A/N: Thanks so much for all your wonderful thoughts.

Most characters belong to S. Meyer. The rest belong to me. All mistakes are mine.

*** Stage 8, Part II will post tomorrow ***

Stage 8, Part I: Semi-Grownups - College for Bella, Real Life for Edward
(aka Bella was spreading her wings, and as much as it killed me, I was determined not to clip them).

'Bella Marie, want to see my new screensaver?'

'Sure! Text it to me, and then I'll text you mine.'

I texted her the picture of my parents, her parents, Emmett, her, and me at her graduation.

'GTFOOH! Look at mine!'

Hers was almost the same one – except Jake was in this one, with his arm wrapped around her.

'Oh. Nice.'

'Isn't it? I'm so glad you came up, Edward.'

'Me too, Bella. Like I said, I wouldn't have missed your graduation for the world. Plus, the visit was long overdue, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry about a lot, and I'm sorry we didn't have time to get into most of the things I wanted to say.'

'Like I said, Edward, we were kids. Honestly, you already apologized for being an asshole in your senior year and my freshman year. Let's just leave it at that.'

"But it's not just that, Bella. I wanted to explain-"

She typed out and sent her the next text before I could finish mine.

'There's no point in rehashing, and I'd rather not re-live it.'

OOOOO

'Bella Marie, are you used to your classes yet? Not getting lost on campus anymore?'

'That was once, Edward, on my second day of classes. Boy, is this going to be like the Little League World Series incident? Are you never going to let me live this down?'

'Lol. The entire county remembers you for that one, Bella Marie, not just me.'

OOOOO

'Bella Marie, so how do you like off-campus Seattle? Have you had a chance to explore?'

'Edward, I love it! I mean, I know we've visited before. Remember when we were little kids, and our parents would bring us down on weekends? That is until we got older and they'd leave us at home while they explored without us. Anyway, Alice and I go everywhere! The other night, we took our fake I.D.s and went to this club by the waterfront. Omg, I wish you would've been there. We had so much fun!'

"Just make sure you're careful, Bella. And don't forget to study once in a while in between those adventures. Take it from me."

'Lol. Yes, sir. We're careful. This weekend, Jasper and Jake are coming down anyway, and we're all going out together – though I think Jake is just jealous that I'm going out partying without him so much.'

'I mean…I'm glad he's coming down to see you, but…if you want to party without him, that shouldn't be a problem, right?'

'Oh, don't worry. Jake will have to get used to it, lol. I'm not about to let no man keep me from spreading my wings, no matter how good he kisses.'

'Okay.'

OOOOO

'Here's a picture of me duck-facing in front of the Seattle skyline. Text me one of you now.'

'Here you go. I'm not doing the duck face, though.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'Lmao. Fine. They're both pretty amazing pics and skylines.'

'I prefer your picture.'

"Really? How come?'

'Tell me what you've been up to today?'

OOOOO

"I'm taking a nap."

"At ten in the morning? Boy, I miss that freshman year of college."

Through the laptop screen, Bella quirked a brow at me. "Condescending much, Mister College Senior? I just finished a long and difficult midterm."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I chuckled. "I was just kidding. I know you were taking midterms; I'm taking them as well, remember? And that's why I'm calling you now, because I know you're in between classes 'til one your time. And I'm sure you did well, Bella Marie. UDub didn't give you a full scholarship for nothing."

She chuckled. "It could've had something to do with the swimming."

"That was part of the picture, not all of it."

"Mm," she mumbled then yawned. "You talk like you were there when I received it, and you know from personal experience of my high school years, which you weren't, and you don't have."

I sighed. "Bella, do you want me to let you go and call you back later?"

"No. No, you can talk to me until I fall asleep – that is, if you have the time or the inclination."

Bella offered me a drowsy-husky chuckle, eyes half-lidded as she rested her laptop on the small desk beside her twin-sized bed. It was a desk that always seemed to serve a different purpose whenever we video-chatted. Sometimes it was a schoolwork desk; sometimes, it was a dining table, sometimes it was a dresser overflowing with clothes. Right now, it was her electronics staging area. I remembered those days of cramped dorm space.

"Well, it just so happens that I currently have the time and the inclination, since I'm on my lunch break," I grinned while taking a bite of my burger.

"Ah, okay. Yeah, it's noon over there, isn't it? But what are you doing eating a burger? I thought Chicago was the land of deep-dish pizza? At least, that's what a Chicago-obsessed native used to tell me, ad nauseam, while I was growing up."

