AN: Much thanks to my beautiful beta and friend, ShearEnvy, for the beta'ing job. She is heaven-sent. Sorry about the lack of update last week. Had a massive technological revolt going on.

Chapter 11: Underneath

"Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath." - Eckhart Tolle

"Ten bucks says mine is bigger than yours," Edward said, starting to reel in his line. I glanced into the cooler behind us at the fish I'd caught a few minutes earlier. It was pretty big, definitely my personal best.

"Twenty bucks and you're on."

He smirked. "Deal."

Edward and I had been sitting on the bank in front of the water fishing for the past hour, a comfortable silence settling between us. Jake and Tanya were still planted in their chairs about a quarter of a mile down the beach, soaking up the sun. We'd asked them to join us, but unsurprisingly, neither would budge.

I watched as Edward reeled his fish in and started laughing when he pulled it out of the water. It was small, half the size of mine at most. "You owe me twenty bucks, buddy."

He cut his eyes to me as he took the fish off of the hook. "Next fish, double or nothing," he said, tossing the little fish in the cooler with mine.

"Who says you'll even catch any more?" I asked.

"Me," he replied. "I have to. Otherwise, we're going hungry tonight, Swan."

I was about to reply when there was a hard tug on my line, nearly taking the pole out of my hand. I cursed and gripped it tightly, reeling the line in. Out of the water popped a big fish, slightly larger than my first. "Ha! Beat that!"

Edward rolled his eyes, a determined look on his face. I watched him glare at his fishing pole, almost as if he were trying to intimidate it into cooperating.

I removed the wiggly fish from the line and set it in the cooler before putting more bait on the hook. It was artificial bait, some smelly stuff I'd discovered with the camping supplies in the closet at Charlie's house. Edward, on the other hand, had bought a container of crickets. I tried to ignore their frantic chirps in the container that sat between us in the grass, but I was itching to set them free.

It took about ten minutes for Edward to get another bite, and he reeled it in to see the fish was the same size as his first. He begrudgingly tossed it in the cooler, placing his pole on the bank beside him.

He lay back on the grass and covered his eyes with his forearm, groaning. "I give up. The fish are being assholes."

I laughed, setting my pole down. "Don't hate just because I'm better than you at something for once."

"Luckier," he corrected me. "You're just luckier than me. Always have been, actually."

I laughed dryly. "Okay, Mr. I-Got-A-Scholarship-To-Harvard-That-I-Didn't-Even-Need-Because-Of-My-Trust-Fund. I'm the lucky one in the friendship, alright. I had to get a job and bust my ass to take a few classes at the community college because my father couldn't help, and my mother... well..."

"Fuck your mother," Edward grumbled. "But that has nothing to do with it. Money isn't everything, Swan. It can't buy you happiness."

"No, but it makes the misery a hell of a lot easier to swallow."

He laughed but said nothing, continuing to shield his eyes. The only sound was that of the crickets chirping, the noise grating on my nerves. I reached over after a moment, popping the top and tipping the container over. The crickets came spilling out, immediately scurrying away from us in different directions.

Edward sat up abruptly and I froze, eyeing him warily as he grabbed his fishing pole. He glanced between us at the now-empty bait container before glaring at me suspiciously. "What happened to my crickets?"

"What crickets?"

He shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

I headed to my tent and started scouring through my bag of clothes, looking for my swimsuit. I unpacked it all, throwing the clothes back in the bag before digging it all out again. After repeating the process probably a dozen times, I gave up with a groan.

Where was my fucking swimsuit?

I climbed back out of the tent, crossing my arms over my chest. Edward and Tanya were in the water, standing knee deep as waves crashed against their legs. They looked to be deep in conversation about who-fucking-knows-what, but both seemed happy and relaxed. A smile graced Edward's lips, his face alight in the sunshine. His hair was disheveled, his body bare except for a pair of navy blue swimming trunks that sat low on his hips.

He reminded me of the old Edward - my Edward. He looked content, no worries and no stress. As happy as it made me to see him at peace, it also hurt my heart, because he wasn't looking at me that way.

Jake strolled over to me, his cowboy boots finally gone. He'd gotten smart and had been running around barefoot for a while.

"Have you seen my swimsuit?" I asked him, clearly remembering tossing it on the bed with my clothes when I was packing early that morning.

He smiled mischievously. "Yeah, I saw it. Threw it away, too."

I gaped at him. "What?"

"Bella, it looked like something my granny would wear," he said. "And no offense, but she'd probably pull it off better than you. It was just not doable. I couldn't let you wear it."

"It was just a swimsuit, Jake! It doesn't matter what it looked like."

