I really appreciate everyone who has been reading and reviewing. :) I do plan on finishing this story, however long it may take me. I hope it doesn't take too long for me to update regularly. I'll make the effort, I promise. And yes, there will be more awkward moments in store for Bella! Many, I'm sure. Hopefully she'll learn to relax soon.

Chapter 4

I got up far too early the next morning, again. But this time it wasn't because I woke up in a cold sweat with a bad dream chasing me out of the comfort of my bed. This time it was out of anticipation. I felt like something had switched inside of me. I wasn't dreading the day and I was almost optimistic.

I showered quickly and went downstairs for breakfast, still in my towel. Since yesterday my emotions were going haywire from the start, so I really hadn't eaten much. I made up for it by making myself some french toast doused in syrup, something I hadn't eaten in a long time. I finished up my orange juice and headed to my closet to pick out something decent to wear. I didn't want to look like a complete slob around Alice, who would no doubt be immaculately dressed. It took a while to find something, but I managed to find a pair of skinny blue jeans and a green top that went well with my hair. Maybe I did need to do some shopping.

By the time I was fully dressed, it was only nine o'clock. I sat down in the dining room with my laptop, determined to find some furniture that didn't reek of the last five empty years. I'd saved everything I worked for since I didn't have rent to pay and only had to worry about food and utilities. Maybe... Maybe I could renovate the living room and kitchen. It would raise the re-sale value, I reasoned. Sure.

I felt productive, like I was finally awake after being asleep in my misery for so long. I don't know what had gotten into me.

Browsing around on Ikea made the time go by a lot faster. By the time 1 o'clock rolled around I had chosen a living room set and ordered a large flat screen from Best Buy to replace the old one, an indulgence I'll admit. I couldn't remember buying anything that wasn't priority since I moved out the first time. Flippant spending made me nervous and I didn't really enjoy buying myself things I didn't need. But I guess this was almost necessary.

The next three hours were slow-going. I wondered what this was going to be like. Was she joking about it being a date? Was she serious? Did she really have a crush on me? ME? She could have anyone she wanted, even without her good looks. She was charming. Why on Earth would she pick someone as anti-social and unexciting as me? My mind just wouldn't be quiet. She was probably just joking anyway.

I tried reading a book, but every time I started to read the words would fade from my attention and I would merely scan the page as I thought about what tonight would be like. I needed to relax, but I knew even the anti-anxiety medication would do nothing for me.

I sat on the couch and closed my eyes in the hopes that maybe I could teach myself to meditate. It worked, but all too well. The sleep I hadn't been getting was starting to catch up with me and I felt my eyes slowly grow heavier and heavier the longer I sat in the quiet of the living room.

Frustrated with myself, I got up and decided to clean the house. Getting up and moving around woke me up and kept me busy so I could almost forget I was about to go on a potential date. The time still went by slowly, but at least the house was clean by the time 3:30 rolled around.

I freshened up and tried not to wait by the door. Why am I so excited? Even if it is a date, it's not like it's the first I had ever been on. What was so special about this one that was making me shake? There was something my body knew that I didn't.

At exactly 4, a small knock came from the front door and my heart started to pound.

I went to the door timidly, looking through the peep hole as if I didn't already know who it was. Alice stood there looking at her hands held at her waist, her hair slightly less wild than usual, wearing a beautiful red blouse that contrasted with her pale skin and dark locks. Suddenly all the anxiousness fled from my body. I was a little nervous, yes, but I felt more at ease than ever that day.

I opened the door, my bashful smile already in place. Alice beamed at me and I watched as her eyes looked me up and down. "Hello, Bella. You look gorgeous." Her eyes met mine again and her grin grew impossibly wider. I blushed. Again.

I motioned her inside, stepping back from the door to give her room as she entered. "If you think I look gorgeous, you must not own a mirror." Alice frowned a little and my smile dimmed. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?"

Alice shook her head, her grin returning. "You are so wrong about yourself, you know that?" She turned around in a circle, studying the room briefly. "So, what to do first?" Her sing-song voice reached my ears even though my heart beat was pounding so loudly I could hear nothing else.

