And so commenced the "girl talk."

I had to stifle the groan that nearly came out when Jessica started gushing about her date with Mike. Mike. Wasn't that the guy who was hitting on my sister yesterday? Jessica was either totally clueless or really optimistic. Still, I kind of hoped her efforts wouldn't be in vain. I thought they could work as a couple if only Mike could get over Bella.

When Jessica started to pester Angela with questions about her type, Bella intercepted with some inane question about dresses. At that point I was barely paying attention. Molly had sent me a picture of the denim dress she'd finished yesterday.

"You know, I don't think I've ever been to a dance before," Bella said, catching my attention.

"You haven't?" Both girls were incredulous.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Jess asked dubiously as we walked through the front doors of the store.

"Really," Bella said. "I've never had a boyfriend or anything close. I didn't go out much."

"Why not?" Jessica demanded.

"No one asked me," she said.

I snorted. "No one ever had the chance to."

They both turned to me. "She was always busy and she didn't have too many friends," I said. "She never gave anyone the chance to get a word in edgewise." We were in the juniors' section now, scanning the racks for dress-up clothes.

"Well, people ask her out here," she remarked, "and she still tells them no."

"Well, except for Tyler," Angela amended quietly.

"Excuse me?" Bella gasped. "What did you say?"

"Tyler told everyone he's taking you to prom," Jessica informed her with suspicious eyes.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Oh, Molly would love that dress. I snapped a quick picture with my phone and sent it to her.

"He said what?" She sounded like she was choking.

"I told you it wasn't true," Angela murmured to Jessica.

"It can't be. She likes Cullen," I muttered.

They all turned to me and gaped. "Livy!" Bella exclaimed.

"Edward?" Now, Jessica was choking.

"Well, it's true, so she couldn't have told Tyler she would go to prom with him."

"Well, either way, that's why Lauren doesn't like you," Jessica giggled while they pawed through the clothes.

She ground her teeth. "Do you think that if I ran him over with my truck he would stop feeling guilty about the accident? That he might give up on making amends and call it even?"

"Maybe," Jess snickered. '"If that's why he's doing this."

I snickered. "I doubt it. Just give it up."

The selection was pretty small, but both girls found some dresses to try on. Bella sank down into a chair inside the dressing room, seemingly fuming while the girls were trying things on. I was just looking through some of the dresses when I felt my phone start to vibrate. Expecting Molly, I answered it.

"Molly, what did you think of the dress?"

"Get it," she said. "It would look so good on you!"

"It would?" I turned to take another look at it. It was a pale blue dress with a ruffled tea length hem and a sweetheart neckline. The color was light enough that it would bring out my eyes, and I did spot a cute pair of heels that would–

"Wait a minute, I'm not even going to this thing!" I exclaimed, fighting to keep my voice down.

"Then what are you doing there?" she asked. "Never mind. Get it anyway. Save it for prom or something. It never hurts to have a dress like that in your closet. Can you afford it?"

I shook my head as I walked over to check the price tag. Over a hundred and twenty bucks. Luckily I didn't spend my allowance on much. Mom was constantly urging me to do this kind of thing anyway...

"Fine, I'll buy it."

"Good."

I grinned as I toyed with the satin material. This was the Molly I knew. Silent but deadly. I wondered how Greg was surviving. Then again, he knew what he was getting into. "You don't control my wardrobe anymore, Molly."

"Yeah, right," she snarked. "Like you aren't looking for your size as we speak."

I was. "How's Greg?"

"Tuning his guitar for karaoke night with the family," she giggled. "I can't believe they actually do that!"

I found my size and made my way back to the changing area. Jessica and Angela seemed like they were close to making their choices as I found an empty changing room and told Molly to wait a second. Struggling to pull the zipper up entirely, I sighed and called Bella over to help. Thankfully, the dress was a perfect fit.

I picked up my phone and told Molly.

"You have to send me a picture," she whined from the other end. "I miss you being my model!"

Model? I was more like a doll with the way she'd carelessly poke and irritate my skin with those pins of hers. But instead, I said, "I know you do, Molls, but now you have the chance to try making men's clothing." I turned my back to the mirror and looked to see the way the dress fell over the backs of my legs and if the back of the dress covered the birthmark in the middle of my back. It did.

"Men's?" I could imagine her wrinkling her nose at the prospect. "But that's not nearly as fun!"

