Chapter One: First Contact

"You look sexy as hell!"

I stand in front o the floor length mirror, smirking in spite of myself at Jessica's remark. The girl- no, woman- in the mirror is sexy. She wears a black skirt that's just a little too short, a low cut top that shows the pale skin between her breasts and a dark red lip. I flip my glossy hair over my shoulder and wink at Jessica, who laughs.

"You don't think it's too much?" I ask, spinning away from my reflection and plucking up a slim pair of boots.

"Um, no. Its perfect. You look good in all black." She moves past me to the mirror, applying pink lips gloss on her pouted lips. "Tonight is going to be crazy- oh in my underwear draw there's a bottle of vodka." I pluck the bottle out of the draw, pleased to see its full. "Mike gave it to me, swiped it off his parents. Go on, have a drink. I want to show up to the party at least half way drunk."

I comply happily, the white liquid an intense burn in my throat.

If I found myself in this position several months ago I would have laughed- having pre drinks with Jessica of all people before going to a house party.

"So should I find somewhere else to stay tonight?" I ask, opening my phone to scroll through various social media. "I'm assuming you and Mike will be fucking?"

She comes and sits next to me and takes the vodka bottle. "Maybe. Or maybe at the party we'll do it, who knows. Let's take a picture."

We do, and I post it on Instagram with a generic caption. "So, whose party are we going to tonight?"

"I have no idea- like Mike's cousin's friend's birthday or something? But we better leave now since we are already late."

Jessica and I walk there, passing the vodka bottle between us. Even though its night, and I know what could be lurking in the shadows, I find myself not particularly caring. It had been over six months since Edward left me and in that time I had began to turn into someone else- a fun, more dangerous version. I hadn't decided if I liked her yet or not.

The party is in full swing when we get there. I recognise a few people from high school scattered around the house, but most of them I had never seen before. In fact they all looked older than high school students. Jessica had seen Mike and rushed off, already drunk and horny. I gripped the vodka bottle, only tipsy, and walked further into the house.

"Yo, Bella!"

I whip my head around at the sound and see Tyler standing near a table filled with cups. I walk over, shaking my head, knowing what he was going to ask. "Hell, no."

"Please? I need a partner, and Mike bailed on me."

"You do realise having me as a partner will slim your chances of winning, right? You remember gym glass?"

He laughs and shrugs and somehow I get pulled into the game of beer pong anyway. There are two older men at the other end of the table, already pretty drunk. Their dark hair and features remind me of the boys at the reservation, but I can't think of their names- Quil perhaps and something beginning with an e. I'm aware as the game goes on a small crowd forms to watch and take pictures. Surprisingly, I'm able to get quite a few in. By the end of the game, Tyler and I are jumping up in down, basking in our victory. Tyler tries to reel me into a game, but I shake him off and go into the kitchen past dancing bodies. Somehow I get caught up in the rhythm. My head is slightly spinning from the beer of the game and my hips move to the slow, but rhythmic beat.

I end up on a table, like usual when I've been drinking, dancing and laughing. A girl I've never met is dancing with me. She runs a hand through my hair and gives me a playful kiss, before being pulled down by a friend. Realising I've been dancing for over an hour, I get down and go in search of Jessica.

In the kitchen Jessica and Mike make out in the corner. Several girls are looking in the fridge and two boys are pouring golden liquid shots. One of them sees me watching then, and offers me one. "There you go, Swan."

I squint at him. "Do I know you?"

"You beat my ass at beer pong before and proceed to chant loser in my face." He holds out a hand. "I'm Jared, and this is Sam, the other guy whose ads you kicked."

My eyes flicker to the man next to him, and my cheeks redden. The young dark man had looked up when I had walked in but I had not recognised him. Sam Uley. Of course. The last time I had seen him I had been in the woods, barely capable of stringing a sentence together. We look at each other as if remembering this and it's too intense. I take the shot of golden liquid for something to do with my hands.

"Bellaaaaaaaa. Looking good." A voice slurs behind me. Mike and Jessica have finally pulled away from each other. He nearly falls over, spilling beer on himself and me too. I back away with distaste. While I had certainly gotten used to Mike, drunk Mike was a different story. "We saw you dancing."

"That's nice," I say lightly.

"We saw you with that girl of the table," he continues as though I said nothing.

I shrug. "She was just being friendly."

Jessica comes up to me, leaning on me so heavily I grip onto the counter to keep myself from falling. "You can't come back tonight, Mike and I are going to-"

I hold a hand to cut her off. "I know what you are going to do, traitor."

She laughs and gives me a sloppy kiss on my cheek before pulling Mike out of the room. I look down at my watch and sigh. "Not even midnight yet and she bails already."

