(Lynna's P.O.V)

"That was so much fun!" Alice beamed, linking arms with me as we walked out of the school and headed towards the limo.

Tyler was walking to my left with Alice on my right. The others were trailing behind us. Edward was walking directly behind me, practically breathing down my neck as we trekked across the parking lot. His close proximity was sending me over the edge, but I didn't want to show it.

"It was," Tyler was quick to agree, flashing me a smile that exposed his perfectly white teeth. "I'm glad you took pity on me and decided to be my date," he teased.

I rolled my eyes in a playful manner. "I didn't take pity on you," I laughed. "But you guys are right. It was a lot of fun."

My mind immediately replayed the memory of dancing with Edward. How his hand firmly gripped my waist. How his large hand swallowed mine. His icy touch that somehow managed to make my skin feel like it was on fire as he pulled me against him. The feel of his solid body pressed against mine. I shook my head, attempting to dispel the thoughts.

Emmett and Rosalie were the first ones in the limo, followed by Jasper and Alice. Edward casually leaned against the limo and tilted his head to the side, staring at me with a burning intensity that made my heart stutter in my chest. I awkwardly shifted my weight before turning to Tyler who was still wearing a boyish grin.

"Thanks for being my 'not-date'," he said with a chuckle.

"No problem," I smiled up at him.

He placed his hands in his pockets and stared down at the ground. "I- uh. I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

I nodded, feeling nervous under Edward's unwavering gaze. Could he be any nosier? Knowing that he was watching, I decided to put on a show for him. I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed Tyler's cheek before flashing him a smile. His cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ty," I said before spinning my heels and walking towards the limo.

Edward's eyes were narrowed into slits as he stared at me; a look of anger was decorating his usually stoic features.

"See you tomorrow!" Tyler called back as Edward gestured for me to step inside the limo.

Edward was quick to climb in behind me, shutting the door behind us. I slid as far away from him as possible, but he positioned himself so that our knees were barely touching, sending an electrical current through me that made me feel light-headed. This was going to be a long ride home.

Monday rolled around like it always does. Nothing eventful happened over the weekend. Despite the dreamcatchers that hung over my bed, I was still haunted by the same nightmare night after night. Something occurred to me—What if it wasn't just a dream? What if it's some sort of message? I furrowed my brows at the thought as I walked into History.

Edward was sitting in his seat, staring out the window with a blank expression. I studied his side profile as I sat down beside him. He had such a strong jawline; perfectly chiseled. I was briefly overcome by the urge to reach out and stroke his jaw. My fingers tingled at the outrageous thought. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Hey," I said to him, hoping to ease the tension.

Things had always been 'weird' between us, but I feared that our dancing together would make that weirdness unbearable. My fears were confirmed when he nodded curtly in response without meeting my gaze. I twirled my pencil between my fingers and chewed on my lower lip in a nervous manner.

"Did you have a good weekend?" I asked in a weak voice.

Why was I trying to make small talk with him? Why did I want him to talk to me? I don't even like him. In fact, I loathed him. So, why did it bother me so when he chose to ignore my question?

"Or ignore me. That's fine," I spoke through clenched teeth, feeling extremely irritated.

His head snapped in my direction, his ember eyes locking with mine. "My weekend was fine, Holloway. Now, if you'll excuse me," he spoke in a strained voice before zoning out once again.

I groaned internally. I knew I shouldn't have danced with him. "Please don't make this any weirder than it already was," I begged of him.

He furrowed his brows before meeting my gaze with a curious expression. "What do you mean?"

I sighed heavily, folding my arms on top of the table. "You know.. Us dancing together like that." I was never one to beat around the bush and now wasn't an exception. "Now things seem… weirder between us. I'm getting weird vibes."

He quirked a brow in disbelief. "Things were already weird, Holloway. I don't know what you mean."

I shook my head, not buying his aloof behavior for a minute. "But it's different now."

Now, he was shaking his head. "It was a dance, Lynna," he sneered my first name as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Nothing more to it than that. Quit reading into something that isn't there."

