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24. Electric Love

Baby you're like lightning in a bottle
I can't let you go now that I got it
And all I need is to be struck
By your electric love
Baby your electric love
Electric love

- Electric Love, Borns

After Edward's birthday, the summer goes by quickly.

Rose starts spending more time at my house, rather than with Royce, which makes me think that things aren't going as smoothly with them as they have been. Her parents' divorce is getting ugly and she needs a place to go. She's been spending the night more times than not, which isn't that random. A lot of our friends crash out our house during the summer.

It isn't just Rose that's been making appearances at our house. The rest of the girls hang out here when none of us are busy with work and we have group sleepovers like we used to, eating too much junk food and staying up way too late. It's nice to spend time just the four of us without the guys and the worry that one of them will put our bras in the freezer.

All of us go to Bond Park for the Fourth of July, spreading out a blanket near the lake. Once again, Royce is absent and none of says anything about, because Rose doesn't. The interactions between her and Charlotte are strained, which is to be expected, I guess. I can't imagine I'd do any better if I ever come face to face with Tanya.

"I like her," Rose whispers to me, leaning close to my side and bumping my shoulder with hers. She's looking over at Emmett pulling Charlotte into his lap, kissing her on the cheek and making her blush. The look in Rose's eyes is almost one of jealousy as she observes the couple, and I almost want to ask about Royce, but decide against it. If Rose wants to talk about something, she will.

I play with a piece of fluff on the blanket, "Yeah, they're good together." Charlotte brings out a less obnoxious, foul mouthed version of my brother. It's almost impossible to explain, but it's almost like he's softer, when she's around. I never want her to leave. He's actually been pleasant to live with recently, and I don't know what I'll do if he reverts back to his old ways of torturing me. It's nice not to have to worry about some weird substance being in my shampoo bottle.

"I didn't know that you were such a good matchmaker." She teases.

I look at her, my eyebrows lift in surprise. The only people that I've told about that is Edward and well, Emmett. I've been keeping that particular tidbit of information to myself because I don't want Charlotte to find out. I think that she'll melt into a puddle of embarrassment if she ever does.

"Alice told me. You know nothing ever stays a secret for long with this group. None of them can keep a secret." Her voice lowers further, "Don't worry, none of us have told her. If that's what you're worried about." While secrets do spread like wildfire through our small group, they never leave the original eight of us. So, I'm not that worried about it, but there is that fear.

"How are you doing anyway, with everything?" I segue into another subject. She hasn't talked about it at all, but I'm worried about her, and I want to know that at least she's handling everything okay. Or, at least mildly better than she was.

She sighs, looking up at the dark sky above us. "It's hard, but I'm making it." her eyes find mine again. She must see the skeptical look in them because she says, "I really am fine, Bella." The first firework erupts in the sky, "Let's just watch the fireworks like we came here to do."

Edward's arms find their way around me, pulling my back against his chest. "You okay?" he whispers in my ear, and I nod, unable to tear my eyes off my clearly hurting friend, who's trying to convince me she's finer than she actually is.

I tap Rose with my toe, giving her a smile when she looks at me, which she tries to return, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes and I think that I see her chin quiver, but she turns her head away. Her expression is haunted, and it makes me feel guilty for being as happy as I am which I know is ridiculous, but I can't help the way that I feel.

We spend the rest of the evening enjoying the show, and the guys finish off all four bags of chips and the box of cookies we brought with us.

Our mom starts pestering us about what we want to do for our birthday over the next several weeks. I assume that we'll do what we always do. A pool party and burgers, with our friends staying over most of the night. But no, Emmett wants to do something different. I'm expecting him to say something like Dave and Buster's or laser tag or paintball. Not exactly my first choice, but not something that I'll hate either. I'm actually a pretty good shot, especially when I have my brother's big head as a target. Instead, he shocks me by saying that he wants to go ice skating. Here I thought that there's nothing that my brother can do that'll surprise me anymore. Really, I think that it's more of a Charlotte likes to do it thing, and he wants to impress her. Because he's like that.

"Ow! Fuc…dge." I quickly save face from the mother of the little girl with the big doe eyes that's staring at me where I lay on the cold, hard ice of the rink. The little girl's mother shoots me a disapproving look as she ushers her daughter away, telling me with her eyes that she thinks that I'm a bad influence. "Ow!" I moan again, gripping the ledge of the wall and hoisting myself up, rather ungracefully.

