Sliding the coffee mug out of the sleek and modern cabinet, Bella Swan placed it by the coffee pot. Waiting for the coffee maker to shut off, she picked up the remote and turned on the small TV on the wall while jutting out her hip to lean on the counter.

Flicking through the channels, Bella landed on The Speed Network. It was a motocross race. Her heart stilled for a second and then relaxed when she realized it was a 125 race. It looked like a good one too. She hated to admit that she didn't know any of the riders. She had been away from that world for 4 years, so that shouldn't be a shock, really.

Hearing the maker beep, Bella turned back to the counter and got the sugar out, making her coffee. Black but sweet, just like she likes it.

Deeply inhaling the delicious scent, Bella closes her eyes and smiles. She loves her mornings. Peaceful…quiet…perfect.

"Charlie Swan." The TV interviewer announced.

Bella's attention immediately snapped back to the TV.

It was just another segment about the tournament next weekend.

"Swan, a former 250 rider himself, had helped many get their start in the business with his generous sponsorships and he will be greatly missed by the community. Next weekend's Championship series will be a week long competition that can stand as an un-official testament to who will win the series this year. In memory of Swan who died last year, the tournament has been dedicated in his honor."

Bella let out a deep breath. She would be so glad when that damn tournament was over. Thinking about being there for the banquet…uggh. It made her stomach turn.

Picking up the bagel she had smothered with cream cheese, Bella made her way to the back patio and sat down, looking out over the bay. She had spent four years making her life here in Charleston. She had finished her degree, gotten a good job and started fresh here. No drama, no pain…just peace.

Sipping her coffee, Bella smiled at the sun coming up over the water. It really was beautiful. When she had looked at this apartment a couple years ago, this view was exactly what had sold it to her.

It was small, barely big enough for her, but it was worth it for this view. Bella was broke out of her thoughts by the ringing phone.

Looking down at the display and seeing Jamie's face pop up, Bella couldn't stop herself from smiling. She had been seeing Jamie for about a year. It was nice. Comfortable. Safe.

"Hey you." She answered, a big smile playing on her lips as she took another gulp from the steaming mug.

"Good morning, pretty girl." He cooed into the phone.

"Let me guess, you are sitting on the balcony watching the sunrise?"

Bella just laughed. Stretching her legs out on the rail, she let out a contented sigh.

"You know me so well, James Montgomery."

Bella smiled, but then slightly jumped when she felt soft lips nuzzle her neck and a melodic voice in her ear.

"Nah, just broke in your house." He chuckled as he squatted down next to her chair.

Bella threw her arms around him and breathed in his scent. She loved his cologne. It was clean, but burly. It made her think of a new car but one with one of those 'manly' air fresheners in it.

"What are you doing here?" She smiled and pulled back to look at him. Keeping her arms wrapped around his neck, his hand slowly trailed up the length of her legs to her hips. He grasp grew firm and he pulled her up and then he sat down in her place, pulling her in his lap.

"How many times have I told you to lock that front door?" He looked at her sternly with his eyebrows raised.

"I know you grew up in small town USA, but this is Charleston, Bella. Not so safe." He stroked her face with his finger, as she buried her head in his neck.

"See how easy I got in here? You didn't even know." He pulled his face back from hers and pleaded with her with his eyes.

"Okay. "

Bella started to get up from his lap. He grasped her fingers and pulled them toward him.

Pleading up at her with his eyes.

"Okay, honey. I promise." She vowed with a compassionate smile on her face. "I promise." She assured.

"Okay." He smiled back at her brightly.

"So, what are we doing today?" He reached across the table and tore a piece of her bagel off.

Chuckling, Bella went back into the kitchen and got the bagels and cream cheese from the refrigerator. Pulling out a butter knife and a saucer, she started to spread the cream.

"I don't know. Did you have something in mind?" She called from the kitchen.

Jamie walked into the kitchen and leaned his body over the counter and put his forearms against the granite. Smiling up at her with that beautiful grin, Bella remembered why he could make her melt.

"Well, I kinda thought about going downtown maybe?" He said with a sly shrug.

Bella smiled widely at him and handed him the bagel. He quickly pecked her on the cheek and took a huge bite.

"Thanks, cutie."

Bella walked over toward the sink and rinsed the knife.

