Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Bella

My hopes that Alice would be as tired as I was to go to the party died almost as soon as we stepped off the boat. My sister was wide awake and filled with excitement with this new phase of our lives, whereas I wanted nothing more than to stay home and rest after the exhausting trip we had.

After getting to the Harbor, we were taken to a small, cozy two story home where we would live with the other nurses that would work with us. The house had three bedrooms, each with two twin beds, plus two bathrooms, a living area and a kitchen. But my favorite spot of the house was the porch swing. I couldn't wait to sit on it on a Sunday afternoon and simply enjoy the nice weather.

I threw myself on the bed as soon as Alice and I chose our rooms and groaned, my body aching for some rest, but Alice wasted no time in getting ready for the party.

"Izzy, what are you waiting for?" Alice said, throwing my blue dress at me. "Come on, everyone is getting ready for the party!"

I sat up on the bed, leaning back on my hands.

"Do I really have to go? I'm really tired and I want to sleep. I could stay here with Angela."

She'd told me she wasn't planning on going to that party earlier on the boat and, for a second, I saw that as my way out of the party. Surely Alice wouldn't force me to go if I had someone to keep me company.

"Nope, Angela is going as well. Rosalie is making her. Now, get up and get ready. We are going to this party."

I groaned like a child and stood up. There was really no way out. Snatching my dress from the bed, I walked to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me as I prepped for a shower.

Once everyone was ready, I took Alice's arm and we met with the rest of our housemates in the living room. Our new home consisted of Alice, me, Rosalie, Angela and two other girls from the train, Jessica and Lauren. I hadn't spoken much to the last two, but from what I saw on the train and on the boat, I doubted there was much on their minds that wasn't men. And Pearl Harbor had lots of them.

The band was already playing when we got to the bar. People were already on the dance floor or by the bar ordering their drinks. The small bar was at capacity and my feet halted when I saw the large crowd of people. I'd never been in a crowd that big and I could feel sweat trickle down the back of my neck. The girls we came with scattered as soon as we walked in, flocking toward the uniformed men and other locals.

Alice and I stood next to an empty table, spectating as people interacted so easily with each other. They laughed, danced and drank like there was no tomorrow. Well, given the circumstances, I supposed tomorrow was not guaranteed in a way.

Being as isolated as we were, Alice and I did not have much practice when it came to approaching new people. I could tell Alice was eager to dance and make friends, but of course as shy as she was, she was not going to ask one of these men to dance. God, why did we come anyway?

"Alice, we should probably go home," I said, with the hope she would agree and we went back to the house.

"No, this will be fun," she said with determination, looking around in the bar. "We were never allowed out in Forks with our father."

"And that was for a reason," I replied.

"Yes, because he's a control freak who wanted to keep us locked up in that house," she snapped back. "Come on, loosen up and we'll hopefully get a partner to dance with."

"I will not dance with anyone," I said. I let go of her arm and looked around at the crowded room. God, I wished I was in bed. I fixed my wavy hair, twisting the ends between my fingers to keep my hands busy as anxiety bubbled in the pit of my stomach.

Rosalie skipped back to us, this time with a very tall and muscular guy in tow. His black hair was cropped short and he wore a dark green buttoned down shirt that had the Army Air Corp insignia. She smiled widely at us and said, "Girls, meet Emmett McCarthy, the guy I told you about."

He gave us a slight bow, obviously trying to charm us, and said, "Evening, ladies."

"Hi! I'm Alice and this is my sister, Izzy." Alice introduced us.

I gave him a slight nod.

"Some of Emmett's friends are coming. They're also from the Air Corp," Rosalie said, her hand wrapped tightly around his bicep. "Maybe they can partner up with them," she told him. "Especially Izzy, she really needs to loosen up a bit."

"I do not need to-"

"She definitely does," Alice interrupted me.

"Well, hopefully they both come with as much excitement as you, Miss Alice," Emmett said with a grin.

"Oh, there they are!" Rosalie pointed at the door.

