Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any properties associated with Twilight.

Learning More

The next time Bella actually spoke Edward, it had been a total of four nights since their music session. She had seen him in passing often enough – across the quad walking with Alice and friends, sitting in on-campus cafés by himself, studying in the back of the library – but she couldn't bring herself to actually approach him. And anytime she was certain he might feel her watching him, she ducked into hiding. The erotica that was plaguing her mind at night was making impossible to face him in the daylight with a calm demeanor.

But Edward eventually caught up with her game of hide and seek. While she and Angela were in the campus library, trying to find a book for their sociology class, she felt a hand gently grasp her arm. In her gasp, she was spun around and brought to face a pair of sharp gold eyes.

"Are you avoiding me Bella?" Edward asked her.

His voice was light and playful, but the question hit close enough to home to make Bella feel unsettled. That in addition to the warming of her skin at the touch did nothing to make the situation easier for her.

"No," she stammered out.

"I feel like I haven't seen you all week."

Bella swallowed, then glanced at Angela. She was staring at both of them in surprise, her mouth slightly ajar. Bella turned her attention back to Edward, his gaze still as intense as always. She swallowed again.

Edward looked away from her for a moment, and turned to Angela. "Do you mind if a borrow Bella for a couple minutes and take her out to lunch?" he asked her politely.

Angela's eyes widened futher, but she quickly composed herself. "Sure, of course Edward," she replied quietly.

He smiled at her. A surprise rush of envy went through Bella at the gesture, but it soothed itself when his attention returned to her. "Shall we?"

Bella didn't think she was allowed to protest, because the hand that was grasping her arm had slipped down to her hand and clasped it tightly, and Edward pulled her away. Bella was only vaguely aware of where they were going, much too focused on Edward's hand in hers and the people who were watching them as they crossed the area. The girls they passed started whispering suspiciously to each other, while the guys were thoroughly checking her out, probably trying to place just what exactly Bella was to Edward. Bella was trying to place that herself.

The raciest of her dreams – daydreams as well – were surprising to her. Surely she had dreamed about intimacy before, and even scribbled down a couple of erotic fantasies when she was inspired to do so. But the gravity of the ones she was having about this male in front of her was nothing like her usual. She had already pictured Edward's hands all over her body, those long fingers caressing her skin, cupping her breasts. She had mentally envisioned those full lips of his tracing every area of flesh she had to offer, including the area between her legs. She woke from these dreams sexually bothered and needy. It was for that reason she had been, admittedly, avoiding Edward. She was afraid of how she would act in front of him.

Even now, as the two of them arrived in a mostly empty campus café, Bella mentally wished for Edward to sweep her off her feet and onto the ordering counter.

"This is one of my favorite places on campus," Edward told her as he walked her to the counter. "One of the quietest cafés. Sometimes you just want to be away from everyone. And I figured here we could talk openly about your music."

Bella smiled at his consideration, but the initial lust she had been feeling was starting to be replaced with shyness. Even though it had been so long since their music session, Bella still felt somewhat exposed from the whole situation. Edward said that he liked playing for her, but he didn't tell her what he had thought of the lyrics. He had said before that he thought they were 'fluffed up', yes, but she didn't give him a chance to expand on that idea. Now that she had consented to playing him a full song – a song that she had ended up composing because of him – she wanted, kind of, to hear just what his thoughts were, even if it was going to be more "fluffed up" talk. At the same time, she was afraid for what he could say.

Edward ordered a large chicken garden salad for them to split, then asked Bella if she wanted anything in particular to drink. Bella asked for fruit punch while Edward got himself a glass of water. Soon the two of them were sitting down at one of the tables with their lunch between them.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, gesturing to the salad.

"Oh no, it's fine," Bella said with a small smile. She stuck her fork tentatively into the center of the dish, and then put the edge of it in her mouth, slowly chewing the lettuce leaves.

Edward followed suit, though not as tentatively. Bella watched the muscles in his jaw clench and relax as he chewed, then felt silly for watching. She needed to get a grip.

"So where have you been?" he asked. "I feel like I haven't seen you around anywhere."

"Just been busy," Bella said as smoothly as possible. "With school work and stuff."

"It's only been a month and some change since the semester started," Edward said. "How much work could you be under already?"

"Well, I'm double majoring," Bella said, "in psychology and sociology."

"Double major, impressive." Edward nodded approvingly. "I'm double majoring myself. Finance and marketing."

Bella thought about all the things she knew she'd buy if only Edward Cullen told her to do so. "You'd make a great marketer," she told him.

