Thank you for the reviews guys! I really appreciated reading them and all the ideas you had for these characters. For all the Demetri haters out there, this chapters for you.

Now, I had about five different versions of this, and just about ten minutes ago I decided on this one. It will really change the dynamic of the story, but to be honest with you, I'm writing these chapters day by day as I read the reviews. I'm pretty much taking this story in the direction you guys ask for. Now with that said, enjoy chapter 8

~Corrie


BPOV

My walls were caving and I had no idea how to get them back up. When I woke up this morning, I promised myself that I would not drop my guard.

I had no expectations for this conversation other than getting the answers I needed for some closure. With that set firmly in place, I detached myself from the situation entirely. After all, I wasn't going there with intentions of getting back together with him, No, I didn't need to emotionally invest myself any further.

When I walked in, I searched for him in the seas of young thirty something couples. These days I avoided crowded places like this as if they were the plague. Being surrounded by people my age and younger while they ogled their partners was nauseating. I was bitter, hands down and their was no point in denying it.

I spotted him in the far corner where amazingly it was empty. I said a silent thank you to the Universe for cooperating with me and sending the good Juju along for the morning. I watched him stand to show me that it was indeed him I had seen.

Right. I thought sarcastically. Like the world would be lucky enough to have an identical twin of a God running around the greater Tampa Bay are.

I repressed my eye roll and then gave myself one last pep talk on the way to the table. By the time I had reached it, my resolve was firmly in place and I settled myself in to the booth to get this talk over with.

He had gone on to tell me how he had loved me, but still wanted things to be over. He explained that our relationship was "too much"for him, and that he wanted to work through his issues.

My face was obviously irritated and confused, and to be honest I was proud of myself for having not punched him in the face yet.

How fucking one sided he was. Did he really think that I hadn't thought of how far we had come in our relationship as well? Like things in my head were fucking gumdrops and lolly pops this last year. My once composed self was already at a breaking point there, but then he followed up with an even better line of saying, "That wasn't how I wanted it to happen...I didn't want you to leave like that."

That did it. I couldn't understand why he was telling me this, and what the hell did that mean? Did it really matter how I left that night? Would it have mattered?

I asked him these very questions aloud, and un-amazingly, he didn't have an answer. I was too detached to really care about his nervous and cautious words at that point. I tried to get back into my comfort zone, but the damage was done. Just talking about all of this was beginning to be too much. It was like a nightmare that never ended, and instead of waking up and finding peace, I got rehash it and discuss the theme like it was the fucking Oprah Book Club.

I had already come to the decision that I would leave this table and never look back to him again, but then I saw his face when I used a past tense for the word love. He looked as if I killed his puppy and set it on fire. I waited for my inner demons to fight it out, and astoundingly, the part of me that ached to love him still won. I reached out for his hand and told him that I still loved him, and as much as I would have liked to believe otherwise, I knew I always would.

I wanted to get up and leave, but I also wanted to stay and sort out our relationship...now I just had to figure out which emotion inside of me was stronger. I knew that no matter what decision I came to, I would always love Edward. He and I had shared a life together for four years, we both knew every intimate detail about the other. Edward had been my first for many things, and the trust I had with him reflected in out passion in the bedroom. He knew, saw and did things to my body that would make me die a thousand deaths if anyone else knew. Even beyond that, he had been my friend.

I never intended to not be friends with him, but the way our relationship had ended, I knew that it would take a while to get in a comfort zone with him again. However, now that we had both admitted our feelings and desires, the road to that zone was beginning to clear up and we could now openly discuss it.

"Edward...I think...I think we need to take this time apart and figure out exactly what we want." my voice was low and my hands were nervously signing my words under the table. It was a tick of mine that was a tell tale sign of nerves.

Edwards eyes met mine slowly and I felt his fingers running gently over my frantic ones. I turned my head slightly to see his eyes better, but when I did, I saw the pain in his eyes more clearly. It was as if we had switched roles,and I was the one now taking away our relationship.

I wasn't doing that, no. What I was doing was giving him the space he had initially needed in the first place. Nothing in our lives had changed that much in the last month that would make his initial desire of needing that separation change. For me, there was also a lot to be sorted as well, I needed to make sure this was something I really did still want, because I wouldn't be able to handle another four years with him just to end up the way it had already. We deserved better than that.

"Bella, I don't...why? I don't want to be without you anymore." he said to me. His eyes glossy and pleading. I hated it, I hated the pain I saw there, but I knew this was what was needed, it was what we needed.

