Happy Monday! (:

DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Beta: Fran

2020

As soon as the final chords of Edward's last song ring out, Jasper guides me backstage. I'm more than a little nervous as I didn't realize he meant today when he told me I should talk to him.

When I voiced this, Jasper just smirked and replied, "No time like the present, right?"

I want to bash his smug head in, but I refrain for the sake of Alice. She'd be upset if I murder him. Also, I don't think Edward would enjoy losing his manager right as he's restarting his career.

Back stage is just as I imagined it would be. It's dark, dank, and smells musky as hell. I follow Jasper down the muggy hallway, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

"Is someone smoking back here?" I ask Jasper as we pass through a particularly skunky portion of hallway.

"Probably," he throws over his shoulder before stopping abruptly. I have to put my hands up to prevent running into his back. "This is him," he motions to the closed door.

"You sure he won't mind?"

I chew my lip, nerves crashing hard now that I'm faced with the prospect of again interacting with Edward. The last time we spoke wasn't exactly pleasant. But, if his performance is any indication, he might not be so opposed to talking to me.

Fingers crossed.

I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I was under the impression I was over all this. I thought I had all the closure I needed. One impromptu concert later, and I'm tossing that idea aside. God, I'm weak.

"I'm sure," Jasper tells me as his hand raises to knock.

There's a slight shuffling on the other side before the door opens, and Edward's head appears through the crack. He's disheveled; his hair is sticking up everywhere, while his cheeks are flushed and glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.

I'm rendered breathless again.

"Hey man," Edward murmurs, smiling at Jasper in greeting. Yet, despite the smile, his eyes are sad. "How'd I do?"

"You know you fucking killed it, man." Jasper reaches out, clapping Edward on the back in one of those signature, non-hug bro things. "I brought you something," he says, pausing and gesturing to where I have inadvertently been hiding behind him.

Edward peers around Jasper's shoulder, and the smile slips just a little bit.

Oh.

"I thought that was you." His voice is ... I can't put my finger on it.

"Yeah," I breathe. "It's me." I hate how timid I sound. "Um, good job out there."

Edward blinks. "Thanks." Then, he gestures to the room behind him. "Want to come in?"

"Um," I bite my lip in indecision.

"I've gotta get going," Jasper states, leaning around me to clap Edward's arm one more time. "Good job, dude. This is just the beginning. I'll be in touch."

Edward nods, watching Jasper depart before turning his attention to me. "So?" He asks, widening the opening of the doorway.

I don't answer verbally, but let my actions speak for me as I step over the threshold and into the small changing room.

"It's been a while," Edward murmurs, closing the door after I've stepped inside.

We're standing in a dressing room. It's small and sparsely furnished. There's a mirror, a folding chair, and a couch cramped into a room smaller than my closet. I brush my hands down my jeans to rid them of clamminess and drop down onto the couch.

"Yeah, it has."

"How have you been?" Edward takes a seat in the chair at the mirror, straddling it backward the way only guys can make it sexy.

I try not to overanalyze that observation.

"I ... yeah, I've been good. Been surviving," I swallow. Surviving. What a way to describe life. How fucking bleak I am. "You?"

"There's been ... a lot of changes. I'm just trying to keep up." His smile is small and bordering on overwhelmed. I don't blame him. He had no interest in going back to music, but here he is ... doing it. I wonder what changed his mind?

"You still teaching first grade?" He asks, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, um, alone now. Alice is fully certified and doing Kindergarten. But, you probably know that, huh?" I sound lame. I'm probably fucking this up.

As that thought crosses my mind, another slams itself over it. Why the hell am I so invested? I told myself I wouldn't revisit this. Letting this fascination I've had with him go was the best option for him, even if it hurt me. I tried so hard not to think about the tidbits Alice force-fed me over the years. I tried not to think about what it all meant.

Yet, now that I'm sitting here in front of him and seeing it for myself, everything feels different. All the obstacles I was so afraid of are gone. He's tackled it all on his own. I'm not sure if that revelation hurts or makes me surge with pride.

Probably both.

"Yeah, Jasper told me." He pauses, eyes trained on my face. I fidget under his gaze, and a wayward strand falls into my eyes. I want to push the wisp of hair behind my ear, but my hands are quaking with nerves. I tuck them between my knees. "He told me a lot of things, actually."

I flush. "Like what?"

It appears Jasper and Alice have been tag-teaming us. Fucking meddlers.

"Nothing bad," Edward smirks.

"Well, that's a relief," I mutter, rolling my eyes sardonically. Yet, I'm fucking buzzing as we fall into the banter that came to us so easily. It's thrilling, and it's not until now that I realize how much I missed it. Realize how important it is.

This revelation unwittingly reminds me of an interaction I had with Peter the other day.

"Selfless, humble, and sweet," he'd smirked as he parked the car. "How did I get so lucky?"

He'd pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, and I couldn't help but fall back on sarcasm with my response. "Laying it on pretty thick tonight, huh?"

Peter just laughed and replied, "Only stating the truth."

