Here is the next chap! The one after this will bring Carlisle, etc. This chap is more ExB!
Based on reviews, I decided to keep switching perspectives, so we're back to Bella. I am not going to retell full chapters again from both perspectives for the sake of moving the story along, but key moments will be told in both! Your wish is my command.
Please review! The reviews are why I keep writing this! It is a new story for me, and if I don't think you're reading, I'll just do more homework like a good girl and give it a rest. To those of you that have started reading this (Nayley, Emma, Topaz etc) but who normally read Avenge, THANK YOU! I love seeing you on here.
Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight.
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BPOV
I stared at myself in the mirror critically. My cheeks were still flushed from my kissing session with Edward, and my heart was racing. I hurriedly applied some mascara and lip gloss; I rarely cared enough to do either, but today was different. I also uncharacteristically seized my breasts and pulled them up into my bra, trying to give myself more cleavage. I wanted to look my best when I saw Edward again.
I wondered if he was already in the lunch room and sitting with people. If he was, I definitely wouldn't approach him. That would be mortifying, especially if he decided to act like nothing had happened between us. For all I knew, nothing had. Edward Cullen was the kind of guy who probably did things like that whenever he felt like it, and I couldn't imagine any girl refusing him.
Even the thought of Edward ignoring me made my heart sink. Although I'd only known him a few hours, I'd never had this kind of reaction to a guy before. If this turned out to be nothing, or if this was just a game to him, I wouldn't recover easily. I knew myself better than that. Making out with Edward became not only the most exciting act of my life, but also the most dangerous.
I grabbed my bag and made a beeline for the lunchroom. There was only twenty minutes left before the period ended, and while I wasn't hungry, I needed to find Angela. I needed to tell someone about the most significant thing that had ever happened to me, or else I was likely to burst. I could hardly believe it, and I needed to tell her to make it real.
As soon as I raced out of the locker room, I stopped abruptly. Edward was leaning against a wall across the hall from me, smiling crookedly. His hair was still wet from his shower, and the water darkened his bronze color. It was messy and wild, completely irresistible. His eyes were amused, and he had his hands casually in his pockets. I stared at his perfect lips, remembering the way they'd felt against mine. I started blushing furiously.
"Bella," he said smoothly as his eyes raked over me, "Where are you running to in such a hurry?" I didn't think he could help but sound sexy.
"Er, the lunchroom. What are you doing?," I said lamely.
He chuckled. "Waiting for you. Shall we?" He took his hands from his pockets and gestured down the hall. We started walking side by side, and I felt the electricity humming between us. Maybe it was just me and my raging hormones, but he did put his hands back in his pockets and step a few feet away from me. Maybe he felt it, too. I hoped he did.
"So, do we have to eat lunch in the cafeteria, or are students allowed to go off campus?"
"We have to stay," I said. "There used to be an open campus policy, but some kids took advantage of it a few years back and ruined it for everyone else."
He frowned. "That's too bad." He looked at me with a grin. "I would've liked to get you some real lunch." His eyes smoldered, and I looked away quickly. Was it my imagination, or was there sexual innuendo in his words? I remembered back to how I'd ground my hips into his erection just minutes earlier; I doubted he would just want lunch if we left campus together. I groaned inwardly. I had definitely given him the wrong idea. He probably thought I was a total slut.
"Edward, listen. I need to say something. It's important." I needed to clear the air. I was too terrified about what his intentions were, and I had to be honest about mine.
"Of course. Anything." Genuine concern graced his beautiful features as he looked at me earnestly.
"I've never done anything like that before." Heat flooded my cheeks, revealing just how prude I truly was. God, I couldn't even refer to making out without acting like a five-year old. "I just, um, wanted you to know that I don't normally make out with boys after gym class. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about me or anything." I couldn't look at him and waited for his response.
He stopped walking, so I stopped a few paces ahead of him and looked back, still embarrassed.
He appeared just as embarrassed as I was. "God, I'm so sorry, Bella. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable. I've never done anything like that before, either."
I eyed him skeptically, and he became immediately offended. "I haven't!" He started pacing the hallway, talking to himself as much as he was to me. "I'm so stupid. You must think I'm a total womanizer. I just…couldn't help it." He turned his topaz eyes on me, pleading for me to believe him. "Please don't think less of me."
