A/N: A little warning, I don't have a specific timeline for updates because my life is a little hectic. I'm a student, I do have a job, and I have very demanding friends that take up a lot of my time. So, if I disappoint you by taking too much time to update, then I'm really sorry.

I'd like to know what people think! I've gotten quite a few hits and even fewer favorites. But please, please, please, let me get some reviews!

Chapter 1: Golden Eyed Stranger

Far far away, in the small town of Forks, Washington, a teenage girl sat in her room staring at her phone, willing it to ring.

It didn't.

"Fuck," Bella Swan muttered under her breath, tossing the device onto her bed.

"Bella!" Her mother, Renee Dwyer, exclaimed as she poked her head into her daughter's room.

"Sorry, mom." Bella mumbled, shoving her favorite hoodie into her overnight bag.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Just about," she sighed. Her mother never gave her a minute to breathe.

"All right, honey. I'll just wait down stairs."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes as soon as she turned her back.

Bella Swan wasn't the type of daughter who was subjected to whine, complain, or even act like a bitch, but in her own head, this was exactly why she was sure she was entitled to let loose a little. Even if her parents weren't always aware, she liked to act a little defiant now and again, if only to keep herself from losing her mind.

After making sure she had everything packed for her weekend trip, she picked up her cell phone once again and checked it for any missed calls.

There were none.

"Goddamnit," she whispered.

Once her bag was loaded into the back seat of her mother's Honda, Bella slid into the passenger seat and shoved her headphones into her ears. The notes of Clair De Lune danced softly through and around her head, soothing her nerves.

Visiting her father, Charlie, every other weekend was usually time Bella looked forward to. Except this particular weekend, she wasn't in the best of moods.

A few days ago, during class, Jacob Black sat with her. As in, he sat right fucking there.

It was no secret that Bella tutored Jacob twice a week during their lunch period, but it wasn't as if they were close in any way. Apart from a few smiles in her direction whenever they passed each other in the hall, they didn't have any sort of communication.

So, it came as a surprise to her when he sat down next to her instead of his usual seat up front with one of his whores. Bella recalled the glares she received by none other than Angela Weber. She didn't understand why the hostility, but she figured it had something to do with Jacob sitting next to her.

Angela was usually a nice girl, kept to herself, got good grades, but when it came down to Jacob Black, she became a different person altogether. The girl literally got down on her knees and did whatever he asked of her. At least, that was the rumor around Forks High. But it was plain on Angela's face, the adoration she felt for him. It was almost sickening.

Angela Weber was not what had her in a bad mood, however. It was the fact that, a few minutes before the bell rang, the class erupted into quite chatter. Burying her nose into a book, she hardly noticed that Jacob was staring at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Bella?"

"Huh?" Bella looked around, wondering who called her name.

"Bella. Over here." Jacob laughed at her confusion.

"Oh, hey, Jake." Bella's head tilted the side.

"I was wondering if, well, I could have your phone number."

"I'm sorry, what?" Whatever Bella was expecting from him, it wasn't that.

"Well, in case, I need some extra tutoring sessions. I figured I could call you if I needed any help with anything."

"Oh, sure." Bella let out a sigh of relief. That was more typical. Why would he call her for any other reason? She jotted it down on a spare sheet of paper, and handed it to him as the bell rang.

"Thanks, Bells." She smiled at his nickname for her and gave him a small wave.

Unexpectedly, he sauntered towards her and crushed her into a bone crushing hug. "I really appreciate you helping me," he whispered in her ear.

Growing red in the face, she only nodded, not knowing what to say.

She came up with, "No problem. See you around."

Renee turned the key in the ignition and started the car; the vibrations humming throughout the vehicle pulled her out of her thoughts.

Yanking the left headphone out of her ear, she asked her mother, "Mom, what was it like being in love with Charlie?"

Completely caught off guard by the question, Renee gaped at her daughter as the car sat idly at a red light. "Wh-what?"

Bella frowned. "When you met Charlie, when you fell in love with each other, how did it feel for you?"

"Oh, well," Renee paused for a moment, wondering where Bella was going with this, "Charlie was the typical quite guy. And of course, I was the head cheerleader. We were two different people from two different worlds. I can't believe I never told you how we met." She laughed. "It was such a cliché, well maybe for us it was anyway. It was right before a pep rally, I was practicing with the squad in the gym, and somehow, I ended up twisting my ankle. Hurt like hell, you know? Anyway, your father was walking by the double doors on the side of the gym, trying to skip out on the pep rally and go home early, when he heard me cry out."

"Jesus, mom, you never told me you were a cheerleader." Bella cringed.

"Yes, well, I never told you a lot of things," Renee smirked. "Now don't interrupt. Or do you not want to hear this?"

Bella nodded for her to continue.

"Well, your father burst through the doors like if he had a SWAT team behind him and looks around the entire gym for the source of the cries. He thought somebody was getting killed or something. It was rather silly. But his eyes landed on mine immediately. Just like mine found his the second he stepped through those doors. He was so handsome, Bella. He jogged right up to me and said, 'Hi, I'm Charlie Swan.' The sound of his voice soothed me instantly. I told him who I was and waved him off. It was just a sprained ankle, nothing to worry about.