"Edward, nothing is any different than it was a month ago...all that has changed is that we both know what went wrong. Tell me Edward, Do you think you would still feel this way if I had been home alone and crying for you instead of out and meeting people? Can you honestly say that we would be sitting here right now and discussing this if that had not been the case?"

I saw the anger flash in his eyes as he listened to my last sentence. Apparently the thought of Demetri was one that carried a not so pleasant ambiance for him. Can't say I blamed him, if I had to see him with another woman, I would more than likely die from the jealousy. He clenched his fists and spoke through a clenched jaw.

"Is this about him Bella? Be honest. Is this because you want to see where things go with that guy you were out with last night?"

I had seen the anger flash first, so this statement didn't surprise me. I would give him this much peace at least, I would want it if the situation were reversed. I met his eyes and shook my head no gently. My eyes never left his and I made sure to speak the words confidently and true. He needed to know this.

"This is about us, Edward. No one or anything else is the point here...I just think that we need to both take some time for ourselves."

I thought for a moment, trying to decided if what I was about to say was true or not. I had stopped talking for a few seconds and he noticed my hesitation.

"What is it Bella?" he asked cautiously.

I blinked back the tears that were stinging my eyes as I thought over what I needed to say next. When I was sure that I could mean it, I said it.

You are under no obligation to me, Edward...but if you were to meet someone and decided that you would want to pursue them...well I would understand that." I kept my gaze down in attempts to hide the pain of that truth in my eyes. I took slow steady breaths for a moment to calm my pain, and just as I was about to breakdown, he was beside me.

I felt his arms as he wrapped them securely around me, calming my body with just his touch. The familiar ache in my chest had began to sate and I was unable to deny the way he made me feel. When my breathing was calm, he rested his forehead gently against my hair and breathed my scent in deeply. It was then that all my resolve washed away and the tears began to fall again.

I let myself cry there in his arms, all the pain and anger toward him was released into the quiet sobs at that small pathetic table. I felt him tighten his hold on me and then he was whispering into my ear.

"I cannot be with anyone else, love...I don't want anyone else, I love you Bella. Only you."

More tears came then, and the torrent in my body was close to becoming hysteric. I hated him...I loved him. I hated him because he caused this, I hated him because I loved him so much and wanted him so fiercely.

"Shhh Bella, don't cry baby, don't cry." he cooed to me. His soft voice and gentle touches never stopping while he held me. I let myself get lost in his arms and words, I didn't want to fight it anymore, I was too tired to fight my heart. He wanted me, he loved me, and as much as I tried to convince myself that I didn't care anymore, I knew now that I had deluded myself.

After about ten minutes, I made myself get under control and I finally stopped crying. I looked over to him and gently asked if we could leave in a calm voice. He complied immediately and threw some cash on the table to cover his coffee before helping me out of the booth and leading our way outside.

When we were finally away from the crowds, our bodies went separate ways. I hadn't moved even three steps ahead of him when he stopped me.

I gasped in shock as he pulled me into his chest and secured his arms around me, My face and body tucked tightly into his own as we embraced. I melted into him as the rightness of that moment flooded me. We both stood there in silence, each holding the other fiercely and contently by being wrapped in each other.

I could feel his gentle kisses to my head and hair as we got closer. I was confused about the desperate way in which he had pulled me to him and was kissing me now, he seemed frantic in a way. He looked at me with pain written across his face and gently said, "I couldn't let you walk away from me." He kissed me again but this time chastely on my lips then continued, "It hurt too much too see again."

I understood then that he was thinking about when I had walked out of his house...the only difference now was, he had stopped me. I nodded my understanding and then breathed his scent in to calm my nerves once more.

My mind and body were completely lost in this moment, so when I felt him pull away from me, I didn't think twice about pulling him to me and trying to keep him in this moment. My body just refused to let him go again.

I heard him chuckle lightly and then felt as he tightened his grip on my waist as well. I just wanted to stay in this moment for a bit longer before the realities of life came crashing down on me. I didn't want to think about the pain I had been in when he left me, I didn't want to worry about the anger I had for him or the lust that was building inside of my body. No, I just wanted to feel that perfect man in my arms for as long as I could stand and imagine that the reality in which we lived no longer included the pain.

"What are you thinking about baby?" he asked me gently.

I didn't stop to think or even have to, for the first time my mind and heart were on the same page and feeling the same emotion.

"I'm thinking about how much I love you, and about how much I miss what we used to have."

I could feel his arms stroking my back gently and soothingly. I relaxed further into the moment and his arms for just a moment longer.

