A/N: A million thank yous to m81170 and pwtf for their wonderful beta/pre-reader skills! Enjoy everybody. ^_^

To recap: Edward and Bella love each other, but can't do anything about it. They've just acknowledged that they are friends after a night of hell, in which Bella got attacked and nearly raped by James, Rosalie's now ex-fiancé. Unfortunately, they've decided they can only be familiar with each other outside the confines of Forks.

Alice is Bella's only real friend beside Edward and Jake (who Bella slapped in chapter one for kissing her and hasn't seen since). Alice is responsible for the unsupervised trip to the city and knows she will lose her precious Porsche because of it.

Last chapter centered on Edward helping Bella tell her father about what happened in Seattle, and the story left off with a phone call from Bella to Edward in which Edward wishes he could tell Bella that he loves her.

Tanya's a lesbian and has become a good friend of Edward's. Bella does not know this and is only slightly jealous of the strawberry blonde bombshell.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

~*~A Month of Solitude~*~

Bella

The dim light of early morning made it seem as though I were in a different world. Forks was hardly a main thoroughfare, but the eerie quiet that now lay over the town was in a whole different category. As I sat on a bench just outside of the school's main entrance, I took in every falling leaf and every drip of the melting frost from the night before. It was mesmerizing, like witnessing the earth wake from its slumber.

"I figured you'd be here." I might have jumped at Alice's sudden appearance, but I was just too peaceful to be surprised.

"Yeah, I stayed up all night talking to Charlie. With waking up after twelve yesterday and bringing up everything that happened, I couldn't even think about sleeping." I sighed, letting my eyelids flutter shut for a moment. "I'm so tired."

"So… Charlie. How did that go?" Alice asked cautiously. The smile creeping on my face probably told her everything she needed to know.

"A lot better than expected, actually. I was so worried, but you-know-who helped me with the hard part. Charlie wasn't angry at all. Not with me, anyway."

After my call to bid Edward goodnight, my father had met me in my room with a cup of hot tea. Having taken a seat on the floor beside my bed, he let me talk about whatever came to mind, never pushing me in one direction or another, and never judging. I felt almost stupid that I'd thought he might be angry with me, or disappointed, but his ire was reserved for the soulless scum sitting behind bars in Seattle.

It was hard seeing the sadness behind the anger, though, knowing that he thought he should have protected me, if only in teaching me more about the dangers of the city. When I tried to relieve him of his guilt, he only brushed me off and changed the subject.

"You know I love you, right, Bells?" he'd said at one point. "I know I don't say it often enough, but the happiest day of my life was the day you were born."

"I know, Dad," I whispered.

The gesture meant a lot, coming from Charlie. I'd always known he loved me, but hearing him say it the way he did, and with everything that had happened leading up to that moment, tears were unavoidable. It was the first time I could remember crying in front of Charlie without him leaving the room or trying to make it better immediately. He shushed me and stroked my hair, but let me cry for all it was worth.

"I absolutely adore your dad," Alice gushed.

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess he's all right. Why are you here so early, anyway?"

"Are you kidding? I crashed as soon as Jasper dropped me off. I didn't even wait for his text letting me know he got home all right. I was awake hours before I needed to be, so to make Jeffrey's life hell, I made him get up at butt-crack dawn to take me to school."

"They already took it?"

"Called last night."

"Ouch."

Apparently Charlie did more than just brew tea while I was up in my room making a phone call of my own. Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were in Germany on business and had been very upset to be woken before six AM when their meeting wasn't until eleven. Needless to say, when Alice got up the next morning, her car was nowhere to be found.

The staff usually cared for Alice while her parents were away, never interfering in her social life unless directed to by their employer. But directed they were, and Jeffrey was told to hide Alice's car until her sentence was lived out and drive her once more wherever she needed to go. Alice hated being chauffeured, so it was the perfect punishment.

"I begged, bribed, and blackmailed the man into giving me my car back. I mean, I won't tell my parents and I knew he wouldn't, but here I am, stuck with the nondescript, black, luxury sedan driving me around like a patty wagon."

"I'm sorry, Alice." I tried to sound sincere, I really did, but her tirade was extremely comical.

"Yeah, you look sorry." With a heavy sigh, she linked her arm through mine. "It's not your fault. I'm the one who told your dad my parents would be there." That was true enough, but I didn't dare agree with her. "Wait, why aren't you hanging out with Romeo?"