"Edward, I don't think less of you," I said shyly. "I just don't want you to think less of me. To be honest, I thought it was amazing…" I trailed off and cast my eyes down to the linoleum.
In a matter of seconds, he was just a few inches away from me. My body instinctively leaned in to breathe in his captivating scent. He smelled like the finest cologne and sunflowers all mixed into one potent fragrance. I remembered how his lips had tasted…
"Bella, please look at me," he said huskily.
I obeyed, and I saw tender emotion swimming in his eyes before he spoke. "I thought it was beyond amazing, too. Frankly, it was magic. Please don't doubt that." He licked his lips and leaned in closer to me. I was almost undone at the sight of his moisttongue. "You have no idea what you do to me, Bella. When I first saw you, I almost attacked you in class. I don't know how I waited as long as I did to touch you."
I wanted him to kiss me again. My body was already on fire, and I lifted up on my tiptoes to reach his face. He gently wrapped his arms around my back and knotted one of his hands into my hair. He kissed the tip of my nose, washing his breath over me, and then bent down to my lips. After a gentle, lingering kiss, he pulled away remorsefully.
"I can't do this, Bella. I'm getting turned on just looking at you," he said, stroking my cheek while our bodies were a safe distance apart. At his comment, my eyes automatically went down to his pants, and he grinned. I was expecting another sight of him, but I didn't see anything… yet.
He dropped his hand from my cheek, laughing. "Don't tease me. I still have to get through the rest of today. You need to stop seducing me," he reprimanded. "It doesn't help things when you look at me like that."
I gawked at him, dumbfounded. "Me, seduce you?" I scoffed. "You're the one doing all of the seducing, Edward Cullen."
With a smirk, he gently shoved me towards the lunchroom with his cold hands. "Let's get you some food, Bella."
I had another question that I was embarrassed to ask. "Um, Edward, can I ask you something? I don't want to offend you."
"You've seen me hard, Bella," he said teasingly. "I think we're past the point of formalities. Just ask."
"Why are you so cold?"
He furrowed his brow and then answered cautiously. "I have a hereditary condition called Dermafrigitis. It's very rare, but both my sister and I were born with it. Our blood doesn't circulate as well as other people's does. It's harmless, but I suppose it's pretty repulsive. I'm sorry…" He put his hands in his pockets again.
"No, no. It's not disgusting at all!" I didn't want him to have any excuse not to touch me. "I was just surprised, especially after gym when I was so hot. I'm sorry if I was rude. I think you feel terrific." I gave him a warm smile.
He seemed to feel better at my reassurance. "Don't apologize," he said. "I should've mentioned it before. I just don't like to talk about it, and I normally keep my hands to myself because of it. You're the exception." He wiggled his eyebrows.
We stood in front of the lunchroom entrance, and I took a deep breath. The first day of school didn't disappoint. Most of the school was crammed into the cafeteria, while others had spilled into the outdoor foyer. It was cloudy but not quite raining, so the back doors were open. I tried to find Angela and Ben while I surveyed the crowd. I felt Edward softly tug on my arm.
"Let's get some food."
"I'm not hungry," I said. I wasn't. I was too nervous. I hated being the center of attention, and it seemed to be inevitable when hanging out with Edward.
He gave me a shrewd look. "Don't make me force you to eat, Bella."
"You couldn't."
"Try me," he said seriously. "I bet I could make you."
"How do you plan to do that?," I asked incredulously.
He bent down to my ear, hands still in his pockets. "If you don't eat, I'll kiss you right here in the cafeteria, in front of everyone." He dropped his voice gruffly, sending goose bumps up my arms. "I won't be polite about it, either. I bet you'd love that," he said evilly. "I've noticed how much you love the attention."
I glared at him, trying to mask the effect he had on me. He didn't play fair. "Fine, Edward. Let's get some food."
He laughed, and we began walking over to the lunch line. I grimaced at the unappetizing options and chose string cheese and an apple.
"That's it? Shouldn't you eat more than that?"
"Where's your food?" He hadn't picked up anything yet.
