The next couple of weeks passed in a blur for Bella. The colder weather had properly set in now, making the roads icy and dangerous. She had smiled when she noticed one frosty morning that Charlie had put the chains on her tyres so as her truck wouldn't skid off the road. The same unfortunately could not be said for Bella herself; yesterday she had slipped no fewer than five times on her driveway.
Since that Biology class, Edward had taken any opportunity he could find to talk to Bella. For the first several days, she had continued to find this both strange and suspicious, but the more they spoke, Bella couldn't help finding herself enjoying his company. Edward was polite and considerate, almost to a point of being old fashioned. He was equally amusing and intelligent, appreciating her love of classical music and fiction. Most of all with her prolonged exposure, she found herself falling for his natural charm. More than once she had recently found herself staring at him across the cafeteria, no longer out of curiosity and suspicion. No. This was something far more dangerous.
Bella was falling for Edward Cullen.
Not that she would admit that to another living being. Jessica had already been irritatingly chatty since Bella and Edward had become friendly. No, Bella had decided that was a piece of information best kept to herself. She certainly wasn't going to share it with Harry.
Her English friend had grown increasingly distant since declaring their sort-of-friend status, and Bella wasn't oblivious to the reason why. The friendlier she and Edward became, the more loathsome were Harry's glares directed at the Cullen. Whenever the two were in the same room, Harry would shoot venom from his eyes while Edward would completely ignore the hostility sent his way. Otherwise, Harry would refuse to be in the other boy's presence. Where Bella used to walk with Harry between classes, now it was Edward by her side. Yesterday when Edward had dared sit with Bella at lunch to much whispering and muttering, Harry had failed to show during mealtime at all. Bella had found him later muttering angrily to himself as he slammed his locker shut. He hadn't hung around for a lift home either, instead walking himself through the steady rain.
Bella was worried about him. She wasn't trying to shut him out, but he had effectively prevented any opportunity to include himself. Even when it was just the two of them, Harry would sit in stony silence not dissimilar to his initial behaviour when he came to Forks. That didn't mean she stopped trying. She had tried to discuss the situation with him but unsurprisingly he hadn't been interested, simply repeating the statement "I just don't like the guy," whenever she brought it up.
Edward had been equally unhelpful. He had asked Bella if she would like to drive to school with him, but she had declined the offer saying that she couldn't abandon Harry. He had half-heartedly suggested Harry could come as well, but Bella could tell the thought of him coming along made Edward uneasy. He at least didn't appear to show Harry any outward dislike. The same could not be said of Edward's family with Bella, who now seemed to think any moment not spent death staring her was a moment wasted. She didn't understand their reaction, and Edward hadn't been very forthcoming with explanations.
"Don't mind them," he had said, "it's me they're glaring at anyway."
That was as helpful an answer as she ever received. She was pretty sure he was lying anyway. Their eyes never followed him around the room.
And so it was the morning after Edward had sat with her at lunch that Bella found herself driving along the icy roads to Harry's house as usual, wondering to herself whether he might have started to walk to school on his own instead. Sure enough as she turned onto his street, she saw a bundled up Harry halfway to the corner.
"Get in," she called through her open window as she pulled up alongside him.
"I want to walk today," came his reply.
"Don't be stupid, it's 34 degrees out, you'll catch pneumonia." She began to roll the Chevy forwards, keeping up with him as he continued to walk.
"34 degrees, huh? Wouldn't have thought it was that hot," he joked indifferently.
"Ha ha," Bella droned. "34 Fahrenheit, genius. Just get in, you'll never make it in time in this weather."
Grumbling something about interfering fools, Harry got into the passenger seat. Bella smiled to herself as she pulled out and headed off towards the school.
As usual, Harry remained silent for the entire journey. Bella didn't know what to say to him either. Only when they pulled into a parking space did she say anything.
"Harry, about yesterday," she began.
"Forget it," Harry cut her off. "Nothing happened." He swung his bag over his shoulder as he slid out of the passenger side, refusing to look at Bella.
"But it did, Harry," she cried, slamming the driver's door. "Why did you not come to sit at lunch?"
He scowled at her. "You know perfectly well why I didn't."
"Perhaps, but I don't understand properly. You've still been seeing Doctor Cullen every Wednesday, I thought things were getting better?" She couldn't help the hint of anger that was seeping into her voice. Why did he have to make things so hard?
"What does that have to do with anything? He's not my bloody psychiatrist!" Harry seethed. He too was becoming annoyed. "This is your buddy Cullen we're talking about."
"What does that even –?"
"Don't you get it? Cullen doesn't even care about you!" he sneered. "He's only being friendly because he wants to learn about me!"
"Oh, right, because you're so important!" Bella hissed back, trying to keep her voice down from the passing students. She could see the Cullens on the other side of the parking lot watching her like always. "Why on earth would anyone be interested in becoming my friend for me?" She couldn't help the angry tears that blurred her vision.
"Beats me," Harry spat.