I chuckled through a full mouth, my voice muffled by pieces of meat and bread when I replied.

"It turns out that the Chicago-obsessed native wasn't the expert on Chicago he thought he was. They serve burgers too."

"Mm," she hummed sleepily.

I could see her struggling to keep her eyes open, and while I probably should've just hung up and let her rest…I enjoyed our talks too much. Even this, a video chat where she was half-asleep, and I was in the middle of a quick lunch break, was a treat. Usually, both of us were in the middle of something – work, internship, classes, activities, and in her case, Jake – and we couldn't just sit and video chat. Besides, she looked so damn adorable snuggled under her white comforter, which she had pulled up to her chin, so that only her smooth, makeup-less face and her dark, vibrant hair, splayed and contrasting against her pillow, showed.

"So, how is it?" she asked after a few moments.

I blinked out of my intense scrutiny of her. "What, the burger?"

"Mhm," she hummed, squirming around under her blanket and getting even more comfortable.

"It's pretty good – though not as good as the burgers at The Stanley's Grill back home."

"Oh, my God," she moaned, a bit more awake now, "I'd kill for a burger from The Stanley's Grill right now. With extra sharp cheddar and-"

"And mounds and mounds of onions and bacon."

"Yesss – which Jessica Stanley used to always give me as long as I was there with you. Jesus, Edward, you're killing me with the reminder of that burger."

I snorted inwardly. She had no idea how she was killing me with the way she looked right then, and with the huskiness in her voice… and with her moaning. No, she had no idea, and I'd keep it that way.

Regrets are a bitch. But they're even worse when you're not even sure what you're regretting.

See, this was the stage that I'll always remember as both the best stage of my life, up to that moment, yet also the most painful.

Did I regret that I was an asshole to Bella during my last year of high school? Hell yeah. Massively. Without a doubt. That was a given, regardless of all else. She was a fourteen-year-old kid who deserved none of what I, supposedly older and wiser, dished out to her that year. Never mind the fact that we'd been friends since Stage 1 for her and Stage 2 for me. Never mind the fact that she had no clue why I just quit on our friendship from one day to the next.

Yes, I should've done things differently, but either way, how would that have changed our situation now, or should I say, my situation now? Yeah, we likely would've remained good friends throughout that school year, and with the difference in our ages and stages no longer in such sharp contrast, the nucleus of our relationship would've likely changed as well. By the end of that school year, Bella was close to fifteen, and I was almost nineteen. And while at that point, we may have been in stages where our interests meshed better than they had in any previous stages, even though we may have been closer to equals rather than young follower and older leader, she would've still been fifteen, and I would've still been nineteen. Anything beyond friendship would've been so wrong. Regardless of all else, back then, we were still in stages where she would've looked up to me, and I would've unavoidably talked down to her, believing myself smarter due to my age.

And I would've still left at the end of that summer.

So, what exactly were my regrets?

I regretted not going home for visits, that was for sure. My parents deserved better, as did the Swans, as did the friends I left behind – as did Bella. But again, what would that have changed with her and me?

I regretted missing her Stage 6 of Life: High School – the stage of many changes.

Yet, had I visited often, the changes occurring in Bella would've seemed more gradual, perhaps so subtle, I would've missed them altogether…perhaps, I still would've been too late.

"I'll stop talking about my burger then," I grinned, "if it's making you homesick for Forks."

"Mm. College is fun, yeah, but I am looking forward to going home for the holidays."

"You deserve a break," I said. "Between your classes, and the college swim team, and the clubs you've joined, you've been going nonstop."

"Yeah, but isn't this what college is all about – spreading your wings, finding yourself, and turning your worst mistakes into the best lifelong memories?" She chuckled, her eyes closed now.

"I suppose it's about something like that, yeah."

Her dark eyes popped open suddenly, and my breath gave a slight hitch. Even through the laptop screens, they still sparkled.

"Look who's talking about going nonstop, Edward. Why are you eating your lunch at your desk anyway? That same Chicago expert would've been sauntering down the Magnificent Mile, happier than a pig in mud, for his half-hour lunch break, or he would've gaped around in open-mouthed awe exploring the city's architecture. He wouldn't have been holed up in an office."

I laughed throughout her entire speech. "Maybe he'd be doing that if his internship boss wasn't such an asshole," I whispered the curse, getting close to the screen, "who only allowed him a twenty-minute lunch-break as opposed to an hour for real, full-time employees."

