A/N: It's obvious I haven't updated. My apologies…now…let's get on with the story, shall we?

Chapter 14- Lies, and heartbreak

POVS: Bella, Edward.

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Bella

As I got to work, I felt like I was in heaven. And, nothing could bring me down from this paradise. I couldn't stop thinking about the events from the pervious day. Stolen kisses, sweet whispers, holding, touching, feeling. Perfection.

Everything was wonderful. I just hoped it would stay that way.

"Hey," James greeted me when I sat in my seat at our cubicle.

"Hi," I said still in a daze, flashing him a small smile. He just sat there, with a hard, confused look in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"What—oh, yeah I'm fine," He shook his head, while clearing his throat. "Erm, Angela said that we had to work on a project together."

That pulled me out of my own little world. "Huh? A project?"

"Yeah, it's for the magazine." Well no duh. I could've figured that out on my own. "We have to put in our opinions for the worst and best dressed list…since the Oscars were last night." They were on last night?

"You didn't watch them did you?" He accused, looking me straight in the eye. I shook my head, embarrassed. "what did you do yesterday?" His voice went up a few octaves, and he kept running his hands through his hair.

"Nothing…just hung out with Ed—" He cut me off.

"Well, let's get started on this shall we?" He smiled innocently. All I could do was stare at him; he shrugged his shoulders and scooted his chair closer to mine.

"Well, I think Kate Winslet should be one the best dressed list. She looked so cute!" He said in a perky voice. I nodded and went through the list of people –on the computer—that attended the Oscars last night.

"Yeah, I think Angelina Jolie's gown looks really pretty in this picture." I pointed out to him and he nodded his head in agreement.

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"Well, that was tiring," I yawned and raised my arms above my head, stretching.

"It defiantly was," He murmured. "You know something, Bella?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Um…two plus two equals four?" I let out a small laugh and he moved closer to me.

"I want to thank you for befriending me. I didn't have a lot of people at my old job…" He trailed off, placing a hand under his chin.

"Why is that?" I asked and he snapped his head back to me and giggled.

"Obvious reasons Bella…" He laughed and pointed to his outfit.

"Oh, so people didn't like you…because you're…gay?" I felt a little rude asking that. I just hope I didn't offend him.

"I guess you could say that," He moved a little closer to me. I moved back an inch, trying to move away in a polite way. "don't move away from me," He demanded, he eyes clouded over making them look like a hard, dark gray. Almost black.

"I really have to be heading home soon…so…" I tried to stand up but he pushed my back down.

"No," He growled. I started after him.

"What? I can't go home…?" I laughed, trying to make light of the subject. And trying not to show how uncomfortable I was. "stop teasing, James."

"If I was teasing, I'd be smiling." His mouth was in a grim line then. I could see his veins pulsing from his forehead, and he was turning a little red.

"You smell really good," He smirked. "I hope you know that. I wonder if you taste as good as you smell…" He got closer to my lips, I was trying to push him off. He felt my hesitance and pulled away.

"James, you're gay."

"No, Bella." He smiled, looking at me with an evil glint in his eyes. "I was never gay. Are you kidding me?"

"What about Laurent?" I crossed my arms over my chest, I was sick to my stomach. And deeply appalled.

"No, Laurent really is gay." He laughed a dark throaty laugh. "he's an old friend from college…you remember college, don't you Bells?"

"James, what are you talking about?" I was so confused, my head was spinning, my palms were sweating and I was beginning to feel dizzy.

"College, Bella!" He roared. I jumped in shock, my heart was pounding frantically in my chest. I looked around me, the building was cleared. No one was here…no one that I could see.

"James…please. Don't," I whispered, my lips trembling.

"No. I won't." He moved me closer to him and he whispered the next words to me. "Do you not remember me? I was in every one of your classes. I even worked with you on some projects. I had the biggest crush on you. I tried to talk to you…I always did, but I was too scared. A coward. You were so popular, beautiful, smart. I wanted to get to know you, I wanted to be your friend. And, I even daydreamed about being your boyfriend…"

Everything was coming back to me now. How could I not have remembered his face? Flashbacks filled my mind. Fuzzed, faded flashbacks.

"Hi, B-Bella. I'm James…we have to work together on this assisgnment," A cute gray eyed guy said. I smiled and nodded.

"You have mysterious eyes…I like it," I smiled when he blushed a pink color.

