So here's the next chapter of Three Wrongs Make A Right, and I'm really happy about the response I'm getting. More and more people are adding this story to their favorites or alert lists. A lot has happened since I last updated. For instance, we had Senior Night for the band at our last pep band of the year, and we found out that we're going to Orlando, Florida next year for a Disney St. Patrick's Day Parade. Isn't that so awesome you could just burst? We're all really excited, and I tell myself every day that I'm going to Disney next year. That'll be my highlight for the next twelve months. As well as the fact that by the time I actually go to Disney, New Moon will be in theaters. Anyways, I've babbled more than normal, so it's only right to give you the next chapter.

Chapter Song: Alive, By: Becki Ryan

Chapter 8: Burning Like A Fire

X-x-X

Bella

"Are you sure about this?" I questioned, as I looked myself over in the mirror. My eyes were full of terror as I looked down at myself, and I couldn't believe that I had actually agreed to let Alice of all people dress me up.

"Of course I'm sure. When have I ever led you wrong?" Alice demanded, sounding offended.

"Right now," I grumbled as I turned around to see the back of my dress again.

Yes, a dress. Alice had informed me at lunch today that she and Jasper had reserved seats on the most extravagant dinner boat in town, called The Spirit. She and Jasper were coming with us, which was a bit reassuring for me. Even though I was a little bit unsure leaving Riley in Emmett's care for the night, Alice and Jasper had assured me that he had plenty of Wii games ready for her, and that Rosalie was off with her parents on dinner so there would be no chance that Riley's innocent eyes would be burned out of her head.

The dress Alice had stuck me in was hyacinth blue just like the sweater I had worn yesterday, but in a darker shade. She'd chosen that color because last night at the cookout, Edward had complimented it after I had asked him to dinner with me. It was a halter-top dress that revealed most of my back. Alice was going to provide me with a white half-sweater to wear over it so my shoulders wouldn't freeze. It was fairly low cut, so Alice had played it up by providing me with a push-up bra. The dress had its share of ruffles at the bottom, but I wasn't particularly concerned about the dress (though I will admit I had many doubts).

I was concerned about the shoes.

Of course Alice had bought me the most expensive pair of stiletto heels she could find. I had been all for wearing my favorite ballet flats, but my best friend had insisted that those were not suitable for a nice dinner with Edward. She had said that if I tripped over myself, Edward would be there to catch me.

Basically, I'd have to have him glued to my side for the entire evening.

Riley was waiting downstairs with her Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett. Emmett was here because he was waiting to take her away to his place for the night. And since it was a Sunday, I wouldn't be seeing my daughter until rehearsal tomorrow. Which, of course, worried me a little bit. But I knew I could trust Emmett to protect her and keep her safe at his place, so that at least was a comfort to me.

I was about to get up when Alice pushed me back down onto the bed. "Hang on!" she exclaimed impatiently. "I need to finish your make-up, Bella!"

She reached into her bag to pull out her lavish make-up kit and I was instantly nervous. But I allowed her to dab foundation all over my face, and brush blush across my cheeks. She even applied a bit of lip-gloss to "perk up my already beautiful lips" she had said.

"Now you're just dashing, Bells," she complimented me as she helped me to my feet. I looked down at the stiletto death traps with contempt, but I knew that I'd have to master the art of walking in them if I even had a hope of being with Edward on a boat tonight. Alice smiled and took my hand. "Come on," she encouraged me. "Let's go and show your daughter what a pretty woman you are."

I blushed and allowed her to lead me down the stairs.

Riley was sitting on the couch with her Uncle Jasper, and the pair of them had been laughing at something Emmett must have said while Alice and I were upstairs. As soon as I came into view, she hopped to her feet and rushed over to me with brightness in her chocolate brown eyes.

Jasper too rose from his seat, but his eyes were only for Alice. She had chosen to wear a strapless black number that had glittery white and red roses sewn along the bottom hem of the dress. A fake flower had been clipped into her hair, and she looked very much like an angel dressed in black. She could pull off being beautiful without even a blink of her eye. I wish I had been so lucky to have those traits.

