Rosalie carefully inspects her fresh set of shiny, red gel nails. A classic almond shape, not too long or short, and versatile enough for any outfit.

Too bad there isn't a ring on her finger anymore to accent the manicure.

She pulls open the door to her cherry-red BMW M6 Coupe and climbs in, taking a moment to revel in its beauty from the comfort of the black leather seats.

She purchased the car last winter, and it looks just as perfect and new as the first day she set her eyes on it.

How is it that Jasper gets by driving his trash Honda when cars like this exist?

She should have sent for it to be shipped over sooner.

After fiddling with the air controls for a moment, she checks her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Her hair looks good for once, and her eyes aren't too puffy.

Her skin's a little dull, though. She should schedule a facial soon.

Orange, yellow, and red leaves flutter down from the trees lining the streets, and there's the tiniest hint of sunshine breaking through the clouds overhead. It's not raining for once, surprisingly, and the cold isn't unbearable.

She wants to go someplace.

In New York, she would call up Vera, her parents, or someone from work or school, and they'd get drinks, lunch, shop, or just go out. She had a large circle of acquaintances to keep herself occupied.

She knows almost no one here.

Pulling up up Instagram, she scrunches her nose at the seven-hundred-and-twelve likes Emmett's picture from Halloween has so far. He's flexing front and center in his gladiator costume. Edward and Alice are on his right, and Rosalie herself stands tipsy and smiling on his left. Bella's somewhere in the back, hiding in her prairie girl costume.

She sighs. Running for the first tall, dark, and handsome guy who gives her attention is so cliche, but it feels nice having someone good-looking constantly telling her that she's pretty. She needs the validation now more than ever, as self-absorbed as it may be.

Esme said that he's a good guy.

Although, her parents also told her that Royce is a good guy when he isn't a good guy at all. He's vile. Disgusting. Unworthy of even being called a man.

Rosalie has trouble imagining Emmett doing anything particularly horrible, but it wouldn't be the first time if she's wrong.

Normal, single, pre-Royce Rosalie would have no trouble calling up a guy. She used to revel in the attention of catching someone's eye.

"Stop being a little bitch," she hisses to herself.

Things will go back to normal if she tries hard enough. If she acts like nothing happened, it will be like nothing happened. Nothing's changed. Nothing except her.

She forces herself to dial the saved number in her contacts. She waits patiently for an answer, half hoping he doesn't pick up the phone.

"Hey, babe, what's up?" Emmett's clear, baritone voice greets.

That's how he chooses to answer his phone? Rosalie wants to hit her head against the steering wheel.

"Hello?" Emmett says questioningly at the lack of response.

Her temper flares. She's so stupid for doing this. "Do you answer all unknown calls like that? Seriously, do you even know who you're talking to?" she seethes.

There's laughter on the other end of the line. "Yeah, what's up, Rosalie?"

"I told you this wasn't my number."

"Okay, but it obviously is," Emmett says confidently, still laughing to himself. "Oh, hang on one sec."

She hears indistinct talking in the background. It sounds like he's at home.

"Carli wants to have a chat with me, so I gotta go. I'm free later if you wanna grab a burger someplace."

Rosalie hasn't had a burger in a while. She is rather hungry. A late lunch in a restaurant sounds safe enough.

"Sure. Text me where to go."

"'Kay, catch you later!"

She hangs up and goes back to fixing her hair in the rearview mirror.

She looks pissed. There's a faint crease between her brows that won't go away despite her best efforts to relax her face. She smooths the skin down roughly with her finger, sighing.

At least she found plans for the day.

...

Emmett heads into the upstairs office and takes a seat in the chair across from Carlisle's desk.

He glances out the window longingly at the clear skies and mild weather. He's missing out on some rare late-autumn sun.

Carlisle sits back in his chair like he's trying too hard to seem casual.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Emmett begins in an attempt to win his good graces.

"Several times, actually."

"Just wanted to remind you!"

"So like we've already discussed, you're more than welcome to live in the house. You're like family to all of us, Emmett. That being said, I'm a bit concerned about your future plans."

"Oh, I'm going to lunch and the gym later."

