Chapter One
After an exhaustingly long day at the publishers, I wanted nothing more than to collapse on my bed from exhaustion. Everything was so over the place lately, Alice rushed Jasper to get the nursery done up so that it would be ready before the baby was due. My boss, Rosalie McCarty, was more grumpy than usual because her three year old just started getting toilet trained and Julian would always wake her up to help him open the door. Basically meaning that I had to pay extra attention in a meeting because she could at any moment, fall asleep.
It seemed lately that everyone around me had grown and created a family, while I stayed on hiatus. Alice married Jasper in sophomore year, and now they have a baby on the way. Even my boss had a family! And she was like the dragon queen! A very beautiful dragon queen, but a dragon queen none the less. And Edward…My heart still ached thinking of him. I hadn't seen him in over ten years, his birth father left him with a company in Chicago, as soon as he found out about his inheratiage, he went back to Chicago. We kept in touch for a few years…Until one day I just didn't get anything back.
I sighed, don't get yourself all depressed, it's your birthday tonight, don't make Alice worry again. I wouldn't allow Alice to get worried this close to the due date, she was always worried about me, me not falling for anyone in college, me always rejecting any sort of offer from any guy, me still mopping over the loss of my true best friend, my life, my love. Tonight's going to be my thirtieth, and I had to pretend I was surprised when I get to Alice's and she throws the same surprise party she did every year.
Pulling into the drive way of her completely modern house, I turned the engine off and slammed the door close to my SUV after I grabbed my bag with a change of clothes around my arm. I didn't bother knocking, I just walked in, bracing myself for everyone to jump out and yell surprised.
No one did.
I let out a relieving sigh, I closed the door behind me and continued through the lit hall, "Alice!?"
"In the kitchen!" She yelled.
Walking down the hall, Alice was there by herself mixing a chocolate paste inside a mixing bowl. She instantly dropped the bowl and throw her arms around me, though her seven month stomach was in the way, "Happy Birthday Bella!"
I pat her back, at least it's just her and Jasper, "Um, thanks. Where is Jasper?"
She grins, "He's out picking up your present."
I groan, "You know I don't like presents."
"Well you'll like this one," She winks.
Rolling my eyes, I give up, going to the fridge and getting out a can of coke, "So, do you need help?"
"No, it's your birthday! There is no way I'm letting you cook." She pokes out her tongue, turning sideways from me in as a mock annoyance.
"Whatever Alice." I laugh.
"How was work today?" She asks as she started to butter the cake tray.
I ran my hand through my hair, "Horrible! Rosalie was in a terrible mood today, so me sitting beside her in a meeting makes me fully responsible if she falls asleep and doesn't pay attention! She's the god damn CEO for god sakes! Not to mention she treated me worse than dirt today. I miss JJ's publisher."
"Well, they closed down, so you're going to have to get over it." She teases.
"Oh I haven't noticed." I grumble, "How's my niece?"
Alice smiles, her hand resting on her over sized stomach, "Anna and I are doing just fine."
"She's going to be a little Alice I'm guessing, should I be scared?"
"Horrified." She jokes, pouring the mix into the cake tin and throwing it into the preheated oven on top of something that's wrapped. Smelt like chicken.
"What's for dinner?" I ask.
"Chicken and vegetables, plus the cake I'm baking at the moment." Ever since she got pregnant Alice has been cooking and baking as much as possible, wanting to be the perfect house wife and mother for Jasper and Anna –even though she isn't out yet-. I haven't ever thought of Alice as the cooking type, but I've been wrong before.
I leant over the bar, looking down at her stomach, "Don't worry Anna, in a month you'll be out and you'll be able to taste mommy's cooking too."
Alice laughs, "Yeah, she can wait till she's out and kicking before she worries about eating any of my cooking."
Taking a sip of my coke I laugh, shaking my head. I get up and leave Alice to finish cooking, lying myself on the couch in the lowly lit room. I hate my birthday, it was a constant reminder of everything that I'm missing out on. I've only been out of the US when I was sixteen to go to Renee's and Phil's wedding in Mexico, while Alice has been to Paris, Italy, Australia, basically everywhere I haven't. But this birthday was different. My head swims with the memories from over a decade ago, the deal that both Edward and I had made the night before graduation. He wouldn't have remembered it like I have, even if he did and he was single, I haven't spoken to him in just under ten years. Though I would be lying if I said I hadn't fantasized about Edward crashing through my life today and sweeping me off my feet like he once had every day I was with him in high school. The good old days.
