SM owns everything. I just own the plot.

A/N:

Thanks to all the readers, especially those who made time to review!

Tnkerbella671, my beta extraordinaire and Mama23keiki, my excellent pre-reader, made this chapter all better. =)


CHAPTER TWO

BPOV

"Jane, can you just please do this for me, just this once?" I asked her exasperatedly. Jane was both Rosalie's agent and mine. She had gotten me a gig she hadn't cleared with me, and she was being difficult about it. "You never told me you scheduled something that week. I'm flying out to LA on the 13th, and that's that," I pointed out.

"Isabella…" she started to say, but I interrupted her.

"No Jane, you deal with this." My voice was serious so she wouldn't doubt I was anything but. She hadn't asked my permission when she gave them confirmation, so it was fitting she dealt with the repercussions of her actions.

"I'll just be there for 3 days, just reschedule what you need too and I will handle the rest when I get back," I ordered and didn't allow her to say anything else. "I gotta go. See you when I get back."

I was pissed that she didn't see the need to check with me first. Since it was the only time that this happened, I let it slide. I sure hope it does not happen again. I shut my phone and tossed it on top of my bed.

I had an early flight to LA tomorrow so I decided to start packing the essentials I would need for the trip. There was this party I needed to be at tonight, and I was positive it would extend into the wee hours of the morning. Sporting a hangover and sleeping through my alarm clock because I partied the night before, wasn't reason enough for me to miss my flight to LA. Planning to get away from New York this Valentine's Day was crucial as it would be insufferable. To be in the same city as him during this so-called Lovers' Holiday was unappetizing. Therefore, choosing to spend it eating and drinking at The Cavern, one of my favorite bars in the City of Angels. I was even able to coax Jasper to join me in this excursion.

The week after the break up, I spent locked away in my apartment, wasted. When I sobered up, the first thing I did was call a reporter I knew and publicly deny the romance between a Cullen heir and me. That would suffice for the time being until evidence of us not seen together would cement my statement.

The interview as expected caused quite a stir. The press kept on hounding me for more details but I stayed silent about it, already satisfied with what I had done. The remaining weeks after the interview were spent immersed in schoolwork and jobs Jane had booked for me. I would be graduating soon and that prospect excited me. I needed to focus on this so I would stop over-thinking what should or could have been between Edward and me. There would never be anything more now. Even being fucking civil to him would take a lot of effort on my part. He broke my heart more than he could ever know.

I closed my eyes and sat on the floor as the treacherous tears started to fall from my eyes. I put my face in my hands and I started to sob. I allowed the pain to take over. This was the reason why I didn't want to be alone, because that would give me a reason to wallow in self-pity. But it was also a relief that nobody saw me like this. I didn't want anybody looking at me with pity in their eyes.

I didn't know it could hurt so much. I could feel my shoulders shaking from the sobs wracking my small frame. I hugged my legs and leaned my forehead on my knees. He was the first man I gave my heart to. When I opened myself to him, I also gave him the right to have a hold on me. He was the first man outside my family that I gave that kind of power.

Oh God, he does have the power. Look at me; I'm bawling my eyes out! I raised my head and angrily wiped the tears from my ears. Damn it if I would allow him to break me. No more tears for him. No more hours thinking of him. Edward was not worth it. I would make sure I got over him. Even if I was still so much in love with him, I would make sure that he would become another insignificant man in my life. Just like my father.

Maybe it was even better this way; I had a lot of things going on right now. It was what I should be focusing on. But nothing was the same after Edward; it would never be the same. I sighed and reigned in the pain. I wouldn't allow another bout of self-pity hit me so I pushed myself up from the floor and decided to finish packing; that would keep me busy for a while.

Just then I heard my door open, and I quickly wiped away any remnants of my breakdown. I turned around and saw my sister survey my room and give me a puzzled looked.

"Bella, why are your bags packed?" she asked. "Where are you going?"

I zipped up the last of my bags before facing her, and answered, "I have an early flight to LA tomorrow. I'm gonna crash there for a while."

Rosalie owned a house in West Hollywood where we lived for almost four years. It was our home after we left Phoenix. I loved that house because it was the first home we had after Renee, and Rosalie gave me free reign to use it anytime.

She sat down on the bed and tucked her feet under her body. "Bella, why so sudden?" Her concern was reflected in her eyes.

I gave her a small smile; unable to tell her this was not sudden. I had been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now. Rosalie was so busy I hardly saw her and making it impossible for me to tell her about my plans. She might have seen right through me because she cocked her brows.

"This was not so sudden, was it?" she asked when she came to the realization. She didn't say anything else, just waited for me to say whatever I was ready to tell her.

