Thank you all for your reviews and comments. Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond but again another crazy week. With Christmas coming I'm not sure I'll be able to do a chapter a week but I'll give it a try. I'm amazed at how many people are reading this little story and what to thank you all.

Some people have commented that Edward doesn't deserve Bella, and that Bella needed to stand up for herself. I hope this chapter gives a bit more light into their situations. Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: SM owns is all. I just fiddle with it.

Out of the Shadows

Chapter 10: WTF?

EPOV

I don't know what the hell just happened. Izzy is really Bella Swan. Why didn't I see it? How could I be so blind? I know that Bella and I didn't hang out in high school together, but I knew her. But she had changed so much, physically and in her confidence in herself. I never really knew her as a person before; she was just another student. She was always so closed off and kept to herself. I never thought that she wanted to be with anyone.

After I left the keys on the landing, I just sat there on my bed, catching my breath and thinking about what just happened. Some how I knew the moment she was gone, because my heart gave a shudder.

She was never going to talk to me again. The first words out of my mouth were so spiteful. Bella was an unbelievable woman who, half an hour ago, I would have been on my knees for, but now I would be blessed if I even got the chance to apologize. How was I ever going to make this right?

I needed to go back down to the party though. Mom and Dad would be furious if I sat up here brooding for the rest of the night.

By the time I got back to the party, a number of people were already leaving, but the younger ones were just starting. I kept searching for Chief Swan but couldn't see him, thankfully. He was one person that I didn't want to talk to tonight. The second person was striding towards me with anger in her eyes.

"Hey, Alice." I tried to sound casual, but there was no way I was getting anything past her.

"Don't 'hey' me. What the hell did you do to Izzy?"

"You mean Bella, don't you?"

"Bella? As in Bella Swan?" Alice inhaled quickly, and her eyes went wide. "Oh, my God! Why didn't I see that before?"

"Yeah, mousy, overweight, bookworm Bella Swan is Izzy." Repeating the words I'd said to Bella made the twisting in my heart even worse. I tried to walk away from her, but she was having not of that. Alice pushed me so hard that I fell back against the wall.

"Please don't tell me you said those words to her." The venom in her voice was chilling.

"Yeah." I couldn't look her in the eye. I'd screwed up royally, and I was going to need Alice's help to try and get Bella back.

"You are such an ass!" A few people walking by stopped and looked at us as she screamed at me. "You have lost that girl forever now. I remember how you used to stare at her in Biology. Don't you dare try to fool me with this bullshit about you being concerned with how she looked."

I knew that Alice could see right through me, but I never knew how deep it went. There was always something about Bella that intrigued me. But she was never cool enough for the crowd I hung out with. I tried my best not to join in on the jokes, but I was still there laughing at them. Guilt by association is still guilt. Alice always used to talk up Bella's best points or work her in as a topic of conversation. I just never took the bait.

"When are you planning on going to the Swan house to make this right? Because I know that you are not going to let her slip away from you. Izzy, I mean, Bella is the one for you, and you know it." Alice stood there with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot, and waiting for my answer.

"I'll text her tomorrow to see if she wants to talk."

"You will do no such thing. First thing tomorrow morning, you are driving over there and spilling your guts about your feelings for her. No more of this macho crap, or I'm a big star ego trip. She is far too good for you, and she needs to know it." As Alice ended her little tirade, Esme walked over.

"Edward, why did Bella leave so quickly?" There was no shock or surprise in Esme's eyes or voice. She'd known it was Bella all along but never said a word.

"How did you know, Mom?"

"Edward, you may be fooled by a new body, but the soul inside was Bella. I'd had many conversations with Charlie about her when she was growing up. I knew her well but from a distance. I didn't understand why she was going by the name Izzy, but I wasn't about to make waves. You kids are too old now to be told what to do, even under my roof." I couldn't believe what my Mom was telling me. How much had she observed through high school?

Physically, the rest of the evening was spent being the dutiful son by entertaining and beguiling their guests. My thoughts, though, were in town at the Swan house. I was hoping that Bella would let me make amends for my monstrous behavior.

It was late in the evening when I finally extracted myself from Jessica Stanley's clutches. Quietly I retreated to my room to review the best and worst day of my life so far. Before the party started, I was flying high. I'd found the girl for me and was going to tell her, and then with a few ill-conceived words, I'd lost her.

Changing into sweats and a t-shirt, I put some music on and tried to think. How could I not see the connection between Izzy and Bella? Alice was right. I did think about Bella a lot in high school but never acted on it. I tried to fit into this mold that didn't fit me. I wasn't the perfect student and jock. Emmett had the jock role filled, and Alice was the one with the artistic talents. I just tried to make a place for me, but it never felt true.

There were days when I wanted to be the loner, like Bella, just so no one would have any expectations. I was angry then, and Dad did the right thing when he sent me to counseling for anger. But it was a little too late for high school, and it was sorely missing tonight with her. The atonement I sought with Bella never happened, for she moved away the day after graduation. That was one of my biggest regrets about high school. Bella was a good person who didn't deserve what I did then and especially what I had done tonight.

