Thanks to Sri, who made me hand her an overview of the rest of this just too make sure I wasn't going to Crazy Town. And to Iris, I swear I'm not trying to hurt you at all. xo

The song referenced in this chapter is "Shatter" by Liz Phair. I posted it on FB and twitter earlier this week.

Where we left off:

"Wait!" She started to adjust his collar. All his fidgeting had left him looking the slightest bit disheveled.

"What's wrong? You're looking at me funny. Am I that much of a mess right now?" He reached up to smooth down his hair. He'd made an effort to keep it under control that morning.

"No." She adjusted his tie, but her hands lingered. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"What happens when Peter Pan grows up?"

"He didn't." Edward held Bella's wrists to still them on his collar. His fingers, however, could not be still. They fluttered over her skin. He had no idea how to respond. "Bella, I need you to be absolutely clear with me. What are you asking?"

"I thought vampires couldn't change. I expected you to still be my boy-vampire. You were like your own petrified forest, beautifully frozen forever. But you're so different. You've grown up."

"So have you."

She said nothing more. Already, she regretted asking the question out loud. It wasn't really something Edward could answer anyway. She needed to figure this out.

Edward watched Bella. He could see her guard coming back. He wondered if she realized what she was doing. "Bella‒ Are you kidding me?" Edward quickly went from intense to irritated. "Really, Alice?" As if by an unspoken agreement, he and Bella stepped away from each other just as Rose's car came into view.

They pulled up beside Edward and Bella. Edward was at Alice's door immediately. "How?"

"Really, Edward," Alice opened the door, forcing Edward to back up. "You should know by now to never bet against me."

"Did you see us?" Bella was disappointed that she hadn't managed to stay under Alice's radar.

"No." Alice puckered her lips into an almost pout and then confessed. "Jasper hacked your phone's GPS. We've been far enough behind you to be undetected the whole time. But I still win."

The salesman was closing in on them. He'd stopped thinking about the potential commission and was much more focused on the women that had just arrived. Rose stepped away from the group first, eager to explore a new vintage dealership. Just before the dealer turned away to follow her, Edward stepped forward. "Hello, I'm Edward Cullen. I spoke with Dave about the Cobra."

"Ah! Yes, Edward. I'm Dave," he briefly grabbed Edward's hand, intending to give him a firm handshake but recoiled quickly. "Come on, and I'll introduce you to her. She's a real beauty. And I can see you're a man who appreciates beautiful girls."

Edward barely contained his disdain. He wanted to have this over with, deal with his sister, and then leave. Although, he realized his sister's presence might provide him with an opportunity to drive with Bella on the way home. He took a half-step back and placed his hand on her lower back. As soon as she stepped forward, he removed it. His fingers twitched, and his hand passed by hers. He knew he was close to crossing some lines when it came to Bella, so he decided to be thankful when Alice thought, "Hands off, Romeo."

Rose joined Edward to take a look under the hood of the rebuilt '67 Cobra. She said nothing but was taking a detailed inventory of the parts.

Edelbrock aluminum heads, Crane Max Velocity hydraulic cam, Ford aluminum intake, Edelbrock Performer series carburetor, Mallory Hyfire electronic ignition, Russell braided steel hoses, and tube header side exhaust... They've done a pretty good job with this.

Edward nodded and moved to stand behind Rose, thereby blocking Dave's view of her bent over the engine. He'd had just about enough of Dave and his imagination.

Bella, who'd been walking around the exterior, paused beside Rosalie. "Do you think he'll keep this one out of the lake?" She meant it to tease Edward but regretted it immediately when she saw Rose's expression.

"Well, that depends now, doesn't it, Bella?"

"Rose," Edward warned. He knew that she'd wanted to say, "Well, that depends on if you break his heart."

"Just keep him away from Sharpies." She winked at Bella and gingerly closed the hood.

"She's a good one, Edward. Take care of it this time."

Alice had disappeared while Rose, Edward, and Bella dealt with the car. She hated the blindness that Bella seemed to be causing. She'd never realized how much she depended on it to cultivate her relationships. Bella left her feeling human and, therefore, incredibly vulnerable. She had no idea how to have a friendship where she didn't have the advantage. But she knew Bella was worth the work.

She leaned against Rose's car, wondering how Bella would react to what she'd done for her, even if it was something small. She didn't have to wait long. She could hear Edward signing the last of the forms now. Jenks had expedited the process, so Edward walked out of the dealership with keys in hand. Instead of heading straight for his new car, he approached Alice. He'd heard her silent musings.

"I'm not willing to agree to you winning."

