All recognisable characters belong to SM. I just own the plot.

Thank you to A Jasper For Me.

My Prince Edward's character is inspired a little by Prince Harry. But I want to make this clear ... this story is not about any Royal of today. And no, this is not a Prince Harry and Chelsea story. I'm not familiar with the relationship of the two, and I don't have any plans of knowing anything about it. I want to reiterate that the plot is all mine, and any similarities with other events and people are all coincidental.

As any other father, my dad was prone to exaggeration, especially when he would detail my past indiscretions. Although it irritated the hell out of me when he did that, I could still say he was just trying to be truthful. There was this year before I turned twenty that I experimented with drugs and went out with different women. It was all in the name of fun, but my father didn't see it that way. Even though my drug use was minimal, my father had almost sent me to rehab, which was halted because of my mother and Alec's intervention.

I did a lot of stupid things when I was a kid. Who didn't? The only difference between the other guys my age and me was who I was and what I represented. My actions – good or bad - were scrutinized and judged, and some ended up in the news. I had a set of responsibilities early in life, but that didn't deter me from trying out some things. My enthusiasm for a little freedom landed me, more times than I wanted, in the path of my father's anger, just like what happened earlier. But all those, however, were stupid things I did before Bella. Yes, before her.

Any criticism about my past behaviors I could accept, but I couldn't and wouldn't allow anyone, even my parents, to talk about my relationship with Bella like it was one of my mistakes. It was an insult for my father to say I didn't give my best, when he damn well knew it wasn't true. Bella was my best, and I gave her up because they wanted me to.

When my mother mentioned her name earlier this morning, something inside me snapped. The restraint I held on to for years dissolved, and all I could hear was the nagging voice commanding and pleading to go find her. The urge became so great it almost consumed me.

I wanted to see her … even at a distance, even for a little while.

I couldn't call this irrational. No, no way. It was a need no one could ever understand. Although, coming here was an impulsive move, it was still reasonable … to me, at least. And that was all that mattered.

A low grumble in my stomach signaled its protest, reminding me I had skipped lunch. In an attempt to catch her here, even though I vowed to not go near if I see her, food had been the last priority. It didn't even occur to me until I arrived what impact this visit would have on me, but I refused to back down just because of what it might do to my sanity.

Just a glimpse – that would be enough. I just needed to feel close to her in some way. I didn't have the courage to approach her yet, so waiting and stalking from afar was the only option I had. That was why I was seated with Emmett inside his car.

As if he could sense I thought about him, he grunted, but didn't say anything else. My original plan was to come alone, but he caught me outside my house just when I was about to leave. He insisted I not proceed, and since I didn't want to take his advice, he demanded he would come with me. It was his duty, he said.

It was now a little after six in the evening and the number of cars in the parking lot had dwindled down since we had parked fifteen minutes ago. It looked like we were early. Only problem was if she was here or not. And if she was, whether she left early or was still inside the building.

The building in front of us was old and in the process of renovation. There was a whole wall that was stripped of paint, but somehow it looked better than the old, brownish color still visible on other parts of the establishment. This was the place where she would go to attend some kind of group study/meeting every Monday afternoon.

The soft music coming from the radio muted the silence that loomed inside the car. It seemed Emmett was not in the mood to lecture, which was good. I wasn't in the mood to be lectured. So we waited for her. She had a routine and a schedule, and I was aware of it, more than aware to be honest. I was still unconvinced this was a wise decision, but somehow worrying about the repercussions of my actions was less important than seeing her.

"This is not a good idea, Prince Edward," Emmett said, cutting off my internal musings. It seemed I was wrong – he did want to talk. "If your father learns about this, he will fire me."

"You're not going to be fired," I replied. "You just have to trust me on this. And stop calling me Prince!"

"We don't even have your security with you. What am I thinking? I'm so dead!" he rambled on apprehensively. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, a nervous habit of his I recently learned. "What do you plan to accomplish by coming here? I know you haven't talked to her in years."

He did his research about Isabella and me. Why didn't that surprise me?

"Emmett if you don't shut up, I'll be the one to kick your ass out to the curb!" I snapped. I didn't want to talk about her to anyone. Besides, nobody told him to come with me, so he just had to suck it up. "You can leave if you want!"

That shut him up quickly. His silence didn't last long however.

