"The Alternate-Shipper Challenge"

Title: Perfection Personified

Pen name: JasperLuver48

Existing work: N/A

Primary Players: Bella/Paul

Disclaimer: All characters and likeness to Twilight do not belong to me :) I just like to play with them to satisfy my pervy mind!

To see other entries in the, please visit the C2: http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Alternate_Shipper_Challenge_Entries/81593/99/0/1/

A/N: I just want to thank my good buddy Tiffaninichole for pre-reading and re-reading this entry and for all of her wonderful suggestions to make it better for all of you to read! She truly is awesome and she rocks my world :) You should most definitely check out her entry for the contest 'This Summer' b/c it totally fucking blows my mind :) then after that, hurry quickly to her profile to check out her other fics! They'll have you running for the bathroom before you piss yourself, that's how fuckawesome she is :) You can find her under my favorite authors!

Also major kudos go out to coachlady1 for helping me decide between Paul and Embry. I think she made the right choice :) Thanks lady, you rock my world!

Alright now, enjoy the story :)

I'd just about had enough of all the damn drama being thrown into my life these days. What kind of drama, you ask? Try being the prize that two testosterone-filled eighteen year old boys are vying to win. I know most girls would kill to be in the middle of such a competition, especially when the boys who were after you were Edward Cullen and Jacob Black. Each one of them was stunningly gorgeous in his own way and had special qualities that would make most girls swoon.

I, however, am not like most girls. I am Bella Swan, only daughter to the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington. I preferred to live a quiet, simple life and when my two best friends were almost killing each other on a daily basis to get my attention, it was more than enough to drive me over the edge.

I've known Jacob since I was very little. We used to play together all the time when I came to Forks to visit my father during the summer. He was always so sure that one day I would be his girlfriend, and he never let me forget it. Our fathers are best friends and fishing buddies, so they were both pushing us together. I didn't want to be with someone just to make my father happy, I wanted to be with someone that made me happy. Don't get me wrong, Jacob is amazing and a total sweetheart, but he also can be cocky and pushy and doesn't follow the boundaries of personal space very well.

Edward, on the other hand, was gentle and caring. He was so attentive to my needs that it was borderline crazy. He's been my other best friend ever since I moved to Forks to live with Charlie, so that my mom could travel with her boyfriend and his baseball team. I met Edward through his sister Alice, who was my very first friend at Forks High. She walked right up to me the first day, announced to me that we were going to be great friends as she pulled me in for a hug, and we have been friends ever since. She'd invited me over to her house after school that first day, and that's where I first met Edward. He was sitting at his piano, playing the sweetest melody I'd ever heard and it drew me in. We began talking and I found that we had super-compatible personalities. It was nice to have another friend.

So there I was, sitting on a bench located on the sideline of the basketball court in the middle of Forks Public Park. I was supposed to be watching Edward and Jacob battle each other on the court, but I was day dreaming more than I should have been. They were doing their best to show off for me, both shooting incredible shots that should have impressed me, but honestly I just wished they'd stop.

"Hey, Bells, watch this!" Jacob exclaimed, right as he jumped up and twisted around in the air before dunking the basketball straight down through the rim. I could tell he was incredibly proud of himself because he was doing a victory dance under the hoop and Edward was cursing under his breath.

"Wow, that was great, Jake," I cheered, feigning interest. I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

I guessed that meant that Jacob had just won the game, but I didn't know why Edward thought he could win against Jacob. He was captain of the basketball team at his school in La Push and had just led them to the state basketball championships. He was also eight inches taller than Edward, standing at a towering 6'5". Edward had him beat in the academic department though, he was captain of the debate team and had been a straight A student since kindergarten.

I was drawn to them both in different ways, but I knew that I couldn't date either one of them without screwing up my friendship with the other. That meant they could battle each other as much as they wanted, it was never going to happen for either of them. It made me feel like shit knowing that I was hurting them both, but I couldn't do anything about it without losing one of my best friends and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"So, what's next guys?" I asked.

"Let's go get something to eat," Edward suggested.

"Okay, that sounds good," I agreed. "Jake, you coming?"

"Nope, I have to go home and get ready for the bonfire tonight. You're still coming with me right?" he asked, looking very hopeful.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Yeah, I'll be there," I assured him. "7:00 right?"

"Sounds great, Bells," he agreed and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Ugh, Jake, you're all sweaty. Maybe you should shower before the bonfire or you are going to smell later," I cringed, pulling away and wiping his sweat off my arms.

"Oh, I'll be very clean for you later, babe. I'm gonna head home now, see ya later cutie." He winked at me and then jogged to his motorcycle. Yup, that's right, Jake is a basketball playing, motorcycle riding, God of a man. There might be something wrong with me, I thought to myself.

"Earth to Bella, come in Bella!" Edward was saying, trying to snap my attention away from Jacob and back to himself.

"Oh yeah, sorry Edward," I apologized. "What were you saying?"

"I just wondered if you were ready to go or not," he repeated.

"Yeah, sure. I'm ready, let's go."

We headed towards his car and he drove up to the diner. We ate pretty quickly, so that I would have time to get ready for the bonfire. Of course, Edward wouldn't let me pay for dinner. Between Edward and Jacob, I hadn't had to pay for a meal since we met. I always insisted that I pay for myself, but eventually gave up the fight, knowing it was futile.

