Thanks always to my team.

Bella

I crane my neck to look at the high rise Edward lives in and whistle lowly under my breath.

"Nice digs," Alec remarks. "I looked into this guy. He makes like 350 thousand a year. How does he afford this place? You or me, sure, but this place must go for over a million. Might be why he took the job."

"Maybe." I sigh.

"What's wrong?"

I open my mouth to speak but close it when the concierge takes our names and allows us access to the elevator. Once we're in it and alone, I continue our conversation. "I feel like I ambushed him," I admit.

"Oh, poor him with the new job, making big bucks. Bella, this is a good thing. Good for us, and good for him."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What do you think about his wife?"

"Jess?"

"Does he have another one I don't know about?"

"No, smartass. And she seems lovely. Sweet." The elevator opens, and we look around for a sign to see which way to go. I spot a door that says 1806, so I head left and quickly find 1804.

I knock lightly, and almost instantly the door opens, and I'm engulfed in a big, sweet-smelling hug. "It's so good to see you again, Bella."

I smile at Jess, then hand her the wine I brought. Alec hands over the flowers he brought.

"You two shouldn't have! Thank you. Alec, the guys are upstairs in the game room if you want to join them. Bella, follow me, and I'll introduce you to my best friend."

I follow her through the open-concept living room, and I see a redhead leaning against the bar. Not a natural red like Victoria's, but an overpriced dye job from a stylist. She's dressed hippy chic, and her nails are long and designed.

"Lauren Mallory, this is Bella Swan. Bella, Lauren."

I reach out my hand, and she takes it, giving it a light shake. I can see she's checking me out, as she's not being very discreet. "It's a pleasure to meet you," I say.

"Likewise. I'm glad you were able to make it. All Jess has talked about is 'Bella this' and 'Bella that' and Edward's new job."

"You're just jealous, bitch." Jess laughs.

"Hell, yeah, I am. Eric's professor job at UDub doesn't even come close."

"What do you do, Lauren?" I ask politely.

"I'm a photographer. Mostly weddings and baby sessions, but I'm making a name for myself."

"That's amazing! I'd love to see your work."

"I'll give you my Facebook page info before you leave."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask.

"You cook?" They both looked stunned.

"Whenever I can. I love making up new recipes or just trying someone else's. I lived with a single father in high school. I would've starved if I hadn't learned."

They both laugh as Jessica leads me to some salad ingredients. Lauren sets the table as I begin chopping, and we work together in tandem as we chit chat about this and that.

Jessica pulls a casserole out of the oven. "Hope you like chicken pot pie. It's Edward's favorite. After we married, he asked if I would make this recipe, so I make it about once a month now." She hands me a recipe, and my mouth twists slightly as I recognize the handwriting. It's mine.

The doorbell sounds, and Jessica wipes her hands on her apron as she walks to get the door.

I soon hear a voice that stops me in my tracks.

"Esme?" My voice cracks a bit as I see my high school mother figure. This woman was instrumental in my teenage years.

I fly across the kitchen to hug her, and she pats my back as I cry softly in her ear while simultaneously breathing her in. She pulls back, smooths my hair, then pats my cheek. "It's so good to see you," I whisper.

"Bella, you've grown into a beautiful woman. We watch you every week that you're on," she gushes. "Carlisle, come tell Bella hi."

"Bella Swan, as I live and breathe." He grins, his arms open wide, so I dive into them as I give him a hug.

"It's so good to see you," I whisper. I step back and wipe my face. "Ugh, I'm a mess."

I see Lauren looking at the whole scene suspiciously, so I avoid eye contact as I grab a napkin and clean up my face. Jess serves them drinks, then calls the guys down to eat dinner. I catch her looking at me curiously but not in a mean way like Lauren.

I set the finished salad on the table and hover uncertainly. I'm not sure where to sit, but I'm saved when Alec joins me. Edward walks in with whom I presume is Eric behind him, graciously introducing us. With all the introductions made after Lauren and Alec exchange pleasantries, we sit down to eat.

Alec and I are across from Lauren and Eric. Carlisle is next to me with Esme across from him, and Jessica and Edward are at opposite ends of the table. We all serve ourselves, and conversation is bustling. It's a great meal with great company.

"So, Carlisle, Esme, what do you think about Edward taking this job?" I ask, curious about how they reacted.