"I noticed they had a lot of the streets shut down. What's going on down there?"

She dried the knife and placed it back in the drawer before she leaned back against the counter.

"It's Party at the Point just like every other weekend," He threw the napkin he had used after eating his bagel in the trash.

"But this one is like a festival they used to have years ago. They put this huge bonfire on the beach…." Jamie made huge gestures with his hands and Bella giggled at his adorably candid behavior.

"…and you're supposed to throw things that you want to get over in there."

Throwing away things that you wanted to forget sounded pretty good to her.

"Really? That sounds pretty awesome." Bella smiled and looped her arms around his shoulders and scratched at his short hair at the nape of his neck. He had just had it cut and she loved the way those clipper-things made it feel.

"It really was. I loved it in high school. I think I was maybe….uh…." Jamie squinted his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"…uh, junior, maybe? Yeah… a junior when they stopped doing it."

He leaned down and kissed her nose.

"Some kids showed up wasted," He put an extra emphasis on wasted.

"and one of them nearly fell in the fire, so, that was the last year." He chuckled.

Pulling herself from his embrace reluctantly, she used the remote to turn off the TV on the counter.

"Leave it up to someone to ruin the fun, huh?" She smiled and placed the remote back on the counter.

"Yeah. So what do ya say? Yes? No?" He stuck out his bottom lip to make his point.

Even if she didn't think it would be a blast, and she did, she could never tell him no after seeing that cute face.

"Let me go get ready and we'll head out.

"Yes!" He pumped a fist in the air in victory. Scooping her up in his arms, he leaned down and kissed her neck.

"I promise it will be great. And if you don't think so, say the word and we'll leave, okay?" He looked at her with a serious face.

She knew he meant it. Jamie always had her best interest at heart. He never put himself in front of her. It was one of the things she liked the most about him.

With Jamie, she always came first.

"I'm going to jump in the shower and throw on some make-up and I'll be right back."

As she started to step toward the bathroom, he caught her hand and pulled her back to him.

Kissing her deeply, he barely pulled away and rubbed their noses together.

"Sounds good."

She pulled away again and was half way down the hall when she heard him call.

"You might want to wear comfortable shoes. I know you love your heels but your feet will be killing you by the end of the day!"

She just laughed out loud and heard him chuckle back.

She did love her heels. And she loved that this Bella, Jamie's Bella, was so different from the Bella she used to be. That Bella was weak. This one is strong. That Bella was plain and bland. This Bella was full of life.

This Bella was better.

~o0o~

Bella lay back on her elbows with her long tan legs stretched out on the quilt and crossed at the ankles. She loved lying on the beach at night. The way the moon shone on the water was amazing.

Jamie came running down the shoreline and threw himself down beside her, leaning in and kissing her neck as she giggled.

"Did you have fun?" She turned her head toward him and questioned.

"Yeah, God, I hadn't seen Josh and Adam in years." He chuckled and pulled himself up on his side, laying all his weight on his forearm and he used the other hand to tuck hair behind her ear.

"Josh is married! I can't believe it!" His smile was huge.

"He was like the horniest 17 year old ever! He had a new girl every week, and now?" He shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows.

"He has settled down with ONE girl!" He laughed again and sat up in a crossed leg position.

"Adam has a couple kids too." He said more quietly and looked out at the ocean.

Bella could see his jaw tense and his breathing slow as he tried to compose himself.

She pulled her self into a position that mirrored his own and pulled his hands into hers.

"Hey."

He continued to look out and take deep breaths.

"Baby."

Taking a few more breaths, he finally turned toward her with glassy eyes.

"I promise you. PROMISE you, it's going to be okay."

She offered him and small smile and he returned an even smaller one.

"I know." He looked down at their hands and stroked the back of her knuckle with the pad of his thumb.

"I tell myself that everyday." He chuckled.

"Most days…I even believe it." He laughed a little louder.

He looked in her eyes.

"Thank you. There have been so many days…"

He slowly moved his fingers against her forehead and trailed his finger down the side of her face.

"…I don't think I would have made it without you."

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

As he cupped her jaw, he pulled her mouth to his and gently stroked her lip with his tongue, asking for entrance.

She immediately responded with the opening of her mouth and a soft swoon.

It never failed, if she was having a bad day, he could make it all go away.

