I grabbed the vacuum out of the storage room and plugged it in. It was six in the evening and every other day I would be doing something that interested me. Today, I was vacuuming. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. Every time I focused on something, I heard Ryan's voice in my head and damn that guy. It was the strangest encounter I had ever had. By the time I got to lunch, I'd pinched myself 20 times just to make sure that I was awake and not dreaming or hallucinating. I wasn't. It had happened. He had actually asked me be his fiancée, like that wasn't crazy. What the hell kinda world did that kid live in?

Someone knocked on my door and I turned off the vacuum. I walked over to the door and was going to open it but then stopped. What if it was Ryan? I hadn't told him where I lived but it wasn't like he couldn't find out. I looked through the peephole and sighed when I saw that it wasn't him. It was my downstairs neighbor. Actually it was her daughter. I unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hey, Amber, is everything okay? Was it the vacuum?" I asked. Amber was fourteen, with pretty brown eyes and long blonde hair like her mother. She was shy and quiet, so she didn't talk to people that often and according to her, I was the coolest person living in the building. I was extremely flattered, though I didn't believe her for a second.

"Oh, no, I could use a break. Is everything okay with you?" Amber asked. I frowned.

"Yeah, of course," I said. Amber looked behind me and into the apartment.

"Okay, cool. I was just asking because you always vacuum when you're upset," Amber said. Huh. I wasn't aware of that fact. I stepped aside and ushered Amber into the apartment. If there was someone here, I would be less likely to go crazy. I knew I should have thinking about Ryan's crazy offer like I had told him I would but it was too much. I couldn't think about it. Maybe the answer will come to me in a dream tonight.

"You want some hot chocolate?" I asked.

"Sure," Amber said. I walked around the counter that divided the kitchen from the living room. Amber sat down on a breakfast stool and I started making us hot chocolate.

"How's school?" I asked.

"Same old same old," Amber said. I smiled at her. Amber was smart but she wasn't too fond of school. I don't think anyone was fond of school. School was every kid's equivalent of hell.

"You know there's a girl in my class named Isabella, but she insists that everyone call her Bella, like nobody knows why she's doing it," Amber said. I grabbed a plate and a pack of chocolate chip cookies and I placed them neatly on the plate, then I put it in front of Amber. She grabbed one and took a bite.

"She's doing it because she's part of the Stephenie Meyer generation. You know, your generation," I said. Amber giggled. It sounded like wind chimes.

"Why don't you like being called Bella?" Amber asked. I grabbed two cups from the shelf and poured us hot chocolate. I slid Amber's cup across the counter to her and grabbed a cookie for myself.

"I am not a teenager; I don't have crushes on vampires and werewolves. Besides, I see myself as an Izzy, not a Bella," I said. I blew on my hot chocolate and took a sip. I couldn't remember the last time I had drank hot chocolate. It felt like it's been forever.

"How do you figure?" Amber asked, taking a sip.

"Well, I'm more of a go out there and do it for myself kind of gal. I don't need a man to protect me and Bella sounds more like I need a man to help me. That's what happened in the book. I mean she had both Edward and Tyler there for her and she just couldn't decide. It got a little predictable," I said. It felt good to talk about something so trivial. It was so much better than thinking about Ryan. I had wanted to tell Maura about it but then I decided that it really wasn't up to me. However crazy he was, I bet Ryan didn't want everyone to know what he was planning on doing. Even though it was just Maura and she wouldn't dare tell anyone but Ryan was going through stuff.

"Jacob," Amber said.

"What?"

"You said Edward and Tyler. It's Edward and Jacob. The guy who plays Jacob in the movies is named Taylor, it is pretty close," Amber said. I frowned.

"Then who the hell is Tyler?" I asked. Amber pouted. I leaned back against the counter and sipped my drink.

"Oh, I know! There's a Tyler on the Vampire Diaries who's a werewolf," Amber said. I laughed.

"Okay, but I don't watch that show," I said. Amber looked deep in thought.

"Maybe you just got Tyler and Taylor confused and you were really talking about Jacob. But instead of using the name from the book, you used the name of the guy who plays the character in the movies," Amber said. I wasn't entirely convinced that was the case but I let it go. It was the only thing that made sense anyway. All I watched on TV were sitcoms and rom-coms from the 80's. I couldn't help myself. I loved the idea of romance.

