Chapter 03
EPOV
*The next day*
I groan to myself before getting of my bike, placing my helmet on the seat. Remind me again why I thought joining the gym was a good idea? I adjust my gym bag on my back as I walk through the lot towards the entrance.
The smell of rubber mats, cleaner, and sweat wash over me as I make my way into the gym. Surprisingly, there's not that many people here. Then again, it's the middle of a work day, so I shouldn't be that surprised. Taking a look around, I make my way to the front desk. The man behind the counter greets me, asking to see my membership card.
"I actually don't have one. I spoke to someone about signing up and starting training with Emmett Swan." I pull my wallet out of my pocket, retrieving my credit card for my inevitable down payment. The man takes my information as he signs me up for my membership. I hand him the card and he charges it without telling me how much it'll be. I guess the price doesn't matter. I've got a job to do, right? I wonder if I can get this reimbursed through work.
"Alright, the locker rooms are just around the corner. You can meet Emmett by the weights when you're ready," the man says as he hands me my credit card and gym membership card.
"Thanks, man," I smile quickly before walking towards the locker rooms. I wore my gym shirt and shoes but opted to wait until getting here to change into my shorts. It was too nice of a day to park the bike and I wasn't about to ride it wearing shorts, so I opted to pack the shorts and wear my jeans.
Once I'm changed, I make my way out of the locker room and glance around the gym. I spy Emmett over by the weights, just like the man at the desk said he would be. He's even bigger than I imagined. This dude could be a linebacker if he wanted to with his size. I walk over, mildly intimidated by him.
"Emmett?" I call as I walk closer. He turns to face me and a big cheesy grin spreads across his face.
"You must be Edward," he concludes as he holds a giant hand out to me. I take it, shaking it firmly. "Nice to meet you," he grins.
"Likewise," I smile back.
"Oh, you'll want to wait to make that conclusion until after our session," he jokes. "You may regret meeting me by the time the hour is up." I do my best not to groan. Chief will kick my ass if I'm laid up in bed because of this workout.
Emmett wasn't kidding, though. He thoroughly kicked my ass throughout the entire workout. I can't even remember the last time I sweat this much, or even used my body this much. By the time the hour is up, I'm officially worn and in need of a long shower.
"I have to admit," Emmett grins down at me. I glance up at the man towering over me. I thought I was tall at six feet but Emmett has a good three or four inches on me. "I didn't expect you to do all of that without complaint. Normally my clients don't let me push them that hard."
"Whoa, wait a minute," I say, narrowing my eyes. "You didn't have to push me that hard?" I didn't even question it. Who was I to decide what was normal for a session? I figured this was his typical routine.
"No," he grins. "But you did it without complaint. That's impressive," he laughs. I groan and stretch out my sore muscles, making Emmett laugh harder. "So, tell me, what made you want to start training?" he asks and I momentarily panic. I didn't think of a cover for this.
Thinking out of my ass, I utter a quick reply, "Just want to keep myself in shape." I give a shrug when I'm finished. Emmett's laughter booms throughout the gym. It's unnaturally loud in my ears but a quick glance around makes me think that everyone here is used to it by now.
"Trying to keep yourself in shape," he repeats. "You're the most in shape person I train," he informs me. "And I have a large client list," he continues.
"Yeah, well, if I didn't have a trainer, I wouldn't be here," I give a slight laugh of my own.
"What's your work schedule like? I kind of want to get you set up on a routine with coming every other day to start you off. We'll train on Fridays and you'll come four times a week total." Four times a week? This is not what I intended when I signed up for this. I'll have to come while Bella's at school or something.
"I'm a pediatrician out in Clearwater. I'm sure I can manage to find the time to come in four times a week," I say, lying smoothly. I set up my fake job title, getting Chief's approval on it before actually using it.
"Sweet," Emmett nods. "I do take my clients' phone numbers to kick their asses in gear when they need it. So, I'll be getting it from the front desk. If you get a text from a weird number, it'll be me," he tells me with a grin.
"Your clients pay you to harass them?" I joke with a laugh and his booming laugh comes back.
"You're one of those clients now, Eddie boy," Emmett booms and I make a face.
"Just Edward," I say as kindly as I can. "The only person that can call me Eddie is my nephew," I smile.
"Noted," Emmett laughs. "Forks is a small town and I haven't seen you around before," he mentions. "You just move here?"
"Yeah, a few months ago," I nod. "I lived here when I was younger but moved out of state for college. I figured it was time to come back," he nods.
"Did you go to Forks High?" he asks, and I'm sure he's wondering if he's ever seen me around.
"Actually, I went to school out in La Push. My family lives on the border of the two districts." Emmett nods, accepting my answer.
"Well, Edward," Emmett starts, clapping a hand on my back. "This has been great. I've got another client coming in but let's grab drinks sometime," he grins. I didn't realize how easy it would be to be his friend. I agree and walk back to the locker room to change into my jeans. As I leave the gym, I call Alice, preparing myself for her incessant teasing.
BPOV
*Present Day*
I sit in Rose's office and pick at the salad I brought with me. Rose takes her lunch during my lunch period so I'm able to sit in her office while I eat. Well, I'm able to sit in her office while I try to convince myself to eat.
"Bella, you have to eat something," Rose coaches. I glance up at her and her face is holding a concerned expression.
"My appetite just isn't there," I mutter. Ever since hearing the news about James last night, I haven't had it in me to stomach any food. I feel like if I do, it'll just come back up anyways. So why not just save myself the discomfort, right?
"Have you taken your anxiety medication today?" she asks and I give her a look. She knows I've taken it today, just like I take it every other day. Why she feels the need to check is beyond me.
"Of course, I've taken it," I frown at her, setting my salad on her desk. "It's more than just anxiety, Rose. It's stress, too."
"You know Dad isn't going to let him anywhere near you," she offers with a kind smile. I know it's supposed to be reassuring but I can't find it in me to let it reassure me.
"I have to talk to Shelly Cope up front to let her know to blacklist James from coming to the school," I mutter, staring down at the carpeted floor of her office.
"Hey," Rose says softly and I glance up at her. Her eyes are full of empathy and I swallow back the emotions they bring up in me. "It's okay. Nobody is going to judge you."
"I just never wanted this to affect my job," I mumble. "I had to take three weeks off work after," I start but trail off, knowing Rose will understand. I hated having to come back to work knowing everyone knew what happened. It's a small town, word spreads fast. Even my students knew. I can still see it in their eyes sometimes. I've even heard a whisper here and there.
"It's not affecting your job. You're still doing a damn good job of trying to get those little shits to care about their reading," she teases lightly. I smirk at her, thankful her door is closed. Rose doesn't normally curse at work but tends to let up on that when her door is closed.
"It's just embarrassing, you know?" I mumble before grabbing my salad off her desk, forcing myself to take a bite. The tanginess of the poppyseed dressing sends my tastebuds to heaven and back but my stomach feels a bit queasy at the thought of swallowing the food. I chew slowly before forcing it down my throat, actually surprised that my body didn't force it back up. Encouraged by this, I take another bite.
