A/N I just wanted to mention that Bella attends Columbia College, not Columbia University. I know Columbia University is in NY not Chicago :) Sorry for the confusion.

Chapter 6

Isabella Pov

~ November 12th, 2011 ~

~~ 0 ~~

~~ 0 ~~

~~ 0 ~~

I got out of Edward's silver BMW and headed towards the building, opening the door and stepping inside without looking back. Because if I did look back, I was sure I was going to stay there on the sidewalk and stare until he was completely out of sight.

I took the elevator to the fifth floor where I pulled my keys out of my bag and unlocked the door to the apartment, stepping inside quietly. I leaned with my back against the door and took a deep breath, closing my eyes.

I didn't even get a minute alone with my frantic thoughts before the darkened hallway became illuminated as Angela flipped on the switch. She was dressed in pajamas, had her hair pulled up in a messy bun and looked half asleep.

"How was it?" she asked in a hoarse voice, grinning knowingly. "Did you get laid?"

I huffed, turning my back on her. "I'm still not talking to you," I said, taking off my coat and hanging it on the hallstand. I removed my boots and kicked them to the side, heading towards the living room.

Angela followed close behind. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

"For as long as I see fit," I answered over my shoulder, plopping down on the couch.

She stood, her arms akimbo as she glared down at me. "So, you're not going to tell me anything?"

"Exactly." I placed my legs on the coffee table and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV.

"Oh, come on. I'm curious as hell."

I shook my head at her incredulously. "I still can't believe you let me go to his place alone."

She snickered in response. "I still can't believe you went."

I sighed, glancing at her. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just couldn't say no to Jess. She seemed like she really wanted me to go."

She rolled her eyes, not caring about my motivation for going. "Come on. Spill the beans already. I'm dying here."

"What part of I'm not telling you anything didn't you understand?" I said, throwing a pillow at her and missing.

"Don't make me get it out of you, because I will, and it's not going to be pretty."

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged mockingly. "What are you going to do?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, accepting the challenge. Whirling on her heels, she stomped out of the room with determination and returned seconds later holding my favorite pair of jeans and a pair of scissors.

My eyes widened. "What the hell?"

"Are you going to tell me?" She put a good sixteen feet distance between us, holding the jeans in one hand and the open scissors pointed towards them in the other, ready to cut.

"No," I said firmly, holding my hand open "Give me back my jeans."

"Tell me."

"No."

"I swear to God I'm cutting them," she threatened, starting to inch the scissors closer to the fabric.

I jumped to my feet, outraged. "Are you freaking crazy, Angela? Give them back." I started walking towards her, and she backed away, the scissors moving dangerously close to my jeans.

"Tell me," she demanded once again, heading over to the balcony.

"No!"

She stopped, shrugged nonchalantly and began moving the scissors in a cutting motion. "Say goodbye to…"

"Okay, okay! Stop!" I yelled, causing her movements to falter. "I'll tell you."

She grinned triumphantly. "I'm listening."

"First, give me my jeans back," I tried to bargain.

"Oh, no." She shook her head. "First you start talking. Did you have sex with him?"

I groaned, half annoyed, half embarrassed. "No, Angela, I did not have sex with him. His niece was there. Geez Louise. Who do you take me for?"

Disappointment flooded her facial features. "So nothing happened."

"Of course nothing happened. I barely even know him. And since when do I have sex on a first date? Not that it was a date or anything, but as a matter of speaking. Do you even know me at all?"

"Unfortunately, all too well," Angela muttered, throwing the jeans back at me and crashing in an armchair. "So what did you do?"

"We just had dinner and I left," I replied, starting to pace the room in front of her with my arms crossed over my chest in a defensive manner.

She cocked an eyebrow at me suspiciously. "You left home around six thirty and came back well after eleven. You had dinner for five hours?"

"Well, no, of course," I said, continuing my pacing. For some reason speaking about spending time with Edward made me nervous. "I had to make dinner first."

"You made dinner?" Angela gaped.

"Yeah." I nodded hesitantly. "Hot dogs."

"Doesn't he have a cook or something?" she questioned, her brow furrowed as her eyes followed me. "He looks like he has money, and lots of it. And for the love of God, stop pacing, woman. You're making me dizzy."

I halted in my tracks abruptly. "I have no idea, but yeah, he's pretty wealthy. You know who his father is?"