After Edward pulled up to my house and parked his car, he got out and walked around to open my door. The eternal gentleman, I jokingly called him. He walked me up to the door and we hugged each other good-bye. Just like always, he tried to convey as much love and adoration with his hug as he possibly could. He waited until after I was completely in the house before he turned around and went back to his car.

I went upstairs to shower and change out of my school clothes- putting on a jean skirt with a dark blue spaghetti strap tank top, and finishing it off with my brown leather sandals. My hair was pulled into a scrunchy side-swept ponytail and my make up consisted of eye-liner and lip gloss. I was positive that the outfit I was wearing would be Alice approved, which meant that I was getting better with the fashion stuff. Of course, having Alice as my best female friend helped me with that tremendously.

Once I was done getting ready, I headed out to my beast of a truck and got in. I drove to Jacob's house in La Push, which was only fifteen minutes away from Forks. Jacob was outside waiting for me, like usual, when I pulled up to his house. He had great hearing and knew the sound of my truck from three blocks away. He came running up to the truck and scooped me off the ground as soon as I was free from my truck.

"Bells, I'm so glad you are here," he cried, as he spun me around.

"Jake, it's only been a few hours since I saw you last," I reminded him. "Please put me down now, you're making me dizzy."

"Sorry about that, babe." His face got darker with embarrassment but you could never see that boy blush. "I'm about ready and then we can head down to the beach. Sound good?"

"Yeah, can I help you get anything ready?" I asked, always wanting to be helpful. I followed him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, can you grab that tray of sandwiches? I'll grab the cooler. Do you mind if we take your truck so we can use the bed to put this stuff on?" Jake grabbed the cooler like it was nothing, but I could see his very well defined muscles flex and my stomach betrayed me by fluttering.

I picked up the sandwich tray and turned to answer him. "Absolutely, Jake. Do we need anything else before we head out?"

He flashed his wicked sexy grin at me. "Nah, that's it. C'mon let's get down there. Everyone will be waiting for us."

We put everything in the bed of the truck and just as I was about to get in, Jacob turned around and ran back into his house. I was about to follow him in, when he re-appeared at the door with a blanket and a jacket.

"What's that for?" I wondered out loud, curious.

"Uhm, you're gonna get chilly when the sun goes down and I figured you might need a jacket. The blanket is so you don't sand in uncomfortable places while wearing that fuckhot skirt you've got on," he explained to me like it was simplest thing on Earth.

I was pleasantly surprised that he was being so prepared. "Thanks, Jake. That's so sweet of you to think of me."

Jacob grinned at me like I had just told him he'd won the lottery. I jumped into the driver's seat and Jake climbed into the back to watch the food.

We got to the beach just a minute later and we unloaded the food and drinks that we'd brought. As we carried them to the bonfire spot, I noticed that all of La Push had showed up and there was already a massive spread of food laid out. I sat the sandwiches down and went over to greet Jake's dad.

"Hey, Billy! It's so nice to see you again." I leaned down to hug him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bella, you look more beautiful every time I see you," Billy answered, then grinned wickedly. "When are you gonna wise up and give my son here a chance to make you a happy woman?"

I blushed profusely when he said that, as I really never had a good explanation other than I didn't want to hurt one of my best friends.

Jake butted in before I had a chance to answer. "Dad, lay off the match making for one night. Bella will be mine in due time, I promise you that. Let's just let her enjoy herself tonight."

I smiled gratefully at Jake and walked off to say hi to Jake's friends. "Hey guys!" I called out as Jacob caught up to me. Quil, Embry, Seth, and Leah were all standing around one of the tables of food. The guys seemed to get taller and more muscular every time I saw them. They were all very tan and gorgeous, but none of them had anything on Jacob.

"Hey, Bella's here!" Quil exclaimed, running up to me and hugging me.

"Good to see you too, Quil," I giggled. "Now put me down!"

"Bella, you look beautiful tonight," Embry complimented me. "I'm glad you decided to come down for the bonfire."

"Me too Em, I've missed hanging out with everyone. Senior year is kicking my ass thoroughly, though." I hugged him and turned to Leah.

"How's life on the rez?" I asked her with a friendly smile. Leah was very beautiful and Jake had told me that Embry finally wised up and decided to give her a chance.

She grabbed Embry's hand possessively, but answered me in a polite tone. "It's good. School's great and being with Embry is totally awesome."

Seth's eyes lit up when he saw me, "Bella, I've missed you so much!" He hugged my waist and looked up at me with a huge smile.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." I'd always felt very protective of Seth because he was the youngest of the boys. He'd always want to tag along and do everything the older guys did, but they didn't always treat him so nicely. He was Leah's brother, but I always thought of him as a younger brother type. I had made it very clear to Jacob that I wanted Seth to be treated like 'one of the guys' and not like an outcast. It seemed to me that he had taken that to heart because everyone was being super nice to him lately.

I looked around to see if I could find Sam and Emily and that's when it happened. I saw the most beautiful man I'd ever laid my eyes on. He was standing on the other side of the fire next to Sam, engaged in conversation with him. My eyes felt like they were about to bug out of my head and my mouth was hanging open, not so subtly.

