A/N: I am so tickled by the reaction to chapter 1 and want to pour love all over anyone returning for more.

My undying gratitude goes to my beta-love birthday-weekend girl MariahajilE, Layathomemom, LaMamo, and Serenshadow for…well, everything. Seriously. Everything.

And JiffyKate! Thank you, ladies. I will forever trade words with you.

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Chapter 2

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Bright Eyes stood with his hands half-sheathed by the pockets of his faded grey jeans, staring at me. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. His t-shirt, a sinful shade of red, made him even more agonizingly alluring than he'd appeared the first time I saw him.

I came to an abrupt stop, my feet feeling like they were stuck in blocks of cement. My upper body jerked forward a bit as I steadied myself and blinked a few times, trying to comprehend this man standing before me in my living room. Then I knew I hadn't been hallucinating the day before. He remained the most striking and beautiful male specimen I'd ever laid eyes on. He reached up to push back some of his unruly jet-black hair, and I noticed a tattoo covering his forearm, adding to the bad-boy allure that had my nerve endings buzzing. When his tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip, my toes flexed against the hardwood beneath my feet, fighting an instinctive urge to move toward him.

I was awestruck by this stranger.

I was so innately aware of him that even the smallest move − shifting his weight from one foot to the other − seemed to physically reallocate all of the space around me. I couldn't remember ever feeling that before; such an acute consciousness of every molecule of someone's presence.

"Hello, Bella."

My stomach clenched at the sound of his voice. I didn't know someone's voice could be smooth and raspy at the same time. The seductive deepness of it alone proved to be enough to make me blush.

When my daze wore off, I wondered for a brief moment how he knew my name, but I determined he'd either just heard Emmett say it, he'd told him, or maybe both.

"Hi," I answered stupidly.

"Sit down, dude. Make yourself at home," Emmett encouraged.

Anxiety flooded me at the thought he literally did want to make himself at home. He wanted to live there.

"Thanks," Bright Eyes responded, though his eyes didn't leave mine.

We both stepped sideways at the same time, in opposite directions. He moved one way, and I moved the other, feeling like I had to keep my current amount of distance from him to avoid combustion from the energy crackling between us. We moved in some sort of predatory circle. The problem was that I wasn't sure which one of us was the predator and which was the prey.

"So, I only have a few questions," Emmett said, invading the thick silence. "We spoke about the important stuff on the phone, but I wanted you to stop by to meet us in person."

Our heated gaze broke at last when Bright Eyes looked away from me and over at Emmett. Free from the enchantment those mystifying eyes had on me, I did the same. I blinked at my brother, baffled by the casual tone of his statement. Could he seriously be oblivious to the silent stand-off I'd just had with this man in our living room? Could he not feel the tension?

"Sure. Ask me anything you'd like," Bright Eyes obliged.

I looked back over at him just as he sat down in one of my brother's recliners.

"I know you," I blurted out before I could stop myself. "You're that guy… That guy from yesterday."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. I could have said something normal to him, or at least gotten a few sentences out before I went all accusatory on him, but I went with the lunatic route instead. The look on his face didn't make me feel any better about it, either.

"Um…" His eyebrows pulled together as he looked up at me. "I'm sorry?"

"Wait. You two have met each other already?" Emmett asked, surprised.

"I don't think so, no," Bright Eyes responded, obviously confused.

My first inclination was to wonder how he couldn't remember our powerful encounter the day before, but then the prospect occurred to me that maybe he hadn't experienced the same thing I had. I'd been completely captivated by him, sure, but it seemed a definite possibility he hadn't even noticed me. We'd made eye contact, but that didn't mean I'd been memorable. To him, I very well could have been just a faceless stranger on the street.

"I… I'm sorry," I said hurriedly, trying to backpedal. "Maybe it wasn't you. I just thought… You just looked familiar."

"I don't remember seeing you before. Sorry."

I may have wanted to slap myself before; now I just wanted to disappear.

"Um, right… Anyway…" Emmett drawled, finally picking up on the awkwardness in the room. "I told you on the phone how much the rent would be. You would pay a third of the utility bills."

