Then

Edward noticed that Bella began pulling away. While Bella was still very receptive to his touch - something she was working on - she tried to spend less time with him. It was as though she was trying to wean herself off of him, and she was failing.

"Hey," he said, as he moved her hair off her neck so he could kiss her there. "Is everything okay?"

Bella closed her eyes when his lips touched her skin. She focused on memorizing the way he felt before she broke it off with him. Her grandmother hadn't pressured her. She knew that Bella was in love with him. She'd asked Bella what she wanted to do, and Bella had decided herself that it was unfair of her to take away Edward's free will.

So, she needed to end things with him.

It was challenging for her because he was still the same boy that she'd had a crush on at the beginning of the school year. He was still the same boy who had deep discussions with her about his family and his goals. He was still the same boy that was kind to her when nobody else acknowledged her.

She opened her eyes and pulled back from Edward, though it was not easy. He gave her a small smile.

"No," she answered.

Edward frowned. "No?"

"We need to talk."

He sat back. They were in his bedroom, sitting on the floor doing their homework together.

Well, they'd already finished their homework.

"This doesn't sound good." His sounded uncertain.

She looked over at him. He was so close, so beautiful, so magnetic and she already found herself being pulled in. She shook her head and looked at her hands.

"I...don't think it's a good idea for us to see each other outside of school anymore."

Edward was quiet for a moment. She felt her face heat as he shifted his position.

He laughed uncomfortably. "I'm not sure what you mean."

She squeezed her eyes shut as she forced the words out. "We shouldn't date anymore. Or whatever this is."

She waited for his response. When he didn't say anything, she opened her eyes and looked over at him.

She wished she hadn't. The confused and hurt expression on his face made her want to take the words back - words that she didn't even mean. They were still basically kids but she was sure that if he asked her to marry him at that moment, she'd say yes.

"Whatever this is?" He repeated. He shook his head. "I...Bella I really care about you. I thought...I mean, I know we never had the conversation but I was under the impression that we were in a relationship."

She was under the same impression. She didn't want anyone else. She didn't want him to be with anyone else.

But it wasn't real.

"It's not working."

"Yes, it is." His voice was more determined. "It is. I swear it is."

He kissed her on the lips before she could stop him. She started to kiss him back and then pushed him away.

"No," her voice broke as she looked him in the eye. "I don't want this anymore."

"You're lying." He was desperate, pulling her back to him. She was hardly able to keep him back, so she pulled away and stood.

"I'm not. I...I need to leave." She grabbed her jacket and purse off his bed and ran out of his room. He called her name, but he didn't follow her, and she didn't look back. His parents weren't home - they rarely were - so she was able to rush out of the house without being stopped. She was certain she would have stayed if even one thing got in her way.

When she got home, her grandmother was in her normal spot at the table. Helen had already known what was going to happen. While her gift of foresight wasn't impeccable, it was still mostly accurate.

Bella shrugged as her lip quivered. "It's done." Helen walked as quickly as her older body would allow her to her granddaughter. She held Bella close.

It's done.

Helen knew it was far from done.

The next day, Bella made it through the first part of school in a daze. She couldn't focus on anything that was being taught, which wasn't a terrible thing since she knew most of it already. However, she must have been obviously distracted because her English teacher pulled her aside and asked her if she was okay. She'd nodded and thanked Mrs. Cope for her concern.

When she reached Biology, she walked up to Mr. Banner and asked if she could have a new partner - at least for that day. He'd looked uncertain because he didn't want Bella doing all the work. She was an exceptional student and he expected that others may take advantage of that.

"Please, Mr. Banner, it's important." She looked directly in his eyes as she said this, willing him to do what she asked.

Mr. Banner nodded, though his eyes looked glazed over.

Her gift of influence that had not been realized yet.

She sat next to Riley Biers, a slightly above average student, who she knew did his work. His partner - Brie Tanner - was out for the day. It was the one thing that Bella had noticed.

She sunk far into her seat when Edward walked in. He was wearing a solid black hoodie and dark jeans, which was funny considering that was exactly what Bella had been wearing. He didn't notice that she was sitting at a different table at first. When the bell rang and he saw that Bella wasn't in her seat, he looked around the room.

She knew all of this because she'd been watching him. His eyes met hers and she looked away immediately. It wasn't quick enough though. She didn't miss the crushed look on his face when he'd realized that she'd gone so far as to change partners.

For the rest of the class, she felt his eyes on her. She even had moved her hair to cover her face, but it didn't stop the feeling. Her anxiety was through the roof and she was certain that there were probably some strange plants growing outside of the school. When the bell that signaled class was finished finally rang, she practically jumped out of her skin.

She headed to the door as quickly as she could so she wouldn't have to encounter Edward. She sighed in relief when she made it to the hallway and the bustle of high school students could easily lose her. When she felt a handle gently grip her arm, her stomach fluttered and she knew she hadn't escaped him.

"Come with me, please." She looked up to see Edward looking down at her with a neutral expression on his face, but she could tell from the tightening of his jaw that he was stressed. She tripped over own feet and fell into him as he pulled her along. He used this as an opportunity to wrap his arm around her and steered her to an empty hallway. The hallway was used for extracurriculars rather than classes and most students steered clear of it because they believed it was haunted.

He let go of her when they reached the end of the hall. He stood in front of her and ran his hand over his face.

"Can we...can you go somewhere with me after school?" He asked quietly. "I've been...I wanted to show you something."

"Edward, I don't think I should."

"Please. I'll...I'll leave you alone after this." His expression was no longer neutral, but rather pained. It broke her heart.

"I don't know." Bella responded, though she already felt herself wavering. Even when he was sad and desperate, his charm was still radiant.

"Please, Bella."

She gave in.

"Okay."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, like he wasn't expecting her to say yes. He looked excited and relieved.

"Meet me at my car. After school." He left her standing there as he headed back toward the way they came.

Once she caught her breath, she wondered if she'd made the right decision.

Thank you for reading!

Sorry for the delay - was caught up with some Christmas stuff, a new job, etc - all the excuses.

However, if you missed it, I posted a little fluffy romantic holiday story the other day called Just Another Holiday Work Party. It's a quick read, and I'd love to hear what you think!

Also - HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE :)

-Bravery