A/N: So, whenever I was watching Casino Royale -- which happens to be a major obsession of my life at the moment as it FINALLY came out on DVD -- and I was struck with a sudden and startling wave of inspiration to write a story. I know I still have "That's Amore", but I just can't seem to get this idea out of my head and I want to see if it's as good as I'm making it out to be. Anywho, I just thought I'd post this and I'd really appreciate some feedback, seeing as how I'm a major feedback whore and all but thrive on reviews. That being said, I hope you enjoy this and my grammar mistakes don't make it impossible to read.

I'd like to take a moment and thank all of you who read and reviewed my story. You have no idea how thrilled it makes me whenever I get a new review alert in my inbox. So, thanks so very much for reviewing and I hope you continue to review, as I've said before, I thrive on them. Lol. Without further ado, here you are! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm going to say this one time and one time only - I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT / NEW MOON NOR DO I OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS! As much as it pains me to say that, I thought I should get it out there in the open. The only thing I do own is this lame excuse of a plot. There. I'm done.

Song - "Linger" by The Cranberries.

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Chapter One

I stared out the windshield with a blank expression on my face. Today wasn't going to be a good day, I could tell that much already. Killing the engine, I scooped my books up in my arm and grabbed my gray hooded sweatshirt off the empty seat beside me. I nearly fell flat on my face as I stepped out of my truck, the toe of my sneaker having snagged on…well, I'm not quite sure. I slammed the door with more force than necessary and slung my hoodie over my arm.

A growl of frustration escaped my lips as I started down the path that led to Building 5. I reminded myself to take deep, steadying breaths and not let the curious stares of my classmates get to me. I threw my eyes up to the clear blue sky and cursed under my breath.

The sun was out.

Again.

For the second time this week.

I pushed down another growl of irritation and breezed by Jessica and Lauren, who had been sitting on a bench, chatting with some younger boys. They looked to be sophomores and incredibly thrilled that two decent looking senior girls were talking to them. I rolled my eyes to myself. How desperate could they get?

Okay, that wasn't a very nice thing to think about them, but honestly! The way Lauren twirled her flaxen hair around her finger was disgusting. But maybe I was just jealous. She had someone's undivided attention, she had someone treating her as though she was some sort of goddess, despite the fact she was the devil reincarnated.

Breathe.

The sound of his smooth as velvet voice startled me and I stopped walking, whipping around to make sure he hadn't crept up behind me like he usually did. Of course, he wasn't there. The sun was shining brightly, warming my skin as I walked across the school grounds to my impending doom -- Physics. He was the only reason why I was passing that class, not only because his mere presence kept me awake, but because we spent a few hours of the time we were allowed to spend together studying the particular subject. More often than not, it paid to have a boyfriend who was more than a century old and had been through high school numerous times.

I sighed heavily, my shoulders sagging as I stepped into the classroom, only to find it empty. Of course the room was empty; who wanted to sit inside a frigid classroom when they could be outside, soaking up the warm rays of the sun and socializing with their friends? Seeing as I was one of the few people who fit the former bill rather than the latter, I picked a seat in the far right corner of the room and sank into the cool, metallic chair.

A school day without Edward usually meant that seconds would take minutes, minutes would take hours, and hours would take days. In short, I was going to be miserable.

Now that he was back in my every day life, it was extremely difficult to go more than a few hours without seeing him. He had only been back for a little over a month and it was starting to become increasingly hard to see him. Once Charlie had caught onto our little scheme -- Edward coming home with me after school and leaving before he came home from the station -- he had called up one of our neighbors and asked that she keep tabs on me. At first, I found it absolutely ridiculous, wondering why he was treating me like a small child and employing a babysitter of sorts to keep an eye on me. But once we had found a way to sneak Edward into the house, it wasn't nearly as bad. And it wasn't like I was doing anything I wasn't supposed to. Aside from a few chaste kisses, we usually did our homework together or lay on the couch in one another's arm, watching Family Feud or the Food Network.