The ice rink thing wasn't my idea. I personally hadn't looked forward to a night of freezing my butt off when I don't have to or falling on my ass so much, I'll forever have a bruise. It's all Emmett, my evil genius of a brother who I'm shooting daggers at across the ice where he's gliding across the slippery surface without a care in the world.

ASS!

I've only been ice skating once, and that was in fourth grade, back before Jasper joined the group. Alice had a birthday party at this very rink. I hated it; it went as well as it's going today. My ankles ached for two days afterward. So, when Emmett suggested this, I said no. Actually, it was more of a hell no. This birthday is half mine, I was determined that he wasn't going to pressure me into something that I didn't want to do for once. I was doing well, I insistently told him no for days. It wasn't until he tackled me, held me down with his knees on my shoulders, and flicked my nose with his finger, that I said yes. I swear he stopped maturing at twelve. But I did make him agree to going to Gypsy's Shiny Diner for dinner.

Right now, I'm cursing the fact that I relented, and I want to take one of my skates off and bludgeon him to death with it full on Final Destination style.

"You okay?" Edward glides to a smooth halt next to where my body is clinging to the side for all it's worth, because I really don't want to fall again.

I punch him in the shoulder, hard, irritated with him as well, but immediately regret the action because I almost fall again and have to regain my death grip on the wall. "Where did you go? You said that you weren't going to leave me!" I sound like a petulant five-year-old that didn't the ice cream that they wanted, but dammit he promised that he wouldn't leave my side! Now, I have a new bruise to add to the collection and a disgruntled parent that's now praying for my soul because I almost tainted her child's ears with the f-word. I half expect her to come throw holy water on me.

He winces, rubbing his arm, all the while giving me a guilty look. "I'm sorry. I thought that you were right beside me."

I sigh, unable to stay mad at him. He didn't do anything wrong. It's not his fault that I suck at this and go at a snail's pace.

"Are you sure you're fine?" he looks me over, giving me a visual inspection, probably to make sure that I'm not bleeding.

"Yeah," I grumble, rubbing my now very tender hip. "My butt hurts."

He gives me a grin that's equivalent to that of schoolboy, leaning in so that his mouth is close to my ear, his hand going to give my ass an inconspicuous squeeze. "I could kiss it better." The words slide out of his mouth like silk, making my knees weak and my breath hitch.

It's been almost two months since that fateful day in his room, and we do it like the hormone riddled teenagers that we are. While it feels good and there's no way that I can ever get enough of him, it isn't mind-blowingly orgasmic like all the movies and tv shows claim it to be. Sometimes it's awkward with fumbling hands and limbs as we try to figure it out. There's never a happy ending during the actual act for me.

He knows exactly what he's doing when he says things like that, he's wearing that cocky smirk that I love to hate, and I can't help it, I launch myself at him, using the extra little bit of height the skates provide to mold my body to his. We're basically giving all our friends and strangers here with us a floor show, but I can't seem to care, because I'm too preoccupied with my tongue down my boyfriend's throat.

Someone gives out a low whistle, causing us to pull apart. I'm already glaring because I know who the cause of the noise is. Freaking Emmett! My brother is coming toward us with a shit eating grin on his face, totally unfazed by the daggers that I'm shooting him.

"Having fun?" He wiggles his eyebrows at us, making Edward and me blush.

"So much!" I sarcastically reply in a sickeningly sweet voice. He only beams brighter. God, I hate him! I take back everything I said about him being easier to live with. He's worse.

"Looked like you were," his words imply his double meaning well as he starts to skate away. "Oh, how's your ass? That looked like a nasty fall." He smiles brightly, turning to go back to Charlotte.

I grit my teeth. What I really want to do is jump on his back and strangle him to death with my bare hands, but I refrain because I don't want to go to jail on my birthday. Maybe another time.

"I hate you!" I hiss at Emmett's beaming face. He's way too happy about my pain. I wonder if he'd have that same smile on his face if I were to knee him in the balls?

Edward shook his head at us, much like our parents. "You two amuse me."

I'm going to come back with something smart, but my feet have a mind of their own, deciding to slide out from under me instead. I'm not sure how this happens, considering I'm completely still, but if anyone's going to figure out a way to fall on their face under mysterious circumstances, it's going to be me.

Edward catches me tightly around the waist before I can fall, my fingers gripping his shirt while I try to steady myself.

Pushing the hair that's fallen in my face back, I say: "I think that I'm going to sit this one out."

