Chapter Six
"Bella, your car is ready?" Jane says.
I turn to look at her, putting my earrings in before nodding.
"Thank you Jane" I smile.
I'm due to meet Demitri, Marcus, Laurent and James Witherdale today. I've never met him before and I'm fucking nervous. I know in order for the movie to be good, I need to have some form of chemistry with him but to be honest, he's never really done anything for me. I get why girls find him attractive. He's tall, blonde, got that typical Hollywood smile but I don't know, it's not for me.
I grab my bag and head out of my bedroom, through the kitchen and to the front door. Jake and Caius are waiting for me and both give a small smile when I appear.
"Ready to go Miss Swan?" Caius asks.
"Ready to go" I nod.
Jake gives me an encouraging smile before we walk out the door and into the blacked-out car.
As we drive through the city, I stare out of the window at the palm trees. Seeing them makes me think of Edward, of when we Facetimed. To be honest, I didn't need to Facetime him but I wanted to see him. Suddenly my phone buzzes and I pull it out to see a couple of messages.
Hey, knock'em dead B! - A
Tell us if James Witherdale is as hot in person as he looks - R
I chuckle at that but then the final message makes my heart flip flop.
Good luck with the audition. You'll be great - E
I quickly reply to them all saying 'thank you' before sighing as we pull up outside of the tall glass office block. Jake steps out of the car, opening my door for me before we both walk into the building.
Inside, it's cool and the fresh air feels nice on my skin. I walk up to the desk, seeing a lanky blonde with fake tits talking on the phone. I wait patiently until she hangs up.
"Can I help you?" She asks.
"I'm here to see Marcus White," I tell her.
She nods before picking up the phone and speaking for a few seconds. She hangs up before turning to me again.
"He'll see you now," She says.
She steps out from behind the desk and walks towards the glass staircase in the centre of the building. I follow behind her, my eyes focused on her clicking stilettos before my gaze drops to my boots.
Maybe I should have dressed up more...
We head up to the second floor before she opens a large frosted glass door for me. I glance at Jake who tilts his head towards a coffee machine in the hall. I nod a little before stepping inside.
"Bella!" Marcus cries when he sees me. "Good to see you".
"You too" I smile before he kisses me on both cheeks.
"You remember Laurent and Demitri of course," He says.
Laurent grins at me, his neon blue glasses perched on the end of his nose while Demitri just nods. It strikes me that the silk neckerchief he wears gives him an ageing Pablo Picasso look.
"Let me introduce you to James. James, this is Isabella Swan" Marcus says.
I look to my left and see a striking blonde man. He stands from the table and holds out his hand for me to shake. I'll admit, in real life, James is just as good looking as in his movies. His piercing blue eyes bore into mine, his perfect teeth flash me a smile and his Los Angeles tan pops against the pure white of his shirt.
"It's a pleasure," He says, his voice a little flirty.
"It's nice to finally meet you" I smile.
We take a seat at the desk before Marcus launches into the topic of the meeting and begins asking us all a few things about schedules and financing, travel arrangements and so on. The meeting lasts a couple of hours and by the time it's coming to an end, I feel like I'm going to pass out from hunger.
"Well, I guess that concludes the meeting," Laurent says before smiling at us both. "I'm excited. Are you excited?" He asks.
"Yeah" I grin.
"How could I not be, look at my co-star" James flirts.
I force a laugh, hearing the others all chuckling before we stand and say our goodbyes. As we're leaving the room James suddenly grabs my shoulder and I turn to face him.
"Lunch?" He asks.
"Oh er..." I trail off, taken off guard by the question.
"My treat," He says. "I just thought we should get to know each other a bit before filming, so we've broken the ice" He shrugs, flashing his white teeth at me.
"Sure" I nod, "That sounds like a good idea".
He grins again before we all head out of the building. James suggests an Italian restaurant he knows not too far away which sounds good. He offers to take me in his car but I decline, saying that I'll meet him there.
On the drive over I notice Jake glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"Are you okay about this lunch?" He asks.
"Yeah" I nod, "I'm fine."
"Shall we stay or go?" He asks.
