A/N: back after a rather long hiatus. Don't worry, readers, I was on a nine month hiatus from all stories- not just this one. But I have found small inspiration to continue so let's see where this goes? Don't forget to look up & LIKE 'Miss Nae Malfoy' on Facebook!

Edward's guiding hand never left the respectable placement of my middle back, but his hands weren't the biggest of my worries; those eyes, blue as the ocean, were far more cunning than I ever gave them credit for. They spoke to me that entire night without one word ever leaving my date's mouth… they cued me to laugh, smile, and compliment the passersby's that were just dying to strike up a conversation with him. I was turned into his perfect little date, and as much chagrin as that brought to my lips, all fight died in my throat when he'd slip that what-a-man smile of his. He made me almost enjoy being on his arm at Redding's Country Club's annual Pancreatic Cancer benefit- as morbid as such an affair seemed, it was quite the opposite. Guests were dressed to the nines, with fur wraps and five piece suits, laughing gallantly at the wayward humor of others. I chuckled quietly to myself just thinking about what Alice or even Jacob would say about these unabashed snobs- though Seattle was not as glamorous as New York or San Francisco, our residents sure thought they were. "Edward, Bella." Laurena Haldenstein regarded us with a smooth smile and tone of voice, nothing like the high strung, wild girl I met at the fair the weekend prior.

Gone were her cut off shorts and bright lipstick- the young lady before us stood upright with excellent posture and a demure skirt suit. I almost applauded the way she approached us and spoke, as though she were on a presidential campaign or something. "Laurena! How are you?" I greeted her happily and stepped forward to give her a small hug. She awkwardly accepted it, almost as if she hadn't expected such a thing. I hadn't spoken or taken a step out of turn so far and I really didn't expect Edward to be offended by my brash actions, though I observed people treating each other as mere strangers rather than close associates the entire night.

"You two look quite the pair." She commented suggestively, a wry little grin on her bare lips. "Are you trying to be an item, or is it just happy coincidence?" If she kept this up, I was going to grow so red Edward would need to start fanning me.

"Ah, there's my meddlesome sister!" James was rather loud and boisterous as he slapped a rough hand on Edward's shoulder and collected his sister against him. I sort of loved the way he was calm and roguish, in and out of the Redding Country Club. "She's not pestering the hell out of anyone yet, is she?" I laughed at the outright manner he was speaking in, but Edward's stiff smile couldn't match mine. This was his friend, why wasn't he joining in on the joke? Laurena grinned up at her sibling, not taking mind to any of the things he said about her.

"We haven't truly seen her put to the test, perhaps in a few seconds when Lord Chancellor makes his dutiful rounds to the peasants?" I teased lightly and both Haldensteins laughed accordingly, causing Edward's soft hand to suddenly become rigid against my spine. He held the skin of my right shoulder blade so tightly between his thumb and forefinger that I was sure he was intended on pinching the shit out of my until I yelped out. I chanced a side look towards his rather unfeeling face and he only stared right back at me, with a vacant little smile and brewing eyes. What was with the tone change? Just last weekend he had no problem with Laurena or James, what was the deal now? Was it what I said about the chancellor? Chancellor Adams was a perverted jerk whom didn't age well and routinely surveyed every party and meeting held at his country club; I wasn't the only one that felt the way I did! Perhaps I was the only one to say something aloud? James must have felt the energy between us change, but there wasn't anything he could particularly say or do to exchange it.

"Drinks anyone?" James tried to bring the tension back down to a civil level, but it only made things slightly worse. Laurena asked for a mineral water, Edward lifted his glass of untouched whisky in reply, but I perked up.

That was obviously mistake number one. "Are they serving any White Zinfandel?"

My parents allowed small consumptions of various wines, as long as I was responsible and discreet about it, and I couldn't understand why it made Edward as enraged as it did. "Absolutely not." His harsh reply was more of a quiet scream in my ear but the Haldensteins waited in idle awkwardness for my response. Was Edward really going to hash out this matter in front of all of these people? He wasn't my dad, boyfriend, brother, owner, or keeper… he had no say over my actions whatsoever.

