Story Title: Cascades

Summary: One by one, Bella's friends fall in love, but not Bella. She's too busy avoiding someone.

Pairing: Edward and Bella

Rating: M

Word count: 9967

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

.

"Have fun with your teenagers," Alice called out the second I exited the car.

I closed the door on her comment, but still heard Rosalie and Jess's cackling laughter. I glared at them as they drove off, leaving me with the silence of the parking lot. It was their fault for the mess I was in after all. I was fine staying in the dorms, but no, Alice wanted to rent an apartment. Sharing a dorm room had been great. Having our own place was amazing, but as soon as our lease was up, she ditched me to move in with her boyfriend, Jasper. Cool, calm, and collected, Jasper was a perfect accompaniment to Alice's crazy. There was no doubt about it. Even though I loved having her as a roommate, I understood when she was ready to move in with him a few weeks after they started dating.

Luckily, Rosalie was happy to take her place, but a few months into our lease, Emmett happened. I didn't get it, not for a while, and especially not with her reasoning. "Now, that is a man, Bella." I wondered if she'd not seen a man before. If she was going for men being more mature than the typical college guy, maybe that would have made sense, but even though Emmett was a few years older, he was as immature as they came. He had a collection of toys that included whoopee cushions and fart spray. It wasn't until Rosalie's grandfather got sick that I saw a side of Emmett that she knew was there all along. She was hysterical, and I couldn't get her to calm down. Emmett came right over, picked her up off the floor, and whispered in her ear for hours, all the while, managing to book them both flights to her hometown. When they got back, they packed up her stuff and brought it all to his townhouse, but not before setting me up to live with someone else.

Jess managed to stay until the end of Rosalie's lease, but as soon it was time to renew, the girl went out one night and came home, declaring she was getting married. I didn't think they'd go through with it, but she and Mike were blissfully happy to hurry up and settle down.

It was a domino effect. One that passed me right by. Being left behind had become my life story, but it was hard to be mad when I was so damn happy for my friends. I was on high alert for a while, ready for that other half of my own perfect relationship to manifest itself and be instantly ready to live with me. That didn't last long. As desperate as I was to remedy my living situation, even if I magically found my other half, I knew myself well enough to know that I wasn't one to rush anything. The soulmate bug wasn't as contagious as I first thought.

I kept my head down as I walked past my overcrowded living room. It was game night at my place, and my friends were well aware that they were bringing me back too soon.

I closed my bedroom door, but it didn't matter. I still knew they were out there. I took a deep breath and put in my earphones. My friends may have played their part in the situation I'd found myself in, but I couldn't complain, not really.

Having a couple for roommates had seemed like a blessing. I didn't have to worry about them falling in love and deserting me, but with them came weekly game nights. I was well aware when they moved in that they liked to play games and have dinner with a few friends. My own friends preferred to go out, so I thought it'd be fun. What I didn't realize was that they weren't talking about board games, and game night had a tendency to mean all night long. I joined in their fun the first few times, but it became quickly evident that video games weren't the only thing that had me feeling like I was in junior high.

I powered on my laptop, ready to try and get some work done despite the gathering on the other side of the wall.

Just when I hit my stride, there was a break in songs and a knock on my bedroom door as a male voice called my name. It didn't sound like Ben. That left Garrett, Alec, or Edward. I pulled my earbuds out. My heart pounded as I walked over to see who it was. There was a very good reason I'd taken to dealing with my roommates' guests by avoiding them. I leaned my head against the wooden door. I didn't know if I could handle turning down another pizza offer or another question of if I was all right because I looked sad or worried about something. How did a guy so engrossed in video games notice such things anyway? For as observant as he was, he didn't seem to get that being around him made it hard for me to speak.

There was another knock. I looked down as I opened the door. My heart no longer pounded. It had quit beating altogether. "Yeah?"

"Oh, hey, you answered. Do you like Chinese food?"

"Um...?" I looked up because it was Alec, the baby-faced one, the one with the long hair always pushed back under a baseball cap. Alec, I could handle. "Why?" I asked, not sure if it was a general question or an invitation.

He laughed, and I smiled like I got the joke. "We were going to order takeout, and since you're home, we thought we'd ask."

I nodded, glad that at least he'd referred to himself as the collective unit I tended to call him and his friends in my mind.

I'd just gotten back from splitting an appetizer with my friends, and I could have been okay with that, but I knew I'd probably be hungry by the time I went to bed. I didn't really want to hang out with everyone. It had been a lot easier to just spend time with Angela when Ben had his "boys' night out." Sure, it was easier, but it was also ridiculous. I couldn't let a silly crush on one of my roommates' friends make everything so damn awkward.

"I like fried rice…and egg rolls…and noodles. I don't really like shrimp though, but chicken is okay. Whatever is fine. I have money. Hold on, okay?" I turned around to find my wallet.

"You don't have to pay," he said.

I paused and turned back around. "I don't?"

"You feed us all the time. It's fine. We got it." He smiled and there were dimples. It was very sweet. Sometimes, I made muffins. Really, they were just from a box mix, and I left the extras out on the table. Some mornings, these guys were crashed in my living room. Other mornings, they were still awake when I woke up, as if sleeping wasn't a real need.

When the food arrived, I made my way out to join Angela, Ben, and their trio of friends, but only two of the guys were there, Alec and Edward. There was no way Garrett wasn't far behind. Despite my resolve to be less awkward, I quickened my pace as I passed the living room and headed toward the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of white wine out of the fridge, happy I could at least contribute something to the meal.