"His car wasn't here yet. Besides, with Charlie on my case and you in driver prison, I'll get to see you even less than I did before."

"This sucks," she pouted. I couldn't have agreed more.

Alice and I no longer shared any classes together, and I was sure I wouldn't be allowed over to her house for at least a few weeks. Our time together would be limited to an hour at lunch, five days a week. With my new found friendship with Edward on hold until we miraculously saw each other in another town, the month of October was turning out to be dismal.

"So, what's the deal with you and him, anyway?" Alice asked once we'd reached her locker. It was obvious she already knew something about it, her being Alice and all, but I decided to give her the whole unfathomable tale anyway.

Something arcane had happened this weekend that validated my feelings for Edward. We claimed our friendship openly, but I could see, in the depths of his translucent eyes, that there was something more between us. I didn't know if it was love, and there was still the issue of Tanya, but the hope building in my heart was impenetrable. I knew I had to fight for him, somehow.

"I just don't know how," I confided to my best friend. "We made a promise that anything in town would be strictly business, and the likelihood of randomly bumping into him in Seattle again is slim to none. Meeting him there this last weekend was a fluke."

"You'll figure it out, Bella. I know you will."

I stared at Alice for a good few seconds before sighing and leaning my head against the locker. She was usually right, and I wished desperately that she was this time, but I couldn't help being impatient for that day to come when Edward and I could be completely uninhibited with each other. My disposition was not made any better by how unfamiliarly we acted in first period.

I got to class early as always, trying not to be excited but failing all together when I spotted him leaning over his desk. Taking a deep breath, I approached him. "Hey, Mr. Cullen."

Edward looked up with a quickness that made my heart race, a small smile edging its way onto the corner of his mouth.

"Bella," he sighed. "How have you been?"

"Oh, same old."

Edward nodded his head and tapped his pen against the many papers spread before him. We stayed like that, awkward and silent, until the class began to fill and I was forced to take my seat. He maintained the role of my teacher and mentor with ease, while I struggled not to smile at him every chance I got, or frown when his gaze traveled past me without a second's hesitation.

By the time LitMag rolled around, my mood was at its peak. Edward smiled at me – as he always did when I entered his classroom – but spent no time on idle chitchat, diving straight into layout designs and preferred font styles. It was unnerving, going from in-depth conversations to minimal contact. I felt like I wanted to cry.

"Hey, Bella?" Angela whispered from the next desk over. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Just a bit tired is all."

I knew I had to get out of there. I wasn't used to being this emotional, and I couldn't risk breaking down in front of the entire LitMag staff. Gathering my things, I motioned for Edward to come speak with me for a minute.

"Everything all right, Bella?" The concern in his eyes was palpable, but his tone was distant and formal.

"I'm going to head out," I said quietly.

"That's fine; we've got the work covered for today."

I don't know why I expected him to question me more about it, but the fact that he didn't tore at my soul. I cried for fifteen minutes in the parking lot, non-stop sobs rattling my body. When I was finally able to gain control over my emotions, I drove home, ready to fall into bed once I got there and forget today had ever happened. Seeing the VW Rabbit parked in my driveway after school made me want to throw something.

I hadn't been avoiding Jake, per se, but when he stopped calling the first few days after my birthday debacle, I didn't exactly reach out to reestablish the connection. I knew it was wrong. I should have called him. I just didn't know how to face him. He'd become a really great friend over the summer and I missed him, but I didn't want anything romantic. And I felt a little embarrassed over the slap. I'd never hit anyone before that day.

"Hi," I said cautiously, trying to gauge the reason for Jake's visit through his body language. I wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"Hi," he said back, almost startled by my presence. There was no way he hadn't heard my truck pull up, so I was a little confused by his alarm. "I, uh… I was waiting for you."

"I can see that."

"Do you want to take a walk?" No. I did not want to take a walk. I wanted to go up to my room and die for twenty hours.

"I have to make dinner."

"Oh, right." Jake's gaze dropped to the ground where his feet were shuffling back and forth. I grunted lowly to myself, about to be very annoyed with the charitable part of my personality.

"Would you like to come inside while I cook?" His dark eyes brightened as he lifted his head and nodded quickly. "So, what brings you by?"

"Oh, I, um…" Jake stumbled, seemingly trying to search for the right words. I really hoped he wouldn't try to make another move. I wasn't in a great frame of mind and I didn't want to hurt his feelings with rash words. "Charlie told my dad about… well, about Seattle and what, um, happened."