I hate feeling like this. I worked so damn hard to not feel like this, going to therapy and working at my mental health around the clock. I've finally made it to a point where, yes, I have anxiety attacks and nightmares still, but I don't think I need to rely on outside help for my mental health. All of that washed right down the drain, though, from even just the news of James getting out of jail. I can feel myself starting to spiral and, as much as I hate to admit it, Rose is probably right about me needing to go back to seeing Dr. Greene. Sensing that I need a distraction, a shit-eating grin forms on Rose's face. I glance up at her, cocking my head to the side slightly and giving her a curious look.
"So, I my have convinced Emmett to invite that new client of his over for dinner tomorrow," she grins. I look up at her and can't help but smile.
"You mean his crush?" I laugh and she nods excitedly.
"I told him Edward should be given a trial run with me and him before we unleash the family on him," she giggles. "You can come if you want, I just won't tell Emmett," she continues, still grinning from ear to ear.
Without even hesitating, I nod my head, loving that Rose is scheming. Then I realize it's just going to be her and Emmett, Edward, and me. "Hang on," I say, backpedaling really fast. "This feels like a setup," I frown quirking an eyebrow at her. Before James, Rose was always trying to set me up with men she knew, so I'm a little wary at this invitation.
"God, no," she shakes her head quickly. "Bella, I wouldn't set you up with anyone right now. Not with what happened still being so fresh." Her hand reaches across the desk and I reach out to hold it. She squeezes it reassuringly, giving me a soft smile. "I just thought it would be fun to have you there, too."
"What if I bring Jasper?" I ask, hoping she'll agree so that, even though it's not a setup, it'll really stop feeling like one. "I'm sure he won't want to be left out of the fun. We'll just leave Mom and Dad out for now," I smile.
"I like that plan," she grins. "I suppose I'll tell Emmett you two are coming. He'll have time to prepare, and it'll also give him some time to get over his annoyance at me."
"Oh please, that man couldn't be annoyed if you tried," I roll my eyes, smirking at her. Before she can respond, the bell signaling the end of lunch blares over the speakers. I put the lid on my barely touched salad and shove it back into my lunch bag. Once the bag is closed, I stand, running my hands along my dress pants to make sure there's not wrinkles.
"Alright, back to handing out quizzes," I say in fake excitement before smiling and waving at Rose and opening her door to walk out.
"Bella," she calls back, making me stop and look at her. "Bring wine tomorrow," she grins. I nod, grinning myself, and leave her office. My wedges make a muffled noise as they come into contact with the linoleum and I focus on it, allowing the noise to ease my anxiety a bit.
When I get to my classroom, about half my class is already there, chatting with each other and sitting on desks. If they notice me walk in, they don't acknowledge it. I'm used to that by now, and honestly, I don't mind. I don't need them having their attention on me before class begins and it gives me time to shoot Jasper a text before class begins.
Dinner at Em's tomorrow. – B
I stash my phone in my top drawer as the final bell rings to signal the start of class.
"Alright, let's get this quiz out of the way, shall we?" I smile pleasantly as I pick up a stack of papers. No one responds to me, their faces blank. Not that I expected them to be jumping for joy. I pass out the quizzes, the only sounds in the room are shuffling papers and scrawling pencils. When I make my way back up to my desk, I lean against it and glance around the room at my students, smiling to myself at this constant I have in my life.
After work, Rose and I walk together to our cars, like we do every day.
"What're you and Em doing tonight?" I ask as we walk across campus. The weather is starting to warm up a bit, so I'm carrying my jacket slung over my arm, enjoying the rare occurrence of sun on my skin.
"He wants to take me out tonight," she smiles. "It's been a while since we've had a date night." Rose and Emmett aren't strained for cash, but they're not rolling in it either. Emmett makes a decent living off of being a personal trainer and I know Rose's paychecks aren't anything to scoff at either. They've been trying to set aside money each paycheck for their inevitable wedding, though. They're not even engaged yet and they're already trying to save money for it. I mean, we all know it's only a matter of time until Emmett pops the question, but they don't want to wait and then have to scramble for money. Mom and Dad have already said they're not going to let them struggle to pay for the wedding, offering to pay for some of it, but Rose and Emmett don't want to have to rely on them. Because they're always setting aside money for the wedding, they don't typically go out on dates anymore, preferring just to stay in and spend time cooking together.
"Well, that takes priority over what I was going to offer," I laugh. "I was going to suggest an evening of relaxation. I just bought some face masks and a couple new nail polish colors. I was going to see if you wanted to come over and enjoy them with me."
"You know I normally would," Rose laughs lightly. "Just not tonight," she continues, and I completely understand.
"No, that's fine," I smile at her. "You have fun on your date night."
"Oh, I intend to," she assures me with a wiggle of her eyebrows. I groan and make a face.
"Why do you do that every time," I protest in disgust.
"Because I know how much it annoys you," she laughs wholeheartedly. She leans into my side, placing her head on my shoulder for a moment before standing up again. "Honestly, though. Don't let me not coming ruin your relaxation evening. If anyone needs it, it's you," she winks at me and I roll my eyes. I know her heart's in the right place but she doesn't need to point my stress out to me. I'm well aware it's there.
We part ways once I get to my truck. Rose gives me a wave over her shoulder and I call out a goodbye to her before creaking open my door and hoisting myself inside. I sit in my car for a few moments as I scroll through my music library. No matter where I drive in Forks, there isn't enough time to hear a song in its entirety, but I still take the time to choose a song. When I settle on Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, I pull out of the lot, my head nodding to the rhythm of the guitar's melody.
Not surprisingly, the song isn't over as I pull into the driveway. Leaning my head back against the seat, I close my eyes and listen to the last bits of the song before killing the engine. I make my way into the house, with Rufus greeting me again. Jasper's truck isn't in the driveway; I managed to get home before him today. I set my bag down by the door and slip out of my wedges before carrying them upstairs with me.
We don't have a rule where you can't wear shoes in the house. I'm just more coordinated on stairs without having them on. Jasper makes fun of me for it, calling me a klutz, but hey, I'd rather be safe than sorry. My feet pad against the wooden floorboards as I make my way to my bedroom. After shoving my shoes under the bed, I start to change into some comfier clothes. My plan is to get my grading done before Jasper gets home, which shouldn't be too hard. Today's quiz is multiple choice so I'll be able to grade it fairly quickly.
Clad in sweats and a long-sleeved tee, I head downstairs again, retrieving my bag from the door. I set up shop in the living room, settling myself onto the couch. I use my lap as my desk, stacking all the quizzes on top of my folded legs. Glancing at the first quiz, I hope they're not all like this. The majority of the answers are wrong. I pull out my red pen and start putting slashes through the numbers with wrong answers.
Thankfully, I don't have many quizzes that are as bad as the first one was. The book I found yesterday probably belongs to the student with that awful quiz. It doesn't take me too long to grade the papers. Most of my students seem to have a great handle on the book, at least about the plot that is. We'll dive deeper into the literary aspects of it next week, though.
Once the papers are graded, I head to the kitchen to grab something for dinner. My stomach is grumbling nonstop from having not eaten enough today. Looking in the fridge, I spot leftovers from last night. I grab the glass container and vent the lid before placing it in the microwave to warm up. I lean against the counter and Rufus makes himself comfortable at my feet. This dog is so spoiled, he thinks every time someone is in the kitchen, he's going to get some food. Too bad for him, I'm too greedy to share my food with him today.
