Chapter 3

BPOV

My first three weeks in the ATD flew by and I loved every minute of it. Edward confused me on a daily basis. One minute he was friendly and laughing and the next he was cool and aloof. It was starting to frustrate me to no end. He was a really nice guy and all, but his mood swings were starting to grate on my nerves. It also didn't help that I had a small crush on my new partner. I mean c'mon! The guy was a Greek God!

I walked into the training room, feeling the need to run a few miles to vent my frustrations only to find Emmett and Edward already in there. They were sparring in the corner of the room and it looked like Edward was winning. I stopped to admire his form. He was flawless. Fast and lithe. His biceps and calf muscles flexed and released deliciously as he moved. He was dressed in running shorts and a basketball vest, which showed off his body beautifully.

I sighed and carried on towards the running machines. There was no way he would ever find any interest in me anyway, so my crush would have to stay under wraps. I set the machine to my liking and popped my iPod earphones into my ears and started my six mile run. The playlist I had loaded for workouts was very fast paced, matching my running intensity perfectly. I lost myself in a pleasurable blank mind as I ran, ignoring everything around me.

I had just finished my last mile when I felt someone on the machine beside me. I looked over and saw Emmett running beside me, grinning at me. I pulled my earphones out

"Hey, Em. Good workout?" I panted out as I slowed my machine down to a walk

"Yep. Ed is the only one I can spar with usually. We're more evenly matched, everyone else just gets left in my dust" he chuckled

"Al and I used to spar in our local gym. We seem to be well matched too" I said, understanding exactly what he meant

I stopped my machine and got off, pulling the towel off the handle and wiping my neck with it

"Edward already headed back up to the office?" I asked finally

"Nah, he's over there doing weights" Emmett jabbed a thumb behind us towards the weight room, I nodded

"Ok, cool, well I'll catch you guys back upstairs then" I said as I headed towards the locker room to shower and change, Em waved and told me he's see me in a bit.

I finished showering and was headed back out, wrapping my still wet hair up into a loose bun when I crashed into hard body. I felt the electric shock go through me when the arms wrapped around my waist to prevent me from falling and I knew that it was Edward that had caught me. I looked up and found him smiling his crooked smile at me, still in his workout clothes looking so sexy in all his sweating glory, so I of course blushed and extracted myself from his grasp. No need to feed the fire when there was no hope of heat, right?

"Hey Edward, sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going" I mumbled as I looked away from him, my eyes darting toward the exit

"No problem, Bella. Been working out?" his velvet voice washed over me and I closed my eyes against the feeling

"Yeah...Um...Just running" I replied, still looking away from him, slowly edging my way towards the doors to my salvation

"Oh. Ok, I'll see you upstairs, yeah?"

He sounded a bit disappointed, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him, so I simply nodded and practically ran for the exit. I rushed into the office, still flustered and collapsed into my chair to bring my breathing back into line. My reactions to Edward scared me, but most of all they frustrated me. I had just got my body back under control when Mike sauntered up to my desk. I groaned internally. This blond haired blue eyed All-American kid had been flirting with me shamelessly for the last two weeks. It wasn't that he was cute, he just wasn't my type. Funny thing was, he flirted, but only when Edward or Emmett were not around. It was almost as if he was afraid of them

"Hey Bella, how are you today?" Mike said as he leaned on the corner of my desk

"Morning Mike, I'm well, how are you?" I replied

"Good, good. Cullen treating you right, is he?" He asked, I cocked one eyebrow in response but said nothing

"Ok, well...I...Um...I wondered if I could take you out for dinner Friday night" Mike stammered.

I looked at him in shock for a moment, my mouth gaping open. Yes, he had flirted with me. Yes, he had made me feel uncomfortable with his slight touches. But this was the first time he had made his interest known so clearly and I had no idea how to let him down gently. I certainly didn't want to hurt his feelings; I still had to work with him after all.

Thankfully I didn't have to say anything as Edward walked up behind him at that moment. My eyes darted to his for a moment, the panic evident in my face. He must have noticed because I watched as his face paled then turned red with anger as he immediately understood the reason for my expression

"Michael, I believe Em already gave you your warning" Edward growled

Mike stepped back from my desk and blanched at Edward's tone. I, however, was turned on beyond belief. He growled, Growled, for God's sake! The sound was sexy on all levels

"I...Uh...Sorry...I have to go" with that he dashed back to his desk without looking at me

Edward watched him go with narrowed eyes and then turned back to me. His eyes softened as they met mine and he smiled my favourite smile

"You ok, Bella?" he asked

"Yes, thank you" I answered breathlessly

He nodded and made his way round to his desk facing me, locking his badge and gun in his top drawer. See, that was another thing that didn't help me with my fascination of him. Edward with a gun was quite possibly the sexiest thing I had seen in a long time. I mean, my ex, James, carried a gun and I didn't find it half as sexy with him as I did with Edward. Ah, man, I was in trouble.

