Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Saga.

Author's note: Just as a heads up, all the chapters titled 'Some' Years Ago will be in Bella's POV. The ones titled Now will be in both their POVs. Wanted to let you know if your were confused. Without further ado, here's chapter 2 set in the present from Bella's perspective.


Now: Bella

Keep. Calm. Do. Not. Loose. Your. Cool.

I'd already made it to a hundred and five. Counting numbers, that is. I usually did it to prevent myself from blowing a gasket at something unnecessary. I could not afford to lose my temper now.

I was standing in the living room of our rented flat, while my friend/roommate was explaining how her darling boyfriend had asked her to move in with him this summer. According to her, this was the most convenient time since our lease was already up. Convenient, my foot. Not for me.

"I'm sorry Bella. Royce asked and our lease was up anyway and I thought 'Why not?'." Rosalie looked at me pleadingly. She looked beautiful doing it, too. As was the case with Rosalie Hale. She was one of the prettiest girls in our batch, and God knew how many boys had come up to strike a friendship with me, so I could introduce them to Rosalie.

Currently, she was standing in front of me wearing a white camisole, blue denim shorts and black ankle boots. Real-life Barbie. Her hair fell down her shoulders in perfect golden waves. I, on the other hand, probably looked like a hot mess, as was the case with me. My ponytail was already falling apart, the stands stuck to my sweaty neck in the humid afternoon, and my feet tucked in Hawaiian slippers. My t-shirt stuck to my torso uncomfortably, and I was desperate to get out of my cotton trousers.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. Of course, I should have expected this. Rosalie and Royce had been dating for two years and the lovesick couple wanted to move in together. "It was pretty much expected. Don't worry." I brushed it off. Or at least tried to.

Man, it was going to be such a pain in my butt to look for another place now. Most students knew how difficult it was to find a place to stay while you completed your degree. And our place had been pretty sweet if I did say so myself. The apartment was in a good neighborhood (courtesy of Rosalie's brother), most tenants were family residents with very few college students, and the rent was great, too. Not that I paid it anyway. Jasper, Rosalie's brother, paid it for us. Of course, I told him several times that I wanted to pay my share of the rent, but he was adamant about paying it himself. I soon gave up when Rosalie said, "Leave him be, Bella. He's gonna pay the rent and we can't convince him otherwise." Combined with the look he gave.

Furthermore, there were no unnecessary disturbances in the middle of the night that allowed me to study peacefully. Perfect for a homebody like me.

But, that peace was gone, wasn't it? I had no place to live anymore and didn't know how I was going to find one either. When you went to a university like Stanford, where many international students were enrolled, housing and accommodations sold themselves like hotcakes. I definitely wouldn't be able to pay the rent of this apartment by myself. Neither did I know any other student from my batch who needed a place. Not that I knew that many people. Oh God! I have to live with strangers. The thought filled me with dread.

Rosalie clutched at my arms, folded against my chest. "Come on, Bella. I'm really, extremely, truly sorry about this. I know how difficult it is to find a new place." She dropped her arms, pouting and pretended to look at the floor dejectedly. "I mean… I can stay here if you want. I guess. But I'll have to tell him no." She shook her head. "I'm sure he will understand. After all, you're one of my best friends and-"

"Stop!" God, I hated it. I hated that people knew what a guilt trip I was. Rosalie knew this too, judging by the twinkle in her blue eyes. "I know what you're doing. And you should know that I would never ask you to stay." Rosalie clapped while I continued. "I'm happy that you guys decided to move in together. But, yes. The timing for this is a little nutty." I huffed out a laugh. "Honestly, like I said, don't worry about it. I'll figure something out."

"Maybe I can help. Let me ask Jasper if he knows about any apartments on rent." She dug into her purse for her phone.

I stopped her. "Rose, come on! I can't ask Jasper to do that. He's done enough-" I paused and looked at her surprised. "Jasper knows about you two moving in? And he approves?"

Rose smirked. "Of course he does." She tossed her hair back. "He was the one who introduced us. He pretty much set the whole thing in motion." Ah. That little detail. Rosalie was dating her brother's colleague. They worked at a law firm.

Law firm. That made me think of Edward. He, too, was a lawyer. It had been a while since I'd seen him. The last I saw him was four years ago during his law school graduation party. The party had only been for a couple of hours. But the last I'd spoken to him? Well, that was a different story altogether. The last time we'd had a proper conversation had been about eight years ago.

Nowadays, I only spoke to Alice and their parents, if I happened to be in Forks, but otherwise, I didn't know much about him. Alice just mentioned him working somewhere in LA at a law firm (she didn't remember the name of) handling financial and occasionally Pro-Bono cases. He had also been in a couple of relationships which Alice talked about disdainfully. Not a fan of his girlfriends. I wasn't either but for completely different reasons.

