A/N: Just so you know, I love Edward and I think he's dreamy. Now, I'm sorry about last chapter, if you got to it before I was able to reupload...don't even know if thats a word, but lets go with it for now. Sorry, fic fail ;)

Thanks xrxdanixrx..for being a kick ass beta!

DISCLAIMER: SM owns Twilight.

Chapter 11

EPOV

As I watched Bella storm off with Rosalie, I was left feeling…confused. How did Bella know Rosalie and why were they at odds with each other? My pondering was slightly distracted by the large man standing next to me. He was bouncing nervously on his heels as he watched me from the corner of his eye, I looked at him questioningly.

"Oh, sorry, man," he said, extending out his hand. "I'm Emmett."

"It's really nice to meet you, Emmett. I'm--"

"Edward Masen," he interrupted. "Um, yeah, I sort of go to your school."

Emmett seemed embarrassed by his statement and he looked away from me just as I was about to ask him more questions. Emmett's focus now lay behind me, piquing my curiosity; Bella and Rosalie were no more than ten yards from where we stood, and all I could see from my point of view was Bella's flushed face and the back of Rosalie's head. However, Rosalie's whole body was animated as she flung her arms around exasperatedly. It was obvious that their little chit chat was now getting heated. Impulsively, I moved to go intervene, only to have Emmett stop me with his massive hand on my chest.

"Uh, I wouldn't, dude."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. Who are you? I know you say you go to the school but are you a student?" I asked, annoyed.

As Emmett hesitated to answer me, I found myself sizing him up. Emmett was a huge guy and it was hard to imagine him as a student. He was no doubt young, but fuck, if he wasn't this tree of a man. He stood about 6'5", which wasn't what made him huge, it was his massive solid as a rock physique. The intimidation that I felt from his was undeniable.

"How do you know Bella?" I heard myself ask. "How does Rosalie know Bella?"

As I was shooting out all these questions at him, it didn't take me long to figure out that Emmett was a cop as well. As realization hit, I glanced over at Bella and remembered Rosalie's hostility towards her; it was obvious that Rosalie was behind this whole undercover thing. There were still several pieces missing, but the puzzle was slowly coming together.

"Well--" Emmett floundered, and I held up my hand to save him.

He smiled gratefully at me. It was clear that Emmett didn't want to go into the long story that was suddenly unfolding before me.

"So, what's going on over there?" I asked him.

"Bella is in deep shit. She broke the rules. She is probably going to get kicked off this case," Emmett said glumly.

"What?"

"Yeah, Rosalie told us all that we couldn't expose our cover." He eyed me suspiciously. "It's obvious Bella did just that--either that or you're out with a student right now."

Emmett waggled his eyebrows suggestively at me and it was impossible not to laugh. Having just met him, it was odd how I instantly liked him.

Our smiles didn't last long as we both were reminded of the situation at hand. Bella had told me what would happen if anyone was to find out about us, but now that it was actually happening, I felt immensely guilty. The last thing I wanted was for Bella to get kicked off a case that she loved.

"Fuck," I muttered. "This sucks."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Bella is the best undercover detective we have. She's usually focused and never breaks the rules. It's unlike Bella to screw up like this. She must really like you--" Emmett paused and suddenly, he let a loud bellow of a laugh. "Man, now everything makes sense. No wonder she's been such a basket case lately. Whew, must say I'm relieved. I was starting to think it was me."

I went to ask him what he meant by that when Rosalie strolled up. She grabbed Emmett around his arm, and towed him away, but stopped short to face me. Her face was tense. It was strange to see her that way, considering the last time I saw her, when she was charming, relaxed, and happy. Now her facial features looked severe.

Her blue eyes pierced straight through me. "Break her heart Edward, I break your face."

"I would never--"

Rosalie didn't let me finished as she tugged on Emmett, dragging him off. He waved over his shoulder at me like a kid, the smile never leaving his face.

My attention was averted back to Bella as I glanced over in her direction. She was looking at me with a sad smile. Her eyes were beckoning me, and it was impossible for me not to go to her. If what Emmett said was true, and Bella was kicked off the case, well, she needed me to comfort her. I hoped she still wanted me. To think, that she might possibly have resentment towards me would crush me. Life without Bella wasn't an option for me. If she ever decided she didn't want me, I would let her go, but life would lose all its color. Its meaning.

Fuck, Masen, grow a pair!

Ignoring my inner berating, I approached Bella cautiously. Still unsure how I would fare, I opted to rub her back gently, trying to be supportive. That simple chaste touch ignited desire within me. My entire body ached for more, but I knew right now wasn't about me. It was about Bella. She needed comfort from me, and not for me to press my hard-on against her leg like some horny adolescent.