Calm down. I motioned her to move into the living room where she sat on the couch, glancing around as she did so. "Cozy. I like it." She smiled at me, her eyes bright and...distracting. It took me a moment to realize she had said something and I had to take a deep breath to concentrate. "Thank you. Do you want anything to drink?" I stood awkwardly, awaiting her answer.

"I'm fine, thanks. Sit with me?" She patted the cushion nearest her and I nearly tripped over the carpet under my feet as I moved by her. Once I had finally reached my destination, I realized this was the closest I had been to Alice and I could smell her perfume. Floral, but not too much so. Almost like freshly cut grass. It was comforting and I felt myself relax a little.

Alice's smile was still in place, a warm, genuine and observing expression I was beginning to grow fond of.

I smiled back, unable to restrain myself. Not that I really wanted to. "Thanks for inviting me out. It's been a while since I did anything but work."

"You are a workaholic, huh?" Alice laughed a little before shaking her head again. "And of course, it's my pleasure. I'm glad I'm the exception." She placed her hands in her lap, her voice dropping in volume. "I've also been a little anti-social, if you don't count waiting tables. The locals here are... different than what I'm used to."

"What are you used to?" I found my self asking, curious. "Where did you live before?"

She smiled again, and if I didn't know any better there was a glint of mischief. "Lots of places. I'm used to being around my family, mostly, and they are a lot more liberal than the people here. We're pretty tightly knit. After I got my degree, I moved to London with them for a year before coming back. I guess I got tired of the tourists."

She took a look around the room again before studying me. "So, are you ready to go shopping?"

The look of fright must have been apparent because she laughed and placed a hand on my knee, sending shivers. It must have been my social anxiety trying to reach me from the abyss the comfort she exuded. Or not. "Oh, Bella, you're so easy to read." She took her hand away and smiled. "Don't worry. I was thinking we could go to a bookstore... and then I can buy you dinner." Her smile widened and she stood up, offering a hand to help my clumsy butt off of the couch.

My hand reached for her's without much thought, but when they made contact I was surprised at how soft they were. But they were also freezing cold, and I had to stop myself from putting it between both of my own hands to help warm it.

"I can do a bookstore. No problem." I smiled back as we moved to the door and out to her sleek, yellow PORSCHE.

"Wow, wait a minute." I shook my head, confused. "A waitress with a Porsche. How did you manage that?"

Alice opened the passenger door for me, leaning against it as I followed her lead. "Let's just say, I helped my parents out a lot growing up." She winked and closed the door behind me before circling around and getting in herself.

I soon found out the hard way that Alice was a speed demon.

We got to the bookstore in record time, with Alice giggling the majority of the trip. Every time we reached a red light I grabbed the door handle to steady myself. The store was two stories high and stocked every book you could imagine. Needless to say, a bookstore like this was one of the few exceptions of my hatred for shopping and I think we both enjoyed it. As we glanced through titles I was surprised at just how many of them Alice had read. Far more than even myself, and I thought I was the biggest bookworm on the planet. Or at least the country. She had me beat ten fold. When we left, I bought some of the better novels I had read for my column and a few more that she had recommended. We both had exchanged recommendations at the bar and Alice bought every book I mentioned. I was flattered that my opinion held that much weight, and she had me smiling almost every moment of the trip.

It felt nice, more than nice, to be around Alice. I felt like the part of me that died five years ago had come back, the part of me that found the beauty in life. The part of me that took in everything with observant eyes filled with wonder at the world around me. Alice herself exuded this energy and it was so infectious that even a pessimist like myself couldn't resist it's pull.

The sun wasn't out, but it was hiding behind the clouds in a thin veil and the warmth almost met me through my jacket. We walked to the park near by, stopping to drop off the books in her car along the way. When we got there, I felt Alice close the distance between us and wrapped an arm around one of my own. It made me smile and my cheeks burn. We walked toward a bench overlooking the rest of the lawn, and I took a quick glance when I thought she wasn't looking to see Alice smirking slightly, looking down at her feet.

