It's two weeks later on a Tuesday when Jamie decides I'm ready to run off of the track, so I follow him onto the grass behind the school. It's different running on uneven ground, on the grass, and I feel it immediately.

"There's a trail through the woods back here," he tells me. "It's a beginner's trail, so the hills are minimal, but I want you to try it."

"Right behind you," I say.

It's not really a woods behind the school, more like a small grouping of trees that lead up to corn fields, but I see a number of ground-pounded trails that lead in different directions. Jamie takes the one off to the right, which dips, curves and raises again. Because we're in the trees now, the temperature drops.

I'm running one-and-a-half miles five days a week now, and I feel like a tough, rough running machine. My calves and thighs are getting curvy and strong, but I still feel the burn. I'm nowhere near Jamie's endurance or speed, but he says with hard work and dedication, I'll get there.

After we're back and I'm panting and he's just breathing, he flashes me one of his blinding smiles. "You're doing really well."

"I bet … you say that … to all … of the … girls," I say.

"No. Just you."

I walk it off and then do some stretching lunges for my upper thighs. He's running in place beside me.

"Hey," he says. "How are you coming on that English assignment?"

I shrug. "It's going slowly. I'm not into Romeo and Juliet at all. I don't understand why Shakespeare just didn't say what he meant to say in English."

Jamie laughs. "Do you want to work on it together? Maybe come over to my house? Or, I can come to yours?"

"Sure, that'd be great. I think it'd be best if I come to your house, though."

He's all smiles and relief, like asking me has been something he's wanted to do for a while now. It makes it hard for me to believe he ever went out with someone like Vickie. He just doesn't seem the type.

"That'll work. You want to come right after school?"

So we agree that I'll go home with him today after school, and we'll try and knock that dang English assignment out of the park together.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he says.

We're still walking across the track to our cars, so I don't have to look at him when I ask my question. "Did you … ever date Vickie Ayres?"

He throws a sharp glance at me and I flush. "When we were in middle school, yeah. Why?"

I shrug. "Just something my brother told me. He, uh, dated her a little bit last year."

"We grew up together," he tells me. "But she changed. Started wearing lots of make-up and caring too much about what other people think. So we grew apart."

"Ah." Even better. He didn't date Vickie because she looked and acted like a slut, he broke up with her because she acted like a slut.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

We stop when we get to my car. Well, Edward's. "I'm sorry you broke up with her after she changed, but glad, too. I was afraid that if you liked someone like her, you wouldn't … well, like someone like me."

He raises a hand to touch my cheek. It's a brief, warm touch that makes me blush.

"I'm liking you a lot just the way you are," he says.

"What? Sweaty and stinky?"

A small smile touches his lips. "I'm sweaty and stinky, too, so you're perfect."

"No way. But thanks for the compliment," I say.

"Easiest one I've ever given. See you in English," he says and squeezes my shoulder.

I wear a goofy grin all the way home.

. . .

Edward's waiting for me as soon as I get home from the study session with Jamie.

"How'd it go?" he wants to know.

I move around him to greet Dad, who's watching TV in the living room. "It went fine. Hey, Dad, pizza night?"

He holds up a half-eaten slice. "Help yourself, kiddo."

"I'm good, I already ate at Jamie's."

Edward's giving me a beautiful stink eye. "What'd you eat? Nuts and bark?"

"Chicken and broccoli," I say.

He follows me up to my bedroom and hangs out in the doorway while I stow my bag of books on the floor next to my closet.

"I'm tired," I say and flop down on the bed.

He crosses his arms. "I'd be tired, too, if I got up at 5:30 every morning."

"That was a hint, Edward. I'm ready to call it a night."

"It's not even eight."

"I want to read a while before bed." As I stretch, I see his eyes following the lines of my body. I'm in jeans and a hoody, nothing overtly sexual. When he doesn't move, just keeps standing there, I sit up and unzip the hoody. His eyes widen and he takes a step back, hitting the door jam, when I stand to shrug it off.

