||Lynna's P.O.V.||

"Here's some ginger ale and crackers." Mamaw sat them on the dresser before placing a cold, damp washcloth on my face. "This should make you feel better."

Shortly after ending things with Edward, I had gotten physically ill. For the past two days, I have been unable to keep anything down. I felt weak and feverish, and I feared I wasn't going to get better anytime soon.

"Dr. Bennett says it's just a seventy-two-hour virus. Apparently, it's going around school," she said to me. "You need to drink something. It's important to stay hydrated."

I tried to sit up in bed but immediately collapsed when my head started spinning. "I can't," I breathed out in a raspy voice. "I just want to sleep."

All I really wanted was for Edward to climb through my window and wrap me in his arms, as if his presence could somehow cure me of my illness. I was being absolutely ridiculous.

"Well, get some rest, sweetheart." She gave me a small smile before hovering in the doorway. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll check on you in a little bit."

The second my door was closed, my eyes fluttered shut, drifting into an uneasy sleep.

By the time Friday rolled around, the nausea had passed, but I was still feeling extremely weak. No doubt, I was dehydrated. I sipped on some Gatorade and checked my phone. Alice had dropped some of my homework off the day prior, but Mamaw told her I wasn't feeling up to visitors—Which I wasn't. There were countless missed calls and texts from my worried aunt. With a sigh, I dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

"Lynna! Are you feeling any better? I've been so worried about you. If I didn't hear from you today, I was going to send Carlisle to check on you." Her high-pitched musical voice echoed in my ears.

"I'm getting better," I said to her in a weak voice. "I'll see you Monday."

"Do you need me to come by and help you get caught up with your schoolwork? Vampires are immune to viruses, you know," she chuckled airily.

I breathed out a faint laugh, though it wasn't genuine. My heart ached in my chest. A part of me was tempted to ask about him. Was he okay? I bit my lip forcefully before shaking my head. Of course, he's okay. I replayed the image of his stoic face in my mind— The way he looked before vanishing from sight. He had been completely void of emotion. The overwhelming urge to crawl back into bed and sleep was taking hold.

"No. I'm just going to get some rest," I told her, gripping the phone firmly. "Thanks, Alice."

"If you need anything at all, let me know," she said in a stern tone before adding in a chipper voice, "Love you!"

"I love you too." I smiled faintly before ending the call.

Over the weekend, I was able to catch up on my schoolwork. After missing nearly a week of school, there was more than enough assignments to keep me occupied. When Monday morning rolled around, I woke up a bit earlier than usual so that I could take a shower before class. I was tempted to get 'all dolled up' in hopes of catching Edward's eye, but I still felt too out of sorts to try. The warm water did little to soothe my aching body. I was still feeling drained—Emotionally and physically. Dark circles were prominent under my eyes and no amount of concealer could cover them up. I put on some mascara, hoping to distract from the heavy bags.

My hair looked lifeless and dull, hanging down my back like an old curtain. I pulled it to the side in a loose ponytail, giving up on doing anything with it. I looked… horrible—As though the life had been sucked out of me. I threw on a hoodie and some baggy sweatpants before heading to school.

Noah was the first to greet me when I walked into the hallway. He gave me a quick hug before studying my sullen face.

You look like you've been through the ringer, he said to me with worried eyes.

I have. I responded as we started walking towards class.

Paige flitted to his other side, pecking him on the cheek before flashing me a smile. "Are you feeling better?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

My eyes scanned the halls, desperately hoping to lock with his ember orbs. Had he not been worried about me at all? As quickly as I had the thought, I dismissed it. It shouldn't matter. It doesn't matter. It was never going to work between us unless I agreed to be his dirty little secret until he, inevitably, got tired of me. My chest ached painfully at the thought.

