A/N: Third update in a row for this story. This one just seems to be the one that is coming easier for me. I will be updating my other stories in the next couple of days, most likely Wednesday. I hope you all enjoy. I love hearing what all of you think about the story.

3. Can't Stop Staring

"The party was fun." Angela commented as we walked up to my front door. She was staying the night instead of her parents coming to get her. We hadn't a sleepover in a while.

"It was fun." I put my key in the door to unlock it. The lights were off inside so I assumed my mom was already in bed.

"What was with you and that guy?" she nudged my shoulder..

I opened the door, her following behind me, "Nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing," she took her heels off, placing them by the door. "I saw the way he was looking at you." she wiggled her eyebrows.

"How was he looking at me?" I looked at her warily. I had no idea what she was talking about. There was nothing going on. "He was just being polite because he felt bad for running me over."

"That was him?" she had look of shock on her face. "Girl, I would totally go for that."

"He's nineteen. My mom would never let me go out with even if he was interested." I walked into the living room, plopping down on the couch.

"What was he doing at Mike's party?" confusion was in her voice as she sat down next to me on the couch, the springs creaking under her weight.

"He probably knows his brother or just showed up because he was looking for a party," I bit my nail, "Seems predictable to meet him there."

"What do you mean?"

"In all the movies these girls have a chance encounter and they meet again at a mutual friends party. Next he'll show up when I'm work."

"Only if he knew where."

"About that..." I trailed off, sounding guilty.

"Bella!" she the back of my head, "That was so stupid! He could be some creepy guy that wants to rape you."

"I know," I shielded myself from another blow to the head. "I wasn't thinking when I said it. It came out without my permission. I was just as shocked as you are."

"I swear to God if he kills you I won't go to your funeral."

"I have to go to bed. I have to work in the morning." I stood, waiting for her to get off the couch.

"I bet he shows up while you're working." she quickly walked up the stairs before I could respond.

"He won't show up!" I called after her. "He's nineteen," when I finally made it to my room she was already changed and under the covers. I never could understand how people could change quickly like that. I would never be able to be a stage actress with all the quick changes. "Edward can have any his age he wanted. I can guarantee I am not on his hit list."

"Edward?" she started, "I like that. Very Jane Austen. Exactly your type."

"I don't have a type," I started changing into my standard pajamas of a tank top and old shorts.

"Everyone has a type, Bella."

I huffed and sat on the bed, "Enough about me," I smiled at her, "What about you and Ben?"

She blushed scarlet, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You are just as bad of a liar as I am." I turned the light out, laying down and pulling the covers around my face.

"Alright," she sounded defeated. "I like Ben." she started to laugh uncontrollably.

"I knew it," I laughed just as hard as she was, "You like the gossip king."

We laughed for I don't know how long about this, but the next thing I knew it was morning and the light from the sun was streaming in.

I loved working on Sunday because the store didn't open until noon and it closed at six instead eight. It was only nine o'clock and I was going to take full advantage of being able to stay in bed.

My mom didn't work on Sunday's so we were able to have breakfast as a family before I had to be at work. I got out of bed, being careful not to wake Angela, and made my way out into the hall. It was quiet except for the soft sound of the TV. My mom put something on to keep Tyler occupied while she made breakfast in morning otherwise he got fussy.

"Good morning," my mom beamed when I walked into the kitchen. She was pulling eggs out of the fridge, placing them on the counter. "Is Angela still asleep?"

"Yeah, she was tired." I bit my nails.

"What is it?" she cracked some eggs into a cup before beating them.

"What?" I took my nail from between my teeth.

"You only bite your nails when you have something on your mind."

"I saw the guy that ran into me at the party last night." I caught myself before my thumb made to my mouth, resisting the urge to bite it.

"And?" my mom encouraged.

"Angela says that she thinks he likes me."

"What do you think?" she put four pieces of bread in the toaster and stirring the eggs that she had put in a pan.

"I don't think he does." I was looking at my hand. She was wrong, she had to be. He was older and probably more experience than I was. I was a sixteen-year-old virgin that had never even been on a date. What could he see in me?

"Why don't you think so?" she leaned against the counter with a compassionate look on her face.

"He's older."

"How much older?"

"Nineteen."

"That is older," she breathed a sigh, "A little too old." she mumbled.