"Mom, you're beautiful," Riley told me, wrapping her slender arms around my waist and giving me a gentle hug.

"Thanks, honey," I murmured. "But I think these shoes will be the death of me," I confided, gesturing down towards my feet. She looked down and giggled.

"Edward will be there to save you," she chirped, mimicking Alice's words from not even moments before. Sometimes I wondered if those two had a psychological link drilled into their minds.

"Sure he will," I grumbled. "He'll probably run away as soon as he sees me."

"Nonsense," Alice piped up. I glanced over at Jasper and her, their hands were entwined as they gazed at me. "You're so breathtaking that I think you'll be the first one to give any Cullen a heart attack."

Jasper laughed at her choice of words. It was a stiff, forced laugh. "You're dashing, Bella," he complimented me. "Edward… he won't regret this." His serene brotherly smile was enough to make me feel a little more confident about myself. Though I could tell there was bitterness behind his seemingly peaceful tone.

"Damn, and I thought I'd never see the day when Isabella Swan got dressed up for something other than a cast party," Emmett commented. He had seemed to move into the entry hall where we were all waiting/standing, and his eyes roamed my figure like a disapproving parent might whenever their daughter was about to go to some nightclub. "But you look pretty, Bells."

"Thanks Emmett," I said with a blush rising to my cheeks. "I really appreciate it."

"What time should we be setting off?" Jasper asked his fiancé, holding her recklessly close as he planted a romantic kiss on her temple.

Alice didn't seem to notice his action, as if it had been the natural thing for him to do. "We'll leave right after Edward comes to pick up Bella. Which should be…" She paused to glance around the corner into my kitchen so she could see the clock. "In about five minutes. How about we move into the living room?"

Riley beamed at me, and led me into the carpeted living room and sat down beside me on the couch where she and her uncle had been sitting moments before. Alice and Jasper shared an armchair – she was sitting on his lap. Emmett was just sitting in another armchair, fiddling with his cell phone that had been in his pocket. He appeared to be texting someone, and I suspected that it was probably Rosalie.

Those five minutes had to be the longest five minutes of my life. I was constantly fiddling with my dress, earning dirty looks from Alice every time she noticed what I was doing. I was constantly glancing up at the clock hanging above the entrance to the living room, and I could have sworn it was moving far too slowly for it to be actual time. Nobody really said anything of interest to me – Jasper and Alice were discussing what they would be doing tomorrow after rehearsal, and Riley was simply resting her head on my shoulder.

When the doorbell finally rang, I jumped. Riley raised her head off my shoulder just in time for me to shoot to my feet and begin pacing frantically.

"He's going to think I'm some kind of klutz!" I moaned. "He's going to hate me!"

"Bella, calm down right now or I will not open that door!" Alice threatened, and I reluctantly obeyed. A million doubtful thoughts were shooting through my head, and I could hardly stand it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the age of thirty-two.

Alice pranced to the entry hall and I heard her open the door.

"Why Edward, you look like a prince!" I heard her chirp. "When did you get so handsome?"

"When I got away from you," I heard his velvety voice tease his little sister. I heard Alice giggle at his audacity and then she said in response,

"Well, Prince Edward, your princess awaits you."

"I'm not a princess," I grumbled to myself. Emmett snickered and Riley frowned at me as if she would beg to differ. Jasper didn't seem to hear my doubtful remark – his eyes and ears were presumably focused on Alice. They were so involved with each other sometimes that I often wondered if their love even existed or if it was some kind of happy ending to a typical fairy tale.

Suddenly, Edward was in the doorway. As soon as his eyes were on me, his eyes widened. He paused there, not sure of what to say as he took my figure in. I blushed, knowing it was because I probably looked so ugly in this dress that didn't deserve my albino looks and my painfully plain features.

