.

.

The dream had been frighteningly real. She could feel her lungs burning with exertion, the trembling in her legs, and even the feel of ice cold fingers wrapping around her neck. Alice's crimson large eyes were the last thing Bella saw before she acutely remembered feeling teeth tear into her neck. Bella nearly sprung out of bed, sitting up. Her chest was heaving, a thin layer of sweat was on her skin. It made the room feel too warm and humid, her clothes sticking to her. When she glanced at her digital clock, the brunette inhaled deeply, shoulders sagging as she breathed out.

1:18 PM. She'd slept in late.

Crap. She was hoping to get a jog in before having to deal with the day. Fortunately, it was Friday so she didn't have much to worry about.

After her shower, Bella was raking a brush through her hair when she heard a door open and close. She tensed - the dream from before kept relaying over and over in her head. Peeking out the door, she was surprised to see Charlie there, strapping on his shoes. He was dressed casually for the day, in a flannel shirt and dark jeans. Bella stepped out of the bathroom, curious, "Hey, Dad. What're you doing?"

"Oh!" He looked up, "Hey, Bells." She saw his eyes glance over towards the clock on the wall, raising a brow slightly, "You're up late."

"Yeah. Slept in." She waved it off, nearly suppressing the shiver that tried to force its way up her spine, "Where're you going?"

"To Billy's, we're going fishing today."

Bella's mouth twisted subtly at the mention of Billy - which only reminded her of Jacob, which reminded her of Paul. There was a slight tug at her chest that she tried her best to ignore. "Oh."

At her tone, Charlie looked at her again, "Oh, right. Forgot you and Jacob had the–" He made a vague gesture with his hand, "the whole fight thing. You want me to talk to him?" He even looked a bit worried, and that just made Bella's expression soften. Lifting a hand, she pushed her hair away from her face, grimacing. He was already worrying after her enough because of the whole Penny issue, she didn't want to mess up anything else. She also didn't like to worry Charlie, but she felt like if she didn't tell someone something, she was going to explode.

Stubbornly, she clamped her mouth shut, only glancing up when her dad called her name again. "No, it's fine. Really. I can handle it. It was probably just me overreacting." Charlie still eyed her - he was well aware she wasn't particularly the type to overreact to much of anything. Bella gave a weak attempt at a comforting smile, "Plus, you know, Dad, I'm an adult now. Have to handle things on my own now, right?"

Charlie's mustache twitched at that, and his bushy eyebrows pushed together. "Right," Almost awkwardly, he placed a hand upon her shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Still, if you need anything, Bells, let me know. Especially - uh, boy trouble."

Bella blinked. Oh, my God. "I-It's nothing like that!" Her hands were out in front of her as if to stop traffic. Quickly catching herself, Bella mustered a blank expression, "Jake isn't really...related to boy trouble or anything like that. He's my friend."

When Charlie raised his eyebrows at her, Bella tried not to groan. Already, her ears felt hot, "You sure?"

"Yes! I'm sure, Cha–Dad. I'm sure."

"Alright," A pause, "I'm just sayin', that kid doesn't look at you like a friend."

"Dad!" Her protest was loud and drawn out, one hand rubbing against her temple, "Got it. Thank you." If there was one thing she didn't want to talk about with her own father - being as awkward and clumsy with her words as her - was relationships. It was almost painful to think about, they'd never really breached the subject before. And even with Bella being five years older than before, it didn't make her any more comfortable. "You're going to be late for fishing."

"Right," He nodded once, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as he picked up his bag from the floor. "You doing anything today?" Bella followed him down the steps, rounding in the living room and to the front door.

"Yes," Bella gestured a hand dismissively, as if the subject wasn't important. She was trying to come off nonchalant. "Alice is coming to get me today."

"Mm," Charlie grunted. Once his jacket was on, he faced her again, "Be careful, then. I've heard around town that that Alice girl drives pretty fast.

You don't know the half of it. "Thanks, Dad. Have fun." When the door closed, Bella allowed herself to lean against the wall heavily, glancing around the room. Well, she had about an hour to get ready and mentally prepare herself for this, might as well make the most of it.

.

.

Alice didn't speak as Bella entered the car. Really, she was trying to find all the excuses in the book to take just a minute longer. Once she was inside the car, there was really no turning back. Plus, she was sure she wouldn't have the confidence to tuck and roll out of the vehicle. "Don't forget your seatbelt," Alice beamed a smile her way - her eyes were a shimmering gold today, like jewels you found in treasures. When Bella was buckled in tight, Alice peeled out the driveway and took off down the street, so fast, Bella nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Sorry," Alice murmured when she noticed Bella's reaction, easing up slightly on the pedal. "Carlisle told me to act as - well, human as possible with you, so that's what I'm trying to do."