My feet stilled on the way to the kitchen, body tensing in anger and apprehension. The decision to book my therapy sessions in Port Angeles was made to effectively stop the Forks gossip mill from sinking their teeth into anything that wasn't their business. I was having a hard time finding the reason behind that call now that Charlie felt he could blab to whomever he wished.

Jake must have seen the steam billowing from my ears. "They're friends, you know? He just needed someone to talk to, I think. Dad said he was pretty broken up over it."

"He was?" Guilt immediately started warring with irritation, making me even more annoyed that I couldn't decide on only one.

I was angry. If I wanted Jake to know, I would have told him myself. It was none of his business, or his father's, what I went through. Charlie had no right to tell anyone about that night. But even though my father wasn't a very social man, he did have emotions, and I knew from our long talk that he was dealing with some heavy ones. Of course he would need to talk to someone.

"Yeah, I kind of overheard the conversation and got the rest from my dad. I can be pretty persistent," Jake smiled at me. I was pretty sure he was trying to make a joke about our last encounter; I didn't see the humor.

"Well, I'm okay. You didn't have to come all the way over here."

"Because you would have answered the phone, right?" I sucked in a sharp breath and glared at the massive boy leaning on the counter before digging in the cabinet for spices I needed.

"I would have," I said stubbornly. Jake raised an eyebrow. "I would have! I just hadn't gotten around to calling you. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"You were avoiding me."

"I was not. I was mad at first, but you stopped trying to get a hold of me and a lot has happened since then. Calling you wasn't my top priority."

"What was so important you couldn't pick up a phone?"

"Gee, I don't know: LitMag, school, getting lost in the woods, being in—" I cut myself off with a small cry. What was it about sleep deprivation that removed the brain-to-mouth filter?

"Did you hurt yourself again?" I could hear the laugh in Jake's voice, but couldn't find it in me to be offended. Him focusing on my clumsy nature was far better than him working out the rest of "in love with my teacher."

"Look," he continued when I didn't respond. "You're one of my best friends, Bella. I should have been there for you to talk to. And how did you get lost in the woods?"

"None of your business," I snapped. Even in my bleary mind I knew I was being a tad more defensive than necessary. Jake had become one of my best friends as well, and I let a stupid kiss get between us. Granted, he had no right to touch me like that, but it was my choice to let our friendship fall by the wayside.

"Bella, please. What can I do? I didn't mean to ruin this. I miss you." Guilt finally won out over anger, and my shoulders slumped as I turned to face Jake with a sad smile.

"Yeah, I miss you, too. I'm sorry. I'm just really tired right now." A grin lit up his face, and I turned to take out the chicken from the freezer, hiding my own growing smile. "I see you're done reassembling your car."

"Yep. And, you know, if you hadn't been avoiding me, I could have told you that I have a few customers now."

"Well, if you hadn't kissed me, I wouldn't have been avoiding you," I chided playfully. Silence made me look up from the microwave settings to see a smirk on Jake's face.

"So you were avoiding me." Damn. I was never talking to him without an ample amount of sleep ever again.

"Shut it, you." This time I actually tried to sound intimidating, but my obvious amusement gave me away.

"Anyway, it's not legit or anything, but I work on their cars and they pay me half of what a licensed mechanic would charge."

"Jake, that's really awesome. I'm so happy for you," I said over my shoulder as I opened the fridge. Upon seeing its contents I scowled.

There, sitting on the second shelf where I had left them, were the leftover plates I'd made for Charlie to eat while I was away. I stood up straight with a huff, but didn't move otherwise. I had made those plates up for a reason, and it wasn't to be ignored while Charlie went out and ate greasy diner food.

"Everything okay, Bella?"

"Huh?" I turned to see Jake directly beside me and went a bit dizzy at his proximity. "Oh, yeah. Do you mind if we catch up later, Jake? I'm ready to crash."

"You going to answer the phone?" I frowned in indignation while Jacob laughed. "All right, I'll see you later," he said, offering me a hug that lasted a little longer than necessary.

I cooked dinner on autopilot, thinking over all that had happened with enormous difficulty. It was as though my brain was trying to swim through gelatin.

The Jacob encounter brought up every excuse I had for not seeing him in so long. Not wanting to deal with him had been part of it, but I couldn't deny the truth of how busy my life had gotten in the past month. There was so much action, I was sure I could sell it as a script for day time soaps. When had I become so interesting?

