Hello! The adventure continues.

Some of you pointed two things out that I point out here and I'll point it out in the next chapter as well.

The first thing you pointed out was that Bella was more likely infatuated with Edward rather than actually being in love. I think it might have been a little bit of both. I think that before her 18th birthday she was in love, but after he came she wanted things to be like they had before, and I kinda felt she was infatuated then (I think Jacob pointed it out in the books if I remember correctly)

Second, you said Edward going back to Forks was Alice's fault. And that's true, of course (I point it out in the next chapter). However, she is not at fault for Edward's choices. I mean, she wanted him to know she was alive and she was mad at him, so she told him she was happy and had moved on. But Edward's reaction and his decisions following that were his own fault (you'll see what I have in store for Edward in the next chapter)

That's it for today.

Enjoy and stay safe!


KISS PROTOCOL


CHAPTER 7: EDWARD.

Jacob almost phased in Charlie's kitchen. The leech was delusional if he thought Jake would allow him to do anything to Bella. He would stop him. He was not going to come near her.

But Bella was too…quiet, too unconcerned about the news. Why wasn't she freaking out? She was chopping vegetables like she just hadn't received news that her ex-boyfriend in a possible psychotic break was coming to her.

"Jake, pass me the salt and pepper on the table please."

He stupidly followed her directions and watched as she put the veggies on a pan with salt and pepper and some butter. "How can you be so…put together?" He finally asked. "Are you not in the least worried or curious about why he's coming?" He certainly was.

She shrugged. "Not really."

He watched her stir and move the veggies on the pan for too long before asking. "Why not?"

He no longer harbored the idea that she might run back to him. She had promised the day they started this, that she was going to be only his. And she had asked for patience. He was being patient with her, he had promised as such the other day. He would have all the patience in the world for the girl in front of him. He loved her so damn much.

She smiled amusedly at him. "I don't care what he has to say. And I have faith that you, or any of the guys will stop him if he tries anything stupid."

Jake was marveled at how put together she was. Like this was another normal day in her life. Well, if anything, Bella had never been a normal girl. He laughed internally at his remark, even if it was true, he was not going to risk being put on the doghouse. At least, not so early in their relationship. He was smarter than that.

He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What are you doing?" Bella asked giggling. His chin pressing on her shoulder was ticklish.

"I'm hugging you." He answered innocently. He opened and closed his mouth, causing his lower jaw to sink deeper on her shoulder, causing her to squirm underneath him and giggle uncontrollably.

"You're going to cause me to burn myself." She warned him. He didn't listen. She had put a lid on the vegetables and checked on the chicken she had cooking in water on the other pot. She was going to make shredded chicken for fajita night.

"Stop squirming like that, honey." He warned, realizing that the teasing was causing another predicament down his pants.

Of course, Bella noticed. And even though she was not ready for anything sexually related, she enjoyed getting this reaction from him. It made her feel powerful. Sexy, even. She squirmed again in his embrace, rubbing her ass on his clad covered cock. She gasped, noticing it getting harder. She could say whatever about not being ready, but she couldn't deny that her mind ran wild at the feeling of him against her. It was exhilarating. And there was no harm in a little fun over the clothes, to be honest.

He tightened his arms around her, driving his hips forward and rubbing his hard-on on her lower back. He hid his face on her neck. Sucking, kissing and nibling up and down from her ear to her shoulder. She was on heaven, feeling his warm lips down her throat, on her shoulder, feeling his big hands on the edge of her jeans. She tilted her head sideways giving him more access. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Her rational side, the one telling her she was not ready, was also telling her he was getting her hot and bothered and she needed to get dinner ready.

"Jake." His name sounded like a plea instead of a warning like it was meant.

His hands never wandered from their place, and his hard-on never left its post on her lower back, his lips never travelled beyond her neck, or her shoulder, but it was enough to drive her crazy. She was not ready, but damn if she didn't want to turn everything off and rip his clothes then and there.

"Jake." This time, his name came out stronger. She put her hands on his, getting his attention.

