A/N: I believe this is the chapter everyone's been waiting for, so on you go. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Huge thanks to Heather for her awesomeness.
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After waking up the next morning, I was surprised to find how late it was. I wasn't one for sleeping in so long, but I'd obviously been exhausted. After a long shower, I got dressed, threw on an old hoodie, a ripped pair of jeans, and my purple Chuck Taylor's. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I made my way to the cafeteria for brunch. By the time I finished making my waffle and grabbed a glass of orange juice, Emmett and Rose had arrived.
"Morning, guys," I greeted them once they sat down at the table. They gave me smiles and asked if I'd had a good time the night before.
I shrugged before answering. "It wasn't bad. I'm not a big party person, and I'm not a drinker, but it's always fun being with you guys."
A little while later, Alice and Jasper arrived, and Alice looked like crap. Her usual perfectly-sculpted hair was sitting flat on her head, she wasn't wearing any makeup, and she was sporting a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I'd never seen her look so un-Alice like. She collapsed into the chair Jasper held out for her before asking her wanted she wanted.
"Coffee," she groaned. "Lots and lots of coffee."
With a kiss to the top of her head, Jasper went and got her coffee as well as some food from the line.
"How you feeling, sis?" Emmett boomed, grinning in delight when she groaned and flipped him off.
She muttered something I couldn't understand before sighing in relief when Jasper placed a large mug of coffee and some bacon and eggs in front of her. Jasper shot me a wink as he rubbed Alice's back while she took large gulps of coffee. She was obviously suffering from a hangover, but I couldn't find too much sympathy for her. She did bring it on herself.
"Where's Ed?" Emmett asked Jasper who shook his head.
"I'm guessing he's with Lauren. He didn't come back last night."
And just like that, my appetite was gone. Subconsciously, I knew that he and Lauren were intimate; hell I'd seen her groping him, but hearing he hadn't come back to his room and he'd been with Lauren was sort of a wakeup call. Shoving my plate of food away from me, I leaned back in my chair and stared out the window.
"What are everyone's plans today?" Emmett asked.
"To curl up and die," Alice responded, causing Jasper to chuckle. Emmett grinned and looked at me.
"I'm hitting up the public library in a bit. After that, I'll probably just stay in and read."
Emmett made a face and called me boring, but I knew it was in good fun. I loved reading, and I hadn't gotten much time to do it lately, what with school work and tests. Saying goodbye to them, I threw out my trash and made my way to the parking lot. I hopped in my car and drove the few miles it was to the library.
I lost myself for hours, browsing the shelves and curling up in a chair in front of the fireplace they had. Before I knew it, it was a quarter to four, and I'd been at the library for almost three hours. Gathering my books, I checked them out and got back in my car.
"You!" a venomous voice screamed as I was gathering my bag from the backseat of my car. I turned around and saw Lauren coming toward me, fire in her eyes. Instinctively, I started to back away, and then I stopped. I had nothing to be afraid of. She couldn't really hurt me, and if she tried, well, I'd have to kick her ass.
"Can I help you?" I asked, slinging the strap of my bag across my shoulder and attempting to play it cool.
"Oh, don't stand there and act all innocent. This is all your fucking fault!" she screamed, and I saw a few people in the parking lot stop and look our way.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lauren," I told her although I had a pretty good idea it had to do with Edward.
Not wanting to stand there and have Lauren draw any more attention our way, I began walking toward the dorm. Lauren, however, wasn't to be deterred. She stepped right in front of me and began screaming in my face. I was seconds away from punching her, and I wasn't normally prone to violence. Her screams had definitely attracted attention now, and people near us were stopping and staring.
"God, would you shut up? You're making a total ass of yourself," I told her, pushing past her so I could continue on my way.
She reached out and grabbed my arm, digging her fake nails into my arm, and it freaking hurt. Whirling around, I aimed the small can of pepper spray on my keychain at her face. I was more than willing to use it.
"Let go, now!"
Immediately, her hand let go of my arm, but I didn't lower the canister.
