"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." ~ Bo Derek (American actress)

Thank you so much, Emmalynn21, for beta'ing!


Chapter Three: He's The Man

Edward Cullen

I groaned when my alarm clock went off, nearly knocking it over my bedside table when I reached for the snooze button. Fucking seven a.m. in the morning- way too early to be up on a Sunday. Since Gran was finicky about family breakfast though, I had no choice but to get down there; otherwise she'd nag about it for at least a week. Life sucked.

Sighing, I rolled out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. I really, really needed to piss, thanks to all the alcohol that Jasper poured down my throat last night. The tipsiness hadn't left my system; I fumbled like a toddler to the door and cursed when I stubbed my toe. Who the hell had put my textbooks by the door? I was bound to walk into them on my way out. Then I remembered that it was me who did that stupid shit after school on Friday, and my aggravation deepened.

As if that wasn't bad enough already, fucking Lady Gaga began blaring from Alice's room the second I stepped into the corridor. The worst had yet to come. I mean, at least my tone-deaf sister hadn't started singing along. My mistake - screeching along.

Happy that my bladder hadn't exploded before I made it to the bathroom, I smiled when my fingers reached the door knob. The joy dissolved as soon as I realized the door was locked. I pounded the door with my fists and threatened to kick it down if Alice didn't hurry up with her shit. She loves hogging the bathroom; it usually takes about an hour for her to take a shower. How she doesn't turn into a prune whenever she comes out, I haven't figured out.

After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting - it didn't occur to me that I could use the bathroom downstairs. Did I mention it was 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning? Most people would be in bed - the door finally opened, but it wasn't Alice that walked out, as I had expected. It was Bella Swan. My grandmother's so-called lifesaver.

She didn't utter a word to me, which was good because I honestly couldn't stand it if she told me good morning.

"Aw, crap," I made a face. "I thought I had dreamt about you moving into our house, yet I wake up this morning and here you are. What a fucking nightmare."

She laughed and looked away dismissively, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

I didn't know this Swan girl, but somehow the thought of her pissed me off to no end. Gran and Dad adored her for her "heroic act;" Alice wasn't thrilled about having her at our house, but she wasn't oppose to it either. Was I the only one that felt uncomfortable with having a stranger under our roof? Yeah, Swan saved Gran and that was great and all, but did Gran have to be this generous? Most people would be satisfied with a "thank you" and a check.

"Next time use the bathroom downstairs."

"Why don't you use it?" she countered, her left eyebrow quirked.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going to walk all the way down there just to piss and brush my teeth."

"Well, neither am I. I guess you'll just have to get over it." I don't believe it. This girl was challenging me. At my own house. The nerve of her… "Can I go now?"

I blinked at her, slightly taken aback by her question. "What?"

She sighed and tapped her foot, rolling her eyes heavenwards. "You're blocking the exit."

Glaring, I moved out of the doorway and felt anger bubbling under my skin as I watched her sway to her room, appearing as if she didn't have a care in the world. Gran accused me of having attitude problems?

After taking care of my business, I walked downstairs and took the spot across from Alice at the dining room table. I greeted my grandmother, who later disappeared to retrieve something from the living room, and acknowledged my dad with a nod when he came in with today's paper in his hand.

"Nice dress," I told my sister, even though I personally thought whoever the designer was went overboard with the red. "Where did you get it from?"

She raised her eyebrow at me. Alice knew me too well. "What is it that you want?"

"English homework," I admitted. "It's due tomorrow and I have nothing."

"When are you going to start doing your own work?" she sighed.

"I'll start when you quit shopping," I teased. "Come on! You're smart. Kinda. It'd take you less than twenty minutes to whip up another report."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Good morning." I jumped in my seat when St. George walked in with Gran, laughing over something Gran had told her.

"Good morning, Bella," Dad greeted her with a smile the same time Alice murmured "Hey."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thanks."

Of course she had a nice night of sleep. It was a three-thousand-dollar bed, for Christ's sake. The guest bedroom was every bit as comfortable as the rest of the bedrooms.

St. George looked hesitant when Gran told her to take a seat. There were only two vacant chairs; one by me and one by Alice. Without throwing me a glance, she sat down beside my sister. Good. I guess I made it clear that she wasn't welcomed here.

"What are you kids up to today?" asked Dad, though it was obvious that his question was mostly meant for me.

"I'm going out with Jasper today," Alice beamed. "He got us reservations at this amazing restaurant that all the celebs go to and recommend… Who knows? Maybe we'll meet someone there…like Jude Law."

