Chapter One
"Bella?" I hear a voice say. I turn my head, looking over my shoulder at Jane my PA. "Your car is ready."
Jane has worked for me for the past two years and I have to admit, I like her. She's young, sweet and efficient at her job, if not a little nosy. Her mousy blonde hair is pinned up at the back of her head and she's dressed in black pants and a yellow and black striped blouse, that accentuates her petite figure. She looks a little like a bumble bee.
I nod a little in acknowledgement.
"Thank you. Can you ask Caius to take the bags down please?" I ask her. Jane nods before disappearing out of the room.
I stand from the couch, moving over to the window and looking out at the city, the palm trees swaying slightly in the light breeze. Even after all these years, I still can't get used to a sunny Christmas and seeing coloured lights wrapped around palm tree trunks. I sigh a little, turning away from the view and grabbing my bag from the chair in the corner. I head through the kitchen to the foyer and see Jane waiting there, smiling.
"Right, ready to go?" I ask her.
"Yes, the car's all packed up" Jane nods.
"Thank you. So, I'll guess I'll see you in the new year" I tell her. She nods with a small smile.
"Have a lovely time with your family," She says sweetly.
"Thank you. You too." I reply, giving her a quick hug. "Oh! Before I forget, this is for you" I tell her, handing her a small wrapped box.
"Oh thank you!" She cries.
"It's just a little something," I tell her. "To say thank you for everything you've done this year" I explain.
"Thank you." Jane smiles at me.
"I better go, otherwise I'll miss my flight," I say. She nods before walking me out of the house and to the car.
Caius, my driver, opens the door for me before I slide into the backseat. I give Jane a quick wave before Caius closes the door and climbs in behind the wheel. Jacob, my bodyguard is already sitting in the passenger seat.
"All ready to go Miss Swan?" He asks as he straps his large body into the driver's seat.
"Yes thank you" I reply. "You know we're stopping at Victoria's before the airport?" I check.
"Yes, Jane mentioned it" He nods.
I settle back into the seat as the car pulls away from the creamy, Spanish-style house that I've called my own for the past three years. As we drive down the winding Hollywood Hills and into the city, I drag my phone out of my bag and open a new chat.
Hi Mom, I'm on the way to the airport now. Just need to make a quick stop along the way. I'll text you when I'm through security - B
A couple of minutes later my phone buzzes with a new message.
Okay, honey! We're so excited to have you home for Christmas! Love you x - Mom
I smile a little at the message before texting a quick reply and putting my phone away. As I look out of the tinted windows at the passing city, I think about my impending trip. I haven't been home for Christmas, or at all, for the past seven years. I know that sounds dramatic, but it was more of a schedule thing than anything else.
I've seen my parents of course, but they've also had to fly out to California. This will be the first time I've been back since that fateful night. I let out a slow breath and push the thought from my mind.
Thankfully, within a couple of minutes, we're pulling up outside of Sutherland Talent Ltd. The car pulls to a stop before Caius and Jacob step out of the car. I wait for them to both approach my side of the vehicle before Caius opens the car door for me and I slide out of my seat, stepping onto the sidewalk. I glance around quickly and see that there are no paparazzi waiting outside the agency before Jacob walks me into the office.
As the heavy glass door closes behind us, I feel the air conditioning hit my skin, feeling unusually cool considering the time of year. I see a young woman sitting at the large glass desk in the foyer.
"Good morning," She says pleasantly, "How can I help you?" She asks. Despite her innocent question, I can see the flicker of recognition in her eyes.
"I'm expected" I reply. The woman nods before disappearing into the room I know to be Victoria's office. A moment later she returns, silently holding open the door for me to walk through.
"Thank you," I say quietly as I enter the office.
As I walk into the room, I see Victoria sitting behind her desk. Her office is sparsely decorated with a large glass desk in the centre and two leather chairs in front of it. On one side of the room is a large bookcase, covered in awards and photographs of Victoria with various Hollywood starlets.
"Bella!" Victoria cries before standing from her desk. She walks towards me, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor and her vibrant red hair bouncing with her movements. "How are we?" She asks before air kissing me.
"I'm very well thank you, yourself?" I ask.
"I'm very well." She replies, already picking up various pieces of paperwork from the desk. "I know you're in a rush, so I'll get straight to the point. You've been offered a role" She says.
"Oh! That's exciting!" I reply with a smile. "What's the movie?" I ask.
"It's called Girls of Yesterday," She says. "It's a period drama/romance and it's starring James Witherdale. You would play Kitty, his love interest".
"Oh wow! James Witherdale?" I ask.
James Witherdale is a big name in the industry. He starred in a couple of biopic movies a few years ago and he's gone from being a pretty low-key child actor to one of the top on the A-list.
"I have the script. I want you to look at it over the break and let me know what you think" She tells me. "You'll have to audition of course but, they specifically mentioned you".
"Thanks" I reply, taking the script that she holds out to me. I flip through a few pages before looking back up at her.
"Is there anything else you want to discuss?" Victoria asks, already looking at something on her computer.
"No, thank you," I reply, standing from the chair and recognising the signs that this meeting is well and truly over.
