Bella

Standing on a doormat that featured an image of Mickey Mouse greeting her, Bella wrung her fingers. It had taken her long enough to summon up the nerve to knock and now she hoped that Nessie would open the door. Her original plan had been to time it for the evening, hoping to catch them home together…

Coward, she told herself. Still, if anyone could help get Bella back into their lives, it would be Renesmee.

Her heart leapt when Edward answered, and his thick brows shot up in surprise. "Bella…"

"Hi, Edward." She pulled her fingers apart and set them down at her sides. Come on, Bella, you can do this. "I hope it's okay that I'm here. Nessie told me you were giving piano lessons…"

Piano lessons, Bella?! That was the best she could come up with? How about how sorry she was for breaking his heart, taking off, and leaving things the way she did?

"Piano lessons?" His lips pressed together but a tiny curve rounded the edges.

"I've always wanted to learn. Can I come in?"

Edward hesitated but then opened the door for Bella to enter. "So, let me get this straight, you break my heart, and then just show up after 8 months to ask for piano lessons?"

Bella clapped her hand against her face, tempted now to dart out of there, or at least go somewhere to compose herself. She looked like a complete idiot. "If I'm being honest, I wanted to see you."

With arms folded across his chest, he barred her from passing the foyer. "Why? And please don't tell me it has anything to do with the piano."

"I…wanted to talk to you…it's been such a long time…and I…I made a…"

A knock interrupted her, and her attention was pulled to the open door, revealing a slender blonde woman who looked alarmingly like Rose…

"Hi, Edward! I'm sorry I'm a little late."

He gestured for her to enter, and she sauntered inside, her petite form wrapped in a red sundress. The woman batted her long eyelashes as she looked at Bella. "Hello. I'm Lisa, nice to meet you." Lisa…a Rose look-alike? What the hell, universe?

"Hi, Lisa. I'm Bella." She shook Lisa's hand lightly, trying to convince herself that yes, they were all connected, and maybe this was for Edward's highest good. Though she forced a smile, Bella's heart sank to the floor, and she wanted nothing more than to run from there.

Lisa placed her hand on Edward's elbow. "Oh, do you have a daughter interested in piano lessons too? Edward is an amazing teacher."

"I don't," Bella said. "I was actually…" She was about to finish it off by saying she wanted some lessons herself but Edward's look warned her against it.

"Katie's in the room with Ness. Katie?" he called out, "your mom's here."

The appearance of the pretty tween and Ness saved her from finishing that sentence. Katie was blonde and poised like her mother and thanked Edward politely. Lisa asked her daughter to wait in the car, and once Katie was out of earshot, she invited Edward outside. "If you'll excuse us," she said to Bella and waved to her.

Oh no, Bella thought. She was too late. Renesmee hugged her tightly, and Bella hugged her back with all her might, trying to make out the gist of the conversation taking place a few feet away. Which was entirely none of her business.

"I'll get back to you on that, if that's okay," Edward told her.

His reply gave Bella a little hope as he entered and closed the door behind him. Bella remained planted in her spot with Nessie's arm linked through hers.

Edward dragged his fingers through his hair and met Bella's eyes with that disarming hazel color. "Why are you here, Bella? Oh…for Nessie. I see."

"Dad!" Renesmee said. "You're being rude. Bella came a long way to see you."

"Can we have some privacy, Ness?"

"Are you going to be nice?"

"I'll try, okay? No guarantees."

Ness crossed her arms. "Well, then I'll just stay right here."

"Okay, okay."

Bella turned to Nessie, so grateful to her, but knew it was not right to expect her to save her from her dad. Bella deserved whatever wrath she had coming. "Ness, If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to your dad alone."

"But what if he's mean?"

"Your dad has every right to be upset with me."

"Yeah…but…" Nessie faltered, but shook her head, turning and going to her room.

Edward placed his hands on his hips. "Why are you here, Bella?"

She took a deep breath in and exhaled. "Because I was hoping you would give me another chance, Edward."

"Now why would I want to do that? Let you get close to me just to hurt me again?"

"I've had a lot of time to think, and to realize why I did what I did."

"And why was that?" His posture was stiff, and his voice sounded like he was using up the last of his patience.

"Because I was afraid…this is going to sound stupid. I was afraid that you were going to leave me for another woman…that my time away… you would get tired of waiting for me, that you wouldn't want me anymore."

"So you dumped me first."

"I know, It was stupid and childish. I had issues, apparently, from Jacob. But I couldn't see any way around it."

His tone softened. "What's changed?"

"Well, I've learned a lot about myself—that the career about helping others was a lot about my ego. I liked helping others, but at the same time, my ego kept you at a distance. I got scared."

"And so you're not making videos…"

"I'm doing it, but not like before. And the seminars…the tours…it was too much for me, but I didn't want to admit it. I thought I could be happy alone…and the truth is, I could. But I don't want to."