"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but leave me out of it," I hissed at her.
"You don't know what my problem is? Are you stupid? Edward broke up with me because of you!"
"Oh, hell no. You aren't blaming that crap on me," I told her. "He broke up with you because of you, not because of me. Deal with it."
With those final words, I whirled back around and went inside, doing my best to ignore the stares aimed at me. I walked as fast as I could without running, tripping a few times on my way up the stairs, and I noticed that my hands trembled as I attempted to unlock the door to my room. I hated confrontation of any kind, but it had gotten worse after Mike had attacked me.
I finally managed to get the door opened, and I tossed my bag on the desk chair before collapsing on my bed. My whole body was trembling by that time, and I curled myself up into a ball. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before getting up and grabbing a book out of my bag. Reading always settled me down, so I read for a little while until my phone buzzed with a text from Alice. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet for dinner at The Ed Grill in the student center. I sent her a text back, agreeing to meet her, and got ready.
I'd calmed down considerably so by the time I got there, I was practically back to being my normal self. Getting in line, I ordered a basket of chicken strips and some fries, realizing that I was starving.
"You'll never guess what happened," Alice said once I'd taken a seat.
"Edward broke up with Lauren?" I guessed, and her mouth fell open.
"How did you know that?"
"Because that crazy bitch came at me in the parking lot earlier," I said in disgust. "She made a real ass of herself. Screaming and yelling at me about how it was my fault they broke up. I told her she couldn't lay the blame at my feet."
I took a bite of my food, watching as their jaws dropped.
"Did you smack her?" Rose wanted to know, and I shook my head.
"No, but I did pull my pepper spray on her," I said, grinning when they howled.
"No fucking way!" Rose gasped. "Oh, I wish I could've seen that. Please, please tell me you sprayed her with it."
I shook my head. "No, but it was awfully tempting."
"I don't think I could have resisted," Rose said with a shake of her head, and I let out a laugh. Knowing Rose, she would have sprayed Lauren and then beat her ass.
"I didn't want to deal with her screeching any more than I had to. She was so freaking loud, and thanks to her, a bunch of people were staring at us. I was a bit embarrassed," I admitted.
"Don't be," Alice said with a shake of her head. "If anyone should be embarrassed, it's her. She made a complete ass out of herself, and she wonders why Edward broke up with her."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure the gossip mill is running wild with the news that they broke up and that it's my fault."
Rose shook her head. "Screw them if that's what they think. Besides, anyone who knows Lauren will know she's the real reason he broke up with her."
Changing subjects, we spent the remainder of dinner talking about the upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving was coming up quick, and Alice and Rose were practically vibrating with excitement about shopping on Black Friday. I cringed at the thought. Mom and I had gone once, then never again. It wasn't worth it. Stay home and shop online. That's what I always did, assuming I managed to stay up that late. Most of the time, I was collapsed in my bed in a turkey coma before midnight.
"Hey, ladies," a southern voice interrupted as Jasper approached our table. He gave Alice a "not quite appropriate in public" kiss and asked what we were up to.
"Not much," I said right as Rose told him all about my encounter with Loony Lauren.
"Yeah, that girl sure was spittin' fire when she left our room. Almost ran me over, and if looks could've killed, I'd be a dead man," he told us.
"How's Edward holding up?" I asked.
Jasper shrugged as he stole a fry from my plate. "He'll be okay. He just needs some time to himself for a bit. They were together for a year, and breaking up with someone isn't easy."
Yeah, unless that person was trying to beat the shit out of you, I thought to myself. Then it was plenty easy.
We stayed and talked until the grill closed before leaving the student center and making our way back to the dorm. We were just walking in at the same time that Edward was walking out. He gave us a small smile before heading toward his car, and Alice shot him a worried look. Telling us she'd be right back, she ran after him, stopping him with a hand on his arm. Whatever she said to him had a genuine smile crossing his face, and he reached down to give her a hug. She hugged him back before running back to us.