"I'm not going out with him. I most likely won't see him again." I assured her. Deep down, I really hoped I did. I was crushing on a guy that I didn't know anything about but his name and age.

Angela came down a few minutes later and ate breakfast before her mom picked her up.

&7&

The used bookstore was opened three years ago by Jane and her husband Aro. They were young, only in their early thirties and hopelessly in love with each other. Family came first for them and they worked hard to give their three kids everything that they thought they deserved.

The bookstore was a first of its kind here and brought in a good amount of business, especially on Sunday afternoons.

Jane was having me stock shelves with new books that people had dropped off over the week. That was what I spent most of the day on Sunday doing, not that I minded, I got ideas of books that I would have to get my hands on. That was the thing about working here, you got first dibs on the books.

I was on the second row of shelves, in the horror section putting away the Stephen King's, reading the backs as I went, when the bell rang, signaling someone was in the store. I heard Jane greet them quietly.

"Reading on the job, uh?"

I yelped, the book that I had been holding flying out of my hands and landing on the floor with a small thud. I looked up from where I was seated on the floor and saw Edward's amused face looking down at me.

"What are you doing here?" my life couldn't be that predictable could it? I really didn't like the idea that my life was turning into a really bad romantic comedy.

"You told me where you worked," he sat down next to me. "I thought that I would come and see if you were working."

"Well, you did." it still wasn't hitting me that he was here, sitting on the floor next to me.

"You're not happy to see me?" he mocked a hurt expression.

"I'm a little freaked out." I placed the book I had dropped on the shelf.

"Why?"

"I barely know you." I took another book out of the box and put on the shelf, next to the other one.

"That's something that I could fix," he was leaning closer to me. "We could go to the park and talk sometime."

"My mom wouldn't like that."

"We could casually run into each other Tuesday afternoon."

He was killing me. The prospect of meeting him anywhere was exhilarating. I couldn't help it, I was already falling, and fast.

I swallowed hard, "I don't work that day, but I do have to pick my brother up after school."

Where was my filter going? I was telling him details about my life that I wouldn't have told anyone else.

"You could casually take your brother to the park, and I could just happen to be there on the bench." he looked at me, holding my eyes with his.

"Okay." Wait, did my mouth just say okay? Why? Stupid, stupid. I was potentially putting both my brother and me in danger. Take it back! Take it back!

"That's a really good book." he commented, pointing to the book that I didn't realize that I was still holding.

"You're a Stephen King fan? My friend doesn't like him. Says he's too scary."

"The Stand is a classic. Who wouldn't like it?"

"I agree." I laughed.

"Bella," Jane interrupted. "You can take your break when you're done helping him."

"Okay, thanks." I nodded in reply.

"I better go. I don't want to get you in trouble." he stood from the ground.

"Yeah, you're probably right." I stood, picking up the box to get out of the isle while I took my break.

"I hope to see you Tuesday." he said as I walked away.

"Me, too." I looked at him over my shoulder. What was I getting myself into?

&7&

"Hey, mom," I started as we were eating dinner, moving my salad around my plate. "I was thinking about taking Tyler to the park after school on Tuesday if that's okay?"

"That's fine, sweetie." she handed Tyler the spoon that he'd dropped on the table. "It would be good for both of you to get one last day outside in."

I smiled at her, "That's what I was thinking."

I was turning into one of those girls that lied to there parents. I wasn't going to the park because I thought that it would be good for us. I was going there to meet a boy. I was turning into Jessica or Lauren, putting a guy before anything else.

"Just don't be out there too late. I don't want you two to get sick."

"Okay." I took a bite of chicken, looking down at my mostly full plate, not really hungry anymore. "I'm going to go finish my homework."

"Don't work too hard." my mom smiled.

"I won't."

I walked up the stairs, closing the door when I got to my room. I took my books out of my bag and sitting at my desk. I opened my history book and began reading without actually seeing anything.

I was both terrified about seeing him again and excited. He could be a mass murderer for all I knew, yet my sixteen-year-old emotions were started to cloud my logic. Two days ago if you had told me that I was going to meet a guy that wanted to see more of me and get to know me better, I would have laughed in your face. There was something about him that was intoxicating. He was persuasive. The way he looked at me making me melt. He liked Stephen King and liked me, but could I trust that he wouldn't hurt me? I didn't think that I could. I was putting my heart on the line and I was surprisingly not terrified as much as I should have been.