**(Lynna's P.O.V)**

Noah kept giving me the side-eye as we did our stretches in gym.

What? I asked him, knowing something was on his mind.

He shook his head and smiled. Nothing at all.

Alice, who was doing her stretches right beside me, eyed the two of us curiously. Paige looked at us with a forlorn expression. Noah glanced my way again and smirked. I was seriously confused. I tucked my left leg and stretched out my right leg, stretching my arms to the tips of my toes. Noah's shoulders started shaking with silent laughter. I banged my fist on the floor to get his attention. When his eyes met mine, he was still smirking.

What's so funny? I questioned with a quirked brow.

Nothing. You're just… pretty. He flashed me a cheesy grin.

I shook my head and laughed. Alice pursed her lips and smiled.

Is there something on my face? I asked, still laughing.

He shook his head, his smile growing. Just beauty.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Something was up. Paige's eyes dropped to the floor. I locked eyes with her and gave her a small smile.

After gym, I was hesitant to get to my next class early, worried that Edward would already be there. My fears were confirmed when I walked into the classroom to see Edward Cullen sitting as still as a statue.

With a deep sigh, I strode over and sat down beside him. His eyes immediately trailed my way, but I dodged all eye contact. Just as he had predicted, it started to rain. It was a slight drizzle that quickly turned to a full-blown storm. I jumped in my seat when I heard the booming sound of thunder as lightning streaked across the sky.

"It's okay," Edward's soothing voice washed over me.

My head whirled in his direction, surprised by his soft tone. I felt my eyes widen as I took in the expression on his face. He was… smiling at me?! The faintest of smiles played on his lips like a whisper in the wind. It was faint but sincere. My brows knitted in confusion. Why was he trying to comfort me?

Thunder boomed again, causing me to jump once more. My heart started racing. The sound of thunder never failed to make me uneasy. My mind automatically flitted to Grayson. He never failed to comfort me during a storm. His arms wrapped around me always made me feel safe.

"Hey," he breathed out, causing me to lock eyes with his. Another faint smile flew to his lips before he spoke again, "It's okay."

A bewildered look took over my face, but I felt myself instantly relax at his words which only added to my confusion.

"Can I ask you something and you not bite my head off?" He asked in a teasing tone.

I laid my arms on the table and shifted awkwardly in my seat. "That depends on what it is."

He breathed out a laugh before his face took on a more serious note. "Why are you afraid of storms?"

I felt myself instantly go on the defense. "What makes you think I'm afraid of storms?"

He leaned in closer to me. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. "Well, aren't you?" He questioned in a low voice.

I blinked rapidly. "I mean, yeah? But how did you know?"

He chuckled lowly before he leaned back in his seat. "It doesn't take a mind-reader to see that you're terrified. You're practically shaking in your seat."

"I am not!" I shot back, feeling a blush creep to my cheeks.

His body went rigid. I noticed how tightly he clenched his fists— the whites of his knuckles were straining against his skin. His face twisted into a grimace.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"I'm fine," he hissed through gritted teeth, clearly back to his usual hateful self.

I said nothing in response as I focused on not 'shaking in my seat' when the thunder clapped in the distance.

"You're wearing the hoodie again," he spoke after a moment of silence. "Why?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?" I wondered, turning to look at him once again.

His fists were still clenched but the grimace had vanished from his face.

"Why are you dodging all of my questions?" He countered back.

"Why are you so nosy?" I quipped, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Why are you so difficult?" He raised his brows as if to challenge me.

"Because I don't like you," I spoke firmly.

He laughed— an actual laugh. The sound was musical. My stomach did a back flip; was I getting sick?

"I don't like you either," he responded, still chuckling to himself.

"I know," I stated, annoyed that he found the situation humorous. "You made that obvious the second I bumped into you."

His laughter stopped abruptly. A faraway look was playing in his eyes. "You wouldn't have bumped into me if you hadn't been in the boys bathroom."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He held his hands up as if to surrender. "It doesn't. I'm curious though. What were you doing in the boys bathroom to begin with?"

Amusement was dancing in the depths of his eyes.

