A/N – Thanks to ginginlee for beta'ing, and lizzylillyrose, sammielynnsmom, and morethanmyself for prereading. I promise, this chapter looked pretty bad before their suggestions.

So happy with all of you who are reviewing and rec'ing this fic! There's a lot of fun news down at the bottom, so please be sure to read the End Notes!

So some of you wondered why in the world would Bella bring up Jacob to Rachel. Remember, it was only the afternoon before that he and Edward almost fought in the parking lot at the park, and Edward had alluded to being friends with Jacob before. Bella was curious, and rightly so, I think.

So this chapter is supposed to be awkward and funny and make you cringe. Don't you remember what it was like doing stuff at seventeen? It's okay to laugh at them; I sure as hell did when I wrote it.

O.o

"Hey, Bella," she greeted as she put the car in reverse and pulled out of the gravel drive.

"Hey, Rachel, can I ask you a question?" I voiced right off the bat.

"Sure," she complied, turning the knob of the stereo down so she could hear me better.

"What can you tell me about a kid named Jacob?"

Chapter 17

1987

At the mention of his name, Rachel let out a single laugh, shaking her head a bit as she put the car back into drive and started down the street.

"Jacob Black, I'm guessing?" she asked, sparing a glance in my direction.

"Uh, sure." I shrugged, not really sure of his last name. "How many Jacobs are there in this small town?"

"He's the only one worth bringing up in conversation. Why do you ask?" I knew that she knew something interesting, or else the smug look on her face wouldn't have been there.

I internally debated whether or not I should get into the details of what happened at the park the day before between Jacob and Edward. I wanted to trust Rachel; she has given me no reason not to trust her, and I figured that asking her about Jacob was better than coming out and asking Edward. He had seemed especially touchy about the subject yesterday, and I really didn't want to go there again with him. Rachel was my next best option.

"Edward and I kind of ran into him yesterday." This made her laugh out loud, as I just sat beside her, still confused.

"I bet that went well," she scoffed.

"It was peachy. Anyway, will you tell me why I had to step between them so they wouldn't kill each other?" My tone was straight to the point; I didn't find what had nearly happened all that funny at all.

"Well, let's just say that the town was almost set a flame when Edward and Jake had their falling out."

I sat quietly, waiting for her to continue, but she didn't do so that willingly.

"Were people hurt or something?"

"Hmm," she sighed, "the only ones physically hurt were Edward and Jacob when they would actually fight each other, but a lot of people were torn when all that shit went down. They were really close growing up, practically inseparable. They had their own little group of guys, actually, but it was all split down the middle soon after Jake's dad left."

"Edward mentioned something about that," I added, taking it all in.

"Well, Jake's mom isn't much better. I would say she spends more time with a bottle than she does with her own children, and Jake just turned to ice. He was arrested for arson when he was fifteen, spent some time in jail before Edward's dad bailed him out, almost went to juvy if it weren't for the Masen's."

"I don't get why Jacob would turn against Edward, then. It doesn't make sense."

"No one really knows why, I guess. I think that was why it was so hard for Edward. He refuses to talk about him now; Jake's not even allowed to be brought up in conversation when we hang out. It just sucks; we were all friends with Jake. But Edward definitely took the worst of it. One day, Jacob was Edward's best friend, the next, Edward was sent to the hospital with a broken nose and a black eye."

"That's...awful," I stammered. I had no idea what it felt like to have my best friend turn on me. I was sure it was probably a gutted feeling, at best.

"So you saw him yesterday? Was he with his biker gang?" she mocked, switching her hands on the steering wheel.

"Um, yeah, I guess. There were two other guys with him, but I don't know who they were. I wasn't exactly introduced."

"Hmm, well, it probably doesn't matter. I doubt Edward will see Jake again once he leaves for college. He's all for never coming back here once he leaves."

"Yeah, so he's mentioned."

