"Honey, wake up," a kind voice soothed softly, gently prodding Alaina awake. Her large brown eyes slowly fluttered opened to see the familiar face of her mother beaming down at her. Her aging face looked tired, but the way her mom looked at her always made Alaina feel so, so loved.
"Why are you waking me up so early?" she groaned, her voice foggy from sleep. Usually the shrill beeping of her alarm clock coaxed her out of bed, not the kind nudging of her mother. She sat up in her bed, stretching her arms wide above her.
"Well," her mother said slyly, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "You have a boy waiting for you downstairs."
"I'm sorry, what?" Alaina said confused, stifling a yawn. She rubbed her eyes to try to wake up.
"His name is Emmett and he says he's your friend from school. He wants to drive you to school today. Do we like this boy?"
Her eyes opened wide and she could feel her heart involuntarily beat a little faster. Alaina held back from her gut reaction answer of no. "Yes, we have gym together and he drove me home yesterday when I missed the bus. He's Edward's brother."
Her mother gave a knowing nod, familiar with Bella and her crush. "So, this Emmett," she drawled while Alaina got out of bed. "Tell me about him. He doesn't look like he's in high school."
"He's a senior," Alaina explained, pulling on a sweater and jeans that she layed out the night before. "But he's, uh, old for his age."
"He seems like a really nice boy, Alaina. He wanted to make sure we knew who he was before he drove you to school, and he has a great sense of humor. I actually heard your father laugh before he drank his coffee."
Alaina froze. "Wait," she said, quickly throwing her long brown hair into a messy ponytail. "You didn't leave him alone with dad!" Her father was one of her favorite people in the entire world, but he did have an effortless time embarrassing his daughter. Pulling on tennis shoes, she raced downstairs, hearing a familiar booming laugh radiating from the kitchen.
"Good morning, sweetheart," her Dad said when he saw her rush into the kitchen. "Emmett was just telling me about how well you played volleyball in phys. Ed."
"Did he now..." Alaina said shrewdly, narrowing her eyes. Emmett's eyes were playful and a goofy grin was placed on his face. She could tell he was enjoying making her feel uncomfortable. "Well, we better get going."
She walked towards the door and could hear Emmett following behind her, saying goodbye to her parents. "Don't be a stranger!" Her mother said. Alaina groaned in response. She quickly walked outside to the car waiting in the driveway.
"I don't like surprises like this," Alaina said grumpily, opening the door of his Jeep and jumping in, making sure to put on the harness before Emmett unnecessarily helped her. "You could have just asked me if I wanted a ride."
Emmett turned the key in the ignition, causing the car to roar to life. "I could have, but you would have said no." He noticed that her parents were watching them from their porch, so he gave them a friendly wave before driving off.
"You're right. I would have," she said, her voice cutting with annoyance. "I can take the bus."
"You hate the bus," he said simply and Alaina groaned in frustration. She found it incredibly annoying that almost everything he said was matter-of-fact, and she hated even more that he was almost always right.
He began driving down the road at breakneck speed, weaving in and out of traffic effortlessly. Alaina gripped on to the leather seat, her knuckles turning white. "Can you slow down? You're going to get us killed!"
"Sorry," he said, laughing. He eased off of the gas and the car rolled at a more reasonable speed. "I'm not going to get us killed. I'm just not used to driving with a human. You're actually the first human I've ever driven."
"Are you serious?" She asked, gaping at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you surprised?"
She struggled to articulate the words racing around in her brain. "I just… I don't know," she said, furrowing her own brow in frustration.
"Well, it's true," he said, stopping at a red light. "I'd like you to meet my adoptive parents tonight."
She blinked. "Well that was certainly an abrupt change of subject."
"They want to meet you," he shrugged. Alaina felt like he wanted to say something else, but she didn't push it. "Your parents already said it was okay."
"Are you kidding me?!" She yelled in annoyance. "Just when I thought you were okay, you go and do something incredibly irritating."
Emmett only laughed in response, and a silence filled the car. Alaina finally had a moment of thought and couldn't believe she was in Emmett's car, driving to school. Just a week ago, she cried over his cruelty, and now she could feel the iciness towards him slowly melting away… and she didn't know if she liked it or not.
