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Chapter 6: Leah

BPOV

"Are you sure about this?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, Edward! It's going to be fun!"

"But there is no need to know all those things! We don't need this," he insisted, scowling at the papers in front of him.

"Just sign here," I said impatiently, putting the pen in his hand.

"I don't want to!"

"Are you embarrassed?" I asked, trying to figure out why he wouldn't agree with this.

"No, of course not!" The bravado I had missed was back in full force. His ears turned red, too. His heart was slamming against his ribcage like a hummingbird.

"We can sign up to something else if you want," I whispered.

"Why do we need to sign up to anything?" he moaned, tapping the pen to the desk. "I could spend that time with you, alone."

"Where's your social spirit?"

"I don't have one. I don't want any of this shit!" But he signed his name on the Sex Ed paper nonetheless. He turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Happy?"

"Look, I don't want to force you or anything, but I never took this class and I thought it would be fun if we attended together."

"We're gonna go. I signed."

He didn't want this. I shouldn't have insisted.

"Look, Bella, I didn't say no to having every other class with you but this…this is…urghh! I don't think I could…" He ran his hand through his hair, stirring his tantalizing scent around us. "If I drop after the first class, well…be warned," he chuckled.

I took his hand and twined our fingers. "Thank you."

He shrugged and led me out of the secretary's office. "What do you want to do now?"

"No idea. What about you?"

"I still have to finish that stupid essay in English."

"Okay, we'll finish that then…figure something out."

I was getting used to the stares, but Edward – not so much. When he was aware of being stared at, he became clumsier than usual.

"I wish they would stop staring! I mean, we've been together over a month!"

"Shh, ignore them."

"Easy to say – hard to do," he mumbled. "I wish I knew what they were thinking."

"I'm sure you already know that," I told him.

"Probably." He shrugged and started walking faster to my car. "And tomorrow, I'm coming after you."

"Whatever you say," I said, amused.

When we arrived to his house, his mother was home which was unusual. Edward raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. How could I know why she was early?

"Mom?" he shouted when we entered the house.

"Oh, I thought you went to- Hello, Bella." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Something was wrong.

"Good afternoon," I whispered.

"Why are you home early?" Edward asked, somewhat accusatorily.

"I finished early," she told him. "Are you two hungry?"

We didn't get a chance to answer because she disappeared into the kitchen. "Go upstairs, I'll bring you something!" she shouted.

"What the hell? She's acting weird," Edward muttered. "I'll go talk to her… Would you mind going upstairs?"

I nodded and took his backpack. I could still hear everything they were saying and I wished I couldn't have heard them.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"Sue called me earlier," she started saying. I had no idea who this Sue was. "It's…Harry. he's in the hospital."

"Oh! What happened?" Edward sounded genuinely concerned.

"Minor heart attack. I went with her. She was very…upset. I don't know how the kids will take it."

There was silence from Edward's side. Harry…that sounded familiar. Could it be the same Harry that talked to me in the forest? Leah's father? I felt dread settling inside me.

"You should call her."

"Yeah… Is this the food?" Edward ignored his mother, which was unusual. He was really upset with Leah.

"Yes and don't change the subject. Sue told me that you haven't talked to Leah or Seth in over a month!"

"Yeah, I will call her. Okay?"

"All right. Let me know how she is." That was sneaky of his mother, but she had only good intentions.

I heard Edward's feet thumping on the stairs and then he made more noise as he arrived in the room and slammed the tray with food on his desk.

"Fuck!" he groaned and slumped on the chair. He rarely used such crude words.

"It's okay," I whispered and stroked his hair, pressing his face to my chest.

"No, it's not! I hope against hope that Seth would pick the damn phone!" he mumbled. "Right now, I hate Leah. I could kill her over the phone if I had the power."

"Let's not be dramatic. Her father is suffering, which means she's suffering too," I reminded him.

"Since when are you the good Samaritan?"

"I do have a heart, you know?" I told him, quite hurt by his remark.

"I know that." He sighed and turned to his food. "I can't even eat…"

I sat on his bed, preparing to start on my homework – a vain attempt to block his phone conversation.

"Hello?"

Edward's eyes met mine when a male's voice answered and he sighed in relief.

"Hey, Seth!" he replied. I focused on the book in front of me.

"Edward! How are you? We haven't talked in ages!"

"I'm doing good. What about you? Mom told me…about…you know?"

"Yeah. He's okay, now."

"So…what's new?" Edward asked awkwardly, scratching his head.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you but…I am one of them, now." He sounded gleeful. Joy! More werewolves.

