A/N: The pinball scene—had it happen to me once. *swoon*

[Muses:]
You keep on denying
Who you are and how you're feeling
Baby, we're not buying
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown-up
When ya gonna own up
That ya got, got, got it bad

[Meg:]
Whoa: No chance, no way
I won't say it, no, no

I Won't Say (I'm in Love) - Hercules.

Chapter 24

Hurricane Edward

Bella's POV

The game was eight innings, lasted three hours, and kept us all on the edge of our seats. The energy in the air was electric, and I found myself being caught up in the excitement and anticipation of it as Alice clutched me in a vice-like grip, unable to watch for most of it.

The Spartans got ahead in the seventh inning and won 8-5. This is when Alice promptly burst into tears, and pulled me after her down the bleachers, putting me in serious peril, as we bounded down, weaving through spectators.

When we made it to the perimeter fence, Alice leaped over it and ran to Jazz, throwing herself into his arms. Smiling to myself knowingly, I turned to look for Edward; he wasn't in the dugout.

I was more disappointed that he wasn't able to play than what I thought I'd be. The last game he played in I arrived half way with Ness; that was the day I realised Edward was making more of an impact on me than what I wanted to admit. He'd caught a ball, which looked for certain was going to go over the boundary fence, by leaping into the air and stretching his arm out, before turning and throwing it to home base, all in one fluid movement.

My knees had practically buckled while my mind wanted to scoff cynically at myself. How torn I was back then. I wish I could say I was still the same way, but I wasn't. I couldn't deny it anymore, and it scared me.

I hated to feel this way.

I scanned the crowds quickly, but there was no sign of him. I decided to head back to our seat in the bleachers when I suddenly caught the soft, huskiness of his voice close to my ear. "Hey, Bella."

Startled, I turned around and almost fell against him. "Hey! Congratulations! Great game!" I said in a flustered way as he righted me.

"Yeah ... it was," he mumbled in agreement. He was smiling down at me, those jade green eyes of his canvassing mine deeply. They flickered with a kind of wistful sadness before eventually it echoed in his face.

"It must have been hard watching from the side lines, huh?" I was fighting the urge to wrap my arms around him in consolation. The look of disappointment on his face was so prevalent, yet he refused to allow that smile on his lips wane.

"It was ... a little bit," he admitted with half a shrug.

Alice was definitely right. I was in definite trouble!

Now that I had accepted what I was feeling for Edward instead of fighting it, I was beginning to feel like I was in that eerie calm you get before a major storm hits. The sort of storm where the air is filled with static electricity so tangible that when it washes over you the hairs on the back of your arms and neck stand on end.

That's how I felt in Edward's presence now. It wasn't just desire I was feeling, or attraction, it was also panic.

Panic because Edward could hurt me in ways that only my mother was able to in the past. I knew this because he already had.

I was suddenly bumped from the side, all but falling against Edward's chest again as someone shoved past me. His arms flew out to steady me before he drew his arm around my shoulder, pulling me gently toward him.

My senses immediately flooded and a moment of wooziness took hold of me. I hated to admit it, but I had let Edward do what I swore I never would: charm me.

At that moment, and just in time to save me from myself, a group of guys from the team grabbed Edward and pulled him backwards through the gate to the field. His arm slipped from my shoulder just as they proceeded to shower each other and Edward with cans of cola.

He flashed me an apologetic smile before he was pulled further into the team's celebrations. Jazz was among them I noticed, so I looked around for Alice, who just then seemed to materialise beside me. She startled me so much that I jumped in surprise.

"Bloody Hell, Als!" I laughed after my heart stilled.

"Come on, bogan, they're having the presentation soon. Then we're off to celebrate!" she replied with over the top enthusiasm, before dragging me back to our original spot in the bleachers where Emmett and Rose remained.

