Characters? Not ours. Giving Garrett more than one shining moment . . . we'll claim that.
Chapter 9
-ε- Perception
I stared out the window of my hotel at some worthless view. In the heart of competition season, travel had always been a fact of life. I'd never minded it before. Now, it meant a strange dichotomy. Closer to the end goal, yet farther away from what I wanted. I'd been abiding by the challenge. It hadn't been easy. Many times, I'd been buzzed after a good spar and nearly driven straight to Bella's house to end our frustration. I guess there wasn't anything stopping us now, except for the challenge.
Fucking challenge.
I was in love, damn it, and she loved me back. But I had basically agreed to channel every ounce of energy into my Nationals.
I guess we really hadn't been dating all that long and she didn't know what it would be like when I was training and traveling. She didn't really have the most accurate picture of what life could be like with me. What if we moved forward and she decided it was too much to handle, or she saw my apron one too many times and decided I was a loser? Would she let me down easy?
At the same time, I wondered how she would react. 'Gee, I'm sorry, I can't have sex with you because I'm in the middle of preparing for Nationals right now.'
It had the potential to sound really stupid.
And then again, maybe I was just scared shitless. What did love really mean anyway? People said those words all the damn time. Hell, they would say it in the morning and break up by noon. I didn't know if I could trust this. My mother's revelations were part of what was weighing on me.
Her whole life had been turned upside down by one event. Don't get me wrong, as far as events go, it was a doozy, and the ripple effect was incredible. In the end, where had love gotten my parents? It didn't save them, as individuals or as a couple. The one thing I'd come to know for certain was that love was simply not enough.
But it was absolutely everything.
It all confused me to no end. I'd never once associated love and sex. I'd never had to worry about what it felt like to have a woman dump you. That had always been my job. Now, I was consumed with the thought. How much worse would I feel if I'd made love to her? I don't know why, but I was absolutely certain that once I'd been inside Bella, I would never want another woman again.
For now though, it was just easier to use the excuse of the challenge. I could push all the self doubt and fear that I would fail at this relationship aside and just let myself believe that I was answering Garrett's call.
I was contemplating going to get something to eat and pondering whether I could handle a lifetime of celibacy after Bella realized I wasn't good enough when my phone buzzed.
"Hey," I answered casually. It was probably too casual given the stage of our relationship. It must have clued her in because she hesitated before asking.
"Hi, how was your day?"
"It was okay." There was nothing else I could say about it. "Yours?"
"The same."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She chuckled. "Yeah, well dealing with some issues with Seth, and then there's always a little family drama to make your day complete. Plus, I missed you."
"Me too."
With that we relaxed into the conversation . . . into us. She told me about Seth's progress and asked me if I wanted to get together with some friends when I got back. I told her about training and how important it was that I focus again. She didn't seem fazed by it.
"You must be having a bad day because we just had a whole conversation and there wasn't one sexual innuendo involved."
"Well, now that you mention it, I think someone may need to check out my thrust; it seems to be broken. Think you can fix it?"
"Oh that was bad, Edward." She laughed hard though.
"Hey Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"In all seriousness, this is what it's going to be like for a while. I've got Nationals and Worlds and everything in between."
"I understand. I just realized; I haven't gotten to watch you yet."
"You like watching huh?"
"Did you just waggle your eyebrows?"
"How'd you know?"
"Because I get you better than you than you think."
I hoped so. I really did.
When I got back to town, the first thing I wanted to do was head over to Bella's. In a moment of weakness, I decided to surprise her. I grabbed my keys and practically ran for the door. When I flung it open, my dad was standing on the other side.
"Hi, Edward. I'm sorry if I came at a bad time. I was just wondering if it was later yet?"
I ran my hand through my hair and hesitated.
"Come on in. But I warn you, I don't know if I'm really ready for this."
"Obviously, I've never been ready."
We walked back in to my apartment, and I tossed my keys on the counter once more. We sat down, staring at each other silently for a couple of minutes. If he wasn't going to start, I figured there was only one question that mattered to me.
"Why?"
It was a simple question which implied so much. I didn't escape me that I'd asked Esme the same question.
"I've tried to figure that out myself. At first, you were just too young. You wouldn't have understood. I was grieving too, both for my son and for the loss of my wife. Grief can make you do stupid things."
"Like marry someone you didn't love?"
