A/N Hi, guys! Thank you so much for your reviews and to the one who said Bella's break up speech to Edward was 'Epic!' I love you so much! Well, here is the chapter and I hope you like it! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!
BPOV
I felt dizzy. There were so many people it was kind of overwhelming. I was in the local bar with my family and new friend's celebrating my homecoming.
After breakfast Charlie and Renee had told me to get dressed and we'd gone out for the day. We'd taken Todd for a walk, gone shopping, had lunch by the water. We had talked and laughed all day. They had filled me in on our family.
Renee and Charlie had met in high school and fell in love. They were high school sweethearts and married soon after graduation. I asked them if they were any moments where they thought they wouldn't make it. They had just smiled at each other with such love and replied 'no'.
I had also heard stories from when I was younger. I had heard about the time when Emmett and I had turned the back yard into a war zone and ran around pretended to fight out invisible enemy. They told me of the time we had tried to spy on Santa and ended up falling asleep on the stair case, which Emmett had crashed down the stairs after he had fallen asleep, breaking his collar bone and we had spent Christmas morning in the hospital.
In turn I had told them about me, about the past five years and what I had been up to. I told them about my job and Alice and Jasper. I told them about Macie and how I had been at the birth holding Alice's hand. I told them how I had been there to sympathize with Jasper when Alice had nearly crushed his hand into oblivion.
We hadn't spoken of my time with Jacob and for that I was grateful. I didn't want to bring down such a perfect day with bad memories.
My phone had vibrated almost constantly in my pocket all morning until I had finally had enough and turned my phone off. Today was about spending time with my parents, not dragging all that stuff up with Edward.
When Charlie and Renee had suggested going for a quiet and relaxing drink at the local bar in town, I had jumped at the chance. After a long day it was just what I needed for a relaxing evening.
Imagine my surprise when I had walked in the bar to have fifty people I didn't know yell 'surprise!'? Rosalie and Emmett had been at the front of the people, ready to greet me for my surprise welcome home celebration.
I had turned to my parents in shock, both had been grinning from ear to ear, telling me that they had been in on it. It was Rosalie who had put it all together as soon as she heard I was staying she had rushed around like a mad woman to get it done in time, ordering Charlie and Renee to keep me out of the way.
I had walked up to her and gave her a hug as tears filled my eyes. She was amazing.
"That guy was weird," I commented to Rosalie twenty minutes later after a good looking, but clingy Mike Newton had left. He had walked over to me as soon as the crowd disappeared and introduced himself with enthusiasm that freaked me out. He wouldn't shut up! It had finally taken his wife, Jessica, to drag him away giving him a womanly glare.
Rosalie chuckled. "Mike? Other than being a creepy date he's harmless."
"You dated him?" I asked with a frown. Mike wasn't the kind of guy that I pictured Rosalie with. Even in high school.
"No, dummy, you did." She howled. "Don't worry, it was only one date."
I rolled my eyes and wondered if that was why the guy creeped me out. Bad dating memories. That I couldn't remember.
"The guy who is really creepy, is him." Rosalie pointed to a man with shoulder length dirty blond hair, who was watching us from across the bar. A red headed woman spoke next to him, but his dark eyes stayed on the two of us. He was handsome, in a way. He was just way too freaky for words. I felt a shiver go down my spine when he winked at me. It wasn't a good shiver.
"Who is he?" I whispered to Rosalie as if he could hear me from across the bar.
"That is James. Your first boyfriend. He was sweet and cute and then when you started high school he became and ass and a dickhead."
I grinned at Rosalie. "I take it you two were the best of friends?"
She gave me a bland look. "Besties," She drawled. "Anyway, he tried it on with you and got pissed when you knocked him back. Then the little prick dumped you."
"Asshole," I hissed. I may not remember it, but it pissed me off.
"Yeah. Just avoid the little prick. I don't know why he's here." Rosalie said through gritted teeth. She really didn't like him.
After another twenty minutes of greeting people who I couldn't even recall after they had stepped out of view, I had safely found myself in a nice quiet corner, hoping to have a good few minutes, have a drink and relax my poor feet.
That was until the woman who I had become good friends with again recently came bombing across the bar like a blond rocket.
