Summary:

Isabella Swan. Starting Whitlock University far from home to try to discover who she really is. Edward Cullen. Recruited to the Whitlock University football team after graduation and trying to find purpose through his pain. Both bearing a past that they discover they can no longer run from. This is their story.

AN:

I have no idea on how to even begin expressing my regret for doing this to anyone who has been following my story. You are all wonderful, and I am so sorry to do this, but I'm afraid it's something that I must do. I am currently rewriting Deep Blue, which was something I fully intended on doing for a while now. I have several chapters already finished, so you can expect regular updates until the chapters are back where we left off. I would recommend that even if you know what essentially happens, a lot has changed and it would be wise to read through these edited chapters. Again, I can't express my apology enough to have to do this, but I promise that I intend to bring you the best quality of this story that I can.

Enjoy.

DEEP BLUE

Prologue

Somebody's yelling my name. The noise grows louder in my ears until it rings through my head like a shrill telephone. There is a sudden flash of iridescence that sneaks inside my mind. I find myself watching the light, wondering how so many amazing colors exist as they weave together interchangeably. The beauty of each individual color in the spectrum is so vastly unique and magnificent, and the colors somehow find a way to all come intricately together to become a grand design exuding indestructible allure. I don't know why I'm so drawn to the display of light. But somewhere deep inside me, I know that this light holds promises of answers I've wondered at my entire life: an unlocked Garden of Eden ready to give me a taste of the delectable fruit of knowledge. An offer I'm not about to refuse. Abruptly, I'm drawn away from my resolve by a stroke of a color I had almost forgotten. Amongst the catacombs of light, a flash of emerald green becomes known and reaches inside me until it touches my heart. It takes me back to where everything started, and it is then that I finally succumb into myself.

Chapter One

Angel Eyes

The small, wet window was ice cold as I pressed my index finger against it. I watched tears of rain streak across my limited view of the dark grey night sky as our plane descended into much more comprehensible heights. Planes always fascinated me. Everything about them, from the aerodynamics to the design to simply just travelling in general made me aspire to have my own one day. Planes were a symbol of starting new: of having a new experience. Build a new life, be somebody new, or in my case, this plane was providing me a chance to find out who I really was after years of being who people expected me to be.

With my recently acquired fedora, and over-worn sunglasses, I adjusted the volume on my phone to better hear The Antlers playing through my headphones, keeping focused on the window and steadily ignoring the blonde-headed boy who slept in the seat next to me. His name was already forgotten to me in that moment. He had been friendly at the start of the flight, but I was in no mood to talk, and I had been feigning sleep until he passed out. Was that who I was? The introverted girl driven by narcissism, who would let her lack of empathy disable herself from any kind of human connection? Slightly depressed by the idea, I sighed and refocused on the melodic band coming out of the tiny headphones. Kettering set the perfect mood on this gloomy night.

The twinkling of lights along the runway was the first greeting I received upon entering my new home, a small town called Whitlock that resided in central Texas. It was questionable as to whether the small airport even had a baggage claim, and I wasn't surprised to see they only had one terminal with one conveyor belt upon entering the deserted airport.

After I grabbed my luggage, I slid in a cab and rattled off the address to take me to my on-campus dorm for my first year of college at Texas Whitlock University.

The rain splattered on the car windshield, and I glanced at the dashboard to see that it was already 11 PM. I staggered through the wet street with my luggage after the cab dropped me off and headed to the building that would be my home for the next year. I pushed through the double doors and treaded over the carpeted floor to the elevator and after entering it, I crushed the black number four that was immediately illuminated in a soft pale yellow glow.

As the doors began to close, a high-pitched voice rang out.

"Hold the doors!"

A bit reluctant, I dragged a finger to the open doors button on the elevator and held it down and the doors opened once more.

"Thanks!" A girl about my height with styled brown hair greeted me with a big smile after she set down several shopping bags. Who goes shopping at 11 PM?

