forever? // edward and bella

chapter 6

  Edward and I kept our newfound relationship to ourselves for the first few weeks of it. The only person I trusted enough to not tell everyone was Angela, but I wanted to get comfortable with Edward before he started meeting my friends and family. I could tell Angela was suspicious of what I was doing with all my free time, but I kept to my claim that I had way too much homework. She didn't buy it. Jessica also started picking up on how Mike would act whenever he saw Edward. Edward told me that Mike was jealous of him spending time alone with me, which I didn't get. 

  When I decided that we had been together long enough to go public, I had Edward drive me to school so we could show up. It was really cliche the way we did it. Edward opened my door for me, kept his arm around me or held my hand when we walked together, and made sure to kiss me before we departed to our separate ways. 

  At lunch, Edward sat with me and my friends, which was really out of the ordinary, even for me. No one really said anything to acknowledge Edward's presence until Jessica said, "So Edward, you and Bella, huh?" 

  Edward chuckled. "That's right, Jessica." Jessica raised her eyebrows when he said his name, causing him to smile to himself. She was probably shocked that he knew her name. 

  Mike leaned his elbows on the table, deciding to join in. "How long have you two been, uh, a thing?" 

  "Not long." I stated. 

  I took a bite of my salad, hoping they wouldn't notice Edward's lack of appetite. "How come you aren't eating?" Jessica asked Edward. Of course Jessica would be the one to notice everything about Edward. 

  "I could ask you the same thing." Edward looked at the lack of food on her plate skeptically. "Must be a new diet." He emphasized the word diet, shrugging. Jessica looked down and Angela quickly changed the subject. 

  Edward still had an amused smile on his face when we walked to biology together. "What's so funny?" I asked when we sat down in our seats. 

  Edward shook his head, laughing a little. "Your friend back there. I didn't even have to read her mind to tell how envious she was of you." 

  "Oh." 

  "You should have heard her reaction to when I addressed her by name," he continued. "Or when I called her out when she thought she had something on me. She was reaching for any opportunity to talk to me." 

  I supposed the attention we were bringing didn't phase Edward because he was used to it. Everywhere he went, there was always someone amazed and curious about him. For me, though, I hated every bit of it. Sure, I was proud and happy to be with Edward publicly, but the attention just felt like a weight that couldn't be lifted off  my chest. 

  For the rest of the day, I couldn't help but feel so plain next to Edward. Edward picked up on my quietness on the way home. "Is something wrong?" I shook my head "no", but he didn't believe me. Squeezing my hand slightly, he urged on, "Come on. You know I can't hear your thoughts. I really want to know what's going on." 

  I brought my hand to my lap, feeling insecure about being insecure, which probably sounded more dumb than it actually was. "I just can't help but feel boring around you. I mean, you're this beautiful, interesting vampire and I'm just this tedious human." 

  Edward looked at me in disbelief. "That's what you think of yourself? Bella, you're the most interesting, alluring person I've ever met in over a hundred years." 

  "You really think that?" 

  "I do." He sounded so sure of himself that I would have felt bad for arguing longer on the subject. His opinion didn't change how I saw myself, but it showed how he saw me, which helped my insecurities a little. 

  When we got back to my place, I was about to get out of the car when Edward stopped me. "I want to take you out on a date. A real one where you and I get dressed up and I'll take you to the best restaurant I can find near us." 

  The idea seemed nice enough, but I didn't want Edward to pay for me and I wasn't ready for him to meet Charlie. "Later on, once you've already met my dad." 

  "Why can't I just meet him right now?" He asked, eagerly. "I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind, plus he loves my father." 

  "Another time." I opened the car door and got out. 

  Edward did the same and walked around to my side of the car. "Is there a specific reason you're so freaked out about me meeting Charlie? I mean, it's been over a month since we started dating and-" He cut himself off, looking around.  His face turned into disgust as he muttered, "Wolf." 

  As if on cue, Jacob pulled up to my house on his motorcycle. Once he parked it, he walked over to us. The second he noticed Edward, he growled, stepping in front of me. "Bella, stay back." 

  Edwards muscles tensed as he hissed at Jacob, to which Jacob returned with a snarl. "Jake, it's okay. Edward's my boyfriend." 

  Neither of them mover from their spots, so I looked at Edward and said, "Please wait for me in the car. I'll explain everything." Edward looked at Jacob one more time, making sure it was safe, and then got in the car. 

  Jacob turned toward me. "You decided to date the bloodsucker? This has to be a sick joke. He could hurt you." 

  "Yes I did, and, yes, I know. You just have to trust that I'm looking out for myself." Then I remembered something Edward had said. Wolf. I took a step back from Jacob, distancing myself from what was now very unfamiliar to me. "What did Edward mean when he called you  wolf?" 

  The look on Jacob's face that he had loathed having this conversation with me, so he put it off. "This is not the time or place to have this discussion. What if he hurts you?" 

  "Then I'd break up with him." I said, trying to sound sure of myself. Logically, I would want to break up with Edward if he hurt me, but I was starting to feel attached to him as well, which made me unsure. 

  Jacob shook his head angrily. "What if it's too late by then? What if he killed you?" 

  I was now fed up with arguing with Jacob. "I think you need to calm down, Jake. When you're ready to have a rational talk about my relationship, then we'll talk." With that, I got in the car with Edward and told him to drive, leaving Jacob standing there. 

  Edward took me to a little coffee shop down the street from my house. I sat across from him with an iced tea in my hand, staring at the cold drink in my hands. "What are you thinking?" Edward asked, interrupting our silence. 

  I kept my eyes on the water droplets falling from the glass. "I'm trying to understand what's going on with Jacob." I looked up at Edward. "Do you know anything?" 

  "No," Edward told. "I just assumed because he wreaks of dog. Plus, I know the Blacks are Quileutes, who descended from wolves." 

  "So Jake is a werewolf." 

  "Like I said, I don't know for sure." I was getting frustrated with the lack of answers I was getting and the increase of questions I had.  

  Edward drove me home after I finished my drink. To my relief, Jacob had gone home. Edward asked if I wanted him to come back later that night, but I told him that wasn't necessary. I didn't want to have more secrets to keep from Charlie, but Edward was becoming one I didn't want to keep from him.