She glanced over at me, then, giving me a look that I didn't recognize. But her eyes only could stay on me for a moment before she had to go back to watching the road, not long enough for me to decipher just exactly what it was for.

"Can I ask you another question...this one might be a little weird. If it's too much, just let me know, okay?" I hesitated, gauging her reaction.

"You can ask me anything, Bella. It takes a lot to really faze me," she responded light heartedly.

"Did you and Edward ever...you know..." I trailed off, hoping that she would be the one to decipher whatever the 'you know' meant.

This just caused her to laugh again, and if I were being honest, I was getting pretty tired of the laughter. "Let's just say that Edward and I...hell, I don't know, but you don't need to worry about it, Bella. Been there, done that, ancient history."

So something had happened...

I took a deep breath, telling myself that it didn't matter. Honestly, it didn't matter. I thought that if I repeated it to myself, I would start to believe it.

"So, you and Edward looked pretty cozy at the party. I should be the one asking what exactly is going on between you two," she brought up playfully, a joking manner in her tone.

I couldn't help but smile, the very prideful, selfish, inner seventeen-year-old in me secretly glad she had noticed and brought it up.

"Yeah, it just kind of happened," I offered. "He's really great."

"A charmer, that one."

I smiled again, not being able to disagree with her.

"He would be good for you, Bella. He's a great guy, honestly," she spared another glance in my direction, "and you are really sweet."

I smiled at her compliment, already feeling guilty about how I had felt earlier. Rachel was no threat; she wasn't trying to step in the way of anything that was happening. If she had, I would have noticed it at the party, at the lake, at the fair when I first arrived in Johnston County.

I just had to trust her that when she said her and Edward were over, they were just that…history.

O.o

"Are you all packed for the beach?" Uncle Charlie called up the stairs a few days later. It was early Saturday morning, and Edward, Rachel, and I were riding to Wilmington in Riley's Jeep.

"Yeah," I hollered back. Truthfully, I had been packed since Thursday, but I didn't want to seem too eager. I did have some pride left to save, after all.

Trudging down the steps with my suitcase behind me, all I earned was a large eye roll and huff from the old man who was sipping his coffee, leaning against the door.

"Going for a month, are you, Bella?"

I didn't even entertain his mocking with a response.

"Got any more of that for me?" I asked instead, referring to the cup in his hands.

He motioned with his head to the kitchen, and I headed right that way after I dropped my bag off at the door.

"So you're going down to Charleston today, right?" I asked, searching for a travel mug since my ride would be here soon.

"Yup. The team will be over in an hour to pick up the horses."

"That's exciting." I smiled. "Good luck with the race!"

He huffed again, which was really just his bashful way of saying thanks.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Charlie held up his hand, motioning for me to stay where I was so he could answer it.

"He's way past your intimidation, Uncle Charlie," I yelled out as he pulled the door open to a very awake-looking Edward.

"Hello, sir!" he greeted enthusiastically. "Is Bella ready to go?"

He just took one look at him. "She's not going," he deadpanned, shutting the door in his face.

I laughed in my spot. They really were funny to watch as they interacted with each other.

Another knock on the door sounded, causing Charlie to open it, albeit reluctantly.

"Mr. Swan, I can see her bag." He pointed to the black suitcase where I had left it.

And cue the huff... "Fine, she's in the kitchen."

Edward smiled and walked through the threshold, squeezing past Charlie who refused to move an inch from his spot. He saw me immediately, since I was a clear view from the door, and headed right my way.

"Coffee...good, I don't want you grumpy," he remarked, laughing as he kissed me on the cheek.

"Keep talking like that and I'll tell Charlie to release the big guns."

"Definitely not funny," he said, more seriously this time. Yeah, I thought it was hilarious that even though he didn't act like it all the time, he was still very much afraid of Charlie. I actually found it pretty endearing.

"Are Rach and Riley in the car?"

"Yup...just waiting on you."

I turned and put the lid on my coffee cup, cleaning up my mess before walking to the closet door to find my shoes. Edward grabbed my suitcase and said bye to Charlie before stepping outside.

