Chapter 10 Drive

EPOV

It took all my concentration to drive while Bella sat so near to me. The enclosed space made her scent swirl under my nose and I tried in vain to concentrate only on the road ahead. She radiated warmth. It closed the space between us and settled around me.

My body tingled from the closeness, my hand ached to snake out and run down her arm. I wanted so much to be closer still, to actually be allowed to take her hand in mine while we drove. Would she ever see me that way? Would she ever feel comfortable enough with me to want me to take her hand? How long would it be before it was expected that I'd lay my arm along the back of her shoulders when we sat this near to each other? How long would I have to suffer this infernal distance?

It wasn't lost on me that my thoughts of Bella had shifted in recent weeks. Now that we were sharing classes together and her age had caught up with mine, at least as close in age as I seemed to be to the untrained eye, I had begun to think of Bella as more than someone who needed my protection.

I found myself fantasizing about kissing her, holding her hand and had to stop myself more than once from staring at the creamy white flesh at her collarbone when she wore a collared shirt.

I had to stop thinking like this or we were going to have a crash from which I'd walk away and Bella would not. I shook my head to clear the mental images.

"Are you happy with your purchases today Isabella?" I hoped this would open up a line of communication and take my mind off my thoughts.

"Oh yes, thank you. That was a great store. So many books to choose from. I only got Tess today though. What did you get?"

"A few novels and a book of poetry for Esme. Perhaps you've heard of the author? Rod McKuen?" I was careful to keep my hands firmly on the wheel so I could watch her response to that. I felt sneaky and underhanded for the trick, but was eager to see if it made her smile, at the very least.

She closed her eyes and drew in a breath between partially closed lips before answering.

"She will love McKuen. I sure do." It was said in a wistful voice and I wondered if his poetry conjured up anything in particular for her. I'd never seen her with one of his books and I'd certainly never heard her recite any of it. But then I didn't spend every waking moment with her, or near her.

There were months of these past years that I'd spent with my family, many miles from her. I hated to leave her during those times, but did concede that spending time with my own kind, with my own family, was important both to them and me. But I did loathe being so far from her that I couldn't watch and listen for her and about her in other people's minds. But I chose to block those times from my consciousness; they were dark and frightening months for me. I didn't like to recall them.

"I hope she does. It's her birthday tomorrow and we are having a family dinner and I'll give them to her then." I wanted her to think we were a normal family, did normal family things. Again I hated lying to her but this wasn't the time nor the place to offer her any other look into my family dynamic.

Our hasty exit from the mall didn't seem to have bothered her at all and for that I was grateful. Conversations about wolves and vampires were not high on my priority list for this early in the peace.

"What Cd's did you buy today?" she asked.

"Oh, um. Just some classical stuff." Should I tell her that I don't really like the more modern pop music that the other teenagers listened to?

"I like a bit of classical too. Some of the boom chica boom music just gives me a headache." She laughed.

I laughed along with her all the while thinking how very alike we were.

"I hope Alice is feeling better." I felt myself warm from the inside out at the emotion in her voice as she asked after Alice.

She was so giving, so caring. Of course I knew she was all those things, but whenever it was proven to me, and now in this very close proximity, I did actually feel physical warmth. That was no easy feat for something like me, a sedentary and cold beast

"Did you know that our father, Carlisle, is a doctor? I'm sure she's home by now and dad is taking good care of her."

"No, I didn't know your dad was a doctor. Wow. My dad is a policeman. It would've been handy having a dad who was on hand to fix my scrapes when I was growing up. I wasted so many hours waiting for doctors to read x-rays and bandage me up, I could probably get back about six months of my life that's been wasted sitting in emergency rooms!"

She laughed loudly at her own joke and I laughed along, but the whole time I was laughing I was silently cursing not being able to give those months back to her. I was sure I'd given her many months back of course; I'd saved the day more often than not. But I was also sure that when I was with my family I'd missed many a scraped knee, many falls and many illnesses.

"At least having a dad who's a cop would mean no monsters come knocking on your door." I looked across at her as I said it to see how she'd react. She just continued laughing and nodding in agreement.

Monsters indeed…

BPOV

His laughter bounced around the cabin of the car and wrapped itself around me.

I could see him in my peripheral vision and I'd been reminding myself mentally for half the trip to not openly stare at him as he drove. Being so close to him made my stomach do flip-flops and I was sure I was either sweating or shivering most of the time.

I felt so guilty when I caught myself feeling pleased that Alice had had to rush off. Only a horrible person would wish someone else ill, surely? I hadn't meant to think it, but he was just so, so beautiful. His skin was so creamy white, so crease free, he couldn't be real.

He had impossibly long eyelashes and the set of his jaw made his face so very sexy. I had to shake my head to clear those kinds of thoughts from it. I didn't want to be busted drooling over Alice's brother, how embarrassing.

For the hundredth time I wished it was a longer drive home. I loved being in his car with him like this, I felt like I had him all to myself for once. No drooling women in food courts, no cashiers pressing their chests out at him as they rang up his sales, no teenage girls brushing past him in the hope he'd notice them. I groaned out loud and realised I had been louder than I'd liked when he whipped his head over in my direction.

Busted!

"What's wrong Isabella?" he actually looked concerned. He probably thinks I'm a nutter for groaning for no reason.

"Ah, nothing. Can I ask you something?" The question had left my lips before I could rethink it.

"Of course, anything."

