Chapter 5- Edward

"I know it's late to be calling, Whatcha' doing right now, I couldn't wait till tomorrow, To get to talking to you, I gotta see you girl, ASAP, I gotta get you right here next to me, Get you right here next to me." Last Minute Late Night- Kane Brown

I walk backwards away from Bella's cabana. I don't want to be this infatuated with someone, but I am. This is a vacation, I'm almost 10,000 miles from home. I'll be here for three weeks and then back to real life. I go out, I date, my friends set me up all the time. The last time there was chemistry was almost four years ago at college. I want the life my parents have, the companionship, a ride or die, Team Edward is top of my list to make happen. But I'm also smart enough not to force it. I can't help the smile that crosses my face when I think of Granny Masen saying 'God's timing doesn't always line up with your timing, son', boy was she right this time.

Bella said yes when I asked her to hang out with me tomorrow. I should be happy she wants to hang with me, just plain old Edward. Not Atlanta Braves Shortstop, Edward Masen. Maybe that has been the hold up all along. I always wonder if it's me they like or more like what I bring to the table, the celebrity lifestyle, the money, the 15 minutes of fame for them. Cynicism certainly has set in I guess.

However, Bella doesn't know that side of me so I have no choice but to accept it for what it is, a connection between the two of us. She's certainly different than most of the girls I've been attracted to. She has a maturity that says she has 10 years on me, yet we're the same age. She's so confident in herself as well, which is super sexy, to me anyway. She's passionate about her job, you should have seen the way her eyes light up when she told me what she did for a living. And her vulnerability screams to the testosterone in me, I feel the need to step up and protect her in ways I've never felt before. Let's not even bring up the way her body fits against mine, her lips and mine, they're yen and yang. I wasn't lying when I said I want her, but I want her respect more than I want her body so here I am walking away from her closed door.

I know we just spent about four hours together but I can't wait till tomorrow to see her again. An idea pops into my mind so I take off jogging to my cabana. I dash in the door and straight to my room. My hand can't reach the phone on my nightstand fast enough. I scan the card that tells how to call from room to room and dial the numbers that will connect me to her.

"Hello?" Bella sounds breathless and confused.

"Bella, Hey. I hope it's okay I called you, shit...well, I couldn't wait till tomorrow morning to talk with you again." I chuckle nervously. I sound stupid, absolutely stupid.

She returns the chuckle. "Okay, give me about ten minutes to finish taking my make up off and I'll call you right back." Suddenly, I want to see her without make up, fresh face and even more vulnerable and innocent looking.

"Okay, I'll be waiting." All my coolness- gone, swagger- no where to be found. And I'm not the least bit concerned.

"Ten minutes, I promise. Bye." Hopefully that's a hint of anticipation I hear in Bella's voice as well.

"Bye, Bella." I lay the phone back in its cradle and dash to the closet. I grab a pair of sweats and change. I run my toothbrush over my teeth and wash my face. All the while, praying she calls me back like she said she would. I check my watch and try to estimate how much time has gone by, and how much is left before I talk to her again. The alcohol has left my body, this high is all Bella.

The phone rings and I snatch it up before the first ring finishes. "Hello." She's chuckling again.

"Excited much?" She's on to me.

"Is it dorky to say, yeah, kinda?" I admit.

"No, not really. I was happy you called. I know we spent several hours together but I still kinda wanted more." I sit up on my bed and do a silent fist pump.

"You did?" My middle school innocence has found the adult me. I'm thrilled beyond belief by the fact that this woman wants to spend her time just talking on the telephone with me.

"Is that dorky to admit?" Bella is a 10 times 10 in my book. Her humor is amazing, and the laugh is out of my mouth before I can stop it. This, this right here is why I can't stay away from her.

"No, not dorky at all. Funny enough, I understand completely." The silence falls between us, it's not uncomfortable at all. It wraps around me like a warm blanket on a cold night, I relish it. The only thing that would make it better would be to actually be with her, holding her. Nothing sexual, just me and her wrapped up in each other, talking and being together. "Hey, can I come over?"

