I sat in the back of the car trying to tune out the annoying tone of Jessica's voice, Bella had begged me to come with them to Port Angeles on the Sunday, the girls apparently going to buy dresses while Bella wanted to go to some book store she had found that had some books on the legends Jacob had told us, I myself had been doing some research of my own and was becoming more worried with everything I uncovered.

I loved Port Angeles, it was a beautiful little town, much more polished and quaint than Forks. But Jessica and Angela knew it well, so they didn't plan to waste time on the picturesque boardwalk by the bay. Jess drove straight to the one big department store in town, which was a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face.
The dance was billed as semiformal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Jessica and Angela seemed surprised and almost disbelieving when I told them we had never been to a dance in Phoenix.
"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Jess asked dubiously as we walked through the front doors of the store, I sighed,
"Really, I've never had a boyfriend or anything close. I didn't go out much" Bella explained to them, that was an understatement, Bella spent most of her time with mom,
"Why not?" Jessica demanded,
"No one asked me" Bella answered honestly, she turned on me,

"are you?" she enquired,

"I've had boyfriends, but always just seemed to miss the dances" I said bluntly, not wanting to make small talk with them,
She looked at us both sceptical, we were in the juniors' section now, scanning the racks for dress-up clothes,
"Well, except for now" Angela amended quietly, I almost groaned,
"Excuse me? What did you say Angela" Jessica asked,

"well she won't be missing the dance now, especially since everyone is waiting to see her and a certain Cullen" Angela said smiling, I looked confused,
"Tyler told everyone it is Emmett taking you to prom," Jessica informed me with suspicious eyes,
"He said what?" I sounded like I was choking, why did he think that, Bella gave a small laugh,
"I told you it wasn't true" Angela murmured to Jessica.
I was silent, still lost in shock that was quickly turning to irritation. But we had found the dress racks, and now we had work to do.
The dress selection wasn't large, but both of them found a few things to try on. I sat on a low chair with Bella just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, trying to control my fuming,

"Aren't you trying any on?" Bella asked me, I shook my head,

"no point" I said bluntly, she looked confused,

"your not going" I stated, Bella sighed,

"you could still" she started to say,

"nope, you know the deal, mom would freak if she found out I went to a dance and you stayed at home" I said knowing I was right,
Jessica came back out and was torn between two, one a long, strapless, basic black number, the other a knee-length electric blue with spaghetti straps, Bella encouraged her to go with the blue.
Angela chose a pale pink dress that draped around her tall frame nicely and brought out honey tints in her light brown hair. I complimented them both generously and helped by returning the rejects to their racks. The whole process was much shorter and easier than similar trips I'd taken with Renée at home. I guess there was something to be said for limited choices.
We all headed over to shoes and accessories. While they tried things on I merely watched and critiqued, not in the mood to shop for myself, though I did need new shoes,
"Um, Angela…" Bella said quietly,

"yes?" Angela asked turning to her, I was looking through the shoes on the back rack trying to find something decent,
"Is it normal for the… Cullens, to be out of school a lot?" Bella failing miserably in her attempt to sound nonchalant, I almost shook my head,
"Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time, even the doctor. They're all real outdoorsy" she told Bella quietly, examining her shoes, too. She didn't ask one question, let alone the hundreds that Jessica would have unleashed. I was beginning to really like Angela.
"Oh." Was Bella's response,
We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as we'd expected. Jess and Angela were going to take their clothes back to the car and then walk down to the bay. Bella told them that she would meet them at the restaurant in an hour, as she wanted to look for the bookstore.

They were both willing to go with her, but I encouraged them to go have fun and I would go with her, they walked off to the car chattering happily, and I followed Bella as she headed in the direction the bookshop was.
We had no trouble finding the bookstore, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The windows were full of crystals, dream-catchers, and books about spiritual healing. I didn't even go inside. Through the glass I could see a fifty-year-old woman with long, grey hair worn straight down her back, clad in a dress right out of the sixties, smiling welcomingly from behind the counter. I decided that was one conversation I could skip. There had to be a normal bookstore in town.
We meandered through the streets, which were filling up with end-of-the-workday traffic, and hoped I we was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going, as I followed Bella down an alley I was about to say maybe this was the wrong way when I started to realize a group of four men turned around the corner we was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached us, I realized they
weren't too many years older than we was.

