Chapter Two
I stand, still shocked at what I've seen in the hallway, a grin crossed Rose's face.
"Don't worry, he isn't always like that," she takes the coffee from my hands, "although he is a little… temperamental. We haven't exactly bonded with him yet, although he hasn't truly acknowledged us"
I shrugged and followed her to the counter where we chatted over our coffee and bagels, she told me where she planned to take me and the image overhaul she wanted to provide me with. I squirmed, uncomfortable with the attention I was receiving.
"I just don't understand Bella," she whined, "HOW can't you be interested in fashion?"
It was alien to Rose that someone may not share these interests, whilst to me, her obsession with appearance WAS alien. She managed to drag me out into the bustling streets, in and out of every store, she threw clothes at me that I wouldn't dream of putting on in a million years.
Eventually, we stopped for coffee, my treat. I was sat, surrounded by bags of overpriced clothes that my new friend insisted on buying for me, I'd never felt like such a charity case.
"Rose, can I ask you something?" I offered uncertainly.
"sure you can"
"Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more thankful, but if you and Jasper have a paid for apartment, why did you need a roommate?"
I half expected her to snap at me, take the shopping bags from me and demand my key back, instead she smiled.
"You don't have any siblings Bella, do you?" I shake my head, "then you don't understand that if there wasn't another person living with us, me and Jaz would probably kill each other, drive each other mad. Besides, if we have a spare room there's nothing wrong with a little extra company"
"Oh, I see," I bite my lip, hesitating again, "Can I ask another question?"
This time she laughed and I felt myself blush.
"You don't need permission, Bells," I feel myself warm slightly at this nickname, "we're friends"
"Okay, who is that Edward guy?"
"Edward," she grimaced, "Is our new neighbour. I know we've only been here a few months, but he moved in a few weeks after we did. Honestly, we don't actually know that much about him, as I told you earlier we haven't bonded. All I have gathered from the few things I have seen in the society pages is that he's very wealthy, his parents are ridiculously rich and he's working his way through a SUBSTANTIAL trust fund. He's a womanizer, he holds parties that keep us awake. There's a constant stream of women coming in and out, not that I blame them he is attractive. He just seems a little, wild?"
"Does he do anything, I mean, does he have a job?"
"I think so," she pondered, "He seems to come and go a lot, that could be with business or again it might just be all night parties"
I sat and remembered his beautiful face and coppery, messy hair. The way his dark eyes bore into me was simply haunting. Stop it, Bella! My mind hissed, the last thing I needed was to fall for a billionaire playboy, especially one as out of control as Edward.
When we got back to the apartment Jasper was sprawled across the sofa with a textbook, he seemed started when we opened the door and I realised he must have been asleep.
"H-hey Rose?" he spluttered, she looked on disapprovingly and I barely held back a giggle at his confused, dishevelled state.
"yes?"
"You'd never guess what happened while you were out…"
"You fell asleep?" she teased.
"Other than that," he said, rolling his eyes.
"I couldn't even begin to make a guess"
"Edward stopped by."
THAT caught her attention, I had never seen her look so shocked before.
"W-why?" she stammered, "He didn't break anything did he?"
"He actually came round to see if we wanted to come over tonight, he's having a few people round, thought it was about time he got to know the neighbours"
Rose raised an eyebrow. I too was taken aback, from what Rose had said, he wasn't interested in socialising with us.
"I guess we could make an appearance," she shrugged.
I was excited, there was simply no avoiding it. This was the first real party I was going to attend, with exciting people, alcohol and who knows what else. A part of me couldn't beat down the eagerness I felt to set eyes on my surly neighbour once more, he was a bit of a enigma, like no one else I had ever met, the elusive Edward Cullen.
I decided to turn my attention to getting ready, once more I entered my room and stared at my reflection. Maybe a little more mascara? I wasn't exactly sure what I really sure what I should wear, or how I should look. Eventually I settled on changing into a different top, I didn't dare to touch the bags filled with items I never dreamed of trying on again.
I waited patiently in the living room, texting my father and mother to pass the time.
Arrived safely, roommates are more than I could have hoped for!
Don't worry about me, B x
Hopefully, that would keep them from worrying too much.
Rose came out her room, complete with a head of hair curlers, and started scrambling round the kitchen for a pair of scissors, presumably for a pair of scissors to cut the tags off her new dress. She almost ignored me, but I caught the corner of her eye just before she went back into her room.
"You're not going like that are you?" she seemed genuinely horrified when she noticed my attire.
"Well, yeah I guess?" I mumbled
"No sweetie, that won't do. Give me 15 minutes" she scurried back into her room and re-emerged exactly 15 minutes later, her hair was now down and flowing down her back, her dress was black and short and her heels were silver and high. Why she wasn't a supermodel, I could not understand. I felt myself being pulled up from the couch and dragged back into my room, I stood sheepishly as Rosalie checked through the bags of shopping until she found what she was after.
