Author's Note: Thanks again for sticking with me guys! I can never forget that despite all those amazing fanfics out there, you choose to read mine. Please spread the word if you like this fic.

Thank you for reading and reviews are greatly appreciated. Though cookies will do too :)

However…REVIEW, REVIEW, & REVIEW!

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to ilovetwilight4eversims3 for spreading the word of this fic. Simply incredible of you to do so. Thank you so much.

I know from the stats graph that this fic is being read in many countries but it's still nice to see them in the reviews so we can keep a tally…a fun little game. So far we have India, Peru, Poland, UK, Israel, Portugal, New Zealand, Croatia, France, Czech Republic, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Ireland, USA, and Aruba. Thanks for humoring me guys and playing my little game. I can't wait to see all the countries we can come up with.

Please check out my new story 'Touch of Chaos'. I'll be updating that soon.

I'm probably going to update on Friday. Hope you enjoy this chapter, Ciao!

NOTE: THIS STORY DOES NOT AND NEVER WILL CONTAIN ANY ABUSE. EDWARD MAY PUSH BELLA AROUND BUT HE WILL NEVER LAY A HAND ON HER!

Playlist for this Chapter:

Trust – The Generationals

Chapter 21: The Enemy

[Bella's POV]

I ought to be mad at myself. I really, really should. I mean, what was I doing? It couldn't get any more worse, any stranger than sleeping with the enemy. Wait...was that what I was doing? Sleeping with the enemy? Well, I wasn't actually having sex with him. It was much simpler than that. It was just pure sleep. The kind where you're unconscious for a couple hours and then wake up groggy and confused. That's exactly how I felt when I woke up and found myself sleeping with the enemy.

Who was the enemy anyway? The one person you hate more than anyone? Was that the definition of enemy? Well, not according to Webster's dictionary but I think it was close enough.

In that case, Edward Cullen was the enemy.

And I was sleeping with him.

I woke up on Monday morning to the shrill sound of his crazily annoying batman alarm clock. Yeah, go figure, Edward Cullen had a batman alarm clock. I hadn't really noticed it until it disrupted my green eyes filled dreams about an arrogant boy and I couldn't wait to tease Edward about it. Surprisingly though, Edward slept through the racket it made and just pulled me even closer. I didn't think that was possible, not with the lack of any distance between his muscly chest and my back.

I should've been surprised when I felt his soft, warm breath on my ears and his large hands spayed across my stomach. However, I wasn't. Not one bit. I mean, it was the exact same position we feel asleep in last night and somehow, I managed not to move and kick around. Though it could've been that Edward's tight grip made it next to impossible to do so.

"Edward," I called softly over my shoulder, trying my damn hardest to wake him up. "Edward, wake up. We have school."

"Fuck school," he mumbled and nuzzled his face deeper into the crook of my neck.

"We can't, Edward. Come on. Wake up. Your god-awful alarm is driving me insane," I said exasperatedly.

One arm pulled away from me and reached behind him. He blindly smacked the table a couple times before he hit the snooze button.

"Problem solved. Now go back to sleep," he murmured softly. "I was having a fuck-awesome dream."

I rolled my eyes and tried to wiggle out of his hold but to no avail.

"I need to get ready for school. You may not consider Forks High a priority but I do," I told him and squirmed some more.

"You can just stay here with me a sleep in," he suggested, attempting to muffle a yawn but failing. "Fuck, I'm exhausted. Seriously, just go back to sleep."

"Tempting but I'll pass," I said sarcastically and then added more seriously, "Edward! Let me go!"

"Fine!" He groaned and pulled his arms away.

I shot out of bed and was halfway to the bathroom when I looked back. Edward was now on his back with his arm thrown over his face. He snored lightly and I giggled at how boyish he looked.

By the time I left the bathroom, fresh and ready, Edward was already up. He mumbled that he'd be done quick and shuffled into the bathroom.

I moved around the room, packing my backpack, which Alice had dropped by last night. Just as I was checking my pencil case for a pencil, a flash of silver caught my eye. Turning my head, I curiously headed over to the bookshelf. There, perched between an Atlas and Edward's grade eight yearbook, was a small photo frame. Tucked neatly behind the glass, was an old picture of Edward from when he was a little boy. Glancing at his bronze locks and impish smile, I guessed him to be eight or nice. His arm was slung over the shoulder of another boy, probably the same age as him. The sight of his blonde hair and cold eyes made my smile freeze. I shivered as I gazed at the ice in his blue orbs, surprised that a young boy could hold so much animosity. I didn't recognize him but he seemed familiar. Like I'd seem him before. Without realizing, I picked up the picture and held it closer.

