EPOV

I panicked as I read the two word, spine-tingling text. It could only be one person, and the thought of her texting me sent me shivers.

You see, I'd given my number to a girl earlier. I know it was probably a mistake, she could sell those precious eleven digits to the press and I would be inundated with texts and calls from screaming girls... what had I been thinking? Trusting some random girl! I'd have to get a new phone... but I loved MY iPhone so much, because it was MINE. Nobody could invade it without my permission.

But apparently I gave my number out freely now.

In my defence, she was gorgeous. Really, truly stunning. And when she'd leaned down to get her dvd case, her hair wafted it's strawberry scent over me. Her face was incredible too, her eyes huge and sexy, he skin smooth and pale. But don't even get me started on her body.

It was funny actually, ever since girls had started had started throwing themselves at me, I'd stopped noticing them. They all sort of blurred together, in a tangle of screams, arms and posters being thrust at me to sign.

Not her though. She stood out straight away. She had enticed me with her beauty, and I'd just trusted her implicitly, and now had to wait for the fan calls to start flooding in.

I groaned, and turned back to my phone.

"Guess who?" was so... ambiguous. She'd left it so open!

What angle did I take? Quirky? Distant? Full on? Jeesh, I was so bad with girls.

Then Emmett, my brother-from-another-mother bounded up to me. I had him in lieu of a bodyguard, as he was plenty bulky enough but so much easier to be around than the hired heavyweights big agencies sent.

I filled him in, with a pained expression. Three seconds in, and I was already tongue-tied around this girl. It wasn't even face to face for crying out loud.

In typical Emmett fasion, he simply said 'Ask her out. What have you got to lose?'

Not telling off, no judgement or lewd comments, just honest advice. I loved Emmett.

I tapped back ' :) Want to go out for dinner some time?'

I could always change my number. I breathed, and calmed myself slightly. I just hoped she was as nice as her body ...

BPOV

I burst into laughter as I read the text that had made my phone ping.

Edward Cullen uses smiley faces in his texts... TO ME.

This day could not get any weirder.

I smiled, and nodded to my phone, before realising it was just a hunk of plastic.

Edward made me beam at inanimate objects; which is just strange.

He wanted to meet up! I shook my head, puzzled. Why me? I mean, I was deliriously happy and all, and a million girls would kill to be in my place, but a smothered voice whispered that it was all a joke, he couldn't possibly be interested in me. The cruel voice continued it's quiet tirade, starting to rip open the wounds Jacob had left. But Edward couldn't be that mean, could he?

He was a mystery I was dying to unravel, but afraid to touch. What could I do now?

BPOV

You can never really explain the feeling when a super-megastar who you love unconditionally texts you, wanting to meet up.

You can never really explain the feeling of being so insanely happy you think you might burst, and clap your hands like an idiot to express your extreme hyperness.

You can explain the feeling of not being sure what to reply though. Everyone knows it. The feeling where it's like you're over your head.

SO WHY DID I HAVE ALL OF THESE STUPID FEELINGS OVER A SENTENCE?

Eurgh. Edward Cullen was stressing me out.

I decided I was going to meet up with him. Soon. You can't reject a movie star. Ever.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and sent him the text. There was no going back now.

BPOV

Crap I mumbled under my breath, as I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I was nine kinds of late for college, had my breakfast piece of toast in my mouth, my truck keys in my hand and books overflowing from my tired arms.

Hurrying to my truck, I quickly shoved all of my books down and grabbed my phone, trying desperately to avoid the huge splodges of rain falling haphazardly from the sky. Seeing the voicemail signal, I groaned. I hated missed calls.

Sighing, I put my phone on loudspeaker as I drove along the twisty road. I nearly swerved off into the surrounding forestry when I heard Edward Cullens velvety tones practically singing out of the little device.

Suddenly, the day didn't seem so bad, despite the rain.

"Hey Bella. Nice answering message. I just called to say I won't be able to make our first date, work's been crazy and I've been called to Cyprus ... Sorry"

All too soon, the day seemed worse. Edward Cullen, the boy who'd stolen my heart when he first appeared on screen a few years ago, just rang me, telling me who couldn't make our date because he was in Cyprus.

Cyprus!

