*Author's Note* Not much to say other then I've had things to do lately and I wasn't very motivated getting this chapter out, so sorry for the wait! This chapter sets up future ones...lots of dialogue with less description. I liked the way it flowed, so I hope it's readable like this!
And, I wanted to ask your opinion on...lemons. There is the potential for lemons in "The Good Girl", but I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to go that far. The story itself won't change, just a few future scenes will be described in detail instead of just alluding to what happened. Think it over, let me know, and I'll try to make up my mind. Beware, I didn't say who the lemons would involve...just keep that in mind!
Also, I mentioned last chapter that I had posted a mood song on my profile (which nobody seemed to care...but I do haha). Well, I've taken it a step further and now each chapter has it's own song. I updated each chapter page to include a lyric from that song at the top, and all songs are already linked on my profile. I really hope that you will check them out, as I put a lot of thought into each chapter and picked a corresponding song based on either lyrics, tone, or both. Listen to them quietly in the background, or on their own, and let me know what you think. Good stuff.
Still contemplating doing a BPOV, but the timing's not right yet. Maybe in future chapters.
So, lots of stuff I'd love to have feedback on! That's a not-so-subtle hint for reviews.
The usual: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, I have no spell checker, check my profile for "mood music", and reviews are very loved.
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Everybody in this place can up and move away
For all I care this town's already dead and empty
I'm told that I'm a victim of obsession
That's what my friends say
Oh I'm a fool for having ever let her tempt me
Phantom Planet - Always On My Mind
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The sky was it's usual dismal gray, but the sun was still visible slowly appearing seemingly out of the line of trees on the horizon. Emmett and I had hunted well into the morning and were now sitting on an outcropping of rock that surveyed practically the whole forest. We were talking back and forth, about nothing in particular, just enjoying the light early morning breeze and each others company. Emmett was very much my big brother and it was nice to spend time with him, bonding and all that crap.
I was listening to Emmett, in a half-assed sort of way, as he replayed an encounter he and Rosalie had had with a local cashier. Lucky for me, my flawless mind made even half-assed listening acceptable. The other half of my mind was miles away, where I knew it shouldn't have been. Though I had gone hunting as a way of escaping, it seemed I had carelessly left part of my mind back in Forks...at the Swan house...with her.
"So, I'm standing there and this girl at the checkout counter is still trying to flirt with me, and Rose is getting so pissed because, well besides the obvious flirting, see, well, she had wanted to hurry up and get home and...you know...anyway ..."
I couldn't help but smile at Emmett's brash story. Normally it would depress me, but after my dealing with the Swan girl, I was in an exceptionally good mood. For me, that is.
The Swan girl...my mind clicked back into place. I refused to say her name, thinking that somehow referring to her as 'the Swan girl', or just plain 'her', would make me sound less obsessed. Less like a creepy stalker or something. Calling her the Swan girl distanced me from her, she was just another random girl. So inconsequential to me, that I couldn't even remember her name. No affect on me whatsoever.
Did I mention I'm also a liar?
"So she finally finished ringing us up and we start to walk away. And you can imagine how pissed Rose is..."
The half of me listening nodded at Emmett, the other half, the one still stuck stubbornly back in Forks, paid the first half no mind.
I wonder if the Swan girl told her father what we had been talking about? Surely not, I can't imagine her telling Chief Swan that she had tried to seduce me at a shitty house party, but she would have had to have told him something...
"Well, apparently, this was some ballsy girl, because, see, she didn't give us a receipt and while we were gathering up our bags she wrote her phone number on it, but Rose saw it..."
"Oh no!" I groaned, my mouth going one way, my mind another.
Certainly he would have asked what we talked about, I wonder what her lie had been, probably nothing very creative...
"Yeah...so the girl runs up to us on the way out, to give us the receipt, and Rose just casually sticks out her heel - you know how dangerous those things can be anyway, and trips the girl. Falls flat on her face..."
I gasp in disbelief.
God, I sound like a girl. Speaking of a girl...
She seemed pretty mad, serves her right though. Still...I can't believe she actually stood up to me, I mean, if she wasn't so infuriating that would have been kind of cool. Kind of hot, actually...
"I would've helped her up, but you know how mad Rose would have been if I did..."
I nodded again.
No, the Swan girl is not hot. I mean, ok, she was kind of...cute...in a plain sort of way, but definitely not hot. Though it was kind of hot when she was seducing me...well, when I thought she was into me at least. Not so much when she left me standing at attention in the middle of Newton's bedroom...stupid prick...
"So, we saw her the other day, and her nose is all taped up and she's got this huge black eye, I mean, man, it looks sick. Which is a shame, because she was pretty cute...hey, but uh, don't tell Rosalie I said that..."
"I won't."
I wonder how many guys she had done that to before...probably a lot, she seemed to know what she was doing...
"Thanks, bro." He let out a sigh of relief.
Another nod from me.
She had to have been a big slut back in...well, wherever the hell she came from...if Alice hadn't have interfered, I would have screwed her at some point, that's for sure...
"So, Carlisle told us about what he talked to you about."
I snapped my eyes up to meet his. He finally got my entire attention. Of course, the only way to do it would be to make the conversation about me.
Narcissist, thy name is Edward fucking Cullen.
My demeanor immediately shifted, the faraway look on my face hardened and my smug smile faded into a grimace as my eyes narrowed.
"That really sucks." He said softly.
