She woke in a daze, her thoughts muddled. She didn't want to wake up; her head was throbbing, though she couldn't remember why. Oh well, she shrugged it off. It couldn't have been that important if she didn't remember it immediately.

As she began to pull her stiff body together enough to move about, her eyes twitched into a squint against the bright light that shone through her eyelids. Perhaps this is what had woken her up. Something about it made her realize she wasn't at home in her bedroom – the glow was strong enough to be daylight, but too white to be real. Reluctantly, she pulled her eyes open and took in the sight before her.

What she saw did not please her. A word flagged up in her memory that instantly annoyed her - hospital. Everything was a sterile white, from the sheets on the bed that she lay in, to the walls that contained her in this small, stifling space, to the very light that had awoken her. It was so vivid that it took her a moment longer than it should've to get her groundings and her eyes adjust to the light to take in the minute details of the room.

She sat up with a grunt, her head swimming slightly from the noxious hospital fumes. Her annoyance hadn't passed yet, and she doubted it would until she was out of this place. Her clothes lay at the foot of her bed, nicely folded for her. That seemed as good a place to start as any. The starchy gown she wore was even more annoying than the room, and she scrambled out of the bed to get it off.

The curtain that ran along the front of the room was drawn back, announcing her wake up to everyone in the hallway beyond the window. As she approached it, three people turned to watch her intently. Two of them were boys around her age and with them stood a blonde doctor in a lab coat. They didn't bother to hide the fact that they were staring. She ignored them and yanked the curtain closed. "Rude," she mumbled as she grabbed her things.

As she put her jacket on, she heard a familiar jingling in her pocket. Car keys, her mind crowed. She took them out and studied them, feeling momentarily baffled. She didn't remember driving herself here, which was odd. Maybe she'd bumped her head, a nearly everyday occurrence for her klutzy self, and it'd been bad enough where she'd had to drive herself here to get checked out. They'd probably sedated her to keep her overnight. Maybe that's why she felt so groggy and sluggish. She craved her own soft bed at home, to be able to stretch out and doze off comfortably. She nodded, shoving the keys back into her pocket. It would be best if she went home and laid down for the rest of the day, and she felt up to the drive. So she headed for the door, eager to be out of this aggravating little room.

When she opened the door, she saw the three men from before standing a few feet away. As the door clicked shut behind her, all three pairs of eyes locked on her. She glared back at them, outraged at their obvious lack of manners. She took in their appearances more in detail this time. The man in the white coat was noticeably older than the other two younger boys. He and the shorter boy had pale skin and remarkable yellow eyes, while the tallest boy was the visual opposite with black hair and pleasant, russet skin. They were all undeniably, breathtakingly beautiful.

It took a moment longer than it should've for her to take her eyes off of them and gather her thoughts enough to trudge around their little group. She heard them exchange heated, hushed whispers as she retreated, but didn't take notice when they fell silent. She was concentrating on her car now, adamant to get to it before anyone else began gawking at her.

With a sigh of relief, she made it to the front doors and out into the parking lot, grateful for the moist gush of air that stung her face. She walked about halfway down the rows of vehicles before realizing the one she was looking for, the one she knew was hers, was not there. She frowned, her eyes scanning and rescanning row to row desperately. Oh no... she moaned internally, biting down hard on her lip with worry.

"If you're looking for your truck," a deep voice sounded behind her, "it's at my place."

She whirled around to see the tall, tanned boy from outside her room staring at her. He was smiling. Behind him, the beautiful pale boy was approaching but stopped in his tracks the moment she saw him. The doctor who'd been with them earlier was not in sight. She didn't reply.

"Come on," the taller of the two called, waving at her. "I'll give you a ride to get your truck."

She squinted but didn't say anything.

"I'm the... mechanic that's going to fix up your ride," he sighed exasperatedly.

A little red flag popped up again in her head. Mechanic and this boy seemed to fit together. Instinct told her to trust him. But something wasn't adding up.

"Why does my truck need to be fixed?" she called back to him.

He paused, choosing his words carefully by the looks of things. "Why do you think you're in the hospital in the first place?"

That made sense. So a car accident had landed her in here. Yeah, that sounded typical of her and very believable. Without another word, she followed him to a high, dark-colored pickup truck. Behind them, the pale boy followed quickly and silently. The tanned mechanic opened the passenger side door for her, but glared furiously when the bronze-haired, pale-skinned boy made to get in the back seat.