When I closed the door, Edward was just there, hands in his pockets and furrowed brow under tousled hair as he looked at the wall behind me.

"So…you just don't like pizza then?"

"What?" I looked down at the wine label. Looking at him was overwhelming. Being in his presence so directly was almost unbearable. "I like pizza. Doesn't everyone?"

"Okay, so it's just me then. Got it," he said and walked away.

I stood there a moment, watching his back as the frosted glass cleared under the heat of my fingers. Sure, I never joined them for pizza, but he'd never seemed bothered by it. It always seemed like a common courtesy, like, hey, there's food here. Help yourself.

He didn't join the rest of us in loading up our plates and sitting around the table. Instead, he put headphones over his ears and positioned a microphone as his game loaded. I tried to let it go and just eat, but I started recalling our every interaction. I didn't think I'd ever been rude, but… maybe? He sometimes gave me these hints of smiles that might as well have been huge ones with the way they made my heart race. He didn't have the easy-going personality his friends had. He was serious, but maybe that was confidence or an air of responsibility. I still struggled to understand how not eating pizza with everyone meant that I had some sort of problem with him.

The third member of the trio, Garrett, walked through the door with his motorcycle helmet under his arm and his signature flipflops on his feet. He may have been as attractive as Edward, they all were attractive in their own way, but I couldn't take him seriously when he wore flipflops while riding a motorcycle. He eyed the food before gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder and asked, "What's he sulking about now?"

Ben chuckled. "Who knows. He's in a mood today."

Garrett grabbed two longneck, glass bottles off the table and brought one over to where Edward seemed to be in a world of his own. He pulled the side of the headphones off Edward's ear and said, "Come eat. I'm not making you a plate." He handed him the bottle as he let go of the headphones.

"How was the date?" Angela asked Garrett as he walked our way.

He scoffed. "Horrid."

She laughed and looked to me. "Have you ever been on a blind date?"

I grimaced. "No, Alice says it's a college bucket list must, but I'm sure it'd be as bad as the guys she tries to set me up with that I know about."

"Ooo, if she changes your mind, tell her I know someone that could be a consideration."

"Who are you thinking?" Garrett asked as he took an empty plate for himself and passed another to Edward.

"Peter," she said and looked around, as if seeking the group's approval.

"You sure?" Alec asked as he shoveled more rice onto his plate even though he hadn't finished what he already had.

Angela waved her hand. "Peter's great. Bella's great. Together, they could be really great."

"Yeah, really great." Edward set down his empty plate and unopened beer bottle. "I'm heading out."

There were nods, fist bumps, and goodnight wishes, but I didn't say anything. He didn't look my way, even though I was looking directly at him for once. He was wearing long-sleeves, but the sleeves were pushed up above his elbows making their length pointless. Maybe the apartment was too hot, and he wasn't leaving because of me.

Then, he just left like he hadn't said all that he'd said to me. Wasn't there more to say? Garrett followed him out the door. I had no clue what to think.

"Is he okay?" I asked Angela as everyone else continued eating and chatting.

She glanced toward the front door. "Yeah, he just does this sometimes. I'm sure he's fine."

I nodded but still wondered what was up. I had never seen him act like that before, but I did the best I could to listen to Angela rave about Peter as I sipped on wine and smiled where appropriate. The more I learned, the less it felt like a blind date that she was trying to set me up on and instead, more like she was helping the guy fill the position of being my boyfriend.

Alec nudged me with his elbow before, in a subtle maneuver, showing me a photo of Peter on his phone. The way Angela described him in terms of his fraternity and guaranteed future position at his father's company came across like he had his life all planned out, but he also sounded spoiled. The polo shirt and country club location tag did more to prove my initial impression. Alec coughed in his hand to cover up the laugh he had at my reaction. I thanked Angela for thinking of me but turned down her offer.

It didn't escape my notice that for being a friend of theirs and with as close as these friendships seemed to be, this Peter guy had never been around.

.

The apartment was silent as the sun rose. I swiped through profile after profile as I waited for my coffee to brew. I may have turned down Angela's blind date offer, but the idea of trying again in the dating world didn't sound as daunting as it usually did. I'd looked through dating apps a few times over the years, but I had to admit, my initial judgments of people tended to be harsh. Profile pictures didn't tend to give the chance of a second impression, but even if they did, I didn't leave them on my screen long enough to find out. It was no surprise to me or anyone, that among my friends, I was the only one who didn't have a whirlwind love story.

"I think you have to swipe the other way occasionally to get any results there," Edward said, startling me.

"Is that right?" I kept swiping to cover up my embarrassment at being caught, not only on a dating app but also with how quickly I swiped men off my phone. "Are you on here? I haven't seen you yet." I slowed my swiping. If he was on there, my rhythm would probably have me swiping him away before I even realized it was him. Not that I would have declared my interest if I did come across him, but I wanted to at least contemplate it.

"No, not currently. Maybe I should try that route though. Which app is that?"

I showed him my phone and busied myself with pouring creamer in my coffee. His consideration of being on the app meant he wasn't seeing anyone. That information was noteworthy.

"Coffee," I offered, extending the cup I'd made his way.

"Oh, no thanks. Caffeine makes me nauseous."

"Does the smell bother you?" I asked, ready to pour the contents of my mug down the drain. I didn't like the idea of him associating me with being nauseated.

