Author's note: Sorry, long pause on this. Things haven't been great (real life stress head on) but I'll do my best to persevere.

Many thanks to SunflowerFran for prompting me on this and for reading through the chapter. Much love as ever.

In fact, speaking of the lovely lady and her endeavours, come join The Song to Story Challenge brought to you by It All Started with Twilight. There is a new prompt.

Please check it out.

https/groups/834673544138327

As ever, none of the characters belong to me.

And for a change of pace we're going to change POV a few times during this chapter to try and move the day along a bit quicker.


EPOV

Bella placed her glass on the coffee table and leaned forward. Taking Edward's tie and wrapping it around her fist, she drew him closer until their noses grazed and he could feel her breath warm his face. Her free hand reaching up to toy with his hair and the feel of her nails running across his scalp made him shiver in anticipation.

"I've waited forever for this," she whispered. Pulling his lips to hers, Bella kissed him soundly. Leaning back he was pulled flush to her chest, her hair fanning out over the arm of the sofa; the red leather and the firelight enhancing its rich mahogany colour.

The kiss deepened, and Bella's mouth opened to grant him access. He tasted the bitter, cold gin on her tongue. He felt her hands move slowly, tracing her fingertips down his spine. Feeling emboldened by her actions, Edward moved his hand down her neck to explore the skin below the neckline of her wrap dress that parted easily.

"Bella"

BANG BANG BANG

"Bella!"

Edward heard shouting from the corridor. "Bella! I don't care if you're in the middle of something with Dr. Hotty McHotFace; your mum's going to kill us! Come on, get your butt in gear, woman!"

He recognised the voice from last night, and after the dream he'd been having, it was like being woken up by an ice-cold bucket of water ... So much for Jessica being the one to keep an eye on. It looks like he'd kept Bella talking too late last night.

He recognised Bella's muted, grumbling voice through the door as he assumed she went with her friend to fulfil her duties for the day.

Scrubbing his hand over his face, Edward shook his head vigorously. Seeing Bella again yesterday had been a bolt out of the blue. He had thought of her on occasion over the years. He'd see someone who resembled her walking down the street sometimes or smile to himself when someone used a turn of phrase that she had used in a class. Seeing her in the bar earlier this evening had been a welcome surprise. Less so, when a minute or so after talking to her, Edward realised the animosity he had assumed was a friendly rivalry was obviously more entrenched for Bella. It took him a few turns in the conversation to gain ground. Eventually, he felt that he'd left things with Bella much better than he'd found them yesterday evening.

Then being woken from that dream this morning was a confirmation of something he had known since the second he set eyes on Bella again. He was attracted to her, and he was almost certain she was attracted to him. Although where that left them, he still had no clue. She'd agreed to be friends. And she hadn't pulled away from any of his affectionate gestures last night. Maybe she was being polite...or shy. Edward laughed at that idea, remembering the feisty woman who had tried to pick a fight with him over a sofa yesterday.

Rolling himself out of bed, he thought about his day ahead…and how he hoped it would end again.

BPOV

BANG BANG BANG

"Bella!"

Bella's mind was moving slowly after a late night. She vaguely remembered silencing her alarm once, maybe twice. How long had Jessica been knocking?

"Bella! I don't care if you're in the middle of something with Dr. Hotty McHotFace. Your mum's going to kill us! Come on, get your butt into gear, woman!"

Leaping from her bed, Bella tore open the door, still in her yoga pants and T-shirt she wore to bed. "Keep your voice down, woman, or you'll wake the whole hotel!" She growled, looking nervously across the corridor to where she knew Edward would be sleeping if Jessica's morning wake-up call hadn't carried down a couple of doors.

"Don't snap, grumpalump. I'm not the one running late for Angela's wedding. Come on, quick scrub, grab your phone and key and let's go. There'll be coffee there." Jessica pushed Bella back into her room and toward the bathroom.

Shutting the door, Bella started the shower and waited a moment for it to warm up. Pressing her fingers to her eyes, she took a deep breath and recalled the feeling of Edward's lips against her cheek. Hopping in the shower and getting clean and ready for the day, Bella's mind wandered over last night.