I'd never seen this man before, but he had to be at least twenty. He was nearly as tall as Jacob and built like a model. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I could see the definition of his eight-pack ab set. His skin was the same russet color as Jake and all his friends. His eyes were sparkling green and his short brown hair seemed to be inviting my hands to run through it. The sun was setting behind his head and it was the perfect light for him. There were honestly no words for me to describe just how perfect he looked.

"Who's t-t-that?" I stuttered to Jacob, nodding at the mystery man.

I could tell that Jacob knew something was up. There was anger burning behind his eyes and his hands clenched up without warning. "That's Paul," he spat. "Why do you want to know?"

"I've never seen him before, and I was just wondering," I replied softly. I didn't want to hurt Jacob, but I felt like I needed to talk to him.

"Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Jacob asked quietly.

"No, I'm good, Jake. Thanks for asking, but I'm still full from dinner with Edward," I answered gently. I put my hand on his arm to see if he was okay, but he just flinched away from my touch and walked back over to the guys.

I felt drawn to Paul and before I realized what had happened, my feet had led me directly to where they were standing.

I could overhear Quil and Embry asking Jake what was going on and Jake just stood there shaking with anger. He wasn't speaking to them, and I knew that was a bad sign.

"Bella, I'm so glad that you came tonight," Sam said, putting his arm on my shoulder.

"Me too, Sam," I agreed. "Hello, Emily, you look beautiful tonight." Emily was about five months pregnant with their first child and simply glowing.

"Thank you, Bella. You look very pretty yourself," she replied back with a smile that could instantly put anyone at ease.

I turned my head slowly to see if Paul was paying any attention to us, and sure enough he was looking me up and down. "Paul, this is Bella Swan, Jacob's best friend from Forks," Sam introduced us. "Bella, this is Paul. I went to school with him and he's finally returned to La Push."

"Hello, Bella," Paul breathed in the sexiest voice I'd ever heard. It was melodic and raspy at the same time and it made my stomach do flip-flops. "It's nice to meet you."

I could feel the heat rising to my face as I replied, "It's nice to meet you too, Paul."

Sam just gave Paul a knowing smile and announced, "I'll let you two get to know each other. It was good to see you, Paul. Come find me before you leave tonight and we'll catch up a bit more."

Paul fist-bumped Sam and agreed, then he turned to me. "So, Bella, tell me about yourself."

"What would you like to know?"

"Where are you from? I know I'd remember seeing such a beautiful girl hanging around here before I left." He winked at me and that sent goosebumps up and down my skin.

"Uhm... Well I moved to Forks in the middle of my junior year to live with my dad, Charlie, so that my mom could travel with her boyfriend. I used to live in Phoenix," I explained. "How about you? Where did you come back from?"

"I was in Seattle. I went to trade school up there and just finished my degree in mechanics and business. I plan on running the garage that Sam's family owns. With the baby on the way, Sam doesn't want all the responsibility of having to run the garage on a daily basis, and I don't blame him," Paul answered, and without missing a beat, he asked me, "So, what's going on with you and Jake?"

That caught me completely off guard because I wasn't expecting him to give a damn about my relationship status. "Jake is my very best friend and I care about him dearly, but there's nothing else going on between us," I clarified. "Why do you ask?"

Paul looked over at Jake and then back at me. His face scrunched up into a sort of frown and fuck if that didn't make him look sexy as hell. "Well, he's been giving me the death glare for the past five minutes that you've been over here talking to me. My guess is that he thinks there's more to it then just friendship going on between you two."

Damn it, Jacob, I thought to myself, don't screw this up for me. I was surprised enough that this God of a man was actually talking to me like he was interested in my boring life, and I didn't want him to back off because he thought he was infringing upon another man's territory. "I assure you that there is nothing but friendship on my end towards Jacob. It's a long story actually and I'm not sure you'd be interested in hearing about it."

"I'm actually very interested, Bella. Please, go ahead and tell me about it," he insisted. He flashed me his fuckawesome smile and I couldn't deny him.

I spent the next ten minutes explaining about my friendship with Jacob and Edward and how they were both after me, but that I only wanted to be friends with both of them. I told him about how I was afraid if I dated one or the other that I'd end up losing them both and how I couldn't let that happen. He listened very intently through the entire explanation, never once butting in or interrupting me in any way.

When I was done telling him my story, he furrowed his brow as though he was deep in thought. He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers into his temples. I was really confused at what was happening and then he opened his eyes and began to speak. "Here's what I think, Bella. I'm certainly interested in getting to know you better and would love to be able to do just that. However, as long as Jacob thinks that there is a chance for him to get with you, the code of the tribe stands in my way. I can honestly tell you that I don't give a damn about that Edward character because he does not matter to me, but I am not about to cross a line with my brother, whether he likes me or not. I think you need to have a conversation with him and then come find me, that is, if you are still interested in getting to know me also. Does that sound reasonable?"

I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach, but I was also smart enough to realize that what Paul said was right. I did need to have a discussion with Jacob about the status of our friendship, my only fear was that I was going to lose Jacob forever and I wasn't sure if it was worth it.