For some odd reason, Edward had taken a rather odd and out of character liking to the channel devoted to food. Once the clock struck four thirty, he always demanded that I switch it to the Food Network so he could watch Barefoot Contessa. I couldn't help but laugh at him whenever he watched that program. He was always so serious, like he was taking mental notes or something. Of course, whenever there was a commercial break, I switch back over to Montel -- which was a guilty pleasure of ours, even if Edward wouldn't admit it -- and we would fight over the remote, which usually turned into a game of "Let's Tickle Bella Until She Can't Breathe". Obviously, I always lost and had given up trying to fight him off after the first few rounds. The feeling of his cold fingertips through the fabric of my shirt sent thrills and chills surging up and down my spine.

The shrill sound of the tardy bell cut through my thoughts and I sat up in my seat, my spine at a ninety degree angle with the base of the chair. I glanced longingly at the empty desk beside me and resisted the urge to sigh. As the Physics teacher came barreling into the room, muttering an apology for being late, as per usual, I started to drown out her words and disappeared into my own world. I was in Edward's arms, the feelings of pure content and absolute safety, not to mention love and warmth, enveloped us as we watched Semi-Homemade from our sprawled out position on Charlie's old, but extremely comfortable couch.

"Miss Swan?"

I jerked myself out of my daydream and looked up at my teacher, who was smiling expectantly. I stared back blankly, not entirely sure what she wanted. "Yes?"

"Could you tell us the basics of Newton's third law?" She asked, pushing her black rimmed glasses up the crooked bridge of her nose. Hmm, crooked. How I love crooked things, especially that smile of Edward's.

"Miss Swan?" She repeated, more firmly than before.

"I, uh," I trailed off, looking at anything but my classmates, which basically left the odd light brown spot on the wall. If you really wanted to be vague, you could say that, at times, Edward's eyes were light brown. This time, I snapped myself out of it.

Miss whatsherface coughed into her small fist, glaring at me expectantly.

I shrank into my seat. "I don't know?" I finished feebly, wincing slightly.

I could've sworn that my teacher rolled her eyes at me as she started back up the aisle, making her way toward the front of the classroom, where she would stand behind her little podium and make herself believe that she was teaching us things that we would use in real life.

"Would anyone like to tell Miss Swan the answer to my inquisition?" Of course, leave it to teacher to use big words to try and sound smart. You're teaching Physics, lady, we kind of already know that you're a genius, don't need to rub it in our faces.

Much to my dismay, Miss whatsherface called upon Lauren, who supplied the answer. Unfortunately for me, the dimwitted, conniving blonde sat just two seats up and a row over from me, so she turned around and sent me the smuggest smile I have ever seen in my life. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her and crossed my arms over my chest, taking a peek at the clock on the wall. Only ten more minutes of this class. Maybe today wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be.

x - x - x

As soon as the last bell rang, I darted out of the door and bounded toward my truck. I could feel the curious stares on my back as I ran -- rather awkwardly, I might add, as I have never been much of a runner nor was it easy to keep your balance when you had over fifteen pounds worth of books in your arms. I was so eager to leave campus and get home so I could collapse on the couch, content in Edward's stone cold arms as we shouted out the answers to the Jeopardy questions. My hand was shaking so badly that I could barely get the key into the hole to unlock my door. I fumbled with my keychain. It fell out of my hand and clattered to the pavement. I half expected a shockingly pale hand to dart out and snatched it up off the ground, but I knew it was wistful thinking. I glared up at the sun. Oh, how I came to hate the sunshine, which was rather ironic, as it had been one of the things I was certain I was going to miss about Phoenix. Nowadays, the thought of a sunny day sent me into a depression of sorts and I longed for storm clouds to move into from the west.

I was about to bend down and grab my keys when a mysterious hand took them first. I opened my mouth to say something, but then I looked up. I suppressed a groan. Only Mike Newton seeking me out could make my day any worse.

"Hey Bella!" Mike said cheerily, grinning at me.

I struggled to smile back. "Hi Mike." Did the world have something against me? Was there some invisible force trying to prevent me from seeing Edward after a long and grueling day of enduring high school without him? I bit back my resigned sigh and looked at my car keys in Mike's hand.

"How are you doing?" He questioned, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Good, I guess." I shrugged, averting my eyes to the ground. "How about you?"

"Great." Mike replied, still smiling widely. "We miss you down at the store."

