A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. I'm just playing with her characters.

Thank you Fran for taking the time to edit all my mistakes, commas and spelling errors.

Twimom1960, klcivinski, and NKubie are my pre-readers and encouragement team. You guys are awesome. Thank you for your time and effort.

Piece of my Heart by Faith Hill
Break another little piece of my heart now baby
'Cause you know you got it if it makes you feel good, so good
Each time I tell myself that I can't stand the pain

Chapter 9

The air flowing from the overhead vent felt cool on Isabella's overheated skin. The constant buzz of the engine and the quiet cry of a child from the rear of the plane kept her from spinning into a frenzied mess. She watched in dismay as the man sitting beside her slowly inched closer. When his head fell to her shoulders, she sighed in resignation.

If only I could sleep.

She watched his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks before turning again to face the window. The shade was half-closed, but she could see the vast blue of the ocean many thousands of feet below. A few clouds were scattered over the sky, but otherwise, the day was filled with sunshine.

Memories of last night swarmed her mind and her breath hitched. Her eyes closed, willing back those fucking tears. Isabella had cried most of the night in the small motel room close to the airport. No flights had departed from Sea-Tac to Honolulu last night, so she had gone to the nearest motel and booked a room while she waited.

She wanted warmth and sunshine.

She wanted her friends and the comfort of home, little as it may be.

Sleep hadn't come until 2 a.m., just three hours before her flight. Whenever she closed her eyes, images of Edward's face had obscured her thoughts, making her heart ache. On the other side, had been fear. Fear that Mike would find her and drag her back.

But he never came.

The man on her shoulder sighed and she looked at him again, wondering what his story was.

Was he going on vacation?

Or was he running, like her?

"Ladies and gentleman, we are beginning our final descent into Honolulu International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your seat in the upright position. We thank you for flying with Hawaiian Air and hope you've enjoyed your flight."

Isabella inhaled sharply. She didn't really have a plan once she got off this plane, but calling Alice and Lauren wasn't something she wanted to do. She had ignored her friends for the past few months and quite frankly, she wasn't ready to explain to them what happened with Edward.

She nudged her sleeping companion. "Hey," she tried, but he merely grunted. "Hey, we're here."

"What?" He asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He smiled when his dark brown eyes met hers. "Hey. Wow, now that's a way to wake up."

If Isabella hadn't been nursing a broken heart, she would have blushed. Now she was wary of any man that approached her. She had now been burned twice.

Instead, she smiled, brushing her hair back into a ponytail. "Finally I got you to wake. Soon, I'd have to start wiping the drool off my shoulders."

It was meant to be teasing, but his horrifying look told her otherwise. "Fuck. I'm so sorry. I tend to nod off once in the air. It's a habit and it makes time fly faster. Pun intended."

She waved her hand. "No worries. I'm quite jealous. I can never sleep on these flights."

"You fly often?" He asked, securing his seatbelt after the flight attendant warned him.

She shook her head. "No, but when I do, I get so queasy during take-off that I can't sleep the entire flight."

The plane landed smoothly and with the hustle and bustle of the passengers, their conversation was halted. At the baggage claim, he caught up with her again.

"Hey. I didn't catch your name."

She shrugged. "You didn't ask."

"All right," he laughed. "May I ask your name, dark-haired beauty?"

This time, Isabella smiled. "Bella."

"Jake," he reached out his hand in greeting. It was warm and big, reminding her of Edward's.

Her smile fell as the pain in her chest flared, the memories of his hands caressing her skin still fresh and raw. Releasing Jake's hand, she cleared her throat and cast her eyes to the baggage carousel, hoping to see her bag.

"It was nice meeting you, Bella. I hope you have an amazing time. Hopefully, I'll run into you again sometime."

Forcing her smile, she turned back to Jake. "Yes, you too."

With a wave, she watched him weave through the throngs of people. His tall frame and black hair made him easy to spot in the crowd.

Isabella was left to her thoughts once more. Jake had been a small distraction from her ever-speculating mind, but she didn't want what had happened with Edward to happen again. She needed time to mend her broken heart and restart her life before she'd consider another man.

The thought alone made her ache for Edward's touch.

In a way, she knew she was being irrational. Edward had been doing a job for her husband and he had succeeded. Mike wanted proof of her adultery and she had fallen right into his trap.

She gritted her teeth in frustration, thinking of Mike's sinister ways. God, she had been a fool.

Even though Edward hadn't sent Mike pictures of them together, she still felt violated and betrayed. If he hadn't done the job, why hadn't he just told her the truth?

Oh God, what if he was married?

Had they both cheated on their spouses?

She had so many questions about who Edward was that it made her head spin with speculations and assumptions. She had no idea who he was, but she reasoned that it was okay. She didn't want to know him anyway.