The team was presented with the winner's trophy and each player was given a medal. Edward stood, almost comically among his uniformed team mates, wearing his big pen t-shirt, which was drenched through to his chest with cola. It elicited a sudden rush of desire within me that I felt it burn to the surface of my face

I peeked at Alice, suddenly paranoid that what I was feeling was obvious, but she was too busy gazing proudly at Jazz with tears welling in her eyes, to notice. When I glanced at Rose, however, it was obvious she was seeing straight through me. She only smirked at me in that shrewd way of hers, validating that Jake had been right all along; what I felt about Edward was written across my face.

Afterwards, there was more commotion as people scattered in all directions to leave. Alice ran off, practically jumping over the edge of the bleachers to escape the crowds in her haste to get to Jazz. I hung back with Rose and Emmett who were sitting the crowds out, making a move a few minutes later.

I had taken only a few steps towards the parking lot, when I immediately came to an abrupt stop, with my breath catching in the back of my throat. There was half a dozen guys from the team all hanging out in front of Alice's car with her and Jazz. Edward was among them, and what had stopped me short was the fact that as I approached, he suddenly pulled his t-shirt over his head.

My heart stalled, while my eyes absorbed every curve and contour of his bare chest until they fell still on the five-inch scar that ran parallel to the left side of his stomach. It was still pink and tender-looking, and I noticed as Edward pulled on a clean shirt that his movements indicated that he was still very conscious of it.

Taking a measured breath, I deliberately broke my gaze from him, slowing my pace to allow an approaching crowd from behind to move in front of me. I didn't really want Edward to know that I'd caught him half naked, and I needed more time that I realised to recover from the fact that I had.

When I was within a few metres, Edward glanced in my direction, a smile immediately lightning up across his face. I smiled back and folded my arms across my chest to protect myself from the approaching chill that dusk was bringing with it. It was also to muffle the echoed thudding of my heart that continued relentlessly as my gaze held on to Edward's. It was easy enough to convince everyone I was cold; I was. It was almost summer, and as everyone was breaking out their short sleeves, all I had done was remove one of the many layers I wore.

"There you are. We were just about to send a search party out for you," Alice said brightly.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"We're just deciding where to go to celebrate," Edward answered me, his tone was deep, and I had the sudden ridiculous urge to close my eyes to properly take in the soft timbre of it. Instead, I sighed impatiently beneath my breath as my stomach squirmed with an edge of panic.

I was impatient because I was so panicked.

That afternoon in Bio I'd been flirting with him—openly and without reservations, but that was before I let my thoughts wander to the ramifications of really opening myself up to him. That's when I started becoming plagued by doubt. Deep down, I knew it was just an impulse and its origins had implanted themselves in me years before I'd ever met Edward, years before I'd moved to Forks, but it was still hard to overcome.

Old habits die hard, they say.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked me quizzically, his brow furrowing.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," I stammered, smiling at him quickly.

His smile turned warm, and as my heart accelerated with both longing and fear—because I was now completely defenceless to him—I found myself becoming more and more frustrated.

It was old Bella's reasoning, I told myself. Pre-Forks Bella. Bella, when Renee was my only relative, and who I'd allowed to repeatedly hurt me.

Edward wasn't Renee, and I was no longer old Bella!

Pushing these cruxes from my mind, I moved to stand beside him, nudging him teasingly. I heard his breath leave him in shortly, before he draped his arm over my shoulders.

It's going to be fine—you're going to be fine, I told myself one last time.

The discussion on where to go went on for several more minutes before it was decided that we were going to the pool hall in Port Angeles.

The guys headed to their own cars, leaving Alice and Jazz to feel free to express their love and affection with just Edward and I present.

I cleared my throat, maybe too softly, because it did little to distract the two of them. "Um ... I guess I'll head..." I left the sentence unfinished, knowing there was absolutely no possibility that either one of them heard.

"Are you coming too, Bella?" Edward had his back to Alice and Jazz but it was still obvious that his skin was practically crawling.

I wanted to laugh, because I knew exactly what he was feeling.

"Sure," I answered with a simple shrug, feeling a wave of disorientation by his returning smile.

"Do you mind if I ride with you again?" he asked, tilting his head in Alice and Jazz's direction and raising his brow in emphasis.

