(Edward's P.O.V.)

Lynna didn't show up for English. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach and didn't leave. Throughout class, I was at war with myself. Should I try to find her? Did she leave? Is she okay? Oh, who cares?! Why was I doing this to myself?!

Alice was worried about the girl as well, but her thoughts hadn't taken on an obsessive turn like mine had. Lynna's brother, Dustin, was clueless about her whereabouts, so he was of no help. I convinced myself that she was ditching class once again. No doubt, her discussion with Noah hadn't gone well. When study hall rolled around, I was once again looking for her despite myself. I was a bundle of nerves when Noah approached my table which was occupied with myself and my siblings.

Alice offered the boy a gentle smile. "Is everything okay?"

His thoughts alerted me that he was worried about Lynna as well.

Have you seen Lynna? Her car is still here but I can't find her anywhere. He told us with a frown.

A sigh escaped my lips. I had a feeling I knew exactly where she was.

I haven't seen her. I'm sorry, Alice told him, wearing a matching concerned frown. I'll help you look for her.

Have you looked in the utility closet? I asked Noah, who looked at me with a perplexed expression. He furrowed his brows and shook his head; he had no idea what I was talking about.

I sighed heavily before I stood up. Alice stared at me in confusion.

"I'll be back," I mumbled bitterly before heading out into the hallway towards the utility closet.

As I approached the closet, I heard her all-too-familiar heartbeat. Her heart was beating much slower than usual. Her breathing was slow and steady. I realized then that she must be sleeping. I froze at the door, unsure what to do. Do I knock? Or do I open the door and try to wake her without frightening her?

Slowly and carefully, I opened the door, not wanting to startle the girl. She was leaning against the wall beside an empty mop bucket. Golden waves cascaded down her chest; I watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Her plush lips were slightly parted and moving as if she was having a silent conversation.

I used this an opportunity to try to hone in on her thoughts. Perhaps, her guard would be down while she slept? I knelt down beside her, tilting my head to the side as I studied her face before I focused intently on her hushed thoughts. The whispers were less chaotic and much quieter. It was peaceful; serene. To my surprise, with some difficulty, I was able to break through the walls of her mind, but only for a brief moment. She was dreaming; she was in a cemetery. I got the sense that she was searching for something— or someone.

I nearly stumbled back as I was practically forced from her mind— as if an invisible shield was forcing me out. I developed a migraine to end all migraines as a parting gift. I rubbed my temples and groaned internally due to the searing pain.

She started to stir. Her breathing quickened, along with her heartrate. She started mumbling incoherently and her face twisted as though she was in pain, leading me to believe that she was having a nightmare. Anxiety coursed through me at the realization and I had no idea as to why. Why should I care if the stupid girl has a nightmare?

I needed to wake her, but I wasn't sure how. I thought about gently shaking her, but that would require touching her. The thought of touching her caused a thrill to pierce through me, which made me all the more adamant not to touch her.

"Holloway," I spoke her last name gently, watching as she continued to stir. I spoke again, a bit louder, "Holloway. Wake up."

Her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal her sapphire orbs that instantly locked with mine. I swallowed hard against the sudden lump that formed in my throat at the sight. She gasped and bolted upright, nearly knocking into me. I quickly hopped to my feet, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible. She followed my lead, running her hand through her hair and yawning.

"What time is it?" She mumbled groggily, voice still thick with sleep.

My chest felt tight when I answered her, "It's time to go home."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I slept through English and Study Hall?!"

I nodded. "Yep. Noah's looking for you."

She rolled her eyes. "Let him look."

The bitterness in her voice wasn't missed by me. I found myself biting back a smile. "I take it you're not happy with him?"

She breathed out a wry laugh. "I mean, he did pretty much lie to me this past year. So, yeah."

I pursed my lips in thought as I leaned against the wall. "Is it actually lying if he just withheld information from you?"

Her jaw dropped. I noticed her heart rate spike. "Uh, yeah, Cullen. I consider that lying."

I furrowed my brows. "But it's not like you ever flat-out asked him if Grayson cheated on you."

She scoffed. I could see a heated blush forming on her cheeks. I knew by now that when she started getting red in the face, she was about to blow her top.

