Chapter 6. The Morning After

Edward's arm is around my waist when I open my eyes, his face nestled in my neck.

As the sun starts peeking through the van's rear window, I am able to better appreciate his features. His sun-kissed hair. The stubble on his jaw. The freckles on his shoulders. How the hair on his forearms looks almost bleached from the sun against his golden skin.

I also appreciate other non-visual features, like the warmth emanating from his body next to mine. Or the fluttering it produces in my stomach when he inches closer to me. His movements are almost instinctual, like he's seeking my warmth as much as I crave his.

Even in his slumber, he looks beautiful. Peaceful and at ease.

This is the Edward I want to get to know. Not just the surly drunken man from the bar. The one who looked so broken. Shattered without hope of repair.

I know he is in there too though—dark and light, night and day.

The sun shining through the window brings another fact to my attention. If this were a one-night stand, then it would be time for my walk of shame. And while nothing happened between us, I still have to go.

"Hey," I whisper softly, patting him on his shoulder. "I have to go."

An unintelligible noise that sounds a lot like a whimper comes out of him, as his arm tightens around my waist. His breath warm and rushed in my neck makes me want to hold him just a little longer. But Rose will worry if I don't show up before she's awake, and we have to meet Prof. McCarty and the research crew at the beach early in the morning.

My time is up.

With a sigh, I untangle myself from Edward's arms and sneak out of bed, taking one last look at him before exiting his van. He brings my pillow to his chest and takes a deep breath before he is softly snoring again.

The lilac sky brightened by the sunrise almost takes my breath away as I step out into the morning. Waking up to this beauty would make me want to live in a van by the beach as well.

And I don't just mean the sunrise.

With the sun shining, the climb down looks way easier, and before I can glance over my shoulder and have another internal debate about staying for just five more minutes, I am on my way.

~~o~~

The blackout curtains of our cabin throw it into complete darkness despite the sun being already out. I tip-toe inside, making a quick trip to the bathroom, before heading to my bed, hoping not to wake Rose at this early hour of the morning.

Unfortunately, my mattress isn't as silent as I hoped, and when I get in the bed, Rose sits up abruptly.

"Bella?!" She sounds surprised and slightly frightened, but as she looks at me, she relaxes.

"It's me," I whisper, hoping she'll go back to sleep. Instead, she pulls the metal cord of the nightstand lamp and flinches at the light.

"What time is it?" She rubs her eyes with one hand while the other grabs at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Her eyes widen at the red six flashing on it. "Oh, you skank, I didn't think you'd actually follow through. How was it?"

"It was a dream!" I say jokingly, and she laughs, leaving her bed and getting in mine.

"Tell me everything."

"He's…" I pause, because how do you describe such a guy?

"Is he tall?"

I nod.

"Tan?"

I nod again.

"A local?"

"I think he lives here, but he's American."

"Hmmm…" Rose hums in disappointment. "So how was it though? Was it good? Did you… Did he…?" She waggles her eyebrows at me, but my face must betray me because it then turns into a frown. "Did you kiss? Was there at least some heavy petting? Dry humping? Something? Anything?"

Her questions make me snort and she gives me a look. "I hope there was none of that."

"We… talked." And even that is a stretch. I decide to leave out the fact that he was heavily intoxicated.

"Have I not taught you anything?" Rose groans, getting up.

"He showed me his van." I glance at her coyly from my bed.

"Please tell me that's Costa Rican for penis."

My body shakes with laughter, and she throws a pillow at me.

"I can't believe you woke me up for this." She gets back in her bed and pulls on the metal cord again, making the room dark. "I'll find you a guy today." She rolls over so her back is to me. "One that doesn't live in a fucking van."

We sleep for another hour before our alarm goes off. We get ready quickly and meet Prof. McCarty at the station's dining hall, which is only a short walk from our cabin. There's a continental breakfast set up, and we all stack our plates and then sit down to go over the plans for the day.

We're supposed to meet with the research crew and local turtle conservationist, Jacob Black. He is well-known in town, and he's supposed to show us around the protected part of the beach today, where the turtles lay their eggs.

