Chapter 1

Two Different Sides

September 12, 2010 – 9:30am

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I woke up to the sound of my annoying alarm clock as I rolled over on my side and looked up at my alarm clock and read the time that glowed in the dimming light of my bedroom.

9:30am

"Shit!" I'm late again.

I quickly jumped out of bed and opened the blinds of my apartment window. I went straight to my closet and grabbed the first pair of pants and sweater I saw. As I was pathetically hopping up and down around my room just trying to get my pants on, I managed to remake my bed at the same time.

Talk about muti-tasking.

Once I was all dressed I quickly ran a brush through my hair and some mint toothpaste in my mouth. I threw on my coat, grabbed my laptop bag and briefcase then quickly ran out of my apartment locking the door behind me.

I jabbed the elevator button, at least five times, impatiently until it would open. When it did I got in and pressed the Main Floor button then the Close Doors Button.

After about 30 seconds the doors opened again and I ran out into the lobby of the apartment building.

"Late again I see, Edward?" Jasper said as he was grabbing his mail from his mailbox, wearing his pajamas and some slippers.

Jasper was one of my best friends and my neighbor. We've know each other since we were in college studying for business and writing. I also studied for Music & Arts but that career path for me wasn't really working. Music was my passion, but I felt that something like that wouldn't really support me financially so I became a writer who wrote article reviews for a living. I have to admit I really hated the job and it was the most stressful job in the world, but it helped pay my bills and that's what I need more.

Jasper owned his own coffee shop downtown called Hales Caféand I must say the man was much better at making a living than I was at the moment. He was also dating my little sister at the moment, Alice. She was definitely a small little thing, but completely a pain in the butt sometimes, but I loved her. Jasper was soon moving in with Alice at her place in a few weeks so soon it was just going to be me at my apartment.

As for myself well my name is Edward Cullen and I'm a single 22 year old who lives in an apartment complex, alone, in New York City and has no dating history at all. I have short, wavy bronze hair and bright green eyes, along with the usual pale ivory skin.

Pathetic, I know.

"Not now, Jasper!" I hollered as I walked out the front door.

I heard him laugh before closing the door behind me.

10:02 am

After taking a long taxi ride, since I left my keys in my apartment and was late already as it was, I stepped into the busy office that I call…Work.

Phone lines were buzzing here and there, along with people running up and down the aisles between people's office desks, and the sound of the copying machine getting jammed, for the billionth time.

This is what waits for me everyday of every week.

I made my way up to my office desk that was somewhere in the crowd of all the other small enclosed desks in this huge building.

I finally sat down at my desk and quickly turned on my computer and my laptop next to it.

"Dude, you're late again. I hope you realized that if you miss tomorrow's meeting the boss is not going to be happy." Emmett suddenly said as he came up next to my desk with a Starbucks coffee in his hand.

Emmett was another best friend of mine, we became buddies somewhere after my second week I started working here. Emmett was 24 so he's been working here much longer than I was. He does the public interviews around here, and I'm the one who has to write reviews on them as well as articles. He's a little taller than I am and has dark haired buzz cut with blue eyes. He was buff and I mean really buff, you could mistake him for a professional wrestler sometimes.

"I know, I know. But I'll defiantly be there tomorrow." I said as I waited for my laptop to load.

"What were you doing last night anyways? Were you with a girl?" he asked as he eyed me suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes.

"Dude, no way! Give me the details!" He exclaimed with a cocky grin on his face.

"I wasn't out with a girl." I huffed.

He sighed, "Dude you really need to get out more. What do you normally do after work?"

"Pretty much the same thing I do at work. I write my reviews all night and sometimes find time to hang out with Jasper in between my work, and then I go to bed when I'm done." I said simply, not finding this topic very interesting at the moment.

"There's you're problem. Take some time to stop somewhere public instead of hanging with jasper in your apartment all the time." Emmett said as he took a sip of his coffee.

I watched as my computer finally loaded and opened up the last article review I wrote about a new movie that was released last week and clicked print.

I leaned back in my chair and looked up at Emmett and said, "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. I don't see you with a girlfriend."

"At least I've dated girls." He argued back.

I got up from my chair and grabbed my printed review off of the printer then walked to the meeting room, with Emmett following close beside me.

"You know what you need, advice from an expert," Emmett said with an obnoxious grin.

Oh god, I thought to myself rolling my eyes again.

"Watch and learn," Emmett said as he stride away into the meeting room.

I followed him in and grabbed myself a cup of water. I leaned back against the wall, and watched as Emmett prepared to make a move on one of the secretaries.

"Hey, ladies," Emmett said in his 'attractive' voice.

Both girls turned around and smiled, "Hey, Emmett." They giggled. Emmett was always the so called 'ladies man' in the office.

Emmett leaned back against the water fountain and smiled at the girls, but before he was able to say anything he accidentally leaned against the knob on the water fountain and water sprayed all over the back of his head.

I almost died right then and there. The girls giggled and walked away together while Emmett tried to turn off the water fountain as I walked passed him.

