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Chapter 49: Raising the Bar…

October 2004

EPOV

The fallout from my relationship with Vicky was like thunderstorm. Intense at first but short overall. Vicky was arrested for using my cards without my knowledge. I dropped the charges as long she as promised to not pursue any more contact with me. My lawyer presented her with a cease and desist order that she agreed too. And like that Vicky was gone.

I ended up having my apartment purged of all her remaining things. She never came back for her furniture so I arranged for it to be given to charity. Given the uncomfortable nature of the furniture I added a nice donation for the poor as well.

Between my work and Alice's wedding I didn't have a lot time to feel sorry for myself, which was a blessing. Bella had been terrific the last few weeks. Riley was still in California – some sort of family thing – Bella had been vague. We found there was a Starbucks between the hospital and my office building that we had a standing date every Wednesday.

We saw each other sporadically through the week but I really looked forward to Wednesday. Now that Vicky wasn't in the picture, Bella and I were more relaxed around each other. It was nice to have a female friend, despite the internal turmoil Bella's presence had on me. Somehow I had been able to separate that aspect and enjoy just being with her. It was different from how I had pursued Bella in high school.

Our platonic relationship allowed to me to see if I was truly in love with her or trying to relive the past. The good or bad news, depending how you took it was I just as in loved with Bella as I had been in high school, even more so if possible. Adult Bella was just as spectacular as teenaged Bella.

Plainly put, she was the most interesting woman I had ever met. Over the last few weeks I had been able to piece to together what Bella had been up to over the years. In addition to building her business she had backpacked up and down the west coast. She had also hiked up the Appalachian Trail as well on the Atlantic seaboard. She and her friends had also taken a trip to China when they graduated college. To celebrate her graduate degree she had treated herself to trip Africa, visiting South Africa and Kenya.

During one Wednesday visit I had asked her if she had made it to Europe at all during one of her adventures. She had gotten quiet all the sudden and I realized she had not visited Europe mostly likely due to me. I had avoided the States for the same reason. We ended the visit soon after that neither one of wanting to revisit memory road.

Bella was also keeping me sane from the insanity that Alice's wedding was creating. As expected Alice was turning into a bridezilla. She was pulling everyone into it, everyone but Bella. Bella had told Alice that when she agreed to be a bridesmaid she was wearing a dress and that was it.

I should have had the brilliance to have said the same thing when I became the best man. Not the dress part, the tux. I had no idea why I was the best man, something about James' best friend living overseas and not being able to get back home. However Alice's maid of honor, Cynthia, was making noises of pulling out the wedding all together. I told Bella about this one day and she started laughing.

Flashback

"That's sounds like something Alice would do," Bella said, shaking her head.

"She made that poor girl search the whole of London for bell shaped crystal party favors," I told her, remembering Cynthia's fit. Since I was now back on the market, Cynthia was milking her maid of honor position to the best of her ability. As the best man, I would have the dubious honor of escorting her down the aisle. Cynthia has had a crush on me since she was in kindergarten. I was not looking forward to this.

"I'm telling you – that's why I told her – I'm only filling a place," Bella said, stirring her coffee, "Just out of curiosity – why are you the best man? If you don't mind me saying, you and James don't look particularly close."

"He doesn't have a lot of close friends," I explained, "And we're going to be brothers so…"

"Why not," she replied.

"You got it," I said, winking at her.

End of Flashback

Grabbing my briefcase I checked the clock. It was now 6:45, Bella and I were due to have dinner. While we usually met for coffee in the afternoons on Wednesday due we decided on having dinner instead to conflicting meetings. My dreary Wednesday just started to look infinity better.

BPOV

"Bella," Riley said, "I need to talk to you."

"Okay," I said twisting my phone cord, my instincts telling me this wasn't going to be about the next level in our relationship. Riley's dad had gotten worse over the last few weeks. He and his mom were on a roller coaster coping with Mr. Biers' worsening health.

"My dad isn't doing well," he started to say and I knew where this was going.

"Riley, if your dad isn't doing well," I replied feeling a little numb, "then you need to focus on your family."