"A light Chardonnay will do the trick as well. I'm not too picky." I directed my voice towards James, who bounced his gaze back and forth from me to Edward. I really didn't like putting him in such a tense situation, but it wasn't entirely my own doing. If my date had kept his nose out of my business and worried about himself, nothing awkward would have transpired! After figuring it out in his head, James nodded and walked away with Laurena in tow. Obviously neither of them wanted to be left alone with the two of us, though I didn't see why at first. The disagreement was over and done with, or so I assumed. Assuming anything about Edward was mistake number two.

"Fine, have your way." Edward uttered in a low key pissy tone, making it seem as though I were acting out like a childish brat. Was it so wrong that I wanted to enjoy complimentary spirits at a rather stale party? Everyone else seemed to be having a grand time, and there I was all pressed up against a man that made my knees week and nothing! I wasn't sexually attracted to the looks or caresses he was currently giving me- they made me feel unnecessarily frightened and nervous. It was oddly animalistic the way he made it feel; one minute he was charming my socks off, the next he was making me wonder what I ever found alluring about him in the first place. We didn't have anything else to one another for the next few minutes and allowed the live swing band to play out our silence until James returned with our chosen refreshments. I sipped at my spirit at first, but then decided that reaching the bottom of the glass was far more interesting.

Laurena touched my arm lightly and grabbed the empty glass whilst Edward was busy networking with some elderly folk, replacing it with her own glass of wine instead. I smiled discreetly towards her and ignored the warning look on James' face, chugging down this one as well. What fun were free drinks if you merely sipped at them? "Who might that pretty gal be on your arm, young man?" I almost rolled my eyes at the tone of voice of this stranger, whom was bald and wrinkly everywhere. I could feel rather than sense the fact this stranger mentioning me in any manner upset Edward, seeing as he hadn't even introduced me to these new people like he had done earlier that night. His slight of hand had me almost behind his shoulder, but I pushed my way forward and offered a bright smile.

"My name's Isabella Swan, you've heard of my father haven't you?" Funny how words can just roll off your tongue once you've lost control, aren't they? "Yes, he's just been presented with a shiny plaque for his first year of service as Chief of Police last month." I tried not to gush, but this was what I had been observing from Edward all night long. Present yourself, admit your creed, brag just a tad, pretend to be interested in their life, and excuse yourself. That was what he was doing all evening, anyway. I wanted to irritate and bore Edward to tears as he had in these last few minutes. Speaking of my successful dad and misguiding the conversation from his family business seemed to do the trick for me.

"Why, of course!" The older man smiled in a sickly sweet manner, his hand laying on top of mine in a loud gesture. "I was actually present at the event; Chief Swan is quite the man these days." Edward hadn't introduced us as anything but platonic friends, but his actions spoke towards a different direction. He hugged me tighter to him, a slithering arm wrapped tightly around my waist as he pinched a small amount of fabric between his fingers. I winced and then let out a loud "Ow!" that certainly gained attention for our immediate audience. "Are you alright, dear?" His wife leaned in slightly, a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, she's fine." Edward shooed away their concerns before directing the conversation right back to Cullen & Associates, a legal branch of financial advisors and attorneys. How was it that two very different personalities as stark opposite as day and night, be trapped in one beautiful piece of the male species? Really, it didn't seem far at all at age seventeen; were all men like this, sweet when needed and indifferent in the next moment? I stared right at him, not caring if it bugged him internally or not. The elderly couple opposite us paid little mind to what I was doing, instead hell-bent on hanging on Edward's every word. Even if it sounded like a jumbled mess of fancy words and slogans, it obviously meant something to these people. I listened in on the ending of their conversation before I finally untangled myself from the confines of his body prison- he surely wouldn't fight me about it in front of a lucrative crowd of people, would he? No, he was far too proper.

I made a crooked beeline to the nearest exit, not quite feeling like myself at the moment. The two glasses of wine, consumed so quickly and near one another, sloshed around in my brain until I was sure vomit was lodged in my windpipe. My parents would kill me if I vomited all over the pretty people and nice things Redding Country Club had to offer, and I would surely be dumped by Edward in the instant. Who wanted to be associated with a scandalized girl, anyway? The band seemed to be playing all around me as my eyes started lose focus, making my footfalls feel like stepping on clouds of marshmallows with ankles wrapped around my ankles. Somehow I fought my way out of the crowded room and thrust myself towards the wall, hoping for some sort of solace among this place- but instead, I found myself pawing a younger looking couple in a sort of flushed frenzy. The woman sneered down at me while her partner grabbed my uncovered arms to steady my pace; I felt tears prick at my eyes. I was tired of playing big girl- I just wanted to go back home to my mom and dad. They knew how to protect me; they knew I was just some young girl with dreams of growing up too soon!