He didn't say anything, but his head gave the slightest incline. "Over time, I thought we could feel like a real family, like we didn't need Esme to be whole. I know it was wrong, but somehow not telling you kept that belief alive."
"And you were chicken shit." My dad looked at me for a second, probably deciding whether to scold me for taking that tone with him, but he just slumped his shoulders in defeat.
"That too, Edward."
"You still are, you know."
He raised an eyebrow at me, his final attempt to keep me in check. I tilted my head back at him. His mouth slid into a smile. "When did you grow up?"
I knew the answer. I didn't tell him, but just thinking it made me smile. When I met Bella.
As if he heard my thoughts, he asked. "What about you, son? Are things still going well with Bella? I would really like to talk to her for more than five minutes. Esme said she's a lovely woman."
My head snapped up.
"We spoke recently. After you two met, I thought it was important."
He didn't give anything away about how that made him feel.
"Things with Bella are . . . good. I mean . . . I love her." I couldn't look at him when I said it; this was not a conversation I knew how to have. My dad knew this admission was huge, and proceeded with caution.
"I sense a 'but.'"
"What Irina said the last time we were together about being in a rut, it's not untrue, and for lots of reasons, I needed to focus. I started wondering if being in a relationship wasn't affecting my concentration, so at least right now while things are so busy, I'm trying to keep it simple."
"It's so much easier to think with your dick isn't it? Paring it back to the physical?"
"Dad! It's not like that with her. God, why does everything think that? We haven't even had sex yet."
"Really, that's . . . outside the norm for you, isn't it?" Of course I knew why he thought that, but was it that hard to believe that I could change?
"I suppose. It's all new, you know? Love doesn't always work out." I looked at him, and he nodded. "So, I don't want to confuse love and sex."
"Basically, what you're saying is. You're chicken shit, too."
"Maybe I am, Dad."
-β- Pain
"What are you so damn morose about?" Kate asked as she set a drink down in front of me. "You look like someone kicked your puppy."
"Maybe kicked me is more like it. I got back burnered."
It had been four weeks since that eventful conversation on my couch. Three weeks since Edward and I discussed his need to focus on preparing for nationals. Three weeks of sporadic phone calls and mixed signals.
And I was as confused as hell. Was it really just about sex with him? Did I expect something more than he wanted?
"Back burner? What the hell happened? I thought all was clipping along and things were going well."
"Me too. But he's been busy. There is a huge competition coming up and he needed to focus. I keep trying to stroke my ego by telling myself I was too distracting, but I am having a hard time with it."
Propping an elbow on the table, Kate leaned into her hand and let out a dry laugh. "Welcome to my inner ring of hell. Mixed signals suck."
"Things still bad with Garrett?"
"Not so much bad as confusing. I am absolutely and utterly fascinated by him, yet I realized the other day that I really don't know anything about him. And when I try, he pulls away. I almost feel like he's hiding something from me."
"Like what?" I'd only interacted with Garrett a few times, but he'd always seemed rather straight forward to me.
"I wish I knew, Swannie, I wish I knew." Her eyes darted over my shoulder, then back to me. "Ixnay on the guy talk. Your brother is here."
Jasper plopped down on the edge of the booth and nudged in next to Kate. We hadn't spoken since our less than pleasant conversation in the diner about Seth, and I was still peeved at him for being so damn overprotective.
"You look tired J-man. What's up?" Kate asked as she popped a few pretzels in her mouth.
Jasper dropped his head on Kate's shoulder and closed his eyes. "Work's kicking my ass. Too much happening and not enough people to do it."
"The joyous life of public service, eh?" Kate tapped him on the head. "And you thought it would be all car chases and looking hot for the chicks in your shoulder holster."
Jasper straightened up and raised his hand to flag the bartender. We'd been coming here for years and just needed to wave to get a drink.
"It may not be car chases, but I do look pretty damn good in my shoulder holster. I'm going to go grab my drink. You need anything?" He glanced between us, waiting for a response. I felt a sharp stab of pain under the table as Kate kicked me in the shin.
"No, we're good."
As soon as Jasper walked away, I hissed at her under my breath. "Jeez Katie, will you back off! I'm still pissed off at him for the crap he pulled the other day!"
Kate didn't answer. She'd lost all color in her face, and was looking towards the front of bar, panicked.
I turned so I could find what had her frozen in place.
And saw Garrett locked deep in what appeared to be a rather intimate conversation with a beautiful blonde woman who looked very familiar.
