Oof, it's been a long time. Im starting a new job (and tying up loose ends at my old one) and I'm also in the process of moving so everything is totally nuts right now.
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21.
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Edward's first day of his residency coincides with our first date. He meets me at my place at 7, freshly showered and looking excited.
He's wearing a well-worn button-up shirt and his pair of black jeans from Starbucks, and he grins when he sees me.
I'm only wearing a simple red sundress with a pair of sandals, but Alice curled my hair and I borrowed some of her perfume.
I'm suddenly feeling nervous.
"You look beautiful," he says, and it makes me blush. "Ready to go?"
He takes my hand and I want to fucking explode with happiness as we start walking away from the house. From the sidewalk, I can hear whooping and whistling and when I turn around, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett are all at the living room window, grinning and being classically obnoxious.
"Oh my god," I groan, covering my face with my free hand. Edward just laughs and leads me towards the street, where a small, silver car is parked.
He pulls keys out of his pocket and the car chirps, unlocking.
I stop, letting go of his hand.
"What?" he asks, brow furrowed.
"Is this yours?"
"Yeah," he says slowly.
"And you continually let me drag you across town on the bus?"
He laughs at my pouting, saying, "I don't drive it too much. Tonight was just a special occasion."
His car smells like pine trees and his radio is softly playing some classic rock station and it's super clean—not a used napkin or empty coffee mug in sight.
As he drives, I watch the way he keeps his eyes on the road, darting between the rear-view mirror and whatever's in front of us. His hands are loose on the wheel, comfortable, and I try to remember the last time I drove. I got my license when I was seventeen, but I hated driving. I was too nervous and too distracted and since I never had a car of my own, it didn't really matter.
Edward smiles and glances at me, just briefly, and asks, "what?"
I shake my head.
"Just looking at you."
In the fading sunlight, he almost looks embarrassed.
We end up at an arcade bar, one that Edward says he always passed on his way to work but never went into. It's dim, with 80s pop music filling the room alongside the sounds of Pac-Man and pinball. He tells me to get whatever I want to drink and we wander the bar, looking at the games.
Twenty minutes later I'm learning that Dr. Hot Barista is also Dr. Sore Fucking Loser.
I'm crushing him in Mortal Kombat and he's making excuses about the buttons not working right and get more and more flustered by the punch and kick.
I laugh at him, not able to help it because he's always so cool and collected.
But give him some beer and a game he's bad at and he's ready to trash talk.
I tease him, "aren't doctors supposed to be good with their hands?"
His eyes darken.
"Trust me, I'm very good with my hands."
My entire face turns red and he just...walks away, getting more to drink while I sputter behind him.
I want to tell him to prove it but I don't trust my voice.
I wonder if he's the kind of guy who would fuck in the bathroom.
Probably not.
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It's nearly eleven when he takes me home, idling in front of my house. He has to be at the hospital by seven tomorrow morning so I don't ask him inside.
"Tonight was a lot of fun," I tell him instead, leaning towards him, wanting to spend the next hour making out in his car.
He leans away, getting out and making his way to my door, opening it for me and holding out a hand. I take it, warm and soft in mine, and he leads me toward the door.
I swear we've been here before, lingering on my stoop, me begging him to kiss me.
This is the first time that he does what I want.
It's a soft kiss, so much different than the crushing desperation of the ones before it. He's gentle, his mouth moving slowly against mine, one of his hands at the base of my neck while the other rests on my hip.
I want to deepen it, to cling to him, but I know if I do I won't be able to let go.
When he pulls away, he's grinning and so am I.
Happiness buzzes between us.
"Goodnight, Bella."
I kiss his cheek in lieu of a goodnight, and watch him go back to his car, staying on the stoop until he drives away, his tail lights disappearing around the corner.
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Thx so much for reading, all my love xx