A/N: I do want to apologize real quick about not updating for a while. I have recently been dealing with a life changing event that has left me thinking about taking an indefinite break from writing this story. But as you can see, I'm back in the BtB world. I just could not stay away.
I want to say thank you to all of you who are still reading BtB and leaving all your reviews. I do read each and everyone of them and don't forget that I have my reader questions at the end of the chapter.
Also, I will be taking a short break in a few weeks since I will be attending the Twilight convention here in Phx. If any of you are attending, send me a PM. I would love to know who may be going.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 15
BPOV
Two Weeks.
I've been in Chicago for over two weeks and I was surprised beyond belief that I was. After the first few days I was here, I was sure I would now be back in Washington State helping my father tidy up the house and back working at the clinic. But no, here I was getting dressed and ready for the first day of classes as a Master's student. I was blow drying my hair straight as I thought over all that happened since I left the lab on first Monday I was here.
After I left for my hall, I ran up to my room and made a call to my father.
"Charlie Swan speaking." Always in police chief mode after all these years.
"Hi dad. How are you?"
"Bells, I'm good now. I miss you. How's Chicago? You all settled?"
"Dad… I'm fine. Sorry I haven't called you sooner."
"What are you talking about? You called me when you got in, that was soon enough. You're on your own there kiddo, you don't need to check in with me every day, you know."
"I know, I know." I took a big breath for what I was about to say next. "Dad..."
I knew he could tell the sadness in my voice. "Bells, honey what is it?"
"I want to come home. I think I made the wrong decision." All I heard was silence mixed with my father's heavy breathing.
"Dad?"
"I'm here. Are you sure about that sweetheart? I mean you've only been there a few days, I don't think you've given this enough time to think it through."
I bit my lip and closed my eyes and a tear streaked down my face, following the path of its predecessor's.
"I'm sure. I don't think I'm cut out for Chicago. I can just go to Washington State for my master's. I'm sure I could start up during the spring semester with some help from my old professors. I mean I know I could get them to send some more letter of recommendation"
"If you truly think that is the best decision, I'll support you Bells. But I want you to at least take a week to think this through and it will give time for you to take care of what you need to do if you do decide to come back home. I'm sure Jake would be happy to have you back."
"I bet he would." I rolled my eyes; both Billy and Charlie had been hoping that Jake and I would get back together and marry ever since we ended our engagement. They never gave up hope that we would all officially be family one day soon. I found it hilarious since most fathers would be trying to threaten boys away from their daughters with shotguns, while it seemed he was eagerly waiting to help me send out the invitations.
"Ok, I'm pretty sure I won't be changing my mind, but I'll take the week to notify the proper people." Most importantly Dr. Cullen, which made my stomach bottom out at the thought.
"I love you Bells, and call me with news."
"Love you too dad." It was one of our longest conversations we've had in a while.
After I hung up the phone I took a look around my dorm room. I figured I would start packing up and get items I needed to return to Target back in their boxes. I pulled the boxes I had saved in my closet and my suitcases out and started to get to work. Before I knew it, there was a knock at my door. I looked at my cell phone for the time and saw the mixer for the RA staff was starting soon.
"Hello Alice." I opened the door to see the pixie bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Heya Bella. You ready to go?" She ran her eyes up and down at my outfit and I realized I hadn't changed out of the clothes that I wore to the group meeting.
"Um, let me change and then we can head out."
"Oh thank god. I thought I was going to have to force you to change. Might meet some hotties tonight if we are lucky."
"Oh, hardy har har, Alice." I grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans I hardly wore and a light blue sweater on my way into my bathroom to change.
I heard the sound of Alice rummaging around my room as I slipped my top over my head. "Bella?"
"Yes?" I started putting my hair up in a messy bun.
"Why did you put the stuff we got from Target back in their boxes? And why are your suitcases out?" I opened the door and took my oversized case out of her hand and flung it into my closet.
"We'll talk about it later ok. Let's just get this thing over with tonight, I really feel like getting to bed early."
Her face red and her nose was flaring as she spoke, "You bet your sweet ass we will talk about this later. I think I already know what you are up to, so I'll grant you some fun before I give you a talking to you will never forget."
I was never more frightened of a person than at that moment.
"Ok… well after you then." I ushered her out the door as we made our way to the mixer.
After two hours of bad music, warm punch and stale chips, I figured it was time to go. I did my best to talk to the other RAs but I figured not to get to know them too well since I wouldn't be here long. I was going to tell Marcus, the Director after my meeting with Dr. Cullen on Wednesday.
I walked over to Alice who was busy chatting with an attractive man with long blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail. His eyes darted to me as I approached and I saw the flash of a smile that left me feeling dirty.
"Alice, I'm gonna head back to my room. I'll see you tomorrow." I leaned in to give her a hug before making a quick exit.
"Wait up Bella." She called to me. I saw Alice writing something on the man's hand before she rushed over to my side.
"So…" I waited until we left the room. "Who was that?"
"That's James. He's an RA at the Jorgen, the all-male hall."
"What did you write on his hand?"
"Just my number." She said it matter-of-factly.
