Disclaimer: While many wish they were and few claim to be, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight Saga or anything associating with such including but not limited to Plots, themes, characters, symbolism, quotes, etcerta... Any resemblances are out of respect for the original author in a compliment to their work and they will not carry over into the rewritten versions staring all my own characters.

Unconditional
Emberlyn Ealise

In Lieu of Sunshine

Like famine in the Middle East, rain in Seattle was unavoidable. I watched as it pounded heavily against the thick glass of the window, each drop that sought admittance was rudely denied. They hit the glass with soft thuds before trailing downward in defeat. Some merged with other trails and some went at it alone, eventually disappearing insignificantly. Though they all fell from the same sky and from the same clouds, every drop had its own destination and path to find. If only the human race could be so intelligent.

I imagined that there were certain similarities. Like rain drops, we often crashed against glass surfaces, not seeing the barrier for what it was. We then followed our paths with or without others to join us. Our roads could be short or long but in the same way, they eventually ended. What rain drops held that humans lacked is the finesse in which they disappear into their own obscurity.

If anyone had asked me in that moment for my thoughts on life and love, they would have heard the text book definitions; life being the human condition between birth and death that separates us from inanimate objects and love being a combination of sexual attraction, attachment, and certain chemicals in the brain reacting based on time and circumstance. Cynical, yes, but I was a 24 year old medical student living with parents who hadn't touched one another in ages. The worst part about them was that I was the only one who had noticed.

I sighed and watched the thick glass before me cloud over and inhibit my view. Armed with not but the sleeve of my lab coat, I made haste to clear the haze and returned to the intense metaphoric vision of the life of rain drops. It may have sounded silly to an outsider but it was much more entertaining than the re-telling of the clinical dissection of the 20 year old female my father had on his table only hours earlier. The sight of her had made me ill and I had been on the ninth floor staring out the window ever since.

And then another possible 20 year old caught my sight. Though she was 9 floors down and across the street, I could still tell that she was a stunning beauty; at least I thought I could tell. Her back was facing me as she sat on the curb facing the main road that ran perpendicular to the one that divided us but I could make out the waves of her soaked hair and pale color of her face. She wore no jacket, held no umbrella, and her legs were buried at least mid-calf in the excess water that flowed toward the drain some three feet to her left.

The doctor in me feared for her health and safety. Being exposed to the elements in such a way might weaken her immune system, making her that much more susceptible to disease and illness. Then there was her mental state to consider. How stable could she possibly be to willingly subject her body to cold and rain without even the most modest bit of protection? Either diagnosis required the same action be taken: Have her admitted immediately.

There was another part of me though, a part I chose not to entertain often but preferred to any of my other vices. It was my inner detective, and while the doctor in me was diagnosing, it went through the mental calculations of possible reasons she was there. Judging by her apparent age and the hospital's proximity to the college, there was a good chance that she was a student, most likely a second year student since that's usually when the meager college funds ran out and it became time to figure our how to juggle a full class schedule and a full-time job. Throw in a limited social life and a hectic study schedule and it's a recipe for suicide. I'd never experienced it myself as I lived at home with wealthy parents and acquired numerous scholarships but I was witness to many nervous breakdowns amongst peers. At such a fragile age higher learning can take its toll.

The dark haired girl fit the college theory well with her untidy hair and too thin physique but as any good detective knows the first guess is usually wrong, too tainted by the first impression where every human being compares looks and personality to get a feel for whether another person is good or bad. It's a subconscious action but can be proven by the fact that before I thought she looks stressed I thought she's beautiful and admired her feminine features from afar. Now, it came time for a new theory but I couldn't think of a single thing that would depress a 20 year old girl. She had a lifetime ahead of her to be sad. These were the years to be happy. I had resolved to tell her so before a voice behind me startled my still form.

