VIII. Tremble Before the Might of My 5'1" Bodyguard

When I opened my eyes next, the gray skies had dimmed. I sat up abruptly. "How long was I out?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Just under an hour," Edward's melodious murmur was soothing. I slouched back into my seat.

"Ah. Sorry," I said sheepishly, "I didn't sleep well last night."

In the low lighting, I could just barely make out his frown. "Why not?"

The demanding tone in his voice wasn't so obvious, but it still had me bristling. "Oh, you know, studying for bio. Though I clearly shouldn't have bothered," I answered snidely.

To my shock, he chuckled. "You're right, you shouldn't have."

I wasn't sure whether to be offended or to laugh along with him. I wasn't good with grudges, but maybe I'd make an exception for Edward. "Laugh it up, Cullen. But don't think I won't even the score."

"Oh? There's a tally?"

"Yeah, sure," I scowled, "You get one point for duping me into acing my exam." Wait...why did that sound like a compliment?

"Thank you," Edward grinned.

"Don't sound so proud you...you stupid Hufflepuff!"

"...What's a Hufflepuff? Am I supposed to be insulted?" Edward's genuine concern was amusing. If I didn't know he was a vampire, his lack of acknowledgement towards the road would have been more concerning.

"Depends...you a fan of badgers?"

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "No, not particularly."

"Then yeah, probably," I laughed, astonished he didn't understand the reference. It was 2005. I was pretty sure at least some of the movies had already been filmed. Glancing out the window, I noticed Edward turning into my street and stammered, "What? How'd we get here so fast?"

Edward's face creased into a frustrated scowl, gaze sweeping across the dash. "It certainly wasn't without difficulty."

If I could've rolled back my eyes any further into my head, I would've caught a glimpse of my frontal lobe. "Quit being such a spoiled baby, Edward," I sniffed, shoving my door open as soon as he pulled into the driveway. Cutting off the thunderous engine, he was quick to join me on my trek up to the porch.

"Is your sister coming to pick you up?" I asked as I lead him into the front hall. I wasn't sure where my sudden ease around him came from, but I didn't try too hard to think about it. With my involuntary nap, I had no doubt I'd be staying up late once more. I'd have plenty of time to have a melt down later tonight. After I finished my homework.

"Yes, she should be on her way soon," he confirmed, making himself comfortable at the kitchen table while I raided the fridge.

"Oh, good," I nodded, glancing towards the clock, "Charlie should be here within the next hour." Ducking back towards the fridge, I began to juggle a few ingredients. Without prompting, Edwards was at my side, helping me carry everything over to the kitchen counter.

"What are you making?" he asked as I washed my hands.

"Steak quesadillas with avocado," I said, drying my hands into a towel. "If you're gonna stay here any longer, make yourself useful and start chopping up those avocados, will you?"

Edward's bright smile had my heart stuttering for a second. "Sure," he said simply.

With Edward standing so close to me, handling the knife as I cut up the steak had never felt more nerve-wracking. One, accidentally cutting myself would be a colossal disaster. Two, I was acutely aware of his arm occasionally brushing up against mine, which had me so flustered, my brain kept short-circuiting. Curse his stupid vampire beauty, I mentally despaired. It was fortunate that Edward was happy to keep our comfortable silence―I wasn't prone to stuttering, but I had a feeling my brain-to-mouth precision would have faltered otherwise.

"Alice is here," he announced abruptly, and I was surprised to find that the disappointment in his voice resonated with my own feelings. Not good.

I nodded. "Thanks for the help," I said, wiping my hands before walking him to the door. At the doorway, he paused and turned, standing so close I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" The hope in his voice was endearing, but also rather unnecessary.

"Obviously," I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the fact that his interest in me was causing me to lose my composure the longer it went on.

Tucking an errant strand of hair behind my ear, he grinned, "Goodnight, Isabella."

I blinked, surprised. But before I could object to his intimate gesture, he was already sauntering down the driveway. "Goodnight," I huffed quietly, knowing very well he could hear me, before shutting the door.

A few minutes later, the small cuts of steak were sizzling on the pan, when Charlie arrived, a whole half hour early. So that's why Edward left when he did, I realized.

"Smells good, Bells," he called from the entry hall.

"Hey chief, how was work?"

We chatted amiably about our day while I finished making dinner. Once we were both seated at the kitchen table, he asked, "Any plans for this weekend?"

"I'm in need of new reading material. I was planning on making a trip to Tacoma on Saturday," I said.

"And Sunday?"

"Uh no, no plans. Why?" I asked, wondering why he was being insistent.