"Why don't you grab something in the restaurant and then I can give you the eye if I need saving," I say.
Jake and Caius laugh quietly before nodding.
When we arrive at the restaurant, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it's not some glitzy place but rather a bistro with a striped awning. Jacob helps me out of the car before we all walk inside. I see James, already sitting at a table for two so I whisper my goodbyes to Jake and Caius before making my way over to him.
"This okay?" He asks, gesturing to the restaurant.
"It looks lovely" I nod.
He grins at me before we both take a seat. I pick up the menu on my place setting and look through it.
"I would highly recommend the Milanese chicken," He says, his eyes flashing to mine behind his menu.
"Sounds good" I smile.
He grins at me before a waiter appears.
"Two Milanese chicken and a bottle of white wine," He says.
I notice he didn't ask me if I drank wine and it kind of bugs me but I push it to one side.
"So, tell me about yourself," He says.
"What would you like to know?" I reply, trying to keep things pleasant.
"Where are you from?" He asks.
"Washington state" I reply.
"Ahh Seattle, the city of rain" He chuckles.
"Yeah" I laugh, "I'm actually from a tiny town like...two hours away" I nod.
"Small town girl eh?" He says, his eyes moving over my face.
"Yep" I smile.
"That must be why you look so natural" He smirks.
I can tell he's trying to be sexy but it doesn't do anything for me, not like when Edward does it.
"And then you moved to La La land" He continues. "That must have been a change".
"It was." I nod, remembering the time when I first arrived. I was so green, so nervous, so out of my depth. "I was only eighteen so..." I shrug.
"Wow, a young grasshopper" He chuckles.
I force a laugh with him.
"How about you?" I ask.
"LA born and bred" He replies with a grin. "I was a minor child actor before going into more blockbuster movies" He explains.
"So you're the Hollywood dream," I say, smiling at him.
"I've been told" He chuckles, giving me a wink.
We talk for a little longer before our food arrives, the waiter pouring two glasses of wine. I sip my drink before taking a small bite of the food. He's right it is good.
"Good?" He asks.
"Very" I nod, chewing slowly.
He winks at me and I feel my skin prickle and not in a good way.
"So, what was it like being a child actor?" I ask.
Thankfully, this topic of conversation seems to please him and he talks at length about himself, leaving me to eat my meal and drink my wine in relative silence. Eventually, when our plates are taken away, he asks me another question.
"So Bella, any boyfriends on the horizon?" He asks.
I'm momentarily taken aback by his question before I shake my head.
"No, no boyfriends" I reply quietly.
"So I don't need to worry about any love scenes we may need to do. Gotta protect this" He laughs, gesturing to his face.
"No you'll be safe" I smile. "No one to worry about."
He smiles at me and I force a smile back. It's true there isn't anyone to worry about, so why do I feel like I'm lying?
"Edward! Phone!" I hear Emmett shout from outside the Marshall's place.
I drop my tools and jog over to him, taking the phone in his outstretched hand.
"Hello, Cullen Construction" I answer breathlessly.
"Hello Edward" I hear the voice of Chief Swan and I can't hide my surprise.
"Sir...hello, what can I do for you?" I ask.
"I wondered if you could come over and quote on a job," He says.
I'm surprised. After everything that happened between Bella and me, Chief Swan and Renee were always nice to me, pleasant but they never went out of their way to have a relationship with me. I've certainly never worked for them before.
"Of course" I nod. "How about...tomorrow at say...six?" I ask.
"Perfect." The Chief says.
We ring off before I place my phone back in the truck.
"Everything okay?" I hear Emmett ask behind me.
"Yeah, just a new job." I nod.
"Oh yeah, who?" He asks.
"The Swans" I reply.
He looks at me for a long minute before nodding.
"You okay with that?" He asks.
"Yeah" I reply, heading back inside to carry on with my work. "It's just a job".
When the following evening arrives, I park my truck outside the Swan residence and climb out. I make my way up the driveway before knocking on the door and taking a deep breath. A few moments later, Renee appears.
"Edward, nice to see you" She smiles, "Come in".
"Thanks" I reply, smiling back.
