Guys Sorry for the wait! You wouldn't believe what happened! I was just finishing what was Chapter 14 when there was a power cut and I lost everything! I tried so hard to rewrite it but it turns out that I am better writing chapters once through instead of thinking too much about it because I had a serious case of writers block!! I just couldn't make it flow the second time around and I also couldn't remember lots of the conversation. So if this chapter seems static and jumpy - thats why!!

Lots of Love, MLWE xx

Take a look at me now,

'cos there's just an empty space

But to wait for you,

well that's all I can do and that's what I've got to face

Take a good look at me now,

'cos I'll still be standing here

And you coming back to me is against all odds

That's the chance I've got to take.

Edward

Running back to the motel I felt so good. Free. I'd seen Bella, I'd played the game, I felt in control again.

If I had my way, and I was pretty sure I would, it would be her running to me this time.

I picked up my pace for the last 100 yards and took the stairs to my room two at a time.

I knew Jasper was probably still asleep, but I wanted him to wake up and come get breakfast so I banged on the adjoining door with my forearm.

"Jazz open up!" I shouted.

There was a scuffle and then hissed whispers from behind the door.

"Jasper?!" I banged again. The door opened and Jasper stood there looking ruffled and not meeting my eye. I pushed the door, moving him out of the way to find Alice sitting nonchalantly on the chair by the window reading a magazine. Upside down.

"Your shirt is buttoned wrong" I stated, flicking my fingers at the buttons as I went by Jasper and into the room. I stood there looking from one to another.

"Hi Edward" Alice said innocently, flicking the pages still not realizing the magazine she was so interested in was inverted, "I just thought I'd call in to see how you both are, especially you of course Ed, how is your face?"

"Its fine" I said, as she stood up and approached me to peer at my injury with a grimace.

"Looks sore" She stood on her toes and prodded my face.

"Ow! What the fuck?" I said, grabbing her finger. "It is when you do that. For fucks sake!"

She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry!"

"Anyway..."I said turning to glare at Jasper, "I think Alice should go wait in the lobby and then we can all go for breakfast together. Okay Alice?"

She left, reluctantly and I noticed Jasper's fingers twitch out and touch hers as she passed. They really had a bond, even after such a short time.

I went into the bathroom and turned the faucet for the shower. Then I went into my room and grabbed a clean tee and jeans before going back in to where Jasper was busy juggling the TV remote, my wallet and a ball of socks.

"I saw Bella" I said, pulling my tee-shirt over my head. "So much for the grand plan"

Jasper caught the TV remote and wallet expertly in his hands and headed the ball of socks toward me. I kicked them away.

"Where was she?" He asked, standing up and pulling a drawer open to rifle through the clothes shoved in there.

"On Bogachiel" I said, then continued when I saw him frown in ignorance, "Just a block away. She was driving."

"Were you running?" He said, grabbing out a pair of black trousers and draping them over the chair by the desk.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. I pointed at my clothes and then at my sweaty face and wet hair.

"Yes of course you were. Sorry." He said tutting at himself, "Do you think she found that sexy?"

I smiled, "Dunno" I said shrugging and kicking my shoes off, I dropped my pants and walked back into the bathroom.

I stood in the shower letting the water pummel my back. I'd have rubbed one out, released some tension if I couldn't have heard Jasper singing from the next room. So I just stood there as the water streamed off my head and soaked my body. I covered myself in this weird minty shit Jasper always had and it actually felt good. Invigorating.

The heat of the water was therapy. It pummeled into my muscles and gave me something other than Bella to concentrate on. I lifted my arms over my head and stretched my body out. I relaxed again. I ran my fingers over the deepening lines in my abdomen. The run had left my muscles torn and aching but it was a good feeling. It meant my body was toughening even more, getting stronger.

I let my mind wander back to Bella. The way she had felt in my arms last night, that urgent whisper I can't resist you. Fuck. I got a boner at the memory of her lips twitching on my ear as she had said that. It would go down in history as one of the most sexy things I'd ever heard.

Fucking Jasper, I really felt the urge to jerk off, but with that spontaneous clown within ten feet there was no fucking way. So I just switched off the water and grabbed my towel, scrubbing at my hair with it before wrapping it around my waist.

When I returned to the room, Jasper was dressed and in the process of fixing his wild mane of blonde curls.

"You look like Charlie Chaplin" I said, widening my eyes at his ensemble. Black baggy pants, a white shirt and a grey waistcoat. All he needed was a bowler hat.

"Thank you!" Jasper took it as a compliment and did a little Chaplin walk around the room.