"We're just finishing up here if you want to get a head start. I'll be going home in a half hour or so" My father informed me, sounding annoyed that I haven't listened to a second of his reenactment of the earlier autopsy. I'm more interested in the status of the investigation than in the condition of victim number three's organs. "Your mother complains that she never sees you as it is. I'd rather not hear the nonsense that will go along with you staying late. I try to tell her that you're a grown-"

"It's fine," I cut him off before he started reminding me of how he felt about my living at home. If I could have put to rest the image of my mother being left alone surrounded by cats 365 days a year then I would have found an apartment long ago. I didn't know what I'd do when I found a girl worthy of settling down. "I have no problem cutting my hours a little short so that I can see mom once in a while. But you know she complains you're never home either."

"I'm not a child, Edward. I'm an adult with a career and a family for whom I provide. Your mother understands and one day you will as well." I wouldn't. I knew that I would never understand his blatant neglect but wisely I chose to not respond. It was better to let him believe he had won than to tell him what his family really thought of his choices.

When the legs of a chair behind me drug roughly across the tile floor I knew it wasn't my father who would be joining me. Officer Clearwater, Harry, took his time walking across the room to my side. He wasn't much older than my father, maybe in his mid 50's, but he was a heavy set fellow and carried it rather inelegantly. With his hand on my shoulder he made his presence known.

"It's not you, Eddie. This case is taking it out of the both of us." He sighed. "We've seen too much." I nodded so that he would think I understood but I didn't need an excuse for my father's behavior. I needed my dad.

"I take it she was another mannequin?" I switched to the subject of the case at hand.

"The third." He confirmed with a grim expression that reflected in the window.

"Another prostitute?" He shrugged.

"Not exactly, it looks like his latest victim worked at a strip joint downtown. I've got the boys at the station checking into the other girls, to see if they worked there or some club in the area. It'll narrow down the suspects if he strikes close to home."

"Do you guys have any new leads?"

"Na, the girls are all wiped clean. We think he washes them before he cuts and dresses the bodies. The soap is too common and the steel he uses to put them back together is local stuff. He's definitely from around here." Harry shook his head as if he thought it would get rid of the images. I already knew there was at least 25 years worth of images he'd do anything to have gone. It didn't keep him from kissing his wife when he got home every night and from taking time off work every time his daughter, Leah, came for a visit. I wondered if he thought of her when he saw the others. She was the right age and the right build, but she was far too intelligent for the club scene.

"You guys will get him," I offered. It was as hollow a statement to a cop as telling a homeless man about the increases in the stock market. He patted the shoulder he'd been holding.

"Don't be so hard on your dad. Carlisle isn't as seasoned as I am. He takes it harder when he realizes he can't save them all." He was my dad; He was supposed to be Superman. With that he turned back to my father content to have left me with what he thought was profound advice.

"Oh, and don't forget to grab an umbrella on the way out." He said with an obvious smile in his voice. I needed no further instruction as I took one last look at her before turning on my heel and heading for the door, slipping through it just in time to hear my father saying:

"Umbrella? He's parked in the carport."

I followed the hall way to where it opened into a lobby area equipped with three elevators all running slower than molasses as I hammered on the down arrow, anxious to play the role of Knight in Shining Armor. With my luck, she'd be gone by the time I got there making the rush completely unnecessary. The doors to my right dinged open allowing me to jump inside like the eager child I was reducing myself to.

In and out I breathed slowly the whole ride to the bottom to ensure I would be calmed by the time I arrived at the lobby. It was after ten and I knew I'd look like a heavily drugged patient if I appeared too eager on my way out. The hospital personnel knew me to be as somber as my father and I truly didn't feel like subjecting myself to questioning.

The doors dinged again and opened to the bottom floor parking structure. I muttered curses under my breath and pushed the lobby button. Out of habit I'd gone to my car which would not have been an issue had the aforementioned umbrella not been at the front desk with Jane, along with my coat. Up I went, three floors, until the doors at last opened to the smiling face of the newest intern, a 19 year old blond with the body of a 12 year old.