When we walked into History, my heart sunk in my chest as I looked at my empty table. Any other day, he would have already been sitting there, waiting patiently for me to join him. My eyes drifted to the only other seat that I knew would be available—The one next to Tyler. But what would Alice and Emmett think if I just changed seats out of nowhere? Would they be suspicious? Not like it mattered to me if they were or not, but I knew for a fact how much it mattered to Edward. As upset as I was at the boy my heart was yearning for, I didn't want to hurt him. He had already gone through great lengths to keep everything that happened between us a secret from his family. Who was I to jeopardize that for him? So, with a shaky breath, I strolled to my seat and sat down, waiting anxiously for Edward Cullen to walk through the door.

Alice and Emmett were the next two students to saunter into the classroom. Alice's eyes lit up when she saw me. She danced over to me and threw her arms around my neck in a gentle embrace.

"I'm so glad you're back. It wasn't the same without you," she said, jutting her lower lip out in a pout before she sat down next to Emmett, who flashed me a boyish grin.

"She's right. Welcome back." His grin grew when I tried to return his smile.

"Thanks, guys." My voice still sounded weak and hoarse.

Alice's brows knitted together in worry. "You still look like you feel awful. Have you been eating and drinking okay? Maybe you should see Carlisle."

I was quick to shake my head. "I'm fine. Really."

Emmett pursed his lips as he studied my face. "You are really pale, Lynn."

I sighed deeply. "I'm just tired," I assured them, stealing a discreet glance at the door, waiting on pins on needles for him to show up.

But he never did. That didn't stop me from searching the hallways for him after class. Hell, I even walked by our 'secret place', but he was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't in Chemistry either.

Throughout lunch, I continued hoping he would appear out of nowhere. My eyes drifted to where he usually sat with his family too many times to count. Each time, Alice or Emmett would meet my gaze and smile. Noah was too preoccupied trying to teach Paige some new words in ASL to notice my odd behavior. No one mentioned it, which I was grateful for.

It wasn't until school was over that I accepted the fact that he hadn't shown up. Maybe he was on a hunting trip? I knew that he went on one every once in a while. I was certain he would be back tomorrow.

But he wasn't. I couldn't take it anymore. I was immensely worried and also curious. Where is he? Before Mr. Turner started with his lesson, I spun around in my seat and looked at Emmett and Alice, offering them a nervous smile.

"What's up?" Emmett asked, his lips twitching with amusement.

Alice quirked a dainty brow at me. How do I ask where he is without sounding like I care? By not looking nervous, to start with. I forced myself to relax my shoulders and chuckle lightly.

"Oh, nothing," I lied, losing my nerve.

I twirled a strand of my hair absentmindedly before an idea occurred to me. Somehow, despite the anxious churning in my stomach, I managed to flash them a smug smile as I gestured to the empty seat next to me.

"Looks like Cullen caught my stomach bug, huh?" I teased, knowing full well that 'vampires don't get sick'.

A forced smile flitted to Alice's lips. "If only it was that simple," she spoke in a faraway voice, staring blankly straight ahead.

Emmett nodded once in agreement. "Yeah. I don't know what crawled up his butt."

My brows furrowed on their own accord. "What do you mean? What's wrong with him?" Could they hear the worry in my voice? I gulped before adding in faux annoyance, "I mean— Something has been up his butt since I met him."

Alice released a heavy sigh. "He hasn't been out of his room in a week."

My heart dropped to my stomach. "Why though?" I was genuinely curious. Had my ending things actually hurt him?

It was Emmett's turn to respond. "Things have been rough on him for the past two decades."

Now, I was intrigued. "Why is that?"

They exchanged a wary glance. After a tense moment, Alice offered me a hesitant smile. "It's not really our place to talk about it," she told me.

My face fell at her words. Emmett pursed his lips before saying, "She should probably know though. She is family."

My aunt turned to lock eyes with him. "She is."

"And Edward doesn't have to know that we told her anything. It's not like he goes sifting through our thoughts these days," Emmett paused, flashing me a smug smile.

Alice nodded in agreement. "You're right."

I was starting to grow impatient. "Is someone actually going to tell me or—?"

Emmett chuckled lowly before locking eyes with me. "It's a long story, Lynn, so I won't go into any details. Like Alice said, it's not even our story to tell. Long story short, Edward is the way he is due to having his heart broken years ago."

