BPOV

This was NOT happening. It couldn't really be him; he lived on the other side of the world. He moved. He left me. He left me 7 years ago. 7 years, 3 months and 6 days ago to be exact. It has to be him, just look at that hair. It's the exact same shade of bronze that it was 2654 days ago. He's supposed to be in Italy. Why is he in Seattle? He told me he was never coming back.

Maybe he won't even recognize me. It was 7 years ago, he probably doesn't remember me. I bet if you asked him the name of his first love, he would say the name of some Italian girl. He's probably married to an Italian model with whom he has beautiful, bronze haired children. I was not his first love. I was just his high school girlfriend; it meant nothing.

"Bella Swan?" called a name from the other side of the room. I thought I recognized the voice, but it figured it was just the doctor or nurse that would be putting up with me today.

I looked up to see where the voice was coming from. The world definitely hates me. It was a doctor, but of course, it was the doctor that I was hoping I would never see again. I tried to stand up, but I had to immediately sit back down. I was going to be sick. The only thing going through my mind at that moment was that stupid song. The song that I listened to non stop for three months after he left. It had four thousand, six hundred and thirty seven plays by the end of that year. I wasn't going to let myself sing those words in my head. I'm falling apart; I'm barely breathing; with a broken heart that's still beating. Oh god, I can't breathe. Breathe, Bella. I have to get myself under control. I am not allowing myself to cry in public, and that is what will happen if I keep thinking of that song. Remember why Alice told you not listen to that song.

--Flashback—

"Stop listening to that stupid song, Bella! It's just going to make you more upset. He left me too, you know. He is my brother and he left without a single word. At least he had the decency to say goodbye to you."

I could see the tears in Alice's eyes as she yelled at me. Alice never cried.

"He didn't say goodbye, Alice. He never told me he was leaving. We had plans to go to the movies and he just never showed up. I called him after an hour of waiting and asked him where he was. You wanna know what he told me?" I took a deep breath and tried to hold back the tears I could feel threatening to fall.

"He told me that he was on a plane. He said 'I'm sorry Bella, but it's for the best. I need to do what's best for me, and right now that's being in Italy.' He didn't say goodbye! You had him your entire life, I only got a year. It was exactly a week after our one year anniversary and he just LEFT."

I had never told anyone about the conversation I had with him.

"Bella, oh... Bella I never knew. I just assumed... I mean... I thought he would have at least said goodbye to you."

She walked over to my bed where I was sitting and took me into her arms. We sat there for what felt like hours, both of us crying while she tried to comfort me.

"He didn't say goodbye, Alice. Why didn't he say goodbye? He never really loved me. He didn't even care enough to tell me he was leaving."

"Shh, Bella. He loved you. Everyone saw how much he loved you."

"He didn't love me Alice; he didn't even say goodbye."

--End Flashback--

Damnit, it's been 7 years. I shouldn't still care; I shouldn't still be hurt. He left me and never came back. Think of the song Alice played for you; the song that was made so you could forget about him. I won't shed a single tear wishing that I had you here; I don't need a man to hold my hand; I'm stronger than you think I am.

Ok, I can do this. One foot in front of the other; that's all I have to do. Who am I kidding myself? My knees are practically jelly.

I should have stayed in bed this morning.

EPOV

It couldn't be her. There was no way it could be her; it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I thought I had seen her countless times before. I thought I had seen her at the airport in Italy, the Starbucks down the street, the grocery store across town. No. It wasn't her. It was just someone that looked like her. I had convinced myself years ago that it wasn't her calling me in the middle of the night, saying nothing and then hanging up. There was no way she had my number there, and after the way I left things, she probably never wanted it either. There was no possible way she would have been in the Italy airport four years ago; she stayed in Forks. Damnit, Cullen. Why did you take that scholarship? I could have stayed with her. I should have stayed with her.

Snap out of it; it's not her.

"Dr. Cullen?" my thoughts were interrupted by one of the nurses, Jessica. It was required that all of the doctors knew the nurses by name; something about showing gratitude for all of their help.

"What do you need, Jessica?"

"Um, a patient just came in and she's not on your service, but we're backed up and could really use some help."

"Sure, just give me the chart. It's a pretty slow night for me. Visiting hours are almost over in the children's wing, so most of the parents have already asked their questions for the day."

"Thanks, Dr. Cullen. It shouldn't take you too much time, probably just a sprain or something. The girl came in with an ice pack on her wrist muttering something about the ground winning, but she'd get him next time. Have fun." she said with a laugh.

