He hesitantly brought his gaze back to the road. "Ah – Bella …"

"Mmhmm?"

"I don't want you to think that I don't want to take you out to lunch. I don't want you to think that I came to see you with only one thing on my mind. But right now…"

"My house," I blurted out.

"What?"

"Alice is at work right now. My house is closer."

He caught on right away and we drove on in silence, the air in the car now thick with something else – anticipation.

Chapter 15

I fumbled with my keys at the front door, having a hard time keeping my trembling fingers still. My skin felt electrified, charged by Edward's close proximity and the expectation of what was to come. I think he sensed my difficulty because he was mindful to keep his distance while I struggled with the simple act of turning a key in a lock.

Finally managing to get the door open, I dropped my purse and shrugged out of my coat in the entranceway. He closed the door behind us, and then one arm was at my waist, whirling me around. He pressed me against the wall, his left hand cushioning my head.

His mouth crushed mine as his right hand roamed free over my body. We were frenzied, our tongues locked in a pulsating battle. It felt like he wanted to devour me, and I was welcoming it with open arms. Coming up for air, he proceeded to nip and lick along my jaw line, down to my neck. His mouth found that favorite spot of mine and lightly sucked. I moaned and felt my knees weaken over the ecstasy. He anticipated this and took both of my hands and looped them behind his neck.

"Hang on to me."

I gratefully did while he resumed kissing me thoroughly, his hand returning to pillow my head against the wall. His other hand reached down to my knee, gently lifting it up to settle on his waist. His palm slid down my hip and then back up again, inching my skirt up with it. He reached back to my behind and gently squeezed. That simple touch shot my temperature up to boiling point, and I wiggled against him. He groaned and buried his face in my neck.

"Bella," he murmured his voice low. "If you keep rubbing against me like that, I won't last long enough to get my pants off." His breath was heavy against the sensitive skin of my neck.

I did this to him. The thought just served to turn me on even more, and I reached for his zipper. "Then let's fix that."

He chuckled softly and captured both of my hands, gently pinning them over my head. He looked straight into my eyes, his own now so dark they were nearly black. "What am I going to do with you, little lamb?"

"I can think of so many things," I said cheekily, licking my bottom lip. "But everything coming to mind right now involves the removal of these pants." I was never usually this brazen, but something about Edward brought out the beast in me. The wild, sex-crazed beast. I leaned forward to lick his earlobe and lightly bit it.

He hissed and then said almost to himself, "Jesus, Bella." I smiled, wondering if I wasn't about to be the only beast in the room at that moment.

He pulled back a little, not retreating very far, and reached for his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet while I continued to burrow myself into his neck.

"Fuck," he grumbled, and not in a sexy way.

I straightened to look up at his face, noticing the crease in his brow. "What's wrong?"

"I'm out. We used all of them the other day and then I meant to pick up some more but I've barely been out of the office all week and, just…fuck."

In my lust-filled haze, I had a hard time figuring out what the hell he was going on about. Then realization set in.

"I'm on the pill!" I blurted.

The corners of his mouth twitched at my outburst.

"Are – uh, are you…" I hadn't had to ask this in a long time.

"As a whistle," he said, smiling. "I just had a physical a couple of weeks ago."

Huzzah! "Oh. Well…good."

His gaze turned predatory again, and I shivered. "So, we're okay to keep going?" He kept his distance, waiting for my permission.

In response, I pulled him in for a heated kiss. He grabbed hold of my leg again, hitching my knee up onto his hip. I wrapped myself tightly around him, pressing our lower halves as close together as I could. He was kissing along my neck, which was very distracting, but I was determined to get what I wanted.

"Edward."

Seeming to read my mind if not the inflection in my voice, he stepped back and started undoing his belt and unzipping his pants. I dropped to my knees, helping pull them down, and lightly kissed him on the sensitive spot just below his bellybutton. I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"There's no time for that right now, Bella," he growled at me.

I was hauled back up to my feet and pinned against the wall. He lifted my skirt with one hand, the other trying to reach my panties. I wiggled and shimmied until they were down, kicking them off. The last obstacle out of the way, I instinctively wrapped both legs around his waist.

"Now, Edward."

In one swift movement, he sank all the way inside me. The feeling of fullness - of completion - nearly took my breath away.

He didn't move again right away, so I figured he might have been letting me adjust to him. After a little more time passed with no movement, I softly said his name.

