Thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter. It's the most I've ever had on a chapter so I was very happy :)

I took longer than I wanted to update this chapter because my internet decided not to work for the whole weekend. Which meant no fan fiction for me and no updates :( Very sad.

But I'm using the computers at my school to update. I should really be working instead of doing this but heyho :) My readers are more important...

Chapter 18

Edward

My eyes were transfixed on their joined hands.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't do anything.

Bella was standing in front of me with her husband. My Bella was with her husband.

I must have heard it wrong. I must have done. Right?

"Sorry what did you say?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Mike's lips turned up into a smile, "I know what you're thinking, right. How did I end up with a beautiful girl like this?" With that he leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek.

Everything stopped.

My heart stopped beating. My pulse stopped racing. I think I even stopped breathing. I began to choke and started gulping lots of air in all at once.

Bella was married? My Bella who I loved and cared for was married? It couldn't be true. It couldn't. But then I thought back to our time together and I knew that it was.

"There's just something about her Edward," Rosalie had said.

"Oh he's my cousin from when we have sleepovers," Bella had lied.

"…just in future don't visit me at work…"she made excuses.

It all made sense.

Seeing her in front of me, holding hands with this man, I just knew. This was what she'd been hiding from me. This was her secret. As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew in my heart that this was the truth. I looked to her and into her deep brown eyes and noticed that they were brimming with tears.

"Edward," she mouthed. But I couldn't look at her. I had to look away before I broke down.

I was disgusted.

Repulsed.

I felt like she'd taken my heart and ripped it into a million pieces. I thought she was my true love. The one and only woman for me. I'd put my heart on the line for her and taken a chance. She was the first woman I'd ever truly loved. And she'd probably be the last. I can't believe I trusted her! I was sucked in by her apparent kind nature when all along she was only a liar. My eyes filled with tears.

She was like a black hole. Just sucking things in, never letting them come back out. And in this case it was my heart. She'd played with my heart like it was a toy. She said she loved me when all along I was nothing to her. Just her 'bit on the side'.

She'd changed me.

I'd always been a reserved person and she'd been the one to show me how to let people into my heart. And this is how she repaid me? I thought she'd changed my heart for the better… turns out it was for the worse.

Now my heart is broken.

I'd been released from hospital this morning and decided to come for a gentle walk just to think and be alone with my thoughts. I wasn't allowed to drive due to pain medication so I took a cab here and decided to take a light stroll. I'd been thinking of Bella mostly and ways that we could move our relationship forward. Bella had become my top priority after I almost died in the fire. I was thinking of giving her a key to my house so she could come round whenever she wanted. I was even thinking of maybe asking her to move in with me.

How stupid I was.

And then I'd spotted Mike. He was just someone I knew from school. We'd never been great friends but he was a nice guy. And then he introduced Bella and my heart stopped. I doubt he knew about me. How could he? She'd probably been stringing him along just like me.

How could she do this to me? I thought she loved me.

"Edward, are you alright?" Mike interrupted my thoughts and I stared at him with his hand still in hers. How dare he touch her? He had no right. But then I realised that he did. I noticed the glistening wedding ring on Bella's finger and realised that he was the one she was married to. He had the right to touch her. I did not. I couldn't stand it any more.

Couldn't stand Mike's looks of confusion.

Couldn't stand Bella's looks of remorse… or worse, pity. H

I turned to walk away and make my way out the park.

"Edward man where you going?" Mike called back.

I ignored him

Then I heard Bella's pained voice. "Edward, come back, please. Edward just let me explain." She started shouting as I moved further away but made no move to follow me. How on earth could she explain this?

I kept walking, "Edward wait. I love you." I froze. But it only took a split second before I realised what I was doing and continued walking. I was not going to go back to her. She was no one to me now. She'd probably just given herself away to her husband and I felt sorry for him. But I didn't care about Bella. Not anymore.

As I reached the road a taxi pulled up in front of me and some girl offered to share. I agreed distractedly not really caring and took one last look back at Bella. Mike's expression was one of horror and betrayal and for a moment Bella's upset eyes bored into mine. I felt physically repulsed and turned away wanting to never see her again.

Bella

This was not how it was supposed to happen. I stood in shock as Mike introduced me as his wife to Edward.

Edward my boyfriend.

Edward my love.

Edward who I wanted to be with forever.

"Sorry what did you say?" Edward asked so quietly that I almost couldn't hear him.

Mike's smiled next to me, "I know what you're thinking, right. How did I end up with a beautiful girl like this?" He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek as Edward stared on in horror as final realisation spread across his face.

I already knew that I couldn't keep doing this to both of them and that I had to tell them the truth, but I was too late. My luck had already run out. As I stared at Edward's face I looked into his eyes. They were deep green pools of sadness and I could sense all the betrayal and anger that he felt. His eyes glazed over with tears, though none of them spilling.

I felt sick to my stomach.

Sick at myself and this massive web of lies that I'd tangled myself in. I'd been a selfish bitch thinking that I could have my cake and eat it too, but I just couldn't. That was the harsh reality. He looked back at me like I'd mutilated his heart. Which I probably had. But the worst part about the way he looked at me was the sheer hatred he was emitting. He oozed revulsion.

Revulsion at me.

If only he knew. If he knew how much I truly loved him then maybe he'd understand why I did what I did. Or maybe I was just trying to make myself feel better or find excuses for my actions, when really, there were none.

He turned to walk away and Mike called him back but he kept going. I just couldn't let him go.

"Edward, come back, please." I called not caring that Mike was there.

He wasn't coming back.

