Disclaimer: I own everything but their names.

July 16, 2001 – Santa Cruz, California

I was so nervous when Edward pulled away from our hug. I thought it would be awkward, that he'd somehow know by the way I'd touched him, or how tightly I'd held him, that I'd been dreaming about something more than just friendship with him.

But I should have known better.

Like nothing had even happened, he set me back on my feet, grinned and picked up his board. He was diving back into the ocean before I could even blink.

"Come on," Edward called out. "I need to see that again."

I just stood there for a minute, in awe – or was it shock? – and stared at him dumbly. I was all mixed up with the excitement of my first real wave and the knowledge that Edward had just had his hands on me. Willingly. I wanted him to react differently. I wanted him to make a move that would completely discount the thoughts in my head that we couldn't be more than friends.

But he'd just walked away like it hadn't meant anything.

I didn't know how to process any of it at that moment.

Once I managed to snap myself out of it, of course I followed him back into the water. I tried to push all the thoughts of me and him away and focus on nothing else but the task at hand: surfing.

The second wave was even better. Getting out there with the confidence that I could do it changed everything.

I was a bubbly mass of excitement spurred on by a heart that wouldn't stop pounding the entire way to the shop that morning. As soon as we walked inside, it was like Jasper could read the giddiness and success rolling off me.

"You finally did it, huh?" he asked.

I stopped and tried desperately to keep the grin off my face. "How'd you know?"

"You're, like, glowing or some shit."

"I hate you."

"No seriously! It's about damn time, too. I thought I was gonna have to step in and take over those lessons."

I looked over my shoulder at Edward, catching him just as he crossed his arms over his chest. He scowled. "Bro, don't make me kick your ass."

Jasper laughed. "Good luck with that!"

I pointed at each of them. "Enough outta you two. You're killing my buzz."

Edward cracked a tiny smile and moved around me, stopping at the cash register to look through receipts.

"We should totally celebrate, Bell. Some buddies of mine are having a bonfire at Castle tonight. Wanna be my date?" Jasper wiggled his eyebrows and turned up the temperature on his signature hard-to-resist grin.

Before answering, I thought for a second, back to that first day when Edward had made me promise never to go out with his brother. Was he serious?

It didn't matter if he was, I didn't want to date Jasper. He was my friend. But even if I wasn't about to go out with him for real, I could certainly tease him…

"I'm not allowed to date you," I said, peeking at Edward. He smiled softly into his stack of receipts.

"Oh, come on! You can't spend all your time with that geezer." Jasper jerked his chin in Edward's direction.

Biting my lip, I looked over at Edward again. His eyes were still on the receipts, but his body language somehow indicated he wasn't happy with what Jasper had said about him. I had just apologized for treating him badly, and the last thing I wanted was to mess anything up. But the simple fact was that Jasper was right; I needed to start hanging around people my own age.

Especially if I was ever going to get over Edward.

And after what had happened that morning, I had no other choice but to get over him. We were friends. He was my boss. That was all he'd ever be.

"Fine, fine," I told Jasper. "I'll go. But I will not be your date."

"Sweet!" Jasper yelled. "We can roll up after closing tonight."

"You're buying me dinner," I joked.

"I thought this wasn't a date?"

"It's not."

"Then your ass can buy your own food." He grinned impishly.

I rolled my eyes. "I hope you have at least one friend that knows how to show a girl a good time."

"Oh, I do," Jasper said.

We were interrupted by the slamming of the cash register drawer. I turned and watched Edward disappear into his office, my heart squeezing painfully for reasons I didn't understand.

"What crawled up his butt?" Jasper whispered.

I had no idea, and though I tried my damnedest to shrug it off, Edward stayed on my mind all day. I couldn't figure out what might have caused his reaction, and my confusion only grew as the day stretched on.

And it only got worse when he left that afternoon, because he didn't say goodbye to either of us.

Okay, now I really am hiding. Please stick with me here.

Thank you all for reading! Sorry I didn't post this up last night, but I was in and out and wanted to reply to reviews first.

Reviews are love.

Until tomorrow!

xx