Hi guys, we're back.

Please see author's notes at the bottom.

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

The sound of crushing metal mixed with Bella's screaming, forced me to open my eyes. I was barely able to comprehend what I had just witnessed. I blinked several times trying to change the scene before me. I felt terror and pain pass through me as I let the mayhem sink in. Devastation crept through me, and I ran for the woman I loved.

Horror flooded over me when my tear filled eyes settled on her limp body lying in the street next to the car that struck her. I hovered over her blinking repeatedly, as I shook my head trying to deny the scene before me. Snap out of it Edward.

I fell to my knees and surveyed her body, looking for any obvious broken bones. She looked badly banged up with scratches scattered over her beautiful face. I noticed one wound in particular just inside her hairline and above her forehead that was bleeding slightly. I wiped the blood from her forehead not wanting it to seep into her eyes. I hovered over her instinctively, trying to protect her. Her eyes were closed, and I couldn't tell if she was even breathing.

Desperate to see if she was still alive, I placed my fingers on the side of her neck to feel for her pulse. God please, please. I begged. I wasn't prepared to lose her this way and a feeling of devastation crept over me. She was non-responsive, but I was able to feel her pulse beating beneath my shaking fingers. Thank God. She was alive, but unconscious. An immediate sense of relief swept through my body.

I spoke her name hoping to wake her, "Bella, are you there? Can you hear me? Wake up Sweetie." I tried not to sound as panicked as I felt. If she could hear me, I did not want to scare her any further. I wasn't sure how much pain she would be in when she came to, but I knew she would be frightened and confused. I wanted her to find comfort and reassurance in my voice. Stay strong for her Edward. She needs you now more than ever.

The rain still hadn't let up, and I tried to close the blazer to her little suit in a feeble attempt to shield her from the rain. My efforts were pointless as we were both soaked to the bone.

Finally, she slowly awoke and began to move. When she tried to sit up from her laying position, I moved toward her. Gently placing both of my hands on her shoulders I lowered her head onto my lap. "Bella, please don't move too much. What hurts? Are you okay?" I knew I was giving her the rapid fire list of questions, but I had to hear voice. I had to hear her words. Selfish, I know. But, I needed to know for my own piece of mind that she was alright.

Struggling to speak, she whispered my name, "Edward." As I watched her face for any and all indications, I saw what I thought might be a tear escaping from her eye. She looked so fragile and my heart broke for her. I would have given anything to trade places with her. Hold it together, Dude!

I looked around and noticed her overpriced shoes, the ones that had actually caused the accident, were no longer on her feet. I saw one lying next to her foot, and I didn't give a shit where the other one was. Her purse was still attached to her shoulder but a few of the contents had leaked out onto the ground.

"Oh my God!" I heard the driver of the car say as she got out. "Is she okay? I tried to stop. I promise I did. Oh my God! I can't believe this has happened!"

No Shit woman. I didn't even have the strength to get mad at the driver. I was too focused on making sure Bella was going to survive this. "I don't know, call 911."

"I already did." I heard the panicked voice of another witness. "They're on their way."

I could tell that she was going into shock. I held her delicate hand as she fell back into an unconscious state. My own shock set in, and I began to tremble while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. Chill out! She is going to be fine. My adrenaline still hadn't let up, and I started to chastise myself. Jesus Edward, you should have gone to help her when you first felt the need to do so. You are such an asshole! This is entirely your fault.

Bella and I had our problems, but I would never have wished this on her. She had been my wife for the last four years, and I would always love her to some degree. I may not be in love with her now, but I would always want what's best for her. She did not deserve this no matter how badly she had treated me.

Staring down at her, a knot formed in my throat. I caressed her bruised and slightly lacerated face to try to calm her. "Hang on Baby," I whispered. I shocked myself; I hadn't called her "Baby" in so long. It slipped out, but saying the simple little word seemed to calm me a little.

When the paramedics finally arrived they rushed to Bella and began to assess the situation. One medic asked the questions and the other examined her. Not knowing the extent of her injuries, the paramedics took every precaution. They gently slipped a brace around her neck and carefully moved her onto a stretcher.

It wasn't until they removed her from my hold that I noticed the excessive amount blood coming from the back of her head. I looked down at myself and noticed I had Bella's blood all over my jeans and white t-shirt. The blood was already in the process of rinsing off of my shirt because of the rain, so it looked more pink than red.

"Oh my God! Her head!" I shouted as I pointed hysterically to her injury; alerting the paramedics to my discovery. I guess my own shock prevented me from seeing the gruesome details of this horrible nightmare.

