I pursed my lips as I looked out the window.

I could hear Seth sigh heavily behind me in the back seat.

I didn't utter a word. My dad had insisted in driving Seth and I to school and to pick us up.

After all that happened, he still wasn't eager to have me out of his sight, much less at this school.

We hadn't attracted any stares yet but that was only a matter of time.

I tried to wait patiently for my dad to work through his angst in the drivers seat as he twirled his mustache contemplating.

He still hadn't unlocked the door.

Seth sighed again. This time louder.

"Dad." I breathed. "We have to go now, okay." I replied quietly. I tenderly reached over and patted his shoulder.

He glanced over at me, his lips had thinned considerably with indecision. "It will be okay." I whispered. "I WILL see you after school let's out." I promised.

I unlocked the doors on my side and the sound of the clicking of the latch sounded like a bomb going off with how quiet it was in the car. 

I carefully eased my way up out of the door still aware of my aching ribs. Seth wasted no time getting out. "Don't be late." He muttered humorlessly as we made our way into the sea of other students crowding the parking lot.

"How much do you want to bet that he will be here by lunch to take us home?" Seth asked, laughing half way through his question.

My eyes squinted at him in annoyance. It wasn't funny and even worse he was probably right. 

"Hey, seriously though, are you okay? I was going to ask you on the way to school but then dad said he was driving us. It's not like I could ask with him right there in the front seat, or like you could answer truthfully with him there. If you hesitated or even flinched he would have turned that car around and taken us both home." My lips twitched amused.

"I'm better actually. I feel stronger everyday. I'll get there, don't worry. Remember, it's my job to lookout for you as your older sister, not the other way around."

He looked at me like I had started braiding nose hairs or something crazy like that. He just shook his head at me and held open the doors so I could step inside.

The hilarity and weirdness of our conversation wasn't enough to distract me from the fact that my dad still hadn't started his engine and drove away.

It was both refreshing and weird to pretend like I hadn't been thrown through a forest like a rag doll.

I was immeasurably happy to not have to talk about it anymore. I loved that Angela, the other students, even Mike welcomed me back from 'a sick day' and said they were glad to have me back.

It was nice not to have family staring at me as if I was going to fall to my death any minute.

But it was bizarre too pretending like it didn't happen when the memory coated my body like a dark stain. 

However I threw myself into talking to everyone to distract myself and for just a little while, to pretend that everything was okay.

I could feel the Cullen's moving through the halls around me between classes. I hadn't see any of them yet but I could sense their presence and I knew today that they were all here.

The thought made my chest feel tight. I was still rubbed raw over seeing them in the woods. Of not knowing what was going on. And of realizing I was imprinting on Edward.

I felt dizzy. Even now the butterflies were chaotic inside of me and had been as soon as I stepped into the school building. They knew Edward was near well before I ever did.

I was anxious to see him and absolutely dreading it which only confused me further.

"So," Angela said, pulling me out of my musings. "Are we still on this weekend for shopping?"

I looked at her confused. "You know," She prodded. "Dress shopping. For the dance." 

I grimaced. Did I still have to go to that? So much had changed over the past few days.

I just threw on a fake smile and nodded at Angela. She smiled appeased as she squeezed my arm excitedly. "Have you heard from Alice?"

I tensed. "No!" I hastily replied. "Wh...Why would you think that?"

Her face furrowed at me. "Well...." She paused. "I thought we were all going shopping together tomorrow."

I blinked. I had agreed to that. And now I wanted to go back in time and kick myself in the face for it. I had been a different person then.

"Yeah." I said through clenched teeth. "Sounds good."

Seth appeared in front of us before we could enter the cafeteria. His eyes found Angela's and stayed there. "Hi." He said.

Angela's grip tightened around where she still held my arm. My lips curved into a grin. If the blush cascading over her cheeks didn't give her eagerness to be near my brother away then her grip definitely did.

"Hi." She said back.

I might as well have not even been standing here. Those two were in their own world now.

