Chapter 14

Edward was well aware that throughout Christmas Day, he'd walked around the house with the biggest, dopiest grin on his face. He couldn't help it. Nor did he care that his family spent the day teasing him mercilessly about it.

Because he'd kissed Bella.

And she'd kissed him back.

It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and he was well aware that it could've ended very badly. He'd been prepared to have to joke it off, to blame it on the mistletoe. He'd also been prepared to deal with her knee meeting his groin. But for once, luck was smiling down on him, and the world hadn't ended. In fact, things had gone better than he'd ever dreamed.

That night, he'd lain in bed tossing and turning, unable to convince his brain to shut down. It was as if the kiss were on a permanent loop in his head, and replaying again and again, engaging each of his senses. He could still feel her soft lips against his, her hair trailing through his fingers, smell the delicate scent of her shampoo, feel the way she'd pulled him to her so that their bodies were flush against each other, see the soft pink flush of her cheeks when they broke apart…

A certain part of his anatomy was actually very much in favor of reliving that moment. Repeatedly. The resulting ache had been part of what had been keeping him awake, and he felt like a perv for it. A simple kiss shouldn't be enough to get him so worked up, but it did. In fact, he suspected it would provide him with Alone Time inspiration for a long time.

Because it was Bella, and that made all the difference in the world.

All the doubts that had been plaguing Edward for the past few months were now pushed aside, and he was finally able to start planning how to move things forward with her. He was determined to keep things moving in the right direction; none of that one-step-forward-two-steps-back crap. He'd wanted this for too long. He'd been patient. He deserved good things to happen, dammit.

It had turned out to be a white Christmas, so the roads were still slushy when Edward made his was to Bella's house. Forks, being such a small town, didn't have much in the way of snow removal equipment. From what he understood, they mostly relied on the generosity of two or three locals who got a kick out of attaching a plow blade to the front of their pick-ups. Apparently they didn't feel quite so generous on holidays.

Pulling into the Swans' driveway, he noted that it had been shoveled clean, and wondered if Bella had been assigned the task, or if Charlie had done it. Or even Jacob, since Edward knew the Blacks had been planning to join them for Christmas dinner. (And he'd only been a little bit jealous when he'd found that out. Really.)

There was a bounce in his step as Edward climbed the steps of the Swans' front porch, and he broke into a face-splitting grin when stepped through the door. She was bundled warmly, as he'd requested, with ear-flap hat, scarf, and mittens knit in yarn of various hues of blues and purples. She looked absolutely adorable.

When she realized he was already on the porch, Bella's cheeks turned pink and her lower lip was drawn between her teeth. Shyly, she peered up at him from beneath her dark lashes, and the crooked, slightly awkward smile she gave him only made his own grin grow. He knew for a fact he'd never seen Bella look or smile at him like that before, and he wanted to nothing more at that moment than to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her senseless.

"Hey," he greeted happily.

Bella stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and hunched her shoulders self-consciously, causing Edward's brow to furrow slightly. "Hey," she replied, voice soft.

Some of Edward's confidence began to seep away. She'd seemed fine Christmas Eve, and in the few texts they'd exchanged the day before she hadn't sounded upset. So what the hell was going on?

"You okay?" He asked, reaching out and tugging gently on a lock of hair trailing out from under her hat. Ducking his head, Edward tried to catch her eyes, offering her an encouraging smile.

Nodding, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she was done, Bella's smile seemed a little more relaxed. "Yeah, sorry, I'm fine," she assured him. "So! What are your grand plans for today?"

Edward simply looked at her for a moment. That was it? She wasn't going to say anything about their kiss, about them? What did that mean? Did she want to forget about it? Did she regret it? Did she…

…Somehow turn him into a girl? Because he was freaking out like a 13-year-old with her first crush. It was pathetic.

It was his turn to blush slightly, eternally thankful that Bella couldn't read his mind. Because if she hadn't already gone off him, overhearing that train of thought would likely do it.

But seriously. What. The. Fuck?

What the hell was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to handle this? He didn't want to just let it go. He didn't want to act like their kiss hadn't meant anything, because it had. At least, it had to him, and it killed him to think she might not feel the same way.

