The sun is setting when Jasper wakes up.

He hears the television on in the other room, the sounds of chatter and dramatic music muffled through the wall.

It takes him a while to get out of bed, but when he does he finds Charlotte and Rosalie on the couch drinking wine while a rerun of the Bachelor plays.

Rosalie is only half paying attention to the screen as she types determinedly on her phone, pausing every so often to take a sip of her drink.

Peter is in the kitchen making food of some kind. "Hey, Jazz. We're going to go out later if you wanna join. Capitol Hill this time," he greets.

Jasper nods in acknowledgment, still not fully awake.

Heading for the bathroom, he decides a shower would be nice considering he hasn't been home properly since two mornings ago.

It always feels good to scrub the settled-in smoke from all the late-night bar-hopping out of his hair. The hot water isn't as hot as he'd like—someone must have used it all up—but it's doable.

He towel-dries his hair, brushes his teeth, shaves, and pulls on a black t-shirt and jeans. Grabbing his orange prescription bottle out of the cabinet, he swallows two of the white Xanax tablets inside.

He feels significantly less grimy, but now he's hungry.

Rosalie's on the phone pacing back and forth across the living room when he returns.

"Yes, I graduated from the University of Rochester's School of Nursing, and I was three months into my residency at Highland Hospital...No, I wasn't dismissed. I unexpectedly had to make a last-minute move...I can start right away, yes...Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to write me a referral," Rosalie's using her upbeat, phone voice as she chatters away. "I'm looking forward to it. Have a good evening, Dr. Cullen."

When she hangs up, she lets out a long sigh.

"Who was that?" he asks, taking a seat on the couch beside Charlotte.

"Family friend who lives in the area. He's apparently a hotshot doctor at Harborview Medical Center. I found him on LinkedIn," she explains. "Some of us need real jobs around here."

"So you're going to stay?" he says incredulously. He expected her to be in Seattle a week or two at most.

She's cried more since he last saw her. Her eyes are swollen and red. She looks like a total mess.

It must be serious. The bruises are concerning. She still hasn't explained how she got them.

"You heard her, Jazz, some of us need jobs!" Peter exclaims, handing the two Hale siblings half-charred plates of a meal fit for a five-year-old. Dino nuggets and tater tots. "We can't all just sit around getting paid to look pretty."

Jasper rolls his eyes.

"You're coming out with us, right?" Peter asks. "You can come too, if you want, Rose."

Rosalie raises both eyebrows and looks at her brother's friend with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

She likely isn't coming out anytime soon.

"No, thanks. I'm fine staying in tonight," she replies.

"I need to finish this episode before we go. The rose ceremony is going to be brutal," Charlotte says with a sinister giggle. "Hometowns were a total shit show."

Peter looks at the television and back to Charlotte with a shrug. "Alright, alright, well we can leave in thirty then. Unless Jazz needs more time."

"I'm ready whenever," Jasper replies, picking up one of his dino nuggets.

It turns out Charlotte was right about the rose ceremony. Jasper doesn't normally watch reality television, but he knows that it isn't normal for all of the contestants to be sent home in one fell swoop.

It seems chilly outside. He grabs his leather jacket from the coat closet before heading out to the rideshare with his friends.

Rosalie gives them an unenthusiastic goodbye. She hasn't moved from her spot on the corner sectional and she doesn't look like she plans to for the rest of the night.

Peter leads the way into the bar, cutting past a long line to the bouncer and handing him a wad of cash. He lets the trio in with a nod.

There's a live DJ tonight. The room is practically vibrating from the sound system. College students must have started to come back from summer vacation. Compared to a few weeks ago, the crowd inside has more than tripled.

"I want a martini!" Charlotte shouts over the droning bass.

Peter orders two rounds of shots and Charlotte gets her martini, as requested. Jasper downs two of the little glasses and proceeds to order an Old Fashioned.

A group of college kids come up to Peter and hand him a stack of twenties. The silvery blond gives them a pleased smile and discreetly hands them back a small baggie.

"Another, please," Jasper says to the bartender when his glass is empty.

A big, dark-haired guy on the other side of the room starts to loudly shout about how he's going to smash USC in the football game next week. Jasper recognizes him from the bar the other night. Evidently, it isn't a Britney Spears song night tonight.

Charlotte manages to pull Peter out onto the dance floor after a few rounds. Her long blond hair whips back and forth as she jumps to the beat.

Peter laughs when she gets carried away and accidentally knocks a glass out of someone's hand. She's small but feisty.