"I didn't think I'd need to! You would think he would have mentioned that when I went on one of my rants about how wonderful Grayson was and how he was my happy ending. My forever person! You would think he would tell me 'hey, by the way— the guy you hold to this ridiculous standard wasn't all he was cracked up to be!' You would think he would have mentioned that when he found me sleeping next to his grave night after night! You would think my best friend would care enough to tell me that his holier-than-thou brother who had a purity ring, for goodness sakes, was getting a blowjob from the cheer captain!"

My jaw was on the floor. I racked my brain for a response, but was coming up blank. I saw tears welling up in her eyes for the umpteenth time today, but I knew that these were angry tears. Still, I didn't want to see the girl cry. I didn't like the way it made me feel when she cried. Hell, I didn't like the way she made me feel, period!

She was practically panting after her rant. Her eyes were as round as saucers, her face as red as a tomato. The sight would have been comical if it had been under different circumstances.

I placed my hands in my pockets and forced myself to respond. "Um. At least you know now." Really? That's all I could come up with?

My response seemed to worsen the situation. Her cheeks grew even redder. "Yeah! You're right! At least I know now. Thanks to a perfect stranger that can't even stand me! You, of all people, were the one to tell me! I mean, who else even knows?! Noah and Tyler both knew, but who else?! Was the entire high school keeping this from me?!"

I frowned at her words. "I don't think anyone else knows," I assured her. "Well, maybe some close friends of Ashley know, but definitely not the entire high school. Word would have got back to you before now if that was the case."

She wrapped her arms around her torso, as if trying to hold herself together. She took a slow, deep breath. "Yeah, you're right," she breathed out. "I just… I can't believe this."

I knew exactly what she was going through. Well, sort of. The love of my life hadn't died, but she did in a way. She certainly betrayed me— Going behind my back with a dog. I scowled at the thought, feeling rage simmering beneath my skin.

As I took note of the anguish in her eyes— how her face was twisted in a mixture of grief and anger, I started to fear for the girl. Surely, she wouldn't end up as bitter as me. That surely couldn't be possible for a human, right? A human wasn't capable of feeling such emotions so strongly.

She hesitantly looked up at me. "I know you're not my biggest fan, but will you do me a favor?"

My brows knitted together in curiosity. "Depends on what it is."

She dug in her bag and pulled out her car keys. "Will you give these to Dustin?"

I stared at the keys for a moment before responding, "Yourcar keys? Why?"

She locked eyes with me. Her face was hardened, her eyes stone-cold. "Because he needs to have a way to get home and I want to be alone right now."

"Then, how will you get home?" I asked, quirking a brow.

She shrugged. "I'll walk. I really don't care. Besides, I'm not going home. Not right now anyway."

She held out the keys for me to take. I slowly shook my head. "No. You can't just run off half-cocked, Holloway. Where do you even plan on going?"

She shrugged once more. "Anywhere but here," she stated firmly.

She looked down at the keys in her hand and back up at me. "Well?" She asked, getting impatient.

I shook my head. "No."

She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Whatever," before spinning on her heels and stalking off. I hurried to catch up to her.

"What are you doing?" I questioned as I fell in step with her.

"Leaving," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"What about your brother?" I challenged, hoping to reason with her.

"I'll leave the keys in the car for him. I'll text him," she muttered as she stepped outside.

It was pouring down the rain. She stopped under the awning and looked up at me for a split second before she pulled her hood up and jumped over a puddle, landing elegantly on the pavement as raindrops pelted down on her.

"Later, Cullen," she waved dismissively.

I watched as she jogged across the parking lot, stopping at her car long enough to toss the keys into the seat before sprinting to the edge of the woods. I clenched my fists and cursed internally. Damn this girl. Rage coursed through me as I begrudgingly followed after her.

She ducked under a large branch as she trudged through the woods. I cleared my throat, to make her aware of my presence. She paused mid-step, tensing before spinning around to face me. She was drenched from the rain; as was I.

"What are you doing?!" She hissed, anger flashing in her bright blue eyes.

The raindrops sliding down her face made her look much like a painting; she was picturesque. I envisioned myself gently kissing her, tracing my tongue along her lower lip to collect the raindrops. A scowl crawled across my face at the urge. I was disgusted with myself and with her for making me feel this way! Despite my foul mood, I couldn't just leave her to her own defenses as she pranced about in the woods without any regard for her safety.

"Following you. Obviously," I spoke through clenched teeth, unable to hide my frustration.

"I can see that," she grumbled, running a hand through her hair before continuing, "But why?!"