He laughed and grabbed my cheeks between his large hands, turning my face out toward the water. "Do you see her, Bella? Take a good long look at Tanya in her bikini, and tell me again what you look like in yours doesn't matter."

I groaned. She was gorgeous, of course - no cellulite, no stretch marks, no blemishes. And even though she was thin, her body had a softness to it that I knew guys liked. She was pure feminine, while I was usually borderline "one of the guys".

"What am I supposed to do, go naked?" I asked. "I have nothing to swim in now."

He smirked and brushed by me, grabbing his bag of clothes. He unzipped it and pulled something out, tossing it at me before I could even see what he had. I barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground, stunned when I realized what it was.

It was a bikini... a vaguely familiar one that Jake had picked out for me last year. I never wore it, though. It was much too revealing. The top tied around the neck and swooped low, barely covering the breasts with little triangles, and the bottoms showed more ass than I suspected was legal.

"I can't wear this," I said, shaking my head as I threw it back at Jake. It hit the ground and he sighed dramatically, picking it back up.

"You can and you will, if you want to be seen," he replied, holding it out to me. "Otherwise, take a seat. Stay in the shadows. I'm sure Tanya won't mind."

I heard Tanya squeal then and glanced toward her, seeing Edward was splashing her. She was laughing and faintly splashing back as she tried to block the water from hitting her face.

I snatched the bikini from Jake, annoyed, and headed back into the tent.

I was being ridiculous. I knew it. I was just me, plain ol' Bella Swan, and I was trying to compete with a ditzy beauty queen. The absurdity nagged me the whole time I was changing, my insecurities eating away at every ounce of confidence I'd had. By the time I stepped back out onto the beach, I felt like that eighteen-year-old girl again, anxious and scared, ready to jump out of my own skin.

"Now that's more like it," Jake said, smirking. "I knew there was a hot little mama under those clothes."

I rolled my eyes. "I feel... indecent."

"You look indecent," he said, giving me the once over. "If I was straight, Bella Swan, I'd throw you over this chair and take you from behind, right here and right now."

I gasped, stunned, and felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I had no idea what to say to that, the words refusing to form. Jake laughed hysterically at my reaction, reaching over to slap my ass. His hand stung and I yelped, grabbing where he'd connected, which only seemed to make him laugh harder.

"I'll change and we'll swim," he said, disappearing into the tent.

Shaking my head, I turned back toward the water and instantly met a pair of vibrant green eyes. Edward was staring at me, his brow creased with concentration. Tanya was still wading in the water, trying to talk to him but he was paying her no attention. He was focused solely on me, as if I were the only thing in existence.

Okay, so maybe wearing the bikini wasn't that ridiculous, after all.

"Oh my God, Jake, stop!" I yelled, beating on his back with my fists as he ran down the beach. He had me hoisted over his shoulder, my head dangling down with my ass straight up in the air.

He ignored my protests, splashing me as he ran a few feet out into the water. I continued to pound on his back, but he didn't even flinch.

"Let go of me, Jake!"

"What?" he asked, feigning ignorance as he stopped moving when the water was waist deep.

"I said let go of -"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Jake's grip on my legs loosened and I felt myself slipping. I barely had time to scream before plunging head first into the cold water. The salty liquid was sucked straight into my lungs and I quickly got to my feet, sputtering and coughing, my chest on fire.

I reached over and punched Jake in the chest as hard as I could, probably hurting my hand more than I hurt him. I winced, trying to catch my breath. "You're such an asshole!"

He shrugged, laughing. "You told me to let go."

"I didn't mean it that way!"

"You didn't specify."

I groaned, running my hands down my face. I was drenched. "I shouldn't have had to."

He smiled, winking at me, before diving into the water. He took off, swimming away without saying anything else. I turned, seeing Edward watching me from a few feet away. Tanya had given up on talking to him and made her way back to the beach chair, where she was chatting with someone on her phone.

"You alright, Swan?" Edward asked. His tone was even, but there was a hint of anger in his words and his expression matched - he looked furious.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, wringing out my hair. "I probably look like a drowned rat, though."

"Naw, you don't. You look... okay."

"Okay?" I asked. Just okay?

"Yeah," he said. "You look nice, actually. It's good to see you... nice."

And the award for most articulate goes to... not Edward.

"Well, you look okay, too," I said. "And nice, of course. Can't forget about that."

He laughed, his anger dissipating. "Smartass."

"I'm serious. It's good seeing you in swimming trunks. I was a little afraid you were going to wear a tie and boat shoes in the water. Or maybe a leopard speedo..."

"Huh, it's good to know I'm not the only one surprised," he said, "because I expected you to wear something that covered more than that."

