All recognizeable characters are property of Stephanie Meyer and the author makes no financial gains from using them. I just like to make them spoiled little rich kids.

This story will bounce back and forth between the present time (senior year) and the summer before. Please do not hesitate to PM me with any questions you may have.

Big thanks to Kaila for betaing this for me.

Thank you to those of you who have added my story to your favorites or alerts, I really hope you enjoy it. The first several chapters should post pretty quick, but they may start to slow down after chapter 10. Thanks for reading!

June 28th

James spent the rest of the afternoon with his Xbox, mindlessly absorbed in Madden NFL. No matter how many times he scored, he couldn't get Isabella out of his head.

"James, honey," his mother said, coming into the room, her cloud of Chanel No.5 enveloping him. "Your father and I are headed out; Marcus is preparing your dinner: quiche and crab cakes."

"Alright, thanks," he said, tonelessly as she kissed him on the cheek. Quiche, yuck; he shuddered when she had left the room.

Madden soon lost his interest, so he made his way into the kitchen. He pulled up a stool to the center island in the state of the art kitchen his mother had redone last year and ran his finger over the smooth tiles.

"Master James," Marcus greeted him, cheerfully. "Hungry?"

"Not for quiche and crab cakes," James said, sullenly.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I made you French toast instead," Marcus responded and James' face immediately perked up. James loved having breakfast foods for dinner, but his mother never allowed it, telling him that it wasn't proper.

"Breakfast foods are to eaten in the a.m. hours," she had informed him.

"French toast with fresh strawberries." Marcus slid the plate in front of James.

"My man," he said bumping fists with Marcus. "Delish." James' eyes rolled back into his head as he popped a strawberry into his mouth.

James ate in silence for a couple minutes before Marcus began making small talk. James normally didn't mind talking with Marcus; he had been there more for him during his family's summers here than anyone else ever had.

"I see there's a new family on the beach this year," Marcus said as he began to pile the dishes into the sink.

"The Swans," James said through a mouthful.

"I hear they have a daughter," Marcus said, coyly awaiting James' reaction.

"Isabella," he answered, popping another strawberry into his mouth.

"You've met the young lady then?" Marcus was doing his best to seem uninterested. He had seen James make his way through the girls in town every summer and was waiting for the right girl to come along and smack some sense into the boy. Marcus cared for James as if he were his own son and didn't want to see him end up like his father, having late night "business calls" with his secretary every other night.

"We went to the market earlier," James said, attempting nonchalance at an event he hadn't been able to stop thinking about since.

"What's she like?" Marcus casually began washing dishes.

"Cute, nice rack," James said, trying to remember how he'd described most of his conquests to Marcus. James quickly realized that Isabella was not like all the other girls he'd fucked over his summers here. "Actually, she called me on my bullshit."

"I like her already." Marcus smirked at him. "Those are the good ones."

"The ones that call you on your bullshit?" James asked, confused.

"That's normally the first sign of finding the right girl," Marcus informed him as he began drying the dishes. "First they call you on your bullshit and then they've got you quoting Shakespeare." Marcus chuckled, remembering his youth.

James stopped chewing on the large bite he had in his mouth and looked up, perturbed. "Are you quoting Shakespeare my young friend?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Dickens," he answered, swallowing his food.

"Great Expectations or A Tale of Two Cities?" Marcus' laugh echoed throughout the kitchen.

"Great Expectations," James mumbled under his breath. He finished the rest of the food on his plate and leaned back stretching slightly.

"Seems to me like you could use some ice cream," Marcus suggested.

"Do we have any?" James asked.

"I'm sure we do, but you'll probably want to go into town to get some," he answered. "Perhaps you could show the young lady the best place to go."

James smirked at him. "You're alright, Marcus."

The air had grown slightly cooler as it usually did this close to the ocean and James had pulled on a pair of track pants with a comfy white t-shirt. He wandered slowly down the row of elaborate houses that were mostly dim, waiting for their families to liven them up at the end of the week. He reached the Swan house and rang the bell.

"Who could be calling at this hour?" he heard Mrs. Swan's voice inside. "Yes?" she said, impatiently as she opened the door. "Oh, James." Her tone changed immediately when she realized it was him. "Is there something I can help you with dear?"

