Crossfaded

Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough,

and the road gets tough
I don't know why
Keep making me laugh, let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime

Come and take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane ("Louder!", "Alright!")
Choose your last words, this is the last time
'Cause you and I, we were born to die.

~Lana Del Rey – Born to Die


Chapter One: Here Comes Trouble

"Bella, for the love of God, you are not wearing that tonight," Alice grimaced, pinching the hem of my blue cardigan between her thumb and forefinger.

I frowned and looked down at my outfit. Aside from the blue cardigan, I had on a darker blue tank top underneath it, a normal pair of jeans that were slightly loose-fitting, and a pair of white Chucks. I didn't see what the problem was.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" I asked defensively.

Alice rolled her light blue eyes at me, "Oh, nothing – if you're going to sing in the church choir."

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, "Well, I didn't bring anything else, so…" I trailed off waving my hands down over my body. "This is it."

"Bella," she said as if she were speaking to a child, her hands gripping my shoulders, "We're going to a grown-up party. Let's put on our big girl panties and dress accordingly, okay?" She walked over to her closet and flipped on the light. She turned to smirk at me over her shoulder, "Thank goodness we're the same size."

I plopped down on her desk chair, swiveling back and forth as I waited for her to come out of her closet, hoping against hope that she didn't try to dress me in anything too revealing. It just wasn't my thing. I felt weird dressing to impress. I was used to wearing whatever my mom bought me. And my mom was pretty conservative.

"Ah-hah!" Alice shouted.

She came out of the closet holding a small white scrap of clothing in her hand. She walked over to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me up to a standing position. She held the dress in front of me, pursing her pink pout in concentration.

"This is so perfect. It matches your vibe perfectly," she wiggled her brows, "Innocent yet sexy."

I snorted in a very unladylike way, "Sexy? Me? I'm calling your bluff on that one. When have I ever dressed or even acted in a sexy manner?"

Alice grinned, "If you just put in the effort, you'd be sexy. And tonight, you're going to look hella fine. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. So don't you even think about putting up a fight, missy."

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest petulantly, "You're not the boss of me."

"Oh, I am so the boss of you," she retorted, taking a step back from me. "Now, strip."

I glared at her, but I knew I wasn't going to win this battle. When Alice had her mind set on something, she had a habit of getting her way. Besides, I really did want to go to the party and try to have a good time. My parents were out of town for the weekend, and they never let me have any real fun. I went to school, did my homework, and occasionally got to hang out with my friends. I was wound so tight lately, that I needed a release. So when Alice begged me to go to this party that her new boyfriend was throwing, I was quick to accept the invitation.

But I was starting to rethink that decision.

I sighed and unbuttoned my jeans, anyway. I stepped out of them and then lifted my cardigan and tank top off at the same time. I stood in my plain white bra and panties as Alice looked me over with a raised brow.

"What?" I asked when she didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"You need to lose the bra, my dear," she smirked.

"Alice," I groaned stubbornly, stomping my foot like a child. "Why?"

"Because you can't wear one with this dress. You'll look ridiculous. It's strapless," she answered matter-of-factly, her eyes daring me to challenge her logic. Which, of course, I had no leg to stand on. She was right, as always.

I took in a long, deep breath through my nose as I reached behind my back to unsnap my bra. I let it slide down my arms and fall to the floor.

"Happy?" I grumbled.

"Ecstatic," she replied sarcastically. "Now, arms up."

I rolled my eyes but lifted my arms slightly allowing her to slide the dress over my arms and head. She pulled it down and it only fell to mid-thigh, making me feel more exposed than I ever had been before in an outfit. I went to pull it down more but only succeeded in exposing my breasts again. I quickly pulled the dress back up, which, again, exposed most of my thighs.

"Ugh," I grunted out, easily getting frustrated, "this is too short, Alice – too short."

Alice took a step back from me and looked at me from head to toe, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips, "It's actually fucking perfect. You look hot."

I looked down at the dress, frowning. It was tight around my breasts. pushing them up and making them look very pronounced and then it flared out just under my bust. The taffeta material was very breathable and swishy. There was no denying that it was a subtly beautiful dress, but it just wasn't me. I needed something with more material to cover my naughty bits. I wasn't keen on exposing myself to people.

I looked up at Alice and, as always, she could read me like a book. She rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm, dragging me over to her full-length mirror. She pushed me in front of it and said, "See how great you look?"

