All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer; I just like to play with her characters.

No copyright infringement in intended.

HUGE thanks to darcysmom and twimom817 for beta'ing; EdwardsmyObsession1971 for pre-reading and huge HUGS to the three of them for their unending encouragement.

When You Least Expect It

Chapter Four

No Turning Back

EPOV

When Eric first suggested hiring a personal chef after Lauren left, I wanted to argue but I didn't have it in me. I was so lost – barely keeping my head afloat. Lauren had completely blindsided me with the news that she'd had an affair. My mind was reeling and then the pictures came and it was right there in vivid color for everyone to see.

"Edward … I'm so, so sorry. I love you so much. I … I didn't sleep with him. It was just a few kisses and an embrace."

I couldn't hear anything she was saying to me. I didn't want to hear anything she was saying to me. Nothing she said mattered. I had the evidence right in front of me. After years of keeping our relationship private she spends one very public moment in the arms of another man; his lips on her skin and his whispers warm in her ear. It was more than I could take and I had to get out of the house we shared.

Doug tucked me into the back of his black Mercedes sedan and drove me to Chateau Marmont. I don't even remember checking in. Doug handed me a key and I made my way to my room. My phone buzzed relentlessly in my pocket and I checked it every now and then only to see that it was Lauren calling and texting me – pleading with me to come home and talk to her about it. I needed quiet – space to think.

Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't a promiscuous guy. My parents had been married for thirty-two years and I valued love and relationships too much to have a one night fling just because some woman looked hot in a skirt. I wanted one person – one person who I loved more than anything. Someone I adored and could shower with love and affection, and all I wanted was for that person to love and respect me in return. I didn't think that was too much to ask, but apparently it was.

After the news of the "scandal" broke, I laid low for several weeks before I had to begin promotions for a new movie I'd premiered at Cannes in the spring. I was dreading the press junkets because I knew the first thing the media would ask was how I was doing and if I'd spoken to Lauren or not. The internet and newsstands were filled with headlines claiming I'd kicked her out. They said I was hiding because I'd had an affair of my own. A few of the sketchier publications they'd made me out to be a cheating bisexual and what Lauren did was payback for my wandering sexuality.

That was the middle of July. At the end of August, I left for Iraq to work on a new project. I hid myself away so I didn't have to deal with the pain of what was happening in my personal life and to give me enough perspective so that I'd have a clear head to work on my next project. Project Black-Ops was intense and I needed to have my head in the game every moment. There were still times at night when I'd fall into bed exhausted after a long day of shooting that I'd wish for Lauren's soft and sweet smelling body next to me. There were mornings I'd reach across the bed unconsciously only to find the sheets cold and empty next to me and it filled me with a deep sadness that before it actually happened – I could only imagine.

Sometime in mid-September, I had a couple hours to myself and I finally decided to pick up the phone and call Lauren. I'd kept her hanging for so long and it hurt to do so but not as much as the wounds she'd inflicted by cheating.

"Edward?" She asked softly.

"Yeah … it's me."

"How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm all right. Working … you know how it is. How is your new project going?"

"Oh … umm … I backed out of it. I couldn't do it. I'm not doing so well. I miss you."

I sighed.

"Lauren … I don't know why you did what you did and I'm at a point where I don't care. You humiliated and hurt me more than I could ever imagine. How could you do that to someone you love? If you didn't love me you should have said something long ago, Lauren."

"I do love you, Edward. I love you so much." Lauren sniffled.

"You love me so much you had an affair with a married man? His family is ruined. I know it wasn't all your doing – you obviously didn't act alone and he knew what he was doing but …."

"I know, Edward, I know. It was wrong. I don't know what I was thinking. It was a horrible mistake and you can't imagine how sorry I am. Please, Edward … tell me that when you come home we can talk. I'll do anything, I just want you back."

"We're talking now, Lauren and I'm afraid this is all I have to offer to you. I can't be with someone who would disrespect me like that and humiliate me publicly. You know how private I am and this was just too much. I think it's best if we part ways now and go on about our separate lives."

I could hear my own voice breaking at my words. My heart wanted to tell her that I loved her still and I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and kiss her silly, but my mind was overruling my heart. My self-preservation instinct had kicked in and I wasn't about to take another chance on Lauren – four years be damned. Once a cheater – always a cheater.

Lauren sobbed on the other end of the phone as she told me that she didn't want me to walk out of her life because I'd been such a big part of it for the last four years.

