Life's A Beach

Chapter 6

A/N: I'm sitting here in snowy New Jersey and wishing I was back in Hilton Head. How is it where you are? Thanks again for the reviews – they are so appreciated! I had my first experience this week with some less than kind reviews on one of my older stories and it just made me appreciate all of you so much more. Even if it's just a smile or a quick word, it's great to know someone is reading and enjoying. Time to move the story along a bit…all things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Edward waited nervously on the beach at the place he and Bella agreed to meet. Not wanting to take any chances, he'd talked Jasper into keeping Aro for him this morning, in exchange for Edward's promise to help rearrange some stuff in the storage room in the bar before he left. He'd stopped at a couple of places along the way this morning. First, the local coffee shop for two fresh, hot cups of coffee that he carried carefully. Then his favorite bakery, where he picked out an assortment of fresh croissants and his personal favorite, chocolate glazed donuts. He spread a blanket on the beach after making sure he knew which way the tide was going (out, thank goodness) and dug two holes in the sand to hold the coffees. He put the box with the pastries in the center of the blanket and sat, his arms stretched out in back of him, to wait for her. His phone chimed, and he grabbed it, thinking it might be Bella.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Edward." The voice was not the one he'd been hoping to hear.

"Good morning, Dad. What do you want?" Edward tried not to sound rude. He loved his father, really he did, but they just didn't see eye to eye these days.

"Do I have to want something? Can't I just call and say hello to my son?" His father's voice reflected his own frustration.

"Of course you can, Dad. It's just…" Edward didn't really want to share too much about who he was meeting. "I'm meeting someone for breakfast, and they should be here any minute."

"I won't keep you long. I just wanted to check that your flight information was still the same. I'll arrange for someone to meet you at the airport and bring you home." Edward could just picture the man checking his crowded schedule to fit him in, somehow.

"Yes, everything's in my email. No changes." Edward wished his schedule was changing. Wished he was staying here with Jasper, Emmett, and of course Bella. Even Aro. He was gonna miss that crazy puppy.

"Alright son. I'll see you for dinner that night. We'll go out." The man cleared his throat. "Your mother will be glad to have you home."

"I'll be happy to see her too. Tell her I said so, OK?"

"Of course." With that, the phone clicked off.

Edward stuffed the phone into his backpack and shook his head. He wanted to be in a good mood when Bella got there. He looked up…and there she was. His eyes met hers and the happy grins on their faces matched.

"Good morning" she said. "What have we here?"

Edward stood, brushed the sand from his hand and took hers, pulling it up to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on her palm. "I thought we could share a little breakfast. It's not much, it's just…"

"It's perfect" she said, and stepped forward. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his. He returned her kiss, happy that things hadn't changed since they parted last night.

"Where's your crazy sidekick? Do I have to worry about getting knocked over again?"

Only by me, thought Edward, and inwardly smacked himself. "The puppy stayed home today. Otherwise, there was a pretty good chance you wouldn't get any donuts. Aro kind of eats everything he finds."

She laughed and sat down on the blanket. Edward took a moment to just look at her. The morning sun brought out the red highlights in her chestnut brown hair. Her faced was tinted a pale pink, probably from the time she spent in the sun yesterday. She wore a lace cover up over a dark blue bikini, and Edward shook his head to clear it. The bikini was just what he'd pictured her in, and he sat back on the blanket to keep from kissing her silly instead of eating breakfast.

They ate, drank coffee, and laughed, sharing stories about themselves and their friends. Bella ate a croissant and a donut, because, really, they were too good to leave behind. She wanted to throw the leftover pieces to the little sandpipers that flitted around them, but Edward pointed out that the seagulls would probably beat them to anything edible. After a while, Edward stood and held out his hand.

"Take a walk with me?"

Bella nodded. They silently packed up the blanket and the trash and packed it in his backpack. He tucked it over by one of the lifeguard stands and took her hand in his. They wandered down the beach, happy, and comfortable in each other's company. Finally, Bella squeezed his hand.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, Edward, but I feel like you have something to say."

He smiled. "One day and you know me already."

"I feel like it's been much more than one day" she responded, sincerely.

"I know" he said. "I feel the same way." He pulled her close to him and gently kissed her. "I don't know what this is, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I met you. There's this…"

"Connection" she replied. "I thought maybe it was just me."

"I feel it too, Bella." They started walking again. "And that's why this is going to be difficult."

She braced herself, figuring he was just going to say goodbye. Just because she was falling head over heels for him, why should she expect it to be any more than just a pleasant couple of days? Bella wasn't one of those women who lacked self-esteem, who looked to blame themselves for any relationship that didn't work out. But she seemed to be going through a string of tough luck, and she wondered if maybe she was walking around with a little dark cloud over her head.