Okay, enough. It was time for him to smarten the hell up. He'd screw everything up otherwise. He needed to stop obsessing, and just see how things progressed throughout the day. If things were still weird by the time he brought her home, he'd lock her in the car until they had it out.

With a plan in place, Edward smirked and draped his arm around her shoulders, steering her down the steps and towards his car. "I'm not telling," he informed her with false bravado.

Apparently, Pretend-Everything's-Normal was the right route to take, because Bella slipped her own arm around his waist, giving him a squeeze. Well, no, actually, she poked him in the side with her bony little fingers. "You know I hate surprises," she reminded him with a glare.

Edward laughed and hugged her as they walked. Oh yes, he well remembered the last time he'd tried to surprise her with anything. It had gone badly. Very badly.

"Yeah, I think I've still got the bruises as a reminder," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"It was your own stupid fault," she informed him. "Don't try to pin that one on me."

---

Flashback

It was tradition that the Cullens went skiing every Spring Break, and Edward had looked forward to it each year. From the time he was old enough to strap on his first pair of skis, they'd only ever missed one year – the year immediately following Edward's knee injury. After the surgery, he'd needed to take it easy, and skiing definitely didn't qualify.

This year, however, the weather hadn't felt like cooperating. Blizzard after blizzard had descended on the resort, so the Cullens decided to pack it in early and hit the road during one of the lulls between storms. And now that he was back home, Edward was bored to tears since most of his school buddies were still off vacationing somewhere hot or snowy.

So Edward had popped in to Java Jive earlier that day to find out when Bella's next shift was, and as luck had it, it was that evening. He'd missed her, even though it had been less than a week since he'd last seen her. How he'd cope in the fall, when he went off to college and had to go months on end without talking to her, Edward really didn't know.

He knew Bella wasn't expecting him back for another few days, so he wanted to take the opportunity to surprise her. Which was why Edward was lurking in the dark, nearly-deserted parking lot of Java Jive, waiting for her to emerge through the back door.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of him standing out in the damp cold, the lights inside the shop turned off. Grinning in anticipation, he stepped back into the shadows and prepared to have some fun.

In retrospect, it was a really, really stupid thing to do.

The heavy steel door opened, and Bella emerged, looking far prettier than even his memory had been able to convey. He waited until she'd turned around to lock the deadbolt before slipping from his hiding spot and stepping up behind her, so close that his chest was almost, but not quite, touching her back.

"Hey," he whispered into her ear.

Faster than he'd thought possible, Bella spun around, fists flying. The first blow cuffed him upside the head at almost the exact same time her knee went for the family jewels, missing by mere inches. Before he could recover from the surprise, she'd swung at him again, this time gouging something hard and sharp into his arm.

"Fuck!" Edward stepped back, trying to put himself out of her strike range. "Bella! Christ, stop! It's me."

Bella paused, though her stance was still guarded and defensive. Pushing her hair out of her eyes (good god, her aim had been good considering she could barely see), she peered up at him. The fear on her face was quickly replaced by relief, which only lasted a second before it was replaced with fury.

"You stupid son of a bitch!" Bella shouted, punching him hard in the shoulder. "You scared the living fuck out of me!"

"Ouch, hey, knock it off," he protested, hands up in front of him to act as both a shield and a white flag. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" She hit him again. "Cullen, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to surprise you," he shouted back, feeling stupid and guilty all at once.

Bella stared at him, incredulous, and shook her head. "First of all, I hate surprises. Hate. Second, you really thought waiting to ambush me in the parking lot was the best way to do it?"

Edward felt incredibly stupid all of a sudden. "Okay, one? How the hell was I supposed to know that? Everybody likes surprises." Raking a hand through his hair, he gave her a sheepish smile. "And two... it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"You're a moron," Bella stated. "I hope you realize this."

"I am, and I do," he admitted, nodding in agreement.

Sighing tiredly, she tucked her hair behind her ear and glared at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were supposed to be at some ritzy chalet until the end of break."