He let out an easy laugh. "Thanks."

A short pause passed, then Edward asked, "So why'd you chose Ambrose?"

Bella shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to get away from home," she said.

"What's wrong with home?"

"Nothing really, I just wanted to get away. You know, when you just want to give yourself a chance to grow? I guess that's what it was like. My mother is a serious worrywart sometimes, and even though being out her drives her crazy, being out her keeps me away from her craziness as well."

"Where are you from?"

"Arizona."

Edward nodded. "You are a good deal away from home."

"Are you from around here?" Bella asked him.

"Yes ma'am, born and raised in New York," he replied. "I guess I just never had that urge to leave home."

"If I was from around here, I wouldn't want to leave either."

"Winters are bitter as hell over here though."

Bella toyed with a piece of chicken in the salad, then gently stabbed it and put it in her mouth. It was at this point that she realized Edward was watching her. His beautiful amber eyes simmered at her skin. Without knowing why, she started blushing. He smiled.

"So, why do you write love songs?"

The red on her face became more prominent. "I don't know," she murmured.

"Come on now, you know," Edward pressed.

She swallowed slowly and kept her eyes down. Even though Bella had been waiting for him to ask about her music, she certainly hadn't expected this question in particular. And she didn't have a real answer: not one she was willing to reveal to someone who she was, as of late, having intense fantasies about.

"I just write them," she replied pathetically.

"Because they're easy to write?" he gauged, clearly not settling for her lame answer.

"Because," she took a deep breath, "I mean, they aren't easy to write per say. Unless I'm inspired to write. I mean, if I'm trying to write something for writing's sake then it's kinda hard. But if something inspires me–"

"Well what inspires you?" He asked her, quickly latching on to a new interest.

Bella still couldn't look at him, especially now. "Just stuff."

She heard him laugh. "You're a tough one to crack Bella Swan."

She shrugged. "I guess I'm not used to talking about my music with people I don't really know."

"Well how can I be someone that you really know?" he asked.

Bella blushed again. "I don't know." She was starting to feel like a high school freshmen instead of a college one.

"Well how about this. Later tonight, you and I go into town for dinner, and you can get to know me, and then we can finally talk about your music the way I'd like to."

She glanced up at him. His expression seemed earnest. "Why are you so interested in my music, anyway?" Bella asked him, curious.

He smiled at her, but this one differed from all the others she had ever seen him give. This one carried a provocative edge to it, similar to ones she had imagined him giving her countless of times in her dreams. "I like what I see," he said. "And I'm trying to get inside of you by any means possible."

The words sent a shiver over her skin. Luckily she had swallowed her food already, or else she would have choked. The simple suggestiveness of his words was enough to make her puddle at his feet. Instead she whispered, "And you think talking about music will help?"

"Well I see it this way. You're clearly someone who's passionate about music. You're also someone who's very private about it. Both of those aspects intrigue me, since they seem…almost contradictory in my book. You're talented, and yet you hide this talent. I just want to find out what makes you tick." He shrugged casually, but his next sentence was all but causal: "You also happen to be unbelievably attractive, which is a plus."

Bella choked at the statement, possibly just on her own saliva, since nothing was in her mouth then either. Edward thought she was attractive? Bella, with her rumpled dark brown hair, average body and lackluster features? Edward, standing at the epitome of gorgeousness while maintaining an enviable cool that most good-looking guys seem to lose? Something about that seemed contradictory.

"So you'll join me for dinner, around nine o' clock?"

Bella was still reeling on being attractive – unbelievably at that – that she forgot he was asking her to dinner. But at the sound of his voice she was brought back to earth. "Yeah, sure, of course," she stammered out. "Where do you want to meet?"

"East Student Parking Lot," he told her. "I'll drive." Edward stood up at this point. "I hope you don't find me rude for having to leave, but my finance seminar starts in five minutes." He smiled at her again. "But I'm looking forward to tonight."

That was the second time he had said he was looking forward to seeing her. Bella was going to have to start believing him.

By the time eight-thirty rolled around, Bella had already showered and was sifting through her closet for something to wear. She was so preoccupied with deciding between a simple black dress or her dark wash jeans and a sea-green top, that she hadn't noticed when Jessica came in.

But Jessica clearly noticed that Bella was up to something because she asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

Bella nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, to dinner."

"With Edward Cullen?"

Bella looked up in surprise. "How'd you know?"

Just as the words let Bella's throat, she thought they were silly. Jessica lived for other people's business. The real question was how she found out so soon. It had only been a couple of hours since the arrangements were made.