"I'm okay. Just – need a minute." His voice was tense and restrained, as though he was fighting to keep it under control. Knowing that I had given him that reaction made my head float. I experimentally moved my hips so that I slid back and forth a few inches, issuing a silent challenge. I was rewarded with his groan. "God, you're so ready."

"I think I've been ready since the first time I met you."

He chuckled. "Is that so?" It seemed my challenge had been accepted, as he pulled out and slammed back into me, my back straight against the wall.

"Yes!" I answered, nearly squealing.

"All I have to do is think of you for longer than five seconds, and I'm hard."

Damn, that was hot.

"And I thought about you so much these last few days." He continued driving into me, that delicious friction I had missed so much. "Your taste." He licked my neck. "Your skin." He kissed me. "Your smell." He nuzzled into me.

A soft giggle escaped me. "Hey, are you saying that I smell?" I said, aiming for playfulness.

"Yes, you do. Delicious." His mouth was up by my ear, his breath hot. "I could eat you."

Much more of this verbal foreplay and I was going to explode. He pulled down my blouse and bra, exposing me, while his head came down to lick, nibble and tease. I lifted my hand from his neck to hold him in place.

"God, don't stop," I said, welcoming the pleasure that continued to grow with each push and pull. I could feel the tension coiling inside me. "I'm so close, Edward."

He reached between us and touched me, rubbing his thumb over my center. That did it, and I felt the ecstasy roll over me in waves. I didn't even realize I was crying out until Edward covered my mouth with his and silence filled the room.

My body was still thrumming with aftershocks when he clutched me by the hips and gave one final push, groaning into my mouth. I felt his shoulders tremble under my hands, and he buried his head in the crook of my neck as the last of the shudders racked his body. He finally stilled, his breaths slowly returning to normal.

I ran my fingers through his hair, and he all but purred. I knew the sentiment too well; I was tingling, my heart full, warm and content.

He dropped a light kiss on my shoulder. "Bella?"

"Yeah?"

He pulled back and leveled his gaze, looking at me affectionately. I could get lost in those eyes. "I missed you."

"Me too," I replied, feeling warmth suffuse me.

He gently let me slide down the wall, helping me to stand. My feet had pins and needles with the lack of blood flow, but I was still able to stand. Mostly. We were both a little shaky as we got our clothing put to rights and then went to freshen up.

A couple of minutes later we returned to the scene. He hung up both of our jackets and my purse and then leaned in for a kiss. "Did I hear that you aren't due back to work until 1:30?"

"That's right. It's my reward for being a good sport, I think."

"About what?"

"Working with the boss's daughter," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Ah, was that who that was?"

"Yeah, that was my boss Donna's daughter, Jessica. She fancies herself a part-time florist for a couple of days a year."

He smiled knowingly. "What about the other days of the year?"

"She's a mostly out-of-work actress. Maybe you've seen her in a commercial? She had one out for teeth whitening strips a few months ago."

"Hmm. No, I don't think so. But I didn't really get a good look, either. I wasn't there to see her."

"Oh," I said softly, pleased to hear it.

"She gets on your nerves a little bit?"

"It can be difficult." I shook my head a little. "Sorry, it's probably very unprofessional of me to even bring this up at all. Just forget I said anything."

He laughed. "Bella, there's hardly a lack of professionalism here. I did ask you, and I'm not a customer of the shop any longer."

What about other flower shops? I felt the words on the tip of my tongue but refused to say them aloud.

"Anything you want to tell me about, I wish you would. I'm interested if it concerns you, good or bad."

It meant a lot to hear that, and I couldn't help grinning with comfort.

We went over and sat on the couch, facing each other. Then, since he did ask, I went ahead and told him about my morning so far. He laughed at appropriate times, cringed at others, and listened intently to my complaints. I got to the point in my story where he came in, and he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry you've had such a hellish morning, Bella."

"Oh, I don't know," I said, smiling at him. "Things are definitely starting to look up."

"I would have to agree," he said, smirking back at me.

"I guess your week has been pretty busy?" I tried to keep any accusation or trace of hurt out of my voice, though I certainly felt some.

He nodded. "It's normally like that for the most part with work, but this week has been more difficult than most."

"Why's that? I mean, if you can and want to talk about it." I found I was genuinely interested.

"Well, I stay busy with work. That and the lack of time for any real personal life have never really bothered me before, to be honest. But, I don't know, lately I can think of other, better ways to spend what should be my free time."