"The weather sucked." He shrugged and shuffled self-consciously. "We came home early, so I thought I'd come by and say hi." Cocking his head, he tried to see what she had in her hand. "What the fuck did you stab me with, anyway? It hurt like a bitch."

Smirking smugly, Bella held up her key ring, the thick, heavy key for the store wedged between two of her fingers. Just the sight of it had him rubbing the spot soothingly. "My dad made sure to teach me a few self defense tricks. I'd say they work pretty well, wouldn't you?"

Edward scowled and continued to rub his arm. "You're a menace."

"Thank you," she replied with a grin. He couldn't quite keep his lips from twitching in amusement over how pleased she was with herself.

"If you're done beating me up," Edward drawled, "can I have my 'welcome back' hug now?" Holding open his arms, he flashed his most charming smile, hoping to win her over. It took all of his self control not to fist-pump when she rolled her eyes and stepped into his embrace. "I kinda missed you, Swan," he confessed. "Even though you're a major pain. Literally."

She snorted out a laugh as she hugged him. "I guess maybe I kinda missed you, too. A little. But not really, because you're an ass."

The smile in her voice was obvious, so he didn't take offense. He simply enjoyed holding her. He knew the opportunities to do so were limited before the Fall, and then he didn't know if he'd ever have the chance again.

---

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad this time," Edward promised. Stopping beside his car, he pulled open the passenger door and motioned for her to climb in, shutting it once she was settled. As he circled around the back of the Volvo, he scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration.

This could end up being a long, awkward day.

"Ta-da!"

Bella sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the skating pond. It looked like the only other people taking advantage of the cold weather was a family of five, and they seemed to be getting ready to call it a day.

"You're kidding," she stated flatly, and Edward couldn't keep from grinning. He'd been expecting this kind of reaction from her, and it was nice to see she wouldn't disappoint. Dragging her eyes away from the expanse of white before them, she looked at Edward, incredulously. "You don't honestly expect me to be able to skate, do you? I mean… fuck, Cullen. There's a reason I've never skated before. I have enough problems walking on ice, never mind trying to do it with quarter-inch-wide blades strapped to my feet. And I don't even have skates!"

Holding up his forefinger to quiet her, he grinned. "Hold that thought."

Edward was out of the car in an instant, rifling through the trunk in the next, and then opening Bella's door, all in the span of a handful of seconds. In one hand he carried his hockey skates, and, grinning widely, he held aloft the offering in his other hand: a pair of women's figure skates. Bella simply blinked.

"They're my mom's," he explained. "You're the same shoe size, so I figured her skates would fit."

Brow furrowing, Bella cocked her head at him. "How the hell do you know I have the same shoe size as your mom?"

"I checked," he admitted with a shrug. It was impossible for him to keep from laughing at the vaguely horrified look on her face. Whether it was over the fact he'd examined her shoes that closely, or that she now had no excuse to keep from stepping out on the ice, he wasn't quite sure. "Oh, c'mon, Swan, it'll be fun!"

"Oh yeah, tons of fun," she grumbled, reluctantly climbing out of the car and shutting the door behind her. "When I fall and crack my head open, make sure you take me to Port Angeles General. I trust your dad to fix me. And to kick your ass for making me do this." Edward snorted, and Bella smirked. "Oh, come on. You admitted it yourself – both your parents like me best, so you'd totally get your ass kicked for letting me get hurt."

Damn. She definitely had a point.

But that just meant he'd have to be extra vigilant to make sure nothing happened to her. Not that he needed the threat of physical violence at the hands of his parents to make me him want to keep Bella from breaking anything, but it sure didn't hurt.

Taking both pairs of skates in one hand, Edward wrapped his other hand around Bella's and led her toward one of the park benches surrounding the pond. As he'd suspected, the skating family was busy packing up, trying to unlace the skates of three little kids who had to be under the age of five. That meant, though, that they wouldn't have an audience when they got onto the ice.

Hopefully that would help Bella feel a little less self-conscious.

Kneeling in front of her, Edward took the boot off one of her delicate little feet, swapping it for a skate. Blade safely tucked between his knees, he tightened the laces, wiggling her ankle a bit to make sure it was snug, but not too tight. Bella stayed silent, a scowl on her beautiful face, until the second skate was done up.