"Sir, please calm down. We see it." They quickly loaded Bella into the ambulance and motioned for me to get in. I climbed into the back and told him everything that I had seen.

They started working on Bella further evaluating her injuries, and we took off with sirens blaring. Bella was quiet and very still as we speed to the awaiting trauma team. I, on the other hand, started rambling and spitting out words faster than I could form my thoughts.

For some reason, I felt the need to tell these guys everything in detail. Not just about the accident, but about us and how we had been meeting to sign divorce papers. I even pulled them slightly out of my shirt pocket to show him the thick envelope.

I felt like I was confessing; trying to get myself out of the eternal burn for the things I had been thinking about her just minutes before the accident. It didn't matter if there was any truth to what I had been thinking. I could faintly hear myself speaking, but it didn't feel real; a very surreal out of body experience might describe it perfectly.

My breathing was erratic, and I noticed my hands flailing about as I spoke. Finally, I grabbed Bella's hand and let my head fall to rest gently against her chest. I am so sorry for not being there to protect you. I can't be sure, but I think I apologized out loud. I felt Bella squeeze my hand in her state of semi-consciousness, and it gave me the strength to sit up.

The paramedic put his hand on my shoulder, "It's okay man. Take a deep breath and try to relax. We don't need you passing out too. The best thing you can do for her now is remain calm."

I looked at the paramedic and took a deep breath to show him I was going to be okay. I took a few more deep breaths and closed my eyes, only to replay the entire accident again. Trying to remove the horrible images from my mind's eye, I shivered and released the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I swore to myself that I would forever block those unsightly pictures from ever invading my head again. Finally, I opened my eyes when I felt like I had gained some control over my emotions.

Holding her hand gave me comfort, and I hoped on some level that it did the same for her. She had to know that I wouldn't abandon her now. I wanted her to want me here, despite our issues. The thought of her not needing me by her side, supporting her recovery, made my heart ache.

I held onto her hand until we pulled up to the emergency entrance, and I watched as the paramedic began removing something from her ear. "What are you doing?" I asked in a confused tone.

"I am removing her jewelry. We don't know exactly what's wrong with Bella and there will be x-rays and other types of imaging involved to determine the full extent of her injuries. She won't be able to wear any of her jewelry, and I want to make sure that it does not get lost in the shuffle."

I understood and scanned her body looking for more pieces. My eyes stopped roaming when they reached her left hand. Is that? Is that her wedding ring? It couldn't be. I reached across her body and lifted her left hand to survey her finger. Sure enough. She was wearing her ring….the ring I gave her.

My brain was already overwhelmed, and the platinum and diamonds wrapped around her finger only added to the confusion. What the fuck? Why is she wearing this? I thought for a moment, and I looked at my left hand. I didn't have my ring on. I had stopped wearing it the moment I moved out. Was she was wearing it to give it back to you? I took a sharp breath as the realization hit me. That's what she was doing. I had to fight the lump in my throat to keep it from consuming me. I wouldn't have taken it back. It was hers, and it would always be hers. I will give this back to you when you wake up. You may not want it, but you don't have a choice. I made the silent promise as I placed the ring along with her diamond stud earrings in my pocket.

They rushed her in through the entrance and told me to wait in the waiting room. I tried to protest, insisting on being with her, but was told that they would come get me when the situation was under control. I grabbed her purse from the stretcher and took it with me.

I pulled out her phone, still in a panic, and rushed to find the number for the first person I knew to call, Alice. Bella and Alice were best friends. Alice and I used to get along quite nicely, but when Bella and I started having problems, sides were chosen. I obviously lost, so we kept our distance.

I waited for her to answer hoping she would not be too disappointed to hear my voice on the other end of the line.

"Wahoo! So I guess you're a free woman now? We need to go out tonight and celebrate." I heard Alice holler excitedly into the phone. She was obviously referring to the divorce, but there would be no celebrating. At least not tonight anyway.

I sighed loudly into the mouth piece and decided not to let my temper get the better of me. Focus Edward. "Alice? It's Edward."

She must have heard the concern in my voice and was obviously wondering why I had called her from Bella's phone. "Edward? What's wrong? Why are you calling me from her phone?" She become more anxious as she continued questioning me.

"Alice, there's been an accident-," I didn't get to finish.

"What?" She screamed in panic, and I heard her rustling around in the background to holler for Jasper. "Where are you?" She asked me in a frenzied tone.

"I'm in the emergency room at Baylor hospital in downtown Dallas."