I sighed heavily and then turned to look into those green eyes that had made it hard to concentrate, "Yeah, that sounds reasonable. I'm going to go talk to Jacob now."

I got up and walked away from Paul, even though I really didn't want to do what I was about to do. It seemed like it took me forever to walk back towards Jacob and his friends and it wasn't a very warm welcome that I received when I finally got there.

"Are you done talking with that scrub, Bella?" Jake asked me icily.

"Jake, please don't. Let's take a walk up the beach, okay?" I suggested.

Jacob looked over at Embry who just nodded his head. I shot a grateful glance Embry and took Jacob's hand, pulling him towards our log.

"What's going on, Bella?" he asked, his voice full of worry and sorrow, as if he already knew what was coming.

"I think we need to have a talk, Jake." I sat down on my half of the log and tugged on his arm, urging him to do the same.

"About the scrub?" he spat back at me.

"No, Jake, about us. You know that you are my best friend and I love you dearly, but I do not have romantic feelings towards you or Edward. You guys mean the world to me, but all this fighting over my attention and for my affection is a complete and total turn off. I know that most girls would die to have the two of you fight over them, but that's not who I am." I couldn't even look at him because I knew what I was doing to him.

"Bella, don't do this, please," he begged me, grabbing my hand. I could hear the desperation in his voice. "I've been in love with you since I was four years old and you used to come play here with your dad during the summer. When you moved back, it made me the happiest man in the world. Please give me a chance to show you that I can be everything you need in a man. I'll make you happier than you could ever imagine being. I don't want to lose you, Bella, especially to someone like Paul. You don't even know him, what makes him so special?"

"I can't answer that, Jake. I don't know. All I know is that my heart tells me I need to give him a chance and get to know him better. You know I don't ever want to hurt you, but I also don't want you to keep putting your life on hold waiting for me." I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer to the next question, but it had to be asked anyway. "How much is this going to change things, Jake?" I looked straight into his eyes at that moment, wishing there was some way to absorb all the pain I was causing him.

He stared back into my eyes, like he was trying to tell me something without using his words, and I felt my heart rip in two. "This changes everything, Bells. I don't know how much, but I do know that I have to get out of here. I can't deal with this right now and I definitely don't want to see you cozying up to the scrub tonight."

I could sense the tension building inside of him and knew it was best to just let him go before he said something he would regret later.

"Okay, Jacob. Please call me tomorrow, after you've had time to digest all of this. I don't want to lose you." Tears were streaming down my face at that point but I couldn't control it.

Jake stood up and started to walk away without responding to my plea, but then he turned around last second and came rushing back at me. He threw his arms around my waist and picked me up, crashing his lips to mine in the most passionate kiss I'd ever had with anyone. He kissed me with everything he had inside of him. I could sense he trying to convey every emotion he had bottled up inside of him with the passion he was emitting. The horrible thing was that I felt nothing inside. He put me down and walked away dejectedly, saying absolutely nothing.

"Jake," I called after him, "I'm sorry!" That's all I could muster before I was on the ground, sobbing.

I wasn't sure how long I was on the ground crying, but it was long enough for me to start freezing. Just as I realized how cold it really was, I felt a warm pair of arms wrap around me from behind. "Are you okay, Bella?" I heard Paul's raspy voice ask.

"Not really, I just broke my best friend's heart into a million pieces." His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer and making me feel a bit better.

"I'm sorry that you had to do that, Bella. Are you sure it's what you wanted to do?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

I was still shivering, but his arms were keeping me warm enough that I didn't want to move. "I really wish I never had to do that because I hate hurting him, but it needed to be done. Getting to know you better is something I really want to do."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Bella. I can't wait to learn more about you also." His warm breath hit my neck and gave me goosebumps. I was seriously beginning to forget why I was upset, being this close to Paul was intoxicating.

"So, do you live alone or with roommates?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the pervy thoughts roaming through my brain, caused by our skin-to-skin contact.

"I just moved in with my friend Jared and his girlfriend Kim. They have a nice little place up the road and are letting me rent the basement. It's like an apartment with it's own entrance and everything." Paul leaned over and put his chin on my shoulder, which left his mouth right next to my ear. He whispered very seductively, "I'd love for you to come over sometime so I can show it to you."

I shivered visibly, but this time it had nothing to do with the temperature outside. I was extremely turned on by the closeness of his mouth to my skin and I wanted desperately to kiss him. "I would love to come see your apartment sometime," I responded after a moment. I didn't want him to think I wasn't going to accept his invitation, but my brain had other ideas.

I turned my head to the side and boldly sought out his lips with my own. Paul responded to the kiss and our lips began moving hungrily together. I never wanted that kiss to stop, it was pure perfection. Thinking to myself, I couldn't help but realize that this is exactly the way a first kiss is supposed to feel, you are supposed to want it to continue forever.

Paul pulled his lips away to breathe and placed his forehead against mine. "Wow," he murmured.

"I wholeheartedly agree," I whispered. "That was perfect."

"Bella," he said very slowly, "Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

My eyes lit up and my heart began to race at the idea of spending another night with Paul. "Of course, I would love to go out with you tomorrow night."

"Great! I'll pick you up at your house at 6pm. I'd better get you back to the bonfire so you can get going home, it's getting late and you're freezing." Paul got up off the ground and helped me up, lacing his fingers through mine and holding my hand all the way back to the group.