"I'm sorry, Lauren. That's not something I can promise you I won't do right now. I need space and you need to earn my forgiveness if that's even possible."

"P… puh … please, Edward?"

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I'll be in touch."

I ended the call and immediately dialed Eric to let him know what I'd done. I asked him to make arrangements with Lauren to move her things out of the home I'd purchased but Lauren and I shared. I hated the thought of going home to an empty house, but LA was where I needed to be in the business I was in.

Time continued to pass – the only reason I was aware was that days spent filming were rapidly passing. In Iraq there was only the sand beneath your feet and the sun in the sky – there were no trees to indicate that seasons were changing. I longed for the cool autumn breeze that told me fall was well on its way.

Eric called me in the middle of October to let me know that the agency had hired a personal chef for me – anything to make my life without Lauren a little easier.

"Do you want to know about her?" Eric asked.

"No. She's probably some middle aged overweight spinster with six cats. I think I'm good, Eric. Thanks."

"All right, Edward, if you say so."

Just shy of two weeks later, I was on my way home. I'd attempted to call Eric several times but wasn't able to catch him, so I called Doug instead since he'd need to pick me up at the airport anyway. My new security guy, Emmett, who had been with me since I started this project would hand me off to Doug and then take a much needed break.

When we reached Doug at the baggage carousel, Emmett smiled and clasped my shoulder.

"See you in a couple weeks, Ed. If you need me in the meantime, don't hesitate to call, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Em."

Emmett and I had gotten to know each other pretty well in the time that we'd been in Iraq. I told him all about Lauren. He knew most of it from the media but he knew ninety percent of that was bullshit. We talked about it several times and ultimately I could see his point. It gave me the perspective I needed to let Lauren go and not dread going back to my home so much.

As I settled into the car next to Doug, he looked at me and smiled.

"Can we pick up something to eat on the way home? I'm starving." I asked.

"Nope. Your new personal chef is in the kitchen cooking up a storm as we speak. She's great by the way. So far she's a real sweetheart. You're going to love her. Just don't be an ass to her and scare her off."

"An ass? Me?"

"I know … that's not you, but I don't want your situation as of late to cause you to be bitter toward other women. Not every woman will do what Lauren did and I hope you realize that, Edward."

"I know that. I also know that it's going to take a lot for me to trust another woman."

"Edward … you can't take one awful experience and treat other women badly because of it. Besides, Bella is only your chef. I don't think she's looking for any type of relationship right now, let alone a relationship with her boss."

I followed Doug into the house. It was strange being back in the house after a couple months of not being there – especially since Lauren wasn't there waiting for me.

"Hey, Bella, we're back."

"Dinner's just about ready, Doug." A soft, sweet voice rang out, breaking the silence.

It was a voice I hadn't heard before, but it was calming and a stark difference from the tone of Lauren's voice.

"Excellent. It smells amazing in here, by the way."

The voice from the kitchen giggled and it was one of the sweetest sounds I'd ever heard.

"What?" Doug asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Eric said the same thing, I just found it funny."

A slender, petite brunette was busy turning what looked like a pale pancake out of a frying pan when I walked into the kitchen. Her hair was twisted up on her head and held with a large claw looking barrette. She wore a magenta top that had black dragons sewn into the fabric that looked almost like silk and her legs were encased in tight denim.

Doug cleared his throat.

"Edward … this is Bella, your new personal chef. Bella … this is Edward Cullen."

"Hello, Mr. Cullen." Bella said softly, offering her hand to me.

"Please, call me Edward."

Bella was beautiful. Wide, warm hazel eyes peeked out from underneath her bangs. Her nose was like a little button – not too small nor too big on her face. Freckles were splattered across her nose and rosy cheeks. Her lips were the perfect shade of pink. They looked full and soft and completely kissable.

I took her small hand in mine and shook it gently – relishing in the warmth it offered me. I couldn't help but smile softly at her. Our eyes met for only a moment and I found myself looking down, closing the windows of my soul to her.

"Umm … the pizza will be ready in a few minutes. I'm just finishing up some dessert."

"Pizza sounds amazing," I murmured as I reached into the fridge for a beer.

"Edward …I didn't get a chance today, but tomorrow I'll make a menu for the week. If there is anything in particular you'd like, just let me know, okay?"

Eric had hounded me to send him a list that he could forward on to Bella, but there really wasn't anything that sounded good to me food wise. Since the Lauren debacle I merely went through the motions. I only ate because I needed nourishment or my director would have been kicking my ass. The only thing I'd managed to tell them was "no mushrooms".