"No, it's fine. I just don't like how I act when I drink it, not that I need caffeine to act like a jackass. I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have said anything. I probably shouldn't even have come over here, and now, I'm like…"

"Nauseous," I offered, feeling nervously queasy myself after talking to him for so long.

He chuckled. It was a short and breathy burst. I wanted to hear it again, but I also really wanted to excuse myself from his presence.

"It's fine," I said, balancing my coffee as I walked past him. "Don't worry about it. We all have bad days. About the pizza… I meet up with some friends sometimes for dinner, but last night the appetizer we shared was more like a snack, so when Alec offered Chinese food, it seemed like a smart thing to do…you know, to eat more." I started walking backward toward my room, trying to retreat, but he was following me as I continued speaking. "Next time you get pizza, I'll eat with you guys, or if I already ate, I could come hang out or something. I could even buy food sometime for everyone. I definitely don't have anything against you…or any of you," I added, hoping that I hadn't hinted that he was ever singled out in my mind from his friends. They were a collective group, and I was trying to stick with that. "Okay, it was nice talking to you."

I closed my bedroom door. I had no idea if he had anything more to say. I didn't even know what expressions he was making because the whole time I was speaking, not once did I look at his face.

I set my coffee on my desk and opened the door. "Edward, wait."

He was halfway down the hall, but he turned around and was face to face with me in what seemed like two steps. "Yeah?"

I got caught in his eyes, too damned green to be natural, but as much as I avoided looking at him, I couldn't look away. "Do you have a key to my apartment?"

"No." He took a step back. "Ben and I have Econ together. He unlocked the door before he jumped in the shower, so I could let myself in. Is that weird? Should I wait outside?"

I shook my head. "You're fine. I just didn't see Ben, so I didn't know. I have to go get ready too, so…"

I started to close the door, but he leaned with it, still trying to see me as I tried to shut myself off from seeing him. "Do you have class? You could ride with us."

"Thanks, but no. I'm working this morning." I closed the door. My head fell back as I released the knob. Somehow, I stifled my groan. I may not have had class, but I worked in the campus bookstore, so I could have ridden over with them. Instead, I drank my coffee while swiping through single guys, wondering what Edward's profile picture would look like.

.

.

I moved Angela's casserole surprise around my plate, as I listened to Alec practice his pitch for a new app idea. Apparently, a friend of his had recently started working for a start-up developer, giving Alec connections. I had felt a little guilty at first for bowing out on my dinner plans with my friends when Angela asked me to stay. Jess's husband worked as a bartender most evenings, Jasper sometimes had band practice, and Emmett had a few evening classes, but when their significant others weren't busy, it wasn't uncommon for it to be just two or three of us meeting together. Honestly, I was the only one who always showed up.

As discreetly as I could, I smelled the casserole. Angela called it something I couldn't pronounce, and while I'm sure it was edible, appetizing it was not. Alec took a break from his animated speech and leaned toward me. "It's better with ketchup, but Garrett's getting tacos."

I took the offered ketchup bottle. Angela made fun of Ben, Alec, and I for putting ketchup on everything as she ate her food without. When Edward and Garrett arrived, each carrying a box filled with tacos, Angela wadded up a napkin and threw it at Ben.

"You didn't tell them I was cooking tonight? It was my turn to buy."

"Ang, they're just a side dish," Garrett told her. "These things are dirt cheap on Tuesdays. I'll still buy next week."

She seemed appeased, but I realized if I was going to occasionally get in on their dinner plans, it would be nice to have people to cook for. "What day can I make something?" I asked.

Angela counted on her fingers before she asked, "Is the twenty third okay?"

"Yeah."

Alec put his hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "I'm going in."

It took me a second to realize that his friend with the app development connections was in the room. I patted his hand and wished him luck. He walked over to Edward and asked him if they could talk outside for a minute. Edward nodded, but shot a look at me. I slumped back in my seat as I watched his shoulders drop and his eyes squeeze closed before he followed Alec outside.

I didn't know if he'd had another bad day or if the bad day was me. I finished eating Angela's casserole, thanked her, and excused myself. Hiding away in my room was becoming way too normal for me. I climbed under my covers and tried to convince myself that I shouldn't dwell on Edward so much.

.

The next few weeks, I went back to avoiding my roommates' game nights and met with my friends for dinner as usual. Due to a crisis Jess had at work, there wasn't too much focus on me not meeting up with them the time before. Of course, I got back a bit early one night and walked into my apartment to find pizza boxes on the table.

I was frustrated and annoyed at myself as I bypassed the living room, waving when I was greeted, but quickening my pace. When I found myself hoping for a knock that might draw me back out of my bedroom, I once again resolved to stop getting in my own way of hanging out with everyone. Crushes came and went every day. I checked my reflection in the mirror before making my way out to my own living room. Ben and Angela sat on the same chair with their limbs twisted all together. They weren't playing a game. They were watching a movie. Edward and Garrett were sitting on the same couch with a free seat cushion between them, but there was no way I was going to sit there. Instead, I took the less intimidating spot on the loveseat beside Alec.

Alec smiled at me and held a bag of microwave popcorn my way. I reached in, grabbing some. As careful as I tried to be, I still got butter all over the back of my hand as it brushed against the side of the bag.

"How are you?" he asked in a lowered voice.

"Good. How'd it go with...?" I glanced at Edward, catching him looking at me before he looked back to the movie. He didn't look mad. In fact, he was expressionless. I immediately missed the smiles I spent so much time avoiding.

