Marked Chapter 9 - Foolin' Myself

JPOV

I grumbled at the incessant noise that invaded my sleep, just wanting it to stop. I'd gone to bed way too late, having stayed at Edward's until around two in the morning. He was supposed to leave for Tennessee early today, and he had asked to spend time with me. Though he'd asked to come by my place, I'd talked him into meeting at his instead. I wasn't quite ready to invite him over yet - and I was glad I hadn't had to explain why.

Especially since I wasn't entirely sure myself.

Fumbling, I hit the snooze button, finally shutting off the infernal racket. I fell back onto my pillows with a soft groan, flinging my arm over my eyes. Late night, but fuck was it worth it...I just hope Edward managed to get some sleep before he had to leave for his flight.

I was drifting off again, my mind still in that daze between wakefulness and sleep as my thoughts went back to the night before. I bit my lip as I remembered taking a bath with Edward, feeling his body beneath mine in the warmth of the tub.

I focused on the way he'd looked in the candlelight, wet and hard, his eyes hungry. I saw him pushing me into his bedroom, his lips worshiping my body as we settled onto his bed. I shifted a little and moaned as I remembered how it felt to have his lips wrapped around my cock and, not long after, how it had felt to have mine around his at the same time. My hand began drifting downward as I idly thought that I might as well take advantage of the images playing behind my eyelids.

Before I could get too involved in my memories of the night before, my phone rang, and I cursed out loud, "Goddamnit!"

As the ringtone penetrated my brain, I hurried to grab my phone. "Mornin' Lee-Lee. What's up?"

"Well, I am, but the question is, are you, brother dearest? Did you forget that you're supposed to come pick me up so we can go have breakfast and go to the zoo?"

I glanced at the clock and groaned, "Fuck, I'm sorry, Emily; I overslept. Let me grab a quick shower, and I'll be right over, okay?"

I heard her chuckle softly. "Late night, Spurs?"

I grinned, running my fingers through my hair. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Well, you can tell me all about it after you buy me breakfast. You're paying today. Your penance for being late."

"Alright, alright! Now, let me get off the phone so I can get ready."

She giggled. "Alright. Get to steppin'. Love you!"

I rolled my eyes. "Love you, too. See you in a few."

As soon as I hung up the phone, I rushed through a shower, forgoing a shave in order to save time. I threw on my black jeans and a dark brown t-shirt with a black tribal tattoo print covering the side, and then slipped on my boots. I grabbed my things, making sure I had everything before putting on my jacket, resting my helmet on my arm as I locked the door behind me.

I made it to Emily's dorm within twenty minutes of her phone call, and she stood outside waiting for me. One of the girls from her building was talking with her, but as soon as I drove up, Emily's face lit up and she waved at the girl, putting her helmet on as she walked up to me.

I didn't even bother turning the engine off, opting instead to just sit and wait for her to get on. As soon as she was settled behind me, we took off. Since I would be buying us breakfast anyway, I decided to take her to her favorite bakery.

Shelly was on shift again, and as soon as she saw us come through the door, she walked over to an empty table with two glasses of sweet tea in hand.

"Thanks, darlin'!"

She smiled. "You're welcome. What'll it be today?"

I ordered a chocolate croissant for myself, and Emily ordered a chocolate-hazelnut scone. Shelly went off to place the order, and as soon as she was out of earshot, Emily pounced.

"Alright, let's hear it. You never oversleep, so something's up."

She arched a brow and gave me a knowing look. I sighed, taking a long drink of my tea to buy myself some time. Somehow I didn't think that telling her exactly what I had been up would go over too well. I shuddered.

Eww, she's my little sister, for crying out loud. I'm not going to tell her anything like that!

I cleared my throat, and I could feel my cheeks warm as I blushed. Thankfully, Shelly walked up with our order, but Emily just gave me a pointed look that made it quite clear that I wasn't going to get out of answering her question.

After Shelly left, I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair as I tried to think.

"I was...hanging out with a friend, and it got kinda late. Later than I had intended it to be."

I looked at her, praying she would just leave it alone, but I might as well have spared the effort. She grinned crookedly at me, arching her brow again as she said, "A friend, huh?"

I let out a slow breath, puffing my cheeks as I did before relenting. It was no use trying to hide anything from her anyway, so I told her in general terms what had happened since the last time we had gotten together. Surprisingly, she stayed quiet as I told her about Edward, though the look of amusement on her face was beginning to annoy me a little.

I scowled a little and huffed, "What?"

"Nothing at all. It's just nice to see you like this, Spurs. I don't think I ever have before. It's cute."

I tilted my head in confusion, frowning at her. "What's cute?"

She chuckled. "You are. You really do like this guy, don't you?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Yeah, I did like Edward. A lot. And even though we had gotten to know each other better, it still scared me just how much I liked him. Part of me was glad that he would be in Tennessee over the weekend, even as another part of me wanted nothing more than to have more time with him.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged, not answering her. She shook her head, chuckling softly as she finally tucked into her scone. I took my croissant and broke a piece off, but before putting it in my mouth, I grinned at her.

"So how are things going with James?"

I popped the pastry in my mouth, pleased to see that the mention of James was enough to distract her completely. She told me about their first date again, going on about how he had been the perfect gentleman all night - from holding out her chair for her to opening the door for her, and only giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek when he dropped her off.

She was practically swooning in her seat as she recounted how he had shown up one day after class, surprising her with a bouquet of red, variegated tulips. She said she googled their meaning and was nearly bouncing as she told me they stood for "a declaration of love," "perfect lover" - that had me bristling - and "believe me." The last one made me frown. For some reason, something just resonated with me, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

If she noticed my reaction, she ignored it, so I did my best to push the feelings of unease aside and just be happy for my little sister. I warned her that she would have to introduce me to him soon, and she agreed to talk to James and see if we could all get together in the next week or so.

After we were done eating and had settled our bill, we headed out to the bike. Just as I was about to put my helmet on, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Normally I never answered my phone when we were on our dates, letting the calls go to voicemail before checking them in case of an emergency. This time, though, when I saw Edward's name flash on the screen, I answered straight away, earning me a questioning look from Emily.

I checked my watch as I said, "Edward! Is everything okay? Shouldn't you be on board a plane right about now?"

Emily put her helmet on the bike, resting her hand on it as she shifted her weight, putting her other hand on her hip. She cocked her head to the side, a sly grin on her face as she watched me.

"Yeah, you'd think so. They canceled my flight at the last minute, and since the next available flight out isn't until tomorrow night, I decided to just stay home. Was actually wondering if you had any plans today."

I muttered under my breath, "Fuck." My eyes cut to Emily, who appeared to be trying hard not to seem too pleased. I rolled my eyes at her as I huffed.

"Sorry to hear your trip fell through... Umm... actually..." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm on a date..."

Before I could finish my sentence I heard him take a sharp breath and Emily hissed "Idiot!" as she smacked my arm, so I hastened to explain that it was with Emily and that we had planned to go to the zoo. Before I even fully realized I was doing it, I blurted out, "Do you want to join us?"

I bit my lip, closing my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the ecstatic look on Emily's face. I had never, ever, invited anyone along on our dates. Neither had she. It had always been something just between us, and I had no idea what had possessed me to invite Edward now. All I knew was that I had, and I didn't want to take it back.

And I really hoped he would say yes.

I heard him take a deep breath, the long pause making me nervous as I wondered if I'd crossed a line by asking him. I clenched my jaw as I heard Emily tap her foot impatiently, and I wanted to tell her to just knock it off, but I was afraid to open my mouth.

"You sure? I wouldn't want to impose..."

I sighed softly, running my fingers through my hair as I chanced a glance at my sister, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped in front of her as she tried to contain her excitement and her impatience.

I smiled at her as I answered him, "Yeah, I'm sure. Please?"

"Is your sister going to be okay with my tagging along?"

I chuckled softly as Emily began nodding fervently, apparently having overheard his question.

"I think it's safe to say she won't mind, darlin'."

His voice sounded lighter as he asked which zoo we were going to, and when I told him we were going to the Franklin Park Zoo, he said he would meet us there and that he was heading out the door straight away.

