Chapter Two
BPOV – Eight Years Ago
"Edward! Get your lazy ass out of bed! We're gonna be late...AGAIN!" I was standing outside the Cullen house; hand on the horn of my truck screaming up at the open window of my best friend. I saw his head pop out of the window, bed hair and all.
"What the hellBell? I'm coming! Hold your horses!" He gave me my favourite crooked smile. I shook my head
"Well, hurry your ass up!" This was our daily routine. I would roll up bright and early to pick him up for school and always had to wake him up. Esme andCarlisle, his parents, didn't even bother to open the door anymore. We had been doing this every morning for nearly four years now.
How the boy managed to get such good grade in school I would never know. He was late every morning, thus making me late by association. Not to mention he hardly seemed to pay much attention in class.
"C'mon, Kitten! We're gonna be late!" I rolled my eyes as Edward jumped into my truck and gave me his signature smile. I got in and turned the key
"You know, Tiger. One of these days, I may just forget to pick you up and then what would you do?"
"Pft. You would never forget me, Kitten. You love me too much"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Tiger" He was right and he knew it. So did I. Besides I never could stay mad at him when he used his nickname for me. He calls me Kitten because he thinks I look like a kitten trying to be a tiger when I get angry. Pft, as if!
We arrived at school with five minutes to spare before the first bell rang. As we headed down to our lockers I noticed that there seemed to be a bit of buzz in the air.
"What's going on?" I askedAliceas we walked up to our gang, who, as usual were standing by our lockers waiting for us.
Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Edward and I had been friends since my first day at this school nearly five years ago. Emmett is Edward's older brother. He, Rose and Jasper are seniors, while Alice, Edward and I are juniors. We were a tight knit group. Emmett and Rose have been dating for two years now andAliceand Jasper for nearly a year. They sometimes joked and said maybe Edward and I should hook up too, seeing as we were the odd two out of this group of couples. Of course, we always scoffed at them. It wasn't like that for us. We were just the very best of friends
"New girl started today. Tanya."Alicereplied. Emmett snorted and raised his eyebrows at Edward. I sighed and shook my head. Yes, my best friend was the best looking guy at Cal High. It was no secret. But even for that he was a very sweet person who did not mess around when it came to girls. A gentleman to a fault. I wasn't stupid, I knew Edward had dates. Most of them were bimbo's who did not get what he was all about and I thought he was stupid for even asking them out.
"What?" Edward asked, clearly confused
"What? I didn't say anything!" Emmett snorted again, earning him a slap upside the head from Rose "Hey! Babe, what was that for?" He asked rubbing the back of his head. You would think he would expect that after two years of dating Rose, but for some unfathomable reason, he was surprised every time
"For being a douche, Em. Leave Edward alone and don't try anything" Rose responded with a smirk and a wink in my direction. I rolled my eyes at her and her smirk only got wider.
"On that note, peeps, I'm off to class" I waved as I turned and walked away towards my English Lit class. I heard footsteps behind me. I knew who it would be. I felt his arm snake round my shoulders
"Wait for me, then,Bell. Why you running off?" Edward asked as he fell into step with me.
"I'm not running, but in case you didn't notice, the bell has rung and we're getting late for class" I retorted
"Jezz,Bell, bitchy much?" Edward rolled his eyes at me and smirked. I continued walking and ignoring him. We had just reached our classroom when Edward stopped me and spun me round to face him. My breath caught in my throat at the panicked expression on his face.
"Edward? What is it? What's wrong?" I was starting to panic myself at the look on his face
"Jessica. She's waiting at our table!" He hissed. I looked into the room and sure enough, there was Jessica Stanley sitting in Edward's chair. I could guess as to why she was there. I stifled the urge to laugh
"Yeah, she is. She appears to be waiting for you" I couldn't help but giggle a little
"Bell, it's not funny! She's been hounding me and dropping hints for me to ask her to the spring formal!" He shuddered at the thought and I try as hard as I could, but I couldn't stop the laughter
"Bell! Stop laughing and do something! Please!" Edward stamped his foot at me. Yes, he actually stamped his foot like a little girl throwing a temper tantrum and it only made me laugh harder.
