A/N: Just thought that I would remind the readers that SM owns everything belonging to Twilight. I, xdaisyx/daisy_belle, own the original plot for Little Liar and the Maroon 5 cd.
Other than, check out my other story (if you haven't already) - it needs some loving as well. And honestly, I am more vested in that one. Not that I don't love this one as well -

Anyways...let's see what's going on in Bella's head...


~*~
"From the moment the lights went off,
Everything had changed,
Lie awake in an empty room.
In my head, it all feels the same.
Like the taste of the day you left that still longers on
my breath." {Back at Your Door, Maroon 5}
~*~

BPOV

Three something in the morning, and I was awake. Wide awake. Argh. Everyone else was asleep and probably having the sweet dreams that had eluded me for some time.

This was how I spent most of my nights: random moments of sleep followed by long periods of being awake. I knew what it was... it was the guilt and the shame that I carried with me on a daily basis.

Jacob was next to me, snoring loudly. I hated what I was doing to him, but in a way, I was powerless to stop it. Misery loves company, after all.

Jake and I had met at the bookstore in my neighborhood back in Portland just about a year after Nessie was born. Tan skin; deep, dark eyes that a girl could lose herself in; dark hair that fell down around his jawline. A sure smile accompanied his demeanor. I'll admit, I was smitten, and I knew why. Jacob was Edward's polar opposite in every way.

Once Jake met Nessie, he was taken with her. From that day on, even though he knew that she wasn't his, he treated her and raised her as such. I couldn't ask for more - or at least I thought I couldn't.

"Sometimes, Bells, you have to love what's good for you," Charlie told me after I mentioned to him that Jake brought up the idea of marriage.

He had a point; Jacob was good for me and for Nessie. However, I wasn't in love with him, and I knew that I would never be, simply because my heart would remain elsewhere. Reluctantly, I agreed to marry him two years ago. Since then, I had tried to fall in love with him and be the wife that he deserved, but I just couldn't. None of this was fair to him... or me.

I rolled over onto my side for probably the hundredth time that night. I had been a distant shell since returning from the coffee shop where I literally ran into Edward. My mind had been in overdrive, I didn't touch any food that day. I didn't talk to anyone unless I had to.

When Nessie and I played Barbies this afternoon, I felt the bile in my stomach start to rise. I was looking at Edward. She had his eyes, his auburn hair, and damn it, she had that sly smile of his - and she knew how to use it. The bad thing with her smile was that it only worked on me, and not Jacob. She'd flash me that smile, and I would instantly cave.

Edward had grown into himself, that was for sure. His chiseled features were more noticeable. His hair was still the same shade and just as unruly. His eyes still drew me in like a beacon in the night. His voice still had that smooth, raspy quality that made my knees shake.

Damn him for being so handsome and breath taking. Damn me for letting him get to me the way he does without even trying. Double damn me for breaking his heart the way I had.

Regardless, it was my decision, and I knew that I would have to live with the consequences. I had pushed the guilt aside, and up until today, I could function as though nothing was wrong. It was just that today, I had seen him, and the instant he turned to walk away, the guilt came roaring back like a tidal wave.

A silent tear fell down my face. This wasn't the first time I had cried over Edward, and I was pretty sure that it wouldn't be the last.

I closed my eyes and tried to get some more sleep, if only just a few minutes. The blackness slowly crept in, and the last thing that ran through my mind was Edward's voice.

"I love you, Bella. Today. Yesterday. Tomorrow. Forever and eternity."

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder, urging me to wake up. "Wake up, Hun. Wake up."

It was Jacob. I groaned, silently cursing the fact that it wasn't Edward.

What would it be like to wake up to him every morning? Would we fall asleep in each other's arms completely spent after a night of making love?

I shook my head, dismissing the thoughts before they could get anymore detailed and wishful. The last thing I needed was to walk around sexually pining over a man that was no longer mine. I had my family and a good man to love me, so why couldn't I be happy?

"Morning," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hands.

"Morning, sunshine." Jake grinned before pressing his lips to my forehead in a chaste kiss.

I finally got up and made my way to the shower. I washed slowly, trying to regain my missing facade. I had to put on a brave face no matter how bad I was crumbling inside.

After dressing in a pair of denim capris and a t-shirt, I went down to the kitchen. Jacob was sitting at the table, looking over the newspaper, and Nessie was sitting across from him, crayon in hand.

"Look at my pitchure, mommy. It pretty?"

"Very pretty, just like you, Nessie," I greeted her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Bella, honey, I think I hear your phone." Jacob broke the growing silence, glancing up at me.

My heart sped up before it dropped to my stomach. Could it be him? Would he really call?

"Hello?" I answered tentatively, after glancing at the unfamilar number on the screen.

"Bella?"

Oh God! Oh my God! Oh my fucking God!

I would recognize that silky voice anywhere... it was Edward. He had gotten my email and was now calling me.

Breathe Bella, breathe.

"This is Bella, yes," I answered somewhat professionally, making my way to the other room so that Jacob couldn't over hear.

"Hey, it's Edward."

"Oh hi, how are you?"

"I'm good, just at work. How are you?"

"I'm good," I replied with a shaky voice.

