Chapter 8

I was flying around my bedroom trying to get ready for the party. Alice was due to arrive anytime.

She had insisted on picking me up. I could understand her reasoning. Carpooling to her house would mean one less vehicle. Last thing she needed was to get busted by my dad.

Hell that was the last thing I need. But if worse came to worse and the party was to be busted, that would give me some time to try and sneak out and get home before Charlie caught me.

If my truck isn't there then he thinks I'm still at home, right?

I liked to live in denial. I know he'd think I'm there. No way would Alice throw a party without one of her best-friends.

I was feeling a little flirty as I got dressed and put on some red undergarments, also known to Rose as power panties. I had my black camisole lying on my bed with my dark skinny jeans.

There was a quick knock at the front door.

She's going to kill me for not being ready.

I grabbed my jeans and stumbled down the stairs while trying to pull them up each leg and button them.

"I know, I know. I'm running late. Sorry," I quickly opened the door and turned to run back up the stairs.

There was no noise following me.

I froze near the top steps.

Silent Alice equals bad.

Please don't be mad. Please don't be mad.

I slowly turned around prepared for the worse.

What I was not expecting was no Alice to be seen.

"Edward?" I'm stunned.

Not as stunned as him.

He was frozen in the open front door wearing faded denim jeans and a white button down shirt, his eyes glued to me.

Technically eyes glued to what I was wearing, or not wearing.

I groaned.

I glanced down my body realizing I was just in my jeans and red lace bra.

Shit.

I spun around, tripping up the top step, and hurling myself into my bedroom.

Alice is going to die. Very slowly and very painfully.

I think you may have forgotten to tell me something. I sent her a text message.

Dropping my phone on my bed I quickly put on my black camisole and slipped my feet into a pair of black flats.

"I'm really sorry about that," I said to Edward as I rushed down the stairs. "I thought you were Alice."

He nodded and motioned me out to his car.

Great. I made him go mute again.

The car ride was an awkward dead silence.

I tried coming up with things to talk about, he nodded and shook his head in response or was just throwing in a one word answer. Needless to say, I gave up.

There were a couple cars in front of Alice's already when we pulled up.

Edward and I stepped out of the car and walked into Alice's once again in a muted silence.

His eyes focused on me and he looked like he was going to say something. Then his face turned resigned and he walked off towards the makeshift bar where Emmett and Jasper were hanging around.

"You look like you could use a drink," Rose approached me in her high-heels, tiny skirt and strapless blue top.

"How about three?" I said in response.

"Take mine," Rose said placing her cup into my hand. "Em made it pretty strong and you look like you need it more than I do."

I took a few gulps feeling the fruity liquid go down my throat.

"So what happened?" Rose asked.

"I'll explain in just a minute. I'm sure the little pixie would love to hear this too," I looked around for Alice. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She's locking up the bedroom doors upstairs. Smart thinking too, I'd kill someone if I caught them fooling around in my bed."

"Were you talking about me? My ears are ringing," Alice bounced down the stairs in her mini-dress.

"Why yes we were," I glared at her. "Did you forget to tell me something Alice?"

"Um…no?" Her eyes were glancing around.

"I think you did. You see I was expecting you at my house. Imagine my surprise when it was Edward that showed up. Now imagine his surprise as I answered the door in my red lace bra!" My voice raised a couple octaves at the end.

"Oh my god," she whispered looking aghast. "I'm so sorry, I was still fixing things around here and he had already arrived and I told him I had to get you. Then he said he wouldn't mind and left. I didn't think anything of it." Alice rambled.

Rose was highly amused. "He saw you in your power panties!"

"Yes he did. And he hasn't spoken to me since." Part of me was embarrassed, but it happened and I couldn't change that. Besides, I have bikini tops that reveal more, thank you Rose and Alice, and I knew I had a decent body. Being best-friends with those too, you have no room to be completely insecure with your body, they would never allow it.

"Oh no," Rose groaned.

"What?" Alice and I asked at the same time.

"Edward is doing shots with Emmett and Jasper."

"Okay…" I wasn't seeing what she was getting at.

"Does Edward drink?"

"I don't know, why?"

"They're on like their fifth shot already and I know that Emmett and Jasper are tanks when it comes to holding their liquor, it takes a lot to get them drunk. Edward is already swaying," Rose said.

She was right.

They were knocking back shots left and right, other people at the party were occasionally joining them.

Edward looked up, his eyes locked on mine.

I could see his face turn pink as he started waving to me. Guess the alcohol loosened him up a bit.

I laughed and waved back.

He was definitely starting to get a buzz, if not more.

"Let's go out back for a bit," Rose said taking Alice and I by the arm pushing our way through people to the back doors.

I don't know how long we were sitting around outside on the back deck when the doors slammed open.

A flash of bronze hair caught the light as I realized it was Edward who flew out the back doors and was now racing down the deck stairs.

"Edward!" I called out to him.

He halted at the bottom step.

I stood up and walked over towards him as he ran back up the stairs to meet me.

"Bella!" His voice was almost frantic.

"Are you okay?" I asked him worried.

"Bella, Bella. My pretty Bella," he said stroking my hair.

"Wow, you are drunk," I could smell the liquor pouring off him.

"Just a little bella Bella. You make me nervous," he slurred and poked the center of my chest. He removed his finger and looked up at the sky. "There are so many stars out tonight! Look at that!" He exclaimed loudly.

I could hear Rose and Alice stifling their laughter behind me.

"Why did you come running out the door so fast?" I asked trying to get back on to the original subject of why he was out here.

"Jessica, she wouldn't stop, she just keeps trying," Edward's face turned pale and his voice picked up pace. I was struggling to keep up with everything he was saying. "They're playing that bottle game…it was spinning…I wasn't playing…..she kept saying she had to kiss me…..no way….never would I let her….not my first kiss….but she keeps trying and trying….she jumped out from a plant….I pushed her….hope she's not hurt…..she chased me….then Bella..my Bella. I can kiss you….you can be my first…that way if she gets to me it won't be her…..I like you…it can be you."

I had barely processed any of that when I felt his hands grab me and his lips found mine. It was hard and fast, he gave me no time to react before he pulled back.

"Thank you!" He was grinning ear to ear. "That was amazing!"

I'm not even sure if I had blinked.

He ran back inside, more like he skipped. There was definitely a bounce in his movement.

The door closing snapped me out of my trance.

I turned to Alice and Rose, both had their mouths gaping open.

"What the hell was that?" I exclaimed. "Why do people keep kissing me when they drink?"

Alice and Rose seemed to break out of their trance as well and started laughing. Full out bending over, grabbing their stomach type of laughing.

I rubbed my face with my hand.

"You two saw nothing. He won't remember this," I explained as Alice and Rose regained composure. "There's no way possible he'll remember any of this, he drank way too much. I don't want either of you to say a word of this to anybody. Nobody needs to know. If this really was his first kiss as he said and it wasn't just drunken rambling, then he deserves a better one. One when he is conscious that he's doing it and not inebriated. I'm sure we'd all redo ours if given the chance." They both nodded in agreement. "Not a word to anybody."

"Not a word," Alice said.

Rose repeated it.

Good. Now I wonder how much of this night he will remember come morning.


Note: Two entries in one day. Believe me, I'm surprised I was able to do it. Not sure if it will ever happen again, but I really wanted to do this party scene. I've had it in my head for weeks. Now where to go from here…