Chapter 3: PBR and Pills

I open one eye. Blackness. Realizing after a minute that my head is under a pillow, I lift it up very, very slowly. My eyes are instantly assaulted by bright, stupid lights. I'm sprawled diagonally on my bed wearing my t-shirt and bikini bottoms, no top.

Weird.

I fumble to the nightstand, chug the glass of water and take a Vicodin. There's no better cure for a raging hangover. I'm aware I have to pee and stumble into the bathroom, wincing at the bright light as I flick it on.

My hair is beyond help. I obviously slept on it while it was wet and it looks like bird is nesting up there. I pick at it lamely with a brush and decide to just shower instead.

I start piecing together the night.

Drunken girl dancing …

… and then nothing.

Alice and Rose naked? Wait, me naked?

I dig deep trying to remember.

A song by JJ floats through the speakers in the boathouse, and I look down the beach at my two very nude friends, and then behind me at Jasper and Emmett undressing.

Ew. Jasper. Thanks, brain.

Cannonball! Then there was loud laughter and the boy's wet, muscular shoulders. His skin hot even though it's cold in the water.

I touched his skin? My head reels.

Heads bobbing kinda close and I think I see kissing. He's next to me.

Naked. Holy crap. The memories rush back and my eyes fly open. I get soap in them and rinse, shaking.

I'm holding on to his shoulder, drunk and unsteady in the water. I feel two hands around my waist as I stumble backwards. When he rights me I look up into that fucking face and I can feel myself grinning.

"Thanks."

"You're drunk."

"Yyyyep." I giggle, throwing my head back.

"You're beautiful." His voice is serious. I stop laughing and look back at him.

"But you're drunk, and not my type."

I remember getting out of the water slowly and carefully, leaving my shrieking friends and Edward in the lake.

Alice isn't in her room, and I wonder if she spent the night with Jasper.

I need coffee.

My head is swimming and my stomach feels sick, but I'm not sure if it's from the Patron or the rejection. I put on sunglasses and walk out into the sunshine.

I suppose he could have taken advantage of the situation. Our friends were all paired off. We were nude in the water.

I take a long second to regret not remembering his naked body.

So lame.

I cringe, remembering his words.

Beautiful. But not his type.

I do not feel beautiful today. I feel sad and small and sick.

I walk into Cedar to find Rosalie and Emmet making breakfast. Well, she is. He's reenacting football plays for her while she whisks eggs, laughing.

He changed and is just wearing board shorts. They both turn and look at me.

"Good morning, sunshine," Emmett says, shooting me a big smile.

I grumble something along the lines of "fuck off" at them. They snicker.

"You and Edward have fun?" Emmett asks, his eyebrows wiggling. I slide into a chair at the bar and Rose hands me coffee with a smug look on her face. Unbelievably, she doesn't look hungover at all. She looks fresh and perfect as always. Bitch.

"What? Yeah, I guess." I lay my head on the counter, wishing for sweet death.

"When you guys went upstairs you missed the chicken fight and a Journey sing-along." Emmett laughs. He and Ro burst into the chorus of Don't Stop Believing loudly and out of tune.

Ugh.

"Sorry I missed that," I mumble in response.

My head shoots up off of the bar.

What the fuck?

"What do you mean we went upstairs? I went upstairs. Alone."

Emmett and Rose exchange knowing glances, which is really irritating.

"He said he went up to make sure you didn't fall down the stairs or something, but being a caring friend isn't really Edward's thing, if you know what I mean," Emmett says lightly.

"I…didn't know. I was really drunk I guess."

My mind turns over this information.

Why would he reject me and then follow me upstairs? I guess I should be worried, but I'm absolutely positive I didn't have sex last night.

Maybe he just wants to be friends. But then why did he stare at me all night?

My headache increases tenfold.

"Is he always so …" I whine.

"Yes," Emmett interrupts. "Look. Edward is my brother. So…I love him. But he's also kind of a cocky fucker."

"Yeah. I caught that," I replied sarcastically.

He studies me for a second.