She was attractive as far as blonds go but she lacked maturity and curves as well as height. At 4' 7" she was legally a dwarf and though state law mandated she must drive with a booster seat she didn't mind because she also received a handicapped parking sticker. I never understood how just being smaller than average could be considered a handicap.

"Good evening, Jane," I greeted her, unable to wipe the silly grin off of my face. She blushed and giggled making her seem younger still. "I'll need my coat and one of those spare umbrellas you keep back there."

"An umbrella?" She questioned in her high pitched teenage voice.

"Yes, I was thinking taking a walk in this beautiful weather we're having," I joke earning another giggle as she scurried to the over sized closet behind her. She returned with just my coat and I eyed her expectantly.

"Oh!" She said startled, "I thought you were joking. Umm...they've actually all been taken, Edward...Sir..." Wonderful, I scared her. "But there's a little shop right outside where you could grab one. You'd only get wet for a few seconds." She amended.

It was the perfect idea. I'd have a purchased umbrella to leave with the girl if need be. I thanked Jane as I handed over the lab coat and wrapped my own coat around me before making my way to the exit. The shop she was referring to was in the opposite direction of the girl but it did remind me that there was another directly behind her. As hard as it was raining I knew I'd be soaked but I was in a hurry. From the doorway I could see her still sitting there and I didn't want to take a chance that she wouldn't be there when I returned.

Traffic wasn't as heavy as I would have expected for a Friday afternoon allowing me a small sense of comfort as I made my way across four lanes. Most of the drivers were accommodating since they were already going slower than usual but I did have one who jerked forward in a scare tactic. It was an action that earned him a not so friendly finger and a few choice words I preferred not to say in front of a lady, words I would have kept to myself knowing she was in earshot but thankfully too distracted to pay much attention to me.

The ache to be near her became more demanding once I survived my daring swim across the street and came to stand behind the lovely young lady. She seemed to notice nothing and no one despite how close I came to reaching my hand out and running my fingers through her undoubtedly knotted hair just to feel some piece of her. The thought made me feel somewhat like a stalker so I resolved to calm my over eager self inside the quaint shop where I hoped to find a usable umbrella.

The moment I was through the door the warmth inside began to wash over me. I hadn't even noticed how cold I was until I recognized the difference. It smelled of warm honey. Not the same scent as would have been present had the owner actually been heating the honey but more of the clean scent associated with a candle or an air freshener. Either way it smelled delicious and gave me a sweet tooth. Of all the subtle ways of marketing, sense association was my favorite.

Still, time was of the essence as I made my way to the counter where the clerk sat on a stool reading what looked like a magazine but upon closet inspection turned out to be a comic book. Catching my approach the clerk closed the book and laid it on the counter giving me her undivided attention with a pleasant smile. This was obviously a job she enjoyed.

"How are you doing today, Sir?" She asked. I favored conversational greetings to those in which a person was only interested in assisting you long enough for you to buy something and her soft voice made it that much more pleasant. I returned her smile with a friendly grin of my own.

"I'd be a little better if I wasn't being pelted by this downpour," I commented, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to get the water out. "I was finally having a good hair day too."

She laughed at my lame joke and began to look behind her for something.

"As far as your hair goes, I'm not going to be much help." She gestured to the mass of untidy red frizz surrounding her face as she moved toward the end of the counter. "But I can keep you from looking like a soaked cat tomorrow." She teased, handing me the dark green umbrella she found.

"Well, aren't you a little saint, Miss..."

"Victoria...Tory...Winters. Um… it's Victoria Winters but I go by Tory and sometimes V." She stuttered as though no one had bothered to ask her name before they walked through the door. "Sorry, I have this brain thing that makes me a little quirky. My mind moves faster than my speech so I sometimes stutter or answer questions that you didn't even ask because while we are at point A my brain is down the road at point F." She took a quick breath. "It has the added effect of making me talk too much as well. I should probably stop now. I'm sure you couldn't care less about the 'Honey-Pot' cashier and her dysfunctional brain to mouth connection..." She trailed of as her face began to blend with her hair. It was probably the exact response she feared but I couldn't help laughing. Girls were absolutely adorable with all the silly little things that would get to them.