"Have a good break Bella" Victoria calls after me as I walk to leave the room. Her eyes never even meet mine.
When I leave the office Jacob is still waiting for me. He gives me a small smile when he sees the script in my hands before ushering me out of the office and back into the waiting car.
"Good meeting?" Jacob asks as we pull away from the curb and turn towards the airport.
"Yeah, not too bad" I reply, reading the cover of the script. "She gave me a new script," I tell them.
"Oh yeah? What's it about?" Jacob asks.
"It's a period drama. A romance. It's called Girls of Yesterday" I say.
"Sounds interesting" Jacob nods. "Something for you to read on the plane".
The rest of the journey passes in comfortable silence before we pull up outside the airport. I see a small group of paparazzi waiting outside, hoping for a glimpse of an A-lister or B-lister heading home or somewhere tropical for Christmas. I sigh a little as we pull up in front of them before tucking away the script in my bag and plastering a smile on my face.
"Ready for this?" Caius asks.
"Yep" I reply before he climbs out of the car. I see a few flashes through the tinted windows before the door opens and I slide out of the vehicle. Jacob is immediately at my side, his hand resting on the small of my back as we walk towards the airport entrance.
"Bella! Give us a wave! Give us a smile! Where you going for the holidays Bella?!" I hear numerous voices shouting at me as cameras flash in my face. I smile and wave pleasantly before I find safety in the airport.
"This way," Jacob says, ushering me towards a private area at the side of the airport. "Isabella Swan," He says to the man waiting at the VIP entrance. The man nods before opening the door for me.
I walk into the private room, seeing a couch, a coffee table with a few magazines and a coffee machine in the corner. I take a seat on the couch, listening to Jacob speak to the man at the door about my bags and which flight I'm on before he moves over to me.
"We can stay here for the two-hour wait and then we'll be taken to first-class as a priority" He explains. I nod a little, leaning back against the couch and pulling the script out from my bag.
"Want a coffee?" Jacob asks me.
"Please" I reply, giving him a small smile. He grins back before standing and moving towards the coffee machine in the corner. I look down at the script, opening the first page and half-listening to Jacob clattering around in the background.
As I continue to read, I become completely engrossed in the plot and before I know it, I hear the announcer calling our flight. Jacob looks up from the car magazine he's been reading and stands from his seat.
"Time to go," He says. I nod before packing the script away and standing from my seat.
Jacob ushers me out of the room and to the waiting golf buggy before I slide into the seat. We fly through the airport before reaching the terminal. Once there, we slip out of the golf buggy and I show my passport to the woman at the desk. She nods a little before I turn to give Jacob a hug, going the rest of the way on my own.
"Have a wonderful Christmas Jake," I say, hugging him tightly. He hugs me back, pulling me into his enormous body.
"You too. Text me when you land" He says, smiling at me warmly. I nod before turning and heading down the tunnel to the waiting plane.
I show my passport to the flight attendant before being shown to my seat. I see that most of the people in first class are businessmen and other than a few eyes landing on me for a moment, they seem to pay me no attention.
I grab my sweater from my bag, pulling it over my head before storing my bag under my seat and fastening my seatbelt. A few moments later, I hear the pilot's voice come over the speaker before sitting through the security and safety display. Finally, I hear the engine roar to life and the plane begins to move along the runway. I look out the window, watching as the airport rolls out of view before the pressure of take-off hits me.
I settle back into my seat, pulling my sweater down my arms and over my hands as I look out the window, watching the sunny sands of California fade away. As I sit there, my mind wanders to the tiny town of Forks. I haven't been back there for so long, I wonder if anything has changed or if things are still the same as it ever was. I wonder if I'll see anyone I went to high school with. That thought inevitably leads to Edward but I force the thoughts away from my mind, not needing to revisit them. I pull out the script Victoria gave me, and open it to the page I last read.
"Are you serious man?" Emmett says, wiping his brow with the bottom of his shirt.
"Yeah" Ben chuckles, shrugging.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Jasper asks, pulling a length of wood towards him and passing it to Emmett.
"I don't know. I didn't think it was a big deal" Ben replies.
"It's your birthday man! And we're your friends, we should at least...I don't know...take you out or some shit" Emmett replies, handing me the timber.
"Do you want to take me out?" Ben asks.
"I thought you'd never ask" Jasper chuckles, fluttering his eyelashes at him. I can't help but snort a laugh at their banter. It's always like this, they can never talk seriously about something for long.
"Fuck off Jazz. You know you're not my type" Ben replies, smirking at him.
"Yeah Jazz, he's more a brunette man, right handsome?" Emmett replies, running a hand through his dark hair and popping his hip.
Considering his size, he does that remarkably well. We all laugh before I speak up.
"It's true Ben, we should all do something. What about drinks at the bar?" I ask.
"I can't that night, Angie and I are going out for dinner with my parents," He says.
"What about the next night? Saturday?" I ask.
"Okay, sure why not" He nods with a grin.
"Hey, maybe we can finally find a girl for you, Ed" Emmett teases.
"I don't need a girl thank you very much" I reply, keeping my head down as I focus on the timber in front of me.