Edward sensed that he'd said exactly the wrong thing. He didn't want her to frown. He'd grown to love her smile, the way her nose wrinkled when she looked up at him and she squinted against the bright sun. "Bella, I'm sorry, that was a pretty sucky way to start out." He put his fingers under her chin and gently lifted her head till he could gaze into her eyes. "It's just that I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and I really don't want to go. I mean, I love it here anyway but now that I've met you?" He squeezed her hand. "I want to see where this goes."

That wasn't what she expected him to say. Even though she wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him, she was sensible enough to realize that it wasn't very practical. "Edward, we don't live anywhere near each other. We both have school to finish."

Edward felt the disappointment all the way to his toes. "You'd don't want me?"

Bella, horrified, shook her head vigorously. "No, no I do, I mean, I want to see where it goes too. I just don't know how."

Edward smirked. "Well, there's this thing called the Internet…"

"Smart aleck" she said, kicking sand at him.

LAB

Thirty-six hours later, Edward and Bella were wrapped around each other on the couch in the girls' condo. The other two couples were at the pub, leaving them some privacy before Edward flew back to Chicago in the morning. Between sweet kisses and soft touches, they shared promises to stay in touch until they could see each other again.

"Edward, it's not my business, but if you want to share with me what's got you so worried about going home, I'm here, I'll listen." Bella softly stroked his cheek. "I know there's more than just you and me."

Edward sighed and sat up. He tucked her hand in his and smiled a small, sad smile. "Thank you. I've talked to Jasper about it, but I would really like to share it with you. You might think it's silly, but…"

"But it's important to you, which makes it important to me."

"How did I find you, Bella Swan?"

"As I recall, your dog knocked me on my ass."

Just as she intended, he laughed. "Yes" he said. "That is how it happened."

"What's happening to Aro?" she asked. "You said you can't take him with you."

"I don't know what I was thinking when I got a puppy" said Edward, shaking his head. "I just wanted to have him. There's nothing like the love of a dog to make you feel wanted. But I can't take him home, not now."

"He'll be happy with Jasper. He likes the beach." She felt bad for Edward, who clearly didn't want to leave the puppy behind. She didn't want to push him, but she was curious about why he was so conflicted about going home. Even she wasn't crazy enough to think it was just about her.

"My father has some definite ideas about what I should be doing with my life." Edward was staring at the floor as he talked, his fingers tugging on the ends of his hair. "He's a lawyer, a big deal lawyer back in Chicago. It's always been his dream that I would follow him, go to law school, and join his practice. And to be fair, he's been really supportive, really done things to help me get there." He blew out a breath. "He's arranged this great internship for me after I graduate in May, and I've already got my admission to law school for the fall. Everything is going the way he planned it."

"How do you feel about that" she prompted.

"It's what I want to do, eventually" he replied. "There's just something else I want to do first."

"What, Edward?" Bella was truly curious. She half expected him to say he didn't want to be a lawyer, didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, but that wasn't the case. "What do you want to do first?"

"I'm an athlete, Bella. I have been since I was a kid. And I've been blessed with talent that I have never taken for granted. I'm not ready to give that up."

Bella turned to face him, tucking her legs under her on the couch. She took his hand. "What kind of athlete? Why would going to law school interfere with that?" He could probably play most sports, at least sometimes, she thought, even if he was working.

Edward took a deep breath before answering. He ran his hands over his legs, the legs that she noticed the first time she saw him, that made her think he was an athlete of some kind. She realized in that moment just how muscular they were.

"I'm a speed skater, Bella. And I've been invited to train this summer and fall in Colorado Springs." He paused. "As a tryout, for the Olympics next year."

Bella couldn't process it for a minute. "That's….that's….you have to do it, of course you do."

Edward sighed. "That's the way I feel. I'm not the best, and I don't know how good my chances are of making the team. But I want it, Bella. I really want it. And I'm willing to put everything on the line to see if I can make it happen. My dad's a realist. He's always supported me and my skating, but he thinks I've reached the end of my competitive career. According to him, I won't make the Olympic team, so there's no point in delaying my future. He wants me to turn it down, to turn down the invitation to train with the National team coaches, and to do the internship and start law school." He sighed. "I've always tried to make him happy, but I can't this time. And it's going to be an awful conversation."

He wrapped his arms around her, and they just sat quietly, hugging.

"You have to do what you feel is right, Edward. What makes you…you. If the thought of giving this up makes you so unhappy, how can it be the right decision?"

"Bella, I'm amazed at how you get me. With your support, and Jasper's, I think I can face this, face him. I just hate the idea of disappointing him."

"He'll come around, Edward, don't you think?"

"I don't know, love. I just don't know." He held her close, and hoped that she was right.