"Long-term plans, rather. Do you have any internships lined up? Jobs? It's your senior year of undergrad."

Emmett feels like he's being called into the principal's office for misbehaving. He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling loudly. "Oh. Um, yeah. I guess I was going to try getting signed for the Seahawks or something."

"Are you still enrolled in the business school? What major did you end up declaring?"

"I'm undecided. I'll just get a general business degree, I think."

Carlisle rests his elbows on the desk, chin resting against his propped-up hands contemplatively. "Do you have a backup plan if you don't end up playing football?"

He raises a good point. Emmett shrugs. "I guess I'll figure out if it happens."

"I wish you'd have a little bit more foresight. Naturally, as your friend, I'm concerned. You've changed majors three times and tend to be quite...whimsical." He sighs. "How will you be paying rent in the meantime?"

Emmett quickly thinks through the easiest and least boring ways he can get cash. "I can go back to coaching little league again."

"Fair enough," Carlisle agrees. "That's all I wanted to talk about."

"Lit. I'm off to lunch then."

"We just ate lunch." Carlisle looks up at the clock on the wall. It's just past 3 pm. Esme brought them sandwiches about an hour ago.

"Yeah, but that was lunch with you and Esme. This is lunch with Rosalie. I gotta get those gains, you know?"

Carlisle gives him a doubtful look. "Right. Cheers."

Emmett returns downstairs and grabs his phone off of his bed. He unpacked all of his moving boxes last night but still hasn't had a chance to put anything away. All of his clothes, books, and a variety of different miscellaneous items are strewn across the hardwood floor.

He texts Rosalie the address to the burger place in Greenlake and grabs an orange hoodie off the ground.

Out in the living room, Alice is curled up on the sofa looking pissy.

"What's wrong with you? Your fancy skincare delivery get delayed?" Emmett asks as he passes through.

"I'm supposed to meet Bella for bubble tea in twenty minutes, but my rideshare just canceled."

"Over by the university?"

"Mhm."

"I'll drive you. I'm heading out that way."

She jumps up off the sofa and runs to the foyer. "Oh, yay! I knew having you move back in would be worthwhile!"

"Hey, are you saying my joyful presence alone isn't enough?"

"I have enough joy for this entire house alone."

"I don't know about that. Edward's sure making it difficult lately. What's going on with him and Bella?" he asks.

"They're falling in love!"

"Yeah, so why is there still a stick up his ass? His whole thing was that he hated being a misunderstood, brooding virgin. Now he has a girlfriend, so he can chill."

Alice gives him an amused look, "I think it'll take more than that. Give him some time."

"I bet he's already written an album's worth of songs about her. I wanna hear about all the stupid shit he's doing. You're gonna get the tea from Bella, right?"

"Oh, for sure."

The two get into Emmett's Jeep and he backs out of the driveway. Right as he's about to turn out onto the street, he hears a thud.

He glances in his side mirror. He ran over the mailbox. Again.

Alice screams out in laughter, kicking the underside of the dashboard with her ridiculously tall black platform boots. "Emmett!"

"Oh, shit. You didn't see that."

"Carlisle's going to be so disappointed in you."

"No, he isn't!"

"He's going to give you the sad dad look."

"Nah, it's fine, it gives Esme an excuse to pick out a new mailbox."

"If you say so. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He drives out of their Bellevue neighborhood and gets on SR-520 West towards Seattle.

"So what's going on with you and my boy Jazz?" he asks.

Alice is in the process of skipping through songs on her phone rapidly, seemingly unable to decide on a song she wants to listen to for longer than ten seconds.

"What's going on with you and Rosalie?" she counters.

"I'm pretty sure she low-key hates me, but she also called me earlier, so..."

"You think she's the evil twin?"

Emmett busts up laughing, merging onto I-5 and passing a slow-moving Kia in the middle lane. "I dunno. She's something else."

...

Bella follows Jessica and Angela into the bubble tea cafe a few blocks from campus.

Alice is already at the counter ordering. "Hey! I'm going to grab us a table," she greets with a wave of her long, indigo nails. Her short hair is pulled into half-up space buns and her heeled boots look too tall to walk in comfortably. The frilly lilac blouse and black mini skirt she has on is the most casual thing Bella's ever seen her wear.

