Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Epov

I looked at the girl before me as I stood in the middle of her apartment. Her dark eyes were shuttered to guard whatever feelings she might have as she met my gaze. The dark warmth of her eyes left me feeling breathless as I stood there in the middle of some weird staring contest with her until I couldn't take any longer and looked away.

Bella won again.

She always won.

"Edward, if you are here just to provoke a fight or rage fuck I suggest you get to it, but choose wisely since I'm tired," Bella sighed impatiently as she stepped around me, creating a wide berth as if to avoid being close. She appeared bored, but I knew better. She was nervous. It was clear with the slight tremble in her hand as she grabbed a mug of what appeared to be tea off the table. I watched as she brough the cup to lips and blow on the steaming liquid, but not take a sip.

"Did you take his money?"

The words came out in a rush and sounded off even to my ears as I waited impatiently for her answer as my heart galloped in my chest.

"OK, fight it is," she whispered softly as she shook her head slowly before meeting my gaze with a dark amused look. It created a fire in her eyes that as she slowly grinned darkly at me. It was seductive and playful. It set off a twinge of heat through out my body as I stared mesmerized by her beauty.

I hated and loved that she held such power over me.

"Does it matter?" she asked me with a playful smile that only fanned the flames of rage and lust building in my belly. "I mean, you did after all, right?"

Her words were dark and accusatory.

The smugness of her tone set off a wave of angry disbelief.

"You wanted me to, remember?" I shot back with a smirk that caused her grin to falter for a moment. Seeing that slip felt triumphant even though there was no winning here.

"I only wanted…" I said then stumbled over my own words as I realized how close I had come to saying it.

You.

Maybe Bella was right after all.

Maybe after years of this…whatever it was we were, we had been reduced to fighting or fucking.

I wasn't sure if I was embarrassed or pleased by it.

I just knew that I would rather experience her rage or fucking like was a punishment than nothing with her.

The silence settled between us cold and awkward as we fell back into our weird staring contest.

Her eyes were mesmerizing with their dark depths.

"Did you take his money?" I asked again, forcing the words through the tightness of my throat.

They came out sounding strangled and uneven as I felt her eyes heavy upon me, ignoring me as always.

"What did you do to your hand?"

"Stop deflecting and just answer the question," I countered, trying to keep the pleading out of my voice as I brought my hand up for her to see that it was fine. I winced as I wiggled my fingers to prove that all was fine even if it wasn't. Bella immediately rolled her eyes at my behavior and cross the space between us. She was so close I could feel the warmth of her body and smell the fruity soap scent on her skin.

It was soothing and maddening at all at once. It created an ache in my chest that I knew could only be eased by having her in my arms.

"Bella…" I whispered warily as I couldn't find the strength to step away from her. I needed her to keep her distance because I knew once she was close I wouldn't be able to think properly and this question would get lost.

Bella ignored my plea and stepped closer to take hold of my hand in hers.

"What did you do?" She asked me softly. The combination of the concern in her eyes as she looked up at me, teamed with the warmth of her touch was enough to break what little resolve I had in pursuing the answers I needed.

"I hit Dad,' I confessed softly as her fingers curled carefully around mine before smoothing a thumb over my battered knuckles.

I waited for her scowl or some sort of disapproval, but nothing came. Instead, she looked up at me with a grin before letting out a loud, laugh.

"I wish I had been there to see that," she snorted as she continued to rub my hand. Her touch was soothing and so intoxicating. I felt myself leaning into it as she pulled me towards the chair next to her small kitchen table.

The funny thing was I didn't need her to lead me there as I would have followed her anywhere. Her hand slipped from mine allowing me to take a breath as she grabbed a cloth and wet it down before grabbing some ice.

Bella sat in front of me. She was so close that her thigh touched mine sending off a sparks of heat that only intensified as she took my injuried hand in hers once more. There was a slight sting jolting me back into reality as the wet wash cloth settled over my knuckles.

"Did you take his money?"

She remained silent, focuising on the task of carefully cleaning my wounds. The combination of her touch teamed with the ache in my chest of needing to know the truth.

"Is that why you are here?" She asked as she held my hand with one hand while icing my injuried my hand with her other. The fire amd ice sensation of her touch went chills down my spine as I watched her.