I tried to fight it, but the blush came anyway. Damn emotions showing on my face. "Does my swimsuit bother you?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. It's just... different."

"Different," I echoed. "Okay, nice and different. Is mediocre next?"

"No," he replied, eyeing me intently. "You're definitely far from that."

We swam. We played. We joked. We laughed. We soaked up the sun until the last rays faded. And then... we drank.

Well, three of us did, anyway.

I drank the first beer slowly, determined to keep my head. The second beer disappeared a little faster, but I still had my wits about me. The third beer seemed to vanish right before my eyes, my vision a tad bit hazy. The fourth, fifth and sixth... well, I had no idea what the fuck happened to them.

"Where are our fish, Swan?" Edward asked, standing in front of me as I lounged in a chair. He was blocking the fire and I groaned, motioning for him to move. It wasn't cold out, but the warmth felt good.

"I don't know where they are, Edward."

"But I'm fucking starving," he declared.

Tanya quietly admonished him for cursing for probably the twentieth time, her phone glued to her ear. She'd been talking to her best friend, Kate, for the past hour, and her constant chatter was grating on my nerves. I could barely tolerate it from afar. I had no idea how the hell I was going to survive the two of them together in person.

I'd rather drink cyanide-laced piss, thanks.

Speaking of drinking, I reached into the cooler beside my chair and pulled out beer number... whatever. I tried to twist the top off but it wouldn't budge, so Edward grabbed it and opened it for me. He handed it right back and I smiled, gazing up at him in the darkness.

Jesus, he was still so damn gorgeous... tall and lean, with sharp features and deep eyes. He had the most intense jawline that just screamed to be licked.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said, smirking. "Now where are the fucking fish?"

I laughed. Tanya didn't even bother saying anything to him that time. It was senseless. The more Edward drank, the dirtier his mouth got.

Dirty. Mouth. Dear God, the simply thought made memories of that mouth resurface. I pushed them back quickly, though, knowing I couldn't let my mind go there. Not here, not now.

"I don't know where they are," I said again, lying. I knew exactly where the fish were - back in the Pacific Ocean. Sometime between the first and the fourth beer, I'd dumped them back in the water. "Besides, it's too late to be filleting a fish, Edward. It's dark."

He groaned, plopping down beside me in the sand. He still had on his swimming trunks, but had put on a gray t-shirt sometime during the night. I couldn't say when he did it, because I hadn't noticed until then. It kind of made me sad, though. I wished he'd take it back off.

"Where are your boater shoes?" I joked, pointing at his bare feet with my beer.

"Boat shoes," he corrected me. "And I'm not sure where they are right now, actually."

"Thank God," I muttered. "They're ugly."

"I know. You've already told me that a dozen times," he said, pointing at the chair beside me. "Where's your boyfriend?"

My brow furrowed as I looked at the chair, realizing it was indeed empty. I glanced around and tried to think back to when the last time I saw Jake was. "Uh, I think he had a call or went to piss or something, I dunno."

"You don't know where he is?" He sounded shocked.

I shrugged. "I don't have him on a leash. He'll be back eventually."

"How do you know?" he asked.

How do I know? What kind of fucking question was that? "It's called trust," I said. "Just because your whatever carries your balls around in her purse doesn't mean all of us do it."

He gaped at me, a sudden tense silence surrounding us when my brain had time to catch up with my mouth. I peeked over toward Tanya cautiously, hoping she hadn't heard, but the expression on her face told me differently. She was off of the phone now and watching me carefully.

Oh shit...

"No offense," I said, feeling like I needed to say something to smooth that one over. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. I mean, I'm sure they're nice balls. Well, actually, I know they are..."

A hand clamped over my mouth from behind before I could say another word, a voice right by my ear. "Jezebella, if you know what's good for you, you'll shut up now."

Edward was choking on something beside me, trying to catch his breath, but I didn't dare look at him.

"Yeah, you're right," Tanya said after a moment. "They are nice balls."

Edward groaned. I didn't look at him again - I didn't have to. I knew he'd be covering his face, wishing away this conversation.

"I'm starving," Jake said, making a feeble attempt to change the conversation as he uncovered my mouth and plopped down in his chair. "I need some food."

"That's what I've been saying for like an hour now," Edward said.

"I could eat some pizza," I added, the talk of food garnering my full attention. My stomach was starting to rumble. I couldn't remember if I'd eaten at all today.

"Too bad no one delivers out here," Edward said, "because pizza sounds damn good."

"Tanya can't drive?" Jake asked. I glanced at her, suddenly remembering she was still sober. Designated driver to the rescue!

"I'm not hungry," Tanya said quickly.

