TROMS: Chapter 13 outfit

TROMS: Chapter 13 outfit by venomaddict featuring sheer tops

'Saving Bella'

It's the night before the wedding. After Edward's dragged away by his brothers, Bella is visited by Jacob. But this isn't the same Jacob that Bella knew. When she discovers his true intentions, will she be able to forgive and love him again?

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 12 "What the hell is wrong with me?"

I'm thinking that having a week off work after a month plus off craziness has been good for me. Not only have I managed to finish chapters 11 and 12, but 13 is well under way, as well as the rewrite of Saving Bella (ch 3) and a bit more on Consequences (ch 2). Yeah, I've been doing just a little bit of writing.

Anyway, here's the teaser for ch 12. Hoping to get it posted next week, if not sooner - just depends on how busy I get now that I'm back at work.

It was as if I could feel someone watching my every move. I nervously eyed the people around me, scanning each face for the source of my unease. My skin crawled with the thought, but from what I could tell, no one seemed to be paying me any kind of attention.

I figured that I was just being paranoid. Maybe all those years of my Dad lecturing me about the dangers of living in a big city had finally gotten to me.

That and the fact that it’s late and you’re walking home alone.

Alright, so there you have it. Keep your eyes peeled as I'll be posting image links on here as well (if you haven't already seen the ones already on here).

Until later, my lovelies...

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 11 "So, what do we do now?"

Okay, okay... I know I have been total update FAIL lately, but my RL has not given me the chance to even attempt to write in weeks. I am almost done with this next chapter, so please be patient with me, I am working on it now and hoping to have it done very soon. In the meantime, here's another little teaser of what's to come.

“Where do you think you’re going?” His eyes were narrowed and his voice was smooth and sexy.

“Um…” It was as if I had complete brain failure. Nothing more substantial would come out and my mind was blank – well, apart from the nonsensical jumble of adjectives that were flying around, and I hoped like crazy that none of them would make their way out of my mouth.

TROMS OUTTAKE - "Ending & Beginnings"

This is the original ch 1 for TROMS. When I first started this story, I had planned on making it a bit of an angst-fest, but once I had finished writing ch 2, it was obvious that it had taken on a very different tone. As I kept writing, the story evolved on it's own and all planned plot lines were abandoned. By the time I got to ch 7, my lovely Beta, RiaMaria, suggest that I rewrite ch 1 to make it more in keeping with the rest of the story. Don't get me wrong - there will still be some angst, but not quite like I had planned.

Anyway, you'll probably notice that some of the story is the same, or slightly different, and some parts are completely changed. Feel free to tell me what you think. Did I make the right decision?

CHAPTER 1

"Endings & Beginnings"

In a matter of nine short weeks, my life has turned itself upside-down. I am no longer the person that I was. Now, all that's left of me is a shell; hard outer skin, but hollow inside.

My world came crashing down around me only two days after I finally graduated from High School. I can still remember that night so clearly. There had been a fierce storm raging, and to try to distract myself from all the noises that would make me jump in fear, I had been watching some god-awful reality show as a distraction. I was surprised that I could even hear the pounding on the door over the volume of the TV, as I had turned it up to drown out all other sounds.

As I answered the door, I was surprised to see one of the guys from the station standing on the doorstep.

"Hey Andrew! My Dad's not home right now. Would you like to come in, it's freezing out there." I turned to head for the kitchen, but I halted in my tracks as Andrew spoke.

"Bella, wait!" His tone was serious, and as I turned to look at him, I could see now he had stepped inside into the light, that his expression was pained and that he suddenly looked much older than his years.

Fear was bubbling up inside of me, threatening to boil over, and I couldn't hold back the question that was clawing my insides to shreds.

"What's happened to my Dad?" My voice was shaky and tears were already brimming in my eyes.

"There was an accident…" I didn't give him the chance to finish.

I was reaching for my coat as I spoke. "Well, let's get going then. Could you please drive? I really don't think I should right now." He was standing there with a blank look on his face, as if I was speaking in another language. "Andrew? We have to go. Visiting hours are almost over at the hospital and I'm not sure if I'll be allowed to stay much after that."

Comprehension dawned on him, and as it did, his face paled.

"Bella, you don't need to go to the hospital. Please, come and sit down." His tone was calm and reassuring, but his pallor had me worried.

"I don't need to sit down. Please, Andrew… just tell me what's happened."

It was then that the words that changed my life forever were finally spoken. "I'm truly sorry, Bella… I hate to be the one to have to have to tell you this, but Charlie passed away shortly after 7pm this evening."

"Charlie's dead?" I asked, more to make sure that I had understood what he had meant. He nodded solemnly.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss Bella."

My knees had buckled beneath me and I couldn't seem to understand anything else that was said to me, for how long, I couldn't tell you. Time had no meaning, and I didn't know what to do or who to turn to. I was now alone. Totally alone. No Mom, no Dad. Both were now gone forever.

I can hardly remember my Mom anymore. I was only 4 when she had passed away, and by all accounts it had been relatively quick; she didn't suffer as much as she could have. The cancer had spread too rapidly throughout her body to be stopped, and within months of diagnosis she was taken from us. My Dad had never really gotten over it, although he pretended otherwise, but he managed to deal with it – somehow.