Why wasn't he coming back?

"Edward just let me explain," I begged and was now shouting across the park. I wanted to go to him but I couldn't. I just couldn't handle his rejection.

As he kept walking I realised that not only was he walking away from me, but he was walking out of me life. Forever. I had to let him know how much he meant to me. I had to declare my love. Even if Mike was there I just couldn't see Edward leave. Maybe he would finally understand how serious I was. "Edward wait. I love you."

He froze and a flicker of hope shot through me. But instead of turning round he just carried on walking. My heart screamed at him to come back but he didn't. He turned back to me one last time, his expression overflowing with disgust, and got into a cab with some girl.

"Bella," Mike said and I turned slowly to him.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!

This is all wrong!

Suddenly I broke down. Tears gushed down my face and I fell to my knees on the hard gravel path. It hurt like hell but I couldn't bring myself to notice. I dropped my head in my hands and just cried.

I didn't care that people were staring.

I didn't care that Mike was there.

I just didn't care.

"Bella," Mike repeated, now more sternly. I looked up to him but still didn't say anything. He looked tormented and confused and just stared at me incredulously.

"God damn it Bella," he growled yanking me up by my arm so I was standing, "explain yourself. Now."

"I-I-I…" I was stuttering uncontrollably.

"Bella," he yelled, "why did you say you loved him? Why Bella? I don't understand. You wouldn't say that because you're with me. You love me." He put his hands on my shoulders and stared at me intently. He looked determined. But then his exterior cracked and he looked worried and hurt, "don't you?"

I didn't say anything and understanding dawned on his expression. "Oh God," he moaned and turned to walk away from me.

"No Mike stop!" I yelled through gritted teeth and grabbed his arm yanking him back to face me, "I need to explain."

He looked utterly devastated and then showed a side of him that I'd never seen before: anger. He was always calm and collected and hardly ever got mad with me.

"Explain what Bella? What exactly?"

"T-t-that…" I didn't know how to say it and kept getting lumps in my throat from crying. The tears kept coming and I'd given up wiping them away.

"That you've been cheating on me with him. Have you been having an affair Bella? Answer me that!"

I couldn't lie… not anymore. I nodded bleakly.

"Oh God," he grabbed his hair with his hands and pulled it.

"I'm so sorry Mike. I truly am. Really." I said earnestly trying to convey my remorse.

He looked at me, his face a picture of sheer desolation, "why Bella?" he whispered, "why?"

"It just happened Mike. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Really? Well you did. Was it true what you said before? Do you love him Bella?"

I told him the truth. "Yes."

"Do you love me?"

I said nothing. He just turned his head and walked away, leaving me standing in the park. Alone.

I didn't know what to do. I felt hopelessly lost and upset. I fished in my bag for my phone to find out the time. I couldn't read it as my vision was blurred from crying so I rubbed my eyes and read the screen seeing that it was nearly one o' clock. Next to my phone I spotted a shiny silver key. The key to Alice's apartment. I had nowhere else to go so decided to see her. I doubted Mike would want me at the flat and I desperately needed a friend right now.

I picked up a taxi, since Mike had the car, and went over to Alice's. When I got to her apartment I decided to knock, even though she'd given me the key I thought it would be polite. The door opened and the smell of roast chicken wafted out and I saw a well dressed Jasper in the doorway.

"Jasper," I said, my voice was groggy from crying, "What are you doing here?"

He seemed oblivious to my distress and ran his hand through his golden hair, "me and Alice made up," he said seeming pleased, "so I came round to surprise her and I'm cooking her lunch." I looked down at what he was wearing and noticed that he was dressed very smartly wearing a black shirt and trousers.

"Oh I see. Would I be interrupting then?" I asked not wanting to ruin their romantic lunch. Jasper walked out of the apartment and gently closed the door behind him.

"Kind of Bella," he whispered, "if you'd be able to come back another time I'd really appreciate it. I've got a lot of making up to do."

I didn't know what to say to that.

He continued "but if it is really important then come in," he started to open the door.

"No, no," I said. "Not important. Don't worry about it." I forced a smile. I'd already ruined two relationships today; I didn't want to ruin another one.

"See you later Jasper. And be good to Alice."

"I will," he smiled and winked at me closing the door. I was glad that at least someone was happy. Even if I couldn't be.

I had the whole afternoon free and didn't know what to do. I could go and see Mike and try to explain? Or I could do the same with Edward? I decided that I'd go and see whoever was the most important to me so I jumped in a cab and gave the driver the address to Edward's house.

Luckily when I arrived the gates were already open. I knew that he wouldn't have let me in otherwise so I was glad. I made my way up his stony driveway trying not to make too much noise and stopped at his door.

What would I say to him?

I decided I'd tell him everything. The truth. I raised my hand and bravely knocked on his front door. I heard people moving around inside and heard muttering. Was Edward with someone? I could faintly make out the sound of a girls voice.

A girl? I guessed that Rosalie was round.

Just my luck.

Then the door swung open to reveal someone I wasn't expecting in front of me.

Jessica.

I looked behind her to see clothes strewed about all over the place including a girl's bra and panties. I looked back at Jessica and saw that she was wearing one of Edward's shirts. Nothing else. Her legs were bare and I could see her nipples through the shirt making it obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra. She turned her lips up to smirk at me cold-heartedly.

"Oh hey Bella," she said "Fancy seeing you here."

-

Ah another cliff hanger. I'm sorry. Don't hate me.

Because of the awful cliff hanger, like before, I will send out previews of the next chapter to all who review :)

So let me know what you think…and I will update as soon as possible.