"There. How does that feel?" Edward wondered.

Bella sniffed and shrugged, clearly still unimpressed. "Like I'm wearing the tools that will lead to my untimely and very bloody death."

"Wow, drama queen much, Swan?" It was seriously impossible not to laugh at her.

"Bite me, Cullen."

"Hey, I've got no objections. Anywhere in particular?" His voice dropped and tuned playfully husky with the teasing query, and it was enough to send a rush of blood to Bella's cheeks. He felt both pleased and slightly guilty at her reaction, because he knew she was genuinely nervous about the whole skating thing, and he was making it worse by teasing her.

Edward got off his knees and sat on the bench next to Bella. Reaching out, he gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head so she was looking at him. "I promise I won't let you fall," he told her softly, his eyes boring into hers. "I'd sooner cut off my right arm than see you get hurt." He smiled crookedly. "And I'm a musician, so that's a pretty big deal."

As he'd hoped, Bella laughed softly and shook her head. "You're such a dork," she told him, but her tone had no bite. If he wasn't imagining things, he'd say it was decidedly… tender.

"Your point?" He wondered, flashing her a grin before turning his attention to his own skates. Moments later, he was escorting an incredibly nervous Bella onto the ice.

"Are you sure the ice is thick enough?" Her eyes were slightly wider than normal, gaze pinned on the smooth surface beneath his feet.

"Yes," Edward assured with a chuckle.

"Because you just know that with my luck, I'll find the one thin spot and fall through –"

"Bella," he cut her off with a bark of laughter, "you're not going to fall through. The ice is plenty thick, and I don't plan on letting go of you. You'll be fine, I promise."

Jaw clenched, she set one foot onto the ice. The fact that she trusted him enough to do this, despite her obvious fear, made his heart swell slightly. He gave her a few seconds to get used to the feeling of the skate-ice combination, then gently pulled her forward so she had no choice but to take a step and let the other foot join its mate.

Almost immediately, Bella leaned too far backward and her skates tried to scoot out from under her. She let out a squeak of surprise (and probably, Edward figured, fear), flailing slightly, and Edward tightened his hold on her arms, keeping her upright. Bella latched onto Edward's coat for dear life and whimpered.

"I'm gonna die," she decided.

"You're not gonna die," he laughed. "Just hold on to me, and you'll be fine."

Edward faced her, hands gripping her upper arms as he slowly skated backwards, bringing her along with him. Again, Bella's eyes went wide when she realized they were moving, and she fisted the front of his jacket, holding on for dear life.

"You're doing great," he encouraged her. "Just relax and let me do all the work."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his mind took them and dove right into the gutter. It was so easy to imagine himself saying those words in a very different situation, where instead of heavy winter coats they wore no clothes, and instead of standing together, Bella was lying beneath him, writhing as he worshipped her body and begging him to –

Forcing that thought from his mind (well, more like setting it aside to be pulled out sometime later, like when he was alone), Edward slowly guided Bella around the pond. By their third lap, he could feel her beginning to relax a bit. Her death hold on his coat had eased, even though she hadn't let go completely.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" Edward asked with a smile.

"I guess not," Bella admitted after a moment's hesitation, and he was well aware of just how big a concession that was from her. He grinned victoriously.

With every slow circuit, she improved, slowly getting the hang of stroking and avoiding the evil that was the toe pick. She gradually became less dependent on him to stay upright, until finally, after many unsuccessful attempts to convince her it would be okay, Edward was able to turn around and skate beside her. He still held her hand for support, but she was much more self-sufficient than when she'd first set foot on the pond.

If he wasn't mistaken, he even caught her smiling once or twice.

"Don't tell me you're actually starting to have fun," he teased, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I wouldn't go that far," Bella replied, clearly fighting the urge to grin. She was so damn adorable it almost hurt to look at her. "But it might not be quite as heinous an experience as I thought it would be."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, Bella's blade hit a rut in the ice. She scrambled to try to keep her balance, but was already pitched too far forward to be able to catch herself. Giving thanks to years of playing sports that honed quick reflexes, Edward quickly spun around and positioned himself in front of her, arms latching around her torso as she fell into him. He staggered slightly, but then regained his balance. Relief and gratitude were painted across Bella's face as she peered up at him. He still held her close, even after helping her regain her footing.

