A lot of you are curious to see how the rest of the dinner goes, well here ya go. MaggieMay14 and smmiskimen are superstars. Risbee and Acinad816 are the best pre-readers ever.

I've mentioned before that I don't own Twlight; but at least I made them have sex. Not in this chapter though. LOL


"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." – Pablo Picasso


EPOV

Present Day - August 2011

"So, Peter… when do you officially transfer to the Seattle office," my mother, Esme, asked politely as I motioned to the waitress to bring me another drink. Yes, this evening undoubtedly appeared like it would require as many drinks as I could handle, which wouldn't be that much seeing as I was not usually a big drinker to begin with. Well, not anymore.

"I'm due to transfer at the end of the summer, but we figured we should get a jump on the move and everything. We want to make our transition is as smooth as possible." My mother nodded eagerly in response to Peter's rigid comments, but then I watched her eye Bella, who remained strangely silent. During my time with Bella, she never had the opportunity to meet my parents, though I had been sure that my mother would have adored her. Hell, she would probably still adore her; it just wouldn't be in the capacity of my girlfriend.

Though things were good, for the most part, between Bella and me during our relationship, there was just never a good time to meet the other's parents. We dated over Christmas, but Bella went to be with her father and I was with my parents at the time. Her father, Charlie, didn't venture to the city too much and my parents were always busy or traveling, it just never happened. It wasn't that I didn't want her to meet my parents, or for me to meet hers, we had even tried a few times, but nothing ever came of it all.

Of course, I never thought in my wildest dreams that Bella would be sitting here at dinner with us, let alone as the fiancée of my pompous cousin.

How in the hell had that happened? They were so drastically different and Peter was just such... an asshole. He was not Bella's type at all, but it was clear as I sat there watching her intently, that she wasn't the person I had known several years ago anymore. Had I known the real Bella or was this her? I had no idea.

"Well, you know if I can be of help, I will," my mother offered sweetly as I cringed. Esme sold real estate, and she did very well considering the economy, but helping Peter meant spending time with Bella, and the prospect of that made me green with envy. "I can always give you guys a few listings in neighborhoods that you are interested in and we can go from there."

Bella looked to Peter for a response, even though my mother had been looking at her when she spoke. All I could think was… what in the fuck? I felt like I was in some sort of weird twilight zone. Bella was never really quiet when I was with her. She also never waited for me to give a response to a question she was asked. This entire situation just made me feel completely strange, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the waitress reappeared with my drink. Emmett shot me a look of disapproval and I waived him off before I took a long pull of my Jack & Coke.

"That would be wonderful, Aunt Esme," Peter replied, seeming sincere, but I knew him better than that.

As children, Peter was literally the bane of my existence. Thankfully, we didn't spend too much time together but when we did I was always eager to get it over with as soon as possible, and Emmett agreed with me.

For as long as I could remember, Peter was always the most competitive and conceited person I had ever met. If we were playing a board game, he would always make up rules so that he would win or if we were watching TV, we would always have to watch what he wanted to watch. My mother was always telling us to behave because he was usually our guest and we had to bend to Peter's way. It sucked, because Peter was always smug as fuck whenever Emmett and I had to give up whatever it was that we wanted. Even now, Peter looked over confident and I wanted to punch him, though I had never thrown a punch in my life.

"Why don't you give me your details and I can email you our information and what we are looking for, our price range etc… and we can go from there?"

"Wonderful idea, Peter," my mother gushed, as our appetizers and salads were served and I noticed Bella take a long sip from her wine. Her silence was seriously disconcerting to me. "So, Bella… what is it that you do?"

"Bella used to be a legal assistant at my firm," Peter chimed in as my mother's eyes flitted between Bella and Peter, her concern mirroring my own. A legal assistant? What the fuck happened to her poetry?

"Does Bella not speak?" Emmett asked rather rudely, though he was trying to be humorous. He was asking exactly what I was thinking. I gave him a small smile and speared some salad with my fork aggressively. "Nothing against you, Bella. You seem like a lovely woman, quiet the opposite of who we expected Peter to end up with for the rest of his life, but you haven't said two words since we sat down at the table over thirty minutes ago."

"Emmett," my mother chastised as Emmett held up his hands in frustration.

"If Rosalie was here tonight she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. Bella is like the antithesis of every female I've ever met," Emmett replied as we both broke out into a laugh. He was right; his wife was a talkative thing and she never shut the hell up when you got her going, especially if the topic was something she was really vocal about.

"Perhaps you need to set Rosalie straight on a few things, Emmett," Peter said snidely, as Emmett narrowed his eyes on Peter and let out a low growl.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Bella can speak her mind if she wants to."

"Enough," Bella said simply as I watched while she gripped Peter's forearm tightly. "I can speak for myself just fine, Emmett. However, the questions your mother was asking I didn't have the answers to. Peter is heading up our move to Seattle, not me." Peter nodded at Bella and she gave him a small smile but I was fucking angry.