At that time, it escaped my notice, since I've grown accustomed to his personality in the months we've been dating. The missed opportunities for banter don't even register. But now, I can't help but wonder what Edward would have said at that moment.

That thought isn't helpful.

"Jasper says you've been working out."

I snap out of my musings with an unintelligible hum. "Mm, yeah, CrossFit."

Edward's dropped his chin to his folded arms, and he looks so damn adorable I lose my breath a little.

"I can tell."

Well, shit.

"Um, what? Do I look bulky or something? Manly?" I gesture to my arms, which have filled out a lot now that I'm lifting weights.

"No," Edward laughs. "No, you could never look manly."

I swallow.

"He also says you have a boyfriend."

I blink.

Do I?

"I do." This line of conversation is certainly unexpected.

"That's ... good." His expression is unreadable.

"It is?" It comes out as a question.

"Sure," he smiles.

"And you?" I scramble over myself to ask.

Edward just shakes his head.

"Oh."

"No time," he shrugs. "No interest." But, his eyes blaze as he stares at me over those folded arms.

I'm warm all over.

"And Rose?" My knees bounce. "How is she?"

Edward leans back and lets out a soft breath. "She's awesome. She's with my parents right now. They moved closer to help out with watching her."

Right, because he now has sole custody. I tell him that Alice told me, and he blinks. "I hope you don't mind," I tack on, teeth scraping over my bottom lip.

"I don't," he shrugs.

"So ... then you don't hate me." I can't meet his eyes as I breathe this dangerous question out into the musky air of the dressing room. I'm afraid of the answer, but I can't keep dancing around it. I need to know, now that he's right in front of me. Now that he's bantering with me. I need to know.

"No," he laughs as if that's the dumbest thing he's ever heard, and my heart thumps painfully. "I could never hate you."

"I thought you would after..." I trail off.

"After you fucking gutted me?" Edward's words are harsh, but he doesn't seem angry. In fact, his voice is light and teasing. "After you senselessly dumped me, Bella?"

I nod in confirmation, my voice failing me at this moment.

"I should hate you, shouldn't I?" Edward muses aloud.

"Probably," my voice is gruff as I answer.

"Yeah, well, that's something else Jasper spoke to me about." His stare is haunting; his eyes so beautiful, so clear, so sure as he gazes at me. "You definitely owe him one for that."

"That's assuming I want to make up with you," I point out.

Edward throws his head back in laughter. "Good point," he murmurs laughingly, wiping moisture from his eyes. "You're here, though, so one can only assume."

"Sure," I nod, giving nothing away. "Did they tell you about this? Did they warn you I'd be here?"

"You think Jasper would risk screwing up my first performance as a solo act by springing you on me unannounced?" Edward smirks, eyes glinting playfully.

"You ... have a point there."

"I do," he chuckles. "Jasper's not just my manager. He's my friend. He'd never do anything without my permission. In fact, everything he's done ... he's done at my request."

My mouth falls open in shock. "You asked him to bring me here tonight?"

"I did."

My throat constricts in a swallow, mouth parched, and lips trembling. I want to ask him why, but the question gets lodged in my throat.

"Well?" Edward prompts.

"Well, what?" I manage to churn out.

"Did you want to make up with me?" His brow arches playfully.

I want to make out with you.

That errant thought flares up, overwhelming me with the absolute truth behind it. I do. I want to grab his beautiful cheeks and press my mouth to his full, soft lips. The ghost of the last kiss we shared lingers on my lips, and I want to reenact it so bad it aches.

But I can't.

This is our first conversation post break up. Kissing him right now would be way too fast, and I already tried that approach with him over a year ago. It obviously worked, but it's different now. We're different. We need to talk, not jump into bed together.

Also ... I have a boyfriend.

Wow, I can't believe that wasn't the first thing I thought of.

I'm a fucking jerk.

"Did you want to make up with me?" I throw his question back at him.

"You can't answer a question with a question." Edward rolls his eyes.

"Who said?" I push back.

"I did," Edward counters. "Basically, everyone who actively converses knows this. It's conversation 101, Bella."

"Sure."

What a witty response. I roll my eyes at myself.

"Just answer the question, Bella," he sighs, but he's smiling.

This.

This feels so fucking good. It's undeniable how well we mesh. How well we get along.

"I thought I didn't want to," I tell him truthfully.

"Past tense?" He clarifies.

"Past tense," I confirm. "And you?"

"I asked Jasper to invite you," Edward purses his lips. "What do you think?"

I just shrug.

"I never wanted to break up in the first place." Edward's words hurt. I already knew this, but it kills me all over again to hear him say it himself. "We still have a lot to talk about ... but, yeah, I want to make up. I'd love to be friends."

My heart thumps in my chest as a surge of warmth spreads through my limbs.

"I'd love that, too."

The End!

Just kidding haha! How much would you guys hate me if that was it? Anyyyyyywaaaay, hopefully this chap put some people at ease as I couldn't help but notice some were annoyed with Alice and Jasper for being meddlers. See - they had consent and good intentions! (:

More next week!

xo

j