Guys! Sorry about that last chapter again. It published a different file by mistake. It's as it should be now!

Here's another chapter!

Four

BELLA

I spent most of last night staring up at the ceiling. Not sleeping. Just staring.

The exchange in the kitchen had been more banter, but it was the conversation with Rosalie that had kept me awake. He'd heard it. As he left he winked at me and that was enough to hint that he'd heard.

We had whispered so quietly. Maybe we were louder than we gave ourselves credit for.

So when he sat down in front of me at the coffee store I truly had to fight the flush from rising in my cheeks. He placed a coffee in front of me before taking a seat to sip his own.

"So," he smiles, "How are you going to Elsa me back onto the ice?"

Just like that, I fail. Heat takes over my cheeks, mortification sinking in.

"I'm sorry about that," I bite my lip, "We should have picked a better audience."

"The audience wasn't the issue," he shakes his head, "I think the issue is your lack of faith in me. You really think I'd not pick up any slack? You barely know me."

"I know you well enough," I rolled my eyes sipping my coffee.

"What do you know?" He leans forward, arms folded on the table before him.

"I know that you're the school's most wanted man. Every girl in this school would jump if you told them how high, you care only about hockey, you just see this grade as an obstacle to your lifetime of fucking women after smacking a small ball into a net," I open up the folder we were given in class as I speak.

"Puck," he grins at me, "the small ball is called a puck."

"Oh, you must mistake me for someone who cares," I raise an eyebrow, "for me… this is more than a class. This is my future. Not all of us can skate by in life."

"You think I just skate by?" he shakes his head, seeming to get annoyed now.

"You think you don't? Everything is handed to you and you decide if it's worthy or isn't. Like me. We have been introduced several times by your sister. At parties. Yet yesterday you had no clue who I was," I sigh, "not that I care."

"I was probably drunk out of my mind. I don't remember what Alice said yesterday let alone months ago," he shrugs, "besides you didn't make it clear we'd met before. Maybe if you had it would have jogged my memory."

"Maybe I didn't want to," I shrug, "maybe I just wanted to get this shit out of the way so you can go back to thinking I don't exist."

"That's not what I thought Bella," he rolls his eyes.

"Well I did," I glare at him, "I just don't want to be let down. That's all."

"Bells. I won't be like that. My grades are important to get me out playing, sure. But I won't stop caring the second I'm back on the ice," he says.

"How did you let them slip anyway?" I ask.

"It's difficult to juggle both. I'm not dumb, if that's what you're thinking," he points at me.

"Can't your dad write a check to make it disappear?" Woah that was rude, Bella.

He obviously thinks so too based on the dark scowl he's giving me. His father is rich. Stinking rich. He owns the world's largest hotel chain. Edward will eventually take over, once he's probably skated through his hockey career. His business degree was one of the best to prepare him to do that, this psychology class a simple throne of a substitute class.

"Dad values education just as much as hockey. He has never bribed away a bad grade and the school has never been inclined to give me special treatment because of his investments," Edward glares at me.

"Right," I bite my lip.

I consider apologising. But I don't know how to word it. While I'm still considering it he leans forward taking the envelope from my hands, pulling out three separate stapled packs of paper.

"The first one is an all semester sorta thing, the other two are essays," he says, "one of us has to be the doctor, the other patient. We need to diagnose the other based on the illness the patient has."

"Can I be the doctor," I bite my lip.

So far the course material I had read interested me far more than surgical or general practice. I liked listening to others. Perhaps this was an option.

"Sure," he nods, picking up a small envelope.

I watch him open it peering inside.

"Oh that's a good one," he smiles at me, "this first essay is due in two weeks. It's what I need to get back on the ice."

I begin to snap with something snarky, but I'm interrupted.

"My Bells," a familiar voice says beside me.

Jake.

"Jacob," I smile politely, wanting absolutely nothing more than for this to end.

"What's happening?" he asks, glancing at Edward.

"I'm just having coffee," I say motioning to my drink, "how about you."