A broken heart? My mouth fell open as I processed the information.

"You mean he actually had.. like.. a girlfriend?" My voice wavered nervously.

I was on pins and needles as Emmett snickered in amusement. "Hard to believe, huh?"

Alice nodded, eyeing me curiously. "He used to be a completely different person, Lynna."

Edward Cullen had a girlfriend twenty years ago? So, he lied to me. I was under the impression that he has been a bachelor for one hundred and twenty-two years. If he lied about that, what else has he lied about?

I couldn't stop my face from twisting into a grimace. Luckily, Emmett and Alice believed it was for an entirely different reason.

"What happened to her?" The curiosity in my voice was undeniable.

Had she.. died? They were immortal. They couldn't die, could they?

"She fell in love with someone else," Alice said with a forlorn smile.

My brows knitted together in confusion. "I thought that.." I trailed off before adding in a faint whisper, "I thought your kind mated for life. Like penguins."

Emmett quirked a brow in amusement. "Penguins?" He chuckled lowly.

"Or swans," Alice added with a tight-lipped smile. "And yes, Lynna, you are correct. But she.. wasn't one of us."

My jaw dropped. I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. She was human? I couldn't stop the jealousy that surged through me. So, I wasn't the only human girl to catch his eye, hmm?

"What was her name?" I questioned, managing to hide the bitterness in my voice by some miracle.

"Bella. Isabella Swan," she responded in a strained voice. "But never say her name around him."

I was at a loss. "Why?"

"Just.. Don't," Emmett breathed out. "She's a touchy subject, to say the least."

I recalled the fury in his features when I asked him if he had ever had a girlfriend—That would explain it. I found myself shaking my head at the memory, feeling slightly agitated and bitter towards him for flat out lying to me.

Another emotion coursed through, which was much more prominent than the rest— Jealousy.

"You said he used to be a completely different person…" I trailed off, curiosity getting the best of as me as I asked, "How?"

A forlorn smile played on Alice's face as she responded, "He used to be happy."

||Edward's P.O.V||

{Flashback}

"Leaving so soon, Lover Boy?" Emmett teased as he emerged from the dense woods. You're so whooped.

I rolled my eyes at his mental comment. Jasper appeared out of nowhere, approaching us from behind.

"Ah. Young love," my empath of a brother was quick to join on the teasing.

"I'll see you back home," I said to them before taking off at a full sprint back to Forks.

After spending six agonizingly long months away from the love of my existence, I could hardly stand to be away from her at all. This short two-day hunting trip was a difficult feat—I hadn't gone hunting with my brothers in over three months. Finally, after incessant pestering courtesy of Emmett, I agreed to this hunting trip. Granted, I was growing tired of feasting on the hooved creatures that occupied the woods surrounding Forks, but I would gladly feed on deer for all eternity if it meant staying near her. Emmett and Jasper said that the hunting trip was 'in celebration'; we were celebrating the defeat of Victoria and her newborn army. Of course, I had another reason for celebrating—Bella finally agreed to marry me.

I had to admit—her reluctance bothered me at first. A part of me feared that it was with a heavy heart that she agreed. Did she truly want to marry me for the right reasons? I shook my head, burying that particular thought deep in the crevices of my mind.

With each hastened step I took in her direction, it felt like my chest grew lighter and lighter—As if the air was too thick to breathe before. When her house finally came into view, I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. The smile was quickly replaced with a scowl when I caught a whiff of him in the air. The smell of wet dog hung like a curtain in the breeze. Jacob Black was here. My fists involuntarily clenched into fists when I picked up on his thoughts. He was in her room.

I was stunned when I realized what was transpiring between them. He was kissing her—My Bella. And she was letting him! She moaned against his lips before entwining her hands through his hair.

I was climbing through her bedroom window in an instant. His body stiffened on top of her before I grabbed him by his shirt and hurled him out the window. He had physically transformed into a large russet wolf before he even hit the ground. I was quick to jump down from the second story, landing on my feet and crouching down as an animalistic growl tore through my chest that matched his own.

