The new moon illuminated the dark skies. It's soft light gently falling on her face. I looked deep into Alice's eyes and I felt strangely content. Her soft fingers stroked my cheek before pulling my face to hers. Her lips gently collided with mine. The motion felt so natural. I rubbed my hand over her arm, back and forth. Alice pulled me a little closer. I felt a rush of blood go down. I pressed myself against her. Alice giggled.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"You...you...you know..." As I prepared to argue with her she grabbed my shirt and kissed me hard. In seconds I became enraptured in passion and began to kiss her all over. Suddenly she sat up, bolt upright.

"Edward, I have to go..." Great Timing! "It's not you...I just said I'd be back by 10pm, and it's already 10:30, my mom's going to kill me!" I tried to calm down by reciting pi to myself. It wasn't easy.

"I'll give you a lift." She nodded before grabbing her things and running out of the long grass, in our shared little peace of sanctuary. We had discovered it when looking for somewhere to have some, er, private time. Her mother was still blissfully ignorant of our nocturnal unions so meeting at her house was off the cards. As for my house, well, I just didn't want to be there. Period.

I drove slowly back to the long street Alice and I shared. She was so cute. I could barely stay on the road. The trees on the side of the road all murmured into a green mush. I had a strange feeling. I didn't want her to go. She was talking. I didn't know what about. All I could think of was how to make her stay with me.

"Edward!!"

"What?" I snapped almost veering off the route. I hadn't realised she had been addressing me. She pulled a face.

"Do you want to or not?" she repeated. Alice's bit her lip. Her face seemed unsure.

"Do I want to what?"

"To meet my mom...I know it's not cool. Boys hate meeting parents...but you know, I think we should do this right."

Fuck, no! Her words echoed in my mind. Meeting parents. That was the last thing I would want to do.

"Er, well, maybe..." How did I get myself out of this one? I could hardly claim to be busy. She lived on my road. Play the cute card!

"...if you behave Alice Brandon." She laughed and shook her head. Phew.

I parked the care on the driveway. Alice kissed me softly then said her goodbyes. I watched her through my rear view mirror as she danced to the front door of her home. It wasn't long before I would be sneaking through the back door to sleep in bed with her.

The house was empty. And cold. It was always the same. I headed towards the kitchen, past the living room. Something caught my eye. I stopped in the doorway of the living room. It was my mothers picture. It was huge and it's presence hung overt the room. I felt a moment of immense grief as my eyes traced the outlines of her face. I would never see her again. I felt myself choking up. I missed her so much.

I sat in the dark memorising every line of her face. Tears dropped from eyes onto my hands. I tried to keep my face composed. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Text Message.

"Hey Ed, working extra shift tonight. Won't be home till tomorrow." Great. Why bother texting me that? What was new? Carlisle was never home. I threw my phone across the room in a fit of rage. It pinged off a bottle on the floor. It was a bottle of whisky with a gold ribbon tied around. The message read "Thanks for all your help xx". Presumably another sycophantic patient of the 'Godly' Dr Carlisle. Stupid Carlisle! I grabbed the bottle, unscrewed the top and began to glug it down. It tasted...sweet...bitter sweet....bitter sweet revenge.

The bottle was half empty. The room was spinning. I lay on the floor in the dark. I picked up my phone. I went to contacts...Jacob. It rang. And rang. And Rang.

"What Cullen?" Jacobs shouted down the phone.

"You know what you sssaid about wrecking it up? Well...I have a bottle of...of half drunk whisssky...join me." There was a pause.

"Cullen, it's past midnight...I'm not going anywhere."

"Wuss." I laughed down the phone.

"Cullen you're drunk."

"Wuss! You Wuss Jacob Black...!! I thought you were feeearlesss." I heard a deep sigh down the phone.

"Fine Cullen! I'm coming over. Save some whisky for me."

I fell asleep. There was a gentle knock on the door. It woke me up. I was still drunk, but the room wasn't spinning anymore. My eyes adjusted to the surroundings. The clock told me it had only been an hour or so since I fell asleep. The knock became louder. I struggled to my feet and answered the door. It was Alice.

"Edward...where have you...are you ok, you look awful?"

"Thanks" I muttered. She gently pushed her way into the room and turned on the light.

"Edward, your eyes are bloodshot...and, what's been going on?"

"Nothing.." I lied. She grabbed my hand and moved closer.

"You know you can always talk to me..." she whispered. I leaned in.

"I know...but I'm fine!" She offered me a courteous smile.

I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. Without a second thought I pushed her against the wall and fervently kissed her. Her hands stoked across my chest. She pulled my t-shirt off. I stuck my hands on her cool smooth belly. The excitement was instant. I rubbed myself against her. She moaned as I sucked on her earlobe. With unexpected force she pushed me off her. I stared at her a little confused.

"Sorry Edward...um, actually you taste a bit funny..." Busted.

"Erm...yeah, my dad asked me to try some new cocktail..." She didn't look wholly convinced but there was no way I was going to tell her I'd been crying and drinking. Fastest way to lose a girl, look weak and out of control. She paused before holding my face in her hands.

"I've been thinking..." she began, looking me straight in the eyes. "...I'm ready".

"What?" I spluttered in a moment of complete shock. She stepped closer to me. She slowly unbuttoned her shirt. I was still hard. I caught a glimpse of her black lace bra. I had been waiting for this for a damn long time. Tonight I was going to get my way. I looked up to distract myself. I didn't want the moment to be gone too quickly. I saw my mom's picture. My mood changed from horny and drunk, to sober and sensible in an instant.

I pushed Alice out of my way. She looked confused and rejected.

"Sorry Alice, I can't do this..." She didn't speak. She was frozen. Her hands were still, half way through undoing a button. She stared at me in silence, eyes glassy, for what seemed like an eternity. Then she was gone. I watched motionless as she ran out of my house, back to her own.

What was I doing?