When I hung up, Emily squealed in delight and grasped my arms tightly as she looked at me.

"So I'm guessing I get to meet your 'friend' that caused you to oversleep today, huh, Spurs?"

I rolled my eyes at her, biting the inside of my cheek as I blushed - which was more than enough of an answer for her. With a sigh, I pulled away from her and put my helmet on, telling her to hurry up already. She just grinned as she followed suit and hopped on the bike as soon as I had settled in my seat.

The drive to the zoo seemed to take forever. I wasn't sure whether it was because I was anxious to see Edward or because traffic really was that slow, but either way, I was getting antsy. I parked as close to the entrance as I could, and we waited by the bike for Edward to show up. It was relatively early yet and there weren't many people around, so there was plenty of parking space.

After a few minutes, I saw Edward's Mustang pull into the parking lot, and I could not stop myself from grinning as I stood a little straighter and waved him over. He must have spotted me, because he came straight to us, parking not three spaces away.

I chuckled at Emily's whistle as she realized who the car belonged to. When Edward got out of the car, I glanced at her when she whispered, "Oh my fucking God..."

She looked at me wide eyed and leaned in, whispering, "Damn! You sure he's gay?"

I grinned and nodded. "Yup. Sorry, sis, but you're outta luck."

She muttered something under her breath, but I didn't catch it, my attention going back to Edward, who was walking over to us. He was carrying a small bag on his shoulder, and I wondered what he had brought.

When he reached us, he gave me a quick kiss and tried to pull away, but I put my hand to the back of his head, anchoring him to me as I deepened the kiss - albeit briefly, since Emily was there.

I grinned at him as I let him go. "Hey, glad you came."

He smiled brightly. "Thanks for asking me."

He turned to Emily then, holding out his hand. "Hi, sorry... I'm Edward, and you must be Emily of the artsy ties."

She chuckled softly as she grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly. "Yeah, that would be me. Pleasure to meet you, Edward."

I watched them as they chatted for a bit. It felt...good...to see them hitting it off, and it made me smile. Edward glanced at me and smiled back, winking at me. For some reason, it made me blush, so I ducked my head like an idiot. I only looked up when I felt Edward's hand touch my elbow lightly, though he was still talking to Emily.

I shook my head slightly, trying to pay attention to the conversation, chuckling when I realized they were talking about the helmet I'd painted for her. Emily handed it to him, and he took it, tilting it this way and that to get a good look.

He looked up at me with wide eyes. "Jesus Christ, Jasper. When you said you could draw 'a little' and you weren't very good, I wasn't expecting you to have made something like this... This is fucking awesome!"

I blushed at his words, feeling it deepen when Emily said, "I know, right! I keep telling him that he's got some serious skills, but will he listen to me? No! Brothers, I swear!"

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to think of any way to deflect the attention away from me and my so-called skills. When my eyes fell on his bag, I asked him, "So what's in the bag?"

Edward grinned, handing Emily her helmet again before opening his bag and pulling out his camera. It wasn't the digital I'd seen before, but it looked looked just as complicated - and expensive.

He winked at me. "Couldn't let an opportunity like this pass me by. Zoos are great for people watching, too."

He shot a quick picture of me and chuckled. I grumbled, feigning annoyance at having my picture taken, though my thoughts went straight to the shoot, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning.

Emily stepped up to him, eyeing the camera with great interest. Edward smiled at her as she asked if she could take a closer look. My heart swelled as I observed him taking the time to show Emily how the camera and lens worked, teaching her how best to use the lighting, the best way to focus in on her subject...

Emily was completely absorbed in what he was saying, soaking in every word and learning quickly, judging by the comments Edward made. They were so involved in what they were doing - and I in observing them - that it took me a while to realize that we had been standing there for almost forty minutes, and we hadn't even gotten into the zoo yet.

I cleared my throat to get their attention, amused when they both looked up at me with raised eyebrows.

"Not that I'm not enjoying standing around or anything, but since we came all this way, maybe we should actually go into the zoo?"

Edward laughed. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. C'mon, let's go."

Emily giggled, blushing slightly as she glanced at Edward. I held out my arm to Emily, and she hooked hers through it as we began to walk to the ticket booth. Edward fell into step next to me, a soft smile playing on his lips. When we got to the booth, Edward stepped resolutely in front of me, ordering three passes.

Both Emily and I protested loudly, but he would have none of it and paid for all three of us. He turned to us as he gave us our passes and said, "It's the least I can do for you letting me crash your date."

I grumbled under my breath while Emily detached herself from me and stepped up to Edward, stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, whispering something to him. I couldn't hear what she said, but my curiosity was piqued when I saw his eyes widen slightly as they flickered to mine.

He grinned slightly as he whispered something to her in return, again too low for me to hear. Whatever it was, though, seemed to mollify Emily as she nodded curtly and kissed his cheek again, gently patting his chest as she did.

I frowned at Emily as she hooked her arm through mine again. "What the hell was that all about?"

She grinned, winking at Edward before turning to look at me. "That, Spurs, is between Edward and me."

Edward's eyebrows practically raised to his hairline as he snickered. "Spurs?"

I groaned while Emily chuckled, explaining the nickname. Edward stepped up to me and leaned in, whispering in my ear, "I think it's kinda cute...Spurs."

He kissed my cheek, running his fingers through my hair as he smiled fondly at me. Rolling my eyes, I turned and kissed him lightly on the lips, murmuring, "Thank you... for the passes. Now let's go."

I arched a brow, giving him a pointed look that dared him to make any further commentary on the nickname. Thankfully, he let it drop as he grinned and waved his arm forward, saying, "After you."

Our first stop was the Serengeti Crossing, and Emily slipped away as she got a closer look. Edward stayed by my side, taking pictures of the animals as well as Emily, who was oblivious to the fact.

Edward murmured softly, "Your sister is a beautiful young lady. You better watch out for her, though; I have a feeling she can be trouble."

He looked up at me with a sly grin and winked. I chuckled and nodded.

"When you're right, you're right."

We spent some time chatting about the different animals that were in the walking around the exhibit. Emily loved the zebras, pointing out one that was close enough to us that we could see its markings clearly. Edward stepped up to her and showed her how to take its picture so that you would be able to see the markings on its head.

I loved the fact that he was paying her such attention. Whenever he did, I would catch him glancing at me, and I'd just smile. I couldn't help myself.

We moved on to the tiger exhibit. I watched with amusement as Edward became entranced with the white tiger. He took several pictures of it before finally lowering his camera with an awed, "Fucking beautiful..."

I chuckled, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and kissing below his ear. He turned his head and looked at me. "What's so funny?"

I grinned, pecking his lips. "You are. You're too cute."

"Edward?"

We both looked at Emily, who had walked up to us without either of us being aware of it. I saw Edward smile as he tried to move away from me, but I just tightened my hold on him. His eyes flickered briefly to mine before giving Emily his attention again.

"What's up, Emily?"

I frowned as she bit her lip nervously, wondering what she was up to. She smiled then, giving Edward a hopeful look as she asked if she could use his camera. There were a few animals she'd love to take pictures of, and she'd fallen in love with his camera.

Edward's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at me questioningly. I murmured in his ear, "She'll be careful, darlin'. It's your own fault, though, for showing her your toy."

I snickered as I placed a soft kiss on his neck again. Edward grinned and nodded as he turned to Emily again.

"Think you can handle it?"

She arched her brow and gave him a sly grin. In that moment, she looked so much like me, it was kind of scary. Edward must have had a similar thought, because I heard him mutter under his breath, "Goddamn; both of them?"

Emily squealed in delight, bouncing in place a few times until Edward handed her his camera, giving her a stern look. Well, as stern as he could manage; I could tell he was amused and was trying hard not to show it.

I grinned at Emily. "You be careful with that thing, Lee-Lee. You're the one who's going to have to replace it, and I'd love to see you try and explain that expense to Mama and Daddy."

Her eyes widened as she held the camera tighter. "Damnit, Spurs, you know I'll be careful. Now shut up before you make Edward change his mind."

She raised the camera to her face and snapped a picture of me, right as I stuck out my tongue at her. Edward laughed and said he couldn't wait to develop that one. I tickled him lightly as I grumbled, "Hush, you."

