Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight but she has graciously allowed all of us to play with her toys because she is a sweetheart. I however own this story and I'm a selfish biotch. Please don't borrow or steal this story because it's MINE, MINE, ALL MINE!
My beta is Mullet86. You all owe her BIG TIME because she makes this mess readable!
I hope you like it!
TailSpin
Chapter 11
"Anything else I can get you handsome?" The diner waitress leaned over to give me an eye full of cleavage as she took my breakfast order.
"That's all for now. But if I need anything else, I'll call for you." I gave her a tight smile.
"You do that honey. Just call for Kate and I'll come right over." As if I were on autopilot, I flashed her one of my patented smirks. On cue, she giggled and went to put in my order, wiggling her tight ass as she walked away.
I admit it, I watched her ass as it sashayed its way to the kitchen. Bella's rejection hadn't sucked all of the testosterone out of my system. She may have ripped my fucking heart out and stomped it into a million pieces with her petite little feet. But I was still a man for fucksakes! I could still appreciate a beautiful woman, especially when she was blatantly thrusting her 'assets' in my face.
For a moment I felt the need to rip my shirt off and beat my chest to alert all females within a three block radius that I was a red blooded and able bodied man ready to be serviced.
Fuck! Who was I kidding? My shoulders slumped against the cold and worn vinyl of the booth. Just saying her name made my chest ache. I raked my hand through my hair and absently stared at my cup of cooling coffee.
"I don't know if I can do this." Her words echoed in my head. "I don't know if I can do this." "I don't know if I can do this."…
I tugged harder on my hair, wishing for the physical pain to erase the emotional pain that kept threatening to overcome and destroy me.
Questions with no answers swirled around my brain like a whirlwind:
Why did it hurt so much? I hadn't even known her for a full 24 hours.
Why did her rejection cut me so deeply?
What did her statement really mean? Did she mean she didn't feel the same way about me as I did her?
Why after all those years of not caring to even get the girl's last name, had I fallen so hard and so fast for a curvy brunette?
Was I nothing but a fun night and she couldn't pretend it was more than that? No. That couldn't be it. The passion we shared was…she couldn't have been faking that. Right?
Once again, my hand crept up to my hair.
"Jesus E, if you keep tugging on your hair, you'll be as bald as Grandma Cullen." Emmett's loud booming voice invaded my mind moments before his hulking body invaded my space in the booth.
This is just what I needed, my overgrown child of a brother to find me while I was spinning out of control in a pity spiral. I scooted closer to the window as Em sat down, not wanting any physical contact with anyone.
"What's up home skillet?" Yeah folks, that's my brother the whitest white boy in Washington State.
"Hey Em" I forced out between tight lips.
"Hi Jasper" I nodded at my best friend. Jasper nodded slowly and slid into the booth opposite of me.
"Hey Edward" He answered back softly in his mild Texan accent.
"So, now that we have dispensed with the pleasantries." Emmett motioned between the three of us. "You gonna explain what the hell you meant in that text? Text? I looked over at him and shrugged.
"Allow me to jog your memory." He shifts in the seat, managing to elbow me in the ribs as he moves to grab his phone. His meaty fingers poked at the phone until he found what he was looking for. "Ahem, 'Tits, Em, it's TITS. Good for you. Bad news for the friend, I'm taken. We're headed to the diner now.- E' is your memory sufficiently jogged?" He raised his eyebrows and made a big production of stowing his phone back wherever it originated from.
"Sounds like you got another notch for the ol' bedpost there Edboy." He taunted while patting me on the shoulder.
"And Edward taught you how to spell tits." Jasper chuckled.
"Hey, I not only know how to spell them, I know how to handle them with an expert touch." Emmett bragged while doing the universally recognized 'boob honking' motion. "From the look on Edboy's face, it appears that he might need some lessons from the master."
I knew that Em had no idea what had happened between Bella and me this morning. And I understood how he would think she was just another lay given my past sexual history, but I wasn't in the mood to give him any quarter.
"Shut the fuck up asshole." I growled, knocking his hand away.
"Jesus Ed. You kiss our mother with that mouth?" He sneered back and pushed my body into the window with his shoulder.
Emmett was usually a big softie, but the immense fucker could be damn intimidating when he felt like it. Apparently my brother felt that this morning was a good time to remind me that I was his little brother and that my bad attitude wasn't going to 'fly' with him.
