************Chapter 5: Never a Dull Moment************
"You're going back there, aren't you?" Alice asked, her brows drawn together in preparation for begging. Her expression was heartbreaking and sincere, but Edward was immune from overexposure. "You're going to see Bella." There was a note of longing in Alice's voice.
"As if you didn't know," Edward retorted with a grin, tugging at a strand of her black hair.
"Can I go too?" Alice pleaded, even going so far as to clasp her hands as if in prayer and jumping up and down for a moment.
"No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "Not…yet."
Alice made a pouting face. "I miss her too, you know. You're being a terrible brother."
Edward laughed and tweaked her nose. "I know you miss her, you interfering pixie, but you'll have to wait."
"It's good to hear that again," Alice remarked. /I'm glad you're laughing again. Even if it's at me./
He couldn't help it; he pulled her close and gave her an enthusiastic hug. "I'll let you know how it goes," he promised.
"Like I won't know already!" She called out after him.
The night was almost over and Edward could hear Bella inside talking with the waitress from the first night as they approached the doors. He could tell he was only catching the tail end of the conversation but it was enough to get the gist of things. And the gist was very interesting…
"I'm telling you," Bella was saying with great authority. "There's no such thing as forever anymore."
"Aw, you're so cynical," the waitress accused. "How can you not believe in forever love?"
"And how can you possibly still think it exists?" Bella asked with fond exasperation. "Okay, let's review, Shauna. There's great."
"Not nearly enough of those," the other woman pointed out. "In fact, I'm not sure they even really exist. I'm pretty sure that guy is some kind of urban legend."
"Tell me about it," Bella agreed. "There's good."
"Mmm…good," came the response. "I'd settle for some good."
"Then there's nothing special," Bella said.
"I had a helping of that last month." Shauna laughed softly.
"And there's," Bella began. "A whole lot of…"
"Aw hell, give the boy a map!" they finished in unison. Then they began giggling like girls in junior high. Edward could not help but laugh at them, even though Bella's words made him sad. Somewhere along the way, his Bella had lost her belief in forever.
And that was his fault. He had much to atone for, and he could only hope that she would give him the chance.
The doors opened and Bella and the other girl stepped out into the weak light of the alley. Edward had been so intent on listening to Bella that he had not been paying attention to the thoughts of the man who now stepped out of the shadows. It took only a second to figure out what the man was up to – and it wasn't good.
A big, beefy hand settled over the waitress's arm. "I told you I'd be back, sweetheart!" He was pushing his face close to hers, seemingly unaware of Bella tugging at his hand, trying to free her friend.
"Shauna!" Bella cried out as the man grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up against him.
"Aw come on, gimme a kiss!" Shauna did not even have time to protest before the man was flying through the air to land in a crumpled heap by a dumpster. She blinked rapidly and Bella looked up at Edward, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Eddie?" she said in disbelief.
"Edward," he corrected automatically, and then grinned. "I'm sorry; it did rather seem as if he needed a lesson in manners."
Shauna laughed loudly, blinked, and then began crying and Bella wrapped her around her friend. "Shhh…." She soothed. "It's all right." Bella looked at Edward again. "Listen, could you give me just a minute. I want to get Shauna inside and call the police." Her expression hardened. "Not that it'll do any good. They don't care if some strippers get roughed up." Bitter experience was in her voice and Edward found the rage drifting up close to the surface. He pushed that away, concentrating on the moment.
He had picked up enough of the man's thoughts, once he was actually paying attention, to prompt, "That sort, well they've usually gotten in trouble before. If he's say, violating his parole, they'd take it all much more seriously."
Bella grinned. "They might at that," she agreed. She turned to usher Shauna inside and then looked over her shoulder. "Don't go anywhere," she ordered. "Keep an eye on him, will you?" Bella studied the fallen figure. "I think you can handle yourself if he decides to wake up from his nap."
"I feel fairly confident," Edward replied with a smirk.
She nodded. "And don't leave. I mean it!" she commanded again over her shoulder.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Bella laughed.
The police bundled up the now groaning man and placed him none-too-gently in the squad car. "Here," Edward offered. "Let me send your friend home in a cab." He smiled at Shauna, already getting out his cell phone. "It's cold and she's had a long night." He leaned in close to Bella. "Does she have anyone at home? I don't think she should be alone." And he definitely did not want to lose Bella's company tonight, so he hoped rather vehemently that Shauna already had someone waiting for her.
