"With money you are a dragon; with no money, a worm." ~Chinese Proverbs

Many thanks to Emmalynn21 for betaing this chapter for me!

Chapter Two: Proposition

I felt a bit embarrassed for being under-dressed when Mrs. Cullen took me to a high-class Chinese Cuisine. If I had known I would be picked up in a limo and would be having dinner at an extravagant restaurant in Manhattan, I would have worn something other than torn, skinny jeans and a dark blue hoodie. The waitress quirked her eyebrow at me when I walked in with Mrs. Cullen; she seemed displeased when Mrs. Cullen announced I would be dining with her.

Mrs. Cullen smiled at me, taking a sip of the oolong tea that the waitress had poured into our cups after we were shown to our table. "I apologize for showing up at your school without notifying you."

"It's fine," I assured her. "I was just a bit taken aback, that's all."

"How old are you, dear?"

"Seventeen."

"Ah. So you're a junior in high school, I assume?"

"Actually," Oh, man. I really wished my heart would stop pounding. I felt as nervous as a turkey on Thanksgiving. "I'm a senior. I'm a year ahead."

She looked surprised - and impressed. I wanted to tell her that I wasn't a year ahead because I was intelligent; I was a year ahead because my dad thought Kindergarten was a waste of time.

"You're in the same grade as my grandchildren then," she sighed. Her eyes were abruptly softer when her gaze returned to me. "Bella, I want to thank you again for saving my life yesterday. You may say that it was nothing, but it wasn't. Not a lot of people would have the courage to do what you did back there. You're a hero, Bella."

I blushed at her words. While it felt nice to be complimented, I felt slightly embarrassed that she thought so highly of me.

"I'm sure anyone would have done the same."

She chuckled dryly and shook her head. "Trust me, you're wrong to assume that. I have two teenagers under my roof; they would have put their safety ahead of their grandmother's." The waitress brought out the first dish and settled it in front of us. "Let's not spoil our meal by bringing my grandchildren into this. Eat, dear."

I ended up having a lovely time chatting with Mrs. Cullen. My dad's parents died before I was born; my grandparents from my mother's side resided in Australia and I hadn't seen them since I was eight. Mrs. Cullen told me she had one son, who was a surgeon, and two grandchildren. They all lived together, to my astonishment. She asked about my family and I sheepishly told her there wasn't much to tell. Dad was a helmsman, I had no siblings, and as for Mom… I wasn't supposed to say anything about her.

"You live in Bronx?" she seemed incredulous. "Why are you going to school in Manhattan, dear?"

"I don't know, to be honest. My dad has talked about this school since fifth grade but he wouldn't tell me the real reason why he wanted to enroll me at St. George. It's still a mystery to me."

"Well," Mrs. Cullen drew a deep breath. "I don't know your father so I'm not going to question his judgment. Is it inconvenient to get to school every morning?"

"Not at all," I assured her. "Our school is only a block away from the metro station. It's quite convenient."

She pursed her lips with a solemn look on her face. I wondered if I should excuse myself to the restroom so I could check myself in the mirror. Did I have something on my teeth? Why was she looking at me like that?

"It's utterly dangerous for a teenage girl like you to be living alone," she murmured, frowning. "And after what happened yesterday, I don't know if I'd be comfortable with leaving you alone in your home all by yourself. Whoever tried to shoot me is still on the loose…" Then she smiled at me, taking my hand. "Bella, why don't you move in with me? At least until they catch that woman."

"What?" I squeaked, stunned. Okay, either this lady was overly generous or she was insane. She'd been incredibly nice and normal so far, so I didn't dwindle on the latter option.

"I own a five-bedroom apartment on Upper East Side. Your school is only a couple of blocks away from my home; if you live with me, it'd save you a lot of time on transportation. Besides, we have a spare bedroom that we never use."

"Mrs. Cullen," I said, folding my hands on my lap. "I appreciate the concern but it's really unnecessary. Besides, I would hate to impose on your family." Who are total strangers to me.