"Really?" Edward sounded genuinely surprised.

"Are you going to stop talking with me, too?"

"What?" Edward wasn't a good actor.

"I thought that was the reason you gave Leah the cold shoulder," his friend explained.

"It's not that! She didn't even tell you what happened, did she?" Edward asked, angrily. "She's such a…"

"Hey! She's my sister! Good or bad, no matter," Seth defended Leah.

"Okay, sorry, man. I'm sure she didn't tell you the reason why I stopped talking to her," Edward grumbled, picking his fork, moving the beans around in his plate.

"She told me, actually. She said you chose the corpse."

I cringed at his word, but deep down, I knew he was right. I wasn't alive…like Leah.

"Fuck you, Seth!" Edward shouted and threw the phone to the wall.

I wanted to go and hug him, to tell him everything was going to be okay, but I couldn't. That would be a lie. Instead, I focused on my homework.

Edward ate his food and some that was supposed to be mine, studiously ignoring me and scowling at the pieces that were once a phone. When he finished, he took the tray downstairs, not answering his mother's question about the conversation. Then I heard a door slamming and water running. I was beyond trying to focus on my homework. The water stopped, the bathroom door opened and Edward came to his room, slamming this door too then locking it and advancing to the bed. He looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I whispered, unsure how to proceed. Teenagers could be volatile and he proved that with his next actions.

My textbooks and notebooks landed on the floor after he shoved them off the bed. He crawled up to me and straddled my legs. I put my hands on his chest, trying my best to accommodate his sudden invasion.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Edward," I murmured, taking his warm cheeks in my hands.

"I'm so sick of listening to everyone, of being the good guy…" He pressed his forehead on mine. His minty breath was fanning over my face. He had brushed his teeth. "I want…to kiss you."

I hadn't fed in over five days, but I pressed my lips to his, I was getting better at this. His heart took off when our lips touched and his fingers knotted in my curls. This wasn't going to be a sweet, short kiss, like the ones we had shared in the past. Edward was frantic, his head titling in both directions. He pulled me closer, moaning and hugging me so tight that I thought I'd lose control to the intoxication. His fresh, fruity scent filled me and I was afraid of losing focus.

"Edward," I said softly, moving away.

"No!" he moaned and claimed my mouth again in a deep kiss. When I felt his eager tongue probing my lips, I pushed him off me and shook my head. For a second, he looked confused as to how he ended up on the other side of the bed, then his green eyes met mine and dropped quickly as his infamous blush filled his face. "Sorry."

"It will be okay. Just don't try that. I know you want more and believe me, I want more too. I'm not sure what may happen if my venom gets too close to you."

He nodded solemnly and dumped a pillow on his lap, still not meeting my eyes.

"I can go," I informed him, aware he would be more comfortable without me around him, in that situation.

"What? Why?" he asked panicked, rising his eyes to meet mine.

"Umm…you know…?" I asked embarrassed myself, pointing to his pillow.

Edward's ears turned red and he crumpled the pillow in his fist. "Ehh yeah…sorry."

"I told you to stop saying sorry for this! It's normal, natural," I insisted.

"Then stay! You always stay," he muttered, shifting a little.

"Well…this is different," I tried to reason with him.

"It's the same! And it…goes away, you know?"

I tried to fight my smile, but it won the battle. I couldn't believe we were talking about this!

"Are you laughing at me?" Edward asked hurt.

"No, of course not! This situation is hilarious! We have more important matters to talk about and here, and we're worrying about your body reactions."

"You want to talk? Fine! Let's talk!" he snapped, looking out the window, his eyes narrowed, focused on something unseen. "I hate Leah! Happy?"

"No," I answered simply.

His raised his hands in the air, in frustration. "You were supposed to agree with me and admit how scared you are of her – of them."

"I…"

"Don't you dare deny it! I saw it on your face, Bella!"

"You don't know… You have no idea… It is in our nature to hate each other! And they are so many. I'm just one. Of course, I'm terrified!" I shouted. "You want to know what they're doing? They are checking on me every week. I try to…pretend I don't see or smell them, but I know they were there."

"At your house?" Edward interrupted my outburst.

"Yeah, at my house," I snapped, but regretted it the next second. "I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

Edward came to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "I'm gonna say it again and you won't like it. Sorry."

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. I could hear his heart so clearly, since my head was so close to it and I loved him more. Every beat made me love him more. I knew I'd never hurt him in any way.