They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted Bella as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, and made sure to place myself inbetween them and Bella, Bella glanced at me worried, but I gave her a smile as if everything was okay and carried on walking.
"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to us since no one else was around. I glanced up automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals. He took half a step toward me.
"Hello" I said trying to sound confident, a knee-jerk reaction. Then I quickly looked away and walked faster toward the corner, almost pushing Bella in front of me. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me.
"Hey, wait!" one of them called after me again,

"Keep walking, don't stop" I muttered to Bella, she kept her head down and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief. I could still hear them chortling behind us, I saw we were now on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several coloured warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no sidewalk, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts storage yard, I knew it was quickly getting dark, I realized, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset, I knew this wasn't going to end well.
I kept walking and making sure Bella was in front of me a little when I looked over my shoulder and realized with a shock that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me.
They were from the same group we had passed at the corner, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to us. I turned my head forward at once, quickening my pace, while trying not to scare Bella, the chill of the weather now that had nothing to do with the shiver that ran down my spine.

I listened intently to their quiet footsteps, which were much too quiet when compared to the boisterous noise they'd been making earlier, and it didn't sound like they were speeding up, or getting any closer to me. Breathe, I had to remind myself. I couldn't be sure they're following me and Bella, we continued to walk as quickly we could without actually running, focusing on the right-hand turn that was only a few yards away from us now. I could hear them, staying as far back as they'd been before. A blue car turned onto the street from the south and drove quickly past me.

I was now starting to panic, I knew they could outrun us in any case and Bella was sure to trip and go sprawling if I tried to get her to go any faster.
The footfalls were definitely farther back. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder, and they were maybe forty feet back now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring at me.
It seemed to take forever for us to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind us falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. Maybe they realized they had scared us and were sorry. I saw two cars going north pass the intersection we were heading for, and I exhaled in relief.
There would be more people around once we got off this deserted street. I also skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh.
And skidded to a stop.
The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away.
Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that we wasn't being followed.
we was being herded.
I paused for only a second, trying to think of a plan but it felt like a very long time. I had a sinking feeling as the footsteps behind us were louder now.

"Ana? What do we do?" Bella whispered terrified, I wasn't sure,

"just stay behind me" I whispered and pushed her so my body was shielding hers,
"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made Bella jump. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past us,
"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump this time,
"We just took a little detour" he shouted back.
The thickset man shrugged away from the wall and walked slowly towards us, I had to protect Bella,
"Stay away from us" I warned in a voice that strong and fearless.
"Don't be like that, sugar" he called, and the raucous laughter started again behind me. I was trying to remember what little self-defence I knew, the heel of the hand thrust upward, hopefully breaking a nose or shoving it into the brain, finger through the eye socket to try to hook around and pop the eye out. And the standard knee to the groin, of course. Bella was still behind me clinging onto me for dear life.
A pessimistic voice in my mind spoke up then, reminding me that I probably would have a chance against one of them but there were four.

"who's the scared one behind you" The man taunted, I took a step forward,

"touch her and I will kill you" I said in a deathly voice, Bella let out a sort of whimper behind me, I couldn't risk a glance back in case they moved any closer.

This was it, I got my hands ready, if they tried to get to Bella, I wasn't going let them without taking someone with me.
Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. The silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from us,
"Get in" a furious voice commanded, quickly I pushed Bella towards the car, it was amazing how instantaneously the choking fear vanished, once Bella was safely in the car I slammed the door shut and quickly got into the back, letting myself breathe for what felt like the first time in hours.
It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly, swerving toward the stunned men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped toward the harbour.
"Put on your seat belt," he commanded, and I realized Bella was clutching the seat with both hands. I watched as she quickly obeyed, the snap as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. He took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause. I glanced out of the back window, now realising for close to danger we had just been in, I was totally unconcerned about where we were going. I could see Bella staring at his face in profound relief,
"Are you okay?" Bella asked, I was not surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded, I knew this question wasn't aimed at me though,
"No," he said curtly, and his tone was livid.
I sat in silence, watching his face through the mirror while his blazing eyes stared straight ahead, until the car came to a sudden stop. I glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.
"Bella?" he asked, his voice tight, controlled.
"Yes?" her voice was still rough. I tried to clear my throat quietly, as if to remind them I was also still here,
"Are you all right?" He still didn't look at Bella, but the fury was plain on his face.
"Yes" Bella croaked softly, I closed my eyes for a second trying to distract myself from the nerves that were now catching to me,
"Distract me, please" he ordered.
"I'm sorry, what?" Bella asked surprised
He exhaled sharply,
"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down" he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger
I could almost see Bella wracking her brain for something trivial, while still sitting in silence,