"But it's more challenging," I argued. "You could make three piece suits and tuxedoes."

"But I like making dresses!"

"That dress looks amazing on you," Bella complimented startling me.

"You scared me," I breathed. "I didn't realize you were still there!"

"Livy?" Molly called from the other end of the phone.

"Sorry, Molly. I'll text you a picture as soon as I get the shoes on."

I left the changing room and found the shoes nearby. Walking back, I found Angela sitting on one of the small benches trying on a pair of pink, strappy heels. "I like those," Bella said, her face falling as soon as she saw me.

"I think I'll get them - though they'll never match anything but the one dress," she mused.

"Oh, go ahead - they're on sale," she encouraged. Angela smiled, putting the lid back on a box that contained more practical-looking off-white shoes.

"What I wouldn't give to have your height," I remarked as I slid my own heels on.

She blushed a little. "Thanks, I'm kind of glad my date is tall enough that I can wear heels."

"Guys love models," I shrugged as I stood up to check how I looked in the mirror. "Models are tall. I don't see why you can't wear heels normally."

The shoes were silver with straps that crossed at the ankle and the toes. The heels were high enough to give me three inches in height. The dress brought out my eyes perfectly. My tan skin stood out contrasting the light color of the dress as did my hair. I touched the ends of it as I remembered the dream. It was silly, but the dream had me considering changing it back to its original color. Then again, it was even sillier thinking that changing my hair in the first place would make the dreams stop. As if disguising myself would make the dreams go away.

"Um, Angela..." Bella started hesitantly. Angela looked up curiously.

"Is it normal for the... Cullens" - I kept my eyes on the shoes as if I wasn't paying attention - "to be out of school a lot?" I snorted internally at her attempt to sound nonchalant. Instead, I reached for my phone which I'd left on the bench and took a picture to send to Molly.

"Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time - even the doctor. They're all real outdoorsy," she told her quietly, examining her shoes, too.

"Oh," she let the subject drop as Jessica returned to show us the rhinestone jewelry she'd found to match her silver shoes. I had some simple silver jewelry that I thought would go well with mine.

After the dress shopping, we'd planned to go eat at an Italian restaurant nearby, but the dress shopping hadn't taken nearly as long as we thought it might. Instead, after Angela, Jessica, and I dropped our dresses off in the car, Angela and Jessica wanted to head for the bay and Bella wanted to go looking for that bookstore she'd mentioned to me the day before.

I decided to go with Bella for three reasons. First, I didn't know Angela and Jessica too well. Angela seemed nice, but I wasn't so sure about Jessica. Second, who knew what kind of trouble Bella would get into in a city she'd never explored before? I would feel better if she wasn't alone. Lastly, I kind of wanted to check out a bookstore, too.

So,we headed in the direction Jessica pointed out and started walking in companionable silence until we reached our destination.

What the hell? I thought staring at the crystals in the window. Is this Jessica's idea of a joke or does she seriously think we need spiritual healing? How does she even know about this place?

The woman behind the counter smiled invitingly at us. She wore her gray hair straight down her back and she had on a retro dress.

"Do you want to go inside?" I asked her. "I'll wait out here."

"No way I'm going in there alone. There should be a normal bookstore downtown."

I nodded my agreement, and followed her against my better judgement.

We wandered down a few streets slowly getting more lost. We found a few glass fronted stores that looked promising but when we got closer we found that they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. It was starting to get late. Molly text me a thumbs up for the picture of the dress and told me she was spending the night in.

A little late for that, Molly, I thought, having already bought the dress. Then, I cursed privately when I saw that I had two percent of battery left on my phone. Out loud, I said, "Bella, I think we should just head for the restaurant. You can just order the books online or something."

"Yeah," she muttered distractedly, but she was still scanning the streets.

"Bella, it's getting late and my phone's about to die..."

I fell silent when I followed her gaze to a group of guys not much older than us. They were a little farther down the sidewalk, and we were heading right for them. They looked like scumbags, and I didn't want to find out if they were scumbags. We had to be heading the wrong way anyway, and they hadn't noticed us yet.

"Bella..." I mumbled, grabbing her wrist. "This isn't the right way. I'm pretty sure we should go back." I jerked my head in the other direction for emphasis.

