DISCLAIMER: The story doesn't belong to me; the characters are the property of S. Meyer, and the plot belongs to Annalau Thank you so much for letting me share your story in English!

Gracias Laura, por darme esta oportunidad!

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Chapter 13

"This time the coffees are on me," says Mike, not very convinced. "As long as it's at my work. That's where I get them at employee prices."

"Don't worry," Jessica joins in, rubbing his arm and causing our friend to blush, "I'll pay."

We barely take a step outside, and the wind makes us hug our coats.

"Isabella." I hear my name and turn sideways. That voice is from... I freeze. Edward is a few steps away from us dressed in one of his impressive trench coats. How many does he have? Since I've known him I haven't seen a repeat of one. With a feline stride like all of him, he approaches. "Hello."

He's smiling at me, and I swear his eyes are sparkling with joy.

I want to smile in response. However, this time I don't, I just lift my chin, looking at him:

"What are you doing here?"

He rubs his beard while maintaining a nervous smile.

"I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere else?"

"No. Right now I can't, and I don't want to."

His gaze goes to Jessica and then to Mike, and he smiles at them.

"Where were you going?" he asks very friendly.

"To buy coffee," Jess replies. I nudge her and she grumbles, "Come on, we're still deciding on a place."

I turn to look at her. How can she be so treacherous?

"I'd love to," says Edward, very condescending and out of pity. "Only it will be some other day. Today I need to talk to your friend, can I spare her?"

Jessica gives me a quick glance and smiles:

"Sure. She's all yours," she pushes my back to get closer to Edward. Bella doesn't have school for the rest of the day.

"See you then," Mike says goodbye and before shaking his hand Jessica takes him with her leaving us alone.

"Where do you want to go?" Edward asks with a smile.

I ignore him and continue on my way with my head held high. I don't even take five steps and his arm is around my waist.

"Where are you going?" he murmurs in my ear causing his beard to tingle on my skin, I shiver at his closeness, and I don't like it. What's wrong with this man?

"Good morning, Miss Swan, Cullen." My body tenses at Mr. Aro Vulturi's greeting, it's embarrassing to be caught like this. I know Edward can feel my tightness as his arms put more pressure around me, he wants to calm me down. How are you, Edward?

"Fine," Edward articulates emotionlessly, showing that he is not interested in talking to him.

Aro smiles very tightly at us.

"See you guys later. I have a meeting in a few minutes," he says goodbye, going the opposite way.

I try to pull out of his embrace, earning another squeeze with his strong arms.

I let out a sigh that sounds more like a whimper.

"Let me go, please."

A few students look at us in amusement and others out of morbid curiosity.

"We are putting on an off-campus show, like any other couple," he whispers in my ear. "Our performance is being very convincing."

"I don't know what it is about you, but I sure don't want to be around a guy as unstable as you. So let go of me," I ask through gritted teeth. His bipolarity is too much to bear.

His hot breath in my ear makes me close my eyelids for a few seconds.

With his hands he manipulates my body making me turn around and face him. His countenance looks different, no longer as grumpy as other days. Which is nothing new.

"I would like you to understand many things that are happening inside me." His half-revelation leaves me speechless because I don't understand the meaning of what he says. I look carefully at his big hands intertwined with mine, for the first time without gloves, feeling his icy skin, I raise my eyes and he is also looking at our joined hands. "I apologize for being a jerk to you. It's just that my actions are the opposite side of my..." he exhales. "Don't mind me," he smiles. "Do you forgive me?"

"I accept your apology. But that doesn't mean I'm interested in a closer friendship with you."

He smiles again and this time he grabs my hand and pulls me with him. Still feeling strange about his change of mood I refuse to get into his truck and struggle. Standing at the passenger door I stand waiting for him to release his grip on my hand.

Edward notices my reluctance and releases me with a slight grimace of apology.

"This is for you," he shows me an envelope labeled with my name. "It's an invitation. My best friend is getting married, and I want you to come with me."

I open my mouth accepting the envelope.

His serious countenance tells me he's not playing around.

"I look from all sides at the white envelope in my hands."

"Yes. Do you have any commitments this weekend?"

"I don't, but I don't want to join you either."

"Why not? I've already told you."

"I've already told you. I'm not interested in being friends with you."

"That means you're still upset. How can I make you forgive me? You tell me."

"It would be nice if you'd leave me alone."

"Believe me it was my first choice. However, I fail and give up easily to you."

"I really don't understand your mood."

"I'm complicated," he mutters. "Will you go with me? I promise to be less sour."

I see his wild green eyes that look tender today. This is weird, very weird. On the tip of my tongue is the exact word I want to utter: Yes. Because I would really like to go to a party, then my head fills with his bad gestures and rudeness that I desist from accepting.

"No. I'm not going." I punctuate leaving him alone and returning to the campus where I watched him behind the glass door, he keeps looking in my direction.

"Trouble, Miss Swan?"

I turn suddenly at Aro's presence.

"No, not at all."

"You and Edward don't seem to be doing too well."

"I'm not with Edward," I reveal quietly, "We've never been together."

Mr. Aro takes two steps towards me, putting his hands in his pockets and making a surprised gesture, arching his dark eyebrows.

I hadn't realized that he dresses very much like Edward not to mention that Aro borders on the ridiculous with his very out-of-place image for a man over sixty.

"Come with me to my office, Miss Swan," his hand holds my elbow, gently guiding me. "There's a position open in the office that I'd like you to fill."

