Thunderclap

I pulled the tape off of the last box and viewed the contents inside. Among all of the miscellaneous junk, a medium-sized tin stared back at me. I ran my hand over it reverently, knowing that my brother’s words lay inside.

It had only taken me a day and a half to pack up my things and move them to my apartment. God, I had missed having my own place. While it was nice to be close to my family when things had gone to hell, it was time to be on my own again. Sure, I was going to have to get used to living near James and his crazy ass, as well as the new guy, but those were minor irritations. I was excited to wake up in the mornings and have a Pop Tart for breakfast if I felt like it, instead of getting yelled at that I needed something more nutritious. I loved my mother, but her concern about what I was eating or doing got on my nerves sometimes.


I stared at the tin again, wondering if I was going to open up the wound in my heart, which my brother’s death had created, that very moment. There was only one last box to unpack, and then I would be officially moved into my apartment. My plans for the day consisted of lounging around until it was time to go to work at Downstairs. Ah, fuck it. It was like Jake was standing over my shoulder, insisting I open it up. Fine, bro, you win, I thought.

I pulled the lid off the top, exposing the letters inside. Every single one was from Jake while he was away. Some were from boot camp, some from Iraq, and a few were from Afghanistan, but each one was precious to me, because it was the only way he could connect with his family.

I decided to take out the one on top—the last letter Jake would ever write to me. Carefully sliding the paper out of the open envelope, I unfolded it and began reading the words on the page.

April 9, 2010


Dear Bella,


Hey there, little sis. How’s Forks? Things are pretty good, well, if good is having crazy insurgents after your ass, but that’s why I’m here, isn’t it? Anyway, I wanted to thank you for sending that last batch of cookies. The guy who received them needed a pick me up, and since peanut butter is his favorite, I know it worked.


Do you remember me writing about my buddy, Rusty? He’s stationed in Afghanistan with me—oh, and the cookies were for him. I wanted you to be the first to know I’m asking him to move to Forks. Turns out, his tour here ends the same day as mine does. I decided to send him an email asking him about it, because I know he’s a proud man, and this way would be easier. I’m kind of nervous that he’ll say no.


I think he’s planning on taking another tour, but I have a feeling that staying in the Army forever isn’t what he really wants to do. Bella, I don’t think the man has any family. At least, they don’t give a damn about him, because the entire time we’ve been here, he’s never gotten a care package or even a letter. I’m sure he thinks he’s fooling everyone by disappearing when the mail comes, and maybe he does with everyone else, but not me. I know, and it kills me. He’s been a great friend—as much as Emmett ever was.


You know how persistent I am, though, so I’m confident I can make him see things my way. Dad would love him, and Mom would mother him to death when she found out about his family situation. I think that you might even get along with him. I can’t just sit back, knowing there’s something I can do.


So, I hope you’re not too mad at me. When I realized that I would be leaving behind one of the best friends I’d ever had, I thought about what you would do. You’ve always tried to make the world better in your own little way. The cookies you and Rose have sent over here to brighten the men in my squad’s day is a small example of it. I’ve always admired that about you. I know I’ve been pegged as the loveable goofball, but I do have a heart. I really hope that you’ll back me up on this.


Well, Rusty’s calling us, which means it’s time to go out on a patrol. Kind of sucks when your best friend is also your Sergeant, you know? Fuck all this dust. I can’t wait to get back to Forks.


Love you always,


Jake

The tears streaked down my face, making the words slightly blurred. I clutched the letter gently in my hands until I got control of myself. Every time I read the letter, it brought back the realization that I’d never see my loving brother again.

We had just come home from the funeral when I’d decided to check the mail. Inside was the letter—it had arrived two weeks to the day before my brother was supposed to be discharged—and it sent me to my knees. Three days later, I’d finally had the courage to read it, and the first thing I had recognized was the date—Jake had written it the day he’d died.

Sitting there, on my living room floor, I knew what I had to do. Jake had thought highly of Rusty, going as far as considering him a friend as close as Emmett. For him to feel that way, Rusty had to have been a very special person. It was my job, since Jake was gone, to find him and thank him for being there for my brother. Only question was—how in the hell was I going to find him? Especially if he was also in the attack that had taken Jake’s life?

Edward.

It was so obvious, once the thought came to me. He had to have been in the Army, and he had to know the channels I’d have to go through to find him. My brother had made it his mission in life to know everyone, so I was sure Edward would have come across Jake at some point.

Damn it.