We spent some time watching the lion next. Edward was glancing at Emily a lot, probably anxious about his camera, so I pulled him to me and whispered, "Relax, she'll be fine."

He sighed, nodding. I brushed my lips against his, and he hummed softly. After that, he did seem to relax more, and we just enjoyed the exhibits together. Emily had taken to her new role of photographer and was going back and forth, trying to find the best pictures. It was actually driving me a little crazy trying to keep up with her, so after a while, I began to ignore the incessant clicking and just enjoyed being with Edward.

At one point, Emily had to ask Edward for a new roll of film. He chuckled, and with quick movements, he had the film replaced in no time, and Emily was off clicking away again.

I had taken Edward's hand in mine as we walked along, and whenever I looked at him, he had a silly grin on his face. When I leaned in to ask him what he was grinning about, he said, "Nothing. This is just...nice. Thank you for asking me to join you, baby."

He kissed me tenderly, his free hand cupping my cheek. I smiled against his lips, murmuring, "You're welcome. I'm glad you came."

We heard Emily squeal, and we both turned to look at her. She had wandered off a ways and was pointing at something as she told us to come and look. When we walked up to her and saw what she was so excited about, I laughed. There was a pygmy hippopotamus playing in the enclosure. It was actually kind of cute, but Emily's reaction to it was by far cuter.

Edward asked her if she'd never seen one before, and when she shook her head, he laughed, saying that they were definitely cuter than the regular hippos. Emily took several pictures of the animal as it frolicked about, and Edward just shook his head, chuckling.

I grinned as I pulled him close to me, wrapping my arms around his waist. "You know, you're going to have a lot of pictures to develop after she's done."

He smiled, his eyes flickering between Emily and me. "It's worth it. She seems to be having fun."

I nodded. "That she is."

We continued to walk, taking some time to watch the gorillas in their enclosure. Edward had wrapped his arm around my waist as we stood looking at them, his thumb brushing against my side. I felt more content than I could ever remember feeling before.

By the time we had gotten to the bird exhibit, I was starving even though it was early. I asked them what they wanted to do for lunch - stay here at the zoo and eat whatever they had at the concession stand, or go out and grab something, possibly coming back later. Edward pointed out that we'd have to pay admission again if we left now, so we opted for grabbing something from the stand to tide us over and then going out after we were done.

After we'd had something to eat, Emily insisted we go back to visit the Outback exhibit. It was actually kind of fun to watch the kangaroos. Some of them were playing around, fighting with each other, and we all laughed at their antics before we moved a little further on to watch the emus strutting back and forth.

Edward said that Australia was one place he had yet to visit but wanted to someday. He asked me if it was something I was interested in, and I shrugged, saying I had never really thought about it. He already knew that - aside from a few trips into Mexico - I had never been outside the US. I traveled a lot for work already, and though it would be nice to possibly go abroad, it never was something I gave much thought to.

The only exception to that was Europe. I definitely wanted to go there so I could visit some of the places that my favorite artists had been, not to mention the vast array of museums that held things of interest to me. When I told him that, he smiled softly, getting a slightly wistful look on his face, but before I could comment on it, he shook his head and pointed out a tree kangaroo that had come closer to us.

Emily pulled us into the zoo shop, saying she wanted to have something to commemorate the day with. We usually got something anyway, but her choice of words made me roll my eyes at her, which just made her grin. Edward followed along, amused by our interaction.

She spent far too long perusing the items in the shop, and I was getting to the point where I just wanted to leave already. I was hungry again, and I'd had enough of the zoo for today. Edward was browsing as well, casting glances at me as I stood by the counter, refusing to get dragged into the whole shopping thing. I was tired and just wanted to sit down. Actually, if I was being honest, I wanted to be with Edward cuddled up on the couch.

He grinned at me, shaking his head slightly, which made me wonder if he could read my mind. I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous thought. He came up to the counter, holding what looked to be a toy lamb. It wasn't a stuffed animal, but more like a high quality statue that happened to be made of wool. It looked incredibly lifelike.

When I arched an eyebrow in question, he chuckled softly. "For Tanya. She loves lambs and collects them. I figured she'd like this one."

He had grabbed something else as well, but he told me to turn around, refusing to let me see what it was. I grumbled softly about him being a pain in the ass, which just made him laugh. I walked over to the door, standing just outside as I waited for him to be done.

I was leaning against the frame, my arms crossed and my eyes closed when I felt someone touch my shoulder. I opened my eyes and smiled in spite of myself when I saw Edward's dancing eyes watching me.

I grinned at him. "What's got you so amused?"

His smirk became more pronounced as his eyes darted to my shoulder and back. I followed his gaze and nearly jumped out of my skin as I saw the lizard on my shoulder. It took all of two seconds to figure out it was a fake, but damn.

I grabbed it, looking closely at it before narrowing my eyes at him as I felt heat rising on my cheeks. I pulled him to me by his belt loops as he laughed at my reaction.

"You think that was funny, do you?"

He continued to chuckle as he nodded. "Yeah...you seemed to like mine, so I thought you might like this one, too."

His eyes were full of mischief as I kissed him hard before whispering, "Oh, I like yours alright, but you better believe you are going to get payback for this."

His voice was low and husky when he said, "I'm counting on it."

He slipped his hand to the back of my neck and closed the distance between us, and for a moment, I forgot everything; I forgot we were at the zoo, that Emily was here with us...and I forgot I had been somewhat embarrassed by his joke. All I knew at that moment was that his lips were on mine, and his body was pressed against me, his other hand with fingers splayed on my back.

It wasn't until I heard someone repeatedly clear their throat that other things came back into focus again. We both pulled away at the same time, blushing as we turned to find Emily, who looked like the cat that ate the canary. Edward stepped back, scratching the back of his neck as he muttered, "Sorry about that, Em."

She giggled, her eyes dancing as she looked at each of us in turn. "Oh, that's quite alright. I don't mind watching cute guys kiss - even though I'd rather neither one was my big brother."

I rolled my eyes at her as she winked at us. I knew I was blushing like crazy, and I was trying hard to recover. Spotting the bag in her hands, I asked her what she'd bought, hoping to deflect the attention away from Edward and me.

She gave me a knowing look, but obligingly told me she'd gotten a raglan t-shirt for herself with a picture of a kangaroo on it, a new journal, and something for me, which she said I would get for my birthday - I rolled my eyes again at that one, silently wondering if they sold ties here.

She grabbed something out of her bag and stepped up to Edward with a shy smile. She held out her hand, which was closed around whatever she had taken out of the bag, and said, "And this is for you."

Edward's eyes widened slightly, and he smiled softly at her as he held out his hand, palm up under hers. When she opened her fist, a small keychain with a gold-plated tiger hanging from it dropped into his waiting hand. Edward held it up, looking at it from different angles before glancing at me. I wasn't all that surprised that she had gotten him something - that was just Emily - and after all, it was something we did when we went out like this. Still, the look of awe on Edward's face made me smile.

I saw him swallow a few times, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out. Finally, he just hugged her tight and she returned it, patting his back gently. She whispered something and smiled, but I couldn't hear what was said.

Watching them like that, I felt something stir inside of me, shifting. I wasn't able to put my finger on it, but it felt at once both good and terrifying. I frowned as I tried to place what I was feeling but shook it off when they broke apart - this wasn't the time or place to think on these things. It would have to wait until I was alone.

Emily handed the camera back to Edward, who asked if he could take a picture of the two of us together. Emily was thrilled, so of course I went along with it. He promised he'd give us a copy of the picture once he had developed the film, which had Emily bouncing again. I swear, that girl is as bad as Alice at times. Where does she get that kind of energy?

Edward ended up taking a few shots, saying he wanted to make sure to get a good one. He directed us, much like he had done with me during the shoot, and the reminder of it had me grinning. He raised an eyebrow in question, a small smirk playing on his lips, but I just shook my head.

My stomach rumbled loudly enough for them to hear, and I chuckled, blushing a little. "Umm, yeah... where did you two want to go to dinner?"

