Chapter 2

Songs:

A World Alone, Lorde
Mr. Brightside, The Killers
You're Mine, Disturbed

*Link to YouTube playlist in chapter 1!

Winter through Spring 2009

Bella

I practically trip over my own feet as I walk to my front door. I'm stupid happy, but I try my best not to let it show on my face. When I look over my shoulder and get a glimpse of Edward's cocky grin, I can't help but giggle.

The giddiness doesn't last long once I walk inside the house, though.

A counter covered in empty beer cans and a half-eaten pizza draw my eyes first, and then I notice the sink full of dishes. How one man can make such a mess in a little more than twenty-four hours is beyond me. And Charlie's lazy tendencies have only gotten worse since I arrived last June. Seven months of cleaning up after him is wearing on me, but I'm not sure how to change it. Other than him barking demands at me, we aren't exactly the most communicative pair.

I start with collecting the trash before I wash the dishes and start the laundry I've neglected all week. Once the machine is humming, I dig through my school bag to get my English Lit homework. But thoughts of intense green eyes and kissable lips invade my mind, and it's hard to focus on the words on the page.

Edward Cullen had my attention the first time I spotted him. But when I found out he was Ali's brother, I resigned myself to just enjoying the view. There was no way a guy like him—older, impossibly hot, and completely aware of his effect on the opposite sex—would ever give his little sister's friend a second look. I also didn't want Alice to think I was using her to get to her brother. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We've been dancing around each other for weeks. Furtive glances and occasional teasing have been the norm between us, but I never thought anything would come of it. When he offered to drive me home today, I wondered if it was some kind of cruel joke. But when he leaned over and kissed me, it was a game changer. And the gleam in his eye when I got out of the car told me his interest is real.

I just need to figure out how to keep it.

I'm no stranger to dating. I had a boyfriend in Flagstaff and more than one fumbling trip in his backseat, but he was only a few months older than me. Edward is more than two years older, and I know I'm going to have to step up my game if I'm going to keep him interested. I'm also going to have to keep this from my best friend for now. The last thing I want to do is hurt Alice. But I also want to see where this thing with Edward goes, if anywhere.

The slam of the front door snaps me from my daydreams, and Charlie walks in.

"Hey." He hangs his hat and jacket on the peg by the door. When he turns around, he scans the room, now clear of all traces of his laziness. As usual, he says nothing to acknowledge the clean house. Instead, he walks into the kitchen and pulls a beer from the fridge.

He settles into his recliner and pops the tab on his Budweiser. "I'm going to be working a lot of overnight shifts in the next couple of months. If you don't want to be here at night by yourself, you might want to stay with a friend a few nights a week. I wouldn't have to worry about getting you to school every morning, either."

I bring my knees up to my chin and hug my legs as I look at my poor excuse for a father. I never have to question why Mom left him when I was a baby. "I can ask."

"Good." He reaches for the lever on the side of his chair and pulls, reclining as he clicks the TV on with his remote. "What's for dinner?"

I huff a breath and start to gather my things so I can escape to my room until I need to feed this asshole. "I don't know yet." I get off the sofa and head toward the stairs.

"It's getting late, so you better figure it out soon."

"So, you think it'll be okay?" I ask Alice as I turn the combination lock of my locker.

"I don't see why not. You're over all the time anyway. Mom won't care."

"I would really appreciate it. As much as I don't want to inconvenience you guys, I really don't want to stay at home overnight by myself, either.

She waves me off. "It's really not a big deal." Her attention is drawn elsewhere as I toss my books inside. "Can you believe them?"

I grab my bagged lunch. "Who?" I ask as I slam the door closed.

She points down the hall where her brothers are standing. The four girls surrounding them are practically hanging all over the boys, and it makes my blood boil when one of them puts her hand on Edward's chest.

"Sluts, every last one of them. Not one of them are interested in any more than being able to say they fucked one of the Cullens. It's disgusting." She grins and gets a twinkle in her eye. "Come on."

She loops her arm through mine, and we start walking that way. Edward is talking to the girl who's still touching him, making no move to remove her hand, and it pisses me off. As we approach, I catch his eye. He cocks a brow and gives me a lazy smile.

"Oh, Bella, do you smell that?" Alice asks me, her eyes wide.

"Smell what?" I ask.

She digs into her purse and pulls out a small spritzer of fruity-smelling body spray. Her smile is sugary sweet as she starts to spray it in the air. "This hallway reeks of desperation, don't you think?" She then turns to the horrified girls and spritzes each one of them for good measure. "There, I think I got it all."

They scurry away, shrieking about the injustice of it all while Alice and I laugh. Even Edward and Masen are amused enough to chuckle.

"That should do it," Ali says, putting the bottle back in her bag. She crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at her brothers. "You two should really raise your standards."

Masen throws an arm over Ali's shoulder. "But what would be the fun in that?"

