mine. We started moving to the rhythm of the song. I tried desperately not to get lost in the way his body felt against mine. I tried not to compare it to the way I felt when I danced with my one night stands and failed miserably. With the other guys, it had been just about how they made my body feel. It had been about the increase of my heart beat, the heat pooling in my belly, and the anticipation of what might come next. It was different with Edward. The difference was I knew him. I knew the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the way he talked lovingly about his parents, the way he spoke passionately about things that were important to him. With Edward, my body's reaction seemed to increase ten-fold. It wasn't just about lust, although there was plenty of that.

I felt Edward's hands on my hips caressing the skin that peaked out when I raised my arms up. Then, his hands were encouraging me to turn around and suddenly, I was facing him. Looking into his eyes was intense as we moved to the thumping beat of the song. I couldn't decipher his expression, but it was so open and vulnerable that it made me want to look away. As the song ended, we stopped moving and just stood there staring at each other as the next song came on. Panic started to fill me. What was happening between us? I couldn't handle this.

I was ready to bolt when Edward's hand clamped down on my arm. It wasn't uncomfortable, just firm. I wasn't getting away from him easily. "Come on, let's get a drink," Edward said loudly so I could hear him over the music. I let him lead me to the bar. We took a seat on two bar stools, and Edward signaled the bar tender for two beers. We sat quietly until our beers arrived. When they did, I took a long sip.

"So… you make it to Creative Writing on time?" Edward asked. His voiced lacked all of the tension that I felt. Could this really not be affecting him? I tried to act as normal as possible.

"Barely. I had to run through Old Main and I totally plowed into a freshman with an armful of books. I didn't even have time to stop and help her pick them up. I felt terrible just shouting an apology and running off."

"Poor thing. She's probably scarred for life. A big, bad junior comes and knocks her down and doesn't even stop?"

"Stop it, I feel bad enough as it is." I took another sip of my beer and peeked over at him. The corners of his mouth were turned up in that thoughtful smile I recognized from our conversations over coffee. I took a deep breath and tried to return to the comfortable place we had been in at Java that afternoon. "So you bump into the dean lately?"

He burst out laughing at that and suddenly, we were back to normal. We talked comfortably while our friends danced. We had a couple more beers before everyone decided to call it a night. When we parted ways, Edward, Emmett and Rose heading to their apartment and Alice, Jasper, and I heading to ours, I thought I caught a longing look as I hugged Edward good night. When I pulled away, he just had a friendly smile on his face, and I was sure that I was imagining things. I hugged Emmett and Rose, and we headed off in opposite directions.

"What's up Bell?" asked Alice as she was unlocking our door. I looked up, startled. I realized that I had been frowning in concentration.

"Nothing. Just thinking." She looked like she wanted to press for more information, but Jasper ushered her inside. As soon as we were in our apartment and the door locked behind us, Jasper said good night and led Alice down the hall to her bedroom. Jasper was always good about giving me space when I needed it. That was good because I wasn't prepared to share my thoughts right now. I wasn't sure what my thoughts were right now. One thing was clear though. They were all focused on Edward.