Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 7 - Diner

Edward glanced at his watch. "Give me a minute to freshen up. I'll meet you in the lobby in ten."

"Okay."

He grinned and walked around me, his body lightly brushing against mine in the process, and walked out. My heart jumped, trying desperately to escape the confines of my chest to follow him. It took me a few minutes of concentration to calm my nerves before I made my way to the lobby.

The massive clock above Leah's desk read seven forty five. Nobody was around yet, so I assumed there were no early birds working for Edward. One wall displayed a large bulletin board covered with papers and photos. All of the pictures seemed to be organized on one half of the board, so I walked over to take a look.

Some photos were taken at office parties and others were of various publishing celebrations. Glancing over them quickly I noted that Edward was in only three of about fifty. I found it odd that the owner of the company would be in so few. Was he such an atypical being that he couldn't enjoy the pleasantries of office festivities?

The first picture was of an office party. Alice, wearing a party hat, was blowing a party horn with her arm wrapped around Edward. He was pushing away from her with a grimace on his face. Sitting at his desk, he had a stack of papers in front of him. I wondered if he was a workaholic or just annoyed with Alice.

The second made me smile. It was a group picture of their Halloween party. Everyone was dressed up in various costumes, gathered together behind Edward. He sat in a chair with Alice on one side, dressed as a bar maid, and Irina on the other, dressed as a sexy devil, both leaning over to kiss him on his cheek. The grin on his face was priceless.

In the last picture he was surrounded by a group of authors. Every person held their book in the air with a goofy grin plastered on their face, every person except him. A man in a deep blue suit was shaking his hand while handing him an award. I looked deep into Edward's eyes and felt a tug on my heart. For some reason, his pain showed through in the picture, and I wondered what could have happened to him to cause such sorrow on an important day. Reaching out, I ran my finger across his face.

"Hey." Edward's fresh breath licked the back of my neck startling me.

"Oh!" I spun around and nearly fell over.

He caught me around my waist and steadied me. "Woah! Careful now."

"I'm sorry, I…" I stammered, glancing back at the photos. "I was just looking…"

He laughed. "It's okay. See anything interesting?"

He turned to look at the photos.

"Well, this one is certainly a keeper," I said, pointing to the Halloween photo.

"Uh…" he glanced sideways at me. "I guess."

"What about this one?" I asked, pointing to the last picture. "Why aren't you smiling like all the other goofballs?"

His lips twisted and he took a deep breath. "It wasn't a very good day." He turned to me. "I told Alice not to put that picture up." He reached over and snatched it off the board. "She insisted, as always." He folded the photo in half and shoved it into his shirt pocket.

My eyes drifted across his white shirt, unbuttoned on top revealing a bit of chest hair, then traveled up his face noting a bit of stubble along his jaw. His eyes drooped a bit. It looked like he could use some more sleep.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not really," he chuckled, "but I'll let you know when they invent office chairs that convert into king-sized comfort mattresses."

"Please, then I can get one for my office too." I imagined having one in that tiny room, probably taking up every square inch, and laughed.

His face suddenly turned serious, cutting my laughter short. All humor melted away, his eyes determined, his jaw clenched, as he reached over and ran his fingers up my neck and along my jaw. He leaned over, his lips so close I could almost taste them, his eyes boring into mine. Heat rose into my cheeks and I looked down, the intensity of his stare toying with my senses.

The elevator sounded and we both turned to see Leah and Irina step through the doors. They both stopped mid-stride to gape at us.

Edward wrapped his arm around me. "Is there a problem?" he growled.

They both looked down.

"No sir, Mr. Masen, sir," Leah said as she walked to her desk.

Irina kept her head down as she turned toward the office.

"Irina."

She turned toward Edward but did not look at him. "Yes, Mr. Masen."

"I will be out of the office today. You will have my edits for me first thing tomorrow morning."

"But…" she looked up at him, and upon seeing his glare she looked back down. "All three?" she asked.

"Yes…all three."

"Sir, I…"

"You will have my edits."

"Yes, sir," she murmured as she turned and headed into the office.

Edward flipped his phone open and dialed. "Alice…I'm going to be out of the office today. Reschedule my afternoon meeting for next week Thursday." There was a long pause. "No…" He glanced at me then settled his eyes on his feet, shifting from one foot to the other nervously. "She hasn't…I'll let you know." He closed the phone with a quick flip of his fingers and looked at me. "What?"

My bewilderment was tangible. "You confound me completely."

He frowned. "Good."

"Why is that a good thing?"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the elevator. "Because I prefer it that way."

We didn't speak when we entered, stealing glances at one another like the night before, only it was a bit awkward. My nerves were getting the best of me, and I felt myself growing anxious, wringing my hands together as I stared at the numbers blinking with our descent.