Bella nodded. "Yeah, she lives with her mom. Thank you," she said softly.
It took only a few minutes to call a cab and then Shauna was safely on her way home. Together, they watched as the taillights of the cab disappeared into the night and then Edward turned to Bella. "Well this evening certainly wasn't boring," he said dryly.
To his surprise, Bella crossed her arms and studied him with narrowed eyes. "Okay, college boy," she said. "How the hell did you toss that meathead like he was nothing more than a balled up newspaper?"
"The element of surprise," he replied with a quirk of his lips. "You'd be surprised how often that works when someone isn't expecting it."
"Bullshit," she retorted bluntly.
"I'm hurt that you'd say that," Edward said, holding his hand over his silent heart.
Instead of smiling, Bella merely shook her head. "I'll figure it out, you know."
He knew his voice was too serious when he replied, but he could not help it. "I really wish you wouldn't try."
"We're old friends, remember?" She smiled. "I probably already know all of your deepest, darkest secrets."
"But we've started afresh. Remember?" His tone was teasing now and she scowled at him. "How about a truce?"
"I didn't realize we were at war," she said archly.
He leaned in close and heard her heart stutter and speed. "I'm just trying to stay in your good graces."
Bella rubbed her arms. "Well how about you walk me home then, college boy?"
"Please, call me Edward," he insisted.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I like college boy. Or Eddie. Eddie's good." She smirked at him. "You look like an Eddie."
"That's a terrible thing to say!" He assumed a sulky expression.
"Eddie is nice, it's comfortable," she insisted. "Girls instinctively trust Eddies, you know."
He groaned. "Eddie is horrible name!" Edward nudged her. "And I'd like to think you'll trust me, no matter what my name is."
"Shut up and quit whining…Eddie."
They stopped by unspoken agreement at the door to her building. They stared at each other for a long moment, yet somehow it did not feel awkward. Edward wanted to push her up against that red door and explore her mouth, press her up against him, wrap her legs around his waist. His whole body tightened at the images flooding his brain.
Bella whispering his name, the thrust of her hips against his, the heat of her core pressing against his erection. He could almost feel her fingers pulling at his hair, dragging him closer and closer until they didn't know where Edward ended and Bella began. He wanted her…badly. And just like that, the old, cautious Edward made an appearance.
He took a step back. Bella frowned at him and took a step forward.
Edward stepped back. Again. Bella grinned and closed the space between them until her breasts just barely brushed against his chest. She smirked up at him, the challenge clear in her eyes. He could feel the wild pounding of her heart, hear the flow of air in her lungs, smell the way her blood scented the air.
She was still Bella, in spite of everything else that had changed, and he still wanted her.
"I don't bite," she whispered, and he laughed at the irony of her words. She surprised him again by putting one hand on his chest. Bella did not seem to notice how hard and cold it was, perhaps the sweater he was wearing disguised it, he mused. Edward looked down at her cautiously. "Not much anyway," Bella added with a glint in her eyes. He trembled slightly, thinking of her blunt, white teeth nibbling at his flesh.
"I should be going," he said, clearing his throat, trying to dislodge the lump that seemed to have taken up a permanent residence there.
To his surprise, she sighed and simply rested her head on his chest. He wished he had a heartbeat so she could hear how her nearness affected him. Reaching up, he embraced her lightly, as he might one of his sisters. He rocked slightly, comforting her. Sexual tension oozed away, leaving behind only the simple solace of a friendly embrace.
Her tears might have surprised her, but not him. He had seen them coming. The evening had been too stressful and she needed a release.
/I know what kind of release I'd like to give her…./ He groaned and pushed the thought away. Those tantalizing images rose up to torture him once more, all the ease of the embrace burned away by fantasies that involved flesh against flesh. Unable to give into his baser desires, Edward allowed himself the luxury of pressing his face against her hair. Still as soft and fragrant, still as tempting.
His Bella.
Bella was not surprised when his fingers urged her chin up, she merely stared at him, her lips parting slightly. "I think I'm going to kiss you, Bella," he said softly.
"When you make up your mind about that, quit talking and get on with it," she answered just as quietly.
And their lips met.