I sighed. "I don't want to spend Valentine's here. It'll just remind me more of him," I answered. Edward and I were supposed to go to France together this Valentine's; our first ever out of town trip, or should I say out of the country trip.

It was a little over a month since the confrontation at his penthouse, and I still had difficulty putting him out of my mind; although it had been tough on me, I was resolved to get over him.

"Oh Bells, I'm so sorry," she said as she patted the bed beside her, signaling me to take our usual position when somebody needed to be comforted. I laid my head on her lap as she ran her fingers over my hair, soothing me. "I have been so busy that I wasn't here much last month when you needed me most."

I raised my head to look at her straight in the eye. "You were Ro. I felt your support in many ways." I laid my head back down and enjoyed the temporary comfort her soothing touch made. "You know I love you, Ro," I mumbled as the tears threatened to fall again. I sniffed and closed my eyes.

"I love you, B," she whispered back. She continued to stroke my hair comfortingly; however, her next words reflected her anger. "Edward Cullen is a fucking asshole and we will make him pay!"

I was imagining Rosalie messing with Edward when she saw him and I started to giggle. Her hand stilled as my giggles intensified. The next thing we knew, we were laughing so hard both of us were clutching our stomachs.

Rosalie looked at me through her long lashes as her giggles subsided, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's so good to see you laughing again," she said.

I looked at her and gave her a smile in confirmation. It really felt good to have a real laugh; it somehow managed to take away a little of the pain.

"So B, the reason I was looking for you was this," she revealed as she held an envelope I hadn't noticed before. "Angela brought this by earlier. I already read mine."

She gave it to me as she stood up. "Remember B, I'm with you no matter what your decision is." Then she walked towards the door and left me alone.

I stared at the envelope for a long time before deciding to open it. It was the same damn document Billy Black sent a couple of months earlier, but with another additional clause. My hands were shaking as I scanned every page of the document.

Goddammit! Why can't they leave it alone? I was heaving with anger as I ripped the papers in two before throwing it on the floor. Shit!

I grabbed my phone from the bed and quickly dialed my lawyer.

"Jenks," I said as he answered. "Tell Black to shove their proposal up their asses!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was half past eleven when I entered the club where a birthday party for Tanya was being held. She was a good and close personal friend of Rosalie's and mine. I couldn't say no to Tanya so I came, but only planned to stay for an hour or so.

As I made my way through the club, I saw a few familiar faces and waved at them. I reached the VIP room where Rosalie and Royce were already making out in one of the couches in the corner while Jasper was flirting with one of the models.

Tanya was sitting in one of the sofa in a corner surrounded by people I knew professionally. She gestured for me to sit beside her when she saw me. I willingly obliged since I didn't want to get stuck sitting with somebody I didn't know.

"Happy Birthday Hon," I said as I gave her one of those air kisses. "Great party by the way," I told her. She just gave me a smirk, and raised her brow.

Just as I was getting uncomfortable by her silent inquisition, she unexpectedly pulled me up beside her. I knew what she planned, so I sat right back down, planting my ass. "Let's dance girlie," she suggested, clearly in an already intoxicated buzz. She made a wiggle with her hips motioning she was ready when I was.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Hey Hon, I just got here. Let me enjoy some drinks, then I'll see you later on the dance floor, ok?"

She gave me a wink and smiled before turning around and pulling a hunky male model to the dance floor. Tanya was grinding and swaying with the music, attracting a lot of attention. Though she was intellectually challenged, she still managed to be the center of attention most of the time. She had a good heart and that was why I loved her.

I was still chuckling at Tanya's antics when I felt somebody sit down beside me. I looked up and was shocked to see the handsome face of Riley Biers smiling at me. Recovering quickly, I smiled back at him.

"Hey beautiful," he spoke with his lopsided smile, which remained on his lips. "Do you mind?"

I shook my head. I was overtly curious why he was here.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself properly, I'm Riley," he said as he extended his hand. I didn't want to be rude, so I reluctantly grasped it to shake. He seemed nice enough that I felt at ease with his presence.

"I know," I responded with a wide grin.

He was one of the most recognizable faces on screen today. Not only was his physical attributes reason for his fame, but also he was tremendously talented. If I was correct, he already received three Oscars at the age of 28. Everybody knew who he was; I sure did.

"Well, I'm Isabella," I stated while my hand was still enclosed in his as he unwaveringly looked at me.

"I know." His smile seemed to widen with that. Wait, was he flirting with me? He slowly released my hand, but he was still staring.