Edward bit his lip as his eyes flickered between Emily and me, obviously thinking hard about something. Finally, he said with a saddened look in his eyes, "I think I'd better get home. I've imposed on your day long enough."

I was about to protest and had opened my mouth to do so when Emily beat me to it. She grabbed his hand firmly in hers and said, "Don't be ridiculous, Edward. You're joining us for dinner, and that's that."

She gave both of us a stern look, daring us to contradict her. I had no intention of doing so, but it seemed as if Edward was about to try when she narrowed her eyes at him. I saw him wince slightly, and I noticed Emily was squeezing his hand. I chuckled.

"Darlin', you may as well give up. Lee-Lee's determined you come along, and it's less painful to do as she says."

She grinned at him as she let him go, and I laughed when he rubbed his hand, muttering, "Yeah, I get that...damn, girl, you're stronger than I thought."

I took his hand and lifted it to my lips, kissing it tenderly before rubbing my thumb gently over his knuckles. His eyes were on mine, something indecipherable in them as he smiled at me.

We drove separately to the restaurant. Emily had picked out a place days earlier after we had decided to go to the zoo, so after checking with Edward that he would be okay with her choice of menu, we ended up in a small Caribbean/Indian style place, and the smell alone had our mouths watering as we walked in.

We each decided to get a roti, Edward and I both opting for curry goat, and Emily the curry shrimp. When I asked Emily how on earth she'd found this place, she told me that some of her dormmates had been raving about it for a while now, and she'd wanted to try it.

It was messy eating, but damn good food. I ended up having to keep my eyes on my food, because watching Edward eat and then lick his fingers had me squirming in my seat. I was trying hard to behave myself, since Emily was with us, but thoughts of what those lips and that tongue could do to me were almost too much. I didn't speak much the rest of the meal.

I couldn't quite block out the sounds that were made, though, and while Emily also let her appreciation be known, that wasn't what I was picking up on. At one point - when I couldn't resist taking a peek - I glanced up and saw Edward watching me. His eyes were smoldering with something - desire, for sure, but something else, too.

Goddamn...

Finishing off the last of my food, I wiped my mouth and fingers with my napkin before looking up at Emily.

"Did you have anything else planned for today, sis?"

She shook her head as she finished eating. She took a sip of water and wiped her mouth before answering me. "No, nothing planned. I wasn't sure how long we'd be at the zoo, so I figured we could just wing it."

I glanced at Edward, who was watching us. He seemed to look...content, if somewhat amused - and perhaps a little melancholy. I wondered briefly what this was like for him, seeing Emily and me and how we were together, knowing that he had no family - at least, no immediate family. I smiled softly at him, reaching my hand under the table to give his thigh a squeeze. He put his hand on mine, giving me a squeeze of his own as he smiled at me.

In the end, Emily confessed she wanted to see Disaster Movie, saying that all her friends were talking about it, and she wanted to see what the fuss was about for herself. Since I hadn't seen it yet, I agreed to go, but Edward claimed he'd seen it already and said he would go home.

After I paid for dinner - Emily having given Edward a sharp look as he started reaching for the bill - we walked out to where we had parked. Emily gave Edward a hug, which he returned with a smile and a whispered, "Thanks, I had a great time today. I'm glad I had the chance to get to know you."

Her eyes cut to mine, a mischievous gleam in them before she hugged Edward again, whispering in his ear. He blushed slightly, as she pulled away, and I almost missed the nod he gave her. Emily stepped aside, pretending to be busy with adjusting the strap of her helmet or something, giving Edward and me a chance to say goodbye.

He was standing in front of his car, so I stepped up to him and pushed him against it. My hands were on his hips as I leaned in and kissed him. I didn't want him to go, and I told him so. He whispered, "I just wanted to give you guys some time alone. I know that your dates with Emily are special to you, baby."

I sighed, resting my forehead against his. "Can I call you later?"

I felt silly asking it, but for some reason, I felt compelled to. He grinned, nudging my side gently as he said, "You'd better. I want to know if that movie's any good."

He winked at me as I looked at him with widened eyes. "You little liar."

He shrugged, unashamed of the white lie. He put his hand on the nape of my neck, pulling me closer again, and kissed me. The kiss was sweet, tender, and would have lasted longer, had Emily not cleared her throat. It seemed that our time was up, and she was ready to go. I sighed heavily, earning another peck on the lips from Edward.

After I promised to call him when I got home, he left. I stood watching him as he drove off, a strange feeling coming over me, one I could not identify. I blinked when I felt Emily tugging at my jacket to get my attention. I mumbled an apology that she just shrugged off, and we were off to the theater.

To be honest, I didn't pay too much attention to the movie. There were a couple of guys in it that caught Emily's attention, and upon closer look, I could see why - the two that she kept giggling over whenever they came on the screen were definitely good-looking. Afterward, I teased her about just wanting to go for the eye candy, pointing out the guy that had played Will and the one that had played several characters, including Prince Caspian and Batman.

We went to get dessert on our way back to her dorm. I'd gotten a sundae with Heath bar crunch topping on it, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning with every bite. Emily chatted about the animals we'd seen, but from the way she kept looking at me, I knew she was stalling. It wouldn't be long before she would change the subject to Edward. Sure enough...

"So..."

I looked up at her as I took a bite. "So?"

"It was good to meet Edward. I like him; he seems to be a very nice guy, Jasper."

I nodded.

"C'mon, Spurs. That's all you got? A nod?"

I finished my sundae, pushing the empty glass aside as I leaned my elbows on the edge of the table. With a sigh, I asked her what she wanted to know. We ended up talking about Edward for a good half hour before I reluctantly admitted that I liked him a lot. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat; I knew I liked him, but at the same time, the intensity I felt with him frightened me a little - it reminded me too much of how I had felt with Paul.

I had never told Emily about what had happened with Paul, and I doubted I ever would. She didn't need to know how foolish her brother had been all those years ago. At the same time though...

I finally dropped her off at her dorm around seven. Our dinner had been early but filling, and on top of popcorn and ice cream, we were both too stuffed to eat again. She told me she was going to call James tonight to see about getting together with him in the next few days and that she would call me as soon as she knew anything.

When I got home, it was all I could do not to call Edward before I'd even taken my jacket off. I wondered what was up with that, since I had just seen him hours before, but I shook it off. After I'd put everything in its proper place and grabbed myself a beer, I finally sat down and called him.

He answered on the first ring, which made me smile. Had he been waiting by the phone?

His voice was soft, and it had me longing to be there instead. "Hey Jazz."

"Hey, yourself."

"How was the rest of your date?"

I sighed softly as I ran my fingers through my hair. Not the same without you there.

"It was fun. I think Emily chose the movie for the eye candy, though."

I chuckled, and I could practically hear the grin in his voice as he spoke.

"Eye candy, huh? Should I be worried?"

I grinned. "Well, there were a couple of really cute guys, but nah...they don't compare."

He chuckled softly before he turned more serious. "Hey, I wanted to thank you again for letting me crash your date with your sister. It was nice to see you with her today, and I'm glad I got to meet her. She seems like a sweet girl."

My grin widened into a full smile at his thoughts on Emily.

"She is. She was glad to meet you, too."

I heard him take a sip of something before he replied in a soft voice, "It means a lot to me that you introduced me to her, baby...that you would include me in your life."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and took a long pull of my beer. I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I just said, "You're welcome."

We talked about the movie for a little bit after that, and he said it sounded like it might be fun to watch it. I was about to ask if he meant watch it with me or in general when he said, "Oh! Before I forget, again. Wanted to let you know that I'll be out of town next weekend. I'm helping Kate with another shoot that she's doing to build her portfolio."

I couldn't help the pang of disappointment I felt when he said he'd be gone. He explained that the trip had been planned for a long time, and that he just couldn't do it to Katie to pull out now. I told him I understood and asked if we could maybe meet for lunch or dinner before he left on Friday.

He agreed, saying we'd figure it out later in the week, and then he asked what my plans for Labor Day were. When I said that I was going to go to Angela and Ben's annual party, he got quiet for a moment. The pause felt a bit uncomfortable, and I wondered if it was just me. When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded just slightly off, as if he were holding back.

