Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Forks had always been the kind of town where nothing ever happened. At least, that was what Bella Swan had thought for most of her life. She had spent seventeen years surrounded by the same faces, the same rainy mornings, the same ever-present scent of pine and damp earth.

Unlike in another life, where her parents had parted ways, here they remained together—supportive and happy in their small-town life. She had grown happy with the constant presence of childhood friends like the Blacks and her best friends in highschool Jessica Stanley and Alice Brandon. They had been her greatest support net in the good and the bad; from the times where she decided to wear bangs for a time as freshman to all those ocasions she had been a menace in gym class. They never let her down.

Jessica was the most similar thing to a queen bee Forks had seen, a social butterfly by nature and a perfect match to Mike Newtons jock-ish style. Alice was the vibrant and artistic daughter of Kumboh, the local hospital clerk, who had been a permanent fixture in Bella’s life since young, offering endless enthusiasm and unwavering loyalty.

Then, an uneventful rainy day in 2004, the Cullens arrived.

It was a rare thing, for new families to move into Forks—rarer still for a family as remarkable as them.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen was the new physician at Forks Hospital, and his wife, Esme, had quickly become a beloved presence in town, volunteering at the church and helping those in need. Their three sons—Emmett, Jasper, and Edward—enrolled at Forks High, and from the moment they stepped through the doors, they became the school’s greatest mystery and sensation.

Bella had never seen anything like them.

The Cullens weren’t just new—they were striking.

Emmett was the kind of guy who looked like he belonged on a college football field rather than in a small-town high school. He was broad-shouldered and confident, with an easy going charm that made people gravitate toward him. Jasper, on the other hand, was quieter. He had an air of restraint, like he was always holding something back, and he rarely spoke unless spoken to.

And then there was Edward.

Edward Cullen was different.

He was a junior, like Bella, which meant they shared several classes—including Biology. And from the moment she sat next to him, something shifted.

Bella was used to being unnoticed. It was something she had grown to appreciate, actually—the ability to slip into the background, to exist without the constant scrutiny that girls like Jessica seemed to thrive on.

Edward, however, noticed her.

The first time she met his gaze across the classroom, something inside her jolted. His eyes, a sharp amber under the classroom’s fluorescent lights, held an intensity she wasn’t prepared for. He wasn’t staring at her in the way boys sometimes did, with curiosity or interest. No, Edward looked at her like he was trying to figure something out—like she was a puzzle he hadn’t quite solved yet.

And then, just as quickly, he looked away.

Bella sat down, trying not to let it get to her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been stared at before—small towns bred familiarity, and a new person was always a spectacle, even if she had lived here all her life.

Edward didn’t speak to her that day.

Not when Mr. Banner paired them up for their lab, not when they worked in silence identifying onion cells under the microscope, not even when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He simply packed up his books, nodded in her direction, and left.

Bella told herself she didn’t care.

But she did.

***

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that Edward Cullen finally spoke to her.

It was raining—of course it was raining—and Bella had forgotten her umbrella. She was halfway across the parking lot when she felt someone fall into step beside her.

"You’ll be soaked by the time you reach your truck," a smooth voice commented.

Bella turned, startled to find Edward walking beside her, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket.

"It’s just water," she said, shrugging.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "And hypothermia is just a mild inconvenience."

Bella huffed a laugh. "Are you always this dramatic?"

"Only when necessary."

They reached her truck, and Bella fumbled for her keys. Edward lingered for a moment before speaking again.

"You grew up here, didn’t you?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah."

Edward nodded, as if filing the information away. "That must be nice."

Bella let out a dry laugh. "If you like rain and a town where everyone knows your business, sure."

He smirked. "I’ve noticed that."

She hesitated, then asked, "What about you? Do you like it here?"

Edward considered her question for a moment before answering.

"I don’t mind it," he admitted. "It’s… different from where we lived before. But different isn’t always bad."

Something about the way he said it made Bella wonder where he had come from—what kind of place he had left behind. But before she could ask, Edward nodded toward her truck.

"You should get inside before you freeze."

Bella rolled her eyes but climbed into the cab.

As she started the engine, she glanced at Edward through the rain-speckled window.

For the first time since he arrived, he didn’t look away.

***

Bella didn’t know what to make of Edward Cullen.

He was polite, but reserved. Friendly, but distant. One day he would sit next to her in Biology and make dry, amused comments under his breath about Mr. Banner’s outdated teaching methods; the next, he would barely acknowledge her presence. He was not only handsome, more than any other boy she had ever seen, but exceptionally intelligent. She supposed that made sense since they came from an advanced course in Alaska, or so rumor's said.

Everyone talked about the Cullens, speculating about their stories, their interests, anything at all. Since they where such mysterious figures, there was ample room for the overly excited teens to make stories around them. It was the kind of gossip that felt meanial and boring to Bella, despite Jessica's best attempts of spreading the interest to her as if it where the word of the lord. Edward ought to be equally boring, one more of Fork's students she wouldn't talk to unless needed to and always in a diplomatic way. His cold indiference and curiosity that swiched faster than the weather didn't particularly appeal or repulsed to her. She wasn't very social, she didn't have an interest in boys or people in general. She had enough with Jessica, Alice and ocasionally Jessica's group to get by. That was how it was supposed to be, yet….

The thing was—he was interesting. An enigma people could only make hypothesis about. The brothers kept together shutting down everyone else at all hours, even Emmet was tight mouthed despite his easy going nature.

And Bella, against her better judgment, wanted to know more. It didn't matter how infuriating it was to be given the cold shoulder one day and be greeted the next. Nothing could stop her growing interest.

Soon she found herself spiying the Cullen's table each day during lunch, with only half an ear in jessica and alice's conversation. She looked so often at Edward in a way she hoped was discreet, she could probably visualize his features in her head clear as if he was in front of her. He drove her insane in all the best and worst ways with every criptic remark and non-commital answer.

She was being stupid. She knew that but if her hear fluttered nervously every time she caught him looking back….

well, that was her bussiness alone.

Chapter Text

The rain had started early that morning, a fine mist that had thickened into a steady drizzle by the time lunch rolled around. By now, the parking lot of Forks High School was a chaotic mess of teenagers dodging puddles and hurrying to their cars, jackets held over their heads in a weak attempt to stay dry. Bella Swan, as always, hadn’t thought far enough ahead to bring an umbrella.

"Why do you never prepare for the rain, Bella?" Jessica chided, nudging her shoulder as they walked toward the parking lot. "You’ve lived here all your life! You should know by now that umbrellas exist."

"I own an umbrella," Bella pointed out, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. "I just keep forgetting to bring it."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Well, don’t expect me to share next time. You should suffer for your poor planning."

Alice, who had been trailing just behind them, grinned. "She’d just forget she was suffering and do it again tomorrow. It’s a cycle at this point."

Bella huffed. "I do learn from my mistakes, you know."

Jessica and Alice exchanged knowing looks. "Sure you do," Jessica teased.

They reached the edge of the parking lot, where students were scattering toward their vehicles. Mike Newton and a few of his teammates were loitering near his car, roughhousing like puppies with too much energy, while Lauren Mallory—Forks High’s self-appointed queen of passive aggression—stood nearby, tossing her hair as if hoping someone would notice.

Bella barely paid them any attention. She was too busy fumbling in her bag for her keys when she heard it—the distinct roar of an engine revving too hard. A split-second glance up was all she got.

Tyler Crowley’s van.

The tires skidded against the wet pavement, the heavy vehicle sliding sideways, directly toward her. Bella barely had time to suck in a breath before—

Impact never came.

Instead, something slammed into her side, knocking the wind from her lungs. She hit the ground hard, rain-soaked gravel scraping against her hands, but the momentary pain barely registered. Because where she had been standing just a second ago—right in the van’s path—was now Edward Cullen.

And he was on the ground.

Bella blinked, dazed, her brain sluggishly processing what had just happened. Tyler’s van had screeched to a stop mere inches from Edward’s crumpled form. The world seemed to freeze. A chorus of voices—shouting, gasping—finally cut through Bella’s stunned haze, as she noticed Alice's voice fumbling for her phonte to call an ambulance and jessica's frantic hands searchign for injuries.

"Oh my God!" someone yelped. "Is he okay?"

Bella scrambled to her knees, turning away Jessica's worry. "Edward?"

He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Ow," he muttered. "I think I broke something."

Bella’s heart lurched.

"Oh my God, oh my God—Edward, why—why did you do that?" Her voice cracked with something between panic and frustration. "You—you just—"

Edward winced. "Saved your life?"

Bella wanted to strangle him. "You could have died!"

