Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter Eleven
On the drive back to my apartment, I made the quick and smart decision to stop by Chipotle for some much needed sustenance. I ordered my food to go, somehow managing to eat half of the burrito bowl at red lights before I even made it home.
"You have salsa all over your face," Emmett so kindly pointed out once I walked into the apartment. "And what the fuck? Didn't Edward just make us breakfast thirty minutes ago?"
"Yeah, but whatever. I didn't really eat breakfast." Wiping my face, I sat next to him on the couch.
"Where's Rose?" I asked, pulling my bowl out of reach before he could steal a piece of chicken.
"Shower. Where's Edward?"
"He has a lesson at noon," I answered evenly, keeping my eyes on the television. "Why'd you ask?" I asked defensively, wondering if the words 'Made out with Edward' were written on my forehead. In salsa.
"I'm just wondering, you fucking weirdo," he shot back, eying me suspiciously.
"Here." I stood, handing him my bowl of food. "I think I need to sleep a little longer. Tell Rose not to wake me." Ever. Not until I was no longer a defensive fucking weirdo.
After napping for a few hours, my head felt lighter and I didn't feel as embarrassed when I thought about last night. Of course, I still felt confused, but I didn't think that feeling would ever go away. Especially when I began to replay the conversation Edward and I had when he dropped me off at my car. The whole thing was silly and I was ready for it to be behind us, if possible.
I got up from the bed and picked up my phone, debating on whether or not I should bug him. It was half past four, but I wasn't sure what he had planned for the rest of the day. Although I had no idea what to say, it was glaringly obvious that we needed to finish our conversation from earlier. So I sent him a text, hoping he'd keep the teasing about last night to a minimum.
Hey. Are you busy later?
He responded a minute later with: Depends on who's asking. ;)
I stared at the screen, blinking twice as my heart began racing. Goddammit. Did I just swoon over a fucking emoticon? I shook my head and typed out a sarcastic reply to downplay whatever swoonage had just occurred.
I didn't know you were the type of person to send a winking emoticon. I'm kind of judging you right now.
I tried to keep myself in check, but found myself frantically opening his responding text. I immediately frowned when I read it.
You're judging me, Prom Queen?
Before I could reply and call him an ass, my phone beeped with a second message from him.
But to answer your question, I have plans later. Why, what's up?
He had plans? He had plans. I typed ten different messages that reeked of nosiness and jealously before I finally settled for indifference.
Nothing. Just seeing what was going on. Have fun later.
I stared, possibly even glared, at my phone until he finally replied.
Thanks. I will.
Cursing to myself, I immediately ran into Rose's room to find her folding clothes and listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack. I cringed and closed her laptop. I wouldn't be able to rant about Edward if I had to be subjected to Amanda Seyfried singing.
"Edward has a date tonight and she probably has big tits and only drinks skinny margaritas and doesn't even have a prom dress because she didn't attend high school past her sophomore year."
"Whoa," Rose said in shock, but mostly confusion. "Okay, um, what's her name?"
"Whose name?"
"The girl Edward is going on a date with."
"Virginia," I blurted out.
"Edward is going on a date with someone named Virginia?" she questioned, managing to narrow only one eye.
"No. God. What am I even doing?" I groaned. "He didn't say he was going on a date, he just said he has plans. But that sounds like he would be going on a date with someone named Virginia, right?"
"You just assumed, like any sane person would, that he has a date...with someone named Virginia," she stated, gathering all of the facts while waiting for me to nod in agreement. "You're a fucking idiot."
I opened my mouth, but she was right. I was an idiot. A fucking one, at that. "I am. I totally am. What is wrong with me, Rose?"
"You want Edward, you moron. Nothing is wrong with you."
"I just fabricated a story about Edward going on a date with someone who didn't graduate high school," I whined, throwing myself on her bed.
"Yes. Yes, you did just do that. But honestly? I'd be more concerned if you weren't jealous over his imaginary date." She cracked a smile, moving her laundry back into the basket before sitting next to me on the bed.
"I practically begged him to sleep with me last night. Terrible tequila," I scowled, covering my face in shame.
"Dammit, Bella. You've waited all day to tell me this? Details! I want details."