"Bella! Bella, I have someone I want you to meet!" Rosalie squealed as she darted across the bar to grab my arm and start dragging me away from my quiet haven.
"Who? I must have met everyone in Beaufort by now." I whined as I squeezed past people.
Rosalie turned to me with a bright, excited smile. "Tyler Crowley!" She announced the way someone said the name of a celebrity.
"Who?" I asked with a confused frown. I hadn't met anyone named Tyler and I hadn't heard of anyone named him, either.
"Tyler Crowley, you dated oh so briefly during the summer you broke up with James and before Edward got home from that camp he always went to."
I ground to a halt to stare into her wide eyes. "Wait, James, Tyler and Mike, all in one summer? Man, I got around," I commented in shock about my former slutty ways.
Rosalie burst into laughter and once again began to tow me across the room. "No, you were already broken up and dated Tyler for about two weeks. Mike, you only had that one date. You were texting me the entire time," She giggled.
"So, why are you dragging me across the room like the devils chasing us if we only went out for a couple of weeks?" I demanded.
"Well, you remember when you and Edward broke up?" She began.
I interrupted her with a droll stare. "No, that's how this amnesia kind of works."
Rosalie burst out into laughter. "Ha, ha ha." She ended her laughter abruptly to give me a bland stare. "You're hilarious. Anyway, smartass, while you took the high road for the next few weeks, I took the low road, the very low road and kind of made it happen so it would get back to Edward that you and Tyler had gone on a couple of dates. And some steamy make out sessions," she grinned evilly.
"Did I?"
"No. You refused. So, anyway, when Edward found out he developed a hatred for Tyler Crowley; always jealous of the dude! So, what better way to pay Mr. Cullen/Sleazebag back, than by rubbing his nose in the fact that you're with the man he hates?"
I burst into hysterical laughter at her. "I can't do that! It's mean and while I may not remember doing any of this before-"
"Oh, you were against it then so I did it behind your back," She interrupted me and then glared when I rolled my eyes at her. "It worked, didn't it?"
"Anyway..." I began pointedly. "I have read about the girls doing this in many books and it always ends badly. Besides, it's not fair to use some guy. Plus, you didn't even invite Edward, so what would be the point of flirting with some guy when he's not even here?"
"Well no, but his family and the rest of the town is here, even if he doesn't show up he will definitely hear about it!"
I shook my head. "No. Not going to happen." I told her firmly.
Rosalie growled in irritation. "Damn you and your morals. Always ruining my fun. Well what am I going to do now? The guys waiting."
"I'm not going to ignore the guy. I'll go and talk to him. I'm just not going to use him to make someone jealous."
"Fine," She ground out.
I turned and followed, willingly this time, is the direction Rosalie lead me. Never seeing her smile of triumph.
Five minutes after talking with Tyler Crowley and I had to admit he was a sweet guy. He was tall and handsome, his skin the color of rich coffee and his eyes were dark and dangerous. They could stop a girl's heart from a mile away. So could his smile.
On top of that, he was funny and smart and interesting. He actually owned the bar my party was being held in and offered me a job if I wanted it. I eagerly accepted.
So, when he asked me to dance with him to one of my favorite Brad Paisley songs, I could hardly say no.
EPOV
It had been one long day.
I had woken up ready to get out there and see Bella, put things right with her, but she wasn't there. I had hung around her house like a stalker, calling her on her cell phone, feeling like a love struck teen after he's just had his first fight with his girlfriend. Still, nothing.
Eventually, her phone didn't even ring. She had switched it off. She had shut me out.
I deserved it, I knew I did. The only defense I had was that I didn't know. I had no idea what Bella was feeling, I was too busy thinking up a way to get rid of Melissa. I hated that she was upset and I wasn't there for her. I wasn't there to shake my head at her and tell her that no one could compare to her.
I had still been planning a way to get to Bella, to beg on my knees for forgiveness, when my parents told me that Bella was planning to stay in Beaufort with her family and Rosalie was organizing a surprised party for her.
Bella was staying and I was one of the last people to know. That hurt me. I loved Bella, I had always loved Bella and she hadn't told me.
