Dateless For Too Long

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Name: Dateless For Too Long

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Chapter 1 to 27

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Chapter: 1

I got this idea recently, and i couldn't wait to write it! Everyone is human!!!! Bella is 21. I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse.

Dateless for too Long

Saturday Night

Once again, I was spending Saturday night at home, alone. I stared at the popcorn sporadically popping in the microwave. Another Saturday spent in front of the television in my pajamas, waiting for Alice and Rosalie to return home from their dates.

I walked into the living to put my favorite movie into the DVD player. Moulin Rouge was my favorite Saturday night movie watching it, it gave me hope. If a prostitute, like Satine, can fine love, surely I can. But who was I kidding? Moulin Rouge is a movie, Satine and Christian are characters, it isn’t real. But my lack of a love life is real.

I pushed the DVD into the player and turned to fetch the popcorn from the microwave. I looked at the timer on the microwave; the popcorn still had a minute to go. I walked down the hall and into my room to change into my pajamas so I could let the popcorn finish popping. I quickly shed my jeans and t-shirt and walked across the room to pull my flannel pajamas out of my dresser. I pulled the shirt over my head and sighed, it was one of Rosalie’s old t-shirts. It was a baggy shirt, and it smelled good.

When I tried to put the flannel pants on, being the klutz that I am, I tripped and fell into my dresser. All of Alice’s makeup, that she uses to give me makeovers against my will, scattered everywhere and fell to the floor. My small, handheld mirror fell and shattered everywhere. Great, I thought to myself. Just what I need, seven years of bad luck. As if the past 21 years of my life haven’t been bad enough.

But if I was being honest with myself, my life wasn’t that bad. I had two best friends that I share everything with and love dearly. I have a great job and I live in a big condo with my two best friends, Alice and Rosalie. The only thing that I’m lacking is coordination and a love life.

Alice and Rosalie both have boyfriends that take them out every Saturday, leaving me at home alone. They’ve set up numerous dates for me, but every single one ended in disaster, so they eventually gave up trying. For the past two months I’ve spent my Saturday night alone, curled up on the sofa watching my two favorite movies. Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, the Zeffirelli movie not the Baz Lurman remake.

Romeo and Juliet has always been my favorite play. The language is beautiful and the play was brilliantly written. I’ve always secretly been jealous of Juliet. She was young and beautiful, and she knew what it was like to love, and be loved in return, which was also the message in Moulin Rouge. Part of the reason I love Moulin Rouge is because it’s a modern Romeo and Juliet.

I was in the middle of cleaning up the shattered glass and scattered makeup products when I smelled smoke and the smoke detector started blaring. “Shit!” I yelled as I ran into the kitchen. The microwave was smoking and there were green sparks flying from the microwave. I rushed over and yanked the door the microwave open. Smoke came pouring out and circled around me. I coughed as the smoke filled my lungs as I tried to breath. I reached in and pulled out the popcorn bag and dropped it on the counter. It was hot.

I quickly ran out of the kitchen and into the living room to open up the sliding glass door that lead the balcony. When I got the door open I ran back into the kitchen. The smoke was clearing up already. I looked at the popcorn bag, it was scorched. The bag was almost completely black. There was no way I was going to be able to eat that popcorn. I walked over to the popcorn and picked it up and quickly threw it in the sink before it could burn me. The popcorn bag landed bottom-up revealing a piece of aluminum foil clinging to the bottom of it.

“Aluminum foil,” I mused. “Metal.” I looked back at the popcorn bag and I started laughing. I remembered setting the popcorn bag on a piece of aluminum foil that was left on the counter before I put it in the microwave, the aluminum foil must have clung to the bag, and I didn’t notice. Stupid mistake.

When I was able to stop laughing I walked over to the microwave to survey the damage. The inside of the microwave was black, and the glass on the door was cracked. No doubt because of the pressure that had built up inside the microwave. Great, I thought to myself, now I’m going to have to replace the microwave. I closed the microwave door because there was nothing I could do with it, it was useless now.

I walked back over to the sink and placed a hand on the popcorn bag, it had cooled. I threw the burnt popcorn bag in the trash and walked back into the living room. The living room had grown cold from the door being open, the cold January air flowing into the room. I closed the door, all of the smoke had cleared, and dove onto the couch, almost falling off. I grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and pressed “play”. The movie began and I realized I was missing my blanket. I ran back into my room and found my snoopy blanket, a gift from Alice last Christmas, and ran back to the couch. I wrapped the blanket around myself and snuggled into the couch to watch the movie.

Halfway through the movie, I noticed when the room darkened by a fraction. I looked out the window and noticed that the moon, always clearly visible from the balcony, was gone. A large storm cloud was blocking it. I got off the couch and went to go stand by the window to look at the sky. It looked like it was going to storm. Dark storm clouds hung low in the sky, pressing down on Earth, giving everything a claustrophobic feeling.

I opened the balcony door and walked out onto the balcony, my blanket wrapped tightly around me. The temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up. The wind blew my long brown hair around my head. I was staring up at the sky when a flash of lighting lit up the sky and a loud clash of thunder followed. My thoughts wandered to Alice and Rosalie, on their dates, if they weren’t on their way home right now, they would get caught in the storm. That would make Rosalie mad. She hates storms. Mostly because storms bring rain, and she hates rain because her beautiful blond hair will get wet.

I stood on the balcony until the first drop of rain hit my face. It was cold and it made me shiver. Wrapping the blanket even more tightly around me, I turned around and walked back inside, shutting the glass door behind me. I walked back to the couch and continued to watch the movie as the storm outside grew, becoming more fierce with each passing minute.

The wind was howling outside, the trees were swaying violently in the wind, the sky was constantly alight with flashes of lightning, the thunder seemed to grow increasingly louder with every clash, and Rosalie and Alice still weren’t home. I couldn’t concentrate on the movie, my thoughts were centered on the storm and Rosalie and Alice who were somewhere out there in the middle of it.

I went to go stare out the sliding glass door again, the sky had darkened, it looked almost black. There was a blinding flash of lightning and a deafening crash of thunder, and everything went dark. The lights that were once visible from down below were dark, and everything around me was pitch black. “Perfect!” I exclaimed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “What else could go wrong tonight?” I asked into the darkness around me.

I stumbled blindly away from the window and extended my hands in front of me so I could feel my way around me. When I made it into the kitchen I fumbled for the flashlight, praying that the batteries weren’t burnt out. I flipped the switch on the flashlight to “on” and with a sigh of relief, a beam of light projected from the flashlight.

I walked around the condo lighting candles to help illuminate the place. When I ran out of candles to light I walked into my room to find a book to read, since I couldn’t watch the movie anymore. I walked cautiously over to my bookshelf, my mess from earlier was still only half-way cleaned up. I ran the light of the flashlight over the books and found what I was looking for. “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte was one of my favorite books. Next to Romeo and Juliet, Kathy and Heathcliff are my favorite couple.

I settled back into the couch with candles all around me, my book laying open in my lap, and my flashlight in my hand. I vaguely remember how far I was into the book when I drifted to sleep.

“I am soaking wet!” I awoke with a start when Rosalie’s wailing voice filled the room. “Stupid storm ruined my date!” Great, I thought to myself Rosalie’s not happy. Life can be hell when Rosalie’s not happy. She’ll talk your ear off complaining when she’s not happy, something I’ve learned to tune out. It’s really the only way to stay sane when Rosalie isn’t happy. I got up and walked over to Rosalie and hugged her.

“You’re right Rose, you are soaking wet!” I laughed at Rosalie’s expression. “Rose, you look like a drowned cat!” Rosalie scowled in response before she responded.

“Well at least I’m a hot drowned cat.” I burst out laughing at that point. Rosalie looked around the room and fumbled with the light switch. “Oh joy, the power’s out! This night just keeps getting worse,” she complained as she tossed her purse onto a nearby chair. “Welcome to my world,” I mumbled. “What was that?” Rose asked.

“Nothing, Rose. Go change out of those clothes, like I know you’re dying to do.” She hugged me tightly, purposely trying to get me wet, and pranced down the hall and into her room.

I walked back to the sofa and curled back up in my blanket, I rested my head on the arm of the couch and I was asleep again.

“I’m home!” This time Alice’s cheery voice woke me up. I was surprised that Rosalie had actually let me sleep and didn’t wake me up so she would have someone to listen to her to complain. “Why are you sitting in the dark, Bella?” Alice asked, flipping the light switch to on. To my surprise the lights came on.

“The power went out. I glanced over at the television and I saw that the movie was playing again. I guess it came back on.” Alice smiled at me as she pulled off her raincoat and tossed her umbrella into the chair with Rosalie’s purse. “I didn’t know you brought your raincoat and umbrella with you,” I commented lightly.

“The weatherman predicted a storm, so I brought it just in case. I’m always prepared, Bella. You know that.” That was true. Actually prepared was an understatement. Alice was always over prepared, which is better than not prepared at all, I guess.

“Oh, good, the power’s on!” Rosalie exclaimed as she entered the room wearing her boyfriend’s t-shirt and flannel pants. Rosalie was stunning, no matter what she wore. She could wear a paper bag and make it look good. She had a body that model wish they had. She was slender and had curves in all the right places, her blond hair was gorgeous and flowed freely pass her shoulders. “Hey Alice,” she greeted the pixie-like girl in the doorway.

Rosalie walked up to Alice and hugged her. “You’re dry,” she accused, narrowing her eyes at Alice. Alice laughed at Rosalie as I had done earlier.

“Of course I am silly. I was prepared for the storm!” With that Alice danced out the room leaving a fuming Rosalie behind. “Yeah whatever,” Rosalie muttered under breath. “I’m going to make some hot chocolate,” she said as she started walking toward the kitchen.

“No you’re not!” I called after her. She froze in her tracks and turned to look at me, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘no I’m not’? If I want hot chocolate, I can have it!” She turned back around and started back toward the kitchen.

“Not if the microwave won’t work!” I yelled toward the kitchen.

Rosalie came charging back into the living room. “The microwave’s been burnt to a crisp! What did you do to it Bella?” She yelled in my face. Rosalie was not happy.

“What did Bella do this time?” Alice asked as she came back into the living room in her rubber ducky flannel pajamas. Her short, spiky, black hair was brushed out and she too looked like a model, standing there.

“Bella didn’t do anything,” I replied bitterly. “It’s not my fault. Who left the aluminum foil on the counter?” I asked looking back and forth between Rose and Alice.

“I did,” Rosalie answered.

“Then you can pay to replace the microwave, because when I set the popcorn bag on the counter before putting it in the microwave, the aluminum foil clung to it and I didn’t notice it. So if the aluminum foil hadn’t been left there, we wouldn’t be having this discussion!” Alice and Rosalie started laughing at me.

“Rough night Bella?” Alice asked as she came over and gave me a hug.

“Yeah, a really crappy night,” I answered. Rosalie came over to join in on the hug. “It’s okay Bella, you won’t be alone on Saturday nights for too much longer. You’ll find someone soon.” As much I wanted to believe what Rosalie was saying, I couldn’t help but doubt what she was saying. She was beautiful and had guys pining for her wherever she went, and I was plain and invisible. It had to face the facts; I would be alone for many more Saturday nights to come.

Please review! The next chapter is Edward's POV!!!!

Chapter: 2

First, I have to say I'm pleased with the reviews. There may not be too many, but it was better than I expected, Thanks to those of you who reviewed! Here's the next chapter! Edward's POV!!! I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse.

Restaurant Fever

“Edward!” Emmett’s booming voice echoed down the hall, “Your phone’s ringing!” I walked into the living room to see Emmett holding my cell phone in his hand, he was smirking at me. “It’s Tina.” Damn, I thought to myself, that woman is determined to work me to death.

“Toss it here.” I told him, holding my hand out for my cell phone. “No, Emmett! It is not a football!” I yelled as he held it in his hand about ready to throw my phone like a football. I ran over to him and yanked my phone out of his hand and held it up to my ear, glaring at Emmett. “Hello?” I said sharply into the phone, annoyed with Emmett’s stupidity. There was silence on the other end. Tina had obviously taken offence to y sharp tone, thinking my annoyance was because of her, which truthfully, part of it was. I knew exactly what she was calling for, the same thing happened every Saturday. I sighed and tried again “What do you want Tina?” I asked wearily.

“Edward,” Tina said in a sickeningly sweet voice, “We’re a little short-handed at the restaurant tonight, do you think you can come in and help out. The costumers just keep pouring in and we don’t have enough people working tonight. Please?” Of course your short-handed tonight, I scolded in my head, you’re always short-handed. You purposely don’t schedule enough people to work on our busiest day of the week so you can call me and beg me to work to help out. I rolled my eyes at Emmett who was making kissy faces at me, before answering.

“Can you find anyone else to come in Tina? I came in last week.” And every other Saturday for the past two months, I added in my head. Emmett came over and pressed his ear next to my phone so he could hear Tina’s reply.

“I’ve already tried, Edward.” It took everything in me not to laugh. “Liar,” Emmett whispered beside me. I nudged him with my elbow, which got a laugh and a mumbled sorry from him. I glared at him as Tina scrambled for some weak excuse of why she couldn’t get anyone else to come in to work, on the other end. “Tyler can’t come in because his sister is getting her braces on and he needs to be there…” Beside me, Emmett was shaking with silent laughter. His sister is getting her braces on and he needs to be there, I repeated in my head. Was that honestly the best she could come up with?

“What about John, he could use the extra money?” I asked, knowing she would give me another lame excuse. Emmett pressed his ear closer to the phone, anticipating Tina’s next ludicrous response.

“He was the first person I called.” Emmett shook his head beside me, “Sure he was,” he muttered under his breath. I waved my hand in the air to silence him. “But he couldn’t fill in,” Tina continued. “He broke his wrist arm-wrestling his best friend.” Emmett burst out laughing beside me. John’s best friend, Owen, was a foot smaller than Max’s five feet eleven inches, and because of his short size, he wasn’t at all strong.

We continued like that for another five minutes, and every other employee I mentioned, Tina provided some outlandish excuse for why they couldn’t work. I sighed in defeat; once again I was going to spend my Saturday night working at El Torito, a popular local Mexican restaurant. “I’ll be there in a half hour,” I grudgingly agreed to come into work.

“Thank you so much Edward!” Tina squealed into the phone. “You’re a life saver! I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you.” There were so many ways I could respond to that comment. Stop scheming to get me to get me to come in on Saturday and hire more people, get yourself fired so I don’t have to put up with you anymore, quit so I don’t have to put up with you anymore, find someone else to trap with your scheming….the list went on and on. I hung up without saying another word to her, I had grown so sick of hearing her voice.

“She’s totally obsessed with you, Edward,” Emmett said when he was finished laughing. He was right, she was obsessed with me, and to my embarrassment everyone at work was aware of it, she never hesitated to flirt with me when there were witnesses around.

“Did Tina call again, Edward?” Jasper asked as he walked into the room. I nodded my head once, still annoyed that I had to spend another Saturday at work. “Why don’t’ you ever refuse?” The mock humor in Jasper’s eyes was hard to miss. Jasper had enough sense not to laugh at me out loud, but on the inside, he was rolling with laughter.

“Because I’m an idiot and I was raised to be nice and help people who need help.” I scowled at the phone in my hand, silently cursing my parents for raising me right.

“So does that mean you’re going to put Tina in the loony bin, because that girl is beyond help? You’ll be helping everyone else, yourself included, by locking her away for good.” Jasper joined Emmett, laughing so hard he was clutching his sides. They were no doubt picturing Tina in a white straight jacket, being tossed into a blindingly white room with padded walls.

The thought made me laugh as well. I pictured Tina not only in a straight jacket, but in a straight jacket wrapped in chains to ensure that she would never be able to escape it. The thought was quite appealing, actually. “That’s a good idea Emmett. I’ll leave in you charge of calling them so they can come get her, with any luck, they’ll take you with them.”

Emmett shot up in his seat, incredulous, “You’re kidding, right?” Struggling to keep a straight face I shrugged and turned to walk down the hall to my room, leaving a perplexed Emmett and a laughing Jasper behind.

When I arrived at the restaurant a half hour later I was greeted by a frazzled Tina, her light blond hair looked as if she had been trying to pull it out. Serves her right, she did it to herself by not hiring enough employees just to get me to come In on Saturdays. “Edward! Finally, I thought you’d never get here!” She shoved my order pad and pen in my hand, “The ladies at table four have been waiting a long time, take care of them first.” I was surprised by Tina, she didn’t greet me by smiling flirtatiously at me as she usually did. Tonight really must be a busy night.

I turned to walk to the table Tina had pointed to and groaned when I recognized the two girls sitting there. A short, curly-brown-haired girl and a taller girl with light brown hair sat together, the shorter one was staring at me, smiling. They were frequent customers here; they were always here on Saturday. The shorter one, Jessica she had told me her name was a few weeks ago, not that I particularly cared. The taller one, however, Angela, Jessica had called her, was always quiet and looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.

“Hello ladies,” I greeted them as politely as I could manage, given the mood I was in.

“Hello, Edward!” Jessica greeted me enthusiastically before I could say anything else. “We had no idea you were working tonight, what a pleasant surprise.” I continued tried to smile, I really did, but I just couldn’t smile at her words.

“What can I get you to drink?” I asked, my pen and pad behind my back, I never used them. I knew Jessica’s answer before she spoke it. She said the same thing every week when I asked her what she wanted to drink.

“What do you suggest, Edward?” She asked, batting her eyelashes at me. It took everything I had not to roll my eyes; I didn’t want to offend my most generous tipper. Jessica always left a good tip, trying to buy my attention. It wouldn’t work of course, I would just have more money in my pockets.

“Soda,” I gave her my usual answer.

“I’ll have a water,” Angela interrupted softly. I glance over at her but she wasn’t looking at me. Became obvious to me that Angela wasn’t her of her own freewill, Jessica, no doubt, dragged her here every Saturday. I turned back to Jessica waiting for her order. “I’ll have the same,” she mumbled.

I walked away without saying another word and came back with two glasses of water. “Are you ready to order yet?” I asked, turning to Angela first. “I’ll have the chicken salad please,” Jessica‘s voice came from across the table. I didn’t look at her, instead I waited for Angela to answer. “I’ll have the burger platter,” She said just loud enough for me to hear.

I turned to walk away when I heard a glass hit the table and I felt a cold liquid soak through the back of my pants. I jumped in alarm as my cold pants clung to my skin. I swung around to see Jessica’s glass was knocked over and the smug look on her face told me she was the guilty one.

“Come on, Angela, let’s go. There’s nothing good here anyway.” She stood up, glaring at me. I wanted to laugh. She purposely spilled water on me, and she was mad! Oh, that’s famous! If all I had to do to get her to go away was ignore her, I would have done that the first time I saw her. My only regret was losing my biggest tip of the night, but I didn’t worry over it.

When Jessica stormed out of the restaurant, dragging a weary Angela with her, Tina came rushing up to me. “Edward, what happened? You let those customers leave!” I pushed passed her walking down the small hallway that lead to the bathrooms. “Edward! Where are you going?” She called, following me down the hall. I opened the door to the men’s room and walked inside. I sighed in relief when the door closed behind me. I walked over to the sink and turned the water on. I splashed my face with cold water and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

“Hang in there, man,” I said to my reflection. “You got rid of Jessica, you should be happy about that. You can handle Tina. Pull yourself together. You’re getting paid overtime.” I paused, staring at myself in the mirror, I burst into a fit of laughter. Had I gone completely insane? I was talking to my reflection, which screamed insanity.

I jumped slightly when Tina’s fist collided with the door. “Edward,” she yelled as she banged her fist on the door, “What are you laughing about in there? Edward!” I placed my elbows on the edge of the sink and buried my head in my hands. How could this night get any worse?

I looked back into the mirror and saw when the lights flickered. I turned around to stare up at the light and suddenly the light was gone. I was surrounded by darkness and screams could be heard from the dining area. I fumbled around, feeling around the wall for the door. When I found it I yanked the door open and staggered into the hall. With my hand touching the wall I made my way slowly to the restaurant.

The sky outside was black and the wind was blowing viciously. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the restaurant and I saw the faces of the terrified costumers. “Everybody stay calm” I yelled over all the worried chatter. “Everybody sit back down!” my voice echoed off the walls ominously as the room fell silent immediately. “Thank you. Now, if you’d all stay calm, I can explain to you what you all need to do. Stay put, someone is going to go check on the back up generator and the lights should be back on soon.”

It took fifteen minutes and three people to get the generator working. By the time the restaurant had emptied of people, I had a massive headache. “Thank you, for coming in and helping Edward,” Tina sounded exhausted. I looked up to see Tina standing there, her eyes half closed and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. She tried to smile, but she was too tired. I was thankful for that. After everything that had happened tonight, I couldn’t put up with Tina’s flirting. Absolutely not.

“I’m going to go now. You need me to help clean up. You have enough people for that.” I turned on my heel and was out the door before she could respond. The cold January air was welcome after the terrible night I had. I looked toward the sky and let the cold rain fall on my face. By the time I got to my car I was half-soaked and I could care less.

When I got home I wasted no time crawling into bed. After taking a few Tylenol, I fell on my bed, too worn out to change out of my clothes. My head pounded as I waited for sleep to come, when I finally drifted to sleep, the Tylenol had kicked in my headache had subsided. The last thing I remembered was praying for a better Saturday in the future.

Thank you for reading! But I would be even more thankful if you review! Review will help me make this story better! Tell me what you think! Reviewsmotivation! Motivationfaster update!

Chapter: 3

Okay, here's the next chapter!!! Enjoy! I don't Own Twilihght, New Moon, Or Eclipse. I also don't own John and Owen!!

The Perfect Man

“What movie do you guys want to watch?” Rosalie asked as she prepared the popcorn in the new microwave we bought today. Both Alice and Rosalie told me to stay away from this microwave, afraid that I would try to blow this microwave up too. Every time I’ve tried to heat something up today they took it out of my hands and put it in the microwave for me. I haven’t used the new microwave at all since we brought it home this morning.

Alice ran over to our collection of movies in the living room and scanned the shelf for a movie for the three of us to watch. Sunday was our movie night. Every Sunday night the three of us curl up on the couch together and watch a movie, eat popcorn, and talk about anything and everything. Alice grabbed a movie off the shelf and came running back into the kitchen. “Let’s watch “The Perfect Man”!!” She squealed, shoving the movie in front of my face and Rosalie’s.

“Ugh, no,’ Rosalie said in disgust. “I don’t want to watch a movie with any romance in it, especially not one where the mom falls in love with a man she’s never met, much less a man that doesn’t exist!!” Rosalie had been in a sour mood ever since she came home from her date the night before, Alice and I tried to get her to tell us about her date, but she was quick to change the subject. “Let’s watch a horror movie instead.”

Alice and Rosalie broke into a fight over which movie to watch; Alice fighting to watch “The Perfect Man”, Rosalie fighting to watch the original “When a Stranger Calls”. Ten minutes later I found myself on the couch smashed between an excited Alice and a fuming Rosalie. I held the popcorn in my lap and Alice started the movie.

I stared at the screen blankly, I wasn’t paying attention to the movie, I was too busy thinking about last night. How many more Saturdays will I spend alone before I finally meet someone? If I meet someone at all? I imagined myself growing old without someone to love, just me and my twenty seven cats.

I continued to stare at the screen, but instead of seeing the movie I saw myself, old, lonely, and surrounded by twenty seven cats. I started talking to them, like a crazy person. “Jim, what are you doing up on the counter, you silly cat, you might fall off and get hurt.” I scolded a black cat walking around on the counter top.

“Fluffy, stop chewing on the lamp cord, you’re going to electrocute yourself, do you want to turn into a burnt fluff ball?” I asked a fluffy black and gray cat chewing on the cord of a lamp in the living room. “Twinkle Toes, Belle! Stop fighting over the litter box!” There’s plenty of room for both of you to do your business! I yelled at the two cats fighting to use the litter box in the corner of the room.

“Smokey, stop staring at the canary like it is food, you’re a vegetarian remember? Will power, you don’t need meat.” I talked to the gray cat discouragingly as it stared longingly at the yellow canary playing in its cage.

“Snowball, no! You’re going to dump the fish bowl on the floor. I shouted at the white cat in the living room with its paw submerged in the goldfish bowl. “Tom, are you playing me music?” I laughed at the black cat jumping around on the keys of the piano in the family room.

I turned to look out the window and screamed. “Checkers! What are you doing up in that tree? Hang on baby, mommy’s coming!” I ran outside with a ladder and started climbing toward the black, white, and gray cat stuck in the tree. I was almost to the cat when my foot slipped on one of the rungs. I screamed as fell backwards, toward the hard ground…

I shuddered and quickly turned my head away from the television, afraid of what my imagination would drag up next. “Bella are you okay?” Alice asked hesitantly. I looked at Alice and then at Rosalie who were both staring at me as if I had two heads. I shook my head from side to side to clear it before answering.

“Um, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, looking between Alice and Rosalie’s skeptical expressions.

“Bella, you don’t have a cat named Jim.” Rosalie said looking me straight in the eye.

“Or Twinkle Toes and Belle,” Alice added, and Rosalie nodded her head in agreement. Uh-oh, had I said those things out loud? No wonder they were staring at me as if I had gone crazy, they were probably contemplating locking me away in an insane asylum.

“I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized I was saying that out loud.” I mumbled, my face turning bright red with embarrassment.

“Bella, is there something you want to talk about?” Rosalie asked me. “You’ve been distracted all day.” How was I going to explain to them what had happened? They would for sure lock me away if I told them. In my head I could see Alice picking out colors for my straight jacket and matching padded walls. I saw her lecturing the workers about wearing all white. I could practically hear her saying “White is such a boring color! Why don’t you try wearing pink? Or blue, or purple? Green will make your eyes stand out, and red will compliment your skin tone…”

Luckily, the door bell rang distracting both Alice and Rosalie. “Pizza’s here!” Alice exclaimed as she jumped up off the sofa and ran to the door. She looked through the peep hole before opening the door. “Oh, he’s cute!” she said as she grabbed the money off the table. When she opened the door a tall, blond-haired boy stood there with the pizza box poised high in his hand.

His eyes appraised Alice appreciatively and Alice giggled. I looked over at Rosalie who smiled at me and rolled her eyes. “Hello, miss.” The delivery boy said smoothly.

“Hello yourself,” Alice replied, grinning up at him.

The delivery boy beamed at Alice, his eyes were bright and his face seemed to glow. “You’re total is twenty-five sixty-two,” he said lightly.

Alice handed him two twenties. When he reached to get the change Alice put her hand over his and said “Keep the change.” The delivery boy’s eyes met Alice’s and he smiled at her. Alice’s returning smile was dazzling and it left the delivery boy stunned.

“Thank you,” the delivery boy recovered. “Have a nice night, miss.” He said to Alice as he started to turn to leave.

“Good night!” Alice called after him. He laughed in response, waved, and continued down the hall and out of sight. Alice shut the door and turned back to us. “Oh my God!” She squealed. “Did you guys see him? Oh my God, he was hot! I think I need a cold shower!” Rosalie and I burst into laughter as Alice stood there fanning herself, trying to cool down form her encounter with the delivery boy.

“Down girl,” Rosalie told Alice. “Don’t forget, you have a boyfriend.” Alice’s smile disappeared from her face and she scowled at Rosalie.

“Anthony? Yeah, I know. But how many times am I going to see that delivery boy again? I’d be lucky if I ever see him again. So there’s no danger.” Alice walked back over to the couch with the pizza and sat back down.

“Whatever Alice,” Rosalie said, snatching the pizza box away from Alice.

“You know, Rosalie,” Alice said, “You never told us about your date last night.” Rosalie took a slice of pizza from the box and quickly took a bite to delay answering Alice. “Bella?” Alice nudged me with her elbow.

“No, Alice. I’m not talking the pizza away from Alice.” Alice opened her mouth to say something, so I quickly added, “And no, I’m not taking the pizza out of her mouth! I’ve done it enough times for you.”

Every time Rosalie doesn’t want to answer Alice, she crams food into her mouth and Alice makes me take the food away from Rosalie. Rose would run away and make the funniest faces, and try to bite me. It was funny the first twenty times, now it was just old and gross, and dangerous. Rosalie bites hard. The last time she bit me, she drew blood.

Rosalie finished eating her slice of pizza and then looked up at Alice, “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes!” Alice yelled at Rose.

“Fine, the date was going fine until John starting rambling on about his midget best friend.” Rosalie always referred to John’s best friend as “The Midget”. I felt bad for Owen, it’s not his fault he’s so short.

“Rose, don’t call Owen a midget. He’s just under five feet, that’s not necessarily a midget.” Rosalie glared at me for interrupting her. I smiled at her and waited for her to continue.

“Anyway,” Rosalie continued, “He kept talking about ‘The Shot’, you know, the one I was telling you about, where John lifts Owen up so Owen can slam-dunk the basketball?” Alice and I nodded our heads, waiting patiently for the rest. “He talked about how he and The Midget practiced the shot for five hours straight and then he bragged that they completed ‘The Shot’ in under three seconds. As if I give a shit about ‘The Stupid Shot’!!” Rosalie threw her hands up in exaggerated frustration.

I patted Rosalie on the back. “It’s okay Rosalie. But you can’t expect John to cut Owen out of his life to be with you. He’s Owen’s only friend, they’re very close.” Rosalie looked at me in disbelief, as if I were a traitor.

“Bella’s right, Rose. John can’t just drop Owen for you.” Rosalie glared at Alice and then glared at me.

“Thanks, it’s good to know that my two best friends are against me.” Rosalie smiled at us to tell us that she didn’t hate us, and we burst out laughing. “I guess I was just over-reacting,’ Rosalie admitted. “I just had the strangest feeling that John likes Owen more than me, but that’s ridiculous, right?” I rolled my eyes and Alice laughed.

“Yeah, Rose, that is ridiculous, John and Owen aren’t gay, I can assure you.” Alice said, and the laughter started again.

When the movie finished the three of us laid in a circle on the floor talking. Alice’s eyes wandered over to the empty pizza box and she sighed. “He was gorgeous….” She said dreamily. I looked up at Rosalie, we didn’t have to ask to know who she was talking about. Then Alice’s eyes wandered over to the DVD case on the coffee table and her eyes lit up. “Rosalie, describe what your perfect man would be like!” Rosalie smiled at Alice before launching into a description of her perfect man.

“He would be strong, because he needs to be able to keep up with me,” Rosalie grinned evilly as she said this. “He would be good-looking, pleasing to look at, you know. His kiss would make me go weak at the knees, and he would be protective of me. I would always be safe with him. He would have a good sense of humor, and he would be totally devoted to me.” Rosalie’s eyes became distant as she imagined her perfect man. A few minutes later, her eyes came back into focus and she turned to Alice. ‘Alice, describe your perfect man.”

Alice glanced back at the pizza box before starting in on her description. “My perfect man would be tall, to make up for my lack of height, he would be strong also, but his muscles wouldn’t be bulky, because of his height. He would be intelligent, and when I take him shopping he’d be able to add my totals up in his head. He’d be able to keep up with me when I go shopping, he’d be sweet and his smile would be lovely, like the rest of him. He’d have blond hair, and his eyes would sparkle when he looked at me, and…” she fell silent as her eyes fell on the pizza box again. Her head snapped up and she smiled at me. “Bella, describe your perfect man.”

My perfect man? I had never given much thought to that before. “Um, my perfect man would be charming and sweet. He would be able to catch me when I trip and fall and he’d be able to relieve my embarrassment, he would be able to make me incredibly happy, and he would protect me from anything, myself included.”

A comfortable silence followed as the three of us became lost in our own thoughts, thinking about our perfect me. I sighed, inwardly, it was a nice thought, thinking that there really was a perfect man out there for me. But if I was being honest with myself, even if there was a perfect man out there for me, the chances of me finding him were a million to one.

Thanks for reading! If you really like this story, please review and tell me what you think! Is there anything that I could do to make this story better? Let me know! Don't be shy! I'll try to update as soon as possible! Okay, as of now, Bella and Edward will meet next chapter. I don't think that will change, it's possible, but unlikely. You'll just have to wait and see I guess!!

Chapter: 4

Okay, I'm sorry it took me so long to update!! I wanted to make Bella and Edward's first meeting to be good, I hope you like it!!! Before you read this, let me run a few statistics by you guys: This story has just over 1,300 hits!! I'm really happy about that, however, this story only has 39 reviews. You do the math, that's not too good. I can't improve the story if I don't get reviews. If you see any grammar mistakes, let me know, I have mistakes that i need to go back in fix in the previous chapters that i just noticed but nobody commented on!! So please, for the good of the story, please review!! I would greatly appreciate it!! Oaky I'm done. I now present to you , Edward and Bella's meeting!!! Enjoy!!!

Dinner Disaster

Another Saturday night and still no date. I pulled my pajama shirt over my head and pulled on my flannel pants. Success, I thought with a laugh, remembering what had happened the week before. I glanced over at my dresser, the makeup was organized and anything that had broken was replaced. That had been Alice’s doing, she freaked out when she saw the mess Monday night.

I walked out of my room and into the living room. I fell onto the couch with a frustrated sigh. I covered my face with my hands and let my feet dangle off of the edge of the sofa. I couldn’t believe I was going to spend another Saturday night at home, especially after last week.

“Did you purposely land like that or was it an accident?” Alice jested as she sauntered into the living room.

“She was probably aiming for the chair but missed and landed on the sofa instead,” Rosalie answered before I could I could say anything. I sat up to glare at both of them but instead I found myself staring at them in confusion. I quirked an eyebrow at them as they spun around, showing off their pajamas. When they looked back at me, they smiled innocently.

“Are the guys taking you to a lock-in tonight?” I questioned as I continued to examine their outfits.

“Don’t be dense Bella,” Alice chided as she danced over and plopped down beside me on the couch. “We’re staying here tonight. We didn’t want you to spend another Saturday night alone.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at Alice, “Did your dates cancel on you?” Alice continued to smile at me while Rosalie snorted.

“We cancelled on them,” Rosalie countered haughtily, scoffing at the idea that anyone would dare to cancel on her. Rosalie was way too self-confident by half, almost to the point of arrogance.

“You guys didn’t have to do that for me, I can be miserable by myself...” Rosalie rolled her eyes at me and Alice frowned.

“Bella we are your friends, we aren’t going to let you be miserable.” Alice’s voice rang with finality; there would be no arguing with her. I smiled at her gratefully and hugged her close.

“I knew there was a reason I love you Alice," I grinned at her as she gracefully hopped off the couch.

“It’s because I’m awesome,” she boasted as she ambled into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of popcorn. I glanced over at Rosalie and watched as she stared pensively out the window.

“What are you thinking about Rose?” I asked, wondering why she was being so quiet. Compared to Alice’s incessant chatter, Rosalie would seem quiet, but she was really anything but. Rosalie loved to talk about herself and men, she could talk all day about those two things. Alice, however, could talk about anything without stopping. Together, Alice and Rosalie could talk your ears off, so it was unusual for Rosalie to be quiet.

“It’s nothing really,” she assured me with a hesitant smile, “I was just thinking.”

“Since when?” I quipped, feigning a look of shock. Rosalie laughed and I joined in. We were both still laughing when Alice walked back into the room with the popcorn.

“What did I miss?” she asked, reclaiming her seat beside me on the couch.

“Bella told a joke, “Rosalie informed Alice because she was the first one to sober. Alice looked at me, one of her perfectly arched eyebrows raised slightly. I shook my head at her and shrugged, conveying that it wasn’t important. Alice let it drop with a shrug of her own shoulders.

We settled in to watch Romeo and Juliet, the movie I had planned to watch before I knew that Alice and Rosalie were joining me. Rosalie came over to join me and Alice on the couch and Alice had the popcorn perched on her lap. The three of us watched the movie, each of us paying close attention, Romeo and Juliet being a favorite of all three of us.

“Leonardo Whiting is so gorgeous!” Rosalie gushed at the first good shot of Romeo. I nodded my head in agreement.

“Leonardo DiCaprio is better,” Alice contradicted, “He’s much better looking.”

“Are you insane Alice?” Rosalie shouted, “Leonardo Whiting is ten times better looking than Leonardo DiCaprio could ever hope to be!”

Alice shrugged, “I guess I prefer blonds.” Rosalie stared at Alice incredulously, unable to think of a response to that. It was common knowledge between the three of us that Alice had preferred dark hair to light hair, I pondered at the reason for the sudden change of preferences.

Before anything else could be said my cell phone started ringing, my general ringtone blaring at full volume. I ran into the kitchen and snatched it off of the kitchen table, I didn’t recognize the number.

“Who is it?” Rosalie asked curiously.

“I don’t know, I don’t recognize the number," I replied, frowning at my phone.

“Answer it Bella!” Alice yelled, “If you don’t, I will!” She stood up and started walking toward me to prove her point.

“Fine,” I muttered as I flipped open the phone. “Hello?” I answered in a bored tone.

“Oh, uh, I believe I have the wrong number,” a silky-smooth, male voice replied. “I’m terribly sorry miss,” he apologized.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I get calls from strangers all the time, I believe you would be the third person today.” The laughter that followed was like music to my ears, it was mesmerizing to listen to.

“It’s good to know I’m not the only one to make a fool of myself by calling the wrong number.” This time I laughed. I know I was taught not to talk to strangers, but this stranger was fun to talk to.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made a fool out of myself on numerous occasions because I call the wrong number. It happens frequently.” I smiled as I waited for him to respond.

“Hasn’t anyone told you before, don’t talk to strangers?” I could almost hear the smile in his tone.

“I think I have heard that one, but I don’t listen, it’s so much fun to talk to people you don’t know, especially when most of the people you do know bore you to tears.” He laughed again before he responded.

“Agreed. Well, once again, I am sorry for disturbing you. Have a good night.” I frowned at the thought of our conversation ending, but I knew it was inevitable.

“You too,” I answered.

“Good night.”

“Good night.” I hung up the phone and without a second thought, I added the number to my phonebook. I entered the number under the name “Stranger” in reference to the topic of our brief conversation. I set my phone back on the table and rejoined Alice and Rosalie on the couch.

“Who was that?” they both asked in unison.

“Wrong number,’ I answered as I snuggled back into the couch and we went back to watching the movie.

Ten minutes later, my phone rang again. I jumped up from the couch and tripped over the coffee table in my hurry to get to the phone, wishing it would be the same person from before.

“Who is it this time?” Alice called after me. “Is it the same person?” I looked down at the phone and groaned.

“It’s Mike,” I informed the both of them, flipping my phone open to answer it. “Hey Mike,” I tried to sound happy, but I wasn’t. There could only be one reason Mike was calling…

“Hi Bella! It’s Mike,” Yeah no kidding, I thought sarcastically. “So I was wondering…” Here it comes, I cringed as I waited for him to continue, “If you would like to go out with me tonight? Like to dinner and a movie.” I didn’t want to go out with him, what I wanted to do was scream my refusal into the phone and hang up immediately, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Stupid, nice Bella, I internally cursed myself.

“What did he ask Bella?” Alice whispered as she came up beside me and pressed her ear to the phone.

“Hold on a second, Mike.” I pressed the phone into my shoulder before answering Alice, “Mike just asked me to dinner and a movie.” Alice beamed at me as I told her this.

"Bella, you can’t turn him down. It’s a date, you’ve been complaining about not having a date on Saturday, well, now you have one.” She was right, of course. A date with Mike may not be an ideal date, but it was still a date nonetheless.

I put the phone back up to my ear before saying the words I never thought I’d say, “Sure Mike, I’ll go out with you…tonight,” I emphasized the last word to make sure I wouldn’t give him the wrong impression. I didn’t like Mike as more than a friend, tonight would be a one time thing, not to be repeated.

There was a cheer on the other end and I could picture Mike pumping his fist in the air in victory. “I’ll pick you up at seven thirty, bye Bella!” The line went dead. I glanced over at the clock and groaned, it was already seven, I only had half an hour until Mike would be here.

I turned around to face an ecstatic Alice. She was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing up and down excitedly. She seized my hand in a vice grip and tugged me down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “Rosalie, come on! We’ve got to get Bella ready for her date!”

“Bella you look amazing!” Alice exclaimed when she and Rosalie were finished attacking me with makeup. Alice turned me around to face the mirror and I gasped. The difference in my appearance was incredible.

“Alice you’re a miracle worker,” I complemented her work in a daze. It was hard to believe that the woman staring back at me in the mirror was me.

“Nonsense Bella, you’re naturally beautiful, the makeup just enhances your features.” That was easy for her to say, Alice was flawless in appearance, Rosalie was as well. I paled in comparison to both of them, I was plain, Alice was just brilliant when it came to makeup. She was the Fairy Godmother, transforming a pumpkin into the most beautiful carriage and a dress that could be mistaken for a rag into the most breath-taking dress known to the world.

“Wow Bella, you really do look great. You’re going to have Mike drooling all over you!” Rosalie whistled as she paraded into the room to give me the time, I had five minutes.

“He better not get any drool on your dress! I’ll kill him if he does,” Alice warned with a dark scowl.

“Don’t worry Alice, I won’t let him get close enough to drool on me, the dress is safe,” I assured her with a smile. She looked over me, the wheels in her head spinning, trying to decide if there was anything else that I needed.

“Oh, I know what would go perfectly with that dress!” She cried, her face lighting up with excitement. “Come in my room.”

I trailed behind Alice as she danced gracefully into her room and over to her dresser. She picked up an oak jewelry box and motioned me over to her vanity. “Sit,” she commanded when I reached her.

I faced my reflection in the mirror as Alice lifted the lid off of the box and pulled out a heart-shaped necklace. It was beautiful; it had three gems running along one side of the heart: a ruby was sandwiched between two diamonds.

“Wow Alice, that necklace is beautiful. Are those gems real?” Alice smiled at me in the mirror and nodded her head as she fastened the necklace around my neck. The necklace rested in the middle of my chest, in the area of my heart. I continued to stare at my reflection when a piece of paper in the corner of the mirror caught my eye.

“What’s this?” I mumbled under my breath as I reached for the paper, the tape came cleanly off the mirror as I picked it up. “Alice, why do you have the receipt from the pizza we ordered last week taped to your mirror?”

“Um, because the pizza was really good,” Alice faltered for a good explanation. I looked back down at the receipt and saw that Alice had drawn a heart around the name of the delivery boy, Jasper. This explained Alice’s sudden preference to blond guys.

“Bella! Mike’s here!” Rosalie yelled from the living room. I froze, I didn’t want to move, I didn’t want to leave the house. Alice took advantage of my distraction and snatched the receipt away from me and rushed me out the door.

I walked into the living room and sighed in relief, Rosalie hadn’t let him in, I still had time to ready myself. I reached for my purse and grabbed my wallet, “Shoot,” I muttered when my wallet revealed that I was broke. “Can I borrow some money from you guys?” I asked looking up at Rosalie.

“Bella, you’re going on a date, he’s supposed to pay for everything. The best way to ensure that he pays for everything is for you not to bring any money. None, not even a penny.” I stared at Rosalie, unsure if I wanted to leave the house without money.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked.

“Bella, you worry too much. If anything goes wrong, we’ll be here. Call us and we’ll take care of whatever you need.” Alice chimed in, reassuringly.

“Are you sure?” I looked at them skeptically, still unsure.

“Yes!” they both cried together.

“Okay,” I mumbled, “Here goes nothing.” After a round of hugs and ‘Good lucks’ I walked outside to be greeted by Mike. He was dressed casually; he was wearing a black button-up shirt and jeans. I immediately felt over-dressed. Great, I thought, he’s going to think that I’m actually trying to impress him, which I am not.

His eyes roamed over my frame and he let out a low whistle, I wanted to hit him for that, I really did. “Bella, you look hot!” I wanted to puke, his words repulsed me so much.

The hour drive that followed was extremely uncomfortable. Mike droned on about sports and any stupid and unimportant thing he could come up with and I tried to pretend like I was listening. Eventually, I gave up all pretenses and stared out the window, not caring if Mike knew if I wasn’t listening. Listening to Mike talk made me want to claw my eyes out; I better warn the restaurant to keep all sharp objects away from me, because I might do something drastic.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, El Torito, I didn’t wait for Mike to come around to open my door, not that I actually deluded myself into thinking that he that he would, I scrambled out of the car as fast as my dress would allow. I made sure to keep some space in between me and Mike as we walked into the restaurant.

“Hello, welcome to El Torito,” the hostess greeted us with a smile. “Table for two?” Table for sixteen preferably, I thought to myself, but I followed the hostess to the table anyway. Luckily, she took us to a booth that could easily fit four people, the more space I could put between us, the better. The hostess smiled flirtatiously at Mike as she handed him his menu and glared at me when she handed me mine.

You can have him, I thought to myself. I was disgusted at the thought that she was jealous of me because I was the one with Mike…..I shuddered, the thought was nauseating.

“Are you cold?” Mike asked concerned, mistaking my shudder for a shiver. I smiled at him and shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to wear his jacket, which he had left in the car, but I knew he would get it if I told him I was cold.

I quickly buried my face in the menu and read each selection carefully. I knew exactly what I wanted within two minutes, but I continued to look at the menu so I wouldn’t have to talk to Mike.

“Hello, my name is Edward, and I’ll be your server tonight,” I heard a silky voice say. I looked up hesitantly from the menu and froze as my eyes fell upon our waiter. He was beautiful, to say the least. His eyes were the brightest green I had ever seen, I found myself lost in them. He smiled at me and I looked away embarrassed that he noticed my staring. “Can I start you off with something to drink?” he asked politely.

“I’ll have a coke,” Mike answered immediately, he sounded annoyed, at what I had no idea.

“One coke,” Edward repeated as he turned away from Mike, “And what about for you?” I knew he was looking at me, I could feel his eyes on me, but I was too chicken to face him.

With my head still buried in my menu I replied, “Water please.” My voice was just above a whisper, I wasn’t sure if he could hear me.

“And one water,’ he repeated my drink order. I sighed in relief, he had heard me. I buried my head deeper in the menu and waited until I could hear his footsteps receding before looking up again.

As he walked away I let my eyes follow. He was tall, almost a foot taller than my five feet four inches. He was slender, but he was muscular. The white shirt that he wore with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows defined each muscle in his arm. He wasn’t bulky, his muscles were smoother, less conspicuous than bulky muscles, but they were undoubtedly there. His hair was in a messy disarray around his head, the color was a strange shade of bronze, I found myself ogling him as I watched him walk away, he was mesmerizing.

“Bella?” Mike asked waving a hand in front of my face to try to regain my attention. I reluctantly turned back to face Mike. When I turned back I saw him glaring after Edward. I wanted to laugh and accuse Mike of being jealous, but I bit my tongue and kept my mouth shut.

Mike recovered quickly and smiled when he saw that he had my attention again, or so he though. He immediately launched into a story about his fraternity league and all the pranks he and the other boys pulled. I wasn’t listening, I didn’t even try to pretend, I had no interest in Mike whatsoever. He was boring, snobbish, and too confident in himself. I couldn’t understand why so many girls like him, he was….disgusting.

I was mindlessly playing with my fork while Mike droned on; I twirled my fork in my hand and watched as the light reflected off of it.

“Have you decided what you want to eat?” Edward’s voice made me jump. The fork went flying out of my hand and just barely missed Edward’s head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that question would make you angry,” he laughed as he bent down to pick up the fork.

“I am so sorry!” I exclaimed. “It was an accident, I swear!” My face turned bright red and I wished more than anything that I could disappear and pretend this night never happened.

“It’s okay, people throw their forks at me all the time,” he joked with a smile. “It’s no big deal, I’ll get you a new fork.” Mike was laughing hysterically across from me. I kicked him in the shin to get him to shut up.

“What’d you do that for?” He howled, rubbing his shin to ease the pain.

“I’m sorry Mike,” I replied sarcastically, “My foot slipped.” Edward burst out laughing at my comment. I looked over at him and smiled. His returning smile was brilliant, it lit up his face and enhanced his already beautiful features.

“If it’s safe now, and you won’t throw anything else at me, can I take your order now?” I blushed and looked over at Mike who was scowling at Edward.

“I’m really sorry about that,” I blushed as I spoke.

“No blood, no foul,” Edward interrupted before I could say anything else. “What would you like to eat?” I was grateful that he forgave me for nearly poking his eye out with a fork, most people wouldn’t be so kind.

“I’ll have the chicken fettuccine,” I said, handing him the menu.

“I’ll have the chicken parmesan,” Mike muttered and handed the menu to Edward. Edward smiled and turned to walk away.

Mike’s eyes were like daggers as he watched Edward walk away. He slumped down in his chair, “Let’s see, where was I before we were so rudely interrupted?” he asked mostly to himself. “Oh I remember,” he picked up the story where he had left off.

I didn’t notice when Mike finished telling his story because I was too busy thinking about anything other than Mike. It took me a few seconds to realize that Mike had taken both my hands in his. I stared wide-eyed at our hands. His hands were warm and sweaty while mine were itching to slap him.

“I’m having a great time Bella,” He confessed. My hands really itched to slap him after that. There was no way I was going to lie and tell him I was having a great time too, that would just encourage him and give him the wrong impression.

“Um, could you excuse me for a second, Mike?” I asked politely.

“Uh, sure Bella,” I quickly stumbled out of my chair and escaped into the bathroom.

I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and stared down at the black screen. I flipped it open only to be met with another black screen. “Shit,” I cursed under my breath. This was not a good time for my cell phone to go dead.

I dug around in my purse hoping to find some loose change for the pay phone….nothing. Great, I thought to myself, I’m going to be stuck with Mike for another two and a half hours.

I yanked open the door and, storming out of the bathroom with my head down, I crashed into someone. An arm wrapped around my waist to help steady me. “I’m so sorry!” I looked up to see Edward smiling down at me, laughter clear in his eyes.

“You seem to be apologizing a lot tonight,” he replied softly. “What’s the hurry anyway?” I saw the curiosity burning in his eyes and without thinking about it, I blurted out the truth.

“I was trying to call my friends, but my cell phone is dead, and because I was stupid enough to listen to them, I have absolutely no money for the pay phone.”

He smiled at me sympathetically, “You can use my phone if you like.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver cell phone and held it out to me.

“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to waste your minutes or anything.” He was shaking his head before I finished my sentence. He pushed the cell phone in my hand, and took my wrist and bent my arm up to my ear.

“Okay, I get your point. Thank you.” He released his hold on my wrist and stepped away to lean casually against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. I flipped open the phone and dialed my home number.

“Hello you’ve reached Alice, Bella, and Rosalie, we can’t come to the phone right now please leave a message!” Alice’s voice sang from the answering machine. I waited for the beep before speaking. “Alice, Rose, if you’re there pick up! Come on guys, I know you’re there, please pick up; this is the worst date of my life! Mike is so boring, I can’t stand another minute with him,” I paused briefly and let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, it’s obvious you won’t pick up, so I’ll call your cell phones.” I hung up the phone and immediately dialed Alice’s cell phone number.

It rang six times before Alice’s voicemail finally picked up. Again, I waited for the beep and recorded my message. “Alice, it’s Bella. Call me back as soon as you get this. I can’t stand another second with Mike and I almost poked,” I stopped glancing up at Edward, his eyebrows were raised as he waited for me to continue that sentence. I moved on, “We’re supposed to go to a movie after dinner, it’s an hour and a half movie, and an hour drive home and we haven’t even gotten our food yet. I can’t stand another minute with Mike and right now I’m looking at about three hours! Call me back!” I hung up the phone and began dialing Rosalie’s number, “One more,” I mumbled to Edward who nodded.

The phone rang once and a voice recording answered, “We’re sorry the person you are trying to reach is out of range.” I snapped the phone shut with a loud sigh. “Out of range? She’s supposed to be at home!” I handed the phone back to Edward and leaned back against the wall across from him. I covered my eyes with my hands and tried to think of a way to get out of going to the movie with Mike.

I looked up at Edward as an idea formed in my head, “How many people ordered chicken fettuccine?” I hoped that he would tell me that only a few people ordered it, or better yet, I was the only one to order it, wishful thinking.

“Too many to count, why?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out why I wanted to know how many people ordered a certain dish.

“Dang it, so I guess food poisoning wouldn’t be very believable, because I would be the only person out of many to get it.”

Edward shook his head, “No that wouldn’t be very believable. But why would you want to pretend to have food poisoning?”

I raised my eyebrows at him before answering, “Didn’t you hear a word I was saying on the phone?” I thought for sure he would have been listening. Most people listen in when someone is holding a conversation only four feet away from them.

“To be honest, I didn’t hear a word you said. It’s rude to listen in on other people’s conversations.” I laughed at his tone, I knew he was trying to be playful but I could hear the serious note in his tone.

“Thank you for not listening in on my conversation. The reason I want to leave is to escape Mike. He’s suffocating me, if I have to spend another minute with him I think I might explode! He’s extremely boring and snobby, and I can’t stand him!” Edward smiled at me, the idea of me hating Mike seemed to please him.

“I could take you home,” he offered in a casual tone.

“There’s just one problem with that, Mike is waiting for me to return from the bathroom, if I disappear he’s likely to cause a scene. That’s why I was hoping to fake food poisoning.” Edward nodded; he seemed to be thinking really hard.

“I think I have an idea that might work,” he replied, “But I’ll only tell you under one condition.”

I narrowed my eyes at him before I spoke, “What condition?” I was honestly curious to know what his condition was, and I knew that I would abide by it, whatever it was, because I was so desperate to escape Mike, and I trusted Edward. I just met him that night, but I trusted that he was a nice guy; something inside of me told me that he was, and the rest of me believed that.

“Well, seeing how you know my name, I think it’s only fair that you tell me yours.” Was that it? I thought to myself, it seemed so obvious. Of course I would tell him my name. I was thrilled that Edward actually wanted to know my name, it had to count for something.

“Since when is it required for the waiter to know the name of his costumers?” I teased. He smiled at me slyly and took a step toward me, leaving only a foot between us.

“When that waiter is nice enough to help the costumer out and save her from ‘the worst date of her life’” he emphasized the last phrase. I immediately grasped the meaning of his words.

“You were listening in!” I glared accusingly at him, he just chuckled.

“Of course, it’s hard not to hear every word a person is saying when they are standing so close to you,” he took another step closer to me to prove his point. There was only about half a foot between our bodies, part of me wanted to close the distance between our bodies, and the other, more logical, part of me was telling me to run away, I just met the guy for crying out loud! But I listened to neither part of me; I stayed where I was, leaning against the wall with Edward standing close enough to touch.

He stepped even closer to me, leaning in to whisper in my ear, “Do you see what I mean by it being hard not to hear someone speaking when they are standing so close?” I nodded my head, unable to form a coherent sentence with him standing so close to me. He smelled amazing, I closed my eyes and breathed in the sweet cologne and sighed. I wanted to melt into his arms, I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and…..What was I thinking? I don’t know anything about this guy! I can’t be thinking these things about him!

“Are you going to tell me your name?” Edward whispered in my ear, his breath tickled my ear and I shivered.

“Bella, my name is Bella Swan,” I replied in a daze. He stepped away from me and held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you Bella, my name is Edward Masen,” he smiled as he shook my hand.

“Nice to meet you too Edward. Now are you going to tell me your plan?” He threw back his head and laughed.

“You really do want to abandon your date, don’t you?” It was obviously a rhetorical question, but I nodded my head anyway. “Very well, here’s what we’re going to do…”

There's a picture of Bella's necklace in my profile, or as close as i could get that is. That was a long chapter, I know!!! It was double the size of the other chapters 12 pages!!!! What does Edward have up his sleeve? That's the next chapter, this night is not over yet!!!! Hopefully it won't take me too long to get the next chapter up, but you never know. So you know what to do, please review!!! If my statistcs up there didn't motivate you, then I don't know what will. I don't want to tell you that I won't update unless i get so many reviews, because that's mean, I don't want to punish the people who do review. So again, reviews welcome, CONSTRUCTED CRITICSM is welcome!!! I'd lover to receive that!!!!!! Thank you for reading!!!!!

Chapter: 5

Hello everyone!!! I must say that I am pleased with the number of reviews the last chapter received, almost 30 reviews! To me that's good. It would be Awesome if that number would increase greatly for this next chapter. HINT HINT Your reviews can help make this story better and help me get chapters up faster. Your opinions are welcome and will most definitely be taken into consideration and if used, they will be acknowledged. But that will only happen if you REVIEW!! Here's the next chapter, Edward's plan...

The Plan

“First, we’re going to need some help,” Edward’s eyes scanned the restaurant as he searched for someone that could help us. His eyes locked on a boy with light brown hair, he looked very familiar to me. “John!” Edward called, getting the boy’s attention. Edward motioned him over to us.

“What is it Edward?” John asked as he reached us. He was facing away from me so I couldn’t see his face, but his voice sounded very familiar, I just couldn’t place where I might know him from.

“Oh look, your wrist isn’t broken,” Edward’s voice dripped with sarcasm. What did that have to do with the plan? I wondered, waiting to hear what would be said next.

“No it’s not,” John replied looking at Edward like he was crazy. Edward stared pointedly back at John, as if he was missing something important. John’s face suddenly lit up with understanding, “Is that what she told you?”

Edward nodded his head, “Yeah, apparently you couldn’t work last Saturday because you broke your wrist arm wrestling with your best friend.” Edward’s emphasis on the last two words had me confused, as did the bitter humor in his tone. I stared at him in confusion, but he was not looking at me. His eyes were fixed on John, waiting for his response.

“I broke my wrist because I was arm wrestling with Owen!” John roared in laughter, “Is Tina blind as well as stupid? She’s seen Owen, did she honestly think you would fall for that? I had last Saturday off….what did you do?”

