Well, I hope you guys are ready for Edward because it is about to go down, folks! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I am so excited to see how you guys react to what is coming.

The song for this chapter is Maybe You're Not The Worst Thing Ever by Cast of Galavant. Give it a listen. Have a laugh.

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Disclaimer: I'm only doing this for a friend. I don't get anything from it but her undying appreciation. I certainly don't get to have fun with Emmett and the boys in my head.

Chapter Thirteen: Maybe You're Not The Worst Thing Ever

BPOV

The bell rang and jarred me from my frozen staring contest with Edward. I moved down the aisle between lab tables. I tripped slightly over a backpack left too far in the walkway and stumbled, catching myself on our table. I looked up at him and saw him trying to conceal a smile and possibly a laugh. I glared at him as I set my backpack down and sat carefully in my seat. I noticed that as I pulled my chair up to the table, he moved his as far away from me as possible while still staying at the table. My eyes narrowed at him. Mr Banner started his lesson and I pulled out my book and a notebook and pen, pointedly ignoring the boy sitting next to me. About halfway through class, Mr Banner turned us loose to work on our assignment.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself the last time we met," I heard him say to me after a few minutes.

"Yeah, funny how doing an impression of a rabid, psychotic, serial killer gets in the way of a pesky thing like manners," I deadpanned. His face split into a grin.

"Alice was right about you; you're quick."

"And you and Emmett are obviously related because you find the ability to think so impressive." He laughed and I noticed that his voice was rich and velvety.

Like Carlisle's.

But not as nice. Carlisle's voice was like melted butter sliding over rolls straight from the oven.

They all were ridiculously attractive. Edward was just as attractive as his adopted father. He had messy bronze hair and looked like a machine of lean muscle and sass. Like the rest of his family, he had pale skin and golden eyes. I paused, refocusing my attention on him.

The last time I'd seen him, his eyes were coal black.

Maybe I was just remembering wrong.

Except that encounter was burned into my brain. His eyes had been black.

"You're quite the little spitfire, Isabella Swan," he said but I noticed that his brows were slightly puckered as though he was perplexed or frustrated.

"Only with people who test my patience," I said cheerily.

"Well look at that. I've only been back in town for less than a day and already I'm passing tests."

"Clearly you haven't seen Rose yet or I guarantee that you wouldn't be able to say that." He shrugged.

"I got in late last night. She was already in bed. If Rosalie doesn't go to bed early, her face will fall off and the world will end." I rolled my eyes at him. "On a more serious note, I apologize profusely for our last meeting. I'm sure I seemed… crazed. I won't make excuses for my behavior. I regret it deeply and merely ask for your forgiveness." I stared at him, stunned. His no bullshit apology surprised and also raised my estimation of him a few points.

"No harm, no foul," I said finally. "Can't live life with regrets."

"You don't have regrets," he asked curiously.

"I regret a lot of things. This conversation tops the list," I said flatly and he chuckled and mumbled something that sounded like 'he's in for it' but I wasn't sure. "So, if it's not too personal, what did your ex-girlfriend do that pushed you so far over the edge?" He shrugged, eyes focused on the edge of the table he was rubbing his finger over.

"Nothing too original. The usual case of a boy being more invested than the girl he's infatuated with. I just have a hard time letting things go. I'm bitter and complicated. It's one of my many charms."

"I don't think you know what that word means. Or how to count," I pointed out. I got the feeling he didn't really want to talk about it, at least with me. He laughed and winked at me.

"You just wait: you're going to love me."

"The way that people like trashy Lifetime movies or…?" He laughed again and shook his head.

"Well, you already like the rest of my family. So you have no choice but to like me too. It's inevitable." My smile faded and I turned back to my work.

I did like his family.

I definitely liked his father more than I should.

"What's wrong," he asked, frowning at me and I shrugged.

"Nothing. I just need to finish this assignment. I'm already drowning in make-up work," I lied and his eyes narrowed at me.