"I know," I gushed before he could even get a word out. "I look horrible. The dress is too pretty for someone like me and these shoes are practically begging to be the death of…"

"Bella, stop," Edward commanded me, his voice firm. I looked up to see his emerald green eyes smoldering into mine like he was seeing straight into my soul. "You're perfect. More breathtakingly beautiful than any Hollywood actress I've ever seen on the red carpet," he complimented, and I turned a new shade of red. Riley giggled beside me – she seemed to like the fact that I was being complimented.

Alice beamed and Jasper scowled. Emmett snickered again as he shoved himself to his feet. He wrapped an arm around my daughter's shoulders and moved away from me with a grin on his face.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to take little Riley here back to my place. She's about to get her ass kicked on Guitar Hero, like she should have long ago," he announced boldly to everyone. Riley rolled her eyes and shared an amused looked with Edward. Then she looked at me, gave me the thumbs-up, winked, and broke away from her soon-to-be uncle to wrap her arms around my waist in a tight hug.

"Good luck, Mom," she whispered.

"Love you, sweetie," I said, kidding her forehead. "Be good for Uncle Emmett, alright? And try not to beat him too much. I don't want to see you tomorrow to find out you've got a black eye because you're too talented for your own good." Riley giggled and departed from me, going with her Uncle Emmett outside to his huge Jeep. Edward silently watched me through all of this as I watched Emmett drive my daughter away. She waved through the semi-open window as the Jeep disappeared from sight.

It always worried me a little whenever I could no longer see my daughter. I suppose that was just a part of being a protective mother. I knew I could trust Emmett with her for one night, even if he was a little rambunctious. He still loved her like crazy, so I knew she was safe in his hands.

"Shall we?" Edward offered me his arm after a good minute or two, and I blushingly rested my hand on his and he flashed a lopsided grin my way. I think my heart skipped a beat.

"Let's go!" Alice urged us. "Check in time is in a half an hour! We'll never get there in time if you two keep stalling! Move it!"

Edward and I shared a laugh as he led me out side to the driveway. His silver Volvo rental car was parked there gleaming next to my rusty old pickup truck. I must have looked something like that compared to this beautiful green-eyed man who had probably agreed to go to dinner with me because he felt extremely sorry for me. I could hardly remember that Alice and Jasper were going to be with us as he opened up the door for me. He smiled a sincere smile and gestured for me to get in. Wordlessly, I did.

He shut the door for me as I was putting on my seatbelt. Edward went around to the driver's side and slid in next to me, putting on his seat belt and starting up the car. We had to pull out first, since Alice and Jasper's car was right in front of his. They were getting into it as he began pulling out of the driveway.

"So how was your day?" he asked nonchalantly as if we were merely co-workers going out on some kind of business cruise. Something about that assumption made my heart twinge.

"It was alright, I suppose. Riley was playing Guitar Hero all day, saying she wanted to beat you at it someday. I think the next time you visit, she'll be waiting to challenge you," I told him truthfully.

That made Edward smile. "I suspected as much," he chuckled as we began driving. "Your daughter is extremely talented. I'm sure she'll get the knack of it."

His compliment to Riley now made me smile. I looked down at my hands, which were folded in my lap. "Yes, she is," I said softly, suddenly wanting to share with him just how talented she really was. Not just at guitar or acting, but as a person and in her personality. How brave she was, how smart she was, and how many times she had stood up for me to those asses that I unfortunately had once called my boyfriends.

"What about you though? How did you spend your day?" Edward asked me now, looking away from the road. This bothered me greatly, but something about his hypnotic eyes soothed my fear. He wouldn't get us into a car crash.

"For the most part, I did taxes and watched my daughter have fun. Not much of an exciting day," I confessed.

Edward, however, seemed to find this extremely fascinating. "Are you always so involved in your daughter's life?" he questioned curiously.