"I'm thinking this had something to do with the visit to your parents' this morning." It was a statement, not a question. He cocked his brow at me. "I did tell you I should have been there to help diffuse the tension. King Carlisle is a reasonable man, Prince Ed- … Edward. Whatever he said to you, you may have misinterpreted it."

"Yeah, whatever." My sarcasm wasn't lost to him, but he still continued with his tirade about His Majesty and me.

Instead of listening to him, I returned my attention back to the building. Not a few seconds later, the door to the main entrance opened. It felt like my lungs constricted and all the air squeezed out of me, especially when I saw her. She was with a few friends, one of whom I was familiar with, and who I was certain hated me.

Emmett was saying something, but it was all mumbled in my ears because my focus was all on Isabella.

Their group started to move toward the parking lot. It didn't escape my notice the one guy they were with, the blond preppy one, who was obviously trying to hog all her attention, seemed so obviously smitten. I couldn't explain how I knew he liked her, I just knew. Maybe it was the look on his face I was all too familiar with that gave it away.

I quickly scanned Bella's face to check if the attraction was mutual, but I didn't get much. She looked happy, but that could be because of a number reasons other than him.

The girls stopped walking, enough to give each other a hug and a kiss then the group of three girls and two boys parted ways with Bella. Blond, preppy guy tried to tell her something, but she waved him off. I was too concerned with trying to decipher Bella's reaction to the guy's obvious interest in her I failed to realize she was walking our direction, not until she was merely a few feet away. I quickly ducked down in my seat, but thought how silly I was being. There was no way she would know I was inside one of the parked cars, but that didn't stop the pounding in my chest as she lessened the gap between us.

She looked so beautiful, and for the first time in years, I had the liberty of ogling her again. She had on tight jeans and a top, but the coat she had on hid those beautiful curves. She was still skinny, but with a little more meat than before.

As she approached our car, I held my breath, not knowing what to do if she found me here. Emmett had stopped talking when he realized I wasn't listening to anything he said. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't care. He could lecture me all he wanted later.

Bella had moved a little closer, and her features were clearer to me. She might have felt something because she suddenly stopped to face us, or rather our car. It felt like time had stopped. I couldn't look away. Her stare mesmerized me and I held it through the tinted glass, not really understanding what it was I felt. My chest felt like it would explode and my body felt on fire. It was what she made me feel … what she always did.

A sound from behind her broke her focus, and she turned away from us. The preppy, blond guy, who was a few yards away and was being held by the other guy they were with earlier, shouted something at her. My eyes shifted from blondie to Bella, hoping to understand the exchange, but she had her back to us. My jaw clenched in irritation when the same guy drew a heart over his chest with his fingers then sent it her way with a kiss.

This guy's a cheesy prick!

"Edward," Emmett started, but the glare I gave him stopped him from continuing what he was about to say.

My eyes went back to Bella, who still had her back to us. She raised her hand slowly and waved at blondie timidly.

That wave of hers … I think that was what sealed the deal.

Before I could even over think it, I shot out the door, ignoring Emmett's angry protests. My impulsiveness was getting the better of me, but this – what I was about to do – felt right.

A moment of panic rushed through me when I couldn't see where she went. I scanned the parking lot, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. A movement in my periphery made me turn to see her already in the silver car, which was just beside ours.

I let out a shaky breath and stepped towards her. She was bent down, looking as if she was searching for something inside her purse. She hadn't seen me yet, and for a split second I almost chickened out. Almost.

With unsteady hands, I knocked on her window.

The moment she raised her eyes, I was rooted where I stood. She seemed to have frozen in her seat. Way to go, Edward!

I gave her a nervous smile and signaled for her to roll down her window.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" She tried to act nonchalant, but I could still hear the trace of panic in her voice.

"Hi, Bella."

OOOOOOOOOO

Her fingers circled the rim of her coffee cup … round and round, until I thought I would become dizzy from watching.

My unexpected appearance outside her car prompted her to entertain me instead of the other way around. She was that way – kind and compassionate, qualities people loved about her.

So here we were in a private restaurant where Emmett had instructed me to bring her, awkwardly waiting for the other to speak. It should start with me since I was the one who basically barged back into her life, but I was having an insecure moment and didn't know what to say.

She sipped her coffee, content to stay quiet, never really looking at me.

I cleared my throat and got her attention.

"How are you?"