"I was grabbing one to go. We should catch up soon. Have you lost your phone or is it broken?" he asks, glancing at my phone beside me on the table.

"Look Jake. I really think that's not so much a good idea. We need space," I say.

He glances at Edward awkwardly before looking back at me desperately.

"You can't stay mad at me forever. We both know that. Why don't we go chat outside super quick," he offers.

"Pretty sure my girlfriend said no," Edward clears his throat.

Jake's eyes practically pop from his skull in shock. Both from Edward's statement and tone. I'm certain mine do the same thing.

"Sorry what?" Jake demands.

"Come on, babe. We're going to miss the movie," he stands taking up both our coffees.

We both watch Edward throw them in the trash can nearby before returning to the table, offering me his hand. I take it as he picks my bag up for me, slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

"Stop texting her man, it's pathetic," Edward says to Jake.

"So this is what you've been doing," Jake glares at me, "you know he's just a fuck boy. He'll hurt you like he does to every other girl in this school."

"Yet, you're the one who cheated on her," Edward wraps his arm around me, "you don't have to worry. Bella is being taken care of by a real man, Jacob. She's been too busy to reply to your texts, you'll have to forgive her. Our activities get in the way of phone time. Come on, my Bells."

Trying my best not to laugh, I wrap my arm around his waist letting him lead me away from Jake.

"Fuck," I laugh once we're outside, "that was brilliant."

"You're welcome," he grins.

"He's going to tell everyone you know. All the girls will think you're taken," I say taking my bag back from him.

"It means more time to focus on hockey," he shrugs, "besides he'll leave you alone now with a bit of luck."

"Doubtful," I shake my head, "I was dating a guy towards the end of the summer. He only increased the pestering until the guy got sick of seeing another guy's name constantly flashing up on my phone through dinner."

"That's unfair. Can't you block him?" Edward raises an eyebrow.

"I tried," I shrug, "he just finds new ways to contact me."

An idea hits me harder than a bus as I look up at his concerned eyes.

"Wait," I smack his chest smiling, "you want to get back on the ice right?"

"Yeah," he nods carefully, "where are you going with this, Elsa?"

"What if I help you get the grades you need. Perhaps even better. You pretend to be my boyfriend. It'll get the bimbo puck bunnies off your back so you can focus and Jake off my back too. You're intimidating to him. I've never seen him behave like he just did when you stood up for me," I say.

"A girlfriend," his eyes raised in shock.

"I mean not a real one," I shake my head, "just for everyone else."

"Who don't we tell?" he asks.

"Anyone," I shrug, "Alice is a blabber mouth and Rose will convince me to break up with you before we even begin. We tell them we started seeing each other a while back and have been keeping it quiet."

He studies my face, considering my offer.

"Fine. But do I get to pinch your ass in public?" he smirks at me.

Can't he want to do more than that? Wait. Bad Bella. We're pretending.

"Deal," I nod taking his hand in mine, shaking once, "once the assignment is over and you're back on the ice, hopefully Jake will be over it and we can both go our separate ways."

Edward peers over my shoulder before tugging me to him by the waist, he buries his face into the crook of my neck, hand drifting down the small of my back. My breath hitches as I grab his shoulders for balance.

"Get a fucking room," I hear Jake mutter to his friend behind me.

Without a glance back at him I wrap my hands around Edward's head, tilting it back so I can reach his lips. Leaning up and into his body, I place my lips on his. Why not really rub it in?

Only the second he begins to kiss me back, I forget why I started in the first place. His lips are sensational. They're soft and experienced. This is a man who knows the science, art, and math behind a kiss. His lips move gently with mine as he pulls my body closer to his. I barely know who I am as I let out a soft moan. He pulls back at the noise, eyes clouded over with interest.

"He's gone," he says.

I'm unsure how he can tell because he didn't look in Jake's direction. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on mine. As I quickly look around us, I notice other students whispering, pointing in our direction.

"Great," I nod, "I'll see you on the weekend for our first session."

"Okay, Doctor Swan," he smirks at me, "I can't wait, girlfriend."

By the time I get home, he has already updated his relationship status.

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