Bella tensed, glancing at Alice for a second before trying to focus on the road in front of them, "It's fine," She couldn't really find much to say to that. Her heart was already racing within her chest, she couldn't help but wonder if Alice could hear it. "You're doing...okay."

"Great!" Her voice was trilling and melodic, the same beautiful smile on her face, "By the way, where did you get your shirt?"

Bella peeked down at herself. She had pretty much been in a robotic mode this morning, pulling out the first thing she saw in her drawer and putting it on. It turned out to be a deep gray cotton shirt, loose on her and hanging off one shoulder, along with a pair of fitting dark jeans and her old boots. Her messenger bag was strapped over her chest and shoulder. Even her hair was pulled back from her face, in a tight ponytail. But, she was pretty sure Alice wasn't asking to give an off-hand compliment. "Uh, don't remember."

Alice wrinkled her nose, "Try not to wear it again, it smells like dog. And it isn't a good color on you."

Bella didn't know whether to be offended or not, so she was quiet for a few seconds, "Dog?"

"Those...shapeshifters you hang around," When Bella blinked, Alice shook her head, "My family and I are all aware of what they've told you, or at least the gist. I'm not able to particularly see it, but..." She trailed off there, face falling by a degree before she perked back up, "It doesn't matter. I'm sure whoever you spoke to said some...not so pleasant things. Carlisle wants to clear up everything with you, we don't want to give off the wrong impression."

Bella didn't know what she meant by "see it", but she managed to open her mouth again, "You can smell them?"

Alice's disgusted expression returned, even more dramatic than before, "Yes. It's almost overwhelming when they're around. It's all around your house and even inside it. They might as well have lifted their leg and urinated all over the place, it's a clear warning. I'm not surprised. Carlisle says we don't smell very good to them either..." It still didn't stop her from frowning to herself, "Either way, werewolves are not good company to keep, Bella. They're dangerous."

"And you're not?" Bella couldn't stop herself from blurting that out.

Alice didn't seem to mind it, shrugging one small shoulder. She looked thoughtful, "Carlisle is better at responding to that type of question, rather than me. You are aware of what we are, of course we're dangerous, Bella, in a sense of the word."

"But you don't eat humans."

"Heavens, no!" Alice almost looked appalled, "That would be in violation of the treaty! And more so, in my opinion, wrong. Our coven–well, family doesn't particularly agree with how other groups may behave. Drinking from humans is a choice. Not a lifestyle," She almost sounded like one of those pro-vegan people who wouldn't stop talking, but Bella kept her mouth shut. She was much too curious to stop her. "Controlling our thirsts, our instincts, it's easy to do once you've developed more. I wouldn't say it's the easiest thing in the world, but doable. Carlisle has mastered it. As you can see, he's a doctor. He's around things that could set off any normal..." She cleared her throat as if it were hard to say the word out loud, "vampire off in a matter of seconds."

"Carlisle is your leader then," Like Sam was of the pack of boys. "You listen to him."

"Yes," Alice nodded, hands relaxed on the steering wheel, "He took most of us in when we had nowhere to turn. He taught us his practices, his diet. It was enthralling. I remember the first time I saw him..."

Her tone turned dazed. Bella stared at the road ahead, just in case Alice started to veer off it. But, to Bella's surprise, she seemed as if she could focus on multiple things at a time. Without any problem at all. It was alarming, if anything. "Saw him?"

Alice cleared her throat again, her little nose turned up in the air, "Yes. I can...how would you put it? See the future, I suppose?" Bella's head was beginning to hurt just listening to her. Her expression must've been wary because Alice released a tinkling laugh, "What's wrong? Too much at once? Trust me, Bella, you're going to need to hear all of this. Some vampires have special talents and others don't. Carlisle thinks it's amplified abilities of what we used to have in our past lives, when we were human. Jasper is an empath - he's able to feel the emotions of people around them, to manipulate them into feeling what he wants. You're perceptive, have you noticed anything odd about him?"

Bella scoffed under her breath, "What isn't odd about you all?"