"I exploited a loophole. You never said I couldn't use any means available to me to find you. But..." She sighed dramatically. "I'm willing to compromise." She pulled a check out of her purse but made no move to hand it over. "I'll pay as promised, but... I get to drive it home."

He knew he should've made an effort to protest, but Alice wasn't compromising at all. She was giving Edward more time with Bella.

"You're welcome," she thought as she handed over the payment.

"Bella." Alice reached into the car and pulled out a brown paper bag, followed by a drink tray. "I grabbed you some lunch. I thought you'd want something for the way home. I hope you still like Italian. I wasn't sure what you'd drink, so I got you a selection: coffee, tea, Coke, and water."

Bella was touched, both by Alice's thoughtfulness and her obvious nervousness about Bella's reaction. "I love Italian. Thank you so much, Alice." It was when she took the bag from Alice she realized just how full it was.

"I got you a selection of food, too."

Alice honked as she drove off, and Edward and Bella walked back to the car they'd arrived in. They both walked to the driver's door.

"You said I could drive." Bella crossed her hands over her chest, ready for him to argue.

"I did. I just thought you could have your lunch. When you're done, I can pull over, and we'll switch spots. Is that okay?"

"Promise?"

"I do."

"Okay, then." She opened the door for him and swept her arm in front of the open door. He laughed and shook his head as he got in.

"Oh, Alice." They'd already divided the drinks into the car's cup holders. Now she was going through the food. Bella opened the bag as Edward left the parking lot. On the top was a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper. She placed it on the dash and pulled out the first meal. The transparent lid revealed a dressed Caesar salad. She placed it on the dash as she pulled out the last item. She peeked into the plastic take-out container to find baked ziti. "Hmmmm..." Bella looked to the three choices before her, finally selecting the salad.

"Vegetarian?"

"Nah, I just get a kick out of eating garlic beside a vampire."

"There's a little place up ahead I'll turn into, and then we can switch spots."

Bella was putting her empty salad bowl back into the bag when Edward spoke up.

"Wow, you really are going to let me drive."

"I promised. I'm keeping my promises now... even the ones that might put our lives at risk."

"Hey!" Bella swatted his chest. "Ouch!"

They were both still laughing when Edward pulled into an empty parking lot. The store that it used to serve was boarded up and weather-beaten. The car stopped, and Edward was instantly at her open door. He mimicked her arm-sweeping from earlier.

"Brat," she said under her breath

"Pardon?" Edward looked at her innocently.

Bella shook her head as she moved around to the driver's side. She wasn't surprised to find Edward there, door open, mimicking her once again.

He'd gone over everything. Twice. "Edward, I can drive you know."

"I've seen what you drive."

"Hey! Don't be a dick."

His mind split in two; one registering and storing the way the word 'dick' fell so easily from her lips. That part of his brain wondered if he could get her to say 'cock.' The part of his brain he decided to listen to agreed with her. It was a dick thing to say.

"Sorry. I was referring to that crazy truck you still drive ‒ the one that died on our lane."

"Ah! I totally forgot to thank Emmett and Rose for the new engine." Bella slapped her hand against her forehead.

"Bella..."

"That was you, too?" She put her hands back on the steering wheel and turned to look at him.

He nodded.

She sighed. "Thank you." They looked at each other a moment too long. "Okay. Driver picks the tunes!" She leaned over and turned the radio on. Pressing the scan button near her thumb until she found the most obnoxious pop song she could. "There we are. Let's go!"

"Okay, see you back in Forks." Edward opened the door and moved as though he was going to get out.

"No, no, no!" Bella was laughing as she leaned over the middle console and pulled on his suit jacket with both hands. "Get back in here. you!"

He sat back down, laughing with her. "I said you could drive. I didn't say you could torture my eardrums. Remember, my hearing's far more sensitive than yours."

"Fine!" She rolled her eyes and leaned over again to grab her purse. It was on the floor near his feet, and her arm pressed against the length of his leg. He sensed her blush and wondered if it was deliberate. When she came back up, she handed him her phone. "I'm guessing you've got Bluetooth capabilities?"

"I do."

"There are some playlists on this. You may find something you'll like."

Bella pulled back onto the quiet road. It had been a while since she'd driven a car like this. She ached to show off to Edward.

"Bella?"

"Mmmmhmm?" She kept her eyes on the road and pressed a little harder on the gas.

"Why do you have a running playlist?" He sounded generally confused.

"Uh, for running." She dragged out the word for emphasis.

"But why do you have a running playlist?"

She turned to look at him, raising a single eyebrow. "You're pushing it, Cullen."

"Eyes on the road, Swan."

She didn't think to correct him. "Just put some music on." She couldn't see any cars, and she didn't want to miss the chance to open the car up.