"Wow, what was that like… three sentences?" Emmett smiled at Bella, but she looked nervous around him. Perhaps she was wondering if Emmett knew about her and I, and she was waiting for the other shoe to drop – for Emmett to come out and drop her secret. Luckily for her, though Emmett knew of her, he had never seen a picture or painting of her.

"Emmett, you are being a rude asshole and it's getting tiring," Peter replied, trying to sound manly but instead sounding like a douche.

"You know what else is tiring? Your self-important attitude. You've only had it since the day you were hatched and it's getting boring as fuck. I can't understand how someone, anyone, can put up with your shit on a daily basis."

"That's rich coming from you, Em." As much as I was thrilled that Emmett was getting his frustrations with Peter off his chest, dinner was becoming a little more awkward than I could handle.

Especially when I had to watch Bella lean into Peter and whisper something to him that made him laugh and then ignore Emmett completely. I was unnerved at her behavior, so I unceremoniously pushed my chair back from the table and stood up.

"Excuse me for a moment," I said gruffly.

Okay, so I probably needed more than a moment, but I had to get the hell away from that table. I headed through the throngs of people in the busy restaurant as though I was on a mission, and the moment I stepped outside, I felt like I could finally breathe.

I turned the corner of the building and rested my back and head against the brick wall as I struggled to get my bearings. It had been far too long since I had seen Bella, but never in my wildest dreams did I think when I saw her again she would be so drastically different.

The first few times I dreamed of her I pictured her in my studio, naked and wanting. Those dreams turned quickly into vivid nightmares when I finally came to terms with the fact that she wasn't coming back. At first in each dream, I would be reaching out to Bella and she would disappear. These dreams gradually turned into images of her running away from me. There was never any talking on her part, just looks of sadness and determination before she disappeared completely from my mind. I hadn't dreamed of her in a while, but I could tell that wasn't going to last thanks to the resurgence of her in my life.

I fumbled as I reached into my pocket to pull out my cigarettes, my only vice these days, besides my newfound drinking habit, and dropped them onto the ground with a loud groan. As I bent down to get them, I noticed a shadow cross in front of me and looked up a bit to see a small tattoo, one I had painstakingly designed, on the right ankle of the woman in front of me. I tentatively stood up and came face to face with a remorseful looking Bella.

"I didn't know," she whispered under her breath as my eyes grew wide.

"You didn't know what? And he's not here you know, so you can actually speak your mind."

"I can speak my mind around Peter, too," Bella replied, but I could sense she was hesitant. The words coming from her mouth certainly didn't match her actions. Even standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant with me, her fingers awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her dress and her eyes darted around nervously. She obviously didn't want to get caught, and that thought concerned me, even though it shouldn't have. She was the one who left me. "He thinks I went to the bathroom, but I just wanted to reassure you that I had no idea that you and Peter were related, let alone that we would be meeting you for dinner tonight."

"He never mentioned his dipshit cousin Edward who had royally fucked up his life in the past few years?" I questioned, coldly.

"Peter had mentioned a cousin named Edward, but I figured it was a common name. Anyways, we lived in Chicago; I never once thought it could be you. This was all just a coincidence of the most awkward variety."

"So you moved to Chicago, huh?"

"Yeah, four years ago." That meant she spent at least a year somewhere, after she left me and before leaving for Chicago. Bella gave me a little information, but it only left me with more questions. "Believe me, if I had known, I wouldn't have come here tonight."

"Okay, I believe you," I replied coolly. Sure, my mother would be disappointed in me for how I was reacting to her, but Bella left me all those years ago and I would be damned if I would give her the satisfaction of rattling me.

"You don't need to be so cold, Edward."

"Does Peter know...?"

"Does he know of our past?" she finished for me, as she shook her head slowly. "Is it wrong of me to say you look good; more mature?"

"Yes, it's wrong. You can't just come in here, engaged to someone else... someone I fucking hate more than anyone or anything in this world, and tell me I look good. That's not how this shit happens."

"I'm at a loss for words and completely confused, Edward. I never, in a million years, thought I would see you again and when Peter mentioned moving here I tried to talk him out of it, I really did. He just doesn't listen to reason."

"Well, that must suck for you."

"You look older, but you certainly haven't grown up much. You don't have to act like a child."

"Fuck you," I replied angrily. "You've turned from the bright, vibrant woman I fell in love with to a fucking Stepford wife. You don't get to insult me, Bella. You left me for fucks sake; it wasn't the other way around."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's obvious I would have grown to dislike the person you turned into. We would have never made it." I knew it was a blatant lie, but she didn't need to know that. Plus, I had succeeded in hurting her, because she looked devastated at my words.

"Do you still paint?"

"No."

"Did I..."

"Did you ruin me? Would it make a difference if I said yes? If I said I stopped painting the day you left me in the lurch and turned my world upside down? What would it change, Bella?"

