A/N

Hello lovlies! It's been so long and I have to tell you how sorry I am for taking so long to update. This chapter was pretty intimidating, and a whole lotta pressure! LOL! I hope you like the intereactions with Edward and Bella. Finally right?

I thank MissAlex for beta'ing and being the bestest bestie ever!

MissAlex writes Edward and his sexy velvet voice and Larin20 writes Bella and her new founded sex kitten!

Chapter Eleven: Party Favors

Bella

As I looked at Mike's house down the street from where I parked, I had no idea how he got away with most of the stuff he did. His parents were out of town, but with a party this size, there was no way that they wouldn't find out about it. All the lights were on in the house, cars lined the streets – some were even parked on the lawn. I knew his mother from my job at Newton's Outfitters and she definitely wasn't going to be pleased about her damaged rose bushes. Music blared loudly and the guests spilled out onto the yard, causing quite the scene, but this wasn't Mike's first party and it certainly wouldn't be his last.

Giving myself one last look in the rearview mirror, ensuring that my hair was fluffed and my makeup was perfect, I got out of my truck and locked the door, waiting for Jessica and Angela to find a parking spot somewhere on the street.

I was pretty pathetic. I never checked my appearance throughout the day - that just wasn't me. This whole day just wasn't me, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I had come to terms with the fact that I liked Edward and I didn't see anything wrong with making an effort to appeal to him so that he might possibly like me back.

That is, if he decided to show up.

Wobbling unsteadily on my heels, I brushed my hands down the front of my dress, searching for my friends. I still felt more naked than dressed in this costume, and the night air chilled my exposed skin, but I told myself that I was going to strut into the party and show Edward the real Bella - the confident girl who wasn't a bumbling idiot - even though the other part of me wanted to put on jeans, a sweater and running shoes, clothing that my dad would've approved of.

Charlie.

Undoubtedly, I was going to have to face him tomorrow because after I walked out of the house without obeying his orders, he probably had a lot to say to me.

I couldn't help but think back to the last words my father said as I walked out the door.

I'm calling Billy Black.

Of course, I knew what that meant.

Jacob Black.

I didn't have a problem with Jake. In fact, I really liked him a lot as a friend and I often spent time with him and his girlfriend, Leah. His father was also very kind. My father and Billy became fast friends when Billy came by on his boat while my dad was fishing off the bank one day. Billy offered to take him out on the water to give him access to the bigger fish and since then they'd practically been inseparable.

Billy was the town spokesman for La Push, the Native American Reservation he and Jacob lived on near Forks, and before his accident, which left him a paraplegic, he had been Captain of the La Push Police department for over twenty-five years – another reason why he and my dad got along so well.

One day, while I was walking with Jake on La Push Beach, I asked him what exactly happened to his father. Understandably, Jacob didn't offer up much information. I supposed it was a touchy subject for him, especially since he was only eight years old when it happened. All he said was that his father was chasing a suspect in the woods and suffered an accident.

I asked if they caught the man who Billy was chasing and Jacob went rigid before he answered. His expression was laced with pure disgust, his jaw clenched, fists tight, and his dark eyes grew immeasurably darker.

"No, he didn't get away," was all he said, his voice low.

I decided not to pry any further. Since I almost lost my father, I understood how painful it must have been for Jacob to almost lose Billy, regardless of the difference in circumstances. As a result of Billy's injury, Jacob took care of a lot of stuff for him, especially since his mother had passed away a few years prior. He never told me how she died and I didn't ask, hoping that one day he would open up to me when he was ready.

I couldn't imagine having to take over so many parental roles at such a young age. While Jacob was helping his father bathe and change his catheter, I was playing with my Barbie and reading R.L. Stein.

Despite of his disability, Billy seemed well-adjusted. He was a fun, exuberant man, who loved to joke around and focus on the positive things in life. He often made me laugh and it was easy to see where Jake got his easy-going, friendly personality from. Billy was a fighter and a passionate man with a kind heart.

Really, I loved that my dad spent so much time with Billy - whether it was fishing or just relaxing on the Reservation - because whenever he came home after a day out with Billy and his friends, he was always in such a good mood. Sometimes he was drunk, or a lot drunk, depending on how loudly he snored after he passed out on his Lazy Boy, but it was wonderful to see him in such good spirits. My mother just put in her ear plugs and everything was fine. My father didn't drink much and we understood that he needed a release from time to time.

Charlie was going stir-crazy in Forks even though he knew that small town lifestyle was best for him. He tried to act like it didn't bother him but I knew it did. On his days off, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if it wasn't for Billy, except playfully hound my mother. I was glad that my dad wasn't always on the job, unlike in Seattle where he was never home, and even when he was working, in Forks, moving violations were the biggest offenses.

I begged to differ. I believed that Mike Newton was the biggest offender.

My father even volunteered his time at the La Push Police Department when they were short-handed. It helped keep him busy, which was fine with my mom. La Push wasn't exactly a Mecca for crime either so it wasn't like he was putting himself in danger there. The only calls my father received during his shifts on the Reservation were disturbances phoned in regarding some brawls between some of the young men in town - usually started by Sam Uley and his cohorts.

When my dad disappeared on most weekends, my mother and I would sometimes go to the diner, Carnivores that Sue Clearwater owned. Sue and Billy were in the throes of a budding romance so when Billy and dad were gone, my mother and I liked to keep Sue company. We usually helped her bake for the dinner rush and talked - or shoot the shit, as Sue liked to call it.

From my experience, things slowed down once you stepped foot on the Rez. There was an air of tranquility at La Push and people waved at you from their front lawns when you drove by, even if they didn't know who you were. It was like having a small town within a small town.

The traditions and rituals of the Quilette tribe were so interesting. Billy invited my family to a bonfire not too long ago and the elders of the tribe talked about the greatness of their ancestors. Their storytelling was so in-depth and imaginative. They never once treated my family like outsiders, even though we were new in town and they didn't know much about us. Jake and Leah even introduced me to their friends on the Rez too which I really appreciated, considering that when I first arrived I didn't know anyone.

Glancing at Mike's party from the street, I thought about how much Jake hated Mike Newton. Maybe that would be enough of a reason for him not to show up here.

Yeah, right.

They'd known each other for years and had an unfriendly rivalry going on, and if anything, the chance to get in Mike's face would provide additional incentive for Jake to come tonight. The Forks District School Board always played against the Reservation School District in sports and both Mike and Jake were extremely competitive football players. And in small town America, no matter what part of the country you lived in, football was life and the players were the arteries that pumped the thick blood of competition throughout the community.

Needless to say, Jake was involved in scuffles alongside his teammates against Mike and his friends on more than one occasion and fights even occurred off the field. My father always said that a mark of true men, those worthy of greatness, was dictated by their sportsmanship. Meanwhile, Jake told me that abiding by the rules wasn't always at the forefront of Mike's mind during a game and the jealously over the usual La Push victories often drove him not to play fair, which the La Push guys had no chance but to reciprocate, or else be labeled as weak.

Men and their testosterone.

Even after all the stories Jake told me, Mike still wasn't so bad to me. Sure, he was overly friendly at school and, at times, pig-headed at Newton's Outfitters, but I took it all in stride. He wasn't dangerous, just immature. And if I hadn't met Mike, I never would've met Angela so quickly after moving here.

If Jacob did make an appearance tonight, I just hoped that things wouldn't get out of hand, especially if Mike was drunk. That's all I needed - a pissing contest between Jake and Mike that I would have to undoubtedly have to break up because I was the only one on neutral territory when it came to the contention involving the Rez and Forks guys. I had more important matters to contend with – like talking with Edward Cullen.

I sighed and looked down at my costume. How did I ever agree to this?

Oh yeah, no choice.

My mind clouded with thoughts of Edward. If he showed up, he'd probably think I looked like some tart off the street.A guy like him was too cool for a high school kegger so that was still a pretty big if. He seemed to be above petty football rivalries and hormone-fueled fights.

Slumping against my truck, I waited for my friends, contemplating if I should sit down because they seemed to be taking a long time.

The wind blew, taking my hair with it, ghosting my brown locks across my shoulder blades, tickling my back and causing me to smile. The sensation reminded me of Biology class today and the feeling I had when I accidently brushed Edward's arm with mine.

Staring off into the distance, I studied the trees in the woods surrounding Newton's house as their branches swayed in the fall breeze. It was warmer than I thought - especially for late October. The long line of timbers rustled against each other as the wind picked up, making the leaves and needles hum in the air. They looked so graceful and they provided such peacefulness to my surroundings. Suddenly, the breeze stopped, enveloping me in silence and I listened to my heart beating rapidly in my chest, the only sign of life in the area.