"A position?" I ask, "for me? I've applied several times before and been turned down."

As I walk in, I sit in the first chair in front of the desk while Aro sits at the desk across from me, uncomfortable when his leg brushes against mine. I move away by moving the chair back a little.

"How is it that you were never together? Edward came to this very office and told me you were almost his property. It was very vulgar of him to behave towards you."

I draw my eyebrows together. I am horrified to hear Aro, so much so, that I stand up.

"That's a lie! He and I are nothing. I only tutor his son."

"Easy, Miss Swan," his hand holds mine and begins to rub the back of my hand. "I believe you. This is why I want to help you; you can work here. You don't need to be around a person as conflictive as Edward because the only thing he will want is to tarnish your reputation," his dark eyes are staring at me. "I offer you a place here in the offices. You can choose what you want to do, what would you like?"

I pull my hand out of his grip and wipe it on my jacket.

"I don't know, I have a commitment with Patrick." I see my backpack on top of the chair and take it. "I have to go, Mr. Vulturi."

"You can call me Aro," he holds a handle of my backpack and keeps looking at me. "Call me Aro," he smiles. "So, you and Edward have never been together, and you are close to him because of the classes you teach Pat."

"How do you know that they call the boy Pat, do you know him?"

"No," he squares his shoulders, "I don't have the pleasure of knowing that family."

I inhale, turn around and turn the doorknob.

"Think it over, Miss Swan. It's a good offer to work here."

I don't look back at him as I run out of that office. Now I think it wasn't very smart of me to reveal why I'm close to Edward.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I've been avoiding meeting Edward for three days. How do I do it? Very easy: I cut my classes to only an hour and a half and when I finish, I run out to get on an uber. I have no intention of crossing words with him.

I also took the time to think about the pros and cons of working in the university offices. The pay will be less than what I get and the hours more extended, so I won't risk losing what I've earned. Definitely, that idea is out.

Jessica has also weighed in and says there's something about Aro Vulturi she doesn't like. Maybe it's his lecherous look that he can't hide no matter how hard the man tries. These days I've been paying special attention to old rumors and student gossip about Aro's taste in young women, many of them mention that he has a clandestine relationship with Lauren Mallory, how disgusting.

"The pizza is here!" Jess announces from the living room.

I get my butt off the carpet and go in search of something greasy and full of calories. The pizza is delicious, and my friend and I hold the record for eating a whole one each.

"Are you and Tyler still upset?"

I deny. I take a big bite and the melted cheese spreads deliciously from my mouth onto the slice of pizza.

"He's thinking of coming to see me," I reply with my mouth full. "He misses me."

Jessica sits on the counter crossing her legs and begins to eat; she always bites the edge of the pizza first.

"And you miss him? We never talk about him anymore."

"Yes," I say unconvinced, lately we're always arguing over something silly. "You know I'm afraid of his reaction when I tell him everything."

Jess rolls her eyes.

"I have a feeling that the day you give yourself to Ty, you'll regret it."

"I don't think I will. Tyler and I deserve our moment. I've dreamed of it so many times and it's only fair we get it."

Jess bites into another slice of pizza and squints her eyes.

"Do you want me to tell you about something I discovered?"

I lift my shoulders. This time I sit on the couch with the pizza box on my lap.

"Edward likes you. I don't know how much, but he likes you."

The morsel gets stuck in my throat to such a degree that I desperately pound my chest trying not to let the ball of flour and grease go through my windpipe and prevent me from breathing.

"You are crazy! I almost suffocated from your nonsense."

"I am not crazy. Pay attention, Bella. Just notice their closeness, their looks, and their smiles that are exclusive to you. You'd agree with me if instead of going on cloud nine you'd pay attention to the details of that man."

A fit of laughter takes hold of me and makes me double over in laughter.

"Laugh all you want. Go ahead, laugh, but you're not going to deny that you like it too."

My laughter fades. My urge to throw a slice of pizza in his face spreads in my brain, however, I desist because I love Hawaiian pizza and I'm not going to waste a single slice.

No. I don't like it.

I want to yell at him.

I'd rather not say anything instead.

"I have to go, I'm late, and if I want to keep avoiding Pat's dad I have to go now."

I don't waste time saying goodbye to Jess I just brush my teeth and grab my backpack. My uber is ready.

When I arrive at Edward's house everything is completely silent and it's strange that Carmen hasn't received me, but the door is open, and even stranger that Pat isn't waiting for me either.

"Hello." I greet. "I'm here."

With cautious steps, I walk across the room to the kitchen. Carmen is nowhere to be seen and standing at the beginning of the corridor I wait for someone to answer.

"Is anyone home?"

When I don't get an answer, I'm about to go back to the living room and wait, only that I'm curious and keep walking without hearing any noise coming from that place.

"Are you not mad at me anymore?"

I gasp when I hear Edward's deep voice, I turn around immediately, and he is behind me dressed in sportswear. His forehead is pearly with sweat and my eyes don't want to take off from his imposing biceps.

"Where's Pat?" I ask the question ignoring his question and also averting my eyes from his muscles.

"He went with Carmen to the supermarket; they will be here soon."

I don't answer. I walk on one side wanting to go back to the living room, and when his hand stops me, I know I will not be able to escape from him anymore.

The worst happens when I stare into his beautiful green eyes that seem to catch me and take me wherever he decides.

What did you think of the chapter? I know that this is going slow, but it will be worth it

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