This always happens when we arrange to go out together. They try to set me up with some chick and I turn it down. Then they spend the next two weeks calling me a pussy before we do it all over again.
"You always say that" Jasper replies, "Don't you...you know...get lonely?" He asks.
I know what he's implying and it's got nothing to do with loneliness.
"Guys, seriously. I don't need to talk about this right now. I'm perfectly happy with my life, so let's just leave it at that" I tell them, giving them all, what they refer to as 'the Cullen hard stare'. They hold their hands up in mock innocence before muttering amongst themselves about how I'm a hard ass before we focus back on the work.
The truth is, I do want a girl and I do get lonely, but the couple of times I've tried to go out with someone or even just have sex with them, I always feel like I'm lying to myself and them. The problem is, I'm still stuck on brown hair and hazel eyes and even after all this time, I can't get my heart to fucking move on. It's exhausting.
"So, who's buying the first round of drinks then?" Emmett laughs, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Cullen!" They all reply in unison.
"Please fasten your seatbelts, we will be landing shortly"
The pilot's voice comes over the airwaves as I put the script back into my bag and look out of the window, seeing the lush green of Washington State fan out beneath me.
Within a couple of minutes, I feel the telltale turbulence as we head towards the runway before the jolt of the wheels makes me lurch forward in my seat. Eventually, the plane grinds to a halt. I watch as people begin to stand from their seats and grab their bags before following suit and waiting for the doors to open. When they do, I make my way out of the plane, saying goodbye to the flight attendant before the wet air of Seattle hits me.
I carefully make my way down the plane's steps to the wet tarmac of the runway before making my way into the airport. For the next forty-five minutes, I make my way through security and eventually receive my luggage before exiting into the foyer. I look around, hoping no paparazzi are here, when I see the beaming faces of my parents, waving madly at me. I smile back before making my way over to them, dragging my luggage behind me.
"Hi, honey!" My mom cries, throwing her arms around me and squeezing me tightly.
"Hi Mom," I say quietly, breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling my chest ache a little. "Dad," I say as Mom moves away and he pulls me into his chest.
"How was the flight?" Dad asks.
"It was good. Not too bad considering the rain" I tell them.
"Come on then, let's get out of here while the going's good," He says, grabbing my bags and heading towards the exit. Mom grins at me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me along.
We exit the airport, finding the car before I climb into the back. As we pull out of the parking lot, I can't get over how bizarre it is to not be recognised and to sit in the back of a car like a normal person.
"So, we booked a table at The Windmill for tonight to celebrate you coming home," Mom says, turning in the passenger seat to look at me. The Windmill is the fanciest restaurant in Forks and has absolutely no connection to a windmill at all. I momentarily worry about being in a public space but then my dad speaks.
"We thought you'd want some privacy so we asked for a private room," He says. I nod a little, turning to look out the window at the passing trees. It's greener than I remember.
The journey passes fairly quickly and before I know it, we're pulling up to my childhood home. Despite my success in recent years, my parents would never let me buy them a different house. They would always argue that this was their home and it was mine too and therefore, they would stay here until the end of their days. I respected their decision, even if I didn't fully understand it.
My dad turns the engine off before we all climb out of the car, grabbing my bags from the trunk and making our way up to the front door. As we do, I feel the light, wet, mist brush against my face.
Just another beautiful day in Forks.
We stumble into the hallway before the front door is closed behind us and the quiet hits me. I shrug out of my coat, looking around and taking in the place I once called home. Nothing has changed. Not a single photograph or ornament has moved from its place. It's like stepping back in time.
"We thought you could stay in your old room," Mom says, smiling. "I hope that's okay?" She asks.
"Yeah of course Mom. Whatever is fine" I reassure her.
"I know you're used to all these swanky hotel rooms now" She laughs, sounding a little awkward, "I guess this is probably a bit of a step down for you," She says quietly.
"Not at all. I love this house you know that. Anyway, it's actually quite nice not to be in a hotel for once" I admit.
She smiles at me and looks a little more relaxed.
"Shall I make coffee?" She asks.
"Yeah, that would be great. I'm just going to take my bags up" I tell her.
She nods before disappearing into the kitchen in a cloud of L'Air De Temps. I pick up my bags and head towards the stairs, looking at a few of the old family photos still hanging on the wall. When I reach the landing, I walk slowly down the hall, seeing the crack of light coming through the half-open bedroom door. I push it open and walk inside.
As soon as I enter the room I feel my chest become a little tighter. It's like I've never been away. It's still decorated in the same shade of purple I picked out when I was fourteen. The bed is still the same, even covered in the same bed linen, with the old desk by the window.
I drop my bags to the floor, wandering over and looking out at the view.
How many times did I stand here waiting for...
I force the thought away before turning to look at the memo board on the wall. I smile a little as I see some flyers still pinned there from the last few days of school. Then my eyes look over the photos tacked on the wall. There's some of me with my friends, our old dog, a couple of postcards I collected on vacation...and then my heart stops beating for a second.
