A/N: Hello again, hoping you're all well. I'm definitely enjoying the time off from school. Sadly I go back in two weeks. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owner of all

As soon as the Leonard show was over I had to prepare for another departure. I was expected in New York the next morning for an interview or a photoshoot or something. I was too tired to remember the details. At least Nadine was kind enough to tell me in advance for once. As I left the studio I stopped briefly to talk to some of the audience members who were crowded around the exit. A mass of voices came at me at once.

"Isabella, I love your music!"

"You were great tonight!"

"Sign my poster, please!"

"Marry me, Isabella!"

I wondered if this was what it was like for Edward, having the special talent of reading minds. Only he couldn't escape unless he was completely isolated. Otherwise, he would hear a constant barrage of thoughts from anyone who happened to be around him. And he'd hear personal, private things. I didn't even want to know what these people were thinking about me. Especially the guy who had screamed a proposal at me. I shuddered.

After ten minutes of posing for photographs, shaking hands, and signing posters I waved goodbye to the group as a security guard came to tell them they couldn't be hanging around the studio. I headed for the black limo that was waiting for me. The driver got out and quickly came around to open the door for me.

As I came nearer to the limo I heard a noise to my left. I quickly glanced over but I didn't have enough time to prepare myself. It happened much too fast. A figure leapt towards me, knocking me to the ground. I screamed and pounded on his chest, failing pathetically to get him off of me. My driver rushed over and was met with a swift fist to his jaw. He stumbled backward and slumped against the limo.

The figure slowly crept back towards me, ready to bounce. I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact. I was surprised to hear the pounding of feet. I reopened my eyes.

By this time the security guard ran over followed by a handful of crew from the studio. My attacker looked around and swiftly ran off into the darkness.

"Hey you!" The security guard took off after him, reaching for his gun as he ran.

I sat up slowly. One of the crew members reached for my hand and helped me up. My driver stood a little ways away rubbing his jaw. He walked over to me.

"Are you alright?" I asked anxiously, watching his fingers as they massaged the dark, swelling area of his face. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." He sighed. "This kind of thing happens more than you'd think. Some fans can't separate fantasy from reality and they snap. I'm just not equipped to handle situations like this. Why the heck don't you have a bodyguard?"

"Um..." I flushed, grateful for the darkness. Nadine had suggested a bodyguard a few times before. The truth was, I didn't want one. Now I wasn't so sure it was a bad idea after all.

"Get one," the driver said simply. "For your own sake. There's nothing some of these fans won't stoop to."

I nodded.

"Now come on, we have to get you to the airport."

I hesitated. "What about the attacker? Don't I have to report him or anything?"

"You could, but the press would have a field day with the news. Wouldn't do a whole lot of good, I don't think. Who would you report? I doubt you saw much more of him than I did."

I shook my head. "I couldn't see his face."

"I suppose we could stick around and wait for the guard to get back if you want," he offered.

"No," I said, shaking my head again. "I want to get away from here."

"Certainly." He opened the door for me to get in.

I felt a gentle touch on my arm as I bent down to get into the limo. I gave a start, thinking it was another of my more enthusiastic fans.

"I'm sorry," a man's voice said gently. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

I felt relieved as I turned around, but not exactly pleased either. It was Jason Sharpe. My driver raised his eyebrows and leaned against the limo.

"You didn't," I quickly lied. "I was surprised, that's all."

"Either way, my apologies. I heard the noise out here and then someone said you'd been attacked. I just wanted to see if you're okay."

"I'm fine," I muttered, lying again. Apparently he'd missed the fact that I was visibly shaking.

"That's good to know." He flashed me a bright smile, no doubt intended to make me dissolve into a liquid mass of oversexed teenage goo. I continued to stare at him blankly, wondering what he wanted. Jason seemed to grow nervous at my lack of response. He ran a hand through his curly blond hair and chuckled sheepishly as his eyes looked me up and down. I cringed.

"Um…," I said after a few more long, awkward seconds. "Was there something else you wanted, Jason? Really, I'm fine."

"Oh!" He chuckled and smiled at me again. "Forgive me; I was just getting caught up in how beautiful you look tonight."

Please. Is this guy for real? I just got attacked by a maniac and he's pouring on the cheesy charm? I hoped the disgust wasn't as evident on my face.

Apparently it was.

"I heard this was your first live appearance," he continued, switching the subject quickly.

"Mm-hmm." I nodded absently.

"I just wanted to let you know that I thought you handled it really well. Very professional. Much better than I did the first time I was on T.V. I was a bumbling, stuttering fool."

Kind of like you are now. It felt strange that I was able to make this Hollywood playboy go from cocky and overbearing to a nervous wreck.

"Oh, thank you." I smiled, but it felt unnatural and forced. How can I politely tell him to go away?

"So," Jason went on, growing more nervous but trying all the more to appear cool and confident. "I don't know if you know or not, but there's this party tonight…It's supposed to be pretty tight. I was thinking of checking it out. You interested in coming along? Maybe take your mind off what just happened?"

Oh, God. Is he trying to ask me out? I could feel my cheeks burning. "Actually, I have to catch a flight to New York shortly. I'm sorry."

