A/N: Thank you so much for all the love and support! I'm so grateful for you all! I reached 500 reviews:) You all are incredible!

Special thank you to Mel Cee~she's amazing:)

Song suggestion: Right Where You Left Me by Taylor Swift

Please let me know your thoughts, I love hearing them!

I don't own Twilight or any music I suggest, just my plot:)


"Alice, where did you put my white shirt?" Bella huffed from the bathroom. "It was hanging behind the door last night!"

Bella already speculated the answer but wanted Alice to confirm her suspicions.

Alice rounded the corner making her way into the doorway of the tiny bathroom. "About that… so Caius might have used it as a scratching post in the middle of the night," Alice admitted sheepishly.

That damn cat. Bella hated him. More so he hated Bella. Alice's other two cats, Zafrina and Aro, were docile orange cats. They were fluffy and overweight; they couldn't barely make it to their food bowl let alone climb up the door. Caius, on the other hand, was a white striped cat who was insane; he destroyed everything in his path especially if it was Bella's. Alice took them all in off the streets. She had a thing for strays…including Bella

"Alice, that was my last clean white shirt! I didn't get to the laundromat this week. Fuck, Rosalie is going to murder me." Bella picked at her fingernails. Old habits die hard.

Alice rolled her eyes and walked out of the bathroom. Bella followed behind she knew better than to resist. When Alice wanted something, it was often pointless to argue.

Alice flipped through the hangers in the tiny closet that housed Bella's belongings. It was a far cry from five years ago when all she had was a backpack stuffed with a few articles of clothing.

"Found it!" Alice waved a black dress in Bella's face. "She'll be fine with this. It meets the dress code."

"But Alice—" Bella shuffled her feet, taking the dress into her hands.

"If Rosalie gives you a hard time, let me know. I'll handle her," Alice promised, walking to her room to pin up her hair.

"So that you can tell her off and then we'll both be out of a job? No, thank you!" Bella crossed her arms. She didn't want Alice to fight her battles for her. And she certainly didn't want to get her fired. However, she was out of options and running late for work, so Bella started undressing and slipped on the black dress.

When Alice had first met Bella, Alice insisted that she move in with her. Bella was hesitant. For one, she was new to the city and didn't know anything about Astoria. She also didn't have a job lined up yet. Not to mention, Alice was a complete stranger to her.

None of Bella's reasons deterred her though, and Alice insisted on helping her get a job at the restaurant she worked at, All Hale the Kale. It was a Michelin star steakhouse that only used kale as a garnish, hence its catchy, but slightly misleading, name. Rosalie Hale was the owner and executive chef. She was also a hardass and wanted everything done her way. Right down to the hair pins she forced the women to wear. Alice had worked there since they'd opened six years ago, starting as a hostess. Just last year, she was promoted to head bartender. She loved to talk, so it was a perfect fit for her skillset.

Bella couldn't accept Alice's job assistance, along with accepting to be her roommate. No, that would have gone against all the hard work Bella had done to no longer be dependent on people. So she conceded to being her roommate but looked for a job on her own, putting her art on hold for the time being.

It took a month for Bella to find a job as a server in New York. Thankfully she had some money saved to pay Alice the first month's rent. Even with her background and experience, these fancy restaurants wanted someone who had previously worked in fine dining. Bella's jobs had all been at hole-in-the-wall diners. Which was why she eventually found a job at a cafe.

Bella had been working there over three years when the owner told her they were shutting down. And that was when Bella had to admit defeat and accept Alice's help.

With a lot of pleading and a little bit of blackmail on Alice's part, Rosalie hired Bella. With the understanding that she'd heed the warning of "don't fuck it up."

At this point, Bella had been a server there for almost a year. She kept mostly to herself as she was still not quite out of her shell, but she did try her best to make friends. Or maybe friends made her. Bella still struggled letting people in. Alice barged her way in; she wasn't even given a choice in the matter.

Alice snapped her fingers, breaking Bella out of her reverie. "Bella!" Bella turned to look at Alice. "People like Rosalie Hale need to be put in their place. She doesn't scare me, and she sure as hell shouldn't scare you." Alice walked behind Bella with a brush and started fixing her hair. "Rosalie is not the boss of you. She's only the boss of her restaurant."

"That we work at!" Bella pointed out, taking the pin from Alice's hand and started to arrange her hair to Rosalie's liking.

"Oh, Bella, have I taught you nothing these past four years?!" Alice blew out a breath. Geez kids, they were exhausting…

Bella softened her tone as she spoke. "You've taught me plenty." She gave Alice a smile. She would never know how grateful Bella was to have someone like her in her life.

