***A/N: Thanks so much to all my regular readers for your continued support, and thank you to any new readers as well. I hope you enjoy the ride!

** Just a little clarification - I was inspired by a chick flick, but that's not to say the plot is going to follow it completely (i.e. the movie did not have the main character crushing on her one time stepbrother) There is really only one major point that I got from the movie and that point won't even make it into the story until later, so I doubt anyone can figure it out just yet.

*Spoiler Alert – It's not "Sweet Home Alabama" as many guessed, but I do love that movie and to be honest there is a tiny connection. Just a suggestion though, it's probably best to let the story unfold and not try to figure it all out. It's just better that way, and because this is a short story, it'll all come out sooner rather than later

Thanks again,
~KC


Chapter 2

My heart started racing from being in such close proximity to him again, which only pissed me off. Why the hell did my body have to betray me like that? I couldn't stand Edward Cullen, and the last thing I wanted was for him to have the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to me, so I needed a way to extinguish the sudden rush of heat that was currently devouring my face, or at the very least, find a way to conceal it.

But it was too late. He glanced at me and I all I could do was brace myself for what was sure to be an onslaught of jokes and juvenile teasing; Edward wasn't capable of anything less.

And then he did something completely shocking…he smiled at me politely, and then looked away and stood there silently as we waited for the elevator to complete it's descend.

I probably should have just followed his lead and ignored him, but because I was an idiot I couldn't just let it go and keep my mouth shut…

"So you're not going to say anything to me?" I asked with way more attitude than I intended. Ugh, I hated that Edward always brought out the worse in me.

And then he acted like an even bigger jerk by looking behind him to make sure there was no one else in that tiny space that I could have possibly been talking to. "Are you speaking to me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Unbelievable," I mumbled under my breath. If Edward was going to play stupid, then I certainly wasn't going to lower myself any further by continuing to speak. There were a million reasons we didn't keep in touch, and his 'convenient memory loss' was just one of them. It definitely wasn't the first time Edward pretended to not know who I was; he spent our entire freshman year of high school acting like we were strangers. I cared then…but I refused to care now.

When the doors finally opened I stormed out and headed right for the exit, but it seemed Edward wasn't done having his fun with me just yet.

"Hold on!" he called as he chased after me. "Look, I'm sorry. I realize that was really rude of me. I recognize you, but…I've um… met a lot of people, so it's hard for me to remember everyone's names… Julie, was it? No, Monica! Shit. I really feel like a douche right now."

I almost wanted to laugh; the pompous prick actually thought I was one of his latest one night stands. As if I'd ever make that mistake…again. "Wow, you really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Sorry… But I feel horrible about it," he said with an apologetic smile that was far too adorable to be fair. Why the hell did all the most beautiful men usually have to be jerks? It had to be one of life's cruelest injustices.

"Well…It's not a big deal. Just forget about it," I said quickly before trying to escape his presence.

But of course he refused to let it go, and at some point while he was following me to the parking lot, he figured it out. "Holy shit, Bella! I really am a moron…. Come on, just wait up a minute."

I seriously considered pretending to not hear him and just retreat to my car, but then I remembered one very important detail - I wasn't a kid anymore. I didn't have to hide from Edward Cullen just because things didn't go well between us the last time we were together. I could be an adult about everything and speak to him as such. We had a long history. We were once part of a family, and to ignore that and only focus on the couple of bad times would be terribly immature and downright pathetic of me. I was better than that…at least, I needed to think that I was.

So I tentatively turned towards him again with a forced smile. When our eyes met, his grin widened and his entire face softened making him look more like that thirteen year old boy he was when we were the closest. "It is you…and you're all grown up."

I scowled at him. I tried not to, but I just couldn't help it. "We're the same age."

"Oh, I know…It's just…you know," he said oddly, and then he began rambling. "But you look good. You've changed…I mean, not too much, you still look like you, but just an older you. I can't believe I didn't recognize you right away. My mind's just been a little jumbled lately with how busy everything's been, and I haven't seen you in what…five years or something?"

"Ten, actually."

"Has it really been ten years?" he mused.

I nodded. "I haven't been in Washington since I first left after graduation," I reluctantly reminded him while cringing at the thought. Everything about graduation had been horrible, and I was fairly certain he could remember why.

