Bella is running from someone, but she doesn't want anyone to know. She wants to live a normal life, so she moves to Georgia and lives with her best friend Alice. What Bella doesn't realize is that her ex, Edward Cullen, just happens to be living in the same town as her. Will he be able to protect her from the dangers that haunted her in New York.
Chapter 1
And cue the girly screaming. My best friend Alice let out a full scream when she saw me standing on her front lawn. She launched herself forward into my arms. "Isabella Swan are you really here on my lawn?"
"Yes you crazy pixie freak it's me." I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed her tight. It had been two years since I'd seen Alice and boy had she changed. Since graduated high school Alice had gotten married to Jasper Hale, her high school sweetheart. They moved to Georgia and live on a big ass farm with their one year old daughter Fran.
"Never have I missed anyone as much as I missed you." I felt one of her tears hit the fabric of my shirt. "Sorry I don't mean to cry it's just, I missed you."
"Well what are best friends for?" She pulled back and I kissed her cheek. "I've missed you too Lissa." She grabbed one of my bags and I grabbed the other as she pulled me inside her house.
"Now I know it's kinda of big but you get used to it." I smiled as she showed me around. "We have five rooms, I know it's a lot, but we have a lot of guests sometimes. This is your room," she pushed open the door to a big room with light purple walls. "do you like it?"
"I love it." I mumbled setting my bag on the big bed and taking in the room. "It's beautiful, I can't believe you live here."
"Well it's only a plus that we come from money. It only sucks because Jasper is gone all the time with getting his teaching degree and I'm stuck being the stay at home mom."
"Speaking of being a mom, where is that little midget?"
"She's outside with the stable hand Rob, he's about sixty something years old and is just the sweetest guy ever. He lets Fran pet the horses."
I laughed and shook my head. "Alice Hale has horses? What happened to hating the outdoors?"
"Jasper." She smiled "I've fallen in love with being in the middle of nowhere. I don't think you realize how peaceful it is. When you called and said you needed to get out of New York, I knew you'd love it out here."
"It's perfect, thank you." I wrapped an arm around her. "I can tell that you're not telling me something, what's going on?"
"You have to promise not to be mad, okay?" I shrugged.
"Edward Cullen is the second stable hand here, Rob is the main one and Edward works on the weekends." My heart stopped beating.
"Did you know he was here when you moved here?"
" No. We were grocery shopping one day and ran right into him. Bella it just slipped my mind and when you agreed to come visit I couldn't tell you! You wouldn't come."
"You're crazy." I said walking past her and outside into her massive backyard. The stable was a pretty good distance away. "I can't believe you."
"I wanted you here Bells. I haven't seen you in two years, I miss my best friend. I'm stuck in the house with a one year old!" I just kept walking "Stop denying that you loved him! I know you did."
That made me stop. Edward was our defense teacher back in high school, defense class was just an extra class we could take, I took it because of Edward. He pushed me away at first but after our first kiss, I knew we had to be together. But he denied it, and it ended after a week of him realizing that he didn't have the same feelings for me.
"Ms. Alice I'm done for the day. "Rob the stable hand walked over with a little tiny blonde girl in his arms. "Miss. Fran got to sit on one of the horses for the day." He handed Fran to Alice.
"Bye Rob. "Alice waved to him and Fran rested her head on Alice's shoulder. "Fran do you know who this is? It's your Aunt Rosie." Fran just waved at me and buried her face in her moms neck. "She'll warm up to you."
"It's fine." I said looking out at all her land. "God this place is huge. Might as well build me a house down there and I can live here forever."
"Don't tempt me." Alice smiled as we walked back to the house. I helped her start dinner while Fran played in the living room.
"What does he do here other then the stable?" I asked as I cut up some mushrooms.
"He did work for SWAT for awhile, he was shot and now just works as a sniper for hostage situations. At least that's what the paper said." she mumbled. "He's taller about six foot three, he cut his hair though."
I nodded. "Does he speak to you?"
"All the time actually. He's asked about you once or twice, but he stopped. Maybe you could talk to him when he works tomorrow." I shook my head no "He doesn't know you're here."
"I don't think he wants to talk to me okay?" I sighed "I'm here as the full time babysitter so you can go out and get a job."
"Where is she at?" I heard a voice boom and Jasper walked into the kitchen smiling. "There she is, Isabella Swan." I skipped over and hugged him. Jasper and I didn't used to see eye to eye but we grew close. "You look healthy."
"I'm surviving." I laughed and went back to cutting mushrooms. He walked over and kissed Alice. "Gross stop kissing." We made our homemade pizza and settled at the table, Fran in her high chair.