I was really kicking myself for not wanting pictures of Jake’s squad when he’d offered. Back then, everything with Embry was still too fresh, and I didn’t want that shit to taint the sacrifice his men were making. I figured that by not knowing what they looked like, it would make it easier to keep them as the heroes they were in my head. Fuck me and my issues.

Deciding that little setback didn’t matter, I was going to talk to Edward at work and find out what I had to do next. Surely if he didn’t know Rusty, Edward could at least tell me how I could find him. It was becoming clear that having him around would be useful after all.

God, I’m such a bitch.

I shook my head, feeling bad. Edward had really been trying to fit in, and there I was thinking the only thing good about him was he could be a link to Rusty. Damn, my brother must be rolling in his grave over my selfishness. So, it looked like not only was I going to have to find Rusty, but be nicer to Edward.
Putting away the self-depreciating thoughts, I decided that I was going to have a Pop Tart for lunch. Mom wasn’t there to yell at me, and truthfully, the unhealthy goodness was just what I needed to cheer myself up.

~.~.~.~

The bar was slow, but then again, it always was on a Tuesday night. Since it was James’ night off, Edward and I were the only ones working. I knew I had to ask him about Rusty, but it never seemed to be a good time to do it. Honestly, though, I was a moron for thinking about asking him there anyway. Work was not the place to bring up it up, so I made the decision to ask him after closing and went back to serving the customers.

All in all, the night wasn’t too bad. Edward managed to go an entire shift without breaking a glass, but his bottle holding skills were another matter. Mr. Butterfingers had me cracking up most of the night, and it did not work well for my be-nicer-to-Edward plan. When the last customer left, Edward insisted on doing the clean up so I could count the register. It kind of shocked me, how nice he was being, but I chalked it up to him wanting to stay on my good side so he could keep his job. That didn’t bother me much, because there was no way my dad was going to fire him. My father loved him—soldier boy wasn’t going anywhere.

I heard Edward’s approach before he knocked and waved him inside. He gave me the usual “I’m done, do you need me to do anything else” speech. Truthfully, Edward was a great employee, and we were lucky to have him. Yet, I was still kind of a bitch to him—I was working on that, though.

“Hey, come in for a second,” I said, waving him in. “I wanted to ask you something.”

He shot me a curious look but entered. “Um, sure. What did you need?”

“This is going to probably sound stupid, but you’re the only person that has a chance in hell of helping me,” I admitted with a sigh.

“Go on,” he said with encouragement.

“I’m sure, by now, you know my brother Jake was killed over in Afghanistan,” I began, taking a deep breath. “When I was unpacking, I read one of the letters he sent me.”

A look of pain crossed Edward’s face, and it made me pause. I felt really bad at that moment, because I was sure he had his own experiences, and there I was talking about my brother. Damn it, I should have gone about asking him in a different way, because I was sure I was tearing open his own wounds.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’m sure that you have your own pain from over there, but I really have no one else to ask.”
“No, it’s okay. What can I help you with?” he leaned back in the chair.

“My brother was really good friends with this guy in his squad. I want to find him and thank him for being there for Jake. Did you ever meet someone by the name of Rusty? Or, if not, do you know who I’d have to contact to find him? Jake never told me his full name, so all I have to go on is his nickname. I know that not having his name will make it harder, but I have to find him.”

Edward slumped forward, placing his head in his hands. I could hear him taking deep breaths, and I was becoming concerned. I left my spot behind the desk and stood behind him, rubbing his back.

“God, I’m sorry, Edward. I’m so fucking stupid,” I muttered, feeling like an idiot. I started to go back to my seat, but he grabbed my arm. It frightened me a bit, until I saw the look in his eyes. There was pain, but it was mixed with something I couldn’t decipher—something that I probably would only know from an experience I’d never want.

“Yeah, I knew Rusty. He was this serious fucker that everyone looked up to, but Rusty knew he wasn’t worthy of their admiration. Now, Chief, he was someone that deserved to be admired. That sunny fuck could make even the most jaded soldier laugh,” he revealed with a slight smile.

Intrigued by his willingness to talk to me, I sat in the chair next to him. Edward had information about my brother, it seemed, that I’d never heard before. I was hungry for it and gave him my full attention.

“So, you knew my brother, too?” I stared at him, waiting for him to answer.

“Yeah, I knew him,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“And…this Chief, he was Jake?” I asked, hungry for any information he could give me about my brother, the soldier.

“Yeah, everyone said he looked like some great Indian Chief, and the name kind of stuck,” he laughed without any humor.