I grabbed my gear and got dressed. My hair was wet but I ran my fingers through it a few times knowing it always dried the same whether I fixed it or not. My hair only knew one way, straight up.

We took the stairs to the lobby where Alice was waiting for us, seated on a huge couch. She waved furiously at us as we came down the stairs, even though she was the only person in the whole lobby. Jasper bounced his way to her side and I smirked at the way they stood a bit too close, as if I wouldn't notice. It was cute. I'd still fucking kick his ass if he took it too far too soon though.

"You drive" I said throwing my keys to Jasper as we reached the car. I leaned back against the wall briefly as he unlocked it and moved the pile of coats that we'd shifted to the front when packing up. Then I took off my jacket, brushing the dust from the brick mortar that had settled there and got into the passenger seat throwing it into the back.

"Yessssss" He said, boxing the air. Jasper loved my car. It was a gear shift and was pretty nifty. I loved my car, which always surprised me considering the resistance I'd put up to getting a Volvo in the first place. My father had always made us save every penny we'd earned or been given and I had enough to buy my first car by the time I was 17. Turned out the Volvo was sporty as hell.

Jasper opened the driver door, holding it for Alice as she slipped into the rear seat before sitting into the driver seat and slamming the door closed.

I buckled up as he switched on the engine and the car roared to life.

Jasper threw the car into gear and reversed with amazing precision, not stalling as he swung my car round into the road and flew up the road.

"See?" He said waggling his eyes at Alice in the rear-view mirror, "I can drive like a Cullen too!"

I sit by the harbour

The sea calls to me

I hide in the water

But l need to breathe

You are an ocean wave my love

Crashing at the bow

I am a galley slave my love

If only I would find out the way

To sail you..

Bella

"I don't know how to feel Angela" I said, taking my large cup of coffee in both hands, enjoying the warmth that spread through them.

"You shouldn't have to know Bella, you just do" Angela replied, opening her turkey sandwich and carefully removing the fat from each slice.

"I am so fucking attracted to him though" I whispered with a sigh, "He is so fucking hot it kills me"

Angela raised her eyebrows, "Why is he such bad news? I mean a lot can change in a year. Look at you. This time last year you were a complete loner, and a bit of a loose canon too"

"He'd just left town" I remembered back, "I couldn't bare it"

"How will you be this time?" She asked between chews, "I mean if he goes again"

I shrugged, "Fine I suppose, I mean I got over it, him before, Ange. It just fucking hurt so much, I don't think falling for him again is an option."

"Isn't that a bit late?"

"What? Whats a bit late?" I sipped the hot coffee and replaced the cup on the table, reaching over and grabbing one of the discarded tomatoes, popping it into my mouth.

"Falling for him - future tense?" Angela said, grinning, "Really?"

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully and shook my head.

"I don't know" I said, "I really don't know. What I think is though that I would be a hell of a lot saner without any Edward Cullen in my life."

"Maybe" Angela said, as the waitress refilled our mugs. We paused the conversation until she was done.

"I can't take him being near me, its like a weird mix of anger and serious fucking lust"

"He is gorgeous" Angela agreed casually. I noted it, feeling a little tinge of possessiveness as she said it.

"Too gorgeous" I said, "It would be hell to be with a guy like that, it was hell to be with him. I got so fucking paranoid."

"Bella it was a year ago" Angela said, taking a couple of dollars from her pocket and throwing them on the table, "If you still care enough to talk about it, if there is still something to fight with him about then I reckon you should seriously consider giving him another chance."

We sat there for a minute, finishing our coffees as I considered what Angela had just said. Everything swam around in my brain like a whirlwind. Being near Edward got me so flustered it was hard to say what my actual feelings were. Seeing him running this morning had been a prime example of that. I'd driven past him but he hadn't seen me and then I had an irresistible urge to drive past again so I'd looped around the block and come across him again on Bogachiel. The way he ran, head down, was so fucking sexy - was there anything he did that wasn't? I'd meant to drive by but I just couldn't do it. I'd wanted him in my car.

I'd tried to be so casual, pulling up, offering a lift. He'd refused and it fucking hurt, though I could hardly blame him. He was standing there with a black and blue jaw because of me. His casual 'see you around' had fucking stung though and thrown me, once again, into complete turmoil.

I'd rang Angela on her cell and begged her to meet me for breakfast. I'd been supposed to go for breakfast in Jacobs but after seeing Edwards face, and feeling so fucked up again, I'd just popped in for ten minutes pretending I'd completely forgotten promising Angela I'd meet her. I knew I'd been curt with Jacob but he fucking deserved it, throwing his fists around when he knew nothing about it. I hadn't allowed myself to think about what might have happened if he hadn't punched Edward when he had. I'd probably have given in again, and in a weird way I had been grateful for the intervention. Violent though it was.