"Ok. Fine! I'll deal with it myself!" Edward huffed as he turned to walk into the classroom. I caught his arm and pulled him back as I choked back more giggles. He stopped and faced me. His face was red and his eyes had turned a darker shade of green. Oh boy, he was angry.
"Wait. I'm sorry. C'mon Tiger, I know how to deal with this. Hold my hand and play along" I grabbed his hand and we walked into the classroom. As soon as I grabbed his hand, I felt a little electric shock go through my fingers, up my arm. I didn't know what to make of it so I decided to ignore it. Jessica looked up as we approached our desk. Her face lit up when she spotted Edward and then in almost the same moment her face fell when she spotted our intertwined hands.
"Hi, Jess" I said as we walked up
"Um...Hi, Bella. Edward." Jess shifted uncomfortably in Edward's seat. I took it as my cue to snake my other hand up Edward's arm and brought it to rest at his elbow and I would be lying if I said that the feel of his arm underneath my hand didn't send a thrill through me. Edward quirked his eyebrow at me and I nodded my head infinitesimally
"Hello, Jessica" Edward said, quite formally
"What's up, Jess?" I asked sweetly
"I…Um…I just wondered ifEdwardwasgoingtothespring formalandhadadateyet" Jessica said all in one breath. I smirked and shook my head
"Yeah, he's going and yes he has a date. Happy?" I continued in my 'sweet' voice. Jessica's eyes widened perceptibly at my insinuation but to her credit she didn't say anything. She gazed from me to Edward and then down to our joined hands. Finally she nodded slightly, got up and walked to her desk, slightly red in the face. I couldn't help but snicker. I glanced up at Edward and found that he was staring at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.
"What? It got rid of her, didn't it?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders and pulling away from him to take my seat. My hand felt tingly and warm from touching Edwards. I tried to shake it off as Mr Banner walked in and class stared.
Half way through class, I was still trying to ignore the tingly feeling in my hand when a scrap of paper landed on my notebook with Edward's elegant handwriting
What the hell was THAT?
I shook my head and glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes and found that he was still looking at me with the same undecipherable expression. I scribbled my answer in my less elegant script
What do you mean? I thought you would be happy for her to leave you alone?
He shook his head back at me and wrote his response
Not that! I know what that was! I meant the…..hand thing
I stared at his words. Did he feel it too? I wondered to myself. I turned fully now to stare at him. He was looking back at me with a slightly confused look on his face. I studied him for a moment then decided to play safe and brush it off.
What? All I did was hold your hand, Tiger. It was only to get Jess of your back! No need to freak! Or are you worried that I cramped your style?
I smirked at him as I passed the note back for him to read, but inside I had a million thoughts racing through my mind. Had he felt the shock too? Why had touching him shocked me? What did it mean? He's your best friend, stupid! It doesn't mean anything! You were simply static! The paper landing on my desk interrupted my inner thoughts. I let out a slight sigh of relief when I read his words. I wasn't ready to answer his questions because I didn't have the answers myself
Yeah right! Cramp my style? As if! You know the girls love me and nothing you do will change that!
My response was simple
Arrogant bastard!
He snorted and shook his head. He gave me a look as if to say Jealous much? Edward and I could actually conduct full blown conversations with our eyes and expressions. We knew each other so much that we didn't always need words. I responded his silent question with a roll of my eyes which I knew he would translate to Yeah, whatever!
At lunch, Edward and I met outside of my Gym class. The only class we didn't have together and walked to the cafeteria to meet the rest of the gang. The subject of our hand holding didn't come up again and for that I was eternally grateful. I didn't have answers and quite frankly I didn't want them either. I was afraid of what the answers might be. We spent lunch laughing and joking, as was our usual way and thankfully Edward did not bring up the incident at English Lit again.
