Chapter Three: Take a Walk on the Wild Side

"Oh, my god," I groaned, gripping my fingertips down my face so roughly I knew it would leave angry red marks. I was getting fed the fuck up. "Can we please drop it already?"

Alice cackled as she held a blue silk dress up to her body. She did a little spin, watching as the flowy material fluttered around her. Her light mischievous eyes locked on mine. "He locked you in the bathroom with him, and you want me to drop it?"

I let my hands fall to my sides as I kicked at the scuffed-up floor of the brightly lit store, memories from an hour ago accosting me like a wet daydream. I narrowed my eyes at a short red dress hanging in front of me, thoughts of wrapping it around my best friend's neck tempting me.

"Dude," I sighed, already done with her antics. "It's not a big deal."

That was a lie of epic magnitudes, but what happened in that bathroom was my business. Mine and Edward's. I wasn't too keen on spilling all the beans. Not yet. I needed to process things first. I needed to process and reflect before I said too much about it.

"It kind of turns me on that he locked you in the women's bathroom with him," Alice muttered after a moment of silence. "Is that demented?"

I rolled my eyes. "You are absolutely demented, you little freak."

Alice chuckled and set the dress back on the rack. She scrunched up her nose at the rest of the items in front of us.

"I hate this store," she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest disinterestedly.

"Then why are we here?"

"Because sometimes they have at least one thing worth buying."

Her eyes scanned the clothing surrounding us before she shrugged and slipped by me, her fingers locking around my wrist as she went, dragging me to the next store in the mall. We, of course, had to hit all of them. It was some kind of Alice logic that I would never understand. Apparently, you have to go to every single store in the mall or you might miss something life-changing.

We spent the next hour browsing and buying to Alice's heart's content. As she perused the shelves, I stared at Edward's name in my phone, typing and erasing messages until my thumbs went numb. I had no idea what to say to him, but he obviously put his number on my phone so that we could talk. Right? I mean, I would assume so. Gah, why did I always have to second-guess myself?

God, I was such a coward. I couldn't even send a simple "hi" or "how are you doing". I was so over my head and out of my element. Even if Edward didn't find out my real age, he would find out that I was just a boring, goody-two-shoes spazz who couldn't even form a coherent sentence in his presence. It was bound to get really old really fast.

"What's got you looking like you sucked on a lemon?" Alice asked distractedly, her eyes bouncing from my face to the skintight jeans in her hands.

I sighed, pocketing my phone and crossing my arms over my chest. "I really do hate you sometimes."

Alice smirked sardonically. "Oh, dear. What have I done to upset you now?"

"Where do I even start?" I asked, stomping over to the stool in the corner. I plopped down on it, my back hitting the wall behind me roughly, briefly bringing my mind back to Edward and me in the bathroom against the stall.

I shook my head, clearing those images and focusing my attention on Alice.

"I don't like lying to Edward."

Alice rolled her eyes so hard I was afraid they would get stuck in the back of her head. "Did you tell him you're nineteen?"

"No, but-,"

"Then you haven't even lied to him."

"I am misleading him, though because I am aware that he's under the impression that I am older than I am."

"Seventeen is legal," she rebutted quickly.

"You must've lied about your age for some reason, Alice." I shot back quickly losing patience with my best friend.

Alice shrugged. "Someone else lied for me. I just went along with it. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time and things just kind of spiraled from there."

"Why did they lie about your age?"

I was genuinely curious. Alice did so many things that I could never understand, but I never felt the need for clarification or explanation. Now I did. I needed to know why the guys had to be misled and lied to. I had to know why because the guilt was going to swallow me whole. I, at least, deserved to know the reasoning behind it.

Alice met my eyes with a wary glance. "Because Jasper and his crew are… into mature things."

Well, that was vague.

I sat forward, my elbows on my knees. "I'm gonna need a little more than that, Alice."