The calm before the storm, I thought to myself.

A couple of cracking tree limbs in the distance jolted me out of my thoughts. At first, I was relieved that the eerily quiet was gone, but as the cracking got louder, I panicked, my eyes scanning the street for the source of the noise.

Nothing.

The cracking stopped and my heart rate shot up.

"Hello? Is somebody out there?" I called, my voice echoing down the street.

I was met with nothing silence as an overpowering scent blew in the next breeze that danced across my face. Pine. It smelled like burning pine. It was intoxicating, yet strangely uncomforting, but considering that I was surrounded by one of the oldest and largest pine forests in the Pacific Northwest, I shouldn't have been surprised.

Female laughter caught my attention and I glanced down the street, spotting Angela and Jessica making their way towards me, their arms full of food trays and plastic Wal-Mart bags.

I looked toward the woods once more and decided that what I heard earlier was just something my imagination cooked up. After the dream I had this afternoon, I wasn't surprised. Even the heavy pine scent was now gone.

Focusing on the girls as they walked towards me, I stifled a laugh. Jessica tried in vain to keep her tube top from falling as she juggled all the food in her arms. Next year, I'd try and persuade her to go as a nun, instead - full habit and everything. In a situation like this, she'd thank me.

As they approached me, Jessica flashed me an inquisitive, stern look which caused my eyebrows to furrow in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she demanded with a stomp of her four inch stiletto.

"What? I was just standing here waiting for the two of you," I replied with a shrug.

Jessica rolled her eyes, "You look really...I don't know…what's the word...?"

"Hot," Angela added with a smirk.

I opened my mouth to say something snarky but Jessica interrupted.

"No, I was thinking that you look pensive," she concluded with a pout.

Angela whipped her head around so fast that I thought she would lose her balance.

"Pensive?" she asked, astonished.

"Yeah, pensive. It means thoughtful, right?"

"You're right, that's what pensive means but I wasn't sure that you knew what it means, considering that it's such a big word," Angela joked.

Jessica sighed, frustrated. "Pensive is only seven letters long, it's hardly big. And what is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that I'm not smart enough to say big words?" Jessica looked hurt and for the first time I realized that some of our ribbing might have cut deeper than I thought.

"She means that you don't usually say stuff like that, Jessica," I explained, trying to rectify the situation. "Of course, you're a very smart person. We would never think otherwise."

I shot Angela a look, silently asking her to agree with me.

She looked embarrassed. "Bella's right, Jess. I'm sorry if I made you feel badly. It wasn't my intention." There was a deafening silence. "Uh," Angela stammered. "I think I'm going to go in now. You two coming?"

Catching Jessica's stare, I hesitated, realizing that she wanted to speak with me in private. I wished that I didn't have to stay and talk with her but her expression was serious so I knew I had no choice.

"Yeah, we'll be right there, just give us a minute," I replied.

With a nod, Angela took Jessica's bags from her, leaving her with the food trays and headed towards Mike's house. Once she was out of earshot, Jessica closed in on me, clearing her throat.

I pretended I didn't notice.

"Ahem," she repeated.

Again, I feigned ignorance.

"Ahemmm," Jessica exaggerated.

Crap.

"Are you okay?" I asked innocently.

"Well, I was going to ask you that same question." Jessica tilted her head to the side like an inquisitive puppy. "I meant what I said earlier - you look pensive."

I waved her off. "I'm not pensive. I'm just..... hanging out here....by my truck....just hanging...you know...by my truck…"

Wow, that wasn't very convincing.

"Bullshit!" Jessica blurted out.

Her crude outburst took me by surprise. Not that I always have a super clean mouth, but still...

"Excuse me?" I scoffed.

"I'm calling bullshit on you. I know what you're doing. You're being a chicken – you're acting insecure and so unlike yourself. It's worrying me, quite frankly."

I folded my arms across my chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How dare you, Bella Swan!" Jessica countered. "Look, I know that I'm not as close to you as Angela, but you're hiding something from me, I know it. Why won't you tell me whatever it is? You can trust me just like you trust her."

My cheeks grew hot, even with the autumn breeze drifting around me.

I remained silence until Jess caught me off guard again.

"He's going to come tonight, don't worry."

My head snapped in her direction.

"Did you and Angela talk about me on the drive over here?" I inquired.

"No, but like I said, I'm smarter than you think. I simply put two and two together."

Defeated, I exhaled a deep, exhausted breath and looked at Jessica, giving up on the I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about routine. She was right. She was my friend too and it wasn't right for me to exclude her.

"Okay, I may have invited Edward Cullen to the party tonight and I may be worried that he won't show up," I confessed. "There, I said it."

She nodded, satisfied with my reply. "I didn't mean to offend you and call you chicken, even if you are acting like one. I just wanted to... you know...be here for you. Like Angela."

I couldn't help but smile at her sincerity. Gone were the snide smirks and air-headedness, replaced by genuine concern and caring. This girl never failed to amaze me. This wasn't a side of Jessica I'd ever seen before and I felt guilty that I hadn't opened up to her earlier.

Glancing down at my feet, I realized the error of my ways. Jessica had quite an unhealthy reputation with the opposite sex and a general hatred from our own. Come to think of it, Angela and I were her only real friends, and I hadn't exactly been treating her respectfully. Sure, I was confused by her love for Mike Newton and her choice of skanky outfits, but overall, she was a good person.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I answered as I lifted my gaze. "I'm sorry, Jessica. It's just that this has been a crazy day and well, I know you're just trying to help me. I just wasn't expecting you to care, really. You and I never have been that close, so you caught me off guard when you totally pointed out my BS."

Jessica put down her food trays and sat down on the curb by the front of my truck - very carefully - since she was wearing the shortest mini-skirt known to mankind.

"Pull up some concrete, Swan. We need to have girl time before we go in," she smiled as she patted the space next to her.

Resigning, I checked to see if anyone was around before sitting down, using my hands to cover my backside so my underwear wouldn't show. After I settled, I glanced awkwardly at Jessica, waiting for the onslaught of questions about Edward Cullen. Not that I had any answers as of yet.

She drew in a breath and fiddled with the hem of her skirt before speaking, "I'm in the National Honors Society," Jessica started. "I have a 4.0GPA and I'm in line to become class valedictorian."

My mouth dropped open. I certainly hadn't expected that.

I assumed that Edward Cullen was the only topic at hand here. How selfish of me.

"You see, Bella, I'm not stupid like people think I am," she insisted.

"So this whole ditsy blonde routine is all fake?" I asked. "You're playing people?"

"No, not really. I'm just not letting see the whole picture," she explained. "It's self preservation, in a way."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't you be proud of who you are?"

Jessica shifted in her seat, angling her body towards me. "My father pushes me a great deal. He wants me to do things he didn't have the opportunity to do, like go the Ivy League route, get my Masters or go to Law school…Medical school, that sort of thing." She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees into her chest. "He pushed me pretty hard growing up. I always had to have the best grades, be involved in all the extra-curricular activities I could. I just had to be the best."

I nodded, willing her to continue.

"He sent me to the Wainright Academy in Port Angeles when I was in the fourth grade. It's a school for gifted kids where they specialize in many areas of academia. It was also a boarding school, so I was gone nine months out of the year. I was in the Language Arts programs they offered because my father felt that if I mastered at least two languages, it would be beneficial to me later on when I became a diplomat or something outlandish like that." She threw her head back and laughed. "Like I want to be a diplomat! But see, that's the thing - my father never asked me what I wanted." She exhaled a deep breath, looking forlorn. "I love to draw, Bella… I always dreamed of being an artist..." her voice broke. "I was in the fourth grade - who sends their only daughter away to boarding school at the age of nine?"

I didn't know what to say, so instead, I kept quiet and rubbed her forearm, letting her know that I was here for her. This was definitely not a conversation I ever expected to have with Jessica.

"My father told me it was for the best and that I needed to have a more structured education. Wainright would give me all I needed and more so I could get into a good University, get into a good Grad school program, secure a prominent career and live a privileged life when it was all said and done. Don't get me wrong - I was grateful for the opportunity I was given at boarding school. My father always told me that he was giving me a gift that he never had..."

Her eyes glistened with tears and she blinked them back. "I hated it there, at the school. I didn't have any friends and I felt so inadequate around my fellow classmates. Needless to say, I wasn't the best at that school and that bothered my father immensely. I had to give him constant progress reports on my weekly reviews and he'd schedule conference calls with my instructors on the phone when my grades fell below a 3.9." She stopped and wiped her eyes. "A 3.9 isn't bad, Bella."