There's one photo pinned in pride of place in the centre of the board. It shows me, aged about eighteen, my hair is pinned back from my face and I'm wearing a midnight blue dress with sequins on the shoulders. I'm beaming into the camera, my face a picture of pure, unbridled happiness. Next to me is the reason I look so delighted...so joyful. The boy in the photo is tall, even in heels I only went up to his shoulder, his face is smooth, his nose strong and his mouth is drawn up in a lopsided grin. He's wearing a tux and looks every inch the gentleman, the only thing that shows his bad boy nature is the look in his eyes and his haywire hair. It always stuck up randomly, but it's even more so in that photo. I remember it was because I'd been running my hands through it moments before.
As I stare at the photo, I feel a stab in my gut and I close my eyes, trying to ignore the feeling that those eyes have on me even all these years later.
If only it hadn't rained that day...
"I'm not even kidding guys, his tongue was like a fucking washing machine!" Jess cries.
"Eww!" Angela giggles, "That's such an awful description."
"It really is" I agree with a giggle.
It's an overcast April day and I can feel moisture in the air as we eat our lunch on the bleachers on the school football field. Jess is currently describing her most recent date with her on-again-off-again boyfriend Embry.
"So it's over then?" Angela asks. Jess shrugs a little.
"If he's so horrible at kissing why do you want to see him again?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"I don't know. Where else am I going to get any experience?" Jess replies with a shrug.
Just as she finishes speaking, I feel a raindrop hit the end of my nose. I look up at the grey clouds swirling above our heads before I feel another drop, then another before the heavens well and truly open.
Angela and Jess squeal before grabbing their bags and starting to run down the bleacher steps. I do the same, holding my bag above my head as the rain pummels down on us.
"Quick! Under the bleachers!" Angela cries before ducking underneath. I see Jess follow her before I run in behind them.
"Holy shit" I mutter before colliding into someone. "Sorry," I say quickly, assuming it's Jess or Angie.
As I drop my bag to my side and look up at the person in front of me, I see bronze hair and green eyes and hands down the most beautiful face I've ever seen. As I look at the boy in front of me I can't help but drop my eyes down his body before my gaze flashes back up to his and I see him smirk.
"No worries," He says, giving me a lopsided grin. Despite the cocky look in his eye, I find myself smiling back before moving over to one side, shielding myself under the steps from the rain.
I look away from the boy with the green eyes and see there are two other boys under the bleachers with us. One is Ben Cheney, I know him from my math class, while the other is Tyler Crowley.
"Are you all shielding from the rain too...?" I trail off, unsure of his name.
"Edward" He replies.
"Edward" I repeat, seeing him grin at me and feeling my own smile widen.
"No, we were actually here before..." He informs me, trailing off, waiting for my own name.
"Bella" I reply.
"Bella" He repeats back to me and I can't help but think how nice my name sounds on his tongue.
"So what were you guys doing down here?" I ask, leaning against the metal post behind me and pulling my jacket tight around my body as the rain falls hard above us.
"Having a smoke," Edward tells me, lifting one of his hands and gesturing to the cigarette between his fingertips. I raise my eyebrows, surprised.
"Are you allowed to smoke here?" I ask him before mentally face palming myself.
"No" He chuckles, "That's kind of why we're underneath the bleachers" He replies.
"Right" I giggle, feeling my cheeks warm as I look at the ground, kicking the dirt with the toe of my shoe. I hear a small chuckle and look up to see Edward watching me.
"What?" I ask, feeling a small smile tug on my lips.
"You're blushing. It's kind of cute" He says, bringing the cigarette in his fingers to his lips and taking a long drag. I laugh breathlessly, feeling warm under his gaze.
"Thank you?" I reply, making him chuckle again.
"Hey, aren't you Chief Swan's girl?" Edward suddenly asks.
"Yeah, I am" I reply. Edward nods a little.
"My dad's Carlisle Cullen," He tells me.
"Oh, I know him. He fixed our porch last year. It was just after I hurt my wrist." I tell him like he even cares.
"You hurt your wrist?" He asks.
"Yeah, I tripped over on the porch steps," I tell him, feeling my cheeks warm again. "I'm kind of a hazard" I inform him. He chuckles at me.
"I'll watch my back then" He teases, making me laugh again.
We're silent for a moment, listening to the rain and the soft conversations between our friends.
"So, you got any plans for the weekend?" He asks.
I turn to look at him, momentarily taken aback by the question. I shrug a little.
"Just homework really," I tell him. "How about you?" I ask.
"Well, I'm thinking..." He says, raising one eyebrow at me, "that I might be risking my life with the hazardous daughter of the Chief of Police" He says.
I stare at him, my mouth hanging open, unsure whether he's making a joke or being serious. Eventually, I manage to get my tongue to work again.
"Are you asking me on a date?" I blurt out in surprise and immediately feel embarrassed by my forwardness.
"Not really, I'm telling you that we're going on a date." He says with a smirk. I scoff in shock, hearing him chuckle before turning my own raised eyebrow on him.
"And what makes you think I'll go out with you?" I counter, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Oh you'll go out with me," He says confidently, stubbing out his cigarette and making me realise the rain has stopped.
He picks up his bag beginning to walk back toward the school. I grab my own bag, chasing after him.
"And how do you know that?" I ask breathlessly, once I've caught up with his long strides. Edward glances down at me before smirking.