Thankfully, Bella was comforted by my company, and I sighed with relief. As I talked with Bella, I saw that her mood was oddly upbeat. If Bella got kicked of the case, she was taking the news rather well. She looked relaxed and happy. It was hard to reconcile between what I saw moments ago to what I was seeing now.

The look in her eyes was different. There was conviction behind them, and I never saw that before in her. Even in the past when Bella was attacking me, she always seemed to be reserved. She held something back. Now, looking into her deep brown pools, I saw that her heart was open. It was mine if I wanted it.

Oh, how I want it.

The need for this woman was done taking a back seat, and I had to kiss her. My lips ached searchingly, beseechingly on their own, seeking and finding Bella's soft lips. What happened after that was beyond words. The kiss was different than any other kiss we ever shared. It was slow and meaningful, and I tried in vain to express exactly how much she meant to me. My feelings for this goddess only intensified. They never wavered in the slightest, and I knew, without a doubt, that I loved her.

How could I not love this woman? She was everything that I never knew I wanted. It was clear to me now why my relationship with Tanya never worked out. Why I had spent all my time hibernating in my work, and why those blind dates never came to anything. It was because, without conscious thought, I was searching for Bella. It was the only logical explanation I could come up with, the only thing that made any sense. It didn't matter that I only knew Bella for a week; it was all I needed. The last seven days went by in a blink of an eye, but it was enough time for me to fall in love with her. For some reason, that small time frame made no difference to me. What I felt for Bella wasn't something that would ever go away, but instead, just continue to grow with every passing minute.

Time was no longer relevant.

She took her hands and wrapped her fingers in my hair, pulling me close, I was instantly a goner. Knowing that it wouldn't be long before I completely lost myself in the moment, I regrettably pulled away. Not entirely however, that was something I wouldn't be able to do.

When I was with Bella things got confusing, as if time was no longer an issue, our jobs were a different story. There were so many things at risk by us being together, so much we had to take into account. For my own sanity, I needed to know where she wanted this to go, what were her expectations?

When she told me that she wanted to be with me, and that I meant something to her. It was like my whole body exploded with happiness. It was an unfamiliar sensation, and it was a feeling I never wanted to part with. Bella ignited life within me.

Even though our night had been interrupted, it was hard for me to see the evening as ruined. Things shifted in an unexpected direction, and, in a sense, I was grateful for it. It got Bella to admit her feelings for me.

The silence that wafted over us was nice, but the small shivers coming from Bella's body broke the spell. It was her welfare and comfort that would always win over my needs. It was getting late, and I needed to take her some place warm. Perhaps we could get our food taken inside.

I never wanted to break contact from this woman, so when our embrace broke reluctantly, I made sure her hand was, at the very least, interlaced with mine. Leading her back to our deserted table, it was clear that our food had been sitting idle for awhile. Glancing over at Bella, I could sense that she was no longer hungry. It was clear that the romantic date was finished and I waved the server over. The food was wrapped up, the bill was paid, and I was driving Bella home within ten minutes time.

We held hands as a way to stay connected, and I watched her with fascination as she changed the stations in my car. Her taste of music was interesting. Apparently, Bella loved pop hits. It was in mid chorus of her singing Lady GaGa that I laughed at her theatrics. Bella looked at me, giving me a mock face of hurt.

"Sorry, baby, please continue," I urged, kissing her hand.

She smiled brightly and continued to assault me with her musical taste. If Bella's happiness meant I had to endure Lady GaGa, I would. Hell, if my discomfort over her music was what it took for us to be happy, I considered myself lucky. There were worse things than having to listen to Lady GaGa.

I would take an eternity of Lady GaGa over a minute of fighting with Bella. What started as a nice night, kissing her soft lips on her couch, turned into an argument about her safety, my need to have it and her total disregard for it. The frustration I felt as she refused to hear me out about James was something I kept reeled in. But the moment she referred to me as some guy, that was what did me in. There I was, baring my fucking soul to her, and I was just some guy. Then I slipped like a moron and referred myself as her boyfriend. That one slip of the tongue nearly broke me, because the emotion behind her eyes was as clear as day… it was pity.

Fucking pity!

The door closed behind me and I exhaled. The blank expression on Bella's face as I told her I was leaving pained me to no end. If I had stayed any longer I would have probably cried like a big baby, and that was something that I refused to let her to see. To think, I was just moments away from telling her I loved her.

But that was apparently too soon. The fight between us saved me from ruining everything. Bella cared for me, sure, I knew that. However, I doubted she had taken the leap like I had. It was a strange thing to do, even for me. People do crazy things when they are in love, and I was a man in love. We were the stupidest of the breed.

I'm so screwed.

Pushing myself off Bella's door, I contemplated about just going back inside and ending this stupid fight. If that was what it actually was. In all honesty, it wasn't a fight. Bella had laid everything out on the table for me. What it meant to be with her. I could take it or leave it.