"I like you, Bella, so I'm going to give you some advice. Don't do it. The kid is QB1 in a college town obsessed with football. He was QB1 in high school in a town obsessed with football. He's got a weekly allowance that is more than most people make in a month, and when our trust funds kick in…let's just say he won't need to play pro ball to survive. Everyone treats him like a god, and everyone has his entire life. He's got hot girls on his jock wherever he goes, and has been…explicit…about his exploits in the past."

"So he's a man-whore. A rich, man-whore," I state, and Emmett laughs out loud.

"Something like that. He's complicated. Girls even seem to love that part of him," he muses.

I do.

Fuck.

I let my head sink back down to the counter as Rose slides a plate of cheesy eggs in front of me.

"Protein and liquids, lady. Did you take a painkiller?" I nod. She and Jasper both have an endless supply of pharmaceuticals. Some troubled, L.A. rich kid thing. Not that I'm complaining. We aren't fiends about it, but there was no shortage.

I feel it start to kick in just then. My headache recedes to a mild throbbing and my eyes glaze a bit. I sigh and lift myself up to eat.

Alice and Jasper emerge from his room a while later looking disgustingly happy.

Not that I'm bitter.

At noon we decide to brave the beach and the stifling heat, floating on rafts and nursing PBRs. I feel better, at least physically.

I wonder where Edward is and what he's doing. Probably looking in a mirror somewhere. I snicker at the thought, and Alice looks over questioningly. I shake my head.

I'm not about to admit that I'm thinking about him.

Jasper is sitting on the end of the dock with his feet in the water, and he and Alice are grinning at each other like idiots.

Sigh.

Emmett and Rose are out on the jet skis. I can hear them in the distance, with an occasional whoop from Emmett.

I'm suddenly feeling a little lonely.

Edward jogs up an hour later. He's shirtless, which is hot and cruel. Shirtless and shiny with sweat. His skin would taste salty and my fingers would slide over his abs.

Crap.

I pray that my mind will shut up. I am such a masochist.

I force myself to think about something non-sexy.

Charlie in a speedo.

Shudder.

He walks up the dock and sits down by Jasper on the side facing me, pulling out his earbuds. I can see him panting slightly, wiping his forehead. He looks down at me.

"Hey."

"Hey," I reply, feeling scrutinized but craving his eyes on me at the same time.

I see him sweep my body, his lips curing up at the corner. I bite my lip and try to keep my breathing steady.

"How was the run?"

"Good. It gets nasty running in Texas. Even though here it's still…really hot." His tongue darts out to lick the corner of his mouth.

I look up at him, an eyebrow raised. He is smiling crookedly. Paddling with one arm, I float over to him and hold up my beer.

"Hold this," I demand.

He takes it, furrowing his brow.

I roll off my raft and into the water. I need the cold to think and to wash his stare off of my skin. I stay under as long as I can, trying to clear my head.

Breaking through the surface, I stand up and make my way toward shore. As I walk up the dock, wringing the water out of my hair, he watches me, and I sit next to him and hold my hand out for my beer without looking at him. He hands it back.

"If you're already having a drink I assume you weren't feeing too shitty this morning?" He's smirking.

He's always fucking smirking.

I bristle slightly. "I'm fine. Thanks for your genuine concern. Ass."

He laughs out loud at this. His voice is a little husky, like maybe he's a little hungover too. I sincerely hope he is.

"I suppose I should thank you for not attempting some drunken hook-up while I was stumbling around last night. Kudos to you for not being a total prick," I continue, my words sarcastic but their tone light.

He doesn't respond, so I turn to look at him, taking a breath to resume my insults, but he's leaning close to me and his mouth is by my ear.

"Bella, I am a total prick. And I coulda hit that if I wanted."

His breath on my neck sends a wave of goosebumps down my body. He gets up, running his hands through his hair as he walks down the dock, not looking back.

By the time I recover, he's already halfway to his cabin.

I suppress a very junior high urge to yell "You SUCK!" at his retreating back, and consider my next move.

Game on, Cullen.