"Enlighten me," she said flatly.

"Carlisle Cullen." I raised my eyebrows, expecting to see recognition dawning on her face.

She stared at me blankly in return. "Should that ring any bells?"

I groaned, resuming my pacing. "He's a very well-known lawyer."

"How do you know this stuff? I for sure didn't know this, and my father is also a lawyer, Bella."

"Well, I actually read the paper and watch other things on TV aside from soap operas," I said pointedly.

She shrugged in response. "Luis Fernando is hot; you can't deny that."

"Anyway." I rolled my eyes. "His family is like… old money."

"So he was practically born with a silver spoon in his mouth," she concluded intelligently.

"Something like that." I headed over to the couch and plopped down, folding my legs under me. "He's way out of my league. You should have seen his place. He lives in this spacious condo that's just… dreamy."

"I'll tell you what's dreamy. He is."

"Yeah," I agreed with a sigh, gazing out the window. "Him too."

Angela chuckled. "So, you are interested."

"I am, but let's face it. He's way, way, way out of my league."

"Let me ask you something. Are we living in the Victorian era?"

I looked at her, not understanding the meaning of the question. "Uh…no. Duh."

"Then no one is out of your league. That's just stupid. You're smart, beautiful, educated, you have a sense of humor and on top of that you are a great cook. What more could a man want?"

"I don't know, let me think," I shot back sarcastically. "Maybe someone that is equal to him based on the social hierarchy criteria."

She huffed. "Are you really that stupid?"

"Wha…" I started to express my indignation, but she cut me off instantly.

"Seriously now. Trust me, he doesn't care about your money, or if you have any. He only cares about his."

"Whatever," I said, not agreeing, but not contradicting her either. "He's not interested anyway. He didn't even look at me like he found me attractive." I paused for a moment, then added in a low tone, "Plus, I think his wife died."

"What?" The new piece of information seemed to pique Angela's interest. "His wife?"

"Yeah. And I also think it's a very sore subject for him."

"Hmmm," she hummed pensively.

"Yeah." I sighed heavily, running my palms over me face. "Ugh… I don't know… he's just so… polite and… cold."

"Polite and cold? Isn't that like antithesis or something?" she asked amused.

I glared at her. "No it's not, genius." Then I went on. "He helped me put on my coat, opened doors for me and even drove me home. But I think that's just how he was raised, you know? He would have done the same for any other woman."

"Too bad," she said with a yawn. "He would have been a great candidate for a hot, unforgetable one night stand."

"I told you before, I don't want or need a one night stand," I said, getting up. "You know what? I'm going to bed."

"Already?"

"It's after midnight." I pointed to the clock on one of the walls. "I'm tired. Good night."

I turned on my heels and headed towards my bedroom with the jeans cradled to my chest tightly.

"Night," I heard her call softly behind me.

~~ 0 ~~

The next morning I woke up around nine thirty. I groaned as the strong light penetrated through my retina, and I covered my head with my fluffy comforter, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep.

As I lay there wrapped in warmth, my mind drifted to Edward. I replayed every scene from the moment we ran into each other at the park, to him greeting me at the door, and us making dinner together. I recalled being so close to him that I could smell the subtle fragrance of his cologne and how that made me feel. The way my body had silently reacted to his closeness; a fact so oblivious to him, but so very unsettling to me. I couldn't even begin to describe how I had felt when I had touched him, or when he had touched me to help me with my coat. I was still amazed my legs hadn't gave up on me as soon as his skin made contact with mine. He was just so manly and handsome and…him.

How could I not be attracted to him? What woman in her right state of mind wouldn't give a limb and more for the chance at having that man to herself?

For a little while longer, I allowed myself to think about Edward and wonder just how good of a kisser he was. Then, with a suffering groan, I stretched my muscles and decided to stop fantasizing and get out of bed already.

I dragged myself out of my room and almost collided with Angela in the hallway. "Morning." I yawned, my eyes still foggy with sleep.

"Yeah, morning," she said hurriedly, heading for the front door. "Bye."

"Where are you going?" I asked confused.

"Amanda called," she explained as she scrunched down to put on her boots. "I'm babysitting those devil spawns of hers again."

I frowned, leaning back against the wall as I watched her. "You don't work for her anymore. Why the hell is she calling you all the time?"

