E's POV:
I thought I once had it all, but I was wrong.
A thriving career, money, a happy marriage, a supportive family. But I was wrong. I had everything when I was with her.
With her, I felt strong. With her, I felt like I was invincible. That I could conquer the world. My world was full of life, of color.
Now that she is gone. Everything seems black and gray… Like nothing will ever compare.
For a long time I wondered what I could do to get her back but I knew I screwed up the moment I allowed my ego to go to my head. I lost sight of the big picture. I lost sight of what really mattered. And nothing would ever be the same.
But hope bubbled in my gut the moment I saw her on the cover of that Spanish magazine, and all I could think about was when I first met her.
I knew deep inside that she would never forgive me for all the shit I had done to her. And fuck if Tanya and I didn't fucking do the worst.
I knew what Tanya had done wasn't something anyone could forgive. And I stood by and allowed her to do it. All in the name of money and fame. Still, she was once my wife. Mine. And I was once told that where there was once, fire ashes remain. Could it be?
Something in the pit of my stomach painfully squeezed as I thought about her and the night she left, but I was too far gone in my own pain to realize that my actions had been hurting her first.
The look on her face the day she left still haunts me in my dreams. Even after all this time.
Ten years. That's how long it had been since I had been with her.
Eight since I had seen or spoken to her. It was all my fault, yet I knew I couldn't fix it, even if I tried. Yet, I still wanted to try.
~B's POV: (Present)~
I thought I met the man of my dreams a long time ago. That when we got married, and when I got my dream job that everything in my life would be perfect.
Unfortunately, I was wrong, and while it's been years since it was all said and done. And I now know better. I can't help but feel bad about my eighteen-year-old self's naivety.
I mean, what was I expecting to happen? After I met a handsome man, and got married to him. That I would get to live forever with him? A happily ever after? Where in the world does that make sense? I came to the conclusion that that only happened in fairytales, and in life it was rare that you met someone and be happy until the end of your days.
So, in conclusion, it doesn't.
I don't have time to dwell on how pathetic I had been back then.
Even now, as I looked down at the magazine in my lap. The familiar man, with the perfectly formed half-smile, still makes my heart clench sometimes when I see it. I shook my head out of my absent minded thinking, dropping it onto the coffee table and getting up to leave the cafe in the airport.
"Mommy, are aunt Pily and uncle Gio coming to get us?" The small voice of my son asks, making me smile as I lift the carry-on bag, along with my large crossbody bag.
"Yeah, we miss our cousins and want to see them." The tiny voice of my daughter complains.
"I'm not sure, yet, baby. How about we call them when we get to our new home?" I replied, smiling at them as we slowly made our way back towards the lounge.
"Can we at least visit them soon?" My son asked me, his eyes hopeful, as we made it to the terminal.
I felt my smile strain as I nodded once in response. As I reached into my tote bag, pulled out our tickets, and handed them to the gate agent before we slowly made our way onto the plane. We quickly found our seats. The kids settled in their seats while I lifted the carry-on into the compartment above our heads.
I tried to calm myself down, by fruitlessly reassuring myself that it would be okay. That this was the best for all of us.
I mean, it had been years since I left that place.
Years since I started a new life in England.
Now, it only seemed like karma had finally arrived to charge me for my wrongdoings because once again here I was, getting on a plane to go back to the place where I had been avoiding since my divorce went through.
My mind tried to push away those thoughts hoping that the thoughts would disperse, as the preflight safety instructions were finally given to us while I strapped the kids in.
"Mommy, what about aunt Vicky and James? Will they come to visit us while we are living here in Spain?"
I sighed,"Maybe. We'll see, alright? Let's just get through this flight and we can talk about all of this when we arrive to our new house." I reason before the stewardess finishes her instructions.
I sigh, pulling their kiddie tablets out of the bag, before pulling out my iPad. "Don't turn it on until we are in the air, alright?" I instructed them before securing the belt around myself.
As the plane finally began to him to life, I closed my eyes, began to take deep breaths as I felt the plane begin to jolt forward.
The slight ringing in my ear and a pop, a few moments later signified that it was now too late to back out now.
There was no turning back now.
A brief pang of regret filled me as I looked out the window, before taking yet another deep breath.
My kids smiled as they slipped their noise-canceling headphones over their ears, before turning on their tablets and tapping on the screen before a movie for each of them began.
I allowed a small smile to pull at the corners of my lips before allowing my mind to go back to a few months ago.