"I actually find it interesting. Last semester, I studied surgical neurology and while we never got into anything like this, I can definitely see how it's possible," I assured her, "Has anyone ever prescribed you Ritalin? It's speed for the general population but a method of slowing down for those with over active minds." It was nice to see her relax after that.

"Oh, you're a med student?" I nodded. "They prescribed Adderall before but the headaches were unmanageable and I stopped taking it. I'd rather look like a fool in front of strangers than be in pain all the time just to save face."

I placed the umbrella next to the register for her to go ahead and ring up. On a normal day I would have stood there discussing treatment and options for hours but on a normal day I would not have even been there. I needed to get to the girl on the curb before she was gone for good. "Ah, I see. Ritalin usually has more intense side effects so you probably made the right choice." She nodded with a smile and rang up the umbrella.

"That'll be $15.98," she said and I handed her my card. One quick swipe later she was telling me to have a nice day while I was on my way out the door. As luck would have it the object of my every thought since I left the office still occupied her seat on the curb.

The cold must have finally settled in because she was more closed in on herself than earlier. Still, she didn't shiver once. Her hair blew lightly to the side in the direction the wind flowed. One stand tangled around the other and then more twirled in a spiral form calling to me, begging me to run my fingers through them to tame their wild ways. They bothered her not. They were merely stray stands she couldn't even bother to restrain in her hair tie.

Standing under the awning of the shop I shrugged out of my coat before even bothering with the umbrella. Though I was wasting a tremendous amount of time, I wanted to ensure she had them both. Her health was more important than mine and so without even asking I draped my designer jacket over her shoulders taking the seat next to her as I popped the umbrella open over our heads.

A sigh slipped from her lips giving me reason to take a look at her face at last. She wasn't looking at me still but I could see in her expression that she was acknowledging my presence. As unusual as it may have been, she was the odd one out it the rain leaving her little room to judge me.

Her features were soft and subtle, eyes and nose proportions were near exact while her mouth was a little out of the ordinary. The bottom lip was quite large compared to the top but as I watch her pull it into her mouth biting it timidly I could see that this was why. A woman her age had so many reasons to be nervous that it was no surprise that she had picked up a simple tick, but it still made me wish I knew her well enough to make her see that whatever she was so intimidated by at this time wouldn't matter in a year. Soon she would move on from the curb next to me and set out to conquer her own destiny without another thought about the night she was reduced to wallowing in the rain.

Unfortunately, I didn't know her that well and if I had said those things she would have most likely told me off for meddling in things which I had no business commenting. Even with her wet kitten look I could tell she was ferocious. To be honest, she intimidated me. I desperately wanted to speak to her, to say anything at all as my mouth went dry and my stomach turned flips. She obviously had no qualms about me or she would have left already. That still didn't mean I was man enough to for a coherent thought and push it out of my mouth.

You're so beautiful. You look so sad. May I sit with your for a while? Hold you in my arms and pretend that I am yours and that you are mine and that whatever is bothering you I can fix? Can I sing you a lullaby that only you will hear and know? One that speaks from the heart to yours of things I've never thought before...things I never imagined feeling? Can I kiss your cold lips to warm them with my own, tasting your breath as neither of us can be bothered to pull away for air? Will you let me touch your skin just once? Feel it weaken beneath my finger tips, giving way to my will the way I want you to give way to me? I need this now more than you'll ever know and I'll leave you be when it's done but for now, stranger to stranger, can you just be with me?

My jumbled thoughts were ridiculous as well as unnecessary. Just as I had taken liberties with her needs, she took them with mine leaning into me and putting her head on my chest. It was no longer just an acknowledgment of my kindness but a gesture of appreciation, one which I willingly took advantage. My free arm slipped over her shoulder and pulled our bodies closer together with her enjoying the warmth as much as I.

