All normal disclosures made at the beginning still apply.

Chapter 2

I stand outside the bank early on Monday morning to make sure I was one of the first inside. I hand the check over to the teller with shaking hands. She looks at it and then at me. I rub my face as she walks away and comes back with, who I assume, is the bank manager.

"Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan, called me earlier and said that I was to cash this however, you direct me to do so. She also requested, if you are in agreement, that I was to set up a direct line of deposit into an account at this bank or one of your choice every Friday for the same amount. Those deposits will happen every Friday, starting this Friday. Does that sound like the same information you were told?"

I swallow and nod at him.

"Please hold still."

Before I can do anything, he has taken my picture. "Thank you, Mr. Cullen; I just want her to confirm that you are who you say you are, and to whom she gave this check."

I nod again as his phone beeps.

"Okay, Mr. Cullen, would you like to go ahead and set up a secure account here?"

I figure it will be the easiest way to do the transfer. I ask a few questions regarding if she would have the ability to withdraw funds after they have transferred and such. After all my questions are answered, and I have full account info in writing, I feel a little easier about using this bank.

"Here is your new bank balance, Mr. Cullen. Would you like to make a withdrawal from your account today?"

I look down at the paper feeling a little faint. Sure enough, I'm now seventy-seven thousand dollars richer. I grin and nod at him, almost feeling stupid. "Yes, two thousand dollars in cash please," I say.

I watch him count out the money and pass it to me. I skip out of the bank and head to the library. On my break, I call my janitor job and tell them I quit. I do the same with the bar work. I'm keeping the library desk job, because I like it.

At three, I'm waiting outside of Bella's school. I watch as groups of students leave, chatting with their friends, but none of them are Bella. As time goes on, I'm about to give up and kick the hell out of my car, when I catch a movement in the corner of my eye. I frown as I see Bella walking out with books in one hand and icepack up to her eye with the other. Just as I move off my car she tumbles down the stairs and I run quickly to her help her up.

"I thought you bailed on me," I say a little harsher than what I was meaning.

"Sorry, I fell asleep in class and no one thought to wake me before the bell rang. I jumped when it did and fell off of my chair. In the process I hit my head on my desk. So, I went to the nurse first, because I was a little dizzy. I don't have your number to call you."

I let out a sigh as I look at her. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

She shakes her head and looks to the ground.

"I know you're young, but maybe you should put off the partying just for a bit, or you'll drop dead on your feet."

"I'm not a party girl. I've just been finding it hard to sleep. The doctor thinks it's stress or something." She closes her eyes and lets out a sigh. "If you don't want to help me now, that's fine. Sorry I wasted your time."

She jumps up and starts to walk off. I pull at my hair knowing that I need this money—my family needs this money.

"I didn't say I wouldn't help you," I say pulling her around.

"Do you really think I want to spend x amount of hours with an asshole who thinks I'm the devil's offspring? You've made it clear that you dislike me, which I don't get, because you don't know me—well apart from my name and age, and the fact I have money."

I hold back my glare and sigh. "Fine, I'll ease up the best I can, but you better put a shit load of work into this."

She sighs and nods in agreement.

"Come on, let's go," I say walking her back to my car. I put her books in the trunk and she looks between the front seat and the back seat.

"I'm not a chauffeur and this isn't Driving Miss Daisy, so sit in the front."

She swallows nodding and gets in the front seat.

When I start my car, the song I was listening to comes on and Bella just looks at it.

"This is my car, so it's my choice of music."

"No, it's okay and I like it," she says softly.

I sigh, not sure if I will be able to pull this off without killing her. Thankfully, the rest of the drive is quiet. When I arrive home, I find out the reason why it was quiet. Bella is sound sleep, with her head against the window.

"Hey," I say shaking her little. She leaps up and looks at me almost in shock.

"This is my house."

She closes her eyes and then nods at me slightly. "Sorry," she mumbles softly as she makes her way out of the car.

I walk her into the house and she looks around herself. "The living room is in here," I say walking her into the room.

"This is nice."