I turned in a half circle, my face staying forward so I could take in the dress from all angles. I looked at it from the back noting that my ample bottom was just as pronounced as my breasts. The dress came down to just below my butt and I knew that I wouldn't be bending down at all during the night.

"Pretty easy on the eyes, eh?" Alice asked with a confident nod of her head. Her short black hair bounced on her shoulders from the movement.

I shrugged, "It's just different," I grumbled, pulling at the hem of the dress again, and rolling my eyes when my nipples wanted to play peek-a-boo. One wrong move tonight, and I'd flash the whole party. That wasn't the kind of fun I was looking for.

"Different isn't always a bad thing, Bella," Alice reminded me. "Now go sit at the vanity and I'll do your hair and makeup."

I blew out a hard breath, getting frustrated. But I walked over to her large white and gold vanity tucked in the corner of her room anyway. I sat down and faced the mirror. My bare face stared back at me, daring me to take the coward's route and back out of the party before it was too late. Alice would be disappointed, but I knew she wouldn't make me go if I really didn't want to.

Alice came up behind me and stuck her hands on my shoulders, squeezing lightly, "You're going to have a great time tonight, Bella," she said softly easily reading my mind. "Please just relax and allow that for yourself. You deserve a night of fun."

She wasn't wrong about that.

I mentally hyped myself up, refusing to let my cowardice take away another opportunity from me.

After a minute, I nodded and waved at her to proceed with playing her favorite game. Bella barbie. Alice grinned indulgently and went to work. It took her twenty minutes to fix my dark brown hair into long, lustrous beach waves that fell to my lower back. And then another ten minutes to do my makeup. I was happy she stayed with a natural look, only enhancing my features with mascara, blush, and some pink-tinted lip gloss.

Alice tapped the top of my head, "Okie, you're all done, girly. Now take those socks off your feet, I have an adorable pair of wedges that will totally compliment this whole look!"

She skipped off to her large closet, clapping joyfully the whole way. I walked over to her bed and sat down, taking off my white ankle socks and dropping them onto her floor which was already littered with clothes. I clasped my hands between my thighs, kicking my legs as I waited for her to come back out. A couple of seconds later, she came bounding out of her closet with a pair of light pink wedges clutched to her chest. She pushed them onto my lap and clapped her hands excitedly.

"You're going to be the second hottest girl at the party," she joked.

I rolled my eyes and slipped the wedges on, snapping the heart-shaped jewel together at the ankle.

"Let's just hope I don't faceplant in these heels," I said only partially kidding. I wasn't the most coordinated girl in all the land. I had a habit of falling on my face whenever the wind changed direction.

Alice laughed, "They are only like two inches off the ground, chill out."

"You and I both know my track record with walking. Adding any kind of heels to the equation and we're just looking for trouble."

"Hmm," she hummed, a finger to her chin. "That's true. Just stay sitting for most of the time. We're going to be by Jasper anyway and he's a couch potato with his high ass," she snickered.

"He smokes?" I asked with wide eyes. "Is there going to be drugs at this party, Alice? Because you know my dad is the chief of police. If he ever found out I was around that stuff he'd -,"

"Chill, girl, damn," she cut me off, her hands going over her ears as she grimaced. "Yes, Jasper smokes, and yes, there will most likely be drugs at the party. Just ignore it and don't partake and you'll be just fine."

I glared at her but nodded curtly. She smirked in response.

Alice walked away from me and back into her closet. I could hear her rifling around in there, the soft thud of clothes being thrown to the floor. I knew she would be a while getting dressed so I took the opportunity to calm my nerves and practice walking around in the wedges. I took some careful steps before I became bolder and walked normally. It actually wasn't that hard once I got used to the height difference.

I thought about the party as I walked in circles around Alice's large bedroom. The only reason I was going was because Alice didn't want to go alone, and I was in desperate need of some fun time before I spontaneously combusted from boredom. But drugs? That wasn't fun for me. I knew that weed was just a plant, and it wasn't a big deal, but to me, it was scary.

It was scary because my dad would absolutely kill me if I was even near the stuff. God, what if he smelled it on my hair when he got back? Like, what if the smell just clung to me no matter how much I washed my hair?

I groaned and plopped down starfish style on Alice's giant bed. My mind was warring with itself – should I stay, or should I go? To be or not to be, that was the question. There was no way my parents would find out. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact as Alice got dressed.