"I think I'll be going to Collin's - well, Collin's and Brady's now, I guess - party after all."

He explained that Collin had a house on the beach near Kettle Cove Village that used to belong to his grandparents. He'd moved in there years ago to work on the upkeep of it, and when they had passed away, he had inherited the place. Brady had been his best friend and roommate for years before they finally admitted to each other how they felt.

It had been a tradition for all of them to go to their place and hang out for the day, since it would be the last chance of the year to enjoy the beach. Edward said that he usually ended up crashing there, since the drive home was long and he inevitably would have had too much to drink.

I wasn't sure how it made me feel, hearing him tell me all of this. I hadn't invited him to go with me to Angela and Ben's party. I wanted to, but at the same time...I didn't. I wasn't quite ready to deal with my friends yet when it came to Edward. I kind of wanted to keep this to myself for now. At least until I could figure out what this was.

"I guess I'll see you next week then? What are you doing tomorrow?"

There was a brief pause again, and I was certain he was thinking on how to answer.

"I'm going to be in the dark room working. I got a few rolls of film that need developing."

His voice had a slightly teasing tone to it, but I still felt there was something else there, something lurking under the surface. Unfortunately, I was afraid to call him on it. I wasn't sure I was going to like the answer, so I just left it alone. Instead, I said, "Yeah, sorry about that. I think Emily got a little too carried away."

He chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. It's not just from today. There's a few that I haven't developed yet that are for my book, so I'll be working on that tomorrow. May as well, since I have the time."

I sighed and took a sip of my beer. "Good luck with that, then."

"Thanks. For today again, too. Tell Emily thank you for me, when you talk to her?"

"Will do. Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Jazz."

I had barely hung up the phone with Edward when it started ringing again. I glanced at the caller ID, frowning when I saw it was Emily.

"Hey sis, what's up? Did you forget something?"

"Hey Jasper. No, I didn't forget anything. I just wanted to check with you, see if you had plans tomorrow?"

My frown deepened. "No, no plans; why?"

"I just got off the phone with James, and I was wondering if you would be okay with meeting him over lunch tomorrow?"

My eyes widened a little. Well, that was quick.

"Yeah, I'm cool with that, Lee. What time?"

She told me to be at Aro's by noon, and after passing along Edward's thanks, we hung up. I went to bed straight away, exhausted suddenly. I undressed quickly, leaving everything on the floor for now, and just crawled under the covers. Sleep claimed me almost immediately.

I woke the next day to the phone ringing. With a glance at the clock, I was surprised to see that it was just after nine in the morning. I answered the phone with a yawn. "Mornin'."

I knew it was Emily, so I let myself fall back onto my pillows.

"Hey bro." She sighed softly. "Don't worry about meeting for lunch today, Jasper. James just called to say he got called in to work."

"That sucks... Guess we'll have to do this another time, then."

"Yeah. Sorry, Jasper. I'll try to get another time soon, okay?"

"Alright. So, what are you going to do instead?"

"Some of the girls asked if I wanted to hang out with them today, go to the mall. I said I would...unless you wanted some company today?"

"Don't be silly. You go and have fun. Love you, Lee-Lee."

"Love you too, Spurs. Now get your ass out of bed and stop wasting the day away being lazy."

I chuckled. "Yes, ma'am!"

After we hung up, I stared at the ceiling, thinking. I knew from what Emily had told me about James that he was a waiter. It wasn't unlikely for him to get called in like that at the last minute, but something just felt...off. I had no idea why I felt this way. I hadn't met him yet, and everything Emily had told me about him seemed to be good enough. There was just this nagging little feeling that kept creeping up whenever he was mentioned, and I couldn't shake it.

I sighed, looking at the phone that was still in my hand as I contemplated calling Edward. In the end, I decided against it, since he had said he would be working on his book and I didn't want to interfere with his work.

Deciding I wasn't going to go anywhere today, I opted for just wearing some boxer shorts after my shower. I felt lazy, not really in the mood to do anything. I grabbed a banana, cutting it into slices and putting it in a bowl of cornflakes. I wasn't up to cooking.

I was feeling a little unsettled. Not just because of James, but in general. My mind kept going back to my conversation with Edward the night before. He had sounded...hurt?...that I hadn't invited him to the Labor Day party tomorrow. As I thought about it, my realization that I really wasn't ready to share him with them yet solidified. There was too much I needed to figure out before he became more involved in my life.

Predictably, my thoughts led straight to Paul again. I hadn't known anyone in Boston when we got together, and being in a new city, a new school, and living with someone, I had found it difficult to form friendships at first.

It wasn't until after we had broken up - I scoffed at myself for even thinking about what happened in those terms - that I was able to see that it hadn't just been due to my being new in town. Paul had, quite effectively, managed to seclude me from everything and everyone, without my being aware of it.

We never went out, unless it was something he wanted to do. We saw no one socially, unless they were his friends. Whenever I tried to do something social without him, he would always interfere in some way or another - usually in such a way that I was left feeling guilty about wanting to make friends for myself.

After that, after him, I had worked long and hard to develop friendships of my own, to not let anyone dictate that part of my life in any way again. To not let anyone dictate my life, period. My independence had been hard won, and it scared the living daylights out of me to even consider giving it up again. In any way.

I had - over the years - developed the instinctual need to keep my relationships separate from everything else. With Edward, though, I felt a longing I hadn't felt before. I wanted to be with him, spend time with him, and get to know him. I wanted others to get to know him...at least, at some point. And that was something that threw me completely off.

Another part of me was worried about what Mike and the others would make of Edward. They had seen me through everything with Paul, been there to pick up the pieces after everything fell apart. I had relied on them, on Mike - who had been nothing more than my lab partner at the time - for a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on. To rebuild my life again. Ever since then, I had never been as involved with a guy as I was finding myself being now, with Edward.

As I found myself wanting to be more.

The thought of how the guys would react was enough to keep me from wanting to go any further in that direction. At least, for now.

I had finished my breakfast during my musing and taken out my drawing pad and pencils. By the time my head started to hurt from thinking about things, I looked down to really see what I had been doing; Edward was once again staring me in the face.

I stared at the paper in front of me as I ran my fingers through my hair. With a huff, I pushed the picture of Edward aside and sat back in my chair, scrubbing my face as I tried to steer my thoughts toward Christmas. It was early still, but as I had planned to do a few drawings and paintings, I knew I needed to start sooner rather than later - especially given my schedule.

Grabbing a pen and notepad, I began jotting down names and what I intended to give them.

Emily - pencil sketches of the farm and area, framed

Mama - painting of the house, framed

Dad -

Chuck & Mack - charcoal sketches of the boys, framed

Finn -

Connall -

I smiled as I thought of the pictures I was going to use of my two nephews. Mama had sent me a couple of pictures she had taken of the boys as they were out playing around the farm. There was one of them on horseback, one behind the other as they looked proudly at the camera - both of them dressed in full cowboy get up. Another had them playing in a loose bale of hay and yet another picture was of the two of them fishing.

I wanted to do some for the boys themselves, too, but wasn't sure yet what they'd be getting exactly. It always took me a while to figure it out for them, as I wanted it to be something memorable for them.

Mike -

Eric -

Ben & Angela - charcoal sketches of Bella, framed

Bella - baby quilt

Edward -

My pen hovered over the pad as I read back what I'd just written. Edward? What the fuck? I sat back in my chair, staring down at my list - half freaked out, and half wondering what Edward would like for Christmas. Was I seriously thinking of him in terms of Christmas? That's still months away!

I shook my head at myself, my pen poised to scratch his name off the list, but I couldn't make myself do it. After staring at his name for another minute, I decided to just leave it. It took me another ten minutes to finish the list, mostly because I kept coming back to Edward's name and the blank space after it.

Once I was done with the list, I tore it off, putting it in my calendar before starting a new one. On this list, I jotted down the supplies I knew I would need in order to make everything. I'd have to stop by the store where we'd had quilting lessons to grab what I would need to make the gift for Bella. I also would need to buy more charcoal, if I intended to do all the drawings I had in mind.