I couldn't move while I was smashed up against the diner window with my linebacker brother pressing most of his 230 pounds of muscle on me, so I just relaxed until he decided to stop.
Finally the big oaf moved off me and sat back down on the bench seat. I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulder attempting to get the blood flowing again. Emmett sat beside me with a look of expectancy on his face. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye. But contrary to my normal behavior, I didn't make a smart ass comment, instead choosing to sit silently in my broken hearted grief.
"Broken hearted grief?" Fuck! I'm a pussy.
Emmett nudged me with his shoulder. "Spill."
I ignored his demand and began to fiddle with the packets of Splenda that Kim, Kris, Kelly, Kim…? left on the table when she'd brought my coffee earlier. I'd sent that text when I was under the misconception that I would be sitting in this café having breakfast with the first woman to touch my heart in the last five years.
"Damn bro, you want a little coffee with that broody look?"
"Screw you I'm not brooding." I didn't even look up from my pyramid of sugar substitute packets.
Jasper sat quietly. He'd been privy to many such interactions between the two of us. He knew the best thing to do was stay as far out of firing range as possible.
"The fuck you're not." My brother scoffed and pushed the packets away from my hands. I watched silently as they scattered across the top of the table. He was obviously hoping to engage me in a battle, but I just didn't have the heart for it. I put my hands around my coffee cup and continued to ignore him.
"Are you seeing this J?"
I looked up at my friend.
Jasper nodded. "I see it."
"What? I'm not brooding, you dicks. I just don't want to talk about last night. Is that a fucking crime?" My voice held the belligerent tone I was used to hearing. But there was no heat in my words.
They were just, words.
I winced at the taste of the now cold coffee. Where was that chesty waitress? Kallie?
"You look like one of those pasty faced eunuchs from those craptastic movies Taz loves so much."
Shit. That was bad. Those freak shows really were broody fuckers. Always moaning about how tough it was to live forever as good looking studs. That main dude was the worst. A virgin at 107 years old? He either needed to get laid or drive a stake through his own fucking heart because he was one angsty asshole with what had to be the worst case of blue balls in history.
"Taz?" Jasper asked.
"Um, well she's our cousin. She's like a whirlwind." Emmett explained.
"Yeah, if a whirlwind had sharp fucking teeth and claws." I snorted.
Emmett glared at me. "She's not that bad."
I snorted again. "The fuck she's not! Do you not remember the 'Nair' incident?" I slammed my palm down on the table top. "I had three fucking bald spots Em! Three!"
Emmett leaned closer, getting right up to my face. "Maybe you shouldn't have fucked her best friend during her 'Sweet Sixteen' party in HER room!" I cringed at his accurate accusation. I couldn't deny that I'd done that. It was the start of my 'fuck em and leave em' campaign. Nonetheless I wasn't going to let him win this one. Taz was a pain in my ass and she never let up.
"What about when she spread the rumor around campus that I had an STD?"
"You shouldn't have fucked her roommate AND her freshman dorm advisor at the same damn time."
Jasper's eyes got wide.
I chose to ignore his questioning look and continued with my defense. "There were posters Em. Posters!"
My brother and I were both breathing a little hard, and if our past encounters was a good indication of anything, things were about to escalate.
My body stayed tense as we stared at each other. Even though I did those things, I was not in the mood to let my brother gloss over the fact that our own flesh and blood delighted in fucking up my life whenever I happened to entertain someone she knew.
Japser held up his hands up, 'Guys, I get it. Your cousin is a bit of um, a spitfire. Can we move on?"
Emmett leaned back and shrugged. "Taz is just not very fond of Edward for obvious reasons. She and I get along fine." I gave up and relaxed back into my seat. I was not in the frame of mind to discuss my cousin and her fucking mental problems. I had my own problems to deal with.
There was a blessed moment of silence before my brother started back in on me.
"So, you gonna finally tell me what the hell is going on or do I have to keep making guesses?"
"Dammit Em, leave it alone."
"Not until you tell me what has my mama's baby boy so upset." Apparently he'd tired of trying to bully the explanation out of me and had instead decided to try being the caring older brother.