"It was all right," Alec said. "I'm being limited to one idea a week though."

"How many ideas do you have?"

"Like fifty."

I couldn't help but laugh as I imagined Alec bringing Edward a plethora of ideas and Edward having to rein him in. "I'm going to grab a drink. Do you need anything?"

He held up a Sprite can. "I'm good."

After I grabbed a drink out of the fridge, I lingered in the kitchen. Instead of drinking out of the can like I usually would, I grabbed a glass and slowly poured my Sprite into it. I may have told myself it was to keep the carbonation from causing it to bubble over, but the truth was, Edward had a knack for approaching me in that very kitchen.

I'd rinsed out my can three times, washed the butter off my hands, and added unneeded ice to my drink by the time he finally showed.

He said, "Hey," as he threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave.

"Hi," I offered as casual as could be. It was just one word, but it already had me flustered. Why I couldn't just be normal around the guy was starting to feel absurd. I had no more reasons to be in the kitchen, so I grabbed my drink.

As I walked by, he said, "Can I ask you something?"

My eyes got stuck on his mouth. It seemed safer than his eyes, but that was before I started noticing how soft his lips must be. "Sure."

He took a step forward and leaned toward me as he whisper-asked, "I know they want to set you up with Peter, but are you into Alec?"

"No, I was not trying to give that impression." I had to pause and swallow when I made the mistake of looking in his eyes again. "Did he say something?"

"No, he didn't, but it may have come up recently."

I felt like I was in a trance, looking at him while he was so close to me. "Oh, okay, so does he think that I've been flirting?"

"No." He smiled, and the room may as well have caught on fire with all the heat suddenly encompassing me. "He said you're nice, and that he wouldn't say no if you were interested, but he's not trying to ask you out or anything. So, if you're not interested…"

I shook my head, knowing that we were close to keep our voices down, but even still, we were close enough that I could hear him breathing. If I took a tiny step forward, we would also be feeling each other's heartbeats among other things. "He seems young. How old is he?

"Nineteen."

I knew Alice would be thrilled. She loved calling them teenagers based off their late-night video gaming, but I didn't know for sure that one of them was still technically a teen. "And, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two," he said, and I felt the world light up.

"Hey, me too."

He laughed, and it was hypnotizing. I couldn't be embarrassed about my excitement at finding out we were the same age, even with him standing so close to me and not moving. I'd acted as if it was the greatest thing to have in common.

"How was dinner?"

My nose wrinkled at the memory.

"Not good?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Super spicy. I was feeling adventurous, so I tried something new."

He shrugged. "It's good you tried though. I always just get the same things."

I stood there for a moment as the popcorn popped beside us, until I realized that I was still standing really close to him. "I'm going to…" I glanced toward the living room.

"Okay, but Bella?"

"Yeah?" Every nerve in my body became in tune with him as I waited for him to say whatever he was going to say.

He leaned in even closer, hesitating before he said, "If you're hungry, there's pizza."

I sort of laughed. I sort of felt let down. I don't know what I was expecting but accompanied with his nearness and the smile on his face, I couldn't help but return it.

I grabbed a slice and along with my drink, went back to my seat beside Alec. Maybe Edward's words in the kitchen weren't flirty and neither were mine, but there was definitely a flirtatious vibe. I stole a glance at him as we watched the movie. He had his phone propped up on the arm of the couch, but it was the swipe of his fingers across the screen that bothered me. Despite what I thought had been happening between us in the kitchen, I must have been delusional because not even five minutes later, he was looking through a dating app. Some crushes went on too long, and mine seemed to be bordering on obsession. The guy wasn't mine to get upset over.

.

.

When I walked out of my room, ready to head out, Angela's jaw dropped as she looked from my black miniskirt up to my darker-than-usual eyeliner. "I take it you're not hanging out with us tonight."

"Not tonight. I'm thinking of making lasagna for everyone next week though." I had plans to hit up happy hour at Bev's with my friends. I hated going to Bev's, but I'd been outvoted. I could have stayed home, but Edward was occupying way too much of my headspace. I had no intention of spending that evening letting him fill anymore of it. "Hey, do you want to come?"

"I…" She looked down at her clothes and then back toward her bedroom. "Yes, but not tonight. Next, time?"

I was looking forward to cooking for everyone. It had been awhile since I'd cooked anything that took more than a few minutes to mix together. With any luck, a week away would help me get over my silly crush.

In my haste to be out of my apartment before my roommates' guests arrived, I was the first one to the bar. I bypassed the chair-less high-top tables and snagged us a booth in the back because there was no way I was going to stand the entire night in heels.

Twenty minutes later, Jess kissed both my cheeks as she took the seat beside me. "Did you order anything?"

"Just a platter for everyone. I haven't decided if I'm drinking."

Jess rolled her eyes and smiled at a server before ordering two vodka cranberries.

When the drinks arrived, she kept them both in front of her. "No pressure. Have one or don't. I'm sure I'll have half a dozen anyway."

I took the drink. One drink wouldn't loosen my inhibitions too much. Being the only single one among my friends meant that anyone who approached us would be passed off to me, and that was so not happening.

"Jess, can I borrow your ring?"

She chuckled as she brought her straw to her mouth. "Ask me again when I've had at least three of these."