I laughed softly. "Come on then."

. . .

Edward directed me out of town and onto the freeway to Port Angeles; it was only another five minutes until we reached the pool hall.

We didn't talk much during the drive, I was plagued by that gnawing panic again over the fact that my feelings for Edward seemed to be already getting away from me. We could talk so easily, yet we sat in awkward silence and the more I tried to fight off the panic, the more the awkwardness grew.

Edward cleared his throat softly several times as if he was going to speak, but didn't. He rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers and scratched the back of his head—all fidgety things that practically screamed out how uncomfortable I was making him.

By the time we arrived, he practically bolted out of the car—not that I could blame him. I pulled the keys from the ignition and took a deep, frustrated breath.

I'm no longer old Bella, I wanted to yell.

But I knew deep down a part of me always would be.

I turned to open the car door, determined to erase my crappy past and all its irrelevance to my life right here and now, when it suddenly swung open, startling me. Edward was standing in front of me, his hand held out and that grin of his in tow.

"You okay?" Charming, yet unsure of himself. This seemed to be who Edward was lately; ironically I missed that cocky guy he was so good at being.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied, semi flustered.

I took his hand, it was … clammy and I had the urge to chuckle. Instead, pretending not to notice, I allowed him to help me out of the car. He didn't release my hand; instead, he tightened his grip around it and led me towards the entrance of the small building.

I glanced up at it; there was a neon sign at the front of two crossed pool cues, but other than that it seemed all but quiet. I'd be almost convinced it was empty inside but for the fact that the small parking lot out front was full.

The pool hall was dim and there was a haze of smoke that hung permanently in the air. In the middle of the room there was four pool tables beneath long halogen lights that illuminated them. A couple of dart boards, pin ball machines and a rusty looking duke box aligned one wall, and on the opposite was a bar, where several of the guys from the team were already sitting and joking about rowdily.

This was where Edward led me.

"Hey, dude!" One of the guys that I sort of recognised from school piped up. He and Edward did one of those guy handshakes, before he turned to me. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Edward and I quickly glanced at each other, then back to him when he added nonplussed, "Hey, I'm Jackson?"

"Hi, I'm Bella," I replied, smiling rather awkwardly knowing my face was probably brighter than the neon sign out front from the girlfriend remark—though, I didn't mind it at all.

"Oh, you're the Aussie!" Jackson stated with an amused grin.

"Uh ... yeah..." I answered, immediately self-consciousness.

"I didn't know you were going out with the Aussie, dude!" Another guy from the bar stated.

Edward opened his mouth and spoke maybe one syllable before the guy turned to me with a look of amused curiosity. "So, Bella, say something Australian?"

Edward groaned completely in sync with my internal one, before shoving him playfully. "This is Robert," he said to me.

I recognised him immediately. It was his party where Edward had almost killed himself.

"Hi," I said adding a friendly smile to my hidden discomfort and silently prayed he'd lose interest in hearing my bogan language.

Whether he did or not I thankfully didn't get to find out because Edward began introducing me to more of the guys on the team. I suspected it was half his motivation for it.

Once everyone was properly acquainted with each other, Edward ordered a couple of drinks before Alice, Jazz and two girls, who were vaguely familiar, approached us.

"So, Bells, you found it OK," Alice said slinging her arm around my shoulders to turn me towards the two girls.

"Yeah, no thanks to two certain people," I replied throwing her a wry, knowing grin.

She grinned broadly, almost sheepishly, before clearing her throat and began her introductions. "Bella, this is Tanya and Kate. Guys, this is Bella."

"Hi," I said with a friendly smile, having sudden deja vu, with an accompanying pang of fear in the pit of my stomach from my first day at Forks High School.

"Tanya is Jackson's girlfriend and Kate is Robert's," Alice explained.

"Don't hold that against us, though," Kate quipped with a light chuckle, before her eyes turned in Robert's direction.