"All right," Bright Eyes answered.

I looked back over at him, and his gaze was locked on me again, making me tingle all over.

"Do you have any pets?" Emmett asked.

"No."

"What do you do for a living?"

"I work from home."

"Oh, so you'd be here a lot?" my brother continued.

"Yes."

"Well, that's good, actually. I'm gone a lot, and I work late into the night, so it would be nice to know someone is around here with my sister."

I glared at Emmett.

"God, Emmett… I don't need a babysitter…" I seethed, mortified.

"Of course not, but you're my baby sister. I don't like the thought of you here alone late at night."

I huffed, looking away from him and shaking my head as he embarrassed me further. My eyes somehow found their way back to Bright Eyes, who stared at me with a blank expression.

"Look," he began, turning his head back to Emmett, which allowed me to relax a little. "Let me cut to the chase. I'm a quiet guy. I won't have any visitors, and you won't hear much from me. I'll pay you on time every month. Is there anything else you need to know?"

I gaped at him, surprised by his straightforwardness. The other prospective roommates had been overly friendly, trying too hard to impress us, but this guy didn't bullshit around. I couldn't decide if I found his cold directness refreshing or unsettling.

"I guess not. Like I said, we covered most of it on the phone." Emmett paused for a moment. "You'd have to share a bathroom with my sister. Is that cool?"

"That's fine."

I was somewhat surprised Emmett seemed to be considering this guy, but when I thought about it, he was the only viable option.

"Well, I guess that's it," Emmett said when it was clear Bright Eyes wasn't up for any small talk. "We'll talk it over and give you a call, okay?"

"I look forward to hearing from you," Bright Eyes answered as he stood up.

I watched Emmett walk him to the door. They both stopped in front of it, and Emmett extended his hand, which Bright Eyes took and shook firmly.

"Good meeting you, Edward," my brother said, offering him a nod.

Bright Eyes had a name. Edward.

"Likewise," Edward answered.

Emmett opened the door for him, and he stepped outside.

"Well, what do you think?" Emmett asked me, once he'd closed the door.

I stared at the door for a long moment before I looked at him.

"He was weird."

"Oh, come on. Not as weird as the mothball guy," he retorted, laughing. "He's just quiet, which is probably a good thing. I don't think either one of us wants to live with some loud, obnoxious person."

"Yeah, I guess," I relented.

Still, there was something about Bright Eyes I couldn't shake − something other than finding him insanely attractive.

"Besides, he's the only one out of the three I would even consider."

"That's true."

"How do you feel about him being a guy, though?"

I shrugged, biting at my thumbnail. I knew why he asked. I'd already considered it. When I first went to live with my dad, I'd been very uncomfortable around men I didn't know. I grew up with no father figure in my life at all, until my mother married my stepfather. Since he'd single-handedly destroyed my life, I became very apprehensive about men for a long time. As I'd gotten older and gone through therapy, I'd grown out of it somewhat, but I knew Emmett would consider it when choosing a roommate. He always put my well-being before anything else. Emmett had been the first man in my life I ever truly trusted, even before my dad.

"It's fine," I replied decidedly.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Because if it makes you uncomfortable, we can keep looking for a chick."

I shook my head, not wanting to let my past dictate this decision.

"No, no. It's okay. Like you said, he's the only practical option. He seemed nice enough."

"Good," he replied with a relieved sigh. "Because moving a chick in here who isn't related to me would seriously hinder my efforts to get Rosalie back."

I rolled my eyes. Rosalie, Emmett's ex, had broken up with him a couple of months prior, because she'd gotten fed up with his stripping. I'd only met her a few times, but it hadn't taken me long to write her off as a whiney bitch. I'd been hoping he would realize he'd be better off without her, but he'd been trying to get her back for weeks.

"If you want to let him move in, I'm cool with it," I told him, not wanting to get on the subject of Rosalie.

"All right. Cool. I think he'd make a good roommate. He seems chill. And besides, I really do like the idea of having a guy around here with you at night while I'm working."