"Bye, Uncle Charlie," I said, giving him a hug.

"Remember what we talked about, Bella." I could hear the warning in his voice.

"No sex with Rachel...got it."

"Bella..."

"Or Riley."

"You're pushing it, child."

"You have nothing to worry about, Uncle Charlie. I'll be on my best behavior."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, kissing my head before sending me on my way.

Edward was putting my bag in the trunk as I walked outside, and I climbed into the back of the Jeep and found Rachel sitting in the seat beside me.

"Morning," she greeted, smiling at me warmly as Riley turned from his spot in the driver's seat and did the same. Edward then climbed into the front passenger seat and pulled on his seat belt.

"Ready?" Riley asked, looking at all of us before pulling out of the drive.

"We have one more stop before we head off," Edward added as he adjusted the music on the radio. "Emmett called me last night and said he could come, if that's cool. He and Tanya are going to follow behind us."

"Ugh, Tanya's coming?" Rachel groaned, throwing her head back against the seat.

"Rach, she's his sister," Edward scolded.

"But I can't stand her," she emphasized.

Edward just laughed. "Well, get over it, honey."

"Hey! I thought this was my beach house!"

Edward just turned back and winked at her before facing forward again. I tried, really I did, but, even so, my blood boiled as I watched them. I didn't like the look that had passed between them at all.

The drive was pretty quiet after we left Emmett's and Tanya's house; I just sat and looked at the passing view as I drank my cooling coffee. Riley sang along with the music, but neither Edward nor Rachel talked much, either. I couldn't help but feel like there was an awkward tension between everyone, but then again, it could have just been my imagination, making something of this when there wasn't.

It took less time than I thought it would to pull up to Rachel's waterfront beach house, and I honestly wasn't surprised at the size after seeing her other house. Whatever her family did, I would have loved to be a part of it. This was crazy.

The house-if a simple term like that could even begin to describe it-was painted in a light blue color with a white door and a white front porch, all high raised on beams with a garage underneath. Rachel's parents' car, I assumed, was already parked, and Riley just pulled in behind them.

"I forgot how nice this shit was, Rachy," Riley commented as he put the car in park.

"Eh," she sounded, shrugging her shoulders. "Just because it's big, doesn't make it feel any more like a home."

Edward and I shared a look as we got out of the car in response to Rachel's comment. It never really occurred to me what kind of relationship she had with her family. She didn't seem especially close to Jamie, and her parents always seemed to be out of town. Maybe having money didn't make your life perfect after all.

I carried my own bag and helped grab the other stuff in the trunk as we all climbed up the stairs of the house and walked in. The door was unlocked, and it led straight into a massive living room area, the kitchen right behind it.

"The rooms are all upstairs. You guys can pick as you may, but mine has my name on the door, so obviously that one is out."

"How many rooms are there?" Edward asked, looking between us right as Emmett and Tanya walked through the door.

"Not enough for everyone to have their own, so you guys can fight it out." With that, Rachel walked up the stairs, carrying her own bag and leaving us in the living room. She wasn't her usually sparky self, which threw me off a little bit.

The rest of us just kind of looked at each other and shrugged, agreeing to check out the rooms upstairs before deciding. It really wasn't a big deal, since we were only spending one night here, but I still felt a little nervous that Edward would suggest sharing a room with me. But then, I remembered Rachel's party, and sleeping in different rooms, knowing he would be right down the hall, seemed just as bad. I knew I kept insinuating that we push our boundaries, but it didn't make it any less nerve racking.

Luckily, the boys decided to take the largest room that had two sets of bunk beds, and that left Tanya and I to each get our own room. I chose one at the end of the hall, and it had a queen-sized bed with white sheets and a yellow and green quilt on top. The wall across from the bed opened up to a porch that connected to both the boys' and Rachel's room, all facing the beautiful ocean.

