A/N: So, I have been MIA for too long now. I HATE HIGH SCHOOL. Anyways, enjoy this short chapter. I am already working on the next one, so if I get some good reviews, it should be up by Wednesday or Thursday.

Chapter 2: Seeing Him Again

I walked into Stanley House Coffee, to get my normal soy latte, when I saw him. He was hunched over a laptop, typing vigorously. His confused expression caused his eyebrows to slightly raise, and a low moan appear from the back of his throat. I tried t not look at him, but I failed. Was it his perfect angel-carved face that attracted me to him? Or his muscular, yet slender body? What about his perfect tussled hair? Whatever the case was, he was mesmerizing.

"Esme… you there?" Nellie Stanley asked. Nellie was a good family friend. Her daughter, Jessica and Rosalie used to be inseparable back in middle school. Although, Jess and Rose don't really talk to much anymore, I still get free lattes every morning on my way to work.

"Oh right.. sorry about that. I must have not gotten enough sleep last night."

"I saw you looking at him," She said with a smug smile. I blushed a little and looked away. "Hey, if I weren't married, and about five years younger, I would be all over him too!"

"I'm not looking for a relationship right now, you know that!"

She rolled my eyes at me and handed me the hot drink. "What ever you say Es. Do you ant any breakfast? Liam just made his signature muffins."

I check my watch. I had time to sit down and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Nellie handed me muffin. I sat down at my favorite seat, near the fireplace

I loved watching the fire, and feeling the heat hit my skin. I dug into my purse and grabbed my sketchbook. I often sketched the fireplace, interpreting it differently every time. I loved the intricate detailing on the mantel, as well as the bricks on the sides.

I was so caught up in my work; I didn't even notice Carlisle was standing only a few feet away from me. He was talking to Jason Stanley, Nellie's husband. I continued to sketch, occasionally glancing his way. After about a minute, his eyes met mine. I got butterflies in my stomach, something I had never felt before. He smiled at me, as he was no doubt ignoring Jason.

"Fancy running into you here," He said to me after walking away from Jason.

"Well, I come here every day," I told him. "Won't you sit down?" I asked being proud of my forwardness.

"Depends, are you going to spill coffee on me?"

"No, it was you who spilled the coffee as I recall."

"Well, I say we finish this argument over dinner sometime?" he asked, with a sheepish grin.

"How about we have dinner, but don't talk about the coffee. We can start fresh."

"Tabula rasa," He said.

"I don't speak Greek, or Russian or whatever language you're speaking."

"It's Latin for a clean slate," he smiled. I smiled back at him. "You have a pretty smile,"

My face turned a deep shade of red. No one ever complimented me like that before. Especially a stranger. "Thanks," I mumbled.

Just then, his pager started beeping. "Ugh, it's the hospital," He muttered.

"You're a doctor?" I asked curiously.

"General Surgeon," he answered. "How about I get your number and we can make plans for our…" He trailed off for a second. "date." With his looks, he seemed like a guy who would reel you in, tell you he loves you, then bleed you dry. With Carlisle, I could see a genuine guy.

We exchanged phone numbers before he left.

"What just happened here?" Nellie asked as she sat down across from me.

"Nothing, we just have a date…" I said trying to play coy.

"Esme, that's a huge deal! I mean after Charlie Swan, I thought you would never find love again,"

"Nothing bad ever happened with Charlie and I… we just wanted different things… Listen, I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but I really should go. I'll talk to you later Nel." I said throwing away the rest of my muffin.

The drive to work felt like it took ages. Charlie Swan's name repeated in my head over and over again. I could barely think about anything or anyone else.

Charlie is the town sheriff. Not much goes on in Forks, but nevertheless he was a good sheriff. We started dating three years ago. Nothing really was fantastic about us, but it was good. He gave me a sense of protection, something I never had growing up. I loved Charlie, I really did. At the time he was everything I could have wished for. Charlie was a bit older than I was. When you're thirty-two, and dating a forty-one year old man, it changes things. Don't get me wrong, I am mature for my age, I always have been, but at times, it felt like he was talking down at me. It felt as if he was trying to be my dad at some points. I was unsure about what to do when he asked me to marry him.

I told him yes, even though my heart said no. I didn't know what to do. That night, Jasper, Rose and I stayed at the Swan's. I shared a bed with Charlie, Jasper slept on the couch, and Rose slept in Charlie's daughter, Isabella, who was also in Jasper and Rose's grade.

I didn't sleep that night, and it wasn't because of Charlie's soft snores. I left in the middle of the night. I took off my engagement ring, and wrote "Sorry, I can't do this. You're a good man Charlie, but you should save this for someone else. Don't ever feel like this relationship was a waste of time. I meant everything I ever said to you. With Love, Esme"

I woke up the kids, and hurried there sleepy bodies into the car. As we pulled away from the driveway, I saw Isabella's light turn on. She emerged to the window, watching as I left her father. I turned the lights inside the car on, and blew her a kiss. She caught the kiss and placed it to her heart.

I cried the whole way home.

Charlie called me the next day, feeling sad, but mostly confused. He asked me out to dinner one last time, which I agreed to. I owned him that much. We went out to Port Angeles. I saw him sitting at a table at our favorite restaurant. He stood up to greet me with a light, hug and a kiss on the cheek. Everything felt so forced. We talked about our relationship and what went wrong.

"You talk down at me, like, you're trying to be my father," I told him.

"I treat you must different than the way I treat Isabella!" he said.

Right, because it's normal for boyfriends to give curfews to their girlfriends…"

"It's all because I care about you. Listen, don't make any huge decisions yet. Take a few days. Sleep on it. Call me on Friday if you want to make this work."

I cried the whole way home.

On Friday, the only call I made were to my mother.

Peace, Love & Review