Alice huffed, setting the jeans back on the shelf. "They may or may not be into some grown-up dealings. I don't know specifics, but I met him because my cousin Jane was buying weed off him and she made me lie about my age so she wouldn't get shit for bringing me with her."

My mouth dropped open as her words swam around my head. I knew they smoked it, but smoking it is one thing. Selling it is a whole other thing. That's a felony. It made me wonder if they sold more than just weed. Did Edward sell? Or was it just Jasper? Those errands they had to run were starting to make me suspicious. Was it a drug deal? Were they on a drug run?

"Don't freak out on me," Alice pleaded, her hands going palms up as she stepped closer to me. She bent at the hips, so our faces were inches apart. "Please don't say anything to the boys. Don't tell them I told you, okay? Please, Bella? They wouldn't like me spreading their business around. I don't want Jazz to think he can't trust me."

I shook my head, leaning back and away from her. I needed space to breathe and think.

What the fuck did Alice get me into?

What the fuck did I allow myself to get into?

I gripped my shirt, feeling the fast pounding of my heart beneath my fingers. If Edward was mixed up in risky business, then I couldn't be mixed up with him. I had definite plans for my life, and they did not include a fling with a felon, or future felon. God, my parents would disown me. the nervous sweat dripped down the nape of my neck and my breathing turned erratic.

I couldn't believe her.

"What the fuck, Alice?" I whispered harshly, standing up and walking to the entrance of the store. I looked behind me to see her picking up all of her bags full of newly purchased clothes and her purse. She rushed over to me with wide, pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry. But you won't say anything, right?"

I sneered at her, shaking my head. "This is not okay, and neither are we."

"Bella, please," she said softly.

I walked to the doors leading to the parking lot, making a beeline for Alice's car. I stood next to the passenger door with my arms crossed as I waited for her to catch up to me and unlock the doors. Once I heard the click, I slipped in and buckled up. I turned to look out the window, my chin resting on my hand. My mind was a war of emotions and I couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed.

I was so worried about Edward finding out my age, that I was blind to the fact that that was the least of my worries. If I left and didn't look back, then I could just think back on this as a lesson learned – no harm, no foul.

Easy enough, right?

"The guys want us to meet them at the Chinese buffet down the street," Alice said, a nervous edge to her voice, her light eyes peeking at me and then back to her phone that was shaking in her hands.

Just the thought of seeing Edward made my insides swirl and tighten.

Fuck. Nothing about this was going to be easy. And by the worried look on Alice's face, she knew it too.

I knew she was afraid I would blow her cover. I knew she was also afraid I would mention the drug dealing. And I had half a mind to do both. But for now, I nodded my head curtly and stared out the window. I'd go with her and decide what I was going to do later. I couldn't think clearly with all the new information.

We pulled up in front of the buffet not even three minutes later and Alice shut off the car. She slowly turned to look at me, that nervous energy still surrounding her like a blanket. "You hungry?"

I snapped my jaw shut, opening the door and closing it with more force than necessary. I had never been so upset with my friend in all the years we'd been friends, and she was always doing things to make me angry. This was something on a whole other level.

This was stupid.

This was dangerous.

We both walked slowly to the double doors. Alice opened one of them and gestured for me to walk in ahead of her. We saw the guys at a booth up front almost immediately. A short Chinese lady with a kind smile walked over to us.

"Two for buffet?" she asked in broken English.

"We're meeting people here, actually," Alice said with a forced smile. She pointed at Jasper and Edward.

I tried to avoid looking at the object of my obsession, keeping my eyes on the floor when he turned his head to look at us. I couldn't allow myself to get pulled any further into his world. It would make it just that much harder for me to walk away. And I had to walk away. I just had to.

"Oh, handsome men," the lady grinned with all of her stark white teeth, her thin brows raising high on her wrinkled forehead. "What drinks can I get for you?"

We both asked for glasses of water with lemon and then made our way over to the guys. Alice was wobbly with nerves and I was stiff with tension. We must've been quite the sight. I looked up briefly as I took my seat next to Edward. There was a plate of different types of sushi and crab Rangoon in the middle of the table that made my dry mouth water.