I wanted to rip him to shreds. The jealousy and anger I felt burned through me like wildfire as he replayed their heated kiss in his mind, taunting me.

"Don't!" Bella cried as she darted out the front door and stood between us with her arms outstretched. "Please!"

The fear in her big, brown eyes pulled me back to reality. With a sigh, I reluctantly stood up and reached for her, desperate to have her in my arms; desperate for her to tell me that this was a big misunderstanding. Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me? Perhaps she wasn't really kissing him back? Surely, there was an explanation. I convinced myself that there was.

Jacob looked between me and Bella with concerned eyes. Don't take this out on her, he warned via his thoughts.

Take what out on her? I narrowed my eyes at him, wanting nothing more to remove his head from his shoulders. But doing so would hurt Bella. Despite my dislike for the wolf, I could never bring myself to harm him.

Her eyes darted between the two of us in a timid fashion before she turned to face the large dog. "Jacob, I need to talk to Edward. Alone."

He lowered his head in understanding before growling lowly at me. His thoughts were guarded as he trotted into the woods, vanishing from sight. His putrid scent still hung in the air, causing me to scrunch up my nose in disgust.

"Bella," her name rolled off my lips like a melody, despite the ache igniting in my chest.

She looked up at me with wide eyes full of anguish. Her face was pulled down in a frown as sorrow painted her features like a canvas.

"We need to talk," she whispered, blinking rapidly.

"You kissed him," I breathed out as realization flooded through me.

My eyes hadn't betrayed me— Bella did. My Bella.

"Why?" I asked in a tone that was void of emotion.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. She ran a hand through her mahogany locks and slowly shook her head.

"I.. love him," she breathed out, tears pooling in her deep, brown eyes.

I was well aware of the fact. He had been the one to pick up the pieces of her broken heart when I chose to leave her in the hopes of giving her a chance at a better life. He was the glue that held her together during the six long months that I was away. I had pushed her right into his outstretched arms. This was all my doing.

"I know," I whispered into the wind. "You love us both."

Her lower lip quivered like a leaf as her heart skipped a beat. "I love him.. more."

{End of Flashback}

I felt… numb. Fourteen leaves have fallen from the oak tree within the past hour. Six insects lost their lives to the two Bluejays that encircled the trees. I had kept myself distracted through the night by watching a mushroom sprout through the soil. A lone beetle was taking shelter under the mushroom in a bid to escape the giant raindrops that fell from the sky.

I inhaled deeply, but when I did, a sharp pain pierced through my chest that nearly blinded me. The pain started when Lynna ended things with me days ago.

"I can't do this anymore, Edward.." Her voice that was tinged with sorrow played on repeat in my head like a mantra, haunting me.

I couldn't shake the sight of tears spilling from her deep blue eyes. The stabbing pain worsened at the memory. Should I try talking to her? Immediately, it felt like a giant weight was lifted from my chest at the notion. But as quickly as I had the thought, I banished it. This was what she wanted after all. She made that clear.

I should leave town. I know I should, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, I just simply couldn't. It was as though there was some sort of force field preventing me from fleeing. Ridiculous sounding, isn't it?

The house was full of empty rooms. My siblings had all left less than an hour ago to go on a hunting trip, and Carlisle and Esme were off celebrating their anniversary at Isle Esme. So, I was left completely alone with my thoughts. Granted, I could have taken my siblings up on their offer to join them, but I couldn't bring myself to. I found peace in solitude. Well, about as much peace as I could given the situation.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't picked up on the fact that a car had pulled into the driveway. And not just any car— Lynna's car. I could've sworn my heart started beating when I heard a knock on the front door. What was she doing here? Surely, Alice had told her that she and the others would be gone.

The burning in my throat reminded me that I hadn't fed in quite some time. It was definitely not a good idea to be around Lynna right now. Even if I could, I couldn't bear to face her. I couldn't handle seeing her and not being able to touch her. I couldn't handle knowing that I couldn't wrap her in my arms; that I couldn't kiss her lips. She was no longer mine to kiss. She never was; my stomach twisted into a knot at the reminder.