"Yeah, Alice mentioned your suspension." I waited for him to thank me the way the rest of his family had, already dreading it and preparing a rebuff. "Jessica has been after me since we moved here. I didn't realize that her fixation would make her so jealous and suspicious. I'm sorry she insulted you." I blushed and felt a little piece of my aching heart ease. I turned to tell him he didn't have to apologize but my words died on my tongue. He was gripping the table edge with both hands and his eyes had darkened. I opened my mouth to say something but the bell rang and he was up and out of his seat before it had even finished. He left the room quickly and I was left staring after him and feeling completely off balance by his sudden shift in moods. I gathered my things slowly and shoved them in my bag, blinking furiously to stop the irrational tears from escaping my eyes.

I moved mechanically through gym, mostly avoiding any kind of physical activity and my classmates.

Did I look like the girl Edward had liked? Maybe that was why he seemed to reserve such out of character animosity for me.

But I thought that we had been getting along. I appreciated the fact that he didn't thank me for fighting with Jessica about his family. It was awkward when Carlisle and Alice had done it. What do you even say to someone who thanks you for being a decent human being? Were the people in this town really so rude and judgmental that not participating in the gossip was such a huge deal? The thought made me sad. Charlie loved this town and I didn't want to be the daughter that hated living with him for the next few years and then escaped to college and didn't ever come back to visit just to avoid the tiny town that he lived in.

Gym eventually ended and I changed out of my gym clothes and made my way out of the school to my truck. It wasn't until I was in the parking lot that I remembered that Emmett and Rose had driven me to school today. My heart fell and I felt panic setting in when I scanned the parking lot and didn't see Emmett's huge red Jeep. A silver Volvo pulled up to the curb and the driver window rolled down. Edward Cullen leaned out.

"Can I give you a ride home," he asked. I started to reject his offer before I felt arms close around my shoulders from behind.

"Hey Bella," Alice chirped before releasing me. "Emmett and Rose had to leave. She had an appointment to get to. But they asked us to get you home. Come on!" She climbed into the back of the silver car, Jasper sliding in beside her. I cringed internally before walking around the front of the car and climbing into the passenger seat, only just noticing how many people were watching us.

Great, more gossip.

I buckled my seatbelt as Edward pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward my house. I would have been suspicious that he knew where it was but this town was so small, everyone knew where the chief lived. Alice was chattering happily in the backseat about the dinner she was planning for us now that Edward and Esme were back from Alaska.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward finally said quietly. I turned to look at him, feeling both confused and perturbed.

"Are you clinically insane or just incredibly annoying?"

"I don't know, probably both," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Do I look like her or something?" He looked over at me but I didn't flinch away from him.

"No," he said after a moment. "I… I have a problem. I'm trying to move away from that and focus on the future and not give in but…"

"Drugs," I asked quietly. He looked over at me again and I began to worry about him crashing the car.

"Not exactly. Let's just say that there is something that I am craving but I can't have it. I don't actually want it because I know it would ruin everything. But it's hard not to have it." I mulled over his words as we drove. I believed him. Hell, I could hardly throw stones when I watched home videos of my mom over and over because it was less painful than admitting I would never see her again in this life. I cried whenever I saw her in them but there was something numbing about it all because for the length of the video, I just pretended that nothing had changed.

That she was still here.

"Okay," I said quietly, throat tight. I noticed that he had pulled up to my house and I gathered my things, avoiding his gaze as it rested on me. I noticed that the backseat was quiet and wondered if Alice and Jasper had been following our conversation the whole time. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I opened the door and hurried through the rain to the front porch, unlocking it with shaky hands and letting myself in with a quick wave at the car. I closed the door and leaned against it, sliding to the floor and finally giving in to all the emotions that had been churning inside me. Sobs wrenched from my throat as I felt wave after wave of grief crashing over me like the tides of the ocean.

I cried over my mom.

I cried because I missed Phoenix.

I cried over the awkward situation that Charlie and I now found ourselves in.

I cried because I couldn't keep up with Edward Cullen's mood swings.

I cried because I knew deep in my heart that I was falling in love with Carlisle Cullen and that that love was destined to fail before it could start. Either because he would never feel that way about me or because the people we loved would never allow it.

And I cried because I felt like I was going to lose Carlisle before I even had him.