"Put that down!"

My eyes widened and I whipped around to find Edward glaring at me from the door of the bathroom. His eyes were livid and his posture unfriendly.

Quickly, I put it back and stuttered, "S-sorry. I was just looking."

"Mind your own fucking business," he snapped.

"Sorry," I repeated hoarsely.

He glares even harder and then storms out of the room. Stunned by his sudden exit, it takes me a few moments to collect myself an brush away a few tears. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I hurried downstairs.

When I walked into the kitchen, I wasn't surprised to find that Edward wasn't there. I took a seat next to Alice at the breakfast bar and watched Esme flit around the kitchen.

"Oh my gosh! This is so cool! It's like best friends living together," Alice gushed and pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged her back, relishing the feel of being in someone's arms other than Edward's and actually consenting it.

"I don't know, Alice. It's not that easy," I said, biting my lip nervously.

"Bella, listen to me. I know this isn't what you wanted. It's a far cry from your dreams but we just need to find the silver lining. We can just forget about Edward and pretend we're at this huge sleepover at my house," Alice suggested softly. "What do you think?"

I gazed back into Alice's beautiful, caring eyes and saw the hope in them. I saw how happy my very presence made her but I also saw how she wished it wasn't against my will. Alice had a very big heart. She loved with all of it and truly wanted the best for everybody.

"I can try but it's not that easy. Edward is everywhere. He can't be forgotten," I admitted. "Ever since the mating, my every thought centers on him even though I hate it."

"Oh Bella," Alice sighed with a giggle.

"What?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"Bella, that's a side effect of the mating," Esme said from the stove. "His scent is all over you so it tends to invade all your senses."

"Oh," I deadpanned and blushed deeply.

Alice snickered and I shot her a look.

"What did you do to piss him off, anyways?" Alice wondered as Esme placed a plate of pancakes in front of her.

"Nothing. I was just looking at a picture on his bookshelf when he snapped," I confessed, my brow furrowing. "I don't get it. Why would he just freak out like that? Well, I know he's Edward but still."

I shrugged and looked up to find Esme and Alice exchanging looks.

Esme placed a plate of pancakes in front of me and patting my shoulder, she said, "Eat up, sweetie. Edward's waiting for you in his car."

"Right, wouldn't want to keep Edward waiting, now would we?" I said sarcastically and for a moment, the constant throbbing in my stomach intensified. Rubbing my stomach, I asked, "Does this pain ever go away?"

"Not really. It eventually becomes so normal that you don't even notice the small pains," Esme said, smiling sympathetically at me.

Once Alice and I were finished, we grabbed our jackets and headed outside. Edward was waiting in his Volvo, listening to music and snoozing lightly. As I got closer, something inside me jolted and Edward's eyes snapped open. He appraised me with narrow eyes before looking away completely.

I settled into the passenger seat while Alice took the back. She chattered quietly, her voice a him in the background as I watched Edward. He wasn't looking at me and, for once, he wasn't holding my hand. Said hand was lying on my lap, fidgeting nervously. By this point, I was so used having Edward always touching me in some way that it felt strange when he didn't. I'm pretty sure they had a name for this feeling. Stockholm syndrome...I think. Yeah…that.

I let out a deep sigh and met Alice's eyes in the rear view mirror. She gave me a questioning look and I shrugged in response. I didn't get it either.

When we pulled into the school parking lot, everyone turned to look at us. I cringed and wished I could just mold into the seat.

"Just ignore them, Bella," Alice advised me as I unbuckled my belt. I watched Alice jump out the door and straighten up, fixing her hair before calling, "Come on, Bella."

I turned to open my door but to my surprise, Edward was already holding open. He held his hand out to me and cautiously, I took it. I kept my eyes on the floor as Edward took my bag from me and wrapped his arm around my waist. I blushed as the whispers surrounding us increased.

"Look! There's Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper," Alice announced, pointing to a couple spots down.