"Everything okay?" Jasper asked, and Alice nodded.
….
A week went by, and the only time I'd seen Edward was in class. Ever since he'd broken things off with Lauren, he'd been different. Not a bad different, just a different different. He was more quiet than usual, and real smiles barely crossed his lips. At least he looked more rested than he had, but he didn't look peaceful. I began to wonder if it was my fault they broke up. I'd gotten some rather nasty glares and words tossed my way by Lauren's friends as well as complete strangers. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Had I wished they would break up? Yeah, of course. But, I didn't think I'd done anything to cause it to happen. I hadn't flirted with him or made advances of any kind. I'd just been his friend.
So, I was a bit surprised when there was a knock on my door at a little after six in the evening, and I opened it to find Edward standing there. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was a glorious mess.
"Hey," I said, surprised to see him.
"Hey," he responded with a small smile. "Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all," I told him, holding the door open and moving out of the way. I noticed as he walked by that he was wearing mismatched socks on his feet and no shoes.
He plopped down on Alice's bed and stretched out, his shirt riding up a bit and giving me a glimpse of some nicely sculpted abs.
"I'm sorry I've been a crappy friend lately," he said, and I shook my head.
"You haven't. You've been dealing with a lot, and you needed your space. It's completely understandable."
He grabbed one of Alice's pillows and shoved it under his head as he stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah, I guess, but I still feel like I …. Ugh. I don't know," he said with a sigh, picking at the hem of his shirt with his hand.
"You're probably feeling a lot. Sad because you broke up with someone you'd been with for a long time, a bit happy because you're free and single again, possibly angry or hurt. I think, for some people, breaking up with someone can be really hard."
He rolled over on his side, tucking a hand under the pillow, and looked at me.
"Have you ever broken up with someone?"
I nodded.
"Did it upset you?"
I let out a snort. "Hardly. It was the best thing I'd done since I'd gotten myself into that relationship."
"So you didn’t love him?" Edward probed.
"No, and even if I had, it wouldn't have been enough to put up with him and his shit," I scowled as I thought about Mike.
"I guess some relationships aren't meant to be. I mean, I wasn't in love with Lauren, but I thought maybe over time I would be," he said quietly. "Stupid, huh?"
I shrugged. "Not really. I think we all want love, but we can't force it. You either love someone, or you don't."
And looking at him across the room, I could easily see myself falling in love with Edward.
"Me, too," he said with a sigh, rolling onto his back once again.
A peaceful quiet fell across the room, and I picked up the book that was lying on the floor next to my bed and began to read. Edward lay where he was, and for a while, I thought he might have fallen asleep, that is, until a loud rumble erupted from his stomach. I couldn't contain the giggle that slipped out, and he rolled over and glared at me.
"What? I'm hungry. I haven't really eaten in days."
Standing up, I walked over to my desk and grabbed my phone and the pizza menu which I tossed at him. He caught it and gave me a smile.
"Pizza does sound good."
Yeah, it did. A large pepperoni pizza with jalapenos, a side of potato chips, and a Coke was right up my alley. He looked over the menu and asked what I was getting.
"Pepperoni and jalapenos," I told him, waiting for the usual reaction of disgust I got to that. However, I was more than surprised when he agreed that it sounded delicious.
"Yeah?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.
"Yeah," he replied with a grin.
"Chips and Coke okay with it?" I asked him, and he nodded. While I placed the order, Edward went over to my bookshelf and began riffling through my DVDs. Finding a few that must have looked good to him, he sat back down on Alice's bed.
"What are we watching?" I asked after I hung up.
Edward held up three movies, and I debated as I looked at each of them. Spaceballs which always got me laughing, Misery because who didn't love a good Stephen King movie, or Wall-E which was a great feel good movie. I looked over each one carefully then at Edward. The guy could definitely use a good laugh, so I chose Spaceballs.
"May the Schwartz be with you." he grinned as he put the DVD into the player.
