The café lights were dimmed, and the table Edward chose was small. He sat across from me, his hair in his eyes and a weighty silence between us.

Coldridge had won the game that night, mostly due to Edward. He was a powerhouse of unending energy, and I was in awe of him the entire time. I finally realized that who he was in the water was somehow more real than who he was otherwise. His identity was inextricably linked to that pool.

When he hurt, he let the water wash it away for a few precious minutes. Like tonight.

My heart clenched for a moment as I stared at him now.

It seemed as if the claws digging into his soul rarely loosened, but he was free of them while swimming. Just like me. Although I suspected the horrors in his past greatly outweighed mine.

The final question then had to be: How could Alice, the all-knowing pixie, have been so blind to the sorrow she inflicted on her brother?

I knew Edward thought Jasper was the source of his troubles, but I also knew that Edward was simply unwilling to blame Alice. She should have reaffirmed her love for him. She should have made sure that bringing another man into her life would not push her brother away.

After all, they only had each other left in this world. They were blood.

I lifted my head and looked Edward in the eye. I knew I was gazing at a man, and that knowledge stole my breath away. High school students are boys, just as they should be. They are carefree, they've not experienced life's ugly truths, and they've not struggled for something they could never find.

Edward Cullen had clearly been pushed and pulled his entire life, and the person who remained before me was certainly not a boy.

I always knew I could never fall for a boy.

And I was right.

"What are you having?" I asked.

He smiled faintly, probably amused at the banal question when we both knew I wanted to discuss other things.

"The ravioli," he said. "They have a whole list of different stuffings here. It's their specialty. Try it."

"I think I will."

We were silent once more until Edward reached across the table for my hand. "Isabella," he began, his Adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed, "don't judge me too harshly, alright? I—"

"I don't!" I cut in firmly. "I think everyone has a right to his feelings, and so do you."

"But I hate your brother," he said, cocking his head in confusion.

"No, you don't."

"Of course I do," he said more forcefully.

I leaned forward. "Do you really? Or are you upset with Alice for allowing someone else into her life?"

"She deserves to be happy."

"Even if it means forgetting you?"

"She doesn't owe me anything," he said.

This time, I laughed. "You're family. You owe each other everything. I don't know why she let you down, but I'll find out."

He was shaking his head and staring out the window behind me. "It doesn't matter anyway. Jasper and I, well, I think we're okay now. Fucking confuses me. And Alice, well, she's got her own life to live, and I don't think it includes me anymore."

"Why can't she have a boyfriend and a brother? This is ridiculous."

He stared at me for a second, then leaned in too. "Yeah, but you didn't realize all this until I pointed it out, now did you?"

I blinked as the thought settled in my brain. Had Alice not realized it as well?

"Then I'll fucking point it out to her," I said, a light growl coating my voice.

Edward smiled as if he didn't believe me or like he thought it wouldn't matter. Then he looked down at the table. That's when I realized he was still holding my hand.

For some reason, the blood rushed to my cheeks.

I pulled back a little to stroke his palm. "Okay," I decided. "Let's talk about something else—like ravioli stuffing. I want mozzarella cheese. And you?"

"I'm partial to the mushroom."

I don't know why, but I blushed again.

We ended up back at the pool because, apparently, the swim team captain has keys to everything in the gym.

Our feet dipping into the cool water, we sat at the edge, just talking about whatever we felt like talking about.

"You know, I always thought there was more to that show," Edward was saying.

"Yeah, like an underlying message that could change people's view on life," I agreed.

He nodded. "Yeah, the love between the two main characters was just so intense. I got pissed at them sometimes. Why couldn't they just admit it?"

I nodded too. "Yeah, Robin was an idiot. I mean, don't Teen Titans have more courage than that?"

We laughed and were silent again, but it wasn't awkward. Edward's green eyes gazed at me with so much warmth that I knew he was going to kiss me.

His face came nearer and nearer. My eyes closed in anticipation.

Then I was falling backward into the water.

The bastard was laughing at me. Furious, I planned to find a way to pull him in as well, but he deliberately jumped in after me fully clothed.

He was going to creep up on me again!

