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storyline: Brighter
prompt - boredom
NOT BETA'D
I face planted on to my bed, exhausted.
We'd had, possibly, the best, most fun week ever, sailing to the BVI for Edward's twenty sixth birthday. Being in the business himself, Marcus had plenty of connections and friends with boats – bigger, fancier vessels that were perfect for overnight stays. He'd been more than happy to hook his boy up, offering to not only provide the sailboat but captain it.
So two days before Edward's birthday, early in the morning, we set sail: Marcus and his wife, myself and Edward, and...Jake and Jessica.
Jessica, whose ticket home had long expired.
She kept saying "Damn, if you can do it, I can do it!", as if I was her inspiration for life changes or something. Maybe I was, God only knew, but the point was I had another roommate for the time being. I loved having her around. Loved it. It felt like old times.
Anyway, the weather played nice during our trip, and despite a cloudy forecast for Saturday, the actual birthday, it never rained. I'd been nervous about being on a boat for so long, afraid that I'd get seasick or something, but I didn't. The fresh air and calm seas were breathtaking. We even saw dolphins a couple of times, swimming alongside the boat.
And as if that wasn't magical enough, shacking up in a luxurious beneath deck bunk...let's just say it was definitely all about the emotion of the ocean.
I was so glad we'd been able to do something special for Edward's day. I got him a couple of nice button downs for work, as well as a new wallet to replace his old one, which had been falling apart. He liked to say he didn't need anything, and maybe that was true, but I liked to give gifts.
All in all, it had been a blast. I hoped we could go again some day. I had about a gazillion pictures, so many that I'd used my camera instead of just my phone to capture it all.
"Bella! I'm throwing in a load. Want me to just add your clothes?" Jess shouted from the other end of the house.
"Okay," I called back, tempted to just go to sleep instead of showering. I felt gross, though. We'd had showers on the boat, obviously, but it wasn't the same. And we'd been too busy getting home today to bother with bathing, anyway.
Groaning, I pulled myself away from the inviting siren's call of my blankets and went to the bathroom.
Jessica joined me there a couple of minutes later.
"I am so tired," she said, sighing. "I swear, I hurt everywhere."
"Me too," I said, reaching for my razor.
"Jake said they used to sail all the time back in the day. It's harder now with everyone having jobs and stuff."
"I can imagine."
"I need a job, Bella."
I squinted at the leg I was shaving. "How long you planning on staying, Jess?"
She eased the shower curtain aside. "I don't know. Forever."
"You sure about that?"
"Why is it so weird? You did it," she shot back, accusation in her tone. "Who questioned you?"
"Almost everyone."
That took the wind right out of her sails. "Oh. Well. I just...I don't know. I like it here. My life was stale back home, Bell, come on. I had a crappy job and a crappy boyfriend and just... a lot of crap."
I laughed, shaking my head.
"Girl, I was drowning in boredom. You know this. I was living with my parents for God's sake!"
That was true; she'd moved back in with them after college. I rinsed the razor and started on leg number two. "I know. And I'd love for you to stay, however long you wanted. I just want you to stay for the right reasons, you know?"
"Like what?"
"Like...not for Jake."
"What's wrong with Jake?"
"Nothing. But...I'm afraid you'll get hurt again, and we're just so far from home."
"You sound like my mother."
I straightened up, rinsing off as I looked at her. "You told her you were staying?"
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Yes."
"So."
I closed my eyes as I conditioned my hair. It was a knotty, horrific mess after a week at sea. "I'm glad you're here, Jess. I'll help you get a job. It'll be fun."
"You mean it?"
"Yes, I mean it!" And I did. Having a friend from home, permanently, was exciting for me. "I love you...and I want you to be happy. If staying on St. Croix makes you happy, then rock on."
"Okay," she snorted, amused. "Hurry up in there. I need to shower, too."
"Hey, what does Jake think about you staying? Is he excited?"
"Yeah...he really is." She sighed, all dreamy-like. "I love him."
I turned the water off and squeezed out my hair. "You what, now?"
"I love him. I want to have like five of his cute little babies. They'd be all adorable and mixed and –"
"Please tell me you're still on birth control."
"I am." She glared at me. "I'm just saying."
We looked at each other for a minute. I shrugged, then flipped my hair so I could wrap it in a towel. "Your life. Let me know when the baby shower is."
"Oh, shut up."
"He says he loves her," Edward said, shrugging as he popped another peanut in to his mouth.
"Oh my God, and I thought we were moving fast."
"We didn't move that fast," he said, frowning. "I mean, not really."
"Not too fast, but fast," I said. "And you know, people could have totally said the same ting about us and our relationship so I should probably just shut my mouth. If they're happy-in-love, then that's super."
"You're so full of shit," he laughed, feeding me a peanut.
"I'm not," I chuckled. "I'm being serious..."