She was still struggling to believe how quickly Edward had gone from long-lost acquaintance to confidante in one night. It had been a decade since she'd seen him. Although they regularly met in class and occasionally around campus, Bella had always regarded him with caution. He had radiated confidence in a way that made her wary. Edward had always been surrounded by friends or fans, as Bella referred to them in her head. They were the gaggle of female students vying for his approval and attention. Her preconceived idea was that he was intelligent but shallow and too self-centered. But last night had challenged those notions about him. Edward had listened, had spoken about his work with compassion, and unlike their previous interactions, Bella had his full attention. That was different.

Bella returned to her bedroom to find Jessica on her bed. She took in Jessica's outfit, a dove grey loungewear set with bridesmaid embroidered across the front. On the bed next to her was an identical set with maid of honour embroidered. Bella suppressed a shudder at the thought. Uniforms and matching clothes had never been her cup of tea, but she remembered how excited Angela had been at the matching T-shirts on her hen do.

"Come on, Hun," Jessica threw the clothes at her. "Get some clothes on and fill me in on Hotty McHotFace on the way. We've got a schedule to keep to."

…...

"You're telling me, after barely looking at another woman all evening and his room being right across the hall, the end of your night was a kiss on the cheek? Wow, you guys are wasted on each other. I'm not saying jump into bed with the guy unless you really want to, but a kiss on the cheek is tame for a nun, Bella!" Jessica paused to face Bella briefly and then carried on down the corridor to the bridal suite.

"It's not like that. We're friends…sort of. I mean, twenty-four hours ago, I hadn't seen him in ten years. It's just…nice to catch up."

"Yeah, okay. I hear you. All I'm saying is, if I were on his radar, I would be angling for more than a friendship. Hell, it doesn't have to be true love. A fling will do."

Bella gave a short laugh as they reached the door. "I'll bear that in mind." She muttered. Spinning round to face Jessica before they entered the room, she pleaded, "I will let you know if he messages, and I will invite you to any doctor drinks happening this weekend, but please, please keep schtum around Mum. I can't deal with the interrogation this weekend."

"You got it. I'm not dense enough to stir up that pot with Mama Swan." Jessica smiled and squeezed Bella's shoulder before opening the door to a flurry of dove grey, white, and diamanté. Renee stood next to the table holding breakfast, directing the hotel staff with their trays. Angela was chatting with her hairstylist and make-up artist. A woman Bella recognized from the dress shop was cleaning and preparing Angela's dress for the day.

Looking up and seeing her bridesmaids in the mirror, Angela rushed towards them with a smile bright enough to illuminate the Eiffel Tower. "I'm getting married today!" She squealed.

"Yeah, you are!" Bella beamed back, immediately switching to big sis/bridesmaid mode. "Let's get you ready."

EPOV

Dressed casually to ward off the cold in dark jeans and a long sleeve cream and striped rugby shirt, Edward headed down to breakfast. Seeing his dad, Zafrina, Ben, and Marc having breakfast together, he smiled and headed over to claim a seat.

"Good morning."

"Morning, Edward," Carlisle smiled, seeing his son join them. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. And you? Ready to take the audience by storm?"

Carlisle barked a short laugh. "Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. I ran over some details with Peter this morning. He's perked up a little today, thankfully. Your mother and Charlotte are swapping broth recipes to try and help him keep some food down."

The group ordered breakfast and discussed the highlights of the day's program over tea and coffee. Ben tried his best not to gush over how much he was looking forward to Carlisle's talk, and Marc sketched out some basics of the ethics sessions later. While the others were talking, Zafrina on Edward's right called his attention.

"Listen, Edward," she said quietly. "I'm sorry if I messed up with Bella last night. I didn't realise she had invited you to the fireworks. I hope I haven't stepped on any toes."

Edward smiled to himself, thinking again of spending more time with Bella tonight. "Don't worry, it's all good," he replied. Last night, he had worried his invitation would be adjusted to watching from the terrace with the others in the conference. However, after their chat late last night, he was quietly confident that Bella was as keen as he was to spend more time together.

As they left the table to make it to the first session, Marc and Carlisle walked toward the door with Edward. Marc handed Edward his business card as they walked. "If you see your friend from last night again, tell her I can help her find some contacts in hospital schools if she's interested." Edward laughed and pocketed the card.