For a second, Charlie stared at me as though I'd lost my mind, before he huffed out a laugh. "Of course you don't know. It's Superbowl Sunday!"

I blinked. "Oh. Oh! Sorry chief, not really my area of expertise," I laughed.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured. Anyway, the Clearwater's are hosting the party this year, so don't go accepting any invitations. I'll need your help lugging the flatscreen."

"Yeah, sure," I shrugged. "On one condition."

He narrowed his eyes. "And what's that, missy?"

I stood and flounced over to the couch where I'd dropped off my backpack. I dug through it for a second before heading back to the kitchen. "Sign this permission slip?" I grinned.

"Oh, it's that museum trip, right?" he asked, accepting and glancing over the slip before setting it aside.

I sat back down and nodded. "Of course you already know."

"Sorry sweetheart, that's the thing about small towns," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, getting back to my dinner.

It was later, when Charlie was helping me clean up, that the phone rang. "That's probably your mother calling," he predicted.

"Oh, yeah, I never did call her back," I laughed, nervous, and with Charlie's prompting, I left the rest of the cleanup to him. Reluctantly, I picked up the phone off the mount on the kitchen wall. "Hello?"

"Bella! Finally! Why haven't you called me back?" Renée demanded. I carefully kept my back to Charlie, concealing the grimace on my face. Renée was the only person who not only called me "Bella," but knew Bella well enough to call me out as an imposter. It's why I kept my calls with her to a minimum, and had excused the lack of replies to her numerous emails on the fact that I'd been hacked. Which, yeah, was a lie, but I didn't even know Bella's email, let alone her password. Eventually, I knew I'd have to make a new email, but I'd been putting it off, figuring the school email I'd been assigned would be enough for now.

"Uh sorry, m-mom," I stammered, the word sounding unnatural on my tongue. Part of me almost hated her for it. I could get away with not calling Charlie dad, but that wouldn't fly with Renée. That, and it would be the most obvious sign that something was off about me. "I've been pretty busy, actually."

"You have to tell me all about it!" she insisted. "I've really missed you, Bella. You've only been gone for two weeks, but you already sound so different… How's school? Any boys that have caught your eye?"

I groaned. "Don't talk to me about boys," I sighed, "I have to fend them off with a stick." Behind me, the loud clang of a dish falling into the sink rang. I sent Charlie an odd look before turning back to Renée's excited squeal. "I've already talked two of them down," I continued, thinking of Mike and Tyler, "But there's one who's a little more persistent."

"Ooh! Is he cute?" she demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "He's gorgeous, I hate it."

"Tell me all about him!" she ordered.

"Hmm," I pursed my lips, twirling the cord of the phone around my finger, "Well, he's a total know-it-all. And he's nosy―always wants to know what I'm thinking. And he's so sure he's in love with me, even though I've only been talking to him for a week."

"Oh honey, you've got it bad," Renée giggled. "What's his name?"

I didn't bother arguing with her accusation. Once Renée got an idea into her head, there was no way of convincing her otherwise. "Edward," I grumbled.

"This is so exciting! Your first high school romance!" Renée sighed wistfully. "Has he asked you out on a date?"

"Well, yes. Twice. I said no, but I'm not sure he's convinced," I admitted, knowing it was my fault. If I kept allowing him to hang around me, it'd probably be a matter of time before I said yes, and that would be no good. No good at all.

"Oh, I see! You're playing hard-to-get!"

"I am not!" I spluttered.

Renée laughed. "Of course, Bella. I know that's not your style. But give the poor guy a chance. It's already obvious you're smitten with him."

I had a feeling she could go on talking about this for hours, so instead I said, "I'll think about it."

From there, I patiently answered all of Renée's questions regarding my new friends and updating her on how all my classes were going. Despite the fact that Renée wasn't my mom, I didn't mind talking to her. She liked to chatter almost as much as me, and although I tried to reign in my own chatter, knowing it was out of character for Bella, I couldn't help but match her enthusiasm at times.

"You know, Bella, I was really worried about having you move out to Forks on my behalf. But you've really come out of your shell, sweetie. I'm so glad you're happy," Renée sighed. Although she tried sounding cheerful on my behalf, I detected a pang of remorse.

"It's certainly been a change of pace," I said honestly with a shake of my head. "I should get going though. I still have homework I need to do before bed." And for once, I was grateful for Varner's daily homework assignments. It gave me an honest excuse for getting off the phone with Renée.

"Alright honey. Don't be a stranger! I expect a call soon. You need to update me on you and your future boyfriend," she demanded.

"I will," I said, doubting there would be such an update. "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, Bella!"

