A/N- Hiii, thanks for the reviews again! Yay, it was nice to beat the target of 110! You're all awesome :)

The time between chapters was a lot better this time yeah? Its been a week right? Thats pretty good for me lol

Anyway, once again I hope this chapter isn't dissapointing. Please, please, pleaseeee review and once again I'll update as soon as I can. I've left most of the A/N for the end, as its spoilerish for this chap :)

Previously…

(Alice)

Although reluctant, I think I'll keep the dreams a secret for now, but for the sake of my two best friends I will do everything in my power to make sure that they can be together, and that the most vivid part comes true.

I don't know how that will be done, but I have to try.

…Even if it means taking out the competition and placing Edward and Bella together.

It will all start tonight… at the party.

A thousand miles

Chapter thirteen: Parties and eavesdropping

Bella's point of view

Why I had agreed to this I will never know.

I didn't want to come, and yet I here I stood next to Alice on the Masen's doorstep waiting for someone to answer- I hoped no one had heard us knock. It would give me a good reason to escape.

I shuffled my feet feeling uncomfortable in the heels Alice had insisted that I should wear, though I knew that it wasn't my choice of shoes that was really making me feel as if I was about to throw up.

"Chill Bella, you're somehow managing to make me feel nervous" Alice hissed in my ear.

"I can't help it… Al, this is such a bad idea…" I replied to her, my voice shaking slightly.

"It is not! Things will be fine" she tried to insist with me.

Oh no… no more of the physic stuff for tonight Alice, please.

"I have a feeling this won't go well… maybe I should just go…" I mumbled.

I decided then that I would go home and hide like the coward I am, I knew Charlie would still be there (he was coming to the party a little later having been delayed at the police station) – I knew he would accept my excuse of not feeling well.

Putting my plan into action, I turned around to leave when my plans were faltered- the door swung open, ultimately freezing me mid-step.

I turned back around to see it was Edward's mother Elizabeth who had opened the door.

She was thrilled to see us- she always had been very loving and welcoming.

"Oh how wonderful it is to see you both again!" she exclaimed as she hugged us both.

We walked inside with her, all the time answering her questions- she always managed to talk so much, and everything she said was interesting.

She spoke to Alice for a little while, before Alice politely excused herself to go and find Edward. I stayed behind with Elizabeth; I loved talking to her. I had always admired her- I remember when I was younger that I used to wish she was my mother.

She was kind of like that already though; without knowing she made up for the lack of a mother figure I had in my life.

"Tell me- how's Dartmouth? I must admit I was slightly disappointed when I found out that Edward had rejected his offer for there. But oh well, where he chose is fine- it's what he wants. So what do you think about your classes?" she rambled, eventually concluding on one question. She smiled kindly at me as we both walked through the house- it wasn't over crowded yet.

"Difficult but enjoyable, I regret a couple of the choices I made, like the choice to do Spanish" I replied, "However…I love my literature class though, its very interesting"

"Oh that's lovely! You know something? Edward did always say your writing was amazing" she commented, her face looked thoughtful, pensive.

"He did?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't remembered giving Edward much of my work to read… only one of my stories in agreement that he play his piano compositions for me, I suppose he must have thought it was better then I did.

She nodded, "all the time, but there and again- he was always praising you for anything you did, he never stopped talking about you"

Did he?!

In response to her comment I had one question I wanted to ask her-

'Did that change when he met Tanya though?'

However I couldn't bring myself to ask her that, it seemed rude somehow…

Besides, I already knew the answer.

Instead I finally replied… "Oh… that's nice"

After a while more guests arrived and Elizabeth politely excused herself from our conversation to go and greet them.

I made my way to the living room, hoping to maybe find Alice to talk to her.

But when I went into the room, although it was crowded I only saw one person: Edward.

He was standing right across the room from me, I smiled at him, and he smiled my favourite smile back at me.

Both of us walked towards each other quickly, crossing the distance.

I stopped in front of him ready to say something, but he pleasantly surprised me by opening his arms as an invitation.

Without hesitation, I stepped towards him and he pulled me into a tight hug, his arms encircling me holding me to him.

As I breathed in his scent hoping he wouldn't notice, I couldn't help but think that this felt like so much more then a hug between friends.

… It was so much more intimate then that somehow.

"You came" he whispered, his voice soft.

"I said I would, right?" I replied just as softly, leaning against his chest.

"Yeah… but I know how much you hate these things, so I wouldn't have blamed you if you decided to back out" he said, his voice light.