"Thanks, Bella."

The timer went off and I watched as Bella moved around my kitchen with ease. It was like she'd always been there. She opened a drawer to pull out some hot pads and pulled the pizzas she'd made out of the oven. She sat them on top of the stove and quickly sliced them and slid them onto plates. Doug was already sitting at the breakfast bar and I stood, leaning against the wall trying to keep myself from watching her and failing horribly.

"Wow, Bella. This looks great." Doug smiled as Bella sat a plate down in front of him.

"Thanks." Bella smiled softly.

Bella finished up the pancake looking things as Doug tucked into his meal.

"Edward … Jesus. This is fantastic. The best pizza I've ever had."

I sat down beside him and dug into mine as well. If I thought it smelled good, it tasted even better. The flavors popped in my mouth and it was indeed by far the best pizza I'd ever had. I barely noticed as Bella continued to move about the kitchen. I heard the cling of pots and pans as she scrubbed some of them in the sink and sat them on the counter to dry. Some things she rinsed off and put into the dishwasher.

My attention was back on her as Doug asked her what she was making next. She was stirring something in a small pan on the stove and she had eggs, milk, and a large loaf of twisted bread sitting out on the counter. Bella smiled as she turned her attention briefly to us.

"Breakfast." She smiled.

"Bella … you don't have to be here early in the morning," I said quietly, hoping I'd be able to sleep in – if I slept at all.

"I'll be here around nine. If you're not up by then, that's okay. It'll take breakfast about an hour to bake anyway."

I nodded and went back to eating my pizza.

Ten minutes later, Bella had finished her breakfast dish and slid it into the fridge. She cleaned up the dishes again after placing our desserts in front of us. The pale pancake things she was making turned out to be crepes filled with cream and cheese. Bella served them with fresh strawberries. It looked so beautiful, I almost hated to eat it, but then I tasted it and it was one of the most delicious things I'd ever eaten. I think I moaned a bit and I know my eyes rolled back into my head as I savored the delectable treat Bella had made.

"Bella …" I whispered. "This is amazing. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Edward. I'll see you tomorrow."

Bella smiled as she picked up her things off the counter and let herself out the front door.

"Yeah … I think she's a keeper, Ed." Doug grinned.

"God … I don't think I could handle it if she cooks like this every night."

"You don't like it?"

"I love it. The pizza was awesome, the dessert is … wow, one of the best things I've ever tasted but if she cooks like this all the time, I'm seriously going to have to install a home gym and start to work out more than I usually do."

The next week was interesting with Bella thrown into the mix in my home. I found myself struggling just to get out of bed some days. Everywhere I looked I saw Lauren and the life we had together before her infidelity. I was drinking heavily just to sleep and find some sort of numbness. I began to smoke again but when that too reminded me of Lauren, I quit all over again. I spoke to my mom and my sisters often because they were worried about me. The endless questions every time I spoke to them were a given.

"Are you eating, honey?" Mom asked.

"Yes, Mom. I've hired a personal chef. She's incredible. She makes me three meals a day and she's stocked the fridge with lots of healthy things for me to snack on should I get hungry."

"That's good, honey. Is she making you all your favorite things?"

"Mom … I haven't demanded that she make anything in particular. So far she hasn't made anything that I haven't liked. My favorite by far was the pizza she made the first night I came home."

After one particularly rough night, I trudged down the stairs with my sweats and an old t-shirt on. I flopped my weary body onto one of the barstools. Bella had her back to me – she was washing dishes in the sink. Every time I'd seen her lately she was washing dishes.

"Good morning, Edward. Can I get you some coffee?" Bella asked softly.

"Hey. Actually, I'd love a cup of tea if you don't mind."

I noticed there was already a cup of what looked like tea sitting on the counter. I figured it must have been Bella's.

"I don't mind at all. Do you have a preference? There's English Teatime, Coconut Chai, Spiced Chai, Orange Pekoe …."

"English Teatime is fine," I replied quietly.

Bella took out a mug and ripped open a tea bag. She removed the kettle from the stove and poured the water in. She sat the mug in front of me and handed me a plate and spoon.

"Do you need milk or half and half?"

"Milk, please, and sugar too."

Bella watched me carefully as I measured out my sugar and then carefully poured the milk into my cup. My mom always made tea for me like this when I was a kid. It was soothing then and it was soothing now. She told me that she had blueberry muffins baking and that they would be done shortly after I told her that something she was making smelled incredible.