Did I just leave it?

That part was hazy. My hurt and confusion had overwhelmed me, causing me to act absurdly.

The night hadn't turned out the way I had planned, in fact at one point I thought it shifted into something better. Bella had in her way confessed that she truly cared for me, that I had meant something to her. Not saying what went down had erased any of that, but it just brought up speed bumps that we had failed to look at or refused to acknowledge.

Bella's job as a Detective wasn't ideal. It wasn't something I expected a girlfriend of mine to choose as a profession. It really wasn't a deal breaker in my book, but my need to protect Bella was a deal breaker for her... She had gone through life being on her own, and now I was trying to disrupt that. I guess I could understand her point of view, in a way, but why couldn't she understand mine?

This was too much to think about and my body ached to sleep. Perhaps, I could think more clearly in the morning…

Thankfully, today was going to be a busy one for me, and my errands would serve as a distraction. All this week I had been so consumed with Bella that I had completely disregarded everything. In my self induced haze, I had forgotten to do some overdue grocery shopping, pick up my rented tux, and visit my parents.

There was a one year anniversary slash benefit gala for my dad's hospital coming in a couple of weeks. My dad was a respectable Surgeon for St. Anthony Hospital, and he was the one of organizers for the benefit. He had a children's burn charity he wanted to get some recognition to, and he fought relentlessly with the Chief of Medicine to get them to coincide it with the one year anniversary celebration. Naturally, my dad was very persistent; the Chief of Medicine gave in, just to get my dad out of his face. It was obvious I took after him.

My mom had been nagging at me to bring a date to this affair. She had set her mind on finding me the perfect girl. When Tanya and I broke up, my mom's wheels started turning. It might have seemed heartless of her to push me into the dating scene so quickly after the break-up, but she never really cared for Tanya, and she didn't see the demise of the relationship as a tragedy, more like a relief.

I found it rather easy to turn down my mom's offers. All I had to do was use my job as an out. She meant well and I knew that, but after the break up with Tanya all I wanted to do was reevaluate my life… alone. I just wished that Jasper and my mom had respected that.

But now I had Bella, or at least, I hoped I still did. My phone had been silent all day and my fingers itched to call her, but what would I say? In all truthfulness, I was a pussy for walking out on her like I did. Sure, her blasé attitude about my concerns had hurt me, but still, I needed to man up. She had laid it out for me, could I handle her profession? In a way, I really could. But there would always be my cave man instinct lying dormant in the back of my mind. My need to be there to protect her would never go away.

Take it or leave it, Bella.

My mind was going over Bella's beautiful face as I stood, getting my tux fitted for the last time. Disappointed in my minds train of thought, I tried to focus on my mirrors reflection. It was obvious that I was tired, and the permanent scowl on my face would indicate that I was in a foul mood.

My appearance would tip off my mom, and to be honest, I didn't want to go into the assorted tale that was Bella. It still tripped me out that is was that Isabella. The one my mom repeatedly tried to set me up with. When my mom first approached me about Bella, it was way out of left field.

She had come up to my school a couple months prior to drop off some flyers for the Benefit Gala, or that was just a ploy for her to mention Bella. At this point, I would've put it past my mom, she was devious that way.

She strolled into my classroom one day in March, her copper hair pulled into a severe ponytail. My mom was in her late fifties, but still looked amazing, in fact, both my parents had aged gracefully. They were quite a couple to behold.

"Eddie!" My mom beamed as she walked into my classroom.

Her nickname for me was something I hated, and every time she used it just irritated me.

"Hey," I greeted her as I forced a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just dropping off some flyers for the one year anniversary for your dad's hospital. Just getting the word out," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Oh--" I paused confused. "But why at this school? It's not your usual targeted audience"

"Eddie." My mom frowned in disapproval. "Didn't you once tell me that young minds are like sponges, you just have to let their minds soak?"

I smiled warmly at her. "In that case, I think it's a brilliant idea."

My mom walked aimlessly around the empty room, her fingers toying with her jogging suit zipper. It was a nervous habit, zip up…zip down. By the time my mom made her third lap around the room and was on her hundredth zip up, I had enough.

"Mom, you're driving me crazy."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She blushed.

"Who is she?" I conceded.

The smile that lit up my mom's face was new. "Her name is Isabella; she's my jogging partner."

"Mom," I groaned. "I'm not interested in one of your recently divorced cougar friends."

She was hurt by my callous statement, but trudged on anyway.

"Edward," my mom said sternly. "Take your arrogant head out of your ass."

Shocked by my mom's choice of words, I nodded shamefully. "Your right, Mom. Sorry that was an ass thing to say."

Regardless of how truthful it really was.