"Oh, that's right," he mumbled. "I actually just spoke to your mom not long ago; I think she mentioned something about how she always goes to Arizona to visit you."

"She likes to travel," I replied.

I was grateful he seemed to be letting the conversation roll over the more undesirable topic, but I should have known the uncomfortable awkwardness wasn't over just yet. "So, how have you been? Renee said you're engaged…or about to be, or something?"

I laughed once to mask my embarrassment. "Uh-no. My mother just wishes I was as good at relationships as she is." I had never even told her about Mike proposing, she must have just assumed it was coming and blabbed about it to anyone who would listen. It was more than humiliating, and I began to wonder what other kind of infuriating untruths and elaborations Renee had spread about me around town. "I'm actually unattached at the moment," I told him, though I wasn't exactly sure why I had to share that bit of personal information.

"Sorry to hear that…Or is it a good thing?" Edward asked unexpectedly.

I thought about it for a moment. "It's definitely a good thing."

"Well…good for you then," he said slowly. "So what brings you back to Forks after so long?" he then asked as we made our way towards the parking lot.

"I just needed a change of scenery," I replied vaguely with a shrug, and then quickly tried to change the subject again. "But I'm not surprised to see you still here. You were always on the fast track to becoming a doctor like your dad… Though, it doesn't look like that's what happened."

Only then did I notice that he was wearing an EMT uniform…and he looked absolutely incredible in it. Shit!

"Yeah, I'm a paramedic," he told me sheepishly. "I went to med school, but after a couple of years I realized that being stuck in a hospital practically every day for the rest of my life wasn't what I wanted. Besides, I always liked to drive fast, and I get to use a siren," he joked like a little kid, and I found myself relaxing into a sincere smile.

After what seemed like an incredibly long walk, we finally reached the sanctuary of my car, and strangely enough I suddenly didn't feel the relief I was expecting; instead there was a phantom feeling of regret. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the short conversation had actually been somewhat pleasant and I was grateful. Perhaps that small town full of painfully large memories wouldn't be so horrific after all. "Well, it was nice running into you."

"Yeah… Are you going to be in town for a while?" he asked. "We should meet up."

I definitely did not want to 'meet up' with Edward…or did I? I wasn't really sure at the moment. Even though talking to him again was much less painful than I had anticipated, that didn't mean I was ready for a renewed friendship of any kind. "Um, I don't know how long I'll be in town and my schedule is pretty jam packed, so I doubt I'll really have time."

He smirked. "Yeah, I could see how working at the diner could be time consuming."

"Wha…What makes you think I work there?" I said, unsure if I should laugh or be offended.

He raised his brows and then looked at my shirt suggestively, so I followed his line of sight and glanced down only to notice the 'Waylon's Diner' T-shirt I had on. Crap. "I just bought this…for nostalgia purposes," I lied like the moron I was.

"Right," he said with a laugh.

"Okay, yes I work there…but not for long. As soon as I figure out my next step I'm taking it."

"Well then I guess if I want to chit-chat before you find your next step I'll just have to stop by soon for some artery clogging food."

"It's not that bad," I said defensively.

"Every item on that menu is death on a plate," he argued.

"If that was true the hospital chief of staff wouldn't be ordering delivery."

He cocked is head slightly. "That's strange. Carlisle usually only eats shit like that when he's really stressed. The board meeting must have gone poorly," he said, mostly to himself.

"You know, I should probably get back," I said while opening my car door and ungracefully plopping down in the driver's seat, banging my head hard on the door frame as I went.

"Whoa, you okay?" he asked concerned as he kneeled besides me to get a better assessment of my fresh injury. "Here, look in my eyes so I can see your pupils," he said, immediately morphing into paramedic mode. I did as he instructed, but he was so close that I could feel his breath on my lips, and as I looked into his endlessly deep emeralds, my stomach ached and my chest tightened…and I knew I had to escape before I lost all my unstable composure.

"I'm fine," I told him while pushing his hand away. "I really need to get back to work." I didn't give him time to protest; I just waited for him to move out of the way, and then I shut my door and left as quickly as possible.

I was a complete and utter coward, and denying it anymore after that was pointless.