I needed something to do with my shaking hands so I quickly grabbed a Rangoon, tearing it into pieces and popping them in my mouth, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table.

"What's wrong, baby?" I heard Jasper ask after a moment of silence. He sounded genuinely worried, and I couldn't blame him. Alice was far from her exuberant and boisterous self at the moment.

I peeked up to see Alice force a smile at Jasper and shake her head. She leaned into his side, her small hands wrapping around his large one that was settled on the table. She looked up into his eyes, and for the first time, I saw something in Alice's gaze that I never had before.

Jasper was more than just a fling to her. He was more than a passing fancy. It was written all over her face and in the depths of her eyes.

It made me uneasy.

She was just as enthralled with him as he was with her. I could feel my heart tighten in my chest. I was so torn between doing what I felt was right and what was right for my friend and her heart. Maybe what I thought was right really wasn't. Who the hell was I to judge? I was pulled from my warring thoughts when I felt a warm hand wrap around my upper thigh and squeeze gently.

I jumped slightly and looked at Edward, blinking away the fog he put in my head with his presence alone.

"You never texted," Edward pouted cutely. "I was hoping you would."

I blew air from my nose and cleared my throat which was suddenly thick with worry. I wasn't so sure what I was worried about – maybe everything. I felt dread settle in my chest, making a nest there with its spiky thorns.

Edward's bushy brows pulled down, his handsome face twisting into a frown. "Did something happen?" he asked, his hand moving down my thigh and squeezing my knee. I had to stop my eyes from rolling to the back of my head.

How could this mere stranger elicit that amount of ecstasy from my body with such an innocent touch? Just the way his soulful eyes bore into my own made me weak in the knees and heavy in the heart. There was something about Edward that drew me in in every possible way.

I quickly shook the cobwebs from between my ears when his hand started to run up and down my thigh, each pass getting closer to the promised land. I slapped my hand down onto his, stopping the upward motion.

"Nothing happened." My tone was clipped but not unkind.

I wasn't angry with Edward. What he chose to do with his life was none of my business. I just wanted no part in it. I wasn't even sure I was still mad at Alice – well, I was, but I sort of understood the predicament she found herself in. Someone started this lie, and she went along with it, just as I had, and she got sucked deeper and deeper into it. It was almost to the point of no return.

Alice was by no means a victim, but she wasn't a helpless pawn either. And I couldn't say that I was either. And that was why my anger was focused more on myself. I was mad at myself for being so weak-willed. I went along with this charade fully knowing what I was doing and blaming others wouldn't get me anywhere. I needed to strengthen my resolve. I needed to be able to say no. I needed to detach from the whole situation.

I could feel my body tensing even further. Edward must have felt it too because he removed his hand from my knee and fisted it on his own, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. I could feel his eyes staring into the side of my face, questions dancing in their depths, but I refused to look. I needed time to think. And when I looked at Edward, my brain tended to turn to mush.

With a lack of a better option, I stood up, rubbing my wet palms on my borrowed jeans. I side-stepped the kind lady as she brought our drinks to the table and headed for the many trays of food that were set up in golden bars, both Chinese and American cuisine to choose from. I grabbed a plate and slowly filled it with white noodles, coconut shrimp, and a teriyaki stick. I hovered over the spicy chicken, unsure if I wanted my breath to smell like the scent emanating from the tray. It was the kind of smell that you knew the food would be bomb, but your breath would take a hit.

"Hey," her soft voice pulled me from my inane thoughts. I looked across the bar to see Alice with her own plate of mostly American choices, including a little bowl of ketchup balancing on the edge. Her tiny hands gripped the bar tightly, the veins in her wrists tensed and pronounced.

"Hey," I sighed. The kicked-puppy look on her face was denting my resolve. That, and the fact that I didn't think she was fully to blame. Like I said, not innocent, but not an asshole either. Somewhere in the middle.