I smiled and opened my mouth to speak when Jazz came up to Alice from behind and wrapped his arms around her, snuggling his face into the side of her neck.

"We're going to play pool, Alley cat," he murmured into her neck.

I turned my attention quickly back to Tanya and Kate, who were smirking at each other cynically. Kate caught my gaze and I smiled back in understanding.

"Totally gross, right?" she said rolling her eyes in emphasis.

I was about to agree when a bottle of Coke was passed over my shoulder to me. I took it and turned around to face Edward, he flashed me a quick smile. "Have fun."

"You too," I answered, returning his smile with added affection before I turned quickly back to the girls, having a sudden onset of disorientation again.

"So how long have you and Edward been a couple?" Kate asked me casually as I followed her, Tanya and Alice and seated myself at the bar.

"Umm ... actually we're just friends," I explained. I'd made an extra effort to sound casual but judging from their expressions, they didn't buy it.

"Friends…" Tanya echoed, her tone trailing off before she raised a sceptical brow.

I sort of shrugged, unsure how to respond, while my face flushed boldly, all but contradicting me.

"Umm, Bella?" Kate spoke up delicately. "It's pretty obvious from the way he looks at you that he's feeling more than friendship."

Alice from beside me snorted. "Total understatement! They're going to Prom together as well."

I started to understand why Edward referred to Alice as an evil little rat. Not that I'd ever heard him exactly say it, other than muttering it to himself. I turned to her and scowled, only half teasingly, before I quickly turned to Kate. "As friends," I repeated the lie.

Alice nudged me teasingly; I only sighed, breaking into a resigned smile.

"Oh yeah ... friends..." Tanya replied with deliberate cynicism, sliding into the stool beside me. "Mm-hmm."

I rolled my eyes in good nature, but didn't offer a reply.

Technically it was true, at the moment Edward and I were just friends. It was a hell of a lot more than what I thought we'd be just a few weeks ago, but I couldn't deny that the idea of being only Edward's friend made me feel more panicked than the idea of being more.

Alice suddenly slung her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in with light affection. "You know we're only teasing you, right, Bells?"

I turned to her and smiled genuinely. "Of course I do."

"You're not mad?" she asked as a brief look of uncertainty crossed her face.

I scoffed softly. "Don't be a dag."

"Well you know me, dag extraordinaire." She grinned before continuing after a short pause, "So are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit distracted tonight."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered simply.

Alice gazed at me, her forehead creasing faintly as she continued to eye me doubtfully. Then seeming to shake it off, she spoke up, "Come on, let's go perv on the boys."

"Righto." I chuckled softly before jumping down from the bar stool and allowing Alice to pull me over to where Tanya and Kate had levitated to by the jukebox. As we passed the pool table where Jazz and Edward were playing against Jackson and Robert, Edward looked up and smiled at me warmly. Before I could think about a response, my lips had already formed into a returning smile.

As soon as Alice and I sat at the small round table, Kate turned to Tanya and snickered lightly before turning to me with a devious look in her eyes. "Oh, look at Edward's starry eyed gaze of …" she broke off to deliberately draw it out, clearing her throat to exaggerate it further, "friendship."

Alice laughed.

"Well, if that's the look he gives his friends then his 'come fuck me' look should have the power to unhook your bra and take off your panties all on its own," Kate spoke up, completely straight faced, raising her brow at me suggestively just as I inhaled my Coke and almost drowned on it.

They all laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the boys, as I attempted not to snort cola through my nose. When I was confident that my face was no longer a beetroot and my eyes weren't bulging out of my head, I shot a discreet glance at Edward and immediately caught his gaze. He tilted his head fractionally to the side before turning the full force of his smile on me and mouthed "you okay?"

I nodded quickly and a little stiffly, my replied smile probably forced.

Not old Bella and definitely not feeling only friendship!

"I see you've got the friendship eyes happening too, Bella," Tanya added with a defining smirk.

After another flood of heat rushed to my face, I finally admitted, "Okay, I like Edward."

Kate laughed. "Bella, you're too easy. So, how come you left Australia?"

