Authors Note: Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed, added this story on your alert and favourites lists. Thanks to you I decided to stick with this story for the time being. Hopefully you will like chapter 2 just as much. I'd love to hear from you if you do:) There's lots going on in this chapter because I don't want to drag the story out unnecessarily.
On with the next chapter...
~*~Chapter 2~*~
After a restless sleep, tossing and turning, I woke early, determined to fill my day with chores and errands to keep my mind from wandering to thoughts of a certain person. In theory if I kept myself busy and productive I'd have less time to think. Unfortunately, the house was immaculate as ever thanks to my mothers cleaning frenzy, and I wasn't due at the library until later this afternoon, which left me time to sit and think about the one person I was so desperately trying to forget.
Edward...
I'd promised myself there would be no clinging, no sighing, and no hoping, but still I struggled to control my emotions. Of course it had to go away, I told myself more than once. A day made a difference. Two days and I had my emotions under control enough to join my mother and father for dinner this evening. Charlie had had a successful meeting with the governor and wanted to celebrate by having diner out at his favourite restaurant in town, so after another typically quiet day at the library I made my way to the restaurant we had arranged to meet at. I parked my trunk and quickly hurried into the restaurant.
On my way inside, I almost stumbled when I spotted Edward and Esme Cullen sitting at a table in the far corner of the room. I not only saw but felt the same stupid impact I had the first time I laid eyes on him. He looked just as breath-taking today as he had any other day, wearing a crisp, blue button down shirt and a pair of worn out jeans. His hair was once again a gorgeous disarray of bronze locks and I struggled not to stare at his gorgeous face. So much for trying to forget about him.
Not wanting to get caught staring again, I somehow forced my gaze away from Edward and instead tried to locate my parents. I tried not to stumble as I made my way across and joined them at their table. Charlie greeted me with a wide smile and a hug and my mother managed a small smile. I knew that Edward was probably sending me that angry, heated stare again, but I refused to look across at his table again in case my dad noticed. He was very perceptive, like that.
While Charlie seemed interested in how my day had been, my mother looked bored as we made small talk while waiting for our food to arrive. In fact, she seemed far more interested in what was going on in the rest of the restaurant. Throughout dinner I could see her looking over the far side of the room at the Cullens, apparently unconcerned by how obvious she was being. And she wasn't the only one; the majority of the diner were looking at them with obvious curiosity.
"Is there any reason why you're staring at the Cullens?" I asked when I couldn't take any more of her disapproving looks.
I regretted my words the minute they were out when I was left to face Charlie in full on interrogation mode.
"How do you know about them, Bella?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in on me like a laser.
"Some of the girls at the library mentioned them," I replied with a shrug, trying to sound casual. I didn't want to make Charlie any more suspicious than he already was.
"They are the talk of the town," my mother interrupted. She had that dismissive expression on her face again as she went on. "Mrs Mallory told me all about them. They think they are better than the rest of us just because they have their fancy cars and fancy clothes. By all accounts those boys are always up to no good, and don't even get me started on that Mrs Cullen! She walks around like she's so much better than the rest of us."
"She seems nice to me," I offered, for some reason feeling the need to stick up for Esme Cullen."She comes in library from time to time and she's always been pleasant. She's very well read and intelligent too."
"Dodgy money sees to that."
"Mom..." I groaned at my mothers bitchiness before my father cut off my protests.
"Your mothers right, Bella. Something is not quite right about that family," he agreed, turning his attention to the table in question. "I don't trust any of them and I most certainly don't like the way that boy is staring at you either!"
I refused to acknowledge who he was referring to. "Don't be ridiculous, dad," I tried to say, but again he cut me off.
"I mean it Bells, promise me you will stay away from him."
I nodded but regardless of the promise I'd just made, I had absolutely no idea whether I would be able to keep my promise or not. Deep down I knew I had been kidding myself all along. I had fallen for Edward Cullen and no amount of trying to tell myself otherwise could change that. He was alluring and addictive and deep down, I hoped to see him again soon.