"Now, not to worry you girls, but I received an early call from Jacob this morning." Emmett clasps his hands over the table, a serious expression on his face. "Apparently there were some written signs left on the beach this morning… with threats against conservationists groups."

"Threats? From whom?" I ask before taking a bite of my toast.

"Egg poachers?" Rose asks next to me, and Emmett nods at her.

While it is illegal to remove turtle eggs from the beach, the local's belief in the eggs' aphrodisiac properties creates a black market for selling, and therefore, stealing the eggs from their nests.

"What kind of threats?" I ask, suddenly nervous in realization that when I walked through the beach in the early hours of the morning, there had been no signs. The idea that I could have run into these poachers makes my body shudder in fear.

"He didn't give me specifics, and the signs have since been removed. But I just wanted to let you both know. In case you hear anything."

Rose and I exchange looks before Emmett continues.

"I will talk to the reserve director about amping up our security measures for the overnight portion of your project, Rose."

While my project aims to study the effect of microplastics ingestion on sea turtles, Rose's project is considerably more sophisticated. She is designing 3D printed decoy sea turtle eggs that contain GPS trackers to follow the path of eggs stolen by poachers. Because, well, she's a freaking badass with a background in engineering.

A large portion of her project involves waiting for turtles to lay their eggs at night, so the 3D printed trackers can be planted in the nests.

"My main point is," Prof. McCarty continues. "I don't want either of you out on the beach late at night, not together or by yourselves. These guys are dangerous, okay? Let's just say turtle eggs are not the only thing they contraband."

I think about Edward's warning last night about sex trafficking and my blood runs cold.

Prof. McCarty must sense my fear because his expression softens. "I mean drugs, and such. I don't mean to scare you. Jacob actually thinks there is no danger, and he's the expert, so…" He turns to look at Rose then. "I just want you both to be careful, okay?"

"Okay," we say in unison.

"I shore-ly don't want anything bad to happen to you." When the smile stretches on his face, Rose laughs and I just roll my eyes. The beach puns have been plentiful since we arrived.

~~o~~

When we make it to the beach, a short time after breakfast, there are already a few people there. Rose introduces me to some of the researchers and volunteers she met last night, while Prof. McCarty heads over to the three men by the shore.

The man in the middle, who Prof. McCarty shakes hands with first, is huge, almost as big as Emmett. Tall and muscular. Dark skin and long, straight, black hair down to his mid-back.

"See, now that's what I'm talking about," Rose says next to me, and I cringe.

"Is that?" I whisper, inching closer to her.

"Jacob Black."

"Wow…" While the guy is clearly attractive, he doesn't make my stomach flutter or my heart race.

"Right?" Rose waggles her eyebrows at me suggestively.

"I don't know. He's too big." I shrug at Rose, fidgeting with my fingers.

"Said no woman ever." Rose scoffs next to me, and I wonder if she'd disapprove of Edward. While he's muscular and tall, he's not… beefy… he's just… perfect.

Emmett is talking animatedly with the group, and he must mention us, as they all suddenly look over in our direction. Jacob shoots us a friendly smile, his eyes landing on mine for a brief second, while the other two just stare at Rose, scanning her up and down.

I instantly get the creeps from the two guys, but the moment passes quickly, as Emmett and Jacob say goodbye to them and walk to us.

Introductions are brief and we immediately dive into work and Jacob shows us around the beach. It is clear the conservation of these turtles is his passion. His life.

It's past noon when we're walking toward the public side of the beach. Rose and I have plans to hang there for a while, since it's Sunday and we don't technically have to work.

Rose packed a bag with beach towels, tanning lotion for her, sunscreen for me, my book, her magazine, and our water bottles.

We set up in the shade of a palm tree while Jacob and Emmett continue their conversation behind us.

I sit on my towel, legs criss-crossed, in my jean shorts and the knit top Rose picked out for me. When I look up at her, she's already taken her clothes off, revealing her red bikini, and has pulled her towel out of the shade and into the sun.