Embry saw us returning and came running over. "Bella, where's Jake?" he asked, eyeing our fingers tangled together.

"He... uhm... left, Embry, said he had to go home and sort things out," I mumbled, as Paul squeezed my hand encouragingly. I was unable to look Embry in the eye, knowing he must think I'm a horrible person for hurting Jake like that.

"Aww fuck!" Embry cried out. "Alright, I gotta get over to Jake's place."

Embry turned around without saying another word to me and ran off in the other direction. I could feel the eyes of Jake's entire group of friends burning into my skin, judging me. I was about to burst into tears again, when Paul leaned down and whispered softly, "Don't let them get to you darling, it doesn't matter what they think about you. I think you are astonishing, don't forget that."

I looked him directly in the eye and it melted all the pain away. Everyone else disappeared and in that moment, it was just the two of us walking on the beach as he led me to my truck and helped me into it.

"It was fantastic meeting you tonight, Bella. I'm sorry for everything that happened, but I'm glad you have decided that you'd like to give us a chance," Paul confessed.

"It's okay, I'm just glad this night is almost over. I don't know how much more I can take," I admitted and Paul looked towards the ground dejectedly. I put my finger under his chin and lifted his face up to look at mine. "I am really excited about our date tomorrow night, that's the major bonus that came from this night."

That put a wide grin back on his face and he leaned into the cab to kiss me goodnight. We exchanged cell phone numbers and I pulled out of the parking lot with a huge smile plastered across my face.

The first thing I did was call Alice because I knew she would be excited for me. She answered on the first ring. "Hey, Bella! What's up?"

"Oh, Alice!" I exclaimed into the phone. "I had the best and worst night all wrapped up into one, but I met someone amazing!"

I heard Alice squeal in excitement. "So you met someone? Who is he?" she asked curiously.

"His name is Paul, he's tall, dark, and extremely gorgeous. He just moved back to La Push and is one of Sam's friends. He asked me to go out on a date with him tomorrow and I need you to get me ready."

"Of course I will, Bella, this is so exciting! So what was the bad part of the night?"

"Oh, ya know, I just pretty much broke Jake's heart into a million, gazillion pieces. I couldn't agree to go out with Paul until I was sure Jake understood that nothing will ever happen between us. He pleaded with me to give him a chance but I know that I can't date him or Edward without losing the other. You know how I feel about the whole situation. Alice, I don't want Jake to hate me forever. Plus I still have to break the news to Edward," I cried and the tears began to flow again.

"First of all, Jake won't hate you forever. He loves you way too much for that, he's just in pain right now. Give him some time, he'll come around. He's the more emotional of the two, you and I both know that. You won't have to worry about Edward, he's more logical about things. You know that he's going to choose your friendship over losing you because you won't date him. I promise everything will be okay," Alice assured me, playing her best friend role perfectly.

"I hope you're right," I sighed.

"Oh, since when do you bet against me? Aren't I always right?" I could hear that smirk in her voice and I knew she WAS right. Alice was never wrong, it's like she had a sixth sense about these things.

"Alright, I trust you," I agreed. "What time are you coming over to help me get ready tomorrow? He's picking me up at six o'clock."

"I'll be there in the early afternoon, let's say around three," she confirmed.

"That sounds great, thank you so much!" I had just pulled up in front of my house and cut the engine. "Listen, I just got home, and I need to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon okay?"

"I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, sweetie!"

"Night, Alice." I hung up my phone and headed into the house.

I showered quickly and got into my pajamas. I climbed into bed and thought back through the events of the night. I was just about asleep when my phone beeped at me, indicating a new text message had arrived. As I flipped it open, my heart skipped a beat when I realized it was from Paul.

P: Sweet dreams beautiful girl. Until tomorrow, I'll be thinking about you. . .

A smile instantly spread across my face as I contemplated how to respond to that.

B: You make me blush, I can't wait until I can see you again. G'night Casanova!

I flipped my phone closed and fell asleep easily. I had sweet dreams that night and it was awesome.

The next morning I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. I was already nervous about my date and there were still eight hours before Paul would be there. I went downstairs to get some breakfast and just as I began to pour a bowl of Applejacks, I heard the doorbell ring.

I walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Edward standing outside. "Hello, Bella, may I come in?"

"Of course, Edward, please do." I stepped aside and held the door open as he made his way into the house. "What brings you here so early?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment, to make sure you are okay."

"I'm good, why wouldn't I be?"

"I had a conversation with Alice last night and she told me everything. Please don't be upset with her, I sort of overheard your telephone conversation and I asked her what it was all about. You know Alice is a bad liar, so she just told me," he explained.

"Oh, so do you hate me now, too?" I asked, feeling the lump begin in my throat.

"No, of course not! How could I hate you? You are too sweet and caring to be someone I could hate."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me," I told him. "So, how are you doing with all of this? I know it's a lot to take in."

"Bella, I understand how you feel. You know I would love for you to be my girlfriend, but if that's not possible, I will always be on the sideline, cheering for your happiness. You are my best friend, first and foremost, and I will always be here to protect you and help you in anyway," he assured me.