"You seem nervous," Emmett said, pulling into the high school's parking lot, pulling Alaina out of her thoughts.
"Well aren't you observant," she said rolling her eyes, but he was right. He remained silent, waiting for her to answer. "It's just going to be weird when people see that you drove me to school."
"Well… We're friends, right?" He said, maneuvering through the sea of cars.
Alaina thought for a moment before responding, trying to ignore the pain in her chest on hearing the word 'friend.'. "Well, you've been a massive jerk to me in class, said some pretty rude, ignorant things to me, and basically kidnapped me…"
"But I did save your life," he said, pulling into his normal parking spot. "And I bought you ice cream."
She rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. "Fine. But let's not push it with the word 'friend.' We are acquaintances at best."
"I'll take that for now," he grinned. Alaina was about to inquire about the questionable 'for now,' but he interrupted her. "Looks like Edward had the same idea that I had this morning."
A familiar silver Volvo pulled in to the empty spot next to them, Bella in the passenger's seat. "It's about time," she said, a wide grin on her face. "Wait… does Bella know about -"
"Yeah," he said, reaching over to help Alaina remove the harness. She began to protest but he cut her off. "Edward told her last night."
Alaina bit her lip while she watched the pair walk into the school, Edward's arm protectively around Bella. She felt jealousy rise in her stomach but tried to push it down. "Is it safe for us, you know, humans, to know about your secret?" She slid out of the Jeep and Emmett followed suit.
Emmett paused, a guilty look on his face. "Actually, no… it's sort of not allowed. But the cat's already out of the bag right?"
"I just don't want you guys to get in trouble… or whatever the consequence would be."
"Oh, Detroit," he said, wrapping his strong arm around her shoulders and giving her a small squeeze before dropping his arm back to his side. "We're tough. We can handle it."
"Sure," she said, not enjoying the unwelcomed butterflies that were erratically flying around her stomach at his touch. She didn't know why she felt so emotional around Emmett in a positive way all of a sudden, but she knew she needed to stop whatever this was. "I'll see you later."
Emmett waved goodbye and turned on his heel towards his locker. Alaina sighed heavily to try to collect herself and walked to her first class of the day.
Alaina walked in to the English classroom to fine Jasper already in his usual seat. He locked eyes with here as she entered the classroom, sensing her presence.
"'Morning Alaina," Jasper said, his southern drawl peeking out from behind each word. Alaina smiled in return, taking her normal seat next to him. "You seem happier today."
She glanced at him, her brow furrowing. "Do I?" Alaina asked, puzzled. She could feel nervousness starting to creep up through her body and course through her veins. She always felt like Jasper was appraising her, and she now knew she was correct.
"Mmh," he nodded."It's quite becoming on you."
Jasper shifted back in his seat and Alaina knew the conversation was over. She sat there dumbfounded and confused. Today was turning about to be more interesting than I thought it would be, she thought, tapping her fingers on her desk. I need to talk to Bella now.
The bell rang and Alaina spent the rest of her morning in a perpetual state of restlessness, waiting for a moment to talk to her best friend. When the final class period before lunch ended, Alaina almost ran out of the room and to Bella's locker. She spotted her long brown hair walking down the hall and she picked up her pace to reach her.
"Bella," she said breathlessly, catching up with her friend. "We have to talk."
Bella looked at her, her eyes like saucers. "Trust me. I know. Did Emmett really give you a ride to -"
"Ms. Pawlowska," a voice snapped behind her. "Where do you think you're doing?"
Alaina stopped in her tracks, and painfully turned around to see Mr. Banner leaning against his classroom door frame with a bored expression on his face. She groaned, remembered she had agreed to work on an extra credit assignment during lunch, since her biology grade was abysmal. Why today, of all days!
"I'm coming to hang out with you, Mr. Banner!" She said in mock excitement, turning on her heel to walk towards her teacher.
"Can't wait," he said, beckoning her into the classroom. "Let's get this over with."
Alaina could feel the eyes of her classmates following her as she walked outside. The quiet, yet fierce rumble of gossip was almost impossible to ignore; Alaina heard her name on the tongues of her classmates just as much as Bella's today. She was utterly exhausted with the attention, but still relieved it wasn't as vitriolic as the gossip she endured in Detroit.
