Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: I DO NOT have almost a hundred reviews for this story.. I... I... *bursts into hysterically happy tears*
And just for that, here's what you've all been waiting for... Who WILL she meet? Drumroll please...
"This is Ella."
Bella should have known after that less than stellar introduction that her night would only be downhill from there. She wishes now that she'd chosen the headache.
It really should have been clear the minute she'd met Amber outside of the bar, who hadn't been hard to spot in her bright red, spandex dress, that she was in over her head. She had hesitated before getting out of her truck, glancing down at her faded jeans, worn green converse and the tight black leather jacket she wore over a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt. She had thought it was appropriate bar wear when she'd put it on earlier, but when she looked at a wildly waving Amber, she wondered if she was under dressed.
"Bella." She corrected lightly, flashing Amber a strained smile.
Apparently Amber didn't appreciate being corrected, narrowing her eyes slightly before turning to her friends with an overly large smile.
"Like I said, this is Bella. We're in the same English Lit class."
"Isn't that the class you said you hated?" A red-haired girl piped up from her corner of the booth.
"Ugg... Yes, that class is so boring. Don't you agree Bella?"
Actually she enjoyed that class.
"Uh.."
Thankfully a man, clearly older than the rest of the group (but still pathetically trying to rock the 'I'm still a teenager' look) stood and offered to get the rest of them drinks.
He turned to her expectantly, giving her an appreciative once over. "And you?"
"Umm.. I'll just get a coke."
Judging by the look he shot her (the one being mirrored by everyone else at the table) that was another strike against her.
Perfect.
-oo-
An hour later, Bella sat in the vacated booth watching the red-head, who'd eventually introduced herself as Dina, gyrating hard enough on the dance floor, that Bella was seriously worried she was going to dislocate her hip. Amber stood off in the corner making out with the older guy that had plied her (and the other three) with alcoholic drinks all evening. Otherwise known as: 'Matt. He dropped out of college. Isn't that so bad ass?!' She had lost sight of the other couple about fifteen minutes ago, but was pretty sure the words 'back room' might have been mentioned at some point.
She frowned down at her drink wondering why the hell she was still here. She wasn't so desperate for company that she'd put up with... whatever the hell tonight had been.
After the introductions were made, and Bella became even more self-conscious at what she was wearing considering Dina and the other girl Becky were practically mirror images of Amber, she had pretty much become little more than table dressing. She had absolutely nothing in common with any of the people at the table and had officially been excluded from the conversation after the answers to the few questions she was asked apparently weren't 'cool' enough.
Why yes, I do prefer classic rock over the latest teeny-bopper, auto-tuned automaton.
The most attention she got was from 'Mr. College Drop-out' who kept trying to engage her in a round of footsies. Yeah, it stopped after she kicked him. Hard. In fact when the group had deemed it time to 'get their groove on' minutes later, she's pretty sure she saw him limp to the dance floor.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Bella turned at the sound of the suave voice, her eyes flicking from the deep v neck tee that stretched over some impressive abdominals to the overly gelled and perfectly styled hair. Most girls would find him attractive, she supposed. Judging by the smirk on his lips, he was definitely the type who knew how attractive he was and didn't hesitate to use those good looks to talk more than his fair share of girls out of their panties. Unfortunately for him, Bella wasn't the least bit interested.
"Got one," she replied, tipping the still half full glass in his direction.
He eyed the, obviously non-alcoholic, beverage in her hand and smirked. "Perhaps something with a little more kick?"
"Minor."
He leaned closer (god, did he bathe in cologne?) "I won't tell if you don't," he promised with a sleazy wink.
Okay. Time to call it a night.
She stood (inciting a grin from him) and grabbed her jacket from the corner where she had shoved it earlier. "Yeah, no thanks," she replied, slipping it over her shoulders.
Mr. Heartthrob stepped back. "What's your problem?"
He sounded so genuinely confused and insulted, that Bella felt a little bad for her brusqueness.
"Look, it's not you.. I'm just-"
He cut her off with a scoff. "Whatever, bitch. You're not worth my time anyways."
A perfect end, to a perfect night.
Heading to the door, she didn't even spare a glance over her shoulder to see if anyone had noticed her exit. She doubted she'd be missed.
Once in her truck, she realized she didn't really want to go home to her empty apartment just yet. All that waited for her there was the nightly 'dish' (she still cringed when her mother called it that) with her mother. Where she'd feel obligated to lie to appease the fact that her mother was 'so happy that you're finally making some friends, Bella.'
She noted that the night was balmy, cooled only slight with a gentle breeze and decided it was the perfect night to take a drive.
She drove aimlessly, mainly keeping close to familiar territory, but content in the knowledge that, should she start to drift, the sturdy GPS attracted to her dash would be able to guide her home. (Again, thanks for that gift went to Phil.)
Once outside what was considered the 'main hub of Galveston' (and the area Bella was most familiar with) she found herself idling at a fork in the road. She knew what lie straight ahead, a rather posh housing development that Bella had given Amber a drive home to once (pretty much guaranteed that wasn't going to happen again) and to the left and down a ways was a great little park that Bella liked to sit and draw occasionally, but the right...
The land immediately beside the road, looked like it was in the final stages of being a... she squinted at the sign 'The future site of Galveston Courtyard. Opening in Early Spring. Spots still open. For information call...' she couldn't make out the rest, but behind that she could see woods in the distance.
Shrugging her shoulders, Bella flipped the turn signal.
They say college is supposed to be an adventure.
She turned right onto Williams Road.