"Will do, Marc. Thanks."

Marc sped up to greet a colleague, and Carlisle took his chance to pry.

"It was certainly nice to put a beautiful face to a beautiful name. Especially one I'd heard so often for a time …" he began. "You're seeing Bella again this weekend?"

"Yeah...I think so. I mean, we'll be busy most of the weekend, but…it would be good to catch up some more." Edward stumbled over his words, his confidence from this morning waning after the reality of competing priorities became apparent.

"That's nice. I certainly don't have many friends I'd make time for like that." Carlisle smirked and clapped his son on the shoulder. "She's a lovely woman. I hope to see her again."

With that not-so-subtle remark, he veered off to speak with Lauren about his talk again. Edward was left scratching the back of his head, feeling all sorts. Everyone had wanted to talk to him about Bella this morning, not that he minded. And they all seemed pretty sure he'd be seeing her again soon. Maybe his confidence this morning wasn't poorly judged. As he took his seat at the first panel session of the day, Edward slipped his phone out of his pocket and sent Bella a message.

I hope I didn't keep you talking too late last night. Good thing the coffee in this place is decent, right? E x

A few seconds later, his screen lit up with a notification. Bella had sent a selfie. She was getting ready for the wedding, presumably with a steaming mug of coffee and a bright smile. Her nails and lips were painted in matching red hues.

Sleep is for the weak, Dr. Cullen. Also, a good job we have a makeup artist on hand. Last night was fun, though. Wish us luck and see you later B x

Edward laughed at her cavalier attitude to the day ahead on just a few hours' sleep.

Good luck! You look stunning as always. See you tonight. E x

Flicking to Instagram, he quickly scrolled through his add your contacts list and found Bella's profile. It was private, but he sent a request, hoping he could break up his day of medical talks by checking in on the wedding happening on the other side of the hotel. Or, more accurately, stalking the bridesmaid. Totally acceptable behaviour, Cullen. Edward sighed at his juvenile antics but hit the friend request anyway.

BPOV

Bella rushed ahead a little to catch the lift. All things considered, this morning had been relatively chill and fun. Even her mum had relaxed a bit after a couple of celebratory drinks. Angela had been folded, pulled, strung, and buttoned into her gorgeous but complicated satin gown. Jessica and Bella had slipped on their grey satin numbers, and all the bridal party was wearing white faux fur boleros to shield them from some of today's chill. Although the wedding was anything but simple, the look was very minimalistic. Muted greys, silvers, and white with a splash of colour. Red lips, red nails, red roses. Honestly, a wedding in November seemed mad to Bella. She would rather be warm, but the wintry look was very well done.

Her Mum, in a dark red fit and flare dress, her dad in a charcoal, three-piece suit and red tie, Jessica and the photographer followed. The photographer split off from the party to take the stairs and check that everyone was ready. The bridal party piled into the elevator.

"Oh, Bella, snap a group selfie quickly, would you?" Angela asked.

"Aye aye, soon-to-be Mrs. Cheney." Bella grabbed her phone out of the pocket in her bridesmaid dress (best idea ever) and flipped the camera around. "Everybody say, wedding!

"

The group flashed cheesy grins up at the screen, and Bella got Angela's approval of the picture before closing the camera app. Her notifications from this morning filled the screen. Messages from the wedding group chat, tagged photos from last night, some emails from work and then one that caught her eye.

1 new notification - Instagram - .cullen requested to follow you.

Confirm

Ha! Guess swapping numbers with someone makes it easier to find their profile. She confirmed and slipped the phone back into her pocket, smiling at the thought of Edward becoming a friend. She pushed Jessica's earlier comments about Edward's attention to the back of her mind. Now wasn't the time.

"Thank you all for helping me this morning. I'm so lucky to have you guys there for me. Today especially." Angela said quietly.

Bella heard Jessica blub on Angela's left, and her mum's eyes looked glassy, too. "Save it for the evening, hun." she laughed. "You're going to ruin our makeup before we make it to the ceremony if you carry on like this." She blew Angela a kiss. Charlie, Renee, and Jessica gave watery laughs at Bella's attempt to break the tension. They continued on their way to the ceremony room, the conservatory from last night overlooking the ornate gardens.