"Edward," Bella shook her head, "tell Mr. Aro Volturi to fuck off already," she mouthed more than whispered, making me laugh through the last piece of burger in my mouth.

"I would if he wasn't the head of one of the top architectural firms in this city, and if all my chances of landing a full-time job with this firm once I graduate next year didn't rest on him."

"He takes advantage of the fact that you're an intern."

"Isn't that the very definition of an internship?" I grinned.

"Emmett's internship at that marketing firm doesn't sound so abusive," she grinned. "Sometimes, when I ask him about it, he sounds downright bored."

"Boredom and abuse – these are the sacrifices one makes in the early stages of their career."

"I wouldn't know since I'm not there yet. But I hope that when I'm ready to assistant teach somewhere, the teachers instructing me don't suck all the fun out of teaching."

Now I was the one humming a reply. "Hmm. And your brother hasn't been so bored at his internship since he met that fellow intern, Rosalie, he's been hanging around with."

"Oh, yeah. Hey, maybe that's the answer, Edward. Find some pretty blond in the office, and then maybe you won't hate your internship so much."

We were both quiet for a moment.

"I don't hate my internship," I said with a bit more bite than I'd meant to, "and anyway, why would I want to meet a blond of all hair colors?"

"You seem to like blonds. Tanya was blond, that girl you dated your sophomore year of college, Jane, was blond."

Just then, I heard the bell-like sound on Bella's laptop, indicating that she was receiving another video-call.

"I gotta go, Edward. It's Jake. He's called me a couple of times this morning."

"During your midterm?" I blurted without thinking.

"Yeah. I guess he forgot I'm in the middle of them, and he's wondering why I'm blowing him off," she chuckled.

"Mm." I swallowed the last bit of my burger – along with the blind, irrational, and useless fury of knowing she was hanging up on me to answer his call.

"Alright. Well, I'll talk to you later, Bella Marie. Take care of yourself, okay? Get some rest."

"You too, Edward, on both of those. Don't let Mr. Volturi dangle that carrot too high above your head."

"I'll try not to," I smiled.

We ended the chat.

The office floor's layout was an open-space concept, with rows of interconnected desks and very little privacy. But most of the employees were out enjoying their reasonable hour of lunch. So, I sat there, full of equal parts gratitude for the fifteen-minute conversation I'd just had with Bella, and biting jealousy, which I tried to dispel by staring out of the large windows at the majestic view of the Chicago skyline. It was a beautiful sight, it was, but sometimes, I couldn't remember what made it better than the view I had back in Forks of mountains, of row after row of timbered forests…and of-

"Hey, Cullen!"

I jerked back, startled out of my reverie, and turned toward Mr. Volturi.

He looked at his watch. "Done eating? Are you ready to help me with this?"

"Yes, sir. Coming right now." And with a deep breath, I gathered up my garbage, flung it into the bin, and got back to work.

Bella texted me that evening, fifteen minutes after I'd gotten off work, and fifteen minutes before my night class began.

'Edward, I'm so sorry, I know you just got off work, and you're headed to your night class, but I was exhausted when you called, and I forgot to ask you how your midterms are going?'

It was a late October evening. The Chicago air, always influenced by the whims of Lake Michigan, was cold and damp that night. Still, I stopped in my tracks and looked up from my cell phone, sighing as I gazed out at the sparkling lights and thought of how lacking they were, compared to Bella's sparkling eyes.

'It's fine, Bella. Please don't apologize for texting me. Midterms are going fine. Did you get any rest?'

And I stood there, waiting for her reply while watching the bubbles that indicated she was typing.

'I did. Edward, do you ever miss Forks?'

'More and more with each passing day, Bella.'

OOOOO

The first year of college for Bella, and the last year for me, passed pretty much in this manner, with Bella and me texting and calling one another, while Jake, with nothing much else to do, texted, called, and visited her.

When the holidays came along, Emmett, his new girlfriend, Rosalie, and I made the trip up to Forks for Christmas. Although Emmett had been up for the holidays a couple of times, it was my first holiday visit in almost four years. Unfortunately, Mr. Volturi only gave me the week between Christmas and New Years off. But I made the most of it with my family, with my friends, and with Bella – whenever Jake wasn't pawing at her. Needless to say, the visit was both heaven and hell.

Take, for example, what happened that Christmas Eve.