My brows flew up my forehead on their own accord. "It's not safe in the woods," I spoke slowly and sternly, as if I was speaking to a child.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "So, what? You're my babysitter now?"

She quirked a brow as if to challenge me as she folded her arms across her chest. I pursed my lips before frowning at her drenched form.

"You leave me no choice," I told her with no emotion in my voice whatsoever.

Her scowl matched my own. "I'm a big girl, Cullen. I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."

"Like I said. It isn't safe," I told her, not backing down.

Emotion flickered in her eyes. "Why would you say that?" There was a strange edge to her voice that intrigued me.

"Because it's not? Will you please just go back to school? It's pouring down the rain. You're going to get sick," I scolded her like a child, earning a glare from the stubborn girl.

She very blatantly ignored me as she spun back around and continued walking, dodging wet leaves as she did so. I shook my head in frustration at the idiotic human. What was she thinking?!

"Are you seriously going to ignore me?! Stop being childish," I sneered as I fell in step with her.

She pulled back a branch and it snapped, flinging wet leaves in my face. I narrowed my eyes at her. The smug expression on her face told me she did that on purpose.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child," she quipped in annoyance.

"Stop acting like one then!" I snapped back.

Her cheeks reddened in anger. She clenched her little fists. I was surprised she didn't stomp her feet as she hissed, "Stop following me!"

"Stop running around in the woods and I will!" I clenched my jaw in frustration.

"Ugh!" She groaned. "If I want to run around in the woods, then I will! You have no say!"

I felt myself growing angrier by the second. "Then, I'll be forced to follow you! You have no say!" I mimicked her, earning another glare.

She rolled her eyes forcefully. "Why do you care?!"

My eyes widened. "I don't," I was quick to say.

"Then leave me alone. Whatever happens to me in the dark, dreary woods is none of your concern," she mumbled as she sidestepped a puddle.

"You're being ridiculous! Running around out here by yourself isn't going to solve anything! Putting your life in danger isn't going to change anything, Holloway!" I yelled, unable to contain my anger.

She spun around to face me with a look of fury. Her eyes sparked like blue fire. "Mind your business, Cullen!" She sneered my surname.

I had had enough. "If you don't go back willingly, you'll leave me no choice," I warned her, feeling that strange thrill coursing through at the thought of what I might have to do.

This time, she stomped her foot in a child-like manner. "I'm not going anywhere," she hissed with narrowed eyes.

A smirk stretched across my face. "Then you leave me no choice."

In one swift motion, I approached her and grabbed her by the waist before slinging her over my shoulder like a rag doll. The second I did so, an electrical jolt zinged through my body, putting my every nerve on high alert. The warmth of her body against mine caused a strange sensation to settle in my core. Thankfully, I wasn't breathing. Feeling her warm body and smelling her scent would have been too much. She yelped in surprise as I settled her on my shoulder. Her heartrate quickened; no doubt, out of anger.

"Edward Cullen, you put me down this instant!" She screamed as she started hitting my back.

I hope she didn't bruise her hands. I chuckled lowly as I started walking back in the direction of the school.

"What the hell are you made of? Rock?! Put me down!" She continued yelling.

This earned her another chuckle from me. The fact that I was getting under her skin had me on cloud nine for some reason.

She was starting to get out of breath as she hurled insults my way. "Who do you think you are?! You egotistical prick!"

By the time we got to the parking lot, she had called me every name in the book, and even a few that I was sure she had made up on the spot. She was very creative. Alice, Emmett, Noah, and Dustin were standing beside her car. They gaped at me with bewilderment in their eyes as I approached them with the girl dangling over my shoulder. Luckily, it had finally stopped raining, but we were both completely soaked.

What the hell, Emmett thought with an amused smile.

Alice was livid. "Put her down!" She demanded, fluttering about like a vexed pixie.

I carefully set the pissed off girl on her feet. The second her feet were on the ground, she huffed and pushed against my chest with every ounce of strength she possessed in an attempt to push me. I didn't budge; I simply stared down at her with a smug smile which only fueled her temper even more. The feel of her hands against my clothed chest thrilled me, seeming to light me on fire.

When she realized that I wasn't going to budge, she groaned loudly as she dropped her hands from my chest. "UGH! You solid asshole! If you ever touch me again, I'll– I'll—" She was so flustered, she couldn't finish her threat.

I decided to help her out with that. "Turn red in the face and call me every name in the book?" I teased with a giant smirk.