"I know her. She runs at the school by my house. Tanya something…" I broke off as Tanya threw back her head in laughter and Garrett dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before turning to make eye contact with Kate, a look of surprise darting across his face.
"I think I am going to be sick," Kate gasped as she bolted from the booth. She crashed straight into Jasper, flipping over his beer in the process.
"Hey, Kate, what's…" Jasper shook his hand, trying to slough off the beer as it ran down his arm.
"Katie!" I heard Garrett call out. He was past me in a flash, following her towards the back of the bar. I looked back to see Tanya, eyes wide with concern.
When we made eye contact, she grimaced and gave me a wave of acknowledgement before turning to walk out of the bar.
"What the hell was that all about?" Jasper demanded as he dabbed at the front of his shirt. "What freaked Kate out?"
"A guy she's been dating is here with someone else." I slipped down out of the booth. "I'm going to go check on her. You can have my beer."
Garrett was leaning against the wall outside the ladies room as I approached.
"Bella, listen, I…"
I was not a big one for confrontation, but my friend was hurting because of his behavior, and he needed to be called on it.
"No, you listen. You've been jerking her around, running hot and cold for weeks. If you aren't exclusive, then you damn well better tell her that, because she deserves better than what you are giving her." I stepped up close enough that I could jab him in the chest with my finger as I spoke. "She is brilliant and fabulous and if you hurt her again, I will cut your balls off and shove them down your throat."
I spun on my heel and let myself in the ladies room. Kate leaned against the wall, eyes red.
I held out my arms to her and she walked into them, bursting into tears.
"Shh, honey, it's okay. It will all be okay."
I let Kate cry, not trying to pacify her. I could only imagine how much it hurt to see him there with someone else. It wouldn't matter if it was romantic or not. The fact that she didn't know was bad enough.
"I'm okay." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Just give me a minute. I am going to splash some water on my face and I'll be out."
"Do you want me to go get Jasper's service revolver?" I asked innocently. "Granted, he'll look goofy with an empty shoulder holster, but I'm sure he'd volunteer it for the cause."
She laughed and shook her head. "No. I'll figure it out."
Leaving Kate in the bathroom, I made my way back to the booth. Jasper had ordered another round of drinks, and had managed to wring most of the beer out of his shirt.
"Is she okay?"
I sat down next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. "She's better, but I don't think I'd say okay."
"Is he still here?"
"I don't know. I kind of told him off before I went into the bathroom. I'm hoping my righteous indignation was enough to scare him away for now."
Jasper slipped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed up and down my arm. "Katie's tough, Bella. She'll be okay."
"I don't know this time, Jasper. She fell hard for this guy, and all he's done lately is jerk her around."
"It doesn't sound like she's the only one. You look like you've seen better days."
"I think I have." I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the memory of Kate crying in the bathroom. "I am still pissed off at you for the crap you pulled the other day, but I really need you to be my big brother right now."
Jasper squeezed my shoulder in silent acknowledgement. "What's going on, kiddo?"
"If a guy tells you he loves you, then pulls back, what does it mean?"
"I don't know if I am the one to be having this conversation with."
"Yeah, actually, you are just the one."
Jasper blew out a deep breath. "It could be a few things. He could be spooked and feels like he has to protect himself. He could have told you he loved you to get in your pants. Or he could have changed his mind."
"Those options all suck."
"Yeah, kiddo, they do." His arm tightened around me, and I could feel his cheek against my forehead. "I wish I could protect you from all this stuff, I really do."
"The only one that's going to protect Bella is standing right here. Now please let go of my girlfriend."
I looked up to see Edward standing a few feet from our booth, his fists clenched in anger.
-ε- Anger
After talking to my dad, I was antsy. God, I thought it would all be so easy once we were on the same page. I remembered wanting to snap my fingers to make her fall in love with me, but it only seemed to complicate things.
Conversations with Bella were a little awkward. I knew I was in this strange stop/start pattern. I didn't want to end our relationship, but too much time together was difficult for me. I was trying to give her just enough to stay connected without losing track of my training. We'd gone to see a movie earlier in the week, but I was falling asleep all throughout it, so we cut the date short. I hadn't risked spending the night with her again, and she didn't bring it up. She seemed to be handling my lack of attention well, and I was grateful.
But I was also missing the hell out of her.
I'd had a standing invitation to her local hangout when she got together with friends. I hadn't been able to make it yet. Work or training had gotten in the way every time.
