I shifted in my seat, pretending to look up in thought, but really I was just trying to sneak another peek at Edward.
This exercise had been continuing for the past hour. Edward and I had decided to settle in Carlisle's study and read for a while. From my secretive glances at him sitting in one of many huge leather chairs, I could tell that he was completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. Must be nice. I wouldn't know. I'd been stuck on one page for the past twenty minutes.
The words just couldn't hold my interest the way Edward could. Every time he'd move, sigh, or flip a page, he had my full attention. It was pathetic, they way I hung onto his every action.
He just…I don't know…fascinated me. This hot guy who liked to read, listened to classical music, didn't laugh at my writing aspirations, and hadn't made any sexual comments to me whatsoever. Not that they'd be unwelcome…
Ugh. Disgusted with myself, I settled back into my chair and once again attempted to read the book in my hands. I stared at the words, begging them to suddenly become captivating so I would have a diversion from Edward.
I heard him sigh and looked up just in time to see him change postures in his chair. His new…um…position had his legs spread a little too wide for my comfort. Mmm-maybe he needed the extra room…
Just then Edward glanced up from his book-probably feeling my gaze-and met my eyes with a smile before returning to his book. Oh, no. He probably saw me staring at his crotch. Great.
I held up my book to cover my face so I could mask my embarrassment-and also prevent myself from accidentally leering at Edward again.
As I sat there, pretending to read, I could swear I felt his gaze on me. I was too cowardly too look and make sure, though. I had to be good. Plus, he could just be looking at me in order to figure out what kind of freak I was. That seemed like a major possibility.
Eventually, I decided that I really should try to read. The cabin had this uniquely large library, and I loved to read. Not taking advantage of all the books lining the many shelves of Carlisle's study would be an absolute waste.
So, I closed my book and got up from the recliner I'd been seated in to chose another book. As I scanned the shelves, I found a whole bunch of interesting looking material, but I needed something to enthrall me, something to keep me from gawking at Edward while he tried to read-preferably a book that came with a blindfold. I looked through nearly every book on the shelf closest to my chair, but nothing really popped out to me. I glanced to the other side of the room and saw something that terrified and thrilled me.
I'd found a book that I knew would definitely hold my attention because I'd been waiting to read it for years. The only problem was that the book was on the shelf nearest Edward's chair.
I had three options. I could sit back down with the boring book and risk Edward catching me in the act of staring. I could flee from the library and hide in the bathroom so I wouldn't even have an opportunity to stare. Or…I could go over to the shelf nearest Edward's chair and get the book I really wanted.
Remember how you promised yourself that you were going to be more spontaneous and carefree?
Ugh. I finally took a deep breath and quickly walked over to the shelf, pretending that I wasn't affected in the least my Edward's close proximity, when really the exact opposite was true. Just feeling the faint glow of his body heat near my hip made my heart race.
"Find something you want?" he smiled up at me.
Staring into his kind green eyes I thought Yes. Yes I have.
But instead of letting my verbal filter shut down again I just answered, "Yeah, actually. I've been meaning to read this for years, but it's so old that the library I work at doesn't keep it in circulation anymore."
"Well, how fortuitous that you should find it."
"Fortuitous?" I repeated incredulously.
"Yeah…you know, like lucky?" he said rigidly.
"I know what it means," I laughed, my previous discomfort forgotten. "It's just that I don't hear people use words like that very often."
"Well, I guess I slip up with the normalcy act every once in a while, sorry."
"No, no. I always want to use words like that in conversation, but no one ever knows what I mean. I'm always scared that they think I'm stuck-up or something."
"I know exactly what you mean," he smiled in a relieved voice.
I sat down in the chair nearest to him without thinking.
"One time, I high school, my friend took me along to look at prom dresses. When she asked me what I thought about a tiara, white gloves, and a diamond choker to go along with her already gaudy dress, I told her that maybe the accessories were brimming on superfluous and she thought I was calling her fat or something like that. Needless to say, she didn't want to be friends with me after that."
"That's ridiculous," Edward laughed. "People are so insane. That story reminds me of the blood drive we had at our high school. Emmett was donating for the first time because he had heard that if you pass out while they withdraw blood, they let you hang out in the gym the rest of the day and eat cookies. The only problem was that Emmett has always been unaffected by blood on top of being a bad actor."
