A/N: My knowledge on the runnings of American universities is limited, so I've taken creative license where google couldn't help me.

P.S. I would have posted this chapter a week ago, but I currently have no home internet. I'm switching over to NBN and it may take up to 4 weeks before I'm back online (Aussies will recognise my frustration). It's already been 3 weeks since I last updated, and I didn't want you all to have to wait another 4, so I've painstakingly retyped this chapter and loaded via my phone (you're welcome!). It's unedited. If there are any errors, I'll come back and fix them once my desktop is back online.

Chapter 33

Emmett's reaction had been almost identical to Jasper's. First there'd been shock, then elation, then a barrage of ardent kisses and gropes. By the time Jasper had returned to the apartment my lips were slightly bruised, but my smile was so huge it could have won awards.

Neither of them had wanted to leave that night, nor had I wanted them to, so I'd suggested they move in with me until we were able to live in the house on 'the farm'. As I'd expected, there'd been no objections.

I'd opened my eyes this morning to find two new dresser drawers lining the bedroom wall, and my closet was packed full of our combined clothes and shoes. Overall, it was a bit cramped, but perfect all the same.

"You ready for your first day as a college woman, baby?" Emmett asked as he flung his arm around my shoulders on the trek across campus grounds.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Jasper casually strode beside me. My hand twitched, wanting to reach out to entwine our fingers, but we'd agreed that, in public, Emmett would be known as my boyfriend. I'd insisted they make that decision entirely on their own as I didn't want to favor one over the other, in any way whatsoever. In the end, after much deliberation, it had been Jasper's idea to step aside. He didn't tell me why, but I was certain he and Emmett had held a private conference, even though I'd never left the room when they'd had it. Sometimes, body language spoke louder than words.

"This is me," Jasper said, leaning toward me for a kiss before realizing we could no longer do that in public. He pulled back with a sheepish grin and fist-bumped Emmett instead. "See you guys at lunch."

Emmett and I continued on to our first class. We were both taking Creative Writing as a minor and, although I hadn't let on how excited I really was, I was happy he was joining me. Starting at a new school was never a comfortable experience, but having him with me for my initial dip in a very large pool made it a little less daunting. My smile was one of contentment as we claimed a pair of seats near the back of the lecture hall.

"Have you taken a class like this before?" I asked, taking a notebook and pen out of the new beaten-leather satchel he'd excitedly gifted me this morning. It was so smooth to the touch that I'd caught myself absently stroking it during the drive in.

"No, this is as new to me as it is to you. I've never had much interest in writing before, but I've been feeling oddly poetic ever since we..." His warm gaze drifted over my shoulder and instantly turned arctic, his relaxed posture now rigid as he straightened in his seat.

I swivelled around to see what had caused such a quick change in his demeanor and found a familiar set of blue-gray eyes staring back at me.

Aiden Walker grinned as he lazed back in his chair, two away from me on my right. He shot me a wink before turning to face the front where the Professor was shuffling papers on the lectern. Having chosen the same major, it was inevitable we'd be in some of the same classes, though I'd hoped to share this one alone with Emmett, without the air of discomfort brought on by Aiden's presence.

Jasper's language had been quite colorful when he'd told Emmett who I'd been working with at the bookstore yesterday. I shouldn't have been shocked, but he'd gone as far as quoting, word for word, almost everything Aiden had said to me. Apparently, he'd overheard the entire conversation while waiting for me in the parking lot. That would explain the finger-shaped indents I'd discovered on the steering wheel - obviously left from him clenching it too tightly - when I'd jumped in my truck to drive home after my shift.

"Cocky little prick," Emmett muttered. "If he doesn't get a fucking clue, and soon, I'm gonna help him out and shove one right down his throat."

"Just ignore him, Em," I said lowly. "He can try to flirt all he likes, it won't change anything."

"Jockstrap has no idea who he's dealing with."

"No, he doesn't. I hear your girlfriend has a mean right hook."

His boisterous guffaw gained the attention of many of the students in front of us, their heads whipping around to see what was so funny. "That you do, baby. That you do." He tugged me closer, kissed me as if he wanted to devour me, his fingers tangled in my hair.