I was really tired and emotionally spent, but I couldn't go another day without seeing her.
Challenge be damned; goodbye chicken shit. If spending time with her resulted in any physical contact, I wasn't sure I could hold back tonight.
That wasn't the point of showing up though. I just wanted to see her. To watch her eyes light up when she laughed. To hold her hand, and feel its reassuring grip. It was more than want.
By the time I figured out exactly where this place was, it was fairly late, so I was prepared for it to be pretty crowded. It wasn't fancy or trendy. Just a bar. I kind of liked that. But I didn't spend a lot of time in the trendy places to know the difference anyway.
A quick scan of the room, and I was immediately disappointed. I thought for sure they must have changed their minds or left early. I hadn't even told Bella I was coming.
I decided to do a thorough sweep of the place; there were some nooks and crannies, especially toward the back, where I knew it was possible she and her friends could be hidden from view.
I almost missed her. Not just because she was huddled into a booth along the back wall but because what I saw was the last thing I expected. She was with someone else. His arm was around her, and they appeared to be having an intimate conversation. I instantly bristled. They were a study in contrasts from physical size to hair and eye color to the sharpness of features. Though their features were opposites, their body language was complementary; they seemed very comfortable with each other.
I had a half a mind to walk away, to run like the chicken shit I was and never let her know I was here. I could use my training as an excuse to fade away. She'd be none the wiser.
And I would never recover.
Just when I thought I could do it, he I heard him say, "I wish I could protect you from all of this . . ."
Bulllshit. That's my job. It had been my calling from the day I met her, and this asshole was taking it from me.
So I charged in like a damn Neanderthal. I admit that's exactly how I felt. Either that a dog pissing on a fire hydrant. I was claiming what was mine.
I was met with competing expressions of shock.
Bella's shock registered wide-eyed and ecstatic.
The man's face went suspicious as he sat up straighter in a posturing move.
I was stunned by my own words. Not knowing how she'd take it.
Bella shook the guy's arm off her and leapt out of the booth at me. "Oh my god, Edward. I had no idea you'd be here."
"Obviously," I muttered under my breath.
She didn't catch it, but I think the guy did. His eyes narrowed and he continued to look me up and down.
She didn't say anything else. She climbed awkwardly out of the booth and came running at me, throwing her arms around me.
I took a deep breath, in part because I needed to calm myself, and in part because I needed to catch her scent. I was confused about her reaction. How could she be here with another guy yet seem so happy to see me.
I looked up from her hair and saw the guy still taking me in. This ought to put him in his place.
Bella pulled away and dragged me straight toward him though. "Edward, I want you to meet my brother, Jasper. "
Her brother. Her fucking brother. I nearly threw the guy out on his ass, and it was her brother.
We both hesitated. I couldn't tell if it was obvious or not, but then she pushed lightly against my elbow, and I reached my hand out for him.
"Hey Jasper, nice to meet you. Sorry about that. I just got al little carried away."
His handshake was firm. Too firm. He was engaging in his own pissing contest.
"We were just talking about you. Sounds like you've been busy lately."
"Jasper." Her tone was firm. And he backed off.
We sat down at the table, and engaged in strained conversation for a few minutes.
"I need to go check on Kate. Can you two excuse me?"
She smiled at me before she left. She shot Jasper a look of warning which he shrugged off.
"So, I hear you teach fencing"
"Just on Saturday mornings. Most of my time is spent training."
"For?"
"I'm, uh, the reigning National Champion, and I won a medal in saber fencing at the Olympics last summer."
"Huh, I always figured that was a sport for people with some kind of need to compensate for their own lack of sword."
"Now you know you're mistaken."
Neither of us had given away anything yet. Just an even tone where we tried to one-up each other with words. Jasper suddenly changed that.
"Listen Mr. Get Your Hands Off Her, just before you showed up, Bella was feeling pretty damned shitty thinking you'd checked out. I don't know what kind of game you're playing with her, but you can be sure if you hurt her, there is a whole police force full of guys who will line up to kick your ass."
I felt a blip in my chest. I guess Bella wasn't okay with the way I'd been handling things. I felt stupid that I'd missed it and confused she hadn't protested louder. The fighter in me, however, moved into a mental crouch, ready to attack. I'd been in competition mode, adrenaline mode, testosterone mode before. I wasn't sure this guy ever left it.
But what was it going to get me? Did I really want to piss off her brother more than I already had?