We took a couple of cars and drove up to the Cascades, where we sat in the middle of the frozen lake, all of us in a circle on upturned buckets and on fold-up chairs, and each with a drilled hole before us. It was cold as hell, but we laughed and joked, and pretty soon, I didn't even feel the cold. The laughter was part of the reason, but the other reason was due to how Jake continuously monopolized Bella's attention.

"So, Edward," Bella said, "you were the last person I ever expected who would suggest ice-fishing on Christmas Eve."

"I'm glad I surprised you," I grinned.

"That's right, Ed," Jake said, "you're a city-boy through and through now, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say that," I said tightly.

"So how does this compare to say, paddle-boarding on Lake Michigan?" Bella wondered.

"Well, that's probably another one of those things the Chicago-obsessed native wasn't such an expert on – because the water in Lake Michigan is effin freezing.

When I hissed, everyone laughed.

"Oh yeah, I've been swimming there," Rosalie said through her chortles.

"Hey, babe," Jake grinned, "speaking of swimming, we've been wondering where to go to for spring break. Why don't we go to Florida?"

"Maybe," Bella nodded thoughtfully, while my grip on my fishing rod tightened. "I wouldn't mind going somewhere really warm for spring break."

"Now, Bella," Charlie said, glaring at Jake, "I don't know how I feel about you being in the middle of a bunch of spring breakers."

"Dad," Bella chuckled, "I've gotta go away for spring break. It's part of the college experience, right guys?"

A few uneasy chuckles ensued. "Yeah, I'm not touching that one," Emmett snickered.

"Me neither," Rosalie said.

"I think I'll keep my thoughts on that to myself as well," I smirked.

"Don't worry, Chief. I'll take good care of her," Jake said.

Before the chief could reply, Bella cried out. "I got it! I got it!" She tugged hard on the rod and rapidly wound the reel. "At least, I think I've got it."

"Pull it evenly, Bella," I said quietly, exceedingly grateful to the fish on the other end of the line for the change of subject.

"I know," she smiled. "I remember. You and Emmett were good teachers."

"Do you need help?" Jake asked, hovering.

"No!" Bella shouted, still grinning. "I've got it, Jake. Go back to your hole! This one's mine!"

"Are you sure? You look like you need help," he insisted. "Ice-fishing ain't easy."

"Are you saying that because you haven't caught a fish all day?"

The rest of us laughed at Rosalie's playful quip, but I didn't miss the way Jake's jaw tightened.

"She's just teasing you, Jake," Bella smiled, apparently also catching his annoyance.

Yet Jake insisted on being helpful, and when he wrapped his arms around Bella, supposedly to help, Bella yanked. A huge trout came flying out of the ice…and landed square against Jake's chest.

"What the fuck?" he spat, slipping and sliding in his shock and finally going down on his ass.

All of us – including Bella – laughed so hard we couldn't breathe.

"I'm so sorry, babe," Bella said, leaning over Jake and offering him her hand for help standing.

But he refused it, waving it away peevishly.

Then, he sulked all the way home.

OOOOO

That night, while the rest of us partied inside the Swan's house, Bella and Jake remained in the backyard for a long while.

When I heard him leave, I stepped out, carrying a blanket.

Bella sat at the patio table, gazing out at the dark woods, with just a porchlight illuminating the space. I took a seat next to her, and for a long while, neither one of us said anything. Then, I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

"Merry Christmas, Bella Marie."

Bella looked at the blanket. "Oh my God," she breathed, "Edward…this is gorgeous."

It was a photo collage blanket full of pictures of her, Emmett, and me when we were kids.

"How did you…?"

I chuckled sheepishly. "I'll admit, I asked our moms for help with some ideas."

"Edward…" her voice sounded strangled. "You have no idea." When she stood quickly and kissed my cheek, I froze, startled at the unexpected warmth.

Backing up slowly, Bella retook her seat, and I prayed she couldn't tell in the darkness how deep and heavy my breaths had grown.

She smiled and wrapped herself tighter in the blanket. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything."

"Knowing you like your gift is gift enough for me."

She held my gaze in the darkness.

"Edward, remember when we were kids, and our biggest concerns were zombies in the woods and friends who had crushes on nose-pickers?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I remember."

She was quiet.

"Jasper did outgrow that phase, didn't he?" I asked.

When she chuckled heartily, I drew in a furtive sigh of relief.

"Yeah, he did," she confirmed. "I love that guy."

"Good. Bella…is everything okay?"

She shrugged. "Jake…he's…

An asshole?

"Edward, why do you call me Bella Marie?"

My brow furrowed, surprised by the question. "It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Well, no, not really. Everyone else just calls me 'Bella.'