Jasper hangs back at the bar and orders another drink, laughing as his friends continue their sloppy attempts at dancing.

It feels good to see them so happy together. They were never so carefree back in Texas.

...

The soothing sound of "Clair de Lune" drifts through the echoey library commons as Edward's fingers move gracefully over the piano's keys.

He closes his eyes, blindly continuing the melancholic piano suite. Rain taps on the large stained glass windows outside.

For the first time all week, he experiences true contentment. Nothing else exists. It's just him and the piano.

As the piece winds to a close, he feels someone's gaze on him.

Annoyed, his eyes snap open and he sees that a short elderly man is standing beside the piano staring at him.

"The library is closed," the man says. "That's some great piano playing though, kid. I hate to interrupt, but you gotta go."

Edward sighs and picks up his backpack from the ground.

The librarian walks off to continue his rounds.

"Library's closed," the man says to someone else around the corner.

Edward can't see the person he's talking to because a large bookshelf is blocking his view, but a girl's voice replies. "O-oh! Okay! Sorry, thanks!"

His phone has a missed call from Esme and another text from Tanya informing him that she's grabbing a drink and something to eat, should he want to join.

Edward wonders for a moment if she remembers that he's not twenty-one until June.

The smooth, stone steps down to the first floor are slick with rain from people coming and going. He ruffles a hand through his hair and scrunches his eyes shut at the thought of dealing with the Tanya situation.

"Eep!"

A body flies straight into his back, nearly sending him headfirst down the stairs.

Edward instinctively reaches out and steadies the girl who's desperately gripping onto his arm for stability. A pair of heavy textbooks tumble down out of her arms and land with a loud smack.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I almost just killed you," the girl apologizes.

He recognizes her. She's the pale brunette from his literature class earlier that morning. The one who was staring at him.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Yes, I'm fine. You should...be more careful..." he replies awkwardly. "That would have been a nasty concussion for you and me both."

She's blushing bright red and clinging to him still. *She's way too close.*

"I'm sorry. I was trying, honestly. I'm super clumsy. My mom says I have the balance of a newborn deer on stilts," she says hurriedly. "Hey, you're in my class, aren't you?"

Edward gently tries to pull away from her. "Yes...I am..."

The girl seems to realize she's still hanging on to him and immediately lets go. She almost loses her balance again, wobbling.

"My name's Bella," she offers, slowly following him down the stairs to the door with deliberate caution. "I just moved here from Forks. It's, um, a super tiny town west of here."

"Edward," he says without looking at her. If he does, she's probably going to blush again. " I'm from here."

"What made you sign up for Professor Biers' class? I'm excited about the books she chose this quarter. Jane Austen and Bram Stoker are two of my favorite authors. I've already read half of our assigned reading, but it's nice to get a refresher," Bella makes idle conversation. "Um...but maybe you're just taking it for the writing credit..?"

"Quite the contrary, Bram Stoker is one of my favorites as well," Edward replies. "I've been waiting for this course to be offered since last year."

"Really? You're a sophomore, then?" Bella asks. "Are you a fan of vampires?"

Edward scowls, trying to ignore his elevated heart rate. "Junior. And, yes, you could say that."

His body feels like it just got done running a half marathon. He isn't sure if it's from the adrenaline caused by almost plummeting to his death or something else.

They reach the exit and he holds the door for her, letting her pass.

He feels sick with anxiety when he sees her give him a little smile. He wonders what her motivation is for being so friendly and looking at him so much.

He wants to drop the class so he doesn't have to deal with her anymore. Alice would make fun of him if he did, though, especially since he's waited far too long to put off the opportunity to discuss the masterpiece that is Dracula in a classroom setting.

"I'll see you on Wednesday, I guess," Bella says with a wave, heading off into the dark.

He quietly laughs to himself when he sees her drop one of the textbooks she's carrying yet again. She truly is clumsy.

...

Videos of graceful pointe shoes, precise jumps, and skillful pirouettes glide past Alice's iPhone screen as she scrolls down her Instagram feed.

She hums wistfully, watching a contemporary routine performed by two of Juilliard's hottest dancers of the moment. She double-taps on a post announcing an up-and-coming fashion designer who's recently started taking classes at FIDM.

There are so many fun things happening in the world.

Trading Seattle's gloomy rain for sunny LA would be an exciting adventure, and she's always wanted to go to New York, but she doesn't think that relocating is in the stars for her anytime soon.