She shrugged, putting on her coat and pink knitted beanie. "Because her kids are evil, and no babysitter can handle them for more than a few weeks. Besides, she pays well."

"Are you going to be there all day?" I whined, hating the prospect of being home alone on a Sunday.

"Yeah, so don't wait up. Gotta go. Bye." She started to head out and added over her shoulder, "Oh, and it's snowing outside."

With that, the door slammed closed behind her, and I was standing alone in the middle of the hallway.

"Snow?" I muttered to myself, walking into the kitchen and heading straight for the window.

Indeed, as Angela had said, the sidewalk below was covered in a white blanket while big, fat snowflakes continued to fall lazily from the gray sky, like they were in no hurry at all. I felt myself getting cold just watching the scene unfold. A shiver ran through my body, and I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked to the coffee maker and peered inside. No caffeine for me. Thanks, Ang.

While I waited for the coffee to make, I decided to take a shower and change clothes. Fifteen minutes later, I was clean and smelling nice as I took a seat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of me and a cheese and bacon sandwich. Greasy but so yummy.

With the breakfast eaten and the coffee drank, I had nothing else to do, so I grabbed a school book and started reading. By two o'clock I was bored out of my mind. I decided to make an apple pie just to kill time. By six in the evening I was ready to climb the walls.

I was mulling over the idea of going grocery shopping just to keep myself busy when the doorbell rang.

"Finally," I let out a relieved breath, happy that Angela was home. I didn't find it odd that she was ringing the doorbell simply because lately she had made a habit of forgetting her keys.

To say that the view awaiting me on the other side of the door shocked me would be the understatement of the year. Edward, in all his glory, perfectly combed hair and all, was standing in the hall, his hands buried in his coat's pockets. There were a few snowflakes scattered across his shoulders and into his hair, and I was sure it had to be a dream- a mean, tantalizing one at that- because it all seemed too good to be true.

I gaped like a fish on dry land. "E-Edward?" I stuttered, trying to comprehend what was happening. Was he really standing in front of my door, or was I so enamored that I was hallucinating?

He smiled. "Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

He pulled one of his hands out and held out what looked like a cell phone. I squinted my eyes. Yep, it was my cell phone. "You forgot this at my place."

"Oh." I reached out to take it from him. The second my flesh touched his, I all but fainted. He was so warm. "I didn't even realize I didn't have it anymore," I said slowly, staring at him. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, I came to my senses and invited him inside. "Come on in."

He stepped by me as he entered, very close, and I once again noticed that he smelled absolutely wonderful. What was it with him and the way he smelled?

I led him into the living room, and when I saw the state of it, I suddenly became embarrassed. A few of Angela's clothes were lying on the couch, and I hurried to pick them up and make room for him to sit. There were glasses and used napkins on the coffee table, and I grabbed those quickly, too, occupying my hands and arms at full capacity.

"Please forgive the mess," I mumbled, feeling my face getting redder and redder by the minute. "I wasn't expecting anyone."

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, watching me in what seemed like amusement.

I fled the room to toss the clothes on my bed haphazardly and the glasses into the sink, and rushed back to him. He gazed up at me with those intense green eyes of his, and I was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that we were alone. All alone. In my apartment. Alone. Alone. Alone. And did I mention we were absolutely alone? I felt my temperature rising just thinking about it.

"How did you know where I live?" I breathed, straightening the oversized, electric-yellow sweater I was wearing over my blue sweatpants.

I felt so underdressed looking at his put together self. And he was also wearing casual clothes, but the numerous differences between him and me, even when it came to something like the quality of the attires, were so obvious it made my eyes hurt. I felt like some contemporary, plain version of Cinderella, with him in the role of the prince I would never have.

Edward leaned back into the couch, adopting a more relaxed posture. "Well, I already knew which building, I only had to find out which apartment. I asked an old lady I met downstairs."

"Oh." I bit on my lip nervously. "Thank you for bringing me my phone. You shouldn't have bothered. I would have come get it as soon as I realized it was missing."

"There's no bother. I took Jess home and thought I would make a detour since I was already out of the house."

I couldn't help but smile. "That was nice of you. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, no." He shook his head. "I should probably go."

His words were saying one thing, while his actions were saying the opposite. He didn't get up or make any other movement that indicated he wanted to leave. He let his gaze roam over the living room, taking in his surroundings.