"You okay?" Silently, Bella nodded, eyes on his. "See?" Edward asked, voice low and smile soft. "Told you I wouldn't let you fall."

They stood together, unmoving and unspeaking, for a long moment. Their closeness was affecting them both. Bella's gaze jumped from one of Edward's eyes to the other, clearly searching. But searching for what, he didn't know. All he knew was the electricity sparking between them couldn't be ignored any longer.

And right then, he didn't much care. He couldn't think straight, she was so close. Without his permission, his eyes dropped to her lips before flicking up again. Removing one hand from her waist, he lifted it to gently cup her jaw. "Bella," he whispered, brushing the top of his nose gently against hers as he held her gaze, "I really want to kiss you again."

Her big, dark eyes blinked in apparent surprise. "You do?" Her voice was no louder than his, and Edward nodded. "But… why?"

Why? Why? Was she actually asking him why he wanted to kiss her? The absurdity of the question made him want to bang his head against the ice.

"Because I've wanted to kiss you for a long, long time," he admitted, stroking his covered thumb over cheek bone. "And now that I've finally gotten to do it once, I don't think I can go back to not kissing you." Pausing, Edward swallowed hard. "Unless you don't want me to. I… I'd understa –"

He was cut off by Bella crushing her lips against his, her mitten-hindered hands plunging into his hair and holding his face in place. Groaning in relief, Edward tightened the arm around her waist, drawing her even closer. He whimpered ever so slightly as she pulled back a fraction, so that their lips were just barely brushing. "I want you to," she breathed, and that was the only encouragement he needed.

Edward took control of the kiss, moving his lips against hers insistently, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. Admission was granted when Bella uttered a soft gasp, and she wasn't the least bit hesitant about letting her tongue stroke and wrestle with his. He was distracted, however, by the way she kept sliding back and away from him, having little control over her skates at the best of times, and none when she wasn't concentrating on staying upright.

Without breaking the kiss, he glided forward slowly, guiding them towards the shore. Bella stumbled as her skates suddenly hit snow, but Edward held her steady, walking her backwards several steps until her back was up against a large tree.

That was better, he decided, finally having some leverage so he could kiss her harder without worrying about her sliding away from him. He was rewarded for his efforts with, hands down, the sexiest moan he'd ever heard. It went straight to his dick, and his jeans were suddenly terribly uncomfortable.

Tongues warred and hands groped at hair and faces, as much as they could considering they were dressed for the cold. Gloves and mittens were unwelcome obstacles, preventing them from really and truly touching each other. Their coats were suddenly much too inhibiting; Edward wanted to be able to feel Bella pressed against him, wanted to be able to slide his hand up the back of her top and stroke her silky skin, wanted to feel her breasts crushed against his chest.

Bella's hot, sweet breath puffed against his face in small gasps, more evident because of the cold air surrounding them. It was as if he were literally breathing her in, wrapping himself up in her as completely as possible… considering they were both still fully dressed.

Fed up with not being able to feel her, Edward pulled his hands away and violently rid himself of his gloves, never breaking the kiss. Reaching up behind his head, he tugged on Bella's mittens until she got the idea and uncurled her hands. Her mitts joined his gloves, forgotten in the snow, and their hands resumed their original holds.

And god, that was so much better.

Bella's fingers buried themselves in his hair, nails lightly scratching his scalp, and Edward shivered in pleasure. His hand had curled around the back of her head, fingers sneaking under the edge of her hat to thread through her hair. His thumb resuming its place on her cheek, stroking sweetly, and he couldn't keep from marveling at just how soft her skin was.

He wanted to know if it was that soft everywhere.

Everything about her, her smell, her lips, her hands, her hair, everything was turning him on to impossible degrees. Maybe it was the fact that he'd been celibate for the part of eight months, but Edward was pretty sure it was just that it was Bella. She possessed the ability to affect him, both for good and bad, like nobody else he'd ever met. So it shouldn't surprise him that she had the ability to arouse him like no other girl ever had, either.

