A/N- Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned within the following story. Also, any distinct similarities to the Twilight Saga, are under the rightful ownership of Stephenie Meyer. However, the original story line is mine and is not to be tampered with, reproduced, or copied under any circumstances.

The entire story is in Bella's POV

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.

If there was something I would always remember about Rosalie Hale, it was her notorious way of incorporating ingenuous clichés into her every day life. She was simple like that and believed that life should be that way too-easy, predictable, and quite frankly-stereotypical. It was her novelty way of understanding whatever situation was dealt her. Whether analyzing her most recent break-up or simply waiting in line to pay for an old leather handbag from the thrift shop, she had a reasoning for it.

"Another man's trash is another man's treasure," she would say, waving a perfectly manicured finger in my face as we entered the musty store-room. I would wrinkle my nose in disgust at her insistence on scavenging through such filthy clothing especially considering such luxurious taste as hers, but comply anyway, recognizing her mock truth in the matter.

Her favorites, however, were more abstract, the ones with "double meanings" as she would often say. She enjoyed the deep thought, how that in such simple statements, such depth and truth lied beneath them. Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass, my closest friend would instruct me, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

I shook my head in response. It was easy to say for someone who had lived such a charmed life as Rosalie. She had been born beautiful and raised likewise. As the daughter of an internationally known fashion designer and a high-class businessman, she was without a doubt prone to receiving the best that had to be offered. All throughout high school, she had always held herself a little higher than the rest of us: sneakers had been replaced with the finest Italian heels; fast food had been just as unappealing to her as raw sewage, and anything with the word "public" in it she had deemed "incredibly filthy and a complete hazard to anyone with an ounce of sensibility and sophistication."

She was the sort of person guys loved and girls wished they could be.

So it is no surprise that within the short four years after high school, she had still maintained her high social status. She had successfully glided through university and had even managed to graduate as one of the top students in her class. Within months, she had landed an amazing PR job and shortly after, met the love of her life, Emmett Cullen, and was to be married in the upcoming fall.

"It must have cost a fortune!" Angela Webber gushed, admiring the shiny, new engagement ring that adorned Rose's slender finger. "You must let us try it on!" The other girls shrieked in agreement, swooning around the glowing bride to be.

She drew back her hand politely in refusal. "I hear that's bad luck, and I will have none of that on my wedding night!" She turned toward me, a gentle smile playing on her lips. I recalled the night before when we had gone through a list of pre-wedding superstitions. She had taken the time to note each one (even the sillier ones such as boiling rocks in a pot the night before the wedding to ensure good weather) and gave each serious consideration. The whole thing had been quite ridiculous yet enjoyable nevertheless. As if Rosalie, of all people, needed more luck.

I glanced around the room, acknowledging the solid turnout for the couple's engagement party. As she had predicted, nearly the entire guests list had arrived, and some had even brought company of their own. The Hale's house was completely packed from corner to corner with drunken, bubbling excitement.

By ten o'clock that evening the crowd had slowly begun to disperse. The remaining women had been gathered into the living room with the couple while their male counterparts had collaborated outside on the patio, enjoying the cool summer night. Emmett pulled Rose beside him on the couch before turning his attention to the pile of gifts that had been scattered at his feet. He picked up the first, a neatly wrapped pink box with a silver bow.

He plucked the card from its side. "From Jessica." He read aloud before opening the gift. He smiled in seductive pleasure, revealing a large box of latex condoms. "Perfect." He turned to Rose and brushed his full lips along her ear.

Rose's cheeks flushed. She halfheartedly thanked Jessica and quickly moved on to the next.

There wasn't a moment that passed by where I didn't wish to have shared in some of Rosalie's good fortune. My parents had divorced when I was eight years old, and after running away with an aspiring major league baseball player, my mother hadn't kept in much contact. The last I had heard, they were living in a beautiful home somewhere in sunny Jacksonville and were expecting their first child together. My father, Charlie, however, had reluctantly taken me under his wing and honestly did the best he could in raising me. But between his long hours at the police station and all the work he did investigating, we hardly spent much time together except for on game nights in front of the television. Life post-Renee disinterested him. It was as though she had taken his literal heart when she had left him, all capability to love was gone. "There's no point in trying to set me up, Bells," he murmured, paying little to no attention to the online dating commercial between innings. "There's no one else for me." His hand absent-mindedly drifted to his ring finger, twisting the worn gold band.

Until death do us part, the words rang in my mind. To this day, he hasn't removed it and I haven't questioned his doing so. Charlie wasn't as much convicted by his belief in the sanctity of marriage but rather his belief that in a world filled with billions of people, there was only one other person that truly mattered, only one soul worth finding-his soul mate. What else could explain his tireless longing, the feeling of inevitable incompetence? "Fate isn't kind to everyone, Bella. The world's gonna conspire against you. It's gonna try to keep you apart," he had once explained. "But when you know they're the one. You have to fight for what matters most."

A loud knock at the door interrupted my train of thought and suddenly, Rose's eyes grew wide, a look of apology flashing across her face. I stared back, puzzled at her tumultuous expression, before turning to retrieve the door.

"You're just in time, they're..."

In that instant, I froze. My mouth tasted metallic, my tongue heavy with fear. I gaped at the sight before me and blinked twice, assuring myself that it was not some strange mirage from the past. His emerald greens eyes held mine, and the incapability to speak overwhelmed me. His voice was the same touch of velvet that caused a shiver up my spine. "Bella." I felt my knees growing weak as his mouth twisted into a familiar warm crooked smile. "It's nice to see you again."

His name was foreign to my lips, my voice barely audible. "Hello, Edward."

A/N- Not enough Edward? I know, but just be patient, my loves. These are just mere glimpses into what I have in store. There will be plenty of him in the next couple chapters!

Reviewers get to experiment with Emmett's new engagement gift;)