"Because of the way you looked at me" He replies. I feel my stride slow as I look at him with surprise before hearing him chuckle and turn around to face me, walking backwards. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven!" He calls.
It's a couple of hours later and I'm standing by the front door waiting for my parents. I've tried to keep things casual with a pair of black pants and a fitted green sweater, but somehow, I still feel overdressed. A few moments later, I'm pulled out of my thoughts by my Dad coming down the stairs.
"You ready to go Bells?" He asks. He looks nice wearing a pair of tailored pants and a button-down shirt.
"Yeah, Dad" I nod.
"You look nice honey," Mom says, appearing in a pair of black pants and a pale blue blouse.
"You too, Mom" I reply. She gives me a soft smile.
Dad ushers us all out of the door and into the back of the car before heading towards the main street in town. I look out the window and see the few lights that make up the street shining back at me. I'd forgotten how quiet it was in Forks, especially in comparison to LA.
When we pull up outside of the restaurant, I pull my coat around me before climbing out, keeping my head down. We walk into The Windmill before Dad gives our name to the hostess and we're shown to the private room at the back. I glance around as we make our way past the other patrons, noticing that none of them are really paying attention to us.
As soon as we're in the private room, I feel myself let out a sigh of relief.
"This is nice," Mom says, looking around the tastefully decorated room.
It is nice. It's decorated in pale blue with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a round mahogany table in the centre. We take our seats before the hostess hands us a menu and tells us that our waitress will be with us shortly. We thank her and I notice that she doesn't seem to recognise me from anywhere.
"So, what are you having Bells?" Dad asks, surveying the menu.
To be honest, everything sounds delicious and I'm finding it hard to choose until eventually, I settle on the mushroom ravioli. A few moments later, I hear the door open behind us and footsteps approaching before a slim woman with dark hair and glasses appears at the side of the table.
"Good evening, are you ready to order?" She says before her eyes fall on me and almost bug out of her head. "Bella!" She gasps in shock.
I stare up at the familiar face.
"Angela!" I reply, feeling my mouth drop open before a small smile crosses my face.
She looks exactly the same, just a little older. Her hair is still dark and pulled back into her signature ponytail, her blue eyes are still framed by glasses.
"Oh my god!" She says, looking completely shocked to see me.
"Hi!" I laugh, "It's nice to see you," I tell her before standing and giving her a slightly awkward hug.
"You too," She says, "You look amazing" She comments.
"Thank you" I giggle, "So do you".
"Are you serious?" She laughs, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Pastel blue was never my colour" She teases.
"How long have you worked here?" I ask her.
"Oh, only the last four months. I wanted something part-time after Theo was born" She explains.
"Oh my god, you have a baby?" I ask, suddenly feeling very old.
"Yeah" She laughs. "He's almost a year now" She nods.
"Wow, I can't believe it. In my head, you're still eighteen!" I tell her.
"I wish" She laughs.
"So, are you married or what?" I ask, suddenly wanting to know everything.
"Yeah to Ben Cheney, I don't know if you remember him?" She says.
"Yeah of course I do. He was friends with...um..." I try to say his name but I can't make the sounds come out of my mouth.
"Edward" Angela nods and I see a strange look cross her face.
"Yeah," I say, letting out a harsh laugh.
We're both silent for a moment before I realise I'm still standing in the private room of The Windmill with my parents watching us curiously.
"I'm so sorry, I'm interrupting your dinner," Angela says, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"No, not at all" Mom says, smiling at us brightly. "It's nice to see Bella catch up with old friends."
Angela smiles sweetly before asking what we'd like to order. We place our orders, Dad also asks for a bottle of wine to share before Angela disappears out of the room. I stare after her for a moment, feeling a mixture of emotions.
It's been so long since I've seen anyone I knew before LA. In some ways, it's nice to reconnect to my teenage years, but on the other hand, I realise how much time I've missed. I didn't even know Angela was married, let alone had a baby.
"You okay Bells?" Dad asks, looking over at me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just weird seeing Angela" I murmur.
"It's been a long time" Mom nods.
I nod in agreement before suddenly Angela reappears with a bottle of wine and three glasses. I watch as she pops the cork before pouring us all a glass and turning away.
While we wait for our food, I tell my parents about LA and the movie script that Victoria gave me before I left. They seem excited for me, although Dad warns me not to take too much on, like always. When our food arrives, I tuck in enthusiastically. It's delicious and I suddenly realise how nice it is to eat some proper home-cooked food, rather than fancy restaurant meals or takeout.
"Is it good?" Dad asks.
"It's delicious" I admit.
They both smile at me looking pleased.
As the evening comes to an end, we split a dessert before Dad asks for the bill. Once we've paid, we grab our coats, making our way out of the restaurant. As I head towards the door, I see Angela's eyes flash to mine before she busies herself cleaning a table.
"Hang on a second," I say quietly to Dad before running over to Angela.
"Hey," I say, her eyes meeting mine. "I just wanted to say it was so nice to see you tonight," I tell her sincerely.
"Oh! Yeah, it was lovely to see you too" She grins, her eyes warm.
"I can't believe it's been so long," I say, feeling a little sad at the thought that I've missed so much over the last couple of years. "It would be great to catch up some time" I add.