I didn't want to be a coward and disappoint my best friend who literally did everything for me and just asked me this one favor. I nodded to myself. Yeah, I would do this for her and for myself. I deserved to get out and have a good time. And she was right, I just had to ignore what everyone else was doing. It was none of my business anyway.

"How does this outfit look?" Alice asked as she came out of the closet. She held her arms out to her sides and did a full circle spin. She was wearing a short black leather skirt, knee-high black stockings over fishnets, and a dark burgundy tube top that hugged her voluptuous curves like a second skin. And on her feet were a pair of dark red Doc Martens that were loosely laced.

I let out a low whistle as I slowly sat up, "Talk about hot?"

Alice giggled and bowed, "Well, thank you." She walked over to her vanity and plunked herself down on the white stool. She started with her makeup, her light eyes finding mine through the mirror, "I'm so happy you're going with me. I promise you won't regret it."

I nodded, "Of course. I may bitch and complain, but you know I got you."

She grinned, "I know it!"

Alice added a dramatic cat eye and dark red lipstick to her look and then styled her hair in her signature spikes that stuck out in all different directions. She jumped up from the stool and ran over to me, holding her hand out. I took it and she pulled me onto my feet.

"Ready?"

I sucked in a long breath, feeling the nervousness returning somewhat, "As ready as I'll ever be."


We pulled up outside of a surprisingly quaint little two-story house that was beige in color and had a nice, big porch leading into the house. There were a bunch of people standing outside with beer bottles and cigarettes in their hands. The door to the house was wide open with more people standing in the entrance. Alice shut off her car and turned to look at me with bright excited eyes.

"Everything will be alright," she assured me, her hand grasping mine, squeezing it once before she let it go to run her finger over the corners of her lips, fixing her lipstick.

I nodded and unbuckled my seatbelt, "Now or never, right?"

She nodded quickly, "That's the spirit!" She unbuckled herself and stuck her keys in her bra, hopping out of her car. She waited for me to exit the car as well before skipping over to me and looping her arm with mine. I looked down and couldn't help but notice the contrast and accuracy of our outfits.

She was the devil to my angel.

I chuckled quietly to myself, shaking my head as I let Alice drag me inside. I tried to ignore the stares we were getting from the men standing around. I was unsure if they were checking me or her out – maybe both. They all looked older than us, not by a lot, but there was definitely an age gap. They all seemed so mature. It made me swallow down some trepidation forming in my throat.

I leaned close to Alice's ear and whispered, "How old is Jasper?" She had never told me. She just said that he was a little older and way hot. Those were her exact words of description for the guy she had been seeing.

Alice hummed, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, "He's twenty-four, and as far as you're concerned, we are nineteen and in college."

I gasped, "Alice, you lied about your age? You lied about my age!"

She rolled her eyes and tugged me closer to her, "Mind lowering your voice? And, yeah, by two damn years. Big deal."

I inhaled a sharp breath, "You know I suck at lying," I reminded her because she seemed to have forgotten that little fact. I couldn't lie to save my life.

"Then let me and you just nod in agreement, got it? Besides, it's not like anyone is going to ask."

I gave her a narrowed look, my jaw clicking harshly. I couldn't believe her.

We turned a corner and ended up in a spacious living room, littered with people. All of them looked way older than us and definitely more experienced. I didn't know why Alice got herself into these predicaments, and always over a guy. Now she dragged me into it.

"Follow the cloud of smoke," Alice tittered next to me, pulling me over to the couch where a group of people were sitting, most of them with cigarettes and some of them with brown cigar-looking things hanging from their mouths.

Alice came to a stop in front of an insanely gorgeous man with dirty blond hair and dimples to die for. He sat in the middle of the couch with his jean-clad legs spread wide as he slouched into the cushions. He had one of those cigar things in his mouth, his hands typing away on his phone.

Alice cleared her throat, her foot shooting out to kick his. The man slowly looked up as if just noticing her presence. His eyes were redder than Alice's lipstick and he looked dazed and confused. When his eyes trailed from her shoes to her eyes, a wide smile spread over his face.

"Alice," he practically purred, and Alice giggled like a schoolgirl next to me. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes at her antics. "I was starting to think you ditched me," he playfully pouted.

Alice shrugged, "It only briefly crossed my mind," she shot back flirtatiously.

The man, who I had already deduced was the infamous Jasper I heard so much about for the past month, sat forward, grabbed Alice around the waist, and pulled her onto his lap. She was a giggling mess, kicking her leg out as he placed a sloppy kiss on her neck.