After setting my bag down on the bed, I kicked off my shoes and opened the balcony door, stepping out onto the painted wooden boards and walking up to the matching white railing. I could hear the waves crash against the shore, and I could smell the salt in the air. I was giddy at just the thought of digging my toes into the sand or feeling the pull of the current while in the ocean. I couldn't remember being here as a baby, so this all felt brand new to me, kind of like other things that have been happening this summer, I added to my thoughts.

Standing there, elbows resting on the ledge and face looking forward, I didn't hear a door open, but it must have, because I couldn't help but jump out of surprise when someone came to stand right next to me, touching my arm with his as he mirrored my position.

"Oh, hey, Riley," I said, pulling my arm an inch back my way so it wouldn't touch his.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet.

"Just looking at the view; I've never seen the ocean before."

"It's, um…it's beautiful, isn't it?" he stammered, and I could see him looking at me from the corner of my eye.

"Yeah…really pretty."

Awkward silence followed; this was the first time Riley had tried to talk to me on his own. Even though he was Edward's best friend, I really didn't know him well enough to know how to carry on this conversation.

"I'm really glad you're here this summer, Bella," he blurted out after a minute.

"Uh, oh…okay. Yeah, me too."

"Really…" he tried to emphasize, looking at me pointedly.

The only thing I could do was smile, feeling a little awkward out here with him. "Thanks," I added when conversation stopped. He finally removed his gaze from me and looked back out at the ocean.

"Well, anyway," he started, "everyone is heading down to the beach, so we should probably go ahead and change and join them."

"Right." I looked around the porch, walking backwards and awkwardly waving my hand goodbye as I stepped back into my room. That was weird, I couldn't help but think. I made sure to close the blinds from the balcony so no onlookers could see me change. Maybe it wouldn't be so cool to share a porch with that many people after all.

Just as I finishing tying the strings to my pale blue bikini, I heard a knock at my door. Pulling it open, I saw Edward on the other side, leaning against the wall in his red and orange board shorts, leaving his incredible chest and stomach uncovered.

"Hi." He smiled, not even bothering to be subtle as he looked me over.

"Well, hi," I said back, raising a brow and smirking when he made eye contact with me so he would know he was well and caught.

Walking towards me, he pushed me back further into my room, shutting the door behind him. He turned me so my back was facing the wall until I felt my body resting against it.

"Hi," he said again, this time his hands coming to glide across my stomach and wrapping around my back.

"Hi," I responded, my voice lowering as he inched closer.

"I never got to say hi to you properly this morning," he said, his thumbs burning my skin as they made lazy circles right above the material of my suit bottoms.

"So you're making up for it now?" I laughed, bringing my arms to circle his neck.

"Mmm-hmm," he agreed, pressing further into me so his body was flush against mine.

Leaning his head down the rest of the way, he kissed me then, and I couldn't help as my head moved to the back of the wall so he had to come closer. His hands moved up and down my torso, across my ribs and just barely skimming the parts of me that were covered by my bathing suit as he deepened the kiss. Sighing as I felt his tongue move with mine inside my mouth, I tightened my grip so my chest was flush against his, which caused Edward to release a strangled moan.

One of his hands moved to my neck, holding me there as his kiss became more intense, and his other hand slipped down to my backside, only resting there until he used it to pull me closer. I embarrassingly knew the effects that his kiss and closeness were having on my own body, but it was when I felt him growing…down there…I decided to cool things down. I stopped the kiss, breathing heavily as I rested my head against the wall, and he brought his head to my shoulder, kissing the skin of my neck.

"Edward," I said, still trying to catch my breath.

"Hmm," he hummed, kissing up my neck to the back of my ear.

"Everyone is probably waiting for us," I spoke quickly, closing my eyes, embarrassed.

As soon as the words left my mouth, he stopped mid motion. Straightening back up, the hand that was behind me came to my face as he gently rubbed the skin right below my eye. I opened them to him then and saw his blue eyes studying my face.