"My name is Alice," she protruded a hand out in my direction and I grasped it with my own and shook it.

"I'm Isabella."

"It's so nice to meet you!" She eyed the already lit number four in the elevator and her eyes lit up, "You're on fourth? I'm on that floor too!" I nodded and the corners of my mouth twitched upwards at the girl's enthusiasm. The short brown hair and porcelain features made her look quite doll-like, but the high energy made me think she had to be some sort of hyperactive energizer bunny or quite possibly on drugs.

I noticed in addition to her overall beauty, that her clothes were of designer origins and she looked very put together. Maybe shopping at 11 PM was the best time to get the latest fashions.

I shook my head. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, I reminded myself.

"So Isabella, did you just get in?" She asked, noticing my luggage.

"Yes, fresh off the plane."

"Plane? Oh… Where are you coming from?"

"Phoenix." It wasn't a direct lie. I had been coming from Phoenix as I dropped by my Uncle's house to get a yearly check up and see him before I started my first year of college. Of all my family, I enjoyed his company the most.

"Arizona? That's really awesome. I'm from Washington! I can't say I've ever been to Phoenix, but I've heard it's beautiful!"

"It is, very much so." I agreed and smiled politely. Alice then went on to tell me about how she never saw the sun in Washington until summer and how wonderful Seattle was, but that she was excited to be in Texas.

The elevator doors finally opened on our floor, and I paused in the hall after we exited the elevator to keep listening as she continued.

"I just know I'm destined to fall for a Southerner. So I knew I had to come here. And they have a stellar program for what I want to do… And you're probably tired. I'm sorry, I've been talking your ear off." She giggled, and I couldn't help but grin at her. She was fairly chatty, but I could tell she was a genuine, kind-hearted person who I could get along easily with.

"It's okay, it was really nice to meet you Alice." I smiled at her, but it wasn't without difficulty. I knew I looked worn out after a full night of travel.

"You too Isabella! Come by my room, 405, anytime! We'll have to grab lunch sometime!" She waved and walked down the hallway, a defined confidence in her steps as she pranced down the hall. I proceeded to room 420 where I unlocked the door with my key and stepped inside to a simply furnished kitchen and living room with windows lining all along the back wall and two hallways opposite one another on either side of the living room. I followed one hall to a closed door and figured my other roommate, Angela, must be sleeping in that room. So I walked back to the living room and took the other hall and came to a bland room with one window on the opposite wall. There was also a bed, dresser, desk and bedside table all made of a glossy dark wood that was nicely arranged in the room. I flopped down on the bed as I stared at the ceiling and let out a sigh.

This is what you wanted. I reminded myself.

I quickly rolled off the bed and briefly unpacked and made up my bed before I went to the bathroom, pleased I had my own, and did my best to wash the grimy feeling of the plane off of me as I took a quick rinse off in the shower. The smell of my soap gave me comfort in the foreign shower in the foreign town. I couldn't help but feel better as the vanilla scent presided around me when I crawled into bed. I burrowed deeper into my crisp, freshly made bed; desperately hoping sleep wouldn't be elusive with the heightened emotions swarming inside me. A tear rolled along my cheek, following the action of the rain against the window of the plane I watched earlier, as I laid my head down on my soft pillow, praying I hadn't made the wrong choice in coming here.

The next day was spent unpacking the few boxes that came in the morning after I took a quick run around the area. Donned in a baseball cap and a running top with shorts I saw only a few people out at 7 AM as I became familiar with my new neighborhood and the surrounding campus. When I came back I quickly showered and was in the kitchen, compiling a grocery list when a knock resonated from the dorm room door. Grateful to see upon opening the door that it was my stuff, I helped the delivery guy carry the boxes to my room, where he refused a tip I tried to give him before leaving with a smile and wave. The overall kindness of people here in Whitlock was definitely something I didn't expect.

