Chapter 24 – The Starting Line

"You know, you really shouldn't wear make-up; it's messing with perfection," the bronze haired man said unexpectedly.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Wow, that was a super cheesy pick-up line."

"That wasn't a pick-up line," he joked, trying to sound serious. "It's the god's honest truth. If I wanted to give you a pick-up line I'd say something like – 'Did you just clean your pants with Windex? I can practically see myself in them'."

"Oh, I see. Does that kind of line actually work for you?" I asked amused.

He shrugged. "Eh, it's hit and miss. Did it work for you?"

I stared at him for a minute, and not even my radioactive butterflies were enough to keep me from busting out laughing. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so hard, and regardless of the fact he tried to keep a straight face, he laughed with me.

"I really don't know what's so funny," he said humorously defensive. "That was a well thought out line…I spent the last twenty minutes coming up with it."

I kept laughing. "No, it was cute, just…not what I was expecting. I mean, after not really speaking to each other for a while, and then you bust out that…" I had to stop speaking to catch my breath.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We've never met before," he said, fighting to be serious again, but losing the battle.

"Oh, right," I said, finding the will to calm down, though nothing could wipe the smile off my face at that moment…or quiet the butterflies in my heart.

"I'm Ed Cullen, it's nice to finally meet you," he said while holding out his hand.

I looked down at his long outstretched fingers, and a chilling zing zipped right to my core making me shudder. "I'm not going to shake your hand," I said lightly. "It's sort of a weird pet-peeve of mine."

"Are you one of those germ-a-phobs?" he teased.

"No, I just think it's too formal and odd. I guess it makes me feel like a grown up, or something."

He stared at me with a contemplative smirk, and then he gently grabbed my hand regardless of my objection, and shook it. "Well, since we are grown-ups now, and we're meeting for the first time, we should shake hands."

If it had been anyone else I probably would have playfully pulled my hand from his and shot him my best attempt at a sour expression, but because the casual way he was touching me was giving me a very un-casual feeling, I couldn't think clearly enough to be playful.

He had to have felt it too, because he didn't let go of my hand like one would normally do after a handshake. He just held on to me, and I held on to him just as securely.

It was obvious that we still had an incredibly intense connection, and as I looked deeply into his eyes it was easy to see how I became so lost from losing him before. I wanted nothing more than to just fall into his arms and beg him to keep me forever, but I couldn't lose myself again, not even for him.

Thankfully, he seemed to know exactly what I needed, because he finally pulled his hand gently from mine. "So…I was hoping you'd go out with me sometime," he said, keeping up with the stranger charade. "Do you think I could have your number?"

"Wow! That was direct, what happened to the pick-up lines? You can't just straight up ask me for my number, you have to make it cheesy."

He smiled and thought about it for a second. "You know, I'm actually pretty upset because I forgot my number…So can I have yours?"

I raised my brows at him. "That's the best you got?" I teased. "Wow!"

He chuckled. "Hey give me a break; I've never picked up a chick at a party before."

"Oh really? That's the most ridiculous thing you've said this whole time."

"I haven't. I've been a bit preoccupied since coming to this school…"

"With scamming people?"

He ignored me without hesitation. "With learning and staying on track, and before that the girls just flocked to me."

"Oh, I see, you're the catch, huh?"

"Exactly," he said with a pompous grin. "But not this time; I think my have finally met my match."

I blushed. "Lucky you."

"Lucky me indeed," he said without missing a beat. "So how about it? Are you going to give me your number so we can go out sometime?"

I bit my bottom lip. "We're out now."

"Yeah, well I was thinking something a little more intimate… Intimate, as in, not so noisy," he corrected himself.

"I guess it is hard to talk in here," I agreed. "Why don't we go take a walk, or something?"

He smiled slyly. "Didn't your dad every teach you not to go home with strangers?"

"Who said anything about going home? Besides, Ed, we're not strangers anymore. We even shook hands, remember."

"I guess it's okay then," he smirked. "Let's get out of here."

I let Angela know I was leaving, and then Ed and I took off together. I made a point to keep enough distance between us otherwise I knew it would be hard to stay focused, but that didn't stop my heart from racing the entire time.

"So…Ed, what's that short for? Edmund, Edgar, Eduardo?" I asked as we walked along the trail that lead towards the campus fountain.

He smiled bashfully and looked down. "Edward actually."

"Huh, really?" I asked amused. "And have you always gone by 'Ed', or is that a recent nickname?"

"It's fairly recent. One of my buddies started calling me that last year and it sort of stuck," he said, sounding sincere for the first time of the night. "I actually hate it. It sounds like I should be a talking horse or something."

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that. You could always go back to Edward, you know."

"I tried, nobody took my request seriously."

"Oh…But at least Ed is better than Eddie, right? I mean Eddie is the name of a monster kid – you know, Eddie Munster."

"Well, I have always had a thing for vampires," he joked. "But sadly, I get called Eddie as well. My horrible parents condemned me to a life of shitty nicknames."

"Oh, it's not that bad…Edward is a classic, and quite appealing actually."

He was quiet for a minute, and then he looked at me like he was trying to see straight through my soul -maybe that was just how it felt. "And what about you, Bella, you didn't want to go by Isabella here…Start over fresh? Become someone new?"

I moistened my lips with my tongue as I thought about his question. "I never wanted to be someone else, I just wanted to be the best version of myself, and I think I'm accomplishing that," I told him honestly. "I mean, I'm still a work in progress, but I hope I'll continue growing emotionally for the rest of my life."

"That's an incredible outlook to have. I wish I was as confident as you."