My mind moved onto the next item on the agenda and I sighed. I was not looking forward to confronting Charlie, but it needed to be done. And as if he knew I was thinking about him, Charlie came through the front door, hanging his holster on the rack in the corner.

"Something smells good."

"It might even taste good," I said, plating the food. "You know, like the other food I cooked that's still sitting in the fridge."

I looked up just in time to see Dad scratch his chin, his eyes narrowed in defense and skepticism. "I went fishing with some of the guys this weekend. Had fish fry most of the time."

My mouth dropped open. "Fish fry? That's even worse than diner food!"

Charlie looked affronted and took up his police chief stance. "Now listen, Bella. Betty makes a damn good burger—"

"You ate diner food, too." It wasn't a question, but statement of resignation. "Dad, that stuff is not good for you. Do you want to end up like Harry?"

Both irritated and seemingly remorseful over my reprimand, Charlie said sternly, "I love you, Bella, but it's none of your business what I eat."

"Sure, and it will be none of my business when you have a heart attack and I have to bury you," I snapped. "I'm going to bed. Here's your chicken."

I felt terrible for laying into Charlie the way I did. He was my father and I had no right to dictate his actions, but I cared if he was around for a while, and at the rate he was going—

"Not so fast, Isabella."

I cringed at the bottom step. It would have been so easy to just continue up the stairs to where my soft, warm bed was calling for me, but the use of my full name was not a common occurrence; I'd be damned if I would give Charlie a legitimate excuse to hold me hostage. I turned to see a somewhat sheepish look on my dad's face, which did not at all match his tone. I groaned loudly at his next words.

"I know you're tired, so I'm going to let this attitude go, but you, um… you need to go call your mother."

"You didn't!"

"She had a right to know, Bella. She's worried, so you should probably do it now before she decides to hop on a plane. I already talked her out of it once. I don't think I could do it again."

Charlie didn't wait for my answer, returning to the kitchen the second he got out what he needed to say. Coward.

Renee's frantic voice came over the receiver at once, and it took me nearly an hour to calm her down. When she was finally satisfied that I was okay, she started in on how life was and if I was interested in anyone at school.

That question made me pause.

I found myself really wanting my mother's advice. I knew there was no possible way I could bring myself to tell her about Edward, but if I could just hypothetically give her the scenario… I shook my head and sighed. She would know, of course, that I was talking about myself, and I could never put Edward in danger like that.

It was past nine by the time I finally got to bed, and I slept straight through the night. Waking up the next morning was the first time in a very long time that I dreaded going to school. I didn't want to pretend like Edward didn't mean anything to me. I didn't want to fit all of my Alice time into one measly hour. What I wanted was to fast-forward my life, but they hadn't invented that kind of technology yet.

"So, wait… we're friends with him again?" Alice questioned before popping a grape into her mouth.

"We weren't not friends. I was just overreacting."

"Yeah, well, I guess we can start hanging with the pooch again."

I gave Jasper a look and rolled my eyes when Alice wasn't looking. He grinned and shook his head. Alice didn't hate Jacob, but she wasn't exactly fond of him either; she basically tolerated him for Jasper's and my sake.

The lunch bell rang a few minutes later and I felt my entire body go limp in defeat. Just like yesterday, Edward had ignored me in AP Lang, and in just a few more hours he would do it again for LitMag.

I had expected it to get easier as the days went by, but I was wrong. Every time Edward's eyes moved past me without acknowledgment, I felt a small piece of my heart shatter. Every time I left Alice at lunch, my stomach clenched. It was getting harder and harder not to tell my mom what was going on every night she called to check up on me. I couldn't even tell my therapist because, honestly, I didn't trust the woman. She was good for talking about certain things, but Edward was not one of them.

After a rather nasty day of ignored hopes and dashed dreams, Alice found me lying flat on my bed, staring at the wall and wishing it would swallow me whole. I hadn't even heard her come in, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when a pile of clothes fell on me from above.

"It's not even my birthday. You have no excuse this time," I said after my heart had calmed.

Alice raised an eyebrow and plucked a shoe from the pile, gesturing to the rest of the items with it. "You think I'd buy you a plain red t-shirt and mustard yellow leggings for any reason other than Halloween?"

"What exactly were you planning me to go as? Bart Simpson with his pants down?"

The corner of Alice's mouth quirked up, as she was apparently entertained by the idea. "No, but I might save that for next year. You're going as Pooh Bear."