"You're trying to make this easy aren't you," Riley chuckled darkly.

"How am I doing," I teased, trying to keep my tone light.

"You're brilliant at this," he said, "I couldn't do it any better and I thought I had a Ph.D on this subject."

"You should my first break up – it was epic," I joked, evoking another laugh from him. Riley had heard the PG-13 version of my break up with Edward.

"I'm so sorry Bella – I really wanted this to work but I can't with my dad like this," Riley said quietly.

I knew he might it but I also knew his heart was somewhere else after this. "Riley – I lost my dad, if I could back and spend another day with him, I would, no matter I had to give up. You have nothing to apologize for," I told him truthfully. There wasn't anything in this world that I wouldn't be willing to give up for another minute with my dad.

Riley took a deep breath, "I wish I could tell you to wait but I can't in good conscience. But I can't even take you to your friend's wedding let alone promise you a future."

To be honest, while this hurt, if I truly thought Riley was the one, I wouldn't have thought twice to wait for him or maybe even go to San Francisco to be with him.

Realizations and epiphanies happen at the strangest times. It occurred to me that moment that Edward had been only the man in my life that I had been willing to give up things for. That was what I was missing with Riley, the selfishness to do something like for another person.

I loved Riley as friend and maybe if we had more time together our relationship could have blossomed into something more. But as I realized when I met him he was a fling. A red hot flame that while it was fun there wasn't enough there to stay together. For that matter I didn't think Riley was any invested than me.

"Riley you focus on your family, I'll focus on my work. Who knows," I said, knowing how clichéd this was, "If we're met to be, we're met to be. In the mean time – don't lose my number. You're a terrific guy and great friend. I can never have enough friends."

"Thank you Bella," he said relieved that we weren't going to draw this out, "You're right you can never have too much friends."

"Listen – I'm going to be home a few weeks for Thanksgiving," I said, "Give me a ring and if you're in the area stop by. I would love for you to met my friends – you can chill out a bit."

"I'll take you up on that," he replied, "Take care Bella."

"You too and please send my best to your family," I told him. With that we ended the call.

Feeling depressed, I looked at the clock on my wall. It was a quarter to seven. I was supposed to be meeting Edward for dinner so I could hear about another Alice related wedding drama. Since I wasn't in the pixie's rein of terror some of this was actually amusing to listen too.

It made me appreciate Lucy's no frills wedding that much more. It was three weeks before Alice's. I was also dateless again since Riley had met to with me. That couldn't be helped and since it was a wedding of 40 peoples in Lucy's parents' backyard the lack of date probably wouldn't be noticed.

Edward was standing outside of Bigelow's when I got out of the Tube Station.

"Hi," he said kissing my cheek and then looked at me, "What happened?"

That caught me by surprise. "Nothing – why," I asked.

"You have that look you used to get when you got a grade less then 90%," Edward said, smirking at me and then got serious, "Did something happen at work?"

The maître de sat us down. "No – I guess you could say I broke up with Riley," I said, trying to remain indifference.

"Why – you both seem happened," Edward asked, a little shocked.

"His father is facing a long recovery," I explained, "it's just not in the cards now."

"I'm sorry," Edward said putting his hand on mine. He was being sincere, the bastard, not even a twinge of smugness.

"Thanks," I said, desperate to change the subject, remembering the man in front of me proclaimed his love and while he didn't remember it I didn't want to encourage anything. "I'm just hoping that people don't try to question me and analyze everything."

We sat there quietly for a minute looking over the menu.

"Bella," Edward asked, "You were going to Lucy's wedding with Riley – right?"

"That was plan," I replied.

"Let me pay you back for everything you've done for me – let me take you to the wedding," Edward said.

AN: Hmm – a wedding? Interesting – I wonder how they'll act away from London, the other Cullens and other influences. Nah – I'm not about to make it that easy for them.

As I write this my head feels like it's it about splinter into a million little pieces from this lovely migraine I've sporting today. I apologize for the grammatical mistakes that I've missed – the migraine is making a little difficult to concentrate.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read/review/favorite/follow and have a Happy New Year! My goal is to hopefully have both weddings written out by next Monday.