A/N: The response I had received to my last chapter was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who keeps reading, reviewing and putting me on alerts for this story! And hello new readers!

Special thanks to twitchling, my beta number 1. I missed you! Rags88, your comments and help with betaing this chapter are greatly appreciated! Books, love you.

Disclaimer: SM owns everything Twilight. I only borrow. It's my characters who steal.

xxx

It was time to deal with the consequences. Bracing myself for further comments and praying I could exit gracefully, if needed, I raised my head. Focusing my eyes, I trained them on the spot where Edward stood earlier, only to find it empty. He was no longer in the lounge or anywhere around. Edward was gone.

The air escaped my lungs with a sharp, audible hiss, leaving me feeling like a deflected balloon – small, futile, used. Stunned and crushed, I blurted out an apology, and before anyone could speak to me, I ran out of the bookstore.

xxx

Chapter 9

Redraw

BPOV

I almost tripped on my way out. It was a miracle I had managed some grace and stayed up-right. Reaching the curb, I doubled over, first holding to the lamp post with one hand, and when that didn't help, I placed both palms on my knees and took several deep breaths to keep from puking. Fortunately, all I had this afternoon was two sips of coffee, otherwise there would be a scene for the onlookers to enjoy.

Blinded and hurt by humiliation, I forgot for a moment where I was. The reminder came with the sound of the door closing behind me with a pleasant chime. There was nothing pleasant in the sound escaping from my chest. When the wave of nausea finally abated, and the ground stopped spinning, I sat down on the curb, hugging my knees.

What had just happened to me? How could I allow myself, normally so private and reserved, to open up so wide and leave myself completely unprotected? What was I thinking sharing myself with complete strangers? And letting that jerk get to me, make me think that we had something in common, that he could understand me?

I swatted away angry tears. I no longer felt helpless, I was fuming, and I was glad, because anger was a lot better than senseless pitying myself.

With that resolution, I felt a little better. Well enough to start thinking somewhat straight and to look around. People moved around, not paying me any attention. Good. The music store sign jumped into my sight when I turned to my right. I scowled. Well, let us hope the jerk was enjoying himself in there. Where was the brick I wished to throw right through that dusty window? Surely, Daddy would bail me out in case I got arrested for this. If I had it in me, I would've laughed at the humor of my thoughts.

My musings skipped to Jessica. I wished she was here to make fun of the situation, but she wasn't, because I made that choice. And no matter how mad I was, I couldn't fail Charlie. Violence wasn't an answer, of course, but then the empty feeling in my stomach wasn't exactly welcome, either.

I paused in the middle of the walkway, lost again. Where to now? Home? I couldn't imagine myself sitting in my truck again so soon. In Febreze-filled, oil-dripping, double-pump-the-clutch car of mine. The Chevy was great—sturdy, if not indestructible, and a safe ride—every father's dream first car for a teenager. But I'd wished I had something else to drive sometimes. Something fast as the wind. Aggressive. Responsive. Something that had an FM radio, for goodness' sake!

I decided to walk. Away from the stores, from the crowd, just away. There was also a quick thought of making an escape on a ferry to Canada. I was still a big, fat, yellow chicken, apparently—thinking about running away as soon as I had a boy trouble. But Edward, I reminded to myself, wasn't a boy. And he surely wasn't mine to have a trouble with. I was simply delusional.

The clouds sat low in a quickly darkening sky. I knew what that meant. When it started to drizzle again, I sighed and pulled my hair back into a sloppy pony tail since there was no point of prettifying myself anymore.

Making a decision on a whim, I crossed the street and started walking in the opposite direction from the stores and from where my truck was parked. I headed over to the spot I had found a month ago by the Olympic Discovery trail—the Waterfront trail was gorgeous and normally not crowded, compare to the busy Ferry terminal.

Standing at the stop sign of the intersection of the 1st street and Lincoln, I stared blindly ahead and waited for cars to pass, when I heard an approaching guttural, thunderous sound. Before I had an opportunity to process it, the shiny black two-wheeled beauty dove into a halt in front of me, blocking my path. The roar was replaced by a muffled crackle, and I watched as the pale hand with the long fingers pressed control levers on the chrome handlebar, stilling the bike, while the black boot shifted from the pedal next to the shimmering silver pipes to step on the ground. There was no doubt this beauty drove fast. And I wouldn't care if it had a stereo installed in it at all, the sound of the wind passing by would be the prettiest music to my ears, if this ride was mine. I must have been completely stupefied, because for a moment I imagined that it was a knight in a gleaming dark armor and a glossy black helmet that was sent to rescue me from my crappy day. Of course I was stupefied! Otherwise I would have recognized the owner of the bike immediately. I groaned. It was a knight, alright.

