Thank you to Iris, Midnight Cougar, ifyouweremine and SparklyMeg, as always.

Chapter 22

It's late and most of the places in the town are closing up, but we come across a small coffee shop that still has its open sign on the door.

We both rush in, eager to escape the weather, and find seats far from the door. The place is quiet, with a few other couples spread throughout. Tea lights are set on each table, the dull glow setting a soothing atmosphere. It could be seen as romantic, but I don't let my mind wander in that direction.

Yet.

We find a free sofa, and I sink onto it. It's soft and cozy, and a part of me wants to be able to cuddle up with Edward on it. He quickly offers to get our drinks, and I let him, needing some distance before we resume our conversation.

While I sit, my eyes are drawn to him as he waits in line. He shuffles from one foot to the other and runs a hand through his hair, something I notice he does when he's nervous. More than once, my gaze drops to his ass, which is framed perfectly in his dark jeans. He glances back, smiling softly when he realizes I'm watching, before turning back to the barista who's trying to get his attention.

Minutes later, he returns and takes a seat next to me. "There's a bit of a wait − something about the steamer being broken − so they'll bring our drinks over."

"Okay."

He turns in his seat so he's facing me. "I don't know where to begin… again," he admits.

"Why don't you start with your job?" Working for Tanya's dad seemed so pivotal in all of this. It makes sense to start here.

"Yeah…" He snorts. "Well, the easiest place to start with that is that it's no longer my job."

"He fired you?"

Edward chuckles softly. "He fired me… I quit… It all happened kinda fast, and I don't know which was first."

"Oh."

"It should've been a no-brainer. I hated it. It was draining me. I only stayed because I needed the money for my mom…"

He trails off, and I automatically think the worst. "Oh, God. She's not—"

He looks horrified. "No, no. God, no. She's okay. Well, she's still in the home."

I sigh in relief. "So what happened?"

"The morning after I split up with Tanya, I went in to work with the intention to quit. Of course, Tanya got to her father first, and he'd called for me as soon as I arrived. He made up some bullshit excuse about my performance not being as good and my late arrivals. He said he had no choice but to let me go."

"He can't do that!" I cut in. "You can fight it."

He shrugs. "Some of it was true, but I honestly don't want to fight him. That job isn't me, Bella."

The barista interrupts with our drinks. We fall silent as she places them in front of us before leaving again. I take my hot chocolate, wrap my hands around the mug, use the teaspoon to toy with the cream on top, and take a taste.

"You have such a sweet tooth."

I shrug, not even trying to deny it.

"You'll get a sugar rush with that."

I gesture to his large cappuccino. "And you'll never sleep with that much coffee."

"Touché."

"The job?" I prompt. Small talk makes me anxious.

"Right. So, John was right. I didn't try to fight it, and I don't want to. My heart wasn't in it, and since I've been crashing at Emmett's—"

"You− You're staying with Emmett?"

"I was," he corrected. "I, uh, have a new place."

"How long?"

He takes a sip of his coffee. "Since the night I turned up drunk at yours." He laughs, shaking his head. "Emmett... He knew. He took me back to his and made me talk. He wouldn't quit bugging me until I did. He knew something was wrong, and when I told him, he made me see reason. Unless it was to pick up my stuff, I never went back to my apartment after that."

"Oh." I don't know what else to say. I just assumed he was still at his place, although some of Tanya's comments at the appointment now make sense. He was pulling away, and she didn't even notice or care.

"It's been over since then. For me, anyway. I just couldn't end things with Tanya while she was out of town. I spent that time looking for a place to stay and a new job. I've found both."

I look up at him. "You have a new job?"

He nods. "I've been looking for a while. I'm going back to teaching."

I'm struck by the smile on his face. Even just talking about a new job, he looks happier than I've ever seen him. It's like looking at a new person.

"You have a teaching job?"

His smile widens. "I start in a few weeks. It's just temporary — I'll be covering someone's maternity leave — but it'll get me through the rest of the year. I can look for a permanent position after that."

I can't help but return his smile, and it's a gut reaction to take his free hand in mine. "That's great, Edward."