Shaking her head, she went to the car rental. She knew she'd have to find a reasonable car soon in order to get around. Rentals were cheap, but she wanted her own.

Once inside the car, she pushed the key into the ignition and then stopped.

Where would she go?

Isabella leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. It had been a screwed up plan from the start. She had no fucking clue what her life entailed now that she was alone again. There was no fucking plan set out for her. No certain way she should dress or behave.

She truly was free.

A sob escaped her and she covered her mouth with her hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but in the rear-view mirror, she saw herself smiling.

"I'm free," she hiccupped, her watery smile reflecting in the mirror.

An idea formed in her head and her smile fell slightly. She had to break the news to her mother if she wanted her to agree to let her stay at their vacant house.

With a sigh, Isabella retrieved her phone from her purse, pushing the power button. It flickered to life and over a dozen missed calls flashed across the screen with about half as many voicemails.

Missed calls from Alice and from Lauren. Then a few from a number she didn't recognize, but to her surprise, there were none from Mike.

That's odd.

Last time she was away from him, she had almost a dozen missed calls from him daily. He had to be furious with her for leaving.

Dismissing all calls, she pulled up her mother's number and dialed it with an unsteady breath. Isabella had no idea if she'd answer. She didn't even know where they were.

The pulse of her heartbeat was loud in her ear and by the third ring, she was ready to hang up when her mother's voice came on the line.

"Hello?"

Isabella closed her eyes, willing her heart to calm the fuck down. "Hey, Mom."

Timid, shy and fucking nervous.

"Bella. Hi. How are you?"

Isabella smiled. "I'm doing fine. Where are you?"

She heard Phil's voice in the background asking who it was. Renee shushed him. "We're in Jacksonville, Florida."

"Wow, still traveling, I see." She paused, swallowing hard. "Are you enjoying it?"

This small talk was ridiculous.

"Yes, but I think we're about ready to settle down again."

"Does that mean you're coming home?"

"Bella, what's going on? You sound…different," Renee hedged.

Here goes nothing. "I…" Another swallow, "I left Mike. We're getting a divorce."

Silence.

Awkward fucking silence.

"Oh honey, what happened?"

Isabella pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it one day, okay?"

"Okay," Renee answered slowly.

More silence followed. Isabella wanted to ask about borrowing their house when Renee piped up again.

"You didn't sign a prenup, did you?"

And there it was. Renee was all fine with the divorce as long as it had a big payout.

"No, Mom. I didn't. Not that it matters anyway. Listen…" she started, anxiousto get off the phone as soon as possible.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course, it matters. You deserve something for all those years you spent with him," Renee's voice rose.

"Mom, please. It doesn't matter. Listen, I have a favor to ask," Isabella urged, hoping she'd drop it.

"Anything."

"Can I use the house while you're away?"

"Of course," Renee said. "As long as you need it, it's yours. You still know where the spare key is, right?"

Isabella nodded, relieved. "Yes, but it will only be temporary, I promise. Until I find my own place."

She started the car and headed to the house she had called home during her teenage years. It still looked the same. Off-white with pale blue shutters. Trees and hedges acted as the perimeter of the lot and opened up to the small beach at the back of the house.

Furniture was covered with white cloths; dust covered the mantel and every visible surface. Discarding her luggage in her bedroom, she went about cleaning and dusting the entire house.

Anything to distract myself.

Around nine in the evening, she stood from scrubbing the bathroom floor and wiped at the sweat on her brow. The entire day, she'd had music blaring to keep her treacherous thoughts about Edward and this fucked-up situation at bay. But now, at night, she had turned down the volume so she wouldn't disturb the neighbors.

In the shower, the tears fell again as she remembered Edward's gentle touch and urgent plea for her to listen to him. Soon, the tears were replaced with anger.

She was angry with herself.

Angry at Mike, Edward, and most importantly, she was angry at her heart for still yearning for him.

Wiping the steam from the mirror, she took in her reflection. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her mouth set in a hard line and her chin was raised in defiance. She would not let these thoughts and longing keep her down. She had overcome Mike's abuse and she would move on from Edward.

I have to.

As she settled in for the night, she checked the missed calls on her phone again. A few more from Alice and Lauren. She dialed her voice mail, tears threatening once more at Alice's concerned voice.

"Bella, please call me back. I'm… we're so worried about you."

"Bells, it's Lauren. Please give me a call when you can. I need to know you're okay."

The next voicemail had her sitting up straight in her bed. "Bella? It's… Edward. Bella, I…"

Her hand shook so hard and her vision was blurry with tears. Dammit, she had promised herself she wouldn't let him get to her.

The phone clattered to the floor with a thud and Edward's faint voice could still be heard as she curled into a ball, sobbing into her pillow. Voicemail after voicemail played from the phone on the floor. They were from Alice, Lauren and another one from her mother.