"What now, Edward?"

I really didn't mean to ask this question out loud, it just came out. He took his helmet off, freeing the usual blazing mess of his hair, and said, patting the leather backseat behind him, "Now you get on, Bella."

Just like that?

"I'm sorry, is this is joke?" I asked.

This man would be the death of me. One second he was rude and condescending, another—he dumped me in the middle of me reading a poem to him (stupid, stupid, stupid!), and now he showed up on this… this… magnificent vehicle and expected me to hop up and drive off with him? Who did he think he was?

I was fuming. I was furious. I was intrigued.

I crossed my arms in a defiant pose and pouted. I bet I looked not older than twelve at the moment—excellent way to prove the ripeness of my age to a twenty-something year old guy, who I didn't care about, decidedly.

"Please put the helmet on and get on the bike, Bella," Edward asked very politely again, and handed his helmet to me. "I'm blocking the access for handicapped."

"Are you kidding me?" Apparently, my confused brain was shrinking and wasn't capable of coming up with any other questions. Frustrated, I made another effort, "You can't appear out of nowhere on this…" I waved, trying in vain to come up with anything remotely dismissive about his Harley "…this monster." There! "And expect me to just happily get on! Why are you even here, Edward?"

"I'll explain, just not here." He pursed his lips, looking at me expectantly. "Bella, please…"

The last words drowned in a cough of the engine.

"No! If you have anything to say, park your Harley and talk to me here." I raised my voice, though I was sure Edward caught every word I was saying, he was watching my lips intently. "I'm not driving with you anywhere."

I jutted my chin out. My mom taught me well about strangers.

Edward glowered at me, like it was I who was confusing and exasperating. He pushed the bike several feet past me, eyeing me cautiously as he went. I rolled mine in a mocked annoyance. I wasn't going to run now. I had no desire to. Not when I had a chance to figure out why he had been such an ass to me.

Wheeling it to the curb, Edward slung his long leg over the frame of the bike in one fluid movement and got off. He hung the helmet on the handlebar of the bike and stilled the engine completely. He wasn't going anywhere either. Good. I heard a stifled giggle behind me. Looking back, I spotted a wide-eyed blond girl—about my age—who not only ogled Edward brazenly, but also had an audacity to take a picture of him on the bike with her phone. However in awe she might have been, she still didn't seize the opportunity presented to her—I was sure she'd gotten an awesome shot. I couldn't blame her. I just didn't have the courage like other people to act so forward.

I might have lacked the courage, and I might have been mad at him, but Edward was here, chasing me, out of all people, so I must be worth something after all. To prove my point, I glared at the girl and moved closer to Edward. He wasn't mine, but I could be good at pretending.

I watched Edward stepping on the curb, oblivious to the girl behind me. He probably was immune to this constant attention. His ragged jacket was zipped all the way up, black jeans tucked carelessly into the boots, and the laces were not tied all the way up, leaving the tongues folding over. Edward looked like a model—in his hot disheveled biker glory—and all I could do was to stand there, basking in the gaze of his bright green eyes and wait for him to come closer.

"Bella." I saw Edward's perfectly sculptured lips move.

"Mmhmm?" I asked, still mesmerized. "I'm listening," I lied.

Please don't blush, please don't blush.

Then I blushed.

"Here it is, parked as you asked. Happy?" Edward tilted his head waiting for my response, the glossy black helmet was now resting on the crook of his elbow.

Happy? He had some nerve! I narrowed my eyes at him, months of watching Jessica seemed to be rubbing off. So far, the maturity I had been sporting this afternoon was on a very impressive level. If I hated Jessica doing it so much, it would hardly qualify as cute on me. I sighed; Jessica would probably know what to do at this moment, pulling all the stops. I, as usual, was absolutely clueless. I made a quick internal inventory of my feelings. Confused? Check. Aggravated? Check. Dazzled—the box shaded all the way. The thoughts in my head were spinning and flying in million directions. I had questions, I needed to understand what was happening between me and Edward, what made him so on edge, what brought him here.

"Alright, since you didn't want to drive somewhere quiet and talk..." Edward's voice had pulled me from my thoughts.

Was that a question? Regardless, I had an answer.