"That's cool," he said casually. "Some other time then."

"Yeah," I said, though I prayed he wouldn't take that last part seriously. "It was nice meeting you." I smiled as much as I could manage and got into the limo.

"You too. Take care," he said, shutting my door for me. The driver looked a bit annoyed. As he went around to the other side of the limo I looked back at Jason to see if he had gone yet. He was still there. When he saw me look back he winked. Ugh. I had a sickening feeling that this wouldn't be the last I saw of Jason.

Once inside the limo, I leaned back against the smooth leather of the seat. The driver got back in, still rubbing his jaw. I scooted up in the seat so that I was close to the small window separating us.

"Are you going to go to the hospital about that? It looks like it might be broken."

"I don't think I have a choice. I'll drop you off first though." I stared at his jaw. It was now a darker purple, almost black. Definitely broken.

"Are you sure you don't want to go now? I can probably get another ride. A cab or something."

He shook his head. "I'll survive."

"I'm sorry."

"I know," he said. "But I told you, it's not your fault."

I didn't believe him. Of course it was my fault.

"I gotta give that guy credit though." The driver smiled as much as his injury would allow. "He's got a great left hook."

xXx

By the time I boarded my flight, I was beyond exhausted. I rested my head against the back of the seat, shutting my eyes, but unable to get the recent Leonard show off my mind. I fought the urge to dwell on the horror that had occurred outside the studio. I thought instead of the interview itself. Thank goodness that was over. So embarrassing. Why did they have to ask personal, embarrassing boyfriend questions? And what was the deal with that Jason guy? Maybe Nadine was right. Maybe he really did like me. It definitely seemed like it, but maybe he just invited me to that party because he felt sorry for me after getting attacked.

I wondered for a brief instant what Edward would think about that or if he had even seen the show. I brushed the idea off quickly, scolding myself. Of course not. He doesn't care about you anymore. I tried to sleep, but every time I shut my eyes I saw him. His flawless face, his twinkling golden eyes that glowed with love for me, and the beautiful crooked smile that never failed to make me hold my breath.

If only I hadn't cut my stupid finger…

I growled in frustration and reached for the cheap plastic ear buds the airplane provided. Maybe music could drown out my thoughts. I cycled until I found a good song. I settled on Linkin Park, an old favorite thanks to Phil. It was "Numb", perfect for how I was feeling. I cranked the volume up until the music thudded inside my head. I shut my eyes again and mouthed the words to the song.

"Excuse me, miss." I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head to see a flight attendant in the aisle bending towards me. She didn't appear to recognize me, or maybe she did and just wasn't saying anything. Either way I was grateful for the temporary anonymity. I pulled the headphone buds out of my ears, waiting.

"The gentleman seated behind you would like to get some sleep and he feels your music is being played too loudly for him to do so."

Her tone was polite, but it did little to curb the annoyance building within me. I scoffed and rolled my eyes but she didn't seem to notice.

I didn't know why I was in such a bad mood. The show had been a success. A success due to the fact that I had survived at all. I darkly thought again of the attack and shivered. But that didn't seem to be the reason for it now. I had been feeling this way for a few days now, but the almost constant flurry of activity never gave me much time to figure out what I was feeling. Maybe the stress was starting to get to me. I had been traveling to different cities every few days the whole summer. My release was only a few weeks away and now I was hitting the major cities like L.A. and New York to promote it.

I missed being home. I hadn't seen Charlie or any of my Forks friends since I'd started the promotional tour a few months ago. It had been even longer since I'd seen Renée. I always started to get uneasy when I hadn't talked to her for a while. I knew she was doing fine with Phil but I still worried. I couldn't quite shake the feeling that my mother still somehow needed me. Or maybe I just wanted to feel like there was someone who needed me. Someone who I needed just as much.

It was like I had become hollow inside, like I had always been hollow. A sinking feeling swept over me and I knew what it was. I had felt this before. Loneliness. It still hadn't left me; it was just buried, only pushing up to the surface once given the opportune time. And being so disconnected from everyone was giving that feeling the chance to eat me alive.

The flight attendant put her hands on her hips, waiting for me to comply, but I was being stubborn and I didn't care.

"The music is coming into my ears, not his." Why couldn't I just listen to my music in peace?

"Yes," the flight attendant said with a firm smile. "However, it still creates a noise that isn't quite as loud, but is present nonetheless." The tone of her voice had become snobbish and she now spoke to me in a slightly belittling way as if I were a clueless child. Her attitude only fueled my annoyance into hot anger. She wouldn't treat me that way if she had any idea who I was.

"It would be greatly appreciated if you would consider turning your music down a bit," she finished. Oh, I'll turn it down.

"Of course," I said, smiling sweetly. "It is not my wish to be a disturbance to any onboard."

The flight attendant nodded and walked away, further up the aisle. I put the buds back into my ears and turned the volume up the rest of the way. I smiled to myself with satisfaction, chuckling darkly under my breath as I leaned back against the seat. Let's see how she likes that.

Best wishes to all of you in '08! My New Year's resolution is to get this story done. I hate that it's taking so long because I know there are some inconsistencies. :(