4

Bella wasn't sure what she expected when she and Edward walked into the building holding hands, but she sure as hell hadn't been expecting for Jessica Stanley to start crying. Talk about a serious overreaction. As Bella walked into her first period Spanish class, she could feel everyone watching her, which again was odd. Sure, she'd never publically held anyone's hands, or been involved with anyone — same or opposite sex — but she couldn't figure out what the big deal was. So she and Edward were holding hand? So they appeared to be dating, or whatever? What was the big deal?

She took her seat in the back corner of the classroom, where she usually sat and pulled her phone from the front pocket of her backpack before setting it on the floor. She scrolled through her messages, stopping on Esme's name. She bit her lip to keep from smiling as she sent her a message that simple said: good morning, love. Followed with a heart emoji and a peach emoji, because Bella was a pervert. Her phone chimed with a new message just as Angela Weber, Alice Brandon, and Rosalie Hale scooted into the seats around her, as they always did.

"Swan!" Alice cheered, reaching and grabbing her hand and knocking her phone out of her hand.

Bella snatched her phone off the top of her desk and shoved it into her backpack before anyone — including her — could see the reply Esme had sent her. While Bella wasn't ashamed of her sexuality, it wasn't something she had shared with anyone other than Edward Masen and Esme Cullen.

"Are you texting Edward?" Alice giggled, leaning toward Bella and wiggling her eyebrows. "When did you and Masen start going out, Swan?"

"Why do you care?" Bella asked, laughing.

"Because Edward Masen is hot as fuck," Rosalie snickered, waving her hand in front of her face. "Don't tell Emmett I said that, though. Or maybe you should. He's an animal when he's jealous."

Alice and Angela laughed.

"So is Ben." Angela Weber smiled. She was a sweet, quiet girl, who usually kept to herself. "So, you and Edward are really together, Bella?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "It's new. Like really new."

"We need more than that!" Alice insisted, but before Bella could make up the details on how she and Edward had 'hooked up', Mrs. Goff hurried into the classroom and started her lesson. Bella hadn't expected to be pressured for the whys and whens, something she and Edward were going to have to work out before their cover was completely blown on day one.

By the time class was dismissed, Bella was already done with all of it. Of course, it hadn't helped that her father had started on her the minute she walked downstairs that morning about going out with Jacob Black, how Jacob Black was a good boy, the kind of boy Bella needed to be with. It made her angry, but then he said, "You're going to end up alone, Bella, if you don't stop being so picky."

That's what her father thought of her. She should just settle for the first boy who wanted to stick his dick inside her. Like she was so undesirable that she should settled for just anyone. Thankfully, at that moment, she heard Edward pull up in front of the house and she could escape with what little dignity she had left.

Bella followed Alice, Rosalie, and Angela out of the classroom, biting the inside of her cheek as the three of them turned and cornered her against the wall outside of the classroom.

"We demand details, Swan!"

"All of the details," Rosalie added. "Like is he big? Because he seems like he has a big dick."

"I mean, we'd like the details," Angela said, meekly when Alice and Rosalie turned to her. "What? I mean, it is kind of personal, don't you think?"

"No," Alice and Rosalie said together, but before they could push for more, Jasper Whitlock and Emmett McCarty, their boyfriends, came up behind them.

"Masen's getting his ass chewed for using unacceptable language in Coach Cullen's class. Got a little defensive over our sweet little Swan here," Jasper snickered, leaning down and pressing his lips against the side of Alice's neck.

The two had been inseparable since freshman year. It was sweet and romantic that they had found love so easily. Bella had finally found that love with Esme, yet she couldn't tell anyone yet.

"Did you two jack holes get in him trouble?" Bella groaned and shook her head as she pushed her way between the five of them, ignoring the way they laughed.

She had just rounded the corner when Jessica Stanley blocked her way, and Alice hurried past so she wouldn't be late to their next class, which they had together. Jessica's face was red and splotchy, and she would have felt bad for her, if it wasn't so pathetic. Edward hadn't given her any type of encouragement, so why was she acting like he'd fucked her sideways and tossed her to the side the way Mike Newton had done numerous times.

"How could you, Bella? You know I love him!"

She tried to keep from laughing, she honestly did, but she couldn't keep the laughter from bubbling to the tip of her tongue. "Jessica, seriously? You've asked him out like a thousand times and he keeps telling you no. Sweetie, get a clue already. The boy just doesn't want you."

And pushing past her, making sure to bump her with her shoulder on the way by, Bella left her glaring at her and walked up to Edward, who looked as amused as she did with the situation. "That bitch is crazy as shit, Masen. She thinks she's in love with you. Honestly, this was worth it just to make that skank cry."