Emmett leaned cooly against his Jeep, watching her with a goofy grin on his face. His hands were in his pocket and the hood of his sweatshirt was pulled over his head. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him and she tried to will her heart rate back to normal. She did not have time to fall for someone, especially if that someone was Emmett Cullen. With that in mind, she knew she should turn around and walk to the bus and stay as far away from him as she could. She knew that. But she also knew she couldn't stop her feet from walking straight towards her.
"You ready?" He said, his white teeth glowing. She nodded and opened the door of his Jeep to get in.
"I'm a pro at this," she said, swatting his hand away when he reached over to help putting on the seatbelt harness. "I don't need your help."
"Okay, okay," he said, putting his hands up in defeat. Alaina almost regretted saying that, as she realized she began to relish the fleeting moments of kindness presented by Emmett. "Let's go!"
The Jeep roared to life and Emmett carefully pulled out of the parking lot. The students were no longer trying to hide their gaze, shamelessly watching the pair move through the parked cars. Alaina's cheeks went warm, and she knew she was very obviously blushing.
Emmett roared with laughter. "They are going to look. You might as well get used to it. I mean, you are in a car with the most attractive Cullen."
"Don't get too cocky," she warned, still a pink flush on her face. "Can we change the subject?"
"What do you want to know?" He pulled left out of the school and began racing down the road. "Ask me anything."
She paused for a moment and bit her lip. "I know nothing about you, and you know just about everything important about me. So tell me about your life."
"Which life?" he said playfully, changing gears.
"Both."
"Well, I was born in Tennessee in 1915 and I was changed in '35 -"
"God, you're old," she blurted out, unable to control herself. "Like, I knew you were old, but not that old."
Emmett laughed loudly, the melodic noise filling her ears. "I never said I was a spring chicken. But like I was saying… I had a bit of a reckless youth. I loved to flirt, gamble, and drink, although not necessarily in that order."
Alaina's heart skipped a beat, although she wasn't quite sure why. He would never like you, the voice inside her head screamed. Don't even bother. She shook her head to disperse the thought. "How did you become a vampire?"
"I was in the woods near my home and a black bear began to maul me. Right before I lost consciousness, I remember seeing what I thought was an angel," he paused. "Rosalie smelled the blood from the attack, found me, and carried me to Carlisle."
A twinge of jealousy pulsed through her system. "So, you and Rosalie…" she trailed off, not really knowing how to ask what she wanted to ask. Emmett nodded in understanding.
"We've always been very close. When someone saves your life, you sort of develop this bond. We thought, at the beginning, we would be together, but we just never clicked in that way," he paused in thought. "Do you believe in soul mates?"
She pondered the question. "I think I do." Over the course of her life, she had fallen for boys and foolishly thought they were her soulmate. Although she had been crushed more than once, she still held on hope that she would find someone.
"Well, I believe in soul mates, but I think you can have more than one kind. She's my best friend. She's more than a sister to me. She's my soulmate. But she's not a romantic soulmate by any stretch of the imagination. We're really close, so most people assume we are together, but that's not true."
A wave of relief washed over Alaina when he finished, but in the back of her mind, she didn't know why. It's not like he would like you that way, anyway her inner voice snarled. He puts himself around you because he likes the way you smell. Which if you think about it, is pretty creepy. Someone like him could never like someone like you.
A comfortable silence filled the Jeep as Emmett pulled down a hidden driveway. He stopped his car in front a beautiful, modern home. Alaina's jaw dropped.
"This is where you live?!" She said as she tried to take in every detail of their home. The house didn't seem to have actual walls, only giant windows.
Emmett laughed. "Yep! It's the one place we can truly be ourselves. Let's go."
Alaina followed him into the foyer of the house. She glanced excitedly around, trying to take in every exquisite detail.
"Come on," Emmett said, waiting for her a few steps ahead. "You can look around some other time. It's not like this is the only time I'm going to invite you over."
"And what makes you think I'll say yes again?" She prompted, her hands on her hips.
"You will," he said simply, eliciting an eye roll. He waved his hand to beckon her forward.
She followed him into a massive open concept kitchen and her jaw dropped at how expensive everything looked. In an instant, two figures stood in front of Alaina and Emmett with massive smiles on their faces.
"Slow down," Emmett said, grinning. "We have a human in the house now."