"I told you," I scoffed. "I don't need a babysitter."

I tried to keep my tone casual, but on the inside, I burned at the thought of late nights alone in the house with Bright Eyes.

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The next morning, I woke with a dull ache right in the middle of my forehead that kicked my ass for having too many beers with Emmett and Jasper during our pizza night. Still, as I made my way to the bar for my first day of work, I couldn't beat myself up too much for having too much to drink. I could drown my anxieties over living with Bright Eyes in beer, or I could spend the evening freaking out over it.

I felt I'd made the better choice.

I hesitated at the bar after walking in, not seeing anyone around and unsure whether I should just walk behind the bar or into the back. When Angela appeared through the swinging door from the back, I felt relieved to see as close to a familiar face as I would get on my first day.

"Bella!"

I jumped, not expecting her excitement, and returned her smile when she offered me one of exuberance and white teeth that stood out against bright red lipstick.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"So good!"

"I see that. You're very chipper this morning."

"Well, I'm excited you're starting. And I'm even more excited that the assistant manager quit this morning."

"Oh, really? You didn't like him or something?"

"No, not really, but that's not the point. The point is I've been waiting for that position to open up. I think Sam is going to promote me."

"Oh, wow. That's awesome," I answered, genuinely happy for her. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I mean, it's nothing official. I just have an inkling. I'm not sure how the boys will react to me being in charge, though."

"I'm sure they'll get over it."

"They would have to," she grinned cheekily. "Anyway, come on back," she said, gesturing for me to come around the bar. "This shift is always super slow. I think that's why Sam wanted you to start out with it, so I could train you," she explained as I followed her direction. "But since you have plenty of good experience, I'm sure I won't have to teach you anything more than where we keep shit."

"Yeah, I'll be quick to catch on," I assured her. "Where should I put my bag?"

"Here." She took it from me and walked to the end of the bar, so I followed. "You can keep it here with mine," she continued as she bent over to stow it somewhere under the bar. "We're the only girls, so we don't have a particular place for purses."

"Gotcha."

"Um, let's see… I guess we can start with filling up the salt and pepper shakers. They just washed them, so we're starting from scratch."

"I really appreciate you showing me the ropes around here."

"Of course. Sam said he'd put you on my shifts for the rest of the schedule, so by the end of the week, you'll know this place like the back of your hand."

"Perfect." I smiled.

She led me into a small and crowded kitchen in the back. A man stood at the sink, spraying down a pile of dishes, but she didn't introduce me. We were only there long enough for her to snatch up a tray of empty salt and pepper shakers, and then she led the way right back out to the bar. I felt like a lost puppy following her around, but I knew it would take a day or two to figure out their routine and how things worked around there.

"So," she started as she set up shop for us to work at one end of the bar. "Did you finish getting moved in?"

"Um, kinda. Yeah," I answered as I helped her sift through metal lids. "I still have some unpacking to do, but I'm starting to get settled in."

"Are you living on your own?"

"No, with my brother."

"Oh, cool. Does he have a family or anything? Or is it just the two of you?"

She slid the container of salt to me, and I started filling up shakers while she took care of the pepper.

"Nope. Just us." I paused, realizing that wasn't entirely true. "Well, I mean, we're about to get a roommate. He doesn't have a family, though, no."

"That's awesome that you guys are close enough to live together. I have a sister, but I could never live with her again. She would drive me completely crazy."

"Oh, yeah. My brother and I are super close. That won't be a problem."

"Do you know the roommate, too?"

"No, I don't. Actually, that's a really weird story."

"Oh, do share!"

While we continued to work side by side, I told her all about Bright Eyes and the coincidental run-in I'd had with him the day before. She listened intently and oohed and ahhed at all the right parts, making me appreciate how nice it felt to have a girl around to talk to about such a thing. I hoped we could become friends, but if not, having a co-worker around I'd hit it off with so well felt comforting.

"Ooh, that's crazy!" she responded when I got to the part about walking in to see Bright Eyes in my living room. "Maybe he's your soulmate and fate is bringing you guys together!"