I turned to see two gentlemen walk in side by side. One of them was a tall blonde. His smile, I admitted, was very charming and showed off his one dimple. His companion was slightly taller than him, bronze hair and hypnotic emerald eyes. His squared jaw was clenched, eyebrows furrowed together and judging by the way he scanned the room and a look of annoyance overtook his expression, I figured I wasn't the only one who was forced to come here tonight.

I hadn't realized I was staring at him until our eyes met. His eyebrow rose a bit and I immediately looked away, embarrassed that he caught me looking. Heat rose in my cheeks and I looked down at my feet, trying to conceal my blush.

"Over here!" Emmett shouted at them over the music.

Oh, no.

I took a deep breath before looking up. The bronze haired man walked behind his blonde friend until they reached us.

"Evening, everyone," the blonde one said, clapping a hand on Emmett's shoulder. There was a hint of a southern accent in his voice. "And who must these lovely ladies be?

"Boys, these are my new housemates. This is Alice and Izzy Swan," Rosalie introduced us. "Girls, these are Emmett's best friends, Jasper Withlock and Edward Cullen. They are also in the Air Corp."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the blonde one said, his eyes locked on my sister. I looked at Edward, who gave us a slight nod without saying anything. Jasper stepped closer to my sister and offered her his hand. "May I have the next dance, Miss?"

Alice looked at me wide eyed, more out of her excitement than fear. I gave her an encouraging nod to go ahead. I didn't want her to feel as if she had to hold back just because of me, especially now that she had a partner.

"Absolutely," she said, beaming widely as she took his offered hand and they walked to the dance floor, followed by Rosalie and Emmett.

That left me alone with Edward Cullen.

I gave him a shy smile, unsure of what to do or say. I didn't have much practice speaking with men. The only men I've ever spoken to in my life were my father, Marcus and the doctors at the hospital I worked at back at home. Edward tucked his lower lip into his mouth and nodded once again before walking away without saying a word to me. The action stung a little, but I shook the feeling away and breathed through my nose and out my mouth. To hell with him and whatever stick is up his behind.

Angela joined me shortly after finishing her dance with a young man in the Navy called Ben. Judging by the several instances where Ben stole a quick glance at Angela, making her giggle, I could tell that she was smitten. Alice looked like she was having so much fun dancing with Jasper as well. The way she moved and the smile on her face were a sight I'd rarely seen when we were home. I had to admit, I did get the urge to dance, even though I knew very little, but no one ever gave me a second glance.

"Evening," a young man approached me and Angela, interrupting our conversation. "I'm Laurent. I couldn't help noticing that you ladies don't have a dance partner."

I stepped back the moment I got the strong hint of alcohol on his breath. I gave Angela an anxious look, which she gave back, before looking back at the man who had his hand out, waiting for either one of us to take it.

"Angela," Ben came over and offered his hand to her. "I believe you owe me another dance."

"Yes, I do," she said, rapidly. She looked back at me and mouthed, "I'm sorry," as Ben led her away.

"No, no, no," I said, trying to stop her but it was too late. She was out of reach and I was left alone with the man.

Great, now what?

Laurent arched a brow, still waiting for me to take his hand. I laughed nervously and said, "Uh, you see I-"

"I believe you too owe me a dance," a velvet voice said from behind me.

"Yes!" I turned around, anxious to get away from Laurent. My body collided with the person who was standing behind me and the force sent me back a couple of steps. Surely, I would've fallen back if it hadn't been for his quick thinking as he grabbed me and held me steady. My breath halted when I realized it was Edward Cullen standing behind me. Heat started trickling up my cheeks once more.

He arched his brow, probably annoyed that I ran into him, but he recovered quickly from his surprise and let go of me, offering his hand. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry as I slipped my hand in his. His hand was warm and his skin was calloused, probably from all the training and weapons he had to handle.

"Get lost, Laurent," Edward said without looking away from me.

"Fuck you, Cullen." I heard him say back and walked away.