"Do you know why they…are watching you?" Edward asked, in my ear.

"We both know that, but they will never find a reason to send me away. I don't bite," I whispered, taking his hand in mine.

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "You can, you know?"

I frowned and titled my head to look at him in confusion.

"I don't bite," he mocked me, widening his eyes.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You can be so young sometimes."

"Can I ask something?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I won't answer inappropriate questions," I told him with a big smile, already knowing his question.

"It's a simple question. About your age, you know?"

"As I said, I'm not answering inappropriate questions."

"I don't want to know how many centuries you have! I just want to know…your age…the one you stopped aging at."

I laughed at him as he stumbled with words. "Edward, it's not nice to ask a lady her age."

"Okay, gee! You're kinda paradoxical."

"Such big words, Mr. Masen," I teased him.

"You are!" he insisted, squeezing my fingers. "You kiss me, you…well, you never answered me about doing other stuff before, but I'm sure I know what you've done…and if I ask you about your age…you get all shy!" he continued, hotly.

"That's in the past. I regret my actions. As for my age, Edward, that's the way I grew up."

"Can't you at least tell me when you were born?"

"Late eighteen hundreds."

"Oh."

"What do you mean, 'Oh'?" I hissed in mock hurt, turning to look at him.

"It took me by surprise, honest. I thought you were…older."

I laughed and kissed his square jaw. I loved to see him maturing under my eyes, at least physically if not mentally. He was still a teenage boy, sometimes.

I suggested we do our homework, and reluctantly, he picked his backpack and dumped it on the bed. I helped him with what he didn't know or understand and we were done by nightfall.

"I'm driving you home. Mom has to see you leave."

"I drove you to school," I reminded him. "I'll get the car back and come to you soon. You should talk to your mother."

"Be back soon," he whispered, rubbing his thumb to my knuckles.

"You won't believe how soon I can be back," I challenged and pecked his cheek. "Now, go downstairs and talk to your mother."

He threw me his trademark cute smile and led me downstairs. He kissed me at the front door then waited until I was in my car to close the door. I wanted more than anything to hear his conversation with his mother, but I knew that I shouldn't listen. I had intruded in too many private conversations.

Besides, I had more important matters to think about. Like… should I return his words? He had told me twice that he loved me and I still hadn't answered. It would be polite of me to answer, even though he knew, deep down, that I felt the same.

The second, I turned on the dirt road, I knew I had company. This time, he wasn't even hiding.

I walked past Jacob Black and when I opened the door, he spoke.

"Wait!"

"What do you want?" I growled, not turning to him.

"I'm trying to understand you. Not just your actions, all of you."

"That's why you've been spying me?" I snapped, whirling around.

"Spy…" he trailed off then his eyes widened. "Leah!"

We both realized how much she hated me in that second.

I groaned and closed my eyes, trying to remain calm. "Will you tell her nicely to butt out? I'm sick of her!"

"She won't because…well, there are a few reasons," he answered seriously.

"Yeah, I'm a vampire and she's a werewolf."

"That's true, and…she likes Edward."

"WHAT?" I yelled, surprised. I hadn't expected that. "Edward didn't tell me anything."

"Because he is clueless like any other boy! You were there on Christmas, I know you were. You saw them outside."

I looked in his black eyes and felt my head spinning. No! This can't be happening.

"We had been tight friends since we were little, and then…you appear and he starts gravitating around you like a moon."

I was shell-shocked and couldn't answer him. I knew that my mouth was open, but it seemed impossible to close it.

"Now you understand why Leah is a little upset. She made my head explode for the past few years about Edward this and Edward that, but she was too stupid or shy to act on it. I told her she deserved what happened, and well, she nearly broke my jaw."

"I don't know what to say. If I wasn't the one in the middle…I'd say that I'm sorry," I admitted.

"No need to lie." He shrugged and dug his foot in the dirt. "Look, don't tell Edward anything about this. Leah's going to kill me for telling you about this."

"Then don't tell her," I said.

"As if it were that simple!" he groaned. "You don't understand. It's a wolf thing. Anyway, I have to go…I stayed too long around a leech."

"Bye, puppy," I said sweetly, waving my hand.

He scowled at me and turned around, shifting into his wolf form and disappearing into the woods.

My thoughts spun at a mile a minute as I ran to Edward's house. It was later than I had promised. I came to a skidding halt at the edge of the forest when I saw him outside, near an unknown car, talking with none other than Leah. Dread filled in my body and consumed me. I had never experienced such a feeling. Was it jealously? Was it despair? What was it?