Edward’s smile vanished and he frowned at John. “I came in, what else was I going to do?” Edward raised his eyebrows at John, waiting to hear his reply.

“Oh I don’t know,” John started sarcastically, “Tell her ‘no’, quit—“

“She pays me too well to quit,” Edward interrupted, “And I’ve tried to tell her no, but she begs and whines until I agree.” The venom in Edward’s voice as he talked about this Tina girl made me uneasy. Clearly, she was someone he strongly disliked, it made me wonder what all she did to make Edward so unhappy with her, Edward didn’t seem like someone you could easily displease, but I’ve only just met him….

“So hang up and turn off your phone!” John’s voice interrupted my thoughts, “She’s not going to fire you, she’s too obsessed.” John’s laughter caused Edward’s frown to deepen.

“We’re done discussing this, it’s not why I called you over here,” Edward changed the subject. “I need your help with something,” Edward looked over at me and I couldn’t help but smile. “My friend here needs help escaping ‘the worst date of her life’, and we need your help.” Edward’s voice was mocking as he quoted my words from my phone call to Alice and Rosalie. I narrowed my eyes at him which caused him to smile.

John turned to face me and his eyes filled with recognition, “Oh hi Bella!”

“Hey John,” I swiftly recalled why John was so familiar; I couldn’t believe that I didn’t recognize him immediately.

“You two know each other?” Edward asked, taken by surprise. I thought I heard a faint note of jealousy in his voice. I banished the thought immediately, there was no way Edward would ever be jealous over me.

“Yeah,” I replied nonchalantly, “John is my roommate Rosalie’s boyfriend.” Edward seemed to relax a little, I told myself it was because he was recovering from the shock, and not because of jealousy. “But why are you working tonight John?” I addressed the other boy, turning slightly away from Edward to look John in the face.

“I came in when Rose cancelled, I can use the extra money,” John shrugged. I smiled understanding what he wouldn’t say aloud. He needed the extra money because Rosalie was expensive to take out, her having such expensive taste and expecting gifts every time she was taken out. John turned back to Edward, “What do you need me to do?”

The plan was set, my part was simple, I would be out of here soon. “I’m sorry Mike,” I apologized as sincerely as possible as I sat back down at the table. The food hadn’t come yet, that was good.

“Uh, it’s okay Bella,” Mike responded, “Let’s see….where were we before you left….?”

“I believe you ordered the chicken fettuccine,” Edward announced his presence at exactly the right time, placing my dish in front of me. I glanced up at him and smiled with more warmth than necessary, hoping Mike was watching.

“Yes I did, thank you,” I batted my eyelashes at Edward, pretending to flirt with him. Edward grinned back at me and then looked down at my food. When he looked back up at me he was smirking.

“I hope you like it,” he raised his eyebrows at me, pretending to be curious about my response.

“Why wouldn’t I like it?” I asked leaning toward him, I was milking it just a little, but I knew Mike was watching us closely.

“Well, for one you ordered an Italian dish at a Mexican restaurant, I would be scared to eat that if I were you.” I waved my hand in the air as if I was clearing his words from the air.

“Nonsense, I’m sure this food tastes just fine,” to prove my point, I picked up my fork and shoveled a forkful of pasta into my mouth. I chewed my food and made a show of appearing to be deep in thought, as if deciding if the food was good. “You’re right, this food does have much to be desired, would you like to try for yourself?” I held my fork out to him and he took it eagerly.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Edward took the fork out of my hand and shoveled some of my food into his own mouth. He chewed the food and made a disgusted face. “Terrible. Why would you come to a Mexican restaurant and order Italian food?” he asked me.

“I don’t really like Mexican food that much….” I lied, throwing a quick glance at Mike. He looked like he was about to explode, his face was red with anger and he was stuttering like an idiot. He obviously couldn’t form a coherent sentence, we had shocked him so much.

“So why are you eating at a Mexican restaurant?” Edward smirked at Mike, who opened his mouth to respond but Edward beat him to it, “Obviously this guy doesn’t know anything about you,” he pointed to Mike.

I shook my head, “No, he doesn’t.”

“Well then, how about I take you to a real Italian restaurant, somewhere you would actually enjoy eating at?” Edward’s eyes burned into mine and even though I knew it was all part of the plan, part of me wanted to believe that he was serious.

I smiled and stood up, “I would love to, there’s no way I can eat this food,” I motioned to the chicken fettuccine sitting on the table.

Edward held out his arm for me and I eagerly took it, glancing back at Mike who was on his feet. Before Mike could say anything Edward shoved his plate of food into his hands and placed the check on the table. “Pay at the front desk,” then turning to me he said, “Are you ready for some real Italian food?” I smiled and nodded my head.

As we turned to leave, Mike found his voice, “Now wait just a minute, you can’t—“

“Mike? Mike Newton?” John jumped in, stepping between Mike and Edward and myself. “Mike? It is you! It’s me, John Wheelwright, from kindergarten; we used to share our snacks at snack time. Do you remember me?”

Mike looked at John like he had two heads, “I’ve never seen you before in my life. Who did you say you were again?”

“John Wheelwright. You might not remember me. After that one fight we had over who would get to sleep with the giant teddy bear at nap time, you kind of stopped talking to me, but you still wanted to eat my animal cookies…..especially the hippopotamuses, my favorite cookie…” John had put a lot of thought into his story, it was very comical. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get to hear the rest of the conversation, not that I was in any way complaining.

Edward ushered me quickly toward the door, faster than I really thought necessary. John was taking care of Mike, there was really no reason to rush. As we approached the door, a short blonde haired girl stepped in front of us, her eyes darting quickly between me and Edward, and then they fell to our linked arms.

“Edward where are you going?” She asked frantically, staring up at Edward, who towered over her by over a foot.

“I’m leaving, you don’t need my help, it’s not that busy tonight. Besides, John’s here, his wrist has miraculously healed,” he sneered.

“Oh!” the woman exclaimed, “Did I forget to tell you? It was never broken, it was merely a sprain, quickly mended….”

Edward narrowed his eyes at the woman and the look he gave her caused her to trail off. “Tina, give it up, I know that John had last Saturday off, you can stop making a fool of yourself now.” Edward paused to let the woman, Tina, reply, when she didn’t he continued, “I’m tired of you trapping me into working on Saturdays, if you need more help on Saturday hire more workers.” He tugged on my arm slightly, urging me forward, and pushing past Tina. As we passed her he paused and added over his shoulder, “ And by the way, I quit.”

Edward ignored Tina’s calls of protest as he led me around the back of the restaurant to his car. It was a shiny silver Volvo, it was sparkling in the streetlight overhead. “Edward, I didn’t want you to lose your job over me, besides, didn’t you say that the pay was too good to quit?” I asked when we were both in the car.

Edward laughed as he put the key in the ignition, “I’m not worried about my job, Tina will be calling me all weekend, begging for my forgiveness and begging me to come back to work. There’s no need to worry.” I stared back at him skeptically, unsure if he was telling the truth or if he was just trying to satisfy me.

He shook his head and chuckled when he saw my expression, “Honestly Bella, my job is not in jeopardy. Now, if you want to go home, you’re going to need to tell me where you live, otherwise you won’t get there.” I blushed and gave him my address. After assuring me that he knew exactly where it was, he sped off down the road, away from the restaurant, and away from Mike.

Conversation flowed easily between us. We spent the hour’s drive getting to know each other. He asked me about my family, and my friends, about my schooling, about my preferences, about the things I read, and anything else he could think of. I was surprised at how willing I was to tell him about myself, normally I would try to find an excuse to remain quiet. But with Edward, everything felt natural, I found myself volunteering information about myself that I haven’t shared with people I’ve known for years, let alone a couple of hours.

I learned a lot about Edward as well. He told me about his family, he was an only child, his two best friends Emmett and Jasper, and things he enjoys. He loves music, he likes to read, as I listened to him I found myself completely mesmerized. It was relaxing to listen to him talk.

Before I knew it, we were pulling in front of my building. I was reluctant to leave Edward, I wanted to know everything about him, but I knew it was inevitable….

“I’ll walk you to your door,” Edward offered as he slid out of the car and walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for me.

“Thank you.” We walked side by side toward the building. I picked up the pace and walked slightly in front of him, leading the way, because he didn’t know where to go. I led him to the third floor and stood outside my door. “Thank you so much for giving me a ride home and saving me from ‘the worst date of my life’” Edward smiled as I quoted myself from earlier in the night.

“It was fun,” I nodded my head in agreement. I started laughing as I pictured Mike’s face in my mind as Edward and I acted out our plan. Edward joined me, the look on his face told me he was thinking the same thing.

“Bella?” the door to my condo was yanked open and light flooded out into the dark hallway, falling over me and Edward. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Alice shut the door and I turned back to Edward.

“I better go inside now, I can just picture Alice salivating on the other side of the door, waiting for me to give her the details of tonight’s events.” I smiled apologetically at Edward who only smiled.

“Of course, I’ll leave you to tell your story. It was nice meeting you Bella, and I hope to see you again sometime in the future.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips and kissed the back of my hand lightly before departing.

“Goodbye Edward!” I called after him. He waved back at me and disappeared down the stairs. I opened the door to the condo and was greeted by a anxious Alice. She grabbed my arm and hurried me through the door.

“Spill!” she demanded as soon as the door was closed. She pushed me into the living room and onto the couch. Rosalie was already sitting on the couch; Alice squeezed in between us and nudged me to begin my story.

“What ever are you talking about?” I asked innocently.

“Don’t play innocent Bella! How in the world did you exchange Mr. Boring for Mr. Sexy?” Alice looked like she wanted to strangle me, which he probably did; Alice was not a patient person.

“Well, if you had been home, and if you had answered your cell phones you would have known that I was having a terrible time on my date with Mike. He was suffocating me, he was so obnoxious, boring, and self-centered, I wanted to claw my eyes out with a fork! Instead I ended up throwing the fork at our waiter, Mr. Sexy.” I used Alice’s nickname for Edward so they would know that Edward was our waiter.

“Wait, that was your waiter you came home with? And you threw your fork at him?” Alice asked incredulously, bouncing up and down, anxious for more details.

“Yes, that was our waiter, Edward—“

“Oh, he even has a sexy name!” Alice exclaimed, interrupting me, “Of course, not as sexy as Jasper…”

“Alice, let Bella tell her story!” Rosalie cut in clearly annoyed about something.

“Thank you Rose. As I was saying, yes, that was our waiter, and I didn’t mean to throw my fork at him, he scared me and it slipped out of my hand and almost hit him, but thankfully it missed. Anyway, he overheard my phone call to you guys because I was using his phone because my phone was dead and I had no money for the pay phone,” I stared sternly at Rosalie who mumbled her apologies. “Because Edward overheard my phone calls, three by the way, one to here and one to each of your cells, but we’ll get to that in a minute, and he offered to drive me home.”

Alice ran over to the answering machine and hit “play”, I listened as my voice flooded the room as my message played. When Alice returned she had her cell phone pressed against her ear, I guessed she was listening to her voicemail.

When she put her phone down she looked up at me, her eyes begging for my forgiveness. “I’m sorry Bella. We weren’t home when you called and I had accidentally left my phone here. We were out of range, so Rose’s phone didn’t have a signal, we’re sorry….we didn’t think you’d need us.”

I gave Alice a big hug to tell her I forgave her, I couldn’t be mad at her, especially with how everything had ended. My curiosity getting the better of me, I pulled away from Alice and asked, “So can I ask where you went and why?”

“The mall,” Rosalie answered for Alice. “Alice needed a new outfit.”

“Why so suddenly?” I asked, looking between Alice and Rosalie.

“Alice ordered pizza,” Rosalie replied as if it explained everything, and it did.

I hope you liked it!!! Let me know what you thought!!! Give me ideas to build on!!! Help me make this story better!! Your opinions are welcome, constructed critcism...still waiting for some of that...if you have any, please share it!! I will welcome it with open arms!! The next chapter will be this night from Edward's POV, you'll get to read what Edward thought of Bella (as if you can't guess, HA!) Hey, check out my profile for my first poll "Edward and Bella's Perfect Vacation Spot" the results just might end up in one of my stories!! I'll leave the poll up for a week, so go vote!! (If you're having problems with the poll PM me so I can fix it, because obviously something went wrong when I was putting it up, it shows that everything is set up the way I want it, but you never know what might happen...thanks!!) Two more parting words for you: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!

Chapter: 6

Hello everyone!!! I'm sorry this took so long to get up!!! Last weekend my cousin came over and I didn't have time to write, plus she begged me to write Consequences for her...And yesterday my mom decided that she was going to drag me around places I didn't want to go.. So yeah... Anyway the last chapter got 43 reviews!!! That's great guys!!! This story has 4,666 hits!!!!! and 125 alerts!!!! Wow, I never would have thought!!! That's great!!!! Okay so here's the next chapter, it's Bella and Edward's meeting in Edward's POV!!!!! I think it's terrible, but review and let me know what you think!!!!

Hello Beautiful

“Come on Jasper, tell me!” Emmett’s voice carried through the apartment as he begged Jasper to share what has had him distracted for the past six days. I was curious myself, Jasper was always the down-to-earth kind of guy, but for the past six days his head seems to be up in the clouds.

I walked into the living room dressed for work, Jasper smirked at me and opened his mouth to comment, but Emmett beat him to it. “You’re going to work again!?!” he yelled incredulously. “That woman is working you like a camel caravanning through the desert, you need to stand up for yourself and spit on her!!”

I shook my head at Emmett’s strange comparison. “Emmett, how come every time you talk to me, I feel like I’m losing IQ points?” Emmett’s smile wavered and he pretended to be deep in thought, as if he actually had to think about it.

“You too?” Jasper asked me, trying to keep the smile off of his face. He was failing miserably.

“Hey, we can’t all be extremely smart!” Emmett defended himself. I looked over at Jasper and rolled my eyes. Jasper laughed, no longer pretending to be serious.

“You are smart, Emmett, smart assed!” Emmett’s smile reappeared at my comment, wider and brighter than before. He looked extremely proud of himself.

“That’s right!” Emmett boasted. “I am the king of smart asses!” Emmett put his foot up on the coffee table and placed his right fist on his chest and stared up at the ceiling, as if he were posing to admirers.

Jasper snorted, “Yeah, you’re the king of asses all right…” he mumbled.

“Hey! Did you just talk back to your king?” Emmett yelled, with an air of false condescension. “I will have you locked up for that, guards, take him to the dungeon and lock him up!” Emmett ran over to Jasper and pinned him against the wall, his hands locked around Jasper’s wrists above his head.

I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard. Emmett may not be the smartest person in the world, but he always kept you entertained. There’s hardly ever a dull moment when Emmett is around.

When Emmett finally released his prisoner he turned to me and smirked. “Tina called again while you were in your room.” Again? I thought to myself, that woman has no patience whatsoever.

“Where’s my phone Emmett?” Emmett pointed to the counter and snickered. I walked over to my phone and snatched it up off the counter. I flipped open my phone and began dialing Tina’s number. My fingers flailed as my annoyance took over. I hit send without looking at the number I had keyed in.

“Hello?’ a sweet female voice that did not belong to Tina answered. I glanced at the number on my phone and noticed that I had dialed the wrong number.

“Oh, uh, I believe I have the wrong number,” I replied apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry miss.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I get calls form strangers all the time, I believe you would be the third person today,” she responded with a chuckle. Her reply had taken me completely by surprise, I found myself laughing at her comment. Most people wouldn’t make a joke when they receive a call from someone they don’t even know.

“It’s good to know I’m not the only one to make a fool of myself by calling the wrong number,” I said without thinking. I found that I wanted to hear more of this stranger’s voice, it sounded sweet and innocent, not like most women.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made a fool out of myself on numerous occasions because I call the wrong number. It happens frequently.”

“Hasn’t’ anyone told you before, don’t talk to strangers?” I couldn’t help but to ask. It popped into my head and I was sure it would make her laugh. It did. I listened to her laugh as I waited for her to respond, anticipating it would be something clever or amusing.

“I think I have heard that one, but I don’t listen, it’s so much fun to talk to people you don’t’ know, especially when most of the people you do know bore you to tears.” And drive you nearly insane, I thought to myself. I laughed at how right she was. Jasper and Emmett are the most interesting people I know, everyone else is just….well, boring.

“Agreed,” I said, glancing down at my watch. Damn, I thought to myself. I’ve have to leave for work now, I thought to myself. “Well, once again, I’m sorry for disturbing you. Have a good night,” I said hesitantly, not wanting our conversation to end.

“You too,” she responded.

“Good night.” I closed my phone to end the call. I flipped it back open and entered the number into my contacts under the name of “Transient” in reference to how brief our conversation, however interesting, was.

I decided not to call Tina back, if she really wanted to talk to me before I got to work, she would call me back.

When I arrived at work I saw that we weren’t as busy as Tina had claimed. I sighed as I tied my apron around my waist and walked over to sign in. The work chart was hanging next to the sign in book; I saw that Tina had already assigned me a section of the restaurant. I glanced over at my section and saw that it wasn’t that crowded, that was good.

I grabbed my pen and pen, tools I never use for my job, and placed them in my apron pocket and walked over to my first table, a party of two.

I couldn’t tell if it was a couple or not. There was a blond guy glancing between the menu in his hand and the person sitting across from him, he looked too sure of himself. The person sitting across from him had their head buried in their menu, probably hiding from the blond guy.

I walked up to the table and introduced myself. “Hello my name is Edward, and I’ll be your server tonight," I glanced at the blond guy and then turned my attention to the person buried behind the menu, waiting for them to look up.

Two beautiful chocolate brown eyes looked up from the menu and locked with mine. The pale heart-shaped face that the eyes belonged to was also beautiful. She flushed a dark red and looked away. I couldn’t help but to smile at her. “Can I start you off with something?” I asked, glancing over at the blond guy briefly.

“I’ll have a coke,” the blond guy answered immediately. I smiled at the tone of his voice, he sounded annoyed that I was paying attention to the girl.

“One coke,” I repeated turning to look at the girl, “and what about for you?” I asked quietly and politely.

“Water, please,” she whispered softly. It was hard to hear her, but luckily, I had good hearing.

“And one water,” I repeated her drink order and turned slowly to walk away. I walked over to the soda fountain and filled a glass with coke and another with water. As I walked back toward the table I scanned my section and saw that there was only one other table occupied, this was going to be a long night.

Approaching the table, I saw the girl twirling her fork in her hand; clearly she was bored with this guy. As I reached the table I set the drinks down, the girl didn’t seem to notice.

“Have you decided what you want to eat?” I asked, noticing that both of the menus were closed. When I spoke, it caused the girl to jump, the fork flew out of her hand, just missing my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that question would make you angry,” I laughed, trying to alleviate some of the girl’s embarrassment. I picked the fork up off the floor and placed it in the pocket of my apron.

“I’m so sorry!” the girl cried, her face flushing a deeper red. “It was an accident, swear!” She looked absolutely mortified; I wanted so badly to relieve her embarrassment.

“It’s okay, people throw their forks at me all the time,” I joked, hoping it would help. “It’s no big deal, I’ll get you a new fork.” The blond guy sitting across from the girl was laughing his head off. I really wanted to yell at him. It isn’t nice to laugh at your date when something embarrassing happens, it only makes things worse.

I could here when the girl kicked the boy on the shin, it took everything in me not to start laughing at him.

“What’d you do that for?” he yelled in pain, rubbing the shin the girl had kicked.

“I’m sorry Mike,” the girl replied sarcastically. “My foot slipped.” I couldn’t hold my laughter in anymore. I laughed, causing the girl to look over at me, a smile lighting her beautiful face.

“If it’s safe now, and you won’t throw anything else at me, can I take your order now?” My question caused the girl to blush again, she looked up at the guy sitting across from her.

“I’m really sorry about that,” she apologized, continuing to blush. How many shades of red can one person blush? I thought to myself.

“No blood, no foul,” I replied before she could further embarrass herself by trying to make amends. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have the chicken fettuccine,” she answered in a sweet voice that I hadn’t noticed before, partly because she had spoken so quietly before. She handed me her menu.

Taking the menu from the girl, I turned to the blond guy and waited for him to order. “I’ll have the chicken parmesan,” he mumbled, handing the menu over. I smiled at the girl before walking away.

I put the order in and then went to take care of my other customers. As I was walking back into the kitchen with more food orders, I saw the girl walking away from the tables. She looked flustered and in a hurry.

My curiosity getting the better of me, I followed behind her. I walked past the girls’ bathroom to the payphone that was to the right of the door. I played with the phone, pretending to use it.

I heard a mumbled “shit” come from the bathroom, followed by a lot of rustling. I placed the phone back on the cradle and stood across from the door, waiting for the girl to come out. I wasn’t exactly sure why I was waiting for a girl I don’t even know to com out of the bathroom, I just found myself infatuated with her.

The door to the bathroom was yanked open roughly and the girl came scrambling out of the bathroom, her head down. She slammed into me and I quickly wrapped my arm around her tiny waist to keep her from falling.

“I am so sorry!” she exclaimed looking up at me. I smiled at her, amused.

“You seem to be apologizing a lot tonight,” I rejoined quietly. “What’s the hurry anyway?” I was curious to know why she came rushing out of the bathroom so fast. My eyes were locked with hers as I waited for her to answer.

“I was trying to call my friends, but my cell phone is dead, and because I was stupid enough to listen to them, I have absolutely no money for the pay phone.” Her words came out in a rush and I had to listen hard to catch them all.

“You can use my phone if you like” I offered, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my cell phone.

“Are you sure?” she sounded hesitant. “I don’t want to waste your minutes or anything.” I shook my head at her and pushed my phone into her hand. I took her wrist in one hand and I cupped her elbow with my other hand and bent her arm so her hand with the cell phone in it was pressed against her ear.

“Okay, I get your point. Thank you,” she said with a smile. I released her arm and stepped away to lean against the wall opposite of her. My eyes never left her as she opened the phone and dialed the number. She waited while the phone rang.

“Alice, Rose, if you’re there, pick up!” she spoke into the phone, obviously the answering machine or voicemail had picked up. “Come on guys, I know you’re there, please pick up; this is the worst date of my life! Mike is so boring, I can’t stand another minute with him!” Mike, that must be the name of the blond guy, I mused. Boring, who would have thought? The girl let out a frustrated sigh and continued, “Fine, it’s obvious you won’t pick up, so I‘ll call your cell phones.” She hung up the phone and started dialing another number.

She waited as the phone rang, and again no one answered, I watched her as she left another message. “Alice, it’s Bella.” Bella, I thought to myself, pretty name. “Call me back as soon as you get this. I can’t stand another minute with Mike and I almost poked,” she stopped short, glancing at me, I raised my eyebrows at her, knowing what she was about to say. She abandoned that thought and began a new sentence, “We’re supposed to go to the movie after dinner, it’s an hour and a half movie, and an hour drive home, and we haven’t even gotten our food yet. I can’t stand another minute with Mike and right now I’m looking at another three hours! Call me back!” She hung up again and started dialing yet another number. “One more,” she mumbled. I nodded to acknowledge that I had heard her.

As she waited for the phone to ring, her brow furrowed. “Out of range?” she questioned, “She’s supposed to be at home” she snapped the phone shut and handed it back to me. She leaned back against the wall and covered her eyes with her hands.

She looked up at me and I could almost see the wheels in her head spinning. “How many people ordered chicken fettuccine?” she asked suddenly. Her question confused me, I didn’t understand the reasoning behind it.

“Too many to count, why?” I responded, hoping she would explain.

“Dang it, so I guess food poisoning wouldn’t be very believable, because I would be the only person out of many to get it.”

I shook my head, "No that wouldn’t be very believable. But why would you want to pretend to have food poisoning?” I asked still confused.

She raised her eyebrows at me as if I was missing something. “Didn’t you hear a word I was saying on the phone?” she asked.

“To be honest, I didn’t hear a word you said,” not exactly true. “It’s rude to listen in on other people’s conversations.” The latter was true.

“Thank you for not listening in only conversation. The reason I want to leave is to escape Mike. He’s suffocating me, if I have to spend another minute with him I think I might explode! He’s extremely boring and snobby, and I can’t stand him!” I smiled at her, for some reason hearing that she was displeased with her date made me happy.

“I could take you home,” I offered without a second thought, trying to sound casual.

“There’s just one problem with that, Mike is waiting for me to return from the bathroom, if I disappear he’s likely to cause a scene. That’s why I was hoping to fake food poisoning.” I nodded my head, calculating the odds of the plan that just popped in my head.

“I think I have an idea that might work,” I answered, and then I added, “But I’ll only tell you under one condition.”

Her eyes narrowed “What condition?” she seemed to be really interested in hearing my condition, it wasn’t bad, I thought it was pretty reasonable.

“Well, seeing how you know my name, I think it’s only fair that you tell me yours.” Of course I knew her name, because I had heard her tell her friends over the phone, but I wanted her to tell me herself.

“When is it required for a waiter to know the name of his costumers?” she teased. I smiled at her and took a step toward her, I felt as if there was some magnetic force that was pulling me toward her, there was only about a foot between us.

“When that waiter is nice enough to help the costumer out and save her from ‘the worst date of her life’” I emphasized my last few words, I didn’t’ want her to miss that I was quoting her from when she had been on the phone.

“You were listening in!” she glared at me accusingly. To that I could only laugh.

“Of course, it’s hard not to hear every word a person is saying when they are standing so close to you,” I took another step closer, it seemed as if the imaginary magnetic pull was growing stronger. I had the sudden urge to reach out and touch her beautiful face. Bella stood there, watching me, she seemed to notice that there was only about a half an inch separating our bodies.

I stepped closer still, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Do you see what I mean by it being hard not to hear someone speaking when they are standing so close?” She nodded her head. She seemed to be deep in thought. “Are you going to tell me your name?” I whispered in her ear again, causing her to shiver. I smiled, I couldn’t help myself.

“Bella, my name is Bella Swan,” she said in a daze. I stepped away from her and held out my hand.

“Nice to meet you Bella, my name is Edward Masen.”

“Nice to meet you too, Edward. Now are you going to tell me your plan?’ she asked impatiently. I tossed my head back and laughed. It was a carefree laugh, Bella had a certain charm about her, it made me feel completely at ease.

“You really want to abandon your date, don’t you?” my question was rhetorical, but she nodded her head anyway. “Very well, here’s what we’re going to do…..”

Before I explained my plan to Bella, we had to have help. After some playful banter and conversation, we had John’s help. “Okay, this is how we’re going to do this,” I began, “Bella, does Mike get jealous easily?’ Bella nodded her head, unsure of what I was thinking. “Great, that will work to our advantage. What you have to do is simple, you’re going to divert attention away from Mike.”

“And avert my attention to…?” Bella questioned.

“Your waiter of course. Wouldn’t that make Mike jealous?”

“Brilliant!” she exclaimed. I grinned at her.

“Okay, so where I do I come in?’ John asked.

“I’m getting there, relax. Anyway, you will flirt with your waiter, because no guy likes when their date flirts with their waiter….”

“You are absolutely devious, Edward.” John interrupted me.

“Thank you, I’m not finished. Okay, I will bring your food and I will start a conversation, play along. At one point I will comment on your food, saying it looks gross, or that it can’t possibly taste good. You will ask me if I want to try it, and I will say yes. You will offer me your fork, and I will take a bite, that will send Mike over the edge.”

“You don’t have cooties do you?” Bella asked, her chocolate eyes dancing with humor.

“No, but here’s the brilliant part, we won’t be eating off the same fork.” Before they could respond I held up my finger and walked into the kitchen. When I returned I held an extra fork in my hand. “Hide this. When you get to the table, put it in your lap. You will take a bite of your food and you will put the hand with the fork in it, in your lap. When you ask me if I want to try it, you will pick up the other fork in your lap and offer me that fork.”

“You’re a genius Edward!” Bella exclaimed, taking the fork in her small hands.

“From there, more conversation will ensue, I don’t want to explain it all, you’ll know what to say, just play along, okay Bella?” Bella nodded her head, a smile forming on her full lips.

“Yeah I still don’t see where I come into this whole scheme,” John informed us.

“When I take Bella out of her, I need you to distract Bella, think of something good that will completely confuse him—“

“That won’t take much,” Bella laughed. “He’s not the brightest crayon in the box.” John and I both laughed.

“I haven’t heard that one before!” John exclaimed, holding his hand up for a high five. Bella smacked her hand with his and turned to face me.

“Sounds like a great plan, Edward. Is that all?”

I nodded my head, “Yeah, are you ready to ditch your date?”

Bella’s smile brightened at my words, “Let’s do it!”

Everything went smoothly, Mike didn’t know what hit him. John was a genius when it came to his part, and Bella……was amazing. She swapped the forks perfectly, Mike completely believed that we had eaten off the same fork.

With Bella’s arm linked in mine, I lead Bella toward the front of the restaurant. I hurried, I didn’t want to run into….

“Edward, here are you going?” Tina. She had stepped in front of me and Bella, and she was now blocking our exit. I glared down at her, hoping she would move without me having to tell her to do so. Of course, that didn’t happen.

“I’m leaving,” I informed Tina, “You don’t need my help, it’s not that busy tonight. Besides, John’s here, his wrist miraculously healed,” I sneered.

“Oh!” Tina cried, “Did I forget to tell you? It was never broken, it was merely a sprain, quickly mended…”

I narrowed my eyes at her and glared at her darkly, causing her to trail off. “Tina, give it up, I know that John had last Saturday off, you can stop making a fool of yourself now.” I paused, waiting to see if Tina would reply. She didn’t, so I continued, “I’m tired of you trapping me into working on Saturdays, if you need more help on Saturday hire more workers.” I tugged on Bella’s arm gently. Moving her forward, I pushed past Tina. As we passed I stopped to call over my shoulder, “And by the way, I quit.”

I ignored Tina’s protests as I led Bella around the back of the restaurant and to my car, my precious Volvo. “Edward, I didn’t want you to lose your job over me, besides, didn’t you say the pay was too good to quit?” Bella bombarded me with that question as soon as we were both in the car.

I laughed as I put the key in the ignition, “I’m not worried about my job, Tina will be calling me all weekend, begging me for my forgiveness and begging me to come back to work. There’s no need to worry.” I cringed inwardly at the thought of how many phone calls I would receive from Tina this weekend. I must remember to keep my phone off and turn the ringer off of the house phone.

I looked over at Bella and saw the skeptical look on her face. I shook my head and laughed quietly. “Honestly Bella, my job is not in jeopardy. Now, if you want to go home, you’re going to need to tell me where you live, otherwise you won’t get there.” I watched as the blush rose on her cheeks and she gave me her address. I knew exactly where that was, and I told her so before I sped off away from the restaurant.

Talking to Bella came so easily, in the hour drive to her home, I learned so much about her, her family, her friends, her schooling, preferences, things she reads, and anything else I could think of. I met her today and I learned a lot about her, but I found myself wanting to know more.

After telling Bella about myself, all too soon, I pulled up in front of her building. “I’ll walk you to your door.” I climbed out of the car and walked around to open the passenger door for her.

“Thank you,” she said. We walked side by side toward the building, until she needed to lead the way, because I had no clue where I was going. She led me up to the third floor, where she stopped in front of a door. “Thank you so much for giving me a ride home and saving me from ‘the worst date of my life’” I smiled, noticing that she was quoting herself from earlier that night when she had called her friends.

“It was fun,” I said, for lack of anything better to say. Bella started laughing, she was no doubt thinking about Mike’s reaction to our little plan. I joined her, unable to stop myself, the look on Mike’s face had been extremely funny.

“Bella?” the door behind Bella was opened and the light spilled out over Bella and me. My breath caught when I saw Bella. She looked like an angel glowing in the dark night, her skin seemed to shimmer in the light. “I’m sorry,” an apologetic voice interrupted my thoughts and I glanced up to a small, pixy-like girl with short, spiky-black hair closing the door. Bella blushed and turned back to face me.

“I better go now, I can just picture Alice salivating on the other side of the door, waiting for me to give her the details of tonight’s events.” She smiled at me, and I smiled back. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew that I should. I wanted to ask for her number, but I had left my cell phone in the car and I figured that as soon as she stepped foot in her condo, she wasn’t coming back out.

“Of course, I’ll leave you to tell your story. It was nice meeting you Bella, and I hope to see you again sometime in the future.” I grasped her hand in mine and brought it up to my lips and kissed the back of her hand gently before turning to leave.

“Goodbye Edward!” Bella called after me. I waved back at her and walked down the stairs.

When I walked into our apartment, it was dark, Jasper and Emmett weren’t home. I could see the rapid blinking of the answering machine in the dark, signaling that there were new messages.

I made my way over to the answering machine and I was about to hit “play” when I remembered that I had quit my job earlier in the night. I looked at the screen: 29 new messages, no doubt all of them were from Tina.

I stalked into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water felt wonderful against my skin and it helped clear my mind, but I found that my mind was too consumed with Bella.

As I stumbled out of the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around my waist, my cell phone started ringing. I walked lazily over to my phone and picked it up. I glanced briefly at the caller ID, I didn’t really comprehend what it said, all I saw was that it wasn’t’ Tina. I flipped open my phone and held it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hey there, stranger, did you miss me?”

OH!!!! A cliffy!!!!! And I probably won't be able to update for a little over a week. My poll is still up, go vote!!!! Please, for the sake of this fanfic, and to make it better than it is, REVIEW!!!! I thank everyone who has reviewed so far and added me to their fav author lists and this story to their fav. stories lists and alert lists, you are amazing!!!! I would love to top last chapter's review number!!! But that's up to you readers!!! How much do you love this story? Was there something you really liked? Didn't like? Suggestions? REVIEW and let me know!!!!!

Chapter: 7

Guess what guys!?!?! I'm updating soooner than you thought!!!! But seriously, after this I won't be able to update for like a week. I have to finish a lot of stuff for school. Thank you for all the reviews last chapter!!! New review count? 156!!! Thank you!!! Hits? 6,126!!! Alerts? 152!!! You guys are amazing!!! Thank you!!! Okay, so I had a couple of requests for this, so the beginning of this chapter is in Mike's POV!!!!!1 Enjoy!!!

Coincidence or Fate?

Mike’s POV

I watched completely dumbfounded as Bella walked away from me, her arm linked with our waiter’s. I wanted to go after her, to punch our waiter Edward in the face for trying to steal my date away from me, but this lunatic named John was blocking my way. I’ve never met him before in my life, yet he swears up and down that we had been in the same kindergarten class together.

I was out of options, my only option left was to watch as Bella escaped me. I couldn’t believe how terribly our date had ended, I thought it had been going rather well myself, and now this! I just couldn’t believe it, it had taken me so long to get Bella to go on a date with me, and the night she finally does we had to have some green-eyed pretty boy for a waiter.

“Mike are you listening to me?’ John snapped, trying to regain my attention. I nodded my head slowly, still not paying attention to him. “Mike!” My head snapped up, my gaze meeting John’s. “Thank you, I have an important question to ask you.”

“What is it?” I asked harshly, wishing he would say it quickly and then leave me the hell alone.

“Do you remember that one time you spent the night at my house?” He inquired, I shook my head. “Really? It was the night that you wore your favorite Sesame Street footy pajamas with Big Bird, Elmo, Burt, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and the Grouch on the front of it. You had an accident that night and so my mom washed it for you, but you forgot it at my house. I still have them if you want them, I can give them back to you. You came to school really upset because apparently you couldn’t sleep without those pajamas, how did you manage?”

I stared back at him incredulously, I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, I couldn’t believe that this total stranger had the nerve to pretend like he knew me, and on top of that create outrageous lies about me! I really wanted to wring his neck.

“Do you want me to bring them to you?” John asked, breaking me from my fantasies of wrapping my hands around his neck and snapping it.

“No! I don’t even know you!” I yelled in his face. Before he could respond I shoved him out of my way and ran for the door.

“Bye Fig Newton!” John called after me. Normally, I would pummel anyone who dared to call me after those disgusting so-called cookies. There was nothing cookie about Fig Newtons, they were like Nutri-Grain bars only smaller and harder. On normal occasions I would have happily beaten John’s face in for calling me that, but I was too focused on getting the hell away from him to want to beat the crap out of him.

As soon as I yanked the door of my car open, I dived inside, starting the car and flooring it out of the parking lot. My anger and frustration caused me to have a lead foot, the little hand on the speed-o-meter climbed rapidly toward a hundred miles per hour.

As I drove, my mind was focused on only one thing: revenge. That waiter was going to regret the day he stole Bella away from me, I was going to make his life a living hell.

The lights in my review mirror were blinding and unmistakable, I wanted them to be a figment of my imagination, but when the sirens blared, I knew they were real. With a loud groan I pulled over the car. This was all that stupid waiter’s fault, he was going to pay.

Bella’s POV

Alice ordered pizza, suddenly everything made sense. Alice and Rosalie hadn’t been at home because they were out shopping because Alice wanted to buy a new outfit for when the pizza boy, Jasper, came by to deliver the pizza.

“Alice did you seriously need a new outfit, when you knew I was on a date with Mike and I might need you help?” I questioned.

“Bella, have you seen this pizza boy?” she screamed, “He is totally, and completely hot! I had to get a new outfit that would impress him, but-" Alice stopped short, glancing over at Rosalie who scowled darkly at Alice.

“But what?” I raised an eyebrow at Alice, urging her to continue.

“Tell her Alice,” Rosalie snapped, she was clearly unhappy about something. I stared intently at Alice, waiting for her to tell me what she needed to tell me.

“But, he wasn’t working today,” Alice replied quietly, hanging her head.

“Exactly!” Rose cried. “So you drug me all the way to the mall for absolutely nothing! I could have stayed home, and I could have stayed dry, but no, that’s too much to ask.” Before I could ask Rose why she was so upset, she flew out of her chair and into her room.

When I stood up to follow her and talk to her, Alice tugged on my arm, pulling me back down on the couch, “Give her time, “ she said, “She had a little bit of an encounter at the mall and she’s still pretty mad about that.”

“Oh,” was all I could respond. I settled back into the couch next to Alice and sighed. Alice didn’t say anything, which was unusual for her, but I was thankful for the silence, it allowed me to reflect back on the night.

I thought about Edward, his vibrant green eyes, his messy bronze-colored hair, his pale skin, his breath-taking smile, and his silky voice. His voice had surprised me the most, not just because it was like silk, but because it had sounded so familiar, there was something about his voice, and his laugh, his hypnotic laugh, I felt like I had heard them before, but I couldn’t recall where.

“Bella?” Alice poked me on the shoulder.

“Yeah, Alice?” I muttered, barely moving my lips.

“Is it wrong of me to be infatuated with a man I just met, or if you want to be technical, don’t really know?” I turned my head to look Alice straight in the face, her expression was completely serious, for Alice, that was extremely rare.

“To be honest Alice, I don’t think so,” I replied, thinking about Edward. Alice smiled brightly at me, throwing her tiny arms around me and hugging me.

“Hey Bella?” Alice asked again when she released me.

“Yes Alice?”

“You do realize that because you didn’t use your phone to call me and Rose, if we had had our phones with us or had been in range, we might not have answered anyway because the number would have been unfamiliar to us.”

“No, I guess I didn’t think…..about….” I trailed off, turning Alice’s comment over in my head. I had used Edward’s phone to call Alice and Rose, which means….they have Edward’s number!

“Alice!” I squealed her name, unable to contain my excitement, “Go get your phone!” Alice eyed me suspiciously, but she did what I asked. I ran into my room and yanked my phone charger out of the wall. I plugged it into the outlet beside the couch and hooked up my cell phone so I could turn it on.

Alice came dancing back into the living room, her phone held tightly in her small hands. “Bella, why did you want me to get my phone?” she asked as she jumped up beside me on the couch.

Without answering her question, I reached up and took her pink Razr out of her hand, I laughed at all of the bling she had stuck to the phone. I flipped open the open the phone and opened up the call log. The most recent number didn’t have a label like all the other numbers. “Hey Alice, is the number I called on?” I asked her showing her the phone.

“Yeah Bella, why?’ Again I didn’t answer her question. I entered the number into my own phone and entered Edward’s name. When I hit the OK button a message popped up on my screen that read: “Number already exists. Do you want to replace ‘Stranger’ with ‘Edward’?” My eyes widened as I read and re-read the message. According to my phone, the man that had called me earlier that night had been Edward.

“Already exists?” Alice asked when she leaned over to look at my phone. “I thought you just met Edward tonight.”

“I did,” I answered, still in disbelief. “Alice, do you remember earlier when that person had called me but it was the wrong number?” Alice nodded her head. “Apparently, that had been Edward….Oh!” I exclaimed as everything fell into place. “That’s why his voice sounded so familiar when I first heard him speak, I had already talked to him before, I just didn’t know it was him!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Alice threw her hands up into the air, “Slow down, you mean to tell me that the stranger who called you earlier today, on accident mind you, is the same Edward you met at the restaurant on your horrible date with Mike. The Edward that saved you from Mike, is that correct?”

I nodded my head, “Yeah, what a coincidence.”

“Bella, sweetie,” Alice’s smile grew as she spoke, “That’s not a coincidence, that’s fate!” Alice clapped her hands together and squealed. I rolled my eyes at her.

“Yeah right Alice. Since when has fate ever been nice to me?” I asked her. Alice believed very strongly in the supernatural, she believed in fate, karma, and all that junk. I, on the other hand, did not. Maybe if I had been born beautiful with a perfect life such as Alice, I would have been more inclined to believe in that stuff, but I wasn’t beautiful and my life wasn’t perfect, I needed to be more realistic.

“Bella that is exactly my point. How many weeks has it been since you’ve been on a date with someone you actually liked?”

“My whole life,” I snorted.

“You see? You haven’t been on a date in months, not even a pity date, and when you finally do, you meet this gorgeous guy who saves you from the worst date of your life and also, earlier that night, before meeting that man, he calls your cell phone because he dialed the wrong number. Tell me that’s just one big coincidence and I will slap you,” she threatened.

“Okay, okay, I believe you,” I muttered. She smiled widely at me and glanced down at my phone, and back at me. “What are you thinking about Alice?” I asked skeptically.

“You should call him,” she stated as if it were obvious.

“I don’t know Alice, what if he’s asleep?”

“Call him,’ she insisted, pushing the phone toward my ear. Her gesture reminded of when Edward had bent my arm up to my ear when I had protested using his phone, not wanting to waste his minutes. Alice’s stern look told me there was no way out of this.

“Okay,” I relented, “I’ll call him!” I flipped open my phone again and scrolled through my phonebook until I found Edward’s name. Hesitantly, I hit send and pressed the phone against my ear.

“Hello?” Edward’s silky-smooth voice greeted me, causing my heart to speed up. Alice, being her usual nosy self, rested her head on mine, leaning in so she could hear every word Edward said.

“Hey there, stranger, did you miss me?” I replied, more confidently than I could have thought possible. Whoa, I thought, where did that come from?

“Um, I’m sorry, do I know you?” Edward sounded confused, I could almost picture his brow furrowed over his perfect features as he tried to figure out who was calling him.

“I must say I’m hurt that you don’t remember me, but I guess I understand, I am just a stranger after all.” Alice chuckled beside me, clearly finding what I had said funny. She didn’t’ realize that I was referring to the conversation I had held with Edward over the phone earlier in that day.

“Oh, I think I have an idea of who this might be…...” Edward replied, trailing off at the end.

“Really, and just who might that be?” I asked, glancing over at Alice.

“I believe you’re the girl I called on accident earlier in the day, but I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.”

“So, how was your day?” I asked casually in an off-hand tone.

“It was pretty good, and you?” Alice started bouncing up and down beside me, she was getting more and more excited with each passing second, although I had no idea why.

“My day was great, thank you. I went on a date with this really boring guy, but I wasn’t bored. The waiter was extremely sweet. He was nice enough to save me from my awful date, because my friends were at the mall buying new clothes because they had ordered pizza.” Alice blushed when I said this and mumbled another apology.

“Sounds like you’ve had an interesting day,” Edward laughed. “Mine was also pretty interesting...”

“You don’t say?” I interrupted, “Care to share?” I was surprised at how everything just seemed to fall out of my mouth. I had never felt so comfortable talking to someone I just met, much less a guy.

“I met this beautiful girl today,” my heart sank at his words. There was no way he could mean me. “She has chocolate brown eyes, pale skin, and long mahogany colored hair…” Alice squealed beside me, shaking me hard.

We continued to talk for several more minutes, Alice continued to listen in on our conversation. I was really tired, I tried to suppress the yawn that I felt creeping up on me, but I failed.

“You sound tired,” Edward noted.

“Yeah, I think I hear my bed calling my name. So it was nice talking to you, but it’s really hard to ignore my bed right now.” Edward chuckled on the other end. “Goodnight, E-“ I caught myself before I said Edward’s name I wanted to continue the charade for as long as possible, it would be fun. “Eh, goodnight stranger.”

“Goodnight, Bella.” The line went dead. I stared at the phone for several seconds, he called me Bella. He knew, well so much for keeping up the charade.

“Bella!” Alice shrieked, turning my head so I was looking at her. “This is fate! There is not way this can just be a coincidence!” I rolled my eyes.

“Whatever, Alice. Anyway, you heard what I told Edward, my bed’s calling me. I’m going to go to sleep.”

I turned to walk out of the room, “Wait, Bella!” Alice stopped me. I turned back around to face Alice, eyebrows raised. “You might want to talk to Rose before going to bed.” I nodded and pivoted on my heel, walking out of the living room.

I knocked on Rosalie’s door and entered on her word. “Hey Rose,” I greeted her.

“Hey Bella,” she replied weakly.

“Is there something you want to talk about?” She motioned for me to sit down beside her on her bed. I walked slowly over to her and sank down next to her on the bed. “What’s bothering you Rose?”

She thought about what she was going to say before she finally spoke. “Bella? What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you at the mall?”

Okay, so what did you think? Let me know!! The next chapter, you'll find out why Rose is in such a sour mood, do you think you can guess? Give it a shot! I'm still leaving my poll up. It only has like 35 votes, so I would love it if you voted!!! I'd love you all forever if you review!!!! Tell me what you thought, make suggestions, constructed criticism anyone? I'll update as soon as i can!! Thank you to all you loyal readers!!!!!

Chapter: 8

Hello there wonderful readers!!!! I finished reading my book for English (part of the reason for my delay in updating) it was really boring and hard to get into, but I am finished!!! And the project should be easy!!! Okay so before I lead into this chapter here are some stats!!!The last chapter received the most reviews of all the chapters!!! 52!!! It would be great if we could increase that number by AT LEAST ten!!!! Overall review count 220!!!!! Hits? 8519!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! Alerts? 189!!! I am so pleased by the response I have reveived for this story!! It was way more than I expected!!!! Okay, so here's Rosalie's most embarrassing moment at the mall!!!!! And you also get Bella's!!! I was surprised that of all the guesses, no one guessed what it actually was!!!! Well, here it is!!!!!! ENJOY!!!!!!!

Beautiful Accident

“Rose, do you realize how long it would take for me to answer that question thoroughly?” I stared incredulously at Rose. I couldn’t imagine anything happening to Rose that would embarrass her. Whenever we would go to the mall while Alice was running around in every store, Rose would always strut around like she owned the place. I could think of nothing that would embarrass her.

“I don’t mean every time you’ve been embarrassed, Bella,” Rosalie snapped back. “I mean themost embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you at the mall.” I sat still as I replayed every embarrassing moment I l experienced at the mall. I wasn’t sure if I could pick just one as my most embarrassing moment, there were a lot of really embarrassing moments.

“My most embarrassing moment,” I started slowly, “Was probably when I was at the mall with Alice and she made me try on this really skimpy outfit…”

“Bella, that’s not that bad,’ Rose interrupted me. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. Embarrassing mustn’t be a strong enough word. I am talking about the most mortifyingthing that has ever happened to you at the mall.”

“Rose, you didn’t let me finish,” I admonished. “Alice made me try on a really skimpy outfit that I felt extremely self-conscious in, and then, some little boy started screaming ‘fire’, I guess because he was trying to be funny. So I ran out of the dressing room, because I had no way of knowing that he wasn’t serious because I couldn’t see him. I had run out of the store before Alice could stop me. The store alarms went crazy. The security guards came and had to frisk me to make sure I wasn’t trying to steal anything. As if I could with how tight those clothes were in the first place!”

My face flushed with the memory, reliving the embarrassment of that day. Rose, I could tell, was trying really hard not to burst out laughing, but I could still see some of the annoyance in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Bella,” Rosalie patted my hand comfortingly. “Your face must have been so red. Did you kill that little boy?’

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t have the heart. Alice took me to get ice cream to make up for my embarrassment. She told me that the coldness of the ice cream would help cool off the burning in my cheeks.” Rosalie barked out a short laugh, but her face fell back to the annoyed expression she had been wearing when I walked in. “Was there a reason for making me spill my most embarrassing moment?” I inquired, hoping she would open up and tell me what she needed to tell me. “Or was it because you just needed something to cheer you up, and you thought funny Bella stories would be the quickest way?”

Rosalie smiled briefly at me, it didn’t touch her eyes though, before replying. “You’re right about one thing.” I raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to continue. “Funny Bella stories would be the quickest way to cheer me up if I needed it, but that isn’t why I asked.” Rosalie’s short-lived smile disappeared and her brow creased in worry.

“Then tell me why. There must have been a reason behind your asking,” I prodded, urging her to continue.

“No, there was a reason why I asked. Tonight when Alice and I were at the mall, something extremely embarrassing happened to me tonight. It was probably the most embarrassing even of my life! I actually blushed when it happened! Bella I blushed!” Rosalie’s hands were gripping my shoulders and she was lightly shaking me as she spoke, trying to get me to understand how big of a deal this was for her.

I was shocked. It took a lot to get Rosalie to blush. She was not an easily flustered person. I placed my hands on hers and pried her hands off of my shoulders. I put my hands on her shoulders and stared her in the eyes before speaking. “What happened, Rose? Tell me.”

She held my gaze and took a deep breath. “It was terrible, Bella, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over the embarrassment,” she began dramatically.

“Oh come on, Rose, it can’t be that bad. It can’t be any worse than what happened to me.” Rosalie shook her head vigorously, clearly in disagreement with me.

“I’m not so sure Bella. I don’t think any of your embarrassing moments involved the most gorgeous guy to ever walk the earth.” Rose’s words immediately sparked my interest. In Rose’s opinion, guys could only be classified into four categories: ugly, tolerable, cute, hot. This guy she was referring to, managed to create a whole new category, and be the only man in it. I was astonished.

“Tell me,” I nudged her with my elbow, to get her to spill. She shook her head from side to side, not in refusal, but to dispel whatever thoughts had snuck up on her.

She slowly inhaled a deep breath to clear her head, she blew out her breath slowly, and launched into her story.

Rosalie’s POV

“Alice, do you really need a new outfit just because you ordered pizza?” I asked as Alice drug me by the hand into the first boutique in the mall.

“Rose, did you see the delivery boy when he brought us our pizza last week?” She shot back. “He was totally hot! I don’t think I’ve seen anything like him before!” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Personally, he was lacking where muscle is concerned,” I contradicted.

“What are you talking about Rose?” The spirited pixie cried. “He was very muscular! He had lanky muscles, not big bulky muscles, but nice lanky muscles!” I held up my hands in surrender.

“Whatever Alice, I was just telling you what I thought. I prefer a man with more defined muscles. I don’t want anyone to mistake the strength of my man.” It was Alice’s turn to roll her eyes.

“You’re just silly, Rose.” She dismissed me with a wave of her hand, and dove into the depths of the boutique, on a mission for the perfect outfit to wear to receive a box of pizza.

I searched through a near by rack, but I wasn’t really in the mood to shop. This feeling took me by surprise, normally, I loved to go shopping with Alice. I had to admit that I was distracted, I kept thinking about my relationship with John, our relationship seemed to be a little on edge lately, and I wasn’t exactly sure about my feelings for him. He was nice, and I liked him, but I wasn’t sure if I could ever bring myself to feel anything more for him.

And then there was Bella. On her first date in well over a month, and out of all the decent men in the world, she had to be on a date with Mike Newton. Just thinking about him made me want to punch something. I did not like him at all, there was just something about him that screamed trouble. Maybe it was the way he looked at Bella, it left no doubt in my mind that he wasn’t thinking very appropriate thoughts about my dear friend.

No, I definitely wasn’t in the shopping mood. I looked over at Alice, she was in a heated argument with the salesclerk about the latest fashions.

“Hey Alice, I’m going to get something to drink!” I called to her, knowing she wouldn’t really comprehend what I was saying.

She waved her hand in the air to acknowledge that she had heard my voice. With a heavy sigh I turned to walk out of the store. I contemplated on whether I wanted to go to the food court to get something to drink or if I just wanted to walk down by Macy’s to Pretzel Time. I decided to go the food court.

As I walked, my hips swayed from side to side. I tried to ignore the gapping stares I received from almost every boy I passed, and I definitely tried to ignore every envious glare I received from many girls. On normal occasions I would encourage the stares of the boys and flaunt everything I had, making the envious glares burn with jealousy and self-contempt. However, I just wasn’t in the mood tonight.

I walked slowly up to the counter of Subway. A teenage boy was working the cash register. He was okay looking. He wasn’t ugly, but he was by no means cute. His dark hair was greasy and he had a lot of zits on his forehead.

“Welcome to Subway,” he said cheerily, smiling more warmly than necessary. Yeah sure, I thought. Welcome, to the fast food joint that claims to be healthy, and whose spokesperson lost a ton of weight by eating nothing but your food, I thought sarcastically, but mysteriously, he’s putting the weight back on! The Subway must be catching up to him!

I smiled politely at him. “Hi, I’ll have a diet coke please.” I reached into my purse and pulled out my wallet without looking up at the boy.

“Um, sure. Is that all?” he asked his over-rehearsed question. I shook my head no at him and he gave me my total. I handed him cash and he gave me my change. When he returned with my soda I took it with another polite smile and made my way away from the counter.

I didn’t feel like sitting down anywhere, all the tables in the food court were always dirty. No body had any consideration for the people who might sit down after them these days. I sauntered over to the fountain across from the food court, there didn’t seem to be too many people there.

I leaned heavily against the side of the fountain and stared at my reflection. My beautiful blonde hair fell forward toward the water, but hit the edge of the fountain and stopped. My hair framed my beautiful pale face, I stared into my own bright blue eyes. There was not a woman in the world who matched me in beauty, that much I was sure of, yet I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing.

I heard a splash of water and a shrill laugh followed, I looked up to see a small boy, no older than the age of two, staring at his reflection in the water and splashing it with his hand, causing his reflection to distort as the water rippled from the disruption.

He was sitting up on the fountain while his parents were talking to friends, with their backs turned. He slowly started inching closer to the edge of the fountain. He continued to splash at his reflection and screaming happily.

I watched completely mesmerized by the small boy, happy and unaffected and oblivious to the cruel world around him. I watched as he crawled over the edge of the fountain and into the water. He started jumping around in the water, screaming joyously and kicking and splashing water everywhere. I leaned away from the fountain to avoid the water being flailed everywhere by the small boy.

“Liam!” his mother screamed as she whirled around to find her son playing in the fountain. He had managed to dig deep and scoop up change, thrown into the fountain by dreamers. He began tossing around people’s dreams and wishes along with the water.

His mother rushed over to grab her son and hoisted him out of the water. “Liam, look at you! You’re a mess!” the young child’s mother cried. “Joseph, bring me Liam’s blanket please. It’s in the stroller!” Her husband brought the blanket to the worried mother who wrapped her soaking wet son in it and cradled him in her arms.

“It’s freezing cold outside, Joseph; he could get sick, being as wet as he is. I should have never turned my back on him. He could have fallen in and drowned. What would we have done if that had happened, we would have never known until it was too late!” She was frantic with worry as she spoke.

Her husband wrapped his arms comfortingly around his wife and son and kissed them each on the head. “My dear, you worry too much. He was just being a young child enjoying himself. He will be quite alright.” His wife seemed to relax at her husband’s words, but she continued to fuss over her son. Wrapping the blanket tighter around him and rubbing his back, hoping to warm him up with the friction. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me. I found myself completely wrapped up in the small family in front of me as a mother frets over her small son and her husband comforts her.

As the family walked away, the young boy, Liam, had his head resting on his mother’s shoulder, he looked tired, but he looked happy. His head moved up slightly and his eyes met mine. The small fist that he had clenched and was sucking on, he moved away from his mouth and waved shyly at me. I smiled and waved back. The boy buried his face back in his mother’s shoulder and I watched as the family walked away, and out of sight.

I took a long sip of my soda, the cold liquid sliding down my throat, and settling in my stomach. After watching what had just played out before me, I realized what was missing. I do have a boyfriend, but I don’t love him, and I was positive he didn’t love me, and I was sure that I wouldn’t ever love him, but that’s what I wanted.

I wanted someone who I could love, someone who would love me back. I wanted a family. I wanted my own son that I could dote on and worry about, I wanted a daughter that I could dress up and spoil and watch as she grows, developing into a beautiful young woman. I wanted to be able to share with her the joys of her first date, and having to restrain her father from embarrassing her when the young boy comes to pick her up to take her on her first date, I wanted a family.

Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a shiny quarter. I held it up to examine it as if reflected the light reflecting off of the water of the fountain. I turned my back to the fountain and closed my eyes tight against the world. I wish to find the perfect man, a man that I will be able to love with all my heart, and who will return my love. I man I will want to start a family with. I wish with all my heart for this. I leaned backwards and tossed the coin over my head. I listened closely for the splash, signaling the coin slicing through the water’s surface and sinking to the bottom. When I heard the splash, I pictured my coin, with my wish attached to it, settling at the bottom of a fountain of dreams and wishes. So many wishes and dreams, so many of them go unanswered.

