All characters except for Annabelle Causley and a few others belong to Stephenie Meyer…and, of course, the writer is not receiving any profit for this story whatsoever.
This is an AU out of Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. This story starts after Eclipse, two weeks before Edward and Bella's wedding.
Chapter Seven
Edward stared out the window, Bella asleep in his arms. It was two in the morning and he couldn't stop thinking about Annabelle.
It had been so long, a whole lifetime ago and yet, every hour spend with Annabelle brought all the memories back into focus. Burying his face into Bella's hair, he took a deep breath as a memory slipped through his guard.
"No, Annie, that's not the way you do it," a ten year old Edward stood in a puddle, mud covering his shoes. He stared disgustingly at his friend Annie as she tried to catch a frog while avoiding the muddy puddle.
"But I'll get my dress dirty," Annie pouted as she watched the frog hop to another puddle. Staring down at her patent leather shoes, she knew if she got dirty her mother would not be happy.
"Then you shouldn't have worn a stupid dress," Edward grumbled as he jumped into a puddle, quickly scooping up the frog. Crowing with delight, he ran towards Annie, mud splattering everywhere.
"There, see," Edward smiled down at the small girl, "I got you a frog."
Annie smiled up at him as she took the frog from his hands, "Thank you Eddie."
Edward tightened his arms around Bella as he realized why that memory was so important. He remembered deciding that very day, as Annie stared up at him with those big blue eyes and that frog in her hands, that he would marry her when he was old enough.
Kissing Bella's shoulder, he wondered to himself what Annabelle was up to. He wasn't sure how much she had changed but one thing he knew –Annabelle always got what she wanted.
As he stared at Bella's sleeping face, fear grew at the prospect that what Annabelle wanted was to separate him from Bella.
He knew he would never leave Bella…but would Bella think it best to step aside? Would Bella let her insecurities get in the way? Would Bella leave him?
Annabelle gazed at the mountains as she leaned against the tree behind the Cullen's house. She knew that Edward would eventually show up with Bella and for that reason, she decided to wait outside. Even though she went out hunting after Edward left her room, she knew she couldn't be inside with Bella, not when her scent became much more concentrated in enclosed places.
Sighing, she pulled up her knees, wrapping her arms around them. She wasn't sure how this conversation with Bella and Edward was going to turn out. Resting her chin on her knees, she watched the clouds move lazily across the sky. She was enjoying being outside thanks to the cloudy weather. In Italy, she had to spend most of her time indoors due to the constant sunshine.
Annabelle turned just as Bella stumbled down the back stairs of the porch. Edward's quick reflexes kept her from ending up face first into the ground. Annabelle held in the smirk, wondering if this was a daily occurrence for Edward's fiancée. Turning her gaze back to the mountains, she patiently waited for them to join her.
"Enjoying the view?" Edward sat down across from Annabelle, pulling Bella down next to him. He wasn't sure how to start the conversation and if he had to be honest with himself, he wasn't sure he was ready for this talk.
"Yes," Annabelle turned to smile at Edward, her eyes briefly resting on Bella before she turned to look at the mountains, "I was always kept indoors in Italy. It's nice to be outside, breathe in the fresh air, watch the sky."
"Yes, yes, the weather's nice, you enjoy the outdoors, could we get to the point of this little meeting," Bella flushed as Edward turned to look at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise at her sudden outburst. Annabelle chuckled as she turned to look at Bella, seeing the irritation in her brown eyes.
"Sure," Annabelle shifted her body towards Bella, keeping her legs tucked into her chest, "What do you want to know?"
"How do you know Edward," Bella reached for Edward's hand, their fingers interlocked. Annabelle watched the light bounce off the ring on Bella's finger. She felt a constriction in the general area of her heart as she recognized that ring.
"Edward and I grew up together in Chicago. His parents were friends with my parents."
Bella looked at Edward, somehow sensing there was more to it than Annabelle's simple explanation of a childhood friendship.
"Is that all," she looked into Annabelle's eyes, which had a slight golden tint to them. Annabelle shifted her gaze to Edward, clearly telling him something.