"She is not one of my cougar friends; in fact she is your age. She lives about a block from me and she is quite a woman. She is beautiful, bright, so self-assured. She is the type of girl to keep my son on his toes."

I had sensed that there was a 'but' coming. "What's wrong with her?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, really, it's just…her job is not ideal."

"Ideal? That doesn't sound like you? Is she like a prostitute?"

"Edward Masen!" my mom hissed at me. She was fully appalled by my insinuation. "No…she's a Police Officer."

My laughter had my mom furious with me. This was no laughing matter to her.

"Mom, you had me worried that it was something serious."

"Well, she is so tiny. I understand she's had training, but when you meet her, Eddie, you will see what I'm talking about. You just get this overwhelming need to protect--"

"Whoa," I interrupted. "Who said I was going to meet her?"

"Are you going to be so stubborn that you won't even give this a chance?" my mom's tone was laced with disappointment.

"Mom, this isn't a good time. I am literally busy with upcoming finals, grading. Its pure chaos," I told her, lying through my teeth.

My mom suspected as such as she pouted at my refusal. She looked away from me, and stared out the window.

"Well, that's unfortunate, because I have a feeling about this one. It saddens me that you will let all my past failures ruin your future happiness."

Damn it!

"Fine," I said through clenched teeth. "What's her number?"

My mom's eyes brightened at my broken will and scribbled down Bella's number. When she had left, after telling me that I wasn't going to be sorry for the millionth time, I was ashamed to say I heartlessly trashed the number.

If I had only known then, what I knew now.

Shaking my head back to the present, I had noticed I was in line at the grocery store.

What the…

This was my life now that Bella was in it. My thoughts were wrapped up in her, it was like I was having random black outs. Suddenly, I found myself walking through life on auto pilot. It did concern me at times on how unobservant I was. Would it always be like this? Would she always affect me this way? Somehow, that seemed okay to me.

Scanning over my filled cart, I noticed in my haze that I still was able to function properly. Apparently, I had gotten everything on my long list.

"Hey, Edward!" a large voice boomed behind me.

Turning around, I was faced with a grinning Emmett. He was holding a six pack of beer and Doritos. Smiling at his choice of purchases, I held out my hand and he shook it boisterously.

"Hey, man. Good to see you. How's it going?" I asked.

"Awesome." Emmett nodded. "I was just grabbing some beer and snacks for the Mariners game. Say, what are you up to today? Want to hang out?"

I took Emmett up on his offer without hesitation. "Yeah, as a matter fact, I do."

We decided to go to my house for the game because of my groceries and I had a flat screen, a Christmas present from the folks. It was easy to get along with Emmett, he was enthusiastic about life and he had a perverted sense of humor. All in all, his company was nice, and it had distracted me from my thoughts of Bella, if for only a little while, but like always, my thoughts of Bella didn't stay dormant for long. Around the eighth inning, Emmett shifted towards me and smiled.

"So, I have to ask. Are you and Bella a thing?"

I laughed at him. "A thing? Like, are we going steady?" I mocked.

"Sure, whatever. I gotta know, because my girl, Bella, never dates."

This piece of information surprised me. How can someone so beautiful and charming not date? She had to have men lining up. Emmett saw my shock and chuckled.

"It's not the guys that are the problem, its Bella," Emmett explained. "She is so focused, so wrapped up in her work, she doesn't get out much. So, when I saw her with you last night, I almost pissed my pants."

"Nice visual, dude," I chortled.

"Well, it's the truth. So, I want to know, are you guys official?"

"Um, well…" I sighed as I took a large swig of my beer. "We are sort of at a crossroads, at the moment." I confessed. He looked confused, so I further explained. "We had a fight; no not a fight, but a disagreement. She is going out on a date tonight with some lead of hers and I don't trust the guy. She was upset because I wanted to accompany her, to keep watch just in case, and, well, she resented that idea."

"Sounds like Bella," Emmett sneered. "Who's the lead? Who's the guy?"

"James Spero."

Emmett spat out his beer all over my coffee table and I looked up at him, stunned.

"That fucking asshole?" Emmett hissed.

"So, you heard of him?" I questioned bitterly.

"Yeah, I have heard of that prick. Bella is going out with him tonight? Alone? And you let her?!" Emmett asked furiously.

"Ha!" I laughed humorlessly. "She didn't give me a choice in the matter."

"So, you do it anyway!" Emmett said like that was obvious. "God, Bella is so fucking stubborn. She always thinks she can handle shit. Do you know where he's taking her?"

"To some concert, I don't know for sure."

"What time?" Emmett asked, setting down his beer.

"I don't know, later tonight, I guess," I remarked, blandly.

Glancing up at my clock, Emmett stood. "It's four thirty now, if we leave right away, we might be able to catch her before she leaves the house."

"What? You mean we are going to follow her?"

