The Edge

The Rule of Attraction

Summary: Bella and Alice have to decide what they are going to do now that things have changed between them.

A Week Later

"Bella," Mike Newton whispered urgently.

Bella looked up from the pair of boots she was pricing, a mildly curious look on her face.

"What?"

"Did I miss a memo about hell freezing over?" Mike asked lifting a questioning eyebrow at her.

Bella stared at him for a moment, confusion covering her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Bella informed him, turning back to the boots in front of her. She wasn't sure that she cared either. It was probably just some girl he liked, and she had enough woman problems of her own, without having to try to counsel Mike Newton.

Mike cocked his head to the side, and then lowered his voice. "Look who just walked in," he continued, either immune to Bella's indifference or choosing to ignore it. Based on what she knew of Mike, Bella would have put her money on 'choosing to ignore it'. However, the boots that Bella was occupying herself with were hardly captivating either, and so mild curiosity was enough to encourage her to turn her head in the direction Mike was looking.

Fully expecting to see nothing of interest, Bella was surprised when her heart spasmed painfully in her chest. She had not expected to find herself looking at the singularly most exquisite face she had ever seen when she turned around. But there, right in front of her eyes, was a sight so heartbreakingly beautiful that just looking at her almost brought tears to Bella's eyes.

"Alice," Bella breathed out, not even aware that she had spoken until Alice's head turned in her direction, a blissful smile spreading across her lips when their eyes met.

"Did she hear you?" Mike asked, squinting at Alice as she began to make her way over towards them. They were near the back of store pricing some items, and so Alice was quite a distance away from them when she entered. More than far enough away that Bella's whispered word should not have registered with her. "How did she? Nah, she couldn't have. But she turned," he continued, what Bella assumed was to himself, since she certainly wasn't participating in the conversation. "Could she have ... did she hear you?"

"Of course she didn't," Bella responded deciding to put an end to Mike's stream of consciousness ramblings. Her eyes focused on Alice as she spoke, watching as the pixyish beauty danced towards them. "She probably just has a question," Bella continued. She felt like she was staring, possibly open-mouthed, and was trying to keep him from noticing how enthralled she was. Mike seemed to be in an oddly observant mood that day, and it wouldn't do for him to wonder why she getting all moony-eyed and breathless because Alice Cullen had walked into the store.

"So, I guess you got this one?" Mike said sounding a little disappointed, his eyes still trained on Alice, just as Bella's were.

Even though the other students at school gave the Cullen's a wide-birth, they weren't immune to their beauty, and often tentative overtures of friendship would be made if they ran into a Cullen alone outside of school. That being so, it was painfully obvious to Bella that Mike wouldn't have minded getting to know Alice better, but she thought – with a minimal amount of remorse – that was just too bad for him, because Alice was hers.

"Yeah, I got her," Bella said already putting Mike Newton out of her mind as Alice finally reached them.

"Hey Bella," Alice greeted cheerfully, and then without another word she placed her hands lightly on Bella's arms and leaned forward, and pressed her lips softly against Bella's cheek. Pulling back, she then wrapped her arms around Bella, hugging her like they were old college roommates who hadn't seen each other in years.