Chapter One

I let out a groan as I sat up in bed.

It had been a long weekend. Well, actually all last week was long. My final week of college.

…

You know I would actually make it through those four years. Of course, that is after I finally pulled my head out of my ass the summer after the Cullen family left and went back and finished my senior year. Sure, I didn't have many friends when I went back to Forks High that year but I made it. I push aside all the pity looks and ignored the whispers of the students that remembered my zombie days and the fucking breakdown that will be known in Forks for a very long time. My life changed a lot that year.

Finding out that not only did most of the people on the reservation knew what the Cullens were, but Charlie knowing as well and about me having a werewolf for a best friend; it was all a bit much. I found out about the pack of overgrown wolves when they found me in the meadow I used to refer to as 'our meadow'. Fucking Edward Cullen. I used to sometimes wonder if he would have stayed to keep me safe if he had known about Laurent and Victoria were still out there looking for me. Then I thought back to Alice and her visions.. of course he knew about them being there. Maybe he was just hoping they would drain me so he wouldn't have to do it himself.

Jake and his friends saved me from Laurent in the meadow. It was a close call though. I could sometimes still feel his marble fingers wrapped around my throat and his icy breath on my neck. He came close to getting what he wanted. Hell, it was close to what I wanted at the time. I had wanted to die. I didn't have Edward anymore, my father was beside himself because he didn't know how to react toward me for I would either breakdown or simply fly off the fucking handle at him for just being asked a question.

The wolves saved me from Laurent and then again when Victoria came for me that next spring.

That was the spring that Jake finally came out and said he loved me. Too bad the almost relationship we had ended before it even began. Though my heart was already involved; from his sweet words and gentle touches. The very day I was going to tell him I was ready, was the day he came bouncing through my bedroom window. He wanted to talk to me, his entire body buzzed with excitement and nervousness and his eyes had that far off look. I remembered the look from when Quil imprinted. I knew instantly that my heart was going to break by what he was going to tell me. And I was right.

I made the decision to get out of Forks that very summer after I graduated. It didn't take much to convince Charlie to let me go. Once he saw the hurt and pain in my eyes the night I begged him to be okay with me leaving, Charlie had pulled my into a tight embrace and kissed my forehead and promised me that one day I would find the one. Though, it did take some convincing to keep him at the house and not go after Jake that night. It wasn't Jake's fault he imprinted, hell, it wasn't even his fault for being a fucking werewolf in the first place. The person I did blame and always will: Edward Cullen.

Going straight to college wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to take a year off before going head first into starting my life. With all the hours I had worked at Newton's I had saved up quite a bit of money so I had enough to do what little traveling I could during the next year. I of course made a point to visit Renee and Phil so they knew that I was, in fact, back to being the normal Bella they had sent to Forks the years earlier. Renee was happy to see that I wasn't letting some teenage boys ruin my life before I even got started. Phil, well, he more or less wanted to go after both of them and 'give them a piece of his mind' as he put it. It was nice for him to want to protect me in that way.. but I knew there was no way to actually hurt either of them.
***
The thud then loud groan beside me brought me out of my thoughts. Looking over the edge of my bed, there laid my best friend. Jasmine was on her stomach, clutching her head in her hands. I would have laughed at her if I could have, I don't think I was doing much better than she was in the hang over department. We did drink way more than we normally would have.
Our friend Ryan had pulled us right out of our classes as soon as we had finished out finals. I knew that I wouldn't have a problem with the exams because of all the studying the three of us had done for the classes. I actually finished pretty quickly with my exams as did Ryan and we ended up camping outside of Jasmine's class until she finished. Once we are all ready to go we headed back to our apartment for the last time we would be together.
We had changed and were across the street to the house party that the football team was throwing for the seniors and anyone that showed up.

It was beyond crazy.

I ended up smashed between Ryan and Jasmine all night, them grinding my front and back the entire time. The only times were stopped were when we stopped to grab drinks. Which we had way too many. After my forth drink, not sure what it was but it tastes like vodka and some type of mixed fruit, I hardly remembered what happened.

