I do not own Twilight.
"How long's it been?" Alice hands me the bottle of Sangria we were sharing, her eyebrows raised in question.
"Three months, twelve days," I say. But who's counting?
Rosalie giggles from where she's lying across my bed. "Six hours, three minutes, twenty seconds?"
I laugh and reach behind me to push her foot away from where it hangs over the edge. "Shut up."
"It seems to be going okay, though, right?" Alice asks, making a face as Rose's bare foot moves closer to her. She flicks her big toe.
"Yeah. He seems happy out there. I mean, as happy as he can be, I guess."
It was hard when he first left; hard to get him to leave. He was so against it, living so far apart again, but I tried to remind him that Montana is even further. He hadn't seemed too convinced; Montana had been the end of us last time. But this wasn't last time. This was going to be different—and it already was. Our past was behind us. We're both working through issues, together and alone.
"Well, you talk almost every night so he can't be missing you too much," Rosalie says and then sticks her hand between Alice and I from where we're sitting on the floor of my room to show off her nails. They're now a Barbie pink. They suit her.
Alice scoffs. I'm not sure whether it's because the color is hers, or at what Rosalie said, but what Alice hasn't learned about Rosalie yet is that she isn't like the two of us. Rosalie is plenty happy alone as she is with someone.
"He'll still be happy to see you in a couple of weeks," Alice assures me.
"I know," I laugh. We'd been texting nonstop about where he wants to take me. In all sense of the word. Some of the conversations I end up deleting the next day out of fear of my mom or Charlie somehow accidentally seeing them. Even now, I can feel the heat rush to my face.
"How does he feel about Peter?" Rose asks as she moves off the bed to sit with us. She breaks me from my trance, thankfully. "Emmett still hasn't really said anything about him at all."
I shrug. "He doesn't really say much about him either."
"And for Edward, that's a good sign," Alice adds and we both laugh.
I'm glad to be here with both of them. I haven't seen either of them much since my new job started four months ago. It's hard to get used to a fulltime schedule when I've never had one. Besides, Alice has been busy in Seattle at a fashion designer studio and Rosalie's out in Tacoma with her parents.
"How's Jasper?" I ask Alice. He went back to Florida at the end of August. Training started the first of September. We all had to talk Alice out of skipping her internship to follow him—even Jasper.
"Good." Alice grins. "He got signed."
"When?" Rose and I ask at the same time, our tones shocked. Not that I'm shocked he's been signed—he was always a great pitcher; too good for college baseball—but I can't believe I'm just hearing about it. I wonder if Edward knows.
"Last weekend." She's grinning from ear-to-ear like it's a personal accomplishment. I laugh.
"We'll have to celebrate once everyone's back!"
"Yeah." She looks down at the magazine she had been flipping through, a slight pout pulling her lips down. It's a pretty quick turnaround. "He's excited."
Rosalie notices the change too; her voice lowers. "Where was he signed to?"
"Minor leagues out East." I can tell by her voice that the news is tearing her in two. She's happy for him, but sad to still be apart.
"Anywhere near New York?" I bump against her shoulder, wanting to cheer her up.
She smiles and stretches her legs in front of her. "Yeah, Michigan."
"Hey, that works for you, too then." Rosalie sits up on her heels, excited. "I mean, New York's, like, the fashion capital, isn't it?"
"Well, I mean, Paris..." I can see how hard Alice is working to not be offended that Rosalie didn't know this.
"Oh, yeah." Rose lays back and stares at the ceiling dreamily. "I'd love to see Jasper signed in France." We all laugh and Rose looks back at my alarm clock. "I gotta go shower. Em's taking me out tonight."
"Tell him I said hi," I say as she pushes herself from the floor.
"I will. Don't expect me back tonight." She turns at the door and winks. Alice gags and I stare at her until she raises her eyebrows.
"I'm really glad we're friends again, Alice. You have no idea how much I've missed you." I pause and shake my head. "College was hell without you. Rosalie's too self-centered."
"I heard that!" Rose yells from the bathroom and I laugh.
"No, seriously," I finish. "You guys are my best friends."
Alice has the audacity to roll her eyes and say, "Stop getting sappy on me, Swan," moments after she almost had a melt down over Jasper being signed. I grin and hug her, ignoring her attempts to free herself. She laughs and gives up. "Okay," she says, "I have to go, too. Alex is flying back in tonight. We have to have a family dinner." She gags again and I let go with a laugh.
"Okay. Call me tomorrow so we can plan for the beach."
She salutes me when she stands. "Wouldn't miss an opportunity to sunbath, Bella."
I can't stop smiling, even after they've both left.
I pull out my phone, anticipating the text from Edward. It's a picture of an ice cream stand and for a few seconds I'm confused as to why he's sent it until I read the caption he typed underneath.
You still taste like vanilla and strawberries.
I'm afraid my grin is going to sprain my cheeks.