Edward reached out and grabbed my hands, prying one out of the other to hold it gently in his. Instantly, as if a switch had been flipped, my nerves calmed. The elevator door opened and he lead me through the building and into the garage.

He ushered me to his Porsche and helped me in. Before I could reach up for the seatbelt Edward grabbed it and leaned over to fasten the buckle for me. His close proximity nearly drove me mad. He paused, his breath fluttering across my lips, his eyes finding mine once more before slipping back and closing the door. I had to remind myself to breathe before he entered the car.

The ride to the restaurant was long and quiet. My nerves bunched up once more, locking me within myself. Edward was quite the gentleman, opening the car door for me and helping me out.

The place he'd taken me to was a small diner in the slums of the city. I wondered why he would even consider eating in such a dump but changed my mind the instant we walked through the door. It was a quaint little place that felt welcoming, like coming home from a long journey. Apparently others thought so as well. The place was packed, every table taken, every stool along the bar occupied.

Edward held my hand while we waited for the next available table. Stroking my palm with his fingers, he pulled my hand up and examined it, gently running his finger from the heel to the center.

"You have a long life line," he pointed out.

"Yes."

He smiled, tracing it with his fingertip. "I'm glad." His eyes met mine, and I saw something in them, something strangely familiar. A flash of my dream came to me, the younger version of Edward, but there was pain, such a deep pain in his eyes. It was the same pain Edward had now.

A man motioned for us to follow him to a table.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

His forehead crinkled and he frowned. "Nothing is wrong."

"But I can see…in your eyes. There's something wrong." I sat down on my side of the booth.

"Well…" He slid into the seat across from me. "Nothing is wrong per se." He thought for a moment. "I've had a few things in my past come up recently…things that are causing my life to spin wildly out of proportion." As if holding a butterfly's wing, he grabbed my hand from its place on the table and gently squeezed it. "I'd explain, but you wouldn't understand." His lips twisted. "I think you'll find out soon enough though."

"So, why not tell me now?"

The waitress had impeccable timing, stepping up to the table before he could say any more. Her long blonde hair caught my attention immediately. She was beautiful. "May I take your…" She looked at Edward and gasped, reaching up to cover her mouth. "Edward?"

His eyes widened and he choked, "Rose?"

"Oh my god! How long has it been?" She turned to me and her eyes grew wide, "Holy shit! Where've you…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Edward jumped up and pulled her away from the table. He took her to the end of the diner and started speaking to her animatedly, gesticulating wildly as he conveyed his message. When they returned, Rose glanced at me and then away, keeping her eyes on the pad and pencil she was holding.

"Um…your drinks?" she asked.

"I'll have a coke," Edward responded.

"Me too?" I said, but it sounded more like a question.

"Um…" Rose tapped her pencil nervously on the pad. "Are you ready to order?"

Edward looked at me and I stumbled through my response. "I'll have the…uh…the morning special with…um…bacon?" Again, my words were questioning.

Rose quickly jotted down my order and looked expectantly at Edward.

"I'll have the pancakes supreme with a side of fresh fruit." He held out the menu for her to take, his eyes on me the entire time.

I looked up at our waitress as she wrote out his order, breaking the tip of her pencil in the process. "Shit!" She looked at me. "Oh, I'm sorry…ma'am." She turned and walked away, glancing back at me twice on her way to the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"Oh, she's just an old friend." He scanned the room, nervous vibes permeating the atmosphere.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He closed his eyes tightly and murmured under his breath, "What the hell was I thinking?"

"Edward?"

He looked up at me from beneath his long lashes.

I sighed heavily, tired of his games. "Look, I wasn't born yesterday. Something is bothering you, so would you just spill it already?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I um…used to come here as a kid…a lot. I haven't been here in years, so I didn't expect anyone I knew to still be around." He took another deep breath. "I'm just not into all the happy reunion bullshit. You know?"

I nodded. I knew exactly what he was talking about. "I totally get it. People walk up to me all the time. 'Hey, remember me? I sat next to you in Biology?' Shit if I know. I can't even remember what school I went to. Actually, I wouldn't know anything at all if I hadn't had so many people tell me."

"People have told you about your past?"

I shrugged. "Well, some stuff."

"Like?"

I couldn't fathom why he would be interested in my past. It wasn't something I wanted to focus on, especially since there wasn't much left in my brain to focus on anyway. I looked away from him, pulling my hands into fists.

"I don't want to talk about it," I spat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

When I looked back at Edward I could see he was genuine in his sentiment. I grinned and looked over his shoulder, finally taking in my surroundings.

