Eight
"Birdie, shake a leg. We need to go before weekend traffic hits!"
Bella rolled her eyes as she finished putting on her shoes, grabbing her phone, and hurrying out of her bedroom. Carlisle was standing next to the front door, an irritated expression on his face, though, she knew he wasn't really upset with her. They needed to hit the supermarket before Myrtle Beach was slammed with tourists.
"About damn time," he snickered.
Again, she rolled her eyes.
"So dramatic," he scoffed, opening the door and waving her through.
Bella hurried down to his truck, climbing into the passenger seat. Carlisle followed, turning the radio up before he reversed out of his parking space and headed into town. Bella turned toward the window, watching the scenery flow, grateful he wasn't using the ten-minute drive to try and coax her to speak to him again.
Carlisle had tried every day since Edward called her a nobody, and every day, she simply kept her feelings locked inside. He wouldn't understand, she told herself, why a silly boy's words hurt her so much. Not like Edward was her boyfriend. Hell, he'd barely been a friend, but she'd confided in him, revealed a part of herself she'd kept locked away for so long.
Carlisle pulled into the parking lot of Publix Super Market at Forest Square, driving up and down the rows until he found an open spot. Bella followed him inside and waited for him to get a shopping cart before they, mainly Carlisle, started adding products to their cart. They started with a couple cases of water, and some tea bags before heading to the produce aisle.
While Carlisle examined heads of lettuce, Bella brought her nails to her mouth, chewing on them as she glanced around. The market was already busy, and it would only get worse as people flooded to the area to escape from their problems. Must be nice, she thought, to leave your worries behind and just have fun.
"What do you think of this one, Birdie?" Carlisle asked, but when Bella turned toward him, she froze. "Birdie?"
Edward was walking down the frozen food aisle, heading directly toward her, with the dark-haired girl from the pier next to him. She said something that made him laugh just before he looked right at her. He stopped, his mouth opening in surprise.
"Birdie," Carlisle said again, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off before she turned her eyes away from Edward.
"I need to use the restroom," she whispered.
"Okay, it's all the way in the back right hand corner."
Bella nodded before she turned and hurried away. She found the ladies room and locked herself in the first stall. Sitting on the toilet, she pulled some tissue out and wiped the moisture that had seeped onto her cheeks. It was irrational to get so worked up over some silly boy who'd called her a nobody, begged her to give him a second chance, and then stood her up. But she couldn't deny the hurt she felt. Edward had seemed different, though. Hadn't he?
Once she'd stopped crying, she took a deep breath, flushed her used tissues, and washed her hands. When she opened the door to the restroom, she found Edward leaning against the wall. He started to smile, but when she turned and walked past him, she heard him sigh.
"Bella, wait!" he said, grabbing her arm and yanking her backward. She tore her arm out of his hand but turned and looked at him. "I'm sorry. I was going to come . . . but something came up."
She nodded, chewing on the inside of her lip.
Edward dragged his hand through her hair, gripping the back of his neck. "My mom had an accident. Spent the last week in the hospital."
"Is she okay?"
Edward frowned. "Not really, but she's home, so . . ."
Bella nodded.
"I would have called, but I don't have your number."
Again, she nodded.
"Can I make it up to you? Tonight? We could go to the Pavilion. Have you been there?"
She shook her head.
"Then go with me."
Bella sighed. "Why? I'm nobody, right? Isn't that what you said?"
"I did, but I didn't mean it like that. I promise."
"Then why'd you say it?"
Edward sighed. "I just . . . My brother . . ."
"You didn't want to tell him about me. I know, but . . . Why?"
"Because he would have made fun of me," he mumbled, his ears turning red.
"Because you were with me?"
"Not you, you, but because I was on a date with a girl."
Though she tried not to, she felt her lips curling upward. "A date? We . . . we were on a date?"
"Weren't we?"
"I guess. I just . . . never thought of it as a date."
Edward frowned. "Oh." He shifted from one foot to the other before shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, can I take you on a date tonight?"
Bella sighed. "How do I know I can trust you to show up this time?"
"I'll just have to prove myself, won't I?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"So you'll go with me?"
"If you show up. But if you don't . . ."
"I will," he promised, smiling. "I promise."
Bella nodded. "I guess we shall see."
Turning, she walked away, trying her hardest to squash the hope that had risen in her chest.
Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Huge shoutout to Sunflower Fran for being an awesome beta!