AN: Hi guys! Sorry for the delay. I've been down for the count with a nasty flu for a couple of days. I'll try and get another Chapter up either tonight or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy this update!

"Why are you glad that she's alive?"

Alice shot Edward a discrete glare while Carlisle looked towards his son expectantly for an answer.

"Have you ever been on a shopping trip with your daughter? I'm surprised any of us ever survived it. I guess it's good she's got a new victim instead of forcing us to play dress up with her." Edward replied easily, the lie falling off his tongue like water.

I was surprised that he'd lied so effortlessly about his remark, but then I remembered back to last night. When Edward had been questioning Alice on why were were there, he had mentioned that she in particular, was not supposed to be there that evening. I wondered if he was covering for her.

"This is very true." Carlisle chuckled. "Our little Mary Alice does have quite the amount of enthusiasm when it comes to shopping." It was a comment to which Alice simply rolled her eyes. "Edward, have you met Bella yet?"

"Yes. Last night, at Alice's apartment when I stopped to drop something off." He said, flicking his gaze over to me, and then away just as quickly.

"So, you girls have orientation this week, correct? What does Columbia have planned?" Esme asked, quick to change the subject.

"Well, tomorrow we have the Welcome Seminar, campus tour, program specific meetings, and we take our school I.D. photos. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we'll audit classes at our current academic level and determine which one's we'd like to take. And then Friday they're throwing some sort of mixer for Freshman. It's like they think we're twelve or something." Alice rolled her eyes once more, clearly not pleased with the idea.

"And, what is it that you'll be studying, Bella?" Carlisle asked me as he took a sip from is scotch.

"Oh, uh.. Political Science, with a concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policies. I'd like to get my law degree once I've finished the undergraduate program and eventually become a prosecutor specializing in Human Trafficking cases." I explained, nervously ticking a couple of strands of hair behind my ear.

"That's a very ambitious goal. I certainly wish you the best of luck in achieving it." He offered me a warm smile, seemingly pleased with my answer.

The rest of the evening was filled with small talk about my little town in Washington, business ventures of Carlisle's, and embarrassing childhood stories about Alice and Edward.

When it finally came time to leave, Carlisle and Esme parted first, leaving us with words of wisdom for our first week at College.

"I'm just going to run to the restroom, and then we can go." As the words left Alice's mouth, I had a flashback to last night, those piercing blue eyes dancing across my vision and sending a shiver down my spine.

When I finally refocused, it was just Edward and I sitting at the table then, and he seemed engrossed in whatever was happening on is phone.

I left a few seconds of awkward silence pass before I finally sat up a little straighter and turned my body so that it was slightly facing him. "So.. uh.." I chewed my lip nervously. "Thank you. For last night. For saving me from that guy, and uh, getting me home safe."

"Don't thank me." His eyes snapped to mine, and they were slightly narrowed. "Just don't be fucking stupid. You're just lucky I happened to get a phone call that I had to step outside to take."

Oof. His words sunk into me like a knife.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be an inconvenience. I just.. it won't happen again. I promise."

"Good." His gaze returned to his phone, a clear signal that he was done with the conversation. So I'm not sure why I pushed on.

"That guy.. you knew him?" I pressed. The entire interaction between Edward and James had seemed.. odd, to say the least. And what had Edward meant about James' boss, and the deal being off.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." He mused, without looking up from his phone.

"But satisfaction brought it back." I pointed out, a small smirk forming on my lips. Once again I'd managed to catch him off guard, and I watched as he blinked slowly before lifting his gaze to meet mine once more.

"I thought we just agreed that-" He was cut off before he was able to finish.

"Agreed that what?" Alice appeared behind him, smiling as if she'd just caught us in some secret rendezvous.

"We agreed that shopping with you is like a workout. If we do that once every couple of months, I'll never have to go to the gym." I joked, she she smacked her brother on the shoulder softly.

"Oh, whatever. Let's get out of here, yeah?" She said, grabbing her purse from where she had left it on the table. "Night, Eddie." She said, leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. He simply grunted in response.

As Alice and I left the St. Regis, I swear I could feel him watching me, but I didn't dare turn around to look.


