Chapter 10
Two months went by, it was pure torture. I ignored Edward as much as I could. I only talked to him when we had to do labs together, and even then I was short and curt with him. I went to his room and watched him sleep every night. From his sleep talking I knew that he liked me which made me happy until I reminded myself that the next day I would have to ignore him again. I saw the pain in his eyes everyday when I didn't greet him. After the first month he didn't try as often.
After the twelfth week I couldn't take it anymore. I sat at a table separate from my family on the opposite side of the lunch room. Edward, like always, looked at our table after he walked out of the lunch line and then scanned the rest of the room looking for me. When he looked my way I waved my hand to get his attention. He looked puzzled and I heard Mike ask. "Does Bella want you over there? What would she want?"
"Maybe she needs help with our Bio homework or something. I'll see you later." Edward said as he walked over to my table.
"How about you sit with me today?" I said as he got near.
He sat down across from me and I heard his heart beat speed up. I couldn't help the slight smile that spread across my lips. "So you are talking to me again?" He asked me after he gained his thoughts again.
"I am tired of trying to ignore and stay away from you. I figured since I am going to hell anyhow I may as well do it thoroughly." I said. He looked at me a little confused. I heard Rosalie constantly mumbling how mad she was at me for talking and sitting with Edward and her thoughts were ten times worse than what she actually said out loud. I growled too low for Edward to hear but my family did and Rosalie stopped her verbal tirade.
"You know I have no idea what you are talking about right." He said.
"I know and I would like to keep it that way." I said.
"You better keep it that way or I will kill you." Rosalie whispered. I hissed at her too low again for Edward to hear.
"So what, are we going to be friends now?" He asked me.
"We can try but just so you know you shouldn't be friends with me, you should stay away from me. There is a reason that no one else here are friends with anyone in my family." I said with a bit of a sigh.
Edward looked behind me to my family's table. "They don't like me do they? They don't like us talking."
"Some of them don't, no. I really shouldn't be but like I said I am tired of trying to stay away." I told him again.
"Why, I don't understand." He said his eyebrows coming together.
"Because I am bad for you Edward. Aren't you going to eat anything?" I asked changing the subject. He only had a bottle of Root Beer.
"I am not hungry today. What about you?" He asked.
I hadn't gotten anything at all that day. "I am on a special diet. I'll eat when I get home." I said with a small smile to myself. I heard Alice and Emmett laugh at the inside joke. Rosalie growled and then left the room. Emmett quickly followed her to try and calm her down.
"You don't need the diet, you aren't over weight or anything like that." He said looking at what he could see of my body.
"It's not to lose or maintain weight, it is because my body doesn't process certain foods right, today they didn't have anything that I could eat." I said with a slight smile.
"Oh man, we are going to be late to class. We have to go." Edward said quickly standing up.
'Blood typing today, you can't go.' Alice thought at me. I gave a quick nod.
"I am skipping today, it's healthy to skip every once and a while." I said with a shrug of my shoulder.
"Well I am going to class." Edward said.
"Well then I guess I will see you tomorrow." I said as he walked away.
After everyone went to class I went out to my car to listen to music for the period. I wasn't really paying attention to anybody's thoughts and was surprised when I saw Edward leaning on Jessica walking towards the main building. I quickly got out of my car and jogged over to them. Edward looked really pale and Jessica looked nervous.
"What happened to him?" I demanded.
"We were blood typing in class and he got light headed and really pale. Mr. Banner asked me to help him to the nurse." Jessica said as Edward started to lean forward.
"Here, give him to me, I'll take him." I said putting my arm around his waist and putting his arm around my shoulders.
"Mr. Banner wanted me to make sure he got there safely." Jessica insisted.
"Tell him that you did. I got him, you can run along back to class." I said as I got him out of her grasp.
Once Jessica huffed and turned back around to go to class I lifted Edward so that his feet were barely touching the ground. I walked into the main office and Ms. Cope quickly got up. "What happened?" She asked.
"He just doesn't feel that well, we are blood typing in Biology." I said in explanation.
"Oh, I understand. Here I'll get the door for you." She said as she opened the door for the nurse's office.
When we entered her office she looked up from her romance and then quickly put it down so she could come and assist Edward. "What seems to be the problem?" She asked as we laid Edward down.
"We were blood typing in Bio, I think he is just really lightheaded." I said as I stepped to be against the far wall. I couldn't smell fresh blood but I wanted to be cautious.
"There is always one." The nurse said as she checked Edward.
"I am ok, I just need a minute." Edward said, trying to sit up.
"Just lie down dear and I'll get you an ice pack for your head." She said as she disappeared.