October 12th dawned a bright sunny day, with clear blue skies. Edward and I were on a stakeout tonight. The Volturi were expecting a shipment of goods. What the goods were, we didn't know. This stakeout was simply that. A stakeout. We were not to engage in any way.

As I made my way into the office I couldn't help but think about the hours that I would be stuck in a car alone with Edward. I wondered which personality he would be tonight. Cool and aloof or teasing and laughing.

He and I had carried on with our game of 'Get to Know You' for the entire first week after we met and I had found out a bit about his ex partner, Laurent. Most of the information I got was from other agents in the office. It seemed that Laurent and Edward were quite close as partners until he had slept with Edward's girlfriend, Tanya. What really got me though was the fact that Tanya slept with Laurent in Edward's bed, in Edward's apartment. I mean, the girl had her own apartment and yet she did the deed in Edward's home. The thought sickened me. It was almost as if she wanted to be caught. What a bitch. She didn't even care what it would do to Edward, how cruel is that.

I had not discussed any of this with Edward, as he had not been the one to give me these details. It was not my place to say anything, but I found myself aching for his hurt. It made me understand a bit more about his need to close down. I understood it. It was exactly what I had done after James cheated on me with that skank, Victoria.

James and I had met in my second year of college. He was charming, good looking and started off by being sweet to me. Four months into our relationship, he pushed me for sex. I refused. I had only been seventeen at the time, while he had been nineteen.

Being a child genius, I had completed high school by the time I was fifteen and started college just after I turned sixteen. It meant that a lot of college peers treated me with wary acceptance. I un-nerved them. They were eighteen and just starting college, working their asses off to achieve their dreams, their parents dreams, their family's dreams and here I was; sixteen years old and attending college alongside them and passing classes with top marks, seemingly without any effort at all. The amount of times I had to answer to cheating charges pissed me off. There was always at least one person who questioned me and my marks.

Anyway, after I refused James he became distant, cold. I was still young and naive and it was my first serious relationship, so I naturally thought that it was my fault and what he had asked was the natural course of things in any relationship. I finally relented and agreed to sleep with him. I regretted it immediately. I lost my virginity in the backseat of his Camero. It was not a pleasant experience for me.

The months following that night, James tried repeatedly to initiate sex with me again and I continued to hold out on him. I knew I didn't love him and felt that he was only with me for sex. One afternoon, I was let out of college early and it just happened to be the one afternoon that James had no classes himself. I decided to head to his dorm room to talk about how I was feeling within our relationship and hopefully bring it back on track. What I found when I reached his room is an image that has stayed with me, even six years later.

I opened the door and found Victoria; a girl who I knew was in James' Economics 101 class, straddling him as she rode him hard and fast. James had his hands on her hips, guiding her as he murmured encouragements at her. I stood in the doorway shocked and frozen, when James turned his face and noticed me. He didn't cover up or stop her. Instead he gestured me to join in. Needless to say, I left his room, leaving the door wide open, in disgust and anger. He never tried to contact me after that day and when I saw him around campus, he turned away, not that I really cared. Much.

My next relationship was short. Only six months. Alec was a nice guy, four years older than me, dark hair and only a couple of inches taller than me, but after four months of boring sex and boring conversations, I ended things with him. I should have guessed he would bore me. He was an Accountant after all!

That was two years ago. I have had sex with two other men since and in some cases it was pleasant, but nothing to shout from the rooftops about. So, it went without saying that I was very sexually frustrated right now. It has been eight months since I was last with a man and although my trusty rabbit was good to me, it didn't compare to the feel of skin to skin.

That may explain my lust for Edward, but what scared me was the intensity of other feelings his presence incited within me. Despite his aloof manner with me on occasion (which I had yet to find an explanation for), I found that he was a caring person. His love for his family clearly showed that he had the ability to love without restraint. He was protective of those that he loved. He was an excellent agent with unparalled sense and intuity. With his friends, he was as equally soft. Playful when the occasion called for it and serious when needed.

Ultimately, he was almost the perfect man for me. I say almost because not only did his looks put him out of my league a little, but his manner towards me too. It left me very confused. Confused about his treatment of me and confused as to why I felt so much for him in such a short space of time.