“Yeah, he was in line to become part of the council, so it fits,” I said, smiling.
He nodded.

“Yeah, well, Rusty got his name from the color of his hair. Chief said that it looked like a rusted out Ford his grandfather used to drive, so it stuck as well,” he stated, looking like he was a million miles away.
I was laughing hard, trying to imagine Jake giving the guy his nickname because of his hair. As I looked at Edward again, a nagging feeling pulled at my stomach. Rusty colored. Edward’s hair could—maybe—be considered rusty colored. I shook off the thought, because, surely, I couldn’t be right.

“When we were at boot camp, Chief bet Rusty that he couldn’t complete the obstacle course in less than eight minutes. Now, and this is important, the course was a nightmare. You had to crawl under barbed wire, scale a fifteen foot wall, and run a mile and a half, among other things, to complete this course. However, Rusty felt like he had something to prove, so this kid took Jake up on his bet,” Edward cleared his throat.
“What happened?” I asked, mesmerized by the story. It sounded like something Jake would do. He and Emmett were always trying to find new ways to push themselves physically when we were kids.

“Rusty beat it in seven and a half minutes, much to Chief’s chagrin,” he said with a head shake and a smile. “He regretted it later in his career, though, because he was expected to perform at that level at all times. It took its toll on him, until he became like a machine—emotionally detached and jaded.”

The way he talked about Rusty, it was like he knew him personally. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was almost as if he had a direct line into the man’s thoughts. No, it can’t be.

“Do you know where I can find him?” I asked, wondering if he would confirm my suspicions.
“Bella,” he murmured sadly. “I’m Rusty. Jake was my only friend in the Army, and I was there when that damn bullet hit him. I wish…”

The bottom dropped out as his words hit me. Rusty. He was fucking Rusty, and he’d kept it to himself the entire time. Did my mom and dad know that Edward was Jake’s Army buddy—the man that Jake had said he’d looked up to while he was across the ocean serving his country? I had thought it was weird my parents had seemed to take him under their wing for no apparent reason. Maybe they did know, and I was the only person that had been left in the dark.

He’d lied. It was a lie of omission, but it was still a lie.

“Don’t, okay? Just don’t. I have no idea what you’re playing at, but I hope to hell you’ve been honest with my parents. If you’ve been as shady with them as you have with me…” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

He raised his hands up in surrender. “I told your father the first day I was here who I was, and your mother knows, too. I wasn’t trying to hide anything—it’s just hard to talk about.”

Hard to talk about? Was he kidding me with this shit?

I’d lost my brother, and that was hard to talk about. Hell, it was hard, knowing that I’d never see his smiling face ever again. Or listen to one of his jokes. Or laugh over one of the insane pranks he’d pulled. And he thought he had it rough? I’d lost a part of my family, one of the best friends I’d ever had, and one of the only men that I’d ever trusted.

I tipped my head back and screamed. Motherfuck. I was so tired of men and their shit.

“What is it with you guys? You think you can just do whatever you want, and there won’t be any consequences to your actions. Thanks, Edward. You’ve effectively killed my trust in the male species.”

After my speech, I left and went up to my apartment. I was pissed, because I had decided to try to not let my past affect everyone around me. Edward, though, rolled into town, got my parents to like him, hid who he was, and inserted himself in my life. I had no idea what his motivations were for being there, but I was going to find out. Jake was gone, so it was up to me to protect the family.

Thoughts of another man who had betrayed my trust floated through my head. I’d meant what I’d said to Edward…Rusty…whoever the fuck he was. Just when I was beginning to think that maybe—maybe—not all men were lying pigs, the rug had been pulled out from under me again. Did honest men even exist anymore? Or was that just another fairy tale?

I fell into a fitful sleep, plagued with horrible dreams. When shadowy figures weren’t chasing me in the Land of Nod, I was up trying to forget about them. Around four a.m., I crashed into blackness.

~.~.~.~

“Wake up, sweetie. You’re going to be all puffy if you don’t get some cucumbers on those eyes,” a voice said close to my ear.

My eyelids opened, and James was right in my face.

“Get off me, fucker,” I said, pushing him backwards. He flopped back on the bed with a grunt.

“What are you doing here anyway? I thought I locked my door last night. Shit!” I exclaimed, throwing the covers off of me. I had totally lost it, because I always locked my door. Panicking, I shot up out of bed to check the locks.

