FK - Chapter One: More Than a One-Night Stand

Chapter 1: More Than A One-Night Stand
 

If this morning was any inclination of how the remainder of the day would proceed, I was going to shoot myself. Not only was my desk being bulked up with legal files that needed to be filed, but now Mr. Aro Volturi, my boss, was bombarding me with a large quantity of tapes next to his PDA he'd dictated for transcription.

"You want all of these done today?" I asked.

My eyes wandered from the heap of tapes laying in the corner of my desk to my boss who stood directly over me.

"Yes, Isabella, I want them done today. Those tapes hold my depositions and the briefs statements for the Mallory case. I realize you'll need to work overtime, but that shouldn't be a problem since you have no one to go home to."

Did I mention that some days I hated my boss because he was a dick? If it hadn't been for the fact that this job paid so well, I would have already walked out. It had become apparent long ago that my dream of singing was unrealistic, so here I sat, working for Satan himself at a small but prestigious Chicago based law firm.

"No, sir, not a problem at all," I said through gritted teeth.

If only he knew how many times I'd thought about lacing his coffee with arsenic, he wouldn't be so snarky.

As soon as his back was safely to me, I flipped him off, causing a laugh to echo from the desk across from me. The owner of that laugh was Jessica Stanley, who happened to be a legal secretary for Mr. Volturi's partner and brother, Mr. Marcus Volturi.

Marcus and Aro were like night and day - Marcus being sweet and caring and Aro just being an asshole 24/7. Jess didn't realize how lucky she had it.

"You know, anytime that you're ready to switch, I'd be more than happy to work for Marcus," I teased.

She leaned forward against her desk, trying to conceal the volume in which she spoke. "Not on your life, Bella. I don't know how you've managed to work for that man three years now and not either kill him or commit suicide yourself. I don't have to deal with him on a regular basis, and just by the way he's talked to you, I've planned his demise on numerous occasions. How can someone enjoy being that unhappy every day?"

I shrugged. "I suppose he's become one with the stick up his ass."

Jess howled in laughter, but quickly covered her mouth to contain it. I turned back to the computer that sat in front of me, pulling up Word and turning on the PDA before popping in the first tape. This was going to be a long damn day.

Lunch came and went while I sat at my desk, typing away and listening to the nasally sound of my boss echo through the speakers of the PDA. I'd grown a tolerance to the sound of his voice, though it took awhile before my stomach learned not to lurch in disgust while I swallowed back the vomit that pooled at the back of my throat. I detested everything about the man, yet I was still employed by him. Like I said, if it hadn't been for the money.

I finally finished transcribing the last tape when six o'clock rolled around. I was supposed to be off at five, and I still had the filing left to do. That wouldn't take more than an hour or so to accomplish, but the point was, I was already supposed to be home drowning my sorrows in some bubbly and sucking down some bon-bons. Wasn't life just grand?

An hour and a half later, obviously dead wrong on the timing, I was free to go home. I was the only one left in the office, so I cleared my desk, placed the documents I'd finished on Mr. Volturi's desk, turned off all the lights and locked up.

My white Toyota Matrix was the only vehicle sitting in the parking lot, so it wasn't hard to find. I pulled out my keys, pressing the button on the black fob to unlock my doors. Damn, I loved having keyless entry.

I'd only had the car for a week, replacing my old red Chevy, and the first day I bought it, I played with the keyless entry remote so much I had to purchase another battery right away. I'd been like a kid in a candy store.

As soon as I was seated inside, I put the key in the ignition and started the car, but before I realized what I was doing, my head fell forward to rest against the steering wheel. My emotions were so wound that the moment I could step outside of being the secretary who hated her boss and went home nightly to no one but herself, I felt the impact of just how fucking unhappy I really was with my life.

I took a few deep breaths, sedating my nerves, and pulled out of the parking lot to make my way home to my lonely apartment.

Ten minutes later, I opened the door to my apartment, really seeing how vacant it was even though I resided there. Here I was at the ripe fuckable age of twenty-six years old, and I had no boyfriend or family of my own, other than my dad who I saw a couple times a year. I had a chia pet that I named Foof. That was about it.

I sauntered toward my bedroom, the clicking of my heels against the wooden floor echoing off the vacant walls, to change into something comfortable. It was a Friday night, and I was home not doing shit in my dismal, drafty apartment when I remembered how Mr. Volturi reminded me of the fact that I was indeed alone. When that thought really settled into my brain, I became despondent.

I told myself I wasn't going to think about what he'd said to me, that I wasn't going to let the asshole bring me down. To hell with feeling lonely and to hell with Volturi's constant words that left me feeling pretty abject. There were bars open, and I wasn't in the mood to be a member of the Lonely Hearts Club tonight.

I stripped off my dress suit and stood in the entrance of my closet, contemplating the right attire for the evening. I settled on a pair of tight hip hugging jeans and a peach half satin-half lace form fitting top that showed a portion of my stomach. I paired the outfit with a pair of low heeled black strappy sandals. I quickly touched up the makeup and the hair, grabbed my purse and left.

Frequenting bars or clubs wasn't something I did often, but I needed to cut loose every now and then, and tonight was definitely one of those times. One of my favorites, when I did venture out, was New Dawn. I was good friends with the club manager, Rosalie Hale, so I was privy to the VIP private bar.

I veered off onto the main entrance, where valet parking was available, and pulled up along the entrance. It was pretty ritzy, but I came here only because of Rosalie.

I climbed out of the car just as Tyler, one of the valet attendants, rounded my car to the driver side.

"Hey, Bella, it's been awhile. How you doing?" he asked.

I smiled widely at him. He'd always crushed on me hard, but I couldn't see passed the fact that he reminded me of a little brother. Having sex with him would be like having sex with my brother, even though I didn't have one, and I wasn't into that incest shit.

"I'm good, Tyler. How are you these days?"

"I'm great. I'll be starting medical school in the fall. Oh well, it'll please the 'rents. Enjoy yourself in there." He climbed into the driver's seat as I stepped onto the sidewalk.

The place was really booming tonight. They had signed Midnight Sun for the evening, and I heard what sounded like screeching coming from the speakers that surrounded the stage, but I learned they actually considered that shit music. I shrugged and pushed through the plethora of bodies.

I immediately sought out Rose, who happened to be conversing with one of the bartenders. When she spotted me, she held her hand up to silence him and approached me. "Hey, girl, it's about time you bring your happy ass down here to see me."

"I ran out of bubbly and bon-bons at the apartment, so I thought I'd come grace you with my presence." I lifted my hand and pointed to the band. "Please, tell me you were not behind that?"

She laughed. "No, I definitely wasn't. What are you bitching about, anyway? You know you get VIP treatment."

"And that is one of the many reasons why I love you so much," I teased.

She grabbed my arm, urging me to follow her. "I'll warn you ahead of time, it's not overly crowded, but we do have a celebrity secluded back there."

My curiosity was piqued. "Who is it?"

She leaned in and whispered as though someone could hear over the band. "Edward Cullen."

The name was familiar. "Didn't he play in Danger Cove?"

She looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "No, he didn't play in Danger Cove, Bella. He wrote several pieces of music for Danger Cove."

I shrugged my shoulders, still oblivious to what she was talking about.

She shook her head. "Seriously, Bella, he was just featured in MQ as America's most promising up and comer. From what I've read, he's in talks to star in a few feature films as well. Pick a magazine, he's in it."

"Rose, you can't possibly expect me to know all that. Hell, I don't even really watch television or read magazines."

So apparently I was behind in the times, but when you had a slave driver for a boss, you didn't have much time for reading, movie watching or anything else.

She rolled her eyes. "That's true, but everyone knows who he is. I know you have to at least know him by face, because you aren't that caged by your boss. I mean, just yesterday I read on the internet about his divorce. He was so heartbroken, I guess."

