EPOV
"Go to sleep, Carley." I said sternly.
"But I want Oreos, Daddy." she was still stuck on her demand. God! My four year old daughter was as stubborn as her father.
"I told you that I'll bring them tomorrow, right? Now close your eyes and try to sleep."
"No." she folded her arms across her chest and pouted, "I want Oreos. Now."
"It's too late, sweetie. I promise I'll bring them tomorrow, right? Daddy is really silly that he forgot to bring them today, isn't he?" I smiled.
"But I want them now. Bella has them." She said.
Bella.
My heart skipped a beat as I heard that name.
Grow up, Dude! I slapped myself mentally, She's not the only Bella in this world.
"Who's Bella?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Bella?" she beamed, "She is our new neighbor. When Susan and I were playing today…"
"Is she Susan' friend?" I asked. Susan was her caretaker.
"No. " she shook her head, "Bella stays in that home which is always closed."
What?
What does that even mean?
Oh okay… Then I realized that this Bella must be our neighbor. She must be the new tenant of our adjacent flat.
"Bella gave me Oreos today." Carley was still going on, "I told her that I like Oreos. She said she likes them, too. She told me that I can go to her house at any time if I want Oreos. I like her."
"So, you want to meet her, that's why you want Oreos now?" I chuckled.
"No." she said as if she got caught.
"Now go to sleep." I chuckled.
"But daddy..." she got up and sat on my stomach, "I told her that when Daddy will come, we'll go and meet her. Please…"
"Carley…" I sighed, "It's too late, baby. We will meet her tomorrow."
"No." she pouted, "Please… Let's go and meet her." She leaned forward and kissed my cheeks.
"Go to sleep." I said sternly.
"No… Please…"
I sighed, and said, "Okay."
"Yesss." She jumped with a joy. "I love you, Daddy."
God, when would I learn to say a 'No' to her? Probably not going to happen in this life!
I took her in my arms and rang the bell of our adjacent flat. I hoped this Bella and her family or whoever was staying in the house weren't going to be annoyed.
Before I could think further, the door got opened and I dropped my jaw. I couldn't believe my eyes.
"Bella?" I whispered.
"Edward?" she said at the same time. I was sure that her expressions were mirroring mine.
"Bella…" Carley smiled at her.
"Carley?" Bella's eyes shifted to her and immediately moved back to me. "Carley?" she repeated again.
"This is my Daddy, Bella." Carley grinned at her.
"Hmmm? Yeah…" Bella roamed her hand through her hair.
"I wanted Oreos… I told daddy that Bella has them." Carley smiled.
"Baby, may be we should go home." I tried to keep my voice even.
"Why?" her expressions changed suddenly.
"No, may be… Hmmm… You should come inside." Bella said. "Come…" she looked at me.
I went inside and noticed that she was alone in the house. We stayed there for few minutes, but Carley was the only one who was talking. Probably, Bella and I were too shocked to say anything.
I couldn't sleep at all that night. It was unbelievable that Bella and I would become neighbors in Florida!
It was surreal.
I couldn't help but wander my mind wander over the past three years.
"Edward… Let me go…" Bella moaned. "Mmmm… Stop."
"Not gonna happen." I said as I kissed her neck. "We're not going to leave this bed today…" I grinned as I looked in her eyes, "Happy first wedding anniversary, Mrs Cullen."
"Mmmm… " she grinned. "I guess you're right. We shouldn't leave this bed for today."
"Good." I smiled as I began kissing her. That's when my phone began to ring, which made me groan.
"Edward… Attend the call, at least." Bella giggled.
"Whoever is calling me… He can go to hell… I don't give a damn." I groaned.
"Edward!" Bella giggled.
That call had changed everything. Nothing was same again.
My younger brother Jasper Cullen and his wife Alice Cullen had lost their lives in the accident on that day.
I would never forget his last words to me, "Take care of Carley. Treat her as your own daughter."
On that day, when I had taken one year old Carley Marie Cullen in my arms, I had decided that I would give her every happiness in the world. I would never give her a chance to miss her parents.
And I knew I would be successful in this, because Bella was by my side.
How wrong I was!
"I can't do this anymore, Edward… I can't handle my job and Carley…That's why I had told you that I don't want to have a kid before I get thirty… And this… " she paused, "May be we should find some other option… We should…"
"Bella…" I put my hand on her shoulder, "I know, this is very difficult for us… But we can do it. I had promised Jasper that I won't leave Carley alone. I can't think about giving her responsibility to someone else… Not even to my parents." I sighed, "Please, baby… We can do it."
Bella had agreed on that day, but it didn't take much time to part ways. Probably, neither of us wanted the divorce, but both of us were too stubborn to give in.
I sighed. It was too painful for me to remember all this. I wondered if Bella was in relationship with someone or… I had tried to date few time during three years, but no one was Bella. I felt like nobody could ever get the place in my heart which was reserved only for Bella.
If only Bella would had understood my feelings...
Anyway, it didn't matter now. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
Two days later, someone knocked on my door. That was Bella.
"Hey Carley… Few Oreos for you." She smiled at Carley.
We kept talking till 3 am on that night. I had missed talking to her, and she said she had felt the same. It wasn't too surprising because we were best friends first, before we had turned into a married couple.
"So… you have any girlfriend?" she asked.
"Nope. I'm single." I gave a terse reply.
"Ohhh…" she said.
"You?" I asked.
"Hmmm?"
"Any boyfriend?" I asked.
"No… No… I'm single." She replied.
"Hmmm…" I said.
I didn't know why were we asking such questions to each other. It's not like it was going to change anything.
We had begun spending time together after that day. Occasionally, she would come at our house for the dinner or breakfast. Sometimes, we would go to her place.
Even though I was enjoying her company, I couldn't avoid my fears. Carley had begun to get attached to Bella, and I, too, had begun to feel like only Bella could fill the place she had left in my heart. But I knew that too, that probably Bella didn't feel the same. Probably, her feelings were the same as before three years.
I was glad, that I turned out to be wrong.
Again!
On one Saturday evening, I was watching the television, when someone had knocked my door. Carley was going to spend the weekend with my parents.
"Bella? Hi…" I welcomed her.
"Hey…You handsome beast…" she chuckled as she hugged me.
Damn! She was drunk, and I knew it too well how she could handle the alcohol.
"Bella…" I said as I made her sit on the couch properly. God, she couldn't even walk properly.
"I want to sit on your lap…" she giggled.
Fuck!
"Come with me… I will take you to your home…" I said.
"No… I wanna stay with you…" she pouted. "Come… Sit…"
I giggled. She acted too funny when she's drunk.
"I love Carley…" she said out of blue. "I wish I had understood that earlier." she said.
I didn't say anything.
"And I love you,too."
"Mmm… what?" I dropped my jaw.
"Do you still love me?" Tears began to appear in her eyes.
"Bella… Let me take you to your home…" I said.
"I am sorry… I am sorry… Please… I was so stupid…" Tears were falling down her cheeks now. "Can you give me a chance to be in your life again? Can you give me a chance to be Carley's mother?"
"Bella…"
"Do you still love me?"
"Bella…"
"Edward, I…" she said and dropped her head on my shoulder. I thanked God that she had drifted off to sleep finally.
I took her in my arms, and went to my room. I put her on my bed and smiled as I noticed her.
May be, we could do this.
May be, we could get back together.
May be, we could get married again.
Carley would be so happy.
I decided that I would talk to her tomorrow. I knew we had a lot of matters to discuss, but I didn't know why, but I felt like my heart was filled with positivity and happiness.
"I love you,too." I said as I placed a kiss on her forehead.