Good god, if this was how he was responding from just kissing her – in public, standing against a tree, and fully-clothed, no less – he was almost afraid to imagine what might happen if they were alone.

Almost, but not quite. He was definitely more excited than worried about the prospect. Because if even PG-13 foreplay was enough to send him into near meltdown, he figured the main event would be beyond mind-blowing.

With a mind of its own, the hand he'd had been clutching Bella's waist slid down, skimming over the incredible curve of her ass to her hip, then down the outside of her thigh, and then repeated the routine. On its third pass, his hand stopped on her butt and flattened, pushing her hips forward against his. A soft, needy whimper hummed against his lips as Edward gasped from the sensation of white-hot sparks shooting through his entire body. Reacting purely on instinct, he closed the gap between them completely, leaning in with his whole body and pressing his hips firmly into her belly with a low moan.

Jesus fucking Christ, that felt amazing. He'd never had sex in a public park before, but suddenly the idea was incredibly appealing.

The prospect of her skate blades digging into his ass as Bella's legs wrapped around his waist was slightly less so, though.

When they reluctantly broke apart, only doing so because of a serious lack of air, Edward didn't move away, simply resting his forehead against hers. They stood like that, eyes shut and not speaking, as their breathing gradually slowed. He never once stopped stroking her now rather warm cheek. When he was fairly confident he'd be able to speak, he slowly opened his eyes, taking in the gorgeous site before him. Bella's eyes were still closed, and her long lashes fanned out over cheeks that were flushed the most enticing shade of red. Her lips were slightly parted and swollen, and he just about lost control when the tip of her little pink tongue darted out to moisten them.

"Wow," he whispered, unable to restrain his grin. He watched as Bella's lovely eyes fluttered open and met his gaze. After only a moment's hesitation, she smiled, and his heart soared.

"Definitely 'wow'," she agreed, chuckling softly.

Releasing her face, he wrapped both arms around her and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. She responded in kind, hugging him back and nuzzling her face into his chest.

"I think skating might just be my new favorite sport," Bella said, voice slightly muffled against his coat. Her body shook slightly with her soft laughter, and Edward joined in, rubbing her back gently.

"Yeah, it's definitely up there for me," he agreed, knowing full well his grin was apparent in his voice. Stooping down, he picked up the gloves and mittens he'd tossed aside, shaking off the snow that clung to them. "C'mon, let's get you out of those skates before the scout for Disney on Ice shows up and tries to lure you away from me," he teased, holding her hand and leading her back towards the ice.

"Fuck you, Cullen, I owned these skates," she huffed with a barely-concealed grin. "Disney on Ice would be lucky to have me in one of their lame-ass shows."

Edward guffawed at that. "I think I deprived you of oxygen for too long and you ended up with brain damage," he joked. "I'll have to be more careful next time."

Stepping onto the ice, he helped Bella get her balance before starting off for the other side of the pond. "Keep it up and there won't be a next time," she grumbled, but the threat was made empty by the smile curling her lips.

After ridding themselves of their skates, they decided to warm up with a visit to Java Jive, for old time's sake. Bella opted to leave her hat and mitts in the car, and their bare hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined, as they entered the shop together. Not seeing anyone behind the counter, Edward looked around, trying to see who was working.

"Oh my god," a shrill voice exclaimed, and he felt Bella wince next to him. The owner of the voice stepped out from behind the refrigerator case, gaping at them. "Oh. My. God."

"Hey Jess," he greeted, knowing that Bella certainly wasn't going to be the first one to say hello. He wasn't sure Jessica noticed, though, since she was simply staring intently at their joined hands.

"No freaking way," she breathed. "I'm hallucinating. That's the only answer to what I'm seeing."

"Oh, for fuck sake," Bella grumbled, then continued louder. "Yes, Jessica, we're holding hands. Get the fuck over it."

Good god, he adored that girl.

