A/N: I really hope you guys are enjoying this story, because I'm having so much fun writing it. I'm trying to get as much down as I can over break before I head back to school, because I usually don't have much time for writing when there are so many other distractions. Enjoy, and as always please review. How quickly I post the next chapter has a DIRECT relationship with how many reviews I receive for the previous chapter!!!! just a heads up :)

Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, I don't own any of this.

Chapter Three

"Jake," I said helplessly, hopping out of the back of the truck. Naturally, I stumbled out, and Edward caught me and put me upright. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Get your hands off of her!" Jake bellowed, hopping off his bike and running to my side.

"Relax, pup," Edward said quietly; a crowd had gathered at the cafeteria doors at the sound of Jake's engine, and they were quickly pouring outside.

"What's he doing here?" Jake screamed at me, not bothering to keep his voice down. I could see Jessica and Lauren out of the corner of my eye whispering rapidly to each other. Oh great. Couldn't any part of my life be private?

"Can I help you?" A firm voice asked from nearby. The principal emerged from the cafeteria doors and began to wade his way through the sea of students.

"No, sir, I just stopped by to see Bella, to make sure she's alright," Jacob insisted, stepping forward.

"Oh, yes, uh, Jacob, isn't it? Ms. Swan brought you to the last dance a few weeks back if I remember correctly?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Jake replied.

Edward stared at me incredulously, and I studied the mud patterns on my truck tires. How could I look him in the eye after that? I'd never willingly taken him to a dance or any normal social function.

"Well," the principal continued, "you know you shouldn't be here during the school day. You can come see Bella when school is out. Now, Ms. Swan, Mr. Cullen, please move on to your next class, you shouldn't be outside and lunch will be ending any moment now."

"Okay," I mumbled, and started to gather my stuff. Edward stacked my books into a neat pile and started to lead me to my next class.

"Don't you touch her," Jake growled at him, watching the principal's retreating back to make sure he didn't overhear.

"I'll see you after school," I promised Jake, and followed Edward to class.

Why now? Why couldn't Edward have come back before I swore I wouldn't take him back? That day on the cliff, what if he had just come back then? I'm sure we'd be together and happy… even if Jake might not be.

We sat down at the desk at our next class, with all eyes in the room turned to face us. I flushed crimson, and put my head down.

"Ah," Edward gasped, whispering quietly, "that color suits you. I've missed it."

"Stop, you just have to stop," I mumbled out of the corner of my mouth, refusing to look at him. Suddenly, there was an impatient tap on the desk next to me.

"Um, Bella?"

Oh no. Jessica.

"Yes?" I asked, looking up.

"Well, we have a minute or two before class starts, and um… well, a word?"

She was practically bouncing with excitement. I supposed the news of my choice had to get out somehow, and telling Jessica practically guaranteed that I wouldn't have to repeat it again.

"Sure," I sighed, and allowed her to lead me out the classroom door and into the hallway.

"Oh. My. God. Edward is back! And you're with Jake, right? I mean, they're both totally gorgeous, I don't know how you can even choose, Jake is so build and like, in perfect shape and talk about perfect skin, but like, Edward broke your heart and stuff, but oh my God he's Edward Cullen!!" She spat at me, practically one giant run on sentence.

"And?" I said, exasperated.

"AND?! What do you mean 'and'? Who are you going to choose?!" she could barely contain her excitement – you would have thought she was choosing between them, and not me.

"Choose? There is no, choosing," I said simply. "I'm with Jake."

"But… EDWARD CULLEN, Bella… Greek God Edward Cullen… how could you choose some kid from the Rez. Over the hottest guy we've seen EVER?" she asked.

"You're right. Edward broke my heart. He left, and I promised I'd do whatever I could to make this thing with Jake work," I explained. "Now, we really need to get back into class."

Jessica followed me back in the room, and her expression made it clear that she thought I was completely insane. I returned to my seat next to Edward, but couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"I broke your heart?" he asked incredulously in a whisper I was sure no one else could hear. "Is that really all there is to it? I didn't think anything could separate us Bella… you're my life, you always have been."

"I can't do this now," I sighed, opening my notebook and focusing all my attention on the front of the room. I felt his eyes scrutinizing my face for a moment before they too turned forward and focused on the lesson. I looked down to my notebook and, amazingly, Edward had already written three words in his perfect calligraphy.

After school, then.

"I'm going with Jake after school," I whispered, never looking in his direction.

Once more, moving so quickly I didn't even see him, he wrote in my notebook again.

Please Bella, be reasonable. You can't just walk away from all of this. There's so much we need to talk about, and the dog interrupted us at lunch.

"Don't call him 'the dog'," I hissed under my breath. I looked down at my notebook again.

Please, when can we talk?

"Um, fine, I'll call you when I leave Jake's later," I gave in with a sigh. I turned to glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He gave one firm nod.

I focused my attention back on the lecture at the front of the room, and prayed that I wasn't going to be making a huge mistake.

After school I walked out to my truck, accompanied by Edward of course, to find Jacob sitting on his motorcycle at the foot of his truck, waiting.

"Goodbye, Bella," Edward said, giving me a significant look and sliding into the Volvo.

I didn't answer but just stared back.

"Hey Bells," Jake said, trying to make his voice light. He pecked me on the cheek. "I thought we could just throw my bike in the back of your truck."

"Okay," I said, smiling and turning my attention back to him. "I'm sorry about this, I really am," I gestured toward Edward, who hadn't pulled out of his parking space yet.

"Is he back for good?" Jake asked quietly, staring him down.

"They've all enrolled in school again, so it would seem so," I sighed. Why wasn't he leaving? They were all there in the car already, just sitting. I accidentally caught his eye; he grinned and it took my breath away.

"Let's go," I said fiercely, jumping into the driver's seat.

"Okay," Jake agreed. "I know how much you like to book shop, so the plan for today was actually a trip out to any bookstore of your choice, on me." He grinned.

"Sounds perfect," I agreed.

"Let's just drop off my bike then; I wouldn't want to leave it just sitting in the back of your truck, especially if we're going to Port Angeles or someplace… I mean, it's supposed to be all touristy and nice, but I've heard sketchy things about that place. And there have been some murders in Seattle, too," he said with a crease in his brow. Oh, he had no idea. My mind flashed back to my previous experiences in Port Angeles, and was glad to have company this time.

I shuddered, and glanced out the window to my left. Edward was still there. He had a pained expression on my face, and I could guess that he had overheard our conversation, and could remember only too clearly what had happened in Port Angeles.

I shook the thought out of my mind, and backed out of my parking space. All the way to La Push, Jake joked casually, but I could tell he was still upset – there was something unnatural about the way he was laughing now, and it didn't suit him.

"Why don't I drive there?" he suggested as he unloaded his bike from the back of my truck. I agreed. I didn't mind driving, but just cuddling up next to him in the cab of my truck and not having to think might be nice.

We started our drive, Jake with one arm on the wheel and the other wrapped tightly around my waist. He was so warm, and I snuggled into his shoulder, absorbing every bit of heat that he could. I stared absentmindedly out the window into the trees, watching them fly by. Suddenly, a flash of blue amidst the sea of green caught my eye; there was someone or something in the woods. Another flash of golden bronze made me realize we weren't alone.

Edward caught my eye, glared at Jake, and then disappeared further into the woods. Apparently, Jake and I weren't the only ones taking a trip to Port Angeles today.

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