Once the microwave beeps to signal my food is ready, I take it out and sit at the kitchen table. One of Jasper's biggest rules is no eating on his couch. When James and I lived together, we normally ate dinner in our living room. Our dining room table was saved for special occasions. It took some getting used to when I first moved into Jasper's house, but I've grown to automatically make my way to the table to eat.
Jasper comes into the house as I'm cleaning the dishes. I didn't hear his car pull up, so the sound of the door opening unexpectedly makes me jump and panic gather in my throat. Almost immediately, my face flushes with embarrassment as I realize it's just Jasper. Drying my hands off with the kitchen towel, I turn to face him.
"Hey," I say, hoping it comes off as casual. Jasper looks up at me from the ground where he's crouched, scratching Rufus' tummy. My hopes are crushed as he furrows his eyebrows, giving me a questioning look.
"You're awfully flushed," he notes as he shrugs off his jacket.
"That tends to happen sometimes," I shrug, trying to play it off.
"When you're embarrassed, yeah. Don't forget, I've known you just as long as you've known yourself," he points out with a quirked eyebrow. I breathe deep and close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose for a second before dropping my hand and looking at him.
"I didn't hear you pull up and," I say, pausing before mumbling out, "youscaredme."
"Come again?" he asks, walking further into the kitchen. I groan and jiggle my leg anxiously.
Looking down at the floor, I repeat myself more clearly. "You scared me." He doesn't say anything in return. After a moment, I look up and he's frowning. I swallow thickly, breathing deep before I speak again.
"This James news just has me on edge," I shrug. "I'm okay, I promise." He thankfully doesn't push the topic. That's one of the things that I'm closest with Jasper out of my two siblings. He always knows when and when not to press a subject. Back in high school, if I was dumped by a boy, Emmett wanted all the details so he could thoroughly kick the guy's ass. Jasper, though, just kind of let me mope and waited until I was ready to talk, which normally came after I had a crying session with Rose.
"So, dinner at Rose and Emmett's tomorrow?" he asks, changing the subject. I grin humorously, thinking about it.
"Yeah, she convinced Emmett to invite Edward to dinner tomorrow."
"Edward?" he asks, needing clarification.
"Emmett's new client," I remind him.
"Right, the one Emmett is crushing on," he chuckles and I laugh along with him.
"Exactly," I say when my laughter dies down. "So, Rose invited us."
"Well, we'll have to be there," he smiles mischievously.
"I was instructed to bring wine, so I'm going to stop at the store on the way home tomorrow. I'm thinking Rosé."
"If you and Rose will drink it," he says as he grabs a beer out of the fridge. "You know what Emmett and I will be drinking." He tilts the unopened beer at me before grabbing a metal-handled serving spoon. I watch as he lines the handle up with the bottle cap and leverages it quickly so the cap pops off in his hand.
"Speaking of Rose," I trail off. He looks at me as he takes a drink from his beer, waiting for me to continue. "She bailed on me for a relaxation evening and I just don't think it'll be as relaxing if I'm alone," I explain, knowing he's seeing right through my bullshit. "I was thinking you could do a face mask with me." He groans, scrunching his nose, but I know he's going to give in. I grin, waiting for him to come around to the idea.
"I'm going to have to call Rose to come over," he says jokingly.
"You can't," I say in a sing-song voice. "It's date night for her and Emmett." Jasper breathes deep and sets his beer down.
"Fine, fine," he gives in. "But so help me, if you give Emmett and proof of this," he trails off, not finishing his threat. I squeal in excitement and head upstairs to get my face mask. I didn't tell Jasper what kind it was. He's probably assuming it's the sheet mask where you just place the moistened sheet on your face because that's what I normally use. He's going to be sadly mistaken, though. I opted for the green mud mask this time. The package says it's great for stress relief, with it being infused with eucalyptus oil, so I felt more inclined to buy it. I also grab my nail polish. I won't force Jasper to let me paint his nails, but I may try to get him to paint my toenails for me. Contorting myself to paint them is uncomfortable, so it may be worth trying to convince him.
I skip down the stairs to find Jasper on the couch with ESPN playing on the TV. His feet are propped up on the coffee table, his beer positioned between the couch cushions next to him. I drop down next to him, leaning forward to put my nail polish on the coffee table.
"Alright, so this is the mask I chose," I say as I hold up the tube. He looks over and groans again.
"What happened to the ones with the paper towel on your face?" he complains.
"It's not paper towel, you idiot," I laugh. "And this one advertises stress relief, which is what I need," I continue, still giggling. "Come on, it won't be that bad." The look on his face as he stares at the tube reminds me of someone that's just been told they have to eat worms or something. He takes the tube from me to inspect it further.
"Alright," he groans unhappily. I know he's not excited to put the mask on but I know he's not as upset as he's sounding. If he really didn't want to do it, he wouldn't have agreed to it. So, I don't feel too bad when I take the tube from him and start smearing the green mud onto his face. Once I'm satisfied with the amount of mask on his face, I use my phone's camera to look at myself as I apply it to mine. The mud is cool and smooth and I can feel the eucalyptus oil work its magic through the cool heat the mask gives off. I head to the kitchen after my mask is on to wash the excess off my hands. When I come back out into the living room, Jasper has my nail polish in his hand.
"I didn't agree to this," he says pointedly, letting me know the nail polish is a hard no.
"I don't remember asking you about it," I smirk as I sit down and pry the small bottle out of his grip. "It's for me, Jas," I assure him. "Although, I may need help with my toes," I add, propping my feet up on the coffee table by his and wiggling my toes.
"I really miss when Rose lived under the same roof as you," he comments, shaking his head. I grin and lean back against the couch, making myself comfortable. Rufus comes over from his giant pillow bed to position himself against the couch, under our legs. Jasper mimics my relaxed state, slumping down further into the couch.
Not interested in the sports reporting, I close my eyes and allow myself to actually relax. It's been so long since I've actually dedicated time to relaxation that I've forgotten how nice it feels to just sit and be. Rose went through a phase last year where she would have me come over and we'd do yoga or meditate. The meditating always made me want to sleep, though. But I have to admit, after the meditation, I felt beyond relaxed. That's until James started coming up with reasons for me not to go.
The thought of James brings back my worries about his release tomorrow. I'm genuinely thankful that Rose invited me to dinner tomorrow because I know if I have nothing to do, I'm going to sit and think about what's going to happen now that he's out of jail. I'm not stupid; I have a restraining order against him. He's not allowed within 500 feet of me and is definitely not allowed on my property. But I'm also not naïve, and I know that he's not necessarily a rule follower. If anything, I feel like the restraining order is going to make him more motivated to see how he can get to me without getting caught.
I shift uncomfortably on the couch, sighing. Feeling Jasper's stare, I open my eyes and glance at him.
"What's up, Buttercup? He asks, making an effort to approach this casually.
"What if the restraining order isn't enough?" I ask, my voice small. Jasper stares at me for a moment without speaking. When he finally decides on what to say, he sighs before beginning.
