Chapter 10: A Better Day

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."

Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown in Peanuts

Why the fuck am I awake at five in the morning on a Saturday? Oh, right. I have a date. With Edward Cullen. In five hours. Shit.

I couldn't stop replaying the previous day in my head when we had met after gym class by his car. With our friends and other students staring, I watched him awkwardly rub his neck and shuffle his feet as we arranged when and where to meet for our date. I'd never pictured Edward as the type to be shy and bashful. Instead, it had seemed he'd be the type to always be completely debonair. Either that or a cocky bastard. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at what I'd found.

I clenched my eyes shut tightly, willing myself to sleep once more. Unfortunately, all I did was toss and turn for a few minutes, trying to find the comfortable position I had been in when I woke up. I huffed loudly, defeat laced through my breath. Sleep had evaded me — there was no hope for me now. So instead of laying in bed, I decided I'd rather do something productive.

I cringed at the sharp sting of the cold wooden floor. I couldn't believe I had forgotten to put socks on the night before, especially since it had become a routine. It had seemed unusually chilly this morning until I remembered that the heater would start up automatically an hour from now.

Striding over to my closet, I threw on one of Charlie's sweatshirts I had stolen a few weeks ago. It had become my favorite item around here, even though I completely drowned in it. I pushed the huge sleeves up to rest at my elbows as I bounced down the stairs to the thermostat.

I shivered just as the heater kicked on, slowly bringing heat into the room. As I wondered where I wanted to start first, I stood completely still and stared into the dark shadows of my house.

I had always been the type of person to let the house get messy before I would clean it. And from what I could see of the house, it had gotten pretty bad. I'm surprised Charlie hadn't said something about it yet. But I supposed that he didn't really mind the mess either and that's where I took after him. When I began to clean, I really cleaned — it was an all-or-nothing type of thing.

I moved quickly and quietly, first gathering the laundry then the dirty dishes that were dispersed throughout the house. I started the laundry and walked back into the kitchen, groaning with the knowledge that I would have to wash the dishes by hand. I stared at the broken dishwasher with disdain.

I still remember that day — it had been two days into my stay and I was loading the dishwasher. I had turned to grab the detergent when my bare foot came into contact with a puddle of water that I had forgotten to clean from earlier. I ended up slipping and landing right onto the open door. Luckily, I had already pushed the rack of dishes back in so I didn't get hurt too badly. Charlie had come rushing in after I had cried out in pain.

I can't believe that even after eight years, Charlie still hadn't replaced it or tried to have it fixed. But that was typical Charlie. Ever since Renee had left with me all those years ago, things with Charlie just began to deteriorate; like my relationship with Charlie and the house in general. Everything was falling apart, one right after the other. It was depressing that he wouldn't fix anything and had seemingly given up hope.

I finished up the dishes and cleaned the whole kitchen. I wanted to do a deep cleaning, but I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to get anything else done before I had to leave so I would just do that tomorrow along with the bathroom. The living room was by far the messiest with all of Charlie's crap scattered around. There were so many fucking empty beer cans, I was almost able to fill up a whole trash bag. This was just disgusting. I walked back upstairs and passed Charlie's room with no intention of going in. He'd have to clean that all by himself.

My room was immaculate when I walked out of it. I supposed I was making sure that everything was in place because if there happened to be any chance of Edward walking in, I didn't want him to see what a mess I was, both internally and externally.

With nothing left to clean, I switched the laundry. I was in such a good mood, I even decided to make breakfast for Charlie. I made scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and sausage. I hated the smell but I knew it was something he liked. And I still hadn't told him about my date with Edward.

I was nearly finished when I heard Charlie rustling around upstairs. He came down a few minutes later, decked out in his fishing gear.

"Smells good," Charlie said gruffly, setting down his fishing pole and readjusting his vest.

