Take What You Want Tidbits Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Handle

Excerpt . . .

"Can I tell you something?" he asks.

"Like you care what my answer is." I grab his hand before the spoon reaches his mouth then divert it to my own.

"True," he says, watching me thoughtfully. "You're a lot cooler than I thought."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, seriously. I mean, I know I'm like an acquired taste . . . a good one too from what I hear."

I knock him in the ribs with my elbow, and he 'oofs'.

"No, like I thought you'd be a fun girl, but just a girl, you know. But you're like different. I feel like I can . . . I dunno, be me."

"What does that even mean? You seem no different around anyone else. Aren't you always you?"

"I dunno. Just ignore me. Here, cream me." Edward opens wide, and I laugh because what he's just said is very, very dirty. He catches onto his joke and laughs so hard he collapses onto my lap and clutches my thighs.

"Oh, dear." I pull him up, and shove a heaping spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. "Consider this your one and only Bella Swan creaming."

He chokes on his mouthful, and I hit his back, helping him recover.

We catch our breath and sit staring at one another, eating and giggling.

"I feel sorta the same way, I think."

"You do?" he asks, shy smile.

"I do. I could never have said that to Mike."

"Boo! I hate Mike."

"Why do you hate him? He's so cute."

"I don't care how cute he is."

"Ha ha! You just said Mike was cute."

"I did not, I—quick, cream me again."

"Nice try," I say, though I give him another bite anyway.

"He's just . . . he's too boring for you."

I roll my eyes and hand over the tub.

"Just hear me out. Don't shut down on me like a girl."

"I am a girl, Edward."

"I am very aware of that, thank you. So . . . look . . . you like this Noah character, right? He's all lying-in-the-street, sex-in-an-abandoned-house romantic, and Mike's . . . Mike's like you-want-fries-too? romantic. Which isn't romantic. At all. He's lame, girlfriend, lame."

Edward calling me girlfriend makes me giggle. He's kind of cute all worked up like this and worried about me.

"It's fine. I like Mike."

"You like him because he's safe."

"That's not true."

"It's so true. He's so . . . vanilla."

"Oh, and you're what . . . mint chocolate chip?"

"Cherry Garcia, yo."

"Oh my gosh." I double over laughing. "You are such an idiot."

"At least I'm interesting."

"Says you."