Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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This chapter is a wee-bit short.


Chapter Two: Tea Party

Edward Cullen's POV

I try to be a nice person, I really do. But, when you have a loud, stupid pig sitting next to you, oinking in your ear all night, the niceness will not last very long.

"Edward, man, I was just trying to help," Emmett tells me for the umpteenth with a goofy-ass grin on his face.

I wanted to punch it.

"How many times do I have to tell you people, I can find a girl myself!" I say, aggravated. He laughs and goes back to scarfing the large amount of double chocolate cream cake on his saucer. A group of waiters come into the room and begin to collect the empty dessert plates.

"We would like to thank you all for coming out tonight. And we'd also like to thank you for taking part in our wedding," Alice announces from the podium, "it means so much to us. Thank you and we love you all."

"Drive home safely," Jasper chimes in.

I sigh.

Finally.

The night went well and the dinner was a success. Alice and Jasper were able to get everyone situated with their minor last-minute wedding adjustments. I was just glad that the night was over - eager to get back to my hotel room and away from my fucking crazy family and their sad attempts at playing match-maker for me.

"Bye, sweetie," Esme says while hugging me as I get ready to leave.

I hug her back and she tells me that she wants me to come to her book club meeting sometime, so she could setup a date for me with Tanya.

"Ma, you know I'm not interested-"

"Come on, sweetie, you've even said yourself that you haven't seen her in ages!"

"But-"

"Please, hun? Just go and have coffee with her! That's all I'm asking. And if you still decide that you are not interested, then you can kick her to the curb."

"I don't know..."

"Please, for me?"

I would have said no if she wasn't the woman who gave birth to me.

But she is.

Damn.

Her arms squeezed around my waist tight and she tells me to come over tomorrow and not to be late.


It doesn't take me long to drive to my parents house the next day. I know Forks like the back of my hand. When I knock on door, Esme opens its quickly and pulls me inside. She seems to be running late. Her eyes are wide and her face is flushed.

"Good, Edward, you're here!" She shoves a platter full of finger sandwiches at me.

"Take these and set them out in the living room."

I do as she asks. I put them on the coffee table just as the door bell rings.

"Edward!" Esme yells from the kitchen, "Be a dear and answer that!"

I stalk to the door and when I open it, there are five women standing there, most of them around Esme's age. They all are smiling at me weirdly as I greet them inside and show them to the living room. Esme comes in, looking more groomed and oriented with a tea kettle and teacups in hand.

"Hi girls," she says, with a pleasant smile on her face.

I try to get away to the upstairs before she can say anything to me, but my movement catches her eye and she smiles impishly at me.

"Girls, I would like you to meet my son, Edward."

I sigh and turn around with a plastered smile on my face before introducing myself.

"Hello ladies," I say to them. They all share glances and smirks with one another.

Why do women do that?

"Edward, this is Martha," she introduces, pointing her finger at the older woman, "Crystal," pointing at another, "Beth, Louise, and Mary."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," I tell them.

The younger one of the group, Louise - I think, speaks up first, "Well, Esme, it's about time you showed us your son."

She turns to face me.

"Your mother here can't shut up about you!" She smiles and winks at Esme while the others laugh.

"That's nonsense Lui! Like you don't blab about Thomas all the time," my mother retorts. Louise blushes a light pink and shakes her head back and forth.

I don't even want to know.

"So Esme tells us you're a doctor?" The one with the familiar shade of strawberry blond hair asks.

"Yes, that is correct. I'm an ER surgeon."

"Oh, that must be exciting."

I hate small talk.

"It truly is."

Noticing the small breach in the conversation, Esme hurriedly added in, "So, Mary, how is your daughter doing?"

Damnit.

"Oh, Tanya? She's doing fine. She just finished up school, trying to decide how she is going to live her life."

Esme gives me a sly look that clearly says, ha-ha-you-can't-get-out-of-this-now.

"Hmmm... that's good...," she begins. A false look of recognition adorns her face. "Hey! Weren't you two classmates, Edward?" Esme asks, feigning shock.

I clear my throat. "Urm, yes. I believe we were."

"Oh, I remember now!," she says, playing her role terribly well, "She was such a doll!"

The shock gets passed onto Mary now. "Oh! Wouldn't it be great for you two to catch up?"

"That sounds marvelous! Wouldn't it be marvelous, Edward?" Esme raises one brow, challenging me.

"Sounds great," I said weakly, trying to form a smile on my face.

Mary starts digging through her large purse. "Here, I'll give you here number."

Damn.

Why me, Lord, why me?


I got back to the hotel late in the afternoon and I dozed off almost immediately just as the first of many scenes unfold.

I see a girl, running down a dark street. I can easily tell that she is out of breath - her chest heaving up and down, a sheen of sweat is covering her forehead and collarbone.

What is she running from? I don't know.

But I do know that I've had this dream before.

Same girl.

Always faceless.

Same head full of mahogany hair.

Only this time, she's running.

I'm beginning to lose count of how many times I've waken up and went back to sleep within the time frame of four hours - only to have the same dream repeatedly, well, except for this one.

I wake up with my heading throbbing a little - the sign of an upcoming headache. I get up from the bed and head into the bathroom. The light momentarily blinds me and I keep blinking until the I can see myself in the bathroom mirror clearly. My eyes look bloodshot from the lack of sleep I've received and my hair is an unruly mess (as usual). The little white clock on the wall tells me that it's eleven forty-five at night. I groan before going back into the bedroom and getting dressed in some sweatpants and a hoodie. I snatch my cellphone and head off down the hallway to the elevator of the hotel.

Once outside, I breath in the cool air. It fills my lungs and makes me light-headed, but feels good as hell. I'm already walking down the sidewalk when I finally decide where I want to go. I can see the small sign of the 24-hour corner pharmacy a few yards away. When I enter, it smells like paper, shampoo, and something else that I can't put a name to. I notice I'm the only customer in the store.

I head down one of the aisles, passing the old Native American cashier at the counter. I scan the shelves for what I'm looking for.

All I see are various brands of eye-drops, bandages, and pills for stomachaches and menstrual cramps.

Yet, none for headaches.

How come stores never have what you're looking for? Even if it is something as simple as Tylenol.

I can feel the cashier staring at me, probably making sure I'm not shoplifting or something.

I grab a cup of their cheap coffee instead. I pay the cashier and try to ignore the evil eye he gives me.

The night air hits me again and I get reminded of how much I've missed Washington; the place is full of memories. It seemed as if life was moving way too fast. I mean, one second Alice is still nagging me to play dress-up with her and the next she's fully grown and ready to get married.

I miss the times where Alice would sneakily braid my hair while I was asleep.

Or where we all used to come home from school and Esme would be waiting at the front door with a fresh batch of peanut butter cookies.

Or when Emmett used to wear a cape around the house all day, calling himself "The Incredible Grizzly."

Oh, those were the days.

I know that life goes on and I can't stop it, but I can't help but wish I could. I love that Alice has found someone that loves her and will take good care of her, but it makes me realize that when I left Forks, I left my family, the main source of my happiness. In Chicago, people are nice enough.

But there's no one to talk to.

No one to really talk to.


Sorry for the long wait. Hope you guys still wanna stick around.

I'd love to get your opinion!