I knew that in addition to being a world class goof ball, a rip your head off defensive end and a fellow mama's boy, my brother was extremely stubborn. He carried that Irish gene while I got all the Irish good looks. It was futile to keep dodging his question. Sooner or later he'd get it out of me.
Why keep up the torture?
My shoulders sagged and I let out a long sigh. My brother, sensing a victory, wiggled his eyebrows at me and smiled. He knows he's beat me.
I took a deep breath and prepared to spill my guts only to be saved by…Aha! Kate. Her name tag was situated right over her ample left breast. I glanced back at her face and she gave me another 'come hither' smile. The woman was relentless.
"Oh, I didn't know you had company." Kate set down my plate of French toast. I looked at it with disinterest. I'd lost my appetite. "Can I get you fellas anything?" I motioned to my cup; she quickly leaned over to refill it, giving me another chance to get an eye full of her double D's.
"Well hey there little lady." Emmett gave her a dimpled smile and nodded at my plate. "I'll have what he's having with a side of bacon and a large chocolate milk. But could you hold the angstyness?" She chuckled and Em smirked. I kicked him under the table.
"Crap Ed that hurt." He reached down to rub his bruised shin. I looked back out of the window, ignoring his glare and dramatics.
"Ma'am I apologize for my two friends." Jasper gestured towards us. "They don't get out much."
"I'd be happy to rectify that." Kate winked and I slid down a little in my seat.
"Um, yeah, could I get the spinach omelet with a side of wheat toast and a coffee?" I could have kissed Jasper for taking her interest off me.
Kate wiggled her hips back towards the kitchen.
"Damn bro. That woman wants you bad." Emmett swung his head back towards me. "Why weren't you all over that?" I shrugged nonchalantly, choosing instead to poke at my breakfast with a fork.
"Edward, what happened last night?" Emmett's voice was no longer taunting, he laid his warm hand on my shoulder. "This isn't like you. I haven't seen you like this since… well, you know." Emmett's voice trailed off. I didn't need him to finish his sentence. He meant since Tanya broke my little naïve heart.
I dropped the fork and my hands found their way back into my hair. I knew that all of the pulling in the world wouldn't erase the memory of what Tanya did or fix the fresh hole that Bella had punched into my already tattered heart. But the pain felt good. If I unclenched my fingers the pain stopped. I could control this pain. The other… not so much.
Two pairs of eyes watched me wrestle with my hair and emotions. Emmett recognized the nervous habit from childhood while Jasper wasn't as familiar with it as we'd only known each other since starting UW two years ago.
"Edward what happened last night?" Jasper questioned from across the table.
"I met a girl." I kept my eyes downcast not wanting them to see the pain in them.
"No shit Sherlock. I gathered that much. Plus, 'you meet a girl' every weekend." The smart ass actually air quoted when he referred to my sexual promiscuity.
"It wasn't like that Em. She's different, special." While I may have kept them from seeing the pain in my eyes, there was no disguising it in my voice.
"Oh, OK. I'm sorry. Keep going." Emmett said softly.
I looked around the café. It was bustling with normal Saturday morning traffic.
"I met her at the bar last night..."
"You mean the stacked brunette you ditched us for? Ouch, fuck not you too Jasper." I couldn't help but chuckle when Em leaned down to rub his other shin.
"Stop interrupting."
Emmett looked at me and made a zipping motion on his lips. I appreciated the sentiment but I doubted my gregarious brother would be able to stay quiet for long. I'd better get the story out before his head exploded.
"Yes the brunette. Her name is Bella." Both of their eyebrows shot up at the mention of her name. It wasn't my M.O. to get names.
Suddenly the floodgates opened and the story poured out of my mouth. I told them about how I was mesmerized by her in the bar and how I practically dragged her out of the place. I told them about the groping in the parking lot and in the hallway. I was just getting to the amazing wall sex when Kate showed up with their plates. Jasper and Em thanked her quickly and dug into their meals while motioning me to continue.
I laughed as Kate flounced away in a huff. Only two things stopped my brother from flirting with large chested women: food and the prospect of either hearing about/watching raunchy sex or actually getting to have raunchy sex.
I continued with my story only pausing briefly to pass Emmett a napkin to wipe up the food that spilled out of his gaping mouth when he heard that Bella had stayed the night.