"How do you know all of this, about the shows and everything?" I asked. As far as I knew, she spent her entire day studying. She wanted to make a name for herself, which was very admirable.

"Mom watches the shows," Amber said. I laughed again. Amber's mother was a wedding planner whose own marriage had fallen apart years ago. She was a good natured woman and even though she was much younger than my mother, she reminded me of her.

"I should go now. Mom will be home soon. Thank you for the hot chocolate and cookies," Amber said, jumping off the stool.

"Anytime, hon. I'm here all the time," I said. I walked her to the door and locked it behind her. I leaned back against it and looked around at the empty apartment. What was I going to do?

—

I jerked away to the sound of my doorbell chiming. I looked around wildly. What the hell? The doorbell chimed again and I groaned. My room was dark and I looked at the alarm clock beside the bed. It read 6:00am. I threw away the blanket and got out of bed, blindly searching for my robe in the dark. I donned it and stumbled out of my room. Unless there was a fire, whoever was on the door was going to be dead when I got there. I unlocked and opened the door.

I stared at the person standing on my threshold for a moment before I slammed the door shut. The doorbell chimed again. I cursed my fate and opened the door again.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"Your answer," Ryan replied.

"It's six in the morning. I don't have an answer. I was in my bed, sleeping," I said. I felt like crying. Why was he doing this to me? What had I ever done to him? Was this payback for taking his photo? I could delete that if he would just go away.

"Which is why I bought you coffee," Ryan said. I looked at his hands and saw that he was holding two coffee cups.

"Well, thanks. That makes me feel so much better about being woken up at six in the freaking morning. That's like the middle of the night," I said. I walked away from the door, regrettably leaving it open. Ryan took that as an invitation to come in. He closed the door behind him and stood there. I made my way to my room.

"Wait, am I supposed to follow you?" Ryan asked.

"Not unless you want today to be your last day on Earth," I said.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to bed. You can sit, watch TV, read or drink your coffee. It's up to you," I said. I walked back into my room, leaving him in the living room. I slammed the door shut and got in bed, pulling the blanket over me. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep; tried being the operative word. I couldn't go to sleep knowing Ryan was in the living room. That guy was so going to get it.

I got out of the bed and walked out into the hallway. Ryan was standing exactly where I had left him, looking around at the living room.

"How did you know where I lived?" I asked. Ryan looked up at me. I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Ryan remained standing by the door. I waved my hand around the living room to indicate that he should take a seat. He was annoying me, just standing there. Then again, Ryan was always annoying me and I'd only known him for a day; great track record for our….whatever it was. Ryan sat down on a chair.

"After you left yesterday I realized your name sounded familiar so I Googled you. You're famous," Ryan said. I rolled my eyes.

"This time, try saying it like you actually believe it," I said. I haven't been sitting on my ass for the past seven years. I've always had a knack for photography, so when I left home I looked for jobs in that area. After my first year in college, my photography teacher saw my talent and he recommended to me newspapers and magazines. Long story short, I made my name in the photography and art world. Some of my old paintings have sold for thousands of dollars.

"I do believe it. I've seen your stuff. I've bought your stuff," Ryan said. I raised my eyebrows. This was interesting. I slouched down on the couch and crossed my arms, staring up at the ceiling.

Okay, I wasn't going to lie. I had thought about Ryan's…offer but I wasn't any close to a decision. My brain was telling me that I should say no but my heart was telling me that I should help Ryan get his girlfriend back because he's so heartbroken. So I was undecided. I closed my eyes. This was horrible.

"Isabella?" Ryan asked, tentatively. This was it; the moment of truth. I could say no and all of this misery will be over and I'll be happy because I didn't want the drama of Ryan's life seeping into mine. Just thinking about it was making me nauseous. It wasn't going to be just six months, or a year tops. It was going to last longer than that because I will be the girl who he chose to 'marry' after his girlfriend dumped him and then he will dump me for her. It's a vicious cycle that was never going to end.

"Yes?" I asked. I was going to do it quick like a band aid.