Even in my funk, it was hard not to be delighted by the idea of a night out with friends. Biting my lip, I looked through the remaining items on my lap — the twin to the mustard-colored Chuck Taylor Alice was still waving around; a satchel cleverly disguised as a pot of honey; the aforementioned shirt and leggings with another long-sleeved shirt, but yellow like the pants; Winnie the Pooh ears on a headband — and then grinned up at my best friend.

"Okay, I'm in. What are we doing? Party? Haunted House? Passing out candy?"

"Trick-or-treating," she said proudly. I laughed, thinking it was a joke. When I realized it wasn't, I laughed harder.

"You realize of course that you're the only one of us who could pass for a child."

Alice clicked her tongue in mock umbrage. "It's not like we're thirty. Besides, there's a certain neighborhood I think you'd be interested in hitting up." When I said nothing, Alice plopped down on the edge of the bed, tilting her head and looking up at me through her eyelashes. "Bella. We know where Mr. Cullen lives."

For a split second, the excitement was almost enough to make me explode. But reality came crashing down and I found myself collapsing back onto my bed in utter hopelessness.

"It won't work." I was perfectly aware that my tone was empty, like the hollowed shaft of a bottomless pit. And, yes, I was also aware that I was being melodramatic. I made a note to remember that line for one of my writings.

"Says who?"

"Says the universe," I practically whined. "This is me we're talking about, Alice. If I go against Edward's wishes and try to see him in Forks, someone up there is going to strike me down. And I really don't think I'd be able to get up this time."

Alice sighed and took my hand in hers. "You're drowning, Bella."

"I'm not—"

"You are. And it kills me to see you like this. You need to be with him, even if for just five minutes, outside of school. This is the only thing I could think of that doesn't scream, 'lover's rendezvous.'"

I laughed a little at Alice's terminology, but wasn't completely convinced. "What if this makes me look immature to him, or clingy? I don't want to push him away. And he might not even be there! If I get my hopes up—"

"So tell him." I gaped at Alice. She made it seem so simple. "Just hint at him that you might be stopping by on Halloween. There's no harm in trying, Bella."

No, there was no harm in trying, I supposed. Except for Jake and Jasper finding out how into my teacher I was. But I couldn't let that stop me. It wasn't as though I would jump into his arms the second he opened the door. My mind created a tornado of conflicting thoughts all the way into LitMag the next day.

He spotted me immediately, but I couldn't let him speak if I wanted to go through with my plan. "So, what are you doing for Halloween?"

Edward's smile disappeared. I could feel the panic rising in my chest, but I wouldn't stop now. I needed this. His voice was low and warning when he spoke next.

"Bella, we can't—"

"Because my friends have convinced me to go trick-or-treating. We might hit up some of the apartments near the elementary school," I said in a rush.

We stayed silent for an immeasurable amount of time, and I could read nothing from Edward's expression. Was he angry? Was he excited? Was he worried or just trying to find a way to let me down easy?

Finally, he said, "There's a horror-fest on HBO this year, so I'm going to stay in." I nodded and bit my lip, unsure if this was all the confirmation I would get. "And, um... and I pass out really good candy. I mean, anyone who doesn't stop by my place is seriously missing out."

I didn't get a chance to respond, but I was sure the smile on my face spoke volumes. Edward didn't return the gesture. I hoped he wasn't regretting his decision to meet me at his door, but I wouldn't let his reaction crush my spirit. Unless he did something to stop me, I was going to get some unrestricted time with Edward.

Charlie was an absolute terror the next few weeks. I'd tried to gently introduce the idea of me going to Port Angeles for some new books, but his answer was a resounding no. The addition of Alice attending me on my trip made that no set in stone. I wasn't even allowed to go grocery shopping alone. If Jake or my dad were free, they would take me, but more often than not, Sue Clearwater would come by with everything I needed for dinner.

I had finally reached my breaking point when, after a month of suggested house arrest, Charlie insisted I stay home on Halloween.

"I'm eighteen, Dad! If I want to go out with my friends, I can go out with my friends."

"Not on my watch. Halloween is the most dangerous ni—"

"In Forks? Really, Dad? I find that hard to believe."

We were currently at a stand-still, him blocking the door with his arms crossed and me not willing to move until he let me out of the house.

"You'd be surprised the stuff I've seen over the years, Bella. I don't feel comfortable with you going out tonight."

