"I'm not in any danger," I assured my father with a roll of my eyes. Charlie was a cop, so it was in his nature to be overprotective. And being the only child, I got the brunt of it.

"Honey, humor me," my dad urged me. "You know your stuff when it comes to acting, I'll give you that. But when it comes to safety, I'm your guy."

"You're my guy?" I asked, unable to hold back a giggle. And even better…I knew my stuff when it came to acting? Hardly. I'd just happened to be in the right place at the right time. A film studio in Los Angeles had heard about an old legend involving the Quileute's and had decided to make a film about it.

They'd been in the area scouting locations one day and spied me walking to class. According to the gossip magazines, that was how I'd been 'discovered.' Someone had asked me if I'd take a small part in a movie to prove myself, and coincidentally, the role was that of a shy girl who was incredibly clumsy. It was as if the part had been made for me. I'd gotten rave reviews—much to my surprise—and the head of the studio offered me the lead in the film they'd originally been scouting for.

"Bella, death threats are nothing to joke about!" my dad insisted, breaking into my thoughts.

"Who's joking about them?" I muttered. But really…it had only been one letter. Granted it hadn't been postmarked so it had been hand delivered, but they hadn't made it past security.

"I'm just asking you to take this a little more seriously. All I want is for you to get a bodyguard," he insisted.

"For twenty four hours a day?" I shot back. "As if my privacy isn't already compromised enough, let's add someone else to follow me around like a lost little puppy dog."

"Well, he wouldn't exactly be following you," he said.

That was enough to pique my curiosity. "What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

Charlie took a deep breath. "He'd be masquerading as your boyfriend."

"My what?" I shrieked. "No way in hell." The tabloids would have a field day with that; I'd never get any peace.

Charlie sighed and put his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose. "OK, I really didn't want to have to do this," he told me. "But if you don't get a bodyguard…I'm gonna tell Renee about the letters."

My gasp filled the room, and I could feel my face heating with anger. "You wouldn't dare!" I said in disbelief. My mother would have a heart attack and insist that I move in with her—no matter that it would be a danger to her. I love my mother, I really do. But there is no way I could live with her again.

"Honey, when it comes to your safety, there is nothing I wouldn't do," he said. His tone softened, and I knew he was freaked out about this.

"Dad, this is so not a big deal," I tried to assure him. But I knew he wouldn't believe me. In the year and a half since I'd left Forks, he hadn't been to New York once to visit me. The city sort of creeped him out. He liked normal—and New York City wasn't normal.

"It is to me."

I lifted my eyes to my dad's and sighed. He really was scared; I could see it in his face. And if all it was gonna take was a bodyguard to make him feel better, I could do that. I didn't want to, but I could. "You win," I said quietly. "You can get me a bodyguard."

"Thank-you," he said sincerely.

I nodded. "Start…interviewing or…whatever it is you have to do to hire one," I said with a casual wave of my hand.

"I already have someone."

"You…of course you do," I said. I should've known. Charlie was the consummate Boy Scout; of course he'd have already hired one.

"You actually know him," he continued.

"I do?" I asked in surprise.

"He graduated with you. His name is Edward Cullen."

That was when my jaw dropped. "Wha—Edward Cullen?" I asked in disbelief.

My dad nodded. "Do you have a problem with Edward Cullen?"

"No," I squeaked. Unless you counted the fact that I'd had a crush on him the entire year and a half I'd attended Forks High school while he'd gone on unaware of my existence. Three years later, and I wasn't sure my crush had lessened.

I was pretty sure I was the only twenty-one year old in Hollywood not out playing the field. Lindsey Lohan, I'm not. And while I could lie to everyone else, I couldn't lie to myself. Edward Cullen had stolen my heart…without even trying.

"Good. Because he's here," Charlie announced.