"Clearly not enough," she says, rolling her eyes before looking at me. "Bella, you haven't met Masen yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't." I smile in his direction. "Hi, Masen."

His grin matches his brother's, and he jerks his chin at me. "Hey."

He's almost as tall as Edward, but other than their grins, they couldn't look less alike. Masen's blond hair is longer, nearly to his shoulders, and his eyes are the sharpest, clearest blue I've ever seen.

Masen and Alice start debating the benefits of avoiding the school petri dishes as they walk toward the cafeteria, and I walk silently beside Edward as we follow them.

"You not talking to me?" he asks.

I look his way and back to my path, saying nothing.

"It's not like I asked her to come hang all over me."

"You also didn't ask her to stop." I look in his direction, and the bastard is grinning from ear to ear. "What?" I snap.

"You're jealous."

"I am absolutely not jealous."

He leans in close, whispering in my ear. "Oh yes, you are, Bella Swan. And it's fucking hot."

I shove him away and walk faster into the cafeteria, leaving the laughing asshole in the hallway.

I'm grateful Alice and her family have been so welcoming. I've practically been living at the Cullens' through the week and spending nearly every weekend there. It's been quite convenient for keeping Edward interested. I know it's probably cruel, but I use everything in my limited arsenal; tiny sleep shorts and thin tanks are my uniform at night and in the early mornings before anyone but the two of us is up. Secret looks, brushes of hands on bare skin, and the occasional stolen kiss don't seem like enough anymore.

And the few times Edward has been able to give me a ride home, we take the long way, parking behind the bowling alley to make out. Not only does the boy know how to kiss, but he also has warm, strong hands that know their way around a bra clasp.

We haven't moved beyond touches under each other's shirts, but I know the next step is coming.

"Bella, do you want more popcorn?" Alice asks as she gets up off the sofa, reaching for the empty bowl.

"Don't I get a vote?" Edward asks, obviously annoyed at being ignored.

Ali rolls her eyes. "You're not even supposed to be here, Edward. Don't you have an engine to work on or something?"

He smiles and clasps his hands behind his head. "Nope. I have all afternoon to spend with my favorite sister."

"Ugh." She snatches the bowl from the table and stomps into the kitchen.

"Make the kind with extra butter," he shouts.

I giggle from beside him. "You're awful, you know that?"

"I can't be that bad." He leans over and whispers, "You don't seem to think so anyway."

"I'm obviously not a good judge of character." My lips turn up at the corners as they near his.

He wastes no more time while his sister is out of the room and takes what I'm offering. I can taste the butterscotch candies he's been sucking on as I kiss him, and it makes him that much sweeter. But when Ali's complaining gets louder as she walks back into the room, we pull apart. I wipe a thumb across my lips and wink, and he grabs a pillow to place over his lap.

The announcement of this year's prom theme was made this morning, and the buzz has taken over the halls of this tiny school. Girls are already talking about dress shopping and where to make appointments to get their hair done for the big night. I take it all in, even though it's not my prom. Unless a certain upperclassman asks me to be his date—and I don't see that happening—as a sophomore, I'm unable to attend.

I grab my books, stuffing them in my backpack and slamming my locker closed. I nearly jump out of my skin when I'm met with the beady eyes of Quil Ateara, a varsity running back on our football team. He's tall and wide, and he towers over me.

"Hey, Bella." His eyes roam down my body before coming back to meet mine.

I swallow, uncomfortable in his presence, even though we're in the hallway. "Hey, Quil."

His grin is salacious, nothing like the smiles Edward has been aiming at me for weeks. "I think you should go to prom with me."

I take a step back. "Prom?" I ask slowly, furrowing my brow. "You want to take me to prom?"

He leans in close, resting his elbow against the locker over my head and caging me in. "I do." From his vantage, he can see straight down my shirt, and he's not missing the opportunity to ogle me. He reaches out a hand, drawing a single finger from my wrist all the way up my arm, brushing the side of my breast on the way.

I pull my backpack over my chest, doing my best to block his touch and his view of the goods. I clear my throat and take another step back. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh, I think it's a very good idea. In fact," he says as he steps closer, pinning me against the lockers, "I think you and I will have an excellent time."

I shake my head again. "Thanks for asking, but I'm not going." I shift the strap of my backpack to my shoulder and turn around, ready to run, but he reaches for me, gripping my elbow and yanking me back. Almost as soon as he touches me, though, he's gone.

A dark blur charges toward him, and his body crashes into the lockers. "Keep your fucking hands off her, Ateara. Don't talk to her. Don't even fucking look at her!" Edward yells.

Quil's eyes are lit with fire. "Get the fuck off me!" He pushes back, and in the blink of an eye, fists start flying.

A crowd gathers, pushing them closer together and cheering them on. I stand stock still, my eyes wide, as the two of them try to beat the shit out of each other.