I opened my mouth, ready to beg them to take me back to my parent's house when a fresh feeling of nausea hit me. It was a horrid realization of mine, but there was no way I could let my clumsy self degrade my image any more than I already had. Without another thought, I made a mad dash towards the door as a way of escaping the situation I set myself up in that night. If only I made it to the door on time, I'd be out of the current peril I found myself in… or so I thought.

The vomit came spewing out of my mouth in a rather small amount, which I held in my hand against my mouth. Just the thought of the sticky substance in my palm made the upchuck sensation reappear in a more brazen manner. I just stood there, one hand to my cramping stomach and the other held to my face. Were people staring at me? Was I going to be blacklisted from every single social event for the rest of my life for doing this? I couldn't find it in me to seek a rock to crawl under, so I just stood there and waited for that Hail Mary moment to happen. I wasn't going to try and make more of a fool of myself- if I was going to toss my cookies, I wouldn't do it running for my life. I even tried breathing slowly, as if it would help any, but that made the smell so much stronger for me. I sobbed loudly with freefalling tears sliding down my face, all sensible actions thrown out of the window.

I didn't even really feel him pull me with him, my feet probably didn't even touch the ground our entire journey there- the next thing I knew, Redding's cool breeze of the night hit my face with a newfound freshness that truly caused me to throw up every last content of my stomach. I tried to contain it after a few seconds, but his consoling hands did their magic in a way that I would never understand. They were so swift and every motion was so practiced as he held my side to him and bent me forward, holding one of my hands to his against the cold granite walls of the building. "Don't fight it, baby." Edward's velvety voice spoke directly into my ear and I did just as he did, almost forgetting to breathe between every spill. "Breathe slowly, you're almost done, baby." I shut my eyes as the tears fell down my swollen cheeks, but his fingers curled around mine in a comforting gesture that I was perhaps too tipsy to recognize at that moment. "The worst is over, but James will pay for giving you that drink."

Why was he calling me baby? Why was he handling me so gently? If I were in his shoes, I would have thought myself be a spoiled brat and allowed me to freely puke everywhere in humiliation… I did try to purposely embarrass him in front of those people and I did run off in my little dramatic scene. Did he enjoy witnessing the walking disaster that I was? It was the only explanation I could fathom when I looked up into his eyes, feeling one hundred times better and one hundred times worse. It felt good to let go of every last piece of poison inside of me, but on the other hand I smelt like vomit and looked like shit. How much worse could our second date go? "I'm sorry." I cried angrily at no one in particular, unable to meet his gaze any longer. God, I was a fucking idiot sometimes! I acted like the immature seventeen year old everyone else thought I was, and I doubted he would ever want to take me out anywhere with him again. Edward was so great of a man- he was gorgeous, talented, blessed with a well-to-do family name, and had everything going right for himself. I was just a stupid girl with no real ambition and no true grasp on the real world.

I couldn't cut it in his world, which was obvious by my little spectacle. "What is there to be sorry about, blume? You're ill, that's not a tragedy." There was even a teasing tone in his voice and a tiny smile on his lips, as though this were just one cute little accident. Didn't he realize how stupid I just made myself look in front of those people, and now in front of him? And there was that word again, 'blume'. What the fuck did it even mean?

"I made such a fool of myself tonight." I willed myself to stop crying but there seemed to be no seal large enough to handle the flood of emotions I was having.

