Author Note: Thanks for the great response to this story! You all seem to know who Andre the Giant is — I guess everyone has seen Princess Bride!
Teasers for guessing the chapter title from the late Glenn Frey went to: Midnight Cougar, DICATAKADD, Arctic1, Judyblue95, SassYNoleS, That'sMzPeachesTYVM, tff000, MissyDy, and Don't trust your eyes.
Thanks again to moosals for pre-reading. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.
Chapter 16 – The Heat Is On
The following Friday, I find myself daydreaming during Edward's class. I'm not a huge fan of the book we're discussing, and I think he can tell, because he keeps asking my opinion.
I'm also looking forward to our "traditional" date tonight: dinner and a movie. We're planning to go to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chesterfield Valley, before going to the premiere of the new Thor movie at the theater nearby. Chris Hemsworth… mmm. It's also far enough away from campus for Edward to be comfortable.
During class, I swear I keep seeing a shadow moving past the small window in the classroom door. Yet every time I look, I don't see anyone. Maybe I'm losing my mind; I've gone six whole days without the monster cock now.
After class, I head to The Nosh for lunch. One more class to get through later this afternoon, and then Edward and I can be alone together.
I'm just taking the last bite of my salad — Italian tonight, 'nuff said — when someone sits heavily in the chair across from me. I look up expecting to see Edward, but it's not him. It takes me a moment to recognize the face, but the tattooed arms give him away as James Hunter. I haven't seen him since the night of my birthday get-together.
"Can I help you?" I ask, a bit annoyed by the intrusion. He didn't even ask the seat was taken.
James smiles a seriously creepy smile. "That is just the question I was hoping you'd ask."
I narrow my eyes but don't reply. What the hell does this creep want?
"You've been a bad little girl, Bella," he says in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Smirking, he pulls out his phone, pressing his thumb to turn it on. After a couple of taps, he turns the screen so that I can see.
Oh my God! It's a photo of me… and Edward… with his tongue down my throat. From my clothing, I can tell that it was taken that night we went to Dave & Buster's. James was there, too? Fuck…
I try really hard not to react as my heart starts pounding madly.
"Recognize yourself… and Dr. Cullen? Tsk tsk… sleeping with your professor to get an A in his class," he drawls.
"I would never do that!" I reply in anger. I've always been an A student, thank you very much.
"Try telling that to the Dean after I show him this photo. I'm pretty sure it's against the rules for a professor to sleep with one of his students. Possibly even grounds for termination."
James sits back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table. I want to rip them off.
"But you can save his sorry ass," he announces.
I raise an eyebrow. So he wants something in exchange for his silence.
"You're obviously a slut, so… I'll let you come to my apartment and work off your debt on your back."
"Go to hell, asshole!" I yell, moving to stand up.
James grabs hold of my wrist — hard. "Now don't be too hasty. Do you want to see your boyfriend lose his job? I'm sure you're not such a great fuck that he'll forgive you for costing him his livelihood."
"You're disgusting," I snarl, pulling my arm out of his grasp.
He shrugs nonchalantly. "Ah ah ah! I'm a nice enough guy to give you the chance to change your mind before I blow your boyfriend's career out of the water. You have two weeks. I'll find you."
James abruptly stands, walking away with his hands in his pockets as if he doesn't have a care in the world.
I slump back in my chair, trying to not go into full panic mode. This is bad, this is so bad. I need to tell Edward. Maybe he'll have some brilliant idea. He's got office hours now, but I know he doesn't want me coming to his office.
Fuck, this is an emergency though! But with James potentially watching us — I suddenly wonder if he was the shadow I saw outside the classroom this morning — I can't afford to be seen anywhere near Edward's office.
And double fuck, I've got a test in my afternoon class! It's one of the courses for my major, so I can't afford to fail.
Keep it together, Bella, I chant. I've done this before — tried to act normally while my heart was breaking. I also only lasted about 10 minutes.
Hurriedly tossing the trash on my tray, I go upstairs to the Quiet Lounge to study for the test. I just need to keep my head in the game for the next couple of hours — then I can freak out.