I walk into the hallway, wiping my feet before looking around. I haven't been back here since Bella and I dated. Nothing's changed and that makes me feel weird inside.
"Charlie's outside," She says.
I nod, following her through the kitchen and out into the backyard. The Chief is sitting in an old garden chair, the paper in his hand and glasses perched on the end of his nose.
"Making the most of the later nights I see," I say, trying to make this not as fucking awkward as it feels.
"Edward" He smiles when he sees me. "Well, that's actually why you're here".
"Coffee?" Renee asks, interrupting for a moment.
"That would be great, thanks" I reply before taking a seat at the garden table.
"I want to talk to you about a deck," Charlie says.
"A deck?" I ask.
"Yes. I haven't done anything in the yard for years as I'm sure you can see but, Renee and I have been talking and we'd like a proper deck out here so that we can...entertain a bit more" He explains.
I nod a little before Renee reappears with three cups of coffee. I smile my thanks as she places the steaming cup in front of me.
"So, do you have an idea of size?" I ask, pulling out my phone and beginning to write notes.
"Well, I was hoping you could help with that" Charlie chuckles.
For the next hour or so we discuss the project while drinking coffee. It sounds fairly straightforward and I understand that they would like it done before the summer so that they can enjoy it this year. I don't know how easy that will be considering my schedule but I promise to try and work something out.
"So...you saw Bella then," Charlie says a while later when I'm on my second cup of coffee.
I look at him, trying to read his expression but see nothing but curiosity.
"Yeah" I nod. "We had drinks at Christmas and then a coffee when she was here in March".
"It's been a long time," Renee says quietly.
"Seven years" I nod.
"And...how was it?" Charlie asks.
I can't tell if he's being sincere in wanting to know how I feel or just asking to make conversation.
"It was...fine. A bit awkward at first but...fine" I nod. "We talked about how things ended, apologised for our various parts in things. It helped" I admit, keeping things fairly vague. I don't know what Bella's told them after all.
"She's changed I suppose" Renee smiles.
"In some ways" I nod. "She dresses differently now and...she's older obviously but in other ways, she's the same," I tell them.
They both nod a little before we fall into silence.
"I see you still have the old treehouse," I say, trying to change the subject.
The treehouse sits at the bottom of the yard. It's a little tired now, kind of falling down and slumped to one side like it's relaxing against the trunk that holds it.
"Yes," Charlie chuckles. "As you can see it's kind of fallen into disrepair." He mumbles.
"Maybe we could fix it up when we do the deck, use the leftover timber," I tell him.
"Yeah?" He asks.
"That's if you want to keep it of course" I add.
"It reminds me of Bella" Renee smiles. "I wouldn't want to get rid of it".
I look at the treehouse, faded silver from time and remember the first time I sat up there on a warm May night...
"Are you sure this thing is safe?" I mumble as I climb the rickety rope ladder.
"Yes, I'm sure" She giggles. "Anyway, where's that brave guy from Peter Carlsen's place gone?" She teases.
I huff at her before heaving myself through the hatch and into the treehouse. It's bigger than I thought with a raised step on one side. I perch on it, looking up at Bella.
"So, this is your place huh?" I say, looking around myself.
"I used to play here all the time as a kid. Now I come here and listen to music or whatever" She shrugs, her cheeks turning a little pink.
I nod in understanding before smiling at her and grabbing her hand, pulling her down to sit with me.
"Do you come and dream of me up here?" I tease.
"No I don't" She laughs but I see her cheeks turn a little red. "I do that in bed" She adds.
I look at her, surprised at how candid she is before she laughs breathlessly and turns away.
"Don't look so surprised," She says.
"I am" I chuckle. "I thought you would dream of Ivy League colleges and romance novels".
"Seriously?" She replies, looking at me with one raised eyebrow.
I shrug, laughing a little.
"Anyway, I don't want to go to college" She admits.
"No?" I reply. "What do you want to do then?" I ask.
"I wanna act" She whispers, looking a little embarrassed.
"Like..in movies?" I ask.
She nods, biting her bottom lip.
"It's probably stupid" She mumbles, looking embarrassed.