"Hey, I wish I had a 3.9," I giggled. Jessica gave me a small smile, brushing more tears away.

"By the eighth grade, I was burnt out. I was so tired of trying to keep up with my father's standards and I felt like I was losing myself in the process. I became a robot - sleep, eat, study....sleep, eat, study. My only thought at the time was that I needed to come home. I missed Forks! Who misses Forks?" she laughed. "I begged and pleaded with my parents to send me back to Forks to go to high school with normal kids."

"I understand," I told her. "I can't imagine being away from my friends and family for so long, especially at such a young age. I'm sure it was very hard for you."

"It was," she sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "I missed my old friends from grade school and I worried that I had been gone so long that they wouldn't remember me. Or that they'd know who I was but exclude me. I didn't have any kind of social interaction at Wainright. It was a very lonely place for me." Jessica looked down at the ground as she played with a couple of blades of grass beside her.

Her father effectively stripped away her childhood by sending her to that boarding school, forcing his expectations on her. I couldn't even imagine having someone demand so much of you at such a young age.

"The conversation didn't go well when I approached my father about moving home," she continued with a sigh. "He felt that I was giving up on everything he dreamed for me. He told me I was a failure and that he wouldn't let me leave the school. So in my own form of protest, I stopped eating and bathing, I let my grades drop. After a month of depriving myself, my parents finally pulled me out of Wainright because they received so many complaints from students and faculty about my health and behavior. Ultimately, my dad agreed that I could go to Forks High on only one condition - that I kept my GPA above 3.8 and applied to the Ivies in final year."

"But I still don't understand - why the act?" I pressed.

Jessica bit her lip and lowered her gaze to the ground. "When I got back to Forks and enrolled in school, many people remembered me but didn't really go out of their way to be friends with me again. They thought I was the stuck up brainiac who thought that Forks wasn't good enough for her. They assumed that I was too involved in my studies to have fun or whatever."

Jessica kept her eyes on her shoes. "I wasn't going to drown at Forks like I did at Wainright. I just couldn't live through that loneliness again."

"So you re-invented yourself?"

"Yes, you can say that. I thought to myself, who would I like to hang out with if I was me? I wanted to be the fun girl who had the boyfriends, who went out on Friday nights, who never went a day without gathering the latest gossip. I wanted to be the girl that everyone envied, but most of all, I wanted to be popular. So I gave it a shot and found that although no one cared for the bookworm Jessica Stanley, they did care about the new flirtatious, bubbly Jessica Stanley."

"Oh, Jess..."

Jessica held up her hand, stopping me. "Please let me finish." I nodded and she continued. "I started wearing more revealing, trendy clothing, more make-up, I high-lighted my hair and flirted my ass off.

Soon, everyone forgot the old me and wanted to get to know the new me. I started dating a lot, and maybe that was a mistake, but I loved the attention from guys. My ego was massaged in more ways than one if you know what I mean."

I scrunched my nose. "Gross. I like you opening up to me, but I don't need to hear everything," I teased.

Jessica rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Okay, sorry Virgin Mary - but you get my point, right?"

"I think so, although I don't believe that you should be someone you're not just to impress people. I'm proud to be your friend. You don't need to pretend in front of me."

"Trust me, I know. After awhile, I started losing friends because of my reputation with guys and when that happened, I wished that I had made better choices. Next year I'll be away at college, hopefully, so I can start fresh and this time I'll do it right. The bottom line is that it's important to maintain your self-confidence no matter what, and that's my advice to you. Don't let anyone influence you to compromise on who you really are – whether they're doing it on purpose or not."

With those words, I understood what this was all about. Before today, I couldn't have cared less about what people thought about me. That is, until Edward Cullen walked into Biology. Unbeknownst to him, he made me doubt myself and caused my self-confidence to dwindle and of all people, Jessica picked up on that right away because she saw herself in me.

Jessica adjusted her tube top. "Anyway, Angela was the only one who stuck around. She's one of the dearest, nicest people I know, besides you…"

Draping my arm around her shoulders, I rested my head against hers. "I'm glad we're all friends and thank you for sharing that with me."

"You're wonderful the way you are, Bella. When you came to Forks and I saw how confident you were – smart, pretty, a guy-magnet, the whole package - I realized that I never had to pretend in order to be accepted. I admired you – I still do. Please don't ever lose that, okay?"

I giggled. "Deal."

"Good because when I saw you by your truck just now, I saw uncertainty and low self-esteem. I had to make you see that you don't need to feel any of that because you're great as you are."

"Thanks Jess. It's true. I've been worried about Edward because I invited him and if he does show up, I have no experience as to what to do next. And worse - what if he rejects me?"

She shrugged, brushing the wisps of her hair from her face as they danced in the breeze. "It will work out. You got to have faith and plus, in an outfit like that, you're bound to capture his attention," she teased. "There is going to be no road blocks for you tonight, believe me."

"And Mike will just love you in your get-up too."

"True," she admitted with a grin. "But I gotta say that these heels are killing me and before the night is over, I might go rummaging through Mike's closet for a proper shirt and some flip-flips to wear."

I was about to reply when a loud honk blasted throughout the cool night air, ricocheting down the street.

I knew the roar of that diesel engine anywhere.

Rolling my eyes, I stood up and brushed the bits of grass and gravel off of my backside. Jessica followed suit, looking in the direction of the rehabbed bright yellow GTO making its fast approach toward my truck.

Preparing myself for what was to come, I placed my car keys in my pocket as Jessica picked the food trays off the ground.

I groaned as the GTO careened to a stop before us.

"Who is that?" Jessica asked as she attempted to peer through the tinted windows to see inside the vehicle.

"My road block," I muttered under my breath.

The car idled for a few moments, rumbling the pavement, the heat of the engine wafting in our direction. The powerful engine revved not once, not twice, but three times.

Always the showman.

I folded my arms across my chest, feeling impatient, when the passenger side window rolled down, revealing a familiar, friendly face. She was gorgeous, with flawless skin the color of caramel, and long black hair that parted in the middle and flowed down to her waist. Her smile was broad and infectious and her eyes were the richest toffee color I'd ever seen.

If it was only her in that vehicle, I wouldn't have minded, but she was only one half of the occupants in that GTO.

"Hey, Bella," Leah greeted, resting her elbow on the window frame, the driver's face concealed by shadows. "He made me come." She thumbed the occupant next to her. "I told him that this was so inappropriate, but does he listen to me? No."

Before I could respond, the GTO surged forward and pulled off the road, coming to a stop on Newton's front lawn. Leah opened her door and emerged gracefully, flipping her hair over her shoulders. She wore a stunning white chiffon wrap dress with a daringly high slit up the leg, gold Grecian-style sandals on her feet and a crown of gold leaves on her head. She looked so classy with a figure to die for and I assumed that she was dressed as a Greek Goddess for Halloween.

"What is she, like, twenty-five?" Jessica hissed.

I would have thought the same thing if I didn't know her. Her facial features were striking and she very tall, almost six feet, with curves in all the right places. Very model-esque.

"She's our age," I whispered as Leah strolled across the street towards us. Jessica's mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it and curled her lips into a smile when Leah approached.

"This party looks pretty big," Leah observed with a smirk, looking over her shoulder at the house. "Too bad it's at fucking Mike Newton's house."

Jessica went rigid beside me.

Uh oh.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jessica quipped snidely, squaring her shoulders. Leah narrowed her eyes and looked Jessica up and down, unaware of Jess's love for Mike.

"It means that I'm not a fan of Mike Newton. He's an ass," Leah replied flippantly.

"And who are you?" Jessica stepped closer to Leah, stopping within inches of her. Leah stiffened as though she felt threatened and I heard a soft growl emanate from her chest which surprised me. "You don't even go to our school so who invited you?" Jessica sneered.

Okay, time to step in...

And here I thought that Jacob was going to be the only problem tonight.

"Hey Leah," I interrupted, forcing my way between them. "This is Jessica Stanley. She and Mike Newton are dating - well, I guess you can call it that - and Jessica, this is Leah Clearwater. She and I are friends, so she's welcome here too. I'm sure Leah didn't mean anything mean about Mike and his party. We're just here to have fun tonight, right?"

Leah put on a tight smile and stuck out her hand, "She's right. I'm sorry, Jessica. Sometimes I let my mouth run when I really shouldn't. It's nice to meet you."

Jessica extended her hand and they both shook amicably. "Nice to meet you too, Leah," she responded.

There was lull in the conversation and I looked between the two of them, as they stood there tight-lipped.