I looked down at the chart and my heart stopped. This must be a mistake, some kind of cruel joke. Suddenly all I could think of was stupid song. Now it's over, it's over, it can't be over; I wish that I could take it back; but it's over. I listened to that stupid song for three months after I left. From the day I left until the end of December that was the only song I heard. I would have kept listening to it, but my roommate got sick of it. He told me that if I didn't make it my new year's resolution to never listen to that song again, he would make sure I didn't have ears to listen to it with. He thought that it was pathetic of me to be 'pining' over a girl that I left. He was right about that. It was all my fault. I didn't have to leave. I can't keep doing this to myself. She moved on. She probably got together with Jacob Black after I left. I felt a growl come from somewhere deep inside me. She better not be with him.

"Bella Swan?" I hadn't said that name in 7 years. Just thinking of that name brought back all the memories of how I just left her.

When I first left, all the e-mails I received from Alice, Emmett, Rose and Jasper were about her. How depressed she was, how she never talked, and how she barely ever left her house. I know they were trying to get me to come home, but it just made things even harder. I wanted to go back. I wanted to go back so badly… but I couldn't. I left her. I hurt her more than I ever though possible. I couldn't just go back. I couldn't go back just thinking I could get her back after I hurt her. I wouldn't be able to live in Forks without being with her, and I knew I didn't deserve to have her back.

What they didn't know was that I was just as bad as she was, if not worse. After I got on the plane to leave, I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I had thrown away the only woman I could ever love because I wanted to be a doctor. I was being stupid and selfish and I did what I thought was best for me and my career. I shouldn't have left her; especially without a real goodbye.

--Flashback--

"I should be with her right now. I shouldn't be on this plane; I should be with Bella." I had called Emmett from the plane. I started freaking out and he was the only one I could talk to about this; he was the only one that knew I was leaving.

"It's better this way, man. You would never be able to leave her if you saw her face."

"I shouldn't have left without saying goodbye… its bad enough that I'm standing her up on our date."

"Then why did you even agree to go? You knew you were leaving when she mentioned the movies."

"I couldn't let her know something was up. She would worry if I told her I was busy but wouldn't tell her what I had to do, or in this case, where I had to go."

"It'll all work out eventually. She'll understand that this is what's best for your career."

"What the hell are you talking about? She'll never forgive me. I'll never forgive myself." I was getting ready to yell at Emmett for what he said when I was interrupted by a beep on my phone, letting me know that I had another call.

"Damnit, I'm getting another call. It's probably her; I should have been there an hour ago. I'll call you when I land."

"Good luck man. Have a safe flight." I heard him hang up, so I took a deep breath and clicked the talk button to go to the other call. "Hello?"

"Edward, where are you? You were supposed to meet me here an hour ago." I knew it would be her. At least she didn't sound mad… yet.

"I'm... on a plane."

"What?! Why... where are you going? Why didn't you-"

"Bella, calm down. I'm going to Italy."

"But… why? For how long? You're coming back, right?"

"No, Bella, I'm not."

"Seriously Edward, stop kidding around. Where are you?"

"I'm not kidding, I'm on a plane. I got a scholarship offer from a top university in Italy and I couldn't turn it down. It's going to be the best thing for my career."

"But… you can't just… I'll come with you. I can be on the next plane out to Italy."

"No Bella, you can't. I need to do this on my own... I'm sorry Bella, but it's for the best. I need to do what's best for me, and right now that's being in Italy. It's best for you too, Bella; I'm not right for you."

"No! There is no where I'd rather be than with you. Unless…" I heard her faint sobs on the other end "… you don't want me anymore, do you?" Hearing her say those words broke my heart; I could never not want her.

"No Bella, I don't. You should move on. You deserve better than this." I could now hear her crying on the other end, no longer trying to stop me from hearing it. "Goodbye, Bella. I'll never put you through anything like this again, I can promise you that. Go on with your life. It will be as if I never existed."

--End Flashback--

After what felt like hours, I watched her finally make her way over towards me and my heart started pounding in my chest.For the last 7 years, I thought about seeing her again. I went over every line and every apology I could say, but whenever I tried to contact her to tell her how sorry I was, I stopped myself. I don't deserve her forgiveness. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. She needs your help. I told myself. You're the doctor; she's the patient. Get over your issues and help her!

I should have stayed in bed this morning.

AN: This is my first story. I'm more of a reader than a writer but I thought of this so I decided to see how it worked out.