"No, it's not," I tell her quickly. "I can see it, Isabella Swan written in lights. You'd make a hot poster girl too" I say, nudging her arm with mine.
She scoffs at me, laughing a little.
"Anyway, what do you want to do?" She asks.
"I dunno. I'll probably end up working for my dad or something. I've never been particularly academic" I admit.
"What does your dad do?" She asks.
"Construction" I nod.
"Ah okay, you like the idea of working outside then?" She asks.
"And with my hands," I add. "I'm good with my hands" I wink.
She looks at me for a moment before giggling slightly and rolling her eyes.
"I wouldn't know" She whispers.
Our eyes meet and I suddenly feel the atmosphere between us change. Her eyes flick between mine before they drop to my mouth and I feel my pants become too tight. I swallow a little before leaning forward slowly, my mouth meeting hers.
She sighs into the kiss and I move my lips against hers before swiping my tongue over her bottom lip. She grants me entrance, tangling our tongues together before her hands go to my hair.
The angle is kind of awkward, both of us turning our heads to the side and I feel my neck begin to ache so I break the kiss, shuffling backwards until I can rest my back against the trunk of the tree. I take Bella's hand, pulling her towards me and she gets the idea, shuffling closer before straddling my hips and kissing me again.
My hands go to her waist, running up her back under her shirt as we deepen the kiss, our mouths moving together more heatedly. Bella moans quietly when she feels me hard underneath her and I can't help but grunt when she shifts her hips a little.
She breaks away from the kiss and looks down at me, her hair falling into her eyes. My breathing is laboured and my heart is beating fast and when she looks at me like that it makes me want to do dirty things to her.
"Is this okay?" I ask quietly.
"Yeah" She nods before bringing her mouth back to mine.
I kiss her hard, moving my mouth against hers before I bring my hands around the front of her body, sliding them up under the front of her shirt. I hear Bella's breathing hitch but she doesn't pull away so I gently cup one of her breasts in my hand.
I groan at the feeling of lace against my palm and break the kiss, looking up at her as I gently palm her boob. Bella looks down at me, a blush covering her cheeks as she begins to move her hips back and forth, giving me a little friction and making my head spin.
She moans quietly when I lightly pinch her nipple before her own hands trail over my shoulders and down to my chest. She slips her fingers beneath the hem of my t-shirt, curling her fingers against my skin.
I can tell she's nervous, unsure of what to do, and for some reason that makes her hotter. I lean forward, giving her a soft kiss.
"You can touch me" I whisper against her lips.
She lets out a shuddering breath before slipping her hands under my t-shirt and further up my chest. The feel of her hands on my skin drives me fucking insane and I can't help the groan that leaves my mouth as she begins to move her hips a little faster.
I move my other hand under her shirt, palming her other breast before pushing the fabric up to expose her lace-clad chest to me. I moan when I see her innocent white bra before I lean forward kissing along the tops of her tits.
Bella moans quietly, her fingers dragging down my chest slowly and making my head spin. I drop my hands to the top of her jeans and lightly brush my fingers along the skin there. I hear Bella let out a shakey breath before I look up at her, our faces inches apart.
"Can I touch you?" I whisper.
She looks at me for a long minute and I can tell she's conflicted.
"We don't have to" I mumble, looking away and not wanting to pressure her.
"It's not that I don't want to." She whispers, making me look back at her. "I'm just a bit...embarrassed".
"Embarrassed?" I ask. "Why?"
"I don't know. I guess...no ones ever..." She trails off, looking awkward and it takes everything in me not to moan at the realisation that she's never done anything.
"There's no need to be embarrassed," I say, trying to reassure her. "I can go slow or we don't have to do anything at all" I whisper.
She looks at me for a minute, biting her bottom lip.
"I really want you to but...I kind of don't want you to see it" She says, laughing awkwardly and looking like I could cook an egg on her cheeks.
"I don't have to see it. We can keep your pants on" I tell her. "I'll just...put my hand inside".
I don't want to pressurise her but at the same time, I feel like I might spontaneously combust if all I get is a kiss right now.
"You'd be okay with that?" She asks.
"Of course, whatever you're comfortable with" I nod.