“I, uh, picked it. Its noon and you weren’t up yet. I know you could use some beauty sleep, but this is ridiculous,” he admitted, eyeing me.

“You picked my lock! Are you insane?” I yelled, pushing him again. “Do you have any concept of the word privacy?”

“Indian princess, please,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You and I are like peas and carrots. I can’t have my Jenny sleeping such a gorgeous day away.”

“Whatever, you fruit,” I muttered under my breath.

“You look like you’ve been crying,” James observed, leaning in closer. “Is everything okay?”

“Do you remember me mentioning some guy named Rusty that served with Jake?” I asked, deciding that he should know, too. He nodded his head and motioned for me to continue. “Well, it turns out Edward is Rusty. James, everyone kept that information from me, and I feel lied to.”

James face twisted into a scowl, and he opened his mouth, probably to rant. However, someone was banging loudly on my door. Confused, I left James and went to answer it.

When I opened it, my mother was on the other side. She walked in and turned to me.

“What the hell is going on, Bella?” she asked, a confused expression painted on her face.

I had no clue as to what she was referring to, so all I could do was stare at her. James picked that moment to emerge from my bedroom, crossing his arms.

“What do you mean?” I questioned, trying to figure out what was going on.

“I mean, why is Edward in the diner right now, telling Charlie that he’s thankful for our hospitality, but he’s overstayed his welcome. You worked with him last night, now I want to know what happened. Right this instant,” she demanded with her hands on her hips.

“Fine, you want to know?” I retorted, balling up my fists. “I found out last night that everyone has been keeping the fact that he’s Rusty from me. Why, Mom? Why have all of you been hiding it?”

“Pretty boy may be a fine piece of man meat, but I’m about to scratch his eyes out. No one makes my Indian princess cry,” James promised with a scowl. He started for the door, but Mom blocked his path.

“Move your ass to your own apartment and stay there. My daughter and I have a few things to discuss,” Mom said, leaving no room for argument.

“I’m sorry, Mama Swan, but I have to do this,” James said, shaking his head and moving toward the door.

“If you take one step down those stairs, I will cut up all your clothes and make you shop at Goodwill for a month,” she warned as she stared James down.

A shocked gasp escaped his lips, draining all the fight out of James. He hung his head and shuffled his feet over to his apartment. I was going to have to remember the threat of shopping at a thrift store would render my flamboyant friend speechless.

I chuckled at James. My mother turned toward me and shot me a glare. I cleared my throat and looked at her with a serious expression.

“Explain. Now,” she said, crossing her arms.

I told her about reading Jake’s letter and then the story Edward had told me. She stood there, listening to every word I said. There was no judgment in her eyes, just curiosity. When I was finished, she took a deep breath.

“I can understand why you felt betrayed, sweetheart,” she said, sighing. “I promise, though, nothing was kept from you intentionally. The poor man has a hard time talking about our Jake, and it breaks my heart to see him so sad. That man’s mother must be heartbroken to see her son in so much pain.”

“I don’t think he has a family that cares about him,” I admitted with a wince. “At least, that’s what Jake said in one of his letters.”

My mother had a look that would kill plastered across her face when I made that last statement.
“You will fix this, now. I will not have him leave here and have no family to go to. Bella…” she started, using the voice that always made Jake and I cower.

“Mom, I know. I’m sorry…I freaked out before thinking it through. You all should know by now I’m the queen of acting before thinking. I’ll make it right. It’s what Jake would have wanted.”

I left my mother standing in my living room and made my way to Upstairs on the next floor down. As Mom had yelled at me, the fact that Jake had considered Edward one of his best friends kept ringing in my head. He would be so pissed at me if he knew that my actions were making Edward consider running off. Jake had asked him to come live in Forks, for fuck’s sake. That was probably why he was in town in the first place.

Upon entering the main dining room, I saw my dad and Edward sitting in one of the back booths. Dad was talking rapidly, and Edward was shaking his head. It looked as if he was trying to convince Edward to stay, but Edward was refusing. I had a feeling I was the only person who could fix it, and I was prepared to give it my all.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked when I reached the table. Charlie looked up at me with a scowl, making me hang my head. Yes, Dad, I’ve fucked up royally, I thought. I promise I’m here to fix it and not make it worse.

Dad stood up and looked down at Edward. He had a sad expression on his face, and then he turned to me. I shrank back from the glare he was shooting my way, knowing he was not pleased with me at the moment. Dad pointed two fingers to his eyes and then at me, letting me know he wasn’t letting us out of his sight. I slumped my shoulders as I watched him walk behind the counter, and his body language let me know that he was going to be monitoring the conversation from a distance. Lovely.