I clapped my hands together and forced a cheerful tone. "Well, why don't we head inside?" I turned to Jessica. "I'll help you carry the food trays."

I picked up two of the trays and juggled them in my hands, while Jessica picked the remaining ones. Leah offered to help but Jessica declined her assistance.

As we crossed the road, the GTO driver's side door opened and we watched as Jake emerged from the car. He wore a tight white t-shirt which showed off his muscular chest and the incredible breadth of his shoulders and dark denim blue jeans which hung low on his hips. He opted not to dress up, which didn't surprise me.

Jake was a big guy and looked very intimidating if you didn't know him personally. He towered over almost everyone I knew, plus he was strong. In fact, given his physical transformation in the last few months, I often wondered if he took steroids. Back in the summer, he was about a foot shorter and around sixty pounds lighter. But when I asked him about it, all he chalked it up to was good genes and a high daily milk intake.

"I'm just a growing boy," he had told me.

I had no choice but to believe him. After all, he was smarter than to ever take drugs.

Leah took in a sharp breath as he strutted towards us, running his hand through his short black hair, which he had cut recently because as he explained - he began finding it annoying when it fell to his shoulders.

As I glanced at Leah out of the corner of my eye, I smiled. She looked smitten and oh-so in love as she watched her boyfriend approach, her eyes glazed over. Their connection was so strong, I envied them. Jake was protective over me in a brotherly manner, but when it came to Leah, his dedication was unmatched. He was head over heels for her. She was his entire world.

As we stepped onto the sidewalk, Jake placed his arm protectively around Leah, his rich brown skin glistening in the moonlight which accentuated his masculine, handsome features.

Glancing at my friend, I offered up a dry smile. "Hey, Jake."

He didn't reply. All he did was scowl as he looked me up and down.

Leah rolled her eyes.

"Good Lord, look at the size of him," Jessica remarked under her breath.

"I like my men big," Leah replied with a seductive smile, slinking her arm around his waist.

Jessica blushed, realizing that she said that out loud.

"I'm 6'5" and my shoe size is a fourteen," Jake boasted, pulling Leah into his side with a wink. "And you know what they say about men with big feet."

"What? That they're impotent for life?" I piped up, sticking my tongue out at him.

Jake winced, clutching his hand over his heart. "Ah Bells, you just hurt my fragile ego."

"Please," I giggled. "That ego of yours is reinforced with steel. Anyway, let's cut the crap. I know why you're here."

"Why is he here?" Jessica hissed in my ear.

"He's here because of a very unnecessary request from my father," I replied.

"Hey, don't blame me, Bells. I'm just following orders from the Forks Chief of Police. He's pretty threatening, you know?" Jake looked me over again with a smirk. "Besides, what the hell are you wearing? Or better question – what the hell happened to the rest of your costume?"

"I don't need your protection," I argued.

"Regardless, I'm fully prepared to throw down if any guy steps out of line. I may be outnumbered here since its Newton's home turf and all, but given my strength, you don't have to worry. You'll be safe tonight, Bells."

My eyes widened. "Oh no, you don't. There is not going to be any throwing down tonight. I can take care of myself. Besides what's going to happen anyway? It's Forks."

Jake's eyes darkened. "A lot of things can happen, Bella."

"Okay, now you're being overdramatic. Let's go inside, please," I begged, my eyes scanning the street for any signs of the Cullens. "I want to actually enjoy the party before it's over."

"Wooo Hooo!! Let's drink!" Jessica shouted.

I rolled my eyes. I guessed that the real Jessica Stanley I'd just encountered was going back into her hiding place for the rest of the night.

Jake grunted in response and the four of us walked towards the front door, amongst some of the party guests who stumbled around drunk on the grass. As we passed Jake's car, he left Leah's side and opened the door, rummaging inside for something.

"Here, Bella. Charlie told me to make sure that you wore this," he snickered, removing a full length black parka out of the GTO and shoving it in my direction.

I balked and kept walking, bypassing the coat. "You've got to be kidding me." I turned to the girls. "Come on, Jess, Leah…let's go. Jake can stay out here."

With a low growl, I heard the GTO's door slam shut and the shuffling of Jake's feet across the lawn. Within seconds, he was opening the door for us and leading Leah inside.

We entered the packed house, the loud music pounding in my ears as people from school waved hello.

Angela was in the corner by the fireplace with a drink in hand, conversing with Ben, who looked at her like she was the only one in the room. She was glowing and I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was.

Jess and I headed for the kitchen in the back and spread out all the food we brought next to the stuff Angela had put out earlier. Jake positioned himself against a wall with Leah in the living room where he could keep an eye on me, his brown eyes burning into my back as we finished setting everything up.

This was not going well. If Edward did show up, I'd have to make sure that Jake didn't ruin anything for me.

"Bella, thanks for helping me with the food," Jessica yelled over the commotion as she stepped back and surveyed the buffet, satisfied with her contribution. "Do you think Mike will like it?"

"He better!" I shouted, placing my hand on her shoulder, hovering my lips next to her ear. "But do me a favor – don't go all floozy on Mike tonight because you think that's what he wants. I'm taking the advice you gave me outside so please do the same. Let him see the real you - the awesome girl that I know and love. I know for a fact that he'll like what he sees. Forget about waiting until college to expose that to the world."

"I might need some liquid courage for that big reveal," she joked, fiddling with her tube top. She glanced over my shoulder and I turned around, zeroing in on Mike as he worked the crowd, wearing a ridiculously cliché vampire costume, complete with fake fangs, a cape and dress clothes. "I'll be back," Jess informed me. "Do you want anything to drink?"

I shook my head and Jessica smiled, disappearing into the crowd in the living room.

Drinking was really the last thing on my mind and even if I wanted a drink, alcohol was not a good idea right now. But I was definitely hungry. Hanging out by the buffet table, I began picking at the food we laid out, surveying the party from my temporary residence at the kitchen counter which just so happened to give me a perfect view of the front door, and unfortunately, Jake's watchful stare.

Leah swayed her hips, dancing seductively before her boyfriend, but he didn't take the bait. He remained propped against the wall, arms crossed, nursing a beer, with his eyes locked on me. I purposely ignored him and kept eating.

Most of the crowd was in the living room, kitchen and back deck. The music was deafening and I tried to be nice, greeting everyone with a smile if they said hello to me first. As a rule, no one was allowed upstairs so since I didn't see the Cullens on the main floor, it was clear that they weren't here.

While I waited, I filled up on enough cheese cubes and carrot sticks that my stomach ceased growling and began yelling at me to stop being such a pig. In order to distract myself, I made my way into the living room, my gaze locked on the front door as my heart pounded in my chest from anticipation.

There were so many people in the house that it was difficult to move around without getting pushed or poked or having to dodge an alcoholic beverage that some drunk, hormonal teenager was waving around as they shouted animatedly over the music.

On more than one occasion, I was asked what my costume was and I stopped bothering to explain after the millionth time, insisting that I didn't dress up and that this was my regular attire. It was just easier. Apparently, no one watched old movies anymore.

Frustrated and alone, even amongst a crowd of my peers, I looked across the room again in search of Jess and Angela. I caught a glimpse of Angela heading into the kitchen with Ben - her Hans Solo - in tow. He held her hand and whispered something in her ear which made her giggle and I decided to stay where I was so I wouldn't be the third wheel. They were having fun without me.

"I vaunt to suck your blood!" Someone with a terrible Transylvanian accent screamed in my ear.

With a shriek, I jumped. Then I felt something graze against my bare neck.

"What the hell?" I cried.

I whipped around, only to find Mike standing with Jessica, a bunch of newly acquired fake blood caked onto his chin, trailing from his mouth.

That's when it hit me. The guy had actually tried to fake bite me! Gross.

Mike looked even sillier up close, especially with all the baby powder he put on his face in an attempt to look pale and dead. I could smell that stuff a mile away, it was so strong.

Jessica giggled and leaned into me, gripping my forearm as Mike beamed proudly. "Isn't that hilarious?" she exclaimed. "He's a vampire!"

"Uh, yeah, that's great, Jess." I rolled my eyes, diverting my gaze back to the front door, noticing Jacob glaring at Mike from across the room.

Leah had her hand on his forearm, undoubtedly keeping him from storming over here. I just hoped that she could keep that leash on him for the rest of the evening.

"Come on, baby," Mike winked to Jess. "Let's go see who else I can make my victim."

The thought made me shudder.

She giggled and he took her hand, dragging her across the room through the crowd.

