All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

not beta'd

storyline - Sultry

prompt - demolish

The more I look at Edward, the less I see Masen.

When I saw him at the funeral, it was like looking at his brother's ghost.

But by now? He couldn't be more different.

I don't know how much time passes, but eventually I nod in response to his question. "I think so."

He frowns and steps forward, on to the step right below mine. We're almost the same height now. Energy passes back and forth between us, making me so damn nervous. He gazes at me for a second, and then comes really close. "I know so."

"Don't," I whisper, terrified he'll kiss me or something.

I begin to push him away and back up at the same time, but the stairs behind me trip me up. Edward yanks me forward before I land on my butt. The momentum throws me in to his arms, and I'm reminded of dramatic old movie embraces, like the ones we watched tonight.

He doesn't kiss me, but he does hug me. It feels really good and I realize I haven't held on to someone this way in a really long time. Tears stream down my cheeks and then I'm sobbing, pushing my face in to his sweater and holding on to him like he's my last chance at survival. Letting go this way will completely demolish any walls between us; I trust him.

His arms are tight around me, and I can feel his heartbeat against my cheek.

"Do you want to come up?" I mumble, suddenly feeling bad for making him have this conversation with me in the cold.

"I should probably get going," he says, slowly releasing me.

I let go and step back, careful this time.

"Will you be okay?"he asks.

"Will you?"

He shrugs. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?" He asks playfully, but I see the caution in his eyes. He thinks I spook easily, and he's right.

I touch his face like I've wanted to do all night, rubbing my thumb along his jaw. His eyes flutter shut, and he puts his hand over mine.

"Positive."

He was the last think I thought about before falling asleep, and he's the first thing I think about now that I'm awake.

It's overcast outside; I make myself breakfast and settle in for a mellow day of coffee, reading and catching up on emails.

I try not to wait for his phone call but I totally am. So much for being calm and navigating this delicate situation with prudence. Comparing Edward to anyone – especially Masen – is wrong but I can't help but notice that I've never wanted something to work as badly as I want this. And I don't even know why. It's not a quantifiable thing; it's a feeling in my heart and the pit of my stomach.

My phone rings.

I don't even look at caller ID. I know it's him. "Hello?"

"Hey…it's Edward."

I know. "Hi, Edward."

He laughs lowly. "So… it's easier for me to talk to you in person. Can you hang out today? Are you busy?"

I smile, feeling myself bloom under his attention. "Do you want to come by? I can make lunch."

"I'll be there in an hour or so."

"Sounds good."

He arrives with wine and French bread, brie and fruit.

I bite my lip, grinning. "I was going to make us something."

"It's second nature to come bearing gifts," he says, unloading the food on to my counter. "You like brie, right?"

"I love it."

"Good." He launches in to a description of the selections at Whole Foods, and how the guy in the Beer, Wine, and Cheese section made everything sound so delectable that Edward caved and bought and obscene amount. Of everything.

We don't even leave the kitchen. For the next few hours, we talk about everything, the things we would have – should have – chatted about before but probably deemed too insignificant in the wake of all the intensely dramatic issues we face. But we talk about school and "real" jobs after finally graduating, our families and how we grew up. My favorite haunts in the Bay, his secret hideaways in the city. I tell him about Lois the Pie Queen, and he promises to take me to his favorite part of Golden Gate Park.

I'm standing in my living room, sipping my second glass of Riesling, when he comes back from the bathroom.

For a second it's almost awkward again. He smiles almost shyly at me and plops down on to the couch. After a moment, I join him.

"I'm glad you came over today."

He nods. "Me too."

"We needed to do this." I set my glass down. "It feels like we did things backwards, like we went from the heavy stuff to the light."

"It does seem that way." He leans his head back, smiling lazily.

I want to run my fingers through his hair, so I do. He opens one eye and peers at me. I pull my hand back and jump up. "Do you want more wine?"

"I'm okay."

"Okay." I return to the kitchen anyway, trying to escape the loaded moment I caused.

But he's right behind me, and he blocks me when I try to step around him to get something from the fridge.

"Do you ever wonder if maybe he was the catalyst?" He sounds both hopeful and sad.

My heart beats wildly. "For…this?"

He nods.

"Yes. I mean… yes," I admit. This feels too fated to be anything else.

"Does that bother you?" he asks.

"It's tricky, I guess. Does it bother you?"

"A little."

I like that he is honest with me, even though it's rough.

"Bella?"

Something in his voice makes me put down the grape I was about to devour. He stands in front of me, his hand trailing the length of my hair.

"I'd really like to kiss you."