Emmett bit back a laugh, pressing his lips together to keep from smiling. Noah rushed to Lynna's side, placing a hand on her shoulder and using his other hand to take her hand in his. I couldn't stop myself from narrowing my eyes at him for some reason. She brushed him off and glared at the confused boy before turning her glare to me.

"Screw you, Cullen," she hissed before getting in the passenger seat, shooting a look at her brother and stating, "You drive."

Noah shook his head and stalked off towards his bike. He shot me a menacing glare before he put on his helmet. Lynna and Dustin peeled out of the parking lot with Noah right behind them. Given Noah's thoughts, he was following them home. He wanted to make things right with his best friend.

When they were out of sight, Alice and Emmett turned to me.

"What the hell was that?!" Alice shrieked.

Emmett threw his head back and laughed whole-heartedly. "You lit her up, bro!"

I couldn't stop the genuine smile that spread across my face. Alice pursed her lips as she looked at me, her anger fading when she took note of my expression.

"Are you going to explain to me why you had my friend thrown over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes?" She questioned with raised brows, tapping her foot in an impatient manner.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "You should be thanking me. Your little human decided to run off into the woods. I was simply bringing her back. You wouldn't want her to end up like Ashley, would you?"

Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Of course not."

I nodded. "That's what I thought. You're welcome."

She hummed in response. Her thoughts were guarded as she spun on her heels and glided over to Jasper and Rosalie who were across the parking lot. Emmett continued chuckling, finding immense amusement at the sight of the petite hot-headed girl.

His eyes were dancing with joy as he said, "Dude. She called you solid."

I let out a low chuckle. "Yeah. She did."

I felt light; airy. My chest felt.. strange.

Emmett nodded with a huge grin. "I think that was a compliment," he mused.

I pursed my lips in thought. "It was backhanded at best," I responded with a slight grin of my own.

(Lynna's P.O.V)

My brother gave me a weary glance as we pulled into our driveway. My face was still on fire over the ordeal with Cullen. Who in the hell does he think he is?! I sighed and shook my head when I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Noah pull in on his motorcycle.

"What's going on?" My brother asked me with a concerned frown.

"Noah's a liar and Grayson cheated on me," I breathed out. "With Ashley Tipton."

His eyes grew to the size of saucers. "What?! But… He was head over heels for you!"

I lifted my right shoulder in a partial shrug. "Apparently not," I grumbled bitterly before stepping out of the car.

My wet clothes clung to my body. I shivered involuntarily at the feel of the wet fabric against my skin. Grayson's giant hoodie was weighing me down and not just because it was soaking wet. Noah rushed over to my side, taking off his helmet and looking at me with sorrowful eyes.

I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me. His eyes were pleading.

I'm not mad. I'm disappointed. I'm hurt. I don't want to talk about it right now, I said to him before turning on my heels and walking inside.

At exactly 3:03 in the morning, I awoke from that same nightmare. Grayson's warning seemed to echo in the walls of my room— "It isn't safe".

I clutched at my comforter and wrapped it around me, wanting to bury myself in it and forget about his scarlet red eyes that burned straight through me.

After the all-too-real dream, I tossed and turned the rest of the night. When my alarm clock went off that morning, I couldn't find it within myself to get out of bed. I just wanted to wallow and feel sorry for myself. So, that's exactly what I did.

(Edward's P.O.V.)

"Come on. Let's go play tree javelin like we used to. What do ya say?" Emmett asked, hopeful that my cheerful mood would stick around a while longer.

I found myself actually agreeing. The hugest grin spread across his face. We tossed trees and boulders in the middle of nowhere for about two hours. I wasn't sure where my sudden good mood had come from, but it was a welcome change from the dark cloud that constantly hung over me.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived. When I returned to school the next day, my good mood lingered until I walked into History. I found myself staring at the empty seat beside me with a frown. The storm clouds rolled through my mind, dragging me back into the hopeless pit of despair that I had grown accustomed to.

Emmett leaned forward in his seat. "Where's Sleeping Beauty?" He questioned, studying my face intently. You good, bro?

"I'm fine," I spoke through clenched teeth.

Alice's brows knitted together. "Hmm," she hummed in thought. "I'll ask Dustin in gym. I hope she's okay."

Mr. Turner, the history teacher, laid a stack of papers on my desk. Given his thoughts, he believed Lynna and I were 'an item'. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought.