"Here." Jared hands me another shot. "No reason to wallow, might as well keep on going."

I grin at him and raise it up to him like a mini toast, before downing it. Next to him, Sam does the same. We are purposely avoiding each other's gaze. Even under the veil of alcohol, my body feels tight.

"Damn girl," Jared laughs as I hand him back the shot glass. "Most girls would be under the table by now."

I give him a wink, but don't say anything. One of the girls from the fridge breaks away- a pretty slim girl with doe eyes- and melts in Jared's side. He kisses her on the temple lovingly. "Kim this is- actually, I never got your first name."

"Bella. Swan."

Jared looks at me as though I have said something important. He glances sideways at Sam.

"I'm Kim," the doe eyed girl says, "I hope these two idiots were being nice."

I wave her off. "They're fine."

Jared looks at her, putting a hand to his chest, 'My darling, you wound me so."

She laughs and gives him a kiss. I avert my eyes at the affection. "So, whose party is this?" I ask.

"One of my friends," Kim says, "Although, I haven't seen the poor girl since she downed all that wine, maybe I should go looking for her before Paul's finds her first."

"I'll come help you. Nice to meet you, Swan." Jared grins at me and the couple depart into the throng of dancing people.

Sam and I avoid looking at each other. He stands on the other side of the kitchen, his arms crossed over his broad chest. To talk at all seemed impossible anyway- the music was so loud and we would have to come close to each other. But just to stand there and not talk at all seemed rude. The girls at the fridge stumble around, talking loudly about some sort of dessert they had found.

He is better looking than I previously thought, I think. I sip on a drink, sneaking glances at him.

For a moment, the world spins. I close my eyes and grip onto the counter.

"Are you all right?"

It's the first time I hear Sam speak, his voice is deep and rumbly like thunder. I looked over to him and smile weakly, "Yes, the room has suddenly gotten a bit hot."

He moves away from his spot and moves closer to me. "The shots probably don't help," he points out.

"Probably not," I agree. He smiled at me. I smiled back. "I think I might go home, actually, now that my friend has ditched."

"How far do you live from here?" Sam inquired.

"Twenty minute walk."

"You don't have a car?"

"Not tonight."

He paused. "Want a ride home?"

"Sure, if its no trouble, that'd be great thanks."

"No trouble at all."

We were out of the house in moments. The cool air smelled so fresh after the heat inside. It was quiet. My ears throbbed and rang after hours of loud music.

In the car I'm silently biting my nails. I'm nervous.

I navigate him through the short streets near my house, it's the only communication between us throughout the drive. I wait for him to bring up the night in the woods, buts he doesn't, and I don't bring it up either. Sam pulls up near my house and I notice with relief Charlie's police cruiser is absent, only my truck sat in the driveway.

I cast Sam a look and he asks me if he can walk me to the door.

Shaking my head, I say, "I'll manage."

I lean over and kiss Sam full on the mouth. When our lips meet I realised that I had planned this ever since he had offered me the ride home. His lips were soft and wet; he smelled of beer. I kissed him deeper and he kissed me back. Then I groped for him and his lips became urgent on mine. I touched his hair, his neck, his shoulders. His body was tight and easy to grip onto. He groaned softly as his hands ran over me- over my bare legs, my thighs, my breasts. My breathing becomes ragged at his touch, his warm hands making my stomach stir. I needed this. It had been a while since I had felt lusted after.

The car windows were fogged up.

He whispered my name, getting over to the passenger seat, on top of me, grinding himself against me. I moaned aloud and this made him grind harder, kiss me harder. I had never experienced a man like this before- rough and hard. I unbutton his pants and take him out. Really wanting him inside me, I move my underwear over and guide him in.

It wasn't comfortable in the car, but I did not care. It was over soon, the entire act fast and out of control, my legs were shaking and sounds slipped from my mouth. When Sam came I hold him against me and caress his back. He stayed there, propped up on top of me, his heavy breaths making me shiver. When he moved away, I find myself missing him inside me.

"I better go," I whisper. I push him off me and when he sat back in his seat I quickly adjust my skirt.

"Okay," he says in his deep voice.

I smile at him, still light headed. "Thanks for the ride."

I get out of the car, up the path and to the door, feeling his dark eyes of my back. When I'm in bed later that night I can still feel him all over me. Already there was a sweet soreness between my legs and I wonder briefly if it was always like that. Edward had always stopped at kissing when we had been together and insisted on being slow, whereas Sam had been passionate, almost animalistic.

My drunken mind began to slip away into the darkness, the last conscious image I had was Sam's dark eyes never leaving my face.