"I thought you said you didn't like him," she said speculatively.

"I don't," Bella replied, but she didn't look at Jessica when she said this.

"So why are you guys going to dinner together?"

Was there some rule against eating with people? "Because he asked me to go," she said.

Jessica's eyes widened. "He asked you."

Bella understood Jessica's shock at that: Bella herself was still rattled by Edward's interest in her. But she also thoroughly enjoyed it.

She turned her attention back to the clothes laid out on her bed. The upside to the dress was that it was just casual enough to pass for a sports bar, but formal enough to be worn at a place of high class. Especially if she decided to squeeze her feet into the one pair of black pumps that she owned. It was a wide strap dress, with an empire waist, and a full skirt that fell just above her knees. The band around the empire waist was decorated with black sequins. Deciding this would be the best route, while simultaneously wishing Edward had told her what kind of occasion she should have dressed for in the first place, she pulled the dress on over her head.

"You know, I hear that Edward can act like a real man whore at times," Jessica said. "Especially when it comes to the freshmen. He basically preys on them. I've been talking to people, and they say that this nice guy routine he's giving you is classic Edward. Several girls in the sophomore class say last year they got the same treatment, and now," Jessica paused dramatically, "he doesn't even speak to them."

Bella raised her eyebrow at her roommate. If this was Jessica's best attempt to…who knows what she was trying to imply? It sure as hell wasn't working. "We're just going to dinner as friends, Jess."

"I'm just trying to be a good roommate and look out for you. I'd want you to do the same for me."

"Thanks Jess," Bella murmured.

"Do you want me to wait up for you?"

Suddenly she wanted to be best friends? "No, that's okay," Bella insisted. "I shouldn't be that late anyway."

"Alright," Jessica said.

Bella grabbed a black jacket and left her room before Jessica could drill something else into her, or drill for something to come out. The East Student Parking Lot, thankfully, wasn't too far from her dorm building – Bella wasn't sure how far she could walk in these heels. She spotted Edward leaned against a sleek silver 2009 Volvo. He was dressed in a pair of slim-fitting dark wash jeans, a beige sweater and a black sports coat. The accenting of the breadth of his shoulders and the slimness of his frame in the clothes was enough to make Bella tremble. Surely it was a crime, somewhere, to look this good.

"Hey." To Bella's pleasant surprise, his eyes regarded her in the same way she had regarded him. She blushed at the thought of Edward not only checking her out, but liking what she had to offer. "You look good."

"Thanks," she said.

"I hope you're hungry."

He opened the passenger's door for her, then walked around to get in on the driver's side. As he started up the car, Bella took in the lavish interior of the vehicle itself. Clearly Edward was well-off.

"It's new," he said, referring to the car, as they pulled off campus and onto the road. He added with a light chuckle, "Still has that new car smell and everything."

"How much did it cost?" The question surprised Bella, and she suddenly felt rude. "You don't have to answer that," she added quickly.

Edward smiled slightly. "Whatever you're guessing is probably right," he told her. "My family and I are…in good financial position. My father is a well-known doctor."

The significance of his sentence hit her hard. "Not Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" Bella said in disbelief.

Edward nodded. "My father."

Dr. Cullen was more than a well known doctor, he was incredibly successful to the point of fame. He not only dominated the tri-state area with his practice, but he was constantly on call for various Hollywood starlets who were looking for "touch ups". He was the most versatile man in medicine, and already appeared on covers of several magazines, not to mention a couple of top tens when it came to sexy and successful.

Thinking back on the pictures or Dr. Cullen, then glancing at Edward, Bella struggled to find a resemblance. They were both handsome men of course, but that was about it. Bella felt it could potentially be awkward if she brought it up. Edward glanced over at her, noticing her silence. He must have read the speculation on her face, because then he said, "My adoptive father I should have said. I never knew my real parents."

"I'm sorry," Bella said instinctively.

"Don't be," Edward said. "I love Carlisle and Esme. She's my mother. They've always been my parents to me."

"Is Alice adopted as well?"

Edward nodded again. "Only a year after my adoption. So we grew up together becoming very close." Edward smiled to himself. "We were always a happy family. It's part of the reason I didn't want to leave home."

The remainder of the drive was relatively short – they pulled into a cozy-looking restaurant only fifteen minutes after leaving. Bella felt her clothing choice had been a good one. Once they were seated and ordered drinks, Edward smiled at Bella.

"Maybe one day I'll take you out to meet my parents, and you can sing for them too," he suggested.

Bella blushed. "I don't think so."