"Good evening Mrs. Swan. I'm sorry to be coming by so late," he apologized.

"Oh it's only nine thirty," she said, waving him off.

"I was wondering if Isabella might be interested in getting some ice cream with me."

"Who's at the door, Mom?" He heard Isabella's voice as she came down the stairs her nose still in her book.

"It's James, dear. He's come to see if you'd like to get some ice cream," she informed her daughter with a smile.

Bella appeared next to the door wearing a pink pair of dance pants with a white racer back tank top and her hair pulled up adorably into a messy bun. James thought she looked so cozy all he wanted to do was cuddle up with her and forget everything else. He shook his head quickly trying to get rid of the thought.

Stop being such a pussy, he said to himself.

Bella glanced at him for a moment pursing her lips. "Alright," she finally answered. "Let me go put on some shoes."

James waited in the entry way at the bottom of the stairs and felt mesmerized as Isabella came bouncing back down them.

"So what brought this on?" Bella asked as they began walking down the street.

"Well, I was in the mood for ice cream and I realized you don't know the area very well and thought I'd be generous and bring you with me."

"It was a nice thought," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "Thank you."

"Have you seen the movie for Great Expectations?" he asked.

"Yes, I wasn't impressed," she answered, honestly.

"What's your favorite movie?" he asked and found that he really did want to know.

"Cruel Intentions," she said and he laughed a little bit.

"I could see that about you," he said. "Ruthless bitch gets what she deserves and the innocent girl takes off in the car."

Bella made a face before responding. "Actually, I was rooting for Sarah Michelle Gellar's character."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"I was really hoping that at the end it would have all been a huge set up by the two of them and he'd come out from somewhere," she paused for a moment. "Each time I watch it, I keep hoping the ending will change."

"And has it?"

"Not yet," she said, smiling up at him. "What about you?"

"Well, I tell everyone that it's Fight Club," he answered.

"Complete guy flick." She nodded and then added, "You said that's what you tell everyone…"

"In truth, I'm pretty partial to The Count of Monte Cristo." Only his closest friends knew that and he was surprised that he had just given her the information.

"Excellent movie," she agreed. "Although I never understood how anyone didn't realize the son was Edmond's."

"Me too!" His eyes lit up as he continued, "the kid looked just like him! I was like really are you blind or something?"

"I guess that's why it's a movie," she said, laughing and he joined her.

"Nana's?" Bella questioned as they walked up to the ice cream shop.

"Hey, don't mock," James scolded her. "Nana's makes the best ice cream you'll ever have and she makes tons of flavors."

"Is Nana still alive then?" she asked as they walked in, the little bell above the door chiming cheerfully.

"No, she past on about three years back, but her daughter runs the place now and it's still just as good."

Nana's wasn't a big shop, but it wasn't small either. There was a long counter that over looked the tubs of ice cream and miscellaneous ice cream gadgets all along the back wall. There were about three booths on either side of the door decorated in blue and white checkered pattern. There was a fifties feel to the place, but everything gleamed as if it had just been put in. Framed posters of older ice cream ads lined the walls along with antique ice cream makers. James loved Nana's and had since the first time his dad had brought him in. That was back in the day though, before the yoga instructors and secretaries that now took up his father's time.

"What would you like?" he asked, motioning to the wall behind the counter that displayed all the different kinds of ice cream Nana's offered.

"Strawberry," Bella replied without taking time to look over all the flavors.

"Strawberry?" he asked, giving her an odd look. Bella ignored him as the lady behind the counter began to assemble her ice cream.

"And for you, sugar?" the older lady behind the counter asked him after handing Emerson her strawberry ice cream.

"Espresso fudge pie," he answered with a smile.

"So what's in that anyways?" Bella asked as they began the walk back.

"Coffee cinnamon flavored ice cream with espresso fudge pie mix and a swirl of fudge," he answered, taking a bite.

"Sounds like you've got too much crap in there to me," Bella said.

"Well, I guess I couldn't expect a strawberry girl to understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella's annoyance was painted all over her face.

"You like strawberry because it's simple and old school. Not a lot of mystery and you can count on it to never change."

"I guess that explains why you got what you did as well," she replied.

"How so?"

"You had to get a lot of different things, because you can never just decide and take part in one thing," she explained.