Against the far wall there was an old pie sign, below it a blackboard with the daily specials written in white chalk. I glanced to the right where a Coca Cola sign hung over the order window. A strange tingle went through my veins as the young cook smiled at me. I blinked and his face was years older. I turned to Edward whose face was the younger version of him…the one in my dream. I blinked wildly, rubbing my eyes, his face returning to its original state.

"What the fuck?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch the back of my hand.

"Yeah, I just have a strange feeling I've been here before."

"Like déjà vu?"

"Um…yeah, I guess." My inner Bella spoke up. There is a jukebox on the opposite side of the diner with a black cat clock above it. I turned around, and when I saw the old jukebox with the clock above it, the cat's black tail moving in sync with its eyes, I felt the room spin and I had to put my head down.

I squeezed my eyes shut, taking in deep breaths. I felt Edward scoot into the booth beside me. He rubbed my back.

"Bella?"

"I'm fine…I'll be fine."

When I sat up, I laid my head back and stared up at the ceiling. Even the stained glass light above me looked familiar.

I turned to Edward. "I've been here before."

He gasped, "You remember?"

"No."

His face dropped.

"Well, I wouldn't call it remembering. It's more like a dream, like flashes. Nothing concrete."

"Oh."

Who Put the Bomp by Barry Mann came on and we both turned to see an old man in front of the jukebox.

"Shit, it still works!" Edward's grin was adorable.

"So, you like to listen to oldies?"

"Well, we…I mean, my best friend and I used to come here all the time. We would laugh at all the music. It was a bunch of corny love stuff, but there was this one song…" He trailed off in thought, his smile becoming more prominent. His eyes lit up, "Wait a minute…" He stood and made his way over to the jukebox.

I watched as he scanned through the songs, inserted a coin and pressed a few buttons. He walked back and sat across from me.

"What did you pick?" I asked.

"Na-uh-uh," he said while shaking his finger in front of me. "You have to wait and see."

The last of the rama lama ding dongs played out and I listened patiently for the next song to begin. I leaned back and closed my eyes, waiting for the words to flow though the diner.

oh, oh, oh, oh, wah-ah-ah, oh, oh, oh, oh

Earth angel, earth angel
Will you be mine?
My darling dear
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love with you

"Holy shit!" I lifted my head and found Edward with a silly grin on his face. "I know this song!"

"Uh, it is a classic oldie, Bella."

"That's not what I meant…I really know this. You know, like a favorite song or something." I sat back and listened as the rest of the song played out. It was funny how I seemed to know the words, not remembering where I'd last heard this song or why I knew it so well. Like Edward said, it was a classic. The words flowed through my lips as I sang along with the end.

I fell for you and I knew
The vision of your loveliness
I hope and pray that someday
That I'll be the vision of your happiness

oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh , oh, oh, oh

Earth angel, earth angel
Please be mine
My darling dear
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love with you-ou (you, you, you)

The last note rang out just as Rose showed up with our plates. Her hands shook as she placed my plate in front of me.

She looked at Edward when she spoke. "Can I get you anything else?"

Edward looked at me.

"I'm fine."

"We're good," he said with a warm grin.

She nodded and walked away, hesitating to take one last look at me.

"Now I know I've been here before."

"What makes you say that?" He poured the bowl of fresh fruit over his pancakes and pushed the plate aside. He then placed his elbows on the table, intertwining his fingers, leaning his chin against his hands.

"Well, she obviously knows me. She must have waited on me before."

"Possibly."

I looked at his untouched pancakes. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Sure." He reached over and grabbed my plate, shoving his toward me.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," he said as he started digging into my eggs.

"I don't want this!" I pouted, shoving the plate away from me.

"Eat," he demanded, pushing the plate back at me.

I huffed loudly and crossed my arms. Why the hell didn't he just order what he wanted instead of stealing mine? Is he trying to annoy me to death?

"Come on," he grinned, mouth full of food, "dig in. You'll love it." He continued eating, ignoring me as I sat, pouting.

After a minute or two I decided the pancakes did look pretty good. I cut a piece and reluctantly shoved it in my mouth. One bite and I was in heaven. I moaned as the fruity flavors exploded in my mouth. "Oh my god," I mumbled between bites.

In a matter of minutes I was done, having cleared my plate before Edward. I wiped my mouth and sighed.

"I told you you'd love it."

I raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," he grinned.

"Hmm…"

The jukebox started up again, playing an Elvis song, reminding me of the song Edward picked earlier.

"So," I placed my elbow on the table and leaned my head against my hand. "What's so special about Earth Angel?"

He choked on his last bite. "Um…" He took a few seconds to swallow, washing his food down with a drink of soda. "My friend and I…well, it was sort of our diner song."

"Diner song?"

"Yeah, we had two songs. This is the one we listened to when we ate here."

