Soothing Cold

Chapter 22

BPOV

I hurry out the school doors, shoving my homework hastily into my bag, uncaring if the pages got bent. I'm slightly later getting out the doors than I'd intended to be, so now the parking lot is full of students rushing to get in their cars and leave.

"Hey, Bella, wait up!" I voice calls, and I glance over my shoulder before reluctantly turning to face the blond boy.

Mike Newton comes running up, looking as if he had been waiting for me to come out of the doors. This year, since I started talking more to the other students, he's been hovering a bit more when I don't have a Cullen immediately at my side.

I think they intimidate him for some reason, which is completely ridiculous. They're aren't scary at all.

I bounce a bit impatiently as he stops a few feet away looking nervous.

I intended to be one of the first ones out of school today and on my way to the Res by now. Quil has completely abandoned Jacob to join Sam, and I'm getting more and more concerned about my brothers.

I expected Embry to come crawling sheepishly back after a week or two, but it's been months, and then Quil started acting weird before up and ditching us. Leah is still completely shutting us out, so now our five are down to two.

I wanted to be there for Jacob today to reassure him that I'm not the next to leave him.

"What is it Mike," I ask impatiently when he doesn't immediately say anything.

"Well," he blushes. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out some time."

My stomach drops. No. No I do not want to go out with him some time.

I dart my eyes about the parking lot for a moment, looking for an escape when my gaze lands on Rosalie across the lot. She had a scowl when my eyes first landed on her, but it quickly changes into an encouraging smile, as she nods at me.

I breathe out slowly before pasting an apologetic smile on my face and turning back to the fidgeting boy.

"Sorry, I'm not really interested," I tell him before quickly, and with relief, turn to make my escape.

"Wait, I-" he catches my wrist, making me suck in a quick sharp breath as spiders crawl outward from the unexpected contact.

I instinctively spin back toward the boy, and my right hook catches him by surprise in the cheek.

He staggers sideways, dropping my limb real quick as I blink at him with just as much shock as he looks at me with.

I don't apologize, though, as I subtly shake out my hand. I've never actually punched someone before.

"Please do not touch me," I say firmly, readjusting my bag that had fallen off my shoulder.

"Sorry," he stammers, cradling his cheek.

"It's alright as long as you don't do it again," I turn away dismissively, and when I meet Rose's eyes again, I can't fight off a huge grin that splits across my face. Her answering one is already in place, looking every bit proud.

I didn't freak out. I didn't even dissociate. My heart had leapt, but I remained relatively calm.

I don't pause to talk to her though, or Emmett who is bent double laughing. I have somewhere to be, and I don't hesitate to get into my truck and pull out into the slow flow of traffic away from the school.

…

"Can I ask for some advice?" I ask hesitantly, picking at the frayed edges of a throw pillow.

"That's kind of what I'm here for," my therapist, Theresa, laughs slightly before waving encouragingly at me.

"Well, you know how I'm kind of in love with Rose…?" I ask, feeling distinctly uncomfortable as my face becomes hot.

"I am aware," the older woman nods unjudgmentally at me.

"Well, I'm almost certain that she likes me the same way, but I haven't been anywhere near ready for a relationship," I pause, making sure my shrink is following. She is, so I continue. "But whenever we've hung out alone lately, it's been feeling more and more date-like."

"So you.. what? Want to slow down? Feel like you are ready for more now, but don't know how to say so?" Theresa asks patiently.

"The second one," I mumble with a large blush spreading across my face.

"Well, that's an easy one. Talk to her about it. Let her know exactly where you stand. From what you've told me, she knows that's you've been through a trauma so if she feels the same way you do as you suspect, she's probably waiting for you to decide you are ready and going to let you set the pace."

I sigh deeply and in frustration as my shrink just smiles sympathetically. I already knew all this, and she knows it.

"Try asking her out on a date and calling it a date. That will let her know that you might be ready for something more."

"I guess," I sigh, feeling irritated for no apparent reason at all. I don't know what I was wanting to hear, I didn't even know I was hoping to hear something specific, but this wasn't it.

Talking, though. It's as good advice as any. I'm just a bit tired of talking about things, though.

…..

"Hey, Rose," I call as we wander through the forest. There is no particular reason that we're out here, I just felt like a walk and the trail through the trees in my backyard seemed as good enough of a direction as anywhere else.

"What's up?" she asks, using one hand to hold herself up as she allows her weight to spin her around a tree in front of me.

Nervousness and doubt creep into my chest as I hesitate. I don't think I'm wrong about her feelings, but I could be. After all, who would want me?

My vampire pauses as my heart races just a bit, and she straightens up to give me her full undivided attention as her face pulls into concern.

"Um," I swallow and offer a small smile. "Would you, maybe… want to go on a date with me? Like a real date that's actually a date?" I rush out quickly.

Topaz eyes blink, surprised at me, before they soften and a slow teasing smile crawls across her lips. My heart beats just a little bit faster at the sight, and I know that she can hear it.

"And what would you call an actual date, if what we have already done can't be considered a date?" she comes closer, absently hopping over a fallen log.

"Well, that's-" I stutter at her sudden closeness. I've been even closer to her before, but it just feels different right now. It probably has to do with the topic. "Well I'd like to actually call it a date," I admit shyly, a blush creeping up my neck. "I know that a lot of what we do with each other is already date-like, but… I'd like to actually be in a relationship with you. As more than friends."

Several seconds stretch by, and I just look up at my vampire through my lashes patiently as her expression completely softens into adoration.

She takes my hand gently into hers and brushes a kiss against my cheek. "Of course, I'd love to go on a date with you. Thank you for asking. How about this Saturday? Alice says there's going to be a thunderstorm, so we are going to go play baseball up in the mountains. You can come with us?"

"No," I say regretfully, hating to turn down any time spent with her. "Saturday is Jacob day, remember? I can't bail on him right now. Though if it's storming, we'll probably stay inside watching movies."

"That's fine. But on Sunday, you are mine, okay?" she takes my hand, tugging me slowly along the path.

"Okay," I grin giddily.

A/N: ONE more chapter until the epilogue. I already have them written so this story will be completely finished in two weeks. Man, I started this a long while ago. I feel like my writing has changed so much from that first chapter.

So how did we feel about Bella decking Newton, huh? I have to admit, I enjoyed writing that immensely. Please review.

~Silver~