"Look-,"

"I'm sorry-,"

We both started at the same time. Alice grinned ruefully at me, and I rolled my eyes. Some tension left her shoulders as she piled the spicy chicken onto her plate, her eyes purposefully avoiding mine.

I waited for her to talk. Maybe whatever she had to say would make my decision easier. Or harder. It all depended on her next words. Whatever she had to say, I was more than willing to listen. I had so many warring thoughts in my head that perhaps a new perspective would help me make sense of the situation and help me know where to go from here.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I know that drugs and alcohol aren't your thing, for good reason, too. I also know that I should have been straightforward with you about the party and the ages of the guys. I should have told you about the web of lies I was tangled in before I dragged you there with me. But hear me out, okay?"

She looked up, her eyes pleading. I nodded for her to continue.

She took a deep breath in. "When Jane introduced me to Jasper, I thought he was the finest man on earth. I still think that. But at the time, that's all it was. So, I didn't mind lying about my age because I knew it was just going to be a quick fling. But it's not. I am so much more than mad crushed out on this man. I think about him before I fall asleep, when I wake up, and all the hours in between and I am so terrified that if he finds out my true age, he will never want to speak to me again. Not because seventeen is too young, but because he hates liars. He has made that more than clear."

Alice let out a shaky breath, snorting out a painful sound as she shook her head. "I couldn't handle that. I would absolutely die, Bella. I fell for him so fast that I didn't have time to think about the repercussions. I wanted it to work out so badly. That's why I took you to the party with me. Because I wanted you to see how great he is. I wanted you to spend time with him, and get to know him because you are the two most important people in my life. Please, Bella, please, I am begging you to just give me some time. I will tell him the truth. But let me do it on my own time."

I pursed my lips, leaning on the bar with one hand, my other fiddling with my plate, turning it in half circles one way and then the other. "I understand what you're saying. I get it, I do. But what about Edward?"

Alice looked up at me with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to lie to him," I said plainly. "He wants to spend the day with me and see where things go, but now that I know he's in risky business, my interest in him isn't the same." That wasn't totally true, but I carried on anyway. "Not to mention, we would be starting on a lie. And Alice," I stressed leaning closer. "Anything started on a lie is doomed to fail."

"Maybe not, though," she whispered pitifully. "Maybe they'll understand. We can make them understand."

"Maybe," I nodded curtly. "But they are still doing illegal things. Doesn't that bother you?"

It certainly bothered me.

Alice shrugged, her eyes looking over my shoulder. "Can we talk more about this later, please?" she begged in a rushed whisper.

I looked behind me. Edward and Jasper were making their way up to the bars, each of them grabbing a new plate. I looked over at Alice and nodded. I walked by the guys and back to the table, careful not to meet Edward's eyes, though I could feel them on my back with every step I took. It made me clumsier than usual and I almost dropped my plate. Thankfully, I was saved from that embarrassment by the kind Chinese lady steadying my hands as she walked by.

I sat down heavily, my elbows sitting on the table and my fingers going to my temples as I tried to think rationally. But every time I tried, images of Edward backing me into the wall accosted me. The slithering of his body against mine as he stared into my soul and begged for a chance.

I told him we would try to see where things could go between us, and I wasn't sure how to tell him I wasn't interested in that anymore without being able to tell him the reason why. Not to mention, I was so disgustingly attracted to him physically, and drawn to him on a deeper vibrational level, that the thought of ending whatever could have started between us made my heart crack painfully down the middle.

I was having serious fear of missing out. What if we could be epic? The downside of that would be that we could also be a disaster. There were too many possibilities and none of them were absolutes. I hated not knowing.

I hated it.

I picked at my food for a few minutes before the guys and Alice came back to the table. Jasper sat down, pulling Alice with him so quickly that she almost dropped her food. She snickered, smacking him lightly on the arm. I stood up so that Edward could take his seat inside the booth. He sat down heavily, a frown on his face.