"We are on our way. What happened?" She gasped like she might have been on to something, "Edward you son of a bitch, did you hurt her? I swear to God I'll-,"

I was shocked and infuriated at the accusation and refused to let her finish that insane statement, "Have you lost your fucking mind? Of course I didn't hurt her!" Yes I had been a dick to Bella, and yes she had been a heinous bitch to me, but I had never even come close to touching her in that way.

"Don't talk to me like that Edward! I'm not Bella, and I won't put up with your shit the way she has! We will be there in fifteen minutes." She hung up on me. Bitch.

I sat down to wait on Alice and Jasper and contemplated calling my brother. Emmet's wife, Rosalie, and Bella were still pretty close friends even through all of our problems. Emmet and Rose remained neutral throughout the whole ordeal and were always there as a shoulder to cry on when one was needed.

I knew I had to call them, but I also knew that Rose was going to flip out. Don't get me wrong I loved Rose, but there was enough drama in the air today without having the fire fueled by her hysterics.

I sighed loudly, and decided to call them anyway. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and waited for Emmet to answer, "Hey man, how'd it go?" He knew today was "D" day and had probably been anticipating my call.

"Umm, not so great."

Without giving me a chance to finish, he spoke, "Why what happened?" Of the two of us, Emmet was the calmer one; rarely raising his voice or letting his feathers get ruffled. This wasn't going to be good, because I knew I was about to ruffle them.

"Well, Bella has been in an accident."

"What?" He didn't holler, but he was shocked to say the least.

I proceeded to tell him what was going on, and the sound of Emmet's voice changed from one of shock to concern. I heard Rosalie start in from somewhere else in the room. "What? What happened Emmet?" Oh shit, here we go.

I could tell the phone had been ripped from Emmet's hands, "Edward?" She took a deep breath, "What the hell happened?" Then she laid into me, "Oh my God, did you hurt her?"

I scoffed, "What is it with you women thinking that I am even capable of laying a finger on Bella?" I shook my head in disbelief. "I have never even come close to doing such a thing, and I never would, Jesus!"

She calmed down after noticing the anger and disbelief in the tone of my voice. I told her everything, and by the time I was finished, she was insisting on coming down to the hospital.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea right now. You are just going to be sitting in the waiting room. I promise I will call you as soon as I hear something from Bella's doctors."

There were several reasons I didn't want them coming. First, Rosalie was extremely dramatic, and it would only make my anxiety and everyone else's that much worse. And second, they had a three year old son Sam, who would be running amuck. I loved my nephew, but this child was a holy terror; all boy.

"Edward, I can leave Sam with my neighbor. I won't bring him to the hospital."

Well fuck!

"Alright, but you have to stay calm." I instructed. I wasn't sure if I needed the 'calm' for my sake or for Bella's, but regardless, it was a needed emotion at this point.

"Okay. We will be there in about thirty minutes."

I took a deep breath when I finally hung up with her. I needed to get a hold of my parents, but they were on some fancy cruise in the Bahamas and getting in touch with them would be something of a challenge. They would be home in a few days, and I decided I was only going to call them if the situation turned serious.

I felt a cold shiver run up my spine. Serious? I didn't even want to think about what that word entailed.

I tried hard not to think about it and was actually relieved when Alice and Jasper showed up. At least it would give me someone else to talk to, a distraction. I filled them in on the whole situation, and we sat in an awkward silence waiting for the doctor to return with news of Bella's condition.

I stood when I saw him walking toward the waiting room. "Edward Cullen?" He looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. "You're Bella's husband?"

"Not for much longer he's not." I heard Alice mumble under her breath. I shot her an angry "shut the fuck up" glare, before turning my attention back to the doctor.

"I am," I answered. "Is she okay? How is she?" I felt my adrenaline start to kick in again, and my heart began to pound.

He held his hand out for an introduction, "I'm Dr. Greene. I will be overseeing Bella's care throughout her stay."

I returned the gesture, wishing he would just get on with it. He must have noticed my urgency because he quickly proceeded to tell me, "Well, we still need to do a CT scan of her head. I also ordered an MRI to get a closer look at her knee. It's possible that she tore her ACL ligament."

Shocked into silence, I just stared at him and worried even further. How bad was the head injury? What if she was going to be mentally handicapped from this? How am I going to live with myself, knowing that there might have been a way for me to stop it? If I had just signed the fucking papers at our house, instead of insisting on a neutral location this wouldn't have happened.

"Mr. Cullen?" He asked gaining my attention again. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just," I couldn't find the words. "I can't believe this." I was shaking my head in disbelief again.

At that moment I made an unspoken promise to myself and to Bella. I would fix this and make it right. Our relationship may be a lost cause, but she deserved to live a happy healthy life from here on out. If I could give her one more gift, that would be it.