Then Bella thought of all the "important life lessons" Alice tried to instill in her.

Like finding the best deals in department stores even though Bella wanted to go to Goodwill instead. Or haggling with the vendor at the bodega down the street. She even made Bella get drunk on her twenty-first birthday, stating it was a rite of passage while she shoveled tequila down her throat.

Alice boasted, "Have I ever steered you wrong?" She grabbed her bag and stood in the doorway of the small walk-up apartment, waiting for Bella to get her things so she could lock up.

"Well … there was the time you wanted to potty train the cats!" Bella cringed, remembering that adventure all too well.

Alice locked the door, and the pair headed down the stairs.

"Oh stop. You know Caius' paws are sensitive to the litter. We had to try something. He's been through enough!" Alice reasoned, laughing.

Truth was, Alice had become everything Bella was missing in the first eighteen years of her life. She was sometimes a mother figure, sometimes a sister, but always a friend. Bella never really had a friend before besides him. Especially not one like Alice. Someone who stood up for what she believed in. Who had unwavering loyalty. Who taught Bella to be strong. To believe in herself. She always taught her the importance of choices. One wrong move and the entire trajectory of her life could change, so it was best to choose wisely.

Bella still struggled with believing in herself.

Despite their closeness, both Alice and Bella battled with opening up to one another about their pasts. It was as though the beginning of their friendship was a new start on life for not just Bella, but for Alice too.

Being older than Bella might have offered a certain sense of wisdom and maturity, but when it came down to her core, Alice was just as broken as Bella. That was the thing about scars—they weren't always skin deep. No, sometimes the most painful ones were the invisible ones that we carried each day, pretending that they weren't leaving us in a permanent chokehold unable to move on with our lives.


Edward grabbed his watch, the same one his father had given him five years prior. He secured it on his wrist, looking down at it with his normal disdain, a scowl forming on his face.

Buzz. Buzz.

A voice beckoned from the speaker, so he went over to the intercom in the kitchen and pressed the button. "Mr. Masen, Miss Charlotte is here to see you. Can I send her up?"

It was Kebi from the concierge desk of his apartment complex.

"It's Charlie!" He heard Charlotte arguing in the background.

Edward chuckled. "Yes, send her up," he said, heading back into his room and continuing to get ready. He glanced at the time on his watch. Edward wasn't expecting Charlie. Emmett was supposed to be meeting him in ten minutes.

But Edward knew he had to make time for Charlie. If he didn't, the now sixteen-year-old still would find some way to get into trouble. She was a danger magnet after all.

After all these years, Edward held up his promise of keeping in touch with Charlotte. His first two years after joining his father were filled with nonstop traveling. Edward spent more time adjusting to time zones than doing work.

Eventually he was stationed in the New York office. Edward set up shop a floor below Ted, insisting the space would increase his productivity. But in reality, Edward wanted a break from his father's watchful eye and controlling nature.

Once Edward graduated Princeton last year, magna cum laude, Ted thought Edward would have been perfect for the job of CFO. Edward argued that not only was he too young and inexperienced, it was also Carlisle's position that he had held for many years. Nepotism wasn't how Edward wanted to get ahead in life. He'd already been handed opportunities too easily because of his last name.

Ted didn't care about Carlisle or how hard he worked for the company. He wanted what he wanted, and he wanted it five minutes ago.

Edward wouldn't take Carlisle's job much to Ted's dismay. The pair had been at an impasse ever since. Edward was interim President of Sales until Ted "found" something more suitable. In Ted lingo that was code for "until he could convince Edward to take Carlisle's job and demote him."

The elevator door opened and there stood Charlie, nose piercing, crop top, and raccoon eyeliner. Rebel without a cause.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Hello, Charlotte." He stressed her full name, making fun of her and her distaste for being called by it.

"Oh not you too, smartass!" Charlie punched his shoulder playfully.

"Watch your mouth!" Edward scolded, still having that big brother instinct after all these years.

Woof woof

Embry hurried out of Edward's bedroom, hearing Charlie's voice. He jumped on her in greeting.

"Ugh, get your mutt off of me!" Charlie swatted the dog away, moving behind the kitchen island so it could be a barrier between her and Edward's housemate.

Edward whistled and proceeded to give Embry a treat from the glass canister on the counter.

After Billy had died, Edward couldn't bear the thought of giving Embry to a shelter not knowing if he ended up in a good home. Or worse, he would be put down. He fought Liz and Ted tooth and nail over Embry, which held him up from returning to the UK office promptly. They reached a compromise where they allowed Edward to take the dog. But Liz and Ted weren't going to pay for Billy's burial, citing he had nobody to visit him anyway.

