Epilogue 2.

I'm on my third beer when I notice the girl scowling at me from across the room. Short dark hair, colourful tattoos crawling across her shoulders… It takes me a second to place her, just because the context throws me—I've never seen her off campus.

Alice is doing mechatronic engineering and we had a few classes together in first year. I still bump into her in the library every now and then, and just last week she was all smiles while she waited for me to finish using one of the photocopiers. Which makes the whole shooting-daggers-from-her-eyes thing a bit weird. I look around, just to make sure, but no, she's definitely aiming them at me.

I look away, finish my beer. Bella asks me if I want another and when I say "sure," she says, "Good, get me one, too," and tells me to order some chips as well.

She disappears to the ladies' room and I wave Em over. While he's pulling a few more beers out from his secret stash of stuff he's either working on or scoping out, I chance a quick glance at Alice.

Still frowning. Weird.

Bella comes back and before she climbs back onto her stool, she kisses me. Really kisses me, her tongue sliding against mine and her fingers gripping my shoulders and I'm about a minute away from forgetting we're in a really public place when she pulls away. She gives me a smile and pats me on the cheek.

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

She shrugs. "I missed you."

Behind her, Alice is now looking murderous. I'm thinking I might have to go ask her what the hell her beef with me is, when she comes stomping over. She grabs Bella's arm and stands on her tiptoes to whisper in Bella's ear.

Bella frowns, but nods and starts to get up. "Back in a sec," she tells me.

I tap my fingers on the bar, keeping time with John Butler Trio's Zebra, while I wait.

Alice leads Bella over into a corner where she appears to be telling her off about something. Alice jabs her own upper arm a few times, then she actually wags her finger in Bella's face, like she's rousing on a toddler. She then jabs that finger in my direction. What the hell is this girl's caper?

Bella's listening with this strange expression on her face, and then, just as I'm about to go over and demand an explanation, she throws her head back and starts laughing.

Alice looks even more pissed, which I didn't think was possible, and she waves for some guy to come join them. He's blond, tanned, looks like a typical surf rat, and I'm pretty sure I don't know him. He says something to Bella, who's still laughing, and she shakes her head.

Nah, this is bullshit. I'm trying to get Emmett's attention, to tell him to watch our food, when Bella comes back, Alice and the dude in tow. Bella's still grinning, which is kind of comforting, and Alice and the dude just look confused.

"What's going on?"

Bella tries to keep a straight face as she introduces me. "You know Alice, right? This is her boyfriend, Jasper. Jasper, this is Edward."

We shake and I totally act like a grown-up and don't even try to squash his hand.

I direct my question to Bella. "How do you know each other?"

"Jasper's in my Language and Literacy class. We did a presentation together earlier in the semester."

"Right." I remember her talking about that one. She ended up doing most of the work—partly because he kept cancelling study dates on her, and partly because she's just a perfectionist.

"Anyway." Her smile is cheeky. "They think you're cheating with me."

I just blink at her, because the words don't make sense. "I'm…" I look from Alice to Jasper. "What the fuck–"

"Babe." Bella puts her hand over my mouth. "With. Not on."

I don't even know what she's saying. I can't think straight. I look at Bella, and she's still smiling, so I trust in that. "Explain, please."

She takes my hand and slides her fingers between mine. "So, you ran into Alice last week, right?"

"Yeah. In the computer lab."

Alice folds her arms across her chest. I ignore her.

"And did you maybe talk about this?" Bella traces her fingertip over the star jasmine vines wrapped around my bicep. Only a few licks of ink are visible, sneaking out from under the sleeve of my T-shirt.

I nod. I tell her that Alice had asked me where I got it done.

"And did she maybe ask what it means?"

"Yeah." I frown at Alice. "I told her they were for my girlfriend."

Bella sighs and squints up at me. She takes pity on me and explains. "Babe, you told her you got jasmine because your girlfriend is called Jasmine."

Oh.

Oh.

It's my turn to crack up.

Bella turns to Alice, who is looking completely frustrated. "I get that you were concerned," she says. "But Edward calls me Jasmine. He has for years."

Alice raises her eyebrows. She looks sceptical. "You're Jasmine."

Bella leans against me and I kiss her shoulder. She smells soapy and clean—it's quite distracting.

"Yeah," she says. "It's kind of a long story."

Thanks for reading! Shell x