I slid into the seat Dad had vacated and looked over at Edward. He had his head pointed toward the table, and I noticed the sunlight in his hair caused it to look a little redder. I closed my eyes and chastised myself internally. It was not the time to be waxing poetically about his hair.

“Mom said you’re leaving. Is this true?” I asked in a small voice.

“Yes, it is. I seem to have overstayed my welcome,” he muttered, refusing to look at me.

“Fuck,” I rubbed my forehead. “No one wants you to leave.”

“You do. You made that very clear last night,” he said, looking out the window.

“Well, you shouldn’t listen to me, or pay attention to me for that matter. I’m a jaded bitch who hurts people, even when I don’t mean to,” I said as stared at the table.

“Even so, I make you uncomfortable,” he admitted with a grimace. My eyes went wide with that confession. I had thought I had been pretty sly about that fact.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, and it’s a lame excuse to say it was hard for me to talk about, but it’s true. You don’t know how many times I’ve wished I was the one who died that day and not your brother. I’m sorry I can’t go back and change it,” he whispered, gripping the table tightly.

His words made me mad.

“If you were as good of a friend to Jake as you claim, you wouldn’t say shit like that,” I lectured, sitting up straighter.

“But it’s the fucking truth,” he seethed, making eye contact for the first time since we’d started talking. “I’m nothing, and I have no idea why your brother picked me for his friend.”

“Bullshit. Jake cared about you—anyone that read his letters could see that. And, yeah, Jake liked everyone, but he only cared about a few people in his life…would only die for a few people. Did you know you were on that list? In one of his letters, he told me that if he had the chance, he would take a fucking bullet for you. So yeah, sit here and tell me you’re nothing, basically spitting on everything my brother represented,” I bellowed, crossing my arms.

Edward sagged back against his seat, looking defeated.

“Now, if we’re through talking about how worthless you are—which, by the way, you’re not—we can talk about you leaving. Jake, for whatever reason, saw something in you. He chose you as a friend, so, if you really want to honor him, then stay. Dad and I can really use the help, and I don’t think Jake would want anyone else in that apartment but you. I’m also curious as to what my brother saw in you, so you and I are going to be spending some time getting to know each other. I owe that to Jake, and I plan on making good on it.”

And what I had said was true. After I’d gotten over my initial shock, I realized that if Jake had been friends with Edward, then there had to be something more to him that just the man I’d seen so far.

I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face. It was then I noticed I was still in my pajamas from the previous night—a small pink cami with matching short shorts. My face heated up in embarrassment, and I closed my eyes tightly.

When I opened them again, I caught Edward staring at my chest. Typical fucking male.

“If you haven’t figured it out already, I’ve forgiven you. However, if you don’t get your eyes off my tits, I’m going to castrate you,” I promised with a glare. His eyes shot up to mine, and he smiled sheepishly.

“So, since you’re staying,” I said, eyeing him to make sure he was staying. He nodded his head, confirming that he was. “You should probably tell my parents. I will be murdered if they think I wasn’t able to talk you out of going. Help a girl out, please.”

He chuckled. “Thanks, Bella.”

I smiled, nodding my head. “I’m going to change, and I’ll see you later.”

“Sure…later,” he said with an amused expression.

I got up from the table and walked away, feeling eyes on my ass. I knew the fucker was watching me walk away, but for the first time in a while, I couldn’t find it in me to care. I’d done what I’d promised my brother, and Edward was staying.

~.~.~.~

Once everything had been cleared up, and my parents realized that I hadn’t run Rusty off, I was allowed to go back up to my apartment. I changed quickly, kicking myself for not paying attention to what I was wearing. If I was honest with myself, however, the thought of Edward leaving had upset me. It was because of that I’d rushed down to stop him, and the fact that I cared about what Edward did, at all, confused me.
James was already behind the bar when I got to work, and I had a few things I needed to tell him.
“Next time you want me…knock, asshole. Breaking into people’s apartments is against the law and will probably get you shot,” I said, sticking my finger in his face.

“Oh, please. You love me too much to kill me,” James asserted, swatting my hand away.

“Even so, quit it. I’m sure if you pull that shit on Edward, he will kill you.”

“So, you’ve kissed and made up with soldier sexy then. Good thing, too. I was worried I’d have to send back the invitations,” he said.