"Girl, I missed you," he breathed into her ear.

Her face turned pink, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I missed you too, Jazzy."

I could literally vomit. I crossed my arms over my chest and cleared my throat to get her attention and hopefully stop whatever the hell it was they were doing. Alice quickly looked over at me and smiled so wide, all of her pearly white teeth showed.

"Jazz, this is my bestie Bella that I told you about."

Jasper reached out to me with the hand that wasn't currently planted on Alice's ass. I regarded it warily before tentatively shaking it. His hands were rough and calloused.

"It's great to meet you, Bella." He turned to the greasy-looking guy to his left and said, "Move."

I was shocked when the guy didn't miss a beat, standing from the couch and walking to the other side of the room without a backward glance. Jasper motioned for me to take a seat. I wavered for a moment before reluctantly taking a seat next to the strange man whom my friend seemed to be so infatuated with. I mean, yeah, he was drop-dead gorgeous, but he also seemed a little... off. I couldn't quite place it. Something about him just made my Spidey senses tingle.

I sat back, making sure my legs were firmly closed, not wanting to give anyone a show with how short my dress was. I closed my knees around my hands and just sat there while Alice and Jasper ate each other's faces for the next few minutes. Being a third wheel wasn't fun. But that seemed to always happen when I hung out with Alice and her flavor of the week.

I felt so awkward just sitting there, waving off everyone who tried to pass, what I found out was a blunt, to me. After another minute of Alice sucking her new boytoy's face off, I sighed and stood up from the couch. I was thirsty and I'd much rather brave my way through the house full of strangers in search of water than sit next to the horny duo who looked about ready to rip each other's clothes off in front of everyone.

I walked with my head down, peeking up every now and again just to make sure I didn't collide with any of the partygoers. It took longer than it should have to find the kitchen because of how many people were jam-packed into the house. But once I found it, I breathed a sigh of relief. There were people hanging out in the kitchen, but not nearly as many as there were in the rest of the place.

I grabbed a red solo cup out of the pile on the counter and walked over to the sink, turning the water on cold and filling the cup all the way. With all the smoke floating around, I felt like I was suffocating.

I turned and leaned back on the sink, sipping my water in peace. Sadly, that peace was short lived.

I cringed inwardly when a short man with an ugly orange fauxhawk came up to me. He stopped right in front of me, way too close for my liking. I could smell the booze and cigarettes on his breath. I internally gagged, leaning my head further back. He was so close that if I moved just a centimeter forward, we'd be touching. I crushed my hips into the sink to get some space, the thought of him touching me making me uncomfortable and uneasy.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said with a raise of his brows and it was clear that he thought that was attractive when really he looked ridiculous. He took a long pull from his bottle of beer. "I ain't never seen you around here before."

I gulped back the apprehension in my throat and said, "This is my first time."

And hopefully only time.

He licked his lips, his eyes trailing from my head to my toes, and then back up, "You looking for a good time?"

I couldn't stop the grimace that darkened my face, "No, not really." Not in the way that he meant it.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that, baby," he said, completely invading my space by taking another step toward me. I could feel the bulge in his plants poking me in my leg, making my eyes widen. He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, "I got some coke for a pretty girl like you. All you gotta do is suck my –,"

I pushed him away from me, scoffing in disgust, "Not on your life," I growled at him.

He only laughed, taking another step closer to me. I was about to kick him where it hurt, but before I could, a large hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him back and forcing his face to look up at the man towering over him.

"Embry," the man growled, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop scaring the women away? Huh? Do we need another lesson on how to treat a lady?"

The shorter man, Embry, quickly shook his head, his eyes as wide as saucers. "N-no, man, we cool. I s-swear."

The tall man used the hand around his neck to push him away from me. He stumbled a few times and then scurried out of the kitchen like a rat, his petrified eyes looking back for only a second.

I sighed in relief, turning my face up to look at my savior. My words caught in my throat, a quiet gasp escaping my lips. The darkest green eyes framed by long lashes were peering down at me. I was caught in their soulful embrace, going completely stupid for a whole minute.

I blinked a few times and the man let out a soft chuckle which brought my eyes down to his full and luscious lips. His tongue poked out and licked them and my eyes were then drawn to the barbell in the middle of his tongue and spiky stud just below his bottom lip, right in the center.