"Could have. But didn’t." He opened one eye, glancing up at her with something that almost resembled amusement as the ran soaked them. "You’re welcome, by the way."

Bella gaped at him. "Welcome?"

She would have yelled at him properly, but then Tyler was suddenly there, pale as a sheet, shaking as he stumbled out of his van.

"Shit, shit, shit—Edward, I swear, I didn’t see—I couldn’t stop, I—"

Edward lifted a hand weakly. "Yeah. I noticed."

Tyler’s panicked babbling only got worse as the crowd around them grew. Mike Newton had appeared, looking somewhere between horrified and awed. "Dude," he breathed. "That was insane."

"Insane is one word for it," Bella snapped, still half-drenched in rain, still shaking from the near-disaster.

She turned back to Edward, panic creeping back in. "Are you—are you okay? Like, actually okay?"

Edward exhaled through his nose. "Define ‘okay.’"

Jessica leaned in, eyes wide. "Um, his leg looks kinda… wrong."

Bella looked down. And—oh. Oh. Edward’s left leg was definitely not in the shape it was supposed to be.

Bella blanched. "Crap."

Edward sighed. "Yeah. That’s what I was thinking."

Shortly the ambulance was there, acompanied of a police patrol car, crap. It would be hard for his father to not hear from this and ask for questions. The paramedics took Edward into the ambulance. She was about to dodge being dragged like a patient too when someone mentioned she may have a concusion. Curse them. And so both of them where dragged in the ambulance, with Edward's brothers following behind.

***

Dr. Cullen was already in the ER when Bella arrived.

Edward had been rushed ahead, leaving her stranded in the waiting room after what had felt like years of explaining the incident to various school staff, paramedics, and one deeply apologetic Tyler Crowley. She was passed around the nurses who checked the alleged concusion and treated her hand scraps before she was allowed to meet Edward while his brothers waited still as if expecting someone. All the while his father took testimony from tyler and talked with the doctors. She half-expected Edward to be pale and miserable in a hospital bed. Instead, she found him smirking.

"Look who finally decided to check in on me," he teased.

Bella scowled, stalking up to his bedside. "I hate you."

Edward grinned. "Liar."

Bella crossed her arms. "You broke your leg."

Edward made a show of glancing at the cast covering his left shin. "Ah. So that’s what all the fuss was about."

"Edward."

He laughed, unbothered. "Relax, Bella. I’m fine. It’s just a fracture."

"That you got saving my life."

Edward shrugged. "You say that like I wouldn’t do it again."

Bella stared at him, exasperated, incredulous, and maybe a little touched.

"How did you even get there? I didn't see you comming."

"I know. I'm very shifty when I want to." He smiled, again full of shit with his criptic non answers.

Before she could figure out how to respond, the door opened, and in strode a stunning woman with caramel hair, warm brown eyes, and the unmistakable presence of a mother on a mission.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," Esme Cullen announced, hands on her hips. "What exactly possessed you to jump in front of a moving vehicle?"

Edward blinked. "Uh—"

Esme turned to Bella with a smile that was a little too sweet. "And you must be Bella. The girl my son apparently thought was worth breaking a limb for."

Bella flushed. "I—uh—"

Edward groaned. "Mom, please don’t make this weird."

Esme smiled at him, patting his head like a disobedient puppy. "Too late, darling."

Bella coughed to hide a laugh. Fortunately the akwardness didn't last long as Charlie and Carlile joined the small group. Esme’s teasing still lingered in the air when the door opened again, admitting two very different men into the already cramped hospital room.

The first was Dr. Carlisle Cullen, still in his pristine white coat, the sharp scent of antiseptic clinging to him like a second skin. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and his usual calm demeanor made it seem like the whole incident was just another routine case. The second was my dad, Charlie, looking distinctly less composed. His uniform was still damp from the rain, his gun belt weighing heavily at his hip, and his mustache twitched with barely restrained irritation as his eyes darted between Bella and Edward.

Bella immediately shrank under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Hey, Dad," she said, attempting nonchalance. "Fancy meeting you here."

Charlie crossed his arms. "Bella." His tone was the same one he used when interrogating reckless teenagers who had been caught speeding on the highway. "Wanna tell me why I had to find out from dispatch that you were almost run over by a damn van?"

Bella winced. "I mean—technically, I wasn’t."

Charlie exhaled through his nose, like he was counting to ten in his head. He turned to Edward. "And you—what the hell were you thinking, throwing yourself in front of moving traffic?"

Edward, still lounging against his hospital pillows like he hadn’t just been hit by a two-ton vehicle, blinked up at him with polite neutrality. "I had it under control."

Charlie’s mustache twitched harder. Carlisle cleared his throat before this could escalate. "Edward, since your mother is here now, I might as well go over your diagnosis."

Bella took a step closer, hands tightening around the edges of her jacket. "How bad is it?"

Carlisle sent her a reassuring smile before addressing Edward. "You have a fractured fibula—not a full break, just a partial fracture. You’ll need to keep the weight off it for a few weeks, but it should heal well with time."

Edward huffed, unimpressed. "So, I’m on crutches."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes. No strenuous activity for a while—"

"That’s fine," Edward interrupted. "Not like I was planning to join the track team."

Carlisle smiled indulgently before turning to Charlie. "As for the other student involved—Tyler Crowley—he’s ony has minor injuries, it seems the airback did his job. He is just shaken up. No injuries beyond a bruised ego , a mild concusion and a couple o bruises. Bella seems to be completely unharmed too safe from the scratches."

Charlie grunted, visibly relieved. "At least someone came out of this without a cast."

Bella frowned. "What about the van?"

Charlie sighed. "Totaled one of the front tires and slammed into a light pole. Could’ve been worse—if Edward hadn’t acted, you’d probably be in one of these hospital beds instead."

Bella’s stomach twisted at the thought. Edward, ever the picture of false modesty, smirked.

"See? Heroic sacrifice and all."

Charlie shot him a look. "Watch it, Cullen. I still haven’t ruled out grounding you on principle."

Edward blinked. "I… don’t think you can do that, sir."

Charlie’s expression darkened in a way that made Bella mutter, "Dad, please don’t threaten my classmates."

Carlisle chuckled. "Well, before the sheriff here arrests my son for excessive heroism, we do have some necessary paperwork to go through. The hospital needs Edward’s official statement for the report."

Edward sighed dramatically. "Fantastic. Bureaucracy and a broken leg. What a day."

Carlisle turned back to Charlie. "And since you’re the responding officer, you’ll need to oversee it."

Charlie rubbed his temples. "Great. More paperwork."

Bella turned to Edward. "This is what you get for being reckless."

Edward’s lips quirked up. "And yet, you’re the one who would’ve been roadkill if I hadn’t been."

Bella scowled. Esme, who had been observing the exchange with no small amount of amusement, patted her son’s uninjured leg. "Edward, dear, cooperate with the nice officers so we can go home before midnight."

Edward sighed. "Yes, mother."

Carlisle handed Charlie a clipboard with the necessary forms. "You two can start on this while I check in on Tyler." He sent Bella a warm glance before stepping toward the door. "Bella, it’s good to see you in one piece."

Bella smiled sheepishly. "You and me both, Dr. Cullen."

Carlisle nodded before leaving, and Esme followed soon after, likely to harass a nurse about Edward’s aftercare and search for her other sons. Which left Edward alone with Charlie and Bella. Edward picked up the clipboard with an exaggerated sigh.

"Alright, let’s get this over with. ‘Name: Edward Cullen. Incident: Acts of unnecessary heroism. Cause of injury: Being too self-sacrificing.’ That about cover it?"

Charlie grunted. "Try again, smartass."

Bella snorted.

***

It took another half hour before Edward was finally released from paperwork purgatory. By then, the nurses had deemed him stable enough to leave, and Esme had returned with his discharge papers, looking victorious. That meant Bella was finally allowed to go home. Or so she thought. The moment she stepped into the hospital’s waiting area, she realized half the school was there. The waiting room was packed with students—Jessica, Mike, Angela, Eric, Lauren, even some kids from the junior class—all whispering in hushed tones, eyes snapping toward the hallway as Bella and Charlie emerged.

Jessica spotted her first.

"Bella!"

Before Bella could react, she was suddenly swarmed.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Jessica clutched her arm.

"Did you actually see your life flash before your eyes?" Eric asked, wide-eyed.

"Was there, like, blood?"

"Bella, why didn’t you tell me you and Edward were a thing?" Lauren sniffed. "Would’ve been nice to know."

"We’re not a thing!" Bella snapped.

Mike pushed forward, eyes flicking to her anxiously. "Are you sure you’re okay, though? That was insane."