From an outsider stand point we probably looked very much like a young couple though still odd as we were allowing ourselves to become soaked. We weren't like the rest and we didn't want to be. We were in the moment, part of the life, and sadly disturbed. Her body shook against mine and while I had no way of knowing if this was her laughing or crying or cold I decided it was time to move. I unwrapped my arm from her shoulder and offered her my hand, looking into her eyes with a silent plea that she allow me to save her. She smirked in a saddened way but placed her hand in mine, willing me to lift her at last and lead her to a better place, the cafe two doors down.

It was much warmer once we got inside and I opted for a table in the back so that we wouldn't freeze every time the door opened. She didn't object once, just followed me quietly, never removing her hand from mine until we were both seated. The chair was uncomfortable but I'm sure it had something to do with my being soaked so I chose to concentrate on the beauty across from me whose face looked flushed and unhealthily sunken. She needed something to drink to warm her as well as something to eat to sustain her before she fainted. I wouldn't have minded having to administer breathing exercises to help her regain consciousness but I wouldn't intentionally allow her to need such measures. We sat there, staring at one another until the server stopped by the table reluctant to interrupt.

"Hi guys, I'm Carmen and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you out with something to help you warm up? You look like you've been out in that a little too long." She teased. I was happy to hear her joking and it earned a small chuckle from my companion as well. Her attention turned from me to Carmen.

"I'll have a peppermint hot chocolate with extra marshmallows." She ordered, not even bothering to check if it was something they served. I'd never had something so...sweet so it surprised me to see the waitress agree like it was ordered all the time. Perhaps it was me. I'd always had a bitter pallet. Carmen turned her blue eyes on me, waiting for my order.

"I'll have your clover brewed coffee, please. No cream." I instructed.

"Sure thing." She said, jotting down the request. "Can I get you anything to eat?"

I looked toward my rain coated friend allowing her to choose first. "I'm not hungry," she whispered, seeming afraid that I would object. Of course, I did.

"We'll share a soup and sandwich combo, the Tuscan Chicken Panini and Broccoli and Cheese Soup will be fine." Carmen nodded with a smile.

"I'll be right back with your drinks. Just let me know if you need anything else." With that she bounced off into the kitchen, allowing me and my friend to return to our staring contest. She didn't seem at all surprised that I would force food on her, more content I would say. It seemed she was not opposed to someone caring about her well being. Mustering what little courage I had left, I finally spoke to her.

"I'm Edward."

"Bella." She complied. I felt the need to speak, to fill the silence.

"I work at the Virginia Masen Hospital over on the corner. Well, I'm an intern there. I don't actually get paid for it yet but in another year or so I'll finish my degree and start working full time in the cardiac ward." I rambled. "Most likely, there's always the chance that I'll change my mind and do something in Neurology or even Pediatrics. I love children." She smiled sweetly giving me a moment to think of what I'd just said. "I don't have any, of course. I enjoy children and caring for them but I don't have any of my own. Not that there would be anything wrong with that. Plenty of 24 year old men have children..."

I feared I was jumping into a hole here and burying myself alive. It wasn't uncommon for a woman in her early 20's to have a child and while I had no intention of trying to start a relationship with a young mother, I was not about to make her feel wrong about it. Just because I wasn't ready for a child and a family didn't mean that she wasn't. Though, it did seem likely that she wasn't as I had just escorted her off the roadside in the rain to ensure she didn't catch pneumonia.

With impeccable timing Carmen handed us our drinks and checked again to ensure we needed nothing else before leaving me with my foot in my mouth waiting on Bella's reply. She was definitely amused.

"I don't have any children either. Maybe I'll have one someday but I'm in no position in my life to be responsible for another person." I didn't miss that she omitted telling me what position she was in her life.

"That's smart. What do you do then?" She sipped slowly on the hot chocolate closing her eyes as I watched it warm her face. Bella could be very lovely when she thought only of herself. Her eyes opened again to meet mine.

"I'm a student as well, a second year Sports Medicine Major."