"She stayed the night?" Emmett choked on his chocolate milk.
"I told you she was different."
"You said she was different, not a damn magician." I ducked, narrowly missing the chunks of half chewed bacon that flew out of his mouth.
"Jesus Em, what are you 3 years old?" Jasper laughed as I grabbed a bunch of napkins and brushed the bacon bits off the front of my shirt.
Thankfully my pig of a brother finally finished destroying his breakfast so I could finish my story without having to dodge anymore bits of flying food.
"So after all of that, the amazing sex, the obvious attraction, the amazing sex, she just says that to you?"
I solemnly nodded.
"Wow E, that's fucked up."
Jasper nodded in agreement. "It's not often I agree with Emmett but, yeah, that's fucked up."
Cue the obligatory awkward silence.
Jasper and I sipped our coffee while my big brother slurped up the last of his large chocolate milk.
Finally, Emmett broke the silence. "Dude, I feel like shit. I had a morning of bragging planned complete with vivid and graphic descriptions, now I feel like an asshole even thinking about her."
"What are you talking about Em?" The downfallen look on my brother's face had me worried. As much as we fucked around with each other, there was genuine love between us. I knew that he was hurting because I was. He didn't deserve to be sinking in the same pit of despair that I was lounging in.
I nudged him softly. "Tell me."
"I met someone last night too." He couldn't help but let a small smile escape. "Her name is Rose and she's a junior in mechanical engineering. I met a beauty with brains and I'm keeping her." His smile got wider.
I may have been known as a consummate player around campus, but Emmett wasn't a real commitment kind of guy either. For him to even kid about keeping this Rose girl was huge.
"Wow Em, that's great." I tried really hard to keep the hurt out of my voice. I really was happy for him.
"Thanks." His smile was still there but I could hear the sympathy in his voice and see it in his eyes.
"As long as we're all riding the happy train, um, I met someone too." We both raised our heads up at Jasper's quiet admission. He had is head down just enough so the dirty blond bangs that girls just loved to run their fingers through, hid his eyes.
"Really J? That's great. Right bro?" I smiled weakly and nodded.
FUCK! Had everyone met the girl of their dreams last night? Why was I the only one who got fucking kidney punched? I turned to look out the window, wanting to avoid seeing the happiness that would no doubt be showing from my lucky as fuck best friend and brother's faces.
"maybe we could carpool…"
"homecoming game…"
"I'm pretty sure they're real…
Pieces of their conversation swirled around my ears like the leaves outside floated aimlessly in the wind.
"me too, I think she might be double jointed."
OK, that got my attention. I turned back to the table.
"You guys might know my little ray of sunshine. She went to Forks High."
"No shit. What's her name?"
"I'll do you one better, she just walked in." Jasper pointed to the door. "There's my angel."
Emmett and I turned to see Jasper's 'angel'.
Did God fucking hate me?
Emmett and looked at each other. Fuck me. It was Taz.
"Jazzie" My overactive, pain in the ass cousin Alice exclaimed. She rushed forward to jump into my soon to be ex best friend's open arms.
"Ally!" Jasper or "Jazzie" jumped up and enveloped the little black headed she devil into a vomit inducing kiss.
"Rose?" Emmett stood up and walked towards a statuesque blond. "Monkey man?" The blond walked towards our table.
Did that blond Barbie just call my 230 pound brother monkey man? I think I'm going to be sick.
Like 'Jazzie', my mountain of a brother handed in his balls at the site of his woman and attached his lips to the blond girl's face. The sounds 'Jazzie' and 'monkey man' were making was about to bring my French toast back up.
Ugh! I started to slide back down into my seat when I caught a glimpse of shiny mahogany hair.
No. It couldn't be. God would not be that cruel.
"Bella?"
Oh boy! Now 'sh*t' is really going to hit the fan! What do you think will happen? Will Edward keep his cool? Will Alice go all Tasmanian Devil on Edward's ass when she finds out he slept with yet another one of her friends? Will Bella give Edward another chance? Will Emmett ever learn to eat with his mouth shut? Tune in next time to find out!
I LOVE reading your reviews and I try to answer every single one but please make sure you are set to allow replies. I came across a few last chapter that wouldn't allow me to reply. I apologize to those of you that didn't get a reply. I wasn't ignoring you! I LOVE you guys!