Bella fought the urge to groan. Charlie, to his credit, looked deeply unimpressed. He stepped in, voice carrying over the chatter.

"Alright, alright—back it up, all of you," he ordered. "Bella’s fine. She’s going home. End of story."

There was some grumbling, but the crowd parted slightly under Charlie’s authoritative glare. Bella seized the opportunity to escape, practically dragging her father toward the exit.

"Goodnight, everyone!" she called over her shoulder, fake-cheerful. "Glad I could provide some entertainment!"

She heard Jessica yell, "Call me later with details!" just before the doors swung shut behind her. Outside, the rain had finally stopped. Bella let out a long breath, turning to Charlie. "Can we never speak of this again?"

Charlie grunted. "Not a chance, kid."

Bella groaned. Charlie shook his head as they approached the cruiser. "You should’ve let me ground Edward."

Bella snorted. "Yeah, that would’ve gone over well with Dr. Cullen."

Charlie sighed, unlocking the car. "Just… be careful, Bells, you're mother almost got a heart attack when I spoke with her over the telephone.."

Bella flinches. "You told her?"

"Of course. She is your mother after all."

The ride home was mostly silent, save for the soft hum of the windshield wipers clearing away the last remnants of rain. The mist curled low along the edges of the road, swallowing up the pine trees in an eerie haze.

Charlie had one hand on the wheel, the other tapping absently against his knee. Bella knew that meant he had more to say.

"She was real worried, you know," he said finally.

Bella sighed, already picturing the frantic voicemails she had probably missed from her mother. "I bet."

"Kept asking if you were hurt. Wanted to know if I should book her a flight."

Bella’s stomach clenched. "Dad. You didn’t—"

"Didn’t say no," Charlie admitted.

Bella groaned. "Come on, I’m fine!"

Charlie shot her a sidelong glance. "Fine? You were nearly flattened like a pancake in the school parking lot, Bells."

"Yeah, but I wasn’t."

"Because some kid with more guts than self-preservation shoved you out of the way," Charlie muttered.

Bella opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn’t really have a good defense for that. Charlie let out a heavy sigh, pulling into their driveway.

"Just… let your mom call you back. She’ll feel better hearing your voice."

Bella nodded reluctantly. As she stepped out of the cruiser, she paused, glancing back toward the road. The hospital was miles away now, lost in the thick mist of the forest, but her mind still lingered in Edward Cullen, laying on that hospital bed with his nonchalant smile. She was doomed.

***

By Monday, Edward Cullen was officially Forks High’s most fascinating person. Despite his minor injury, he had somehow managed to turn the whole ordeal into an event. The crutches only added to his appeal. The tragic self-sacrificing hero act had the underclassmen swooning, and even some of the teachers looked at him with thinly veiled approval. Bella, meanwhile, had to deal with Jessica Stanley's endless commentary.

"I mean, come on," Jessica whispered as they sat in English, her voice barely suppressed. "How is this not, like, the most romantic thing that has ever happened to you?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Jess, he shoved me into the pavement and broke his leg in the process. That’s not exactly storybook romance."

Jessica sighed dreamily. "You just don’t appreciate grand gestures."

Bella refused to dignify that with an answer. It wasn’t until lunchtime that Bella realized exactly how much trouble she had gotten herself into. Edward had arrived at school with his brothers, which meant Emmett—who had absolutely zero chill—was loudly reliving the accident in full detail at the Cullens’ table.

"I swear, you should’ve seen her face," Emmett was saying, his deep voice carrying across the cafeteria. "Total deer-in-headlights moment. And then Edward just—bam! Full action-hero dive!"

Bella groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Alice giggled. "Well, he does have a flair for the dramatic."

Jessica nodded sagely. "That’s why they’d be so cute together."

Bella smacked her forehead on the lunch table. Across the room, Edward, who had probably heard every word, was smirking. And that was when Bella made the biggest mistake of her life. She sighed, pushed her tray aside, and walked straight toward the Cullens’ table. Edward watched her approach with that familiar, unreadable amusement in his gaze.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Swan?"

Bella crossed her arms, ignoring the way Emmett grinned knowingly beside him, Jasper on the other hand didn't even deign observe her. "I’m paying you back."

Edward blinked. "For what?"

Bella gestured vaguely at his leg. "For this. Your stupid, self-sacrificing, completely unnecessary injury."

Edward raised a brow. "You want to break your own leg? That seems excessive."

Bella scowled. "No, idiot, I mean I’m helping you out until you’re off crutches."

Edward actually looked surprised for a moment.

"You want to be my assistant?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Well, when you put it like that—"

"It is a little degrading," Jasper murmured, smirking.

Emmett snickered. "I dunno, I think it's cute."

Bella fought the urge to walk away and pretend this never happened. Instead, she set her jaw and turned back to Edward.

"Look, your brothers can’t babysit you all the time. If you need help getting your books, carrying stuff, whatever—I can do it."

Edward studied her for a long moment. Then he smirked.

"Alright, Bella. You’re hired."

Bella sighed. She had a bad feeling about this. By the time the Girls’ Choice Dance rolled around, Bella was exhausted. Between helping Edward to and from classes, enduring endless teasing from Emmett, and avoiding the ever-growing whispers about her and Edward, she barely had time to breathe. She had barely managed to dodge Erik'ss insinuations putting Edward as an excuse, so when Tyler Crowley appeared out of nowhere in the parking lot and asked her to the dance, she nearly dropped her books. Did this people not understand the concep of 'girl's coice?'.

"I—wait, what?" Bella blinked.

Tyler grinned. "The dance! Thought I’d shoot my shot."

Bella hesitated. "Uh. Tyler. I—"

"She alredy asked someone." a smooth voice cut in.

Bella turned. Edward was leaning against her truck, arms crossed, his smirk entirely too smug.

Tyler blinked. "Wait—what?"

Bella groaned internally. But instead of denying it, she took the easiest way out.

"Yeah," she said, glancing at Edward. "We already have plans that night."

Tyler’s face fell. "Oh. Well. I guess that makes sense."

He turned to Edward. "Damn, man. You really are the hero of the story, huh?"

Edward smiled. "Something like that."

As soon as Tyler walked away, Bella turned to Edward with a glare. "Could you not?"

Edward shrugged. "You used me as an excuse first, Swan. I’m just playing along."

Bella groaned. But she couldn’t ignore the small, amused glint in his eyes. And to her ever lasting annoyance she didn't want to. She was all to pleased with this outcome, with spendin so much time with Edward, to have an excuse to talk to him and learn every little intricacy of his. He was still ar from a solved puzzle but she was getting there, and every piece she discovered, was a new reason she couldn't lift his eyes from his form.

The best part was, Edward didn't seem displeased with this outcome either.

***

"You lied to two boys to get out of a date by saying you already had plans with Edward," Jessica summarized later, sipping her soda with an expression that was way too smug for Bella’s liking.

Bella scowled. "It’s not like that."

Alice, ever the picture of mischief, twirled her straw in her smoothie. "Isn’t it?"

"It’s not," Bella insisted. "We’re just studying that night."

Jessica’s eyes gleamed. "So… you scheduled a date?"

"It’s not a date," Bella groaned, rubbing her temples.

Alice smirked, leaning forward. "Oh, honey. It absolutely is."

Jessica nodded eagerly. "I mean, you turned down two guys and immediately used Edward as an excuse. Edward Cullen—who, by the way, has been watching you all lunch."

Bella stiffened but refused to look. "That means nothing."

"It means everything," Alice corrected. "You’re just too stubborn to admit it."

Jessica sighed dramatically. "This is, like, the slowest slow-burn romance I’ve ever witnessed. It’s painful to watch."

"You shouldn't be watching," Bella snapped, taking an aggressive bite of her apple.

Jessica just grinned. "Oh, but I must."

Alice giggled. "At this point, it’s a public service."

Bella let out a long-suffering sigh, dropping her forehead onto the table. And yet—despite her very real desire to sink into the floor and never resurface—when she finally peeked up and risked a glance across the cafeteria, she found Edward already looking at her. And he was smiling.

Maybe—just maybe—Alice and Jessica weren’t entirely wrong.

Chapter Text

Edward Cullen had been officially cleared for walking as of last Thursday, which meant his crutches were gone, and with them, any remaining excuse Bella had for hovering around him. Not that she had been hovering. She was just… repaying a debt. That was all.

But even without the crutches, Edward still found ways to make her life exhausting. Like right now, for example. Bella slouched into her usual seat in Biology, expecting another routine class. That was before she heard Mr. Banner explaining today's assignment, giving each table the necesary equipment for it from his cardboard box.