"I don't drive around, wherever it is you think your quiet is, with some random people," I retorted. I was turning into a massive bitch.

"Fuck me," Edward groaned, grabbing his hair at the back of his neck. "Frustrating, cantankerous little girl!"

"Cantankerous?" I raised my brow at him, deciding to ignore the fact that he regarded me as a little girl in that same sentence.

"Yes, cantankerous. As in 'combative', 'cross'—" Edward started explaining.

"I know what it means," I interrupted him. "I have a pretty extensive vocabulary. You know, for a seventeen year old."

His eyes tightened. He watched me for a long moment. The expression on his face went from tense and frustrated to curious and mischievous. What was he thinking?

"Bella, do you always try to bite your lip off when you are nervous?" he asked all of a sudden, raising one side of his mouth in a crooked smile I was already so familiar with.

Huh? I quickly unlocked my teeth and licked the spot where I just bit. My burnt tongue appreciated the coolness of the air.

What kind of question was that? He was teasing me, wasn't he? A slight twitch of his mouth was telling me he was. Well, two can play that game.

"Do you always try to scalp yourself when you are uncomfortable?"

Touché, Bella! I resisted the desire to reach and pat myself on the back.

"Do you always answer a question with another question?" Apparently, Edward could keep up.

"How old are you?" I could play dirty too. He asked before, why couldn't I?

Edward smoldering green eyes turned dark myrtle color. His hand shot up to his hair, and froze midway when I quirked my brow at him and snorted.

"You're utterly infuriating."

"Oh, yeah? Is that why you tried to kidnap me?" I asked, nodding to his bike parked at the curb. It looked as gorgeous as its owner, and I couldn't lie to myself, I wanted to get a ride on it badly. The image flashed in mind—me, sitting behind Edward on his Harley, with my arms and legs enveloped around him, and hugging him tight, while we conquered the slick road.

Edward whipped his head looking at the bike, then back at me, frowning.

He couldn't read my mind—I told myself—he couldn't know what I was thinking. Not unless I told him, and there was no way I would confess about my semi-sexual fantasy to him. I would freak out and run for the hills if he even suspected.

I narrowed my eyes at him, playing displeased as a diversion tactic.

"What? No. I wasn't trying anything like that!" he said with panic in his voice.

"So, what then? What is it that you want from me?" I asked.

I didn't like the instant sullen expression on his face.

"I am not sure, to be honest…"

That's it? Not sure?

"That's your answer?" I shook my head.

Did he try to upset me on purpose? Was there some amusement to it for him?

"You know what, that's fine. Don't bother." I was done feeling like a catnip mouse in the paws of a leisurely playing cat. I wasn't a damn toy.

I fixed the bag on my shoulder. "I gotta go."

"What are you..?" he asked as I pushed my body past him. The zipper of my backpack clattered against the helmet in his hands when I brushed by, deliberately knocking it. "Bella?"

I began walking away.

"Please, wait." He chased after me and gripped my arm.

I stopped and glared at his fingers on my elbow. "Let go of me," I commanded, thankful I still had some control over my voice, an he released my arm instantly.

"I forgot my helmet," he blurted out. "I went back to the store, because I forgot my helmet." There was terror in his eyes, as if he, himself, couldn't believe what he was saying.

I believed him. He was honest, which also meant he didn't come back for me. But then…

"I don't understand," I said. "You've got your helmet, didn't you?"

He sheepishly looked down at it. "I guess I did."

"Then why are here? I don't get it."

"I have no fucking idea why!" he exclaimed. "I saw you crying, and I..."

He saw my defeat earlier. It was my turn to be terrified.

"I don't want your pity," I whispered; my voice broke.

"No, no. That's not it." He stepped closer, searching my eyes. "I followed you, but not because I felt sorry for you."

I groaned; this conversation was getting more embarrassing and painful by the minute.

He leaned to me. "Bella, it's about to rain. Can we please go somewhere and sit down? There's a place right across the street from the book store," he asked, his eyes pleading.

He pushed his hand into his hair. All strung out, he resembled a drawn bow—taut, on edge, ready to snap at one wrong move. He waited for my reaction, his eyes dancing on my face, smoldering me, as if his entire well-being depended on my next words.

I hugged myself. "You can walk me to my car if you want." That was all I could offer, my usual protective shield already slammed down.

I watched disappointment crossing Edward's features. He closed his eyes, hiding blazing green heat, and when he opened them again, the burn was gone.

"Okay. I can do that, too."

I nodded.

