DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the intellectual property of the respective author. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
-Chapter Fifteen-
We walked down the street in hand and hand, scoping out cars. From an outsider's perspective, we could be just two young people enjoying Scottsdale nightlife with no criminal intent in mind.
Except one of us had a gun stashed in his back waistband.
It was a busy Saturday night, filled with many drunken idiots. It was the perfect time to steal a car. By the time a person realized we had stolen their vehicle—after spending thirty to forty minutes searching and assuming they've just misplaced it somewhere—it would be at a garage in West Phoenix getting chopped and sold.
There were a few rules that Edward liked to abide by, and he told me that stealing cars was something that he fell into when he was younger with his friends. A couple of kids bored out of their rich minds, asking for trouble. He was a straight-up thrill seeker. He liked the excitement of the possibility of getting caught, but after a few arrests, he decided to get smart about it.
He had six rules, all of which he learned through experience. It's what kept him out of jail for so long. First, he wasn't an idiot. Only idiots fuck up and get caught.
I was bouncing on my toes, itching for some action. All this talk about stealing and the massive wave of adrenaline it caused was getting me all excited.
Every car we passed was beautiful and ripe, and I was sure that each one would be 'the one that he wanted me to boost, but he was picky.
There was always something wrong with the cars, and if they didn't align with the stars and match up with all of Edward's rules, it was a no-go.
My heart smiled when we saw a cherry red BMW, and I wanted it. It was the first thing that caught my eye when we arrived, but Edward wouldn't go near it. He said it was too close to a restaurant and had an alarm.
There was this crazy lifted 4x4 truck where Edward would have to pick me up to get me into it. He said it was too much of a liability.
We came across an old black mustang, which looked pretty fast to me and matched all six of Edward's requirements. It looked like a sure winner, but again, he said no. It was a classic car, and he couldn't bear to see it get stripped and chopped.
He excited me over a silver compact car by our third lap around the busy block. It was cute and tiny, something I could drive with no problem. But of course, Edward didn't like it. He said it was a four-cylinder engine, and we wouldn't have a chance to outrun the cops in that thing.
Finally, I got fed up with him.
"Seriously, Edward, are we going to steal anything tonight?" I asked, my frustration carrying over to an unsuspecting security guard's ears.
Edward smiled tightly at him, waving me off. "She's drunk. Girl can't handle her tequila."
The security guard rolled his eyes, and Edward grabbed my hand, walking away casually.
I groaned, and my face inflamed with embarrassment. I looked up at Edward with a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
"Baby, I know you're getting antsy, but what was the one thing I said that will get you fucking caught?" he asked.
"Over eagerness."
"Exactly. For instance, right now, if I told you to steal that car," he pointed over to a white Camry, "what would be the first thing you do?"
The list of rules came to mind, and I tried to remember them individually and in order.
I shrugged. "Um, I don't know, check underneath the car for a Lojack?"
"So, you would get down on your knees and look under a car with that guy standing right there watching you?" Edward asked, nodding towards a man a few feet from us.
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Right, I forgot. Always be aware of your surroundings."
"That's why we're not stealing anything tonight and probably won't for a couple of weeks. Not at least until your ready," Edward said, squeezing my hand. "We gotta get you comfortable with just the act of stealing first."
"I'm comfortable," I said. "I took that tape with no problem, didn't I?"
"Did you?" he asked skeptically.
I glared up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He laughed, pulling my head to him and kissing the top of it. "Nothing. It doesn't mean anything."
"No," I said, stopping our walk and standing in front of him, "tell me what you meant by that."
"Don't get mad, but, uh, yeah, you almost got caught shoplifting today."
I shook my head, stunned in disbelief. "What? No, I didn't."
"Baby," he said, caressing the side of my cheek. "I had to pay off the cashier."
"You did not," I said, my heart breaking into a million pieces. "Did you?"
"I had to. The guy knew something was up. He was about to ask you to lift up your shirt when I slipped him that hundred."
"So, I didn't steal anything?" I asked, crushed. "In fact, that hardware store actually owes us, like what, fifty rolls of tape?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I doubt that hundred dollars went to the store."
"Ugh," I said, throwing my hands up in the air and trounced down the street, furious and deflated.
The one time I'd done anything crazy, except trying to steal Edward's car, wasn't worth mentioning. I wasn't memorable or badass. No, I was playing criminal with the help of my felon boyfriend.
Edward grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off to the side. A couple following us walked past, looking at us with curious expressions. Edward stared them down, watching them the entire time until he couldn't see the guy and girl anymore.
He turned back to me.
"Listen, baby, it wasn't about getting the tape for free. I just wanted to see if you had the guts to do it." He smiled at me with that crooked grin. His eyes locked on mine as his hands palmed and fondled my breasts, rolling his thumbs and triggering my nipples to harden."I was pleasantly surprised to see how horny it made you."
I grabbed the belt loops of his jeans and yanked his hips towards me."It made you horny, too."