It took me a few hours at least to be able to process the whole story of what had happened to Charlie. I was told that he had been on his way back from La Push when one of the tires on the cruiser had been punctured by fallen debris on the road, causing it to burst. The heavy rain had made the road slick, and the car had skidded out of control and collided at speed with a tree. I was told that he died on impact, and had not suffered. Even so, the thought that what if he had been alive and trapped, dying slowly and alone, sent me into hysterics.

The worst part of the whole night was the point when Andrew had asked if I would go in the next morning to identify the body. I agreed, but the thought terrified me.

I was exhausted, but too afraid to sleep. I didn't want to be here on my own. Not right now. Even though it was almost midnight, I decided to call my best friend, Jacob. In a small town, word travels like wildfire, but the news that I was about to deliver hadn't yet made it out to La Push, and both Jake and his Dad, Billy, who had been my Dad's best friend, were terribly shaken by the suddenness of it all. Within 20 minutes Jake had arrived, and he sat with me all night as I cried and talked and tried to come to terms with all that had happened.

The next morning, Jacob drove me into the Police station, where I was accompanied to the morgue. There was absolutely no doubt – it was Charlie. I was thanked for coming in as well as given sympathetic regrets about having to ask me to do this. All I could do was nod. I was too tired and drained to cope with anything else at that time.

After I had been given his effects and Jacob had driven me back home, I sat on the couch and stared about the room that had been my Dad's own personal sanctuary. Everything in this house reminded me of him, and I just couldn't seem to accept the fact that he was not ever coming back.

Tears overwhelmed me once more, and Jacob quietly grabbed a few things for me before taking me back to his place, where I stayed with him for the next few days, until the funeral.

Of course, all of Forks had turned out for it. That's what happens when the Chief of Police is tragically removed from the community. It's like part of the family had died for all of them as well. The days that followed were the worst.

Everywhere I went well wishers imparted their sympathies to me, and I would always end up a sobbing mess. By the end of the week, I had gone back home and withdrawn from the world. Jacob had been worried about me, so he had temporarily moved onto the couch in the living room so that he could be there if I needed him. Mainly he would do all the necessary running around, dealing with the outside world. I wanted no part of it.

For the next month I spent a lot of time thinking of what I should do, weighing-up my options carefully. I had finally decided that I needed to get out of Forks, but where to go? I had already been accepted to attend Washington University in Seattle, which was due to start in around a month's time, but the thought of attending college was too much, way too soon. I made the decision to defer my attendance for a year; I needed time to get myself together. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to attend college anymore, and I knew that it was something that I would need to think over very carefully before doing anything.

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made to go to Seattle still. Just prior to graduation I had managed to find accommodation, fairly close to the college campus. Charlie hadn't been overly keen on me moving into the dorms, and I had to admit that the thought of all that constant forced socializing had been enough to give me anxiety attacks. It had seemed perfect when I found a "Roommate Wanted" ad online for an apartment just a few minutes' walk from campus, so I organized a meeting as soon as I could.

I had been able to feel Charlie's growing anxiety as we drove into Seattle. Even though I was now 18 years old, I knew that he was having a hard time reconciling the fact that I was no longer his little girl. I was now an adult who was heading out into the big wide world, and for the first time, I would be truly fending for myself.

As we pulled up in front of a large red brick building, Charlie had let out a low whistle.

"You sure you got the address right?" he asked as he glanced at the beautiful and exclusive looking apartment block.

"This is the address I was given." I replied, and I honestly wondered if I had misread the amount of rent that they were asking. Surely I could never afford to live here.

We were buzzed up to the top floor, apartment 14. If we had thought that the exterior of the building was impressive, then it was nothing compared to the inside of this apartment. We were given the grand tour, and Charlie and I were both blown away by the sheer size of the place. The 4 bedroom apartment was currently housing just two other girls, called Rosalie and Alice. It seemed perfect. They both seemed really friendly, and as it turned out the rent, was in fact incredibly reasonable, as Alice's parents owned the apartment. I was over the moon with excitement, and I readily accepted their offer to move in.

With this arrangement already in place, I began to pack my stuff up. I needed a fresh start, and this opportunity was just too good to pass up.

I was so grateful to Jake and his friends from La Push for their help in packing up the house. I sold most of the furniture, and donated a lot of items to various charities. I would prefer that others in need have these things, as I couldn't stand to see them thrown away and I couldn't take them with me.

I contacted my new roommates and informed them that I would be arriving a week later than originally anticipated, explaining what had happened. With that taken care of, it was time to prepare the house to be sold.

The La Push boys were absolute godsends during the whole renovation process. I had so little money to spend, but with their skills and know how we were able to repaint throughout, as well as update the kitchen and bathroom by changing just a few little things. By the time we had finished, the house no longer resembled the home I knew.

