BELLA'S POV

I don't quite remember how long the trip was, or even how I wound up where I was now, but I woke up feeling refreshed with the warm sun hitting my face. I could feel smooth sheets under me; somehow I'd ended up in a bed.

Sitting up, I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes before stretching my arms over my head. The room was as big as my living room and kitchen put together. It was well-furnished with a tan and cream color coordination. Against the wall was a collection of CDs and books. Adjacent to me was a large mirror and a dresser, where someone had unpacked some of my personal items. I looked to my side, where the sun was coming through an open door. My eyes swept the room one last time, and a small piece of paper caught my attention-a note from Edward.

My Bella,

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and I went out hunting. Jasper, Alice and Emmet stayed behind. Don't hesitate to ask them for anything you need or may want. You know they would be more than delighted to be at your service. I assume you slept well; you slept so soundly in the car and on the boat to the island that you reminded me of an angel. I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I will come back to you soon.

Yours always,
Edward.

Emmett had stayed? Rosalie must have still been upset with him; usually they did everything together. Oh well. It was none of my business.

As I got up, I noticed I was wearing a silky blue nightgown. I stepped in front of the mirror and groaned. How the hell had I managed to sleep throughout my wardrobe change as well?

"Oh, Alice," I said to myself. The dress had a low V-cut in the front that was too revealing for my taste. The sides of the dress hugged my hips. I knew Edward had enjoyed the sight of me dressed like this, but I didn't. I looked over to the open door leading outside and began walking to it. I ran my fingers though my hair in an attempt to tame it.

I stepped out onto a small open patio right outside my room and was in awe. It was breathtaking. Before me lay a mass of aqua water that was so clear I could see almost to the bottom. There were towering palm trees hung with fruits. It was the kind of place I could only dream about. I could see sand, apparently some kind of beach, and a small little hut. The sky was bright and the sun beamed through the clouds; the air smelled sweet, like coconuts or some sort of fruit. The warm air had an undercurrent of a cold breeze that came from the water. Slowly I turned away, as if afraid if I turned too quickly, it would all disappear.

Stepping back into the room, I caught the smell of sausage and pancakes. My stomach growled faintly; I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I followed the scent down a hall with pristine white walls. It looked as nice and modern as their house back home did, but this one had pictures of the Cullens at various places. My stomach was growling at every sniff I got of the breakfast someone was preparing for me, or assumed was for me, as I was the only human in the house. As I got closer, I could make out the cheery voices of the three beautiful Cullens I had been left with.

Suddenly, I realized I had left my room with just the nightgown, and I quickly turned around to go back to my room. I wanted to get a shirt or shawl to cover my exposed skin.

"Hey sleepy head!" said Emmett loudly from behind me.

I screamed, startled, and fell against the wall. I slid down to the floor into a sitting position.

"EMMETT! DON'T STARTLE THE POOR GIRL SO EARLY IN THE MORNING! SHE HASN'T EVEN HAD A BITE TO EAT!" yelled Alice from the kitchen. I could hear Jasper laughing.

Emmett looked down at me and grinned. I looked up at him and noticed he was wearing a flattering white shirt, on which was printed a black panther, with a pair of green shorts. For some reason, he looked more handsome than usual; the colors complimented his complexion well.

He knelt to my level and I was able to see that his eyes were black. I could feel my breath increasing in speed. Every time I filled my lungs with air I breathed in the sweet-smelling air that surrounded him. My eyes became a little heavy and I felt as if I was floating, almost like a small high. He smiled and raised his hand to my neck, and I stiffened. I was sure my eyes opened wider in surprise.

"You're going to have to be careful if you're going to wear things like that," he said. He reached over, and I felt his cold fingers brush my skin as he pulled the strap of my nightgown up to where it should have been. I hadn't realized that when I fell the strap had fallen to the side. I nodded numbly as he stood and held his hand out to help me up. What I wasn't sure of now was whether or not I had revealed more than what I would want.

He put his arm around me, like he always did, but this time it felt different, less brotherly. It felt nice, and it sort of made me want to smile. He led me into the kitchen, and I couldn't help thinking how much nicer it was than the kitchen they had back home, which amused me since they didn't even use the kitchen.