Before my mind could respond to that question, my tongue already was spewing the words out of my mouth. "Of course I am. Riley and I… we've certainly been through a lot together and I don't think we'll ever really split off from each other until she finds a husband and is dragged off by him." My mind, for a split second, thought of Seth Clearwater. I gritted my teeth and forced the image of the young male actor out of my head. I didn't like thinking of him, considering as he had the potential of winning my daughter's heart.

Edward didn't question that, though most other men would have asked me what kind of stuff we had been through. I appreciated that, like he was respecting my privacy. Although, there was something behind his silence that made me sense that he wasn't allowed to question in that department. I think Jasper must have had a talk with him.

"How was your day, then?" I questioned, trying to break the silence.

"It was quite uneventful," was the tart reply. "I sorted out a few scenes to rehearse on Monday and I made a few calls to remind everyone of call time. Quite a boring day, I must admit."

"Oh."

The remainder of the ride to Navy Pier was quiet. Neither of us really looked at each other, nor gave any signs of speaking. It just seemed to be a mutual sort of pleasant silence we shared, because even though nothing was being said, plenty was being thought. I could tell it in the calculating look in his eyes, and every time he glanced at me, I was sure that he saw something of the same kind in my own eyes.

For instance, my thoughts wandered to Riley's performance on stage. The only time I had ever really paid attention to her on stage was at the auditions. I felt bad for not being her supporter those other times, but I'd had business to take care of back stage. I hoped that she didn't resent me for it, because I was positive that she felt at least some kind of remorse. I would have.

I also thought about what would be happening tonight, because in reality I was very scared of what this event might turn into.

If I thought about it, I really was scared of getting into a relationship with Edward. Though he appeared to be sincerely intelligent, sweet man, he could have a darker underside that nobody knew about. That was how all of my previous boyfriends had been. They had all turned out to be complete psychos.

I would never find it in me to forgive myself if Riley was to be hurt yet again by one of my mistakes. I knew it should have been me that had gotten shot by James, or beaten by Jacob, or raped by Laurent. But now, Riley was the one to suffer the injuries, and bear the marks of my bad judgment. Every time I accidentally walked in on her dressing in the morning or at night, when I saw her scar from the bullet, it made me want to cry. Every time I noticed her crooked arm, it made my heart twinge. Every time I was reminded that she wasn't an innocent virgin anymore broke my heart.

Would Edward be any different?

I didn't consider him a boyfriend. Of course I didn't. In fact, just the word sent shivers down my spine – but not of pleasure or of excitement. Of remorse and hatred. I didn't want to put Edward through that.

So why was I here?

"Bella?" came Edward's silken voice, breaking through my reverie. "Are you alright?" He sounded anxious.

"Hm?" I turned my head towards him, eyebrows raised in questioning as he took in my countenance. "Oh, I'm fine. Are we there?" I looked around to realize we had stopped.

"Yes, we're here. Do you think you can walk a little ways? Alice said that there was no parking on Navy Pier. An annoying fact, if you will, but apparently you of Chicago think much of this collection of shops," he told me, sounding almost a little disdainful at the mention of it.

I rolled my eyes. "Well we here in Chicago value our monuments. Thanks for offending one of our greatest assets," I snorted. "But yes, I can walk."

Edward seemed satisfied that I was now myself. A smile broke onto his face as he slid out of the car and opened my door for me like a real gentleman. He smiled as I passed, and offered me his hand this time. I couldn't see a way why it would be a bad gesture, so I took it. The skin of his hand was as smooth as stone, and a little cool compared to the average human's. I remembered that Alice felt similar whenever we hugged. It must have been a family trait.

Alice and Jasper joined us. They must have parked somewhere close by. Jasper frowned at noticing Edward's and my interlocked hands, but said nothing of it. Instead, he just shook his head and took Alice's. She leaned into him slightly as she observed Edward and I as a couple, and seemed pleased with the image.

She led us out to Navy Pier, which was only a minute's walk, and down the pier to where a large boat was waiting. Alice reached into her purse and produced four tickets with fancy lettering on them. She handed each of us one and got in line to board. Edward and I joined her and Jasper in line, and some more couples got in line behind us.

