So grateful for my fantastic beta, Tiffanyanne3

Chapter 2

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Emmett is like a bull in a china shop, so it's obvious when he leaves for work and the house gets quiet, save for the sounds of Ava puttering around in her bathroom (putting on more of that perfume, most likely).

I blow-dry my hair quickly and tie it up in a ponytail then dab a bit of mascara on my lashes and add a touch of lip balm. As I stand back to check my reflection, I'm reminded that I look older than my twenty-two years. While my high school girlfriends were playing with makeup and experimenting with hairstyles, I was reading pregnancy books and picking out baby names. I sort of missed the style boat.

"Five minutes until liftoff!" I call out to Ava. I pause, waiting for her answering reply, but I hear nothing.

"Hello?" I call out again.

Nothing.

I sigh, grab my earrings and begin putting them on as I make my way to Ava's bathroom. She's there, standing in front of the mirror, watching her reflection while she smacks her lips and applies coat after coat of the sparkly lip shit Emmett's girlfriend filled her stocking with last Christmas.

"Five minutes until liftoff," I say again.

"Mom," she meets my eyes through the mirror. "I totally heard you the first time."

"Well, an 'okay, mom' would have been nice," I tell her.

"Can I put my lipgloss in my purse and take it to school?" she asks by way of acknowledgement.

I shake my head in defeat. She's only six, but sometimes I wonder if she was born a tiny adult trapped in the body of a baby.

"Sure thing. Let's go."

We head out to the car, and I wait patiently while she climbs into her carseat and straps herself in. I check the buckles to make sure they're tight and then settle myself in the driver's seat and start the car. My mind is already in two different places at once. I'm listening to Ava propose the world's longest hypothetical about her dream trip to Dinoworld, but I'm rattling off my work and school schedule mentally, making sure I've got all my shit together before we drive off to start our day.

"Ready?" I say.

"Set," Ava answers.

"Go!" And we're off.

I've just pulled up to Ava's school and am about to put the car in park when my phone chimes with a text message.

It's Emmett, and I'm instantly wary, since the only time he ever texts me is when he wants something, or he's done something and he's too scared to tell me in person.

You'll never guess who just came in to the bank...

Emmett and his longtime girlfriend, Rosalie, both work at a local bank. Rosalie was Emmett's boss when they first met, although they're now in separate departments. I still like reminding him who the boss is…or was… though.

I take a moment to text him back before I unbuckle Ava.

I give up. Who?

I throw my phone in the cup holder and climb out of the car. I unload Ava, and together we put on her backpack and make sure she has her beloved purse—and lipgloss—before we head inside the school. I greet her teacher and remind her that I'll be bringing the cookies for the school's bake sale on Friday, and then I bend down to say good-bye to Ava.

"Bye, Bug," I say. "Have a good day. Learn a lot, talk a little."

I have to remind her of this often; her teacher says she's quite chatty.

"I know, Mom," she says with a sigh. Her pretend exasperation is just an act, though, and she proves me right by leaning in to give me a sloppy kiss and a tight hug. I hope she never outgrows that.

I wave good-bye to her teacher and head for the door.

I've barely made it out of the classroom, and already I've turned my brain to school and work mode. I'll spend the morning at school, fitting in as many classroom credits as I can before it's time for me to head to my afternoon/evening job at the restaurant where I wait tables. Emmett picks Ava up from school for me, and they get dinner started so we can eat together as a family when I get home. After dinner it's bathtime, storytime, bedtime for Ava, and then online school-time for me.

I shudder to ask what Emmett does in his free time.

I'm mentally running through the books I'll need for today's classes and the homework I'm due to turn in while I climb back into the car. I throw my bag over on the passenger seat, and my phone catches my eye from its place in the cup holder. I shouldn't leave it in the car, I know this. Emmett lectures me daily.

I'd all but forgotten about my text conversation with my brother, so when I see my screen light up with an incoming text notification, I'm reminded that I was waiting on his response about who'd visited him at the bank.

I pick up my phone and swipe my thumb over the screen to unlock it. Emmett's text is the only thing displayed, and the font appears huge.