"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Jasper, I don't want to hurt her. I care a lot about her." I tried to remove all the bravado to show him how I felt about his sister.
He didn't get a chance to respond because a server came to the table checking on drinks. I placed an order, and by that time, Bella and Kate had returned.
The awkwardness subsided, but I got plenty of warning glances from Jasper. When I stroked Bella's hair. When I talked about my training with Kate. When Bella whispered in my ear how much she'd missed seeing me. That one hit me hard. I'd missed her too, but I don't think she'd realized how much.
There were moments I thought Jasper was going to come across the table at me, but he remained civil for the rest of the evening.
It wasn't until we were throwing out tip money and saying goodbyes, that he pulled me aside.
"Watch yourself, Edward. Because I'll be keeping an eye on you." With that he waved goodnight and stepped back up to the bar.
Kate spoke first. "So on a scale of one to ten how bad was it?"
"He accused me of having a small sword."
"Well, Edward, I guess between the penis jokes and the possessiveness, you two had a lot in common tonight," Bella chided.
I thought long and hard about what made me react the way I had, and it came down to one thing. Fear. I remembered what Garrett said about trying to imagine your life without the other person in it. Love.
He loved her and refused to let her get hurt.
Maybe Jasper and I did have something in common after all.
-β- Confusion
He was here.
I was spilling my guts to Jasper, and then all of a sudden he was here like a modern day knight in shining armor.
Granted he wanted to kick my brother's ass, but so did I sometimes.
The combination of time apart and a few drinks may have broken down the few remaining emotional barriers I had. I wanted to pull him away, somewhere that it could just be us, and shut out the rest of the world. But I couldn't. Kate needed me, and Jasper was shooting Edward the evil eye. He'd get over it; he was just being a big brother.
Kate managed to drown her sorrows in more than her share of martinis. She was currently a mess; drunk, upset, and angry. She played it off well, but I knew her better than that.
"Come on, Katie. I am taking you home." Jasper slipped his arm under her legs, lifting her with little effort.
"You aren't getting laid J. I may be drunk, but I'm not that easy…." Kate slurred as she dropped her head against his chest.
"Go." I inclined my head towards the door. "I'll call her tomorrow."
"You okay to get home?" Jasper glanced between Edward and me, making his concern clear.
I didn't need to say a thing. One dirty look was enough. He mumbled something under his breath about me being my mother's daughter and hefted Kate up a bit higher in his arms.
"Come on, Blondie. I am taking you home."
"What happened to her?" Edward asked as Jasper carried Kate out of the bar.
"Your friend Garrett is what happened. He's been jerking her around for weeks, then showed up here tonight with that super model Tanya. She took it pretty hard."
"What did she do?"
"Nothing. What could she do?"
Edward bowed his head, studying the glass of water in front of him.
"She shouldn't jump to conclusions. Sometimes things aren't always what they seem."
"Sometimes they are exactly what they seem," I responded. I wasn't sure if we were talking about Kate anymore. "In some ways, I can understand how she feels."
He frowned, but didn't meet my gaze.
"You are busy, I get that. I really do. But this emotionally unavailable stuff hurts like hell. I thought we came to an understanding. Maybe I was wrong." I glanced down at my watch. "Listen, Edward, it's late and I have a long day tomorrow. I need to get home."
"Let me walk you to your car." He stood to follow me.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it."
I was confused, and as excited as I'd been to see him, I didn't want to get my hopes up. Odds are he would just pull away again. And I wasn't sure if I could handle the inevitable low that would come off of this high.
Waving to the bartender, I wove my way through the crowd and out of the door.
"Bella, wait…"
He'd grabbed my hand to stop me, but I wrenched it away. My euphoria had given way to confusion, and it hurt too much.
"Wait for what, Edward? For you to get me all turned around and then disappear again?"
I spun around, ready to face all my fears head on. I wouldn't stand idly by like Kate had. "You walked in here tonight, and my heart was in my throat. All I could think was that you were finally here with me. And for a few hours, that was enough, but it's not now. I need to know what's going to happen next. Are you going to pull back again? Do I have to sit and wait for the next time you can find time for me? Is that how this is going to work? 'Cause I don't know if I can handle this."
But he surprised me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the parking lot. His car was parked next to mine, but instead of leading me to my car, he backed me up against his, planting his hands on either side of my head.
