A/N: Hello again! I'm really hoping for some feedback on this story, unlike 3,000 Miles. I won't be able to update very often because my laptop is still broken, but I will update every chance I get, I promise:)
CHAPTER ONE
"In dreams and in love, there are no impossibilities."
-Janos Arnay
BPOV
"Bella," my best friend, Alice, whined. "Will you please stop complaining?"
"No!" I snapped back. I had all the reasons to complain. I was shopping for a dress, Alice made me wear heels, and worst of all, I was being forced to go on a blind date with Alice's cousin. I didn't even know his name.
"Let's just try one more stop, then we can eat lunch. Alright?" she jutted her bottom lip out, widening her light brown eyes, begging. I sighed, knowing I could never say no to her for whatever reason.
"Let's go," I said, defeated. She squealed, grabbed my hand, and dragged me into a store with way too much pink for my liking.
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Sixteen dresses later, I narrowed my choices down to two dresses-an apple green spaghetti-strapped bubble dress that came to a few inches above my knees, and a midnight blue pleated knit dress with jewel details that stopped just above my knees.
After several minutes of contemplating between the two outfits, Alice vetoed the green one, saying I looked too much like a lime. What are friends for, right?
I took my purchases to the bored-looking teenaged cashier, wincing as she told me the price. I slapped a hundred dollar bill on the, of course, pink counter, received my little change, and instantly regretted paying so much for a dress I would wear one time.
"Why on earth did I spend a third of my paycheck on a stupid dress I will never wear again after tonight?" I grumbled, not caring at all if it annoyed Alice.
"There you go again with the complaining!" Alice rolled her eyes. "You spent money on that dress, Bella, because believe it or not, you are a girl. And girls do wear pretty dresses. And girls look nice on dates! Especially when they're going on a date with their best friend's hunky cousin," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Alice…."I said, disgusted.
"What? He's cute! Go get us a table and I'll order you something. Veggie burger, right?" I nodded as she turned and headed toward the counter to order. I was just beginning to space out when I heard the annoying voice I had dread hearing all throughout high school.
"Bella, Bella Swan?" Jessica Stanley said in a questioning tone.
"Hey, Jessica."
"Like, oh my gosh!" she gushed with enthusiasm. I wanted to puke. "I totally haven't seen you since senior year! What was that, nine years ago?"
"Yep," I answered, not returning the enthusiasm. She was still oblivious to my painstakingly obvious annoyance, because she plopped herself in the plastic chair next to mine, dropping her shopping bags and making herself comfortable.
"What did you do after high school? You never replied to my emails!"
"I went to college and studied law. I'm a divorce lawyer now," I searched the crowded food court for Alice, desperately wanting to get out of this meaningless conversation as soon as I could.
"Divorce lawyer, huh? Wow, that's different. Are you still dating Jake?" His name was enough for a grimace to appear on my face and the familiar stinging to return to my eyes.
"No, we…broke up a few months ago."
"After eight years? Gee, that's terrible," she blabbered with no sincerity in her voice whatsoever.
"Yeah. Awful." I replied rudely, hoping she would take it as a cue to shut the hell with and leave. However, she just kept babbling.
"Well, Mike and I got married like, a year after high school. That didn't last very long!" she chuckled, even though there was nothing remotely funny about what she had just said.
"Alice!" I squealed as I saw the tiny, pale pixie walking toward us, tray in hand. I had never been so happy to see her in my life. "Excuse us, Jessica, we have a lot to discuss," I dismissed her curtly.
Again, she just couldn't take a hint. "Nice seeing you!" she waved goodbye enthusiastically, grabbing her bags and smiling at Alice. She returned the smile with a glare.
"Was that…"
"Jessica Stanley," I finished her sentence once Jessica was out of hearing range.
"With a fake Prada bag, too. I see she hasn't changed much since high school." Alice added, making me laugh. Only she would notice that. She handed me my food and made small talk as we ate. "So…are you excited about your date tomorrow?"
"Did you seriously just ask that question Alice? Of course I'm not excited!" I retorted. Why would I be excited about going to dinner with some guy I didn't even know?
"Tell me Bella, best friend of mine, why do resent the opposite gender so very much?" she batted her eyelashes at me.
"You know why…" I mumbled almost incoherently, suddenly becoming intrigued by the raised patterns on the red plastic trays.
"Bella, not all men are like Jake."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I have Jasper."
As soon as his name left her lips, a smile spread across her face, lighting it up noticeably. "Just forget about him, Bells."
She was absolutely right, I knew that much. But it was easier said than done.
I had to forget about Jacob. He hurt me, and he didn't deserve to be on my mind at all times. But somehow, he was. I loved him. And even though most of me hated how he treated me for all those years, hated how no matter how long we were together, he would never fully commit, hated how he manipulated me. Most of all, I hated how he cheated on me for a majority of our relationship.
But one part, one teeny tiny part of me yearned for his humor and compliments. Part of me still loved him unconditionally.
It could take five minutes to like someone, a day to fall in love with someone, but, unfortunately for me, it usually takes an entire lifetime to forgive someone.
A/N-So…how was it? Reviews make me so happy, SO REVIEW! Oh yeah, did anyone else see how freaking GORGEOUS Rob Pattinson looked at the MTV Movie Awards? ;)
-Kristin