I stared at him for a second as he plopped down in front of the full plate I had set on the table. I shook my head as I grabbed the carton of orange juice. Once I had finished pouring one glass, I made to grab another but stopped when I heard Charlie clear his throat. I turned to see him shake his head with his mouth already stuffed full. Venturing a guess, I replaced the glass and poured him a mug of coffee. I grabbed both our drinks, setting his down alongside his plate, before I sat down in my own chair. I ran my fingers around the rim of my glass as I waited for Charlie to talk.

"You're not eating?" he asked, shifting in his seat.

"No, Dad. I don't eat in the morning. Remember?" I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Oh… right," he said, before shoving another forkful into his mouth.

I remained at the table, even as an awkward silence filled the room. I wanted desperately to get up from the table, but for some reason I remained glued to my chair.

"So, um…" I trailed off, not sure what I was going to say.

Charlie set his silverware back on the table as he finished chewing. He swallowed and cleared his throat once more before he sat back in his chair. He watched me with narrowed eyes, making me feel uncomfortable.

"Noticed you cleaned," he finally said.

"Yeah, well. It was getting really messy in here," I shrugged.

"Did you want something?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I questioned in confusion.

"You're after something, you wouldn't have done so otherwise. So… what is it that you want?"

"Nothing. Jeez, Dad. I woke up early this morning and was bored."

"Okay," he replied, looking unsure.

"So you're going fishing today? Who're you going with?"

He nodded while responding, "Billy. He says he found a great spot."

"Awesome," I said before taking a sip of my juice.

"So what are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to leave at ten to go to Port Angeles."

"Okay. You do know its almost ten though, right?" Charlie replied.

"What?" I jumped out of my chair, knocking it backward. "I have to get in the shower now."

"Relax. It really doesn't matter what time you leave," Charlie called after me.

I didn't respond as I took the stairs two by two. I locked the door, stripping down as I turned the water on. I couldn't believe I hadn't been paying attention to the time. I could only hope that Edward would be late.

I was out of the shower in record time and I nearly slipped while climbing out. I had to grab onto the towel rack and thankfully it didn't break under my weight—not that I was heavy, but because it was so flimsy looking. With my towel wrapped around me and my toothbrush hanging loosely in my mouth, I flung the door open and rushed into my room. I searched through my closest, randomly pulling different options out as I brushed my teeth. I looked at the time and it was only making me feel horrible. I didn't want him to have to deal with Charlie so I quickly grabbed my dark skinny jeans, a dark blue spaghetti strap top, a cream colored cardigan, and a cute pair of sandals.

After I was dressed, I winced as I brushed my tangled hair. I swore after every time I had to brush my hair, I would just have it cut. I hated doing it with a passion. But then I would remember, I hated having my hair short. I didn't have much time, so I quickly put eyeliner and mascara on and a little bit of lip gloss.

Fuck! I was running so far behind and I didn't even have an excuse with how much time I had.

I looked out the window to see Edward's mom car sitting behind Charlie's cruiser. Double fuck.

I practically sprinted down the stairs and that's where I made a big mistake. I knew with my lack of balance, I should have taken the stairs slowly. I had almost made it all the way down and I got cocky. Two steps from the bottom, my foot caught on the carpet and my body hurtled forward. I cried out, trying to catch myself. My head hit the corner of a cabinet by the front door.

As I lay on the floor, rubbing the spot my head hit, I heard two sets of feet running out of the kitchen toward me. I groaned and began to laugh lightly at myself. It was just my luck that I couldn't make it through one day without being clumsy. I felt two arms lifting me up from under my arms. I looked up to see Edward looking down at me with concern. I shook my head, silently asking him not to comment on it. He sighed, letting go of me as I straightened up. I looked up to see Charlie staring at me with a raised eyebrow. This whole time I had been living with him, he had not actually seen me injure myself and I could tell he was surprised.

"I'm fine," I said out loud in an attempt to deter their concern.

Still, they looked at me doubtfully. Having enough of their staring, I huffed and pushed my way in between them until I reached the front door. I bent down, grabbing my messenger bag. I opened it to pull out my sunglasses and keys.

