Hello again, people! I was SUPPOSED , yes I said SUPPOSED, to update on Saturday but I got in trouble for running up my mom's cell phone bill and then she took the laptop and told me not to get on the desktop. So I had to WRITE this chapter and some of chapter four that still isn't finished, but its close...i think. I need some ideas though……

Disclaimer:"As long as Reader4Lyfe doesn't try anything funny, like trying to steal my characters, then she's good in my book."

Chapter 3

EPOV

I leaned against the wall in the seat at a pizzeria, sitting next to Emmett. He was telling one of his stupid jokes to Jasper who was on his other side. I closed my eyes and tuned him out, his booming voice fading into the background of my mind. We were waiting for Rose and Alice to show up. They―particularly Alice―wanted me to meet their new roommate. I grimaced at the thought. Last year when they introduced me to their roommate, the girl wouldn't let me go! Her name was Tanya. She somehow managed to get my cell phone number, room number and a schedule of my classes. Rose and Alice claim they didn't give them to her.

Tanya was everywhere! She called me and text me a million times. She showed up at my classes, my room, and my music lessons. Rose and Alice became annoyed with her 'ogling', if you could call it that. Somehow they managed to 'torture' her enough to get her to leave. I had to admit, though, she was pretty, but strawberry blondes who are delusional psychos, aren't really my type.

I opened my eyes when I felt Emmett shaking the wildly. He was waving. I knew they were here. I tried hard to keep the grimace off my face, as to make a good impression for their next new roommate. I didn't sit up straight. I waited until they came closer to really pay attention. My gaze travelled slowly up the three figures that reached the table.

When my eyes reached hers, I swear my heart stopped and restarted about three times. Those brown eyes, they seemed to just draw me in like a fish on a hook. I remembered her form before I saw her eyes. Beautiful and perfect in every way possible. Rosalie didn't have anything on her. Curves in all the right places, her brown hair seemed to glow in the faint light of the pizzeria. Her eyes, though. Her eyes… They seemed to be hiding something. Something that's been happening to her for years. I wanted to find out. I needed to find out. I knew it'd be hard, though. She seemed so fragile and vulnerable. I had to try something. . .

BPOV

"Um. . .Bella?" I heard a sing-song voice say. "Bella? Earth to Bella? Are you in there?" A hand waved in front of my face.

"I think she spazzed out. Maybe you should slap her." I realized, a second late, that is was Alice. The bronze-haired guy shot her a dark look then flashed me a crooked smile. I almost fainted. Almost. But I blushed and they all laughed. I blushed even harder.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Bella, these are the guys." Alice gestured to them with a hand. "That's Edward in the corner, my brother. That's Emmett in the middle, my older brother and Rose's boyfriend. And last but certainly not least, Jasper on the end. He's Rose's twin brother and my loving boyfriend." Her eyes sparkled and Jasper laughed.

"Hi, Bella. Nice to meet you." Edward said. Velvet and soft was how his voice sounded. It made the words sound like music.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett boomed.

"Hi, Bella." Jasper said.

"It's nice to meet you all too." I said. I slid in the seat across from Edward, Rose was next and Alice was last. I sort of a little left out. Everybody had their significant others, except me. Well . . . maybe everybody. I wasn't sure about Edward. The waiter came then. Jasper ordered the cheese-filled crust pizza with pepperoni for himself and Alice. Emmett ordered a half Meat Lover's and half extra-cheese pizza for himself and Rose.

"Bella?" Edward said. I looked up at him from my insanely interesting spot on the table. "What would you like?"

"Um…whatever y-you order is fine with me." He smiled that crooked smile again. Dammit! If he does that again I swear I'm going to hyperventilate! I screamed at myself.

"We'll have a large extra cheese and pineapple pizza." My jaw dropped. I LOVED pineapple pizza. And he ordered sprite soda, too! I'd dip the crust in it when I was finished. I wonder if he did that too.

"Man, Edward! How can you eat that!" Rosalie said, clearly disgusted. I laughed at her face. Edward did, too.

"I like it, too." I said. Edward looked at me. Maybe he really thought I wasn't going to eat what he ordered. His eyes green gaze trying to figure out whether or not I was telling the truth. Everyone's head snapped in my direction. I blushed since I was in the spotlight. They all laughed once again. I blushed even harder. Dammit, I hate blushing. When they sobered, they all got into their 'relationship bubbles', except for me and Edward of course.

"This your first time here?" He asked.

"Yeah. Well, my first time going to this school. I went to a different high school when I was home and I spent two years at another boarding school in Pennsylvania."

"Where are you from?"

"Forks, Washington. You?"

"Alaska. Same goes for Alice and Emmett." Well that explains the paleness of their skin. He looked down and his brows furrowed like he was trying to figure out a hard math problem.

"So?" I said since the silence was beginning to bite me.

"So…" he replied.

"Where's your 'significant other'?" I did the air quotes. It took a second for me to realize what had just come out my mouth. I brought my hand up to my mouth, my eye brows raised. That wasn't supposed to slip out! "Oh! I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. I don't want to invade on your personal life." Stupid, Bella. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Edward's eyes looked pained a first but then he covered it with amusement. Cue crooked smile.

"It's okay. I don't have a girlfriend."

"Why not?" Damn curiosity!

"Because, I'm not really into girls who are shallow. They're always all over me. They try to. . ." He paused, searching for the right word. ". . .enhance. . .certain parts of their bodies that I'd rather not see." I laughed at his facial expression. He looked sort of horrified and disgusted at the same time. Edward looked up at me through his lashes.

"Not funny." He said.