I felt awful for putting it there. But I couldn't encourage him and his advances. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, and the last thing I wanted to do was lead him on. He really was very sweet.

Alice and Jasper whispered to each other, and I tried my best to ignore the lovey-dovey grossness going on across from me. I took a bite of my teriyaki stick just as Edward's hand slid behind my back. Surprised, I jumped forward, giving him enough room to slide his arm fully around me and grasp my hip on the opposite side with his large hand. He pulled me closer to him in one quick motion. Before I could stop myself, my wide eyes found his narrowed ones. He leaned his head down close to my face, the scent of his breath momentarily stunning me stupid.

"What's wrong?" he demanded quietly.

I shook my head minutely, enthralled by the green of his eyes. "N-nothing."

"Lie," he replied, his tone clipped. "Try again."

"There's nothing wrong," I said more forcefully, annoyed by the tone of his voice and the commanding nature of his words.

I pushed on his shoulder but that only made him hold onto me tighter.

His thick lips perked up at the corner, a sardonic smile on his features as he leaned in even closer, completely invading my space. I tried to scoot back but his hand around my hip was unyielding.

"What happened to the girl in the bathroom, huh? The girl who said she'd give me a chance. I feel like you don't want anything to do with me now. What's up?"

I blinked quickly, the stupor his proximity put me in weighing on me heavily. I leaned my upper body back some, my eyes taking in his entire face. What I had misconstrued as menacing anger was clearly becoming something akin to hurt and confusion.

This would be so much easier if I could just be honest.

I peeked over at Alice. She was curled into Jasper's side, a content smile on her face as he rocked their bodies from side to side.

No, I couldn't be honest Not yet. I had to let Alice find her way out of the mess she made all on her own. But how could I do that without stepping into it myself? I was already too deep. Edward would think that I was just leading him on earlier.

As much as I wanted an out, I didn't want him to think that. Also, part of me didn't want an out. I wanted in. I wanted in so badly.

"Bella," Edward whispered, his breath fanning my bangs over my forehead. I looked back at him, my lips pursed. "Just tell me."

"I-I just, I need some time to think, okay?"

Please.

"About what? Giving me a chance?" His eyes narrowed further, the hurt shining more brightly in his irises and showing in the lines around his eyes.

I sighed, my mind reeling and spinning with what I should and shouldn't say. After a few moments, words that might make things easier came to me. All I had to do was be as honest as I could without being completely forthcoming.

"You're older than me," I started. That was the truth without telling the full truth. I was off to a good start. "You're more experienced than me in many ways. And I just think that maybe we don't have a lot in common."

Edward huffed out a hard breath, his hand tightening on my hip in the most pleasurable way.

"I'm only twenty-four. It's not like I'm a cradle robber. And who cares if I'm more experienced? We can go at your pace. Whatever you're comfortable with. And as for having things in common? How boring would that be? If we agreed on everything and liked the same things, then every damn day would be the same and neither of us would ever do anything different and new. Opposites attract because they can show each other a whole new world."

"I-," I had nothing to say to that. He wasn't wrong. And, God, did he have a way with words. But aside from the fact that he didn't know my true age, there was one more thing. One more glaring problem between us. "I don't like drugs or partying and I definitely don't want to get caught up in the middle of illegal activities."

There. I said it. I laid it all out on the table and didn't throw my friend under the bus in the process. Her secrets were still safe with me, and I got my point across. I let out a long breath. It felt like I had just run a mile, my heart was pounding so fast in my chest.

Edward tilted his head to the side, an amused smile playing on his thick lips as his dark green eyes peered down at me. "See," he started, laughing slightly. "That's why I like you."

It was my turn to tilt my head. "Sorry?"

Edward chuckled low in his throat, scooting his bottom half impossibly closer to mine. His free hand lifted to my cheek and I had to squeeze the seat beneath me with both hands to keep from floating up when the backs of his fingers brushed my cheek and down the side of my neck, so feather-light that it felt like angel kisses burning into my skin. He pushed my hair behind my shoulder, his fingers tangling in my tresses as he did.

