Keep Coming Back for More - 18. Candlelight
Candlelight
Edward
The conversation with Emmett the day after my night with Bella didn’t help much. Even that was the understatement of the century, if I was being honest. I was just as confused about the whole Bella situation as I had been before I talked to him, except now there was the danger of the rest of the gang finding out about all that had been going on. A few days later and I was still none the wiser regarding my feelings, her feelings or anyone else’s thoughts, since I made sure not to run into any of them. I’ve seen Alice and Jasper at the club last night, but I avoided them at the end by staying for drinks with the staff after closing time.
I figured Alice had her suspicions, but Jasper and Rosalie were the ones I was more worried about. Either of them was well capable of ripping my head and various other body parts off, not stopping to let me explain that I wasn’t trying to hurt Bella. Absent-mindedly, I reached for her hoodie that was still hanging off the chair next to my bed and breathed n her perfume like the pathetic hormonal boy with a crush that I was.
Wait, what? Crush?
My eyes shot up and found the mirror hanging on my wardrobe. I was met with a puzzled look that perfectly expressed how I felt for once.
Did I have a crush on Bella? Granted, my adult self laughed at the use of the word, but what else could it be? Whatever Bella and I had going on was beyond a casual fling, judging by the fact that neither of us was obviously willing to talk about it that way. Or any other way, now that I actually thought about every time I had seen Bella since the first ‘reunion’ night. If it was just casual, we would have done the awkward morning greeting and possibly exchanged phone numbers to give each other the chance for a booty call.
I knew all too well how much I liked Bella even back in school, I remembered the meadow and the afternoon spent away from the madness that was the graduation party at Alice’s house. I remembered how much I wanted to have more time to spend with her, but I left for college shortly after and the chances to talk to her became fewer and further apart.
“Edward?” Jasper’s voice came from the front hall, “Are you OK?”
“Yeah, Jazz, come in,” I called out to him.
“The guy from the reception let me in,” Jas explained as he reached my bedroom, “I tried to call you, but…”
I remembered my phone that was now most likely off, as I never thought to charge my battery.
“Sorry, I forgot to plug the phone in,” I explained while rummaging in my bedside table for the charger.
“I figured it was something like that,” Jasper laughed, “I’d be a bit put off if you’d ignored me deliberately.”
“Why would I do that?” I attempted to sound offended but as our eyes met, we both laughed.
Jasper threw me a can of Coke after dropping a shopping bag on the table in the sitting room and I gave him a thankful look.
“I thought you could do with some refreshment,” he said between gulps of his own Coke, “you look like I thought you would.”
“Huh?” my confused look returned to my face.
“I just figured you stayed out a little longer than you’d planned last night.”
In the silence that followed, my mind prepared itself for the ‘what have you done?’ and ‘hurt her and I will kill you’ speeches, but Jasper didn’t look like he was about to rip me a new one.
“Are you okay?” he said quietly, concern obvious in his voice.
“Fine,” I lied.
“Edward…”
“I’m… confused,” I finally said aloud, not sure if he would understand.
“You like her a lot, right?”
My eyes flew open as my head spun around to face him and I felt my jaw drop.
“How…”
“You’re both way too obvious,” he laughed softly, “even without Alice’s interfering and nosy ways; I see there’s something going on.”
Jasper looked at me and I could feel him willing me to slip into confessional mode, but I wasn’t ready to share anything too specific. And that included my feelings for Bella, whatever they were or weren’t. For a while, we sat in silence, sipping on our drinks and I let my mind drift off to the fateful night again. Bella leaving while as far as she thought I was still asleep had hit me more than I expected and I now wished I hadn’t let her walk out like that.
I shook my head to throw off the thoughts and finally took a proper look at Jasper. He was way too dressed up for a casual visit and I suddenly realized I forgot it was his birthday. Jumping off the couch, I walked into my bedroom and rummaged through my desk for the present I got him a few weeks ago.
“Hey,” his voice was right next to me and I jumped a little in surprise, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but you darted out of the room so suddenly, I wondered if you were alright” Jasper’s voice trailed off.
“Happy birthday, man,” I smiled as I handed him the package I finally noticed on the shelf above my desk.