"You ready?" I asked Edward as I stood back up.

"Uh…" he replied, shaking his head. "Yeah. Let's go."

I nodded and opened the door. Remembering Charlie I called over my shoulder, "I'll be back later, Dad."

"Not too late, Isabella," he said.

Edward responded for me, "I'll have her home before dark, sir. Don't worry."

I giggled at Edward and rolled my eyes as he opened the door. I think someone's nose was getting a little brown. He was definitely putting on a show for Charlie. I could hear Charlie tell Edward to keep it slow before Edward climbed in the car.

Once we were settled, Edward started the car and put it into gear.

"Sorry about my dad," I apologized.

"Its cool."

"You weren't waiting too long, were you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Nope," he replied, but I could tell he was fibbing.

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing much. He was just being a typical dad," Edward laughed.

"Oh God," I moaned, slouching in my seat.

"Don't worry. Really, he wasn't that bad. I've met worse."

This fact alone didn't make me feel better. It only added to the horrible feeling I had earlier. If only I had been watching the clock, I could have prevented their unsupervised conversation.

"So," he began lightly. "Is this something I'm going to have to worry about everyday?"

"What? My dad?"

"No. You being so accident prone," he grinned.

"Oh. I don't know. I guess…" I replied, feeling an awkward tension fill the car.

"Here," he shoved his iPhone at me. "Find some music."

"Okay," I replied.

I fiddled around with it, going through the songs, laughing when I realized he had very diverse music.

"Dang, Edward," I looked to him, laughing.

"Hey now," he started. "Some of that Alice put on there."

It was funny watching him get flustered and defensive over his music, but I actually liked most of it. There was everything from rock to blues, classical to country, and pop to rap. But I have to say, I did not see him being a total fan of music from the 90s.

"Oh, Edward," I mock-groaned. "Offspring's 'Pretty Fly for a White Guy'?"

"That was all Emmett."

"Sure it was," I laughed.

"It was. Honestly."

"Its okay to admit you like that song. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"But I didn't do it."

"Its okay, Edward. I actually like most of your music."

"You do?" he asked with an unsure tone.

"Yeah," I said, clicking on OMC's "How Bizarre."

I began singing along with the music, and shortly after Edward sang with me. Fuck me. I nearly creamed myseld when his velvety voice rang out. I could seriously listen to him forever and never grow tired of his voice. He could even sing a song I hate and make me love it. How did he manage to do that? He was totally dazzling me with his sexy voice. I could feel myself getting progressively more wet with each song that passed.

"I love Muse," I murmured.

"Me too."

"You know, its funny that I knew almost all their music years before I knew their band name."

Edward looked over at me funnily and I blushed.

I scrolled through his music again, quickly finding a song to take the attention of me. I selected a song from the Beatles.

"So what are we going to do in Port Angeles?" I asked, turning the volume down to just above background noise level.

"Its a surprise," he smiled mysteriously.

"I hate surprises," I mumbled.

As soon as his smile dropped, I felt bad and tried to fix it.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just don't like surprises. They aren't usually pleasant for me."

He didn't say anything, instead choosing to look straight ahead at the road. I sighed loudly, looking out my window and watching the trees blur by. We hadn't even made it to Port Angeles and I'd already screwed up. Jeez, what the hell was wrong with me? Where the hell was my filter? Was I born without one? It seemed like this was inevitable. I just didn't know how to get along with people without saying something to ruin everything.

I didn't dare mention to Edward that I was falling into a depressed mood and that I didn't want to listen to the music anymore. I was afraid that if I did, I'd only upset him further. So here I was wishing desperately for the music to suddenly disappear and wondering why Edward hadn't turned around a long time ago.

The car stopped suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked around in surprise because it didn't even feel like we'd been in the car for an hour. I slowly inched my gaze over to Edward. His seatbelt was still fastened and his eyes were locked forward. Neither of us moved nor did we say anything. I wasn't sure what to do to make things right again between us, but I knew I wouldn't be the first get out.

