Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

I looked around the hotel bar before settling in at the counter. It was busy, but I expected it. When is Valentine's Day every not busy?

"I'll take a cranberry and vodka with lime," I called out to the bartender waiting for my order with a bored look.

"Vodka, huh?"

I turned in the direction of the teasing tone that commented on my drink of choice to find a familiar face.

Edward Cullen.

The cockiest and by far youngest doctor that I had encountered in the crappy medical billing office that I managed. He was easy on the eyes, but hell to deal with when it came to insurance claims.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, not bothering to hide my disappointment.

"There's that award winning personality that everyone is always talking," he chuckled as he made a motion towards the bartender to get his attention.

"Make that two," he called out as I turned away.

Did everyone talk about what a bitch I was?

For a split second, my heart ached with the same old feelings of inadequacy before my old friend rage took over once more.

"You know what…" I began with a low hiss as he laughed at me.

"No, tell me."

He cut me off with a laugh that somehow only added fuel to my pointless anger. "Tell me what's on your mind since I can't even begin to figure you out."

"You… wait. What did you say?" I asked, confused over what the hell he was talking about.

"I can't figure you out," he repeated with a soft grin that was more handsome than arrogant.

"I mean, I've tried," he admitted softly.

"You've tried what?" I asked with more venom than what was needed as I turned to face him in my swivel chair.

"Jesus, Isabella, would you calm the fuck down," he chuckled with a nervous edge as I looked at him. "Not everything is a knife fight."

"What?' I demanded as he shook his head while smothering a laugh.

"Where is the husband?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

The husband.

That was a loaded question.

"Bella," I corrected him while ignoring his question.

"Bella," he whispered, repeating my name as if to see how it felt on his tongue.

"And the husband?"

Leave it to this prick not to know when to drop the subject.

"Probably out with his secretary," I said, using air quotes around Leah's supposed title.

"Well, that is just wrong," he murmured as he picked up one of the drinks that the bartender finally delivered to us.

"It was a mutual decision to separate for now," I quickly explained as if he gave a damn about my life and mess it had become.

"I mean, we are exploring ourselves and growing in our marriage to come back stronger than before," I repeated what our marriage counselor told me when Jake said he wanted to separate.

"I was referencing the term secretary, Bella," he chuckled softly as he watched me waiting for a reaction. "Everyone knows the proper title is administrative assistant. The other is just demeaning."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Edward," I muttered as brough the glass up to my lips and took a long, deep sip.

I longed for the burn that vodka brought, and it did not disappointment, unlike the men in my life.

The silence grew between us as I felt him staring at me.

This wasn't something new from Edward Cullen.

He had a tendency to stare and normally I would not care about some douche bag, nepo-baby, kid doctor staring me down. He was always different.

His gaze always left me a little shaken as it felt like he could see into me with those dark green eyes.

"Why are you here?" I asked as I finally found my voice again.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he admitted softly as I slowly turned to face him.

Edward Cullen had inherited his father's good looks and his mother's unruly hair.

He was handsome in a way that led to people doing a double take as he walked by and he often used that to his advantage or so the rumors said. He was known to romance nurses and the occasional patient's mother. It was whispered that the only thing stopping him from going full on man whore was his father teamed up with the medical board of ethics.

I nervously met his gaze with one that I hoped conveyed confidence and not the sorrow that brought me here.

"It's tradition,' I said simply, refusing to explain anything more.

I watched him nod as if he understood the half-truth I had shared with him.

"Why are you here?" I asked him, uncertain if I wanted to know the reason as he took another drink of the cranberry drink before him.

"You," he admitted with soft grin.

"I am here for you."

AN:

Thanks for joining me!

I have been struggling to end the last 2 fics I have out there when this idea hit me. Funny enough, writing this is helping me end Playing for Keeps and Untold Damages… BTW, I'm thinking of making Untold Damages ending a choose your own adventure with one ending being they are together & the other not. It is my plan to wrap those two up in the next 4 weeks and update this one once a week, but it is my plan to post ch 2 tomorrow.

If anyone is dying to beta this going forward. Let me know.

Xoxo

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