As they approached the entrance, noise from the crowd inside greeted them, a happy bubbling of chat and excitement. The wedding planner and photographer greeted Angela and Charlie, and they were all briefed on the order of service again. Renee fussed over Angela's dress before giving her a shaky kiss and taking her seat. Bella brought over the bouquet and saw Angela's hands start to tremble. Stepping up behind her, she grabbed her hand and squeezed, making Angela turn her head towards her.

"He's the one. Right?" Bella confirmed quietly.

"Yup," Angela replied immediately.

"Then there's nothing else to do but walk. One foot in front of the other. If you fall flat on your face, I'll help you up…as soon as I'm done laughing." After almost two decades of growing up under the same roof, it was always easy to fall back into the sibling act, and that was what Angela needed right now. Some normality, for a second.

Angela sniggered and took the bouquet. "And took a picture, I'm sure."

"Tch, of course," Bella tutted. "I thought that went without saying."

"Girls," Charlie chided. "Think you could give it a rest for a couple of hours?"

Everyone laughed. Angela took a deep breath and let loose the radiant smile that had barely left her face all morning. The music swelled in the ceremony room, and Bella and Jessica followed Angela and her dad down the aisle, ready to stand by her.

The champagne flowed, and conversation roared. The bride and groom were happily intertwined and entertaining guests by the windows, as Bella was with Jessica and the groomsmen by the bar.

"Classic, Mike! Honestly, you had one job. How could you have left the rings in the room?" Tyler guffawed.

"Listen, it wasn't my idea to mix shots last night. I'm totally blaming you for my brain malfunction." Mike hid his face in his hands. Today's drinks hadn't kicked in enough to dull the hangover yet, and he felt like a considerable idiot for forgetting such a big thing. "Good job Ben and Ang have a good sense of humour and some patience."

"Good job; Jessica can sing like an angel and keep the family entertained to cover for you." Bella countered. "Good song choice, by the way. Love James Arthur!"

"Yeah, thanks, Jess. That was pretty cool of you." Jessica ducked her head and blushed a little. She loved to sing, but she normally felt self-conscious in front of a crowd despite her bravado.

"Happy to help…Angela and Ben, that is. I cannot believe you guys got that drunk the night before the wedding. Such children!"

"Aw, come on now. We had to celebrate!" Tyler protested.

"That's what tonight is for." Bella joined in on the scolding. "Or the stag? Well, I guess we'll have our story to tell about this wedding. At least it was the best man, not the groom, this time."

Jessica pulled Bella to one side. "Any news from Hotty?" she asked.

Bella smiled at her enthusiasm. Jessica had been peering over her shoulder at breakfast this morning and quietly encouraging her to reply while Angela and her parents were posing for pictures. "Nothing more, Jessica," said Bella, rolling her eyes. "I'll message him after dinner to make plans, okay? Let's enjoy the wedding first."

GONG!

The same uniformed man from last night raised his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to the wedding breakfast!"

As the guests moved towards the doors, the wedding planner found the bridal party and called them for some photos while people were taking their seats. Bella snapped some selfies with Jessica and some candids of Angela and Ben while they waited for the photographer to line everything up. She added them to the stories she had posted earlier and then posed for the portrait shots. The bridal party finished up with a fun group shot in silly poses around Angela and Ben and then headed in for dinner.

Angela suddenly spun around, looking back at the terrace. "Oh, I forgot my bouquet!"

"I got it, sis," Bella replied and headed back to the garden.

Stepping back on to the terrace, she found Edward holding Angela's bouquet. His hair was windswept and cheeks pink from the cold. His casual clothes were rumpled from the day. Looking up at Bella, he laughed and walked towards her.

As he reached her, Edward extended his arm around her shoulder and turned them both around, walking on towards the door.

"I was just about to come and find you." Edward smiled warmly and tucked Bella under his arm, leading her back indoors out of the wind.


Final author's note:

Just quickly for anyone interested, the James Arthur song was Say You Won't Let Go.

See you soon, I hope - K x