"You drive me crazy, woman." He murmured on her ear before moving aside.

"Ditto." She answered with a coy smile.

He found it hilarious how seconds ago she started rubbing herself against his erection, but she still felt shy when receiving a compliment. He loved her, and he knew he wanted to take all of her, but he also suspected she wasn't ready. She seemed like the type of person that would say I love you before falling into bed with someone.

The next day, Sam had a wolf on Bella's house with her, and one outside, just in case. The rest were patrolling the reservation and Forks, with Alice's permission. She hadn't been the one with whom they had made a treaty, but in Carlisle's absence, she was the one to go to.

Alice was monitoring Edward with her visions. Helping the wolves with their rounds. She allowed them in the property, and all-around town. It was their duty to protect their people, even if the population of Forks didn't exactly belong to their people.

She kept Bella informed on any decision Edward made, however small. Bella was not worried, but she admitted to Jake that she was anxious. What did he want, after six months?

She sighed, a headache coming hard again. She grabbed the pills that Charlie kept on the kitchen and swallow them with a glass of iced tea.

Paul was quiet, but she knew it wasn't because he was upset. He was trying to pay attention to their surroundings. His senses weren't as acute as some of the other wolves, but he tried his best.

Bella decided to bake different kinds of cookies to help pass the time. She was too damn anxious. It didn't help that Jacob was one of the wolves patrolling the town. It's not that she needed him here with her (which she did), it's that she was worried that Edward decided to hurt him as part of trying to do something stupid.

She was nearly done with the fifth badge of orange peel cookies when Paul stood up from the couch like a spring. "He's here." He announced.

He checked on the back door with Jared, confirming that everything was alright. Jared nodded his wolfy head and stood attentively. They would not allow the leech to try anything.

Paul texted Sam letting him know about the new developments.

Bella took the cookies out of the oven and transferred them to a cookie tray to let them rest and cool down. She washed her hands quickly and turned around in time to see Paul walking quickly to her, and the front door opening, showing Edward in all his glory. Entering the house as if it was his own. Completely disregarding the fact that he was breaking and entering. Private property and privacy all foreign concepts to him.

Bella tensed, grabbing Paul's bicep, and holding onto it for dear life. She might not be afraid of him, but she was nervous. Paul palmed her hand, but let it stay there.

Edward walked quickly -quicker than a human, slower than a vampire- towards her, stopping merely a few inches away. He eyed Paul like he was a shit on his shoe. Long gone was the sweet Edward she had once known. The man in front of her was a mask of something she couldn't identify. It bothered her for some reason.

The man that came into the kitchen was as similar as different from her visions from all this time. This version of Edward was well fed, judging by the very bright gold of his eyes, but there was a glint there, something that hadn't been there before the catastrophe of her birthday. His stance was almost predatory instead of relaxed or self-contained. It was wild. The changed were very subtle, but she knew him very well. Even if she had been infatuated or in love, that remained fixed. She knew him, and he knew her. They could anticipate each other's moves and get a reading of the other with no effort at all.

It was hard for Bella to see the roughness in what was once a very sweet face (despite the challenges that came with being a vampire resisting their very basic instincts and having a human girlfriend that smelled very good). A part of Bella would always recognize Edward as someone who had hold a piece of her heart. Maybe he still did, even if she wasn't in love with him anymore. That saddened her. She was very happy (happier than she had ever been, truth be told) with Jake, but it sucked how things had ended between them, irrespective of whose fault (his) it was.

The mask that he was wearing, along with the subtle changes in his behavior, made her nervous. That's why when he took another step towards her, she took a step back, releasing Paul and effectively putting the kitchen island between them. It wouldn't stop an attack on his behalf, but it would slow him down in time for Paul to act and for Jared to come inside and assist.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bella." Despite his unreadable expression, his voice was sweet and soft.

Bella shook her head. She wouldn't put it past him. She didn't know him anymore.