"I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?" I jumped in, I saw that he was still squeezing his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Why?" he asked in a tight voice
"He's telling everyone that I'm going to the dance with your brother, he's insane, so I figure if I endanger his life, he might back off and leave me alone. I might have to total his Sentra, though" I babbled on,
"I heard about that" He sounded a bit more composed.
"You did?" Bella asked in disbelief,

"If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to the dance, either," I muttered, refining my plan.
Edward sighed, and finally opened his eyes.
"Better?" Bella asked,
"Not really" Edward said,
I waited, but he didn't speak again. He leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid.
"What's wrong?" Bella's voice came out in a whisper,
"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." He was whispering, too, and as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" He didn't finish his sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control his anger again.
"At least," he continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself" I sat there just watching the interaction
"Oh." The word seemed inadequate, but clearly Bella couldn't think of a better response.

"Just be glad Emmett's not here, that wouldn't have ended well" Edward said as he finally looked through the mirror at me, I noticed his coal black eyes staring at me with what felt like an unspoken sentence, I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was past six-thirty,

"Jessica and Angela will be worried about us, we were supposed to meet them" I said glancing at Bella who still looked pale,
He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town.
We were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a space I would have thought much too small for the Volvo, but he slid in effortlessly in one try. I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia, and Jess and Angela just leaving, pacing anxiously away from us.
"How did you know where… ?" Bella began, but then I just shook my head as a warning, now was not the time. I heard the door open and turned to saw Edward getting out.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked.
"I'm taking you two to dinner." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. Bella fumbled with her seat belt, and then hurried to get out of the car as well. I went to do mine when I realised I had never actually put one on, I quickly got out and saw he was
waiting for us on the sidewalk.
"Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't
think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again" Edward said, I shivered at the threat in his voice,
"Jess! Angela!" Bella yelled after them, waving when they turned. They rushed back to us, the pronounced relief on both their faces simultaneously changing to surprise as they saw who we were standing next to. They hesitated a few feet from us.
"Where have you been?" Jessica's voice was suspicious.
"we got lost and then we ran into Edward" I gestured toward him, not wanting Bella to have to think about what could have just happened,
"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked in a polite voice. I could see from their staggered expressions that he had never unleashed his talents on them before.
"Er… sure," Jessica breathed, Angelea looked guilty,
"Um, actually, we already ate while we were waiting, I'm sorry," Angela confessed, well you can't have been that worried,
"That's fine, I'm not hungry." Bella shrugged, I went to say she needed to eat but a voice beat me to it,
"I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was low, but full of authority. He looked up at Jessica and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella and Lil home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats" he asked, me?

"Uh, no problem, I guess…" She bit her lip, trying to figure out from our expression whether that was what we wanted,

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Lil, Bella… Edward" Angela said as she grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her toward the car, which I could see a little ways away, parked across First Street. As they got in, Jessica turned and waved, her face eager with curiosity. Bella waved back, waiting for them to drive away before I turned to face him.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry" Bella insisted, looking up to scrutinize his face. His expression was unreadable.
"Humour me" he stated and smiled at her,

"Actually how about I leave you two too it" I asked, Bella looked at me like I had grown a second head, and Edward looked confused,
I had so many questions but I couldn't bombard him with, he had just saved Bella's life,

"you can't" Bella said firmly,

"of course I can Edward has offered to drive you home" I said smiling,

"and how will you get home, Jessica just left?" Bella asked, I was surprised Edward had stayed silent,

"I'll catch a taxi" I said firmly,

"I'll call Emmett, I need to tell him about tonight anyway" Edward said looking at me, I paled at the thought,

"no!" I said quickly, Edward looked at me quizzically,

"Liliana, you can't just walk into the darkness especially after tonight" Edward said seriously, Bella looked almost scared at the thought of it again, I sighed,

"I'm fine, look take Bella for food, she's still shaken up after tonight, I'll get a taxi straight home, thank you for coming to our aid but honestly I'm fine" I said ignoring Bella's eyes on me, Edward seemed to think for a moment,

"okay" was his only response, he walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression,

"not a chance" Bella said, I turned to her and gave her a look that said there would be no further discussion, with a pout she finally walked past him into the restaurant with a resigned sigh but turned back to me,

"if you're not home when I get back, I will kill you myself" Bella said, I smiled and Edward gave me a look as if to say thank you,

"Look after her" I warned him, Edward nodded,

"I will, good luck" Edward commented and shut the door behind him and Bella, I was a bit confused on why he had said good luck?

I walked down the sidewalk and turned the corner towards the boardwalk where I knew the taxis were but I quickly realised why he had said good luck.

Emmett was stood next to his signature red Jeep staring at me with a murderous look.