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Word Prompt: Doodle

Plot Generator—Binding Blurb: In 500 words or fewer, write a blurb or a short entry about the passage of time.

Edward's birthday "get together" starts to takes on a life of its own. Mainly because Emmett wants to help out, and my brother can't do anything small scale.

"But I wanted to do it ay my place," I argue.

"But we have a bigger yard."

"How big of a yard do we need? Who else is coming?"

"Couple of old frat brothers...I think Edward mentioned some of his teammates from back in the day are in town. They'll probably come."

"How many people, Emmett?"

"I don't know...twenty?"

"Twenty?!" I'd been thinking...ten. Tops.

"Maybe thirty. I don't know." He's screwing with me now, riling me up, the adult version of giving me a noogie.

I rub my eyes. "Great."

"And anyway. We've always had parties and stuff here."

"Precisely why I wanted a change of pace."

"He's my friend," he says with pretend petulance, knowing it's annoying me. A mischievous grin creeps across his face, and he continues covering the notes I've been making with this giant doodle of a birthday cake - which looks, for the record, nothing like my salted caramel cheesecake.

"Well. He's my..." I flounder, caught in the age old issue of labels. "Boy...man."

Emmett laughs uproariously. "Hear that, Edward? You're her boy-man!" he yells across the yard.

I stand up, grab my notebook, and hit him with it. "Shut up. Fine. We'll have it here. You plan it. I'll just make the cake. Dickhead."

"Bella," he laughs, but I'm stalking off, more pissed than is rational but dammit.

Edward looks up from where he's been kicking a ball around with Embry, who's been starstruck ever since he realized how big Edward was overseas. Em says he's been watching videos on Youtube like crazy, saying he wants to try out for his school's soccer team one day. He's not really old enough, but the same leagues Edward was considering for Charlie would definitely take Embry, so that's cool.

"What's up?" He blocks a shot from an over-exuberant Embry before it goes careening into the neighbor's yard.

"Emmett's being stupid."

He smirks. "Emmett? Never."

"He's taking over your party." I shrug. "Whatever."

Catching the ball with his hands, he nods at Embry. "Give me a minute, 'kay man?"

Embry jogs off, heading toward the tiring swing.

"It's fine," I say, knowing how juvenile all of this sounds, and that I probably overreacted. Even if my brother is a dickhead. "I guess...the guest list is a bigger than I anticipated. So, it makes sense to have it here."

"I'd rather have it at your house," he says, bouncing the ball back and forth on his knees.

Ugh. He's showing off and it's turning me on.

"Oh, yeah?" I smile, loving that he's trying to placate me. "Why?"

"Because." He shrugs. "Feels like ours. Anyway, the yard's not that small. I don't know who else Em invited..."

I can hear his voice, but I'm still stuck on "ours". My place. Feels like...ours? Can't say that bothers me. Wow.

The ball lands at my feet. I pick it up, looking at him blankly.

"Welcome back. You didn't miss much," he says wryly.

"My place feels like ours," I repeat, giving him a goofy little grin.

"It does, kind of." He comes closer, so close, until he's not touching me but might as well be. His skin's got a nice glow from all that running around in the sun. "That okay?"

"More than okay."

He nods, just once. "Not too fast?"

"No. No way. I know we've only been..." I gesture between us. "Hanging out for a few months, but it feels like way longer."

Our hands touch, and then tangle. I tiptoe to kiss him.

"You know Emmett's just messing with you, right?" Edward says.

"Yeah." Shading my eyes, I gaze up at him. "I know."

I find Charlie in the TV room, pouting.

"Hey, little girl. What's wrong?"

"Stupid Embry."

"What?" Taken aback, I sit down beside her. "You love Embry."

"No." She folds her skinny little arms, moving into a full on scowl.

"What happened?"

Silence.

"Charlie?"

"He wouldn't play with me. He wants to play soccer with Edward but, but, that's not fair. Edward is not for him!"

Ah. I'm beginning to see the problem. "He's not for Embry?"

"No, Mom!"

"Who's he for then?" I ask, amused.

"Edward comes to our house all the time. He's...mine."

"If you want to play with Edward, then go outside and play with him."

"No, Mom," she whines. "I don't want to play with Embry."

"I'm not talking about Embry," I say in exasperation. "Although, if he's playing with Edward, then you'll need to share. Okay?"

"I don't want to share."

I wouldn't want to share Edward either, but that's beside the point. "Come on."

I lead her back outside, where the guys are talking on the patio.

Em scoops her up, tickling her til she giggles. "Chuck Chuck, Bo-Buck! Banana fanna - "

"Emmett!" Rose yells from the yard.

Standing beside Edward, I whisper in his ear. "I think...Charlie was a little jealous you were playing soccer with Embry."

"Aw, was she?"

"I found her sulking."

He nods, stepping forward. "Hey, Chuck."

She stops her squirming and squealing and fixates on him. "Yes?"

"Wanna play with me?"

The way her face lights up...I have to wonder if that's how I look when Edward focuses on me.

"Yeah," she says, uncharacteristically shy. She slides down from Emmett's arms and walks to Edward, taking his hand, but he grabs her and positions her on his shoulders, instead.

"Come on," he says. "We've got a lot of work to do if you're going to be on a junior league."

thanks, so much, for reading.

xoxo