After what seemed like forever, Edward sighed and removed his seatbelt. Once he noticed I still hadn't moved, he heaved another sigh and bent down to my level.

"You coming?"

"Uh. Yeah," I nodded my head, my hands quickly going to work on the seatbelt buckle.

I couldn't get myself free by the time he began to open my door. I tugged and tugged at the belt and I began panicking when it wouldn't even loosen. I looked over at Edward and stopped immediately when I saw his grinning face.

"Problem?" he questioned, quirking his eyebrow.

"Uh, no I've got it," I replied, trying to slyly pull the seatbelt free.

My face burned with redness as I felt Edward's eyes on me. I didn't want to admit that I needed help, but after a few moments of fruitless efforts I turned towards him. I wouldn't look him in the eyes and see my humiliation of being unable to extricate myself from his car reflected there.

"Want some help?" I didn't have to look directly at him to hear the smile in his voice.

I nodded, not trusting mine. My breath caught in my throat when he leaned into the car, pausing over me. My eyes flickered up to his eyes and then down to his lips. He subconsciously licked his lips and my breath hitched. He reached his hand down to the buckle.

"You have to," he began, quickly wetting his lower lip again. "Push it in like this." Not taking my eyes away from his, I nodded again. With each word, his breath fanned over my face and I took in all its sweetness. "Then you pull it."

And with that I was freed from the car.

"Thanks," I said quietly, feeling awkward.

He backed away slowly, bobbing his head in response. He straightened up as I rushed out of the mom car.

"So. What now?" I asked.

"This way," he pointed out.

I followed in step with him before asking, "Did you foresee that being a problem?"

"No," he replied, looking down at his feet while the corners of his lips threatened to expose his guilty smile. He looked over at me and upon seeing my doubtful look he admitted, "Okay, so I did."

"I knew it," I laughed and shook my head.

I jumped toward him and playfully swatted his arm. He grinned, quickly grabbing my hand before it was out of his reach. At once, my laughter stopped and I was left staring at our now interlocked hands. He turned, tugging me along behind him. Another awkward silence fell over us—well it was for me at least. For him, it could have been a comfortable silence.

"So are you ever going to fill me in on what we're doing?" I asked, as he stopped us.

"If you'd be a little more patient, you'd know that I was about to tell you that we're here," he grinned.

"Here?" I looked around to find we were standing outside a bookstore.

"Yeah. I thought we could get your book first before we did the fun stuff."

I figured Edward could be a really decent guy, but I don't think it ever actually hit me until now. He was really thoughtful to remember that I needed to get a book. I, on the other hand, had totally forgotten about why I had originally needed to come to Port Angeles.

"Come on," he said, pulling me once again.

The bell above the door rang out loudly, signaling that customers were entering. The size of the store was decent enough for how old it was. There were rows upon rows of ceiling to floor shelves, filled to the brim. The girl sitting behind the counter was talking incessantly on her cell phone while twirling her hair. She barely acknowledged us, only bothering to glance in our direction and blow a bubble of gum until it popped. I watched her thumb her way through the magazine in front of her. Edward began walking in her direction with me in tow, seeing as how he had failed to let go of my hand still.

"Excuse me. Can you help us?" Edward asked politely.

I stared at him, not used to hearing him talk this way. The counter girl looked up with an annoyed expression until she looked at him. I watched her face shift from stink eye to one of eagerness to please. She pushed her chest forward, shoulders back and a huge smile graced her face.

"Sure. What can I do for you?" she smiled.

I felt jealousy and possessiveness flood through me, even though Edward wasn't my boyfriend. My hand tightened in his as I restrained myself from saying anything inappropriate.

"We were looking for a book," Edward said, squeezing my hand and smiled lightly at the girl before turning to me. "What was the name of it, Isabella?"

"Uh," I said, staring at him blankly for a second before spouting of the name of the book and the author.