His gaze was intense on mine. I had no choice but to stare back and listen.

"You're different than any other girl I've known. You're sweet and innocent. You care about your reputation and your future. You have self-respect and boundaries. I, in no way, want to corrupt you or ruin your life. I want you to stay you. But there's always room to grow. I'm not saying you should change, but you could maybe find new things in life that you like, and maybe I can show them to you."

"But the drugs…" I trailed off, my resolve wavering as I held onto my last shred of will.

Edward shook his head. "Strictly weed for me, angel. And I don't know if you know this, but it's been legalized here for recreational use."

I actually didn't know that. All I knew was that my father loathed weed and any other drug or psychedelic that messed with people's minds. Sometimes I felt like a carbon copy of my parents. Their perfect and obedient little girl. I hated it but it was all I knew.

I looked into Edward's eyes and all the possibilities there. He stared back, unwavering in his resolve and confident in his words.

I bit my lip and looked down at my lap, my cheeks blazing under Edward's intensity. I didn't think he had any other mode. He was a very intense individual. The question was, did I want to deal with it? Or, better yet, could I handle it? I blinked up at Edward, startled to find his face so much closer to mine than it was previously.

My breath hitched in my throat.

I knew what he was going to do before he leaned in and closed those soulful eyes of his. I knew and I did nothing to stop it. I was helpless against that man's disarming charms. When his soft lips met mine, I let out a ragged breath, tilting my head to the side and leaning closer. His lips closed around my bottom one, his tongue lightly flicking my lip until I opened my mouth a bit more. He slid his tongue between my teeth, licking the roof of my mouth, his tongue ring tickling me in such a pleasurable way that it caused me to let out an embarrassing groan.

I could feel his smile against my mouth and when he pulled away, I wasn't even mad at the smug grin on his face. That boy could kiss like no other. I never wanted his lips to be too far from mine. Edward rubbed his thumb over my cheek as my breathing slowed down.

"How many times will I have to convince you to take a chance on me?"

I let out a shuddering laugh, rolling my eyes as I tried to gather my bearings.

"I'll let you know." I happened to like the way he "convinced" me.

Edward snorted, rolling his own eyes. He turned to face forward; the hand that wasn't squeezing my hip picked up his fork. He dug into his food nonchalantly, as if he didn't just take my breath away. Again. His mood lifted considerably, a permanent smile etched across his face. The fact that I put it there made me happier than it should have.

"So," Jasper spoke up garnering everyone's attention. He had a wide smile on his face as he tucked his phone back into his sweater pocket. "Emmett's band is playing tonight at Twilight."

"That new club?" Alice asked with wide eyes, bouncing in her seat as she turned to face Jasper fully. Her exuberance was back in full force.

Jasper nodded, pulling Alice closer to him. "It's twenty-one and over, but Emmett said he could get you and Bella in through the back."

I grimaced. I really didn't want to go to a club. Especially if I had to sneak in. Edward tightened his hand on my hip until I looked up at him.

He raised a brow, the bar in the corner of it lifting high on his forehead. "You're coming, right?"

Even though he phrased it as a question, something about the way he said it made it sound like a command. Like there was no room for discussion. Something told me that Edward liked to be in charge and hated the word no. It made me wonder if his interest in me was because of my resistance.

I shook off those insecurities and got back to the conversation at hand. "I don't think that would be the best idea."

"Please, Bella," Alice pleaded from across the table with her signature pout in place.

I peered over at her, glaring slightly. She still wasn't fully back in my good graces, so she needed to tread very carefully. She seemed to know that since she caved in her shoulders and frowned.

"It'll be fun," she offered with a one-shoulder shrug.

"Fun will be had," Jasper agreed with a firm nod of his head.