"Need anything?" I ask archly.

His eyes drop to my breasts. I put my hands on my hips and let him stare.

"Want to see them?"

He gapes at me, actually gapes at me. I don't think I've ever seen that look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I take a slow step towards him. "Nothing really. What the hell are you doing?"

He tries to take another step back, but he's already against the door frame. "I'm just trying to make conversation," he says almost apologetically.

I'm close enough to put the palm of my hand on his chest, so I do, right between his pecks. He's wearing a tight gray t-shirt and I can see that his nipples are hard. Very interesting. When he stands still and lets me touch him, I move my hand down. He's definitely hot-blooded. I'm almost near the snap on his jeans when his hand comes to rest on mine, holding it low against his stomach.

I'm not breathing right. Actually, I feel kind of faint.

"I said, what the hell are you doing?" But his voice is low and breathless and he's not moving my hand away.

So I yank it away and take two steps back. "Good night, Edward."

He says a bad word and closes his eyes tightly. His hands are balled into fists at his sides. It's actually pretty frightening to see, but God, he looks … dangerous and sexy. Anger is a good look for Edward.

Inside my book bag, my phone chimes with an incoming text.

Edward's eyes snap open. He's definitely angry. "Is that him?" he all but snarls.

It's not, because the trill sound is Rose's chime, but Edward doesn't have to know that.

"Maybe," I say.

He pushes off the doorframe and for second, I think he's going to come at me. It's what he wants me to think. But then he turns and I hear him clomping down the stairs. A few minutes later, I hear his car start … then shut off.

I'm heading for the bathroom when he clomps back up the stairs and I wonder what Dad is thinking.

Edward glares at me when he sees me, but doesn't say anything. He just goes into his room and closes the door firmly.

I pause by the bathroom, then go stand outside his door with my hand pressed against the wood. "I'm glad you came back," I say to the door. "I don't think I could have forgiven you if you'd ran off to another girl again."

But he doesn't respond, so I go and get ready for bed like I'd planned.

. . .

Jasper, Jamie, and I are in the middle of a discussion about the kid who plays The Flash on TV, and his so-called running skills, when Edward strolls over. I just shoveled in a bite of my turkey sandwich, so I hurriedly chew so I can speak and ask him what's he's doing here.

"Laurent," Edward says in acknowledgement and takes the chair across from Jamie. Beside Edward, Jasper rubs his hands together with glee.

"I sense The Brotherly Warning coming," he says.

I roll my eyes at him.

He has Sprock show me his tongue.

"Edward." James takes it all in stride. He's really the most laid back person I've ever met, besides Dad.

"How's Vickie?" Edward wants to know.

"I wouldn't know. We don't exactly keep in touch."

"Edward, what are you doing?" I ask.

He flicks his eyes my way, then focuses on Jamie again. "You've got some lettuce there," and Edward points to his two front teeth.

"He's still eating," I say. "Leave him alone."

"How long are you going to let your hair grow? I thought runners liked everything nice and trim."

"Jamie, just ignore him," I say and glare at Edward.

"It's okay," he tells me with a smile, which makes Edward's face go stony. "I'm not sure how long I'm going to let my hair get. I guess I'll figure it out when it gets there. But meanwhile, it doesn't slow me down."

"I don't think anything could slow you down," I say.

"I bet a broken leg would slow him down," Edward says with a grin. "Maybe even a broken nose. Or wait, no, you breathe through your mouth when you run, right?"

"Have you eaten yet, or are you just here to annoy us?" I ask him.

"Oh, I've eaten," he tells me. "Looks like you two got the turkey sandwiches. I had the ham and cheese."

"Of course you did," I say.

"And a Coke," he adds.

"That right there is all the food groups combined," Jasper says. And he gives Edward a double five, over the head, hand smack.

Idiots.