My frown deepened. "Does it bother you? Would you rather I stop?"

"No," she smiled. "No, it's not that. It's just…" she sighed.

"What's wrong, Bella Marie? Did you and Jake argue?"

Now, she snorted. "No. No, we didn't argue. Not really. He just…reminded me of something I'd started to forget. Something that feels like a long time ago, yet at the same time, it feels like just yesterday." Again, she was quiet until her eyes met mine, and the smile she gave me now didn't seem to quite reach those eyes. "It doesn't matter why you call me Bella Marie. Come on. Let's go back inside."

OOOOO

That winter turned to spring, and Bella did indeed head to Florida for spring break. I saw some pictures of her on social media, and again, seeing an almost nineteen-year-old Bella in a swimsuit was equal parts pleasure and torture. Pleasure, for the obvious reasons, and agony because I knew Jake was the one seeing her in the flesh, so to speak, while she wore those swimsuits.

Then, in late spring, Mr. Volturi offered me a full-time job at the firm upon my graduation. Bella successfully completed her freshman year of college. And Emmett and Rosalie got engaged.

"Looks like we're all semi-grown up now," Bella said one night while we video-chatted, she from her dorm room and me from my bedroom.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose we were. Come the end of this summer, you'll be going into your second year of college, Em will be a married man, and-"

"And you went and conquered Chicago, just like you always said you would. I'm happy for you, Edward – if that's what you want."

"It's what I've worked toward for the past four years."

"Mr. Volturi rides you hard, though."

"He does, but I'm learning a lot there. It's one of the top architectural firms in Chicago."

"Yeah, so you've told me. I suppose it's worth it then. I guess that's it? You're officially a Chicagoan?"

"I suppose I am."

"And you're not coming back to Forks once classes end?"

"I'll come up for Emmett's wedding in August, of course."

"You have to come then. You're the best man."

"Yeah, but Aro doesn't want me taking time off at the beginning and the end of the summer."

"Oh. Okay." She sighed. "I guess we'll see one another for Emmett's wedding then."

OOOOO

That spring, I worked my ass off at my new job. Aro Volturi wasn't exactly thrilled that I'd be taking two weeks off so soon after becoming an official, full-time junior architect with the firm, so he gave me plenty of work to make up for it – and I eagerly rose to the challenge.

Because I was good at what I did, I knew I was. Though Aro's genuine compliments were few and far between, he increasingly included me in projects that grew bigger in scope and importance. There were nights when I wouldn't leave the office 'til way past midnight. Even on those days when I did leave the office at a decent time, I'd work my ass off at home 'til the early hours of the morning.

With such a hectic schedule, it grew harder and harder to keep in touch with everyone, including Bella. By then, she was back in Forks for the summer, volunteering for the Forks High summer school program with my mom and earning volunteer hours. Sometimes, days passed before we connected beyond a couple of quick lines by text. But those lines…those lines fueled me. On those nights when those few lines were all I'd gotten, and when I'd finally get around to laying my head on my pillow, I'd dream of my week off in late August, when I'd finally see Bella again – even if it meant having to deal with Jake in tow.

OOOOO

Now we get to the part of the story that led to where we are now. Or should I say, to one of the catalysts to where we are now because there were a few. Contrary to what's portrayed in the movies, life-changing events rarely occur in a void nor as the result of one or two decisions easily covered in a two-hour film.

I've learned that life-changing events, whether they change your life for better or worse, are usually the result of many choices over a lifetime, the outcomes of years and years' worth of forked roads, of a labyrinth of selections. Life-changing events are like a canvas that starts blank and slowly fills with the various colors of one's choices. Life-changing events occur as part of a delicate ecosystem, where more than one person's decisions merge and intertwine and create either satisfaction…or regret.

Even something as seemingly simple as a young boy deciding, without actually deciding, to call his newborn neighbor by half of her first name and all of her second, can become a catalyst included on that canvas.

On the morning of this particular cataclysmic event, I arrived at work bright and early, as I usually did. There was an eight a.m. meeting regarding one of City Hall's floors, which we'd been hired to remodel. I attended, along with a couple of other individuals on the project, Bree and Seth, to hash out start dates. Afterward, that afternoon, we had a quick, ten-minute meeting with the extremely busy Aro Volturi, to update him.

Aro sat behind his desk, with the Chicago skyline on display behind him, and steepled his hands, nodding thoughtfully.

"Very good, very good. So the plans are all drawn up, and the work is set to begin the first week of September."