Jake laughed. "I didn't ask if you could eat. I asked if you could drive."

Tanya shook her head, refusing to budge. Selfish wench.

I stood up after a moment and staggered over to my tent, searching through my stuff until I found my cell phone. I dialed 411, asking for the number for Domino's Pizza. I walked back over to my seat at the fire while 411 transferred me.

"Thanks for calling Domino's. How may I help you?" the girl asked, answering.

"Hey, yeah, can you deliver to the beach?"

There was an exaggerated pause. "Excuse me?"

"First Beach, La Push... can you deliver a pizza here?"

"Uh, no," she replied.

"Why not?"

"Um, it's not in our delivery area."

"Why not?"

"It's too far out," she replied. "Would you like to place an order for carry out?"

"Yeah, sure, if you've got someone there that can bring it to me."

The line went dead as she hung up and I sighed, redialing the number. They were unamused the second time I called, and the third time the manager threatened to inform the police if I dared to do it again.

So naturally, I didn't even hesitate before calling right back.

"Look, lady, I'm going to call the sheriff's department," the manager said, once again, when he realized it was me. He sounded severely annoyed, like he meant it as a threat, but that sounded perfect to me.

"Uh, yeah, do that," I replied. "Ask for Chief Swan and tell him to grab his daughter a pizza on his way out here."

Click.

I rolled my eyes senselessly, since they couldn't see, and tossed my phone down. "I tried."

"You're a mess, Swan," Edward said, shaking his head.

Conversation rolled on, but I wasn't sure what it was about. I sat there and drank, taking in Edward's voice whenever he had something to say. It was a sound I had missed, one I could listen to for hours on end.

Even if in my drunken state, all it sounded like was "blah, blah, blah."

There was a flash of light after a while as a car pulled up to the beach nearby. "Uh-oh," Jake said. "Someone's in trouble!"

I glanced over, confused, and laughed when I saw it was a county police cruiser. It wasn't Charlie's, though. It was a beat up, old one that I knew Riley Bears got stuck driving. I hadn't thought about him in quite some time and glanced at Edward curiously. "Do you still talk to Riley?"

"Not really. It's been a few years," he replied. "Why, is that him?"

"Yup," I said as Riley climbed out of the car, dressed in full uniform. He pulled something from the passenger seat before starting toward us, and I laughed when I saw it was two boxes of pizza.

"No way," Jake said, staring at Riley with disbelief as he approached. "That shit actually worked, Bella."

"Well, well, well," Riley said, his eyes darting around at us. "If it isn't Edward Cullen."

"The one and only," Edward replied. "How are you doing, man?"

"Great," Riley replied. "Can't really complain. I heard you were in town... something about a fiancée. It isn't Bella here, is it?"

He was joking, of course, but his words still managed to hit me like a punch to the gut.

Edward laughed lightly, shaking his head. "No, that would be Tanya," he said, motioning toward her.

Riley turned toward Tanya, his expression speaking louder than words. Dammit, why couldn't she be ugly? "Well, look at this beauty! How the hell did you manage to pull that off, Edward?"

He was joking again, but this time it was a slap to the face. I could practically feel the stinging in my cheek and bit down on my lip, willing myself not to react. Jake must've sensed it because he reached over and pulled my chair closer to him before his hand started kneading my neck.

Tanya smiled sweetly, innocently. It made my stomach churn. I wanted to hit something. Or someone. Her, namely.

"I still wonder that myself," Edward replied.

Riley turned back to me after a moment, setting the boxes of pizza on my lap. "I got a call that the Chief's daughter was trapped on First Beach, starving. Sounded like an emergency to me."

I smiled. "Thanks, Riley."

"Don't mention it," he responded. "Anything for the boss's daughter."

"The boss couldn't deliver it himself?" I asked.

"He wasn't on duty," he said. "Hasn't been all day. Fishing trip or something."

"Weird," I muttered. Riley's eyes drifted to Jake and I sighed, realizing he was expecting an introduction. "This is Jake, my, uh... Jake."

"Bella's Jake," Riley said, shaking his hand. "Well, I should be going. Duty calls. Edward, Bella - nice seeing you two again. Great you're still friends after, well, you know. It's been a long time."

I smiled, nodding, as Edward said goodbye to him. After Riley started to leave, I opened the top box and smiled.

"Told you," Edward said, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza. "Luckiest person I know."

"Yes, I'll be there. Great. Thanks!"

I hung up the phone and let out the squeal I'd been desperately holding in, jumping up and down in the kitchen in excitement. I ran out the back door, not even bothering to put on any shoes, and made my way to the house next door.