"I'm sure he wants everyone to know that," I muttered.

She continued speaking as if she hadn't heard me. "Well, he's pretty popular among the female population, but he tends to keep to himself when he's here. He's occasionally sang for us or played the piano, but he's a loner."

We halted at the bar in the VIP lounge, and she motioned for the bartender to come to her. I caught the come-fuck-me stare he gave her before he approached us, leaning over the counter and causing a dark curl to fall from its previously secured place, in order to be within ear shot of what she had to say. "Bella, this is Emmett. He'll take good care of you. I've got to get back to work, so I'll catch you later, okay?"

Her eyes moved from me to him, then she licked her lips seductively. I chuckled under my breath, realizing immediately they were definitely fucking. "Emmett, she has a tab so add whatever she orders to that tab."

Rose left me standing at the bar, so I took a seat on one of the barstools and addressed Emmett. "Hello there, bartender Emmett. What's good tonight?"

His eyes quickly averted from what I assumed was Rosalie's ass to me. He smiled widely, and I noted he had a cute smile that was accentuated by dimples. He was a pretty built guy, so sinewy muscles flexed and rippled as he moved. "Everything is good here. Do you have a preference?"

"Do you have a my-boss-is-a-dick-and-my-life-sucks kind of drink?" I asked, teasing. Well, not really.

He must have thought me amusing because he laughed heartily. "I know just what you need."

Well, that was easy. It reminded me of those commercials with the easy button. Was there one of those hidden under my chair, preferably one I could take home or to the office?

He came back a few moments later, placing a glass full of what appeared to be water in front of me. I looked at the glass, and then my eyes shifted up to his face, a curious expression on mine. "Um... What is this? It's not water, is it?"

He could see the hesitation on my face. "I assure you that it's not water, it's a Cîroc Royal Grape. Trust me, you'll love it. It's made with only the best vodka."

I dipped my tongue in the liquid just to be sure. Hmm… it was definitely not water. I took a long swig, feeling it warm my insides once I swallowed. "This is pretty good. Thanks."

He nodded, leaving me to tend to the other guests. I looked around briefly, assessing my surroundings and the people who were in the room with me. I didn't see the celebrity dude, so I assumed that Rose must have just been fucking with me.

I was on my fourth Cîroc Royal Grape when I felt a warm body press against mine as they sat on the barstool next to me. Of all the seats that were vacant, they had to sit directly next to me. I chanced a glance up to the person who had just invaded my personal space and noticed they were shrouded in a dark jacket with the hood pulled up, sitting stiffly upon the stool.

What the hell? It was fucking early August for Pete's sake. My eyes lowered to take in the rest of his form. He was also wearing a pair of dark jeans and tennis shoes.

Nice legs. Wonder what the face looks like.

I couldn't make out his features because they were cloaked by his jacket, so I lifted up my hand, signaling Bartender Emmett for a refill, to which he happily obliged. The music in the VIP lounge was much more relaxed, and I liked that. Words to a song I recognized filled the room, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the melody and the way the music made me feel.

"You have a nice voice," I heard to the right of me. I hadn't even realized I was singing.

I turned my head to peer at him, seeing the jacket he wore was now sitting on his barstool. Rose wasn't fucking with me after all, because right beside me sat celebrity guy. I was slack jawed for a moment as I stared at him, taking in his appearance. I'd seen pictures of him before, but they did not do this man justice. "Thanks, I didn't realize I was singing."

His lips pulled up into a half grin, the lights above reflecting off his green eyes. "You were singing, but it wasn't dreadful, so I don't mind. You were actually quite good. Had you been terrible, I would have told you because I am seated right next to you."

Cute and cocky, heh? I think my vagina likes you already.

"Thanks for looking out for my well being. I wouldn't want to scare all the patrons away."

He let out a small laugh, running his fingers through the bronze disarray of hair on his head. "Of course you wouldn't. The establishment might have been forced to sue you for punitive damages, considering you would have ruined their reputation and caused innocent customers to go deaf."

I put my hand over my chest, feigning heartbreak. "Way to boost a girl's ego. I think you broke my heart because I'm far too sensitive emotionally. Just for that, I'm having bartender Emmett cut you off. No more... umm…" I looked to see what he was drinking, but couldn't make out the label on his beer bottle. "No more beer for you."

His eyes widened in mock dismay. "That's just plain evil, but I think I'll manage. I normally drink Scotch."

It was my turn to laugh. "Well, it serves you right. And seeing as you just informed me your usual drink of choice, I'll make sure you won't be getting any of that either."

I noticed his body relaxed quite a bit and he had swiveled in his seat to face me. "I suppose it would. I was a bit rude, wasn't I?" I jokingly nodded. "Being serious now, you do have a wonderful voice. Do you sing professionally?"

I made a hmph noise. "No, as a matter of fact, I don't. Not for the lack of trying, though, but it appears I'm not good enough. I moved here four years ago, three years of which I struggled to get a foot in the door of the music industry, but it was a fruitless effort. Now, I'm just a Legal secretary. How about you? Do you sing professionally?"

He took a sip of his beer before he answered. "I suppose you could say that. I completely sympathize with your efforts. I struggled for a long time as well, and I think my father hoped I'd give up and become a doctor like him, but my ex-wi… someone I knew was adamant on me continuing with my music career. Now, it seems people are more interested in me on all aspects of the industry." He almost seemed as if he were disappointed by that fact.

"You don't seem too happy that people are interested in your music or possible acting talents, Edward." His eyes locked with mine, his expression borderline abashed. "I'm sorry, I suppose I should have told you that I did recognize you, but I honestly don't know that much about you, other than you sing, write music and have a potential acting career. I recognized you, yes, but I was forewarned that a celebrity was hiding back here. Even if I hadn't been told you were here, you are here in a big club, so it was bound to happen that someone noticed you."

"So, you don't really know anything about me, right? Gee, I've never heard that one before." His tone was laced in distrust.

I actually found myself getting agitated. How dare he assume that I knew a fucking thing about him? I realized that fame brought on a lot of unwanted attention, if that was what his problem was and why he spoke to me the way he did, but I had no reason to lie to him.

"Look, I don't know what you have to deal with on a day to day basis, but I have no reason to lie to you. I certainly didn't come here for you. I came here to have a few drinks and enjoy myself, which doesn't happen very often. You can choose to believe me, or you can choose not to. Honestly, I don't give a damn what you do." I grabbed my drink and climbed off the bar stool to move to another on the other side of the bar.

When I sat on the barstool at the far end of the bar, I looked up once to notice that he was still sitting there, watching me. Fuck him! I didn't care who he was. He could be the Dali Lama, and I'd still tell him to kiss my ass for treating me that way. Obviously he wasn't comfortable with people harassing him or comfortable with his recent fame, but I wasn't interested in either.

I ordered another drink and by the time Emmett served it to me, I noticed out of my peripherals that Mr. Edward Cullen (aka asshole of the night) was standing next to me.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I never should have assumed anything about you. I was being rude once again, and I apologize for that. It's just that it's very difficult these days for me to go anywhere and not be noticed, and that's not what I wanted, you know? I just wanted to do what I love, not what she… I just shouldn't have treated you the way I did." I ran my fingers through my hair before I lifted my head to acknowledge him. He smiled widely once we made eye contact, and my God did he have a beautiful smile. "Well, you know my name, so I think it's only fair that I learn yours."

"The name is Bella Swan," I told him.

"Well, Bella Swan, what do you say we start over again?" He reached his hand out, taking mine and shaking it. "I'm Edward Cullen, and it's very nice to meet you, Bella."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. Not only was he completely drop dead gorgeous to the point my heart wanted to explode out of my chest, but he was utterly adorable too.