"Nothing," she said as she bent her head forward, seemingly upset. Five years ago I would have tilted her chin up and kissed her softly, telling her that everything would be just fine, but now... it was anything but. An unexpected meeting with my past had turned my entire universe on its axis.

"Right... it would change nothing. I don't paint anymore, so let's just leave it at that. Lord knows Peter wouldn't want to hear that you inspired my art for the longest time and were my muse... or that I had you before he did."

"I'm not going to tell him and I'm begging you not to either, please. We will head back to Chicago in a few days and I will do my best to stay away from you once we've moved here, I promise."

My heart lurched, even more so than it did when I first saw her at the table talking intimately with my cousin. "No more promises. You don't keep them very well."

"I'm trying here, Edward, but I have no idea what to do. Seeing you again is..." Bella paused and I noticed her eyes move around again before glancing at her watch. "It was unexpected, but not unwelcome."

With that, Bella walked quickly back into the restaurant, leaving me completely baffled. 'Not unwelcome'? What does that even mean? She's glad she saw me? Thrilled she had a chance to rip out my heart yet again since she's engaged to be married to the person I loathe the most in the entire world?

I heard the hard thud of the door as it closed behind her and I quickly lit a cigarette, my hand shaking the entire time I stood there smoking.

A couple walked out a few moments later, his arm around her shoulder possessively, as they giggled and smiled brightly, making their way past me towards one of the many shops in the pretentious neighborhood. I tossed my smoke to the ground and rubbed it out with my shoe before heading inside, my blood practically boiling.

When I got there, I didn't sit. Instead, I reached over and downed my latest drink before looking towards my mother sullenly, as I threw some random bills down on the table. "That's for my drinks. I'm sorry, but I can't stay."

"Edward, it's rude of you to up and leave like this," my mother exclaimed as I felt the eyes of everyone at the table on me. "We're celebrating."

"I have nothing to celebrate," I mumbled as Emmett grabbed my arm and looked at me fiercely, asking if I was all right. "I'm fine. I just need to go. I'm sorry mom... everyone."

I didn't look up at Bella or Peter as I made my way from our table and headed outside once again. In the few minutes since I had stepped into the restaurant, it had begun to rain gently outside, so I ran to my car and once inside, I felt a huge sense of relief wash over me. Being within 50 feet, let alone five feet, of Bella was killing me.

On my way back to my apartment, I stopped at the local liquor store and bought various bottles of Jack and Jim to keep me company, along with another pack of smokes. The moment I walked in the front door, I grabbed the Jack from the brown paper bag and quickly twisted the top off, taking a big swig of the burning amber liquid as I stalked down the hallway to my bedroom.

I knew exactly what I was looking for and I was clearly glutton for punishment as I pushed open the closet door with such force it came off its rails. Bloody stupid sliding doors. I took another pull from the bottle before setting it down on my dresser and then forcing apart all my clothes to see the huge canvas hidden in the back that I was looking for.

"You are a fucking idiot, Edward," I said aloud to myself as I paced nervously outside the door, contemplating whether or not to reach in and grasp my past even more fully than I had been forced to earlier in the evening.

With a few more drinks of liquid courage, and two smokes, I awkwardly pulled the canvas from behind my overloaded piles of shit and propped it up against the wall across from my bed. I sat down and just stared at it as I drank more and more of the bottle clutched precariously in my hand.

I could remember with clarity the exact moment I reached for the first glob of paint to start the unfinished work in front of me. Bella had been fast asleep on our settee in the loft, following what could only be described as the most mind blowing and emotional sex of my life. She looked beautiful, practically ethereal, with the light coming in from the windows around her as she slept peacefully.

It was at that moment, with my paint-covered brush in my hand that I knew I was in love with her. Hell, I had probably known it, albeit subconsciously, from the moment she took off her clothes in the loft when she came over to meet me. It was also at that moment that I knew that I would always be hopelessly and uncompromisingly in love with Isabella Swan.

On this evening, I had proved this fact to a tee. I tried not to let her get under my skin, but she did. I wanted to act cool and aloof and instead I came off like I was an emotional wreck. I was sure I would get a call from my mother the next day complaining about my abrupt departure, but I couldn't find it in me to care. There was just no way I could sit across from Bella any longer and pretend like I didn't know her and that she didn't own a huge part of my heart still.

Just as I finished off the bottle of Jack, and my fourth smoke, I heard the front door open and the hard footsteps of my brother, the only person with a key, come down the hall. "You better have a good excuse for bailing on all of us tonight. Mom is on the warpath and dinner was so fucking awkward after you left. Not that it wasn't already awkward, but you know what I mean," Emmett rambled as he peeked his head into my room and glanced nervously between me and the canvas.

"Are you... working?"

"No."

"Then what in the hell are you doing and why did you leave the dinner from hell?" He walked further into the room and stood beside my bed, glancing at the painting as he sucked in a deep breath. "Oh fuck."