"We're sorry dear," the woman said kindly, wrapping her arm around what Alaina assumed was her husband.
"Alaina, these are my adoptive parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen."
Esme quickly enveloped her into a hug. Even though her skin was ice cold, Alaina could feel the love and motherly warmth in her embrace. All of the Cullens were beautiful, and Esme was no exception. Her long brown hair fell down her shoulders in effortless waves, and she had large golden eyes. "We are so happy to finally meet you."
"Finally?" Alaina questioned, stealing a glance at Emmett. He avoided her eyes.
"Emmett has told us a lot about you. It's nice to know you're on speaking terms," Carlisle said playfully causing Emmett to groan. "Why don't you give Alaina the tour? Dinner won't be ready for another hour or so."
Alaina just then noticed the aroma in the kitchen and the plethora of pots and pans on the stove. "You really don't have to -"
"Emmett told us you would protest," Esme said, beaming at her. "But it's as much for us as it is for you. It's actually the first time we've been able to use the kitchen."
Alaina couldn't hold back a smile. "Well, I definitely appreciate it. Thank you so much. You have a beautiful home."
"It's all Esme," Carlisle said, glancing lovingly at his wife. "She is quite skilled."
"Alright let's go," he said, gently pushing Alaina away from the kitchen. He began to take her room by room, pointing out items from his past. Alaina snorted when she saw the graduation cap collection.
"You're so old," she smirked under her breath.
"I'm immortal," he said, grinning. He slid open a glass door and walked out onto a balcony overlooking the forest. "I am basically the age of a new born baby in eternity years."
"Emmett," Jasper said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. His sudden presence made Alaina jolt. "Sorry Alaina… Emmett, there are some grizzlies not too far from here. I hate to interrupt, but I know how much you love those bears."
He turned to Alaina, trying to gauge her response. "Do you mind? I'll only be gone a few minutes…"
She waved him off. "Make good choices," she said, walking over to the edge of the balcony. "It'll be nice to have a break from you."
Emmett surprised her by giving her a quick hug, lifting her up easily. "Sweet!" He raced after Jasper and out of their home.
Alaina stood on the balcony, leaning comfortably against the railing. She watched Jasper and Emmett play fighting, dust swirling around them as they pushed each other jokingly, but still with a surprising amount of force. Their laughs boomed through the forest, and she couldn't hold back a smile. She had never seen Jasper look so happy before and she was glad he was able to be himself around his family.
"They can be so obnoxious," a clear voice drawled next to her, and Alaina jumped in surprise. Rosalie laughed next to her, her perfectly white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. She had changed into a different outfit after school, and a twinge of unwelcomed jealousy fluttered in Alaina's stomach. She looks perfect in everything.
"Rosalie, you scared me," Alaina said, trying to catch her breath and will her heart rate to calm down. Rosalie stared at her.
"Well, you're going to have to get used to it," she said simply, shrugging. "I've forgotten what it's like to be around humans outside of school." The sun reappeared from behind a cloud, reflecting off of her porcelain skin, sparking like a diamond. "But I didn't come out here to chat with you about my brothers."
Alaina looked at her, a confused look on her face. Rosalie intimidated her in almost every way: her beauty, her intelligence, her confidence, her relationship with Emmett… so she just stood there, stupidly.
Rosalie sighed. "I want you to know that I do not support my brothers bring humans into our lives. In fact, I'm completely against it," she said cooly, staring hard at Alaina. "You are putting us all in unnecessary danger and I resent the fact that my family has decided that we need to protect you both."
Her heart dropped into her stomach. Rosalie's words stung Alaina to the core. She already felt so out of place in a house full of vampires, but her comments made her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"But that being said," she continued without waiting for a reaction. "I like you. I like what you bring out in my best friend. I like that you're not selfish and that you're not annoying. I also respect what you've gone through."
The emotional roller coaster ride that Rosalie was putting Alaina through halted to a stop. She didn't think she was ready to talk to the rest of the Cullen's about that night, but it almost felt like Rosalie was giving her no choice. Also, remind me to kill Emmett for sharing something i begged him not to.
"They didn't tell me much, just so you know. They respect your privacy and they know that if you want to talk about it, you will," she said. "I need you to know that my story isn't that different from yours. And although it pains me to say this, I'm here for you… and I mean that. No one should ever have to go through what we did."