"Hey, guys, let's put something on the duke box!" Alice quickly interjected and I felt an immediate surge of affection for her.

We took turns choosing songs on the ancient looking duke box, laughing at each other's selections until all that was left to choose from were love songs. At this point our boys had finished their game, and Alice had pulled Jazz onto the makeshift dance floor to do everything but dance with him. Tanya and Kate followed soon after, disappearing with Robert and Jackson, which left only Edward and me, along with four other guys from the team who were still playing pool.

I was sitting down at the rickety little table next to the duke box when Edward came and sat down next to me, flashing me a warm smile with elements of uncertainty.

"Do you want another coke?" he asked me after a moment of awkwardness.

I shook my head in answer. "I'm fine."

"Do you want a game of pool?" he offered after another round of silence.

I chuckled softly. "I suck at pool. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very dexterous, Edward."

"Who, Bella Swan? I would have never guessed," he teased me with a cheeky grin.

I only flashed him a feigned scowl, and whacked his hand that rested on the table.

Laughing softly, he glanced over his shoulder at Jazz and Alice briefly and when he turned back there was a look of slight exasperation knotted into his brow.

"I'll give you a lift home if you'd rather avoid those two," I offered. I knew Alice had plans with Jazz that didn't include driving Edward home.

He smiled. "Thanks, Bella. If I know those two they won't be going straight home anyway."

"I live with a younger, sloppier version of them, so I am in complete empathy," I replied, faltering a little because he'd turned the combined intensity of his eyes and smile on me that soon grew with amusement.

"Why are they sloppy, Bella?" he asked, before hastily clearing his throat. "Never mind..."

I exhaled quickly through my nose, almost laughing at the notion of Edward asking about Jake's love life, but didn't offer a reply, and it seemed to break through the discomfort between us. For the next thirty or so minutes, we chatted easily, laughed and flirted—to the point where Edward began getting very hands on. At first he just played with my fingers, before his hand moved to my hair, and then my face, inching me closer to him...

I was beginning to feel flushed, semi-drunk, and incredibly jittery.

"Want to play pinball?" I spoke up, clearing my throat awkwardly.

"Sure," he replied, his voice deep, as an uncertainty reflected in his tone again.

Of course, I was absolutely crap at it. The little silver ball insisted on mocking me by running straight down the middle of the machine exactly five seconds after I slotted it into action. Each time it did Edward would laugh, and every time he laughed, the timbre of it turned more and more gentle. It was incredibly distracting and didn't contribute to my pinball playing skills to say the least.

Edward insisted I play, only to laugh at me as my score bordered new lows, but when I had all but given up, he suddenly closed in behind me; placing his hands over mine, helping me coordinate the timing of the button. I almost instinctively tensed before my heart began to hammer, and it wasn't long before it took almost all my concentration not to simply surrender myself and lean against him.

Edward pressed my fingers over the buttons at the right moments and the ball surged up through the machine. I was overjoyed by our sudden success, expressing it openly. Edward chuckled, I felt the slight rocking of his body as it vibrated from his chest, and again the urge to relax into him became almost overwhelming.

We played like that for several minutes. Our game score climbed higher and higher, and as Edward's efforts continued, his body brushed against mine sending bursts of shock waves through me, making me grateful that I had my back to him. I was finding it hard to become accustomed to Edward's proximity; it was impossible when every nerve ending in my system was buzzing with the ambience of it.

Then he moved closer.

He leaned in over my shoulder, moving my hair from obstructing his view before he bent further down to whisper in my ear, "See, Bella, it's all in the timing." His voice was soft and gravelly and his breath was warm as it washed over my face, burning my skin with an undercurrent of desire.

He didn't move away. His body remained lightly pressed against me, shrouding me completely in the warmth of his constantly heated skin, and I knew from that precise moment, the storm was definitely brewing.

