EPOV

Bella stared at me as I stood near the driver’s door and reached for the keys.

"Do you know how to get to the promenade?” I asked.

"No, but you just might show it to me” she was being stubborn, twisting the keys on her finger.

"Swan, I am a crappy guide. And you jerk the car on the roads in a strange city,” I really wanted to say that she was as good as a driver as I was as good as a compass, but restrained myself. I am a well brought up guy, and the girl loves playing the independence game.

"Okay, playboy, you drive,” she put the keys in my hand.

I again showed gallantry, having taking her on the other side of the car, opened the door of the passenger seat. Bella grunted, rolled her eyes.

"Enough babysitting me, Cullen,” she muttered, as soon as I started the engine.

"Swan, look I haven’t been on a date for half a year now. Let me enjoy,” I said calmly.

We get there pretty quickly. While Bella was fumbling with the seatbelt, I pulled the scarf off my neck, and wind it around her neck. I had to pull her towards me, and for a moment our lips were close, very close. I had an acute need. Damn... two centimeters, Cullen. Two centimeters more - and these lips are yours. I met with warm hazel eyes which reflected suffering so similar to mine.

"It’s windy near the water...” I mumbled, swallowing convulsively, and pulling away from her.

"Yeah...” Bella jumped out of the car, like a jack-the-box.

Having locked the car with a key remote, I approached her, and stuck out my hand bent at the elbow.

"May I invite you to an evening promenade, Miss,” I was messing around.

"Of course you may, Mister” she took my arm and we started walking.

I was really enjoying the walk and the proximity of Bella. No, I didn’t miss dating. I just wanted to stay with her longer. There, in a restaurant, I was hoping that she asked me out not only out of gratitude. Yes, not only. She needs a friend with whom she can brighten up the coming year in light conversation. Fuck. And why the hell I can not treat her the same way? We’ll have to stick all of our own reflections and needs up in the ass and be happy with drinking parties and other garbage.

"Did you hear that? It sounds like a conversation is near by,” Bella muttered, having pulled me out of the imaginations of the nearest hotel, and her feet, thrown up on my shoulders.

I smiled. "Well it looks like you love working with you tongue.”

"Asshole,” she coughed into her fist.

"I heard it.”

"So that is why I said out loud,” what a cheeky little bitch! "Jacob Black...”

"Is he an asshole?” I said, not understanding why she voiced his name.

"How do I know? Why did you then get in fight with him at the bar?” Bella asked.

"For lots of reasons,” I did not want to discuss it, though it was stupid to avoid the conversation. It’s better if I’ll satisfy her curiosity myself.

"Has he decided to save my chastity from the depraved chief?” This little bitch giggled.

"Since you are two old friends, I think Jake included you to the pack automatically, - stupid, but it’s true. "

"What pack are you talking about?” Bella asked, staring at me.

"The guys from the reservation. They are about your age. They hang out together. These boys imagine themselves to be some kind of knights of cloak and dagger. Romantics.” I continued making fun.

"And what about you? Are you some kind of a dragon, who regularly calls for a virgin? Edward, this is nonsense. Just think, you banged four little girls, well, they gossiped about it. Is this a reason to make a monster from the police chief?” She got worked up. And my dick in my pants even became slightly hard from the violent tone, that she was indignant in my defense. Is there anything that does not turn me on in this girl?

"There was a reason, Bella. And there is, and will be. For them, anyway...” I stopped short. Damn, stop me. Tell me that you do not care. Pause for half a minute...

"Do not tell me if you do not want,” - she was walking, looking at her boots.

Way to go, baby. Now I simply must tell you so that this Jake kid would not be the first one to enlighten you.

"I don’t give a shit about your faults, Cullen. I’m not afraid of you.” Bella once again lifted her nose and winked at me insolently. "But I am torn apart with curiosity. Tell me, what have you done? Have you thrown up under the table at "Billy’s”?”

"I wish!” I guffawed.

Well how would I tell her this? Where to start?

"Edward,” Bella gently shoved me with her hip, while she almost lost her balance. "Go on!”

"Leah Clearwater,” I spat out the name of the little bitch. "They think I fucked their little innocent Lea.”

"Did you?..”

"No!” - I snapped out. "Bella, she was seventeen. I can be perverted asshole, but sleeping with a schoolgirl...”

"Cullen, I just asked. "

"I’m sorry. I am just too easy lose my control over this topic,” I reached into my pocket for a cigarette, had to let go of Bella’s hand, to light up a cigarette.

I dropped my palm down and trembled girl’s fingers squeezed it.

"If it were a real date...” I began.