Pulling her into his lap, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he moved one hand to her pants pocket and the other under her shirt to stroke the soft skin on her lower back.

She wanted him. It had been a few days and she missed him.

Slowly rotating her hips, she ground into him and he let out a stifled groan.

"We are a fam-a-lee…I got all my sisters with me…." Bella's phone rang out.

"Uggg, Alice!" Bella called and Jamie chuckled.

"Better answer it or she'll call all night." He smiled and nipped at her chin.

"And I have plans for you tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows and Bella laughed as she climbed off of him and crawled over to the phone, making sure to put a little extra wiggle in there and then looked back at him over her shoulder and winked.

Jamie just groaned and threw himself back on the sand, throwing his forearm over his eyes.

"Yes dear." Bella answered.

"What took you so long?" Alice blew into the phone.

Bella chuckled. Impatient Alice.

"Nothing. What's up buttercup?"

Alice just laughed. It was always good to hear Bella happy. Things had been so touch and go for so long, that Alice would never tire of hearing the pep in her cousin's step.

"I just wanted to call and see what time you'll be home next week?"

Bella stiffened automatically.

"Bella?" Alice called. She knew Bella would react this way.

"Alice, I just don't know…"

Alice cut her off immediately.

"Bella! This is about Charlie. No one else. They are giving this in memory of him. A special honor at the banquet the night before and everything! You'd really back out of that?"

Bella closed her eyes together as tight as possible and bit her lip.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to escape this. After all these years of running and she wouldn't be able to run anymore. She would have to go back.

Have to face him.

Have to look at those green eyes that still made her heart hurt. Look at the hair that still made her want to tug at it so bad that when she thought about it, her panties suddenly became wet.

"I don't even know if I can still get a ticket." Bella tried to justify.

"I already bought you one. Just give them your name at the desk." Alice declared matter of factly.

Taking a deep breath and scratching her head, Bella relented.

"Fine."

Looking back over the quilt, she knew immediately the only way she could handle this. She needed her rock, her reason for still being able to function.

"But Jamie is coming with me."

The line was empty for a few seconds.

"I'll call the airline and have another ticket left." Alice replied curtly.

There was a silence between the two of them for a few moments. It hadn't been this way in so long.

"I miss you." Alice spoke meekly, so much so that Bella barely heard her.

"I know Alice. I miss you so much." Bella was being honest. Sure she and Alice met up every couple months for dinner, but it wasn't the same.

She missed being in the same town with her. Seeing her every day. She missed her cousin…her best friend.

"I'll be home soon. You won't have to miss me anymore." Bella wanted to lighten the mood.

"I bet you get tired of me!" Bella laughed.

"Never." Alice forced a chuckle back, but they both knew.

"I'll see you soon okay?" Bella posed the question, but she wanted Alice to understand. She couldn't do this alone. She would need all the help she could get.

"Soon… love you."

"Love you too. Bye." Bella ended the call. Taking a deep breath, she tossed the phone back onto the edge of the blanket and crawled back over to Jamie who was snoozing lightly on his back.

Snuggling up into his side and putting her hand under his shirt to play with the smooth skin around his belly button, Bella smiled when his arm came down and pulled her tighter into him.

"Jamie?"

"What baby?" He said never opening his eyes.

"You remember I told you that I had to go back home at the end of the month?" Bella continued to play with his stomach. She just hoped that he could come with her.

"Yeah?"

"Would you come with me?" Her voice was small and she wasn't even sure he heard her.

"Of course I will." He pulled back and looked her in the eye.

"Is something wrong?"

Bella pulled her top half up and rested her weight on the forearm she was laying on. Staring in his eyes, she hoped he couldn't see the fear there.

"No, it's just that…" Bella chewed her lip and Jamie gently tugged it out from her teeth.

"…it's been so long since I have been there and I don't want to go alone." Bella looked down.

He placed his pointer finger under her chin and lifted it to see her eyes.

"I'm always right here, right by your side….no matter what." His eyes told her he was being honest and she smiled at him.

Laying her head back down in his chest, she retuned her hand to his stomach and he pulled her close to him again.

She just hoped that she could limit the time that Jamie would be around him. That she could limit the time SHE spent around him.

She just hoped that she could keep it together.

She hoped she could be the new Bella there.

She hoped that she could smile and laugh there.

God, she was in trouble.