Edward gripped my hand and I let him guide me to the dance floor. Just as we reached it, a slow song began to play.

Oh, no.

"I-uh." I stopped, trying to tug my hand out of his grip, but he was strong. He held on to my hand and looked back at me, waiting for me to follow him. "I can't dance."

"You can't dance?"

"I-uh… no?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. For a brief second I thought he was going to walk away, but before I could register what was happening, he took me by the waist and pulled my body against his, lifting me up. I gasped, shocked at his sudden closeness and then I realized what he'd done. He lifted me up onto his feet. I swallowed hard, as he placed my hand on his shoulder and took my free one in his, and we slowly began to sway from side to side at the rhythm of the must. He apparently didn't mind my stepping on his toes as he guided my feet with each step. I inhaled, trying to calm my nerves when I got a hint of pine wood from him. He smelled really good.

Edward Cullen kept his chin up the entire time, barely looking at me as we danced. The silence between us, regardless of the loud setting we were in, was getting the best of me, so I decided to break it.

"Thank you for saving me from that man," I said.

"You're welcome," he replied, looking anywhere but me.

"Are-are you even allowed to drink while you're in the army?" I asked. "The man had one too many. I'm not sure if that's allowed."

"He's not part of the army, Miss," he simply answered.

Oh.

Well, I was out of ideas to get a conversation going and he wasn't eager to participate, so I kept my mouth shut. We continued to dance in silence, to perhaps the longest song ever, until he finally looked at me. He was too tall for my own good. I barely reached his shoulders which meant I had to tilt my head up to look him in the eyes.

"I believe Rosalie said your name was Izzy?"

"Isabella," I corrected him.

"I'm Edward. Are you and your sister here for a vacation?" He asked.

"No, we're nurses," I answered, proudly. "We arrived today and the girls felt like having some fun before work started."

"Which hospital will you be working at?"

"Tripler General Hospital," I said.

Edward nodded once again and I noticed the way his jaw clenched a bit.

"What made you volunteer?"

"Our father encouraged us to volunteer. He never had boys, if he had then I'm sure he would've had us enlisted, but since he got two girls then he pushed us to volunteer as nurses."

"And you didn't have a problem with your father pushing you and your sister while there is a war going on? Many anticipate we will have to join it very soon."

"I'm happy to be of help when I'm needed." I shrugged. "You and the men in our forces need us so you are able to serve our country, so regardless of where I want to be, I'm happy to be here and help in any way I can."

"But are you happy?"

"I'm not miserable. At least not yet," I tried to joke.

I felt his body tense under my touch and he didn't say anything in response. The song finally came to an end and Edward stepped away, slipping his hands from me. With another nod, he turned over his heel and walked away, leaving me alone on the dance floor as a new song began.

The heat in my cheeks was too overwhelming now. I walked out of the bar, into the cool autumn night as I took deep breaths to slow my racing heart. That was the first time I ever danced with a man who wasn't my father or Marcus, and while it wasn't anything out of this world, Edward Cullen somehow managed to unnerve me. Why was he so cold?

I shook that question away. It didn't matter, really. He got me out of dancing with a drunk man, and if dancing with him was the price I needed to pay, then it was fine by me. I was still outside, trying to cool off when I heard voices coming from the bar, heading my way. Instantly, I recognized them as Edward and Jasper. I quickly ducked behind a tree, not wanting to engage into another short and rather cold conversation with the man.

"So, what was that about?" I heard Jasper ask.

"Laurent was bothering her and I took pity on her. That's all," I heard Edward respond and there was irritation in his tone.

"Sure, my friend. I haven't seen you dance with anyone since we've been here and now all of the sudden you're taking pity on a poor, helpless damsel in need of rescuing? Come on, man, you know it was more than that."

"No, it wasn't, Jasper. Don't try to make this something that it isn't."

"Come on, Edward, you have to admit she's very beautiful," Jasper said.