"Do it for me, hon," She patted my arm. "I'm a lonely old lady who desires company. My son is rarely home; as for my grandchildren…" Why does she always sigh at the mention of her grandchildren? "You're my lifesaver, Bella. The least I can do is to ensure your safety. Besides, I enjoy talking to you. You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age."

"Mrs. Cullen, I…" I closed my eyes, unable to tell her NO right away because she had so much expectation and hope in her eyes. She really wasn't just saying this to show her appreciation; she really meant it. Every word. "Can I have some time to think about this?"

"Of course, dear." She looked a bit let down when she offered me a soft smile. "Please, think it through." We exchanged phone numbers and she made me promise that I'd let her know my answer ASAP. The subject was changed when the waitress came with our main dish.

::::: & :::::

"Wait, so let me get this straight, the lady you saved yesterday… wants you to move in with her family?" It sounded even more ridiculous to my ears when Rosalie repeated what I had just told her.

Mrs. Cullen dropped me off at my apartment and reminded me to call her before I got out of the limo. I called Rosalie as soon as I got in and put Emmett on line three.

"Yeah, that's about right."

Emmett chuckled. "Dude, she picked you up in a limo. Imagine how fancy her house is. Just move in with her. It has to be better than that dump that you call home."

"Hey," I smiled, not offended at all since Emmett had expressed his opinion on my place several times over the years that I had known him. My dad bought this apartment right after he graduated from college; it wasn't exactly family-appropriate, having only one bedroom, a kitchenette, a living room and a bathroom. On the days that Dad was home, he slept on the couch. "This dump is old enough to be your father. Be respectful."

"My point exactly."

"Wait, wait," Rosalie interrupted. "You said she lives with her grandchildren? Both around our age?"

"Yep." I popped the "P". "Both of them are seniors."

"So by grandchildren… are we talking about grandsons here or granddaughters?"

"A grandson and a granddaughter."

"Is the grandson cute?" she giggled.

Emmett groaned from his end of the line. He hated it when our conversations "went astray."

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. How could Rose be thinking about boys at a time like this? "I haven't met him yet."

"Bella, seriously, I think she has a point," Emmett's tone was abruptly serious. Sure, Emmett had a playful side, but when he talked business, everyone listened. It wasn't just because he was a six-foot-four muscular quarterback who looked as if he was on the wrestling team either.

"Who, Rose?" I scratched the back of my head.

"No, dumbshit!" he chuckled. "Mrs. Cullen. I mean, whoever it was that tried to kill her is still on the loose, like she said. That person could be a serial killer or a psycho. You shouldn't be living alone. It's too dangerous."

"That doesn't mean I should move in with a total stranger!"

"Give me her full name," Emmett demanded. "I'll Google her. If she's as rich as she appears, she should have a page on Wikipedia."

I told him that her name was "Elizabeth Cullen" and I heard an intake of breath from both Emmett and Rosalie. Both lines stayed silent for about ten seconds; I covered my ears when Rosalie suddenly screamed "holy fucking shit" into the phone. Emmett, at the same time, started shrieking "Oh my God! Oh my God!" like Chris Tucker from The Fifth Element. Gosh. What was wrong with my friends?

"If you don't tell me what you two are going on about, I'm hanging up," I threatened when I saw no signs of them recovering from their stage of hysteria.

"Elizabeth Cullen," Rosalie recited breathlessly. "Bella, she is all but the richest woman on Upper East Side. She's the founder of Bella Villagio Coffee!"

I couldn't breathe. Bella Villagio. The best coffeehouse in New York. No, scratch that- in the entire country. Rose and I used to go there daily after my art workshop in eighth grade. But I never knew that Mrs. Elizabeth Cullen was the founder. It wasn't as if I would ever Google the history of each restaurant or coffeehouse. I mean, who was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut? I'll bet no one can answer that.

"Dang, girl," Emmett clicked his tongue. "You fucking saved the queen of coffee. You sure know how to pick them."

"For Christ's sake, Emmett, I didn't know who she was!" I cried exasperatedly into the phone. If Mrs. Cullen were any other women, I would have jumped on her, too. Besides, I hadn't even realized that I had leaped on Mrs. Cullen until I sent the both of us to the floor. Adrenaline rush? Hmm… maybe.