Attaching the phone onto the mount with a click, I turned and nearly jumped when I realized Charlie was still in the kitchen, wiping down a suspiciously clean counter. "Nosy isn't a good look on you chief," I sassed him, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms.

"Don't get smart with me, young lady," Charlie harrumphed, although there wasn't a whole lot of bite to his tone. Setting the rag down, he ventured, "Aren't you a little too young to be dating?"

My expression twisted in puzzlement. Too young to be dating? I'm twenty-five―oh. I blinked. "Uh, I don't know...I'm...seventeen?" I shrugged. "I think that's old enough and Re―mom's been pretty impatient about it. I don't know. Nothing's official, regardless."

"And will you be introducing me to any of these boys?"

I clasped a hand over my mouth, trying to conceal my laughter and not doing a very good job of it. "Not likely," I chortled, "I've been able to rebuff them well enough."

"Well, what about the other kid? Edwin?"

I snorted. "Sure, chief. If I go on a date with Edwin, you'll be the first to know," I said, a little more sincerely than when I'd said it to Whitney in the girls' locker room.

"See that you do," Charlie nodded sternly, before finally heading to the living room. I followed him and shouldered my backpack.

"I'm heading up. Night!" I called, ascending the staircase. I heard him reply in turn, before reaching Bella's room. I double checked that my window was locked before settling in for the night.

I bundled up in extra layers the next morning, and was more than ever grateful for my rainboots when I woke up to a downpour outside. Driving to school was hazardous, and the moment I opened my door after parking, a wide umbrella was held over the space between the driver door and my seat.

"Good morning, Isabella," Edward greeted me cheerfully.

"Well aren't you chipper?" I yawned, reaching back to grab my bag. Before I could slip on the strap, Edward pulled the same stunt as yesterday, and shouldered the backpack on my behalf.

"Uh, thanks," I muttered, sliding out of the truck and slamming the door shut.

"You're not going to lock your car?" My flat expression had Edward chuckling sheepishly. "Right, unnecessary," he repeated my word from yesterday.

"Glad you remembered," I quipped, sticking close to his side in order to avoid the sheets of rain, briefly wondering if that had been the purpose of sharing his umbrella with me. At the very least, everyone was too busy rushing for cover to notice how cozy we'd gotten. I was so pissed off at him yesterday, but now it feels like forever ago.

"There was something I wanted to say," Edward broached, tilting his chin down to catch my eyes. I nodded for him to go on and he asked, "Did you not believe me when I said I had feelings for you?"

I cocked my head to the side, wondering where his doubt had come from. I had initially dismissed his feelings as absurd, but only within the confines of my mind, only briefly sharing my disbelief with him. But no matter the absurdity, I hadn't outright rejected the reality that they existed. Perhaps I'd sounded a little scornful when I mentioned it to Renée, but―

No way. Was he listening in on my conversation?! I narrowed my eyes. "What brought this on?" I asked, voice steely.

The guilt that flashed across his butterscotch eyes confirmed my suspicion. "Never mind," I sniped, "I don't want to know."

"Isabella―"

"Looks like this is my stop," I said, jabbing a thumb towards the building where my English class was located. "Thanks for sharing your umbrella, but I think I'll be fine from here."

Reluctantly, Edward relinquished my bookbag, his handsome face twisted into a gloomy scowl. "I'll see you later?" he asked hesitantly.

I nodded. "In biology," I clarified, swinging the backpack strap onto my shoulder before trudging into the building. The physical distance I'd put between us did nothing to diminish my ire.

Angela's eyes widened as soon as I took my seat next to her. "Isabella? Is everything alright?"

"No," I hissed, fuming. "Edward is unbelievable."

"Is this about yesterday?" she asked. Her voice held nothing but concern.

I shook my head. "No, we'd already cleared that up," I explained, miffed, "But he screwed up again. And just when I was beginning to like him."

Angela frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Up at the front, Mr. Mason called our attention, seeking to collect the permission slips for next week's field trip.

"Not really," I belatedly replied to Angie as we both reached into our bags, pulling out our slips and passing them forward. "I'm just irritated at the moment."

"It never hurts to vent," Ange offered.

I shook my head again. Venting about Edward's weird stalker tendencies was a dangerous idea. "Now's not really the time," I shrugged, turning to face forward as Mr. Mason began today's lecture.

Angela didn't appear convinced, but followed my lead regardless.

Of course, I couldn't expect the same of Jessica. As soon as I walked into trig, she pounced. "Isabella!" she whispered―granted, her whisper was closer to a regular inside voice, but it was the best you could expect from Jess.