The stink eye was back. She turned to the computer and quickly typed in the information I gave her. She grabbed a piece of scratch paper, scrawling on it before sliding it over the counter towards us. Edward picked it up and nodded while thanking her. I didn't say anything as he dragged me to the back of the store. Edward squatted down to the lower shelves, his fingers running over the spines of the books until he found my book. Of course I stood there, wishing it was my spine he was running his fingers down.

As he stood up and flipped the book open, I watched the muscles in his arms move. Fuck me. I was fucking in love with his arms. I just wanted to be wrapped up in them as tight as possible. And I bet they were warm.

He looked up at me, flashing my special crooked grin, "Why do you need this book?"

"Extra credit for one of my classes," I said absent-mindedly.

He pursed his lips in response, cocking his head to the side as his eyes crinkled at the corners. He took a step closer to me and I backed away. He continued until I was backed into the bookshelf. Without saying a word, his lips immediately sought my lips. We kissed for a minute before his lips found their way to my neck.

"Edward," I moaned lightly. "Mmmh… we can't do this right now."

"Why not?" he questioned breathlessly, continuing to assault my neck.

God, I hoped he wouldn't leave any hickies. How the fuck would I explain that my not-boyfriend was sucking on my neck until it bruised?

"There's people here. They'll hear us."

"Only the girl working here. And I can be quiet… can you?" he grinned deviously.

I had no strength in me to say no — I couldn't resist his offer. When I said nothing, he reached one hand under the hem of my shirt to access my chest while the other immediately went into my panties — he didn't even bother to undo the button to my jeans. I groaned as he slipped a finger inside me.

"God, you're so fucking wet," he said huskily.

I couldn't say anything, even if my life depended on it. Not with him touching me this way. My mouth moved wordlessly, trying desperately to get something out. I needed him badly. With the way I needed him to fill the void, you'd think I hadn't had sex in forever.

I somehow managed to get out a noise that sounded a lot like, "Please."

"What do you want, Isabella?"

I shoved my hips toward him, receiving much needed friction from his fingers. I let out a guttural noise.

"You. Now," I panted.

Before I knew it was happening, he had both our pants on the floor and me pinned up against the shelf. He entered me quickly and we both gasped simultaneously. Not even pausing to allow me to adjust, he started thrusting fast and hard.

I was almost at my breaking point when I began pleading with Edward to get me there.

"Edward. Please. I'm so close. Just a little further," I begged.

"Where'd you go space cadet?" he questioned, his voice sounding far away.

"Huh?" I asked in response. "What'd you say?"

"Hello? Anyone home?" His voice sounded closer.

I snapped my eyes shut and shook my head. Opening them again, I saw Edward holding the opened book, both of us fully clothed and standing at least a foot away from each other.

I sighed, feeling frustrated. I couldn't believe that wasn't real. It felt so real. When I looked him in the eyes, I saw he was staring at me expectantly.

"What did you say?"

"Wow. You were really out of it, weren't you?" he laughed.

"I guess so," I replied.

"So this is the book?"

"Yup."

"Okay. Let's go pay for it," he said, leading us to the front of the store.

I blushed violently when I saw the counter girl watching us. I looked away and to distract myself I withdrew my money from my pocket.

"I've got it," Edward offered.

"That's okay. Thanks though."

"No, really. I want to get it."

"Edward," I growled. "Stop. Buying me this book isn't part of our date. If you buy it, I'll just find someway to give you back the money."

"No you won't. I wouldn't take it," he said, stubbornly.

"I never said I'd give it to you directly. Maybe I'll just hide it somewhere that I know you'll eventually find it."

"Fine," he conceded.

Ah. Victory.

After we exited the bookstore, he held my hand and we strolled leisurely down the sidewalk. Light conversation filled the air, taking over any awkward tension that had been present. The fact that I didn't know where we were going still bothered me, but I tried not to think about it. Instead I focused on him, admiring while trying to pay attention to the things he was saying.