Edward and I followed her, me still looking at the floor and Edward glaring at people. When we got near, Jasper grinned at me and in response, Edward's chest rumbled.

I patted his chest lightly and whispered, "It's just Jasper."

No matter what I ever said, Edward didn't believe me. He glared at Jasper the entire time we were hanging out by Emmett's jeep. When the bell rang, Edward whisked me away from the group and began to walk me to my first class. I wanted to argue and tell him that I could walk to class myself or walk with Alice, who was trailing behind us. But this was Edward. He would never listen.

When we got to the front of my English class, Edward turned me to face him. He gazed contentedly at my neck for a moment, looking at the permanent mark he had left me when we mated, before smirking. Then, he met my nervous gaze and leaned in to capture my lips. I hadn't been expecting the kiss but if I was, would I stop him? I'd like to think I would but recently, my body had been betraying me in the wildest ways.

Once he pulled away, he pecked the edge of my lips and walked away, leaving me breathless in his wake.

"Alright Juliet," Alice commented dryly. "You can make out with Romeo later. Right now we need to go into class before people stare holes into us.

I flushed and shook my head. I followed her to our seats, keeping my head down. Now that Edward wasn't here to distract me or glare people away, I could hear their every whisper.

"I heard she's a witch, like her mother. She tricked Edward into mating with her"

I clenched my fists at my side and glared down at my desk.

"I heard she's paying Edward to pretend he mated with her. Stupid, attention seeking bitch."

I snorted quietly. If I could, I would pay Edward to not mate with me.

"What a slut? Who does she think she is? Walking in here like Edward Cullen belongs to her and not me!"

At the last comment, I froze. The voice was quite familiar. I turned in my seat and found myself facing Jessica and Lauren. Lauren glared at me while Jessica smiled a sickly sweet smile.

Feeling nauseous, I turned away from them and whispered to Alice, "I didn't think t would be this bad."

Alice patted my arm and said sympathetically, "Aw, honey. You just need to show them that you're not afraid of them. That their whispers and glares don't affect you. All of this walking while staring at the ground will not work. You can't let them think you're weak. They'll pounce on you."

I nodded and let out a heavy sigh. As hard as it was to follow, Alice's advice was true.

On the way to functions, I made a point to keep to keep my gaze at eye level. I didn't look people in the eyes - I wasn't ready for that yet - but I had a feeling that soon I would. I kept myself busy with Alice's constant chatter, trying to ignore the whispers that followed me.

To my surprise, I found Rosalie grinning at me from next to my seat. I squealed and ran over to her, engulfing her in a tight hug. Alice giggled as she took a seat on the other side of me but I was too busy engulfing Rosalie in the most living hug I could come up with. When I finally pulled away, she looked absolutely overjoyed.

"I missed you so much," I admitted, smiling broadly for the first time today.

"Right back 'atcha, babe," Rosalie said with a giggle. "God, it feels like ages since I saw you. We have so much to catch up on."

"You have no idea," I said with a nod. "I don't even know where to start."

"I do," Rosalie said quickly. "I like your brother. I mean I really, really like him. I think I might even love him."

I gaped at her in shock and opened my mouth reply when I was cut off by the teacher.

"Would you like to share your fascinating gossip with the rest of the class, ladies?"

"No, sir," I said quietly, blushing.

Rosalie, on the other hand, was quite confident as she smirked and said, "No thank you, sir. If we wanted to share, we wouldn't have whispered."

Mr. Varner glared at Rosalie and muttered under his breath before turning away. I elbowed her and giggled when Alice rolled her eyes at us.

We were relatively quiet for the res rid the class. When we were packing up, Rosalie leaned in and whispered to Alice and I, "I really think I might love Emmett. He's so sweet, caring, funny, and he treats me just right. He hasn't hurt me once, not even when we mated. He was so gentle and I honestly trusted him when he -"

"Okay!" I interrupted, shaking my head. "That's my brother, Rose. I don't need to hear that about him. I'm okay without the scary images."

We headed to my locker, which thanks to Alice's influence was right next to her's and Rosalie's.

"You guys are so lucky," Alice said with a wistful sigh. "I wish I had a mate."

I stared at her disbelievingly before snorting unattractively. Shaking my head, I muttered, "of course you would. They've brainwashed you since birth."