Edward said nothing, pressed a finger to the screen, and put the phone down as the opening chords to the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" rang out.

"Perfect." She upped the volume on the steering wheel control to an appropriate, ear-blasting, level. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can you read any minds around here?"

"No, why?" He yelled slightly so that Bella could hear him.

She didn't answer. She smiled slowly. The she leisurely pressed the pedal to the floor.

"Okay, Bella." They'd just passed 80 mph.

"Bella, that's enough." They'd just passed 90.

"Bella!" They broke 100.

"Bella! Jesus Fucking Christ! Stop now before I have to do something drastic!"

She said nothing but lifted her foot. The car slowed back to the speed limit.

"Please pull over." He'd already turned the radio off to yell at her. She could tell that he was straining to control himself, so she decided to comply. "What was that?"

"Fun?" She knew she shouldn't push him, but she couldn't help herself.

"Do you still have a death wish? What if you'd lost control?" He was the one losing control.

"Edward." She put her hand on his arm to comfort him. "Edward, it's okay. I know what I'm doing. I've taken performance driving courses."

"You have?"

"Jake bought them as a wedding present. It was a bit of an inside joke." She winced. She shouldn't have added that last part.

"Why?"

"Because when he was teaching me to drive a motorcycle…" She saw the anger flare again. "I used to crash."

"Why were you driving motorcycles?" he asked, even though he suspected the answer.

"For the adrenaline-triggered hallucinations."

"I'm so sorry." He put a hand over hers. He let his thumb brush over her wrist. Her breath hitched, and her heart rate increased. She couldn't mask her desire from him, so she pulled her hand away.

"Today was so much fun. I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry that the hurt between us still taints everything we do."

"We're building something new from it."

"We are." She smiled. "If I promise to obey the speed limits, can I still drive?"

He looked at her for a moment, pretending to deliberate.

"Not a single violation. I can't protect you and the car if you lose control. Rose'll kill me if I wreck another one."

Bella drew a finger in an x over her heart and then put the car back into gear. She checked over her shoulder and pulled back onto the road.

"Come on. Admit it. That turned you on a little," she teased.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. "What am I going to do with you?"

Bella pulled into her driveway late in the afternoon. "Edward, thanks for inviting me out today. I had an amazing time. It was just what I needed."

"But?"

"Are you sure you can't read my mind?"

Edward smiled. "You have no idea how much I wish I could."

"Oh, Edward. If you could've read my mind, you would've seen I was no better than Jessica or any other girl who crossed your path. I thought you were hot. Constantly. I contemplated your beauty every moment we were together. If you would've suffered through my teenage lust long enough to spend time with me, you would've seen that I fantasized about you just like any other girl. I would've irritated you. I'm sure I would've died. If not in that first class together, then later in Charlie's house. My mind's silence kept me alive."

He wanted to protest but didn't. There was truth in what she said.

"You might be right about then. But now..." The truth was he wanted to hear that teenage lust hadn't disappeared.

"I had fun today. It was nice to take a break from my life for a little. But I think maybe I... Maybe it was too much of a break." She looked at him carefully, thankful he couldn't read her mind. But all the same, she hoped he understood what she was trying to say. He didn't react. He was going to make her spell it out for him. "My marriage..." she trailed off. "We're in a rough patch right now. And something about just being with you..." She didn't realize she was quoting an old song until the rest of the lyric popped into her head. Slapped me right in the face, nearly broke me in two. "If we're going to continue being friends, I don't think we can have another day like today. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Her question was gentle. She wasn't sure if she was the only one who'd felt the possibility of old feelings lurking underneath everything they'd said and did today.

"We need to cut back on the flirting."

"Yeah," Bella laughed and nodded her head. "That's what I'm saying."

"You make it hard." His expression showed her he meant exactly what the dirty part of her mind thought he meant.

Bella's eyes felt like they were going to come right out of their sockets. "Seriously!" she admonished, giving him a playful swat on the arm. "Ouch. Damn it. You'd think I'd learn by now."

"That was the last one. You're going to get out of this car, and we'll be colleagues. No more flirting."

"Thank you."

He got out of the car when she did but didn't walk her to the door. He walked around the back of the car and got in the driver's seat. He watched her enter the house and close the door. He heard her back thump against the door. If it hadn't been broad daylight, he might've gone to check on her. But he heard a neighbor getting ready to take his dog out and knew he needed to pull away. He suspected she hadn't told Mike about this and knew he'd managed to go unseen so far.

She waited until she heard him pull away before she let herself fall down the door to the floor. She put her hands over her heart as she felt herself break, just a little more, into two.