Blood Typing Lab.

Bella's stomach twisted.

She had completely forgotten about this lab. Mr. Banner stood at the front of the room once everyone got his equipment, holding up a lancet. "Alright, class, today we're going to test your blood types! It’s a simple process—just a quick prick on the finger, a few drops on the slides, and you’ll get to see how your blood reacts with the different serums."

Bella's entire body recoiled at the thought as if in protest, dreading what was to come.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

She hated blood, not only the sight but the smell of it. Even the thought of it made her lightheaded. Edward looked at her from his seat, as Bella breathed though clenched teeth.

"You okay? You look kinda pale."

"I’m fine," Bella lied, gripping the edge of the desk.

Edward glanced at her with mild curiosity. "Afraid of needles?"

Bella scowled at him. "No."

Edward smirked, clearly unconvinced. "Ah. Afraid of blood, then."

Bella opened her mouth to argue, but then Mike Newton, sitting at the lab bench across from them, pressed the lancet into his finger. A single drop of blood beaded on his fingertip as Mr Banner explained the procedure. Bella’s vision tilted. The last thing she registered was the feeling of her body swaying sideways— she definetely hadn't grown inmune after all.

As she couldn't stand it anymore, she got the attention of Mr. Banner as she rested her face over the cool surface of the table to Edwards puzzelment.

“Bella, are you all right?” Mr. Banner asked. His voice alarmed and close to Bella and Edward's table. “Are you feeling faint?”

“Yes, sir,” She muttered, internally kicking herself for not ditching when she had the chance.

“Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?” he called.

"I will do it" Volunteered Edward getting up from his seat.

“Can you walk?” Mr. Banner asked.

“Yes,” Bella whispered. 'Just let me get out of here', she thought.

Edwards courteously pulled her arm over his shoulder and she leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom. When they were around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four in case Mr. Banner was watching she stopped dizzily.

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" Edward helped her sit on the walk uncapable of saying no to her begging. She slumped over on her side and put her cheek against the freezing damp cement, closing her eyes for a moment, which seemed to help a litte.

"Bella…" Edward called softly. She ignored him.

“Bella…..Can you hear me?” Edward called again.

“No,”She groaned. “Go away.”

He chuckled. “We need to get you to the nurse.”

"Just let me lie here… i will be fine…" She grumbled, unwilling to move.

Suddenly the sidewalk disappeared from beneath her. Bella's eyes flew open in shock. Edward had scooped her up in his arms, as easily as if she had been a stack of books and not a faint teenage girl.

“Put me down!” She flailed, fearing the nausea comming back once more.

“You look awful,” Edward commented grinning.

“Put me back on the sidewalk,” She moaned. The rocking movement of his walk was not helping, but he did not comply continuing the walk towards the infirmary.

“So you faint at the sight of blood?” he asked. This seemed to entertain him. Bella didn’t answer. She closed her eyes again and fought the nausea with all her strength, clamping her lips together. He laughted softly and bella rested her head on his shoulder. What an awful day to start the day.

When she opened her eyes, she recogniced the infirmarie's bleak looking ceiling. She could hear the nurse's quiet speech somewhere in the distance as she greeted another faint student. Bella opened her eyes and tried looking around only to find hazel colored eyes looking at her. Suddently she felt like being swallowed by the earth in that very moment would have been a blessing. Edward smirked nonchalantly.

"Good morning sleeping beauty."

Bella groaned, rolling her head away from Edward’s infuriatingly amused expression. She was still lightheaded, but not so much that she couldn’t be embarrassed.

“Kill me,” she muttered.

Edward’s smirk widened. “Now, now. That would defeat the purpose of bringing you here, wouldn’t it?”

Bella glared at him— or, at least, she attempted to. It was hard to muster any real intimidation when she was still sprawled on the infirmary cot, her limbs weak and uncooperative. The school nurse bustled over, peering down at Bella with the practiced concern of someone who had seen one too many students hit the floor during the blood-typing lab.

“You’re awake, dear. How do you feel?”

“Mortified,” Bella said, which made Edward chuckle under his breath.

The nurse smiled. “That’ll pass. Here, sit up slowly.” She guided Bella into an upright position, pressing a small, room-temperature can of apple juice into her hand. “Drink this. It’ll help.”

Bella took a cautious sip, ignoring Edward’s ever-watchful gaze as he leaned against the counter with an expression of poorly concealed amusement.

“Does this happen often?” the nurse asked.

Bella sighed. “Not really.”

“Just the sight of blood?”

She hesitated. “Mostly.”

Edward hummed as if filing this information away for later. Bella shot him a glare, but he only grinned wider. The nurse checked her over one last time before nodding in satisfaction.

“You should be fine in a few minutes. No rush to get back to class— just rest until you feel steady on your feet again.”

Bella nodded, grateful for the excuse to delay her return. The last thing she wanted was to stumble back into Biology only to be greeted by the sight of more blood and be obliged to make the walk back once more. As soon as the nurse was out of earshot, Edward moved closer, his golden eyes still gleaming with amusement.

“So. Blood.”

Bella scowled. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But I do.” His voice was light, teasing. “You know, for someone so quick to lecture me about my own reckless behavior, you seem awfully fragile yourself.”

Bella groaned and dropped her face into her hands. “I hate you.”

Edward chuckled. “No, you don’t.”

She peeked at him through her fingers. “I do a little.”

“Hmm.” He tilted his head, considering. “I suppose I’ll have to make it up to you, then.”

Bella narrowed her eyes. “By leaving me alone?”

“Not quite.” Edward’s smirk softened, turning into something more thoughtful. “By making sure you don’t hit the floor again anytime soon. It seems we will be stuck together some more time.”

Bella huffed, sipping her juice in stubborn silence. She was fairly certain that being carried across campus by Edward Cullen was already more than enough humiliation for one day. But as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye— his expression still quietly amused, but also something else, something softer— she had the sinking suspicion that this wasn’t the last time he’d end up catching her when she fell.

****

The following weekend, Bella found herself roped into helping Alice, Jessica, and Angela pick out dresses for the Girls’ Choice Dance.

"Why am I here?" Bella muttered as Alice shoved a sequined gown into Jessica’s arms.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Moral support. And because someone needs to keep Alice from going full stylist mode."

Alice gasped. "I would never!"

Jessica gave her a look. Angela, meanwhile, held up a deep blue dress.

"I think this one’s nice."

Bella nodded quickly. "Great. That’s the one. Done. Let’s go."

Alice huffed. "Oh, please, Bella. We haven’t even started yet."

Bella sighed. She was never escaping.

****

Edward wasn’t sure how he’d let himself be dragged into this.

It had started with Emmett’s relentless badgering—something about needing “a decent wingman for once” and how Jasper, in his eternal gloom, was useless in that department. Jasper had protested, but not very convincingly, because somehow they’d all ended up in Port Angeles, wandering through the dimly lit streets like three very different brands of disaster waiting to happen.

Emmett led the charge, of course, plowing ahead with the confidence of a man who had never second-guessed a decision in his life. Jasper followed at a more measured pace, hands in his pockets, scanning the area as if he expected some great tragedy to befall them at any moment. Edward, on the other hand, was merely tolerating their presence.

“You’ve been even more miserable than usual lately,” Emmett noted, eyeing Edward as they passed a shop window.

“I’m fine,” Edward replied flatly.

Jasper smirked. “That’s what people say when they’re definitely not fine.”

Emmett clapped Edward on the back hard enough to make him trip on his feet. “You need to let loose, man. Have some fun. Get yourself a girlfriend.”

Edward scoffed, shoving his hands in his coat pockets. “You mean the way you ‘let loose’ by switching girlfriends faster than shirts?”

Jasper snorted. “He’s got a point.”

Emmett rolled his eyes. “Hey. I’m just living my best life.”

Edward smirked. “And you,” he turned to Jasper, “are a moody bastard, so you can’t really give me relationship advice.”

Jasper lifted a brow. “Fair.”

“But we’re right,” Emmett pressed. “And don’t pretend like we don’t all know why.” He and Jasper exchanged knowing glances.

Edward sighed. “Here we go.”

“Oh, don’t act clueless,” Jasper said, his smirk widening. “It’s that chick right? The chief's daughter? Isabella.”

"Bella….She prefers Bella…"Edward commented before he could hold himself back. He tensed noticing the slip but kept his expression neutral. “What about her?”

Emmett groaned. “Seriously? Dude. We have eyes. You like her.”

Edward scoffed. “That’s absurd.”

“Oh, totally absurd,” Jasper drawled. “That’s why you’re constantly hovering around her and letting her hover around you, staring like some tragic poet.”

