Stephenie Meyer owns these characters... I just wanted to play a bit. No copyright infringement intended. I don't own Twilight and everything here is fictional.

So… thank you to everyone for reading, I can't say enough how much it means that you're taking the time to read and review. **HUGS**

Those that help me with this, you know who you are and I owe you some baked goods… or something. love you - xoxo

Chapter 2

Edward's POV

~\~TWSL~/~

It's amazing how little one's life could change over the years. I was packing my large black duffle bag, drinking my strong, black coffee and preparing for yet another trip saying goodbye to no one. That was my usual Sunday morning routine. I'd lived in Chicago for fifteen years, been in my overpriced apartment for five and I'd worked for Adventure magazine for three. I moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University. I never intended to move so far from my family for college but after a trip with my father to visit family friends, I decided it might be a great place for a new beginning. Northwestern had a strong reputation in the Liberal Arts and I was ready to leave the Pacific Northwest to experience something different.

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. I'd always had a passion for the written word and reading consumed my youth. I would get lost in books for hours. I worked at my own creative writing and thrived on the challenge to write something with mass appeal. I settled for being an editor of school newspapers and author of my own journals, ever frustrated that the big plot idea never hit me. I figured after graduation I would devote all my time to conceptualizing and writing the 'Great American Novel'. It didn't happen regardless of how hard I tried, I just couldn't find the right inspiration. I quickly discovered that working solely on my literary dreams just wouldn't pay the bills. So I had to compensate.

I looked at the caller ID on my vibrating cell phone. It was Sam, my assistant at Adventure magazine.

"Hey, Sam." I answered.

"Edward, how's it going?"

"Good. I'm good. So, I got the itinerary last night and I was just finishing up my packing. The cab should be here shortly. What's up?"

"I just wanted to give you a heads up on this assignment… the original owner of The White Swan Lodge passed away suddenly about two months ago. Thought you should know before you head in there. Apparently, her daughter is taking over the place."

"So why am I going now?"

"Well, Aro thought it might be a good idea to surprise the new owner, catch her off guard and truly see how the place runs. It's been very highly rated over the past ten years. Hopefully the new owner can maintain the status. But you know how Aro likes to suck the joy out of life. He wants to rid the world of these small mom and pop joints."

Fuck Aro. He was a well respected editor but also a shrewd son of a bitch. I seriously hoped whoever took over the lodge was prepared. Adventure was one of the larger travel publications; he didn't need to kiss anyone's ass. While I sympathized with a woman who lost her mother, I couldn't take personal issues into account when writing a review and I certainly couldn't sugarcoat bad accommodations. Over the years I'd seen my fair share of both good and bad. I've stayed at luxury resorts, rustic cabins in the mountains and dumps in places I didn't know existed. The one thing I could always be proud of is that each one of my reviews had been done with an impartial eye.

"Thanks for the head's up, Sam. At least I know what I'm walking into. I'll give you a call once I leave there to let you know when to expect my article. Remember, I'm in Seattle the three weeks after I leave The White Swan Lodge."

"Yeah man, sounds good. Just let me know if you need anything and enjoy your vacation. Relax and get some sun."

"Sam… you do know it mostly rains in Seattle right?" I can hear his laughter on the other end of the line.

"I know… I was just kidding. Have fun with your family and take it easy."

"Will do, talk to you soon." I hung up the phone and got back to packing, to which I was an expert. I could do it with my eyes closed. I pulled out several pairs of jeans and a couple pairs of cargo pants from my dresser and placed them in the bag. My job required travel three out of four weeks in a month. Honestly, I enjoyed it and I'd seen things I never would have in my lifetime otherwise. Not everyone could say that their employer paid for all his vacations. I'd found some of the best places to visit and I had the magazine to thank for that. However, personally, the job had taken a toll.

I was still single at 33. I'd spent the last five years attending my friends' weddings and even became a godfather to two of their babies. I'd had my share of relationships, but nothing solid. My last girlfriend was Heidi, a nursing student and coffee shop barista. We ended a year together with a goodbye fuck in her car…Her instigation, not mine. She was 21, gorgeous, curvy in all the right areas and had thick wavy blond hair. We were physically compatible in the bedroom and the living room and the shower and obviously her car. I cared about her, but we both knew the bond was purely sex. The same could be said for Lauren, the Midwestern sweetheart I dated in college, and Irina, the Russian photojournalist who I met a week into my job at Adventure. I realized how much I wanted that special someone to kiss good bye when I left on these trips.

I thought of that woman at the Lodge who had just lost her mother. I was missing out on valuable time with my family. I hadn't seen any of them since last Christmas and I'd missed birthdays and many holidays in between. I'd considered moving back to Seattle, where my family was; somehow they'd all managed to stay in the same area. My parents had been married for 35 years. My dad, Carlisle, was a private practice physician and my mom, Esme, was an Interior Designer. They'd been through a lot over the years, but had set a great example of commitment for my sister, Alice and me. Growing up in a home with so much love, had forced a high standard of what I'd hoped to have for my own one day. Even my sister, Alice, had found her soul mate. She and her husband Jasper had been married for six years last summer. She owned a successful home décor boutique in downtown Seattle and he was a curator at the Museum of History and Industry. They were working on starting a family of their own.

Succumbing to my lonesome reality, I sighed and zipped up my bag. I surveyed my sterile, empty apartment and slowly came to the realization that only I could make the changes I wanted.

I'd hoped some down time with my family would allow me a chance to clear my head. It was time to make some definitive decisions about my future. I carried my bag out to the living room and went to my desk to grab my laptop and writing pads. I decided at the last minute to take my guitar with me. I normally didn't take it when I traveled, but it was the only way I could truly relax.

The cab honked on the street below. I quickly put on my grey hoodie, grabbed my things and locked my front door. When I stepped out into the cool, autumn air, I felt an unfamiliar exhilaration. Something deep in my gut told me this trip could change the aimless path I'd been on for so long.

A/N

Please let me know what you think of our dear Edward! Admittedly these chapters are shorter than I'm planning for the ones coming up… just laying some groundwork here!

That means that updates probably won't be as frequent as they were with these first few… Just a warning, plus I had most of the bones of these done and only have one more down. Updates will be as chapters are ready.

Thanks everyone for reading! Remember to follow the blog www(dot)jaimearkin(dot)blogspot(dot)com I'll most likely have a teaser for the next chapter up soon and some additional extras for the story! xxoo