Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning to find Alice staring at me. It would have scared me if I weren’t used to waking up to Tommy doing the exact same thing.

“Did you know you talk in your sleep?” Alice had a fascinated look on her face.

“Yes. I’m afraid to ask what you heard.”

“Not much. You said ‘Don’t let me go,’ and ‘God you smell wonderful.’ What were you dreaming about?” I know Alice saw the panic in my eyes. How could I tell her I had been dreaming about her brother? Luckily, the phone saved me. It was time for my wake up text from Tommy.

no calls last night. only good dreams? tackle hugs. love ya. –t

I know Alice was reading over my shoulder, so I had to be careful what I told Tommy.

excellent dreams :) will call later. tackle hugs. love ya. –b

I closed the phone and decided to stop Alice from attacking the topic of my dreams. “I heard there is a welcome back party at the Substance Free Dorm tonight. You wanna go?”

Alice started bouncing. I think she needed to lay off the caffeine. “A party would be great. We need to find something to wear and get Rose to help us with hair and makeup. She and Jasper got in late last night. You will love her.” Alice skipped out of my room to call Rose.

I lay back on my bed and took a deep breath. I was very tense. Meeting Alice and her brothers yesterday was extremely stressful for me. My brother had been my only friend for the past three years. Every time I would try to let a new person into my life, I would have a panic attack. After witnessing one of my episodes, which is what Tommy would call it, most people would avoid me at all costs. It only took one week after we moved to Forks to be labeled the freak of the school. By the beginning of my senior year, my panic attacks had almost stopped. I spent the last year of school trying to be more social by hanging out with Tommy and his friends. I was determined to go away to college and function like a normal person.

I decided the best way to relieve some of the tension would be a nice hot shower. I took my time in the shower and let the hot water relax my muscles. After my shower, I was shocked to see Edward standing at the sink with only a towel around his waist shaving. My jaw dropped as I looked at his bare chest. The boy was built. His chest was defined, and he had six pack abs. I blushed when I realized I was standing behind this Greek god wearing only a robe. I had to force myself to look at the floor before I cleared my throat to make my presence known. Edward looked at me with that sexy crooked grin. I slowly made my way to the sink next to him to brush my teeth and wash my face.

“So, what’s the plan for today, Bella?” I’m glad I was already leaning on the sink because my knees gave out when he said my name. Would I ever get used to that?

“Alice is planning a full day to get ready for the welcome back party at the Sub Free dorm tonight.”

“I heard about that. I think Emmett, Jasper, and I are going to be there too. I hope you’re ready for a day of Alice party prep.” He laughed as he was saying it.

Dear God, what was I getting myself into? “Should I worry?”

“Well, if she skips shopping for an outfit, you should survive just fine.”

“Ugh. I hate shopping. We unpacked a ton of clothes yesterday. There is no way she will need to buy a new outfit.”

Edward noticed the dread in my eyes. He walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders and started to massage them. I instantly relaxed and my bones turned spongy. The man had magic hands.

“Alice loves to shop. She looks for any excuse to abuse her credit card. You’ll get used to it. If it gets too horrible, call me and I’ll come rescue you.” My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.

“Sounds great, but I don’t have your number.”

“Get it from Alice. I promise to be there anytime you call.”

Edward gathered his things and left the bathroom. It took me a few minutes to regain use of my legs. How would I survive a year around him?

Seeing Edward in his after-shower glory made me take a critical look at myself. I wasn’t ugly, but of course I wasn’t pretty either. I was just your typical brown-haired, brown-eyed girl. I was so horribly plain that I couldn’t understand how Edward could ever be attracted to me.

Alice was immersed in her closet when I got back to our room. I snuck past her and into my room. I put on my most comfortable pair of baggy cargo jeans and red fitted tee. I grabbed my phone and wallet and went back to Alice’s room.

“We’re going shopping for outfits for tonight. Rose is meeting us downstairs. We’ll take her car.”

“Hey, Alice. Edward told me to get his number from you.”

“Oh really?” Alice had a curious look on her face as she programmed his number in my phone.

“Yeah. I saw him in the bathroom and told him what we were doing today. He said I should call him if I needed a rescue. Is there something you need to tell me, Alice?” Alice linked her arm through mine, and we headed out of the dorms to find Rose.

“I can get a little obsessive while shopping. You have nothing to worry about. I promise to go easy on you your first time.”

“Just what every girl wants to hear her first time,” I answered sarcastically as we approached a gorgeous blond waiting in a red convertible BMW. Her wavy blond hair came to her waist, and she had violet eyes that sparkled.

“Alice, you aren’t supposed to start the guy talk until I can hear the whole conversation.”

“Rose, Bella and I were talking about her first shopping trip, not guys. Trust me; there will be plenty of guy talk today. Bella needs to fill me in on her bathroom visit with Edward.” Alice just batted her eyelashes at me and sat in the car.

