AN: Merry Christmas to all my reviewers, followers, and favoriters - and especially to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for her beta skills for the last six months and MissLiss15 for agreeing to pre-read for me.
This was supposed to be an entry for the NYE Contest but I just couldn't shave the wordcount down enough to fit the criteria - by over 7K more!
So, instead I'm going to post a chapter a day from Christmas day to New Year's Day.
It's completely written, just a few chapters left to be beta'd by the fantastic MeteorOnAMoonlessNight, who gave me some of her time despite being busy with her own Christmas preparations.
My thanks also to Isabella Darling for use of her beautiful manip, which she allowed me to use and to Lizzie Paige for adding words, snow and fireworks.
Let me know what you think and enjoy my Christmas offering.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I just want to borrow her characters.
Last Chances
Bella
It was three days before New Year's Eve, and somehow I knew that something was different about tonight, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I knew Riley had arranged the most spectacular of dates; it started with dinner at the Ritz, followed by tickets for a show I'd always wanted to see, Les Miserables. Despite my misgivings, I was sure the evening would be great.
~oOo~
I'd come a long way since arriving here in England. Looking back, I realized that eight years ago I'd been a naive girl who'd had the absolute good fortune to win a scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools. When I applied to the University of Cambridge on a whim, I never thought I'd get in, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity when it was offered, no matter what it cost me. I often wondered what would have been if I'd turned it down.
My thoughts continued on down memory lane as Riley wined and dined me at the Ritz, one of the most expensive restaurants in London. I'd been heartbroken, but still enjoyed my classes, and remembered how he and I had bumped into each other before my first class of the semester. My papers and books had spilled out of my bag, spreading across the ground, and he had laughingly helped me pick them up.
Riley had later laughed and confessed that he'd sneaked a look at my schedule that first day and made sure that he was outside as many of my classes as possible both before they started and when they ended; almost stalking me. We were studying many of the same subjects. Our majors were the same, but he was in his second year.
He seemed to know that I wasn't ready for romance or even dating, and patiently waited for me to catch up with him. It took me just over a year before I allowed him to kiss me, and bit by bit he drew me into his circle of friends and his family. I looked back on those years fondly. Riley had been my constant companion and then trusted lover, and time had been kind to both of us; we had good jobs, great friends, and a fantastic social life.
I'd only been back home to Washington a few times in the three years I'd spent at university, inviting Riley to come with me both times. My parents had made the trip here once or twice, too, and had gotten to know him a little better and like him well enough.
I'd kept in touch with my family, and sporadically, a few close friends. However, I hadn't spoken a word to him since the day I left. Nor had I asked questions, avoiding social media for the most part so I wouldn't be reminded of the boy I once loved.
Graduating the year before me, Riley immediately stepped into a senior position at his family's publishing house in London―with a six figure salary. Our relationship had survived the short distance and when I'd graduated the following year he found a role for me, despite my protests that I was capable of getting a job for myself. I wasn't even sure, at the time, whether or not I wanted to stay in England. He'd wanted me to move in with him then, but I'd managed to convince him that I wanted to have my own place for a while; sort of an independence thing. He wasn't too happy about it, but he could hardly force me to move in.
Riley had persuaded me that it would be a good first move and that I could use it to gain some experience. If I wanted to move on in a while, he would be fine with that. For a few years I absolutely loved it; learning from my colleagues and eventually moving up the ranks until I was Chief Editor. Four years later I was still there, still prevaricating and keeping him at slightly arm's length at least from my heart, although recently he'd begun to pressure me again to share his apartment.
So far I had managed to brush off talks of moving in with him with discussions about where I wanted my career to go, finding it easier to bury my head in the sand on both subjects. While we'd both been in school, it was relatively easy to make the excuse that it was too soon or we were too busy, but now it was becoming a really contentious issue.
Riley's hand sliding into mine brought me back to the present as he helped me on with my coat. Kissing me lighty, he wound my scarf around my neck and helped me on with my gloves before we stepped out into the light rain. Immediately, he hailed a cab, quietly telling the driver to head for the London Eye, where I discovered that he'd hired a carriage for just the two of us. My heart beat faster in my chest and my breathing got quicker and shallower, and I had to consciously slow it down to prevent myself from hyperventilating.
Strangely enough, even though I was expecting it, when he got down on one knee my heart sank. I knew that he loved me and I suppose I did love him; well, as much as I could when a part of my heart would always belong to another.
The silence grew as he remained on one knee before me, waiting for my answer. The huge smile on his face faded the longer I took with my non-answer. There were things he didn't know, things that I'd not deliberately kept from him, but nevertheless, I'd not been totally honest with him.
Eventually, I found my voice. "Riley," I said softly. "I'm sorry. Please, you have to give me some time. I do love you."
"I can hear the 'but' at the end of that sentence, Bella. How much time, Bella, how much time do you need to know whether you want to marry me or not?" His voice turned hoarse with hurt, breaking a little at the end of the sentence. I was just glad that the carriage we were in was empty, saving him from embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Riley. There's something I need to do; have to do, before I can give you an answer." As the carriage reached the exit point and the doors slid open, I slipped between them, turning for a second. "I … I'll … call you as soon as I can, okay?" I knew it wasn't okay, but there was nothing else I could say to change the fact that I was unable to answer him with a question still in my heart. I spun on my heel, hurrying away and flagging a passing black cab.
~oOo~
** Last Chances **