"Thanks, Bella. I haven't had a chance to say it yet, but thank you for everything."

"You don't have to thank me for doing my job, Edward. I appreciate the sentiment but the best thanks you could give me is an empty plate – then I know you've enjoyed your meal."

"You have yet to make something I didn't like. I know it's only been a couple weeks, but … yeah."

"You're busy this week …." Bella trailed off.

"Yeah … I'll be glad when this month is over."

We talked for a few minutes about what I'd like as far as meals went for the next few days. She knew what my schedule looked like and we agreed that it was best to keep it simple – soups and sandwiches; things that I could easily reheat. Bella made a list quickly and bade me goodbye as she went out shopping.

She was pulling into the drive just as I was leaving for a lunch meeting with a director I'd be working with in a few months. I'd worked with him several months ago and I was looking forward to catching up with him. After our meeting, I'd swing by the house and change before I had to go tape a talk show that evening.

When I returned, Bella was once again standing at the sink washing dishes.

"It's so rare to see a chef doing all their own cleaning." I said quietly.

Bella gasped and I couldn't help but smile at her. A beautiful blush covered her lovely face and ran down into the neckline of her chef's coat.

"Jesus, Edward. Please don't sneak up on me like that. Especially when I have a knife in my hand."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Bella snapped as she turned back to the sink.

"What are you making? It smells great."

"Lasagna. I thought it would be easy for you to heat up later."

"Yeah. That sounds really good, actually."

The first week of November, I was busy with promos for Aurora – Part 2 that didn't require me to be with any other cast members, but I'd have to see Lauren for the premiere. When I came back that evening, I heated up the lasagna that Bella had made for me and even reheated it was amazing. I'd have to make a point to do something nice for her. Yes, I was paying her but that didn't mean that I couldn't make sure she knew how much I truly appreciated that she was good at her job.

I didn't see Bella again until the day of the premiere. I'd had a pretty rough night and Eric came over and drug my ass out of bed and started barking orders at me too early in the day. I grabbed my bottle of whiskey from the night before and my pack of cigarettes and went out to my patio. The fresh air and coolness of the morning seemed to help my mood minutely.

Eric asked if I wanted a cup of coffee and I promptly told him to fuck off. Not twenty minutes later, Bella stepped out on to the patio with a tray in her hand. She'd brought me a cup of tea and some biscotti. I was touched that she remembered how I liked my tea and the look in her eyes when she spoke to me told me that she truly understood how I was feeling at the moment.

"Thanks," I grumbled.

"Nervous about tonight?" Bella asked.

"You could say that, I guess."

"Want to talk about it? I'm a pretty good listener."

"Maybe … would you make me some breakfast and we can talk over breakfast?"

"Sure, Edward." She grinned.

"I'll be in shortly … and I'll bring this mess with me when I come in."

"Okay."

"Anything in particular you're hungry for?"

"Surprise me."

I sat the tray on the counter next to where Bella was making breakfast. It looked like she'd decided on omelets. She had shredded cheese and some kind of ham frying in a skillet on the stove. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. I didn't say a word as I exited the kitchen and made my way up the stairs. I only wanted to change into a clean t-shirt. I was sure I smelled like ass after the night I had.

When I made my way back downstairs and sat at the breakfast bar, Bella slid my plate over in front of me and gave me a few minutes.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now tell me why you're so nervous about tonight."

I launched into the whole story why I was so nervous. It was the first time I'd be seeing Lauren since the day she told me she'd cheated on me. I'm not sure what it was about Bella, but I felt so comfortable talking to her. She was calm and kept a poker face the entire time I was telling her my woes.

"Bella … what would cause a woman to do such a thing? Why?"

She waited patiently to make sure that I really wanted her to answer. When she finally did her voice was soft and calm.

"I … I don't know, Edward. I honestly don't know what the circumstances were. I can't tell you what was going on in her head."

"I was going to propose. I had the ring and I was going to ask her to marry me."

A pained look flitted across her face before she regained her composure.

"Maybe she wasn't ready to get married, Edward. Maybe she knew it was coming and she panicked. Panic can cause even the most intelligent people to do stupid things. I'm not making excuses for her, I'm only suggesting the idea."

"Maybe … but why couldn't she just tell me that? Why did she have to humiliate me?"

"I don't know, Edward. She certainly could have gone about it in a better way, make no mistake about that."