"Tell me how that goes." She smiled at me as we reached my room and I knew it was time for the inquisition.
I threw my purse down on my nightstand and sat on my bed waiting for her to begin.
"Were you going to tell me you were leaving or was I going to just find out when I stopped by to find an empty room?" She tapped her toe on the floor as I felt my face flush.
"Of course I would have told you Alice. I'll be here until the end of the week to get things in order, so it's not like I'm leaving tonight."
"No, you aren't leaving at all Bella. I know what this is about. What ever happened today is no reason to run away. You have this wonderful opportunity, suck it up and do something great. Besides, I don't want to lose my friend." I could see tears welling up in her eyes. I got up from my bed and crossed over to her, running my hand up and down her arm to comfort her.
"Alice, I would stay in touch with you after I left and we could take turns visiting each other, but I have to go. Chicago is not working for me."
"Fine. I think you are making a mistake, but I can't force you to stay. At least let me help you before you go. And don't forget to give me your address."
"As long as I can have yours too." She nodded and she gave me a tight hug. For some reason I knew she and I would always be lifelong friends no matter the distance, even after knowing each other for so little time.
Tuesday passed by in a rush of RA training that was practically pointless for me, but I did my best to pay attention and participate. Alice and I had lunch while I told her my new plans to attend Washington State in the spring and about the Forks clinic. When I explained to her how small Forks was, and that the closest decent mall was in Seattle, she nearly spit out the sip of soda she took back in my face.
"You're kidding me?" I shook my head no in response. "Well, I guess for my first visit you better just stay at a hotel with me in Seattle since I have plans for your wardrobe still, Ms. Swan." I gulped nervously because I didn't like the sound what was in store.
My room was mostly packed up by that evening. I had everything in their boxes and found the receipts to return what I could. Alice said she would take me to Target on Thursday to return my stuff. I was going to be living out of a suitcase until the end of the week, but I decided to lay out my clothes for tomorrow to avoid wrinkles and leave with at least a better impression for Dr. Cullen then when I first met him. I set aside the fellowship contract I had yet to sign along with Esme Cullen's book she had lent me the night of the party. When I had everything ready for the next day, I went to bed early and confident I was doing the right thing.
The next morning I got ready fairly quickly. I was to meet Dr. Cullen in his office at 10am; he was probably going to dismiss me, so I figured I would take that responsibility from him and beat him to it. I ate one of my granola bars and checked my email one last time before leaving; the only item was a new email about my course schedule waiting for me to open in my inbox. Since I didn't need to look at it now, I logged out and brought up a travel webpage I would look at later. I was planning to book my flight back home after I met with Dr. Cullen and Marcus so I could see when I would officially need to leave. I had about twenty minutes until my meeting so I picked up the oversized purse I used as a makeshift briefcase and slipped my papers and the book into it before I left my room.
My heart was pounding with nervousness as I found my way to his office door. I only had to say that I was leaving and then go. I would never have to embarrass myself in front of him for the rest of my life. There was a part of me that wanted the complete opposite and was telling me to stay, that it was worth it.
I swallowed back that last thought and raised my hand as I knocked on the wooden door.
Instantly I heard him respond. "Come in." his velvet voice sent shivers throughout my body and warmth spread through me. This was not a good sign.
"Morning Dr. Cullen." I walked into the room and my breath hitched at the sight in front of me. Dr. Cullen was sitting at his desk, slightly leaning over an open book. His bronze hair in disarray and gleaming in the sunlight that came through his office window. He looked up from his reading and I saw his bright green eyes gazing at me behind a pair of the sexiest reading glasses I have ever seen. He was wearing a crisp white shirt and a golden tie. This man was too gorgeous to be real. I stood there and suddenly looked down at the ground when he quickly stood from his chair.
"Good morning B- Ms. Swan. Please, have a seat." I looked up and saw him point to one of the oversized leather chairs that faced his desk. I crossed the room and sank into it. It made a faint hissing sound as air escaped the cushion. I took deep breaths to calm myself before I informed him of my intent to leave. Dr. Cullen sat back down and removed his glasses.
"Thank you for meeting with me this morning Ms. Swan. I'm sure you must already have a busy schedule with your RA training and settling in and such."
"Um, yes, well I have been keeping busy." I looked down at my feet and crossed them as I bit my lip. I needed to just say it, and say it quick then get out of here. I looked around the room gathering my thoughts again. God I loved this office. There was a large bookshelf behind the desk that was filled with hundred of books of academia. His desk was oversized and was made of a rich dark wood that appeared to have been taken from the 1930's. Everything, besides the computer and the office telephone reminded me of how college offices would look like in movies from that time frame. Classic, masculine and expensive to say the least.
I heard him cough before he spoke as if he had been lost in thought. "Ms. Swan, there are a few things I wanted to discuss with you before the group meeting this afternoon..." I had to stop him. I had to take myself out before he did
"Actually, Dr. Cullen, If I may, I need to let you know something." I paused and looked up to see him staring at me. His face was frozen as if he was trying to figure out what I was going to say before I spoke. He gestured with his hand that I continue. "I need to let you know that I do appreciate the opportunity for the allowing me to come here for the Cullen Fellowship. It was an opportunity that I never thought I could have been given."