We continued through the night in conversation, talking about everything, mostly music. He even told me about his ex-wife, Tanya, who I learned was responsible for his career. He'd simply wanted to perform, not be thrust into the public eye, and that's all she seemed to care about. She was persistent in getting him known, and when it finally happened, she reaped the benefits he never cared to have, but he accepted it all for her. The moment he decided he wanted to take a sabbatical, that it was becoming too much, she decided they weren't soul-mates.

It was strange how comfortable we felt talking about our personal lives, being that we'd only known each other a couple of hours, but we'd managed to discuss personal aspects of our lives we didn't usually divulge to people we'd known for months.

Even through our amazing conversation, our drinking continued to the point that by last call, we were pretty inebriated. When we spoke to one another, our speech was beyond slurred. "Edwaaard, itsh last call fer us."

Our heads were bobbing back and forth, fighting gravity to keep them up because they were becoming too heavy. Neither of us wanted to move from our seats, mostly because we could barely stand on our own.

I forced myself from my seat, pulling his arm to help him stand as though I would be able to hold him up, even though he was taller and heavier than I. "C'mon, Eddie."

Our speech was so impaired that it nearly appeared as if we had formed our own language and were the only two in the whole damn world that could understand what was being said. "Okay, letsh goes home."

We struggled through the VIP section of the club, holding on to one another and bracing against walls just to make it out without falling flat on our asses and passing out right where we landed. It was quite stuffy in the club, but as soon as we stepped outside, the fresh air, which was cooler than normal, hit us and we were immediately more alert. We had exited a side entrance that led into an alleyway.

Because of the fresh air, I may have felt less inebriated, but I was still too under the influence to drive myself home. Edward and I were leaned against the brick siding that adorned the club. "Edward, we need a cab."

His eyes remained closed as he spoke. "Bella, I can't go out there like this. Anyone could be watching." He slowly lifted his hands to the zipper of his jacket, awkwardly pulling it upward, then pulled the hat attached to his jacket over his head.

"Alright, I'll go to the end of the alley and flag down a cab. Stay right here," I said, still speaking with a slight slur.

I balanced myself along the building to keep from falling until I made it to the end of the alley. Luckily, there was a cab waiting at the curb on the same side of the street I was standing. I waved one of my hands in the air and yelled to get his attention. When he caught sight of me, he backed up and entered the alley. I opened the door and climbed in. "I have a friend down the alley. We need to pick him up."

The cabbie nodded and the car moved forward. We stopped right next to Edward, and I opened the door for him to get in. He pushed himself off the building and unsteadily climbed inside. I leaned down to whisper in his ear, and I noticed him shiver at the proximity of my body to his. "Edward, what hotel are you at? The driver needs to know so we can get you there."

He whispered back, "Black's West Plaza."

He scooted closer to me, and my body instantly reacted. I had had an amazing conversation with this man all night long, and there was no question I was very attracted to him, not only because of how gorgeous he was, but because his personality was unbelievable.

"Black's West Plaza," I repeated to the driver.

We arrived at his hotel within a few minutes time. It was convenient that he was actually staying close by.

"We're here," the cabby said.

I quickly paid the driver and shook Edward by the shoulders, attempting to wake him. "Edward, you're at the hotel. You need to get up now."

He opened his eyes, but he wasn't really focusing well. "Bella, I can't… make it to my room alone."

Shit, this was not how I saw this going.

I really just wanted to go home and go to bed, because I was sober enough to know if I ventured anywhere near a hotel room with this man, I might be inclined to stay, and I didn't do one-night stands. Okay, so I was being presumptuous in thinking one-night stand, but there was always the possibility.

Then again, looking at him, he didn't seem to be capable of anything other than passing out, so I climbed over him, opening the door and getting out. I pulled on his arm, and he filed out of the cab behind me, grabbing on to me to balance himself, practically forcing us both to fall face first on the sidewalk.

"Edward, you need to tell me what floor and room you're on so I can get you there." I went to turn around to ask the driver to wait, but he'd already pulled away from the curb. "Damn it," I growled under my breath. Now I was going to have to find a new cab.

I had to repeatedly ask what room and floor, but his arms tightened around me as he finally said, "Room 828 on the eighth floor."

I managed to get us inside the hotel - not without great struggle and possibly looking idiotic - through the lobby and inside the elevators, tripping a few times in the process. I pressed the number eight button and waited against the wall of the lift until the doors opened. Once the doors opened, I pulled him by the arm to his room, allowing him to lean on me as I did so.

As soon as we were standing outside his room, he braced himself against the door as I said, "Edward, give me the key, so I can get your door open."

He handed me the key card, and as I inserted it to open the door, I felt him lean into me, bringing his lips to my ear so the warmth of his breath assaulted my already flushed skin. "You're beautiful."

Goosebumps prickled over my skin, starting at my neck and ending at my toes. I felt the impact of his body next to mine and what he said right between my legs, but I fought to ignore it. "Edward, you're drunk. You don't even know what you're saying."

"I'm not that drunk, and I know exactly what I'm saying," he breathed.

The way he was talking was making it really difficult to be reasonable about why I shouldn't just see where this leads. But he was inebriated, we both were, and my conscience was reminding me of that, even if my body wanted to give into the carnal need and just fuck him. It had been a long while.

"Let's just get you inside and to bed."

He smirked as I opened the door. I stepped inside, pulling him with me. The room was dimly lit, but I could make it out perfectly. The last thing my eyes grasped was a fireplace set in the corner of the room before I was shoved hard against a wall. Edward's body was immediately pressed roughly against my own, his lips on mine.

At first, I was caught off guard. It wasn't that I hadn't thought about having sex with him all evening, even just feeling his body against mine, because it was a very nice body, but I never actually expected it to happen. I pulled my lips from his, using my hands to press against his chest to push him away, even though I truthfully wanted more. I suppose if I'd been more coherent, I would have realized he wasn't as drunk as I originally thought.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

His eyes darkened, appearing predatory, and his velvet voice slid across my skin, moving through me like molten pleasure. "I thought it was obvious what I was doing."

"How do you know that I'm not just going to sleep with you, take pictures while you're passed out and share them with the local paper or something?" I asked.

"Because my gut tells me you would never do that. Besides, if that were your intention, you wouldn't be fighting against something you clearly want."

He quirked his eyebrow then lowered his head to look down. My eyes immediately followed to what he was looking at, and I noticed my hands were right near his groin.

What the fuck?

I hadn't even realized I had moved them from his chest.

I went to pull them away, but he grabbed my right arm and forced my hand against his cock. He pressed his forehead against mine, then closed his eyes and whispered, "I want you, you can feel that I want you, but tell me that you don't want to be with me, and it won't happen, Bella. Tell me that you don't want me so badly it hurts, and I'll stop right now."

I swallowed thickly, wondering how the hell I could possibly tell this man that I didn't want him. It would be a lie. Not only had it been forever since I'd had sex, but I couldn't remember ever desiring someone so much that I felt like my insides were on fire.

He waited patiently for me to answer, but he kept my hand pressed hard against his erection, rubbing up and down so that I was stroking him through the fabric.

I did want this, and my body so much as showed that. I exhaled a heavy breath, and that was all it took. His mouth was on mine, pushing his tongue through to meet my own. Alcohol was heavy on his breath, but he still tasted good.

His hands began to roam my body, traveling down my sides where his fingers ghosted over my breasts, only to stop at my ass where he squeezed the flesh roughly in both hands. I literally got lost in the sensation of his touch. I brought my free hand up to run through his hair, fisting a handful in my fingers and tugging. He groaned inside my mouth, and the wetness that began between my legs now saturated my panties.

He pulled away, gasping for air. His chest heaved with staccato breaths, and his voice lowered in pitch, now hoarse with desire. He yanked at my clothing while growling out his words. "Get these off… right now."