"You're too good to me, but I don't think Jake is ever going to forgive me. He was so hurt, Edward. It killed me to see him like that."

"He'll be okay, he just needs time to process everything. I think his problem is that he always knew he had a chance at losing you to me, but he never thought he'd lose you to a fellow tribe mate of his. This probably just hits a little too close to home," Edward rationalized.

"You have a way of making me feel better no matter what happens. This is why I can't stand to lose either of you."

We sat there talking for another hour or so before Edward left to go home. I felt a hundred times better after having my talk with him and it only reminded me how much I couldn't stand to lose his friendship.

Alice came over exactly on time, just as she had promised and had brought her bag of beauty products along with her.

I ran up to her and hugged her around her neck, "Alice, I'm so glad you are here. I have no idea what to wear tonight or how to do my hair or makeup. You've got to help me!" I was panicking.

"Calm down, Bella. You're in capable hands, I swear. You are going to look stunning," Alice promised me. "Let's get upstairs. You get in the shower, I'll get set up."

I did as I was told and as soon as I was done showering, Alice had me in the chair and began working on my hair. She dried it with the blow dryer and then used the flat iron to straighten it. My hair is pretty long, flowing midway down my back, so it took her about an hour to finish. Then she pulled half of it up and clipped it into place with two very beautiful silver butterfly clips. She took out her curling iron and began to curl different sections of it. By the time she was done with my hair, it looked amazing. She went to work on my makeup next, nothing too heavy. After she finished applying all her creams and lotions, I almost felt like a different person.

Once hair and makeup were complete, it was wardrobe time. Alice went into my closet and headed directly for the royal blue halter dress that she had bought me for Christmas. "Oh, Bella, I knew this was going to come in handy someday," she laughed.

I put the dress on and she paired it with a pair of black satin ballet flats, decorated with tiny little rhinestones around the edge. Alice positioned me in front of my full length mirror. "Close your eyes," she instructed.

I closed my eyes and felt her spin me around to face the mirror. "Okay, now open them."

I opened my eyes and let out an audible gasp. Alice was literally bouncing up and down, clapping her hands. "I-I-I... look beautiful," I stammered, still staring in disbelief.

"I told you not to worry. Now there is no way Paul can resist you, unless he's gay, and even then you might be able to persuade him in that dress." Alice laughed at her joke and I was smiling so wide that I thought my face was going to break.

"Thank you, Alice. I am so lucky to have such a fashion wiz at my disposal." I hugged her tight, being careful not to mess up my hair or she would freak out.

"I'm always glad to be of service. You look terrific Bella, really you do!" she reiterated. "Okay, well I'm gonna go now because Paul will be here any minute. Have fun tonight, girl, and don't stress out about anything. Keep it simple and fun!"

I nodded in agreement. "I will. I love you, Alice!"

"Love you too, sweetie." She turned around and walked out the door.

I sat down on the couch, trying to relax and breathe normally. About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and I jumped up. I rushed to the door and swung it open, grinning like a fool.

"Whoa! You look amazing, Bella," Paul told me as a huge smile spread across his face. "No, scratch that, you look fucking fantastic."

I blushed profusely at his compliment. "Thanks, Paul. You look pretty amazing yourself." He was wearing a light blue button-up dress shirt, black dress slacks, and shiny black shoes. I could still see his muscles through his shirt and that was a total turn on. He had his short dark hair spiked up with some sort of product and his eyes were still as breathtaking as I remembered them.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, offering me his arm.

I shut the door behind me and linked my arm in his. "I'm absolutely ready to go, where are you taking me?"

"I made us reservations at Maggiano's, I hope that's okay," he replied nervously, opening my car door for me.

My jaw literally dropped. "Are you kidding me? That place is so expensive and so hard to get reservations for, how in the world did you pull it off?" I was awestruck. Maggiano's was the new Italian restaurant in Forks and had been booked solid for the past two months. I had heard how incredible it was, but didn't figure I'd get there for the next year or so.

"I'm not about to reveal my secrets, but let's just say, I have connections." He smiled a slightly devious smile and pulled out of my driveway.

"Oooh, I love a mysterious man," I teased. Paul just grinned and placed his hand on my knee in a way that sent shivers up my spine at the contact.

The conversation came easily for the two of us and there was never an awkward moment during the entire car ride to the restaurant.

Once we had been seated, Paul ordered sparkling cider for both of us, since we were both underage. I looked at the menu and made my decision.

"Everything looks so good, have you decided what you are getting?" I asked him.

"Yes, I'm going to get the Chicken and Spinach Manicotti, it looks delicious. How about you?"

"Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, it's my absolute favorite dish. I can't pass it up whenever I go out and it's on the menu," I explained.

The waiter came and took our order and then left. Paul reached across the table and took my hand in his. I was going to spontaneously combust if he kept touching me.

"So, Bella, what are your plans after you graduate? I know graduation is only a few weeks away."

"I'm going to go to the community college and get my Gen Eds out of the way for a few years, then possibly transfer to Seattle or somewhere close. I don't want to be too far away from Charlie," I answered.

"Well that makes my night so much better. I'm glad to know you are going to be around for awhile because I am still very interested in getting to know more about you. You are so beautiful, smart, and funny that I didn't want to have to lose out on the opportunity to know you," he smiled, his eyes twinkling in the candlelight.