"Be sure your girlfriend is prepared for the quiz tomorrow since she wasn't here for the review. Go over these with her," he said to me.

Before I could respond, he flitted away. Emmett chuckled lowly behind me.

"Yeah, be sure your girlfriend is prepared, Edward," he teased.

I spun around in my seat and shot him a deadly glare. "Zip it, Emmett!"

He chuckled again, unfazed by my comment. Alice pursed her lips and gave me a smug smile. As usual, her thoughts were guarded. I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously.

After school, Alice sprung to my side, holding her hands out as she said, "Give me the papers that Mr. Turner gave you."

I quirked a brow. "Why?" I challenged, trying to sift through her thoughts.

Why do you think? Her thoughts rang out. "So, I can take them to Lynna," she stated firmly. Duh.

Jasper appeared by her side, kissing her temple before giving me a curt nod. I frowned at the both of them.

"Mr. Turner asked me to go over them with her," I reminded her, my frown deepening.

She blinked slowly before her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

Jasper's brows flew up his forehead as he looked between the two of us.

"Why not?" I quipped, standing my ground.

She clenched her little fists. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. "You two can't stand each other. You just want to go get a rise out of her. You like being mean to her," she accused with a glare.

I couldn't but chuckle wryly at that. "I'm simply doing what any good classmate would do," I taunted, smirking at my frustrated sister.

She shook her head. "You're unbelievable," she mumbled before darting towards the car.

Jasper shot me a glare as he followed after his mate.

(Lynna's P.O.V)

"We're going to get married! Oh, can you believe it?! I know we haven't known each other long, but—"

I interrupted my mother's rant by mumbling, "Yeah, a whole three months."

I sifted through the magazine, ignoring the glare she shot me. Mamaw pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.

"You don't have to be so negative, Lynna. Don't you want me to be happy?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

I looked up into the green eyes of my mother, her wavy blonde hair framing her face. Our hair was the only similarity we shared. I was the spitting image of my grandmother. Everyone called me her 'little twin'. The only difference was her gorgeous auburn hair that hung down her back, silky in texture. Her silver roots were barely shining through, but that was nothing that a box of hair dye couldn't fix.

"Of course I want you to be happy," I responded after a moment of silence. "This will make— what? Your seventh marriage?"

My mother was hard to handle. She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of thirteen. Although her last psychiatrist believed she was schizophrenic, he had never 'formally' diagnosed her with it. Growing up, my mom was hardly around. She was too busy trying to find her next boyfriend to be a parent. My mamaw raised me and Dustin. The bond we shared with our grandmother was a strong one; she truly had a heart of gold. Throughout the years, she was her daughter's punching bag. Not in a physical sense, but certainly a mental one.

"Sixth," my mom retorted. "Just call me Elizabeth Taylor."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes as my mother compared herself to the actress.

"So, are you going to move to New Hampshire permanently then?" I questioned with raised brows.

Her 'fiancé', Dave, lived four hours away in New Hampshire. I had never met the guy. The only thing I knew about him was that he goes by 'Hippie'. My mamaw continued filing her nails as she looked between the two of us.

"I was actually thinking about moving him here. So, we can all be together," she said with a smile.

My face, along with mamaw's, fell simultaneously.

"Christie, honey, I'm not comfortable with having a strange man move in here," Mamaw said to her daughter in a gentle voice.

Mom placed her hands on her hips. "He's not a strange man. He's my fiancé."

"Well, he's strange to us. We don't know anything about him," I told her, setting the magazine on the coffee table.

My mother had showed up out of the blue this afternoon, oozing with excitement about her upcoming nuptials. She came around once a month, but she never stayed longer than a couple of days. She didn't want to be away from whatever guy she was dating at the time. She never once asked how I was dealing with everything. You know, considering that my boyfriend died in a fire last year. She was comforting for about a week after his death, then she went back to her usual ways. Now, it was as though Grayson never even existed.

"You two always do this! You're never supportive! You're always against me!" Her voice went up an octave.

"Oh, boy," I mumbled bitterly, not in the mood to deal with one of her tantrums.

Thankfully, mamaw was much more patient than me.

"We aren't against you, honey. We just don't want you to rush into things," she said in a soothing, sweet voice.

I was starting to get a headache. Being around my mother had that effect on me. "I'm going upstairs," I said to them before dashing for my room.

Just as my head hit the pillow, I heard my mom calling for me. "Lynna! There's a very good looking boy here to see you."