Over the next few weeks, Edward and I settled into a familiar routine. Each morning, Edward was patiently waiting in car outside when I awoke. We would drive to school (in my pickup truck), avoid the stares of his family members, depart at the school entrance, meet up in Biology, and then depart together at the end of the day. I had started to notice that Edward was positioning himself slightly closer to me throughout the day. He no longer pressed himself against the passenger door of my truck; he had started to settle his stool closer to my own at the start of Biology; and the other day, he had even seemed as if he was going to attempt a hug when I had dropped him off at his car.

Today, I exited my house to find the entire landscape—including my car—covered in a sheet of ice. "Good morning!" I called to Edward, who was working very hard to scrape the layer of ice off my truck. As I took my first step down the front steps, both feet slid out from under me and I tumbled down the stairs. Though my backpack broke most of my fall, I slid just slightly on the heel of my palm, scraping it against the jagged ice that had frozen to the concrete steps.

I had barely had time to process the fall when Edward was by my side. I watched and waited as Edward's deft fingers turned my hands backwards and forwards, checking for scrapes and injuries. He frowned upon seeing that my palm was red and scratched; he moved his fingertips across the skin, his touch feather-light. "Are you okay?" he asked, brows creased together in worry.

I chuckled lightly and nodded. "I'm fine. I've fallen many a-time in my eighteen years of life; I've gotten quite good at it. Just give me a hand up, please." I placed both my hands in Edward's and allowed him to lift me off the ground. Though I didn't need any more help, he wrapped his hands around my forearms and guided me down the remaining icy steps. "Thank you," I said in an obligatory tone as I cleared the final step. Edward smiled and nodded simply. I stared up at him and we both seemed to realize at the same time how very close we were to each other; our bodies were mere inches apart. Our shoulders rose and fell with tandem breaths. I closed my eyes and breathed in his oddly inviting scent; it was warm and familiar. When I opened my eyes again, Edward's ember irises bore into my brown ones. I watched his lips part just slightly and had the sudden urge to close the space between us; to press my forehead against his own; to wrap my arms around him and pull him close. And I may have done so if a breeze hadn't blown between us, forcing me to involuntary shiver from the cold. We both released a breath we hadn't realized we'd been holding and then Edward hastily extracted himself from my person.

I cleared my throat and glanced at the watch on my wrist. "Shit. We're going to be late," I muttered, glancing at my ice-coated truck.

Edward grinned. "Not if I drive."

I glanced back and forth between Edward and his perfectly de-iced car and then groaned. "Fine," I huffed, brushing past Edward and shoving myself into the passenger seat of his expensive, fancy car.

I ignored Edward's smug smile the entire drive to the school and rubbed aimlessly at the raised welts on my scraped palm.

As we pulled into the high school parking lot, Edward sliding his Volvo into the parking spot my truck would usually occupy, I dared my daily glance at the other Cullen members, but was confused to discover they were not staring at us this morning. At first, I assumed they must have missed us because I had arrived in Edward's car, rather than my loud, garish truck. But even as Edward and I exited the Volvo, the Cullen family appeared completely disinterested in our appearance.

"I want to meet them," I said suddenly, unsure where the words had come from. But once I had said them, I knew there was no backing out.

"Who?" Edward asked, glancing around the parking lot to see who I was referring to.

"Your family," I clarified.

Edward stared at me as if I had just suggested we elope and escape to Rome together that afternoon. I frowned at him. "What?" I asked accusingly.

"Nothing. I just… are you sure? My family can be a bit much."

I shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure what we are at this point, but I think it's safe to assume that I'm going to be around for a while. I may as well meet them."

Edward considered this and then nodded. "Okay."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Okay. Good."

"I'll be back," I called to Charlie as I made my way down the stairs.

Charlie, who was seated on the couch, picked up the remote and muted the sports game he was watching. "Where are you going?"

I approached Charlie, stretching my arms across the back of the couch. "I'm going to meet Edward Cullen's family."

Charlie raised his eyebrows and craned his neck around to stare at me. "Oh? Are you two dating, then?"

"Hard to say, honestly," I said with a faint smile.

Charlie thought about this for a moment. "Do you like him?"

I pursed my lips. "I think so."

"Is he nice to you? Respectful?"

I smiled knowingly and then pressed a kiss to Charlie's cheek. "Always. I'll be back later. Text me if you need anything." Charlie grumbled something unintelligible and then unmuted his sports show.

I grabbed my coat and a scarf and then padded outside. Edward was just pulling into the driveway in his familiar Volvo. I glanced at my watch. 6:00 PM. He was right on time. As I approached his car, Edward exited and started to cross to the passenger's seat to open the door for me. I waved him away with a few dismissive fingers, opened the door and said, "I have hands. They work. Thanks, though."