By this time, as more people piled into the small house, it was so loud in here that my head hurt. The music blared to the point of obnoxiousness, the bass thumping repeatedly, rattling my bones. The vibrations ticked in my chest like a time bomb and my entire body trembled, the food I ate churning in my stomach, making me nauseous.

Out of desperation, I scanned the main floor, looking for a place to escape. Off the kitchen was a sunroom – an oddity in a town like this – which only had a handful of people in it. There was also a vacant couch where I could sit down so I decided to head in that direction, my feet aching for a break. I figured that I could check in on the party every five minutes or so for the Cullens and still not run the risk of missing them.

Just as I turned around, that's when I felt it. My spine tingled and my face warmed as though I was blushing. It was the oddest sensation. The hairs on my arms stood on end as I halted in mid-turn, yet on the inside, I felt as though I'd just had a drink of a large cup of hot chocolate. Sweet and warm.

Placing my palm against the nearest wall so I wouldn't topple over, I closed my eyes, praying that my equilibrium would set itself straight again. It was like I was drunk and I wished that I was wearing flats instead of these insane feet killers called high heels.

I hoped I wasn't getting sick.

Ugh, what was in those cheese cubes?

As I found my bearings, another wave of chill washed over me, contrasting with the warmth in my heart. It felt as though a fuse was lit in my veins. The next sensation that rocked me, made me gasp. My body throbbed and it was then that I determined what it was.

Arousal.

It was arousal and it felt glorious. The pulsating between my legs was unlike anything I'd ever felt before.

I'd never had a sexual relationship with anyone, but now my thoughts were consumed with the idea. And in my mind, Edward was my partner.

Opening my eyes, I searched for him. He was here, I just knew it. This was the same feeling I experienced during Biology when Edward walked into the room but it had intensified – so much so that I was desperate to find him. I needed to be near him. Now.

My eyes swept the party and I saw Jake laughing with Leah along the far wall of the living room with a drink in his hands, distracted, thank God.

The butterflies, the hot and cold, the air not reaching my lungs...the dizziness. It all felt amazing. Yet Edward was nowhere to be found.

How could that be?

It felt as though he were right beside me, pleasuring me with his close proximity and burning stare. How could I feel that, like I did in my dream, when he wasn't even in the room?

I pushed my way through the crowd, toward the kitchen, when suddenly, without a will of my own, I turned back around and my eyes travelled to the front of the house again.

The door opened as though it moved in slow motion. Time stood still, the people around me fading into the background, the music nothing but a soft murmur now as I waited eagerly to find out whom was entering the party. As if I didn't already know.

I didn't even realize that I was holding my breath until I began feeling faint. The air whooshed out of my lungs as the seconds ticked by.

The door opened more and...

Well, I was right about the Cullen part.

Alice Cullen poked her head inside, dancing across the threshold, her striking amber eyes scanning the living room. She smiled and pushed the door open all the way as someone, who I assumed was her brother, Jasper, walked in behind her.

When she closed the door behind them, my heart fell.

The butterflies in my stomach turned into boulders rolling around my gut and they felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds.

Edward wasn't here.

He didn't accept my invite.

I should've known. He'd probably laughed and threw it away.

My gaze fell to the floor when I heard a musical voice calling my name.

"Bella!" Alice sang, her voice rising above all the commotion.

I lifted my head, catching her gaze. Her face lit up and she waved excitedly, grabbing Jasper's forearm and leading him in my direction. She looked amazing as I assumed she would. She wore a flapper-style dress, complete with sequins and fringe, shiny high heels, and white gloves that reached her elbows. An elegant white feather jetted off of the white headband adorning her head, a stark contrast to her short black hair, authenticating the look.

As she travelled toward me, her costume fluttered around her, the detailing on her dress sparkling throughout the room. Her smile was radiant and despite my disappointment at Edward's failure to show up, I found myself grinning back, offering up a wave so she wouldn't think that something was wrong. She was intuitive that one and I didn't want to broach the subject of her bronze haired brother tonight.

As they approached, her companion nodded at me, a smile gracing his flawless face.

And there were those amber-colored eyes again. Odd. They weren't related by birth, right?

"Hi, Bella," Alice giggled, looking around. "Great party. I love the energy." She laced her arm through her brother's, introducing us. "This is Jasper."

"It is lovely to meet your acquaintance," he greeted, adjusting his bright blue tie, his southern accent warming my heart. He wore a black Zoot suit, looking absolutely dashing, and his blonde hair peeked out from under his fedora.

His gentlemanly manner was refreshing. Their parents raised them properly for they were all impeccably groomed and very polite - a rarity in teenagers nowadays. I liked Jasper right away.

"Thank you, you too," I replied, studying the perfect adopted siblings before me. They had such lovely demeanors but they obviously weren't big on handshakes.

I was about to strike up a conversation with them when unexpectedly, Alice's nose crinkled and Jasper's face tightened, his eyes narrowing on alert. Their expressions fell as he whispered something into her ear that I couldn't make out. As he leaned down, I got a clear view of the front of the house again and the heat that blasted through me almost brought me to my knees.

The door opened and in walked the guy I'd been waiting for all evening - my whole life - the moonlight from outside creating a spotlight behind him which illuminated his perfect form like he was an angel descended from the Heavens.

Edward's subtle, yet breathtaking arrival caused some of the guests by the entrance to stop and gape, but I could guarantee that whatever they were thinking, it didn't even come close to the reaction I had.

I felt a steady, powerful magnetism radiating from Edward, pulling me towards him, filling the gaping hole that had been present in my chest before his appearance at the party. I hadn't even realized how much he completed me until this very moment. He was essentially a stranger yet I felt closer to him than anyone else in this room. No, that didn't seem to cover it. The truth was that I felt closer to him than any anyone I'd ever known throughout my entire life.

I had no idea where these feelings came from but I didn't question it.

Edward's tall body swept across the foyer and his eyes locked on mine immediately, as if he was attuned to my presence, bypassing everyone else in the room.

"Oh look, Edward's here," Alice announced nonchalantly. "He finally found a parking spot."

Parking spot…

I mentally smacked myself upside the head.

Of course.

"Uh, Bella, we'll see you later," Alice announced, exchanging a knowing glance with Jasper.

I didn't even bother to erase the adoration from my face as I stared at Edward, even though I knew that my feelings looked extremely obvious. I vaguely caught Alice wink at me before she and Jasper were gone, heading toward the back of the house, leaving me transfixed on the remarkable man before me.

Edward wore an old-fashioned outfit but on him it seemed very stylish. The sleeves of his white, buttoned down dress shirt were fastened with cufflinks which shone under the lights, and the silk black vest he wore hugged his torso, accentuating his perfect, lean physique.

His black tie was tucked into the vest and his black slacks were pressed immaculately, flowing down his slender legs with a crease in the front. He carried his black coat in his hand and once again, I couldn't tear my gaze away even though he knew I was staring at him.

Edward's eyes narrowed like he was concentrating hard and I prayed to the Halloween fairies that he would walk over here because my legs felt like they were cased in cement and I didn't trust myself to move from this spot.

His eyes smoldered into mine and his jaw tensed, displaying his chiseled bone structure. My lightheadedness was back and the room around me became nothing but a blur – everything except him.

His mouth parted as he zeroed in on me and I suddenly felt naked. Very naked. But as his eyes raked over my body again I no longer felt insecure. I felt empowered, Angela's and Jessica's advice sweeping into my mind. Squaring my shoulders, I did the unthinkable.

I waved.

His lips curled ever so slightly, displaying a hint of a smirk and he began a tantalizing prowl toward me. If I thought my body was throbbing before, it was nothing compared to how I felt right now.

The crowd parted for him, sensing his spectacular presence as he floated across the room.

I bit my lip, trying to squelch my traitor blush.

It didn't work.

The rush of heat from my heart to my extremities incapacitated me as Edward ran his hand through his hair. Did he feel that strange, but remarkable, butterfly/warm/dizzy thing like I did?

As he closed the gap between us, I repeated my mantra in my head.

Be yourself.

Be yourself.

No more granny panties. Tonight, I was finally graduating to Victoria's Secret.

As he grew closer, I marveled at his stunning features. His hair was a mess of red and brown, the various intricate facets glistening in the bright lights of the room, his face was a flawless as I remembered from this morning and his plump lips taunted me as his eyes swept my body.

I couldn't breathe.

I figured that offering up a welcoming expression would be the logical next step to take so I smiled sweetly. I didn't think it was possible, but as a large grin swept across his face, he looked even more gorgeous than before.

Our impending encounter was going so well that I actually considered making my way towards him too, this was, until his nostrils flared and the corners of his mouth turned down.