Apparently, that did the trick, because Jess seemed to snap out of her little trance and was running over to them. Having no choice when she threw herself at him, Edward let got of Bella's hand to catch Jessica, who was now hugging him nearly to the point of strangling him. Luckily, she didn't play barnacle for long. Letting him go, she smiled flirtily at him and batted her lashes. "We've really missed you around here."

Beside him, he heard Bella's snort of laughter followed by a low, drawn out, "Subtle." Reaching for her hand again, Edward bit the inside of his cheek as he fought to keep from smiling. God forbid Jessica think he was smiling because of her.

Jessica's eyes narrowed and she reluctantly acknowledged her former classmate's presence. "Hello Bella."

"Jess," Bella replied in a saccharine tone and fake smile, "so nice to see you again." He hadn't thought it possible, but Jessica squinted even more, until her eyes were just tiny slits.

Uh-oh.

"Can we get a couple of hot chocolates?" Edward interjected, summoning his most charming smile in an effort to stop the catfight before it really began. And his scheme apparently worked, because the change was instant. Jessica beamed at him and practically skipped behind the counter.

"Regular or non-fat?" Jess asked, then eyed Bella with a smirk. "I'd suggest the non-fat for you, Bella, and I'd give the whipped cream a miss. Looks like you've been working hard at putting on the Freshman Fifteen."

Edward bristled, but only because Bella was being insulted; he couldn't care less if she put on 15 pounds. She most definitely hadn't, and was still as slim and curvy as she'd been before he'd left for Chicago, but he'd still think she was beautiful if she had. Hell, she could gain 30 and he'd still want her every bit as much.

Which he knew would come as a shock to his seventh grade girlfriend, with whom he'd broken up after one of his buddies made a snide comment about the size of her ass. In retrospect, he knew poor Cheryl had just hit puberty and had filled out, developing hips rather suddenly, but all 13-year-old Edward had been concerned about was the fact that his friends thought he was dating a fatty.

"Regular's fine, but thanks for your concern," Bella said lightly. "And lots of whipped cream. Some guys like their girls with a little more meat on their bones." She hip-checked him with a grin. "Right, Eddie?"

"More of you to love, baby," he agreed with a grin, playing along. He made a show of slapping her ass, which caused Bella to squeak in surprise.

She deserved it for calling him Eddie.

Jessica stared at them like they'd lost their minds. "Ew," she said under her breath before she turned to start steaming the milk.

While their drinks were being prepared, Edward and Bella kept exchanging sidelong glances and trying not to laugh. It was a losing a battle, and the cups were placed in front of them not a moment too soon. He paid, thanked Jess for her help, and led Bella to a table on the far side of the shop.

"Wow, I do not miss having to deal with her every day," Bella said with a dry laugh as they took their seats. "She got even worse after you left. Mike dumped her, Lauren snared some poor bastard and ditched best friend for boyfriend, and so poor Jessica slid down the rungs of the prestigious Forks High social ladder. It was so tragic to watch."

Her expression told him it had been anything but.

And still, her reference to him leaving brought about a fresh surge of guilt over the way he'd treated her, what he'd done by trying to make a clean break. He'd been so stupid.

"I know I've said it before," he began quietly, "but I really am sorry for leaving the way I did. I don't know why you forgave me so easily, but I'm really grateful you did." Edward reached across the table and took her hand. "I don't deserve you."

"No, you don't," she agreed with a smirk. "But don't worry, now that I know what a good kisser you are, I won't let you disappear again that easily."

The comment thrilled him, really, for multiple reasons. But mostly because it meant she was comfortable enough with what had happened that she could joke about it.

Of course, she'd done the same thing after their kiss Christmas Eve…

"Bella, I... I'm not just fucking around. I'm serious about this," he told her with a gentle squeeze of her hand to emphasize his point, "about you, about us. I just… I need you to know that."

Her dark eyes seemed to pierce his, seemingly looking past the exterior and into his soul, for godsake. Until that moment, he'd thought it was only a figure of speech, and a gross exaggeration, at that. Now, he knew better.