I voiced my worries about the fans and what they'd think about me being the poor guy that Lauren cheated on.

"You're going to be fine tonight. Walk the carpet with your head held high, greet your fans and do what you do best. Don't let Lauren take that away from you. You are a gentleman – you can be cordial and you know how to put on a mask and let everything run off your back so do just that. It's one evening. At the end of the night, you can come home and crawl into your bed and hide under the covers if you want."

"I can do that."

"I know you can."

"Bella?" I asked. "I don't want the fans to feel sorry for me, you know? I don't want them to say 'oh, poor Edward'. But at the same time, I don't want Lauren's fans to think I'm a bastard because I didn't take her back."

"Did you end it?"

"Yes. I just couldn't deal with it."

"Do you feel happy with that decision?"

"Yes. I mean, I do miss her, but I was with her for four years for fuck's sake."

"I get it. I don't think the fans will feel sorry for you. Hopefully they'll be supportive and that's a good thing. Starlight is done now – give them some good memories to think about walking away from this and hopefully take them with you to your other projects."

I looked over at her beautiful face and genuinely smiled for the first time in what felt like months.

"You're pretty smart, ya know that?"

"Nah … I just know a little bit about heartache and how to pick yourself up and move on, that's all."

What could this beautiful creature possibly know about heartache? Bella seemed sweet and genuine – I couldn't imagine anyone treating her badly. She quickly slid off the barstool next to me and went about cleaning up the kitchen. I finished my breakfast and carried my plate to the sink – where I stood right next to Bella.

"I know we don't have a whole lot of time today, but if you ever want to talk, I'm a pretty good listener."

Bella cracked a small smile as I threw her words from earlier back at her. I hoped that because I had opened up to her so easily that she would trust me and feel like she could do the same. I recognized the pain I saw in her beautiful hazel eyes and I wondered briefly what they would look like if they were filled with happiness instead.

"Sure, Edward. Thank you. I may take you up on that when you don't have to get all dolled up and run off to a movie premiere."

She was adorable as she razzed me about having to get "dolled up" to go to a premiere. Her comments were light hearted and teasing and I dearly missed that kind of interaction with a woman. It felt like it had been ages since I'd been that way with Lauren and sometimes I wondered if I'd ever be able to act that way with a woman again.

I shook my head and smiled at her.

"I'll get you for that, Bella."

"Uh huh … sure you will, Cullen. Just remember that I cook the majority of your food."

"You wouldn't spit in something just to get back at me … you have too much pride in what you do, Bella," I shot back at her.

I turned and left the room with a wide grin on my face.

The premiere that night wasn't awful. Yes, I had to stand next to Lauren and smile and take pictures but everyone knew that we had parted ways. Everyone around us did their best to make sure that the evening wasn't as awkward as it could have been. I stopped by the after party briefly to say hello to the cast members that I'd worked with but hadn't seen in a while, and I ducked out soon after.

When I got home, I did exactly what I wanted to do as soon as I crawled out of bed that morning. I stripped down to my boxer briefs and crawled under the cool sheets and pulled the blankets over my head. The day had been long and exhausting and it couldn't be over soon enough.

I woke just after eight the next morning. I was eager to get out of bed and see what Bella was creating for me for breakfast only to be disappointed when I got downstairs. Eric was sitting at the breakfast bar typing into his laptop much like the day before and I could smell the strong shit he considered to be coffee.

"Where's Bella?"

"She couldn't come over today. She promised that she'd be by in a little while with something for dinner though."

"Is she okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah, she's fine. She's just got issues at home."

Issues? My mind began to race with the possibilities.

A/N: Eeep! Okay don't come after me with the frying pans just yet! Bella will explain what's going on with her eventually but she does feel like she needs to really trust him before she tells him what's going on in her life. At this point, Eric knows about her son but he doesn't know about Mike and the circumstances surrounding him.

I apologize that I didn't get around to reviews this week ... it's been crazy and coming up on November it's only going to get worse. =) I do want to say in response to a couple of reviews - I did mention in an A/N that things that occur in this FIC are NOT opinions. It's FIC. I am a fan of Rob AND of Kristen ... what they do in their lives is their business. I will support them and their career no matter what they choose. However ... I am an Edward and Bella girl and I firmly believe they should ALWAYS be together even if it's a little bit of a struggle to get there because relationships are never easy.

Please leave me some love in the form of a review, I'm curious to see what you think of Edward!