Happy Saturday my dears!

So a lot of you had questions on Edward's comment on being touched… hmm… I can say it will be cleared up some in tomorrow's chapter.

What Can I Do- the Black Belles

~~oo~~

Chapter 28: "Balls have a thing against me."

BPOV

I struggled to pay attention in Biology, what with the heated body sitting close beside me. Edward had slipped his seat a little closer to me while we listened to a guest speaker talk about something or other.

I think it was a doctor from the hospital, talking about genetics.

I should have been listening and taking notes.

Instead I was remembering lunchtime and trying to work out what I had done wrong.

If I had done anything wrong.

What guy pulls back from getting groped?

I mean, I didn't know. It was the first time I had actually groped a guy.

Maybe I had rubbed too hard?

My palm still burned from the feeling of his jeans and just how firm he was under them.

And just how much there was to grope.

Did I do it wrong?

Didn't guys like that?

I had heard girls talk about how their boyfriends all but shoved their hands down guys pants, eager to get some action.

But not Edward.

Take it slow?

He was not used to being touched like that?

What the hell was wrong with me to make him put on the brakes?

What was wrong with him that he didn't readily want it?

I sat there, arguing with myself, mortified at having been turned down in a way, while he sat there beside me, his thigh I had just been wrapped around pressing lightly against mine.

I was so confused.

He could grope me, but I couldn't touch him?

I had to have done it wrong. I knew they were sensitive. Maybe I had been too rough.

Damn it, and now he wanted to go slow.

I was eighteen and still a virgin! With Creepy Hot Guy as my boyfriend!

Slow!

My mind was a whirlwind and there was no room for school in it.

So when the bell rang out for the end of class I was amazed at how much time had passed so quickly. I felt Edward shift beside me to stand, so I threw my books back into my bag and stood with him. We still hadn't talked since leaving his little spot in the forest, and I could tell he was tense, his jaw clenched as he waited quietly for me to zip up my bag.

As soon as we were out of the classroom and walking towards the gym, I felt his hand pull at mine gently, wrapping his fingers around mine. I glanced up in time to see the melancholy look in his eyes. He offered me a tiny smile before letting out a long sigh and stopped just outside the gym doors.

"I'll meet you here after?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," I replied and stood there, trying to gather the courage to ask him if he was mad at me.

He nodded and slowly pulled his hand away, nodding to the doors.

"Don't want to be late. Coach Clapp makes you do laps if you're late," he said.

He watched me disappear into the gym before turning to head to his class.

I changed quickly, wanting out of the bathroom before I saw Emmett, and joined Angela on the gym floor. She was standing with Jessica and Lauren, who both tensed up when I showed up.

Catty bitches.

"So?" Angela asked excitedly. "How was lunch?"

I shrugged and remained quiet, not wanting to discuss it with the two other girls standing there.

"You are going to kill me, you realize?" Angela groaned and folded her arms in front of her, pouting.

"How are you and Ben doing?" I asked, hoping to distract her.

It did the trick and she was telling me about their date for Saturday.

Jessica and Lauren lost interest and stepped away, giving me the chance to speak with Angela privately finally. She wound down on her grand plans of dinner and a movie when we started doing stretches.

"Ang?" I asked, bending over to touch my toes.

"Bella?" she replied, smiling.

"What do you think about Edward?" I asked quietly.

She leaned over her leg to stretch and thought about it for a second.

"He seems okay. I mean, he sort of keeps to himself, but he's hot as hell and the way he doesn't talk to anyone makes him mysterious, you know," she said.

"He really hasn't dated anyone here?" I asked nervously.

The assumption that he was still a virgin was laughable in my head.

He oozed sex.

Virgins didn't do that. But that comment about touching really threw me.

"You're the first, Bella," she replied, her smile widening when she noticed my blush. "You have to tell me if he kisses as well as it looks like he could."

I rolled my eyes and fought to stop blushing, but it didn't help.

"I knew it," she breathed and then giggled. "You are so lucky. I bet he's good at everything."

I didn't answer her, because frankly I didn't know.

And I wasn't sure I ever would, based on his weird reaction to me.

I had come on too strong, something I never did, for good reason.

Usually it was because I would have wanted to take it one day at a time. But with the fondling in the library, and the incredible kisses, I was sure he'd be willing.

Instead, he wanted it slow.

What was he? From the last century or something?

He was so confusing.

I spent the remainder of gym class dodging volleyballs and wondering what slow meant for a guy. Maybe he just wanted to kiss me, maybe cop a feel on me before he let me do anything. Or maybe he was a one-two sort of guy. One or two tugs and that was all she wrote.

Well that would be tragic.

Because I wanted to make it last for a good long time.

But I'd get no where with him acting all weird.

I hoped we'd get to talk a little on the drive home. Maybe if Charlie wasn't there, he would come inside. Or we could go get a coffee or something.

I changed quickly and knuckled down my courage to ask him.

He was waiting for me when I stepped out, a soft smile on his face when I drew close.

"No laps?" he asked, taking my hand gently in his to steer me towards the parking lot.

"No, just volleyball, which is dangerous enough," I replied, glad to see him smiling again.

Maybe he was bipolar.

So was Renee. I knew how to deal with that.

He chuckled and raised an eyebrow at me.

"How is volleyball dangerous?"

"It is for me," I shot back, trying not to laugh. "Balls have a thing against me."

The words were out of my mouth before I realized the double meaning.

The smile on Edward's face wavered for a moment before returning, although not as sweet.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"Now who's saying sorry too much?" he replied with a smirk. He opened the door to the car and let me in, closing it carefully before getting in himself.