But instead, he simply ascended from beneath me, curling his arms around my waist as his head surfaced.

Half-heartedly, I struggled in his embrace.

"Well, Miss Swan," he said with a smile tugging at his lips, "it seems you aren't on your guard tonight. Allow me to take advantage."

With a gentle hand against my cheek, he stilled my writhing body. Brushing his thumb back and forth across my lips, he pulled me closer until we were a hairsbreadth away.

When he closed the tiny gap between our bodies, my blood seemed to run faster through my veins. The world froze, but everything between us sped up.

His mouth was sweet, firm, and cool like marble, but felt soft like a goose-down pillow.

A lusty moan rose up within me when I felt a stirring in his pants right against my thigh.

He smirked at me and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. I sighed and let go of any residual anger because although we were soaked, and my clothing was dragging me down, I'd never felt lighter.

He kissed me all over again—deeply and with a passion that ignited my body, tingling my nerves, and sending sparks into the air.

Ringlets of waves formed and disappeared around us as we made out in the middle of the pool for so long that our skin wrinkled.

When he finally dropped me off at what he thought was my hotel for the night, I could not stop smiling.

The next day, I woke up very early and decided to start off my weekend with a good breakfast.

Envisioning a heavy plate of syrupy pancakes and waffles, I made my way towards the dining hall for the early bird breakfast.

When I arrived, the place was nearly empty.

Perfect.

Sitting down at a table, I noticed another student watching me. His cold grey eyes locked on mine, but he didn't turn away in embarrassment. His smirk was so eerie I instinctively looked down. When I raised my eyes, he was gone.

"Hey, piranha," someone said in my ear.

"Gah!" I shrieked, jumping a foot in my chair. "Emmett, you fucking scared me."

He tugged my wig lightly. "I saw you leave with Edward after the game. So spill."

I punched his shoulder, "Well, sit down then and whisper."

Chuckling, he took a seat in front of me, and I explained in as few words as possible that the date had gone well.

Emmett had been really supportive the past couple of days. It made my heart warm that he was so willing to accept me even though I was directly violating team rules. I knew his loyalty to the team was indestructible, so I asked him a few days ago why he was helping me.

"Because I always like a good story," he'd said and left it at that. I decided then that there's a lot more to Emmett than meets the eye. He listened to my story and my dreams, and he chose to offer support instead of opposition.

He especially liked to tell me what I was doing wrong as a man.

"Number one rule of the locker room: Make inappropriate comments. That means you DO NOT stand up for women unless you want to be called nasty names and made to strip naked—buck naked—in order to determine your gender. It has happened," he warned. "Also, talk about how nice a tight pussy is around your dick, nonexistent as it may be." He pointed to his crotch with a hip thrust. "Or rub some mud in your face and act like a chimp. Whatever. Just don't say stuff like 'hey, women have rights.' We know they do. We just don't think about it in our manspace."

This was news to me, but I took the advice, and the weird looks I tend to get decreased significantly.

Now, as I related the tale of my Friday night date to Emmett, he nodded along, but ultimately, he seemed put out.

"Wait, you mean there were no public brawls? No panty shedding? Nothing I can hold over Edward's head?" Emmett asked.

"You can't hold anything over his head! Because you don't know anything, remember?"

He smiled. "Chill, guppy, you're so paranoid."

I laughed and got up to put my tray on the racks, but as I did, the odd boy I had noticed earlier came to stand behind me.

The silence was so loud I felt like I was suffocating, and I didn't understand the presence of the emotion.

When I turned to find him looking at me, he still didn't say anything.

"Yes?" I asked, hoping he would just leave me alone.

But his ice blond locks remained perfectly gelled in place as he simply tilted his head and remained silent.

After a moment, he stepped forward, placing his own tray away and smirking at me without breaking eye contact.

Then he stepped close—too close—and held his hand out.

I racked my brain, trying so hard to place this student, but I came up with nothing. How should I have played it? What if Jasper knew him? Uncertain, I slowly shook his hand and waited.

Finally, he spoke, saying, "That was a great swim meet last night." His voice was smoky and it curled around me like a snake softly wraps around its prey. "I'm James Cooper, and I write for the Coldridge Daily. I'd like to profile you for our Wednesday issue this week."