She just shook her head with determination and dragged me along.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as we passed with our head bowed, and he had to be talking to us since no one else was around. Bella glanced up and I almost froze. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals. He took half a step toward us.

"Hello," Bella mumbled, and I wanted to slap her before dragging her along and making a run for it in the opposite direction. Then she quickly looked away and walked faster toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind us.

"Hey, wait!" one of them called after us again, but we kept our heads down and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief. I could still hear them chortling behind us.

We found ourselves on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several somber-colored warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no sidewalk, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts storage yard. We'd wandered far past the part of Port Angeles that we, as guests, were intended to see. Thanks to Bella, I thought. A single van passed us, and then the road was empty.

"Livy," Bella murmured. I turned to glare at her.

"What?" I snapped.

Then I noticed the two men walking behind us. They were the from that same group we'd left behind. My eyes widened. The darkness made them more sinister than they'd appeared a moment ago and the place we were in wasn't helping. We both had our bags slung across our torsos so they'd wouldn't be taken, but from the attention they'd given us, I had a feeling they were after more than our money.

"Did you bring the pepper spray?" I whispered. They were too far away to hear me even in the unsettling silence.

"No, I never unpacked it," she answered, eyes as wide as my own.

"Great," I answered. We tried to walk as quickly as we could towards the corner.

"We don't know if they're following us," she whispered back.

"Right, but they just happened to go back the way they came?" I whispered urgently. "And where are the other two?"

She shrugged. "Maybe they went home."

Something is seriously wrong here, I thought as we made it to the corner. Unfortunately, it was a blind drive to the back of another building. Bella was half-turned in anticipation so I had to hurriedly grab her arm and dash across the narrow drive, back to the sidewalk. The street ended at the next corner, where there was a stop sign. I concentrated on the faint footsteps behind me, deciding whether or not to run. They sounded farther back, though, and I knew they could outrun us in any case. With Bella's luck, she was sure to trip and drag me down with her. The footfalls were definitely farther back. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder, and they were maybe forty feet back now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring at us.

What's going on? I thought with dread as we finally made it to the corner.

Bella practically dragged me around the corner before stopping dead in her tracks. I gave her an odd look before seeing the other two men from the group standing right in front of us with smiles on their faces. We hadn't been followed, we'd been herded.

Bella's eyes were as wide as saucers, but I found myself oddly calm as I assessed the situation. I'd been in fights before in Phoenix. Not when the odds were this stacked against me but maybe I could distract them long enough for Bella to run and then I could follow her. The other two guys had been pretty far behind us, if I –

But then, Bella turned around and tried to run back the way we came. Too late, I thought. The other two men were already catching up. We were trapped.

"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made me jump. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past us.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump again as Bella tried to hurry down the street. "We just took a little detour."

Bella sucked in air, as if preparing to scream but she staid silent. Me, I couldn't, I wasn't the type to scream but I wasn't the type to go down without a fight either. Besides I wasn't about to give them the pleasure. With a quick movement Bella slipped her purse over her head, gripping the strap with one hand, whether to surrender it or use it as weapon I wasn't entirely sure. I hoped it was the latter, these men didn't want our money.

The thickset man shrugged away from the wall as Bella came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from us," Bella warned in a voice that was too soft to fool anyone. Then I understood why she hadn't screamed: she was too terrified.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, and the raucous laughter started again behind us. I'd had my back turned towards the other men while I'd watched Bella's exchange with him. I'd let my guard down. More cautious, I got behind Bella and put my back to hers to watch the men in front of me with a glare. The street was deserted for now and I wouldn't put it past them to grab one of us while they still had a chance.

None of them were close enough for me to hit. I knew how to break a nose. I could try to defend myself against two of them. But what about Bella? I thought. She and Mom had taken at least one self-defense class together back when Mom wanted to make her into the next karate kid. But I knew she could barely manage to defend herself against one guy let alone two.

Four against two, I hated those odds. As I thought this, I could feel my hands growing warmer and my thoughts drifted to burning these psychos to ashes. But you don't know how to do that, the rational part of my mind spoke up. I could try, I thought. And I raised my hands.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. Bella dove into the road - this car was going to stop, or have to hit her. But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from her.

"Open the back door for Livy and get in," a furious voice commanded.

Bella opened the back door for me and jumped into the seat, slamming the door shut behind her. I brought my arms back down to my sides a little awkwardly before scrambling in and shutting the door.

