Let's see what happens when these two finally get some one on one time! Keep the feedback coming!
Chapter- 5
EPOV
"Pull! Pull!"
Breath, pull, kick, my brain followed the motions of my body as I pushed through one final sprint of breast stroke. Breast had been my weakest stroke over the past few months and I couldn't pinpoint what I was doing wrong. I hit the wall and popped up to look at the clock. Two point one seconds slower than my last run.
"Damnit!"
"Edward. Give yourself a break okay. You're overthinking it. Switch strokes." Coach Clap tried to reason with me.
"I'm not getting faster," I grumbled.
"You're not exactly getting slower either. However you will get hurt if you keep beating yourself up. Why don't you cool down with back then free. Turn slow and work on form not speed. Speed comes with good form."
"Yah, I know." I grabbed my water bottle taking a few pulls then pushed out and fell into a relaxed backstroke.
My mind wandered as I swam, allowing my muscle memory to take over while I cooled down. Bella was coming over to my house and I'd thought of little else since we made the plans Thursday afternoon. I'd cleaned my room to perfection, even scrubbing down the shower and the bathroom sinks. My mom looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head when I asked where we kept the vacuum.
Turn. The pool was quieting down as the rest of the team finished their laps and made their way to the locker rooms. I was usually the last one swimming, I liked finishing practice with some solitude. It was nice to have the water to myself for a few minutes. Turn.
A cold gust of air hit my arm as it stroked above the water, someone opened the side door. Probably one of the older lap swimmers that used the far lanes in the middle of the day. I focused on the second set of flags getting ready to hit the wall and turn again. Taking a breath I reached out and looked back toward the wall only to find a pretty face peer into the pool above me. Startled, I forgot to stop my other arm smacking it on the concrete edge of the pool.
"Ouch, shit!" I popped my head out of the water and pulled my goggles up.
"Oh my God Edward, I'm so sorry!" Bella stood above me, hands fluttering around. "Are you okay?"
"I'll live, not the first time I've hit the wall."
"I didn't mean to mess you up I just wanted to say 'hi.'" She bit her lip, I had an urge to reach up and pull it from under her teeth.
"Hi." I grinned. Letting my gaze wander from her face I realized that Bella was standing above me in a skirt. A short skirt, and she was unknowingly giving me a view of her upper thighs. I forced myself to look away a little panicked that she may have caught me. Once in bio was bad enough.
"Do you need to keep swimming?" She asked.
"I've only got a couple more laps. Are you okay waiting?"
"Yah, I'll go sit on the bleachers."
It was impossible to get the picture of Bella's skirt out of my mind. Falling back into my strokes I found myself pushing too hard trying to rid myself of the built up tension. How the hell was I supposed to spend time with her alone without losing my mind?
WIGT
"So, you're like a really good swimmer," Bella gushed once we climbed into my car and turned the heater up.
"I'm okay." I shrugged. Pulling off my wet beanie I shook out my hair to let it dry in the hot air.
"No, I mean seriously. When's your next meet?"
"Next week against Port A… do you, I mean maybe, would you want to come?" I held my breath waiting for her response.
"Absolutely!"
"Awesome." We smiled at each other until the car behind me honked forcing me to drive through the green light.
The drive home was less awkward than I'd feared, Bella joked about us living out in the middle of nowhere. She shared her theory that we were really vampires and we hid our victims bodies in the woods. I told her it was way less macabre, my mom just enjoyed the forest aesthetic, promising she'd understand when she saw the house.
Twenty minutes later Bella sat slack jawed as I pulled into the driveway. I'd seen the reaction before, my parents were a little more austentatious then people realized. The house wasn't decorated with gold gargoyles or anything but it was large and chic. The wood trim and wide glass windows made it seem like an overgrown luxury tree house.
"I can not believe you live here. Totally get why your parents didn't build it in the middle of town."
"Yah we would have stuck out like a sore thumb."