That was until someone interrupted us with the deep clearing of a throat. "Would you prefer if we all just left and forgot about today's lesson so you can continue, Mister...?"

Emmett beamed as he addressed the Professor at the front of the room. "Emmett McCarty, sir. And no, I don't believe that will be necessary, although, it was very kind of you to offer. Sorry for disrupting the class, sir. Won't happen again."

After the laughter around us died down to a low rumble, Emmett looked past me once again, his eyes now as black as night. "Not smiling so much now, are you, dipshit," he said, probably just loud enough for Aiden to hear.

~oOOo~

After lunch, I hurried to my final class for the day. I made sure to arrive fifteen minutes before it was scheduled to start, giving myself plenty of time to prepare. I'd been relieved earlier to learn I was Aiden-free in Modern English Grammar, but my luck ran out in Shakespeare: History Plays and Tragedies.

I recognized his burly voice before he even came into view. It boomed loudly over the top of the small group he shuffled in with, who all appeared to be good friends. I swiftly opened my notebook and hid behind it, hoping he wouldn't notice me.

After waiting a few minutes, I dared to lift my head when I thought I was in the clear.

He was standing right beside me and flopped down in the chair with his Cheshire grin. "I was wondering if I'd find you here. Which other subjects are you taking?" He snatched the schedule from the top of my open bag before I could stop him and quickly scanned the list. "Oh, would you look at that. We have several classes together, and we both have Thursdays free."

I snatched it right back. "Do you mind? You can't just go around grabbing things that don't belong to you. It's rude."

He leaned closer, close enough for his minty breath to wash over the side of my face. "But it's worth taking the risk," he whispered, "when you see something you really want."

In the short time I'd known him I'd never done or said anything to encourage his advances. I'd been civil to him at work, but no more than necessary. And if Emmett's little showcase hadn't been enough to scare him off today, I didn't know what would. Maybe he just liked the thrill of chasing someone who he considered a challenge. One of those guys who only wanted what he couldn't have. If that were the case, then this wasn't about me, personally, at all. I could have been anyone, as long as I was regarded as off-limits. But when I leaned away and turned to meet his gaze, I recognized the way he looked at me, like he was trying to find some kind of hidden secret trapped behind my eyes. It was the same way Edward would look at me before pressing his lips to mine.

I shivered and quickly faced the front, my gaze drawn to two of the guys Aiden had walked in with. They sat a few rows down and were openly staring at us.

"You might want to go and join your friends," I suggested. "They look like they're missing you."

He laughed as his backpack dropped to the floor. "Nah, they'll cope without me for a while. So, the linebacker's the lucky guy, huh? I couldn't help but notice him trying to suck your face off in Creative Writing."

I warmed at the memory. I knew Emmett had been staking his claim on purpose, but I hadn't minded one bit. I'd kiss him all day if I could, no matter who was watching.

"He's not a linebacker. He doesn't even play football."

Genuine surprise flashed across his face. "Well, he should. He's huge. Tryouts are next week. He should sign up. Our team could use a mammoth guy like him."

Professor Deirdriche stepped in front of her desk to address the class, ending our conversation, and I committed all my focus to the lesson. I'd grown to love Shakespeare and didn't want to miss a single word spoken.

A minute before the class was due to end I discreetly packed away my things. And as soon as we were dismissed, I raced out of there, not giving Aiden the chance to speak to me again.

I'd only taken one step out the door when I was abruptly pulled off to the side. I clutched a hand over my heart. "Holy crap, Jasper, you scared me. I thought we were meeting at your truck."

Emmett still had one more class to go this afternoon. Between the three of us, our timetables were all over the place and didn't match up often. And now that I was working part-time, we'd have even less time to spend together.

"My lecture got out a little early, so I thought I'd meet you here instead." He stared at my lips, all the while seductively licking his.

"Don't even think about it," I warned. "That'll have to wait until we get home."

"I'm already hating this idea. It's driving me crazy not being able to touch you."

"Yeah well, better get used to it, buddy."

"Ugh, please don't call me that. I hate that, too."

Aiden strode by and did a double-take when he saw Jasper. "Ah, see ya tomorrow, Bella."

He kept walking so I didn't bother answering to his back.

