Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

A.N. Thanks for all who read and reviewed!

Chapter 2: One Night

I pushed my way through a group of laughing seniors and searched for Rose and Alice. After we arrived at the party, they had abandoned me, leaving me all by myself in a house full of people that were not my friends.

"I hate people," I grumbled, peering over shoulders and rolling my eyes as someone winked in my direction.

It was only a few hours into the party, and though I had tried to simply sip my drink and stay out of the way, it was impossible in such an environment. "Rose?" I said loudly. "Alice?"

"Stupid, stupid!" I stomped around in a circle for a moment and sighed.

I just stood in the middle of the hallway, my eyes narrowing in at Jake as he threw back his head and laughed. When Alice found out that I had invited Jake despite her orders, she was angry. She shrieked at me when I started to walk in the direction of his house and shunned me the rest of the way to the party. Once we arrived, however, she was as happy and bubbly as usual. Now, though, I was regretting inviting him. He was having too much fun.

"Are you lost?" I could feel someone's breath on the back of my neck; someone standing close to as he whispered in my ear.

Whipping around to face him, I stifled a gasp as I took in the bronze hair and crooked smile. "No," I muttered, glancing at the ground.

He chuckled, amused, and nodded. "See you around, Bella."

Three….two….one… "Wait!" I walked quickly to catch up with him. I wanted to ask him how he knew my name, but that would start a conversation, and I did not want to start a conversation with Edward Cullen.

"Bella," he said, his voice reminding me painfully of velvet.

"Have you seen Rosalie Hale or Alice Brandon? You know, the girls I came in with?"

Edward shook his head. "No. Sorry." But he didn't sound very sorry at all.

"Okay-"

"I could help you look for them," he offered. "I probably know my way around this house way better than you do."

Eying him up and down and deciding his offer was genuine, I smiled gratefully. "Sure."

_________

"You were adopted?" I said in disbelief.

His emerald eyes seemed to darken with intensity. "Yeah. Carlisle and Esme adopted me when I was twelve."

"Oh," I whispered.

We had given up trying to find Rose and Alice nearly two hours ago. I was surprised to find that Edward was good company. He was smart and funny, though way too sarcastic, and he listened to me with an impossible amount of attention.

"What happened to your parents?" I wondered, unthinking.

There was silence for a moment and then he raised his head, locking gazes with me. "My father was rich when he married my mother. Her name was Elizabeth," he said softly. "He lost all of his money and had to work to earn enough to support us. And then my mother announced to me that she was pregnant."

Tears watered in my eyes, blurring my vision. I brushed my fingertips against his clenched fists, not expecting the electric wave that traveled in shocks up my arm and all the way to my heart, my heart so full I thought it might burst. His hands relaxed and he curled his fingers around my small hand.

"I was excited. I wanted to be a big brother," Edward said. "I thought it was going to be a girl. I wanted to name her Sarah. Sarah Elizabeth Masen. That was my original last name," he explained.

I tightened my grip on his hand.

"And then they went for a walk. They wouldn't normally walk to the store," he choked out, "but my father had to sell the car. Someone shot them."

Numb. A tear fell down my cheek, salt moistened my lip.

"And in one night I lost my entire family. I was put in foster care, and eventually Carlisle and Esme found me. They adopted me and I changed my name. And I always felt guilty."

"It wasn't your fault," I told him, confused.

He laughed a harsh, forced laugh. "They call it a random act of violence," he said. "Random. And they're dead and I survived."

"I'm sorry."

Edward straightened against the black leather of his couch and ran a hand through his hair. He nodded. "Don't worry about it."

I knelt beside him, the hand that was not intertwined with his, coming up to stroke his cheek. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against the side of his face. My mouth was close to his ear. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He froze and I looked away, the blush spreading across my face. Edward's eyes softened and then his mouth was on mine. The fireworks were cackling around us, explosion after explosion of passion and warmth.

My fingers twisted in his hair and he pulled me closer, my weight supported by his muscular forearms. Nothing would ever compare to this.

He pulled away, running his fingertips against my cheek, the blush spreading faster.

"Kiss me," I breathed, intoxicated.

A ghost of a smile played at the edge of his lips as our mouths met once more. His tongue swept over my bottom lip and I sighed against his face. Inhaling the scent of him, my lips parted and I gasped as his arms pressed me closer to his chest.

My hands reached up to unclip the porcelain clip that held my brown hair away from my face and his green eyes widened. I was drowning in emeralds.

Edward stared as I unclasped my necklace and dropped it on his table, and then his features brightened, the effect brilliant. Inhumanly beautiful.

I couldn't breathe. Oxygen was not making its way to my lungs as he tugged at the tie hanging loosely around his neck.

His arms wrapped around my waist. "Breathe, Bella," he ordered softly, kissing a spot under my ear that made me inhale sharply.

And then I was gone….surrendering to instinct. Surrendering to something that so strongly resembled love it scared me.

__________

Sunlight streamed through the windows and created diamond patterns against the walls. I blinked once, only realizing that I was in someone's arms. Warm.

I turned and recognized my surroundings. Was I in a boy's room? I let out a gasp and slid out from under the covers, an ache pounding into my skull.

My dress was laying in a heap on the floor when I picked it up, stepping into it and zippering the back.

I made sure my purse still had my cell phone and checked the screen. 12 missed calls. Great.

Before I hurried from the room, I paused in the doorway, simply staring at the bronze hair that peaked out from under the blankets. The pale, muscled arm that was reaching, reaching for someone who was no longer there.

___________

Alice P.O.V.

"She's not answering her cell phone, Rose. She's not answering her cell phone!" I slammed my home phone down in frustration as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sipped it, hardly disguising the grimace that tainted her beautiful features.

"I know, Alice. We tried her ten minutes ago, remember?"

"You don't understand," I said, panicked. "She's not answering her cell phone! What if she's laying somewhere dead? In a ditch?" My eyes widened in horror.

Rose rolled her eyes. "She's fine, Al. Just be patient."

"PATIENT? Charlie is coming home in four hours. She has to be back by then or….or…In a ditch, Rose!"

Suddenly, the phone rang. I pounced on it and picked up. "Hello?"

"Ali?" Bella's voice sounded. Tired, confused, but not hurt.

I looked at Rosalie who was smirking knowingly. Taking a deep breath, I said quickly into the phone, "Please tell me you're no where near a ditch."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry it's so short. Anyway, Bella is turning sixteen soon, and Edward is seventeen. Remember, people, that is not that much of an age difference! Also, I made Bella so young because I believe that this makes her more naive, more trusting. She has more ideas about fairytale romance and less experience with boys.

Review.

Rose