I licked my own lips, trailing my eyes back up to his. They were squinted in the sexiest way, and I felt an unfamiliar stirring in my tummy that had me clenching my thighs together.

He snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I blinked, coming out of my trance, realizing that he had been speaking to me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked dumbly.

He smirked and took a step away from me, crossing his heavily tattooed arms over his broad chest, "I said are you alright? Embry is a real nasty son of a bitch."

"Who?"

The man's lips became a thin line as his eyes shone brightly, clearly amused by me. Then I remembered the creep who had invaded my space. I shook my head, putting my hand over my chest.

"Yeah-yeah, I'm alright," I finally said. "Thank you for your help."

He held his hand out and I took in just how large it was. It took my brain a few seconds to catch up and realize he wanted me to shake his hand. I quickly reached my hand out and let his envelope mine in a gentle but firm grip. My hand practically disappeared beneath his.

"I'm Edward," he introduced himself with an adorable little half-smile that made me want to melt into the floor.

"I'm, uh…" Fuck, what's my name?

"Bella!"

Oh, that's it.

Alice came barging into the kitchen with Jasper hot on her heels, his eyes looking only at her swaying hips. Edward turned his body halfway to look behind him, his face neutral. Alice came to stand next to him and the height difference was comical. But I assumed that's what I looked like next to him as well since I was only two inches taller than her.

"I looked over and you were gone!"

I breathed in and out a few times, gathering my thoughts that were still scattered thanks to the man who stopped me from being assaulted. When I felt okay enough to speak, I shook my head and glared at Alice, remembering exactly why I had left her side.

"I didn't feel like sitting there like an idiot while you two devoured each other's faces." I popped out my hip, sticking my hand on it and raising a brow at her.

Edward chuckled next to me and it took everything in me not to physically swoon at the sound as it vibrated down my whole body.

Instead, I focused on Alice who had enough decency to look guilty, "Sorry, girl. We got carried away," she laughed lightly, looking over at Jasper with wide eyes.

He nodded and winked at her, wrapping his arm around her waist, and pulling her closer into his side.

Alice looked up at Edward, only just noticing the tower of a man, "Eddie, I see you've met my best friend, Bella."

He raised a brow, "This is the Bella?" he said lightly, those entrancing eyes of his sliding back to me, "I'm honored."

I looked down, not able to look into his eyes anymore. They made me mad stupid. I fiddled with the hem of my dress, biting my lip while I tried to rein in my raging hormones. I had seen attractive boys before, but he was a gorgeous man. My little heart couldn't even handle it. It fluttered painfully in my chest.

"We're headed upstairs, ya'll coming?" I heard Jasper ask.

I looked over at Alice and raised a quizzical brow. She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, dragging me behind her as she walked out of the kitchen. I peeked behind me to see Jasper and Edward walking close behind us. They were whispering something back and forth.

I decided to put my eyes forward, not wanting to risk tripping in front of Edward. That would be so fucking embarrassing. I was already proving to be a freaking spazz.

As we were walking up the stairs, I put my hand behind me, holding my dress to the backs of my thighs, scared that the men behind us would be able to see my plain white undies. I suddenly wished that I owned nicer undergarments and that thought alone had my cheeks blazing at the implication.

Alice seemed to know where she was going, turning corners until she came to a closed door decorated with license plates and warning signs. She waited as Jasper walked ahead of us and took out a key from his pocket, unlocking the door and gesturing for us to enter the dimly lit bedroom.

Alice pulled me through the threshold and bounded over to the bed. She jumped up and landed on her butt, her feet dangling off the end. She looked way too comfortable in this man's bedroom. I climbed up after her and pulled my dress down my thighs a little, making sure not to expose my breasts in the process.

Jasper closed the door and went to the side table, pulling out a tray and some shiny foil packets. I peered curiously down at the tray as he went to sit next to Alice and noticed the little baggies on it full of green. I tugged uncomfortably on the hem of my dress. I didn't want any part of this.

I felt the bed dip next to me and the heat that consumed me could have burned me alive when Edward's leg touched mine lightly. I took in a shaky breath, hoping that he didn't realize the effect he was having on me. I didn't understand it myself.

Edward clasped his hands together and leaned his elbows on his knees. I could feel his eyes on my face and against my better judgment I met his stare. He smiled when I looked at him, not even a little embarrassed at being caught staring. I blushed and quickly looked away, feeling my hands start to sweat. My eyes instead focused on what Jasper was doing on the other side of the bed.

