Unfortunately, the school was reopened for the next day. And fortunate or unfortunate, take your pick, I didn't dream about Edward that night. I tossed and turned too much to dream.

I was eating my Cheerios when Charlie came down to have a quick breakfast before he left for work.

"Mornin', Bells." He mumbled, still a little tired.

"Mornin', Dad." I said around a spoonful of Cheerios.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a few sips before he spoke to me again. "So, anything planned for today?" He sounded a little suspicious.

So I tried to play it cool. "Um, school?"

"After school."

"Well…I was planning on maybe going over to Jake's—,"

"Great!" he sounded excited, but then tried to downplay it, "Um, want me to ask Billy if we can have dinner there again?"

I was confused. Did Charlie know? "Um, Dad, we were there all day yesterday, and the night before. I—I just don't want to crowd them."

"Oh. But I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure they wouldn't but, um, I actually have this English paper to write, that is due tomorrow that I need to edit and stuff. So, just not tonight." I fabricated the paper. My plan wasn't going well, because it seemed like my dad already knew. Or if he didn't, like he was pushing me into his own plan for Jacob and me.

He hesitated, studying me. "Alright, well, I'll see you when you get home then. Not too late then." He seemed to believe my story and was back to his usual Charlie self.

Before he could say anything else, I grabbed my backpack, went to my truck, and headed for school.

As I got to school, it hit me. Jacob didn't go to Forks High School. And a flood of things rushed to my head. I was now technically in a relationship. Would people believe me? Should I tell other people? If I did, would they talk to my dad and possibly mention it?

Then that nagging in the back of head came back: Edward. And I had another option in my head. Jacob didn't go here, and I was sure most people here didn't know Jacob. So…I could say I was dating someone else, someone who didn't go to our school. But I didn't have to tell them it was Jacob. Well, I mean eventually I would, because my friends here would meet him somehow. But for today, I could say I was dating Edward. I could "date" him, till the time came for my friends to meet Jacob. That way, I could talk about Edward and think about Edward all I wanted. Edward would be my school boyfriend, and Jacob would be my real-life boyfriend. This way, I could have both.

Why not? It's not like I was cheating on Jacob; Edward wasn't even real. I just wanted—I didn't want to push Edward out of my head.

"Good, Bella."

What? Who said that? I was in my car, waiting for more kids to arrive to go in. I was completely alone in my car. I didn't even have a properly functioning radio.

And I could have sworn that the voice was a perfect duplicate of Edward's.

I had never spoken to him, except in my dreams. I cleared my throat, nervously. "Edward?"

No answer.

Did I just imagine the voice? Was I hallucinating? I shook my head rapidly. No. Why would I hear things? I was not on drugs, and no one was in the car with me. I must have just thought of his voice in my head. But this voice wasn't like what I thought it my head. It was like it was spoken out loud. I shook my head again. I must have just imagined it.

I looked around the parking lot and there were more people, so I figured I could make my way to homeroom.

Even though I was shaken by that mysterious voice, I was till making Edward my school-boyfriend.

Maybe that made me even crazier.

I sat down in homeroom, next to my friend Mike. He instantly turned to me and asked how my snow day was.

"Well, I was trapped at, er, my house. With my dad. So we were kind of bored all day. Um, how was yours?"

"Well, I shoveled my way out early, so I could have a snowball fight with my friends."

"Oh, yeah. My friend—I mean, my neighbors, they had this big snowball fight next door. So um, who won your fight?"

He grinned smugly. "My team."

"Good." I grinned back.

Then the bell rang, signaling first period. I rushed out of homeroom.

I was sitting in Spanish, thinking about my conversation with Mike. It was so awkward, because I couldn't mention Jacob, if I was having Edward as my boyfriend. I would have to make up some stories about Edward soon. I would have to dream about him more. Which was fine with me.

I tried to ignore Mike and my other friends as best as I could, because I couldn't tell them I now had a boyfriend, if I had spent yesterday locked in my house. I would just tell them tomorrow. So I had to spend lunch in the library. And the rest of my classes, I tried to pay attention as much as possible, as to avoid conversation.

Soon enough, the bell for the end of the day rang and I practically sprinted to my truck. It was hard dating Edward when I was really dating Jacob, especially when Edward wasn't real, and I barely knew him.

I rushed home, and once inside, immediately dropped my backpack, forgetting my homework, to call Jacob.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jake." I said with a smile.

"Bella! How was school?"

"Good. School-ish. You know."

"Yeah, same for me."

"You don't say?"

"Ha ha, yeah, surprising, I'm sure."

"Yeah. Hey, um, I was wondering if I could come over, and hang out? You know, according to plan."

"Yeah, sure."

"Oh, did you tell your dad?"

Jacob hesitated briefly. "He guessed! He cornered me and asked why I was smiling. I just said I was happy, and he asked 'Finally dating Bella?' And I mean I couldn't lie to him, when he guessed right."

I sighed. "I guess it's fine. I mean, he said he wouldn't tell Charlie—"

"Wait, you spoke to my dad?"

"Um, yeah. Why?"

Jacob sighed from the other end. "Just come over, please."

"Um, okay. Be there in like ten minutes."

"Yeah, bye." And he hung up.

What was up with him?

As I pulled into Jacob's driveway, I noticed only his car (the Rabbit) was there. Where was his dad?

I knocked on the front door, and Jacob answered promptly.

"Hey, where's your—"

"Errands. He should be back in a half hour." Jacob said quickly, sounded distracted. He had his face in his hands.

"So, what's up? Why do you sound frustrated?"

Lifting his head up he said, "You spoke to my dad."

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"Well, if he gave you the talk, yeah."

