Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and no copyright infringement is intended.

Bella and I kept our distance in public. It felt like people were watching us, waiting for one of us to explode. Jessica became like an octopus whenever Bella was near us, it was like she was marking her territory, showing the world and more importantly Bella, I was hers. If only she knew the truth. My secret assignations with Tanya had taught me to sneak around, to be devious and now this was coming in handy with Bella. Of course, we couldn't be seen together anywhere other than the library when we had the tutoring sessions arranged. My parents wouldn't let me get out of it that easily. I did try, but ended up on the receiving end of one of my fathers lectures on responsibility, and standing by the decisions I made. Of course, what he didn't know was these 'study sessions' usually ended up with us making out. I wanted more, and I know she did too but it was hard for her to know I was with Jessica.

Jessica was another problem altogether. She wanted more, she wanted to prove to the world I was hers and the only way she could see to that, was to get me into her bed. The thought of having sex with her made my blood run cold. It wasn't her I wanted, and just having to pretend was hard. I kept making excuses for why I wasn't ready to take our relationship to the next level, but she was pretty persistent.

Tonight was another of our tutoring sessions and once again we were alone. Our books and study notes were spread out on the dining table, but Bella and I were on the couch in the lounge. Wrapped in each others arms as we kissed and fumbled over our clothes. Things were getting slightly out of control when I heard a car door slam.

"Shit! They are home early." I sprang off the couch and went to the window, pulling the blind slightly aside to see who was about to interrupt us. To my horror, I saw it wasn't them. "It's Jessica." I hissed.

Bella smiled, applied her lip gloss and sat back down at the table and began to study the textbook we had abandoned previously. I felt like a deer caught in headlights, but Bella seemed really relaxed.

"Just sit down and act normal, you look guilty as hell right now." She scoffed.

I found myself sitting down in front of the textbooks and waiting for the inevitable knock on the door. It never came. Instead, Jessica just walked in. The door rebounded off the wall and before I could react, she was standing staring at us, arms folded across her chest, eyes narrowed at Bella.

"Looks cozy here." She then looked around. "Where's your folks?"

Bella just rolled her eyes at her and continued pretending to read.

I was on my feet and walked toward her. "They are out, we were studying Jessica."

She smiled at me, and a chill ran through me as she slipped her arm around my waist and pressed herself to me, whispering into my ear. "Oh, I can see that, now had I known you would be all alone we could've made the most of it."

"Do you mind? I'm trying to learn here, and quite frankly, you are putting me right off." Bella snarked while never looking up from her books.

"Listen bitch, he's my boyfriend now, and if I want to spend time with him then I will and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it." Jessica snapped back.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Bella muttered under her breath.

Jessica glared at her. "He's mine, you had your chance and you blew it. A bit like you did with James, but oh wait, you did blow him didn't you. Or at least that's what I've heard, but you weren't good at that, he dumped your skanky ass for Tanya. Maybe if you'd put out for him you wouldn't had to humiliate Edward like you did. It's your fault he nearly di-"

"That's quite enough." The voice that stopped Jessica mid - sentence was my mom. I turned around to see her standing in the doorway. Her face showed the anger which was radiating through her. "I want you to leave, now."

"Mrs Cullen, I...I..." Jessica stammered.

"Jess, I think you should leave." I whispered.

She nodded, tears filling her eyes as she walked out of the house.

"Mom, I'm sorry you had to hear that." I didn't know what to say to make it right. She painted a smile on her face and walked over to me. Cupping my face in her hands.

"It's okay, now don't you have a study session to finish?" She indicated to where Bella was sat, looking like she wanted to earth to open up and swallow her whole.

"We were about done weren't we Bella?" I fixed her with a look that begged her to agree with me, but she ignored me.

"No, we still have quite a bit to go through." She smiled sweetly at mom. "If you don't mind me staying Mrs Cullen?"

"Please Bella, I have told you, Mrs Cullen is my mother in law. You should call me Esme."

I watched as she walked over to Bella and put her hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Bella." She smiled widely before heading into the kitchen.

I was totally confused as to what had just happened, but I knew Jessica would not take this lying down. There would be some fallout, she wouldn't let it go.

"Bella, do you really think we should continue to study?" I asked.

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Hell yeah, I am not letting that bitch interfere interrupt what we were doing, but I suppose she kinda did. We need to get this study done, although I would much rather be making out with you." A smile lit up her face at the end and I found myself getting closer and closer to her. I gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she grabbed hold of my shirt and pulled me down for a longer, deeper kiss. Neither of us wanted to end it, but we sprang apart when my mom called out from the kitchen.

Bella giggled. "Stop looking so guilty Edward."

"I can't help it, I mean we actually shouldn't be doing this." I replied.

"I know." She kissed me on the lips. "But it makes it so much more fun."

