A/N: Homestretch now! Thanks again to everyone who's stuck with me and this fic - you're all the best! Last night I was gifted with some delicious homemade peppermint bark and peanut butter truffles. Let's just say that I'm leaving you all a huge plate of some for after this chapter.

Big thanks & love to my own personal dream team: Char, Gin, Caren & Ash - they help make my words purdy and my ideas not suck so bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just come up with random things for them to do.

Edward

We stare at each other until I've lost track of time, and it's not until I hear the scrape of a chair near me that I break from Bella's eyes, finally looking away. I don't understand the pull she has over me, but it's painfully strong. I want to call out to her and have her come over. I want to take her in my arms and never let go. A feeling of guilt rises up, and I try like hell to squash it back down.

I don't even really know this woman, and yet something screams that I can't let her get away.

I assume she's here to visit somebody , and while I don't want to intrude on that, I also don't want to be kicking myself for having missed a second chance with her today. I do my best to steel my nerves and calm my rapidly beating heart before walking out into the hallway. I take two more steps and find myself standing right in front of Bella.

"Hi," I finally utter, restraining myself from reaching out to touch her.

"Hi, Edward," she responds quietly.

It's hard to read her. I can't tell what she's thinking, and her face isn't giving much away. Her eyes are tinged with sadness but her face seems to light up when she looks at me.

"How was your dinner?" she asks but I can't give her an answer. I can't even remember what I ate. All my mind can focus on is that Bella is here, now, talking to me.

I shrug, hoping that will suffice, and her smile grows a bit wider as she holds up a small, white paper bag, shaking it in front of me.

"Dessert?" she offers and opens up the bag, allowing me a glimpse of a scone. I can smell the strong burst of cinnamon from where I'm standing and my mouth waters.

"Why don't we grab a couple of coffees and go back to your place?" asks Bella, and I'm sure my response is etched on my face.

"Don't you..." I start, completely surprised by her forwardness. "Aren't you here to visit with somebody?"

"Yes," she replies, holding her hand out. "You."

I take her hand before I'm able to stop myself and follow Bella back into the cafeteria where she gets two coffees.

"How? Aren't you? I..." Words stumble out of me, and I seem to be unable to form a complete sentence.

Bella gives me a sad smile as she hands me my coffee.

"No. I came to visit you. Is...is that okay?"

She looks uncertain and the way she's nibbling on her lower lip makes me want to reassure her, but I'm still not certain what's going on here. All I know is that I can't resist the pull I feel to her.

"Yes. It's completely fine. It's more than fine, really. I...I'm very glad to see you."

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I can feel the truth of them in my body. A surge of happiness courses through me, lifting whatever weight has been pressing on me for most of the day. Bella seems to relax perceptibly as well and her lips twist into a beautiful smile. My heart tightens at the sight. I take another step closer to her, and Bella shifts her coffee and the scone into one hand, hooking her other around my arm.

My body startles at the contact, even through the layer of clothes. I can feel the heat of her small hand on my bicep and it feels right. I close my eyes, soaking in the sensation of her fingers lightly drumming on my arm. My face heats up as I wonder briefly would it would feel like to have her fingers elsewhere on my body.

Before I allow myself to tumble forward blindly into this blissful feeling, however, I need to be sure of one thing.

"But...you said you were married."

There.

Now it's out in the open and we won't dance around it, pretending she's not. I watch her face carefully, trying to get a read on it. She's not letting much show as she comes up with an answer. Her hand never leaves my arm, and I swear I feel her squeeze it just a bit tighter.

"I did say that. But it's not what you think. My husband, he..."

As she trails off, it's clear that she's trying to choose her words carefully. But why? Is she lying to me?

"...he's gone."

Oh.

I'm not expecting that. The way she says it, with such finality, I have a feeling she doesn't mean he's simply left her. It sounds like whatever's happened, he's never coming back. Sympathy floods my body in a wave, followed by a swell of sadness as I look at Bella.

"I'm so sorry," I say, knowing my words won't help much.

Bella pulls her hand from me and waves it in front of her face, but I can still see her eyes glistening with tears.

"It's fine. Really. I'm almost used to it by now. Can we not talk about it?" she asks, and I nod agreeably.

With a look of relief, Bella threads her arm back through mine, and we walk away from the dining room. She leads me towards an indoor garden, which looks relatively deserted. There are a few people walking through, but nobody stays and sits. I spy a small table tucked away in the corner and nod in its direction. Before she's able to sit, I pull out Bella's chair, receiving a whispered "Thanks" in return.

I sit down across from Bella, suddenly aware of just how date-like this feels. There's an air of familiarity about it, though I'm almost positive we've never done this before. I take a sip of my coffee, surprised by how relaxed I feel. There are no nerves, just excitement that Bella is actually here with me. I want to ask her how and why, but I'm also afraid my time with her is short, so instead I ask her how the rest of her day has been.

"Oh, you know." She shrugs. "Busy. Better now."

She can't hide her smile as she pulls the scone out of the bag and hands it to me. I split it down the middle, offering Bella a piece back. We eat our dessert, and Bella tells me more about her day and the cafe. The more she talks, the more at ease she becomes.

At one point, I place my hand on hers as we share a laugh, and we both startle at the contact, yet neither of us pull back.

I want to share with her something about my day, about my life, but nothing comes to mind. All I can tell her is what I'm feeling at the moment.

"I really wish I could tell you more about me," I struggle to explain. "But, for some reason..."

"It's okay, Edward. I understand," she reassures me as she caresses my hand.

"Thanks. I...I'm really happy you're here, Bella. I really...I like you."

I look directly into her eyes, seeing something so familiar and comforting there for a second, and it warms me up from the inside.

"I really like you too, Edward."

We sit there for a little while longer, just enough time for me to gather up whatever courage I can muster.

"Bella?"

When I get her attention it seems as if I've jarred her out of a thought.

"Sorry," she replies. "I was just lost in a memory."