"You tell her about Cullen yet?" Alice shot him daggers but he just chuckled "Down women I'm just asking."
"Yes I've heard and now we're on to the next conversation like how Fran is putting pizza all over her face." I smiled. Alice reached over and cleaned her up. "I don't know how I would be with a baby."
"You'd be fabulous. You and Fran are going to have such a fun time tomorrow." I looked at smiled at the happy little girl. "She'll be on her best behavior."
Alice was right. Fran did exactly what I said, she's stop throwing toys if I asked her and if she started crying and I picked her up she'd relax and rest her head on my shoulder. I slipped her little cowboy boots on and held her hand as we walked outside.
"Horse." Fran said and pulled me over to the stables. I didn't know a single thing about horses so I was hoping she didn't expect me to open up a stall a right one of the horses. "E!" I didn't understand what she meant when she said that, but I guess I didn't but there he stood. Edward Cullen.
Fran let go of my hand and ran up to Edward, he picked her and settled her on his hip. "Bella." Holy shit he still has it. The way he's say my name with his southern accent, he basically made me melt. No, stay strong Bella.
"Edward." I said staring at his feet. "Fran come on sweetie, let's go inside and I'll make us some lunch." Fran just wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. "Or not."
"I'll watch her." Edward said. "I'll bring her in once I'm done here."
I growled. This was my time with Fran. "Whatever." I mumbled turning and walking back to the house. I flipped the television on and watched The Real Housewives of Orange County but I couldn't help how mad I was that Edward just stole my time with Fran. I'd gone through three episodes when Edward walked in with Fran asleep in his arms.
"She started to get sleepy while we were brushing one of the horses." He apologized.
"Could you not tire her out? It was my first day with her and I barely got anytime because she wanted to hangout with you." I took the sleeping angel from him. I carried her upstairs and tucked her into her crib. When I walked back down Edward stood in the kitchen. "Thought you'd be gone."
"Sorry I was thirsty." He took a sip of his glass of water. "You look nice." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Geez you haven't changed one bit have you."
I sighed. "Listen can you just go?" He set his glass in the sink and moved around me.
"I'll be back. Alice invited my girlfriend and I over for dinner. See you at six Bells." I was going to murder Alice. Is she crazy, why would she think I would want to have dinner with him. I paced around the entire house completely pissed that Alice would do this.
As soon as she walked in the door I went off on her. "Are you crazy? Inviting Edward and his girlfriend to dinner. You're trying to make me jump off a bridge?"
"It's called being nice Bella." She moved around me and carried the grocery's she had into the kitchen."He's been here every weekend since we arrived and I deserve to repay him."
"Did we not discuss how much I disliked him yesterday?"I growled. "Like are you smoking pot or something?"
"Jasper and I talked before bed last night and agreed that dinner would be a nice way to thank him for his services."
"Your child is sleeping, I'll be in my room like a teenager until dinner." I turned around and stomped up the steps.
Alice
"That looks like some amazing pasta." Jasper said picking Fran up off the floor and kissing my cheek. "How did Bella take the news?"
"She's locked herself in her room like a teenager." I sighed "I really just wish she'd admit she still has feelings for him and stop hiding behind the hate."
"It's love, it does funny things to ya. "Jasper nuzzled Fran's neck and then gave her a kiss. "I think I just heard a car pull up."
"Bella dinner is ready let's go!" I shouted. I set the table while Jasper placed Fran in her high chair. Bella stomped down in sweats and her long beautiful hair hanging loose.
"This is going to be a fucking disaster." She mumbled and flopped into one of the chairs. Jasper went and answered the door, Edward walked in surprisingly alone.
"Edward," I smiled and welcomed him "come sit. I made pasta I hope you like pasta because that is all I've made."
"What happened to the girlfriend?" Bella mumbled filling her plate with pasta and grabbing garlic bread.
"There isn't one. I just said it to rile you up Ms. Swan." I think I saw Bella's face turn fifty shades of red. "Hi Ms. Fran."
"E!" Fran smiled and clapped her hands together. Bella never said another word the entire night. She ate silently and sipped her wine. Jasper, Edward and I held a conversation the entire night, I took glances at Bella and she just sat there, glancing at Edward once in awhile.
"You know what is the most amazing thing to see here at night is the stars, I'm going to clean up but Edward why don't you go walk Bella down to the picnic table. Jasper put Fran to bed please."
"Why fucking not." Bella stood up and went to grab her boots.
Bella
I'd been here for about a day and I'd have to say I'm already sick of it. Going back to New York sounded much better than being here right now, walking through Alice and Jasper's back yard with Edward. "I know you hate me but you could at least talk to me." He said pushing his hands in his pockets.