"Mhm."
"Look. I know Jessica, and she has always been impetuous. And passionate. It's one of the reasons things got as out of control with Caius as they did."
"Jacob's not Caius, though."
"I know." I nodded. "He's really not. I guess...I'm used to him being kind of a dog, but he's been really sweet with Jess."
Edward smiled. "For what it's worth, he seems really in to her. Like, I can't remember the last time he was this in to someone. Maybe they'll be good for each other."
"It's so weird. We knew they'd hit it off," I said.
And they really had – since the very start, their chemistry had been off the charts. But it had been all sex, all the time. I shuddered, thinking about that now. The noise, the moaning...good Lord. If Edward hadn't asked me to move in with him that one night, I'd have been begging him, just to get away from the lovebirds. I didn't blame them for not wanting to be at Jake's, with his two brothers, but still.
"And now they just hit it," Edward said.
I rolled my eyes. "I knew you were gonna say something like that."
"Bella, your order's up," Emmett called, ringing the bell.
I blew Edward a kiss and left my spot beside the bar, going to the little window dividing the kitchen from the rest of the Pub. It was a slow day, but I didn't mind. Neither did Edward; it had been a couple of days but we were still recovering from our sailing trip.
I worked steadily in to the evening, handling no more than one or two tables at a time, chatting with Edward and Emmett in between. Jessica and Jacob came in near closing, setting up at a back table, where they played dominoes and drank beer until it was time to leave. She was nice and tan now, her hair streaked naturally from all of the sun. I couldn't help but observe them, noticing how gentle and affectionate Jake was with her, his deep laugh alongside her giggly one. It was funny, like watching a wolf with a kitten. Maybe they really were a perfect match, opposites attract and all that.
"So...I'm thinking maybe Jess can take over my lease. Unofficially. Jake practically lives there with her anyway; maybe we should just let them have it."
Edward chewed on the end of his pen thoughtfully. "You sure?"
"Edward, when last did I spend the night in my own bed?"
"When we came back from sailing."
"Yeah. Almost three weeks ago."
"Your lease is almost up, anyway."
"Exactly."
"Midnight would be happy."
The puppy wagged his tail and squirmed, hearing us mention him.
I smiled, scratching behind his ears. He was so tiny and cute, and still fit on my lap. I knew that wouldn't last long, so I was determined to make the most of it while I could.
"Would you be happy?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
"You know I would."
"Just making sure, before I lug all my stuff up the hill."
"Didn't I ask you to come, months ago?" He pushed away from his desk, resting his hands on his belly as he watched me, eyes dark and intent.
Midnight jumped off of my lap and scuttled away, probably after a lizard or something. The world was his playground, and he was forever chasing something.
Brushing myself off, I stood and went to Edward, crawling on to his lap so that I was facing him, legs dangling. He gripped my thighs, holding me securely as I locked my fingers around his neck and bent my head to kiss him.
We stayed that way, kissing and touching, until I tried snuggling closer, at which point the chair, which was on wheels, shifted sharply. I flailed, almost falling backward but for Edward's arms. He shook with laughter as I eased off, heart pounding from my almost-fall.
"Don't laugh," I cried, smacking his arm. "That could've really hurt." But I was laughed a little, too, blushing.
"Could've, but didn't, 'cause I had you."
I pulled him so that he was standing, and wrapped my arms around him.
"I've always had you, Bella."
"Aw. You always say the right things, don't you?"
I felt him shrug, his nose in my hair.
"And anyway...I've always had you," I retorted softly, rubbing my face against his chest, loving his smell.
"Always." His hands slid in to my back pockets, squeezing my buns through the denim, pressing me close. "So when're we doing this?"
"The move?"
"Yeah. You don't have too much stuff...you'll leave the furniture for Jessica, right?"
"I probably should. That makes the most sense."
"So..."
"I can start moving stuff tomorrow, before work" I said, biting my lip. "If that's okay."
"Of course it's okay, babe. I've really just...been waiting on you."
I allowed myself to feel the excitement, knowing I was actually going to be living here, in the lovely house, with Edward. Officially. I knew, deep down...and probably not so deep down...that this was probably the start of forever with him. I remembered my Mom telling me years before, after a broken heart, that when I found the right guy things would just fall in to place, like puzzle pieces. As cliché as that little platitude had sounded at the time, I had to admit now that it felt true.
*sniffles*
winding down now. sigh.
"wish you were here" by incubus
would be a perfect sailing song. the words, the way it feels...
p.s this was just pointed out to me: the term 'mixed' in referring to a biracial person can be construed as a bit offensive to some. i am biracial. i have always referred to myself as mixed. everyone in the islands does, and did while we were growing up. there are TONS of mixed/biracial kids there, of all types. so. that said...jessica was not being ignorant, she was talking like her new friends do.
love.