He pulled my top roughly over my head and threw it to the ground. His hands moved to my jeans as he nibbled and licked my neck and collarbone, unbuttoning them and pulling them down my legs until they were resting at my ankles. I stepped out of them, one leg at a time, and kicked them toward my shirt. I was standing before him in nothing but my bra and lace panties, and now it was time that I set things on an equal playing field.

"Your turn," I breathed. "Get them off."

I helped him remove his shirt then jeans, mostly because I didn't want to stop touching any part of him. He was left in his boxers, and my eyes and fingers slowly drifted over his firm body. I traced the solid muscle with my fingertips, then ran them along the top of his boxers. My eyes lowered to his cock. It was so hard I could actually make out the exact definition, even covered by fabric.

I licked my lips, anxious to see it without the fabric, anxious to feel it. He cleared his throat and my eyes hesitantly traveled back up his body, landing on his lips where that sexy as fuck smirk was widely displayed. He knew exactly where my eyes lingered.

"Do you like what you see, Bella?" I bit my lip, moaning in response. He pulled at the material of his boxers, leaning forward and dragging his lips along my cheek, then flicking his tongue against the shell of my ear. "I can see that you do," he whispered, the feel of his breath causing me to shiver. "And that's good, real good, because you're going to get what's behind this piece of fabric."

Seconds after he finished speaking, his mouth hungrily attacked mine again while his fingers released the clasp of my bra. He pulled it from my body and tossed it over his shoulder. He didn't even try to remove the panties from my body the way he had my other clothing - he just tore them like paper. I went to pull my lips from his as I heard the fabric tear, but he wouldn't allow it.

The only thing left keeping him from entering my body, which I so desperately wanted him to do, was the boxers still secured around his waist. He pulled his mouth from mine and reached down to grasp the underside of my thighs, lifting me up.

My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and he ground himself into me, causing a delicious friction right where I needed him to be. I moaned loudly, but the sound was swallowed by his mouth as he pressed his lips to mine again and walked us over to the bed. He gently laid me down upon the mattress, his eyes traveling languidly across my naked form.

I felt the desire flame to the point I was writhing in anticipation, ready to beg him to fuck away the ache between my legs because I needed him that much. He could see what he was doing to me, and he enjoyed every second that he tortured me with no touch.

I whimpered, causing him to smirk again. I bit into my bottom lip the moment I noticed his eyes had become darker, appearing almost carnivorous. "You look so fucking delicious laying there on my bed ready to be taken."

I couldn't stop the moan that escaped my lips. The way he stood over me, feral with lust and the dirtiness that came from his mouth because of that had me aching so badly with the need to be consumed by him. I just wanted him to devour me.

It seemed to be what he wanted too because seconds later, his boxers were no longer on his body, but now laying on the floor with the remnants of clothing we'd been wearing. He was on his knees before me, pulling my legs apart so that I was now wide open and accessible to him.

I thought he was going to end both of our misery and fuck me right then, but I was wrong. He dipped down so that his face was between my legs. He ran his tongue across my slit in one even stroke, then circled my clit.

"You're so wet for me," he mumbled against my heated flesh. "Fuck, you taste so damn good." I nearly came right then from the pleasure of feeling that long, ample tongue.

He tasted me, his mouth nibbling my clit and my slick lips, his tongue moving inside my body, leaving me nearly ready to climax when he pulled away, sitting back on his knees. I closed my eyes, wanting to scream at him to continue, but it was evident he wanted me needy.

I finally opened my eyes when he made no move to do anything to me, only to see him staring down at me, his mouth glistening with my arousal. He ran his tongue across his lips, top to bottom, closing his eyes and groaning as he licked the taste of me from them, then rolled the condom I had been in too much of a daze to even realize he had on his cock, smiling wryly as he did so, and moved his body forward so that he was settled between my legs. I could feel the head of his cock against my opening, and I attempted to shift my hips to help guide him inside me, but the full weight of his body made that impossible.

I went to say his name, to plead with him, but the sound came out raspy, "Edward... I-" I couldn't finish my sentence when he partially lifted his weight and moved his hips forward so that and the tip entered me.

He pressed his forehead against mine. "Do you have any idea how you feel to me?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "You feel so warm and wet, Bella. So fucking tight around me," he groaned. "Do you know that through our conversation tonight I literally thought about how you would feel wrapped around me?"

I shook my head, unable to speak as he slowly inched further inside me. The pace in which he was entering me was sweet, delicious torture. "I did. I thought a lot about it, and now I know what you feel like, and fuck you feel so good."

He thrust one final time, groaning as he seated himself fully within me, and I gasped at how my body stretched to accommodate him. He wasn't immensely large, but larger than average and larger than I'd been used to, which sadly was less than average.

The pleasure was so much that my body nearly buckled underneath me, unsure of whether I'd be able to handle the amount of pleasure he gave me.

He moved slowly within me, keeping a steady pace, occasionally stopping to rotate his hips before he started pumping into me again, touching places that had never been touched before. All I could do was moan and whimper because he felt so good, the way he moved in and out of me, the way his warm skin rubbed against mine, causing every nerve in my body to spark with life. The things he was doing to me was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I wasn't even sure there was a name for what he made me feel. "Please… don't stop."

He groaned, and his breathing augmented as his hips began slapping roughly against mine. His face rose above my own and our eyes met. There was something behind those green eyes, something I couldn't quite make out, but I was sure his expression mirrored my own. He was speaking words I couldn't yet understand with my mind, but my heart recognized them.

I had never experienced such a physical connection with someone like I was experiencing with him. This had gone beyond just sex. It was like he crawled completely inside me and branded himself upon my soul. Each time he entered my body, he was giving more of himself, and every time he left my body, he was taking more of me inside him.

I had never met anyone like him, and because of the deep attraction I had acquired just by talking to him and now the feel of him inside me, I knew without a shadow of a doubt if I were to be around him longer I would fall so completely in love with him. I didn't know how I knew, but I knew it was irrevocable. He'd already marked me.

Our eye contact never broke as the speed of his thrusts increased. Both of us were moaning loudly, sweat dripped off our bodies, skin was slapping against skin, but our gaze held. I lifted my hips to meet each thrust of his, accepting him deeper inside me, and my movements became more frantic to stay with the pace of his own. He was slamming into my body roughly, and I felt the rush of pleasure that formed in the pit of my stomach travel its way through my body, exploding in a starburst of sexual rapture.

My muscles clenched tightly around him, and I cried out to the point my throat burned. He thrust a few more times before he stilled, practically growling when he pulsed inside me as he came. I had never felt anything so physically and emotionally acute. It was to the extreme that I felt as if I were dying, but my death was so pleasurable that I welcomed it over and over again.

He cursed under his breath as his body rest on top of mine, pressing his weight against me until our breathing regulated back to normal. He slowly pulled out of me, hissing as he did so, then rolled to his side to lay beside me. He removed the condom, tossing it in the waste basket beside him, then used his right arm to pull my body into his, placing his lips softly against mine - it was a sweet but chaste kiss. He was breathless as he spoke. "Fuck, I don't know how to explain what I just felt, but I've never felt that before. That was… I don't even… There's something about you, Bella."

He smiled at me, and we lay there staring into one another's eyes until his eyes closed. I didn't want to move from this spot or the warmth of his body, because when he touched me, I felt something I couldn't quite understand, but I knew that I wasn't afraid of it; in fact, it felt natural, like we'd been together many times before.

But I had to be realistic. We were from two different sides of the track. We may not have started out that way, but it didn't matter how we started. We could never be more than what we were tonight. That was the reality I knew to be true, whether I wanted this to progress into something more or not.

I could fall in love with him so easily, and if I allowed that to happen, it was inevitable that my heart would be broken. His career was important, even if he wasn't happy with the attention, and he'd just recently divorced. He wasn't ready to have a relationship, let alone with a no body. Hell, he wasn't even from here. I had to accept this for what it was and let it go. I had to let him go.

