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Chapter 1

BPOV

I couldn't believe myself – my third day in Forks and I was already at the hospital emergency room. Who was I kidding? Of course I was already at the emergency room, no one on Earth was as big a klutz as I was. God, if only Charlie would go away. I swear I'd be in less pain if he'd stop hovering. He'll never let me continue to feed him now – my double act of slicing my hand open and inexplicably passing out is probably more traumatising than Renée's cooking ever was.

"Char – Dad?" I quickly thought up a possible distraction.

"Yeah, honey? Do you want me to go ask the nurse when you're gonna see the doctor, Bells?" He looked so shaken up I almost felt guilty.

"No, Dad, really. I'm sure she knows we're here – you've only asked her 5 times already." He winced slightly. Great, now I really did feel guilty.

I deliberately made my voice sweeter. "Um – actually, I was wondering if you'd mind getting me a coffee from the cafeteria. Caffeine tends to calm my nerves a bit." Not actually true, but I knew he'd fetch me anything pronto if it might calm me at all – what with my fainting at the smell of my own blood having freaked him out so badly. Probably should have warned him about that in advance…

He stopped his pacing and frantic hair rubbing to smile weakly in my direction. He should really cut that out – he's making his hair recede. "Sure, honey, anything I can do to help." He patted the back of my non-injured hand and rushed off down the hall. I hoped he'd take his time – or at least get sucked into a long, drawn-out conversation with one of Forks' more chatty seniors. What a horrible thing to wish on your father. Apparently I was horrible as well as klutzy and bleeding.

"Nice manoeuvre," a low, beautiful voice said quietly from my right.

"Uh – thanks," I replied. I turned my head in the voice's direction and met the clearest green eyes I'd ever seen. They had to be contacts; no one had eyes that colour barring cosmetic or digital enhancement. They were almost sparkling as though lit from within. Sparkling? Really? God, I must be losing a lot of blood – maybe I shouldn't have sent Charlie off after all.

The voice and the eyes, they appeared to have a mouth too – with perfect, full lips that were grinning at the humongous ass I was making of myself. Lord. Three days in town and I was gushing blood from the hand and drooling over the town hottie in the middle of the hospital emergency waiting room. What a winner.

I snapped my gaping mouth shut. I could feel the heat of the blood pooling in my face. My own body was a traitor and always had been -- why should I expect that to ever change? What had he said again? Oh, right, my stealth at getting rid of Charlie.

"You don't think he noticed, do you? That I was trying to get rid of him?"

He shook his head reassuringly. His gorgeous head of reddish-brown locks that stuck up every which way as if he'd just gotten out of bed. After having a wild session. Beautiful, bronze sex hair. "No, he seemed far too preoccupied with worrying to notice. You are an atrociously bad actress though, you should probably know." He grinned at me crookedly again. God.

My eyes were unfocused and my mouth felt slack. Was he a hypnotist? Get a grip, Bella.

"What did you do to your hand?" he asked politely, purposely ignoring the way I was openly staring at him with lust in my eyes.

"Er- I cut it open with a kitchen knife. Which is weird, because I'm generally unusually dexterous in the kitchen."

"Unusually?" He was grinning again. Kill me now. No, take me now. Yes, preferable to dying.

"Yes. I'm a horrible klutz most of the time. All of the time, apparently."

He laughed softly making my insides squirm. I looked away before he could read it all over my face.

"What are you in for? You look uninjured and remarkably healthy."

He didn't answer right away, so I looked back at him. He was glancing over towards the nurses' station. Ah, pretty nurse. Damn.

"Or just here scoping out the hot nurses," I muttered.

"What?" he laughed again. "No – um – no." He seemed suddenly nervous. "I'm just waiting for an opening to talk to my father, actually. He's working in there." He pointed at the doors to the emergency ward where I desperately needed to be, but somehow was no longer in a hurry to get to. Funny how that worked.

"I'll make sure you see him first though," he continued. "Your hand is far more important than a message from my mother, wouldn't you say?"

"We could kill two birds with one stone if you want. As long as you don't get nauseous watching human skin being sewn back together."

"I think I can wait – he's a quick stitcher. Does it bother you, watching the stitching?"

"Not anymore." Did I really just ask this complete stranger to come in with me while I got my hand sewn back together? I really have lost a lot of blood. At least he didn't back away slowly.

He smiled at me instead. "Right. Horrible klutz and all that."

The stupid, pretty nurse picked that exact moment to interrupt. And she smiled all sweetly at Hot Sparkly Eyes too, like he was a close personal friend. Oh wait, she probably knows him if his father is a doctor here… or she knows him because they're both hot and often park along wooded roads and screw in the backseat of his car.

"Miss Swan? Doctor Cullen will be right with you. Are you holding up all right?"

I forced myself to smile and told her I was fine. Just go away, you're ruining my one and only chance to talk to hottie over here. She went back to her station where she belonged. I had no right to be bothered, but it still pissed me off when she batted her lashes at him before walking away. Not that I could really blame her.

"So you're Chief Swan's daughter?"

I winced. Everyone in Forks' stared at me when I was out with Charlie. Stared like they'd been gossiping, and were going to do a whole lot more as soon as we were out of earshot.

"So you've heard all the gossip about me too, huh?" I muttered, looking down at a stack of magazines.

"No. I heard you call him dad, and then she called you Miss Swan, so I put two and two together. I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing."

I looked back up; he appeared to be sincere. "Neither do I."

"So – anything good? Gossip-wise, I mean? Kicked out of a previous school, been to rehab, warrants for your arrest that your father isn't aware of?" He grinned cheekily at me.

I couldn't help but return it. "Nothing so newsworthy, I'm afraid. We really aren't that exciting – though some people around here might tell you otherwise."

"Well, people around here often have too much time on their hands," he said darkly. "Small towns can be like that."

A nurse came out from behind the swinging doors carrying a chart. "Isabella Swan?"

My heart dropped. "Ugh – time to get all sewn up," I mumbled.

"It was nice talking to you, Isabella," he said quietly, then stood up and walked in the other direction before I had the chance to correct him. I detested being called Isabella. Oh well, he could call me whatever he wanted. Who was I kidding?

Damn! I didn't even catch his name! I slumped out of my seat and walked towards the beckoning nurse.

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