This is exactly why I was against the idea of Jasper and Alice dating. My best friend and my sister - the thought of it used to frustrate me. They were head over heels in love with each other, though, so who was I to stand in their way? After all, Alice could have ended up with someone worse. At least I was sure that Jasper would take good care of her. They'd been together for almost three years now and their relationship still seemed to be going strong.

"Are you going to be gone all day? What about my English report?" I asked.

"You can work on it yourself," Alice retorted. "You know, by actually reading the book and by using this thing in your head called brain."

Smart-ass.

"Well, I can't read a five-hundred page novel in a day!" I complained, not realizing how much I sounded like Lauren Mallory, the whiniest bitch at school. "I have plans!"

St. George emitted a snicker. Indignantly, I whipped my head to her direction and glared at her, not knowing what I had done to amuse her. Who did she think she was? Laughing at me at my own house?

"What?" I hissed.

"Nothing. Just… ignore me." She looked down to her lap, pressing her lips together to hold back another giggle. Yes, that was exactly what I should do. I'd ignore her. Bella Swan did not exist.

"I'm going out," I said to Gran, when I spotted her on the couch reading Times. After breakfast, Alice all but sprinted out of the house when Jared announced that Jasper's limo had already arrived. Dad went to the study room to do… work stuff, and St. George left the house after getting a call.

She looked up from her magazine. "Oh, well, be safe."

Grandma was the only female parental figure that I had in my life while I was growing up. Mom was out of the picture a long time ago. She just packed up and left without saying goodbye after… that happened. Alice and I were only nine years old; my sister didn't understand why Mommy would just pull a disappearing act like that but I did, unfortunately. No one knew that I knew and I planned to keep it that way. If the truth got out, it'd break Dad and Alice.

I told Jared to drop me off at Central Park. Bree had texted me and told me to meet her there this morning, and having nothing to do, I agreed. Jasper was out playing "lovestruck teen" with my sister, Alec was probably passed out in someone's tub, Garrett's sorry ass was still in juvenile hall… Fucking boring day.

Bree Tanner and I have been good friends since we were fifteen. She was pretty much the only female friend that I had, since the rest of the girls at my school were freaking obnoxious. Aside from Jasper, she was the only friend that I could have serious talks with. Her father, Adrian Tanner, was the principal at Cornwell. I would have been expelled a long time ago if he hadn't gotten my ass out of trouble with the school board every time.

Bree was sitting on the bench, her lips stretching into a huge smile when I came into sight. She got to her feet, smoothed her sundress, and waved. She looked nice.

"Why are we meeting in central park?" I chuckled. "It's fucking hot outside."

"I love this park," she protested. "It's got trees and sidewalks…"

"And what park doesn't?" I teased. "But whatever. I'm here. So what do we do now?"

She shrugged, pressing her lips together as she contemplated. "Take a walk? Chat?"

Not my idea of an exciting Sunday, but whatever. It wasn't as if I had anything better to do. She surprised me when she tucked her arm in mine, but I didn't shake it off because I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Bree and I… we have a complicated relationship. Most people think that she's my girlfriend, but we never did talk about our relationship status. Well, she tried to, but I always ended up changing the subject. We hang out, kiss, flirt… and if that makes her my girlfriend, then I guess she is. You just won't ever catch me saying, "Hey, this is Bree- my girlfriend". She just happens to be a friend that is a girl. A pretty girl that most guys would die to have.

"Remember I told you the girl who saved my grandmother will be staying with us from now on?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I wanted to ask you about that. How are things with her?"

Bree widened her eyes when I told her it was the St. George girl that had stepped on her foot last week. People don't kid when they say it's a small world, do they? She didn't protest when I abruptly changed the subject, having had enough of Bella Swan. That was what I liked about Bree; she didn't pry.

I took her to this fancy Japanese restaurant that I knew she liked for lunch but was as expensive as hell. After having our meal, we caught a movie and I drove her home- well, Jared did- since she had to meet her cousins who came all the way from Washington for dinner. She asked me to tag along but I turned down her offer, saying I still had that English report that I hadn't gotten started on- even though we both knew that was just an excuse. But she didn't mind. She knew how I was.

I bumped into St. George outside our apartment building and she raised her eyebrow briefly when she saw me. Maybe she was expecting me to start another banter, but to be honest, I knew I was a dick to her during the both times we had talked. She had caught me at bad times; I was drunk last night when I first saw her and I'm always a grouch in the morning. I decided to make it up to her by keeping my mouth shut this time. Normally, I wouldn't care if I offended someone, but considering she did save my grandmother's life, I guess I should apologize. And this was my way of apologizing.