"Are you bipolar or something?" I was genuinely curious.

He looked taken aback. "What?"

I blinked rapidly at his stunned face. "I mean, it's fine if you are. My mom's bipolar, so believe me, I get it."

"I'm not bipolar," he mumbled, his mouth turning down in an annoyed frown.

"Jekyll and Hyde?" I asked, fighting back a smirk at his flustered expression.

He wasn't amused. "No."

I hadn't realized that the rest of the class had spilled into the room until Tyler slammed his hands down on my table, causing me to jump out of my skin.

"Geez, Ty. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I asked as my hand flew over my racing heart.

Tyler threw his head back and laughed whole-heartedly. Edward's eyes narrowed in his direction.

"You make it too easy," he teased before all traces of humor vanished from his face. "I didn't mean to scare you. Really. How have you been?"

The news of Ashley's death had spread like wildfire; no doubt, he was worried about how I was handling the rumors. Rumors were circulating around the school regarding the cause. Some students believed I was behind her death. They found it strange that she died on the anniversary of Grayson's death. As did I.

**(Edward's P.O.V)**

Tyler made it too easy to dive deep into his thoughts. He was an open book as he stared down at the golden-haired girl beside me. He replayed the memory of crushing Lynna against his chest as she cried. It was just as I'd thought— Lynna was the first one to find her body. Tyler had been in a state of shock, but he remembered quite vividly how Lynna felt pressed against him as he carried her out of the woods. A strange emotion coursed through me at the memory; I found myself gritting my teeth as I envisioned ripping the nuisance of a boy's arms from his shoulders.

"I'm okay. Honest." Lynna looked up at the boy with a newfound fondness, it would seem. "I know you're the one that brought me home that night. Thank you." She gave him the most of tender smiles and I nearly choked.

Why didn't she smile at me like that? As quickly as I had the thought, I banished it. What was wrong with me?! One minute I'm despising the girl and the next I'm counting the barely visible freckles on her nose. Maybe she was on to something with the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing.

"Anytime." He returned her smile with enthusiasm. "Oh, and I noticed that you rode with Noah today. If you need a ride home after school, just let me know. Since it's raining and all."

My head snapped in her direction, awaiting her answer. The smile never faltered from her face.

"Thanks. I may take you up on that if the rain doesn't let up."

I felt my face twist into a scowl. So, she has no problem accepting rides from him, I see. Stupid girl. Let her ride with him. Like I care.

"Just let me know," he beamed at her before practically skipping back to his seat.

The seat next to him was now unoccupied due to the death of Ashley Tipton. A part of me wondered if Lynna would choose to claim the empty seat. Surely not today, at least. Not for a while, I'm sure. Ashley's death was far too recent for someone to claim the seat that was once hers. Still, I wondered if she had changed her mind about sitting next to Tyler. Perhaps she now found his company more favorable than mine.

The teacher passed around a worksheet, saying that we could choose to work in pairs or alone. I had a feeling which option Lynna would prefer. She didn't say a word to me as she focused on the task at hand. I watched as she rolled the tip of her pencil along her lower lip, deep in concentration. My eyes lingered on her lips for far too long. They looked so soft. I imagined they would feel like satin against my own. I closed my eyes in frustration. Why do I allow myself to have such thoughts?!

As I said once before though, there's nothing wrong with having a fantasy every now and then. I could imagine how soft and warm her lips would be. How soft and warm her body would be pressed against mine. Having the warmth of her body against me like that would wind up with her dead for sure. The call of her blood would be far too strong, but this was my fantasy. And in my fantasy, I was in complete control of that particular monster.

My eyes fluttered open and locked on her lips once again as I continued with my deluged fantasy. I wanted to hear my name leave her lips. That's what I craved most. In my mind, I went through all the ways I could make my name leave those pouty lips of hers out of pleasure. I envisioned kissing her neck, my tongue grazing along her carotid pulse. My mouth instantly filled with venom, but I allowed the fantasy to play out despite that.