"So what brings you over here, Edward? Isn't your harem lonely without you?"

Edward smirks at me. "They'll live. They still have me in their sights."

I glance over at his table and sure enough, two of the girls are watching us. When they see me looking, they lean their heads together and giggle.

Idiots.

"I wanted to come and meet James," Edward says. "After all, he has the hots for my sister, so I wanted to make sure he knows what he's getting into." And he leans across the table like he's getting ready to confide a secret to Jamie. "Are you ready for this?"

Jamie flashes me a look. I roll my eyes at him and shrug.

"I'm ready," Jamie says.

"Well, here goes," Edward says and smacks the table once. "She blows snot bubbles when she sneezes, sleepwalks into my bedroom at night, rips her pants in the crotch area regularly, is scared of spiders, believes the boogieman really exists …" And he allows us to laugh as much as we want before he finishes with a decided glare in his eyes.

"And she's closer to me than she'll ever be to you."

Jamie doesn't know what to say to that. Neither do I. Neither does Jasper.

"Accept that, and she's all yours, Laurent. Just don't come between us. Don't hurt her, don't fucking make her cry, and keep your hands out of her panties."

I gasp.

Jasper makes Sprock gasp.

Jamie trades a stoic look with Edward.

"I hope that's clear," Edward says a moment later. "I hate to repeat myself."

"Crystal," Jamie says.

Edward is all charm and smiles now as he stands, but his eyes are still dark and stormy. He's pissed that Jamie isn't ruffled, I guess. "See you at home, Bella."

I glare after him with my heart in my throat. What did he just try to do? Why would he even bother?

"So," Jamie says after he clears his throat. "I guess you two are close?"

I put my elbow on the table, and my head into my open hand.

"They've always been close," Jasper tells him. "Like best friends, really. It's just … I think high school is cracking him up. Yeah. That's got to be it."

"Maybe he needs a hobby," Jamie says.

"I'm so sorry," I tell him. "He's just … really protective about me. And obviously jealous."

"Yes, I think you're right."

"Are you mad? Because you don't look mad, and I don't know you well enough to know if this is what you look like when you're mad—"

"Bella," he laughs and puts a hand on my arm. "It's fine. He's your big brother. I get it."

Jasper and I trade an unhappy look.

I don't think Jamie gets it. How can he? I barely get it myself.

. . .

I corner Edward after dinner, right up against the dishwasher.

"What was that today?"

Edward smiles down at my face of outrage. "Just a little how-do-you-do, Boo."

I stomp my foot. "I've never once said a word to any of the skanks you've dated. How could you do this?"

His face brightens. "What would you have said to one of them?"

"Get your hoe-bag, nasty lips off my brother," I growl.

"Whoa. Scary."

"Are you two fighting?" Dad asks as he comes in to get a beer out of the fridge. "Because you know I don't like to hear fighting."

"We'll fight upstairs," I say and grab Edward's wrist because he's coming with me.

"Don't break any of the furniture," Dad calls after us.

I lead Edward to his bedroom because I want to be able to slam the door when I leave. He lets me shove him down to sit on his bed.

"So?" I stand over him with my arms crossed. He looks way too jolly, so I have to put him in his place.

"This thing with Jamie? It's not like what you had with your skank-of-the-week. He's a friend and he's important to me, and you tried to humiliate him today. And you hurt me by trying."

That sinks the jolly right off his face. "Look, I know Laurent's different. That's why I went over there. I don't want him treating you—"

"Like you treat girls? He's not like you, Edward."

He reaches out and pulls me on to his lap straddle style. When I fight to get off, his hands raise to my hips. "Sit still."

"Ugh!" I slap at his shoulders. "I can't talk to you like this."

"Better get over it, then, because you're not going anywhere."

"This isn't funny, Edward, and I don't want to be played with."

"No?" And he raises a hand to my hair, then gently tugs it until my neck is straining. I see his eyes drop to the neckline of my V-neck t-shirt. "But I want to play with you."