"How bad is the wound on her head? She was bleeding bad enough to cause all of this." I motioned to my blood stained shirt and jeans.

He held his fingers out making a space between his thumb and index finger showing about an inch in length. "The split was only about an inch, not a big deal. She has four staples in her head, and it should heal nicely."

This confused me a little, "If it was only an inch, how come it bled so much?" I crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Well the head and face will bleed profusely if compromised. Sometimes those kinds of wounds seem a lot worse than they actually are because of their location." He must have seen a small amount of relief come over me and felt the need to nip that in the bud. He took a deep breath and gave me a disclaimer, "I should warn you though, while the external wound has been taken care of, we still have to make sure there isn't any internal damage."

I exhaled deeply annoyed with his Doctor jargon. I gave a simple nod and continued questioning, "Is she still unconscious?" I asked trying to put the pieces together. Maybe if she had woken up, that would reveal how bad her head injury was.

"She did wake up very baffled, inquiring as to where she was." My heart ached at the thought of me not being there when she woke up to comfort her. She must have been in pain and been totally confused. I wished I could be back there with her to let her know that everything would be okay ……that we could get through this together. It's probably better that you weren't anyway. She would have just kicked you out. She hates you remember?

"She was in some pain, so we have given her something to make her a little more comfortable. The pain meds have a tendency to cause drowsiness, and she has dozed off again."

I took a deep breath. It wasn't until then that I noticed my need to take deep breaths. I kept feeling like the breathing would help me gain relief, or at least some facade of rightness, but it didn't. I looked over at Alice who wasn't holding it together very well. Jasper had her in his arms trying to console her.

"I will be back in a little while, and will give you more information as I get it. Okay?" He said with compassion.

"Alright," I nodded. "Thank you." I shook his hand again before he walked back down the hall to tend to the woman who was once the love of my life.

I sank back down into the uncomfortable chair; letting my fingers run through my unorganized hair. I thought back to the last time I had spoken to Bella on the phone and recalled discussing a place to meet to sign the papers. I winced in pain as I remembered my words, our words.

"I am so ready to be rid of you." She said as the argument got heated.

"You're ready? Why don't you come on over and sign them tonight. I'll even wait up for you!" I barked out.

"Screw you Edward. I am so tired of your shit. You make me ill!"

"Goddamn, why do you have to be such a bitch all the time?"

I felt the blood drain from my face, and my stomach churned. I had to run to the bathroom to avoid embarrassing myself and making a complete mess of the waiting room.

When I returned from my trip to the men's room, Emmet and Rosalie were sitting with Alice and Jasper.

"Did you get sick?" Alice asked when I stumbled back into the room. "Your face looks whiter than a ghost."

"Yeah, and I don't care to discuss it with you Alice." I turned my back and walked to the other side of the waiting area; wishing I had never called them. Jasper was truly a nice guy, but I had had all I could take from her. I was already on edge, and the last thing I needed was attitude right now.

That place where heartbreak actually causes physical pain grabbed hold of me, and I began to ache. I was having tremendous feelings of regret and remorse. Why couldn't we have been more mature about the whole thing? There was no reason to treat each other the way we had or say such mean and awful things.

Emmet stood up and crossed the room; sitting close to me in a nearby chair. "Take it easy," he said as he squeezed my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

I appreciated Emmet's positive nature and continued support.

Rose and Alice sat huddled together rehashing the details of the day's events. Jasper looked at me with sympathetic eyes; like he knew what I was feeling. "Try not to think about it man. Neither of you would have said the things you've said if you had known this was going to happen. This is why it's dangerous to speak to one another the way you and Bella do. Even if you are angry, you have to control your words. Try to think about something else for a while." I nodded and attempted to take his advice.

He looked at Alice and kissed her forehead. I watched them together for a moment, and for the first time in my life, I was envious of someone else. I envied Jasper and what he had. He still had his love, and she was sitting right next to him.

I looked to Emmet, who had gone back to sit by Rosalie. Their hands were intertwined, and Rosalie looked like she was saying thank you to some unseen force for having Emmet safe at her side.

Bella, on the other hand, was nowhere near me. I had already lost her once, and today I nearly lost her in a whole new way. I thought I was going to get sick again at the thought of losing her eternally.

I sat back in my chair, waiting for the doctor to return and pushed my mind to happier memories.

Flashback

Bella took my breath away the very first time I met her. She had a natural beauty that drew me in immediately. Not only was I attracted to her physically, but once I got to know her, I was mesmerized by her intellect and charm. She had me wrapped around her finger from day one.