I imagined my hands trailing along her sides and removing that horrendous hoodie that hid her figure from my prying eyes. My hands instantly found their way to her breasts. I wondered how they would feel. Would they be just as soft as the rest of her? Softer, perhaps? I had never touched a woman in such a way, so I had no idea. Would she moan against my touch? What would she sound like? I was dying to know.

Ugh, why do I care?! Why was I drawn to her? For the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. Sure, she was beautiful. Exceedingly so. But this went beyond her physical appearance. Was it her blood that was causing such a reaction? Surely not. If anything, it would have the opposite effect. Being around her set my throat and lungs ablaze. It certainly wasn't a pleasant feeling. Was it because her mind was a mystery to me? Was I that curious of a creature that her unknown thoughts would blind me to all rationality? I didn't think so. Sure, at one point in my life, the curiosity may have driven me mad, but certainly not now. Not after what I've been through with she-who-shall-not-be-named. So, what was the problem?

Why does this particular human girl haunt each of my thoughts as of late? She crinkled her nose in an adorable manner as she reread a question for the third time.

"Density, color, mass, volume, length, malleability, melting point, hardness, odor, and temperature. Just to name a few," I said to her, regarding the properties of matter.

She looked up from the worksheet and gave me a look of utter annoyance. I inhaled a quick breath, tensing as her scent hit the back of my throat. I could hunt every day and it still wouldn't lessen the effect of her potent scent.

For some reason, despite her scent being so much stronger than she-who-shall-not-be-named, my first instinct wasn't to kill her when I caught her scent in the air. Not anymore anyway. It was simply to be near her. As though it was pulling me in her direction. I was certain one drop of her sweet blood would satisfy me for eternity, but I knew I could never bring myself to find out. It didn't make any sense. The monster in me wanted desperately to kill her. But there was something stronger within me that needed to keep her alive at all costs.

"I don't need your help, Cullen," she muttered before ripping her sapphire eyes from mine.

"Mr. Wallace said we could work in pairs," I reminded her, knowing full well that she heard him.

"He also said we could work alone," she retorted, her eyes never leaving the paper.

She was so aggravating. She made me want to pull my hair out. My eyes flashed over to Tyler who kept glancing in her direction every few seconds.

"Perhaps you'd rather work with Tyler then," I spoke through clenched teeth.

"Perhaps I would," she mumbled, her eyes darting across another question.

The surge of emotions I felt were unmatched. After not feeling much of anything for twenty years, this was too much. The rain outside started picking up. I could hear the sound of thunder in the distance and heard the crack of lightning as it struck an unlucky tree. My eyes automatically flitted to Lynna who stiffened in her seat. Her eyes widened in fear and her heart rate climbed. I, once again, felt that strange impulse to comfort her— to protect her.

"Would you like to trade seats?" I asked her in the softest voice possible, trying to put her at ease.

Perhaps she would feel safer if she was away from the window. She misunderstood my question.

"That would be seriously messed up of me to take Ashley's seat," she muttered as she tried to focus on the worksheet despite the storm raging on outside.

"I meant you and I trade seats. I could sit next to the window if you'd feel safer," I explained to her.

She dropped her pencil and graced me with those piercing blue eyes of hers that could peer straight into my soul if I had one.

"That's okay," she breathed out after a moment of silence.

"Why not?" I asked with a hard edge to my voice. Why does she have to be so difficult?

She let out a dry chuckle without a trace of humor. "Because if you were to get struck by lightning or sucked up by a tornado, I'd feel guilty."

I let out an actual laugh at that, though my amusement was short-lived. Now, I was even more desperate to get her to trade seats with me. What if she got struck by lightning or swept away by a tornado? I couldn't explain it, but there was something within me that was forcing me to protect her.

"I thought you didn't like me," I teased.

"I don't," she was quick to say. "But I'd still feel guilty."

"Please trade seats with me," I pleaded.

She shook her head. Stubborn girl. "Not gonna happen."

"Why do you have to be so complicated?" She was getting under my skin once again.

"Again with the questions," she quipped.

"Fine. Let the tornado get you then. See if I care." I glowered at her, angry with the both of us because I couldn't help but to actually care.

She rolled those blue eyes of hers. "I know you don't care, Cullen. Tell me something I don't know."

