Bella

"Your favorite place isn't far from my house," I told him as he pulled the truck to a stop.

The windows were down, and even though it was hot, I didn't mind because the heat only made the smell of the beach that much more intense. And besides, I didn't mind his truck. It reminded me of the old one Charlie fixed up for me in high school.

"Nothing is that far away here," he said, turning to look at me. "Small towns are like that. You see the same things and the same people all the fucking time."

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice I didn't understand, but I didn't want whatever emotion hiding behind his words to cloud our date. "Who cares?" I asked. I pushed my door open and stood up, leaning over the open window so I could look out over the ocean. The sun was setting behind us, casting a golden-pink glow over everything. It made the water look almost purple. "Especially when you have a view like this."

I leaned down and looked back at him, hoping to find him smiling. And there it was – all perfect and slightly shy and gorgeous. I turned my attention back to the water, my lips forming a smile of their own as I heard him get out of the truck. It only got bigger when I felt him come up behind me and put his arms around my waist.

"I hoped you'd like it."

I leaned back into him and closed my eyes. "What's not to like? I mean, you live in fucking paradise."

"The view's a lot better with you in the picture," he said, as he grabbed my waist and pulled me down. I turned to face him, noting his soft expression. It was good to see him more relaxed than he'd been just moments before. "You wanna walk down to the beach?"

"Yeah."

He shut the truck door and then grabbed an old blanket from the bed of the truck. And then he took my hand and led me onto the boardwalk and down to the sand. We walked in comfortable silence for a little while. I was content just holding his hand, even more to simply be with him. And after a few minutes, he stopped.

"How's this?" he said, motioning to a spot on the ground. The sun had all but disappeared, leaving just traces of pink and violet in the sky. It was the kind of place you only thought existed in fluffy romance novels and cliché honeymoons. But the truth was that none of it seemed cliché with him.

"Awful," I said, giggling. "Nothing romantic about the beach at twilight."

"Oh," he said, grinning. "Were you expecting romance?"

"Nope," I told him, grabbing the blanket from his hand and spreading it out on the ground.

"None?"

I shook my head, and stepped in closer. He was so much taller than me, but I liked that. I liked even more the way he shuddered when I reached out and slid my hand under his shirt a touched his firm stomach.

"What are your expectations?" he asked, his voice suddenly more serious than before.

"I don't have any," I told him honestly.

"None?" He wrapped his arms around me. "At all?"

"Maybe," I said. "Just one. But it's not so much an expectation as it is a hope."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I want to feel something amazing. But I have no expectations as to how that's going to happen. I just want it to happen."

"And how do you feel right now?" he asked, his voice low.

"Excited."

He slid his hands up my back and pulled me closer. "Excited isn't amazing."

"No. It isn't," I said, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I pushed up on my tip-toes, and pressed my open mouth to his neck. And then I whispered in his ear, "But it has the potential to be."

He kissed me then. His salty lips parted, as his sweet tongue dipped inside my mouth. I let him lead, wanted him to.

And he did.

As he pushed me back onto the blanket and covered my body with his, his mouth never left mine. He touched me everywhere while he kissed me. Places that were already so familiar to him. But this time, he stayed on top of my clothes, never once venturing underneath. And that made everything feel brand new. Like he was getting to know me and my body for the first time, as if the intimacy we'd already shared the night before was just a dream.

And I wanted it to be a reality.

He made me want that.

He made me want him all over again.

And on that blanket on the beach – on our first official date – Edward made me feel everything. And suddenly, I had all the expectations in the world.

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A/N

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Sorry for delays in posting. Honestly, several more of these chapters are already complete. But work is sort of ruling my life right now. One day, I will get my shit together, or learn how to function on less sleep. But ILY for reading.

Also, I love Marvar, the comma destroyer. She's like a super hero.

And all the love to Kourt, Laura, Jaime and Kelly. Y'all are so amazing IDEK.