Edward Cullen.

My stomach instantly climbs up into my throat, and my hands shake as I bring them up to grasp the steering wheel.

Edward Cullen. Edward Fucking Cullen.

Just hearing his name, after all these years, makes me feel like I'm sixteen all over again…

The summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school, I start feeling like I can't relax in my own home. Emmett and his best friend, Edward, are inseparable, and they've spent every day this summer lounging on our couch or in our pool.

Gone are the days of walking around in my ratty sleep shirt and underwear. Gone are the days of spending hours on the couch –my hair crispy with dried chlorine from yesterday's swim—watching reruns of The Cosby Show.

Suddenly, I'm concerned about my tan lines, and whether or not my boobs look as perky as the girls on the covers of the dirty magazines Emmett hides under his bed.

I sneak out onto our back deck one Tuesday afternoon with a book in one hand and my favorite pool towel in the other. Pausing to look around the yard, I sigh with relief when I realize that Emmett and Edward are nowhere to be seen.

I spread my towel out on my favorite chair and make my way over to the pool to take a dip. After diving in, I swim from one end of the pool to the other, then turn over on my back and float lazily in the deep end, enjoying the feel of the sun. I've just closed my eyes to block out the brightness when I feel something….or someone, land on top of me, dragging me down to the bottom of the pool. Punching and kicking my way to the top, I choke and sputter, gasping for air.

"Goddammit, Emmett!" I push my wet hair out of my eyes and punch him, hard, on his stupid arm.

He splays his giant hands in defense and jumps out of my reach. "Calm down, Birdie. We just wanted to swim with you."

We?

Oh no. No no no…

I turn around slowly and sure enough, there he is.

Edward's standing on the edge of the pool, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung black swim shorts and a smirk.

His smirk turns to into a grin.

I am instantly mortified. I look down and am reminded that I'm in my old, faded one-piece Speedo swimsuit. My only two-piece is still wet from my swim yesterday and sitting upstairs in my hamper.

I keep my eyes low as I climb out of the pool and scurry over to wrap up in my towel

"Don't be shy, Birdie," my stupid brother mocks me from the pool.

I dry off hastily and begin gathering my things to head back inside.

"You don't have to go, Bella," Edward says, clearing his throat lightly.

"Oh, I know," I say. "I've got a bunch of stuff to do today, so…"

My skin burns when he steps closer to me and grabs my wrist.

I can't breathe. I can't do anything except stand there dripping water and staring down at his feet. His perfect fucking feet.

He tugs my wrist once and nods his head toward my chair, asking me silently to sit down.

My cheeks flame hot as I re-wrap my towel tightly underneath my armpits and lower myself slowly back into my pool chair.

"You're red, Birdie." Emmett hollers from the pool. "Go put some sunscreen on. Mom'll kill you if you burn."

I fold my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around my knees, humiliated.

"I'm serious, Birdie," my brother drones on. "There's some SPF 70 in the pool house. You need it."

I rest my hot face on my knees and close my eyes in mortification. "Okay, Emmett. Geez…" I mutter.

I'll probably kill him later tonight.

Willing my face to de-flame, I keep my head hidden between my knees, studying each fiber of my towel as though it holds the key to an alter life; one where I don't have a brother. My thoughts are interrupted by the soft splat of something cold on my back. Edward's hands are like fire on my skin as he slowly begins to rub the suntan lotion over my shoulders and arms.

I hold my breath the entire time, not daring to lift my head or breathe.

He gives my right shoulder a slight squeeze: a silent, I'm all done.

I raise my head and immediately squint my eyes to shield them from the brightness of the sun. He's standing above me, and with the sun behind him all I can see is his looming silhouette.

"Thanks," I say shyly.

"No problem, Birdie," he says, and although I can't see his face, I can hear in his voice that he's smirking again.

"Don't call me that," I mumble. I don't want him to think I'm some stupid kid...which, sadly, is exactly what I am.

He chuckles lowly and watches me while he walks backwards toward the pool, where he turns abruptly and cannonballs in to join Emmett.

Thanks for reading.