Why couldn't she just let it go? She had brought this on herself after all. Blaming Edward was futile. She had let him into her bed and into her body, and she had no one to blame but herself.

Then why was it so easy to blame him instead?

-T-T-T-

Isabella's head was pounding the next morning. After a quick shower, she went downstairs to get the coffee started when a sharp knock sounded at the door. Fear washed down her spine and she froze.

Don't let it be Mike.

Don't let it be Mike, she chanted, slowly making her way to the door.

Opening it a smidge, she came face to face with Alice and Lauren. Both weren't exactly wearing smiles.

"I see you're not dead," Alice said, raising her eyebrows.

"Coffee?" Isabella asked shyly, opening the door wider, letting her friends inside.

Alice was the first to hug her tight, followed quickly by Lauren.

"You had us worried," Lauren said, her eyes brimming with tears. "What happened?"

"It's over," Isabella reassured both of her friends, smiling. "I'm done. I couldn't do it anymore."

"Oh thank you, God," Lauren cheered, raising her hands to the heavens.

Alice took a sip of her coffee as the three of them settled around the table. "What about Edward?"

"Edward?" Lauren asked with raised eyebrows. "Is that… is he?"

Isabella nodded and smiled at Lauren, eyeing Alice. "What about him?"

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Isabella said calmly, taking a much-needed sip of her coffee.

"Why not?" Alice asked.

Isabella rubbed her temple, casting a glance at Alice. "Because of his involvement."

Alice's eyebrows scrunched together. "Involvement?"

"What's going on, Bella?" Lauren asked, worry in her voice.

Running up the stairs, Isabella got the documents she had copied from Mike's computer. She placed the photographs on the table and lastly the email from Edward to Mike.

She watched Alice's mouth move as she read the words, her eyes widening at the end. "This was sent from Jasper's office."

Isabella nodded. "Did he know?"

Grabbing her purse and the paper containing the email, Alice left her two friends. She drove across town to Jasper's office, praying it wasn't true. Why wouldn't he have told her? Could he have stopped Edward?

His assistant, Heidi, greeted her. "Good morning, Ms. Brandon."

With a curt nod, she strode into Jasper's office. He was seated behind his desk, his brows furrowed as he read something on the screen.

"Mase, can you…" His eyes shot up in surprise as Alice cleared her throat. "Ali, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She huffed. "What's wrong, you ask?"

She waved the paper in front of his eyes. "Tell me you didn't know. Tell me that you didn't know that it was Bella."

Jasper's eyes flew over the email before placing it on the desk. "Ali…" he started.

"Oh my God."

He started for her, but she backed away, shaking her head. "Why didn't you say anything? She's my friend."

"It wasn't my place. You know I can't divulge most of my work with you."

She scoffed. "Like hell you couldn't!"

"Ali, please," he pleaded, reaching out for her hand.

She yanked it from his and wiped at her eyes. "I need some time," she whispered, making her way to the door.

"What does that mean?"

She turned to face him, trying to keep her tears at bay. "It means that I need to think about how you fit into my world. What you did… to Bella, it hurts. I need to know that I can trust you before I commit to you."

The door fell closed with a thud and Alice hastily walked to the elevator. She wanted to get back to Bella.

The doors to the elevator opened and Edward stepped out. Seeing her red eyes, he asked in concern, "Alice?"

Her glare stopped him short. "You!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I don't know why I felt sorry for you. Why did you do it?"

Edward's eyes cast downward in shame. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it? Because none of this makes sense to me," she hissed.

His remorseful gaze met hers, pleading for her to understand. For a fleeting moment, she felt sympathy for him; for the situation he was in. He deserved to be happy, but this wasn't what Alice wanted for both Bella and Edward.

The doors slid closed without his answer.

On the drive back to Bella's, Alice wiped away her tears time and time again. She loved Jasper with all her heart. They had been together for some time now, but this… this hurt so bad. Why couldn't he have told her the truth?

Isabella and Lauren met a crying Alice as she opened the door. She clung to her two friends, letting her tears fall.

"What happened?" Lauren asked timidly as Alice's hiccups seized.

Taking the offered tissue from Isabella, Alice sniffed. "He knew all along. He knew!"

Isabella wiped at her own tears, hating to see her friend broken. "What about your engagement?"

Alice sniffed again and balled the tissue in her hand. "I'm not sure about that either," she said, sliding the ring from her finger with trembling hands.

"I'm not sure about anything right now where Jasper is concerned."

A/N: Now Jasper and Alice's relationship is on being tilted. What are your thoughts on that?

A BIG massive thank you goes to twilightsavedme and Lost in Fanfiction for reccing this story of mine in their stories. Check them out if you get the chance.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I hardly find time to reply to reviews, but please know that I appreciate each one that you give me. They make me smile.

Next Tuesday, Edward appears again. What will he have to say?