Chapter Nineteen

I packed my stuff into my bag, along with some things from inside the car I might need, and braced myself for the impact of Edward Cullen's probable wrath. I did not know how he was going to act.

Edward drove his sleek, black Audi up next to my beat-up Corolla, keeping the engine running as he got out. He was dressed in dark denim on black leather. He looked incredible and put every single one of my mental images of him to shame.

"Your mom called. She told me you were almost roadkill?" He chuckled genuinely, and I rolled my eyes.

"She clearly over-exaggerated. As per usual." Edward nodded, stepping in closer, his silhouette casting a shadow over me, created by his led headlights.

"I guess if you don't need me, I'll be on my way then," he teased. My eyes grew large.

"What? No, please, I do need you." Edward's eyes narrowed as he looked away from me. "As a matter of fact, I need a knight in shining, top-notch German craftsmanship." I tried to lighten the mood and smiled as I succeeded.

"Then this damsel is in luck. I happen to have one of those right here. All ready to swoop in and rescue you from your distress." I was unable to hold back my laughter when Edward attempted a bow. It was hard to tell if this was just for shits and giggles, or actual flirting.

"Pop the hood, I'll take a look." After a few minutes of helping Edward out with the flashlight of my phone, he looked at me with one cocked brow. He directed a giant sigh out of pure frustration at me next.

"B, when was your last maintenance check? I swear there is practically no oil left in this thing anymore."

Oops.

"You know what? I'll check it out tomorrow. It's too dark to see a damn, anyway."

I nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." I was. I was sorry for everything. For the way I acted, for wasting his time tonight, for the way things escalated between us, and because I hadn't heard from him. I let my eyes absorb everything right now; the way his tousled hair moved in the slight breeze and how his eyes looked incredibly green, yet painfully indifferent.

"Let's go. I was just on my way to the bar when your mom called." He put down the hood of my car and stared at me, wordlessly. The wind showered me with the delectable scent of his cologne. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I miss you," I blurted out. Edward's gaze stayed on me, but his expression softened.

"I miss you too, B." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jackets. Emotions weren't really his thing, I knew that, so him telling me he missed me meant a great deal to me.

"Why didn't you text me?" I caved, dropping the cool and standoffish demeanor I swore to myself to give off tonight. "Do you hate me? You can tell me the truth. I swear I can handle it." I kept on rambling like I couldn't stop myself now that we stood face-to-face to each other with no way to escape. He used to divert questions like this in text messages, but there was no way he could do that now. I had him in the proverbial corner.

"I'm sorry, I should ju-" Edward's lips crashed onto mine, shutting me up successfully.

There was nothing for me to say anymore since the kiss did all the talking for me. It was demanding, aggressive, and all-consuming. My heart was dancing wildly in my chest and almost shattered when Edward traced my lower lip with his tongue before biting it.

I moaned into his mouth, gripping the front of his sweater tightly. I tried to cling to him even closer, to this, to this moment, for as long as he'd let me, for as long as I could.

Edward pushed me against the side of my car, his breath hot and heavy against my bare clavicle. He sucked the skin there and bit down playfully, sending me into a frenzy. Part of me wished he'd leave a mark, so it would remind me that this actually happened.