"Then he'll go back to jail," he says matter-of-factly. This isn't enough reassurance for me and he knows it. Because now I'm thinking about what's going to happen to me before he goes back to jail. James has threatened my life before. I never took it seriously when he would say it but now that I've experienced what he's actually capable of, I'm not sure his threats are as empty as I originally thought.
"I'm going to be here, Bell," he says. "And Dad, I'm sure, is going to take precautions. You know it's not like him to not prepare for the worst, even if there's no reason to."
"So, you're saying you think there's no reason to prepare?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"I don't think James is going to risk going back to jail. He'd be a complete moron if he did." I nod, satisfied with his answer for now.
"I'm toying with the idea of going back to Dr. Greene," I say quietly. Again, Jasper doesn't speak at first. This is typical for him, though. He takes his time to process the information he's given before putting in his two cents.
"I would support that choice," he nods. "I think, with what's happening, you'd benefit from it."
"Rose has been bringing it up since I stopped going, but I haven't really felt the need to go." I pick up my nail polish and unscrew the top, desperate to do something with my hands while we have this conversation. I'm most comfortable talking to Jasper about this but I still don't particularly enjoy talking about it at all.
"If I'm being honest, we all kind of agree with Rose." I look up at Jasper for a second before starting to paint my thumbnail.
"I didn't know you guys felt that way," I mumble, focusing on my painting.
"We wanted you to make the decision for yourself," Jasper shrugs. "We figured you'd come to the decision eventually. We would have stepped in if needed, though. Rose was just the only one who wanted to continually have that argument with you."
"I wouldn't call it an argument," I counter. Although, after I say that, I do remember me getting heated a few times when she would bring it up. Without verbally acknowledging that thought, I move down the line of my fingers, paying close attention so I know I'm getting the whole nail covered.
"We just want what's best for you," Jasper says softly after a few moments. I look up at him and, even though this is a serious moment, I'm struggling to keep a straight face. He looks so damn funny with the green mud slathered on his face.
"I know," I say, biting my cheek so I don't laugh. He can see straight through me and rolls his eyes.
"How long does this stay on for?" he asks. I look at my watch to check the time.
"Another five minutes," I say as I resume painting my nails. Once I have a few coats on, I screw the lid back onto the polish and set it down. My other hand will have to wait until we wash our masks off. I look up and Jasper's sill looking at me. This time I can't hold back my laughter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I say after a moment of laughter. "I just really appreciate this and you." It takes another moment for me to calm down. When I do, I reach for my phone and pull up the camera again. Switching it to the front camera, I hold it out so Jasper and I are in the frame together. "Say cheese!" I exclaim. He scrunches his nose and I take the picture.
"That does not get back to Emmett. I don't need him posting that anywhere," he warns.
"I won't give it to him," I laugh. I do set it as my lock screen background, though. I glance at my watch again before getting up. "Alright, we can wash this off our faces." Jasper gives a sigh of relief and follows me to the downstairs bathroom. After turning the water on, I bend over the sink and use my hand that with unpainted nails to wash the mud off my face. It takes a few minutes, but I manage to get all of it off with just the one hand.
When my face is thoroughly cleansed, I move aside to dry it and let Jasper wash his face. I hand him the towel when he's finished and he rubs it along his face, making sure he didn't miss any mud while rinsing his face.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" I grin teasingly at him. He rolls his eyes and smirks at me before leaving the bathroom. I follow him back to the living room and we both resume our places on the couch. I take this time to paint the nails on my other hand. While I do this, we're silent. It's a comfortable silence and I love that I'm able to sit here with him without having to talk at all times. Rose and I can do this sometimes but we always think of something that we've been meaning to say. Sitting with Jasper is part of what's making my relaxation evening so relaxing.
Once my nails are finished, I hold them out in front of me, admiring the deep purple color, called Tailored by Twilight. I move one hand in front of Jasper's face so he can see the color too.
"Am I supposed to say something?" he asks, feigning an annoyed look in my direction.
"You know, for growing up with a sister, you're kind of clueless on how to react to girly things."
"Maybe that's because I'm a guy and I didn't do girly things with you," he suggests sarcastically.
"No, that can't be it," I muse, pulling my hand back to inspect my nails again. "Hey Jas?" I ask and he groans, making me laugh. I turn myself on the couch to put my feet in his lap. "You know what would be insanely amazing of you?" With another roll of his eyes, he pushes my feet off his lap.
"That's where I draw the line, Bella," he chuckles. "I'm not painting your toes." I pout but accept his answer. Jasper reaches for the remote and turns up the sound on the TV. A recap of last night's basketball game is showing with the sportscasters commentating. I have zero interest in basketball so I tune it out, choosing to invest my interest in my phone instead.
XOXO
School seems to take forever the next day. I'm incredibly giddy about going to Rose and Emmett's house for dinner. I'm starting to think that some of the excitement is coming from me forcing myself to only think about the dinner so I don't have to think about James being released.
I pass back the quizzes from yesterday. The class average was higher than I would have thought based off the first quiz I graded, and most of my students are pleased with their grades. I lose them a bit, though, during the discussion of the chapters they read last night. Trying to get them to discuss the chapters is like trying to pull candy from a toddler. It's practically pointless and incredibly frustrating. By fifth period, I've absolutely had it with my classes not discussing with me.
When the bell rings for the end of fifth period, I close my classroom door and demand everyone sit back down in as strong of a voice as I have. I don't normally speak to my students in this manner so they do as I say, wide-eyed.
"Look, I get it," I begin as I lean against my desk. "I used to be in high school too. I was sitting here at these desks not even ten years ago. I understand that discussions can be boring, but they don't have to be. We can discuss and we can have fun doing it, too. I get that this is a heavy book and that it might be a bit uncomfortable to talk about some of the subjects in it. But, honestly guys, you're not going to go through life being able to avoid all of the uncomfortable topics. This book is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable so why not embrace it and discuss it? Why not apply it to our lives now? Think about the immigration struggles going on at our border with Mexico. Think about the refugees that are trying to flee their countries but can't get into any safe areas." After this, I hold up The Kite Runner. "Think about the fear that Amir has been feeling and apply that to how some of these refugees may be feeling. Real people are risking their lives daily to flee their countries and you all have the privilege of being here, safe, and getting a great education." I pause to look around my classroom. Some of my students look ashamed while others look completely uncomfortable. No one makes direct eye contact with me.
"Look, I'm not trying to scold you or make you feel bad about where you are in life and the privileges you have. I'm just saying, let's work together and make this class a good experience. I really don't want to have to make you all write essays every time I assign a chapter. And don't think I don't know about the summary websites you go to. Cut that crap out immediately because it's not going to help you pass the test on this book. I've said my peace, now I want you all to really think about it and come in tomorrow prepared to discuss. All of my other classes will be getting this same speech so don't think I'm singling you guys out." With that, I push away from my desk and open the door. "Have a great weekend. Read the book. And I'll see you all on Monday." A few students mutter a goodbye as they slink past me, desperate to get out of the uncomfortable situation I've created.
Rose sends me a text during last period, telling me she's leaving a few minutes early so she can pick up a few last-minute ingredients for dinner. So, when the day ends, I make my way to my truck alone, walking quicker than normal. The anxiety I'd been avoiding throughout the day starts creeping up into my chest. I feel like I'm being watched but I know it's just my paranoia. There's no way James would get out of jail and just immediately run to find me. He'd be an idiot to do that. Regardless, that doesn't stop the pit in my stomach from forming at just the thought of him walking the streets of Forks.
