A/N: Welcome back everyone! We're really excited about the positive response to this story, and you've all been really patient as we slowly reveal what's happening. More pieces of the puzzle lie ahead...

Thanks to our pre-readers, Caz, Keye and Sandy, for their invaluable input and friendship. To the best beta in the West, Jess (jkane180), a huge collection of Damon pOrn. Mwah!

Chapter 3

~Help~

~*Bella*~

It's nearly time. I've come all this way, and I can't allow cold feet to get the better of me. If Edward marries Tanya, I know it will be for good—Edward is a forever kind of guy. Instinctively, I know that finding out the truth after the nuptials will render any claim I might have on him null and void. This is it; my one and only chance to right the wrongs of the past four years. A shudder runs through me at the thought that if Mike hadn't 'fessed up, I might never have known the truth. My life lost much of its color when Edward turned away from me; I've been living a sepia-toned life, just going through the motions, and hadn't fully realized it until fairly recently.

Peeking around the corner, I see the coast is clear. I hurry to the front steps of the little white church, and I ask God's forgiveness for what I'm about to do. My heels make sharp clicks on the stone steps, and I grasp the ornate, brushed metal handle of one of the huge wooden doors and pull it open. Easing inside, the atmosphere transforms as a pressurized hush settles over my body when the door swings closed. I look around the dimly lit vestibule, and this place feels holy. Again, I fear angering God because I'm about to throw His house into disarray with my very presence. The intricate, dark woodwork and stained glass is so beautiful, and I wish I had time to fully appreciate it, but time is of the essence. I step forward, and my heels click on the slate floor, throwing echoes all around me; I'm immediately reminded of the 'Tell-Tale Heart' and feel exposed even though there's nobody here to see me.

Organ music starts to play, and I know the time is near. I approach the double doors to the inner sanctuary of the church, pulling one open a crack so I can see inside. It's beautiful, with rich, dark wooden pews, soft, butter-yellow walls and a magnificent, yet understated, altar. There are filmy, white gossamer bows on the end of each pew going up the center aisle, and a white runner has been laid out for the bride to travel down as she moves toward her beloved. Too bad this bride is a phony, and if I have my say, she will never touch Edward Cullen again after this day.

The groomsmen file out of a side door next to the altar, and my breath catches as I see Edward in all his finery. He makes such a handsome groom, and my heart clenches painfully as he smiles at someone. That lopsided smile has haunted me for the past four years, and it will continue to do so for the rest of my days... I just hope it will turn my way at some point—that he won't hate me for this. Edward shivers, and he looks straight at me... his green eyes are blazing in their intensity, and I gasp, afraid he's spotted me. But no; I'm peeking through a crack in the door, and there's no way he can see me. Yet he continues to stare at the doors, and then I see a wistful look come over his face, almost sad, before he shakes his head slightly and turns to answer something Emmett whispers in his ear.

I debate whether I should just stay where I am until it's time or if I should sit in the back and try to blend in with the crowd. I'm exposed here, and if someone should walk in, they can't miss me standing around like a Peeping Tom. Looking to the left, I see last pew has a few seats left. There's an elderly couple that I don't recognize sitting three quarters of the way down the row. I wonder how to get there without Edward or someone else in the bridal party seeing me. I investigate another door all the way at the end of the vestibule that leads to a coat check room, which has another door on the opposite end. Opening the door a crack, I peer out into a long hallway with several doors along the left side, but only one door to the right. I suspect the hall leads to the bridal rooms, and the single door will lead into the church sanctuary. The door is open a few inches, and I hear organ music coming from beyond it as I get closer. Peeking out, I see that it's only a few feet from where I am to the seat I was hoping to snag. At that moment, a latecomer opens the center doors, heading off to the right, and as everyone's eyes turn their way, I slide quickly into the pew. The elderly woman smiles at me, and I blush as I return her greeting. She probably assumes that I'm blushing for slipping in late, but she has no idea what's really going to happen here today.

The organ music stops, and the silence in the church is almost deafening. There's a feeling of expectancy in the air, and after another minute or so the organist begins playing Pachelbel. All eyes are riveted on a door to the right rear of the church as the bridesmaids slowly make their way across the back row and start their walk up the center aisle. I don't recognize the first few girls, with the exception of Kate, but they're reminiscent of Tanya—pretty, painted Barbie dolls that look like they stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. The last one to come out takes me by surprise; she's much shorter than the rest, and her hair is jet black. Like Edward's, her hair has a mind of its own, and she's always gone with it. Alice Cullen still sports the short, spiky, pixie-like 'do that's always suited her so well; the only addition is the jewel-encrusted barrettes that sweep her hair back over each ear. Alice was always kind to me, even after my falling out with Edward, and several times it seemed as though she wanted to say something to me about him, but she never did. I do recall the scathing looks she had for Tanya when she thought nobody was watching, though.