"The reason I called - well - I was wondering what you were, um, doing for lunch this afternoon?"

This was the point where if I wasn't a grown adult, I would have been jumping up and down screaming at the top of my lungs. Edward Cullen, my high school sweetheart, was on my phone asking me on a lunch date.

"I don't think that I have anything planned."

"Would you like to maybe have lunch with me, say around one o'clock?"

"That actually sounds like fun. Where should I meet you?" I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm assuming that you're staying in the area, correct?"

"Yeah. 1202 Millsap."

"Oh, okay. How about Logan's? It's deli. Maybe we could get a sandwich to go and head to the park? The rain is supposed to hold out."

"I'd like that. Just make sure you send me directions."

"I'll do that."

"Okay."

"Oh, and Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"It was nice to see you yesterday." I could hear a smile in his voice. A sudden surge of hope went through me.

Why was I happy that he was smiling because of me? I'm married, unhappily married, but married.

"You too."

The phone went dead without so much as a goodbye. I stared at the phone, dumbfounded. I had a lunch date with Edward Cullen in three and a half hours. The only problem was coming up with something to tell Jacob, because I was sure admitting to my husband that I had a lunch date with my high school sweetheart, the father of my child, would go over like a lead balloon in a wind storm.

EPOV

I stared at that one worded email for hours, probably. Charlie had started emailing me out of the blue... and then Bella shows up, out of the blue. There was something a little off about all this. Right then, I just wasn't going to press because the bottom line was that after all these years and countless wishes, Bella was back.

I had to show her that I still loved her and wanted to be with her. The past, well, it was just that - the past. I was ready to move on as long as moving on included her.

Night came too slowly for me. All I wanted was to fall asleep so that I could see her... her hair and the way it danced in the slight wind from today. To hear the sweet tone of her voice as she spoke my name.

"G'night Bella," I mummured from behind heavy eyes.

When my alarm sounded at six forty-five the next morning, I awoke feeling strangely chipper. I showered and dressed for work, grabbing my messenger bag, an apple, and a bottle of water from the kitchen, and made my way to work. Nothing could bring me down. Or at least right then it couldn't.

"Edward, man, David wants to see you," Jasper alerted me when I passed by his office on the way to mine.

David Atkinson was the man in charge of the whole operation that was Seattle Teen Home. He was my boss. I didn't have a doubt that this was because of my absence from yesterday. I would just have to fib my way out of it.

What's a good story... Death in the family? Sick? Speeding ticket?

I knocked on the door. "Come in."

I walked in. The room was silent, and I could hear the rushing of my blood in my ears. I was nervous, and I had a right to be; after all this could have been the end of my job.

"Ah, Mr. Cullen." My boss acknowledged my presence.

I nodded and took a seat in the leather seat positioned directly across from him.

"Let's cut to the chase, Edward. Where were you yesterday?" He eyed me, folding his hands on his desk top.

I swallowed hard. "I had a family matter come up that demanded my attention," I lied, hoping that he wouldn't press the issue.

"Why didn't you let anyone know that you wouldn't be able to come in yesterday morning?"

Shit. Damn. CRAP! Think, Edward, think.

"I was in the hospital all day, yesterday. I apologize. I know that I should have gotten in touch with someone, but my attention was somewhere else." I hung my head, praying that he would fall for my act.

"I understand, and I know that you are a valuable asset here. I just want to remind you that you need to be aware of the attendance policy, and that if you are going to be absent from work, you are responsible for notifying someone."

I nodded weakly. "Yes sir, Mr. Atkinson. Is that all you needed to see me about? I have a lot of paperwork I need to get started on."

"Paperwork isn't going to do itself, so I guess we are done here." He smiled slightly, indicating that I wasn't in any trouble at all.

I walked back to my office, only to see Jasper propped up against my door frame. I hadn't been in the office for very long, and already I was having a nice little chit chat with everyone. Ugh.

I ran my hand through my hair. "I'm guessing you wanna know what David wanted, don't you?"

"What gave you that idea, Eddie boy?" He smiled, a sign that I was indeed right.

"Long story, Jazzy, long story. A story which happens to include the infamous Bella. A story that I don't have to go into right now."

He stood still, his mouth opened in slow motion, and his eyes turned into saucers.

I closed my door with Jasper still standing on the other side; I had to get to work if I wanted to be able to get out of here for lunch.

Around ten, I picked up the phone to call Bella. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. After two rings, her voice greeted me, and I couldn't help but smile. Ten minutes later, she had agreed to meet me for lunch.

Now, that I had something to look forward to at lunch, I threw myself into sorting out my paperwork and making several calls. As the time inched ever closer, I noticed that I was becoming more and more impatient and nervous. If she only knew that she had me wrapped around her little finger. Well, maybe not; that would be rather dangerous.

I wrapped up work for lunch fifteen minutes early. I sent Bella a text with the directions to the deli where we had planned to meet. I only hoped that she would be okay with what I had planned, and if not, she could at least be a good sport about it.

Right?

I got into my car while a goofy grin overtook my face at the very idea of being able to see her again.

I couldn't be falling for her again, could I? I mean I didn't even know if she was single. I could only wish and pray; after all, my wishes and prayers have been answered before.