Unbidden, the image pokes its ugliness before me again: Bella taunting me with that guy. And it occurs to me why it bothers me so much.
|- 199 -|
Breaking off the kiss, I say, "Hey. You did that on purpose."
"Did what?" I drop our joined hands into my lap.
Part of me warns to let it be, but the other, more dominant voice, says it's better to get this out in the open now than to let it marinate and fester.
"You threw yourself at that guy to provoke a response from me."
"Oh. That," she answers guiltily.
Neither of us says anything. I brush my thumb across her knuckles, back and forth, hoping whatever she can come up with will be the right answer.
-o-
"You're right," she admits. "I did that. For the sake of the picture."
"To make me 'fierce'," I recall, hurt and a tinge of anger snaking into my belly.
"Yes," she answers, finally. "And I'm really sorry. That was wrong of me. Here I am getting angry over something I encouraged for selfish reasons."
She drops her eyes away from me and stares down at my thumb.
Stroking, stroking.
Still here. Still joined.
"Look, Bella. How about we both stop beating ourselves up and acknowledge that this jealousy issue is probably going to be our challenge?"
She looks up quizzically.
-o-
Bella shifts her body towards me, a very good sign. "How does that work?"
"I guess I admit I have a tendency to behave like an idiot when I think about you with other guys."
"Okay…?" She smirks a bit. So far her part is pretty easy, but that's about to change.
"And you try your hardest to forgive me when I do."
"Hmmm," she ponders, though her mood has definitely taken a shift toward teasing. Another good sign.
"Hang on, before you agree. There's more to it," I warn.
"More?" She narrows her eyes.
"Yes. I'm gonna need help."
A/N: Apparently, MANY of you thought Edward had just realized he was in LOVE with Bella at the end of the last chapter. That explanation honestly did not even occur to me until I'd read about 8 reviews. I actually had to go back and reread where that was coming from. Yes, it makes total sense! But no, not where his head was. So- #200 tomorrow! XXX ~BOH