"And I will go crazy if I don't. So you have a choice. Trust me to be safe with two guys you know or send me off to the loony bin."

Charlie sighed a little, narrowing his eyes. "You're being overdramatic."

"You're being overprotective," I shot back.

After a short, tension-filled pause, Charlie turned on his heel and grabbed his keys on his way out the door. "Fine, but I'm driving you."

Smiling triumphantly, I listened without interruption to Charlie's repeated instructions about safety. I had a can of pepper spray and my cell phone in my honey-pot purse, and I was not to hesitate in using either in case of emergency. It wasn't long before we arrived at the high school – Alice's designated meet point – and I left my dad with a quick "thank you."

"Took you long enough," Jake teased lightly.

"Yeah, well, the warden was having a hard time letting go."

"So, are you ready?" Alice asked, the private meaning in her words hitting me like a freight train. I opened my mouth to say yes, but not a sound was made. "We don't have to, you know," she said more quietly.

"No," I hurried to say. "I need to see him."

Alice grinned and turned to Jasper, jumping up and down in her scantily clad Tigger costume. It was entertaining to say the least, especially with Jasper's Rabbit costume adding to the picture. The houses we stopped at seemed to think so as well. One woman even asked for us to take a picture with her daughter, the cutest little Piglet I'd ever seen.

When we finally turned the corner of the elementary school and Edward's apartment complex came into sight, my feet moved faster of their own accord. I was sure I seemed more like a child than I had the entire night, but it wasn't candy I was eager for.

It took merely a few seconds for Edward to open the door.

"Bella," he smiled brightly. He looked me over, and I could see the secret hello in his eyes before he turned to greet the rest of our group, his demeanor shifting just slightly when he took in Jake and his impromptu Eeyore costume. "Black."

"Cullen," Jake responded, masking his dislike far less than Edward.

Alice twirled around and cocked her head, gesturing to the display of masculinity. Even Jasper shared in our confusion.

"You guys look great," Edward said, smiling once more at me. "Everyone loves Winnie the Pooh, right?"

I blushed. "That was the idea."

We all stood awkwardly at the door for a moment. I wasn't sure what I could say, and Edward seemed to be waiting for something. Finally, Jasper broke in with, "We hear you have king-sized Snickers. You're not trying to hold out on us, are you, Mr. Cullen?"

Edward shook his head, his grin growing. "Have you guys forgotten how to trick-or-treat? I need the magic words."

I rolled my eyes as Edward's crinkled in the corners. He was such a goof sometimes, but I loved him all the more for it.

We said our piece loudly and obnoxiously while Edward reached inside to grab a bowl. One by one he gave us our candy bars, deciding to shoot Jasper's like a basketball and bow to Alice as he presented hers. When he pulled out a king sized package of Reeses, I grinned like the cat that ate the canary. He knew my favorite. And then his hand brushed mine, and my heart sped in my chest. That was definitely intentional.

"Well, we have to go now. Thanks for the candy," Jake said as he walked off. Alice and Jasper followed hesitantly, but I refused to leave without saying something, anything, for just Edward.

"I miss you," I said quietly.

He sighed and leaned against the doorjamb. "I know what you mean. I've seen you all month, and yet I haven't seen you at all."

"Thank God," I chuckled. "You seemed to be taking it so much better than I was. I was sure I was going crazy or something."

Edward smiled. "Nah, I just have a good poker face is all. But, um…" He trailed off nervously. I nodded slightly to let him know that he could talk to me. "You know, we—"

"Bella, hurry up! We aren't waiting around all night!" I growled at Jake's intrusion, yelled over the balcony that I was coming, and then turned back to Edward, urging him to continue.

"It was nothing, Bella. Go have fun with your friends."

I sighed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah," Edward said sadly. "Back to being the Teacher."

Every cell in my body wanted to scream in refusal. I didn't want to go back to that place where I would wonder if my relationship with Edward was merely a figment of my imagination. There was nothing I could do; we had to go back.

"Bye, Ed— sorry." I shook my head and looked down at the ground. "Goodbye, Mr. Cullen."

"Bye, Bella."

I scowled hard at Jake when I got downstairs. It didn't affect him in the slightest.

"I don't like that guy."

I snorted. "Yeah, I could tell."

"What's up with that, man? Mr. Cullen is a cool teacher," Jasper said, turning backwards to face us as we walked.