He was pulling the green bud apart with his fingers while the tray balanced skillfully on his lap. He had obviously done this hundreds of times before. I nudged Alice with my elbow. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye and I could see the warning there.

Do not embarrass me, was written clearly on her face. So, I kept my mouth shut and waited for Jasper to finish with his task. He took one of the shiny packets and popped it open, dumping two long cigars onto the tray. He picked up a small razer that was sitting on the tray and took one of the cigars, slicing it down the middle. He emptied its contents and then started putting the weed into it, sprinkling it in like he was garnishing a dish.

I stopped watching after that. I didn't need to see anymore. I wanted to jump up and leave the room, but I didn't want to embarrass Alice. And I also didn't want to leave Edward's presence. Or look like a total spazz in front of him even more than I already did.

I peeked at him through my hair. His eyes were on what Jasper was doing now, his knee bouncing up and down, brushing my leg with each pass. It was driving me crazy, my poor teenage hormones going wild, and part of me wondered if he was doing it on purpose. His attention was on Jasper, but I could see the small smile playing on his lips and I knew that he must have noticed how he affected me. He just had to.

I felt so transparent and naked.

"Ta-da," Jasper said, pulling my attention back to him. He held the blunt up between his thumb and forefinger, eyeing it with pride. He looked at Alice, "Have you ever seen a more perfect blunt in your life?" he asked her, bumping her shoulder with his playfully.

Alice laughed, "Sure haven't, baby. No one rolls quite like you."

They were literally gag-worthy. Sickeningly cute.

"Can you two stop being so gross?" Edward spoke up, mirroring my thoughts. I looked back at him, and he met my gaze, rolling his beautiful eyes.

I smiled and shook my head, fanning my hair across my face.

"Whatever, hater," Jasper cut into our moment. He flicked his army green torch lighter and lit the end of the blunt before bringing it to his mouth and sucking it in deeply. He took another puff before pressing it to Alice's lips.

My eyes widened when she parted her lips and inhaled the smoke as if she had done it a hundred times before. I could not believe she was smoking weed right now. How did I not know that she smoked weed? We needed a best friend meeting, stat.

After one puff, she leaned back from the blunt and blew the smoke upward, gesturing for Jasper to pull it away. He grinned at her and held the blunt out as he dove in for a kiss. When Edward took the blunt from his fingers, Jasper tackled Alice to the bed. I cringed when she squealed loudly.

I shook my head and looked at Edward. I'd rather be caught ogling him than be forced to suffer through those two freaks sucking face again.

Edward brought the blunt to his lips and inhaled deeply, his cheeks hollowing out from the action. That simple act made my mouth go dry. My lips parted as I watched him choke back the smoke before blowing it out to the side, away from me, his eyes watching me the whole time. I was so enchanted by the mere presence of him and the simple act that I couldn't pull my eyes away even if I wanted to.

He smiled around the blunt when he took in another long drag, closing his eyes for just a moment. When he opened them, he held the blunt out to me, "Do you toke?" he asked as a cloud of smoke left his mouth.

I quickly shook my head. He pulled the blunt back and nodded with a grin, "I didn't think so, but it'd be rude not to offer," he said, his deep voice sending vibrations all down my body. My toes curled painfully in the wedges I wore.

I had never swooned so hard in my life. It was honestly terrifying.

Edward looked over at the two lovebirds practically dry-humping next to me and frowned. His eyes met mine again, "You wanna go somewhere else?"

I bit my lip, considering the invitation. Edward's eyes darted down to my mouth and then back up to my eyes. He licked his bottom lip slowly and then stood, extending his hand out to me.

"I promise I don't bite, angel."

My stomach clenched in the most painfully pleasurable way at his words. There was no way I could tell him no. I didn't even want to. So, I took his hand and let him pull me off the bed and out of the room. He didn't let go of my hand as he pulled me along with him, down the hallway full of people leaning against the walls, smoking and drinking.

We stopped at a bare door and Edward used his free hand to dig into his jeans. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door. He gripped my hand tighter and gestured with his head toward the room, "You're safe with me."

For some reason, I believed him. It may have been stupid, but something in my gut told me that I could trust him. I just hoped that my hormones weren't the reason for that. Because, fuck, did he make them go wild. My father would be so disappointed in me.

Fuck it.

