Bella's Point of View
The first week back to school was stressful. There were so many obstacles to overcome, physically and mentally. Due to my injuries and our apartment being at the very top floor, the decline down the stairs was the first huge roadblock. Rene had to leave early in the morning to get to work, so she wasn't around to help me down the stairs.
Thankfully my next door neighbor, Connor, has kindly offered to help me out each morning. While he was getting his little sister Kay, ready to catch the bus, he would help me get down the stairs safely. It was a little embarrassing, I hated feeling so helpless. Being the damsel in distress was never the kind of person I wanted to be seen as. But Conner didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he seemed to look forward to our morning routine.
He was always waiting at the door of our apartment, a cheerful smile on his face and an interesting story of the events that transpired the day before. Conner was turning out to be a good friend. Not to mention, Rene really likes him. She thought he was quite a gentleman. And at times, hinted that he would make good 'dad material'. But that chapter of my life was up for debate. I didn't feel ready for any kind of romantic relationship. Even more so, now that Jacob was living in the same town.
Which brings us to the next obstacle. Jacob. He had promised that he would stay out of my life, to only involve himself when it came to our daughter. But something has changed. Amelia wasn't his imprint and he was no longer bound to her. He was free to pursue a real relationship. For some reason, he thought that meant I would fall back into his arms and continue on as if nothing happened. Which wasn't going to happen.
He didn't seem to understand. I have made the choice to move on, and I wouldn't be changing my mind. At the end of the day, I am not Jacob's imprint. He would always be destined to be with someone else. I would not have my heart broken by him again. He will find his imprint someday and this will happen all over again. So, even though it is hurting him, I would continue to reject him.
But every day, since he has moved into town he has been showing up randomly, with flowers, poems and cheap wine. It was getting incredibly annoying. I was dreading our daily meeting. During the morning, Mia gets dropped off to Jacob, Rene makes the trip thankfully. Then, he stops over at the apartment to drop her off once I get back from school. It usually was difficult to get through this process without him begging to hang around and talk, or stay for dinner. But I held my ground and made him leave as fast as possible.
Then there was Edward Cullen. I had thought after the accident, perhaps he considered us, on good terms. Maybe even friends, to a certain degree. But since my return to class, he has been distant. His eyes never landed in my direction. Not a smile, or a wave. He didn't even say 'hello' to me. He was acting like I didn't even exist. For someone who claims to care for me, he had a funny way of showing it.
I don't know why I was even allowing it to bother me. What did I expect? I was just another one of his students. No one special. Regardless, the men in my life have my head spinning with conflicting emotions. I was just trying to live my life, I need to stop complicating this.
As Conner pulled into the parking lot at the school, I found myself too deeply lost in my thoughts. It wasn't until I felt his hand on my shoulder, jostling me slightly.
I turned to meet his vibrant green eyes. I admired the exotic features he had. It made him so unique to everyone else. He was handsome of course, but I never truly allowed myself to notice.
"Huh?" I muttered, shaking my head a little.
"I was asking if your mom would be picking you up from school today? Or if you needed me to come pick you up." He said with a look of concern on his face.
"Oh, yeah, she will be picking me up. Like I said before, you've done so much for me, you already help me get to school. I've burdened you enough."
"It's not a burden at all, don't say things like that," He shook his head as his eyes shifted to the cast on my leg. "I enjoy being helpful."
Connor was a kind man. I appreciated our friendship. With Jacob's pushiness and Edward's… disinterest, it was nice to have someone like Connor.
"I can't thank you enough, for everything. Hopefully in a few more weeks, I can get my independence back."
"Well, I was wondering if you could do something for me." Connor said with a slight nervousness entering his eyes. He shifted in his seat a little and a light tint of pink covered his cheeks.
"Anything," I owed him that much.
"Well, I was hoping I could possibly take you to dinner," The redness in his cheeks spread to his ears and averted his eyes for a moment. When our gaze met again, he stuttered out a few more things. "I mean as friends. It sounds like you've been having a tough time, with everything going on. So, I thought maybe you would want to get away from it all for a night."
His words sent several different emotions through me. Surprise, anxiety and guilt. I hadn't realized that Connor was interested in dating. Was that his intention? I knew he said 'as friends' but did he mean that? It was a scary situation for me. I didn't feel ready to date. In my life at the moment, I wasn't sure if I was capable of romance. But Conner has been so unbelievably nice. He went out of his way to help me. Without question and without asking for anything in return. He was a good person. He didn't deserve to be rejected.
My silence appeared to be destroying his confidence by the second. I could see the looming notions of embarrassment creep into his expression.
"That's a really thoughtful offer Connor. And I do really enjoy spending time with you. Can I think it over? There is so much going on right now." I tried my best to remain sensitive to his feelings, at the same time, giving myself the ability to stall. I didn't want to give him a 'yes' or 'no' at the moment. There was a lot to consider.
Connor smiled widely. "Of course, take all the time you need to decide. No pressure at all. I'm just glad you are taking it under consideration."
We moved the conversation into lighter topics, until it was time for me to head to my first class. Usually, I would just walk myself to class, I would keep all my school supplies in my backpack, so using the crutches was easy. However, today was different. Rene had managed to help me purchase a laptop for school. However, we didn't realize the laptop didn't fit in my bag. So, eventually I would need to get myself a bigger bag. For now, I would have to carry it separately.