"Was?" he sounded offended and in disbelief at the word. I needed to say my peace and get out of here.
"Yes, was. I just want to say thank you for putting up with me over the last few days, but I do not believe that I deserve to take this opportunity away from a more deserving candidate." I reached into my large purse that I had set on the floor and pulled out the contract and the loaned book. I placed both on the desk and pushed it over to him. "I just wanted to return the contract and your mother's book. I will be leaving at the end of the week and I do apologize for the short notice. Thank you for considering me Dr. Cullen." I stood up with my purse in hand to leave the room. Before I took one step away, he spoke.
"Ms. Swan, sit please." His voice was harsh and it made me flinch. I turned back around and sat not meeting his eyes which I could feel on my face.
"May I ask why you leaving? Why come at all if you are going to give up before you even start? I put a lot of consideration into selecting a candidate for this Fellowship, and you would not be here if you were not the most qualified." I looked up at him then. His lips were tight and his eyes were fierce as they looked into my own. It scared me yet I found it strangely attractive on him. "There were over seventy applicants from all over the country vying for this position and you were chosen Ms. Swan. You. Your application was the most impressive I have ever seen." I blushed at his comment and bit my lip. I was so certain he was going to tell me to leave, but I was sorely mistaken. I had let my own thoughts jump to conclusions. His face softened when he spoke again.
"I'm afraid I'm not going to accept you resigning and running away. You see it's too short notice to find someone to replace you on the team, I don't think I would be able to find someone as qualified either. I'm going to have quite a bit of work with the research and my courses that you will just have to stay."
"Dr. Cullen, I –"
"Bella," he paused making sure I wasn't going to speak. "Ms. Swan, if you leave I will be left without a TA for my developmental course, meaning I would have more work to deal with and also we would be short staffed with the research. It would be completely unfair to me and the others." He was right, it would not be fair. He was leaning across his desk towards me, his eyes searching for something. He closed his eyes as if accepting defeat that I was in fact leaving. I felt horrible; I took this opportunity he gave me and practically spat on it. I let out a sigh and he opened his eyes at the sound.
"Dr. Cullen. I apologize. I just felt that, well, after some of our interactions over the past few days; I thought that it would be best for me to leave."
He lifted an eyebrow at me and suddenly let out a laugh. He shook his head in amusement and then smiled at me with a crooked smile that turned my brain mush and a rush of arousal centered around my core. What. The. Hell. Was. That. I coughed to jerk myself out of the haze he put me in and continued.
"I can see I was hasty in my decision. If it is alright with you, I think I will stay then." I refused to look at him.
"I think that is more than alright with me Ms. Swan. What would I do without you here?" His words hit me in an odd way and I looked up to catch his face turn a little red. "Um… oh… well since this matter is now dealt with, I think you should sign the contract and you can take back my mother's book until you have finished with it. She would be surly disappointed that you never had a chance to read it." He pushed the contract and book back to me across the desk. I slipped the blue novel back into my purse quickly and began signing and dating the terms of my contract for the Fellowship. When I finished Dr. Cullen took the paperwork and placed it in the top drawer of his desk with a small smile. Now I was here until I was finished or eventually dismissed.
"I do need to discuss some important matters with you, and I assure you it has nothing to do with taking out a new insurance policy since you will be sticking around."
He laughed at his own joke as I felt my face turn redder.
For the remainder of the hour we discussed some of my duties with being a TA for him along with the research. I was to attend every developmental class so to follow along with his lectures and be on hand in case students had questions or requested tutoring. On Friday afternoons I would hold a recitation for the course where students could come in for an hour and we could go over any and all questions they had and to have test review sessions similar to a study hall. I would also assist him with grading quizzes, midterms and papers that he assigned. The developmental course was a popular undergrad course and he informed me that he usually had around 200 to 250 a semester. He gave me a breakdown of his grading and samples of poor papers and papers he deemed "A-worthy" which caused a small laugh out of me. He told me that I may need to run a lecture in his course at some point in the case he would miss a class due to conferences he was asked to speak at. I was never one for speaking in front of large crowds, and he must have noticed my hesitance.
"Is that going to alright with you Ms. Swan? I mean, if not we could always just cancel the course for the day if it's going to be a problem."
"No, I can do it; I just have a hard time public speaking." I shrugged as I admitted my weakness. Dr. Cullen merely nodded and gave me a soft smile.
"To be completely honest with you, I have a hard time with that too." I felt like blurting out "bullshit" to him. He spoke at conferences around the world; he was just saying that to make me feel better.
"Whatever you say Dr. Cullen."
"No, I truly do. I just use a technique to get over it. Before I speak I close my eyes and visualize something that brings me peace, I call it my place of serenity. It's something I learned when… um, back during my Master's program."
"What if that doesn't work?" I asked him. It couldn't be as simple as that.
"Go back to the old adage of 'picture them in their underwear.'" He laughed.
My face felt on fire at his words for at that moment, all I could picture was Dr. Cullen sitting in his office chair in nothing but a pair of dark green silk boxers. His hair messy as ran his hand through it and then he would slip on those sexy reading glasses. I closed my eyes to calm the pounding my heart was going into.