I growl and tug his hair back, and soon we're wrestling again and my body is humming because he's here and close and is touching me, and I can touch him. When he has me on my back and is half laying on me, he holds my face in one of his hands.

"Has he kissed you yet?"

I close my eyes in embarrassment. "No."

Why hasn't Jamie kissed me yet?

"What a dork," Edward whispers against my cheek. He presses his mouth gently there, then moves it down to my neck. When I feel his tongue there, I gasp and turn my face to give him better access. He takes my earlobe between his teeth and bites me gently. Then he moves slowly down my neck until he reaches the fabric of my t-shirt. Tugging it away from my neck, he bares my shoulder and bites me on the place between my neck and my shoulder. Everything goes molten and I buck against him in surprise.

"Mine," he says and kisses the spot he just bit.

"No," I groan.

"Yes," he says against my lips. "Kiss me."

And he rolls so that I'm on top of him now. I'm dazed, percolating like coffee being brewed from the waist down, and my mouth aches to touch his. Under my hands, his chest is rising and falling unsteadily.

"Please, Bella."

Slowly, I lean down to his face. My hair makes a kind of cocoon for us and I press my mouth oh-so-gently against his. As soon as my lips touch his, he inhales deeply and pulls me flush against his body with one of his arms. One of his hands holds me to his mouth, guides me.

"Yes," he whispers.

And it's as sweet as it was the first time, only it's bittersweet because I've missed this, because I've come to crave it, and I'm angry when he won't give it. So I take all of that out on his mouth and he takes it and gives it back.

We fall onto the floor and it's a rude awakening for Edward. Maybe he hit his head, because he was on the bottom, but he's suddenly pushing me up and towards the door.

"We can't. Not right now," he says.

My heart leaps. "You're not mad?"

His face is flushed and he looks adorable. I want to kiss him again immediately. And hit him, too. "I can't fight it anymore," he says. "But we can't get caught."

I take a step towards him and rest my forehead against his chest. "I'm glad you want to kiss me again. I know you shouldn't, but I don't care. I don't care."

He sighs heavily. "I always want to kiss you. Always have."

I lift my chin to smile up at him. "Good."

His eyes go cloudy. "Not good, Bella. It's not like we can walk around holding hands and kissing in public."

"I don't want to do that stuff anyway. This is private," I tell him.

He backs me against the wall beside the door. "Soooo private," he says and drops his mouth to mine. It's like he can't get enough of me. And I can't get enough of him.

Only the sound of Dad's steps coming up the stairs breaks us apart, where we look at each other with wild eyes.

"You two done fighting? It's ten o'clock."

I shove my hair back and turn to open the door. "We're done. The only casualty was Edward's ego," I tell Dad.

"Hmmmmm."

When I look over my shoulder, I see that Edward definitely looks like something was destroyed.

. . .

It's impossible to fall asleep that night. Impossible. And just when I've made up my mind to walk across the hall to Edward's bedroom to see if he's having trouble sleeping, my door creaks open. I shoot up in bed.

"You awake?" he whispers.

"No. I always sit up in bed like this to sleep," I whisper back.

He comes and gets under the covers with me and we lay on our sides facing each other.

"I love you, you know?" he says.

"I know. I love you, too. You know?"

"Stop being such a wise ass."

We catch hands.

"I don't want you to kiss James," he says.

"I didn't want you to kiss all those girls," I say.

His eyes close. "I just did it to try and forget you."

I gape. "You did?"

"Yes."

We're silent, just staring into each other eyes and finding comfort.

"Now what?" I ask and fight a yawn.

He doesn't fight it, just yawns big and then smiles sadly at me. "I don't know. I guess we sleep."

"Okay."

I bring our clasped hands up under my chin and finally, sleep takes me.

. . .

I'm sad right now. They have no idea what they're getting into.