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not beta'd

storyline - beginning

prompt - "Harder," she begged.

"So who's Peter?" Edward asked casually.

He and Bella had just decimated what was left of the carrot cake and were now sprawled on the couch, bellies full to bursting.

Bella eyed the smear of frosting above Edward's lip. "He's just a guy."

Edward smirked. Yeah, just a guy who had felt the need to hover and kiss her cheek.

"We went out a couple times," she added, lowering her eyes.

This both did and didn't bother him. It did because, well, he was jealous. He knew what Bella kissed like, and felt like, and sounded like when she was about to come and then when she was coming. On the other hand, though, a part of him had always wondered if he was really any good for Bella at all. It was something of a relief to know that he hadn't ruined her or traumatized her with his crap.

Which then, of course, led him back to square one. Wanting Bella.

Bella watched Edward rest his head on the back of the couch. He had his poker face on, so she couldn't tell if he was jealous of Peter, or a little hurt, or just amused.

"You have frosting on your face," she said.

He sat up, wiping at his cheek.

"Lower."

He dabbed at his lip.

"Other side."

He licked all around his mouth, making Bella snort. "I'm not going to help you. Here." She tossed him a wadded up, but clean, napkin.

"Why not? I thought you liked this frosting," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

It was the closest they had come to actual flirting in months, and it made Bella both aroused and uncomfortable. But that was okay. She and Edward would always be a mess of memories and emotions and figuring-it-out. She was used to clashy feelings.

"I do."

Edward grinned and wiped his face properly, removing all traces of cream cheese frosting. "Better?"

"Yep."

He nodded and grabbed his beer, taking a sip as he watched Bella watch him. He could feel the subtle shift between them, too. This made him feel nervous and horny. Like her though, he was used to feeling two seemingly contradictory things at once when it came to their relationship, so he tended to just let it ride.

The back door opened. Alice's chatter and Jasper's answers filled the kitchen, along with the sounds of clean up.

"I should go help," Bella said, setting her bottle down as she stood.

"Don't you dare," Alice said, poking her head in. "You cooked, we'll clean. There's not that much to do anyway."

"Then I'll help," Edward offered, jumping up. It would probably be good to take a breather from Bella anyway; the tension was thickening and they'd both had enough beer to be loosened up and loose-tongued.

"I told you to take a break." Jasper said, giving Alice a massage. "We could have left some of that for later. Tomorrow, even."

"I just wanted to get it done. Harder," she begged, tapping his hands.

The yard and house were back to their pre-party condition, neat and clean. Despite her back problems, Alice had been on her feet all day, playing hostess and then cleaning with the energy of someone on meth. Hence, the sore muscles.

Bella watched in amusement. Jasper and Alice fit together like a hand in glove. Their dynamic was so natural, and she wondered why they'd ever waited. In the beginning, it had just been bad timing; Jasper had a girlfriend when he first met Alice. Then Alice had a boyfriend when Jasper was single. And then they were both single, but for some reason never went for it. Alice had always told Bella she worried that it would be anticlimactic, that there had been such sexual tension between her and jasper for so long that the real thing couldn't possibly come close.

She worried their friendship was at stake.

Now, months after they'd started dating, nothing could be further from the truth. Bella envied what they had, but she also recognized that it had been a long time coming. Their feelings and friendship had been growing for years. That was where she and Edward had gone wrong.

Bella didn't believe in wallowing in regret, but in retrospect she could see where she would have done things differently. Had they allowed their relationship to bloom platonically –despite their mutual attraction –perhaps things would have played out differently?

"You're quiet," remarked Edward.

Bella nodded, turning to him. "Want to go for a walk?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

She grabbed her keys from the table. "We'll be back, guys."

Outside, the night was comfortably cool.

"I was just thinking about Al and Jasper. How it seems like they've always been together."

Edward nodded. He didn't know either of them as well as Bella did, but even he could see that.

They walked in silence for awhile.

"So, I might have to go home soon," he blurted.

"Why? Is everything okay?"

"I spoke to my Aunt last night… apparently my father's sick. Really sick."

Bella flinched. Given the rocky past Edward had with his dad, she couldn't imagine how he felt. "Is he…going to be okay?"

"It's pancreatic cancer…and it came on kind of suddenly. I mean, I don't know. A month ago he was fine, and now he's on bed rest at home."

"I didn't realize you were still…"

"I'm not. I haven't spoken to him in years." Edward's voice was detached, but Bella knew better. She took his hand and linked her fingers through his. "But I have to go, you know? It just…"

"No, I know," Bella said. "When will you go?"

"Probably early next week. Things are a little up in the air right now. I'm gonna drive though."

"Okay. Let me know if… I can do anything." Bella paused, swallowing. "Ugh, that sounds lame…"

Edward stopped walking and faced her. The streetlight made her skin glow orange and yet she was still so pretty. He supposed it was her heart, too. Her face was wonderful, but it was her heart that had snagged his. "It's not lame. Thank you."

She hugged him tightly. It was the first full on contact they'd had in ages, but it was time.