It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly, swerving toward the stunned men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped toward the harbor.

Served them right, I thought before realizing our current situation. We were in a car with a stranger. And I had almost tried to use my supposed powers. I looked at where my hands should be in the darkness, upturned in my lap, and I imagined how they should look. Red, I thought, with a few callouses on the fingers from when I like to fool around with my guitar. Did I really have powers?

"Put on your seat belts," the man commanded, and I realized with a start that it was Edward. Of course it was. I hadn't gotten a good look at the car or heard his voice clearly with my heart pounding in my ears. I imagined I wouldn't recognize it anyway with all the anger making his tone harsher than usual. Bella quickly obeyed; the snap as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. He took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause.

I was a bit more stubborn until I noticed this. Then, it was either I put on the seat belt or risk the higher chance of losing my life to Edward's driving.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked with a hoarse voice.

"No," he said curtly, and his tone was livid.

I grit my teeth in the silence that followed. Being near him was enough to set my teeth on edge, and the situation that we'd just been in wasn't helping. But instead of trembling from shock, I was trembling with anger. I could feel my body temperature rising and my palms tingling.

But I sat in silence. I glanced up to find his blazing eyes meeting mine in the rear view mirror. I thought he shook his his head slightly in the dim light of the dashboard, but I wasn't sure. It was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.

And just like that, my body temperature dropped and I could think clearly again.

"Bella?" he asked, his voice tight, controlled.

"Yes?" Her voice was still rough.

"Are you all right?" He kept his eyes on the road, but I could hear him grinding his teeth.

"Yes," she croaked softly.

"Livy?" he asked as if he didn't know.

"I'm fine," I snapped wanting to just curl up in a ball and forget this day ever happened.

"Distract me, please," he ordered. "Both of you, either of you."

"I'm sorry, what?" Bella asked tentatively.

He exhaled sharply.

"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Um." Bella thought for a moment. I wondered what would happen if we couldn't keep King Edward entertained. "I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?"

Seriously? I snorted.

"Why?" I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom - either he's insane or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last... well, you remember it, and he thinks prom is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure if I endanger his life, then we're even, and he can't keep trying to make amends. I don't need enemies and maybe Lauren would back off if he left me alone. I might have to total his Sentra, though. If he doesn't have a ride he can't take anyone to prom..." she babbled on.

Smart plan, Bella, I thought. Get arrested and no one can make you go to prom either.

"I heard about that." He sounded a bit more composed.

"You did?" she asked in disbelief. "If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to the prom, either," she muttered.

Edward sighed.

"Better?"

"Not really."

Silence again. I was starting to feel too warm and isolated in the backseat. He'd turned the heater on and I was bored with their conversation. I wondered if it would be possible for me to lean against the door and take a short nap.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked softly.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." He was whispering, too, and as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those..." He didn't finish his sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control his anger again. "At least," he continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh." Bella said weakly. "Livy can get like that, too, sometimes."

Not to the point where I've seriously thought of killing someone, I thought. But maybe she didn't take him too seriously. I did, but I wouldn't care if he went back to kill those low lives. I would've probably done it myself if he hadn't shown up. If he hadn't shown up, you could have been raped and left to die, the rational part of my mind said, rearing its ugly head again.

Again, our eyes met in the mirror in mutual understanding. I didn't like him or trust him, but I could understand his anger.

"Jessica and Angela will be worried," Bella murmured. "We was supposed to meet them."

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. We were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a space I would have thought much too small for the Volvo, but he slid in effortlessly in one try. I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia, and Jessica and Angela just leaving, pacing anxiously away from us.

"How did you know where... ?" Bella began, but then she just shook her head. I heard the door open and turned to see him getting out.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked.

"I'm taking you both to dinner." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. Bella struggled with her seat belt, and then hurried to get out of the car as well. He was waiting for her on the sidewalk.

"Not going to open the door for her, King Edward?" I mumbled after I'd gotten out of the car.

His lip twitched and I cursed myself as I remember his bionic ears.

But instead of replying, he ignored me. "Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again."

As Bella joined them, I approached him with some caution. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because her friends are going home, and neither of you have eaten," he answered bluntly. "Would you rather I went after those men?"

