Chapter Fifty Three

Biology class had been a weird kind of torture ever since Pretty Boy told me he needed space. He continued to occupy the seat next to me, but he might as well not have been there at all considering how easy it was for him to completely ignore me. This day was different, though. Instead of acting like I didn't even exist, he stared at me as if he were trying to figure out a difficult math equation. Just the day before, Rose talked to me for the first time in weeks, and the very next day Pretty Boy acknowledged my presence, well sort of, for the first time in what felt like forever. What a weird week this was turning out to be. I wondered if Alice would be next. I missed her. Rose and Alice had been hovering around Pretty Boy as if he might break at any moment, and I'd been so busy staying away from him that I never saw them either. In a way I felt abandoned, but deep down, I knew better than to believe that.

"Okay, class, you're going to be working with your partner today," Mr. Banner stated as he walked around the room, handing out supplies.

Pretty Boy's lips lifted up slightly at the corners. Ugh, and seeing that little devilish grin made me start thinking about kissing those lips. Luckily, Mr. Banner made it to our table, providing a much needed, yet infuriatingly unwanted, distraction.

I snatched up one of the worksheets that outlined what we were supposed to be doing as Mr. Banner started explaining the lab assignment. I squirmed in my seat a bit when Pretty Boy leaned closer to me and began reading over my shoulder rather than grabbing the other copy that still sat on the corner of our shared table.

I could barely concentrate on what I was doing due to Pretty Boy's hovering. Luckily, he soon started working on the assignment and completed most of it without my help. Every now and then he'd point out something for me to do, like look up a definition in the back of our text book, but he never uttered a word, and I was completely perplexed by his actions. Being the passive aggressive person I was I didn't say anything to him either. I figured turnabout was fair play, especially in this case. As soon as the bell rang, I darted out of my seat and left the room as quickly as possible, frustrated and angry at his new version of the silent treatment. The dude was seriously messing with my head.

Finally, it was the end of the week, and I headed out to my truck looking forward to two days away from school, students and Edward. The stares from my classmates had been difficult enough. Hearing the rumors that spread regarding what happened was worse. Having to deal with Pretty Boy's constant stares, however, proved to be by far the worst. He still hadn't spoken a single word to me, but he was definitely acknowledging my presence these days. It was infuriating. And I was so caught up in my wonderings about it all that I almost ran right into Alice as she stood next to my drivers' side door.

The tiny girl was practically vibrating with energy. She wore a smug smile that had me concerned about her intentions. That look usually meant I wasn't going to like whatever she was about to say or do. The whole cat that ate the canary expression was making me want to turn and run far, far away. As if sensing I was about to retreat, Alice's hands grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I've missed you, so much, Bella. I'm sorry I haven't made more of an effort to hang out with you. You're hurting too, probably more than he is, and I should have at least taken the time to make sure you were okay." She was holding back tears, and I knew I needed to alleviate her concerns.

"It's fine, Alice. I'm not mad or anything, I promise." Not at you, at least.

"Thank, God! I seriously don't know what I would've done if you didn't want to be my friend anymore. I love Edward, I swear I do, but I love you too, and I can't choose between the two of you. Not that either of you are making me do that or anything, and I know this is all temporary…um, or something, but I promise that I will be here for you from now on. I will be a better friend to you. I promise."

Once Alice finally let me leave, I headed home and started making dinner. Cooking was always such a therapeutic distraction. I enjoyed the quiet of the empty house. It was nice not to have to put on a brave face for anyone or pretend that I was fine. At least for a little while, I could let the tears flow.

When Charlie returned home, it was only long enough to eat, shower and change into a fresh uniform. Despite his rush to get back to work, I kept catching him watching me. Every time I met his gaze, he turned away abruptly or left the room, though, leaving me baffled by his behavior. I tried to push aside the curiosity, but this week had just been all kinds of weird. It was really starting to get to me.

I awoke with a start, wondering why I wasn't still asleep. Looking over at my clock, I noticed it was just past midnight. Then I heard the eerily familiar tinkling sound of pebbles hitting my window. Maybe it was just my imagination. When I heard it a second time, my heart fell to my feet. Quickly hopping out of bed, I made my way over to the dark glass. I could just make out a shadowy figure pacing my yard when I peeked through the curtain. Pretty Boy. And once again, despite everything, I longed to actually be able to talk to him, even if for just a few minutes. So, I hurriedly slipped on my warm robe and fluffy slippers before practically running downstairs and out the front door. It wasn't until strong arms wrapped around me that I realized what an idiot I was. I had briefly considered the James incident but dismissed it just as quickly because I knew he was in jail. I was sure it was Pretty Boy, but that didn't stop the fear from coursing through my veins.

"When are you going to stop trying to get yourself killed?" His tone was almost playful, but I could hear an underlying frustration that let me know he wasn't exactly thrilled with me at the moment.

"Don't worry, I looked and made sure it was really you this time."

"This time?" he asked incredulously.

Whoops, I really shouldn't have said that. Lie or tell the truth? I wondered.

"So, Rose was right. This is how James got to you?" He seemed completely exasperated by this point.

Truth it is.

The look of pure rage storming in his eyes made my blood run cold. For some reason, his reaction made me want to lash out at him. I'd paid enough for my mistakes. He could kiss my ass.

"Yep, he did. He used my feelings for you against me. But it's not like you care about me or anything, so why are you so mad?"

The feeling of his hand gripping my hips and his lips against mine contradicted my accusation. Even though I knew this argument was far from over, I melted into him. The rest could wait a few more minutes.


Disclaimer: Guess what...I don't own anything Twilight related. Just thought I'd let you know.

A/N: I loved your thoughts and feelings on the last chapter. It still amazes me to see people are actually reading this and leaving me reviews. I can't thank you enough for your support. It motivates me more than you'll ever know!

Writtenbyabex deserves credit for probably half of this chapter. She gave me some great ideas and helped me figure out how to get from point A to point B. Even though she's insanely busy with RL, she never fails to be there for me when I need her. Thank you, sweets!

I'm thinking we're spiraling to the end. Not sure exactly how many chapters are left because these two keep throwing me new things they want to share but we're getting close...

Thanks!

~SP