"I'm not confident, just determined."

"I love you," he said abruptly.

"What?" I asked, unsure if I heard him right.

"Huh?" he played dumb, and then he hurried to change the subject. "Gosh it's fucking cold out here…Here," he said while taking off his coat and draping it over my shoulders."

My chest tightened, and I seriously wanted to pressure him into admitting what he just said, but I decided to let it go. It wasn't time for words like that, and we both knew it.

"Wow, this is very chivalrous of you," I said before unconsciously burying myself into it and inhaling his scent deep into my lungs.

God, he smelled so incredible.

A thousand memories flashed through my mind - all the tiny moments I had spent worshiping his perfect face and that intoxicating aroma. I didn't realize just how much I missed him until that moment, and I had to suddenly fight back the urge to cry.

"Oh, look at you, now you're going to freeze to death!" I said after forcing my brain to be anywhere other than the past. "Here, take your jacket back," I told him, and yet, I didn't even attempt to remove myself from it.

"No, it's fine. My death would be worth your comfort," he said playfully.

For me personally, if I died right then I sincerely hoped they would bury me in his jacket. I couldn't imagine anything better than spending eternity wrapped in his scent…well, unless he died with me and they buried us together - Seriously Bella, get a hold of yourself! – Was it possible to be humiliated by a thought? Because it seemed that I was…

"Are you okay? You just turned bright red?" Edward asked concerned. Without hesitation he placed his icy hands on my cheeks, which only made my face burn hotter. "You don't feel feverish," he said relieved.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "But we should go find somewhere to get warmed up. Isn't your room not far from here?" I asked without thinking.

He clicked his tongue. "I don't know what kind of hussy you think I am, but I don't do that on first dates," he said jokingly.

I laughed once. "Uh, this is not our first date, I expect flowers and a restaurant of some sort for that, and I have no intention of sleeping with you tonight Mr. Mase-Cullen; I do have moral standards."

He chuckled. "Well what the hell do you want to do in my room then?"

"Oh, I don't know, take advantage of the heater. Unless, of course, you wanted to go back to the party?"

"No!" he said a little too quickly. "Parties are definitely not my thing…But, we can go somewhere else if you want. I'm just not sure about going to my room."

"Why not? Are you too wildly attracted to me that you wouldn't be able to control yourself?" I asked playfully seductive.

"Actually, yes," he said straight faced. "And the fact that I haven't been alone with a straight girl for a very long time. You have no idea how hard it is for a guy to be celibate."

"What are you a monk now?" I asked lightly, assuming he was joking as well.

"No, just uninterested in anyone I've encountered. After you've had the best, everything else just seems pointless," he said, surprisingly serious.

I swallowed roughly. "Yeah, I guess I know what you mean," I admitted.

We shared an intense moment, and then he tried to break the tension again. "So," he cleared his throat, "How are things with…I mean, are you dating anyone right now?"

"Not really," I mumbled. "Garrett and I decided there was nothing there, so we agreed to keep it platonic," I told him since I knew that was what he was really asking.

"Platonic friends, huh?" he asked skeptically. "That sort of thing never really works. At least not friends that are as close as you are with him."

"I was under the impression that you and Tanya were close," I shot back at him.

"Uh, she's gay."

"Yeah, but you're not. Are you attracted to her?"

He shook his head. "She's not my type. Besides, we were never very close."

"What about Alice?"

"She's my sister," he argued.

"Not by blood. Let's just say that if my dad ended up marrying Garrett's mom, I'd pretty much feel the same way about him as I do now."

Edward didn't look comforted by my claim. "But they're not married, so…"

"So I would have no reason to not date him other than the fact that neither of us want to," I tried assuring him. "Look, we tried it, and there was nothing there. Now I have one of the best friends I could possibly have, and I wouldn't give him up for the world." – It was actually a lie; as messed up as it sounded, the truth was I probably would give him up if Edward really wanted me to.

He put his head down again, and rolled his feet up onto his heels. "I'm glad you have someone like that… I wish I could have done that for you before… It started out that way for us, didn't it?" he asked sadly, and then finally looked up at me.

My stomach dropped. "No…I don't think I ever felt platonically about you. Even before I met you, I was so…insecure and nervous. You were the most beautiful person I had ever seen…You still are."

He rolled his eyes. "You were nervous because you thought I did something horrible, not because you had some crush."

"I think it was both," I told him softly. "Love and hate, remember?"

He was quiet, but then he started laughing. "You were so ridiculous with your eye batting and hair twirling. I'm surprised you even made it through introducing yourself."

I smiled despite myself, and then shoved him gently. "Oh, you should talk, Mr. I'm Too Cool For Even The Cool People."

He laughed again. "I was too cool for them. You have no idea how many times I had seen the exact same types of people. Hell, I was like them for a few different schools, but I had already learned what most don't until after graduation."

"And what's that?"

"That none of that high school shit matters. Popularity is temporary, and the biggest studs end up fat and bald, and the sexiest chicks end up pregnant…and also fat…and bald…and they all end up with STDs."

I laughed. "You're probably right."

Without discussing it further, somehow we had begun walking towards his dorm, and he actually seemed surprised when we got there. "I'm sure you'd probably never believe me, but I did not lead you here on purpose."

"There's no reason not to come here," I told him confidently. "We're two adults; I think we can control ourselves if we want to. Besides, I didn't really get a chance to get a look at you room last time I was in there, and I want to see what kind of stuff you brought from home," I said eagerly while walking into the building and heading straight for his door.

I was determined to make it through the evening without crossing the line with Edward, but seeing what he had inside his room only made it that much more difficult…