It was the night before the move, and Jake and I were huddled up on the floor in front of the TV, eating pizza. Almost everything that I was planning on keeping had been packed into the moving van, with the exception of the mattresses that Jake and I were sleeping on, and, of course, the TV.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jake's voice was soft and concerned as he asked me the same question that he had been asking for the last few weeks.

"I'm positive. I need to move on with my life." I could still feel my own nagging doubt about this decision to uproot myself and move into the unknown, but I had made up my mind and I was determined to see this through.

"I'll miss you, you know." I could hear the sadness in his voice and I automatically wrapped my arms around him.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll only be in Seattle. You can always come and visit."

He sat back from me now as he studied me. He knew me too well, and he caught the meaning of my words. "You won't be coming back." It wasn't a question. It still surprised me that he was capable of picking up on little things like that, but that was why he was my best friend.

I couldn't look at him as I replied. "Not for a little while, at least. There's just too much sadness here for me right now. But eventually…" I couldn't finish what I wanted to say. It was causing me too much pain. I was hurting Jake, and it was killing me.

After a few minutes silence between us, he finally spoke, breaking the growing tension in the room. "I really don't want you to leave."

"Jake, we've been through this," I pleaded. I really didn't want to go through it all again with him. Not now. It was just too late to do anything about it.

"Bella, I... um… I… shit!" The frustration was etched all over his face as he struggled to find the words. There was something that he wanted to say and from the sounds of it, it was serious. I suddenly became very nervous about what that could be.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

He shrugged his shoulders and his posture slumped a little. It was like he was suddenly deflated, resigned. "Never mind," he muttered, as if to no one.

"I want to know," I implored.

"It's nothing, forget it." This time he waved his hand as if it wasn't important to him, but the thing about best friends is that they know you well enough to see through the façade. This most definitely was something to him.

"Jacob Black, if it was nothing, then you wouldn't have such a devastated look on your face. Tell me what it is. Now." I was getting annoyed at his lack of trust in me.

It must be really bad if he won't just come right out and tell you.

"It's just, well…"

"Jake…" I urged with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

And suddenly he cupped my face in both his hands and pressed his lips to mine with such intensity that I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I was gasping for air. I was completely blindsided by his actions, and couldn't seem to get my mouth to say what I was thinking. It was like the connection between my mouth and my brain was severed completely. I just sat there and gaped at him.

"What?" he asked a little self consciously, but still I couldn't speak.

What the hell just happened?

"Bella? Say something, please?" He wore a look of concern mixed with a touch of guilt.

"That was… um… well, I am…" I was at a loss for words. I had no idea how I felt about this. It was so sudden and unexpected and I was shocked that after all this time that I had never realized that he had wanted more than friendship.

My skin blazed with embarrassment. I took a deep breath to try to calm my nerves, and pull my thoughts into some sort of semblance of coherence.

"Jacob, please don't take this the wrong way, but you can't just kiss me like that. It's not fair."

"Why?" he asked defiantly. He was challenging me to disagree.

"Because I am about to move away and you wait until the night before to spring all of this on me, that's why." I was becoming angry. How dare he do this to me now?

"I wanted to tell you sooner."

"Well you should have manned up and just done it. I just can't do this right now. It's all just too much." I sighed in exasperation.

"I didn't mean to put it all on you like that." He looked crestfallen, and his expression showed me just how much this had cost him to finally tell me the truth.

"I'm not saying that I don't ever want to be with you, because I care about you, but I just don't know if those feelings are enough. This is all so unexpected that I just can't seem to think it through clearly. Please, just let me have some time to sort myself out." I knew that I couldn't give him more of an answer than that, but I hoped that it would suffice. He simply nodded and left it at that.

The morning came all too soon, and as I did one final walk through the house, I couldn't control the flood of memories that overwhelmed my consciousness. I had only had the house on the market for a week, but as I stood there in the doorway to the bedroom that had belonged to my Dad, I realized that I couldn't stand to part with this place. Even though it was now so different, it still held too much happiness to simply walk away from. I slumped in the doorway as the tears poured down my face. It felt like the grief was renewed as I sat there, unable to do anything but lose myself for a while in the emotions that were pulling at my resolve.

I can't do this. I can't go to a city where I don't know anyone…

My mind was tangling itself with an internal debate.

You can do this! You know that you can't stay here any longer. You need to do it for your own sanity.

But I'm scared…

Charlie would have wanted you to live your life, not lock yourself away like a hermit. This is your chance for a fresh start. Do it for us and for Charlie.

My internal pep talk was enough to give me the strength to get up of the floor. I knew what I had to do, and I pulled my phone out and quickly to call the estate agent, explaining that I had changed my mind and that I now wished to rent out the house instead of selling it. It was a decision that I knew I would not regret. I could always sell it later, but for now, I needed to know that it was still here if I ever needed it.

The drive to Seattle was quiet and, as Jacob was driving, I was able to use the time to think things through. I still couldn't seem to figure out my feelings towards him – they were all just so jumbled. I knew that I cared very deeply for him, but would it ever be more than friendship?

The thing that was causing the most confusion was the memory of the kiss. Although it had caught me completely off-guard, I would be lying if I said the very thought of it didn't affect me.