Alice closes the app and opens up the front page of Bloomingdales. A new silk scarf to wear with her yellow Kelly bag might be nice. Maybe she'll look for something in a geometric, cerulean print for contrast.

"Is anyone home?" Esme's voice calls from downstairs.

"Yes! I am!" Alice calls back loudly, hopping up from her bed. "Coming!"

Esme is in the kitchen arranging a bouquet of soft pink peonies. "I finished up with work early, so I decided to swing by the market for some flowers. How was your day?"

"It was great! Edward wanted to stay on campus and play piano, so I just ordered a ride," Alice sits at the counter island. "He's in one of his moods again."

Esme laughs and starts to gather up ingredients around the kitchen to make dinner. Alice watches as she drops spaghetti noodles into a big pot of water.

They will be having crispy Parmesan-Romano chicken with pasta and salad, by the looks of the ingredients on the counter.

Alice gets up and grabs a grapefruit-flavored sparkling water out of the fridge. It pops and fizzes as she opens it.

"You had two classes today?" Esme asks.

"Yep! Intro to Digital Fashion Design and French and Italian Art History! It looks like there's going to be a lot of reading this quarter." Alice taps into her email folder on her phone and pulls up her order confirmation of the things she just purchased. "Hey, wanna see what I got to wear this weekend?"

Esme leans over to look, nodding thoughtfully at the shoes, bag, and scarf on the screen. "I was looking at those pumps, but in nude. They look comfortable because of the platform."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. They'll be good for wearing to campus."

"I don't know how you do it. My feet would be killing me with all that walking," Esme remarks, something between astonishment and admiration in her voice.

Alice hears the garage door opening and closing as Esme's working on plating their food. The mudroom door opens and Carlisle comes in with a smile. "I'm home," he announces.

"You're just in time!" Esme tells him.

"It was a weird day. The emergency room was unusually busy because a bunch of college students tried to eat a...Tide Pod pizza..." Carlisle begins, putting air quotes around the questionable choice of dining. "And then after lunch, the niece of one of my old professors at Yale reached out and asked about internships at the hospital. She was already in a resident program, but decided to spontaneously up and leave New York last weekend."

"Do you think she'll be able to get a spot?" Esme questions as she brings out a decanter of red wine.

"I mean, I don't see why not. Her credentials are great. I told her I would see what could be done, and it sounds like HR will approve it," Carlisle replies, taking a seat at the table. "It's actually pretty convenient timing. We were supposed to take on a new intern this past summer but never got one for whatever reason. "

Esme smiles. "How fun! A new intern! I can put together some flowers from the garden to welcome her."

"That would be lovely," Carlisle says. He takes a bite of pasta. "Mm, this is delicious! Great job on dinner, Dear."

"Thanks! I procrastinated working on my inspo board earlier by watching three hours of the Food Network. Good to know it paid off!"

Alice pushes around the salad on her plate and pops a tomato in her mouth.

"Where's Edward?" Carlisle asks, noticing now that they're missing their house drama king at the dinner table.

"He's out messing up the future," Alice says with a mischievous giggle. "I think he's with Tanya. She texted me earlier saying they were getting drinks."

Carlisle gives her a confused look. "He's with Tanya? Getting Drinks?"

"It's so not like him, right?" Alice comments amusedly. "He hasn't acted this strangely since his freshman year of college when he decided he was going to give up the piano and enlist in the army."

Esme frowns. "I've always taken him as more of a lover than a fighter. You don't think he's going to run away again, do you? I hated coming home and seeing his piano all smashed up like that."

"Not likely," Alice answers. "I think he's accepted that we're the only ones who like him. There's no use running."

"Alice..." Esme tries to give her a disapproving look and fails. "Either way, I hope he makes it back before it's too late. I worry when he stays out all night."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Carlisle reassures her, taking a sip of his wine. "He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"They just grow up so fast!" Esme laments. "I'm going to miss him when he moves out and gets his own place."

"After seeing him cook, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon." Carlisle laughs. "He'd have to survive off take-out and frozen pizza. And you know how picky he gets with his food."

"True, and I'd have to come over and help him with laundry every weekend," Esme adds.

Alice continues listening to her friends talk as she eats, content with their company, but also wishing she could see what Edward and Tanya are up to. She can only imagine how Tanya will interpret his long-awaited acceptance of her dinner and drinks invitation.

...

Edward cruises down I-5 South towards the address that Tanya gave him.