An instinctive chill swept up the back of my neck. My head went up and searched the room before they landed on golden ones.

I exhaled unsteadily. The butterflies rejoiced inside of me as they connected with Edward's.

It physically hurt me to look at him because I was fighting it, the allure, the attraction, the pull he had on me and it hurt. It hurt so bad to resist, I wanted to cry.

Edward's head tilted to the side as if he was confused by my reaction. I could only imagine what my face looked like right now as I was overburdened with an abundance of intense emotions that threatened to claim me.

I detached from his eyes and looked at those seated at the rest of his table.

I swallowed hard as I noticed they were all looking my way. Alice waved and beside her sat Jasper. Seeing him brought that horrific night back to the forefront and all the terror with it.

I could still hear his warning as if it was happening all over again. I flinched and turned away from their table, their staring eyes, and Edward.

Had they all been out there that night?

They saw the wolves. They knew we were still here. Were they starting to suspect what I was? Or did they wonder why I was here? 

"Come on, let's go get in line for lunch." My voice cracked just like my bones that night. I latched onto Angela's arm and gestured for Seth to follow.

We ate outside today at my request. I would have begged and pleaded or dropped to my knees if I had to but thankfully Seth and Angela didn't have a problem with it.  I felt like I could have lead them into Hell instead of outside and they would have never noticed.

Which worked in my favor because I wasn't much company. My mind was messed up and I didn't like feeling this way. I was anxious all the time and confused.

I was tired of doubting myself and feeling defeated because I didn't know how to fix it.

I heaved a worried sigh. I didn't know how much longer I could keep my head above the murky water before it swallowed me whole.

We all departed ways after lunch. I walked solo to Biology. I cracked my knuckles like the nervous wreck I was.

This was the class part of me was looking forward to all day and the other half dreaded.

So color me shocked when I entered to see all of the desks and chairs had been moved out and what remained was a lot of open floor space.

I could feel that same keen sense of awareness crawl up my neck. Cold breath breathed on the back of it.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Bella," Edward spoke almost hesitantly. I could practically feel his cold skin behind me soothing the heat seeping out of mine.

I didn't look back at him. I just nodded in acknowledgment and walked to the other side of the room.

A flash of pain ricocheted in me like punishment for my cold shoulder.

The imprint didn't understand that I was doing this for Edward's protection. 

I couldn't get close to him and he couldn't be near me. The attraction and bond had to stop for his survival as well as mine. 

It just couldn't be.

I could feel his eyes on me but I kept mine averted from his.

Mr. Molina was already at the front of class. His desk had remained. He stared at all of us students crowding around the room.

"Everyone just scoot together and make room so the whole class can enter." I cringed as other students bumped elbows with me. 

I was already hot thanks to my werewolf blood and now I felt on fire as so many of us were crammed together with no chairs to sit in and nowhere to go.

I looked up to where Edward watched me from the other side of the wall. I almost wished he had followed me over and stood beside me to act as my own personal air conditioner.

He too looked to be trying to avoid touching skin with the other students.

"I am sure you are all wondering what is going on here." Mr. Molina continued and a few grunts of agreement were heard. "We all know about the dance coming up next week." Ugh, that damn dance. I was so over hearing about it.

"The principal wants to ensure that everyone will be behaving appropriately and because of that this room has been turned into a makeshift dance class for today." I stiffened, appalled.

There were several groans of disapproval that moved from the crowd behind me.

"Now, now," Mr. Molina cut in. "I am not a fan of this either but I used to teach ballroom dance class when I lived in Seattle so I am prepared for this. Not to mention every class has participated in this exercise today before you so there is no way you are getting out of it. I need all girls to stand on this side." He pointed to the left side of the room where I stood horrified. "And the boys on the right."

The shuffling of feet and defeated voices echoed around me as I stood frozen in place.

There was no way. This was a bad dream, a nightmare. I was seconds away from propelling my body through the window.

My enhanced hearing picked up on a low-breathy chuckle. My head looked up to see a humorous grin gracing Edward's lips as if he knew the battle waging inside of me.