My body reacted to her, I wanted her more than I had ever done before. We still hadn't crossed the line which would see us taking our relationship back to where it had been before all this happened. I knew she wanted me, and I sure as hell wanted her. But we'd agreed on baby steps.

"You are such a tease Ms Swan."

"Yeah and you love it."

I was about to answer her when I heard mom ask. "Edward, are you listening to me?" Then she popped her head around the door. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

I blushed, mumbling under my breath. Bella was quicker. "Sorry, Edward was just explaining some trigonometric equations." She beamed at mom.

"Will you be staying for dinner Bella? I wasn't sure if Charlie was working late tonight."

Bella looked at her watch. "No, he should be home in about an hour. He's been off fishing with Billy all day so we'll be eating whatever he caught today." Then she started to collect her books. "So I had better head off home."

"You are always welcome here Bella, you know that." Mom smiled at her, glancing at me with a look which said so much, without actually a word being spoken.

"Thank you Esme, I might take you up on that. Charlie was talking about taking an overnight fishing trip at the weekend." Bella winked at me, the implication was there, she would be home, alone. No Charlie.

"I hope you're not going to have any wild parties." Mom teased.

"No, not at all. I plan on catching up with some of my studying."

Mom looked shocked. "Oh, you really are a surprise at times. Maybe Edward could call round and you could study together."

Bella ran her hand through her hair. "I couldn't ask him to do that, it's too much to ask."

"Nonsense. Edward would love to help you. Wouldn't you?" She turned to me, leaving me standing there slack-jawed.

"I've got plans this weekend, there's a party I've been invited-"

I didn't get to finish as mom fixed me with a steely gaze. "You mean you are going with her I suppose." I glanced at Bella, who looked upset.

"Yes, Who else would I be going with?" I responded.

"We'll discuss this later." Mom left us, muttering under her breath.

"Wow, she really isn't Jessica's biggest fan is she?" Bella teased as I walked her out of the house.

"You could say that. She tries her best, for my sake. I don't think tonight will have helped any." I sighed. "But she doesn't have to like her, I'd rather she didn't."

Bella stopped by her car, leaning against the door as she smiled at me. "Yeah, funny how no-one seems to like her."

There was nothing I could say, I merely shrugged and thrust my hands into my pockets. What I really wanted to do was kiss her, knowing I wouldn't see her like this for a few days.

Just as I debated taking the risk. My cell phone rang and my heart sank when I saw it was Jessica. I rolled my eyes as I answered the call.

"Hey Jess."

"Is she still there? I know she is Edward don't lie to me." She was shouting.

"We were only studying, you know I have to do this."

"You don't have to do anything Edward, but you still do. I hate her being there, you two being alone. I thought your mom would be there at the very least, and then I find the two of you, alone. Have you any idea how it looked to me? I mean anyone but her Edward and I would be okay, but she is trying to get her claws back into you again."

I blocked out the rest of what she was saying, pulling the phone away from my ear as she continued to vent. Bella stifled a giggle as she went up onto her tiptoes and placed a kiss on my cheek before getting into her car and driving off. Once she had gone, I brought the phone back to my ear and found Jessica was still ranting at me and I was getting bored of it.

"Listen Jess, as great as it is to talk to you, I can't stay on the line all night. I'm not gonna stop with the tutoring just cause you don't like it. Now grow up." I waited for her to react, to throw some childish strop, but she didn't instead she seemed to be pleased.

"Hmmm, putting me in my place baby, I love it. Look, my folks are out late, why don't you come on over and see me." She purred down the phone at me. I shuddered at the thought, just glad she couldn't see me.

"I'd love to, but I've got mom on my case tonight. Plus we have that English paper due first thing." I let it hang there, what she didn't know was I'd already done mine.

"Shit! I'd forgotten about that. Okay, well call me later, yeah?"

With that, the call ended and I walked back into the house, knowing full well Mom would have something to say about what she saw earlier.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I was shocked when nothing was said, mom just went about her business as usual. It was as if the scene Jessica caused never happened. I guessed I was in the clear, for now. Knowing my folks were putting me and what they thought I wanted first, still made me feel bad about lying to them about seeing Jessica. But even if I wasn't, there was no way I was ready to go public with Bella again and neither was she. We were still finding our way. One day and I hoped it was soon, we would stand together and not care what the world said, we would have each other and our love would be strong enough to survive whatever the pupils of Forks High School could throw at us. After all when you had already been to hell and back, was there anything else that could challenge you?

Authors Note:

Pre-read by the wonderful ETphonehome.

Thanks for reading and sorry for delay. I planned to get back onto this when I wrapped up Taken, then writers block hit, and I started a night course at college which is taking up time.

What do you think of Edward, is he playing with fire? You know how that saying goes.