Without thinking, I inhaled sharply, causing her scent to overwhelm me. My muscles tensed, ready to spring towards the girl in front of me and sink my teeth into her fleshy neck.
What if I allowed myself to kiss her warm skin before my teeth pierce...
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||Edward's P.O.V||
Esme gave me a loving smile as I walked into the kitchen. I laid the catering pamphlet from Lakeshore Grille on the counter and pointed at it.
"I know you'll be hosting that garden party here soon. Figured maybe you'd prefer to have catering instead of trying to cook up a feast," I said to her.
My adoptive mother had joined the Rows of Roses Gardening Club when we first moved here, wanting to make a good impression on the locals.
Her eyes lit up. "How thoughtful of you. That sounds like a splendid idea." She picked up the pamphlet and studied it. "Lakeshore Grille. Looks like they have a little bit of everything."
Thank you, she thought with a smile, holding the pamphlet to her chest as though it was dear to her.
***
Against my better judgment, I chose to ride with Alice and Jasper to class that Monday. Emmett and Rosalie had driven separately, leaving me alone in the backseat as Alice chatted away to her mate who was sitting in the driver's seat, only vaguely paying attention to the road.
"Eeep!" She squealed. She was bouncing in her seat with joy. "I'm so excited! We're finally going dress shopping after school today. I can't wait. After we find the perfect dress, then the hunt will be on for the perfect shoes!"
"You and Rosalie are going shopping? For the dance next week?" I asked her, trying to put in an effort to be kinder to my sister.
She immediately stopped bouncing, stiffening in place before she twisted her body to face me. Her little brows were pinched together in confusion. Her thoughts gave way to how surprised and leery she was that I was actually making myself part of the conversation.
"Rosalie is going, yes. As well as Lynna and possibly Paige," she responded, eyeing me skeptically as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
The second she spoke Lynna's name, I tensed. I fought against making a snide remark and succeeded.
"That's nice," I said with a forced smile. "I hope you have fun."
Jasper cast me a wary glance in the rear-view mirror. Alice's eyes narrowed into slits and she pursed her lips; she thought I was up to something.
"Thanks," she spoke slowly, her voice unsure.
"You're welcome," I responded.
A wave of relief washed over me when we pulled into the parking lot. Emmett immediately bounded over to us with a goofy grin. Alice twirled around Jasper before studying my outfit.
"Is that a new shirt? It's nice," she said to me. "That's a really pretty color."
I briefly glanced down at the light blue shirt I was wearing. The color reminded me of Lynna's bedroom, whose walls were painted the palest of blues. That's not why I wore the shirt, of course.
