It's Not Your Fault
A/N: This one-shot is going to be slightly different, I think. I hope you guys enjoy it and do leave a review to tell me your thoughts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
"Bella," Edward called, a crooked grin on his face as he closed her apartment door.
She smiled a watery smile, her voice soft. "Edward."
He took big strides, reaching her quickly as he pecked a kiss on her soft, full lips - his usual style of greeting. She felt warmth rising to both her cheeks as she closed her eyes, reveling in it for a moment before she opened them, meeting the soft gaze of Edward Cullen, before his eyes turned panicky.
"Bella? Are you alright?" He asked, alarm evident in his voice as he brushed away a tear trickling down from the corner of her eyes. It was then, did Bella realized she was crying.
She immediately pushed his hand away and turned, her back facing him as she wiped her tears away with the heels of her hand. "Edward..." She cursed herself for letting her voice break in the end. She had to be strong.
"Yes, Bella?" He asked, his voice full of concern as he stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist in an attempt to comfort her.
She took a deep breath, feeling his comforting scent drift to her nose and relaxed slightly - at first - before she remembered why she called him here. She felt her windpipe closing up slightly, her voice coming out weak and trembling - nothing she wanted it to be - as she stated, "I think we should break up."
His arms dropped from her waist abruptly and he turned her around by her shoulders, cradling her face with both his hands gently. "Why, Bella? We are doing so well together."
"Edward," she whispered, her voice cracking only slightly, "you've a wife. I've no place - "
He pressed a finger against her soft lips to silence her. "No," he said sternly, his green emerald eyes dark and swirling with anger. "Never think of yourself like that. You're not!"
"The truth is as ugly as it seems, Edward." It was all she could do to keep herself from bursting into tears as she pushed his finger away from her lips gently. "I'm destroying your home - your relationship with your wife. I've to stop being selfish."
"Bella, please." His green eyes started to gather tears as they pled with her brown ones. Bella felt her heart break a little more. "Don't do this to me. I will divorce my wife."
"Those were the words I was dreading." She choked back a sob, her soft brown eyes focusing on the spot on the wall behind her lover. "I wasn't supposed to be with you. We weren't supposed to be romantically attached, no, not this way."
"Bella... Don't," he whimpered, a tear falling from his left eye as he took a step closer to her. He raised his hand to caress her face, but she flinched away. This time when she spoke, her voice was hard.
"It's time to end this." She gathered the remains of her bravery and felt the intense clenching of her heart as she spoke the next words. "We knew this... relationship would always come to an end. We always knew, didn't we?"
"Bella! Don't you have faith in our relationship? I love you." His emerald eyes didn't waver in their resolve. Bella swallowed hard, the words sending an immense throbbing to her heart. Damn it, stop interfering! She wanted to yell to her heart that was hurting her like hell now. She knew of the pain that would happen - but she had no idea, no idea at all how hard this would be.
"And I know you love me too," he continued, the corner of his lips rising up to her favourite crooked smile. He tilted her chin up to meet her tearful eyes with a finger, "It is the first time I have said that to you, isn't it? I'm sorry it had to be under such circumstances. But I am already in love with you the moment I met you as my secretary."
She sniffed, a red crimson blush rising to her cheeks as she realized how loud that was. Edward's chuckle reverberated throughout her living room. "Don't be embarrassed, Bella."
"I'm not," she snapped, pushing him away from her. He stopped his chuckles, wondering if he had taken it too far.
"Bella... Please be reasonable," he said softly, his voice starting to crack like hers, too. "We can't break up like that. We can be - "
"Be much more?" Bella questioned bitterly. "Don't be stupid."
"Bella - " His voice trembled, as his hand caught on one of her clenched fists. "I love you. I promise, I will have a divorce."
"Get out, Edward." She shut her eyes, knowing it was probably the best thing to do before she lost her determination - before he lost everything he had because of her. "Now."
"Bella - " He started again, this time, his tone was more desperate. She shrugged off his touch, stomping towards her door before pulling it open, struggling to keep all her tears in.
"I never loved you."
His eyes widened in shock at her words, and his emerald green eyes turned hard as he opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. Walking towards her door, he stopped at the exit.
"If that's what you want."
A drop of salty water stained the concrete floor as Edward left. Bella watched it for a moment, realizing it was a lone tear of Edward's. She reached her trembling finger towards it, touching the dried spot, before she stood up and slammed the door shut.
She slumped herself against the wooden door. Fat tears starting rolling down her cheeks, one by one at first, before it turned into streams. She needed Alice. She scrambled for her phone before she typed in her best friend's number, tears blurring her vision.
It picked up after three rings.
"Alice?" Her voice cracked at the end.
"Bella? What happened?" Alice sounded frantic.
"I... I broke up with him, Alice." With that, she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I will be over there in five. Wait for me, Bella. Don't do anything stupid. Don't you dare!"
There was a click as she ended the call. Bella stared at it for a moment, before she curled herself into a ball and started crying: Crying for herself, for Edward, for what they used to have, and for the damn thing... called love.
That was how Alice found her. She said nothing, which was in contrast with her bubbly personality. She gathered her heartbroken friend in a warm embrace as she sobbed hard.
"Bella," she whispered in a comforting voice, stroking her hair, "this heartbreak will be over soon. And you'll find someone better."
"No, Alice!" She screamed in despair, "I'm afraid I never will! Why does he have to be married? Why?"
"This was your own choice, Bella," Alice said softly but sternly, "you made it yourself. Then follow through it, alright? Follow through the choices that you believe to be right. I will support you throughout the way."