I'm so lost in my reverie that it takes me a few seconds to realize I'm making eye contact with Alice. She looks straight at me without surprise, almost as if she's been expecting me, and a small smile tugs at her lips. Adrenaline shoots through my veins, and my heart begins to pound wildly—so hard that I'm sure those around me will hear it. Alice's gaze captures mine for another beat as she rounds the back row to walk up the center aisle, and just before the spell is broken, she winks at me. I know it's ridiculous, but I feel as though somehow she knows exactly why I'm here, and she approves.

Once the bridesmaids reach the altar and take their places, the organ music segues into The Wedding March with a flourish. The entire congregation of family and friends stands, and I stand with them, grateful for the coverage that a few tall people in the aisles in front of me provide. Everyone's eyes are now riveted on the door the bridesmaids entered from, and there's a collective sigh as Tanya appears in the doorway, escorted by a handsome man that looks almost too young to be her father. Tanya preens as she steps forward, basking in the adulation of everyone's eyes on her. If I was the bride, my eyes would be seeking out only one thing—Edward.

Tanya does the typical bridal walk up the aisle until she's standing before Reverend Weber, Angela's father. Regret fills me when I think of Angela—she was a good friend to me, but when I left for Florida, I wrote her off along with everyone else from Forks, with the exception of Mike. I thought a clean break was what I needed to move on and have a life without any reminders of Edward. I was thwarted at every turn because so many things seemed to remind me of him. The worst was when I was out in public and saw someone that sauntered like Edward did, maybe wearing a leather jacket like the one he always wore, and my heart would beat double-time until I realized it wasn't him—then my heart would just ache. It was after one of these times that I finally decided that what I was doing wasn't fair to Mike. I didn't love Mike; I couldn't make a commitment to him. My heart belonged to Edward Cullen, and I feared it always would. As Reverend Weber's voice began to drone on, I lost myself in the memory of how I came to find out the truth...

One hot summer night, I waited in the darkness of the front porch for Mike. He was whistling as he came up the front walk, and he nearly went right past without noticing me. As he fitted the key into the lock, his head suddenly turned my way. "Bella? Is that you, hon?"

"Yeah." My heart was heavy, and I felt a lump form in my throat. How was I supposed to hurt Mike this way?

Mike trudged over and fell onto the glider beside me, tossing an arm around my shoulders. "What's up? Why're you sitting out here in the dark?"

"Mike... I, uh – we need to talk."

"Shit, this sounds serious."

"It is." I took his hand in mine, turning toward him slightly. "Mike, I've tried to have a life here, and you've been so very good to me – " I faltered, looking down at our joined hands.

"But?"

"What I'm doing isn't fair to you. I like you—I really do—but I don't love you. My heart belongs to someone else."

"You're cheating on me?" Mike's voice registered shock.

"No! God, no, Mike. I would never do something like that. It's nobody around here."

"Someone back in Forks," Mike stated flatly. There was no question in his tone, and I think he probably knew who I was referring to.

"Yes. It doesn't matter because he doesn't love me, but unless I get over him, I just can't be with anyone else. Please understand, Mike; you don't deserve that."

Pulling away from me, Mike dropped his head into his hands with a deep sigh. "Yeah, I do."

"No! Mike, you're a wonderful guy – "

"Stop it! Just stop." Mike held a hand up as though to ward off my words. "Bella, I have something to tell you, too."

"What is it?"

"Four years ago, I did something horrible—unforgivable. I knew it was wrong, but I went along with it anyway because of my feelings for you. She convinced me that it would all work out in the end… that you would fall in love with me once you were away from... him."

I gasped, starting to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "No. Please, Mike, no."

"I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am. Maybe I can help you now though, Bella. Come inside with me." Mike got up, grabbing my hand and tugging me to my feet. In shock, I followed him up to our second floor apartment where he proceeded to rummage around in his closet. "Got it!" he yelled out, holding something up in the air.

Mike took my hand in his and placed a small recorder in my palm. His blue eyes met mine, and they were full of remorse and self-loathing.

"Mike, what's this?"

He leaned in close and placed a kiss on my cheek. Keeping his face alongside mine, he whispered in my ear, "Proof."

~SN~

~*Edward*~

I'm not sure whether that memory is really any happier than the one before it. It is, I tell myself. It may not be the happiest memory in my arsenal, but it's definitely better than watching Bella watch me kiss Tanya at school after the party. The wedding planner waltzes into the room again. I can't help but wonder if she has anything else to do. Surely there are other people for her to irritate today. I sigh again. It feels like all I'm doing today is sighing. "It's show time, gentlemen," the planner sings, clapping twice to get our attention, as if there's any ignoring her. She has a presence like no other woman I've ever come in contact with. Her voice grates on my nerves as I watch her flit from man to man, straightening ties and patting backs, declaring each of my groomsmen 'ready to go.' She sends them to line up by the door like children.