"Are you feeling alright Ms. Swan?" His voice was full of concern.
"Yes, sorry, didn't sleep to well last night." I lied.
After a beat, he continued talking about the rest of my responsibilities. On Wednesdays around one o'clock would be weekly meetings with the research team to discuss testing and results. For the first few weeks of the semester we would be training to run research sessions and to familiarize ourselves with the lab computers. Testing schedules wouldn't be discussed for at least a month after the start of the semester until we were prepared.
Finally we needed to set up a time to meet for my one-on-one mentor sessions with him. This would be when we would go over my progress in my courses and gain input on my thesis. Since his developmental course took place in the mornings and my Master's courses took place in the afternoons we decided to hold out meetings in the evening. I had suggested Fridays since I had a very light schedule on those days, but Dr. Cullen said that might conflict with his conferences since most of them tended to take place around weekend. Finally we agreed to meet on Thursdays around 6:30pm.
It was time to end our meeting and although I had come in with different intention, I was leaving knowing that I really should have not been so dramatic. I would need to call Charlie as soon as I got back to my room, he would probably be a bit disappointed I wouldn't be home, but would be happy that I stayed too. And Alice, well I would have put down money she would probably throw a "Bella's staying" party once I told her.
I rose from my chair to head out, but I figured I would try and leave Dr. Cullen with a better impression than the last two times we were in close proximity. So I held out my hand over the desk to him. He stood up from his chair and took my extend hand in his. When I felt his touch, the same sensation of electricity I felt at the department party shot through my body. My head shot up to meet his face looking back at mine almost mirroring my current feelings of confusion at what just occurred. Did he feel that too?
"Um, I just want to thank you again Dr. Cullen. And I do want to apologize for when I first came in. I will do my best for you." I shook his hand and noticed mine start to squeeze around his more. His fingers were long and I could feel that they were course as to be expected of a man's yet gentle at the same time.
He looked at my face and I noticed that his eyes shot down to my lips for just an instant before looking back into my eyes. "There is no need to thank me Ms. Swan, you deserve this experience, and I hope that you do enjoy it. It will be a lot of work, but in the end I hope you feel it was the right thing. And please don't feel you need to do this for me, do your best for you." He smiled that crooked smile again and I felt my knees start to wobble. My heart was pounding in my chest when I felt his thumb rub small circles into the back of my hand. I needed to leave before I did something embarrassing like asking him to take me on his desk. Oh my God, I can't believe I thought about my mentor doing that, I was going to inappropriate places. I quickly released his hand and stepped away towards the door. I felt hollow with the loss of his touch.
The room was not that large but my walk to the door seemed to take forever, and I could feel that he was right behind me. Suddenly a jolt shot through me again as I felt his hand on my lower back when I reached the door, which he opened for me.
"I expect to see you at the team meeting later today, is that clear?" I could hear his teasing tone with me and for some reason it I felt the urge to play along. When I crossed the threshold back into the hallway, I turned around and look up at him under my eyelashes.
"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" I tried to fight the smile that was working its way through but I felt my control start to slip. I knew that I was bordering of flirting with this man, this man who I would see practally everyday, who I would work with for what I hoped to be at least three years, who made my knees weak and made me think naughty things. It was entirely wrong, but it felt good. Until I saw the look on his face. Quickly my playfulness was pushed aside when the look of panic crossed Dr. Cullen's face.
"Dr. Cullen?" He was breathing very hard and I could see his grip on the door was strong and his knuckles were turning white. "Edward?" My voice was barely a whisper. I was confused; he was so upbeat a moment ago. "Is everything ok?" I stepped closer to him, but just as I was about to reach out to him he stepped back.
"I'm fine, I'll… I'll see you with the other team members Ms. Swan." And he quickly shut the door in my face. The wind caused from the motion sent my hair flying around and into my vision. As I pushed my hair back away from my face, I tried to think about what I did wrong to cause that reaction. I guess I shouldn't have said that to him.
I walked back to my room which only took me five minutes to reach. This was going to be nice once classes were in session, I loved being so close. I kicked off my shoes when I was in my room and laid down on my bed to make some calls.
Charlie was a little disappointed I was not coming home, but he told me that staying was probably best for me. He said that Jake had called him Monday after I called to let him know about my breakdown in the ladies room of the Behavioral Sciences Building. Charlie said that he agreed with Jake and I was starting to get annoyed with everyone telling me how I deserved to be there. I knew it all along, but still it was becoming tiring. Before I hung up, Charlie told me that I needed to call Jake and let him know I was staying.
As soon as Jake picked up his phone he went off on me again before I even had a chance to say hello. I let him rant for a good two minutes about how I needed this; I deserved to be here, yada yada yada… when I finally interrupted him. I told him about how I was going to stay, that it was official since I signed my contract. He said good because he was just about to buy a plane ticket to Chicago and fulfill his promise from Monday. He told me to call him soon and I told him I would keep him updated with my experience.
Alice was as I expected. I called her to invite her to lunch before our meeting and I told her about how Dr. Cullen convinced me to stay. I had to cover my ears when she squealed with happiness in the café she took us to.