I didn't see Alice much over the course of the week. We had different meetings and audited different classes since she was majoring in Business. We were both exhausted every evening and had settled into an unhealthy routine of ordering takeout rather than going to the store and buying groceries so that we could cook ourselves. When Friday finally rolled around, I was relieved to have the day to myself to do absolutely nothing.

It was three in the afternoon, and Alice had been gone the majority of the day. I had stayed in my grey sweatpants and over-sized police sweatshirt that I had swiped from my dad the entire. I hadn't even bothered to put my contacts in, instead settling for the thick rimmed glasses that I had thought were so cool when I was in middle school.

My morning was spent catching up on The Vampire Diaries, and now I was sitting at the table, snacking on a pickle, getting ready to submit the list of classes I would be taking this semester.

I hit the enter button knowing that there was no going back now. Just as I had done so, the front door flew open and Alice sauntered in with a grin on her face. Uh-oh. I knew that look, and there was no way that it was going to end well for me.


"Alice, I really don't know about this. How did you even hear about this party?" I asked, glancing over at her nervously.

We were standing across the street from Delta Delta Beta fraternity house where a constant stream of people were entering one after another. Trap music was pouring out of the open windows and you could hear the occasional cheer from the internal crowed.

I had been shoved into a designer jean skirt and a black Jonathan Simkhai body suit. The material was lace and it had a deep v in the front, but still maintained some modesty. Still, it wasn't something that I'd pick for myself.

"This is the frat that Emmett and Edward were in when they went here." She replied. "It'll be totally fine. It's just a party, Bella. And I promise that I won't make you drink as much as we did last weekend. In fact, you don't have to drink at all. Just mingle and enjoy yourself. The boys are going to be stopping by at some point tonight. Maybe you'll get a little more face to face time with my brother." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. After our last encounter at the restaurant, I was positive that she was wrong. Edward thought that I was some stupid, naive college girl and nothing more. Which, honestly is what I had been acting like, so I couldn't be too upset. But no, there was nothing but hatred there. I could feel it rolling off him when he was near me.

"I should have figured she was going to be here." Alice said, narrowing her eyes across the room when we entered the house. Rosalie was perched on a counter top wearing a white dress that was much too revealing for my taste, giggling at something that one of the many boys surrounding her had just said.

"Why? Does she hang around you guys a lot?" I asked.

"She's actually Jasper's twin sister. They're both seniors here." Alice explained, frowning. "And she really has a thing for Edward, even though she knows Emmett's been pining after her for years. But wherever Edward goes, she's quick to follow."

"Oh.. Well, that's certainly no fun." As the words escaped my lips, Rosalie's eyes caught mine and I'm sure a guilty expression crossed my face from being caught staring. I watched as her eyes narrowed and she hopped down off the counter, headed towards us.

"Alice." She greeted. "Becca, right?" She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder as she turned her attention to me.

"You know that it's Bella." I replied in a cool tone. Was it smart to get haughty with this girl considering who she surrounded herself with? Probably not. But I wasn't going to let her walk all over me just because she felt like it.

"Mmm." She went to move past us, but made it a point to check me with her shoulder as she went.

"Watch your back, Bella. I'm not someone you want to mess with."

"Ignore her." Alice said once Rosalie was gone. "She's all bark and no bite. The girl is clinically psychotic, but she'd never actually do anything to you because she knows that if she tried it, I'd tell Edward. And she'll do anything to be in his good graces. It's sad, really."

"I don't understand what I've done to her." I crossed my arms, huffing slightly.

"You haven't done anything. I swear Rose thrives off of being a bitch for no reason." Alice assured me. "Now, c'mon. Let's have some fun." She said, pulling my arms away from my chest and guiding me with her towards the kitchen.

A beer was placed in my hand and I glanced at it wearily, unsure if I wanted to feel like I had felt last weekend. But then, I knew beer wasn't nearly as hard as what we had had. One or two couldn't hurt.

Just don't be fucking stupid.

Edwards words echoed through my mind and I looked down at the cup as Alice lead me into the living room where people were split between standing against the walls talking or dancing.

Oh, what did I care what that asshole thought? Taking a sip, a small smile formed on my lips and I let myself get lost in the music with Alice.