“What did you wish for?” A voice interrupted my thoughts. My eyes were still closed, I slowly opened them and found myself staring back into two pools of a deep ocean blue. I smiled gently before answering, “If I told you, it wouldn’t come true.”

“That’s just a silly old superstition,” he laughed. His eyes roamed over my frame and straightened up, showing off my perfect body.

My eyes scanned his body as well. He was very muscular, his muscles were very well defined, there was no doubt in my mind that he was strong. His face was startling beautiful, his skin was pale, his lips were curled up in a goofy grin, that I found oddly attractive. His hair was dark and curly and I had a strange urge to run my fingers through it.

“Well, this one particular wish, I don’t want to take the chance of blowing.” He rolled his eyes at me, but he continued to smile. He took a step toward me and looked over my shoulder at the water.

“That’s a lot of suckers,” he mumbled to himself.

“Excuse me?” I asked, pushing him away from me, looking into his eyes.

“I was just saying that anyone who wishes on a dirty coin and then tosses it into a fountain hoping it comes true is a sucker. It’s just another way to scam people out of their money.” He was still smiling as he said this. I was almost positive that he was just trying to rile me up, but I was a little offended.

“Um, excuse me, but are you calling me a sucker!?” I yelled at him, unable to hold back my sudden wave of emotion. I felt guilty that I was taking out unrelated emotions on this beautiful stranger, but he just happened to say the wrong thing at the wrong moment.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just trying to…….well I don’t know exactly. I’m really sorry!!!” He was walking toward me trying to plead with me to forgive me. In my anger, I stepped back away from him and my legs crashed into the wall of the fountain, causing me to lose my balance.

I started to fall backwards, my arms flailed everywhere, finally finding purchase on the boy’s shirt, pulling him into the fountain with me. The water seeped through my clothes and tickled my skin. It was colder than I had anticipated. I landed hard at the bottom, I could feel the coins that had rested undisturbed, being rustled under my weight and the boy’s.

“Holy shit that water’s cold!” the boy howled. “I’m freezing my ass off!”

“Oh my god! I am so sorry!” I yelled. I could feel my face growing hotter, despite the cold water. I stood up in the water, but I slipped on all the coins and fell on top of the boy causing him to yelp in surprise. His arms flew around my waist to help me off of him.

“Did you do that on purpose?” he asked.

“No I swear!” my face flushed a deeper red. I felt like Bella, I couldn’t believe that I was actually blushing!!

“Damn, that water is cold!” he shivered as he pushed me gently off of him. He stood up and offered his hand to help me up. I hesitantly took it and he hauled me up, yanking me against his chest. “Are you okay?” he asked me. I slowly nodded my head. “This isn’t going to cancel your wish or anything is it?” he joked.

“I hope not. I’m sorry,” I apologized.

“Accidents happen.” He stepped out of the fountain and turned around and lifted me up out of the fountain effortlessly. My breath caught when I got a good glimpse at him. His wet t-shirt clung to his perfectly sculpted body, revealing how truly ripped he was.

“Rose! There you are!” Alice’s voice rang through the mall.

“Rose?” the boy raised his eyebrows. “Is that your name?”

“Rosalie,” I corrected.

He smiled. “I’m Emmett.” He held out his hand, which reminded more of a bear’s paw, out to me. I shook it, and noticed that it was still wet and slippery. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He opened it and his face brightened. “Well, hell’s bells!” he exclaimed, causing me to laugh at his strange phrase. “The damn thing still works, I would have thought for sure it would have broken! I guess there’s something to be said for heavy duty.” I nodded my head in agreement.

“I’m glad it still works,” I said, regaining my confidence.

“Oh yeah? Why is that?“ Emmett asked me.

“Because If It was broken I would’ve had to give you my number the old fashioned way.”

He raised his eyebrows at me. “And how is the ‘old fashioned way’?” he wondered.

“Writing it on your arm,” I stated boldly. He chuckled and handed me his cell phone.

“I think this will be better, it won’t wash off. Do I get to give you mine?” I reached into my purse, which thankfully had not fallen in as well, and handed him my phone. We entered our numbers and handed out phones back. I could still feel the heat in my cheeks as he said he would call me sometime soon, if he didn’t get sick from walking outside completely wet.

Alice reached me as Emmett was walking away. “Who was that Rose?” she inquired.

“No one Alice,” I replied mindlessly. “Let’s go home.” Thankfully, she let it drop for the moment. She was determined to get home and dolled up by the time the pizza got there.

As we were driving home, I became annoyed with myself. I couldn’t believe I had embarrassed myself in front of the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen. There was no way he was going to call the girl who pulled him into a fountain, no matter how beautiful that girl was. I knew it was ridiculous to think that he wouldn’t call me, most boys would kill to get my number, but I just couldn’t help but feel like I had blown everything by pulling him into that freezing cold fountain.

Bella’s POV

“Rose, don’t think like that!” I chided my friend. “He’d be a fool not to call you!”

“Then why hasn’t he called yet?” she countered.

I sighed, “Rose, there are so many things that could have happened that could prevent him from calling. There is no way that he would let that one little accident keep him from calling you. If he does, then he’s not worth your time anyway.” She smiled warmly at me.

“Thank you Bella, you’re a great friend.” I smiled at her and hugged her. “So what do you think, was mine pretty bad?”

I nodded my head. “Yes and no. It was very embarrassing I’m sure, but not as embarrassing as mine.” She laughed and nodded her head.

“You’re probably right,” she agreed. “Yours was pretty mortifying.” I nodded my head, laughing along with her.

“So, I didn’t get to tell you, you were right about Mike.”

“What about him?” Her eyes narrowed as she thought about Mike.

“He’s boring and not worth my time.” I informed her.

“Bella I don’t remember saying….”

“It was in you’re expression.” I told her.

She laughed. “Bella, you are way too observant.” She hugged me tightly looked in my eyes when she pulled away. “But I do believe that Mike isn’t worth your time, and I’m glad you realized it. Tell me more about your night.” She patted the pillow beside her and I crawled up next her and I was about ready to spill the night’s events to her when her phone rang.

She reached over and swiped the phone off of the nightstand and glanced at the caller id. “It’s Emmett!” she squealed. I hugged her tightly in encouragement.

“I told you so!” I exclaimed, happy for my friend.

“Thank you Bella,” she flipped open her phone and greeted Emmett on the other line. With one more squeeze, I slipped out of the room to let her talk privately.

Yawning as I closed the door, I decided to head off to bed. When I was completely finished getting ready for bed, I snuggled up to my pillow and breathed in the flowery scent of my fabric softener. I let my mind wander over the night’s events, talking on the phone with the “stranger”, my horrible date with Mike, meeting Edward, the wonderful drive home with Edward, my phone conversation with Edward, and talking with Rosalie.

As I curled up in my bed, I couldn’t help but thinking about the contrast between last Saturday and this Saturday. The difference between having no date and staying home alone, to having a horrible date lead to something wonderful was amazing.

Okay, so what did you think? Did I take you by surprise? Did I make you laugh? Writing in Rose's POV was fun!!!! What was your favorite part of this chapter? Mine was the part with the little boy, Liam. I love that name!!!! What was your favorite part? Review and let me know!!!! Review and tell me how i can improve my writing!! That would be wonderful!!!!! I love all of you who have been loyal readers!!!! And i love receiving your reviews!!!!! I hope to update soon!!! This was a surprise update!!! I had not anticipated it!! But here it is!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! For everything so far!!!!!!!! I really hope you are enjoying this story!!!!!!

Chapter: 9

All right everyone, here is the next chapter!! This is kind of a filler chapter, but it does have an important part to it!!! I don’t own this fabulous series. I hope you enjoy!!

Pizza Anyone?

I groaned when the intruding light grew fractionally brighter. I didn’t want to wake up, I was desperately clinging to my dream, it was so sweet and wonderful. But, unfortunately, all good things must come to and end. At least, that’s the way things happen in my life.

With a loud sigh I opened my eyes, the image of a beautiful green-eyed waiter dissolving immediately. I nestled deeper into my pillow, unwilling to face the new day.

As if sensing I was awake, there was a loud pounding on my door and a high-pitched voice calling my name. “Bella! Wake up!” Without waiting for me to respond, Alice burst into the room, causing my door to bang against the wall.

“Go away,” I mumbled under my breath, still unwilling to get up. Alice dove onto my bed and started bouncing excitedly, causing the bed to shake. I glared at Alice as she continued to bounce around, her eyes were bright with excitement.

“Come on you slugabed, get up!” Alice demanded, continuing to shake the bed, hoping to get me to get out of bed.

“Alice, why can’t I sleep in?” I inquired, closing my eyes to emphasis my point. The bed stopped shaking almost instantly. If I didn’t know Alice better I would have thought she had given up. Of course, she hadn’t. She climbed further up on the bed and rested her head beside mine.

“Bella?” she whispered. I ignored her, pretending to be asleep, even though she knew I hadn’t fallen asleep so quickly. “Bella?” she tried again.

“Hmmm?” was the only response I was wiling to give.

“Bella? Do you love me?” I sighed and opened my eyes to glare at her. I knew exactly what she was doing.

“Yes, Alice I do love you, and I’m getting up right now. Why do you want me to get up so badly anyway? I don’t’ think the pizza place is open at…” I glanced over at the clock, “Seven o’clock in the morning!” I thought I was going to choke. I couldn’t believe how early it was. “Alice,” I whined. “What do you want to do at seven o’clock in the morning?”

Alice laughed at my response. “Bella, we have to go shopping!” she squealed I my ear.

“You just went shopping last night!” I argued. Her bottom lip jutted out in an over exaggerated pout. “Alice you know I hate shopping, if you want to go, go, but let me sleep.”

A mischievous smile spread across Alice’s face and her eyes danced. She rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled so that she was hovering over me. “You’ve got two options,” she began lightly, “Option one, you surrender and go shopping with me, or option two, I tickle you until you cry and drag you with me. What’s it going to be?”

I glared at Alice before answering. “Fine, I’ll go with you, but why do you want to go anyway. You were out just last night.”

“Because Bella, after raiding your closet last night for something you could wear for your date, I realized it’s time to buy you more clothes.” I groaned inwardly. It was bad enough that Alice wanted to drag me along with her when she shopped for herself; it was ten times worse when she dragged me to the mall to shop for me.

“Alice, why today? I have homework I have to do, Alice,” I pleaded, scrambling for an excuse to get me out of going to the mall.

“Bella, you finished your homework on Friday that excuse isn’t going to work.” Alice glared at me and inched her fingers closer to my sides. If I didn’t cooperate she was going to tickle me until I agreed. I hated being tickled.

I coughed, not too convincingly but I hoped just enough. “Alice, I think I might be coming down with something.” I wanted Alice to know, that I was less than enthusiastic about going to the mall.

“Bella, come on. Rose is going too; it will be a girl’s day out. Just the three of us, please Bella.” Alice’s hands continued to inch closer to my sides. If I didn’t give in soon, she would attack.

“Ugh, you’re so pushy Alice!” I exclaimed as I sat up, pushing her off me. She quickly bounced to her feet and engulfed me in a hug. I hugged her back and then ushered her out of my room so I could get ready.

As I sifted through the clothes in my closet I grimaced as I remembered what Alice had said about raiding my closet. There was nothing wrong with the clothes I had, I didn’t need any more clothes. I was perfectly happy wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Alice, however, always felt the need to dress me up in the “latest” style clothing. I could honestly care less if what I was wearing was in style or not. As long as I was comfortable, I was happy.

I picked out my favorite pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with a black jacket and set them on my bed. I sighed when I thought of what Alice would say, but I didn’t care.

I walked out of my room fully dressed with my hair thrown up in a loose ponytail. My face was plain, the only time I wear makeup is when Alice attacks me with it. Alice gave me a disapproving look when she saw what I was wearing.

“This is exactly why we are going shopping, Bella,” she frowned. “Honestly, will it kill you to dress up every once in a while?” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Alice, why does it matter to you what I wear? I’m perfectly fine wearing this. I don’t need anything fancy.” Alice’s eyes narrowed.

“Bella, we are going shopping and you will have fun. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” There was no fighting with Alice. I was going weather I liked it or not, and I knew it all along.

“Okay Alice, but let me pay for my clothes.” Alice grimaced and shook her head.

“Bella, if I let you do that, you’d only come home with one outfit. I can’t let you do that. Have you seen your closet?” My frown deepened.

“I’m not going to give you free reign this time Alice. I don’t like you wasting all your money on clothes I don’t need or I won’t wear.” Alice waved a hand in the air, dismissing my words.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Bella. I’m not wasting money on you. I’m just buying you clothes that you desperately need.”

“Need!” I scoffed. “Alice I have a closet full of clothes that I actually wear and I have a closet full of clothes that I never wear. Those clothes are all clothes that you buy because you think I ‘need’ them.”

“Are you guys fighting about Bella’s clothes again?” Rosalie asked as she pranced into the room, dressed like a model going to a photo shoot.

“Bella is being difficult,” Alice complained. “She keeps telling me that she doesn’t need any new clothes, but trust me, she does! You should see the clothes she has hanging in her closet.” Rosalie was trying really hard to suppress a smile.

“But everything Alice buys me, I never wear, so she shouldn’t waste her money.” Rosalie let out a laugh.

“Bella, Alice is going to buy you clothes no matter if you’ll wear them or not. If you don’t like them, she’ll still buy them. If you don’t’ need them, she’ll still buy them. I thought you knew by now that once the pixie gets something into that spiky little head of hers, there’s no deterring her from her goal.”

Alice smiled shamelessly at Rose who just laughed harder. I groaned loudly and shoved past both of them to get into the kitchen. “I might as well eat. Can’t go shopping on an empty stomach.” My voice rang with false enthusiasm.

“That’s the spirit Bella!” Alice chirped, dancing up behind me to make herself a bowl of cereal. I smiled at her and sweetly and grabbed the cereal from her hand to pour my own bowl.

After breakfast Alice grabbed me by the hand and pulled me outside and into her car, apparently she didn’t trust me enough to let me walk on my own. She must have thought hat I would try to back out on her or something.

Alice chattered incessantly the whole way to the mall. I tried my best to drown her out. She talked about the stores she wanted to take me to, she talked about the pizza delivery boy, Jasper, endlessly she talked about Jasper.

Alice’s words took on a different tone when the subject of her conversation changed to her current boyfriend Anthony. “He seems distant lately,” Alice explained. “He didn’t seem at all upset over me canceling our plans last night. He seems distracted.”

“Maybe he’s just busy with school,” Rosalie suggested. Alice shrugged. “You did say he has a big test coming up soon.”

“Yeah, I guess. But he’s had big tests before, and he never acted like this then. I think he might be losing interest.”

I snorted. Alice’s eyes locked with mine in the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raised. “Alice, how could you think that? You’re beautiful and fun to be around, there is no way he’s losing interest in you!”

Alice smiled at me. “Thank you Bella.”

“Oh, don’t mind me, I didn’t say anything to comfort you,” Rosalie grumbled sarcastically. Alice turned her head to the side to smile at Rosalie as well.

“Thank you Rose!”

Alice whipped her very conspicuous Porsche into the closest parking space available for a Sunday morning and hurried me and Rosalie into the mall. Alice grabbed my hand and hauled me into the nearest clothing store.

I tried to focus on staying on my own two feet as I was dragged into one of the many places I despised. As soon as we were in the store Alice was flinging clothes at me, telling me I needed to try them on.

With a heavy sigh, I walked into the dressing room after Alice loaded me up with at least four different outfits, all expensive in price. I mindlessly tried each one on, they all fit. Alice had an uncanny talent at picking out clothes that always fit me.

“Do they fit? Do you like them? Can I get them for you?” Alice began firing questions at me the second I stepped out of the dressing room.

“Whoa, Alice, one question at a time! Yes, they fit, and they are too expensive I can’t let you get them for me.” I purposely avoided her second question. In truth, I did like what she picked out, but if I told her that, there would be no stopping her from buying them. I didn’t want her spending a lot of money on me, I hate when people spend a lot of money on me.

“Do you like them?” Alice persisted, realizing that I had avoided her second question. I sighed.

“Yes Alice, I do like them. But,” I added quickly when her face brightened with excitement, “I will only let you buy me two outfits.” Alice’s face fell a little, but she was still smiling.

She flung her small body at me and her tiny arms flew around my neck in a hug surprisingly strong, considering Alice’s size. “Thank you, Bella!” she squealed. “Which two do you like the best?” Her eyes darted between the four different outfits in my hand, trying to decide which one I would like the best.

I held out the two that I thought looked the best on me for Alice’s examination. She nodded her head. “Yes, these are definitely the better of the four.” With a graceful sweep of her arm, she snatched the two rejects away from me and placed them on the rack with all the other rejects.

Grabbing my arm so I wouldn’t run out of the store, we headed up to the counter to buy my two new outfits. Alice placed the dark blue babydoll top, red v-neck sweater and two pairs of blue jeans on the counter causing the salesclerk to look up, boredom clear in her eyes.

I looked away as the clerk began ringing up the clothes; I didn’t want to know how much Alice was spending on me. I walked over to Rose was standing, flipping through a magazine, before the salesclerk announced the sales total to Alice. I just didn’t want to know.

“How much?” Rose asked smugly.

“How much what?” I shot back.

“Did she buy you?” She clarified.

“Oh, just two outfits. I didn’t stick around to find out how much the cost was.” That caused her to laugh.

She patted my back comfortingly, “It’s okay Bella. You couldn’t have stopped her no matter what you did. She was going to buy you new clothes. She needs help; she’s a shop-aholic.” I nodded my head, completely in agreement.

We spent the next several hours walking around the mall. Alice would drag us into every nearby clothing store and come out with at least two bags from each store. It amazed me at how much Alice could shop. The phrase "shop ‘till you drop" took on a whole new meaning for me when I met Alice.

When Rose and I had finally managed to drag Alice out of the mall the sun had almost reached its peak in the sky. A glance at my phone confirmed that it was getting close to noon.

“I’m hungry,” Rosalie complained.

“Me too,” I agreed. “Since we’re already out, we might as well stop and eat somewhere.”

“We could go back in the mall and eat in the food court,” Alice suggested hopefully.

“Not a chance!” Rose and I exclaimed at the same time. There was no way we would let Alice go back in the mall. If we did that, we wouldn’t’ make it home until seven. Alice frowned and then her face lit up brighter than before as another idea came to her.

“Let’s go to Home Slice Take N Bake Pizza!” She exclaimed, bouncing up and down in excitement. Rosalie rolled her eyes at Alice.

“Alice haven’t you had enough of that place yet?” She asked, placing a hand on Alice’s shoulder to get her to stop bouncing.

Alice shook her head quickly from side to side. “They have great pizza, Rose!” She argued, trying to mask the real reason she wanted to go.

“Yeah,” Rose began sarcastically, “Their pizza is always hot…..and so is their delivery boys!” Alice flashed a dazzling smile at Rosalie and skipped over to the driver’s side of her Porsche and climbed in, ending the argument. We were going to Home Slice Take N Bake Pizza, and there would be no arguing about it. Alice always got her way.

We walked into the restaurant, a quaint little pizza joint, with about twenty tables scattered about the open room. I was looking around the restaurant when I heard Alice gasp. I glanced over at her and saw that she had a flirtatious grin on her face. Following Alice’s gaze, I saw a face that I had only seen once before, but I knew the name that went with the face.

“Hi Jasper!” Alice greeted the tall blond behind the counter. His bright smile wavered a little with confusion, as he tried to figure out how Alice knew his name.

“Um, how do you know my name?” he asked softly. I wondered if he actually meant for us to hear it, he was talking so softly.

Rosalie was snickering as she glanced between Alice and the delivery boy working the counter. Alice didn’t say anything; she just continued to smile at him. Rosalie became annoyed by the silence and pointed to the name tag pinned to Jasper’s uniform.

“Oh,” he said softly, looking down and blushing slightly. When he looked back up, there was a small, shy smile on his lips and he was looking straight at Alice. “Welcome to Home Slice Take N Bake Pizza, home slice. How may I help you?” He rolled his eyes slightly at the script he was required to follow.

Alice giggled at the ridiculous line. “Well….home slice, we’ll have one large pepperoni pizza—“

“Breadsticks!” Rosalie interrupted.

Alice laughed at Rose’s outburst. “Breadsticks, and three medium drinks, please.”

Jasper handed her a two cups and a table holder, why we needed table holders, I had no idea, this wasn’t Chuck E. Cheese. “Take this and put it on your table, and I’ll bring your pizza and…..breadsticks,” Jasper threw a mocking glance at Rosalie, “when it’s ready.”

Alice flashed a smile at him and we walked to the soda fountain. “Oh my god,’ Alice whispered to me and Rose, “He is so gorgeous!”

“Mary Alice Brandon, you should be ashamed of yourself!” I whispered fiercely. “You continue to flirt shamelessly with a boy who doesn’t even know your name when you have a loyal boyfriend.” Alice smiled sheepishly at me, “guilty” written all over her face.

Alice led us to a small table in the corner. I noticed as I sat down, that the front counter was clearly visible from where we sat. I smirked at Alice intently watching the front counter.

“Earth to Alice!” I waved a hand in front of Alice’s face, calling her attention back to me. “What are we going to do with her Rose?” I looked over at Rosalie for her response, but she was looking away from us. “Rose?”

“Um….Do you remember what you said about Alice having a ‘loyal boyfriend’?” She turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Rosalie’s words caught Alice’s attention and she looked up curiously at Rosalie.

“Yeah,” I responded. “Why?”

Rosalie pointed to a table in the corner opposite of us. Alice let out an audible gasp. “I can’t believe it!” She hissed. My eyes were wide with shock. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. Anthony was sitting, giving us a side-profile view, with another girl.

“Maybe it’s not what it looks like,” I suggested. “Maybe she’s just a really good friend.” As if trying to prove me wrong, Anthony leaned in and kissed the girl full on the lips. “Or not.” I mumbled to myself.

Slamming her fists down on the table, Alice stood up and marched over to the table where Anthony sat.

“Hello, Anthony,” her voice was sweet, he was in for it.

“Alice!” His eyes almost bulged out of his head at the sight of his girlfriend. "Honey! Um…..um, I’d like you to meet Brittney, she’s a friend from school.”

“Anthony you didn’t tell me you were in a play!” Alice’s smile was completely innocent. Anthony’s expression turned from surprise to confusion.

“I’m not in a play,” he stated obviously.

“Of course you are, there’s no need to be modest. Obviously you managed to land the leading role in some play and Brittney is the other leading role, and that kiss I just witnessed was simply you two rehearsing your big scene.” Alice’s face was perfectly composed, there was no sign of the anger she was feeling.

“Oh right, that play. It was nothing. Brittney and I are supposed to spend time together to build our chemistry.” Alice nodded her head slowly.

“Can I help you with the play?” Alice asked persuasively.

“Um, sure.” Anthony was falling for the trap.

“I hope that you won’t mind my improvising,” I glanced over at Rosalie and met her eyes. We both leaned forward, unable to predict what Alice was planning on doing.

“Improvising?”

“Yeah, after the two leads share their on-stage kiss, I come in and accuse the male lead of being a cheating dirtbag, and then…..you know maybe it would be better if I showed you.” Alice picked up Anthony’s soda and held it over Anthony’s head. Anthony opened his mouth to say something, but he didn’t have a chance, Alice tilted the cup and let the contents of the cup spill over and onto Anthony’s black hair.

Alice walked quickly back to our table and sank down into her chair, placing her head in her hands. “I knew it,” she mumbled to herself. I could tell that she was fighting back tears.

“Alice, he doesn’t know what he’s giving up,” Rosalie hugged Alice tightly in an effort to comfort her. “If he’s stupid enough to give you up, he’s not worth it. Anthony wasn’t the right guy for you. There’s some guy out there who was made for you Alice, and Anthony wasn’t it. You’ll find the right guy soon.”

“Exactly,” I agreed. “You don’t need Anthony, Alice. Now cheer up. I think our pizza might be close to being done.” Alice sat up and smiled at my words.

“Here’s your pizza…and breadsticks, ladies,” Jasper set the pizza down in the middle of our table and looked down at Alice. His brow creased in concern as he took in Alice’s tear-stained face. He knelt down beside her, with one hand on the back of her chair and stared into her face. “Hey,” he whispered softly, “Are you okay?”

Alice shook her head, wiping her eyes. “My boyfriend cheated on me.” Her voice was so soft, I had to lean in to hear her. I was surprised that she would actually tell someone she really didn’t know something so personal.

“Well that’s his loss. He doesn’t deserve you, if that’s how he’s going to treat you.” Alice nodded her head and smiled.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “My name is Alice, by the way.” Part of me wanted to laugh at Alice’s boldness. Even when she was sad, she knew how to reel someone in.

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Alice,” Jasper smiled. “Pizza’s on me.”

“What about the breadsticks?” Rosalie asked before Jasper could turn to leave.

He laughed, still looking down at Alice. He looked up at Rosalie briefly before answering, “Breadsticks too.” With another gentle smile at Alice, he walked back to the kitchen.

“I like him,” Rosalie stated. “I approve.”

“What?” Alice’s head jerked up and she stared at Rosalie questioningly. “What do you mean ‘you approve’?” Rosalie shrugged.

“I meant exactly what I said.” Alice narrowed her eyes at Rosalie but didn’t push the matter further. Before anyone could say anything else, my phone started ringing. I had it lying on the table next to the pizza and as I reached for it, Alice swiped it up and looked at the caller id. A wicked grin spread across her face.

“Alice, give me my phone!” I hissed.

She ignored me, flipping the phone open and holding it up to her ear. “Hey there Mr. Sexy!” Alice greeted the person on the other line. The color drained from my face when I heard the nickname.

“Alice!” I yelled. “Give me the phone now!”

“My name is Alice and I’m Bella’s roommate. She can’t come to the phone right now, she’s in the shower.” She paused to let Edward talk. I contemplated lunging at her and forcibly taking the phone away from her. I decided against it, I didn’t want to cause a scene, and with my luck, I would knock the table over in the process.

“Yes, I am well aware that this is Bella’s cell phone. No, she’s busy, she can’t talk right now. If I let you talk to Bella, she would drop her cell phone in the tub and I would have to buy her a new one, I’m sorry.”

“Alice! Phone! Now!” I held out my hand for the phone, but she ignored it. Beside Alice, Rosalie was laughing so hard, her face was turning red.

“Oh come on, that’s no fun!” Alice whined into the phone. “Fine. Bye, Mr. Sexy!” Alice snapped the phone shut and set it back on the table, smiling at me.

“Alice what the hell was that?” I demanded.

“I was just having fun Bella. There’s no harm done. You can call him back if you want.” Rosalie was clutching Alice’s shoulder for support and gasping for air, she was laughing so hard.

I snorted. There was no way I was going to call Edward back right now. Not after Alice had called him ‘Mr. Sexy’ and told him I was taking a shower. My cheeks burned red just thinking about what Edward might say.

“Alice I can’t believe you did that,” I mumbled, “After I let you buy me two new outfits today! And I didn’t’ even complain about the price!” Alice sighed.

“Bella, just call Edward back, and explain to him that I was just having a little fun.” I shook my head. “Bella, if you don’t do it, I will.”

That was all the warning I needed. My phone was in my hand and at my ear before Alice could utter another word. My heart raced as the phone rang. It rang…..and rang……and rang. There was no answer. Edward’s perfect voice flooded my ear, but it was only a recording. I sighed as I hung up the phone. “Thanks a lot Alice.” Edward was never going to talk to me again, and it was all Alice’s fault.

What did you guys think? Good reviews help prevent writer’s block, which I was close to having for this chapter. They also help make the story better. I love hearing your opinion!! Let me know how you liked it!!!

Chapter: 10

I am so sorry this took so long to get up!!!!! The day I posted chapter 9 I found out my grandpa died, so I have had no time whatsoever to write!!!! Anyway, last chapter broke the review record with 69!!! Thank you!!!! I would like to dedicate this chapter to my grandpa Bob the best storyteller I know, who never got the chance to read any of my writings. I hope this is something that would make you proud!!!! I love you and I will miss you so much!!! When we see each other again I expect to hear tons of fantastic new stories!!! 3 With much love, Jessica 3

Phone Call

Edward’s POV

“Man, I’m telling you, this girl was HOT. With a capital H-O-T.” I rolled my eyes as Emmett gushed about some blonde girl he had run into at the mall. “And the way her wet shirt clung to her perfect body and the way they defined her breasts….I really wanted to…”

“Emmett, shut up!” I yelled. “I honestly don’t care to hear about what you wanted to do, because knowing you, it was nothing decent.” Emmett’s booming laughter filled the room.

“I’m a little offended. What do you think I am, some pervert or something?” Emmett was grinning. “But seriously, I was only going to say that I really wanted to get to know her.”

I snorted. “Emmett, you do realize that what you said could be taken one of two ways?” Emmett grimaced.

“Well, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. My point is this girl was hot.” Emmett had been raving about a beautiful girl who had pulled him into the water fountain at the mall ever since he came home last night. Emmett had a soft spot for beautiful women. Vanity was the most important thing to Emmett. All of his previous girlfriend’s had been attractive, but they were all either stuck-up, mean, or stupid. There are so many things more important than vanity when it comes to a relationship. Maybe one day Emmett will finally realize that, and actually have a successful relationship.

“And she totally pulled me into that fountain,” Emmett continued. “She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me in after her…”

“Emmett, she was falling! She grabbed your shirt to try and steady herself!” Jasper corrected Emmett’s exaggerated story. Jasper had been at the mall with Emmett last night. He had seen what had happened from a distance, laughing so hard, tears were running down his face.

“Okay fine, if you want to be all technical about it! But the fact of the matter is, she pulled me into the fountain with her!” Jasper gave Emmett a disgusted look and walked out of the room.

“What did I say?” Emmett asked me. I just shook my head. Emmett shrugged and plopped down in front of the TV.

With a sigh, I walked over and joined him. I had nothing better to do. I didn’t dare turn on my cell phone. Tina had called the home phone so many times Emmett had ripped the thing out of the wall. One more thing we needed to replace thanks to Emmett.

“So tell me more about what happened last night,” Emmett asked, eyes still glued to the TV screen. I stared at the TV screen, thinking of what I wanted to say. There were so many things that I could say about last night….

“What do you want to know?” With Emmett, it was easier to cut to the chase. Instead of telling Emmett the whole story, telling him what he wants to know is easier.

“Tell me about this girl that you were talking to on the phone when Jasper and I came home. Start there.” Emmett glanced over at me as he waited for me to begin.

“It’s a long story Emmett,’ I warned him, and in a way it was. If I wanted to tell Emmett everything I would have to start with when I had called Bella by accident earlier yesterday.

“I’ve got time,” he responded stubbornly. I couldn’t understand why Emmett wanted to know about Bella so badly. Emmett was never one to sit and listen to other people’s life stories.

“Fine,” I finally relented. I launched into the story about calling the wrong number and actually enjoying talking to the stranger on the other end, and about what had happened at the restaurant. I tried to make my story as short as possible, but I found myself getting lost in my description of Bella. I could picture her beautiful face, cheeks tinted red with blush, perfectly in my mind.

Emmett noticed the change in my tone when I started talking about Bella in more depth. He raised one eyebrow and smirked.

With a slight shake of my head, I finished my story, making a conscious effort to not let myself distracted when I talked about Bella. I told Emmett about when Bella had called me and I figured out that she had been the person I had called on mistake. What were the odds?

As I talked to Emmett, my phone conversation with Bella last night ran in through head…

“Hey there, stranger, did you miss me?” A familiar sweet voice flooded my ear. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t think of anyone I knew with a voice this sweet. Where had I heard this voice before?

“Um, I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked still trying to figure out who was calling me.

“I must say I’m hurt that you don’t remember me, buy I guess I understand. I am just a stranger after all.” And then it clicked. My thoughts flashed to the earlier in the day when I had dialed the wrong number. After tonight’s events I had completely forgotten about my conversation with the stranger that had intrigued me.

Bella had made me forget, with her beautiful features and her…..sweet voice. My intuition flickered and my heart sped up as I considered the possibility. Could the girl I had called on mistake be Bella? It was a long shot, but I decided to go with it.

“Oh I think I have an idea of who this might be…..” I trailed off. I didn’t want to call her Bella until I was absolutely positive it was her.

“Really, and just who might that be?” the sweet voice questioned me.

“I believe you’re the girl I called on accident earlier in the day,”- and if I’m correct, Bella.- “but I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.”

“So, how was your day?” she asked in a casual tone. This is good. I can figure out if this really is Bella by asking her about her day!

“It was pretty good, and you?”

“My day was great, thank you. I went on a date with this really boring guy, but I wasn’t bored. The waiter was extremely sweet.” I felt a grin spread across my face at her words. “He was nice enough to save me from my awful date, because my friends were at the mall buying clothes because they ordered pizza.” My smile widened even further. There was no longer a doubt in my mind that I was talking to Bella. I wondered if she knew who I was.

“Sounds like you had an interesting day,” I laughed happily. I wondered briefly at the pizza thing, it didn’t make much sense, but I shrugged it off. “Mine was also pretty interesting….” I continued. I wanted Bella to know who she was talking to me. It was strange, the feelings this girl I just met today stirred inside of me. It was exhilarating.

“You don’t say?” Bella interrupted me before I could launch into my story. “Care to share?”

“I met this beautiful girl today,” I began to explain. There was silence on the other end, so I continued. “She has chocolate brown eyes, pale skin, and long mahogany colored hair….” There was a high-pitched squeal on the end. It didn’t sound like Bella’s voice. At first I felt a little offended that someone else was listening in on my conversation with Bella. I felt like no one else should get to hear what Bella and I told each other.

I surprised myself. I wasn’t normally a selfish person, so that very selfish thought took me by surprise. Bella and I just met; our conversations shouldn’t be extremely private. Just two people getting to know each other. It wasn’t such a big deal that someone was listening in. There, that didn’t sound so selfish. If only I actually meant it.

Then I recalled that Bella might not know that she was talking to the waiter who had saved her from her horrible date. I frowned at the thought. I wanted so badly for Bella to know that it was me, but I didn’t want to just come out and say it….

Bella and I continued to talk. Occasionally I would hear the same high-pitched squeal, and each time I felt the same surge of selfishness surge through me. I tried to ignore the squeals as much as I could, but it was hard. They were right next to the phone.

As I continued to talk to Bella I noticed that her words started slowing down and I could hear her yawning. “You sound tired,” I said reluctantly. If she confirmed that she was, that meant that our conversation would end. I didn’t want it to end. I liked talking to Bella. Tonight, at the restaurant and in my car, I had found myself completely entranced whenever she talked.

“Yeah, I think I hear my bed calling my name.” I frowned slightly, not wanting to say goodbye. “So it was nice talking to you, but it’s really hard to ignore my bed right now.” I chuckled, unable to help myself. “Good night E-eh, good night stranger.“ What was that? She was about to call me Edward! She does know! So why didn’t she address me by my name?

“Good night Bella.” I hung up the phone, and put it in on the charger, still on, just in case.

“Hello? Edward?” Emmett waved a hand in front of my face. “Edward……Edward look! There’s a stampede of swimsuit models running toward our apartment!” That snapped me out of my trance.

“Emmett, of the men in this house, you would be the only one immature enough to go running to the window if someone told you that ,” I swatted his hand away from my face. He just laughed.

“I don’t know, Eddie, after seeing Rose in a wet t-shirt… I don’t think a swimsuit model would be hot enough.”

“Two things. One, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Eddie? I hate that name, and I’m not going to beat you to get you to stop calling me that because that would be stupid. Two, who the hell is Rose?” Emmett beamed at me.

“You tell me not to call you Eddie all the time, but I just don’t listen. Rose is the girl I met at the mall! Did you already forget! “Emmett stared at me incredulous that I had forgotten the name of the girl who had pulled him into the fountain.

“Emmett…” I shook my head, unable to finish my sentence. Emmett was one of my best friends, and he had been for a long time, he was just so unlike myself in so many ways.

“What did Emmett do now?” Jasper questioned as he walked into the living room, straightening his work uniform work shirt.

“Hey Home Slice!” Emmett yelled at Jasper. Ever since Jasper started working at Home Slice Take N Bake Pizza in Forks, Emmett calls Jasper Home Slice every time Jasper has his uniform on and says…..

“And don’t be forgettin’ to bring me a slice, Home Slice!” Jasper glowered at Emmett who was laughing his butt off at his own “joke”.

“Emmett, when are you going to realize that, that isn’t funny?” Jasper snapped, snatching his keys roughly off the counter.

“What are you talking about? It’s hilarious!” Emmett protested.

“Emmett, it’s old. You’ve been saying the same thing for almost two months,” I cut in. Emmett crossed his arms over his chest and looked away childishly.

“Anyway, I ‘m going into work,” Jasper smiled as he put his phone in his pocket. I glanced over at Emmett who was staring at Jasper with a confused look on his face. This past week Jasper has been really enthusiastic about going into work. I knew that Jasper didn’t wasn’t close to any of his co-workers. He was really shy and always reluctant to get too close to anyone. Emmett and I were outstanding exceptions. I didn’t know whether to be worried about Jasper or suspicious.

“Hey, what’s up with you lately?” Emmett demanded. Emmett was so simple-minded. Anything that ran through his head always crossed his lips as well.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jasper lied causing Emmett to snort.

“Yeah right! Oh please all this week you’ve been like a kid preparing to go pick up his new puppy when you’ve been getting ready to go to work. Spill the beans already!” Jasper’s eyes narrowed and then he glanced at the clock.

With a sigh he turned back to Emmett. “If I don’t leave for work now, I’m gong to be late. I’ll tell you tonight, okay?” Jasper looked anxious to get out of here, there was definitely something going on.

“Excited about work are we?” Emmett smirked.

Jasper shrugged. “Is that okay?” He asked again.

“You promise?” Jasper nodded his head. “Spit swear?” Emmett spit into his head. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, Jasper did the same.

“Emmett that’s gross!” Jasper exclaimed.

“Do you swear?” Emmett stuck his spit-filled hand out at Jasper. Jasper hesitantly spit into his hand and shook Emmett’s bear paw of a hand.

“You’re so childish,” Jasper complained. Emmett was satisfied; he was going to get his answer tonight. “You need to grow up Emmett.” Jasper ran into the kitchen and washed his hands and then hurried out the door.

“I agree with Jasper, Emmett,” I told him when the door shut behind Jasper. Emmett rolled his eyes.

“Whatever Eddie. You know you love my childishness!” I scowled at the name he used.

“Not when you call me that!”

Emmett only laughed. “So what do you want to do?” I crossed my arms in front of my chest and raised an eyebrow at Emmett, waiting. “I’m sorry I called you Eddie,” he mumbled in defeat.

“Thank you. And we’re not doing anything. I’m going in my room and listening to music and relaxing before I have to call Tina tonight and get my job back.” I grimaced as I thought about the phone call that I would have to make later in the night.

Emmett laughed. “You’re seriously thinking about going back there?”

I nodded my head. “The pay was good.” Emmett rolled his eyes dramatically.

“You could get paid so much better somewhere else.” I shook my head.

“Not while I’m going to school. I have to get this job back. I’ll find a way to deal with Tina.” Emmett patted me on the back, and then turned to go back into the living room.

Shutting the door behind me, I walked across my room and turned on my stereo. I placed my favorite cd of mixed classical numbers in and turned it up all the way. I flung myself onto my bed and rested my head on my pillow, anticipating taking a nap before tonight and the phone call looming in my future.

As I laid there, listening to the music that swirled around me, each beat weaving around me allowing me to relax, I thought about Bella. There was something about her that had caught my interest and all though I’ve only known her for one day, I feel like I’ve known her my entire life.

Part of me was screaming that I was being irrational. I didn’t know this girl, and the other part of me was screaming, get to know her.

I quickly realized that I wasn’t getting any sleep anytime soon. I glanced up at the clock on my nightstand, but instead of seeing the clock, I saw my cell phone. Reaching over across my bed, I plucked my cell phone off the night stand and flipped it open. Scanning through my contacts, I found Bella’s number and hit ‘send’.

I waited impatiently as the phone started ringing. With each ring of the phone, my heart sped up. What was wrong with me?

“Hey there Mr. Sexy!” A high pitched voice greeted me. I pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure I had called the right number and hadn’t accidentally hit the scroll button before the send button. My phone claimed that I didn’t call the wrong number. I wondered who the high-pitched voice belonged to, because it wasn’t Bella’s, and why they had called me…..Mr. Sexy?

“Um, who is this?” I asked into the phone.

“My name is Alice and I’m Bella’s roommate.” The girl, Alice, answered in a sing-song voice. Why was Bella’s roommate answering Bella’s cell phone? Did Bella not want to talk to me?

“Can I talk to Bella?” I tried to keep the slight hurt out of my voice, but I’m sure the girl, Alice, heard it. If Bella didn’t want to talk to me anymore, she could have told me.

“She can’t come to the phone right now, she’s in the shower.” My heart sped up as visions of Bella showering flooded into my head. No! Bad, Edward! I mentally scolded myself. You just met the girl for heaven’s sake! I dispelled the pictures from my mind with a vigorous shake of my head.

“You are aware that this is Bella’s cell phone, right?” I inquired.

“Yes, I am well aware that this is Bella’s cell phone.”

“So shouldn’t Bella be the one to answer her phone?” For some weird reason, I got this feeling that this Alice girl was lying about Bella being in the shower, so I persisted. “So can I talk to Bella?”

“No, she’s buys, she can’t talk right now. IF I let you talk to Bella she would drop her cell phone in the tub and I would have to buy her a new one, I’m sorry.” I really wished I hadn’t persisted in quest to talk to Bella. I had to slap myself to keep the not-so-innocent visions of Bella out of my head.

“I have to go,” I said abruptly when I heard Emmett’s thundering footsteps approaching.

“Oh come on, that’s no fun!” Alice complained.

“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t really that sorry. It was for the best that this conversation ends.

“Fine. Bye, Mr. Sexy!” Again with the Mr. Sexy! Where did that come from? I closed my phone and tossed it across the room right as Emmett barreled into my room.

Emmett looked at my phone and then at me. “Who was that? You look kind of flustered.”

“Go away Emmett!” I yelled, throwing my pillow at him. I really wanted to be left alone right now. Emmett dodged the pillow and dived for my phone.

“You called Bella!” He exclaimed. “That’s why you’re flustered!” I groaned.

“I didn’t talk to Bella, Emmett. Now get out!” I jumped off my bed and slammed into him. I tried to wrestle my phone away from him, but he was stronger than me. He threw me off and ran out of my room.

“Should I call her back for you?” Emmett boomed, his cackling laughter filing the room. I ran after him and into the room.

“Emmett, don’t you dare, “ I warned in a voice so low, it was almost a growl. Emmett flipped open my phone, taunting me with his eyes.

“What will I say when she answers?” he mused.

“Emmett!! Give me my phone!” I charged at him, lowering my head. I rammed my body into his with all my strength. Apparently, Emmett was expecting me to have this much strength because he actually gave way under my weight and my phone went flying.

“Shit!” I ran after my phone and I watched in horror as it started ringing as it flew out the open window. I wheeled around and glared at him darkly.

“If that was Bella, you are so dead.” I ran out of the apartment, praying that by some miracle my phone had survived the three story fall.

As soon as the elevator doors opened I dashed out and tore my way to the front entrance. One thing that might be to my advantage is our apartment doesn’t face the road. Underneath our balcony is nothing but grass. I listened for my phone, hoping it would ring, but I heard nothing.

Underneath our balcony, I dropped to my hands and knees and started searching frantically for my phone. Unfortunately, the grass hadn’t been cut in a while and it had rained hard this past week. Last night had been the only clear night.

Searching around with my hands, I couldn’t find the stupid thing. “Emmett!” I yelled up at our balcony.

“Yeah Eddie?” He asked as he walked onto the balcony.

“Since this is your fault, call my cell phone so I can hopefully find it!” Emmett saluted me and walked back into the apartment to get his phone.

“It’s ringing Eddie!” He yelled. I listened closer for my phone while continuing to search with my hands. I couldn’t find the stupid thing.

“Just got your voicemail Eddie!” Emmett informed me right as my hand came down on a warped piece of metal. Or what used to be my phone.

“Shit,” I mumbled. “EMMETT YOU OWE ME A NEW PHONE!” I yelled up at the balcony. Emmett cursed really loud and stomped back into the apartment.

Emmett and I were sitting in silence, neither of us talking to each other after what had happened, when Jasper walked in with a grin on his face.

Emmett, always impatient, jumped up from the sofa and charged the door. “You made a promise! Spill!”

And now you know why Edward didn't answer!!! The next chapter will be from Edward's POV!! Jasper has to spill!!! I'm dead tired right now. So I'm sorry if there are a lot of mistakes. if you point them out i will fix them. Later, I will go through and fix them all. I would love to hear from you all. I love all my fantastic reviewers!!! My readers as well!!!! Hits are 15, 757!!! Thank you all!!! I love you!!!! Please review!! Tell me how you liked this chapter, I think it needs improvement, I think it could have been better, personally. So surly you guys have something to critique!!!!! (Did I even spell that right? My brain is fried right now!!!!) Well I love you all!!! And I will update soon!!!

Chapter: 11

Hey guys!! Sorry about the wait!! I meant to update last week, but I had a couple of snow days, and I love snow!!! And I had a lot of homework, makeup work!! I think I might have had a few readers drop :( Last chapter got 20 less than the one before that and had roughly 700 less hits. The total hit number is at 19,572!! OH MY!! Thank you!! Dateless is in 6 communities which is pretty cool!! Thank you to all my readers!!! I love you all!! And of course thank you to all my reviewers!!!! You guys are great!!! It's Stephenie Meyer's series not mine!!! I'm just borrowing the characters!! Here's the next chapter!! ENJOY!!!!

What are the Odds?

“Hello to you too, Emmett,” Jasper smirked. As Emmett came running toward him, Jasper stepped to the side, causing Emmett to barrel into the door. I burst out laughing as Emmett bounced off the door.

“Emmett, you’re supposed to open doors before you can go out of them!” I called, still laughing. Emmett was completely unfazed; he turned to Jasper and folded his arms over his chest.

“Emmett, can I get in the door first?” Jasper asked. “I just got home, give me a minute. I promise I will tell you.” Emmett lumbered back into the living room to wait for Jasper to return.

Half an hour later, Jasper ambled back into the living room, showered and changed. Sitting down in the armchair across from the couch, Jasper beamed at us.

“Tell us, what in the world has had you so distracted lately, and why in the world are you excited about going to work at a pizza place!?” Emmett practically screamed. Emmett was not a patient person.

Jasper shook his head at Emmett, his smile growing wider, and then began his story.

Jasper’s POV

“Jasper, I’ve got an order for you to run,” Tim informed me. I looked up from my cleaning the counter and smiled tentatively. Finally, I thought. It had been a slow night which was unusual considering it was a weekend.

I finished wiping down the counter and turned to face Tim. “It’s about time,” I smiled. Tim smiled back at me, clearly unable to help himself.

“Yeah, kid,” he nodded his head. “We’ve been pretty slow tonight haven’t we?” I continued to smile, not showing that the ‘kid’ part bothered me. But I guess to Tim, seventy years old working at a pizza joint for fifty years, every one of his employees were kids.

“Maybe it will pick up after this,” I commented hopefully. I hated slow nights. They were very uncomfortable, being stuck in a small building with ten or more people I hardly knew. Usually we were pretty busy, but occasionally we would have nights where there are only a few calls per hour…one of the downsides to working in a small town.

After the order was ready I grabbed the pizza and the car keys and headed for the door. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The silence was starting to kill me, slow nights made it harder to fade into the background. I preferred to keep to myself.

Closing the door against the brisk wind and cold air, I sighed. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. It felt good to be alone, I didn’t really enjoy being at work, trying to make light conversation with my co-workers was always painful. They weren’t people I could easily relate to.

As I drove I let my mind wander, reflecting on my life. My life was pretty good. I had two great friends that, despite how different we were, I got along great with. Normally, I’m like a turtle and I tend to hide in my shell, for some strange reason, I didn’t feel the need to hide in my shell around Edward and Emmett.

College was great. I was majoring in philosophy. I laughed as I remembered the time when Emmett had confused psychology and philosophy; how he could confuse the two, both completely different, was completely beyond me. I shook my head at the memory. As Emmett had put it, ‘psychology is the study of psychos!" He would know.

My life was going pretty good. Emmett, however, believes I’m too shy around girls. That wasn’t necessarily true. The right girl hasn’t’ caught my eye yet, and I prefer not to make a fool out of myself In front of them, unlike Emmett. All in all, my life was pretty good.

The car rolled to a stop in front of a large condominium complex, it looked nice. Leaning over the seat, I grabbed the pizza and held it securely in my hands before stepping out of the warm car and into the cold night air. I rushed up to the third floor and searched for the door I was looking for. When I found it, I rang the door bell once and waited for a response.

“Pizza’s here!” I heard a high-pitched voice yelled from the other side of the door. Roughly thirty seconds later the door was yanked open by a short pixie-like young lady. She couldn’t have been taller than five feet. She smiled up at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. My eyes unconsciously scanned the length of her body.

She looked fragile. She was short and petite, her hair was short, black, and spiky, pointing in different directions. Her pale skin was beautiful and free of blemishes; it looked soft, like Snow White. She was beautiful.

“Hello, miss,” I greeted her as smoothly as I could manage in my stunned state. It was difficult, but I thought I managed.

“Hello yourself,” her reply was confident and she grinned at me, her eyelashes batting. Usually when a girl bats her eyelashes at me I find it repulsive, but with this girl, I found it….alluring.

I felt my grin widen on my face as I stared back into her pretty hazel eyes, forgetting the reason I that had brought me there.

Recalling the pizza box in my hand, I gave her the total and she handed me two twenties. As I reached into my pocket to collect her change, she placed her hand over mine and said, “Keep the change.” At first I thought she was pulling my leg. I raised my head so that my eyes met hers. Her smile was genuine and her eyes held nothing but truth. I smiled at her.

“Thank you,’ I replied. “Have a nice night, miss,” With one last smile, I turned to leave.

“Good night!” I heard her call after me, causing me to laugh. I waved at her and continued on my way.

On the drive back to work, I found that I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about that girl. There was something about her that didn’t make me want to shy away from her, something warm and inviting. Was it her infectious smile? Her bright hazel eyes? Whatever it was, I found myself wishing I would see her again.

Edward’s POV

“Aha!” Emmett exclaimed, “The reason behind your enthusiasm is revealed!!” Emmett’s laughter faded and a smirk overtook his features. “I should have known it was a girl!”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Jasper raised an eyebrow at Emmett, who stared back, his chin tilted up.

“If you should have known, why didn’t you?” Jasper challenged. Emmett’s head lowered, and he glared at Jasper.

“Because you’re not normal when it comes to girls. How the heck was I supposed to know?” Jasper smiled.

“Classify ‘normal’ for me Emmett, please.” Emmett frowned at Jasper’s words.

“A normal guy when it comes to girls….talks to them….shows interest….and…acts like a guy!”

I couldn’t hold back my bark of laughter. Emmett’s head snapped and he glared at me. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Emmett where you even listening to Jasper’s story?” I questioned with a mocking smile.

“Yeah….why?”

“Well if you were listening, you would know that Jasper did act like a normal guy, according to your definition.” Emmett frowned and then beamed.

“So Jasper is normal!” Emmett laughed, causing Jasper to scowl.

“Jasper, continue your story,” I interfered before their dispute escalated.

Emmett closed his mouth with an audible snap and Jasper lounged back in the chair before continuing.

Jasper’s POV

“Whoa!” Emmett’s arm flew up, preventing me from going further. “Check her out!” Emmett pointed to the fountain in the center of the mall where a tall blonde was bent over, reaching into her purse. Emmett let out a low whistle.

“Emmett, can we ever go to the mall without you hitting some cute girl?” Emmett gave me a look that told me he thought I was insane.

“Jasper…..do you see her? She’s not like the other girls I hit on….she’s HOT!” Rolling my eyes, I turned to look at a window display while Emmett checked his reflection in the window. Smoothing his hair down with his hands, he smiled at me and held up his two thumbs stalked over to the water fountain.

I turned around to watch the show. Half the time, Emmett ended up getting slapped in the face because he ran his mouth too much and said the wrong thing. Leaning casually against the window of the store, I watched the exchange between Emmett and the tall blonde girl.

My eyes were fixed on Emmett, he looked like he was trying to apologize to the girl, and she looked slightly offended. He was walking toward her, causing her to back up into the fountain and lose her balance. I thought I was going to die of laughter as I watched the girl grab Emmett’s shirt to try and steady herself, but instead, pulled him in after her.

My laughter caught in my throat when a short figure cam gliding out of the store entrance only two feet away from me. I blinked my eyes rapidly, convinced that my mind was just playing tricks on me. Scanning, the short figure all thoughts of Emmett and the tall blonde were forgotten. It was her!

I was about to take a step toward her when her voice stopped me. “Rose! There you are!” her high pitched voice rang in my ears, leaving me stunned. I watched as she loped gracefully toward Emmett and the tall blonde girl.

I watched in a daze as the beautiful pixie-girl from the previous weekend reached the tall blonde girl’s side as Emmett walked away. Emmett was glowing when he reached me, he was too distracted by the tall blonde to notice that I was staring in the direction he had just came.

“I scored her number!” He announced proudly, breaking me from my trance. I rolled my eyes and we continued down the mall and to the exit. I laughed when Emmett cursed as the cold air hit his wet clothes. When I glanced over to see Emmett shivering in the passenger seat I was glad I had decided to come with Emmett to the mall. My thoughts immediately flickered to the pixie-like girl and I smiled wider as I drove down the ghostly interstate.

Edward’s POV

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Emmett threw his hands up in the air, “You mean to tell me this girl that you met last weekend was at the mall last night?” Jasper nodded his head. “Why didn’t I see her?”

“You were too busy looking at that Rose girl,” I stated the obvious, and I hadn’t even been there.

Emmett beamed and nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah…you’re probably right. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her, she-“

“Emmett, please, do not go into another description of this girl. We get your point. She was hot,” I cut in before Emmett could repeat his words from earlier in the night.

“Well she was…” I narrowed my eyes and Emmett closed his mouth. Turning back to Jasper, a smirk formed on his lips. “So, did anything interesting happen at work today?” Emmett’s tone left no doubt in either of our minds exactly what he was talking about.

Jasper’s smile was brighter than the sun as he leaned forward to share his story.

Jasper’s POV

I hated working the counter, I preferred running deliveries. At the counter, I feel so exposed, everyone at the restaurant can see me, and it was uncomfortable for me.

“Hey Jazz, did you watch the football game last week?” Tyler asked, coming up beside me and leaning against the counter, facing me. This was another reason I hated working the counter. I shook my head, not wanting to get involved in an intricate conversation about all the controversial calls that had been made in the football game last week. I had watched the football game with Edward and Emmett of course; I just didn’t want to engage myself in a conversation with Tyler about it.

The other reason I hated working the counter was all my co-workers and all the flirtatious costumers always felt the need to call me Jazz. I only allowed people close to me call me Jazz, none of these people fell into that category.

The sound of the bell on the entrance door alerted us that we had costumers. Tyler shrugged away from the counter and ambled toward the kitchen. I glanced up at the new arrivals and froze, a smile spreading across my face; again I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I watched as the pixie-like girl walked gracefully toward me, the tall blonde from the mall, Rose, and a short girl with mahogany colored hair flanking her sides.

“Hi Jasper!” she greeted me as she reached the counter. I could feel the confusion on my face as I wondered how she knew my name.

“Um, how do you know my name?” I asked, my voice as soft as ever. She said nothing, she continued to smile. The blond, Rose—Rosalie, Emmett had told me her full name was—was snickering at me. When she became annoyed she pointed to my nametag pinned to my shirt that had my name in white letters.

“Oh.” I looked down, embarrassed; I could feel heat coming to my face. It took me a second before I could look back up at meet her eyes. I was afraid that she would think I was stupid, which I was not.

When I looked back up, I smiled shyly at the black-haired girl that had spoken to me. “Welcome to Home Slice Take N Bake Pizza, home slice,” I recited the ridiculous phrase that I was required to say, “How may I help you?” I rolled my eyes, hoping to convey how utterly ridiculous I found that entire sentence.

The pixie-like girl giggled. “Well….home slice, we’ll have one large pepperoni pizza—“

“Breadsticks!” Rosalie cut in.

The pixie-like girl laughed at her friend’s outburst before continuing. “Breadsticks, and three medium drinks, please.’

I handed her three cups and a table holder for when I brought the pizza out, I could match the order number with the table, although for this particular order I wouldn’t need it.

“Take this and put it on your table,” I instructed, “and I’ll bring your pizza and…breadsticks,” unable to help myself I glanced mockingly at Rosalie, “When it’s ready.”

The pixie-like girl smiled at me s they walked to the soda fountain. I could hear her whispering animatedly to her friends, but I couldn’t’ make out what she was saying. I put the order in and leaned against the wall next to the counter. There wasn’t much for me to do; the lunch rush didn’t start for another fifteen minutes. Before the rush the place was pretty much…dead. There were only two tables occupied, a couple at one and a small family at another.

I walked into the kitchen and glanced around for something that would take my mind away from the pixie-like girl in the restaurant. I could picture her face perfectly in my mind, her bright hazel eyes filled with happiness and excitement, her pale face purely sanguine, her smile bright and radiant…I became totally distracted. Picturing her in my head didn’t seem to be satisfying enough; I wanted to see her face in person again. Surly, such beauty could not be recreated in one’s mind; the picture in my head most likely did not do her justice. I needed to see her face again.