“Oh really. That should be quite an interesting story. It’s nice to meet you, Bella.”

“Nice to meet you too. Alice and Emmett told me all about you last night.”

Rose took us to Pioneer Place Mall in Portland. Alice walked in like a woman on a mission. I reluctantly followed her into the first store. She quickly shoved me into a dressing room and started throwing clothes over the door at me. I might be calling Edward sooner than I thought.

That same pattern was repeated at every store we went to. I walked away with at least two bags from each of the five stores we visited including Victoria’s Secret. Alice would not let me pay for anything. She would sneak up to the register with the clothes she liked and paid for them while I dressed.

“Alice, I don’t need all of this, and I can’t let you pay for them.”

“Bella, you do need all of this. There is more to life than baggy jeans. You have a killer body and don’t need to hide it under all those clothes. I insist on paying for everything because you would never buy them for yourself.” Alice then stuck her tongue out like a five-year-old.

It was one o’clock and I insisted on a lunch break. Rose and Alice went to Subway to grab food while I found us a table. I decided to call Tommy while I had a free moment.

“Hey, B. What’s up today?”

“Torture is the main event. Alice and her friend Rose dragged me shopping and then we have a party to go to tonight. Oh yeah, and they are going to spend the rest of the afternoon doing my hair and make up for tonight.”

“Wait, my sister is shopping! How did Alice pull that one off?”

“I was completely resistant until I received an irresistible compromise. Her brother, Edward, offered to rescue me if Alice’s shopping became too much.” I had a goofy grin on my face as I spoke about Edward. Of course Alice and Rose made it to the table in time to see my grin. They raised their eyebrows at each other and listened carefully to the rest of my conversation.

“Edward must have made quite an impression on you to talk you into shopping. Would he happen to have starred in those excellent dreams you had last night?”

“Yes, and that is all the information you will get on those dreams.” My face flushed red, and I know the girls did not miss it.

“Hey, T, the girls are here with lunch, so I need to get going.”

“No prob. Have fun at the party tonight. Call me when you get back to your room with all the details. Love ya, B.”

“I promise. Love ya too.”

Alice and Rose looked like they were going to burst when I closed my phone.

“Bella, it is time for you to do some talking. I want to know all about the phone calls and text messages to T, the dreams you mentioned, and your bathroom rendezvous with Edward.”

Wow. Alice didn’t miss a beat. Maybe I could dance around the dream. Everything else she asked about was easy to explain.

“T is my younger brother, Tommy. We haven’t been apart for the last three years, so he worries about me. He gave me Killer before I left to remind me of him.”

Rose had a lost look on her face. “Who is Killer?”

“The cat stuffed animal I sleep with. I ran into Edward in the bathroom this morning and told him about our plans today, and he offered a rescue if shopping got to be too much.” I prayed they would realize I didn’t want to elaborate on Edward and hopefully move on to another topic. I would never be so lucky.

“There has to be more. Was Edward fully dressed in the bathroom?” Alice asked with a knowing look.

“He had a towel on.” My traitorous blush rushed to my cheeks. Then it was Rose’s turn to start asking questions.

“Oh. My. God. Most girls can’t resist a fully-clothed Edward, but him in only a towel? I’m surprised you were able to walk back to your room. Do you like him?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m so plain and ordinary, and a guy like Edward probably has girls like Rose lined up around the block just itching to go out with him.”

“Bella, you don’t see yourself clearly. You are far from plain. Edward does not have a girlfriend. Lots of girls throw themselves at him, and he just ignores them. Rose’s roommate, Tanya, is the worst of them. She does not understand how he can resist her. Edward looks beyond the face. He wants someone who is fun and can have an intellectual conversation. You’ve already shown him that you are fun and smart. You’ve got a major advantage over most girls.”

“Okay, Alice. I am going to take it slow and get to know Edward better. We’ll see where it goes from there. Are we done shopping? My feet are killing me.”

“Nope. I still need shoes for tonight. Let’s hit Saks next and see if we can find some cute Jimmy Choos.” I could see Alice’s eyes light up when she said Jimmy Choos.

I had successfully avoided the topic of my dreams last night. It was bad enough my brother knew I was dreaming about Edward. I didn’t need Alice and Rose knowing it too. They would never ease up on me with that information.

As we walked to Saks, I decided to send out a text SOS to Edward

in desperate need of rescue. saks. shoes. PLEASE HELP! –b

I received a reply a minute later.

on my way. –e

Alice was in her element in the shoe department of Saks Fifth Avenue. All of the sales people knew her like she was an old friend. I’m sure she spent enough money here that they all clamored to help her when she walked in the door. She had a team of three sales people running back and forth for shoes to try. I cringed when I noticed she had a pile of high heel death traps for me. After trying on five pairs, I had enough.