She's so stylish.

"Cool, sounds good!" Bella replies.

Jessica immediately elbows her friend. "Holy shit. You're kidding. Alice Brandon is the friend we're meeting?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"She's Tiktok famous! She has, like, almost a million followers! How do you know her?"

"What? She's Edward's housemate."

"Oh my god."

She doesn't understand why Jessica's practically on the verge of hyperventilating, but apparently, she knows Alice.

Angela nods her head, "She has a mini Kelly bag. Her closet is worth more than all of our lives combined."

Bella's not surprised. Of course, Edward's friends and housemates are also rich. She wonders if he has some bizarre dream of dating a commoner that he's trying to fulfill. After all, it's become trendy with international royalty and high-profile celebrities these days to opt for a more low-key romance.

"She's crazy good at dancing, but I heard that Juilliard still turned her down. She fucked up her knee or something right after college applications were due," Jessica continues gossiping to Angela quietly.

"That's so sad," Angela whispers back.

"I know, right? Way to end a career before it even starts."

Bella orders and sits down at the table in the corner Alice chose.

Alice looks up and pauses the rapid tapping on her phone screen. "What did you get?" she asks her in her chipper, high-pitched voice

"Coffee with tapioca. You?"

"Jasmine green tea." Her eyes light up when Bella's two roommates get to the table. "I'm Alice, nice to officially meet you both."

"Hi, I'm Jessica. I saw you at the Halloween party last week." Jessica takes a seat, flipping her hair over the shoulder of her Northface jacket. "I love your shoes. Are they Miu Miu?"

"They are! Thanks!"

"I'm Angela," Angela says shyly as she sits.

Bella isn't sure what to say because she's never actually talked with Alice without Edward around. Do they have anything in common?

"So I'm going to be featured in a fashion show next month and I want you guys to come see it," Alice says enthusiastically. "I have a six-piece collection of evening gowns that I'm working on as a part of my final project. They're turning out amazing."

"Can I take pictures for my blog?" Angela asks between sips of her taro milk tea. "I'd love to get some shots backstage if possible."

"Of course!"

"Have you done other shows before?" Jessica cuts in.

"Only a few. This will be my third."

"Oh my god, do you think you'll do New York Fashion Week ever?"

"I hope so!"

"That would be so cool." Angela nods. "What brand is your eyeliner..? It looks super good."

"Stila! I've been using it for years," Alice burbles.

"That's at Sephora, right? I need a new eyeliner. Mine wears off after an hour or two," Jessica replies.

"That's because you need waterproof here! It rains too much for regular."

"What product do you use in your hair? Mine gets so frizzy."

Alice reaches up and fluffs her hair a little. "I change it up a lot, but lately I've been using stuff from either Drunk Elephant or Bumble and Bumble."

"Have you tried their skincare?" asks Jessica.

"Yes, I love it!"

Angela's eyes go to Alice's manicure. "Where do you get your nails done?"

It's like she's been transported to another planet.

Bella sits drinking her coffee and watching the trio banter without her. She can't even keep the attention of her two best friends from high school anymore.

She has absolutely no idea how to participate in a conversation about fashion, makeup, or hair. It's never really interested her, so she never bothered learning about it.

"Bella," Alice chimes, ripping her from her anxious self-reflection. "How is your barista job going? Are you still working at the library cafe next quarter?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I, um, should still be working there. It's going well. There's a lot of downtime in the evenings to read or do homework on the clock, so that's nice."

"I wish I could get paid to study," Jessica bemoans. "I want to get a job at the juice shop in U-Village."

"The one that sells overpriced green smoothies?" asks Angela. "Can you get us the hook up on free drinks?"

"I would hope so because otherwise there's no point in working there."

"Oh, I'll come visit you if you do!" Alice grins. "I love that place!"

...

"Still waiting on your friend?" the waitress asks, topping off Emmett's glass of water and gesturing to the menu on the other side of the table.

"Yeah, she'll be here soon. Unless she decided to stand me up. That would be awkward," he says with a laugh.

The waitress gives him a nervous smile before walking away.

