CHAPTER TEN:

When I get home, the first thing I do is make sure that all my witch stuff is locked in my trunk, which is shoved under my bed. I then change out of my, surprise-surprise, soaked clothes and into a pair of jeans and mauve sweater. As I pin my hair into a loose bun, I tell myself sternly that I'm not doing this to look good for Edward.

Which is a complete lie.

As I stare at my reflection, a tad self-conscious, I note that the rings under my eyes are darker, and my cheekbones are sharper then they should be. Stupid stress isn't just interfering with my sleep anymore, it's starting to make me lose weight. Weight I can't afford to be losing.

The doorbell rings, pulling me out of my anxious thoughts, and I walk slowly down the stairs and open the door. Edward is looking as gorgeous as ever, and seeing him automatically makes me feel lighter- I have to stop myself from grinning like a loon. I figured out why he wasn't in Biology- turns out we were doing blood typing. All I can say is it's a damn good thing that blood doesn't bother me anymore- old me would probably have either passed out or vomited. I used to have such a weak stomach.

"I've set up the books in the dining room." I tell him, before leading him over to the room with the three chairs and chipped oak table. We set up and he spends the first thirty minutes going over the concepts in detail, but in a way I can understand. He really is a good teacher. And just when I'm getting comfortable, he springs this on me.

"Do you not like me Bella?" he asks suddenly.

"Huh?" I ask, surprised, turning to look up at him. His expression is unusually somber looking. "Um..."

"You never speak to me outside of Biology or our tutoring sessions."

"I don't talk to anybody outside class." I correct him.

"You always keep a physical distance between us," he continues, like I didn't interrupt him, "you never say hello unless I've said hello first, and if I try making conversation, you just close off. I like you Bella. I want to get to know you." He looks at me, his expression painfully earnest.

"I... I can't." I tell him, my face strained.

"But why?" He asks, his voice soft. I stare into those beautiful, honey gold eyes and my breath hitches. I jump up to my feet.

"I need to go." I manage to get out, before spinning on my heels and fleeing up the stairs.

I know it's kind of pointless to run away from someone when they're in your house, because at some point you're going to have to go back down, but as I shut the door to my room and slump against it, that's the last thing on my mind.

I had to leave. I didn't have a choice. Because, I swear to Merlin, I was about to tell him. Tell him that not only did I like him- but I really liked him.

Far more then was safe for either of us.

-

-

Nearly twenty minutes passes before there's a gentle knock on my door. "Bella," Edward's velvety voice sounds heavy with regret, "I'm very sorry I made you uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention." I sigh.

"Come inside, Edward." I tell him. The door opens slowly, and he walks in, his face cautious. I'm leaning against my head, turning my DA galleon over and over in my hand. He stands a few feet inside the doorway, uncertain, his gaze flicking over to the empty bird-cage- Griselda's out hunting, probably.

Seeing his hesitation, I pat the carpet next to me, and he glides over and lowers himself to the ground. "Bella-" he begins, but I hold up a hand, interrupting him.

"My name is Bella Marie Swan. I'm sixteen years and ten months old. My favorite drink is pumpkin juice, my favorite food is a cheeseburger and my favorite color is either blue or bronze. My favorite animal is an eagle or an owl," or a unicorn, "and my best friend's name is Luna."

Edward blinks at me. "There. You said you wanted to get to know me. Well..." I feel my cheeks flush, "I like you too. And I want to get to know you." I tell him. A soft smile crosses his face.

"Thank you, Bella." He says.

"I'm sorry for being a bitch these past few weeks. I just..." I hesitate, not sure what to say. I didn't want to get too close to a vampire? "I like you. More then I should." My cheeks flush darker at this, and I have to work hard to meet his eyes. The gold is smoldering, and I feel my breath hitch slightly.

"I like you too, Bella. Much more then I should." His words are filled with burning intensity. Knowing that if I don't do something, in a few seconds I'll be kissing him, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"What about you?" His brow furrows in his confusion.

"Pardon?"

"You know- what's your favorite color. And animal. And food." Though those two are actually the same. The slight quirking of his lips tells me that he's thinking along the same lines.