I knew he couldn't read my mind, he practically admitted it but at that moment I felt like he did.

"Now, everyone pair up with who you are partnered with for my class."

No!

Before I could protest Edward was walking my way. He had already known what was coming, probably picking the thought right out of Mr. Molina's head.

I gritted my teeth and I knew Edward could hear it which only added to my frustration and helplessness. His hand lightly grasped my elbow. "Are you alright? "

I groaned internally. I was so tired of being asked that. No, I wasn't alright. Did anyone actually expect me to admit that?

"I'm fine." I grunted in a clipped tone which only caused Edward's frown to intensify.

"Alright, to start off, you want to stand facing your partner. Boys, wrap your arm around their waist like this and pull them closer." Catcalls could be heard around the room. Mr. Molina ignored them. Edward's penetrating gaze had pinned me in place as the teacher continued, mimicking the stance he was explaining. "Your other arm should be held up like this where your partner can take your hand. Ladies, your other arm goes on your partner's shoulder."

Edward's hard gaze was still watching me deliberately. I felt like I was under a microscope with how intense his stare was, like he was analyzing my every move.

He knew something was wrong.  I couldn't hide that nor my reaction.

Just like I couldn't hide how different he and I really were.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" He asked again. He stood closer now as his head bent toward mine to whisper in my ear.

"If I've done something to piss you off, I'm sor--"

I cut him off. "You haven't." I replied. I pointed to my ear and then at Mr. Molina. "I'm just trying to listen."

I tried to put some distance between us but the wall was right behind me and Edward wasn't budging. If anything he was getting closer, which caused my breath to quicken.

His brows narrowed further and almost met in the center of his forehead as he studied me. And then to my complete shock, he smiled.

Now I was the one frowning. My head tilted to the side as I watched his smile grow to a full out grin. He was practically beaming.

Confused beyond belief I said, "This isn't funny." I did not get the hilarity that was amusing him but as his grin widened in a way I didn't think possible, I became a little mesmerized.

He had one of those megawatt smiles. My heart skipped a beat and as his lip curved up crooked on the side,  I knew he had heard it.

He shook his head. "That's why I'm not laughing. " He joked.

"You're smiling." I countered. "It's close enough." The distance I was trying to put between us was evaporating, my resolve was weakening.

I knew all the reasons for why I was doing all the things that I was: the cold shoulder, the bitchy attitude.  It was for the best but I was struggling to keep up the facade.

Edward's presence and his smile were breaking down my walls again. I couldn't hold on to it because I was hanging on to Edward.

His hand landed gently on my waist. I sucked in a breath both in surprise and relief. The coldness from his hand on my waist seeped deep into my aching ribs.

My body wanted to sigh into his and move closer to soak up more of his coolness.

The butterflies inside felt like they were going to burst out of me at the contact of Edward's skin on mine.

I felt embarrassed like they threatened to expose me . My cheeks felt flush as I looked around at the other students. They weren't paying any attention to us. Instead they focused on their partner and their own feelings of ineptness.

I inhaled deeply to calm myself. It caused my chest to brush against the front of Edward's shirt from my deep breath in.

I gingerly took his hand, my eyes widening at the feel of the heat coming from mine meeting the frost bite emerging out of his.

Edward's lips parted as my other hand landed on his shoulder. His tightened around the one holding mine.

The rest of the class might as well have disappeared. I finally understood what it felt like to be Seth when Angela was near.

All I could see, hear, and breathe was Edward.

Out in the distance I heard a wolf's howl.

A stark reminder of what was at stake with every decision I made and all that threatened it.

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A new chapter is up and hopefully another one this week as well . Thanks for all those still reading and sticking around. Don't forget to vote.

Books I'm reading: Still knee deep and really enjoying The Radiant Warrior and Revelation of the Chosen by RJS416.  Definitely go check it out.  You won't regret it.

Also the Commanding Illusion by Cordeliaflow is another good one.

I'm always interested in new reads. Feel free to drop me any recommendations.