A/N: Okay, so I'm updating a little quicker than I thought. Hope you like where the story is headed. xxx
Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga. All characters belong to the brilliant Stephanie Meyer. I simply own the plot.
Chapter 2 - Sucker punch to the gut
BPOV
Bella awoke with nervous anticipation. Today was her big day. She stretched out her tired body, yawning. She barely got two hours of sleep last night and she felt dog tired. Her eyes were scratchy and a headache threatened dangerously. She sighed. She was sure Alice would be able to rescue her. She always had a trick up her sleeve.
Bella tugged the covers away from her body and slid her legs off the side of the bed. She caught her reflection in the mirror and cocked her head to the side, curiously appraising the creature looking back at her. Wild, tangled hair and puffy eyes were proof of the restless night she'd had. Dark circles stood out eerily as it contrasted with her pale skin. She huffed and grabbed a brush, carefully working through the matted hair to the side of her head. She hissed in pain as the hair pulled against her scalp, the tangles not budging one bit.
"Ugh." She groaned. What was the use. She might as well get into the shower and try to work through her messy hair with some conditioner.
She headed for the bathroom, yanking open the faucet. Stray droplets landed on her bare, sore feet as it ricocheted off of the glass walls. She undressed slowly as she waited for the water to warm up. She lifted her silky night gown over her head and let it fall at her feet. She pulled down her black lace panties that Alice had insisted she buy for herself. Why, she didn't know, because she'd told Alice over and over that she wouldn't need them until the wedding night. She was still a virgin of course and it wasn't as if Edward was going to see her in her underwear anyway.
Bella climbed into the shower, letting the spray from the shower head run over her head. She felt her lady bits throb as she thought about tonight. She wondered if Edward would be gentle with her as he deflowered her, or if he would take her roughly. She blushed. She wouldn't have to wait very long to find out.
Bella spied the heavy diamond on her ring finger and absently wiped tiny droplets away from the stone. She loved the ring. It was extravagant, but beautiful. A knock on the door and the impatient voice coming from Alice, made her hurry. She was going to do Bella's hair and make-up and was complaining about time constraints.
She wrapped a towel around her hair and swaddled her body in another, finding Alice sitting on the edge of her bed as she emerged from the bathroom.
"What in God's name did you do to yourself?" Alice asked in horror.
"I struggled to sleep." Bella bit out, a little irritated.
Alice sighed dramatically. "I should be able to fix it." She rolled her eyes at Bella and shook her head. The one night I expected you to get your beauty sleep, you end up staying awake all night.
Bella smiled. "Thank you. But I didn't do it on purpose."
Hours were spent on hair and make-up as Alice made sure that Bella looked like a proper Cullen bride should. To her surprise, Alice had not struggled in the least with the remnant tangles that conditioner could not sort out.
"There," Alice said. "Perfect. You can look now." She turned Bella toward the mirror.
Bella blinked. She almost didn't recognize herself. "Wow." Bella whispered, carefully touching her hair and face in amazement.
"I agree." Her mother said as she walked into the room, followed by her father. "You really look beautiful, Bella."
Her mother wasn't the nurturing, loving, emotional type at all, so this reaction toward Bella was big.
"Thank you, mom." Bella smiled up at her mother's approving face. Her father looked uncomfortable just being in the room with them.
"Mrs. Swan, would you mind helping us get Bella into her dress?"
"Not in the least." She smiled sweetly at Alice.
"Well, I'll be outside, waiting..." Her father said. It was the first words he's spoken to her. Bella nodded.
As soon as her father shut the door behind him, Bella shucked out of her fluffy white gown. She was wearing the white lace thong and strapless bra that Alice had bought for her. A shy blush crept over Bella's neck and up to her face as she stood exposed in front of her mother and Alice. This was the most naked she's ever appeared in front of anyone since she'd hit puberty.
"Such a beautiful, innocent, blushing bride." Alice smiled lovingly at Bella. Her mother and Alice took her by the arms, to steady her as she stepped into her dress.
"Vera Wang?" Her mother asked Alice.
"Of course." Alice nodded.
Bella gripped tighter onto her mother's arm as Alice pulled the bodice together at the back and buttoned it up, carefully.
"All done." Alice smiled over Bella's shoulder in front of the full length mirror, placing her cold hands soothingly on Bella's arms.
*FLASHBACK* Bella and Paul were sitting near the cliffs. Rusty was, of course, ever present. Bella was playing with her barbie and Paul with a troll. The troll, with electric green hair, waited for barbie (his bride) to walk down the 'isle'. Paul had made a wedding ring from paper, big enough to fit over barbie's hand. Rusty, playing the role of the minister, barked, to let them know that it was time to say the I do's.
Paul had once again rescued her and they had decided to come here, to the cliffs, where Bella's parents wouldn't find them. It was their new hiding place lately. Her parents had sniffled out all the rest.
"I love you, Bella. Someday I'm going to marry you. Right here, on the cliffs at sunset." He said to her as he grinned, already so charming and handsome at twelve years of age.