With that done, I tucked the shopping list into my wallet, so I wouldn't forget it the next time I had a chance to stop at each store. Maybe Tuesday after work...should be able to sneak away early enough to make it before the fabric store closes.

I took my breakfast things to the kitchen, washing them up and putting them away quickly. I snorted lightly as I noticed the time on my microwave. 11:36? Damn, that took longer than I thought it did; it's just about lunch time already.

Since I wasn't hungry yet, I opted for a bottle of water and took it back to the table, putting it down as I went to find the pictures of the boys so I could get started. I knew I had enough charcoal left to finish at least a couple of drawings before I ran out.

I grinned as I looked at the photos of Finn and Connall. They were growing up so fast; I missed them. On a whim, I pulled out my phone and scrolled down until I saw Chuck's home number and hit dial. After a few rings, a very winded Mack answered the phone.

"...off the blasted couch, Finn! It's not a trampoline!" She huffed, and I tried to suppress a chuckle as she continued, "Whitlock residence."

I grinned as I pictured what was happening on the other end of the phone. "Afternoon, darlin'. Sounds like my nephews are keepin' you on your toes."

"Jasper! It's good to hear from ya! Aye, they're being right terrors today. How've you been, sugar?"

My grin widened as I listened to Mack's voice. Over the years, she had taken on some of the Texas lingo and drawl, and it made for an odd mixture when she spoke as she still had her own Irish brogue.

"I'm fine, Mack. Was just looking at some pictures Mama sent me of the boys and thought I'd give you a call."

She laughed at that, telling me I needed to come home soon because the boys missed their Uncle J. We chatted for a while before Finn interrupted, saying he wanted to tell me something. I listened patiently to him with a grin on my face as he regaled me with stories about kindergarten and the friends he had made there. After about five minutes of his prattling, Mack had had enough and took the phone back from him, telling him to be a good boy and run out and play now.

She sighed. "I s'pose I'd best be getting off the phone and make sure Finn's keeping himself out of trouble. Sounds like Connall's waking up from his nap, too, so..."

I smiled, tracing the faces of my nephews in the picture in front of me. "Alright, darlin', I guess I'll let you go. You be sure to give those boys a big ol' hug from their Uncle J. And tell that brother of mine I said hi."

She chuckled. "Will do, Jas. Give my love to Em, would you?"

I nodded. "I will. Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye!"

After disconnecting the call, I spent some time working on the sketch of the boys on horseback. Once I was satisfied with the results, I carefully put it aside so I could start on the next one. I'd just begun to draw Connall's face when my phone rang. I was so absorbed in what I was doing that I didn't check the caller ID as I normally would.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jazz..."

I paused in what I was doing, my hand hovering over the paper as I looked up in surprise. "Edward? I thought you'd be holed up in your darkroom all day?"

I felt my smile widen as he explained that Kate had shown up needing his help, and he'd been working on her stuff before passing out for a couple of hours. I knew that he helped her on occasion, but the thought of him putting everything on hold in order to help Kate out of a tight spot spoke volumes about him.

I filed it away, not wanting to get caught off guard while on the phone with him, so I teased him about offering to help him - though I knew nothing about developing pictures - but not wanting to distract him from his work. In truth, I would have loved nothing better, but I wasn't about to step in the way of something that was seemingly very important to him.

We bantered back and forth for a while before he reluctantly admitted that he had to get back to work.

The rest of the day I spent working on images of Finn and Connall. I managed to finish three before running out of charcoal. I took them to the bathroom, gingerly putting them down on the counter and turning the fan on. I rummaged through the cabinet to find my hairspray. I never used the stuff on myself, but instead, I used it to protect the drawings from smudging too much. It was a trick I'd learned a long time ago. I hated the smell of the stuff, though, so I always made sure to do it in the bathroom with the fan running so the scent wouldn't linger.

Once that was done and the drawings were carefully rolled and put away for safekeeping, I went in search of something to eat. I'd basically skipped lunch, and it was late, so I was hungry - but I also wasn't in the mood to cook, so I made myself a sandwich. Quick, easy, and it did the trick, especially when it went down with a cold beer.

After the makeshift dinner, I watched TV for a little while before calling it a night.

I woke up before my alarm went off. Deciding I might as well just get up and get moving, I put my running gear on and headed out the door. The weather was gorgeous, and it promised to be a beautiful day. I was looking forward to spending time with my friends, but Edward seemed to be pressing on my mind.

I tried to push thoughts of him away as I took a shower and got ready. I was supposed to pick up Emily on my way to Angela and Ben's, which meant I had to hurry as my run had taken me longer than I had planned.

When I pulled up to Emily's dorm, I couldn't help but grin as I saw her walk up to the car with her helmet in hand. As nice as the day was, I'd opted to drive the car over the bike, as I knew it was likely I'd be drinking and Mike - being the designated driver along with Jessica - didn't have his license for the bike. Emily knew we wouldn't be riding today, but apparently she had hoped I would change my mind, given the nice weather. Still, she grinned as she plopped into the passenger seat, tossing her helmet into the backseat as she greeted me.

We made it to the party in short order, both of us being quiet on the ride over, as Emily was a little tired - apparently she and her friends had hung out all night, and she hadn't gotten much sleep.

Ben came to the door and hugged us both in turn before ushering us through the house and to the backyard. Angela was sitting in a lounge chair with its back straight up, discreetly nursing Bella. I walked up to her and gave her an awkward hug as I kissed her temple.

"Hey, Angie, how are you doing, darlin'?"

She smiled up at me. "Hey Jazz, I'm alright. This little one's been keeping me busy."

Though Angela had always called me Jazz, hearing it now - after Edward had started using the nickname - made me blush slightly. Ducking my head quickly, I glanced around to see Mike and Jessica over by the barbecue. Mike looked up and caught my eye, tilting his beer bottle to me in greeting. I just grinned at him and waved.

I glanced back down at Angela, who was looking at me shrewdly. Bella whimpered, diverting her attention away from me, and I silently thanked her. Kissing Angela on the top of her head, I muttered something about going to find my sister, since she had disappeared almost as soon as we had gotten outside.

If I knew Angela, she would let me be for now, but she would eventually come to me to see what was going on. She wouldn't push the issue. She would let me know she was there if I wanted to talk, as she always did, and I loved her for it. Mike was my best friend and knew me inside out, but Angela came a close second.

She was one of the few people that knew everything about the situation with Paul. I hadn't known her as long as I had the guys, obviously, but she and I had quickly connected, and I had found her to be a great confidante. She was calm, caring, and trustworthy. She was one of those people that knew the art of listening, and it set her apart from most everyone else. She was also quite observant, which was what had eventually led to my divulging everything about what had happened.

I had had another run in with Paul - I had just come out of a meeting with a prospective client when he walked into the same office - he barely acknowledged me, verbally anyway. The look on his face, however, betrayed the torrent of emotion he was trying to hide. It had been the first time in God only knew how long that our paths had crossed, and just like every other time, it had sent me into a tailspin. Mike had been out of town to meet with another client, so I had gone to the office and told Felix to not disturb me under any circumstances. I couldn't go home, but I couldn't work, either.

Angela - who had stopped by to see Ben - had seen me walk into my office after I gave Felix my instructions and had sensed something was up. She walked straight into my office, Felix's objections following as she closed the door behind her. I ignored her, hoping she would take the hint and leave; I wasn't up for talking. She just stood in front of the door, watching me for several long minutes before she walked across the room and knelt down next to my chair. She took my hand in both of hers as she looked up at me, asking me in a quiet voice if everything was okay and if she could help - even if it was just by being there and holding me, if I didn't want to talk.

Her quiet demeanor and whispered assurances that whatever was wrong, it would all be okay allowed me to calm down a little. All the while, she was holding my hand in hers, as she ran her fingers through my hair in a soothing manner. I needed to talk to someone, and Mike wasn't there...I ended up telling her everything. From the time I'd come out up to how I'd gotten to know the guys - every sordid detail came spilling from my lips, and Angela heard it all. When I was finally done, she wrapped me in a tight hug and just held me for a while.

She didn't judge me for any of it - though I couldn't do the same for myself. She had quietly told me that she was proud of me, of how far I had come, and that it was important for me to not shut anyone out when something like today happened. She had said that if ever I needed to talk, she would be there - and she had kept her word.