The back door was unlocked so I slipped inside, so lost in the moment that I hadn't thought about what I was doing. I kicked the door behind me and it slammed shut, startling Edward, who was sitting at the dining room table with an envelope in his hand. He looked up at me, his brow furrowing as different emotions flashed across his face. He looked worried at first, then maybe just confused, before my elation registered with him and he smiled. "Hey, Swan."

"What in the world was that noise?" Esme asked, stepping into the room from the kitchen. Her eyes fell upon me and she sighed, shaking her head. "What are you doing, young lady? You know your father said..."

"He said I'm not supposed to be here, I know," I said, waving her off. "But I had to tell someone, and he's not home!"

"Tell someone what?" she asked.

I grinned, barely able to contain myself. "I got a job!"

Esme smiled happily in response to my news, but Edward just stared at me, the confused look returning. "What job?"

"A job at the library!" I said. "Mrs. McCarty needed some summer help and Charlie put a word in for me. She just called and asked me to come in tonight and we'd work out a schedule!"

Edward's expression didn't change, but Esme seemed genuinely excited. "That's fantastic news, Bella! I couldn't think of a more perfect job for you."

"I know!" I said. "It was pure luck. I'm so excited. It's not making a whole lot, just minimum wage, but I'll be able to save up some money to take some classes in the fall."

Esme hugged me before making her way back to the kitchen, leaving Edward and I alone in the dining room. He didn't say anything, his gaze shifting from me back to the envelope in his hand.

"What's that?" I asked curiously, motioning toward it.

"Nothing important," he said, pushing his chair back as he stood up, clutching the envelope so tightly his knuckles turned bright white. He smiled at me but it was forced, a deep sadness in his eyes. "I'm happy for you, Swan. I guess that means I'll actually have to step foot in a library sometime this summer."

He made a face jokingly and I laughed. "Well, I'd hate for you to have to sacrifice."

"No biggie," he replied, shoving the envelope in the back pocket of his jeans. "You know I would for you."

I nodded. "I know."

The piercing scream pulled me from my sleep and I sat up abruptly, confused. My head was pounding ferociously, my eyes blurry with sleep. Jake stirred beside me in the tent, but it didn't seem to phase him. Unsurprisingly, of course. I was shocked I heard it over the sound of his snores.

The scream came again, panicked. I unzipped the tent and staggered out into the faintly lit beach, glancing around. It was near dawn, a hint of sun peeking over the horizon and giving just enough light for us to see what we were doing.

The third scream came in a matter of seconds and I spun around, seeing Tanya standing at the edge of the woods. She was flailing around frantically, flapping her arms like a goose in heat.

Wait, did geese go in heat? I wasn't sure.

Edward bolted toward her, in a panic, and she said something to him that I couldn't hear. Whatever it was seemed to shock him for a moment because he stood perfectly still, before breaking out into unexpected laughter. Tanya angrily stomped away from him and I could hear him calling after her, still laughing hysterically about whatever it was.

She disappeared into the tent, zipping it up and shutting him out. He just stood there and stared at the tent, appearing at a loss, so I strolled toward him. "Are you in the doghouse?" I asked.

He glanced at me with surprise, obviously not having seen me standing there. "So it seems."

"Why was she screaming?"

He stood stoically for a moment longer before cracking and laughing again. "She said a squirrel tried to attack her when she went to pee. I know, horrible of me to laugh, but all I could think about was our damn emails."

I smiled, amused. "It must've been stalking her, the vicious little predator."

"Seriously," Edward replied, running his hand through his hair as he glanced back toward his tent. "I should probably go apologize, though, right?"

Fuck no. "Maybe."

He sighed. "I'll be back... hopefully."

Edward did, in fact, return after a few minutes, dressed and ready to start the day. I sat in a chair near the charred remnants of last night's fire, watching as he wandered around, gathering wood. He was dressed in a white polo shirt and dark khaki shorts, his boat shoes making yet another appearance.

"Are we kayaking today?" I asked. "Do you have your oars?"

He grinned, knowing exactly why I was saying that, but said nothing in defense of the shoes. "Are you planning to get dressed at all today, Swan?"

I glanced down at myself. I was barefoot and still wore my swimsuit with one of Jake's t-shirt's on over it. I didn't even want to think about what my hair looked like. "Probably not," I replied truthfully. "I don't see the point. I'm just going to sit here on my ass all day unless you've got something better for me to do."

He smirked mischievously. The sight of it sent my stomach fluttering, my heart pitter-pattering.

Edward eventually grabbed his fishing poles and the two of us walked down the beach, taking the same spot as yesterday to fish. We chit-chatted casually, the fish biting more today. In less than an hour we had a cooler full and we headed back to our camping spot, where he started preparing the fish.