"I can't wait!" Bella smiled back at him.
PPOV
Paul drove off from Jared's house, where he'd spent the night after the rehearsal dinner. He still needed to gather his emotions before he surprised his mother, because that woman could read him better than anyone. She'd have known instantly that he'd been upset upon seeing the new and improved Bella. He doubted his mother would even have believed him if he told her how Bella had changed.
Paul knocked on the door to his childhood home, inspecting the worn screen door that hung seedily from it's hinges. He instantly felt bad for leaving his mother on her own to take care of the house. He knew the maintenance was too much for her to handle. He silently vowed to hunt down a good contractor to do some much needed repairs on the house.
The front door creaked open, to reveal his mother. She looked tired, but beautiful as always, with her long raven hair spilling over her shoulders. It seemed like she hadn't aged a bit. Her eyes narrowed, as if she couldn't believe the sight before her. As realization struck, her eyes widened.
"Paul?"
"Hi, mom." He grinned, closing the space between the two of them to pull her in for a hug.
"Oh, honey." She laughed joyously. "You're home!" She pulled away then, holding him at arms length, her almond shaped, hazel eyes inspecting every inch of his body. "You've grown so much. You're so tall."
"And you haven't aged a day." He replied.
"Oh, hush. That's not true." She flipped her hair over her shoulders and waved the compliment away. "But thank you, none the less."
His mother pulled him into the house and proceeded to bombard him with questions of how he's been and when he'd arrived back here. She even asked if he was going to Bella's wedding today. He affirmed, though he knew how uncomfortable he'd be between all of those snobs who'd be attending the ceremony.
"Mom, would you mind if I took a shower? I didn't get the chance to wash up at Jared's place." He tugged at his thick beard. "And I need a good shave."
"Yes, you do." His mother confirmed, nodding her head. "You look like a cave man. A very handsome one, but still."
Paul barked a laugh and his mother's eyes crinkled softly at the edges as she watched him with endearment.
"I missed you, mom." He said, his expression flitting from happy to serious.
"Oh, honey. You have no idea how much I missed you. It's been lonely. Especially since your father's passing."
Paul had briefly been back, two years ago for his father's funeral, but selfishly didn't stay long. He couldn't handle his father's passing, but he never considered how his mother was doing.
BPOV
The traditional wedding march began to play as Bella and her father made their way slowly down the isle. She placed one foot in front of the other, just like she'd practiced with Alice. There were rows upon rows of chairs seating all of the guests either side of the red carpet. White rose petals were scattered abundantly over the carpet, contrasting beautifully against the crimson.
Bella's whole body shook with nerves as she met the eyes of so many people she didn't know. They were friends or acquaintances of Edward. They smiled approvingly at her appearance. She supposed she looked like the perfect bride they had expected Edward to marry.
Bella's racing heart calmed as her eyes landed on Edward, looking handsome in his tuxedo, standing under a arch decorated thickly with orchids. White orchids, only. Finally the wedding coordinator had gotten it right. She supposed Alice had threatened to ruin her reputation in the wedding industry if she didn't do what was expected of her.
Edward looked up and into her eyes. His mouth turned up slightly at the corners. He looked uncomfortable. Bella ignored the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. She attributed his strange behavior to nerves. Yes. That's all it was. Her stressed out mind was making her paranoid. She needed to relax.
A big smile broke out over her face. She was so very close to him now. Her heart beat wildly. The day that she'd been looking forward to for months, was finally here. Soon, she would be Mrs. Edward Cullen and then they could forget about all of the wedding stress. Alice had said that he'd planned a spectacular honeymoon for them.
"Who gives this woman away?" The minister asked as Bella reached her destination in front of Edward.
"I do." Her father said and kissed her briefly on the cheek, handing her over to Edward.
He took Bella's hand and pulled her to stand next to him. He avoided her eyes, but whispered, "You look very beautiful."
Bella was vaguely aware of photos being snapped of them. Edward had paid the wedding photographer a ghastly amount of money to take the perfect pictures of them.
Everything quieted down as the minister began to speak. Bella didn't hear a word he was saying as she stared into Edward's eyes. Her stomach plummeted. Something was definitely not right. His eyes were cold and his expression was stony.
"Edward and Bella have decided to write their own vows, which they will now be reciting to each other." The minister's words brought her attention back to the here and now. "Bella." He indicated for her to begin. She smiled at the minister nervously, nodding her head. She drew a calming breath in through her nose and focused on Edward. He was finally looking her in the eye.
"Edward. The day you asked me to marry you, was the best day of my life, up until today. I promise to stay true to you. To love and support you through the good and bad times."
Edward cocked his head, observing her intently.
"I can't wait to start my life with you, as your wife." She finished and slipped a thick, platinum wedding band onto Edward's ring finger.
The minister motioned with his hand for Edward to say his vows.
"I..." Edward choked and looked up at her. "Bella, I promise-" He tried again, but the words didn't seem to come. He shook his head apologetically at her. He whispered, "I'm so sorry, Bella, but I can't do this."