I slowly removed his arm from my body, feeling coldness set in from the loss of him against me, a coldness that ripped at my insides, and lifted off the bed. I quickly dressed into my clothes that had been scattered along the floor moments before. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my purse. I walked over to the door and reached for the handle, ready to leave without looking back, but something stopped me. I turned on my heels and stepped back over to the bed. He was laying there so peaceful and so beautiful. My heart literally skipped a beat at how beautiful he was.

I can't do this. Leave now.

I couldn't stand there and look at him anymore, see that mouth that had touched me, tasted me, or look at those hands that had wrapped themselves around me. I couldn't see that beautiful face that smiled a smile that made my heart stop, or look at the body that emitted so much warmth when it was pressed against mine.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead before whispering an apology in his ear. That was the last time I looked at him before I left that room and his hotel for good.

CF - Chapter One: Welcome to Forks

"This could be good for you, Bella, for all of us. Your father and I have a good feeling about moving here," My mother assured me. I wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, me or her. The scenery was breezing by as I glanced out the window into unfamiliar territory, but I could make out the wind whipping her short, light brown hair in every direction through my peripherals as she rolled down the window, throwing out a piece of now tasteless gum. I'd just barely blinked when the sign "Welcome to Forks" came into view, now pelted by freshly fallen rain. Apparently, where February meant snow for some, it meant rain for Forks.

Seeing that sign, knowing that I was here instead of in Phoenix, made my already sour mood peak. I realized that moving here and taking over the Higgenbotham Store from my mom's Uncle Bart - who was finally going into retirement at eighty years of age - would benefit us financially because Charlie's less than stellar income as a cop wasn't paying the bills we accumulated, but Phoenix was my home, where my friends were. And even though Charlie had been transferred to the Forks Police Department and was okay with the relocation, I wasn't okay with it. Now I had no one and was left to start all over again.

At least in Phoenix, everyone knew my medical history, knew why I always wore turtlenecks. I hated looking in the mirror, seeing the mark on my chest. It was a constant reminder of the stress I'd put on my parents emotionally and financially, while screaming out harshly how damaged I was. I'd never be normal, never be pretty.

Most people felt pity for me, which I didn't want, because I was the girl who had had a bad heart that needed replaced, but there had been just a handful that made fun of me, saying the new heart I was given belonged to an animal. They'd obviously watched Untamed Heart one too many damn times.

"Well, we're here." Charlie pulled into something I assumed was supposed to be a driveway - one that was obviously taken from its mother too soon, because you could barely fit one vehicle on it - that sat adjacent to a small, two-story white house. There was one giant tree nestled in the front yard and a few bushes that etched either side of the stairway leading to the front door.

"It's…quaint," Renee responded. That was her polite way of saying she hated it.

"So, Bells, what do ya think?" Charlie asked as we climbed out of the old 4-door Sedan.

I glanced over the top of the car, shrugging as I pulled the hat of my sweatshirt over my head.

"Look, Bella, I know you don't want to be here, but we are. You're just going to have to learn to accept it. This is home now."

"This might be home to you, but it's not home to me. I miss Phoenix," I huffed. I was acting childish, I knew this, but I'd just been taken from the only home I knew with very little notice and no allowance of my opinion.

"We had no choice. It-"

"Yeah, Dad, I know," I interrupted harshly. "I'm the reason we went bankrupt and had to move. I already got the memo about how burdensome I've been."

"Bella, that's not what your father-"

"Can we just go inside?" I slammed the door and marched up toward the stairs, not glancing back.

The house appeared smaller inside than it did outside. As soon as we entered the front door, there was a wooden staircase off to the left and a long hallway beside the stairwell that led to the kitchen. To the right of the front entrance was the living room, which had a tiny fireplace in the center, and off the living room was the dining room.

Charlie had already had our belongings, other than clothing and necessities we needed, delivered by movers several days prior. We'd only stayed behind to tie up some loose ends. Most of the furniture was set in place and boxes marked "living room" in black permanent ink was stacked against the far wall.

I stepped forward, observing each room and its contents. Of course, the movers were efficient, leaving each labeled box in its appropriate room.
"What's all upstairs?" I asked, coming out of the kitchen.

Charlie set the two boxes he was carrying on the couch and faced me. "The bedrooms are upstairs, and so is the bathroom."

"Okay." I approached the stairs, carefully moving up them. "Well, I'm going to go find my room, I guess."

"Yours is the first one to the left," Charlie called up to me.

"Thanks," I mumbled back.

The door was already open, my bed and belongings sitting inside. I didn't own much, so there weren't many boxes with my name on them inside.

I searched for the box with my name that was outlined by a heart, opening it carefully to find Mitzi Belle, the stuffed rabbit I'd had since I was five. My nana, Marie, bought it for me for my fifth birthday, and I kept it, unable to part with it after she passed away. It was the only thing I had left that was just between me and her, other than my middle name.

I pulled Mitzi Belle to my chest, wrapping my arms around her stuffed body as I pressed my nose against her soft fur, inhaling a scent I knew well, one I'd grown up to, one I'd forever miss; Phoenix.

"Well, Mitzi Belle," I sighed in defeat. "I guess this is home sweet home."

The next two days were spent unpacking all the boxes and putting them where Renee wanted them, all done in between trips to settle the legalities of the store's ownership being transferred over to my parents. It wasn't an issue because there was no one to contest, considering we were really the only family left in the Higgenbotham line.

We must have moved the furniture around in the living room at least a dozen times before Renee was satisfied. By the evening of the second day, everything was organized, but we were exhausted.

We ordered pizza for dinner, and once we were done eating, I showered and headed to bed, trying to ignore the tension settling in my body. I was starting Forks High School tomorrow, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

I tossed and turned most of the night, slamming my fists into my comforter as I growled in a low whisper my aggravation. I was too nervous to sleep. I'd only been asleep for a couple hours when my alarm went off.

I begrudgingly got out of bed, throwing on the skinny blue jeans, a white long sleeve turtleneck and blue sweater that I'd laid out the night before. I completely disregarded the full length mirror that Renee had Charlie install to my bedroom door. The mirror was useless, considering I didn't really want to see anything below my neck if I had the choice. When I'd actually gotten the courage to look at that scar, with much pressure from Renee to do so, I didn't see that it was just over my chest, I saw it covering my entire body, and I spent the better part of an hour in the bathroom emptying my stomach from disgust.

I attempted to tame the rat's nest I called hair, but my curls had a mind of their own and usually did what they wanted. I settled for wetting them down, a little hair gel and a headband.

I didn't really wear makeup other than a small amount of mascara, so waking up forty minutes before I had to leave wasn't an issue for me. I threw on my black flats, grabbed my book bag and headed downstairs with just enough time for a cup of coffee and a muffin.

"You ready to go, Bells?" Charlie asked.

I glanced down at my watch and nodded after seeing I had no time left. I was really left with no other choice; I had to go to school. I swallowed thickly and followed Charlie out to the car.

Charlie climbed in the driver's side. He'd already started the car to warm it up. He waited to speak until the car was moving. "I didn't have a chance to talk to you last night before you went to bed."

I turned my head away from the window and watching houses blur by to face him. "What about?"

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but with the mood I can see that you're in, I figured telling you now may cheer you up a bit." A small smile pulled at his lips.

And now I was curious where this conversation was heading. "What surprise?" The moment the words left my mouth, I had a flash of Renee planning a gathering of some kind, inviting stray children over to introduce me to. I cringed internally because it was something she'd do. "Please tell me mom isn't throwing me some kind of welcoming party with strays?"

He laughed. "Strays?"

"You know, neighborhood kids we don't know. You know how she gets about my social life."

"I promise, Bells," he chuckled. "That's not was I was talking about."

My brow furrowed. "So… uh… what were you talking about then?"