Bella's answer was in the form of a soft, shy-yet-happy smile over the top of her cup, and Edward felt his head spin. It was going to take some getting used to this softer, girlier side of Bella. He loved it, but he'd only seen very brief glimpses of it before, and until he built up an immunity to it? Well, she'd knock him on his ass every time it made an appearance.

After leaving Java Jive, they decided to grab a bite to eat at the diner just down the road. They stuffed themselves on half-pound cheeseburgers and fries, occasionally launching a stealth fry attack on the other just to keep things interesting. They dawdled over dessert, sharing the apple pie Edward had ordered and the slice of strawberry rhubarb, which he discovered was one of Bella's favorites. Neither one of them seemed particularly anxious to see the day come to an end.

But as the old saying goes, Edward couldn't help but muse, all good things must come to an end, and he pouted to himself as he drove her home. Chief Swan's cruiser was in the driveway when they pulled up to the house, and even Bella grumbled. "So much for having you come in to watch a movie."

Edward slipped his hand behind her neck and urged her towards him as he swooped down, claiming her lips. He forced himself to keep it fairly light, not especially wanting Bella's gun-carrying father to come out on the porch and catch Edward shoving his tongue down his daughter's throat. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he hugged her as tightly as their awkward positions in the front seat of the car allowed.

"God, I've wanted to do that for so long," he admitted, his voice slightly muffled against her neck. "Um, I mean, kiss you in general, not just right now."

"Me too," came the reply so quiet he almost missed it. But he heard it, and squeezed her even tighter before letting her go.

Again, he found his hand lifting towards Bella's face, the backs of his fingers stroking her cheek. "We're good? No freaking out, no doubts, no hiding?" At her nod, he smiled in relief. "Good. Because I plan on doing that again. And again, and again, and again." With each 'again', he gave her a peck – first to her forehead, then the tip of her tiny little nose, and then, finally, to her lips. The most delightful, light sound bubbled up from within her, and he grinned in amazement as he realized it was a giggle.

Bella Swan, queen of sarcasm, biting wit, and bitchy defense systems, had giggled.

And it was because of him.

Edward wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to wipe the stupid smile from his face.

"Don't let this go to your head, Cullen," Bella warned, poking his chest. "Just because I let you slobber all over me doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with shit."

And there was the Bella he knew and loved.

"The possibility never crossed my mind," he promised, grinning widely. "And don't you think that just because you let me slobber all over you that I'm going to suddenly start acting all sappy and doing romantic-ass crap for you." He was lying, and he figured she probably suspected as much. But she played the game.

"The possibility never crossed my mind," Bella parroted, wearing a matching grin.

Laughing now, Edward quickly got out of the car and went around to open Bella's door for her. He offered her his hand to help her out, and then kept hold of it as he accompanied her to the front door.

"What've you got planned for the next couple of days," he asked. "Think you'll have time to fit me in somewhere?"

"Hmmmm, I'll have to check my calendar," she told him coyly. "But I might be able to pencil you in for an hour or two somewhere."

"Don't do me any favors," Edward told her with feigned irritation. "I don't need your pity, Swan."

"Sure you do," Bella argued, grinning cheekily. "You thrive on my pity."

The front door opened suddenly, startling them both, and they turned to find Charlie standing there, observing them with a quirked eyebrow. "Edward." He nodded in greeting, and Edward nodded back. "Bells, it's getting late and cold, you'd better come in. Edward's got a long drive, so you don't want to keep him."

"Okay, Dad," Bella conceded grudgingly, and then just stared pointedly at Charlie until he, equally as grudgingly, disappeared into the depths of the house. Just because Edward couldn't see the Chief, however, didn't mean the Chief couldn't see him. Edward knew better than to make that kind of rookie mistake.

So Edward gave her hand a squeeze and smiled down at her, very glad that he'd kissed her in the car. "Text me," he pleaded softly. With a final squeeze of her fingers, he hopped off the porch and got back in his car. He threw the car into reverse and cast a final glance towards the front door. Bella was half inside, watching him. With an adorable crooked smile, she waved quickly and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

I've noticed a dramatic increase in readers/reviewers here on the past couple of chapters, so whoever's out there pimping this fic, thank you! :)

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And thus ends the longest AN ever.