"Honestly, I was a little leery. But I did have the chance to look over the contract, and it seems solid. I'm sad to lose Edward, as I understand he'll have to relocate, but LA is just a flight away. It's a great opportunity," Carlisle answers.

"I'm not worried. I know he'll be just fine working with you, Bella. It will be just like old times. Well, not exactly, seeing as Edward is married, but you know what I mean." Esme laughs.

The air is suddenly thick with tension. Edward stiffens, Jessica is staring him down while Lauren stares me down.

"Why does being married to me have anything to do with Bella?" Jess asks Esme.

"Absolutely nothing, dear. I was just saying—"

"Saying what? Bella, what exactly was your relationship with Edward in high school? You were friends, right?" Jess asks, her back ramrod straight as she looks at me with narrowed eyes.

"They started off that way, but before long, Bella was at our house practically every night. They were inseparable until the summer after graduation." Carlisle, who is the only person oblivious to what is going down, yelps as Esme kicks him under the table.

"Then what?" Jessica looks between Edward, his parents, and me.

"Huh?" Carlisle plays stupid.

"Bella?" she prompts.

I look helplessly at Edward, but I'm not going to lie here. I have nothing to lie about, and I'm not sure why he felt like he had to.

I meet her gaze with honest eyes. "We broke up."

"I see," she says, looking down at her hands. "How long did you two date?"

"Two and a half years or so."

"Why is this the first I am hearing of it?"

"You would have to ask Edward, Jessica. I didn't realize it was a secret."

The silence is stony, and I feel very uncomfortable. Alec clears his throat and throws his napkin on his half-empty plate.

"I think we should go."

"Yes, I think you should," Lauren blurts.

I nod and say a quiet thank you to Jessica. She acknowledges it with a nod but doesn't break eye contact with Edward.

"It was nice to see you both," I say to Edward's parents as Alec escorts me to the door. We don't speak the entire way to the car.

It's not until we get to the hotel that he says, "What the hell was that about?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"You two dated?"

"Yes."

"And it was a secret?"

"Not for me." I shrug.

"Why was it for him?"

"I have no idea, Alec."

I bid him good night when he drops me off at my suite, then lie awake all night, wondering what the hell just happened.

Edward

It's been two hours since the last guest left, and Jess still hasn't spoken a word to me. It's scary silent around this apartment. My mother apologized profusely, but it wasn't her fault. I should have told my wife years ago about Bella. I decide to search for her and find her on our balcony overlooking Elliott Bay.

"Jess."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I walk toward her and take the seat next to hers. "I don't really know."

"That's bullshit, and you know it."

"When Bella became famous, it was a madhouse around Forks. There was media there all the time. Press stopping people at the grocery store, the hardware store she worked at, the police station her dad works at—anything they could get from anyone to exploit her or capitalize on her. We just…closed ranks around her. Our town has 3000 people in it. And we all collectively chose to protect her."

"From me?"

"From everyone."

'"I'm not just anyone. I'm your wife, and you dated someone I idolized, but you chose to say nothing."

"I said we went to school together. That was all you needed to know."

"I told you everything about me. Who I've been with. Who I dated."

"Andrew, the gas station attendant, under the bleachers isn't front page news, Jess!" I snap sarcastically. I stop, looking at the hurt on her face and soften. "I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't intend to hurt you. I was just—"

"Protecting her." She swings around to face me. "Do I need to be worried about this?"

"What? No. She's my friend, Jess. We made our choices long ago, and I chose to marry you."

"Tell me something. If she hadn't been off trying to become famous, would you have married her?"

I think for a moment. How do I explain to my wife that I hold another woman close to my heart? "I can't answer that."

"Can't or won't?"

I don't say anything, and to her that's as good an answer as any. She stands up and walks into the apartment. "I think you should sleep in the guest room tonight. I need time to process this."

I go into our room and grab my clothes for the next day and my pillow.

"I love you, Jess," I say before I leave.

"You don't lie to the ones you love, Edward. We can talk tomorrow."

I nod and walk to the guest room. I settle in, but I don't sleep.

I'm a zombie the next day at work. I'm short tempered and tense, and the nurses avoid me. This is my last week at work, and I'm gonna be known as the guy with his head up his ass.

I call in an order for lunch to feed the department. In this field, free food goes a long way. So does appreciation, so I apologize to everyone and try to remove the stick up my ass. My marital problems are of my own making and not my coworkers' fault.