"Fuck yeah we are! I don't give a shit what she thinks. She will be pissed, but trust me, she gets over it. There is no way we're going to let her go out on her own."

"But what about the game," I stuttered.

"Screw the game!"

Emmett grabbed the rest of the chips as he headed for my door; I sat on my couch, staring out into nothing. The fact that I hadn't had the guts to follow her, I had to say, it put shame into me. Emmett went against her without hesitation. His need to protect Bella was strong, I admired him for that.

"What the hell, Edward? Are you coming?" Emmett asked.

Everything was moving so fast that I had completely forgotten that this was what I wanted all along. The reason for my sudden indecision was baffling. Finally getting my shit together, I rose to my feet. The excitement I felt now coursing through my veins was certain, I was going to see Bella. That alone should have been reason enough.

"I'm right behind you," I told Emmett, shutting off my television on the way out.

We ended up taking Emmett's Camaro because it was fast and Emmett had laughed at me when I had suggested my Volvo. He drove like a wild man, but I enjoyed the speed of his car. He took the fastest route to Bella's; it was obvious we were on a time crunch. We had no idea when her date was and it was possible that we could have already missed her. That thought pained me.

Emmett threw his phone at me and I looked up at him questioningly.

"Text Alice," he told me brusquely. "She should be under chipmunk."

Scrolling through his phone, I found chipmunk with a grinning Alice, but above that was a breathtaking picture of Bella, which Emmett nicknamed her as the Bellanator. I laughed at his sense of humor.

Hmm, I wonder what my name would be…I'm guessing teachward.

"What do you want me to text?" I asked.

"Just ask Alice when Bella is supposed to leave."

Doing as Emmett asked, I texted Alice. It wasn't long before his phone chimed. I read it silently.

Bella is leaving our humble abode at five-thirty. Why do you care?

Alice xoxo

"She say's Bella is supposed to leave at five-thirty," I read off to him. I glanced at the clock. "Fuck, its five now."

"We'll make it," Emmett said confidently, but increased his speed for extra measure.

Not responding back to Alice's text, I placed Emmett's fancy phone in his center console. My body was tense as I feared we would miss her, but as Emmett pulled into the familiar neighborhood, I sighed with relief.

"Told yah, Bro!" Emmett boasted.

Emmett parked across from Bella's townhouse, fully concealed from her view. He shut of the engine as we sat and watched.

"I haven't done this in a while," Emmett told me.

"Done what?" I asked, confused.

"Tailing Bella…it was something I did when Bella and Alice did their sting operations."

"Did they know?"

"No!" Emmett scoffed. "Those girls would have stringed me up by my balls."

That was quite an image and I chuckled at the thought. It was hard to imagine two tiny girls having the upper hand over Emmett, that would be a sight, but then again, those girls seemed like a feisty pair. The family dynamic between them was something I hadn't expected. Emmett's brotherly affection towards them was genuine, and I was happy that Bella had someone looking after her.

"So, I assume things never went wrong then?" I questioned dazedly.

"Nope, thank goodness," Emmett said as she shoved a handful of chips into his mouth.

We sat in silence for the next twenty minutes as we waited for Bella to leave. My mind was reeling with everything that had already happened in the last week. Before Bella entered my life, I had told myself I was happy, that in my little world, I was complete. It was amazing how I fed myself that lie for so long. It was obvious that I wasn't happy. I was barely even a person. My students had made me feel like I had something to offer, but that was it. Now I knew what I was missing. It was Isabella Swan. The woman I had fallen in love with. The realization hit me at that moment; Bella was the only woman that I had truly loved. Now feeling the real thing, the difference was startling.

Around five-thirty, a taxi cab pulled up alongside the curb, both Emmett and I sat up straight. He leaned over his steering wheel like he was trying to get a closer look, I soon found myself doing the same.

Suddenly my reason for living walked out of the house in a tight v-neck tank top, a short leather mini skirt and biker boots.

Holy shit….

"Dude, what is Bella wearing?" Emmett huffed.

I couldn't speak; instead, I shook my head. If I had thought what she wore last night was sensational, well, this outfit she wore now was putting that one to shame. Bella looked young, sexy, and edgy. Why was she wearing that on a date with James? Was she trying to kill me?

Wait…she doesn't know I'm here, I reminded myself.

"I bet Alice dressed her in that," Emmett told me as if he was trying to assure me.

Deep down, I hoped that was true, but then again, did Alice dress her last night? Bella was literally giving me an ulcer. Since day one, she had put me into a constant state of nerves, but as time passed, the reasons for my nervousness shifted from feeling guilty for wanting her to wanting to know what she was thinking. It was so stressful wondering what was going through that head of hers, and I used to think I was good at reading people.