A red dress. It was short, as short as hers almost, and tight. I felt my mouth dry and panic set in as I realised she actually expected me to put it on.
"No excuses," she commanded, noticing my fearful expression, "you'll look amazing, it shows off your curves beautifully"
Begrudgingly, I took the dress and marched into my bathroom to pull it on.
"What curves?" I mumbled as I closed the door, was she calling me fat?
"Your boobs, you idiot" she called back at me.
A few minutes later, I slowly and timidly opened the bathroom door. When I looked in the mirror, I could see what she meant. The dress did cling to me in an unfamiliar way, unfamiliar yet… sexy? Before I had time to take this in, I was pushed into a seated position on my bed and my hair was being pulled at, my face dabbed at and brushed. I relaxed into it, letting her do to me as she wished.
"Wow Bella!" she exclaimed as she finally pulled away, grinning with excitement.
I stood up and approached the mirror, barely recognising my reflection. My eyes were darker, my hair fuller, my lips more defined. I had never looked like this before, I loved it. I turned and leapt on Rose, thanking her for this… dramatic transformation.
"And finally," she said, "try these on, you can borrow them, we're the same size"
She pulled out a pair of very high, black Louboutins. I pulled them on and had to steady myself as I adjusted to the new height and weight distribution. If I had too much to drink, it would mean a trip to the ER I warned myself.
The two of us strutted into the living area and it was now Jasper who was waiting on the couch.
"Bella, you look… different," he said, "In a good way! Good different!" He quickly backpedalled. I simply giggled and shook my head; hopefully the make-up would hide my blush.
Edward's gathering was unlike anything I had ever seen, his interpretation of the phrase 'a few people' was also very loose – his apartment was fit to burst.
Music blared from a sound system in the corner and every surface bore bottles and cups. Women were dancing on tables, dropping down and picking themselves up, rolling their bodies. Men were grinding suggestively against girls who seemed to enjoy the attention all too much. In corners, more women were being held against the walls by the hips of even more sexually charged men, kissing them furiously.
Jasper and Rose seemed at ease, they even seemed to know a few people who they must have met at other occasions. How the other half lives.
I noticed a glint of copper somewhere to my head and immediately I whipped my head round to see if my suspicions were correct. They were. Edward was stood against the far wall, enjoying the attention of two scantily clad girls with boobs up to their chins. I didn't watch for long, Rosalie who wanted to get a drink and dance was pulling me away.
One shot
Two shots
A glass of wine
Another shot
Oh fuck I was out of it. I was actually dancing with Rose, well sort of. A tall guy with curly hair was enjoying rubbing his crotch against her ass and she was happily letting him, much to Jasper's disapproval.
I began to feel slightly dizzy, I mumbled some form of excuse and began to stagger off to try and find a bathroom or a balcony. I needed air and space. However, moving was proving a challenge in my heels.
Eventually, I managed to bump into enough tables, people and doorways to find an empty bedroom with a set of bay windows that opened onto a balcony. I pushed into them just to find they were locked. Probably for the best my subconscious whispered in those shoes you'd probably end up over the railing. That thought would normally make me feel a little ill, however the alcohol simply reduced it to a small giggle.
A few minutes of space was all I needed, and I was ready to go, a couple pushed past me as I opened the door, obviously desperate to rip each others clothes off and have drunken, unmemorable sex. I paused in the empty hallway before re-entering the crowd, as I moved through the archway into the living space, a hand caught my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction.
"You're the girl from the hallway." The man who had pulled me away said.
I looked up and my heart skipped a beat, it was Edward Cullen. I nodded, looking up at him through my lashes. He returned my nod curtly, as if he was digesting my response. He leant forwards, his lips close to my ear.
"Has anyone mentioned that you look very, very sexy tonight"
I shook my head, feeling my blush.
He flipped us, so my back was being pressed against the wall.
"Your name?"
"Bella"
"Well Bella, I'm Edward" he smiled seductively. He was getting closer, his hips pressing into me. Was he making a move?
"Do you know Rosalie and Jasper? The twins across the hall" he asked.
"I'm their new roommate" I replied, he smiled again. The room was spinning, I couldn't decide if it was my drunken state or his proximity. Nobody could see us, we were hidden behind the sides of the archway.
I noticed him leaning in closer, our faces almost touching. I swallowed, this could be my first kiss. I continued to watch as he closed in on me, his lips were millimetres from mine, I could feel his hot breath on me, smell the wine he had been drinking.
Suddenly, he pulled back, the look on his face unrecognisable. It was as if someone had switched a light on in some part of his brain. He tapped the wall with his fist and turned away, marching back into the crowd.
I was left, alone and embarrassed. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Of course he wasn't going to kiss me. No amount if make-up and hairspray could hide the fact that I am just plain old Bella Swan. What kind of billionaire would be interested in me? Certainly not Edward Cullen.