I swirled my straw around and around while Jess's fingers frantically typed into her phone screen, texting her husband, probably. Their honeymoon stage was adorably nauseating, which reminded me of Edward and his aversion to caffeine. Pushing away those thoughts, I looked up and met eyes with a random guy across the room. He lifted a drink like he was making an offer, but I shook my head. No way was he my type. He was too forward too fast. He'd move on in seconds. I was sure of it. "Why did I come here?"

Jess laughed. "What else would you do?"

I sighed. My friends didn't know the specifics about the guys that hung out there. They only knew about my annoyance over late-night junk food and video game binges.

When Jess started waving, I looked over to see Alice and Rose had arrived. While they made their way over, I checked my phone. I had a message from Angela, asking where I was hanging out at. I sent her the address and put my phone away.

The appetizer I ordered arrived right as Rose and Alice sat down. I waited for them to put in drink orders before I told them, "I think Angela's coming out."

"Ooo," Alice said as she grabbed a French fry. "Is she bringing the teenagers? Do they have fake ID's?"

For that, I took the fry right out of her hand. "No, and they're not teenagers. Well, one of them is, but not…" I shoved the fry in mouth because I was there to avoid a certain guy. I wasn't trying to talk about him.

"Well, that was weird," Alice said as she grabbed another fry.

I listened to my friends ponder what my deal was, as if I wasn't there, as I did my best to ignore them. No way was I going to chime in. If they really knew what was going on, they'd rush to my apartment to access the situation for themselves.

The music seemed to get louder as the crowd grew. I should have insisted on a quiet café with subtle lighting instead of filling myself with fried food and blaring lights that couldn't make up their mind on being strobe or spotlights.

Glancing at the entrance every once in a while, in case Angela showed up, I was about to text her when the familiar face who walked through the door was the last one that I was expecting. For a moment, everything just stopped. My heartbeat drummed in my ears, and suddenly, everything sped back up. He had a real knack for just appearing. I looked away as I thought that there was no way he was looking for me. When I looked back over though, he was heading straight for me. I threw a mozzarella stick back on the platter and tried to act normal despite how quickly the room began spinning the closer he got. I may have been hoping for my crush to fade, but as he approached, I knew I wasn't crushing on the guy. It'd become a full-blown infatuation.

I wiped my hands together to brush off any crumbs. When he reached our table, I acted like he was a friend that I'd just run into as I said, "Edward, hey."

"Hi." He reached behind him, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I thought you were on a date."

"A date?" I asked. "I don't understand."

He leaned against our table, competing with way too much background noise as he said, "Angela said you went out, Ben mentioned how dressed up you were, and then Angela was yelling about him never taking her anywhere nice, so I thought you ended up going out with Peter or you met someone on that app."

I sipped my drink as my throat suddenly went dry. "You thought I was on a date, so you came here?"

"Well, yeah," he said as if it was the most obvious of things to do. "Peter just got dumped by his fiancé, so that was a terrible idea, and I'm sure there's plenty of creeps on those apps."

I nodded, fully agreeing. "So, you came here to check on me?"

"No. I tried not to come, but Bella, I know how this story goes."

I almost laughed until I realized how serious he was. "What story?"

He spoke with his hands as he said, "The one where you go out and date someone else, fall in love, and the next thing I know, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be miserable for the rest of my life or if I'm going to try to break up your wedding. I'm sorry, I don't think I'm that selfless, so I thought it'd be better to figure this out now."

My smile was uncontrollable. "You came to break up my date?" I asked, not sure about the part where I'd suddenly fall in love and get married, but as I realized who I was sitting with, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities.

"The date you're apparently not on, so…" He looked at my group of friends, but before I could introduce him, he said "Have fun. I'll probably see you next week sometime."

"Okay," I said as he walked away.

"Is he seriously leaving?" Alice asked.

"Yes," I told her before grabbing my drink, but I missed the straw and jabbed it into my cheek.

"Who is he?" Rose asked.

"He's friends with Ben and Angela." I watched him as he headed out the way he'd came.

"What the hell!" Alice shouted, but more to yell at me than to speak over the music. "Why'd you let me call them teenagers? He is not a teenager. Honestly, you better go after him. As your maid of honor, I put way too much effort into your wedding for it to get called off."

Once he was out of sight, my mind caught up with everything that was said, I set my drink down, nearly spilling it. "Right." I took a deep breath. "I have to go." On autopilot, I threw some cash on the table and headed after him, but not before catching some of the argument about which one of them would actually be my maid of honor.

.

The night sky was much darker than it was when I first arrived. He was pretty far away as I walked toward him, but he wasn't moving. He was fisting his hair in both hands before turning back toward the bar only to stop when he saw me.

"I'm sorry," he said when I reached him. "I shouldn't have done that. I swear I'm not usually that dramatic."

"It was fine. Being dramatic sometimes is okay."

"I don't know what came over me."

I looked back toward the bar. "Angela told you where I was, right? She's not coming?"

"No," he said, then his head fell back. "I mean, yes, she told me, and no, she's not coming. Bella?" he asked, eyes pleading, but for what I didn't know.

He always made me so nervous, but as he struggled, I reached out and squeezed his forearm. "You can tell me."

I couldn't do my usual and avoid his gaze when his eyes were set on me. I got captivated with their intensity as he said, "I feel like I keep missing my chance with you. Sometimes, it seems like you might be into me, but then it's like I don't exist, or maybe you're into one of my friends, or dating whoever, and I can't find the right timing to talk to you without chickening out."