I helped him clean and de-bone them without even flinching, used to the process after having done it dozens of times with him and Charlie over the years. We threw the leftovers in a bucket and Edward started filleting them, whistling to himself.

"You've got a friend," I said quietly, recognizing the song. "That reminds me - where's your guitar?"

"Home, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I think it's in the attic."

I stared at him with disbelief. "You think?"

"Yeah, I haven't taken it out in a while," he said, shrugging as if it didn't matter. He was frowning, though, his eyes downcast and forehead creased. It clearly did matter - he just didn't want to admit it.

I watched him for a bit, studying his features. He looked older than his twenty-eight years, but there was still a fire in his eyes, a spark of life. It was dimmed a bit, the weight on his shoulders almost trampling it out, but it was still there.

I couldn't help but wonder, though. If I failed, if he married Tanya, how long would it be until that light completely went out?

Edward looked over at me abruptly, cocking an eyebrow. "What are you staring at?"

"You."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "Because I can."

He smiled, shaking his head. "Cut some fucking fish, Swan."

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a piece of fish and quickly cut it, not paying attention to what I was doing. The knife sliced my palm and I gasped, dropping it as I pulled my hand away. Blood poured from the searing cut and Edward cursed, dropping his knife and grabbing my arm. He pulled me off of the beach to where his car was parked and grabbed his first aide kit from the back seat.

He gripped my hand, pouring peroxide on the wound. It stung and I gritted my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut as I willed myself not to cry. When I reopened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Edward's bare chest. He was wrapping his shirt around my hand, applying pressure to stop it from bleeding.

"Your shirt's gonna be ruined," I said.

He shrugged it off, glancing at the wound. "You're going to need a few stitches, Swan."

I groaned. And he called me lucky? "Well, hurry up and sew me up then."

His eyes shot to mine, a stunned expression on his face. "No way. Go to the hospital."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," I said, motioning toward the first aide kit. "There has to be some needle and thread in there somewhere."

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Don't give me that. I didn't have my best friend go to medical school for nothing. You're a doctor, Edward. Sew me up."

"I don't think..."

"Please?" I said. I wasn't too proud to beg. "I really don't wanna go to the hospital. Just do it for me, please."

He sighed exasperatedly. "My father's going to be pissed."

I smiled, knowing he was caving, but my elation didn't last long. The moment he prepared the thread, my heart started pounding fiercely. I closed my eyes again, wincing as he stuck the needle in my skin. I counted to ten in my head and reopened my eyes, seeing Edward looking at me with amusement. "I'm done."

"That was fast," I said, seeing the three tiny stitches in my palm.

"It was easy," he said, wrapping a white bandage around my hand.

"Well, thank you, Dr. Cullen," I said. "You're good at that."

He frowned. "Thanks."

His reaction was a bit confusing, but not unexpected. It was how he reacted every time being a doctor was mentioned. "Do you not like your job?"

"It's alright. Why?"

"You don't seem very happy about it." He sighed, leaning back against his car. "You can tell me, you know."

"I know," he said quietly. "It's just... it's stressful. I don't know if I'm cut out for it, honestly. I took a leave of absence from the program and I'm supposed to go back next month, but I really don't want to."

"Have you told your family?"

"No."

"You should talk to them."

He shook his head. "It's pointless. I already know what they'll say. My mom will smile and tell me she supports anything I want to do, when in reality she'll be devastated I'm giving up. My dad will lecture me on perseverance and not quitting, disappointed I'm not more like him.

"But I don't want to be like him. I don't want to work sixty hours a week being rushed around, barely having time to breathe. I want free time. I want to be able to sit down and eat a home cooked meal instead of grabbing a bag of chips between patients. I want to travel. I want to do something that excites me, not something that turns my stomach. I want to..."

"Want to what?" I asked when he didn't finish, his eyes boring into mine intensely.

"I want to know where my damn guitar is."

I wanted him to know, too. "What does Tanya say about it?"

"I haven't said anything to her. You're the first person I've admitted it to. I know what she'd say, though. She'd tell me that it could be worse and I should appreciate the gift I was given and help people, because so many others need it."

Even coming second-hand, Tanya's brand of optimism was overbearing. "What do you want to do, then? Be a rock star?"

"That was a pipe dream, Swan. I'm too old for that now."

"No, you're not. Look at Robert Plant and Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler, still rocking after all these years."

He smiled. "I love that you know who they are."

The butterflies inside of me soared. "Of course I do. I know you, Edward. You might be rocking the boat shoes now, but you're still you."

His laughter washed through me, warming my soul. "You and these damn shoes."