I was mad when my friend, Victoria and her husband James first showed up with the kiddie tablets last Christmas, but now that I see how calm and distracted my kids are, I can't ignore the gratitude I feel for all of the help they've given me
As the relief floods through me, I finally allow myself to focus on my new upcoming task as I turn the iPad in front of me on.
I clicked on my email, before scanning through all the messages, and emails. I attempt to reply to a handful of them. Deciding to reply to only the important ones, starting with Marcus, my new boss.
He asks me whether or not I can go in for a tour of the building today, to which I reply yes. Then, my older sister Pily emails me asking the time of flight and number to which I send the information before turning it back off along with my phone.
Then I proceed to take away the tablets from the kids and turn them off, before giving them a ziplock filled with juice, and other snacks to entertain them for the rest of the flight.
When we land two and a half hours later, I put away everything before unbuckling us, standing up, and grabbing my carry-on.
As I reached the door, I pulled the kids' hoods over their faces, before slipping on my sunglasses.
I make it to the baggage claim, grab the large bag we brought, and secure the hold my kids have on me before walking out of the airport calmly.
When we walk out a swarm of paparazzi are waiting, and quickly swarm towards the entrance. I hear my name sharply being called before I lose my cool.
Rene, my brother in law's, Gio's, older brother, is waiting for us by a large, darkly tinted windowed SUV. He rushes forward, taking my two bags, and handing them to another man before hopping into the passenger's door.
I strap the kids in, automatically, before turning to acknowledge him.
"Rene, que estas haciendo aqui?" I asked, surprise. (Rene, what are you doing here?)
"El a venido conmigo." I hear another deep voice say as the car pulls away from the path. (He came here with me.)
"Tio Sergio!" The kids scream out, excitedly. (Uncle Sergio)
He turned to give them a smile,
"Hola niños, ¿cómo han estado?" Gio asked. (Hey kids, how have you been?)
"Bien." They happily said. (Good.)
I gasp, as I realize why Rene was here and who he was with. "Did Pily send you?" I asked them, surprised.
"No, she didn't. Junior had a fever and she wasn't able to come. I offered to come get you, and Rene just caught me as I was leaving the house. Now, what's this I hear about you changing your name while you were living in England?" Gio asks me, disapprovingly.
I flinched in response, thinking of when I left. When I became Isabella Swan, shedding the names Rubio and Cullen from my name, in a poor attempt to start from zero. I was desperate back then. I could still remember how badly I wanted to disappear and to be swallowed after what I had been through. "Tenía que. Necesitaba empezar de zero. No tenia otra alternativa." I explained. (I had to. I needed to start from zero. I had no other choice.)
"I know. But I also remember that we warned you that this would come to bite you in the ass." Gio said as he drove us towards their house. "Your sister was beside herself when everything happened. I hope you realize that if she sees your ex, she will no longer hold back. Especially after all that's happened since then." He added.
"Lo sé. Pero qué puedo hacer ahora? No me contestaron cuando pasó. Ahora todo se irá al carajo!" I replied, leaning back my head onto the headrest. (I know. But what do I do now? They wouldn't answer my calls when it happened. Now everything is fucked up!)
"No te preocupes, 'manita. No pasara nada. De eso me encargo yo." Gio says, looking towards his brother Rene. (Don't worry, little sis. Nothing is going to happen. I'll make sure of that.)
"Yeah, I'm sure Pily has something to say about that everything that's happened…" I mumble, dropping my head into my hands.
"No doubt about it," Gio says, chuckling at my unamused expression.
"Pily has wanted to kick his ass since the day she caught us making out outside our parents' house, she never liked him. Not that I can blame her, honestly." I snort, as I look towards the kids, only to find them staring out the windows in admiration. "How do you think everyone will react to our return?" I asked.
" We've all missed like crazy. I am almost certain that there will be a shit storm coming, so for now, I do suggest staying here. The paps have been going crazy, especially since they found out your ex is now playing for Juventus. Let's not tempt our luck by going out too much, alright?" He suggests as he pulls into their house.
I sighed, shaking my head but nodding nonetheless.
My sister was already waiting for us in the living room as we walked in.
Their sons, Alex and Marco, quickly smiled at Santiago and Natalia before dragging them away to the backyard. The sight makes my breath catch in my throat.
"Isa," I hear as soon as the kids are out of earshot.
I shake my head in response, turning away from everyone. "I was hesitant to come back here. I didn't need to, but I did because Pily needs me to be here for her. " I muttered.
I hear my sister sigh before she walks around to look me in the eye.
