Disclaimer: I own everything but their names.


August 10, 2001 – Santa Cruz, California

"I got you something," Edward whispered, rolling over on top of me. His face was covered in sand, eyes still red from lack of sleep. We'd just finished our morning surf, and we were riding the high of not only catching some great waves, but of a spectacular night where we had done very little sleeping.

He pushed his tongue into my mouth and stopped me from responding. He kissed me deeply as the surf came up and covered our feet and legs, and I laughed and swooned and thought we looked like an old black and white film I'd watched once.

When he finally pulled back, a grin on his pretty lips, I asked, "You got me something, huh?"

"Yup."

I scowled. "I hate surprises. You should probably know that."

He laughed. "You'll like this one."

I rolled my eyes as he jumped up. "Whatever you say." I tried to hide a small smile as I asked him where this surprise was.

"See, you're curious. It's at the shop, it came in yesterday."

"You shouldn't have done that," I said, even though he was right, I was excited. And very, very curious.

"Why? I wanted to." He dusted sand from his chest.

"I don't know. It just feels weird."

"I promise if you don't like it, we can return it. But I think you're going to love it."

When we got to the shop a little while later, Edward showed me exactly who it was Lisle had gotten his energy and excitement from. He pulled me through the store toward his office all bursting with energy, and when we got into the stock room he let go of my hand and walked over to grab the most beautiful surfboard I'd ever seen.

It was feminine, all whites and blacks and pink flowers. Very simple and shiny and new. And I loved it.

My mouth twisted into the biggest grin as I tore my eyes away from the board and turned my gaze to him. For week's I'd been using Jasper's old longboard, and now, Edward was giving me my own—one that would be only mine.

"You got that for me?" I asked, tears brimming because of his sweet gesture.

He nodded eagerly, looking a little bit nervous. "Do you like it?" he asked hesitantly.

I looked at him like he was nuts. "Yes! It's beautiful. And perfect. And so are you!" I launched myself toward him, kissing him soundly on the lips.

"What the hell—" Jasper called out from somewhere to our left. Before we could separate, he was standing there gaping at us and our decidedly less–than–innocent position.

He looked back and forth between us, his face hard. "Well, this explains a lot."

Edward was silent, and I stood there unsure what to say. How to explain? There weren't many options–the whole 'it's not what you think' route clearly would have been neither true nor believable.

No matter what we said… we'd been found out. And we had avoided discussing so many things, including this, that we had no idea how to handle this moment.

"How long?" Jasper asked when neither of us had said anything.

"Bro," Edward replied first. "I don't think—"

Jasper interrupted him, "I asked how long?"

My heart hurt, because I could totally understand at that moment how Jasper must have felt betrayed by both of us.

His eyes danced between us as he waited for an answer. I swallowed thickly and took a step toward him.

"About a month," I admitted.

Jasper stepped away from me, his face showing how he felt. Anger, hurt, disappointment and confusion were clear in his eyes.

He turned away from us with a noise of disgust in his throat. His hands lifted to his hair, running through it roughly like I'd seen Edward do so many times before.

When he turned back around, there was determination in his features. "E, what are you doing? She's my age. You realize that, right? My. Age. What are you going to do when Makenna finds out? She's going to rip Lisle away from you so fast you won't know what hit you. You know that bitch is just looking for reasons to fuck shit up for you because you won't take her back. What are you thinking? This has to stop. Now."

My heart slowly folded in on itself with every word Jasper said. I was hurt not only by how disgusted he seemed at the thought of me and Edward being together, but by everything else he'd said as well.

I finally understood just what Edward had been avoiding talking to me about. Makenna wanted him back.

Not only that, but if Jasper was right, if she were to find out, it sounded like she would use my relationship with Edward to try and take Lisle away from him. There was no way I could handle that.

"Jasper, you have no idea what you're talking about," Edward argued. "Mak has no say in who I do or don't have in my life, and it doesn't matter what she wants. You know her and I are never going to get back together. Never. She needs to see that, too."

Jasper just shook his head and then focused his eyes back on me. "Bella, he's what, eight years older than you? What are you even thinking?"

The tears I'd been struggling to keep at bay came forward then and a sob broke free as everything that had just happened, everything that had been happening, came crashing down around me. Edward dropped the surfboard in his hands and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest.

As much as I wanted to fight him, to push him away for not telling me the truth, for putting me in this position, I just couldn't. I was too far gone.

I needed him too much to walk away.

"Jasper!" Edward yelled, upset at how his brother's words had affected me. "Enough!"

"Fine," he replied, and though I couldn't see him, I could hear the emotion in his voice before he said his next words.

"I quit."


Do I need to take refuge in the bunker again, or are you still with me?

Thank you all so much for reading and for all of your loveliness.

Reviews are love.

Until tomorrow!

xx