Anxiously, I waited for the order to be filled. It felt like an eternity since the girls had placed the order. I wanted to take the order out to them so I could see her face again.

At last the food was finished. I held the pizza and breadsticks securely in my hand and I headed for the kitchen door. My pace was faster than normal. I was too eager to deliver the food. Expeditiously, I walked toward the table; I felt a smile spread across my face as I took in the black haired pixie-like beauty. Her head was tilted down slightly, so I could not see her face properly.

“Here’s your pizza….and breadsticks, ladies,’ I said as I set the pizza down in the center of the table, and the breadsticks beside the pizza. Unable to stop myself, my eyes wandered to the pixie-like girl, her head was tilted up toward me and my heart clenched when I took in her expression.

Her hazel eyes that had been so bright and filed with joy not even thirty minutes ago were dull and filled with hurt. Her cheeks were streaked with water, as if she had been crying, there was a faint trace of a smile on her lips, but it seemed to take great effort. Her face was tinged red, no doubt caused by her crying.

Placing my hand on the back of her chair, I kneeled beside her so that my eyes were level with hers. When I spoke, my voice was just above a whisper. “Hey,’ I began tenderly, “Are you okay?”

The pixie-like girl shook her head and wiped her eyes. “My boyfriend cheated on me.” Her words so soft, but they affected me all the same. My hand gripped the back of her chair tighter, the muscles on my arms strained and the palm of my hand began to sweat with the force of my grip. My expression remained in place, a perfect mask of emotion. On the outside I was calm and collected. On the inside my heart raged.

I felt pain for the girl, seeing her tear-stained face was almost too much. It was strange, I didn’t even know the girl’s name, but her pain caused me pain. I could tell by looking at her eyes that it was not common for her to be upset. The past times I had seen her she was in good spirits.

A long second had passed since she had told me what had happened; I needed to say something that would hopefully cheer her up. I wanted to cheer her up, to see the genuine smile I had seen on her face every time I had seen her previously.

“Well that’s his loss,” I managed to keep my voice soft and soothing when I wanted to fling vile words and accusations at the person who had caused the fragile pixie-like creature in front of me so much pain. “He doesn’t deserve you,” I continued calmly, “If that’s how he’s gong to treat you.” She nodded her head and smiled. This smile was genuine and seemed effortless, it was smile I had seen her wear before. It lit up her face, despite the smudge of dark makeup.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly. “My name is Alice by the way,” she added with a confident smile.

“It’s nice to officially meet you Alice,” replied smiling. Alice, what a pretty name I thought to myself. “Pizza’s on me, I added.

“What about the breadsticks?” Rosalie asked quickly.

I couldn’t help but laugh, I was still looking at Alice, and she was laughing as well. Her eyes were coming back to life I noticed with an inward grin. I glanced up at Rosalie to answer her question, “Breadsticks too,” I clarified. I smiled gently down at Alice and she smiled back at me, and then I turned and walked away.

I put the money for the girl’s food in the register out of my wallet and grabbed the spray bottle and rag from underneath the counter. I didn’t want to go back into the kitchen, I wanted to stay at the counter, where I could see Alice’s table.

The girl’s conversation had grown animated and I could hear them talking to each other quite clearly. A phone rang and I watched as Alice snatched it off the table as the girl with mahogany colored hair reached for it. I watched as a wicked glint appeared in Alice’s eyes and a wicked grin spread across her face.

The girl with mahogany colored hair hissed at Alice but her voice was too quiet for me to hear.

Alice flipped open the phone and greeted the person on the other line cheerfully and loud enough for me to hear. “Hey there, Mr. Sexy!” My heart sunk at her words. I couldn’t fathom the melancholy feeling that spread through me at her words. It was irrational, I didn’t really know much about this girl, but I felt this strange attraction, this strange, indescribable connection to her, but who would she greet like that? I wondered to myself with a pang.

“Alice!” The girl with mahogany colored hair yelled. “Give me the phone now!” My head snapped up at her words. Why was the other girl so angry over Alice answering the phone?

“My name is Alice and I’m Bella’s roommate,” Alice said into the phone. Maybe the phone wasn’t Alice’s I thought optimistically. “She can’t come to the phone right now, she’s in the shower.” She paused while the other person responded, her face was bright and her eyes were filled with humor.

“Yes, I am well aware that this is Bella’s cell phone,” I let out a sigh of relief. If that was the girl with mahogany colored hair’s phone, Bella as Alice had said, then surly the person calling was looking to talk to Bella. The humor in Alice’s eyes made sense then. Alice was purposely trying to embarrass Bella. It was painfully obvious in Alice’s expression, Bella’s red face, and Rosalie’s fits of laughter. “No, she’s busy, she can’t talk right now. If I let you talk to Bella, she would drop her cell phone in the tub and I would have to buy her a new one, I’m sorry.”

“Alice! Phone! Now!” Bella yelled and she held out her hand for the phone, but Alice ignored her.

“Oh come on, that’s no fun!” Alice whined. “Fine. Bye, Mr. Sexy!” Alice closed the food and smiled widely at the girl named Bella.

Bella mumbled something to Alice, but again, it was too soft for me to hear.

“Bella, just call Edward back, and explain to him that I was just having a little fun,” Alice said loud enough for me to hear. “If you don’t do it I will.” Bella immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number and held it to her ear. The name Alice had spoken immediately caught my attention. I knew that it was most likely a different Edward than my roommate, but something inside of me, deep inside of me, told me that maybe it was the same. I shook my head. No, there was no way. The odds were a million to one; it had to be a different Edward.

I watched as the girls walked out of the restaurant when they had finished eating. I moseyed over to the table to clean it. I began wiping down the table when something caught my eye. I peered over the table and into the chair Alice had been sitting on. Sitting on the chair, was a purse. It was black leather and it looked expensive. I reached my hand out to pick it up to look for contact information when a high pitched voice made me freeze.

“Oh there it is!” I whirled around to find Alice dancing toward me. “I hope you weren’t trying to steal that,” she joked.

I nodded my head. “No, I was going to see if there was a way I could teach you so I could return it.” Alice smiled at me.

“That’s very nice of you.” I picked up her purse and handed it to her. She took it from me and her hand brushed against mine. Her hand was small and warm. Her hand lingered there, on mine and the contact allowed me to memorize every line of her hand that touched mine. Her hand was smooth and soft, it sent a sensation of warmth and a sense of belonging through me. It felt like that’s where her hand belonged, on mine. ‘

She pulled her purse closer to her and she reached in and pulled out a small wad of money and handed it to me. “I hope this is an adequate tip,” she said as she handed me the money. I smiled at her tenderly.

“I don’t want your money,” I told her, pushing her hand away gently.

“It’s the least I can do since you paid for our meal. Please take the money.” She smiled sweetly and I looked deeply in her eyes. Her eyes bore into mine and they seemed to speak to me. They told me to take the money, not because of the money, but because of something else. I couldn’t tell what that something else was exactly. ‘Take the money, for me.’ Her eyes said. My hand stretched out automatically and my hand wrapped around hers as I gently took the money from her tiny hand.

“Thank you,” we whispered at the same time. I wasn’t’ sure why she was saying thank you, but it didn’t really matter.

“I should probably be leaving now,” she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

At her words I began to panic. “Will I ever see you again?” I asked. She smiled at me tenderly.

She made no gesture, she just continued to smile. My hand, of its own accord, reached up and stroked her delicate cheek. Her eyes closed at my touch and her head leaned into my hand slightly, as if desiring more contact.

When I pulled my hand away, hesitantly, her eyes opened and she smiled back at me. The words I couldn’t suppress bubbled back up to my lips and I found myself repeating my earlier question, “Will I ever see you again?”

Alice’s smile brightened and she turned to leave. I took a step toward her and her head turned back toward me. “Sooner than you think,” she answered over her shoulder and continued out the door.

I smiled after her, mesmerized by her every movement. When she was out of site, I glanced down at the money in my hand and unfolded it. As I unfolded the money I noticed a piece of white paper mixed in with the money, when the money was completely unfolded I discovered that the paper was torn out of a notebook and it had a name and a number scribbled on it. ‘Alice Brandon’ it said and beneath the name it had a number. My heart raced in my chest as I read and reread the number, committing it to memory a huge smile was plastered on my face, I found myself incapable of frowning, and I was in good spirits as I prepared for the lunch rush.

Edward’s POV

“Hell’s bells, Edward, we’ve got to meet this girl!” Emmett bellowed. “She’s causing our little Jazzy to come out of his shell!” I shook my head at Emmett and Jasper scowled darkly at him.”

“Emmett, you know I despise that name,” Jasper glowered. “Why do you insist on calling me that?”

“Because it annoys you!” Emmett stated proudly. I rolled my eyes at both of them.

“That isn’t what’s important. Jasper,” Jasper’s head turned toward me, “What did you say the other girl with Alice’s name had been?” That was the part of Jasper’s story that intrigued me the most.

“Bella, Alice had called her.” My smile brightened immediately at hearing her name.

“And she had mahogany colored hair, was slender, pale, and short?” Jasper nodded his head. “That’s Bella, the Bella I met yesterday, I know it is!” I was beginning to get excited. Jasper shook his head slowly.

“Wait a second!” Emmett said. “So this Alice girl, she’s friends with the Rose I met at the mall, in fact she was there that night, and Rose and Alice are friends with Bella, the girl Edward met last night?” Jasper and I nodded are heads.

“What are the chances of that?” Jasper mused.

“Whoa! That’s weird!” Emmett commented.

“What are the odds?” Jasper mumbled to himself.

“For once,” I said, smilingly widely, “For once, the odds are in are favor.”

What did you think? I told some of you who inquired about it, that some connections were going to be made next chapter!!!! Tell me what you thought!!! I love reviews!!! I am proud to say that so far this story has not received a single flame!! (and I know I just jinxed myself!!) which I am actually surprised, because thought I would get a few of those. I think I need to put more confidence in my writing. shrug Anyway!! I love hearing from you guys. Hearing what you thought, your ideas, anything!!! BxE in the NEXT CHAPTER!!!!! PROMISE!!!! From here on out there will be more BxE more often!!!! PROMISE!!!! I had to give AxJ and EMxR their chance!!!! Thank you to all my reviewers so far!!! Thank you thank you!!!

Chapter: 12

I am SO SO SO SO SO SORRY I haven't updated in over a month. That was never my intentions! Life just got in the way...I am SO SORRY!! I hope no one dropped this story because of it. Several times I tried to sit down and write, but something came up, I'm SORRY!! So here is the next chapter. Thank you tp am anonymous reviewer (maraudergurl2010) for the idea! It was magnificent so I decided to use it. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and i PROMISE to update soon. You have my word!! (And if I break it you can all virtually beat me with a broom! Sounds fun right?)

A Reason to Love the Rain

It had been one week since I had last talked to Edward, I was beginning to think that Alice had scared him off and he was never going to talk to me again. My head was screaming at me that I was being silly and he most likely just busy, but my gut was telling me I had been a fool to even think of the possibility.

With a cumbersome sigh, I scanned the pantry for something to make for breakfast. There wasn’t much in the pantry, so I settled on a bowl of cereal. I chewed slowly as I thought about the day ahead of me: nothing. I was in for a day of sheer boredom, looking for something to do while Rose and Alice go out shopping. I am proud to say that I talked myself out of this particular shopping trip.

“Morning Bella!” Alice sang cheerfully as she danced into the kitchen. She’s been extra chipper since last week.

“Good morning, Alice,” I replied taking another bite of my cereal.

“Lucky Charms again?” She asked eying my breakfast. I took a big, dramatic bite of my cereal and chewed it slowly, pretending to savor it. Alice‘s eyes twinkled.

“What are you thinking about Alice?” I wondered out loud. Alice flashed a dazzling smile and motioned for me to lean in. I leaned forward and waited for her to talk.

“You know how Rosalie’s birthday is two weeks from next Saturday?” she whispered softly. I nodded my head slowly. Alice smiled, “Well, I was thinking maybe would could have a big blow out masquerade surprise party!” Alice was bouncing up and down excitedly at the thought of a party.

“You can plan that in less than three weeks?” I asked. Alice gave me an incredulous look and I immediately felt stupid for thinking otherwise. Alice would be planning the party. Alice could plan the entire New Years Eve party in Times Square in three weeks. “Well?” Alice asked when I wasn’t answering because I was lost in thought.

“It sounds great!” I smiled. “Rose will totally love it! Well….when she arrives. She’ll be in a bad mood until then though, you know how she gets if you forget her birthday….”

Alice laughed. “I pity the person who dares to forget Rose’s birthday…” Alice trailed off when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. I smiled at Alice and scooped another spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

“Good morning Rose!” Alice greeted Rosalie in the same sing-song voice as she had greeted me. Rosalie smiled at Alice and rolled her eyes.

“Good morning Alice, how much caffeine have you had already?” Rosalie raised her perfectly groomed eyebrows at Alice.

Alice’s smile was unfaltering as she answered, “I’ve had four cups of coffee,” she said with a small bounce. I laughed at Alice’s answer and shook my head.

“Oh dear lord!” Rosalie exclaimed exaggeratedly. Rosalie’s outburst made me pause, my fork hanging in the air en route to my mouth. As I started to laugh again, I dropped my fork and it crashed into my bowl, sending milk and Lucky Charms cascading over the edge of the bowl.

Alice looked over at me and shook her head, making tsking noises. “Alice, you better not be extra hyper while we shop,” Rosalie continued. Alice rolled her eyes and I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. “Because the last time you were extremely hyper at the mall, you got us kicked out.” Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Alice, who started laughing.

“I remember that!” Alice squealed. “Those security guards didn’t like me pretending to be the mannequins. They said I was disturbing other shoppers…..” Alice shook her head.

I laughed, “You did what?” I asked, in disbelief, neither of them had told me about this.

Alice turned her wide smiled on me and Rosalie answered the question. “Alice, here, was really hyper because we had gone to Starbucks after lunch. We were shopping at Charlotte Rousse when Alice decided that the mannequins weren’t modeling the clothes correctly. Alice stood by the mannequins and posed, showing them how to do it. I swear, she acted like she was drunk….but she was only sugar high.” I was laughing so hard I had to hold sides because they hurt with all the laughter.

“And they wouldn’t listen either,” Alice put in with a sarcastic huff. Rosalie shook her head at Alice and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She came back with her purse in hand. She set the purse on the table and sifted through it and pulled out her camera. She turned it on and scanned through the photos.

“That’s one picture of Alice posing with the mannequins.” Rosalie turned the camera so I could see the picture. I laughed when I saw tiny Alice standing between two tall mannequins. She had her hands on the back of her hips and one leg was out in front of the other and she had a serious-model look on her face. She was standing so anyone could see the entire outfit. The mannequin to the right of her had her arm across her body and the one on her left had both arms leisurely placed in front of her stomach.

“Alice, what made you do that anyway?” I wondered.

“Like Rosalie said, we had Starbucks after lunch and I was really hyper. Well, the way the mannequins were standing, you couldn’t see the clothes! So I decided to show them how a real model shows off their clothes.” Alice’s eyes twinkled with laughter as she talked.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and started walking toward the door. “Come on Alice, we need to go now if we want to get to the mall before it opens.” Alice nodded her head and walked followed Rosalie.

“Bye Bella!” Alice chirped. “Have fun today!”

“Bye Bella,” Rosalie waved as she walked out the door. I waved after them and watched as the door shut behind them. I quickly finished off the last bite of cereal in my bowl and stood up to take it into the kitchen when the front door opened again.

“I forgot my purse,” Alice announced, reaching for her purse on the chair by the door.

“You seem to be doing that a lot lately,” I smirked. Alice beamed at me in response.

“Hey, about Rose’s party, I think we should have it at Premier in Seattle. It’s a nightclub.” I nodded my head slowly.

“Alice how long have you been thinking about this?” I asked with curiosity.

Alice shrugged, “About a week, I was waiting for the right time to bring it up.” I nodded my head.

“I thin it’s a great idea Alice, Rose will definitely love it. But how are we going to pull of the masquerade part without her knowing? Are we just gonna say, ‘Here Rose, put this mask on, but don’t ask why, it’s a secret.’?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “No Bella, just trust me. I have a plan.” Of course, I thought, Alice always has a plan. “I got to go,” she said, turning toward the door. “If I were you Bella, I would take the advantage of me and Rosalie being gone to shop for Rosalie’s birthday present, because I know you haven’t bought one yet.”

I opened my mouth to protest, and then closed it, because she was right. Alice smiled knowingly at me.

“Bye Bella!” she sang as she walked out the door.

I rinsed out my cereal bowl and put in the dishwasher. I took a long, hot shower and dressed quickly for the day.

Stepping into kitchen, I gathered my keys and purse off of the counter and headed for the door. I was taking Alice’s advice and going shopping for Rose’s birthday present. I had to find the perfect gift, whatever that might be.

As I walked toward my old ’53 Chevy, I glanced up at the sky and noticed that it was cloudy. I hadn’t seen the weather report for today, nor had I asked Alice, so I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to rain. I hoped that wouldn’t.

I climbed clumsily into the cab of my old truck and sighed. My truck was old; it had been a present from my father on my sixteenth birthday. Before it fell into my possession, it had belonged to one of my father’s friends. I had never expected it to last four years, but much to my surprise, it was running well. I just hoped it would last until after I finished college.

My many shopping trips with Alice had taught me that Forks had virtually nothing to offer when you were looking for a gift. I didn’t feel like going too far, so I decided to take a trip to Port Angeles.

My heart thumped in my chest as I thought about the last time I had been in Port Angeles. I shook my head quickly from side to side. I shouldn’t let myself keep thinking about that. It wasn’t good.

The drive went fairly quickly, despite the fact that my truck couldn’t reach speeds over fifty-five miles an hour. I had kept myself occupied with trying to come up with the perfect gift for Rose.

I pulled my truck into a parking spot near the back of the parking lot, away from the other cars. I quickly cut off the thundering engine, before I could draw unnecessary attention to myself, and climbed out of my truck.

My first stop was a small antique shop. A small bell dinged as I opened the door and it echoed throughout the small store.

“Good morning,” a short, elderly woman with long white hair greeted me.

“Hello,” I replied with a smile.

“My name is Carol, is there anyway I can help you?” I nodded my head.

“Yes, please. I’m looking for a small fountain miniature.” I described to Carol that I wanted a small fountain that would look like a fountain that can be found in a mall.

“Hm,” Carol said when I finished telling her what I was looking for her. “I can’t say that I’ve ever had anyone come in her looking for that.” My face fell as I saw the window of opportunity close. Carol must have seen it. “Which is why I might have one.”

“Really?” I asked in surprise. Carol shrugged and walked toward the back of the store, motioning for me to follow.

“Sure,” Carol answered. “I have all kinds of bizarre kick knacks. If you’re looking for it, I most likely have it. But if you don’t mind my asking, why are you looking for a miniature replica fountain?”

“It’s a gift,” I informed her. “Well, part of a gift. The miniature is a joke between me and a friend of mine.” Carol turned to me and smiled.

“Sounds lovely.” She scanned the shelf and I noticed when her smile grew wider. Her long, wrinkled hand reached up to grab something off the top shelf. Her hand shook slightly under the weight of the antique, but she seemed to have a strong hold on the object.

“Is this close to what you are looking for?” She showed me the fountain and I smiled. It was almost identical to the fountain at the mall. It had three layers, the top layer spilled into the second, and the second spilled into the bottom. It appeared to be made out of dark stone, it was perfect.

“Yes, it’s perfect,” I said. “Thank you.” I was amazed at how lucky I had been. I had anticipated searching all over the state of Washington to find this particular gift.

“Is that all you need?” Carol asked. I nodded my head. “Then come to the register and I’ll ring you up.” I followed Carol to the front of the store where she rang up the fountain and wrapped it in newspaper to keep it from breaking.

“I hope your friend likes her gift,” Carol said as she handed me the bag.

“She will. Thank you for all your help,” I answered as I took the bag. I said my goodbyes to Carol and walked out of the store. As I stepped out of the shelter of the warm antique shop, rain slapped me in the face, causing me to groan.

“Great,” I muttered, “Just what I wanted.” I ran quickly to my truck, take pains not to fall. I didn’t want to break Rose’s gift.

I scrambled quickly into the cab of my truck and slammed the door behind me. I jammed the keys into the ignition and cranked the engine. It fired to life with a thunderous roar.

The rain pelted the windshield, mercilessly as I drove to my next destination. I wasn’t sure exactly what else I was going to get Rosalie, so I figured the Port Angeles mall would be a good place to look.

For an hour and a half, I walked around the mall looking for the perfect gift. I went into every store that looked promising, and came up empty.

Frustrated and annoyed, I stalked out of the mall and into the cold rain. I walked quickly to my truck and climbed in.

I sped down the road, letting the needle inch higher and higher on the speedometer. The needle was climbing slowly past sixty, while my truck was groaning in protest. The groaning turned into a high pitched whine and the truck started slowing down. The speed dropped quickly.

I pressed my foot down on the accelerator, but the speed continued to decrease. I angled the wheel of my truck, so that I would be on the side of the road. My truck rolled to a stop, and with one final groan, it died.

“Perfect, just perfect!” I muttered to myself in disbelief. Of all places for my truck to die, it had to be when I was an hour away from home, and Alice and Rosalie were out.

I snatched my purse off of the passenger’s seat and dug around for my phone. I flipped it open and hit speed dial number two. I listened as the phone began ringing.

“Hi Bella!” Alice answered.

“Hey Alice. Listen, I’m in Port Angeles and my truck just died….” I cut straight to the chase; I wasn’t in the mood to put up with chit chat.

“What? How did it die?” Alice asked, alarmed.

“I don’t know, Alice, I’m not a car expert,” I replied. “And I can’t exactly ask Rose, because she’ll want to know why I’m in Port Angeles, and I can’t tell her the reason why.”

“Right,” Alice agreed. “And I’m assuming she can’t come to get you…”

“Alice!” I interrupted her before she could say anything that might alert Rose.

“Chill Bella, she’s in the dressing room. Anyway, as I was saying, Rose can’t come to get you because I’m assuming you’ve already bought a gift for her.”

“Exactly. So what do I do?” I asked.

“I can come get you, but I would have to drop Rose off first. Or you can try and get a taxi….” Alice trailed off.

“I’ll figure it out. Have fun shopping Alice. Call me when you get home, if I’m not there already.” I didn’t want Alice to have to go through all that trouble. Besides, it would take Alice three hours to get here; she was two hours away from home and then another hour away from where I was. It would be quicker for me to just find a taxi or bus or….something.

“Are….are you sure Bella?” Alice asked, unsure.

“Yeah Alice, you’re three hours away from here and you’d still have to take Rose home….It will be quicker if I just find a cab. And if worse comes to worse, I’ll hitch a ride home.”

“Bella! That’s not funny!” Alice scolded me.

“Alice, relax, I’m just kidding. I would never do that. Not in today’s world. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay Bella. Call me if you need anything, I’m serious.”

“I know Alice. Bye.”

“Bye, Bella,” Alice’s voice was cheery and held no trace of worry. I assumed that Rosalie was returning from the dressing room. I snapped my phone shut and threw it back in my purse.

I zipped my jacket up and tucked my hair into the hood and gathered Rosalie’s birthday present. I did a quick search of my truck for an umbrella and cursed when I couldn’t find one. With a frustrated sigh, I threw myself out of the truck on the passenger’s side and started walking.

The miserably cold rain pummeled my face until it went numb. I walked with my body hunched over the bag that held Rose’s present, hoping to protect it from the rain. The rain soaked through my clothes and chilled me to the bone. I was miserable.

My feet continued to carry me forward. I could no longer see my truck, but I couldn’t see anyplace helpful either. Against my better judgment, I had walked in the opposite direction of the mall. Not a very bright idea.

Roughly an hour later, I stumbled into a more populated area of town. My legs were screaming in protest with every step I took, and my entire body was soaked and numb. I felt like a drowned, homeless cat walking into New York City with its busy streets and wonderful smells. It was almost like heaven.

Three blocks down I could just make out a sign that read “Bus Station”. My heart raced when I read the sign. Finally, I thought.

I was standing on the first corner waiting for the signal for me to cross when I heard a car pull up beside me.

“Bella?” A familiar voice called. “Bella is that you?” I turned my head to see Mike’s Suburban pulled up on the curb beside me.

“Uh, hey Mike,” I greeted him, stepping toward the car.

“Do you need a ride somewhere?” He asked, his eyes sweeping over my wet body. I bit my lip and glanced up at the “Bus Station” sign. I really didn’t want to ride with Mike, especially not after leaving with Edward on our date a week ago. But I also didn’t want to ride the bus. Not to mention the fact that I wasn’t sure if there would even be a bus that ran near where I live.

“Um….” I scrambled to find a better option. Anything better than the bus. I looked around me, but I couldn’t see any taxis.

I was about to tell Mike ‘Okay’ when the assailing rain suddenly disappeared and a familiar velvet voice filled my ears. “Actually Mike, Bella’s with me,” Edward informed him.

I turned my face to see Edward standing next to me, holding an umbrella over my head.

“Edward…Where did you come from?” Mike asked, dumbfounded.

“I was purchasing an umbrella, neither of us had expected it to rain today,” Edward lied perfectly.

“Oh,” Mike responded. “Are….are you two on…like a date?” I could hear the hurt in Mike’s voice, but my heart fluttered at his words.

“If you call two people enjoying a day out on the town together, then yes, you could say that,” Edward replied smoothly. Edward placed his hand lightly on the small of my back and my heart slammed harder in my chest in response.

“Oh. Sorry, bye.” Mike sped off down the road and out of sight quickly. I turned my attention to Edward. His hair was wet and it hung in front of his beautiful green eyes and his clothes were wet and clung to his perfectly sculpted body. I had to mentally shake myself to keep from ogling him.

“Why are you wet?” I asked, unable to stop the words from coming out of my mouth. It just didn’t make sense, he an umbrella.

“That’s an odd way to greet someone,” Edward laughed, causing me to blush.

“Sorry,” I apologized.

“You don’t need to be sorry, I was just teasing you,” Edward smiled. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was purchasing an umbrella. I bought this when I saw you standing on the corner. You see that stand right there?” Edward pointed to a wooden stand on the sidewalk about twenty feet away. I nodded my head. “They sell a bunch of little things like this, so I bought an umbrella.”

I was shocked. “Just for me?” I asked in surprise. Edward shrugged.

“You looked like you really needed one,” he said, his smile never wavering.

“Yeah, I did. Thank you.” I let my eyes fall to the ground. Edward placed his hand on my chin and tilted my face up.

“What are you doing out here in the rain anyway?” Curiosity and worry burned in his eyes.

“Um…I was shopping for a birthday present for my friend but my truck broke down about an hour ago and I had to walk to find a way to get home.” Edward’s eyebrows knit together above his sparkling green eyes.

“You’ve been out in this rain for over an hour!?” He whispered urgently. I nodded my head. “Bella, you’re going to get sick!” I shrugged, remembering how he hadn’t answered or returned any of my phone calls in the past week.

“Edward, how come you never answered your phone this past week?” I asked, changing the subject. Edward’s jaw clenched when he saw the hurt in my eyes.

“Bella, I am so sorry,” he apologized. “I promise you it wasn’t intentional. “My idiot roommate kind of threw it out the window of our apartment and it broke. In fact, I was just coming back from buying my new phone when I saw you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt terrible because I had automatically assumed the worse. “Oh,” I managed to choke out. A shiver ran up my spine as a gust of wind blew.

“Come on,” Edward said, pulling me closer to him under the umbrella. “Let’s get you out of the cold, rainy weather.” Edward led me over to his shiny Volvo and helped me inside.

The window’s of the Volvo were fogged with condensation, but the inside of the Volvo felt warm compared to outside. I took a deep breath and inhaled the crisp smell of leather mixed with Edward’s scent. It was a wonderful smell.

Edward climbed into the driver’s side beside me, turned the car on, and cranked the heat up. “You’ll start to warm up soon,” Edward said quietly.

“Thank you, for saving me…again,” I said.

Edward smiled crookedly at me before responding. “You’re welcome. Anytime you need me to save you, just let me know.” I tuned my head to hide the blush that was spreading across my face.

Edward placed his hand on my chin and turned my head to face him again. He smiled at me and dropped his hand. “Don’t be embarrassed Bella. I really don’t mind saving you.”

“Why would you want to save me though?” the words escaped from my mouth before I realized what I had said.

Edward chuckled, “Because you intrigue me Bella.” Edward leaned in closer to me, causing my heart to slam in my chest in anticipation.

I really hope this makes up for my not updating in a while. Please review and let me know what you thought! I love reviews and feedback! Also I have a poll up CONCERNING THIS FANFIC!! Very important, it concerns whether or not i should include Jacob. So if you love this story, I suggest you vote. You decide! Thank you for reading and putting up with the wait! Show some love and review!! I'll update soon!! (Or you can virtually beat me with a broom!)

Chapter: 13

Updating again?? Can it be true?? Yes it can!! But this is a short chapter. It's pretty much a filler with some fluff. It's almost one in the morning my time, so please forgive spelling errors. By the way, I forgot to put up Rose's Fountain last chapter, so if you want to see what it looks like there is a pic in my profile! Important AN at the bottom. Enjoy!

The Smell of Freesia in the Rain

Edward’s POV

I leaned across the seat, my face inching toward Bella’s. Her breathing grew shallow and I could almost hear her heart thrumming an erratic beat. I smiled at her and reached across her, my hand brushing her neck as light as a butterfly’s wing, and pulled her seatbelt out for her.

Bella let out a long breath and blushed, taking the seatbelt in my hand and buckling it. “Thanks,” she mumbled, turning her head to look out the window. I could see the cheek still exposed to me growing redder with each passing second.

“You’re welcome. I don’t want you to splatter on the road if we crash,” I joked, with a serious undertone. Bella’s head turned back toward me and I could see her face, she was smiling.

“Are you really that bad of a driver?” she asked with a small smirk. I locked the doors, put the car in drive and started off down the street before answering.

“Of course not, Bella,” I responded finally. “You can trust me, it’s other people you can’t trust.” Bella leaned over to glance at the speedometer and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, because driving thirty miles per hour over the speed limit isn’t dangerous at all, especially when it’s wet.” Bella’s sarcasm made me smile.

“Bella, trust me, we aren’t going to crash.”

“Did I say I didn’t trust you?” I turned my head to look at Bella and my eyes locked with hers. Her beautiful brown eyes burned into mine for a second before she turned her head away, her face flushing a deeper red.

“Do you trust me Bella?” I whispered, almost inaudibly. I watched Bella from the corner of my eye and I saw her nod her head.

“Yes….I do,” she answered just as softly, her head still turned away from me. I glanced out at the road and then back at Bella.

“Bella…are you mad at me for not calling you for a week?” I asked, the question bubbling to my lips and falling out.

Bella’s head whirled around and she stared at me with doe-like eyes that held surprise. “Where did you get a crazy idea like that?” She demanded.

I shrugged I response. “You’re being quiet. I thought maybe…you aren’t mad?” Bella shook her head.

“Edward you’re phone was broken, that means you lost my number….correct?” I nodded my head. “And I doubt you have my number memorized…”

“913-6201,’ I interrupted, reciting her number. Bella blinked and her beautiful brown eyes widened.

“Yeah that’s it….” She trailed off. “How did you remember?”

“I have a photographic memory,” I answered with a shrug. I hoped that Bella didn’t think I was some creep who studied her number for hours until I memorized it. It was a fairly simple number to remember. If I could remember the 913 at the beginning and the one at the end, it would be impossible for me to forget Bella’s number. I should never forget the 620, that would be bad, considering that was my birthday, June twentieth: 6-20.

“Wow,” Bella smiled. “That’s cool.” I shrugged in response.

“What did you do this past week?” I asked, curiosity burning in me.

“Not much. My life isn’t that interesting, nothing really happens.” Bella reached for the radio and turned it on. The music flooded through the car immediately. Bella turned the volume down to an appropriate level and slouched in her seat. She seemed to relax more with the music on.

“What’s that?” I pointed to the bag sitting in her lap. She opened the bag and reached in and pulled out something wrapped in newspaper.

“If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret,” she warned. I smiled and nodded my head.

“Of course, Bella, you can trust me.” Bella smiled and began unwrapping the newspaper.

“It’s a birthday present for my friend Rosalie. It’s kind of a joke.” I smiled, knowing that the Rosalie Bella was referring to was the same Rosalie Emmett had met at the mall a week ago.

“How is it a joke?” I questioned, curiously.

Bella unwrapped the rest of the newspaper and held up a small miniature fountain. It looked just like a fountain that belonged in a mall. As I looked at the fountain, I realized the joke Bella had been referring to.

“Well,” Bella started, preparing to answer my question, “A week ago my friend Rosalie told me that she had met ‘the most gorgeous guy to ever walk the earth’.” I smirked slightly, almost unnoticeably. Emmett would just love to hear that one, I thought to myself.

“Continue,” I urged her when she paused. She was looking up at me with one eyebrow raised. I was positive she couldn’t see the small smirk on my face, it wasn’t pronounced enough, so it bothered me. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

Bella nodded her head. “Apparently, this guy that Rose met was flirting shamelessly with her…” Yep, sounds like Emmett, I thought, “Well when the guy…Em….mett, I believe his name was, took a step toward her, she took a step back and fell into the fountain, somehow managing to pull Emmett in wit her.”

“So you bought the fountain to remind her of what happened, as a joke,” I assumed.

Bella nodded her head, ‘Yeah, something like that.” I looked down at the fountain and then back up at Bella. It was a brilliant idea; clearly Bella’s thought process wasn’t like most other girls’.

“That’s a wonderful idea,” I told her with a smile.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. It fascinated me how many different shades of one color Bella could turn. Each blush highlighted her beautiful high cheek bones and made her face come alive with emotion. It was beautiful, she was beautiful.

The rest of the drive passed in a comfortable silence. I felt content listening to Bella’s steady breathing. Every few seconds I would glance over at Bella who stared out the window. Several times I caught her peering at me through the corner of her eyes and it sent a feeling of warmth would spread through me and envelope me like a new born baby tightly wrapped in a blanket.

I pulled in front of Bella’s place and cut the engine off. I grabbed the umbrella off of the back seat and walked out into the rain and around to Bella’s side. I opened the door for Bella and offered her my hand. She grasped it without hesitation.

“Edward?” she asked, glancing up at me, squinting from the rain.

“Yes Bella?”

“Can I show you something?” Her brown eyes danced with excitement as she asked me the question. I smiled and nodded my head. Bella’s answering smile was dazzling, her teeth were so white they were almost blinding. “Great! Wait here while I go put Rose’s gift in my room. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could utter a word, she dashed out from the shelter of the umbrella and under the shelter of the roof of the apartment building. Bella ran quickly up the stairs that led to her place and disappeared from view shortly after.

Bella emerged about five minutes later with a raincoat on and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. She ran to me and huddled close to me under the umbrella as I held it over both our heads.

“Come on, follow me,’ Bella said as she took my hand and started tugging me away from the building. I willingly followed her, making sure to keep the umbrella over Bella’s head.

Bella lead me toward the side lot of the apartment building toward a large patch of trees. Bella walked me to the fringe of the wooded area and turned around. “Close your eyes,” she told me.

“What is this, some sort of surprise party?” I asked with a laugh. Bella’s laughter soon joined, mixing perfectly with my own.

“You’ll see,” she replied. “Now close your eyes.” I did as she said. She ran a finger over my eyelids and then guided me forward by my hand. Although I couldn’t see where I was going I continued to try and keep the umbrella above Bella’s head. I didn’t want her to get sick.

Bella led me through what I assumed was the wooded area, blindly for what seemed like hours. Finally she came to a stop. She didn’t say anything at first, but I could hear her breathing next to me, so I knew she was still there.

“Can I open my eyes now?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I opened my eyes only to be surrounded by over a dozen cherry blossom trees. The trees were scattered all around us, their branches hanging low and overlapping. The water from the rain slid off of each pink petal and pooled beneath the trees, making the ground softer under each tree. I turned back to Bella.

“This is beautiful Bella….why did you show me this?” I asked.

“Because I wanted you to see it and the rain brings out the scent in the cherry blossoms.” I inhaled slowly and took in the sweet aroma that surrounded me.

The scent of the cherry blossoms dominated my sense of smell and relaxed me. The rain continued to pour, but it didn’t affect me. A gust of wind whipped through the air, causing Bella’s hair to swirl around her head.

I laughed at her and with every gasp of air, a new scent would hit me. It was sweeter than that of the cherry blossom. This new scent was…indescribable.

“Thank you for showing me this,” I said to Bella who smiled.

“You’re welcome.” I stepped closer to her and took her hand in mine. Her hand was warm, despite the cold air. I drew Bella into me and wrapped my arms around her in a hug.

At first she seemed surprised, but she relaxed quickly and hugged me back. “What was that for/” she asked when I pulled away to look at her face. I smiled at her.

“I just wanted to thank you thoroughly. Bella smiled at me. Her smile was so beautiful, I found myself staring at her lips. They looked so soft, so warm. They looked smooth, and tender…I wanted to find out.

I started to lean in to kiss her when the wonderful scent hit me again. I greedily inhaled it; I wanted to remember the scent because something inside of me was telling me I had smelled it before.

The wind gusted again and Bella’s hair whipped around her face and blew toward me. The wonderful scent intensified tenfold and it hit me. The scent was Bella. She smelled like…freesia.

Bella was picking at her hair wildly, trying to part it away from her face, but it wasn’t working. I gently helped her part her hair away from her face and she smiled gratefully at me.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” Bella smiled at me and I decided I wanted to try to kiss her again. I knew that I didn’t know her that well, but there was just something about her that drew me in.

I started to lean forward again when a loud crack of thunder erupted above our heads and the sky let loose everything it had. It was raining so hard; I could barely see Bella, less than one foot away from me.

“Come on!” I shouted to Bella. I grabbed her hand and we ran back toward her apartment. I was a little bent out of shape that the rain didn’t let me kiss Bella, but I wouldn’t let a little rain spoil my good mood. How could I when Bella was still with me?

Do you guys totally hate me because you thought Edward was going to kiss Bella in the car? What about when he was interrupted? Do you hate me/ Let me know! What did you think of this chapter? Oh and because i updated so closely together, I would love it that you please review both chapters if you haven't already reviewed the other. Okay here's the important part: I am reposting my poll. It seems I wasn't clear enough. There will NOT be a love triangle under any circumstances. So I would appreciate it if you would revote. Thank you! Please review!!

Chapter: 14

Hello. See? I'm not going to take forever to update anymore. It's been a little over a week. Not too bad , right? This chapter is kinda fillerish, but not totally. it's got some fluff :) everyone loves fluff, right? This story has over 600 reviews! YAY! And over 30,000 hits! Wow! So here's the next chapter, but first: I don't own Twilight. Enjoy!

It’s a Date?

The rain pelted my face as we charged through the rain toward the condos. Edward’s hand was wrapped firmly around mine as we ran, and for once in my life, I wasn’t afraid of falling. Something inside me told me that Edward wouldn’t let me fall.

I could tell that Edward was still trying to keep the umbrella over my head as we ran. It was very sweet of him, but it just wasn’t working very well.

When we reached the shelter of the apartment building, we slowed to a walk. Edward kept his hand around mine and he led me up the stairs to my door. I reached down and grabbed the key from under the door mat. I hadn’t brought my purse outside with me when I had put Rose’s gift in my room.

“Under the door mat?” Edward asked, his tone laced with amusement. I looked up at his beautiful face and saw him smiling at me with one eyebrow raised.

I shrugged. “Why not?”

“Isn’t that kind of….obvious?” His green eyes danced with humor and it made his face even more beautiful. I rolled my eyes and unlocked the door. Placing the key back under the mat, I motioned Edward inside and he complied without another word about the placement of the key.

I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath before turning around. Edward wasn’t looking at me; he was looking around the room. I immediately became self-conscious. This was where I lived, what if I had left some embarrassing object lying around?

My eyes quickly scanned the room and I sighed in relief when I saw that everything was in order. I waited patiently for Edward to turn around. When he did, one corner of his mouth was pulled up into the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. My heart stuttered in my chest. I looked away quickly, I could feel my cheeks begin to heat.

“Nice place,” Edward commented lightly.

“Thank you,” I kept my eyes away from his perfect face. Only a second had passed when I felt Edward’s hand on my chin, lifting my face up so that my eyes met his. I was slightly startled at his touch, I hadn’t heard him step toward me, but I relaxed immediately when my eyes locked with his.

“You’re wet,” he stated, picking up a strand of my hair and lightly squeezing it between his fingers. Water trickled down his fingers and fell to the floor, pooling on the soft carpet.

“You’re wetter than I am,” I laughed. I couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling to his torso where his white shirt clung to him, accentuating his perfectly sculpted body. With an inward shake, my eyes focused back on Edward’s. I lightly grasped his hand in mine and pulled him down the hall.

“Come on,” I said.

“Bella, what are you doing?” Edward asked, confusion and curiosity clear in his tone. I didn’t answer him. “Bella….” He began.

“You’ll see,” I interrupted him. I led him into my room and then walked into my bathroom. I quickly switched out the towels on the rack with newer ones and then walked back into my room.

“Go take a shower,” I told him, motioning toward the bathroom. “When you’re in the bathroom, hand me your clothes so I can dry them.” Edward raised an eyebrow at me.

“Bella it doesn’t take me forty minutes to take a shower and I highly doubt you have anything here that will fit me…”

I shook my head. “You’re wrong.” Edward looked at me doubtfully. I rolled my eyes and walked over to my dresser. I opened the top drawer and pulled out a large men’s shirt and a pair of large flannel plaid pajama shorts.

I walked back over to Edward and handed him the clothes. “The shirt might be a little too big, but that’s not that big of a deal, the pajama shorts are elastic, so that shouldn’t be a problem either.”

“Bella, why do you have a large men’s shirt?” Edward asked, glancing at the size on the tag.

I shrugged. “It was one of my father’s old shirts. They’re comfortable to sleep in sometimes. Or they are good for when I’m sick and I’m just lounging around.” I shrugged.

Edward nodded his head slowly. “Okay, I guess I’ll go first, even though it makes more sense for you to go first.” He gave me a meaningful look, but I said nothing. When he realized I wasn’t going to say anything he sighed in defeat. “The hot water will feel nice anyway. My skin is freezing from that rain.” I nodded my head in agreement.

Edward took the clothes from me, his hands brushing lightly against mine, and walked into my bathroom. A few minutes later, he handed me his wet clothes through the door.

Forty-five minutes later, we were both showered, and dressed in dry clothes. Edward was back in his own clothes that had finished drying shortly after I got out of the shower. We sat in the living room, neither of us talking, neither of us sure what to say. The silence between us wasn’t awkward, it was actually very comfortable.

We sat on the sofa and listened to the rain pound against the window. Occasionally, Edward would reach up and tuck a stubborn free-flying strand of my hair behind my ear, causing my heart to pound and my cheeks to turn red.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” I asked abruptly, standing up to go to the kitchen.

Edward stood up as well. “That would be wonderful, thank you.” I smiled at him, he was such a gentleman, and so formal when he talked, it stunned me.

I walked slowly into the kitchen and Edward followed silently behind me. He leaned casually against the counter and watched as I prepared the coffee pot. I tried not to glance at him too much, for fear of getting distracted, but I slipped many times. The way he leaned against the counter caused his shirt to pull tight around his torso, emphasizing his perfect abs.

“Caf or decaf?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

“Whichever you prefer,” he answered smoothly.

“Edward you’re the guest,” I argued, “It doesn’t matter what I want, you choose.” Edward smiled crookedly at me and shook his head.

“I really don’t mind,” he answered. “Either is fine with me.” I pressed my lips together in a firm line and let it drop.

I put the decaf container-Alice’s container, because Lord knows she doesn’t need the caffeine-away and finished preparing the coffee. When it was finished I poured a cup for me and a cup for Edward.

“Do you want cream?” I asked. Edward nodded his head and smiled.

I set the coffee cup in front of him and walked over to the dining room table. Edward followed me and sat in the chair across from me. We were silent at first; we sat there drinking our coffee, both of us enjoying the warmth of it. I wrapped my hands around my coffee mug, letting the heat from the coffee warm my hands.

“What’s your favorite movie?” Edward asked suddenly. I gave him a curious look and he shrugged.

“It’s a tie between Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge,” I answered without a second thought.

Edward’s eyebrows rose, “Why is that?” he questioned.

I looked down at my coffee mug, slightly embarrassed. Edward leaned across the table and gently lifted my head up to look at him. He was smiling warmly at me, his face soft and comforting.

“You can tell me,” he whispered, his voice soft, barely carrying over to my ears.

I shook my head slowly, “You’ll laugh,” I said, knowing he would.

“I won’t,” he protested. I glanced up at him with my eyebrows raised. “I promise,” he added gently.

“You promise what?”

“I promise I won’t laugh,” I could almost hear the smile on his face. When I looked up at him, I was struck speechless by the most beautiful smile to grace anyone’s face. “Bella?” Edward’s hand touched mine lightly, breaking me from my trance. I shook my head form side to side and smiled up at Edward.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized; he only smiled and motioned for me to continue. I took a deep breath before answering, “I admire the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, and Christian and Satine.”

Edward didn’t laugh. “What do you mean when you say ‘admire’?” he inquired, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Both relationships are so….real,” I began. “Neither of them have that perfect relationship that you read about in fairy tales or you see in Disney movies. To me, each of their relationships I can relate to today. Nobody has the perfect relationship and these two couples, they don’t, but they make the best of it.”

Again, Edward didn’t laugh. “Why did you think I was going to laugh?” Edward wondered.

“Well, I said that I admire Romeo and Juliet’s and Christian and Satine’s relationships, well, neither of their stories end happily.” Edward chuckled.

“You promised that you weren’t going to laugh,” I scolded.

“I promised you that I wouldn’t laugh at the reason you like those two movies. However, I did not promise that I wouldn’t laugh at the reason you thought I would laugh.” I thought about that for a second and then nodded.

“Okay, I’ll allow it.” Edward raised an eyebrow at me and I smiled.

“Bella, do you believe in true love?” Edward asked suddenly.

“What?” I choked out.

“Do you believe in true love?” Edward asked slowly, enunciating each word carefully. I looked down at my coffee cup, my image reflecting in the coffee, and then I looked back up at Edward.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, the way you explain the relationship between Romeo and Juliet and Christian and Satine makes me wonder. You say that their relationship is so real, it’s not like a fairy tale. It makes me wonder, do you believe in true love?”

“Um,” I paused, trying to formulate in my mind the perfect way to phrase what I was going to say. “I do believe that there is someone out there for everyone. That out there somewhere, is the person another was destined to be with, but not everyone finds that person.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Edward commented. Dang, he was observant.

“Oh. Um, well then I would have to say yes, I do believe in true love.” I mumbled the last part, and I wasn’t sure if Edward had understood, but when I looked up at his beautiful face, he was smiling.

“And what about love at first sight?” he asked, his voice dropping to a breathy whisper, “Do you believe in love at first sight, Bella?”

My eyes fell to the table and I could feel the warmth of blood rushing to my cheeks. My heart slammed against my chest at his words, instantly going into overdrive. My reaction was ridiculous, I couldn’t fathom the reason my heart would go into such frenzy at those words….but then I looked back at Edward, and I understood.

His beautiful face was alight with a gentle smile, his green eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the kitchen, and his perfectly pale face seemed to glow.

“I’ll let you know,” I answered finally. Edward’s smile widened fractionally and he seemed to be leaning toward me, causing my heart to race again.

“Hurray up Rose, my arms are about to fall off!” I heard Alice’s voice yell from outside the door. Shortly after, the jingle of a key being inserted into the key slot sounded and the door swung open.

Alice danced through the door, her arms filled with shopping bags, and Rose followed, with just as many bags as Alice. They threw the bags on the sofa, neither of them noticing Edward and I sitting at the dining room table.

“I am throwing away everything containing caffeine in this condo!” Rosalie declared with a glare at Alice. “You are no longer allowed to have caffeine.”

“But Rose….” Alice started to complain and run for the kitchen, but she stopped when she saw Edward sitting across from me at the dining room table. “Mr….uh, Edward, isn’t it?” Alice caught herself from calling Edward ‘Mr. Sexy’, much to my relief.

Edward smiled at Alice, “Yeah, that would be me,” he answered calmly. Alice jumped up and down with excitement.

“It is so awesome to finally get to meet you!” she squealed. “Bella has talked a lot about-“ Alice was cut off by Rosalie placing a hand over mouth to silence her.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to forgive Alice, she’s had a little too much caffeine today. It tends to make her crazy.” Edward laughed quietly.

“It’s quite alright,” he answered.

“I’m Rosalie,” she introduced herself, “And this here is Alice.”

“Nice to meet the both of you,” Edward nodded. “I’m Edward.”

“Ouch!” Rosalie suddenly yelled. “The evil pixie just bit me!” she cried, pulling her hand away from Alice’s mouth.

Edward was looking between Alice and Rose with an amused expression, while I buried my face in my hands, I could feel my cheeks burning.

“Um, don’t you guys have to put away your things?” I asked, before either of them could say anything else. Alice frowned at me and glanced over at the bags on the couch. She let out a sigh and grabbed Rose’s hand and walked over to the couch. They each scooped up as many bags as they could carry and moseyed down the hall into their rooms.

“I’m sorry about that,” I felt the need to apologize for Alice’s behavior. “Alice can be a little hyperactive sometimes, but she’s a great friend, when she’s not dragging me to the mall.” I mumbled the last part, causing Edward to chuckle.

“Your friends seem…interesting,” he laughed.

“Oh they’re great. Trust me, you never want to mess with Rose. And Alice is the biggest party animal out there. She’s the queen of planning parties, especially at the last minute.” My mind wandered to the masquerade party Alice was planning to throw for Rose’s birthday. I found myself thinkng about the dresses and masks, the dancing, the lights….

“They seem like great friends,” Edward’s voice drew me from my daydreaming.

“They are, I couldn’t be luckier to have them.” Edward nodded his head.

“Friends are very important to have.” I nodded my head in agreement.

“They definitely make life interesting,” I laughed, thinking about all the crazy things me, Alice, and Rose had done.

“Bella, do you like baseball?”

I was surprised by Edward’s sudden change of subject. “Um…it’s okay. It’s hard for me to sit down and watch a game on TV though.” Edward’s eyebrows knit together.

“Do you like watching it in person?” he questioned.

“It’s a lot better in person,” I nodded my head. Edward’s smile turned dazzling and his eyes danced with excitement. “Why do you ask?” I added.

“Well, my friends and I are going to the opening day baseball game tomorrow and we have an extra ticket….” Edward trailed off and my heart raced in anticipation of his next words. Edward’s eyes burned into mine, “And I was wondering if you would like to go,” he finished.

I opened my mouth to answer him, “Bella!” Alice danced into the room. “I need your help with something, can you come help me?” I stared back at Alice incredulously, she had the worst timing ever.

“Why can’t Rose help?” I asked, trying to disguise the annoyance I felt at her interruption.

“I need your help with Rose,” she clarified. I looked back at her questioningly. “Just trust me Bella.” I shook my head in disbelief and turned to Edward.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”

“It’s fine,” I saw that his smiled had fallen a little, but it was still dazzling.

I reluctantly stood up and followed Alice into her room, where Rose was sitting on the bed smirking. “What do you guys need help with?” I asked warily.

Alice smiled at me. “Bella, what are you going to tell Mr. Sexy?” Alice shot at me, reverting back to using her nickname for Edward.

I sighed, “I’m starting to get the feeling you never needed my help,” I accused them with a glare.

“Duh,” Rose said, her smirk growing even more prominent.

“Well?” Alice began bouncing up and down as she waited for me to answer. I sighed in defeat, it was inevitable that I tell them. They would get it out of me somehow.

“I guess I’ll say yes,” I confessed.

“You guess?” Rose scoffed. “Bella, you know that you want to go.” I smiled and nodded my head.

“Alice hugged me. “Bella, this will be your first real date!” she squealed.

“Shh, Alice be quiet,” I scolded. “And it is not, I’ve been on dates before.” Alice gave me a pointed look.

“Bella, how many dates have you been on that you actually wanted to go on?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“None,” I mumbled my response. “But, this isn’t a date,” I informed them.

“Bella, Edward just asked you to the baseball game, how is that not a date?” Rose demanded.

I sighed, “Because, his friends are going to be there too. So it’s not a date.” Rose rolled her eyes at me and Alice’s face lit up with excitement.

“Bella! Do you realize what you just said?” She squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands happily.

“That going to the baseball game with Edward won’t be a date because his friends will be there…..” I trailed off, completely confused at what Alice was getting at.

Alice stared at me like I was missing something. She sighed when I continued to look confused. “Bella, his friends will be there,” she emphasized.

“Yeah…so?”

Alice sighed in frustration. “Bella, that means he trusts you around his friends! Do you know how big that is?” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Alice, Edward and I haven’t known each other that long; this isn’t all that you’re making it out to be.”

“Bella, it’s a bigger deal than you think,” Rose placed her hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the mirror. “Look at yourself closely,” she motioned to my reflection. “Look at the smile on your face; I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so wide before.” Her hand reached up and lightly brushed against my cheek, “And look at the blush painted on your face…”

“I always blush,” I interrupted.

“Not this shade,” Rose rejoined. “And look at the color of your skin….Bella, you’re positively glowing.” I quickly stepped away from Rose and looked between her and Alice.

“I don’t know what you two are trying to do, but please stop.”

“What do you mean Bella?” Alice asked innocently.

“You know what I mean. If I go to the baseball game tomorrow with Edward, it won’t be a date, so you can banish those thoughts from your heads right now.” Alice and Rosalie opened their mouths to argue, but I cut them off with a wave of my hand. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve wasted enough time in here, and I still haven’t answered Edward.”

I turned on my heel and quickly walked out the door, without a glance over my shoulder. As I left the room, I swore I heard Alice mumble, “She’s in denial.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized to Edward, as I entered the dining room. “My friends have the worst timing in the world.” Edward smiled at me and motioned for me to sit back down. I obliged, sitting in the chair across from him.

“Did you resolve the problem?” he asked, his eyes dancing with humor. I really hoped he hadn’t heard any of the conversation between me and my friends.

“Um, yeah,” I lied. “Now, what were we talking about?” I asked, trying to get back on track.

“Would you like to go to the baseball game with me tomorrow?” Edward looked up at me through his eyelashes, causing my heart to stutter and my breath to catch in my throat.

“Um…..Yeah, I would like that,” I said, surprisingly coherent. Edward’s face lit up and his hand reached out to grasp mine gently. His thumb stroked my hand lightly, causing my heart to flutter in my chest.

“Thank you,” he whispered. His beautiful green eyes penetrated my skin and seemed to see straight to my soul.

I could feel the blush pooling on my cheeks and I glanced down at Edward’s hand wrapped around mine. I looked back up into Edward’s eyes, which hadn’t left me, and was about to respond when his phone rang.

With a sigh, he released my hand. “One second.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his new cell phone. “What do you want Emmett?” Edward answered the phone. “Are you serious?” Edward asked incredulously. “He’s a genius!” My eyebrows knit together in confusion at Edward’s words, and he held up his index finger. I waited patiently for him to finish his conversation. “Yes. That’s fantastic, absolutely perfect. I’ll be home soon and we can discuss that later.” Edward paused and waited for the person on the other end to respond. “Yeah, that’s exactly it,” he answered the person’s question. “I’ll talk to you later, Emmett.”

Edward hung up the phone and beamed at me.

“What was that about?” I asked, curiously.

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” he answered with a glorious smile. “It’s a surprise.” I smiled and nodded my head. Normally, I hated surprises, but for some reason, I was excited about this one.

“I can’t wait,” I answered.

Edward glanced at the clock on his phone and sighed. “I have to go. I’m supposed to work tonight.”

“Oh, so you got your job back?”

Edward nodded his head glumly. “Unfortunately.”

“I’m sorry.” Edward shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault I have a crazed manager.” I laughed at how he referred to Tina. Edward stood up, and I walked with him to the door.

“The game is at two thirty, and it’s a 3 hour and forty-five minute drive to Seattle, so I’ll pick you up around nine. Is that okay?”

I nodded my head. “It sounds great.”

“Do you have a Mariner’s shirt?” Edward asked and I shook my head no. “Then I’ll bring my extra jersey and you can wear that if you want.”

“Thank you.” I walked outside with Edward and stood in front of my door.

Edward gently took my hand from my side and brought it up to his lips. “It was wonderful to see you again, Bella,” Edward whispered, his lips moving against my hand.

“Thank you for rescuing me again, “ I said breathlessly. Edward’s body shook with silent laughter and he smiled up at me.

“It was my pleasure.” He released my hand and if fell back to my side. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned in and pressed his lips lightly against my cheek and turned to leave without another word.

“See you tomorrow,” I whispered although I knew he couldn’t hear me. My hand reached up and touched the place where his lips had been moments before and I smiled to myself. Tomorrow was sure to be magnificent.

Readers: THE CHEEK? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HE ONLY KISSES HER ON THE CHEEK?

Yes, I'm sorry. Only the cheek. Be honest, you know that's what you are thinking But I promise they will have their first real kiss soon, and I think you'll love it. I like the idea...I hope you guys will too. Anyway, please review and let me know what you thought!