I took a tentative step into the bedroom, taking in my surroundings as Edward closed the door and came to stand behind me. The room wasn't very big, but it was for sure cozy. He had LED lights lining the floor, ceiling, and window. The window itself was covered with a burgundy drape and black blinds that were halfway open, exposing the starlit sky. His dark wood bedframe, side tables, and dresser complemented the dark red comforter and black pillows on his full-size bed.

Edward walked past me and went to his bed, sitting down on it and patting the spot next to him. How could I resist? The answer was, apparently, I couldn't. I walked over quickly and jumped up onto the high bed with zero hesitation. I clicked my heels together nervously, twiddling my fingers on my lap. How could I feel so at ease and so wound up at the same time?

"You don't need to be nervous," he said softly and when I turned my head to face him, he was so close to me, that I could smell the weed he had just smoked on his breath. And it wasn't even a turnoff. In fact, I found myself leaning a little closer.

I swallowed thickly when his arm slid behind my back on the bed, and he leaned closer to me, following my actions. His eyes locked on mine, completely enthralling me in their endless depths. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to. And something told me that Edward was well aware of the effect he had on the opposite sex.

"I noticed you as soon as you walked in the house," he admitted without an ounce of shame. "I wanted to talk to you, but you looked like you'd rather be anywhere else."

I breathed out a little laugh, "That's how I felt," I told him preferring to be honest.

"And now?" he asked, his eyes trailing all over my face.

"I'm… content." That was the best word I could come up with to describe how I was feeling. It was strange, but this man had an interesting effect on me. He was so close to my face, he must've been gravitating closer as we talked, or maybe I was getting closer to him? Maybe both. I wasn't sure. All I was sure of was that Edward was intoxicating. His presence easily glided through my bloodstream and made me drunk. And oh, my god, his face was so damn beautiful.

I could feel my heart thumping against my chest when Edward licked that plump bottom lip of his. It did such strange things to my body when he did that. And by the way his lips pulled into a knowing smirk, he was well aware of that fact, as well. My vision was getting cloudy, focusing only on his striking features.

"You have the most perfect face," he mumbled, his eyes tracing every inch of it, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

I huffed out a laugh, "I was thinking the same thing." I couldn't believe I admitted that but something about this man made me feel like I could say anything, and he wouldn't judge me. He had a comforting vibe.

Edward leaned in even closer to my face causing me to take in a sharp breath. If I just leaned in a little closer, our lips would be touching. I'd kissed boys before, but the thought of kissing Edward set me on fire and consumed my body with unabashed desire. I really hoped he felt the same.

"Do you want to kiss me as bad as I want to kiss you?" Edward whispered, once again mirroring my thoughts.

I breathed out a hard breath against his lips, "I really do." My voice was almost pleading, my thighs sliding against each other as I tried to cure the ache between them.

Gosh, what was happening to me?

Edward's hand found the side of my face. He brushed his fingertips against my skin so softly it made my eyes flutter closed. I licked the dryness off my lips as he trailed his fingers over my cheek and down to my neck. My eyes popped back open when he wrapped his fingers around my throat. He didn't use a lot of pressure, but the action surprised me.

Before I could give it too much thought, Edward's lips were on mine. He pecked my lips in a featherlight kiss and then pulled away, his eyes studying me for a moment before he leaned back in and pressed his lips more firmly to mine, sealing us together.

My body broke out in an all-consuming fire that made me lose all my bearings. I grabbed his wrist, holding onto the hand that was around my neck, my other hand fisting into the hair at the nape of his neck. Edward sucked on my bottom lip and then flicked his tongue over it. I gasped and he took the opportunity to enter my mouth, his tongue sliding over mine languidly, his piercing tickling the roof of my mouth in the most pleasurable way.

I moaned, falling deeper into the kiss. I pulled him closer to me and he groaned a deep guttural vibration that sent shivers all throughout my body. Edward's hand tightened around my throat as he pulled me impossibly closer to him.

I felt like I was going to burst into flames.

The hand he had on my neck trailed down to my collarbone, his feather-light touches making me needy with desire. I breathed out harshly into his mouth when his hand went further down, gripping my breast in his palm and squeezing with just enough pressure to drive me wild. My back arched almost painfully, trying to get as close to him as I could. I couldn't stop the moans falling from my mouth, especially when Edward's growls came into the mix, vibrating on my lips.