"Apparently, you don't know the properties of matter," I retorted.

Her eyes narrowed into slits. I watched in amusement as she clenched her little fists. "Yes, I do! You didn't give me a chance to think before you blurted out the answer."

I let out a light scoff. "I literally watched you reread the same question three times."

Blue fire sparked in her eyes, causing my own to widen. "Why were you watching?" She challenged in a much calmer tone than I anticipated.

"I wasn't," I spoke without realizing; it was a reflex reaction.

She raised her brows, a smirk sprung to her lips, nearly taking my breath away.

"You literally just admitted that you were," she quipped. "Why do you have such a staring problem?"

I groaned in frustration, earning a few looks from the students around us. "I don't," I spoke through gritted teeth; she was really getting on my nerves.

"Do too."

"Do not."

She laughed sardonically. Even so, I was surprised by how the sound seemed to put me at ease. "You're right. You have a glaring problem. That's much worse than staring."

I rolled my eyes forcefully, but said nothing. She was right. What could I say? She pursed her lips in thought causing my eyes to be immediately drawn to them. I forced my gaze from her lips when she spoke again.

"Now, that you're actually conversing with the world, do you want to tell me what your problem has been this entire time?" She asked with a blank expression.

It was my turn to purse my lips. There was no logical explanation for my behavior towards her. The hatred I feel for her is entirely unjust; I know that. Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by the booming sound of thunder— bringing me from my thoughts. The girl's face showed no fear but her heart rate had quickened, along with her breathing. An idea occurred to me.

"I'll tell you if you trade seats with me," I offered, locking eyes with her orbs of sapphire.

Her lips parted slightly, drawing my gaze once more. Her lower lip was turned down in a permanent pout, as if begging to be kissed.

"Seriously? Why do you want to trade seats so bad?" She wondered.

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Whereas you hate storms, I love them."

She blinked rapidly. "Um. Okay. I guess we can trade? But only for today."

I watched as she hesitantly stood up and walked to the other side of me, waiting for me to move. She was standing much closer than usual. The warmth of her body radiated off of her, like a furnace. Like a moth to the flame, I felt myself being drawn to her. It was as if I was being pulled into her orbit. I stiffened every muscle in my body to prevent myself from gravitating towards her before I claimed the seat next to the window. She gave me a sheepish smile before she sat down as well. That was the first time she actually smiled at me. I was taken aback by the light, airy feeling that spread through me.

She turned to me with curious eyes. "Okay. Now, tell me."

I exhaled loudly and instantly regretted it, knowing that her sweet scent would sear my throat and lungs. Slowly and carefully, I inhaled deeply, tensing as her scent filled my lungs. The fire was instantly ignited. Despite knowing that her delectable blood was the only thing that would soothe the burn, the thought of killing her in that moment didn't cross my mind. Once again, the urge to draw closer towards her sank in. In all my life, I had never heard of such a thing.

"I honestly don't have an answer for you," I admitted, hoping she would hear the sincerity in my voice.

Her brows knitted together as she scrunched her face up in confusion. "So, you're telling me you're just naturally a brooding jerk who glares at people for no reason?"

Her attitude shouldn't have surprised me, but it did nonetheless. "It's really none of your business, Holloway," I sneered her surname as a wave of anger rocked through me.

"Well, considering you've practically glared a hole in my back, I think it kind of is," she remarked, her mouth pulling down in a frown.

I shook my head and clenched my jaw. "No," was all I said.

She huffed in annoyance. "You've seriously had your eyes glued to me for the past week!" She accused, throwing her hands up, clearly exasperated. "And you say it's none of my business?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I felt a scowl crawl across my face. "My eyes have not been glued to you," I snarled, my eyes flashing with rage as they locked with hers. "Don't flatter yourself," I added with a twisted smirk.

Her jaw dropped to the floor. Her heart rate accelerated, but not out of fear. Blood pooled deliciously beneath her cheeks, causing every muscle in my body to stiffen at the sight.

"I was hardly flattered to begin with. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under the very first day," she retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "You're so dramatic."

She scoffed, leaning back in her seat with her arms folded. "You're so… so.."