It wasn't until noon that my zombie roommate, Angela, finally came to the land of the living and opened her door. She padded into the kitchen, with big glasses and a messy bun on top of her head and went straight for the coffee pot where she made a cup and poured some into an eclectic looking mug. I was in the living room, and cleared my throat gently when she rounded around the kitchen counter.

She gave a small yelp and jumped as her eyes finally connected with mine. Brown round eyes filled with surprise as she immediately blushed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you in here." She stuttered.

I laughed, and after a brief pause on her part, she joined in. We were soon in a giggle fit and finally stopped, each smiling at one another.

"You must be Angela?" I asked, finally sticking out a hand as she walked closer, shaking my hand as she nodded.

"And you're Isabella?"

I nodded and then added, "Well this is a better introduction than before." I grinned as she shook her head, looking embarrassed, but smiling as she agreed.

"Do you want some help?" She asked, noticing me unpacking as I pulled out and folded a blanket.

"It's okay, I'm actually almost finished. I was going to run to the store in a little while if you want to come?" I framed the end in an impromptu question.

"Yeah! I'm an awful cook, and I'm all out of my frozen dinners, so I need to stock up on some more."

I hid my grimace at the mention of anything frozen, but quickly grinned as I realized this was going to be a fun year teaching someone else how to cook.

"I can teach you some easy things to cook if you want." I offered.

"Oh, that'd be great actually! Do you cook a lot?"

"I know my way around a kitchen." I shrugged. I wasn't an expert by any means, but I was learning new things every time I cooked and liked to think I could make a decent meal. I did most of the cooking for myself back at home and had quite a bit of practice.

"Okay, well I just need to get ready and stuff, but I'll be ready to go in like 20 minutes to the store."

"Sounds good."

Despite my attempts to sway her from frozen dinners, Angela still bought at least six of them. I realized that I really enjoyed talking to her and the store was a good bonding trip for us. Angela was a little on the reserved side, but when she said something it was insightful and genuine. We briefly talked about where we were coming from and why we chose Whitlock and covered the basics of what we were studying and hoping to get involved in.

We stayed in the rest of the day getting settled and I taught her how to cook a simple Parmesan pasta dish. I was caught off guard when she explained to me she had no idea how to cook pasta, and I was left wondering how in the world someone lived eighteen years without ever cooking some type of pasta, not even macaroni and cheese or anything… After we ate, we then decided to go back out to rent a movie to come back and watch it in our dorm room.

While we were waiting for the elevator on the fourth floor I heard my name being called and turned around to see Alice bound up to Angela and me.

"Hey Isabella!" She gave me a quick hug then stuck her hand out to Angela, "Hi, I'm Alice!"

Introductions were made and I explained to Alice that Angela was my roommate and that we were heading out to rent a movie to watch that night.

"Oh well, actually… I was going to head out to this party at my roommate's friends house if you two want to join me?"

Both Angela and I glanced at one another briefly and I shrugged, letting her know I didn't mind. Angela nodded, and I turned back to Alice.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, do you mind if we change our clothes first?"

Angela and I, with Alice in tow chatting excitedly about the details of the party, headed back to our dorm room and changed into more party appropriate attire. We then followed Alice outside and climbed into Angela's navy Prius and followed Alice's directions to the party about fifteen minutes away.

After Angela parked and we all got out of the car my phone buzzed, and I checked the caller ID.

I sighed, and then I told Angela and Alice to go ahead and that I'd be in after I took the call. They looked at me questioningly for a moment but continued on towards and then into the house.

"Hello?" I answered the call.

"Honey! Where are you? We haven't heard from you in a week!" The cheery tone from my mom filled my ear.

"I'm going to school, Mom. Classes start on Monday." I threaded my fingers through my hair and desperately brushed it back as I prepared for her reaction.

"What?" Gone is the cheery tone as shock is apparent in her voice, "What do you mean? Where are you?"

"I'm at Texas Whitlock University… I told you I got in, and that I wanted to go." I had told her in passing and she had simply laughed, thinking I was joking about wanting to go to college.