The moment I stepped into the office, I could see that all systems were go for tonight. There was a flurry of activity and a constant buzz of voices around me as I sat down at my desk and loaded up my desktop. I looked up as I sensed Edward take his seat opposite me

"Morning Bella" he said quietly

"Morning Edward" I replied, looking away from him

The look on his face was closed and guarded. I sighed quietly to myself. It seemed I would be getting aloof Edward today. Great. That should make for an interesting few hours in the car with him. His attitude was starting piss me off now. Here we were, headed to a stakeout with every potential of it turning ugly and I could not in all honesty say that he would have my back in the field. I was really starting to consider the possibility of asking for a partner transfer. I looked around the room and considered my options.

Angela and Matt made a great team, so I would hate to break them up. Mike and Sam seemed to get along ok, but they didn't seem to have the same dynamic as Jasper and Emmett, who seemed to be able to read other very well and therefore made an excellent team. Carl and Hayley seemed a bit shifty. I didn't trust them. I don't know why, but my intuition was telling me not to, so I didn't. It looked like the only team that wouldn't possibly be upset if I requested the transfer was Mike and Sam. I shuddered, thinking of working so closely with Mike. Maybe I could request Sam?

I pulled myself out of my thoughts as I heard Edward clear his throat in front of me. I turned to face him and cocked a questioning eyebrow

"Ready for tonight?" he asked softly

"Yes" I answered curtly

He flinched at my clipped tone but made no other comment. I was saved by the Chief calling for order

"Team! Listen up! We have a new agent starting today. He's a transfer from LA and will be working independently. Bella, I believe you know him, so I will trust you to show him the ropes as they are so fresh in your mind"

"Yes, Chief" I answered, wondering who it could be. I was just about to ask when a very familiar voice answered for me

"Morning Chief"

My head snapped up as I heard my step-brother's voice from the doorway

"Seth?" I asked incredulously

"Hey Bells!" He grinned at me

I flew out of my seat and into his arms. He hugged me tight, lifting my feet off of the floor and spun me around. I laughed and smacked his chest lightly as he let me down

"Seth, what the hell are you doing here? When did you get into town?" I asked excitedly

Seth's mother and my father married a little over five years ago after dating for four years. My parents had divorced when I was five. My mother moved to Phoenix with me, and leaving my brother with my father in Forks, Washington, a small town about four hours away from Seattle.

Sue Clearwater-Swan had two children. Leah, who was four years older than me, so had already moved out by the time Sue and Seth moved in with me and dad. Seth was two years older than me and attended college at the same time that I did. He had the easiest going attitude of anyone I knew. Seth and Leah had grown up in La Push, a Quileute Reservation just fifteen minutes outside of Forks. I grew up with him and some of the other boys from there. They always treated me like a sister.

"I just got transferred from LA. I arrived last night" Seth answered my question

"Why didn't you call me?" I pouted

"Aw...honey, don't be like that. I got in really late last night" he said, pulling me tighter into his chest

I heard a growl behind me and turned to find Edward glaring at Seth. I looked at him, confused at his reaction. I shrugged and turned back to Seth when Edward didn't say anything

"Have you told Sue? Leah? Anyone?" I asked. Seth shook his head

"I'm going down on the weekend and thought I would just surprise them. This all happened so fast that I didn't have a chance to tell anyone" I smacked him again

"I know, stupid! Otherwise I would have been in the know" he laughed

Emmett cleared his throat behind us, so I turned and introduced him to the team, leaving out the part that he was my step-brother. Seth didn't question it, he knew the drill. I always kept work and personal relationships separate

"Guys, this is Seth Clearwater. He and I grew up together. Seth this is the team" I pointed each person out, leaving Edward for last. Finally I introduced the two

"Seth, this is my partner, Edward Cullen. Edward this is Seth"

I watched in amusement as Edward straightened himself up to his full height and gripped my brother's hand tightly. Seth shot me a look and I shrugged, shaking my head. I didn't know what was causing this reaction from Edward. I had stopped questioning his moods after the first week. It took too much of my energy to do so.

I showed Seth around and took him down to Personnel to get his ID. We used the time to catch up on our lives. I told him about the academy and getting this job offer and he told me about his new girlfriend, Sara. I also talked a little bit about Edward and he offered me consolation, telling me to stick it out.