I felt the warmth flood my cheeks, surprised at that response. "Oh yeah? Have you taken up badminton or something?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Bella, Bella."

I smirked and adjusted myself on the couch. I laid my feet out in front of me, and he absent-mindedly grabbed and started to rub one. I felt like I would melt into a puddle and slide right off of the couch. Not a minute later, right on cue, my stomach growled. I would normally be embarrassed, but I guess I was just too relaxed.

Chuckling again, Edward said, "Okay, we need food. Do you want me to go pick something up? Or do you want to go out?"

Hunger aside; I was perfectly content right where we were. "I don't suppose you know a good place that would bring the food to us?"

He thought for a minute. "Yeah, actually, I know a great sandwich place that delivers. I have their number in my phone, I think. I'll order something."

"I could call and order," I piped up. "Since your hands are so busy right now and all." I smiled coyly.

He smirked back at me, reaching with one hand into his pants pocket to retrieve his phone and handing it to me. "Fair point," he said, resuming my massage.

I was a little taken aback at how easily he handed over his cell phone to me, but acted like it was no big thing. I scrolled through his phonebook, doing my best to disregard any names that seemed remotely female, until I found an entry marked "JJ's Sandwiches". I asked Edward what he wanted and called and placed an order for us both.

"They said twenty to twenty-five minutes," I said, closing his phone and handing it back to him. Reluctantly, I pulled my feet away from his miraculous hands and put them on the floor, standing up. "Want some chips or something while we wait?"

"Sure."

We talked and munched until the sandwiches arrived and then had an indoor picnic on the living room floor. Yes, I had a perfectly good dining room table we could have used, but we were quite comfortable on the floor. Between Edward and the food, I'd had two of my primal needs satisfied. The next hour flew by as we talked, and soon it was time to go. I went to the bathroom to make sure I looked presentable, straightening my blouse and skirt. I wondered if Alice had foreseen my afternoon going like this when she picked out my clothes this morning. Smiling to myself, I went back out to where Edward was waiting.

We pulled up and parked on the street in front of Eternally Yours around 1:23. I expected him to just be dropping me off, but he got out of the car as well, coming around to my side to hold my door and close it after me. I walked around to the front of his car and turned around to face him.

"Well, thank you for lunch."

He smiled crookedly. "Not a problem. Thank you for the good…company." His eyes darkened a little, and I was reminded of just how nice an afternoon we had.

"You too," I said, feeling my cheeks get warm.

He leaned in closer, a couple of inches from my nose. "As much as I would love to see if that blush is spreading everywhere," he said his voice suddenly husky, "I think we both have to get back to work."

"That is unfortunate," I replied back in a similar tone. "Because I'd love to show you that it most definitely is."

His eyebrows raised, his irises going a shade darker. "Vixen," he chastised, and I knew that he'd probably be thinking about me all day. It only seemed fair, since I'd be doing the same for him.

I winked playfully at him and tried to lighten things up a little before we got ourselves arrested for public indecency. "Any plans for the weekend?"

"I've got to drive to Portland tomorrow evening to meet a prospective client." He made the 'what can you do' face. "She won't be in town again until December, unfortunately. I'll probably have to stay overnight."

Stay overnight? She?

"Oh," I said, a little deflated. Attempting to cover up any disappointment in my voice, although over what I wasn't entirely sure yet, I started babbling. As I do. "Well, that's bigger than my plans. I'm going to attempt to resuscitate my truck this weekend with an oil change, and maybe some new filters. Probably end up making things worse, though I'm not sure that's actually possible. Anyway, it's super exciting stuff."

He gave me a crooked smile. "I didn't know you were mechanically inclined, Bella."

"I can do some routine maintenance stuff, nothing too difficult."

"Still," he said, leaning closer to me. "That's pretty sexy."

BAM, BAM, BAM!

I jumped and we both looked over at the front door of the flower shop to see Jessica standing there with a ridiculous expression on her face. She had one hand on her hip and held up her other arm, shaking her watch at us. I turned back to Edward, rolling my eyes.

"Wow," he said.

"I know. That's pretty obnoxious, even for her." I sighed. "But I guess I do need to head back."

"All right." He reached for my hand and held it in his own, brushing his thumb lightly over my palm. I felt little sparks. "If you don't have plans for Sunday, can I call you?"

I was a little flustered still from the hand holding, but after a second said, "Sure. That'd be great." I wanted to kiss him goodbye but I glanced over and noticed Jessica was still standing there, watching us. I turned back around, annoyed that I wasn't going to get that kiss after all.