"I'm into you," I said, not wanting him to think for another second that I wasn't. "The chance is still available." Breathing became problematic as I waited for him to speak again.

"Yeah?" He licked his lips and looked toward the bar. "Did you need to get back?"

"No."

As he hesitated, I wondered if he was backing out, but after a deep breath, he asked, "Can I take you out?"

"Yes," I said, a tad overeager, but it didn't matter as he was visibly relieved. "When do you have in mind?"

As we started walking toward the parking lot, he asked, "Is now okay? Did you eat already?"

"I didn't eat too much, but where would we go? Bars are still open, but most everything else is closing soon."

"That's okay. I have an idea. Did you drive here?" At my nod, he continued, "We could come back for your car later or you could follow me over if you want."

Leaving my car behind would be a pain later, but as much as I used to run away from his presence, I couldn't fathom taking separate cars. "It's fine. I don't need it. I'll ride with you."

Once we were in his car and backing out of the lot, he said, "I can't believe I did that back there. Your friends probably think I'm crazy."

"They don't. You don't even know. They're probably still arguing the details of this wedding you've got them planning."

We both laughed before he looked over at me. "Are we really doing this?"

"Yeah," I said, but with the confessions of how he'd been feeling, and his continued questioning of his actions, I wanted to make more confessions of my own. "I think it'll be good. You were right before about me acting like you didn't exist. I was very aware that you existed, but I was avoiding you."

"Oh, did I do something?"

"You exist," I admitted, releasing a weight that had me rushing to my bedroom every time he was around. He looked at me and then back to the road. It was still there, the feeling that tended to have me fleeing, but the feeling wasn't as scary when my infatuation no longer felt one-sided. "I'm sure it was confusing. When I'm around you, I get all nervous."

"Around me?" He pointed to himself. After I nodded, he said, "How do we work on that?"

His accompanying smile made my heartbeat erratic. "I was trying, but…" I waved my hand as annoyance over the night before creeped up.

"But what?"

"You keep getting mad at me and walking away." He tried to protest, but I continued explaining. "Okay, I get that I didn't have pizza with everyone when you offered. I get if you were hoping to talk to me when Angela was trying to set me up with that Peter guy. Then you thought I might have a thing for Alec, but why, after finding out that I didn't, would you be all flirty, and then go look through a dating app?"

"I wasn't mad just bummed, and I only got that app, so I could find you on there and try to talk to you that way." He grabbed my hand. "I swear."

I only managed to say, "Oh." I looked down at our hands. With so much laid out before us already, I let it sink in that we were actually going on a date.

Before, dating seemed like trying to get to know someone and hoping for a connection. I'd never gone out with someone where the connection was already present. With Edward, the connection wasn't just there, it was blaring at us.

We parked in front of a small pizzeria, but just as I looked up, the neon open sign turned off. I leaned across the console as I said, "Hey, Edward. It's closed."

"It's okay." He turned his head my way, bringing him kissing close. "I have a key."

Kissing him then would have been easy. I held on to that feeling for a beat, and then moved back into my own seat. He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb before letting it go. I followed him as he found the key on his keyring and unlocked the door.

"You work here?" I asked, stating what seemed to be obvious.

"Yeah."

"So, you make these pizzas you bring over and then I refuse to eat them?"

He laughed. "Pretty much."

We went inside and he introduced me to the owner, Aro, an older man with greying dark hair under a chef's cap, who waved and headed to a back room. Edward pulled out a chair for me and handed me a menu, but he didn't join me. Instead, he walked around the small dining room, stacking chairs, and pushing them against a wall.

"You're working now?" I asked when he got out a broom.

"No, but if I get food here, I have to do this," he said as he swept beneath the tables.

"Edward," called Aro as he walked back into the dining room. "Just take what you want. You do not work here anymore. Let me close up my own restaurant."

Edward ignored him and got out a mop.

"My nephew, he's stubborn," Aro said once he was standing beside me.

"I can pay," I offered, thinking Edward was attempting to work off our food.

"Oh, sweet, Bella," Aro said with a chuckle. "His money is no good here, and so, neither is yours."

Realizing how it was, I stood up and lifted my chair to stack it against the wall, but before I did, I asked, "For closing up, what can I do?"

Aro shook his head at me, but it didn't take him long to realize that I could be stubborn too. I ended up behind the bar, wiping water marks off of water glasses and wiping down menus. "You don't work here anymore?" I asked Edward, as he mopped the floor nearby.

"Not technically, but they won't let me pay for anything." He stopped mopping and asked, "Did you find something you wanted on the menu. I can make anything on there."

I glanced down at the menu I'd been cleaning, but I wasn't interested in the plethora of options. "Can you do all that fancy pizza dough throwing."

There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks as he said, "I don't know how fancy it looks when I do it, but yeah."

"Okay, that's all I want. I want to watch you do that."

"You don't have to clean those," he said, nodding to the menus. "I'll come back in the morning. I wasn't trying to take you out and make you work for your food."

As I got back to work, I said, "I always wanted to work somewhere like this, but I'm sure I'd just mess up orders and drop plates, so I never tried."

"Where do you work?" he asked.

I sighed as I told him about the campus bookstore and how boring it could be. Even though some days, I felt like I was getting paid to sit around and do my homework. As we worked on cleaning up the restaurant for the night, he told me about the start-up company he'd been working for and how pointless finishing college seemed with him already having the kind of job he was going to school for. My situation was different, because school was almost over, but I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do next. I didn't even have my current job to fall back on because working in the bookstore was a job for students. My financial aid, as well as my parents, helped to keep me housed, clothed, and fed, but that was only for while I was in school. With graduation looming, the future was daunting.