"I had a power bar when I was waiting for you after gym. I also had a huge breakfast." He grinned, flashing me his perfect teeth. I wanted to run my tongue over them, but I tucked my hair behind my ear instead.
"Well, stop trying to make me eat, then. I had a big breakfast, too." He didn't listen to me and grabbed a sandwich, adding it to my tray.
By now, everyone in the cafeteria was staring at us. As we went to find Angela and Ben, I whispered to him. "You know, no one understands why you're talking to me. You should be at one of those tables over there." I nodded my head over to his sister, who was sitting with a popular group of kids. Mike Newton and Casey were at that table, and Mike was staring at me angrily.
"That's ridiculous," he replied. "No one can figure out why you're with me." I knew he was lying and gave him a doubtful look over my shoulder. In front of everyone, he unexpectedly put his hands on my hips and leaned down to my ear. "You're too hard on yourself. I want to be at your table." He let me go, and I heard the whispers increase. Edward just looked smug, and I wished I could disappear into the floor.
When we found Angela and Ben, they were in a deep discussion about a recent movie. I cleared my throat, and Angela looked up. "Bella, where have you been? I thought you like, died in gym! You know, you should text me when…" She stopped talking as soon as she noticed Edward standing next to me, grinning.
"Um, sorry Angela. This is Edward. He's new to Forks. He actually already knows Ben. Edward, this is my best friend, Angela."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Angela," Edward said sweetly. A small smile played on his lips as he looked between her and Ben. "Ben mentioned you in Biology. It's nice to put a name with a face."
Ben looked like he was going to fall out of his chair, and Angela looked thrilled. "Oh, that's nice that Ben mentioned me." I could've sworn Edward winked at Ben, but I couldn't be sure.
"Edward's going to sit with us," I narrowed my eyes in his direction, "although apparently, he isn't hungry." He smirked at me.
We all sat down, and I felt myself breathe deeply for the first time since before gym class. I ignored the stares being thrown our way and joined in on Ben and Angela's discussion. Edward leaned back in his chair and watched me intently, looking inhuman in his beauty. Occasionally, I would get distracted by the curve of his jaw or the way his sweater hung off his chest. He was entirely gorgeous.
Edward had seen the movie, which pleased me. It was an independent movie that I'd seen while back in Phoenix, and I didn't think too many people had bothered to see it. We disagreed about the main antagonist's motives and got into a heated discussion about it, all but ignoring Ben and Angela.
"Clearly, he loved her, as well. You're being far too cynical," I said.
"He didn't love her, Bella," Edward said in disbelief. "He was a psychopath who didn't know how he felt about anything! That's hardly love. I think the director made that clear when he had the guy mutilating himself to her photographs." Angela shuddered at the memory. It had been pretty graphic.
"Love doesn't come in a neat package, Edward. It's completely irrational at times. I think the director meant to show that."
He huffed. "I didn't say love was a neat package, but c'mon, Bella! There has to be some discriminating criteria. We have to draw a line somewhere."
"Well," I said haughtily, "you draw your lines and let me know how that works out for you." I angrily bit off a piece of my apple and chewed.
Angela and Ben stared at us and then started talking about something else. Edward and I glared at each other for another moment, and then both started smiling. It was fun to fight with him, and I liked that we didn't agree. Where's the fun in that, anyway?
The bell rang and everyone began heading to their next class. "What's your next class?," he asked.
"Humanities, and then I have Economics. We have History together at the end of the day."
He grimaced. "I know we do. That's a long time from now." A thrill shot through me. Edward was going to miss me. I was glad I wasn't the only one.
When we were in front of my next class, Edward stopped and smiled at me, not moving.
"You better go to your next class," I warned him.
He deepened his smile and, almost as if listening to something I couldn't hear, took my hand in his with a smirk. He played with my fingers for a moment, feeling their texture, and then looked down at me slyly. I held my breath as he brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it gently, his smile hanging on his lips. He never broke our gaze, and I forgot that we were in the hallway at school. It was just Edward and me, lost in our crippling desire.
"See you after a few classes," he breathed. He dropped my hand and walked away backwards, still smiling. I let out a breath and gave a halfhearted wave as I stumbled into class.