"What are you smiling at?" I poked her in the ribs.

Apparently I had surprised her, because her eyes widened as she looked up to me. "Oh, hmm..." She tugged at my arm slightly. "Just thinking, that's all. I didn't think I'd actually meet you, let alone get you to hang out with little ol' me."

My blush deepened and I saw Alice's smirk return. "I don't know what you mean and trust me, I'm nothing special. I'm so ordinary it's scary." Our arms stayed linked until we reached the bench and sat. Alice did stay close to me, however, the sides of our legs touching just slightly.

She turned to me as I continued, "I go to work, come home, read, go to bed and get up to do it all over again. And again, and again."

"You're something else." She patted my knee before resting her hand there, a look I couldn't define on her face. It was kind, warm, almost...loving...yeah right. "I think you're interesting, and I'd like to know more about you."

"Well, I'd like to know more about you, too." I said, softer than intended. My voice was cracking like a prepubescent boy again and I had to clear it before I continued. "By the way, you said your family was close. Do you have siblings?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have a brother and sister, Jasper and Rosalie, and a brother-in-law Emmett." She smiled, obviously happy to discuss her family. "We were all adopted by my parents, Esme and Carlisle."

The name struck me. "Carlisle Cullen?" I tried to keep my voice even as a dark memory surfaced inside of me. "Dr. Cullen. I don't know why I didn't think of it before... He helped me once, at the hospital."

Alice nodded, "Yes, he told me he remembered you." She gave me a small smile.

"I'm surprised I was a worthy topic of family discussion." I returned the expression, though my smile this time. "Did he say why I was there?" My voice was so quiet I could barely hear myself.

Alice's hand gripped my knee again softly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Doctor-patient rules still stand within family, Ms. Swan." She winked at me, brightening my mood almost instantly. "And my father is the epitome of professional."

My more genuine smile returned, relieved. Though I felt at ease with Alice, I wasn't ready to talk about it. About any of it. And I didn't want to scare her off. She didn't need to know that I spent a few days in their psychiatric ward to clear my mental stability.

"Tell me more about your family. You say you were adopted?" Changing the subject had never been easier, until I realized that it might be a touchy subject. "If you don't want to talk about that you don't have to, I'm sorry." Word vomit.

Alice smiled, and shook her head a little. "No worries, I don't mind." She took her hands in her lap again, twiddling her fingers. She was simply a ball of energy. "Jasper and Rosalie were taken in first. They were both five. They're twins, I forgot to mention.

"Then I came along when I was seven, they were both eight at the time. My biological parents were... I guess you could say less than satisfactory." She shrugged her shoulders, brushing off the frown that almost made it's way to her face.

"I'm lucky that Carlisle and Esme found me. They make up for any hardship I faced before they came into my life." She smiled at me. "But enough about me, what about you? Do you have any siblings?"

Almost, I wanted to say but stopped myself. "No, just me. I begged my parents for a sister for years but I was never very lucky."

"That's too bad. You can have one of mine if you'd like. I'd be glad to let you borrow Rose." She grinned, bouncing her shoulder off of mine playfully. "Then again I think you would mind." She sighed dramatically before giggling to herself. I think she could sense that I didn't want to talk about my family because she didn't press the subject.

We spoke a little longer. She told me all about her family and I told her all about my career in journalism. Again I was surprised just how easy it was to talk to her and I observed her graceful demeanor with interest. She was so beautiful and I just didn't understand how anyone could look the way she did. She was stunning.

We made our way back to her car as the sun began to go down. I made my way into the leather seat without bumping my head on the door, which earned me a mental gold star. Alice looked at me from the driver's side, her eyes studying me curiously. "I think you might be hungry, am I right?"

I opened my mouth to answer before my stomach made it's presence known in a loud and long growl. "Uh, I guess so." I laughed, embarrassed.

"Well then," she started the car and began to back out of the space, shifting into drive. "I'm going to buy you dinner."