"Okay," he said, although there was hesitation and question in his voice.

I knew I was the one who asked to take things further, but I was really clueless here. That was the first time I had ever felt one of those, and it took me off guard, making me question whether or not I was ready to take things father with him.

But in the back of my mind, knowing about all of his ex-girlfriends, I knew he had to be a lot more experienced with the whole sex thing, but I wasn't. I wanted it—especially after kissing him like that, and I thought about it, too. All the time I would imagine what it would be like, but thinking about it and actually doing it, I guess, were two very different things, and the realization of that scared me a little bit.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, and it was obvious that he felt guilty, even though he had nothing to feel guilty about.

"Yeah…I just…" I trailed off, my face bright red.

"Bella, it's okay. We don't have to do anything." He quickly caught on to what I was trying to say.

"No, no!" I practically yelled. "I want to…I just… I'm new to this," I admitted, ducking my head in my embarrassment. "And I know I'm giving you really mixed signals here, but I'm trying, okay?"

"Bella, we can go as slow or as fast as you want to…or nothing at all, for that matter. This," he emphasized, waving a hand between us, "isn't the reason why I like you so much."

"I know, and it isn't the reason I like you, either, but it doesn't mean I don't want it, and I know you want it, too." I awkwardly motioned to his lower half.

It was Edward's turn to become red, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Um, sorry about that. Couldn't really help it."

"I know…and I just…you know…never…"

"You've never felt one before?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at me with surprise.

I just shook my head no.

"Do you, um, want to?"

If I had felt awkward with Riley out on the porch, it didn't even compare to how awkward and embarrassed I felt right then. "Um, yes," I tentatively agreed.

Both of our eyes focused on my hand as he cautiously placed my fingers in his, slowly moving our joined hands to the front of his board shorts. As soon as my hand rested on him, his eyed glued shut and a quiet moan escaped his lips.

He shuddered as he continued to slowly run both of our hands up his erection. "Fuck," he released.

It was hard, obviously, but it also surprised me, too. I wasn't sure how long they were supposed to be, but we definitely didn't get to the tip right away, and when we did, I rested my hand there, squeezing him gently between the fabric, and he hissed, pushing against me with his free hand so I was once again pinned at the wall.

Without putting much thought into it, I made the path back down him, only minimally hindered by his bathing suit. His reaction made me bolder than I thought possible, and before I could change my mind, I shook his hand off, opening up the top of his shorts and slipping my hand in, grabbing him for real. I was glad I couldn't see his eyes, because that would have been too much as I heard the sounds coming out of his mouth when I was no longer hindered by the fabric.

"You don't have to do that," he practically panted, breathing heavily.

Not really knowing what to do, I just continued to move my hand up and down his length, but it was dry and hard to get my hand across. I just stood there looking at the opposite wall as he rested his head against my shoulder.

After a few minutes, he grabbed my wrist, stopping my movements.

"What?" I asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

I felt him shake his head seconds before her removed it from its current resting place on my shoulder. "No, I just…we should, um, go downstairs."

"Oh, okay." I knew my cheeks were flushed, especially since I was still griping him, and I let go, awkwardly removing my hand from his shorts and letting it rest to my side.

"I'll, um, be down there in a few minutes, okay?" he spoke, taking a step back from me and rubbing the back of his neck.

"What are you going to do? Are you not ready?" I asked, confused as to why I had to go downstairs alone.

"I, well, I just need a minute."

"Um, alright," I agreed, looking at him strangely as I walked to the bed to pick up my towel and to slip on my sandals before leaving the room.

Everyone was downstairs at the kitchen island, Emmett and Rachel sitting on stools while Riley and Tanya stood across from them. They each had a can of Coke in their hands and were eating chips out of the bag that sat on the counter.

"Hey, Bella," Emmett sang out knowingly. "Where's Edward?"

They all gave me a look, except for Tanya of course, and in that moment, I automatically liked her best.