During a break, I decide to text Bella. I apologize for the night before.

It's an hour before she calls me, so I excuse myself from a conversation with a fellow colleague and answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey."

It's silent after that until…

"Why didn't you tell her about us? Do you know how uncomfortable that made me? I never would've come if I'd known she didn't know about us."

"I know. I'm sorry." I start pacing the breakroom. "I started out protecting you, but I ended up protecting me. It became something I wanted for just me. The fact that at one time I knew you better than any of them could ever hope to was something I held sacred. And I knew Jess wouldn't understand, and I was right."

"If the roles were reversed, would you?"

"I'd like to say yes, but we both know that's a lie. I'd be reacting just like Jess is."

"Is she talking to you?"

"No, and it's maddening. Normally, I can't wait for her to stop talking, but now I'm begging for her to ramble on about anything as long as she's talking to me."

"When you leave work, go pick up her favorite dinner and her favorite flowers. Apologize and mean it. Then promise her you won't lie to her about me again. Answer anything she wants to know. I don't care if she knows every detail. That's her right as your wife. Hopefully, I'll still see you next week."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"If you were my husband and lied to me about your ex, you wouldn't be allowed within five feet of her. Let's hope she doesn't feel the same. Make this right, Edward."

She hangs up without another word. I can't believe I'm taking advice from my ex-girlfriend about how to make up with my wife. Is this my life now?

I enter quietly and listen for Jess. She's back out on the balcony. It's the reason she wanted this apartment and the reason I went into debt for it.

"Hey. I grabbed some Brunello's for dinner."

This gets her attention, and her face softens when she sees the roses.

She gets up and walks up to me, taking the flowers, and rising up to kiss me softly.

"Let's talk over dinner, okay?" I ask.

She sits down at the table while I get the food plated. I settle our food, then pour our wine. We take a few bites to satiate our hunger, then put our forks down.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have withheld pertinent information from you about my past with Bella. You deserved to know, and I'm sorry you were caught off guard. But you can ask me anything you want to know, and I'll answer. I realize this is several years too late but—"

"I've thought about what you said about protecting her, and I even understand it. What I don't understand is why you couldn't tell me? I know I run my mouth, but if you told me it was private, I wouldn't have blabbed. Not even to Lauren. Because you're my husband."

"When you asked me to watch the show, I honestly didn't even know she was on it. I thought it was a medical drama I could make fun of like I usually do. When I saw her in that first frame, it knocked me for a loop. Suddenly, I was sixteen again, watching her play Belle on our old high school stage in front of three hundred people. Except it's on television, and twenty million people are watching. She's tabloid fodder, and people want every little detail about her. But she wouldn't want them to know her mother shipped her off to her father's, so she could play house with some twenty-five-year old. She wouldn't want them to know she let all the frogs out of biology class before Mr. Banner could kill them for dissecting. Or that the reason she was at our house so much was because her father worked nights, and she was scared of the dark. She wouldn't want them to know that our first time was in the back seat of her father's cruiser because he wanted us to break up because we got too serious too fast, and he didn't want her to be stuck there having babies."

"Does she want me knowing all that?"

"I talked to her today, and she said I could tell you anything about her you wanted or needed to know. And I trust you to never repeat it. I trust you, and I'm sorry it seemed like I didn't."

"So I don't have to worry about her?"

"No. She's my past. I mean, I'll be working with her if you still want me to. If you're not comfortable with it, I'll stay at Harborview, and I'll pick up extra shifts if we need money."

"I appreciate that, but I'll be fine. This was all I needed. Just an open, honest conversation about her."

"I am sorry."

"I know. I am too. Let's just put this behind us and get ready for our new life." She stands up and clears our plates from the table. I sip at my wine and hope I did the right thing. I told her more than I intended to, and I'll have to tell Bella exactly what Jess knows.

Though nothing would be catastrophic if it got out, it could be embarrassing for her, and that's the last thing I want.

After all these years, I'm still protecting her. Guess some things never change.

That's a memory I don't mess with

The girl I was the best with

The one I was obsessed with

Girl, you just don't get it

I'd fall right back with one slip

Always leave me helpless

Don't hate me; I can't help it

Gotta leave us where we left it

You're a memory I don't mess with

~ "Memory I don't mess with" - Lee Brice