"So Isabella, can I get you something?" he asked in a sweet voice. When he confirmed I was drinking a martini, he signaled the nearest waiter for one.

"I'm so sorry if I'm invading your personal space," he expressed tentatively. "But I just can't let the chance of meeting you personally slide."

His smile was replaced by an expression I didn't quite understand, so I just continued to stare as though his unwavering stare wasn't unnerving. Not that it was creepy or uncomfortable, but I was not ready to go back to the dating scene. God, who said he even wanted a date with me?

I raised my brow in question, challenging him. He chuckled silently clearly surprised.

"I read the interview you did with Sports Illustrated last year," he said softly. His eyes were twinkling mischievously. I nodded my head for him to continue. "It was interesting….. and I was intrigued."

My breathing hitched. I wasn't expecting him to say that. My heart sped up because I didn't have a smart reply. He seemed like a nice guy and I didn't want to lead him on, nor did I want to offend him either. Luckily, I didn't need to do anything. Our drinks arrived and we remained silent, taking sips from our individual glasses. I avoided looking at him, instead focused my attention to the crowd of people in the room. I saw someone wave at him and he turned to face me again.

"Isabella, I need to go," he gave a long sigh before he said in a soft voice. "If you allow me to take you out sometime, it will be a pleasure." His eyes searching mine, hopeful.

My face might have shown my hesitance since he touched my arm softly and said, "Oh, I'm sorry for being so forward, maybe if I could just have your number?" He left the sentence hanging, as he stared at me, waiting for my response.

"Oh," I muttered in surprise. I took another sip before answering, "Have your assistant call mine and we'll see from there." I laughed slightly, trying to diffuse a little of the awkwardness.

He grinned before taking my hand again to give it a quick kiss. I followed my gaze as he walked towards the other end of the VIP room.

What the hell just happened? I was baffled to say the least. I was quietly sipping my martini when I felt another person sit down beside me. I almost groaned out loudly but instead I turned to glare at the person so I could really dismiss him or her. But it was only Jasper smirking at me.

"What was that all about, little bird?" he asked teasingly. I frowned at him. I knew that look. It was a look he gave when he fished for information, but really didn't want to ask out loud.

"Shut up J," I snapped at him. I didn't want to talk about it, because there was really nothing to talk about. I got the vibe Riley was interested, but I was in no way ready for that kind of thing just yet. For Christ sake, I was having a meltdown over Edward just a couple of hours ago.

I surveyed the room hoping that Jasper would take the hint and leave it alone. He didn't seem to want to push either, so he remained silent while I continued my perusal of the room. Rosalie was now talking to Jane, her boyfriend Royce nowhere to be seen. The model Jasper was flirting with earlier was trying to catch his eye, but she seemed to be failing. I turned to face Jasper to joke about it, but decided against it when I saw him scowling. He was distracted by something at the second floor of the club.

"So are you all ready and packed for our flight?" I asked, trying to get his attention.

He nodded, but his eyes didn't move from where he was looking, so I nudged him on the shoulder to break his concentration.

He was still frowning when he turned to me, but quickly masked it with a smile.

"Something wrong, J?" I observed concerned. He shook his head, and I was left to ponder what made his pretty face scowl like that. I scanned the club, but didn't see anything. However, just as my eyes passed the room situated on the second floor, the hairs on my skin stood up. I knew what it was that made Jasper frown. It was him; he was up there. Goddammit!

I started to panic. I didn't want to see him, nor did I want him to see me.

"Shit," Jasper muttered when he saw my expression. "Bella, don't fucking worry I won't let him near you."

Of course he wouldn't come near me. Besides, he didn't want anything to do with me. I was supposedly the reason for their humiliation. Well, fuck them!

I gave Jasper a reassuring smile I knew didn't reach my eyes. I knew where he was seated; in the VIP room for the owners behind those windows. Shit! I forgot Emmett was an investor at this particular club.

I willed myself not to look as I downed the remainders of my martini.

"J, I need to go," I said as I stood up quickly. My heart was pounding so fast, I thought I might faint. I turned around to say goodbye to Jasper, but he was already waiting to come with me. He threw his arm around my shoulders and led me towards the exit.

"J, why didn't you tell me?" I vented at him.

"I didn't want to upset you, okay?" He apologized. "If I can just get my hands on that asshole, I will fuck him up!"

I smiled at Jasper's protectiveness; he was like a brother I never had.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

EPOV

I was getting a headache, but fuck it if I would miss this event tonight. It had been over a month since I saw Bella, and I fucking missed her. Not that I would be saying it out loud because Edward Cullen did not do things like this for a girl. Then why are you doing this?