Alice gave another laugh, this one higher and louder. She looked so carefree, Bella couldn't help but stare. Her shoulders even looked relaxed, pale fingers curling vaguely around the wheel. "I see. While Jasper is an empath, I'm able to see different routes someone may take. The future is subjective, of course. So most things can be difficult to pinpoint, sometimes it's just flashing events of what's possible."

Bella licked her lips, hands wringing together in her lap, "Is there anyone else in your family that has any...abilities?"

"Edward," Alice replied almost instantly. Her tone was a bit more harder than before. Bella immediately looked up at the name, lips parted. She wasn't sure what was with her body's reaction, it happened so suddenly that she was left slightly reeling. "Edward has an ability."

"...What's that?"

"Mind-reading." When Bella didn't say anything, Alice glanced over at her, "Telepathy. He's able to read others' minds."

Bella's mouth suddenly felt dry. Her heart was loud staggering sound in her ears. It was one thing to take in the mythical world around her, but a completely different thing when it came to learning things like this. It was like stuff wouldn't stop adding to the pile of things she already was worrying about. "...That's embarrassing." She could vaguely remember all the times she thought of him in high school, his name, his face. She could also recall his cold, dark eyes glaring at her, digging into her cheek. It made her shiver. Alice, seeing her reaction, immediately reached over and turned up the heater.

"Oh, don't worry!" She smiled at Bella, perfect white teeth and all, "He can't read yours."

A blink, "Excuse me?"

"He can't read your mind," Alice repeated, albeit she was a little slower with saying the words. At Bella's dumbfounded look, Alice's smile widened, "It's a first for him. It's probably why he reacted to you so strongly in the first place. Your mind, your blood–"

"What about my blood?"

"Oh! We're here!" The car came to a slow stop. "I think it's probably best Edward explains his side of the story. I have a feeling it'll be very soon," Her index finger tapped lightly against her temple, her smile becoming smug. With that, she was out of the Porsche. Before Bella could blink, Alice was on her side of the car, opening the door for her with ease. Bella stared, slightly wide-eyed. "Come on."

Standing on weak legs, Bella closed the car door behind her, watching as Alice gracefully walked towards the Cullen house in her high-heels. It was one of those houses you saw out of the movies, large and open. Surrounded by tall trees and lots of land. Even the walkway up to the house looked long and extravagant. If they were going for inconspicuous, they were doing a crappy job. Fortunately for them, they were far up the road and hidden by a thin line of trees. Bella slowly followed after Alice, eyes darting all over the home.

She wasn't particularly expecting a castle with lightening flashing behind in and coffins inside. But this...was a little much.

Still, Bella didn't say anything, gnawing at her bottom lip. Alice opened the door, smiling at her almost comfortingly, but all Bella could do was stare. It was even more gorgeous inside, she decided. The floors, the painted walls, the impressive and cultural arts on the walls, different artifacts that probably belonged inside of a museum and would cost a hefty fine if they were broken. Never would've she imagined seeing something as nice as this in small Forks. It was very bright and very open, the windows were casting in slight shines of the sun, which had been hiding behind a series of clouds all day. She must've looked pretty surprised because Alice reached over and touched her bare forearm, causing Bella to slightly jerk at the cool temperature of Alice's skin.

Nevertheless, Alice smiled, "Come. They're waiting for you." Bella remembered nodding, keeping her steps slow but light as she followed Alice into the next room. They went through the open door beside the grand, rounding staircase. In the room, Bella immediately set her sights on the large piano in the corner, untouched and spectacular, it was almost the first thing Bella noticed. She would've if it weren't for the two other people in the room. She'd seen Dr. Cullen numerous times from her months in the hospital, but Bella couldn't help but stare - his angler face, the almost overwhelming perfection. By his side stood a caramel-haired woman, piled high on her head in a sleek bun. She was just as beautiful as the rest of her family, poised and delicate.

Bella flickered her eyes between the two before casting a glance towards Alice. She looked as if she was ready to jump up in down in her excitement, "Bella, this is Esme. And you already know Carlisle," she gestured towards them both with a graceful wave of her little hand. They both nodded towards the brunette, but made no move to approach either of them. Probably not to frighten the poor human, Bella couldn't help the slight twist of her mouth. Not that she really blamed them, in the end.

"Welcome, Bella," Esme's voice was light and airy, a warm tone to it as well. "It's nice to finally be able to meet you."

"Yes, it's been awhile," Carlisle spoke next, his dark golden eyes focused on Bella's face, as if trying to read her reaction. Alice seemed to be waiting as well.