"Mike, it's only been a week." I had quit working at Newton's when I realized it cut into the time that I could be spending with Edward. Of course, when Charlie asked me why I quit, I told him that my grades were suffering and I needed all the time I could get to study. Besides, I still had money left over from my savings to buy a car, something that Edward made very clear he would be doing, should the truck fail me.

His smile weakened and he shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know." He said, his voice wavering as was his confidence. "It's just lonely without you."

That was the one thing I would never understand about Mike Newton. When Edward…well, when I sank into my comatose state, living only because I had to, when everyone was shunning me because I was shunning them, Mike was still persistent; he had remained my friend and tried to break through my icy façade. He hadn't given up on me. Not like everyone was had. I was grateful that he was such a loyal friend but disappointed with myself that I couldn't return the sentiment. Although, his persistence could get quite annoying, especially whenever he tried to flirt with me. Like I really needed to tell him that I was with Edward.

"I do miss it," I started, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. At his curious expression, I quickly added, "Working with you, I mean." I couldn't believe that I was lying through my teeth because, in all honesty, I had hated every minute of working at Newton's. But what Mike didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

A grin broke out across his face. "I do too."

An insanely awkward silence passed between us. Mike opened his mouth a few times to say something, but words never came forth. I stood there, anxiously rocking back and forth on the heels of my feet. I pushed a hand through my hair and sighed. "Look, I've got to get home. I have a lot Physics homework."

His smile fell and he nodded. "Oh, right. Miss Perkins really knows how to dish out the homework, doesn't she?"

"I'm going to need my keys."

"Oh, sorry." Mike fumbled with the keychain as he dropped them into my open palm. My fingers closed over the keys, my nails digging into my skin as I held them tightly. Somehow, I had managed to get the key in the hole the first time and unlocked the door. Climbing into my truck, I dumped my books on the seat next to me and started the engine. Mike jumped back at the loud noise as the truck roared to life. "So…talk to you soon?" He questioned, unable to mask the hopeful tone in his voice.

I smiled tightly and nodded. "Sure." I shifted into reverse and waved casually at him. "Bye Mike."

"Goodbye Bella!"

I shook my head as I backed out of the parking space and pulled out of the parking lot.

x - x - x

I couldn't hold back my sigh as I turned onto my street, the sound of the blinker cutting through the intense silence in the cab. I pushed the pedal down a little harder than necessary, urging my old truck to go a little faster. However, when the engine groaned in protest, I lessened the pressure on the gas pedal and continued down the street, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel in anticipation. Finally, Charlie's house came into view and I pulled into the driveway, killing the engine and yanking the keys out of the ignition.

Deciding to leave my books in the passenger seat, I climbed out of the truck and slammed the door behind me. I darted down the path that led to the front porch and, in my excitement, nearly tripped over the small step that I always seemed to miss. Suppressing a curse, I righted myself and opened the door, knowing that it would be unlocked. Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open and smiled when I saw Edward's jacket hanging on the coat rack. I could faintly hear voices from the program on the television from the living room.

A wide smile spread across my lips as I crossed the threshold into the living room. Sprawled across the couch in what looked like one of the most comfortably content position I had ever seen, was Adonis himself. My breath hitched in my throat as it always did whenever I saw him after hours of being apart. He made no movement whatsoever that showed he was acknowledging my presence. Typical. He was always particularly mopey on the sunny days. Like it was really my fault that his skin glittered like a thousand gems at the smallest beam of sunlight.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I walked around the recliner and perched myself on the edge of the couch near his feet. I could feel his eyes on me, but kept my own dark orbs glued to the television screen, where the Yankees were down by one in the bottom of the eighth with two on base and Alex Rodriguez on deck. I had learned a lot about baseball in the past month or so, as I usually watched the games with Charlie for the sole reason of knowing that Edward was watching the very same game. It was strange, yes, I'll admit that, but it brought a strange sense of comfort to me.