Two weeks later
I had picked Edward up for school as usual, but the atmosphere in the car was slightly tense. Edward was tense and in turn that made me tense. I couldn't figure out why, but I sensed that he had something on his mind and didn't know how to share it. That was odd, since we had never had a problem in the past. Edward and I knew everything about each other and I mean everything. We shared a lot of the same thoughts, passions, interests and friends.
We had reached the school parking lot when I finally turned to Edward and demanded that he talk.
"Edward! What the hell is up with you this morning! Spill it!" Edward stared out of the windscreen, not meeting my eyes, I waiting, growing impatient. I was about to start yelling at him when he finally spoke
"Tanya asked me to the spring formal" I felt my heart skip a beat. I felt pain. I don't know why, but I felt pain.
"Oh" was my most articulated response
"Yeah. Oh"
"So…did you say yes?" Edward winced slightly then nodded. My heart sank to my stomach and I felt a lump in my throat. I couldn't speak so I simply nodded and got out of the car. Edward stepped out of the passenger side. I still had my back to him, I couldn't look at him. Not just yet. I was fighting tears and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat.
"Kitten?" Edward called softly from behind me. I turned and froze. The look in his eyes stopped me in my tracks. It was…sadness…pain…longing? Or maybe I was just fooling myself, because suddenly his eyes cleared and he turned and walked away into the building, leaving me standing in the misting morning.
I followed him slowly, only catching up to him as I neared our lockers. The gang was already there, waiting for her eyebrows at me as she notice Edward and I walk in separately, but said nothing. Emmett, however, being the clown he was did not fail to make a comment
"What's up, dude? Lover's tiff?" he boomed at Edward, thus earning him a slap upside the head from Rose, "Ow! Now what?" he muttered as he rubbed his head. I couldn't help but smile at the big lug. I loved him like a brother and he never failed to make me smile.
"Shut the fuck up, Em" I heard Edward growl. I was surprised at his tone. He never spoke to Em like that. For brothers, those two were extremely close and I had never once heard them fight.
"Wow, Ed, what's got your panties in a bunch?" Rose quipped
"Nothing. Just leave me alone, ok?" Edward grabbed his books from his locker, slammed it shut and stalked off towards our first class. For once, he didn't wait for me and that realization hurt.
"Hey, Bella, what's up with Edward today?" Aliceasked, I shrugged and followed Edward to class. What was wrong with him? I asked myself Hell, girl, what's wrong with YOU? I had no answer to either of those questions. All I knew was I was hurting and I had no idea why it hurt me so much to hear that Edward would be going with Tanya to the spring formal.
The day passed in a haze of pain. Edward and I did not speak for the rest of the day. At first I was hurt and upset, but towards the end of the day I was merely angry; angry at him and angry at myself. I couldn't understand why and that made me even angrier. Finally at the end of the day, I lost it. I found him waiting by my car, leaning casually against the passenger door. He had run out of our last class of the day without waiting for me as he usually did and that only served to fuel my anger and now here he was leaning against my car, looking as if nothing had happened. When he looked up and gave me his crooked smile, I lost it. I saw red. I stormed up to him and stopped not ten inches from his face
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Edward?" I hissed. He looked at me surprised
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? What do I MEAN? I'll give you what I mean, Edward! All day! All fucking day you have ignored me, not spoken to me, not looked at me and you ask What. Do. I Mean? Are you fucking serious? How dare you treat me like that! If you can't speak to me, then fuck you Edward Cullen! FUCK YOU!" I turned, slipped into the driver seat, turned on the engine and drove off with that. As I looked in the rear view mirror I could see Edward standing in the same spot I had left him, head bowed. At that moment he looked so lost that I almost turned around and went back. Almost, but I didn't. I was still too angry.