"It feels good, like things are getting back on track." He focuses down on our hands. "There's only one thing missing."

I shake my head. "Edward—"

He puts his coffee down and holds both hands up. "I know. I get it. I can't dump all of this on you and expect you to come running home with me." He smirks. "As nice as that would be… I just wanted you to know."

I nod. "I'm glad. You seem a lot happier than the last few times I saw you."

"I am. I actually didn't notice how unhappy I was until recently." He threads his fingers with mine, and I don't fight it. "And I wanted to say thank you."

"Me? What for?"

"For calling Emmett that night. I couldn't see it at the time, but I was drowning. He made me see my way out."

I shrug. "No offense, Edward, but I just wanted you out of my place."

He laughs, obviously caught off guard by my directness. "Damn, Bella."

I giggle and cover my eyes. "Sorry. I can't believe I actually said that to you." I sit back on the sofa, curling my legs up beneath me. "I do have one question for you, though."

"My mom?"

"Yeah. You said you needed the job to pay for her home, and since you said she's at the same place, I have to wonder. How can you afford it all of a sudden?" The words come rushing out before I can stop them. "I'm sorry. That's none of my business."

He mirrors my position on the couch. "I don't mind. It'll… It'll be a bit of a struggle, to be honest. My apartment isn't in the best part of the city, and I'll be living off PB&J sandwiches for the foreseeable future." He shrugs and chuckles softly. "Things will be tight, but I'll figure it out. I've never been one for the fancy things, anyway." I try to hide my grin as I remember the diner. "But Emmett and I sat down and actually looked at the figures. His place is doing really well. He can contribute now, whereas he was struggling before."

"So it's all… sorted?"

He sighs. "Yeah." He shakes his head. "I hate that this could've been avoided. If I'd just spoken with Emmett instead of assuming or looked for jobs instead of thinking the pay wouldn't be enough… It just started to snowball, you know?"

I nod. I don't know, but I can imagine how it feels.

He sits back on the sofa and watches me. "So… Now you know."

"It's a lot to process."

"I know. And like I said, I don't expect anything from you. At all." He leans forward, and it's impossible to look away. "But it's you, Bella. It's been you since I saw you at O'Neills, and I hate that I made you doubt it for even a second. I won't make that mistake again."

His words send fire rushing through my veins. It's everything I wanted to hear and never thought I would.

I reach forward taking his hand again. "Give me some time. I just need to…"

His smile's no longer soft or tentative. Now it lights up the whole room. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere."

He speaks with such certainty that I can't doubt him.

ooOoo

We stay at the coffee shop until closing. The baristas clean up around us, assuring us they're in no rush, as we talk about everything and nothing. Tanya, the wedding, and his old job are never mentioned. Instead, he tells me about how he can't wait to start his new job and get back into music. I'm dazzled as I watch him, so animated and so full of life, as he talks about something he loves. He mentions his family, how he wants me to meet his mom, how Rose — Emmett's wife — is desperate to meet me after hearing about me.

I don't say yes or decline the subtle invites, but the fact he speaks about a future including me so easily sends my heart soaring.

"Where am I dropping you off?" I ask as we leave Port Angeles.

"Um..." He shrugs. "I don't know. Is there a motel or B&B I can check into? I hadn't thought further than getting on a plane. I figured I could get something once I arrived."

"You don't have anywhere booked?"

"No…"

"Oh, Edward." I laugh. "Forks has a grand total of one place to stay, and it's closed right now 'cause it isn't peak season."

He looks at me, his eyes making me laugh even harder. "There's nowhere to stay? Really?"

"I told you I was from a small town."

"Ugh." He huffs, rubbing both hands on his face. "What the hell am I going to do?"

"Looks like you'll be sleeping on my couch."

ooOoo

Thank you for reading! See you next Sunday!

Fic Rec: Constant Bearing Decreasing Range by beegurl13 - Two consenting adults. One wants more. What happens when the other doesn't, and never will? Is there such thing as true love in the real world? And will they see what's coming before it's too late? E/B, AH, M. For The Twilight 25 Round 6 Challenge