Edward shook his head and chuckled. I shut the passenger door and settled into the comfortable seat just as Edward re-entered on the driver's side. "I'm old fashioned, remember?" he said, shooting me a knowing glance with the slightest hint of annoyance in his voice.

"It's called adapting, Edward."

"Right," he said dryly, putting the car in reverse and backing out the driveway.

"So then," I said, adjusting the temperature in the car and holding my hands near the vents, "where exactly do the mysterious Cullens live? A dungeon in the woods? On the other side of a moat?" I grinned mischievously at Edward and then squinted at him when he didn't reply. Sometimes Edward didn't appreciate my humor. This was one of those times. I watched as he glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes, disappointment clear in his expression.

"Sorry," I chuckled, rubbing my hands together to warm them faster. "The truth is, I'm a little nervous." I glanced down at my outfit, which I had put very little thought into; I figured most of the Cullen clan saw me every day at school—they knew what I looked like. To show up with a full face of makeup, wearing a dress, makeup done would be ingenuine. As such, I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans, a simple t-shirt, and a worn pair of Keds. My hair was down and pulled back with a headband.

"Don't be nervous," Edward murmured. "The worst that can happen is one of us snaps and turns on you."

Though I knew Edward was somewhat serious (and concerned) about this particular scenario, I grinned. "Good point." He had informed me that Jasper would be giving me a wide berth, as he was the newest "vegetarian" in the Cullen family.

Edward and I chatted idly as he drove to the outskirts of Forks and then began to weave his way through wooded roads. I had wondered why he allotted a half an hour between picking me up and our arrival at his house. As Edward deftly and hastily rounded curves, I began to understand; I should have assumed his family would have settled far away from human civilization.

Eventually, Edward pulled off a hidden entrance and my mouth fell open as we approached the most gorgeous house I had ever seen. At least 70% of the house was glass windows, with the other 30% comprised of sleek, modern industrial materials such as wood and metal. I just stared at it, lips parted, brows furrowed, as Edward parked the car and then clicked my seatbelt out of its lock. The loud click pulled me from my stupor and, with my heart rate steadily increasing, I worked to untangle myself from the seatbelt. On the other side of the car, Edward had just closed his door and yet, he had appeared on my side of the car in less time than it took for me to blink.

Despite the hours Edward and I had spent together at this point, I still wasn't used to his super-human abilities just yet. My expression must have alerted Edward to my surprise because, as he opened my car door, he said, "This is the one place we don't have to hide." He held out a single hand and waited patiently for me. I steeled myself and nodded, accepting his outstretched hand.

As Edward and I approached the nearest door, walking side-by-side, I took a steadying breath and willed my heart to stop thudding frantically in my chest. I hadn't been nervous at all before Edward had pulled up to this damn beautiful house. Seeing its magnitude and beauty, however, had suddenly imparted upon me how very different I was from the Cullens; we existed in divergent worlds. Edward hurried up the steps before me and held open the door; I brushed past him and my breath caught in my throat as I took in the foyer before me. It looked like something you would find in a magazine or a movie; certainly nothing that would be common in, around, or local to Forks.

Clearly, I had been staring too long, because Edward settled a steadying hand on the small of my back; the unexpected gesture made me jump. I knew he could hear the blood pumping mercilessly through my veins; could sense my anxiety. I glanced at him and found that he was smiling warmly at me—encouraging me forward. I returned his smile and, forcing my breaths to even out, forayed further into the house. Edward's hand slipped from my back and he trailed behind me, guiding and directing me through the massive house. Eventually, we climbed a set of stairs, with Edward trailing behind me. I could hear the Cullens' voices drawing louder as we ascended—accompanied by the sound of something similar to a TV playing in the background. Without thinking, I reached blindly behind me and wrapped my fingers around Edward's arm. (I had intended to grab his hand, but this would do.) I shot him a look that I hoped read as: Get the hell up here.

Edward smiled and obliged, situating himself next to me. I released his arm from my grasp, and we cleared the last few steps together. As we rounded the corner of the landing at the top of the stairs, the entire Cullen clan came into view. I didn't know what I had expected to see, but watching Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice trying—and failing—to prepare a meal was not it.

Edward and I stared together at the absolute pandemonium that was unfolding before our eyes. A small portable television, which had been placed on the counter next to the kitchen sink, was playing a popular cooking show. Carlisle and Esme were both crowded around a cooking pan, the contents of which appeared to be burning. Alice was hastily chopping vegetables while Jasper added them to a large pot that was sitting on the counter. Emmett and Rosalie appeared to be tending to a preparing a large, haphazard bowl of salad.

I saw Edward shake his head in my peripheral vision. "I told them not to do this," he said out of the corner of his mouth, dismay clear in his voice.

