DISCLAIMER: I do not own the character concept. However I own the story in which the name lay.

RATING: M for Sexual Situations and Light Drug Use

SUMMARY: Bella Swan, eco nerd architectural designer, living far from home and not happy, recently dumped and trying to find her way. How many road blocks can there possibly be to finding your place? AH/AU

Story is told in the first person from Bella's point of view. There will be bummer parts but stick with it, I think you'll like the ending.

Please review and tell me what you think.

I started around 2:00p.m. Every 20 to 30 minutes another person would by the design office asking me "have you seen Anthony anywhere?" I suppose everyone at work had come to the conclusion that I must know Anthony's whereabouts at all times. It had become sort of public knowledge in the office that the two of us were seeing each other in off hours. Blame it on Anthony, he wasn't exactly discreet.

He was more than indiscreet, he was telling people "Oh yeah, I'll see Bella later, I'll tell her. "Got a message for Bella? I'll let her know." "Bella will be here a little late, she just had to stop by her place before coming in."

He kept bringing us up in conversation, that we were seeing each other, and he was always finding a way to mention that he would be seeing me later. It's like he wanted people to know that he was seeing me, laying claim on me.

As the 3:00 oclock meeting approached, more people came by my desk seeking Anthony. Aro, one of the engineers Anthony worked with, had come by about four or five times within an hour. "Have you seen Anthony?" He asked, "we need to talk about the meeting before it happens."

I sighed. "I haven't seen Anthony, nothing has changed. He'll be there, he doesn't miss meetings."

"Yeah, but he said that we would discuss the," I cut him off.

"Aro, I don't know where he is. But he won't miss the meeting."

"But, what if he does miss it? I really need to discuss the Sperry heat issues."

"Look, barring some disaster, Anthony will be at the meeting." I sighed. "Have you tried calling his cell?"

"I'll try again." He left the design office with his mobile in hand dialing. I looked over at Jacob's office and he smiled at me smugly and shrugged "engineers" he said and I made a disgusted face.

At about 3:00 the designers and engineers gathered in the large glass walled conference room for a brush up meeting on a home redesign for the Sperry family. At 4:00p.m. the clients were coming by to review our proposed renovations. We had about an hour to discuss the plans and get our ducks in a row because at Lawrence and Carver the designers and engineers and final architects didn't work side by side, but as satellites to each other.

Anthony was not there, the lead engineer for the project, Anthony, was not there. He didn't come. I wasn't worried, concern was not my first reaction. Curiosity yes, concern no. You never think anything of these things. I wondered where he was, but I wasn't worried.

Maybe he got held up at the printer, or lost track of time. He could have taken a nap. But, as time kept going by, he didn't come. It got to the point where everyone tried to think of reasons he wasn't there. The general concensus landed on that he was probably sick and puking and couldn't stop long enough to call the office. That actually sounded like a good option. Stomach flu made sense.

Then Jessica, L and C's slightly overweight, baby voiced receptionist came into the conference room and said "Bella, you have a call on the main line."

"Can it wait until after the meeting?" I asked.

"No. You really need to take this call." She said.

"Can you just transfer it to my cell Jessica?" I asked, then looked around the table at my coworkers "does anyone mind if I step out? This shouldn't take long." The five other people in the room shook their heads. Jessica nodded and left the room. Not a minute later my cell rang and I stood up from the conference table and walked over to the door. I picked up the line.

"This is Bella."

"Hello, Bella?" A slightly older sounding woman's voice tentatively asked on the other end of the line.

"This is she."

"Hello Bella, this is Esme Cullen, Anthony's mother."

"Yesss," I answered slowly, becoming hyper aware of how quiet the conference room was on the other side of the door. There was an air of tension and I felt as if people were trying to hear what was happening at the other end of the line. The feeling that something was not right was strong. I had never met or spoken to Anthony's parents and I could not imagine any other reason but an emergency for them to be calling me.

Esme continued "Bella, um, Anthony had an accident and we are at Saint Joes. We would really like, Carlisle, my husband, and I think that you should be here."

I glance up with my eyes through the glass towards the conference table to check if people were still watching me and caught a few of my coworkers looking at me then quickly gazing away.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, um, it seems, that um." Her voice was slow and her tone obviously being heavily controlled. She took the phone away from her face and I could hear her on the end of the line in the background asking "Carlisle, could you take the phone? Speak to her?"

"Hello, Bella?" A man with a slight british accent came onto the line. "I'm Carlisle, Anthony's father. As Esme was trying to tell you, we are at Saint Joes and we thought you would like to know that Anthony was on his bike and managed to get into an accident with a light rail and he's not doing well. We thought he'd want you to be here." His speech was broken but controlled, unable to complete a thought, he would cut off and restart at trying to get to the point. I was lost.

"Excuse me?" I said.

Carlisle repeated the important facts as if he were leaving a voice mail message. "Anthony has been in an accident, we are at Saint Josephs Hospital and um, um. We thought you would like to be here." I didn't answer, he quickly asked "do you have a mobile number?"

I let out a garbled sigh and said yes then gave him my number. He then instructed me to write down his and Nancy's number, told me where in the hospital I could find them and without asking me whether or not i was coming, ended the call with "we'll see you soon. Call us if you can't find us, we're just in the waiting room."

My brain was a fog. I lamely nodded as if he could see me and he hung up before I could find the words to say anything else. I pretended to be on the phone for a minute or so after he hung up, trying to digest what I had just been told and prepare myself to go back into the conference room. I walked back in with my head down looking at my phone, everyone was quiet. After about five tension filled seconds Jacob asked what was going on.

I started shaking my head and began stacking my papers "Anthony has been hit by a light rail. I need to go to Saint Joes." I slid my sketches and notes for the Sperry's to the space in front of Jacob then looked around at the conference room at large. "Can anyone take me to Saint Joes?"

Out of nowhere I heard Jessica call out quickly from the door way "I'll take you!" I nodded and followed her out of the conference room. She stopped by her desk on the way out and grabbed her purse and keys. Jessica then walked to the front door, her high heels clacking along the way and I fell in behind her fast stride out onto the street.

It was beautiful out, perfect June weather, no clouds. No wonder Anthony wanted to bike around today. I slid on my sunglasses and followed Jessica to the parking lot and her blue Tercel. She got in on the drivers side then reached over to unlock my door. I looked in through the window at the seat covered in papers and empty food containers. She picked up a bunch of trash and threw it in the back of the car adding a layer of stuff to the already messy back seats. I pushed what was left on the seat off onto the floor and got into the car.

I held my bag in my lap and began to pull my seatbelt across me until Jessica said "it's broken." I looked over at her and she smiled a big smile at me taking he sunglasses out of the center consol and putting them on.

"Don't worry Bella, I'm an excellent driver. Never been in an accident." She gasped and put her hand to her mouth, "oh, I'm sorry that came out wrong."

I waved my hand dismissively at her and gave a strained smile then looked out the window and watched the city pass by during the drive to the hospital, Jessica singing along to Christian radio as if she were alone in the car all along the way.

PLEASE REVEW!

The next couple chapters are going to be a little tough. There will be an Edward, but you'll have to wait and see. There is Anthony who is Edward. But then there is Edward Edward. If that makes any sense.