Edward was rubbing my back in a soothing gesture as I leaned my forehead against our joined hands, as if he stepped away from me, I would lose the center gravity of my world. "Hey, it's alright." His voice was in my ear again, planting tiny kisses in my hair and around my earlobe. "Don't worry about what those people think, Isabella, they're old bastards anyway." I chuckled at his attempt to make me feel better… why had I started to dislike this man at all? Here he was, holding onto and kissing the very same girl that was just minutes before hell-bent on showing him up. "And you aren't a fool, not at all- I can guarantee that there are still a handful of men in this very next room that would die to kiss your lips, even in your state of duress." I rolled my eyes at his exaggeration, but it gained an unexpected reaction from my body. He still wanted to kiss me, didn't he? So either he was out of his fucking mind in the fact that he liked kissing vomiting girls, or some part of him actually cared about me. Me, a young and inexperienced girl he knew through family-friend association… he cared about me.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better." I moaned lowly, not trusting my tone of voice in light of a bran new headache. Was this what a hangover was? I thought it only happened the next day… was I cursed to never touch alcohol again? If every time felt like this, I had no problem with that. "You're too good for me… you're so damn perfect." What made me blurt that? God, I was a real asshole, wasn't I? How could I betray my own self like that? It was exactly how I felt, but he didn't need to know that!

"I'm far from perfect, baby," I shivered at the way he spoke to me, "but when I'm around you, it becomes so irrelevant. You need someone permanently, it would seem, to keep you from tripping over yourself- I want to be that person." My pulse skyrocketed at the tone of voice he was using, and his words seemed to have an anchor effect on me. Hadn't I drooled over television caped crusaders and such my entire life, hoping and wanting Mr. Perfect to come waltzing into my life? Now here he was, right behind me, holding my hair away from the direction of my vomit while rubbing soothing circles into my back. And for reasons unbeknownst to me, it didn't feel right. His eyes, as captivating as they were, didn't set well with me- sure, they made me feel wanted and excited every time I met his gaze but love, or the capacity to love, was sorely missing from the depths of those emerald pits.

I stood erect, or as erect as possible clad in those painful shoes, and turned swiftly around. Perhaps he was just going too far too fast, and it was frightening me? Or could it have been the unsettling way he was looking at me now, as though I were a pricey cut of meat he wasn't ready to grill yet "I'd like to go home now, please." My lower lip wobbled dangerously as I shoved those words out of my mouth. The romantic in me wanted to stay here with him and live out every last fantasy my seventeen year old mind could fathom, but it wasn't real. None of it! Fantasies never came true, especially for small town girls like me in rotten big cities like these.

Edward's jaw clenched angrily before a solitary nod served me a cold shoulder; his hand was unfriendly as it grabbed my bare arm and dragged me through the sea of people gathered in the plaza, caring not for my cries of protest. He didn't even open my car door as he had done before, leaving me to my own devices as I dived into the passenger seat. It was an awkward drive home for the both of us, seeing as he turned into a brooding jackass in mere seconds- it wasn't like I flatly rejected him, or anything! If my puking had offended him in anyway, he sure didn't show it in the beginning! It wasn't until he started to talk about me needing protection and being his baby did he actually start acting buffed- did he honestly expect me to just sit there and fall into him? My dad had the talk with me; he let me know long ago that boys, of any age and race, only ever wanted one thing. It drove men wild when they couldn't get it; I knew that just from observation. I looked over at his physique, and his muscles and broad frame that before made me attracted to him now had me second-guessing myself. Would I even stand a chance against someone like him? I had no rape whistle, no taser, no mace; I was as unprepared and inexperienced as teenagers came. My fists clenched at my sides just considering all of the different scenarios that could come to life within the confines of his sporty car.

Was Edward the type to use force when he couldn't achieve it on his own? Then again, what girl in their right mind wouldn't want to give their bodies and hearts alike to him with no fuss invovled? God, he was gorgeous and blessed in so many ways… money, cars, a nice home life, loving parents- what didn't he have? Besides a good personality, he had it all! What was he even doing with someone like me, anyway? I had none of that… my parents were out of their mind, I drove a shitty hand-me-down Honda, my bank account was always in the two digits, and I was an inexperienced virgin for Christ's sake! There was no appeal for him, yet here we were.

He made a sharp turn that sent me sliding in my seat towards the door, causing my jerking body to slam the side of my head right into the window. I cried out in pain and clutched the offended part of my body in agony- Jesus, how much worse could this night get? The screeches of his tires were loud enough to wake the city up, but he paid no mind as he stalled the car. "Isabella? Are you feeling well?" His larger body hovered over me from the driver's seat, which was far too close in my private bubble for my liking. "Will you be sick again?" Gone was the elusive maniac from earlier and back was the sensitive, caring man outside of Redding Country Club. I almost smiled in relief at his return. "You really are a hazard to yourself, Isabella, you only cause yourself harm." His warm hand held the side of my tear-streaked face lovingly, as though he hadn't had anything to do with it.