His voice was dripping with annoyance. My mouth fell open at his comment. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"I'm not— I wasn't reading into anything," I was quick to say. "It's just.. Like you said, things are already weird and I'm close friends with Emmett and Alice, so I don't want there to be any.. tension between us, you know."

He scoffed and shook his head before a sarcastic smile flitted to his lips. "So typical," he chuckled wryly, locking eyes with me. There was an emptiness in his eyes that made me feel slightly uneasy. "You girls are all the same, you know that? It was one dance. It didn't change anything. I didn't like you before and I don't like you now. Get the picture?"

My eyes widened as I processed his words. My jaw dropped, feeling a wave of anger rush through me. My eyes narrowed into slits as I stared at his smug face. His stupid, smug face. Ugh!

"You know what? I think I actually dislike you more now than I did before," I grumbled, clutching the pencil in my hand forcefully.

He breathed out another scoff. "Is that so?" He quirked a brow, his smile growing.

I nodded curtly. "Mhm." I pursed my lips, tilting my head to the side and returning his snide smile. "As a matter of fact, I loathe you, Edward Cullen. Absolutely loathe you."

A scowl crawled across his face. He was clenching his jaw as he said, "I loathe you."

"I loathe you more," I quipped, my frown deepening.

He breathed out forcefully and shook his head, a smirk flitting to his lips. "Holloway," he spoke my surname, pausing for dramatic effect before continuing, "I don't think you're capable of loathing anyone."

My grip on my pencil tightened. He raised his brows, as if to challenge me. My stomach was in knots and I wasn't sure why. "Don't be so sure about that," I breathed out, forcing a glare his way. "Why did you even ask me to dance with you to begin with? You can't stand me!"

His brows flew up his forehead so fast that I feared they might fly away. A haunting expression fell across his face before it twisted into one of amusement. This guy has some serious issues. Obviously.

"Why did you agree to dance with me? You can't stand me either," he challenged with a devilish smirk.

Anger was simmering beneath the surface of my skin. No one could push my buttons like Edward Cullen. "Why do you always turn the question back around on me?!"

"You do the same thing," he was quick to say.

"I do not!" I spoke through gritted teeth, involuntarily leaning in closer to him.

"Do too." He flashed me a crooked grin that caused my stomach to churn in a strange fashion.

"Do not!" I clenched my fists.

"Do too." His grin widened, which only fueled my temper.

"You two sound like a couple of five-year-olds," Emmett's amused voice came from behind us.

I had been so focused on our exchange that I hadn't noticed Emmett and Alice taking their seats. Alice flashed me a smug smile while Emmett snickered quietly.

"Do not," Edward and I said in perfect synchronization, causing me to narrow my eyes at him.

Emmett and Edward both threw their heads back and laughed quite loudly. I groaned in annoyance before turning my attention to Alice who was looking at me with a curious expression. I spun around in my seat and propped my elbow up on her table, placing the side of my face in my hand.

"He really gets on my nerves," I whispered to her in a voice that wouldn't carry to Edward's ears.

She quirked a brow and let out an airy laugh. I could hear Edward chuckling lowly, causing me to fight against the urge to shoot him another glare. Smug jerk.

"Mine too," Alice whispered back with a secretive smile.

A light tap on my shoulder pulled me from my thoughts. I spun around and was met with a smiling Noah.

"Good morning," I greeted him with a smile.

Good morning. His eyes were dancing before he pulled something from behind his back. Dad and I were talking and we think you should have this.

My brows furrowed as I stared at the tiny box in his hand. Edward was staring at the side of my face with a burning intensity. I hesitantly reached for the box and held it in my hands before opening the lid. A gasp flew through my lips when I saw what was inside— Grayson's class ring. My mouth fell open; tears sprung to the back of my eyes.

He would have wanted you to have it, he explained. I took note that tears were welling up in his eyes as well. Despite what he did, he did love you.

The ring was attached to a silver chain. With shaky fingers, I picked it up by the chain and admired it. Noah held out his hand with a smile before I handed him the necklace. I turned and locked eyes with Edward; his golden orbs were swimming with an indecipherable emotion, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. I pulled my hair to the side as Noah clasped the necklace around my neck. With tears in my ears, I spun back around to face my best friend. My heart swelled with emotions.