My worries are eased a bit while I'm in school, though. I went to go see Shelley, the woman who runs the main office, and let her know to put James on what we call a blacklist. Shelley's been there since before I even started high school and it's still weird to me to not call her Mrs. Cope. Shelley immediately put James' name on the list so that anyone who answers the intercom at the door knows that he can't come inside. Normally, this is just for students who have parents that don't hold custody or are a danger to them, but we occasionally have some teachers that need to add to it, too.
It's once I leave the school building that I begin to feel the anxiety. As soon as I climb into my truck, I lock the doors. Breathing in deep through my nose and out through my mouth a few times helps calm me down. My truck roars to life and I head to the party store to pick up some Rosé. Rose and I enjoy a certain brand that you can't get in the wine section at Thriftway. Once I'm there, I hurry inside and head straight for where I know my specific bottle of wine will be. That's probably a sign I've been here a few too many times, but hey, it's a good wine and I like to treat myself. Grabbing two bottles, I head to the front of the shop to pay. The man behind the counter rings up my bottles and then demands my ID.
Rose never gets ID'd when we're out drinking but I always do. She tells me not to complain about it but it can get annoying. I've been able to drink for nearly six years, but my damn baby face makes it seem like I shouldn't even be allowed to purchase. The man looks at my ID then back at me a few times before deciding its legitimate. He hands it back to me and tells me my total. After paying, I head back to my truck and head home.
Jasper isn't home yet when I get there, which doesn't do too much to ease my anxiety. I don't expect him to be home at all times while I'm home, but it's just the thought of being alone that makes me worry. Rufus pushes past me as I open the door, desperate to get outside. I leave him out there while I head up the stairs, not bothering to take my shoes on because I wore flats today. Part of the appeal of wearing heels to work is the fact that I'm lucky to be considered 5'3" while most of my male students are at least five or six inches taller than me. Even a good amount of my female students are taller than me, too.
Stripping out of my work attire, I slip into some skinny jeans, jumping a bit to get my hips all the way into them. After buttoning them, I pull on a band shirt before looking at myself in my full-length mirror behind my door. The shirt is a little big on me but it's alright. I make my way back downstairs and to the front door. Opening it, I call for Rufus to come back into the house. He looks over at me before wagging his tail and bounding over. He rushes past me into the house before turning around and waiting for me, bouncing around excitedly.
Rufus isn't much of a puppy anymore. He's five-years-old, but he still has that puppy playfulness and energy. He follows me as I go up the stairs again, darting past me and stopping to wait at the top of the staircase. I go into my bathroom and check out my makeup in the mirror. It's still intact from when I put it on this morning so I decide not to do any touchups. My hair, though, is a different story. This morning, I chose to just pile it on top of my head, but now I decide I should curl it to get some beach waves going on.
The worst part about doing my hair is that I have so much of it. It's not overly thick, but there's just so much that it takes forever to style. With a determined look, I get to work on it, though. Rufus makes himself comfortable in my bathroom doorway, looking at me with watchful eyes. After about a half hour of curling, my hair is finally all curled. I run my fingers through it so the curls turn into waves before applying some hairspray. Satisfied with my hair, I mist myself with some body spray before hopping over Rufus to get to my room. He doesn't budge, which isn't surprising. Once he's comfortable, you have to literally shove him out of your way.
Crouching to check under my bed, I find my classic black and white Converse chucks. I slip my feet into them before lacing them up. Rose probably wouldn't completely approve of this look, but it's comfortable and casual without making me look sloppy.
"Ru, you want to go see Emmett?" I call to Rufus and he's up and bolting down the stairs before I even make it out of my room. Emmett is somehow Rufus' favorite person. No one knows why but he's completely attached to Emmett. If I could give a guess, my theory is that Emmett feeds him under the table when no one's looking. Jasper doesn't like giving Rufus human food so Emmett would totally have to sneak it if he was going to feed Rufus.
Once I'm down the stairs, I let Rufus outside and he bounds towards my truck. As a last minute decision, I hurry into the living room to grab the jar of nail polish, hoping Rose won't be too busy to help me paint my toes. Headed back to the door, I grab my purse off the table next to the door along with my keys and head out to follow Rufus. I open the driver's side door and Rufus helps himself inside, plopping himself down in the passenger seat. He looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to get in and drive. Not wanting to make the impatient pup even more impatient, I climb in, slamming the creaking door and starting the engine.
Rose and Emmett live just outside of Forks in a newer neighborhood. Their house is two stories with three bedrooms and four bathrooms, bought with the idea of kids in their minds. Right now, though, it's just the two of them. They want to wait until after they get married to have children, but they decided to get a jumpstart on the house. This way, they can gradually change things they want around the house while preparing for their future children.
We pull up into the driveway and Rufus becomes antsy to get out. After turning the car off, I open the door and Rufus basically tramples me to get out of the car. Before I have time to close my door, he's on Emmett's porch, whining at the door. I tuck a wine bottle under my arm and hold the other one in my hand before trotting over to the porch and up the steps before knocking on the door a few times and opening it. We don't typically wait for each other to open the doors. We all keep our houses unlocked anyways, being in Forks and all.
"Hey, Rose!" I call out as I untie my Converse, slipping my feet out. "Are you insanely busy?" I continue as I head towards the kitchen. "Jasper wouldn't help me paint," I say but stop abruptly when I see an unfamiliar person in the kitchen. He's leaned against the island counter across from Emmett. Rose isn't even in the kitchen. Both Emmett and the man, who I'm assuming is Edward, look over at me and I can't help but stare back at Edward. His emerald eyes are piercing, yet kind and curious. His hair is a mess on top of his head, but he somehow makes it look good. It looks like he's run his hand through it one too many times for it to be considered tame. His straight nose leads down to his full lips, which are pulled up into a half smile.
Realizing I've stared for a bit too long, I blush and look over at Emmett.
"Where's Rose?" I ask, mentally scolding myself for how rude I am. I shake my head quickly and look back at Edward. "You must be Edward," I say, quickly following it with, "Emmett told us about you."
"You look like a damn tomato," Emmett booms, laughing at his teasing. I turn my gaze to him, hardening it into a glare.
"Do you have to?" I whine. Edward chuckles a bit and I look at him.
"Yeah, I'm Edward," he smiles at me. "I seem to be at a disadvantage, though. I don't know your name."
"I'm Bella," I smile back. I set down the bottles on the counter and offer my hand. Edward reaches out and takes it firmly. I almost rip my hand back immediately as I feel a sort of electric tingle at his touch. If he feels it, too, he doesn't make it obvious.
Rose chooses this point to come into the kitchen. I let go of Edward's hand and look over at her.
"Hey, I was talking to you but you weren't in here."
"No, sorry, I was still getting ready. Emmett told Edward the wrong time," she says, giving Emmett her own glare before looking at Edward. "Again, I'm sorry. Emmett here doesn't seem to have any common sense sometimes."
"Hey, just because dinner isn't ready doesn't mean he can't be here," Emmett defends.