Hearing a buzz from Emmett's end of line; Rosalie sighed impatiently. "Emmett, are you with us? If you're watching porn as we speak I swear to God-"

He shushed her and told us to turn our T.V. to channel 18. I did as I was told, curious about what it was that was so important that would capture Emmett's attention at a time like this. Within seconds, I got my answer. It was me.

Not me, precisely, but a video of me jumping on Mrs. Cullen after the gunshot. The video was recorded from afar so my face wasn't clear enough to be recognized, but it captured the entire thing, including me falling on top of Mrs. Cullen after blacking out. After that, it was fast-forwarded, the video playing at normal speed again when the ambulance and the cops arrived.

Elizabeth Cullen, founder of Bella Villagio, was said to be the victim of the scene. The girl who had thrown herself on Elizabeth has yet been identified, but she is described to be about five-four, a high school or college student. To watch the action of the heroic teenage girl who had saved one of the most influential women in history, please visit our website at…

I clicked the T.V. off and my knees buckling simultaneously. It was real. The reporter had just confirmed it for me. Mrs. Cullen was indeed the well-known Elizabeth Cullen.

I went on Yahoo and gasped when I saw "Heroic Teenager Saves Elizabeth Cullen!" as the headline of today's news. Feeling my head spin, I skimmed the comments, surprised with the amount of feedback it had already received. 412 comments. A few of them claimed that it was them who saved Mrs. Cullen; a few claimed this was a publicity stunt; a few claimed "The Gray Hoodie Girl" had only jumped on Mrs. Cullen because she knew who she was. On the other hand, there were a few that jumped to my defense and congratulated me on a job well done. The cyber world was insane.

Landing on my bed with a great flop, I let out a frustrated scream into my pillow. How long would it take for the media to discover that I was The Gray Hoodie Girl?

"Ah, Jesus!" I yelped when my phone vibrated under the covers. How did it get there in the first place? I thought I had left it on my computer desk. Breathlessly, I clicked on the talk button with trembling fingers, so nervous that I forgot my phone had this thing called Caller ID. "Hello?"

"Bella? This is Elizabeth Cullen."

Relief washed over me at the sound of Mrs. Cullen's voice. "Hi, Mrs. Cullen."

She chuckled. "How are you? I hope you weren't asleep."

"I usually don't go to bed until eleven," I assured her, while slipping out of my jeans and changing into my PJs so I could slip into bed.

"Have you seen the news, dear? About the incident?"

Reluctantly, I told her "yes," though I wished that I hadn't seen it. The last thing I needed was for everyone at school to think that I was trying to play Superwoman. They'd eat me alive if they knew.

"Here's the thing, Bella." For the first time, Mrs. Cullen sounded uncomfortable. Nervous. What a change it was. "For your safety reasons, I don't want your identity to be revealed, not when Ms. BMW is still out here somewhere. I wish to give you recognition for your heroic behavior, but your safety comes first. I hope you don't mind."

"Mrs. Cullen," I interrupted, "like I said, I didn't save you because I wanted to be called a hero or I wanted you to repay me. I had no idea what I was doing until I actually did it. As for not wanting my identity to be revealed, I think that's exactly what I need. It would make my school life a lot easier."

"Alright. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to discuss the offer that I made to you a couple of hours ago…" she trailed off, sighing. "Bella, I'm worried sick about you being in Bronx all by yourself without a guardian around. We were on T.V., sweetie. Ms. BMW is likely to have seen it already. If she doesn't come after me again, she'll go after you, simply for interfering with her plans. Maybe she won't, but you never know. It never hurts to be cautious and you're not safe, Bella. I'm not going to force you into my home; you have every right to say no, but please don't think you'll be imposing if you accept my offer. I want what is the best for you and I want you to be safe. I meant every word that I said at the restaurant about enjoying your company."