"What got you into that?" I chanced, wanting her to say more. The cup of hot chocolate knocked lightly against the table as she thought about the question.

"My dad's a football coach down south and my mom is a vet, was a vet." She corrected hastily. "I guess that I just grew up taking care of the players like I saw my mom do with her pets and it seemed the logical route when I thought about what I would do with my life." I nodded.

"That's a lot like how I got into my field. My dad's a Coroner, who used to be a surgeon, and my mom...well I guess she really didn't have much to do with the decision. She's just a housewife."

"Just a housewife?" She quirked an eyebrow. I laughed.

"Okay, so maybe not just a housewife but she never really had a career. She and my dad met when she was real young and they grew up together knowing that they'd get married and he'd support her and she'd have dozens of his children."

"Dozens? Talk about commitment. How many siblings do you have?" She asked with a little enthusiasm. This was turning out to be much easier than I'd expected.

"I'm actually an only child. Mom and dad had big dreams when they were younger. They even bought this huge rundown house when he graduated college so that they could fix it up and fill its many rooms with all the babies they could manage. But things didn't really work out that way. Mom had trouble carrying to full term and after me being four months premature they decided it wasn't worth the risk to her or their future children," I explained. No one had ever really asked about that. My parents life before was something I was made aware of somewhere in my adolescent years but I hadn't given it much thought. Bella, however, looked saddened.

"That must have been so tough for them." She commented, reaching her hand across the table to mine and resting it there. I didn't need the comfort but I wasn't about to tell her that.

"Yeah, they poured all their love and attention into me after that." I shrugged. I wasn't sure what else to say on the subject and her sympathy was unnerving so we just sat in silence again for a few minutes with Bella thinking she was connecting with me and me wishing there was more to connect. "You said your parents were down south, how far south, exactly?"

"Oh, I'm from Phoenix." She stated, seeing what I was getting at. "I applied for the University there but didn't get in for some reason. It was a good thing dad and I had scouted out a few other schools since I managed to get into TU, FSU, and Washington. Dad thought it was a given that I'd pick TU but...here we are." She offered with small grin. My heart jumped thinking she was smiling about being here with me.

Things suddenly felt very Junior High. Was I supposed to ask her to go steady? Did couples even do that anymore? I felt far out of my element despite having gone on several dates recently. Dates had never been hard for me to find. It was girlfriends I had trouble keeping. Apparently females my age had no problem going home with a guy on the first date, they just had an issue when home was where his parents lived too. Amidst my dilemma Carmen came around with our food and a sweet smile.

"Here you are." She said, sitting the Panini in front of Bella and the soup in front of me, "Anything else I can get you?"

Genuine courtesy is always so comforting to me and it was something Carmen possessed a plethora of. She was always smiling that friendly smile while making conversation with multiple patrons yet she instinctively knew that Bella and I required no such attention. We knew little enough about each other to sustain conversation for hours, if only we could get things started.

"Bella?" I offered to see if there was something she had thought of while waiting but she shook her head, "Then we're good. Thank you so much, Carmen." Carmen nodded and went about her rounds again leaving Bella and I to make small talk between bites.

To my surprise when I turned my attention back to Bella she was diligently working on sawing the Panini in half to place part of it on a spare plate for me before taking the soup and putting it between us. She then gave me my half and dunked hers into the soup as though that was all it was for. When I didn't immediately dunk, she cocked an eyebrow with a questioning look, probably thinking she did something wrong. I just smiled and enjoyed my sandwich the same way talking sports and schooling while we ate. We were laughing and joking by the time we finished and I was slowly beginning to realize that I loved the way she laughed.

"If it were possible to die laughing I would have. Jake just stood there all rosy cheeked with his hair in braids and no clue why everyone was snickering." She could hardly even tell the story she was laughing so hard at the memory of the prank she and her Brownie Scout friends pulled on her older brother. I laughed along with her.

"Did he ever forgive you guys?" I asked.