I dropped my arm to my side in shock, fear steamrolling over me, crushing my chest, suffocating me. That wasn't the reaction I expected from Edward and I had to admit, it was a little disconcerting.

Refusing to play the damsel in distress, I willed my feet to shuffle forward.

I didn't get far.

A very strong hand gripped my forearm, yanking me away from Edward. As my body shifted, I was met with Jake's darkened stare. His brown eyes were laced with rage, the veins in his neck bulging as his chest rose and fell, his breaths labored.

"We need to leave, NOW!" Jake growled, the incredible heat of his skin burning into mine, causing a scorching sensation to run up the arm he held.

I scoffed at his command. "Excuse me?"

Looking down at his hand grasping my arm, I struggled to pull away.

"Will you let me go?!" I demanded, my eyes narrowed.

I glanced behind Jacob at Leah, but judging from the look on her face, she wasn't on my side.

"Bella, we need to leave," she insisted, her voice low, her face tight. I'd never seen her so serious before and there was a hint of fear in her eyes.

Both she and her boyfriend were absolutely stiff, their bodies trembling as they glared behind me.

At who? Edward?

Now, this was taking it too far. They didn't even know him!

"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing full well that this was no longer just a concern over my costume choice.

Jake exhaled, his nostrils flaring like those on a bull enticed by a bright red cape. He guarded Leah as though he was anticipating a brawl.

His upper lips curled off of his teeth as Leah placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Please, Jake. Relax. You have to," she warned.

Exhaled a deep breath as he stared behind me. "You've got to be kidding me - here, in Forks, again?" he seethed.

I'd never seem him like this before. I attempted to turn around to find out where Edward was, hoping that Jake and Leah hadn't scared him off, but Jake's grip was too strong, holding me in place – so much so that my entire arm was throbbing with pain.

"Let go!" I shouted.

Leah stepped to her boyfriend's side but he blocked her way again, shooting her a warning look which she obeyed. "Jacob is right. Bella, please listen to him. We have to get out of here."

"Uh, the stench…" Jake spat.

I breathed in deeply, confused.

Smell? What smell?

I tried to pry myself from his grip again only to be met with more pain. "Ouch, Jake, that hurts!"

Then, just when I thought that Jacob couldn't look any angrier, a terrifying growl rumbled in his chest, the tremors radiating from his body to mine through his grip on my arm, causing the color to drain from my face.

"Babe, you need to calm down. Not here," Leah hissed in his ear.

He paid her no attention, his growl getting louder. He looked like he was going to lose control.

I'd never been afraid of him until now.

"I believe she told you to let her go," a velvety voice boomed from behind me, his intoxicating presence hovering mere inches from my back. The butterflies returned and I didn't need to turn around to know who my savior was. "If you do not want any trouble, I suggest you listen to her. Now." His tone was firm. Commanding. And incredibly sexy.

Jake's chest continued to snarl as he glared in Edward's direction. He sounded like an animal, like a dog guarding his bone. But miraculously, he released his hold on my arm. I rubbed my skin, wincing as I turned around to face Edward.

The tension in the air was palpable as the two men faced each other, eyes locked, neither of them showing any signs of backing down.

Even Leah looked like she was going to bite Edward's head off.

"Uh, hey, Edward," I greeted, attempting to lighten the mood.

Wow, I had all day to come up with something better to say to him other than hey and I still made an idiot out of myself.

My face grew red, but I smiled sweetly, pretending I felt calm, which couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Edward's eyes flickered to mine, softening momentarily, but his defensive stance did not falter.

"Hello Isabella." He nodded before focusing back on Jake, his glare returning.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice my pitiful greeting for he was too focused on my friend, but Jake, on the other hand, was looking at me like I was ten degrees of stupid and thanks to him I felt it.

"Her name is Bella," Jake corrected. "And we were just leaving. Bella, let's go." He attempted to take my arm again but I stepped away from his grasp.

"Jake, I'm staying here - with Edward."

His eyes widened. "You know this…this…" he sputtered, motioning to Edward, his face turning purple.

"This nice guy, you mean?" I finished his sentence. "Yes I do," I added proudly.

Jake grabbed both of my shoulders, looking me straight in the eye but quickly dropped his arms to his sides as Edward stepped beside me, glowering at him.

There was a flicker of panic in Jake's eyes as he towered over me. "Bella, I can't protect you here. Mike and his goons are a different story but this…new development - you're no longer safe - and unfortunately, I can't interfere. You need to trust me." Jake closed his eyes briefly. "Please, come with me," he begged, the new softness of his voice causing me great concern.

"Hey, look who we have here."

Jacob's attention was captured by a drunk Mike. He approached us, stumbling from side to side, his half-lidded eyes lazily scanning my friends from La Push.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward look at Mike and his vampire costume as though it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever seen. I couldn't have agreed more.

"I didn't think that my invite made it down to La Push," Mike drawled, a half-empty beer bottle dangling from his hand. "In fact, my invites never make it down to La Push. I don't steep that low."

"Fuck you, Newton," Jake cursed, advancing forward.

Mike mimicked Jake's step, meeting him chest to chest. Or more like head to chest in Mike's case. "No fuck you, Black," he hollered over the music, effectively gaining the attention of some of the party guests in the vicinity. "What are you doing here? The door is over there." Mike pointed to the front of the house. "Leave!"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Jake barked, towering over him, flashing a glare at Edward in the process.

"How about we venture into the kitchen?" Edward suggested softly in my ear, his husky tone setting my skin ablaze.

I smiled, lost in the beauty of his voice. "Absolutely."

Jacob growled again, wheeling around to face me. "Don't move, Bella. I'm not done yet."

I froze, his angry command catching me off guard.

I opened my mouth to protest but closed it quickly as an unexpected vulnerability shone from Jake's eyes into mine.

"Can you just hold on a sec, Bells?" he pleaded, desperation lacing his voice.

I nodded, feeling Edward's tense presence beside me.

What was with these guys tonight?

Jessica walked up beside Mike, tugging at his arm. "Come on, honey. Let's go. Don't let them ruin your party." She winked at me, letting me know that she was trying to help me break up this potential fight.

Mike muttered something under his breath, sizing up Jacob, and decided that retreating was his best option, especially since he was wobbly on his feet while Jake's soles were planted firmly into the floor, his body and stare unwavering.

"Just don't drink any of my beer," Mike slurred, stumbling away with Jess. The two of them were swallowed up by the crowd, but unfortunately, the thickness in the air didn't disappear when they did.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," Jake mumbled in reply to Mike even though he was long gone. "Because I'm leaving." He looked at me, holding out his hand. "We're leaving, Bella."

There was no way that I was leaving now when Edward just got here. Just because Jake decided to go all caveman on me, like I was some possession of his to manhandle, didn't mean that I had to obey.

"I don't need your protection, Jake," I argued, straightening my posture. "I'm a big girl. If I survived the harrowing streets of Seattle, I think I can make it one night in Forks at a high school party. Besides, I just met Edward today. He's new in town and I was going to introduce him to some people and get to know him better."

I turned to Edward, who looked smug. "If that is alright with you…" I added, proud of my newly-restored confidence.

"I would like that very much," Edward replied softly, his melodic tone flowing directly to my heart, causing me to smile.

"Fuck!" Jake's hands balled into fists as he turned to Leah, talking to her in a heated whisper, most of which I couldn't make out. Except one thing.

"There's more, I can smell them," he murmured, his body shaking, his muscles bulging from rage.

I had no idea what he meant, but I found myself getting angrier at him. I couldn't believe that he was being so rude. Edward was new in town but as recently as August, so was I. Yet Jake hadn't been this unwelcoming to me. I guessed it was a male/territorial thing.

Leah whispered something back and Jake handed her his phone. She began texting quickly, her eyebrows furrowed as she studied the screen.

Edward was still in defensive mode beside me, his possessiveness radiating from his stiff form in droves. Yet it felt oddly comforting to me. I couldn't believe that he'd stayed - most guys would've high-tailed it out of here. I was thrilled that he was going through all this trouble just for me. It gave me hope that he wanted to get to know me better.

I placed my hand on my hip. "Jake, you're taking Charlie's request too far, don't you think?"

"You need not worry," Edward assured him, his soft stare still transfixed on me. "I will take care of her."

Oh my.

My heart swelled at his beautiful words – the words I longed to hear from him but thought only existed in my dreams. There was an air of calmness about Edward that made me feel safe and I found myself stepping closer to his side, allying myself with him against Jake and Leah.