Chapter: 15

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. My internet has been acting up lately...so yeah. Also, this year is just not my year. A couple weeks ago I found out that my cousin was in the hospital with third degree burns on 85 of his body. He's alive right now, the doctors just don't know exactly what kind of condition he's in. He's in a medical induced coma. Yeah...not a good year for my family. A bunch of fighting has been going on between my mom and dad, making dealing with divorced parents a heck of a lot harder, and on top of that, Finals are coming up at the end of this week. Ugh. I tried to update last night, but the site wouldn't let me. Technical glitches. Ugh! Anyway...here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Baseball Madness

Edward’s POV

“Emmett, Jasper, let’s go!” I yelled down the hall, my voice reverberating off the walls. I glanced impatiently at the clock on the wall and tapped my foot as I waited for Emmett and Jasper. I could hear them in their rooms, scurrying at the last minute to grab everything they needed for our day at the ballpark.

“Guys, let’s go!” I barked impatiently. Five minutes later, and they were still scrambling around in their rooms.

“Relax Edward,” Jasper soothed as he walked out of his room wearing his Mariner’s T-shirt. “We’ll make it to Bella’s in plenty of time.”

“Seriously dude, we have at least five minutes before we have to leave,” Emmett’s bellowing voice echoed down the hall as he yelled from his door. “In the mean time, make yourself useful and pack a cooler for us!” I let out a puff of air and stalked off to the closet to fetch the cooler.

“What do we need the cooler for?” Jasper questioned, leaning casually against the wall.

“Seattle is about four hours away, therefore we need to bring drinks for the drive there, and because Emmett’s stomach is a black hole, we also need to bring food.” Jasper smirked at my comment, knowing first-hand how true it was.

“I heard that!” Emmett yelled as he yanked open his bedroom door, nearly ripping it off the hinges. He stormed down the hall, glaring at me. Shrugging my shoulders I turned back to the cooler and drug it into the kitchen. Emmett let my comment drop. He ran into the kitchen and started stuffing food into the cooler.

“Emmett, I have to put the drinks and the ice in first,” I scolded him. Emmett scrunched his nose and started to remove the food from the cooler.

“Sor-ry,” he mumbled, enunciating each syllable.

We packed the cooler quickly, each deciding what we might possibly want to eat. I tried my best to guess what Bella might want, and if I was wrong, we could always stop at a gas station or a drive thru and pick her up something.

We piled into Emmett’s jeep and were on the road ten minutes before eight. I sat in the passenger’s seat so I could tell Emmett how to get to Bella’s.

Both Jasper and Emmett seemed excited about picking Bella up at her house. There was no doubt in my mind that it was because they knew it was the same place Alice and Rosalie lived.

“You have the tickets right, Emmett?” I double-checked before we got too far away from home. Emmett’s face fell and his eyebrows pulled together. His face started to burn red and he pressed his lips together firmly. “Emmett…” I began fiercely.

“I thought Jasper was bringing them!” Emmett tried to defend himself.

I turned to Jasper, praying his intelligence hadn’t escaped him. Jasper searched his pockets for the tickets. The corners of his mouth turned down in a frown and I grabbed the arm of the chair tightly, resisting the urge to sling verbal insults at him.

“I’m sorry Edward, you told Emmett to grab them,” Jasper’s tone was full of guilt. He looked down at the floor of the jeep, ashamed.

“Thanks a lot Jasper, now we’re going to be late picking Bella up!” I was seething. I couldn’t believe Jasper. After all the trouble we had gone through to get the tickets, he forgets them at home!

Beside me, I could hear a slight snicker. My head whipped around and I glared at Emmett. “What are you laughing at? And why haven’t you turned around yet, you idiot!”

“Hey, calm down, Eddie,” Emmett held up one hand. “And I would appreciate it if you didn’t call me an idiot.”

“Fine,” I gritted out. “Would you prefer I called you an imbecile?” My hand clenched the arm of the seat harder still. I could feel the blood flow to my hand ebb until I began to lose feeling. The skin at my knuckles turned ghostly white as the skin stretched taut over the bone.

“Hey!” Emmett yelled, looking offended. His foot pressed down harder on the gas peddle and the jeep pushed faster, the asphalt disappearing quickly beneath the jeep.

“Emmett, what are you doing?” I asked, straining myself to keep from yelling. Emmett’s eyes flashed over in my direction and a wide smile crept slowly onto his face.

Still staring out at the road Emmett answered, “I’m driving us to Bella’s so we can pick her up for the game.”

“Emmett, in order to go to the game, we have to have the tickets. They won’t let us in if we say, ‘Oh we bought tickets, but they’re at home.’” Emmett started to laugh and I glared at him. Behind me, I heard Jasper’s quiet chuckle join Emmett’s thunderous cackle.

“What is so funny?” I snapped.

“Glove…box,” Emmett choked out between laughs. With a raised eyebrow, I reached out and unlatched the glove compartment. The door swung away to reveal four tickets lying on top of a monstrous stack of papers. With a trembling hand, I reached out and seized the four tickets in my hand.

Relief mixed with my anger, but it wasn’t enough to mask it. Anger won out, dominating my emotions.

“Emmett,” I growled, my voice low and threatening, “The tickets were in the car this entire time….” Emmett, hysterical with laughter, nodded his head unable to speak.

“I put them in the jeep last night so we wouldn’t forget them.”

“Last night!?” Jasper bellowed in surprise from the back seat. He jerked up from his slack position in the back seat, to perch on the edge of the seat, fully erect. “What do you mean ‘last night’?”

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion as I watched Jasper’s always calm face, contort with anger and incredulity.

“I put them in the jeep last night so I wouldn’t forget them,” Emmett repeated slowly. His tone hinted that his answer was obvious and practical.

With alarming force, realization hit me. My hand connected with my forehead, and the sound of skin slapping against skin rang through the jeep. I understood the expression on Jasper’s face. Agitation fueled the fire burning inside me further, and my face reddened with anger.

“Emmett,” Jasper began slowly, straining to keep his voice placid, “You are so lucky those tickets were still there when Edward opened that glove box…” Jasper trailed off, shaking his head.

“What do you mean by that?” Emmett questioned.

“He means, that he would have killed you if they weren’t,” I clarified, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Exactly,” Jasper continued. “Do you know what I had to go through to get those tickets?” Jasper’s eyes burned into Emmett’s in the rearview mirror, making Emmett cringe slightly.

“A lot?” Emmett guessed pathetically.

Jasper snorted, “The understatement of the year.” I nodded my head and glared out the windshield.

“I don’t understand why you guys are so mad,” Emmett said defensively. His hands wrung the steering wheel nervously as he waited for one of us to answer. His eyes darted restlessly between me and Jasper, and the road.

“Really Emmett?” Jasper’s voice oozed with sarcasm and anger, his voice rising above his normal quiet tone. “Overnight…in the glove box of the jeep…in a parking lot? Did anyone see you put the tickets in the glove box?”

“The doors were locked!” Emmett yelled, finally catching on. “Nobody was going to take them, I thought about that!”

“Windows can easily break, Emmett,” Jasper sneered in response.

Emmett pondered that in silence.

Several minutes ticked away while Jasper waited for Emmett to say something. When Emmett’s mouth didn’t open, Jasper sighed.

“Do you get the point Emmett?” Jasper’s voice was calm again, all traces of anger gone. I glanced back to Jasper slumped back in the seat again.

“I think so,” Emmett replied.

“You don’t leave expensive things in a car over night, that’s just ludicrous.” Emmett pursed his lips and nodded his head.

“Um, I’m sorry for almost giving you a heart attack, Eddie,” Emmett apologized, turning his head to look at me. His eyes were wide as they pleaded with me for forgiveness. I raised my eyebrows at him and his bottom lip jutted out in a pout, making him look like a puppy.

Unable to stop myself, I erupted into laughter. “Stop,” I demanded, pushing Emmett’s face away from me to face the road again.

“Is the laughter a good sign?” Emmett peered at me from the corner of his eye.

“Just get us to Bella’s,” I ordered, my voice light, leaving no question about my forgiveness.

Emmett nodded his head. “Hey, do you think the other girls will be up too?” Jasper’s head snapped up, Emmett’s words catching his interest.

“It doesn’t matter, because you two are staying in the jeep while I get Bella,” I answered my voice ringing with authority. I looked between Jasper and Emmett, challenging them to protest.

“But- “Emmett began.

“No,” I cut him off.

“Why?”

“Do you want to go to the baseball game?” I didn’t even have to wait for the answer, it was plastered on Emmett’s face; it was all but written on his face. “It’s best if you not go with me, because if you see Rose, or if you see Alice, “I turned to Jasper, addressing him, “You won’t want to leave.”

Emmett nodded his head. “You’re right. Remind me again why you only got four tickets Jasper?”

“Because that’s how many tickets I always get Emmett,” Jasper reminded him. “And we each take turns inviting someone of our choosing. If you recall, Emmett, the last time was your turn and you brought that Laura girl. Now it’s Edward’s turn, and he chose to bring Bella.”

Emmett puckered his lips in thought and then let out a sigh. “Fine. Jasper and I will stay in the car.”

Two and a half hours later, the jeep rolled to a stop in front of Bella’s. I grabbed my extra Mariner’s jersey from the back seat and climbed out of the jeep.

“Jasper, get up front,” I ordered as I turned around to talk through the back window. Jasper nodded his head and climbed over the console and into the passenger seat. Emmett fussed at him about hurting his precious jeep.

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel and started toward Bella’s home. Taking the steps two at a time in my excitement, I found myself in front of Bella’s door quickly. I knocked lightly and waited for someone to answer.

“Hey Edward,’ Bella greeted me as she poked her head out the door. She let the door swing open further and motioned me inside.

“Hello Bella,” I greeted her with a smile. “I brought my extra jersey for you.” I held my jersey out to her and she looked down at it and smiled. Her hand reached out and stroked the shirt, feeling the material. Her head lifted, and her smile widened.

“Thank you.”

“Isabella Marie Swan!” A voice yelled from down the hall before I could respond back to Bella. Alice came marching down the hall, her eyes searching for Bella. When her eyes locked on Bella, she planted her hands firmly on her hips and glared. “I wasn’t done. Come back in here so you can finish getting ready.”

“That would have been hard to do without a shirt,” Bella laughed, taking my jersey from my hands and holding it up for the other girl to see. Alice surveyed the jersey and clucked her tongue contemptuously. With her right hand, she pointed down the hall and threw Bella a pointed look.

With a sigh, Bella turned to me slightly, “I’ll be out in a few minutes. Make yourself at home.” Unwillingly, Bella turned and followed Alice down the hall and into one of the bedrooms.

I ambled into the living room and sat down on the sofa. My thoughts were centered on Bella and the game as I waited for Bella to return. I knew that Bella would like the surprise. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was still nice.

Roughly ten minutes later Bella stumbled back into the living room looking absolutely stunning. My jersey was loose around her, yet the material still found a way to cling to her body, defining every contour of her middle. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans that hugged and accentuated her long legs. Her beautiful mahogany-colored hair was pulled back into a loose bun with several strands hanging loosely around her heart-shaped face. Bella didn’t wear any makeup, but she didn’t need it; she was naturally beautiful.

“Bella, you look amazing,” I complimented her as my eyes continued to sweep the length of her figure. Her cheeks reddened as she mumbled her thanks.

A loud horn sounded from the street below and I recognized it immediately as Emmett’s jeep.

“I think we should go now, my friends are getting impatient it would seem,” I informed Bella.

“Well that’s awfully rude of them,” Alice piped in as she entered the room. “Hasn’t anyone told them, beauty takes time?” I laughed and shrugged my shoulder.

The horn sounded again. Emmett was not a patient person. “Dear lord. Edward, you need to teach your friends some manners,” Rosalie chimed in, looking out the balcony window. “What kinds of idiots sit in front of an apartment complex and blare the horn? What if people are still sleeping?” Alice nodded her head in agreement.

I bit down on my lip to control the laugher that threatened to take over me. If only Rosalie and Alice knew who the idiots in the jeep actually were…

“I’ll be sure to do that,” I answered. “Are you ready, Bella?” I asked. She nodded her head and smiled. I held my arm out to her, and she looped hers through mine and we made our way out the door.

“Do you have your cell phone and money?” I couldn’t help but ask. Bella laughed, understanding the meaning behind my inquiry.

“I do, but I don’t think I will need them this time around.”

“That’s a good thing, because there are no waiters at the Stadium that can rescue you this time.” Bella smacked me playfully in the arm and I laughed. We were still laughing when we made it to the jeep.

“Whoa,” Bella’s voice held nothing but awe as she took in the sight of Emmett’s ostentatious jeep. “Nice ride,” she commented as I opened the door for her.

“Thank you! It’s mine!” Emmett bellowed from the driver’s seat. Bella chuckled and waved politely to Emmett. Bella stood by the jeep, looking between the seat and me. She bent her knees and she looked as if she was going to jump, but I caught her around the waist and hoisted her effortlessly into the jeep.

Climbing in after her, I slammed the door behind me and turned to introduce Bella to my friends.

“Emmett, Jasper, this is Bella.” A smile spread across my face as the words passed my lips.

“Hi Bella,” Jasper and Emmett greeted her, both of them stretching their hands out toward her.

Bella chuckled and grasped Emmett’s paw of a hand in her small hand and shook it. “I’m Emmett,” he clarified as they shook hands.

“So you must be…Jasper!” Bella exclaimed when her eyes fell upon Jasper. “You’re friends with Edward?” Bella was surprised. She obviously didn’t have a clue before now. Which meant, most likely neither did Alice and Rosalie.

Jasper nodded his head. “I have been for countless years,” he confirmed. “Although I can’t imagine why,” he added, leaning in to whisper to Bella. The volume of his whisper told me that he wanted me to hear what he said. I rolled my eyes, but otherwise gave no acknowledgement to his words.

Bella laughed and shook her head. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Emmett plugged his iPod into the aux port on his stereo and put it on shuffle. Emmett shifted the jeep into drive and slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The car lurched forward as “Ready, Set, Go!” by Tokio Hotel blasted through the speakers.

When we arrived at the stadium, all of us were gasping for air from laughing too hard. The ride from Bella’s had been interesting to say the least. There hadn’t been a single dull moment. Between Bella’s witty comments, Emmett’s stupid jokes, Jasper’s hilarious stories, and some of the odd songs on Emmett’s iPod, the whole drive was very entertaining.

I helped Bella out of the jeep. She was still laughing at Emmett who had just finished singing along to “Barbie Girl”. As if Emmett having the song on his iPod in the first place wasn’t enough to make us laugh, Emmett had to sing along with it.

“Does he always do that?” Bella asked me.

“Something along those lines,” I answered, causing Bella to laugh harder.

Emmett and Jasper were taking items out of the cooler that we could bring into the Stadium, such as water. When they were finished, we all weaved our way through the thick crowd and made our way to the stadium entrance.

“Have you ever been to a baseball game, Bella?” Emmett asked casually, casting a side glance at Bella.

Bella rolled her eyes. “Yes Emmett. I’m not a caveman.” Bella’s voice was thick with sarcasm.

“Oh,’ was Emmett’s only reply.

“Thank you,” Jasper said to Bella meaningfully. “You’re the first person I’ve met to succeed in shutting Emmett up!” Bella’s musical laugh chimed in my ear.

With my hand on the small of Bella’s back, I guided her through the crowd. I was hyper aware of all the guys around us whose eyes lingered on Bella longer than was necessary.

When we reached the gates, Jasper handed the man collecting the tickets all four of the tickets. He tore the tabs off of them and handed them back to Emmett. He flashed a cheesy smile at Bella, ignoring the fact that I was standing right next to her with my hand on her back.

Bella rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, taking me by surprise. She held our hands up for the man to see and pulled me after Emmett and Jasper.

“Good thinking back there,” I smiled at her, unable to ignore the fact that my hand was still grasped in hers.

Bella smiled in response. “He wasn’t my type,” she answered.

“Oh yeah?” I raised my eyebrows at her. “What is your type?”

“Men with higher aspirations, preferably; that man had to be approaching thirty and he’s working in a baseball stadium.” I laughed at her answer and nodded my head in agreement.

“Come on guys, let’s go get our seats!” Emmett yelled, already several feet away in his excitement. “It’s opening day! This game is going to rock!” Many people looked over in Emmett’s direction as his booming voice echoed.

Bella laughed at Emmett and pulled me after him. “He’s your friend,” she reminded me.

“Yeah, and I’m still trying to figure that one out.”

Bella laughed and shook her head. “That’s mean, Edward.”

I flashed a lopsided grin at her, “Not really,” I disagreed. “I’m just playing around. Emmett’s a great guy. He’s just lost a few marbles in his lifetime.”

“That makes sense,” Bella conceded.

I laughed and quickened my pace so that I was walking in front of her. Now Bella was the one being dragged by the hand. I wanted our seats to be a surprise. It had been a miracle after all, that Jasper had gotten the tickets.

As I scanned the crowd in front of me, I noticed that both Jasper and Emmett had disappeared in the crowd. No doubt Jasper had gone with Emmett to our seats. I led Bella through the crowd to our section. My eyes swept the area where our seats were and I saw Emmett standing up flailing his arms above his head like he was having a seizure.

Bella’s jaw dropped and I heard her breath leave her in a whoosh. “Are those our seats?” Bella asked in disbelief. I nodded my head. “Front row? Directly behind home plate?”

“Surprise!” I replied, gesturing toward our seats.

“Wow…Edward, those tickets must have been really expensive! Tell me how much they were and I promise I will pay you for it-“ I interrupted her by placing a finger over mouth.

“Bella, relax. Jasper is an excellent dealer. Besides, I’m paying for today. You don’t need to worry about spending any of your own money.”

“But, Edward, I can’t-“

“Please, Bella/” I cut her off again. I looked up at her through my eyelashes and I saw her resolve melt.

“I’m paying for my own snacks,” she said firmly.

“You’re very stubborn,” I laughed and led her toward our seats. “But I’ll allow it.” She must have been pleased with my answer because she let it drop. If only she knew….

“What took you guys so long?” Emmett questioned us the second we reached our seats.

Bella and I took our seats, Bella sat in the fourth seat in the row and I sat in the third. “Bella and I were discussing…finances.” I answered Emmett.

“How boring. This is a baseball game, why the hell are you discussing finances?” I merely shrugged in response.

“Hey there,” I heard a male voice purr from the other side of Bella. She leaned toward me slightly. “I’m Tyler, what’s your name?”

“Uh…er…” Bella began, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

“Bella?” I asked, lifting our hands that were still clasped together conspicuously to brush a strand of hair out of her face. Bella turned to me and smiled gratefully.

“Yes Edward?”

“Do you like your surprise?” I motioned to the view of the field.

“It’s beautiful,” she nodded her head in admiration.

I could sense that Tyler’s eyes were still on Bella, and something foreign to me swelled up inside of me.

Beside me, Emmett grabbed a bag of peanuts and ripped the bag open, some of the spilling peanuts spilling on me. I saw the perfect opportunity and I seized it.

“Emmett, you idiot!” I yelled, standing up. “You know I’m allergic to peanuts!” Emmett’s expression changed from contentment to confusion. I pleaded with him with my eyes for him not to say anything to stupid. To play along. Thankfully, he understood the look in my eyes.

“Oh! I’m sorry Edward!” He bellowed.

“Edward, you can sit here if you’d like,” Bella stood up and offered me her seat like I had hoped she would.

“Are you sure, Bella?” I asked. She nodded her head and pushed me gently into her seat. She plopped down beside me in my chair and smiled at me when Tyler let out a defeated sigh.

Before either of us could say anything else, the announcer began to introduce the teams. The crowd erupted into applause when the announcer began introducing the Mariners. Beside me, Bella clapped and pumped her small fists in the air. Her face glowed in the sun. Nothing could make this day better.

It was the bottom of the fifth inning and the Mariners were up by two. Up until that point, it had been an interesting game. Jasper and Emmett were hypnotized by the game in front of them; even Bella seemed to be really focused on the game. I, on the other hand, was entranced by Bella.

The way Bella’s face would light up with excitement when the Mariners would get a hit, or make a great play, was altogether enthralling.

When it happened, I didn’t notice the change in the crowd right away because I had been too focused on Bella. The energy of the crowd had become more charged and the cheering had augmented. Music played over the loud speaker, but I was too busy watching Bella to pay any attention.

Bella’s eyes wandered up to meet mine and she smiled. Neither of us were paying attention when Emmett nudged Bella and pointed to the big screen in the outfield.

Following Emmett’s gaze, the reason for the change in the crowd became clear to me. But my discovery wasn’t what had my heart racing. The entire time I had been watching Bella, the Kiss Cam had been going around, and was now fixed on me and Bella.

I looked over to see Bella blush and look down, but I wasn’t going to let her be embarrassed. With a gentle hand, I reached over and lifted her head by the chin, until her eyes met mine. She smiled at me, and I smiled back before leaning in and pressing my lips lightly to hers.

The crowd burst into an uproar and I could hear Emmett shouting ‘First kiss!’ at the top of his lungs. But I could care less about what the Emmett was doing or what the crowd was doing.

The second my lips had made contact with Bella’s, full, soft ones, I had become completely intoxicated. My hand other hand worked its way into Bella’s hair and held her to me.

Bella reacted in the same manner. Most of her body leaned across the armrest separating us, and pressed against me. Her hands knotted in my hair and her lips pressed harder against mine.

Slowly, we parted at the same time. I rested my forehead on hers, and Bella sighed. I smiled to myself as the crowd began to wind down as the faded after Bella and I parted. Apparently, it had stayed fixed on us through the whole kiss.

A Fan’s POV

Anger coursed through me as I watched the big screen. The familiar boy with bronze hair leaned in to kiss the beautiful girl with mahogany-colored hair that sat next to him. The couple was impossible for me not to recognize, I just couldn’t believe it.

Around me, the crowed cheered louder, as the bronze haired boy, kissed the girl harder, pressing his lips more firmly against hers. Beside them, a bulky man was hooting and hollering and holding up a number one sign. I didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean. He was mouthing something, but I wasn’t a lip-reader.

Beside me a girl sighed dreamily. “That’s so romantic,” she gushed to her friend. “That’s their first kiss!” It made me sick.

“Oh I know!” The girl’s friend responded. “I wish my first kiss with Jeremy had been that romantic. Instead, it was in the boy’s bathroom.”

“Ew,” the girl next to me commented. She continued to talk, but I tuned her out not wanting to hear any more.

I looked back up at the screen, hoping they were done with the Kiss Cam, but no such luck. The couple was just pulling away from each other. The boy rested his forehead on the girl’s and he stared straight into her eyes. The look in both of their eyes made me want to hurl. It was too sickly sweet. Not to mention the fact that it should be me in that boy’s position, me on the kiss cam, me with that girl.

10 COOKIES TO ANYONE WHO GUESSES WHOSE POV THAT IS AT THE END!! (Which I think is really easy to figure out!) So there you have it! Bella and Edward's first kiss! Were you disappointed? Or did it meet your expectations? Review and tell me! I'll update soon, promise! Peace!

Chapter: 16

I am so sorry it's been almost a month since i updated!! As it turns out the end of the school year was extremely hectic for me, as was the beginning of summer. With softball, volunteering at the hospital, and having my mom drag me all over town every weekened shopping for our upcoming trip to Mexico, I had no time to update!! It was making me mad. I wanted to update, but I couldn't! You all know what it's like to have things come up and you have to push the things you want to do back. So I hope you can forgive me! On the bright side, THREE DAYS after I put the last chapter up that chapter had 100 reviews!! I was ecstatic!! I hope this chapter can get as many review as the last one:127 to be exact! You guys are SO AMAZING!! I love you all!! Thank you so much!! And congratulations to all the people who won 10 cookies for guessing that the fan was: MIKE NEWTON!! Lol!! So here's the next chapter...Enjoy!!

Plots and Plans

Mike’s POV

Swing and a miss, strike one. Two more strikes, and the batter’s out. At that moment, I knew how the batter felt. Going up to bat, expecting to hit a home run, but instead, striking out.

The scene that I had seen play out on the big screen reminded me of that fact; the fact that I hadn’t scored where Bella was concerned. I might have, if it hadn’t been for that stupid pretty boy waiter who came along and stole her from me.

I should have called the police and made up some story about how the waiter, Edward, kidnapped my date while she was coming back from the bathroom. The only problem with that was the fact that Bella’s father was Chief of Police in Forks, and well known on the Olympic Peninsula amongst other cops. All Bella would have to do was tell her father what had happened, and my plan would be a waste.

The game had been very enjoyable up until that stupid Kiss Cam had to go around. It was so corny, a camera that lands on a couple so they can kiss in front of thousands of strangers. What idiot came up with that idea?

“Hey Cindy?” The girl beside me began talking to her friend again. The entire game, the two girls beside me had done nothing but talk. Their incessant chatter was like an annoying fly buzzing around your ear. No matter who many times you swat at it, it never goes away.

“What is it Tina?” Cindy asked, turning to the girl next to me.

“Do you know earlier with that couple on the camera, the one where it was apparently their first kiss?” Cindy glanced up at the big screen as if the couple would reappear and then back at Tina.

“Yeah….what about them?”

“Well, when I first saw them, the guy looked very very familiar. I didn’t see much of him, because when I looked up at the camera he was already starting to turn his face…” Cindy raised an eyebrow at her friend, causing her to trail off.

“You mean, you think you know the guy? Come on Tina, don’t be ridiculous. There is no way you know him. He’s gorgeous, how many guys do you know that are that gorgeous? None. Besides, you live four hours away from here; the chances of someone you know from home being here today are very slim.”

Tina shook her head vigorously from side to side. “You didn’t let me finish, Cind. After I saw his face, I noticed his hair. Did you see his hair?”

The other girl’s lips puckered in concentration as she thought back on it. “It was some odd shade of brownish red…wasn’t it?”

“It was bronze,” Tina corrected her. “How many people do you know with that color hair?”

Cindy shrugged in response. “Can’t say I know anyone with that hair color. Do you?”

A wide smile spread across Tina’s face as she nodded her head. “As a matter of fact I do. Which leads me to the other thing I was going to say. When I saw the hair, and I pieced it together with the small glimpse of his face….I knew that I had seen him somewhere. So I thought about it, that’s why I was quiet for a little while, I was thinking hard.”

“Did it hurt?” Cindy interrupted, laughing at her own joke. Tina rolled her eyes in response.

“No. But I did remember where I saw him from. I know him, I actually know him. It’s Edward!” Tina’s exclamation sparked my interest. She knew Edward? What are the odds…?

“Edward? Isn’t that that really hot waiter that works for you?” Cindy’s eyes widened and sparkled with excitement. Her beach blonde hair bobbed as she began to bounce in her seat.

“Yeah….and I think I recognize the girl too….” Tina’s tone changed from light and excited to dark and envious. Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned to Bella.

“You do? Who is she?” Cindy leaned in toward Tina, her eyes begging for more information.

Tina’s mouth curled into a frown. “I don’t know her name. But do you remember when I told you about the night Edward quit?”

Cindy nodded sadly. “Yeah, you were really upset. But at least he came back and asked for his job back.”

Tina nodded her head. “Well yeah, but stay focused. Do you remember when I told you about the girl that was with him?”

“Yeah….oh my God, was that her?” Cindy’s mouth dropped open, and her hand flew up to cover in disbelief.

Tina nodded her head. “Yeah, that was the tramp that stole Edward from me!”

My anger flared at Tina’s words and the words fell out of my mouth before I could bite them back. “Bella is not a tramp!” I yelled at her, causing her to turn to look at me.

“Excuse me? I don’t believe you were in this conversation….wait, you know this Bella person?”

“Of course I know Bella. Your Edward stole my Bella away from me.” Tina’s eyes widened in shock and beside her, Cindy gasped.

“Let me get this straight,” Cindy began, “The couple that was on the kiss cam earlier, the girl was your girlfriend, and the guy, Tina’s employee, stole him from you, is that correct?”

“More or less,” I answered. I wasn’t going to tell her that Bella hadn’t been my girlfriend, because if it hadn’t been for Edward, she would have been.

“How did that happen?” Cindy pushed for a bigger explanation.

“We were on a date a few weeks ago and we went to El Torito for dinner and Edward was our waiter. Bella looked gorgeous that night, so it’s no wonder that our waiter was taken by her; he flirted with her constantly.” It was only a half lie. Bella did look gorgeous that night, and Edward had flirted with Bella….after she came back from the restroom.

“At first I thought he was just wasting his time,” I went on, “I mean I knew he could be seen as attractive, but I was pretty confident that Bella liked me too much to flirt back with him. I guess I was wrong.” Bitterness colored my tone as I finished the sentence. I knew the bitterness showed on my face as well, but I didn’t care.

“What about you?” I asked Tina. “Were you and Edward an item when Edward charmed Bella?”

Tina’s nose crinkled and she opened her mouth to speak, but Cindy beat her to it.

“She wishes!” she exclaimed. “But Edward never paid her much attention…Ow!” Cindy yelled in pain when Tina stomped on her foot.

“Actually, my friend is very incorrect. It was a private thing, because I was Edward’s boss, our relationship was forbidden. So we had to sneak around.” My eyebrows shot up in suspicion, she seemed very defensive.

“Really? So you were together?”

“Definitely. He would sneak over to my house every night and we would enjoy each other’s company. He was hopelessly in love with me, there was no denying it.” Glancing over at Cindy, I saw that she was staring at Tina with a disbelieving look, clearly Tina was lying. It didn’t really matter to me if she lied. If I played my cards right, I could get her to help me.

“So why would Edward take off with Bella?” Tina’s face fell at my words.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been able to figure that one out myself. The night before he and I had gotten into a fight….maybe he was trying to make me jealous….”

“You can stop lying,” I interrupted her. The lie was getting too out of hand.

“About what?” She shot back, clearly offended.

“You and both know that you and Edward weren’t together….but you could have been.” Tina’s face relaxed a little and some of the anger left her face.

“Yes, if Bella hadn’t come along and taken him….”

“So, we have to break them up.” I stated bluntly.

“We, what?” Tina’s eyes filled with hope at my words and a smile broke across her face. “Yes….we must.”

“I’m Mike, by the way.” I knew that if we were going to do this, we needed to know each other.

“Tina,” She replied, even though I was already aware of her name, and offered her hand to me.

“Tina, it’ll be a pleasure doing business with you,” I said, shaking her hand.

“Likewise,” she responded.

“This can’t be good,” Cindy mumbled beside Tina.

Bella’s POV

The rest of the game passed by all too quickly. The Mariners won which added to the cheery mood of the boys as we walked through the stadium. Emmett and Jasper were walking in front of me and Edward, whooping and hollering. They would yell and the Mariner fans around us would cheer in response.

Edward’s hand was intertwined with mine, his fingers thread through my own. Edward’s touch and closeness only added to the charge of the atmosphere. Occasionally, his thumb would stoke the back of my hand, causing my stomach to flip and my heart to pound.

“Go Mariners!” Emmett thundered, his voice floating over the bodies crammed in the stadium, trying to exit. Cheers and applause erupted around us. Many people shouted back in response. Everyone was elated that the Mariners won.

“Victory thy name is Seattle!” Jasper shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. Beside me Edward cheered in response. His green eyes danced and twinkled, adding to his beauty.

“Come on Bella! Cheer!” Emmett yelled at me. He was looking at me, walking backwards. I felt sorry for the people behind him, scurrying away trying to avoid being trampled by him.

I merely shook my head and smiled in response.

“Oh come on Bella! Don’t be such a party pooper!” Emmett hollered, still walking backwards. “We won! Cheer!”

“Go ahead Bella,” Edward nudged me. “It’ll appease Emmett and he’ll actually pay attention to where he’s walking. Do it for the poor people in danger of having a 250 pound man squish them to death.”

Edward’s comment caused me laugh. It was true; Emmett was big enough to squish someone to death. With a nod and a smile at Edward, I sucked in a deep breath and shouted, “Mariners rule!” at the top of my lungs.

My outburst received a booming laugh and whooping from Emmett, and roaring cheers from the rest of the fans. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. I felt so carefree at the moment; I hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. When I noticed that the people around me were looking at me, I laughed and turned my head into Edward’s arm to hide my blushing face.

“Bella, why are you hiding your beautiful face?” Edward’s velvety voice sounded in my ear.

“My yelling caused everyone to look at me. I don’t like when people stare at me.” My answer was muffled by the smooth material of Edward’s jersey, but I was sure he heard me.

“Bella…nobody’s looking anymore, Emmett managed to trip over someone.” My head snapped up at his words and I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that bubbled to my lips when I saw Emmett sprawled on the ground with an angry skinny man trying to push Emmett off of him.

Dragging Edward with me, I ran over to help get Emmett off of the man before he suffocated.

“Are you okay?” I asked him, handing him his hat that had flown off his head in the tumble.

“Tell your friend to watch where he walks!” The man yelled in my face. His breath smelled of beer and peanuts, it wasn’t very pleasant.

“Sir, please don’t yell at her, she didn’t do anything,” Edward interjected, puling me to his side. “If you want someone to yell at, the idiot that plowed you over is over there.” Edward pointed at Emmett and the man followed his gaze.

“Your right,” The man agreed. “I’m sorry I yelled at your girlfriend.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Edward told him. He looked over at me pointedly and the old man nodded his head.

“I’m sorry miss. Forgive me? I was just a little frustrated as I’m sure you can imagine.”

I smiled and nodded my head. “Of course I forgive you. Nobody wants a 250 pound body builder to knock them to the ground.”

The man nodded in agreement and marched over to Emmett and started to yell at him.

“Thanks Edward,” I said, looking up into his beautiful green eyes.

“You’re welcome. You didn’t deserve to be yelled at. You were being nice and helping him, because you’re kind-hearted.” Edward seized my hand gently in his and brought it up to his lips to kiss it. I blushed at his words, causing his lips to curl into a beautiful lopsided smile.

“You’re a Yankee fan!” Emmett’s loud accusation caused me and Edward to look up. Emmett and the man he had plowed over were facing each other, clearly in a dispute. “You deserved to get knocked over! This is Mariner turf, no Yanks allowed!”

“What is doing now?” Edward mumbled beside me. He pulled me toward Emmett and the man by my hand and then stopped when he noticed the crowd forming around them. They were causing a scene.

“Let’s find Jasper,” Edward whispered in my ear, pulling me away from the crowd. We found Jasper leaning against the wall across from Emmett, with an amused expression on his face.

Jasper shook his head when we approached him. “He never learns does he?” Edward’s musical laugh echoed in my ears, causing my heart to race.

“No, but what else do you expect from Emmett?” Edward’s smile made his face glow, and his teeth seemed to sparkle they were so white.

“True.”

“No, the Mariners are ten times better than the Yankees! That’s why we pounded them in the ground today!” Emmett’s voice rang through the stadium and more and more people began to crowd around him and the other man.

“Oh no, here comes security. Let’s get out of here.” Edward tugged me toward the exit quickly and Jasper followed close behind us, laughing the entire way to the jeep.

“Thanks a lot for leaving me back there guys, you’re so generous,” Emmett’s voice held nothing but sarcasm as he sped down the road toward my home.

“Hey, you got yourself into it, Emmett,” Jasper laughed.

“Well it would have been nice if my friends would have stuck up for me.” Emmett’s bottom lip jutted out into a pout and his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“Emmett, you were about to pound an innocent man that you almost squished to death because he was a Yankee fan,” Edward explained. “We are your friends Emmett, but you are too competitive and we were not about to get in trouble over something that stupid.”

“So are we just dropping Bella off or can we going in?” Emmett asking, changing the subject not-so-subtly.

“You guys can come in, if you’d like,” I said. Alice and Rosalie would be very pleased, I added in my head.

“Really?” Emmett beamed at me through the rearview mirror. I nodded my head and his smile grew wider.

“Is it just me or did the jeep just speed up?” I asked Edward quietly so Emmett wouldn’t hear.

“Emmett’s not one to reign in his enthusiasm,” Edward replied with a laugh. His answer made me laugh and nod my head in agreement.

When we pulled up to my building, Emmett quickly cut the engine and hopped out of the jeep. He was on the other side of the jeep before Edward had climbed out. He was bouncing up and down when Edward offered his hand to me to help me out of the jeep.

“Emmett, settle down,” I laughed. Emmett smiled at me and motioned for me to lead the way. I looked over at Jasper, but he was looking up at the building with a smile on his face.

I lead the way into the building and up the stairs. When I got to my door, I took my time taking out my keys, nearly killing Emmett. When I opened the door we all spilled into the living room.

Edward’s arm was around my waist when Alice yelled down the hall. “Bella is that you?”

“Yeah it‘s me!” I called in response. She hurried down the hall and into the living room. She spotted me and Edward first and her face lit up.

“Oh hi Edward!” she greeted him with a smile. Edward nodded to her with a smile.

“Hey Bella, do you have any food?” Emmett asked from the kitchen. Alice whirled around at the sound of his voice and raised her eyebrows.

“Are you Edward’s friend?” she asked him. Emmett smiled and nodded his head.

“Yes I am. I’m Emmett, and you are….?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Obviously I’m Bella’s friend.” She looked over at me and gave me a ‘duh’ look. I shrugged at her.

“I know that!” Emmett said defensively. “But your name isn’t ‘Bella’s Friend’ is it?” Alice laughed and shook her head.

“I’m Alice,” she stretched her hand out and Emmett shook it. Alice’s tiny hand seemed to disappear in Emmett’s huge bear paw. She looked like a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz standing next to Emmett.

Alice’s eyes darted across the room, looking to see if there was anyone else that she didn’t know when her eyes fell on Jasper.

“Jasper!” She exclaimed, running over to him and throwing her arms around his neck. Jasper laughed and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. I looked up at Edward quizzically, he only shrugged.

“Hey Alice, do you need to tell me something?” I asked her. She looked over at me, her face turning red.

“Oh, I’m sorry; I forgot you guys were there.” She buried her face in Jasper’s chest and he stroked her hair comfortingly. The gesture caused my eyebrows to disappear under my bangs.

Alice hugged Jasper and then stepped out of his embrace. “Um, I’ll explain things to you later, okay? Right now I need to talk to all of you guys.”

“All of us?” Edward asked her.

“Yeah. Rose is out with John, she won’t be back for a few hours…”

“Who’s John?” Emmett asked, coming over with a plate of food that he had helped himself to.

“Rose’s boyfriend,” Alice answered automatically. Emmett’s face fell at her words; he tried to hide his disappointment by digging into his food.

“Anyway,” Alice began, “I need you guys to help me plan Rose’s surprise masquerade party. Do you guys want to help?”

We all nodded in agreement. Emmett smiled and his eyes seemed to be calculating something….I could only imagine what.

“Great!” Alice exclaimed. She pulled out a huge binder, causing everyone around the table to groan.

Poor Emmett. I just keep picking on him!! What did you guys think? Like it? Here's my update schedule as I see it: I will update at least once this weekend, and then I will update Monday. You might get two updates this weekend depending on how many stores my mom drags me to this weekend. But on Monday, you will have had at least two more chapters! So if you want that to happen, review this one!! And if I'm going to update so quickly, you have to review the other new ones too!! This is a deal I'm making with you. Okay? Okay. Thank you all for being such wonderful readers!!

Chapter: 17

Okay, so the two updates didn't happen. Awe. But I did say depending on how many stores my mom dragged me to this weekend. Let me tell you, that's all I did! I was barely at home! But hey, here's another chapter! Less than a week since my last update! Sadly, Last chapter didn't get half the number of reviews Chapter 15 did. That makes me sad. So, it'd be cool if you went and reviewed chp. 15 as well as this one :D Here's the next chapter...

Comfort

“Alice, how in the world did you get all of this stuff in only one day?” I asked incredulously and slightly in awe. Alice glanced up at me from the binder full of pictures of dresses, decorations, invitations, brochures, and masks and smiled.

“Bella, I’ve been planning this party for several weeks already, but I wanted to wait to tell you about my idea.” Alice smiled sweetly at me as she leafed through her binder and stopped at the dresses.

“I guess we can start with the dre…” Alice trailed off, glancing at Jasper, then Edward, then Emmett. “On second thought, let’s start with the tuxes. Bella and I can worry about the dresses later.”

“Tuxes?” Edward inquired, his eyebrows pulling together over his beautiful green eyes. His eyes darted between me and Alice suspiciously. I threw my hands up in a gesture proving my innocence and pointed at Alice. Edward’s gaze settle on Alice and one of his eyebrows shot up in question.

“Well of course,” Alice answered without looking up at Edward. “You’re going to need a tuxedo for the party, oh and a mask.”

“Um….Alice? Are you forgetting that Emmett, Jasper, and myself don’t really know Rosalie all that well, would she really want us at her surprise party.” Edward’s question made Alice lift her head from the binder, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

I couldn’t stop myself from snorting. Edward looked over at me curiously as I slapped my hand over my mouth and felt my cheeks begin to grow hot from blushing. Edward’s hand lightly pushed my hand away from my mouth, causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter. When my hand was away from my face I said, “Are you seriously worried about that Edward? Because Rosalie won’t know half the people at her party, if Alice is in charge of the guest list.”

“Besides,” Alice said quickly before Edward could comment on what I had said, “You’re going with Bella.”

My head snapped up at Alice’s words and I narrowed my eyes at her. What was she thinking? How could she be so forward? My whole face flushed red and my stomach knotted, what if Edward said…

“Of course,” Edward’s velvety smooth voice soothed my nerves and untied the knot in my stomach. Alice smiled at me triumphantly and tapped her temple. To that I rolled my eyes.

“Edward,” I sighed, “Don’t let Alice put you on the spot, I’m not going to force you to go.”

Edward smiled at me and shook his head. “Bella, Bella, Bella, if I didn’t want to go I wouldn’t have agreed, now would I?”

“I guess not,” I allowed with a smile. My voice was calm and collected, but on the inside, everything was in a fierce frenzy. My heart was threatening to pop out of my chest, it was slamming so hard, my stomach was doing flips, and my cheeks were burning red. And it was all caused by Edward admitting that he wanted to go with me to Rose’s surprise party.

“Anyway,” Alice said, drawing mine and Edward’s attention back to her, “We have a little over two weeks to plan this whole thing, that shouldn’t be too hard if we work together because I have most of the planning done for the most part, I just need your approval.”

Alice began flipping pages in the binder and stopped to look up at each of the boys and down to the binder again. “I’m thinking the boys should all have black tuxes, what do you think, Bella?”

“Shouldn’t that be their decision Alice?” I laughed.

“Have them pick out their own clothes, Bella are you serious?” Alice looked appalled at the very thought. Of course she would, she was Alice, and she loved picking out clothes for other people to wear.

“Alice, we can dress ourselves you know,” Edward told her, his voice soft as usual. “Our moms stopped picking our clothes out when we were twelve.”

“Twelve?” Alice exclaimed in horror, receiving a laugh from everyone else.

“It was a joke, Alice,” Edward tried to assure her. “But I do think we are capable of picking out our own clothes…”

Alice gave Edward a withering look, causing him to trail off. Alice’s mouth twisted into a pout and her eyes widened like a puppy dog’s. I looked away, knowing exactly what she was trying to do.

“I just want Rose’s party to be perfect,” Alice explained n a small voice. “What’s wrong with that?”

“You can pick out my tux,” Jasper whispered to her as he placed a hand on hers. Alice’s face broke out in a smile and she threw herself at Jasper, hugging him tightly.

“Thanks Jazzy!” I eyed them peculiarly. Something was definitely up between the two of them, and Alice obviously forgot to tell me so. I glanced over at Edward, he was looking at me. When he caught my glance, he looked over at Alice and Jasper and back at me with a questioning look.

I shrugged. “She didn’t give me an answer when I asked earlier, remember?” I whispered to him so no one else would hear.

“Yeah, I remember….I just wonder when all of this happened.”

I smiled at Edward and patted his cheek. “Me too….She goes to Home Slice everyday, my only guess would be to see Jasper. It must have happened sometime between now and last Sunday when we went there to eat.”

“Could be….he’s talked about her nonstop since the day he delivered pizza here.” That made me smile. It was the same thing with Alice.

“Alice talked about him incessantly after that night, also.” Edward smiled and nodded his head.

“I guess you can pick my tux out too, Alice, if you’d like.” Alice smiled at Edward and thanked him.

“Yeah me too,” Emmett said around a sandwich he was eating. “But it has to be impressionable, got it?” Emmett gave Alice a meaningful look that she seemed to understand.

“Of course,” Alice agreed. “It wouldn’t be any other way.”

“Who in the world do you need to impress, Emmett?” I teased. Emmett stuck his tongue out at me, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“Don’t worry Emmett, you’ll blow her away,” Alice stated confidently. “You’ll look absolutely ravishing, which Rose likes.” Emmett beamed at Alice’s words of encouragement.

“Do you really think so, or are you just saying that to get my hopes up?” Emmett narrowed his eyes at Alice and put his sandwich down to cross his arms over his chest.

“Yes Emmett,” Alice smiled at him comfortingly but Emmett still looked skeptical.

“Emmett, you can trust Alice. She knows what she’s talking about. She knows Rose, she knows fashion, and she has an uncanny ability of knowing things before they happen. In fact, you won’t catch me betting against Alice.”

“You’re psychic?” Emmett asked, turning back to face Alice.

Alice shrugged. “Not really. I’m just really good at guessing, I guess.” Alice smiled and then her face turned serious. “So trust me when I say Rose is going to be…dazzled by you.”

“But she has a boyfriend, why would she be ‘dazzled’ by me when her boyfriend his with her?” Emmett pushed the plate of food away from him and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Alice to answer.

“That’s not my problem,” Alice said casually. Emmett’s face dropped as she said that. I was about to chide Alice for being so insensitive when she continued. “It’s your job to do something about it, Emmett.”

I was weary of the meaning behind Alice’s words, and I was afraid of how Emmett would interpret them. The evil smile on Alice’s face wasn’t helping matters, either.

“You’re right, Alice!” Emmett exclaimed, his face glowing.

“I always am,” Alice replied nonchalantly. I looked over at Emmett, he was no longer smiling, instead he had the calculating look back on his face. Shaking my head, I turned back to Alice.

“Okay, let’s start with the tuxes.” Alice beamed at my words and began pulling pictures out of the binder and holding them up to each of the guys.

Two hours later, Alice slammed the binder shut with a loud thud and leaned back in her seat, a bright smile dominating her face. “Excellent work, you guys,” She complimented. “We got a lot done today. This is going to be the best surprise masquerade party ever!”

“I agree,” Rose will love it. Now let’s clean up before she returns from her date with John.” I stood up and stretched before I began gathering things from the table.

Across the table, a chair screeched loudly as it scraped across the hardwood floor, causing me to cringe. Looking up from the papers scattered on the table, I saw Emmett stalk off into the kitchen with his empty plate, and his shoulders were slouched. I didn’t know Emmett very well, but I could guess that Emmett’s shoulders rarely slouch.

“Oops,” I mumbled to myself. The reason for Emmett’s behavior was obvious, and I had been insensitive.

“Don’t worry about it, Bella,” Edward’s low voice sounded in my ear. His cool breath tickled my ear, sending shivers up my spine and my heart to patter.

“I shouldn’t have brought up Rose and John,” I sighed. Edward’s hand gently brushed the hair away from my face and his palm settled on my cheek. When I turned my head to look at him, he was smiling softly at me.

“Bella, you can’t blame yourself. You were simply stating what’s fact. Emmett’s a grown man; he can handle himself and his own feelings.” Edward’s soothing words helped ease my guilt some, but not fully.

Emmett didn’t return to the dining room while we cleaned up the table. We were sitting around the table talking when he walked back into the room.

“What took you so long?” Jasper asked, to which Emmett merely shrugged. Jasper was about to press for more information when the front door swung open and banged against the wall.

Rosalie stormed inside and slammed the door shut with more force than she had opened it. “Dammit!” She screamed and hit the door with her hand.

“Rose, are you okay?” Alice asked, standing up to go to Rosalie. Rose turned around to see the five of us in the dining room. Her eyes, glassy from the tears she was obviously holding back, darted from face to face where they lingered on Emmett. Her eyes widened in horror and then she dashed out of the room.

“Rose, wait!” The words didn’t come from me, nor did they come from Alice, they came from Emmett. Jumping up from the table, Emmett disappeared down the hall behind Rosalie.

“I think we should go talk to her,” Alice said to me. She started to turn to leave the room, but a hand landed softly on her shoulder and stopped her.

“Let Emmett take care of it,” Jasper whispered. Alice’s only response was to nod.

Rosalie’s POV

How come whenever I cry, the whole world has to watch? The first time in over a year that I cry, I have an audience. The worst part was I didn’t really know exactly why I was crying.

I knew that I didn’t love John, I had never loved him. His best friend was closer to him than I was. I had never felt remotely close to him, we had never really connected. But I had stayed with him for almost a year anyway.

I hadn’t cried when he broke up with me, I hadn’t cried in the car, I didn’t even feel sad about it. I had been planning on breaking up with him anyway….why was I crying?

My room was dark, I hadn’t bothered turning on the light when I ran into my room. I had flung myself onto my bed and buried my head into my pillow and released the tears I had struggled to keep from spilling over in front of everyone.

Salty tears pooled onto my pillow as my tears showed no mercy. Crying was actually helping me too feel better, but only fractionally.

“Rose?” I jumped at the sound of my name coming from an all too familiar voice. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, praying that I the voice was just a figment of my imagination. No such luck.

A big, gentle hand touched the back of my head and I tried to bury my face deeper into my pillow. The bed sagged as the person sat down on the bed beside me.

“Rose? Are you okay?” I shook my head in response. “Are you going to look at me?” His voice sounded sad somehow, and I didn’t like it. It angered me, but I wasn’t mad at him. I was mad at myself.

I lifted my head from the pillow and turned my head to see Emmett watching me. “I feel…lousy,” I told him.

“I’m sorry. Are you going to tell me what happened?” I bit my lip, contemplating if I should tell him the story or not. I decided to tell him. It felt great to talk to him about it, to spill my grievances without pretending to be strong, like I did with Bella and Alice. I told him the whole story, start to finish. How John and I had never really clicked, yet we stayed together, about John being around his best friend more than me, about being….dumped.

The word was extremely difficult for me to think, it was worse for me to say. That didn’t escape Emmett’s attention, but thankfully he didn’t comment on it. Tears were still streaming down my face when I finished telling my story. Emmett was quiet for only a moment before he said something.

“I’m sorry Rose,” he whispered, “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes,” I answered, nodding my head, “Just…hold me please.” Emmett’s arms wrapped around me securely and he gathered me closely. It felt amazing to be in his strong embrace. Since meeting him, I had yearned for his arms to wrap around me in such a manner.

We didn’t move for close to five minutes. I didn’t want to move, and neither did Emmett. We were comfortable, both of us content.

Emmett gently pushed me away from him, his arms unwinding from around me to hold me at arm’s length. His eyes stared deeply into mine and a dimple-releasing smile made his face light the dark room.

“Rose,” he said softly, “I’m going to kiss you now.” It wasn’t a question, and that didn’t bother me. It thrilled me.

“Okay,” I whispered, breathlessly.

Emmett cradled my face in his big hands and his lips pressed lightly against mine. The contact was gentle, but it was enough to make my blood boil. My lips pressed harder against his, causing him to chuckle at my reaction.

“Eager, are we?” He asked, his lips moving against mine tantalizingly.

“Oh shut up and just kiss me,” I commanded him. He laughed and nipped my bottom lip causing my stomach to flop and my face to heat. With my bottom lip captured between his teeth, he gently tugged on it, making my lips part.

His tongue brushed along my bottom lip and I parted my lips further, allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. His tongue caressed mine gently, coaxing it do the same. Pressing my body against his more, I angled my head to allow my tongue to explore every inch of his mouth.

He had a beautiful mouth. The emotions he was evoking and the sensations he was causing were all new to me. Of course, I had kissed other men like this, but with Emmett, it all felt new. The intensity was greater, everything was better. I felt like an inexperienced child trying to learn from the master.

“Rose!” A high-pitched voice called from the other side of my door. I could hear Alice’s tiny fist collide with the door as she tried to make as much noise as possible to get my attention.

I pulled away from Emmett hesitantly. He only let me move my face away from him. He still held me securely in his arms.

“What is it Alice?” I snapped.

“Are you okay?” Alice’s voice sounded worried and I sighed. I felt bad for snapping at her when she was only concerned about me.

“Yeah Alice, I’m okay. I’ll be out in a second.”

“And Emmett?” Alice questioned with a giggle.

“And Emmett.”

Emmett released his hold on me and helped me off of the bed. His fingers lightly brushed the remaining tears off of my face and his lips pressed lightly to mine again. “Does your friend do that often?”

I smiled at him and nodded. “Yeah. She has a built in radar I think, so she can detect these things. She’s a great mood killer.”

“Remind me to come visit you when your friend is away.” I laughed at Emmett’s joke and ridiculous innuendo and decided to play along.

“Yeah, most definitely,” I replied with a wink and walked out of my room, leaving a stunned Emmett behind.

What do you guys think? Was I fair to Emmett this chapter? I hope to update Wednesday. That'd be cool. But...only if i get reviews :D

Chapter: 18

Hello! I'm updating again! Sorry I didn't update last wednesday. I felt like it just wasn't time to update yet. I think some people dropped this story...:( Cause the last two chapters haven't gotten as many reviews and hits. Oh well. Anyway, I think this is my favorite chapter so far...I'm not sure. I really like this one though. I think the setting is perfect. Okay here's the next chapter, ENJOY!!

Smooth Sailing

The harsh wind whipped my hair around my face as I edged closer to Alice and Rose, hoping to block some of the wind. All of us were huddled close together with our jackets pulled tightly closed around ourselves. It was hard to believe that earlier that day I had been wearing a short sleeve, loose jersey at a baseball game.

It was the beginning of March, yet it felt like mid December. The contrast between the weather in the city and the weather on the coast never ceased to amaze me. Standing by the harbor, the wind lashed at us from every direction as if every wave sent a gust of air bouncing toward us. The cool night air mixed with the merciless wind chilled the three of us as we waited.

“Where are they?” Rosalie asked, rubbing her hands together to warm them with the friction. “Do they realize how cold it is standing here by the open water?”

“They’ll be here soon,” Alice assured her. “We did leave a littler early because we were so anxious.”

“Which reminds me, Alice,” I tried to keep my teeth from chattering as I spoke, “You promised me an explanation and I have yet to hear it.”

“An explanation of what?” Alice asked innocently.

“You and Jasper,” I clarified. A smile broke across Alice’s face and she began bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot I didn’t tell you guys about that….” Alice’s cheeks, already slightly red from the chilly air, grew a darker shade of red. “Well, you remember when we saw Jasper at the pizza place, right? Well I didn’t tell you guys that when I went back in to get my purse he was there-“

“Duh Alice, he works there,” Rose interrupted.

“I know that! I meant at the table!” Alice glared at Rose for interrupting her and then continued. “Anyway, he was reaching for my purse, and I teased him that he better not be stealing it. He told me that he was going to look for contact information so that he could return it. Well we talked, not for long, very briefly, I tipped him. He didn’t want to accept the money, but I made him because I slipped a piece of paper with my number on it in the middle.”

“Ah, that explains all the phone calls,” I laughed. Alice grinned at me sheepishly.

“Yeah…my phone bill is going to be outrageously high this month, but it’s worth it.”

Rosalie and I nodded our heads in agreement. “Go on, Alice,” Rosalie prodded.

Alice inhaled a deep breath and nodded her head. “Well, since that day Jasper and I have talked a lot on the phone and I went down to the Pizza place everyday as well. He’s been working the counter a lot lately. He told me that he used to hate doing so, but now he doesn’t mind it.” Alice’s eyes sparkled even in the darkness brought by the night.

“I wonder why,” Rosalie laughed.

“Well, anyway, when I went there Wednesday, he was there, but he wasn’t wearing his uniform. He told me that he had the day off and that he’d rather not spend it there, so he took me out to lunch and then we went mini golfing. I’m not very good at it….”

“Alice what are you talking about?” I questioned, “You’re incredible at mini golf, and you always kick our butts when we play.”

“My guess is she wanted Jasper to help her. You know, go up behind her like this,” Rosalie came up behind me and took my hands and angling down at the ground as if I was putting a golf ball. “He’d place his hands over hers like so,” her hands covered mine, “he press up against her,” Rosalie stepped forward, pressing her body against mine causing my cheeks to bloom with color. I knew the people at the harbor were staring at us funny. “And he’d help her putt the ball.” Rosalie moved my hands in a gentle sweeping motion.

“Hole in one,” She whispered in my ear in a deep voice. “You’re a natural, Alice. Next time I think you’ll be able to get one without my help.”

I laughed at Rosalie trying to imitate Jasper. “Oh I don’t know, Jazzy,” I emulated Alice’s high pitched voice. “I think I still might need your help. You’re such a wonderful teacher, and I’m such a terrible mini golfer…”

Alice was bowled over with laughter as she watched me and Rose. “It didn’t happen,” she gasped in between laughs, “Exactly like that.”

“But it was close, wasn’t it?” Rose smirked.

“Yeah, something like that,” Alice smiled, finally regaining her composure. Rosalie and I broke apart and the three of us huddled back together again. We weren’t as cold as we had been before. Our laughter has warmed us up some.

“Anyway,” Alice said continuing her story, “That night, after you and Rose were asleep, I snuck out to meet up with Jasper…”

“You didn’t!” Rose and I yelled incredulously. Alice nodded her head sheepishly.

“Yeah, I did. He wanted to show me something, and he said that it had to be seen at night. He took me to the most beautiful place I could have imagined. It was absolutely beautiful. It was on top of a cliff on the coast, and it overlooked the ocean. But it wasn’t all open water, there was land along one side, and it was lined with trees, and beautiful plants. In the distance, there was a lighthouse. It was beautiful, the light illuminated the darkness just enough to see by, but not enough to block out the stars. Oh my god, the stars….there were so many of them; and the moon, you could see the moon perfectly, only it didn’t look far away. It looked close enough to touch….”

