The Learning Curve: Chapter 33

Edward Cullen's Room

"I should go home soon," Bella said after we'd been lying on my bed together for some time. "Charlie will be leaving the station in half an hour."

"Right," I sighed, feeling bereft already.

"So...is there a day you want me to come over again?" she asked as she sat up.

I thought about my parents' schedules and let out another sigh. "Crap...I won't be alone in the house again until Monday."

Her face fell, and I let myself hope that she valued our time together as much as I did.

"I guess I shouldn't have punched Newton," I said with a dry smile, and she let out a little laugh.

"I'll never hold that against you," she promised and climbed off the bed.

"Oh, wait," I said, remembering something when I saw her grab her backpack. "I have homework for you."

I grabbed the packet from my desk and handed it to her. She saw the Dartmouth logo and looked at me in disbelief.

"You're serious," she said.

"As a heart attack," I replied with a grin. "Just do the application and give it back to me. I'll send it in for you."

She looked down to the package, then back at me, and there was something sad in her big, brown eyes. "Edward...you know I'm not going to get in, right?"

My chest tightened painfully. "You won't know until you try."

"Okay," she said. "Just...just don't get your hopes up, okay?"

I frowned. Was that what I was doing? I'd given her the challenge fully expecting her to succeed, but she had a point. There was no guarantee we would end up at the same school. I might be parting with her forever in less than a year. My chest tightened even more.

"Just try it," I said, and it came out as more of a plea than anything else.

"Okay." She turned toward the door. "I'll see you at school."

"Let me walk you out."

I accompanied her down the stairs, but neither of us said anything more. I watched her go feeling lonelier than I had in years.

I moped around the kitchen until my dad came home. He'd been on an early shift today, in at five in the morning.

"Hi, Edward," he said distractedly, shedding his jacket.

"Hi," I sighed.

He turned, took one look at my forlorn face, and shook his head.

"It's Bella Swan, isn't it?"

I swallowed. "What about her?"

"Edward, gossip travels at the speed of light in this town – not that it wasn't pretty clear when you started fighting for her honor."

"Oh." Okay, so I was completely transparent to everyone but Bella.

"Well? What's going on?" my dad asked, leaning over the counter on his elbows, all business.

"I really like her," I admitted.

"Okay. Does she like you, too?"

"I think so," I said waveringly.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's...complicated."

My dad gave me that parental look. "Edward, you're 17. Nothing is that complicated at your age. Unless you get her pregnant, but I've raised you better than that."

"Dad!"

"You know where the emergency condoms are, right?"

I groaned. "Yes, but I prefer not to think about them."

"Seriously, Edward, what's the problem?"

I looked down at my folded hands. "I think it's the real deal, Dad. But I don't know if it is for her, too."

My dad gave me a hard pat on the shoulder. "That, son, is something only she can tell you," he said, and he wandered over to the fridge. I sighed. Talking to my father was always so helpful.

A/N: Next update will come sometime tomorrow - I'm not sure yet what my Turkey Day schedule is.