Thank you. So much. I love it. I chose to sign the words, not trusting myself to speak around the sudden lump that had formed in my throat.

You're welcome. His smile reached his eyes, causing them to dance.

I sat back down and inhaled a shaky breath, fighting against the tears threatening to fall. I didn't want Edward to see me so vulnerable; the idea of crying in front of him appalled me. I wrapped my hand around the ring and just as I did so, I felt my entire body stiffen as a feeling of dread washed over me.

That's when I saw him— Grayson.

In the vision he was looking directly at me, as though he could see straight through me. His eyes were as red as crimson with skin as pale as snow. His features were sharpened— as if he was carved from stone.

His gaze intensified as he spoke in a voice that sounded like it belonged to an angel, "It isn't safe."

My hand dropped from the necklace, feeling as though I had been burned. I felt the color drain from my face. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins and I had no idea as to why.

What was that?! It couldn't have possibly been a vision, could it? Grayson was.. dead. I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed that someone was saying my name.

"Lynna," Edward's smooth voice broke through the veil of my mind. "Lynna!" He repeated himself much more firmly, sounding slightly panicked.

My eyes widened as I came to. Noah's panicked face was kneeling directly in front of me with Edward hovering to my left.

What did you see? Noah asked with furrowed brows.

I slowly shook my head, still in a state of shock. I held onto the ring like it was my anchor as I stared into the worried eyes of my best friend.

"N-Nothing," I stuttered out, blinking rapidly. "It was nothing."

He gave me a disbelieving look. That didn't look like nothing.

I forced a smile his way before saying, "It wasn't anything. Really."

He released a deep sigh before nodding. Okay. I'll talk to you in gym.

I nodded. Okay. And thanks again.

He flashed me a smile before walking to the front of the room and taking his seat next to Paige. Edward, as well as Alice and Emmett, were staring at me with a strange expression. I met Edward's gaze and quirked a brow at him.

"What are you looking at?" I grumbled bitterly.

His lips twisted into a smirk. "I'll let you know when I find out."

I rolled my eyes at his comment.

Throughout gym, both Noah and Alice continued to ask what I had seen in my vision.

"It was nothing. Just a.. flashback. A memory," I told them with a reassuring smile.

That's all it was, right? It was simply a memory of the same dream I had been experiencing night after night.

If you say so, Noah signed with a shrug of his shoulders.

Alice, on the other hand, wasn't buying it. After Noah walked away, she turned to me and said, "Well, when you're ready to talk about it, I'm all ears."

When I walked into chemistry, I wasn't surprised to see that Edward was already seated. He was staring straight ahead with a solemn expression. A crooked smirk crawled across his lips when I sat down beside him, causing strange feelings to stir deep within my stomach. His smirk grew when I shifted awkwardly in my seat, feeling nervous under his gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked in annoyance.

His ember eyes danced in amusement. "Like what?"

"Like that," I sneered, quickly growing frustrated. "You go from glaring at me to smirking. What is up with you?"

He shrugged nonchalantly; all the while, that devilish smirk never left his face. "To be honest, I just thoroughly enjoy getting under your skin."

I rolled my eyes involuntarily. "Yeah, I gathered that."

He pursed his lips as he studied my face. I grabbed my textbook from my bag and slammed it on the table, creating an obnoxiously loud 'thud'. Edward chuckled lowly and shook his head.

"You're awfully moody today," he commented, his smirk growing even more.

My head swiveled in his direction before locking with his ember orbs. A lump formed in my throat at the sight and I wasn't sure why.

"I'm simply not in the mood for you and your mood swings," I retorted.

He scoffed. "Please," his voice was heavy with sarcasm. "You're just as bad as I am."

My eyes flashed angrily as I stared him down. His face seemed to be flawless—As though he was truly made of porcelain. I almost reached to caress his jaw, longing to see if his skin was as smooth as it appeared to be, before I caught myself. I couldn't help but chuckle wryly at the thought—I could imagine his reaction.

"No, I'm not. You hate everyone. I just hate you," I stated sternly, tracing my lower lip with the tip of my pencil.

His eyes appeared to darken dramatically, but they didn't hold a trace of anger like they usually do. A moment passed before he spoke, "I don't think you really hate me, Holloway."