"I wouldn't say I hate them… hates a very strong word after all" I said teasingly, as we broke apart from our hug.

Theres only one person, sorry- thing that I hate, it begins with T and ends in A, and is blonde and plastic and bitchy.

He laughed, "but I know that you hate being Alice's 'Bella barbie' did she insist on picking out your outfit again?"

"Nope, I picked it myself" I said smugly, "I did allow her to pick out my shoes and do my make up though… I'm getting used to it, I don't even argue against her anymore"

In a flash his face turned serious, he placed one of his hands on my forehead as if he was feeling my temperature, while he let the other one run down my arms as if he was checking for bruises or something.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sounding amused yet confused at the same time.

"Just checking… are you ill? Do you feel okay?" he asked seriously, though I could detect amusement in his beautiful eyes.

I rolled my own eyes, "I feel fine"

At my simple statement, his face relaxed and then turned teasing. "Sorry but it sounds weird… you no longer hate parties and you now allow Alice to make you over… who are you and what have you done with my Bella?" he asked rhetorically, smiling his beautiful smile.

I would have been offended if it weren't for the term 'my Bella' I doubt he even noticed that he said it.

After all… his Bella…?

I wish.

I took a deep breath; I didn't even know what I was going to say until I was speaking.

"Funny how time flies huh? It was the last party we were at together that you told me about your… engagement… and here we are months later celebrating it" I said, hoping he wouldn't notice how my voice had turned resentful.

"Yeah… time really has gone to quick hasn't it?" he murmured, his voice sad as he brushed some of the hair away from my face gently.

What did he mean by that?

"Edward can I ask you something?" I asked him quietly.

"Of course" he whispered his voice weaker then before, as he dropped his hand from my cheek.

I immediately missed his warmth. But now back to what I wanted to ask him…

Here it goes. "It's about your wedding, do you really want to-"

"Edward, there you are!" a slightly high pitched and very girly voice exclaimed, cutting me off.

Why did it seem like everyone did that to me?

The person to match the face suddenly appeared next to Edward as if she had been there the whole time. She linked her arm through his and kissed his cheek.

… Tanya.

"Tanya" Edward exclaimed; his voice sounding slightly… defeated?

My eyes were wide though as I looked at her. She tore her eyes away from Edward and looked at me- her look now hateful.

Not wanting to see her face, I looked back to Edward waiting for him to ask me to continue, or to tell Tanya to go away until we finish our conversation…

But he only stared back, saying nothing. His eyes seemed sadder then before though- when it was just me and him talking.

"I'll leave you two to talk," I said quietly, forcing a smile at him and Tanya.

I turned away and walked out of the room, and back into the kitchen where I came from- it was now crowded in here as well. I only knew a few people, but I still felt shy to approach anyone at all for some reason.

Eventually I decided to walk upstairs for a look around- to my delight everything in the house was still the same as the last time I saw it.

I walked down the hallway looking at the walls that were covered in pictures of people- I stopped in front of a picture of Edward, Alice and me.

We were about 7 years old, and were down the park all standing around the slide. We were all toothless and grinning, and to be honest the picture was very cringe-worthy… but at the same time was also very cute. I loved this picture simply because I loved those times… because they were easy.

…Before I fell in love with Edward.

Elizabeth had insisted on hanging this picture up, after all Edward was her only child and she wanted as many pictures of him as possible, one of them was including him with his childhood friends.

"He always did have a nice smile, didn't he?" a voice mused behind me.

I knew that voice.

I turned round to come face to face with Tanya again. She looked angry and hateful.

"Bella" she said through gritted teeth.

"…Tanya" – I mimicked her action.

Her expression and voice suddenly changed, becoming sickly sweet- "Just who I wanted to see… I have something I need to ask you."

"You do?" I asked, now feeling confused and wary.

"Mmm… so here it goes…" she said, her voice changed in tone, growing angrier- "Bella, tell me… do you think I am an idiot?!"

"Excuse me?" I gasped, surprised at this question.

"I said- do you think I'm an idiot or something?"

Yes.

"No" I lied.

"Oh is that so?" she mused, pacing the hallway, towering above me.

Damn, why did she have to be nearly a foot taller then me?!

"See I think your lying…you must think I'm stupid… after all you think that I don't notice the way that you act around MY fiancée." She said, her voice getting louder. She continued to talk- "Well news flash- I can see the way you look at him and the way you act, and I must say I find it pathetic. He wants ME. You're just wasting your time"

Now I felt angry… and as many people do in the heat of the moment, I replied with the first response that came to mind.