"It would have been nice to have a little warning, Emmett," Rose bites back, hands on her hips. I glance over at Edward and he looks a little more than mildly uncomfortable. I walk over to him and stand about a foot away.
"They're not actually fighting," I say is a soft voice so he's the only one that can hear me. "This is just how they are. You'll get used to it if you make it through this dinner," I joke and smirk at him. He turns his head to look at me, a questioning look in his eyes but a playful smile on his lips.
"If?" he chuckles. "Do you all have something in store for me that I'm unaware of? I was under the impression this was just dinner but now I'm slightly concerned for my wellbeing," he jokes.
"Okay, you're just now worried about your wellbeing? Where was that worry when you met Emmett at the gym?" I giggle. "If I had signed up for training and then walked in to see Emmett I would have immediately turned back around and left."
"Hey!" Emmett butts in. "Don't scare him out of training with me."
"Trust me, if anything was going to scare me out of training with you, it would have been the training session," Edward jokes. "I was lucky I could get out of bed the next day." Emmett erupts in laughter and slaps a hand on Edward's shoulder, causing Edward to wince slightly.
"That was just the first session, too," he says, almost threateningly. Edward's face has a mild look of worry but he's still laughing with Emmett.
"So, what brings you over so early, Bells?" Rose asks. At last, back to the task at hand. By this point, though, I don't see it being possible for my toenails to get painted. I pull the nail polish bottle from my pocket and hold it up.
"Jasper wouldn't help me paint my toenails last night," I frown, pouting. Emmett's laughter becomes impossibly louder and Edward looks from him to Rose to me, confused.
"Is Jasper your boyfriend?" he asks curiously. I grin and shake my head, giving a short laugh.
"He's our older brother," I correct him. "I happen to be crashing at his place until I can find a house I like." Well, that wasn't technically a lie. I do intend to get my own place at some point, but I'm not in any rush to leave Jasper's and he doesn't seem to be in a rush to get me out. I make a mental note to ask him later about how quickly he wants me to find my own place. I don't want to impose. I turn back to Rose and continue talking.
"I convinced him on the face mask but he said that painting my toes was a hard pass."
"Wait, wait," Emmett stops me, raising his hands so his palms are facing me as he tries to control his laughter. "You better have a picture or it didn't happen," he demands. I roll my eyes and pull my phone out.
"Of course, I have a picture," I grin before showing it to Emmett the Rose and then Edward. I feel a little bad about this picture being the first thing Edward knows about Jasper but not bad enough to let it ruin my good mood.
"Please send me that," Emmett chuckles and I shake my head.
"I promised Jas that I wouldn't. That picture is mine for blackmail purposes and I'm not willing to share," I grin.
As if he could sense that we were talking about him, Jasper chooses this time to walk inside.
"Hey, Rose, did Emmett finally let you get that bike you've been wanting?" he calls as he makes his way to the kitchen. He looks around at us before his eyes settle on Edward.
"Edward, this is Jasper. Jasper, this is Edward," I say, motioning between the two of them. Edward offers his hand and Jasper shakes it with a smile and a greeting.
"No, unfortunately, I haven't gotten that bike yet. It's Edward's," Rose says, giving Emmett a frown.
"Again, sorry Rose chose to invite my siblings," Emmett smiles, quirking an eyebrow at Rose. She just rolls her eyes at him and smiles. Emmett then turns to Jasper and his smile becomes slightly more evil.
"Your skin looks really good today, Jas," he smirks. "Although, it also looks a little green."
"Bella!" Jasper groans. "I told you not to show him!"
"Oh no, you specifically said not to let him have it. You said nothing about showing him," I defend myself. "Besides, you're failing at the brother of the year award. Edward said he paints his sister's toenails for her." Edward, who was in the middle of drinking from his beer, begins to choke and cough. I feel a bit sorry for him but he's just collateral damage in this argument.
"Oh, I'm sure he did," Jasper says, unconvinced. I turn to Edward, who's calmed down a little after being thrown into the spat.
"Do you have a sister?" I ask and Jasper laughs, calling me a liar.
"Yeah, I do," he says, his voice a little strained from his previous choking.
"Do you paint her toenails for her?" I continue.
"Once, but she was eight months pregnant," he confirms with a smile.
"Nope, not even then, Bella. No way in hell," Jasper says, shaking his head.
"You're an ass," I laugh at Jasper. "Thanks for your help, Edward. I've now proven that Jasper can't be nominated brother of the year."
"Ignore her, Edward," Jasper says, pouting slightly. "She's just bitter because Rose bailed on her last night."
"Guys, you're airing a lot of laundry in front of Edward," Emmett pipes in.
"No, no, it's alright," Edward chuckles. "It's nice knowing that my sister and I aren't the only ones who act like this."
"I take it you two are close?" I ask.
"Yeah, Alice is kind of my best friend," he shrugs. "One of the big reasons I moved back here from Alaska was to be closer to her and my nephew, Riley."
"That's really sweet," I smile at him and he smiles back. For a moment, it's like we're in our own world. I can't bring myself to look away and he doesn't seem to be able to either. I know I'm in no shape to be catching feelings and, I swear, this isn't that. He's just captivating. Someone can be captivating without you being attracted to them, right?
Rose rustling in the fridge pulls my attention from Edward. I feel his gaze on me for a moment longer before he looks away.
"Do you need help with dinner, Rose?" I ask her.
"Uhm," she starts as she pulls food out of the fridge. "I just have to put these in the oven." I take a look at what she's pulled out and bite my cheek to stop myself from laughing. I rip through the Costco label before taking off the plastic lid. In the circular tray in front of me is the most delicious looking chicken pot pie.
"These look good," I say, trying to sound casual while still giving her a teasing look.
"You know I don't cook," she jokingly defends. She takes the pot pies and shoves them into the oven, setting the timer after closing the door.
"Let's take this into the living room," Emmett says as he opens the fridge. "Edward, Jas? You want a beer?"
"Yeah, thanks," Edward says and Jasper agrees. Emmett grabs three Bud Lights, twisting the caps off and handing them to the guys. I make my way over to Rose's utensil drawer and grab her wine opener. I hold the bottle as I twist the corkscrew down into the cork, lifting the bottle off the counter as the cork starts to come up. Once the cork pops out, I toss the wine opener on the counter without taking the cork off. I open Rose's cup cupboard and climb up onto the counter to get wine glasses of the top shelf.
"You look like a twelve-year-old," Jasper teases. I flip him the bird before getting down and setting the glasses on the counter. After filling the glasses more than any fancy restaurant would dream of, I hand one to Rose and keep the other for myself. The five of us make our way to the living room and I drop down into my favorite spot on their sectional: the corner. Making myself comfortable, I wedge my back as deep into the corner as possible and pull my legs up, folding them beneath me. Edward sits to my right, slinging his arm over the back of the couch and Jasper's on my left, leaning his side against the couch with his legs spread out so his feet are by me. Rose and Emmett choose to occupy their large chair that we call the snuggler. It's big enough to fit two people on it, making it perfect for snuggling.
"So, Edward," Rose calls his attention. "Emmett says you're a pediatrician." Edward takes a pull of his beer before smiling and nodding.