I led her inside holding out my hand for her jacket after closing the door. She unbuttoned the front then slipped it from her arms… and I stopped registering anything else. The skirt I'd been appreciative of at the pool had nothing on the shirt she wore. It clung to her, dipping low in a V right over her chest. Bella Swan's breasts were perfect. My mind went haywire as I admired the perky globes, my fingers itched to reach out and touch them. Completely forgetting what I was doing I used both hands to hold my pool bag in front of me. There was an emergency situation forming in my pants that Bella was going to notice really soon if I didn't do something to hide it.
"Um, I guess I'll just hang this up," she said, reaching behind me to hang her jacket on the coat rack.
"That's where jackets go." Every nerve in my head was misfiring. As a last ditch effort to rein myself in I closed my eyes, taking away the option to look at her. It was too late the image was already burned into my retinas.
"I figured, you know, since there's a bunch of jackets hanging there."
"Food," I croaked out. "Hungry?"
"Are you okay?"
"No? Yes… let's go this way." Bella smirked as I tried to pull myself back together. Eating was a distraction, one I was desperate for.
"Oh my goodness! Is that Bella?" My mother gushed as we entered the kitchen. "Honey it's so good to see you! It's been too long, look how beautiful you are! Edward, what is Bella doing here?" She sent me a sly smile.
"Mom stop, we're just working on the Homecoming committee together." I rolled my eyes and tossed my pool bag in the corner no longer needing it.
"Oh, are you two going to the dance?"
"Probably," Bella answered.
"No," I said at the same time. Both of them looked toward me. Well my mother glared but Bella looked… hurt? I only agreed to the committee. I never thought that meant going to the dance.
"Edward, maybe you should think about going," my mother urged. When she turned toward me I saw Bella adjust her shirt to show less cleavage. I pouted at the loss of skin.
"Maybe," I muttered.
"Bella, have you gotten a dress yet? Alice said the stores in Port Angeles are already getting picked over. Here you two sit down, I just made muffins."
"No, I haven't even looked for a dress yet. I guess I'm waiting to see if someone asks me to the dance." Bella took one of the muffins my mother offered and peeled off the wrapper. I sat across the table distracted by her cleavage again.
"I am sure there are plenty of boys who are dieing to ask you. What about the Newton boy, what's his name? Mike?"
"Wait. What?" Slow to catch on to the conversation Mike's name forced me to participate. "Why the hell would Bella go to Homecoming with Mike Newton!"
My mother looked like the cat that ate the canary. "It was just a suggestion Edward, Bella needs a date."
"Not Mike." I was adamant.
"Why not?" Bella cocked her head at me.
"What do you mean why not? Because he's Mike Newton, Bella. Why the hell would you want to go to the dance with him?" Was she serious?
"If no one else asks me, maybe I should."
"Someone else will ask you," I grumbled. The idea of Bella going to Homecoming with some other guy killed my mood. It was inevitable but I was hoping to enjoy more of her company before I had to suffer through that nightmare.
"Edward, you really should think about going," my mother said one last time before flouncing out of the room.
"I mean you should go," Bella urged. "If nothing else you can enjoy the awesome and exotic nineteen eighties refreshments we're going to arrange."
A picture of Bella in a blue dress, the same color as the shirt she wore, ran through my head. She and I dancing and laughing, dinking Kool Aid punch, it made the idea of going to the dance appealing. But I couldn't ask her to go with me, there was no way she'd be interested… right?
"So, is there anyone in particular you want to go with?" I fished for information.
"Maybe."
"Oh seriously? Who?"
"I… Yah, I can't tell you that." She bit her lip and her face flushed.
"Why not?" A little piece of my heart held hope that she wanted to go with me.
"Edward…" she whined.
"You don't have to tell me who, just answer yes or no questions."
"Fine."
"Is he in our grade?"
"Yes."
"Do you know him well?"
"I think so, at least I'm getting to know him well."
"Does his name start with an M?"
"Oh my God. I can promise you it's not Mike. And before you ask, it's not Tyler either," she laughed.
"Thank God. Eric?"
"No! Also he has a girlfriend!"