The complete awareness I had of him was just beginning to give way to gnawing of panic, when he placed both his hands on my shoulders squarely, his warm fingers brushing gingerly against each collar bone. My hands froze over the buttons and I watched almost dazed as the ball bounced off a couple of obstacles before it rolled between the levers. I was cognizant only of Edward's hands as they gently squeezed my shoulders, his breath washing hotter over my bared skin.

I began feeling overheated, my mind beginning to fog, before I relaxed myself against him only a fraction. He ran his hands down my arms, his fingers barely grazing the cotton of my shirt, before they gripped my waist and gently turned me to face him.

When I looked up to meet his gaze, he was staring at me, his eyes burning deep in their depths. My heart was pounding, and I was sure he could feel it against him, as well.

He slipped his arms further around my waist, drawing me even closer to him, before he smiled. But this wasn't a smile I was accustomed to from him. It wasn't the one he gave me when he was finding amusement in my accent. It wasn't one of those cocky self-assured ones when he was bombarding me with pens, and it wasn't one of his arrogant ones when he was acting like an asshole.

It was … flooded with insecurity, and my heart went out to him.

I returned his smile with warmth. I felt dazed, but I was willingly surrendering to him, without a shred of panic or apprehension.

He tilted his head almost with caution, and that's all it took to snap me back to reality—and totally screw it up.

Pulling from his embrace—whether it was instinctual or not I wasn't sure—I took a step backwards, banging up against the pinball machine and wincing.

Instantly Edward's demeanour changed. A look of doubt broke across his face along with something else that caused me to immediately regret my impulsive reaction.

Rejection.

I opened my mouth to apologise, but Edward beat me to it. "I-I'm sorry, Bella," he stammered, his deep voice soft but brimming with doubt. His eyes met mine only very briefly before he released a hand from around me, running it to the back of his neck, as he severed my gaze.

"No, Edward!" I blurted out hastily. "Don't be sorry, you just kind of caught me off guard. It's not that I don't want to..." I let it go with a deep sigh, my eyes dropping to the floor.

Bloody hell. If only he knew how much I wanted to kiss him; how much I wanted him to kiss me.

When I looked back up, Edward was smiling at me again, only this time it was awkward. He nodded and sort of half shrugged. "Okay."

"I really didn't mean to react that way," I insisted, my voice soft with regret, wanting for him to believe me.

"Bella, it's fine," he replied. He reached over, grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him in the direction of the bar. "Has anyone ever told you that you think too much?" he teased me.

I laughed softly though it held a shadow of bitterness. He sounded exactly like Nummi. "Constantly."

We sat back at the bar, and after Edward ordered us another round of sodas, he turned to me.

"Bella...?" he breached; his tone was uncertain again, and his expression reflected it further.

"Yeah?"

"Are ... you sure ... about prom?" He looked away, his hand moving to run through his hair.

"W-what do you mean?" I faltered. Had he changed his mind? Did he think I had?

When he turned back to me he looked ... unsure. "You—I dunno. You seem different tonight. Uncomfortable..."

I released my breath, relieved, before breaking into an apologetic smile. "Of course I'm sure. I'm sorry I'm being ... spacey. I don't mean to be."

"Bella ... tell me what's bothering you?" he asked me, his tone dropping, seriously.

"I..." I began, biting down on my lip and glancing away, unsure how to explain it. When I looked back at him, I broke into a sheepish grin and shrugged a shoulder. Because how could I tell him he scared the crap out of me?

He took a heavy breath, releasing it, as if he understood, before breaking into an almost conceding smile.

"How about we take it a day at a time, okay?" He sounded so sincere that it immediately created a swell of affection within me.

Edward often came across as impulsive and hot-headed, but he often showed a vulnerability and sweetness that broke through all my barriers.

Broke through old Bella's barriers.

. . .

It was past one am when I turned down the long, winding road to Edward's house.

Turning off the engine, I turned to him, flashing him a quick smile. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, though a word of warning," he spoke almost as a groan, his brow bunching.

"Okay…?" I asked curiously.

"Try to ignore Emmett," he answered dryly with the barest hint of exasperation.

I chuckled gently. "Alice has already warned me."