"I have no idea why I am sitting here patiently when all I want is your answer," Ryan said. I opened my eyes and looked at him. That was my biggest mistake. I heard my mother's voice telling me to always help those people in need when you can and Ryan was hurting. I could see it in his eyes. He tried to hide it but pain isn't easy to hide. I sighed deeply.

"Fine, I'll do it. But if my life turns into amateur night at the Drama Queen Theatre then you are so getting it," I said and I put as much menace behind my voice as I could. Ryan's face split into a huge grin. At least one of us was happy.

"I thought you were going to say no," Ryan said. I rolled my eyes and got up. Walking into the kitchen, I put on coffee to brew. I had it on a timer. It started brewing at nine, which was around the time I usually woke up but I couldn't wait for it for two more hours. The coffee Ryan bought must be cold by now.

"Well, you reek of desperation and by doing this, I am ruining my life, which means you are going to be forever in my depth and I always collect," I said. I turned around just in time to see Ryan's smile disappear. I wonder how long it's going to take him to realize that this was not the way to win back his girlfriend. Then again, what did I know? I've never been in a relationship and will never be in a relationship. All I will ever have is Ryan. Boy, that's a comforting thought.

"Okay, fine, let's go," Ryan said, standing up. I grabbed a cup and poured myself some java. I added some cream and sugar and took a sip. Ah, that's the stuff.

"Go where?" I asked. If I was going to put up with him every day, I was going to need a lot of coffee. The coffee people should be happy. Ryan Gilmore alone was capable of making me drink enough coffee to pay for their children's college tuition.

"To my house, where we're going to live," Ryan said. I choked on my coffee.

"What? First I have to be your fiancée now I have to live with you?" I said.

"Well, of course. Once the news is out, everyone is going to expect to see us together and since we will be 'getting married', we will be living together. The stores will be open at eight so we can go and get you a whole new wardrobe, get you a makeover and stuff like that," Ryan said. I raised an eyebrow, staring at him like he'd sprouted another head. What the hell was he talking about? He wanted to change me.

"Okay, I take it back. I can't help you. I can't be this perfect fiancée you're looking for. I'm not in it for anything. The only thing I'm going get out of all this is a mess and I don't like messes. I won't change my hair and I won't change my wardrobe. I haven't needed anyone's help dressing myself since I was three," I said. Ryan had moved over to the counter and now he took a step back and raised both his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Okay, just calm down. You're angry and I understand that. It's a lot to ask of you and I know that you're not getting anything out of it. We can forget about all of it, except you will have to live in my house. It's just easier that way, trust me," Ryan said. I didn't answer him or complain. I simply grabbed another cup and poured him a cup of coffee. I placed it on the counter and Ryan walked forward and slowly took a seat on the stool that Amber had been sitting on hours earlier. I wish she was here right now. She could educate me on all the things I had no intention of ever knowing.

"No offense, but most women would be excited to be in your position," Ryan said, taking a sip of his coffee. I looked at him over the rim of my cup.

"Well, I am not like most women. God created me in his spare time. I am the instrument he uses to annoy people," I said. Ryan smiled again. I wished I had my camera with me so I could take his picture. He just looked so much better when he was smiling; most of the time he was frowning. It made me think that despite all odds, this could work. And if it doesn't, I'll run away. I was good at that.

"I'll move in with you but I have a life too. And I have to tell my best friend about this because I always tell her everything. Not telling her is a deal breaker," I said. Ryan nodded. He didn't say anything on the subject. I think he understood that my trusting Maura meant that he could trust her as well.

"I have a confession to make," Ryan said. I raised my eyebrows, looking at him expectantly. This should be good. Ryan cleared his throat and looked around the kitchen uncomfortably.

"I did a background check on you," he said. I took a sip of my coffee. I figured he would have done that. He wasn't a complete idiot. But I also knew what he would have found; a big fat nothing. It's not that there's anything incriminating about me, because there's isn't. There also isn't anything about me before the age of fifteen. Some of the guy's I went to college with were geniuses and with enough money, they had deleted everything about me before the age of fifteen. But nobody had actually done a background check on me because I was so 'innocent and trustworthy' according to Maura.

"And?"