Edward paused in his story to chuckle heartily at the memory.
"So, that morning he told me that he was planning on…uh…getting excited down there so he'd get a blood rush and end up passing out. I told him that plan was asinine, even for him, hoping that he'd give it up. But, being Emmett, he thought 'asinine' meant genius and attempted his plan anyway. Unfortunately, Emmett has a very strong circulatory system, and the plan backfired on him. Not only did he have to go to class, but he had to go to class pitching a tent all day."
We both collapsed into gales and gales of laughter.
"He sounds so entertaining, I'd love to meet him," I sighed.
"Oh, I'm sure you will if you keep hanging out with Alice long enough. In fact, I'm surprised she hasn't brought you home to meet us sooner."
"Well, she's been trying for years, but I usually had to spend all my vacation time working or with my family. So, it never worked out right. Besides, I would have felt like I was intruding."
"Come now, Bella, you could never intrude upon anyone. We'd love to have you. You could help me gang up on Alice and Emmett," he winked.
The thought of spending time with Edward where we weren't forced to be together made me smile, especially since it was his idea.
"So, how long have you known Alice anyway?" Edward wanted to know.
"Well, we roomed together the last two years of college and ever since graduation. Alice is such a godsend. I seriously think she's the only person in the world that I could ever stand sharing a room with." Except for you, of course.
"I'm glad. So…is it just you and Alice all the time? Or do Jasper…and others hang around too?" Edward questioned- his eyes oddly intense.
"Jasper is around a lot. He and Alice are inseparable, as I'm sure you know, but I don't mind. I like Jasper a lot."
"So no one else then?" Edward persisted. "It's just the three of you?"
"Yeah. I'm not exactly Miss Popularity."
"I find that hard to believe. The residents of Phoenix don't know what they're missing." Edward smiled warmly over at me, and I felt a blush cover my cheeks.
"So what about you?" I asked wanting to change the subject off of my social life, or lack thereof.
"I roomed with Emmett in college, but now I live by myself."
"Oh? I'm sure you have tons of visitors, though. I bet your place is a bona fide bachelor pad," I tried to insinuate nonchalantly. Maybe he had this super gorgeous girlfriend at home who he loved. It would only make sense.
"I wouldn't say that," Edward scoffed. "The take-out containers and lack of company are the only things that make it bachelor-esque. It's quite pathetic actually. I'm never even home enough to clean it. It's okay, though I guess, considering that I'm the only one who ever sees it anyway."
"Why not?" I said softly, trying to contain my inner joy. EDWARD WAS SINGLE!!!!
"I am a workaholic. I stay in the office way too much."
"Me too! Except-I double shifts at an outdoor equipment store along with the library." I figured I should confess to him that I was a retail employee. It wasn't nearly as glamorous as a librarian, but it was the truth.
"Outdoorsy are we?"
"Not particularly. It's just the only place that would hire me, and I need the money," I confessed.
"Nothing wrong with that. Do you like it there?"
"It's okay. I mean the Newton's are really nice to me and give me great hours. So, I have no room to complain." I thought about the Newton's son Mike and how he'd asked me out at least twenty times just this year and leered at me ever chance he got. Well- that was just one complaint.
"Well, on the bright side, once you become a world-famous author, you won't have to double up anymore," Edward pointed out brightly.
"Yeah right," I answered sullenly. He was about to object when my stomach rumbled loudly. Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was almost time for dinner.
"Well, someone's hungry. Let's quiet that stomach, shall we?" Edward offered politely, rising from his chair. He turned to offer me his hand with abnormal gallantry.
I tried not to look to eager as I place my hand in his significantly bigger one, but I had other thoughts once our fingers touched. Unexpected electricity hummed through his skin as if he was some kind of lightening rod. It shocked, excited, and aroused me all at once. I looked up to see if he'd felt it too.
Edward's widened eyes met mine suddenly. His face looked taken aback. Maybe he did feel it. Or maybe he was just wondering why I was looking at him in awe. Before I could investigate the spark further though, he lifted me very gently from my chair and let go of my hand. Perhaps I just imagined it? No, no I felt a very real, very prominent charge.
He had to feel it too.