Bella swallowed, nodding stiffly, "Nice to meet you too, Esme," And then glanced at Carlisle, "Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle," He responded goodnaturedly, a smile coming to his way. Esme left his side to stick out her hand, fluid and confident with her movements. Bella only hesitated for maybe a second or two before reaching over to shake hands with her. Her skin was cold and hard, just like Alice's. Bella was a little disturbed to realize it didn't bother her much anymore. Bella was just about to release Esme's hand when she felt a sudden, unnatural breeze beside her. When she turned her head to the side, she was thoroughly surprised to see Jasper there.

Her heart rose in her throat, her reaction was instantaneous. Bella stumbled backwards, despite herself, eyes wide and guarded. She wasn't surprised to feel a sudden blanket of tranquility douse over her, her shoulders relaxing after a few seconds. Blowing out a deep breath, she murmured, "Would you please not do that?" She wasn't sure if she was talking about the whole empathetic thing or the way he managed to get beside her so fast.

Jasper raised his hands in a placating manner and then tucked them behind his back, "Right. Please forgive me, Bella. I didn't mean to startle you," He shared a long, meaningful glance with Alice, who was staring at him beseechingly. And then his attention was back on Bella, "I hope you can excuse me for the other night. What happened was not my intention, I didn't intend for it to go that way."

Oh. Right. He'd attacked Paul before. Bella had almost forgot. She managed a shrug of the shoulders, watching Jasper carefully, "It's fine. I actually completely forgot about it." This caused eyebrows to raise, Alice was nearly staring a hole into the side of Bella's face. "Paul seemed okay, so I wasn't really worried about it. Are you alright?"

Jasper stared at her for a long time, exchanging another glance with Alice. His eyebrows furrowed, "Yes. I'm fine," As if Bella checking on his well-being was so ridiculous. "We're actually glad you were able to see how quickly shapeshifters can lose their tempers. They're dangerous," It sounded like the same thing Alice said in the car, but Bella pressed her lips together firmly so she wouldn't say the same thing she'd said to Alice earlier, "I realized talking it out wouldn't work. He was...very upset, from what I could tell."

Carlisle decided to speak up then, clasping his hands together to get all of their attention, but mostly Bella's. "We have much to discuss, don't we, Bella? Please, this way," he lead her into the kitchen, the other three vampires following behind them quietly. It made Bella even more aware of her surroundings. Surprised wouldn't even begin to describe her when she caught sight of Rosalie and Emmett, both within the kitchen. Emmett was at the counter, his hand moving smoothly and with lightening speed, so fast it almost looked like a blur. He was chopping away at something, probably a vegetable from what Bella could tell.

Rosalie was beside him, tight-lipped and glaring at his blurring hands. She was just mumbling something under her breath - much too quick and low for Bella to hear - when the family walked in. Almost immediately, Rosalie's dark golden eyes flickered up and landed on Bella's face. The brunette almost flinched, Rosalie's glare was frightening, sharper than the knife in Emmett's hand. "Oh, look. She's here." Her voice was deadpan, dripping with slight sarcasm.

"The girl of the hour," Emmett had already stopped cutting and was looking up at Bella, eyes alight and crinkled. He was grinning and Bella almost smiled back, and she would've if it weren't for the situation. They were both shockingly beautiful like the rest - Emmett was much bigger than Rosalie, large muscles visible underneath his sweater. Rosalie was just as Bella remembered - barely remembered - she looked like one of those airbrushed models in magazine, golden hair falling down her back in perfectly spirals. She looked as if she stared at her too long, you'd go blind. Bella was pretty grateful she hadn't seen either of them around town since the accident. Emmett's dimples showed when he eyed her, "Find the place okay?"

Bella stepped further in the room, feet shuffling against the pristine floors. It was a bit refreshing to meet someone who didn't talk as if they stepped out of a rehearsed TV show. "Alice drove me here."

Emmett burst out a sudden, booming laugh, "Really? Good thing she didn't give you whiplash then."

Alice huffed from beside me, it seemed as if she would stay by my side the entire time, "I am perfectly able to drive a human to and from a destination."

"Uh-huh," Emmett lifted his eyebrows towards Bella, laughing underneath his breath, "You probably almost scared her to death." The way he said it, it almost sounded teasing. Bella felt a smile tug at the edges of her lips, "Oh! There we go!" Emmett suddenly rejoiced, "A smile. My work here is done."

"Finish chopping, you oaf," Rosalie muttered, cutting him a quick glare before returning her attention on Bella. She could already tell Rosalie didn't like her very much. As Emmett went back to work, the blonde beside him spoke again, "We're making you Italian. Pasta Con Pomodoro E Basilico."