And yet, neither of us moved.

The wind picked up, lifting Edward's hair up, creating a bronze halo around his face. He briefly closed his eyes again, opening up to the currents of air, his expression smoothed out. It did begin to rain, the light drizzle quickly turned into the heavy drops of moisture. It started pounding unceremoniously on our heads and shoulders, and I shivered—the wet, again. Edward was right, we needed to get out of the rain, though at this point there was no way we could avoid not getting soaking wet, and my hoodie was left in the truck. Damn it.

Edward brushed the moisture off his forehead, looking at me pensively at first. His gaze moved from my face down my body and became frenzied, turning almost guilty.

Glancing down at my white "Silicon Substitution" T-shirt, I instantly knew why Edward looked like a cat that just ate a canary. The rain soaked my plain top, sticking tightly to my body, leaving nothing to imagination through the wet fabric. Shit, shit, shit! The light blue lace of my bra was on display. Jessica would be rejoicing right now—there would be no guessing, nothing to suspect. My nipples were standing at full attention, greeting Edward "hi".

I considered my options, including running away, crying, and dying from embarrassment. My actual reaction surprised even to me. I couldn't stop the rush of the blood heating my face, but I could try to save some dignity here. I narrowed my eyes at Edward, since he was still checking my goods, and slowly, very slowly, retrieved the bag off my back and hugged it, holding it in front of me. I kept watching his face the whole time.

Was it a tint of red filling the base of his cheeks, as well? I liked it. No, scratch that. I decided that I loved the idea of making Edward blushingly uncomfortable. He probably could see it in my eyes, because he quickly turned away and muttered, "Don't you have a jacket or something?"

No, but you do!

"In the car!" I barked and started to walk again.

"Bella, wait!" I turned to find Edward taking off his jacket. He covered the distance between us in two steps and draped it over my shoulders.

"Here," he said, "I don't want you to get sick."

Oh, now you care!

But I was already disarmed to the point I was ready to thank him for his gentlemanly behavior.

"Let me get your bag," he offered and I swallowed the snarky remark I was about to make about being treated like a child. I knew he wasn't trying to, at least not this time.

I parted with the bag I still held at my chest and quickly folded the sides of the jacket around myself. Though I was drowning in it, I wanted it to morph into my skin. The strong familiar musky smell of Edward, amplified by rain, surrounded me. I pushed up the too long sleeves, and suppressed the desire to bring one up and take a deep breath of the leather. I was going to do it eventually, but not while he was watching me.

"Thank you," I mumbled and was rewarded with a warm smile.

Maybe going somewhere dry wasn't such a bad idea, but it would probably look stupid if I admitted it now.

I looked at Edward, who strode next to me, not paying attention to the rain drenching his clothes. His blue denim shirt was in such a bad shape, hanging shapelessly off his shoulders, it probably wouldn't be recoverable after this evening. He was staring intently straight ahead in complete silence, and I was unsure if I should say something. He was the one who wanted to talk, after all.

We were approaching the stores again, when Edward had slowed down his pace considerably, I did too. He cleared his throat. "Bella, it's pouring."

Did he have to explain the obvious to me? "I noticed."

"How far is your car?"

"It's a truck," I clarified. I didn't know why I did it. Maybe because not a lot of school-girls drove around '53 Chevy trucks on a manual transmission. I was certainly, though not by choice, not a Ford Focus chick.

Edward gave me a small smile and nodded. "Yes, of course... How far is your truck?"

I shrugged. "It's a little bit of a walk. I like walking."

Edward smiled again. "I know." He then frowned.

"You're shaking," he said after a pause.

The leather of Edward's jacket had absorbed so much water already, it was heavy and cold. The chill radiated through, making me beyond uncomfortable in my clammy t-shirt underneath.

"Um, yeah, it's..." I squeezed the jacket's sleeve, feeling the moisture seeping through my fingers, and I felt a pang of guilt, realizing that Edward would have to ride back home in it. "It doesn't serve its purpose anymore."

He moved his hand through his hair, pushing it from forehead to the back in quick gesture a few times, trying to remove the excess of the water. His bronze locks sprang under his fingers. Even wet, his hair didn't look like it could be tamed.

"So, the coffee place is right over here." Edward nodded to the small shop with a green canopy, dark from the rain. It was squeezed between the Antique store and Attorney-in-law office.

"Bella, you're going in with me." It wasn't a question, and I wasn't given a chance to object. Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the green canopy house.

A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you'll find a moment to review.