I had woken up that morning with such butterflies, anxious feelings in my stomach and they wouldn't go. The way Edward had held me on the dance floor, the way he had pressed his forehead to mine, it just felt so fucking real. Like love. I just wanted my life to be simple, like it was before this fucking roller coaster.

I reached out and traced the stonework of the cafe wall absent mindedly with my index finger, knocking a small blob of mortar into my coffee as I went.

"Great" I shrugged pushing the cup away from me as Angela giggled, "I was looking forward to that last sip!"

She smiled and offered me her cup which had a drizzle of coffee lingering at the end. I looked at her and gave her a friendly roll of the eye to let her know I appreciated the attempt to cheer me up.

She stiffened in her seat and looked over my shoulder, "Don't look" She hissed but of course I did, immediately seeing Edward come in the door of the diner. My heart went cold and my stomach flip flopped. Prickles of sweat stung my skin. The usual reaction. He caught my eye and there was an agonising pause before he lifted his palm in a casual greeting and chose a booth across the other side of the cafe. Alice and his friend Jasper followed him in the door and without seeing me, joined him.

I watched him lower his head and whisper, then Alice snapped her head around to meet my eye, gave me a little smile and turned back. I turned back around to Angela, feeling my face redden and my eyes begin to water.

"This is fucking excellent" I said bitterly. "Can we wait, like ten minutes and then go?"

"Bella we were just leaving" Angela stressed, patting my hand and biting her lower lip with her teeth.

I shook my head with confusion, "If we leave now he'll think I can't be around him, if I stay he'll think I'm hanging around to see him." I closed my eyes and breathed, "Its better to leave. Okay lets leave."

Angela's hand stayed on mine, "Bella. Lets go over and say hi. Its the easiest thing to do."

"No, no I can't. Not with the others there."

"Bella." My friends voice became a little scolding, "You say you don't want to be with him, you tell him you can only be friends but this isn't friends. This is madness. You need to get a hold on what you actually want."

"I don't want to keep running into him" I said.

"You are going to. Bella. It doesn't look like he is going anywhere right now"

"Okay well then I want the easiest option" I answered.

"Well..."Angela grimaced and then talked comically out of the side of her mouth as we stood up, "It looks to me like your easiest option would be to just fuck the boy already!" She giggled.

I pinched her waist and she skittered away from me, which was good because we were still giggling when we got to Edwards table. I noticed his eyes soften as I approached but then darkened again, like a resolve, as I got closer.

"Hi Guys!" Angela chirped, "Up early I see?"

Alice launched into an enthusiastic chat with Angela, and I just stood there. It was hard not to look at Edward who was looking at me. Eventually I gave in and just looked back. His eyes got softer and softer and eventually I realised it had gone quiet and the other three were looking from me to him and back with knowledgeable smiles on their faces.

"Okaaaay" Angela said clapping suddenly and throwing her arm around my shoulder, "We're gonna get out of here. Nice to see you Alice, and to meet you Jasper." She pushed me away, "Edward." She nodded goodbye at him and rushed me from the cafe.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" She said, digging her hand in to my pocket and removing my keys as we headed to my car.

"Just get me out of here quickly" I said, almost under my breath. I was rigid trying to battle against my raging feelings.

She unlocked the car door on my side and ran around to the drivers side. I got in and she reversed. No sooner had we driven ten feet away than I completely lost it. I just burst out crying and Angela swung into one of the avenues, pulling into the curb as quickly as she could and grabbing me into a hug while I sobbed.

"I just can't take it" I stuttered as soon as I could get the words out.

"What?" Angela said, "Can't take what?"

"Him" I said, "Him being home."

"Bella" She said shushing me and wiping the tears from my cheeks, "There is no shame in loving someone who has hurt you, there is no shame in getting back with someone who hurt you either."

I shook my head, feeling so lost, so alone in this huge decision, "I couldn't take it if he hurt me again Angela. I need to be with someone who would never do that. Edward is not..." I couldn't finish the sentence. The words not the one were too painful to bear.

And so we just sat there, Angela rubbing my back and telling me it would be alright while I sobbed into my hands, blowing my nose into the tissues she passed to me every minute and letting go of my hard shell that I'd so carefully built up around me.

First lyrics - Phil Collins Against all Odds, Second - Marthas harbour by All About Eve!!