"Hold it," I said, digging into my bag to pull out and drop my homework off at Mr. Varner's desk. She did the same and dogged my steps until we reached our desks at the back.

"Someone saw you and Edward walking together this morning," she whispered gleefully. "Is it official?"

"Far from it," I frowned, sliding into my seat.

"Aw, come on, Isabella! You have to tell me everything!" she pressed.

"Not here," I said, aware of all the curious ears turned in our direction. I wasn't all that eager to relive the drama from the girls' locker room.

Suddenly a little more aware of all the curious gazes, Jessica tittered. "Okay, okay. You want to come over after school?"

"Sure, that'd be great," I agreed, "Just protect me from the vultures."

"Definitely! I make a great bodyguard you know," Jessica winked at me.

I looked over her smaller frame and snickered, "Sure, Jess."

I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss her claim. In between trig and Spanish alone, Jessica managed to strike terror into the eyes of five different teenage girls. I was very impressed. "Am I paying you by the hour?" I asked when she, on our way to lunch, discouraged the approach of a sophomore girl with nothing but a simple sneer.

"Oh no," she shot me a smirk, "My payment will be when you spill the beans."

I frowned. "Sure, but whatever I tell you has to stay between us." And even then, I'd have to edit, taking into consideration the mountain of secrets between Edward and I.

Jessica wasn't deterred. "Okay yeah, but I still get bragging rights just for knowing," she grinned impishly.

I laughed. "Whatever you say, Jessica."

Lunch was as hectic as ever. With Jessica and Lauren towing around their new, unofficial boyfriends, our lunch table had become even more crowded and rambunctious. And now that Tyler had his sights on Lauren, the blonde was more forgiving of me, which is why, after a quick conversation with Jessica, they banded together to keep the conversations going around everything but Edward Cullen. We were laughing, Tyler explaining how he accidentally set himself on fire during their chem lab, when, one by one, everyone at the table quieted down.

A glance behind me revealed Edward's imposing figure standing near my chair. "Isabella? Do you have a moment?"

Seeing him reminded me of my earlier outrage, but just a few hours with Jessica and her friends had simmered me down. "Sure," I allowed after a moment, rising to my feet.

"You'll be okay, Isabella?" I was surprised when I realized the question hadn't come from Angela, but from Jessica.

I sent her a fond smile. "Of course, Jessie."

As soon as she nodded, I turned and followed Edward. He lead me out to the veranda, empty courtesy of the biting gusts and rain blowing through despite the roof. Edward maneuvered me so that he shielded me from the worst of the wind. "Thanks," I blinked, unsure as to why I found his consideration so surprising.

Edward simply nodded, his brow furrowed as he stared me down from his impressive height. A million questions burned within his molten irises. A part of me was tempted to pretend like my temper with him was nonexistent. Just forget about the whole thing. Unfortunately, I was more angry than scared. I hadn't wanted to even hint that I knew his secret, but Edward was crossing a line, and I cared more about my privacy than I did his scrutiny.

"I want to clear something up," I said sternly, "So listen carefully."

Edward nodded, his expression solemn.

"If you want to continue this relationship, whatever that may be, then I have one rule. I don't want you within five miles of my house, unless you have my explicit permission. One rule, Edward. If you can't follow it, then don't talk to me. Don't even look at me. My privacy is very important to me, and if you can't respect that, then I don't want you anywhere near me. Do you understand?"

Edward's face contorted into a combination of guilt and pain. "I understand," he said, barely above a whisper.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Good," I nodded.

"Isabella?" When I met his narrowed gaze, my blood ran cold. "What exactly do you know about me?"

I could feel the hair on my neck and along my arms standing on end. Once I got a grip on myself, I managed to say, "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."

He leaned closer, eyes darkened. My heart sputtered.

And like a cliché, I was saved by the bell.

"This conversation isn't over," Edward warned me. I hadn't realized our noses were nearly brushing until he backed off, finally giving me room to breathe.

"I'm aware," I whispered, turning and heading back into the cafeteria. All the gazes that snapped towards us was staggering, and if it weren't for Edward's sudden grip on my arm, I would've probably face-planted.

"Thanks for the save," I muttered.

Edward nodded, distracted, and then took off. I didn't have much time to be annoyed by his abrupt departure, before Jess and Angie were at my side.

A/N: Will the drama never cease? ...Probably not :) Sorry, I enjoy it too much. As per usual, we have Edward being Edward, and Isabella getting offended.

As has been the pattern, next chapter will pick up where I left off! Until then, let me know what you think! :D