Chapter 12

EPOV

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I swore my heart was going to beat out of my chest as I stood there in the hallway. I'd always considered myself a talented actor, worthy of the roles I'd gotten, but now I was positive that I was great. It was akin to a miracle that I had made it through the audition with Bella's eyes trained on me.

The last time I'd been this nervous must have been my first acting job. It was my second year at the University of Southern California, where I had been working on getting my degree in film. I'd gotten lucky and landed a part-time job as a gofer on a low-budget vampire movie called "Midnight". I had been minding my business when the director called me over. He asked me to read a few lines, told me I had a pretty face, and then asked if I wanted to give acting a shot. I figured it could be fun, and it was. I stayed in school for another year after that, took a few acting courses, but it apparently just came naturally to me. I dropped out of college in my last year, to pursue acting further, something that my parents still griped about from time to time. But I enjoyed what I did, and that was enough to keep them placated.

The door to the conference room opened, and Bella stepped out, pulling her phone from her purse. I didn't want to crowd her, but as she began to walk away, I knew I needed to say something. I just didn't know what.

"Bella?"

She startled slightly, her hand grasping at her chest. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Edward, hi."

I stood there, staring at her for a few moments as she fidgeted in her spot. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it nervously. "Um…"

I shook my head, realizing that I needed to speak. I rubbed the back of my neck, pushing out a hard breath. "Sorry, uh, I didn't really think this through. It's been a while, huh?" My gaze drifted down her body, and I willed myself to behave. "You look good—happy, you look happy."

She studied my face for a few seconds; I wasn't sure what she was looking for. "You do, too."

There was another pause, the air filled with awkward silence. "Sorry," I apologized again. "I'm not usually this nervous."

She laughed under her breath, her eyes lighting up. "I wouldn't think so, being a famous actor and all."

I chuckled. "You're one to talk. Ms. New-York-Times-Best-Seller."

Her blush deepened, and I had to stop myself from reaching out and running my fingers along her cheek. Even with years apart, the pull was still there for me. "I—"

Her cell phone rang, and she glanced down at it. "I have to take this—"

"Oh, right, go ahead."

"I'll, um, I'll just be a minute…"

Internally, I cheered, happy that our conversation—as stilted as it may have been—wasn't over yet. But my stomach plummeted when she walked away, answering the phone with a "hi, baby."

I wasn't sure what I had been expecting to happen. Obviously, I was still attracted to her, but I hadn't seen her in nearly six years. I didn't know the type of person she was now. I had changed in that time, and she had changed as well. Hopefully, it was all for the best and she was still the person I had known and loved.

I couldn't hear her conversation from where I was standing, but I could see that her expression was full of concern. She listened to him—I assumed it was a him, at least—with rapt attention.

While she was distracted, I gave in and let my eyes roam over her freely. Once again, I was pleading with my dick to behave himself. She wore a light green dress with a deep V neckline, showing off her ample cleavage. It tied at the waist, helping to accentuate the curve of her hips. It hit her mid-thigh. My gaze drifted down her legs, loving how long the heeled sandals she wore made her legs look.

She ended her call, and I tried my best to calm myself as she made her way back to me.

"Sorry about that. My boyfriend's dad is in the hospital—"

I could have kicked myself. Here I was ogling her, while she was in the middle of a crisis. "Is he okay?"

She pushed out a breath. "He was in a car accident and in a coma. But he woke up for a few minutes and then drifted back out. His doctor says that's a good sign, though."

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I didn't know her boyfriend, and I was definitely jealous that he got to have her, when I'd never had the chance. But that didn't mean I wanted him to suffer the loss of a parent. "Good, I don't want to keep you if you need to get to him." Rose would probably have my balls for not mentioning that she was here, but what was I supposed to do?

"Oh, he's in Chicago. I told him I'd fly out tomorrow morning, but he insisted I stay here. You know, with everything going on with the movie." She waved a hand at the door behind us.

"Rose is in town with me." I blurted out before clamping my mouth shut. What was it about this woman that scrambled my brains and made me unable to function properly?

She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes widening at my statement. "She must hate me," she whispered.

"Hate is a strong word, Bella. She's...hurt. She's been carrying around a lot of hurt these past years. Maybe all of us have, I don't know. What I know is that I'm happy you're okay, Rose is happy you're okay...and that she wants to see her friend. She's missed you. I've missed you."

Unshed tears filled her eyes. "I've missed you guys, too. Everything was just so…"

I smiled sadly. "Shitty? Really unfair? Fucking ridiculous?"

She sighed heavily. "Yeah. All of that. I...I'd love to see Rose, though."

"Well, we're staying here in this hotel. If you wanted to come up. There's no paparazzi allowed inside, but that doesn't mean people won't snap pictures in the lobby. We can go up separately, if you want."

She shook her head. "We're friends. I don't care about being seen with you, Edward."

I'd never hated the word friend so much. After spending five minutes in her presence, I was just as captivated by her as I had been when I was eighteen.

I needed to keep reminding myself that she was with someone and that she was happy. And really, that was all I ever wanted for her.

Except that wasn't true. I could lie to myself all day long, but in the end, I knew the truth.

It was apparent I'd never gotten over her, and all I actually ever wanted was for her to be happy, and to be with me.

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A/N: I decided to not keep you on edge until Wednesday! Let me know your thoughts!