Hi!

I've had a bit of a scare. My computer broke down and had to be turned in for fixing. Thankfully this little fic was still on it when I got it back.

Thanks for the reviews :)

Christmas, eight years ago

"You'll hate him," Rose told me sneering.

She was talking about Mike, the guy Bella had begun dating. We were putting together a gingerbread house that looked awful, but Esme had insisted that we'd do it for the spirit of Christmas. Funnily enough she'd gone shopping with dad just when we'd started.

"Where did they meet again?" I asked even though I knew perfectly well where they'd met.

Rose laughed.

"At college. I can't believe he even managed to get in!"

"That's not very nice," Alice scolded but she sounded hesitant.

She always tried to be diplomatic, but I felt slightly worried when she looked at me frowning.

"He's not the smartest guy you'll ever meet, but..." she trailed off grimacing.

"He's nice right?" I asked. "I mean to Bella." Right about then I managed to break a piece of gingerbread meant to serve as the frontdoor to the house. Rose laughed out loud pointing rudely at my failure. Seriously. It was impossible to believe she'd just turned twenty-one.

"Aren't you supposed to be an expert on this?" she teased.

I scowled at her. That architects weren't construction workers wasn't something I was going to point out. I found that any time I spent on Rose was unnecessary and ineffective.

"What did you say earlier, sis?" Rose asked Alice. "That he's not the smartest guy?" she snorted. "Well I guess you could call him nice but nice guys are boring."

"He's okay, Edward," Alice said looking at me and ignoring Rose. "He's not a douche. Bella likes him, that's what matters."

But she still looked worried as if she was trying to convince herself.

Bella and Mike had dated for a few months. Me being the The New Yorker as they now called me hadn't even seen a photo of him.

"You're going to hate him," Rose said stubbornly. "I mean, you're really going to hate him."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Why do you dislike him so much?" Alice sighed irritated now.

"Let's just say he would never be my boyfriend".

And he wouldn't. He was Bella's boyfriend and for that I already disliked him. I didn't know what I was expecting, but somehow I was hoping life would be more like the movies. If this was a romantic comedy or drama she'd suddenly realize I was the guy she was looking for the very minute I boarded the plane to New York city last spring.

That didn't happen. Now enter Mike and all of my illusions had gone out the window.

When he finally showed up he smiled broadly at me as if he'd just found a long lost friend. I felt bad for him then. He was obviously hoping on connecting with one of few men in the Cullen clan. I decided to try, really try and like the guy, but he ruined it all on his own.

"Eddy!" he exclaimed and his bridges were burned.

I could barely speak.

"Mike," I got out trying my best to sound excited when I felt anything but.

Bella looked absolutely delighted clasping her hands together and everything.

"You guys have a lot in common!" she said and I looked at her like "what the hell?"

It turned out we had nothing in common. Just like Rose Mike didn't seem to have a clue about architecture which was fine, really, but the problem was he seemed to be clueless about pretty much everything. Talking to him was a true pain and Bella believing we'd quickly become the best of friends left me alone with Mike for the entire evening.

When Mike finally left Rose sneered at me.

"He called you Eddy," she said.

"I know," I replied irritated.

"I told you you would hate him," she said smugly.

And for the first time Rose was right.