On my way back to the College of Arts & Sciences building, I send Edward a quick text to tell him that I'll be heading to his place as soon as my class is over at 3:15. I obviously don't want to let him know what's up via text message, but I'm sure he'll be able to tell that something's wrong.
My mind continuously wanders, but I make it through the test. I think I did Ok. Once I'm finished, I rush out of the classroom, then hurry to the parking lot. After a quick 'I'm on my way' text, I make my way to I-70, thankful that it's not the worst part of rush hour yet.
I've never driven to Edward's house myself, but I've paid enough attention in the car with him to know the way. I pull up in the driveway next to his car, and he's got the front door open before I even make it onto the porch.
"Jesus, Bella, your message scared me." He hugs me briefly. "What's going on?"
"L-Let's sit down," I suggest, and he leads me into the living room.
Once we're seated, I bite my lip. You'd think that I would've spent the last 20 minutes rehearsing how I was going to break the news to him, but instead I was concentrating on keeping it together so I didn't crash. Now that I'm here, it's like a wave of energy has been sucked out me. I feel tears pricking at my eyes before I can stop them.
"Bella!" he prompts. "What the hell is going on?"
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
"Sorry for what?"
"James Hunter saw us kissing at Dave & Buster's," I blurt out.
Edward just looks confused. "Who is James Hunter?"
"The guy with the ponytail and tattoos that you shoved into a wall on my birthday," I explain.
"Oh!" His eyebrows rise to his hairline.
"He-he's got a photo of us, Edward! And he's threatening to go to the Dean, unless…"
"Unless what?" he asks, sounding angry.
"Unless I have sex with him," I whisper. James didn't quite say that in those words, but his meaning was clear.
"No!" he shouts. "You are not letting that creep touch you."
"Of-of course not, but… but he'll go to the Dean!" I cry. "He showed me the photo on his phone, and it looks pretty bad. We're kissing and your hands are on my ass. There's no mistaking what's happening."
He stands abruptly, pacing from one side of the room to the other. "Can you even see our faces if we're kissing?" he asks, stopping in front of me.
"Mine was pretty visible from the angle," I recall. "Yours really isn't, but you've got a pretty unique hair color. We'd be hard pressed to deny that it's you. And he may have more photos than just the one he showed me."
"You said no to his proposal, right?"
"Yes, of course I did! I told him to go to hell."
Edward's face briefly breaks into a smile. "Did you admit anything to him?"
Burying my face in my hands, I try to think back to everything that was said during our short conversation. All I did was deny sleeping with my professor for a grade.
"No, I never admitted to anything."
"Are you sure?" he prompts.
"Yes, I'm sure," I nod. "Do you think we can try to lie our way out of it if he goes to the Dean? He's got photographic proof, Edward! What are we gonna do?" I cry, tears finally starting to fall. "I don't want you to get in trouble or lose your job because of me."
He sighs, sitting back down beside me and grabbing my hands. "I don't have a plan right now, Bella. But I can say this — if I get fired because of our relationship, it's because of me, not you."
"We thought we were being careful! Of all the rotten luck, to have James at Dave & Buster's that night."
"Yeah," he sighs. "For cripes sake, you have games like that in your Student Center. Why did he need to drive all the way out to Earth City? I wonder if he was following you."
Reaching over, Edward brushes my tears away. "Don't cry, baby. It's my ass on the line, not yours."
"But… it was your dream to teach at a university!"
He rests his forehead in his hands, letting out a long breath. "It is my dream, and I don't know what I'll do if this costs me the opportunity I've always wanted.
"But under no circumstances are you to give in to his demands! There's no guarantee that an asshole like that wouldn't go back on his word anyway."
"Y-You're right," I nod. I can't imagine letting that creepy guy touch me at all, but Edward is right that it might not even stop him from going to the Dean.
"How did he even know you were my student?" Edward frets.
"I-I don't know. I thought I saw a shadow outside your classroom door this morning. James approached me at The Nosh over lunch, so maybe the shadow was him, verifying that I was in your class?"