Edward laughed. "That's mean, Swan."

"Yeah, well." Bella tilted her head to the side and smiled. "You okay? You look upset."

Edward grabbed the back of his neck before he looked back at Carlisle's classroom. "I'm fine. I might have, kind of, told him about you and Esme."

Her eyes widened, flickering past him before landing on Coach Cullen, who wasn't glaring at her anymore, but still didn't seem too happy that she was so close to his boy toy.

"You what? She wasn't ready for people to know," she hissed, glancing around to be sure they weren't heard. "What the fuck were you thinking, Masen?"

"He already knew. I just, kind of, confirmed what he already knew about her."

She sighed and dragged her hand over her face and through her hair. "This is all fucked up."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

She waved her hand in the air. "It's . . . it's fine. I just wanted to tell her myself. I think the four of us are going to need to sit down and talk some shit out."

"Yeah, me too." The warning bell rang, so Edward gave her a look before saying, "But that will have to wait, I guess."

Bella gave him a look before she walked down the hallway and into Carlisle's classroom, ignoring the way he tilted his head toward her. He was trying to be cordial, she thought, but all she could think about was how he'd touched Esme. He'd put his dick inside Esme, and Esme was hers — only hers.

Bella could feel Carlisle Cullen looking at her several times during his lesson. Of course, it might have been her imagination, but it almost seemed like he was glaring at her. Was that because of her fake relationship with Edward Masen, or her very real relationship with his wife?

Either way, she found herself sitting in the back corner of the classroom when the bell rang, making a real show of shoving her books back into her backpack. By the time she stood up, she and Carlisle were the only two left in the room. He stood up and walked over to the door, pulling it closed and turning and looking at her.

"It's not just sex."

"Okay," she said. "It's not just sex with her, either."

Carlisle smiled. "I know. She's told me about you."

"She did?"

He nodded. "Not by name, nor did she mention that you were a student here, but she told me she met someone, someone she was falling in love with."

"She did?" Bella asked, biting her lip to keep like grinning like a fool.

Again, he nodded. "Edward and I . . . It's not just sex with us. I love him, so if this . . . if this agreement between you and him is just a way to help us, help you, then I'm down for it, but I need you to know that it's not just sex."

"But it's a little bit about sex, isn't it?"

"A little, or a maybe lot, but I do love him, Bella. I do love him."

Bella smiled. "Your secret is safe with me, but we — and by we I mean all four of us — probably need to iron out some details. Maybe tonight, after practice?"

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Carlisle started to speak again, but the warning bell for her next class rang. "You're going to be late."

Bella laughed and hurried out of the room, down the hallway to her English class.

—S&S—

Bella's head was starting to hurt as she left her trig class and headed down to her locker to stow her books inside before meeting Edward outside of the cafeteria. Normally, she would sneak out at lunch, and call Esme, just to hear her voice, but not today. Today, she had to pretend to be Edward Masen's girlfriend. She'd finally gotten to check her phone, where she found dozen texts messages from her lover. The first was a blushing face emoji followed by a tongue, which had Bella biting her lip to keep from moaning.

And then the rest came: What the hell is going on? You and Edward Masen? Why is my husband texting me about you? What in the actual fuck, Bella? You need to call me A.S.A.P., Why are you ignoring me?, Did he threaten you?, Bella?, Baby, please talk to me, I love you, I need you, Call me right now!

Normally, she would never allow Esme to talk to her like that, but seeing as the situation was awkward enough, Bella decided to forgive her momentary lapse in judgement and simply replied that she would explain everything that night, when the four of them sat down and hashed out the details of their . . . arrangement.

Esme replied quickly with a simple: Okay, I trust you.

She had just shoved her phone into her back pocket and closed her locker when she felt a pair of hands grab her hips, pulling her against their body. She grimaced when she felt his dick through the thin material of his sweat pants and when she turned around, she got even madder because none other than Jacob Black was standing behind her. He had a smirk on his lips, something that made her want to smack the fuck out of him. He hovered over her by almost a foot, yet he appeared small and pathetic in her eyes. Mostly because he was an asshole who thought any girl should feel lucky if he talked to him, but also because he'd just rubbed his junk against her back.

"Hey, Bells," he cooed, or tried to at least, but it sounded more like a groan. "I'll pick you up at seven. Wear something sexy."

He turned and started to walk away, but stopped when she said, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Jacob looked back at her, confusion etched on his features "Our date. Tonight. Your dad said he was going to tell you about it this morning."