I noticed the request wasn't a question, and suddenly, I felt a little angry at his attitude.

"No," I said sharply. "I don't have time for an interview."

He spoke even more softly when he said, "It would only take a little while. Just some talking."

Goosebumps erupted on my flesh, and I knew I had to nip this in the bud. "Sorry, James, but this semester is not a good time."

Turning around, I walked away as fast as I could and begged myself to forget those grey eyes.

When I returned to my room, I noticed Edward still in bed, his clothes damp since he hadn't bothered to change before collapsing onto his bed the night before.

He lay atop the covers with his hair plastered to his face and his shirt bunched up to his neck.

I had never seen someone look so stunning.

I tugged another bedspread over him because he looked slightly cold and climbed into my own bed for a nap.

"Jasper?"

Go away.

"Jasper?"

He's not here right now. He's in another country. Playing even newer and weirder roles.

"Jaaaasper!"

"What the fuck? He's not here!" I shouted, sleep fogging my brain and loosening my tongue.

"Do you have any Tylenol?" Edward asked, completely accustomed to my groggy nonsense. Which was not really nonsense, if you thought about it with the right perspective.

I moved my head to the side to see that he was hanging onto the ladder by the side of my bed. I noticed his red nose and puffy eyes.

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked, reaching out to feel his forehead.

Edward flinched. "Man, I'm okay, can you just hand over some medicine?"

I stumbled out of bed, the covers twisted around my torso for a moment, before I landed on the ground and headed to our bathroom. When I returned, Edward was shivering in the corner of the room by the heater. I kneeled beside him and held out a couple Tylenol tablets with a cup of water.

He nodded at me and took them with shaking hands. I watched him place the medicine on his tongue, and I was mesmerized for a moment by his mouth. Thankfully, I remembered what Emmett had said about my weird tendency to stare at Edward. Needless to say, I snapped out of it as soon as I could.

I did, however, sit closer and offer him a sandwich.

I'm not sure why except that's what Charlie always does when I have the flu.

Edward just glared at me. Then sneezed.

"I'll be right back," I said, getting to my feet as he crawled to his bed and snuck under his covers like a sullen child. I felt awful but also a little amused.

That's for pushing your date into a pool with her clothes on.

Campus was a bit deserted for the day, and I walked north until I was no longer on school grounds. With some persistence, I found a perfect little whole foods store and started shopping.

"What are you looking for there?" an old man with crinkly blue eyes asked as I stared at a wall of packaged goods.

I looked at his name tag and smiled, "I'm looking for chicken soup, Jim. The kind that gets you through a cold but only needs hot water to cook."

He nodded and motioned for me to follow him. Jim stopped at a Deli counter and pointed out all the readymade soups I could purchase.

My mouth watered at the savory selection and I ordered a bit of everything.

Jim packaged it all up for me and placed it on the counter. "So, you go to Coldridge, huh?" he asked, motioning towards my uniform.

"Yes, sir."

"Good academy," he said, leaning his forearms on the counter between us. "How's Carlisle doing these days?"

It was an innocent question, but my cheeks flamed as I remembered my principle fucking the brains out of my teacher. Although, I had to admit he had stamina. It went on and on and on and—

"Boy? Did you hear me, or would you like to borrow my hearing aid?" He chuckled. "It's a good brand."

I shook my head to get the racy images out of my head and took my food. Nothing like remembering your principal's sexual deviancy to start off the day with a bang. "No, Jim, just woolgathering, I guess. Principle Cullen seems as well as ever. Why? Do you know him personally?"

"A bit. Good man. He used to come in here every so often for chocolate ice cream. Said his little Alice is fond of the stuff," Jim said with a half-smile.

I nodded. "Alice does love chocolate. It's like her only addiction. Well, that and the future."

Jim laughed. "I take it you know her well then."

"Yeah, I'm Jasper, her boyfriend. " I paused. "I'm curious, sir, if you know Alice, do you also know her twin?"

"Edward? Of course. That kid's a legend with us around here. Well, ever since the day he played that piano in the corner for five hours straight. I don't know if that's a record, but it sure as heck was admirable."

