Chapter Three

EPOV – Present Day

Dammit!

I was running late. I needed to be at the courthouse for 10am and I was running fucking late!

I raced out of my apartment and hailed a cab. Luck was on my side today, because a cab pulled up immediately.

"Courthouse, please" I sat back in that cab as the driver pulled out into the New York traffic. I spent the ride going over the application I was filing. A restraining order against Tanya. That girl had hounded me for eight god dammed years and I had finally had enough. She had chased away my best friend, all my friends, actually and it was now beyond ridiculous. I had moved away from California to Boston to get away from her and she followed me there and now I had moved to New York City and she had fucking followed me here too. How she kept finding me was beyond me.

She had stalked me relentlessly. Sure we had had a fling eight years ago. After She left, we had hooked up a couple of times. It was nothing more than a good fuck. Hell, it wasn't even good. I barely enjoyed it! I was hurting over losing my best friend. I couldn't believe she had left without saying good bye to me and in anger I slept with Tanya. It wasn't until later that I found out what she had done to her. After that I stayed clear. Not that it helped matter. She still continued to hound me.

"$20, please?" I looked up; we had arrived at the courthouse. I paid the cabbie and slid out into the sunshine. I glanced at my watch. I had made it. 9. 50 Am. Phew. I flew up the steps, dodging people as I went. I skidded to a stop in front of my lawyer.

"Sorry! Traffic" I panted as I tried to catch my breath

"It's ok. Courts running a bit late anyway" Mike Newton shrugged. We stood chatting for a few minutes. We had just finished discussing the procedure when I got a prickly feeling at the back of my neck. I felt an electric pulse go through me. There was only one person I knew who I had ever felt that with. I turned slowly, scanning the area. And then my eyes locked on deep chocolate brown ones. Only one person had ever incited that electric feeling in me. Bella.

My mouth opened into an 'O'. I stood staring at her. She looked...grown up, sophisticated, hell she looked gorgeous! Bella stood staring back me, quite obviously in shock as well. I took a step towards her and stopped. She had taken a step back; her hand had come up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were wide and I could see her hand shaking.

But that wasn't what got me shaking. As she brought her hand up, I saw the ring on her finger. She's engaged? Why hadn't Jazz told me that? Hell, why hadn't Jazz told me she was in the same damn city as me? I knew Alice kept in contact with her, hell they were the best of friends. Just like...Just like she and I used to be.

I took one more step towards her. I couldn't help it. I felt as if some kind of magnet was pulling me towards her.

"Kitten?" I whispered her name for the first time in eight years, my voice cracking

"Izzy! How are you? Got a court date?" I spun round to see Mike Newton striding towards Bella. I was confused. Who was Izzy? I watched as Mike walked up to Bella and shook her hand

"Hi Mike. How are you? Yes, a DUI" I heard Bella respond after taking a moment to gather herself. Mike nodded. Bella was a Lawyer? Wait! Izzy Swan? THAT'S Bella? I had heard of her. She had been mentioned in Business Weekly a couple of times, but I had never once suspected that it was my Bella.

Hold up! MY Bella? What the fuck?

I cleared my throat and Mike turned

"Oh! Izzy! Let me introduce you to Edward Cullen, my client. Edward, this is Izzy Swan, one of the hottest legals around" Mike waved me over. I walk slowly toward them and held out my hand

"Hello Izzy" I said softly

"Hello, Edward" Bella was looking down, biting her bottom lip. I felt the familiar current run through me and I was lost in the memory of that day in school when I had felt that current last.

"Edward, Judge is ready for us. Shall we?" I was irritated with Mike for interrupting, but I pulled away. I glanced back over my shoulder as I walked into the courtroom and saw that Bella had turned her back to us. But that wasn't what made me want to turn round and run to her side. Her shoulders were slumped and shaking. She was crying.

BPOV – Present Day

Of all the courts, I had to bump into him here? I watched as Mike and Edward walked away into the courtroom. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, so I turned away, I didn't want Edward to see me cry if he were to turn around. It was a shock, but I still felt the pain in my heart. He remembered me. He had called me 'Kitten'. I had not heard that for years. He was the only one that ever had.

I pulled my phone out and dialled the one person who would understand.

"Hello?" She answered on the first ring

"Alice?" I sniffed

"Izzy-Bella? What wrong?"

"I saw him" There was silence on the other end "Ali? Are you there?" I asked when she hadn't spoken. I heard her sigh

"Are you ok, Izzy?" I stared at my phone for a moment. She hadn't asked who I meant. That meant...that meant she had known he was in NYC

"Ali, did you know?" I hissed into the phone. I heard her sigh again

"Yes"

"How long?"

"Two years, Bells" I gasped. Two years? Edward had been in NYC for TWO years?

"TWO YEARS, Ali? Why the hell didn't you ever tell me?" I was practically shouting now and getting looks from passer-by's, but I couldn't have cared less. The world I thought I had built around myself was coming crashing down on me and my best friend had known.

"Bells, you asked me to never talk about him. You know that Jazz and Edward are best friends. You know they kept in contact!"

"Yes, but two fucking years, Ali? You let me go on thinking I had left my past behind me in California and you knew he was here!" I was shaking and I couldn't help it. Seeing Edward had opened up a chest of pain in my heart that I thought I had locked up tight long ago

"Bells, please. You didn't want to hear it. To be honest I'm surprised it took even this long for you guys to meet. I knew it would happen eventually" I looked up to see my co-counsellor waving at me. Court was about to go into session

"This conversation is not over, Alice. Do you hear me? We will continue with this over lunch. I will see you, as planned at 1pm at Bella Italia" I snapped the phone shut and took a deep breath, calming myself before I walked into court.