Bella clenched her hands into tight fists, mostly to keep from punching him in the nose. "I am not going on a date with you."

"But your dad said you were," Jacob scoffed, turning and facing her with his arms folded in front of him.

"I don't care what he said. I am telling you that I am not going on a date with you," Bella quipped, her eyes shifting to the end of the hallway to where Edward was waiting for her. "Besides, regardless of what my father thinks, Black, I don't need help getting date."

And brushing past him, making a point to hit him with her shoulder, and kept her eyes locked on Edward's in an effort to keep her tears of fury and anger from falling down her face. She hated that she was one of those girls who cried when they got angry. Not only had her father been hounding her to date Jacob Black, but he'd actually tried to pimp her out. What the fuck was she going to have to do to get her father off her back? Strip naked and fuck someone in front of him?

"You okay, Swan?" Edward asked when she was close to him for her to hear. He stretched his hand out to her, so she wrapped her fingers around it.

"Not even a little bit," she whimpered, turning toward the wall and talking a slow, deep breath to keep her tears from falling. She hated being weak and emotional like that, especially when Esme wasn't there to hold her.

Bella blew out another deep breath before she turned and looked back at Edward. "I'm fine now."

"Do I need to kick his ass?"

She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Not yet. My father apparently pimped me out to him. Set up a date and Jacob just informed me that I needed to wear something sexy. Wasn't that kind of him?"

Edward gagged as his eyes flickered over her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm gonna kick his ass for that."

Bella laughed and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling Edward away from Jacob Black and toward the cafeteria. "Let's go, Masen. That prick isn't worth getting in trouble over."

"Yeah, yeah."

When Bella and Edward walked into the cafeteria, everyone stopped and looked over at them for a split second before they turned their attention back to each other. She and Edward shared a look before grabbing some food and settling at a small table in the back corner, on the far side of their usual friends. Edward always sat with Emmett, Jasper, Mike, Eric, Tyler, James, and Ben — all seniors on the football teams, and when she wasn't sneaking into the bathroom to talk to Esme, Bella usually sat with Alice, Rosalie, Angela, Lauren, and Jessica, who was making it clear by the glare on her face that they weren't friends anymore.

"So," Bella whispered, leaning toward him. "My friends have been grilling me, you know?"

He laughed, but shifted toward her, his voice as low as hers was. "Me too."

"We need to get our story straight. You know, how we got together, etc."

"Okay." Edward looked around before he said, "I guess we could say that we've been talking for a while, you know? Like on the phone or whatever, and just decided to make it official, or whatever."

"That sounds so . . . practical and juvenile."

Edward snickered. "We are juveniles, Swan."

Bella smiled, and looked over his shoulder before rolling her eyes. "Incoming."

"What are you —"

But before he could finish asking what she was talking about, Ben, Angela, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice flopped down in the empty seats around their table. Bella gave Edward a look before she turned and faced their mutual friends.

"Hope we're not interrupting," Emmett smirked, throwing his arm on the back of Rosalie's chair.

"And if I said you were?" Bella countered. "Would you leave?"

"Nope," he said, his eyes flickering from her to Edward and back. "We demand details."

"You demand, huh?" Edward asked, picking up his bottle of soda and twisting the lid off.

"Yes!" the six of them said at the same time.

"Come on!" Alice pleaded with them. "When did you two start seeing each other? Why haven't you told us?"

"Because we didn't want to deal with this, actually," Bella quipped, leaning closer to Edward, who immediately wrapped his hand around hers.

It felt . . . awkward and weird, but seeing as Alice, Angela, and Rosalie all squealed under their breaths, it seemed to look normal and natural. The fact that they were so invested in hers and Edward's love life made her wonder how they would feel if, or rather when, they found out the truth about them? Would they still be as understanding and supportive if they knew they were gay?

"It's not really that big of a deal," Bella added. "He and I started talking and texting each other this summer, and went on a few dates. We just decided to make things official."

"Yeah, I mean, she gets me in a way that nobody else ever has," Edward said, lifting their hands to his lips.

"Awe, you're so cute," Angela gushed, leaning her head on Ben's shoulder. "I can totally see you two together. You're perfect for each other."

Bella and Edward shared a look of amusement, but neither of them said anything. The last thing the two of them was were perfect for each other. He desired to feel Carlisle Cullen's hands on his body, and Bella craved to touch and control every part of Esme Cullen's body. They just had to get through graduation, and then they could start their lives together. Couldn't they?

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Up next, our couples have a sit down conversation.