"Touché," he replied, taking another bite.

"There's something comforting about strawberry though, don't you think?" she asked, looking up at him. "Like it takes you back to when things were easy and you didn't have much to worry about." She looked lost in thought for a moment before she continued on. "Like not getting that scoop of ice cream before bed was the end of the world."

"You've got a point." James remembered how he and his dad used to get vanilla when he first brought him here. Simple, classic, the thought of something lost long ago.

"You can never go wrong with classic vanilla son," he'd told him.

"Do you want a bite?" she asked, stopping and turning towards him. He glanced down meeting her eyes and didn't take his gaze away from them as he licked her cone.

"It is comforting," he acknowledged with a shy smile.

"And messy too apparently," she said, swiping her finger across his nose and wiping off some ice cream.

"My nose is sticky now!" he complained.

"Come here," she motioned with her finger and he bent to her level. She lightly brought her lips to his nose and kissed it. "Better?" She stared softly back at him with a small smile.

"Much." He smiled back and took her hand as they continued to walk.

Marcus was in the kitchen flipping through one of his chef magazines when James arrived home.

"Marcus, my man, you are a genius!" James tossed a container of pralines and cream to him.

"How old is this?" Marcus asked, opening the container wearily.

"Chill man, I went back and got it after I dropped her off."

"Thank you then," he said pulling out a spoon. "How did it go with the young lady?"

"Quite well I think," James nodded. "At least I wasn't quoting this time."

"You kiss her?" he asked.

"She kissed me," he replied, cockily.

Marcus raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"On the nose," James admitted, letting the wind out of his sails.

"So the plot thickens." Marcus laughed as he made his way to his quarters. James turned and trudged up the stairs pulling his shirt over his head as he went.

James' room faced the ocean and he looked out over the calm sands listening to the waves roll in. He thought about Isabella and lightly touched his nose smiling to himself.

Glancing down on the side of the house, he noticed a couple bikes his family had purchased last summer and an idea struck him. He quickly ran back down stairs and left a note for Marcus to find in the morning.

He was staring out onto the water again before deciding to turn in for the night. Just before he turned, he noticed a light flicker onto the sand a little ways down. He couldn't help but wonder if Isabella had the same room he did and if that was her light.

Present day

"So, tell me about the new girl." Emmett slid under the bar and placed his hands in his most capable grip. Edward stepped behind his head and mirrored his hands over the bar.

"I don't really know anything about her," Edward replied as Emmett pushed the weight up.

"Bullshit," Emmett growled out as he pushed the bar up again.

"No bullshit." Edward shook his head at him.

"Dude, she's fucking living with you and since I know the only vacant room in your house is the one across from yours," he paused, pushing the bar up again, "you're also sharing a bathroom with her."

"She just got here yesterday and was in bed by the time I got home last night and gone by the time I got up this morning," Edward told him honestly.

"Well, your families go way back right? Otherwise she wouldn't be staying with you," Emmett observed. "So, you must've met her before."

"I think we spent one summer together when we were six or some shit," he answered, becoming slightly annoyed.

"What good is it to have the new hottie staying with my best friend if he doesn't know shit about her?" Emmett groaned, setting the bar back in place and sitting up.

"My apologies for being of no use to your attempt to get laid," Edward returned as they switched spots.

"That's right bitch, you should apologize." Emmett grinned.

"Take some of these weights off will ya? Ya damn gorilla." Edward nodded to the weights on the end of the bar. Edward could bench as well as the next guy, but no one in the school could press as much as Emmett McCarty.

"Well well, look who it is," Emmett sang as James entered the weight room.

"Sup?" James nodded to his two friends before picking up a couple free weights.

"We're just talking bout the new girl," Emmett quickly filled him in while James did his best not to scowl in response. All anyone was talking about today was Isabella Swan and it was the one subject he did not want to discuss. "She's hot right?" Emmett grinned.

"She's alright." James shrugged.

"Alright enough for the first fuck of the summer it seems," Edward observed remembering the conversation prior to the bet.

"Yeah," James responded noncommittally.

"So, what's the story then Evans?" Emmett asked, excited for the sordid details.

"I hit it and quit it." James shrugged. "She's no different from any other piece of ass."