I suddenly hated the tiny place with my whole heart. Stupid movies. Stupid Cyprus. Stupid Edward.

But then I froze. What if Edward was just saying that as an excuse? What if he suddenly regretted giving his number out to the first stranger that came his way?

Or worse. What if he went to film the movie, and forgot all about me? After all, I was literally nothing to him. I hadn't even spoken to him! I'd texted him a few times, that's all. His message just told me he remembered my name, but had no emotion in it.

He was going to go swanning off to Cyprus , surrounded by beautiful, elegant girls, and forget all about plain-Jane Bella, who could fall over while strapped in to a harness.

Why did I miss him so much? We weren't even close. I guess I just liked knowing he was just a tap of my thumbs away ...

Sighing, I texted Alice and Angela to ask if they wanted to come shopping with me.

When the going gets tough, the tough get shopping I thought to myself miserably.

EPOV

The sky above me was clear, brilliant with stars, glowing blue in some places,

yellow in others. The stars created majestic, swirling shapes against the black universe—

an awesome sight. Exquisitely beautiful. Or rather, it should have been exquisite.

Would have been, if I'd been able to really see it.

When I stared up at the jewelled sky, it was as if there were an obstruction

between my eyes and their beauty. The obstruction was a face, just an unremarkable

human face, but I couldn't quite seem to banish it from my mind.

I heard the approaching sound of footsteps. The sound of movement was only a faint whisper against the sand.

I was not surprised that Tanya had followed me here. I knew she'd been mulling

over this coming conversation for the last few days, putting it off until she was sure of

exactly what she wanted to say.

She sprang into sight about sixty yards away, suddenly there as a silhouette against the dark sky.

Tanya's skin was silver in the starlight, and her long blond curls shone pale,

almost pink with their strawberry tint. Her amber eyes glinted as she spied me, half-

buried in the sand, and her full lips stretched slowly into a smile.

Exquisite. If I'd really been able to see her. I sighed.

I should have been enjoying the lovely scenery in Cyprus, the beautiful sand and stunning sea. Instead I was ignoring everyone, including Tanya, Kate and Irina, so close to me they were family.

A blizzard of sand flew up around me. The stars went black and I was buried

deep in the feathery sand crystals.

I sighed again, but didn't move to unearth myself. The blackness under the sand

neither hurt nor improved the view. I still saw the same face.

"Edward?"

Then sand was flying again as Tanya swiftly disinterred me. She brushed the

grainy dust from my unmoving face, not quite meeting my eyes.

"Sorry," she murmured. "It was a joke."

"I know. It was funny."

Her mouth twisted down.

"Irina and Kate said I should leave you alone. They think I'm annoying you."

"Not at all," I assured her. "On the contrary, I'm the one who's being rude—

abominably rude. I'm very sorry."

And I was. I wished I could rid myself of the image of Bella leaning down to get her signature. I wished I could enjoy myself here. But I couldn't. Taking a deep breath, I let the words tumble out of me.

"You're a thousand times lovelier than the stars, Tanya. Of course, you're

already well aware of that. Don't let my stubbornness undermine your confidence." I

chuckled at the unlikeliness of that.

"I'm not used to rejection," she grumbled, her lower lip pushing out into an

attractive pout.

Sighing, she got up and walked away.

My mouth twisted with chagrin. I didn't like hurting Tanya, though her feelings

were not deep, hardly pure, and, in any case, not something I could return. It still made

me feel less than a gentleman.

I put my chin on my knees and stared up at the stars again, though I was suddenly

anxious to be on my way. I knew that Alice would know I was coming home, that she would tell the others. This would make them happy—Carlisle and Esme especially.

But I gazed at the stars for one more moment, trying to see past the face in my head.

Between me and the brilliant lights in the sky, a pair of bewildered chocolate-brown eyes stared back at me, seeming to ask what this decision would mean for her.

I only wish I knew. What could I do now?

A/N Sorry about the wait. I suck, I know. Thanks for your kind reviews! More please :)

The last bit, EPOV, is adapted from Smeyers draft of Midnight Sun, found HERE ... http: /www . stepheniemeyer . com/pdf/midnightsun_partial_

Mostly it's all hers, blah blah, rights etc belong to her, you know the drill.

Love from me xxxx