Jasper was seated at the marble-topped island in the middle of the kitchen, and Alice was at the stove across from Jasper flipping a pancake. Jasper was wearing a light blue shirt and black shorts. His hair was more out of place than what I normally saw.

"Morning, Bella. You look...nice," Jasper smiled. Alice had her short hair in a small ponytail. She was wearing a white tank top and a white skirt.

"Of course she does, I picked it out for her," said Alice without looking away from the stove. "I hope you're hungry. I did a lot of research on what you humans like to eat. I hope this is enough." She pointed to the platter of eggs, sausages, and pancakes. I was supposed to eat this all by myself? It was enough to feed a whole family and still have seconds.

"Wow, Alice, this looks great. I'm not sure that I can eat it all, though." I said, sitting down next to Emmet. I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"You'll find somewhere to put it. I read somewhere that humans need a good, hearty breakfast to begin their day. Juice or milk?" asked Alice.

"Juice, please." I looked to the others for help.

"I think you may have overdone it a little, babe," said Jasper, smiling at Alice. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just when I got started, I couldn't stop. And I tried comparing what humans consume to how much I like to eat when I'm hungry. I guess that wasn't the best way to judge." She smiled at me, and handed me a plate and utensils.

"We bought enough food for you," she said, pointing to the fridge.

"More like enough to feed a whole army," joked Emmett from his place at the table, close to where Alice was standing. He and Jasper shared a laugh, which caused Alice to give Jasper a "look." I took a bite of the sausage I had on my fork, and when I looked up again I could see them sharing some sort of silent communication. Emmett nodded his head almost imperceptibly. Then Jasper looked at Alice. She smiled a bit and looked down shyly. Wait…ALICE? Shy?

Jasper had a twinkle in his eye. Emmett whistled.

"Oh brother!" he said, shaking his head. Alice snapped a look at him before she turned and smiled at me.

"Bella, will you be okay if we leave you on your own with this one?" She nodded towards Emmett. I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.

"Umm, yeah, sure," I said, with a mouth full of food. Alice immediately grabbed Jaspers hand and they both let out the room through the glass door, which led out to the beautiful surroundings.

"Careful what you break, you two!" Emmett yelled after them. He smirked at me.

Emmett and I sat in silence for a couple minutes, and the only sound in the kitchen was of my fork hitting the plate. I took a drink of my juice.

"Soooo, where did those two go?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Emmett laughed. "Are you serious?"

My confusion must have been apparent because he didn't wait for my answer. "Oh, come on. You didn't even notice Jasper's emotions radiating off him in the air?"

I shook my head.

"Oh, come on, even you can't be that innocent, Bella," said Emmett.

It finally clicked.

"OOOOH!" I said as I realized what he was talking about.

Emmett laughed. "Yeah. Exactly." I saw him look down at my food as I stuffed a piece of pancake in my mouth.

"Would you like to try some?" I asked. He made a face.

"No thank you. It took me a while to get used to animal blood and now you want me to eat animal meat?"

"It's pretty good." I said, trying to encourage him.

"Okay.. I'll give it a try." He stood up and got closer to me. He grabbed the fork, which was still in my hand, without giving me time to let go. Before I could stop myself, I shuddered. His touch felt like a shock wave, and I gasped. I kept my eyes on the plate. He stabbed at the sausage I had been eating from and brought it to his mouth. I refused to let myself look at him, but I could feel him staring at me.

He shoveled the piece of sausage into his mouth and bit down. My curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up, right into his eyes. They were pitch black; I'd never even seen Edward's eyes that dark before.

He let go of my hand as he began chewing the meat. I blinked several times and looked away from him.

"What do you think?" I asked.

There was a short pause, and then: "It tastes like...you."

I was caught off guard. "What did you say?"

"I can taste you on it. From when you took a bite. It tastes the way you smell." His tone sounded strange, but I'd heard it before.

It was the way Laurent had spoken to me the one time he'd found me alone in Edward's meadow.