Now, my TV setup wasn't as grand as Edward and Jasper's, but it was doable. The TV was on a stand between Alice's bed and mine. While the movie was loading, my phone rang, and I ran downstairs to greet the pizza guy. I took the pizza, chips, and soda back up to the room and ran into Emmett in the hallway. His eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at my full hands.
"Geez, Little Swan. That's a lot of food."
"Not all for me," I told him with a grin. "Edward and I are having pizza and movie night, but you can have a slice of this if you want."
Balancing the box carefully, he opened it up and snagged a piece, eyeing it wearily.
"It's not bad," he mumbled through a mouthful of awesomeness, and I grinned.
We parted ways, and I continued back to my room where the door was opened before I could knock. Edward took the pizza and the two-liter of Coke from me, and I set the bag of chips down on my desk. Having apparently rifled through Alice's things, Edward had found some paper plates, napkins, and cups.
Before long, we were laughing as we ate our pizza and chips while the movie played. I glanced over at Alice's bed where Edward was eating, and it was great to see him relaxing. Of course, that probably wouldn't last long after Alice found out that he ate in her bed.
"Thanks for this, Bella," Edward said, catching me looking at him. "I appreciate it."
I shrugged off his thanks. "It's no biggie. Besides, I was in the mood for pizza and didn't want to feel like a pig eating alone, so this works out well for me."
By the time midnight rolled around, we'd watched all three movies, eaten an entire pizza, and were wired from all the soda we'd had. We were loud and hyper as we discussed which of Mel Brooks' movies were the best. I was partial to Young Frankenstein while Edward loved Men in Tights. It was a good one, but not the best as far as I was concerned.
"Have the two of you been drinking?" Alice asked from the doorway, scaring the crap out of us. We both jumped at her voice and then cracked up when we looked at each other.
"Just Coke," I told her, and she looked as if she didn't believe me. "I swear."
She nodded and scanned the room as she closed the door behind her. I knew the minute she spotted the plate and napkins on her bed because her face turned red, and her fists went on her tiny waist.
"Edward Anthony Cullen!" she yelled, and I giggled as she middle-named him. "Did you—you did! You ate pizza in my bed! And chips! Oh my God, Edward! I swear if I find one crumb in my bed, you're going to be doing my laundry for a week."
I was cracking up as she yelled at him, and then she turned her gaze on me. Immediately, I shut up and gave her my most innocent smile. She wasn't fooled.
"And you," she began. "I know this was probably all your idea, so you'll be helping him if I find any crumbs anywhere in here."
I rolled my eyes at her as I swore I'd clean the place up spick and span. Then it was her turn for the eye roll.
"Hmph. Well, I'll be back in a bit, and I'd better not find any crumbs!" she hollered as Jasper pulled her out the door and shut it.
Edward and I looked at each other grinning. Grabbing the trash can, I began to throw away our dirty plates and napkins as Edward began to sweep off Alice's bed with his hands.
"Here," I said, handing him a lint roller. "This'll work better."
He grinned as he took it. "Thanks, Bella. Not just for this," he said, holding up the lint roller, "but for the whole evening. It was needed."
"No problem. That's what friends are for," I told him, and then I was thrown off guard when he dropped the lint roller on Alice's bed and pulled me into a hug.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relish in it for a few minutes before we both pulled away. I knew for a fact I was blushing, so I kept my gaze adverted from his and began to gather up what was left of the trash. We cleaned up in silence for a few minutes before Edward offered to empty the trash can. I handed it to him and told him thanks. The second he was out the door, I collapsed on my bed and took a deep breath. It had just been a friendly hug that didn't mean anything.
I heard his footsteps coming back down the hall, so I quickly stood up and smoothed my hair back in place. I needed to act cool, like his hug hadn't just made my insides quiver.
"Thank you again," he said as he came in the door. "I really needed a good laugh after the week I've had."
"I figured you might," I said with a smile, sitting back down on my bed.
"Oh, yeah. It really sucks because I have two classes with Lauren, and I'm fairly certain every single person in each one of them are aware we broke up. How could they not be, what, with the dirty looks she keeps throwing my way? It doesn't help that she and Bree keep talking about me just loud enough for me to catch my name but not what they're saying."