“I do not—”

Emmett cut him off. “Bro, you’re one dramatic monologue away from composing sonnets.”

Jasper nodded sagely. “Or worse—Edward Cullen writing love poetry. The horror.”

Edward rolled his eyes. Choosing not to answer that jab. He had indeed tried composing a sonnet in the image of the girl, but that was none of their bussiness. “This is ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Emmett waggled his brows. “’Cause, personally, I think it’s adorable.”

“You think everything is adorable,” Edward shot back.

“True. But especially this.”

Edward exhaled sharply. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Why not?” Jasper asked. “Because she’s clumsy?”

"Because she is the chief's daughter?" Wondered Emmet.

Edward hesitated. “Because she deserves better.”

Emmett threw up his hands. “Oh my God, you’re impossible.”

Jasper, ever the strategist, tilted his head. “So you do have feelings for her.”

Edward cursed himself internally. They had baited him into that one. He scowled. “That’s not—”

Then he saw her.

Just a few feet ahead, across a window, inside a small boutique, Bella stood with Alice Brandon, Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber, laughing about something. The world narrowed. The conversations around him blurred. She was wearing that green jacket she always wore, the one that made her eyes stand out in a way Edward found unreasonably distracting.

Emmett noticed first. He followed Edward’s line of sight, then grinned. “Well, well, well. Speak of the devil.”

Jasper smirked. “And she shall appear.”

Edward stiffened. “We should go.”

Emmett ignored him entirely. “Oh, no. This is fate, my friend.”

Jasper nodded solemnly. “The universe has spoken.”

Before Edward could protest, Emmett—because of course it was Emmett—was aproaching the store.

Edward wished for the ground to swallow him whole.

***

By some cosmic misfortune, the dress shopping trip ended with Emmett Cullen standing outside the boutique. Jessica spotted him first.

"Hey, Emmett! What are you doing here?"

Bella wondered when they had become so friendly, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Jessica was very social, she knew everyone or at least a someone in every circle. It made sense that she would be on friendly terms with Emmet since he was the most social of the Cullen brothers. Emmett grinned, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Running errands with the fam. Edward’s around here somewhere, though. Probably lurking near a bookstore like a weirdo."

Jessica immediately latched onto that information.

"Oh?" she said, glancing at Bella with a smile that looked midly plotting. "What a coincidence."

Bella narrowed her eyes. "No."

Alice perked up. "Yes."

Emmett grinned. Bella turned to flee, but Emmett was fast.

"Edward!"

Emmett yelled into the street, ignoring Bella’s protests. A few seconds later, Edward Cullen appeared from around the corner, looking vaguely akward.

"Why are you shouting?" Edward asked.

Emmett grinned wider. "Bella needs an escort."

Bella gaped. "I do not—"

Jessica gasped. "You two should go to dinner together!"

Edward blinked. "What?"

Alice nodded sagely. "Oh, absolutely."

Bella was going to murder all of them. Edwards seemed to agree with the murderous intent.

He sighted and ever the wise one yielded before the conspirators could manage to put them in more of an akward post. He glanced at Bella smiling apologetically. "Well, Bella?"

Bella hated how easily her stomach flipped. She crossed her arms.

"Fine. But if this sucks, I’m blaming all of you."

Alice beamed. "Noted!"

And just like that, Bella Swan found herself on an accidental date with Edward Cullen.

Chapter Text

Bella tapped her fingers against the polished wooden table, eyes flicking between the candle in the center and Edward, who was sitting across from her, looking just as uncharacteristically out of place as she felt.

"This is stupid," she muttered. "We should’ve made a run for it when we had the chance."

Edward exhaled through his nose, something almost resembling a chuckle.

“You’re the one who agreed.”

“Under duress.”

Edward smirked, picking up the menu. “Ah. Coercion. A tragic fate.”

Bella shot him a dry look before surrendering to her own menu, skimming the options just to avoid making eye contact.

In all honesty, the idea of dinner with Edward wasn’t unpleasant. It was just the circumstances that made it impossible to take seriously. Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Erika (indirectly with their passive observance), and Jessica had practically thrown them into the restaurant, making exaggerated comments about how cozy and romantic the atmosphere was before slamming the door behind them.

Subtle, they were not.

Now, here they were, tucked into a dim corner of some overpriced little restaurant, sharing a table for two. Alone.

Bella resisted the urge to groan into her hands.

“So,” Edward started after a moment, setting his menu aside. “Are you going to the dance?”

Bella blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “The Girls’ Choice dance?”

Edward nodded. His expression was careful—almost too careful. Like he was aiming for casual but hadn’t quite mastered it.

Bella tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Why?”

Edward hesitated, then—very nonchalantly—said, “No reason.”

Bella raised a brow. “You wouldn’t ask if there was no reason.”

Edward sighed, clearly regretting every choice that had led to this moment. “I was just… curious.”

Bella leaned forward slightly, smirking. “Curious about whether I am going?”

Edward rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it.

Bella exhaled, sitting back in her chair. “I wasn’t planning to, actually.”

Edward looked almost relieved. “Oh?”

Bella shrugged. “Yeah. School dances aren’t really my thing. I have my fathers dancing skills, which are to say none at all." He laughthed softly at the comment and Bella felt herself relax a bit into her seat, as if the akwardness form before had been but an ilusion. " I was actually planning to head to Seattle for the weekend instead.”

Edward hummed, but Bella caught the way his fingers drummed lightly against the table, like he had something more to say.

“What?” she asked, amused.

"I didn't take you for someone who loved danger." He deflected.

"I'm not. why?" She arched an eyebrow.

"I've seen your truck. Going to Seatle in that thing cualifies as a dangeorous sport." He commented solemnly and Bella mock gasped in indignation.

"Don't insult my truck. He is very trustworthy."

"Really?" He scoffed esqueptically. "Because it looks if may have more years than my own father."

"Your father looks very young."

"Looks are deceptive." He bit back humming.

"Deceptive uh…?" She wondered lowering her menú. "Are you going to tell me now the reason all your family is so incredibly handsome is because you are all a bunch of secret werewolves or something?"

He barked a laugh. "Werewolves? Is that your best guess?"

"Vampires then?"

He chucked shaking his head as if he couldn't believe the ridicule of it. Bella felt color rise to her cheeks slightly, but was too stunned with his dashing smile and the pimples that formed in his face with the unfiltered joy of it all. He was so charming, she didn't even realize what she had said in the fisrt place.

"So you think we are that handsome?"

She wished she could let earth swallow her whole in that moment.

"Well…. Um…" She stuttered, combing her fingers nervously though her long brown hair. "You are handsome for Forks standards. I'm sure you have a beeline of girls from school waiting at your step."

"I don't." He responded simply. Looking into the depth of her brown eyes with an intensity that left her unarmed.

"Oh…"

There was silent for a moment, as they struggled to decide what to say next. Edward hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then, a bit stiffly, he said, “I was going to ask if you wanted to go… To the dance.”

Bella blinked. That… she hadn’t expected.

“Oh,” she repeated, slightly thrown and proceded to smakc herself mentally at the lack of vocabulary.

Edward’s expression shifted, like he was already regretting asking, like he was bracing for rejection. Before she could overthink it, Bella shrugged and said, “Well, since I’m skipping the dance… why don’t you come to Seattle with me instead?… Since you are so worried about my truck's fortitude….”

Edward stilled. Bella immediately felt the need to clarify. “I mean, if you want. No pressure. It’s just a trip, not a date or anything. I was just—”

“I’d like that,” Edward cut in, and Bella swore there was the faintest trace of pink dusting his ears.

She blinked. “Really?”

Edward smirked. “You sound surprised.”

“Well, yeah. I thought you’d be weird about it.”

Edward huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. “I think that’s your department.”

Bella scoffed. “Hey.”

“I’m just saying.”

Bella rolled her eyes but couldn’t fight back her smile. The awkwardness had started to fade into something more familiar—something playful, easy. Their food arrived, and the conversation drifted, weaving between harmless teasing and comfortable silences. Bella found herself relaxing, surprised by how… nice this was.

Then Edward insisted on paying the bill, despite Bella’s protests.

“Edward.”

“Bella.”

“I can pay for my own food.”

“I know.”

Bella narrowed her eyes. “Then let me.”

Edward just smirked, handing his card to the waiter before she could argue further. “Consider it an apology for my meddlesome brothers.”

Bella scowled. “That’s not how apologies work.”

Edward leaned back, looking entirely too smug. “It is now.”

Bella groaned, but her face was warm as they stepped out into the cool night air.