Bella had no idea what that was. Jasper spoke up from behind her, his voice sounded amused, "It's spaghetti."

"Thanks, but..." Bella glanced between Emmett and Rosalie, "I already..." She could only trail off as Rosalie's expression more tense, eyes narrowing in on Bella. "Never mind, it smells great. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Rosalie bit out, taking a quick glimpse at Alice. She said nothing more to Bella, only focusing back onto the food. Which meant they were going to move to the next room.

Once they did, Bella actually let out a little sigh of relief. She felt Alice's hand on her arm, "Don't worry about Rosalie. She's like that everyday."

Bella bit back a snarky retort, she didn't need Rosalie hating her even more than she already did. And with how good all of their senses seemed to be, she was guessing none of them had a hard time hearing what Bella was saying, even from another room. Bella decided to drop it, glancing around the room quickly. Jasper and Esme had hung back apparently, keeping inside the kitchen. Which left Bella with just Alice and Carlisle, the two who she really found the most intimidating in the end. The far wall was all glass, showing the lengthy river in the back of their yard and line of trees. Right beside the glass wall, there was the large piano again.

Carlisle followed her gaze, "Do you play?"

"What, no." She shook her hands once, "Not really. Is it yours?"

"Edward's," Carlisle said, gesturing a pale hand towards it. He slowly made his way over to it, leaning against it almost leisurely. "We're keeping it nice and safe here while he's away." Bella vaguely remembered Alice saying something about Edward being away at school, but now, she couldn't help but think it was something else entirely.

"Is he coming back?" She inquired rather curiously, rocking on her toes.

Carlisle glanced at Alice, who in return was staring at Bella. Finally, he answered, "I'm afraid not any time soon, Bella." Once again, Edward's smooth voice and dark, cold eyes flashed in Bella's mind. She tried her best to ignore it. Carlisle seemed less relaxed than before, his posture straight and professional. Keeping his tone quiet, he gestured towards the couch, "Why don't we sit? We have much to talk about, Bella."

.

.

Bella glanced left and then right. No sign of him yet.

So, with a sigh, she unlocked her phone and texted, Still waiting.

It was a second or two before Erica replied: ur fault for going so early. A pause. make sure u only give him a handjob. no blowjobs on the 1st date. And then a few emoticons after that. Bella glared at her phone, cheeks tingling with slight warmth - even over text, Erica had no filter.

"Bella!"

The girl looked up at her name, surprised. Mike was making his way over to her. He was dressed nice, dark dress pants and a deep blue button up with a tie. His jacket was placed over his arm casually, and Bella didn't miss the way his eyes dragged down her, taking her in. Erica had once again helped her dress for the night - her hair was curled into loose ringlets, pinned back from her face but falling down her back in smooth waves. She wore a deep blue dress, almost matching with Mike's shirt, the dip deep between her breasts and stopping at her knees - constricting at the waist but flowing at the bottom. Erica had commented it was a nice color on her. Hopefully, she wouldn't trip in the heels she'd given her. With a bit of makeup, Erica deemed her fit enough for a date.

"You look..." Mike shook his head, a smile on his face, "You look great."

Once again, there was warmth in her face, "Thank you."

Mike lead her inside the restaurant - it was dimly lit inside and quiet, there was only the soft sound of chatter, smooth jazz music in the background, and the scraping of utensils against plates. The hostess in the front of the restaurant seemed to notice Mike immediately, grabbing two menus and leading them towards the back of the place. It was more cozy and quiet in the booth they were seated at, less people, which Mike seemed to like since Bella saw him slip the hostess a bill, "Thank you." He gave her a handsome smile.

She grinned right back, pretty and professional, "Of course, Mr. Newton. Your waitress will be with you soon."

Once she was gone, Bella picked up her menu, peeling it open quietly, "You've been here before?"

Mike shrugged, "A couple times." Plus, Bella was sure he was well known, not only his family name but his face. They were just outside of Port Angeles, Bella couldn't remember the name of the restaurant, but she was well aware that it was expensive, just by looking at the atmosphere, she didn't even want to glance at the prices beside the listed entrees.

"Do you bring all of your dates here?" Bella was more or less repeating what Erica told her to say, though she tried to come off as confident as the blonde when she said it.

Mike raised his brows, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "I'm appalled, Ms. Swan. What makes you think I take just anyone on a date?"