As we made it back to the office a little tornado, named Alice, rushed past me and flung herself into Seth's arms

"Sethy!" she squealed as I laughed

"Ally!" Seth cried back

I laughed harder and out of the corner of my eye I saw the stunned looks on Edward and Emmett's faces

"Sethy, why didn't you call me?" it was apparently Alice's turn to pout

"Aw...C'mon, not you too! I've already had B doing that to me!" Seth said, setting Alice down gently

Seth may be huge, but he was a gentle giant. Emmett reminded me a lot of him, despite the colour difference. Where Emmett was pale an dark haired, Seth was rust coloured with black hair

"Yeah, but you're allowed not to call her, she never phones you. I however sent you an email just last week and you didn't respond!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I cried in mock indignation, Alice turned to me arms crossed

"Oh? When did you last call him then?" she asked, one eyebrow raised in challenge

"She actually called me two nights ago, but I was in the shower and forgot to call her back" Seth cut in

"Ha!" I shot back to Alice, who simply snorted at me

"Erm...Ali, how do you know Seth?" Em asked, scratching his head in confusion

"Oh, I met him the first day I met B in college, he came to drop her off" Alice explained off handedly

"So, let me get this straight, you've know him for what, six years and you've never mentioned him?" Edward snapped, Alice spun to face her brothers

"Contrary to what you two may believe, I know A LOT of people who I don't always mention! I've known Bella for just as long, but I haven't always spoken about her either, have I?" Alice snapped back

Edward shook his head and turned back to me, an unfathomable expression on his face

"So, you two have been dating for six years? Wow, that's a long time" he sounded defeated

Seth and I exchanged surprised glances and then burst into loud laughter. We held onto each other for support, tears streaming down our faces.

"Oh God! That's too funny!" Seth gasped between laughs

"I know! Incest!" I cried back, wiping tears from my face

I straightened up and looked at Edward for a moment, deciding what to say. Seth also straightened up next to me. He wouldn't say anything until I was ready to, I knew that. He waited for me to respond. I thought carefully over my words before I spoke

"Edward, I have known Seth all my life. We grew up together. However, we have only been close for eight years"

I saw Seth smirk out of the corner of my eye. He knew that I had made a play on my words, but he would not say anything. He leaned in to whisper in my ear

"Nicely played BeeBee"

"I know" I whispered back, smirking

"I think he's jealous. He likes you" he whispered back, I looked at him incredulously

"Yeah, right! He can't stand me, he hardly speaks to me" I returned, sounding slightly sad

Seth shook his head then leaned down and kissed my cheek and walked away to the Chief's office to get his badge and Glock. I turned back just in time to catch Edward turn away from me, his head hanging, a look of pain and defeat on his face. I suddenly felt bad, but not bad enough to clear the air. His attitude had pissed me off enough and I was getting my own back now. I would tell him eventually, but I just didn't want to right now.

Nightfall found Edward and I parked under a large tree by the private airstrip. We had been sitting in silence for a couple of hours now. No matter the amount of tension between us, the silence had always been comfortable. A fact that confused me even more. I could feel the ever present electricity pulsing around us, but I ignored it. We sat watching the black SUV parked near the hanger for a while longer before Edward spoke

"So...?" he started

"So...?" I repeated

"You and Seth, huh?" he said it lightly, but I caught the tightening of his hands around the steering wheel

"Me and Seth, what, Edward?" I sighed. He turned to look at me, his eyes searching my face in the dark

"Must be serious if you guys have been dating for eight years now?" he said through his clenched jaw

I watched his face for a moment. In the moonlight he was even more gorgeous. His eyes were bright but haunted looking, his strong jaw line casting a shadow. His hair was dark and still messy. He had a slight stubble and it made me want to run my fingers along his jaw to see if it felt as soft as it looked. I shook my head and decided to come clean with him

"Seth is my step-brother, Edward" his head whipped round so fast that the movement was a blur

"Step-brother?" he whispered, relief colouring his tone

"Mmhm. His mother Sue and my father married five years ago. They have been together for eight years now, thus meaning so have Seth and I" I explained, smirking

"You lied?" Edward asked

"No Edward, I didn't. You assumed" I countered. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair

"But you didn't clarify either" he pointed out

"Why should I have to, Edward?"

"I-" he started, then stopped turning to face forward again. I followed and faced forward too

"Why should my relationship status matter to you or anyone else in the office, Edward? Should I be announcing it each time I have a boyfriend or have sex just because you are my partner and they are my work colleagues?"

Edward turned back to look at me in surprise. I looked back at him and then continued

"You have not made an effort to share yourself with me, Edward. Other than the general information in our game during my first week here, why should I afford you the same courtesy?" I finished

I watched several emotions play across his face, but said nothing. Finally he turned his face away to look out of his side window. I sighed and faced forward again. It was silent for a long while and then he whispered

"I'm sorry, Bella"

The pain and indecision in his voice sent a shot of pain through my heart. It was so strong that I gasped and clutched at my chest. Edward whipped round to look at me, reading the pain on my face he asked if I was ok. I couldn't speak yet so I simply nodded. It took me several deep breaths to calm myself only to have the wind knocked out me again when the next thought crossed my mind

I was in love with him.

Shit.