He bowed, faintly trailing his mouth along my jaw and up to my ear. He spoke softly, causing the tiny wisp of hairs on the nape of my neck to stand up on all ends. "You make me horny. It doesn't matter if you're stealing tape, shooting my gun, or doing the laundry. I'll be there watching and fighting the urge to bend you over and take you."
My lids closed, and my eyes rolled back as he nibbled my ear, pulling the lobe into his mouth. "Why are you such a tease?"
"Did I tease you today?"
"No," I breathed, his hands gripping my breasts as he thrust against me. He was pinning me against a wall, and the rough stucco was putting deep impressions into the back. "But you tease me in other ways."
"How so?" he asked, his teeth nipping and grazing at the skin on my neck.
Sliding my hand between us, I rubbed the front of his pants and felt his growing bulge. His head jerked up, and he grabbed my wrist, roughly pulling it away. He undoubtedly just proved my point.
"You see what I mean?"
"I'm trying not to be an ass, Bella," he said, taking a step back and running his hands through his hair. "I'm not used to this."
"Used to what exactly? Having a girl touch you?"
"No, used to…" he waved his hand over me, "this! Us! Actually having to be conscious about someone else and putting the effort into making sure that they're taken care of before me. You're not the only one who's new to this."
"Edward, it's just sex."
He glared at me. "It's not just fucking sex."
"Fine, it's not just sex, but it's not some space shuttle launch, either."
He smiled, holding back a chuckle.
"It's because I'm seventeen, and you can't fathom that someone like me would have any sort of life experiences."
He did a combo of nodding and shrugging.
"Okay, let me see if I can understand this. I'm old enough to boost cars, and maybe or maybe not steal a roll of tape, but I'm too young to have sex with you?"
"Woman," he growled. "I didn't fucking say that."
"What is it then? My virginity? Are you afraid it's contagious?"
He shook his head, laughing.
"Look, Edward, I'm not attached to it, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not one of those girls who sees it as something valuable or worth keeping until marriage. It's not like it's the sixteen hundreds and my family will get an extra goat for it…if anything, it's a pain. No one seems to want to take it."
"Jesus, kid," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Don't call me a kid."
He looked up at me, wide-eyed and hurt. "I'm not saying you're a kid, Bella. It's just what I call you."
"Don't call me a kid," I repeated, brushing past him. "Take me home."
I stormed down the street, passing numerous drunk 'Woo Girls' and a few guys who looked like they wanted to approach me, but my intense scowl made them take pause. I wasn't tipsy and giggling drunk; they knew they had no chance with me.
The one guy who did have a chance with me was failing to pull the trigger.
My anger, boiling over, and my frustration, at its peak, wasn't necessarily towards Edward. It was about everything. How many times would people keep reminding me that I was young to him?
The ten-year age gap wouldn't even be such a big deal in ten years. There was a shit load of couples with fifteen to twenty years between them. I couldn't understand why Edward focused on something that didn't matter.
The parking garage was packed with cars but deserted of people. I walked towards Edward's Chevelle, wanting to go home and sleep. But, unfortunately, this night did not turn out as I had hoped.
When I glanced back to look for Edward, he was a few strides behind me and coming up fast.
"What the fuck are you doing to me?" he asked, stopping short and beginning to pace back and forth.
"What?" I laughed dryly. "I'm trying to jump your bones. What are you doing to me?"
"I should've fucked you by now," he grumbled.
"You know, you keep saying that. Edward," I said, rolling my eyes, "but here I am, still fully dressed, soooo…what?"
His head snapped up, and he stopped his manic pacing. He reached out from my hand. "Come here."
"What?" I asked, stubbornly folding my arms over my chest. "No."
Edward trained his eyes on something lying behind me and in the distance. He shoved his hand more forcefully at me and grunted. "Come on."
"Fine," I growled, pushing myself off his car and taking his hand.
He pulled me through the garage, speed walking and glancing around us every few seconds. I was confused about where we were going, and when I asked, he just shushed me.
Finally, we reached the other side of the vast garage, and Edward stopped. He pointed to the far back corner. "There."
"What am I looking at?" I asked, scanning the cars but not seeing anything in particular.
"That's your boost," he said.
"My boost?" My brows knitted as I stared up at him, highly doubtful. "I thought we were waiting until I was ready."
He shrugged his shoulders. "You want to go from zero to ninety in a day? Well, I'm having you steal a car that can go from zero to ninety in three-point-six seconds."
"Are you kidding?" I asked my heart racing now. "Well, what car?"
He bent down, wrapping his arms around my body, and nodded. "The black one in the corner."
I squinted, searching in vain for that car. Then, finally, I saw it, my jaw dropped, and my eyes widened when I realized which one he wanted me to steal.
I couldn't breathe.
"Oh, my God…what is that?" I croaked out.
He smirked, leading me towards it. "It's a Lamborghini, Bella."