He inhaled, and his shoulders relaxed. "I don't know, Bella. I don't know if I can trust you again."

She winced. "Trust takes time, but it can be regained."

"Yeah, I don't know."

"May I ask? Are you seeing that woman…Lisa?"

"I haven't decided yet. It would be convenient. She has a daughter around Nessie's age and lives close by, works a 9-5, she likes burgers…"

Ooooh that stung, and she felt the thickness in her throat. "Well, then. I did what I came here to do. I told you what I needed to say." Bella placed her hand on her heart. "Again, I'm so very sorry for hurting you, Edward, and I wish you every happiness." She turned, and tears began to drip from her eyes. Did she say everything she had to say? Shouldn't she have said that she loved him? Did that matter now? "I'll just go. Love and light to you."

"Wait." He put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't dare face him. "Be safe."

Emotionally spent, after a tiring flight home, Bella walked through her door and allowed herself to collapse on the couch. Her vision board sat on the coffee table, and the tears flowed. All this time, she'd been manifesting Edward and had been too stupid not to realize what she'd had. Now, it was too late. Edward was ready to move on with someone else. She couldn't blame him.

The next few days, she kept herself busy, rescheduling her appointments and seeing clients. Whenever the thought of Edward came up, she allowed the tears to come. He deserved to be happy.

The doorbell rang, and Bella glanced up at the clock. Her 2 o'clock was 20 minutes early.

With a sigh, she pasted on a smile but it wasn't the older lady that she was expecting. Edward stood on her doorstep, his expression sheepish.

"Hi," he said.

"Edward!" Her heart leapt as she opened the door and she had to keep herself from jumping into his arms.

"Hi, Bella."

"I can't believe you're here."

"Yeah…I've been thinking a lot about what you said." He stopped right there, and she waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"And?"

"Do you still love me?"

The sob broke from her lips. "I never stopped."

"Do you see me in your life?"

"That's why I went to California…" She grabbed the vision board from the coffee table and showed it to him. "I was 14 when I made this." He looked carefully at it and then at her.

"Is this supposed to be me?"

"Well, I haven't met any other bronze-haired men who play the piano."

"I'm going to be honest with you, Bella. I am unable to pick up where we left off. Diving back into a relationship with you seems impossible. I haven't forgiven you."

The words were hard to hear but reasonable. Yet, why would he have come all the way here from California just to tell her this?

"I understand. And again, I'm so, so sorry."

He turned and raked fingers through his hair. "I have to say that I learned a lot about myself…and what I'm willing to tolerate."

"You moved to California. That's huge."

"Yes, I packed up Nessie and started my life all over again. That was thanks to you. If you hadn't left, more than likely I'd still be stuck in the grind, unhappy with where I was in life. Though, you hurt me deeply, and I will never forget it, it changed me."

It sounded like this breakup had changed them both. The question was whether there was hope for them to ever be together again.

"I'm proud of you, Edward, if you don't mind my saying so."

"What about you? You gave up your career."

"Well, let's just say that I allowed the universe to show me another way…let my career take another form."

"Are you happy?"

As happy as she could be without him. "I'm doing what I love, if that's what you mean."

"So now what?"

"I'm going to keep following my heart, Edward, and I encourage you to do the same. If it's not going to happen for us, vision board or not, I can accept that. But, if you don't want me in your life, please tell me now."

He smiled, set down the vision board, and ran his finger down her face, and she shuddered at the contact. "I don't think I could be happy without you in my life."

She smiled, meeting his gaze and placed her hand over his, desperately craving the contact. "Same."

"Well, how about this? We start over. I won't be Edward, the grumpy lawyer/widower/single dad who wanted to make you go away."

"And I won't be Bella, the Youtube influencer who pushes you into something you're not ready for." Without realizing it, that's what she had done. She'd rushed them into a physical relationship before Edward had been fully ready to give up Rose…and Bella hadn't believed that she had work to do on herself. Look where it got them.

"Instead, I can just be a man with a daughter who is very attracted to you and would like to take you to dinner."

Her heart pounded at the thrill of his reply—that he was willing to give her another chance after all this. "And I will be the woman who is very attracted to this man with a daughter and wants to learn everything about this new version of himself.

"I would like that very much."

Edward leaned down to kiss her, and Bella anticipated accepting every ounce of his kiss, but he stopped himself. "But, for now, I think taking it slow is a good place to start. What do you think?"

She wouldn't fight him on anything right now, not when Edward was finally back in her life. She'd missed him so much, and it was like getting back the missing piece of her heart.

"Sounds perfect."

A/N: The chemistry is back! But now can they truly make this work?! Stay with me for more! A million thanks to my beta, EdwardsFirstKiss for her help with this chapter! And many thanks to those who left feedback! Hey, I've almost reached 200 reviews- woo hoo! Thanks for your support, and I am always happy to hear from you!