Emmett waited for the taxi to pass our hiding spot before he started tailing it. Now that I had seen her, I couldn't wait to hold her. The fact she had been on my mind all day was one thing, but now that I was staring at the back of her head, seemed too much. Once again, I pulled out my cell phone, itching to talk to her somehow. Selfishly, I wanted Bella to be thinking of me while she was on her date with James.

I will kill him if he tries to kiss her!

"Hey Romeo," Emmett interrupted my fantasy of killing James. "I need you to focus, bro."

Emmett was right. We were on a stake out. Our main goal was to make sure Bella stayed safe. The last thing we needed was for me to over think the situation and act out irrationally.

"I'm here."

"Good." Emmett patted me on the shoulder with his free hand.

We didn't follow Bella's Taxi for long; it had reached a public shopping mall that was ten minutes from her house. Bella was smart, more than I gave her credit for. It seemed that she made sure to meet James in a public place. That spoke volumes about her not trusting him. It seemed that Bella was just as nervous about James as I was, and the fact she treated my concerns like I was an over protective boyfriend, annoyed me to no end.

Emmett, like a true pro, kept his distance, but was close enough for us to watch. I noticed James right away. The snake, that he was, hid in the shadows waiting to strike his prey. My stomach tightened with a sick feeling as I watched James walk over to Bella and hand her something. I squinted to get a better focal point. It looked like a flask of some kind.

"Here, dude. These will help," Emmett laughed as he shoved something hard into my arm.

Hesitant to look away from Bella, I took a quick glance at the object Emmett held out to me. In his massive hands was a pair of binoculars. I snagged them quickly.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I looked through the lenses.

"No problem…" Emmett paused. "So, what's going on?"

"They were talking, but now he is pulling her to his car," I told Emmett as I watched closely. I sneered at James's approach at being a gentleman. "What a tool! He can't even open the car door for her."

"What an ass," Emmett agreed.

My eyes stayed glued on Bella as she stood frozen in front of James car. Her face was lost in thought. She seemed so morose. It wasn't long before James was hollering at Bella's still body. The way he was treating her was pissing me off, and it was obvious that she meant nothing to him. My hands gripped the binoculars tightly, releasing the anger that boiled in me.

"Alright, here we go," Emmett said shifting his car into drive.

We kept a close distance as we followed behind James's car. My mind wandered back to Bella's glum expression, and I could no longer keep up the silence. I pulled out my phone to text her. There were two reasons for this, one, I missed her like crazy, and two, I wanted to know where her head was. My selfish need was in full force, the will to rein it in was lost.

Bella,

I am sorry for how I left things last night. Don't think for one minute that was the end of us. I hope your date with James ends safely and please call me tonight. I don't care how late it is. I miss you, Bella.

Yours Forever, Edward

Hitting send, I waited for her reply. It was the longest minute of my life, but the moment I saw my screen light up with her name was all it took for me to forget that time even passed.

Edward,

I am also sorry for last night, I miss you too and I promise to be safe. Talk to you soon.

Forever,

Your Bella

Forever Your Bella.

I repeated her signature over and over in my head. In three words, she had reaffirmed that she was mine. That no matter what her reasons for being on this date, she was thinking of me. Now, I wanted to pledge all my love to her, but I stopped. It would be a cad thing to do to tell her I loved her over a text message and while she was in the company of some other guy. It wasn't the way I wanted to tell her, but I wanted to respond back to her. As I went to write a quick and honest reply, Emmett snatched my phone.

"What the hell are you doing? Trying to get us caught?" he scolded.

"No. I just wanted to apologize to her," I said, half telling the truth.

"Well, let me tell you something, her getting caught texting you-her secret boyfriend who is also her teacher-won't help things. Just leave it alone for now, okay?"

Nodding at his demand, he handed me back my phone, shoving it back in my pocket to prove that his advice was heard. Emmett smiled at me in approval. Once again, silence filled the car, and I wanted to take my mind off the phone that was burning a hole in my pocket, the lifeline to Bella that was calling to me…loudly.

"What's up with you and Jasper's sister?" I asked abruptly.

Emmett looked at me confused. "Who?"

"Rosalie. What's up with that?"

"Oh…well she is the sexiest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life, but other than that, were cool," Emmett told me with an offhand tone, but the gleam in his eyes told me different.

"Bullshit," I cackled. "You're into her."

He just smiled at me. It was obvious that Emmett wasn't good with expressing his feelings for her, but I could see it as clear as day. He was insane for her; he might've even loved her. He just may not have known it…yet.

"Well, I think she is amazing. You're a lucky guy," I told him truthfully.

"Yeah, I am." He nodded thoughtfully. "But then again, so are you."