Jasper watched him until he turned the corner. "Did he give you any trouble today?"

"No, I can handle him. Anyway, I'm sure he'll lose interest soon enough."

"Didn't feel that way. He really didn't like seeing me here with you. Jealousy was off the Richter scale."

"Forget about him. Let's go home, I'm starving."

He growled playfully as I headed toward the parking lot. "As am I, darlin', so walk faster."

~oOOo~

Those first three days flew by and I'd been lumped with several assignments already. High school had been a breeze compared to the heavy workload of college, and I hoped I'd be able to keep up.

Mrs. Walker had called me on Monday night to discuss my shifts at the store. I was rostered on for four hours every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, four hours every Sunday morning, and all day Thursdays. Aiden had been in a few more of my classes, but apart from sitting beside me, he hadn't said much to me at all. He'd also been on the same shift as me on Tuesday, but halfway through Emmett had walked in with the sudden need to buy an armful of books. Funnily enough, it had taken him a full two hours to find what he'd been looking for. And by the time he'd reached the register to pay for them, I'd been due to knock off. Subtlety wasn't quite his forte.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you in?" Jasper asked, wrapping a woolen scarf around my neck after I'd buttoned my coat.

"No, I'm a big girl, I can drive myself. Besides, you've got a late class tonight and Emmett said he wants to do some work at the farm later. This way I can come straight home after I'm finished and won't have to wait out in the cold for you."

"You know, I wouldn't have signed up for this course if I'd known our schedules would be so different."

"Don't be silly, we'll still get plenty of time to be together. We won't have to do this forever."

"I know," he sighed before kissing me long and hard.

It took great effort, but I managed to peel myself off him. "I've gotta go. Don't want to be late."

"Okay. One of us should be able to bring you some lunch. Try to take your break around twelve-thirty, if you can."

"Yes, Sir."

He slapped me on the ass. "Get goin', Miss Swan, before I decide to hold you back for detention instead."

I giggled all the way out the door.

I'd just parked my truck and gotten out when a blue Dodge pickup pulled up beside me.

Aiden jumped out with a wave. "Morning, Bella. Ready for a full day's work?"

"Yep, raring to go."

He fell in step beside me as I hurried to the front of the store. "Mom won't be in today, so she's left me in charge. It looks like we're the first ones here." He unlocked the door and ushered me inside. "Man, it's freezing today. Can you get the coffee machines ready while I turn on the heat and load the registers? I missed breakfast and I'm dying for a cuppa joe."

"Yeah, sure. I could go for one myself."

It didn't take long to get the store ready for business. Once we'd finished setting up, the local bakery dropped off the morning delivery of cakes and pastries for our small in-house coffee bar. We didn't stock a huge variety of treats, but what we did seemed to sell out most days - with a little help from my ferocious appetite.

The morning passed by smoothly and without incident, and I was beginning to feel right at home. I enjoyed talking to the customers, discussing the books they'd purchased, or recently read. But what surprised me the most was Aiden. He was in his element and did his mom proud with his management skills.

During one of the slower periods in the afternoon, he gathered the staff together for a chat over coffee. All four of us were English majors, so he suggested we form a study group and meet at the library every Monday night.

"I'm so in," Marcy said. "It hasn't even been a week yet and I feel like I'm already falling behind. Hey, Bella, you're in both Survey of British Lit classes, right?"

"Yeah, they were brutal. Someone should tell Mr. Spencer to slow down a bit. He talks so fast I can hardly read the notes I took. I'm thinking of recording his lessons in future so I don't miss anything."

"That's actually a good idea. What subjects have you got tomorrow?"

"Um, Film Studies, Authors, and Women, Gender and Sexuality, I think."

"Oh, cool. I'm in all three of those as well. Wanna meet up early before third class and compare notes? Maybe between the two of us we can make sense of what Spencer said yesterday."

"That'd be great."

Lisa, who still walked with a minor limp from her fall last week, gasped as she pointed at me. "I just realized where I recognize you from. You're the girl that Emmett fella was snogging in Creative Writing, right? He's a funny fucker. He's in my Digital Design class."