“It sounds lovely,” I told Alice. She smiled and nodded her head.

“Well, we sat down on a rock to enjoy the view and he wrapped his arm around me and told me that he really liked me. He said that even though we’ve only known each other for a short period of time, it felt like forever to him and that he enjoyed being around me…..and he asked me….” Alice trailed off with a blush.

“What did he ask you?” Rose asked, urging her to tell us with a nudge of her elbow.

“Well, let’s just say that I’m no longer single,” Alice answered with confidence.

“Oh my God, Alice!” Rose squealed, pulling Alice into a hug. “How dare you keep that from your two best friends in the world? You let us go several days completely oblivious, how could you!”

Alice shrugged. “I was afraid you’d get mad.”

“Get mad,” I questioned, “Why would we get mad?”

“I don’t know, because I snuck out, because I spend a lot of time at the Home Slice….” Alice trailed off when Rose and I each gave her a pointed look.

“Alice, we would never be mad at you for that. We love you too much and as long as you’re happy, we’re happy,” I assured her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.

“Exactly,” Rose agreed. “So, is he a good kisser?”

“Now what makes you think-“ I began but Alice interrupted me.

“Amazing,” she answered Rose with a dreamy sigh.

“Emmett is too,” Rose beamed.

“What!?” Alice and I exclaimed.

“Whoa whoa whoa! When did this happen?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes at Rose. She had been with John until today, how in the world would she know that he’s a good kisser.

“Today,” Rose answered. “Alice interrupted.” Rosalie glared at Alice who stared wide eyed and open mouthed back at her.

“Okay, start explaining,” Alice commanded.

Rose rolled her eyes but complied. “Well, he came into my room while I was crying and he comforted me, and then…he kissed me.”

“Just like that?” I asked.

“Yeah. It was the best kiss of my life,” She informed us. “I mean, when John used to kiss me, I never really felt anything…but with Emmett….I felt everything. I can’t believe I even stayed with John as long as I did….” Rose shook her head.

“Why did he break up with you anyway?” Alice wanted to know.

“He said that he felt like we didn’t click anymore and that we should break it off, and I agreed. So I guess the decision was more mutual, but because he brought it up I look at it as he dumped me. That’s why I think I was upset. I’ve never been dumped before, as conceited as that probably sounds, it’s true.”

“But it’s not a terrible thing that he broke up with you, because you don’t like him as more than a friend, and Emmett…” I trailed off and raised my eyebrows. Rosalie giggled and rolled her eyes.

“Shut up, Bella,” She laughed.

“So Bella,” Alice drew my attention away from Rose and back to her, “Has Edward kissed you yet?”

“In front of thousands of people,” I told them with a laugh. The expressions on both of their faces were identical as they stared at me in confusion. I sighed and explained to them about the Kiss Cam.

“Oh! I remember that thing!” Alice laughed. “Wow, can you imagine sharing your first kiss in front of nearly fifty thousand people?”

Rosalie shook her head and laughed. “How red was your face Bella?”

“Pretty red,” I laughed. My friends knew me all too well.

“Awe, but was it worth it?” Alice inquired, wriggling her eyebrows.

“Definitely,” I grinned.

“Hey ladies,” a deep voice greeted us, alerting us that we were no longer alone. “What are we talking about?” Emmett nudged his way into our huddle and wrapped an arm around Rose.

“Girl stuff,” Rose answered, standing on her tip toes to peck him lightly on the lips.

Emmett smiled his dimples appearing on his face kissed Rose back briefly. I watched as Rose and Emmett exchanged several more quick kisses when two arms wrapped around me.

“You look cold,” Edward whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

“Just a little,” I responded, turning around to face him. Like every other time, his beauty stunned me and stole my breath. The crooked smile on his face caused my heart to accelerate and my nerves to tingle.

“I’m sorry,” Edward apologized, bending down to press his lips lightly to my cheek. “Hello.”

“Hello,” I smiled, “So, what’s all this about?”

Edward’s smile widened and his mesmerizing green eyes sparkled, “It’s a surprise.”

“I hate surprises,” I frowned slightly.

“You’ll like this surprise,” He told me confidently. “Besides, it’s not just for you, it’s for Alice and Rose too, from the three of us.”

“Come on guys!” Jasper called, already half way to the docks, his hand intertwined with Alice’s.

Emmett dragged Rosalie by the hand to catch up them. Edward released me and took my hand. I started walking toward the others, leading Edward by the hand. I had walked only a few steps, when my feet left the ground. Before I could react, Edward had swung me onto his back.

“Edward!” I squealed with a laugh. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a ride,” he answered simply and began walking down to where the rest of our group waited.

“Go Eddie!” Emmett boomed, laughing.

“Oh you’re strong Edward!” Alice teased, “Bella weighs a ton!”

“To you, probably,” Edward yelled in response, “To me she’s as light as a feather.”

“Don’t get too red, Bella!” Rose taunted me, “You might never get your normal color back!”

I buried my face in Edward’s shoulder as our friends continued to hoot and holler. I just love when my friends purposely try to embarrass me, I thought sarcastically.

When we reached the others, Edward wouldn’t let me down. He carried me on his back as we all walked over to a small sailboat.

“Hello there,” A tall brunette greeted us with a warm smile. “You must be the guys wanting to surprise the girls, am I correct?”

“That’s correct,” Jasper answered. “My name is Jasper, this is my girlfriend Alice, “He lifted their entwined hands. “ With his free hand he pointed to Emmett, “That’s my friend Emmett and with him is Rosalie.” His hand moved to gesture to Edward. “That’s Edward, and his girlfriend Bella.”

I blushed at Jasper’s words. That was the second time today that someone had referred to me as Edward’s girlfriend, even though we hadn’t technically made it official.

“Hello,” the girl greeted us. “My name is Angela and I’m the captain of this wonderful ship here.” Her hands motioned to the sailboat behind her.

“Wait, you’re the captain?” Jasper asked, confused. “I talked to a man on the phone…”

Angela laughed. “Yes I know. You talked to my fiancé, Ben. He’s below deck at the moment. But yeah, this is my boat, and I always captain my own vessels.”

“That’s really neat,” Alice complimented.

“Yeah, it’s my life. I grew up around ships, my father owned a shipping company, which he passed to me when I turned eighteen. All these ships you see on the right side of the harbor are mine. So, shall we get going?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Jasper followed Angela up onto the boat, leading Alice by the hand. Emmett and Rose followed after them and then Edward carried me up onto the boat, still refusing to let me off his back.

“Ben!” Angela called down to the lower deck, “The party’s here come meet them!”

A small man, several inches shorter than Angela, with black hair and glasses walked onto the upper deck and greeted us with a smile. “Hello. My name’s Ben, which one of you did I speak to on the phone?”

Jasper stepped forward. “That was me.” Jasper introduced himself and then the rest of us, yet again referring to me as Edward’s girlfriend.

“Nice to meet you all.” He turned to Angela then to talk to her. “Should we set off then?”

“Yeah, hoist the sails, we’re off.”

The boat ride was peaceful. The boat was strictly sails only, it had no motor. The water lapped at the side of the boat and gently rocked it as we sailed toward our destination, which the boys would not reveal to us.

Alice, Rose, and I talked to Angela a long time and admired her engagement ring. We had become fast friends. Angela was very sweet and it was obvious that we would all get along so easily.

I was standing at the front of the ship, the bow as Angela told me it was called, watching the stars pass by us as we continued to glide through the water. My jacket was wrapped tightly around my body and my hair flowed behind me in the wind.

The others were at the back of the boat, the stern as Ben had told us. They were all taking turns steering the ship. I had come to the front of the ship to enjoy the view and the open water.

“There you are,” Edward’s velvety voice penetrated the silence of the night.

“Were you looking for me?” I looked over and smiled at him as he sat down beside me.

“Yeah, actually I was,” He replied, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. Intertwining our fingers, he rested our hands on his leg.

“Um…Edward?” I asked him tentatively.

“Yes?” Edward smiled at me encouragingly, his green eyes sparkling in the moonlight reflecting from the water.

“Um, what are we?” I managed to get the words out, despite my stomach twisting in knots and my nerves bunching up.

“What do you mean?” His eyebrows pulled together, and his forehead creased in confusion.

My cheeks burned red and my heart began to race as my nerves took over. “Um, well I noticed that earlier today when the man Emmett plowed over called me your girlfriend, you didn’t correct him, and the same with when Jasper called me your girlfriend. “

“Oh,” Edward whispered. “Did it bother you that I didn’t correct them?”

“No, not at all….well, I don’t know. Is that what I am?”

Edward smiled softly at me. “Do you object to the idea?” Edward’s face was relaxed, but I could see in his eyes that he was worried.

“No, I don’t. Do you?” My heart slammed in anticipation, I was afraid that it would burst out of my chest.

“No, never,” Edward answered softly, some of the worry left his eyes. We sat in silence for several moments. We listened to the water slapping against the side of the boat. The rhythm was hypnotizing. I was beginning to understand why Angela loved the sea so much.

“Bella?” Edward asked softly, his voice drawing me out of my trance.

“Hmm?”

“Would you like to be my girlfriend?” His words stunned me. My already racing heart, thumped erratically, and the nerves in my stomach began to uncoil.

“I’d love to,” I answered him in a whisper.

Edward’s returning smile was so dazzling that it completely knocked the breath from me. Before I could regain it, Edward had drawn me into his arms and pressed his lips lightly to mine.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips harder to his in response. Edward traced my jaw line lightly with his thumb, causing my nerves to tingle.

“You’re so beautiful,” Edward whispered, his lips moving against mine. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I asked, my lips still touching his.

“For letting me save you from the worst date of you life.”

“No, thank you,” I laughed, crushing my lips to his again. Edward pulled me closer and lightly traced my bottom lip with his tongue. My heart was pounding so hard, I was sure Edward could feel it.

I slowly parted my lips allowing Edward to deepen our kiss. Goosebumps rose on my arms and my stomach flipped as Edward caressed my tongue with his own. His mouth moved in time with mine.

“Land ahoy!” Ben called, shining a light on the bow. The light blinded me, and I felt when Edward pulled away from me. “Oh, sorry Edward, sorry Bella!” Ben apologized, “I didn’t see you guys there!”

“It’s okay, Ben!” I called to him, even though I was slightly disappointed that he had interrupted.

“Come on, Bella,” Edward took my hand and led me to the rail of the boat. “Look.” He pointed across the water to the place was heading. It was an island with the most beautiful lighthouse I had ever clapped eyes on.

“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Edward asked politely. “I just wanted to inform you all that softballgirl1136 will be leaving for Mexico tomorrow and promises that she will bring a notebook and work on this story. She’s way too excited to write the next chapter because Bella and I are finally together. She told me that it would make her very happy that when she comes home on the 18th to see that this chapter has more than any of the others. So, I, Edward, am challenging you to beat 128 reviews for this chapter. She promised that when she returns she will have at least two chapters to put up. She told me that you all are awesome and that she can’t wait to update when she returns. Thank you all for being so supportive of me and Bella.”

Lol, I know that not everyone reads ANs, so that was my creative way of telling you that I'll be gone for two weeks :( I'm sorry. But what Edward told you is true. I promise. Anyway, What'd you think of THIS chapter? B&E are OFFICIALLY together!! WOOT!! Please review, it helps me write better chapters :D Oh and there's a link to a picture of the lighthouse in my profile. I think it's a pretty amazing picture. Check it out!

Chapter: 19

Hello everyone. I'm back! My trip was great! And I'm sorry that I couldn't updated the day I got back. Lol. I had to unpack. And then Saturday I had my softball party all day, and then I started typing Sunday. Now, I'm just putting Chapter 19 up for right now. I don't like to put two chapters up at one time. But I have the other. But I don't think I will put 20 up until I have 21 written. That's a new strategy I have come up with to make my updates more efficient. But we'll see. OH! I have some pretty cool news. Dateless For Too Long is in the community "The Best of the Best" It's for fanfics with over 1000 reviews. So my story is in the same community as stories from the amazingly talented vjgm, My-Bella, ronsOReds, and other amazing writer's stories! I have all of you to thank for that. So thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! Alright, here you are. My longest chapter yet...chapter 19! Enjoy!

The Lighthouse

The sails were pulled in as we glided closer to shore. The boat slowed and the anchors were dropped.

“Angela, do you and Ben want to come with us?” Jasper asked before we loaded onto the rowboat.

“Oh yes, please come with us!” Alice exclaimed, running over to Angela and seizing her hands to try to pull her toward the rowboat. “You guys can’t stay here while we go.”

“I don’t know guys, I mean, I wouldn’t want to intrude…” Angela trailed off when Alice shook her head.

“It’s the least we could do,” Edward persuaded, his mouth twisting up into his breath-taking crooked smile. I sympathized with Angela; I could tell by the expression on her face that Edward’s smile had a similar affect on her as it did me.

“Come on, Ang,” Ben joined in, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her on the cheek. “The boat will be fine anchored here for a few hours.” Angela looked down into Ben’s pleading eyes and the rest of her defenses dropped.

“Alright,” she agreed, leaning down to kiss Ben. “Thank you,” she said when she looked back up at us. “Let’s go.”

Angela motioned us into the rowboat and began lowering it. Edward’s arm wrapped securely around my waist, holding me tightly to his side, as the rowboat rocked gently in its descent toward the water.

“That wasn’t very fair of you back there,” I hissed at Edward as the boat continued down.

“What do you mean?” Edward whispered back, amusement making his green eyes dance.

“When you tried to persuade Angela,” I clarified. “The poor girl hardly had a chance. Besides, you shouldn’t try to dazzle people when their fiancé is standing right next to them.”

Edward burst into laughter. My eyes narrowed and my mouth twisted into a disapproving frown. “Bella, I wasn’t trying to dazzle Angela, I was merely trying to encourage her.”

“Well, obviously you didn’t see the expression on her face when you flashed your heart-stopping smile at her.” At the mention of his smile, his lips twitched and his crooked smile reappeared.

“Heart-stopping, huh?” he smirked. My heart reacted, almost making my description of his smile completely true. “I really hope not,” he continued, “I enjoy your company too much.”

I felt as the blood rushed to my cheeks, heating my face at his words. “Well, it comes close,” I allowed.

The boat landed in the water with a loud slap. The displaced water splashed against the sides of the boat and rolled outward in a ripple effect.

Angela quickly scurried down the ladder on the side of the sailboat and Ben and Emmett helped her into the rowboat. It was a tight squeeze with eight people on the small boat, but there was just enough room for two people to row.

With Emmett and Ben paddling, the small boat raced quickly toward the shore, cutting through the water like a knife. The boat bobbed up and down gently with the roll of the waves.

The moon hung in the sky as if pinned to the black velvet sky. The light of the bright orb, fully illuminated tonight, washed over us, making the water sparkle. The reflection of the moonlight on the water added to my euphoria.

I felt like I was in a dream, the most wonderful dream my subconscious could conjure up. It was a dream I would never want to end. I had almost convinced myself that I was dreaming when Edward’s fingers lightly brushed against my cheek.

His touch, as soft as a butterfly’s wing, sent a jolt through me and my heart reacted. Goosebumps trailed along my arms, causing the hair to rise. My heart hammered in my chest and my blood pulsed beneath his fingers.

All thoughts of dreaming dissolved with Edward’s soft caress. If it had been only a dream I would not feel the jolt when his skin touched mine and my heart would not be so frantic. Well, perhaps it would, but I knew I wasn’t dreaming. Not this time.

“Bella what are you thinking about?” Edward’s breath blew across my ear. The loose strands of hair hanging around my ears twisted in the gentle current of air.

“I was wondering how all of this could actually be real,” I answered, still in awe of the magnificent sight.

Edward’s soft chuckle made my stomach flop. His musical laugh mixed perfectly with the melodic sounds of the night. The harmonious sounds charged the dream-like quality of the atmosphere.

“Would you like me to wake you up?” he whispered softly. I started to shake my head slowly from side to side, but Edward’s hand slid down from my cheek to hold my chin. He slowly leaned toward me until his face was inches away from mine.

“Time to wake up, Bella,” His sweet breath blew in my face at his quiet murmur. Before I could respond, his soft lips pressed lightly against mine. My heart thundered in my chest and a bright red color bloomed in my cheeks.

I felt when Edward pulled away from me. I slowly opened my eyes, realizing that I had closed them. Edward’s face was still close, his eyes intent on me and his crooked smile in place.

“Good ah…night.” Edward said lightly. “You slept in kind of late.” Edward’s eyes sparkled with amusement and his mouth twisted into a small smirk.

“Yes well, I was having a wonderful dream and I didn’t want it to end,” I replied, smiling.

Edward pulled me closer to his side by the arm still wrapped around my waist. His eyes danced and his smirk grew more prominent. “What were you dreaming about?”

“The best night of my life,” I answered with a dreamy sigh.

Edward’s smile grew and his white teeth seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. “The best night of your life?” Edward’s tone held amusement but his eyes were expectant.

“Yes.” My voice was barely a whisper, the knots in my stomach made it impossible to speak louder. My soft answer was carried away by the brisk wind; I doubted that Edward had heard it. Nothing in his posture showed that he had heard.

I sat motionless, my cheeks burning red with embarrassment. The lack of response from Edward sent a spasm of fear down my spine. Tiny needles probed at my heart, making it ache. I cursed myself for not controlling my impulsive tongue.

“The best has yet to come.” Edward’s whispered words caused goose bumps to rise on my arms. The knots in my stomach relaxed and the needles pricking my heart disappeared.

Warmth spread through me like a heat wave at Edward’s words. I couldn’t imagine anything better than sailing in the moonlight with Edward. The night was already perfect; it was perfect the second Edward walked up to me.

“Bella!” Alice called from the first row of the boat. I looked up to see her small frame twisted around to look behind her. Jasper’s arm was wrapped possessively around her small waist. Alice’s small body bounced with every wave, Jasper’s tight hold kept her inside the boat.

“Yes, Alice?” I shouted above the brisk wind.

“Have you ever seen such a gorgeous lighthouse?” Alice’s shout, softened by the whistling wind, held a tone of awe. Alice’s smile stretched wide across her face and her face shimmered as the moonlight caressed her porcelain skin. From the light of the silver moon and the lighthouse, I noticed the glitter smeared along Alice’s cheekbones.

“I haven’t, but what about the lighthouse-?”

“It’s the same!” Alice cut me off. She pointed across the ocean to a tall hill with a clearing facing the lighthouse. It was obviously the spot that Jasper had taken Alice; the place where he had made her his girlfriend and sealed it with a kiss. There was no doubt in my mind that the hill had a wonderful view; the lighthouse was gorgeous as Alice had said and the ocean was simply breath-taking.

I smiled at Alice and turned to look behind me. Emmett was paddling with all his strength, his muscles rippling under his white puffy shirt. He was trying to impress Rose with his brute strength. His frequent glances in her direction were tell tale of that fact.

Rosalie looked quite comfortable where she was. Leaning against the side of the boat with her arms propped up on the edge with her legs draped flamboyantly over Emmett’s lap, she looked completely relaxed. Her beautiful, long, corn-silk blonde hair flowed behind her, twisting luxuriously in the wind. Her eyes devoured Emmett with rapture-like sharpness. They weren’t officially dating, but I knew it was only a matter time; a short time.

I turned back around to see Angela lean her head on Ben’s shoulder and rub his back with one hand. Ben was surprisingly strong for his small size. His muscles flexed as he rowed powerfully. His strength, no doubt, came from working at the harbor. Ben, like Angela, had grown up around ships. His family owned a large shipping company in the Philippines and Hawaiian Islands.

Ben first met Angela in Hawaii when they were ten years old. They had told us the story about how they had both sailed with their fathers to Oahu and had nearly had a collision. Their fathers had taken an instant dislike to each other, but much to their dismay, Angela and Ben had become fast friends.

Since their first meeting, they had met many more times when they sailed to Hawaii. It had turned out that Angela’s father and Ben’s father were both major competitors. Both of their merchant ships sold corn and other vegetables not grown in Hawaii to Hawaiian vendors. Because of the competition, the schedules for both companies were almost identical.

Angela and Ben would always sail with their fathers to Hawaii just to see each other. Every visit, the two were inseparable. Their close friendship angered their fathers, but neither of them had the heart to break them apart.

When they weren’t in Hawaii, Angela and Ben kept in contact by writing letters to each other. They never dared calling each other because the cost of a long distance phone call from Washington to the Philippines was too high. Not to mention the fact that the two friends would talk for hours.

As they grew older, new emotions began to spark their relationship. Angela’s giddiness when she would read Ben’s well-written and well-thought-out letters, and Ben’s anxiousness to receive her replies and his worries over what she would write were only a few. Their reunions brought over-whelming joy and with each new meeting, more intensity.

When Ben was seventeen, his dad split the company and based half of it in Hawaii. Ben went to live with his father in Hawaii and would frequently sail alone to Washington to visit Angela.

With more meetings, the spark between them caught and grew into a roaring flame. They both recognized their feelings for what they were and had been together ever since. Their relationship had even spread out to their parents. Like a bubble, it had spread out to them and swallowed them up as well.

Angela’s father and Ben’s father eventually put their business aside and learned to tolerate each other for their children’s sake. It didn’t take long for them to realize how much they had in common and become friends. Both families had grown to be really close.

Six months ago, the Webers sailed to Hawaii to stay with the Cheneys for an entire month. Ben’s mom had sailed from the Philippines to rejoin her husband and son one year prior, leaving her brother-in-law to run the branch of the company in the Philippines. Between the two families, eight people were staying in one house. The Cheneys had a large house in the mountains that Ben’s father had built when Ben took over running the company.

Angela’s younger twin brothers, Isaac and Joshua, adored Ben. They enjoyed watching him work in the month that they were in Hawaii. With everyone in both families in the same place, Ben thought it was the perfect time to orchestrate his plan.

Ben spent an entire week planning a big luau. He had decorations brought in from all over the Hawaiian Islands and bought the biggest big he could find. He bought Angela a really pretty, strapless dress with matching shoes and invited the entire town to the festivity.

The night of the luau Ben gave Angela the dress and shoes to wear, and to his satisfaction, she loved them. Angela’s dress was the prettiest at the party. The embroidery made it shimmer in the glow of the torch light. That night, all eyes were on Angela. She looked stunning in her dress.

After dinner, everyone was gathered around the bonfire dancing. Ben stopped in the middle of a slow dance and dropped down on his knee and proposed. No one had expected his proposal, he hadn’t told anyone his plans, and it was a pleasant surprise for everyone.

Both of their families were overjoyed. They had believed that Ben and Angela would marry, but they had not expected Ben to propose that night.

They began planning the wedding immediately. The date was set for June thirteenth, a Friday. Angela’s parents are very superstitious. They said that if they had their wedding on Friday the thirteenth and everything went smoothly, the marriage would be extremely successful.

When they’re married, the two shipping companies will be merged to form one of the largest shipping companies in the world. The two companies that had once been enemies will join together and become one, all thanks to Angela and Ben.

“Awe that is such a romantic story!” Alice had gushed when Ben and Angela had finished telling their story.

“It’s very much like a fairy tale,” Rosalie had agreed.

The bottom of the boat grated across the sandy shore of the island, breaking me of my pensive state. The rowboat shuddered to a stop and careened back and forth in the wind, teetering on a sand bar. Emmett jumped out of the boat and dragged it further up on the shore. Sand flew away from the boat as Emmett tugged it up onto the beach.

When the boat stopped moving, everyone scrambled out quickly. Edward stepped out of the boat and onto the soft sand. Turning around, he lifted me gingerly out of the boat and set me down gently beside him. My feet sank into sand, still warm from the daytime sun.

Alice, Rose, and I all took off our flip flops and walked in the sand bare-footed. Angela decided to keep her boats on, claiming that they were a pain to take on and off. The soft sand cradled my feet and filled the spaces between my toes as I walked hand in hand with Edward.

Jasper led the way with Alice’s hand gripped firmly in his. Emmett and Rose brought up the rear, both of them walking slower than the rest of us.

The island wasn’t very big but it was incomparable in beauty. The white sand we walked on was clean. It was free of litter and the only footprints were the fresh ones made by our group and the native animals. The vegetation was abundant, tall trees lined the shore and beautiful flowers covered the ground adding a rainbow of color.

The lighthouse was on the opposite side of the island, clearly visible from our position. We walked toward it, the light emanating from the tower beckoning us to come. We walked along the shore, taking the long way around the island.

Twenty minutes later we stood in front of the lighthouse. Jasper motioned us over to a door and reached for the handle.

“Jasper we can’t go in there!” Alice hissed as Jasper turned the knob. I thought that the door would be locked, but to my surprise it opened.

“Alice, it’s okay,” Jasper assured her. “We’re not breaking in; I talked to the owner so we’re fine.”

Alice relaxed with that information and followed Jasper inside. It was dark, I couldn’t see anything. Two hands covered my eyes, making me jump in surprise.

“Shh, Bella,” A velvety voice whispered in my ear, “There’s no need to be alarmed.” My tense shoulders relaxed and I closed my eyes.

“Jasper, it’s too dark to see anything, are your hands over my eyes really necessary?” Alice’s question informed me that I wasn’t the only one with covered eyes.

“If you run me into anything, I will remove the reason you call yourself a man.” Rose’s sharp threat was evidence that Emmett had clapped his hands over her eyes as well.

“Awe, you wouldn’t want to do that Rosie. You might regret it later.” A loud smack echoed through the dark followed by an equally loud yelp of pain. The exchange made me smile; Emmett and Rosalie were definitely well-suited.

“Alright you two, that’s enough,” Jasper’s voice rang with authority. “We’re covering your eyes because we want to surprise you. And if Emmett runs you into anything, Rose, Edward and I will beat the tar out of him.”

“No you won’t!” Rose yelled into the darkness. “We’ll be fine, there’s no need for violence.”

“Of course not,” Jasper agreed. “Besides, it was never in my plans to fight Emmett.

“Ben,” Jasper turned away from Rose to face the smaller boy standing more than a head below him. “If you’d like, you can cover Angela’s eyes as well.”

“Actually,” Angela cut in before Ben could speak, “I’d like to see the surprise you boys have planned before the girls do. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Not at all,” Jasper answered. “Let’s go.”

Edward nudged me forward slightly and I started to walk. I held my hands out in front of my body, fearing that I would run into something. I knew that Edward wouldn’t run me into anything and that he would try to keep me from running into anything, but I just didn’t trust myself. If anyone could manage to run into something while someone as graceful as Edward was guiding them, it would be me.

“Bella, don’t worry," Edward whispered soothingly I my ear. “I won’t let you run into something. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let my girlfriend bump into an object while I was leading her?” The word boyfriend sent a thrill of excitement up my spine. It was hard for me to believe that I had actually managed to get a boyfriend, much less one as perfect as Edward.

“I trust you,” I murmured. “It’s my self that I don’t trust.”

Edward’s musical laugh made my heart beat faster and my blood to race. “You need to have more faith in yourself, Bella.”

I opened my mouth to respond but a loud curse interrupted me. A string of profanities rang through the darkness, bouncing off the walls and wrapping around us. I recognized the voice to be Rose’s and it took all of my willpower to keep from laughing.

“Sorry Rosie!” Emmett apologized, “I honestly didn’t see that table there. Who put that thing in that corner anyway? Whoever lives here should sue their interior decorator.”

“Is Emmett always like this?” I asked Edward quietly. Emmett was too busy apologizing to Rose to hear me, but I talked softly just in case.

“Emmett is….Emmett. There really y isn’t any other way to describe him. He’s a great guy and a good friend but he’s definitely a character. “

“I’ve noticed,” I laughed. “I can’t say I’ve met anyone like him. He’s definitely good for Rose.”

”You think so?” Edward asked.

“Definitely.”

“That’s good because I was thinking the same thing about Rose. Emmett needs someone to keep him in line. Rosalie seems like she could do just that.”

“Oh she can,” I agreed. “Rosalie is good fro that. She needs to have some control in her relationship, that’s part of the reason her relationship with John didn’t work. But I think things will be fine with Emmett.”

“She can rule and be ruled, is that it?”

“Something like that.”

When Rose finally accepted Emmett’s apology we continued on. We walked down a long straight hallway. My hand glided along the wall so that I could feel more stable.

“Alright, we’re going to be going up a flight of stairs, so take your time and hold onto the handrail ladies.” Jasper’s word’s of caution made me panic slightly. I had a hard enough time walking up stairs in the light and when I could see, there was no way I would be able to walk up them blind.

“Relax Bella, I won’t let you fall. Just feel each step before you shift your weight.” I walked until my foot collided with the bottom step. Lifting my foot, I placed it on the solid surface of the first step. I adjusted my foot until it was completely on the step and shifted my weight onto my front foot.

I worked in the same fashion all the way up the staircase. My hand gripped the rail so tightly that I lost the feeling. My nerves tingled painfully in my hand but I wouldn’t release my hold. My foot landed on top of another step and I shifted my weight. I felt around for the next step, but I couldn’t find it.

“You’re done Bella. You made it to the top.” My hand went slack and dropped to my side. I stretched my fingers to try to regain the feeling but that only made a spasm of pain shoot up my arm.

Edward guided me away from the stairs toward the center of the room. “Alright, on my word remove your hands and girls open your eyes.” Edward paused before saying “Okay, now.” Edward’s hands fell away from my eyes and I opened them.

A chorus of gasps echoed around the room as we took in our surroundings. We were standing on wrapped around the light roughly eight feet below the light.

The windows ran from the top of the tower to the floor of the room; the entire island could be seen from the windows. The view was simply breathtaking. The beam of light streaming from the light above us illuminated the island giving it a pleasant glow.

“Wow,” Angela breathed. I looked over at Angela, expecting to see her looking out the window and what I saw astounded me. Angela hadn’t been looking out the window instead she was staring in awe at the magnificent dining set up across the room.

A large table big enough to seat a dozen people stood by the window with the gentle moonlight washing over it. A white silk-looking table cloth draped carefully over the table. Several candles were lit, the flames dancing as the wick burned slowly. Porcelain plates were spaced evenly around the table with napkins folded precisely laying top. The silverware was arranged properly on top of the napkins. Beside the table, several bottles of wine were buried in a bucket of ice, chilling.

“What’s that?” Alice asked, noticing the table. “Is that why you didn’t want us to eat before we came?”

“Exactly the reason,” Jasper answered with a sly grin. “Do you like it?”

Alice nodded her head and walked across the room to examine the table up close.

“There are eight plates here,” she observed with a pointed smile at Angela and Ben.

“You set a place for me and Ben?” Angela turned away from the table to address Jasper. “But you didn’t even ask us to join you until we arrived at the island.”

Jasper shrugged. “I had planned to ask you to join us and I assumed you would accept. When I talked to Ben on the phone he mentioned that the two of you sailed together. I just assumed he was the captain.”

“Well this is without doubt the nicest thing any of my customers has ever done,” Angela smiled. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jasper answered, motioning her and Ben over to the table.

Edward grasped my hand gently and led me over to the table. Pulling out a chair for me he gestured for me to sit. After pushing in my chair he joined Emmett and Jasper where they stood facing the table.

“Welcome to the Lighthouse Café, ladies,” Emmett began, trying to sound like a waiter at a fancy restaurant. A throat-clearing made Emmett smile and add, “And Ben.”

“We’ll be your servers tonight,” Jasper continued, picking up where Emmett left off. “If you need anything at all, please feel free to ask.”

“To start off,” Edward took over the dialogue, “We have the finest selection of wind on the island.”

As Edward explained about the wine, his green eyes were fixed on me. The smile that graced his lips enhanced his already stunning beauty. I watched as he poured wine into everyone’s glass. The cool liquid flowed freely from the bottle, splashing softly into the clear wine glasses.

“For dinner tonight we have our house special. Our famous house salad will be served to start out and the main dish will be the finest filet mignon served with a baked potato and corn.” Jasper looked around the table to gage our reaction to the food planned for dinner.

A satisfied look crossed his face as he dragged Edward and Emmett away to get the food.

“They’re so silly,” Alice giggled when the boys were out of sight. “Although I must say I enjoy their charade.”

“I think it’s sweet, what they’re doing,” Angela commented. “It’s good that they’re creative. You won’t get sick of the movie theater that way.”

“Yeah,” Ben lamented, “There guys are making me look bad.” Ben’s face fell as he looked around the room.

“Awe Ben,” Angela sighed. “What are you talking about? You’re creative; we’ve only gone to the theater a couple of times. Don’t get down.”

“Yeah,” I assured him. “Besides you don’t need to plan extravagant dates to impress a woman.”

“That’s right,” Angela agreed. “I fell in love with you before our first date.”

Ben beamed at Angela’s words. “Really, Ang?”

“Of course, how could I not?”

Ben was all smiles when the boys returned with the salads. Edward and Jasper each carried two plates while Emmett balanced three.

They set the plates down on the table in front of us, including the three vacant chairs. Topping off the wine glasses, and filling their own, they each took a seat at the table.

“Enjoy ladies,” Emmett said, “And Ben,” he added with a chuckle.

“How about a toast first?” Jasper suggested.

“To what?” Alice inquired, looking down at her wine glass gripped firmly in her small hand.

“To the good fortune that has found us all here together tonight.” Jasper’s voice echoed through the room and he raised his glass.

“Here here,” Edward chimed, lifting his glass as well. A chorus of agreements sounded around the table and the sonance of glass clinking together rang through the room.

The wine glass was cold against my lips as l tipped the glass to my mouth. The bitter sweet liquid slid down my throat, making it tingle. The salad was amazing. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, the peppers added extra flavor, and the dressing was light and sweet.

“So tell us more about your wedding,” Alice prompted, leaning across the table toward Angela and Ben.

“What do you want to know?” Angela sat back in her chair and sipped her wine casually.

“Everything!” Alice enthused. “Tell us about the decorations, the dresses excluding your dress of course,” Alice flashed a smile at Ben as she said that, “And everything.”

Angela laughed at Alice’s furor and plunged into her description of her upcoming wedding. Her wedding was going to be in Hawaii up in the mountains near Ben’s family’s house. Alice hung onto Angela’s every word and gushed about how perfect Angela’s wedding was going to be.

“Who’s the maid of honor?” Alice asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“My friend Jessica Stanley.” Angela didn’t sound too happy as she related that information. The smile on her face appeared to be forced.

Beside her, Ben scowled. “I still don’t’ understand that decision.”

“Don’t be rude,” Angela chided. “I’ve known Jess since before I met you, and she did help plan the wedding.”

“Nobody asked for her help,” Ben grumbled.

“Ben be nice!” Angela scolded her fiancé. “The fact remains that Jess will be the maid of honor. She has her moments when she can be agreeable.”

“What’s wrong with this Jessica Stanley girl?” Rosalie asked, her curiosity clearly pricked.

“She’s an old friend of mine,” Angela answered. “We used to be really close friends when we were little. She was fun to be around then, but when we started middle school she started hanging around with Lauren Mallory.”

“Let me guess,” Rosalie interrupted, bitterness lacing her voice, she was the most popular girl in school and she was also the mean girl?”

“Exactly,” Angela nodded her head. “After she started hanging out with her, Jess changed. She started to blow me off to hang out with them.”

“So why did you stay friend with her?” Rosalie wondered, the bitterness clear in her voice.

“She needed me,” Angela sighed. “After a year of dealing with Jessica’s new self, I confronted her and told her what I thought. She broke down and started crying. She told me she was sorry and that she didn’t mean to get so involved with Lauren and her cronies. She told me that she didn’t want to lose me as a friend, that it would tear her u up inside. We reconciled, talked about everything we needed to talk about and we were good again. Jessica promised that things would be different.”

“But things didn’t really change did they?” Rose’s question was almost a statement.

“Actually, they did. Jessica and I were closer than ever for about two years. Jess still stayed friends with Lauren and her crew, but she didn’t’ hang out with them much.”

“What happened to end that?” I questioned. “You said ‘for two years’ what changed?”

“Jessica found one of my letters from Ben,” Angela whispered, almost afraid to say the answer.

“That was a bad thing?” Alice asked, her delicate eyebrows pulling together over her hazel eyes.

“Yes. She didn’t’ know about Ben, because I was afraid of what she would do if I told her. She became very angry at me; I realized later that it was because she was jealous.’

“Jealous that you had a guy you liked?” Alice questioned.

“Partly, but also because she felt like eh would take me away from her.”

“That’s quite hypocritical of her,” Rosalie spat in disgust.

“I know,” Angela sighed, “After that Jessica went back to hanging out with Lauren and her cronies more. It took about a month before she spoke to me again. Since then our relationship has been a bit rocky.”

“By rocky she means off and on,” Ben clarified, “When it was convenient for Jessica.” Ben’s dislike of Jessica rang in his voice and showed in his sour expression.

“Jessica was always boy crazy,” Angela’s eyes flashed to Edward and away quickly, I wasn’t’ totally sure if I had just imagined it. “She never wasted the chance to tell me about the boy she fancied at the moment. She always dragged me to places to follow a guy.” Again Angela’s eyes flashed to Edward and I knew I hadn’t imagined it.

Emmett quietly excused himself from the table to bring the rest of the food, telling Angela to continue without him.

“Was that the only time it was convenient for Jessica to be friends with you?” I asked.

“No. Whenever she would fight with Lauren or when she would break up with her boyfriend or vice versa. Which was often, like I said, she needed me. I was really the only true friend she had. I was the only shoulder she had to cry on.”

“Unfortunately,” Ben murmured; Angela ignored him.

“What was Jessica’s last name again?” Edward asked suddenly, sitting ramrod straight.

“Stanley.” Angela’s perceptive eyes seemed to convey a significant message as her eyes locked with Edward’s. Understanding and recognition shone in Edward’s vibrant green orbs.

“Have you ever been a restaurant called El Torito in Port Angeles with Jessica?” Edward leaned forward, his hands on top of the table.

“Yes…” Angela trailed off and smiled. “That’s why you look so familiar.” Angela slowly brought her wine glass up to her lips and sipped lightly. Smiling around her wine glass, she pulled it away and continued talking in a casual manner. “It had been bugging me almost all night, the feeling that I’ve seen you before but I couldn’t figure out where. I finally put things together when I started talking about Jessica. It’s obvious now that I’ve finally figured out who you are.”

“And who exactly is that?” Ben asked, curiously.

“He’s the waiter that Jessica practically stalked. She dragged me to that restaurant every Saturday, just to see the famous Edward. That’s why you and I could never go out on Saturday, Ben.”

Edward laughed at the exasperated look on Angela’s face and nodded his head. “Yeah the sense of familiarity was nagging at me too.”

“Wow, all those Saturdays I spent at the restaurant against my will-“

“You weren’t the only one,” Edward cut in with a hint of irritation in his tone. His irritation wasn’t because of Angela, but at the memory of Tina trapping him into working on Saturdays.

“Really?” Angela asked timidly, seeing the dark expression on Edward’s face.

“Yeah, my boss, Tina,” he growled her name causing Angela’s eyes to widen, “Trapped me into working overtime every Saturday.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Angela sympathized.

“Edward,” I hissed, placing my hand on his arm, “Tina isn’t here there’s no need for the animosity.”

Edward shook his head and looked down at me apologetically. “I’m sorry,” he apologized to Angela. “I was rude in interrupting you, please continue.”

Angela looked over at me, a grateful smile on her face. “It’s okay,” she assured Edward. “I understand what it’s like to get caught up in memories. But really, all those Saturdays wasted.”

“What do you mean ‘wasted’”? Edward questioned.

“Well, Jessica dragged me there to get you to notice her. She vowed that you would be hers when all along you had a lovely girlfriend. Why didn’t you just tell Jessica you were taken?”

My cheeks flamed at Angela’s assumption. Edward’s hand found mine under the table and he squeezed it reassuringly. “Actually Angela, at the time I didn’t have a girlfriend. Bella and I met the Saturday after Jessica purposely spilled her water on me, do you remember that?”

Angela laughed at the memory. “Oh, yes, Jessica was in a fine fury that night. I’m sorry that she was so rude.”

“You don’t need to apologize for her, Angela,” Edward smiled.

“I feel like I should. But that’s neither here nor there. So tell me how you two met.” Leaning forward from her laid-back, casual position, she set her glass on the table and looked between me and Edward expectantly.

“Oh God!” Rose exclaimed, pointing across the room. Emmett was walking slowly with all eight plate of food balanced up his arms.

Jasper quickly jumped up from the table and rushed to Emmett’s aid. Rose clapped a hand over her eyes and turned her head away.

Jasper was able to take four plates safely away from Emmett and carry them to the table. Emmett followed, easily managing for plates.

As we ate, Edward and I explained to Angela about how we met. She listened closely, enjoying the story as much as the wonderful food at the table. After Edward and I finished, Angela asked Alice and Jasper the same question, and rose and Emmett after that.

“Wow,” Angela said when Emmett and Rose finished their story. “All of you guys have such interesting stories behind your relationships-“

“And you don’t?” Alice exclaimed in disbelief.

Angela chuckled. “I guess you’re right. But the fact that you girls were friends and the boys were friends and you all hooked up separately….what are the odds?”

“I’ve been asking myself that same question,” Jasper mumbled.

“It’s fate,” Alice answered simply. “Just like it was fate that your fathers’ boats almost collided nearly eleven years ago. Fate plays a big role in our lives; most of us just don’t recognize it.”

“Alice it’s merely coincidence,” I contradicted. I still couldn’t force myself to believe in fate. What destiny would pair ordinary me with extraordinary Edward?

“Bella doesn’t believe in fate,” Alice pouted, “Even though all the evidence is right in front of her.” Alice motioned to Edward who looked over at me and smiled.

“Who cares what it’s called,” Ben spoke up. “We’re all together and that’s all that matters.”

We ate the rest of our meal without another word about fate. The food was sensational, better than anything I had ever eaten. The food received praise from everyone and the boys took great pride in telling us that they had prepared it all themselves.

After eating, we all shuffled out onto the balcony circling the outside of the lighthouse. My hands gripped the cold metal of the rail lightly. The wind caught my hair, making it dance in the wind behind me.

Edward walked up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me back against him. His chin rested on my left shoulder, his face mere centimeters from mine.

“Do you like it up here?” he whispered, his sweet breath blowing across my cheek. Goosebumps rose where his breath touched my skin and my cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

“Yeah, I do, but I bet the view would be better during the day. Although, the island does look beautiful illuminated by the lighthouse.” Looking out over the island and into the ocean beyond, a small light dotted the horizon.

“Do you see that?” Edward asked, pointing to the light. “It’s a ship.”

I watched as the ship grew bigger as it glided closer to the lighthouse. Alice waved excitedly to the ship, sitting on top of the railing with Jasper’s arms around her to keep her from falling.

“Do you think they can see us?” Rosalie asked as she began to wave. Our shadows were visible on the ground in front of the lighthouse. All of us were waving at the oncoming ship.

About a hundred yards away from the lighthouse, the ship’s horn sounded, blaring loudly in the dark night. The horn blasted three sets of three blows.

“Why do they blow their horns like that?” I mumbled, not expecting anyone to answer.

“It’s an old legend,” Edward surprised me by answering. “Over a hundred years ago, a young sailor sailed across the ocean with his one and only love. They were sailing from America to Europe to get a blessing of marriage from the girl’s father.

“As they crossed the ocean, their ship was attacked by blood-thirsty pirates. The sailor was terrified of losing his beloved, afraid that, being the only woman aboard, the pirates would torture her. Thinking quickly, the sailor managed to send her on a rowboat to the island not far from the ship. The sailor knew he couldn’t abandon his crew to go with her, so he promised her that he would come back for her. He told her that she would know when he returned for her because he would sound the horn three sets of three blasts.

“The girl made it safely to shore, and sought shelter in the tower near the middle of the island. Unfortunately, the sailor and his crew did not win the fight against the pirates. They were each forced to join the pirate crew, or die.”

“Oh that’s terrible!” Alice exclaimed. I looked away from Edward to see that everyone had gathered around us to listen to Edward tell his story.

Edward smiled at Alice and continued. “On the island, the girl waited anxiously for the return of her sailor, and the horns that would signal his arrival. After several weeks she began to worry that he could not find the island. At the top of the tower, there were many windows, so she created a pit and filled it with foliage and set fire to it. The fire was contained, so did not burn the tower, but it illuminated the island and the ocean.

“After four years, the sailor was able to escape his pirate crew and find a ship of his own. He sailed toward Europe, praying that he would be able to find the island he had left his loved one on. As he came close, he saw the light burning in the tower. He had been so worried that his beloved had died alone on the island. The light in the tower gave him hope.

“As he got closer, he sounded his horn, and to his surprise, he saw a small figure silhouetted by the light at the tower, waving vigorously in his direction. He sailed to the island and was rejoined with his one true love. They then sailed to Europe, married and then returned to the island to live in the tower. They kept the tower lit for any sailor, needing to be guided by the light, because they knew that if it had not been for the light, they would not have found each other again.”

“Wow! What a happy ending to such a sad story!” Alice gushed.

“So the sailors blow their horns in memory of the young couple brought back together by the light,” Rosalie commented with a smile.

“Yes, and also to let those around know that they are safe.”

“Thank you for sharing that story.” I wrapped my arms around Edward and hugged him to me tightly.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered in my ear before pulling away to kiss me lightly on the lips.

The ship passed by us, the people aboard, waving back at us. We watched as the ship disappeared into the darkness. “Another ship home safely,” I mumbled to myself.

In the distance of flash of light illuminated the sky followed by a low rumble. Looking up at the sky, I noticed that the moon was no longer visible. The moon was hidden behind a thick blanket of dark clouds.

“I think we should leave now, before the storm comes this way,” Angela said urgently. “Trust me when I say you don’t want to get caught in a storm out at sea.”

As we scurried away from the lighthouse toward the shore, the wind picked up speed. We reached the rowboat as it began to drizzle. The water was rougher than it had been on our way in.

The flash of lightening and the clash of thunder reminded us that we were in a race against the storm, and that was one race we didn’t want to lose.

Last chapter, only one person commented that Edward and met Angela before. They were right. And I was planning on explaining that this chapter. Which I did. :D Alright, so I already told you about my update plan. But I don't know if I'll be able to hold out until I finish chapter 21 to put 20 up. But like I said, we'll see. :D Anyway, reviews of all kinds are welcome and greatly appreciated!! :D

Chapter: 20

Hey guys! I was going to update yesterday, but my Mommy told me i couldn't get on the computer 'cause I needed clean my room. Ugh. Lol. So, as I predicted, I gave in. I didn't finish chapter 21 before I updated. Lol. So here's the next chapter with Stephenie Meyer's fabulous characters! Enjoy!

The Storm

The rain was merciless as we sailed, hell bent back toward the shore. Angela and Ben scrambled around the boat, yelling information to each other that I could make no sense of. Angela had commanded Emmett to take the helm, making him a temporary helmsman.

The powerful wind had gusted, causing the wheel to jerk out of Angela’s firm grasp. It had taken both Emmett and Angela to get the ship back under control. By Angela’s urgent request, Emmett stood post at the wheel, holding it firmly in place to keep the wind from blowing the boat around.

“You guys might want to go below deck!” Ben shouted over the howling wind. “This storm is getting pretty nasty! Poseidon must be really angry right now to produce such a wicked storm!”

“Poseidon?” Alice asked, yelling over the loud wind. Alice cowered into Jasper’s side, the strong wind threatening to knock her down. If Jasper were to let go of her, the wind would carry Alice away like a feather.

“The God of the Sea!” I cried in response. My voice sounded like a mere whisper as the wind and the thunder drowned it out.

Angela rushed up to us then and corralled us below deck. Slamming all her weight against the door, Angela managed to shut out the prevailing wind. Turning to face us, she smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry this happened. I should have been paying more attention to the sky. I’m afraid this boat has no engine; therefore we depend solely on the wind and sails to guide this ship. With the wind this violent, I’m afraid there’s no telling what will happen.”

“Are we going to….die?” Alice squeaked in fear. I looked over at Alice, clutching to Jasper, shaking. The storm had really rattled her; I had never seen Alice so afraid of anything. Alice’s fear unnerved me.

“No!” Five voices shouted in response to Alice’s question.

“Nobody is going to die,” Angela reiterated. “Not today. I don’t want to hear that kind of talk from here on out, understand?” Alice nodded her head slowly. “Good. Nobody dies on my ship, that’s my number one rule.”

“We’ll be okay, Alice,” I assured her, walking over to her and rubbing her back. “Angela and Ben are very experienced sailors, we’ll be fine.”

“Alice, love,” Jasper said softly but urgently, tilting Alice’s chin up to look her in the eye. “I won’t let anything happen to you, do you understand? You mean too much to me already for me to lose you.”

I turned my head away as Jasper spoke. I felt like I was intruding on their private moment. Jasper’s words were very sweet. I noticed that they seemed to have the calming effect Angela and I had tried for with our words of comfort.

“I’m going back out to help Ben and to make sure Emmett didn’t blow away.” Angela cracked a small smile at Rosalie who looked a nervous wreck. Normally, Rosalie was the picture of calm when it came to storms, but the fact that Emmett was out in it, made her anxious.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Angela, conveying that she hadn’t appreciated the joke. Rose had a very ill sense of humor when she was nervous. She couldn’t stomach jokes very well without getting angry or upset. Sometimes nerves could do that to a person.

“Rose, everything will be okay,” I soothed, walking up to her and pulling her into a comforting hug. “Besides, not even an F5 tornado can blow Emmett away. What are a few gusts of wind going to do?”

Rosalie scoffed at my joke, but thankfully she relaxed. “I guess if Ben can be on deck and not be blown away, I shouldn’t worry about Emmett, huh?”

Laughing lightly, I squeezed Rose reassuringly and nodded my head. “Emmett will be just fine. We should worry about Ben and Angela before we worry about him.”

Rosalie hugged me back and pulled away, smiling gratefully. “Thank you, Bella. You always know what to say.” Not always, I argued in my head, but I wasn’t going to say it out loud. I was just happy that my words had comforted Rose.

“So what do we do now?” Alice asked, her voice shaking slightly. Jasper placed a gentle kiss on her temple and whispered in her ear. It was impossible to hear him over the storm. Even below deck where the wind wasn’t whistling in my ears, the storm was still loud.

Edward looked at me, and then at Jasper. A moment of silent communication seemed to pass through them. Jasper nodded his head and whispered something else in Alice’s ear. Whatever he was saying, I could tell by the expression on Alice’s face, it wasn’t anything she wanted to hear.

Her face drained from color, her pale skin turning whiter than a ghost. Shaking her head vigorously from side to side, her hold on Jasper tightened. “No!” she screamed. “Please no!” Jasper kissed her lightly and hugged her. Whispering again in her ear, he stepped out her embrace. Alice fell to her knees, shaking her head violently.

“Alice!” Rose exclaimed, running over and dropping down beside Alice. I started to do the same, but a hand landed on my shoulder, stopping me. I turned around to find Edward shaking his head.

“She’ll be okay,” he assured me. “She’s just worried about Jasper.”

I could feel the confusion on my face as I tried to make sense of Edward’s words. Why would Alice be worried about Jasper if he was right here? Looking away from Edward, I saw Jasper standing by the door hiding the stairs to the upper deck. Then it clicked.

“Jasper’s going to help above deck,” I whispered. Edward nodded his head. “And Alice, already afraid of the storm, is terrified that something will happen to Jasper.” Again, Edward nodded his head.

“But she doesn’t need to worry,” Edward stated. “Jasper can take care of himself. He’s stronger than he looks, and weighs more than you’d think.” Edward chuckled softly, but his eyes were untouched by his short bout of humor.

“That won’t make a bit of difference,” I frowned. “Something about this storm has clearly rattled her. When Alice is afraid, nothing will assure her until her fear has passed. So to tell her that Jasper will be okay, won’t do anything but remind her that Jasper is out in the storm.”

Edward glanced over at Jasper, still standing in front of the door across the room. He was watching Alice with sorrowful eyes. Obviously he hated to see her worried. Rosalie was staring daggers at him for upsetting Alice. Jasper’s eyes flicked over to Edward and his eyebrows rose slightly. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Edward nod.

“Bella,” Edward’s voice drew my eyes back to him. “You, Rose, and Alice need to take care of each other.” Suspicion pricked my spine suddenly, followed quickly by apprehension. “Jasper and I are both going above deck to help.”

“Both of you?” I choked out. Panic was evident in my voice and my mind raced with images of Edward above deck being battered by the torment of rain and wind. My hands found his, threading our fingers, I squeezed gently.

“Bella, I don’t want you to worry,” Edward whispered, his voice placid. I was glad that he could remain calm while I was freaking out. “It’ll be better with more of us above deck helping.”

“Edward you don’t know anything about ships!” I squeezed his hands harder. Edward glanced down at our hands and then looked back up at me. His green eyes pleaded with me to trust him.

“But I’m a good listener and a quick learner. Angela and Ben are experienced and Jasper and I are going up to help with whatever we can. Trust me Bella, please?” Raising our entwined hands, his lips pressed lightly to the back of my hand, his eyes still pleading.

“Be careful,” I implored, untangling my hands from his to cup his face. “I don’t want to lose you.” Edward’s vibrant green eyes burned into mine. In the brief moment that our eyes stayed locked, I saw compassion, worry, determination, and...Something I couldn’t identify.

“You won’t,” Edward promised before crushing his lips to mine. The desperation in this kiss disturbed me. I let all my worry and panic wash into the kiss, releasing the dark feelings from my heart.

Pulling away, a small smile played on Edward’s lips, but his eyes were troubled. Had he sensed my fear in our kiss? Surely he had, but before I could analyze the look in his eyes, he turned and joined Jasper across the room.

“Be safe,” Edward stressed, before leaving the room with Jasper. I watched in defeat as Edward ascended the stairs beyond the door. When the door slammed shut, hiding Edward from my sight, something inside me snapped. My heart? No that was ridiculous; Edward was just going above deck to help Angela and Ben.

“What just happened?” Rosalie muttered in confusion. Her arms were wrapped around Alice in a reassuring embrace. Turning my gaze away from the door leading above deck, I crossed the distance between me and my friends. Sitting on the floor beside them, I let out a sigh.

“I’m not exactly sure,” I admitted. “For some odd reason, the boys decided that they would be able to help above deck even though they have no knowledge of sailing.”

“I don’t like this,” Rosalie frowned. “I don’t like this at all. What if something happens to them? They’re idiots!”

“Maybe, but maybe not. I mean, surly five people helping to keep the boat from being destroyed by the storm is better than two. In fact, despite the worry, I do feel safer with Edward and Jasper helping.” Which was true. The thought of Edward being above deck in the storm scared and worried me, but at the same time, it comforted me. With more people helping, the chances of the boat making it back to shore safely were greater.

“I guess you’re right,” Rosalie conceded with a sigh. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“None of us do,” I agreed, “But what choice do we have?” Rosalie shrugged and then shook her head.

I looked down at Alice and saw that her eyes were still wide with fear, the color still absent from her face. “Alice,” I whispered just loud enough for her to hear me. Her deer-in-headlights stare shifted to me, seeming to look beyond me. “Don’t worry. This is just a small storm. The guys will be fine, and so will we.”

“Bella, you can’t promise that,” Alice’s voice quivered with the effort it took her to keep it calm. “Nature is unpredictable, we can’t control what happens. The sea is untamable; you can’t guarantee any of our safety.”

“Alice, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you so shaken by a storm, is it just the storm that you’re afraid of?” Alice’s eyes focused and her gaze no longer seemed to go through me. She stared at me for a few seconds before shaking her head.

“No, Bella. It’s the sea as well and….” Alice trailed off, the distant, unfocused look sliding into Alice’s eyes once again.

“And what?” Rosalie urged, her arms tightening around our small pixie-like friend. When Alice didn’t respond immediately, Rose looked up at me, her eyebrows knitted together in worry.

“Alice?” I shook her shoulder lightly to try to break her of her trance. Alice’s head slowly turned toward the door the boys had left through minutes earlier. Rose and I turned our attention to the door, expecting it to open. When it didn’t, panic began to seep back into me.

“Alice?” I snapped, hoping to get her attention. “Alice, what else were you going to say?” I demanded urgently. The tension in the room grew with each passing second. The fear was tangible; it gripped all of us, crowding the room, giving it a claustrophobic feel.

“Do you ever get that feeling that something bad is going to happen?” Alice asked, her voice was distant, her gaze still intent on the door. “A feeling that you can’t shake?”

My eyes locked with Rose’s, the fear shone through her eyes as I was sure mine did as well. We each hesitated a moment before we answered Alice, telling her that we hadn’t. A bad feeling? About what? My imagination went wild with the possible meanings to her words.

Again, the images of Edward in the storm assailed me. The wind whipping his disheveled hair around his face, the rain soaking his black shirt making it cling to his perfect body. Lightening flashed close by, illuminating Edward’s beautiful face as he helped with the ship. Thunder clashed and wave upon wave lashed against the side of the boat. Emmett was at the helm, struggling to keep the wheel in place. The boat dipped down, jerking slightly. Emmett’s grip slipped off the helm and the ship began to loose control. As the waves battered the ship, it slowly began to capsize.

Shaking my head vigorously, the horrible images shattered. My heart accelerated as fear began to settle into my stomach again. Was it possible that we were underestimating the strength of this storm?

“I have a bad feeling about this storm, guys,” Alice announced “Something bad is going to happen, I can feel it.” This isn’t good, I thought to myself. Alice didn’t have bad feelings very often, but when she did, things usually went wrong.

“We’ve got to go help, then,” Rosalie declared. “We can’t just sit down here, expecting everyone else to take care of things, we need to help.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “The more help the better.”