Bella turned on the spot and stormed off towards the school. How dare he say those things? What right did he have?
Her vision still blurred from the tears she wouldn't let fall, Bella saw nothing but heard the screeching tyres and someone scream. There was an almighty crash as Bella felt something knock hard against her head.
People were still screaming.
They were screaming her name.
"Bella, are you alright?!" Came a panicked voice in her ear. Edward.
She focused her eyes on the scene: a large van stopped right in front of her, its side bashed in where Edward's hand was sitting.
Bella stared at him in confusion and fear. He saw her gazing at his hand and removed it. He stared at her meaningfully.
Edward's hand fit the dent perfectly.
Edward had created that dent.
Edward had stopped the van from crushing her.
But how?
Edward didn't much care for what the rest of his family thought of his actions, and he had heard them loud and clear in their minds. Had he not stopped that fool Tyler's van from crushing Bella, the parking lot would have soon filled with her potent blood and Jasper wouldn't have been the only one needing to be held back. His worry about not hearing Bella's thoughts had morphed into intrigue and curiosity as he talked more with her. Jasper alone of his siblings was aware of just how close Edward was growing to Bella.
This was another important reason why Edward couldn't let the van crush her. He knew it was fast becoming more than a friend that he considered her. He had discussed it with Carlisle a few times, the only advice given to do what he thought was best. Carlisle had always trusted Edward's decisions and hopefully this wouldn't be the time when he regretted that trust.
Now he was sat in the consult room with Bella, waiting for the doctor – who Edward knew would be Carlisle – to come and check her over. He was waiting for the questioning to start, and he didn't have to wait for long.
"How did you get to me so fast?" she asked him, frowning in confusion.
He smiled. "I was standing right behind you, Bella," he said.
"No," Bella drew the word out. "You were on the other side of the parking lot with your family."
"What were you and Harry talking about? You both looked pretty upset," he said in an attempt to divert her questioning. He of course had heard every word of their argument. Edward wasn't sure if he had approached any of the last few weeks right; he had been trying to get to know Bella and still give Harry his space, but he had ended up befriending Bella and alienating Harry from his only friend in Forks.
"Nothing important," she said. "And don't change the subject."
"It is important if it made you both that upset," Edward countered, frowning.
Carlisle chose that moment to make his appearance. As he entered the room, Edward heard Bella take a small gasp of breath. He smirked at his father.
"Isabella Swan," Carlisle said with an award-winning smile. "I'm Doctor Cullen. I have heard much about you from Edward." Bella blushed brightly.
"Laying it on a bit thick, old man," Edward muttered quietly, thankful Bella was facing away from him; he was finding it quite difficult to keep a straight face.
'You're just jealous you aren't the only one who can make her blush.' Raising a single eyebrow infinitesimally at his son, Carlisle continued his examination.
"How does the head feel?" Edward watched as Bella shivered slightly at the gentle touch to her head from Carlisle's icy hands. She winced. "Tender?" Carlisle asked.
"Only a little," she said quietly.
Carlisle checked her pupil reactions and, seemingly happy, nodded to himself.
"Well, everything looks fine to me, and nothing on the x-ray either. Just take some Tylenol as needed for any headaches, and do try to avoid almost getting run over by vans. Then you should be fine," he teased with a smile.
"I would have been run over if Edward hadn't stopped it," Bella said suddenly, glancing surreptitiously at Edward. He felt his father's gaze follow hers.
'I could never be disappointed that you saved her, Edward, but something tells me you'll have your work cut out trying to change her mind.'
"Yes, it was lucky Edward was close by on hand," Carlisle said gently. Bella frowned but didn't respond.
"Can I go back to school?" Bella asked.
"I would have thought you may prefer to go home and rest?" Carlisle looked at her in surprise.
"But he's going back, isn't he?" she said, gesturing at Edward.
"Someone has to tell everyone that we survived," he said with humour. Bella meanwhile just frowned at him.
"Your father will be here soon to take you home. I'd prefer if you didn't drive for the next couple of days just to be on the safe side," Carlisle elaborated. "In the meantime, I think one of your friends would like to come and speak to you." He smiled knowingly; Carlisle had obviously sensed Harry's arrival at the hospital as well.
"Oh," Bella said simply. "Alright then. Thank-you Doctor Cullen."
"My pleasure," he said with another one of his bright smiles causing Bella to blush spectacularly once more. Edward listened to his father chuckling internally as he left the room.
'Oh, she is a sweet one, Edward. I'll send Harry in to her.'
Edward smiled to himself. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at your place, Bella."
She frowned. "Why at my place?"
"You aren't supposed to be driving, remember? I'll pick you up and then we can go get Harry as well." Edward hoped that Harry was here to reconcile with Bella and not to start another argument. Bella certainly looked unsure at his suggestion, as though she too wondered whether the English boy was still her friend.
"Sure, that'd be great," she said kindly. "See you then." She gave him a calculating look before adding, "By the way, our discussion from before isn't finished."