Edward noticed my disappointment, glanced at Jessica, then turned back to me and leaned in. His lips touched mine with a tenderness that I felt through my entire body, taking my breath away. I was slightly lightheaded after, but still managed to return his smile. He stroked my cheek and leaned in for a second fleeting kiss. "I'll see you soon, Bella."

"Goodbye, Edward." I regretfully let go of him and walked back towards work. I saw Jessica's deflated face, and had to fight back a grin. Ha!

While putting together an arrangement of carnations and lilies, I took a moment to reflect on how my afternoon went. Edward and I had only made love the once, unlike the marathon we had last time we were together, so I thought maybe it was a positive sign that there was more to this relationship than just sex. That maybe it wasn't just a bed thing. However, that cynical voice inside me offered up the alternative theory that maybe he was just growing tired of me and about to move on to another of his flower recipients. I silenced it best I could and reminded myself that Edward and I didn't really have a commitment, and that was fine.

It's fine.

While I was chanting this mantra to myself, Jessica came over to my workspace. She had suspiciously been avoiding being near me ever since I got back from lunch. No complaints here.

"So, did you have a nice long lunch?"

I didn't rise to the bait, rather smiled at her. "Yes I did thanks."

"Your friend – Edward was it?" I nodded. "He seemed very nice."

I caught the inflection on the last word, but just continued smiling. "That's right, he is."

"He is just a friend, isn't he?"

This was a valid question and one that I'd been asking myself for awhile now. Was Edward just a friend to me?

No, he's not.

I smiled to myself and then remembered that she was still waiting for an answer. Deflection seemed best. "Well, what do you think?"

She waited a little bit, presumably waiting on me to give her anything more. Finally realizing that I wasn't, she stomped off in a huff.

Towards closing time Jessica decided she was already done for the day, and went outside to go to a clothing consignment store a couple of blocks away. I started sweeping up the main floor and arrangement space when Donna approached me. "Great work today, Bella."

I smiled at her and held the broom still, showing that she had my attention. "Thanks. It was a pretty good day." I would not have thought it earlier this morning, but this was definitely one of the better days I'd had lately. Jessica's avoidance of me in the afternoon and steady orders throughout the day made it go by rather quickly, too.

"Jess and I are coming in again to work tomorrow, you should take the day off."

"Are you sure? I mean, it is a normal work day and I don't want to – "

"Yes, I am sure. You got a lot done today and prepped for tomorrow, so I'm certain that the two of us can handle things."

I'm sure that's true, but only one of you will actually be doing any work.

"Well, okay I will. Thank you, Donna."

"You're welcome, dear. This way you can start your weekend a little early. Maybe spend some more time with that handsome young man that was here before?"

I blushed, of course, and she smiled and actually hugged me this time.

Happy about my unexpected day off, I decided to go ahead today and get the stuff I needed to change my oil tomorrow morning. It always seemed easiest to do car maintenance when it was early and bright, before it got too warm. I told Alice my plans when she got home, and she decided we should make a trip of it and take her car. She had some new boots to return to a store not far from the auto parts place. We headed out after a quick dinner.

"You seem in a great mood today. Did you have the good luck I anticipated?"

I didn't realize it, but I guess maybe I was smiling a little more that evening. Voluntarily, even. "Well, the day started off kind of shitty. Remember Jessica, Donna's daughter? She was at the shop all day today, supposedly to help me out."

Alice nodded. "She's the actress, right? How was that?"

"If it's any indication, I was very close to burying myself in potting soil before noon."

Alice laughed. "Sorry! Well, what about after lunch?"

"Well, she was still there when I got back, but didn't bother me as much. Of course Donna was there too, and she's a great buffer. Having the unexpected day off also helps the mood."

"Yeah, I guess it would! So, you went out for lunch?"

"Yep, I just came home and ate."

"I noticed we're out of chips." She smirked at me. "I hope you ate more than that?"

"Yes, Alice. I had a club sandwich, delivered from some place called JJ's."

"I'm sure it was good to get out of that environment for awhile, but it must have been one tasty sandwich to turn your mood around like that," she said, looking at me suspiciously.

"It was. A very tasty sandwich."

She looked back at the road as we pulled up in the parking lot of the auto store. She parked and turned the car off, then spun to face me. "Isabella, what aren't you telling me?"

"Hey, I'm answering your questions!" I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender.

She tried to look stern, but then we both started laughing.

