Breaking the Habit by Zevlin
CHARACTERS: Edward Masen and Bella Swan (human)
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Sephanie Meyer does but I do own this story.
A/N: My mood as it is now is a little bit of angst mixed with raw cynicism and pain. Memories, which need stop being so significant to me, will not go away. Because of this I can honestly say I chose the ending of this story based on my mood .(The Conversation- Motion City Soundtrack)
Prologue
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow by Bullets for my Valentine
A musician and a writer are never a good combination though they may seem like the perfect match, what with similar experiences. Bella and I struggled but we made it work. Where there is love and trust in a relationship that is slowly breaking apart there is always the possibility that it can survive change if you fight hard and long enough. But with such different personalities and dreams, it made it so much easier for us to fall apart even when we tried to make it better. I'm sitting here in our meadow, alone for the first time. I also know that this is the last time I'll ever be here again.
Our marriage has been falling apart from day one. We've been married for three years now, together for five. We were never friends, Bella and I but there was always the uncanny attraction that kept drawing us together, even through all the mistakes; the pain. Friendship was never something that has existed in our relationship mainly because if we got to know each other to that dept we would end up hating each other. Our friends could never got along, something we discovered from day one in our relationship. Bella could never understand me and I could never keep up with her ever-changing values and beliefs. She is scared of all the things about me that she cannot understand and I am frustrated by her lack of will to even try. But though all that exists Bella is the only one who knows how to calm me when everything is falling apart and who completes the missing part of me. I love her, so very much but she's slowly slipping away from me and I have no idea how to hold her to me. I think I'm done fighting. I can't do it anymore.
Chapter One;
Enchanted
Five years ago
Bella Swan
"There I was again tonight This night is sparkling, don't you let it go The lingering question kept me up Chorus This night is sparkling, don't you let it go This is me praying that Please don't be in love with someone else Chorus This night is sparkling, don't you let it go Please don't be in love with someone else
Forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old tired, lonely place
Walls of insincerity
Shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face
All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you
Your eyes whispered "Have we met?"
Across the room, your silhouette
Starts to make its way to me
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy
And it was enchanting to meet you
All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you
Chorus
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
2 am, who do you love?
I wonder 'til I'm wide awake
Now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say
It was enchanting to meet you
All I know is I was enchanted to meet you
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
This was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name
Until I see you again
These are the words I held back
As I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't have somebody waiting on you"
-Enchanted
Taylor Swift
Edward Masen. Damn. One of the most- no I'm allowed to be biased here- the most talented pianist now turned song star had contacted me, Bella Swan, to write a song for him a week ago. Well ok, his manager contacted me but you get my meaning. I'm not even a songwriter but when Rosalie Hale calls you up and says that Edward Masen is looking for a songwriter you don't exactly dwell on these trivial details. I take a deep breath as I enter the restaurant, nervous beyond belief. Silently praying that I don't trip over my heels I take another step into the room and looked around for Rosalie.
My best friend, Alice Cullen, had insisted that I wear my halter blue cocktail dress which I thought showed off too much breast but did she ask my opinion? No. She thought it would make my already pretty appearance stand out. 'Sparkle' was her exact word but really, who in their right mind would ever say that Bella Swan sparkles. Rosalie on the other hand wore a suit. A frigging suit to the restaurant. Why hadn't I thought of that but of course, I reminded myself, I had let Alice bully me into wearing a cocktail dress so you can imagine why I was a little pissed of as I sat next to Rosalie Hale. Next to me she looked like a super model who belonged on either a runway or the cover of Sports Illustrated and succeeded in looking better than me in a suit. I'm seriously starting to hate that word.
"Mr. Masen's not here yet?" I ask politely, internally kicking myself for such a stupid question. Of course he isn't here you fool.
"No. I'm sorry Ms. Swan, Edward is running a little late but he should be here in a few minutes. He sends his apologies."
Her formal tone irritates me and I couldn't tell you why. I suspect it is the jealously-poison running through my veins at the moment but shrug of that thought as I fake a smile at her.
"Congratulations on your marriage, Alice says you had a beautiful wedding."
Did I forget to mention that Alice is dating Rosalie's twin brother, Jasper Hale? I suspect Rosalie must have told Jasper that Edward had been looking for a song writer and Jasper had mentioned it to Alice who in turn must have bribed Rosalie into calling me up. It was the only reason I could fathom why the woman would call up a novelist to write a song for a superstar.