-oo-
"Dammitt," she snapped, hitting her hands on the steering wheel. "Of course it would decide to stall in the middle of nowhere." Up until that point, she'd been enjoying the drive, the cool night air blowing in her window and the soft hum of her radio in the background. It was strange, but she almost felt like she was getting... closer to something for each minute she was on the road. There had been the faintest buzz of excitement tickling at the outer edges of her mind that kept her driving, even as she continued getting further away from familiar territory.
She was definitely regretting that now.
Looking up she almost started at the sight of a house mere meters away from where she had pulled over to the side of the road. So focused on cursing at her predicament, she hadn't even noticed it. Strange.
It was a quaint little place, she give it that, but considering that it was the first house she'd seen on this road it was a bit unsettling that it was out in the middle of nowhere. It was..
Home.
Bella's brow furrowed. What? No, homey. That's what I meant, homey.
A little weirded out by her thoughts, and the itchy feeling that was prickling at her skin, Bella alternated glances from the dash to the pleasant cabin-like structure that was lit up invitingly. Fighting the almost desperate urge to take off towards it in a swift run. Something was in there. Something she needed.
No, Bella, she told herself sternly. That is exactly how horror movies start.
Her knuckles turned white as they clenched hard around the wheel. The urge didn't appreciate being ignored and had now began screaming at her, the new tugging sensation in her gut growing so strong she felt bile creeping up her throat.
Something wasn't right, something was...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sensations calmed and her body stilled.
"Are you alright, Miss?"
Wide eyed, Bella turned to the window. For a brief moment she thought it was a reflection she was seeing, because the look on the man's handsome face mirrored her own.
"I..." he started hoarsely, "you... do you need help?"
Bella cocked her head. She could hear the pleasant drawl in his words, but why wasn't she reacting like she normally did? Instead, she felt like she was having some sort of weird 'Goldilocks' moment. Just right.
She needed to get out of the truck.
Motioning him back, she opened the door and stepped from the cab.
It seemed like the moment was perfectly timed. As soon as she slammed the door behind her, the clouds that had covered the moon parted and cast a silvery light down on their exact spot.
This man glowed.
He was a foot taller than her, with wavy blond hair that was just past his ears and framed a pale, but extremely attractive face. Plump, dusty rose lips were quirked up slightly at the corner and eyes the color of tarnished gold glistened at her from beneath dark brows and thick, black lashes.
He appeared to be dressed in black, or some other dark color, from head to toe. A tight black thermal stretched tightly over his broad chest (where there was a peculiar round-shaped lump just above his breast bone), faded jeans that managed to be both snug and loose and what looked like square toed motorcycle boots, or maybe even cowboy boots on his feet. Trailing her eyes back up she frowned when she realized he seemed to be holding his breath almost as if he was waiting for her to... recognize him or something.
Now that she thought about it, he did look kind of familiar.
It was funny, but he reminded her a little of that ranch hand that had incited tears on her thirteenth birthday. Obviously this couldn't be him, he'd be in his thirties, at least, by now and this guy didn't look a day over twenty.
"Do I know you?"
The crestfallen look on his face sent a painful twinge to her heart. He stared beseechingly at her and not liking the feeling those endless golden eyes incited, she did her best to shake it off, choosing instead to focus on her truck.
"It broke down," she said dumbly.
"I have a phone in the house you can use," he offered. His staring was really, really starting to unnerve her.
"I have a cell phone," Bella countered, reaching into her coat pocket. She touched the screen as she withdrew it. Nothing. She realized she had forgotten to charge it after getting home from class that night.
"Dammit," She cursed softly. Rolling over her options, she reluctantly nodded.
As she neared the house, she was hit with another wave of familiarity followed quickly by panic. Why would this place be familiar? She had never been here before.
"No," she whispered harshly.
"What's wrong?" He questioned. "It's perfectly fine, Bella." He grasped her hand with his own and began leading her once again towards the house.
Bella gasped, not just at the coolness of his hand, but at the sudden warring of elation and dread that churned in her gut. "How.. how do you know my name?"
The man looked panicked, stumbling over his words. "I...I..."
Realizing they were still walking towards the house, she dug her heels in, halting his progress once again. "No, no, no, NO!" The last one was screamed, as she jerked her arm from his lax embrace, ignoring the tear of leather that filled the night air. Turning, she swiftly legged it back to her truck and ripped open the door. She hopped in the cab, and jammed her key in the ignition within seconds of slamming the door shut.
"Please...please...please," she began to beg under her breath as the engine grinded in protest. A forth turn of the key proved to be the charm as the engine caught and roared to life. Shifting quickly into reverse, she backed her truck up onto his lawn (not caring that her tires tore up his grass in the process) shifted back into first, and tore off in the direction she had originally come. Desperate to escape the house, and the golden haired man who stood heart broken in front of it.
Tears running down her cheeks, she ignored the part of her that desperately begged her to go back.
-oo-
Hours later, a still stunned Jasper shakingly dialed Peter's number. He didn't even wait for Peter to finish his customary "Yeah?" before interrupting him.
"She's back," he breathed, equal parts awe and disbelief coloring his voice.
"Bella's back."
A/N2: For anyone that reads my other story Freaky Twiday, I'm about to give the same spiel I gave over there. A few days ago I got the idea for a new story and I've been writing like a demon, seriously, my fingers are callused. And while I super happy that I'm blowing through it so fast, it has sadly pushed every thing else to the side. I tried to write this chapter at least a dozen times and just... blanked. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at the rate I'm going I'll finish my story in a week or so and be able to refocus on this one. And until that one IS finished, the updates for my other stories are going to slow slightly. I repeat slightly. They WILL NOT stop. It's just going to take me a bit longer to get them out. So instead of my weekly updates, it will be somewhere in the vicinity of two weeks instead...
Argg.. I promised myself I wouldn't become one of those authors... Please bare with me. And thank you again for all the support and amazing reviews!