Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

We Meet Again

"Excuse me?"

My brain was pounding madly against my skull as I peered into the darkness. The scent became painfully closer as she approached.

She wasn't alone.

The light from the lamppost glared sharply at Bella's features. She was still human, and even more beautiful than when I had remembered her. My eyes shifted to her small hand, which was linked with someone else.

My throat was tight as I whispered in a strangled voice,

"Bella?"

Her brown eyes reflected surprise and recognition. There was a painful silence, in which Bella examined me with her innocent eyes. The silence seemed to drag on for eons, but it was finally broken. Her tone was sharp as she uttered,

"Edward."

I cringed. It felt like a crackle of a whip on my back. The wounds in my heart burst open, burning with cutting, sharp pain.

The person beside her tightened his grip and stared at me with raised eyebrows. Does she know him? This is a little suspicious… He turned to Bella and murmured,

"Do you know him?"

Bella shifted her eyes away from me. Her pale face glowed softly in the moonlight as she whispered,

"I knew him."

Knew.

She turned away and tugged on the stranger's hand.

"We don't have to go to the coffee store today. Let's go home."

I wonder what's bothering her. I should ask her when we get home.

I felt my throat throb painfully as I thought of Bella living with another.

Bella walked away with an angry stride, strangely graceful. I knelt on the ground, my knees colliding with the cold ground. The shadow of my hunched figure reflected gloomily on the concrete sidewalk.

She didn't turn back.

I watched her retreating figure being swallowed by the cruel darkness. Half of me wanted run and grab her wrist, to explain everything that had happened. Yet, after these three years, I was letting her go like this. Wasn't this the moment I had dreamt about for what seemed like an eternity?

"Edward!"

Jasper and Alice walked rapidly towards me, their faces wrinkled in worry. Alice peered at my sullen expression, while Jasper pulled me up. Alice murmured,

"Are you okay, Edward?"

I ignored this and just merely shook my head with a soft whisper,

"I let her go."

Jasper raised his eyebrows, pained.

His pain is greater than before. What's going on?

Alice grabbed my arm angrily, her pixie-like face dripping in anger and impatience. Her tone was sharp and frustrated as she scolded,

"Edward, I really didn't want to tell you this, but three years is enough, even enough for me. We know you let her go, but it was for her sake! The things that had happened is not your fault! She's gone now. You can't do anything about that! I'm sorry, Edward, but we just don't have the power to resurrect people."

I let her ramble on, only half of my focus on what she was saying. When I noticed that she was not talking anymore, I shook my head again. My lips were numb as I murmured,

"No… she's not dead."

It almost seemed as if I was talking to myself. Silence curtained over us as Jasper and Alice stared at me, eyes wide. Their thoughts were whirring crazily, but I wisely ignored it.

"You… you mean… you… saw…?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Just now."

Jasper asked cautiously in his mind, And what did she say?

"My name."

"That's all?"

I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. I thought everything would be fine if I saw Bella again. If I could hold her, kiss her, tell her I love her.

"You bastard!"

I saw a blur of blonde. It was not Jasper or Alice who had jumped at me; it was Rosalie. Her face was reflecting pure anger as she slapped at my face. She screeched,

"I may not like Bella, but this is… this is so cruel of you! How could you?"

"Rosalie, stop!"

Alice tried to pull her away from me, but Rosalie was too determined and too angry.

"I saw you with Bella and the other man. And you… you! I thought that you would take her again, but you were too afraid, weren't you?"

I didn't respond, taking her sharp blows with an empty numbness. Her hand slapped at my cheeks with tingling pain. It at least diverted the agony in my heart. Rosalie gave one last blow of pain and got up slowly. Her topaz eyes were blazing as she said coldly,

"You don't deserve to even have Bella."

I didn't even bother to get up, but sat on the cold ground instead. I agreed. I didn't deserve her in the least. But… neither did the other man.

Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme soon came running toward us. Emmett examined Rosalie's angry expression and asked softly,

"What is going on?"

No one cared to reply. Rosalie was glaring at me. Jasper, Alice, and I were blankly staring at the sky or the grass. The silence hung over us like a tense rubber mass. Rosalie finally cut through the tension with her sharp voice,

"Bella was here, but Edward let her go as easily as he got her in the first place."

Esme turned her head to look at me, surprise and disappointment on her face.

"Why?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, but it would've been easier to swallow had she screamed it in my face. I hesitated before murmuring,

"She doesn't forgive me."

"What?"

Emmett stared at me in disbelief, shaking his head slightly. But she was such a forgiving and selfless person. I can't believe it.

Neither can I, Emmett, neither can I.

I had always thought that if I had met Bella again, she would jump into my arms and readily forgive my monstrous actions. She had, of course, every right to be angry with me. However, I had not expected it. It was almost unthinkable.

"Perhaps…"

I turned my head slightly to see Carlisle leaning against the lamppost with a small frown on his face. Perhaps it is best to forget.

I revolted it the first minute that I had heard it. Alice knelt beside me and murmured,

"He's right, Edward. Bella had moved on, and so should you."

I considered it in my head, an ache in my heart burning a hole through it.

"Never."

"Edward, think about it."

"No!"

I roared the word defiantly, my eyes turning coal black. Alice sighed, her golden eyes sad. I got up quickly and began to walk away.

"It's true; I have moved on."

I whipped my head quickly to see Bella in the shadowed corner, her arms folded. I must have not smelled her through my distractions.

"Bella?"

Alice ran towards her, crushing her into a hug. Bella did not make any moves to push her away. However, her eyes were still angry.

When Alice had let her go, Bella walked closer to our family, nodding at each of my family members with cold civility. She strode until she reached me.

"Edward."

Her voice was icy cold, not at all like the voice that I had run over through my head for years. My voice was weak as I whispered,

"Bella."

She darted her eyes away from me, and her cheeks became a bit pink.

"I moved on, Edward. And so should you."

I shook my head and whispered,

"No, Bella. I'll never forget you."

She lifted her head and stared into my eyes icily.

"You should. Because… I'm getting married, Edward."