A few minutes of unbearable silence passed between us. I wanted nothing more than to throw myself in his arms and get lost in his chilled embrace, but I didn't want to be the first to give in. We were always testing how long we could last before caving in and, for the past two weeks, I lost. But today, I was determined to win. I was sick of losing. I straightened my spine and crossed my legs, trying to settle into a more comfortable position without touching him. All it took was one simple brushing of skin and I would cave. But not today. The hungry itch, the need to touch him, spread like fire through my veins and I clenched my hands into fists. Yet, I kept my eyes glued to the television screen, not really watching the 'exciting' game of baseball.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

One minute, I was sitting primly on the edge of the couch cushion, my lower back screaming in protest and the muscles in my shoulders pinching together as the tension in them longed to released. The next, a pair of strong, cold arms wrapped around my waist in a vice-like grip and I was being pulled backward. A shiver of delight rolled up my spine as the icy temperature of his skin radiated off his chest and seeped through the material of my tee shirt, chilling me to the bone. When most people would be pulling away, I found myself sinking into his comforting, loving embrace and exhaling loudly.

"Hello," He breathed, his wintry breath skittering over the surface of my skin and making me shiver once again.

Despite the fact he had an iron grip on me, I somehow managed to turn in his arms so that I was facing him. I grinned up at him, drinking in his gorgeous ocher eyes. He smiled back and lowered his head, his lips brushing against mine ever-so-softly. I longed for more, I ached for more, but somehow, I managed to behave myself.

When he broke away, still grinning, I nuzzled the hollow base of his throat and inhaled his intoxicating scent. "Hey," I whispered back, kissing his ivory throat several times. His arms tightened around me and pulled me closer, if it were at all possible. "I missed you."

"And I you," He replied, smoothing my hair back and pressing his perfectly formed lips to my forehead. I shivered. "Cold?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not at all." I snuggled deeper into his arms.

He sent me a reproachful look and pulled the old quilt that hung over the back of the couch over us. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the heavy blanket did help a little bit, but it didn't block out all the frosty deliciousness of his cold skin. I smiled into the curve of his neck and pressed my cheek against his throat. His chest gave a small heave of content and I glanced up at him.

"Learn anything new today?" He questioned, twirling a few locks of my dark hair around his pale finger.

"Not really." I answered, reaching underneath the blanket and grabbing his free hand. I laced my fingers through his and brought his hand to my lips, kissing the smooth, hard surface softly. "It's hard to pay attention when you're not there."

His brow furrowed in curiosity and he urged me with his golden optics to continue. "I'm always worrying about you. And I'm always imagining the worst possible scenarios happening. It's just…I don't know. I can't focus without you right there beside me." I sighed heavily and he gave my hand a tight squeeze.

"You're always worrying about me?" He repeated, chuckling darkly under his breath as he pressed his lips to my temple. "Silly Bella," he whispered quietly into my hair, leaning his cheek against the crown of my head and taking a deep breath. His finger slowly traced a line up the inside of my arm and I squirmed when he got to the valley of my elbow. A wicked grin spread across his lips and his topaz eyes glimmered mischievously.

Oh no. Not again.

"You wouldn't." I breathed, my voice trembling as I swallowed a lump in my throat.

His eyes glinted as his grin widened. "Are you sure about that?"

I wriggled in his arms, trying to break free, but I couldn't escape his iron grip. Oh crap. I was in for it now. "Edward," I pleaded, dropping my voice. "Please, don't."

The last syllable of my pathetic attempt came out as a squeal, as his large hands began to tickle my sides. I squirmed, I wriggled, and I cried out for mercy, but no matter what I did, he didn't let up. I was out of breath by the time he finally stopped tickling me, my face flushed bright red from laughter and, of course, the fact that his hands had touched every inch of my torso. My stomach muscles clenched painfully and the flesh beneath my shirt burned. I vaguely wondered if that particular side effect of his touch was going to remain with me forever. I sure hope it did.

As agonizing as being tickled was, I will him with my mind to do it again, but he didn't. Instead, he rolled me over so that my back was against his chest and pressed his body against mine. I sighed as I made myself comfortable -- well, as comfortable as physically possible when in the arms of a perfectly sculpted marble statue -- and turned my eyes to the television screen, only to see that Barefoot Contessa was on. It's no wonder why he gave up so quickly. I smiled despite myself and all but melted in his embrace. His fingertips lazily made their way up and down my arm, sending ripples of an oddly soothing delight through my body. I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep until Charlie was shaking me awake.

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A/N: And that's the chapter! Let me know what you think of it. Am I butchering the characters? I want the honest to God truth and I'd love to hear your input. Have any ideas? Suggest them, as I'm always open for suggestions. If you wish to see my cast list, check it out on my profile!