I'd also like to point out the fact that I'm not obsessed with him. That is not the reason why I try to remember everything there is to know about him. I do it because… he's my best friend's brother. I should know these things.

Secretly though, I sometimes wondered what he was doing from time to time but mostly I never let myself think of him. It hurt a bit. Girl now is not the time to be thinking about him either, a voice screamed in my head. You have a problem to solve.

I looked at Rose. "It's fine Rose. Please don't call your brother. I can manage by myself."

Rosalie looked like she wanted to argue some more. But we both knew I was stubborn and wouldn't change my mind. "Okay! Well let me at least talk to a couple students. See if they have a place or know somebody who has a place."

"That would be great. I appreciate it, Rose." The lease wasn't up for another week. This would give me enough time to pack up my stuff and prepare for the move. "You think you'll find someone within a week?"

Rosalie smiled. "Stop worrying! You don't mind rooming with boys right?" The thought was unpleasant but I nodded. I would take anything offered. "Then you don't have to worry. I'm sure I can track down someone from around here. It's for one year anyway. Then both of us get into residency." She shimmied at the news.

I smiled. I would be glad to put all of this behind me. I couldn't wait to graduate and start working. It would be fun. I'd be called Dr. Swan.

"That's the plan."

Crap, I need to go to my room and sort my stuff. Glad this was happening during the summer break and not earlier amidst exams.


"Bells, that's awful. I mean great for Rosalie. Awful for you."

I laughed as I wiped the sweat off my face. I was in desperate need of a shower. I had already started moving all the small items into moving boxes. My textbooks, stationery, and novels had been packed. Only the furniture and my clothes remained. My phone was placed on speaker in one of the boxes.

"Thanks, Alice. The timing sucks. Couldn't Royce and Rosalie have moved in after graduation?" Thank goodness Rose was out. I never would have spoken like this in front of her. But, also, I only ever spoke like this in front of Alice. Perks of having a best friend who's seen you at your best and worst, I guess.

Alice laughed. "I'm sure you'll find a place in no time. She's helping, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Depends on what you mean by it. She says that in the worst-case scenario, I might have to end up moving in with boys."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

I scoffed. "Of course, it's a bad thing. Do you know how messy guys can be? Believe me, I know. I've lived with Charlie after all. Also, multiple guys tend to rent one place together. How will I survive?"

"And you're a complete neat freak, right?" Sarcasm rang in her voice.

Well, she wasn't exactly wrong. My room didn't look like something out of Architectural Digest. "That's because I'm a med student. I don't have time to make my surroundings look pretty. You do it because that's your job."

Alice snickered. "What about the state of your room in Forks? Was that neat?" Unfortunately, she was right again. I wasn't the most organized person out there. I noted that she didn't say anything about the second fact. She did make places pretty as she was an event manager.

"You win."

"I know. Why bother arguing with me? I'm obviously the smartest woman ever."

Both of us burst out in giggles at her snotty tone.

Alice asked, "So, how long does your lease last?"

I sighed. "It ends this week." Man, I was still stumped about the situation.

Not wanting to dwell any longer on the issue, I changed the subject. "So, now that I'm free for the summer, when should we hangout?"

Alice knew what I meant. During the school year, just the two of us usually hung out at least once a month. Besides this, we always spoke on the phone every day. Whether it was a phone call, video chat or texting, we made sure to talk every day. It wasn't even about anything important. Our conversations ranged from gossip we'd heard, to school drama, to even about what we ate that particular day.

"Since your lease ends this week, why don't we meet before that? I can even stop by your place later to help you pack."

"You don't have to do that. Don't you have an event to plan or something?"

"Nah. Nothing my boss has mentioned about. Anyhow, I'm gonna be spending time with you. So, that's not a bad thing."

My legs were getting numb so I got up from the floor and grabbed the phone. I sat on my desk chair and set the phone against the pen holder. "Thanks. You can come by the cafe near my place the day after tomorrow."

"Its a date." Something pinged in the background.

I picked up my phone to see if I'd received any messages. None. It must have been Alice's phone. I waited for our conversation to pick up. When she didn't speak, I asked, "Alice? You still there?"

"Uh… yeah right here." She sounded occupied.

"Is something wrong? Who messaged you?"

"It was… Edward." My heart stopped. Not really, but you get the drift. I was half tempted to ask about Edward and half tempted to ignore the mention of his name. Before I could decide on which to choose, Alice spoke, "Yeah. I'll be there at the cafe for brunch."

That meant eleven o'clock. I felt a little happy that I now had something good to look forward to.

But I still couldn't put down the thought of what happened earlier. Curiosity got hold of me and I asked, "What happened earlier? You seemed distracted." I still didn't mention his name, afraid Alice would pick up something I for sure didn't want her to know.