"Mrs. Cullen," I whispered, genuinely touched by her concern. "I…"

"Do this for me, hon - for the sake of my sanity. I'm going mad over here wondering if you're okay, staying alone in that apartment without your father." Her tone was pleading and I felt bad that I had put her in this position. She was Elizabeth Cullen, the top woman of the Manhattan social hierarchy. And she was begging me, Isabella Swan, to live at her five-bedroom penthouse with her family. What did I have to lose? I would be closer to my school, I wouldn't be alone, and I'd be safe. On Wikipedia, it said that Mrs. Cullen was notable for her participation in charity events. Also, from the brief encounter that I had with her yesterday and from the long chat that I had with her tonight, she seemed like a really nice person. Not at all a snob. If she was offering, so many times, wouldn't it be incredibly rude to say no? Besides, I was a bit curious about how the lives of the Upper East Siders.

"Mrs. Cullen… I..."

Dad gave the okay on my moving in with the Cullen family. In fact, he encouraged it, since he flipped out when I told him that The Hoodie Girl was none other than his daughter. He spent two hours on the phone with Mrs. Cullen, who had thoroughly explained the situation to him, and the first thing he said to me after that phone call was, "Wow. Good job, Bells."

Tonight was dad's eleventh day away. He was in the middle of the sea somewhere, serving as a helmsman on a ship that contained over two thousand retired rich folks. The cruise was said to last for two months, so dad agreed it was most ideal for me to be under Mrs. Cullen's care until he got back.

Rosalie stayed over Friday night to help me pack. It didn't take long since she went on trips so often that she was all but a professional. It was silly but I felt as if we were saying goodbye; we both had tears in our eyes when Jared, Mrs. Cullen's driver, pulled up in front of my apartment at eight o'clock the next morning.

"Call me when you get settled," she whispered into my ear before I got into the limo. "Keep me posted on the grandson. Let's hope he's cute."

I rolled my eyes at her. Like she didn't have enough cute guys groveling at her feet already...

"Ready to go, Miss Bella?" Jared smiled at both of us.

"Just Bella," I corrected. "And yes, I'm ready. Thanks for picking me up."

He opened the door for me and I got in after thanking him again and waving Rosalie goodbye. Jared told me there was nothing to be nervous about since Mrs. Cullen and her son, Dr. Cullen, were both incredibly happy to have me. There was an explicit admiration in Jared's tone as he spoke of his employer. I caught him smiling as he gave me a list of all the kind things Mrs. Cullen had done for him in the past: she took him in when he dropped out of school and had nowhere to go; he'd been working for the Cullen family for over fifteen years. That surprised me since he didn't look a day over thirty.

The doorman greeted me with a bow when we reached the building; Jared told me to go on ahead when I offered to help him with the luggage. Living on Upper East Side… All I could think was wow. And whoa. The picturesque building in front of me deepened my curiosity about the interiors of the apartment. Comparing my apartment to this place as like comparing a mansion to a shack. Even with this kind of thoughts in my head, I hadn't forgotten my reluctance on coming here in the first place. I was imposing. Yes, Mrs. Cullen and possibly her son welcomed me, but only because they wanted me to be safe. Who would want a stranger under their roof? If the situation were reversed, I would have just sent me a bodyguard.

I followed Jared into the elevator and drew a sharp breath when the door opened, denoting we were on the fifth story. Driver, doorman… What's next, a maid? I thought to myself incredulously. The apartment wasn't as small as it had looked. In fact, it was quite spacious. What caught my eye right off my bat was the beautiful fireplace on the wall. As a child, I had begged my dad to get us a fireplace every year on Christmas Eve. Well, not every year, but the years we could spend the holidays together. Of my seventeen Christmas Eves, I'd only spent six of them with dad. The rest I spent with Rosalie, her parents, and her adopted little brother, Felix, who had been a part of her family since she turned eleven.

Mrs. Cullen rose from the couch with so much poise and grace that I almost curtsied and blundered out "your highness." The hug she gave me made me feel less jumpy about the entire situation.

"It's great to see you, Bella. You remember my son, Carlisle, and this is our housekeeper, Mrs. Valdez."