"Shh... quit or they will throw us out for disturbing the peace." I looked around an noticed the other patron grumbling in distaste at her behavior.
"Sorry. Oh yea! I'm so happy you are staying. Don't do that to me again, you hear?" I nodded. It would not be a good thing if I did, I could only imagine the consequences.
When our food arrived, she told me about her plans to go out with James later that weekend since we would have Sunday free from training. Students would be starting to arrive next Monday in order to get settled before the semester began. She told me she was having a hard time deciding on an outfit, which might call for a quick shopping trip one day this week and we discussed possible locations James might be taking her too. After we finished eating she insisted on paying the bill which I grumbled at, and we headed back to campus for the group meeting.
When we arrived at the lab we were one of the first to arrive. Alice and I took our seats next to Mike again as everyone else tricked in. Dr. Cullen was the last to arrive and he looked a bit flustered, but when he looked over to where I was sitting he smiled to which I nodded to him that "yes, I'm still here."
The group meeting covered the same information Dr. Cullen shared with me in our private meeting from earlier. Angela passed out our meeting times and the schedule she had set for training. We were to start practicing group hypnosis sessions that were to be done after participants completed the initial written portion of the study. Alice was excited to find out that she was included on the list since she thought she would only be working with the first part and in the lab entering data. We were to train together with Angela sometime in October. At the end of November I would be training on individual hypnosis with the EEG machine which made me excited. This was the part of the study that I found the most fascinating.
The rest of the week was pretty much uneventful. I put my room back together and in between my RA training, I took some time to explore the campus. It truly was a beautiful campus. I was looking forward to when the main campus library to open so I could spend a few hours in there. I loved the smell of library books. It was as if you could smell the years of time on them, it was one of my favorite scents besides my strawberry shampoo and freshly laundered clothes.
Jasper called me a few times as well. Friday morning he called to invite me to lunch that day around 1pm. I asked Alice to join us, but she said that she couldn't because she still needed to find the right outfit for her date with James. We would be stuck in training all day Saturday and she said it would probably take a majority of the day so she would need to go today. I could never understand why some women needed to spend so much time shopping but I wished her luck. I'm sure whatever she found would be stunning on her.
There was a little over an hour before Jasper was to pick me up. I was busy checking my student email account when I received a message about the campus bookstore being open already to purchase books. Since I had nothing else to do I printed out my schedule I received earlier in the week, picked up my red backpack and my wallet out of my purse and walked the ten minute path to the store.
I only had three courses I was taking this semester. There was Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology with Dr. Amelia Duvall, Methods and Statistics in Neuropsychology with Dr. Eric Peterson and Neuropsychology of Memory with, wait, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I didn't remember seeing that before. I thought that was a typo and I went to an available bookstore associate to clarify.
"Excuse me miss?" I called to a tall blonde leggy woman wearing a blue store polo.
"Yes, how can I help you?" She put down a stack of books she had been stocking.
"Um, I was just looking over my schedule and I just wanted to confirm that I have the right books for the right instructors. I handed her my schedule and she took off to the section of the store that held the course books.
"Here's you clinical book for Duval, stats with Peterson, and memory with Cullen. Is that everything?"
"Dr. Carlisle Cullen is teaching Neuro Memory?" I could have sworn there was a different professor teaching when I received the first copy of my schedule.
"Yes, I guess the previous professor recently found out about some of his soon-to-be ex-wife's indiscretions, and let's just say he didn't take it so well. Dr. Cullen decided to come back from retirement to teach that course. I hear that he's quite attractive for an older man, if you catch my drift." She gave a wink.
"Oh, well I think that's all I need. Oh wait. I also need a copy of the Developmental Psychology course book with the other Dr. Cullen."
"You lucky bitch." I heard her mumble as she walked an isle over to get me my book.
I seriously thought about selling one of my kidneys when it came time to pay for my books. I handed over my credit card to purchase the $500 worth of books and packed them up in my backpack. When I was outside I saw a weekly newspaper that listed events around town and picked myself a copy as I made my way back to my hall. I dropped off my backpack and transferred my wallet to my purse and made my way to wait outside and read the events paper while I waited for Jasper.
It was a lovely sunny day and I found a picnic area outside the hall that had a good view of the street so I could see when Jasper arrived. I looked over the events for the Sunday, I figured I could try and find something to do with some free time that day. There were a couple of bars that had free shows and an art fair downtown. I guess I could get familiar with the public transit system this weekend when I checked that out.
There was also a classified section in the paper and I scanned to see if there were any vehicles I could possibly look into purchasing when the sound of footsteps behind me drew my attention. I didn't like people sneaking up on me. When I turned to see who was approaching, my breath hitched, as it seemed to always do when I was near Dr. Cullen.
"Ah, Ms. Swan, I see you are enjoying the weather today."
"Yes, I'm not used to the sun like this, so I figured to get out and enjoy it as much as possible. Where I grew up, it practically rained every day. It's a nice change." It seemed very easy to talk to him when the rest of my body was affected.