Bella tried to hold back her smile, she really did. Erica warned her about coming off too eager or giggly. Still, she couldn't stop the laugh from bubbling up her throat, "I don't know. You seem like the type of guy."

Mike appeared interested. Before he could say anything, however, their waitress approached their table. Mike ordered a fancy wine that Bella had never heard of, but he assured her it was rather good and well-received. When the waitress left, Mike returned his attention back to her, "What type of guy do I seem like?"

Bella watched him and he was watching her right back. His baby-blue eyes darted all over her face - her eyes, her lips, the delicate curve of her jaw. Bella swallowed, "I don't know. I don't really talk to guys, or people, if you haven't noticed. It's just something Erica told me to say."

Mike grinned, his million dollar grin that probably won over clients no problem. "Uh-huh. Well, you wanna know what type of girl I think you are?"

"Enlighten me."

"You're a thinker. Really perceptive. You're shy, but when you smile, you show all your teeth and it makes other people smile. You get excited when you get something right, like a little kid. You like to read, you like when it's warm outside. You're the type of girl where...a guy would be stupid not to see how great you are." His tone was gentle, eyes focused solely on her face and nothing around them. Bella suddenly felt warm, a bit too warm for normal - there was a slight tug in her chest that she ignored. "You're a real catch, Bella Swan."

Bella looked down at the menu again, finding his gaze much too intense. It didn't take long for the waitress to come back, placing two glass cups on the table and pouring their wine. She then put down a basket of fresh, warm bread right next to the bottle of wine, smiling at them both before turning away again. Bella took a hold of he glass, taking a tentative sip. She blinked, "...It's good."

"Told you," Mike smiled at her, lifting his glass to clink it teasingly with hers, "So, how's everything?"

They spoke for awhile, going back and forth. Mike kept up with her remarks, and in return, he teased her until she was turning pink under his stare again. It was...nice. Much nicer than Bella would like to admit, she never thought she would seriously be going on a date with Mike Newton. She was well aware of all the rules Erica had given her, she was breaking at least 95% of them, not that she could particularly bring herself to care. He talked about college, about Jessica, about his family. And Bella talked about her hospitalization, her recovery, her job. It felt like she was being normal for once, going on a date with someone, talking about interests and dreams. Between the werewolves and the vampire thing, she really needed something like this.

"You never told me what type of guy you think I am," Mike suddenly spoke up, leisurely cutting into his steak.

Bella looked up from her pasta - it was really good, she was glad she listened to Mike's input while she was ordering. She was already well into her second glass of wine, so she wasn't surprised when her words came out more confidently than before, "I think you're a good guy, Mike. Nice. Normal."

Mike laughed, he didn't sound offended, "Normal, hm?"

"Yep."

"You want to know what I think?"

"Even if I say no, you're going to say it anyway, right?"

"Mhm."

"Go ahead, then."

Bella was fighting off a smile as he stared at her. His eyes following the curve of her lips before flickering back to her brown eyes. There was another tug in her chest, harder to ignore than the last, "I think you're beautiful." Already, her face was getting hot, but Mike continued, "Seriously, when I saw you again in the store, I felt like it was a second chance. Before, I didn't have the guts to really try to make a move on you, thought you were too good for me. I still think you are. But...I don't think you think you are."

Bella remained silent, her expression becoming softer and more open. She wasn't sure if it was the wine or maybe Mike was really getting to her.

"I want to show you how beautiful you are. What you're worth. Because you're worth way more than you think, Bella. How you make me feel, since I was a teenager, it isn't something I can really explain. But I want to show you." And then his smile became more lighthearted, a half grin that Bella couldn't help but stare at, "You going to let me?"

Bella tried to fight off the bashful grin pulling at her lips, but failed. "If this is your way of asking me on another date, then I like it."

Turns out, Mike's laugh was a lot more infectious than she'd originally thought.

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Alert! Alert! Speedy updates here, move over!

No, but seriously guys! Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter, I loved it. I would seriously appreciate if you guys kept it up, it means the world to me. I want to hear all of your opinions and how you feel the fic is going, good or bad, it doesn't matter. Bella might've come off a little creeped out when it came to the Cullen's, but only because in this fic, I don't see her being very open to the supernatural at first, especially with how she was introduced to it. She'll warm up soon, I promise!

Next chapter is Paul POV, so look forward to that! I hope you guys like how I put Mike in this chapter, I'm trying to write him as well as I can - well, how I imagine he would be after the next few years in this fic. Thanks for reading guys!

Please leave a review!