Before he left us for the night, Aro patted Edward on the back and told him to take his time, but not to forget to turn out the lights. As he wished me a goodnight, he handed me a job application and told me I could come work for him anytime.

"Your uncle is nice," I said as Edward led me back to the kitchen.

Edward laughed as he held a door open for me to pass through. "He said he's my uncle?"

"Yeah, he's not?"

"No, but I guess he is now. Wait here," Edward said and came back with a barstool. "Sit here. No more working." He looked at me as if he didn't expect me to comply. "Please."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." I sat and pointed out the heels that seemed perfect for Bev's where I had no intention of leaving the table but weren't the best choice when closing a pizzeria. "I'm done standing for the night."

"Okay, so when we leave here, I'll just carry you."

"Thank you," I replied as I watched him move around the kitchen, gathering ingredients.

The more time I spent with him, the more I wished I hadn't spent so many months avoiding him, but it made more and more sense why I felt like I needed to. When the pizza dough started rotating around his hands and flying in the air, my hands went over my face, and I "mmm'd and hmph'd" into them.

"What's wrong?" he asked and guided my hands away from my face.

"All these feelings. I feel like I'm going to scream."

"Because of the dough?" he asked, glancing toward where the dough he was working on was no longer round because I freaked out and ruined it.

"No, it's just you. I don't know. It's everything." It wasn't the dough; it was us in a place where he didn't work anymore but was thought of like family. It was watching him insist he work off our meal in a place where his money was refused. It was him declaring he'd live a miserable life if he didn't break up a date that could lead to a wedding, my wedding.

His hands went under my jaw, tilting up my chin as he said, "Feelings are good, right?"

"Feelings are good."

The stool I sat on was tall, but he still stood over me. Eyes glanced to lips, both his to mine and mine to his. If he didn't lean down, I was going to have to break my resolution not to stand for the remainder of the night.

We paused where we were for a while. As if either of us moved too fast, the moment would be lost. It was a fraction of an inch that he moved, but it was enough for me to close my eyes just before his lips met mine. A few light, but intense kisses were quick to turn into every part of my body craving every part of his. My skirt bunched up as I pulled him against me. His hands found my hips and pressed us even closer. There was tongues and suction on lower lips before his kisses moved from my jaw down to the column of my throat.

He slowed us down. I guess someone had to. I would have kept going. He laughed as he looked at my clothes. "I got flour all over you."

"It's okay. I like it," I said as I righted my skirt.

Somehow, I managed to watch him get our pizza ready and in the oven without freaking out again. "Tell me about your family," I said.

"Hmm." He shrugged. "We're pretty boring. I have an older brother, Riley. My parents adopted him when he was, I think seven. Once that was finalized, out comes my biological mom, who dropped me off with them. My parents didn't have the slightest clue I existed. I must have been around five, but it all worked out. Riley is working on being a doctor like our dad. His girlfriend is pretty weird though, and I don't think it's a good weird."

"That's not boring at all. Do you still talk to your biological mom?" I asked.

"Sometimes, but she feels more like a long-lost aunt or maybe a distant cousin. What's your family like?"

"Boring." I smiled as I repeated his sentiment, and he looked at me like he didn't believe me. "My dad is a small-town cop, and my mom is a teacher. I'm an only child, so not much to tell there. My parents got divorced when I was little, then they married other people and moved me back and forth a bunch. Then, they both got divorced again and a year ago, they got married again, but this time, to each other."

"What's that like?" he asked.

"Weird, but a good weird. My dad likes to say that he was just biding his time with his second wife while my mom was out scamming a rich loser out of his money, which is absolutely not true. My parents hated each other after they broke up and they definitely thought their next marriages were the ones that would last. My mom's other husband had some infidelity issues, but I think my dad's marriage ending may have had something to do with my mom. Who knows what's real with the way my dad spins stories."

"It sounds like he's fun to talk to."

"Yeah, sometimes," I said, but held myself back from offering to introduce them. That seemed like a little much too soon. "Do you live on campus?"

"No, I'm still renting a place with Garrett, but I just bought a house. I just haven't moved in yet."

"You…bought…it?"

He nodded. "I got this inheritance from my grandparents, and they were really big on real estate investments, so I thought it made sense." All the while telling me this, he sliced the pizza in such a natural way that I was amazed at how versed he was. I wasn't well-practiced in much of anything.

"Is it close?"

He handed me a plate as he said, "It's about a fifteen-minute drive. We can head out there after this if you want."

I nodded in response as I took a bite. He watched me with eyes raised. "It's really good. I liked the slice I had last night, but I think this one's better." Last night, I didn't know he made it, so I paid little attention to it.

"It's probably better when it's still hot."

I agreed. "Did you get sick of pizza working here? My friend, Alice, used to work at a movie theater, and now she can't stand popcorn."

"Not really, but sometimes I eat something else even if I'm bringing pizza over for everyone."

.

I may have been joking about not standing for the rest of the night, but he wasn't kidding about carrying me around. I squealed when he lifted me bridal style to bring me to his car, but that didn't stop me from wrapping my arms around his neck and holding on.