It wasn't a long wait to get on the boat, and one of the workers swiped our tickets in a fancy-looking machine that was hardly fitting to be on a boat. What had Alice gotten us into?

A guide, who had received what was left of our tickets, smiled. "You'll be in the basement floor, for Couples' Night. Find yourself a pair of tables and you may seat yourselves. Just down those stairs, and through the double-doors. Have a great evening," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Alice thanked him kindly, and for a moment the guide was taken aback – as if he had only now discovered her beauty. Jasper took notice of this and held her a tad bit closer as he led her down the stairway. Edward looked at me and gestured that I go first. This was going to be a disaster.

Actually, it turned out that I was able to make it to the bottom step without killing myself. I awaited Edward to join me, and together we followed Alice and Jasper through the double doors.

The place itself looked exceedingly fancy.

There were tables lining all around the gigantic room. There was a dance floor in the middle, and a buffet of food just in front of it. A bar was a little farther down, complete with stools and even a few drink machines. Across from that was the DJs' station, where a tall man with brown hair tied back in a ponytail was standing, going through what seemed to be a list of songs. Beyond that was a valet section guarded by what looked like professional security guards. Alice led us right up to them and showed them our tickets. They waved us through.

I stared, shocked.

"How much did you actually spend to get us here?" I asked in a low hiss.

"Oh, relax, Bella. I'm sure you'll live through the night knowing that your best friend got you into the best possible conditions to get to know a really good guy," she retorted. "Go find your table."

She walked away with Jasper on her arm.

Edward and I exchanged a glance and took a table in the far corner by the windows. Looking out, I could see the darkness of Lake Erie, though its waters were reflected with beautiful city lights. It was breathtaking. Almost as breathtaking as the man I was sitting across from.

I still couldn't believe that he had agreed to go on this cruise with me.

We spent five minutes in silence, until the D.J (whose name was Garrett) told us all the information we needed. The valet would get the first dibs at the seafood buffet, the restrooms were behind his booth, the deck was open to everyone, and that the dance floor would be available as soon as the buffet was cleared to a corner that apparently had been reserved just for it.

A waiter gestured us that it was our turn to get our food, so Edward helped me out of my chair and carefully led me to the line. I tripped over the heels once, but he steadied me before I even had a chance to fall. He smiled at me, and I felt blood rush to my face in embarrassment. He chuckled at something on my expression and gestured that I take a plate.

I did so, and went through the buffet.

All of the food looked fancy, and it was all seafood. There were salmon filets bathed in this garlic-like sauce, pasta with shrimp in it, some kind of tuna mixed in with this expensive looking cheese, and all sorts of other things. It all looked delicious, but I only took a salmon filet and a little bit of pasta. Edward got some shrimp and cocktail sauce with a tuna filet. He took me back to our table sat across from me.

"This looks good," I remarked, breaking the silence. It was beginning to make me feel unnerved.

Edward had begun peeling his shrimp. He looked at me through his perfect eyelashes and smiled. "Yes, it does," he responded. "Alice must have put a lot of thought into this."

"She wouldn't tell me how much she spent to get us on here," I told him before I took a bite of my salmon. It was just as delicious as it had looked.

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "I suspected as much," he commented. "My little sister has a knack for spending a lot of money and making things as wonderful as she can. I think this is nice." He gestured around us to show he was talking about the cruise.

"Riley would like this," I remarked, my mind briefly going to my daughter. I wonder what she was doing right now?

"You should take her sometime," Edward amended. "Perhaps I could take the pair of you. I'd be honored to do so."

I blushed again. "You don't mean that," I warned him.

"What if I do?"

I looked down and fiddled with my fork. He took this time to pop the shrimp he had been peeling into his mouth. "Nobody means it when they say stuff like that," I confessed in a small voice. "None of the men I know, anyway."