It was almost as if in that moment, I had been able to feel the emotions pouring out of Jacob and into me. There was such passion behind it that it made me wonder if I didn't feel more for him than I thought. Could we be more, or was it just the possibility of there being something there, that was twisting my thoughts around and making me doubt myself?

As we finally pulled up to the apartment building, I knew that I couldn't allow myself to get involved with him, at least not yet. I had told him that I needed time, and now it was time for me to listen to myself.

I was now officially living in a different city, and would need to find myself a job before I even considered the possibility of getting involved with anyone, let alone my best friend who lives a good 140 miles away. No, now wasn't the right time for a relationship. I needed to find myself, and figure out what I truly wanted to do, to achieve. It was time to start my life, and that meant that I would have to figure things out for myself, one step at a time.

Over the next week I spent most of my time in my room. I did my best to try to be engaged by the conversations with the girls at meal times, but I could tell that they knew I was struggling. They didn't seem to mind me shutting myself away; they said that they understood, and let me be. I unpacked my things, read, listened to music and slept when I wasn't in tears. Yes, I needed this space for my own sanity.

The good thing about having some time to myself, was that I was able to get settled in, and finally feel comfortable in my new surroundings. The bad thing was that it left me with entirely too much time on my hands to think.

My mind seemed to be going around and around in a circle. I would think about Jacob, and his friendship, which would lead into how much I missed him.

I would think about the kiss, and I noticed that the more I thought about it, the more I entertained the idea of being with him. I couldn't deny that that kiss was amazing. Just the memory of it was enough to give me butterflies, and I could feel my body longing for it again.

It would be at that point that I would be reminded about exactly how far away he was, and how I had only just moved here. I needed to give it some time and not rush into anything. Besides, long distance relationships never worked, did they? It would be then that my mind would start to chide me about needing a fresh start – some time to rediscover who I really was, now that my world had changed so abruptly. The loss of Charlie would then hit me all over again, and I would cry for all the memories we shared and for everything that we would never do. The guilt would then take over because I was spending so much time thinking about Jacob, when I had just lost my Dad, which would lead me to think about how I needed a friend to help me through all of this, and so it would begin all over again. I missed Jake so much.

It wasn't until my third week in Seattle, that Alice decided that enough was enough. I had been dragged out onto the sofa, where a very concerned Alice sat beside me. Rosalie had taken a seat in the arm chair across from us, and was watching us with an air of nervous tension.

Alice's tone was warm and comforting as she spoke. "Bella, I know that you are going through a really difficult time right now, but honestly, locking yourself away in your room doesn't seem to be doing you any good." She had her arm around my shoulder, and sitting in this position, I became aware of exactly how petite she was. I nodded my head, because in all honesty, I didn't know what to say to her. "We are going out tonight and you are coming with us," she announced as she grinned at me, sure that I would be pleased by this news.

"Alice, I appreciate your concern, but I just want to read and get some sleep."

"Because you haven't done enough of that over the last few weeks." Rosalie's sarcasm made me flinch, stung by her words, but as she smiled at me she let out a soft chuckle, and I realized that this was her way of coping with the situation. She must have noticed my reaction, because she quickly picked up a magazine from the coffee table and began to flick through it, pretending that she was no longer there.

"Seriously, Bella, you need to get out. It's like I'm watching you wither away before my very eyes, and I can't stand it." Alice's tone had become very stern. "It's like watching your ghost moving around the place, but Bella, you know what? You're not dead!" It was this last comment that was like a slap to the face, pulling me out of my own world and slamming me back into the harsh reality of the situation.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, before I was overwhelmed by tears once more.

"Shhh… its okay, Bella, its okay," she crooned into my ear, as she wrapped her arms around me and just held me while I let it all out. It had been such a long time since I had anyone hold me like this, and the comfort I found in this simple gesture, soothed my pain, if only a little. I then realized that I had a friend right here, beside me. Everything seemed to begin to fall into place in my mind. I would trust Alice to help me through this.

"Alice, can we go tomorrow night instead?" I asked, my voice was almost a whisper.

She looked me over, as if making some silent assessment of my appearance. "I think that might be best, I mean, look at you!" She giggled as she waved her hands up and down as if to explain the obvious about what she was seeing. "No amount of make up is going to hide those puffy eyes. Okay, so tomorrow we're going to have a girls' day out – no tears, Bella… I mean it! And tomorrow night we hit the town." She winked at me and we all fell into comfortable giggles.

Yes, I had found a friend in Alice, and I couldn't help but wonder if we would ever be close like best friends.

I missed Jacob.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 10 “Well, I didn’t expect that...”

Alright, here's this week's teaser. Hoping to post this next chapter around the end of next week. Fingers crossed. Until then, enjoy.

“Please Bella... I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I'm sorry.” His voice was so sad that I longed to wrap my arms around him and comfort him any way I could, but I knew that I needed space and time to sort out my feelings, especially in light of all that I had learned of his past and if I gave in to my urges then I knew that I would regret it later.

“Edward, I can't do this right now. Please just go.” I glanced towards the office door as I tried to keep my voice down as to not alert Esme to what was going on.