The first night I kissed her, she left me painfully hard. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anyone in my entire life. That little minx even licked my bottom lip just before she got out of the car. Fuuuuccckkk! I screamed in my head when she did it. I doubt she even knew what she had just done to me. Well, on second thought, maybe she did. I went home that night and got myself off to visions of her going down on me and straddling my hips. I came so hard in my own hand that my whole body tightened and shook. I thought I might actually turn inside out.

I was already in love with her, hook, line and sinker, by the time she finally let me inside of her. I wanted to make love to her from the very second I met her, but she made me wait for what seemed like an eternity. Like a teenage boy, there was no chance in hell I was going to be able to do anything but fuck her senseless once I finally got the opportunity. And I did. Several times that night in fact, and truth be told, she fucked me senseless too.

That next day I was miserable without her. Since she wasn't scheduled to work with me, I had to go the entire day without seeing her. Sitting at my desk, I found myself daydreaming of the prior evening's escapades. Concentrating on anything but Bella and our amazing night was nearly impossible. I decided to text her to let her know I was thinking about her.

What are you doing?

She didn't respond immediately, and I anxiously awaited her reply. Finally, twenty minutes later I received a text from her.

Sorry, I was in the shower.

Thoughts of her naked and wet rushed through my mind and caused a slight tingle in my man region. I knew I had to see her; and the sooner the better. I couldn't seem to get enough of her. No woman had ever had this effect on me. She was different and it pained me to be away from her. I texted her back quickly, hoping she did not sense my desperation.

Are you free tonight?

Her response was quick.

Maybe??? What did you have in mind?

I thought for a moment and formed a plan.

Meet me at the Zaza at 6:00?

Sure.

Ok, see you then.

The rest of the day drug on as the butterflies in my stomach kept me from really getting anything accomplished. I finally finished up and left my office around 5:00 to go meet Bella. Heavy traffic caused me to be a few minutes late.

I found Bella sitting with her beautiful legs crossed at a tall bar table. Without her noticing, I walked up behind her, put my hands on either side of her hips and pressed against her back to whisper into her ear, "I do believe you are the most beautiful woman in this bar. Do you mind if I join you for a drink while you wait for your boyfriend?"

"Actually, I do mind." She teased. Continuing with her flirty attitude, "You see, my "Boyfriend" is late, and I don't like to be kept waiting. I am afraid I wouldn't be very good company for you."

I took a seat on the stool next to her and swiveled her around so that she was facing me. "I think I'm going to have to disagree with you. I think I would enjoy waiting with you. His loss is my gain, I guess," I said as I stared into her velvety brown eyes.

"It appears that you need a refill, and I am going to sit with you until your extremely lucky boyfriend gets here and makes me leave." I motioned to the waitress to bring us two of what Bella was drinking.

I was thoroughly enjoying our little game and decide to take it one step farther. I swiveled her bar stool a little more and positioned Bella between my legs. I placed my hands on the sides of her crossed legs and began to slowly make my way up toward her core.

I heard her breath hitch and she leaned in closer to whisper, "Well, I suggest you get ready for a fight. My Boyfriend is extremely jealous and does not particularly care for other men buying me drinks and then running their hands up my thighs."

My hands came to rest on the curve of her hips, and I leaned in closer; almost touching her lips with mine. "I'm pretty sure I can take him, and I think you're worth fighting for."

Completely ignoring the waitress, who placed two new drinks on our table, we continued our little charade. Not moving from my forward leaning stance, I watch as Bella leaned back away from me and smugly took a sip from her drink.

With a cocky grin on her face, she leaned back in and placed one hand delicately along my jaw line. She then lightly ran her tongue across my lower lip while slightly breathing her warm breath across my face. This signature move instantly made me hard.

"God, Bella. You don't even know what that does to me."

"That's what you get for being late," she said as she leaned back and smirked.

I couldn't resist her any longer. I reached behind her neck and slowly pulled her toward me. "Meet me in room 1018 in five minutes," I said as I slid a room key across the table.

Her eyes lit up and a smile graced her face as she realized my plan for the evening. Without hesitation, she grabbed her purse, her drink, and the room key and headed toward the elevators in the hotel lobby.

I, on the other hand, was not so quick to leave my seat. I had to wait a few minutes for my erection to subside. In the meantime, I paid our tab and quickly finished my drink…..anything to take my mind off my rock hard dick.

When I arrived to our luxury suite, I walked in to find Bella waiting for me on the balcony staring at our scenic view. All of my thoughts of playing it cool were instantly thrown out the window. She was wearing a sleek skirt and heels that made her legs look amazing. Her low cut, tight fitting shirt showed off her curves and just enough cleavage to draw my eyes to her perfectly shaped breasts. I would never grow tired of her perfection.