I'm not one to speak without thinking, I weight my words and usually have control over my body, but tonight, not so much.

"Yes." The words are out of her mouth before I even have time to worry I spoke too soon, or asked too much.

"Are you serious?" I'm already standing looking for a t-shirt and my slides to put on.

"Yeah, I'm in my jammies with no make up, but come on." She doesn't sound hesitant at all, she's not afraid for me to see her as she is. I silently pray for a way that this possible relationship goes somewhere good.

"I'll be right there." I hang up and jog back to her cabana. She's standing at the door waiting for me. She's wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt that says 'if there's no food, then I'm not going'. As soon as I'm close enough, I pull her to me and kiss her lips. "Thanks for letting me come over. I just wanted to be with you." I shrug my shoulders, sheepishly. Her smile stretches across her lips while mine are still kissing hers.

"I wanted to see you too. Shhhh." She presses a finger across her mouth and waves me in to the cabana. All the lights are out and the place is silent. "Esme is asleep." She whispers. I nod. Bella leads me out to the deck and onto the hammock floor, built into the deck. She has a few pillows tossed down and a fluffy blanket beside them. I tug on her hand and stop her movement.

"This is perfect." I place a small kiss to her forehead and push her hips back into motion.

She steps all the way to the edge of the hammock floor and stops. She turns to look at me, with her index finger between her teeth. "I haven't been bold enough to step out onto this thing. I don't know how to uhm, mount it." She grins around her finger.

"Oh, baby, don't you worry about mounting it, cause I know all we need to know about that." I wiggle my eyebrows at her and slip off my slides. "We have one at our cabana too, it works best if you sort of sit and slide into it. We both drop down on our asses and scoot into the hammock. She pulls the pillows over and hands me one. I set mine at the edge of the wooden dock built around our hammock, facing the water. I lay back and pull her against me and pull the blanket close, so when we need it, we won't have to move to get it.

"Tell me about your job." I question her, even though this is a dangerous topic. Because she can turn and ask me the same thing. I won't lie to Bella but it is so damn refreshing to just be Edward without any other expectations running through anyone's head. So I hope I can distract her and stay away from my work.

"I started there when I was in my last year of high school. It started out as a summer camp counselor, but stayed on after summer camp was over. I basically help find people with money and connect them with organizations that need money. All of the organizations we work with are focused on children. It's so rewarding seeing those faces accepting what life hands them and for once, just once in their life they get what they deserve instead of what was left over. I can't describe the level of job satisfaction I get knowing that I was a part of that." She gets real quiet, I don't know if I should fill the silence or if this is a moment she needs to herself. "When I was 16, my dad was killed in the line of duty, he was a police officer. I'm the oldest of five kids. So naturally my mom went to work and I became the adult at home. I held it all together while mom tried to keep our lights on and food on our table." She won't want sympathy, I can hear that from the tough as steel edge to her voice as she speaks, but it still makes my heart ache knowing that while I was being a dumbass teenager and having fun, Bella was off being a parent. I tighten my hold on her and place a quick kiss on the top of her head. She rewards my actions with a hand on my chest. "So to see kids suffer in any way, physically, emotionally, or financially really hits home for me. We did fine, we moved to Vancouver because that's where my mom's family is from, so we had help but there was always this void that no matter how hard anyone worked, it was always there. I want to be the one that helps fill that void for others. You know?"

Isabella Marie Swan is my fucking hero, she is the superstar in this relationship, not me. Nothing I do will ever compete with her work. Nothing. It makes me feel good knowing I have a certain amount of influence on kids, I can tell them to study hard and do good in school, to work hard and listen to their coach but I won't ever really make a difference in their lives. Not like Bella does.

"You are the most amazing person I've ever met. Really." I hug her tighter. I could really fall for Bella, but I shut that idea down before it takes root, I can't let myself entertain that idea. There is no way that could happen with our distance and our jobs being what they are. So I do the best I can do for her and pull her face to mine and kiss the shit out of her.

Songs- Last Minute Late Night- Kane Brown

I Met A Girl- Sam Hunt (Acoustic Mixtape Version)