At the sound of Edward's voice, every single Cullen before us stopped what they were doing and turned to face us. Even with my relatively limited knowledge, I knew it was hard to sneak up on a vampire, so to have surprised Edward's whole family of them seemed like an impressive accomplishment. At the sight of six vampires staring at me dazed and confused, my fears and worries completely melted away. I couldn't help but beam at the fact that this awkward, strangely beautiful family of vampires had put in this much effort to craft a multiple-course meal for me, despite the fact that most of them had not eaten or prepared a human meal in decades and likely had no recollection of how to do so from their human lives.

"Bella!" Carlisle greeted, turning the heat off of the pan he had been tending to and cleaning his hands with a nearby towel. He grinned, gesturing at the chaos around him. "You've given us an excuse to use the kitchen for the first time. We tried to make an Italian meal for you, but as I'm sure you can see…" He trailed away with a warm and lively chuckle that sent a wave calm through my entire body.

I returned his grin with one of my own. Edward opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted him, "This is incredibly generous of you." I glanced at the others, all of whom—apart from Rosalie, who was purposefully avoiding my gaze—were smiling warmly at me. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. I know—" Before I could continue, Alice had rushed up to me and wrapped me in a gentle hug.

"Oh!" she quipped, pulling away from me. "You do smell good."

"So I've heard," I replied, my grin widening.

Beside me, Edward buried his face in one of his hands and groaned. I, however, was loving this.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Bella!" Alice continued, running back behind the counter. Her entire body moved as if she was floating through the air; her steps were gentle and light. She wrapped both of her arms around one of Jasper's and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Go on, Jasper. Don't worry—you're not going to hurt her."

"Oh my God," Edward groaned, taking a step closer to me and shooting Alice a positively murderous look.

"It's nice to meet you Jasper," I said with a small nod. I watched as he managed a small but pained smile and returned my nod.

Next was Esme. As she approached me, her movements purposeful and elegant, I drank in her unfamiliar face. Her features were soft and welcoming; her strawberry blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders in perfect waves; her golden eyes swam with warmth and kindness. When she smiled at me, her eyes crinkled at the edges and I had the sudden urge to lunge forward and hug her. Instead, I allowed her to grab both my hands in hers and hold them close. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Bella," she murmured, her voice like honey. She leaned close to me and whispered in my ear, "You have no idea how much you mean to us." I knew the others in the room could hear what she'd just whispered to me, so it must have been for my benefit.

I wasn't quite sure what to say to this, so I simply smiled at her, hopeful I was reciprocating the warmth she was showing me. When Esme released my hands from her grasp and took up her spot next to Carlisle, I glanced at the two remaining vampires. Emmett, who was even larger in person and incredibly imposing, burst into a huge grin the moment I locked eyes with him. "Thanks for pulling Edward out of his funk," he boomed, his voice carrying across the entire room. He raised a giant arm and waved in greeting.

I simply smiled and nodded as if I fully understood what in the world he was referring to and returned the wave. Rosalie's eyes were still firmly planted on the ground. She had crossed her arms over her chest. An awkward silence hung in the air while I gazed at her and waited for her greeting.

"Well," Carlisle said, clapping his hands together and cutting through the heavy air, "I'm afraid we don't have much a meal for you—"

"She already ate," Edward said, speaking for the first time. His voice was exhausted, annoyed.

I shot him a disapproving look and turned back to Carlisle, who was smiling at me. "It's true—I ate before I came—"

"Perfect!" Rosalie interrupted, finally making eye contact with me. The malice and pure hatred in her eyes disarmed me.

"I just—I know you don't eat human food, so I thought—"

"That was very thoughtful of you," Esme said with a kind smile, though her eyes were fixed on Rosalie.

"Sure—let's continue to act like this isn't dangerous for all of us." Rosalie gestured accusingly towards Edward and me.

"I haven't told anyone," I said, meeting Rosalie's imposing gaze. "And I don't plan on doing so anytime soon."

"She knows that," Carlisle said. He smiled at me and again that wave of warmth washed over me.

Rosalie took several steps toward me, her beautiful face glowering. Edward took a step forward, blocking me just slightly from Rosalie's view. I was just about to sidestep him when I realized Rosalie was no longer talking to me. "Do you not understand that the entire family will be implicated if this ends badly?"

Now I understood. Rosalie's anger was not with me, but with Edward; for endangering the family by engaging with me—a human. I peeked around Edward's shoulder and then took my place standing next him. "Badly as in… I would become the meal," I said with a small matter-of-fact tsk.

Everyone froze and stared at me, eyes wide. I mentally kicked myself—again with the inappropriate humor. Then, without warning, Carlisle started to laugh—a deep belly laugh that carried through the house. Soon, all of us (apart from Rosalie) had followed suit. "Right," said Edward once our laughter had died down, "I think I'll show you the rest of the house." Smiling easily, Edward cocked his head in the direction of a nearby hallway and we made our way down it. Before we turned a corner, amid the sounds of the Cullens clearing the failed meal they had tried to make for me, I heard Carlisle say to Esme, "Oh, I like her."