Despite all of my wishful thinking I didn't see Edward again in town and by the end of the week it all became too much. When Friday came around, I'd had enough of waiting around. Driven by an impulse I didn't understand, I persuaded Jessica to come along with me to the club. I had asked Angela if she wanted to come along with us too, but she'd been adamant that I was wasting my time. "Edward's family are a bad lot and you shouldn't get mixed up with them," she reminded me. However, regardless of her warning I needed to see Edward again. I'd never been so reckless before but I wanted to feel that dangerous, desirable jolt again, even if it went nowhere.
It was only when we were inside the club and I was face to face with Edward and the rest of the Cullens that I felt no excitement or enjoyment at seeing him again. As we settled down at our table I knew it had been a mistake to come here again. His nostrils flared and his fists clenched but I was determined not to let his anger intimidate me. And despite his obvious hostility, I couldn't help myself, I looked across at him once more. He caught me and I made the mistake of meeting his gaze, only for a second but that was all it took. He was angry, angrier than he had been the last time. So angry that even Emmett who I noticed was sat besides him seemed to be telling him to calm down.
Disheartened, I forced myself to look away and I was determined not to look again, but I could sense his intense, dark eyes lingering, watching me intently throughout the night. He only did it to intimidate me, I was sure. It worked. He always made me feel horribly self conscious and insignificant.
Seeing a waiter nearby, I ordered another drink hoping it would take the edge off the evening. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy smirking at us, but I tried my best too ignore him. There was something about his smile that made me feel uneasy. A few minutes later, I could still sense him watching, and when I glanced across he was indeed looking our way. I blushed furiously and turned back to see Jessica's wide smile.
'He's been staring at you for the last ten minutes," she said matter of factly.
"Yeah right, because there's a long list of guys chasing after me. I'm nothing special," I scoffed. He was probably interested in Jessica.
"Well, Edward Cullen certainly seems to think so."
"Excuse me, what's he got to do with anything?" I replied, shocked.
"He's been staring at you all night too."
"Oh please, don't be ridiculous," I replied dismissively. "I'm hardly in his league."
Jessica shook her head and sent me a stern look. "Bella, when are you going to see yourself clearly? You're young, free and single and gorgeous..." her voice broke off rather abruptly.
"Ouch!" I yelped when Jessica gave me a sharp elbow in the ribs. "What the hell was that for?" I demanded.
"Holy crap. Bella. He's coming this way." She said in a rush.
"Edward Cullen?" I couldn't keep the hope out of my tone.
"No the other guy. But he's still good looking. You should go for it." She encouraged before rushing off to join some of her other friends at the bar.
"Hello gorgeous," a voice said besides me. I mustered a frustrated smile, which probably came out as more of a grimace as I took in the man before me. He was tall and well built, with shabby long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Jessica was right, he was certainly very good looking, but that didn't mean I was interested.
"Hi," I replied back, blushing furiously as he studied me. I was never comfortable with guys flirting with me, but there was something about this guy that made me feel a little uneasy.
"I'm James," he said, extended his hand out towards me. I took it hesitantly.
"Bella," I said simple.
When I tried to draw my hand away, his firm grip didn't slacken. His smirk deepened as he asked, "Let me buy you a drink?"
"I'm fine, thanks." I didn't want to be rude but the way he was leering over me was starting to piss me off.
"Go on. Just one drink, what harm will it do?" he flashed me a smile which I'm sure was meant to be alluring. It wasn't. I was trying to think of a polite way to get rid of him when someone else spoke up, "She said no, James. Just leave her alone."
I turned around to see a beautiful woman with short spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes standing besides me looking frustrated. I thought James was about to protest but he merely shrugged before turning back to me. "I hope to see you later, Bella," he smirked before making his way over to the bar.
I turned back to the young woman in front of me as she started to apologise. "Sorry to interrupt back then, you looked like you needed a hand. I'm Alice by the way. You're Isabella, right?" she smiled. Something about her seemed familiar but I didn't know why.