"And I found nothing before the age of fifteen," Ryan said. Good, so it worked.

"Bummer," I said, with an indifferent shrug of my shoulders. I didn't care that he didn't find anything. I wasn't about to sit here and tell him my life story. I was doing him a favor. He had no right to ask me about my life.

"So, Isabella Daniels is an alias?" Ryan asked. I looked at him seriously.

"Yes, I am in Witness Protection," I said. Ryan rolled his green eyes. He should have really waited to get to know me before he asked me to be his temporary fiancée. I felt so cheap. Why couldn't he find a hooker?

"Fine, don't tell me," Ryan said.

"I wasn't planning to," I said. I didn't know what he was getting offended about. He didn't seem like the most forthcoming person. He still hadn't apologized for ruining my pictures and for grabbing my arm. I owed him nothing.

"I have to get ready. You can stay if you like but I should warn you that Maura will be here in 45 minutes," I said, glancing at the clock on the oven. Actually, I wanted him to stay here. He could do all the explaining to Maura and I can get off scot free.

"Maura?"

"My best friend," I said. I put my cup in the sink and ran my finger through my hair. I tied my hair in a bun and turned around to look at Ryan who was watching me. He quickly looked away and took a sip of his coffee casually like I hadn't just caught him watching me.

"If you want something to eat, you can just grab it," I said.

"I want to introduce you to my friends today, if that's alright. Don't worry, they know about all of this," Ryan said. I nodded. I could meet his friends. They would give me some insight to Ryan. I left him in the kitchen and went to get ready. It was Saturday so Maura didn't have work which meant that she could help me pack if I was going to move in with Ryan. I didn't want to. I liked my apartment. But he was right. It would be easier. He knew how to deal with the media and I didn't.

—

Since Ryan was taking me to see his friends and he was worried about my wardrobe, I dressed fancy. I wore a nice black and white striped sundress with a thick black belt around the waist and it fell just above my knees. I tied my hair in a bun and let a few curly tendrils escape around my face. I never wore any makeup so I didn't have much to do in that department. For accessory I wore the necklace my mother had given me for my 10th birthday. It had a long silver chain with an oval shaped locket that had swirly designs on it. It had my parents' photos in it. I grabbed my black pumps and walked out of the closet, into the hallway and to the kitchen.

Ryan was sitting at the counter where I had left him but now he was reading a magazine on photography. He looked up when I walked in and his eyes looked me up and down appreciatively. I tell you, men are so fickle. Here, he wants me to be his fiancée so he can get his girlfriend back and now he's looking at me like I am something to eat.

"And to think you wanted me to get a new wardrobe," I said. Ryan looked up at me.

"I apologized for that," Ryan said.

"Ha! You didn't apologize. You didn't apologize for ruining my photos or for grabbing my arm twice," I said.

"I was having a bad day," Ryan said. I was starting to think that asking for an apology from Ryan was going to result in more arguments. The guy just didn't apologize. This is why I hate rich people. They don't know what it's like to be modest. At least my parents raised me with modesty and good manners. I left them, yes but I didn't leave everything they had taught me. Though nobody knows they are my parents, I still think I represent them every time I leave this apartment. I couldn't let go of that feeling.

I heard a voice outside the door and the sound of keys jingling. I looked at Ryan.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"For what?" Ryan asked.

"To meet Maura. Don't worry, she's really nice and she's a fan," I said. I placed my pumps on the floor and walked over to the door. Better to meet Maura at the door then to give her a heart attack. She was on the phone when she entered and when she saw me she rolled her eyes, which meant that it was Claire on the phone. God, I was going to kill that woman. Maura did all the work at the gallery and Claire got all the credit. When Maura hung up, I walked towards her to turn her away from the kitchen. But I was too late. Maura looked around the apartment and her eyes landed on Ryan. I was waiting for her reaction so I didn't know what Ryan's reaction was.

But the reaction I was expecting didn't come. I was expecting her to be excited but instead she turned to me with incredulity.

"What the hell is Ryan Gilmore doing in your apartment?" Maura asked. I realized then that this was going to be a lot more difficult than I had imagined.

AN: Next chapter will be up tomorrow, I promise. Tell me what you think about this one. XOXO.