"Yeah," I snorted. "I'm sure."

"You never know. I knew a girl who had a friend who was actually married to this abusive asshole, but she kept running into this guy all around town. They had this crazy chemistry, but the chick was married, you know. So she didn't do anything about it, but they kept crossing paths at the craziest places. Well, one day, her husband beat her up super bad, and she'd had enough. She called the police, and that guy was the cop who showed up at her house! Crazy, huh? That's how fate works, I guess."

"Yeah. That didn't happen," I scoffed.

"What?"

"That didn't happen. Women make up stories like that to make themselves feel better about waiting around for true love. I guarantee whoever told you that heard it from a friend of a friend of a friend. That never actually happens to anyone."

"So you don't believe in true love?"

"That's not what I said, but I'm not entirely sure I do. I've never seen it, anyway."

"You've never known anyone who was truly in love before?" she asked skeptically.

"Nope. I've never seen true love." I pressed on the lid to the last salt shaker with a snap. "I've only seen obsession."

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Since I'd be working Angela's schedule the rest of the week, I didn't have to return to work until Wednesday. That gave me Tuesday to get the rest of my unpacking done, which just happened to be the same day Bright Eyes was moving in. I found it strange he would want to move in so soon, literally the day after meeting us, but apparently, he'd told Emmett he needed to move out of his old place quickly.

In a case of terrible timing, Emmett had plans to drive three hours away that night to work a bachelorette party in some podunk little town. I didn't expect or need my brother around all the time, but I felt a little apprehensive of him being in another city while an absolute stranger moved into our house. He offered to cancel, if I wanted him to, but I wouldn't ask him to do that on my behalf. I didn't want to be responsible for him missing out on a chance to earn some easy cash.

Thankfully, Emmett planned to at least stick around long enough to let Bright Eyes in and give him a tour of the house. Upon learning he'd be there around 7:00 that evening, I looked for a reason to get the hell out of dodge, not wanting to experience a repeat of the awkward tension the day before.

I decided on a run. Running had always been my favorite way to relieve stress and clear my mind. In California, running on the beach served as my perfect outlet. In Houston, running on the streets of Emmett's neighborhood would have to suffice.

I found my stride quickly, and enjoyed the stretching of the muscles in my legs and the weight of my feet hitting the pavement. The humidity in the air engulfed me, filling my lungs heavily in my chest. It reminded me of early morning walks with my mom in New York. I remembered the dampness in the air when she used to walk me to school. I'd always hated the mugginess and the things it did to my hair, but I loved those walks with her regardless. Those walks were our time to talk about our plans for the day, our time to slow down for a bit in a city teeming with a natural rush that one could be easily swept away in. Moments like those grounded me.

Then my mom got married, and she stopped walking me to school in the mornings. She told me it was his idea. She told me he wanted to hire a car service to take me to school, to save both of us the time. He had all the money in the world to blow, so why not?

But I wasn't stupid. I knew the real reason − the reason we weren't supposed to talk about. She loved those walks just as much as I did, but she didn't want to risk anyone at my school seeing the bruises on her face.

My lungs were burning, and I realized that as my thoughts had drifted to New York, I'd broken out in a sprint. I slowed my pace to a stop and bent over to steady myself, my hands sliding against my slippery skin as I gripped my sweaty thighs. I'd been in such a trance that I hadn't been paying enough attention to my surroundings. It'd gotten dark, and I knew it wasn't smart to be out in an area I didn't know well. Emmett probably wouldn't leave until I'd gotten home safe and sound anyway, so with a huff, I turned and started jogging back in the other direction.

I kept my pace slow. My heart rate had lowered back down by the time I got back to the house, only to pick right back up again when I saw a black BMW sitting in our driveway. It had to Bright Eyes' car, though I wondered why someone with such expensive wheels would rent a room from strangers.

I noticed the absence of Emmett's truck. I assumed he'd wait until I got home to leave, but perhaps my run had taken longer than I intended.