"She's not, huh?" Edward asked, somewhat amused.

"No, Ed," James stressed his name, "she's not."

"It's Edward, prick," Edward corrected; he couldn't stand it when people shortened his name and his friends knew it. "And if she's no different, why do you look all tense?"

"What the fuck, man, you turning into a chick or something reading my body language?" James asked annoyed. "And why the hell do you care if I look stressed?"

Edward shrugged in response his patented smirk taking over his face. "I'm just saying that the Evans I used to know never looked this stressed after lunchtime head," he returned before heading off to the other side of the room. James watched him walk off with an angry expression on his face.

"Come on James," Emmett said, stepping up beside him. "What's the real story?"

"That is the real story," he growled putting the weights back and trudging away.

Bella and Alice sat next to each other in the school's grand dance studio surrounded by the other girls on the dance team and watching their reflections in the many mirrors as they stretched their long limbs. Alice had on black dance pants with a bright pink scarf tied around her waist that matched the pink tips on the ends of her hair. Her rainbow colored top stopping slightly above her belly button.

"Shopping in kids again I see," a tall blond with extremely long legs said to Alice as she brought her leg up behind her head.

Bella looked shocked that anyone had dared to speak to Alice that way. It was the first sign of disrespect she had seen given to her new friends all day.

Alice smirked slightly before replying. "And Dr. Hale did a fabulous job sucking all the fat out of your ass before school started again." The girl's face fell as her leg dropped back down. "Please, tell me," Alice said continuing, "how does one recover so quickly from having thirty pounds of fat removed?"

Bella stifled a giggle at Alice's retort and then continued to stretch out her ankles. Alice flitted her way over to the stereo to pick out the music for this afternoon's class when she was joined by Jessica and Lauren, two girls who had been on the dance team with her since freshman year.

"What's with the new girl?" Jessica asked, hopping up onto the table the stereo was sitting on.

"I'm putting her on the team," Alice replied, annoyed that she had to explain herself.

"I thought we didn't take on any newbies unless they were exceptional freshman?" Lauren asked with her hands on her hips.

"She is quite exceptional," Alice returned, still annoyed as Jessica started swinging her legs. "Get your fat ass off the table before you make it collapse."

Jessica glared angrily in response. "I. Do not. Have. A fat ass," she said hopping down all the same.

"I don't know Jes," Lauren said, tilting her head to glance around Alice. "I think all those croissants in France added a little too much."

Jessica threw her friend a scowl and turned back to Alice. "So, the new girl?" she asked again.

Alice turned around to face the two of them. "I'm captain and it's my decision. So, you can take your places on the ends in the first line and shut up, or you can dance in the last row for the whole year." Alice smirked at the scared looks on their faces.

It was no secret that Lauren planned on getting a dancing scholarship and knew she would never be seen if she was dancing in the back row. She dropped her complaint and walked off to her position. Jessica knew she had no ground to stand on and began to walk away as well.

"Oh and Jessica." Alice leaned over the table waiting for Jessica to turn and face her. "You might want to sign up for some extra hip-hop classes to dance off your little problem there before competition season starts." Alice smiled an almost genuine smile which increased Jessica's anger even more. Bella had to laugh at the whole exchange. Alice was a tiny little thing, but you definitely didn't want to mess with her.

"So tell me again how were getting home," Bella asked Alice as they made their way out of the dance studio and across the empty parking lot.

Alice rolled her eyes and shifted her bag onto her shoulder. "J and Emmett have football practice the same time we have dance. As long as they're not participating in any extracurriculars, we'll be home right on time," Alice explained.

"Extracurriculars?" Bella asked, scrunching her eyebrows together. "Like James' lunch time activities?" Ugh James, she thought, even saying the name made her want to retch.

"Yeah," Alice said, a small smile playing on her thin lips. "Something like that." She motioned to the red and yellow skirts lined up along the chain link fence where the players were beginning to emerge from the locker room.

J walked straight up to them ignoring all the freshman and sophomores trying to get his attention. "So, doll," he said, staring intently at Bella. "You gonna let me give you a ride home?"

"Um, I think I'm going to pass today," she said, looking at him coyly.

"Prefer to walk?" he asked arrogantly.