I can't help but let myself wallow in self turmoil, what else can you expect, I am still hung over the boy I was unconditionally in love with in high school twelve years ago. Charlie always said that I never changed, that I will always be the type that wouldn't change, that I would stay in a routine or rut or whatever until the day I died. I guess he's right, the old man can have his wise moments.
Feeling the end of the couch sink, my eyes snap open to see Alice looking at me, she smiles softly, "Hey, why the frown?"
I fake a smile, "Nothing, I was just thinking."
"Of what?" She pushed.
"Just, stuff."
"Edward?"
I blush.
"Knew it." She smirks.
I groan, "It's completely stupid of me to though, I mean, we were never anything but friends, and I haven't even seen him in a decade and I still feel so strongly towards him…"
Alice's hand grips mine, "I have the feeling that that feeling is mutual."
"I doubt it Alice, he would have forgotten all about me by now."
"I seriously doubt that."
I hear the front door open and close, Jasper must be back, "Fine, he'll remember me as the annoying brunette that was attached to his arm throughout all of primary and high school."
"Sorry I'm late guys, here Bella, from me." Jasper passed me a metallic blue wrapped present to me, kissing my cheek in the process.
"Jasper, you really shouldn't have." I smiled shyly at him.
He sits beside Alice, his arm wrapping around her instantly, "I know, but I couldn't just not let you have anything, I'd feel horrible not getting you anything."
I start to opening it, looking up at him while doing so, "Thanks."
Once I finished unwrapping it I grin widely, it was a new copy of Wuthering Heights. Jasper spoke, "Your copy looked as if it was about to fall apart, so I figured you wouldn't be so objective."
"Thanks Jasper, it's perfect." I shift around on the couch to give him a quick hug.
Alice gets up, her hands supporting her as she does, "Come sit in the kitchen and talk so I don't burn the food."
I roll my eyes and push myself up from the couch, following the two love birds as we descend to the nicely modern kitchen. Jasper offers me a wine cooler, I refuse it, asking, "I'm fine, remember, I have to drive myself home. Why do you have alcohol in the fridge anyway?"
Ever since Alice found out she's pregnant, Jasper made a pack with her that because she isn't allowed to have alcohol than he won't drink either. So I'm mildly surprise that they have a drop in the kitchen, "It's more for first aid. You know, alcohol for any open wounds to stop infection and stuff."
"O-kay." Jasper is definitely getting more protective as the months come closer. I fear at the end of the month Alice will no longer see the light of day when Jasper starts super-gluing pillows to her small frame and a foot ball helmet to her head.
Alice pulls on Jasper's powder blue blouse, Jasper leans down as Alice whispers into his ear. I can't hear, but Jasper did respond out loud, "Soon."
"Am I missing something?" I ask suspiciously, looking back between the two.
"Nope. Dinner will be ready soon. Did you want marshmallows or M&M's on your cake?" Alice asks casually, changing the subject.
Something is definitely up, Alice normally doesn't ask me anything to do with catering, "Um, I don't know, you choose."
That answer seems to satisfy Alice, her smile grows as she continues to stir the gravy, "Jasper, honey, can you set the table."
Nodding, he swiftly kisses her forehead before opening the cupboard, grabbing out four plates. Wait, four?
I frown, confuse, "Jasper, there's only three of us here, why do you have four plates?"
He freezes, looking back at Alice with a frantic look. Before either of them can give me an answer, the door bell rung, "I'll get it."
It doesn't escape me that Jasper looks relieved as he put the plates down and rushes out of the kitchen and out of sight, "Alice?"
She turns off the element plates and picks up the gravy pot instantly, pouring the brown viscous-like liquid into the gravy boat. Putting the pot in the sink, giving it a quick rinse, she turns to me, grinning, "Your birthday present from me just showed up."
My frown continued to descend, "Alice…"
Before she could elaborate, footsteps made their way up the hall. I turn my head, only to see Jasper and another man enter the room, a huge lopsided grin consumed his pale face. His hair stood in different directions, the light making his hair look a very interesting shade of copper. His slender –yet muscular- form fitting well under a green blouse, the long sleeves rolling up to his elbows. He looks gorgeous, magnificent, model-like. My attention grows to his eyes, his emerald like eyes- I gasp.
Oh my god, it's…
"Bella." Oh, his velvet voice hasn't changed since the last time I heard the musical charms.
I can't breathe, I can't think, so I don't know how I manage, but I speak softly, wide-eyed, "Edward…"
Well, short chapter, hoped you liked it. I AM going to have longer chapters, but I could never do really long first chapters, I just had to end the first chapter here ;) lol.
Thanks for reading!