"Well, I'm glad you are enjoying our sun." He winked and my face flushed. Damn it. "Are you looking for something to do this weekend? I see you have a copy of the Reader." He pointed to the paper I still had open.
"Yes, I have some free time this Sunday and figured to get out and see what there is to do around here. The art fair seems to be calling my name." I gave a slight smile. My eyes transfixed on the man in a light blue collared shirt, with a silver silk tie and charcoal slacks. This man looked like sex in anything he wore. He shifted his weight slightly as he continued to look back. It was becoming too intense for me so I decided to turn my attention back to the paper, but I wasn't able to read a single word on the page.
"I'm just heading over to the union to pick up something to eat." His voice was low and there was a hint of apprehension in how he spoke. "If you haven't already eaten, you could join me if you like."
I turned back to look at Dr. Cullen, his face was difficult to read. "Oh. Thank you for the offer, Dr. Cullen, I-" The sound of a horn honking cut me off and I saw Jasper waving at me from the driver seat of his car. "I'm sorry, I would like to, but I sort of already had plans for lunch." He looked hurt at the news, but quickly it changed to hold a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"That's fine. Maybe some other time then. I'm sure with all the work we'll be doing together, there will be other opportunities." I nodded and picked up the paper from the table. I was secretly hoping that I would get a chance to share a meal with him. Maybe breakfast in bed eve. No, stay away from those thoughts.
"Enjoy your lunch Ms. Swan."
"You too, Dr. Cullen." I nodded my goodbye and walked over to Jasper who was now standing outside his car in front of it.
"Hey Jazz."
"Howdy Darlin'" god his southern drawl was adorable. I laughed and gave him a hug when I reached him.
"So where are we eating at?" I mused.
"How do you feel about the best bbq that Chicago has to offer?" I decided to take a quick look over my shoulder to where I left my mentor and saw him stalking to the other direction with his head down. From his body language he looked upset. I decided not to dwell on that and turned my attention back to Jasper who was now opening the passenger door for me.
"Sounds delicious."
Saturday we had our CPR training followed by an afternoon of making door decks for our residents and some role playing on possible situations we might have with residents. When it was my turn I was given the situation of a girl dealing with the breakup from her boyfriend, and Alice had volunteered for the role of one of my "residents". It was hard to keep a straight face as she pretended to be bailing her eyes out. In the end, Marcus had to take over so he could demonstrate techniques that would be appropriate for the situation. When we were done for the day, Alice invited me to her room so we could have a girl's night and she could show me her outfit for her date. We painted our toenails, well, she painted while my toes looked like I had a three year old give me a pedicure. I told Alice I never really had any female friends growing up, so I never did this sort of thing. She laughed but she understood and she decided that until I had more practice she would finish for me. We fell asleep on her pink frilly bed while watching the Breakfast Club. She had a thing for a young Emilio Estevez, and I told her I like the bad boy Judd Nelson.
When Sunday morning came, Alice was in full on date prep mode. I helped with whatever I could and at noon she was practically pristine for her date. James hadn't told her where he was taking her yet, but she said she liked surprises. I walked with her to the lobby where she was supposed to meet him and told her to call me when she was done to let me know how it was. She knew I was going to the art fair and told me what buses I should take to get there. I gave her a hug when we both saw James sitting in one of the chairs in the front. He racked his eyes up and down, and I felt that it wasn't just Alice he was checking out, and it made me shutter in my mind.
After forty five minutes on the bus I finally made it to Millennium Park where the fair was being held. There were hundreds of booths set up with vendors and artists. I was in awe of the buildings and surrounding the area; they were pieces of art themselves. I thought about calling Jasper to ask if he wanted to join me, but I remembered he was out of town on a business trip until Monday. I was looking at looking at landscape pieces from a local artist when my cell phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my purse and noticed the caller ID said Alice. I thought that was odd, her date shouldn't be over with yet, and I flipped it open to answer.
"Alice, what's up?"
"Bella I need you to come get me right away please." Her voice was panicky. Something wasn't right.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you about it when you pick me up, please hurry."
"Ok, tell me where you are."
"The ladies rooms in the lobby of the Hotel Monaco. It's just down the road from Millennium Park."
"Ok, I'll be there in a few." I hung up the phone and asked the artist where Hotel Monaco was from here. She told me that I needed to take a few blocks south and I would be able to see it.
Twenty minutes later I walked through the lobby to the reception area.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the ladies room is?" The clerk pointed to the right and I found the room easily, especially since James was standing right next to the door.
"Hey there sexy, what are you doing here?" He looked over at me and licked his lips. So gross.
"Nothing, excuse me, I need to step in there for a moment." I pushed my way passed him.
"If you see Alice, tell her to hurry it up."
I found Alice sitting on a chair in the lounge area hugging her knees to her chest.
"Bella, I need you to take me home. I didn't know he would do this. I'm not like that. I just want to go."
"It's ok, we'll leave, I'm here now, and we can go." She took my hand as I pulled her out of the ladies room.
"'bout time sweet thing, you ready to head up." James went to grab Alice out of my hand and I pulled her to my back as I turned to him.
"She isn't going with you anywhere your sick pervert. We are leaving and don't ever call her. She's not interested in anything you have to offer."