“You didn’t,” I warned, my voice raising a couple of octaves. “Just this morning you were ready to claw his eyes out, and now you’re sending out invitations? Are you insane, or are you trying to make me crazy?”

“Whatever. He obviously was able to melt that piece of ice you call a heart, so I’m just moving things along. Besides, if he makes you cry again, I’ll just go Rocky Balboa on his ass,” he waved his hand like it was no big deal.

I snorted. “Yeah, and I’m sure with his Army training, all he’d have to do is bitch slap you to make you wail like a bitch.”

“Honey, I may be gay, but I am no cream puff. I am a fierce bitch.”

“Sure you are. Get back to work, Hedwig,” I playfully shoved him toward the bar.

“What is it with you and the drag queens? Do I look like I chopped off the beast to gain access into this country? No, I did not. He’s large, proud, and intact,” James lectured, pointing to the aforementioned “beast.”

I rolled my eyes. “We watch way too many movies.”

“Anyway, where is our resident hottie?” he asked as he looked around.

“Charlie gave him the night off. I’m sure it was to give him a break from you,” I taunted.

“Fuck you, I’m fabulous. One day that man will realize he really bats for the other team, and he will be begging to get with this,” he said, rubbing his hands all over his torso.

“Keep dreaming, Alig. Did you know I caught him ogling my tits earlier?” I asked, wanting to get him flustered.

“Slut,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “Flaunting your body. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

I laughed and went to the other end of the bar. It was hard to tell if James was serious about wanting Edward, or if he was just fucking with me. It didn’t matter, though, because I was off men. I had decided I was going to be one of those women who had millions of cats and would scream at kids to get out of her flower bed. Yes, I was going to be Crazy Bella one day.

As I worked, I tried to figure out the best way to get to know Edward. Since he had been important to Jake, it was like I needed to do it. If nothing else, I could see us becoming friends. James was insane to suggest there could ever be anything more. While I wasn’t ugly, I wasn’t a knock out either. I was just Bella, and I had always been fine with that. Edward was the type of man that deserved someone gorgeous—a plan began to form in my head. Maybe I could find him someone? He was obviously lonely, and I was sure a few dates would help with that.

The only thing was…Forks wasn’t crawling with a lot of single women. Sure, Mom, Dad, and I could be the family he didn’t have. He had already been adopted by my parents, and being a sister to him—yeah, that doesn’t even sound right in my head. So, being his sister was out. I guess friends it was, then.

The rest of the night, I tried to think of anyone that would be good for Rusty, but I was having trouble with it. No one seemed good enough or whatever. The fact that my brother had vouched for him in his letters meant that she had to be over the top spectacular, and I didn’t know anyone that could fit that description.

Damn it. I was never going to get James to give up his obsession with Edward and me. I just knew it.

After work, I decided to start the whole getting-to-know-Edward thing. I thought that maybe I’d invite him to the diner for lunch or something the next day. People need to eat, right?

I knocked on his door and waited for him to answer it. When he did, my eyes bugged out of my head. Standing there in only a towel was something I could only imagine in a dream. Edward was still wet, possibly from a shower, and he looked at me with a smirk.

“Uh, hey. I…just, um. Fuck,” I said, wide-eyed.

“What was that?” he asked with that devilish smile still in place. Bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
Well, Mr. Looks-Good-in-a-Towel-and-Knows-It, two can play that game. I reached down and began toying with the hem of my shirt, pulling it up slightly. His eyes were glued to my movements.

“I just wanted to see if you were busy for lunch tomorrow. I thought the sooner we get to know each other, the better,” I said, batting my eye lashes.

My hand moved my shirt up a little further, exposing my navel. I looked down and noticed that there was a slight tenting in the front of his towel. I licked my lips and looked back up at him.

Bingo! Game, set, and match, motherfucker.

“Uh, no. I don’t have any plans tomorrow. I can be there whenever,” he said with his eyes still on my stomach.

“Great, I’ll see you at noon then,” I said with a false bright tone. He nodded his head, not making a move to leave.

I turned, looking down into the empty hall. “Hey James, come here a minute!” I called out into the nothingness. A look of pure terror crossed Edward’s face, and he moved back, slamming the door in my face. I had to run to my apartment before the giggles could escape, giving me away.

Once I was behind my door, I let loose and laughed until I was crying. It was so mean, but I couldn’t help myself. Edward’s aversion to James’ behavior was too funny, and I knew I was going to be using it to mess with poor Rusty for a long time.

Welcome to the family, I thought.