Tough, I ain’t never been nothin’ but tough
All my edges have always been rough
But Jesus loves me anyway
Oh, back home, there ain’t nothing wrong
With a woman that got a little back bone
Just wait 'til you taste her kind of love…
You want a shy little thing, a pretty little high-heel thing
You’re gonna cry if I don’t polish up… tough
Tough~ Kellie Pickler
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Bella Pov
"Just kiddin'!" Emmett burst out laughing. "You sould have seen your face!" He was doubled over, hands on his knees.
I kicked his shin. "You ass!"
"Mom and Dad are gonna' sleep in the tent. They are lettin' us 'kids' sleep in the camper. More room for us not to bother them." He chuckeled. "You guys ready?" He clapped both hands together and rubbed them back and forth.
"Ready when you are." Edward told him.
We loaded into our trucks, started them with a roar, and pulled out onto the highway.
Edward and I talked about a bunch of nothing the first half of the drive. What I was going to school to be, what made me want to be a nurse, why he didn't just go to school if he wanted to be a teacher. Boring stuff. He pulled into a gas station behind the others and we all hopped out to use the restroom, get snacks, and gas.
I walkd out tof the girls room and roamed the isle for my favorite snack. Spicy Doritos and Lays ranch dip.
"Hello." A guy walked up next to me and looked through the chip selection.
"Hi." I nodded.
I could see him eyeing me from the corner of his eyes. "Where ya from?"
"Not here." I picked up my chips and walked to the next isle.
He followed. "Well why don't I show ya around?"
"I'm goin somewhere. Sorry." I turned and he caught my arm. "Don't touch me." I snarled and pulled my arm away.
"Don't be like this." He grabbed me again.
"I said don't touch me!" I hooked the left side of is jaw, and kneed his groin and he was down.
I picked up my bag of chips I brought and started back down the isle.
"Are you okay?!" Edward was looking at me wide eyed.
"I'm fine." I grabbed the dip and put it up on the counted.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
I have the cashier the money and took my things.
"Yes." I pushed through the glass doors, Edward in tow.
"Why didn't you ask for some help or somthin?"
I was getting angry now. "Because I didn't need help! Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I'm not tough. I've never been nothin' but tough. I've grown up with two older brothers. My edges have always been rough!" I huffed and got into the truck slamming the door.
He got into the truck and started it up. "There's nothin wrong with a women that's got a little backbone." He pulled out in line, and we continued our drive.
The first thirty minutes of the drive was quiet, the radio only playing in the background.
"I'm sorry if I offended you." Edward started the conversation.
"You didn'." I shook my head. "It jus kind of anoyed me that you were so...so....I dunno. So hell bent on making sure I was okay."
"Some freakish stalker dude was trying to get to you. You may be tough but standin next to him while he pretty much attacked you was a little more than nerve wrackin."
"See." I huffed a laugh. "That's what I'm talkin about. I dunno why your so worried about me."
"Cuz, Bella, I care about you. You're my friend. I'm supposed to be protective over you." He told me. "You're all of 110 pounds and 5 foot 4. Yeah, It kind of scared me."
"You don't have ta' worry about me." I told him. "I'm fine."
His eyes never left the road.
"You're not gonna to let this go are ya?"
"No."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. If there is anything I cain't do to defend myself, I'll call you. Kay?"
"Thank you." He sighed. "Now was that so hard?"
"Yeah actually. That hurt a little bit." I rubbed my chest bone in mock pain.
"You baby." He rolled his eyes but laughed. "So, how is this weekend going to go?"
"Well, we brought all three 4-wheelers so there will be some riden' and racin', which is super fun, and Charlie and Renee will probably do there own thing. You know," I paused and turned toward him for better emphises. "I don't know why this is even "family campin". It's always us kids doin' our own thing anad Mom and Dad doin' theirs."
"Maybe, they just use it as an excuse to..." He rolled his hand to finish his sentence.
"Ew." I wrinkeled my nose and sat back in my seat.

Edward POV

Something about a truck in a field
And a girl in a red sundress with an ice cold beer to her lips
Begging for another kiss
Something about you and me and the birds and the bees
And Lord have mercy it's a beautiful thing
Ain't nothing about it luck, something about a truck

Something about a creek around 2 am
After a few of those beers you wanna dive on in
You don't need no clothes, just hang em on a limb
Something about a creek around 2 am

We pulled onto a gravel road not long after mine and Bella's conversation ended on a cute note. She wrinkeled her nose. That was cute.
"Is this a campground?" I asked.
"Nope." She smiled out the window. "Daddy owns this land. It's his huntin' land. We camp out here insted of going and payin' to stay somewhere next to a lake with a beach, electricity, and a bath house."
"So..." I was starting to worry about my hygine.
"We have a water hookup out here so there is that, but no light except for the fire and the lanterns. And I like it that way."