I quirked a brow at him. "Oh, yeah?" I challenged.

That damn crooked smirk sprung to his lips once again. "Nope. Not even close."

I frowned in response but chose to ignore his comment. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of responding. Instead, I pulled out my notebook and started doodling. I was in the middle of drawing a heart with angel wings when his voice washed over me.

"What are you drawing?" He asked me curiously.

I stiffened when he scooted his seat closer to me. Our elbows were nearly touching, causing my heart to stutter in my chest. My mouth fell open as he peered over my shoulder; his cool breath was fanning against the side of my neck and making it exceedingly difficult to concentrate. All I could think about was the fact that he was sitting mere inches from me. The electrical current flowing between us was all-but-demanding to be acknowledged. Could he feel it too? Doubtful. I had a feeling Edward Cullen didn't feel much of anything.

"What's it look like?" I asked sarcastically, surprised that my voice didn't give away the effect he was having on me.

He pursed his lips and stared down at the paper. My grip on the pencil tightened, fearful that my hand would start shaking.

"Hmm," he hummed, appearing to be focusing intently on my doodles. "It looks like a 'heart angel' to me." He said with a glorious smile that caused his golden eyes to dance. My breath hitched in my throat before he continued, "You're just missing a halo."

My heart was hammering against my ribcage when he reached over and carefully drew a halo over the 'heart angel'. I felt my eyes widen and my jaw go slack when he looked at me with a crooked grin before he admired his work.

"Now, it's perfect," he breathed out, his cool breath fanning against my face.

My head was spinning; my heart was gyrating. What the hell is wrong with me? His brows knitted together in amusement.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, mimicking my words from earlier.

I simply shook my head and leaned as far away from him as was physically possible, desperate to put some much-needed space between us. I scooted to the very edge of the stool before a loud screeching sound filled my ears—Before I even realized what was happening, the stool had tipped over, sending me falling to the floor. I hit the cold, tile floor with a loud thud, landing on my backside. A groan escaped my lips as I covered my face in embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" His voice seemed to be filled with worry as he leaned over my stool to peer down at me.

While still covering my face, I nodded. With a reluctant sigh, I stood up and started brushing myself off. "Like you care," I mumbled bitterly.

My cheeks were cherry red when I cast a glance at Edward who was clearly trying to fight back a smile. When I narrowed my eyes at him, he lost it. He threw his head back and laughed loudly— The musical sound flowed through my ears and seemed to echo in the empty classroom. I had had enough of this boy. I grabbed my belongings and shoved them into my bag before sauntering over to the only other seat that I knew was available— The one next to Tyler.

"Holloway!" He called after me, but I chose to ignore him as I sat down in the stool and placed my head in my hands on top of the table.

"Lynna." The sound of my first name falling from his lips unnerved me. "What are you doing?" His voice came from directly over my shoulder causing me to startle slightly.

I spun around to face him and scowled at his smug face. "What does it look like I'm doing, Cullen?"

"It looks like you're being dramatic," he commented, his lips twitching in amusement.

It was my turn to smirk at him. "It looks like I've found a new seat," I countered back.

All traces of humor vanished from his face as he looked at me with hooded eyes. Before I could make another comment, he grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Give that back!" I demanded as I shot up from my seat and reached for my bag.

He took a giant step back, dodging me, before shaking his head. "Come back to your seat and I will," he said in a snarky tone.

I folded my arms across my chest and glared up at him. "No."

His eyes widened in obvious surprise. "Look, I'm sorry I laughed at you—"

I cut him off mid-sentence. "That's not what this is about."

Though, I was incredibly shocked that he was actually apologizing. He released a deep sigh, slumping his shoulders in the process. "Will you please just come back to your seat, Lynna?"

I folded my arms across my chest and studied his solemn expression, tilting my head to the side as I did so. "Why? Why do you care?"

At this, his usual scowl crawled across his face. He straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest, earning an eyeroll from me. "I don't," he was quick to say. "But what will others think when they see that you've claimed Ashley's seat?"

He was right, I suppose. When I said nothing, he continued on his own accord, "Do you really want people to think that you're with Tyler? Grayson's best friend?"