They agreed to meet half an hour ago, but he isn't in a hurry. Traffic is bad this time of day.

He Snapchats a picture of himself making a face to Edward with the caption, "What's up loser?"

The bell on the door rings, signaling that someone's walked in. He looks up and sees his blond angel wearing jeans, white sneakers, a leather jacket, and a slouchy Guns N' Roses tee. Her hair is all soft golden curls.

Emmett is certain he hasn't seen anyone even remotely as beautiful as she is. His heart does a little flutter.

He puts his arm up in the air to get her attention. "Over here!"

Her head turns toward him, her eyes meeting his. She walks toward the table. "Sorry, I got caught in traffic. Did you already order?"

"No worries! I was waiting on you to get here first. Cool shirt."

"Oh, thanks," she replies, pushing a lock of hair out of her face and setting her purse on the seat beside her. "Hungry?"

"Always."

Rosalie gets the waitress's attention and orders a cheeseburger and a beer. Emmett goes for a double with avocado and bacon because he needs the protein and the deliciousness.

"So how's life?" he asks.

"Pretty shitty."

He pauses mid-bite to reply. "Why? Please don't say it's because you're eating with me now. I'll be so sad."

She gives him a mischievous smile. "No, that's not it."

"Well I've been told I'm a really bad listener, but I'm willing to try if it's for a pretty girl."

That earns him an eye roll and the faintest hint of another smile.

"I was supposed to get married last weekend."

Married!

He immediately looks down at her hands and sees no ring, "Woah, wait, you're engaged? What? I didn't—"

"No, it was canceled back in September. I'm just being dumb and still sulking about it."

Not married!

"Oh. That sucks. Did he break it off or did you?" he asks.

"Little bit of both. He wasn't who I thought he was, and he has shitty friends."

"Sounds like an asshole."

"He is." She sips at the foam on her glass of beer and picks at her pile of french fries. "How was the talk with Carlisle?"

"He wants me to get a job and pay rent. He's charging me way under market rate, though," he replies, mouth full of burger. "But I probably have to go back to coaching junior football."

"That sounds fun."

"Yeah, the parents are the only bad part. Some of them are insane. Did you play any sports growing up?"

"I did cheer in middle and high school."

"That's so cool! So you can do flips and stuff?"

"Yeah, sure." She glances out the window.

Outside it's starting to get dark, and the dinner crowd is beginning to trickle in. She's only halfway through her burger.

"Did you get moved into your new place yet?" he asks.

"No, but I picked up my car this morning. My lease doesn't start for another couple of weeks. You're helping me move, aren't you?"

"Yeah! I'm great at picking up heavy stuff."

"Perfect. I have an eight-hundred-pound, vintage upright piano that needs to be brought in. I've already recruited Jasper and Peter to help, but I don't think they can get that up the front steps alone."

"Pshh, easy peasy."

"We'll see about that."

"You play?"

"A little."

"Did you ever do competitions or anything?"

"No, but I played at my best friend's wedding last year."

"So you're saying you're good."

"She couldn't afford a better pianist," she laughs a little, biting a fry and then tossing it back down in the basket. "I'm full. I can't eat anymore."

He grabs some of her fries and shoves them in his mouth with a shrug. She rolls her eyes at him again.

"Oh, Alice asked me to ask you if you'd model some of her stuff in the student fashion show at the end of the quarter," he recalls.

"She's one of the designers?"

"Yeah, her stuff's actually really cool. I told her I'd model for her, but she said it's all gowns that apparently won't fit all of this muscle."

"Um, I'll take a look at them, at least."

"Awesome, she's gonna be psyched!"

Rosalie grabs her purse and nods towards the door. "I should head back soon."

"Yeah, same, I need to work out still." He stuffs the rest of her fries in his mouth and stands up to follow her.

Outside Rosalie stops at a brand new, red BMW. "Okay, well, later."

"Woah, nice car!"

She pats the hood. "Yep, it's my baby."

"I bet! Aight, let me know when I'm helping you move in," he reminds her, pulling her in for a quick hug goodbye. "Have a good night."

"Yeah, I'll text you. Night," she says as she gets into the shiny little coupe.