"No." A small smile played on her lips as Emmett joined them. "Say Emmett," she said running her hand along his muscular arm. He looked down at her and smiled, his dimples prominent.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, his brilliant blue eyes dancing.

"I was wondering," she began, not taking her hand off his arm, "if you'd mind giving me a ride?"

"Honey," he said, running a finger down her taut stomach, "You can ride me anytime you want." Jasper rolled his eyes and began focusing on some of the girls that were still along the fence.

"Don't even think about it." Alice lightly slapped his face and brought his attention to her. "I most certainly will not be walking." She smirked as she handed him her bag.

"Alright pixie girl," he said and swung her over his shoulder, "it's you and me." He tipped Emmett a small salute and headed for his Dodge Viper in the stadium parking lot.

"So how about that ride?" Bella asked him, coyly.

Emmett hoisted his football bag higher up onto his shoulder and slid his left arm around Bella's waist. "You know, normally I'm all for a quick ride with a pretty new face," he admitted, looking at her seriously now. "Something tells me I might just want to wait a little while for your sweet little ass."

Bella smirked and slapped his chest gently. "All I'm asking for is a ride in your car, home," she said still smirking. "As for any other type of ride, why don't we just play it by ear?"

"Music to my ears." He opened the door of his Porsche Cayenne Turbo and helped her inside before tossing his gear in the back.

There was a light knock on the door frame of Edward's room and he looked up to see Bella standing in his doorway. She stood there barefoot, but still in her school skirt and had removed her crisp white shirt to reveal a stretchy lace camisole that barely covered her breasts.

"Yes?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.

"I think you owe me an apology Eddie."

She stepped lightly into the room and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the door with her arms tucked behind her. Her highlighted hair was a sexy mess all over her shoulders and he thought of all the things he could do to apologize, though he couldn't remember what he was apologizing for. Edward lifted himself from his bed and stalked over to her putting hands on either side of her like she had done that afternoon to him.

"What, pray tell, am I apologizing for?" he asked, smiling cockily down at her.

"For showing my panties to the whole school." She looked up at him innocently. "I told you," her voice was almost a whisper as she ran a finger down his now bare chest. Funny, he didn't remember taking his shirt off. "If you wanted to see, you should've just asked." She hooked her finger in the top of his khakis. "I think," she said, smiling up at him and pushing lightly toward the bed, "that since you saw mine, it's only fair that I get to see yours." She had him backed against the bed.

"Fair's only fair right?" He grazed her neck with his lips. She bit her lip and nodded up at him. He unbuttoned his pants and unzipped them letting them pool around his ankles before kicking them away. She let her gaze wander down his bare chest to the bulge in his silk emerald green boxers.

"Aw," she said, gazing up at him with adoration. "You match all the way down."

"You misunderstood though," he said, running a finger down her spine and resting on the top of her skirt.

"Oh?" She looked up at him with faux curiosity.

"I didn't get to see yours." He placed a chaste kiss at the nape of her neck.

"Fair's only fair though, right?" she asked, looking up at him biting her lip.

"Right," he agreed, pulling down the zipper on the back of her skirt.

It slid easily down her smooth legs and fell to the floor. Edward took one look at the white lace undergarment she was wearing and lifted her hips to his waist as he sat back on the bed. He felt her warmth over the thin material of his boxers and began kissing her in earnest. He slid his hands over her bottom and began to slide a finger inside the front of her panties, feeling the soft lace against his hand.

"Oh Eddie," she said breathlessly, "touch me. Please," she begged. "Touch me Eddie. Touch me Eddie! Eddie!" She shouted as his finger slid to the inside of her thigh.

Right before he touched her warmth, he sat bolt right up in bed, catching his alarmed expression in the mirror over his dresser. After he had his breathing under control, he sank back into the navy pillows on his bed and pulled the matching comforter up.

Eddie?

He thought, wondering where the name had come from. No one called him Eddie. Everyone called him Edward, even his closest friends only called him Ed to piss him off.

Eddie?

He couldn't wrap his head around it. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and glanced at his alarm clock. 3:23, it read, the green numbers lighting up his dark room.

Eddie, he thought again before rolling back over to try to go back to sleep.

AN: Reviews are love and they'll get you a preview of the next chapter. Thanks for reading!