He moved to open the car door, but I reached out and grabbed his hand to prevent him. "Wait!" He turned back to gaze at me quizzically, before I closed the distance quickly between us, kissing him on the cheek tenderly. "Good night, Edward."

He turned his head to face me, his lips suddenly millimetres from mine. He paused, gazing at me for the longest moment.

"See ya, Bella," he replied eventually, his voice low and gravelly, but he didn't move away.

I blinked slowly, contemplating the idea of leaving my eyes closed and leaning towards him just that fraction more, redeeming myself from earlier that night, when Edward jumped quickly out of the Jeep. My eyes immediately snapped open, along with a pang of disappointment in my chest.

He took a step towards the porch, but then turned back around and tapped on my window. Confused, I wound it down, raising my eyebrows curiously.

"Hey?"

"yeah?"

"Later, alligator," he said with a sleepy, charming smile on his face, and with that he kissed his forefinger and placed it on my nose.

"You're a dag," I replied, my voice a tone softer, before breaking into an immediate grin.

Pushing his laughter through his nose, he jogged up to the porch, and turned, seeming to wait for me to leave.

With a deep, wavering sigh, I steered the Jeep around and headed home. I could still feel the heat from Edward enveloping me, and for the first time since I'd arrived in Forks, I turned the heater in my Jeep off.

. . .

My Uncle was waiting up when I got home, before feigning ignorance about 'not realising the time'. I broke into an affectionate smile; I loved him for caring.

"How's Jake?" I asked.

"Yacking up his lungs. The kid's pretty sick," he answered, cocking an ear suddenly just as the sound of thick, congested sounding coughing trailed down to us from upstairs.

"Poor thing." I sighed before I headed toward the stairs. "Goodnight, Uncle Billy."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he replied, turning off the television and making a move for the stairs himself.

I packed my clothes ready for my sleep over at Alice's the next day—Alice and Rose were coming early to pick me up for our prom shopping—before, putting my pink pen on my bedside table where I could see it. I climbed into bed, switched off the lamp, and waited for the sound of the rain to lull me off to sleep.

It took longer than usual with Edward's smiling face and smooth husky voice still at the forefront of my mind, before eventually I succumbed to the pull of exhaustion.

I dreamt about Kel again. I'd been dreaming of her every night for the last week. It was the same as it usually was; her and I sitting on the back fence of the horse paddock chatting. Exactly how we used to only a few months before.

The conversation was always centred on Forks and me, and this time was no exception.

"I'm glad you're giving Edward another go, Bells. He's a good bloke," Kel said lightly, trying to hide her amused smirk by biting into the carrot she was holding for her horse.

"I know he is, but he scares the hell out of me." I sighed, nudging her playfully, knowing full well that she was taking every delight in my situation.

"You just scare too easily. But I'm not kidding, Bells, he's good for you and you for him," she admitted with a serious edge to her tone.

I turned to her bemused and quizzical. "How do you know all this? You might not like him in the flesh."

"I've seen him in the flesh, and I have to say, you have a lot of willpower to hold out for so long after all those pens." She broke into laughter before whistling loudly, attracting the attention of a tall chestnut horse. Then jumping down off the fence, she ran after him through the field lithely, as though she had the wind beneath her feet.

I stared at her, a confused, unnerving feeling furrowing my brow. Her horse … it looked exactly like Chester. He had died when we were kids. He was her favourite horse and she'd been inconsolable for months.

In the next breath I was staring at the ceiling of my room with my rapidly beating heart lodged in my throat.

Outside, the rain continued to pelt against the shingles relentlessly, while the night sky lit up intermittently from bolts of lightning. It was a usual night in Forks and one that I was fast becoming accustomed to—even loving, but right then everything felt wrong. I wracked my mind for possible meanings; meanings other than the fact that Kel was dying, just as I did every night while my breathing evened out.

I had the urge to cry and I couldn't deny any more that the sense of foreboding was getting closer and closer.

I had to go back home.

A/N: Thanks for reading *smooch*