Disclaimer – I own nothing, sadly.
Chapter 2 - I have hours, only lonely
Present 2011 – EPOV
I can't believe I did it. The hard work of eight years finally paid off. I am only 27 years old but my dissertation is complete, and I am now Dr. Edward Cullen. I've had a few offers from Universities across the country for me to teach different levels of Literature. I haven't made a decision yet and have plans to talk with my boyfriend, Carlisle, tonight about it.
We have been pretty serious for about two years now. He makes me happy and I'm comfortable with him. I could even love him one day. I am at the grocery store, picking up some stuff to make for dinner, I should be home before him and can have it ready for when he gets there. I think I'll make his favorite, chicken marsala and mashed potatoes.
I pull up to our apartment and notice his car in the lot. Oh well, I guess it won't be such a surprise anymore. As I'm unlocking the door I can hear Carlisle talking to someone. Maybe he is on the phone. I push the door open and what I see makes me drop the bags in my hand. He is naked on the couch, hovering over an equally naked WOMAN. His hair is damp and clinging to his forehead, his eyes closed as he dips down to kiss her passionately and whispers her name I guess, "Esme." He continues to pump in and out of her. Neither of them aware that I have opened the door or dropped my bags, until I finally let out a strangled gasp.
Carlisle jerks his head in my direction and I see the look of surprise on his face. Oh he's surprised is he? My shock quickly turns to rage. I can feel my face heating up when I hear his strangled, "Edward." I look at him and see the apology in his eyes. "Save it, Carlisle, get the fuck out…Now!" I spit at him as I march down the hall into our bedroom and slam the door shut. I don't come out until I hear the apartment door close. Thank God he left without trying to talk to me; there is no going back from what I just saw.
I notice the grocery bags are on the counter. Damn him! God, I can't believe he cheated on me. He could at least have the decency to break up with me before screwing someone else. How could I have not seen this coming? There had to have been signs. I wonder how long he's been fucking her. I run to the bathroom and just barely make it before I'm throwing up my lunch from earlier that day. It's not until I rinse out my mouth that I notice my vision is blurry, I've been crying, I'm so fucking pathetic.
Carlisle was the longest boyfriend I've ever had. I thought things were going fine between us. Normally I give up on relationships after a few months. I never felt like they were going anywhere. I wonder what made me stay with him for so long. Turns out that wasn't the best idea. Maybe I am just not meant to find that guy that is right for me. Maybe there is no one right for me. I need to get away from this place, this apartment, this city. I guess now that I don't need Carlisle's input on my decision for picking a University to teach at, I can get as far away from here as possible. Start fresh somewhere new, meet new people.
There's not much left for me here. I'm finished with school and don't have a job. I'm an only child and both my parents died about nine years ago in a car accident. The only family I have is my uncle Caius who lives in Italy. I have a few friends, but working on my doctorate has kept most of my time these last couple years. For the first time, my loneliness finally hits me. I have nothing here. There isn't even anyone for me to call to help me deal with what happened when I got home today. I go to the papers I have on the counter with job offers. I skim through them and one catches my eye. There is an opening at the University of Washington for a graduate level literature teacher. Well how much further can I get than Washington? I send Carlisle a text that just reads, "Moving to Washington, will be gone in a week. You can have the apartment. Have a nice life!" And with that, I call the University and get my new life started.
Present 2011 – JPOV
Today has been such a great day. I spent the morning hiking through some trails, stopped at a secluded waterfall to eat my lunch. And now I'm just sitting on a low, thick tree branch I came across that has a view over the side of the mountain I've been hiking through today. There is not much more I enjoy doing than hiking through these parks, surrounded by all this green and brown, the gentle sounds of the water as it falls into a pool of water below. It is so full of life, but so peaceful at the same time. There is no one here to judge, only creatures who thrive off the resources of the mountain. Sometimes, I like to bring my guitar with me, sit in a clearing I found of one of the trails and get lost in the music.
Today, however, I am just enjoying the view with the sun shining down over me. It's a beautiful day, warm with a blue, cloudless sky. The wind is blowing through the trees creating a song all their own and the birds singing as back up. I could stay out here forever, lost in the sounds and sights around me. Beep. Beep. Beep. Man, is it really time to go already? I hop down from my branch and head back down the path towards my truck. I had already started working my way back so it only takes me about ten minutes to reach it. I went a little further outside of Seattle to hike today, so I need to hurry to make it to the bar on time.
I've been playing down at the place my sister, Rosalie, works at for a few years now. She seems to think I'm pretty good and forced me to try playing at the bar when she started working there. There was no arguing with her. When she wanted something, she got it. And it's not like she ever asked me to do much for her, so I did it. Turns out, she was right. I got a great response and the bar owner, Emmett, asked me to start playing on a regular basis. I could use the extra cash at the time, so I accepted and started playing every weekend and some week nights depending on my school schedule.
It's about two week before school starts, so I haven't had a lot of time during this last week to play since I've been preparing the syllabus and some of the first lessons for my classes I'm teaching this semester at the University of Washington. I teach an undergraduate level American History class and a graduate level Civil War class. I'm not much of a social person, so I didn't know how teaching would go over for me. But I enjoy it; I don't have any problems being in front of the class teaching kids, even if they are close to my age. This will be my second year teaching at the University that I graduated from. I was a shoe in for the job, especially since my mentor is the director of the History department. I worked hard and finished my doctorate early and started teaching a year ago, at 24.
AN: Thanks to my beta DreamingPoet1988! Next chapter they start the semester. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