We fixed up the camper, figured out the sleeping arrangements-Rose and Emmett on the king bed, Alice and Jasper on the queen bed, Bella and I in the back with seperate full beds-, put our stuff away and unloaded the 4-wheelers.
"Alright." Emmett's loud voice bounced off the leaves on the trees. "Rose and I will take the red one, Jasper and Alice the yellow one, and Edward and Bella the blue. Now, are we ready to ride?!"
By the time the race was over, it was pitch dark, and we were driving by the headlights on the ATVs. Bella and I beat the others by a half a second, and we had all the room to gloat. Rose, being smart like she is, had packed sandwhiches, chips, and a cooler of beers.
We sat along the rocks of a wide creek and ate, drank, and talked on into the night. We had all lost track of time.
"Hey, Emmett, what time is it?" I asked.
He looked down at his watch and smirked. "2:07 am."
"Holy crow." Bella laughed. "We've been out here that long?"
"Wow." Alice giggled.
"How bout a swim?" Emmett stood up smiling so wide his dimples looked like large holes in his cheeks.
"I'm in!" Bella jumped up.
The others followed, and I downed my beer and went along.
The water wasn't cold at all to be as late into the year as it was. It was almost like bath water.
"So, Edward." Jasper swam over and watched with me
the girls as the splashed around and laughed. "I just want to send you a little warning."
What? "Okay."
"It may not be by blood, but that is my baby sister. And I don't want her hurt. Jacob was lucky he got off with a punch to the face and not a missing limbs."
"I don-"
"I see the way you two look at eachother." He cut me off. "You may not see it, but boy I sure can feel it. I was just sending you a warning that if Bella gets hurt in the end, it will be the end of you. I watch alot of crime shows. I know what I'm doing."
I had to laugh a little at that. "If, if, anything happens between your sister and I, I swear to you I will take care of her."
"That's all I ask." He smiled. "Let's get back to them. Oh, hey, throwin contest. Let's see how far we can throw the girls."
"Like they'll let us."
"Who say's they'll know." He chuckeled.
We swam over and stood for a moment. When Jasper's eyes met mine I reached and grabed Bella, then threw her as Jasper threw Alice.
Both came up sputtering, but Bella was farther out.
"What tha hell?!" Bella screeched.
"We were just having a little contest." Jasper showed his hands. "Edward won." He frowned.
"Oh, really?" Bella narrowed her eyes as she swam to me.
"Yep." I popped the "p".
"Well, then I guess I'll just have to get even." She smirked. I didn't even get a word out before both of her hands were shoving me under the water.
I was under for a moment, trying to wrap my head around it, then forced my self back up to the surface.
She stood there, hands on her hips, and I was just noticing what she was wearing. While us guys were in our boxers, the girls had come prepared. She was wearing a white bikini with a top that looked like a bra with a tie in the middle. My eyes shot from her top to her eyes. She was still smirking.
"Oh." I chuckled. "Are you goin to get it." I stalked toward her as she backed away down the creek.
"If you can catch me." She turned quickly and started running.
I took off after her, reaching my hand out just an inch from where she was. "You'll get tired soon!"
"We'll see." She giggled.
I was starting to lose sight of her, but not because she was too far ahead. But because we were swiming away from the light of the fire and the others.
"Bella!"
"You cain't catch me!" She sang and dissapeared into the darkness.
"No, I cain't see you!" I stopped and waited to hear the water that was lapping against her skin. I didn't. "Bella!" I waited. "Where are you?!" I didn't hear her voice or her move. "Bella!" I was starting to panik.
Her arms were suddenly around my neck, her skin against my chest. "Gah!" I jumped.
She giggled sofly. "Sorry." She whispered. "I saw you talkin to Jazz. What was that about?"
"Oh...you know." I put my hands on her waist.
"No. I don't." I could hear the smile in her voice. "So, you should tell me." Her fingers where playing with my hair that almost reached the back of my neck.
"Ninja's don't reveal secret ninja stuff, Bella."
She laughed and I felt the tips of her hair tickle my hands.
Something about a creek at 2am after a few beers was making me like this moment much more than I should. I was liking the way her arms were around my neck, her small fingers playing with my hair, my hands on her soft hips. It would just be the perfect time to...
Her lips were on mine before I could finish my thought. At first I thought she had been the one to engage it, but then I took it or position, I was leaning down, and I learned that I had started it. I pulled away quickly. "Bella, I'm so sor-" I didn't get to finish my sentence either. She was up on her tip toes, her small figure pressed to mine, our mouths moving together. My tongue carefully and slowly ran across her full bottom lip and she granted me access to her own soft tongue.
Yep. There was something about a creek at 2am.