AN:Apologies again for such a delay in posting, I've been so busy and had the most horrendous writer's block, so thank you for sticking with this fanfic. Especially thank you to my reviewers; sarahmicaela88, Liljairis, roganjalex, and Wolf Born Woman, you are all amazing and the reason I keep writing, so thank you so much!
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Chapter Thirty Two: A Spark.
It was hard the next day, locking the new front door as I left for work in the morning. It was as if I was locking Sam out of our home, out of our life together. I'd battled to walk away, resolute that if he was going to shut me out I would do so to him too, but I found myself hurrying back to leave the key under the eave. As much as I wanted to hate him for abandoning me, imagining him sat on the doorstep in the cold, wet rain completely alone with the realisation that I would shut him out and leave him to fend for himself in the world alone, tugged too hard on my heart for me to let him do that. If he even decided to come home again; if only it was just to collect his belongings and leave again.
Scrubbing away a tear, I forced myself to keep moving on. I couldn't keep the house running on thin air and our community's kindness. It was time to reclaim my life. Taking one step at a time to rebuild the abandoned remains of my life and constructing a new one, as I had done many times before. Only this time, I would only rely on myself to hold my life together. I would not let anyone else in, that was how I got hurt and broken, now I would be my own person and be strong enough to survive alone.
The motions of journeying to work and going through the exercises of a regular working day helped distract my mind slightly. Every time I thought about my empty home, my nightmare night, and the loneliness that ate at my insides like a rotting sore, I hurried to move onto another mindless task. Mopping the spotless floors, arranging already rearranged displays, and straightening every single flyer on the counter to sharp, precise right angles to one another; I ran the store with single minded distraction.
As the clock ticked towards closing time, I began to panic. I didn't want to go home, but it was inevitable. My fingers drummed along the countertop and Mike sloped off into the backroom to avoid my irritating habit. My eyes kept glancing at the clock, checking and rechecking that the clock wasn't speeding up, until the sound of the door opening distracted me. Edward Cullen strode in, looking windswept and beautiful. His cool, golden gaze met mine and he headed straight to where I stood by the cash register.
"Hello Bella." The side of his mouth quirked into a half smile, "How are you?"
"I'm okay." Nodding, my eyes flicked to the clock out of habit, "How are you?"
"Well, thank you." He leaned forward slightly, a frown marring his perfect features, "You look tired."
"Oh…" Looking down, I bite my lip in embarrassment. Most people didn't comment on my appearance, particularly when I knew I looked run down from the stress of losing Sam.
"Have you not heard any news about Sam?" His hand appeared on the counter, as if he wanted to touch mine in comfort.
"No." I lied guiltily and studied his pale hand. Light blue veins traced under the surface of his smooth, white skin. His hands looked long; pianist hands. I remembered he had mentioned being a pianist, during the frequent times he visited the store to buy camping gear, and often he would stay to talk for a while. The idea of his delicate fingers dancing across the ivories played a romantic image across my mind and I hid my blush.
"Bella-" Mike called as he exited the backroom, "Edward." An odd note of jealousy coloured his tone and I glanced over at Edward's reaction to this. He merely seemed to suppress a mild amused smile, before glancing over at Mike.
"Hello Mike." He replied politely, "I'm sorry, I've been distracting Bella. I'll leave, so you can lock up. Goodbye Bella." Sending me a smile that reached his eyes, he turned and gracefully left the store.
"Bye." Blushing, I tucked my hair behind my ear and turned to Mike, "Do you need something doing?" I prompted him, as he seemed to be glaring off at the door in distraction.
"No, I was going to say…you can go." Mike shook his head as if to dislodge his thoughts.
"Oh, okay, thanks." Pulling off my vest and leaving it folded under the counter, I grabbed my coat and bag, "I guess I'll see you soon. Bye." Waving once, I made my way to the exit.
"Wait! Bella!" Mike suddenly called out, "I…"
"Yeah?" Looking back, I didn't like the look of determination on his face.
"I was wondering if you'd want to come to the dance with me?" At this, my brow furrowed. La Push wasn't having a school dance…then I remembered Forks High was having a girls' choice dance. Biting my lip, I reached for a tactical approach.
"Sorry Mike, but I don't think I can go." Trying to avoid his disappointed eyes, I created a valid excuse, "I'm not from your school."
"That doesn't matter." Mike tried again, "You would have done if your dad was still here, and you know everyone in Forks loves you, no one would mind." I frowned at the clock, irritation scratching at my mind.
A while ago, I had mentioned to Mike about people in Forks always talking to me about my dad and when I lived with him when I was little, and how it felt like I was still attached to the town because of my connection to the town's ex-Sheriff. It was like I had a strange family in Forks, the residents still wanting to connect with the daughter of their favourite ex-Sheriff. How sometimes I wondered what it would have been like to live in Forks. It annoyed me how he would use that to try to convince me to attend the local dance with him.
"I'm sorry Mike, I don't like school dances. I have two left feet." Shrugging, I opened the door, hoping to make a quick escape now, "I thought it was a girls' choice dance?"
"Yeah…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Then I'm sure someone will ask you…what about that Jessica, I thought you went on a date with her?"
"It wasn't a date." He replied quickly, "We only went to the movies because she wanted to watch some chick flick. It wasn't a date."
"Well, I'm sure she'll ask you to go with her." Feeling only slightly guilty and more than a little irritated, I smiled at him, "I gotta go."
"Oh, bye." Turning my back on his dejected face, I scowled as I hurried out of the store. How could he have thought I'd go to his school dance? The idea was absurd. Shaking my head, I headed towards Sam's truck, only to pause in shock. Edward was leaning casually against his car beside mine, looking like he was trying not to laugh at my annoyance.
"Hi." I ventured nervously closer.
"Hello." He chuckled and glanced to the store and back.
"Can I help you with something?" His legs were stretched beside my door, preventing me from leaving. Not that I wanted to. Over the past few weeks, Edward's frequent visits to the store had brought a spark to my life. His concern endearing, rather than annoying, and I was embarrassed to admit a warm feeling accompanied my thoughts of him now.
"I was wondering…" Amusement painted clearly on his feature, even as he schooled them to appear serious, "If you wanted to go to the dance with me?"
"You're not funny." Scowling, I watched him look behind me again, and guessed Mike was watched from the window. Edward chuckled to himself, before turning back to me.
"I wasn't intending to be funny." But his eyes danced contradicting his statement, "Won't you go to the dance?" Suddenly, there was a serious note to his tone and his eyes searched him body language as if to gauge my reaction from it alone.
"No." But I bit my lip, almost wanting to take my answer back.
"Then, will you come to dinner with me?" Standing straight before me, he suddenly seemed formal and from a past era. The shock of being asked on a date, or what I hoped was a date, caused a fiery blush to paint my cheeks and I looked at our shoes, "Bella?"
"Yes." Looking up at him nervously, I saw a smile grace his features and my breath caught. How could this beautiful creature want to go on a date with me? My mind couldn't compute a reason, but my heart soared into a fast tribal rhythm as I smiled back. It seemed a spark of happiness may still exist in my life, all due to Edward, and for that I was grateful for as we continued to gaze at one another.