I know I haven't updated in ages

I know I haven't updated in ages! I'm so sorry! My creativeness has been sucked away by school and every time I go to write I either a) can't get into or b) am torn away from the computer.

I'll try and update much more regularly I promise!! And I just want to say, you guys are rocking!! 102 reviews! That's insane. :)

Thanks to x3Biscuit for the really great review and for pointing out that Lauren actually hired Bella…not Jessica. My bad guys. That shows you how bad my proofreading skills.

Chapter 9— Q & A

BPOV

After a gruelling morning answering stupid questions and putting up with sullen teenage girls I headed back to the tour desk. I clocked out for lunch — which was a lousy 20 minutes — and decided that, without a doubt, the stupidest question asked today would have to be by a lady in her late twenties, with peroxide blonde hair and a fake tan to match.

-Flashback-

"That is the end of your tour today, feel free to pass by the gift shop and buy any of the Whitehouse memorabilia that catches your eye. Does anyone have any questions before they leave?"

I waited a few beats as the short blonde woman elbowed her way to the front of the crowd.

"Yes?" I asked her, trying to stare at her blatantly obvious boob job, which was shown off by a tight spandex top.

"Why did they call it the Whitehouse? What if they, like, painted it blue. Would it be the Bluehouse then?"

-End Flashback-

I wondered if there was a theme of blonde bimbo's running today. Maybe there was a two for one sale of hair dye and they couldn't pass up the opportunity. No, they probably went to their very expensive hair dressers, who charged them 400 for a cut and dye. If only they knew that the dye was actually the el cheapo brand that was sold in Wal-Mart stores world wide. I had worked at a hairdressing salon as a side job in high school, and dying the 'it' girls hair every month wasn't exactly the highlight of my high school days. On the bright side that meant that I had blackmail; no one messes with a girl who knew that your natural hair colour was a murky grey-brown mix.

I started absentmindedly walking towards the exit. I hoped there was a vending machine or the like so that I could buy my lunch for a couple of bucks. No, Bella, I mentally scolded myself, I couldn't afford it. Three dollars and sixty-five cents. I reminded myself, over and over again, like a mantra.

I quickly changed my course and made my way to the dingy staff room and upon entering, I noticed it was blissfully empty (A/N Random note, What 5 letter word can be spelt with only 2 letters? MT empty sorry about that, just had to put it out there, my mind works in convoluted ways) and settled down on the fake leather couch with my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice, trying to lose myself in a world where society made sense. Bad things happen to bad people and so on.

I was so engrossed in the novel that when I got to the tension filled part where they're trying to save Kitty from marrying the soldier when a looming figure appeared in front of me suddenly. I bit back a small scream when realising that it was just Edward. Just Edward, the name sent thrills through me and I wasn't even saying it. And that was very, very stupid.

"Hello, was I interrupting anything?" his velvet voice asked

"N-No, I was just reading" He took a seat next to me and lifted the cover up gently.

"Pride and Prejudice, interesting choice" he said. Why was he even here? Didn't he have better things to do than to associate with the lower class? I sighed slightly and pushed the thought from my mind.

I marked my page and closed the ancient volume and tried not to look into his dazzling green eyes, because I knew the moment I did, I was gone.

"I like the classics" I answered simply, my eyes resting on my lap.

EPOV

"I like the classics" she whispered, tracing the cover of her old, leather-bound novel delicately. If only she knew how irresistible she looked.

She seemed very subdued for some reason, and I was determined to get the sparkle back in her eyes.

"You say that, but you're really reading it because, secretly, you have a thing for Mr Darcy" I knew I would get a reaction out of that one, and I just wanted to see her smile.

A faint blush spread over her face and she shoved my knee off the couch. Her hair was out and it swirled around her face, as she giggled. The sound sent flutters through my heart.

"Shut up Edward" she said, still embarrassed and looking down.

"Really though, what do you see in him? He's proud to the point of obstinacy. Not to mention he hurt his best friend beyond belief. And he isn't even that good looking if you ask me!" I was half-joking, but I wanted to see what her reaction was, she truly puzzled me.

"He's misunderstood, he only told Mr. Bingley that because he was trying to protect him." there was a slight pause and her eyes locked with mine, full of expression.

"Lizzie could have avoided so much heartbreak if she had just listened to him in the first place, and its not like it didn't end happily, and they got married didn't they? An eternal vow of love and commitment; or at least, that's what marriage used to be" her voice became harsh at the end and she frowned.

"It did turn out happily" I agreed. I wondered if there was something that had made her so bitter about marriage.

