Awkward Times and Broken Hearts

"Where are you headed?"

"Edward invited me to play baseball with his family." I informed my father a week after the failed climbing incident.

"I bet you could keep up with them." He offered. I smiled ironically. If only he knew.

"I think I'll just watch."

"Have fun with that, Bells. What time is he coming over?"

"Around 7."

"Get ready then. Knowing that boy he should be here in exactly ten minutes."

Sure enough, Edward rang the doorbell 10 minutes later, the awkwardly crooked grin on his face.

"Come on in, Edward."

I was glad that my father had remembered to call Copper by his name instead of humoring himself like he does with me.

"Apparently you're gonna take my Bella to play baseball?"

"Yes Sir, that's the plan."

Charlie's eyes roved over my friend's seemingly calm face.

"You're making him nervous," I told Charlie.
"Make sure she doesn't fall. The last thing we need is a trip to the ER."

"I'll do my best, Sir."

"I guess you can start calling me Charlie. Considering that you haven't tried anything like those other boys from Phoenix that Bella told me about."

"I certainly hope not."

"Have her back at a reasonable hour and if the game runs late then let me know."

"Yes, Dad." I mumbled.

"Go on, you two. Have fun."

"Thanks! I'll tell you all about it when I get home!"

"I look forward to that."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there were other boys." Bella rolled her eyes.

"They were jerks and it's not like anything happened. They wanted to say that they dated me just for the sake of it. Except for Brian, but he was never my boyfriend, no matter what Troy said."

"What happened?"

"Brian and Troy were brothers. I was always friendlier with Brian because he was nice. I didn't like him like anything special, but we hung out and he would tell me stories about his girlfriend, who happened to be the biggest slut in the school. Her name was Katie. One day Troy invited me over and said that he was out with friends but that he'd be back and that Brian was on his way home. I got there to find Brian on the front steps of his house crying his eyes out because he found out Katie had been using him to get into her parents' good graces so she could mess around with Troy, who was also using me. I kinda figured that because he was a jerk from the start. He made it clear. It hurt to see Brian like that though. He was going to ask her to prom, if they got that far. So I let him cry on me and told him what he already knew. Troy and Katie finished up and Troy came downstairs to find us sitting on the couch laughing and he got jealous. He always got jealous. He and Brian started fighting when Troy ran out of words. The last blow Troy made was meant for me but Brian jumped in the way. He was knocked unconscious. He died later on in the hospital and Troy was cast out. He still got to live with his parents. He had to, and they didn't abuse him or anything. They just stripped him of all entitlement. The money he and Brian were going to use for college was set up for the funeral. I was one of the pall-bearers. I asked Jason why Brian jumped in front of me and he said that I'd figure it out somehow. And I did. Brian was like what Jason was for Leah before she realized it. He actually loved me and he didn't want me to get hurt. Sometimes… sometimes I wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently."

"You would be dead and Brian would be in your place, broken-hearted and miserable." Edward growled.

"Calm down, Copper. I'm not suicidal. I just wish I'd known sooner. Maybe then he wouldn't have had to take the fall."

Questions? Confusion? Rants about how you want to hit Troy upside the head with a metal bat? Review!

{I know this is a short chapter but I wanted everyone to get a ppek into why Bella claims she's uncomfortable with men and why her "relationships" with Edward (friend-turn-lover) and Carlisle (safe harbor) are so new and important to her. Next up is the baseball game! (With a few hidden twists...)}

Thanks for reading!

Cinderfire