Edward chuckled as he walked to the door. "Suit yourself."
Harry had crossed paths with Doctor Cullen – Carlisle he kept insisting on being called – in the hospital waiting area and he directed Harry to find Bella. Judging by the usual friendly smile the Doctor gave him, he was none the wiser to Harry's last words to Bella before she was almost crushed by a van and killed.
'Almost killed because of me.'
That much he knew. Had she not been reduced to tears by him, she could have seen where she was going. Had he not compared one of her friendships to dirt, they would have walked calmly together into the school minutes before Tyler had lost control.
Harry could have done something. Without his promise to not use magic, he could have saved her like he had saved those people on that scaffolding by the hospital. But he had renounced that part of his life, and so it was Edward Cullen who had needed to save the day. And save it he had, at a great risk to his family's own secret. Was it possible Harry had misjudged him? If he was so protective of Bella that he risked exposure, could he actually be… good?
Good or not, it wouldn't matter so much anyway, Harry figured, if Bella decided she never wanted to speak to him again. Harry wouldn't be able to blame her if she did; he had said horrible things to her about her friendship with Edward but also about her. He wished he could take back his words, but as he knew from a long history of spats and rows with friends, the only way to fix them was to talk. He just wished the Cullens didn't have to hear everything as well.
Harry spotted the aforementioned Cullen coming out of a room up ahead, presumably Bella's. He was proven correct, as Edward nodded once at him and said, "She's in there waiting for you."
Harry didn't respond. He just nodded once before walking into the room.
Bella was sitting on the edge of a small examination table, swinging her legs freely. She was facing away from the door and so couldn't see that Harry had just walked in. He cleared his throat uncomfortably making her turn around.
"Harry!" She cried, clearly surprised at his presence. She was watching him carefully as though unsure of whether he was here to be caring or to yell at her again. "I wasn't expecting you to show up." It was said somewhat icily.
"Um, yeah," he began awkwardly, "I wanted to see how you were doing."
Eyeing him suspiciously she answered, "I'm fine. Why did you actually come?"
'Because it's my fault you almost died.'
"I didn't trust Cullen to take care of you properly," he tried to say bitterly. Instead it came out almost as a question. She stared at him in disbelief once more.
"Look, Bella," he relented, "I'm really sorry about what I said. It wasn't fair of me to say any of that. I don't think Cullen – Edward – is talking to you just because of me. I reckon he's just worked out the same thing I have: that you're one of the few people in this school worth being friends with." He finished with a small smile, one of the only genuine smiles he had given anyone since arriving in Forks.
"I know you didn't mean any of it," Bella admitted quietly. "You had a right to be angry. I haven't spent anywhere near as much time with you as I usually would."
Harry shrugged. "I shouldn't expect you to choose between the two of us. I guess if Cull– Edward saved your life then I can put up with him a bit better." This admission from Harry brought a tight frown to Bella's face, a reaction Harry had not anticipated.
"But that's just it, Harry," she said. "How did he save me? He wasn't anywhere near me at the time! And how does a person just push a van out of the way? He wasn't even hurt!"
Harry considered her carefully. He, of course, knew just how Cullen had managed it. Bella, meanwhile, had no idea and that's the way it had to stay. The Cullens had kept quiet about Harry and what he could do, yet another thing he had to respect the family for. The least he could do was return the favour.
"Bella," he began, "Edward was standing right beside you at the time." She ignored him.
"Edward's been trying to change the subject when I bring it up, but I don't understand why." She looked at Harry, pleadingly. "You must have seen something, Harry? How did he get to me so fast?"
"He didn't have to. He was next to you, he'd been about to talk to you." He hated lying to her and the look of hurt it brought to her face sickened him. He had just apologised for being unforgivably rude and now he was being openly dishonest. Harry knew it was what he had to do, but that didn't make it any less horrible.
"What? I thought you out of all people would believe me!" She snapped. "Just go away, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow." And she got up and walked out of the room.
Harry sighed. "You'd better bloody thank me, Cullen," he muttered darkly. Seeing no reason to stay, Harry walked out after Bella.
"I know, thank you." The damn vampire was standing out in the hallway, presumably coming out from his hiding place or else Bella would have seen him. Reminding himself of his promise to not hate the guy, Harry gave a polite nod as he walked past him.
"She doesn't believe you, does she?" A voice came out of nowhere making him jump.
"Bloody hell!" he cried. "Do you people have to sneak up on me all the time?" He frowned angrily at the doctor. "She doesn't, no, but she and I will have to deal with that, I guess," he answered once his heart had settled.
Doctor Cullen tilted his head in that curious way he had. "You are determined to keep our secret, aren't you? Why?"
Harry shrugged. "You've kept mine. Besides," his face turned dark, "as I've said before: your job – your life – means more to you than anything like that does to me."
"Harry –" Carlisle started with a concerned frown.
"See you Wednesday," Harry said quickly, hurrying past the man and out the door.