"Smooth Emmett, smooth," I said as I patted him on the back and walked off back to my desk.

"Shut up!" he exclaimed.

I laughed.

"Here, I thought you could use a write up of the interview I did last week. You know make it a little easier for you." Emmett said as he pulled out a folder from his mailbox and caught up with me.

"Thanks man."

"No problem, dude."

3:15pm - Bella's POV

I finally walked in the door of my apartment after a long day of booking dress fittings at the store. But I'm starting a new design now that needs to be finished by next week.

"Mommy!" Lilly squealed as she ran up to me with arms wide open.

"Hey, Sweetie," I said as I bent down to her level and embraced her into a big hug.

Lilly is my 3 year old daughter, she has blonde, shoulder length curly hair, brown eyes, she got that from me, and reaches just above my knee. I had her when I was 18 years old with my ex-boyfriend, Kevin. I say ex because about a month after Lilly was born Kevin started abusing me. He was put into jail then me and Lilly moved her in New York City from New Hampshire. Lilly is the most important thing to me now; if I didn't have her I would have totally regretted it.

My name is Bella Swan, I'm 21 years old now and I have brown wavy hair with brown eyes. I design wedding gowns and own my own shop called Bella's Bridal Boutique where I also sell them and book appointments with customers for fittings.

I kissed the top of Lilly's head as we held our embrace then pulled away and smiled at her when I saw my beautiful little girl smiling back at me with wide eyes.

"Did you behave for Aunt Rose while I was gone?" I asked her.

"Yup" She said in her cute little voice as she made a pop sound at the end.

Rose was my best friend but she we were so close that she's more like an aunt to Lilly ever since she was born. Rose and I have been best friends since Middle School and she's 1 year older than I am. She also helps me out with the store whenever I'm not working and staying home watching Lilly instead.

Rose came from the living room as I hung up my coat and purse on the coat rack near the door. I looked at her as if to make sure Lilly behaved.

"She was no trouble at all," Rose assured me as she smiled down at Lilly.

I kicked off my shoes and picked up Lilly as I placed her on the side of my hip and walked to the living room then sat down on the couch with her on my lap.

"What did you girls do while I was gone?" I asked her.

"We watched Pooh and colored, See!" she exclaimed as she showed me her pink and blue fingers.

"Oh my goodness look at you, you're a walking crayon!" I said to her as I held my hands up to my cheeks acting surprised.

She giggled.

"Go clean up while I talk to Aunt Rose, okay?" I chuckled as I set her down on the floor and gave her butt a little pat, telling her to go.

"Okay," She said as she scurried off.

I looked over at Rose who was sitting across the couch and smiled, "Thanks for watching her. I'm sorry you had to give up your Friday for her, but I really had to go back to work today." I said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I love watching Lilly, she so much like you." Rose said as she moved to sit down next me.

"We'll I'll be staying with her the next three days since I need to take some time to design a few dresses." I said as I ran a hand through my hair.

"Ooo, whatcha' got now?" Rose squealed. She always loved to see my new designs for new customers.

"We'll a have a ball gown to design with a single shoulder, and a strapless mermaid gown." I said.

"Oh, I want to see the mermaid one when you're done!" she said.

I laughed, "When are you going to get married? You're the one who I want to design a wedding dress for the most." I said as I got up and walked down the hall to the kitchen.

Rose followed me and jumped on the counter, as usual, "I don't know, I don't have a boyfriend." She retorted crossing her arms.

I pulled out a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a sip of it. "You should get one." I said simply with a shrug.

"We'll excuse me, but look who's talking miss single pants." She said annoyed. I knew she was just pretending, but still it was always funny when she would act like this.

I never cared for dating anymore ever since what had happened with Kevin three years ago. Not only did I leave him because he abused me, but mainly because it was for Lilly's safety. I don't know how I could survive if anything ever happened to her. I would be torn.

"I'm not looking to date anyone," I said finally answering Rose.

"You should. Anyways, I have an appointment in a few hours so I got to get going." Rose said jumping down from the counter.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow right?" I asked as we walked to the front door.

"Yep," She said pausing at the door.

"Mommy?" Lilly suddenly called from somewhere.

"Over here!" I called back to her. She came running up to me and stopped right by my leg.

"Are you going Bye-bye?" Lilly asked looking up at Rose

Rose bent down to her level after she pulled her coat on and nodded with a half smile, "I'll see you soon though, okay?"

Lilly nodded with a small little smile as Rose kissed her cheek. "Bye," Lilly said.

Rose left after we said our goodbye's, then it was just the two of us. Lilly and I were now sitting on the couch as she told me every little thing that happened since I left for work this morning.

"Would you like to do anything before we have dinner?" I asked her as I brushed her hair back into her curls instead of her ponytail.

"Can we go to the Park?" she asked in her cute little voice as she tilted her head back all the way to look at me with a smile.

The only park I take her to is Central Park since it's only a ten minute walk from our apartment.

"Sure," I said as I kissed her nose and she giggled.