"He picked me up from the floor and carried me bridal style. I was literally shocked into silence. 'With all due respect ma'am,' he whispered to me, 'I would feel better if someone took a look at it.'

"I just about died; it was the most romantic thing that ever happened to me in my life. He was so sure that he was going to be a cop even then. Once the nurse assured him I was fine to go home and instructed me to keep ice on my ankle, he carried me out to his car and drove me home. My parents were both at work, so we were alone. He wouldn't let me walk an inch. He strolled into my kitchen like he owned the place, set me down on a barstool, and poured some ice in a sandwich baggie.

"'Does it feel okay?' Charlie asked me. He looked genuinely concerned and it made my heart swell. Don't give me that look, Bella; I warned you it was a cliché. I nodded at him and he told me he was going to carry me back to the living room. I just nodded again like an idiot. God, I was so nervous around him. He just looked so sure of himself, you know? Like he had things all figured out. When he set me down on the couch and sat at the end of it with my feet in his lap, holding the ice in place, we talked for hours. I felt so safe with him. We understood each other like no one else could. After a while, I warned him that my parents were coming home soon, he shrugged it off, and stayed to introduce himself to my parents. They loved him, of course, just like I did."

"And you don't anymore?"

"Of course, I do, Bella. Charlie will always be a part of my life, but people change. They grow apart. When you fall in love so young, it's not a for sure thing that it will last forever. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, because it could. Just that it didn't happen for us. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah, I get it." Bella smiled softly and lost herself in her thoughts again. She wondered if it was ever going to happen for her. If she was ever going to find love and get married. Maybe have kids. It didn't seem that it was likely to happen. She was seventeen years old and had never even been kissed.

Well, except for the kindergarten fiasco.

During lunch time, Michael Newton, gave her a cookie. She was five years old, who wouldn't want a cookie at five years old? The fact that she took the cookie, gave Michael enough courage to plant one on her in the middle of the classroom for everyone to see. The other kids pointed and "ewwwed" at her. She was so embarrassed she didn't go to school the next day. Of course, their short little attention spans forgot all about it after a while.

"Bella?" Renee prodded gently. "Was there a specific reason you wanted to know about all that? Have you met anyone that you—well, you know?"

"Hm?" Bella blinked.

"You know you can date whomever you want, right? You know I wouldn't judge you, sweetie. You're old enough, in any case."

Bella nodded absentmindedly. She was far too distracted to pay attention to the dating advice her mother was trying to give her. Not to mention, it was downright embarrassing.

Half an hour later, they were parked in front of the massive black gate of Charlie's lively estate. Bella gave her mom a quick hug and peck on the cheek before stepping out of the car.

"Say hi to Charlie for me!" Her mother called.

"Sure," was her response.

Shutting the front door, Bella turned to retrieve her bag from the back seat. A startling pale hand shot out from nowhere, opened the door, and retrieved her bag for her.

After a light tap on the hood of the car, Renee honked, and pulled out of the short driveway.

Bella's eyes started from the ground up.

They met shiny black dress shoes, seemingly unaffected by the muddy road. Slacks that were crisply ironed and held in place by leather belt and a polished silver belt buckle. A black dress shirt was ironed to perfection as well, not a single wrinkle, and it was unbuttoned, revealing a white tank top clinging to a pale, beautifully sculpted chest. His lean waist swelled into broad shoulders. A jaw that could have been made out of stone was perfectly angled and set. Her eyes met pink, pouty lips that she suddenly had a strong urge to kiss with her own. The strong features of his face were aligned straightly, chiseled. His smooth forehead met with bronze colored hair.

What an odd color, she remembered thinking.

His eyes were a startling gold, with specks of silver reflected in them. Yeah, she was standing that close.

A motion pulled her eyes away from his, down to his neck where it seemed to be contracting as he swallowed.

Back to his eyes, she ordered herself.

They were narrowed in concentration now, which only confused her. There was a crease in between his eyebrows that made her think he felt uncomfortable.

No shit, dumbass? She thought to herself. You're just standing there staring at him. Maybe if you'd say some-.

As if he heard her speaking to herself, he cleared his throat. She wasn't prepared for it.

"Miss Swan, if you'll come this way please." The man had a smooth voice. If velvet could speak, it would surely sound like this man's voice. Son of a bitch, she scowled at herself.

Realizing she was being rude, she felt her cheeks flush in a blush. Distracted by the beautiful man before her, she hadn't realized the silver Volvo parked a few yards away.

"Um, wait. Who the hell are you?" Bella suddenly realized she ogled a complete stranger. She didn't know who this mystery man was. What if he was a serial killer?

He gave her a wary expression. "My name is Edward Cullen. I'm your father's newest Executive Assistant."

"Oh," was her smartass reply.

Author's Note: So? What do you think? Any thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

I didn't expect to introduce Edward so soon, but oh well. I hope you like it.

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