Mrs. Valdez, who I'd guessed was in her fifties, smiled at me and took my hand. Dr. Cullen came forward, offering a handshake, and clapping me on the shoulder. "Welcome, Bella. I never did get the opportunity to thank you for saving my mother's life."

I smiled shyly. "You have a very beautiful home."

Mrs. Cullen clasped her hands together and drew me to the staircase. The way she took me by the arm as she gave the introductions of her apartment made me smile. This was a three-story apartment, according to her. Her bedroom and Dr. Cullen's bedroom were on the sixth floor; his grandson's and granddaughter's rooms were on the seventh, with mine - the guest bedroom. Right away I loved the style of her apartment. It was classy and elegant. A lot like Mrs. Cullen.

My room was at the end of the corridor and I felt as if the breath had been knocked out of me when she opened the door. It was twice the size as my bedroom back in Bronx. There was a huge closet, a plasma screen on the wall, and a small table in the corner of the room. The room itself was painted light green, with hints of white, but the beige carpet was what made the room look bright.

"Is this alright?" Mrs. Cullen asked hesitantly after taking in my reaction.

"It's great!" I chuckled. "Thanks, Mrs. Cullen. I really appreciate it."

"Okay, none of that Mrs. Cullen nonsense while you're under my roof," She shook her head. "Just Grandma Cullen or Gran, whatever suits you. Well, I'll leave you to unpack. If you need anything just call me or call Mrs. Valdez. Oh, before I forget, there's a bathroom on each floor. It's the first door to your right."

"Thank you."

She checked her watch and walked over to the door. "I have a phone call to make… We'll be starting lunch at noon. Make yourself at home, sweetie. I mean it." The door closed quietly behind her and I flopped into a chair, studying the room more carefully. My living room could fit into this room. How ridiculous.

Unpacking was difficult for me, as I had never moved out of the Bronx apartment in my life. Believe it or not, there were lights inside the closet; I couldn't stop giggling as I hung my clothes. A knock on my door made me jump a mile. Since I was used to living alone, I tended to forget that there were other people in the apartment.

"Come in," I hollered. Then realizing I probably sounded impolite, I added "Please." Daddy would be so proud of me, turning miraculously polite overnight.

"Miss Bella, lunch will be ready in ten minutes. Do you need help with unpacking?" Mrs. Valdez poked her head around the door.

"I'm just about finished, Mrs. Valdez," I smiled at her. "And thanks. I'll be done in ten minutes."

"Silvia, please," she corrected me.

"Just Bella," I told her. Addressing me as Miss sounded weird to my ears. Not to mention Silvia was almost old enough to be my grandmother.

Lunch wasn't as awkward as I had thought it would be. Mrs. Cullen's- I mean Grandma's- grandchildren weren't home, so it was just me, her, and Dr. Cullen. Dr. Cullen asked about my school and politely praised St. George when I brought up its name. The chances were he probably hadn't even heard of that school.

Dr. Cullen left the house at around two and Grandma went to her room to take a nap. Since I stayed up late last night packing with Rosalie, I wasn't in my best shape. Having nothing to do, I ended up falling asleep in my room. I considered calling Rosalie but I was feeling too worn out to talk. She was probably asleep as well, having to wake up so early this morning just to see me off. Even though Bronx was only a couple of minutes away, I was already starting to feel homesick. Not home, to be precise. But friends. I missed Em and Rose.

::::: & :::::

When I got up, it was already a little after six in the evening. My first day in Mrs. Cullen's house and I was already sleeping like a pig. Bet she isn't so fond of you now, I thought to myself sarcastically. Tentatively, I tiptoed to the door- which sounds rather stupid now considering I was probably the only one upstairs- and poked my head around the door to see if the coast was clear. Just as I was about to walk out of the room, I pulled back, wanting to check myself in the mirror first before I went. Unlike Rosalie, I didn't have a lot of grooming products. I brought shampoo, conditioner and soap… Shoot. I left my lotion in the bathroom cabinet back home.