"Where is your rommate?" he finally spoke again, directing his attention towards me once again.

"Angela?" I said, as if I even had another roommate. "She had to work today." I shifted my weight from one foot to another nervously then said, "Are you sure there isn't anything I can get you? I have some really good apple pie I made earlier. It's the least I can do."

He looked like he was contemplating what to do for a moment. "Well, since I'm already here, I guess I could have some apple pie."

I excused myself and rushed towards the kitchen, wide-eyed and still in shock at having him there. With trembling hands, I pulled the pie out of the fridge and cut a slice, putting it in the microwave to warm up. When I came back with the plate, I found Edward standing in front of my modest library, reading the book titles.

"You have a lot of good books here," he observed, turning to look at me.

I nodded. "I'm an avid reader. You like to read?"

"Yes, I do," he said, taking the plate I was offering. "Thank you." He grabbed the fork and cut a small piece, taking it to his mouth. "This is very good," he complimented, his eyes twinkling in a way I had not seen before.

"Thanks," I murmured, flushing once again. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and was about to invite him to sit back down when his phone rang.

He took it out and glanced at the screen with a frown. "Do you mind?" he asked, holding the phone up.

"No," I said quickly, holding out my hand to take the pie from him. "Go ahead."

I put the plate on the coffee table and sat in an armchair, watching him pace the room, much like I had done the night before. It was almost surreal.

"Cullen," he answered promptly, his voice all business-like. He listened to the person on the other side of the line for a few seconds, then his tone took a husky note. "What? Why didn't you call me when you found out?" He listened again for at least ten minutes, as he continued his pacing, then sighed heavily. "Keep me updated." With that, he hung up, shoving the phone back into his pants' pocket.

"Sorry for that," he apologized. He stood still, staring blankly at the wall.

"It's okay," I said, and his gaze snapped to me.

He picked up his plate and took another bite. "It seems that the pie got cold," he commented, staring down at it.

I was on my feet immediately. "I'll reheat it for you."

When I came back, he was standing once again in front of the library.

"It's quite the eclectic collection you have here, Isabella." Edward gave me a small, knowing smile. "Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, Dostoevsky, all kinds of psychology books, Hemingway, Sartre, la Fontaine, Indian philosophy, Jonathan Bennett, Aristotle, Spanish literature, Madonna, Dr. Seus, marketing books and so on. I'm impressed."

"What can I say…" I chuckled awkwardly. "I have varied taste when it comes to reading."

"I guess it's necessary for a future journalist." He nodded, taking the reheated pie from me. "Columbia College, hmm?"

I motioned for the couch, and we sat down, putting a considerable distance between us. "Yeah. It was a very personal decision. My mom attended Columbia College. She befriended my aunt Kate who has been living in Chicago since she got out of high school, and that's how she met my dad. She moved to Washington for him and ended up being a stay at home mom. My dad didn't want her to work. The things you do for love, right?"

"What did you father do?" He took another larger bite, and then another.

"He was the chief of police," I replied. "Where did you go to school?"

"Yale. Both my older brother and I."

Of course he went to Yale. As if I needed another reason to make me feel inferior to him.

"So Jessica is your brother's daughter?" I continued making small talk.

"That's right." He took the last bite and set down the empty plate. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No. I'm an only child."

"It must be both a good thing and a bad thing, right?"

"Yeah."

His phone started ringing again, and he sighed, taking it out. "Speaking of siblings…" he murmured, staring at the name flashing on the screen. "Do you mind if…"

I waved him off.

"Yes, Jasper?" he answered. "No, I'm not at home… I don't know… Did Emmett put you up to this?… Fine. I can't talk right now. I'll call you later."

"Sorry," he said as he hung up, looking at me. "That was my younger brother."

"You seem like a very busy person," I noticed.

"I guess I am." He smiled. "Thank you for the pie. Can I have a glass of water, please?"

"Sure. Tap, flat, sparkly?"

"Flat."

I was about to get up when I heard the front door open and then close, followed by the swishing sound of a plastic bag.

"I brought dinner!" Angela lilted, the sound of discarded boots echoing through the apartment. "Don't even dare tell me you already ate." Seconds later she was standing in the doorway holding a Chinese food bag. Her nose and cheeks were pink from the cold, and she still had her beanie on. As soon as her eyes landed on Edward, she grinned slyly. "Well, hello."