"All right, so maybe I left out the bit about my lunch companion. Edward came and picked me up at the shop, and we came back to the house to eat."

She looked pleased with that response, as though she already knew what I would say. "I take it the visit was a good one?" I nodded. "So then my outfit choice for you must have been helpful after all?"

"Well, the skirt did save us a few precious seconds…" I said, before I could catch myself. Alice had always been able to make me say more than I wanted to. Her eyes got big and she smiled like the cat that ate the canary. I grabbed my door handle and opened it while blurting out, "Let's go shopping!"

I knew this wasn't the end of the subject, but I also knew she wasn't the type to talk about something so private in a public place like this, either. I was safe for a few minutes at least, which was good since I really wasn't sure how to answer the questions I knew were coming.

I jogged into the store, grabbed a hand basket, and headed for the oil aisle. The place was kind of busy, but there were about six employees in bright red vests milling about. I walked over to the guide book that tells what size filter you need by make and model and looked up my old truck. Finding the info I needed, I went and grabbed the filter off of a shelf, and six quarts of oil. I went ahead and grabbed a new air filter as well, since I'd already be under the hood and what could it hurt. My basket now full, I walked towards the registers. Alice met me at the end of the row. Not surprised because she could find something to buy at any type of store, she had a designer seat cover in her hand. I looked at it and smirked, knowing it was totally unnecessary and just her style.

"All done?" she asked.

"Yep," I said, getting in line behind a couple of other people.

After a few seconds, Alice leaned closer to me. "You know what, Bella?" she asked, a lilt to her voice. "Under these fluorescent lights, your skin is positively glowing."

I shot her a glare, but couldn't put much menace behind it. "You think so, do you?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I really do. Can we attribute that to the tasty sandwich at lunch as well?"

I had to fight to keep a straight face. "No, dear friend, I think we can attribute that to the fact that you obviously need some glasses."

"Now Bella, you know as well as I do that I have great vision," she said, extra emphasis at the end.

I shook my head at her, and then heard "I can help whoever's next." Thankful for that, I scurried up to the register and started unloading my basket.

"How are you today, ma'am?"

I looked up to see a cute guy with a baby face smiling at me across the counter. He had longish dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck, and a sweet smile. "I'm fine, thanks. You?"

"Pretty good." He looked down at what I unloaded and started to ring everything up. "Ah, oil change. You got somebody doing it for you?"

Hey, that sounded kind of sexist. I felt a little indignant and started to protest. "I – "

"Because if you need some help, I could do it. No charge or anything." He smiled brightly.

Oh. This guy – Jake according to his name badge – no longer seemed like a sexist pig, just a very hopeful boy.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I've got it."

"You change your own oil?" he asked, his eyebrows lifted.

I nodded.

"That is so hot," he said, his voice low.

My eyes went wide and I couldn't help the grin that broke out on my face.

"Uh, I mean – that's good that you know how to maintain your…err, let me get you some reminder stickers!"

I almost laughed at his total change in demeanor, but it was kind of endearing. While he was busy bagging up my purchases, Alice whispered in my ear, "Looks like I'm not the only one noticing your glow today."

I ignored her and paid for my purchases with my credit card. He watched me sign and then handed me a receipt, big smile back on his face.

"There you go! Have a good one, and please do come again."

"Thanks, I will." I took my purchases and hurried outside to wait for Alice.

The next morning I woke up just before nine. Not quite sleeping in, but my internal clock was pretty consistent during the week. I made myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, ate quickly, and then hurried back to my closet. I dug out some holey jeans and an old sweatshirt to wear, and put my hair back in a tight ponytail. My last accessory was an old Mariners ball cap that I had liberated from my dad when I moved out, and then I was ready to go. I grabbed the bags of oil and filters and walked out into a bright, sunny morning. The weather was brisk and a little cool, but I knew I would be warming up soon enough. Taking a deep breath, I got to work.

Nearly two hours later, I finally finished. Just in time, because it was starting to get cloudy and overcast outside. I crossed my fingers on one hand and turned the ignition key with the other and heard the beautiful sound of my truck starting up. It was still as loud and rumbling as ever, but it really was music to my ears. I gave a little "woohoo" and shut it off. I cleaned up all the empty cartons and trash, and then went in to clean up myself.

While I was showering, I heard the house phone ring. I knew the machine would get it, so I ignored it and continued shaving my legs. Clean, smooth and dry, I dressed and went in to the living room. I received a new book I had pre-ordered in the mail yesterday, the last of a series I had read from the beginning, and I decided to get a start on that.