"Your own car." His smile grew wider. "I don't have much in the way of money, as you know, but I managed to scrimp and save a little over a grand."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "How, Dad? We didn't really have-"

"It doesn't matter how," he said, cutting me off. "I just did. So after school, I figured we could see if we can't find something in our price range. Sound good?"

I may have been irrationally angry at my parents for the move, but I didn't expect them to spend money on me I knew they didn't really have. But no matter how much I protested, I knew Charlie was reaching out to me, trying to do something to make me happy because he knew I wasn't. I felt guilty for giving him such a hard time, because I knew what they'd sacrificed for me, what they were still sacrificing for me so that I had a chance to live. And as unhappy as I was, I vowed to keep it to myself, buried inside with the heart that wasn't really mine, to give my parents the chance they'd given me.

After Charlie dropped me off in the school parking lot, I shuffled slowly toward the entrance doors, trying to block out the sight of lowered heads and whispers falling from lips that ricocheted off the dampened asphalt toward my line of hearing. Of course they'd be discussing the new girl.

I found the office easy enough and spoke with a Mrs. Cope, who gave me my schedule, locker and combination. She introduced me to a mousy little dark-haired girl that had to have been stunted once she reached nearly five feet. I almost laughed because she seemed too young to be a high schooler, but the joke was obviously on me. She was instructed to give me a tour of the school, then show me to my first class. Mrs. Cope gave us both passes, knowing we'd be late, then excused us.

The moment we stepped out of the office into the hallway, she morphed into this chatty ball of unending energy while grabbing my schedule from my right hand. She reminded me of that energizer bunny in the commercials.

"So, I'm Alice Cullen. I think you already know that because Mrs. Cope told you that, but yeah… I'm Alice. So where did you come from?" I went to answer her, but she continued with her questioning, nearly bouncing with each step we took simultaneously. "So how do you like it here so far? I bet you hate it, right? I hate all the rain. It rains here all the time. And there's not really much to do either. That's why most teenagers spend their weekends up in Port Angeles."

She inhaled sharply, because she'd practically rushed everything she said in one breath, before speaking again. "That's the auditorium where we have gym." I nodded, knowing exactly what an auditorium was. We walked a bit further, with unending conversation on her part, before she stopped, pointing out another room that happened to be the lunchroom. I was able to get in a few words as we continued our trek around the school, me skirting around people so I wasn't knocked over and her pointing out all the places I'd need to know, including my classes.

Alice was interesting to say the least, but even though she exuded enthusiasm and energy, I actually liked her. She seemed to be a genuinely sweet person. I think I learned more about her than she learned about me – which was okay, in my opinion. I found out she had a brother, Edward Cullen, who by the look on her face told me wasn't a very nice person. She may have even implied he was a bit of a troublemaker. Her mother, Esme Cullen, was a homemaker who liked to make crafts as a hobby, and her father, Carlisle Cullen, was the Chief Physician at Forks Hospital. I was even informed of the "must knows" as she referred them. That group included Emmet McCarty, his girlfriend Rosalie Hale, her brother Jasper (Alice's boyfriend), Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton, some Lauren girl and a few others.

By the time we reached my first period class, which had been in session nearly fifteen minutes, my ears felt like they were about to fall off and my brain was going to implode from information overload.

She stopped abruptly, bouncing on the heels of her feet as she handed me my schedule back. "Okay, Isabella, here's your first class… English."

"Just Bella," I corrected.

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Okay, just Bella, here's your first class."

Up until this point, I'd felt at ease. Alice's constant conversation had helped me to forget for just a little while that I was somewhere new and alone. "Thanks," I whispered. My heart was starting to bang in my chest again, my stomach once more unsettled as the tension crept its way back through my body.

"Okay, I'll see you later then." She turned around, taking two steps before spinning around where she stood. "Oh, I almost forgot. We have Trig and Spanish together, and there aren't assigned seats in those classes so we could totally sit together, then you could sit with me at lunch if you want."

I was normally the "suffer in silence" type, well, when I knew where the hell I was, but I was beyond thankful for Alice's offer. "Sounds good."

She clapped her hands together excitedly, and I had to suppress outright laughing at her, settling for a grand smile instead. "Great. I'll see you third period, Bella."

She practically skipped off to class, and I had to wonder how someone could be so animate about school. I laughed to myself, then turned to face the classroom door and the onslaught of unknown that would follow once I entered that room.

I swear, the moment I opened the door and stepped inside, twenty pairs of eyes latched onto my form like parasites, moving with me. I was beyond uncomfortable. I approached the teacher, who I learned was named Mr. Berty, and gave him my office pass.

He handed me an English book, embarrassingly introduced me to the entire class, then instructed me toward a seat beside a tall, rather beautiful blonde. To say I looked plain beside her was an understatement. Her icy blue eyes were watching me, sizing me up, as I sat down. I gave her a small smile, to which she sneered before her focus turned back toward the front of the class.

I suppose her reaction to me wasn't unexpected. I mean, if you looked at her, then looked at me and added in the fact that I was new, well, it made perfect sense.

So I made no further attempt to converse with the girl, though I hardly considered smiling conversing but whatever. I at least made an effort.

I caught a few people staring back at me, heard a few whispers regarding me, but I steadied my shaking hands as best I could and looked forward at Mr. Berty for the remainder of class.

I made sure to be the last out the door when the bell rang and decided to head straight to my next class in hopes to beat most the other students there. My next class was Government. There were only a few students seated inside and when I approached the desk I was assigned, I kept myself pretty well curtained by my hair. Yeah, I was definitely being cowardice, but I didn't want a repeat of English.

I sat down, keeping my head lowered, eyes on my desk. Unfortunately, when I heard loud laughter, my need to know who was causing it overrode my need to hide. I looked up, noticing a head of dark curls amass the head of the biggest body I'd ever seen. His size was beyond intimidating, but the twinkle in his eyes as he laughed and the way he carried himself blatantly stated his bark was worse than his bite.

He was followed by two others, but I couldn't make out one of them because he was cloaked behind the human Gargantua and they were stalled near the entryway. The one I could see was blonde, tall as well. He was cute, very cute, but was definitely that beach bum type. He had nice dimples when he smiled, though. He was so not my type, not that I had the intention of searching out my type or anything. I was all about the academics and shit. I lowered my head, feeling my lips turn upward involuntarily when I realized I was being sarcastic and it was mentally with myself, which clearly did not count because it was aimed at me and not someone else. I was definitely inane, but I spent a better part of my days emotionally alone, and sometimes being snarky with myself was all I had.

I repeated the same technique through Government, refusing to look at anyone but the teacher. And if anyone looked at me, I didn't know about it. They certainly didn't try to talk to me.

I was thankful I wasn't embarrassed with introductions this class, so I was free to sit in the back of the room in solitude.

The next two classes did, in fact, have Alice in them. And true to her word, she sat beside me. I could tell it was a difficult feat for Alice not to talk, but she managed.

When lunch came around, I grabbed an apple and a juice, my stomach still unsettled so I wasn't chancing it with food, and followed Alice to a table. She introduced me to everyone at the table; Angela Webber, Ben Cheney, Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. We were soon joined by Gargantua, who I learned was Emmett McCarty, Dimples Jasper Hale and the blonde I dubbed Frosty, Rosalie.

Everyone was extremely friendly other than Rosalie. She wasn't rude, per say. She just never even spoke to me.

"You'll have to forgive Rosalie." Alice leaned in and whispered. "She's not normally this rude, honestly. She's got a lot going on at home, and it's affecting her more than Jasper."

"It's alright," I whispered back.

She smiled. "But if it's any consolation, she's treating us all the way. It's not just you."

I finished lunch, speaking only when I was spoken to – which ended up being more than I really wanted to on my first day. Everyone seemed to have so many questions, and some I wasn't comfortable discussing.