He pouted playfully. "Why are you so nervous about singing in front of others? The whole point to being an artist is to share your work."

"I will someday," Bella said. "Maybe when I'm older."

"How old are you now?"

"Nineteen."

"That's pretty old to me."

Bella had already deduced that Edward had to be at least twenty-one: he had ordered something alcoholic, and was cleared when he showed his ID. "You have to be older than me," she teased.

"Two years older to be exact." So he was exactly twenty-one. "But I share my work with others."

"I've never heard anything of yours."

"Do you want to? I'd be happy to play something for you. Maybe I'll even sing."

Bella laughed at the way he emphasize his last sentence. "I'm not laughing at you," she said quickly.

"I'm sure."

"I just didn't know you sang."

"I don't, I was just teasing. But I'll play something good anyway."

Bella sighed once she had herself composed. "Do you only play piano?"

Edward shook his head. "And guitar. And cello. And violin. I'm a regular one-man orchestra. It's part of having really wealthy adoptive parents. They want to make up for not being your original parents, so they try to give you everything your own parents couldn't give you. Add the money into it, and you end up doing just about everything." Edward paused. "I'm not complaining though. It was never by force. They had wanted me to learn trumpet, but I didn't find anything sexy about that particular instrument."

Bella laughed again, feeling completely at ease. "I'm sure someone of your stature could have made the trumpet sexy."

"Why Bella, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were trying to allude to being attracted to me," he teased.

Bella blushed slightly. "Good thing you know better," she teased back.

"That's hurts." The playful pout returned and he splayed a hand on his chest.

Their drinks came, followed shortly after their respective meals. Edward managed to keep the conversation light and flowing, maintained the promise he had made early about talking about himself. And in all honestly, Bella found herself truly coming to understand him a little better. He talked about his relationship with his family ("I love them all"), his friends ("I'm pretty much only cool with Emmett and Jasper, Alice's boyfriend. Everyone else is filler"), even past girlfriends ("I've only ever had one serious relationship, the rest were more or less meaningless").

That last part unnerved Bella some, and unfortunately, her mind went back to what Jessica had said about Edward and his 'preying'. Could Jessica actually have been accurate? The idea itself seemed ludicrous - Jessica being right that is - but Edward had admitted himself that he had had casual affairs more than once before.

"How do you know when things are serious?" Bella asked him once he sent the waiter away with the check.

"I can just tell," Edward said. "Something feels different. It's like, I don't just want to hook up with the chick; I actually want to spend time with her. And get to know her. Things like that." He lowered his eyes suggestively at her. "For example, I enjoy spending time with you, and I want to get to know you."

Bella's face reddened for the umpteenth that night. "Are you trying to say that you're getting serious about me?"

Edward didn't say anything, but Bella felt that maybe he just didn't need to. They got up from the table in silence and went out to the car. The drive back to campus was filled with the music from the radio. At one point Bella thought she heard Edward humming along to the songs, and the sound of his voice was deep and soothing. When they returned to the parking lot, Edward got out first to walk around open the door for Bella.

"I'm really glad you came out with me tonight," Edward told her as they walked towards her dorm building. "I enjoyed our conversation."

"I did too," Bella replied. Then she added softly, "I feel like I know you a lot better."

Edward smiled to himself. "Mission accomplished, then."

Bella smiled as well. Once the two of them reached Bella's room door, Bella turned to place the key in the lock. Her back had been facing Edward at the point when he heard his voice, soft and husky:

"Bella."

She turned around slowly. "Yes, Edward?"

It didn't take her long to analyze the situation and then predict what was happening next – only about half a second. Edward had somehow, while her back was turned, silently closed the distance between them and was now only millimeters away from her. His golden eyes were lowered as his head craned closer to hers. Bella's eyelids fluttered downward just in time for the contact.

Two seconds. Only two seconds, maybe even three, but no more – Edward's lips were pressed against hers. The kiss was all innocent – a simple closed lip kiss. But even with the simplicity, the act was enough to make Bella's legs gelatinize. It was the longest and most blissful two seconds of her life. The only reason she knew it was over was because she heard the sound of Edward's smooth voice. But in her mind, his touch lingered.

"Goodnight Bella," he said.

She might have stammered out a goodbye, or she might have not. She wasn't sure. When she was safe inside her room, door closed behind her and Edward away, the longest and happiest sigh left her throat. The sigh was followed by the giddiest smile possible.

Still giving this story a chance, hopefully my hard work will not be in vain.

Leave a review, I'd appreciate it.

--Brin--