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Rated T

Notes: continues scenario & characters established in "Curtains".

Prompt/ Scenario: You go to your mailbox only to find you've receive something you've been dreading. It can be a bill, a wedding invitation, and so on—you decide. Use your imagination to write about what happens next and how a piece of mail can ruin a day, or even a life.

Lasagna was one of the few things I was proficient at making. The best part about our suite this year was the kitchen. It was tiny – a real "convenience" kitchen, so to speak – but after spending both my freshman and sophomore years in jailcell-sized dorm rooms, it was a step up.

Alice left only to return an hour later with Jasper and a bottle of wine.

Not wanting to seem over eager, I hemmed and hawed around the topic of Edward's whereabouts. It was kind of embarrassing she knew about my feelings; thank God she didn't know the extent of it, particularly our bizarre past.

Alice knew me, though, and had for years.

"He'll be by in a bit," she said, leaning on the counter as I eased the heavy pan of steaming lasagna on to a dishtowel to cool. "He's in sort of a mood."

I rolled my eyes. That was something I knew more about than I cared to.

"He got bad news today," she added, having noticed my expression.

"What about?" I turned to her, peeling my oven mitts off and tossing them on to the counter.

Alice hesitated, chewing the inside of her cheek. "My Aunt Kate had a miscarriage a couple of days ago. Edward got really close to her and Uncle Garrett and their two girls when he stayed with them in Ketchikan."

"Ketchikan?" I echoed, my stomach hardening into a lump. There were so many things I still didn't know about Edward, and the interim of time we'd been apart.

"The little town in Alaska where he went," she said. "He keeps in touch…emails, postcards… my little cousins are in love with him. There would have been one more, but..."

"I'm really sorry, Al," I whispered, touching her arm. She'd lost a little cousin, too.

She smiled weakly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know they have two beautiful girls, and they'll probably try again, it's just… I don't know. They were so excited – they'd already found out the sex and everything. It was a little boy….and they wanted to give him Edward as a middle name, just because of how close they've all gotten. They practically saved my brother's life, Bella. He was a mess when he went to live with them."

I linked my fingers through hers, listening quietly. Jasper appeared in the doorway, his eyes softening when he looked at Alice. "I'm gonna run to the store for that garlic bread, Bella, okay?"

"That would be great, thanks," I nodded.

"Drive safely," Alice called softly.

"I will." The door shut behind him and we turned to one another again.

"Well, thanks for letting me know," I sighed. "He can be so hard to read sometimes… I never want to say the wrong thing."

"Oh, you couldn't," she said, laughing a little. "I think he's pretty in to you."

"Yeah, now he is," I chuckled, immediately cringing inwardly.

Sharp as a tack, Alice narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, 'now' he is?"

"Just… I had a little crush on him senior year. Well…actually, all through high school," I mumbled, knowing my face was fire engine red.

"No kidding?" she said, visibly surprised. "Um, you hid it well."

"I had to," I shrugged. "He didn't feel the same way."

"Wow," she shook her head. "I never knew."

"Do you want to pop open that wine?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"Sure," she walked briskly to the other end of the counter – which was about two steps away - and grabbed the corkscrew, getting to work.

Minutes later the door opened and shut. Jasper walked into the kitchen, Edward trailing behind him.

"Look what the cat dragged in," I said lightly, watching him carefully. His eyes were on me right away and I smiled, wanting so much to be a source of comfort for him.

I recognized these feelings of physical attraction and maybe even lust, but even more so of wanting to just be there for him. Seeing him hurt inexplicably actually made me hurt a bit too. It was odd and I didn't quite understand it, but I could accept it.

He smiled back. "Hey, Bella. Thanks for having me over."

"It's cool," I frowned, wondering if he thought I didn't usually like being around him. "We're always at Alice's; I figured we could all use a change of pace."

Within minutes we'd moved to the living room, the only spot where there was enough space to accommodate us all. Alice and I had blown right through our rather light Riesling and decided to hound the boys to share their twelve pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Kate and Charlotte joined us soon after, and before long we were a loud and rowdy lot, eating and drinking and being proverbially merry.

Every now and then I glanced at Edward, just to make sure he was doing alright. He seemed fine, a little more quiet than usual, but fine. When my roommates retired and Jasper turned the TV on, I tapped Edward's hand lightly.

"I wanted to show you something," I said.

"Okay," he rose from his seat and followed me to my room.

Heart pounding, I quickly unearthed the photos of him and handed them over. He'd probably think I was a stalker, that my aloofness since we'd reunited had all been an act.

He frowned, looking closely at each photograph, careful to hold them by the edges.

"When was this?"

"About a month ago," I said. "Before it got too cold."

"Hm. I think I remember that day, actually."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," his eyes twinkled as he looked up. "I didn't know I was being watched."

"I didn't know you were there at first," I shot back, trying to keep it playful. "But, you, like, blended in with the leaves and all, so, I just… wanted to capture that."

"My mom would love these," he said, smiling.

"That's exactly what Alice said," I laughed.

I took a step back, feeling the familiar tension thicken between us. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but I didn't feel ready. "Anyway, you can take them. I have a set for myself."

Nice, Bella. Because you didn't look obsessed before.

He nodded again, tucking the photos beneath his arm, and we left my room.

On the couch, I returned to my original spot, but Edward didn't. He sat right next to me, so close our thighs were touching.

"Here's a blanket," Alice said sweetly, tossing one over from her place on the carpet.