Edward must have understood what I was trying to do as he also spoke in hushed tones. “Just give me the chance to at least explain...”

“I don't need you to explain anything, Alice told me what happened between you and Benji, and quite frankly I'm not interested in being the next Tanya, or whatever.”

“Alice told you about that?” his tone was incredulous.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 9 "What goes up..."

Here's this week's teaser. Looking at posting by the end of the week, possibly the weekend. So, make sure you've got this story on alert.

I knew what I wanted, and in that moment, I had an idea as to how to get it.

"Um, can I ask you a question?" I peered up at him through my lashes, waiting for him to answer.

His expression was one of curiosity as he answered, "sure." I turned to face him, but kept my eyes down. I was biting my lower lip as the nerves were wreaking havoc with my confidence. He brought his hand up to my face, his thumb tracing along my cheek bone. "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed. Just ask me." His voice was so gentle and concerned. I nodded to him.

You can do this.

My eyes suddenly snapped up to lock with his as I tilted my chin up. My hands clutched at the material of his shirt as I pulled him towards me, kissing him like my life depended on it.

I could feel his lips turning up in a smile before he leaned back a little to look at me with that gorgeous grin plastered across his face.

"So what exactly was the question?" His voice was laced with excitement and amusement.

I grinned back. "How was that?" I asked, quirking my eyebrow at him.

Before I could make sense of what was happening, he had pulled me to him, crushing his lips against mine with even more passion than before as he backed me up against the wall while our bodies pressed and writhed against each other.

I'm definitely going to be having sex with him tonight.

Also, why not follow Tequilaward on twitter - ask him a question, have a chat, whatever...

TROMS - OUTFITS

Here's the link for my Flickr page which has the pics of some of the outfits in this story. I'll update them as I go.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/venomaddict/

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 8 "WTF?"

Here we go for another week. I'm starting my new job this week, so hopefully I'll get the editing finished up and to my beta in time to post by Friday. Was hoping to get it done earlier, but haven't had the chance yet.

He reached out and with his fingers he gently cupped my chin as he lifted my face to look at him. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was… nice.”

Nice? What the hell does that mean?

He must have been able to tell what I was thinking, because he was quickly backtracking. “No, I mean, it wasn’t just nice… it was great. I liked it. I was just… I don’t know. It was just really great.” His eyes were shining with excitement and I could see, for the first time that he was actually a little flustered and seemed nervous.

“Okay. Yeah, I know what you mean.” My face broke out in a massive grin.

I could feel my eyes widening and my heart beat picked up it’s pace as he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against mine.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 7 "This was so not what I expected..."

So here's this week's teaser. Sorry about the delay in getting the last chapter up. Hopefully everything's fixed now. Fingers crossed!

"What do you want?" I asked flatly.

"Let me see… what do I want from you?" He pretended to ponder this as if it were the most important consideration in the world. "I guess a fair trade could be a kiss."

He's not wasting any time, is he? I suppose that I could live with that.

"Tell me your name first." I was determined not to be seen as a push over.

He chuckled as he responded. "You know, I really don't think so. You might back out on me."

He was about as infuriating as Alice. "I promise you that I won't."

"No, I think I'd prefer to do it my way."

Smug bastard.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" My sarcastic tone was ignored as he continued to argue.

"Because it makes the most sense."

"How? You could just as easily renege on telling me your name." I had a sneaking suspicion that this would be exactly what he'd do.

"Yes, I could. But I won't."How did he expect me to believe him when he was smirking at me?

"But how can I trust you?"

"Alright, how about we settle this in an equitable manner? I'll toss a coin and you can call it. What do you say?"

"Fine." I grumbled. This was getting frustrating.

He tossed the coin into the air, and as I watched it spin, I called heads.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 6 "Well, this is awkward..."

Okay, so I have had an annoying computer FAIL this last week, with not one, but both computers at home within 24 hours. Chapter 6 is currently with my beta, so it will be posted very soon, but until then, here's a teaser to tie you over.

He pulled me closer as his head tilted slowly to the side, readying to kiss me again. I leaned in, closing the distance between us.

His mouth was soft and sensuous, his tongue gently teasing mine and I could only imagine what he would be capable of doing to me with it.

Whoa... I think you might be in danger of getting naked with him right here if he keeps this up.

Chapter 7 should be up by then end of this week - fingers crossed.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 5 "Lingerie, super powers and too much wine"

Here we go again for another week. Did you review and get the bonus teaser for this next chapter?

Well, I had to hand it to Alice, she definitely knew how to select a good looking guy for a date.

What are you talking about? He’s not good looking…he’s gorgeous!

He took another step closer and I glanced up into his eyes again. They were so kind and full of emotion that I was instantly caught up in the swarm of butterflies in my stomach. His features were well defined and what I would call ‘manly’, but his lips looked so soft and luscious in comparison, which only made him all that much more attractive. And then, to top it all off, he smelled like a delicious combination of spice and musk, which seemed to make me want to bury my nose in his skin and just inhale his scent.