We quickly rose to our feet, the rocking of the ship threatening to knock us back down. Alice rushed over to a small closet in the corner of the room. Throwing the door open, she began to throw clothes about the room.

“Alice! This is no time to worry about fashion!” I reprimanded her.

“I’m looking for raincoats!” she countered. “I really don’t want my clothes to be ruined!” Rosalie looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Aha!” Alice exclaimed, pulling out three yellow rain slickers.

“Oh, they’re lovely,” Rosalie commented sarcastically “The absolute height of fashion. Every girl is wearing them.”

“Oh shut up, Rose,” Alice scolded. “It will keep you dry longer and will keep you from catching a cold. Now just wear it.” Alice tossed a long raincoat at Rose, who grudgingly put it on. Looking at the other two slickers, she tossed me the longer one and slipped into the shorter one.

When we all had our raincoats on, Alice reached into the closet and brought out three rain caps.

“Oh hell no!” Rose yelled. “The coat is as far as I’m going to go.”

Alice glared at her and tossed her a hat anyway, daring her not to wear it. Rose sighed and placed it on her head, tucking her hair underneath.

“Happy?” Alice nodded at Rose’s question and tossed me a hat, which I dropped, and then put one on her own head.

We quickly ran up the stairs onto the upper deck of the ship. I was grateful that Alice had found the raincoats, because it was raining harder than it had been earlier. Squinting, I looked around the ship to see the boys all hard at work, doing something to help out. Emmett was still at the helm; Edward and Jasper were tying the rowboat to keep it from blowing off the ship. Ben was at the bow and Angela was at the stern.

Running to Angela, we told her wanted to help.

“You’re going to hell?” Angela yelled back in confusion. Our words had been misconstrued because of the howling wind. Standing two feet apart, it was still hard to hear over the wind.

“We want to help!” The three of us shouted back. Angela nodded her head in understanding and motioned for us to follow her.

“Rose, you can help Emmett at the helm!” Angela yelled. Rosalie nodded and made her way to the bulky guy at the wheel.

“Bella, you can help me keep the cables from tangling! Alice, you can take Ben’s spot at the bow. I need you to watch for obstructions in the water. I don’t want t hit anything that can potentially cause us to sink!”

Alice quickly rushed off toward the front of the boat, her small body being tossed around slightly by the wind. I followed Angela to the stern and together we began to untangle vital cords.

My eyes darted around the ship many times. I watched as Edward and Jasper finished with tying things down to the deck. Edward began walking to the bow and Jasper walked toward the stern as they went back around, checking to make sure their knots would hold.

It was then that my worst nightmare became reality. The wind gusted, taking Alice by surprise and causing her to lose her balance. She fell from her perch on a small box at the front of the boat. Her hands slipped from the wet railing. Edward ran to help her. He caught her by the wrist as she began sliding toward the railing on the port side.

The ship dipped toward the port side, and I watched in horror as a large wave washed over the front of the boat. The power of the wave knocked Edward down as well as Alice, and then I couldn’t see anything.

As the water retreated off the bow, I ran toward the front. The water cleared and to my horror, Edward and Alice were gone. My shrill screams could be heard even over the howling wind. Everyone rushed to my side.

“Where’s Alice?” Jasper demanded, searching frantically around the bow.

“And Edward?” Emmett bellowed.

I shook my head frantically in disbelief and looked each person in the eye before finally saying, “Man overboard.”

Edward’s POV

“That should do it!” Jasper yelled over the wind as he tightened the last knot holding down the rowboat. I nodded my head in agreement.

“We should probably go back and check all our other knots though, to make sure they’ll hold!” I shouted back. Jasper agreed. “You walk the stern and I’ll walk the bow!” We parted ways then, I walked toward the front of the ship, pulling on every knot we had made with all my strength. When it didn’t give, I’d smile and move on.

The wind was strong. It whipped my hair in front of my face, making it harder to see. I had to struggle to keep my balance. Looking up toward the bow, I saw something bright yellow. Squinting my eyes, I saw that it was Alice dressed in a yellow rain slicker. What the heck was Alice doing above deck? She was perched on a steel box, her hands gripping the wet rail as she watched for anything in the water hazardous to the ship.

The wind squalled, knocking Alice down. Her hands slipped from the rail as she fell. I quickly ran toward her, hoping to stop her before she slid toward the side-railing and slipped through. Alice was small enough to do so.

Luckily, I reached Alice in time, grabbing her by her wrist. “Alice what are you doing up here?” I yelled as I helped her to her feet. She looked up at me gratefully, but her expression quickly changed to horror.

I didn’t have time to process the look on her face because less than a second later, I was knocked down by a wall of water. The ship dipped to the port side and I could feel my self sliding around. The wave caused me to tumble, my hold on Alice’s wrist breaking. Water forced its way into my mouth and down into my lungs.

The salt water scratched my throat and set my lungs on fire. I tried to cough it up, but more water was there. As I was swept away, Alice’s words from earlier repeated in my head: Are we going to…die? At the moment, things weren’t looking too good.

Then Bella’s words ran through my head as did my promise to her. Be careful. I don’t want to lose you. Had been her exact words, she had been so worried about something happening to me. I had been confident that nothing could. I had boldly responded: You won’t.

As the violent water tossed me around, I slammed into something metal. My body screamed in pain, but the water carried me over and I was suddenly falling. My stomach dropped as I continued to somersault in the cascading water. After a few short seconds of falling, I knifed through the surface of the water. I plunged deeply into the black water. I quickly kicked off my shoes, knowing that the weight would only drag me down.

When my head broke the surface, I sputtered, water pouring out of my mouth. Gasping for air, I quickly searched around me for something yellow. All I could see was the rough waves rolling violently in the water.

“Alice!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, wincing in pain as my throat was rubbed raw by the salt water. The waves jerked me in every direction, rolling over my head and forcing me under. Each time I broke the surface, I immediately began to search for yellow again.

I could see the ship, it wasn’t too far away, I could swim to it, but I wasn’t going back until I found Alice. Jasper would be heart-broken if I returned without Alice. Bella and Rose would be sad as well. I had to find her.

Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled menacingly as I called Alice’s name repeatedly. I prayed that Alice was alright. She was so small, she wouldn’t be able to withstand the constant pummeling of the waves as long as I could, and I was starting to wear out. The waves continued to assault me and drag me under the water as I frenziedly searched for the small pixie-like woman.

I continued my search for as long as I possibly could. I glanced back to where the ship had been to find that it was no longer there. Oh shit, I thought, we’re in trouble. Maneuvering around in the water, as best as I could with the rough waves beating against me, I continued to search for Alice. She couldn’t have gone too far, unless she had been dragged under; I really hoped not.

“Alice!” I called for what seemed like the millionth time. I listened closely for an answer. I heard nothing other than the rumbling of thunder and the whistling of the wind. Another wave washed over me, forcing me deeper into the dark water. I struggled to get back to the surface, my muscles weak from exertion.

My head cut through the surface and I drew in a deep breath of moist, salty, air. My lungs burned from the salt water that had forced its way down my throat. My heart skipped a beat when my eyes caught a glimpse of something. I quickly focused my eyes on the area; it was yellow!

Swimming as fast as I could, I carried myself over to the yellow object to find a bright yellow rain cap. It was the same cap that Alice had been wearing. It gave me hope. I searched the area for Alice, but there was no sign of her. Another wave forced me under. My eyes were open, I tried to close them, but something yellow caught my eye. Swimming deeper into the water, I tried to make out what the yellow object was.

As I got closer, I could tell that it was something big. It definitely was not a yellow fish, possibly a yellow hunk of plastic. I was close enough to touch it when I recognized the yellow item was a raincoat. The raincoat was wrapped around the limp body of Alice.

Wrapping my arms around her, I quickly pushed off the rock she was laying on and ascended toward the surface. We reached the surface quickly, I looked down at Alice and waited for her to take in a breath of air, but she didn’t. She was unconscious. Oh no, I thought, please don’t let me be too late.

Scanning my surroundings, I saw the island with the lighthouse nearby. Dragging Alice along, I quickly propelled myself toward the shore. “Stay with me, Alice,” I begged, “Hold on just a little bit longer, please. Don’t you dare leave me. You’ll break Jasper’s heart if you leave.”

I glanced up at the sky and noticed that the clouds were starting to thin. The dark menacing sky no longer looked so threatening. I noticed that the waves weren’t as violent, although they still tossed us around a lot.

When we finally made it to the island, the moon was beginning to shine. Pulling Alice quickly onto the shore, I laid her down on her back and checked her breathing. She wasn’t breathing. Putting my head to her chest, I listened for her heart beat. It was still beating, but it was growing faint.

Tilting her chin up, I gently parted her lips with my fingers and leaned down to give her two slow breaths. I watched as her chest rose with the given air. Moving quickly, I sat up and placed my right hand over my left and laced my fingers. Placing my hand on her chest, I began to push forcefully, yet gently. I counted to thirty out loud and tilted her chin again. Giving two more breaths, I watched her chest rise a little further as I forced more air into her lungs.

“Come on Alice,” I begged as I began another set of thirty chest compressions. “Please wake up Alice, please?”

I did three more repetitions of thirty compressions with two breaths in between before Alice finally gasped and sputtered. Turning on her side, she let the salt water fall from her mouth. Sitting up, she put her head in her hands and breathed slowly in and out.

“Thank you,” she whispered, I noticed her wince. Her throat must be raw like mine, I thought. “I would have died if it hadn’t been for you.” Alice looked up at me with a small smiled on her face. “I really thought I was a goner when that wave swept us overboard.”

“To be honest, I did too,” I admitted hanging my head slightly. “But I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.”

Alice chuckled, her smile growing slightly. “I tried, but the waves won.” Her smile suddenly turned into a frown as she looked out at the sea. “I don’t see Angela’s ship. Do you think something happened? Did it…sink?” I could hear the panic as it began to seep into her voice as she continued to talk.

“Don’t think like that,” I chided. “They’re fine,” I assured her, although I wasn’t too sure myself. “They probably made it back to the harbor safely. I saw the ship before I went looking for you.”

“You did?” I nodded my head in answer. “Good, because that would be terrible if it sunk.” She took a deep breath and dropped her head to look down at the sand. “Do you think they’ll come back for us?” she asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” I answered immediately. “They wouldn’t leave us behind. I know for a fact Jasper wouldn’t leave without you.”

At the mention of Jasper, Alice smiled. “I guess not,” she conceded. “Bella wouldn’t leave without you either. So I guess we have nothing left to do but wait.” Letting out another sigh, she buried her bare feet in the sand. She had obviously kicked off her shoes in the water as well.

I looked up and saw the light from the lighthouse scan over the water in front of us. Remembering the lighthouse on the other side of the island, an idea began to form in my head. Recalling earlier in the night, I thought about the legend I had shared with the others. Of course, I thought, that’s what we have to do!

“Alice?” I stood up and looked down at the small woman. She looked up at me, her hazel eyes sad, but questioning. “Do you remember the legend I told everyone earlier tonight; the one about the sailor and his lover?”

Alice’s expression became thoughtful as she thought back to earlier in the night. “Yes…but what does that have to do with us?”

“Everything,” I replied, “Come on.” I held my hand out to help her up. Confused, she took it and I pulled her to her feet. I didn’t let go of her hand as I ran toward the lighthouse. I didn’t want her to fall behind as I ran.

“What’s the urgency?” she yelled, “We’re going to be here for a while, and we should stay by the beach in case a ship passes by!”

I shook my head at her words, clearly she didn’t remember a thing about the story I had told. We made it to the lighthouse a lot quicker than we had earlier that night. I doubted that the keeper of the lighthouse had come by and locked the door because of the raging storm. I quickly threw open the door leading to the tower and dragged Alice inside.

Dashing up the stairs, we burst through the door to the light room. “Alice, look around for any light filters. Anything that will change the appearance of the light beam.”

“Why?” Alice questioned, still confused. I began searching the cabinets along the right side of the room. All I found was manuals, wires, and light bulbs of the same color.

“Alice, in the story I told everyone earlier the girl burned a fire in the window room at the top of the tower, causing light to filter over the ocean. The sailor, looking for the girl, saw the light and sailed to the island and they were reunited after four years of being apart. So if we change the beam of light and the others come looking for us, they will see the light and know that we are here.”

Alice’s eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. “Edward you are a genius!” she exclaimed and quickly turned on her heel to begin her search. I returned to my own search, but came up empty.

After several minutes of searching more cabinets, I almost declared our search a loss cause. “Hey Edward, what do you think these are?” Alice asked holding up a big red plastic circle.

“Alice you found the filters!” I exclaimed, running up and grabbing the filter from her. “What colors do they have?”

“Um, blue, yellow, green, and of course the red in your hand.”

I looked between the circles laying at Alice’s feet and the one in my hand and decided that the red one would be the best. “I thing we should use the red one. It will be the most obvious.”

“I agree,” Alice smiled. “So…how do we put this thing on the light?”

I looked up at the light spinning above us and frowned. I hadn’t thought about that. “Can I toss you onto the light with the filter and hope that you can hang on while it spins?”

Alice threw me a withering look, “Edward be reasonable.”

“It was just a joke,” I laughed.

“Yeah well, now isn’t exactly the time to be cracking jokes Edward. Let’s look around for a power switch for the light.”

We walked around the room looking for anything that could possibly turn the light on and off. After searching every inch of the room, we found nothing.

“Maybe it’s downstairs,” I said, scratching my head. My hair was still soaked. I heard water drip to the floor. “Stay up here and tell me if the light switches off.” Alice nodded her head and I started back down the stairs.

It didn’t take me long to find a power board. It had many switches and many buttons, none of which were labeled. Great, I thought, how the hell am I supposed to know what each one does? Shrugging, I flipped the biggest switch. Nothing happened. I listened for Alice to yell, but she didn’t.

I flipped the switch back off and tried another. The light in the room flicked on. Try again, I told myself. I left the light on so I could see the switches better. Twisting my mouth in concentration I flipped another switch and sighed in relief when Alice called down to me.

“It’s off!” She yelled. I ran back up the stairs and into the room. “Okay, so now how are we going to get up to the light?”

“We’ll take the stairs,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“What stairs?” she asked. I pointed across the room to a very small staircase along the wall leading up to a small platform surrounding the light. “I guess that’s one way to get up there,” she mumbled.

I laughed as we walked up the stairs to the light. Alice carried the filter; I hoped that we wouldn’t need any tools to put the filter in place. We reached the light and I examined it closely, looking for a way to put the filter on. Along the rim of the light, I saw small clips. Taking the filter away from Alice, I covered the light, and slid it underneath the clips.

“Do you think it will stay in place?” Alice asked. I wiggled it around and nodded.

“Yeah it should.” We walked back down the stairs and I walked down to turn the light back on. Coming back into the room, Alice looked over at me and smiled.

“You’re a genius Edward, thanks for saving us.” I smiled back at her and motioned for her to join me on the balcony.

“We’ll be able to see the ship from up here,” I explained. We stood, leaning on the railing, watching the ocean. After what seemed like forever, a small light dotted the horizon from the direction of the harbor.

“Do you think that’s them?!” Alice exclaimed, pointing to the light. God I hope so, I thought. We watched as the ship raced quickly to shore, it was obvious that it was powered by an engine. I frowned at the idea. It couldn’t be them. But as I thought this, the boat continued toward the island.

A light flashed from the boat and I saw a bulky figure silhouetted by it. The brawny shadow looked oddly familiar. “I think that’s them,” I whispered urgently to Alice. She turned her head and beamed at me. “Come on.” I grabbed her hand again and led her down to the beach. We ran at top speed to the beach and waved our arms frantically above our heads.

The boat sped toward the island. I could see shadows waving back at us. “That is them!” Alice squealed in excitement. “Thank heavens!” The boat cruised to shore and the first people to step off were Jasper and Bella.

“Alice!” Jasper yelled when we saw her. Alice ran toward him and flew into his open arms. He picked her up off the ground and spun her around in the air.

“Bella?” I asked, walking toward her.

“Edward!” She exclaimed, throwing her arms around me. “I was so worried. I saw that wave wash over you and Alice and I tried to see you in the water, but I couldn’t find you. I thought I was going to lose you!”

“You weren’t the only one who was scared,” I whispered in her ear. “I was terrified that I’d never see you again.”

Bella pulled away from me and looked into my eyes. Her brown eyes were puffy and red as if she had been crying. I kissed her eyelids gently and brushed the hair away from her face. “I’m glad you’re safe,” she murmured. I smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Alice, don’t ever do that to me again!” I heard Jasper tell Alice. “I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you go overboard. Both Rosalie and Emmett had to restrain me from jumping in after you.”

“Awe, Jazzy, you worry too much,” she laughed. Jasper grumbled and then kissed her.

“I’m so glad you shared that story with us earlier,” Bella whispered, “It helped us find you; it also helped lessen the panic and worry. We saw the red light when we returned to the harbor and knew instantly where you were and that you were safe.”

I kissed her again on the lips and pulled her into a close embrace. “I wasn’t about to leave you, Bella,” I murmured, my face buried in her hair. “We still have a bright future ahead of us.”

So many possible meanings to Edward's last words! What do you think he meant?? :D That's chapter 20! Wow, I have 20 chapters! WOOT! If you didn't review last chapter, I would appreciate a review for that chapter too! :D As well as this one! You're reviews help me write better chapters! My next update is scheduled for Monday if nothing goes wrong. :D Thank you for everything so far, guys! :D

Chapter: 21

I'm sorry this chapter is up late. Like I told you guys before, this year is not my year. Last week, I received some shocking bad news. I was volunteering at the hospital when muy dad called me,. He asked me if I remembered hearing on the news about a week earlier about a 15 year old girl who was shot in the chest and robbed of her purse in our sub-city. I told him I did. Then he told me that the 15 year old girl had been a girl from my softball team. So I hope you all can forgive me for not updating last week. It was really hard for me to concentrate. Thankfully, she wasn't killed. She is in the hospital she's talking and sitting up. The 3 people responisble have been caught. Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's a bit shorter but it's important. Enjoy and remember these characters are Stephenie's!

Secrets

After the night’s events, I was completely wired. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. Alice and Rose couldn’t sleep either. Alice claimed that the near death experience had her wound too tightly for sleep to come and Rose declared that Emmett was filling her head, making it impossible for her to sleep peacefully.

The three of us sat in the living room drinking coffee, concluding that sleep was unattainable for the night. Alice sat curled on the couch with a blanket curled around her. She was surprisingly mellow; she had already slammed two cups of coffee –caffeinated- and was now on her third but she wasn’t bouncing off the walls. Nearly drowning had really sucked all the energy out of her.

Rose stretched herself out on the floor In front of the couch. Laying on her stomach with her arms propped up on a pillow, she sipped slowly from her coffee, a small smile lighting her face. I sat next to Alice with a pillow in my lap, my head resting against the cool leather of the back of the couch.

“What an eventful day,” Rosalie commented, the look in her eyes becoming pensive. My own thoughts flickered to the baseball game that morning and flipped forward through the events of the rest of the day. Was it possible that so much could have happened in just one day?

“You can say that again,” Alice sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the soft cushion of the sofa. Alice looked exhausted. Dark blue and black bruises flawed her otherwise perfect pale skin. The harsh waves had tossed Alice’s small body everywhere, battering her mercilessly. I was so thankful that Edward had saved her as well as himself.

“How could one day be so wonderful and horrible at the same time?” The day spent with Edward had been nothing but perfect, and the storm shattered it. As I had watched Alice and Edward disappear under the tidal wave of water, the world seemed to shudder to a halt; suspended in space, no longer spinning, no longer venturing around the sun. Time had frozen, the second I muttered the words “man overboard” the world around me had grown deafly silent.

We had scoured the entire surface of the water, hoping to find Edward and Alice, but the raging waves had made it impossible to see into the water. Angela had informed us that if we didn’t make it back to the harbor quickly, Edward and Alice wouldn’t be the only ones dumped into the cruel ocean.

The second we had reached port, the remaining six of us scurried for Angela and Ben’s office for shelter. Jasper and I had both stood at the window facing the ocean, watching as the storm continued to terrorize the area.

The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the room. Each second that passed was one second longer that Edward and Alice had to fight the storm. My heart was racing with the worry that clouded my mind and my nerves tingled with anxiety. I could feel Jasper’s tension as he stood beside me, gripping the window wooden frame with such intensity I was afraid he would diminish it into a pile of mulch.

“They’ll be okay,” I had whispered trying to soothe him as well as myself. “We have to think positive. They’ll be fine.” My voice had contradicted the confidence of my words. I had tried everything to try and calm the shaking in my voice, but unfortunately my attempts had failed.

“Bella, Alice is too small to handle those waves,” Jasper had replied gravely. His mouth was set in a deep frown; his forehead appeared to be permanently creased with worry.

“Alice will be fine,” I had reiterated. “Edward won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I hope you’re right,” he had murmured.

Me too, I had sighed inwardly. The passing time had caused my hope to dwindle. I knew that if Alice and Edward had survived –and that chance had been very small in my eyes at the time- finding them could be nearly impossible.

After an hour of tension and worry, the storm had begun to clear. The minute the lightning stopped and the wind died down, all six of us filed out of Angela’s office and ran onto a small engine-powered boat.

As the six of us clambered into the smaller boat, a strange light in the sky caught my eye. I looked up curiously, wondering if the lightning had not stopped after all. What I saw, had thrown my heart into over-drive, and the breath had knocked out me. Relief washed over my body as I began to scream.

“They’re alive! They’re alive!” My sudden outburst had caused five heads to whirl in my direction and ten eyes watched my closely. Hope gleaming in every set of eyes I looked into. “They’re alive,” I repeated, more softly, a huge grin spreading across my face.

“How do you know?” Jasper asked. I could tell that he was trying not to get his hopes up too high for fear of them getting crushed. Jasper seemed more emotional than other guys.

The boat was gliding through the water out of the harbor and the light was more visible in the night sky. I looked up before I answered. “A signal.” The smile stayed plastered on my face as I spoke. Seeing the light again, only more clearly, confirmed what I knew. Edward and Alice were alive.

Five curious heads bent back to gaze at the sky above them. There was a short silence as the meaning of my words began to sink in.

“A signal,” Jasper repeated my words. “From Edward and Alice….from the lighthouse.” The last piece of the puzzle came together with Jasper’s words and his head turned to me, a smile stretched across his face. “They’re alive,” he whispered.

Everyone had understood at that moment and the tension in the atmosphere from earlier melted away. All of us knew that Edward and Alice were safe and waiting for us at the lighthouse.

“I guess all legends have some base of truth to them,” I murmured quietly to myself. It was ironic that Edward had told us the legend about the stranded lover and the captured sailor looking for her earlier in the night, and the knowledge had actually helped us.

Even with just a small engine, the boat arrived at the island twice as fast as the sail boat had. As we had approached and the lighthouse came into view, my heart squeezed at the sight of two dark shadows standing on the lighthouse balcony. One shadow was significantly taller than the other. This left no doubt in my mind that the two shadows were Edward and Alice.

A cry of relief had escaped from lips at that moment. Although I had known that Edward and Alice were alive, seeing them with my own eyes caused any tiny seed of doubt to vanish, leaving behind nothing but relief and joy. For me –and probably Jasper as well- the boat had been moving too slow. At that moment, I had wished that I could fly so that I would be able to reach Edward quicker.

Everything passed in slow motion at that point. The boat felt like it was slowing to a halt, rather than speeding up to reach its destination. Edward and Alice disappeared from the balcony of the lighthouse and quickly –faster than I had thought possible- appeared on the beach, their arms flailing above their heads to catch our attention –as if it would be elsewhere!

When the boat had scraped the bottom of the shore, Jasper and I both jumped out of the boat and ran toward Edward and Alice. Alice flung herself into Jasper’s arms and they began to whisper meaningful words to each other.

My eyes had raked over every inch of Edward’s soaked body as I had tried to grasp the fact that he was really safe. I had been walking slowly toward him when he called my name. Hearing his perfect voice had been the final evidence I needed. I launched myself in his arms and let the fears that had consumed me fall from my mouth.

“Earth to Bella,” Alice waved a hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my reverie. My eyes focused on her small face in front of me and I smiled.

“I’m sorry, what were we talking about?” I asked, shaking my head slightly to dispel the lingering pictures in my head.

“Well, Alice was trying to tell us something, but she was slightly irked by your lack of interest.” Rose’s answer was simple, cutting straight to the point. There was no beating around the bush where Rose was concerned.

“I’m sorry Alice, I was just thinking about what had happened tonight,” I apologized with my best smile and pleading eyes. Alice chuckled and nodded her head that she had forgiven me.

“So was I, but probably not the same thing.” Alice’s smile grew and her eyes sparkled. “After you guys rescued us, and I was reunited with Jasper….he told me he loved me.” The last part was mumbled and rushed, making it hard to understand. Although I was able to pick up on the key word. “Can you believe it?” she continued. “He’s so sweet and loving, and-”

“Woah, Alice!” I exclaimed, interrupting her, “Back up a second. Jasper told you that he loves you?” Alice nodded her head. “Don’t you think that’s a little….unrealistic?”

“Unrealistic?” Alice repeated, trying to hide the pain in her voice. “What do you mean, Bella? It’s unrealistic for someone like Jasper to love me?”

I shook my head. “No, Alice, of course not. That’s not what I meant. I meant for him to love you so….quickly. You’ve only known him for a few weeks.”

Alice relaxed at my answer, clearly relieved. “Bella,” she sighed, “When you meet the right person, it doesn’t take long to realize that they’re the one.”

“Alice you can’t know that,” I insisted. “It’s too soon.”

“But Bella, I do know!” Alice retorted. “He’s exactly who I’ve been searching for! And do you think it was merely a coincidence that we saw Anthony with that other girl at Home Slice? And that Jasper was working that day, so he was there when my relationship with Anthony ended. That wasn’t a coincidence; that was fate. Bella, I can feel it, every time I look at him; he’s my destiny. He’s the guy I’ve been waiting for to come into my life, to complete my life.”

“Those are some pretty strong convictions, Alice.”

She shrugged in response. “They’re the truth.”

“This doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Rose commented, taking a casual sip from her coffee. “Alice is always so sure about things, such as fate, that this news doesn’t surprise me. It was so obvious with all of Alice’s other boyfriends that they didn’t met some kind of unspoken expectation; an expectation that Jasper meets, correct Alice?”

“Exactly!” Alice grinned.

“You two are absolutely insane,” I groaned. “You actually believe this?” I asked Rose incredulously.

She nodded her head.

“Absolutely crazy,” I mumbled.

“What about you and Edward?” Alice snapped. “You can’t tell me that you don’t feel something there. Something that you have never felt before. I can see it in your eyes when you look at him and the same when he looks at you!”

“Alice, don’t be ridiculous. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like Edward a lot, I just don’t love him. I can’t, not yet. It’s too soon.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Sure Bella, whatever you say. “

We dropped the subject and moved on to other, less significant topics. After an hour of discussing latest fashions –a conversation mostly between Alice and Rose- I yawned. The effects of the coffee and the excitement of the night had worn off, leaving me exhausted.

“I’m going to go to bed,” I announced as I stood up and stretched. After brushing my teeth, I changed into my cotton pajama shorts and t-shirt and climbed into my bed. The soft mattress felt so comfortable after such a long day.

As I closed my eyes, the night’s events replayed in my head, over and over again. The night had been almost perfect. If it hadn’t been for the storm, the night would have been perfect. As I drifted off to sleep I thought about the words Edward had whispered to me on the island after the storm.

I wasn’t about to leave you Bella. We still have a bright future ahead of us. What had he meant? I tossed around different meanings to his words in my head until finally I was enveloped by unconsciousness.

Two weeks had passed by quickly. Time was spent planning for Rose’s party with Alice and the boys during the day and going out at night. Every night, the six of us would go to various places around town. Restaurants, clubs, and parks were just a few of the many different places we would go. Many nights, Angela and Ben would join us. We had become fast friends with Ben and Angela. Angela fit in perfectly with us girls and Ben seemed to fit in perfectly with the guys.

I had never known such happiness before. Edward was incredibly sweet every time we were together. Unlike most guys, he didn’t act differently toward me with his friends around. To me, that said a whole lot about him.

Rose’s birthday had finally arrived. The planning was completely finished and everything was ready. Alice had called the Premier and made all the arrangements for the night. Invitations had been sent out; nearly five hundred people would be in attendance tonight.

The worst part of the entire planning process had been figuring out what I would wear. Alice had dragged me to store after store looking for ‘the perfect dress’ as Alice had put it.

“You have to find the right dress,” Alice had explained to me. “You can’t wear just any dress; you have to find the perfect dress for you. If you pick the wrong dress, it won’t do you justice. You need to wear something that will accentuate your beauty.”

I rolled my eyes at her words. “Alice it really doesn’t matter what dress I wear. What’s wrong with this dress?” I had held up a simple black dress. The dress had been cheap. It wasn’t ugly like Alice had declared it. It was just simple, and Alice hated simple.

“Bella, finding the perfect dress is much like finding the right man. First of all, you can’t settle and second you can’t find the dress, you have to let it find you.” I had raised my eyebrows at Alice’s words.

“Alice that is ridiculous! A dress can’t ‘find me’ as you put it.”

“Don’t take things so literally Bella!” Alice had exclaimed in exasperation. “I mean look at the dresses and when you come across the right one, you’ll know.”

I had quickly dismissed Alice’s words. I couldn’t take her seriously; her words had made no sense. Looking for a dress was nothing like finding the perfect man. The comparison was so preposterous; it had taken everything in me not to laugh.

I had been scanning a clearance rack of dresses when I found it. My dress. It had very nearly jumped out at me, catching my attention and holding it. It was beautiful and definitely not simple.

Alice had approved immediately. It made me feel good to know that the dress was on clearance. I had refused to let Alice pay for my dress, so I was relieved to find a dress that was fairly reasonable in price.

Finding a mask to match had been fairly painless. Alice had found a costume store that specialized in masquerades. We found masks to match my dress and Alice’s dress. We also found a mask that matched the dress that Alice had bought for Rose. It hadn’t surprised me that Alice knew Rose’s exact measurements; she no doubt knew mine as well.

One weekend while Rose was visiting her parents in New York where they had recently moved, Alice and I took the boys shopping to buy their tuxedos and masks. That shopping trip had actually been fun, mostly because we were not shopping for me.

It had been very entertaining watching the boys model the different tuxedos for us. They would put one on and walk out of the dressing room and strike various poses for us.

Edward had been simply breath-taking in every tuxedo he tried on. Everything he wore looked amazing on him. I was thankful that Alice was there, because she was able to point out something wrong with all of the rejects. When Edward walked out of the dressing room for the last time Alice had clapped her hands together rapidly.

“That’s it! That’s the one!” She had exclaimed. “Don’t you think Bella?” I had been unable to answer her. I was stunned by the sight of Edward. The black tuxedo was the darkest black, accenting his brilliant green eyes and bronze hair.

Edward’s crooked smile had dominated his face as he posed for me and Alice, his eyes locked with mine. “You like it?” he had asked in his perfect voice.

I had only nodded in response. I couldn’t talk, I was speechless.

Not long after we had found Edward’s tux, we had found one for Emmett and Jasper as well. All three of the boys looked amazing in their tuxedos; every woman in the store had been staring at them.

Every time Edward noticed a woman staring at him, his eyes would lock with mine and his dazzling smile would appear. “What do you think, Bella?” he would ask each time, walking toward me and posing again for me.

After we had bought the tuxedos, Alice corralled us into the same costume store we had bought our masks from to find one for each of the boys.

When we had returned home the boys had asked to see our dresses, but Alice had firmly told them no. They weren’t allowed to see our dresses until the night of the party.

Alice had taken care of the decorations. We had found a DJ for the music. The rest of the planning had flowed seamlessly; Alice had known exactly what she wanted. Keeping our planning a secret from Rose had been easier than I had first thought. I was a terrible liar, so I had been afraid that Rose would see right through me; but thankfully, Alice had thought ahead.

Everyday when we had finished our planning, Alice would go over an alibi with me and she would have me repeat it to her over and over again until when I told it to Rose, I didn’t give anything away.

Everything was ready. All I had to do was follow Alice’s lead and go with the flow until we arrived at the party; and then all I had to do was enjoy my night with Edward.

“Happy birthday, Rose!” Alice and I exclaimed the second Rose walked into the kitchen. She smiled and hugged each of us.

“Thank you,” she smiled to each of us. I set a plate of food in front of her. I had cooked her a birthday breakfast, as was tradition. Every year I would cook a birthday breakfast for both Alice and Rosalie. Typically I would serve it to them in bed, but Rosalie had gotten out of bed to quickly.

“Thank Bella,” she beamed at the pancakes with “Happy Birthday” wrote in whipped cream with chocolate and sprinkles. Rosalie loved my desert pancakes; I had been making them for her since we were fifteen.

“So what’s on the agenda for today?” she asked around a mouth of pancakes. Now was the time to be careful with our answers.

“I’m taking you shopping like every year,” Alice answered immediately. “You didn’t forget about our annual shopping trip did you?” Alice feigned hurt as she said this, placing a hand to her heart as if it were breaking.

Rosalie laughed. “Of course not, Alice! How could I forget? You always remind me in advance. My day is clear of all plans, so we can do whatever we want.”

Alice nodded her head. “We’ll come back here when we’re done and we can give you your presents, how does that sound?”

“Sounds good,” Rosalie answered. “You know, for some reason, I just have a really good feeling about today.”

If only she knew…..

Mike’s POV

Punching in the familiar number, I pressed my cell phone to my ear and waited as it rang.

“What is it, Mike?” Tina snapped into the phone. She could never answer the phone with a simple hello.

“Hi to you too, Tina,” I spoke softly into the phone. “Are you ready for tonight? Do you have everything you need? Do you remember what you’re supposed to do?”

Tina sighed on the other end. “For the last time Mike, I’m ready. We’ve done nothing but plan for the past week. This is going to work.”

“Yes, it will,” I smiled, touching the scroll of paper cradled in my pocket. “I’ll pick you up at six. We want to arrive on time.”

“I’ll see you then,” she answered. I could hear the excitement in her voice. Tonight, we would get revenge. Tonight, we would be reunited with our rightful person; I with Bella, she with Edward.

“Goodbye, Tina.” I snapped my phone shut and tossed it onto the coffee table and pulled the scroll of paper out of my pocket. Unrolling it, I reread the elegant print for nearly the thousandth time.

You are cordially invited to…..

Come join us as we celebrate the 22nd birthday of Rosalie Hale in a night of secrecy and dancing. A masquerade ball will be held to celebrate this event next Saturday at 7 pm at the Premier in Seattle. Hope you can make it!

The day I had stumbled across the invitation, I had began formulating a plan in my head. I knew Rosalie Hale was one of Bella’s best friends; and I knew Bella would be at the party, along with Edward. It was the perfect opportunity to seek revenge. With everyone in masks, no one would recognize a couple of uninvited guests.

I had shown Tina the invitation and told her my plan. She quickly agreed to my plan; it was fool-proof. We spent the passing week planning, and tonight we would act on our plans. Bella would be mine again.

Alright, so next chapter will be the chapter you've all been waiting for!! The Masquerade Ball!! WOOT!! So, you all need to review!! :D I can't tell you exactly when I'll update, but it won't be too long, I promise! Did you guys read Breaking Dawn yet? I did, and i loved it! It was a great ending!

Chapter: 22

I know it's been a while since I last updated. But understand that I have had absolutely no time to write! I started school almost three weeks ago and my first day back I had 4 hours of homework. I am on the softball team and taking five honors classes. So as you can imagine, I don't have a whole lot of time to write. I only have the weekends, and I've been busy the past few weekends. So please forgive me and bear with me these next couple months. I will try to update as much as possible, but it might be a few weeks. Anway, here's the next chapter!

The Masquerade

“Jeez, did you guys buy everything in the store?” I exclaimed when Alice and Rose walked through the door with their arms full of large bags of clothing. “Alice does your credit card have a limit?”

Alice rolled her eyes as she dumped the shopping bags on the couch. “Of course it does Bella. All credit cards have a limit.”

“I’m just shocked you haven’t reached that limit yet.”

Alice let out a sharp laugh. “Bella, you really do make me laugh. Believe it or not, I have absolutely no credit card debt.”

“Of course it helps that your parents have money,” Rose interjected. “How much money did they give you for your past birthday?”

“Rose, that has nothing to do with it and you know it! I’m very careful with my money. From the time I was six until the time I was sixteen, any money I received went into my bank account where it collected on interest.”

“But you were always given large sums of money for holidays and birthdays from your wealthy family. Therefore, you collected a lot of interest from that money.” Alice shrugged at Rose’s statement.

“Okay, maybe it did help a little that I come from a wealthy family. But now I’m making my own money and I’m doing just fine handling it. My father taught me the best ways to spend, save, and invest.”

“Investments,” I repeated, “Let’s not forget all the money Alice gets from her investments in stocks. I swear she knows exactly which stocks to invest in and which ones not to.”

Alice shrugged as if it was nothing, but the corners of her mouth were turned up into a small smile. “Call it intuition,” she said casually.

“Whatever Alice.”

“Anyway,” Alice said, clapping her hands together and glancing over at the clock. “Let’s not forget that today is Rose’s birthday and I do believe we are not quite done yet.” I smiled at Alice’s obvious attempt to change the subject. “Rose, sit down on the couch,” she ordered, “And Bella and I will be right back.”

“Pushy little pixie,” Rose mumbled as she walked over and perched herself on the edge of the sofa.

Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall and into my bedroom. “Where’d you put your gift to Rose?” she demanded. I pointed to my closet. She crossed the room and immediately began rifling through my stuff, searching for the gift that was not there.

Smiling, I quietly walked over to my window and lifted up the window seat that doubled as a trunk. Neither Alice nor Rose were aware that the board underneath my window lifted up and I planned to keep it that way. Reaching in, I pulled out the neatly wrapped shiny silver package. The pink bow on top had ribbons hanging off of it that curled at the ends.

Putting the seat back, I turned around and watched as Alice continued to search for Rose’s present. Clothes were flying everywhere as she tossed each piece of fabric aside in her search. Crossing the room to stand where Alice had left me, I let out a soft chuckle.

“Bella, I can’t find it! Where in the world did you hide it?” Alice whirled around to face me, her face contorted in frustration. Her normally smooth brow, furrowed in consternation and her small mouth twisted in irritation. Her hazel eyes blazed with fury when they fell upon the package in my hand.

“Bella, you liar!” she accused, marching across the room to stand in front of me. “You had me search through your closet, knowing that I wouldn’t find anything! Why are you so cruel?”

“Alice, did you really think I was going to tell you my secret hiding place? I think not. It’s bad enough that you guess correctly what most of my gifts to you are. I don’t need you peeking at your presents.”

“I would never do such a thing!” Alice glowered at me. Her expression was dark for only a second longer and then it instantly cheered. A huge smile spread across Alice’s face. It was so big; it looked like it would hurt.

“What are you smiling about?” I asked, instantly wary of the evil glint in her eyes.

“Oh nothing, I was just thinking about how much fun we are going to have shopping, because after being forced to rifle through your entire closet, I realized that it’s been a while since just the two of us went shopping for regular clothes.”

“Great,” I groaned.

“What’s taking you two so long?” Rose’s voice drifted down the hallway, preventing Alice from responding to my less than enthusiastic response to her threat.

“Coming!” Alice and I both answered. Alice grabbed the package out of my hand and skipped off down the hall. Rolling my eyes, I followed her.

“Look what I found!” Alice announced as she entered the room. “It’s from Bella.” Alice shoved the packaged into Rose’s hands. “Open it,” she demanded.

Rosalie eyed Alice suspiciously. “If it’s from Bella, shouldn’t Bella be the one to give it to me?”

Alice shrugged. “She agreed to let me hand it to you.”

“Right,” Rosalie replied sarcastically. She knew Alice too well to believe her. Before Alice could yell at her, Rosalie tore the silver paper away from the package and frowned when she saw the plain brown box.

“A box,” she remarked, “Lovely.”

“Open it!” Alice barked impatiently. Rosalie chuckled and tore the tape away from the lid of the box. “Who packaged this thing?” she asked when she pulled out a wad of newspaper and bubble wrap.

I pointed to Alice who pointed to me. “Was it necessary to use all of this newspaper and bubble wrap?” Rosalie looked directly at Alice as she asked this.

“Yes,” was Alice’s only reply.

Rosalie removed all of the padding from the gift and stared blankly at the fountain in her hands. She blinked several times before she scowled. “Very funny, Bella,” her tone rang with disapproval and disgust. She looked up at me and then beamed. “I love it!”

Setting the fountain asked, she leaped up from the coach and flung her arms around my neck and pulled me into a bone-crunching hug. “By the way, thanks for talking to me that night. If I hadn’t talked to you first, I would have been too nervous to answer my cell phone.”

I squeezed Rose back with nearly as much force as she had squeezed me. “You’re welcome.”

“Let’s go set it up!” Alice announced, glancing at the clock. I followed her gaze and realized that she was just trying to find something to pass time. It was only two thirty. We had a couple hours to kill.

Rose shrugged, picking up her fountain she walked down the hall and into her room.

“What time did you tell the boys to be at the Premier?” I whispered to Alice before we walked down the hall to join Rose.

“They’re going down at six to make sure everything is set up properly. The guests will arrive at seven and we will arrive with Rose at 7:15.” I nodded my head, letting the information assimilate.

“Perfect.”

“We’re taking you out tonight, Rose!” Alice announced promptly at four. The three of us were sitting in a small café, quietly celebrating Rose’s birthday. Alice and I had brought Rose to the same café for a light dinner every year for her birthday. It was our favorite place to eat together. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food was amazing.

“Out?” Rose repeated, taking another bite of her turkey sandwich. “Out where?”

“Dancing,” Alice answered. “We need to do something different. For the past several years we have done the exact same thing for your birthday, it’s time to do something new. Today is your twenty second birthday, let’s go do something fun!”

Now I was supposed to say something. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Alice saw my expression and stomped on my foot with her heel. My mouth snapped shut and I glared at her, trying to block out the throbbing pain in my foot.

“Yeah Rose,” I said in the calmest voice I could manage, “We should celebrate your birthday properly. What better way to do that, then to go out?”

Rose tore another bite off of her sandwich and chewed slowly. Her eyes were distant; she was thinking.

“Where are we going?” She finally asked after swallowing her food and washing it down with a sip of diet coke.

“To a club,” Alice answered evasively. “So we have to go home and get dressed.” Alice rose to her feet and gracefully walked over to the trash can to dump her tray. I followed after her and watched as Rose followed me.

Rose didn’t ask any questions as we walked home. The café was only a few blocks from our building.

As we walked through the door, Alice’s cell phone began to ring. Alice answered it quickly and excused herself from the room.

“Jasper,” Rose guessed with a small laugh. “Did you see how fast Alice had that phone pressed to her ear? There’s no doubt in my mind that was Jasper.”

“Yeah,” I replied honestly. There was no doubt in my mind either that it had been Jasper calling, but he wasn’t calling just to talk. Not today.

“Rose, I have a gift to give you!” Alice was carrying what I was sure was Rose’s dress on a hanger. Alice’s phone was in her other hand. Rosalie looked at the hanger in Alice’s hand and her eyes followed the length of the bag that concealed the dress.

“Wasn’t our shopping excursion enough?” Rose questioned.

Alice shook her head. “No. I bought this for tonight. For our outing. I purchased it while you were arguing with that salesclerk in Macy’s.”

Rosalie smiled at the memory. “Ah, yes. That salesclerk was obnoxious. I had been so absorbed in our argument I guess I hadn’t noticed when you disappeared. Where did you hide that when you returned?”

“It fit nicely in my Macy’s bag,” Alice lied easily. Rose bought Alice’s story. She took the hanger from Alice and walked into her room to put the dress on. She walked out ten minutes later with a confused expression on her face.

“The dress is beautiful, don’t get me wrong,” she explained, “It’s just that, isn’t this a bit formal to wear to a club?” Rosalie motioned down to the strapless red dress with sequins that ran down the front until the skirt that rippled in waves down to the floor.

Alice shook her head and smiled. “No, you’ll look gorgeous!” Alice gushed. “You look absolutely amazing. And besides, we may be going to a club, but we’re not going clubbing.”

“We’re not?” Rose questioned. I bit my lip, afraid that Alice was giving away too much information. Of course, Alice knew exactly what she was doing. Or so I hoped.

“No. The club we’re going to has theme nights. Tonight they’re having a formal dance. You’ll love it. I saw pictures from last year and I knew there was no way we could miss it this year. And as fate would have it, the formal night was on your birthday!”

In my opinion, Alice’s story was a tough sell. I really didn’t expect Rose to believe it. She didn’t question Alice, but I saw the glimmer of doubt shining in her eyes.

“Go finish getting ready!” Alice ordered, pointing down the hall. Rose sighed and obligingly, turned around and walked back into her room. The second Rose’s door was shut, Alice turned to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall into her room. Prancing over to her closet, she pulled out my dress and set it down on her bed.

“Get dressed.” I nodded my head and quietly slid the dress onto my body. Alice zipped the zipper up and spun me around so she could survey me. “The dress looks wonderful on you Bella. You will knock the breath right out of that boyfriend of yours.”

I blushed at the compliment and the reminder that Edward was going to be with us tonight, looking gorgeous in a tux. The mention of Edward reminded me that Jasper had called Alice.

“What did Jasper have to say?” I asked Alice as she pushed me into the chair in front of her vanity.

“He told me that they were on their way to club. They obviously had to leave earlier because they live farther.” As Alice retold her phone conversation with Jasper, she began styling my hair. She raked the brush through it several times over. Taking the curling iron, she put soft curls in my hair and then pinned them up, letting several loose hairs frame my face.

Next, she attacked me with makeup. She applied foundation, a solid line of black eyeliner, mascara, and blue eye shadow to match my gown. My cheeks did not need to be rouged due to my excessive blushing.

When Alice was finished she smiled at me and turned me to face the mirror. “What do you think?”

I blinked when I saw myself in the mirror. The girl staring back at me was a stranger. She actually looked pretty. Not gorgeous or beautiful, but she was pretty. Her chocolate brown eyes stood out, the eyeliner and mascara defining them.

My hand stretched out and touched the cold glass where the girl was standing. “Alice, you’re a magician,” I whispered.

Alice chuckled. “I’m no magician. I can only work with what I’m given. I just accentuate your natural beauty with makeup.”

I rolled my eyes at Alice. “I’m not so convinced.”

Alice frowned. “When are you going to accept that you really are pretty Bella?” she snapped.

I sighed. “Alice-“

“No,” Alice interrupted. “I don’t want to have this argument. Not tonight. The bottom line is, you look gorgeous and you are going to render Edward speechless when he sees you.”

I didn’t argue the point, although I didn’t believe she was correct. I didn’t want to start arguing with Alice when we had Rose’s birthday to celebrate. Tonight was Rose’s night.

I turned around and watched as my skirts swirled around my feet. Looking back up in the mirror I looked at my deep blue dress and marveled at how beautiful the dress actually was. The deep blue contrasted with my skin beautifully. The spaghetti straps were covered by a deep blue, see through shawl. The dress clung to my every curve perfectly. The sequins on the front caused the dress to sparkle and the skirt flowed gently down to the floor.

Alice quickly dressed into her black, strapless dress that opened at the skirt to reveal a white underneath. The dress clung to her slim waist, accentuating every curve of her small body. The straight skirt swept the floor as Alice walked, even while she was wearing high heels. She quickly applied her makeup and then found a small black handbag. She put all three of our masks in the bag.

“We’ll put these on when we get to the party. We can’t wear them now, because that will raise Rose’s suspicions further and I want Rose to be able to see the party without the mask on first.”

I nodded my head in agreement and smiled. “Are you ready?”

“Yep! Let’s go!” Linking her arm through mine, Alice led me down the hall and into the living room where Rose was sitting on the sofa waiting for us.

“What took you guys so long?” Rose asked when we walked into the room. I pointed to Alice who beamed.

“I was making Bella realize that she really is beautiful. Doesn’t she look beautiful, Rose?” Rosalie looked at me thoughtfully, a smile slowly creeping onto her gorgeous face.

“She looks spectacular, Alice I do believe our Bella is all grown up now.” She wiped an imaginary tear from her cheek and stood up gracefully to stand by us.

The sun dimmed in comparison to Rose’s beauty dressed in her red, sequined gown, stunning face enhanced by the makeup she wore, and her corn-silk blonde hair cascading down to the middle of her back. The Greek Goddess Aphrodite had nothing on Rose.

Rose linked her arm through mine and the three of us walked out the door. Standing between Alice and Rosalie, I felt very plain. I could accept, for tonight, that I was pretty; but I was nothing compared to Rose and Alice.

Alice and Rosalie were gorgeous. Alice looked like an enchanting pixie in her black and white strapless dress with her black, spiky hair, framing her flawless face. Her graceful movements only added to her beauty, drawing every eye to her.

Rosalie was an incomparable beauty. The galaxy of stars only dreamed to be as beautiful as Rose. Her beauty far outshined every star in the endless sky.

Neither Alice nor Rose looked like they belonged on earth. I had always believed that they would better belong in Olympia amongst all the other Greek Gods and Goddesses.

As Alice’s Porsche sped down the wet highway, I sat in the back, staring at my reflection in the window. The lights of the passing streetlights and towns flashed across my face and distorted my reflection, but the small disturbances never distracted my attention away from the window.

I traced every contour of my face with my eyes. I searched for the girl that had somehow managed to attract Edward’s attention. Edward was never far from my mind. He filled my every thought and consumed my very soul. My absorption with Edward was logical. He was the most gorgeous person I had ever laid eyes on; but underneath his unbelievably good looks, was a man of good breeding; a smart, sweet, caring, honest, and lovable man.

My attraction to him was understandable. His attraction to me, however, was an enigma. For some abysmal reason, Edward liked me. I was happy when I was around him, and he seemed to be happy as well.

“Bella what are you thinking so hard about back there?” Alice’s high pitched voice rang through the car, interrupting my train of thought.

“Oh, nothing,” I lied none too convincingly. Alice’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror and I saw what she wouldn’t say aloud. Alice was hard to fool. She was very perceptive.

“Maybe we should turn the music up,” Rose suggested, reaching for the volume dial and twisting it in a swift movement. The drum beats and bass pulsed through the car as the song reverberated throughout the car. The song was unfamiliar to me, but I was thankful for the loud bass and erratic drum beats. They allowed me to keep my mind from wandering back to Edward. Thinking about him would only make me more nervous about the night ahead.

The rest of the car ride, the three of us sang along to loud music and laughed when one of us would blurt out the wrong lyric, which happened to me quite often. Many of the songs we listened to I had only heard a couple of times, so naturally I messed up a few lines.

When we finally arrived in Seattle, Alice parked several blocks away from the Premier. She didn’t want Rose to see anything that might give the surprise away. We were right on schedule. Alice was impeccable when it came to timing. She was never late to anything. Tonight was no exception.

We climbed out of Alice’s highly conspicuous car and into the cool evening. The sun was still making its descent in the sky. The setting sun sent brilliant rays of color streaking across the horizon, causing a spectacular view.

With our arms linked, the three of us walked the few blocks to the club. “This way,” Alice announced, tugging on Rose’s arm to walk in the opposite direction. “We’re going in through the back door. Bernie told me that we didn’t have to bother with waiting in the long line to get in.”

Rose smiled at Alice appreciatively. “Alice you’re a genius!” It surprised me how easily Rose had believed Alice. Although, it would be just like Alice to convince a bouncer to let us into a club without having to wait in line.

Alice led us around the club and through the back door into a bare narrow hallway. The music from the club seeped through the walls and could be heard clearly. Motioning for us to follow, Alice loped forward down the hall. There was a large wooden door at the end of the hallway that led straight into the club, but Alice stopped several feet before the door and turned to the right.

There was another, smaller door that I had not seen before. She pushed it open to reveal a narrow staircase leading to an upper floor. Alice didn’t hesitate to climb the stairs. Rose and I quickly followed her. When we reached the top of the stairs, Alice stood to the side of a large wooden door and motioned for Rose to go first.

As Rose pushed open the door, Alice reached into her handbag and pulled out my mask and her mask. I took the dark blue mask that matched my gown from Alice’s hand and gently slid it in place, careful not to mess up my hair. Alice did the same and we walked through the door to stand behind Rose on one of the clubs many balconies.

A spotlight illuminated the area where we stood and a loud chorus of ‘surprise’ and ‘happy birthday’ drifted up to us from below. Whirling around to face us, Rose’s face was flushed from being taken by surprise. She was taken aback slightly by the masks Alice and I now wore, but she shook it off.

“A masquerade?” she inquired. “You threw a surprise masquerade party for me?”

Alice nodded her head and jumped up and down on the balls of her feet. “Do you like it?”

Rose shook her head slowly in disbelief. “You know, I suspected something was up, but I didn’t expect this. Thank you.” She closed the small distance separating her from me and Alice and engulfed us each in a tight hug.

“I just wish Emmett were here,” Rose sighed. “I would have loved to dance with him...and stun him with my dress.” Rose’s voice was despondent and distant. Her eyes were sad as well.

“Oh he’s around here somewhere,” Alice assured her. “Go find him.”

Rose cheered immediately. A dazzling smile broke like dawn across her face and she rushed down the stairs to the dance floor in search of Emmett. He wouldn’t be too hard to find. After all, he was huge.

Alice turned to me and smiled. “I think tonight is going to be perfect!” she gushed. “Did you see the way Rose reacted?” I nodded my head knowing I wouldn’t have time to verbally respond before Alice continued. “This was definitely the best idea I have ever had. Now come on, let’s go enjoy the party!”

Taking my hand, she dragged me down the stairs and onto the crowded dance floor. The club was flooded with people in elegant attire and masks concealing their faces. It amazed me how many people had come. Alice had invited a ridiculous amount of people, of course, but I had not expected this many people to actually come.

The music floated through the air, reverberating off the walls. Couples twirled around on the dance floor. The skirts of the dresses swirled around the feet of the dancers. Everyone was masked and no one was recognizable.

“Bella, look!” Alice yelled over the music, stopping in her tracks causing me to bump into her. She perched herself on the tips of her toes and pointed over the heads of the crowd and across the room. I followed Alice’s finger and looked across the room but saw nothing. She pointed to a corner with large columns running along the wall. There was nothing else there.

“Alice, what are you looking at?” But before Alice could answer, I saw; and the sight took my breath away.

Edward, looking like an angel dressed in black, stepped out from behind one of the columns. His sparkling green eyes, enhanced by the black mask, instantly met mine. Slowly, his lips stretched into his beautiful crooked smile.

“Ow, Bella!” Alice suddenly exclaimed, drawing my attention away from Edward. I looked down at Alice who was clawing at my hands around her arm. I had not realized that I had gripped her arm, but it became apparent that I had squeezed her arm rather tightly.

I quickly removed my hands, blood rushing to my cheeks. It was a good thing Alice hadn’t put blush on my cheeks, because I definitely didn’t need it. “I’m sorry Alice,” I apologized. “I just-“

“Needed my arm for support?” She guessed. I nodded my head, causing her to laugh. “I understand, Bella. I’ll admit that I had a similar reaction when I saw Jasper standing over there.”

“Jasper?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. I scanned the crowd around us, but I couldn’t see Jasper. Alice had been with me the entire time, when had she seen Jasper. “You saw Jasper?”

“Yeah Bella, he was standing right next to Edward. Did you not see him?”

I shook my head. I hadn’t see Jasper, of course I hadn’t seen anything except Edward. I quickly turned to look back where Edward had been standing, but the corner was vacant. There was no sign of Edward or Jasper.

“Looking for someone?” A velvety-smooth voice whispered in my ear. Turning slowly, my eyes locked with two beautiful green ones.

“I was, but I found him.”

Edward smiled, and taking my hand, effortlessly twirled me into a dance. “Dance with me,” he said softly, his white teeth gleaming in dark room.

“Edward, I can’t dance,” I admitted, glancing nervously at my feet. “I’ll hurt you.”

Edward’s musical laugh rang in my ears like beautiful church bells on Sunday morning. “You won’t hurt me, Bella. In fact, you won’t even hurt yourself, I won’t allow it. Not tonight. Just follow my lead and you’ll do just fine.” His hand rested gently on my waist after he moved my left hand to his shoulder. His right hand held mine firmly in the air. His movements were swift and graceful, mine were clumsy and awkward. But nonetheless, we danced.

“You never did say hi to me,” I pointed out to Edward when the dance ended.

“I’m sorry,” Edward smiled apologetically. “You just look so amazing, I was afraid that someone would ask to dance with you, and I wanted to be the first one to dance with you.” He intertwined his fingers with my right hand and led me away from the dance floor. “Hello, Bella,” he whispered in my ear and leaned down to kiss me gently on the lips.

I smiled and kissed him back. “Hello. And you won’t have to worry about me dancing with anyone else.”

“Oh really?” Edward raised a questioning eyebrow at me. “Why not?”

“Because no one will ask,” I answered simply.

“That’s absurd, Bella. The way you look tonight, you’ll have well over a dozen offers in the next few minutes.”

“Yeah right!” I snorted. “Edward, don’t disillusion yourself. That’s not going to happen. Besides, if by some weird chance another guy were to ask me to dance, I would say no. I don’t know if I would trust myself to dance.”

“You did just fine when we danced,” Edward argued, although his green eyes flashed with an emotion foreign to me.

“You’re a good leader. I think if I tried to dance with anyone else, I would fall on my face and knock my partner down in the process. Besides, tonight, I’d rather just dance with you.”

Edward wrapped both of his arms around my waist and drew me closer. “I’m glad to hear that,” he whispered. “Because I don’t know if I’d be able to control the green monster within me if you danced with anyone else.”