"And if there was no complication then there would be no story, its not meant to be completely real, I mean, isn't that what reading is? Loosing yourself in situations that people could only imagine. Stories that end happily, and even stories that don't, all serve the purpose of distraction; distraction and wish fulfilment."

Her answer was so complex, it took me off guard. Her eyes shone with earnest innocence and yet, she seemed as if she had lived so much of someone so young.

Actually, she wasn't that much younger than me, only a year or two, but I had never really asked. I shot her a curious look; I had never really asked her anything about herself.

"Bella?" I asked hesitantly. Her eyes met mine and she looked surprised; as if she was shocked that I was speaking to her.

"Y-yes?" a slight frown marred her face and I wanted to reach out and smooth it away.

"How old are you?"

"Oh, I'm 21" she was obviously expecting something else

"Where did you grow up?" I wanted to know every thing about her

"In a small town in Washington; called Forks."

"Washington? That's on the other side of the country. What made you want to come to D.C?" I asked, interested.

She looked away and her eyes became distant.

"My dad…he's…sick. D.C. has some of the best facilities in the country, they couldn't…accommodate for him in Forks, and it was better to come somewhere where nobody knew us, and there weren't the whispered small town rumours and the glances of pity that they thought I didn't catch."

Her voice was full of a quiet pain and I wanted to hold her, tell her that everything would be alright. She was hiding something, but I wasn't about to push her.

"And your Mom?" I prodded, pulling her out of her train of thought. I thought I was moving onto a lighter topic, but her mouth pulled down and she frowned slightly.

"You don't have to answer that" I said quickly, not wanting to make this angel in disguise feel uncomfortable.

"No, its ok Edward…I want to" she attempted to smile at me but then looked away before answering

"My Mom…Renee, has a strange way of viewing the world; she sees everything as it is, without making assumptions, or judgements or decisions based on personal bias. Last time I saw her was at her wedding, we haven't spoken much since then, too busy living life I suppose." Her mom's wedding? Her wedding to Bella's father? I was confused.

"The last time you saw her was at her wedding?" I asked, trying to clear up my confusions.

"Yes, I suppose I'll have to explain from the beginning. You see…I wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy, a mistake, if you will. My parents were young and in love and when they found out the news the rushed to Vegas to get married, much to my Grandma's dismay. I was born six months later, and though Renee assured me that I was the best thing that had happened to her time and time again, I know it was hard on my parents"

She took a deep breath and her eyes finally locked with mine. I could sit here forever, just sitting in her presence.

I motioned for her to go on and she smiled slightly and picked up where she left off.

"When I was 15 my mom left. She said she couldn't take it anymore. The small town lifestyle, the rumours and backstabbing, the relentless rain…" the pain was very obvious in her voice and I really hoped she wasn't going to cry, though, that would give me an innocent reason to hold her.

"She moved to Phoenix. Sunny, dry, arid Phoenix. The polar opposite to Forks, where she could start a new life, without her past haunting her. She found a boyfriend and got married a year later. The last time I saw her was when I was 16, watching my mom get married to someone who wasn't my dad." She was still hurting, so badly. Though I knew that before, it didn't lessen the yearning I felt to hold onto her and never let her go.

"It was around that time that Charlie started getting sick, and my mom didn't want anything to do with it, she said she wanted to remember him how he was, at a time when he still remembered her."

Her deep, chocolate brown eyes were brimming with tears as they looked into mine. She had never looked so beautiful.

"Bella…" I whispered, and she looked down, her hair hiding her face from view.

"It's not your fault" I reached over and brushed her hair behind her ear, quickly dropping my hand when she moved away. With her hair tucked behind her ear I could see her exquisite face clearly.

She was crying.

Oh God, she was crying. Everything in my being screamed against this, this pain that Bella was in. It was almost as if I couldn't handle it, I just couldn't handle that she was in such pain.

"That's what they said, but how could I believe them? How could I believe them when I've hurt everyone I love time and time again?" I had intended to answer but just then her eyes met mine and I was rendered speechless. She looked quickly away.

"Damn it I hate it when I cry!" she yelled exasperatedly, throwing her hands in the air and moving off the couch to the window.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she sobbed silently. I stood up and hovered behind her uselessly, wanting to help her; hold her. But I could not deny that it was I who had put her in this pain.

She had given me a lot to ponder, but I pushed it to the back of my mind for the moment, to comfort the weeping angel in front of me.

"Bella" I whispered, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder

"Edward. Please don't" her voice was laced with such pain that I had completely forgotten the light, joking mood we had established earlier today.

She tried to shake my hand off her shoulder, but I held on, wrapping my arms around her.

She struggled for a short while, before succumbing to my touch and crying softly into my chest. Why did this always happen?

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