"Angela," Edward acknowledged her.

"Edward," her tone took a serious note, mimicking his.

There was an awkward moment of complete silence. Angela stared at Edward; I glared at Angela and Edward looked preoccupied with his watch.

"I should get going," he said, rising to his feet.

Angela blocked his path. "Not so fast." She was almost half his size, but she was very intimidating when she wanted. Edward seemed to think so too because he glanced at me, looking for help.

"Angela…" I started to say, but she ignored me, focusing her attention on Edward.

"You're staying for dinner," she stated simply and with pure conviction. "I brought Chinese."

"No, I'm sorry. I can't." He attempted to get past her, but she moved to the left, blocking him once more.

"Yes, you can. Dinner at your house last night, dinner at our place tonight. I won't take no for an answer. How am I going to make up for the fact that I wasn't able to join you guys?" She grinned up at him. She was so full of it.

He looked over at me, and I shrugged helplessly, mouthing a 'sorry'. With a resigned sigh, he reclaimed his spot on the couch.

"Make yourself comfortable," Angela urged, winking at me way too obviously. "Can I get you a beer?"

An overwhelming urge to commit murder took over me.

Edward shook his head. "I'm driving."

"A beer won't kill you. Don't be such a wuss."

"Angela!" I yelled, my face going red in anger. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Fine," Edward suddenly snapped impatiently, probably getting fed up with her. "What kind do you have?"

For the love of God! The woman could bring out the worse in anyone.

She wasn't fazed by any of us. "Heineken," she answered smugly. "We only drink the good stuff."

While Angela went to bring the beer, I turned to Edward, mortified. "I'm so sorry. She's really…"

"…something?" he completed for me with a low chuckle.

I was instantly relieved that he wasn't mad. "I got used to her, you know?"

He nodded, leaning a bit closer to whisper conspiratorially, "I think I like her. She would make a great attorney."

~~ 0 ~~

"Oh, would you look at the time?" Angela said all of the sudden, looking at the clock and faking a yawn.

We'd had dinner, drank some beers and were now watching TV in companionable silence. From time to time, I would glance at Angela and see her grinning at me, her eyebrows waggling suggestively in Edward's direction. To my complete amazement and relief, she had been good the entire evening. She hadn't addressed as much as a sarcastic comment to Edward, which for her was the equivalent of saint behavior. She had not only been polite towards him, but had also carried an actual, mature conversation about being a lawyer. Her father, who now lived in Seattle after divorcing her mother was also a lawyer, so they had this in common, which I must admit kind of made me green with envy. Of course, Angela's father was nowhere near as well-known and successful as Carlisle Cullen, but he made good money. Too bad Angela and him weren't on speaking terms anymore.

"Indeed," Edward agreed, following her gaze towards the clock that showed it was ten past ten. "It's late. I'm going to…"

"No, no, no." She quickly jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag from the floor where she had thrown it. "Stay. I'm going to hit the hay. Night."

Before any of us had time to protest, she had practically ran and locked herself in her room.

"I don't know what all that was about. She's weird." I chuckled nervously.

I knew exactly what she was hoping would happen. She was just so stubborn. Couldn't she just understand for once that he wasn't attracted to me in that way?

"Are we actually watching this?" Edward gestured towards the TV, the bottle of beer still in his hand. It was his third, and the alcohol combined with the heat in the room gave his cheeks a rosy complexion which I found absolutely adorable.

Wait, scratch that. Nothing was adorable about Edward Cullen, but he sure as hell looked extremely handsome. Even more with the slight flush of his cheeks which actually made him look more… human. Not that he was an alien before, or anything, but his usual coldness could put off anyone. Now he seemed much more approachable and less intimidating.

"You don't like Megan Fox?"

"Who?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

"You know… the brunette."

"Ah." He stared at the screen, trying to decipher if there was something wrong with the actress. "No, it's not about her, but alien robots?"

"It's a good movie if you're into that kind of stuff. It's actually made after a comic book."

"I prefer comedies," he said, taking a sip from his drink.

"Really?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes." He leaned back into the couch and ran a hand through his hair, smiling. His gray sweater hugged his torso tightly, and I had to quickly avert my eyes to avoid being caught ogling him. "Why are you so surprised? I'm a funny guy."

"Honestly?" I said playfully. "You don't seem like a funny guy to me."

