The Loser

CHAPTER THREE

I was beginning to see why people liked this alcohol stuff. The more I drank, the duller my taste buds became to it. Plus, this beer was scoring some major time to talk with Edward. After we decided on our little wager, we fought over who should go first.

"You came here first, so you go first," Edward argued.

"No, that is not the rule. The person who goes first should be the person who steals the other person's beer."

Edward chuckled. "Perhaps you should think about cutting yourself off. You make no sense, Bella." He reaches to take my beer, but I pull back and nearly fall off the log. He reaches out to grab ahold of me to save me from falling backward.

"Okay, fine. Why don't we just rock, paper and scissors to decide." His hand is still on my wrist, so everything is a bit fuzzy at the moment.

"Bella?" He asked to get my attention.

"Fine," I agreed.

He lets go and we both take our positions. He always chooses rock, so I go for paper. My mouth drops open when he switches it up and chooses scissors.

"You cheated," I accused.

"How did I cheat? You can't cheat at rock, paper, scissors. I just outfoxed you."

I huffed and scowled into my beer.

"Best two out of three?" I offered.

"No! Go, now."

I sighed and shook my head. Where was I to even begin? How could I tell this man of my plight in life? He would never understand or worse, he would make fun of me for it.

"Come on, Bella. My winning beer isn't getting any colder."

I stare out into the woods. It is completely dark now. I can see the stars in the sky and only the full moon gives us our light.

"My sister...she is a horrible person and she basically just told me that I make her life miserable by my very presence. Jessica and her fat sister, Bella. Just another stupid fat cow that will probably never marry so I bring shame on my family as well as being a financial burden. But, I shall endure. I will never get out. Never be rid of her."

I feel the tears that I was able to resist back at the house now set free. I am completely ashamed by them, so my head falls forward a smidge to allow my hair to create a perfect wall.

"All I want...I wish everyone would just leave me alone."

My beer is done so I throw it towards the ground making sure to miss the bottle that I had already dropped down to avoid it from breaking.

I don't hear a word from Edward. I can tell he hasn't even moved an inch. Not to take a drink of his beer or anything. Finally, I hear him sigh.

"Okay...your turn," I say wiping away my tears discreetly and sucking it all back in.

I hear him laugh humorlessly.

"It's funny. You and I have the same problem just different burdens."

I am brave enough to look at him now. He sits staring into the forest in front of him. The very last sip of his beer at the bottom of the bottle, begging to be finished.

"My father said that he will not turn over my share of my grandfather's inheritance if I don't marry by this time next year."

It was apparently my turn to laugh.

"Okay, so what's the problem. You're a Cullen. I'm sure you have twenty girls here of fine upstanding breeding waiting out on your front doorstep. Just pick one."