"Yeah, I would love that. How long are you here for?" She asks me.
"A couple of weeks. Until after Christmas" I tell her.
"Would you like to grab a drink sometime?" She asks.
"Oh...um, I would love to, but it's kind of hard for me to go out," I say. "I kind of want to be under the radar while I'm here" I admit.
"Well, you could always come to mine," She says.
"Really?" I ask.
"Yeah, of course. I doubt Theo will blab to the press" She jokes. I laugh with her before nodding.
"Okay, that would be great. What night?" I ask.
"How about Saturday? My husband is going out with his buddies for drinks." She says.
"Perfect. Text me your address?" I say.
She nods before we exchange numbers and I give her a hug goodbye, waving as I reach the door.
"Ready?" Dad asks when I reach him.
"Yeah" I nod, heading out onto the street and waiting for him to unlock the car door.
As I wait, I think I see a flash of auburn hair but before I can check, Dad is ushering me into the car and closing the door. I shake my head, deciding I've imagined it before Mom and Dad climb in upfront and we're heading back towards the house.
"So, Angela was a nice surprise," Mom says.
"Yeah, I'm going to go round to her place for a drink on Saturday," I tell them.
"That's nice," Mom says, looking pleased for me.
"Yeah. It is" I agree.
I'm walking down the main street in town, heading towards my parent's house to pick up Finn, when I notice a small group of people exiting The Windmill. As I glance over toward them, the cold winter breeze picks up, blowing the remaining fallen leaves around my feet. I tug my coat collar higher up around my neck, trying to protect myself from the freezing air.
As I do, I think I see dark hair, swirling in the breeze and snap my head back to look in that direction but before I can fully register it, it's gone. The woman has gotten into the black car parked on the side of the street. I shake my head a little.
It's not her. It can't be her. She's thousands of miles away. It's just some other woman with dark hair.
I feel my mouth pull down slightly in a grimace as I continue down the road. I'm frustrated with myself, with my traitorous body. I wish after all this time I could think 'fuck it' but I can't. It's like I'm still there, still eighteen, still madly in love with the girl next door.
I trudge along until I reach the turning of my parent's house. I make my way up the front porch steps before knocking on their door and waiting patiently. A few moments later, the door opens, revealing my dad.
"Evening so-" He's cut off by over-excited barking and an Alstation almost taking his legs out from under him.
"Hey boy!" I cry, getting down on my knees and scratching behind his ears.
His tongue hangs out the side of his mouth as he spins and jumps around in front of me before launching himself at me and licking my face. I chuckle, before pushing him off of me and standing up again.
"That dog is a menace," My dad says seriously before rubbing behind Finn's ear affectionately.
"I know, but what can you do?" I shrug.
"Come on in" Dad laughs, "Your mother has just made coffee".
"Great," I say, taking off my coat and rubbing my cold hands together.
"Hi honey," Mom says when she sees me, dropping a kiss on my cheek.
"Hi Mom" I smile.
"So, how was your day?" Dad asks, leaning back against the counter.
Even though he took a step back from working in the construction business last year, he still owns and manages it, so every night, we have the same conversation. I can almost see his eyes light up at the prospect of working vicariously through me.
"It was good. We got the first room all framed out over at The Marshalls. It should be ready to insulate by the end of the week" I nod, taking the cup of coffee Mom hands to me.
"Good. Do you think you're still on target for the electrician on Wednesday?" He asks.
"Yeah, no sweat" I nod.
We talk about business for a little while longer before Mom rolls her eyes at us both.
"No more work talk, please!" Mom cries. "It's gone nine and I think both of you deserve to switch off from time to time," She says, giving my dad the stink eye.
"Sorry" We both mumble.
"So, any weekend plans Edward?" She asks.
"Actually yeah, it's Ben's birthday on Friday so we're going to go to the bar in town on Saturday night," I tell them.
"Oh, that's nice" Mom smiles. "It will do you good to get out".
"I get out every day Mom," I say, looking over at her and chuckling slightly.
"No, you go to work every day." She counters. "You hardly ever go out to have fun".
"I...have fun," I say, not sounding like I believe my own words.
Mom and Dad both look at me pointedly.
"Look, I'm just...really focused on work right now. Anyway, I don't need to go out all the time. Maybe it's just not what I like doing" I mumble.
"It used to be," Dad says.
"Yeah well, people change" I shrug. "They grow up too."
My parents must get the impression I don't want to talk about this anymore because they drop the subject, instead turning to more neutral territory like plans for Christmas and how I need to call my grandma at some point.
Eventually, I wish them both goodnight before clipping Finn's leash in place and heading out the door. On the way home, I take in deep lungfuls of cold winter air, watching as Finn sniffs and wags his tail at every tree or bush.
Oh to have the simple life of a dog...
Before I know where I am, Saturday evening rolls around and I'm getting changed to head over to Angela's. As she promised, she text me her address as well as a time to come over, saying that she'd already put the wine in the fridge. I couldn't help but smile slightly at how the girl I knew from high school is now old enough to drink wine.