"My name is Edward Anthony Cullen, and I'm seventeen years old. My favorite color is blue. I don't have a favorite food, and my favorite animal is a mountain lion. My best friend is my adopted sister, Alice."

"Alice seems nice." I comment, "and so does Emmett. Rosalie and Jasper just glare at me." He chuckles before turning the subject away from his siblings.

"So tell me about this Luna." I stiffen then look down at my hands.

"I'd rather not."

"I'm sorry." Edward apologizes immediately. I roll my eyes and give him a weak smile.

"Stop apologizing. It's not your fault."

"So... what else is there to the mystery that is Bella Swan?" he asks, genuinely curious.

"Quite a bit."

"Anything you care to share?" he smiles, teasingly.

"You wish." I smiled back. "We should get back to Biology. Charlie will be home soon and I don't think he'd appreciate you in my room."

"Touché." Edward says, before nodding at the coin in my hand. "May I ask what that is?"

"My lucky charm." I tell him, pushing it back in my pocket and standing up. "Let's go torture me with this chloroplasts stuff."

-

-

Saturday passed far too quickly, and before I knew it, it was three o'clock and it was time for my 'girl's night out'- I was regretting agreeing to go support Angela the second I slid into the car. Jess was blasting whiny rock songs, while she and Lauren jabbered on about the boys they hung out with. I slumped miserably in my seat, wishing that we were there already, so I'd at least have Angela for company- she was driving in her own car. Maybe she could drive me home...

Jessica drove far too fast for my comfort, and we made it to Port Angeles by four. Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint then Forks. But the others knew it well, so they didn't plan to waste time on the picturesque broad-walk by the bay. Jessica drove straight to the one big department store in town, where we met Angela in the doorway.

The dance was billed as semiformal, and the dress selection wasn't large, so I was hoping it wouldn't take too long. All three gathered a few things to try on, and I sat down on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror.

Neither Jessica or Lauren asked for my advice, but I helped Angela pick out her dress. After the other two finally chose something, we headed over to the shoes and accessories.

It seemed to take hours until they'd all finished, and then we planned to go have dinner at some Italian restaurant Jessica was raving about, despite Lauren's snide comments about pasta and calories. The other three were going to take their purchases back to the car, and, needing a break, I told them I'd meet them at the restaurant in half an hour, that I was looking for a bookstore.

I had no problem finding one, and was relieved to sink into one of the overstuffed armchairs. It was a funny little bookshop, with windows full of crystals and dream-catchers. After a few minutes, I quickly bought a book about recognizing different herbs that could be useful for Herbology and Potions, then decided to go make my way to the Italian restaurant- it was getting dark outside, and I already had only the vaguest idea where the restaurant was.

I meandered through the streets, which were filling up with end-of-the-work-day traffic, and hoped I was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going.

It took me about ten minutes to start to realize that I was going the wrong direction. The little foot traffic I had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings here were mostly warehouses. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached me, I realized they weren't too many years older then I was. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since no one else was around. I glanced back automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He took a half step towards me.

I didn't bother with any niceties, just gave him a short nod, then quickly looked the other way and walked faster toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me. "Hey wait!" one of them called after me again, but I kept my head down and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief.

The next few minutes I spent trying to make my way, as quickly as possible, to somewhere I recognized- problem was, I was hopelessly lost. It was getting even darker, the sun having sunk right down. A noise from behind had me glancing over my shoulder, only for my heart to turn to ice as I saw two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me.

They were from the same group as before, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to me. I spun back around and walked even faster, listening intently to their quiet footsteps. I slid my wand out of my sleeve, slightly, gripping it so only an inch was poking out from my fingers.

I started walking even faster, listening to the faint footsteps, trying to decide whether to run or not. The footfalls were definitely further back, and I chanced another peek over my shoulder. They were nearly forty feet back now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring at me.

It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner, but as I rounded it, I skidded to a stop. The street was lined on both sides by blank, door-less, windowless walls. I could see in the distance some streetlights, and an intersection, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the two other men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that I wasn't being followed.

I was being herded.