"Yes, but I prefer Bella. And thanks for that, I didn't think I was going to get rid of him." I confessed.
"You're welcome. You have to be firm otherwise there's no getting shot of them. It was nice to meet you Bella," she smiled again before telling me she had to be going.
Jessica returned a few moments later, wanting to know what Alice Cullen was doing talking to me. I was more than a little surprised but I suppose that explained why she seemed so familiar; she was Edward's sister.
Jessica and I were chatting away when she announced that we had company again. I grimaced, thinking that it was James coming to try his luck again but was startled to see non other than Edward Cullen standing at our table.
"Bella," he drawled, stepping slightly closer to me before turning his attention to Jessica.
"Jessica, can you give us a moment?" he asked, turning that wining smile on her.
"S- sure," she stuttered, scrambling to her feet, and leaving the two of us alone.
I was left temporarily speechless when Edward took the vacant seat next to me. For a long moment he sat there, just looking at me, though I didn't have to wait long before he turned that all too familiar glare on me.
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away," he demanded.
I'd never usually been so open but there was something about him made me unable to hold back."I had too. I needed to see you again," I replied , trying to put in to words the way I felt.
He seemed even more angered by my answer and reached up to run hand through his hair in obvious frustration. "What exactly do you want from me, Bella?" he asked, exasperated.
"I want to be with you." The words were out of my mouth before I could take them back. Edward didn't bother hiding his disbelief.
" Are you crazy? You can't be serious."
"I can't help the way I feel," I replied defensively.
"What do you know about me Bella?" He was angry again but he for some reason he didn't intimidate me any more.
"Not a lot, but I don't care what other people say."
"I'm not who you think I am. You'd be wise to stay away from me. It's better this way, trust me."
"What if I don't want to? What if I can't do that?"
"Bella," he cut in, his voice was low and savage, "don't embarrass yourself, please."
I blinked hard; I felt as though I d been slapped. "Oh," I finally said, my voice sounding flat and as final as his. I didn't know what else there was left to say, but Edward made no effort to move and I was frozen in my seat as he stared across at me for what felt like an eternity. For a moment, I thought I saw sadness in his eyes but dismissed it quickly.
"Stay away from me, Bella. This is your last warning," he said, sounding stern as he stood and made his way back to the rest of his friends without a single glance my way.
That was that; Edward had made his feelings, or lack there of perfectly clear. There was nothing else I could do now. I needed to move on, forget about him and all those foolish hopes I'd once had. Besides which, I had no intention of experiencing that kind of rejection again. I had far too much self respect and common sense to go back again. I would never give him the opportunity. Right now I just wanted to go home and mope. All I needed to do was find Jessica.
With Edward gone, I turned my attention back to the task at hand: locating Jessica. When I scanned the room, I saw no sign of her, so I waited at the table patiently for her to return.
A few minutes passed and still she was no where to be seen. I scanned again and saw a flash of his bronze hair at the bar. My worst fears were confirmed when my eyes fell on Edward, who was smiling and chatting with a beautiful blonde lady across the room. I noticed her put her hand on his arm affectionately and that was the final straw. I'd been so strong and put on a brave face but now I felt like bursting into tears. I had been foolish to come here in the first place and turned away quickly, berating myself for being no better than a silly schoolgirl with a crush.
As fate would have it Jessica chose that moment to return to our table. When I told her that I was heading home she tried to persuade me to wait until she'd finished her drink and then she would come with me. I told her that I needed some time on my own to clear my head, before quickly making my escape out the door as fast as I could.
As I made my way outside, there was no sign of anyone else around. Everything was very quiet until I heard the sound of foot steps behind me. I suspected it was Jessica coming to check up on me, but when I turned and saw nothing, I carried on down the street. Then I heard it again; the distinct sound of footsteps creeping up behind me. Picking up my speed, I chanced a look behind me but once again saw nothing. Heaving a sigh of relief, I turned back and made my way across the deserted streets, but my relief was to be short lived because moments later a figure appeared in front of me blocking my path through the alley I had cut through. I looked around me but there was not a sole around and I realised I had been boxed in a small, darken alleyway.