"Oh gross!" Tanya screeched, gaping at us from a few feet away. We were back to cleaning the fish, although Edward had taken my knife and was refusing to let me help any more. "What are you doing?"

"Getting fish ready for later," Edward replied, packing the fillets into a cooler to keep cold.

"I'm not eating that," Tanya said, grimacing. "It's disgusting."

Edward sighed. "We can grab some hot dogs or something from the store. Someone will need to make a beer run, anyway. Swan drank it all last night."

I stuck my tongue out at him when he looked at me, and he chuckled.

"More beer?" she asked with disbelief. "You're drinking again tonight?"

"Yeah, why not?" Edward asked, shrugging. "Nothing goes better with fresh fish than an ice cold beer."

Oh God, he was starting to sound like Charlie.

Tanya just gaped at him, looking unamused. The novelty of camping was obviously wearing off on her. She had on a different bikini from the day before, a red one that somehow managed to be even skimpier than her first. Her hair was fixed and she had makeup on, but she definitely wasn't as well put together as usual. She looked tired, maybe even a little frustrated.

She took a seat in the chair beside me, picking up Edward's shirt that was laying on the ground. Her eyes widened when she noticed the blood and looked between Edward and me in confusion.

Edward, who hadn't bothered to get a new shirt and stood before us bare chested. It almost made injuring myself worth it. Almost.

"Cut myself," I explained, showing her my bandaged hand. "He fixed up my boo-boo."

The moment I said it, something flashed in Tanya's expression that looked oddly like jealousy at the same time a memory came to mind. When I'd asked Edward how he had met Tanya, I'd said nearly those exact words to him when he told me she'd cut herself.

"Edward, baby, can you get me something to drink?" Tanya asked, turning back away from me.

"Sure thing," Edward replied, finishing cleaning up. He grabbed a bottle of water from the drink cooler and walked it over to her. She smiled sweetly as she took it and tugged on his arm, pulling him down to her. She kissed him, slowly and deliberately.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that kiss was a message to me.

I looked away, faintly catching a glimpse of her grimace. Edward chuckled and strolled past me after a second, the strong smell of fish rolling off him in waves.

I fought the urge to laugh. I bet she loved that shit.

I gaped at the black car parked behind mine, sure I had to be hallucinating. Edward and Tanya had left to go to the store for food and drinks some time ago, so when I heard the vehicle approach I assumed it was them. But it certainly wasn't Edward's little Volvo, nor was it actually even familiar to me, but the person behind the wheel definitely was.

Mike Newton.

"Is that him?" Jake asked, pulling up his shades to get a better view.

I nodded. "I can't believe he actually came."

"I told you he would."

Mike got out after a few minutes and started pulling down the surf boards that were strapped to the top of the car as Jake strolled over to him. I watched as they greeted each other, Mike a little apprehensive but Jake as exuberant as ever. Slowly but surely Mike started relaxing, and by the time they reached me it was like they were old friends.

"Hey, Bella. Nice to see you again," Mike said.

"Yeah, you, too."

They started out toward the water without another word, surf boards in tow, and I just shook my head in disbelief.

That motherfucker had actually pulled it off.

It was only a few minutes later that another car approached. I glanced over hesitantly, seeing Edward and Tanya climb out of the Volvo. Edward eyed the black vehicle suspiciously as I made my way over to them. Tanya passed me, lugging a few bags of food, as Edward pulled out some bags of fresh ice.

"Whose car?" Edward asked as I paused beside him.

"Uh, it's, uh... I didn't invite him."

His brow furrowed in confusion as I grabbed the case of Heineken. "Who?"

"You know... him."

"Who's him?"

"He's no one, really."

Edward stared at me, bordering somewhere between annoyed and confused. "Your evasiveness is infuriating, Swan. Who is it?"

There was no point lying. He'd see him eventually. "Mike."

It took a moment for the name to register with Edward, but when it did, his eyes darted past me toward the water. "You invited Newton?"

Sort of. "No."

"Then why is he here?"

"Jake invited him."

He groaned. "Why'd you let Jake invite him?"

"I don't know. I couldn't really stop him," I said. "It's public property."

"Great," he muttered. "Just fucking great."

"I don't see why it's a problem," I said, feeling guilty he was upset but not wanting it to be a big deal. "I mean, it was a long time ago."

"It doesn't matter how long ago it was. Feelings don't always change," Edward said. "How would you feel if I called Jessica Stanley and invited her?"

"That's not the same. I don't hate Jessica." I couldn't even keep a straight face as I said it.

"Whatever," Edward grumbled. He walked away, carrying the bags of ice, and I just watched his retreating form.

This wasn't good.