"Yeah, I guess I followed in my dad's footsteps in a way. He's a surgeon at Forks Community Hospital."
"Emmett spent his fair share of time there in high school," Jasper laughs.
"I went there once," Emmett argues, laughing. "And it was for a valid reason."
"Em, jumping off the roof as a parkour trick isn't something valid. You'd never even done parkour before," I counter. Edward's laughter sings out as Emmett starts to pout. For being thrown into meeting the majority of our family, Edward is being awesome about it. He looks completely comfortable. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably be locked in his bathroom having a panic attack on the phone with Rose.
Jasper and Emmett keep bantering about Emmett's brief dabble in the art of parkour, getting louder and louder as they go on. Emmett seems to think he was a parkour natural but Jasper's memories seem to be a bit closer to the truth.
I take a sip of my wine before turning to Edward.
"Regret your decision of coming yet?" I giggle. He looks over at me with a crooked smile on his lips.
"No, this is all the entertainment I'll ever need. Plus, I think I have some ammo against Emmett if he decides to make my life hell at our training sessions."
"Oh, I can provide you with plenty of ammo if you need. I'm always up for sabotaging my brother."
"I'll have to keep that in mind," he chuckles. He takes a pull from his beer before changing the subject. "So, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a high school English teacher. Literature, mostly."
"Couldn't get enough of high school so you found a way to go back, yeah?" he teases and I laugh, shaking my head.
"I didn't think high school was that bad, but I wouldn't say I had to find a way to go back," I explain, still grinning. "I enjoy it, regardless," I add in.
"Emmett was telling me that Rose works at the high school, too, right?" he says, asking for clarification.
"Yeah, she's the school counselor," I nod.
"That's cool that you two kind of work together."
"Yeah, it's nice. She lets me eat lunch in her office so I don't have to be obligated to socialize with anyone," I joke. "I swear, everyone I work with was there when I was in high school. It's kind of weird."
"That's what'll happen in a small town," he laughs.
"Did you go to school in Alaska?"
"Yeah, I moved there with my girlfriend after high school and we went to University of Alaska Southeast," he explains.
"That's awesome. I went to Washington State. I've never actually been outside of Washington for more than a few days."
"Alaska was pretty nice," he offers, shrugging. "It didn't take long to miss it back here, though. I'm still not sure how I managed to stay out there for a decade."
"A decade?" I ask incredulously. "I don't think I'd make it a year outside Forks," I add, giggling.
"It went by quicker than I ever thought it would," he smiles at me. I take another sip of my wine before adjusting to face him.
"So, is she your wife now?" I ask, blushing afterwards because of how blunt and prying that question was. There's no taking it back now, I guess.
"Who?" he asks, taken aback, making me blush even more. "Oh! No, no she's not. We ended up breaking up the very first semester of college."
"Oh my god, that's awful. After moving all the way there you two just broke up?" I ask, pointing out the obvious. He needs and takes a longer pull from is beer. Shit, I'm making him uncomfortable. I try to think about how to backpedal and make him less uncomfortable.
"Yeah, she wasn't that good of a girlfriend," he shrugs, giving me a small smile.
"My husband wasn't that good of husband either," I blurt out before realizing what I've brought up. I feel the silence take over the room and glance over at my siblings to see them all looking at me. I mumble out to be excused before retreating to the kitchen. I can hear Jasper say he's going to follow me but Rose stops him and comes after me instead. Rose quickly crosses the living room into the kitchen where I'm sitting on her island counter, not even caring that she gives me a disapproving glance for it.
"You okay?" she asks as she leans against the counter next to me.
"I just had verbal diarrhea," I mumble.
"Disgusting," she scrunches her nose up. "What made you bring him up?"
"Edward was telling me about his girlfriend that he broke up with in the first semester of college after moving to Alaska with her," I shrug. "He said she wasn't a good girlfriend and then I just blurted it out." Rose rubs my back and I drop my face into my hands, thoroughly embarrassed.
"Maybe this is your mind's way of trying to show you that you need to talk to someone," Rose suggests.
"I think you're overanalyzing the situation, Rose," I mutter into my palms. I drop my hands into my lap and glance over at her. "You're just caught up on me going back to Dr. Greene," I point out. She gives me a guilty smile in response. "We'll talk about this later, okay? Not while you have company." She smiles and nods in agreement.
"You alright, though?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just embarrassed," I frown. "I spent all day avoiding thinking about him because, well, you know," I trail off before continuing, "and then I just bring him up abruptly in conversation." I hop off the counter, pulling a deep breath in through my nose and holding it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly through my mouth. While I compose myself, Rose takes this time to check on the pot pies. Declaring they're done, she pulls them out of the oven. I head to the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready," I call lightly before turning around and heading back to the kitchen. It doesn't take the guys long before they make their way over with Emmett in the lead. If Emmett were anyone else, we wouldn't need two pot pies. He eats more than anyone I know, but I guess that's part of the reason he keeps up his muscle mass. He has to eat enough to maintain.
I grab down bowls from the cupboard, not having to climb on the counter this time, and pull some spoons out of the utensil drawer. Turning, I set them on the island counter for everyone to grab. I sneak a glance at Edward, but he's still talking with Jasper about a basketball game.
Much like the routine we have at Mom and Dad's house, we each begin serving ourselves in our unspoken order. Emmett lets Edward go ahead of him, though, weaving Edward into our routine. As we finish serving ourselves, we make our way to the dining table, settling into our spots. The table seats six with Rose at the head and Emmett directly to her right. Jasper normally sits on Emmett's right and I sit on Rose's left, across from Emmett. Edward takes the spot directly to my left and I swallow thickly, getting nervous because of my word vomit earlier.
If he's perturbed by what I said earlier, he doesn't let on. He just continues speaking with Jasper. It seems like both of them are pretty big into March Madness. Jasper's already inviting him over to the house to watch a game or two.
It's crazy how quickly Edward's appealed to everyone. I'm not saying there's no reason for it, he seems like a great guy. But he's won everyone over and the night has just begun. He clearly had Emmett won over within a few minutes.
"Bella's not a very good person to watch basketball with," Jasper jokes, glancing at me. I roll my eyes and put my spoon down in my bowl.
"I used one wrong term and I'm branded as a fake fan for life, yeah?" I ask, feigning annoyance and crossing my arms.
"Tell everyone the term you used," he challenges. Emmett and Rose, surprisingly, haven't heard this story yet. Jasper has a bigger mouth than a gossipy old woman so it truly is shocking they're still in the dark.
"I don't think that's necessary," I counter.
"No, no, tell us!" Emmett demands, leaning forward as if he'd be able to hear me better. I give an exaggerated sigh before mumbling out my response.
"Louder, please," Jasper requests, but Edward is already chuckling to himself. He's clearly the only one who understood what I said.
"I asked if someone fumbled," I say louder, pouting. Emmett roars with laughter, his hand slamming on the table, making my wine glass wobble. I quickly pick it up and glare at Emmett, blush rising on my cheeks. Edward isn't even trying to control his laughter and this point and Jasper's completely lost himself in his laughter. I take a large gulp of my wine and turn back to my food.
"Sorry, I don't mean to laugh," Edward apologizes as his laughter dies down.