Alice rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Yeah, it must really suck to have somebody who will love you and cherish you forever. Someone who's biologically engineered to only be attracted to you and protect you with him own life. Someone who's in physical pain when they're not touching you. Yup, you've got it real bad."

I turned to glare at her and snapped, "Look, I never asked for this, okay? I don't want to be stuck in a godforsaken hick town with a jerk that I hate. That may be paradise for you but for me it's hell. Pure hell."

"Alright girls," Rosalie interrupted, stepping in between us, both of our posture defensive and ready to strike. "As much as I love me a good cat fight, people are staring. I wouldn't usually care except I really need to find Emmett before my stomach blows up from agony."

I groaned as the aching in my stomach made itself known. All day, it had been a painful lull in the background, occasionally kicking up a notch when Edward and I were at opposite ends of the school. Now, it stood out, seeking my attention.

"Come on, I'm starving," I said with a sigh and gave Alice a small smile. "Sorry, Alice. I forgot that as Edward's sister, you're biased towards him and I keep rubbing in your face that I hate him."

"Hate who?"

Warm arms snaked around my waists and I felt myself being pressed against a well toned chest. Edward's cool breath wafted over my neck, making me shiver. He kissed the mark on my neck before resting his chin on my shoulder.

I opened my mouth to tell Edward that I meant him but Rosalie cut me off.

"Justin Bieber. She really hates Justin Bieber," Rosalie blurted out and shot me a warning look.

Edward chuckled and whispered, "You're an odd one, Firefly."

I blushed and said awkwardly, "Should we head to the cafeteria now? I'm hungry."

"Me too," he said roughly, his lips at my collar bone.

I fought back a moan as he trailed feathery kisses over my shoulder. Thankfully, we were interrupted by Emmett and Jasper's loud arrival.

"Yo! Yo! Yo! I'm starving! I need me some grub," Emmett announced before grabbing Rosalie and pulling her into a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, it was with a smug grin that he put his arm around a pleased but beet red Rosalie and lead the way to the cafeteria.

Lunch was a dreadful experience. Edward may have spent a large portion of it with his arms wrapped securely around me but e was unable to fully distract me. I still heard the rumors people were spreading about us and I still saw the dirty looks they gave me.

People stared as we walked to biology. Or maybe they were staring as Edward's hand that was resting on my hip. He walked confidently, striding down the hallways like the king they him as. I didn't feel like his queen, though. More like his mistress, with the hateful glares people shot me.

Just as we reached the door of our biology classroom, Edward's phone rang. He took one look at the caller ID and pulled me out to the empty parking lot.

Leaning against the brick wall of the building, he kept one arm around me as he picked up the call.

"Hey, dad," he said coolly but I could sense the worry in his eyes. I saw the crease between his eyebrows and the instead look in his eyes.

He was quiet for a moment as Carlisle spoke. Once he was done, though, Edward spat out, "What? When?"

Another tense minute of silence.

"Fuck!" He swore loudly into the speaker. "Alright, we'll be there in twenty. Yeah, I'll tell him."

"What happened?" I asked the moment he hung up.

He ignored me and instead began calling another person.

"Get to the house as soon as possible. Another one just happened. Dad's calling a meeting tonight," he said quietly into the phone as he began to pull me towards the Volvo.

"Who was that?" I asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice. I hated being shut out.

"Emmett," he said shortly as he opened the passenger's door for me.

I slipped in and waited until we had sped out of the parking lot before repeating my first question.

He ignored me...again.

"Edward!" I said loudly. "Stop ignoring me, jerk."

"Will you shut the fuck up? Not everything is about you!" He snapped angrily, his hold on my hand tightening.

"I want to know what's going on! You can't just kidnap me like this," I shrieked.

"I can and I just did," he drawled with a smirk.

I smack his arm and yelled, "Edward!"

"Ugh! Fine! If I tell you, will you shut up?" He muttered crossly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

I nodded eagerly, silently fist pumping the air.

"Fine! Carlisle called to tell me there's been another murder," he said quietly.

The blood drained from my face and I whispered hoarsely, "What? What do you mean another murder?"

Edward let out a deep breath of air before whispering, "Your mother's death wasn't accidental. It was planned and it was the first few of a series of murders. Now there's been another one."