By the time I reached fifth period, Biology, I was once again conversationally exhausted. Mr. Banner welcomed me to class, handed me my book and seated me at the last open seat. I was just opening my notebook, readying it for notes, when a blur of color breezed by me, seating itself in the seat beside me in a fury.

I glanced up, meeting steely green eyes. I think I gasped. It's quite possible I did, and if so, it was for a number of reasons. I'd never seen eyes so green. It was to the point I felt as if I were staring into one of those glow sticks. And they were hard, angered, but set in the most beautiful face I'd ever seen. His features were a bit angular with high cheekbones, chiseled jawline and a straight nose. His lips were full, but there was a fresh cut across the bottom one, like he'd been punched in the face. My eyes lifted just a fraction, noticing a large red mark underneath his left eye. He'd definitely been fighting. I barely made it to the copper toned disarray of hair covering his head when he spoke, effectively making me feel fifty times smaller than I was.

"Quit fucking looking at me," he growled.

I immediately turned my head - briefly catching the blood on his knuckles as he tapped his fingers against the table - burning with embarrassment for being caught ogling him, but also because his words dripped with so much venom I felt like someone had literally slapped me in the face.

I hid my face even deeper inside my hair, willing my overly thumping heart to calm, because I was sure if he listened, he'd hear it. Obviously, if I had no inclination as to how the rest of the school year would go, I did now and it did not look good.