I shake my head "You still have no idea how much you hurt me do you? Edward you made me fall in love with you after a week. Just when I think things are going well you pull me aside and say 'Oh it was nice but sorry can't be with you'."
"Bella it was so complicated back then, you were my student first off, and second if anyone found out I could have gone to jail."
"I turned eighteen the day you broke up with me. Did you know that? Did you even realize how happy I was, I could be with you and it would be okay." He seemed stunned.
"Bella, I never knew that." I sat down in the grass and tucked my legs under me. "The picnic table is just over there."
"I'm fine here." He sat down next to me. "I just don't want to talk about the past anymore. Yeah it sucked but we moved on, you probably moved on."
"I guess you could say I did." Edward chuckled. "I dated a girl when I got here but everything she did I couldn't help but be annoyed." I laughed "I know it sounds horrible but I kept comparing her to you."
"Stop." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Why are you doing this, why now?" He took my face in his hands.
"Bella I've wanted to be with you from the moment I met you. Yeah, I broke things off but I regretted that every single day of my life. You have no idea how you took my breath away when I saw you in the stable today." he stroked my cheek "My beautiful Bella."
"You're such an ass, you know that always makes me smile." I chuckled and for the first time, in two years, I kissed Edward Cullen.
"Wow, so that's what I've been missing for two years." I giggled "I'm a stupid man."
"Very stupid." I said quietly while I ran my hands gently over his scruffy face. "But I think I can forgive you."
"Go on a date with me. A proper date, we don't have to hide I can hold your hand and kiss you whenever I want." I pushed him down on the grass and leaned over him.
"Wherever you wanna go I'll go." I said quietly. "To think just a couple hours ago I wanted to rip your throat out."
"Yeah I just wanted to kiss you." Edward laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "I want to make this right. I want to be with you, I'm off tomorrow, would you like to join me on a date?"
"Hmm, I don't know I think I would have to check my schedule." I joked. He stood up and pulled me too my feet. We held hands as we walked back in silence. "Is this for real? Because if you're doing this for fun then stop."
"Bella this is real, and I want you to stop worry about me leaving you. I'm not leaving you, not this time."
FLASHBACK
"Government has to be the most draining class of the day." Alice said as we started walking to lunch. "Are you going to see him?"
I shrugged. "Should I?" I never knew if I should go see Edward or not on his free periods, but sometimes I wanted to.
"Go." She nudged me and smiled. I slowly made my way to the gym and walked across the floor to Edward's big office. I knocked and let myself in. Edward sat at his desk a book in one hand and a fork for his salad in the other. "Hi."
"Hey Bells," He smiled and set his book down. "did you need something." I bit my lip and moved in.
"Just to see you." I admitted shutting the door and dropping my bag. I walked over and sat on his lap. "It makes me happy seeing you."
His arms wrapped around my waist. "You know it's a risk coming to see me during school hours." I whimpered and nuzzled his neck.
"It's worth the risk." I heard him sigh and knew he wasn't mad at me. "But if you don't want me here I can leave." He lifted me up and set me on his desk.
"I think this risk might really be worth the risk." He smiled and kissed me passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled lightly at his short pony tail. I felt his hand trail up the back of my shirt and then unsnap my bra.
"Edward," I pulled away and he smiled. "stop be said no clothing is to be removed on school grounds." He smiled and kissed me again.
"Well I think we might need to revaluate that." He kissed my neck. Just as he was lifting my shirt over my head there was a knock at his door. I quickly grabbed my stuff and ran into one of the closets. He cleared his throat and opened the door.
"Mr. Cullen," it was Ms. Jenner, my government teacher. She was my height, if I didn't hate her so much I might admit that she was pretty. "sorry was I interrupting?"
"No I just eating my lunch, I like peace and quiet." He stepped aside so she could walk in."Is there something you needed?"
"I was going to ask you to lunch." I saw Edward hesitate. "I'm sorry are you seeing someone? This is so inappropriate of me."
"No it's just I've already eaten my lunch." He chuckled "How about tomorrow, lunch will be on me."
Ms. Jenner smiled "Okay see you tomorrow." She giggled lightly and left. I stumbled out of the closet, tears falling down my face.
"Bella-"
"Shut up." I said cutting him off. I reached behind me and hooked my bra back together. I grabbed my backpack and dodged his hands that tired to stop me. "Just because we can't tell people that you and I are together doesn't mean you should act single."
I stormed off not realizing that our fight was the first and last fight we would ever have.
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XOXO ZOEY