Chapter Twelve

Six days—that was all they had together before Edward, Alec and their friends left the sunny beaches to drive all the way to Portland, Oregon. From there, it was a four to five hour drive to Forks, where Bella lived. If she'd give him any indication she wanted more than the next six days, he'd drive up to see her as often as he could until...

How much more could he have with her after he moved to California in mid-August? He still had no idea where she was going to school, too scared to ask. If she stayed in Washington, they'd at least be able to call or Skype each other without a time difference. If they had lived in the same area, they would have at least been able to see each other whenever they came home on the holidays and school breaks. Since they didn't, there wasn't even the possibility of that. Her college could be across the country, for all he knew. That would make things even more difficult, because he wouldn't be able to afford plane tickets often. Those were all very good reasons why he hadn't kissed her again. If three days without seeing her had sucked as much as it did after only knowing her for a few days, it would be a hundred times worse in the months ahead.

I shouldn't be thinking about this now.

"She's good," Alec said, using a golf club as a walking stick. They were waiting for Bella to take her swing on the sixth hole at Morro Bay's only golf course. Bella's uncle hooked them up with four passes, club rentals, and even two golf carts. "How often do you come down here, Bella?"

She took her shot, shielding her eyes to see the ball arc in the air. Alec and James whistled, patting her back as they made their way to the golf cart. "Nice," she said with a smile. She turned her attention to Alec and shrugged. "I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's beach house growing, up , but we usually stayed in town. The last time I visited Morro Bay or Pismo was about six years ago before my grandmother got sick."

They all knew her grandparents had passed, her grandfather only recently.

"Who taught you how to play?" James asked, draping his arm over her shoulders. "You're good."

"My grandpa did," she said with a pretty smile. "He used to say his doctor and lawyer buddies were cheaters." She giggled as Alec dramatically offered to take her clubs for her.

"Your chariot awaits," Alec said, taking her hand and helping in the passenger seat of a golf cart.

Edward rolled his eyes and settled behind the wheel of the other. He wanted to hate his cousin again; in fact all of his friends, to be honest. They were going out of their way to make her feel good and treat her like a lady. She deserved it, but none of the things he did for her set him apart because of it.

"You know you could stop fucking moping and just kiss her," James aid, tapping a beat on his thigh. "I get it, you're scared."

"I'm not," Edward said through clenched teeth.

James chuckled and shook his head. "She's different, probably one of the reasons I didn't try to get into her pants." Edward snapped his head toward him and glared, earning another laugh. "See, you can't stand the idea of anyone else with her. Like I said, she's different. Saying goodbye to her is something guys like us would regret. She'll be there every time you think of the beach or summer."

Edward was afraid she already was; he'd always associate the sun and the scent of the salty air with her. He told James that and shrugged.

"So if that's already the case, why not add to the Bella files?" He waggled his eyebrows, groaning when Edward punched his shoulder. "Get your mind out of the gutter, asshole. I just meant, if she's already stuck in there, why not make the best of it? More memories."

"Because I'm just starting to pick up the pieces after losing Riley," Edward said, parking beside Alec and Bella's golf cart. The rest of the crew and Angela weren't interested in golf, and instead, went to the nearby city to catch a movie and meet up with a couple of girls they all met the day before. Not Peter's sister and her friends, but others that were staying down the street from Bella and Angela.

Since the day before, Edward had talked a little with her after she told him about Peter on the beach. It hadn't been enough, though, and he wanted more, but their friends had surrounded them, leaving them little opportunity.

James slapped his arm. "Well, think of it this way, maybe she can help keep those pieces together." He hopped off, running toward Alec to jump on his back. "Fucker, you're supposed to be riding with me. I'm your spider monkey."

Bella laughed, holding on to her stomach as Alec tried to shake James off. "Are you all so…" she started to say, but couldn't seem to find the words.

Alec was the first to reply for her. "Hot."

James pushed Alec away and bowed like an idiot. "Amazing."

Edward cocked and eyebrow. "Obnoxious."

"I think all of the above and more." Bella threw her hands in the air and wheeled them around, and she talked that way often. It was cute. She grabbed her golf bag and huffed, pretending to be disgusted with Alec as he kept getting in her way.

"You shall not pass!" he said, thumping his golf club much like Gandalf in the movie.

She tried hard not to smile at him, but not successfully. She was dressed in this one-piece thing she called a romper, short but classy. The problem was that she was getting a lot of attention from old dudes. Twice, the guys had to growl at some of them as they waited for her to play.

"She agreed that we were hot," Alec said, nudging Edward's arm with his elbow. Bella was busy with James, trying to help him with his swing. "You need to grab life by the horns, Edward. Go after the girl before you regret it."

"I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't."

Alec shrugged. "Maybe, but I think I'd rather know what it was like to be with her than always wondering what it could have been like."

"She hasn't said anything."

"Have you?"

No, he hadn't. After she asked him what they were going to do the night before, he said nothing. Only sat with her in his lap and held her until everyone found them sometime later.

Bella stood back to watch James make his shot and clapped when he did better than he had all morning. "Your turn, Edward," she said over her shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

Despite his doubts and fear, she was still the same beautiful girl, who had mile-high walls around her. Walls that she'd let fall for the right guy one day. Just talk to her, dumbass.

By the end of their game, Bella kicked all their asses with Alec coming in second. As the winner, they had to pay for her lunch. They ended up in Pismo to grab her favorite clam chowder and ate on the beach, meeting with the others in Cayucos later. Edward had a choice to make. As he watched Bella interact with friends, new and old, he realized he never really had one in the first place. He just had to talk to her.