"Whatever you say." I said in between laughs. The food came then. Emmett ate like a bear! He even ordered another large Meat Lover's pizza. Who knew one person could eat so much food! Rose and Alice looked at me like I was crazy when I dipped m pizza crust in my cup of sprite. Jasper shook his head, Emmett's laugh boomed throughout the pizzeria and Edward looked completely amused. I was totally stuffed after four slices of pizza and two and half cups of soda.

"Hey, Rose. Bathroom run."

"We'll join you." Rose tapped Alice on the shoulder. She seemed slightly disappointed that we popped her little bubble with Jasper. I envied them. They have something I could never wish to have. No one would want someone that's been beaten for most of her life. Someone with bruises on most of her body. They'd think I was weak and take pity on me. I don't their pity. I need a new life.

"You like him, don't you?" Alice ambushed me when I came out the Stoll.

"No." I said too quickly. And then blushed.

"Yes, you do." Rose said. I dried my hands and sighed. Even if I kept denying it, they'd eventually make me crack. I was too much of a pushover.

"Okay, maybe I do. A little bit."

"I knew it!" Alice squealed.

"Now, hold on, Alice. Don't get any ideas. If he does like me, which I have no reason why he would, he probably wouldn't even want to, what with the way I practically drooled all over him earlier." I just had to embarrass myself in front of five I'd just met today.

"Bella. We may have just met but I think we're going to be pretty good friends. So trust me when I say, you are beautiful." Alice said. I couldn't doubt the sincerity in her voice. It almost made me believe her. Almost.

"Whatever you say, Alice." She squealed again. Rose smiled. We left the bathroom. Emmett paid the bill. Jasper looked like a mountain compared to Alice. Jasper wrapped his arm her tiny waist and walked out of the pizzeria. Emmett followed suit, only he didn't look like a mountain. He was more bulky with brown curly hair instead of blonde. That only left me and Edward. He held the door open for me.

"Bella, I'm going with Emmett. I might be back later tonight or tomorrow." Rose called from the big jeep I'd parked next to earlier. That had to be Emmett's. It seemed reasonable enough. A big boy, a big car. I laughed mentally.

" 'Kay, Rose. Have fun!" I waved. Edward chuckled behind me. They drove away.

"Same here. Bella." Alice called.

"What?! Alice?! How am I supposed to get back?"

"I could take you." Edward offered.

"See you later, Bella." Alice called before speeding away like a crazed maniac.

"She set this up." I muttered. "I'm gonna get her."

"That might be a little hard to do." I turned around to Edward and all his glory.

"And why is that?"

"She's smart. She'll figure out what you're trying to do even before you do. I swear it's like she can see the future." He explained. "Let's go. It's getting g late." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the silver Volvo that was parked next to Emmett's jeep.

"so you're the shiny silver Volvo owner?" He opened my door for me. He was on the other side of the car, getting in, in a flash.

"Yup. That's me." He flashed his pearly whites. I blushed and looked down. We sped back to the school in silence. Sometimes I'd catch Edward staring at me when he thought I wasn't looking. He 

looked like he was trying to figure me out. Well good luck with that, I thought. I never really got too close to people because of Charlie. I had a few friends but they didn't know much about me. But for some unknown reason, I felt . . . safe around all of them. I felt like I could trust them with my life. A surge of fear ran through me. Feeling safe was an unusual feeling for me. I'd just met them all today. What if something happened? What if they did something to hurt me? I felt like an outsider in their little group. Now, I felt scared. I can't take any more pain.

EPOV

I glanced at Bella every few seconds. I couldn't help it. She seemed to light up my car. I loved it when she blushed. Her face looked happy. But that joyous looked was short lived when a flash of fear settled itself on her features. I wanted to reach out to her, to take away the fear but I was at a loss of what to do. I watched her more closely, now. Not really paying attention to the road.

Anger coursed through me when her face turned full blown scared. Who would want to scare her? Who would she fear? She was the nicest person I'd ever met. I pulled into a parking spot next to a midnight blue BMW. It was quite nice, actually. Bella got out and went to it. She unlocked it and grabbed a bag out the back seat and then locked it again. She walked towards the building. I hurried in after her.

I walked next to her. She hadn't spoken a word since the pizzeria. I was worried. We'd reached her room by now and she was fumbling with her keys. I put my hand on top hers to steady it. She looked up at me, the fear still there. I opened her door. She stood there. I grabbed the hand that wasn't holding the bag and pulled her in. I closed the door and sat her on the couch.

"Bella?" She looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to be hurt anymore. I can't take any more pain." She whispered. I had to strain to hear her. What was she talking about? I'd never hurt her. I don't think I ever could hurt her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stay with me. Please, Edward." She whispered. "I don't want to be alone. I can't be alone." She started shaking. I grabbed her hands and rubbed circles on the back of them. It calmed her, but only slightly. She then started crying. I wish I could know what she was thinking, so I could help her. I wrapped my arms around her. Bella clung to me for dear life, gripping my shirt so tight I thought she'd tear it to shreds. I rocked her back and forth until she quieted. She still kept her death grip on me, though. This was going to be a long night.

I know this chapter probably wasn't that good. I spent two days on it and it's not really what I was aiming for but I couldn't let my readers wait any longer. The next chapter is going to be Bella telling 

Alice and Rose what Charlie has been doing to her and her mother. There's other stuff too but I don't have it all together yet. I'm still for a beta…if you're interested send me a message. I need some ideas for later chapters, too. Things are gonna juicy so stay tuned.

I'll try to get you guys the next chapter tonight..TRY

I need some reviews...guys. puppy dog eyes

Reader4Lyfe