As we drove to his house, I laughed. "We're heading to the house you don't technically live at from the job you don't technically work at…" I looked down at my lap, and even though it was dark, I could still see the remnants of flour on my clothes. "And I'm getting flour all over your car."

"That's okay. It's my fault. At least tonight is different, right? If you don't want to go out with me again, at least you'll remember all this."

The idea of the date ending and not having another one was a somber feeling. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I was planning on going to the hardware store, but I don't have to," he said.

"Why are we going to the hardware store?" I asked, hoping he'd get that I had no intention of us being done after one night.

"Light bulbs, and I have to figure out blinds or curtains or something. You really want to come with me?" he asked.

"If you want me to," I said, but then I added, "I'd really like that."

We pulled into the dark driveway of a quaint house. The neighborhood seemed older, but nice and maintained from what I could tell under the glow of the streetlights.

He met me on my side of the car and handed me his keys. "I don't think I can unlock the door and carry you, so you'll have to do it."

"You don't…" I squealed again as he lifted me up before I could tell him he didn't have to.

There were a few steps up before we were at a door for me to unlock. The smell of fresh paint was evident. He set me down on the kitchen island and turned the light on above the stove.

"There are hardly any lights in this house and this one and the ones in the bathrooms are the only ones not burnt out."

"Good thing we're getting light bulbs tomorrow," I said as I turned on the flashlight on my phone. The house was definitely bigger than what could be seen from the outside and way more upgraded than the picture painted by the older neighborhood. I admired the appliances before shining my phone toward the back of the house where my light reflected off several glass windows. "What's that room?"

"Sunroom. It was recently added on. Here, I'll show you." He turned around, offering me a ride on his back.

"I can walk," I said. "It's okay."

"You really want to?"

"No," I said, because I'd much rather be pressed against him while he showed me his house. I slipped my heels off, climbed on his back, and held out my phone to help illuminate the walk.

In the sunroom, I imagined what it'd be like to read there with a view of the stars or in the morning with coffee and rain running down the glass. The room he thought would make the perfect office was nice too, but even better was the spot I found to kiss on his neck that was just very convenient and inviting. Even better was how when I did it, his grip on my legs tightened.

When he flicked on the light in the master bathroom, it was blinding, but it was cute to watch him point out the features from the waterfall shower to the skylight. I slipped down off his back to stand under both. "I like the tile," I said, admiring the way the brick-colored tiles covered both the floor and the shower walls.

"What else do you like?" he asked.

Looking his way, my answer was immediate. "Kissing, you?"

"Kissing me or do you like kissing, and you're asking what I like?" he asked, but he was moving toward me.

"Both." I placed my arms on his shoulders and threaded my hands together behind his neck.

"I like kissing you."

A dizzy warmth spread from my cheeks to my toes. "Let's do that then."

Saying that I enjoy kissing him may have been the biggest understatement of my life. Once we started, I never wanted it to end. When our tongues met and his hands made their way to my hair, it was probably a good thing that he hadn't moved in yet. We may have lacked the convenience of a bed, but as I stood on my toes to better align our bodies, floors and walls were just as alluring.

With heavy breaths, he pulled away, letting my legs fall to the ground. "Sorry. That was a little more than kissing."

"I like that too." I held my fingers against the tingles still on my lips. I was sorry that we stopped, but I appreciated the slow down. As he looked to be contemplating what to do next, I said, "We could look at the rest of the house."

Not having seen any boxes around, I asked, "Have you not started moving in at all?"

"I put some stuff in here," he said as he led me to the closet in the master bedroom. "A lot of stuff at the apartment I bought with Garrett, so I don't know how were going to work all that out yet."

On a whim, I tried the light switch. We were both surprised when the light turned on.

"So, Garrett won't be living here with you?" I asked as I looked at the few dress shirts and pants hung up.

"I guess he could for a while. We didn't really talk about it. He has something set up in Boston after he graduates this year, but we have a lease on the apartment until then anyway, so who knows."

Up on the shelf above the racks for clothes were some towels, a pillow, and a few folded blankets. "Have you slept here?"

"Just once. I got the keys last week and thought it'd be cool, but it was weird being here by myself, and then all these lights apparently burned out all at once."

I reached up and touched the edge of a velvety, folded blue blanket. "Sounds fun. The indoor camping part, but the alone part, not so much." With the tour feeling concluded, I asked, "What time are we going to the hardware store?"

"Whenever. You ready to head back?"

"No." Heading back sounded awful.

"Indoor camping then?" He smiled, leaving room for it to be a joke. Though when I thought of sleeping beside him, it didn't feel silly at all.

"It makes sense, right? We need to head at early or they might sell out of lightbulbs."

"Right," he said, grabbing the blankets as I reached for the single pillow, not at all minding that we'd have to share. I also didn't mention that even if we headed out early, I was going to need to stop at my place to change before we did any shopping.

Despite the firmness of the floor, it was nice the way my neck fit just right on the crook of his arm. I was right about the convenience of a bed. Even on a makeshift one, it wasn't long before we got back to the kissing that we both liked so much. His hands glided across the skin under my shirt as if it was the most natural thing to do. My skirt hiked up as I brought my leg over his hip. It was easy to tell that kissing wasn't the only thing we'd be good at doing together.

It wasn't until a week later, in the same spot, but with his bed beneath us, that we lost the clothes. A few weeks after that, we found ourselves laying under the comforter I'd owned for years on the very same bed. Luckily, it wasn't too hard finding a new roommate for Ben and Angela.