"Thank you," Alaina said, breathlessly. Expand. "I honestly don't know what to say."
The pair stood there in silence, the only noises now coming from the birds and the breeze, Jasper and Emmett now out of sight. "How did it happen?" she asked quietly, her hair whipping gently around her face. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. It took me decades to be able to talk about mine."
Mine. That simple word held so much more weight than one could ever realize. Rosalie tossed the word around like it was normal - that sexual assault was normal. Maybe because it was, Alaina didn't know. But a deep feeling of anger bubbled up deep in her.
She drew a deep breath and told Rosalie her story...
It was always tradition that after the last show her high school's musical, the upperclassmen would sneak into the school's dance studio to drink for a few hours before the final cast party. This year was no different.
There was a palpable excitement in the air as the students snuck up to the old classroom. The last show went better than anyone could have expected and they were all experiencing an almost high from their amazing performance.
The last senior and junior students made their way to the studio. Bryce, the male lead of the show, pulled out a 24-pack of beer from his backpack. A few jeers and whistles erupted from the students and Bryce passed them out.
Alaina had been looking forward to this night for weeks. She had been a part of her school's musical since she was a freshman and she had moved up the ranks each year. Her first year, she had been a part of the chorus with most of the other freshmen. Last year, she became a more prominent cast member with a few dance solos and even a couple lines, and this year, she was a principal dancer. She was the favorite to win dance captain next year.
Bryce held out a beer to Alaina, a smirk playing on his lips. Alaina hated the taste of beer, and she knew she had to drive herself home. "Come on, Alaina. Don't be a baby." He shoved the beer in her hands. Alaina's nose scrunched up in disgust.
"Aww, come on Alaina. Don't like the taste?" He said, putting his arm around her. Bryce was gorgeous - he had long brown hair that effortlessly fell over his bright blue eyes. His arms were surprisingly muscular and his tall stature was always dressed impeccably. In short, every girl loved him. Alaina was no exception.
"No, it tastes like piss water," Alaina said. Bryce laughed, strengthening his grip around her. "I'll show you how to shotgun a beer. It makes it much easier to swallow." He winked at her and Alaina couldn't help but to flush.
He pulled out his car keys and punctured a hole in the can. "Now," he said, stepping behind her. Alaina could feel his cool, minty breath on her neck. It gave her goosebumps. "When you tip the can up the your lips, crack the top open. It'll release the pressure and it will go down quickly."
Alaina did as she was directed. The golden liquid rushed down her throat. Although she could still taste the beer on her tongue, she knew Bryce was right. This did make the drink easier to handle.
"That's my girl," he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Alaina couldn't help but to gasp, and gingerly touch the spot of his kiss. She tried to avoid the unfriendly gaze that was now radiating from almost all of the female students.
He handed her another beer. "Another?"
Alaina meant to say no, she tried to say no, but "yes" escaped her mouth, almost against her will. Before she knew it, a second beer was in her hands.
"Let's shotgun this one together, babe," Bryce said, linking their arms together. The other boys in the room, undoubtedly starting to feel the buzz from their beer, starting yelling and whistling at him.
"It would be my pleasure," Alaina responded. Following the same process as before, she cracked the top and the beer gushed through her mouth. She finished quickly this time, knowing what to expect. She tossed her can on the ground, beating Bryce.
"Did you really finish that faster than me?" He stated, looking amused. "I'm actually impressed."
The buzz gave Alaina liquid courage and she could feel her guard dropping. "I'm a fast learner," she responded, swaying her hips in a small victory dance. Bryce laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "You better not move your hips like that again. I might not be able to control myself around that."
Alaina flushed and she could feel the heat rising in her body. Music started playing in the studio; on the of senior boys, Ryan, who worked on the sound stage for the musical plugged his iPod into the speakers, The sound carried through the small room, the bass pulsing and vibrating with every beat.
"Save a dance for me," Alaina said, finding her confidence.
"Just one?" He smirked, taking another large sip of his drink,
"Two, max," Alaina responded flirtily, walking away from him to find her friends. Spotting them in the middle of the room, she went over to dance with them.