"You would have invited me to the hotel?” Bella laughed.

Oh, baby, I would bang you even on the way there, right in the car...

"I would have done this way,” I stopped and raised her hand to my face, gently kissing her knuckles.

God, she blushed and lowered her eyes. I embarrassed her. Ahhh! Cullen, way to go, handsome!

"So, what’s with that Leah girl?” Bella dragged me on, and tripped over. I was elated.

"Emmett and I, we had this self-defense class in their school. She probably fell for me. And, of course, has collected all the rumors about my tumultuous personal life. So, the class was over, and a week later she came over in my office wearing a woollen cloak with nothing under it and asked... Well, you know...”

"My God...” Bella hiccupped.

"Yeah, it was pretty surprising when she said: "Fuck me right on the table, Edward.” I remembered her words forever.

"And what did you do?” Bella’s face fell. But my face in that day fell even more.

"Well, I took her home, and handed her to her parents. But this bitch has convinced them, and then the whole city, that she lost her virginity to me. On the hood of the car, near the ocean. I say, the Indians all such romantics,” a nervous giggle escaped from my throat.

Bella was shaking her head as if trying to grasp all this surrealism.

"But... but the guys in the precinct have seen that she came over herself.”

"So? Their version seemed boring, and I was too right in it. Yes, and Leah did a good job pretending to be a good girl. Then she told everyone that I was at least a great stud, but a complete asshole. That I promised the poor girl to love her to the grave, and the wedding. In short, now the whole town thinks I’m a bastard, a pervert. As for Jacob’s pack - it’s just the front of resistance and defense of the oppressed.”

"That is why he was this way back there at the bar... Oh my god...” She stopped again and looked up at me. "Edward, I’m sorry, I was talking crap...”

"Oh, come on. It was even fun. Especially when I returned.” I laughed, recalling the discouraged face of a wolf cub. "The most lousy thing is that he wants to piss me off way more than to protect his own kind. For him, I will always be a lousy upstart who daily insults chief Swan’s chair with his butt.”

"It is not true!” Bella said earnestly, having stopped again. "Why don’t you just give up on all this crap?”

I just threw up my hands. I had no answer except for "I like my life in Forks, despite all that has happened.” She gently released her hand, walked up to the railing, hugging herself. The sun had set, and the wind from the river was very cold. She believed me. She believed, and was angry. Even from her neck now came a peculiar anger and touching gravity. I stood behind her, resting my hands on the railing.

"If it were a real date...” I whispered to her crown. Shit, now I know the smell of her hair. This is bad.

"If...” In a barely audible voice she whispered.

We stood in silence, gazing at the sparkling lights of the city at night, which were reflected in the water. If...

"Everybody thinks my dad is a hero, huh?” Suddenly Bella interrupted the cozy silence.

"He is a hero,” yes, I’ll always be in the shadow of Charlie Swan. I got used to this, both with my tarnished reputation and a Jake’s clique.

"Edward, he died as a hero. But in real life my father was the same person. He made mistakes, believe me. People see only what they want to see, they see only things that they admit the extent of their depravity. Do not let it affect you.”

"Thank you,” I brought my arms and hugged her. "What about you, Swan? Why does everyone think that you left your father?”

"Because it is so,” she said.

"Why, Bella?” I dug deeper.

"I just could no longer stand James. Dad thought I was bored with him, so that’s why he would drag me to the Smiths. Bugs under the T-shirt, honey in the hair - it is certainly fun, but over the years James Jr. fantasy became more and more original,” she took a deep breath. I hugged her tight.

"Didn’t you tell your father about that?”

"If I went squealing to my daddy, baby, I would tell everybody that you sucked me off for ten bucks” she imitated a greasy male voice.

"Asswipe...” I could not keep the evil roar.

"I had to blame everything on the transitional age and threw a fit.” Bella smiled ruefully. "And become the selfish bitch who does not want to visit my father at all.”

We were silent again. The two loners met. She was called a bitch, I was called a freak. Victims of public opinion. A minus times a minus equals a plus. And I felt warmly welcomed next to Bella.

"Edward, if it were a real date...” She gently unclasped my hands, and turned around.

"The last hour, I would not have spent on an empty talk, - I would kiss you, baby.”

Bella looked at me so tenderly. I swear her eyes were asking, begging. I think she wanted to take back the words of friendship ... No, it is impossible. It’s all too good to get lost in physics. I took a step back.

"It’s time to go. It’s late.”