Edward led her to his car—his sleek, spotless Volvo that looked wildly out of place in the small town of Forks. He opened the passenger door for her, an old-school move that should’ve annoyed her, but instead made her heart do a dumb little flip. She ignored it.

The drive back was mostly quiet, save for the soft hum of the radio and the occasional teasing remark. When Edward pulled up in front of her house, Bella hesitated before getting out. Wishing the moment had never ended, wishin Port Angeles was a little further.

“Thanks,” she said finally, glancing at him.

Edward met her gaze, his expression unreadable but warm. “Anytime.”

Bella lingered a moment longer, then rolled her eyes at herself and got out of the car. Edward didn’t drive away immediately. He stayed there, watching as she disappeared into the house. Bella leaned against the closed door, exhaling.

Well. That had been… something.

And, for once, she didn’t mind it one bit.

****

Bella had barely set her tray down before Jessica and Alice pounced.

“So?” Jessica leaned in eagerly, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “How was it?”

Bella, who had made the grave mistake of thinking she could have a peaceful lunch, took a slow bite of her sandwich, chewing deliberately. “How was what?”

Alice scoffed. “Don’t play dumb.”

Jessica smirked. “You and Edward. Alone. Romantic candlelight dinner—”

Bella snorted. “It wasn’t romantic.”

Alice raised a skeptical brow. “So he didn’t gaze into your eyes under the glow of a candle and insist on paying for your meal?”

Bella scowled. “That’s not what happened.”

Jessica wiggled her eyebrows. “So he did pay.”

Bella groaned, glaring at her lunch like it had personally wronged her. “You guys are impossible.”

Alice and Jessica exchanged victorious glances. Michael, who had been picking at his fries beside Jessica, let out a laugh.

“You two are so awkward, it’s kind of hilarious.”

Bella frowned. “We’re not awkward.”

Michael grinned. “Oh, no, you totally are. The whole school’s just waiting for you guys to figure it out.”

Bella scowled. “Figure what out?”

Michael and Jessica shared a look.

“Nothing,” they both said in unison grinning at the complicity of those who share a secret, and Bella had to fight the urge to throw a fry at them.

Fortunately the conversation shifted as Michael leaned back in his chair. “Anyway, speaking of group outings, I was telling the guys—we’re heading to La Push this weekend.”

Erica perked up. “Oh yeah, Erik invited me.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah, and Tyler’s planning to ask out Lauren.”

"Talking of oblivious I wonder when those two will figure it out too." Jessica smirked taking a sip of her water.

“Anyway, since it’s turning into a thing"Michael continued " Bella, you should invite Edward. It’s the perfect excuse.”

Bella blinked. “Excuse for what?”

Michael snorted. “For you two to stop skulking around each other and just—” He made an exaggerated hand motion. “You know. Talk.”

Bella made a face. “We do talk.”

Jessica hummed. “Sure, sure.”

Alice smirked. “Besides, I bet he’d say yes.”

Bella sighed, more exasperated than anything. “I’ll think about it.”

The bell rang before they could badger her further, and Bella took the excuse to grab her things and escape toward Biology. Unfortunately, she didn’t get far before—

“Bella.”

She startled, nearly dropping her books. Edward was suddenly beside her, matching her stride effortlessly. His expression was unreadable, though his lips twitched slightly like he was fighting back amusement. She feared for a moment he had heard everyhing, and felt a cold rush of embarrasment at the memory of Jessica and Alice's insinuations before she could calm herself.

Bella exhaled. “You have got to stop sneaking up on me.”

Edward chuckled. “You were very deep in thought.”

“More like mentally recovering from an interrogation.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “Ah. Jessica and Alice?”

“Who else?”

Edward smiled. “And what exactly were they interrogating you about?”

Bella hesitated. “…Stuff.”

Edward smirked. “Sounds suspicious.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “It’s not.”

Edward hummed like he didn’t quite believe her. She hesitated for half a second before remembering Michael’s suggestion.

“Actually, I meant to ask…” She glanced up at him. “The guys are planning a trip to La Push this weekend. Would you wanna come?”

Edward blinked. His surprise was evident, but it quickly melted into something softer—almost excited.

“I’d love to,” he said, then winced slightly. “But I can’t. My family has something planned that day.”

Bella shrugged. “No big deal.”

Edward studied her for a moment. “You’re not… disappointed?”

Bella gave him a teasing smile. “What, were you hoping for a dramatic woe-is-me reaction?”

Edward huffed a laugh. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

Bella gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “How dare you.”

Edward smirked. “I rest my case.”

Bella rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. By the time they reached Biology, the tension had completely faded. Edward held the door open for her, and she stepped inside, feeling… lighter. And maybe, just maybe, a little excited for the next time they’d see each other.

******

Bella wasn’t technically sulking.

Sulking implied a certain level of melodrama, and she liked to think she was above that. No, she was simply… reflecting. Quietly. Alone. On a damp driftwood log while her friends ran laughing into the waves without her in couples.

Not that she minded.

Except she kind of did.

The worst part was that she didn’t even have Alice as a buffer. She’d been thrilled when Alice had promised to come—at least then, she’d have had someone to talk to, someone to roll her eyes with when Mike or Tyler inevitably started showing off. But Alice had texted her last minute, apologizing profusely because Kumbo —Alice's adoptive father— needed help with something.

Bella hadn’t asked for details. It wasn’t like Alice owed her an explanation. So here she was. Alone. Kicking at the sand with the toe of her sneaker and watching Jessica and Angela shriek as they ran from an incoming wave.

She sighed.

What’s Edward doing right now? She wondered.

She shouldn’t be thinking about him. It was stupid. But the question curled around her thoughts anyway, refusing to let go.

Probably something far more interesting than this, she decided.

She tried to picture it—Edward at home, maybe playing piano in that effortless way of his, or reading something impossibly dense and academic, or even just sprawled out on his bed, lost in thought.

Would he be thinking about her?

She flushed at the ridiculousness of the thought. No. Of course not.

“Earth to Bella.”

She jolted, looking up to find a tall, lanky figure standing in front of her, arms crossed with an amused smirk.

Jacob Black.

His hair was pulled back today, though a few strands had escaped and blew across his face in the breeze. His dark eyes were bright with laughter, and she realized—with a pang of guilt—that she hadn’t seen him in months.

“You looked like you were having some deep, deep thoughts,” Jacob said, cocking his head.

Bella scoffed, trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. “Yeah, I was contemplating the mysteries of the universe.”

Jacob nodded solemnly. “Any answers?”

She smirked. “Not yet.”

“Damn. I was hoping for a shortcut to enlightenment.”

Bella chuckled, shaking her head. Behind him, she noticed a group of kids from the reservation mingling with her friends, laughing and tossing a football back and forth. Some of the faces were familiar—people she’d played with as a kid when Charlie used to bring her to La Push in the summers—but it had been too long to put names to all of them.

Jacob, though—Jacob was still unmistakably Jacob. Taller now, leaner, but still with that easy grin and bright-eyed mischief that made everything seem a little less serious.

He plopped down next to her on the log, nudging her shoulder lightly. “By the way, Rachel says hi.”

Bella blinked, thrown for a second. “Rachel?”

“My sister?” He grinned. “You know, the one who used to babysit you and get so fed up because you refused to go to sleep?”

Bella snorted. “Oh, please. She was the one who always wanted to talk about books past bedtime.”

Jacob laughed. “Yeah, that tracks. Anyway, she’s home for the weekend and asked about you.”

Bella smiled. She hadn’t seen Rachel in a while—she’d left for college a few years back and rarely came back to Forks these days. It was nice to hear she still remembered her.

“I should visit sometime,” Bella said.

Jacob smirked. “Yeah, you should. Then she can grill you about boys instead of me for once.”

Bella scoffed. “Oh, sure. Because your love life is so fascinating.”

Jacob grinned. “Hey, I’ll have you know, I’m very mysterious and alluring.”

Bella snickered. “Mmm. Yeah. Right up there with movie vampires.”

Jacob clutched his chest dramatically. “Ouch, Swan. Just crushing my ego here.”

She smirked. “You’ll survive.”

They sat in easy silence for a while, the waves rolling in and out as the wind picked up slightly. Jacob was the one to break it.

“So… what’s the deal with the Cullens?” he asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

Bella glanced at him warily. “What do you mean?”

Jacob shrugged. “I dunno. My dad’s not their biggest fan. But then again, he si not the biggest fun of anything out of town.”

Bella made a face. “Charlie loves them. He won’t shut up about how great Carlisle is.”

Jacob snorted. “I bet. That guy sounds too perfect.”

Bella huffed a laugh. “Charlie would marry him if he could.”