She piles her hair up into a messy bun while I gape at her and her boobs barely covered in the scanty red fabric. Pushing her sunglasses onto her nose, she stares back at me.

"What?"

"Nothing…" I smile shyly at her. "You look like a fabulous and fierce queen."

"Shut up." She adjusts the strings of her bikini at her hips, but the smile on her face subtly drops as she looks disappointedly behind me.

When I turn over my shoulder, I barely catch sight of Prof. McCarty, who's no longer next to Jacob, as he heads in the direction of the cabins.

Weird.

Rose sprawls on her towel with a huff, and I realize maybe she's on a mission too.

While she quietly reads her magazine, I stare at the beach, realizing we're near the area where Edward went in last night. I wonder where he is, but mostly how he is doing. My eyes gaze at the edge of the cliff, up on the hill, but I can't see his van from where I'm sitting.

When Jacob comes to sit next to me, Rose makes an inappropriate face but otherwise stays out of it. We chit-chat for a bit, until I see him—the kid from the bar, Seth—walking toward us. Next to him is a tan and slim woman, with shoulder-length straight black hair, in a bikini bottom and a sports bra. Each with a surfboard under their arm, they make their way to us.

The girl quickens her step as she sees us, setting her board down and dropping next to Jacob. She introduces herself as Leah and kisses Jake on the lips, calling him "Babe." I smile smugly at Rose, glad Jacob is involved so she doesn't get any more ideas.

Seth sits eagerly in front of me, trying to start a friendly conversation, and I laugh as Rose mouths "Absolutely not" to me.

Turns out Seth and Leah are siblings, and soon after, their mother, Sue, joins us too, carrying a platter of the most delicious treats I have ever had in my life: empanadas.

"Seth, is that Edward out there?" Sue asks, and I perk at the mere mention of his name, my eyes immediately looking for him in the water. "Would you go see if he's hungry?"

"Ma, I just sat here!"

"Just go wave him out or something."

Seth gets up from the sand with a groan but obeys anyway.

"I worry about him," Sue continues. "All by himself in that van. What does he eat?"

Rose's head lifts from the towel at the mention of a van, and then she's looking my way, lifting her sunglasses onto her head and staring at me with her eyebrows raised in silent question.

My eyes flick between her and Seth's shape, making his way to the shore until he's coming back. Edward, surfboard under his arm, is trailing behind Seth.

He stands in front of us, panting and tan and gorgeous, with water dripping from his hair onto his shoulders.

Rose scans him up and down, then looks back at me. "You're screwed," she mouths at me then gives me the OK sign with her fingers.

Sue brings the platter with the remaining empanadas to Edward, and when Seth tries to reach for one, Sue slaps his hand. "Uh uh," she says. "These are for Edward." Then she sends him to get drinks.

Edward smiles sweetly at Sue and proceeds to devour the empanada in two bites. Then goes for a second one, as if he hasn't eaten the whole day. "Gracias, Sue." His pronunciation is flawless, with just a hint of an American accent.

After finishing a third one, he drops onto the sand across from me with a huff.

He runs his thumb over the corner of his lips and then sucks the remnants of deliciousness from it, looking right at me.

Under the sun, his eyes are bright and green, crystal clear, almost the color of the sea behind him. Even though he looks tired, his eyes are full of life, and while there is still a hint of sadness in them, they look nothing like they did last night.

I may be staring. I might be drooling. Oh God, I hope I'm not drooling.

Luckily, Rose clears her throat next to us, breaking me from my spell and releasing the hold his eyes have on me.

He gives her a quick smile, barely looking at her, before his eyes are back on me. "Hey…" His voice is soft, his tone low, while his gaze narrows on me.

"Hi," I say lamely, hating that I can't shake off shy Old Bella and wishing bold New Bella would come out to play.

"You guys here on vacation?"

Now I'm the one narrowing my eyes at him. Is he joking? Or was he really paying such little attention last night? I know he was drunk, but would he not remember our conversation?

"No." I roll my eyes at him and he laughs. "Research."

