Chapter 3

December was flying by fast, and I still had studying to do for mid-terms, as well as some serious Christmas shopping. However, my afternoons at the police station were becoming more enjoyable, and I found myself spending more time there than usual. Edward was very friendly towards me, and sometimes I would visit him in the garage and spend a half hour or so just talking to him about movies, our families, and general life in Forks. I worried sometimes that he might find my visits annoying, but if he did, he never let it show. He would always seem genuinely interested in whatever we were talking about, and I felt confident about my recent assessment of him – he had a kind personality and a good heart.

Alice and I had a crucial Biology exam coming up, so we asked one of Emmett's friends, Rich, to tutor us. He was probably the only friend of Emmett's who could be considered for both the jock and brain categories in school, and he was happy to help us since Biology was one of his favorite subjects. I went over to Alice's house after school on a Tuesday so that we could get our studying out of the way. Emmett and Jasper were just leaving the house as Rich arrived, so they stopped to talk to him about a football game that they were all betting on this weekend. After a few minutes, Rich told them it was time for him to get to work.

"Hey, Alice, don't make Rich late for his date with Jessica later, okay? I hear it sounds promising," Emmett commented, and with that he elbowed Jasper in the ribs and winked. I couldn't help but get a little embarrassed at Emmett's blatant remark, but knowing Jessica Stanley's reputation, he was probably right.

"Emmett, don't be a pig," Alice replied, wrinkling her nose. "Bella and I both need a good grade on this, so if Rich is a willing victim, then we will take full advantage of his generosity. Got it?"

"Sure, sure." Emmett waved her off. "But you know, you could ask Cullen for help with this stuff, too. He's already got a scholarship to Stanford next year, and I don't think I've seen the kid crack a book since he's been here."

So, Edward was gorgeous and intelligent? Somehow that just didn't surprise me.

"Yes, we will definitely keep that in mind for the next round." Alice gave me a knowing look that told me she understood completely what a bad idea it would be to have Edward tutoring us.

"So, Alice," Jasper said, winking and smiling coyly at her. "Good luck on the exam."

Alice just stared at him for a moment before managing to whisper, "Thanks, Jazz."

Emmett and Jasper took off for wherever they were going, and part of me wondered if Edward would be wherever they were off to. The night of studying turned out to be a success, since Alice and I both ended up getting higher grades than usual on the exam.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Christmas Eve came, and my parents upheld their tradition of an open house for relatives, friends of the family, and whoever wasn't on duty at the police station. People came and went, and there was plenty to eat and drink. Renee, of course, was an outstanding hostess, and Charlie was even touched by the holiday spirit, playing bartender and socializing more than usual.

Alice, Emmett, and their parents had stopped by briefly, but they had other family parties to attend, so they only stayed long enough to sip some champagne, wish us all a Merry Christmas, and drop off a couple of small gifts. I talked with my aunts and uncles, who made the routine inquiries about school, and commented about how quickly I was becoming an adult. I enjoyed this gathering every year, mostly because it wasn't formal or structured. Nobody felt pressured to stay for any length of time, and nobody ever felt as though they had exceeded their welcome. It was a relaxing night that usually ended in carols being sung and laughter echoing through the entire house. I was walking through the dining room into the kitchen to get some more hors d'oeuvres to put out when I heard Charlie welcome yet another guest through the front door and offer to take their coat.

"Thanks for inviting me, Chief Swan." I heard a familiar velvet voice speak to Charlie.

Oh no. No, no, no, I thought, closing my eyes and shaking my head.

I had become used to speaking to Edward at work, and our conversations felt relaxed, but I was not prepared for the sudden panic I felt, knowing that he was in my house. My mouth went dry, my palms began to sweat, and my heart threatened to jump out of my chest. At this rate, I was heading for a full blown anxiety attack.

"We're so glad you could make it, Edward. I'm Renee Swan." I heard Renee greeting him. "Charlie says you are doing a great job at the station, and I know he's glad to have the help."

"Thank you, Mrs. Swan. I'm glad to be there."

"Please, call me Renee. Well," she continued, "there is plenty of food in the dining room, and I think Bella is in there, if you wanted to say hi."

When I heard Renee practically force Edward to come into the same room as me, I busied myself organizing the food and napkins on the table and pretended that I didn't hear him come in the house. This would at least buy me a few seconds for a couple of deep breaths and some semblance of composure. Chill out, Bella. You and Edward are friends now, and you can talk to him just like a normal person. No need for every nerve in your body to go on high alert. Was he here because he thought Charlie would expect him to be here? I wondered. Why else would he make a special trip here on Christmas Eve? Shouldn't he be with his family?

"Hi, Bella."

I turned and managed a smile as a breathtaking Edward walked through the doorway separating the foyer and the dining room. His bronze hair was still as unruly as always, and his green eyes were nothing short of hypnotic because of the dark green cashmere v-neck sweater which, I couldn't help but notice, accentuated the muscles of his chest and arms.

