A/N: You guys, thank you soooo freaking much for all the encouraging reviews! It's making me write a hell of a lot faster! Also, I'm currently searching for a beta, so any takers?

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN, though it'd be pretty sweet if I did

Upthedownslide, like usual. You're my world.

Without further ado..

Bella

EdwardCullenEdwardCullenEdwardCullen…

Edward's name has been on repeat in my mind for the last hour. I still couldn't get past the disbelief that Edward, of all people, would be at a horror convention. Why? Wasn't he a doctor? Doctors and gore just don't mix. Unless he's the one causing it.

Furthermore, What would a doctor find remotely interesting about freaks dressed up like Jason and Freddy with buckets of fake blood being thrown around by the gallon? Did he have some sick fetish for gore?

And why the Hell was he choosing now to make his presence known?

I shook my head trying to make sense of this new bit of information Ryan had decided to leave me with. It just didn't seem right. Something else was behind this. A different motive hid beneath the depths of this murky situation. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. What really bothered me was the fact that even after no contact for two whole years, my body still reacted the same way it once did when I saw him on a daily basis. I thought I got over this a long time ago..

I tapped the tip of my red pen against my lips softly as I tried to come up with different reasons as to why Edward would be there when a soft, lilting voice broke through my thoughts.

"Bella, Bella, bo Bella…banana fanana fo fella.." It sang out, muffled by the walls of my office.

Oh no. Not now. Please, God. Not now..

I looked around my office frantically attempting to find a hidey-hole big enough to blend into. Before I could consider the nook between the couch and bookcase, the door flew open revealing a small pixie-like woman with short black hair pointing every which way and a leggy blonde wearing a smug smile.

"BELLA!" Alice finally shrieked triumphantly as she danced into my office. Rose followed behind closely and plopped down lazily into one of the chairs facing my wooden desk. Alice came over to me and placed a dainty kiss on my cheek before lifting herself onto a corner of my desk and crossed her legs.

"Can't you ever just be normal and greet me with a 'hi' besides the most annoying rhyme scheme ever?" I asked grumpily. I rubbed my cheek vigorously hoping the lip stick would wipe off easily.

"But then, I just wouldn't be me!" Alice exclaimed as she dug into her purse and pulled out a nail file.

"So, how's your day?" Rose asked. Her tone sounded indifferent, but I ignored it as I watched her shift her long flaxen curls over her shoulder then propped her feet onto my desk. I shoved them off and straightened the papers she had mussed.

"Fine, I guess." I mumbled.

"Okay, cut the small talk, Bella. We heard that Edward is going to be joining you and Ryan this weekend. So, we're here to rescue the lamb sitting before us and turn it into a hot, sexy, lioness." Alice cut through Rose's attempt at conversation as she placed the nail file back into her purse and blew her nails. When she was convinced that her cuticles were perfect, she began to clap wildly and bounce in place.

How the..

My answer walked past the doorway to my office rather quickly.

"RYAN KEITH MCARTHUR." I growled through grinding teeth. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around with an innocent expression plastered onto his attractive face. How dare he betray me at such a time as this!

"I really can't talk right now, Bella. I need to go speak to Angela about..uhm..something." And with that, he resumed his retreat back to his office and closed the door with a bang.

Oh, he'd deal with a lioness alright.

I turned my attention back to a now vibrating Alice. " Bella, come on! Think about how fun it'll be to see Edward's jaw drop once he realizes what he had been missing all through college? Plus, I have a few new designs I'm dying to try out and see how-" I cut off her rant immediately by letting a loud groan escape my lips.

"NO BELLA BARBIE, ALICE." I said as exasperation filled my already irritated tone. " Plus, who gives a shit what," I took a breath before hissing the next word. "Edward, thinks. He never gave me the slightest indication that he was interested. Why should he be now?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and began picking at her nails. " How you two were so oblivious to the obvious is astounding." She huffed under her breath. I shot her a death ray then continued my argument.

"Also, it's just a convention. For horror movies. Not a fashion show, Alice. I'm going to be on a plane for three hours, stuck with crying kids and people drooling inexorably. Comfort will be my first priority. Plus, no one there is going to care enough to recognize coordinating color pallets. The only thing to grasp their already petite attention span will be the best smash factor when it comes to exploding limbs. So, unless you want your art covered in fake blood, don't do this."

Alice squealed loudly. "Perish the thought, Bella! You're going to L.A. Images are important there. I would rather swallow mercury before considering unleashing you onto the poor fashionable, unsuspecting citizens of L.A in your drabby ass bag lady clothing even if you're going to be with a bunch of nerds." She noticed my wince. "I mean, dull." She saved by glancing down at my leather jacket, blue shirt and jeans mishmash.

"Your confidence in me means so much." I snarled and wrapped my arms around myself tightly.

She ignored my comment and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "Bella, I only want what's best for you, and I know Rose wants the same. I remember the way you looked at Edward and I also remember the way he hurt you." She affirmed, her voice rising slightly at the end of her sentence. " So please, let me help you look like a girl, just for this weekend. Just so we can show him how beautiful you were and still are. Please, Bella? Please?" She asked sweetly. She unleashed the full effect of her signature pout and I felt myself begin to cave. Then, Rose's arm unexpectedly encircle my shoulder; thoroughly weakening my resolve.

" Bella, let's make him regret that he ever looked past you." Rose cooed into my ear.

A strained silence filled the air as they both waited for my response on labored breath.

"FINE!" I yelled finally as I pushed away a laughing Rosalie and a jumping Alice. I took in the sight of my two best friends dancing around my office wildly and felt myself begin to giggle, also.

" As if you could out run us, as if you could fight us off!" Alice jingled as she continued to prance around the office.

" Shit..shit! OW, ALICE. Like, really? Are you trying to sow the damn thing to my skin?" I barked as she, yet again, poked me with a tiny pen she was using to hem the dress I had been forced into.

" Oppsy!" Alice rang as she continued her slow torture. Rose had left early to tend to some 'emergency' at the dealership and promised to make it up by treating us to dinner sometime soon. I saw behind her ruse. I saw the panic in her eyes when Alice had whipped out the gold body suit she claimed would fit Rose, "just right!" She wasn't immune.

I closed my eyes attempting to find the happy place I usually found myself running to when shopping with Alice or playing Barbie turned utterly hellacious. I tried to focus on the music playing softly in the background of her studio apartment as she commanded me to turn so she could attack my backside.

"So," Alice started conversationally, breaking my calming thoughts in the process as she plunged a pen dangerously close to the skin of my lower back. " Do you think sparks will fly when you see him again?"

I bit the tip of my bottom lip and threaded my fingers together.

" I'm not really concerned with sparks, Alice."

I heard a loud snort from behind me. I felt my jaw set in a pout. " Seriously, I'm not. I'm going there for work. That's all. No old, forgotten college flame is going to change that for me. So please, if you love me like you claim you do, let it drop."

She continued her work in silence after successfully receiving the warning hidden in my tone. I let out a long, controlled breath and closed my eyes to find my happy place again.

Though, when I closed my eyes, Edward was suddenly there; standing in my meadow of wild flowers. A guitar was slung over his shoulder and he was holding a bouquet of lilies out to me with a crooked grin plastered onto his beautiful face.

" For you, love." My dream-like Edward whispered softly.

My eyes popped open and my senses came barreling back to me as a feeling of anxiety flushed through my stiff limbs. I felt my cheeks grow hot with a crimson blush.

What the hell was wrong with me?

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