I jutted my chin in defiance. "They wouldn't think that."

He raised his brows as if to challenge me. "Oh, wouldn't they? People already know that you went to the dance with him."

"We just went as friends!" I exclaimed, my annoyance growing.

His lips twitched, but he was unable to fight the smirk. "I'm sure Tyler's been leaving out that little detail."

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him. "Well, I don't care what other people think. Nice try," I flashed him a derisive smile before I sat down once again, turning my back towards him.

He groaned in frustration and walked around the table to stand in front of me. He sat my bag down on the floor and knelt down, placing his arms on top of the table and tilting his head to the side as his eyes bore into mine with an intensity that put me on edge.

"Will you please return to your assigned seat?" He asked with a strange edge to his voice.

I pursed my lips. "I'd rather not."

His eyes flashed, but I couldn't quite make out which emotion was swirling in their dark depths. "Please," he spoke through clenched teeth.

"What's it to you, Cullen? You still haven't answered that," I said to him.

He shook his head in obvious annoyance. "I just.. I don't know." He breathed out before running a hand through his bronze hair, causing it to stand up end. The sight was quite comical; I couldn't help but smile. "I guess I'd rather sit next to you than take the chance of having to sit with someone else."

I furrowed my brows at his comment. "Why?"

He pursed his lips in thought. "I honestly don't know," he admitted with a frown. "Despite my dislike for you, you're not the worst company to have?"

I quirked a brow and chuckled lowly at his puzzled expression. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

At this, he laughed a genuine laugh. "Of the highest variety," he teased.

"Alright, you've convinced me," I spoke in jest as I grabbed my bag and stood up before reclaiming my 'assigned seat' next to him.

He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when he sat down beside me.

"Thanks again, Alice. As much as I love to bake, baking a hundred cookies is a difficult feat," I said to my friend as we put a batch in the oven.

My grandmother had agreed to bake one hundred cookies for a fundraiser at the local goodwill. When Alice overheard me talking about it during study hall, she graciously volunteered to help out after school, and I couldn't be more grateful. Mamaw was prepping the next batch of cookies as I started sifting the flour.

"No problem at all! I'm happy to help," she flashed me a beaming smile.

My mom walked into the kitchen in that moment, holding a photo album in her hands.

"Whatcha got there, Christie?" Mamaw asked her, eyeing the weathered cover.

"It's full of old family photos. It has pictures of you and Aunt Pat. There's even some of Grandmother Bonnie and Great-Grandmother Cynthia," she said with a smile.

She laid the book on the counter, sending a cloud of flour into the air. She peered over the album, intently studying the photos.

"We need the counter space," I told her as I attempted to wipe up the mountain of flour that was around the book.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You guys can take a break for five minutes and reminisce with me."

"Reminisce? You weren't even born yet," I stated dully, placing my flour-covered hands on my hips.

She rolled her eyes, clearly not amused. "Mom, come take a look. I never realized how much you looked like Great-Grandmother Cynthia."

She held up the photo with a grin. Alice eyed the photo intently before sauntering over and taking a seat in the empty stool next to my mom.

"That's your great-grandmother? Cynthia?" Alice asked, staring at the aged photograph with weary eyes.

My mom hummed in response. "Yep. That's Cynthia Brandon; Brandon being her maiden name, of course."

Alice's jaw went slack. "Did, um.. Did she have any other family that you were aware of?"

Mamaw was the one to respond. "It's a tragic story, actually. Her mother was murdered by her father. She had an older sister by the name of Mary. Rumor had it that she was psychic. The father locked her away in a mental asylum and she was never seen again."

An audible gasp escaped Alice's lips before her brows knitted together. She locked eyes with each of us; I took note of the emotion swimming in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She nodded once before a smile flitted to her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I've never been better. Let's make some cookies."

I returned her smile and opened the fridge to grab some butter that would need to soften. When I closed the fridge door, Alice threw her arms around my neck in an unexpected hug. I was quick to wrap my arms around her, returning the hug.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, worried for my friend.

She shook her head and squeezed me a little tighter. "Nothing. I'm just glad I know you, is all."