I know…

After that conversation ended without further discussion, we were left to our own devices. The slight smile on Emmett's face told me his thoughts were on Rosalie. My first impression of Rosalie was one of awe; I had thought that any man that snagged her would have to be something to keep her attention. Glancing over at the man next to me, it was evident that Rosalie found the perfect match. Unbeknownst to her, she had made me confident that my assumption was correct. Emmett might've been a kid at heart, a happy go lucky kind of guy, but he was also a strong individual. He stood up for what was right. It was like he followed a path of truth. He never lied, which was admirable, but I think he never felt the need to lie. He was an open book. Rosalie needed a guy like Emmett and he needed a woman like her. Out of all the chaos around them, they made perfect sense.

That was true of Bella and me, as well.

The traffic was crazy as we got closer and closer to the venue. In the havoc of all the cars, we ended up losing Bella and James. Emmett stayed calmed at this turn of events, but I was fucking frantic. My fingers drummed on his dash as I fidgeted in the seat.

"Relax, Edward. We'll find their car," Emmett told me.

But that didn't comfort me in the least. The place was packed and I feared that we wouldn't be able to get in. Everything around us was shady, the people, the parking. Emmett eventually made his way in and we circled the lot, searching in vain for James' car. It was hard to maneuver around the people, and they didn't take it too well when Emmett honked his horn and eloquently told them to 'Fucking move out of the way!'

After what seemed like forever, we parked two rows behind James. They were no longer in the car and I let out a heavy sigh. It was now a waiting game. My patience wasn't something that I was blessed with, in fact, I had none.

Emmett looked calm as he turned on the radio, my tension was heavy and it made the car stifling.

"Edward, you've got to calm down. If we are going to do this on a regular basis, I can't have you stressing me out."

My eyes shot over to him, he wasn't even looking at me when he said those words.

"Are you serious?" my voice came out hoarse.

"Why wouldn't I be? I told you I do this all the time, I'm just happy to finally have some company. I just can't have you getting your panties in a bunch every time we go." He looked at me pointedly. "Are you always this nervous, panicky type of guy?"

"Well, not usually. Bella seems to bring it out in me." I sighed as I ran my hands roughly through my hair.

Emmett laughed at my declaration. "Oh boy, well, you might want to get on some medication then, because life with Bella is like this."

Man, I feared his statement to be true.

The wait was excruciating. I was somehow able to keep myself outwardly calm, but inside I was dying, it had been two hours since our arrival, and I feared the worst. It was stupid to think that way, especially since Bella was safe inside with a lot of people. Emmett chatted in my ear about random things, which I suspected was his attempt to distract me. He had no idea that when it came to Bella, she was the distraction. If he only knew how deep I was involved, he would probably have me committed. This wasn't healthy. My constant obsessing was detrimental. Bella was my vice now, something that wasn't easy to quit, my addiction, my crack, my heroin. She was my poison.

"Here they come," Emmett said, effectively breaking me from my thoughts.

"Where?" I asked.

He pointed up ahead and I barely made them out. James was pulling Bella along, not even caring when she tripped over her feet. My hatred was growing as I watched him mistreat her.

I will kill him!

"Edward, listen to me on this," Emmett said shaking me.

Annoyingly, I turned and glared at him. "What?"

"Whatever happens, you cannot leave this car. You being here will alert James that something is amiss."

"Me? Why? What about you?" I asked frustrated.

"You are a teacher who doesn't belong here; I am a student who does."

Emmett was right, it was clear that my presence would cause unwanted questions. As much as I wanted to pound James into the ground, I had to restrain myself. All my trust lied in Emmett's capable hands.

"You're right," I admitted.

"Good," Emmett said relieved.

We watched as Bella and James got to the car, and I growled when the asshole opened her car door. It struck me as anything but chivalry. He was a callous, selfish monster, and I went rigid when he joined her in the car. The apprehension I felt was deep, and I just knew something was about to go wrong.

My whole body was taut as I waited to pounce at any given moment, clenching Emmett's dash; I watched the interaction between Bella and James. When he leaned over and kissed her, I saw red. I was out of the car before Emmett could reach out to stop me. They were only one hundred feet away from us and I would reach them within seconds. However, Emmett was quick, and was around me before I could advance any further.

"Edward, get back in the car!" he told me gruffly

From this vantage point, I could still see Bella and she was pushing against James, but that fucker kept on forcing himself on her. I saw nothing but my blinding hatred. I wanted James dead and I wanted him dead now. I started to struggle more to break free from Emmett's hold, but failed miserably.

Fuck, I forgot how strong he is.

"Emmett, let me go!" I seethed.

"NO, asshole! You need to get back in the car!"

My mind was racing and I refused to hear him, but what I did hear was something that froze me to the core. It was the sound of the door opening, and Bella's firm voice demanding that she walk home, but even that wasn't so bad. What killed me was the door slamming closed. Emmett heard it, as well, and now he was more powerful and urgent as he dragged me back towards his car. He opened the passenger door with one hand as he held me with the other. He threw me in the car like a ragged doll.

