You, do you remember me,
Like I remember you?
Do you spend your life,
Going back in your mind to that time?

("Somebody's Me" by Enrique Iglesias)

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2 Years 7 Months 23 Days

Freshman Year, Scent

(Bella's POV)

Until this very day, I keep a bottle of the perfume Edward first started to wear 8 years ago. Why? Because it smells good. And… whenever I get whiff of this scent, it feels like a small flashback into the past - of my moments with him.

Six thirty a.m., Wednesday, February 2, 8 years prior.

"Knock knock, Edward…?" Ever so softly, I called out to Edward just outside his bedroom door. I wasn't one to tempt fate - much as I would love to see him clad only in his jeans, I didn't want to be rejected this particular morning.

"Edward, you up yet?"I continued to say in a small voice, careful not to wake up the whole household. I was already a regular here, considered another daughter to the Cullen household.

The only difference today was that it was the first time I had woken up earlier than Edward, and so I decided to be the one to wake him up instead. I was so excited that I stumbled over thin air a total number of 8 times on my way to his house. It was a short 10 minute walk. But it didn't matter - I get to see him, and that's what really counts.

Sounds of rushed footsteps and rustling cloth emanated through his door.

"B-bella? Is that you?!" Edward replied quietly but still sounded excited. He seemed surprised that I was indeed in his house, so he quickly all but ran to his door by the sound of things. He, as per usual, greeted me with his if-smiles-could-kill grin upon opening his door.

My memories of him…

Of the mornings and the first thing I saw was him, waking me up and telling me we were almost late for school. Of the times I appreciated how his blue shirt made him look all the more handsome. Of the way he looked so at ease riding his bicycle. Of the times he turned around to face me, smiling his 100 watt smile. Of the way his midnight blue backpack securely hung on his right shoulder. Of how his faint trace of a dimple appeared on his right cheek when he smiled.

I gasped inaudibly at what I saw.

He had just showered. His hair appeared darker in shade due to still being damp. A towel hung on his left shoulder, and fortunately - yet sadly, as the thought crept the back of my mind - he was wearing a shirt. However, water droplets continued to run down the side of his neck, then to his shoulders, collar bone, and you know the rest.

It took all of my will power not to succumb into the horrid desire to go up to him… tilt my head by the crook of his neck and….

Holy.

Snap out of it, Bella! It's JUST water! That happens to be running down his neck! How I wanted to kiss him senseless right then and there.

Of how his room was painted a deep blue, with dark grey contrasting strips that ran horizontally near the floor. Of how he looked when he had his headphones on, listening to his extensive collection of classical music. Of how his hands look, intertwined with a pen while writing.

"H…hi." I breathed out, trying to conceal my now obvious blush. "I j-just thought I'd… pick you up this morning?"

He smiled. That was all to say about it. If being too dazzled could kill, I'd have died and gone to heaven many times already. He then chuckled and said, "thanks for the wakeup visit, beautiful. Hang on, let me just grab my backpack and other things, and then I'll make you some breakfast."He walked up to his chest of drawers and pulled something out. It was a small blue bottle. He then sprayed it on his shirt twice, then once on his wrist and then rubbed it with the other.

Ah, his perfume. The only thing is, even though the scent reminds me of him, it doesn't completely catch his essence. Edward, by himself, distinctly smells sweet… and spicy. It is as if his scent was an exotic mixture of honey and cinnamon. That, along with this perfume, used to almost drive me insane with the desire to cling on to him for dear life, just burying my face into his perfect, chiseled chest.

It took just one second for my body to react to his new scent. Sweet at first… spicy for the second, and deep and… like a guy, for the last. He walked to stand by me, backpack on his left shoulder. He stopped by his doorway, dangerously close to me face-to-face. He smelled delicious.

This scent… once in a while, I still spray his perfume on my wrist, rubbing it with my other wrist much in the same fashion as he did.

I want him, I want him, I want him right now. Those words echoed in my mind a thousand times over. If it wasn't bad enough that I had wanted to remove the drops of water on his neck with my lips, this had done the job just fine. The job of wanting to give in to my desires for Edward Cullen.

Realization hit once again. "Are you going on a date or something later?" I asked, concealing the pain in my gut from bubbling out, desperately trying not to sound like a jealous - gulp - girlfriend-wannabe.

"Not really, just got this from mom yesterday and wanted to try it on. You like?" he then asked, and continued, "she even told me about the… wrist thing." Not embarrassed one bit by that feminine gesture with perfumes he learned from his mother, while biting on his lower lip, as if deep in thought.

"More than like," I answered him in all honesty, feeling my knees weaken. I felt another blush on my cheeks rise, along with another round of desire - this time, to bite his lower lip for him - came about. Our eyes met, and the electricity between us roared more into life than ever. For goodness sakes…

I broke the stare first, then urged him to talk. Awakening from his own daze, he said, "good! In that case," he put the bottle down on his bed side table and continued, "this one is for keeps." Still smiling his 100 watt smile. He somehow found out that I felt weak and was about to pass out, then put his arm over my shoulders and held me by my right side and started to walk down to their kitchen. The arm he had on me made my shoulder tingle…

"Um. Kay. What's for breakfast?" I was now holding on to the staircase's hand bars, making sure I wouldn't just devour Edward there while he held me up.

"Pancakes with strawberries good?"

"Perfect!" He knew how to get through to my heart, it was indeed through my stomach. Little did he know that he was already in there, way before he found out that my favorite fruit was strawberry.

This was 8 years ago, and here I am in my pathetic excuse of a life, living in a quaint little apartment in Los Angeles, looking over a park, while holding on to a tiny little blue bottle of Edward's perfume. The sun is about to rise, as I see the faint lightening of the sky into a gentle shade of light blue.

Another day of this half life I've submitted myself into. I work as an editor for a small publishing company, giving me too much time in my whole week, as I didn't need to work in an office as much, to think. To think back. To think of him. To think of what could have been. To think of what should have been.

I'm still a coward.

It's been 2 years, 7 months and 23 days since I've inhaled the enthralling mixture of honey, cinnamon and a tiny blue bottle encased perfume's scent... of the person I live for.

Edward Cullen.

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Author's notes:

OH MY GOD PEOPLE I AM SO FREAKING SORRY FOR THE UBER UBER LONG DELAY IN UPDATES! I really am omgggg I had this horrible case of writer's block! BUT IT IS CURED NOW for some odd reason! ANYWAY!! Hope this chapter reeks of desire. I've poured my soul into it! I shall update more asap!

Much loves from moi

Whipped