"Yes," I replied without hesitation. He raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm not like St. Bella over there. I know you've read my thoughts and that shouldn't come as a surprise. I would've burnt those men to ashes."

"You might have," he agreed. "But you don't remember how to."

I grit my teeth at that and he left me standing there to ask Jessica and Angela if he could join us for dinner.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked in his smooth voice.

"Er... sure," Jessica breathed.

"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting - sorry," Angela confessed.

"That's fine - I'm not hungry." Bella shrugged.

"Liar," I said finally joining them. "Besides, even if you're not, I'm starving!"

"And I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was low, but full of authority. He looked up at Jessica and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive them home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while they eat."

"Uh, no problem, I guess..." She bit her lip, trying to figure out from our expressions whether that was what we wanted. I wanted to shake my head, but Bella's wink was what made the decision.

"Okay." Angela was quicker than Jessica. "See you tomorrow, Bella, Livy... Edward." She grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her toward the car, which I could see a little ways away, parked across First Street. As they got in, Jess turned and waved, her face eager with curiosity.

"Wait!" I ran across the street before they could drive away and found my dress in the backseat. I ran back across the street to put it in Edward's car before waving them off with Bella.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry," Bella insisted, looking up at his face.

"Humor me."

He walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression. Obviously, there would be no further discussion. We walked past him into the restaurant.

The restaurant wasn't crowded - it was the off-season in Port Angeles. The host was female, and I understood the look in her eyes as she assessed Edward. She welcomed him a little more warmly than necessary. I could see how he'd earned his arrogance. She was much taller than I was, and unnaturally blond.

"A table for three?" His voice was alluring, whether he was aiming for that or not. I saw her eyes flicker to us and then away, satisfied by our obvious ordinariness, and by the cautious, no-contact space Edward kept between either of us. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor.

We were about to sit, but Edward shook his head at us.

"Perhaps something more private?" he insisted quietly to the host. I wasn't sure, but it looked like he smoothly handed her a tip. Who does that? I thought.

"Sure." She sounded as surprised as I was. She turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths - all of them empty. "How's this?"

"Perfect." He flashed his gleaming smile, dazing her momentarily.

"Um" - she shook her head, blinking - "your server will be right out." She walked away unsteadily.

"You really shouldn't do that to people," Bella criticized. "It's hardly fair."

"Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that - she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."

I snorted. "Dazzle? Don't you mean manipulate? He just handed her a tip and hypnotized her with his hotness!" I turned to look at him. "Not that you're my type. I prefer tall, dark, warm, and handsome."

He seemed confused.

"Oh, come on," Bella said dubiously. "You have to know the effect you have on people."

He tilted his head to one side, and his eyes were curious. "I dazzle people?"

"Can we please use another word for it?" I groaned.

"You haven't noticed? Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?"

He ignored her questions along with my plea. "Do I dazzle you?"

"Frequently," she admitted.

I blinked. Bella was flirting? Did she even realize she was doing it? If not, I now felt bad for Mike.

And then our server arrived, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was speaking only to him.

He looked at us.

"I'll have a Coke." It sounded like a question.

"I'll have one, too."

"Three Cokes," he said.

"I'll be right back with that," she assured him with another unnecessary smile. But he didn't see it. He was watching Bella.

Are you sure you wouldn't rather have some O negative? I thought at him. But he was paying me as much attention as he'd paid the waitress.

"What?" Bella asked when she left.

His eyes stayed fixed on her face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

"And you, Livy?" He asked but his gaze barely flickered to my face.

"Shaken but not stirred," i joked, but he didn't smile.

"Neither of you feel dizzy, sick, cold... ?"

"Should I?" Bella asked.

"Bella, we just went through a potentially traumatic experience," I said exasperated. "He thinks we should be in shock right now." The EMTs had asked me the same questions when I'd first been found. And back then, I had been though I couldn't remember much.

He chuckled. "Livy's right, you should be."

"I don't think that will happen," she said. "I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things."

"Just the same, I'll feel better when you both have some sugar and food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to us as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked Edward.

"Bella?" he asked. She turned unwillingly toward her.

Both of us picked up our menus for the first time. "Um... I'll have the mushroom ravioli," Bella said. "Liv?"

"I'll have the lasagne," I said, handing her my menu.

"And you?" She turned back to him with a smile.

"Nothing for me," he said. Of course not.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in place, but he wasn't looking at her, and she left dissatisfied.