I dress in jeans and a black sweater, before pulling on my boots and heading downstairs. My parents are watching TV in the living room and I pop my head through the door as I shrug on my coat.
"I'm going to Angela's," I tell them.
"Okay, honey. Drive safe and let us know when you're on the way home" Mom says.
I restrain an eye roll at her. You'd think I was fifteen rather than twenty-five.
"Have fun Bells!" Dad calls, giving me a backward wave before I head out of the door.
I walk down the driveway before sliding into the driver's seat of my parent's car. I turn on the engine before pointing the car toward Angela's house. I manage to navigate my way to her street before pulling up outside of a small house, painted pale blue with a neat front yard.
I climb out, taking in the building in front of me before walking up the front porch steps and knocking on the door. A few moments later, Angela appears, holding a baby boy on her hip.
"Hello!" She says, grinning at me widely, "Come in, come in. I just need to put him down" She says.
I follow her into the house, looking around at the cosy living space in front of me. I'm standing in the small entryway. The living room is on the left, on one side there is an open fireplace, while on the other is a doorway leading into what looks like the kitchen, and dining room. I can hear Angela talking away to her son at the end of the hall, which I assume leads to the bedrooms.
A moment later she reappears.
"Sorry about that." She says with a smile, "He's a bit fussy at the moment".
"No worries. He's adorable by the way" I smile.
"Aw thanks, he takes after his father in that respect" She jokes. "Right, wine?" She asks.
"Love one" I nod.
"Oh take off your coat Bella and make yourself at home," She says before disappearing into the kitchen.
I do as she says, hanging my coat by the front door and following her into the small kitchen. White cabinets line one wall while a small table and four chairs sit against the other.
"Would you prefer red or white?" She asks, looking over her shoulder at me.
"White would be great" I nod.
She smiles before grabbing a bottle from the fridge and popping the cork. She pours two glasses before handing me one. I smile my thanks before taking a small sip.
"Shall we sit in the living room?" She asks.
"Sure" I nod.
Angela grabs her glass and the bottle of wine before heading back into the living room. She sits down on the couch, placing the bottle on the table before looking over at me.
"Gosh, it's so nice to see you again" She admits. "I've thought about you so many times over the years".
"Really?" I ask, surprised.
"Of course! I mean, you were one of my best friends at high school obviously, but you were also one of the only ones to get out of here. You went and became someone you know" She says, a small smile on her face.
"You became someone too" I reply gently, sipping my wine.
"Yeah well, a waitress at The Windmill isn't quite the same calibre as the leading lady of Beneath The Stones but okay" She giggles.
Beneath The Stones was the first big movie I got cast in and I won a couple of awards for my performance. It opened a lot of doors for me and I'll always be grateful for that, but the actual making of the film was horrific. I hated my co-star and the director was letchy. It wasn't good.
"You're a mother. That's a lot more impressive" I admit.
She smiles softly at me, her cheeks turning a little pink before she sips her wine.
"So tell me everything. I want to hear all about your amazing new life in California" She says.
"There's not much to tell to be honest" I shrug. "I've done a couple of movies in the last few years and I was the face of Enchanted Beauty for a while," I tell her.
"Oh yes, I saw that campaign." She says. "I bought the lipstick" She adds, her cheeks flushing a little.
"Thanks" I grin.
"I've actually followed most of your career Bella," Angela says quietly. "I don't want to sound like some crazed fan but you really are very good. I always knew you'd make it".
"Thanks, Angie" I smile.
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment before I turn to look at her.
"Anyway, tell me all about you," I say.
"Not a lot to tell to be honest. I'm still the same ol' Angela Webster that you knew years ago" She laughs.
"But you got married?" I ask.
"Yeah. Ben and I started dating a couple of years after high school and we got married two years ago. Then, Theo came along and the rest as they say is history." She shrugs.
"And you said it's his birthday?" I ask.
"Yeah, it was yesterday but he's going out with the guys he works with tonight" She nods.
"What does he do?" I ask.
"He works in construction," She says, a look crossing her face that I can't quite place.
"Oh really? That must be interesting." I nod.
"He likes it" She grins. "How about you? Did you keep in touch with anyone from Forks?" She asks.
"No," I say, shaking my head and dropping my gaze to my lap. "When I left it was all a bit...awkward" I say quietly.
Angela nods in understanding. To be honest, she's probably heard the entire sordid story a million times from one person or another.
"So tell me about your wedding" I grin, turning the conversation to happier subjects.
"I have photos," She says, laughing before standing and heading to a bookcase in the corner, grabbing an album from a shelf.
"Drink, drink, drink, drink!" They all cry as I down another pint of beer.
I swallow the last few amber droplets before slamming the glass down on the table to a round of cheers. This is my third, but before that, there was whiskey and now by the looks of things, Emmett is ordering tequila shots.
"No more" I groan, feeling my head spinning and my stomach beginning to churn.
"It's Ben's birthday" Emmett slurs, frowning at me. "You've got to do at least one!" He cries.
"Yeah, it's my birthday" Ben agrees, slapping me on the back a little harder than necessary.
"Fine but just one," I tell them before they all cheer again.
"You're more fun when you've had a drink" Jasper comments.