"I'ts still there, love. It never left...I never stopped loving you or wanting you. I was wrong baby, so wrong."

I hadn't realized I was crying until I felt the damp cotton touching my face. I had cried so much already that his shirt was soaked through with my tears.

"Don't cry, baby. I'm here love, I'm here."

I was amazed at how much comfort his words gave me, but instead of dwelling on those feelings, I just let myself fall deeper into his love and for just that small amount of time we had come together, I had drown in it.

"I need to go home, Edward."

His body responded by tensing and holding me tighter to his chest. I didn't want to go, but I knew that I needed to get myself together before we could continue this talk again.

I unwrapped my arms from his waist and brought them to rest on his chest. I gently rubbed him from his shoulders to his pecks and repeated the motions while I spoke to him softly.

"I know we both still have a lot to talk about, but can we do it later? Please?"

He nodded his agreement and then reluctantly let me leave his arms. I drove the five minutes to my house with tears in my eyes and confusion in my head. I knew that what we had shared with each other that morning was going to greatly affect where we went in the future. I was still trying to take that in, but when I got to the front door, I saw that Demetri was there.

I was confused as I looked at him, he seemed much more menacing than he had the night before, and his eyes had me unsettled. I put my thoughts about Edward on hold, and tried to focus on what Demetri was here for.

Immediately after letting that thought settle, I began cursing my ridiculous attempts at flirting with him and even more so over the fact that it seemed to have worked.

EPOV

My heart was beating again and for the first time in a long time, I felt alive again. Bella had let me hold her, she had let me kiss and hold her.

I had been able to tell her what was in my heart, and to my surprise she listened. This was going to go well, I just knew it. With Bella now knowing the truth, all I had to do was be patient and prove my love to her. I began racking my brain with ways to show her that I loved her and wanted her forever.

I was already frustrated with the cliches that were popping into my head, flowers and jewelery just seemed too mundane for my angel and I wanted to show her more originality than that. My mind was still having a hard time coming up with something when my phone rang.

Taking a pause from my mental brain fart, I went to grab my phone off of the counter. When I looked at the I.D, I saw that it was Bella calling. I smiled instantly and flipped it open to hear the voice of the woman I was aching for.

"Hey..."

I stopped myself when I heard the sobs and choking coming from the other line. My eyes were wide with fear as I listened to what sounded like Bella in pain. Before I could think, I grabbed my keys and was in the car.

"Bella...baby are you okay? whats wrong?! Please baby whats wrong?" I could hear my voice breaking as I franticaly asked her again and again what was wrong. She never answered coherently and all I could make out were the attempts she was making while crying.

"I'm on my way baby...I'm almost there, just hold on. I'm almost there...."

The four mile drive felt like one hundred, but I finally arrived and flew up the steps to her door. I ran inside and was met with a living room in shambles and the furniture askew. My heart was ready to jump from my chest as I made my way through her small bungalow in search of her, I reached the hall and then turned to the sound of whimpering and gurgles behind the door to my right.

I stumbled in and onto the sight of my beautiful and now broken Bella. She was there on the floor in only her bra and jeans and her chest was covered in blood. I gasped at the sight of her lovely body broken and damaged then fell to the floor to assess her damage.

Her usually soft hair was wet and tangled in a wild manner. She had been struggling, I knew that much. I had just been with her and she had been well kept and combed. A far cry from the image that lay before my eyes. I was shaking with fear and pain for what she was going through and then I fell apart myself.

"Oh god Bella, no...no baby, no." I was crying now, I had no idea what had happened and I couldn't control myself long enough to ask. I was still holding my phone in my hand and saw we were still connected on the line. I made myself hang up and then dialed 911.

I stayed on the phone, but only because I had no idea how to turn the phone off. I waited there on the floor next to her and tried to sooth her sobs. They never died down and the longer I looked into her eyes, I could see the pain and fear there. She looked lost and horrified, and rightfully so. I tried to reassure her that she was fine, but the words were lost in the shaking and crying of my body. I wanted to hold her to me, to take her body into my own and make her pain my own. It was torture to just silently beg god for mercy and forgiveness while we waited for help, but it was all I could do.

I couldn't imagine that this would be the way I would see her leave this earth, and when I realized what I had just thought, a whole new round of hysterics started. Suddenly I was telling her everything I had ever thought about her, I needed her to know what she meant to me and how lucky I was to have had her in my life.

I was suddenly being pulled away and the EMT's that had just come swarming through the doors began to work on the only woman I would ever want in this world as I stood idly by and watched in horror.