It was awkward to wait for the elevator with her in the lobby. She stared straight at the screen that displayed which floor the elevator was on and let out a sharp breath when she saw it come down. Obviously, this wasn't any more comfortable for her as it was for me.

Both of us made a move to get in the second the elevator dinged. My chin hit the top of her head, and I yelped and pulled away from her. What was with this girl?

"What the hell was that?" Damn, St. George's hardheaded. Literally, I thought to myself as I rubbed my chin.

"Haven't you ever heard of 'ladies first'?" She looked irked. Then flashing a patronizing smirk at me, she said, "What do they teach you at Cornwall?"

Oh, hell no. She did not just quote me. My dad used to do that all the time but coming from her, it felt a hundred times worse. Grandma's lifesaver or not, I couldn't let her talk to me like that. I'm Edward Cullen and I don't take shit from anyone.

"They taught us what St. George obviously failed to teach you," I countered, chuckling. "Watch where you walk."

She shot me a dirty look and stepped into the elevator. I rolled my eyes and sighed intentionally and loudly, snickering internally when I saw her balling her hands into fists. I was getting on her nerves; at least she knew how I felt for a change.

She stalked out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. The idea of her being pissed at me brightened my mood, as twisted as that sounds. Silvia raised her eyebrow at me when I came through the front door with a grin on my face.

"Mrs. Cullen is out," she told me, though it never occurred to me to ask. "She's having tea with someone from Atmore Enterprise."

I grimaced. Atmore Enterprise… which meant Gran was having tea with Jessica Stanley, daughter of the founder of the company. She was a nightmare. Fake and unnaturally blonde and big-boobed… Now usually I wouldn't mind the six-year gap, but that girl was crazy. She had gotten a hold of my number and had called me twenty-six times in less than twenty-four hours after we met. I ended up having to change my number. Psychotic bitch. I hoped she wasn't eating Grandma alive.

"What-the-hell-ever," I said in a sing-song tone. "Can you fix me something to eat? Like a blueberry pie or something?"

She looked down to the vacuum that she was holding. "I have to get the house cleaned, Edward. Later, alright?"

"Sure, sure," I waved dismissively, already moving toward the stairs. "Just hurry 'cause I really need some sweets in my system." I would have just brought something from the store, but Silvia's freshly-baked blueberry pie was fucking epic. It has been my favorite dessert since I was old enough to have something that was not baby food.

Irritated with the beads of sweat rolling from my forehead, I wiped my face with the back of my hand then decided to give up and just take a shower. The black shirt that I was wearing had absorbed so much heat while I was out that it made me feel as if I were about to have a heatstroke.

Stripping out of my clothes, I climbed into the shower and let out a sigh of contentment when the cold water hit my skin. I wondered if Silvia had gotten started on my pie… and if she had, how long would I have to wait for it to be ready? The fact that me, Edward Cullen, was home on a Sunday afternoon taking a goddamn shower, thinking about blueberry pies, made me laugh. Since when had I turned into this pathetic shit?


Bella Swan

I made plans to meet up with Riley after breakfast. I hadn't seen him since he went on that London trip to visit his father; I missed him. He was the only person outside of Mrs. Cullen's family that knew about my being The Hoodie Girl, of course, excluding Dad, Rosalie and Emmett.

"Bella!"

The moment I spotted Riley and heard him call my name from the park bench, my lips stretched involuntarily into a wide smile. His hair was longer. His eyes were bluer. He looked gorgeous. Really, really, gorgeous.

His presence automatically made me feel safe and at ease. That was his charisma, and one of the many things that I loved about him. Hanging out with him was as comfortable and easy as breathing.

"Here's my favorite New Yorker!" He chuckled, pulling me into a hug. "I missed you, Bella. You look great."

"I missed you, too. You do still speak American English, right? Or have you developed a hot British accent while you were in London?" I teased. "I bet European girls were all over you."

He grinned at me. "I told them I left my heart behind in New York with someone very special." His eyes softened as he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. My heart accelerated at his words.

I cleared my throat. I always clear my throat in awkward, nerve-wracking moments. "So what are we having for lunch? I'm buying."

"No way," he chuckled. "My treat. I was thinking we could go to that new Italian restaurant… what do you think? It's a great place to talk."

"Hey, as long as we're getting food," I elbowed him playfully.