After speaking with my father, and being warned that maybe I should give her space, I decided to hell with that and entered the bar where her party was being held.
It was the bar that everyone went to; everyone's local, so it didn't surprise me when they told me that's where the party was being held.
What did surprise me was the sight that I walked into.
There in the middle of the dance floor, wearing snug worn out jeans and a yellow t-shirt that brandished a peace sign and dancing to Brad Paisleys 'Ticks', was Bella and she wasn't alone.
No, Tyler Crowley, a jackass who I hated with a passion was dancing with Bella. His body brushing against her, his hands on her hips... I felt this unbearable need to gut him with nothing but my bare hands.
I was a trained Special Forces solider, one of the reason's I had been put forward for the training was my control. I had to be able to work at high risk, life threatening situations. I had and I was damn good at it. I could go into a hostage situation, bullets flying and not bat an eye lid. I could kill in hand to hand combat just as easily as I could with a weapon and the whole time I could keep my composure. Some had accused me of having ice running through my veins.
All of that went to hell when I saw Tyler brush Bella's hair back and lean in to whisper something in her ear that made her laugh.
Within seconds I was stalking across the bar, heading straight for the happy couple.
I nearly lost the smidgen of control I had left when I heard Bella giggle and say his name. I wanted to rip his head off and burn the remains. I wanted to throttle her for flirting with him! How could she when I loved her? When I had spent every day since I was 17 loving her?
Without a word to either of them, I twirled Bella around and ducked down, putting my shoulder against her soft stomach and standing up, taking her with me.
"Edward!" She squealed in shock and I almost smiled as a memory came to me of one time in our life when this had happened.
I glared dangerously at Tyler when he went to speak. "Don't fuck with me tonight, Tyler. I'd kill you. Gladly."
With that, I turned around and walked out the bar, ignoring the shocked chatter of our friends and family and the screaming woman on my shoulder.
I endured her fists pounding on my back and her cursing, that I had to admit were impressive, until we were a safe distance away from the bar and away from listening ears.
I placed her feet carefully on the pavement and had to duck a fist for my thoughtfulness.
"Have you lost your mind?" She hissed. Anger made her cheeks flushed and her chest heave and I almost forgot what I was angry about. Almost.
"Me? What were you doing in there with Tyler?" I spat his name, remembering the image of her in another man's arms. Tyler fucking Crowley of all people.
I closed my eyes, rejecting the image and the fury and hurt that it caused.
She scowled at me. "Newsflash, Edward, it's a party. My party, I'll add, and we were just dancing." She defended herself.
"You were practically all over him." I snapped back.
"Are you crazy?" She shouted at me. Well, we were both shouting at this point, which was exactly why I made sure we were well enough away from the bar.
In a way, I loved this fight. It was like memory lane for me. One night, so long ago, we had stood on the street, screaming at each other after I had carted Bella out of the diner. If I wasn't in such a jealous rage, I would have smiled.
"Is this about Melissa?" I asked, wondering maybe the only reason she was dancing with that little prick was to get back at me somehow.
She rolled her baby doll eyes and scoffed. "Yes, Edward. I danced with Tyler just to get you back. Even though I had no idea you were even there." She added with a glare. "Get over yourself."
I frowned. If she truly didn't care about all this Melissa stuff then why had she ignored me all day? Why had she been hurt by it? And why had she danced with Crowley?
"Then why are you pissed at me? Why have you ignored me all fucking day?" I demanded. I knew she was lying.
Bella shook her head slightly. "Edward, let's just forget it and go back inside," She suggested.
"What? So you can go back to ignoring me? I don't think so."
"Well, if you're in need of conversation, I know of a clingy blond that will be more than eager for the job," She snapped and I was glad. Now we could get things out in the open.
"I knew it. I knew this was about her." I said in a mixture of triumph and anger.
"Of course it is!" She exploded. "You spent the entire night ignoring me for that skank! You were practically drooling over her. I dread to think of how you acted when we were actually together!" She shouted at me.
I had known what she thought, I had. But hearing it from her was so strange. Did she truly think that I could ever have eyes for another woman?