Once I'm safely off the ice and sitting on a bench beside the rink, I take the skates off my aching feet. They're throbbing about as badly as a six-hour shift at work and I've only been on the ice maybe an hour.

I spend the next half hour watching my friends on the ice, which is its own form of entertainment. I watch as the guys immaturely played tag, and I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one that's annoyed that poor mom. Claire's the only one that's having difficulties like me, though she's able to stay vertical.

The girls find their way to the sidelines to watch the boys roughhousing from the safety of the bench with me. The five us joke and yell at them from the sidelines, acting like we think they're being childish, when we're actually amused and making bets over who we think will win. Once the guys are winded and gasping, they finally vacate the ice, pushing and shoving each other like kids and throwing around insults that aren't any better than a five-year-olds.

Quil's shakes his sweaty head in Claire's direction, making her fake gag.

"You're such a child!" she cries, wiping her damp cheek with the back of her hand, knocking him playfully in the ribs with her elbow.

"Yeah, but you love me." He playfully ruffles her hair, sending her curls into disarray.

"Hardly." She says fixing her hair.

Emmett looks at me, his arm around Charlotte's shoulders. "Gypsy's?"

I smirk at him, "You know it."

"I love that place!" Alice gushes, giddily.

"What's Gypsy's?" Edward's question has us all looking at him like he just admitted to committing murder.

"You've never been to Gypsy's Shiny Diner?" I ask him, my eyes wide with mock shock. How had he lived here this long and never gone to Gypsy's? That's sacrilege!

He rocks back on his heels, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Bad thing?" Alice pipes in. "You're only missing out on the best place in town to a milkshake."

"And a BLT!" Claire chimes in, trying to remain as serious as we are, but the smile is threatening to break free at the corners of her mouth.

"And fries!" Rose adds. Fries are basically their own food group to her. She always gets extra fries when we go to Gypsy's. I, on the other hand, can't enough of their home-made chips.

"They also have the best chocolate cake!" Charlotte looks at him like he's from another planet.

"Don't forget their burgers!" I add. "How have I let this happen? The love of my life has never been to Gypsy's!"

"Are their burgers better than The Library's?" He's smiling at me, eyes glowing.

"Don't tell my parents… but, yes."

"Can we stop talking about going to get food, and actually get food? I'm starving." Jasper pleads.

"Fine, let's go!" I joke as we all collect our things and start heading for the exit.

"Love of your life?" He kisses my forehead as we walk out of the skate rink. I hadn't even thought twice about the words before I said them, they just come out so naturally.

I bite my lip to contain my grin, "Yes. If that's alright with you?"

He throws his arm around my shoulders, pulling me snuggly into his side, and mine finds its way around his waist, like it's meant to be there. "More than."

It's probably stupid and childish to call him the love of my life when I'm still basically a child. But, at this moment as we're laughing and joking around with our friends on this summer night, it's exactly how I feel.

Gypsy's and Cary Icehouse practically share a parking lot, so all we have to do is walk through some bushes that separate them.

Gypsy's is a typical 1950s diner with chrome, neon lights, a checkerboard floor, and signs advertising their specials hanging on the walls. There's a jukebox right inside the door and a huge desert case hooked to the front counter. When Emmett and I were younger, back before our parents opened The Library, dad would bring us here, sit us at the counter on either side of him, and buy us a piece of coconut cake the size our heads to share, spoiling our dinner. Mom would always fuss at him when we got home, trying to make it seem like it annoyed her. But when she'd go back to working on dinner, there was a smirk on her face.

We all pile into the large circular booth in the corner, with little room to spare. Our waitress tonight is a Romanian woman who has worked here for as long as I can remember. She greets us warmly, like it's been only days since we've been in here last, instead of months. She's like this with everybody and I wonder how she can keep everyone straight. I wonder how much of it is faking it until she makes it, or if she just has a talent for recognizing faces.

Emmett and Jasper take turns putting change in the jukebox, playing the same two songs over and over again. We all order cheeseburgers and milkshakes, and coconut cake for dessert even though we're all more than full.

"So, was it as good as we said, or did we over sell it?" I ask Edward as we fight over the last few pieces of cake we're sharing.

He wiggles his eyebrows triumphantly as he pierces a piece of the cake, sticking it quickly in his mouth. "It's okay." He drawls, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

I smile at him, taking the last piece of cake. "I can't believe you've lived here for so long and have never been here before. That's kind of a crime."

He just shrugs, his arms splayed out on the back of the booth, his hand giving my shoulder a squeeze.