There was a pause as I heard him swallow. "Bella." I looked up to see him frowning. There was something in his eyes – maybe it was curiosity or concern. I couldn't really tell, but I was instantly lost in his gaze. "I don't know what happened to you, but I know it was serious. And I promise that someday I'll take you and Riley on this same boat for the same kind of dinner. Will you believe me?"

"I suppose," I said quietly, going back to my dinner.

We then lapsed back into silence again, eating our dinners peacefully. I think he was satisfied with my answer, because something about it had tugged the corners of his lips. As I was finishing my salmon and pasta, my eyes wandered over to Alice and Jasper's table where they seemed to be talking. Alice had just laughed at something my brother said, and Jasper was smiling. I didn't miss how their hands were connected over the table.

"Bella." Edward had called my name again. I turned my head to face him. He now looked a little nervous, and I wondered what he wanted to ask. "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I'd like to ask you something extremely personal. Please don't be angry with me."

I was on my guard now. I eyed him carefully. "What?"

Edward fiddled with his glass of water. "Bella, I want to know something. Everyone has been saying that you've gone through a lot. Like I said, we haven't known each other for very long but… do you think you could tell me a little bit about what's happened? I want to be someone you can confide in Bella, someone you can trust. Can you take that first step?" he asked, looking at me with desperate green eyes.

I froze. I hadn't been expecting that. Flashes of James, Jacob, and Laurent flooded my mind and I let out a shaky breath, trying to steady myself and not show that I was having a problem. But Edward saw through that, somehow, and he frowned anxiously.

"Bella?"

"I… I need to go to the bathroom for a minute. Do you mind?" I asked breathlessly, desperately needing to think this out without him watching me.

Edward wasn't surprised by my request, so he just sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

I didn't hear the rest of his sentence. I was already flying towards the bathroom. A couple at the bar turned their heads to stare as I dashed down the steps. Normally I would have cared, but right now I could have cared less. I almost tripped and fell down the stairs to the bathroom itself, but I managed to keep my balance by myself. I crashed into the door of the ladies' restroom and went in.

I was in luck. Nobody was in there. I sank to a sitting position against the wall by the door, hiding my face in my hands as my mind wrestled with itself.

On one hand, I could tell him. But I knew that if I told him even the tiniest bit, the rest would come spilling out. Perhaps he was a caring man who wouldn't cringe away from me every time he looked. Perhaps Edward actually did want to know because he wanted to make sure that I was alright. If all of that was true, then what was the harm in telling him?

But on the other hand, I really didn't know him that well. Edward could turn out to be the type that only liked women who were perfect. It would suit him, since he was so remarkably beautiful and perfect himself. He could turn out to be the teasing type who would make fun of me for what I'd done. I twitched to even think that. My friends knew better than to tease me about that life.

"Bella?" Alice was suddenly poking her head into the restroom, and she spotted me. "Honey, what's wrong?" Despite her tiny frame and arms, suddenly she was beside me with an arm around my shoulder and holding me close.

"He… he asked me to tell him what happened," I told her in a terrified whisper. "I don't know what to do."

Alice considered this for a moment, and I decided to sooth my frantic mind by just observing her peaceful, thoughtful expression. I could only imagine how Jasper looked right now, since he was probably informed that I was upset or something. But by the look on my best friend's face, she hadn't told her fiancé a thing. Hopefully he didn't suspect anything either. I didn't want Edward to be murdered on my behalf.

"Bells, I think you should tell him," Alice informed me confidently. When I looked at her in a panicked expression, she pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Look, my brother can be a complete dunce sometimes, but I guarantee to you that he will understand."

"But do you? I'm so scared… he might… he might hate me for the bad decisions I've made. I'm a horrible person for letting those things happen to my daughter. My daughter, Alice. My baby girl. How could he not hate me?"

Alice shook her head stubbornly. "Bells, think about this for a minute. I found out because Jasper dragged me to the hospital that one night and I saw Riley and you on those beds. Believe me, Bella, Edward won't hate you. I've known him my whole life, and I know he would never dream of seeing you like that. The people that do are complete assholes, okay? Tell him. He'll understand, I promise." She smiled at me and winked. "I can see it."