I'm the last one she approaches. "Looks like you finally decided to get dressed, and just in the nick of time," she says.

"Yeah," I mutter.

Just like my friends and brother before me, she straightens my tie, gives me a once over, and approves of my appearance. It's a good thing she does because I feel like I might just strangle her if she gives me any grief. When I join my groomsmen, the woman stands before us, giving final instructions. "All right, guys, here's how this is going to work. You'll all gather in the Reverend's office, which, as you know, has a door leading directly onto the platform. The music will start, and the five of you plus Reverend Weber will file onto the stage. The bridesmaids will enter from the back, just like in rehearsal last night, and then, finally, Tanya will join you. From there, it should be smooth sailing. Edward, all you have to do is what the Reverend instructs you to do. You barely even have to think." She laughs at herself as if she's just told the funniest joke in the history of the world. When no one else joins her, she sobers quickly and leads us to the Reverend's office.

He's there waiting for us; according to the clock on the wall, we have two minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to begin. The Reverend reaches out and offers me his hand and a greeting. "How are you, Edward? Ready to take the biggest step of your life?"

His words catch me off guard. I knew I was making a commitment, and one I didn't intend to break. I wouldn't have asked Tanya to marry me a year ago if I hadn't been sure of my ability to keep the vows we would make today. At the same time, I still wish he hadn't used the term 'the biggest step.' I'm not sure it applies here. I think the biggest step was turning my back on Bella, not letting her explain herself when she implored me to in high school biology class. The biggest step was promising myself I'd never look in her eyes again, and then keeping that promise, even though it felt like I had a hole punched in my chest every time I avoided her. And the biggest step of all was moving to New Hampshire and going to Dartmouth when I knew Bella was moving to Florida. Marrying Tanya today will feel like small potatoes compared to losing Bella.

I don't tell Reverend Weber any of this. Instead, I shake his hand and say, "Yes, sir, I am."

"You're a good man, Edward. I don't see many as young as you that I'm comfortable marrying. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and I know that this commitment is one you intend to keep. I'm honored that you've come here to make it."

"Thank you, sir."

The wedding planner from hell returns and informs us that the organ music will be starting in about ten seconds. It's time. My time is up.

My three groomsmen file onto the stage, followed by my best man and brother, Emmett. I walk close behind him, and Reverend Weber is right behind me. We all take our positions, which have been marked on the floor for us using small scraps of masking tape. There are matching pieces on the other side of the stage, waiting for Tanya's bridesmaids to take their places. I look out at the crowd, and recognize several friends from high school—people I haven't seen in four years. Tyler Crowley and Jessica Stanley are sitting together in the third row back, and I smile at them. I remember hearing that they took the plunge a few months ago and married each other. They invited Tanya and me to the wedding, but she didn't wanted to make the trip home, and I didn't want to leave her alone three thousand miles away from me. I smile at them, glad they've made it here today. I look forward to talking to them at the reception later.

Something catches my eye; the door in the back of the room is ajar. I gaze at the crack between the doors, and my heart stops. There's a single brown eye staring at me through it. But that's not possible. I continue to stare, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing, and I can't. I feel my eyes narrow at the slit in the door, and there's only one word in my mind: Bella. But like the brown hair I imagined outside earlier, I know I must be imagining this eye. My heart clenches as I realize just how much I miss her. I shake my head slightly and force myself back to the present. Emmett leans in close to me and whispers, "You haven't said the words yet, Edward. You still have time." His voice is barely audible, even to me, and his lips are practically touching my ear.

I turn my head a little, not enough to cause a commotion, just enough so that I can whisper back to my brother. "I don't though; I told you this already. I can't let Tanya down."

With the six of us men in place—my four attendants, the reverend, and me—the organist changes the tune to the one Tanya chose for her bridesmaids to walk down the aisle to—Pachelbel's Canon in D, a very traditional wedding song. Tanya wanted a traditional wedding, and since she agreed to come back to Forks to marry me—even though I knew she didn't want to—I let her have her way on every other detail of this wedding. I watch as Tanya's three sisters—first, her maid of honor, Kate; then Irina and Carmen—make their way down the aisle. My little sister Alice is the final bridesmaid, and it took a lot of convincing to get Tanya to let her be there. She wanted one of her friends from college, Heidi, but I not-so-eloquently reminded her that I was letting her have her way on everything besides the venue and Alice. She finally caved.