"I have a feeling this friend was a girl."

"Yes, she was."

"And…she was your girlfriend?"

He looked down at his empty plate. "Yeah, she was."

"What happened?"

His troubled eyes found mine. "She's gone."

I remembered him telling me about his lost love. "I'm so sorry."

"S'okay." He waved at Rose. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Rose walked up and he handed her a hundred dollar bill.

"This should cover it, honey."

She grinned at him. "Always the charmer." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Come again…soon."

He stood and reached his hand out to help me up. I took it, sliding awkwardly out of the booth.

Rose startled me by wrapping her arms around my neck in a big hug. "You come back too," she whispered.

Confounded by her actions, I stammered, "Um…yeah, I will."

As we walked to the door, I turned toward the man at the counter and words flowed from my lips of their own accord. "See ya whenever, Harry!"

"See ya, sugarpie!"

I stopped, my feet glued to the floor. What the fuck was that?

Edward grabbed my hand and tried to pull me through the door.

"Wait." I spun around and walked up to the man. "Your name is Harry."

"Yes," he said. "Haven't seen you around in...boy, it's been years, sugarpie!"

I grinned. Though I didn't remember, the fact that some things were coming to me made me feel wonderful. I was used to people telling me what I'd forgotten. It was nice to feel like I was making progress on my own.

"Edward," I turned to him, feeling like the sun was finally breaking through the clouds covering my life. I smiled so widely it hurt my cheeks. "I'm remembering."

"That's great." He turned and walked out.

"Uh…" I looked back at Harry. "I'll see ya!"

He nodded and grinned.

"Edward?" I walked out and found him leaning against the diner with his head down. I walked over to stand in front of him. "What's wrong?"

He looked me in the eye and frowned. "So, you remember Harry, huh?"

"Um…kind of, it just came to me. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, sure." He pushed away from the wall and walked to his car without a look back at me.

"What's eating you?" I called as I made my way toward him.

"Nothing. Let's go." He got in the Porsche and started it.

I stood next to his car for a long moment before I got in. "Where are we going?"

The atmosphere in the car was dismal. It was penetrating my euphoria, deflating it, making me feel like shit.

He leaned his head against the steering wheel. "What did I do wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. I really enjoyed breakfast."

"No," he turned to me, tears in his eyes. "What the fuck did I do to deserve this?"

"Deserve what?"

He shifted in his seat to face me, eyes burning with fury, and I was suddenly terrified. He slammed his fist against the seat and screamed like a mad man before he grabbed me by my shoulders and yelled in my face, "TO LOSE EVERYTHING!"

I felt myself buckle inside, everything curling up in the pit of my stomach. Wanting to crawl inside myself and take cover, I squeezed my eyes shut and whimpered.

"No." Edward wrapped himself around me, pulling me against him. It was awkward being pulled across the stick shift to be held, but I welcomed his touch. "Please, don't do that. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry."

I then realized he was shaking. My arms snaked around him, lightly hugging him back.

He held me for a few minutes, stroking my hair with his hand, before he leaned back against his seat. Staring out the front windshield, he took a deep breath and said, "I just don't understand what I did to make God, or whoever is in control of my destiny, so angry. Why everything I've ever held close had to be taken from me." He turned, his eyes a thousand miles away, yet still with me. "Do you know why?"

I shook my head, unsure of what to say but feeling as if I should say something. "You know, I've had everything taken from me as well. The thing is, I can't remember what I lost."

His smile was grim. "Sure. It would be so much easier if I could forget, huh?"

"That's not what I meant."

"You complain about people running into you, people who once knew you, probably pretty well, and you can't remember them. But, it's not so much that you don't remember them, no…you have a problem with them confronting you period. Is it because you don't want to remember? Are you trying to forget your past?"

"No. I really wish I could remember."

"Then why complain? Why don't you embrace those people and try to learn about yourself, try to remember?"

I had to look away. How could I tell him I was afraid of what I might find out? How terrifying it was for me knowing my parents were gone, and finding out how they died wasn't something I was ready for. He didn't wait for me to give him an answer.

"Tell me this, Bella…how would you feel if you were that person, that friend who sat next to you in biology every day, the one you shared notes with and laughed with and walked to lunch with, the one whose shoulder you cried on…how would you feel if you were forgotten?"

I blanched, suddenly sick to my stomach. I hadn't considered that before. "I would feel hurt…unloved."

"Yes, and it would drive you to do the unthinkable." The pain in his eyes was substantial; I reached over and placed my hand on the side of his face. He closed his eyes with my touch.

"You've been forgotten before, haven't you," I asked.

"Yes," he murmured and shifted his head to kiss my palm. "Yes, I have."