There was a collective gasp from the guest, including herself, as Edward turned and rushed down the isle. Whispered words were now being exchanged between shocked guests.
Bella stood rooted to the spot, frozen and numb. This was surely just a horrible nightmare, from which she'd soon wake.
A warm hand folded around her arm, guiding her somewhere. She wasn't exactly where. She looked up into the concerned eyes of one of her good friends, Angela. She didn't say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. It was filled with sympathy. This was real, Bella realized as her mother spoke next to her.
"What did you do to cause him to walk out on you?" Her mother whispered harshly.
The fog seemed to clear from her mind as her mother's words registered with her. Bella yanked her arm away from the tight grip with which her mother now held her arm, nails digging into Bella's skin.
Her mother was a cold, heartless bitch. This was no surprise, but never had Bella imagined her mother to be this horrible.
"Mother," Bella bit back in a frigid voice, "Go fuck yourself!"
Bella turned on her heel and stormed away, putting as much distance between her and that insufferable cow of a woman that she called her mother.
A familiar pair of warm hands grabbed her by the shoulders and guided her into the reception hall, now a vision of white. Exactly what she'd wanted.
"Are you okay?" Paul asked her as soon as they were out of earshot.
PPOV
Bella's red, teary eyes scanned the room wildly. She looked a little scary. Like a mental case. Her eyebrows mashed together in a frown. Her ramrod straight body twisted around, to inspect the room. People were now starting to clear up the place.
"What are you doing?" Bella shouted at two waiters removing her cake from one of the tables. "This is my perfect day. I paid for a wedding and I will have my wedding!" She stomped over to them and yanked the cake out of their hands, forcefully placing it back on the table. "STOP CLEARING THINGS AWAY!" She roared.
"Bella." Paul soothed her. "Why don't I take you home?" He asked her softly.
"No! I'm going to have my wedding. With or without Edward." She ground out.
Her eyes widened in horror. "Music." She whispered. "Where is the music?" She called, louder this time.
"Oh, Bella." Paul whined. "For god sake, leave the music. Let me take you home." He tried again.
Bella stormed away from him toward the DJ. "Why is there no music?" She demanded. "I want music! You were paid to provide music, so get on with it." She encouraged with a wave of her hand.
The poor DJ looked frightened, and rightly so. Bella looked like she was about to lose it completely, if she hadn't already.
"There you are!" A shrill voice exclaimed loudly over the soft music that was now playing.
One of Bella's friends that he couldn't remember the name of, followed shortly on Mrs. Swan's heels, pulling her in for a quick word. Paul was glad that his hearing was sharp enough to hear what was being said.
"I'ts fine, Mrs. Swan. Let her use tonight as a way to get over this whole ordeal. It might be the only way she knows how to cope. Go home and get some rest. We'll take care of her."
Paul wanted to nod in agreement. Bella's parents needed to leave. Their unsympathetic attitude was the last thing Bella needed right now.
He focused his attention back on Bella, who had acquired a bottle of Cristal and was now greedily gulping down it's contents.
"Whoa!" Paul exclaimed. He wanted to laugh, but he didn't. She looked so comical for a moment. "Easy there, tiger." He said and took the bottle from her hand. She protested, but quieted down as he put the bottle to his own lips.
"Yay." Bella clapped her hands. "Come on," Bella motioned to Jessica and Angela, both standing near the exit with their dates, looking on in shock at the scene that was unfolding in front of their eyes. "Let's party!" Bella cheered and grabbed two more bottles of champagne from a table. She popped one with abandon, and started drinking with even more determination.
Paul chuckled. Bella spied three waitresses standing near the food table and floated over to them. "Well?" She asked, looking a little confused. "What are you waiting for? I said, let's party. Grab a drink and come dance."
The waitresses smiled at each other in excitement. Paul figured that they'd never been to a wedding this extravagant, let alone drank Cristal before.
It wasn't long before everyone was on the dance floor, dancing to upbeat music that was blaring from big black speakers. Every one had a bottle of champagne in hand and were steadily on their way to becoming severely plastered. Even the DJ - who had a tie around his head - was dancing with one of the waitresses.
Bella had her arms draped over him, swaying against his body. He should have cared that it was totally inappropriate to sport a raging boner for his ex-girlfriend, while she was so obviously grieving a failed wedding and the heartbreak of being stood up by her fianceé, but he couldn't find it in him to care. Even with mascara streaks down her cheeks, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
He dragged a good lungful of her scent up through his nostrils and hummed in appreciation. She always smelled so good. He placed his hands firmly on her hips, keeping her at a slight distance so she wouldn't tempt his body so severely.
Failed wedding or not, everyone there was having a hell of a fun time. They'd even helped Bella tear open her wedding presents at some point.
Paul was still wearing the grey oven mittens Bella had gotten as a present, while he cradled her head against his chest, swaying to a slow number.
The party continued on late into the night, until everything faded to a blur...
A/N: Please, please review guys. Let me know what you thought. xxx