"Turtles?" He waves a hand in Jacob's direction, as if that's the only connection.

"Yep," I reply in annoyance, feeling hot and bothered and frustrated. Frustrated with him for not remembering. Frustrated with myself for making last night more than it truly was.

"Oh, cool," he says, squinting up at the sky. "Where're you from?"

"Are you serious?"

"Uh..." He laughs dryly, staring blankly at me. "Yeah?"

"Forks? Washington?" I keep the population data trivia to myself this time.

"Oh, never heard of it." He laughs softly through his nose, like this is fucking funny.

So I laugh dryly now, and on an impulse, I pull my top off, revealing my navy blue bikini top and my turtle pendant that falls onto my chest.

Maybe he'll remember that?

I lose hope when I notice that he doesn't even have the surfboard necklace on.

I reach for the bag, glancing at Rose who stares quizzically at me. I know in her head, she's figuring it all out. I spray sunscreen on my hand and then angrily rub it on my face, before spraying some on my shoulders, huffing and puffing while waiting for something to register with him. Anything. But he just stares awkwardly between Rose and me, the silence stilted.

It is obvious now that he actually doesn't remember our conversation. Or the turtles. He doesn't remember where I'm from or what I'm doing here. So I stand from my towel in a rush and head toward the water.

I don't stop—even when Rose calls after me—until the water sloshes under my feet. I take a few calming breaths, trying to figure out how he's gotten under my skin so quickly. I guess it just stings that I made no impression on him at all.

I'm about to drop my shorts and get in the water, when I hear him behind me.

"Hey…"

When I turn around, he's setting his board down, a couple feet from where I am, and then stands in front of me. My silly brain tricks me into thinking maybe he was joking and he's coming to apologize.

"Was it something I said?" His smile is playful, and he extends a hand in my direction. "I'm Edward Cullen. I don't think we've met, but you seemed pretty annoyed with me back there." A little shy laugh escapes from his mouth as he points with his thumb back at the spot where we were sitting before.

I realize then that not only does he not remember our conversation, he does not remember me at all.

"I'm Bella." I shake his hand with a deflated sigh. "Swan."

I debate whether to tell him we've actually met already. That I spent the night in his bed while he passed out next to me. But I desist, in an effort to not make this more awkward than it already is and in hopes that I can get out of this situation with a modicum of dignity.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella." He continues to shake my hand, making my spaghetti arm wiggle. Eyebrows raised. Goofy grin. Lively eyes.

I can't help the chuckle that escapes my mouth, and I look down in embarrassment when he lets my hand go.

"So…" He still stands there in front of me. A finger scratches his skin just under his ribs where three brown moles reside. "Did I do something to offend you? 'Cause if I did, I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything to offend me." Other than deflating my ego. I feel my anger dissipate as I look at his eyes and he gives me another friendly grin.

"Was it the way I demolished those empanadas? I promise, I have manners, but I was starving! And I have no self-control when it comes to Sue's empanadas."

My laugh is genuine and I am thankful not to snort. "It's okay…" I shake my head at him, clasping my hands on my hips, feeling that fluttering in my stomach and needing to give myself something to do.

"Okay." He takes a deep breath, seemingly relieved. "Okay," he says again. His eyes linger on my face and I can feel my cheeks burn. "You missed a spot." He points at my nose, and we both reach for it at the same time. My fingers bump into his, while his thumb rubs over my nose, spreading the remaining sunscreen there.

I drop my hand at once while his fingers linger on my face. His thumb rubs the length of my nose one last time while his fingers graze my jaw, ending at my chin. The moment feels way too intimate, as if we've both been caught off guard. He shakes his head, dropping his hand at once, and takes a step back away from me.

"I—" He clears his throat, running a hand through his hair, and what flashes through his eyes reminds me of the man I met last night—the broken one. "I have to go."

With that, he turns around, grabs his board, and leaves. His arms tense. His shoulders up. His head down.

Once again, I'm standing on the beach by myself, staring at his back as he walks away from me, leaving me confused and aching. Only this time, I don't follow him.

~~o~~