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Alice stared at her computer screen, her dark eyes glazed and her mouth twisted into a grimace. Around her, the other patrons and the employees of the diner went about their usual business, the older men drinking too much coffee because they wanted an excuse to talk to the waitresses while the waitresses smiled and simpered in the hopes of receiving a large tip. Staticky holiday music issued from old speakers indifferent to their inability to process treble sound without a screech that made everyone in the establishment wince. Everyone, but Alice.

She noticed nothing of the atmosphere around her, the entirety of her attention focused upon the news article filling her screen. Her gaze lingered on the picture of the crumpled and blackened skeleton of a car with an ambulance in the background. The yellow lettering of the dark van in the left corner was barely visible. It read 'CORONER.'

"More coffee, ma'am?"

Alice jumped at the waitress's interruption. "Um, no. Thank you," she said with barely a glance at the young woman. She let her eyes drift to the two pictures below that of the scene, one a formal portrait of a couple smiling stiffly and one of two young girls with their arms around each other. The lack of emotion she felt mildly surprised her, but she couldn't quite feel bad about it. She didn't know why she expected a different reaction this time.

She looked at the picture of the couple again, taking in their perfectly pressed appearance with the modestly expensive clothes, the woman's salon highlighted hair, the man's artificially whitened teeth. She imagined that most people saw a lovely couple, orderly and friendly. Perhaps only she could see the masks they wore, decorated with false affection and feigned interest. Perhaps only she could see the calculated choices evident in every aspect of the photo that spoke of endless ambition and the need for bigger and better things. It was only fair that she would feel the same indifference for them in death that they had felt for her in life.

Alice turned her attention to the other photo, unable to stand one more second looking at her parents. The contrast between the two girls was almost startling.

The older one, as evidenced by being taller, seemed like a wraith from some fantastical story. With thick dark hair and pale skin, she appeared as though she could dissolve at any second. The soft, wistful smile and the far away look in her eyes perfectly expressed the dreamer that she already was. The second, younger girl was much more solidly in the picture. Her bright hair sparkled in the sunshine. Laughter was evident in her eyes and her pink cheeks were stretched wide with an exuberant smile. Jonathan and Louisa Brandon (left), survived by daughters Mary Alice Brandon and Cynthia Brandon, read the caption below the pictures.

Alice allowed the corners of her mouth to drift upward in a sad smile. She absently wondered how her little sister was getting along.

The jingle of the bells on the door pulled her from her thoughts and she quickly closed the browser window. That was enough brooding on the past. She pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled through the list of recent calls for her best friend's number. Her gaze drifted around the diner as she waited for Bella to pick up. Amusement made her feel more like herself as she watched the other patrons going about their business. One old woman was trying to talk herself out of her second piece of cherry pie, but it was easy to see that she was going to lose. A group of kids about fifteen sat a couple of tables away devouring a ridiculous amount of food. Their eyes were red and glazed. She giggled, remembering the few times she and her friends had indulged in less than legal activities. Good times.

"Hello?" Bella finally answered, her voice soft and breathless.

"Hey," Alice said suspiciously. "What's up? Just get back from a jog?" She could practically hear the blush flooding Bella's face.

"Sure," she said.

Alice laughed. "You are a terrible liar, Bells. Say hi to Edward for me." She heard the soft murmur of Bella relaying the message. "So, we're doing something tonight, right? I need some distracting today."

"Uh-huh. The opening's tonight, remember?" Bella said. "Edward wants to know when you're coming home. He wants you to dress me. The club opens at 10 and the party officially starts at eleven." She sounded grumpy, then she said, presumably to Edward, "Yes, I'm irritated with you. I can dress myself perfectly well."

Edward's reply was too faint for Alice to hear, but she could guess at what he said. An unholy glee began to build as she contemplated the possibilities. Since discovering her past, she had been much less inclined to put all the effort forth for herself and so she lived vicariously through Bella.

"Anyway," Alice interjected, but before she could continue an image of a young man flickered in front of her eyes. She couldn't see much more than the intensity behind his light emerald eyes as they stared straight into hers, but it took her breath away. "Oh!"

Bella's attention was back immediately. "What?"

Alice blinked and the image faded. "Nothing, I just–nothing. I'll see you in thirty." She snapped her phone shut and dropped it on the table. Those two were ridiculous, still acting like the lovesick teenagers they had been, even after seven years together. She shook her head. If only she were so lucky. If only she could find the guy she had just seen and convince him to give her a chance, she might consider letting someone of the opposite sex into her life long enough to form a romantic attachment.

She was shutting down her computer when the jingle bells rang again. She glanced up out of habit and froze, her eyes glued to the newest addition to the diner crowd. This one was, in a word, delicious.

Time seemed to slow as he moved toward the seating counter, unwinding his scarf with a smooth flick of his wrist. He ran one hand through his shaggy, honey-colored hair to smooth it out of his face and his mouth quirked up in a small smile as he caught the hostess's eye to give her his name. The woman blushed and scribbled it on her notepad. He looked around the diner with mild interest, eyes wandering over the garish fifties decorations and the tables full of all different kinds of people. Slowly his eyes drifted in Alice's direction and she managed to close her mouth just as he looked at her.

As soon as their eyes met, Alice felt as though the bottom dropped out of her stomach and only by some miracle managed to keep her face straight as she realized that he was the man she had just seen. There was no shame in his pale eyes as he stared directly into hers. She fought the heat rising up her neck as she found herself paralyzed by his gaze. His mouth twisted up in a small smile and he dipped his head in acknowledgement. She allowed her mouth to stretch into a smile in return.

Her laptop beeped as it finished the shutdown, startling her out of paralysis, and she slid it into her bag. She refused to look up again, but imagined that his eyes were still on her, studying her movements, wondering her thoughts, maybe even wishing he knew her name. She almost laughed aloud at herself because she knew how silly it was to think about the 'what ifs.' She dropped a few bills on the table to cover the tab and swung her bag over her shoulder.

Her heart beat faster as she got closer to him, but she kept her head down to hide the heat building in her cheeks. Five steps…three steps…one step…and she was past him, safe to let the blush rage.

"Excuse me?"

A soft touch on her arm stopped her cold. She fought the giddiness in her chest and carefully schooled her expression as she turned around. He was closer than she had expected, her eyes were level with his chest and she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. The proximity was like a drug.

"Yes?" she said, proud that her voice didn't shake. She dragged air into her lungs, unfortunately inhaling his scent along with it. She wondered how a man could smell like heat.

"I think you forgot your phone on the table," he said. He inclined his head back the way she had come.

She looked over to the table to see a waitress scoop her phone up from the laminate tabletop and hurry over with it. Disappointment threatened to crush her, but she thought she hid it well. She rubbed her hand across her eyes to dash away the moisture. Today was not her day. She thanked the waitress and slipped the phone into her bag. "Thanks, um…"

"Jasper," he said, his Southern accent soft and soothing.

Alice smiled tightly. Why did God like to torture her so? "Jasper." His name felt right on her tongue. "Thank you, Jasper." She turned and fled.

"Any time," he murmured after her.