"Yeah, normally it's like you've got a stick up your ass" Emmett laughs.
"Fuck you guys" I grumble before a tray of tequila is placed down on the table in front of us.
I lift my eyes and see a fairly attractive young waitress. She smiles at me and I feel myself smile back. She blushes a little before disappearing back to the bar.
"Ooooo" The guys all tease, shoving my shoulders and making me chuckle.
"What?" I ask them casually, grabbing one of the tequila shots.
"She wanted to get into your pants" Emmett laughs loudly.
"Fuck off, no she didn't. She just smiled at me!" I argue, but feel a small smile cross my face.
"God Ed, you've not had sex in so long, you don't know what come hi...come fither...come hither eyes are anymore," Ben says unable to get his words out.
I roll my eyes at them before downing my shot and wincing.
"Anyway, speaking of come hither eyes, you are so not going to be getting any from Angie when you get home." Jasper teases.
"Why not?" Ben asks, looking genuinely upset. I can't help but snort a laugh.
"Because you're drunk as fuck dude" Emmett laughs.
Ben stares at us all seriously before cracking up, making the rest of us piss ourselves too. We've all had too much to drink, I think we can all agree on that.
Another hour passes before Ben begins to look a little worse for wear and we decide it's time to call it a night. As we're pulling our coats on, some better than others, I look down at the bill for the last round of drinks. I manage to focus my eyes on the numbers before pulling my wallet out and grabbing a few notes, examining them closely. When I decide I have the right amount, I take it to the bar.
"This is to cover the final tab," I say to the same waitress as earlier.
"Oh thanks," She says, taking the money from me and giving me a grin. I smile back at her before she speaks again. "By the way..." She says.
I turn to face her as she walks around the side of the bar. She has a small piece of paper in her hand.
"Your friends weren't wrong. Call me sometime" She says, smiling at me before dropping the piece of paper into my coat pocket.
I stare at her for a moment, unsure what to say. The guys are right, it's been so long that I have no idea how to behave with women. Don't get me wrong, there's been a couple of late-night tumbles over the past few years, but nothing remotely close to what you'd call a girlfriend.
I decide the best thing to do is just to nod before heading after the others. When I catch up with them they all begin catcalling me and laughing, obviously having witnessed the exchange.
"Fuck off guys!" I laugh, rolling my eyes at them as we stumble down the street.
Thankfully, it's not too far to Ben's house and we manage to take it in turns, holding him up with our arms around his waist as we stagger along.
"What's Angela doing tonight anyway?" Jasper asks.
"Got a friend over" Ben mumbles, his eyes drooping a little.
"Wow there! Stay awake for me!" Emmett says, staggering a little as Ben leans his full weight on him.
"Which friend?" I ask.
"I dunno" Ben hiccups. "She just said an ol'one. Probsly someone from college" He says.
I nod a little before realising the movement makes my head spin.
"Come on big boy" Emmett laughs as Ben almost takes them both down, "we've got to get you home for your night of birthday romance," He says.
"Wooo!" Ben howls into the night sky.
BANG BANG BANG
Angela and I jump a little at the loud knocks on the door. I look at Angela with wide eyes before I see her roll hers and she mumbles something about 'those fucking boys' walking to answer it.
I stay where I am, not wanting to step into a family matter when I hear her open the door.
"Oh for the love of all that's holy," She says before I hear sets of stumbling feet. "What did you drink?!"
"Beer" I hear a voice answer.
"Tequila," Another says.
"Siskey" A final one slurs.
I almost laugh at the sound of them but manage to hold it in.
"Why did I marry you?" She asks who I assume is Ben, "And you three, how could you let him get like this?!" She cries.
"Sorry Angie," They all say and I almost laugh again. They sound like naughty school children being told off.
"Is your friend still here?" A voice asks.
"Yes," She replies.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to ruin your evening" Another mumbles quietly.
"You didn't, but I doubt she's ever going to come back now that she knows what an oaf of a husband I've got," Angela's voice says before I hear a few quiet snickers.
She must give them a look or something because it all turns abruptly quiet.
"Ugh, bring him into the bedroom will you." She says before reappearing around the side. "I'm so sorry about this" She whispers to me.
"Don't be silly. At least he enjoyed his birthday right?" I whisper.
"He's not going to enjoy tomorrow" She replies seriously and I can't help but giggle quietly. She grins at me before winking a little.
I hear a commotion on the other side of the wall before four very drunk men stumble into the living room.
At that moment, everything happens in a flash and at the same time, seems to slow down completely. I see two men holding up a third, I recognise Ben immediately, but the two men seem familiar. I must look familiar to them too because recognition crosses their face before my eyes drop to the fourth man.
He's hanging back slightly, away from the rest of the group and his head is hanging low as he looks at his shoes. As my eyes fall on him, he lifts his head and his gaze meets mine. As it does, I feel all the air get knocked out of my lungs.
He stops, stock still, his eyes turning wide as he stares at me. It's as if the whole room stops moving for a few seconds, frozen in place. I watch as his piercing green eyes move from my face down my body, making me feel far too warm, before snapping back up to meet my gaze. My mouth goes dry and my head spins a little.
"Fuck" He croaks out. "Bella."