The word, nice, comes out slowly and very low, and I hold back the growl. "Sorry, I know it's not the Plaza," I say.

She looks up at me with a frown. "I said I like it; it's small and nice."

"Small … what? You do know this is an average size house," I yell and she backs away a little from me. Her hands go up like she thinks I am going to smack her. "I may be of lower class, but that doesn't mean that I will hit you." Yeah, you really should not hit a girl, I think to myself.

"You said you'd try to ease off," she whimpers out.

"Yeah, that was before you were rude."

Her lip wobbles. "I'm sorry. I wasn't being rude; I live in a big house with over fifty rooms, I just ..."

"Well, isn't that nice for you," I snarl out cutting her off.

She mumbles something, but I'm past caring.

"Let's just get this done" I say grabbing the books I knew I'd need to teach her the things she wants to know.

"We need to start at the beginning," I say as I open the first book.

I take some time to explain it all, but the whole time I talk, she's yawning.

"Am I boring you?" I ask, in a pissed off tone of voice. I throw my pen down when her cell rings.

"Sorry," she says and then answers it.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to cancel; I won't be able to make it." She goes quiet and starts to play with her skirt. "No, I found someone to help ... Edward ... just some guy." I watch her rub her head. "No ... because ... no, I'm fine."

The way she says fine seems to tug a little at my mind, as it screams liar at her.

She goes quiet again, and a small smile plays at the corner of her mouth. "Everyone lies to their therapist; that's why you get paid the big bucks," she chuckles a little, but it sounds almost insincere. "I'll find out the times and schedule around it." She shakes her head at the cell, and I snort that she did that to answer whatever she was just asked. "I don't want to take pills. I'm fine. I just need to get some sleep."

For the first time since she started talking on her cell, I feel she said something true. I scan her again, and I'm taken aback by just how tired she really looks. I feel a little guilty about how short I've been with her.

She hangs up the cell, putting it away and looks at me for a few seconds. I notice that she drops her eyes. "I'm sorry about the call; it won't happen again. He's the only one that calls me anyway."

I swallow, unsure of how to take what she said. "Come with me," I say walking away quickly, knowing if I don't do this fast, I'll change my mind. I open my bedroom door and Bella looks at me as if she thinks I'm about to attack her.

"Just go to sleep – have a nap. No one is here and I need to go shopping anyway."

She bites her lip looking to me, then the bed.

"Just sleep. Do you ever do as you are told?"

She just looks at me again skeptically.

"Listen, Miss Swan, little kids are not my thing, neither are rich bitches, so you are more than safe in my bed."

Bella drops her head and turns it away from me. "Thanks," she mutters.

I make her look at me and I narrow my eyes at her. "One last note: I have never and would never rape a woman. Have a good nap; I'll be back."

I walk away before I can say anything harsher to her. I leave a note for my family in case they come back early, telling them about Bella. I also leave one out for Bella, telling her if she chooses to leave, that's fine, just to lock up.

I arrive home with a load of shopping. I put everything away knowing we have enough to hold us over for the next few weeks now. I even got us some treats. Once that is done, I spend time starting dinner.

Everything is done and when I look at the clock I see that I left her three hours ago. Since most of the family is due home at any time, I head to my room. I roll my eyes, seeing that she slept on top of my blankets with all of her clothes on, even her shoes.

"Hey," I say shaking her a little.

She starts to stir and looks at me a little confused. As she comes to more, she slides away from me.

"Time to go." I glare … fuck, I hate the fact she still thinks I am going to rape her or something. Like her skinny ass would do anything for me besides make me feel sick.

She looks at her watch and seems surprised at the time. "Oh, Edward, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep so long."

"Whatever – come on, my family will coming home from work, and this will be my first family dinner with them all in months."

She gets up and collects her belongings, and I walk her to the front door.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I say closing the door behind her. I walk straight into the kitchen and put the final touches on our dinner.

"Edward, why aren't you at work?" my mom asks as she walks into the kitchen. I turn to look at her and see she looks dead on her feet. "Just like Bella," my subconscious shouts at me inside my head. I shrug it off, knowing the little princess gets everything handed to her. A little hard work will do her good.