"Drink," he ordered.

I glared at him and grabbed a breadstick instead. It didn't matter, he wasn't really talking to me anyway.

Bella sipped at her soda obediently. And once she'd finished the whole thing, he pushed his glass toward her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

"It's just the Coke," she explained, shivering.

"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice was disapproving.

"Yes." She looked blankly at me. "Oh - I left it in Jessica's car," she realized.

"I must not have noticed it when I grabbed my dress."

He glanced at me briefly before shrugging out of his jacket. I suddenly realized that he almost expected me to take mine off. I probably should have since I didn't feel the cold much anymore if at all. But my coat would have been too small.

Anyway it was too late, he handed her the jacket.

"Thanks," she said again, sliding her arms into his jacket. The sleeves were much too long; she shoved them back so she could free her hands.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin," he said, watching her. She looked down, flushing, of course.

He pushed the bread basket toward her.

"Really, I'm not going into shock," she protested.

"Suit yourself," I said reaching for another one.

"You should be - a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into her eyes, and I noticed how light his eyes were. I don't think they're the same color, I thought. But they are like his. "Your sister doesn't either. But I'm beginning to think she's not exactly normal."

"I'm right here," I said. "And I resent that."

He grinned. "I'm sorry for not making you feel included, Livy. You're welcome to speak up at anytime."

"Fine," I said. " But I will only forgive you if you eat a breadstick."

"I can't do that, Livy," he turned back to Bella expectantly.

"I'm not in shock because I feel very safe with you," Bella confessed.

That displeased him; his alabaster brow furrowed. He shook his head, frowning.

"This is more complicated than I'd planned," he murmured to himself.

Bella picked up a breadstick and began nibbling on the end.

"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," she commented.

He stared at her, stunned. "What?" I had to stare at her for that, too. I hadn't heard this before.

"You're always crabbier when your eyes are black - I expect it then," she went on. "I have a theory about that."

His eyes narrowed. "More theories?"

"Mm-hm." she chewed on a small bite of the bread.

"I hope you were more creative this time... or are you still stealing from comic books?" His faint smile was mocking; his eyes were still tight.

"Well, no, I didn't get it from a comic book, but I didn't come up with it on my own, either," she confessed.

"And?" he prompted.

But then the waitress strode around the partition with our food. They'd been leaning toward each other across the table, and both straightened up as she approached. She set the dishes in front of us - both meals looked pretty good - and turned quickly to Edward.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?"

Talk about your double entendres, I thought. I got dinner and a show.

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." He gestured with a long white hand to the empty cups in front of Bella. Mine was mostly watered down with melted ice so I asked her to replace it.

"Sure." She removed the glasses and walked away.

"You were saying?" he asked.

"I'll tell you about it in the car. If..." she paused.

"There are conditions?" He raised one eyebrow, his voice ominous.

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Of course."

The waitress was back with three more Cokes. She sat them down without a word this time, and left again.

She took a sip.

"Well, go ahead," he pushed, his voice still hard. He had to know I knew, but he pressed her anyway.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his large hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flickered up at her from under his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face.

Manipulation again, I thought taking a sip of my soda and a few bites from my meal. It was perfect.

"Next."

"But that's the easiest one," she objected.

"Next," he repeated.

She looked down and took a few bites of her own meal.

"Okay, then." She glared at him, and continued slowly. "Let's say, hypothetically of course, that... someone... could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know - with a few exceptions."

"Just one exception," he corrected, "hypothetically."

"All right, with one exception, then," she amended. "How does that work? What are the limitations? How would... that someone... find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know she was in trouble?"

"Hypothetically?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Well, if... that someone..."

"Let's call him 'Joe,'" she suggested.

I rolled my eyes but kept eating my meal.

He smiled wryly. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"We were speaking of a hypothetical case," she reminded him frostily.

"A hypothetical case that's starting to sound remarkably similar to our own," I remarked. The urge to ruin their little game was strong.

He laughed.

"But this is hypothetical," he said turning back to her. "Shall we call you 'Jane'? What should we call Livy? 'Joan'?"

"How did you know?" she asked. She was leaning toward him again.

He seemed to be wavering, torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes locked with hers, and I guessed he was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell her the truth.