I gave Angela's shoulder a quick squeeze before walking over to Emily, who had joined Alice and Becca. They were talking animatedly about something as I reached them, and I had to fight to keep the frown off my face as I realized Lee-Lee was regaling the girls with stories about James.

I put an arm around Becca's shoulders, earning me a warm smile from her as she patted my hand. We waited for Emily to be done before starting on our usual catching up. Becca was all smiles as she told me about her visit with her twin, Rachel, while Alice kept watching me carefully. After a while, Becca caught on, and with a roll of her eyes and a wink to me, she pulled Alice's attention away from me by asking her about her latest projects.

Becca was the only person who was capable of running interference with Alice once she had gone into matchmaker-mode; it was a skill she had plenty of chances to perfect over the years, and I was glad she had.

I walked off after giving Becca a grateful smile. I needed a beer, stat. The last thing I wanted was for Alice to start in on me again. I wasn't interested in being set up, but I wasn't interested in explaining why that was, either.

When I got to the kitchen, I found Eric cozying up to what looked to be an Amazon. She was taller than him, all long limbs, very slender, with an air of grace around her. Her dark skin seemed to almost glow in the light that washed in through the windows, and her long black hair shimmered as it caught the sunlight. Even I could admit that she was stunning.

I cleared my throat to let them know I was there, as they seemed to be too preoccupied to have heard me enter the room. Eric turned to look at me with a grin.

"Hey, J. You remember Senna?"

I tilted my head, trying to place her, muttering, "Senna...Senna...oh! Yes, I remember now. From the B & G account, right?"

I stepped up to shake Senna's hand, shooting Eric a look before smiling at Senna again. Her eyes were a deep chocolate brown that seemed to dance with mirth. Her accent caused her voice to lilt slightly as she spoke.

"Jasper, it is good to see you again." She turned to Eric and said, "Querido, I'm going to go outside and talk to Angela."

Eric and I watched her as she walked out of the kitchen. As soon as I was certain she was out of earshot, I turned to Eric with a raised brow, folding my arms across my chest. She worked for one of our clients, and that was a definite 'no-no' when it came to our company. Eric gave me a quirked brow of his own before he grinned and said, "She's no longer with the company, J. You know I've always had a thing for her, so when she called me and told me about having changed jobs and no longer being our contact..."

He shrugged, his grin widening. I ran my fingers through my hair with a sigh, leaning back against the counter as I watched Eric. My voice was low as I said, "You seem to have gotten over things pretty quick, E."

With a sigh, Eric leaned against the opposite counter, his eyes steady on mine. "I'm not 'over' anything. D made his choice, and I just have to learn to live with it. I have to move on with my life, J."

I frowned at him. "How can you just do that? You're on the rebound, man. Why put yourself out there already? It's only been a few weeks, E."

He quirked a brow, his tone flat. "Two months, J; it's been two months. And rebound or not, I have to try. I can't just lock myself away, man. That's not living."

I looked at him incredulously. "No offense, but the way you were cozied up to Senna there says you're doing a little bit better than trying."

His eyes flashed with anger, surprising me. Eric was normally mellow and understated. To see him getting pissed off about something like that was definitely unusual. "Demetri and I were together for two years, J. Don't ever think that I don't care about him just because I'm trying not to wallow in misery every night. I like Senna. She's a really nice girl, she's attractive, and she and I work well together so far. Does that mean I don't think about D or wonder how he's doing? Fuck no. I have no idea what I would do if he were to call me up tonight and say he wanted me back. But you know what? I can't live every day of my life wondering if that will happen. He made his choice, and he left me none."

I was silent as I took in his words, letting them turn over in my mind as I pondered their meaning. Almost as if he could see where my train of thought was heading, he sighed, lowering his voice. "Jasper, look...this shit's scary. I know that. I cringe when I think of the possibility of dating Senna for a couple of years, just to have her decide she's done. But that's just life. Sometimes you have to take a chance and see how things go. Sometimes it fucks you over...and sometimes it pays off big." He shrugged, giving me a smile.

We stood there for a few minutes, a hush hanging over the room before he cleared his throat and shifted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He'd given me more to think about than I'd planned on at a Labor Day party, but I just filed it away. I couldn't dwell on all of that right then. "So where's that guy you're seeing? Edward, right? I figured you'd bring him today."

I frowned, pushing away from the counter as I stood up straight. "How the hell...?"

He laughed, reaching out to punch me lightly on the shoulder. "Dude, Mike has no self control. He sort of let it slip a couple of weeks ago that you were at Edward's. He wouldn't tell us anything else, but..."

My mouth opened and closed again as I tried to figure out what to say.

"So why didn't you bring him?"

"I don't know..." I trailed off. "I mean, this party is always for our friends and..."

Eric smirked. "And their dates. So what stopped you, man?"

I shrugged, biting the inside of my cheek. "Well, we've been out a few times, but we're not...ehh...officially together?" It sounded far more like a question than I'd intended, and I felt a near-growl bubble up in my chest at the thought of Edward with someone else. It was irrational, especially since I wasn't ready to say I was his, but I didn't want any other man touching him.

"Bullshit, J. But that's alright. For now. Just remember that if you really like him, you're going to have to introduce us sometime." He was making light, joking, letting me off the hook for the moment. But I heard the undercurrent of seriousness, and I thought for a moment before nodding, letting him know his message had gotten across.

He clapped me on the shoulder with a wink, pulling a couple of beers out of the fridge and handing one to me. He changed the subject to the Red Sox as we walked out the back door. It didn't take long, though, before he went off to find Senna.

After that, I was a lot quieter that normal, just observing everyone around me. More to the point, I was watching the other couples that were there. I felt a twinge of regret with every show of affection I witnessed - I was starting to feel morose, something that must have shown, because Angela came over after a while and handed me Bella.

Angela didn't say a word, just squeezing my shoulder lightly as she smiled softly at me. Ben called her over to help with something, so I was left alone with Bella - something that suited me fine. I sat and stared at her for the longest time, memorizing her beautiful little face as she slept - her lips were pouty and her nose twitched every now and then. She looked absolutely peaceful.

I ducked my head a little, brushing my lips against her temple, and whispered softly, "I hope you grow up happy, little one, and that you find someone who loves you completely. And when you do, I hope that they treat you as the angel you are."

As I held Bella in my arms, I felt some of her peacefulness seep into me. I was quite content to let the others enjoy the holiday and just stay on the sidelines while I held her. I was vaguely aware of people taking pictures, and I knew there would be some of me and little Bella. The click of the camera reminded me of Edward, and every now and again I would check my phone to see if I'd missed any calls or messages from him - but there never were any.

After a while, Mike and Jessica came over and sat on either side of me. Jessica leaned in to gently caress Bella's cheek with the backs of her fingers, a look of longing in her eyes. I shot Mike a grin, but he just rolled his eyes at me with a shrug. He took a pull from his beer and said, "So, you all packed for tomorrow?"

I frowned at him. "What the fuck are you talkin' about, Mike? Packed for what?"

"Dude, our trip to Portland?"

Both my eyebrows shot up. "You never confirmed the trip with me, Mike, let alone told me when we were supposed to go!"

I struggled to keep my voice low, not wanting to wake Bella up. Mike frowned as he said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did, J. We're leaving tomorrow at eight; won't be home until Thursday in the evening."

"What the fuck? Please tell me you're pulling my leg, man?"

He shook his head. "Nope, sorry, J. We're going. We have everything ready; it's just a matter of presenting everything for them and for you to be your usual charming self."

I muttered, "God damn it..." as I ran my fingers through my hair. I had hoped to spend some time with Edward during the week, since he would be gone next weekend. So much for that.

I need something to drink. Now.

I turned to Jessica, who was still paying attention to Bella with a wistful look on her face.

"Hey, Jess, do you want to hold her for a little while?"

Her eyes lit up as she nodded. I leaned over and carefully handed Bella to her. Jessica started murmuring under her breath at Bella, who never even stirred, and it was obvious that she was entranced by the little being in her arms. I shot Mike a pointed look. Looks like you're going to be in trouble soon, fucker. She wants one of her own.