"I am. I know I'm… uptight sometimes…well, most of the time, but that's in part because of the stressful life I live." He paused and stared at the TV for a long moment, then added as an afterthought, "Sometimes I happen to look in the mirror and notice that I'm frowning. I don't even realize it until I actually see my reflection."

The conversation was dangerously close to taking a serious note, and I certainly didn't want that. I really enjoyed seeing this new, intriguing part of Edward surface, even if I was only privileged to small glimpses of this more laid back version of himself. At least for now. I couldn't help but wonder how it would be like to someday get to know the real him. The person underneath that hard exterior he was using as a shield against the outside world.

Oh, well, a girl could dream, right?

"Tell me a joke," I said, placing my right arm on the back of the couch and resting my head on it as I peered at him underneath my lashes.

"What?" He looked at me like I had asked him to get naked.

"A joke. You said you're funny. Prove it," I challenged with a smirk.

His eyes narrowed at the fact that I was actually challenging him, and then he smirked right back.

"What do you call 5000 dead lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?"

"A lawyer joke? Really?" I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged, taking another sip of beer. "Uh…okay. I don't know."

"A good start."

I chuckled. "I know you can do better than that."

"Why won't sharks attack lawyers?"

I shrugged one shoulder, reaching to the coffee table for my beer. "I have no idea."

"Professional courtesy."

I snorted a laugh and almost spilled beer all over myself. "Now that was a decent joke."

He chuckled lowly at my reaction. "Told you I'm a funny guy."

"I know police jokes," I offered.

"Do tell," he said, angling his body towards me with interest.

"What do u call a police officer that works in bed?"

"I don't know."

"An undercover cop."

"You can do better than that," he threw my words back at me, amused.

I searched my memory for a better joke.

"Two girlfriends were speeding down the highway at well over 100 miles per hour.
'Hey,' asked the brunette at the wheel, 'See any cops following us?' The blonde turned around for a long look. 'As a matter of fact, I do.' 'Oh, nooo!' yelled the brunette. 'Are his flashers on?' The blonde turned around again. 'Yup...nope...yup...nope...yup...'"

Suddenly, Edward's face lit up as he burst out into a booming laugh. Not just a chuckle but a real, belly laugh. I was so shocked, I think my mouth was agape. I had never seen him like this. He was absolutely radiating with merriment.

"That's pretty funny," he breathed, wiping at the corner of his right eye with his thumb.

Encouraged, I went on.

"An old lady was speeding down the highway while she was knitting. A cop sees this and speeds up alongside her vehicle. 'Pullover!' the cop yells. 'No!' the woman replies indignantly, 'They're mittens!"

Again, he laughed loudly. Maybe it was the alcohol making him loosen up, maybe not. In either case, I was happy to see him like this. His good mood made mine escalate in intensity.

"I think you're actually funnier than me," he admitted after calming down.

"You know I am."

He shared a few more lawyer jokes, and by the time eleven thirty rolled around, he was ready to head home.

"It's late, and I think I've had a bit too much to drink," he said, placing his empty bottle on the coffee table and getting up from the couch.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked, a bit concerned, walking close behind him as he headed into the hallway. "Maybe you should get a cab."

"No. I'll be fine. Let's hope a cop doesn't pull me over." He winked at me playfully as he leaned down to put on his shoes. Yes, he had actually winked at me. The night was getting better and better by the second.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Isabella," he said, his tone getting that serious note again as he paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I had a good time."

"Me too." I nodded, wringing my hands nervously behind my back. "So… I'll see you?"

"Yes..." Edward trailed off, staring at me intensely. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but didn't. Instead, he turned and stepped out into the lobby. He took a few steps away, and a strange wave of disappointment washed over me. Then, just as I was about to close the door, he abruptly spun around to face me. "Can I have your phone number?" he spoke the words quickly, his expression uncertain.

I nodded frantically -Jeez, could I have looked more desperate?- and told him the number as he whipped his cell out and started typing fast.

"Good night, Isabella." He smiled, this time leaving for real as he stepped into the elevator.

God, I loved it when he called me Isabella. He was the only one who ever did these days.

"Drive safely," I called, my face splitting in a ridiculous grin. In my excitement, I felt as giddy as a teenage girl with a crush.

I had Edward Cullen's number, and he had mine, not to mention that I had just spent the evening in his company.

Could life get any better than this?