"You're really out of it today," his lips curved up at the corner of one side.

I blushed, knowing this was true. I couldn't help that his body distracted me.

"Sorry. I'm just a little tired. I didn't sleep much last night," I replied.

"I hope you're not too tired," he said, holding open a door. "Because we're here."

I walked into the building to find a bowling alley.

"Glow bowling?"

"Yeah," he said, hesitantly. "Is this okay?"

"Definitely," I nodded. "I love bowling, but I'm not very good at it."

"Maybe I'll just have to teach you a thing or two."

"Maybe," I smiled in return.

After we were settled at our lane with our shoes and bowling balls, Edward let me go first.

"How exactly are you going to show me how to improve if I go first?"

"I need to see your technique," he smiled.

"Sure. I bet you're just trying to get a head start to win," I said, grabbing my neon pink ball before I walked away from him. "You really don't need to because I highly doubt that I'll get anywhere close to your score, even with your help."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Seriously. I need to see you do it at least once, so I can see what you need help with."

I giggled while rolling my eyes. I turned away from him, drawing in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. I licked my lips before biting down on them. I let my arm fall, swinging back behind me. The weight of the ball forced my arm to swing forward until I let go. The ball hit the wooden floor with a loud thunk, before it rolled away toward the pins. About three fourths of the way, it rolled into the gutter and I groaned. When I turned back around I saw Edward watching me with a calculating look.

"I know, I know. I'm horrible. And now you probably regret offering to help me," I said, scuffing my foot on the floor.

"No I'm not. Try again," he urged.

"Fine, but its going to be exactly the same."

I'm not quite sure why I felt more nervous this time because he'd already seen me do it once. And I was sure I couldn't make a bigger fool of myself anymore than I already had. How very wrong I was…

I exhaled a shaky breath, letting my arm drop and fly back behind me. I didn't expect my fingers to disconnect from the ball. At once, I flipped around and didn't see the destruction my mind had quickly produced. Edward was fine, everything was fine. I let myself breath again, my head falling into my hands as I moaned in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry Edward. I told you I'm not any good."

"Stop. You're fine. Just relax," he said, bringing the ball back to me. "Now try again, but make sure you let go at the right time."

This time I didn't swing back very far, so it was much harder throw the ball. It took much longer as it slowly rolled down the lane. It made it all the way to the pins and I was excited when it knocked one down. What can I say — I don't get to the pins most of the time so when I do, it's a big deal.

"YES," I jumped around, throwing my fisted hands above me.

I stopped immediately when I realized I was in a public place and people were staring. I looked down at my feet and turned into Edward's unexpected—but not unwanted—embrace.

I was right. His arms were fantastic and his smell was intoxicating. We stood, him holding me while I discretely sniffed him until I needed to break the embrace. I could only stay like that for so long with how claustrophobic I am.

"Okay," I heaved a sigh. "You're turn. Show me your mad skills."

"My mad skills. Right…" he snickered.

It was not fair how he threw the ball for the first time in the game and immediately got a strike. Really… he was in a completely different league than me. He put me to shame as I watched on in awe, jaw unhinged open.

"Did you see how I did that?" he asked, turning back to me.

I shook my head, smiling sheepishly. That was done too quickly for anyone to have really examined what I'm sure were perfected movements.

"Here. Grab your ball and come over here. It's your turn anyway."

I did as he said, slowly walking over to him. I looked around, not really seeing anything, as he positioned me until he deemed I was standing correctly. Staying as still as possible until he gave me another order, I watched him until he moved behind me and out of my view. My eyes closed and my other senses grew—I was fully aware of him behind me and I wished we had more physical contact. I leaned into his touch slightly.

"Now, I want you to swing your arm back," he said, running his hand from my shoulder to my wrist. He held onto my wrist, guiding me back. "And then swing it forward." Again he helped guide my hand forward and as I let go of the ball, he simultaneously squeezed my wrist lightly.