Mike, however, was watching Jessica with a bemused little smile on his face, ignoring me completely. I rolled my eyes as I got up and walked into the kitchen as I went in search of something to drink. I grabbed another beer and leaned against the counter, resting my elbows on it as I took a few pulls.

My mind kept wandering back to Edward, wondering what he was doing now, who he was with, when I would be able to see him again. Eric's words kept echoing in my mind as well, and it was all just too much. I downed the rest of my beer, immediately grabbing another, and headed back outside, determined to put everything out of my head for tonight - and knowing that it would take a fair amount of alcohol to achieve that.

At the end of the night, Mike and Jessica drove everyone home. Mike used my car - Jessica followed in theirs - and dropped me off last. Jess waited downstairs for Mike while he hauled my drunk ass up to my apartment and helped me to bed. And by helped, I mean he dropped me face-first onto the bed, clothes and all, though he did remove my shoes. I was far from coherent at that point, and ever further from caring about it.

I heard Mike shuffle around the place for a few minutes before he left - I heard him lock the door. I was already half-out when I thought that I probably should call and let Edward know I was leaving town the next day. I awkwardly groped around for my phone but couldn't find it anywhere - not on my body or my nightstand - so I gave up, passing the fuck out within seconds.

Some time later, I groaned, clutching my head as I fumbled around blindly, finally succeeding in silencing my alarm clock and falling right back asleep again. Not long after, my phone started ringing - at least, I thought it was my phone. I didn't recognize the very loud, very annoying ringtone that came blaring from across the room. I stumbled out of bed holding my head, which was throbbing madly, as my stomach churned.

Fucking hell, just how much did I end up drinking last night?

My voice was raspy as I answered the phone, my eyes shut tight to ward off the glaring light of the display. "'Lo?"

At the sound of Mike's voice, I instantly pulled the phone from my ear as I cringed. "Jasper, get the fuck up and get moving. I'm picking your sorry ass up in exactly thirty minutes. Be dressed and packed and ready to go; we have a flight to catch."

And with that, he hung up. I stood, watching my phone with a dumbfounded expression on my face. It took a few minutes for the wheels to start turning, and once I remembered what was going on, I let out a loud, "Fuck!", instantly cringing at the sound of my own voice.

I glanced at my alarm clock, frowning when I saw the note taped over it. I walked up to the bed, pulling the note off the alarm and trying to focus on the writing. It took a few tries before the words "Get the fuck up, get dressed, pack. We have an 8am flight!!!!!" penetrated my hung over brain.

Crumpling the note, I shuffled over to the shower, turning it on as hot as I could stand it, and stepped under the spray before the water heated, shocking myself awake. The water warmed quickly, allowing my muscles to relax.

I knew I had to hurry, though, so as much as I would have loved to stay under the spray, washing away the remainder of my hangover, I got out as soon as I was cleaned up to finish getting ready. I shaved quickly, by some miracle managing to avoid cutting myself in the process. The rest was pretty much done on auto-pilot, and before long I was clean, dressed to the nines, packed, and ready to go - all with three minutes to spare.

I was still hung over as all hell, though, my poor head pounding like crazy. I had taken some Tylenol, washing it down with some orange juice, but until it kicked in - if it even did - I was in for a miserable time.

That point was driven home by the pounding on my door. When I opened it, Mike stood there with a wicked grin on his face. Fucker knew I would be hung over and was enjoying my misery just a little too much, in my opinion. His overly loud - especially for just after five fucking o'clock in the morning - greeting of "Gooooooooood morning, Jasper! How are we feeling today?" grated on my nerves.

I groaned, wincing at the noise."Shut the fuck up, Mike, and let's go."

I grabbed my things and shoved Mike out the door without pardon, locking it behind me before stalking to the elevator. I was in a pissy mood, and Mike would just have to deal with it.

The entire ride to the airport - and I do mean the entire ride - Mike kept chattering away in a too-loud voice about the Labor Day party. I didn't even pretend to listen, just focusing on trying to tune his loud ass out as best I could. I only partially succeeded, though, and his mention of Edward - as he wondered why he hadn't been there - had me curling up and away from him as I closed my eyes.

I loved Mike dearly, but at that moment, he was being an ass for the sake of it. I rarely got hungover, and for some reason, this time he seemed intent on torturing me about it. I ended up begging him to just please shut up, and he relented for a while.

This lasted right up until we were in the air, and I was once again stuck in the small confines of a vehicle with Mike. And, again, he took advantage of that fact. This time the subject was the account we were trying to get. I was already familiar with the details, since we always made it a point to keep tabs on every account - both those we already had and those we were hoping to get, especially if we knew a meeting was forthcoming.

I took out my laptop, hoping he would get the hint and just shut the hell up as I pulled the presentation file up and began to read it. After too many minutes, Mike finally shut up, pulled his own laptop out, and began to do some work as well.

Despite the fact that he was now mostly silent, I had a hard time concentrating. My head was still killing me and thoughts of Edward kept cropping up. I did my best to push them away, though. I couldn't afford the luxury of dwelling on him when I needed to ensure we landed this account - especially given how poorly I was feeling.

We had to go straight to the meeting from the airport, and we ended up in one of the longest meetings of my life. Though, in truth, that was in partly due to the throbbing headache that would not go away. Everything seemed to go well, though, and at the end of the day, we were complimented for our style and thoroughness, and left with the promise of hammering out the details of the now impending contract. All in all, it had been a successful day, and Mike was very pleased.

I just wanted to call it a day.

The following day, we would be spending several hours going into further detail on the program we had in mind for them, as well as getting more feedback on what they would need. Usually, as these meetings went on and we got to know the users better, things would come up that the clients initially hadn't thought to consider. It always amounted to more coding, which was good for business, but working out the details and getting into the specifics was not my favorite part of my job.

We decided we'd check into our hotel to freshen up before meeting for dinner in the hotel restaurant. When I got to my room, I sat down heavily on the bed, taking off my tie and seriously contemplating calling Mike and just skipping out on dinner altogether when my phone rang. I reached over to the nightstand, where my phone sat, and smiled as I saw Edward's name on the display. I unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt as I answered the phone.

"Edward, hey!"

"Hey, Jazz. Wanted to see if maybe you wanted to get together tonight?" His voice lowered a little as he continued, "I missed you."

The smile fell from my face, my hand covering my eyes as I breathed out a soft, "Fuck!" It felt like my stomach was churning again, though this time it had little to do with being hungover, and everything to do with the fact that I had left town without letting Edward know - and I knew I probably should have.

I cringed as I told him I was actually in Portland and wouldn't be home for a few days. "I'm sorry, Edward. Mike didn't tell me until last night, and the fucker put my phone out of reach so I couldn't find it when I wanted to call and let you know."

There was a short pause at the other end of the line - one I had no idea what to make of - and when Edward responded, I could hear the hurt in his voice even as he said he understood. There was something else underlying in his tone, though; I wasn't sure what it was, but for a moment I wondered if he even believed me.

"Yeah, it sucks that Mike didn't tell you ahead of time." He cleared his throat lightly.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "You have no idea just how much it does. Trust me, I'd much rather be hanging out with you than stuck in a hotel with Mike. Don't get me wrong, the fucker's my best friend and all, but..."

I let my voice trail off, not sure I wanted to finish the thought. Luckily, Edward gave a soft chuckle, though it sounded just a little off. I wondered what was going through his mind, but I was afraid to ask him.

I cleared my throat when he didn't respond. "So, anyway, we should be back Thursday night. And Mike's agreed to give me Friday off since he fucked up, so maybe we could get together then?"

Edward's voice sounded sad as he said, "I won't be here, remember? I leave early Friday morning to go to Nantucket and help Kate with her shoot."

"Shit!" I sighed, rubbing my face with my free hand. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Mike, you fucking owe me, you douche!

We spent another couple of minutes on the phone before I reluctantly told him I had to go meet Mike for dinner. I promised him I'd call him the next day as soon as my meetings were done, but even with that, I felt off. Again. With a sigh, I went to change and freshen up.

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Chapter 8 ~ Chapter 10

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