"If you weren't threatened then why are you confronting me?" I mumbled, sounding stupid and not strong like I was aiming for.

"Because I want you out the picture- for good. Your always in the way playing the 'perfect best friend' - its repulsive and annoying. I want you gone, right now," she growled, stepping towards me. She looked down at me, and as embarrassing as it was for me to admit- I was intimidated.

"What if Edward doesn't want me to go?" I finally replied.

"I don't care, he'll soon be over your little friendship thing. He has me, and he'll soon forget about you" she insisted.

"Your wrong" I argued, but my voice showed that I wasn't confident.

"I don't think so" she said smugly, "Remember who he's been with the past year? Me. And let me tell you, when we were in Miami he acted as if you never existed"

That can't be true.

"You lying bitch" I seethed, only just resisting the urge to hit her for that comment.

She only laughed at me, "I'm not lying," she said smugly. "Now think about what I've said" she said, while flicking her hair.

At my lack of response, She smiled smugly and then turned around walking away, lifting her phone to her ear.

I'll be damned if I let her bother me. I knew if I thought too much about what she had said then the words might have hurt a lot more- was I really pathetic?

I tried to let what she had said go.

And I tried to keep convincing myself that what she said about Edward wasn't true… it couldn't be, could it?

Even though I wasn't afraid by her threats, I decided to leave anyway- I should have known from the beginning that I wouldn't be welcome here.

As I turned the corner to walk down the stairs I heard Tanya talking, she seemed deep in conversation, really focused on whomever it was she was talking to.

I glanced around the corner to see her sitting on a chair, the phone to her ear.

"Yeah I just talked to her- she still seems as obsessed as before, your gunna have to up your game a bit" she said to the person on the phone, her voice low.

There was a short pause, the person replying to her.

"Don't you dare start feeling guilty!" she snapped, standing up from the chair, "Remember who it is your working for" she said, her voice low again.

They replied again to her.

"…It won't continue for much longer I promise, just as soon as the deal is sealed… or so to call it" she continued explaining.

More silence…

"Yes I mean that. Now stick to your end of the bargain okay? You're not doing the best job at the moment" she said harshly, her voice quiet again.

"Good, good… look I've got to go, but I'll call you again soon for an update"

"Bye"

I turned and quickly walked when I saw her heading in the direction I was.

What was that phone call about…?

I knew I didn't really care- I didn't like Tanya so why would her phone calls be important to me?

Although… I suppose that if I was able to get evidence that she was conniving then it would matter to me.

If only I had something, some proof that Tanya was a bitch, then at least Edward would know the truth, and that would work in my favour.

Eventually when the coast was clear I ran through the house, heading straight to the front door. As I passed through the living room as fast as I could I saw Alice and Edward turn to look at me, their faces showing their surprise.

"Bella!?" Edward called after me, panicked. He began to follow me.

"It's okay Edward, I'll go find out what's wrong" I heard Alice say quietly- they were behind me now as I made my way out.

I slammed the front door open and ran down the front door steps and across the lawn, coming to a abrupt stop on the sidewalk.

I turned to see Alice running after me, while Edward was at the door, his expression worried- maybe worried that I was hurt.

I wasn't crying or afraid at all though.

No, I was now determined.

…Tanya thinks she's got everything and that she deserves it, what she doesn't know is that I am going to tell Edward the truth- before the wedding.

…And that will be as soon as possible.

Yeah I know I haven't really followed on from the Alice part… but that will come back up. Even though I don't think I'm going to do her point of view again, we will find out what Alice does to help out Bella and Edward. I must say it is clever and kind of obvious really. Any guesses? It was in this chapter.

And yeah I know there could have been more Edward and Bella… but I think some Tanya bitchiness was definitely needed (and important for the plot!). Plus so much more ExB is coming. I've worked a lot more on the outline, and next chapter will mostly be Edward's point of view and can I say 'he's having doubts?' much … obvious. :)

And it will either be the chapter after that or the next one that is only Edward and Bella, now that will be a long chap and then of course after that is the wedding dun-dun-dun! So stick with this!

Once again, thanks for reading and please review! Maybe we could get to 130?! Or is that asking for a bit too much? I'll ask to get to 126 though... thats realistic right? Thats 12 reviews, I'll update once we get there :)