"You can trust me, you know," she murmured. She reached forward to touch his folded hands, but he slid them away minutely, and she pulled her hand back.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." His voice was almost a whisper. "I was wrong - you're much more observant than I gave you credit for. And your sister knows far more than she should."

"I thought you were always right," she said.

"I used to be." He shook his head again. "I was wrong about you on one other thing, as well. You're not a magnet for accidents - that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

"And you put yourself into that category?" she guessed.

His face turned cold, expressionless. "Unequivocally."

She stretched her hand across the table again - ignoring him when he pulled back slightly once more - to touch the back of his hand shyly with her fingertips.

"Thank you." Her voice was fervent with gratitude. "That's twice now."

His face softened. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

She scowled, but nodded. He moved his hand out from under hers, placing both of his under the table. But he leaned toward her.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admitted, speaking in a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." He paused.

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate?" she speculated.

"Not this again, Bella," I started to moan, but what he said next stopped me.

"That wasn't the first time," he said, and his voice was hard to hear. We both stared at him in amazement, but he was looking down. "Your number was up the first time I met you."

"You remember?" he asked, his angel's face grave.

"Yes." She was unusually calm.

"And yet here you sit." There was a trace of disbelief in his voice; he raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, here I sit... because of you." she paused. "Because somehow you knew how to find us today... ?" she prompted.

He pressed his lips together, staring at her through narrowed eyes, deciding again. His eyes flashed down to our full plates, and then back to her.

"Both of you eat, I'll talk," he bargained.

She quickly scooped up another ravioli and popped it in her mouth. I took my time glaring at him for being so controlling but I was still hungry so I ate with gusto as he started to explain.

"It's harder than it should be - keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before." He looked at her anxiously, and I realized she had frozen. She quickly swallowed, then stabbed another ravioli and tossed it in.

"I was keeping tabs on Jessica, not carefully - like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles - and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your own and I didn't realize at first that Livy had gone with you. Then, when I realized that you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone south... and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street - to see if anyone had noticed either of you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried... but I was strangely anxious..." He was lost in thought, staring past us.

"I started to drive in circles, still... listening, hoping to find Livy's thoughts. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then -" He stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. He made an effort to calm himself.

"Then what?" she whispered. He continued to stare over our heads.

"I heard what they were thinking," he growled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. "I saw both of your faces in his mind." He suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, his hand covering his eyes.

"It was very... hard - you can't imagine how hard - for me to simply take you away, and leave them... alive." His voice was muffled by his arm. "I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them," he admitted in a whisper. He glanced at me. "Or Livy would."

"She might have," she agreed distractedly. Her hands were folded in her lap, and she was leaning weakly against the back of the seat. He still had his face in his hand, and he was as still as if he'd been carved from the stone his skin resembled.

Finally he looked up, his eyes seeking hers, full of his own questions.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked.

"I'm ready to leave," she qualified. "Livy?"

"Ready when you are," I said taking one last sip of my soda. I wasn't looking forward to another car ride with the love birds, but if it would bring an end to this day I was more than ready.

The waitress appeared as if she'd been called. Or watching.

"How are we doing?" she asked Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice was quiet, rougher, still reflecting the strain of their conversation. It seemed to muddle her. He looked up, waiting.

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to him.

There was a bill in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to her.

"No change." He smiled. Then he stood up, and Bella scrambled awkwardly to her feet. I slid out of the booth after her.

She smiled invitingly at him again. "You have a nice evening."

He didn't look away from Bella as he thanked her. I suppressed the urge to barf.

He walked close beside her to the door still not quite touching her, and I trailed behind. I hoped that it wasn't all leading up to a kiss. I'd been through enough that day. The last thing I wanted to see was Bella sticking her tongue down a vampire's throat. Even an innocent kiss on the lips would make me gag. Could this even be considered a date? It had felt more like an interrogation to me where Edward admitted to stalking and soliciting. Besides, a date couldn't have three people, not unless it was polygamy or something. Bella sighed. Edward seemed to hear my thoughts loud and clear as he turned his head and gave me a look of amusement.

We should add invasion of privacy to that list of crimes, I thought.

I got in the back seat as he opened the passenger door, holding it for Bella as she stepped in, shutting it softly behind her. I watched him walk around the front of the car.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high.

Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.

"Now," he said significantly. It was easy to tell he wasn't talking to me. "It's your turn."

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