My senses were on high alert as I walked up to the house, almost feeling like an intruder. I reminded myself that we were on my turf. Well, sort of. Bright Eyes was the outsider coming in, and I couldn't let myself feel threatened by him just because I found him insanely attractive and was pretty sure he put off some sort of special pheromones designed to bring weak-minded women to their knees.

I wondered what it would feel like to be on my knees in front of that sexy, powerful form.

Oh, God.

I shuddered, reprimanding myself for my inappropriate thoughts. I was not weak-minded, and I wouldn't be getting on my knees for any man anytime soon, no matter how alluring I found them.

I went in through the garage door leading into the kitchen. I jumped a little when I found Bright Eyes right in front of me, sitting at the kitchen table. I'd expected him to be in his room, but he sat right in front of me, the whole room feeling a little more significant with his presence filling it.

"Oh, um, hi…" I stammered.

He looked up at me from his phone passively.

"Hello again, Bella," he answered, his voice dripping with that same sexy confidence I remembered hearing in it before.

"Is my brother here?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

"No, you just missed him."

"Oh." I stood there, staring at him stupidly for a moment too long, not sure what to say. "Did you already move all of your stuff in?" I asked, realizing I hadn't seen any indication of someone moving outside.

He shrugged.

"I live very simply."

"Oh."

I stared at him for another few moments, but he broke the silent tension this time.

"What's your last name, Bella?"

I blinked at him, caught off guard.

"Um, why?"

He leaned back in his chair to reach into his pocket, and I took a step back, causing him to give me a strange look.

"I need to write your brother a check," he answered, speaking slowly as if conversing with a crazy person. "I don't know who to make it out to."

I sighed, willing myself to relax as I watched him place a checkbook on the table.

"Oh, right. Um, his last name is Swan."

"His last name?"

I swallowed thickly.

"Our last name," I corrected.

I bit my lip as I turned my back to him, going to the refrigerator. Why did I feel so awkward around this stranger? I wasn't sure if it was because he was so entrancingly beautiful, because he was a stranger moving into our home, or both.

I swung the refrigerator door open and bent over to get a bottle of water.

"You should put some clothes on."

I froze.

Surely I hadn't heard him right. I stood up and looked back at him over my shoulder, shooting him a bewildered look.

"Excuse me?"

"You should put some clothes on," he repeated. "The first rule your brother gave me was not to stare at your ass, and that's proving to be difficult with you running around in your underwear."

I gaped at him with wide eyes, my mind stuck somewhere between disturbance and warm feelings at the knowledge he'd just admitted to staring at my ass.

"These aren't underwear," I answered, gesturing down to my black spandex running shorts. "They're shorts."

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow at me as he stood up, sucking some air through his teeth as he ripped the check from his checkbook and placed it down on the table. "Coulda fooled me."

My mouth fell open as I watched him leave the kitchen. He disappeared into his new room, and I didn't see him the rest of the night.

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"Shut the fuck up!" Angela squealed the next day, sitting across the bar from me with her head propped up on her hands. "He did not say that!"

"That was my very first thought, too, but he definitely said it." I put down the last one of the beer mugs we'd been drying. "The sad part is that while I felt slightly disturbed, I wasn't nearly as offended as I should've been."

"Why be offended?" she asked, laughing. "I say take it as a compliment!"

"I don't even know him, Angela. He's a total stranger, and I was completely into him checking out my ass and being so blunt about it. I found it sexy, for God's sake! I went to bed totally slut-shaming myself."

"Okay, you clearly need to get out more. That doesn't make you a slut at all, Bella. Besides, those tall, dark, and shady types are notorious panty-soakers."

"Yeah, well," I snorted. "Finding someone to soak my panties isn't exactly at the top of my priority list."

The door from the back swung open, and Sam walked out into the bar, scratching at his beard.

"All right. Ya'll are off the clock, so you're free," he informed us, literally shooing us away with his hands.

"Come on," Angela said as she hopped off her bar stool. "Grab our purses. We're not done talking about Tall, Dark, and Shady. We're going next door for coffee."