"He kind of had too since I'm his sister and my best friend Nessie is now his wife." My eyes bugged out a little since she had described Nessie as the ring leader in most of the pranks against Jake. "Yeah, I know. It caught Jake off guard too but I could see it coming a mile away. Of all things said about love I count only count two that are without a doubt true. One, the surest sign of a man in love is shyness. Two, the surest sign for a woman is boldness."

"So, how did Jake figure it out?" I wondered, having never experienced love myself. She shook her head.

"He didn't." She stated, rolling her eyes at the thought, "Jake always has been a narrow minded hot-head when it came to my dating so I never bothered. It wasn't a big deal since guys weren't exactly knocking down my door back then but I had a lot of guy friends, even some of Jake's." Whether she believed it or not, I knew guys had to have been falling all over her otherwise Jake wouldn't have needed to be near as protective. It's a guy thing. "When I was 16, one of the joint custody friends was my first kiss. I was curious and he said he'd been sweet on me for a while so I just let it happen. He was an idiot...still is." She laughed again, "and told some of his buddies about it which inevitably got back to Jake and turned into a shoving match on the practice field after school. Nessie and I just happened to be there when Jake went off about how I was too young and it was just sick for Emmett to even look at me like that."

I cringed at the thought of the ramifications of hearing something like that. At 16 females could be so vulnerable and knowing that her brother thought her being kissed was sick could easily have inflicted damage to her confidence. She didn't seem too bothered though.

"I knew Jacob was just mad because I was his little sister and was supposed to stay that way but Nessie had had enough. I still remember the sound of her book bag hitting the track that surrounded the field and the feel of my face registering shock as she jumped between these two meat heads. Jake and Em would both tell you different but the giant bruise on the side of his face came from Nessie's fist and not Em's. She decked him so hard he stumbled three feet back and she called him a pea brained jock or something like that but then kissed him right on the mouth." I could see it in my head as if I'd been there. Bella's brother's stunned expression, the young French best friend grabbing her backpack off the track and walking away, Bella and Em trading knowing looks. It didn't escape my notice that anyone important in Bella's life earned a nickname and the boy who had given her her first kiss had been dubbed 'Em'. I wondered if she regretted leaving him behind in Phoenix but then reminded myself that with him being older he probably left her first. As I contemplated all of this Bella noticed that it was no longer raining and reminded me of the fact that I was supposed to be home long ago.

"Would you like me to take you home?" I offered praying she would say yes and I'd have an address to send flowers to for the next month but she declined, handing me my coat and walking toward the exit with me close behind. We'd sat at the table for good half hour after I paid but we couldn't get enough of each other. At least, I'd thought that was why until she was in such a hurry to be free of me.

"I don't live far from here and my roommate has this problem with strangers knowing where we live." She explained. I could understand that. Two young women alone in Seattle would need to be cautious about the men they meet but that didn't mean I couldn't see her again.

"Oh, well maybe I can get your number so that we can do this again sometime?" I tried, hoping not to be denied again. She let out an agitated breath as we stepped out of the cafe and onto the still soaked sidewalk.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said.

I thought everything was going great. I thought at the least I'd made a new friend but now I wasn't so sure. She bit her lip looking at me deciding whether or not to say more but I took the option from her by grabbing one of my father's business cards from my coat pocket along with a hospital pen to jot down my cell phone number on the back.

"Let's do this. I'll give you my phone number and if you change your mind you can call me anytime, day or night, and we'll do something," I offered. She reluctantly took the card and I knew I'd never see her again. She'd turn around and walk toward wherever 'home' was and forget my name, my phone number, everything. And I couldn't let her. My eyes darted to her mouth in a dead giveaway for what I was about to do. Her breath caught and I watched her every feature freeze but took it as a good sign because she didn't try to move away. With the only sense I had left, I took her chin in my hand and tilted her head back stepping closer to her as her lips parted and her eyes closed. Bella needed this every bit as much as I did, offering me no option to retreat.

I kissed her.