She hesitates for a moment before giving me a little nod.
"Yeah?" I grin.
She grins at me, nodding and I feel like I could fist pump myself if it wasn't so uncool.
I lean forward, kissing her again, my tongue tangling with hers while my hands quickly pop the button of her jeans and pull her zipper down. Bella's breathing picks up and I know mine does too before I pull the fabric of her jeans slightly.
"What are yo-" She starts.
"I'm not taking them off, I just need a bit of room to get my hand in there" I whisper against her lips, kissing her again.
She nods into the kiss before I bring my hands back to her pants and slowly slip one inside. I can hear Bella breathing hard and I know she's nervous so I start off slow, keeping my hand over her panties. I can feel the damp fabric beneath my fingers as I slowly rub my hand against her.
"Urgh" Bella moans, ripping her mouth from mine.
I look up at her, meeting her gaze and breathing heavily.
"Is that okay?" I ask.
She nods before I add a little more pressure and she moans. The sound goes straight to my dick and I can't help but thrust my hips slightly. I bring my mouth back to Bella's kissing her hard before I feel her little hands rest on my abdomen. I try to ignore it but her hand is so close to my dick that it makes my head spin.
Now that I know Bella is into it, I lift my hand a little, sliding it beneath the fabric of her panties and coming into contact with her wet flesh. I groan into her mouth at the same time Bella moans.
She breaks the kiss, breathing heavily and looking into my eyes as I focus on rubbing my finger against her clit.
"Oh...shit..." She breathes, rocking her hips slightly.
"You're so fucking wet" I groan.
"Sorry" She mumbles, sounding a little embarrassed.
"It's so fucking hot," I tell her, wanting her to know how sexy she is.
She looks at me like she doesn't really believe me so I thrust my hips up into her, showing just how hard I am for her. She moans before I slide my hand further back, slipping a finger inside of her.
Bella gasps, her eyes going wide and I have to stop my eyes rolling into the back of my head at how tight she is. I try to thrust my finger in and out of her, but her pants make it awkward so I grab her hip in my free hand and rock her against me.
She moans and pants above me, moving faster and harder and generally making it hard to think. The slight friction on my cock is enough to stop the ache but not enough to make me cum and it's fucking maddening.
I think Bella is getting close when she starts to let out these little high-pitched moans and whimpers so I lift her shirt with one hand, pulling the cup of her bra down awkwardly and popping her boob out. I kiss across the skin before sucking gently on her nipple.
"Oh my god," She whimpers, "I'm gonna-"
I bite lightly on her nipple, hearing her stop breathing completely before moaning quietly into the air, her walls clamping down around my finger. I grunt at the feeling, trying to prolong the pleasure for her before her hips stop moving and she pants against my shoulder.
We stay completely still for a while before Bella lifts her head and laughs breathlessly.
"Fuck" She giggles, "You were right. You are good with your hands."
I laugh with her before sliding my hand out of her pants. I notice her looking at my wet fingers and I wipe them on my jeans not wanting her to be embarrassed. My eyes meet hers before she gives me a soft kiss and I feel her slip her fingers under the fabric of my jeans.
"Do you want me to?" She whispers against my lips.
"You don't have to" I whisper back.
I would fucking love her to but I don't want to be an ass and make her feel like she has to reciprocate.
"I kind of want to but...I don't know what I'm doing" She admits and it's the cutest fucking thing.
I chuckle breathlessly, thinking that she could graze her finger along my zipper right now and I'd probably cum.
"I can show you, but only if you want" I whisper back.
Our eyes meet before she gives a little nod and I thank whoever is listening for making her make that choice. I nod before I feel her pop the button of my pants and drag my zipper down. I reach down with her, pushing the flaps of my jeans out of the way.
I notice her looking down at my covered cock and it twitches under the attention. I reach down, deciding to lead the situation as she's nervous and slip my hand into my boxers, pulling myself out.
I breathe heavily as I watch her take in my cock for the first time and I momentarily worry if she likes it, thinks it's big enough, but then she looks up at me with dark eyes and all concerns fly out the window.
"You can touch me" I whisper.