"He just rubs me the wrong way. He wouldn't even shake my hand when I went to pick Bella up from school that time, and then at the store—" Jacob cut himself off abruptly with a small grunt, glancing quickly down at me.

"You have to say it now," Alice advised with a cocky smirk. "You've already blown it."

"I ran into the guy at the store is all. I asked him what he was doing in Seattle with students and—"

"I'm sorry, you did what?" I was appalled. Had Jake actually accused Edward of taking us to the club?

"You have to admit, it's pretty fishy," Jake countered defensively. "And then he turns out to be the hero?"

"Because he was the hero, you jerk. If he hadn't been there, I would probably be dead!"

"Jeez. Relax, Bella. It's not that big of a deal." I gaped at Jacob's unconcerned attitude. He'd just admitted to accusing the man who saved my life with putting me in the situation to begin with and he wanted me to relax?

I breathed out heavily through my nose and stormed off in the direction of the high school. Behind me, I could hear Jake calling my name and Alice taunting him with my stubborn temper. I didn't care about either. I was pissed. What if someone had heard? We were trying to keep this all as quiet as possible and Jake has to go and play devil's advocate? I wanted to murder him!

Alice caught up with me a minute later, urging me to slow down with a hand on my elbow. When I looked behind, I could see the boys walking at a snail's pace – most likely Jasper's choice to give us privacy and not Jake's.

"I can't believe he would do that," I said quietly.

"Even I'm at a loss as to what he was thinking. The mutt's a nuisance." I smirked at Alice, shaking my head. Normally, I would have tried to get her to be nice, but I was just too angry to demand civility between the two.

It was a moment before I said, "Do you think he took it personally? Romeo, I mean. Do you think this will affect what we have?"

"I doubt it," Alice said dryly. "The man's in love with you."

"Alice," I groaned. "You can't know that."

"I can have an opinion!" I giggled a little at Alice's justification… and maybe a little at the thought of Edward actually feeling the same way as me. When the humor died down, my melancholy came rushing back, and I sighed.

"I thought it would make me feel better."

"It didn't?"

"Well, it did a little," I admitted. "But now I have a taste and I want more. It's like getting one of those sample spoons at an ice cream shop and not being able to buy a scoop. I want a damn scoop."

"Then get a scoop," Alice laughed, clearly amused by my analogy. "Or two or three."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that? I already told you: Unless I miraculously meet Romeo somewhere outside of Forks—"

"Who says it has to be miraculous?" I don't know why I opened my mouth to respond; I had absolutely nothing to say to that. "He was game for this little set up, so why don't you try to do it on a bigger scale? You've been trying to hit Port Angeles for weeks to get books. This is the perfect time."

"Except Charlie won't let me out of the house." Even to my own ears that sounded like a weak excuse; Alice only raised her eyebrow and smiled encouragingly. "Okay, oh wise one. How do we pull this off?"

Alice grinned and pulled me to her car, talking a mile a minute and expecting me to keep up.

I had to hand it to my best friend, she was a genius. The plan was undeniably brilliant. And I was undeniably petrified. As well-thought-out as everything seemed to be, there was still so much that could go wrong.

Why am I doing this? This is ridiculous. I should turn back now and pretend like nothing happened, I thought, edging my way to the door of Edward's classroom.

But it was too late.

"Bella, you forgot this," Edward said, walking toward me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath before turning around with a complacent smile. "No, I didn't."

"But you're the only one here and this is your handwriting," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, though in all honesty, it was.

I hummed. "What does it say?"

"What do you—" Edward looked down, seemingly annoyed by my nonchalant dismissal, "November sixth: Book shopping in Port Angeles, stop for coffee at…" he trailed off and swallowed. "Is this…?"

"Oh, that's my planner!" I laughed, fake enthusiasm accenting my speech along with a slight tremor. "Thank you for reminding me. You know, if someone were to have found this, they would know everywhere I'm going to be tomorrow. I'm glad it didn't fall into the wrong hands."

Edward nodded and handed it over. I knew I was being exceedingly transparent, but I needed to be sure he understood. By the apprehension in his eyes and the pallor in his cheeks, I knew he did. I only wished I knew if that was a good thing.

Only time would tell, I supposed. I walked out the door and prayed for the strength to make it through tomorrow.

A/N: Thank you to all who review, favorite, alert, PM and pester me until I update! You don't know how much I love you all. To show my appreciation, I've posted a bit of this chapter from Edward's POV in the companion Outtakes story. Go ahead and check it out and thanks for reading!