Chapter One
Edward sighed as he slipped through the electronic doors of the local package store. His head hurt and his body was aching for some nicotine. He approached the counter with an involuntary scowl and asked for a pack of Reds and a lighter.
"Would you like anything else?" The cashier said in an uninterested tone.
Edward grunted negative and handed her a wrinkled twenty from his titanium money clip. She rang him up quickly, her hand shaking as she handed him his change. Her eyes went wide as she glanced at the door. Edward followed her gaze and hid his eye-roll at the burly man that walked through the entrance.
The fucker was huge, bald and covered in tattoos. Edward couldn't tell if he was constipated or just angry, but either way Edward didn't want to find out. He didn't need another tick against him. Third try is not the charm.
So he grabbed his change from the girl and shoved it into his wool coat pocket without organizing it. For a split second he considered taking it out to do so, but thought better of it. His random OCD tendencies were getting to be a bit much. It was just money.
He sidestepped around the man and hurried out of the store. The cellophane wrapped around the box was a quick peel and pull off the box. He flipped it upside-down and hit the top against the rough skin of his palm a few times for good measure before slipping out a Bog and sticking it between his chapped lips.
Edward inhaled slowly, savoring the moment. It was probably the highlight of his day, the first drag he took from a cigarette was practically a religious fucking experience.
His combat boots clamped heavily against the concrete beneath them. The tips were worn enough to see a sliver of the steel toe on each, the laces frayed at the ends and the innersole was replaced twice. But they had sentimental value to Edward.
They were a symbol of his independence, his strength and reminded him of her.
He physically cringed at the memory trying to seep through his mental walls, accidentally offending the woman walking past him on the sidewalk. There were moments when Edward thought he could handle it, the memories, but some nights the terrors started. His imagination was founded on the memories, making the nightmares seem so real.
But they weren't.
Edward told himself that five times every morning. The memories were real, the nightmares are not, the repetition helped him retain what was left of his sanity.
"Excuse me." A woman whispered as she brushed past him.
Edward back tracked and lost his footing, accidentally reaching for the woman to help right him. His teeth held his cigarette in place as he slowly fell onto the sidewalk. His hip absorbed most of the fall, causing pain to radiate through his bones.
The woman whimpered next to him, clutching her hand tightly to her chest.
"Fuck, are you alright?" He asked around his cigarette as he tried to stand up.
The woman nodded not meeting his gaze. "Nothing I haven't been through before."
The soft tones of the woman's voice tugged slightly on his heart, resonating deep inside him. She seemed familiar, something about her posture, her voice and her size but he couldn't place it.
"At least let me walk you to the clinic? I don't want you to walk by yourself without a hand." He offered with a hopeful smile.
The woman audibly swallowed but nodded. She accepted the hand he extended towards her, allowing him to pull her standing.
"I'm sorry you fell." Edward said as he exhaled. The smoke mixed with the steam his words created, twining together as they rose towards the street lights. "I'm usually much more observant."
The woman, still not meeting his eyes, smiled slightly. "It's a daily occurrence for me. Please, don't worry."
Edward nodded and slowed his stride as the woman started to walk, staying a step or two behind her. His long legs posed a problem, propelling him much faster than her. They walked on in silence, Edward stealing glances at the woman who was obviously trying her hardest to avoid his eyes.
He could feel the reason for her familiarity on the tip of his tongue, but still couldn't place her.
"I'm Edward." He said awkwardly, passing his fingers through his hair.
She didn't answer, instead stopped in front of a renovated factory building.
"I thought we were going to the clinic?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.
The woman shook her head, causing her dark hair to further hide her face. "That won't be necessary. But thank you for the offer."
Edward didn't want the woman to go home with an injury that he caused. "Can I do something for you? I don't want to give you the impression I normally plow into women."
Edward cringed at his wording, his cheeks involuntarily blushing.
"It was an accident," she said as she unlocked the main door. "You didn't give me a bad impression. I'll be alright. My husband will take care of my arm."
Edward felt like he was hit by a truck at the revelation. For some odd reason, the word "husband" falling from her lips was like an uppercut to the jaw. It fucking hurt.
"Oh, I-I didn't mean to overstep." He said, slowly backing away.
The woman shook her head again. "It's quite alright." She said in a quiet voice. "Goodnight Edward." She said quickly before slipping inside.
His entire body went rigid when she said his name. It was her.
It was his Bella.
