Hay everybody sorry this is so short, but the third chapter I plan to be in Rosalie's POV so I wanted to break up the chapter for this reason. So this is not their whole lunch together their will be more including some flashbacks. I own nothing and please review.
Chapter 2
Edward's POV…
As we rode in the cab all was silent, I hadn't heard the address she gave the driver, but that was the last thing on my mind. I was nervous; what would it be like to be in the same room with her having a conversation after so long? For as long as I could remember Rosalie could sense my every thought and now was no different. She looked at me in that moment her eyes still the kindest I had ever seen, it was like she could sniff out my nerves with those eyes, and when her silky fingers took my rough ones I looked into them. It was strange how they looked the same as when I used to gaze into them after a deep kiss and yet I could no longer share such a kiss with her. It felt strange to be so close and not be able to wrap my tender eyes over her as my arms held her. And it felt especially strange that I could stare at her like I was that I could think of her like I was, but still know nothing was the same anymore. She no longer loved me as I still loved her. It was the squeeze of her hand that brought me back from these thoughts.
"Eddie, what's wrong?" breathed Rosalie her voice low in a way I had only heard it a few other times before. I could remember times after our lips had parted when she would say my name in such a way. It was a way that always led to more kisses, to fiery touches beneath soft sheets, and to our hearts pounding in tandem. But I couldn't think of that now. That was over, Rosie was once again just my friend; a friend who I was silently pining away for just like in high school.
"I'm fine," I lied giving her a smile, but she saw right through me.
"No, you're not; what's wrong?" exclaimed Rosalie as the cab stopped outside our destination. All questions seemed to be forgotten then as I saw where she had brought us. It was a place I couldn't remember being without her, a place I had stopped frequenting the second she disappeared from my life and I couldn't help, but think as we exited the cab that it was all so surreal, being there with her again. So as she paid the cab I stared up at the slightly rust brown sign that read Oliver's and I remembered. I remembered and as she took my hand again I felt her squeeze it tight telling me she did too. And then I wondered did she remember everything that had happened between us here the way I did, or were there some things she chose to forget. Did she remember our first study session, our first fight, our first date, and my favorite of them all, our first kiss? I didn't get a chance to ask as she pulled me through those double doors again after more than ten years. And luckily for us our old booth was empty. We sat there on the same side like we always did, but as we sat there in such a familiar place my nerves suddenly returned refusing to go away again.
"Eddie…talk to me. I can see something's wrong, please…tell me," exclaimed Rosalie the look in her eyes pleading as she scooted closer to me. I couldn't help, but take a breath then inhaling cherry blossoms, vanilla, and her. It only served to remind me that I had missed her. The quieter I remained the closer she came to me and that only served to leave me quiet. I wanted to close the distance to kiss her the way I used to. But she was off limits now. Just that knowledge made me wonder if we could just be friends after everything we had been. With all these thoughts going through my mind the only probable answer seemed to be no. Could I tell her that? That I wasn't sure if I could just be her friend again; could I really hurt Rosie with that truth?
"I'm not sure we can just be friends Rosie. Before you left…we were more, we were a lot more, and I don't know if that can just be erased. I mean consider all that's happened between us…in this very booth in some cases. You were my first kiss, my first and only love, and the first girl I let have all of me. I used to spend hours when I should have been studying kissing you or sometimes making love to you. I'm not so sure we can just forget that," I stammered each memory going through my mind as I mentioned them.
" I don't expect you to forget…I haven't forgotten," breathed Rosalie looking away from me for only a second before finally she looked into my eyes making me see that now they were filled with tears.
"But that was a long time ago, Eddie. I'm not denying that what we had was something special, but why dwell on the past? We had something it didn't work out and now I just want things to be the way they were. I want you to be my best friend again. I want you to be the one person I can tell everything to again. We shouldn't think about the things that happened in the past, we should just think about now," exclaimed Rosalie letting go of my hand to get rid of a stray tear.
"You're right, Rosalie that was a very long time ago. So long ago that had you not entered my life again I wouldn't be thinking of them every single second since I saw you again. I thought I had forgotten about you…about all of it, but I haven't. You are still the love of my life. I remember every kiss, every heated moment with a smile; I wish you did too," I snapped my voice rising. Her words angered me. It was an anger that rose as the voice started laughing in my head. For once he didn't say a word he only laughed. I couldn't believe that she could just pretend that nothing had ever happened between us. And I wondered if over all these years if she had been pretending I had never existed.
"Don't talk so loud! Someone could hear and it could get back to Nathanial," gasped Rosalie her hands gripping the table as she looked around to see if anyone was looking our way. I looked at her then part of me feeling relieved she hadn't told him everything, but another feeling more anger. She was marrying the Captain, but he didn't know anything about the love we had shared. It made me think once more of the life she had led all this time. Had she been hiding from her past all this time? Had she been hiding from me? Was that why when I tried to find her when she left I had been unable to? Was she that ashamed of the past we shared? As I looked at her the idea that the answer to all of those questions might be yes truly hurt me because despite what happened we had been happy. And we had been in love.