"He'll be right down," I answered, sitting on the extra stool that was next to Rachel. She winked at me when I sat down, but I just ignored it, grabbing a chip from the bag and bringing it about halfway to my mouth before it clicked what hand I had used to grab it. Being as subtle as possible, I placed the chip down on the counter instead of putting it in my mouth, mentally slapping myself for not washing my hands before I came downstairs.

I knew that it wasn't necessarily messy, but I still touched it, and I just felt that it should be washed before I, you know, ate something. I think Rachel was the only one who caught on, and I saw her smile from the corner of my eye, but thank God she didn't say anything.

"Are you guys ready to head down to the beach?" Rachel asked after a few minutes, and I looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was just past eleven a.m.

"Aren't we going to wait for Edward?" Tanya asked, popping another chip in her mouth.

Laughing, Rachel replied, "He can find us on his own; he's a big boy." She glanced back and winked at me again.

Oh, God. I wanted to crawl into a hole.

Luckily, people didn't notice the double meaning of her comment, and we all stood up, heading to the garage to pick up the beach chairs and carried them down to the sand. It was a very short walk, since her house was ocean front, and I was really happy to see that the beach was pretty empty for the most part. I figured it had to be a private lot area for residents only. There were houses on both sides of hers, just as big, might I add, but not many people were out.

The sun was bright in the sky, and I cursed the fact that I had forgotten my sunglasses in the house. Too bad running back in there wasn't an option; if people were suspicious of what Edward and I were up to before, that would definitely set them off. Instead, I just sucked it up, spreading out my towel and lying on it, closing my eyes to block out the intensity of the sun.

Rachel set up a beach chair right beside me, and Tanya did the same beside her. The boys just threw their stuff down, pulling a volleyball out of one of the bags that Emmett had carried and started hitting it to each other. It was only a few minutes later that Edward came jogging down the beach, and I couldn't help but go red as I turned and looked at him. He was wearing the same shorts as before, but the front of them were, um, well, normal looking again.

Very casually, he laid out the towel he was holding down next to me and spread out on it, resting on his stomach. He curled his arms under his head, and turned it so he was looking at me.

"Hey," he whispered, smiling.

"Hey," I whispered back, meeting his eyes.

"Edward, man, where have you been?" Emmett called out, breaking our stare.

Without missing a beat, Edward turned around so he was on his back, resting on his elbows. "Oh, you know, just figuring out the best way to sneak into Tanya's room late at night," he said, dead serious, which only caused Emmett to chuck the volleyball in his direction. Blocking it easily with him arm, Edward laughed.

"Not even funny, Edward," Emmett said, catching the volleyball that Edward threw back to him after standing up.

"Dude, that's my cousin…" Edward rebutted, standing a bit a ways from Em and Riley so he could throw and back forth with them, too.

His response, though, diverted the attention away from the previous subject, for which I was grateful. They continued to play, and I enjoyed just relaxing in the sun. I dug my feet into the sand and played with it between my fingers as I laid there with my eyes closed. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I felt a hand ghost over my stomach.

Opening my eyes and blinking rapidly, I quickly saw Edward lying next to me, his fingertips making patterns on my warm skin. I looked around for everyone else, but they weren't around us. I, however, could hear them from a distance, and when I looked out to the ocean, they were all there.

"Hi, sleepy head." He smiled, but I had to raise my hand to my forehead to block the glare from the sun in order to see it.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep; what time is it?"

He just shrugged. "Not sure. It hasn't been too long, though."

Without having anything else to say, I lifted my head and kissed him. When he caught on after a split second, he pushed back so I could rest my head back on my towel. He placed a few closed mouthed kisses on my lips before I opened my mouth for more.

I could feel him smile, which only made the kiss a little sloppy.

Laughing, I pushed him back. "What's so funny?" I asked, referring to his cheeky grin.

He shrugged again. "I'm just happy that you still want to do that."

"What? Kiss you?"