Once again it was quiet in the car as he drove me home, my nerves peaking when we turned on my street.

Please Charlie, don't be home yet.

But as we rounded the corner, we both noticed the police cruiser sitting in front of the house. I heard Edward let out a sigh as he slowed to a stop and put the car in park. I sat there motionless while the car idled quietly.

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asked softly, hands tight on the steering wheel.

"Not much, probably just hang around the house. Maybe look for a job," I said, watching his jaw relax slowly.

"Would you like to go out, maybe tomorrow?" he mumbled, still not looking at me.

"Sure," I said.

He turned his head, licking his lips nervously before glancing back at the house.

"Edward, can we just forget about today?" I asked.

His eyes found mine and he frowned at my lips as I licked them. He shook his head.

"I don't want to forget it, Bella," he whispered and closed his eyes. "And I don't want you to think badly over it."

I turned towards him and narrowed my eyes at him.

"How am I not supposed to feel bad, Edward? I kind of felt you up and you pushed away. It makes it sort of difficult not to feel weird," I said pointedly.

He leaned in and took my hand, pulling it close to his lips.

"Would it make you feel better if you knew I liked it? I can't stop thinking about it," he whispered, eyes dark and intent on my own. "But there's things you need to understand about me before we go further."

"What kind of things?" I asked, impatient.

He pulled away from me a little and leaned against his seat, that melancholy look on his face again.

"It'll take longer than sitting here in the car to tell you, and I doubt your dad will wait that long before he's coming out to check on you," he whispered.

I glanced over Edward's shoulder towards the house and sure enough, I saw the curtain move. Sometimes I wanted to throttle Charlie. I looked back into Edward's eyes and squeezed his hand.

"We're talking tomorrow," I said and moved to get out of the car. "Charlie usually goes fishing, so you can come over and we will talk."

He swallowed and nodded, pulling me back towards him. His lips brushed across mine, but only for a quick second before he pulled away again.

"I'll call you tomorrow morning then."

I smiled and got out of the car, hurrying to the door as the rain started to fall. Once on the porch, I turned back to wave at Edward before he pulled away, a brighter smile on his face. I stepped into the house, expecting Charlie at the door.

He didn't disappoint.

"Drove you to school, huh?" he said, looking out where Edward's car had disappeared.

"Yes, dad," I replied. "And he is a good driver, before you ask and do a traffic check on him. Hands at 10 and 2, under the speed limit. He even uses the turn signal."

Charlie snickered as he followed me to the kitchen.

"As long as the hands remain at 10 and 2," he shot back and stepped away from me, expecting me to swat at him.

"Just be nice, okay? Your little speech to Mike Newton made Edward a little weird I think," I replied, scowling when Charlie laughed again.

"Gotta keep the boys on their toes, Bells," he replied simply.

I rolled my eyes and tossed my bag onto the table, pausing when I realized I was feeling like I had forgotten something. It took me a second to realize what it was, my eyes going wide in terror when I remembered.

Poor FC was still in the back seat of Edward's car.

I fought the urge to text Edward for a few minutes. I didn't want to appear desperate. So when my phone rang, I felt a little better.

He was more desperate than I was. That was good, right?

"We completely forgot Junior in the back seat!" he exclaimed on the phone.

I chuckled and walked away from Charlie's curious glance, climbing the stairs to hide in my room for this phone call.

"We are the worst parents ever," I joked.

He was quiet for a moment, I heard his car door close and then he let out a sigh.

"It's my fault," he said. "I'm just having trouble concentrating around you."

I grinned at that. Maybe I wasn't so bad at this dating thing.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, Edward," I replied. "But you have to make up something for what FC did all day, like day care or whatever. And you get to carry him around all next week."

"Deal."

I heard his dad calling for him, Edward quickly saying goodbye, leaving me lying across my bed, thinking about him. He was so strange. Hot and cold, passionate and then wary. I hoped our talk would clear some things up.

Because this weirdness about touching him was going to drive me crazy. I held my hand up, tracing along the palm that had touched him there, and smiled at the tingling feeling that continued to linger on the skin.

I needed to know his reasons.

Maybe he had been scared by a bad experience.

I needed to know.

So I could figure out how to do it better.

I lay there in my room until it grew too dark to see my hand, before going downstairs to make dinner.

This was going to be a long night of waiting.

Maybe I needed to make more cookies.

"Yeah, what happened to all the cookies?" Charlie asked from the refrigerator.

"Um, I burnt some of them," I replied meekly. He looked over the door of the refrigerator at me and smirked.

"Distracted, huh?" he pressed.

He shut the door and shook his head.

"And after I told the guy down at the bakery that you'd be perfect for his part time job he posted this morning," he said lightly. "He'll never keep you if you burn the buns though."

I frowned at my dad.

"You talked to someone about a job for me?"

"They have great bear claws and if you work there, you can bring home some!" he replied, grinning.

I sighed and went back to making dinner.

"Fine, I'll look into it," I grumbled. I really did need a job to help pay for the gas for the truck.

Charlie leaned in and patted me on the shoulder.

"You'll love it. And I'll reap the benefits!"

He left me to finish dinner, my thoughts swirling from Edward to working in a bakery to jumbling up enough for me to imagine pouring cherry pie filling over Edward.

Perhaps this could work out after all.

There were some cherries that needed dealing with.

That is if this talk we were supposed to have made it clear as to his issues.

Was it Saturday yet?

~~oo~~

AN: So, yeah. Bella's a little confused too about the no touching thing.

Tomorrow. We'll learn a lot more to put your minds at rest.

Tomorrow!

MWAH!

steph