The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: # 21
Pen Name: twilly | Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella | Rating: K | Word Count: 500
Photo prompts can be found here:
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Tangible
He stares at the indelible footprints, his mind lost in the bittersweet memories of an almost-perfect summer. He thought he had everything then...at least she felt like everything. He wouldn't have come if he thought she'd be here; his parents promised him she wouldn't. Part of him hopes they're wrong. Bella wouldn't miss her parents' thirtieth anniversary.
"Those are your footprints, you know?" Her soft, raspy voice is somehow more grown up, yet exactly the same.
He nods, refusing to look at her. "I remember when you traced them."
"I painted them the next day." She moves to his side, her hand aching for his. Her eyes move to the same preserved mark.
"That was the day you broke up with me."
He sees her nod in his periphery. "I needed some...something tangible. Some proof that you were real."
He turns to her, trying to rein in the sudden resurgence of the hurt and anger he thought he buried six years ago. "You had me." His open hand slaps his chest. "I'm tangible."
Part of him wants to celebrate the tears welling in her eyes, to feel vindicated that she's feeling even a fraction of the pain she's caused him. But more of him still loves the girl who broke his heart.
She slowly lets out a big breath. "I still had two years of high school left. You were going away to college."
"We could have made it work. You could have tried."
"And what? You'd come home every weekend to go to high school football games? Tell the guys you can't hang out with them because you have to take your silly little girlfriend to homecoming?"
"Yes!"
He looks around for the first time and sees two sets of parents desperately pretending not to listen to their conversation.
"Two years is half of your college experience. I couldn't let you give that up."
"I would have waited for you."
She brushes the escaped tears from her cheeks and looks into his eyes. "I know."
He can't look at her. He wants to stay mad at her, but he feels himself cracking.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, Edward. I just… I didn't want you to look at me in ten or fifteen or twenty-five years and see all the things I took from you. The bonding with roommates, parties and..." She swats away another tear before adding, "And silly flings."
His eyes snap to hers. He'd never considered that the break might have been hard on her too.
"Did you have all those things?"
He nods; she responds with a wistful smile.
"And your mom says you're opening a practice here with one of your fraternity brothers?"
He starts to respond, then realizes what she's doing. He probably wouldn't have even joined the frat if he was coming home every weekend.
"I moved back too. Maybe we can get some coffee sometime?" she asks hopefully.
His heart speeds. He still wants her so much. "I'd love that."
Thank you to Geeky who drops what ever she's doing to fix me up. Don't worry, she never lets the babies land on their heads. ;)