The question seemed to surprise her.

"I'm okay. My clinical rotations will be ending soon, and I'll be back home for a little while." She gave me a small smile before she took another sip from her cup.

"I'm happy to hear you're graduating soon." I was proud of her, but I couldn't find the words to say them.

She shrugged, like it was no big deal. She was almost finished with her medical degree – something she had always wanted – and was well on her way to obtaining her dream.

"How's Alice? She must still hate me."

She laughed, making my heart skip. I missed that sweet melody.

"I don't think she hates you. As far as I know, she tolerates you enough to be able to attend some social functions," she said. She took another sip and wiped her mouth with a napkin before meeting my eyes. "Don't you talk to her at all when you see her at parties?"

"No." Alice was obligated to respect me because I was the prince, but it didn't mean she had to like me. After what I did, I understood her cautiousness towards me. That was why her stiff and forced smile as a greeting to me when we cross paths in any social affairs were totally okay with me. "Doesn't she talk to you about the parties?"

What I really wanted to know was whether Alice talked to her about me.

"Not really. She doesn't volunteer information to me, not unless I ask ... which I don't."

It felt like she slapped me. It had taken a long time for me to come to terms that I was never as important to her as she was to me, but somehow the implication of what she said hurt like fucking hell.

"I'm sorry about Alec." The sudden change of topic almost felt like a relief … almost.

She reached for my hand and the burning heat that always accompanied her touch shot through my arm, and I almost pulled away from shock. I had forgotten about this weird thing between us, making me forget for a moment about the tightness in my chest.

"Is that why you're here, Edward? Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Good question.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I don't want to burden you."

"I got a lot of information from the news. Many stories circulated about the accident –what caused the plane to crash … even the state of Alec's mind …" she squeezed my hand, comforting "…but I want to hear everything from you, Edward, if that's okay?"

I squeezed her hand in return and gave her a weak smile. I never was good at denying her anything, so even if I was still unprepared, I told her. Once I started, it felt like the floodgates had opened and I couldn't stop until I was spent.

OOOOOOOOOO

Her fingers felt good on my scalp. The tingling caused by her touch was a little less intense, maybe because my hair acted as a barrier between us, but it was still there. I closed my eyes as she continued to massage my head, making me drowsy. It felt good, and I almost allowed myself to drift into oblivion when I remembered why she had her fingers running through my hair.

Reluctantly, I raised my head from her lap, where I had laid down to weep like a freaking boy. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, suddenly ashamed.

"I didn't mean to do that," I whispered, avoiding her eyes.

"You don't need to apologize." Her voice was low and understanding, but the undeniable sadness was still there.

"No, I didn't come here to … you know, cry," I said, running my hand through my hair in frustration. "I had no right to unleash all my problems to you. God, I'm such a mess!"

She reached for my hand, and squeezed. I held her gaze, trying to memorize her features. She started to pull away, but I grabbed both her hands and held them in mine.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm just not sure that what I did really helped."

"Oh, it did. You've got no idea how much."

She had such beautiful eyes, and I was mesmerized. The sudden blush on her face made me realize I had made her uncomfortable by staring again, which I wasn't aware I was doing.

She had stood and was wiping her hands on her jeans as she said, "So, are you okay now?" She glanced down on her watch, clearly an attempt to dismiss me.

I wasn't ready to go yet.

"Why didn't you visit me?" I blurted.

Shit, I didn't mean to say that!

"What do you mean?" She looked confused, her forehead creasing into a frown.

"I talked to Heidi, and she said you went to visit her … after Alec died."

"Oh." She looked down pensively, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. She bit on her lip, and now I was sure she was nervous.

It took her forever to speak and I almost thought she wouldn't answer. When she did, it so soft, I hardly heard her.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me, you know. It's been years, and I was afraid-"

"That's not true, and you know that."

"Do I really? It's been far too long, and … I don't know you anymore, Edward. I'm not even sure why you're here, or how I feel about it."

How was I supposed to react to that? She seemed to be annoyed now, and I didn't want her to be. I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off.

"You're next to be king now. You've got more important things to deal with than an ex-girlfriend taking too much of your time."

She reached for her purse, which was on top of the coffee table, and turned to face me. "Again, I'm so sorry about Alec. Please send my condolences to your parents."

"Bella-"

"I really need to go, Edward."

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Thanks for reading.