I watch my sister stand calmly at the back of the church, waiting her turn to walk down the aisle. I think this is the first time I've ever seen Alice do anything calmly. She's normally so hyper that she makes overactive kittens look calm—more specifically, overactive kittens that have gotten into a bag of catnip. But not today. Today, she's actually acting like a grown-up. I'm proud of Alice as I watch her. She looks to her left, and her eyes lock on someone I can't see from my position. There are too many tall people in the closer rows, and the object of Alice's gaze is hidden. With Kate and Carmen in position and Irina halfway down the aisle, it's Alice's turn to begin her approach. She walks elegantly around the back pew and holds the mystery person's gaze as she takes her first few steps down the center aisle. Just before she breaks eye contact, I swear I see a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Not a normal smile, though; this smile is almost… mischievous. I watch Alice, silently questioning her with my eyes, but her expression gives nothing away beyond the 'I know something you don't' gleam.

I don't have time to try to decipher Alice's look anymore; the music has changed, and again, Tanya has chosen gone with the traditional choice: Wagner's Wedding March. I become a nine-year-old boy again as I hear the music and the words Here comes the bride, All dressed in white play through my head. I blink and force myself back to my twenty-two year old body. Tanya, the woman I've pledged my love to and asked to marry me, is sauntering down the aisle toward me.

And then she's not.

Now it's Bella—the one I truly love; the one I've loved since I was seventeen years old. It's mahogany hair underneath the veil and brown eyes gazing at me. Seeing Bella walking down the aisle gives me a sense of peace that I haven't felt in a year, ever since I proposed to Tanya. Tanya! Shit! What am I doing? I blink, and Bella disappears. That's for the best; she lied to me. I need to keep my eye on the ball, and right now, the ball is Tanya. I force myself to smile at my bride, and she grins back. Her smile looks very… possessive, almost malicious even. But of course, I'm imagining that as well; Bella's not here, and Tanya's not horrible.

Not horrible... but not what I want. The one you want is a liar, though! My eighteen-year-old self screams at me. She led you on, made out with you at a party, all with the intention of getting into his pants. She didn't want you. Tanya did. Be happy with what you can get.

I cast another sideways glance at Alice as she stands on her assigned square of masking tape. She smirks at me, and I feel, again, like she has some sort of premonition. I feel butterflies in my stomach at her expression, and I can't shake them off. I find myself wondering whether the butterflies are all from the thoughts I can practically read in Alice's face, or something from within me. I suspect it might be the latter. Tanya and her father reach the altar and stop; Reverend Weber begins working his way through the pre-approved—by Tanya—speech. I take a deep breath and imagine a different scenario…

Bella and I lie together on a beach somewhere sunny. I don't know where we are, and I don't really care. All that matters is that we're together. I turn my head on the beach towel and grip Bella's left hand in my right. My fingertips skirt across her knuckles, and I smile when I feel the diamond wedding set on her third finger. I wiggle the fingers on my left hand, and my smile expands when I feel my own wedding band shift against my skin.

I look over at Bella and whisper, "I love you."

"I love you, too. It's always been you, Edward. I've always loved you."

My throat clenches at the sound of Reverend Weber's voice, and I find myself thinking, Someone please help me!

~SN~

A/N: More of the picture is revealed. There won't be many more flashbacks of the past in this story; we'll be moving forward. Next chapter is going to be the one you've all been clamoring for. A little Weddingus Interruptus. A hiccup in the nuptials.

Thanks so much for reading! Reviewers will receive a teaser for the next chapter. Please note that if you have PMs disabled, you won't be able to receive review replies/teasers.

Just a reminder...

Wendy (wmr1601) has her own blog where you can find out about her upcoming solo projects: www . wmr1601 . wordpress . com (Pssst... she's got a new solo story coming up, and I'm her beta. It's going to be a great E/B story, so put her on alerts.)

For more of Wendy's stories and information you can check out her profile, wmr1601, or her collab profile with Caz at wmrcaz.

Sarita's blog is: www . saritadreaming . wordpress . com

Sarita is working on several multi-chapter stories (Sarita slaps forehead) and fandom gives back projects which are listed on this profile.

If you're a reader of 'I Want It Painted Black,' there will also be an outtake starring Rosalie and Emmett added to 'Jack's Playroom' (Jack the Dom outtakes from IWIPB, listed as a separate story on Sarita's profile) that's been written by the talented TwilightGuru09. She writes some spanktacular stories. *wink* If you're interested in a little D/s, put Jack on alert.

Sarita is also (finally) updating 'Shattered Into a Thousand Pieces' this week.

Join us on Twitter! (at) SaritaDreaming (at) wmr1601