"Hi, Edward. I didn't realize you were coming tonight." I could already feel a blush starting, and I quickly tried to calm myself to avoid complete embarrassment.

"Well, when your father invited me I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it, but it turned out that I could after all."

"Oh, well, that's great." Just. Speak. Intelligently! As flustered as I was, though, I would swear that something in his eyes said that he was actually glad to see me.

"Were the Hales already here?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes. They had to leave for another party, though. They only stayed about an hour," I managed.

"Oh, I was wondering if I'd run into them here or not. Emmett had mentioned it." Of course. He probably figured that he'd at least have someone to talk to if Emmett were here, and not just his boss and the boss' kid.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked, trying to remember my manners.

"Sure, a coke would be great. Thanks." I went to the cooler on the porch and got a coke and a glass, then returned to the dining room, placed the glass on the table and started to open the can.

"Ouch! Dammit," I muttered. My finger caught just at the wrong place on the can, slicing my finger. A few droplets of blood were already forming as the initial pain started to subside, replaced by a dull throbbing.

"Bella, oh my god – are you okay?" Edward came to my side immediately, and placed a napkin around my hand. I couldn't help but notice the intoxicating aroma of whatever cologne he was wearing. I made a mental note to sniff around next time I was at Macy's to try to discover what it was.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry about that, I just wasn't paying attention, I guess," I explained, again feeling that familiar heat rising to my cheeks.

"Please, don't apologize. You do have a tendency towards accidents, don't you?" he asked, smiling at me. I felt my temper flare a bit when he said that. I didn't allow many people to state the obvious like that.

"I like to think of myself as 'coordination-challenged.'" I scowled at him, and he immediately stopped smiling.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you. Uh, where can I get you a bandage?"

"There's a cupboard under the sink in the bathroom, right around the corner," I said.

"I'll be right back, then." And off he went, leaving me to once again feel like a helpless, clumsy child who needed constant supervision, lest she perish as a result of her own handicaps. Edward returned less than a minute later with a bandage and some antibiotic ointment, and before long my injury was forgotten by both of us. We walked around the downstairs of the house, and I introduced him to some of the people mingling around, then went into the abandoned den that held a couch, television, stereo, and a collection of books and music. Edward immediately started looking through the music collection.

"I'm assuming this is your section of music," he said, pointing to a stack of CDs that were separate from all of the others.

"Yeah," I replied. "Charlie and Renee don't exactly share my taste lately."

"Do you always call your parents by their first name?" he inquired, turning his head to the side a bit.

"Well, not when I address them directly, but most of the time I guess I do." I wasn't sure how he would react to that, but he surprised me.

"Oh. That's kind of cool, actually. It seems a lot more mature than the normal 'Mom and Dad' references."

"Um...thanks," I said, not really sure what the right response was. Edward looked up at me for a moment and smiled, as if something amused him. Then he picked up a particular favorite CD of mine.

"You like Kings of Leon?" he asked.

"They're songs are great, especially Closer. I like pretty much the entire CD there."

"So do I," he said. "In fact, I'm pretty excited for next month's concert. It turns out that Emmett has an extra ticket and asked if I wanted to go, so I jumped at it."

"Really?" I couldn't hide my shock or my enthusiasm. This had to be the same concert that Alice and I were going to, since I was pretty sure that Emmett wasn't going to both of the scheduled shows. So I couldn't help but smile to myself as I realized that, technically, I was going to a concert with Edward.

"Yeah, they're playing on the twentieth, at the Civic Port Arena."

"I know," I said, nodding. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to that same concert with Alice. And, actually, Emmett is supposed to be driving us."

"Really?" Now it was his turn to be surprised. "Well, I guess we both have something to look forward to, then." He smiled his dazzling crooked smile at me, and I couldn't help but wish that his words meant that he was looking forward to seeing me, not just the concert.

We were both ready for another soda, so we walked out of the den and found ourselves standing in the family room where everyone had gathered to hear Renee tell one of her hilarious stories of her and Charlie's early dating days. She loved to tell people how she all but had to throw a brick at the poor guy to convince him to ask her out. The way she told it, though, really got everyone laughing, even Charlie.

"Hey, you two, look up!" My Aunt Claire was smiling mischievously as she walked by, pointing to the ceiling. Before I raised my head even an inch, I figured out what she was indicating with her long, manicured nail. Renee had hung it just an hour before the party.

The mistletoe.

Great, this evening needed a little awkwardness. Edward was looking up at the little ornament of holly and greens tied with a red ribbon hanging in the middle of the doorway, and I wished I could just crawl under the area rug and hide there for the rest of the night. Before I could execute my escape plan, however, Edward handled the situation in an entirely different way.

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want the responsibility of ruining anyone's Christmas by shirking tradition, would we?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer from me, he leaned over and I felt his soft lips press against the hollow of my cheek. The spark of electricity that his kiss and his closeness sent through me was nothing short of a nuclear explosion, and I know that he heard my breath catch. Before he stood straight again, he paused to whisper in my ear.

"Merry Christmas, Bella."