Jacob’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

Bella smirked. “At least, that’s what my mom says.”

Jacob leaned forward eagerly. “No way.”

“Oh yeah,” Bella said, voice dropping into a teasing impression of Renee: “‘Charlie, honey, I think you should just marry the good doctor so I can retire early and go live in California like I deserve.’”

Jacob burst out laughing.

Bella grinned, continuing, “‘I’ll even throw in the house—real bargain, Chief Swan, think about it.’”

Jacob groaned, still cackling. “They flirt like that?”

Bella nodded, grinning. “It’s so embarrassing.”

Jacob shook his head in disbelief. “That’s hilarious.”

“Tell me about it.”

They raised from the log and walked in comfortable silence for a while down the beach, talking about trivialities and evoking old memories, the wind tugging at Bella’s hair as Jacob kicked at a stray piece of driftwood. The easy rhythm of conversation had loosened some of the knots in her chest, but still, her mind drifted.

Back to Edward.

Would he have come today if she had asked differently? Had he actually wanted to say yes?

She sighed, shaking the thought away.

Jacob nudged her lightly. “You good?”

Bella looked up at him and managed a small smile. “Yeah. I’m good.”

And for now, that was true.

Chapter Text

The morning was wrapped in silver fog, the kind that clung to the edges of rooftops and blurred the horizon. Bella stood on the porch in her coat, a messenger bag slung over her shoulder, waiting as Edward Cullen’s car pulled smoothly into her driveway.

He stepped out of the driver’s seat looking effortlessly composed in a charcoal sweater and dark jeans (none of that weird beige bs here). His hair, as usual, did whatever it wanted and still looked infuriatingly good.

“Good morning,” he said, a quiet smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Hey,” Bella replied, heart doing somersaults.

Edward opened the passenger door for her like they were stepping into some black-and-white movie. She rolled her eyes a little, but secretly, she didn’t hate it. Once they were on the road, the quiet between them was comfortable. The hum of the engine and the occasional squawk of a crow overhead filled the space until Edward glanced over.

“So, what are we looking for in Seattle, exactly?” he asked.

Bella smiled. “Books.”

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Doesn't Forks have a library filled with them?"

"Their catalogue is not that big" Bella smiles sheepishly. "It's easier to jut search for them in Seatle".

“So what kind of exotic literature are we looking for?”

“Classics limited edition,” she said, warming up now. “There’s this used bookstore on Queen Anne that sometimes stocks old editions. I’ve been hunting down a few specific copies.”

“Which ones?”

She listed them: a battered edition of Persuasion, a complete leather-bound Divine Comedy, and a few obscure translations of Russian literature that made Edward chuckle in admiration.

“You’re like a literary treasure hunter.”

“I prefer ‘book dragon,’” she replied, smirking. “I hoard.”

He glanced at her sideways, the sunlight catching his eyes just right. “Of course you do.”

And Bella couldn't help but admire the hazel color as they setteld in companiable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts until they arrived to the city.

The day unfolded in chapters: a quiet brunch in a café with mismatched mugs, hours spent trailing between bookstores, and Edward insisting on carrying her growing stack of literary loot despite her protests. They laughed more than either expected—about bad font choices, dramatic blurbs, and the one tiny shop that smelled overwhelmingly of lavender and regret.

As the sky turned dusky and the city lit up in warm yellows and golds, Edward and Bella found themselves wandering aimlessly through the streets, the sidewalks damp with recent rain and the air crisp with early spring. They walked close—not touching, not quite—but drawn toward each other like magnets just shy of contact.

Edward was quiet for a moment, hands tucked in his coat pockets. Then he cleared his throat.

“Bella?”

She turned to look at him, caught a little off guard by his suddenly serious tone.

“I—well, I know we haven’t exactly talked about it,” he began, his voice soft but steady. “But I wanted to ask you, properly. Would you… consider being my girlfriend?”

Bella blinked.

Then blinked again.

His expression was earnest, a little nervous beneath the calm. Old-fashioned in the way he stood there like a boy from another era—heart in hand, posture straight, gaze unwavering. She smiled, slow and certain.

“I’d like that,” she said.

His shoulders relaxed visibly, and a quiet smile curved his lips—relief and happiness flickering across his face like candlelight.

“Good,” he said, simply. “That’s… very good.”

They kept walking, closer now, their hands brushing until Bella’s fingers found his, and he laced them together with a gentle confidence. The drive back to Forks was quiet again, but it was different now—warm, content. Their silences were no longer awkward pauses but comfortable spaces between everything unspoken and understood.

By the time Edward walked her to the door that night, the air between them buzzed with newness and possibility. He didn’t try to kiss her, not yet. But the way he looked at her said soon. Instead he kissed the back of her hand like some old fashiones knight and wished her a good night before retreating to his car and driving off.

Bella stepped inside, her hand still tingling where it had been kisssed, and leaned back against the door with a smile.

Charlie glanced up from the TV. “So… how was Seattle?”

Bella didn’t answer at first. She just stood there, grinning like an idiot.

“…I’ll take that as a good sign.”

*******

The clouds over Forks had rolled in thicker than usual, a heavy quilt of gray stretched across the sky. It was the kind of day that whispered electricity through the air—perfect for baseball, apparently.

Bella tried not to fidget as Edward drove them down the winding backroad that led to the Cullen estate. She’d been to the edge of their property before, but today was different. Today she was stepping inside their world.

“You’re nervous,” Edward said without looking at her, but his lips were tugging upward in a knowing smile.

Bella scoffed. “No, I’m—okay, yes. A little.”

“They’re going to love you.”

“That’s what you said before I —foramlly— met your siblings. And Emmett immediately challenged me to an arm-wrestling match.”

“You did say you were stronger than you looked.”

“I was being sarcastic!”

Edward laughed, and the sound of it calmed her slightly. “Honestly, Bella. You’ll be fine. And Emmett’s still impressed you held your ground for more than ten seconds.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ten seconds I will never get back.”

As they pulled up the long gravel driveway, Bella caught her first glimpse of the Cullen house. It was as beautiful as she remembered—modern, clean-lined, glass and wood and green all blended into the surrounding forest like it had grown there naturally. But the real heart attack came when she saw how many cars were parked in the clearing.

“Are all those… yours?”

Edward parked with casual ease. “Some. The rest belong to our guests. Charlotte and Peter — Jasper's friends—are in from New York, and a few of Carlisle and Esme’s old friends are visiting too.”

Bella’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“I’m meeting the extended Cullen family?”

“Technically, they’re not Cullens,” Edward said, climbing out and circling the car to open her door. “But they might as well be.”

"Isn't this a bit premature? We have only been dating for what? 2 months?"

"2 months. 14 days and 6 hours…exactly." He smiled smugly. "Are you backing out? Do you want to go home?" He smiles softly at her.

He wasn’t taunting her. Well—maybe just a little. But his concern for her comfort was genuine, and that only made her more reluctant to chicken out. She wanted to make him happy. More than that, she wanted to leave a good impression on his family. Be accepted. Edward was her first ever boyfriend, which didn’t make things any easier on her nerves.

She took a deep breath and mentally pulled on her big girl pants, determined not to screw this up.

She stepped out reluctantly, brushing her hair out of her face as the wind picked up. “If I die of embarrassment, you’re telling my parents.”

“Duly noted,” he said, offering his hand. She took it, grounding herself in his touch.

The Cullen house was even more impressive up close. A sleek blend of timber, glass, and green, it nestled into the forest as if grown there on purpose. Inside, it buzzed with music and overlapping voices, and the warm, spicy scent of something simmering on the stove—Esme, no doubt, cooking like the world depended on it.

The first to greet her was Emmett, predictably larger-than-life.

“Hey, Bella!” he boomed, grinning from ear to ear. “You made it. I was starting to think Edward made you up.”

Bella blinked. “You saw me last week.”

“Could’ve been a very realistic hallucination. Sabrina says I don’t get enough sleep.”

Sabrina, the name made the clogs in her mind spin until she pictured the image of a blonde girl from the volleyball team. Bella had seen her hanging around Emmet at school and in between classes, whoever she hadn't paid any close attention, she didn't have a reason to. In their short time in Forks, Emmet had won a decent amount of popularity but it somehow surprised her that he had managed to land a girlfriend. He looked too easy going to let himself be swayed and be preocupied with relationship problems.

Sabrina, perched beside the fireplace, gave Bella a once-over that was sharp but not unfriendly. “Hi,” she said simply, with a faint nod and a bright smile.

“Hi,” Bella managed. At least she wasn't alone in a battle against her new 'in laws'.

