Stephenie Meyer owns all the rights to Twilight
*EPOV*
"Alice will you just tell me what is going on, please?" I hissed into the phone. I was getting more than a little bit pissed at my sister; she was insisting that I join them at Club 7. And even went as far as having Emmett and Jasper waiting for me when I got home to take me down there. "Dude, just get ready to go out for a little while tonight. You can even drive so that whenever you want to leave you can and the girls can take us home." Emmett said sounding just as irritated, Rose and Alice must have been bugging him and Jasper most of the day as well.
"Edward, I have the surprise of a lifetime for you. So just please meet us there at 8:30PM. Don't make Rose tell Emmett to drag you there against your will. It won't be pretty." She sounded smug "You will thank me later. I swear. I promise. Cross my heart." I sighed there was no winning with her. So I hung up went up to my room, grabbed the first thing I could find in the closet and changed. I couldn't believe that I was doing this, at least Emmett had a point, if I drove him and Jasper I could leave whenever I felt like it and the girls would take them home.
I pushed the speedometer on my Volvo S40 to the point that made everything around it seem a blur. I had spent so much time thinking about Bella lately that I could use a night out. Last night I had a dream about her lying in my arms her chestnut hair spread across the pillow the scent of strawberries radiating off of it from her shampoo. I could feel the silkiness of her skin against me and it was heaven to me. Just as I was about to brush a strand of her hair off her face and behind her ear telling her that I loved her, the alarm went off and she was gone. The night before I had a dream where she was laughing. I couldn't see her, we were walking on the trail toward our meadow and all around me was the sound of her laughter, I was calling her name and running but I couldn't find her. I woke up in the middle of the night went down to my father's office and pour myself a stiff drink. Normally I didn't like the taste of whiskey, and Carlisle only ever used it for when he had meeting with important "clients" or people offering money to the hospital. The alcohol did nothing for me, but it allowed me to go back to a dreamless sleep. I was thankful for that because I could have sworn that on my way through town, I had seen Bella at a part with two very small children. It made no sense to me; she lived thousands of miles away.
She was married, I had seen them together. I didn't like him, though I had never met him. I had told only Emmett at the time when I called from the conference in New York. Four years ago, I was asked to attend a pediatrics conference that would be held in Rochester, at a new facility that had just been finished. It was a major department, not just a wing but a whole building added on to a major hospital dedicated to pediatrics in all forms. While I was there, I took the chance on looking up Bella's address. I pulled into the complex where her town house was located, and as I pulled around looking for the number, I saw her on the front step crying. My heart leapt from my chest; there she was as always needing my protection, my comfort. And then the door to the town house opened and out walked a tall man who grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, he spoke to her and while he did she seemed almost pained. He hugged her, and then kissed her. The next thing I knew they were going inside. I drove back out of the complex and to my hotel. I called Emmett, and after the conference left without seeing her again. But for the next four years she hunted my dreams and day dreams. It took her leaving for me to realize how much I truly loved her, and was such a fool for letting her go.
We arrived at the casino where the club was located a little ahead of schedule and decided to find a place to sit for the evening and order drinks. We'd been sitting there for about twenty minutes when Emmett caught sight of Rose he pointed out the fact that the girls were headed our way. And then I saw her, a vision, and a dream. She couldn't be real, there was no way. The crowd in front of me shifted and she was gone, but then it shifted again and there she was again. My heart stopped, I couldn't find my voice. I felt like the room was spinning. Bella looked in shock as well. She looked as if she was about to turn and run. Hadn't Alice told her I would be here? Was she scheming? What had Alice done!?
The three of us stood up, it looked like Bella was frozen in place. I went to Alice and demanded to know what was going on. "Is this a joke? Alice what is going on?!" I calculated that it would take all of four or five steps for me to get to her wrap my arms around her and kiss her like I so badly had wanted to for so many years. The alcohol I had consumed was taking affect much quicker than I would have thought. But what I didn't expect was that Emmett would beat me to her.
"BELLA!" Emmett yelled as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up in a giant bear hug. "When did you get back into town? Rose and Alice said they had a surprise but they didn't say it was you!" He squeezed her so tight I swear I heard he cry out but it was clear that no one else had heard it over the noise in the club. I was curious, Emmett hugged tight, but he would never to it so tight it hurt someone.
Jasper's approach seemed to be cautious, "Bella. May I?" and he raised his arms for a hug. She nodded. "We've missed you so much. Some more than others, but we can discuss that another time. It is great to see you." He smiled and stepped back putting his arm around Alice's shoulder. Emmett stood with his arm around Rose as well. I just stared.
"Hi." She said looking at me through her thick eyelashes. She was as beautiful as I had recalled, as I dreamed. Her eyes were like molten chocolate, so warm and welcoming. I wanted to stare into them for hours, days. I wanted to put my arms around her and just hold her. "Hi." I said looking at her trying to decide what to do next. I was frozen in place, half of me wanted to run and hide, the other half of me wanted to run into my old friends arms and make her feel as safe as I used to. I finally made the move toward her, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing almost as tight as Emmett. She hugged me back at that moment I thought I heard her inhale deeply as if she was taking in my scent. My body responded to her, and I did the same thing and then as I exhaled I said in almost a whisper "Is it really you, or am I dreaming right now?"
I didn't want to let her go for fear that I was dreaming. At that moment Far Away by Nickelback came on, I pulled her away from the others saying "Before you are attacked by them again, why don't we let you settle first." She must have thought I meant to led her outside, or away from the others some place other than the dance floor. I pulled her close to me and wanted to hold her like this. My heart was hammering away in my chest. Here she was out of my dreams, and actually in my arms. The song continued to play and I found myself singing it quietly "This time, This place Misused, Mistakes Too long, Too late Who was I to make you wait Just one chance Just one breath Just in case there's just one left 'Cause you know, you know, you know That I love you I have loved you all along And I miss you Been far away for far too long I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore On my knees, I'll ask Last chance for one last dance 'Cause with you, I'd withstand All of hell to hold your hand I'd give it all I'd give for us Give anything but I won't give up 'Cause you know, you know, you know So far away Been far away for far too long So far away Been far away for far too long But you know, you know, you know I wanted I wanted you to stay 'Cause I needed I need to hear you say That I love you I have loved you all along And I forgive you For being away for far too long So keep breathing 'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore Believe it Hold on to me and, never let me go Keep breathing 'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore Believe it Hold on to me and, never let me go Keep breathing Hold on to me and, never let me go Keep breathing Hold on to me and, never let me go" I sang and held her close. I could only hope that she would one day feel the same way. I looked down at her, her head resting on my shoulder. It took everything not to kiss her lips that were mere inches from mine now. She looked up at me and I melted. "Bella…" it came out as more of a breath and I was drawn to her. So many times I wanted to feel her lips on mine, and now here was my chance. "Edward…" she whispered my name and I came undone. I brought my hand to her chin cupping it and lifted her face toward mine and then claimed her lips.
My head screamed that it was wrong, I knew she was married. But in this moment she was in my arms, saying my name, she was my Bella and I just couldn't wonder any longer what it would be like to kiss her.
This encounter isn't over yet, but here is Edward's take on it. I heard Far Away playing on the TV while I was working on BPOV for the previous chapter. It just seemed to fit. Please review and let me know.