Edward wouldn't accept that. So he took matters into his own hands. He sold his Range Rover to pay for Billy to be buried. He even had a photo of Embry engraved on his tombstone.

Liz and Ted held their tongues after that outburst from Edward. What was done was done, and picking and choosing their battles was a recurring theme in Edward's newest acts of defiance.

Ask for forgiveness rather than permission had become a mantra of Edward's since Bella had run away.

He was tired of pretending that he was satisfied with the way his life was turning out. Edward might have only been twenty-three years old, but he was already miserable and hated the feeling of having his entire life carved out for him.

What about his wants or needs?! When did Edward get the choice and opportunity to make his own decisions?

Sure, Edward had a job any guy his age would kill for. He had the apartment overlooking Park Avenue. He had friends, two luxury vehicles, and money from his trust fund gifted to him at twenty-one. He even had Embry and Charlotte. But when people asked him if he was happy, he couldn't answer honestly because in fact he wasn't. In reality, he was the furthest from it. The last time he was happy was with her.

Buzz buzz

"Fuck!" Edward muttered then looked at Charlie sheepishly, "Don't be like me!"

"Yeah yeah, sure," Charlie said with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Edward walked over to the intercom. "Yes?"

"Mr. McCarty is here to see you. Shall I send him up?" Kebi alerted through the speaker.

"Yes, send him up." Edward walked over to the dining room chair, grabbed his suit jacket, and proceeded to put it on. He walked over to the hall mirror to adjust it and fasten the button.

As he ran his fingers through his short hair, Edward got irritated. He used to get annoyed with his wild, long locks. Now he couldn't miss the mess more.

"You look handsome! Where are you going? Hot date? On a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon?" Charlie droned on and on, concocting a story in her head while flipping through a magazine she'd grabbed from off the table.

"No!" Edward chided, giving her a pointed look, not liking her jokes. Charlie knew full well that Edward didn't have a date. The only person he ever wanted to date ran away from him almost five years ago to the day.

Charlie rolled her eyes for the fifteenth time in five minutes. If eye-rolling were a sport, Charlotte would have a gold medal.

The elevator door opened, and a booming voice called out, "Yo Ed, I told you we couldn't be late. Do you seriously want my balls to get cut off? Some of us want to be able to enjoy using them from time to time." Emmett gave Edward an incredulous look when Edward didn't move any faster.

"Seriously! He was primping, and I asked him if he was going on a date," Charlotte added, bursting into a fit of laughter. Emmett naturally joined right in. Charlotte and Emmett loved ganging up on Edward. It had become a favorite pastime once they'd met two years ago.

"Both of you, shut up! God you're worse than old women!" Edward shook his head, pouring Embry more food and gesturing toward the door. "I'm ready!"

"Can I stay and chill while you're gone?" Charlie batted her eyelashes, knowing Edward's weaknesses.

"Fine, but don't forgot to set the the alarm for the elevator when you leave. I don't want Embry getting out."

Charlie nodded and said her goodbyes to Edward and Emmett, and the boys headed for the elevator. "You know when I asked you to meet my girlfriend for lunch, I expected you to be a little more happy for me." Emmett huffed as the elevator doors shut.

Edward and Emmett remained close after high school. They'd both attended Princeton, but because of Edward's internship and constant traveling, Emmett was able to have the proper college experience whereas Edward had responsibilities and a dress code. Now Emmett had been working at Masen Point for about a year, and adopting a boring 9-5 had become taxing on Emmett's lighthearted persona. The two were like brothers, and even fought like them.

They walked through the lobby of Edward's building, entering a town car that Edward's parents insisted on him using while in the city. Cabs and the subway were not efficient and were frankly just beneath them, and owning a car in the city was more hassle than anything else. After they were both settled, the driver took off into busy NYC traffic.

"I am happy for you, man! I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." Edward looked down at his phone, fiddling with a to-do list.

"Come on, I hope Tanya isn't sending you nudes again. I'll have no appetite for lunch," Emmett remarked, making gagging sounds.

"Fuck, between you and Charlie, can you guys stop worrying about my dating life?" Or lack thereof, Edward added mentally.

"Edward, I say this to you from a place of love, but all this pent-up sexual frustration isn't good for you and isn't good for your mental health," Emmett said matter-of-factly.

Ever since Edward insisted on Emmett applying to Masen Point, he and Edward became even closer. Edward was always schooled on the importance of image whereas Emmett slept with as many women as possible, trying to prove himself and his status. Until recently when he met the woman of his dreams.

"What did you read that on a fortune cookie or something?" Edward quipped, not in the mood for life advice.

