(no subject)
The next morning he arrived back at his house conveniently after his siblings had departed. Racing up the stairs to change, Edward avoided Esme’s gaze, wondering only once he was half into the khaki pants and beige sweater if he actively reeked of Bella’s scent after the night in her room. He wasn’t sure he could tell. Everything still smelled like her faintly, the cloying feeling in his throat calmed but not gone even for the long run.
It was reason enough not to stay around or go too close and find out.
He couldn’t justify his actions yet. Only acknowledge that they had happened.
Edward had to wait at the edge of the forest near Fork High School - until his siblings had passed into the main building, even though he didn’t miss the silent signal from Alice that she knew he was there without looking to him, until the parking lot was all but empty of other students - before he could slip out of the forest into the parking lot, appearing as though he were any other student walking from a car.
It was simply irony that half way across the lot Bella’s derelict truck rolled into the parking lot.
He’d stopped behind a suburban torn between vanishing into the school and standing there to watch her. It had been settled when Bella glared furiously at his Volvo as she passed it in the parking lot. It was only then that he realized she was still probably furious about their discussion from the day before.
That it had been less than a day still.
That she hadn’t been part of the earth shifting change that had remade his world.
Only barely able to keep from laughing, Edward found himself smiling at the absurdity as he walked toward her parking spot on the furthest side of the parking lot from where his siblings had parked his car. She might not care at all. She might never care. How had that never come to his mind during all those pain, and love, driven hours?
It didn’t change his vow to watch over and protect her.
It would even be better if she didn’t care.
Easier, wiser, and healthier for her.
Edward was very sure of that.
If only she hadn’t dropped her key in that snow melted puddle.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Appear out of thin air.”
“Bella, it’s not my fault If you are exceptionally unobservant.”
“Why the traffic jam last night? I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death.”
“That was for Tyler’s sake, no mine. I had to give him his chance.”
“You-“
“And I’m not pretending you don’t exist.”
“So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler’s van didn’t do the job?”
“Bella, you are utterly absurd.”
“Wait. I’m sorry that was rude. I’m not saying it isn’t true, but it was a rude to say it, anyway.”
“Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I wanted to ask you something but you side tracked me.”
“Do you have a multiple personality disorder?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Fine then. What do you want to ask?”
“I was wondering if, a week from Saturday… You know, the day of the spring dance-“
“Are you trying to be funny?”
“Will you let me finish? I heard you say that you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride?”
“What?”
“Do you want a ride to Seattle?”
“With who?”
“Myself, obviously.”
“Why?”
“Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I’m not sure if your truck can make it.”
“My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern.”
“But can you make it there on one tank of gas?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“The wasting of finite resources is everyone business.”
“Honestly, Edward, I can’t keep up with you. I thought you didn’t want to be my friend.”
“I said that it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be. It would be more prudent for you not to be my friend --
but I’m tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.”
It was reason enough not to stay around or go too close and find out.
He couldn’t justify his actions yet. Only acknowledge that they had happened.
Edward had to wait at the edge of the forest near Fork High School - until his siblings had passed into the main building, even though he didn’t miss the silent signal from Alice that she knew he was there without looking to him, until the parking lot was all but empty of other students - before he could slip out of the forest into the parking lot, appearing as though he were any other student walking from a car.
It was simply irony that half way across the lot Bella’s derelict truck rolled into the parking lot.
He’d stopped behind a suburban torn between vanishing into the school and standing there to watch her. It had been settled when Bella glared furiously at his Volvo as she passed it in the parking lot. It was only then that he realized she was still probably furious about their discussion from the day before.
That it had been less than a day still.
That she hadn’t been part of the earth shifting change that had remade his world.
Only barely able to keep from laughing, Edward found himself smiling at the absurdity as he walked toward her parking spot on the furthest side of the parking lot from where his siblings had parked his car. She might not care at all. She might never care. How had that never come to his mind during all those pain, and love, driven hours?
It didn’t change his vow to watch over and protect her.
It would even be better if she didn’t care.
Easier, wiser, and healthier for her.
Edward was very sure of that.
If only she hadn’t dropped her key in that snow melted puddle.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Appear out of thin air.”
“Bella, it’s not my fault If you are exceptionally unobservant.”
“Why the traffic jam last night? I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death.”
“That was for Tyler’s sake, no mine. I had to give him his chance.”
“You-“
“And I’m not pretending you don’t exist.”
“So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler’s van didn’t do the job?”
“Bella, you are utterly absurd.”
“Wait. I’m sorry that was rude. I’m not saying it isn’t true, but it was a rude to say it, anyway.”
“Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I wanted to ask you something but you side tracked me.”
“Do you have a multiple personality disorder?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Fine then. What do you want to ask?”
“I was wondering if, a week from Saturday… You know, the day of the spring dance-“
“Are you trying to be funny?”
“Will you let me finish? I heard you say that you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride?”
“What?”
“Do you want a ride to Seattle?”
“With who?”
“Myself, obviously.”
“Why?”
“Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I’m not sure if your truck can make it.”
“My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern.”
“But can you make it there on one tank of gas?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“The wasting of finite resources is everyone business.”
“Honestly, Edward, I can’t keep up with you. I thought you didn’t want to be my friend.”
“I said that it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be. It would be more prudent for you not to be my friend --
but I’m tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.”