The door slamming open caused me to jump and break away from the kiss. I was a panting mess, my hand over my chest. I felt like a child who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar as the surprised eyes of my best friend zeroed in on me. She stuck her hands on her hips and teetered on her heels.

"Should we come back later?" she asked. I noticed Jasper standing next to her with a lazy smile on his face as he leaned on the doorframe. My cheeks flamed impossibly hotter than they were just a moment ago when Edward's tongue was in my mouth.

"Yes," Edward growled impatiently. The sound was like a shockwave through my system, further clouding my mind.

What was I doing?

I jumped off the bed and shook my head, trying to clear the fog that Edward had put there. What the hell was I doing? I couldn't do this. Not for nothing, but Edward was most likely under the impression that I was older than I was and that was fucked up to lead him down that path.

I looked back at Edward and grimaced, "I'm sorry, Edward," I rushed out. "I-I really need to go. Alice," I turned to my best friend with pleading eyes, "Can we go, please?"

She took a step toward me, holding her hands out. She looked worried at my sudden flustered state. She nodded slowly, "Yeah, girl. That's fine."

Alice turned to Jasper, "We're still on for tomorrow?" she asked him.

He grinned down at her, "You got it, babe." He reached around her waist, grabbing a handful of her ass and squeezing before leaning down to place a quick kiss on her waiting lips.

I looked away from them, my eyes inevitably finding Edward's. He looked irritated, his nostrils slightly flaring, and his large hands clasped tightly together on his knees. I thought he might be upset with me but then he stood up from the bed and walked over to me, bending at the knees and dipping his head down to put us at close to eye level.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked quietly, his breath fanning across my face. It made my head go haywire and I had to shake my brain back into place and take a reaffirming step back from him.

"No, you didn't," I assured him. "I just… I can't… It wouldn't be –" I struggled for words, cutting myself off with a hard huff of breath, getting frustrated with myself for not being able to form a coherent sentence.

Edward reached out, the back of his hand sliding down my cheek. His lips quirked up at the side and he leaned in closer to my face, effectively shutting my brain down for a moment.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly. He stood up to his full height and took a step back from me. "I understand," he said with a curt nod.

I could see on his face that he thought I was rejecting him when really, I was just trying to do the right thing. For both me and him. But also, the whole thing was kind of freaking me out. I had never lost control like that before. And I had never let a boy touch me in that way. Ever.

"Ready, girl?" Alice asked as she came up next to me, her fingers lacing through my own. She eyed Edward for a moment before turning to look at me, a question clear in her gaze.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Bye, guys," Alice called over her shoulder as we left Edward's room and maneuvered through the hallways and down the stairs. When we got outside, I breathed a sigh of relief, the fresh air finally clearing my mind some.

I quickly climbed into Alice's car, buckling myself in. I touched my fingers to my swollen lips, remembering what it felt like just a few minutes ago when Edward was devouring them. Alice got in and started the car, peering over at me with a quizzical brow. I quickly dropped my hand onto my lap.

"Spill," she said as she backed out of the driveway and onto the road.

I shook my head, "There's nothing to spill," I lied pathetically.

Alice scoffed, "So you and Edward weren't just macking hardcore up there? Because it sure looked like your tongues were doing the dirty tango."

I groaned and turned, lowering myself in the seat and looking out the side window, "It was wrong."

I didn't know if I was trying to convince her or myself.

"Why? Edward is smoking hot," she said matter-of-factly.

"Because you have everyone under the impression that we're older than we are, Alice. And also," I continued, turning to look at her. "He just screams trouble."

Alice snorted with a roll of her eyes, "What about Edward screams trouble? The guy is a teddy bear, I swear."

I didn't have a rebuttal to that. I didn't know the guy. All I knew was that he was dangerous. Dangerous because of how he made me feel and how I acted around him. How his mere presence caused me to lose all of my bearings. He was trouble because he made my brain go dumb and my inhibitions loose. But I didn't want to admit any of that to Alice.

So, I just crossed my arms over my chest and kept quiet the rest of the way back to Alice's place. And bless her, she let me sulk in silence. For once. And while the car may have been silent, my mind was not. Images of dark green eyes and long rough fingers swirled around my head as gutteral growls echoed between my ears.

I was in so much trouble.


Okay, I couldn't not write this idea down. It was playing in my head on a loop. Let me know if I should continue with it. I do have other stories going right now, so I'm going to give my attention to the ones that are being read and reviewed. I really hope you guys like my thug-ward.