"Why did you take me from Jessica?" Edward quickly asked me as he sat up.
"Because it looked like she was struggling a tad with you. Besides, I thought maybe she knocked you out or something since you keep turning her down." I said with a chuckle. Although seeing Edward lean on Jessica did make me rather jealous.
"Hardy har har." He said.
"So I don't see any place that you are bleeding, what made you so lightheaded? Was it the sight of someone else's blood?" I asked him truly curious again.
"No, it was the smell of blood, I hate it, it smells like rust and salt, makes me want to puke." He said.
It took everything in me not to laugh at him. The nurse came back in and put the pack to his head making him lie down again. I was thankful that we could stop talking about blood. I heard the door open and saw Jessica bringing in a girl that I never paid attention to the name of since she was very quiet and kind of a nobody.
"Here, I think she'll need this more than I do." Edward said handing the nurse the ice pack and getting off the table. "I am feeling much better."
I opened the door and held it open for him so he could go out and then I quickly followed him.
"What is your next class?" I asked Edward once we were out of the nurse's office.
"Gym." He said with a sigh of disgust.
"I can take you home and get you out of it if you want. Just go over there and sit down, look like you are sick." I told him.
"Like that will be hard." He mumbled as he did as he was told.
"Excuse me Ms. Cope, Edward here really isn't feeling well still and he has P.E. next so I was wondering if I could take him home, you know to make sure that he gets there safely." I said with a caring smile on my face.
"Um sure dear. Do you need a pass as well?" She asked me.
"No, Senora won't mind and Emmett can tell me what I miss." I answered her.
"Well ok. I hope you feel better soon Edward." Ms. Cope said looking around me.
I walked over and helped Edward up. Even though he claimed he felt better and did have some of his color back he was still kind of weak so I made him lean on me with my arm around his waist, I supported most of his weight so he was barely walking.
When we were out in the parking lot Edward said, "I can walk you know."
"Ok then." I said as I let him go, he stumbled so I quickly grabbed him again. "I don't think you can do so right now." I said.
I was walking him towards my car. "My truck is over there." He said trying to get away from me.
"I told Ms. Cope that I was going to take you home and that is exactly what I am going to do. Now get in the car." I said as I opened the passenger door for him. I let him stand there as I walked around to get in myself.
"I am perfectly capable of driving myself thank you very much." Edward said turning towards his truck.
"Edward get in the car. You are going to catch your death if you stay out in the rain much longer." I said while leaning over so he could see me.
"What about my truck though? If my mom comes home and my truck isn't there but I am then she is going to question me nonstop." He said about to get in.
"If you give me your key I'll have Alice drop it off at your house once school is over." I said as I straightened myself in my seat.
"Fine." Edward sighed getting in finally.
I turned the heat on full blast to warm him. I backed out of the spot and was halfway to his house before he said anything. "How do you know where I live?" He asked.
"It's a small town Edward. Besides I have driven by it going into town and saw your truck sitting in the driveway." I answered him. "What does your mom do?" I asked him changing the subject.
"She works for the police department answering the phones and informing the officers of where they're to go. She is thinking about becoming an officer herself." Edward said.
"So members in both of our families are public servants in a way." I said as I pulled up in front of his house.
"What does your sister do?" Edward asked curious.
"Well she is mostly just a stay at home mom. She does some architecture, remodeling and restores antiques sometimes." I told him.
"Sounds like she enjoys that. I was wondering, there is a group of us going to the beach tomorrow and well I wanted to ask if you wanted to come too?" Edward asked me.
"What beach are you going to?" I asked.
"First beach in La Push I think is what they said." He answered.
"I can't, I have a family obligation, besides I wasn't really invited, I don't think your friends would like me crashing the party." I said, I had to turn away because it was so hard looking at his disappointed face.
"I just invited you." He said in a bit of a pout.
"I can't Edward, my family and I are going camping. We won't be back until Thursday. I have to go back to school and pick up my family otherwise Rosalie will be very tick off at me." I said.
"So I won't see you for almost a week? Well I hope you enjoy your trip though." Edward said getting out of my car.
"I need your key." I said.
"Here." He said as he handed it to me.
"Be safe Edward, don't fall into the ocean or anything like that." I said. He shut the door and I took off once he was in his house.
I got back to the school right as the bell rang. When Alice walked out she walked to my door, I opened my window. "I don't know why but I saw that I was." She said as she put her hand out.
I handed her the key to Edward's truck. "Do not go up to the house. I will follow you, you drive the truck there and park it in the driveway and leave the key in the ignition." I instructed her.
"I know, I got it." She huffed as she walked over to his truck and slowly made her way out of the parking lot and towards his house.