I nearly walked right into Jessica Stanley, who was staring at me angrily. Actually, to say she was angry was an understatement. She was livid.
"Hey, Bella," she spat. "How was lunch?"
I blinked at her animosity, but then recovered quickly. "Fantastic, Jessica. Thanks for asking."
I breezed past her and found a seat. I started unpacking my bag and searching for some gum when she spoke again. A few other girls were sneering with her. "So, you and Edward are friends, huh?"
"Yeah," I said simply, still searching through my bag. "Seems so."
"That's interesting. Hmm."
I didn't know what she was fishing for, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let her ruin the high I was riding from my time with Edward, so I hit below the belt. "Hey, Jess," I said casually, "will you tell Mike that I want to speak to him? He was really upset this morning with me for blowing him off. I don't want him to take it personally. He's so nice, you know?"
I couldn't give a shit about Mike and knew she wouldn't relay the message, so there was no harm in saying it. I knew it would piss her off, though, and that was my goal.
She seethed and didn't answer me. Instead, she mumbled something I couldn't hear and flipped her hair. I went back to searching for my gum and waited for class to start.
Suddenly, I felt someone standing over me. To my surprise, it was Rosalie, looking breathtaking in a tight lace top. I felt self conscious, as I'm sure every other girl in the room did, at the sight of her. Casey walked by and dropped his mouth as he stared at her ass and fanned himself. God, he was annoying.
"Hey, Bella." She gave me a sheepish grin. "Mind if I sit with you?"
"Sure," I breathed, totally in shock. I had gotten the distinct impression that she didn't like me. Why was she talking to me now?
She sat down fluidly and took out her book for the class. I decided to fight through my intimidation and make polite conversation.
"How is your first day going?"
"Alright," she sighed. "It's all a little boring." Her perfect mouth turned down a little as she thought of something.
"Hmm. I know what you mean." Although I said it, I couldn't agree. My day had been anything but boring.
"How's yours?" She studied my face before I answered, making me feel intimidated again.
"It's been…okay. I suppose I can't complain."
She smiled to herself and was about to say something else, but the last bell rang. This wasn't the first time I'd missed out on Rosalie's musings. Edward had cut her off earlier today, and now this. I had a feeling that she was going to say something about Edward, and I was disappointed that she didn't get to finish her thought.
I tried to focus on my book while the teacher spoke, but I couldn't stop thinking about Edward and his sister. They were the most interesting and mysterious people I'd ever met. I wondered what the rest of their family was like. I tried to focus on that and not fantasize about Edward too much, seeing as I was sitting next to his sister. It felt dirty.
Once class was over, Rosalie stood up and stretched her arms out in front of her, causing her perfect breasts to swell up over her top. She then bent down to stretch, and the row of guys sitting behind us stared shamelessly. I had been wrong before; she was definitely hotter than a supermodel. What was it about her and her brother? They practically dripped sex in everything they did. Did they have any idea how alluring they were? Judging by Rosalie's smug expression, I had a feeling she knew, even if Edward didn't seem to realize it sometimes.
I went to my next class without seeing Edward, although I searched the halls for him, hoping for a glance. I wasn't so lucky. The next class went by quickly and, to my delight, I hardly knew anyone. The only person I wanted to see besides Edward was Angela, and she wasn't taking Economics this year. There were mainly sophomores in the class, which meant that it would be easy. That was good. I could use another slacker class.
By the time the bell rang, I jumped out of my chair and hurried into the already bustling hallways. I had a feeling that I would spend the rest of the school year counting down the minutes until the end of Economics. It meant I would see Edward.
I reapplied some lip gloss as I walked down the hallway. Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. I smiled, already knowing it was Edward. I could smell his sweet fragrance.
"Hey, Bella. How was class?" His head was resting on top of mine, breathing in my hair. He was getting more and more public with his affection, but I didn't care.
I resisted the urge to turn around and see his exquisite face. "Long," I complained.
"Me, too." He let me go and started walking by my side. "Oh, your sister sat next to me today in Humanities. That was nice."
His eyes tightened, but he kept smiling. Why did that bother him?
"Oh really?," he replied.
"It was nice of her. I kind of got the impression she didn't like me." He didn't respond and steered me into our last class of the day.