TUS - Chapter One: Hide and Seek

"Bella, come on, it'll be fun," Alice pleaded. Her computer chair actually hobbled from side to side as she bounced against the seat cushion, earnestly awaiting my reply.
I shook my head. "Alice, I don't think so. It's not safe." She sighed in frustration; her brow furrowed while her green eyes shifted off me in an effort to hide her disappointment. "Besides, I thought you asked me over this weekend because you insisted I needed a makeover."
Her eyes met mine again, chagrin palpable in her expression. "Well, yeah, you do, but that's for tomorrow night." Her voice softened, lip pouting as she made another attempt to sway my decision. "We never do anything exciting, Bella, never. Summer break just started, and I'd like to do something different, something other than the usual trips to Port Angeles. Rosalie called me and told me they had a group going tonight, and she asked if we'd like to come along. Rosalie Hale, Bella." Her eyes widened for emphasis, as if speaking Rosalie's name was a privilege. "Do you know what that means being asked to join her group?"
"I don't care, Alice." I defiantly crossed my arms at my chest. "Knowing Rosalie, we're probably meant to be fall guys for something illegal she has planned." I received a nice firm glare for my defamation of 'the blonde one'. "I don't get the interest in the place, I really don't. All those stories, they're just rumors. There are no ghosts haunting the place, no man running around killing people, and it's certainly not a gateway leading to another world. You do realize that's all silly innuendo started by other teenagers just to get a rise out of people, don't you? It's nothing more than an old, dilapidated hospital that's barely standing on its foundation. And did I mention it's not safe?"
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head enough that the short black tendrils slightly bounced. "Yeah, you already mentioned that. I just…I wanted to do something exciting for once," she whined. "If we don't find anything, then we don't find anything, but can we please go, Bella, even if it's only an hour? Please?" I ran my hand roughly down my face, which signified I was giving in to the pixie, and she knew this. It was nearly impossible to deny Alice Cullen anything. My hand had barely cleared my face before she shrieked in excitement, hurdling her little body in my direction and knocking me flat on my back against her mattress. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bella."
"Alice…can't breathe," I gasped.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She sat up quickly, giggling.
"Okay, here's the deal," I began, holding my hands defensively in front of me to keep her from lunging at me again. "We'll go…for an hour, but if I fall and break something, you're paying my doctor bill."
"Deal," she squealed, and it was easily spoken on her part, considering her father was a doctor. Her eyes traveled over me, obviously scrutinizing my attire. She shook her head then grabbed my hand, pulling me up off the bed. "You need to change."
"There's nothing wrong with my outfit," I scoffed. "And I'm not getting dressed up to go rummage around a dirty, old building; especially with people I don't care to impress."
Unfortunately, as much as I spoke against the need to change, Alice wasn't about to yield, so hip hugging jeans replaced my slacks, a form-fitting t-shirt took the place of my baggy sweater, and tennis shoes now covered my feet in place of flats. According to Alice, I looked hot while maintaining comfort. According to me, I was overexposed while personifying someone I really wasn't.
Once we finished changing, and Alice had perfected her hair and makeup, then Barbie dolled me, she called Rosalie to let her know we decided to come along. The conversation barely lasted a few moments, and I could only make out bits and pieces of what was said, but it was enough to send Alice into a near manic coma. Of course, I didn't have to wait long to find out why. "Oh, my God, I can't believe Jasper Hale is going. Can you believe that, Bella? I can't believe that." Jasper was Rosalie's twin brother and the object of Alice's affection.
Here we were, starting our freshman year of college in a few months, and she still acted juvenile over Jasper. "No, I can't believe that," I mumbled. I could actually hear the perpetual blinking of her eyelids as she stared down at me in annoyance over my less than agreeable enthusiasm. "What?" I shrugged. "You've liked the guy since sophomore year of high school, and it's obvious he's crushing on you too, yet you do nothing about it."
"He's not crushing on me," she stated incredulously. "He barely notices me."
"Trust me," I hmphed. "He definitely notices you."
"Tyler Crowley, Mike Newton, and Jessica Stanley are coming. She said Emmett was going too."
"Good for him," I stated flatly.
"You really don't like the idea of your brother dating Rosalie, do you?" she asked.
"I don't have an opinion either way," I told her. I clearly did, but I attempted to react indifferent. It wasn't that I hated Rosalie, because I really didn't hate anyone, it was simply that she wasn't the easiest person to get along with; in fact, she could be downright cruel if she wanted to be.
Her eyebrow lifted in dubiety. "Right."
"So, is everyone meeting up there?" I asked, changing the subject.
Alice nodded. "Yeah, it's only ten minutes away from here, so we can walk. They're probably on their way now, so we should get heading if we want to arrive around the same time."
We made our way downstairs, running into Mr. Cullen, Alice's dad, as we approached the front door. He glanced up from the medical book he carried within his hands, smiling warmly at us both. "Where are you ladies headed?"
"We're going out with some friends, dad, but we won't be out too late," Alice told him. Growing up, I often wondered if Alice had been adopted because she looked nothing like her parents, other than having Mrs. Cullen's eyes. Alice was very petite, obviously not taking after either parent in height, and she had black hair, where as Mrs. Cullen's hair was more caramel brown and Mr. Cullen's was light blonde.
"Well, alright," he started. "Just be careful. I probably won't be here when you get back. The hospital is understaffed tonight, so I offered to go in, but your mother will be back within the hour."
"Okay, dad, we will." Alice gave him a quick peck on the cheek, I gave him a small smile then we were out the door.
Just as we arrived at the old building, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were pulling up in one vehicle while Tyler, Mike and Jessica arrived in another. "How exciting is this shit?" Tyler boomed as he climbed out of the driver's seat to his car.
"Dude, I've been excited about this all week." I'd recognize that voice anywhere, and it belonged to none other than Mike Newton, who was actually climbing out of the passenger side of Tyler's car through the window. Apparently, Tyler's enthusiasm was infectious, so I was expecting a fistpump between the two at any given moment.
Tyler pulled the driver's seat forward, and Jessica Stanley climbed out, face awash with disgust as her eyes scanned the area. "This is gross. I can't believe you guys actually talked me into coming here."
"Well, if you're such a baby, Jess, you can stay in the car while us big kids go inside," Mike laughed. She promptly flipped him off, leaving him and Tyler to their laughter while she headed over to Rosalie's car.
"This should be interesting," I whispered to Alice. She shot me a warning glare, then gripped my arm, pulling me toward the others.
We'd just approached Rose's car when she began to hand out flashlights and dictate how the evening was to go. "We're gonna split up in groups. There are eight of us, so we can either do groups of four or groups of two. It's your call. Now, there is one way and one way only to get inside, and that's through the back. We have to move some boulders out of the way, but that shouldn't be a problem for you strong boys." She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder while locking her eyes directly on Emmett, and her tongue swiped suggestively along her bottom lip as she batted her eyes at him. To him, that was attractive, but to me, well, it appeared like a mating ritual attempt gone all epileptic. I may have even gagged a little. "Once we're inside, we'll split off into groups and each group will take a floor to search. We all have cell phones, so if you run into any problems, make sure you text. If you see anything, make sure you text. We'll meet back at the entrance in two hours and decide if we'd like to investigate longer." I very nearly boycotted the two-hour time limit, but quickly decided against it. There were too many eager bodies around here, and it wasn't about searching buildings.
Everyone pretty much agreed on groups of two, and I was all for the groups of two idea, but I had actually factored Alice in as part of my group. Unfortunately for me, I ended up with Jessica Stanley while Alice practically fused herself to Jasper's loins when he asked her to partner up. I realized it could have been much worse, though. I could have spent the evening with Mike Newton, who I knew without a doubt would have been walking behind me, staring at my ass the entire way. At least the awkward with Jessica Stanley was manageable. And, of course, once we got inside the old hospital, we were given the basement floor.
"So, Bella," she started, the cumbersome of being paired with me appreciable in her tone. We had never been what you'd call friends in school. Truthfully, we'd been nothing more than acquaintances. She was part of Rosalie's flock, and their clique didn't associate with underclassmen, even those who were one grade under like I was. "How are things?"
"Good," I managed to say. I kept focus ahead of me, observing my surroundings with keen eyes. And really, at this point, there wasn't much to see other than busted up cement that had once been part of the floor, scattered trash and furniture and medical equipment debris.
"That's good," she answered. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled emphatically; her clamorous breathing echoed through the hall. "Quite a place, huh? It's so dark, and that smell is awful. How could someone handle inhaling that smell all the time?"
"Well, considering the place is abandoned, I'd say no one has to." My statement may have appeared snarky, but it wasn't intentional.
"I know that," she huffed, pausing her steps. "I was just making conversation, Bella."
I sighed, pivoting my body to face her. "I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I really didn't. I'm just not real thrilled about being here, you know? I mean, Alice had to talk me into it. I know why everyone came. They wanna be the one to prove that the rumors are true, at least the part about finding ghosts, but for all they know the stories could be based off some homeless man living here because he has no other place in the world to go. As sad as that may be, living in a place like this..." I gestured with my hands. "It's quite possibly all he has."
"It's okay," she said as we began moving again. "I really didn't want to come either, but Tyler and Rose insisted."
"Do you always do what Rosalie asks?" I questioned.
She laughed nervously. "Yeah, pretty much." It was in that moment I saw her differently, saw a girl who only wanted to belong, but to do so she felt she needed to mold herself to be what others wanted her to be. And because of that, I couldn't help but wonder when it was that she'd truly lost herself.
We continued searching the basement floor, briefly talking as we walked through rooms that had once held life. There were still some old beds with torn, ratty mattresses that covered them, but most rooms had what appeared to be metal slates or operating tables. We had found one with a sleep deprivation tank, but one room in particular seemed barbaric. There was a chair stationed in the center of the room, cuffs attached along the arms. It almost looked like an electric chair, and it was surrounded by metal tables that still held surgical equipment, though they appeared rusted. It was obvious these weren't patient rooms; they were used for 'therapy'. "That's so gross." Jess was reiterating my thoughts exactly.
I nodded, though I knew she couldn't see me; it was instinct. "I don't want to know what they used this stuff for. I mean, I can imagine, but I'd really rather I didn't."
"Hey, what's that room up there?" Jess was shining her flashlight toward the far corner of the room over a wooden door.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "It could be a closet. We're here so we may as well check it out." When we reached the door, it took us both to open it. We instantaneously flashed our lights inside the room, finding what appeared to be a coed bathroom. "Okay, that's strange. Why would there be a coed bathroom down here?"
"Everything about this place is strange." I could actually hear the shiver in Jess's tone.
I stepped forward, flashing my light into the numerous shower stalls. "Yeah, "I whispered. "I keep thinking about all the people that must have been down here, and what could have possibly happened to them. Seeing that chair in the other room, it still gives me chills. These people were here because they needed help, they had nowhere else to turn, and I have this terrible feeling that something awful happened to some of them. It makes me sick thinking about it."
I'd barely finished my sentence when what sounded like something hitting the floor, making a thudding sound, came from the back of the room. "Bella, what was that?"
"I don't-" Another thud interrupted me. I turned around briskly, barely catching Jess's form as she moved through the door. I quickly trailed behind her, nearly losing my footing several times as I stumbled out of the room after her. "Jess!" I yelled.
I finally caught up to her when we neared the other end of the hall. "What the hell was that? We have to get a hold of the others." Jess was the only one who had a cell on her at the moment, so she reached into her sweatshirt to grab hers, and what started out as rational movements quickly became frenzied. "My phone," she cried. "I must have lost it back there when I ran. I have to have my phone, Bella. I have to get it back. I can't leave without it."
"Okay, as crazy as this may sound, we'll just run in there, grab your phone, and run back out. What we heard, it was probably rats or some other animal that made this place its home. Plus, you barely stepped away from the door, so it has to be near there, right?" I asked.
It wasn't until I lifted my flashlight, beaming the light over her face, that she even answered me. "I can't go back in there."
"Jess, we need to get your phone. You said so yourself, you can't leave without it." I stepped toward her, reaching for her arm and feeling her whole body shaking in fear as I touched her. "Hey, are you okay?"
She shook her head. "I can't go back in there, Bella. I'm too scared."
And this was the moment I became one with stupidity, which for me was normal in problematic situations. "Okay, what if….well, what if you stay right here and wait for me while I go and get your phone? Can you stay here and wait for me?"
"Yeah," she nodded vehemently. "I can wait."
I swallowed thickly against the lump of fear building in my throat. "I'll be right back," I said hoarsely.
I took a few steps forward when Jess called out to me. "Thank you, Bella."
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, but I didn't take the time to turn around and address her. The quicker I made it to that room and found Jess's cell, the quicker we'd be off this floor and near the others. More steps forward, hearing no sound other than my fluctuant breathing.
I paused when I cleared the first room and neared the door of the large bathroom, urging my emotions to become sedate. I inhaled one last deep breath, then rounded the corner into the room, flashing the light desperately over the marred floor in search of Jess's cell.
I became more frantic the more expanse of the floor my light drifted over with no cell phone in sight. I took a few steps forward, feeling the tears trickle against the corner of my eyes because the fear was now eating at my insides. I was ready to give up because I felt rocked by the terror when my light reflected over something shiny. I flashed the light back in the direction of the shiny object, finding Jess's cell. I breathed out loudly in triumph, launched myself near it and bent over to pick it up. And just as I gripped the phone in my hands, the air became thick and chilling. Goosebumps literally attacked my body without mercy. I lifted up so slowly, mainly because I felt so paralyzed by whatever entered that room and altered the atmosphere.
And when I was finally standing upright, I eased the hand that held the flashlight up in front of me. There was a body standing just a few feet away, and though I knew there was someone there, it wasn't actually real to me until I stopped at his face. But really, all I could focus on was the ominous green eyes that held mine. He stepped toward me, and I tried to scream, but the sound was caught in the back of my throat.
I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't look away. The fear became so caustic that it felt as if I were being swallowed whole by it. But when he gripped my arm, something instinctual kicked in, something that aimed to preserve my life. I threw myself backward to get away, but in doing so, my foot caught on some broken tiling along the floor. The last thing I recalled before complete blackness was the way the light shimmered over his face as I fell, reflecting the deep green in his eyes, the same eyes that left me immobilized with fear.