"I quit them all, except my day job at the library," I start, but Rose cuts me off.

"You selfish prick! I really can't believe you're doing this."

I roll my eyes at her. "I have a new job – a better job. I'm being paid seventy-seven thousand dollars a week."

Rose and my mom look at me in shock.

"Please tell me you're not whoring yourself to those rich bitches."

I stop what I'm doing and glare at Rose.

"Who is Bella, bro? You got a girl at long last?" Emmett comes in with my note I had left in the foyer.

"No, God no! There is no way in hell I would ever have her as my girl. I'll explain everything at dinner; just help me get this out."

Alice walks in; she's the last to arrive. Dad is still away, but we all sit down together. I tell them all about my meeting with Bella, and how I am helping her learn.

"Edward, isn't that a lot of money for what you're teaching her?" Alice says with some worry on her face.

"She's the one who agreed. She must have money to burn, and this will help us. He should make her pay for lunch and shit when he's with her. It's about time we had the upper hand on the rich," Rose says.

I wave my fork at her smiling. "You're so right, sis."

"Edward, how did she get home? Because if she left when you said she did, and I was home ten minutes later, you didn't give her a ride?" My mom asks and I shrug.

"You didn't at least call her a cab, did you?"

I swallow shaking my head, feel a little guilty. "No, I didn't."

"Okay, then you need to call and make sure she arrived home safely."

I feel myself pale even more. "I actually don't have her number," I say, and the hurt look on my mom's face makes me feel a little sick. "She'll be fine," I say to reassure her.

"Edward, we live next to a few bad areas; all it takes is one wrong turn."

I roll my eyes. "She more than likely called her driver," I say weakly.

"Edward, I know you're upset—we all are—but you can't let one rich, snotty, woman's behavior taint and affect how you treat other rich people. You said you were angry and that she was labelling you in one category. Sadly son, it looks like you've done that and even more to her. Just watch what you do and say. Someday, you may just find at the end of this, she's not what you think, but by then, you'll have done so much damage, she'll never see you as the man you are. Thanks for dinner." I watch my mom get up and leave the table.

I'm feeling very ashamed of my behavior and leave the table, too. I no longer have an appetite.

The rest of the night I replay everything. I know there were times she spoke about her business, and I tuned it out. I didn't want to hear about it. I know she said she'd give me a job, but this Denali bitch will put an end to it. The viper's family seems to be the top dogs in the businesses world.

~*FB*~

The next day, I'm back outside her school at three. This time she is out quicker. I frown when I notice she doesn't say goodbye to anyone. I notice a few of them look at her, and then chuckle to their friends, which makes her hold her books closer to her, almost if she using them as a shield.

"Everything okay?" I ask when she arrives at my car.

She turns and looks at them. "Yes – they just don't like change."

I give her a nod, but don't understand what she means.

"Bella," some guy shouts, and I watch her roll her eyes.

"Who's this, a new staff member?"

I glare at the boy who seems to not even notice me standing there looking at him. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I hate the rich," my inner voice shouts.

"No, he's a friend and someone who's helping me. Is there something you need, if not we need to go."

"Staff, give us a moment," he says without even looking at me.

"I got your staff," I mumble, after glaring at him.

"His name is Edward, and I think I just said he was a friend, unlike you."

I'm taken aback by the fact she just defended me, and the boy glares at her. "You've changed Bella, and not in a good way. We all get it that you like your staff to be cute, but dropping your friends for them is a big no. You are losing us."

"Mike, none of you were my friends to begin with. We need to leave now – goodbye."

Bella gets into my car and Mike shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"Hope she's paying you good money to fuck her; she needs some decent lessons in that department," Mike chuckles out before running off.

A/N: So we all learn that Edward does have a softer side. He wasn't raised to be such a jerk but has issues with seeing good things in rich people, especially girls. Bella clearly has a few issues with guys herself. What are your thoughts so far? See you all on Thursday with chapter 3.