"Nothing… I was just thinking about something." That couldn't be good, I thought. She was up to something. Before I could ask, she continued, "You know Edward lives around here, right? Like about an hour away or so?"

Confused, I responded, "I think so? I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Right. He hasn't had much time to take off. He hasn't even visited Forks for the last two years." This was news to me. But then again, I wouldn't know. But I still didn't get what he had to do with this.

"So, what's the problem then?" I asked, trying to understand.

Alice laughed breezily. "I told you. Nothing!" Who was she trying to convince? It was something. "I'll tell you when we meet for brunch."

Fantastic. This had something to do with me then. I hoped it was nothing bad.

Deciding it was a waste of time to think about it and also the fact that I wanted to take a shower, I ended the conversation. "Listen, I gotta go. Need to take a shower and figure out what's for dinner."

"I gotta go too. Chinese takeout is calling my name."

"Bye then. See you at brunch."

I hung up. Just then the door to my room opened.

Rosalie peeked inside. "Hey, I started packing my stuff. The majority of it is done. Royce will come by tomorrow and help me pack up the rest and move it to his place."

I smiled thankfully. "I started packing too." I motioned to the boxes near my bed. "I should be done the day after tomorrow."

Rosalie looked around. "Nice."

"Before I forget, I called up a few people. Most of them don't have rooms but one of them said that they knew someone who did."

I nearly collapsed in relief. "That's great."

Rosalie excitedly continued. "Uh-huh. It's only half an hour away from campus. She said that rent is not expensive either since two other people already live there." This was turning out better than I expected. I could pay the rent with the money I got from being a TA to pre-med students. I had saved up a lot of money since Jasper had taken to paying the rent.

"Text me the address and I'll check out the place tomorrow. Thanks for looking out for me."

"Will do and I'll ask her to let him know that you're coming by. By the way, I totally don't mind this. I did blindside you with the news earlier."

We both chuckled. "That you did."

Before Rosalie left, she asked, "By the way, what do you say to dinner at the pizza place down the street? You know, for old time's sake?"

I smiled. "I would love that. Give me fifteen minutes."

"You do kinda look gross. You look like you need a shower." She said, pretending to hold her nose.

Rosalie's laugh trailed behind her as I attempted to throw a pillow at her head.


"There's only one bedroom. We have a kitchen too, but you gotta buy your food. No sharing allowed. The rent's 600 per month."

The guy, whose name I learned was Eric Yorke, was showing me around the apartment. He was at Stanford on a football scholarship. The other roommate he told me was his girlfriend Lauren. He was, also, clearly not prepared for my visit since he hadn't bothered to clean up himself and the place as well. Bedroom it seemed, was already occupied. I noticed their clothes scattered along the floor. Beer bottles were all over the kitchen counter and numerous chip packets were scattered on the living room floor.

The apartment wasn't the cleanest I'd seen, but it wasn't too bad either. The rent was okay. It was within my budget since I'd saved up at least two years' worth of rent from TA'ing and other part-time jobs. The rest was spent on clothes but mostly my novels. I couldn't resist a good trip to Barnes and Noble, Target or Walmart.

This would be enough then. I wouldn't even have to get a job.

"Nice. I noticed that there is no additional space for a bed?"

Eric rubbed his belly. "Nah. You gotta take the couch. No space for a bed."

I looked at the couch, disappointed. It was one of those grandma couches. Not sure I could last the entire year sleeping on it and suffering through neck cramps.

I didn't tell him this. Instead, I asked, "Okay… where would my clothes and other stuff go?"

He walked to the other end of the couch and gestured at the space between the couch and the wall. "You can keep your stuff and suitcase here." He said this like it was supposed to be God's gift from heaven. If I could have God's gift, it clearly wouldn't be sleeping on the couch with no space to store my stuff, I thought annoyed. It wasn't the best situation but what choice did I have? Also, I didn't want Rosalie to look out again. It was also fair that Eric and their girlfriend would occupy the bedroom.

Attempting to compose myself, I started counting. One, two, three…

I made it to seventy-three when I felt calm enough to respond. "Right. Can I think about it?"

"Sure. Gotta tell by the end of the week. We have another person looking for this flat as well."

"Of course. If you could give me your number…" I handed my phone to him.

Eric dialed in his number and gave it back to me.

I smiled at him one last time and turned towards the main door. Before I reached it, the door opened and a girl, Lauren I assumed, came inside and shut it behind her. I found out I was right when Lauren walked past me and launched herself at Eric, legs wrapping around his waist, feverishly making out. Eric walked to the kitchen and dropped her on the counter not aware that I was still inside witnessing them mere seconds from getting naked and having sex. Right there. In the kitchen.

I blushed. Completely embarrassed, I quickly walked to the main door, shouting, "I'll uh, let you know as soon as possible."