"That's… possible," he nods. "He must've seen me around campus at some other point since September and learned that I was a professor and not a student."
"What are we gonna do?" I yell, the panic finally getting to me. I can't let James Hunter cost me Edward. We've come too far. "He gave me two weeks to make a decision."
He pulls me onto his lap, hugging me tightly. "I don't know, Bella. I wish I had some brilliant idea. I don't know how to keep James from going to the Dean, short of having the guy bumped off."
His ridiculousness makes me laugh through my tears. Edward may admit to being a bit unethical sometimes, but he'd never actually hurt anyone. He rubs my arm, holding me snugly against him, and I feel like somehow, someway we'll find a way to save his job.
Once my tears are all cried out, I stay securely in Edward's arms. At some point, we both end up stretched out on the couch, his arms still around me as we fall asleep.
It's dark by the time I'm awakened by a growling stomach and the need to pee. I can at least take care of the second item. When I come back, Edward is sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
"I guess… dinner and a movie is out right now," he says quietly. "There's a small Italian place up the road where I can pick up something to go."
"All right," I agree.
Edward gets his phone and brings up the website with the menu. It looks like St. Louis style pizza, but there are plenty of pastas or sandwiches to choose from.
I just wait in his house while he goes to pick up dinner a few minutes after calling in our order. I set the table and get drinks ready, a small smile coming to my face as I realize how comfortable it feels to be doing this.
After we've eaten, we curl up on the couch together watching a movie on Netflix. I guess we got our dinner and a movie anyway. Neither one of us is in the mood for sex, but he kisses me so tenderly before I leave that I almost start crying again.
Alice is still out with Jasper when I get home, while Jake is already in bed. I'm glad they aren't around to see me in this state.
When I get up on Saturday morning, I make up a batch of pancakes for the three of us. Jake apparently loves to load up on carbs on game days. The men's basketball team is playing a charity exhibition game benefiting United for Puerto Rico later today against Fontbonne.
"Is something wrong, Bella?" Alice asks as she helps me clean up. "You don't seem like yourself today."
I bite my lip, trying not to start crying again.
"What's wrong?" she asks again. "Did something happen? Did you and Edward have a fight?"
"No, but… it does concern Edward, and… it's bad."
"You're not pregnant, are you?" she gasps.
"No, I'm not pregnant!" I had my period this past week.
"Do I need to kick someone's ass?" Jake asks, puffing up his chest.
"I wish that would do it," I reply with a small smile.
Alice leads me to the couch, patting my hand. "Spill, Swan. We're your best friends. You know we'll do our best to help with whatever it is."
"I know," I whisper. As I think about it, I know Alice is right. Two heads are better than one… or in this case, four are better than two. Edward and I have no brilliant plan, but maybe Alice or Jake can think of something.
"Before I get into why I need your help, I need to confess that… I've been lying to you." I pause, biting my lip. Both of my friends are looking at me in confusion.
"The first lie was for my benefit, but since then, it's been to protect someone else. Someone I care about very much. And I know you'll probably be upset with me for not being truthful, but… I'm trusting you with something that could get someone else in big, big trouble. We need all the help we can get right now though."
"You know you can trust us, Bella," Alice says, looking hurt.
"In some ways, it's not my secret though, and the other person doesn't know that we can trust you," I explain.
"Ok," Jake says, "let's hear it. You have my word that it won't leave this room."
"Same here," Alice nods her agreement.
A/N: So we have a rarity in one of my stories: a bad guy! Creepy James saw Edward and Bella the night they went to Dave & Buster's and he's got a photo to prove they're in a relationship. Finally, Bella is going to 'fess up to her friends because she needs all the help she can get to find a way out of this mess!
I'm sure no one cares, but I did actually use the UMSL basketball team's schedule for Jake's games lol.
Next update on Monday.
For a teaser: This chapter was one of the easiest to name! The song is a #1 hit collaboration between four solo artists.
I don't currently like the titles I've chosen for the next three or four chapters after this one, so I'd better get on with finding better ones!