She bites her bottom lip, dropping her eyes before tentatively brushing the back of her finger against me. Even that delicate touch makes me moan and Bella's eyes flash back up to mine.
"Show me" She whispers and it's the hottest thing that she's asking.
I reach out and take her hand in mine, wrapping our fists around my cock, just the way I want. I groan at her touch before slowly starting to move her hand up and down over me.
She looks down, focusing on what she's doing, a small frown forming on her face as she concentrates. My breathing turns heavy and my eyes roll into the back of my head slightly as I bite my lip to keep from making an embarrassing noise.
I let go of her hand, letting her work me over. I grunt at the feeling of her skin against mine, my hands holding her hips tightly, needing to ground myself to something.
"Am I doing it right?" She whispers.
"Yeah" I grunt, "Faster," I tell her.
She does as I say, moving her hand a bit faster over me and in turn making me groan. Her eyes flash to mine and I look up at her already feeling the tingle of my orgasm at the base of my spine.
"Fuck...you're so hot" I pant.
I don't mean to say it out loud but when she gives me a little smile it's worth the second of embarrassment.
She continues to pump her hand up and down, making my head spin and my breathing heavy. I can feel my orgasm approaching and my back begins to arch slightly as my eyes flutter closed.
"Squeeze harder" I grunt.
Bella does but not enough.
"Harder baby," I tell her.
"I don't want to hurt you" She whispers.
"You won't" I moan, reaching down and covering her hand with mine.
I squeeze just the amount I want and move her hand a bit faster, helping her get me off. I start to pant, my tongue flicking out to wet my bottom lip before my eyes flutter open and I see her watching me, her eyes trained on my face.
"I'm gonna cum" I breathe.
She nods a little, looking like she doesn't really know what to do. I reach down fisting my t-shirt in my hand and dragging it out the way, exposing my stomach to her. My eyes drop to her mouth and I lick my lips.
"Kiss me" I whisper.
She moves towards me immediately and presses her lips to mine. I feel her breathe against my mouth and I let go of her hand, clutching the fabric of her t-shirt. I pull her closer before she nips my bottom lip with her teeth and it's all over.
I groan, cumming hard all over my stomach. I shudder and shake beneath her, twisting the fabric of her top around my fist and holding her to me tightly. Bella continues to move her hand, prolonging the pleasure until I'm twitching and shuddering beneath her.
I break the kiss, breathing heavily and reach down stopping her hand.
"Fuck..." I pant, my eyes meeting hers.
Her gaze drops to my stomach, taking in the white liquid coating my abs before her cheeks redden and I chuckle a little.
"Let me just..." I trail off, fishing around in my pants and luckily finding an old napkin from when we ate earlier. I wipe myself off as best I can until I look presentable and then tuck myself back into my pants.
"Was it okay?" She whispers, making my eyes flash to hers.
"Yeah" I grin. "It was really fucking good," I tell her.
"Really?" She asks, looking like she doesn't believe me.
"Really," I reply sincerely.
She gives me a small smile and kisses me softly.
"I think I should practice regularly" She whispers into my ear...
"So when do you think you can start the work?" Charlie asks me.
I snap out of the inappropriate memory of his daughter and feel heat creep up the back of my neck.
"Oh um...maybe the last week in May? Should take a couple of weeks so it would be done by the middle of June." I tell him.
"Sounds good" He nods.
"Thank you Edward" Renee smiles.
I nod smiling at them both before slapping my thighs.
"I should go and leave you to your evening. Thank you for the coffee" I say to them.
Renee goes to stand but I wave her off.
"I'll show myself out. Enjoy the last of the sunshine" I tell them with a smile.
They wave goodbye before I make my way back through the kitchen and out the front door. I head down the driveway, unlocking my truck when I hear a voice behind me.
"Hey, stranger".
I turn and see Charlotte wearing sweatpants and a cropped top, her hair in a ponytail. She's obviously been jogging. I feel my eyes move across her body briefly before snapping back to hers.
"Hi" I smile. "How are you?" I ask.
"Not too bad. Kind of hot" She says, breathing heavily and pushing some stray hairs out of her face.
"Jogging?" I ask.
