AN: Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming positive support towards this story! I'm really glad that people seemed to enjoy how it started off. Here's the next update!
"Who the hell are you?"
"Edward.." Alice was much more gentle speaking to him than she had been with a rude blonde, and she set a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "This is Isabella. She's my new roommate. This is my other brother, Edward."
His eyes scanned over every inch of me and I could feel the rising to my cheeks under his scrutinizing gaze.
"Uh, Bella." I correctly quickly, and his gaze finally met mine, eyes slight narrowed as if I should be reprimanded for speaking without being spoke to.
"You know better than to bring strangers here, Alice. Especially tonight. You're not even supposed to be here." What did that mean? I thought.
He never took his gaze off of me as he continued to speak to his sister. "Now, please see Miss Swan out." Had I done something wrong? Or somehow offended this man within seconds of meeting him?
A giggle came from Rosalie, her face holding a triumphant smirk. It couldn't help but want to smack it off of her, but I was too distracted by the tension that had seemed to settle over the group that I'd just been introduced to.
"C'mon, Eddie." Emmett's nickname for his younger brother seemed to have struck a chord, for Edward turned his narrowed gaze then to the burly brunette. "It's not like she's here to do any harm. You seriously need to calm down. The girls just came to have a couple of drinks, maybe dance a little, and then they'll be outta here."
"Yeah, exactly." Alice was quick to agree with him on their plans. I wondered why it was such a big deal to Edward, but I didn't dare ask, nor did I really want to know. Sometimes a person was better off being blissfully ignorant.
"Fine. But you're both out of her before midnight." His voice was like steel, his words seemingly law.
"Deal." Alice took my hand and I stumbled along side her towards the stairs, my anxiety dissipating with each step that put more distance between us and that those intense green eyes.
When we reached the bar, I leaned against it and took a deep breath. This was already way out of my comfort zone and the encounter we'd just had upstairs didn't make things any better. Not to mention if my father had any idea of what I was doing right now, he'd drive out here himself and haul me back home as fast as I could say New York.
"Alice, what was that all about?" I finally asked as a bartender sat two pink colored drinks down in front of us.
"Oh.." She waved a hand dismissively. "My brother just isn't good at meeting new people. He's sort of a self-proclaimed family leader, when my father's not around anyways. Thinks he needs to protect the family and keep us all in line."
"Oh.." I guess that made enough sense. But it still seemed a little odd to me.
"I love this song!" An upbeat pop song had been remixed to include an electronic background beat, perfect for a club setting. "Let's dance." I was clumsy, not at all the type that should be drinking and dancing for I was sure to make a full of myself, but Alice wasn't the type to take no for an answer, so I grabbed my drink and let her drag me out onto the floor with her.
I had lost myself in the drinks and the music as the hours passed and was having a surprisingly good time considering the events that had transpired when we first arrived. I was buzzed, a little giggly, and not at all ready to go home.
"Shit.." Alice flashed her phone in my face, and I had to reach out grab her hand to steady it so that I could see what she was showing me. It was twelve-seventeen. Shit indeed. We were supposed to be gone eighteen minutes ago.
"Okay, uhm.." Alice giggled. "No big deal, right? I just have to go to the bathroom, and then we'll leave. I'll text my drive to pull the car around, so, uhm... go wait by the door." She said, giving me a light shove. I nodded and stumbled in that direction.
The cool breeze coming through the doors as people entered felt good and had me gasping for more. I know that Alice had said to wait by the door, but she never said whether to wait inside or out. It couldn't hurt to step outside. I nearly tripped down the concrete steps and giggled as I fell into the cool brick wall of the building. The cool air washed over my exposed skin, lowering my body heat and making me feel even lighter.
"Well aren't you a just a delight." Someone said. I opened my eyes, not even realizing that I had closed them, and was met with a pair of silvery blue ones that sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way. "What's your name, darling?"
"Theresa." I'm not sure why I felt compelled to lie to this man, but something just seemed so off putting about him.
"Ah, and miss Theresa, where per say is your boyfriend?" The grin on his face seemed more malicious than friendly.
"Girlfriend, actually." I could hear myself slurring my words. "She's just behind me. Should be out in a minute." I went to turn away from him, to walk back into the club, but he stopped me, his hand wrapped around my upper arm tighter than necessary."
Before I could say anything, or make any noise, someone was at my side.
"I suggest you take your hand off of her now, Witherdale." I recognized that steel toned voice. I looked up at Edward, glad to see his fiery gaze fixed on someone other than me.
"This doesn't concern you, Cullen." The blonde man sneered, tugging me closer to him.
"It does if she's my guest, at my club." Edward's words seemed oddly calm, or maybe that was just my intoxicated brain dulling it down. I couldn't be sure. He reached out and forcefully removed the man's hand from my arm before gently pushing me behind him and out of view.
"I suggest, James, that you run off before any real trouble comes of this. And you can tell your boss that if he doesn't keep his miscreants in line, that out deal is off."
"Bella!" I turned to see Alice rush towards me. My gaze flicked back to the man, James, and he was watching me with a wicked glint in his eye now that my lies had been revealed.
With one last narrowed gaze at Edward, he turned and headed off down the street.
"I told you two to be out of here before midnight." He snapped, turning on Alice and I.
"I know, I know." Alice said, shaking her head. She was much more sober than I was, but I couldn't understand how. We'd had the same amount to drink. But then again.. I'd only drank once before. And it was an utter disaster. "We just lost track of time."
I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips, and at the sound, Edward turned his fuming gaze on me.
"You're funny when you're mad." More giggles poured out. "Your nostrils flare out, kind of like a bull!" I reached out and poked his nose. He was clearly caught off guard by my actions and turned his attention back to Alice.
"How much did you guys drink?" He demanded.
"Uh.." She used her fingers to count. "Like.. 6 of the pink panty droppers."
"Did you take into consideration that your new friend might not be as much of a heavy drinker as you are?" He pointed out. "Jesus, Alice."
"Hey! Don't be mean to her!" I tried, and ultimately failed, to push him, but rather stumbled into him. I swear I heard a couple of giggles escape Alice's lips but she quickly stifled them when he shot her a glare.
"I'm taking you guys home." He snapped.
It was a blessing that the elevator in our building worked because I don't think there was any way I would have made it up seven flights of stairs. And I would definitely be talking to the landlord about the tilted floors in the hallway. Alice and Edward were both at my side the entire time, though I was sure if they wouldn't let go I would've been fine.
"This is taking to long." Suddenly I felt the ground disappear from beneath my feet, and I had to quickly wrap my arms around Edward's neck to steady myself.
"Hey!" I whined. "I was fine."
"Like hell." He responded. His nostrils flared again and I giggled more. This man probably wanted to kill me right about now but I didn't have a care in the world.
Soon enough we were inside the apartment and I could hear him asking Alice to direct him to my bedroom, but his words sounded distant. In the short amount of time that it had taken us to get down the hallway, it seems that I had begun falling asleep.
And then I was being lowered down, by body finally hitting my soft bed. I blinked my eyes open and peered down at Edward as he took my shoes off. He discarded them on the floor and then used the blanket that had been folded at the end of my bed to cover me up.
"You're not so scary." I said as he began to retreat.
He turned slightly, and I could've sworn I saw a slight smile grace his lips for the first time all night.
"Don't go spreading that around." And with that, he was gone.