"Isa, we know how hard this is for you… how difficult this is going to be for you to be here again, and while we are sorry that you went through all this shit, we are glad to have you back. We've all missed you, 'manita. It is time you came back to the family. You belong here, in your home country." My sister says, before pulling me into a tight hug.
"Pilar, let her go, you're choking her," Gio says, smiling as she huffs before stepping back.
"I— I'm fine, I'm just a bit overwhelmed." I muttered as my phone began to ring.
It's Marcus, my boss, he asks me to come in this afternoon, before hanging up.
"Does he realize the danger he is putting you in by giving you this job?" My sister asks me, surprised.
"He doesn't know who she is, amor. She changed her name to Swan, remember?" Gio reminds her. (Love)
My sister turns to look at me sharply, before nodding with a tight jaw. "Ah yes, you shed our family's last name and changed it to a bird name." She says, stiffly.
I sighed, reaching up to rub the back of my neck, in embarrassment. "I did. But there was a reason for it." I said, looking away.
"...and that reason is?" She asks, waving her hand through the air.
I sighed, taking an unsteady breath
before speaking. "After Edward and I finalized the divorced, I found out he had been unfaithful to me with Thanya Baltazari, his ex-manager. I felt so humiliated. I learned that was the last one to find out, that all his team members knew about the affair, and their wives, girlfriends knew too. So, I decided that leaving would be the best option for me. At least for a while...but what didn't count on finding out I was pregnant, shortly after I left…" I said, keeping my eyes on the backyard with the kids.
"Wait, let me get this straight. When you told me you tried to call them earlier— me estás diciendo que les dijiste que estabas embarazada y ellos aun sabiendo eso te dieron la espalda?!" Gio thundered. (You're telling me that you told them you were pregnant and they turned their back on you even though they knew?!)
I sighed, nodding, as I tried to swallow the knot that formed in my throat. "Later I heard from Alice that Thanya had them all convinced it was me who cheated…that woman had no boundaries when it came to getting what she wanted. I knew from the brief encounters that I had with her. So, I stopped calling after that. I tried to keep in contact with Alice, but after a while I realized why she answered my calls at all. So, I decided to stop contacting her. Nobody knows I'm here, besides you, and I would like to keep it that way." I said firmly.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Pily asks, concerned as she picks up her crying five-month-old son.
"Nothing. It's been almost eleven years. He doesn't have the right to do anything. Even if he wanted to." I said. "Would it be alright to stay here for a few days? I did acquire a house a few weeks ago. It's a few minutes from here, and I am sure we can go there if you need your space. But the kids would like to spend time with you guys." I told them.
"I think that would be great. We haven't seen you for ten years. Since the twins were a year old. Having you three here will be great for all of us." Gio said, a smilel.
My sister scoffed and nodded her head in response at what I had just said, before looking me in the eye. "Believe it or not, we have missed you… all bad things aside, it's good to have you back, 'manita." She said, hugging me again. (Little sis.)
"I've missed you all too," I mutter, emotionally, as my phone ringing causes me to wince. "I need to head over to see my boss…" I begin to explain.
"Who is your new boss?" Gio asks me, as he pulls the baby into his arms, bouncing him up and down slowly.
"Marcus Muñoz," I replied, without blinking.
"The head of El Diario?" My sister asks, surprised.
"Yes. I'll explain when I get back. I need to borrow one of your cars or get a ride please." I begged, clasping my hands in front of me while jutting my lower lip out.
"Yo te llevo," Rene offered, inclining his head to the door. (I'll take you.)
I turn towards him, before looking at my sister and brother-in-law asking for permission.
He sighed before turning to my sister. "I'll be back as soon as possible." He muttered to her, turning to kiss her on the lips tenderly.
"Hurry back, please." She muttered looking towards the backyard to watch our children. "Isa, will they be alright?" She asked before I reached the door.
I felt a smile pull at my lips for a moment before I nodded in response. "They were asking if we could come and see you guys before we got on the plane. I'm sure they'll be alright. It'll be quick I promise." I assured them before we walked out.
Author's Note:
In this story, Bella is from Spain. She married Edward when she was seventeen , and divorced him by the time she was nineteen.
Charlie and Renee are her aunt and uncle, and her older sister and brother-in-law are well-known people in the sports entertainment industry.
Disclaimer:
This story is strictly fanfiction. None of the things written in this story are meant to cause offence to anyone.
Twilight and it's characters alike are Stephanie Meyer's. This plot and storyline are mine. Along with any new characters.
Enjoy!