"Yeah. Gotta keep fit somehow and this is the quickest so..." She laughs. "Do you jog?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't have much time to exercise" I admit.
"You don't look like you need to" She smiles and I feel the back of my neck warm.
I know she's flirting but I feel fucking awkward. I chuckle at her, breaking the tension.
"So do you live near here?" I ask.
"Yeah I live in Brent Street" She nods.
"Oh okay, nice area" I nod.
"You?" She asks.
"Drummond Street," I tell her.
"Oh right," She nods.
We stand in silence for a moment and I try to think of something to say. I glance at her and see she's looking around, looking a bit awkward. I feel bad. She's a cute girl, seems nice and appears to be into me, why am I making this so fucking hard?
Bella.
But Bella isn't here and she's got an entire life I don't know about. Why the fuck do I care? I should just take the bull by the horns, right?
"Um...I was wondering if you fancied getting a beer one night?" I ask her.
Charlotte's eyes flash to mine before a small smile crosses her face.
"Yeah?" She asks.
"Yeah." I chuckle, shrugging a little.
"Okay, sure" She nods.
"I'm kind of swamped at work right now, trying to get this house finished so how about...next Friday?" I ask.
"Next Friday it is. Text me a place and time?" She says.
"Sure." I grin.
"Okay," She nods before giggling slightly.
We both laugh before we both say goodbye, Charlotte jogging off with a smile.
Later that night, I'm brushing my teeth when I hear my phone ding. I spit into the sink, rinsing out my mouth before heading into my bedroom. I grab the phone seeing there is a message. I expect it to be from Emmett or Jasper, I don't expect it to be from Bella.
Hey. How are you? - B
I sit down on the side of my bed, Finn curling up in a ball by my feet. Fuck, my traitorous heart is already pounding.
Hi. I'm fine. You? :) - E
I stare at the message, watching it get delivered and then read. I bite my lip when I see the bubbles appear, telling me she's typing.
I'm good. I got that part! Thanks for helping me - B
I feel a small smile cross my lips. I'm happy for her, I am, she wanted that role and she was really good when she practised with me. Too good.
Congratulations! I didn't do much. - E
Yes, you did. You let me practice and didn't make me feel like an idiot while doing so - B
I sigh a little.
You're welcome - E
I wait for a minute, trying to think of a way to continue the conversation without looking desperate but I come up empty. I give up, crawling under the covers and lying on my back when suddenly, my phone dings again.
So how was your week? - B
It was good. Almost done at that house - E
I bite my lip, wondering whether to say that I saw her folks. I don't want her to feel weird like I've been hanging out with her parents but at the same time, if her parents have mentioned it to her, I don't want to look like I'm actively hiding the information.
I also went to your parent's house. They want me to quote for a deck - E
Oh really? - B
Yeah. Apparently, they're sprucing up the yard for summer - E
They left it kind of late haven't they? Can you even fit them in before then? - B
I'll do my best :) - E
So what else have you done other than working? - B
I think of Charlotte. I think of bumping into her and asking her out for a drink. I feel guilty and then I feel guilty for feeling guilty. I could tell Bella, could say that I have a date, that a cute girl asked me out and gave me her number twice and told me I didn't look like I needed to work out but...I don't.
Not much. Just lounged around really. You? - E
Same really. - B
A few minutes pass and she doesn't text anymore and I don't really have anything else to say. I can feel my eyes beginning to droop as I rest my phone against my chest when it suddenly buzzes and startles me awake. I wrench the screen back to my face and see another message.
I'm actually coming back to Forks for a week. - B
I feel my heart begin to pound and then hate myself for feeling excited.
When? - E
End of May - B
That's when I'll be working on her parent's deck. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Maybe you'd want to hang out again? Get a beer or something? - B
I immediately think of Charlotte and how I promised to get a beer with her. But Bella and I aren't dating, aren't even seeing each other, aren't even talking about seeing each other. She's just someone I used to know. There's nothing wrong with that right?
Even as I think the words, I know I'm lying to myself but I push the feeling aside because I'm stupid and selfish and desperate and pathetic.
Yeah. I'd like that. - E