I scowled at his words. "She's so freaking immature. I get that she's upset and everything, but grow up. She doesn't need to be talking crap about you or getting in my face in the parking lot."
"What?" he asked, looking at me with confusion on his face.
Oh, shit. He didn't know.
"Oh, um … last week after I got back from the library, she started yelling at me in the parking lot. It must have been right after you broke up because she was wild-eyed and crazy. She made a real scene and basically accused me of breaking the two of you up."
He sat down hard on Alice's bed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's such bullshit. You didn't break us up. I broke up with her because she'd changed and become this incredibly difficult and jealous person. She'd become someone I didn't want to be around anymore. I explained all of that to her, not that it went over well. Did she accuse me of cheating on her with you? She probably did, didn't she?"
"I'd never allow myself to become the other woman," I said with a scoff. "Besides, I'm not the kind of girl who poaches."
"However, she was right about one thing," he said quietly, piquing my interest.
"What's that?"
"She accused me of liking you more than I should," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him. As a matter of fact, I was sure I hadn't heard him right because if I had, then he'd just admitted that he liked me … and for more than a friend.
"Oh."
I really didn't know what to say to him. I was totally falling for him, but he needed time to just be himself and be single. I definitely didn't want to be a rebound, and after my relationship with Mike, the idea of being in another relationship was a little scary.
Edward fidgeted on Alice's bed, and his hands went to his hair again. "Uh … well …" he trailed off, and I saw that his ears had turned a bit red.
"That wasn't a bad oh," I explained, my face bright red. "It was more of a surprised, I had no idea kind of oh."
"So, not a bad oh?" he asked, and I shook my head. He sighed with relief before letting out a huge yawn.
"Okay, then," he said, standing up. "I'm going to crash, but let's meet for breakfast?"
I nodded and gave him a smile as he walked out. Once he was gone, I tossed myself on my bed, buried my face in my pillow, and let loose with a very girly squee. While he hadn't admitted outright that he was crushing on me the way I was on him, he'd still admitted he liked me more than he should have. I guess that could have been taken as a bad thing, but I was going to think of it as something good.
Twenty minutes after Edward left, I was under the covers in my pjs and reading a book. Alice hadn't come back yet, but I knew I'd most likely be grilled by her when she arrived. I was right. A few minutes after she got back to the room and inspected her bed, she flopped down on it and demanded to know what was going on between Edward and me.
"Nothing," I told her honestly. "He came around earlier to apologize for being a crappy friend which I told him that he wasn't. He looked so sad, Alice. I thought some pizza and movies would help cheer him up, and I was right. There's nothing going on."
"Well there should be. The two of you would be so perfect together. I've known that since the day I met you."
"He needs time, Alice. Besides, I'm not sure he thinks of me as girlfriend material," I told her although I was beginning to think he might.
"Pssh. Of course, he does. I can tell these things, and he's crazy about you."
"Well, he did say that Lauren accused him of liking me more than he should, and he told me she was right."
Alice let out a squeal and jumped up from her bed and twirled around in a circle like a mad woman. I stared at her as if she'd lost her freaking mind, and I was pretty certain she had when she reached down and grabbed me in a tight hug.
"I knew it! I just knew it!" she shouted with a grin after she let me go.
"You knew what?"
"I knew he liked you. I've never seen him take to another girl so quickly or get so defensive when Lauren started bad mouthing someone. This is gonna be great! We can go on double or triple dates, and we can—"
"Whoa," I interrupted. "Let's not get ahead of things, Alice. We don't even know for sure that Edward would want to date me. Besides, he just got out of a yearlong relationship. He's probably going to want to be single for a while."
"Fine, but I'm telling you right now, the two of you will be dating by Christmas. I know it."
I rolled my eyes at her predictions. Sure, I hoped it would come true, but I wasn't holding my breath.
...
a/n: Love to hear what you thought.