"Hi," I said as I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her; nestling my lips into the crook of her sweet smelling neck. I began placing soft wet kisses along her jawline and on down to her collarbone. "I really missed you today." I pulled her closer to me so she could feel the affect she was having on me.

"Hi," she said back and spun around; crashing her lips to mine. Her lips moved into a smile against mine, "Missed me, huh?" She questioned as she pulled away from the kiss.

"You will never know how much." I slid my hands down to cup her ass, and through her skirt I noticed that she was not wearing any panties. OH MY GOD!

She had to have done it on purpose. No woman accidentally forgets her panties.

I couldn't take it any longer.

"Come with me." I grabbed her hand and lead her through the open door. Once inside, I pressed her up against the interior wall and dropped to my knees. Our eyes locked and my hands started at the backs of her knees and raised her skirt as I worked my way up. I saw her eyes close and her head fall back against the wall. My mouth went to work on her, teasing and tasting.

Everything about her was different. The fact that my need to please her surpassed every selfish desire of my own, nearly blew my mind. She pressed herself further into my face, and I felt myself smile against her. Within minutes, she exploded into a volcanic eruption and with weak legs, she fell into my arms.

After catching her breath, she stood up. "Where are you going?" I asked as I stood up with her.

Silently, she reached for my hand and guided me to the bed where she pushed me back into a sitting position. She climbed on, straddled my lap, and began grinding herself into me. Bella's heat radiated through the material of my slacks. I ran my hands up and down her back, memorizing every curve of her body.

The romantic ambience set the mood, and I was overcome with emotion. Without a second thought, I whispered the words, "Bella, I love you," while we thrust to the beat of our own magical tune. I couldn't help but tell her how I was feeling, and it didn't matter if she loved me back or was ready to hear it.

She obviously liked what she heard, because my words sent her soaring over the edge. I was so consumed by her, and her sounds threw me into orbit launching my own orgasm. We tenderly kissed and held each other tightly while we waited for our hearts to return to a normal pace.

"Guess what?" She asked as she peppered sweet kisses on my jaw and neck. She didn't miss a single spot. I loved that.

I turned my head to kiss her plump lips. "What?" I asked curiously.

With a serious look upon her face, her eyes seared into mine, "I love you too." The thrill of hearing her say those three little words was like sensory overload.

Women had said that to me before, but it never felt right until Bella said it. I loved her. I. Loved. Her. I could see my future with her and only her.

I knew right then and there that I had to make her mine forever.

Hmmmm…..Forever. At least that was my hope at the time.

End Flashback

I didn't even have time to let the pain that this memory evoked set in before the sound of Alice's annoying voice brought me back from my…

"What the hell are you thinking about over there douche bag?" I heard Alice ask with a disgusted look on her face.

I must have been smiling, but my demeanor quickly changed due to her tone and bitch ass attitude.

"What business is it of yours?" I asked curtly and raised my eyebrow.

"I just don't know what kind of sick son of a bitch would let a smile like that spread across his face while his almost ex-wife could be dying in the next room."

Her words shot straight through to my heart like cupid with his little fucking arrow. She had no clue what I had been thinking about.

"I suggest you clear your head Edward. You have other things to worry about right now." She stared daggers at me, and I shot them right back, unwilling to give her the upper edge.

"You know what Alice? You don't know what the fuck you are talking about. I had to think of something happier to keep my mind from exploding." I took a deep calming breath. "And if you must know, I was thinking about Bella." I lifted my lips into a kind of half smile trying to let her know that what I had been thinking about had been one of our better memories.

I stood quickly and shoved my hands into my pockets. "And Bella is not dying. She's going to be just fine."

I stormed off and faintly heard Jasper scolding Alice. "Alice, you need to be more sensitive. Can't you see he's in pain? He would have never wished this on Bella."

Rosalie chimed in, "Alice, try to take it easy on him. The accident wasn't his fault, and you need to remember that there are two sides to every story." They were no longer talking about the accident, and I truly appreciated Rose and her unbiased position.

At one time, the six of us had been inseparable, going to dinners, games, parties and on vacations together. We had insurmountable amounts of fun and truly enjoyed being together. I think our impending divorce was hurting everyone, not just Bella and I.

I continued walking hoping to escape Alice and her harsh judgment. I reflected back from a moment ago when I told Alice that Bella would be "just fine" and prayed for truth in my statement. I didn't know what I would do if that wasn't the case.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see who was hesitantly approaching. "Edward, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so harsh. I guess I just hadn't thought about how all of this would make you feel. I just assumed you would be unaffected." Alice shook her head, and leaned in to hug me.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and held on tight. I needed this right now. I needed the support. I thought that maybe now would be a good time to ask Alice about the smile that had graced Bella's face just before the accident. Maybe she knew the true meaning behind it.