"She's… fine. Tolerable, even. But apparently not pretty enough to entice anyone else in there. The poor thing was just standing there the whole night and the only attention she got was that of Laurent Matthews, so yes, I took pity on her. Don't try to make this seem more than it is. Pity, that's all it was. You got the prettier sister."

My jaw dropped. Excuse me? Who the hell did he think he was? Tolerable? Not pretty enough? Pity?

That earlier stinging I felt in my chest turned into a full on stab. Who the hell did he think he was talking about me like that? Someone he barely knew?

"You're just playing hard to get," Jasper said. "There's nothing wrong with a little fun, my friend."

"Jasper, trust me, you're truly wasting your time here."

"Izzy! There you are!"

Both men went immediately quiet. I groaned, looking off to my left to see that my sister had come out of a different exit. She was followed by Rosalie and Angela, and all three of them practically ran to me when they saw me.

"What the hell are you doing out here all by yourself? I've been looking for you!"

I groaned again, leaning back against the tree. There was no way Jasper and his friend did not hear her. They were barely three feet away. Stepping out of my hiding spot, I kept my eyes on my sister as she approached me and ignored the two men.

"Are you ready to go home?" I asked, hoping she was.

Alice was about to answer before she caught sight of Jasper.

"Oh, hi, Jasper," she said, that smile creeping back as she tugged her hair behind her ear.

"You ladies heading home?" Jasper asked, stepping toward us. Edward stayed back. "Would you like us to walk you back home?"

"Yes-"

"No, thank you. We will be fine," I cut off my sister, lacing our arms. I finally glanced at Mr. Cullen and at least he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Now, what kind of gentlemen would we be if we allowed you pretty ladies to walk on your own this late at night?" Jasper said.

"Oh, don't mind her, of course you can walk us," Rosalie said from behind us.

I gritted my teeth.

"No, they will not," I said more firmly now. "They are strangers and I do not feel comfortable with them knowing where we live."

"You should know, better than anyone else, that it's best if we walk you home," Mr. Cullen finally spoke up, stepping next to his friend. "You are new to town and do not know it like we do. It's better to be safe than sorry."

I narrowed my eyes on him. Now he wanted to play nice? After what he said? No. I wasn't going to let that slide.

"Rosalie, you know this town very well, don't you?" I asked without looking away from Mr. Cullen.

"Well, yes, but-"

"And you know how to get us home safely?"

"Yes-"

"Well, there we have, Mr. Cullen, we are safe," I said. "Plus, this is a fine night. Tolerable, even. And I'd very much like to enjoy it in peace."

His jaw flexed at my comment, but I paid him no mind. I stepped back, my arm slipping from my sister's and turned the opposite direction, walking at a steady pace away from him and with my head held high.

I huffed in annoyance, walking out of the bathroom. Alice sat on her bed, looking rather amused by my anger like Rosalie and Angela were, who were also in our room. I was glad they enjoyed their night, even though mine was terrible. I knew that going to that stupid party was a bad idea.

I told them about what happened as soon as the girls caught up to me after walking away. I was hoping they'd be just as baffled as I was, but no. They found the whole thing to be amusing.

"I mean, can you believe the level of disrespect you must have to speak such a way about someone you don't know?" I said, walking to my bed. "He was arrogant and ignorant, and ugh, I felt very insulted."

Alice gave Rosalie and Angela a little smug look before turning to me.

"Someone has a crush."

I gasped, horrified.

"Alice, you must be insane to even consider the idea. I hardly know the man, and the little time I actually spent with him, he was blatantly cold toward me and then insulting."

Rosalie chuckled. "Come on, now Izzy. He is actually pretty sweet. I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding."

"Rosalie, I may not have much experience when it comes to social interactions, but trust me, that wasn't a misunderstanding." I climbed into bed, tugging my blankets over my head as I rolled onto my side. "I'm done with this conversation. I'm going to sleep."

And I just hoped to never run into Edward Cullen ever again.

Author's Note:

Sooo what do we think about Edward so far? lol