All in all, he seemed to be a very good candidate for a first date, and I wondered whether his personality and intellect were as appealing as his appearance.

And, damn, is he ever appealing.

Don’t slip over in your own drool or anything.

“Shall we?” He held out his hand to me, and without any hesitation I took it as we headed off on our first date.

First of many, I hope.

I must remember to thank Alice for this.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 4 "The Tequila Effect"

Here's this week's teaser. Why not leave me a comment at the end? What do you think has happened?

"I can't believe that out of all the people there…" Alice left her comment hanging in the air, unfinished and tormenting me.

Out of all the people there, what??? Why can't she finish the damn sentence? What the hell have I done?

"Yeah, who'd have thought? Do you think we should tell her?"

"Not right now. Don't know if she'd believe us anyway." Alice's voice was full of concern again.

Oh my God… that must have been why she was trying to figure out how much I knew and how I'd react.

"Do you want me to get Em to keep his big mouth shut?" Rose's tone was conspiratorial.

"Please. The last thing she needs to hear right now is Emmett mouthing off about it all. I mean, she's only just moved to a city where she doesn't know anyone and she seems pretty confused over how she feels about her best friend. Don't you think she has enough on her plate already?"

Well, I'll catch you all at the end of this week for this update.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 3 "Dirty drinks & dirtier thoughts"

Those lips looked so full and soft and kissable, but at the same time, I could only imagine the delicious agony that they could inflict on me.

I would so love to experience that.

I was suddenly pulled up short by my last thought. I couldn’t believe that I was actually fantasizing about a guy that I had only just noticed a second ago, and I was staring at him.

Oh my God, I’m staring at him!

Actually, what you’re doing is eye fucking him.

I was a little taken aback by my own internal use of the ‘F’ word. As a rule, I generally didn’t use curse words unless I was really angry or, as was clearly the case right now, drunk off my ass.

Teaser - TROMS: Chapter 2 "Too much information"

Alright, here's my first teaser for this story. I'm looking at posting weekly, so make sure you keep an eye out.

"So, Bella… how long has it been?" Alice's tone was eager and she looked like a kid in a candy store.

"How long has what been?" I asked absent-mindedly. I was too busy sinking into a relaxed state as my pedicure progressed. What can I say, I was so zoned out that I wasn't really paying that much attention to the conversation around me – not that I had been overly forthcoming or active in any conversations with my roommates since I had moved in.

"How long has it been since you had a decent lay?"

"What?!?" I was fully awake and painfully aware of the conversation now. "How is that any of your business?" I blurted out as I felt my skin blaze with embarrassment.

"That long, huh?" Alice smirked.

"I'm not getting into this with you. It's personal!" I cried in horror.

I can't believe she even asked me that!

"I don't think she's even had a decent lay, by the sounds of it," Rosalie snickered, and I could feel my skin heating further. I could only imagine that I probably was now the color of a tomato. Rosalie paused for a moment and assessed me carefully before turning towards me and speaking very quietly. "You're not a virgin, are you?"

'Choices'

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'The Re-education of Miss Swan'

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April Fools Day

EDWARD

I hate April Fools Day. It is the one day each year that gets Emmett more excited than anything else, and I mean anything! The most annoying part is that I always know what he is planning, even though he tries to keep it from me, he has never been successful.

For years I had tried to pretend that I was unaware of his plans, but he eventually caught on and now I get the annual talk from him, reminding me that I need to “keep my big trap shut, or else!” I have to admit that in all honesty, the “or else” just makes me want to laugh. Really, who does he think he’s kidding?

So this year, I decided that now that Bella is in my life, it might be prudent for me to explain what to expect, now that she is part of the family. I cringe to think what he might have planned for her.

“Really? He’d try to prank me?” She looked nervous.

“Bella, would you expect anything less of Emmett? He sees you as the perfect target for it.”

“Oh, I guess I can understand that…”

“It’s okay, love. I’ll make sure that you don’t have to put up with it. He has to learn that no one appreciates his little jokes.” Em wasn’t going to have the chance if I had anything to do with it.

“No, don’t…” I scowled as her words caught me by surprise.  Her lips pulled up into a grin. “Why not let him have his fun. I mean, it’s just one day, right?”

“Bella, I don’t think you understand what you’d be getting yourself into.” Did she really think that Emmett was going to easy on her?

“It’s okay, I have a plan of my own. Could you do one thing for me? Please?” I had no idea what she was planning, but I suddenly wanted to be part of it.

“How could I refuse you when you ask me like that?”

“I need you to find out exactly what he’s planning. I need all the details.” I could see her brain kick in to planning mode, and it was rather adorable.

“I think I could manage that. But what are you planning on doing?”

“Edward, just how annoyed does Rosalie get with Emmett’s pranks?”

* * *

I spent the next couple of days listening in to the inner workings of my brother’s mind. He had it in for Bella this year, as he saw her as not only an easy target, but he kept making a mental list of all the embarrassing jokes he would make at her expense when she fell into his little trap. He seemed to be so consumed by his excitement over it all, that he didn’t even register that I might be checking up on his plans.

