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Notes: continues the scenario and characters established in "Curtains".

Rated M

Prompt: Rain, rein, reign

Boots over Converse today, because it's not just a cold ache of a day, it's raining too.

I can handle the temperature dropping; it's the addition of rain I can't stand. Give me cold dry or warm wet but not this.

"You eat yet, Edward?" my mother steps into the foyer, where I'm pulling on a jacket.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm set," I say, her smile like a balm for the wounded. She's the one constant in my life – her and dad. I'll marry someone like her one day, when I get out of this bitch of a town, away from the dull and mediocre and same.

Which doesn't say a whole lot about me, because I was born here too.

"Stay warm," she says, hugging me lightly, running her fingers briefly through my hair. "Oh, I invited Bella and her father over for dinner, 'kay? Remind her at school."

Eyes shut on their own accord, because that's just not what I'm in the mood to deal with today.

Damn it.

"Yeah, okay," I say evenly. It's important to maintain until I graduate. She sees improvements in my attitude, thinks I'm well on the road to healing, but I've just gotten better at controlling my emotions, blocking out pain.

Easier to

smoke it

snort it

sleep it

screw it away.

My car is freezing and now my hair is wet and I shake it furiously once inside, scattering droplets, heat on blast. A text vibrates the phone in my pocket and I slip it out as I start down the driveway.

Tanya.

Smile, because I expected this.

I turn left instead of right, and drive to her house to pick her up. She must have been watching from the window because no sooner do I arrive she's hurrying down the walk and into my car, wearing a skirt for God's sake.

A skirt? In this weather?

She's gorgeous though, and a sure thing later on, so I just say hey when she says hi and keep one eye on her goosebumped legs and one on the road.

"Lunch time?" she says by way of goodbye when we part ways by my locker.

"Yep," I nod, watching her ass for just a second after she turns and walks away, the class president cheerleader queen bee, all set to reign another day at Forks High.

Retrieving my books for first and second period, I glance down the crowded hallway right in time to see Mike Newton whisper something into Bella's ear.

Shaking my head, I laugh a little. Guess I should've seen that coming.

Even from where I stand, I can see her blushing and laughing at whatever he's saying, his finger touching the sliver of skin above her jeans. She peeks up and sees me, and I look away.

I don't need to give her any reason to connect with me, not anymore.

It's weird, our relationship. She's pretty enough, but she's no Rosalie.

Vivid and sharp, I remember the night Emmett brought the eldest Swan girl home to meet the family. I nearly came in my pants at the sight of her: soft looking blonde hair, long like spilt honey down her back, the most perfect tits I'd ever seen, her nipples just barely visible, even through her bra and sweater. I hid a boner most of the night, excusing myself early from dinner so I could whack off in the shower before bed.

They stayed together for quite some time, and we got to know her the same way her family got to know Emmett. I knew she had a little sister; she mentioned her a lot, and I knew she thought it would be cute if we hooked up, but frankly I wasn't interested.

When she and Em disappeared, things fell apart in our house for awhile, but obviously not as bad as it did at the Swan's. I did meet Rosalie's little sister Bella, though not the way Rose had wanted us to meet… nonetheless we met and had horrible things in common and when I saw how alone she was I took her in. We got along easy - she wasn't like the majority of girls around school; I craved closeness without attraction and I sensed we could be that way maybe.

We were cool until the first night I brought her to bed.

She tried to hold my hand, and while it could have been for comfort, it wasn't. I took one look at her, hope and desire seeping from her eyes like tears and it was so obvious she wanted me.

Like gaudy neon letters flashing above her head.

I put up with it for years, letting her like me even though she knew I didn't feel the same way. I treated her all right, even though I never quite let her in, and even though her weakness vaguely irritated me. When all was said and done what pissed me off most was that she liked me so much that she'd come over, every night, just to subject herself to all this unrequited bullshit. I didn't understand her. If she put up with that, what else would she put up with?

Over time I figured she'd have to improve, pull it together, but she never did. It's was like she was even more frozen than I was – stagnant and waiting for what?

I still don't understand her.

I can't even say I wish I felt different, because I don't.

Like I said, she's no Rosalie.

Side by side in biology, because I take care of her and she was too freaked out in the beginning of the school year to be paired with anyone else, we ignore each other again.

At least she's stopped with the moony eyes. In fact, she kind of hates me now.

She'll get over it. We're linked whether either of us likes it or not.

"Mom said to remind you about dinner tonight," I say, tapping my pencil to drum beats in my head.

"Okay," she sniffs, concentrating on her doodling.

I roll my eyes, trying to rein in my irritation at her phony nonchalance.

Her hair smells good.

She should have a boyfriend. Maybe if she hadn't spent all those years pretending to be asleep in my bed she'd have one by now. Maybe it'll be Mike, even though he's a dumb prick. Bella can probably do better.

Lunch. Tanya finds me before I even have my stuff back in my locker. Her cheeks are slightly pink, like she's been outside in the cold… or thinking dirty thoughts, I imagine.

I touch my fingers to hers; they're warm, so she hasn't been outside.

Dirty thoughts it is.

"Ready?" I ask. She nods, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she falls in step with me.

She knows not to try and hold on to me, but it's obvious to anyone who bothers to look we're together -for the day, at least. We pass by her freshly exed-boyfriend, Riley, the quarterback to my running back on the school's football team. He glares, I smirk.

After fooling around in my car and promises to bring her to my bedroom in the nighttime, I go to study hall.

***

Bella treats Alice the same way she always has, and it's glaringly obvious during dinner.

She's still snubbing me, and it's getting old.

I wanted to be close to her, just not sexually. If the situation were reversed I'd be labeled a dick.

Maybe she is a bitch after all.

After dinner but before dessert I slip away, intent on getting Tanya into my bed before it gets late. I have practice tomorrow and I don't need to be over tired.

She's all coy smiles and carefully casual sex appeal, in pajamas that will look better on my floor than her body. Cautiously I park, not wanting to deal with my mother…or anyone else.

"They're still up?" Tanya asks, freaked out.

"It's nine o'clock," I say, leading her to the door. "We can get upstairs without anyone seeing us."

"Oh, great," she frowns.

"Or I could bring you back home," I offer, trying not to sound as impatient as I feel.

I want to remind her that she was the one chasing my dick, not the other way around.

"No, it's okay," she says quickly.

Right.

My parents are predictable, in a really good, familiar, warm sort of way, so they're right where I knew they'd be, having apple pie and coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream with our guests in the living room.

Tanya and I walk right up the stairs and into my room. Within ten minutes I have her naked and underneath me.

"Shh," I warn, when her little moans and groans become not so little.

She bites my pillow, and that's kind of hot, but it's silly too.

She feels good, but sex always feels good. The only bad sex is no sex.

We're all over the place, in different positions because I like to hold off coming too fast. Her head dangles just off the side of my bed as I pound into her tight little body and then something makes me look up.

Bella stands in the crack of my doorway, watching like a fricking pervert. She knows I see her, she must; I'm looking right at her as she looks right at me.

So I don't stop.

Screwing Tanya or watching Bella.