"Do you really think that's what is going on? That I'm playing games with you?" His face was inches from mine, and I could feel his breath on my face. I closed my eyes, fighting the confusion and the instinct to lean into him. "Let me get through Nationals. Trust me. It will all be fine. But I need you to trust me."
"And I need you to be honest with me." I responded, not opening my eyes. I didn't intend it, but I could tell by his sharp intake of breath that the words stung. "If you want something different, I need to know now, because I can't handle all this back and forth. You asked me once what I expected. What do you expect Edward?"
Edward flattened his hand against my chest, just over my heart.
"I don't expect anything, Bella. I don't have the right to. But I am not jerking you around. I'm trying to figure this out too. I've been nothing but honest with you. It's all I can be. This will level out soon, I promise."
I let out an exasperated sigh. "I trust you Edward. Don't prove me wrong. Don't be an ass like your friend Garrett."
"I'm not; I'd never do anything intentionally to hurt you." His had slid up my neck so that he could skim his thumb across my cheek. I could feel the lump building again in my throat.
"I need to go." I whispered, trying to step away. Edward didn't drop his hand or look away.
"I hate the way that sounds."
He moved closer, pinning me against the car. His hand slipped under my chin, tipping my face up to his.
"I will always be honest with you, Bella. And you can always ask. I'll give you anything you want. Anything."
My breath caught in my throat, unnerved by the intensity of his words. He gently brushed his lips across my jaw, stopping just short of my ear. I could feel his breathing coming in short bursts.
"Go home, or else I won't be able to stop. I need you too much. And you deserve better than me desperately wanting to have sex with you in a parking lot. You deserve everything, and I don't want to fail you in that."
If he hadn't said parking lot, I wouldn't have stopped him. The combination of my emotional and the constant physical craving was almost too much to bear. But the reminder of Kate's blow up earlier, and the fact that it had all happened in a similar parking lot was the dash of cold water I needed. I placed a quick kiss on Edward's check and pulled away.
I glanced in my rear view mirror as I drove away. He stood, hands stuffed in his pockets, shoulders slumped in defeat.
-τ- Bullheaded
Aaahhh! MEN!!!
I swear sometimes I wish I could make all love connections between women. They might appreciate it more, but men mess everything up. Their stupid egos and ridiculous machismo get in the way every time.
I thought for sure Edward's little display was going upset Bella. I can tell you I wouldn't have tolerated his attitude so I was glad she called him out on it.
In the end though, it wasn't even one of my matches that was being challenged, but I couldn't stand to see anyone heartbroken over ill-managed love. I took it personally.
Garrett was being an absolute idiot.
I admit this time it was partially my fault.
I wanted a closer peek. Hanging out at the Y, I was only getting so much insight into these people whose lives I had invaded. In a good way of course, for their benefit, but I was definitely being heavy handed.
When Garrett suggested I join him, I thought he was going to introduce me to Kate as a cousin or something, or I never would have gone. I'd spent an eternity causing jealousy in the hearts of women, and that was not my intention tonight.
Imbecile.
"What game are you playing with that poor girl?" I demanded.
"It's not a game."
"Excuse me. She thinks we were there together. Her heart is broken."
"What good can come of it anyway?"
"Garrett?" I asked softly. "It's very different this time isn't it?"
"I would have thought you should know without asking, Love."
"Why would you want to hurt her, though?"
"Our time is limited anyway. She should get over it."
"What about you?"
He shrugged and disappeared.
Wheels were turning. Ideas were forming. How could I fix this? I had an awful lot on my plate as is; the challenge was daunting. But then what was the point of having a Goddess of Love if all came easily?
E/N: Well it seemed to be a toss up between Jasper and Garrett last time for biggest dufus. All the men still have a ways to go for perfection, but then we like our guys a little dirty.
H seems to enjoy writing parking lot make out sessions, in honor . . . do you have a favorite public make out spot?
If you haven't checked them out yet, H, T, and the Master Beta all published something extra over the holiday weekend. Hmonster4 wrote an Emmett/Rose novella. Legna wrote her first one shot, a Jasper/Bella, and profmom wrote a Jasper oneshot for the For the Love of Jasper challenge. You can find them favorite in our profiles.
Thanks for reading!
Challenge summary:
1. Tanya – Love Life
- Edward and Bella
-?
-?
-?
2. Garrett – Get a Life
- Win Nationals
- Edward grows up
-?
-?
3. The Fates – Save a Life
- SUV 'accident' DONE
-?
-?
-?