"You were the one that made that crazy turn and-" I began to defend myself, because even though I was one of the clumsiest people I knew, it still wasn't right of him to play on that fact. Had he made that turn on purpose?

"Shh, Bella." Edward nuzzled my nose softly before reaching over me, emitting a sharp gasp and an involuntary jerk of my body. The glint in his eyes changed slightly, but it was replaced with an easy going look once more. "You must still be feeling the effects of overconsumption, aren't you?" I didn't like the way he was speaking down on me, as though I were an irresponsible juvenile that was making up stories. Without explaining why he was leaning over me, he pulled the seat belt over my chest and clicked it in with practiced ease. I gulped nervously and directed my eyes forward after that, allowing the rest of the drive develop into one hell of a pregnant silence. This would probably be our last date out, if I had anything to do about it.

Sure, he was a nice guy that could be some other woman's "full package", but he churned and twisted every last nerve ending I owned.

000

"So, how was the most eligible bachelor last night?" Rosalie Hale teased me relentlessly the next day, not caring that my feelings were still hurt over the entire ordeal. He dropped me off without a word, sped out of the neighborhood, and hadn't even called or texted like he promised to. "Oh, come on, Bella! What did you really expect? Guys like Edward Cullen were born disgusting, over-privileged jerks… it's just in his DNA to be an asshole." She shrugged easily. It was easy for her to say, she was the rich one dating the poor one! "And why do you look so bummed about him not calling? I thought you didn't want to see him again?"

I sighed heavily and tossed myself onto the rather stiff bed I owned. "Yeah but it I just thought…"

Rose shook her head stiffly and snatched my cell phone from my hand. "You thought that you were so different from the countless other chicks he manipulates and controls like a puppet master? You should be happy that you got away as swift as you did."

My eyebrows furrowed at her words. "What is that suppose to mean?" She and my dad hated the Cullens with a passion, though I couldn't truly understand why. Rosalie's family was a lot like the Cullens, if not exactly the same. There was no reason for the type of animosity she had!

She only shook her head of blonde locks at me. "Bells, you'll get it one day… the Cullens aren't who they say they are. Not one of them! They like to act all sweet and Beaver Cleaver but behind closed doors it's a different story." I rolled my eyes at the direction of this conversation- Rosalie took it a step farther than my dad and came up with this ridiculous story about the Cullen Family, which was a crying shame on her part. How would she have liked it if people started making mean stuff up about the Hale lineage?

"Are you really going to stick to that story? I don't want to hear about your so-called "friend" and all of her made-up stories again." I shot back angrily. Rosalie was perhaps one of the worst narcissist out there, especially when everything wasn't revolving around here small-time fairytale. "Besides, I don't really trust your friends. They're… weird, and sometimes a little over the top." That was the biggest understatement of the year, to be frankly honest. Between Lauren the Ripper, 'Bro Hoe' Tanya, and Jessica Stanley (aka the bane of Rocky Ides High School for the last three years), you had so much money yet so little brains- but Rosalie acquainted herself with them, and in doing so brought them into my social circle as well.

Rosalie snorted. "And your friends are any better? Alice thinks she's psychic, Mike thinks he's the next best thing, and Ang is too busy drooling over Eric to walk straight- at least my bitches are conversationalist! Besides, what do you-" I was half listening to her, half eyeing my cell phone beside her lap- she wasn't paying attention to it vibrating softly, but my eyes picked up on it almost immediately. Was it Edward? Was he calling to let me know he never wanted to see me again, or was he calling to check in on my hangover? I tried to steady my breathing and appear calm and collected. The last thing I needed was for Rosalie to grab the cell phone before I had the chance; there was no telling what she would do if it were in fact Edward on the line. Would she do something mean, rude, or embarrassing? Before she had the chance to react, I lurched forward and snatched the treasured electronic and ran my happy ass out of my room. My feet were clumsy as ever as I tripped on the throw rug, but I dashed right into the restroom and locked the door behind me.

Her softer footsteps followed behind loud banging on the cheap wooden door- that Amazon woman could break it down if she so pleased. I tapped the answer button and pressed it against my ear in a hurry, not even glancing at the caller ID before doing so. "Hello?"

A/N: to be continued.