"You haven't told him?" I snapped trying not to openly glare at her.
"No, but I will…soon. Nathanial is a very complicated man and our relationship has not been easy especially considering how much older he is then me. But he is a good man and I know when I do tell him everything that happened between us he will understand. He will understand that we were young and we made mistakes. Not that I think of us as a mistake Eddie, but…after everything that happened it never would have worked," explained Rosalie openly crying now.
"Maybe you shouldn't have admitted to knowing me back at the precinct. Why did you any way you could certainly keep your secret better?" I growled the anger coursing through my veins so strong I could taste it like red copper on my tongue. But I quickly had to suppress it as a waitress approached our table taking our orders. As soon as she was gone though I returned my gaze to Rosalie watching as she wiped away her tears refusing to look at me now. Gripping her shoulders I made her look me in the eye.
"Answer me," I snapped feeling guilty the second I looked into her eyes feeling the weight of her tears in one sudden realization. I still couldn't stay mad at her.
"I don't regret our past, Eddie…please don't think that, but that's not what we are anymore. I love Nathanial, I need Nathanial, and if he knew the extent of our time together he might not love me anymore. I can't tell him until he loves me so much that nothing will ever change that…the way I love him…the way we loved each other. But that's over we can't be anything more ever again. Someday I will tell him, but for now all he knows is a little less than the truth that we were friends…best friends. That isn't exactly a lie because that's what we were…in the beginning," explained Rosalie turning away from me then as the waitress returned with our food. We ate in silence then a zillion thoughts going through my mind as we did so. More than anything I wanted to pull her into my arms and profess the real truth to her. The real truth that she was wrong; we could be what we were again. We could be as happy as we once were if she only let us. I still loved her as much as the first time my eyes tasted the sweet honey of her skin. I still smiled to the tips of my toes when I felt the warmth of her body so close to mine. I still would protect her always, but something stopped me from saying all those things. It was those words she had spoken about the man she was going to marry instead of me. Nathanial Barnes, her fiancé, the man she loved now instead of me. She loved him so even if I did profess such things she would only reject me and though it would be the first time she would do such a thing the thought still tore my soul to tears. I only hoped he would make her happy.
"Does he make you happy?" I whispered the thought leaving my lips before I could stop it. Rosalie looked at me then not answering for a long time as she did so.
"Does he make me happy?" repeated Rosalie her lips that I wished to kiss so much forming into the tiniest version of her radiant smile.
" Of course he does…he makes me the happiest woman in the world," whispered Rosalie still not looking at me as she said so and despite that smile part of me didn't believe her. But I ignored that old feeling that she was lying to me choosing only to nod looking down at my food until her hand touched my cheek. When our eyes met it took everything for me to not kiss her.
"Do you want to make me happy, Eddie? If you do there is a way you can make me the happiest girl in Gotham," smiled Rosalie this smile all too real something clear to me just by the size of it. I stared at her balling my hands into fists in an effort to keep from pulling her closer. For once in that moment the voice in my head was silent as I focused on her and nodding my head I waited to hear her answer. I hoped it would be a request for a kiss, but I knew that was improbable. But I didn't care what it was if it meant I could make her happy I would do it. I would do anything for her.
"It would make me so happy if you would be my best friend again. I meant what I said I really missed you, Eddie. I missed guessing your riddles and laughing with you. I missed you. Please can we be friends again, please," exclaimed Rosalie her voice quivering as her tears threatened to spill again. Looking at her then, I didn't know if what she wanted was possible. Could I just be friends with her with my feelings as strong as they were? Would having her in my life be worth the pain of seeing her with another man every day? I didn't know the answer to any of it, but staring down at her still I couldn't bring myself to deny her.
"I'd like that too," I breathed finally gasping as she suddenly hugged me tight. As I held her in my arms I buried my nose in her hair breathing in the smell that was her. Cherry blossoms, vanilla, and her; as I was breathing her in she said it. Something I used to love hearing from her no matter how or where she said it. But now hearing it on her lips for the first time in so long it was different because the words didn't mean the same.
"I love you, Eddie," whispered Rosalie clinging to me still as if afraid she would wake up to find me a figment of her imagination. I didn't say anything at first closing my eyes holding back tears making a secret wish that she still loved me like she used to. The way I still loved her, but finally my eyes opened and I held her tighter running my hands along her spine thinking for a second I heard a moan escape her lips. But it wasn't possible; it had to be just an echo of the past.
"I love you too, Rosie," I whispered meaning it in a far different way then she did.