"Why do you choose to call me Isabella? Everyone else calls me Bella."

"Isabella is your name is it not?"

"Yes, it is. But you didn't answer my question."

"I think Isabella is a more grown up version, wouldn't you agree?" He was smiling as he said it and I wondered why. It didn't seem a particularly amusing topic.

"Oh. I guess so. Nobody ever uses it too much, my grandmother used to." I giggled when I thought of my Nanna standing on the back porch calling me inside, I knew I was in trouble because she used my entire name, middle name and all.

"I only ever get called by my whole name when I'm in big trouble." He added and laughed with me.

"I was just thinking exactly that!"

I didn't notice we had arrived at my driveway till he turned the engine off and turned to face me.

"Oh, we're here. How did you know where I lived?"

"Everyone knows where the Chief of Police lives Isabella, it pays to know these things if you drive a car in this town." He grinned at me, a really sexy, cheeky grin I might add. Wow.

"Will you wish Alice well for me please Edward? If she's up to it she can call me later, or maybe tomorrow, but only if she wants to?" I asked, reaching for the door handle.

He reached over and stilled my hand with his own. I looked into his eyes and he smirked at me. "Please stay there a moment Isabella."

He took his seatbelt off and leapt from the car; coming around to my door he opened it and offered me his hand.

I took it, trembling as I did and stood out of the car.

"Has nobody ever opened a car door for you Isabella? You are beet red." I could hear the teasing in his voice but couldn't respond. I was now standing toe to toe with this glorious boy and I was finding it hard to think, let alone breath.

"Um, does my dad count?"

"I think not. I will tell Alice you wished her well Isabella. Thank you for allowing me to bring you home. Take good care."

"Thank you Edward." Was all I could manage. He was so formal, so well mannered, like he was one of those silent screen actors or something. Manners were one thing; this was taking it to the extreme. I liked it. A lot.

I hadn't even reached the front door when I heard the tyres of the Volvo spin on the gravel verge. By the time I turned around he was gone. I sighed and let myself into the house.

Edward Cullen had bought me home, in his car. He'd laughed with me, not at me. The stinging electrical shock of his hand on mine just now would have to be enough to keep me company for the rest of the day.

I bounded up the stairs to my room and flopped down on my bed and covered my face with my hands.

Edward Cullen had bought me home, in his car. I'd just spent a whole hour alone with him. I hadn't made a fool of myself even once. Was it silly to want to email my mother and tell her about him?

EPOV

My whole family was seated at the dining room table when I returned home.

"There was no warning Edward. I can't see the wolves. I can see that Bella is safe now, thank you for taking her home." I nodded at Alice and took my place beside her.

"What do we do Carlisle?" I asked, running my hands through my hair.

"I don't think there is anything we can do Edward. The wolves live here too. Port Angeles is neutral territory. Neither group owns it and no actual threat was made from what I can gather from Alice." Carlisle didn't look particularly worried; neither did anyone else as far as I could gather from their mental thoughts.

Emmett was spoiling for a fight, but then, Emmett was always spoiling for a fight.

Jasper soaked up my fear and smiled at me as an assurance that there was nothing to worry about.

Rosalie was filing her nails and thinking about what colour to paint them once this meeting was over. She was infuriating.

Esme was worried though; worried that Bella had been frightened by the sudden exit from the mall.

"She's fine Esme, really she is. She didn't even realize the danger, I'm sure of it. But I want to take extra precautions now that we know the pack has reformed. I want Bella watched. At least until we can assess how many there are and what they intend to do now they know we have also returned."

"The pack must have known for quite some time that we were here Edward. The fever doesn't set in unless there are some of our kind near to the reservation, so they've known for a while. Do you think they were present at the mall today as a warning?" Carlisle asked.

"No, I don't think they were giving us a warning. The young wolf in the store knew what I was and was prepared to defend himself, but he wasn't intent on causing an affray at all. There were two more close by but neither of them came in and neither of them joined him when we left either."

"Ok. So they know we're back. We know they know. Why don't we just go down to La Push and sort it out?" Said Emmett.

"We don't know how large the pack is Emmett. And whilst I don't doubt our ability to defend ourselves should it come to that, I'd rather we know what we are dealing with. Provoking a response is in no ones best interest." Carlisle was ever the peacekeeper.

I put my head down and pinched my nose between my fingers. This was excruciating. The idea that wolves were anywhere near my Bella churned my gut. Young, newly made, out of control wolves at that. Of all the things I had had to protect her from, she had to now be protected from stinking dogs! Why couldn't it be something simple like a horny teenage boy? That I could deal with.

"We'll take turns keeping an eye on her Edward. No harm will come to her." It was Alice she knew I was worried. She knew I hated not being in control of the situation and she knew it was not in my nature to sit and wait. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Keeping Isabella Swan safe was turning into a full time job.

BPOV

I took one more look at the clock and turned out the light.

I couldn't turn my brain off again tonight. I'd be a nervous wreck soon if I didn't get one or two good nights sleep soon. My thoughts returned over and over to the way he'd laughed. The way he'd touched my wrist in the car, the hand he'd offered me when I got out of his car was cool but soft. The way his eyes lit up when I joked with him, how young and handsome he was when he teased me.

Was it stupid to wish he'd been jealous seeing me talking to another boy?

I think I had a massive crush on Edward Cullen.

My subconscious took a strange turn right before I fell into a deep sleep.

"I hope Edward likes this new nightie I bought today when he comes to my room tonight."