Once Bella had spoken to Rosalie and she had more than willingly offered to help her, the two of them set about putting Bella’s prank into action. There was only two days left until April 1^st, so they needed to make sure that they were ready.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at the devious ideas that had come from my supposedly innocent Bella. I made a mental note to try not to ever give her an excuse to seek payback on me for anything.

EMMETT

I had been camped out in the woods for almost an hour, waiting for not only Edward to leave Bella’s room, but for Midnight to roll around, so that I could finally get my prank on.

I couldn’t stop the chuckle that I was trying to stifle at the thought of Bella’s reaction to what I was going to do. I knew that I couldn’t be there when it all went down, so I had arranged for my own little spy camera to assist in allowing me to watch the drama. This was going to be so good.

Finally, at 12:05am, I saw Edward leave, taking off towards home.

This is going to be awesome.

I quickly scaled the side of the house and entered through the open window.

Too easy.

I noticed Bella was fast asleep, and so I went to work, pulling out everything that I would need. I was surprised that Edward hadn’t tried to stop me, but I guessed that I had blocked my thoughts well enough that he hadn’t noticed.

The first thing that I had planned was rather simple, but always great for a laugh. I had placed the old snakes in a can so that when Bella opened her wardrobe, the snakes would fly out at her.

Classic.

It wasn’t until I was about to close the door that I noticed Rose’s scent. I carefully rummaged around in the clutter that lived at the bottom of the wardrobe until I found one of Rose’s bras.

What the hell is this doing here? Maybe she lent it to Bella to try to help old Eddie boy get some finally.

It was one of my favourite ones too. Hot pink lace that pushed her amazing tits up to just the right spot. Whenever she wore this, I was a drooling mess. I could only imagine how it would look on Bella.

Probably not wise to think about that, although…

I moved on to my next little surprise. I opened her underwear draw and was about to replace them all with the super awesome massive granny panties that I had bought and cut the crotches out of, but I couldn’t help but notice that not only were every pair of panties super sexy and rather non-existent, but a few I recognized to belong to Rose.

What the fuck? Why does she have Rosie’s thongs and her bra? This is getting weird.

 This was a bit unsettling, and I quickly switched the underwear before setting my final prank, and then after that I was determined to try to figure out why Bella had Rose’s underwear.

I carefully opened her bedside table’s draw, ready to place condoms that I had spat in (hey, I wanted to give it an authentic look, okay?), but instead, noticed the corners of some Polaroids sticking out from under the crap she kept in there.

Working as quietly as I could, I removed them from the draw and felt my eyes almost pop out of my head when I realized what I was looking at.

The first photo was of Rose, sprawled out on top of blankets that had been placed in the bed of Bella’s truck. She was wearing nothing but her hot pink bra and the matching thong.

I didn’t have time to think about why Bella had this, before I looked at the next. This time, Rose was holding the camera at arm’s length as she photographed her and Bella, who was wearing nothing but a deep blue lace bra and matching panties, as their bodies were tangled together.

Fuck, this is hot! But still…  

The third photograph was another shot of Rose and Bella, their lips almost touching as they looked into each other’s eyes.

The final shot was of Rose with her back to the camera, as she peeked over her shoulder. She was now topless.

Bella and Rose? Can’t be… I need more evidence.

I searched through the rest of the draw, but there was nothing there that would help.

There was nothing under the bed, or in her other draws, or even in the wardrobe.

I was about to give up when I realized that I hadn’t bothered to look through her bookcase. She seemed to have scraps of paper littered amongst the books.

I picked through each one only to find notes for English, or other unrelated stuff.

Come on Bella… where would you hide something that you wouldn’t want Edward to find?

It was then that inspiration struck.

Where would be the last place that Edward would ever look for something?

I opened her toiletry bag and found what I was looking for. Tampons. I opened the little box and sure enough, there was a small folded square of paper inside.

I opened it, both curious and hesitant as to what I would find.

Hey Baby Girl,

Had fun the other day. Can’t believe we were almost caught by Edward. We would have had some serious explaining to do. My dear brother really has no idea what he’s missing out on, does he?

Looking forward to the next time. Maybe I should suggest the boys have an all night hunting trip.

Until next time,

Rose x

I could feel my mouth hanging open and I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. My Rose and Bella were getting it on in secret. As hot as it was, it also turned my stomach. I thought that it was me who rocked Rosie’s world.

Obviously not.

I tried to clear my head of these thoughts and decided that I had been here too long already. Although I knew that Edward was meant to be hunting tonight, meeting Bella at school in the morning, I didn’t want to risk him catching me here.

It wasn’t until I was almost home that I realized that I had forgotten to set up my secret spy camera.

Well, shit!

I figured that it was too risky going back there now and that I would know tomorrow if I had succeeded in my pranks. Bella wasn’t one to hold back with me, and I couldn’t wait to see her ridiculously mild fury.

My emotions seemed to bounce between amusement at what was waiting for Bella, and anxiety at what could be going on behind my back. I wasn’t totally convinced, or maybe I was just in denial. I was going to tear mine and Rose’s room apart and see if there was anything there that I didn’t know about once I got home.