Rosalie was assaulting me with her thoughts of disapproval and when she realized that I wasn't listening to thoughts then it was verbal. When we got to his house Alice got into my car right out of Edward's truck, I was surprised Edward didn't look out of a window.
"Rosalie just shut up for like two hours about this. God we all know you don't approve and we are getting annoyed. I feel bad for Bella, like it isn't enough that she has an internal battle going on about him in general, listening to you on top of it cannot be making this any easier for her." Jasper finally snapped, I guess my emotions got to be too much for him.
"Butt out Jasper, this has nothing to do with you!" Rosalie snarled.
I slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. "Alice you drive, I'll see you guys at home, maybe." I said.
"Bella, wait. You don't have to leave us." Alice tried.
"Oh yes I do, I don't want my car destroyed by them fighting or by me losing my control. I need to run. You all go and enjoy the hunting trip, I'll stay home." I said as I took off running. I found that without thinking about where I was running to I wound up in the woods behind Edwards house.
I climbed into the tree and watched in his window while he did his homework. He then went over to his keyboard and started playing a song. It was one that I have never heard before so I figured it was one he was composing. It didn't sound complete yet and it seemed as though he was having trouble with the ending. After awhile Edward's mom came home from work and made them dinner.
While they ate I decided to run home to see if everyone left yet or not. I was surprised when I got there that Carlisle and Esme were still home.
"Why are you two still home?" I asked as I walked into the TV room where they were both sat on the couch watching the news.
"After we heard about what happened in the car we decided to stay home with you." Esme said.
"You guys really didn't have to do that, I am going to be following Edward around most of the time anyhow." I said as I flopped down in one of the recliners.
"We know but we figured it would be helpful having some supporters home when you are here. Besides isn't Edward going to La Push tomorrow? You can't follow him there. The three of us can go hunting closer to home so that you are back in time for when Edward gets home." Carlisle said giving me a smile.
"So how bad was it when they got home?" I asked. I wanted to know what to brace for.
"Well Rose almost totaled your car when they got here but Emmett and Alice finally got her to drop that plan. Alice and Emmett are so impatient to talk to Edward. Jasper seems happy that you and Alice are going to be happy once Edward is finally introduced to the family." Esme said.
"Esme if I get my way that won't happen, I am risking enough with my presence I don't want to risk it more. I am hoping that he loses interest in me and is able to move on after high school, I can deal with college but he needs to live a normal, human life." I said.
"Bella you can have your happiness with him. If you are going to follow him even after he moves on if that is what he chooses that will be hard on you. Why not just give him the option to change." Esme said. Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder to try and warn her that she should probably drop it.
"Esme I will not risk his soul, he is too good to be turned into the monsters that we are. We may do all we can to not act like the monsters that we have been turned into but we still are monsters." I said with a bit of a growl.
"Bella, calm down please. I am sure we will be able to figure something out when the time comes. For now we can just let things play out as they will. By the way the others will be back Sunday night since Charlotte and Peter will be here Monday through Friday." Carlisle said.
Usually I don't mind when they stopped by to visit, I actually liked them, but this time I was not happy. "We are going to have human drinkers here. No, that is not right Carlisle." I said in a rush as I stood quickly, ready to run and protect Edward at that precise moment.
"Bella, I didn't tell you that to upset you. Besides they never hunt anywhere near where we live." Carlisle said walking over to me and making me look him in the eyes.
"I have to get back, Edward should be asleep, I'll be back tomorrow morning and then we can hunt for the day." I said getting away from him and not talking about our visitors anymore.
"See you in the morning dear." Esme called to me, I heard the hurt and hope in her voice. How I acted hurt her but she knew it was about Edward, they all knew I loved him though I fought them tooth and nail saying I didn't.
When I arrived at Edward's house he was almost asleep so I had to sit in the tree outside his window until his breathing fully evened out. Once I was in his room I felt at peace. I sat in the chair like I did every night and watched him sleep. Every night he said my name but that night he surprised me when I heard, "Isabella Swan, I love you." My heart swelled. I wanted to rush and hold him, be held by him. I wanted to kiss him but I stayed where I was. Even though to my family I denied that I loved him I knew that I did. He was all that mattered to me anymore. I would do whatever I could to make him happy.
The next five days were supposed to be abnormally sunny so we all had to avoid the outside public eye. The day of Edward's trip to La Push was torturous. I felt bad for how I was with Esme and Carlisle, I felt like I made something that we could have had some fun with into something that was horrible. I just was so anxious to get back to Edward. Every time I tried to apologize they told me that they understood. It was obvious to them how much I loved Edward and by that point I gave up fighting that fact.