When we finally vacate the booth, I think that all the other patrons are happy that the loud obnoxious teenagers are leaving. We make our way back to our cars. Alice is piggybacking Jasper so the leaves on the bushes won't scratch her bare legs.

We all head into the directions of our cars, saying that they'll meet us back our house.

Edward puts his hand on my arm, halting me from opening the passenger side door. "I have something for you." He takes out a small jewelry box from his back pocket and hands it to me.

I give him a scrupulous look, because he totally didn't follow the rules. "I told you not to spend money on my present. Fair's fair." His present hadn't cost me anything because I used things that were at my disposal at camp. I'd wanted to keep it even.

He sighs heavily, "I bought it a couple of months ago. Just open it, will you?" He teases.

I hold the box in my hand, eyeing it skeptically. No one other than him has ever given me jewelry before, not even my parents. I'm not big on it, anyway. Basically, the only things I wore were studs from Claire's that were cheap because I knew how quickly I would lose them, or the earrings that he made for me that I save for special occasions so nothing will happen to them.

Stealing myself, I open the lid to reveal a delicate rose gold chain with a an equally dainty B hanging off it. Along the straight edge of the letter are small diamonds, with a small diamond charm hanging beside it. It's beautiful. And somehow so completely me.

Edward stands before me, nervously rocking back on his heels as I continue to look at the necklace, speechless. "I know that jewelry isn't something you wear a lot of, but when I saw it, I couldn't help myself. It just looked like you. If you don't like it, I can take it…"

Coming to my senses, I cover his mouth with my hand. "And you say I ramble." I can't help but tease him, causing him to roll his eyes. "I love it." It's everything that I didn't know I wanted. I should've known better than to be nervous, he knows me too well.

"You really like it?" His cheeks are slightly pink when asks this, and I find it endearing that he can go from confident to unsure of himself so quickly.

"I told you I did, didn't I?" I extend the box to him again, "Put it on me?"

He takes it from me, and I turn and lift my hair so that he can do the clasp.

"You totally bought this after I told you not to, didn't you?" I finger the chain around my neck, calling his bluff, because I know him too well.

He smiles, shaking his head. "Yeah."

"You're really bad about following rules." I tease, getting into the car.

I hold his hand the entire ride back to my house. It's hard for me to believe that in just a few days, school will be starting again. I'm dreading it, for a myriad of reasons. It's Edward's senior year, which means it's going to be filled with stress and college applications. It's stupid really, to be worried about it, but I can't help it. The start of the school year only brings us that much closer to the inevitable.

The rest of our friends have already arrived, and there's a flurry of activity. It takes me a minute to realize that all the commotion is Rose fighting with Royce, rather loudly in my driveway. He hasn't been around all summer, I thought they'd been over. But here is, having appeared in my driveway.

Once Edward's parked the car, I get out, heading quickly in their direction to see what's going on.

"Just leave me alone! We're done!" Rose screams, going to turn away from him, clearly done with whatever argument they're having.

Royce makes the mistake of grabbing her arm, refusing to let her get away.

"Let me go!" Rose's voice is menacing, as she tries to break his hold on her arm. Neither one of them is giving in.

Next thing I know, my brother's fist connects with Royce's jaw, causing him to let go of Rose's arm and stumble backward slightly. It's like a scene in a movie and suddenly they're a flurry of punches.

"You don't give a shit about her!" Emmett roars, punctuating each word with a punch to Royce's face as they roll around on the ground. Royce getting his own blows in.

"Why do you care so fucking much about goes on between me and my girlfriend?!" Royce has Emmett into a headlock, and I swear my twin is turning blue.

"She's not your girlfriend anymore!" Emmett wheezes, elbowing Royce in the stomach.

Royce grunts at the impact, "I bet you just want her for yourself, don't you?"

Jasper and Quil are finally able to wrestle my brother off Royce, Edward stepping in between them, putting his hand on Royce's chest when he acts like he wants to continue the brawl.

Royce wipes the blood from his busted lip with the back of his hand, giving Rose a look of almost disgust. "You can have the bitch." he sneers, stalking off into the direction of his car.

There're tears sliding down her face at his words, and her eyes dart to my brother, confused.

Emmett stands there, spitting blood onto the ground. Everyone is silent as the atmosphere settles again, no one knowing what to say.

This is definitely not the birthday that I was expecting.

A/N: I have very little of the next chapter written. I started it before I did my editing, so it won't be going up until next weekend some time.

I would love to know what you thought.

See you soon.