I started to head to the back of the classroom, but Edward grabbed my bag and kept me from moving forward. "No way," he murmured so that only I could hear, "I can't afford to be in the back row with you. We need to sit in the front, or else I'm going to get expelled for indecent behavior."
I blushed and found a seat in the front. "Better?," I asked sweetly.
"No," he sighed, "but it's going to have to be."
He sat down and scooted as far away from me as possible. I could feel the tension between us and knew the distance was for the better; I was still disappointed.
As usual, people stared, but no one talked to us. We resumed our conversation about movies since it seemed to be a safe topic. He had seen a lot of older movies that I'd never even heard of. When I asked how he had developed an affinity for older movies, he just shrugged. "I love the classics," he said with a smile.
Class began, and I couldn't relax my body. I had spent so much of day thinking about Edward, it was a completely unraveling experience to have to sit next to him now. I saw him shift uncomfortably in his chair and ball his fists on the table occasionally. His muscles were taut, and I wanted to trace their flawlessness.
Before I could stop myself, I imagined raking my fingernails down his bare back as he held me against his chest. I settled my eyes on his thigh when I saw him fidget again. I wanted to straddle it while he explored my breasts, teasing me. I felt myself becoming aroused as I remembered grinding against him…
Suddenly, he kicked my chair and shot me a beseeching look. Did he know what I was thinking? I flushed and went back to doodling on my paper, feeling flustered. I didn't know where we were in the textbook. He saw me searching for where our place, and he reached over and flipped me to the right page, pointing to the relevant passage. His hand grazed my doodling hand, and he quickly yanked it away, putting it under the desk. He looked pained.
Class finally ended, and we both took our time collecting our things, waiting for the classroom to empty. We didn't speak for a while, until he finally said, "My sister is waiting for me. She has somewhere to be right after school, and we drove together." He sounded sad.
"Okay," I said dejectedly. I knew the end of the day would come, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," I said with a smile. We were the last ones walking out.
Right before I was out of the room, he grabbed my arm and spun me around effortlessly. Normally, I would've fallen down from a move like that, but instead I found myself pressed against the whiteboard. "Not so fast," Edward breathed.
He had one hand on my waist and the other on my shoulder. He moved his hand off my shoulder and down my arm, wrapping his long hand around my wrist. Suddenly, he pinned my arm above my head, causing me to gasp.
"What were you thinking about in class, Bella? You were driving me insane."
I tried to answer, but he moaned and silenced me with his lips. This time, he was the one to suck on my bottom lip. It was maddening, and I tried to beg for more. He then lapped gently at my top lip while pushing his body into mine, kissing me with more urgency.
His hand at my waist moved down the front of my dress, over my stomach and grazed my hip. As we kissed feverishly, his hand finally reached the hem of my dress and started inching up my bare thigh. His hand splayed out over the front of my thigh and continued searching higher. My breath hitched as he hooked his finger in the waist of my panties and stretched the fabric, pulling me closer to him. With a mischievous smile, he snapped them back. If anyone walked in, they would get a full side view of me in my underwear. The possibility of getting caught only made my blood race quicker.
A group of students were loudly heading down the hallway, so with a loud groan, he took his hand out from underneath my dress and let my arm go. With one last kiss on my jaw, he moved away and ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. I stayed against the wall, panting like a lunatic.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I need to get better at that."
"Ahh" was all I managed to say. I adjusted my dress and tried to find my balance as I picked my bag up off of the floor. By the time I stood back up, Rosalie was leaning in the frame of the doorway, watching us.
"Hey, guys," she said casually. "Hey, sis," Edward responded. "Ready to go?"
"Yep." She gave me another look, and then smiled. "See you tomorrow, Bella."
I tried not to act as jittery as I felt as I grasped my bag. "You, too, Rosalie. Bye, Edward." I looked at his gorgeous face and looked away hastily.
"Bye, Bella," he said in his velvet voice. "Tomorrow," he said.
His promise lingered in the air long after they'd left. I stood there for a moment longer, still unable to process my dreamlike day. Finally, I started walking out to my truck in a daze. I needed to take a shower, cook dinner and call Angela immediately. Homework would definitely have to wait.
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