I assumed 'snogging' meant kissing. She was from London and had moved to the states a few years ago. Her father was a famous horse trainer that I'd never heard of. Someone had offered him a heap of dosh to skip the pond and work for them - her words, not mine. She was studying to be a teacher.

"I know you can't always help it, Lisa," Aiden said, "but at least try to watch your language while you're in the store."

"Sorry, Mr. Bossman." She smirked. "I'll do my best to keep my gob shut around the punters, but in my defense, we're a little short on those right now."

"I wish you'd speak English."

She looked at him like he'd insulted her mother. "I am frigging English, you damn Yankee! We invented the language and then you lot had to go and stuff it up."

He snickered. "Gets her, every time."

She crossed her arms with a harsh glare. "You're a pollock, you are."

"I might actually be insulted if I knew what that meant."

"Case in point."

"Hey, children, pipe down," Marcy warned, "customer alert. Two buses just pulled in."

Aiden clapped his hands together. "All right, people, you know the drill. Scatter and look busy."

Marcy rushed to stand behind one of the registers, while Lisa tidied the magazines on the tables by the lounging area. Me, I didn't know where I was supposed to be. Apart from working the registers and entering new stock, my previous shifts so far had only involved assisting customers on the floor.

"Bella, would you mind playing barrister for the next hour or so?" he asked. "We usually take it in turns throughout the day. Those coffees you made us this morning were excellent. You're already a pro with that machine."

The coffee bar had nothing on Starbucks. The fanciest beverages on offer were cappuccinos and hot chocolate, and I was capable of frothing milk. "Um, sure, no problem."

I turned to head over there but he grabbed my arm. "Just leave enough pastries for the customers, yeah? Your sweet tooth rivals mine, and that's not an easy thing to do."

A crowd of at least sixty people, mostly middle-aged, swarmed through the doors like bees on a mission. Mrs. Walker had told me about the tour buses that often stopped here. Walker's was the largest bookstore in the northern hemisphere and was considered somewhat of an attraction in Fairbanks. Apparently, the majority of the larger tours drove by here from mid-September through to late April, when the Northern Lights were most visible from the remote village of Coldfoot. But there were also a variety of book clubs that made the trip, all year round, especially to visit this store.

Within the first forty minutes, I'd served a steady stream of customers looking for something hot to warm them up. When the flow finally ebbed, I stared with disgust at the few measly slices of cake left in the glass cabinet. The berry and custard Danish pastries - my favorite - were all gone.

Aiden leaned on the counter and laughed. "You should see your face."

"Shut up. I only had a small lunch. I'm hungry." Curtesy of Emmett, I'd had two fully-loaded Doner Kebebs and a large shake, but Aiden didn't need to know that.

His eyes flickered to the cabinet. "And you've got something against those carrot cakes?"

I shoved his hands off the counter and wiped it down. "Yes, carrots don't belong in something sweet. It's an insult to desserts all over the world."

He glanced over his shoulder before returning his smile to me. "Well, once this mob clears out, and if you don't rat me out to Mom, I'll let you make a quick run to the bakery before they shut. You can get us all some snacks. My shout."

"Deal."

~oOOo~

The bakery was only open until five, and I'd just made it in time before they closed their doors for the day. Upon my return to work, there were only a handful of customers browsing the shelves, so I didn't feel guilty about abandoning my workmates for the short time I'd been gone. I hid the goodies under the counter before gathering the dirty mugs and plates, and then loaded them into the dishwasher in the small kitchenette behind the coffee bar.

When I ambled back out front, I almost wished I hadn't. Tanya stood there, like she'd been waiting for me.

"Bella," she greeted me with her false smile. "I heard you were working here now."

"Tanya." I showed her my back and cleaned down the coffee machine, even though I'd already made it shine before I'd left for the bakery. "What brings you here?"

"We needed a few things in town. This is our last stop."

Kate's voice reached me as she laughed at something Aiden said to her over by the laptop stations. Then she followed him to the romance section.

"He's pretty cute. Are you very friendly with him?" Tanya asked.

"As friendly as I am with everyone else who works here."

Why was she even bothering to talk to me? She didn't like me and had made no secret of that.

"What do Emmett and Jasper think of you working so closely with such a hot guy? He's in some of your classes, too, isn't he?"