"No—see these are the perks of dating an older woman. I'm a wealth of knowledge because of her," Emmett boasted. "That and she's a firecracker in bed. You know she does this thing—"

"Enough! Thank you, but I'm good. You might like women fifteen years older than you, but it's not my style." Edward put his hands up, innocently.

"You just don't know what you're missing," Emmett grumbled. Now he was hangry.

But in fact, Edward knew exactly what he was missing, and he missed her every day.


All Hale the Kale was always jam-packed. Not just because the food was impeccable but the ambience was out of this world. The restaurant setting looked like it was plucked from a catalog, and you were transported to an exotic location. Not midtown Manhattan.

Alice was cleaning wine glasses to prepare for a lunch her boss was hosting. Bella was memorizing the specials when Rosalie approached both of them at the bar.

"Oh good you're both here. I need you to work in the Ivy Room today. My guests should be here any minute, and that tart, Heidi, pulled a no-call, no-show. Three glasses of that new Pinot Noir for them to try! And don't think I didn't notice you were five minutes late!" Rosalie demanded, snapping her fingers as she walked away, not even bothering to wait for a response.

Rosalie Hale was a beautiful brunette woman, who had an athletic build. Even though it was often hidden behind a chef's coat, she turned the heads of many. Being the owner and executive chef of her own restaurant in Manhattan was not an easy feat for someone thirty-eight years old. It took hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes it felt like she hadn't ever had fun or really even laughed. Emmett, her boyfriend of three months, brought out a lighter side of her, one that she grappled to hold onto.

This was her first time meeting one of his friends, so everything had to be perfect. She wasn't blind to their obvious age difference and the judgment that followed. This fact simply reaffirmed her need for perfection.

Rosalie wasn't about to let one of her employees ruin the good thing she had going. Sure, she serviced celebrities and the who's who of the business world, but this was different; it was personal. This was just for her, for once.

The lunch rush had the restaurant booming. Food was coming out at lightning speed. Drinks were being slung at the bar, and the lively chatter surrounded Bella.

A tendril of hair hung down in front of her. Her imperfectly pinned-up hair. She blew the hair out of her face, and the tray wobbled a little as the gust of air hit it.

She bit her lip, nervous to be serving Rosalie and her guests. As long as she'd been waitressing, her shaky hands were still the fatal flaw she struggled to manage. After settling herself, she began walking over to the table.

Bella fiddled with the metal tray housing the three glasses of wine on her way back from the bar. She held her breath, always grateful to make it to the table without spilling.

She waited for Rosalie to sit back down before she began the walk over. One step, two step. Slow down.

Bella reached the view of the table and was met with Rosalie's scowling face. Another deep breath, Bella. Almost there, don't drop anything, Bella mentally coached herself.

She focused on the table where she intended to set the drinks down when she heard him.

"Yes, Masen Point was featured in the Times—"

As Bella approached the table with her final step, her shaking hands came back with a vengeance. She was met with a pair of familiar green eyes.

Crash. Glass shattered all over the white cloth. Red liquid pooled all over the table, dripping onto the laps of the three people seated there. He jumped up out of his seat as the liquid hit his lap.

"Oh my God."

Bella stood there frozen, staring at him. She wasn't sure who had uttered the words. It could have been her; it could have been him.

The green eyes pierced into hers with a look she wasn't acquainted with. The pair stood there, unable to move. Statues staring at one another. Afraid to look away, like the other would disappear if they did.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Isabella?" Rosalie shrieked, climbing out of her chair, her lap stained with red wine.

The spell broke as Bella cringed from the venom in Rosalie's voice. "I'm so sorry." It was nothing more than a whisper. Bella couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so weak. Actually she could…

She'd spent the last five years running away from him. And here he was standing in front of her, like no time had passed at all.

Bella looked away from him and glanced first at Rosalie's expression of disgust and then to Emmett's shocked face. This was not how he'd planned for this lunch to go.

Bella turned and bolted for the exit. She couldn't do this. Not here, not now.

"Bella!" he called from behind her.

She heard footsteps following her as she maneuvered through the busy restaurant.

Edward hadn't said her name aloud in years. He couldn't explain the joy he felt being able to be in such close proximity to her. Hope. A sense of completeness. Like he could finally breathe again.

Bella exited the double doors leading to the alleyway of the establishment. She gasped, clutching her stomach as she doubled over, trying to catch her breath and ward off a panic attack.

The door creaked open behind her, and she was met with the one person who both stole her breath and gave her the air she needed. She exhaled in what felt like the first time in five years.

"Edward."


A/N: Sorry for the cliffy but it was necessary or else this chapter would have been way too long. I promise to update quickly! Love to all!