Disclaimer: I Left Her is based upon Stephenie Meyer's novels: the Twilight Saga. All characters and situations other than my own are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.
28th July, 2002
look up bookstore
Edward: 21 Bella: 20
It had been one of the socially anticipated dates of the bookworm's year. Isabella Cullen, the author of highly reclaimed Newspaper and Pancakes and the soon-to-be released Tattoos and Whiskey was visiting LA for the public releasing of her next novel, book signings throughout all of the bookstores and a day of interviews for all the major newspapers from throughout the US. She had been asked, several times, why she chose to limit her book tour to LA and LA only but her reply had always been a soft laugh and "One of my friends says it's great." Edward, himself, was among the clamouring and avid readers who wished to meet the young and rising author and ask her why she's deviated from a romantic comedy novel to a character development novel. He, of course, had already asked her this a few weeks ago on one of their fortnightly phone calls where they caught up and chatted about recent events. Bella, as far as he knew, wrote the first novel about his parents (an honour that she hadn't told Carlisle and Esme about as she didn't want to gain unwanted attention) and her second novel was different because life deals with different things. He'd asked for hints of her second novel but the only hints that he'd gotten was that it was loosely based on a true story and the things people do to get their minds off things.
However, he wasn't unintelligent enough to only ask his ex-wife and so had spent quite a long time studying her interviews to find out that it was about a young man dealing with a break up with a girlfriend he had been planning to propose with. Throughout the novel he does, as proposed by the novel, drink a lot of whiskey and get a tattoo. It sounded different from the sweet novel about the old couple whose relationship was defined by their Sunday mornings reading the newspaper and eating pancakes but Bella said that she had a lot of thoughts about things and she wanted to express them. The public seemed to love her thoughts, however, and raved on about her comedic genius and innovative way of expressing love through short snippets. They said that her second novel was sure to be better than the first and that perhaps a bestseller was on the horizon. Edward said that it didn't matter how the public perceived it because she would always have a fan in him. Especially now that she wasn't a successful enigma but beginning to seem like the Bella he once knew. He was even beginning to consider moving back to Forks to strengthen their friendship as there were no studio offers coming in and he could renew his job as a beginner accountant or make good on the psychology degree he had done but never intended on perusing. He was a bright young man and could make a profit anywhere he went, so why didn't he go back to the place that situated the people he loved.
Edward and Bella had been planning on meeting here after the signings as it wouldn't be as busy and then he could show her the nightlife that he had been exaggerating. Edward, however, on an improvised plan, decided to surprise Bella by buying the new novel and asking for it to be signed. She would be thrilled, he thought. Of course, he hadn't expected it to be so busy and his plans were beginning to fall apart at the seams. There was a really good coffee shop across the road that he could probably go to and wait for Bella there until either the bookstore wasn't as busy or the signings were done. He looked at the billboard image of Bella smiling and then at the coffee store.
Surprises were overrated, anyway.
No dialogue for this chapter, sadly. But the next will be better.
I'm not sure if I ever liked this chapter. Edward is unnecessarily selfish and he sort of annoyed me. And I was the one who wrote it so I can only imagine what you guys are thinking! I don't want to give much away as it is incentive for reviews but it only gets better from here on in. This is, hopefully, his last selfish act. Fingers crossed (though I already know what's going to happen). If you review, I'll share.
To AliceeWithAClue who wrote a lovely review but didn't have personal reviews allowed: Thank you for the review. I'm so glad that you like my story. I'm happy that you find this a refreshing change to the depressed Bella approach that so many writers try. Bella is a whole lot of mystery but we'll eventually crack her. Though, even then, it won't be until the end of the story that we really see her true thoughts. She migrated to Leah because the book events occured the same as my story has. Leah's story will also be explained later on as we've never really met her yet. Bella hasn't really been alienating her friends. It just seems that way as you can't really see her true story. Maybe I will write some oneshots later of her perspective of some chapters. Hmmmm... But, as Alice said, Leah offers Bella something that nobody else can. Their friendship isn't really based on respect or adoration but more the same history of broken hearts. All shall be explained. Thank you again for the review!