"Oh, shut it," I say, jokingly mad. "You're no better than these two idiots," I add on, pointing to my brothers. He smirks at me and I smile back before taking another bite of the pot pie. Dinner carries on in this way. We joke, laugh, and just overall have a good time. It's difficult to tell that Edward is a new addition to our group; it feels like he's been with us forever by the end of the meal.
"So, Edward, is that an R6 out there?" Rose asks as she clears the dishes. I get up to help her, taking my spot at the sink to clean them so she can dry them and put them away.
"Yeah, it is," Edward grins. "You into bikes?" he asks.
"Any kind of vehicle, really," Rose shrugs. "My dad was a mechanic so I kind of grew up around cars and bikes. You'll have to see Bella's truck. I'm the only reason that thing still runs," she boasts proudly.
"I feel like that truck is something you should've let die," Emmett throws in and I scoff.
"My truck is a beast. I could probably hit a tree and the tree would take the damage," I claim.
"As a doctor, my professional advice is to not test that theory," Edward jokes and I laugh, shaking my head.
"Don't worry, Dr. Cullen, I won't be driving my truck into a tree. I know my theory's right, though," I insist. "That thing is indestructible."
"What kind of truck is it?" he asks.
"it's a 1953 Chevy," I answer as I shut the water off and dry my hands on a towel. Edward lets out an impressed whistle.
"You may be right about your theory," he laughs in agreement with me. I grin and walk back over to the table.
"Let's go out to the living room" I suggest, picking up my wine glass. I give Edward a smile and walk back to the living room, taking up my precious spot on the couch. I swear, if Jasper's living room was bigger, I would insist on getting this couch.
Edward joins me, followed closely by Jasper and Emmett. Rose comes out a moment later with the bottle of wine, filling her glass as she walks. She passes the bottle to me and I fill my glass up again. I lean forward to set the bottle down on Rose's coffee table, careful not to spill any wine from my glass. Settling back into my little nook, I stretch my legs out so my feet are out next to Jasper.
"So, Bella," Rose says, taking a sip of her wine after, as if to prepare herself for what she's about to say. "I hear you went nuclear in your fifth period class," she teases.
"Is that what they're saying?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "They haven't even seen half of what nuclear is."
"Nuclear?" Emmett asks.
"Bella's having trouble getting her students to have discussions about the book she's teaching."
"What book?" Edward asks.
"The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini."
"That was one of the best books," Edward muses.
"Thank you!" I groan. "Like, I could make them read the entire Odyssey if I really wanted to. At least this one is in modern English. And it's interesting and applies to what's going on in the world. But they couldn't care any less."
"So, what does this have to do with you going nuclear?" Jasper asks.
"She made her students stay after and get an earful about why they need to start discussing the book in class."
"It would've been intimidating, too, if half my class wasn't taller than me."
"I don't know, my sister is barely five-foot-two and she's intimidating as hell," Edward throws out.
"We may have to meet your sister," Rose says, smiling. "She seems fun."
"I just told you she's intimidating and you think that's fun?" he laughs.
"As long as it's not directed at me, yeah," she laughs back.
I finish the wine in my glass before setting it on the floor next to the couch. The way I'm sitting makes the coffee table out of my reach without having to completely move my body, which isn't something I want to do right now. I'm incredibly comfortable in my spot and will not be moving unless absolutely necessary.
"I should probably head home," Jasper says as he pats my leg. "I'm going to take Rufus with me," he adds, motioning towards the dog that's passed out on the floor by Emmett's side of the chair.
"Alright, I'll be home in a bit," I smile at him before he stands up and calls Rufus to him.
"It was good meeting you, man," Jasper says as he offers a hand to Edward. Edward returns an agreement, taking Jasper's hand. "Any game day, come on over. I'll be home," he grins. "Thanks for dinner, Rose," Jasper says over his shoulder as he and Rufus walk towards the front door.
"I should probably get going, too," Edward says before drinking the last of his beer. "You don't get many days off as a doctor and I have to be in early tomorrow."
"I'll get going too," I add in before getting up and grabbing my wine glass. I take it to the kitchen sink before making my way to the front door to get my shoes. Another larger pair of chucks accompany mine. Grabbing the smaller pair, I lean against the wall to pull them onto my feet.
"You have a good taste in shoes," Edward notes as he walks over.
"Yeah, I'm kind of a trendsetter," I boast. "I started wearing these and everyone followed suit," I continue, glancing up at him to give him a teasing smile.
"I'm not sure how you could have influenced me to wear them when we've only just met, but I'll let you continue thinking you're that important," he teases right back as he pulls his shoes on without leaning on anything. I watch for a moment, thinking about how if I were to try that, I would be on my ass quickly, before turning my attention back to my own shoes. When I'm done, I straighten up and look over at Rose and Emmett.
"Thanks for inviting me, Rose," I smile. "This was much needed."
"You know you're always welcome," she winks at me.
"This was a lot of fun, thanks for having me," Edward says to Emmett and Rose.
"Don't forget about the gym tomorrow," Emmett reminds Edward, which made Edward give a slight groan.
"You're going to make me regret signing up to train with you, aren't you?" he questions, somewhat hypothetically.
"You'll be thanking me when you have guns like these," Emmett grins, flexing his arms. Rose smacks him on the back of his head, calling him a douche. I laugh and open the front door.
"Come on, before Emmett can make anymore cocky statements." We say our final goodbyes before walking outside.
"Damn, you weren't kidding when you said your truck was a beast," Edward says in awe as he walks over to my truck. "This thing is a dinosaur."
"Hey, don't be making fun of my truck. It gets me from point A to point B without any problem," I laugh.
"Oh, I'm not making fun of it," he insists with a laugh. "I'm just impressed you can get it started."
"That's what I have Rose for," I giggle. "If she didn't work on it, there's no way it would be up and running."
We stand and stare at my truck for a few seconds before Edward breaks the silence.
"I'd like to hang out with you sometime," he says, glancing at me almost hesitantly.
"That would be nice," I smile at him. "Friends, though," I say before blushing. Of course, he means friends. There's no way a guy like him could be interested in someone like me. I'm mousy and boring and he's basically a living breathing Adonis. He chuckles at me, making me blush more.
"Friends," he agrees. "Can I get your number then, friend?" he asks and I groan at his teasing before holding my hand out for his phone. He hands it over to me and I program it in before sending myself a text so I have his number as well. I hand the phone back to him and he shoves it in his back pocket, giving me a smile. Biting my lip, I glance at my truck and try to control the heat that's filling my cheeks.
"It was nice meeting you, Bella," Edward says before walking the few feet to his bike.
"Nice meeting you," I mumble out before getting in my truck, still blushing.
Hey everyone!
Sorry it took so long to update! I'm currently working a full time and a freelance job on top of going to grad school so I write in my free time. Don't worry, though, because I'm super hyped about this story so I'm not going to abandon it! It just may take me a little over a week for each update. Plus, this chapter was my longest one yet!
If you happen to notice any editing errors, feel free to PM me to let me know and I'll fix them right away. I try to edit as I go but sometimes I miss things.
Please make sure you review! I love seeing what y'all have to say about the chapter and how the story is going!
Until next time,
Twilight What?