When I heard the front door open, my entire body stiffened.

"Edward." The sound of my name leaving her lips was my undoing.

Throwing caution to the wind, I practically teleported downstairs, desperate to feast my eyes on her. The second I saw her, it felt like a giant weight was lifted off my chest and I could finally breathe again. The stabbing pain in my chest had all but vanished. The relief I felt was short-lived, however, when I noticed the state she was in. Dark circles framed her eyes, as though she has had many sleepless nights. Her eyes, the perfect shade of blue, looked.. tired. But she was still dressed to kill.

She was wearing a black skin-tight dress that clung to her curves like its life depended on it. It was a bit low cut—Exposing the round curvature of her breasts, causing my mouth to water with every breath she took. The form-fitting dress stopped half-way down her thighs, exposing her soft, forbidden curves that caused my stomach to tighten with anticipation. I could no longer stop myself from inhaling deeply, allowing her invigorating scent to fill my lungs. The unyielding burn that was ignited was blinding. Every nerve in my body was preparing to lunge towards her—Torn between ripping that dress to shreds or sinking my teeth into her tender flesh. Fear coursed through me as she looked up at me with a blank expression. Her face gave nothing away.

I kept a good six feet of distance between us, not trusting myself to get too close for a multitude of reasons

She stood there, staring up at me. I didn't allow myself to gaze into her eyes like I yearned to do; instead, I dropped my gaze to the floor.

"I, uh," her soft voice wavered. "I wanted to return this to you."

I hesitantly pulled my eyes from the floor and saw that she was holding out my jacket that I had let her borrow; it felt like decades had passed since then. My heart dropped to my stomach as I took a cautious step forward.

"That's all?" The words flew from my lips without a second thought.

That's all? Really? What did I expect? But deep down, I knew.. However ridiculous and downright absurd it was, a part of me was hoping she was here because she changed her mind.

When her lower lip trembled, I nearly melted. It took every ounce of control I possessed not to wrap her in my arms and crush my lips against hers. In that moment, I felt.. cold. Ice-cold. I yearned for the warmth that only she could provide.

"I don't think there's anything else to return," she whispered, staring straight ahead to avoid my gaze. "I mean, unless you're wanting the necklace back that you gave me."

She misunderstood me. "Absolutely not," I was quick to say. "And you can keep the jacket too. I meant what I said—It looks much better on you anyway." I was hoping to break through her stone-cold exterior; silently praying that she would grace me with a smile. She didn't, however.

"I don't want it." Her tone was clipped.

I was taken aback by her tone. When her eyes met mine, my heart clenched. It was as though she was looking straight through me. I could see the anger in her eyes, but beneath her fury, there was passion.

||Lynna's P.O.V.||

I shouldn't have come here. It was even more painful than I had anticipated. Why did I do this to myself? How self-naïve I was to convince myself that I simply wanted to 'return his jacket'. His eyes were the color of midnight as he gazed at me from afar. My heart started pounding against my ribs, echoing in my ears. When he slowly started to approach me, my breath hitched in my throat.

"You don't?" He quirked a brow, flashing me a devilish smirk that turned my insides to mush.

I had a feeling we weren't talking about the jacket anymore. I took a step back, refusing to get sucked into his orbit as I jutted my chin in defiance. "It doesn't matter what I want, Cullen. Not when you've made it blatantly obvious what you don't."

To my surprise, his smirk grew. He took another step forward, and I took another step back. And again. And again. And again—I gasped when I felt my back hit the wall. Before I even had time to process what was happening, his body was but mere inches from mine, causing a fire to ignite in the pit of my stomach that set my entire body ablaze.

"I think you know exactly what I want," he whispered, his cool breath fanning against my face.

The lust dancing in his eyes was obvious. My heart stuttered and I hated myself for it. Still, I refused to fall under his spell entirely.

"Do I?" I challenged, surprised when my voice didn't waver.