Normally he would ignore her request to spend time together, but tonight's different. Tonight, he feels unbearably restless.

He's not ready to go home yet.

It's well past the time that Carlisle, Esme, and Alice normally eat, so he'd be stuck eating leftovers alone, anyway.

Thoughts of that odd, pale girl overwhelm his mind. Bella. *Bella...*

She's just so difficult for him to read.

He can't discern if she's genuinely just trying to make friends or if she's possibly mocking him behind his back.

Then there's the possibility that she's saying Bram Stoker is one of her favorite authors because she's a listener of his podcast and knows that Dracula is his all-time favorite novel.

She could be after his money. Plenty of women are.

Nevertheless, there's something about her that he finds incomprehensibly interesting.

He can't like her, though. He hardly even knows her...except for the fact that she likes classic European literature and they share two of the same favorite authors.

And that she's clumsy and easily embarrassed.

And her hair smells faintly of freesia.

Edward lets out a grumbling sigh.

She probably likes something god awful like 70s music or has a Tiktok addiction like half the other student at their school.

*Or maybe she's already taken.*

He parks on the street and checks his phone to make sure he's in the right place because it looks like a bar. Not a sports bar or a restaurant bar, but an actual bar bar that doesn't allow minors.

Tanya's out front wearing a black, slinky off-the-shoulder dress. "It's been a while, Edward!" she calls out.

He walks up to her and she hugs him enthusiastically. "Hey. How was work?" he asks.

"Ugh, so bad. I was on the phone with some idiot in Alaska all day trying to get him to understand how Google Analytics works," she groans. "Let's go inside. How are you?"

"I'm...fine..." Edward hesitates but follows her lead. He figures that she'll get the message when he can't get into the bar.

Except the doorman knows her and doesn't even check their IDs. Edward mentally kicks himself.

He doesn't have to drink. He would hate to leave his car out on the street overnight all by itself. It'll get lonely. And what if he gets arrested for underage drinking?

Tanya orders a Manhattan and some kind of lox and cheese charcuterie board. Edward orders soda water and sits uncomfortably at the high-top table.

"Have you composed any new piano pieces lately?" Tanya asks, tousling her strawberry blond hair a little, exposing her bare neck and shoulders.

She's flirting. She thinks this is a date.

Edward sinks down into his seat. "Not really."

"Hmm. You're not in some kind of artistic rut, are you?" she questions. "Getting out and having some fun can be a good cure for that, you know. Take it easy. Find some...inspiration..."

If she thinks he's going to hook up with her, she's sadly mistaken.

He rests his head in his palms, rubbing his temples in a way that could land him the lead role in a migraine headache relief commercial. The conversation is moving outside of his comfort zone. He came in worried about Bella's intentions, and now he's also worried about Tanya's.

Tanya laughs, "Are you okay? You seem kind of off."

"I have a lot on my mind. Sorry," Edward apologizes. "I don't mean to be rude."

"Ever the pensive and serious one. Careful, people might start mistaking you for a philosophy student," she teases.

When he doesn't laugh, her brows furrow. "I'm only kidding."

"I know. It was a funny joke," he assures her.

"Kate and Irina keep saying I'm annoying you," she sighs. "I guess they might be right."

"Not at all," he lies. He must not sound convincing because she looks the smallest bit upset. "Okay, maybe a little bit. It's not that I don't think you're a great friend, because you are. It's just..."

She looks down at the table, smiling to herself. "You aren't interested in me as anything else."

"Right."

"Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything. I'm certainly not used to rejection," she sighs lightheartedly.

He doesn't doubt it. He's seen her constant rotation of conquests and lovers over the years on her social media, and he's heard bits and pieces here and there about them at parties with their other friends. She's always been a social butterfly.

"Are you really just drinking that?" she questions. "Here, eat something. I don't want to send you back home hungry."

He nods and takes a cracker, chewing thoughtfully.

"So tell me about the whole law school thing. Have classes started back up yet?" she asks.

Edward's grateful that she's changing the topic. "Yeah, my administrative law course went well. The one I'm worried about is my literature class," he admits. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Tanya's mood shifts abruptly and she bursts out in laughter mid-sip. Edward's cheeks go hot.

"Are you in love with the class? Or the professor?" She's still laughing, practically choking on her drink. "Ha! Oh! I thought it would never happen!"

"Forget I said anything. I misspoke," Edward redacts, shoving another cracker and a piece of salmon in his mouth.

He doesn't know what he was thinking asking Tanya about her thoughts on the matter.