Why Riley would want to hang out with me, a girl three years his junior, who was still in high school, was a mystery to me. But despite the age gap between us, I always had fun on our "dates." He went on at great length about all the beautiful architects that he saw while he was in Europe. The way his eyes lit up as he talked about the buildings made me smile. I asked him once why he didn't study engineering when his heart was clearly not in finance; his answer then was that he was expected to be the next in line for the family business.

When he asked for details regarding the shooting, I couldn't help but gnaw at my fingernails. I hadn't really talked about it with anyone other than Rose and Em, but I knew I could share this with Riley because he was a hundred percent trustworthy. He said that he had seen the clip on Youtube - and jokingly remarked that he had left a comment- and seemed to be even more impressed when I informed him that I didn't want people to know my identity. It wasn't about modesty or selflessness. I just didn't want to get picked on in school because some of the assholes would no doubt give me a hard time.

Since Riley had a family friend visiting from out of town and I made plans to hang out with Emmett after his dentist appointment, we left the restaurant at about two. He offered to walk me to Baskin-Robbins on 1st avenue, but I told him to go on ahead since he was already running late. Emmett was already on his second scoop of ice cream when I'd arrived, even though I was exactly on time. He waved at me with a goofy grin on his face when I slide into the booth in front of him.

"Hey, hey, hey," he sang. "Hero Girl - so nice of you to join me today."

I shushed him and he snickered, enjoying my discomfort. A little girl walked by our table and shot a terrified glance at Emmett as she took in his tattoos and muscles. He winked at her, and she broke into a run shrieking, "Mommy?" I suppose Emmett had somewhat an intimidating appearance; he was tall for his age and pretty much the strongest guy that I knew. But underneath the tough exterior, he was just a teddy bear with a big heart. He tutored unprivileged children in the afternoon twice a week for free, something most people found hard to believe- even his parents. At first, they thought he had involved himself with a gang when they noticed his disappearances on Fridays and Saturdays.

"So has Rosalie called you yet?" I asked. "I haven't been able to get a hold of her."

"No. Speaking of Rosalie… has she said anything to you about me?" Emmett's face was flushed. Was my best friend… blushing? At the mention of Rosalie?

"No. We talked yesterday morning but that was it. Why?"

"Nothing!" he chuckled, refusing to meet my eyes. "Hey, you haven't even ordered your ice cream yet. You cannot leave Baskin-Robbins without having ice cream. It's a sin."

I sighed, a bit upset that he threw the bait and just left me hanging there. "Em, just tell me what's going on."

"Fine, fine. Just go get some ice cream; then we'll talk. Oh, get me another scoop of chocolate fudge while you're there. Thanks, B."

Emmett was doodling on a napkin when I returned.

"Here you go - chocolate fudge with caramel syrup and chocolate sprinkles," I handed him the cone. "Now, tell me what's going on before I go mad."

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and smiled. "I don't know how to start. You should let Rosalie tell you."

"Rosalie?"

Why would Emmett tell Rosalie something and be uncomfortable with telling me about it? We were a trio- there were no secrets among us, at least that was what I had always thought.

"Yeah - coming from her would probably be better."

"Em," I cut him off with a chuckle. "Just tell me. My head is on the brink of exploding with the thoughts of possibilities."

He sighed and pinched his nose.

"I asked Rosalie out."

I blinked at him, unable to process what he had just told me.

"I'm sorry. I might be going crazy over here but did you say-"

"I asked Rosalie out," he repeated, sounding more confident this time.

Emmett liked Rosalie? I mean, yeah, obviously he did since we were best friends, but I never guessed that he liked liked her- I don't know how to put it in another way without sounding childish. Plus, I always thought he had a thing for Heidi, this girl that we had gone to middle school with. Rosalie had always hated her, and I guess now I knew why.

"Wow," I drew a sharp breath. "How long have you… liked her?"

"I've had a crush on her since fifth grade," he smiled bashfully. "Remember that box of Valentine's Day chocolate from her anonymous admirer? That was me." I stifled my gasp and gaped at him with shock. "But I've never said anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I mean, if she didn't feel the same way, things would get pretty awkward."

"So what encouraged you to ask her out all of a sudden?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. One day I just woke up and thought, 'Hey, what if we both go off to college without knowing what could have been?' It's senior year… nothing should be left unsaid."

I nodded at him with a smile. Senior year. God, I can't believe Emmett, Rosalie and I have been friends for seventeen years already.