"But, I don't understand. I thought you were going to consider the deal Aro drew up for you?" She sounded annoyed.

"Please, Renee." Mom hated when I called her by her name, but I was desperate for her to understand that I was no longer a child, "Please, give me some time to think things over."

Silence. A minute passed and I was about to open my mouth to add to my defense, but she finally let out a sigh.

"Okay, honey. You take the time you need, and then when you come back we can talk about taking the deal. We'll discuss it over your winter break."

I let out a quiet breathe of relief.

"Thanks Mom. I actually have to go, some friends are waiting on me." I looked back towards the brightly lit house and could hear the music playing some chaotic beat.

"Alright, sweetheart, have a nice night!" The cheery tone was back.

"You too Mom. Bye."

I pressed end, took a deep breath, re-pocketed my phone, and strode to the front door.

When I entered the party I was immediately greeted with music that blared through the speakers around the room. It drummed about so loudly that I felt the rhythm pumping through the air and then reverberating through me. My eyes flickered to the room on the right and people were dancing while to my left there was an open bar. Some blonde-haired boy appeared to be the bartender as he theatrically mixed drinks together and handed people red cups. When I glanced around again, I noticed that most people in the house were carrying red solo cups around.

Alice suddenly appeared at my side. She was smiling and then gave me a huge hug. I could smell her strong perfume that smelled like sweet pomegranates.

"I'm so glad you came with me tonight!" She told me and then continued with her arm around my waist, "I just know we're going to be the best of friends!"

I laughed as I wondered how much she had to drink already. She giggled when I asked.

"Just a sip, Isabella! I pinky promise! Hey come on, I'll show you around and you need to meet some people!" She finally let go of me and pranced off before waving at me to follow.

So I followed her to the living room, and some people were sitting around talking while some were trying to lure others out to the dance floor that was in the next room over. I noticed that everyone here also held a red cup, except for a guy who was talking animatedly to another guy before he looked over at me, catching my eye, and smiled. He clapped the guy on the back and with a killer white smile then proceeded to come toward me. I glanced to my side but noticed that Alice was already disappearing into the dance room.

"Hey there!" The bright smile and slightly long dark brown hair definitely looked attractive paired with his nicely tanned skin. His breath smelled faintly of alcohol as it washed over my face.

"Hi." Something in his grin had me smiling back at him. He had an intimidating physique as he was fairly tall, and muscular, but his eyes shone with kindness.

"I'm Steve." He held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Steve, my name is Isabella." I gripped his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine Isabella." Cue megawatt smile again. "How are you doing this evening?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. And you?"

"I'm great, did you just get here?"

"Yeah. I came with a couple of friends…" I glanced around wondering where they had both disappeared.

"Steve!" I heard a loud voice shout from the dance room and then a boy stumbled out of the crowd. "C'mon Stevey, you're missing all the fun!" The guy turned back into the dance room. Steve glanced at me.

"Well Isabella, would you care to go dance?" He winked.

My initial gut-reaction was to say no, but what fun would I have sitting in that room? I had no idea where Angela or Alice had run off to either. My mind briefly flashed back to the day before, when I had ignored the boy on the plane. Now was the time to prove I was capable of human connection. So I agreed and followed him to the pumping room that smelled of sweat and alcohol. Everyone was jumping to the chorus of some pop song. Resolved, I just smiled and joined in. Steve jumped along beside me, singing on the top of his lungs in a high-pitched voice. I followed suit. After the jumping stopped, I could tell he was looking for someone, perhaps his friends.

Confirming my thoughts, he then led me to his group, and I see the blonde haired guy that had called him earlier. He was dancing with a girl, or better said, on a girl, who definitely needed more clothing than she actually had on.

I see some other guys laughing and shouting above the music to each other while waving their cups in the air. Steve laughs at them, but points to each while saying their names to me.

"That's Luke, Brad, Jasper, and Trey." I nodded; taking note that Trey was the one with the brunette girl in a bathing suit. His wavy hair was slightly covering his eyes as he continued to dance on her. I glanced away.