"Bryce is totally flirting with you!" Her friend Erica whispered excitedly. Alaina stole a glance at him and she felt his gaze on her. He looked her up and down and winked at her.
"You think so?" Alaina asked excitedly, feeling the full buzz of the alcohol in her system. She felt like she was walking on a cloud.
Erica nodded. "Make good choices tonight! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Alaina raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I'm not even going to get into that," she said, laughing. Alaina, Erica, and the rest of her friends continued to dance. The music got progressively louder and the students were getting more and more drunk as the night went on.
"Alright guys, this is the last song before I head off to the cast party," the makeshift DJ Ryan yelled, playing a slower song. Many of the students had already left to go to the official party and the few that were left were getting ready to go.
"So, where is my dance?" Bryce asked, coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed his chin on her shoulder; he reeked of alcohol.
Alaina turned around and started to dance with them, their bodies close together. They moved effortlessly with the music. Alaina had always been a strong dancer, but she was impressed with Bryce and his rhythm.
"You're a good dancer. I'm disappointed we waited so long to dance," Alaina purred. In response, Bryce pulled her even closer so that they were touching.
"I am too," he said, his hands moving lower on her back. "Just make sure to remember me next year when you're dance captain."
"You really think I'll be chosen for dance captain?" Alaina said, pulling away slightly so she could look at him. She tried to play it cool and not let her excitement reach her voice.
He nodded. "Definitely. Almost all the seniors have their bets on you. Including me. The way you move is -"
"I'm leaving! See you guys soon!" Ryan said, unplugging the sound. The ghost of loud music made Alaina's ears ring and she realized how dizzy she was.
"We better go too," Alaina said, feeling a sense of unease creep up on her. Bryce didn't move, but was looking at her curiously. He moved his face closer to hers.
"But what if I don't want to do yet?"
Alaina frowned. "Well, I want to go so…" She tried to pull away from him, but he gripped her tighter.
"You've been flirting with me all night… I think I've earned a kiss," he said. He pushed his lips roughly against hers. She could taste the stale beer on his lips.
"I - I don't -" she tried to say in between his forceful kissing. "Bryce stop!" She said, trying to push him off.
"Come on, you know you like it," he said, kissing her jawbone and moving his way to her neck. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt and he moved to pull it over her head.
"Bryce… what are you doing?" She said, starting to feel sick to her stomach. His hands on her bare skin was making her flesh crawl.
"Every year, the male lead of the show picks the junior that he thinks is going to be dance captain," he started, his hands pushing her shirt up. "And they have a little fun before the last party."
"Bryce, I do not want to do this," she said strongly, but he wasn't listening. He was much stronger than she was and he forced her shirt over her head.
"You are so sexy," he said, his voice forceful and even hungry. He started to take his belt off.
"I'm leaving," Alaina said shakily, trying to grab her shirt. Bryce moved towards her and grabbed her wrist. Alaina flinched from his tight grip.
"Don't be like that, baby. No one ever says no," he said, pushing her against the mirror that was on one wall of the studio. "Besides. I know you want me. You've been trying to flirt with me all of musical and you wouldn't have worn this short of skirt if you weren't asking for it."
"Bryce, please… no," she said, her eyes starting to tear up. "Let me go."
"You're going to like this," he said, ignoring her. He pulled her skirt off…
"And now," Alaina finished, her voice shaky and her cheeks wet with tears, "I have to face him in court two weeks from now back in Detroit."
"I hope he rots in hell for when he did to you," she said, venom dripping in her voice. She suddenly turned on her heel and stormed back into her house, snapping a quick "move" before shutting the door behind her.
Alaina turned around to find Emmett standing a few steps behind her, his face washed with anger and sadness.
"Rosalie doesn't know how to handle anger very well," he lamented, a glimpse of fury flashing through his own eyes.
"How much did you hear?" she asked quietly, looking at her shoes. Although she wanted Emmett to know what happened, she didn't want to tell him this way.
"Enough," he sighed, closing the gap between them. And once again, like the day before, Alaina found herself wrapped tightly in the arms of Emmett Cullen, praying he would never let go.
Alaina fell asleep that night easily, and slept more soundly than she had in months. She moved to Forks to escape her reality, and she expected a miserable, lonely place. But not only did she find a best friend and a new home, she found a new family, one that she knew that would protect her at all costs.