“Green monster? You mean, you’d be jealous?”

Edward nodded his head. “I am only human, after all.”

I was about to reply, but Alice appeared at that moment, with jasper in tow. “Edward, Bella, have you seen Rose? I can’t find her anywhere and she has a mountain of gifts she needs to open.”

“Gifts?” I inquired, “We didn’t say anything about bringing a gift on the invitation.”

“It’s a birthday celebration, Bella, naturally people brought gifts,” Alice answered. “Did you see the pile of presents? It’s huge!” She pointed to a corner of the club where a tall mountain of packages of every color shimmered brightly.

“Wow,” Edward and I said at the same time. “That’s a lot of gifts,” I continued. “How will get them all home?”

Alice shrugged. “We’ll figure it out. But help me find Rose. If she doesn’t open those presents soon, she won’t be able to enjoy the party.”

“Actually,” Edward interrupted, “There’s no need to look for her, because I found her.” He pointed to a couple on the dance floor dancing provocatively on the dance floor.

Alice laughed at the sight of Emmett and Rose. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Alice tugged on Jasper’s hand and they both made their way over to Emmett and Rosalie. Edward and I followed behind them.

We watched Rose open several of her presents, before she declared that she wouldn’t open another one until she was at home. She didn’t want to spend all of her night opening presents.

After Rose and Emmett walked away from the presents, Alice and Jasper left as well. Both couples walked onto the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd. Edward’s arm snaked around my waist, and he led me to the dance floor as well.

We danced for five songs in a row, transitioning into each new song effortlessly. Dancing with Edward was easy, the more we danced, the less worried I was about falling. My movements became less awkward and clumsy. I still wasn’t graceful –I would never be able to move gracefully- but I wasn’t completely ungainly.

When the fifth song ended, I pulled away from Edward and smiled. “I’ll be right back,” I told him, stepping back slowly.

“Hurry back,” Edward replied with a smile that melted my heart.

“I will,” I promised before turning and walking away.

I walked over to the refreshment table first. I grabbed a small paper cup from the table and brought it up to my lips. The cup was flimsy and indented where my fingers pressed against it. I tipped the cup back and the smooth liquid slid into my parched mouth and down my dry throat. I had worked up quite a thirst dancing.

I tossed the empty cup into a nearby trashcan and walked along the wall until I found a large white door with a small plaque marking it as the woman’s restroom. I slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. The bright white light momentarily blinded me, but my eyes quickly adjusted.

I walked out of the stall and washed my hands in the sink. I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. The color was high on my cheeks. Part of that was due to dancing with so many other couples nearby. With so many bodies in one area, the room got hot quickly. Even with most of the dances being slow the room was hot.

The bathroom door creaked open and another girl walked in. She walked straight up to the sink. I glanced over at her and noticed that she was wearing my exact same dress. The woman was shorter than I was, but not by much. Her hair was long and brown, her skin was pale.

“Nice dress,” she said to me with a smile.

“Thanks, you too,” I replied awkwardly. The woman’s face looked slightly familiar, but I couldn’t think of anywhere that I knew her from. After scrambling in my brain for something that would help me, I decided that it was just the fact that she was wearing the same dress I was that made me think she was familiar.

“So how do you know, Rosalie?” the woman asked casually, pulling out a tube of mascara and reapplying to her eyelashes.

“She’s my best friend,” I answered automatically.

“Ah, how nice,” the woman smiled at me in the mirror. I thought I saw something flash in her eyes when she looked at me. The emotion had not been a pleasant one, but I quickly denounced it as a figment of my imagination

“Um, I have to go,” I mumbled and walked quickly out the door. I scanned the club for Edward until I found him by the refreshment table. I began to make my way over to him. With every step I took, suspicions grew inside of me about the woman in the bathroom. I began to question if the look I had thought I had imagined in her eyes had actually been real. By the time I reached Edward, I was very confused.

“Bella, are you alright?” Edward asked, reading my expression.

“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “But I need to talk to you.”

Mike’s POV

The night had finally arrived. The night Bella would be mine again. There was nothing that was going to stop me, my plan was flawless. There was no way I could lose. Beside me, Tina fidgeted with her newly dyed locks of hair. It was obvious that she was nervous.

“Tina, stop worrying,” I tried to soothe her. I couldn’t afford for Tina to mess up. After all, she was part of my brilliant plan. I wouldn’t be able to pull it off alone. Every great hero needed a sidekick.

“I’m sorry, Mike, I can’t help it. There are just so many things that could go wrong tonight.”

“Tina, nothing will go wrong, how could you even think it? This plan is brilliant. It will work.”

Tina looked at me doubtfully, but she dropped her hands to her sides. We stood in line to get into Rosalie’s surprise party. Our invitations tucked in the inside pocket of my tuxedo. I patted my jacket thoughtfully, feeling the slight bulge where the invitations rested. Nothing could go wrong tonight. It was impossible.

When we reached the front of the line, I pulled the invitations out of my tuxedo pocket and presented them to him. He glanced at them briefly and waved us inside. Piece of cake.

The club was dark, even with the strobe lights the club was dark. Perfect. Everything was working perfectly. Already, the club was crowded with people in masks and formal ballroom attire. A masquerade, how wonderful, and absolutely perfect.

“Be on the look out, Tina. Remember we want everything to go off without a hitch. So stick to the plan. Do not deviate and do not improvise; that will only lead to failure. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she replied, tilting her chin up. “I’m ready.”

“Excellent, because here comes one of our culprits.” Tina followed my gaze to the balcony where Rosalie, Alice, and Bella stood. Bella looked spectacular in her dark blue dress and mask. She was a vision. Nothing could compare to her beauty.

I glanced at Tina and frowned. Dressed exactly like Bella, she did not compare. Bella’s beauty far outshined Tina. There was a significant difference between Tina and Bella in my eye, but I was very used to the gorgeous sight of Bella. Of course I would notice that Tina looked very different from Bella even dressed the same. But it was not me we were fooling. No, it was that fool waiter, Edward.

There was not a doubt in my mind that my plan would work. Edward would fall into our trap. Bella would be mine by the end of the night. It wouldn’t be long until I would be able to hold her in my arms. Not long at all.

Preview of Next Chapter:

"I'm sorry Edward, I have to do this."

"No, Bella, just wait, please?"

"I'm sorry, Edward. I can't."

Well there ya go! I know I didn't write the whole masquerade but I decided that I should break it up. If I didn't then the chapter would hav ebeen extremely long. I'm sorry. So, let me know what you thought! And I'm sorry for any mistakes. I really just wanted to get the chapter up while I had time! I'll try to update soon. But please understand if it takes a few weeks. My life is really busy right now. Thank you, fabulous people! :D

Chapter: 23

Long time no see. Yes I know it's been months. And I apologize. I was extremely busy with school. I have so much homework it's insane. By the time I would finish my homework, I would be so burnt out I wouldn't have the energy nor the brain power to be able to write. So I wrote the rest of the story over winter break. If you hadn't already noticed I put up the last three chapters of this story and it is now complete. Yay! I have a new story idea. But I will write it out completley first. If you want more details read my AN at the end of the epilogue. Until then, happy reading!

I own nothing. It is all Stephenie Meyer's.

Unmasked

Mike’s POV

“Mike, how much longer do we have to wait?” Tina whispered in my ear. The night had barely just begun and Tina was growing more impatient with every minute that ticked by.

Looking down at her I smiled and spun her away from me. Drawing her back into the dance I stated the same answer I had given her just minutes before. “Soon, Tina, soon.”

I focused my attention away from my partner. Our dance slowed down to a sway as I became distracted. My eyes were following Edward and Bella as they twirled on the dance floor.

My hand twitched every time the slimeball Edward bent down to kiss Bella lightly on the lips. The sight made my stomach roll. There was no doubt in my mind that Bella was pretending. The smile on her face was undoubtedly forced. Bella was too sweet to hurt anyone’s feelings.

I watched as Edward whispered something into Bella’s ear, causing her to throw her head back in laughter. Her pinned-up curls bounced lightly behind her and her creamy white neck was fully exposed.

The sight of Bella at that moment was distracting and disturbing at the same time. She was beautiful, a sight to behold, but at that moment she was unreachable; and that was hard to take.

One song faded into another and each dance blurred together as time marched on. The night was quickly passing.

“Mike,” Tina shook me, trying to gain my attention.

“What is it now?” I snapped. Tina was starting to annoy me with her frequent questions and incessant chatter.

“They’re gone.”

Tina’s words sent a jolt of alarm up my spine. My eyes quickly scanned the dance floor for the familiar couple. My search came up empty.

Grabbing Tina’s wrist tightly, I dragged her off the floor and to the shadows of the sides of the room. “We have to find them. I will not have this night ruined for me. We’ll split up and look for them. If you spot either one of them, call me.”

Tina nodded her head and quickly rushed off. I watched her worm her way through a thick crowd of party-goers until I could no longer tell her apart from the others.

Turning in the opposite direction, I headed toward the stairs. From the balcony I scanned the crowd, hoping I could spot them. The dance floor was nothing but a mass of bodies swaying to the beat of the music. It was impossible to tell anyone apart.

Away from the dance floor, the lights were too dim to see anything. Frustrated, I stomped down the stairs, mowing down anyone who stood in my way.

I weaved my way through the crowd in my search. I combed the entire floor but my search proved unsuccessful.

Defeated, I trudged over to the refreshment table. I grabbed a paper cup and filled it with punch. Leaning against the table, I stared dejectedly at my drink. The punch held no interest for me.

I saw myself reflected in the pink liquid. My eyes were blank, expressionless, my mouth was pulled down at the corners, and my forehead was creased. Anyone who looked at me would see a discontented man.

“Why the long face, dude?” I looked up to see a burly man with brown curly hair looking at me with an eyebrow raised. I had seen him before, but at that moment I didn’t feel like trying to remember.

“Uh, it’s nothing,” I answered hesitantly.

“Well, what’s a man as….attractive as you doing over here all by yourself?” The man tried to fight back a smile, but his eyes were filled with laughter.

“Not all of us are lucky enough to have the woman we want within arms reach,” I answered without thinking.

“Well sometimes you have to use a little bit of force to get what you want.”

“I tried,” I said with a small sigh.

“So why did you give up?” the man shot back.

“She’s gone. I can’t find her.”

“Want help finding her?”

I looked up at the man and thought for a second. He was a lot taller than I was and could, not doubt, see over most everyone’s heads; but something inside of me told me not to trust him.

I was about to answer him when a beam of white light swept across us and I saw a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to see Bella walking hurriedly toward the back corner.

“Dude, hello,” the man said waving his hand in front of my face. “Earth to dude.”

“Never mind,” I said, already starting to move toward Bella, “I found her.” I shoved my way through the crowd before the man could say anything else. I was out of earshot when the man laughed and called me a sucker.

As I made my way after Bella, I reached into the pocket of my black pants and pulled out my cell phone. I had programmed Tina’s number on speed dial when we began our plot. I held down the “2” button and waited for her to answer.

“Did you find them?” Tina answered the phone.

“I found Bella. What about you?”

“I talked to Bella actually, she was in the bathroom.” Tina sounded proud of herself.

“What?” I practically yelled into the phone. “Are you crazy? You might have ruined everything.”

“Chill out, Mike,” Tina tried to calm me down. “She didn’t suspect a thing.”

“You better hope you’re right.” I stopped short when I saw Edward walk out of the shadows to take Bella’s hand. Moving to the side so they wouldn’t see me I spoke urgently into the phone, “Okay, Tina, Bella was walking rather quickly when I was following her. She just found Edward. If she is suspicious, she’ll tell him what she saw and our entire plan will be ruined. So we need to act quickly. We have to separate them as soon as possible.”

“Alright, it’s about time for some action.”

“Where are you anyway?” I asked, briefly taking my eyes off of Edward and Bella to scan the area around me.

“Look on the other side of Edward and Bella.” I looked back in the direction of Edward and Bella and saw Tina waving her hand at me several feet away from them.

“Oh good. Now how do we separate them?”

“How about we use their friends?” Tina suggested. From across the room, I saw her point in the direction of Rosalie Hale, Alice Brandon and their dates, who were friends of Edward’s.

“That might actually work, if they would help us.”

I heard Tina sigh on the other end. “Mike, we don’t actually need their help. All we have to do is…” I listened closely as she told me her plan. I had to admit, it was a good idea, although I would never tell her that.

…

“Hey man, you see that girl over there?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty, how could I not?”

I smiled and tried not to let the man’s comment bother me. After all, he was going to help me get Bella back, but he didn’t know it. “Her friends, Rose and Alice are looking for her. Could you tell her that for me?”

“Why don’t you tell her yourself?”

“I would, but I have to leave now, my mom just called me and told me that my dad had a heart attack…” I trailed off, seeing the man’s expression soften.

“I’ll tell her. Go make sure your dad is okay.” The man slapped my back and then headed off toward Bella.

I watched as the man interrupted Edward and Bella dancing. The expression on Edward’s face showed that he was slightly annoyed at the man’s intrusion. That made me smile. Bella said something to Edward and then walked off the dance floor to find Rose and Alice who were God knows where.

I started to follow Bella. As I passed the dance floor, I saw a man walk up to Edward. That meant that Tina had succeeded in getting someone to give Edward his message.

I stayed a safe distance from Bella, but I was never so far away that I would lose her in the crowd. When she reached her friends, I stood off to the side and waited for her to be finished.

It didn’t take long for Bella to stumble away from her friends with a confused expression on her face. Her friends went in different directions wearing the same confused look. That could work to my advantage.

“Bella,” I said gently as she walked past me. I reached out and caught her by the arm. She turned to look at me and smiled.

“I’m sorry about that, Edward. I don’t know why that guy said Alice and Rose wanted to talk to me; they had no idea what I was talking about.” She smiled and I saw no sign of suspicion on her beautiful face.

“Hm, that’s odd,” I replied, casually putting my arm around her waist. It felt so right to have Bella so close to me.

“I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding or something,” Bella said, placing her arm around my waist.

I smiled at her and then turned to see if I could find Tina. I spotted her on the dance floor, dancing with Edward. Now was the time to get Bella out of the building.

“Hey Bella, do you want to go get something to eat?” I asked. “After dancing so much, you have to be getting hungry.”

“Actually I am,” she answered. “But there’s food here we can eat.”

“Of course there is,” I laughed lightly. “But I’d rather go somewhere where we can eat just the two of us.”

“Oh,” she said softly. She turned her head away slightly as she contemplated the option. She nodded her head almost imperceptibly and turned back to me. “Okay, let’s go.”

As we walked out of the building, a victorious smile spread across my face. My plan had worked.

The night was cool. The gentle breeze dried most of the sweat dewed on my forehead. The city was buzzing with life. Everywhere around us people were walking, talking on their cell phones, holding hands, eating an ice cream.

Bella pulled off her mask and tilted her head toward the sky. I watched as the moonlight washed over her pale skin, giving it an incandescent glow. It took everything in me to keep myself from reaching out and touching her.

“Aren’t you going to take your mask off?” she asked, reaching up to pull off my mask. I quickly stepped back out of her reach.

“No, it’s okay. I’d lose it if I took it off.”

“I can hold it for you,” she offered, stepping forward again.

“It’s alright. I don’t mind the mask,” I answered as I sidestepped her attempt to get my mask.

“Fine. Let’s just go eat.” She started to walk toward a silver Volvo that was parked across the street. I quickly ran up to her and caught her arm.

“Bella, where are you going?”

“To your car,” she answered, turning her head to look at me with a confused expression.

“We’re walking. There are a lot of restaurants within walking distance, and it’s a beautiful night.”

“Fine,” she agreed and surprised me by kicking off her shoes. “But you’re carrying these. It’s a pain to walk in heels.” Bella shoved her shoes at me and started to walk down the street.

Her shoes dangled from my fingers on my right hand and I held Bella’s hand in my left. She was quiet as we walked. I tried attempted to start a conversation, but every time I tried, she would only say one or two words.

Things weren’t going totally according to plan, but I was okay with it. I had Bella to myself; she would most likely relax more after we eat.

Tina’s POV

“Bella, are you getting tired?” Edward asked me as we danced.

“No,” I answered, pulling my eyebrows together. “What makes you think that?”

“You’re not keeping up with me as well as you were earlier in the night.” I silently cursed myself for being a horrible dancer and then decided to just go with it.

“Well, now that you mention it, I guess I am starting to get a little tired. I guess I can only take so much dancing in one night.” I forced myself to laugh lightly. It sounded a bit off, but I didn’t think Edward noticed.

“We can sit down, if you’d like.”

I nodded my head and Edward led me away from the dance floor and to a cluster of tables off to the side. We sat down and Edward nudged the bowl of nuts that was sitting in the center of the table toward me.

“If you eat, you might regain some of your energy,” He suggested. His eyes shifted away from me and focused on something over my shoulder. I was tempted to peek over my shoulder, but I couldn’t; it might make Edward suspicious.

A cell phone rang, breaking through the sound of the song pulsing from the speakers. It was Edward’s phone that was ringing. He answered his phone and turned away for more privacy.

I took that moment to look over my shoulder. I didn’t see anyone that Edward could have been looking at. There was a small group of men that were talking amongst themselves, but that was it.

Shrugging, I turned back around and tried to look like I couldn’t hear Edward’s conversation.

“Exactly.” Edward laughed at something the person on the other line said. “Thank you.” He snapped his phone shut and turned back to me.

“I’m sorry, Bella. But I’ll be right back. My friend needs my help for a few minutes.” He stood up and walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. “Stay here and I’ll be right back.” Before I could say anything, he was gone.

…

Mike’s POV

The silence between me and Bella stretched for several blocks. I couldn’t stand the silence, it was driving me nuts. I wanted so badly to shake Bella and tell her to talk. I didn’t understand why she was being so silent. I had watched her all night and she was never silent with Cullen. Why was she silent with Edward now?

“Edward, how much farther are we going? My feet are beginning to ache.” Bella looked up at me, her brown eyes pleading with me. Her bottom lip was jutted out slightly in a pout. I had to bite my own lip to keep myself from kissing her.

“Um, we’re almost there. Just a couple more blocks. Do you want to put your shoes on?” I held her shoes out to her. She crinkled her nose and pushed them away.

“No. The heels would only make things worse. Haven’t you noticed that I’m a total klutz in high heels?”

“Yeah, I know, but the pavement has to be rough on your feet….”

“No Edward,” Bella argued. “If you don’t want to carry my shoes, all you had to do was say so. I’ll take them back.”

“Bella, I didn’t say that,” I replied, exasperated.

“You implied it,” She said, grabbing her shoes out of my hand and simultaneously pulling her hand out of mine.

I didn’t say anything in response. We walked in silence. As we walked up to a corner, a man rounded it and crashed into us, causing all of us to fall.

“Hey watch where you’re going!” I yelled at him.

“Oh, man, I’m sorry,” the man apologized. He helped Bella up first. I scrambled to my feet and was ready to go off on the guy when I recognized his face. He was the guy from the dance who offered to help me find Bella.

“Uh, it’s okay, accidents happen,” I said smiling. The man looked at me and then looked at Bella.

“Hey you found her!” He put his arm around my shoulder and turned me away from Bella. “What are you doing wandering away from the party with her?” he said in a lowered voice so Bella couldn’t hear.

“We were going to get something to eat,” I answered automatically.

“Uh huh,” he laughed, “Sure you are.” He winked at me and gave me a thumbs up.

A loud squealing sound distracted me. I shook the man’s arm off my shoulder and turned around to see a red jeep swing around the corner and screech to a stop in front of Bella.

I watched in horror as the door was flung open and someone pulled her inside. The jeep sped off down the street with Bella inside.

“Oh shit!” the man beside me yelled. “Dude, come on, we have to follow them!” Before I could say anything, he pulled me with him as he chased the jeep. Of course, the jeep was too fast for either of us to catch. It turned a sharp corner before we were even halfway down the street.

“Why don’t we call the cops?” I yelled at the guy dragging me after the jeep.

“Man, whatever. That’s bogus,” he answered. “The cops won’t be able to do shit. If we take care of it ourselves, we can beat the shit out of those guys.”

We ran faster than I have ever gone before in my life. My lungs were on fire by the time we reached the street the jeep had turned off on. Pushing myself harder, I plowed in front of the other guy and turned onto the street.

It was a narrow, short, dimly lit street. Halfway down, I could see the jeep parked on the side. I saw no sign of Bella. My legs carried me farther. I had passed a dumpster on my right when I felt something hard hit me in the back of the head, sending me sprawling.

My breath escaped me when I felt a weight press down on my back. It felt as if something was sitting on me.

“Nice work, my man!” a familiar voice rang in my ears. It sounded like the guy who had forced me to chase after the jeep instead of calling the cops.

“Thanks,” an unfamiliar voice replied from above me.

“Awe, we missed the main action,” A high-pitched girl’s voice echoed through the small street. “Why do you guys get to have all the fun?”

“Because we’re stronger,” the familiar man’s voice boomed. A loud smacking sound filled the air. “Ow. What was that for Rosie?”

“Why do you think?” A different woman’s voice asked. Her voice was deeper than the other woman’s.

My head was spinning from the blow and trying to make sense of the situation. Rosie, I thought to myself. Rosie….

“Nice job, you guys.” My heart nearly broke at the sound of that all too familiar voice, and at that moment everything started to fit together. Rosie had to be a nickname for Rosalie, which meant that Rosalie Hale was here. Bella was here and obviously in on everything that was going on.

“I have to give you credit, Jasper, that was a brilliant plan,” Another familiar voice assaulted my ears. It was another voice I didn’t want to hear. Edward was involved, as well.

I attempted to open my eyes and lift my head, but a sharp pain flashed through my head, it felt like my skull was splitting apart. I groaned, and dropped my head back onto the cool pavement.

“Sounds like someone’s in pain,” the man above me chuckled.

“He deserved it,” the high-pitched woman’s voice, who I assumed was Alice, replied.

“Hey, what do we do with the bitch?” Rosalie demanded.

“What did you call me?” Everything came crashing down around me at the sound of that voice. It was Tina’s. Hearing her voice only confirmed that our entire plan failed, miserably.

“Be quiet,” Rosalie spat. There was a shuffling sound and I heard Tina land beside me on the concrete.

I fought through the pain in my head and turned to look at her. She was sitting on her butt, glaring up at Rosalie who glared back.

The pain in my head receded after a few minutes. The others, except for Jasper, stood in a circle, talking amongst themselves.

“Come on, you two, stand up,” Jasper ordered us after several minutes. Tina and I slowly rose to our feet. “Stand against that wall.” I thought about refusing, but Tina grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the wall.

I leaned heavily against the wall and ripped the mask off my face. I shifted my focus to the group talking in a circle. They slowly started to disband, Alice and Rosalie stood off to the side and Emmett walked up to stand near me and Tina to make sure we couldn’t escape.

I paid him no mind. My attention was on Edward and Bella. He seemed to be restraining her, which was odd.

“I’m sorry Edward, I have to do this,” she said to him, struggling against his hold.

“No, Bella, just wait, please?” His eyes burned into hers, but his grip appeared to loosen.

“I’m sorry Edward, I can’t.” Edward dropped her arm and Bella walked up to me.

My face stung where her hand had made contact. She had slapped me. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I hadn’t expected Bella to do that, I didn’t know she had the guts to do that.

“If you ever try to do anything remotely close to this again, Mike Newton, you won’t get off so easy,” she threatened, her face only inches away from mine. Her dark brown eyes reflected anger, and her cheeks were flushed red.

“Bella, I-“ I didn’t know what I was going to say. I wanted to say something to amend things, but nothing would sound right.

“Dude, save your breath,” Emmett laughed. “Your words are falling on deaf ears.”

“What?”

“She’s not listening to you,” he said slowly, enunciating each word as if he were talking to a kindergartner.

“Emmett, since when were you so good with words?” Rosalie asked, moving to wrap her arms around Emmett’s neck.

“You like that?” His voice turned husky as he leaned his forehead against hers. She nodded her head and he closed the distance between their lips.

Disgusted, I turned my head away.

“Rose, Em, come on you two, not right now,” Alice chided them. They broke apart and walked toward the others hand-in-hand.

“Come on guys,” Bella said, “We have a party to return to.”

Without another glance in our direction, the six of them walked away back toward the Premier, leaving me and Tina alone in the cold dark street.

Bella’s POV

“Busted,” Alice and I chimed at the same time, as Rosalie slipped through the front door. It was past noon the day after Rosalie’s surprise masquerade party and she was just no returning home.

“Where in the world have you been, young lady?” Alice questioned, turning on a flashlight and shining it in Rose’s face. “You snuck away from your own party last night without letting anyone know, you didn’t call, nothing. For all we know you could have been kidnapped.”

“Alice, calm down,” Rosalie said. “And turn that damn thing off!”

Alice snapped off the flashlight and tossed it on the couch. She crossed her arms across her chest and waited for Rosalie to explain herself.

Rose was wearing her dress from the night before, her makeup was smudged, and her hair was tangled. I had never seen Rose so disheveled. She didn’t look angry or upset. On the contrary, her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed with color.

Alice must have noticed Rose’s appearance also because she let out a squeal. “Rose, you’re doing the walk of shame!”

“Well I wouldn’t say shame,” Rose answered with a smirk. “Walk of accomplishment might better suit it.”

Alice and I both screamed and ran up and dragged Rose to the couch. “Spill!” Alice demanded.

“Some things,” she said slowly, “Are just too good to share.” She started to stand, but Alice and I pushed her back down.

“Nice try, Rose,” I told her, “But you know that won’t work with us.”

“I know,” Rose laughed. “But you can’t blame a girl for trying.”

“Can too,” Alice scoffed. “Now tell!”

“It was…amazing. Magnificent. Hot. Sexy. Perfect. Spectacular. Wonderful. Unbelievable. Incredible. Stunning. Marvelous. Let me go get the thesaurus so I can look up more synonyms for amazing.” Rose threw her head back on the cushion of the couch and sighed.

“So it was that good, huh?” Alice laughed.

Rosalie nodded her head and sat up and folded her hands in her lap. “I love him,” she whispered.

“What?” I asked, my smile growing.

“I said, I love him. It’s the only way to describe how I feel about him. He’s not just a hot piece of ass, he’s sweet, funny, protective, and quirky, there’s just something about him that I can’t get enough of. And I’m not talking about his body. Although, that is definitely something.”

Alice placed her hand on Rose’s forehead and looked up at me. “Bella call the doctor. Rose has been bitten by the love bug!” Laughing, she pulled Rose into a big hug. “I’m so happy for you Rose.”

“Me too,” I said, joining the hug.

“So,” Alice said slowly, “Where did you go exactly last night?”

Rosalie laughed and shook her head. “Do you need all the details?”

“Well duh.”

“He took me to Crowne Plaza. It was only a few blocks away. It was a very nice hotel. He got us a suite. It was beautiful.”

“Sounds lovely,” Alice agreed.

Rosalie hugged each of us and then stood up. “I’m going to go clean up. When I get done do you guys want to go out for lunch? I’m starving.”

“Sounds good to me,” I agreed.

“Perfect,” Alice sang. Rose turned and walked down the hall. “Now it’s your turn Bella,” Alice said when Rose disappeared.

“My turn for what?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” Alice answered with a knowing glint in her eye.

Oh boy, I thought, here we go….

Chapter: 24

Wedding Confessions

“We’re going to Hawaii!” Emmett’s voice echoed through halls as he barged his way into our apartment. Edward and Jasper followed behind him, shaking their heads. “Rosie babe, look at this!”

Emmett held out a cream-colored envelope for Rose to look at. His face was glowing and his eyes were shining with excitement. A goofy grin stretched across his face, releasing his dimples. He looked like a little kid in a candy store.

“I know, Em,” Rosalie laughed and kissed him. “We got the same invitation as you did.”

“Well not exactly. I don’t think your invitation was addressed ‘To Edward, Emmett, and Jasper’.”

“Well, you’re right about that.”

It was June and we had just received invitations to Ben and Angela’s wedding in Oahu.

“Hello ladies,” Edward said, nodding his head toward me and Alice.

“Hi Edward,” I greeted him as he wrapped his arms around me.

“Are you excited about going to Hawaii?”

“Of course I am. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but I’ve always wanted to go.”

“Oh Bella, you’ll love it!” Alice gushed. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. The flowers are beautiful and smell amazing, the beaches are wonderful also.”

“Sounds beautiful,” I agreed. “But I’m not wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra. And I am definitely not hula dancing.”

“Awe, come on Bella!” Alice whined, walking up to me and putting her hands on my shoulders. She tried to give me her puppy dog look, but I refused to look at it.

“No, Alice. I have to draw the line somewhere, and that is definitely a good place to draw the line.”

“But Bella, you’re going to be in an exotic place, don’t you want to try something new and erotic?”

“Mmm,” Emmett licked his lips and grabbed Rosalie’s waist, pulling her closer. “That sounds like a good idea…Rose?”

“Oh please, you two don’t need Hawaii,” Jasper said, rolling his eyes. “As a matter of fact, if Ben and Angela don’t want their guests to be permanently scarred, we might need to keep you two on separate leashes.”

“Kiss my ass, Jazz,” Emmett shot back.

“I’ll pass, thank.”

“Alright you two, that’s enough,” Alice interjected. “There’s not time for joking around. We leave in one week exactly, we have to go shopping.”

A chorus of groans echoed through the room. “Come on Alice, is that really necessary?” I asked.

“Bella, we’re going to Hawaii. We live in Washington, the temperature difference is big, therefore we need clothes to compensate for that difference.”

It was no use arguing with Alice, she had it in her head that we were all going shopping, it didn’t matter that she was outnumbered, we’d still lose. I was just grateful I didn’t have to shop alone with Alice, who knows what crazy things she would have bought for me.

...

The sun was setting over the ocean, a brilliant, orange ball of fire sinking below the surface of the water, causing it to shimmer as if it were lit by millions of floating candles. The wind tangled in my hair and my nose flared with the smell of salt water.

I rested my arms on the rail and took it all in. Standing at the bow of Angela’s boat with nothing in front of me but wide open water and a vast expanse of sky, I understood what if felt like to feel completely free.

For once there were no obstacles for me to climb over, no worries for me to fret about, I could just sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.

“There you are Bella.” My heart skipped a beat at the sound of that voice. I could feel my lips pull up into a smile. I didn’t have to turn around to know that Edward had joined me.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” I said softly, not taking my eyes away from the setting sun. “I didn’t know a sunset could create such a spectacular scene.”

Edward’s arms wound around me and his hands covered mine on the rail. “The sun is God’s finest masterpiece. Everyday it creates a new picture, each one marvelous and breathtaking. The sun is the same everyday, yet completely different.”

“The sun is unique,” I agreed. “It’s a star, but it’s the biggest and brightest of all of the stars. It’s not like every other star in the galaxy.”

“There’s something that reminds me a lot of the sun,” Edward said thoughtfully, resting his head on my shoulder.

“Oh really? And what’s that?”

“You.”

I pulled away enough to look at his face. “I remind you of the sun? How so?”

Edward’s green eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he looked at me. He didn’t answer my question right away. He simply stared at me, his crooked smile in place. His eyes seemed to be searching for something, I couldn’t fathom what.

“Bella,” he finally spoke, drawing out my name. “You are like the sun because you are unique and unlike any other woman I’ve met. You’re unpredictable, yet always the same, sweet Bella. When you smile, you light up a room. The day I met you, you brought light into my life, brilliant, magnificent, wonderful rays of light. Most of all, you’re beautiful, inside and out.”

Edward’s words caused my heart to race and tears to form in my eyes. “Edward-“ I whispered his name. I couldn’t say anything else. There were too many things I wanted to say. The words tangled together and clogged my throat, preventing me from being able to speak.

Placing my hand on his cheek, I leaned in and lightly pressed my lips to his. His lips were warm and slightly salty from the thick, salty air around us. Slowly, he pulled me closer and kissed me back.

My nose filled with the mixed scent of Edward and salt water. I pulled away and rested my head against his chest. Neither of us had to say anything, we were both content with holding onto each other.

I didn’t know how long we stayed like that. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. I tended to lose my sense of time when I was near Edward.

“Bella look,” Edward said suddenly, turning me around and pointing over the rail. A dolphin sprang out of the water and dove back in, followed by three others. Water sprayed up from their jumps.

“Woah.” Edward and I both leaned against the rail to watch the dolphins jump alongside the ship. The dolphins were fast and easily kept pace.

“Look at the baby dolphin,” Edward pointed to a small dolphin that jumped up between two of the bigger ones. His jumps were smaller, and he clearly struggled to keep up. He jumped in a zigzag pattern.

“It looks like he’s having fun,” I laughed. The dolphins sped up and swam away. “Awe they’re leaving.”

“Even dolphins can’t play all day.”

“That’s true.” I leaned my arms back on the rail and looked out over the ocean. A dark shadow appeared in the distance and grew as we got closer. “Edward, look. I think that’s the island!”

Edward looked up and smiled. “Land ho!” he yelled.

Footsteps pounded on the deck as the others came running.

“Aloha Hawaii!” Emmett bellowed. “How much longer do you think until we land?”

“Not too long,” Jasper answered. “Just, for the love of God, do not ask us ‘are we there yet.”

Emmett nodded his head and smiled. We talked amongst ourselves excitedly until a few minutes later until Emmett asked, “Are we there yet?”

“As a matter of fact, Emmett,” Alice said, as the ship pulled into the harbor, “We are here.”

“Yes!” he pumped his fist then scooped Rose into his arms, “Come on Rosie, Hawaii awaits!”

“See you guys on the island!” Rosalie called out to us.

“Remind me again why we put up with Emmett?” Jasper asked.

“Because he’s a great friend, despite the fact that he’ll never grow up,” Edward laughed.

“Well shall we go find Emmett and get our luggage?” I asked, motioning to the other guests getting off of the ship.

As we stepped onto the island away from the harbor we were greeted by a small crowd of natives. There were several men wearing only swim trunks. Most of the men had long, dark hair that looked in desperate need of a hairbrush from being whipped around by the sharp sea breeze.

There were many hula girls wearing grass skirts and coconut bras. Their necks, heads, wrists, and ankles were circled with colorful leis. All of them had hair that was about knee-length. All of the natives had darkly tanned skin, the perfect contrast to our pale skin.

Three girls walked up to Edward, Emmett, and Jasper and placed a leis around their neck. “Aloha. Welcome to Hawaii,” they said at the same time.

“Thanks,” Edward said awkwardly, stepping away from the woman who had given him the flower necklace.

“Hey guys, I’m so glad you made it!” The six of us looked up to see Angela making her way toward us with a bright smile stretched across her face. It had been several weeks since any of us had seen Angela. She had come to Hawaii in the middle of May to plan for her wedding.

“Angela!” Alice, Rose, and I all ran to give our friend a hug.

“Wow, Angela, you’ve gotten a lot tanner,” Alice noticed. “I wish I could tan as fast as you.”

“Yeah well, when you stay on an island where there’s nothing but sun, you tend to cook pretty fast.” Angela smiled and moved past us toward Edward, Emmett and Jasper. “Hey boys,” she greeted them.

“Hello Angela,” Edward kissed her on the cheek.

“Good to see you again, Angela,” Jasper hugged her.

“Yo, what’s up Ang!” Emmett boomed holding his hand up for a high five. Angela laughed and smacked his hand, which Emmett grabbed and pulled her into a signature Emmett bear hug.

“Nice to see you again too, Emmett.” Angela put her hands on her back and stretched it. “Come on, I’ll take you guys to the car rental place. I’m parked just up this hill.”

Angela had a light blue two passenger pick-up truck. “Two of you girls can probably squeeze up in the cab with me; I highly doubt all three of you will fit. The rest of you will have to ride in the bed of the truck.”

“Alice is little, she can sit on either mine or Bella’s lap in the front seat,” Rose said, trying to save one of us the fate of having to ride in the bed.

“Actually, Rose, I don’t mind riding in the bed of the truck,” I said.

“Bella, you’re not serious!” Alice nearly choked. “The wind will mess up your hair and bugs will fly in your face!”

“It’s okay Alice; it’s not going to kill me.”

“All right, Bella’s got some balls!” Emmett exclaimed, slapping me on the back, causing me to stumble forward slightly.

“Uh…thanks?” I asked, as I regained my balance.

Angela, Rose, and Alice hopped into the cab of the truck while the rest of us climbed into the back. Edward climbed into the bed first and offered his hand to me to help me into the back.

Edward sat down and pulled me down to sit in between his legs. “I don’t want you to fall out,” he explained with a sheepish grin.

“Thanks,” I kissed him lightly before pulling way to put my hair up in a ponytail to keep it from blowing around everywhere in the wind.

“Are you guys ready?” Angela called to us from the driver’s side.

“Let’s go speed racer!” Emmett hollered. The truck started to roll forward and Emmett whooped, throwing his hands in the air as if he were on a rollercoaster.

The ride was bumpy. I felt like I was sitting on a moon bounce and a bunch of little kids were jumping around me. By the time we had reached our destination I could barely feel my butt. I knew I was going to have a big purple bruise there for at least a week.

“That was awesome!” Emmett hooted as he jumped out of the bed of the truck.

“How was the ride Bella?” Alice asked, seeing me cringe slightly as I climbed out of the truck.

“It was a little rough,” I answered honestly.

“Silly Bella,” Rosalie laughed, “I could have told you that.”

“Well we won’t have to worry about that anymore, we have a car to rent.”

An hour later, we pulled into the Cheney’s driveway. Angela and Ben had graciously allowed us to stay with them. Angela’s grandparents were the only other guests staying at the Cheney’s, the rest were staying in hotels.

“Mom, Dad, I’m back!” Angela called out when we walked into the house.

A tall, slender, middle-aged woman rushed into the room, looking flustered. She had short brown hair that framed her face. She had dark-rimmed glasses perched on the edge of her nose which she peered over with her light brown eyes.

“Angela! There you are! You were supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago,” the woman fussed. “You have to try your dress on again for final adjustments.”

“Mom, I’m sorry things took a little bit longer than I expected at the rental place. I want you to meet my friends.”

“Friends?” the woman snapped, “What friends?”

“The friends that are going to be staying here for the wedding, remember?”

“Oh, yes, I remember.” The woman’s expression softened and she pushed her glasses further up her nose. “I’m sorry dear, you know my memory isn’t as good as it used to be.”

“Yes I know mom,” Angela said, hugging her mom.

“Alright, now let’s see your friends.” Angela turned her mother to face us. “Oh, my, what an attractive group of people,” her mom said, smiling. “Welcome to my home. I apologize in advance if I seem like I’m crazy. Typically I’m not, but I might seem that way trying to make prepare for Angie’s wedding tomorrow.”

“That’s quite alright ma’am,” Edward said stepping forward and offering her his hand. “My name is Edward Cullen.”

“Nice to meet you, Edward, I’m Nancy.”

Edward introduced the rest of us to Mrs. Weber.

“Well, we only have two spare bedrooms, but we have plenty of bedding for all of you.” Nancy beckoned for us to follow her down the hall. She walked into a room and flicked on the light.

The room was big and had two large beds. The walls were painted a dark blue and the curtains were silver. “There are two large beds in each of the spare rooms as well as a couch. The couches have pull out beds. The girls can stay in here and the guys will stay in the room across the hall.”

Before we could say anything, she was out the door and entering the spare room across the hall.

“Make yourselves at home. When you’re settled in you’ll have to come meet the Cheney’s. They’re nice people. The twins and Ben will be home in about an hour, I’m sure Isaac and Joshua would love to meet you all.”

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Weber,” I said gratefully.

“Please, call me Nancy,” she corrected.

“Thank you Nancy.”

“Much better,” she smiled. “Dinner will be at five. We’ll see you kids around. Come on Angie, we have work to do.” She grabbed her daughter’s wrist and dragged her down the hall. Angela merely shook her head, having no choice but to go with her mom.

The Cheney’s were interesting. Mr. Cheney was extremely stubborn, but he was really funny. Mrs. Cheney was quiet, but anybody who saw her interact with her husband knew that she kept him in line.

Occasionally, Mrs. Cheney’s English would slip into Filipino. The transition occurred when she started to talk too fast or when she was scolding her husband.

The twins, Angela’s brothers, were also entertaining. They were full of energy and loved sports. They took to Emmett immediately. They often finished each other’s sentences. They seemed a bit mischievous. I frequently saw them with their heads together, whispering.

The house had a very strong family atmosphere. The two families, despite a rough start, had a great relationship. Even before the two families were legally tied to each other through Angela and Ben, they were one big family.

One big, happy, loving family.

…

Up on a mountside surrounded by thousands of beautiful wildflowers with the sun shining and a beautiful view of the ocean, I couldn’t imagine a better setting for a wedding.

“Bella can you believe this? Isn’t this the most gorgeous wedding you’ve ever seen?” Alice gushed. “I can’t wait until I finish schooling and I’m a wedding planner. I’ll be able to plan weddings as beautiful as this. I’ll be able to plan yours.”

“Mine?” I glanced nervously over at Edward, hoping he hadn’t heard that. He seemed oblivious.

“Well, yeah. I mean you’re going to get married someday. You’re too pretty to grow up to be an old maid.”

“Oh, right.” There was a strange glint in Alice’s eye, but I ignored it.

The sound of the organ echoed through the air, signaling the beginning of the ceremony.

Angela was stunning in her white dress. It was simple, and breathtaking. Her dress was strapless, the front came just below the knees and the back flowed down to gather on the ground.

There were no beads, no embroidery, or anything on the dress. It was just a simple white cut, and that made it all the more beautiful.

Angela’s hair hung loose and the wind swept it off her shoulders, making it flow behind her.

“Oh my God, she’s not wearing shoes,” Alice whispered fiercely in my ear. “How can you get married without wearing shoes?”

“It’s a simple wedding, Alice,” I reminded her. “Simple, yet beautiful.”

The wedding went by quickly. Before I knew it, Ben and Angela were sharing their first kiss as Man and Wife.

…

The wedding reception was a traditional Hawaiian luau with a wedding twist. Ben’s reasoning was “We got engaged at a luau, so why not celebrate our marriage with one as well?” Which made sense.

“Ben, Angela, congratulations!” I hugged them each in turn when I was able to push my way through the crowd of people wishing to give them their felicitations.

“Thanks Bella,” Angela hugged me back. “I’m really glad I met you. You’re a great friend.”

“I feel the same way.”

An arm wrapped around my waist and I looked up to see Edward beside me. “Congratulations you two,” he said to Ben and Angela.

“Thanks man,” Ben shook Edward’s hand.

“Bella, would you like to dance?” Edward asked me.

“I’d love to.”

Edward led me away from Ben and Ang toward the fire where other couples were dancing to the songs of the ukulele and drums. Edward placed my arms around his neck and he put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him and placing his forehead and mine.

It wasn’t the way we typically danced, and I was perfectly fine with it. We swayed slowly from side to side and moved in slow, lazy circles. We were far off of the beat, but it didn’t bother either of us.

“Did I tell you that you look amazing tonight?” Edward whispered, his sweet breath blowing across my face, making my skin tingle.

“Hm, I don’t recall you saying so,” I answered.

“Well you look beautiful, but you always look beautiful.” He turned his head slightly so that his lips pressed lightly against my forehead. Slowly, he trailed his lips along my skin down to my temple where he pressed his lips more firmly, kissing my temple.

The hair on my arms stood up and my heart sped up, thundering in my chest. I was sure Edward could feel it, with his chest pressed up against mine.

Edward reached up with one of his hands to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I could get lost in your eyes,” he murmured, placing his hand lightly on the side of my face.

“Isn’t that supposed to be a cheesy pick-up line?” I asked, tilting my head slightly, pressing into his hand.

He laughed and shook his head. “Bella, Bella, Bella, you never cease to surprise me. You’re eyes are beautiful, they tell me what you’re thinking.”

“You can read my thoughts out of my eyes?” I asked, amused.

“Something like that. I can see your emotions in your eyes and I can guess your thoughts.”

“That’s some talent.”

One corner of Edward’s mouth twisted up, showing his crooked smile. Slowly, he leaned back in and captured my lips.

We had stopped dancing several songs before. We stood amongst the other dancers with the heat of the fire washing over us, completely absorbed in each other. Everything around me melted away. The only thing that existed was Edward.

“Bella!” Alice yelled, sending me crashing down from my cloud.

I pulled away from Edward and placed my forehead back on his. “Ugh, can I just ignore her, please?”

“You could,” Edward chuckled, “But you know she’ll track you down and drag you away. So you might as well go see what she wants.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, “You’re right. I’ll be back.” I pecked him lightly on the lips and then walked over to Alice.

“What is it Alice?” I asked.

“Angela is about to through the bouquet. I couldn’t let you miss this.”

“What difference would it make?” I laughed. “I could never catch the bouquet without breaking my neck, and even then I probably wouldn’t get it.”

“Oh don’t be so negative, Bella,” Rosalie chided me. “It’s fun to stand among all the other bachelorettes competing for the next trip down the aisle.”

“Fun by whose definition?” I wondered. “Wait, we’re not single, why are we doing this?”

“We’re not single, true, but we’re not married either,” Rose said. “So we can fight for the bouquet too.”

“Oh come on Bella, just try, please?” Alice pleaded.

“Okay, fine, but if I break my neck, it’s all your fault.”

Angela turned her back to all of us girls standing together waiting for her to throw her flowers. I watched as Angela tossed them over her head and they somersaulted through the air and landed in Alice’s hands.

“I caught the bouquet!” She enthused.

Ironically, Jasper ended up catching the garter as well.

“I told you guys he was the one,” Alice told me and Rose when the garter landed in Jasper’s lap. He hadn’t even trying to catch the garter. It caught him. “This proves it.”

“Yeah Alice, we believe you now,” Rose said.

Later that night after many of the guests had already found a place in the Cheney’s house to sleep (apparently the guests at luau stay at the host’s house and help clean up in the morning. Angela had told me that was the traditional way a traditional luau was) I sat in the soft grass watching Edward play with the twins.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him interact with Angela’s younger brothers. The three of them were playing football, two against one. Emmett and Jasper had both crashed an hour ago; they had had too much to eat.

“Bella, why don’t you just admit it to yourself,” Alice said, standing in front of me with Rosalie and Angela behind her. I tried to see look around them so I could continue to watch Edward, but they weren’t going to let me do that.

“What are you guys talking about?” I asked, confused.

“Oh please, Bella. It’s so obvious, are you really that oblivious to your own feelings?”

“My feelings?” I looked at each one of them, trying to figure out what they were trying to do.

“Yeah Bella,” Angela spoke up, “I haven’t known you near as long as Alice and Rose and I can see.”

“See what? What are you guys talking about? Isn’t it a bit late in the night for mind games?”

“Bella we’re not playing mind games,” Rosalie said, tapping her fingers on her folded arms.

“How do you feel about Edward?” Alice asked, getting to the point. “Don’t lie and don’t hold back. We’ll know if you do.”

“Oh, those feelings.” It was something I thought about frequently. For hours I would analyze the things Edward made me feel and how happy I was when I was around him. It all led to only one logical conclusion, a conclusion I had been avoiding until I was one-hundred percent sure. Sitting in the grass, watching Edward, I realized that I was.

“Come on Bella, you’re killing us here. Tell us!” Alice never was the most patient person in the world.

“My feelings for Edward are actually quite simple to explain.” I took a deep breath and an involuntary smile spread across my face. “I love him,” I confessed.

“Say that one more time, please?” Rosalie asked with an encouraging smile.

“I love him,” I repeated. “I’m in love with Edward Masen.”

“That’s a shame, Miss,” a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned around to see Edward smiling at me. “It’s a shame because he’s in love with a girl name Isabella Swan.”

He closed the distance between us, and cradled my face gently between his hands. “I love you, Bella,” he whispered, his green eyes burning into mine, “More than I ever thought possible. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you’re my Bella.”

“I’ve never been so happy with anyone in my life,” I murmured, “You’re the only guy to have carved his way into my heart.”

“I’ll take care of it, I promise.” His lips found mine and I could feel the electricity flow between us. I had never felt so much passion, so much love in one kiss. It was enough to make me go weak in the knees. Thankfully, Edward was supporting me.

When we pulled away, I spun around to find Alice, Rosalie, and Angela grinning from ear to ear.

“Did you guys know Edward was standing behind me?” I asked.

“No, not at all!” Alice bursted.

“Absolutely not!” Rosalie laughed.

“I didn’t have a clue,” Angela claimed.

They all tried to look innocent, but it was still written all over their faces. They were all well aware that Edward had been standing behind me.

“You guys are unbelievable,” I laughed. “I can’t believe you did that to me!”

“It worked, though, didn’t it?” Alice defended herself. “If we hadn’t helped you who knows how long it would have been before you confessed?”

“I’ll let you guys slide this one time. But I will never trust you guys to watch my back, ever.”

“Bella, look out!” Rosalie yelled, pointing over my shoulder.

“Very funny Ro-“ the breath was knocked out of me as I was tackled to the ground. Edward’s mouth found mine before I could say anything. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back.

“Geez you two, get a room,” Rose laughed. “And you say Emmett and I are bad Alice.”

“So I definitely don’t have a chance with Edward?” I joked when we pulled away.

Edward looked up at me, some of his hair had fallen in front of his eyes and he was smiling his crooked smile. “No, definitely not. He’s keeping Bella; he won’t give her away for anything, either. So you’re out of luck.”

“Well that’s too bad. But that Bella’s a very lucky woman,” I leaned up and placed several butterfly-light kisses on Edward’s lips.

“And Edward’s a very lucky man,” Edward murmured against my lips before deepening the kiss.

My head was spinning so fast, I no longer felt like I was on the ground. But I didn’t care. I loved Edward, and he was mine. At that moment the first thing that popped into my head was, good-bye lonely Saturdays.

Chapter: 25

Epilogue

A year had passed since Ben and Angela’s wedding, and a lot of things had changed. Alice and Jasper were engaged. Jasper had proposed to Alice in December, at the same spot where he had asked her to be his girlfriend. Alice now called that spot “The place of new beginnings.”

Emmett and Rosalie were inseparable. They could never keep their hands off each other; whether they’re holding hands or glued together at their lips, they’re always touching.

Ben and Angela were dominating the seas. The merge of the two shipping companies was a huge success, and Ben and Angela were benefiting from it. They didn’t care about the money, though. They still loved to sail –together or apart- all over the ocean.

Recently, however, they had decided to take a break from the sea when they learned that Angela was carrying their first child. Amelia Elizabeth Cheney was expected to arrive on September 6th.

And then there was Edward.

Spending the past year with Edward was a blessing. When I was around him, everything else in the world seemed to dim and fade away. He had a way of making everything better. When I was sad, he would cheer me up; when I was worried, he would convince me that everything was fine.

Edward had quit his job at El Torito after Rosalie’s masquerade party. He took a job as a part-time piano teacher. He worked mostly with young kids learning to play the piano for the first time.

“Julia says she wants to meet you,” Edward told me as we were driving to dinner one night. Julia was Edward’s favorite student; she was a seven year old girl and a according to Edward, she was a natural piano player.

“Does she? Do you frequently talk about me with your students?”

“Only Julia.” Edward flashed a smile at me. “I think you’d really like her if you met her. She’s extremely thoughtful and incredibly smart. She reminds me a lot of you.”

“I can’t wait to meet her.” I looked out the window, noticing that we had driven past the Forks city limits. “Edward, where exactly are you taking us to eat?”

“You’ll see.”

Almost an hour later, Edward pulled into the parking lot of El Torito. “We’re eating here?” I asked, looking over at Edward. “I thought you said you’d be happy if you never had to step foot in this place again?”

“I meant what I said, but I decided that there was something worth coming here for.” Edward’s gaze shifted to the restaurant and the corner of his mouth pulled up into a crooked smile. When he turned back to look at me, amusement was clear in his eyes.

“What’s worth coming here for?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” he promised. “Let’s go in.”

The inside of the restaurant looked exactly the same as it had nearly a year and a half before.

“Hi welcome to El Torito,” the hostess greeted us. Her eyes widened a little as she looked at Edward. “Edward,” she smiled, her expression changing from surprise to recognition. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You’re still working here, Emily?” Edward asked, smiling.

“Yeah, I need the money for tuition. Who’s this?” She motioned toward me.

“This is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is Emily, one of the few sane people I worked with here.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emily,” I offered my hand to her.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Emily replied, shaking my hand. “Follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”

Emily led us to a table in the back corner of the restaurant. Edward held out my chair for me and I sat. Before Emily left, Edward asked her a question that was too quiet for me to here. She nodded her head and Edward tried to be sly as he handed her a twenty dollar bill.

“What was that about?” I asked when Edward sat down across from me.

“You saw that?”

“Yeah, I did. You’re not as sneaky as you think, Edward.”

“Well darn, there go my dreams of being a spy,” Edward said with a laugh. “ You’ll understand in about a minute.”

“Hi, my name is Mike and I’ll be…..” Our waiter announced his presence, but trailed off when he recognized. I looked up to see Mike Newton standing with a pad and paper in his hands and an apron tied around him. He looked between me and Edward with an expression of mixed anger and humiliation.

“Mike?” I tried to hold back my laughter, but I wasn’t succeeding. “Since when do you work here?”

Mike looked down at the floor, his cheeks flushing slightly red. “Since Tina wanted me to work here with her,” he whispered, probably hoping we couldn’t hear him.

“Tina wanted you to work with her? Why?” I didn’t understand why Tina would want Mike to work with her after their plan had failed at the masquerade.

“Well…” Mike trailed off, and bent down to pick up an imaginary piece of food off of the carpet.

“He couldn’t say no to his girlfriend,” Edward finished for Mike, fighting a smile.

“Mike and Tina are dating?” I could feel the surprise on my face. Mike and Tina didn’t seem at all compatible. But then again, they both thought it would be a good idea to try to tear Edward and I apart for their own personal gain. So maybe they were perfect for each other.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mike said, straightening up. “What do you guys want to eat?”

“Chicken fettuccine,” Edward and I said together. Mike scowled at our food choice and scribbled it down on the paper. He turned on his heel and walked away without another word.

“So do you think he remembers?” I asked Edward.

Edward took my hand and held it on the table. “I’m pretty sure he remembers. Not many people order an Italian dish at a Mexican restaurant.”

Mike didn’t appear again until he brought our food. He brought our drinks with our food.

“Edward I need your opinion on this fettuccine,” I said before Mike left. I twirled my fork in my pasta and offered it to Edward.

Mike snarled and stormed away.

Edward closed his mouth around my fork, his eyes burning into mine. Slowly, he dragged his lips away from the fork, taking the fettuccine noodles with him.

“Is it good?” I asked him, laughing.

“It’s delicious.”

“Was this the reason you brought me here, to see Mike here?” I asked.

“I thought you’d like to know that Mike’s moved on.”

We didn’t see Mike for the rest of the night. According to Emily, he stormed out of the restaurant after he gave us our food.

Edward drove me home and walked me up to my door. “Thanks for dinner,” I whispered, pulling him close to me.

“It was my pleasure.” Placing his hands on the door on the side of my head, he leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips.

“I love you, Edward,” I mumbled against his perfect lips, taking his face in my hands.

“I love you too, Bella.” Edward leaned back in to kiss me when the door opened, causing us to fall through the doorway.

“Oh my gosh!” Alice exclaimed, “I’m so sorry.”

“I should have seen that coming,” I muttered, placing my forehead on Edward’s.

“Now we’ve come full circle,” he laughed, shutting door with his foot and recapturing my lips.

The End.

Excuse how horrible the epilogue was. There were so many times I thought about just throwing it out.

Thank you all for your support. :D Like I said in my AN in Chp. 23, I have another idea for a story, but I'm going to write it out before I put it up. I had planned on telling you what the story will be about, but I decided not to. I'm sorry. But I will tell you that it will be titled "Dreams" So you can guess as to what it is about.

Thanks again. You guys rock!

Chapter: 26

Hello everyone! I just thought that I would let you all know that if you're ever curious about where I am in writing my next story, Dreams, I have a section on my profile that will tell you how far along I am in writing that story. I will update my profile every couple of weeks to keep you informed. There is a lot that goes into writing. It's reallly hard to just jump in and go. I've started the planning on this story and I should be starting the outline sometime next week.

I will let you all know that I am hoping to start posting this story up sometime in September. That's my goal.

Also, I think I'll try to see if I could get someone to Beta this story. It might be helpful. **Update** I have actually already found a beta for my next story**

It's possible that I might post a few one-shots from time to time, to take a break. We'll see.

So until next time guys.

Peace

~Softballgirl1136

(I'd appreciate if you didn't review on this chapter. If you want to make a comment about what I've said here, PM me. Thanks)

Chapter: 27

Hello again. I wanted to let you guys know that Dateless For Too Long is currently being translated into spanish by Samara Cuenta Cuentos. If any of you guys can read spanish and want to read this story in spanish, here's the link:

http : // www . fanfiction . net / s / 4808051 / 1 / Dateless _For_ Too_ Long

And if you read it, review it and tell Samara what a great job she's doing with the translation. Or PM her and tell her she's doing a great job. Here's here profile link:

http : // www . fanfiction . net / u / 1655458 / Samara_ Cuenta _Cuentos

I hope you guys check it out!

I also wanted to let you guys know that outlining for Dreams is going just a little bit slower than I expected. I'm swamped with homework. But I still hope to have it up in September. I'm really going to strive to start putting it up by then. I also have an idea for a oneshot. It's going to be an all human story (Because those are m y favorite). If anyone is interesting being a Beta for that story, let me know.

I would like to have that up in a couple weeks.

That's about all I have for now guys.

Thanks for all your support!

~Softballgirl1136

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