Here's the sequel to my two-shot, Lips of an Angel. I know it's short, but this is just the prologue. I own nothing but Bella and kind of Prue.
And the title is inspired from the song 'What Hurts the Most' by Rascal Flatts.
(Formerly Love Moves in Mysterious Ways)
When Bella said she'd wait forever, she thought she'd only have to wait six months, a year tops.
She didn't think it would take over five years.
Bella knew she hurt Wyatt. More than you know. But Wyatt was strong, and he loved her, so she thought he would get over it quickly, for her own happiness. Wyatt had always been the selfless type. In hindsight, she supposes she may have a been naive to think that; a little egotistical. So she let it slide after a year had passed.
But then another went by.
And then three more.
During those five years, Bella had cut off all contact with the Halliwells, with the exception of her best friend, Prue.
And it had been painful.
The Halliwells had been her second family, and when her parents were killed right before she started college, Piper and Leo had taken over the role of her parental units.
It killed her to have to stay away from the only family she had left.
Piper and Leo had tried contacting her, to persuade her that she didn't have to do this, that they didn't blame her, that they weren't angry. But Bella remained adamant in her plan. She had to stay away from the whole family, or it would just hurt Wyatt, Chris, and her more.
Prue was the only exception, the only link she had to the Halliwells during the 'Lonely Years.' Prue was the only thing that kept her sane; she was her rock. If she had to lose Prue, too, who knows what would have happened to her.
So through Prue, Bella had been kept updated on the Halliwell's eventful lives. Prue was the one who told her about Henry Jr's engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Ashley Hayes; about Phoebe and Coop's big blowout which almost resulted in a seperation; about Paige and Henry's 25th anniversary party; about Piper and Leo's time travel trip to the past; and about every single demon attack and injury.
But both stayed away from the subject of Wyatt or Chris. Prue knew it was still a sore subject with her best friend, even after all of those years, and Bella was just scared. Every couple of months, however, Bella would take the risk and ask if Chris had asked her to pass on any messages.
The answer was always no.
The last time she had contacted Chris was the day after the Wedding. She told Prue to tell him that whenever he and Wyatt were ready, he knew where to find her.
And more than five years later, she still hadn't heard from him.
The first year wasn't as hard as she thought it would have been. She knew that she was at fault and accepted her punishment with grace and diginity.
But the second year was probably the hardest of them all. Not knowing whether or not Chris even still wanted her... she hadn't thought it would take longer than a year. So for most of the second year, Bella spent her free time pining over Chris. Some days, she just got so depressed she wouldn't bother getting out of bed until Prue came over and dragged her out of bed and forced her to maintain some kind of a life. At least her job as a nurse at the Bay Area Hospital kept her busy most of the time... too busy to even spare a thought to Chris.
After that rough year, however, things got easier, bit by bit. When Prue almost died in a car accident (no demons involved), it was like a wake-up call for Bella. Life was short; she shouldn't waste her time waiting on something she wasn't even sure would come anymore.
So day by day, she regained the regularity of her life from before the Lonely Years. She threw herself into her work and spending time with her friends. She was just a normal, happy twenty-eight year woman living her life.
But then five years, three months, two weeks, and four days after the Wedding, Christopher Perry Halliwell showed up at Bella's doorstep and threw her life into complete and utter turmoil... again.