"Five hours? Why?"

Jim shrugged. "He said he couldn't sleep. And the school's music department is closed at night."

I didn't know what to make of that information, so I thanked Jim and left the store, more confused about Edward than when I entered.

When I returned to my room, Edward was back in his heated corner, trying but failing valiantly to suppress his shivers.

"Hey, Edward. Have you been there for a while? You can't just have some Tylenol and expect the world to right itself," I said stiffly, looking down at him.

Another shiver spread through his body, and I sat down on the floor beside him, placing the large brown paper bag from the market between my feet and unrolling the top.

Edward glanced at the bag and sniffed the air with his congested nose. The sound would have been disgusting if he didn't look so cute—like a baby bird eager for breakfast.

I started unpacking the various soups in foam containers and handed him a spoon.

"Eat the chicken noodle first," I ordered. "I also have a bunch of oranges for Vitamin C, a thermometer in case your fever gets too high, and some more medicine. I wanted to get a few other things—"

"How much did it cost?" Edward cut in as he reached for his wallet, where it sat atop a dresser.

I scoffed. "Just eat your food and take another nap."

His eyes widened slightly in confusion as he considered my words. He chose not to argue.

Over the next few hours, we developed a good routine; Edward ate some warm soup for his throat along with an orange then fell asleep, I kept track of his temperature and changed his pillow cover when he sweat too much, and he woke up again for more soup or medicine.

The night was odd for me. It was odd because it was so natural. Taking care of Edward was natural.

When he woke up the next day, he seemed a lot better but stayed in bed anyway. He didn't say a word the whole weekend and soon the silent weekend melted into Monday morning.

The world seemed too peaceful when I opened my eyes, but the sound of rain answered my internal questions. The pitter patter against the windowpanes was so soothing I closed my eyes once more, but soon, my alarm clock forced me to rise and swing a leg over my bed.

Just as my foot found a solid position on the top rung of my ladder, I noticed Edward sitting on the ledge of the bedroom window as he gazed outside.

"Edward?" I asked softly.

"Morning," he said without turning. "Do you feel up for a game of basketball later? I need to move around today before I feel truly bedridden."

I smiled and said I would be "totally down to play" like Jasper said I should say to such requests.

This was the first time Edward had asked me/Jasper to spend time with him. It warmed my heart and scared me all at once.

But when he rubbed his muscles like he was still in pain, I realized that although he could, he didn't really want to play ball.

He just doesn't know how else to say thank you.

Did anyone ever take care of this man before? Even for a minute of his life?

I watched Edward make his way to me with bated breath. He stayed in bed today, and I missed him this morning during classes. So I was ridiculously ecstatic when he called about meeting for a quick game during lunch. The rain had let up by now as it always did, and we stood in the middle of my favorite basketball court, the one located in East Campus within a very woodsy patch of land. Thick, leafy canopies shielded us from any further rain as a light mist seeped through.

"You look better," I commented, a silly grin probably plastered on my face.

"Yeah, well . . ."

"Yeah."

"Ready to play, Swan?"

"Ready to lose, Cullen?"

He smirked and smacked the ball out of my grip. "Even at my sickest, I can take you down."

We practically danced around the court for half an hour, getting our sneakers muddy and teasing each other mercilessly. Edward was quick with his verbal barbs, and I was even quicker.

But soon, the bell rang and I knew it was time to head back to class. "This isn't over, Cullen."

His half-crescent smile sent my hormones raging. "You bet. Well, as much as I hate to admit, though, you're good." He shook his head. "I thought Alice once said you had two left feet."

I chuckled. "She's always complimenting me, isn't she?" I joked.

The mist on his eyelashes distracted me for a moment before I registered his solemn words.

"I wouldn't know," he'd said.

My heart constricted. "I gotta go, Edward. Take care, 'kay?"

He smirked. "Oh, I will. We're gonna pound those Dolphins into the ocean floor on Friday."

"Damn straight."

I left then, heading to my next class with a light heart and a bright smile.

But I would have been crying if I knew what happened on that court after I was gone.

In fact, I never would have left.

I would have stopped James from talking to Edward.

I would have kept my secret safe.