AN: I'm so happy at the response of last chapter! I felt nervous in posting it since this is something much different than what I usually write. There will be twists and turns, some things aren't as they seem. I've noticed that many people are concerned with when I'll update. Don't worry, I'm back and chapters will be coming out often :) Also, I forgot a disclaimer. So here it is:

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, the brilliant Stephenie Meyer does.

"Oh, um, thanks," I shakily laughed. I entered the massive door, slowly surveying the interior of the house. The wooden floors gleamed under the elegant oriental carpet I was currently standing upon. It didn't seem right to soil something so exquisite by stepping on it.

Edward gently tugged on the sleeve of my coat. "Would you like me to take that?"

"Yes, thank you," I murmured, still entranced by the beauty of his home. The few rays of sunlight shone through the glass, creating beautiful all natural light. The wide hallway broke off into several rooms, the kitchen being the nearest. Even from my stance I could see the stainless steel appliances that lined the granite counters.

"Your house is beautiful," I complimented, shifting to try and get a peek into the other rooms.

"Thank you, my mother decorated it. She takes great pride it in as you can probably tell," he chuckled. "I could take you on a tour if you would like."

I nodded shyly and finally took my first full look at Edward since I'd arrived. His dark jeans hung low on his hips, so low that the hem of his t-shirt barely skimmed the top of the denim. His hair was messy, but I didn't expect it any other way. His unruly hair was one of his best trademarks, right next to his eyes that is.

"This way," he motioned and led me to the spacious room on the left. "This is the living room or the family area as my mother so fondly refers to it." He rolled his eyes at the mention of his mother and let out a quick laugh. "It's nothing special."

I shook my head in disagreement. It was spectacular. There was a grand piano sitting in the corner, its gloss shining in the evening sunset. "What a gorgeous piano," I said in awe.

"Do you play?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. My heart skipped a beat at his expression.

"Um, no. I just love the sound they create," I spoke quietly. "Nothing else compares."

Edward mumbled something unintelligible, but quickly covered it with a cough. "Interesting."

"What?" I questioned curiously.

"Nothing, would you like to keep going?"

I quickly took in the rest of the room. The plasma television sat against the wall, directly in front of the suede couch and the plush loveseats. They looked so comfortable that I had to resist the urge to collapse in one. Bright plants were placed strategically around the room, giving it a perfect splash of color.

"Sure," I responded and followed him to the kitchen.

I was right about the stainless steel appliances, they were everywhere. Instead of looking gaudy, they looked stylish, as if nothing else would look right.

We continued the tour throughout the entire house, each time Edward would give a little of his own commentary, but not much more. He seemed slightly detached from the whole process.

"And here is my room," he stated with a flourish. He swung the door open and I had to contain my gasp. On the wall directly opposite of the door sat shelves upon shelves of CDs. In fact, there was so many that there were piles stacked on the floor nearby. An expensive stereo sat on the top shelf, its speakers angled in different directions.

"I take it you like music?" I laughed, slowly ambling toward the collection.

"Very much so. I don't know what I would do without it."

Running my fingers across the sides, I read the titles with fascination. "I've never heard of many of these bands, but I do recognize a few. You're a fan of classical?"

Gently resting a hand on my shoulder, he picked out one CD in particular. "It's my favorite genre actually."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Wow, I didn't expect that."

"What?" he chuckled. "You didn't expect that I would like classical music?"

I nodded. "Who knew Edward Cullen was so diverse."

With a few rumbles of laughter, Edward handed me the CD he picked out. "Debussy is my favorite if you're interested in the specifics."

"I know Debussy!" I practically shouted and clutched at the CD.

He smirked at my reaction. "That's a surprise. Not many people are familiar with his work."

"Well, my mother used to play it when she cleaned," I replied sheepishly. "Without her I wouldn't know a lot of things."

"Like what?" he asked, cocking his head to the side and replacing the CD.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked to the rest of his room. "It's not interesting," I mumbled.

"On the contrary, I find anything about you interesting."

I blushed wildly and nervously brushed a strand of hair from my face. Ignoring his comment, I carefully sat on the arm of his black leather couch. His bed was placed against the wall, taking up a good portion of the room. The gold bedding matched the carpet perfectly, a sign that Edward had nothing to do with his own interior decorating.

"I must say, your room is much cleaner than I imagined it to be," I jokingly admitted. My face was still pink from his previous statement.

"My mother comes in to pick things up every so often. I find it obnoxious," he stated, emphasizing the word. Leisurely, he walked to his bed and settled on top of it.

"Why?" I questioned curiously.

"I have a feeling she always is searching for something illegal or immoral. Not that I would leave something like that in my room," he noted with a huff of laughter.

"Ah," I sighed. "Right."

Edward simply studied me, his green eyes running across my face and body.

"Um, I guess we should start the project?" I mumbled, making my statement sound more like a question. His intense gaze was making me nervous and I could feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Whatever you want," he stated smoothly, running a pale hand through his hair.

I swallowed loudly, unsure what of exactly to say. "I think I left my backpack downstairs."

"I'll get it for you," he replied before jumping off the bed to retrieve it. I continued to sit on his couch, dazed. What was I even doing here? This was so awkward. Who knows how many girls Edward has had in his room, I could be sitting right on a spot where he had sex with someone. I hopped of the couch in disgust. God, I hope that wasn't the case.

Seconds later, Edward returned with my backpack slung across his shoulders. "What do you carry in here?" he groaned and dropped the bag on the floor with a thump. "Bricks?"

"Books, actually."

"You must be quite studious then," he responded with a roll of his eyes. "I can't remember the last time I brought work home."

"Good thing we're partners then," I stated sarcastically.

The corners of his lips rose in response. "Indeed it is."

I began to root through my backpack, but stopped abruptly as a random thought burst through my lips. "Why don't you put any effort into school?" I questioned, truly interested in his answer. "You are smart enough."

"School doesn't interest me. It never did."

"Then why are you choosing to put effort into it now? We didn't have to do this project together; I would have completed it by myself."

"I know," he answered quickly. "You made this project seem interesting. I'm putting effort into getting to know you."

My mouth hung open in shock. "Why? What's so interesting about me?"

"A lot of things," he responded with a chuckle. "The way you peek at me through your hair every half hour during Biology class, the way you sigh dramatically when someone does something you find annoying, and even the way you reject Mike, each and every time he approaches you." Edward's eyes were full of excitement; they were practically shining as he continued his rant. "You're an enigma, Bella Swan."

"B-but why?" I sputtered. My arms flapped uselessly at my sides as I blabbed on. "You're Edward Cullen. You throw wild parties when your family goes out of town, you date a new girl every week, and you ditch school just to sit in your car and listen to music." I covered my mouth in shock. That last part wasn't supposed to come out.

"How do you know about that?" he asked with a grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and awaited my answer.

I sighed and dropped my gaze to the floor. "Um, uh, I've seen you a few times."

"Interesting."

"I really wish you would stop saying that," I snapped, still embarrassed by my earlier outburst. I raised my head sharply and matched his gaze. He was observing me with curiosity.

"But it's true. You're interesting. I've never met someone as interesting to me as you are."

I rolled my eyes and turned back toward the couch. "If you're saying this to somehow get in my pants today, it's not going to work."

He chuckled softly and placed a hand on my arm. "Damn, you've figured out my sinister plan."

I jerked my head back toward his, only to find his face inches from mine. I froze. He let out a breath and leaned closer. It was then that I realized one thing: Edward Cullen was going to kiss me.