BELLA

I was woken by a text from Edward.

Em bought it. Stormed off home and is now ransacking his room.

I quickly responded.

Remind me, what exactly has he done to my room? I don’t want any nasty surprises.

A moment later I got a reply.

I’ll be there soon to remove the offending items.

I couldn’t sleep when I knew that Edward was coming back. It wasn’t long until I saw him enter through my window and cross to my wardrobe, carefully removing the can of snakes, before he went to my underwear draw and opened it with a laugh.

“He took every last pair that Alice has bought.” He shook his head. “Just look what he has replaced them with!” He looked equally amused and disgusted as he held up a massive pair of crotchless granny knickers. They were hideous and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s alright; I guess I’ll just have to go without any in the morning.” I grinned at him evilly.

His voice was rough and eager as he spoke. “Just the thought of that makes me want to do unspeakable things to you.”

“Like what?” I challenged.

“Damn it, Bella. Why do you have to push me?” His voice was straining, but I could tell he was doing everything in his power to control himself.

I didn’t want to cause him any more discomfort. He couldn’t avoid sex forever. Well maybe he could, but I would be damned if I didn’t at least try. But tonight wasn’t the night for that.

“I just wish that I had have been able to see Emmett reaction when he found the stuff I planted.” If only I could have been awake for it, although, that wouldn’t have worked.

“You can. I hooked up a web cam to your computer.” Edward’s grin was devious.

“When did you do that?”

“After you fell asleep, which is what you should be doing now.” I wasn’t going to argue. I was tired. I rolled over and waited for Edward to join me, and I drifted into a peaceful sleep as he hummed my lullaby softly in my ear.

*  *  *

The next morning I woke up to find Edward chuckling as he watched Emmett’s antics the previous night, playing on my computer. I joined him and I had to admit that it was priceless. I wondered if Rosalie had managed to avoid Emmett all night.

*  *  *

All throughout the day, Rose and I would orchestrate for Emmett to catch us doing little things, fuelling his suspicion. At first, it was the slightly lingering hug as she met me in the morning, then at lunch she sat across from me as we stole glances. But the icing on the cake was when Edward made sure that he and Emmett walked in on us as we occupied an empty classroom.

Emmett’s eyes almost bugged out of his head as he noticed the way we were positioned; I was sitting on top of one of the desks, my legs spread while Rose stood between them, one hand on my thigh, the other cupping my cheek. We then pretended that she was having a deep and meaningful with me, and that I needed some girl time with her.

We both tried to hold in the laughter as she relayed Emmett’s comments as both he and Edward left the room.

“Girl time, huh? You don’t think it’s weird that they’re suddenly so buddy-buddy, do you?”

“No, Em, I don’t. I think it’s good for them both to be able to move past their differences. I mean, could you imagine how awkward it would be if they never got along?”

“Yeah, I guess. Still think that there’s something weird going on.”

“Em, have you been watching those crime shows again? I mean, you’re starting to sound paranoid.”

“Whatever.”

*  *  *

As I was heading towards the parking lot at the end of the day, I was cornered and confronted by a rather frazzled Emmett.

It’s show time.

“Bella, I need to ask you something.” He sounded so unlike himself.

“Sure, Emmett. What’s on your mind?” I tried for nonchalance, and I think I pulled it off.

“I think that Rose might be involved with someone else, or at least thinking about it. Have you noticed or heard anything?” So he was going for the round-about approach.

Right on cue, I was blushing hard.

“I really don’t think that I’m the one to be asking. It’s not as if we’re really friends.” It was true enough.

“Bella…” His voice was like a warning and he took a moment to gather himself before he continued. “I know about the two of you.”

I couldn’t help but burst out into hysterics. I couldn’t do this anymore. I had to let him off the hook, not only because he was looking so freaked out right now, but because I couldn’t bring myself to go on any further.

“Emmett, I think there is something that you should know.” I looked him dead in the eye.

He swallowed hard as he prepared himself for the worst. “Okay, hit me.”

“I have a confession to make.” He looked as if his skin was paling right before my eyes. I grinned and began to laugh again.

“What?” He was looking confused and worried by my reaction.

“We got you so bad! April Fools Day!” I roared as I doubled over, clutching my sides.

“NO WAY!” Relief and disbelief was etched across his face and he began to laugh as well.

When I had finally caught my breath and composed myself enough to speak, I bent over and pulled out a pair of granny knickers from my bag and handed them to him.

“You can have these back. Not really my style, I’m afraid. And all the underwear you stole needs to be returned to Alice today. Well, all but the ones I borrowed from Rosalie.”

“So none of them were yours?” He was looking confused until a thought seemed to cross his mind. “You’re not wearing a pair of these beauties, are you?” He shot me a mischievous grin as he twirled the massive pair of panties around his finger.

Well, two can play this game.

“No, Emmett. I’m not wearing anything at all. I never do.” I shot back before I walked away from him, swinging my hips a little more than usual, and grinning madly the whole way to tell the others.

I knew that he wasn’t going to just let this go. He was going to want payback and my mind was already frantically at work for how I was going to get him next year.