I danced for a couple of songs with them, enjoying Steve's company and easy-going nature. Afterwards, I decided to try to find Alice and Angela. I searched around and was unsuccessful, and I decided to go get some water from the kitchen.

I rounded the corner to enter the kitchen-turned bar and my eyes met the greenest pair of eyes that I had ever seen. They were bright emeralds that shone like a full moon. They hypnotized me, and I couldn't look away from their beauty.

I stopped walking and forced myself to break eye contact with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen, only to see that they were framed by seductive long lashes and belonged to the most breath-taking, attractive guy. My first thought was that he looked otherworldly. His face was so beautiful; from the bright green eyes that captivated me to perfectly carved lips and sharp cheekbones, I deduced that his features had to be passed down from the angels. His hair was a golden bronze color; not short, but not quite long either. It was slightly messy as well. I watched as long fingers reached up to comb it back and off of his face. His physique was lean and athletic. He wasn't as tall as Steve, but definitely was at least six feet. And his eyes… How could such eyes exist?

Thrills ran through me as I realized that he had been looking at me too. No… Not at me, but in my own eyes. He looked with such intensity that I thought he could see right through them and into my mind. I blushed as I realized I was staring for longer than was considered polite, and if he just so happened to be a mind reader, my last thoughts about him definitely were not very appropriate.

Rather abruptly, he turned away and left the room. I wanted to laugh at myself for analyzing the ridiculous moment I thought that we had shared. An unbreakable connection suddenly had become quite fragile and brittle. As I watched him walk away, I noticed how those beautiful green eyes glazed over and his body swayed slightly as he had slight difficulty walking back into the other room. He was drunk.

I'd had a moment with a drunk person. I had reached an all time new low. I laughed at my instant romantic notions towards strangers. Was this who I was? A hopeless romantic? I shook my head, and vowed I would stay far away from emerald eyes for the rest of the party and to make sure to never have a moment of weakness like that again.

I eventually got my water from the overly helpful bartender named Mike, who I discovered was studying sociology and had a thing for adding extra alcohol into just about any drink. After I knocked it back, I went back to searching for Alice and Angela. I'd had enough for tonight. Emerald Eyes had shaken me to my very core. How could I have felt so much for someone I didn't know? For someone I had only made eye contact with?

I couldn't find either of them and the only place left to look was back on the dance floor. So I ventured back out to the pounding music and was greeted by Steve's friends again. Steve was dancing with some other brunette girl, and Trey now had two girls, the other three guys were in a group with some other I couldn't really see. Jasper had greeted me and now took a couple steps to meet me.

"Isabella? You're friends with that Alice girl, right?" He asked me.

"I am." I replied.

"Do you have her number?" He asks. But it's quiet and shy. Like how a schoolboy with a crush would say.

I glanced up at Jasper. I took in his long messy blonde hair. It was straight, and reached just past his ears. His eyes were pale blue and wide, they had just the touch of honesty and innocence that had me pull out my phone. I rattled off the number to him that she had given me on our way over here, and he programmed it into his own phone.

"Thanks," he gratefully sighed when I finished.

"Have you seen her in the past five minutes?" I questioned him.

"Yeah, she left for the bathroom not too long ago with Angela. She said she would be right back, so you can wait for her with us."

"That'd be great. Thanks."

We smiled at each other. I followed him back to his group. I noticed Brad had found a girl to dance with now too. It left Jasper, Luke, and…. My eyes traveled and I started at the green eyes that I had seen earlier. He was listening to Luke say something and his gorgeous eyes flashed to me as I approached with Jasper.

"Hey," Luke grinned kindly at me.

"Hi," I breathed. I was determined not to look back at emerald eyes.

However, Luke turned to Jasper and they both started to talk about something in hushed voices.