"Hey, Bella! Let's go out to eat okay?" My friend Anna said. "Uh, who are you?" She looked the gray eyed guy up and down. "Bella, what are you doing? Don't work with him…" She whispered in my ear. I smiled to the gray-eyed man.

"I'll be right back," I giggled with Anna as we made up a lame excuse as being sick with stomach flu to the proffesser, and getting off easily.

I looked over my shoulder to see the gray-eyed man staring after me with longing eyes as I walked out of the room.

James' voice pulled me back to the present. "I was heartbroken when you got with one of the guys in our class. I wanted to crawl into a corner, and stay there," I gasped as I saw hate filling his eyes. Making his gray eyes darker. "I was completely infatuated with you. And…when I found out you were working here at this magazine. I knew what I had to do to make you mine," His eyes scorched and the tendons in his arms pulsed out as he made hard fists.

"It was hard to get this job. I had to lie about…really everything. And, when I saw you. Those same feelings came rushing back to me. But, you didn't remember me. It was hard to keep a straight face…then…I came up with a plan," James' voice was hard, rough, yet still vulnerable.

"I pretended to be gay. The only way to get closer to you. But, that didn't work so well because now you have a boyfriend," He snarled the word. "But…I don't care. I have you here, with me. And, I want you," He pushed himself closer to me.

Before I could even speak, before I could even think. He slammed his lips to mine. I pushed and shoved against his chest but nothing I could do would stop. He pulled back to look at me, and placed a kiss on my cheek, bottom lip, and nose.

I shut down.

He leaned forward to place another kiss on my lips.

"James…"

He kissed me lightly, but pulled away when we heard someone's feet shuffling, and that person cleared their throat.

"Well…I just came here to give you these," I knew that voice. That silky, honey irresistible voice. I snapped my head to the sound of it. And saw beautiful roses were on the desk.

Shit.

"Have fun, I won't interrupt." Edward said, his jaw tight, and eyes hurt, and pained. I reached out for him but he pushed me away. "No, Bella. Go ahead; this is what you want right? I knew something was up when you first told me about him…I was so stupid to ever fall for anything you said, and even you," His words were like a dagger being stabbed repeatedly into my heart.

"No Edward—he came onto me! I didn't do anything!" I shouted to him, and chased him down the stairs to the parking lot.

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Edward.

"Hey, is Bella still here?" I asked the secretary as I exited the elevator.

"Yeah, she is. She's in her cubicle…who are you?" The man asked eyeing the flowers.

"I'm her boyfriend. I brought these flowers for her," I smiled and the man laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be so happy to see you."

"I hope so." I replied. "which way is her cubicle?" He pointed in the direction it was in and I followed, as soon rounded the corner to it.

"…And, I want you." I heard a man's voice. It almost sounded like…James? No, I must have had the wrong cubicle then, as I spun on my heel. Then, I heard Bella's voice.

"James…"

What? Was I missing something? I turned around and looked in the cubicle. And, almost choked.

They were kissing. Kissing. How dare he!? How dare she!? I was utterly and completely upset. I felt like someone just rammed my chest in with a sledgehammer.

"Well…I just came here to give you these," I placed the flowers on her desk. James pulled away from her, but his lips still hovered over to them. I was tempted to punching his face in, but if this what Bella wanted.

Then, this is what she will have.

"Have fun, I won't interrupt." I had to hold in the emotions I was feeling then. She walked over to me and reached for me, but I pushed her hands away from me. "No, Bella. Go ahead; this is what you want right? I knew something was up when you first told me about him…" I shook my head, her voice in my head then 'We are just friends, Edward. He's new.' "I was so stupid to ever fall for anything you said, and even you," I said mostly to myself.

I wanted to kick myself when I saw the hurt in her eyes. But, somehow, I knew it was all fake. She wanted me to feel sorry for her. She wanted me to play her little game.

"No Edward—he came onto me! I didn't do anything!" Oh, please…where have I heard that before?

I raced down the stairs—the elevator just wouldn't be fast enough—I heard her foot steps behind me as she followed. When I got out the parking garage I turned to her.

"I knew we rushed into this too fast," I scoffed; she halted to a stop in front of me. I took a step back. "it was all too soon…I knew it. But, I didn't say anything." I laughed bitterly. "I was blinded by love I guess you could say,"

"You…love me?" She whispered her eyes brimming with tears.

"You know, I don't know anything anymore. I don't know, but if that was love. I don't think I want to go back to that," I knew what I was saying was harsh, but I couldn't quite care at the moment.