"Yeah…you know." He looked unsure of himself now, his eyes looking at the sand next to my head.

I pulled him back down to me, kissing him again. "Of course I still want to," I assured. "And I still want to do other stuff too," I whispered the last part, a little embarrassed myself.

"So I didn't freak you out earlier?" he questioned, laughing awkwardly after he asked it.

I just shook my head no. It wasn't completely a lie, but I didn't want him to think of me as a child if I would have said yes.

He leaned back down to kiss me one more time. "Good." Standing up, he reached out for my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked, grabbing it and allowing him to pull me to my feet.

"You, my dear, are going into the ocean." With that, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, giving my ass a good smack before walking us down to the blue water with me kicking and laughing for him to put me down.

That was a battle I wouldn't win, I soon realized, as I felt my body submerge under the surface.

O.o

The rest of the day went by quickly, and we stayed out on the beach until around seven when the boys couldn't wait any longer for dinner. We had munched all day on chips and pop, but they were all ready, Emmett especially, for a proper meal.

"Uh, Rachel, where are your parents?" I asked when we got back into the house, since we had still yet to see them.

She just shrugged uncaringly. "Who knows; who cares? The fridge is stocked with beer for tonight, so we're all set, anyway."

"Okay," I said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Do you guys want to go out to eat or order in?" Riley asked, flipping through a phone book that he found on the kitchen counter.

"Let's just order in," Edward answered. "It's easier than getting ready to go out. That way we can just stay in our suits and go in the hottub later."

"Sounds good to me," Riley agreed, and everyone else was in agreement, as well.

"I'm going to go shower," I said, heading towards the pathway of the stairs.

"Aw, come on, you're not going to go in the hottub, Bella?" Riley asked, looking up from the counter.

"Nah, not tonight."

They let me go after that, and I was grateful for the alone time the shower would provide. My skin already felt raw and burned from being out in the sun for so long earlier, and I knew joining them in the hottub would have just been painful. So, instead of even risking it, I just changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tanktop, joining everyone back downstairs when I was done. They had ordered pizza, and it had just arrived when I joined them.

The night seemed to drag on, and after sitting on the hottub's ledge for an hour, I knew it was time to go to bed. It was rounding midnight by that point, and I couldn't prevent the yawn that escaped my lips. Tanya had already gone to bed a little while before, so I didn't feel bad at all when I told the rest of the group that I was heading up as well.

I kissed Edward before hopping off the ledge, and I waved to the rest of them, all hearing a chorus of 'goodnight's as I walked back into the house. My bedroom was dark, only being illuminated by the moon, and I kept it that way, not bothering to turn on the light as I opened the balcony door, wanting to hear the waves crash as I fell asleep. I climbed into the large bed, pulling the covers over me and falling on the pillow.

I was out in seconds.

I vaguely remembered another body joining me in the bed an unknown time later, but I was too deep into my sleep to turn around and see who it was. And as I felt the weight of the person behind me and an arm circle my waist, it only lulled me deeper into unconsciousness.

O.o

END NOTES:

A lot of fun things happened this weekend for Strawberry Wine! It was featured on the Avant Garde Awards Story Spotlight! Thanks to all who wrote such wonderful reviews for the feature! Here is the link if you want to check it out: http:/ www. /story-spotlight- strawberry-wine (Take out spaces)

Strawberry Wine is also up for Fic of the Week at The Lemonade Stand! Voting ends TODAY so I would love your vote! It's up against some huge names! Tehlemonadestand . blogspot . com (Take out spaces)

Also, on Twitter last Friday, I posted that if SW got over 400 reviews by the end of the weekend, I would update twice this week, and thanks to Katethegreat going back and reviewing every chapter, it got us over. So expect another update in a few days. Also, I've decided that every hundred-review-mark reached, I'll update twice. This isn't me holding back chapters, this is me working extra hard as a way of saying thanks. I like the incentive on both ends.

That being said, please review! xoxo