Jasper was quiet near the kitchen, eyes sharp as they flicked toward the wide windows that framed the forest beyond. He offered a polite, reserved smile that felt a little like smoke curling under a door—controlled, but alert.

Esme swept in next, a whirlwind of maternal warmth.

“Oh, Bella, I’m so glad you’re here!” she said, drawing Bella into a soft hug. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you properly.”

Carlisle followed, looking every bit the composed doctor he was, with a kind smile that immediately reminded her of Charlie’s stories about him. “Welcome, Bella,” he said, shaking her hand. “We’re very happy Edward brought you.”

That got a quiet scoff from Emmett, which Sabrina elbowed him for. Then Esme gestured toward three unfamiliar faces near the large windows.

“These are Lauren, Victoria, and James—old friends of ours,” she said lightly, though Bella couldn’t help noticing the tiny glance she and Carlisle exchanged.

Lauren was the kind of beautiful that belonged in magazines—sharp lines, colder than the wind outside and dark skin. Her eyes flicked over Bella like a scan she didn’t quite pass. Victoria was more unpredictable—her wild red curls and slight smirk gave her a chaotic charm. She nodded at Bella with something between interest and amusement. James leaned against the wall like he’d grown there, all lazy confidence. “So you’re the Bella,” he said, voice smooth and unreadable.

Bella blinked. “I didn’t realize I was a Bella.”

“Oh, you are,” he said, amused. “We’ve heard things.”

Edward cleared his throat subtly beside her. She glanced up at him, but he kept his gaze on James with a faint, warning look.

“And these two,” Emmett said, clearly eager to shift the spotlight, “are Peter and Charlotte—Jasper’s old war buddies.”

“Wait,” Bella said, raising a brow. “What kind of war?”

“Metaphorical,” Jasper said smoothly, but there was a flicker in his eyes—a shift like a cloud passing over the sun.

Peter, lean and quick-eyed, grinned. “We were passing through town and thought ot visit our favourite field general. But no gossip during baseball, so we will save the stories for another time.”

“Since when?” Charlotte muttered under her breath.

Edward leaned down and murmured just for Bella, “Don’t worry. Their version of cryptic is mostly harmless.”

She gave him a look. “Mostly?”

“Depends on how much you ask.”

She huffed a laugh, her nerves settling just a little. Edward gave her hand a gentle squeeze as the others kept up a steady rhythm of playful chatter—teasing him about his new girlfriend, swapping stories about James and Victoria’s road trips along the West Coast, Carlisle’s day at the hospital, and Esme’s latest charity project. The group moved naturally as they prepared to head out to the field, everyone falling into easy, familiar rhythms. Sabrina stayed close to Emmett, and Bella mirrored her, sticking close to Edward. Ahead of them, Peter, Charlotte, and Jasper walked together, their conversation hushed. There was something urgent in Jasper’s stride that caught Bella’s attention, a tension just under the surface. Whatever storm might have been brewing, it hadn’t arrived—yet.

The game itself was chaos in the best possible way. The Cullens didn’t play like normal people—they played like it was war. They were more competitive than she had though for people that didn't look like sport nerds, and Bella was immediately glad she hadn’t been asked to join a team. Instead, she sat on the sidelines with Esme and Charlotte while Edward, Emmett, and Sabrina argued over who’d cheated first.

Thunder cracked overhead like a cue from a movie.

Edward looked over at her mid-game and winked, his hair wind-tossed and his grin all trouble. Bella’s heart stuttered in her chest.

“They’re all a little wild,” Charlotte said conversationally. “But loyal. You’ve got yourself a good one there.”

Bella smiled, cheeks flushed. “Yeah. I know.”

As night crept in, they returned to the house for dinner and music and the kind of laughter that only happened when people truly knew one another. But even amid the warmth and banter, Bella could feel a current beneath the surface—something unsaid. The way Jasper and Peter would glance at each other, the way Edward’s smile would occasionally flicker before he caught himself.

Something was coming.

But for now, Bella let herself enjoy the moment. The family. The strange, beautiful new world she was being slowly folded into.

And the boy at her side, who kept looking at her like she was the most fascinating thing he’d ever read.

Chapter Text

The gym buzzed behind them, a glowing cocoon of teen energy and pop music, but out here—beneath the stars—it was just them.

The spring air was soft and just cool enough to make Bella grateful for Edward’s jacket draped around her shoulders. Her dress shimmered faintly under the scattered fairy lights strung through the trees. Her cast was propped awkwardly on a low stone bench, still clumsy and sore from the fall down the school’s back stairs two weeks ago—because of course Bella Swan would break her leg right before prom. It had become a running joke, even with her. But Edward had refused to let her miss it.

“You’ll regret it,” he’d said, grinning like a fool as he helped her into the passenger seat of his car. “Senior prom only happens once.”

She’d rolled her eyes and muttered something about how she was pretty sure it was a government experiment in forced cheer. But secretly, she was glad.

Now, in his arms, gently swaying to the muffled music leaking from the gym, she was more than glad. Her cheek pressed to his chest, the steady beat of his heart in her ear. She breathed him in. The warmth of his skin. The soft wool of his dress shirt. The clean, familiar scent of him—like cedar and wind and the faintest trace of the cologne she’d picked for him months ago.

They had been together for so long, it was hard to remember a moment of her highschool life without him in it. Edward rested his chin lightly on her head. His fingers moved in soothing circles on her back, careful of the bulky cast at her side.

It had been a perfect evening. For the most part.

But the longer they stood here, wrapped in each other and the silence, the more that unspoken thing—the future—hovered like fog at the edge of her mind. She felt it in his sigh before she heard it.

“You know,” he said quietly, “we can’t dance around it forever.”

Bella didn’t answer right away. She looked up at him, her brown eyes solemn and deep in thought.

“I know,” she said finally. “I was just trying to make it to dessert before we got existential.”

He smiled—soft and crooked, the way he always did when she made him laugh unexpectedly.

“I got the final letter from Fenix,” she said. “I’m in. Full program. Fall semester.”

“I’m proud of you,” he murmured, and she could tell he meant it. His eyes were full of it, glowing like lit glass.

She hesitated, then added, “It’s everything I wanted, Edward. Literature track. Early classroom observation. I’m going to be a real teacher.”

“I never doubted you would be.”

She leaned back slightly to study his face. “What about you? Alaska?”

He nodded. “Carlisle’s thrilled. The program’s solid. I start in September.”

Bella let the words hang between them like puzzle pieces that didn’t quite fit together.

“Phoenix and Alaska,” she said quietly. “We might as well be on different planets.”

He didn't deny it. His expression was open, but something shadowed his eyes.

“We’ll be busy,” she added. “New classes. New people.”

“ It's going to be many years away from Forks. We’ll change,” he said, not unkindly.

Bella’s lips quirked. “You’re not supposed to say that.”

“But it’s true. Isn’t it?” He exhaled. “You’re going to thrive there, Bella. You’ll find people who love poetry as much as you do. You’ll grow. And I want that for you.”

She bit her lip. “And you’ll probably find someone who loves gross anatomy as much as you do.”

He laughed. “Doubtful.”

They fell quiet again. The night settled around them like a blanket, and far off, someone inside the gym shouted with laughter.

“I don’t want to say goodbye,” she said, voice so low he had to lean down to catch it.

“You don’t have to,” he said, holding her close as ever. “We don’t have to end anything.”

Her eyes flicked up. “But—”

He shook his head. “I’ve thought about this. A lot. And maybe it’s naive, but I think... I think we can do it. The calls, the weekend visits, the midnight emails, all of it.”

She swallowed, her heart catching in her throat.

“I want that,” she whispered. “I want to try. Even if it’s hard.”

Edward smiled then, the kind of smile that told her she wasn’t alone in this.

“We’ve made it through broken bones, meddling friends, failed beach trips, and family gatherings. I think we can handle a few thousand miles.”

Bella laughed wetly, blinking fast. “You’re so cheesy.”

“And you love it.”

“I do,” she admitted.

Edward leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “So let’s not worry about what might happen. Let’s promise to try. To fight for it.”

“To fight for us.”

He nodded. “Exactly.”

She smiled against his chest. “Deal.”

And under the twinkle lights, with music drifting in from behind them and a future wide open before them, they danced. Not perfectly. Not gracefully. But together. Always together.

Then, as the song faded and the world grew quiet around them, Edward tilted her chin up with gentle fingers, eyes searching hers like a promise unspoken. Bella rose slightly on her good foot, and he met her halfway.

Their lips met in a kiss that was neither rushed nor uncertain, but steady—like everything they’d built, and everything they hoped to keep.

Soft. Certain. Forever, if they let it.

And neither of them let go.