"You are too sweet, Paul. I'm excited to spend more time with you, too. When do you start running Sam's garage?"

"I start next week. I'll be under Sam's wing at first, learning the ropes and figuring out all the paperwork and filing system and whatnot. Once the baby is born, then Sam will only work there when he can fit it into his schedule and I'll be doing the daily managing. I'm so excited," he told me.

"I'm happy for you. That sounds like an amazing opportunity to get some experience," I replied, squeezing his hand.

The waiter brought our food and we ate while continuing the conversation. There never seemed to be a moment when I didn't have something to say to him or a new question to ask him. He always answered my questions easily and came up with a new question to ask me. It was really nice just sitting there, eating amazing food, and having wonderful, adult conversation.

After we finished dinner and Paul paid the bill, he escorted me back to his car. He was being a perfect gentleman and I was having an amazing time. I did not want the night to end.

Apparently, Paul had the same idea because just then, he spoke up and asked, "Would you like to go back to my apartment and watch a movie with me?"

I was trying hard not to show just how giddy that made me, "I would love to, Paul. I'm so glad you asked, since you promised me last night that you would show me your place sometime."

He drove us to his place and parked in the back of the house. We entered through the back door, which led directly into his kitchen. The place was a typical bachelor pad, the counters were bare except for a few small appliances. He led me into the living room and it was sparsely decorated, but in the center of the room was a big, black leather couch. There was a rather large bookshelf up against one wall, filled with DVDs, books, and video games. A large flat screen television was mounted on the wall in front of the couch and there was a variety of video games sitting on a stand just below the television. Typical male obsession.

"Please make yourself at home, I'm going to change into something a bit more comfortable." He flashed me that sexy smile and I sat down on the sofa.

I watched him walk away and the view was pretty nice. He returned a moment later, wearing a pair of tight fitting blue jeans and a black muscle shirt that showed off his physique quite wonderfully. I couldn't stop staring at him and he knew it.

"What movie would you like to watch?" he asked, stopping next to his bookshelf.

"I don't know what you have," I replied, making my way over to him. I scanned the collection, which was massive and noticed the perfect movie. "This one!" I exclaimed as I pointed to The Princess Bride.

"Oh, good choice, a classic!" he replied, high fiving me.

He popped the movie into the DVD player and sat down on the couch next to me. He pulled me close to his chest and I leaned back into him. I felt extremely safe wrapped in his arms, and to say it was a great feeling would be the understatement of the century.

We chatted a bit during the movie, mostly making comments when one of the actors did something epic. Paul had pulled me into his lap halfway through the movie and I could sense the sexual tension building between the two of us. He was rubbing light circles on the inside of my knee and I giggled every so often from the tickling sensation that occurred .

"God, Bella, you are so beautiful that it's unreal," he whispered into my ear.

I got the shivers when his breath hit my skin and that gave me just the boost of confidence I needed to lean in and take his lips prisoner. He kissed me back passionately and ran his tongue along my bottom lip, breaking the barrier and allowing me full access to his mouth. He tasted as good as he smelled and fuck if he didn't smell amazing. My hands instantly latched into his hair as our tongues wrestled back and forth with each other.

"I've been waiting all night for this," I told him seductively and began to kiss his neck. He groaned and I could tell he had been waiting too.

"Bella, should we be doing this? I don't want you to think that I'm only after one thing," he forced out, his breaths were extremely shallow and I could tell he was only trying to be a gentleman, he wanted it as badly as I did.

"I want this as bad as you do, Paul. I'm so attracted to you it's insane." I slid my hands up under his shirt and my fingers ran over his abs. "Damn, your muscles turn me on."

He ripped his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. I began to kiss my way down his chest, licking and nipping at his skin every so often, eliciting the most delicious sounds from his throat. "That feels so good," he moaned as he slid his hands up under my dress and grabbed my ass, causing me to gasp.

That was my cue to keep going, so I licked and sucked my way around his abs and continued to focus on those sounds. Without warning, he pulled my face back up to his and kissed me hard and deperately, conveying his lust and attraction without using words. I felt him get even harder and ground myself into him, moaning into his mouth.

My panties were already soaking and my pussy was craving his cock. I reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, letting him know that I wanted that offending piece of clothing off of his body immediately. He lifted his gorgeous ass up off of the couch and helped me guide those skin tight jeans and boxers to the floor.

"Hello there baby," I gasped, eyeing his rather massive erection in awe, I've only been with one other guy before and God only knows he had nothing on Paul. I grabbed it in with the palm of my hand and began to pump up and down. It was extremely silky feeling, nothing like I'd ever felt before and I wanted nothing more than to taste it.

"You like it, little lady?" Paul asked, grinning wildly.

"Very much. I like it very much," I breathed heavily, recapturing his lips with my mouth

I made my way back down to this rock hard member and engulfed it with my mouth. This made Paul gasp and groan at the same time, which was the most fuckhot sound I've ever heard in my life. Swirling my tongue around the shaft, I made my way down and back up, painstakingly slow. I pulled almost all the way off of the tip and then sucked it back in with all the force I could muster and continued sucking and licking, building intensity with each stroke. He was thrusting himself into my mouth, the tip of his cock meeting the back of my throat quite frequently and his breathing was labored.

