I do not own Twilight.
Hi…so sorry for the lack of updates. I've been on vacation for two weeks (Grand Canyon!) and haven't had time to really write anything. Plus, I think my family would have killed me.
High School: Junior year, November
I'm beginning to gather that Jake's is the type of house that people just end up at, no matter the time of night. It seems his dad is never around, and when he is, he's usually somewhere in the midst of people.
Alice bumps her shoulder with mine and I glance over at her. She bites her lip to hide her grin. "Told you that skirt would look good on you."
I blush because I know she saw Edward's hand roam down my spine, lingering before trailing lower and squeezing. He had kissed me, stifling my groan and reddening face, but apparently not well enough. I slap her arm and bury my face.
"Oh, please, Bella," she snorts and then laughs. I'm just glad Edward isn't here to hear her. "What is taking them so long?" We both glance over the taller heads to try and spot Edward and Jasper. They had maneuvered in almost as soon as we got here to swipe up some beer and cider before it vanished. "Ah!" Alice grabs my arm and we're moving surprisingly well through the throngs.
I see him before he sees me and, like always, my stomach does this flip where it feels like I could faint. How is it fair that he looks like that, even in the stifling heat from so many people? Then it's in my throat when he glances up, grabs two beers, and makes his way for us, his eyes never leaving mine. Jasper is still in the throng.
"Uh oh," I hear Alice whisper, her grip on my arm tightening. A girl walks over before I have a chance to question Alice, before Edward takes the last two steps to reach us—me. She's in front of him, her hand coming to rest on his bicep and he flashes me a hesitant glance.
The stomach in my throat feeling turns into acid.
"Leah," Alice fills in when I look at her. She shrugs and Jasper appears, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He takes in my expression and follows Alice's line of vision. I study his expression, but he's relatively unmoved despite a slight widening to his eyes.
Edward's smiling a bit as the girl, Leah, hangs off him. He's trying to move around her and Alice is biting on the inside of her lip.
"What?" I demand, already annoyed by a number of things.
"Edward and Leah kind of had a thing…before you got here."
The blood rushes from my face. "What kind of thing?" I'm not close enough to hear what Leah is saying, but she's still touching him.
"I don't know." Alice shakes her head, sipping from the can Jasper handed her. "Not a thing, thing. Just a…thing."
"He's had things with a lot of girls," I say. Neither of them answer. "This was different?"
"She hung out with us a few times," Jasper says eventually.
I swallow back the bile, watching them together. He's not really reacting, but that's not very telling.
"Did he like her a lot?"
Alice shrugs. "You know how Edward can be." He's side stepped her by now, moving closer to us, to me, though she tags along. She's talking animatedly, watching him for any reaction, but his eyes are on me. I smile, though I just want to cry. She's so pretty and tall and…
"You okay?" Edward asks me, interrupting my thoughts, interrupting Leah. She glances over at me like she had barely realized I was there.
"Yeah." He hands me a bottle and my smile isn't so forced. He smiles back, pulls me into his side.
"Leah, this is Bella."
Not surprisingly, she looks me up and down, narrowing her eyes. I had done the same to her moments before.
"Hi," I say, hating how soft and shy my voice is.
Edward only chuckles and then wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me into his side. He kisses my temple, but my eyes stray to Leah. It's harder to focus when his lips find my ear.
"So, are you…?" Leah glances from Edward, to me, to his arm around my neck. His face is still turned into my hair when he answers.
"My girlfriend."
My heart soars and I can see Alice grin from my periphery. It's the first time he's called me that. I try to quell my own smile because I can see the disappointment falling across Leah's face. Losing Edward would be a lot to handle.
"Hm." She forces a smile. "Nice to meet you." She's gone without a second glance and I feel badly for her, but Edward is already turning to look down at me. He leans down, presses his lips to mine.
"Wanna walk down the beach?"
"Is there a bonfire?" I ask, confused. I hadn't heard about one and most of the guys that live on the Reservation are in Jake's house, but he's kissing me again so the curiosity vanishes.
"No," he says and then kisses me harder. All worry vanishes.