"What's your point, Tanya. I'm busy, so if there's nothing I can help you with..."

She laughed like I'd said something hilarious. "No, I think I'll just help myself." She strutted in her ridiculous, red six-inch heels toward her sister, exaggerating the swing of her hips with every step.

If she thought she could make me jealous by chatting up Aiden, she was definitely barking up the wrong tree. But there was something I was curious about...how the hell did she know who I shared classes with? Had she been spying on me?

Tanya didn't even look in my direction on her way out of the store, but Kate was friendly enough to give me a wave and a smile. Chalk and cheese. I couldn't believe they were really sisters and shared the same DNA.

~oOOo~

I'd just said goodbye to Marcy and Lisa in the parking lot when Aiden trotted toward me.

"Hey, I was hoping to catch you before you left. Do you want to go and grab some dinner with me? Mom and Dad will be out of town until later tonight, so I've been left to fend for myself. I can't cook for shit. I was thinking about heading to the diner we both seem to love so much."

I unlocked and opened the door of my truck. "Ah, no, sorry. I've gotta get home, Emmett's expecting me."

He glanced down at his feet and scratched the back of his head. "How long have the two of you been together, if you don't mind me asking?"

"A couple of months."

A smile teased the corner of his mouth as his gaze returned to mine. "So it's not that serious, then?"

I frowned as I tossed my bag onto the passenger seat. "It's very serious."

He looked a little confused. "Really? That's not the impression I got when I first saw you at the diner with that blond guy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you and him looked kinda friendly, is all."

I tried to recall exactly what he might have seen, but didn't think Jasper and I had done anything unusual. "That's because we are friends. He's Emmett's brother. I've known them both for a long time. We all went to high school together."

His head tilted to the side. "And your boyfriend doesn't mind his brother getting cozy with you?"

My frown deepened.

"I saw the way he held your hand at the table, Bella. He kissed your wrist...and the way he looked at you… If I had a brother, and you were my girl, there's no fucking way I'd let him touch you like that. I don't know anyone who would."

"Well, I'm not your girl. And you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know me. And you don't Emmett or Jasper."

"I know what I saw, Bella. And then the way Emmett acted in class, like he owned you, or something. I'm telling ya, there's something not right with either of those guys. I'm only trying to look out for you." He laid his hand on my shoulder. "If they're trying to take advantage-"

I pushed his hand off me. "Oh, like you, you mean? Whatever you're thinking, just stop, because you couldn't be more wrong." I leaped into my truck and slammed the door behind me, but his muffled voice could still be heard through the window as I cranked the engine to life.

"Bella, please. Don't leave like this. Just let me explain."

I stomped my foot on the accelerator and left him clouded in my dust. I'd been a fool. I'd thought he'd finally gotten the message and given up on his fascination with me. He'd treated me just like the other girls during our entire shift, strictly professional with some harmless, good-natured humor on the side, and I'd started to believe we could actually be friends. But he was way too observant, and way too persistent. And if he mentioned his suspicions to the wrong person, it could set off an unstoppable avalanche of gossip.

As I pulled out onto the street, I wondered what the hell I was going to do when Emmett and Jasper came home. I didn't want to keep any secrets from them, but I also didn't want to ruffle their feathers any more than they already were. I needed more time to think of the best way to handle this situation. If they knew what Aiden had said, it could very well spark something I'd rather avoid...like World War III. We were still new to this town, and the last thing we needed were all the people living in it focusing their attention on us for the wrong reasons. In the future, we'd have to be much more careful in public.

I stopped off at the grocery store. They were getting ready to shut, but I raced through the aisles and grabbed enough ingredients to make myself a decent meal for dinner. It would give me a menial task to look busy on the off-chance Emmett beat me home. For the time being, avoidance was the only plan I had. If my men noticed I was upset, they wouldn't quit hounding me until I confessed what was wrong. I was fairly confident I could convince Emmett all was fine and dandy, but Jasper's voodoo would be a little trickier to get around.

A/N: Typing that out on a tiny keypad was torture! Definitely won't be doing that again. Expect the next chapter in about 4 weeks' time. Stupid internet!