"Unngf... Bella, I'm gonna... come," he cried, his eyes rolling back into his head and his fists grabbing at the leather on the couch. I continued sucking, drawing out every ounce of his load and swallowing it.

It took him a few minutes to recover and when he was able to speak again, he just looked at me quizzically and chuckled, "Damn, Bella, that was amazing. I've never felt that good before."

"I hope you never will again either," I replied, pleased with my work.

Paul then surprised me by reaching up under my dress and making quick work of removing my underwear. Once they were on the floor, he easily slipped two fingers firmly into my core. I whimpered at the sensation and my mind went blank. He continued pushing in and out, finger fucking me into oblivion, curling his fingers up and hitting just the right spot deep inside of me. "God damn, Paul, you're fingers are amazing," I whispered with as much force as I could muster.

He just flashed me that wicked grin and flipped us over on the couch, never breaking contact. "Are you sure you wanna do this here, beautiful, or would you rather move to the bed?" he whispered, his sexy voice full of lust and need.

"I'm sure, right here, Paul. I don't wanna wait any more, please. I need this. I need you," I was rambling, but I didn't care. There wasn't a coherent thought running through my brain at this point, it was pure mush.

Paul crushed his lips to mine in agreement and I felt him line himself up at my entrance. He thrust once into me and we both groaned simultaneously. "Ah, so fucking tight. So damn good," he whispered breathlessly.

He filled me so full that he had to wait a second until I adjusted to his length and size, once I was ready, he began to push himself in and out of me, my hips moving into his, meeting him thrust for thrust. With his continued thrusting, it was building speed and intensity and the only sounds being made were the moans and grunts escaping our throats. He felt so amazing inside of me, like his body was made to be the counterpoint of mine. We molded together in pure ecstasy, and in that moment, I was positive the Paul was perfection personified. I wrapped my arms around his chest and my legs around his ass, trying with everything I had to pull him closer to me, forcing him deeper inside of me.

"Jesus Christ, Paul, I'm so close," I cried, digging my fingernails into his skin and thrusting up to meet his rhythmical movements.

"Ah, holy fuck, Bella, I'm gonna come... again," he barked and thrust once more into me with as much force and he could, pushing me right over the edge. Sparks of electricity ignited inside of me and I could feel it flowing through us as we rode out our orgasm together.

Paul collapsed on the couch and pulled me right up next to him. I cuddled right up into his side and it just felt like that's where I belonged. "Damn, Bella, that was fucking perfect," Paul whispered into my ear and then kissed me on the forehead.

"I know, it really was," I replied, nuzzling up closer to him and kissing his chest.

We laid there like that until the movie was over, catching our breath and regaining our composure. Paul kept rubbing my back and whispering cute things into my ear, relaxing me almost to the point of falling asleep.

Once the movie ended, I knew it was time to head home. "I had the most wonderful time with you tonight, but sadly, I have to get home or Charlie is going to have your head."

"Bella, I would be so happy if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend, I haven't felt this connected to someone after knowing them for only two days in my entire life. Everything I feel when I'm with you just feels so right and I don't want this to end," he softly told me, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.

"I would love to, Paul. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," I answered, fighting back the tears.

"Okay, wonderful! Now that that's settled, let's get you home before your father comes looking for you with his shotgun," Paul teased me.

He held my hand all the back to my house and it was perfect. I reflected back on the night and how easy it was being myself with him, no drama to deal with or guys fighting each other over me. Just Paul and myself and peacefulness.

"Whatcha thinking about, Bells?" he asked quietly, as we pulled onto the street leading to my house.

"Just about how perfect tonight was and how easy it was being with you," I answered softly.

"That's how it's supposed to be, Bella, when you are with someone you are supposed to be with. It's not supposed to feel forced," he reminded me as he pulled into my driveway.

"I know, I kn..." I broke off as the headlights hit the porch and I saw someone sitting there. "Fuck!" I screamed.

"What is it?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Jacob, on my porch," I groaned. I did not want to deal with this tonight, not after the wonderful night I had just had.

"Want me to go talk to him?" Paul asked. I could see him gripping the steering wheel hard enough that it was turning his knuckles white.

"No, I need to do this myself," I told him, although I think I was trying to convince myself more than him.

"Alright, babe, call me if you need anything, and I mean anything." He leaned over and kissed me goodnight sweetly, then pulled me into a hug that let me know everything was going to be okay.

"I will call you when I'm done. Thanks for everything tonight, it was the perfect first date."

I opened the door and climbed out of the car, walking straight towards the front porch with determination. I wasn't going to let Jacob ruin my night and I was about to let him know that.

"Jacob," I said boldly, "if you came here to cause trouble, then you might as well leave now, because I'm not having it tonight."

Jacob looked up at me sadly and said, "I don't wanna cause trouble, Bella, I swear. I just don't want to lose you, so can we please work this out?"

I rushed at him as my tears began to fall and he caught me, wrapping his arms securely around me. He just kept whispering, "Everything's going to be okay," into my ear and being engrossed in my best friend's comforting embrace, I knew that everything truly was going to be okay.