"Yes, sir," I replied.

He continued nodding. "Very good. Keep me apprised of any issues."

Agreeing, the three of us stood to leave.

"Oh, and Edward, I'd like you to meet with the contractors the week before to-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Volturi, but I'll be in Washington State the week before, remember? I asked for the time off months ago when I was first hired full-"

"Oh, you can't take off that week, Cullen. I'm sorry." With that, he began scanning a piece of paper in his hands.

"Uhm…Mr. Volturi, I'm sorry, but I have to take that week off. You see, my best friend is getting married, and I'm the best man-"

With his eyes still on the paper in his hands, he said, "Cullen, Seth and Bree have been with this firm for what, two years now?"

The two in question answered hastily.

"Yes, Mr. Volturi, sir."

"Yes, sir."

"That's how long it took me to trust them with this project."

Silence. As far as he was concerned, he'd made his point.

I pulled at my tie. "Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, Mr. Volturi, I honestly do, but I can't miss my best friend's-"

With a deep sigh, Aro Volturi looked up.

"Edward, what are you asking for here?"

"I'm asking for the time off we agreed to?"

"No. What you're asking for is for me to call the mayor of Chicago and tell him that work on City Hall will be delayed because one of my junior architects has a wedding to attend in some one-horse, boondocks town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Is that what you want me to do, Cullen?"

"Mr. Volturi," Bree said, "I can easily meet with the contractors while Edward is-"

Volturi put his hand out, palm up.

Bree stopped talking.

"So, what's it going to be, Cullen? Bree is ready and willing. Should I take you off this project and allow her to take the lead because it seems that you're not ready for this much responsibility, after all? Or, would you rather call your childhood buddy today and let him know you're going to be in the middle of a huge project the week of his wedding? It'll give him enough time to find a replacement."

For a few seconds, I simply stared at my boss. But it wasn't him I was seeing.

'Edwahd, I wanna bat!'

'I bet this kind of stuff doesn't happen at Wrigley Field!'

…

'In Chicago, that would be breaking and entering, and Chicago P.D. would've hauled your skinny, eight-year-old butt to jail."

'Then, it's a good thing we're not in stupid Chicago and that my dad's the Forks police chief so that I'll never go to jail!'

…

'Other than my buddy, Emmett – and you guys, of course – there's no one here I'd miss. Besides, Em and I already have it all planned out. He's applying to both the University of Chicago and Northwestern with me. We're going to college in Chicago, getting big, important jobs, and living in huge, high-rise apartments.'

…

'Your dream came true. Now, you can finally leave behind this…what is it that you've always called our town? The Boondocks? A one-horse town. Bumfuck Nowhere?"

…

'Edward, you were always dying to leave Forks, I think Chicago was just an excuse, something you could claim familiarity with, but either way, you would've left.'

…

'It turns out that the Chicago-obsessed native wasn't the expert on Chicago he thought he was.'

…

'Edward, do you ever miss Forks?'

'More and more with each passing day, Bella.'

...

"Well?"

"Well, sir," I grinned, "you're right. We can't tell the mayor of Chicago that remodeling one of the floors of City Hall will have to wait because I've got my best friend's wedding to attend."

"There. Good," Aro nodded. "Very good. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Oh, yeah, I'll excuse you, sir. I'll excuse you right after I let you know that I'm rendering my two weeks' notice."

Aro's eyes grew almost comically wide. "Excuse me? I thought I heard you say you were rendering your two weeks' notice."

"As a good friend once said to me, sir, your hearing works well then if that's what you heard. Have a good rest of the day." I turned toward the office door, where Bree and Seth were both standing, mouths hanging.

"Cullen, don't do this," Aro warned. "Just one word from me will close all meaningful architectural doors for you here in Chicago."

Spinning around, I offered my almost ex-boss a crooked grin. "Then, it's a good thing I'm leaving this city. Take care," I saluted him. "Oh, and by the way," I chuckled, "what the hell does the mayor care about the remodeling schedule for a floor he's not even on?"

And with that, I did step out of Aro Volturi's office, feeling lighter than I'd felt in…in months - maybe in years. I was going home.

And…and maybe Bella would never be mine in the way that I now accepted I wanted her…in the way that I loved her. But she'd always be one of my best friends. And now, I'd be closer to her, closer to the best girl-next-door in the best damn town in the country.

A/N: Thoughts?

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*** Stage 8, Part II will post tomorrow ***

Stay safe. :)