"Well, there was making out...and a prom dress?" I frantically shook my head, brushing off her confusion. Hell, I knew all of the details and I was still confused. "The details don't matter because he refused to sleep with me."
"No shit?" She gasped. "Did he say why?"
"He said I was too drunk." I shrugged. "But...why does that matter? Drunk people hook up all the time on The Real World."
Rose's eyes lit up, resembling the same starry eyed gaze she reserved only for Krispy Kreme doughnuts...and I guess for whatever she was about to say. "Bella," she smiled wider, "he's really into you. Like, more than I even thought possible."
"You think?" I asked, my throat becoming dry. "Rose, I think I'd know..." I trailed off.
"He always opens the door for you. Oh, and he let's you have the last slice of pizza," she pointed out.
"That's because he knows I would kick his ass if I didn't get the last slice." I laughed, trying to make light of the subject. Rose merely shook her head sympathetically.
"Okay. You probably haven't noticed, but there's one thing he does when you're around that's always stood out to me."
"What?"
"He's always staring at you before you even look his way," she affirmed, giving me a tight-lipped smile.
She was wrong. I did noticed that. It was one of the things I loved the most, but never wanted to comment on because I didn't want him to stop.
"You already knew that, didn't you?" she asked, draping an arm over my shoulder. "Because if you didn't, you're a fucking moron."
"Enough with the name calling. We've already established I'm a lot of things that are synonymous with the word 'idiot'."
"Well? What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea. Uh...nothing? Why do I have to do anything?"
"That might work. Wait for him to make his move," she agreed.
That wasn't exactly what I meant, but I could go with it. Especially if it meant I didn't have to make a fool of myself again my throwing myself at Edward.
"Come to the movies with Em and me tonight. It'll do you good to get out of the house and go to a place where alcohol isn't the main source of entertainment."
"Okay," I agreed, but not without glaring at her alcohol comment.
One scalding hot shower and two bowls of cereal later, Emmett, Rose and I were settled in our seats at the movie theater. I pretended to focus on the trivia on the screen while Rose gave Emmett shit for not having seen any of the Star Wars movies. I kept my phone in my lap, constantly checking to see if it had accidentally turned off. The lack of response from Edward was starting to make me think he really did have a date.
A deep, familiar voice suddenly caught my attention. I leaned over to see where and who it was coming from, only to see Edward maneuvering his way down the aisle, excusing himself as he stepped past strangers.
"What is he doing here?" I hissed in Rose's ear. She merely smiled in response, tapping her nose.
My heart began pounding in my chest at the mere sight of him. I hadn't properly digested what was happening before he was standing in front of me, legs brushing against my knees. He offered me a smile and a package of peanut M&M's.
"Fancy seeing you here." He leaned down to murmur quietly, still blocking my view of the screen.
"I'm missing the trivia," I whispered, snatching the M&M's from his hands and tugging on his hoodie. "Sit down."
"Whatever. You suck at trivia. You need me," he insisted, settling into the empty seat next to me.
I swallowed, instinctively leaning closer to him. "I thought you had plans," I accused, curious about what his plans were in the first place and why they apparently fell through.
"I did. I do." He laughed at my glare and opened a package of Twizzlers. "Emmett invited me to the movies," he answered, looking too pleased with himself.
Pulling back, I narrowed my eyes, suddenly feeling silly for being jealous over Virginia. "You're an ass. You knew I'd be here, didn't you?" I questioned.
He leaned closer, making up for the distance I'd created when I leaned away. "I knew you'd be here," he confirmed with a nod and a smirk.
The lights dimmed and I forced my eyes away from his so I could stare at the screen. I crossed my leg over my knee, pretending not to notice that my foot was touching his leg.
Edward leaned over after the first movie trailer ended, deliberately breathing into my ear before uttering a word. "That movie looks like shit."
I turned towards him, our noses almost touching. "Whatever," I said quietly. "You'd totally take some poor girl to go see that."
"Do you know anything yet?" he asked vaguely, voice less than a whisper. I knew exactly what he was referring to.
"Yes. I do." I released a faint breath and turned my attention back to the screen.
He spread his legs wider and sunk lower in his seat. I tried not to focus on what he was doing as he slid his shoe across the sticky ceramic floor so that my left foot was tucked under his calf.