The phone was ringing when I got home an hour later after driving around trying to calm the fuck down, but I ignored it. I knew it would be Edward and I was still too angry to speak to him. The phone rang for a long time before it went quiet. Then my cell rang. I sighed and fished it out of my bag. I was surprised to see the name flashing on the screen. Emmett. I clicked the answer button
"Emmett?"
Bella? Bella! Where's Edward?" Emmett sounded panicked and that panicked me. Emmett never lost his cool, he was too laid back
"What? What do you mean?"
"He ran out of the parking lot after you left muttering something about needing to talk to someone and your name, but he hasn't turned up at home. Is he not there with you?" now I was seriously freaking out. I knew I should have stopped. And then his word whirled in my head 'Tanya asked me to the spring formal' and all of a sudden my anger resurfaced
"No Emmett, he's not here. Try at Tanya's. I'm sure he's there having a wonderful time" I said scathingly. I heard Emmett suck in a sharp breath
"Bella…Oh for the love of God! You two are so infuriating! You can't see what's right in front of your damn faces!" I was shocked. I had never and I mean never heard Emmett lose his cool
"Em? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Forget it! I'll go find him myself!" He huffed in response and hung up. I sat staring at the phone in my hand for a long moment. I have to find Edward. He could be anywhere. But where do I start looking? And then it hit me. Tanya. I launched myself off the sofa and out the door, only pausing to grab my keys and a jacket.
Ten minutes later, I pulled up outside Tanya's house. I took a deep cleansing breath and tried to prepare myself for what I knew was coming. I stepped out of the car and walked up the path to the front door. I stood on the porch for another second before I knocked. I had the most sickening feeling in my stomach. I heard footsteps approach the door and then it swung open to reveal a gorgeous strawberry blond in skin tight jeans and a tank top.
"Hi Tanya…Um…How are you?"
"Well, well, well…look who we have here? Isabella Swan. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I winced at the fake sweetness of her tone.
"I…Um…Have you seen Edward?" I stammered
"Yes" She stated simply. It didn't look like she was going to elaborate, so I took another deep breath and asked
"…And? Is he here?" I was starting to get irritated
"He may be…He may not be. What is it to you exactly?" Tanya snapped back at me, dropping all pretence of being nice
"He's my friend. It's got everything to do with me!"
"Not anymore. He's mine and if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from us!" I staggered back a couple of steps, shocked at the confidence of her tone. It was then; as I looked passed her into the house that I spotted the black and white checked shirt Edward had been wearing this morning over his grey T-shirt hanging on the banister. My hand went to my mouth as I felt bile rise up into my mouth. Tanya followed my gaze and saw what I was looking at. She turned back with an evil glint in her eye
"Now, if you will excuse me, my boyfriend is waiting for me. We were in the middle of…of a very intimate moment when you so rudely interrupted us and I would like to get back and service my man! If you know what is good for you, you will stay away from him, Bitch!" With that she shut the door in my face, leaving me standing on the porch, feeling sick. I felt the tears prick my eyelids. I turned and stumbled back to my car. I wanted to get out of there. The images of Tanya and Edward, my Edward tore at me, sickening me. The pain was intense and so overwhelming.
I was just pulling up to my house, with no memory of how I got there, when I heard my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out and stared at the .
"Alice, I-" and then, I was sobbing. I couldn't stop
"Bella? Honey? What's wrong? What's happened?"Alicewas shrieking down the phone but I couldn't catch my breath enough to respond just yet "Bella, Sweetie, you need to calm down and talk to me! What's happened?"
"Edward" Was all I managed to whisper. I heard silence on the other end and for a minute I thoughtAlicehad hung up and then I heard her inhale deeply before she exhaled
"I'll be there in ten minutes" Then she hung up. I stumbled my way out the car and up the path to the door. I could barely see straight through my haze of tears.