I furrowed my brows and asked, "Now, what talk would that be?"

He sighed. "The one where he tells you I'm this fragile, sissy boy that you need to be careful—,"

"Well, he didn't use those words."

He rolled his eyes. "Great. He gave you that talk. Fantastic."

"But Jake—,"

"Just wait, Bella." He exhaled sharply once, "My dad told you that, because…well, there was this girl who hurt me bad. And my dad likes to think that my girls made me gentle like that to care. Because he sees it as no teenage boy should love. And I did love her—but that's why I was so upset, and my dad just didn't get it. And he's scared, because he knows I love you and—"

"Whoa. What?" I asked incredulously.

"I loved that other girl—but she's not important—and now I love you—and that's why my dad wanted to talk—"

"Stop right there. Back up to the part about loving me. Um, what?" I could feel myself blinking intensely in disbelief.

He wavered for a second, then something clicked because all he said was "Oh."

"Yeah. Look Jake, I think you're strong. I don't think your dad gives you enough credit. You're one of the toughest guys I know. But I can see why your dad is worried. You already love me. Which is, um, fine, I guess. But I just don't want you to get hurt. And I really don't want to hurt you. The fact is Jake, I don't love you. Not like that yet. Just give me time"

He smiled. "That's fine." He picked me up and began to spin me around. "That's absolutely fine." He put me down and was crushing me in a hug.

"Um, Jake. Can't breathe." He loosened his arms "Ah, okay. So what was up with that other girl?"

He hesitated. "I told her I loved her and she ran away. Not literally, but you know. I—I haven't spoken to her since."

"I'm sorry Jake."

"So just don't run away on me."

"Wasn't planning on it." I mumbled against his chest. But then, of course, to ruin the perfect moment, Edward came back into my head.

But it was weird, because usually, I longed for Edward just as much, if not a little more, than I longed for Jacob. Maybe because Jacob was real, and tangible, and Edward was a dream.

But right now, I longed for Jacob much more. I wanted Edward to go away, so I could be happy here, in Jacob's arms, with him telling me he loved me.

And there we stayed, for a long time, until we heard a car pulling into the driveway.

"Dad's home." Jacob whispered, and he let go of he. Then he turned his back to me and it looked like he was rubbing his eyes, then he sniffled a little. He turned back around with a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes like usual.

Jacob had been crying.

"Alright, turn on the TV and pretend to watch something, while I pretend to make a snack. Just so my dad doesn't get suspicious."

"But he knows."

"I know. Just so he doesn't think we were doing…other stuff."

"Oh." I got it.

Jacob went out to wheel his dad in, and probably tell him I was over.

"…and I was just making a snack for us. Want some? I was making popcorn." I heard Jacob's voice as he and his dad came in the front door. And sure enough I could smell the buttery smell, and hear the popping from the microwave in the kitchen.

"Hey Bella." He said with a wave. He had a bag of groceries on his lap.

"Hi Billy."

Then Jacob came in, with a bowl of popcorn. "He's putting the groceries away. Then he said he'd leave us alone. I don't know where he'll go exactly, but he promised privacy."

"That's nice of him. He doesn't have to do that."

He smirked. "Well, I want him to do that."

Then we turned and pretended to watch TV, randomly talking and telling stories, while Jacob would sneak a kiss in on my cheek while Billy's back was turned.

Billy then wheeled down the hall to go to the computer room, giving us privacy, for what I assumed was a while.

As soon as he was gone I turned to Jacob. I had to ask him. "Jake?"

"Yeah?"

I bit my lip. "Why were you…crying before?" I asked slowly.

He looked down, then up at me. "It was bittersweet. I'm scared to love you, because I know it's so soon, but at the same time, you're not scared, so it makes it feel okay. And I was so happy. Just to just have this beautiful, caring girl in my arms. I—I wanted to be nowhere else."

I smiled. "That's sweet, Jake."

"I swear, I'm not a sissy. I'm tough. Really. I build cars you know."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah I know." And I kissed him lightly on the lips.

From that, he grabbed me around the waist and tugged me so I was on his lap. He pulled my mouth to his, in a rough demand. I didn't mind one bit, so it wasn't much of having no consent, but surrendering. His hand traced my spine, making me shiver. He used that as a reason to grip me even tighter.

Then, we heard a door down the hall open, and bolted. I jumped out of his lap, and brushed my hair with my hand, while he fixed his shirt and his hair. We figured Billy could deal with Jacob's arm around me.

"Hey kids." He grinned as he wheeled to the kitchen to get a drink.

Jacob just looked at me and grinned. I grinned back. It was our little secret.

Jacob and I decided to chill out; we weren't animals; we had plenty of time. So I went home, so I could fix Charlie dinner.

As I walked in the door, Charlie asked, "How was Jacob's?"

"Good." I smiled at my secret. I had a boyfriend, and Charlie didn't know. It was kind of exciting.

"I'm going to make chicken parm. Is that okay?" I asked getting the ingredients out, hiding my smile in the fridge, and composing myself as I turned to face Charlie.

"Yeah, that's fine. So, how's Billy?" he asked as I began to make dinner.

Charlie usually didn't ask questions.

"The same as you saw him yesterday."

"Good. So what'd you do over there?"

"We just watched TV. You know, just hanging out."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. What do you want us to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was just asking." But it looked as though he wanted to suggest something. "Well, I'm going to go catch the end of the game."

"I'll call you when dinner's ready."

That was weird. Charlie didn't ask questions. I was starting to think he had a hunch.

After dinner, I went upstairs to "edit my paper", then go to bed. So I read a little bit, and started one of my old favorites, Pride and Prejudice. When I got tired, I went to bed.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, take your pick, tonight was an Edward night.