"Jake," Leah announced with wide eyes. His gaze softened as he met her stare. "My dad wants me home, considering…" her voice trailed off as she glanced at me with an apologetic smile.

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "I'll walk you out, but I'm going to stick around the area. You take my car. I'll be home later."

Leah nodded and Jake leaned in, capturing her lips tenderly with his before resting his forehead against hers. They seemed to have a silent conversation before breaking apart, their stiffness returning.

I looked to Jake, recalling what he just said. "But it's a long way back to the Reservation from here on foot," I reminded him. "Are you insane?!"

"Don't worry about me, Bella," he whispered, leaning in to me. "I'd be more concerned about yourself at this point."

Jake's closer proximity caused Edward to switch up his stance beside me in an even more protective manner than before - if that were even possible.

"Oh, I'll be fine," I told him, rolling my eyes as I waved him off. "There is nothing to worry about."

Jake exhaled a deep breath, his eyes burning into mine while Edward stared at me from the side. I felt like I was cornered, yet my allegiance shifted towards Edward, rather than the friend I'd known almost three months, the guy I considered a brother.

"I just…I really wish you would listen to me." Jake pleaded.

I stiffened and stepped back. "I can take care of myself, Jake. I appreciate that you are looking out for me, but I'm in great company." I looked over at Edward and to my excitement, he graced me with a small smile.

It was clear that Jake did not like my silent exchange with Edward. "Bells - one last chance. Please."

I ignored his plea. "Okay…well, I'll see you later."

It looked as though Jake was aware of my adherence to Edward so he chose to give up the fight - for now, at least.

"I'll be around if you need me," he advised, casting me a disapprovingly glance before moving towards Leah, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, thanks."

"I'll be seeing you," Jake grunted at Edward.

"I would not expect anything less," Edward answered, his tone even and in control.

Jake gave me one last look before escorting Leah past us, taking extra care to ensure that they didn't come too close. I gave them a small wave and I looked up at Edward, who followed them with his eyes as they moved through the crowd.

Placing his hand on my lower back, Edward's eyes wandered down to mine again. My body hummed with pleasure from his soft touch. The magnitude of our attraction was so strong that I had no doubt that he felt it too. It was undeniable and reflected clearly in his mysterious amber stare.

"That was strange and ….intense," I said. "Jake has never acted that way around me before."

Edward pursed his lips, pausing for a moment before answering. "He meant well, I suppose." he began, choosing his next words carefully. "But his hostility was uncalled for and the way he grabbed your arm was completely out of line. If he ever lays a hand on you again..." His stare darkened as he diverted his gaze.

I opened my mouth to protest - to ensure Edward that Jake wasn't usually this violent and he would never hurt me, but he spoke first, as if sensing what my next words were going to be.

"I can respect his desire to protect you," he corrected, his face softening. "I understand that more than he will ever know. He believes he is doing you a favor, but that is no longer his concern. You are safe with me, Isabella. Always."

Passion oozed from every syllable and my heart skipped a beat.

"It's true," I replied. "Jake is a good friend. He just gets carried away at times."

Even though Edward was ready to drop the matter, I was still going to speak to Jake later. He was being very rude and to me that was unacceptable.

Edward was being a complete gentleman while Jake was being an asshole. I couldn't believe it.

"How about we find Alice and Jasper?" Edward suggested, changing the subject, his lips in close proximity to my ear. My whole body shivered.

"Alright," I responded, feeling like my mouth was full of cotton. I was still trying to process all of the emotions that swept over me whenever I was near Edward - or whenever I thought about Edward - which was now basically every minute of the day. He had even took hold of my dreams for God's sake.

Briefly, I glanced over my shoulder toward the door, feeling some pains of sadness. I had made one of my best friends upset when he only wanted to look after me.

But I reminded myself that the way he went about it was wrong. And plus, I was too old to be babysat.

Refusing to let it get me down, I smiled at Edward, pushing my thoughts of Jake aside. As we moved across the living room toward the kitchen, I heard the front door slam behind me, indicating Jake and Leah's departure, and I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the rest of the night would do smoothly.

Then, out of nowhere, as if on cue, Alice and Jasper appeared, their eyes twinkling.

"Edward! Bella!" Alice greeted, her blonde brother hovering behind her like her protector, a scene which seemed to be common tonight "What are you-?" She halted in mid-sentence, sniffing the air.

Edward met her confused look.

"Does Mike own a dog?" she asked.

Her eyes swept to mine.

"Um, I'm not sure," I replied truthfully. "I don't think so..."

"Hmmm…" her voice trailed off.

Edward's eyes fixated on Alice's and her contemplative expression flickered as she met his stare. Her eyebrows knitted together before a smile graced her flawless face once again.

"Oh well, I guess I will find out later," she shrugged, glancing pointedly at Edward before turning to me. "Anyway, how's the party going?" she inquired with a knowing wink.

I blushed, diverting my gaze, reveling in the sparks dancing across from skin, created by Edward's smoldering amber eyes.

"I see," she giggled, glancing at Jasper over her shoulder. "Well, we'll leave you two alone then."

And with that they were gone.

I couldn't wait to spend some time getting to know Edward better but my plans were thwarted once again. As we entered the kitchen, we ran into Angela and Ben who greeted us with friendly smiles, a wonderful, refreshing contrast from Jake and Leah.

"Hey man, I'm Ben Cheney." He held out his hand toward Edward with a grin. "We saw what just happened." He nodded toward Angela. "Don't let Newton or Black intimidate you, they're all talk. Angela told me there was some new blood in town, so I thought I would introduce myself." Ben looked down at his hand which Edward had not yet taken a hold of. "Dude, don't leave me hanging," he chuckled. "I'm nothing like those guys, I swear."

Edward lips formed a tight line as though he was struggling with some internal debate. He looked down at Ben's offering and that's when it hit me.

Ah yes, the handshake aversion the Cullens seemed to have.

Maybe it was a germ-a-phobe thing?

Edward glanced at me and I smiled, encouraging him to accept Ben's offer. A small grin eclipsed his frown and he stepped forward, ever the gracious gentleman.

"I am sorry, Ben," he replied, extending his hand. "It is a pleasure. My name is Edward Cullen."

As they shook, Ben's eyes widened and he shuddered, his smile flickering.

Ben's reaction startled me but as I caught Angela's approving smile, my confusion dissipated. She was obviously impressed with Edward's manners, which caused me to beam proudly.

Edward let go quickly and cleared his throat, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. Ben lowered his hand and stared at it perplexedly for a moment before turning to his girlfriend's side.

"And I'm Angela," she announced with a small wave.

Edward grinned, shoving his free hand into the pocket of his dress pants, the other one gripping his jacket tightly. "You are in my Biology class too, right?"

He sounded so hypnotic and judging from Angela's expression, she wasn't immune to his charm either.

She blushed. "Yup, that's me."

"Well, it is lovely to meet you, Angela."

"It's great that you showed up tonight," she replied as Ben grabbed her hand, the four of us now in a friendly stand-off. "I'm sure that Bella was really relieved-"

"Angela!" I hissed, dragging my forefinger across my throat to tell her to cut it out.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "What I was about to say before I was rudely interrupted was that Bella should be relieved that she's not the only person dressed from another time period tonight. Jessica and I helped pick out her costume. She's a 1940's cigarette girl." She scanned Edward's attire. "And it looks like you two match."

It was then that I realized she was right. We did match. What were the odds?

"Edward, your costume looks like Cary Grant mixed with Jimmy Stewart, yet your aura is pure Steve McQueen," she continued. "It's a very original outfit. I mean, look around. How many Britney Spears do you see? Or vampires? Lauren Mallory does Britney every year and I swear, if Mike Newton tries to suck my blood one more time, I'm going to scream. Vampires are so overdone, don't you think?"

"Yes, I definitely think that vampires are overrated," Edward smirked, his body so close to mine that if I shifted slightly to the left, I could touch him. The idea was tempting but I remained in my place so I wouldn't seem to clingy.

Edward's eyes shot in the direction of the living room and I followed him, discovering Alice giggling, her hand over her mouth as she looked at us in amusement. But with the music still blaring, there was no way she heard us so Jasper must have told her a joke or something.

We turned back to my friends, chatting for a bit longer, making small talk, and when it was determined that there wasn't much more to say, Angela took the initiative and granted Edward and I some privacy - well, as much privacy as we could have considering that we were in a house full of people.

"Alright, we will see you later," she yelled, pulling Ben toward the back deck.

I nodded and my stare was once again pulled in Edward's direction as he towered over me, scanning my face. We didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, we just watched each other, drinking each other in without shame.