I took a deep breath before walking out of the bedroom. And then I froze, my fingers tightening around the knob as I contemplated whether Mrs. Cullen would expect me to join them for dinner or if lunch was just a welcoming meal. But either way, I had to go down there. Otherwise they were going to think I passed out in my room or something.

Strolling down the corridor with my hands in my hoodie pocket, I jumped and let out a yelp when the door of the first room abruptly swung open. The pair of green eyes that was staring right back at me widened.

"What the fuck are you doing at my house, St. George?"

Dazed, I blinked at the boy before me without uttering a word and stood as still as a statue. My house. He said "my house". Which meant Cornwell Jerk was…

Fuck. Mrs. Cullen's grandson. You have got to be kidding me.

"Are you fucking deaf or something?" he snapped, waving his hand in front of my face with increasing impatience.

I shook myself out of my stupor and groaned. This could not be happening. I mean, there was no way this asshole could be Mrs. Cullen's grandson. Mrs. Cullen was polite and humble. Cornwell Jerk was… not.

"If you don't fucking start talking I'm gonna call the cops," he threatened, taking his phone out of the pocket of his dark jeans.

"Edward!" A voice chided from the staircase, taking both of us by surprise. I hadn't heard Mrs. Cullen approach us, and apparently neither had his grandson since he gave a little jump and muttered, "Fuck," under his breath. "Is that the proper way to treat our guest?"

"What guest?" I was surprised by the harshness in his tone when he all but spat the words at his grandmother. So he wasn't only hostile toward me. The fact should have made me feel better but it didn't.

"I told you a guest would be staying with us from now on," Mrs. Cullen sighed. "Do you ever listen, Edward? I've been talking about the girl who saved my life for the past week. That girl is Bella."

Edward let out a sneer and gave me the Manhattan onceover. I don't know why I suddenly felt unconscious under his gaze.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" he laughed humorously to himself, and I smelled the alcohol in his breath. "You expect me to believe this… this…" He gestured at my frame with his hands. "Girlie here saved your life? Gran, I know I'm not an A-average student but I'm not a moron."

"Enough!" Mrs. Cullen cut him off with a glower. I'd never seen her looking this way before. During the time that we had spent together, Mrs. Cullen was always friendly and inviting, warm and easygoing. "Apologize."

"No." Cornwell Jerk pressed his lips into a hard line. Then after shooting me another look of belligerence, he walked away, just like that. How could he behave like this in front of his grandmother?

"Dinner is ready. Where do you think you're going, young man?"

"Out."

Before his grandmother could say anything else, he sprinted down the stairs.

Mrs. Cullen sighed and muttered something under her breath in French. The smile that she threw me was sad and resigned, and I hated Cornwell Jerk- Edward- for it. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't seem to find the words to say. Besides, it wasn't my place to get myself involved in their family affairs.

"Let's have supper, shall me?"

"Of course," I smiled at Mrs. Cullen, looking away when I saw her take a deep breath with her eyes closed.

The table had already been set by the time we got to the dining room. A pretty, tiny girl of my age was sitting beside Dr. Cullen, and I later recognized her as the girl that I had seen walking beside Edward at the hospital.

"Alice, meet Bella, Grandma's lifesaver," Dr. Cullen chuckled. "Bella, this is my daughter, Alice."

I uttered a polite "Hello" and Alice smiled in acknowledgement. Maybe "pretty" wasn't the correct word to describe Alice; she was gorgeous. She had the kind of skin that any girl would die for and her stylish, spiky raven hair really brought out the blueness of her eyes. Mrs. Cullen had a good-looking family, I thought to myself.

"It's nice to meet the girl who Gran has been going on and on about for the last seven days," She rolled her eyes at her grandmother playfully. "It was quite brave of you to jump on Gran like that. I saw the video on Youtube."

My cheeks turned hot at her comment and I thanked her. I was sure she wasn't happy about having me at her house- and could I blame her? A stranger, out of nowhere, who suddenly moved into the spare room by her bedroom. That was me.

"So was that Edward that I saw sprinting like a mad man out of the house?" she asked, glancing at the front door. "What is he on this time?"

Her tone suggested that she wasn't particularly fond of her brother. Then again, with an attitude like his, who would be fond of him?