I pulled away and looked at her. "Alice, did Bella say anything to you about," I paused, "about maybe wanting to reconcile?"

Alice shook her head. "Umm, no," she said with finality and almost a little bit of pity. She looked at me questioningly. "Why?" I watched her face become confused….the same emotion that I had been feeling since I saw Bella smile at me.

I sighed, "When she was standing across the street a minute or so before the accident, she smiled at me."

"And?"

"And, I haven't seen her smile like that in ages, especially at me. It made me think that maybe she had changed her mind....that maybe she wanted to reconcile." Could we work this out?

Her confusion shifted to understanding, and she smiled compassionately. "Edward," she paused, "how do you know she was smiling at you? After all, you were in the coffee shop, and she was standing across the street in the rain. Maybe you misread her expression or even possibly imagined it."

I thought back to the moment I saw her smile. Did I imagine it? Am I going crazy? No. She clearly smiled at me. Our eyes met. I know she was looking for me…..found me…..and then smiled without hesitation. "No Alice, I didn't imagine it. I swear it happened."

"Well Edward, I hate to tell you this, but she was probably smiling because," she stopped and waited for me to piece it together.

I knew what she was saying, and it made me physically ache. "Because, she's glad it's over?"

Alice didn't say anything but simply nodded. I knew then that this whole thing had pained Alice. I could see it in her eyes. Suddenly, I remembered the ring and reached into my pocket like it was my last hope.

"Well if she's so glad it's over, then why did she wear this on her left hand today?"

I held Bella's wedding ring up between my thumb and index finger showing her the evidence that backed up my theory.

Alice took it from me and studied it. "I'd forgotten how beautiful this ring is," she commented as she continued to stare at it.

"Get to the point Alice," I snapped at her. "Why would Bella be wearing that," I pointed at it, "on the day we were supposed to sign our divorce papers?"

"Well, she told me last week that she was planning on giving it back to you. She said she did not feel good about keeping it, since you gave it to her as a gift for marring you. She just didn't feel like she had a right to it anymore; especially after the papers were signed."

Alice picked up my right hand and placed the ring in my palm; closing my fingers around it.

"Here, now you have it back." I could feel the precious metal in my hand, but I didn't want it back. The sadness forced my head down, and I sighed deeply knowing she was probably right.

I felt Alice step closer, "Edward, are you going to be okay?"

My head popped up and rage suddenly filled my body. "Well, I have news for you both. I am not keeping this ring. I gave it to Bella on our wedding day as a gift. It's hers!" I gestured to myself and my voice became shaky as I spoke. I all but whispered as I stated the last sentence of my case, "Our marriage wasn't all bad Alice. Most of it was wonderful…..so good in fact that I won't ever be able to forget it."

She hugged me again. "I know Edward."

Taking a step back, I ran my fingers through my hair feeling utterly baffled, confused and totally torn. I hated the way I was feeling. All I knew was that I did not feel this way when I woke up this morning or even while I sat at the coffee shop waiting for Bella to arrive.

Sadly, Alice had helped to reaffirm the fact that Bella still wanted the divorce. My mind felt like it was moving in a thousand different directions at once. I was tormented by a mixture of emotions, confusion, guilt, and most of all heartbreak. I needed some time to think, to try and make sense of it all.

"Edward?" She questioned again. I looked into Alice's eyes but didn't speak. "Edward, don't do this to yourself. Just let it be what it is."

That's good advice Edward. Just get Bella well and move on like the two of you had originally planned.

"Alice, I think I need to be alone for a little while. If the Doctor comes out, will you come find me?"

"Sure," she said simply, and I turned to walk off.

"Edward?" I stopped and looked back at her. "I really am sorry.

"Thanks." I smiled half heartedly and continued walking. I knew she wasn't just apologizing for being a bitch in the waiting room. She truly was sorry that both of our hearts, mine and Bella's, had been broken.

The doctor spotted me a few minutes later. "Mr. Cullen," he said. I knew he had news for me, and I felt like my heart might leap into my throat as he approached.

"Dr. Greene," I acknowledged. "How is she?"

He gave a gentile understanding smile, "Mr. Cullen, you can relax a little bit." I felt a small amount of relief wash over me. "Her CT scan came back normal, but she does have a concussion. The good news is that there is no swelling to her brain."

My hand came up to rest over my heart, "Oh, thank God."

Okay, concussion, I could deal with this.