He had effectively made than known six months ago with the way he ended things. He had to have known that she would follow. That she was not going to relent so easily. That made her question everything he had done. In the quiet nights, she had wondered what she would do if she ever saw him again. In the zombie months she vowed she would immediately forgive him and take him back, but as the months progressed, and as she grew closer to Jake, that resolution began to lessen. Until it became an empty thought the day of Harry Clearwater's funeral.

Then, the few nights that had passed after that day, she knew for sure that she was not going to trust him so easily again. If she ever decided to trust him again in the first place.

Edward scrunched his nose as if he smelled something rotten. Bella didn't know if it was the wolves' smell driving him crazy or if it was the smell of cookies. Probably a combination of both.

"Everything ok?" Paul asked Bella, taking advantage of the momentary distraction.

She stroke her temple subtly reminding him of Edward's power. She didn't think he was going to hurt her, but he was ...unpredictable to her. She could have once predicted how he was going to react to something, but she knew that she couldn't do it with the man standing on the other side of her kitchen's island. She shook her head to Paul, urging him silently not to leave her alone.

Of course, he wasn't going to. Even if Jake hadn't asked him.

However, she knew that the others were coming soon. With Jared on full wolf mode, he was going to pass along the message quicker than Paul's text.

She needed Jake close, for support, for reassurance, for company, she wasn't sure, but she needed him. Even though she could face Edward alone. She had grown emotionally a lot in the past few days. Hell, in the past few weeks. Part of Bella's epiphany was about the moment she realized she had feelings for Jake. Back then she was stupidly hanging onto the memory of Edward, but she still grew emotionally.

She was happy with Jake. The pack was like a second family and despite the fact that she had never been good at having girl friends, Kim and Emily were very welcoming and they made her feel at home. Paul was still a hothead that snapped at the littlest provocation. The fact that he was managing to keep it cool while looking at Edward was a major thing.

His behavior spoke volumes about his respect towards Bella, her father, the treaty, and his pack. She might not be an imprint, but she was pack nonetheless, same as Emily and Kim. He wouldn't fall under any provocation, nor start a confrontation when she could be in danger. No matter how much he wanted to light his pasty ass on fire.

"Trust you to find the most volatile of creatures to hang out with." He intended for his words to be met with humor but Bella only crossed her arms on her chest. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Edward wasn't going to acknowledge the fact that he knew who her boyfriend was.

"No, he's my friend." She replied softly, not offering anymore information.

Edward took a step towards her and she took a step back automatically, again.

He frowned. Why was she walking away from him?

"I'm not going to hurt you Bella." He repeated himself.

She only nodded but still kept her distance. She stood there tense, and silent. Edward didn't speak either but he never took his eyes off her. It made her even more nervous.

"Please, leave." She begged. She could feel the tension on her shoulders. Her whole body was contracted, making the tension on her shoulders almost painful.

She was starting to feel scared. His wild stance was frightening her, and the fact that he was taking so long to say whatever he wanted to say was making it worse. Long were her nerves, replaced by the fear she felt.

"We need to talk."

Paul stood there silently, wondering what was taking the guys so long.

If it came down to it, Jared and he could hold him off; it would be hard, but not impossible. The leech had the advantage in the fact he couldn't get easily hurt, contrary to the wolves, that despite their supernatural nature, could get easily hurt if they were hit in the wrong place with the strength that a vampire possessed. That's why the wolves of La Push worked better together. They had each other's back and hunted vampires in groups of three or more. Better safe than sorry.

She shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about. You made your choice. You left. I moved on. That's it." Paul was proud of her. She showed no signs of the fear she was feeling, even if she had stepped back a few steps. She stood her ground (or tried to) under his inquisitive stare. It gave him the creeps. How could she have fallen in love with him was beyond Paul's comprehension.

"I love you. I always have."

Bella shrugged. "I loved you so much. But you destroyed that when you left. Now, I ask again, please leave me alone."

In that moment, Jake barged in her house and in seconds he was standing in front of her.

Finally, Paul thought.