Connor, being the gentleman he was, walked with me to the first class, so he could carry my supplies. He stayed close to my side as we entered the school grounds. Everyone stopped and stared in our direction. There were a range of expressions that I took note of. Mostly disgust. But there were a few that looked towards Connor with mild interest. Some of the girls on campus didn't hide their promiscuous nature.
But, Connor didn't seem to pay them any attention. Instead, he kept his eyes forward, remaining somber. I took this moment to look at him a little closer. He was much taller than me, with an average, slim build. What made him striking was his wild emerald eyes and curly dark hair that swept down to his eyebrows. He always had a clean look, suit and tie, neat, not a smudge of dirt on his shoes. If you didn't know him personally, someone could assume he was a wealthy individual. But in fact, it was the opposite.
Connor was struggling financially. His job didn't pay well. And with him being his little sister's caretaker, his paychecks barely covered his rent, as he had to pay for things for Kay to go to school.
I had no judgment. I truly thought he was doing the best he could in his situation.
With Connor's help, I made it into the classroom early. There was no one there, except Edward and his brother Emmett. The moment I entered the room, both of them turned in my direction. Emmett smiled in response and gave me a wave. While Edward kept his sights on Connor.
For some reason, tension fell over the room. Again, if Connor noticed that he was being stared at, he didn't show it. He walked me to my desk and helped me sit down.
Emmett's usual wide grin spread across his face. "Whose this Bella? New boyfriend?"
Connor's face remained stoic, but I noticed his cheeks flushing a bit. He glanced over to me, as if wondering himself.
In the front of the classroom, Edward's golden eyes narrowed and his body appeared tense.
"No, he's my neighbor and a very good friend," I said quietly, as I turned to Emmett. "Connor, this is Emmett."
Emmett held his hand out to him. "Nice to meet you. I'm guessing you're helping our girl navigate her way into class."
Connor cracked a smile as he shook Emmett's hand. "Yeah, although, I'm not sure how she will manage to get to the rest of her classes." He looked at me curiously.
Out of nowhere, Edward was now standing at my desk, a menacing stare still directed at Connor. "I'll take care of that. You need to leave. People that don't attend this school aren't permitted on school grounds without obtaining clearances and a visitor pass." Even his words sounded cold.
Connor flinched, taking a single step back. It was the first time I've ever seen him intimidated by someone. Anytime Jacob was around, he didn't seem bothered. Even though Jacob was straightforward in regards to his feelings for me. And oftentimes had warned Connor to stay away from me in a slightly threatening way. Connor never took it seriously.
"O-oh, I didn't realize. I just wanted to make sure that Bella would be alright." He replied, his face going slightly pale.
"That won't be necessary, I'll see to Bella's safety from now on." Edward replied abruptly. "Please, leave." It wasn't a request. And to be honest, I've never seen this kind of behavior from Edward either. It was almost as if he was angry.
Connor ducked his head, his body twitched, before turning to me. "See you later Bella." With that, he practically raced to the door of the classroom. Leaving without a second look. There was fear in his movements, as if he was running from a wild animal.
Emmett snickered with an amused smirk. "That wasn't very nice. The poor kid was just looking out for her. You didn't have to be so mean."
Edward snorted, folding his arms across his chest, but didn't comment any further.
"Emmett's right. Connor is a good man. He didn't deserve that."
The look on Edward's face caught me off guard. Pain came to his eyes just for a moment. My heart twisted excruciatingly in my chest, but I held my ground.
"Maybe he is a good person, but that doesn't excuse him from the room of this university. It's for the safety and well-being of the students. If you would like your friend to enter the campus, he needs proper clearances."
Emmett rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend that school rules are the problem. You were pissed that someone else is trying to be 'the knight in shining armor'."
"Emmett," Edward said with a look of annoyance. But he didn't confirm or deny that statement. It made me wonder. If that was true, why was he acting like I didn't exist for the past few days.
"You're wrong," I shook my head, glancing between both brothers. "Edward wouldn't care in the slightest if I was interested in Connor. He has made that clear. We haven't even had a conversation since I've returned to class."
Edward winced, letting his eyes drop to his feet.
"Do I detect a note of frustration?" Emmett asked, wagging his brows at me.
"No, not at all. It's his choice."
I could see the torment in Edward's eyes. "Before you leave for the day, come see me. We will have a talk." With that, he turned on his heel and walked back to his desk just as other students began coming in.
My heart jumped in my chest and began to race. He wanted to speak with me? Was Emmett right? Was Edward bothered by Connor?
Regardless, there were a few things I wanted to say to him as well. I wanted to know why he has been ignoring me. And I wanted to know how he knew Jacob. What was the treaty between his family and the pack? I would finally get these answers.
Connor's point of View
I had my suspicions, but after meeting Edward and Emmett, it was clear to me now. They were the animal-drinking vampires. The ones with eyes of gold. Bella wasn't in danger, but of course Jacob wouldn't entertain that idea. That must be the reason the werewolf moved to town. To make sure the Cullens' didn't hurt her. Everything was beginning to make sense. I would have to be careful from now on.
After returning to my car, I took a moment to scan over the campus. There was a sense of hope swelling in my chest. I was getting closer to the answers I was seeking. I would find the vampire that murdered my parents and seek my revenge.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review with your thoughts so far. What's up with Connor? Friend or Foe?