"Yes," I muttered gruffly as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

Abruptly, Bella stood up. She placed my hand gently upon a towel before turning to leave me. I watched her disappear into the dark room off the kitchen that was no doubt her bedroom. She immerged a moment later with a file folder in hand. She slapped it down on the table before me.

"I figured you were here for this," she said as she sat back down again.

I waited, hoping that she would take hold of my hand once more, but she didn't. She just sat there with an expectant look on her face as she waited for my response.

"I thought about filing with you as missing, but I didn't. I mean, all I had to do was place and add in the paper looking for you and if you didn't respond in so many days I could file," she explained as I stared at her, trying to make sense of her words.

"I just couldn't do it," she admitted softly as her face flamed a lovely pink. she looked away from me in what seemed to be embarrassment.

I opened the folder with my good hand to find our divorce paper. They were filled out with the exception of my signature. Her flowery name was on the line.

Isabella Cullen.

Seeing her name on the line left a hollow feeling in my chest.

"This is what you wanted, right?" she asked as she slid her hands across the table to take hold of my hand once more. She slowly turned it over to examine the cuts on my knuckles.

"No," I admitted causing her to look up at me before chuckling.

"No?" she mocked as she looked up at me with a sly grin that I wanted to kiss off her curled lips.

"Look at you being all brave getting married again and inviting your father in law who happens to be the Chief of police," she mocked with a sardonic laugh. I could only stare at her as I felt my face grow red. "I guess you forgot that bigamy is a serious misdemeanor here in Iowa. Maybe Charlie didn't mention this over your nights out together, but hey you do you, Cullen."

I looked down as I thought about her knowing all the time I spent with her dad.

I had no idea how it impacted her relationship with him.

I knew that they once had been close, but now? I had no idea.

"Oh, and thanks for the invite. I haven't sent back my RSVP, but I hope you'll understand me not attending. I mean, I did attend your first wedding so that has to count for something etiquette wise, right?" Bella laughed brightly. It was musical and pleased, but I could feel the anger behind her laughter.

"I didn't…" I began only to have her cut me off.

"Yes, you did. This is completely your style of retribution. I would know it well after all these years," she laughed softly. It was a dangerous laugh that hinted at the anger she was masking.

"It must have been Angela or…"

"So, you have her doing your dirty work now?"

"I didn't have any part of this," I said as I grasped her hand in mine. I grimaced through the pain as our fingers intertwined. The touch was just enough to cause her to faulter as she recited the list of wrongs I had committed against her.

Post cards from vacations.

Picture of places and beautiful things I had seen without her.

Pictures of women I dated and the life I was leading all without her.

I had done that.

All of it.

She wanted me to go.

She left me.

I wanted her to see I was still here.

I was still alive despite not wanting to be since I was without her.

"I promise…" I began as I held her gaze, willing her to see that I was not a part of that decision.

"Just… just stop," Bella sputtered angerily as she pulled her hand from mine. Her face was red and her dark eyes glossy as she looked away from me. I watched her rub them as the familiar coolness settled between us. It sent a chill down my spine as I waited for her next words.

"Either way," she muttered as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. "There it is. Just… Just take the papers and file them. I'm sure Carlisle knows some sleazy judge who can fast track them."

She was wasn't wrong. He did and he had been waiting on these papers for a while. I was the one who wasn't so eager to obtain them.

I remained motionless as she slowly met my gaze.

Her eyes were dark and stormy.

I had always loved her like this because of all the fire within her, but looking at her in that moment there was no fire. There was no raging storm. Just quiet seas of molten lava with a deep sense of finality. It left me cold inside.

She was done.

It was written all over her face and it made my heart ache to see it.

"How do you know Rosalie?" I asked as I struggled to pull her back into a conversation as she pressured me to leave her once more.

"Through you," she chuckled unamused by my tactics. "You know this, now leave."

Her words were swift and final as I continued to sit there, refusing to move.

She hadn't answered my questions and I wasn't leaving without her truth.

AN:

Sorry I needed to break this up. I hope to post the second part later today if my day works out for me.

XOXO

Mamasutra