"Fuck!" he swore as he looked over at the escalating situation. "Please, stay in the car. Can I trust you to do that?"

But his eyes caught movement in James' car, and he didn't wait for my answer as he bolted towards Bella. My whole body was twitching with anticipation. The feeling that I should've been there protecting my girl was strong, but I knew Emmett was right. If I was to make an appearance, everything would be blown and Bella might never forgive me.

I was trapped, forced to sit in Emmett's car and watch. The night was very dark, but I could see as clear as day. My eyes followed Emmett as he approached James's car, opened the door, and pulled him out by the back of his shirt. James hit the ground hard on his back as Emmett wasted no time and proceeded to choke the fucker. The smile on my face was of pure satisfaction.

James didn't struggle from what I could see, but soon I saw Bella's small frame get out of the car and yell at the two men. I watched as Emmett looked up at Bella. Whatever he saw when he looked at her only threw him into frenzy because the next thing I saw was Emmett's large fist pummeling against James's face. Bella started pulling on Emmett as I heard her loud shouts for him to stop.

"Don't stop, Emmett, kill him!" I growled from inside the car.

Emmett landed a few more punches to James before he got up, kicking him in the side. Emmett yelled one last thing at James as he hugged Bella and started leading her to his car. This was it; this would be where Bella finds out that I was somewhat behind this sting operation. Would she be mad? Would she be grateful? At this point, I had no clue.

Bella was shaking her head as Emmett held her close, her gaze was downcast and she didn't see me. Emmett looked at me through the window, he was silently telling me to be prepared. Emmett opened the door and Bella's soft voice drifted in.

"I told you I was fine, okay? Just promise me, Emmett, that you won't tell Ed--" her eyes fell on me, "ward."

I looked up into her brown eyes and she looked confused to see me, but then happy, that one I liked, but soon anger fell there and she never left that emotion. I didn't care that she was mad at me, because all I saw was her swollen eye and bloodied lip.

That asshole hit her!

Jumping out of the car, I caressed her face gently. She tried in vain to push me away, but I wouldn't be deterred. She was hurt; all that mattered to me now was that she knew I was there.

"Baby, I'm sorry," I told her.

"Get in the car," Emmett demanded.

Bella brushed me off as she squeezed passed me, moving the seat to get into the back, I trailed behind her. Bella huffed in annoyance as she saw that I followed her and she acted like she wanted nothing to do with me as she stared out the window. She refused to meet my gaze as I searched her beautiful face. Without conscious thought of how I would be received, I reached out to hold her hand, but she jerked it away. She was pissed at me, which I had expected.

Emmett jumped in the car a moment later and that was all it took for Bella to unleash her fury.

"So, what? You guys just figure you would show up and protect me, like some damsel in distress?"

"Wow, I thought thanks would be in order, Bells, but I guess this works, too," Emmett said sarcastically.

"Thanks?" she spat like that was a foreign concept.

"Yeah, thanks! Because what I almost witnessed was that bastard beating the shit out of you! Yeah, I would appreciate some gratitude from you," Emmett said harshly as he pulled onto the freeway.

"I was handling it, McCarty!" Bella hissed.

"Whatever, Swan," Emmett said dismissively.

My stomach tightened as I watched Bella shoot daggers at the back of Emmett's head. I could no longer take the distance, and my need to feel her was all too consuming, I scooted closer to her in the back seat. Her angry eyes looked up at me as a warning, but I advanced anyways. My arms pulled her closer to me, and I half expected her to slap me, but instead, she relented as she threw herself into me. Bella's face buried into my chest, and I stroked her hair lovingly.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," I repeated as I held her tight.

"God, Edward. You must think I'm an idiot," Bella said, her voice sounded annoyed.

"Why would I think that, huh? I love you."

Then it got real quiet really fucking quickly. Bella froze, Emmett held his breath, and internally, I panicked. It was weird how my love for her came out, not really at the right moment, per se, but out in the open, none of the less. Now, I was left to decide two options: I could either back pedal my way out of it or let it marinate.

Let it marinate…

Regardless of how I would be perceived by her right now, and even if she didn't feel the same for me, I was glad to have those feelings out. She knew now, she knew why I had to be there to make sure she was safe. She could hate me, which would suck, but it still wouldn't change my feelings for her. I was in love with her and now she knew it.

"I love you, too," Bella whispered.

I held her closer into to me and smiled.

She loves me.

At that moment, everything was where it should be. Bella was in my arms, I had told her that I loved her, and she told me she loved me, too. It was perfect. Nothing could ruin this moment for me.

"Awe, how fucking disgusting…hey Edward, grow a pair and hand me a barf bag!"

Well, then again, there was always Emmett to take into account.