"Yes," Mrs. Cullen scowled. "He was quite rude to our guest."

Alice snickered while Dr. Cullen just looked annoyed. However, neither of them seemed taken aback with that particular piece of information.

"Why are you surprised, Gran?" Alice flashed her teeth at Mrs. Cullen. "Edward doesn't have a polite bone in his body."

Dinner turned out to be surprisingly nice. The most unnerving part was where Alice kept on throwing suspicious, curious glances at me, but I wasn't put out with her because I understood where she was coming from. She excused herself to her room after dessert and so did her father, who had yawned several times throughout the meal with bloodshot eyes.

I sat in the living room with Mrs. Cullen when the dining table was cleared. Silvia, the housekeeper, made us some apple cider before she left for the night. Mrs. Cullen asked about my friends- Emmett and Rosalie- and seemed genuinely interested when I told her how we met. I had a feeling that her grandchildren didn't chat with her very often, if not at all. It seemed to me that even though she was rich, she didn't have a lot of company- especially not from her family.

At around midnight, Edward fumbled into the living room, appearing to be seriously drunk. Mrs. Cullen sighed but didn't reprimand him on coming home late; was this something that happened often?

"It's funny," she laughed bitterly, when Edward was out of sight. "I'm Elizabeth Cullen; I have thousands of employees yet I can't handle my own grandson." She shook her head gravely. "Carlisle was never like this when he was little. Alice might be spoiled, but she isn't volatile. I don't know what happened to Edward. Carlisle and I were too easy on him while he was growing up."

"Alice seems nice," I told her, wanting to change the subject.

"She's a good girl," Mrs. Cullen agreed solemnly. "But I wish she could sort out her priorities."

I didn't understand what she meant by that but I didn't ask. We acted as if Edward hadn't happened and resumed to our conversation from earlier.

Twenty minutes later, we yawned and said our goodnights. Grabbing my bag of toiletries from my room, I walked over to the bathroom and twisted the knob. Simultaneously, the door swung open violently and I fell backwards in surprise.

"First, you don't watch where you're going, now you don't knock?" Edward mocked in the same tantalizing tone that he had used with me earlier. Shirtless Edward, who had just come out of the shower wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants that were hung low on his hips. His eyebrows knitted into a frown as he stared at me, the annoyance and distaste he felt toward me blatant.

With my breath caught in my throat, I muttered an apology and told him I didn't know anyone was in the restroom. Even though the guy was a dick, he really was good-looking. He was built- toned but not overly muscular with scary biceps like those guys on the wrestling team at school. Defined jawline, angular nose, high, chiseled cheekbones…

God, what was wrong with me?

"Are you gonna move out of my way? Or do you plan on sleeping on the floor tonight?" The way he glanced at me made me feel like an imbecile.

Pressing my lips together, I got to my feet and gestured toward his room with a sarcastic bow. He sneered at me, rolled his eyes and sauntered to his room, drying his hair with the towel he had around his neck. He slammed the door shut without another word.

Jesus. Cornwell Jerk should attend an anger management class just to get all of that angst out.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reviewing the last chapter! And huge thanks to those of you who offered to beta this story. So Edward and Bella finally meet... Edward is not a player in this story- he's just a jerk but he won't stay that way forever. This Edward will be different from WTDA's Edward. I'm quite excited about developing his character.

I know the Edward&Bree and Bella&Riley pairings are unusual . I was so impressed with Xavier Samuel after watching Eclipse that I felt I just had to bring Riley into the story somehow. As for Bree... I guess I'm just sick of putting Edward with Tanya, Lauren, or Jessica. Bree and Riley will be a huge part of the story, but the story is about Bella and Edward, so please don't worry.

Pics for this story can be found on my blog. I've grown very attached to photo-editing so I'll be posting lots of pics from now on. Pics of the main characters from this story, as well as Mrs. Cullen's apartment, can be found there. The link is on my profile!

Thanks for reading. Please review! And don't apologize for leaving long reviews. I love reading them. Suggestions, constructive criticism are always welcomed.