I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. I didn't think she would be able to resist me, even if she made it abundantly clear we were over. I was excited to come back to the states, believing she would be there with open arms as she welcomed me back.

Nobody's ever resisted me and they always came back for more. Always. However, she didn't.

At first I couldn't believe it! It was unfathomable that a girl ever resisted a Cullen; even in our worst state, nobody said no. I was in total denial, believing she would realize her mistake and come back.

Of course, I was fucking wrong again because she never showed any signs of coming back. My heart fell every hour she didn't return. It was like something inside me was missing and I couldn't put it together again whatever I did. Though I would never degrade myself to go to her.

Eventually I convinced myself that maybe it was for the best. By acknowledging the break-up, I could go back to my usual lifestyle of banging available women. Indeed, it would benefit all of us.

Why the hell were you going to this party, if not for her?

I was coerced by Emmett to come to Eclipse, a club he was an investor in. His current girl, Kate, made him attend this party. And being Emmett, if he had to endure a night with bimbos, might as well include me in it. At first I vehemently protested, but I remembered Tanya. She was Kate's sister and this was her birthday party. As a close friend of Rosalie and Bella, she would have surely have invited them. That was the reason, the sole reason, I agreed to come. This was my chance to see her again, even if it was from a safe distance. I didn't even know what I was trying to accomplish by doing this, but I knew I needed to see her! Emmett didn't even know she was the main reason I came; at least I hoped he didn't.

So here I was, in the middle of this fucking party frantically looking for any sign of her. The party started an hour ago; it was almost eleven, but I still hadn't seen as much as a glimpse of her. Rosalie was here with her boyfriend, but it didn't seem like Bella was with them.

Fuck! What the hell was I gonna do if she didn't come? Or the more important question was, what the fuck would I do if I saw her?

I was in an exclusive for the owner's only VIP room on the second floor, and I was becoming more and more agitated as the minutes ticked by without her presence. Where the hell was she?

Emmett and Seth were with me, knocking back vodka and smoking cigarettes, making small talk while waiting for Kate to make an appearance. We opted not to go downstairs and celebrate to avoid any kind of problems, or you could say, a really awkward situation between Bella and me.

We were casually observing the festivities down below when I felt my skin tingle. I knew then she just stepped into the club.

I suddenly shifted in my seat tensing up as I scanned the floor looking for her. Just then I saw a brunette make her way to the VIP room, instinctively I knew it was Bella. The pounding of my heart escalated as I saw her face. The lights illuminated her beautiful features. She was so fucking stunning. Wearing a simple navy blue dress that only reached mid thigh, her mile long legs were exposed. She never even noticed the number of men leering at her.

She smiled as she talked to Tanya, and I gasped. I missed that fucking smile. I wanted her to smile for me again.

Tanya stood up and left Bella alone on the couch. Someone suddenly occupied Tanya's seat. Now, I was balling my fist.

"Hey bro, Riley is making a move on your girl," Seth said, mocking me. I scowled at him and he backed away.

"Fucking asshole!" I roared, loud enough for the people in the room to hear me.

"But bro, she isn't yours anymore," Emmett said nonchalantly. "And it's your entire fault!"

I flew out of my chair, ready to punch him. But instead, I closed my eyes to steady my breathing. I wasn't one for throwing punches around, especially if I didn't want to expose how much the break-up affected me.

I opened my eyes and focused my attention back on Isabella. Taking a long drag of my cigarette, I saw Riley Biers take her hand and give it a kiss. Motherfucking asshole! I clenched and unclenched my fist repeatedly to prevent myself from punching the glass in front of me.

I felt somebody beside me, and I shifted my gaze to find Emmett close by. He gave me a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry bro," he said quietly. "Don't worry, it'll be alright." He gave me a pat on my back and turned around to get the server just as Kate entered the room. It looked like my actions didn't really go unnoticed by both my brother and my best friend.

Next thing I knew, Bella was stalking out of the club with Jasper holding her. Goddammit! I ran my hand through my hair in frustration and I pulled on it slightly.

"You might still get her back if you tried bro." Seth's voice cut through the silence. I whipped my head towards him. He gave me a sad smile as I tried to stare back unflinchingly, and looking like I didn't understand what the hell he meant.

"I truly don't understand why they call you a prodigy, when clearly you are so stupid at some things man," he said with a smirk, shaking his head.

I marveled at his ability to read me like an open book. Maybe that was the reason he was my best friend, because not only did he know me well, but he also called me out on my bullshit.

He came closer as he handed me another glass of whiskey. We stood in silence, him watching the events unfold on the floor down below and me contemplating moves on how to win back Isabella.


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