Edward didn't speak to me. In fact, Edward didn't speak to anyone. I sat in my chair with Tanya to my left, while Edward wandered around in a daze. Jake and Mike stayed in the water, attempting to surf, although the waves weren't cooperating with them very well. They spent more time falling than they did standing, but they both seemed to be having a good time. I was happy for Jake, I guess... I wasn't sure what to make of that situation, to be honest. It seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen.

Sometime around noon I grabbed a beer, unable to take it anymore. Jake and Mike took a break from the water, strolling over to us, and Jake plopped down in the chair to my right while Mike lingered off to his side. He looked anxious again, watching Edward from the corner of his eye. I had a feeling he was waiting on Edward to speak to him, planning to follow his lead, but I had news for him - there would be no greeting.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking, Bells?" Jake asked, taking the beer from my hand. He took a small sip before handing it right back.

"With you around?" I replied. "It's never too early to drink."

"So rude. And here I thought you actually loved me."

"Just because you're annoying doesn't mean I don't love you," I said. "I love you despite the fact that you drive me to drink."

He laughed. "The feeling is mutual."

Edward was staring at us, close enough that I knew he'd heard. His expression was blank, a mask of calm. I wasn't sure what was worse - him angry at me, or him not even reacting.

Although the day seemed to drag by with a tension in the air that I knew we all could feel, it was relatively smooth. There was no fighting or yelling, no scathing words. We were cordial and polite, albeit extremely quiet. Mike and I had a beer together and chatted, while Edward stuck to himself and cooked our fish. Mike was surprisingly articulate for someone that had been so damn annoying growing up. He admitted he'd had a crush on me all through high school, his perception of me back then a lot different than I remembered myself being. He left after a few hours, exchanging phone numbers with Jake so they could hang out together sometime in the future. Had I not been so tightly wound from the suffocating silence, I probably would've been awestruck by Jake's skill.

Jake seemed to be the only one willing to try to lighten the mood, even though he really just succeeded in making it worse. His playfulness pushed Edward further and further into his shell, far away from where I wanted him with me. By the time dusk arrived and the sun set over the water, I'd reached the end of my rope.

"I'm going to bed," I announced. If I sat there any longer, I'd either cry or scream.

Three sets of eyes turned toward me, paired with surprised expressions. "Now?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, now," I replied, standing up. I dumped the rest of my beer out on the ground before tossing the bottle into our makeshift trash can. I wasn't even buzzing, but I could tell from Edward's prying eyes that he was feeling the alcohol he'd been drinking.

"I'll join you," Jake said.

"You don't have to," I said quickly, not wanting him to feel like I was forcing him to end his night. Jake always joked that he was nocturnal, so I knew he'd never gone to bed so early before.

"It's cool," Jake said, tossing his empty beer bottle in the trash can. "I don't mind."

I muttered goodnight to Tanya as I passed her, not even bothering to look at Edward. I wasn't sure what to say to him, to be honest. I had no idea what he wanted to hear.

Jake and I climbed into the tent, both of us drifting off to sleep without much fuss. I was startled awake some time later, everything around me pitch-black. I wasn't sure what had pulled me from my sleep until I heard yelling off in the distance, stunned when I realized it was Edward and Tanya. I lay there, quietly listening to the bickering, but I couldn't make out the muffled words. They were angry, though - I could tell that from their tones.

I was stunned, lying perfectly still in my sleeping bag. I didn't want to disturb them, afraid of interrupting and making things worse, but I desperately needed to relieve myself after a while.

My bladder started to feel like it was going to burst eventually and it was quiet, the yelling dying down. I climbed out of my tent and snuck off to the woods, doing my business quickly before making my way right back. I headed for the tent again when something caught my eye, and I glanced down toward the beach to see Edward sitting in the sand. I looked around, realizing he was alone, and debated for a moment before starting toward him.

I could tell he knew I was there from the way his back went straight, his posture stiff. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

He didn't move, nor did he speak. I stood there for a moment longer before I started to feel like I was imposing. Sighing, I turned around to walk away when his voice broke through the silence. "I was wrong."

"About?" I asked hesitantly, turning back to him. I sat down carefully beside him in the sand, taking in his solemn expression. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and it could've been from the alcohol, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it was caused by tears.

"About forgetting," he replied. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't forget. I've tried, but I just can't."

"I think you're wrong about being wrong," I said, not liking seeing him so upset. "You can forget... if you want."

His brow furrowed. "How do you figure?"

I shrugged. "You seem to have forgotten you owe me forty bucks."

Much to my surprise, after the night we'd had, Edward Cullen actually cracked a smile.

Unless there's another massive technofail, I'll see you next friday.