"No one said I was giving you a ride, Cullen," he spat.

Cullen. Another red flag. The name ignited something deep down in her core, something that made her want to reach out and touch him. She caught her hand stretching out towards him and reeled back. Cullen seemed pleased at her reaction, but her mechanic looked truly upset. She didn't know whether to apologize or smile.

"I think she wants me to come along," Cullen smirked.

"Don't you wish," the mechanic grunted.

"Hang on a second," she interrupted. They looked like they were ready to rip each others' throats out, and she wasn't having that. Not until she had some answers. "Now, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm really confused and feeling kind of fuzzy. I just want my truck, and you can answer some questions along the way. And he needs to help," she said with a nod at Cullen. "So I'm not going anywhere unless he comes with us."

"Bella, just why do you think we're here?" Cullen asked quietly, his voice turning into soft velvety tones.

"I don't really know. Wait, Bella?" she asked, puzzled. "Who's Bella?"

This time, the two boys exchanged nervous, knowing glances. The mechanic sighed and walked around to the driver's side while Cullen looked down at her concernedly. "You are."

"Maybe you should get in," the russet mechanic said in a rush. "We'll explain everything on the way."

She stood there, lost in shock, before she hiked herself into the cab of the truck. She waited until they'd pulled out of the parking lot before vocalizing her question. "Why don't I remember my name?"

"Bella, you have to promise us you won't get hysterical," Cullen said from the backseat. "You need to stay calm while we explain, alright?"

She nodded as the mechanic cast an evil look into the rear view mirror. "She'd not a child, so don't treat her like one. She can handle this."

She looked back and forth between them, trying to make sense of something that conflicted her head and her heart. "You two are more than just my mechanics, aren't you?" she whispered. "I know you, don't I?"

"Yes," Cullen whispered. "You do."

"Then why don't I remember?" she asked again, her voice faltering.

Cullen looked like he was about to answer, but the boy to her left spoke first. "There was an... accident," he said slowly.

"What kind of an accident?"

"A car accident," he said, very matter-of-fact.

"But what kind? Head on collision, fender-bender?"

He sighed. "Someone clipped you on your left side and spun you into a ditch. You bumped your head pretty hard."

"Who hit me?"

The boys exchanged another unhappy glance before the taller of the two spoke up. "I did."

"You? What?" Yes, she was totally lost now. Before they could continue, she went on. "Okay, wait a minute. I think I'd remember who hit me. I think I'd remember you two if I knew you before the accident. I know I do, but I don't remember how. I think I'd know my own name, at the very least."

The smooth velvet of his voice didn't lessen the blow his words sent. "Bella... you have some sort of amnesia."

Bella sat in silence for an immeasurable length of time before she could find her voice again. "How - how bad is it?"

"You're fine," the driver said reassuringly. "Physically, anyway. You're just going to feel a little fuzzy, like you said, for a couple of days."

"We don't know that," Cullen said, cutting him off. "It could take a week, a month. Maybe longer."

Longer? The question was silent but rang in her ears like a church bell.

"We don't know that either!" The driver yelled. "So stop filling her head with your load of crap!"

Then she heard something from behind her that sent shivers up her spine - a low, beastly growl that could've belonged to a mountain lion. She spun around, half expecting one to be lurking in the backseat. But there was only Cullen, an animalistic expression plastered on his hate-filled face. His gaze was boring right into the back of the driver's head. If looks could kill, he surely would've been dead. She twisted back around, thoroughly unnerved. The mechanic's face was pure calm, with only his gleaming eyes betraying his displeasure. Otherwise, he seemed completely unfazed by the hideous growl that was directed right at him. Maybe this was why he hadn't wanted him to come.

She turned her attention to the road in front of her, not looking at either of them as she spoke. "How long until we're there?"

Cullen sat quietly, his growl having faded. The driver was the one to cast a wary glance in her direction. She didn't let her face betray any emotion, and he seemed satisfied enough to answer. "Not long," he muttered, turning back to the road.

She sighed with relief. How had she managed to go from annoyed to petrified in such a short amount of time? Had it really been less than an hour ago when she was still lying in her hospital bed?

Maybe I should've taken my chances with the hospital, she thought wearily as the sped towards their destination.