Thinking of Bella was all I did for the rest of the night. Her beautiful mahogany hair, the deep brown eyes that saw into my soul, and the smile that sent shivers to my toes. There was no way I was going to let her get away from me a second time. Alice was right. I had to grovel and do whatever was needed to make her forgive me.

Yes, I'd ended our professional relationship, but I was going to plead for something more important. I just hoped that she wouldn't remember every word I'd said tonight. I would have to explain about my trust and anger issues. There was so much about me she didn't know and vice versa. If only we could try for a third time to get to know each other, truly understand one another.

By three in the morning, I was still awake. I had written and rewritten an apology script so many times my hand was cramping. When sleep finally took me, my pen was still in my hand, and I was surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper.

I dreamt of Bella, and the scenes of her smiling and laughing with me were playing on a loop inside my mind. A distant banging kept intruding on my dreams until I opened my eyes to be greeted by the sun streaming in through my windows.

The banging continued, followed by a stream of obscenities from my bedroom door. "Edward, get your scrawny ass out of bed, and go get Bella!" My little sister as always - looking after me.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rolled toward the edge of my bed to look at my clock. "Holy shit!" It was past nine.

I had a flight to catch in about 10 hours and a lot of pleading to do between now and then. I thanked Alice through my locked door and ran for the bathroom. A shower and shave, and then to my closet to pick out a good outfit. I stood there frozen, wondering what to wear. What do you wear to grovel and still be respectable for the Police Chief's daughter?

I opened my bedroom door. "Alice, I need you!"

"Of course, you do." She replied as she bounded up the stairs from the second floor. Straight to the closet she went and pulled my best khakis, a white collared shirt and a camel colored cashmere sweater. "There! You better hurry 'cause you've got a lot of work to do."

"Thanks," I said, with a mixture of sarcasm and gratitude in my voice. Once I was dressed and ready, I tore down the stairs, almost colliding with Rosalie at the bottom. I apologized as I ran to the garage door. "Mom, I'm taking your car."

Grabbing the keys to her little Volvo C30, I dashed out the door and into the garage. As I was pulling out, Esme came into the garage with a large bouquet of flowers in her hands. I got out of the car, took the flowers from her hands, and gave her a big hug. "Thanks, Mom."

"Do your best, and be yourself. Tell her everything. She deserves the truth, Edward." She was smiling as I started my drive again.

The drive into town took no time at all, and I knew exactly how to get to her father's house. I usually avoided this street, but not today. When I pulled up to her house, I was holding my breath. Would she talk to me, or would Charlie come out with one of his many guns? I'm sure he's thought about it many times during high school.

Walking up to the front door, the house was quiet. It wasn't until I rang the bell that I took a breath again. Standing there with the flowers in hand, I waited for the beautiful Bella Swan to give me a third chance.

BPOV

I was lying in my bedroom with my swollen, puffy eyes still shut listening to my father bang around the kitchen. I knew he was furious with Edward and me, as well. I had spent yet another night in mental and emotional anguish over Edward Cullen. I'd sworn that I would never do this again when I moved from Forks to start fresh in L.A.

Not only did I improve my body, I also worked on my psyche. Nearly a year spent in counseling to deal with my mother, a sense of abandonment, and esteem that was so low the counselor had to dig for it. A month with Edward Cullen, and I was back to the beginning again.

My pillow muffled only so much of the wails and curses that flowed from me last night. Charlie heard all of it, I'm sure, and that's why he was pissed and making sure I knew it. He held me responsible for this situation; after all, I took the job with this man.

A man who right now had me twisting and turning in the wind. Last night I wanted to beg and plead for Edward to take me back. I needed to be near him, in any manner. He affected me like a drug; a drug that I wasn't able to give up.

This morning I wanted to scream and yell at him for making me feel like I was the bad guy in this scenario. I know I gave him a misleading name, but who I was when we were together was the best of me.

By the time I got downstairs, my head was pounding like I'd been on a bender the night before. I got a cup of coffee, some pain pills for the headache, and then slumped in the chair across from Charlie.

"So what's up for the day, Bells?" Charlie kept his head down, engrossed in the Peninsula Daily like the local news would change what had happened.

"Uh, I don't know. I've got a lot of time on my hands now. I'm out of work, so I might be spending some time just hanging out here, if that's okay?" We sat in silence. Neither of us wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.

After my coffee, I started up the stairs to get cleaned up for the day. Angela was expecting me later this afternoon. I needed to find some energy, because that was a going to be a draining conversation.

My room was still exactly like it was when I graduated high school. A photo of Angela and me was on my desk. It was the only framed photo in my room, because Edward was in the background of the photo. I wasn't going to play the victim anymore. I slowly got undressed to have my shower. As I was putting on my robe, the doorbell rang.

So what do you think? Is Edward still all bad? Should Bella roll over for a bunch of pretty flowers?

I have one rec to give, TwiLoverSue has two amazing stories. If you get the chance give them a read.

By the way, all of my chapter titles are songs that I love, and some of the lyrics have fit well to the respective chapter. I hope to see you again in a week.