I shook my head. "Bella, I can't stand the girl. I couldn't get her to shut up. While she was yapping her head off about something that she has no real grasp of, all I could think of was ways to get her out of there. Or get us out of there. I cannot stand her." I repeated slowly.
She looked at me with disbelieving eyes, but I saw the hurt there and it killed me to know that I was the cause for my blatant stupidity.
"It sure didn't look that way to me."
I stepped closer to her and felt the heat off her body radiate onto mine. I smelled her sweet scent and I felt my eyes drifting to her full lips, yearning to taste them.
I realized then that I had forgotten that Bella had forgotten.
When Bella and I were together, I don't think either of us doubted each other's love and devotion, we had risked too much for it to be a passing fling. Yes, I had a jealous streak, but that's what happens when you have the girl of your dreams and other people want her.
Bella had never been the jealous type. She had never doubted my love for her and I had taken that for granted now. Five years ago Bella would have rolled her eyes and complained about someone chatting her head off while talking about mountain climbing or whatever Melissa had been prattling on about. She would have shared secret smiles with me and held my hand under the table, squeezing whenever she was trying not to laugh. I had taken that for granted last night and I shouldn't have. Bella didn't remember what we were once like together.
I knew then that I had to be honest about the past five years and what I had been doing.
"You want to know what I did five years ago after you left?" I asked quietly.
"Yes," She answered, though she looked confused by my turnaround.
"I went to your room, searched for any sign that just maybe you still wanted me. That it was lies. It devastated me when I couldn't find what I needed. So I went back to work. I took every assignment that I could get my hands on. Anything that interested me. That was how I got to be on Special Forces. My friends all told me to move on. Pick up some chick and take her home and forget all about you."
I saw her flinch from my words.
"I thought 'Why not?' She doesn't love me. She doesn't want me. I had no idea why you had stopped or why you had changed, but I know it hurt. I wanted to forget you. To be able to use some woman to help me get over you. But I never could." I watched her eyes widen. "You are the only one for me, Bella. Even when I tried to hate you and forget you, I still loved you. I still wanted you. I hated myself for that. For wanting something I couldn't have and letting that affect my life. You are the only woman that I have ever been with." I told her quietly and watched her eyes get even larger.
"Ever?" She asked her words full of meaning.
"Ever."
"Wow," She whispered.
I grinned ruefully. "Yes, when my friends were losing their virginity and bragging about it, I was waiting for you. When everyone called me an idiot for practically taking a vow of celibacy because I only wanted you. I waiting for you and I didn't know it."
"I don't what to say," She admitted, sounding like the wind had been knocked out of her.
"You don't have to say anything. It's my fault. I sat there thinking that you were secure in our relationship, forgetting that you didn't have the memories and the faith you once had in us. I should have and I am sorry for that. I just want you to know that, for me, you are the only one. You always have been."
We stood there in silence as Bella absorbed what I was telling her. It was the truth; Bella was the only woman I had ever made love to. It hadn't been easy, especially when I was a teenage boy, but I had looked at her back then and knew she was who I wanted. And it had made it easier to wait and to be patient.
For the past five years... I'd had my heart ripped out and thrown myself into work so that I didn't have time to think about anything. The only thought's that had ever managed to slip through my control was thoughts of her.
Loneliness and pain had been my constant companions, my driving force to get through whatever shit I had gotten into.
And then one day, Eric had told me about Bella and nothing else had been more important than seeing her. I had found out about what happened and the dots had connected and I knew Bella couldn't have left me. How could an amnesiac send emails to a family she didn't remember. Bella hadn't left me and that had made five long, lonely years' worth it.
"I love you, Bella. I always have." I told her the only thing I could. The only thing that really mattered.
I watched as Bella stood there and sorted out what she was thinking, feeling.
Eventually, after what seemed to be forever, she looked up at me with tear filled eyes.
"I love you, too."
And then, as if God had answered my prayers, she pulled me to her and raised her lips to mine. After years of numbness and ice in my veins, I felt alive.
I felt like I was finally home.
A/N Well, I hope you liked it. Next chapter gets a little sour... if you know what I mean. Seriously, let me know if you know what I mean, LOL. Hopefully, the next chapter should be up tomorrow, if not sometime Sunday!