“Thanks,” his concern vanished out of his face and he began opening the gift.
But as he moved to leave the wrapping paper in the basket next to the desk, he froze for a moment and my eyes followed his gaze to Bella’s hoodie lying on my bed.
“Is that…”
“Jasper, I…” my voice got caught in my throat as I waited for him to shout at me or punch me.
But he simply stood there and watched me, waiting for me to say … I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say. Was I supposed to apologize, to explain, or to tell him how I felt about her?
“Edward,” Jasper once again brought me back to reality, “I can drop it back to her, if you want…” he let his voice fade.
“No,” I said quickly, maybe too quickly, “I’ll … It might get us talking if I do it.”
“Sure,” Jasper laughed, “why don’t you bring it with you tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“Alice is planning a party she thinks I don’t know about,” he grinned, “and I’m here to drag you out to the dinner we’re apparently going to,” he pointed out his clothes, “so you better get ready.”
Without thinking twice about what I was doing, I walked to my wardrobe, took out a shirt and a decent pair of jeans, looking at Jasper for approval. After he confirmed that the dinner wasn’t going to be a completely formal affair and jeans were fine, channelling Alice for a moment as he suggested I wear a navy shirt with a black tie, I headed off to the shower, so we could leave shortly.
We were just in time for the booking at the restaurant and we were the first ones to arrive, which Jasper seemed to have expected as he mumbled something about a dramatic entrance. We were led to the reserved table, which was decorated in a romantic theme more suitable for Valentine’s Day than a birthday dinner, candles burning in the centrepiece and everything on the table having a red rose theme.
I tried to not look confused, but failed miserably, though I was wrong in hoping for an explanation from him. The enlightening regarding the dramatic entrance came from somewhere else entirely.
Alice walked in about ten minutes later, as we were finishing our first drink of the night and she was followed by an amused-looking Rosalie and a shockingly dressed-up Emmett. But my eyes were glued to one face and one face only.
Bella was wearing a top in exactly the same colour as my shirt and I would’ve raised my eyebrow at Jasper questioningly if I had been able to tear my gaze from her. She seemed taller than usual and after my eyes finished following the curve of her perfectly fitting jeans, I noted that she was surprisingly wearing high heels, which must’ve been Alice’s doing.
I was lost.
“Hey guys,” Alice’s chirpy voice took my attention away from Bella, who was now at the table but not before I realized Bella had seen me stare nor before I noticed a blush on her cheeks.
Rosalie slightly frowned as she realized she was expected to be sitting next to Emmett, but surprisingly, the outburst I expected never came. She and Emmett exchanged a look which could only be described as private and they remained silent as they sat down on their chairs.
I wasn’t sure what happened during the dinner, my mind too occupied with the way the candlelight made Bella’s hair shimmer, because before long, we were gathering up to leave. Jasper’s presents were apparently waiting for him at the house and I briefly considered leaving to my own place as I’ve already done that part.
“Edward,” Rosalie turned to me, “You are coming over, aren’t you?”
“Um… yeah, sure,” I mumbled unconvincingly, but found my hand being held by Alice’s.
“Of course he is,” she laughed, “the night is not over yet.”
“Alice,” I pulled her towards me, “what have you got planned?”
“Oh nothing much, just a few more drinks to celebrate Jazz’s milestone,” she giggled, her eyes not meeting mine.
She was definitely up to something, but I had no chance to protest as we left the restaurant and found cabs already waiting for us at the entrance. Emmett was already in the front seat of the first one and Alice let my hand go to drag Jasper into the backseat.
“Edward, come on,” Rosalie laughed, “you are not escaping this.”
Bella was sitting in the back of the other taxi, talking to Rose in the front and I climbed in next to her, our hands brushing against each other as we put on our seatbelts. The sparks of electricity jumping from her skin to mine made me shiver and almost groan in frustration. Being so close to her all I wanted to do was to touch her, but Rosalie seemed to keep an eye on me all the way to the house.
As I watched Bella get out of the cab, her shirt clinging to the curves of her body, my mind was only occupied by one thought.
The woman was going to be the death of me.