"You could join us if your jealous." He gave a wicked smile. I was full of rage at the sick bastard I couldn't help my actions as I slapped him hard against his face.
"Fuck off you asshole." Alice and I bolted out of the building and we hailed a cab that was passing just in time.
"Thank you Bella. I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was going to take me here. I thought we would just get lunch and walk around, but he told me he wanted to take me somewhere special and he got a room, and I freaked out. I mean, I'm not a virgin and all, but I would never sleep with someone on the first date, and he was being aggressive about it, and I ran to the bathroom because he wouldn't let me leave. I'm sorry."
"Alice, it's ok. Your one of my closest friends, I would do this for you no matter what. I just can't believe I slapped that sick bastard."
"Well, he deserved it. You really are the best." She hugged my side as tears streaked her face.
We decided to not talk about what happened that day ever again, to move on and make sure who ever we decided to date in the future was a gentleman.
The last week before the semester started was full of helping students move in to their rooms, more RA training, lunches with Jasper and dinners with Alice. Aside from the research team meeting on Wednesday, I hardly saw Dr. Cullen, which I found to be both a relief and a disappointment at the same time. In my spare time I had read a majority of the Developmental book and was finished by Sunday night. Before I called it a night, I looked over the lecture notes Dr. Cullen had sent me to be prepared for the first week of the course. I wanted to be prepared and prove that I could handle this.
When I deemed my hair dry enough I applied some eye shadow, mascara and a little lip gloss. I figured I would try to look a little professional on my first day of classes. Today would be full of going over syllabi, but it wouldn't hurt to look like I took my education seriously. I looked back at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and figured I looked alright. I smoothed out my steel grey skirt that had a slight flare at the knees and made sure my burgundy blouse was tucked in. I approved and was ready to set out. I picked up my large purse and loaded it with the lecture notes and the book for Dr. Cullen's class. His was the first I had today and I decided to be a little early to get a seat near the front.
I arrived at the large lecture hall around twenty five minutes early and found a seat on the far side in the front near the windows that looked over the front of campus. As I took my seat I became focused on a tiny yellow and black bird flying around a tree near the window. I was fascinated as it dove in and out of the branches like he was playing a game of solo hide and seek. I rested my hand on my chin as I watched the bird walk along one of the larger branches that was next to the window. I was so caught up in the tiny creature's show I didn't notice the figure that stood in front of my desk.
"It a Hooded Warbler." The velvet voice spoke to me breaking my concentration.
Dr. Cullen stood there with a look of amusement and a smirk. "Excuse me?" I asked.
"That little guy," he pointed out the window to the yellow bird that was now chirping wheeta wheeta whee-tee-oh, "that's a Hooded Warbler. Males have a black hood on their head, where part of the name comes from. You'll see a few of them around campus. Cute little buggers." He chuckled and I smiled back. He seemed carefree as he spoke about my winged friend.
"Are you an ornithologist on the side, Dr. Cullen?" he shook his head in amusement at my little tease.
"No, sorry to disappoint Ms. Swan. I just happen to remember reading up on them in my undergrad biology course. Seeing those little guys everyday makes it hard to forget." He looked around the room at the students that were now filing into the hall and took a deep breath. "So are you ready for your first day as my TA?"
"As ready as I can be. I read the text last week, so I hope I can remember the information."
"You read the entire text?" he sounded to be in disbelief.
"Yes, I'm a fast reader and I felt I better familiarize myself with the material since it has been a long time since I took a developmental course." I raised my shoulder to indicate is wasn't a big deal.
"It's only the first day of the course and I'm already impressed with you Ms. Swan." He looked down at his watch and sighed. "Time to face the masses, you ready?" I laughed as I nodded. "Here goes nothing."
He walked to the podium at the front of the hall and set his briefcase on the desk next to it. I saw him close his eyes for a moment; I figured he was trying his serenity technique he told me about. A smile stretched across his face, it looked like it was working. At that moment I wanted to know what he was imagining to make him so calm and happy. The noise of the students talking started to quiet when he cleared his throat and open his eyes.
"Good morning everyone. I'm Dr. Edward Cullen and this is Developmental Psychology." He continued his introduction and I took the opportunity to look around at the other students. I wasn't surprised that a majority of the course consisted of females, since the common ratio at any university was around 4 females to every single male. What did surprise me was that there were expressions on the female faces. All of them were practically eye fucking Dr. Cullen with their gaze. Now I understood why he said this course was fairly popular. A laugh slipped out of me that I tried, unsuccessfully, to cover up as a cough which caused a few heads to turn in my direction. One I noticed to be that of Tanya from my hall. Her eyes shot at me like daggers, and I quickly turned to the front to see Dr. Cullen looking at me chuckling himself.
"As I was saying, since this class is rather large this semester, the university has assigned a Teaching Assistant to help me with the work load. She will be here every course and will be assisting me with grading along with running the Friday recitations and tutoring should you need any additional help. Ms. Swan is currently attending the University of Chicago to obtain her Master's in Neuropsychology and she is certainly qualified to be here." He sent me a wink which made me blush. "Ms Swan, would you mind helping hand out the syllabus?" he opened his briefcase and took out the numerous copies he had prepared.
