oOo
"Oh, hi Edward!" Zafrina exclaimed, and kissed his cheeks as if they were old buddies. "Long time no see, huh?" she laughed.
"What a coincidence," Edward said. "Meet my sister. Zafrina, this is Rosalie Cullen-McCarty. Ro, this is Zafrina Huilen. She and Irina used to be friends."
"How do you do," Rosalie said curtly, shaking the other woman's hand.
"Can I help you two? Are you looking for anything special?"
"So you work here?"
"Oh, no!" She smiled, as if such a lowly task was unthinkable for the likes of her. "The shop belongs to my sister. But her twins are sick, and Joham is at the gallery, so I said I'd help."
"You're Senna's sister," Rosalie exclaimed. "I should have guessed that; you look like her! Give her my love, will you?"
Before the women could start chatting, Edward cut in.
"You were saying something about a tallboy, Ro?"
A few minutes later, Zafrina showed them the piece, and while Rosalie looked at it from all sides, also inspecting its inside, Edward realized that he was pouting.
He should behave like a grown-up, not like a baby, he decided, and gave Zafrina a smile.
"Did you like the ballet the other day?"
"It was marvellous! Beautiful production. How did you and your girlfriend like it?"
Rosalie's head shot up, but she caught herself immediately.
"I think we should take it, Edward, what do you think?"
"Um, yeah. It's nice, I guess."
While Rosalie gave Zafrina the address and paid for the piece of furniture, Edward looked around the shop, but only to avoid any further talk about his girlfriend.
He wished he were allowed to call her that. He wasn't certain about her feelings. She seemed attracted, yes. But was there more than attraction? She'd been a little reserved since the incident at the ballet, and Edward feared that she was finally figuring him out. Realizing that he was too old, too broken, too difficult for her. That he wasn't worth it.
He was silent once they were back in the car, but Rosalie accepted that only for so long.
After a couple of minutes, she turned to him.
"Edward?"
"Yes?" He sighed.
"What was that about your girlfriend?"
"Would you accept if I said I don't want to talk about it?"
"No."
"I thought so." He sighed again. "It's… complicated."
"I have time."
"Do you remember that girl from you party, back in October?"
"Which girl?"
"The one I shouted at."
"The waitress? Yes."
Rosalie was silent for a moment, and then it sunk in.
"She? She's your girlfriend? Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Because she's not my girlfriend. We're sort of seeing each other."
He swallowed. He would have loved to simply say yes.
"She must be much younger than you," Rosalie, predictably, remarked.
"Sixteen years," Edward mumbled.
"What?" Rosalie screeched. "She's sixteen? Are you fucking cra- "
"Jesus Christ, Ro!" Edward had barely avoided bumping into a van. "Of course she's not sixteen, what do you think of me? She's twenty-four."
"But why did you say sixteen?"
"Sixteen years! I meant she's sixteen years younger!"
Edward shook his head. Right now, he wanted nothing more than a double shot of – anything, really.
They had reached the McCarty's neighbourhood, and when Edward stopped in front of their house, he was not one bit surprised when his older sister announced that he was coming inside with her.
oOo
Tomorrow's chapter will be the last for a few days – you know, Christmas and all.
Thank you all so much for your support. It means so, so much.
Hugs and kisses my darlings!
Your
harperpitt
PS: I posted a Christmas outtake for Wake Up and Dream, if you're interested.