"The most serious of her injuries is her knee. She tore the ACL in her left knee severely. I would like to refer her to a surgeon and have it replaced as soon as possible"

He continued, "It's a common surgery that usually takes about an hour. What the surgeon will likely do, is take an autograft from the hamstring of her right leg and use it to replace the ACL in her left knee." I nodded showing that I was listening.

"What's an autograft?" I asked with confusion swirling in my head. I felt bombarded with medical jargon and was quickly growing tired of hearing it.

He continued again, knowing I was becoming agitated, "It's where we take tissue from the patient and use it to function somewhere else in the body."

"Have you discussed all this with Bella? When do you want to do the surgery, and how long will it take her to recover?" I asked without taking a breath.

"We would like to move forward as soon as possible. And yes, we have discussed it with Bella. She is awake now and is in some pain. I think she is just ready to get it over with. We are making every effort to keep her as comfortable as possible. She will need physical therapy, but she should be good as new in four to six weeks."

Dr. Greene assured me that the surgery was necessary and scheduled time for me to meet the surgeon that would be performing the operation.

I thanked him before walking back toward the waiting room to deliver the news to everyone.

"Hey," I said with a feeling of defeat.

Alice jumped up from her seat, "Did you talk to the doctor?"

I nodded and told them everything the doctor had just told me. Alice and Rosalie both cried in relief when they found out that Bella's injuries had been minor compared to what they could have been.

I waited impatiently for an hour before the surgeon finally came out to speak to me. He filled me in on a few more details and asked if I had any questions. "Can I see her before she goes into surgery?"

"Absolutely; but I should warn you that the anesthesiologist has already administered a cocktail of meds into her IV to help relax her. She is a bit loopy."

I chucked at the thought of Bella being loopy and followed him to her room. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket again for about the one hundredth time today. Ughhhhh, I thought and grabbed it just before I entered her room. It was a text message from Tanya.

Where the hell are you?

Another text quickly followed.

Call me back. NOW!

Oh Jesus, not now. I didn't have the strength to deal with her, nor did I want to right now. I ignored the text and turned my phone off before letting it slide back into my pocket.

I knew I was not exactly being fair to Tanya, but Bella deserved every bit of my attention and she was going to get it. Relief finally washed over me when I saw her lying in the bed. She looked sleepy, but comfortable.

Bella reached for me instantly and a slight smile spread across her face. "Edward." She didn't seem sad or in any pain at the moment. My heart skipped several beats because of her tone of voice. Was she happy to see me or was it just the drugs? I couldn't be sure.

I walked to her, and took the hand that was reached out to me, "Hey, Bella." I kissed her fingers and sat down on the edge of the bed, "How are you feeling?" A huge part of me wanted to wrap my arms around her and make this all go away.

"Grreeeat!" She said as she blinked her eyes several times very slowly.

I shook my head and laughed, "I'm so sorry Bells, I-," I didn't know exactly what to say and really didn't want to upset her or raise her blood pressure right before surgery. So, I simply lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed it again.

She shook her head slowly and smiled at me, "Edwarddd, please don't apologize. Thiss isn't your fault. Don't beat youursself up." Her words were sweet and slightly slurred. Under normal circumstances, she would have kicked me out, but the pain meds had obviously not only numbed her body, but her hatred for me as well. I was grateful for her compassion and took comfort in her telling me that she did not blame me for the accident.

She stared at me for several moments, and I watched as her eyes grew heavy. I stroked her hand letting her know that it was okay for her to slip under if she needed to.

"Edward," she whispered while losing the battle with her eyelids.

"What Baby?"

"I have to tell you something,"

Her breathing slowed and her eyes fell completely shut. "What Bella?" I pleaded as I shook her hand gently trying to wake her. The tone in her voice said it was important, but I couldn't be sure. It could have just been the affect that the 'cocktail' was having on her.

Right about that time, the surgeon walked in. "Mr. Cullen, we are ready for her now."

"Wait. She was about to tell me something." I was panicked. I had no clue what she was about to say, but I had to know. "Bella," I prodded once more.

Without the answer I was yearning for, the nurses wheeled her out of the room.

Okay, we realize that Bella probably wouldn't be having surgery just after an accident like this, but aren't you ready for us to get them out of the hospital?

Umm, yeah! That's what we thought.

*****Also, posting Bella's chapters in her side of the story, New Beginnings exactly one week later has proved to be something of a challenge. We will still be posting her chapters but we can't guarantee that hers will come one week later. We will do our best to get it out as quickly as possible. I can tell you that chapter 2 of New Beginnings will not be posting exactly one week later this time due to the holiday.*****

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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