I looked back at Edward as he moved his hand from my hip, his fingers leaving a burning trail up my side as it drifted high enough to wrap around my chest, his hand latching onto the opposite shoulder. He pulled me firmly to his side. It took everything in me not to moan at this new position. Instead, I leaned my head back into his neck to stare up at him.

"Come with," his voice was nearly a purr in my ear.

I shuddered as his breath blew in my ear and across my cheek. I took a few deep breaths in, letting them out through my nose as I composed myself. Staring into his eyes and noticing the little freckles that adorned the bridge of his nose had me nodding my head before I could think too much about it.

I would follow this man into the fiery banks of Hell. That thought both thrilled and terrified me endlessly.

x!X!x

"It's too tight," I complained, wincing as the wind was taken from my lungs with such ferocity. I braced my hands on either side of the mirror in Jaspers's room as Alice tightened the dark blue corset on me.

"It's supposed to be tight," she countered. "Stand up straight."

I pushed myself off the wall with a huff of breath and forced my body to straighten out.

Alice took a step away from me, her fingers locking around my wrist to turn me around to face her. She grinned, her rouged cheeks dimpling under her eyes.

"This looks phenomenal on you. You should just keep it, girl. It was made for you."

I snorted. "And how would I explain this sexy new garment to my mother?"

Alice laughed as she walked over to the bed in her red panties and bra. She looked at all the options of outfits that she had purchased at the mall today. She had them all laid out, some even taking up space on the floor.

I turned back to the mirror, running my fingers down the front of the corset, noticing the hourglass shape it forced on me. It was strapless, so the thing was being held up by pure will alone, but at least it made my breasts appear to be pretty fantastic. I looked at my plain white underwear and almost laughed at the stark contrast between the two articles of clothing. It was ridiculous, to say the least.

"You need to change those," Alice said as she came up behind me, her hand tapping my butt twice.

I tugged at the loose elastic, raising a brow at her in the mirror. "Why?"

"Because you'll never get these leather pants on over those undies," she said matter-of-factly. "And if you do, it will be hella uncomfortable."

"Leather?" I asked dubiously. I supposed it wasn't a night for comfort where I was concerned.

I looked down at the shiny black pants in her hands. I was a thicker girl, not fat by any means, but I had meat on my bones, and there was no way those tiny pants would even fit over one thigh.

She was out of her mind.

I shook my head. "Not on your life."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Undies off. We're upgrading you to a nice little thong."

I grimaced. Just the thought of something going up my butt made me uncomfortable. I took a step back, my features pulling into an incredulous look. "You're out of your mind, pipsqueak."

Alice stepped closer to me, setting the leather pants on the floor. That's when I noticed the little black and lacy thong hanging from her pointer finger. She spun it around with a mischievous look on her face.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, girlfriend, but you're wearing them."

Ten minutes and a halfhearted scuffle later, I was lying on the bed, thong in place, as Alice forced the leather up my thighs. I gripped the sheets beneath me as my body was being suctioned into a pair of pants that were not made for my body.

Alice grunted with force, her cheeks getting redder. "Squeeze your thighs together," she ground out. "Tighten your ass, dammit."

I did my best, and blessed be, the leather found its way up to my hips where Alice quickly latched the buttons together. I huffed out a tired breath and stayed lying down with my arms sprawled out to my sides as Alice finally left me alone to focus on her own outfit. I was glad her attention was elsewhere for a minute.

She donned a black tube top, the shortest shorts I had ever seen, and knee-high bulky boots with three big buckles at the tops. I sat up with some difficulty and looked at her curiously.

"You know, you've been on a real alternative kick lately," I noted.

Alice shrugged. "I kind of dig it."

I looked down at my bare feet and then glanced back up at Alice. "So, what shoes are you going to torture me with tonight?"

"I have a change of socks for you and a pair of dark blue Converse over there," she said, pointing to the corner of the room.

I stood up, a look of surprise on my face. "You're actually not going to try to get me to wear heels? I'm disappointed, Alice. I was ready for another catfight."

