Disclaimer: SM owns twilight and all that involves....I own a serious case of insomnia

Denial

EPOV

"Don't mind Edward, he doesn't play well with others."

I caught Emmett's comment as I stalked out of the room. Unable to stay in there anymore without wanting to take Bella's hand in my own and place soft kisses all over it, thankful she was ok. Emmett was right though, I didn't play well with others, so what was I even thinking? In barely more than a week in this god forsaken town I had managed to not only find the woman of my dreams but save her life like some fucking superhero.

What was I playing at? I had a set of rules to live life by and I was slowly but surely breaking every one of them and it was all her fault. Her stupid strawberry scented fault. When she bit down on her bottom lip I couldn't help but want to take it into my mouth. I wanted to have her, all to myself, forever. I could have killed Newton earlier when he touched her small pale hand. I had acted like she belonged to me, and that was idiotic.

I had to avoid her from now on. It wouldn't be easy but I would manage it. When we were in a group I just had to talk to everyone else. It wasn't like we had ever had a conversation anyway; she was probably just as vacuous as the rest of the teenage girls I had encountered in the various towns and cities we had lived in.

"Edward." Bella called after me as I was about to leave the building.

"What?" I rounded on her and stared her down coldly, she bit down on her bottom lip and I had to sink my hands into my hair to stop from stroking her face.

"I...um...just wanted to say thank you." She stumbled over the words, hesitating as she noted my coldness

"For what?" I knew for what but I wanted her to say it, to make it more than just a memory in my head. If she said it then it was real.

"For saving my life." She looked down at the floor, and then swept her gaze back up to my face, peeking out from under her exquisite eyelashes. Fuck. She couldn't have known the effect that would have on me, but I felt the muscles in my groin tighten.

"Anyone would have done it. Don't think anything about it." She flinched away, hurt by my behaviour.

"OK, I'll see you at school." I didn't respond to that, I had to get away from her. I had to get home. I had to get into the shower and relieve the tension in my underwear, sparing the sheets until I dreamt, which was inevitable now that I knew she existed.

BPOV

Charlie would not let me out of his sight for the rest of the day. The entire school had closed for the day so I could not escape back into the halls and avoid his watchful gaze. He had called Renée before he left for the hospital so she would be awaiting a call from me, panicked with a worry only a mother could feel when their child is in an accident. Not that I would call what happened to me an accident, I had purposefully been thrown to the ground by one of the most arrogant men I had ever had the misfortune to meet.

Cullen was downright cold when I thanked him for saving me, I wasn't expecting him to sweep me into his arms and pepper soft kisses all over my face before he....I was seriously going a little crazy. Thoughts like this had swum in my head all day, remembering his hard corporeal arms around my body.

"I'm going to phone Mom." Charlie nodded at me, watching me walk to the phone, pick it up and start walking up to my room. He was convinced I was made of paper all of a sudden.

"Baby? Oh, are you ok?" Renée exhaled with worry when she answered the phone.

"I'm fine. It wasn't even a big deal. Someone was killed, but I was never in harm's way." I lied, knowing that this is what she needed to hear.

"Oh, thank goodness, I was so worried. Charlie didn't know what had happened when he spoke to me."

"Edward pushed me out of the way, not that I needed his help." I mumbled spitefully.

"Edward? A boy? Ohhh." She regressed to a teenage girl and started to question me about Cullen, who was he? What did he look like? Did I like him? Did he like me?

"Mom, seriously, we can't stand to be around each other, he just happened to be around."

It took me a further twenty minutes to get her off the phone. Usually I loved calling Renée, it was like talking to Alice sometimes, but I couldn't throw myself into it today. My mind just wasn't in it. I needed to relax and get the dirt of the day off me.

I called down to Charlie that I was going for a bath. I could only hope it would erase the tinge of crazy I'd picked up today as well.

EPOV

I towelled my hair dry after I had showered before throwing myself down onto my comfortable, warm, inviting bed. Esme had waylaid me when I got home, asking me if I was ok, making me lunch, forcing me to eat and tell her every single thing that had happened that morning. She cared like a mother should, and it made me sad to think about the amount of love she had to offer, and her inability to conceive. I didn't think of it often, to be truthful, but when I did I couldn't help but notice the sadness in her eyes more than I normally would for the next few days until I banished my pity for her to the back of my head. It would be the last thing she would want.

Guilt assaulted me for leaving Emmett behind at the hospital, but I could not stay there a second longer. I had focussed on my goal of getting into the shower, barely resisting the urge to pull over at a secluded spot and stroke my length whilst thinking about Bella lying on top of me. I pointed the remote at the stereo and listened to the music spill out, staring through the windows at the mossy trees beyond the house.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of ignoring Bella. I doubted she would say anything of interest anyway. I would cope and manage through the next two years without having to spend any huge length of time with her. I would avoid any social gatherings she would be at; avoid hanging out with her in any capacity. I had managed this many times in my previous homes; it shouldn't be any more difficult this time. Should it?

A/N: Read and enjoy. I know it's short.

Also, in answer to Twilights Angel, who left a review but there was no reply link, in chapter 4 I didn't mean "apocalyptic", but thank you for bringing my attention to what you thought was an error. When I put that "Alice would be apoplectic with rage" that's what I meant.

The definition of apoplectic is thus: pertaining to or characteristic of apoplexy; "apoplectic seizure"; Apoplexy is an old-fashioned medical term, which can be used to mean 'bleeding'. It can be used non-medically to mean a state of extreme rage. The word derives from the Greek word for 'seizure', apoplixia , in the sense of being struck down.

Just felt the need to clarify that.

And for those of you craving some Edward and Bella one on one time it is coming, I have it planned, please be patient.

Before this A/N gets longer than the actual fricking chapter I'll leave you with a big hug of thanks to the readers and reviewers.