"So," he cracked a small smile at me. "Are you cool with this? I know it must be a surprise to you but…"

"I'm happy for you," I assured him. Rosalie and Emmett… they were nothing alike, but if they had feelings for each other, who was I to stand in their way? At least I knew Emmett wouldn't hurt her like all the other bastards that she had dated in the past.

My best friend and my best friend… together. So what did that mean for our trio now? I mean, where did that leave me? For the first time, I felt completely left out.

Two more orders of ice cream later, Emmett and I left Baskin-Robbins. He, like Riley, offered to walk me back to Mrs. Cullen's place but I declined because I felt needed some time alone to think things through. My mood turned sour when I spotted Edward in front of the apartment building. I waited for him to start another pointless, insulting conversation, but he surprisingly kept his mouth shut. He hadn't acknowledged me either, but I was okay with that as long as he didn't start running that mouth.

When the elevator got to the first floor, both of us shifted forward to get in. What I hadn't anticipated on was that our body would collide. Since his chin hit the top of my head, I would like to think he got the worst out of the two of us. I had to refrain myself from laughing when he cursed and yelped like a little boy who had just scraped his knee.

Silvia was vacuuming when I came in. I offered to help as I had nothing to do but she declined, saying I must have had something better to do on a Sunday afternoon. Then hearing Edward approaching, I trotted toward the staircase. That boy should equate the definition of A-hole. It was understandable that he disliked me since he disliked pretty much everyone, but that didn't mean I was going to put up with his attitude, Mrs. Cullen's grandson or not.

Sighing, I flopped into bed and got out my sketch book and black pen. Art has been a part of my life for so long- it was the only thing besides my friends that I could rely on. For the past couple of days, I had been drawing Mrs. BMW's BMW, and the scene where she pointed the gun at Mrs. Cullen. I couldn't shake that image out of my head. I didn't understand why someone like Mrs. Cullen would be the target of an assassination. There were plenty of rich people in New York, some probably richer than Mrs. Cullen. Was she simply at the wrong place at the wrong time?

I dropped my pen when the walls of my room began vibrating as loud rock music blared. My ears were on the brink of bleeding. Yeah, I loved Green Day, but not when it was this loud.

With frustration, I marched to Edward's room with long strides and knocked on his door. I didn't know why I bothered; it wasn't as if he could hear me with the music overlapping every sound in the house.

"Hey!" I yelled as I pounded my fists on his door. "Keep it down!"

I couldn't even hear my own voice so I figured it was unlikely that he would get up and open the door. With no second thoughts, I threw the door open, the nerves gnawing away at my confidence from earlier when I saw Edward lying on his bed with nothing but a pair of jeans on. He had his eyes closed with a peaceful look so I assumed he was asleep. How can he be asleep with the music screaming into his ears?

"Hey!" I shouted. "Hey, wake up."

Pathetic. He didn't even stir. Not wanting to touch him, I chucked one of the jackets that was hanging over the back of his chair at his face. He shot up at the contact.

He seemed stunned when he saw me standing in his doorway with my arms crossed. Nevertheless, it took him less than three seconds to go from Surprisedward to Dickward.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing in my room, St. George?" He turned the music down, stomped up to me, and jabbed his index finger at my face, as if he was about to poke my eye out. "What are you, stalking me or something? I'm going to sue you for trespassing on private land."

"I was just going to ask you to keep the music down," I glared at him. "The walls were falling apart."

"I doubt that," he scoffed. "If you don't like the way I listen to music, then move out. You won't find me stopping you."

Gosh. Why was he was… infuriating? It wasn't just the things he said either. It was the way he talked to me, as if he was high above me and that I should be grateful that he was even acknowledging my presence.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. You cannot punch or slap him, I recited to myself repeatedly. Physical violence is not the answer. Do not hit him, no matter how much you want to. Do not hit him.

"Just please keep the music down," I told him as impassively as I could. "Please. For the sake of your ears and mine and everyone else's in this neighborhood, keep the volume down."

He mimicked the sarcastic bow that I had shown him the very first night and smirked when I trotted out of his room. As soon as I closed my bedroom door, the music came back up, perhaps even louder than before.

One thing was clear - Edward Cullen was not going to make my life with the Cullens easy.


A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for over two weeks. I've been busy with my studies but now I'm back.

Thank you for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are amazing:D I tried my best to reply to all the reviews for the last chapter; if I missed you, I apologize. I'll try again with Chapter 3.

The drama hasn't begun. I know nothing much has happened in these early chapters, but please be patient with me:) And Jasper will be in this story. I love him too much to exclude him.

Please review!