I watched the ball spin down the straightaway, colliding with the pins. About half of them dropped and I squealed with delight.

The rest of the game, Edward would get strike after strike. At my turns, he would give me some advice, adjust me, or just watch me. We only played that one game before I gave up.

"I don't know if I'll be able to take any more hits to my self confidence if we play another round," I said, unlacing my borrowed shoes.

"That's okay. I'm not sure I'd be able to watch you do that all over again," he joked.

I playfully swatted his arm and received a "Hey!" I rolled my eyes when he apologized and said he was only kidding.

After we returned the shoes and paid, we headed back for the door. I was blinded from the natural light, though I had been expecting it. I blinked furiously, stepping back until Edward's chest stopped me. He pushed me forward, closing the door behind us.

"Want to get something to eat now?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm starving."

I grabbed his hand and he smiled my special crooked grin at me. We walked side by side until we reached a restaurant called La Bella Italia. Again I was faced with another girl attempting to throw herself at Edward. Thankfully, he had the smarts to barely acknowledge her.

Seriously, was it so hard for people to believe that he was on a date with me?

We decided to share an Italian Sausage Pizza. When it finally arrived at the table, I had already guzzled down three sodas. I waited for Edward to take a piece before I would. I eventually gave in and went first, grabbing the slice closest to me and brought it up to my mouth immediately.

"Oww! Hot," I said with a full mouth.

"It just came out of the oven, Isabella," Edward said, raising his brow. "You have to blow on it to cool it down."

"I know, but I'm so hungry," I whined.

Edward laughed lightly, taking his own advice. He was seriously trying to kill me because he had to have known how much he was affecting me. I shifted uncomfortably with desire to jump him right then and there.

Together we polished off the pizza and were both left feeling full. I almost felt sick because of how much I had eaten, which had always been a problem of mine. I would never eat until I was hungry and then when I was, I'd eat… and eat… and eat.

We headed back to his car and I felt sluggish, dragging my feet along. I wished he had parked closer. I debated just asking Edward to go get the car and come back for me, but I decided just to push myself along.

The drive home seemed shorter, as it always did for me. Maybe it was because I knew the way home or there wasn't as much anticipation due to the fact that it had become a familiar place. I spent most of the ride slyly glancing at Edward. Sometimes he'd catch me staring before he'd quirk a smile at me and I would look away embarrassed.

Not many words had been spoken so when he pulled up to my house, I was still in my pensive mind frame. Charlie still wasn't home from his fishing trip. I cleared my throat and suddenly Edward was half an inch away from my face, eyes slightly hooded. His hand came up to hold my face and I met him the rest of the way.

It was an awkward first kiss and nothing like I had fantasized about. Our lips mashed together and our teeth clashed. I still had my seatbelt on which didn't allow much room to move. Once we got a rhythm down, it seemed to get steamier. I yanked his hair, trying to pull him on top of me — I needed him there. Edward complied immediately. He moaned as his hips jutted into mine.

There was a knock on the window and Edward froze. He pulled away from me and we both looked out to see my father standing there with a disapproving look upon his face.

"Inside now, Isabella."

I groaned, throwing my head back into the head rest. Great, now Charlie was cockblocking me. Was I really that unlucky?

"Fuck," Edward sighed, before climbing back into the driver's seat.

"You can say that again," I mumbled, grabbing my messenger bag and the book I bought earlier. "Thanks for today."

"Yeah. It was fun."

"Totally." I smiled. "See you Monday? Or maybe tomorrow, I'm still supposed to go shopping with Alice."

He nodded, "I'd walk you to your door, but…"

"It's probably best if you don't. I'd like to be able to go out with you again."

Edward laughed, helping me out with the seatbelt. I turned back to him, my hand already on the handle and the door open. I needed to kiss him once more. I placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and then one more on his lips before.

"Bye," I said quietly and then shut the car door.

Today had been a great day, though there were minor hiccups—it still had been the best day I'd had in a while. If only Charlie had come a little while later…