Author's Note: Alright, alright…so you guys convinced me…not only am I going to post one chapter a day until you get caught up, Edward is starting to talk to me a bit. If I get some downtime between working on my original, I'm going to see if his side of the first few chapters will come together. I'll save them to post once things start coming together, so as not to give anything away. :)

Thanks to my beta, AgoodWITCH for her work on this!

I avoided my brothers all weekend, ignoring their countless phone calls and texts. Eventually they stooped to sending messages through Jasper and Alice and that was when I finally had enough. Sunday evening, I sent a text to both of them, telling them to back off and I'd call them when I was ready to talk. That wasn't good enough though, as Emmett convinced Rosalie to talk my R.A. into letting them through the security doors to my floor. I was lying in my bed in my jammie shorts and tank top when the pounding on my door commenced.

I rolled my eyes and clamored down to the floor before opening the door with a yawn and leaning against the frame.

"Told you I'd call you when I wanted to talk about it…so why are you here?"

Emmett didn't even reply, choosing instead of scoop me up over his shoulder and carry me kicking and screaming into my room, dropping me in the chair at my desk before crossing his arms and frowning down at me. Edward followed behind after thanking my R.A. and apologizing. He closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with my brothers.

"You can't shut us out, kiddo. We won't let you."

I yawned and crossed my arms before glaring up at him through my lashes.

"You are an eighteen, nearly nineteen year old college freshman, Isabella Marie. It's time you start acting like it."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll make a deal with you. I will act like it when you start treating me like it. What you pulled Friday night was total bull shit and you know it."

Emmett scoffed while Edward leaned on the closet door behind him, his arm crossed as he frowned down at me. His eyes were sad, with dark circles under them. I could tell he hadn't slept much.

"We just don't want you getting hurt, Bella. It's our job to take care of you."

I shook my head slowly before standing up to go grab another drink out of the mini fridge under Alice's desk. I turned and leaned against it as I popped the top and took a long swig.

"Either the two of you stop going all psycho big brother every time I try to have a life, or I can't hang out with you. It's as simple as that. If you can't handle it, I'll transfer to WSU next year and save us all the stress."

Emmett rolled his eyes while Edward's got round as saucers, his jaw clenching as his head shook minutely.

"Keep bluffing, kid. You need the practice 'cause you suck," Emmett guffawed before moving toward the door.

I raised my eyebrow. "Wanna bet, big bro? Keep it up and just watch. I didn't go off to college to be parented by my brothers. This is the time when I'm supposed to make my mistakes and learn how to live in this world before I get booted into the real one. I can't do that if I have two lug heads following me around and kicking the ass of every guy who tries to as much as dance with me!"

Emmett spun on me, his eyes all wild and pissed. "Dance with you? DANCE with you? Hell, Bells, if you hadn't had underwear on, the guy would have been taking you from behind!"

I rolled my eyes and pushed off the desk to walk toward him, shaking my head. "Stop over exaggerating. We were barely even touching and his hands never left my waist. You just flipped because it was me. If it had been any other girl, you wouldn't have even noticed."

Emmett frowned and shook his head as I crossed the distance between us to stand right in front of him, staring right up into his eyes and resting one hand on my chest. "I know you love me, brother bear, but it's time to back off."

He looked down at me for a long time, not saying a word before he finally let out a long sigh, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and wrenching me into a pythonesque hug.

"You're my baby sister, B. I just don't want you to get hurt. Black has a reputation, and guys like him are usually just looking to have some fun. I don't want you to get messed up in that."

I shook my head into his chest as I chuckled. "You think I don't know that, Em? I was about three minutes away from leaving the party early, getting tired of him bragging about his frat and crap, until he brought up the fact that we all used to play together when we were little. Then he sort of dropped the big man on campus crap and we had a good time. I had seen enough before that though to know Jacob Black is not a guy I would be willing to get involved with…not that I'm going to have to time to do anything once classes really get going anyway. I just wanted to get a taste of real college life before I get trapped in the library for the next three months. You honestly don't have to worry about me. I'm a smart girl. I'm not going to get lost."

Emmett sighed, kissing my temple as he hugged me closer, if that were even possible. "I know. I already knew most of that, but there have been a lot of brainiacs like you who have fallen prey to the lure of the party scene and smooth frat guys. You've got too bright a future to see that happen, B."

I sighed and smiled into his chest. "I know, Emmett. I know."

He squeezed me one more time before pulling me away by my shoulders. "So are we good, pipsqueak?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes before I nodded slowly. He smiled, kissing me on the temple again before looking over his shoulder at a pouting Edward. "Well, I said my piece. She's all yours, bro."

Edward faked a smile as he nodded weakly toward Em before he disappeared out the door. I stayed where I was, crossing my arms and staring at Edward who was examining the floor with great interest. After a while, he sighed, looking up at me again through his lashes.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I know I really hurt your feelings, and the more I've thought about it, the more of an ass I realized I was to you. I said some really hurtful things, and all I've wanted to do was apologize. I just…I care so much about you. I just want to keep you safe. I know it's not really my job anymore, but you've always meant the world to me. I can't stand to see you cry or feel bad."

He sighed, shaking his head as his hands slid into his hair, tugging hard. "And then I went and hurt you so bad just by my stupid words. I am so, so sorry."

My heart melted at the sight of him feeling so guilty. I crossed to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head to his chest. He sighed, wrapping his arms around my shoulder tightly, his body melting against mine ever so slightly.

I felt his lips brush the top of my head as one of his hands caressed my hair gently. I sighed, nestling closer and savoring the feeling of comfort and safety I always felt in Edward's arms. When the nightmares came back the summer after we all moved in together, it was Edward who would hear me and climb into my bed, hugging me until my tears stopped. When I had a fight with my friends at school, Edward was always there to comfort me with a hug and a listening ear. When the jocks decided they wanted to tease me our Junior year once Emmett was gone, it was Edward who defended my honor, punching out the worst offender before holding me in his arms. He got stuck in a week of in school suspension for that, but he didn't seem to mind a bit. For almost a decade now, it was always Edward.

After a while, he let out a sad sigh, his hand continuing to caress my hair. "So does this mean I'm forgiven now?"

I leaned back a bit to look up with a smile. "Aren't you always?"

He smiled back, leaning down to kiss my forehead sweetly.

"So we're good, right?"

I nodded and he sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head against the closet door. "Good, because I have a shit load of reading to do before class tomorrow and I haven't been able to focus on it yet. Maybe I'll be able to now."

I frowned up at him, rubbing his bicep in an attempt to apologize for stressing him out. "Sorry, E, for getting in the way of your school work."

He smirked at me as she shook his head. "I'm a jackass and you apologize. Typical."

I chuckled before stepping back, tugging him with me toward the door. "Go study, Jackass. I'll see you tomorrow in English."

He smiled over his shoulder as I pushed him into the hall. "Okay, Bella. See you then."

I closed the door behind him and made my way over to my desk where my own pile of books sat waiting. With an annoyed sigh, I settled in and started with chapter one in my English book. I could already tell it was going to be a long freaking semester!