I didn't know what possessed me to place my hand on his upper arm during our moment, but I did, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. His bicep muscle felt hard as a rock under my touch and I realized that he must work out a lot. A lot. Luckily, he didn't flinch or pull away this time.

He simply smiled at me as though I was the only one in the room - like Ben was looking at Angela earlier, except that this look was much more intense. It was like Edward was claiming me as his own, as though we'd known each other for years instead of just one day, and I had to admit, I loved it. All the butterflies in my stomach and the static electricity in my veins multiplied tenfold and I felt dizzy, but in an exhilarating way.

Not to mention the remarkable throbbing sensation between my legs which was now out of control.

Edward looked down at my hand and suddenly, I felt embarrassed by my bold action. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab your arm like that," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"Please do not apologize," he assured. I was surprised that he'd even heard me over all the loud noise. But my shock was soon replaced by excitement as he leaned down, his lips grazing my ear, causing my mouth to part and a soft moan to escape my lips.

"Your touch is ...nice, Isabella," he murmured.

My ears ignited and the heat flowed down my cheeks to my exposed cleavage. Edward seemed to watch the color of my skin change as his gaze traveled down my body and he licked his bottom lip, teasing me. That one act prompted a distinct fuzzy feeling to explode in my stomach and I was sure that it wasn't just butterflies.

He just had to look at me and he turned me on to the point where it was as though he was physically touching me and bringing me to my release.

"Um, is it hot in here?" I stammered like an idiot.

Edward raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I do not - I mean - I don't think so…"

Of course it wasn't for him. Judging from the coldness of his skin in Bio, he probably never felt hot. Unlike Jake's skin which felt feverish.

"Uh, nevermind," I corrected, forcing a smile.

"Would you like a drink?" he inquired, his expression filled with concern.

"Sure. Water would be great," I managed to choke out.

His eyes swept the kitchen, landing on the refrigerator.

"Stay here," he instructed in a firm tone which made me giddy.

Before I could reply, he was gone, swallowed up by the crowd.

Faster than I expected, he returned, a glass of ice water in his grasp with a lemon hanging on the rim.

"Here," Edward offered it to me. "I tried to find a clean glass. I hope this one is to your liking."

I looked down at my drink with a smile before bringing the refreshing water to my lips. The liquid felt heavenly as it trickled down my throat and I moaned softly, feeling Edward's eyes burning into me, studying my every move as though I was the most interesting person on the planet.

I lowered my drink from my lips with a smile. "Thank you, this is delicious. Although, you could've given the water to me in the bottle that it came in," I giggled. "You didn't have to go through all the trouble of getting me a glass."

With ice and a lemon, I added to myself.

He shook his head determinedly. "Of course, I did," he stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

With his dedication, I was pretty sure that Edward had robbed some kids, taking tequila shots, of their lemon.

My smiled widened at the notion.

How sweet.

I held my drink, watching the condensation run down the outside of the glass, feeling positively joyous as my cheeks burned. The droplets fell down my hand and I caught one with my index finger, bringing it to my mouth, licking the liquid off of my skin.

Edward watched me hungrily, a smirk ghosting his lips as I took another sip. Clearing my throat, I lowered my glass, immersed in the amber specks of his dazzling irises which were focused solely on me, studying me as though he was trying to memorize every detail of my face.

"I received your note in my locker," he spoke, breaking me out of my trance. "I wanted to thank you for extending the invitation to me."

Inwardly, I was doing a little happy dance. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it might burst out of my chest, but I had to play it cool so I didn't scare him off.

I focused on his lips and their perfect suppleness, marveling at how beautiful he was. Amidst the awful music, odor of perspiration and alcohol, and the cursing of our peers, he managed to make this party absolutely wonderful.

"And thank you for inviting Alice as well," he added. "She loves this kind of thing."

Feeling more empowered, looking up at him through my upper eyelashes, I prodded. "Do you love this kind of thing?"

My voice came out sounding like as a sensual purr and I smirked, tilting my head to the side flirtatiously.

Hello sex kitten, where have you been all my life.

I didn't know where that tone came from, but what I did know what that I loved this new side that Edward brought out in me. Finally, I was talking with Edward Cullen without stumbling through my words, and it felt amazing.

His upper lids lowered, his stare glossy as his eyes met mine. "No, I don't love this kind of thing," he clarified, his tongue grazing his lower lip. "But what I do love is getting to know you better. In all honesty, that is the only reason why I came here tonight."

I dared to speak the next words that entered my mind. "And if I didn't ask you…?" my voice trailed off, inviting him to complete my sentence.

He leaned in to me, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine, his fresh, intoxicating scent wafting into my lungs, his closer proximity driving me wild. "If you didn't ask me, I would have sought you out on my own. I'm afraid I cannot stay away from you, Isabella, even if I tried. Believe me."

His confession was staggering and my cheeks burned from the power he had over me, my resolve to remain calm trumped by his intricate web of charm and seduction which seemed to roll off of him so effortlessly.

"Oh..." I breathed.

I swallowed slowly, meeting his smoldering stare, taking my lower lip in between my teeth gently, reveling in the fact that if he lowered his head mere inches, our mouths would connect.

"How about you put your glass down, Isabella?" he suggested, his voice low and unbelievably sexy.

Before I knew what was happening, Edward removed my drink from my hand and placed it behind him on the countertop.

The crowd was getting thicker in the kitchen and people pushed past us, ruining our moment, frustrating me.

With his next words, it was as though Edward had read my mind. "I would love to escort you outside for some fresh air," Edward announced huskily in my ear, his proposition causing goosebumps to erupt on my skin. "It is a little too crowded in here for my taste."

All I could do was nod.

Placing his lower hand against my back, he led me toward the sliding glass door. He gestured for me to go first and when we stepped onto the deck, his eyes narrowed, a small frown playing upon his tempting lips. The cool breeze danced across my bare skin as I watched Edward survey the scene before us.

"It seems as though it is just as crowded out here on the deck as it is inside," he observed, studying the guys by the keg in the corner. His gaze shifted in front of him as he scanned the trees surrounding Mike's house.

"How about we go for a walk through the woods?" he suggested.

My heart skipped a beat.

Just like my dream.

"There is a trail," he added. "Not to worry - I will keep you safe."

Normally, I wouldn't have ever entertained the idea of venturing outside in the dark, especially into the woods, with a guy I'd just met - being a Police Chief's daughter had drilled that common sense into my brain over the last seventeen years - but with Edward, I felt protected.

I trusted him to take care of me and without giving it another thought, I turned to him. "I would like that," I gushed.

A dazzling grin swept across his face as he offered me his jacket. "Please take this," he insisted. "I do not want you to catch a chill."

I extended my arm, but instead of handing the coat to me, Edward placed his hand on my hip, turning me so my back was to him.

"Allow me," he murmured, his cold lips grazing the side of my neck. I closed my eyes, allowing the pleasurable, tingling sensation his touch brought forth from me to wash over my body, overwhelming every one of my senses.

He slipped the wool coat over my shoulders and I pulled it tightly around me, basking in its warmth.

His gesture was so simple but the entire exchange was so sexual and for a moment, I was breathless.

"Thank you," I stammered over my shoulder.

He leaned in once again, slowly, calculatedly, teasing me. "I will do anything for you, Isabella."

The sincerity in his words thrilled me. We'd just met, but without a doubt, I knew that his declaration was steadfast and true.

He stepped to my side, his bronze hair and pale skin shimmering, even in the dark. "Shall we?"

With a fervent blush, I nodded, my desire to be alone with him - finally - trampling over my rational mind. I didn't second guess my feelings, I just followed my heart.

As Edward placed his lower hand against my back again, guiding me carefully down the steps to the grass, across the lawn towards the trees, I looked up at the full moon hovering in the sky, which illuminated the woodland in a brilliant silver light, and I couldn't help but smile at my wonderful fortune.

I had a feeling that our walk was going to be absolutely magical - life-changing, with the promise of forever - and luckily for me, the night was still young

I know some of you are thinking that Edward was kind of very sexual in this chapter when he was in such denial in privious chapters. Well, lets just say......it's hard being an 108 year old virgin! LOL!!

Also, keep in mind that the backstories with Jake and Jessica are important and have a point to this story.

Please also go read My Indentured Love by KatieTV! -it's turn of the century Plantation owner Edward and indentured servant Bella. Things are heating up, it's a great read.

And check out the new BFFF'ers website! www (.) bfffersoffanfic (.) com

ReachingAsIFall made a beautiful banner for EO, it's up in my profile and on the BFFFers site. Also she made a TW banner which is in my profile as well.

Next update is this weekend.