(2) Wild Horses (E. Cullen)

Chapter Seven

Bambi's hesitating. She knows it was stupid to get upset about the whole marriage thing, but she didn't think that would be something they would have to think about yet. So she hides in the bathroom. She never considered marriage but she should have. Edward is old-fashioned. To a fault, it seems. She is only eighteen, and getting married it like an old person thing. Like if she was 30 or something. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't want him to walk away because she won't marry him yet. But the imprint is more important in her mind. It's them, already linked, forever. She sets her head back against the door and closes her eyes.

........

Edward sits on the other side, his head pressed back against the door too. He knows what he said. He knows she is right about it. The imprint is binding in ways unlike anything else. He knocks on the door and lets out a breath.

"Please open the door" He whispers softly. "You were right" He can hear her standing before she opens the door. He leans back to look up at her. "I'm sorry" He adds, she closes the door behind her as she joins him, sitting at his side.

"So am I" She leans into his side, his arm wrapping around her shoulders.

"Sometimes I forget just how important the imprint is to you" He kisses her head. "To us...." He corrects himself when he pulls back. "It's okay" He assures her. "I take it back...I don't want to marry you" She smirks a little and looks at him. "You know what I mean" She hums and nods.

"It's not like we have to worry so much," She tells him. "I'm not human...and who knows what all my biology things mean for me..." He threads his fingers with hers. "There's no rush for those things"

"I know" He assures her, pulling her into his lap, she sets her hands on the sides of his neck, straddling his waist. "I'm just crazy about you" She smiles, leans forward and kisses him.

"And...You're my imprint, so I'm stuck with you" She teases, he hums against her lips but smirks softly at her. He draws his hand up her back and nudges her nose.

"And that other thing" He starts. "We'll do it properly" He offers softly. "Not on the floor, for starters" She chuckles and hums a little. "We'll figure something out, but...I would like to, I really would, never doubt that" She touches his face and nods.

.....

The next few days pass by in a relatively normal fashion. Edward is slightly more hands-on with Bambi, soft touches, and lingering touches. Something seems to have sunk in. That her statement about her being far more sturdy than she was before seems to have sunk in. That and their discussion regarding their sex life. He seems to have really thought about it. She can ignore Bella and Connor, for the most part. Yes, they share classes, but there is enough space between their tables that she can actively stay away from them. She's not ready to deal with them. Not on top of everything else. But lunch is hard. They share friends and they all sit at the same table as one another. And today, there are two seats empty next to Bambi and Edward. A thought by their friends that they'll want to sit together. It's nice of them. But misplaced. Bella and Connor approach the table and Bambi knows that she's going to have to deal with the two of them. At the last minute though, she can't. Bambi sets her bag on the seat just before Bella can take it. Bella gives Bambi a look.

"Seat's taken" Bambi comments.

"It's the only empty one left" Bella points out, Bambi shrugs a little. "Bambi" Bella scolds her sister. "We have to talk"

"No, we don't" Bambi argues. "I know Charlie told you about....things...so we have nothing else to talk about"

"You can't shut me out for something I had no idea about, Bambi" Bella scolds her. "It's not my fault"

"You think that's why I'm mad at you?" Bambi asks her, turning a look at her.

"Please, I miss you" Bella whispers. Edward touches her arm and gives her a look. Bambi clenches her jaw, curling her lip slightly in annoyance. She doesn't want to just let Bella think she's okay with everything, with her wanting to be a vampire, because she's not. She's far from being okay with it. Especially as she's making the choice for a guy, a guy she still barely knows, even if vampires weren't involved, she wouldn't be okay with her running off to Italy for some guy she knew for less than a year. She removes her bag and Bella lets out a relieved breath before taking the seat. But she's not going to talk to her.

"Have you sent your announcements, yet?" Angela asks, trying to alleviate some of the tension around the table. Edward sets his arm over the back of Bambi's chair, touching her back to comfort her.

"No" Bella answers. "There's no point, really. Rene knows when.." Bella glances at Bambi who clenches her jaw. "I'm graduating. Who else is there?"

"How about you, Alice?" Angela counters. Alice smiles brightly from her seat.

"All done."

"Lucky you." Angela sighs. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it."

"I'll help you" Bella volunteers. "If you don't mind my awful handwriting."

"That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want" Angela counters.

"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay" Bella argues. "I'm sick of mine. Charlie un-grounded me last night" Bambi scoffs and rolls her eyes. Bella runs off to Italy and gets a slap on the wrist and a light prison sentence. Bella looks down hearing Bambi's scoff.

"Really?" Angela asks. "I thought you said you were in for life." She teases.

"I'm more surprised than you are. I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."

"Well, this is great, Bella! We'll have to go out to celebrate" Angela cheers a little. The always bubbly and friendly girl is, of course, going to be happy she gets one of her friends back.

"You have no idea how good that sounds." Bella offers softly. Bambi stands and moves away from the seat. Edward grabs her wrist in question. If she wants him to go with her, she shakes her head in answer and he releases her. Letting her go. Bambi crosses the cafeteria. She just needs some space to calm down. Bella being around her and all uncaring about what she put Charlie through, about what she put Bambi through, on top of her own fear that something is going to set her off and she'll, poof, turn into a wolf in the middle of chemistry, it's all too much. She needs to take a breath. Connor stands from his seat.

"Connor" Edward warns, Connor looks at him. Edward seemingly understands perfectly that Connor is going to talk to Bambi. The two of them have some kind of mental communication. Connor shrugs a little.

"It'll be fine" He assures his brother and Bella who looks up at him with concern.