"We're going to a club, and we look a lot younger than the people who will be there. The last thing we need is you falling all over the place and security thinking you're a drunk sorority girl who had too much to drink. The less attention we attract, the better."

I looked at her outfit and mine with a raised brow. "You don't think we'll garner any attention dressed like this?"

"I'm sure there will be lots of sexy women there. We'll blend right in," she assured me.

I grimaced as my pants dug into my stomach when I sat down to put my socks and shoes on. The pants that Alice literally forced me in were so tight, I felt like I would combust. But the longer I wore them, the more comfortable I got. Or I was just losing feeling in my limbs. Either way, it was feeling better. Once my shoes were on and my makeup was done, Alice led me out of the room and down the stairs. She took them two at a time while I carefully maneuvered myself down each individual step, holding onto the railing for dear life. I couldn't walk very well in the leather.

I heard a low whistle when I finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. Jasper had Alice's hand in his, spinning her in fast circles as he cat-called her playfully. She giggled like the schoolgirl she was, and I couldn't help but smile at her happiness. I wasn't a hater, especially not when it came to my best friend. We just had very different ideas of wrong and right and we tended to clash on occasion.

I loved her regardless.

Jasper turned Alice so her back was to his chest, then grabbed two big handfuls of her ample breasts. I scoffed and looked away.

"Sickening, ain't it?" His voice so close to my ear startled me. I teetered on the last step, falling forward. Two strong arms covered in ink reached out and caught me around the waist, lifting me off my feet. He turned me in his arms so that I was facing him, my head a few inches above his as he held me.

I looked down into his eyes breathlessly, my hands bracing on his hard shoulders.

"Hi," I said lamely, my cheeks blazing a horrendous fire.

Edward grinned, his eyes trailing all over my face in just a few seconds.

"Hi, yourself."

His eyes stayed glued to my face and I couldn't handle the intensity of his stare for much longer. It made my tummy swirl and my lady bits tingle. Before I could a fool of myself, I swung my feet and pushed my palms on his shoulders in an attempt to free myself from his grasp. He chuckled at my futile attempts, but dropped me to my feet anyway, careful to make sure I didn't fall over again. Just having his hands hovering around my waist made me dizzy.

I quickly turned away from him, scared of the power he seemed to hold over me. Scared because it was so easy for him to dazzle me into a stupor. Scared because I liked it too much. Why was it that something that scared me so badly intrigued me even more so?

I shook those thoughts from my head and walked over to Alice who was slipping Jasper's navy green sweater over her shoulders by the front door. It wasn't much of a reprieve because Edward and Jasper met us over there. Edward grabbed a black leather jacket from the couch on his way and slipped it on, shrugging it over his muscular shoulders.

"I'm driving," Edward announced as he slid by us and out the door.

Alice jumped on Jasper's back as he walked outside, and I followed behind them. Edward locked the door and then threw his keys up in the air, catching them with his other hand. He held his free hand out to me with a small smile that I couldn't resist. I shyly took his proffered hand and followed him down the steps. Once we were next to his Mustang, he clicked the locks on it and then opened the passenger door for me. I hesitated, my teeth worrying a hole in my bottom lip. I was so out of my element.

Jasper and Alice dove into the backseat as Edward leaned over the door and rested his chin on his arm.

"Take a walk on the wild side?" he grinned, his sparkling green eyes shining under the starlit sky, daring me to take a chance.

I could stand there and think about all the reasons I shouldn't go. I could think about all the bad things that could happen. I could think about how Edward and I were from two different worlds and it would never work out.

Or I could get my ass in the car and try to grab a hold of this thing called life.

I took a deep breath in through my nose and before I could talk myself out of it, I slid into the cherry red leather seat, quickly buckling myself in.

x!X!x

So, I know it has been a good long while, but I have decided to continue with this story as long as people are still reading it. Please leave a review if you are enjoying it. If enough people show interest, I will get another chapter out ASAP.