I had only a moment to reflect on how stupid I had been in coming out here alone before the man approached. I froze when I recognised who it was; James, the guy I met earlier at the club came forward, his lips twisted into a menacing smile as he spotted me.
"Well,well, well, what do we have here?"
Trying not to let my panic show, I looked for another exit but my eyes were wide and dark with fear when I realised I was trapped, with nowhere to run and no one to help me. My body screamed for me to run – but my mind knew the action would be fruitless. I would probably only fall over.
"Isabella, how lovely to see you again," James smirked. When I didn't answer he just smiled triumphantly and started edging closer. I backed away and before long he had me backed up against the wall.
"Stay away from me, I'll scream," I threatened, though the tremor in my voice gave me away.
"Save your breathe sweetheart, nobody's coming. Now are you going to be good girl?" He asked with a ghost of a smile and I started to panic.
"My friends are just around the corner waiting for me," I lied. He saw straight through me.
"Nice try sweetheart," he laughed, giving me a half smile.
"You're quite something, I will give you that. Catching the attention of not one but two Cullens in one night. That's pretty impressive. I'll have to see what all the fuss is about," he said, leaning in to place his hand on my cheek.
I fought him briefly, but it was a loosing battle. He caught my wrist as I went to slap his face, and took me roughly by the arm, his fingers digging into my flesh as he pinned me against the wall. When I started to scream he covered my mouth with his hand before I could draw any attention to the two of us.
"Now why did you want to do that?" James snarled, gripping my jaw even harder. I whimpered, before somehow finding the strength to knee him in the groin. He grunted and his grip slackened, and I used his temporary immobility to get away from him. I ran as fast as I could, not really knowing where I was going, just trying to get as far away as possible. I hadn't gotten very far when someone with a strong pair of arms grabbed me around the waist. I'd already started to fight back when a velvety voice whispered in my ear, "You're okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
I looked up at the face of my so called attacker and froze.
Edward...
Edward had never looked taller or more threatening, as he pushed me behind him and turned to James, who was close on my heals. He looked positively terrified and sunk back when Edward acknowledged him.
"James," he said through gritted teeth. "Take a walk, I will deal with you later," he warned.
To my amazement James looked scared and he gave me a sheepish look before muttering something under his breathe and heading in the opposite direction. What was that all about? I turned to face Edward and was startled by the furious expression on his face.
"You stupid little fool. What the hell were you thinking?" he said, roughly taking a hold of my shoulders and shaking me. "You could have been hurt, mugged or worse. God Bella, do you have any idea how many enemies your father has made in the past month? Do you understand that?" He swore under his breath.
I thought about just what could have happened if Edward hadn't turned up when he did and began to panic as the reality of the situation settled in. Edward wrapped both his arms securely round me and tugged me against him. I tried to break free but he held me closer, and it was only then that I realised I was shaking. Unwittingly I began to relax. Being curled up in Edward's arms provided me with a lovely feeling of security.
He looked down at me and there was something like compassion in his eyes. "You're safe," he said softly and I believed him. For whatever reason I trusted him and I'd never felt safer.
He held me close and stroked my hair until the trembling had subsided and I was breathing evenly again before taking my hand in his and leading us towards the main road. I followed numbly, still not quite sure what I was feeling. My mind was all over the place.
The street was empty, save a car parked a few metres away from us. Without hesitation Edward guided me towards it, not saying a word as he opened the door and helped me inside. He sent me an intense look, before he turned away quickly. "There are a few things I need to deal with so Emmett's going to make sure you get home safely," he said quietly. I looked across and was surprised to see his brother sat in the drivers seat besides me. Emmett offered me a small smile before I turned back to face Edward.
"Edward.. I," I started but the words just wouldn't come out.
"Go home, 'll talk soon," he sighed. He shut the door before I had the chance to say a single word. I never even got chance to thank him...
AN: Remember to click the little button and tell me what you think;)