I looked at Alice calculatingly for a moment. She was really being serious. She trusted her brother, so couldn't I? Alice had absolute faith in him, so shouldn't I too? For some reason, I couldn't force myself to see her reasoning.

"Alice, I'm still scared," I confessed.

"I know you are Bells. You deserve to be after what those pieces of shit put you through. Believe me, if I ever saw one of them again, they'd be the ones in the hospital. And I'd probably be in jail for attempted murder," Alice told me. "One day you'll get to trust Edward, and you're going to be glad to have him as a friend, or something more if this goes anywhere. He's a good man."

"O… Okay, Alice," I said. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. "Thank you so much."

"So are you going to tell him?" she asked me curiously, raising a small eyebrow as she observed me. She helped me to my feet and I checked myself in the mirror. I looked fine, since I hadn't been crying.

"Yes… yes, Alice. I'm going to tell him. Just try to have Jazz not get at his throat tonight, okay?" I responded.

Alice gave me a grin and gave me a hug now. "Proud of you, Bells," she chirped before dancing out the door of the restroom. Letting out a deep breath, I steadily followed her out.

EOC: Oh! Horrible place to end it for you guys, eh? Ha, I decided this would be a good place to stop. I also know exactly what this cruise was like, because my band and I went on that same boat, and were on the same floor. It was a LOT of fun. Also, considering, as I said last chapter that I would post a small spoiler/sneak peek at the action coming up in a few chapters, I'm posting it now. If you don't want to read it, you can go ahead and exit out now or review or whatever you want. If you'd like to read it, read on! Let me know if you liked it. Here it is:

Bella's POV

"Thank you, Edward," Riley said, wrapping her arms around my boyfriend's waist. "You're the greatest father a girl could have."

Edward looked surprised but pleased at this comment, but nobody had much time to take in the full effect of that remark.

"Why, that's so flattering. Thank you, Riley," a voice sneered behind Edward and Riley.

As soon as I saw past them, my hand flew to my mouth and I let out a gasp. Standing there, his beady brown eyes fixed on our daughter, was a thirty-three year old James. He had grown out his hair since I had last seen him, and it was down all the way to his shoulders. He was wearing it back in a ponytail, but nothing about his face had changed. He still had those beady brown eyes and that fierce smile that now sent shivers down my spine. He was wearing a tux, and on his arm was a ravishingly beautiful redheaded woman. She was smiling as if she was with the most amazing man in the world.

Edward spun around, his arms spreading out behind him protectively, shielding my daughter and I from James. He must have seen my expression.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he snarled, since neither Riley nor I had the strength or courage to even speak to him.

Riley whimpered, shrinking away from her biological father with terror on her face. I'd never seen her so scared, so I wrapped her into my arms and held her tightly. I crooned to her quietly, trying not to show how afraid I was as well.

James glared at Edward, and I flinched away from that gaze. It was the same look he had given me before… before he had shot my baby. I suddenly feared for not only my daughter, and myself but also for the man I loved. Edward had kept his rigid pose, only now he had backed up so that his hands, now extended backwards, could touch my upper arms and draw me closer to his back.

"I wanted to see if I could talk to my daughter after an amazing performance on stage. Is that illegal?" James demanded, and the female attached to him snorted, looking haughty.

"It is when you shot her twelve years ago," roared someone behind us. Suddenly we weren't alone. Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and even young Seth had rushed to our aid.

A small streak of black hair and pale skin shot past us. My eyes widened in horror as Alice shot herself at the crazed man with her fists extended and her emerald green eyes on fire.

EOSP: How'd you like THAT, guys? Who wants to give Alice some flowers? I think you'll find out what happens when we actually get there, which, sad to say, doesn't come for a while. Don't come murder me, okay? Just wanted to keep you guys interested. Thanks for sticking with me, and let me know what you thought of the sneak peek! Until next time. – Dark and Wild