"Well," Edward covered Bella's hand with his, turning his eyes from Annabelle to her, "not exactly. After Annabelle's season debut, we sort of began courting."
"Season debut," Bella swallowed hard, her heart beating fast as she realized her worst fear may be true.
"I was fifteen, a debutante in Chicago, and had a number of suitors before Edward and I realized there could possibly be something between us," Annabelle kept her gaze on Edward's face, watching his eyes shift between her and Bella. He was obviously torn between reassuring his current fiancée and not hurting his former friend.
"Did you two ever kissed," Bella tried to pull her hand out of Edward's but he wouldn't let her.
Annabelle stared at Edward as he stared at her, a memory coming to mind…
"Annie, what are you doing up there," a fourteen year old Edward leaned against the maple tree as he looked up at his best friend, sitting on a thick branch several feet above the ground.
"Hiding from Mother," Annie leaned against the trunk, her eyebrows lowered in agitation, "She's driving me crazy with the debut party planning."
"That's not until ten months from now," Edward grinned up at her, ignoring her obvious irritation as she stuck her tongue out at him.
"I know that but Mother obviously doesn't care. Honestly, Eddie, I think she believes ten months is not enough time to plan the party of the season. It's absolutely horrible."
Edward shook his head as he pushed himself away from the tree trunk, "I'm coming up. Make room for me."
Annabelle wiggled closer to the trunk, taking her feet off the thick branch in front of her. Edward jumped, grabbed a thick branch and swung himself up to a higher branch. With a grace Annie envied, he made his way towards her, facing her as he sat on the thick branch before her, his arm around the tree trunk to keep him anchored.
"What's really bothering you, Annie," Edward looked deep into her blue eyes, seeing doubt and confusion that he couldn't understand. In all reality, understanding Annie had become a difficulty in the past two years.
"This whole coming of age thing…Mother says that after the party, I will be able to have gentlemen callers. You know…possible suitors that will then lead to a husband. Eddie, I'm not even sure I want to get married." Annie looked into his green eyes, wondering if there was a way to tell her best friend that she did want to get married but to the one she loved…
"Of course you want to get married, Annie. You're a girl," Edward leaned his head against the tree trunk, staring down at their feet, which were touching toe to toe.
"Well…what if one of them tries to kiss me?"
"You hit him –just like I taught you," Edward smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
"That's not what I meant," Annie blushed as she looked away from Edward, "I've never kissed a boy before. What if…I embarrass myself…because I don't know how?"
"Then I guess you need to learn," Edward shrugged as he looked over her head, trying to seem nonchalant, "I've never kissed a girl before but how hard can it be?"
"Are you suggesting," Annabelle stared at him with speculative eyes, "We learn with each other?"
"Why not? I mean…we're best friends…and that's what friends are for, is it not? To help each other out?"
"Alright," Annabelle sucked in a deep breath as their eyes locked, "How do we go about this?"
"Well, obviously, we meet in the middle," Edward smiled at her, enjoying the smile that blossomed across her face despite the red hue on her cheeks.
Annabelle grabbed the branch with her free hand as she leaned towards Edward. Edward leaned towards Annabelle, placing his hand against her neck as their lips met briefly. Pulling back, he looked into her blue eyes, smiling at her before he pressed his lips firmly against hers, feeling an electrical current run down his spine. He was kissing his best friend and yet, he was starting to see her as more than just a friend…
"Annabelle was the first girl I kissed," Edward looked away from Annabelle as he felt Bella tense. Staring down at her, he reached up to take hold of her chin, forcing her to look at him, "That was a long time ago Bella. Things have changed. You realize that, don't you?"
"Were you two in love," Bella cursed herself for asking but she felt a burning need to know.
Annabelle looked away from both of them, her eyes trained on the far off horizon. She didn't think it was her place to answer this question.
"Were you," Bella turned to Edward, her gaze demanding an answer from him. Edward looked into her brown eyes, knowing his answer may destroy everything he held dear.
"Yes."