"Yeah." I wasn't about to disagree with that.
"I'd hate to see you go." He turned his head away from me as he said it, not wanting to appear too sentimental.
"I don't want to go."
Aww...we're about to have a 'moment'.
"I really hope you're going to try." He turned back to look at me, this time locking his eyes with mine, almost pleading with me.
"I already have been. I apologized to...her...yesterday."
"Really? That's great!"
He looked so pleased...I probably shouldn't mention how ineffective or insincere that debacle had been.
"Yeah." Yeah, best not to bring that up.
"What else do you suppose you'll do?"
The question stumped me.
"I hadn't really given it much thought."
I was so concerned with things that I shouldn't be doing, like murdering pigheaded girls, that I hadn't thought about other things I could proactively do to win back my father's trust.
At what point had I turned into such a self-absorbed asshole? I know the answer to that...
"Did he say you'd have to give up...you know..." He trailed off.
"Sex?" I questioned Emmett. What is with him today? Since when is he a prude? "Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yeah, I was trying to be polite."
I laughed.
"And I know it's kind of a touchy subject with you."
I stopped laughing. So that's the reason for his evasiveness. Everyone must think I'm such an emo little cry baby.
Well...you kind of are, Cullen...
"No, he didn't. He doesn't like it, but he didn't prohibit it. Why?"
"No reason."
He wasn't quick enough, I could hear it before he was able to get it from his mind.
"You're going to Denali with Rosalie in a few days." I monotoned, keeping any hint of emotion out of my voice.
He nodded.
Tanya was the only woman I had ever slept with on more than one occasion, and it had become routine for us to rendezvous whenever either of us were in town. I considered it, for a split second.
Maybe I should call her up, take my mind off of things...girls...one in particular...
But was it really worth it? After all, I knew how it always ended with us...
"No, Emmett."
"Fair enough."
He's really going to just leave it at that?
"So this will be your last year at Forks High, huh?"
Subject change, I guess so.
"Finally a mighty senior." He winked. He could be a major douche like that sometimes.
"Yeah."
"Excited?"
What the hell is he talking about?
"It's not the first time I've graduated, Emmett..."
He shook his head, obviously I was missing the point.
"Yeah, but you'll be able to travel afterward, get away from this place..."
No, he was the one missing the point.
"Honestly, I don't have very much to look forward to after graduation. I'm easiest the youngest looking, I can only pass for a college aged student for so long. Besides, we'll probably be moving again soon and I'll have to start all over again."
"Hey, we all have to, bro."
Oh, no he didn't.
"But only I have to do it alone." I spat out. I regretted it the moment I said it. I didn't like showing my insecurities. Emmett smiled sadly. He felt sorry for me.
"Yeah, I guess that's right. Don't worry, it'll happen sometime, you'll find someone..."
But I had already stopped listening. I got up from the rock and headed back towards the way we came.
"You ready to go?" I called over my shoulder.
He silently got off of the rock and followed me back into the forest. We barely spoke on the ride back to the house.
Our conversation had depressed me. Reminded that I was still very much alone, no matter how many girls I had sex with.
Doomed to forever walk the world alone.
Seriously, I should really consider dying my hair black. Start wearing lots of leather and mesh and chains...
I do look good in black...
Still, at least one thing Emmett had said had caught my interest for a reason other than depressing me. Perhaps it was a sign...do the thing that doesn't depress you. Seemed like a good idea to me, but then again, these things always do at the time.
"Hey, Emmett." I said as we turned into the long driveway leading up to the house. "Tell Tanya to give me a call when you see her?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure thing." He seemed a little taken aback by my change of heart.
We pulled up to the house to see Alice sitting on the front steps, a look of amusement dancing over her features. She was blocking my thoughts again. A low growl escaped my lips as I got out of the car and headed towards her. Emmett looked apprehensive, unsure whether he should go ahead and hold me back, or wait until I lunged at her to restrain me.
"I'm not going to attack her, calm down." I muttered as we got closer. I saw Emmett relax. "She's just hiding something from me." As I said it, the grin on her face widened even further.
"Sure am!"
"What? What did you see?" I concentrated hard on her mind, trying to pick something out.
"First of all, stay out of my thoughts." She stood up and crossed her arms. "Second, you told me not to tell you my visions unless they involve impending death or supermodels wanting to fuck you. The vision I had wasn't about either, so I'm not telling you. Though it is rather humorous, to me at least. Not so much for you."
"What the hell are you hiding from me?" I demanded.
"We had a deal, sweetie. I'm not telling you what I saw...and you need to get out of my head." She growled playfully, although she meant every word. "But it really doesn't matter, anyway," She continued. "You'll find out soon enough...though I would like to go on record and say that I had absolutely nothing to do with this one."
"What?" I hissed.
"Carlisle will want to speak to you tonight when he gets back from the hospital...and that's all I'm saying." She was smirking. Ugh, so annoying.
And now Carlisle wants to have another talk with me? What the hell for?
"Don't worry, he's not mad." She said, seeing the panic on my face.
"Then what is it?
"You'll find out in a few hours!" She crowed.
She was messing with me on purpose, annoying little sadistic freak that she was.
"Whatever." I muttered as I brushed past her and entered the house. If she wasn't going to tell me, then I wasn't going to waste my time trying to get it out of her. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what she was seeing. Why did Carlisle want to speak with me again? She said he wasn't mad...then what?