I do not own Twilight.
Um…I have no excuse for the delay in this chapter or the subsequent chapters. I guess summer and laziness are best friends?
Three days after Edward's return, I'm standing by the window of the apartment Rosalie and I shared, waiting for the sight of my mother's bright red car. She's supposed to help me pack up and leave, though I don't have much. Rosalie has already left earlier in the morning, heading back for Seattle. We were lucky enough as roommates to have been from the same general area; most aren't so lucky.
The sight of her car, along with the warning text has me smiling to myself, happy to be leaving for many reasons, but the smile slips and my pulse races when she steps out of the car, followed, from the other side, by Edward.
His shock of bronze hair is a mess and I know he's been running his fingers through it. We haven't spoken since that night a few days ago and he's probably agitated and uncertain.
I'm just as surprised to see him as I am to see him with my mother of all people.
But that doesn't stop my legs from carrying me down the staircase and through the front door of the complex.
I reach my mom first, so stop to hug her, but my eyes are trained on Edward. He watches me cautiously, like he's not sure I want him here but he chuckles when I all but lunge at him. His arms wrap tightly around my waist and I hear my mom clicking her tongue behind me. It's a quiet sound, teasing almost.
"Alright, Isabella," she admonishes but I can hear the smile in her voice. "You'll have plenty of time for that when we're back in Forks. Let's get inside. Have you begun packing?"
I kiss Edward quickly and whisper, "I missed you," against his mouth and he smiles down at me, his jade eyes soft. He's missed me too. I turn back to my mom, but curl my fingers through Edward's. The look on her face is calm. I wonder what they've talked about on the ride up.
"A bit," I say sheepishly and she rolls her eyes so I offer, "I've packed my clothes?" and she laughs.
The room is stifling in the heat and I'm covered in sweat, my hair pulled back messily by the time we're about finished, but the way Edward looks at me makes me feel so pretty. It feels like we're back to our old selves, past summers floating back to the forefront of my mind and I relish in the memories.
When my mom leaves, her car packed with boxes, she does it with no subtle warning that she expects me home tonight and then kisses me on the cheek and smiles quickly at Edward.
I glance up at him, standing on the sidewalk as she drives off, and smile.
"What?" he asks, grinning back.
I wrap my arms around him again and bury my face against his chest. "I'm glad you came."
I pull him back in the direction of the complex because I still have to turn in my key and grab the last few boxes. Edward is going to ride back with me and I'm glad we'll have the next three hours to ourselves. He's relatively quiet and when I look up to see what's caught his attention, my mouth goes dry.
Standing just across the way, duffle bag in hand, is Mike. He catches sight of us and I can see the sarcastic glare to his eyes. It's not unlikely that we would run into him here—he has to pass through this section on his way to a from the gym—and, even though he's no longer a student, he's allowed on campus property as is everyone else that lives within the vicinity.
He shakes his head and lets out a laugh that sounds more angry than humored. Edward's hand in mine tightens and then pulls away and I desperately grab onto his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. I don't know what he wants to do or plans to do, but I need to get him back inside because I'm afraid the only thing running through his mind at the moment are the bruises that had been so visible on my wrist.
"Edward…" I start to say, but Mike's speaking too and it's hard to ignore his voice.
"So, this was the plan all along, Bells?"
I know he's speaking from a place of pain, but the look on his face is incredulous, yet knowing like he had figured all along. Really, I guess I hadn't done a good job at hiding it.
His baby blue eyes turn their wrath on Edward whose jaw is clenching over and over again.
"Congrats," he hisses. "You've won." He glares at me again, though still speaking to Edward, "Some prize she is." His voice is filled with contempt and then he's walking through, not giving either of us a second glance until he's at the edge of the sidewalk and I'm grabbing for Edward's hand to pull him back towards the building while I still can, but Mike takes one last look. "Just remember the next time you're fucking her, I was in there while you were in jail."
With a last snide smirk, he's gone.
I can feel the tension releasing from Edward as he starts to move forward and I know his intent so I quickly step in front of him, my hands pressing to his chest.
"Please," I say, tears in my voice that I had yet to realize were in my eyes, "let's just go, Edward. It's not worth it."
He glances down at me, his dark green eyes warring between my pleading and his ingrained need to fight for me, to stand up for me but I can see that I've won out the battle when his brow furrows, his jaw clenching.
"I can't—" he chokes out angrily, curling his hands into fists but I shush him and push him backwards because Mike is gone and there's no need to dwell on anything he's said. Mike's only speaking out of anger and hurt and I understand that.
"Edward," I redirect and he finally glances down at me from the spot Mike had vacated. He shakes his head and forces his hands to relax though I can still see the tension in his shoulders, against his chest.
He lets me pull him to the door though I'm not sure that would be the direction he would take were he alone.