"But otherwise…"
"You're ridiculous."
"Fine. Let me think. Does he play any sports?"
"Yes."
"Which one?"
"That's a dead give away Edward!"
"Come on, please?" My leg bounced under the table as she bit her lip contemplating. Finally she peeked at me from under her lashes and smiled.
"Okay… his sport is..." Say swim, say swim, say swim!
"Baby bro!" Emmett boomed out bounding into the room.
"God damnit Emmett!" I yelled, raking a hand through my hair in frustration.
"Bella! Holy shit. What are you doing here?" Emmett stopped in his tracks.
"Hi Emmett?" She cocked an eyebrow at his greeting.
"Sorry that was rude. Why are you here with him?" He pointed an accusatory finger my way. I scowled back.
"We're in charge of refreshments for Homecoming committee. I came over to start working on the menu."
"Okay. Yah, that makes sense." He continued his mission toward the plate of muffins. "Oh can I make suggestions?"
"No."
"Yes."
"I like her better than you," Emmett said to me before turning back to Bella. "You guys need to get those weird chips that look like triangles. What are they called? Bongles?"
"Bugles," I muttered. "He ate them one time at our grandma's house and he's requested them for every party since."
"Um. they were a thing in the eighties right? We can probably put them on the list." She shrugged.
"Belly Boo You're the best!"
"Nope. You can't call me that if I'm taking your suggestion."
"Okay fine, you're still the best. I totally see why Edward…"
"Bye Emmett!" I cut him off. He took the rest of the muffins and walked off laughing.
"Sorry about him, he was dropped a lot as a baby. My parents have bad hand eye coordination."
"That must be tough for your dad… being a surgeon and all."
"It's awful. Blood everywhere."
"Gross."
"Do you want to work in my room? We might have less distractions."
"Your mom won't care?"
"I don't think so, I mean it's not like we're going to be making out or something." I rolled my eyes at the absurd idea, Bella willing to make out with me. She didn't laugh, instead she hid behind her hair mumbling "Okay."
She stood and followed me through the house looking in various rooms and at family portraits as we went. She laughed at the old school pictures at the top of the stairs. I had to pull her away from a particularly bad one of me in my four eyed snaggle toothed glory from fifth grade.
"You were the cutest little kid!"
"I definitely was not. Thank god for contacts and orthodontics."
"I always liked your glasses," she said as we entered my room.
"Um, anyway we can work on the couch?" I gestured toward the back of the room.
"Of course you have a couch… and a TV. Edward, this room is the size of some people's apartments!"
Bella took a slow walk around, her hand brushed against my wall of books stopping at one of my favorite's from when I was little.
"You still have this." She smiled, pulling the book from its shelf.
"You remember it?"
"You were reading it the first time I met you. You lent it to me the next day."
"Yah." I flushed at the memory. She was the prettiest girl my ten year old self had ever seen. The idea that she read the same books, and swam, and wanted to sit in the library with me instead of hang out on the playground had blown my mind. Fucking Mike and Tyler.
"Hmmm…" She replaced the book and turned to the rest of the room. "So should we maybe look up eighties snacks? I'm thinking that may be a good place to start."
"Yah, let me grab my laptop. We can make a spreadsheet."
"Dork."
"What?"
"You're totally proficient in Excel aren't you."
"Shut up."
"I knew it."
"Whatever, you'll be sorry that you mocked me when I make us a kick ass spreadsheet. It'll make all the other spreadsheets jealous."
She snickered as I grabbed my laptop off my nightstand and sat on my bed. I set it on the comforter next to me so Bella could see the screen as well. The bed shook with her movement, I looked over to find her lying on her stomach. Her feet swung up in the air, ankles crossed. She propped herself on her elbows, any of the cleavage she'd tried to hide earlier totally exposed. I could even see the edge of her bra. It was lacey and pale pink. In urgency I grabbed the computer and placed it back over my lap. Breathing hard, I stared at the screen.