She knew I was here because I saw her head turning to me. Then she looked back up at him.

"So?" she asked, continuing their conversation.

"What?" he asked back, his voice wavering. "I can't answer that!" I wondered what they had been talking about.

"Of course you can," she whispered and put her hand on his arm.

I saw red. He was mine! But I didn't move. I wanted to see how far she would take this!

"Leah, look…you're my friend…"

She had told him how she felt about him! Edward didn't look like he was returning her feelings from what I could see on his face. His eyes were trained on her hand, probably willing it to leave his arm.

"Exactly! I'm your best friend! We know each other very well."

"And that's what I want, to remain friends with you."

"We can be friends even if we get together."

"LEAH! I'm not… I am…" he sighed heavily and ran his free hand through his hair. "I love Bella."

"Right!" she snorted. "And I love the rocks on the beach! They are the same, she can talk back – that's the only difference."

"Will stop insulting her? And if you want to see me again, you'd better refrain from doing so!"

"Are you serious? Do you want to tell me that you…actually love the bloodsucker?"

"How would you feel if I called you a wolf every second I got?" he snapped, snatching his arm from her grasp. He was getting angry.

"I've been called worse."

"Good. I will think of a better one. Now, I should head inside."

"Wait, Edward!" she called for him as he started walking away. "You aren't going to say anything about what I just told you?"

"What do you want to hear?" he groaned, turning to face her.

"That you like me back, or something."

"Leah, if I told you that I liked you…you'd take it the way you want so I won't bother. I'm going to repeat myself. You are my best friend, but if you keep talking trash about my girlfriend…I may stop talking to you, at all."

"Suit yourself. But beware, Edward, this isn't over. I'll show you what kind of monster she is!" she shouted, her eyes glancing at me.

Edward caught her looking at me and he gasped when he saw me. "You little bitch! You knew she was here!" he yelled at Leah.

"I'll tell Seth about that. He's not very happy with you upsetting me." She went to her car, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Edward looked at me devastated then caught her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

She smiled and shrugged then stepped in her car and drove away. Edward started walking to me, but I raised my hand and pointed to his room.

He appeared in the doorway of his room, just as I sat on the edge of his bed.

"You shouldn't have run!" I scolded him as he sat next to me, inhaling sharply, his heart beating erratically.

"What did you hear?" he asked, jumping straight to the point.

"Nothing I didn't know."

"You knew she had a thing for me?" he questioned, looking at the floor.

"More than a thing. I had a guest when I arrived home."

Edward frowned and looked at me. "She was here…"

"It was Jacob. He told me everything about Leah and why she is so against us. Besides the fact that I am a vampire, I stole her boyfriend."

"I wasn't her boyfriend," he muttered, his ears turning red.

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you apologize?" I've been wondering that since he said the words.

"Bella, she's my friend no matter how stupid she is. I regret what I told Seth, too. I'm not so hurtful, usually."

"I know." I couldn't ask him what had been zooming through my head since Jacob told me about Leah.

"I'm going to shower. Be right back," he muttered and patted my leg.

I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes, relaxing. I wanted to forget about this, but it was at the front of my brain, eating at me. As though I could forget something. When Edward returned and scooted onto the bed next to me, wrapping his arms around me,

I maneuvered the blanket so he wasn't touching my skin and stroked his hair. "Sleep."

"I can't possibly sleep!" he muttered.

"Try."

We stayed in silence for a long time. I thought he had fallen asleep until he whispered, "I think I always liked Leah, but I can't love her."

I felt my heart clenching at his admission. I chose not to answer, unsure of what I should say.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me understand this?"

"Understand what?" I asked, rubbing a hand over his back. He fidgeted and looked up at me.

"How can I hate her for talking bad about you and feel sorry for calling her a bitch at the same time? She's just my friend," he whispered, his green eyes looked confused.

"Maybe you really like her," I said off-handedly.

"She's my friend! Of course, I like her. She's just some other girl, though."

"I'm not good with this. You're the first person I've loved," I told him, realizing how easy it was to confess my feelings.

"You love me?" he asked, shocked.

"Of course, silly boy! Now, you need to sleep."

"I don't want to. Tell me again." He grinned.

"What should I tell you?" I wondered, moving his hair out of his eyes.

"You know what."

"I love you, Edward."

His smile widened and his lips smashed on mine.

How was that? Some of you were wondering about Leah. Here is the answer. She's like Jacob to Bella in SM's Twilight. :)

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