And just like that, I was left alone with Emerald Eyes. I reluctantly turned back towards him, and I noticed he was still staring intently at me. If he was trying to read my mind or see through me still remained a mystery to me. I fidgeted under his stare as I tried to not let it affect me again as much as it did before.

He held out his hand to me, his long fingers slightly bent and opened. It was a gesture I recognized, although fairly outdated: an invitation to dance. I hesitated. What was wrong with one dance? Connection, I reminded myself. I would fight the nature inside me that fled when an opportunity to understand and be in anyway attached to someone else presented itself.

I delicately placed my hand in his open one, and he pulled me closer to him. The force caught me off guard, and I stumbled into his hard chest, but he steadied me with both his hands grasping my upper arms. I marveled at his strength and graceful composure for the state he was in.

His touch on my skin was exhilarating; it kick-started my heart, and with my inability to feel altruism this anxious excitement that passed through me at his touch was a foreign enigma. His eyes pierced me as both of our breaths spiked and fire burned from his hands to my skin as a connection not like anything I had ever heard of before danced between us.

He pulled me close, and I would have objected and gotten out of his sudden embrace, but I heard a soft, content sigh pass through his mouth. It shocked me momentarily, but I relaxed in his arms as we danced slowly together. I had never felt so… Complete.

Seconds… Minutes… Days could've passed as the perception of time faded away as we were wrapped in one another's arms. However long it was, I pulled away from his embrace at the end of the song. My heart was racing as our eyes connected. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. And those eyes… They continued to pierce my own as if my eyes held something he was desperately searching for inside me.

It was too much. Too much emotion, too much connection, too much fire. I couldn't control the racing emotions flowing through me. The depth of everything completely unsettled me as I felt him peering into the deepest parts of my soul. I didn't even know his name.

I took a deep breath and took an unsteady step back away from him.

I refused to believe that it was just me. This couldn't have just been me overanalyzing this connection between us; he had to have felt it too. And by the flash of hurt that crossed those now narrowed stunningly beautiful eyes, I knew he wasn't unaffected either despite his inebriation.

"Isabella! Hey! We've been looking for you! Are you ready to go?" Alice and her cheery countenance was what I needed to pull me out of my emerald-induced haze as she appeared by my side.

I gazed at those emeralds full of emotion as I replied, "Yeah, I'm ready to go."

Alice glanced between us as I finally broke our connection and walked away from Emerald Eyes. Every step that my feet took me away from him made my heart grow louder in my ears. When I blinked, the brief moments my eyes closed, emeralds were imprinted in the back of my eyelids, haunting me.

By the time we made it back to Angela's Prius, I was borderline hyperventilating, my breath came in short gasps as I tried to hide it from Alice and Angela, who were chatting amiably in the front seats. I found the strength to pull myself back together in the car ride back to the dorm and forget the connection I felt with Emerald Eyes. So when I said goodnight to Alice later in the hall of the fourth floor, it was with genuine gratitude that I thanked her for inviting us. And a little while after that, when I listened to Angela ramble about how cute Brad was, it was with complete sincerity that I finally expressed my exhaustion, but told her I wanted to hear more about it later.

It wasn't until I was back in crisp sheets, freshly showered, that I allowed my mind to drift back to Emerald Eyes, and the connection we had shared. The way he held me so close as we danced, and the feeling of absolute comfort and peace I felt in his arms that I had never experienced before. In the world I came from, it was all about whom you knew, where they came from, and what they could do for you. And here I was, finding more comfort and connection from a stranger's embrace, whose name I didn't even know, than I had my entire life in the world I'd known. Even the kindness and camaraderie that Alice and Angela had shown me was more selfless and genuine than any other friendship I'd experienced.

As I closed my eyes, and in the brief moment before sleep overcame me, I finally started believing that maybe I had made the right decision in coming here. Maybe this was exactly what I needed to find out who I was.

Chapter Title Songs:

Prologue- The Antlers (Gave ya a hint on that one with Kettering.)

Angel Eyes- Frank Sinatra

Thanks for reading!

Chance33