Oh what a night it had been.
***
Two long weeks since I have officially graduated college. It was a great feeling. Charlie had flown out to watch the ceremony along with his new wife Sue. I was completely beside myself when I was tackled to the ground by a very excited Seth. I had missed him the most out of everyone, okay maybe I did miss the erratic, arrogant, asshole that was Paul – we had connected in many ways as well as I had Leah – but, Seth was always my favorite.

Seth helped Ryan with moving all of my things out of our tiny apartment and into my new truck, that I had to buy after it suddenly died.. at least that is what Ryan had said the morning I asked him to take a look at it when it wouldn't start, he was way to cheerful about it being dead; that ass always hated my truck. I knew he had to be the reason behind my trucks death.

Seth even helped me move into my new house that I had bought just before I graduated. The tiny two bedroom house was still much bigger than I needed but I felt it was nice to have the extra space in case of visits from Charlie or even Jasmine or Ryan. It was nice to think that I had room for someone to stay with me, that is; if anyone would want to stay with me.
***
I had found this nice quiet park a couple weeks before I moved into my new house. It had the normal areas where people could play Frisbee golf or let their dogs play free off of their leashes. But my favorite part of the park was that there was an entire paved track that went through every area. I had started running it every day. But, now that fall I have started working at a local 'gentleman's bar' as my boss calls it, I have to get up at the ass crack o' dawn so I wont show up late to work. The guy is a complete prick and treats women as if we're objects and not actually humans. The skimpy and ridiculous uniforms we have to wear almost made me quit the first day. But, I have held my tongue and enjoyed the rather large tips that the stupid drunken perverts like to leave. It is now a little after 10AM and I was due into work at noon. I would normally be here by eight but...i just had to go out with Jasmine and Ryan last night. So, this morning, I was running way behind my normal schedule.

I normally take my time around the track and enjoyed just being free. Running was something I actually liked to do now. Turns out that my clumsiness started to fade the older I got.

Jogging around the paved track, I nodded at the elderly couples I saw sitting on the benches or with their small dogs. The same old man I see everyday was in his normal spot with his newspaper tucked under his arm. I had stopped and talked to him one day after I saw him alone every time. His name was Mr. Jones and he came here in the mornings to 'get some peace from the wife' as he put it. He was just a sweet old man that wanted time to himself, nothing wrong with that.
I nodded my hello to him as I kept my slower-than-normal pace. After turn the last curve I let my eyes slip closed for a moment, knowing full well that I had a good thirty feet before the next curve, enjoying the pace and the slight scuffing bouncy sound that my running shoes made. I heard the fountain to my right and knew I needed to open my eyes now because of my turn coming up.

But I didn't open them fast enough and ran smack-dab into something hard but soft and extremely sweaty. Ew!

Opening my eyes from the shock, I saw the long legs of a man sprawled out in front of me. They were long, toned and slightly lean in a way. I was slowly making my way up his body once I noticed how low his basketball shorts were hanging around his waist. The beautiful six pack he was sporting made me bite my lip and the yummy V and trail of dirty blond curls that ran down into his shorts that led to his promised land, had made something in my lower stomach doing flip-flops. His bare chest was shinning with a sheen of swear. I spotted the reflection of a silver barbell in his left nipple, making my mouth water and giving me the urge to run my tongue over it.

The farther I made it up this man's body the more a coil in my lower stomach tightened. Yes, it has been awhile for me. Sue me for being a horny women. I caught the glimpse of a light stubble that ran over his perfectly squared and strong jaw. And his eyes. God those eyes. A stormy gray-blue that any person would love to just stare into for days. When I actually took the time to stop ogling this man and actually look at him.

He was frozen into place. As was I.

I couldn't believe who I was actually looking at. It wasn't possible.

Ever so slowly, he leaned closer to me. I was holding my breath the entire time. I kept telling myself the same thing over and over: Its not him. He just looks like him... a hell of a lot like him. But those eyes...

When he finally spoke.. my heavily guarded and built up walls crumbled with just the simple udder of my name.

“Bella?”