Holy crap. What happened? We were supposed to sit on the couch! I couldn't stay in that position, having the computer on my lap would only make Bella stare in the direction I really needed her to look away from. Thinking quick I put the computer back on the bed then turned around and stretched out mirroring her. She wouldn't be able to see anything incriminating, and from that angle neither could I. We would be forced to focus on the computer screen. I just had to stop thinking about Bella sprawled out next to me.
"Okay so I think we should stick to the classics for drinks, name brand soda, punch, that sort of stuff," she said. I typed the items into the spreadsheet.
"Should we add the estimated cost?"
"That's a good idea! We don't even know our budget yet. It'll definitely help if we can give Eric an idea of how much we need. Kool Aid packets are super cheap, like two for a dollar and each one makes a quart. If we do two liters for soda it would be cheaper but cans might be easier."
"Guess what I know how to do," I grinned. "Add both to the spreadsheet and make two different totals to compare."
"God you're such a dork." Bella laughed and turned on her side to face me, her free hand flipping her hair. Despite my attempts to be a gentleman my eyes drifted lower. Her shirt had shifted and I could see more of her bra. An inch of her abdomen peeked out under the hem of her shirt. Her top leg bent forward highlighting the curve of her hip.
Unable to take the torture I groaned and dropped my head into my arm.
"What's wrong?" She asked. I mumbled an unintelligible response. "Edward, are you okay?" She shifted closer and placed her hand on my back.
"Oh God, Bella, don't touch me right now. Please?" She jumped back.
"I'm sorry. Did I do something?" I knew she was upset but I couldn't look at her. She was on my bed, showing more skin than I'd ever seen… my control was past the point of being tested.
"Edward, I can go…"
"No!" My head popped up. She was on her knees leaning forward giving me a perfect view down her shirt. Why couldn't I stop looking! "God Bella I can see your Bra!" Shit.
Horrified, I pushed myself up sitting opposite her. What the hell made me say that? She looked down at her chest and adjusted her top to hide the pink fabric away. I whimpered, mourning the loss.
"I'm sorry! God, I'm so embarrassed," she sniffled. Oh no. I made her cry!
"No Bella, please don't cry," I grabbed her hand desperate to fix the damage I'd done.
"Rosalie is so stupid! I knew this wouldn't work!"
"Rosalie? What the hell does Rosalie have to do with this?"
"She's the one that told me to wear this stupid shirt! I should have known!" She pulled her hand away from mine, throwing it into the air and stood up. "I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I promise it won't happen again. This is humiliating... I think I should go. If you don't want to work on the committee with me anymore I totally get it." Why was she sorry?
"Whoa Bella, what the hell are you talking about?" I ran to block her exit from my room. "Please just tell me what's going on so I can fix it because I'm really confused."
"Um…" She bit her lip. "It's so dumb… and I'm really sorry... Rosalie talked to Emmett…"
"Oh no." God damnit Emmett!
"She thought… I mean I thought… if nothing else… I mean homecoming is coming up. Ugh, nevermind."
"Wait. Did Emmett ask Rosalie to find me a date for homecoming?" I felt sick. Was my brother seriously such a jackass that he tried to get my dream girl to give me a pity date?
"What?"
"Look Bella, I don't need a pity date to a stupid dance okay? If I want to go I'll find someone to ask. I'm sure there's a girl somewhere in the school who would say yes," I spat.
"Edward of course there is! That's not…"
"Why don't you just send me a list of the food you want and I'll put it together for this week's meeting." Humiliated, I cut her off.
"Okay," she mumbled. We stood looking anywhere but at each other. With a resigned sigh she stepped around me toward the door.
"Fuck," I muttered.
"What?" She turned back.
"I drove you here."
"Oh. I'll call my dad. He can probably pick me up." Her shoulders dropped making me feel even worse.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'll drive you home. I might be a loser but I'm not an asshole," I grumbled.
"You're not a loser Edward."
I ignored Bella's words and grabbed my keys off the desktop. The drive home was brutal and silent.
A/N: I think they might need some better advice...