"This movie is already terrible," he whispered a mere ten minutes into the movie. "Did you choose it so I'd make out with you?"
I cracked a smile and turned my head. "No. Emmett chose the movie."
"Sure. Somehow I don't think it's Emmett who wants to make out with me." He leaned back in his seat and reached over, placing his left hand on top of my thigh as if it was nothing.
My chest heaved embarrassingly as I stared at his long fingers, his thumb tracing circles along my thigh.
"What are you doing?" I finally whispered.
"Last night you practically molested me and you question when I place my hand on your thigh?" He raised his eyebrows, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I have to pee. A lot. I drank all of that soda so I have to pee," I said, standing and ducking out of the theater.
I made it halfway to the bathroom before I felt Edward's hand on my elbow.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, pulling my arm to stop me from storming off. "Hey, Bella. Chill," he commanded, blocking my path.
"Nothing is wrong."
"You're right. You're clearly calm. You definitely didn't just storm out of the movie theater," he stated, pulling on the back of his neck.
"This is so confusing!" I screeched, tossing a handful of M&M's at his chest.
"You're gonna have to pick those up." He chuckled, stepping closer to lessen my throwing distance.
"What's so confusing, Bella?" I didn't bother replying, but only because I literally couldn't speak. I had shoved a handful of M&M's in my mouth to keep from having to answer him. He waited patiently as I chewed and swallowed.
"I want you so fucking bad," I said honestly, sucking in a deep breath, not bothering to fight against inhaling his scent.
He raised his eyebrows, chuckling lightly. "Wow. I wasn't expecting that."
"I want you," I blurted out again. "I want you, but I don't want to fuck this up. Okay?"
"Then being confusing and stop, for the love of God, stop questioning everything I say or do."
"I know I do that, but I can't help it. I'm suddenly attracted to you, though I think I've always been attracted to you, and you just...won't give in," I said in exasperation.
"I won't give in? Somehow I don't think I'm the problem here."
"Yes, you totally are. You could have given in last night and you didn't. I just want things to go back to normal so I don't have a chance to fuck everything up."
"And you think sleeping with me is going to make things go back to normal?" He scoffed. "Come the fuck on, Bella."
"I did! I did come onto you and you shot me down!"
Edward didn't respond for a full minute. I was assaulted with sixty seconds of an intense gaze; sixty seconds of a long, hard swallow. I was punished with sixty seconds to realize I was a fucking asshole while trying to convince the guy who was into me that all I wanted from him was sex.
"I fucking hate Twizzlers, Bella," he said suddenly, voice hard. "I buy them for you because I know when you go to the movies you want chocolate and Twizzlers, yet you never let yourself purchase both."
"So, I'm a fat ass. Awesome."
"No, but you are ridiculous."
"I can't disagree with that," I muttered, staring down at our shoes.
"Fortunately, I can handle your ridiculousness because I like you," he stated clearly, causing my head to snap up. "I'm really trying to hold back with what I say because I don't want to freak you the fuck out."
"You won't freak me out."
"You just admitted to wanting me, then you pretend as though you don't. I don't know what you're doing, but I know for a fact that you were lying when you said it was only the tequila. I know you so fucking well, Bella." His gaze lingered and he swallowed, speaking in a gritty voice. "I just want to get to know you even better."
"I see," I said in a hushed voice, my skin sweltering merely from the way he was staring at me.
He laughed humorlessly. "Do you see, though?"
I gave him a one-shouldered shrugged. "I want to. I do."
"Okay. Well, you know how I feel now, and I know how you feel...when you're drunk," he said, shaking his head. "So, I'm going to leave now because I can't stand to be around you without touching you."
"You're leaving?" I screeched in confusion, yanking on his shirt to keep him in place.
He smiled, pleased with my reaction. "That movie is terrible. Do you need a ride home?"
"No. I rode here with Rose and Em."
"Do you want a ride home?" he asked, grabbing the back of my neck with both hands.
"No. Yes. I don't know." I breathed out, unable to tear my eyes away from his as he leaned down.
"C'mon. Let's get out of here," he whispered, lips so close but not where I wanted them. "We can watch shitty movies for free at my place."
I nodded dumbly as he pulled away, not sure about anything other than I needed his lips on mine.
A/N: Progress? Or something. Thanks for reading.