I quickly got out of my seat and tripped slightly as my foot missed a step, but thankfully I caught myself in time before falling on my face. When I reached his desk he gently handed me the stack. "Thank you." He whispered to me. I turned around and took in the full effect of the lecture hall; there was not a single free seat here. I immediately thought back to what he said about me possibly running lectures in his absence and that made me gulp in fear.
I separated the stack into smaller piles as I passed them to the different rows where the students passed them around until everyone had a copy. When I was finished I made it back to my seat without any difficulty.
"I have listed my office hours on the top of the syllabus, I will only be available at those times, otherwise you will be out of luck. Also I have included Ms. Swan's university email should you need to ask any questions or to set an appointment for a tutoring session. With that said, I will let you all read the rest of the syllabus on your own time, for now let's get started with our semester together."
There were a few groans as the sound of notebooks being taken out was echoed in the hall. It was a common belief that most professors waited until the second class to begin the course work, but I was learning Dr. Cullen was not the norm in anyway.
For the first lecture, he covered the history of Developmental Psychology. Although I had already read the material for this chapter, I still was fascinated. His neat handwriting on the whiteboard was elegant and I envied at how perfect it was compared to my chicken scratch.
Watching the way his lips moved as he spoke I couldn't help my mind wondering off. I imagined us alone in the lecture hall late at night. He would be going over his plans for a future lecture. As he continued to tell me his plans he would walk closer to me at my desk. Sending me that sexy crooked smile of his. When he was directly in front of me he would start to remove his neck tie. When it was cast aside he would reach out and run his long fingers across the apple of my checks which would set me on fire. His tongue sweeping over his lips as he closed the distance between our faces as he bent closer. I imagined him cradling my neck as his lips would brush gently against mine. Before my daydream went further I was brought back to my current soundings when my neighbor dropped her pen. I tried my best to focus back to the lecture that was currently going on and ignoring the thought of what it would be like to make out with Dr. Cullen. All too soon it was time for the class to end.
"Thank you all for showing up today and I look forward to the rest of the semester." He stepped away from the podium and started packing up his briefcase. I sat in my chair as I waited for the students to file out of the room. I was planning to ask him if he needed me to assist with anything before the next course. As I waited, I noticed several stragglers surrounding Dr. Cullen in the front. All female of course, asking nonsensical questions that made me laugh. Sometimes these girls try too hard at throwing themselves at a man, especially an man that was off limits to them, as was the case.
I let myself look away from the mating show and tried to find my feathered friend outside. I found him fluttering around putting on another air show for me. I decided to give him a name. Warby sounded good to me. I continued to watch Warby for around ten minutes when the hall was finally silent. I turned back to the front and saw Dr. Cullen was now alone, arms crossed over his chest waiting for me.
"Are you sure you aren't interested in ornithology Ms. Swan? Maybe neuropsychology isn't the right path for you." He joked.
"Warby is fun to watch, but I prefer spending my time studying people's brains." I picked up my purse off the floor and made my way over to him.
"Warby?" he raised his eyebrow at me.
"Uh yeah, his name is Warby. I'm thinking of taking him home with me. Although I don't know how my residents would feel about the chirping. Maybe I could train him to chirp Beatles songs."
"You are a strange bird yourself, Ms. Swan but maybe that's why Warby likes you." We both laughed at this. "So, what did you think about the class? You think you can handle it?"
"Oh I think I'll be fine, just warn me on your absences so I can call in sick on those days."
"Will do." He picked up his briefcase and started to move to the door when he nodded that I walk with him. "Was there a particular reason for you staying after, or was it just for Warby?"
"Well, I just wanted to see if you need me to do anything before the next course. You know run copies or anything." I was trying my best to keep up with him, but his long legs took large strides.
"I think I'm fine, you're already ahead of the game with reading the book already. Before I forget, I need a copy of your receipt for your books. Part of the fellowship includes the cost of you books here. Just one of the perks about working with me." He stopped and I realized that we were standing in front of his office.
"Well, I will get that to you soon. If you do need anything else though, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"I will remember that." He moved his case to his other hand and it seemed like he wanted to say something more, but he didn't. We stood there outside his door looking at each other for what seemed like forever. His free hand ran through his messy hair and I found myself longing to run my hand through it as well. I really needed to leave before I acted on my impulse.
"So, uh, I guess I will see you later than Dr. Cullen." I stepped away and started to walk down the hallway to exit the building when I thought I heard him respond.
"I look forward to it."
Reader Questions:
Q: Why does Dr. Liam have Bella's name in quotes? Does he not believe that she's real?
A: In chapter 14, Dr. Liam uses quotation marks when he writes Bella's name because it is not her proper name. In previous sessions Edward would address her as Ms. Swan or Isabella. Bella is actually considered a nickname. If the documentation was needed for legal matters, it would signify that Bella was not her legal name provided on her birth certificate.
A lot of people like the Dr. Liam chapter. Who knows, you may be hearing from him again in the future.
Please keep sending in your reviews and your questions. Edward's POV is up next.