Chapter 3: Getting the Story

Caution: Midnight Sun spoilers.

Midnight Sun and the rest of the Twilight Universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. No sue please.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Edward's pov

I took the US 101 almost as far as Olympia, then merged onto the Interstate 5 South. It was a pretty drive, close to the coast, and I saw none of it. I was too busy fuming. When you can read minds, it makes it easy to see who belongs together and who doesn't, and it was rare for me to find really good souls, never mind souls that were compatible. Since humans didn't bond the way we did, I liked to see things work out when everything about two people added up. And Angela and Ben added up beautifully.

I couldn't help feeling rather proprietary about them, as I had connived with Emmett to pair them up.

It had worked like a charm. Ben went all defensive on me. He asked her to the junior prom, and they had been together ever since.

It had been one of my few beneficial moments of playing God. I secretly watched their relationship progress with satisfaction. And now Ben had screwed up the grand plan. I very much wanted to know why.

According to the GPS, it was supposed to take me four hours to get to Vancouver, just outside Portland. I opened up Bella's Ferrari, and made it in less than two. I parked in the Blue Lot meant for visitors, at the north end of the campus. A bunch of guys goggled at the Ferrari, and I had to spend a couple of minutes telling them about it and telling them they could look, but not touch. They thought I was some rich kid with an indulgent father who was probably a surgeon. They thought I looked a little dangerous and they'd best be careful around my car. Well, they were mostly right.

Ang had once told Bella that Ben was in the residence closest to the campus. It was a very short walk from the parking area. I slipped through the door as another student entered, without anyone being the wiser.

All I could smell was sweat, coffee, sex and Kraft dinner. It was noisy, both internally as I was bombarded with youthful thoughts, and externally, from conversation and people's stereos. Thank God Bella and I would never have to live in a place like this. It would drive me mad. I climbed to the appropriate floor and followed the numbers to Ben's room. At least he had a single. No roommate to worry about.

I knocked on the door and heard Ben say that he was coming. A couple of moments later, he opened it, wearing a crumpled t-shirt and boxers. Nap time was over.

"Hello, Ben," I growled as I pushed him into his room and sat him a little forcefully on the bed, "Long time, no see. Would you like to explain to me what the hell you did to Angela?"

Ben cringed away from me. Oh God, he is going to hit me. I guess I deserve it. I was an ass. Ben didn't know that his thoughts bought him a little time. I would wait to hear more before wiping the floor with him. I pulled up his little desk chair and sat, arms folded. I realized he really was quite vertically challenged. My knees were bent halfway up to my chest.

I never should have broken up with her. Nobody can compare, and finding girls who are easy to lay just doesn't make up for not having her around. I wonder what is wrong?

"Angela showed up at my parents' house today, looking for Bella. She is quite the shadow of her former self, and she broke down when I asked after you. She said you dumped her right in the middle of her birthday party. That was really chivalrous, chum. I know how many relatives she has, and I know how devastated she must have been. She would have had to put on a brave face for her family for the rest of the night. How could you do it to her, especially in such an unfeeling manner? I would have expected better of you." I felt Ben's shame color his thoughts. He got another minute's reprieve from me. One nasty thought and I would flay his ass.

Ben hesitated. "I'm waiting," I said acerbically.

Ben raised his eyes, embarrassed. "She was always talking about getting married. It was too much responsibility, too much pressure. I just wanted to take things lightly, have some fun while we were still young. And Angela was sweet, and kind, and we had a lot in common, but she wasn't much fun. Always serious, and never impulsive."

"What you are trying to tell me is that she wouldn't have sex with you."

Ben reached up and smoothed back his longish hair, blushing a little. "Well, yeah. We've been together like, four years, and she wouldn't commit. She's frigid."

I sat back in the chair and frowned. "That's a pug-ugly thing to say. Bella has told me enough about Angela's perception of you that I know that is untrue. Perhaps she was worried about the degree of your commitment to her. Obviously, she was right to be. You pulled an ultimatum and she didn't cave. She's a respectable girl. You were stupid to throw her away."

"Edward, I shouldn't have to tell you that I guy has needs." Ben folded his arms defensively. No, he certainly did not need to tell me that. Trouble is, I had gone 80 years without satisfying my urges, and four years didn't seem like that much of a wait to me. "You would never have put up with it from Bella. Everybody who went to Niagara with you knew that you two were ... involved."

I let my breath out impatiently. "Ben, Bella and I did not consummate our relationship until after we were married, and we really did not do anything heavier than kissing until a month before the wedding. Bella knew we were getting married, and that I would never leave her. Besides, it was my morals that kept us in check, not Bella's. I insisted on being chaste. She'd have given herself to me if I had asked her. But we're talking about Ang, not Bella. Bella is a Christian, but she's not very religious. I'm much more religious than she is.

"Angela, on the other hand, is a devout Lutheran, and the Bible has a lot to say about extramarital sex. I'll grant you that it's frustrating, but Angela is a pretty good prize to wait for, Ben. She is smart, kind, selfless, hard-working and attractive, and she has a great sense of humor. If Bella had not barged into my life like a wrecking ball and knocked my pretentious ass to pieces, I might have asked Ang out myself."

Ben exhibited a little surprise, but he was determined to win his case. "But you agreed to go part way with Bella, even though you had some moral objections. I tried to get Ang to touch me once, and she was repulsed. Wouldn't even look at me for the rest of the night."

"How do you know she was repulsed? How do you know she wasn't afraid of the intensity of her reaction, and afraid to get carried away? Alternatively, maybe you didn't make her feel safe enough in the relationship to make herself vulnerable to you. Unless you read minds, or you ask her what she was thinking, you don't know." Ben looked down, considering the idea.

"You really hurt her Ben, and I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were a better man. If you ever get your head together, maybe Angela will take you back. I don't know. Not everybody is as forgiving as Bella, but Angela seems like a pretty good girl to me."

"It's too late Edward. I really messed up. I'm sorry for how badly I treated Ang, and I would love to undo it, but she will never forgive me. I've been making up for lost time by dating cheap, worthless girls. Angela is too good for me. I don't deserve her."

"Maybe you don't, Ben, but you are the one she wants. When I left Bella, she dated another guy and I was really jealous. But I was the one who had made her a free agent. I was lucky. She took me back, and now I'm close friends with him. He's a nice guy.

"Maybe you should grow up, and start living up to Angela's expectations of you. Start trying to deserve her. And at the very least, you should apologize to her for the way you delivered your breakup speech. She is still suffering. But Ben, if you do not crawl back to her on your hands and knees, then I am telling you that you are the biggest idiot on the planet.

"Remember how I broke up with Bella? Remember what I put her through? Trust me, it was worth the humiliation to get her back. And don't diss marriage. It's not a prison, it's very liberating. I have never been so happy in my entire life." I got up and smacked Ben on the shoulder, and headed for the door.

"Ang is at my house right now, hurting, and Bella is trying to help her. You are welcome to come with me now, if you want to talk to her. You would be most welcome." I felt the conflict in his mind, but he shook his head and stared at his folded hands, elbows on knees. It was a hopeless posture. I was disgusted.

"Well, I guess you can hang with some floozy in a bar tonight. That will solve all your troubles. Good luck, my friend. You are going to need it." I walked out, leaving the door open.

I trudged slowly back to the Ferrari, hoping to hear Ben yell for me to wait up for him. There was nothing. He wasn't coming. Gormless piece of work. I shook my head. People sure did ruin their lives for the sake of pride.

I sighed and got in the car. Then I drove back to Forks, much more slowly than I had come, trying to fathom how I was going to help Bella pick up Angela's pieces.