All I heard was moans and pants as I shut the door behind me.


When I got to the cafe, I instantly spotted Alice, waving her arm up like a crazy loon from a table overlooking the window. I smiled at the action. Alice didn't need to gain attention like that either. She was like Rosalie but entirely different at the same time. Where Rosalie was the picture of elegance and beauty, Alice was more like a wild child or chaotic.

She had gotten rid of her long hair within the second year of her degree and opted for a pixie which highlighted her hazel eyes and soft jawline, giving her a look that made her seem like a girl as well as a woman. Depending on how she dressed.

But, it was safe to say that her wild child persona ended there with her appearance. People who were friends knew that she was a softy on the inside.

As I neared our table, she rose from the chair to hug me. She laughed as she read the text on my sweatshirt. "Bells! You look great!" Today, she looked like a woman dressed in a white shirt and blue bell bottoms.

I smiled over her shoulder. Her complimenting my looks made me happy, given how much she loved fashion. Most of all, I knew I looked good today. I was dressed in a sweatshirt that read 'If you're going through hell, keep going' and cotton trousers. This was exactly what I needed. A little humor to take my mind off the disappointing house tour I was privy to since yesterday.

"At least one of us feels great." I playfully grumbled as I released her, and we both settled in our chairs.

Alice laughed again. "I ordered for you as well."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Your usual. Breakfast burrito, OJ and blueberry scone." She smirked.

"What did you get?" Alice was not one of those people who liked to order the same thing every time they visited a restaurant.

Alice sat up. "I decided on Eggs Benedict, hash browns and lemonade."

I relaxed in my seat. "Wow. It's been a long time since we've had any… free time."

"You can say that again." She tapped her water glass with mine.

Once our breakfast arrived, Alice casually asked, eyes focused on cutting her Eggs Benedict, "So, what about the apartment you saw yesterday?"

Yesterday, I texted her that I'd visited the apartment.

"It was… horrible. I don't know how I'm gonna live there!" I grimaced. Half of the words garbled as I took a bite of my burrito.

Alice snorted. "Well, that went down quickly." She took a bite. "Care to elaborate?"

"Like I said, it was horrible." I paused to eat more. "The place was so messy. And before you point it out," I pointed my burrito in her direction, "it was much worse than my bedroom."

"That's it?"

I blew out a breath. "Nope. The apartment has only one bedroom, which is occupied by the couple. The only place left is the couch. And also there's no place to keep my stuff either! I would have to live out of my suitcase if I chose to stay there."

I hadn't realized that my voice had gradually risen until I raised my head and noticed that most of the customers sitting near us were glancing back at us.

I quickly looked down and continued eating. Opposite me, Alice was quietly eating as she digested everything I'd just said.

"So… that's it?"

"That's not all. As I was about to leave, the girlfriend came in and both of them were all over each other. Like actually, she was wrapped around him. If I had stayed any longer, I'm pretty sure I would have been a witness to public indecency in their kitchen." I paused. "More like private indecency, since it was inside their apartment."

Alice gasped. Her fork clattered to the plate. She covered her mouth as she started to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. Imagine my plight, when it looked like I'd walked into" I whispered the next words, careful of the ears around us, "porn film."

Alice was still doing her weird gasp-laugh thing when she spoke. "You have to admit. It is sort of funny. I can't believe we're that close to seeing two people have sex."

I sighed. I put down the burrito for a sip of OJ. "Pretty much. If I find another place to live by the end of the week. Otherwise, I might have to consider yesterday's place." This was so not fair.

Alice was still laughing. "I wish we lived close enough. Then you could have stayed at my place."

Yeah, that would have been great I thought. But, as it was, she lived two hours away from campus. It would be difficult for me to travel the long distance every single day.

"What's that look on your face?" I asked suspiciously.

Alice gave me a look like, Who, me?

I pointed at her. "You just had that look on your face. The 'I know something you don't' look."

Alice laughed. "Nothing."

"What are you planning?"

"Well, I was waiting for you to tell me how your apartment tour went and now that I know, I have a solution that can help you."

"You found a place for me to stay?"

"Yeah." Alice sat forward excitedly. "The best part is there is only one roommate, you even get your own bedroom and it happens to be only thirty minutes away from campus. You can take the metro."

Huh, this was great news. Then why was Alice hesitating to tell me about it?

"Okay…" I said slowly, still not completely on board with the idea. "Is this roommate a guy or a girl?"

"A guy." Alice fidgeted in her chair. "He doesn't have a girlfriend either."

Must be someone she knows. But who? I knew most of the people Alice knew. I ran through a list of mutual friends who I knew were single. I came up empty.

"Alright, I'll bite the bullet. Who is it?"

Alice looked me straight in the eyes. "Edward."