Bella confidently walked to the parking lot. I trailed behind, cursing myself to the full. No dating. Forget it. Do not even dream. Why did I talk so much? Now I’m getting only a role of a girlfriend for confessions. And what else I wanted? Oooh, I wanted! I wanted many things... A whole night will not be enough to show her... As for the stories, I’ve got enough of them for an erotic novel in five volumes.

I handed the keys to Bella. She just waved her hand at me.

"You drive.”

We left the city quietly. I was still thinking about different stuff and pressing the gas pedal to the floor.

"Are you out of your mind?” Suddenly yelled Bella. "Slow down!”

"What?” I was even scared from her cry, but pressed the brake pedal.

"One hundred and twenty miles an hour!” She panically looked out the window, but on both sides of the road stood a wall of dark wood, and we flew by so fast that it seemed a monolithic wall.

"Relax, Bella!” I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want us to get in a car crash?”

"Relax, all will be alright!”

"What’s the hurry?” More calmly she asked.

The hurry is to bring you home and get rid of your blabber-mouth person. And also:

"I always drive this way!”

"Watch the road!”

"Bella, I never got into an accident, and never got even a ticket for speeding! I am a cop!” I boasted and knocked on my head. "I have a radar built-in here!”

"Very funny!”

"Relax,” I said smiling, but the speedometer needle crept down. "Happy now?”

"Almost.”

"I hate crawling like a snail!” I murmured.

We fell silent again. We drove into Forks, and I slowed down to snail speed. House of former chief grew too fast in front of me. Bella squirmed and made an angry face:

"And I was so hoping to see your den.”

"One day you will” I smiled. "It’s not far from here. Anyway, I wanted to walk.”

"I see you like walking,” smiled the girl.

As she fumbled with the belt, I jumped out of the car and opened the door.

"Oh, Cullen, you are gonna walk me to the door?” She giggled.

"I think that I won’t be able to go to sleep, if you deprive me of this pleasure.”

"Well, let’s go...” She walked forward, swinging her hips. I was fascinated, staring at her ass. This fucking pendulum is just perfect. I swallowed hard, rubbing my sweaty palms on the pants. The pants were unfortunately mine. Bella took out the keys, and opened the door. I silently walked after her.

"I would suggest drinking, but it’s too late...” She left the door ajar, as she was holding a door handle. Why I did go inside at all?

"If this were the real date, then the proposal to drink...”

"Would mean...” She has closed the door, leaning back on it.

"That you do not mind...” Tricky game: continue the sentence.

"I do not mind...” Bella gasped with her eyes closed.

Is this an invitation? Before I continued rotating all sorts of stupid ideas in my head, the distance between us has disappeared, and my mouth covered her parted lips. The vacuum...

I was kissing her. Pressed her against the door. With just lips, not daring to deepen the kiss. I examined her mouth, twisting my lips on it. Nose touching her nose. I covered Bella’s mouth with a quick touch. Her fingers were in my hair, her nails scratched the skin on the back of my head. I could not restrain myself and ran my tongue along her sweet bottom lip. Moan... Whose? She sucked my tongue into her mouth, sucking it, touching it with the tip of her tongue. That’s it! She got me...

I squeezed her ass with my hands, pressing it firmly to my fucking boner. My tongue explored her hot mouth, caressing the palate, teeth, interwoven with her tongue. Hungrily, furiously demanding. Coming off for a split second for air and then pouncing back on her lips. She responded, quietly sobbing, pulling my hair. Sound! What sound? I was thrown away, when I realized that I was pressing Bella against the door, pushing her hips.

I ran my hand through her hair, and the other one I clenched in a fist. What the hell I am doing?

"Edward...” She squeaked.

I looked up from the floor. Closed my eyes. Get the hell out of here, Cullen. The time has come to valiantly escape from your own happiness.

I almost rudely pushed her away from the door, pulled the handle, saying only:

"I am sorry...”

And ran away from her delicious lips that permeated my mouth. Away from the elastic ass that still burns my hands. Away from her muffled groan that echoes in my ears. Away from her bewildered eyes that drilled right through my soul. Having reached the house in about ten minutes, I plunged into a cold shower. It helped. For five minutes. I fought with me until midnight. I have to deal with it. She will help me. Tomorrow we’ll talk and all will be the same. We are friends. I calmed down. At least in my head. But my younger brother, as always, was at odds with reason. I had to reassure him with hands. Hating myself, I again thought of Bella. I thought what it would like if I banged her right at the door. How she would run with her fingers through my hair. How her moans would become louder, and turn into a scream. Come on, you beast, you wanted that. Oh, yes!..

The last time. This was the first and last time. I cannot. I have no right. But damn, I want Bella Swan.