A few pages in, my cell phone rang. A quick glance showed it was my mom.

"Hey Mom."

"Hi Bella! Is this a good time? Are you busy?"

"I'm actually off today and just hanging out at home, so it's fine. How are you?"

"Doing great! Phil and I just got back from a few days in Chicago." Phil was my stepdad, and he was a semi-professional athlete. He did have to travel to away games, and my mom often went with him if she was free. She loved everything about traveling, and she really loved Phil, so she definitely married the right man. Well, eventually anyway.

"The Windy City; sounds fun. Did Phil's team win?"

"Unfortunately, no, but we still had a good time! I managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done, and a little for myself, too."

"I bet you did," I said, smirking. She liked to shop in the way that Alice did. I was sure that all those hours I spent waiting on her go through every clothes rack at a store when I was younger were really just a primer for hanging out with Alice much later on. Whereas my mom was a clothes-horse, though, Alice was more of a clothes-Clydesdale. But I adored the both of them, so I dealt with it.

"And how are you, dearest daughter?"

"I'm doing fine."

"Just fine?" She was fishing.

"Yeah, just fine. Why?"

"Well, I heard you were seeing someone."

What? How in the world did she…Alice.

I sighed. "You have, huh? Let me guess, an annoying little blackbird told you?" She didn't reply. "What else have you heard?"

"Not a whole lot, Bella. He does sound like a really nice guy, though."

"You're only just heard of him, Mom."

"I heard he sent you flowers. How many men do that?"

Maybe not many since Edward seems to have that market cornered.

"He sent me an orchid, and we've been out a couple of times." Okay, so maybe we've only been out in public the once together, but my mom didn't need to know all that.

"Well, he must be a nice guy otherwise I doubt you'd want to spend any time with him at all."

"He is nice." There really didn't seem much point arguing that because he was.

"Good looking?"

He is dazzling. "Yeah, he is nice and he's also nice to look at." I looked out the window and noticed it was pouring rain.

"All right, Bella, enough with the inquisition," she said, deciding either to cut me a break or that was all the information she could pry out of me just then. "Let me tell you what we saw in Chicago…"

I decided around noon to go out and test the truck. It had stopped raining by then, and I was hungry, so I thought I'd go get something to eat. Maybe I would surprise Alice with some lunch from one of our favorite places. I dressed casually in some jeans and a long-sleeved tee, grabbing my purse and jacket on the way out.

Miracle of miracles, the truck started again on the first try. Off I went, mentally patting myself on the back for seeming to resuscitate my truck.

The blacktop was mostly dry on the main roads, but there were still some puddles on the sides. The sun was trying to come back out, though, so I was sure they'd dry up soon enough. I got to Café Piccolo and parked behind the building, where their customer parking lot was located. I went around to their front door, facing a fairly busy street, and walked in. My mouth watered almost immediately as I was bombarded with the smells that come from a great Italian restaurant's kitchen.

When my turn in line came up, I ordered baked spaghetti for Alice and baked ravioli for me, along with some garlic bread. I was asked my name so they could call me when it was ready, and my answer seemed to please the older Italian man who waited on me.

"Molto bella!" he said, winking at me. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few extra garlic sticks in my bag.

I smiled at him. "Grazi," I replied, showcasing the minimal Italian that I knew. I paid and went to stand to the side of the counter.

I got my order finally, and another quick wink from the Italian gentleman, and headed outside in a pretty great mood. The sun was trying to come out again, too, so that helped. I glanced across the street and saw an older couple walking, hand in hand. They stopped in front of a restaurant, and he held the door for her with one hand while keeping a hold of hers with the other. I found it very sweet, and smiled. He looked over and caught my eye and smiled back when he saw me watching.

I continued to watch as they both went inside, and then I had a fleeting thought about Edward. He was supposed to go out of town today and be gone for the next couple of days, so maybe I would call him before he left. I looked down for a second while rifling around in my purse for my phone. My hand closed around it just as I heard a screeching sound of brakes. I looked up and gasped as I saw an out-of-control car hydroplaning right at me. I felt an impact, and then darkness consumed me.

My good friend Bec has graciously agreed to beta the rest of this story for me, so big thanks to her for everything! I'm hoping that the longest chapter so far will make up for the past due update and cliffhanger ending. Let me know if you're still with me and what you thought!