Not even ten minutes later Alice marched through my front door and plopped herself down on the sofa next to me. I had not stopped crying. My mind had been going round and round in a whirlwind. So many thoughts and so much pain. The only thing I couldn't understand was why? Why was I in so much pain at the thought of Edward in Tanya's house? In her bed. In her arms. I sobbed inAlice's arms and told her about the whole confrontation with Tanya. After what seemed like hours my sobs quieted to sniffles and I finally pulled out ofAlice's arms. We sat in silence for a few minutes thenAlicespoke
"Bella, you love him" She spoke so softly that I wasn't sure I heard her at first
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, You. Love. Him" she said it more clearly. I sat there stunned for a moment
"Of course I love him, Ali...he's my best friend!" I said
"Yes, Bella, he is, but that doesn't change the fact that you love as more than a friend and he loves you too, you both just don't know it yet" I stared at Alice, dumbstruck for a long moment and then I shook my head and got up and started me from the couch and then got up and planted herself in front of me on my turn from the window to the couch
"Bella, look at me" I stopped and looked up at her. She had her eyes closed "What colour are my eyes, Bella?" huh?
"Um...Alice...What..."
"Just answer the question!" She still hadn't opened her eyes
"Ali, you have your eyes closed, how can I answer that without looking at them?" I no move to open her eyes
"What colour are Edward's eyes?" she whispered
"Green" I answered opened her eyes and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes
"Funny isn't it, Bella? I'm here and I've known you for as long as Edward has, yet you can't tell me what colour my eyes are"Aliceshook her head sadly.
Hmm...Why couldn't I tell her what colour her eyes were?
Because you do love Edward, you dork. It's obvious isn't it?
Not to me it's not. I've never thought of Edward in that way.
Oh haven't you? Last week? When you were holding hands with him are you telling me you didn't feel anything?
Oh, Shut up.
Aliceinterrupted my internal debate
"What are you gonna do, Bells? He's dating Tanya, right? Can you live with that? See him with her every day?" I shook my head. I knew I couldn't. So the question now was, what am I going to do?
"I need to think, Ali" I don't know why I said that. I knew what my decision was and the wayAlicewas looking at me, she did too.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" She asked quietly. I paused then nodded. I walked to the phone and picked it up. I dialled my Mom's number inNew York. She picked up on the second ring
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mom"
"Bella? Sweetie? What's wrong?" I sighed. Trust a mother's intuition to pick up on her child's mood
"Mom, I want to come home. Can you book me the first flight home, please?"
"Of course, Bella. Are you ok? Is Charlie ok?" She sounded panicked and I was quick to reassure her
"Yes, Mom. Everything is fine. Can I explain it when I get there, please? Just get me the hell out of here" I heard Renee sigh on the other end
"Fine, Baby. Give me 20 minutes and I'll call you back, ok?" I nodded
"Thanks, Mom"
Speak to you in a minute, honey" She hung up. I turned and foundAlicestaring at me, her head cocked to one side
"What?" I asked
"I'm coming with you"
"What? No. You can't do that, Ali!"
"I'm coming, Bells. Just let me go home, pack and explain things to my parents"
"Ali-"
"No, Bella. I'm coming" with that she walked out the door. I shook my head. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed her with me. I sighed again and picked up the phone again to call my Dad. He answered on the third ring
"Chief Swan"
"Daddy?"
I explained that I was going back toNew Yorkand told him not to worry and that I would call him soon. He sounded worried, but didn't argue with me. He must have heard something in my voice. I had just put the phone down after speaking to him when my mother called and gave me my flight details. North-western Airlines, leaving from LAX in four hours. I would have to rush to make it. I made one final phone call toAliceto tell her which flight to book, and then ran around packing my bags.
OnceAlicearrived ten minutes later we left for the airport. As we drove away I looked back at the house I had called home for four years and promised myself I would come back one day. The tears rolled down my cheeks unchecked. I hadn't called Edward, Emmett or Rose to tell me she had spoken to Rose and told her everything. All I could do was nod.
As I stared out of the back window at my home, I whispered just one thing and felt my heart break into a million pieces.
Goodbye, Edward. I love you.