When Edward gets in a good hit, he takes advantage of Quil being bent over. Edward wrenches Quil's arm behind his back and holds him in a headlock with his other arm. "Don't touch my girl again. Am I clear?" he growls.

With that one statement, every pair of eyes watching the fight turn to me. I'm struck dumb, unable to move, speak, or even blink. And when Edward drops Quil to the ground and steps over him and toward me, I'm powerless to stop him from kissing me in front of half the student body.

With one arm wrapped around my waist and his other hand moving to the back of my head, I'm caged in his arms, and I get lost in his demanding kiss.

"Break it up, people," Mr. Banner says as he pushes his way through the crowd. "Cullen! Ateara! The office, now!" He grabs hold of Edward's arm as another teacher helps Quil from the floor.

"You're my girl," he says under his breath as he's pulled away. "You hear me, Bella?"

I nod dumbly, my fingertips brushing my still-tingling lips. Not a moment too soon the crowd disperses now that the action is over. And when the last of the voyeurs are gone, I turn to walk toward the office to wait for Edward to be released. But when I do, I'm met with the confused, angry face of Alice.

"Ali, I—"

"No," she says, shaking her head and laughing as she hugs herself. "I thought you were my friend."

"Alice, I am your friend. I just—"

"Save it." She backs away, stepping toward the door with tears in her eyes. "I need to ... Can you just let my brothers know I'll get another ride home?"

"Alice, please don't. Don't be angry with me. We're not even ... I didn't know he felt like that until literally just now."

"And I believe you," she says with a sad smile. "I just need time to myself, okay?"

"Please say we can talk later."

She smiles, this time genuinely. "We will."

I walk slowly toward her, tentatively opening my arms for a hug. Thankfully, she walks into them. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Don't be." She pulls away. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Walking toward the office, I can hear the yelling from down the hall.

"Edward isn't going anywhere for a while," Masen says from his seat outside the office.

"No, it doesn't sound like it." I pull my backpack strap up higher on my shoulder. "Have they called your parents?"

He raises a brow. "You mean our Pop? I think they talked to Esme when they called, which means all hell will break loose when she gets here." His smile is mocking. "No one messes with Mama Bear's kids."

"Yeah, but didn't Edward throw the first punch?" My eyes widen. "Will he get suspended?"

He shrugs. "Probably. But I'm sure he'll say it was worth it." He stands, picking up his backpack. "They're gonna be a while. I think I'm gonna hitch a ride from a buddy. You want a lift home?"

I shake my head. "No, I think I'll just walk."

"Suit yourself." He shrugs and turns to leave.

"Wait. Alice said to tell you she's going to find another ride home."

He nods and saunters away, leaving me alone outside the office.

Knowing the day isn't getting any longer, I tie up my hair in a ponytail and grab my sunglasses from my bag, heading out into the afternoon sun.

It's warm, and the sun is bright, but it's quiet and gives me time to think. I'm confused about where things stand with Edward, and I'm equally confused about how to handle things with Alice. It was never my intention to hurt her, but it seems I've done it anyway. I should have just been honest with her from the beginning about my feelings for her brother.

As I'm contemplating how to handle it, a car pulls up alongside me at the curb.

"Hey, beautiful," Edward shouts. "Want a ride home?"

I grin and turn around. "Depends. Who's asking?"

"Get in the car, Bella."

"What if I don't want to?"

He leans over, his grinning, somewhat bruised face coming into full view in the passenger window. "Get in the car."

I shake my head but give in, reaching for the door handle and slipping into the passenger seat. He leans over and I lean in. "Hey," I whisper just before our lips meet.

It's short but intense, his hand moving into my hair to hold me close as his tongue invades my mouth. It's over far too soon, though, and he sits back into his seat, adjusting himself before shifting the car into first and pulling away from the curb.

"What happened after you got sent to the office?"

He rolls his eyes. "A bunch of bullshit. I'm suspended for ten days and—"

"Ten days? Edward, that's—"

He looks my way before looking back to the road. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing." My eyes widen. "Will this keep you from graduating?"

"No, and even if it did, I'd do it again if some other fucker put his hands on you."

I can't stop the smile from spreading across my face. "So, I'm your girl, huh?"

He grins. "If not, I just kicked Ateara's ass for nothing." He reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips. "Yeah, Bella"—he turns and meets my eyes—"you're my girl."

A/N: For those of you who may be following this and not Clutch, or maybe you're reading this before reading Clutch, know this one will NOT have an ExB HEA. Just putting that out there. And I'm still deciding how far I'll write this one into Bella and Masen's relationship. If there's something specific you want to see, or a point in their relationship you want to get to here, let me know! I could theoretically write this all the way up to the start of Clutch, but I'm not sure you want to read all that.

Remember, you can come chat with me in my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. It's the best way to stay in touch with me. I also share teasers and chapter pics there. You can also follow me on Twitter at CSunshine1220.

Thanks so much for reading! See you Sunday!

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love

~Sunshine