"Alice." Her fingers tightened around the arm of Alice's. "I don't know about it now. I'm hurting so, so much."
"Bella... Calm down." Alice held her tearful face in her hands, her voice firm, "First, get a hold of yourself. After you get over this phase, you will find a better job, a better environment and have a new life."
"Alice, I love him," she whimpered, her cold fingers gripping her friend's shoulder. "I really, really do." Alice's heart broke at the sight of her friend looking so vulnerable, so hurt and in shambles.
"I know, Bella, I know," Alice whispered in reply, her fingers stroking her friend's brown hair gently as Bella continued to lay in her lap, sobbing brokenly for hours to come.
Bella woke up from her slumber as she wiped her swollen eyes, sitting up from the bed. She heard a soft whimper as someone beside her rolled over. A soft smile graced her face as she realized it was her best friend.
"Thank you so much, Alice," she whispered as she squeezed the said friend's hand tightly before shuffling to the bathroom and seeing a blond sleeping on her couch. She almost laughed at the absurd scene of the tall male squeezing on the couch.
"The things he do for Alice.." It brought back memories of another man who slept on her couch before.
Her heart clenched hard. She bit back a sob as she continued her way and brushed her teeth before washing her face. She walked out of the bathroom, now at loss. What should she do? Find a new job? She watched the two occupants in her flat for a brief moment. Perhaps she should buy some food for them first.
Nodding to herself, she pulled a coat over her body; it was getting cold and the clouds were gathering - a sure sign of a rain occurring later on. It was the least she could do for troubling both of them.
As she walked back from the restaurant, drips of rain started to fall, before it turned into a heavy downpour. She felt the rain drenching her clothes, but she paid it no heed as she trudged back slowly to her flat. She felt tired, upset and had the overwhelming need to cry.
She sniffed, suppressing her sobs as she crossed the road, watching the bags on her arms swing a little from side to side - she had brought both Alice's and Jasper's favourite food. Both of them were always with her, by her side, even though she was being a third party in someone else's marriage.
They both were very against it in the beginning, claiming it would get her hurt in the end and that she deserved better; but they resigned after seeing how happy she was after every date and every visit of Edward's.
But it was the recent visit from Tanya, Edward's wife, that woke her up from her blissful dream. She knew the dream was destined to shatter, but she couldn't believe it to be this soon.
She had came to her, crying her eyes out that she suspected he was cheating on her and if she saw any females that could be the possible one, but Bella had denied it. She had always felt guilty for being the third party in Edward's marriage, but after that visit... Everything changed. She felt lost, and the stab in her gut driving deeper - not only of guilt. It was painful acknowledging the fact that Edward still belonged to Tanya after all they had been through. It was then, did she decide that their relationship must end.
She looked up the sky watching the rain pelting on her face when she heard a loud honk of a car. She froze, turning her head to see a red car zooming in her direction. Ah, she must have stopped in the middle of the road to think.
"Bella, run!" A shrill scream that could only be Alice's shattered her thoughts and she saw the shocked and horrified look of her best friend as she gestured wildly, screaming hysterically.
"Run, run, run!"
"No more time, Alice," Bella sang softly. With that, she pressed two fingers on her lips before pointing them to the direction of Alice. It was a childhood gesture for both of them - to say they love each other.
Alice ran across the road to push her away, realizing she wasn't going to move when a loud bang echoed through the gloomy atmosphere. Alice froze in her steps, tears gathering in her eyes as she dashed over to Bella, lying in a puddle of blood.
"Love you, Alice," she whispered, her finger reaching for Alice's face, but she didn't have the strength to. "And Jasper, of course."
Alice caught her fingers as they were about to drop to her sides. "You're not going to die! I'm not going to let you die, you idiot! Someone fucking call the ambulance!"
"I'm going to, Alice," she continued, "please help me to tell Edward... that it's not his fault."
She was screeching in panic by now, and a sobbing mess, but her words were still coherent.
"Darlin', calm down," Jasper's sad voice reached her as he pressed a kiss against her spiky hair. "I've called the ambulance."
"Bella! Bella!" She screamed frantically, tears running as she pulled unconscious Bella into her arms. Jasper mimicked the gesture, pulling his hysterical girlfriend in his arms in a quiet attempt to comfort her.
Edward stayed in his silver Volvo, suddenly jerking awake as he felt a comfortable presence in his car. He turned, expecting to find Bella in the backseat, but realized there was nothing there.
He choked back a sob as he clenched his fist on his chest, where his heart throbbed, shutting his eyes close tightly. "Bella..."
"Edward." His eyes fluttered open suddenly, hearing the familiar sound of her voice. "I love you."
"Bella, is that you?" He asked in panic, his emerald green eyes darting around his car and searching for her presence, but there was none. He felt a gentle carress on his face before he felt the touch disappear. The smell of freesias left a lingering scent on his car, and he realized it was Bella's.
"Bella." The mere name of hers made his head and heart throb. He frowned, realizing something wasn't right. Something... just wasn't right. He swallowed hard, his fingers gripping the wheel as he pondered over the uneasy clenching of his gut for a second before he shook the feeling off.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said as he brought the report back to his side. "She is gone."
Alice slumped down onto the ground in shock, and Jasper felt tears gathering in his eyes.
"Call Edward," was all Alice could manage before sobs started to assault her.
A/N: The End. Hope you guys liked it. Do leave a review to tell me your thoughts!