A low rumbling sound came from deep within his chest that caused desire to pierce through me like a knife. He leaned his face dangerously close to mine before dropping to my neck, his nose lightly grazing my jawline as he inhaled deeply. The simple gesture caused goosebumps to erupt all over my body and my heart to race.

"I don't think you realize how absolutely mouthwatering you are," his voice sounded strained, as though he was barely able to restrain himself. "In more ways than one."

Perhaps a normal girl, a sane girl, would be fearful that a vampire called her 'mouthwatering', but it seemed to have the opposite effect on me. My stomach clenched deliciously at his words, yearning to feel his cold lips press against my neck. He was a drug, and I was hooked it would seem.

No. I needed to stick to my guns. I placed my hand on his chest, my breath hitching despite my best efforts before I tried to push him away. His hand wrapped around mine, holding it over his heart as he gazed into my eyes with a burning intensity that had me weak in the knees.

"It doesn't beat, you know," he spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But.. Sometimes.. When I'm with you.. I would swear that it does."

My eyes widened, in awe at his statement. I could feel my heart trying to fly away, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to melt into a puddle on the floor. He was smooth with his words; I'll give him that.

"Edward. Don't," I forced the words out.

He held my eyes captive with his own. "Don't what?" His hold on my hand tightened slightly.

My heart was in my throat as I said, "Say things you don't mean."

His eyes narrowed into slits, studying my face before saying, "I don't say things to you that I don't mean, Lynna."

His proximity, along with his words, were sending me over the words.

"Please step back," I managed to choke out around the sudden lump in my throat.

He was clearly fighting back a smirk as he obliged, taking the smallest, tiniest step back, still leaving me pinned against the wall. I pulled my hand from him and folded my arms over my chest, trying to hide the rapid rise and fall of my chest as I struggled to keep myself afloat in his presence.

"Why are you wearing that?" He asked in a low, husky voice that sent a shiver down my spine. "Are you trying to drive me crazy or something?"

My brows flew up my forehead. "You think I chose this dress with you in mind?"

His eyes widened, his jaw clenching. "So, you didn't?"

I inhaled a shaky breath, growing nervous under his unwavering gaze that was growing more intense by the second. "Actually, Edward. It was a last-minute decision that I decided to bring you your jacket."

He pursed his lips, his face twisting into a scowl. "I see," he spoke through gritted teeth. "Off to see Tyler then, I assume."

My jaw dropped, my cheeks heating up in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "That's none of your business."

His face twisted into a look of pure fury. In an instant, he was across the room, staring out the grand window with a blank expression. I inhaled a shaky breath, trying to get a grip on the many emotions coursing through me.

"Nice to know you're moving on so quickly," he murmured, sounding far too bitter for my taste.

My left eye twitched in annoyance. I pushed off the wall and approached him, my heels furiously clicking against the hardwood floor. "You don't know what you're talking about. This is all you're doing, need I remind you! Tell me, Cullen! Why are you so ashamed of me? Better yet, why are you jealous over a girl that you're too ashamed to be seen with in public?!"

There it is. The real reason I came over. For answers. My face was, no doubt, as red as my lipstick amid my anger and frustration. I planted myself a good four feet away from him, glaring at the back of his head. He spun around to face me, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I'm not ashamed of you, Holloway. It's like I said before— It's complicated."

"Complicated, huh?" I shook my head, my frustration growing. "Does it have anything to do with her?"

His brows knitted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Did you really think I'd never find out?"

His jaw hit the floor. He ran a hand through his hair out of frustration before saying in a low voice, "Lynna, I have no idea what you're talking about. You're the only girl I've so much as even spoken to at that school, so I honestly don't—"

I cut him off mid-sentence. "Why did you lie to me?"

His eyes were threatening to pop out of their sockets at this point. "Lynna! What. Are. You. Talking. About?!"

"When I asked you before… If you ever had a girlfriend.. You said no." I met his gaze, noting when the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "I want to know why you lied."

He clenched his jaw. A solemn expression fell over his face as he tore his eyes from mine and continued staring out the window. "Alice told you." His voice was void of all emotion.