“Alice, I trip over air and you want me to walk around in these? Have you gone totally insane?”

“Fine, we can work up to the heels. Here, these would look killer on you.”

Alice handed me the holy grail of boots, Jimmy Choo Yale Crosta Flats. They were brown suede, knee-high boots with a curvy side zipper and fur lining. They molded perfectly to my foot and leg and felt heavenly. I was admiring the boots in the mirror when my rescue finally arrived. Alice glared at me when she saw Edward walking toward us. He sat in the chair next to me.

“Bella, those are perfect for you,” Alice said with the biggest grin I have ever seen on her face.

“They are nice, but I really don’t need them.” My heart slowly broke as I took off the boots. I knew there was no way I could afford them or ask Alice to buy them.

“You need these, Bella. Edward, doesn’t Bella look great in them?”

“Bella, they look amazing on you, but don’t let Alice force you to get them.” I was so glad he was here now. Finally, someone to help me rein Alice in.

Once I had my shoes back on, Edward stood up and offered me his hand so we could leave. “Are you ready to go back to the dorm?”

“I was ready two hours ago. Please deliver me from this shopping hell.” Edward still had my hand in his and started to pull me toward the exit.

“Freeze. You can take her back to the dorm, but I expect you to start getting ready for the party. Rose and I will be right behind you.”

***

Once Alice and Rose returned from shopping, the Bella make-over torture started. It took them two hours to fix my hair and make-up. My hair flowed down my back with large loose curls. Surprisingly, Alice decided that less was more with my make-up. She only applied mascara and eyeliner and a light pink lip gloss. It was subtle but made a huge difference. I could not believe it.

Alice sent me to my room to change into the outfit she left on my bed. I found a bag from the Guess store and Saks Fifth Avenue. Inside the Guess bag, I found a pair of light colored skinny jeans and an animal print tank top. The top had an empire waist with a black ribbon tie. The adjustable spaghetti straps had tiny black bows where the strap met the top. It was a little more form fitting than the tank tops I was used to wearing, but it wasn’t obscene. In the Saks bag, I found the boots I had tried on earlier. I quickly got dressed, and we made our way to the party.

The Sub-Free Dorm was located on the north end of campus in the Sullivan Residence Hall. I would normally walk to the dorm, but Alice and Rose insisted on driving. They would never survive the fifteen-minute walk in the ridiculous heels they wore. We took Rose’s car again and I was surprised there was already limited parking.

The guys said they would meet us near the bar, so that was the first place we went. We weren’t surprised to find the guys already there with about ten girls surrounding them. I had to laugh at the sight. The girls were practically drooling. Rose and Alice pranced right up to Emmett and Jasper and wrapped their arms around them. There was a collective “humph” from the guys’ fan club as the majority of them turned to look for their next target.

Two girls remained next to Edward. One girl was taller than me with blond hair, and the other was slightly shorter than me with frizzy brown hair. They would both giggle and flip their hair every time Edward said anything. It was truly nauseating.

“Edward, do you like my skirt? Jessica said it makes my ass look huge. What do you think?” Lauren, the blond, had asked as she rubbed her breasts against Edward’s arm. He looked truly disgusted and frantically looked around the room. I saw the relief on his face when he made eye contact with me.

“Bella, I’ve been looking for you.” He brushed Lauren off as he walked up to me and put his arms around my waist. He leaned in to hug me and whispered in my ear, “Please just go with it. I need a rescue from them and you owe me.”

I gladly wrapped my arms tightly around Edward. “Sorry, Rose and Alice take forever to get ready.”

Lauren and Jessica both cleared their throats and gave me the dirtiest “go to hell” look I’ve ever received.

“Forgive my rudeness. Lauren, Jessica, this is my Bella.” He placed a chaste kiss on my cheek and held me a little tighter. Both girls looked at me in total disbelief. I didn’t blame them. They knew as well as I did that Edward was totally out of my league.

“Oh. Hi, Bella. Lauren, we need to go. Mike and Tyler will be looking for us.”

“Yeah, whatever. Eddie, you have my number. Please call me if I can ever help you with anything.” Lauren ran her finger down Edward’s arm then sauntered away. I could not believe the nerve of her hitting on him in front of me when he had implied I was his girlfriend.

“Thank you so much for that, Bella. I didn’t know how I was going to get rid of them.” Edward gave me a quick hug and let me go.

“No problem. You’ve already helped me several times. I don’t mind helping you too.”

Edward and I spent the next hour getting to know each other better. We talked about our favorite music, movies, and books. We had a lot of the same interests. I carefully avoided the topic of my family and my past. I didn’t want to scare him away yet.

Edward left to grab us some drinks when someone came up behind me and wrapped their arms around my waist. I jumped, and the person leaned into my ear and whispered, “I didn’t mean to scare you, Sugar.” My whole body tensed, I quit breathing, and then everything went black.