Rosalie smiled at my comment. "Of course she thought it was beautiful, she planned the entire thing." I laughed with her as she smiled at me again. It wasn't a heart warming smile of an offer of a new friendship, it was the smile of a queen who knows she's better than you but who is honouring you with her presence just to show that she does have a heart even if she does not believe in you.
"I heard that your latest book hit the New York Times bestseller yesterday, congratulations Miss Swan, though I must say, your critics are not afraid to slander you. I wonder why that is."
Excellent. She had to bring that up. My book had finally, finally, reached the number one slot and instead of them telling me congratulations my critics had gone down on me like a pack of rabid hyenas and bashed me. Calling my story line clichéd and far-fetched, boring, underdeveloped. They called for the immediate removal of The Angle from Six Feet Under from the top spot. I had almost forgotten about that before she had brought it up
"Did you read it?" I asked, wanting her opinion on it.
"No sorry, I haven't had a chance to."
I nodded slowly as she picked up her menu and let her gaze skim over it.
Yeah...
I sighed as I tried to avoid her gaze, looking around the restaurant for something to do. That was when I saw him. He eyes met mine as he walked slowly to our table, his swagger and those inquiring green eyes making his seem like the player I knew he wasn't. Edward Masen had arrived. Finally.
Edward Masen
Traffic was the only thing I hated about driving. Today I hated it more than ever. I was late for a meeting with my manager and some new song writer she thought had potential. I would rather compose with Isaac Slade and Jason Wade but there were busy until September and the record said I needed to release a single by the next two weeks. So instead of sitting at my piano composing sheet music I was cursing traffic on my way to some over priced restaurant to beg a songwriter- without seeming too desperate- to write a perfect song for me. I'm so screwed.
Great. Fucking great.
I arrived at the restaurant half an hour late and certainly not in the mood to listen to some hot shot songwriter tell me why my ideas for the song was not good enough. I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers and kissed them for good luck before I walked towards where the server had indicated Rosalie was seated. That was when I first say her. She had long brown hair which she let flow down her back, and a very appealing dress on. I hadn't expected that. She looked up as I approached the table and took me in. I watched her watch me, following her eyes as she looked me up and down. I hoped she liked what she saw.
"Ms. Swan, I'm sorry to be late. The traffic was horrendous."
She only nodded at me as I sat beside her, ignoring Rosalie's raised eyebrows.
"Miss Swan, I presume you read through Edward's review of what he hopes to create with the song?" Rosalie starts our meeting in her usual snobbish way and I smile despite myself. Any person worth his salt- in this case her- needed to be able to deal with snobs to survive in this industry. I wondered how well Bella survived under attack. Bella straightened her shoulders and faced Rosalie with a smile even I could tell was fake.
"Yes, of course."
"And?" Rosalie pushed
"I like it."
Rosalie took a deep breath and I was honestly surprised smoke was not flowing out of her ears. I covered my face behind my hands, enjoying the sparing but a disappointed in this Bella person. I needed a song, not admiration. I needed a partner, not a groupie.
"Maybe this was a mistake." Rosalie closed her folder and looked at me, wanting to know what I thought. I was feeling generous so I turned to Bella instead of telling her where to shove her admiration.
"Do you have anything I can look at Miss. Swan?"
"I apologise Mr. Masen. I do not. I was not told I had to bring a prepared manuscript with me."
I started to interrupt her, to let her down politely but she hurried on.
"Your ideas are admirable but they were too extensive. You need to decide on a specific theme you want to work on instead of individual..."
"Ramblings?" I asked, amused.
"I was going to say moods."
"Which do you think I should choose?"
"It is your song Mr. Masen."
"Edward, and I know it is but if I hire you we will be partners and need to know that you understand what I'm getting at."
"You want me to read your mind?"
I laughed as Rosalie rolled her eyes, signalling the waiter for another drink.
"Yes, something like that. I tend to get lost in different ideas when I compose, it will be your job to keep me focused and write a fucking awesome song."
PS: This is not the end of the chapter but I need you to tell me how it's sounding so far so I can either continue with the way it is going or change it. Please review.