I blinked rapidly, fearing that he'd be upset with her. "Don't be mad at her for telling me something that I should have already known about."

I knew he couldn't call her out on it. Doing so would jeopardize his own dirty little secret. His dirty little secret being his 'friendship' with me. He said nothing as he stood there as still as a statue; his face gave nothing away.

"Don't you have anything to say?" I blurted out, desperate for him to say something.

A moment that felt like an eternity passed before he finally spoke, keeping his back to me as he said, "That's in the past, Lynna. I don't wish to speak of it with you."

"Figures." I expected nothing less. "Tell me, Cullen. What else did you lie about?"

"Nothing," he stated sternly, his jaw ticking.

Bile rose in my throat. "Liar," I responded automatically.

In blinding speed, he spun around to face me once more, shaking his head as he spoke in a dull tone, "Don't speak of things you know nothing about. Aside from not being forthcoming about my romantic affair, I have withheld nothing from you."

I scoffed sarcastically, unable to stop the anger from taking hold in the pit of my stomach. Anger wasn't the primary emotion I was feeling; it was simply secondary. There was no denying that I was jealous, and that fact alone was enough to ignite rage within me.

I folded my arms across my chest and shot him a glare which he did not return. For some reason, that only fueled my anger even more.

"I don't believe you." I was surprised by how calm I sounded.

"You don't have to," he breathed out. "But it's the truth."

I blinked slowly, struggling to collect my rampant thoughts. "So, you're not going to explain yourself?"

A brief flicker of annoyance flashed across his face, but it was gone in an instant. "There's nothing to explain."

I exhaled sharply, rolling my eyes before I threw his jacket on the couch and spun on my heels, making a beeline for the front door. In a speed indecipherable to my human eyes, he was standing directly in front of me, towering over me with wide, frantic eyes.

"Where are you going?" He asked in a surprisingly soft voice.

"Leaving," I quipped. "Now, move."

The coldness in his eyes melted, revealing an array of emotions that was swirling in the depths of his irises. "Please don't go," he whispered, holding his arms out for me.

My heart lurched in my chest. Everything within me wanted to fall into his arms and mold against him. But I knew I couldn't allow that to happen. Regardless, I found my anger evaporating as I stared at his devastatingly beautiful face.

"I really need to go, Edward," I spoke softly. "I have plans."

He pressed his lips into a thin line. I watched, in awe, as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"So, it's really over then," his voice broke at the end, his eyes glazing over with emotion.

A lump formed in my throat when I noticed the vulnerability in his eyes. I had to remind myself—If he truly cared for me the way I deserve, he would want others to know about us. If he felt for me even a fraction of what I feel for him, he wouldn't want to keep me a secret.

So, using every ounce of strength I possessed, I looked him directly in the eyes and said, "You've given me no choice," before sidestepping him and walking towards the door once again.

"Wait," he called out, causing me to pause mid-step. I waited for him to continue, refusing to so much as glance over my shoulder. "Can we please talk about this, Lynna? Please?"

"I have somewhere I need to be. Like I said," I told him, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

"After then?" He sounded… desperate?

My heart skipped a beat. When I didn't say anything, he continued on his own accord, "Can I come over tonight?"

"Edward," I breathed out, meeting his gaze from over my shoulder. "I don't think—"

He interrupted me to say, "Please. I just want to talk. I'll keep my distance. I'll do whatever you want. Just.. Please say yes."

I chewed on my lip anxiously, noticing how his eyes proceeded to darken as I did so.

"Fine." I said to him, lifting my chin. "I'll be back around nine."

"Nine?!" His mouth hit the floor, his brows furrowing. "Will you please tell me what it is that you're going to be doing until nine o'clock at night?"

I was fighting back a smirk as I said, "It's a school night, so I don't want to stay out too late."

He scowled, clenching his fists at his sides. "Tell me this at least. Does it involve Tyler?"

The smirk won, flitting to my lips as I shrugged in faux nonchalance. "Maybe. Maybe not."

And with that, I made my exit, leaving him to wonder.