Prologue

Ah . . . warmth. This is a climate I enjoy.

It's been four years since that night of prom, and the ring was happily resting on my left hand. Good thing Jake lived through Mom and Dad . . .

*

"Ready?" I asked Jake confidently next morning after prom. We'd sworn not to think about it until we got around to telling them. Thank heavens for Aunt Alice not being able to see our future.

"Yep," he replied in a tight voice. His temperature seemed to have cooled down a few degrees.

"Breathe, hon," I had said to him. "Dad won't kill you. Mom won't, too."

He let out a huge huff and felt a bit warmer again.

I opened the door of the house and found everyone laughing in the living room.

They stopped abruptly when we entered.

"Mom, Dad, can we talk to you for a sec?" I asked nonchalantly in the sweetest voice possible. We headed to the dining room.

"Looks like you have something big to say," Mom commented. As if I needed any of that.

"Okay, I'm saying this to you first so Dad won't freak out . . . well, he will anyway since I'm sure he'll be reading my thoughts . . ." I said. I placed my hand on her face and reminisced the moments that had happened last night.

"No," Mom whispered as he saw Jacob kneeling with the tiny box in his hands. Dad looked ready to kill.

"Dad! Please let me finish," I cried before he could pounce on Jacob.

"You obviously said yes, how could you not say yes! Let's get to the part where you said yes . . . wait . . . you said . . . no?"

"Not . . . exactly." I got to the part where I told Jake that only when I officially turn eighteen will I marry him.

I put my hand down and revealed the ring. Dad began rubbing his temples but Mom hugged me.

"I'm so proud of you," she said with dry sobs. "You made a very wise decision."

"Thanks, Mom," I replied, hugging her back. When she let me go, she hugged Jake.

And Dad? Still rubbing his temples.

"Now I know how Charlie feels," he finally said.

His statement made us all crack up. I just couldn't resist the urge to hug him. I'm such a daddy's girl.

*

I smiled to myself at the memory. As usual, Jake and I were here in La Push just enjoying the very few rays of sunlight.

"Jake, sometimes you make me feel like I'm your little sister," I moaned.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

Hah. As if every girlfriend rides on her boyfriend's back like a kid. I pressed my hand on his face and told him that.

"Quil told Claire yet?" I asked.

"Nope," he replied. "Claire's still twelve, but Quil reckons she has a crush on him."

"Why are you wolves so conceited," I sighed.

"Hey, tell me one time I was," he challenged.

"Let's see," I said in a mock voice. "The time you boasted about playing guitar, when in fact you couldn't think of lyrics quick enough; the last time the Volturi attacked, you said you were going to fight, but ended up doing nothing; and finally, the time you thought you could live without me and ended up with me."

"Now, who were you calling conceited again?" he replied. I smacked him playfully on the head. He just turned and kissed me on the cheek.

"Hey, it's one of the things you love about me," I replied.

My phone rang.

"Yep?"

"Nessie, you have to get here now," said an agitated Aunt Rose from the other line. She still teaches at Forks High with Uncle Emmett while the rest of us go to the University of Washington.

"Why? What's the big hurry?" I asked.

"Someone wants to talk to you," she replied, almost excited. "Make yourself presentable and be here in five minutes."

"Sure," I said. "See you later."

I explained the situation to Jake and we drove back home. It took me a second and a half to prepare myself then we rode Mom's Ferrari to my old school. Aunt Rose led me into the conference room. Mr. Greene was with a few people.

"Here she is," Aunt Rose announced proudly. The three of them stood up.

"Miss Vanessa, this is Gabrielle and Michael Jameson. They're currently the owners of a big record company in U.K."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, shaking their hands. I was so nervous that I was almost as hot as a human. Finally, we all sat down. Jake was outside so I felt even colder.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jameson—"

"Please, sir, you could call us by our first names," Michael Jameson said.

"Very well then. Mike and Gabby were looking for new stars. They held an audition here for a week, but unfortunately, they didn't find anyone who they think would shine very long. Mike, I think you'd like to finish the story."

"Well, when we bumped into Rosalie, we had a little chat and sort of told her about our little problem," he continued. "She gave me the album you recorded four years ago."

"And?" I asked eagerly.

"We think that you're star material," Gabrielle concluded.

"W-what?" I stuttered. "M-me?"

"Yes, you!"

I can't believe it! Me!

"So, are you in?"

I was so excited that I didn't say anything. I uttered a few incoherent words before I finally replied properly.

"Sure!"

"Great!" Michael replied enthusiastically. "We'll come over to your house next week with the contract. Please inform your family about this. I'm sure they'll be so proud of you."

He shook my hand, but I still didn't say anything. Gabrielle hugged me before they left.

"Thank you so much!" I finally managed to say. Tears were forming at the corners of my eyes.

"Jake!" I screeched when the door opened.

"Huh? Whazzapened? Oof!" I soared to him in a huge hug. Apparently, he fell asleep on the bench. "Whoa, why are you crying?" He began stroking my hair.

I took hold of his hand and recounted everything.

"I'm going to be a singer!" I squealed excitedly.

"That's great!" he replied.

We drove home with big smiles on our faces.

When I got there however, a party was already waiting for me. Aunt Alice had seen the whole thing through Aunt Rose.

"Congratulations!" she greeted with a teddy bear hug. The other members of my family enveloped me in hugs after her, but Dad held on to me.

I told them that the Jamesons were meeting me again next week to see my parents and to let me sign the contract. We agreed to just let Daddy Carlisle and Mommy Esme pose as my parents for that part.

Sure enough, they did come the following week. They were a bit puzzled when they saw Daddy and Mommy but we explained that they had adopted me just like the rest.

"So today, you'll be signing the contract officially, well, at least if you agree to," Mr. Jameson explained. "When you do, you will be doing a mock contract signing in front of the press. Here's the contract."

It was a one-year exclusive contract to Lightning Records. If I was offered, however, I could agree to some TV, film and advertising contracts, too. They're letting me record one album for the duration of the contract although if it hits gold label in a month, they'll make me do another one. The pay's not bad either.

I was about to sign the contract when I read the final agreement.

"I have to live in U.K. for the duration of the contract?" I asked, eyes wide open.

What the hell?

"Well, Lightning Records is based in London," Mr. Jameson pointed out. "And you'll be allowed to bring two guardians with you. I can see your parents will be unable to, since your father's needed in town."

You'll come with me, right? You and Mom?

Dad was two seats away from me. He gave a jerk of his head which I took to be a yes.

Jake was holding my hand. Will you be okay? I asked. He too, nodded.

I signed my name at the bottom of the page.

Michael Jameson smiled widely.