She was at a loss. I could tell. Her cheeks continued to redden even further if that were possible. I couldn't help but smirk at how flustered she was.

"So… undeniably intelligent? Exceedingly handsome? Spit it out, Holloway," I chuckled lowly, not being able to resist teasing her.

Her eyes flashed before they narrowed into slits. "So.. unbelievably annoying and self-righteous! That's what you are."

Self-righteous? Ha! She couldn't be further off the mark. I shook my head, still laughing.

"I think your wires are crossed." My smirk grew.

The red never faded from her cheeks.

"Yeah, okay," she said sarcastically before continuing, "What kind of guy tells a girl she looks easy just for wearing a dress?!"

My eyes widened. "I also told you that that shade of blue looked lovely on you," I reminded her.

Why did I feel the need to remind her of that when I insulted her simply to make her forget? My comment seemed to only fuel her anger.

"Ah, yes. A backhanded compliment at it's finest. How could I possibly forget?" She seethed.

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Guess you didn't," I grumbled bitterly.

She exhaled loudly, visibly annoyed, before she turned her attention back to the worksheet. I followed her lead, whizzing through the assignment in five minutes. She didn't so much as glance my way as I dropped my pencil to the table and started studying her face.

She had twelve freckles scattered across her cheeks like stars; they were so faint that they were more than likely invisible to the human eye. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, something she did when she was concentrating. I imagined her pulling on my lower lip instead, causing desire to pierce through me. The feeling was startling, given that I hadn't felt such a thing in twenty years. I hadn't felt much of anything in twenty years. Now, here I was— a bundle of nerves and this blue-eyed girl was to blame. Rage flooded through me, drowning out the desire.

"You're doing it again," she whispered harshly, ripping her eyes from the paper and meeting my glare.

My eyes narrowed at her of their own accord. My fists clenched involuntarily. Her bright blue eyes sparked with fury.

"Take a picture. It will last longer," she sneered, her face pulling down in a frown.

Despite my anger, I couldn't help but be slightly amused. "Maybe I will," I replied, biting back a smile at her appalled expression.

"You're not funny." She gritted her teeth as she answered the last question before sliding the paper to the side.

"Well, there goes my future career as a comedian," I chuckled lowly.

She looked at me in disbelief. She wasn't amused.

"Well, you could always be a mime. You're certainly pale enough. You wouldn't even have to wear the makeup," she quipped with a tight-lipped smile.

I couldn't stifle the eye roll even if I tried. "You're ridiculous," I grumbled. Now, I wasn't amused.

"There's a heavy population of black bears a little east of here. We need to plan a hunting trip. I'm getting sick of deer," Emmett grumbled as he flicked a pea in my direction.

The pea ricocheted off my forehead and sped towards the wall. I rolled my eyes at his childish antics.

"It's going to be sunny this Friday, so we would have to skip class anyway." Alice tapped her chin in thought.

"I'm game," Jasper was quick to say.

His eyes were pitch black from thirst. His control has improved over the past two decades, but he was still struggling. Rosalie nodded in agreement. Their eyes turned to me, awaiting my answer. I simply shrugged in response.

"Come on, Edward. I know you're just as sick of deer as the rest of us," Emmett urged. It will be fun. Please.

I sighed in defeat. "Sure. Whatever," I agreed.

Every nerve in my body seemed to be on alert when she walked into the cafeteria. It was as though my body was aware of her presence from across the room before my mind was. My eyes trailed in her direction, locking with her sapphire orbs for a brief moment before she started scanning the cafeteria. Her eyes lit up when she saw Noah. She didn't bother going through the lunch line or even to the vending machine for that matter. She had a bottle of water in her hands and nothing else. Why wasn't she eating?

I blocked out the chatter of my siblings as I focused entirely on her. She sat down in front of Noah and gave him a friendly smile which he returned in a heartbeat. I ripped my gaze from her, forcing myself to think about anything else. Anything else!

In a desperate bid to distract myself from the girl across the cafeteria, I started counting the speckles on the ceiling. This whole 'emotions' thing was starting to get old— and fast!