"Edward…" she took a step closer. "why are you acting like this?"

"Why am I acting like this!?" I laughed humorlessly, running my hands through my hair, pulling and tugging at the ends. "how would you feel if you walk in and see your girlfriend making out with someone who was supposedly a friend. And supposedly gay!?" I shouted, and she flinched at my voice.

"Edward…you know I would never hurt you like that. He kissed me. He lied to me." Her lips were trembling and her arms shaking.

"I'm sorry…I really am," I shook my head and my arms behind my head. "I can't believe it. I trusted you…oh God. How could I be so stupid?" I dropped to my knees and hit the ground with my fist. It didn't hurt…I couldn't feel anything.

I was numb.

"Edward—"I cut her off.

"No. I've been hurt so many times, Bella. You don't even understand," I refused to look at her. "Juliet's mother cheated on me with my best friend behind my back. Then she dumps the kid on me! Don't get me wrong, I love Juliet with all my heart. But…" I rubbed my eyes. "I thought you were different, but I have to keep falling for girls like you," My voice was shaking, and my heart was throbbing in my rib cage. I was still on my knees.

"Maybe I'm just better off alone, it's what I'm good at. I will just raise Juliet, watch her grow up, and live. As I slowly fade away on my own. And die alone," I breathed in a shaky breath and closed my eyes.

"Edward, you are blowing this widely out of proportion," I could hear the tears in her voice. She bent down next to me. "You're…you're…being—no, acting like a baby." I snapped my head to look at her, my mouth agape.

"Oh, I'm the baby?" I questioned and she just looked at me with hard eyes. "Yeah, okay. Sure, I'm the baby! I'm heartbroken, but yeah sure get up, Edward. Dust your shoulders off, just because you're a dude. Knock it off," I looked at her dumbly. "Is that what you want to hear?"

My tone was sharper than intended, but I didn't quite care at the moment. I got to my feet and she followed me.

"So…are we…over?" I looked at her and she was sobbing silently. Tears streaming down her face and mascara following after it.

"I think…that would be best for us," I said slowly, and pinched the bridge up my nose with my thumb and finger.

"After everything!?" She shocked me, my hitting my arm. "you're just going to dump me over something stupid as this?" She slapped me and I just stood there, shocked. "thanks Edward! Ruin my day! This is just what I needed. I didn't even kiss him, he kissed me! Why can't you get that through your head!?" She screamed as sobs wracked her body.

"Oh, ruin your day? You don't think my day is ruined?" I shouted back, our voices echoing off of the walls in the garage.

"No…I didn't mean it," She backpedaled. "Edward, come on. We can make this work, I know it. Don't leave me," She pleaded with watery eyes.

"Let…let me think this through." I walked away slowly. "I need sometime…please, this is just…too much," I started to walk to my car faster, and she followed again.

"But…but…" Was all she could get out. I slammed the door of my Volvo and started it up. Soon she was hitting the car door. "Edward. Think of Juliet!" She cried.

Of course I would be thinking of Juliet. Juliet was the main reason why I decided to make Bella my girlfriend. She convinced me, opened my eyes, to something I thought I wanted.

"I'll call you…"

"What does that mean!?"

"I don't know yet…I'm sorry," And, with that I went home. Alice will not take this well…

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Bella

I'll call you… what was that supposed to mean?! He breaks up with me, but then says he needs time to think, and he will call me?

I was confused beyond belief. I reached in my pocket, sniffling and wiping my eyes, searching for my keys. I grabbed them out and headed straight to my car.

As I started the car, I realized I left everything I had brought with me in my cubicle. I left them under my desk, and just prayed that James would leave and not mess with my stuff.

I considered going back for it, but it was already too late to go back. I was on the highway now…heading back to the only place I knew that I could go home to.

I blindly reached for my phone. Thankfully I left it in the glove compartment. I looked through the contacts through watery eyes, for the number I had not dialed in a while.

They picked up in two rings.

"Hello?"

"Mom…"

"Bella?" my mom asked.

"It's me." I said speeding up, going as fast as my little truck could go. "Get a room ready, I'm coming home."

Phoenix, Arizona: 1,583 miles.

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A/N: Okay, don't hate Edward. He's just heartbroken and doesn't know how to handle it.

Looks like Bella is going home….hmm.. I wonder what happens next!?

Well, review…and you will find out soon!

Thanks.

P.S. sorry for the wait, and that it's short :/

-&- Pixie Hollow