Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe and characters.

Chapter 11

BPOV

After the play-off, I sat with Edward and his family for a bit, and then packed it up and went back to my apartment alone. The others had helped me by bringing my stuff back to my place, but I thanked them all and told them that I'd see them each before they left. I wasn't in the mood to continue to party, and though I was pleased with my performance, that shit with Jacob about Edward bothered the fuck out of me.

Things were getting out of hand. I could continue to try and fight my attraction to Edward, or I could go into total lockdown, as was my usual habit. Could I really, though? I didn't think that I had the willpower to ignore Edward, nor did I want to hurt his feelings. I didn't know what the fuck to do though, because this was usually the time I bolted, and for once in my goddamned life, I didn't want to.

Marcus called me the next day to ask about my performance, and he seemed excited that I was getting back into music. He heard something in my voice though, and I had to explain what was going down.

"Swan, you fucking idiot," he sighed, "Get your head out of your ass and take it easy. I don't see what the problem is here. You've got a couple of hotties after yer ass. Some chicks think that's a good thing. There's no rule that says you have to actually make a choice at this point."

"I think I already have," I admitted, and the line grew quiet.

"Uh… hello? Marcus?"

"You chose the right one, didn't you? I know you're not like most other girls and I know you didn't willingly pick the one that was least right for you," he challenged me.

"I don't know what the fuck you are talking about. Quit dicking me around and tell me who you think I should have picked, then. I don't have time for this shit," I said, bored of his drama.

"Ah, Swannie. There's my girl. You picked Edward, didn't you? I sure as hell hope that you didn't pick that Jacob dude," he said.

"Why would it have been so bad to have picked Jacob?" I demanded, pleased that he thought Edward was better for me in the long run.

"Sweetheart, 10 years ago, it would have been a more difficult choice. It would have been trying to choose between night and day. I can certainly tell, from the way you describe him, how easygoing Jake is and why that would be a factor. It sounds like Edward is pretty self-contained, but he also sounds very family-oriented and you need something like that in your life. The most telling feature though is this, Edward is honest with you. He knows he's got everything to lose yet he still persists in being there for you. Jake just gets pissy and controlling when he doesn't get his way. Edward is an adult and Jake is just a guy, or at least, it sounds like that to me," Marcus said thoughtfully.

"Edward is more difficult," I blurted out.

"Well, duh. Of course he is. Jacob would be more simple in this regard, as he'd probably let you run the whole show, but with Edward, you're gonna have to be honest. You are going to have to let him in, if you want a relationship with him. You are going to have to be vulnerable. That's not a bad thing, Bella."

"I know, I know," I agreed and there was a long pause.

"Just cheer the fuck up, Swan," Marcus said suddenly, "Take it day by day and give this Edward dude some credit; he sounds like a pretty smart bastard. I'm sure he knows to give you time and take it easy. This isn't a bloody contest. There's no timetable, no agenda, and definitely not a thing to worry about. Just have some fucking fun, for once."

Sir, yes, sir," I told him in agreement and gently hung up the phone after saying goodbye.

I took Marcus' advice.

After Alice and Jasper left town, it took almost thirty minutes for Edward to knock on my door. We spent some time in my apartment before deciding to go out for dinner and to the movies. I led the way to the parking lot and immediately headed for the truck and Edward stopped in his tracks.

"It will take about thirty bucks in gas to get us around tonight. Why don't we just take my car?" he asked, and I shrugged.

"I just filled up yesterday, and I feel like driving. I made a cd mix the other day and thought it might be good to chill out to."

"Why don't… why don't you grab your cd and I'll let you drive my car? I don't know if Alice told you, but the truck has a tendency to break down on extended trips," he suggested, with an unreadable expression.

"Edward? Have you ever let anyone drive your car?" I asked, trying to keep myself from smiling at him. It was obvious the way that he stammered through the offer that it wasn't something that usually happened.

"Never," he said, sounding both alarmed and confused.

I laughed, "I don't think you can handle giving the keys over, champ."

"I can, too," he said, bravely thrusting the keys at me.

I shrugged lightly, took them from him, and walked towards the car. I finally had an opportunity to open the car door for him, and he scowled at me. I smiled widely at him and waited for him to sit down so that I could shut the door for him.

I walked quickly to the driver's side and rolled my eyes as he leaned over and pulled the door open for me.

I sat down, buckled up, and turned the ignition.

"You can drive a stickshift, right?" he asked, trying hard to sound casual.

"I have a couple of times," I teased, watching his face scrunch up.

I laughed loudly, "Just hang on there, sweetheart. Don't worry about a thing."

I peeled out of the driveway, and started driving towards the 101.

"This is a spur-of-the-moment trip," Edward commented, noting that I was planning on going to Seattle.

"You all right with that?" I asked, suddenly aware that Edward might have had other plans in mind.

"Totally all right," he assured me quickly, "There's ferries every 45 minutes and I think the last one leaves at 11:45pm. We definitely have time to make it there and back."

"Yeah, and you know… if we decide we are having too much fun there, I'm sure we can find a hotel or something to stay at. Though, maybe we should have planned this better. I didn't bring anything with me at all," I said, though I couldn't keep from smiling. I loved impromptu road trips, and Edward definitely seemed all in.

"There's places to shop everywhere," he pointed out. "If we do stay overnight, we can buy anything we might need. You've got your winnings from the other night, and I've got my own coin."

"I can't believe I won that much money. Did you know that Jake collected almost two hundred bucks? That's just craziness," I laughed.

"You deserved every penny," Edward said simply, and smiled back at me gently.

"I'm glad to see that you don't seem nervous about my driving," I teased.

"I had some concerns with your speedy exit from the parking lot, but you're doing fine," he acknowledged wryly.

"Want to find some music to put on?" I asked, not really caring if he did or not.

"Not really, let's just shoot the shit for a bit," he shrugged.

"I actually think, before we leave town, that we should stop somewhere so I can find some Gravol or something. Ferries kick my ass," I admitted.

He slid the glove compartment open and pulled out a familiar pink package, "You're not the only one who gets motion sickness, Bella. Look, it's the non-drowsy version, too. That way we can actually enjoy our trip today."

"Well, let's stop for a coffee, take our meds, and then keep on going," I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," he smiled, and it was impossible not to smile back at him.

A/N Thanks for reading and for the comments and messages, too. I appreciate it.