Chapter 2: The Morning After

The morning sunlight glared at Bella as she awoke with a groan. She unfolded herself from her fetal position and stretched out her sore muscles. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at her phone for the time. It was six in the morning so she reasoned that nobody should be up at this ungodly hour. Still, she listened for any sounds of movement downstairs. Feeling safe, she grabbed some clothes and quietly crept down the stairs and headed for the bathroom. She took one look at herself in the mirror and immediately flinched. Her hair was a bird's nest on her head and she looked like she was doing the walk of shame after a wild night at the club. Deeming her hair as a lost cause, she entered the shower, standing under the hot water and letting it release the tensions in her muscles. After getting out of the shower, she threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a baggy shirt and ran a brush through her still wet hair. Trying to brush through her knots, she realized her hair just wasn't having it. Giving up with a sigh, she brushed her teeth and started to head out of the bathroom. Listening for any sounds outside the door, she quietly crept out of the bathroom. Walking out in a hurry, she ran straight into a warm body and her body froze.

Looking up, she was greeted by the handsome face of Edward Cullen. He wore his square rimmed glasses in his gray t-shirt and sweats and he still looked like a model ready for a photo shoot. All Bella could think about was what Tanya told Edward last night about her pathetic love life. Deciding that he thought she was pathetic anyways, she scowled at him.

"We're always bumping into each other aren't we?" Edward joked, trying to alleviate the tension that had appeared between them.

Bella gave a terse nod and a sarcastic smile before trying to move around him towards the kitchen but Edward moved in every direction she went, blocking her path. Glaring up at him, she took a step back.

"I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot yesterday." Edward stuck his hand out towards her.

"I'm Edward Cullen."

Rolling her eyes, Bella shook his hand quickly and ignored it when she felt that small spark between them.

"I know who you are. Tanya's mentioned you enough. Her fiancé." Bella put on a snooty French accent and stuck her nose up in the air.

"I also went to school with you so I know exactly who you are." Bella once again tried to reach the kitchen, but Edward put out an arm to stop her from leaving.

"Isabella Swan right?"

Bella stared up at him with incredulity written all over her face. A small giggle threatened to escape her. Edward cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

"Is this why Tanya chose you? You're on the same intelligence wave length as her?" Bella snickered before seeing Edward's confused face.

"Don't act obtuse Cullen. It doesn't suit you." Bella pushed past him and made her way to the kitchen.

Trying to keep her insane laughter inside her, she focused on making herself some breakfast that would be fast so that she could retreat back to her room. Looking around the kitchen, she decided that cereal would be the easiest breakfast to make. She grabbed the boring healthy cereal that Tanya insisted had to be bought for her "figure". She went to get a bowl which was on the top shelf. Bella's short frame had no chance of reaching those bowls. Still, out of her stubborn personality, she stretched as far as she could to reach those bowls.

"Just a little bit more." Bella said under her breath, giving herself some encouragement.

Before she could lose her balance and potentially embarrass herself again, Edward was right there behind her, grabbing the bowl with ease.

"Looked like you needed some help there." He leaned against the counter and stared at Bella as she bustled around the kitchen trying to grab the last few ingredients for her cereal.

"Thanks." Bella muttered.

"Why are they on the top shelf anyways?" Edward asked peering at the shelf.

"There's no way you can grab them without injuring yourself or others." Edward lifted his lips in a crooked grin, engaging Bella in his soft teasing.

Bella opened her mouth to say something about Tanya's unwillingness to accommodate to others and that it was her way or the highway but she heard Tanya's high heel shoes clack down the hallway. Shrugging, Bella turned away from Edward and poured out her cereal. Edward repeated the question to Tanya and Bella felt Tanya's eyes on her back.

"Bowls are an ugly figure. They don't belong with the rest of the dishes. They should be by themselves, alone forever." Tanya's sneer reached Bella's ears and she knew it was a jab at her pathetic romantic life.

Suddenly Bella wasn't hungry anymore. Staring at the poured cereal in her bowl, she clenched her hands into fists, willing herself to be the bigger person and ignore Tanya.

"Bowls are pathetic dishes really. Always begging to be used. But their separation from others should give them a hint that without the kindness of others, they don't have anybody and they shouldn't be frolicking with other dishes. Definitely not with those dishes who are otherwise ENGAGED in other activities." Tanya continued, with each word she was moving closer to Bella, making it obvious to everybody in the room that this was no longer about bowls.

Bella's back stiffened hoping Tanya would just shut up.

"Bowls should really know better. I mean you'd think they'd learn their lesson after being unwanted so many times." Tanya's voice was right beside Bella's ear but Bella refused to be intimidated.

After a few moments of complete silence, Tanya gave a slight sigh, but her eyes narrowed, knowing that she had affected Bella in some way.

"Eddie, I have to run some errands today. Would you like to come with me?" Tanya's falsely sweet voice made Bella's teeth want to rot right off her mouth.

With her back still turned to them, Bella didn't see Edward's non verbal response. All she heard was Tanya's huff of annoyance.

"Bella!" Tanya's loud whip like voice echoed in the kitchen, causing Bella to jump and turn around to look at Tanya, avoiding Edward's gaze at all costs.

" I need you to clean my room, scrub my bathroom clean with the toothbrush, clean the kitchen again since you dirtied it, clean the bathroom upstairs, clean my trophies and medals, vacuum the basement, water the plants..." Tanya walked away from the kitchen, listing all the chores that needed to be done and Bella's eyes slowly shifted towards Edward's profile and saw his jaw clenched in anger. Bella studied his face noting a scar that was visible on his eyebrow and vaguely remembered a playground incident back when they were kids.

Edward's eyes slid over to Bella and she immediately snapped her eyes back on Tanya's retreating back with a blush painting her cheeks. Soon, realization hit that she was alone with Edward Cullen in the kitchen. Swallowing through the lump in her throat that had suddenly gathered, she glanced in Edward's general direction.

"Well I better get to it then." She cleared her throat and put her non-eaten cereal back into the box and put away all her breakfast making items.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Edward asked with his hip leaning against the counter.

"Oh no, your fiancée takes away my appetite which isn't anything unusual. Her attitude towards others should take away your sexual appetite for her. I mean it sure takes away my sexual appetite for her." Patting him lightly on the shoulder, Bella sauntered out of the room silently congratulating herself for the jab at Tanya's expense.

Reaching Tanya's master bedroom, Bella groaned when she saw the mess. While Bella's hair looked like she had a wild night out, Tanya's room looked like the place that had the wild night. Sighing, Bella started to clean and mentally prepared herself for the rest of the day.


Hope you guys like it so far! Let me know what you think!

xoxo,

cookiemander