Chapter One

~Memorial Day Weekend~

BPOV

"So you'll you make it tomorrow, Bells?"

Welcome to Long Beach Island, New Jersey

"Yeah, just let me know when you get into town and I'll head down that way. It's too depressing to be around here anyway." The silence is deafening. I have enough silence to deal with in my head and I don't need any more.

"Okay. Well on paper the trip takes about 35 minutes, but it's Memorial Day Weekend, God help us…soooo, with traffic hopefully we'll be there by 7pm. The pub's name is Last Call. It's attached to the Surf City Hotel; we'll meet you there."

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow night, Em. Give Roe a hug for me."

"Will do. 'Night girl".

I flop back onto Aunt Didi's, well my, bed. I don't even know where to begin. After everything that's happened these last three plus years… She was all I had and she's gone now.

Get used to it, kid, you've never been more on your own than you are right now.

~~~~~ L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~

"Bells! Hey Bella, over here!" 

Rose's arms are flailing above her head as she catches my eye. I give her a nod and a smile while I politely elbow my way through the impossible crowd. It's a Friday night at the shore. Let me rephrase, it's the Friday night of Memorial Day Weekend at a bar on Long Beach Island, NJ. If there's ever a time for elbow-throwing, tonight's the night.

Bella King

"Hey sweetie! We've missed you. How're you doing?" I get the big, squeezy hug and then her head cocks to the side. You know, the move that happens when someone is concerned and wants to know if you have any clue how to function at this point? I'm a sad case, I know this. But I'm doing the best I can to get out of bed every morning and pull some kind of an existence together.

My aunt would have wanted that. I'm sure my entire family would have wanted that too, but they're not here to help me along any more than Aunt Didi is.

"I'm okay. I'll be okay, I guess. Don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Rose guards her words. "No, I guess you don't. But you do have us, okay? Please remember that. We're right down the road from you all summer long. We'll help you find your way, deal?"

"I know, Roe. I know you will…and thanks." Time to change the subject. I'm in no mood to host my pity party tonight, I can save that for tomorrow when the sun rises again of which I'm certain it will, damn it. It has risen every day just to spite me. Lord knows it's not going to stop now.



Last Call Bar & Grill attached to the Surf City Hotel

"So where's Em and what's good here?" I ask, picking up my menu.

"The neighbor grabbed him in the driveway as we were leaving, so he sent me down the block to meet you. He'll be here shortly. As for this place, I have no idea…the hotel changed owners a couple years back, I think. I used to come here to Ship Bottom every summer with my parents when I was growing up. My girlfriends and I would hang out at this bar once we hit the age where we could get away with it. They always had the cutest bartenders. I'm pretty sure it was a prerequisite to be a hottie in order to work here. And ooooh, I see that hasn't changed much! Yum!"

Rose's eyes get wide and she wiggles her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. I glance to my left as a server approaches to take our order.

"Hi ladies. What can I get for you?"

Rose starts. "I'll just have a dirty martini with two olives. Bells, what do you want?"

"Um. I think I'm gonna save the drinking for another night so I can get back home in one piece. Could I just have a -"

Bella's go-to beverage, Shirley Temple with three extra cherries

"Shirley Temple with three extra cherries?" says the waiter nonchalantly. 

My forehead wrinkles in confusion and astonished silence for a minute.

Huh? What just happened here?

My mouth opens and closes a few times before sound actually comes out.

"How- how did you know I was going to order that?"

"I have a photographic memory. I recognized you as soon as you walked in," he says, tapping his temple.

I hesitate, but curiosity wins.

"Yeah, but…h-have we met before? I'm sorry. I don't remember your face."

"Sooo not surprised by that," I hear him mutter.

Ouch. Okay.

"What?" 

"Nothing, nothing at all. Sorry. So, a dirty martini and a Shirley Temple coming up?"

"Yes, please," Rose replies with a smile and a wink and then stares at me questioningly.

"You got it. Be back in a minute." The hottie, as Rose referred to him, turns on his heels and suavely makes his way through the crowd back to the bar.

"Holy shit, Bells, do you know him?" she points with her thumb.

"Jesus, Roe, if I knew him I wouldn't have asked if I knew him! He doesn't even remotely ring any bells though, so I guess not."

"Well dang, you should LET him ring your bell, girl. And he obviously knows you," she snorts.

"Yeah, but I'm not blind. He certainly wasn't thrilled with our little reunion. I have no clue. Just another fucking question mark in my already puzzling existence. Step right up and check out Isabella King, the enigma wrapped in a mystery. Figure her out and you win a prize!" I roll my eyes at my own attitude. "I should be a sideshow at the damn circus, I swear."

"Bells, stop. Life down here is brand new. I'm so sorry that Didyme is gone. She was here for you and now she's gone and you're alone and trying to fill in the blanks and figure it all out yourself. It really sucks, I get it. But I'm here to help. So is Emmett. We'll figure it out. I promise, okay?"

I raise my eyebrows, resigned that I won't win this battle with her. "Okay, if you say so. I'm gonna run to the ladies room." I can't hop off the stool fast enough.

God, get me out of this place. I've been here for ten minutes and I'm eager to make my escape already.

Like I said…I'm a sad case.

EPOV

"Here you go. Anything else I can get for you right now?"

"Umm, actually? I just have a quick question. My girlfriend is in the restroom right now, but I was wondering, did you used to know her? Hang out? Date?"

"Who? Isabella? Hell no! I have a pretty liberal checklist on who I spend time with but kindness to other human beings falls into those standards. She was a raging, selfish bitch from the instant I met her until the blessed moment I didn't have to see her face anymore. Does that answer your question?"

Good God. I can't believe I just said all of that. Old feelings stirring up, I suppose.

What cosmic force did I piss off this time that it possibly warranted her reemergence into my life?

The blonde friend looks flabbergasted after listening to me spew hatred about her shrew of a friend. She says nothing in response to stifle my bitter diatribe, so I go on.

"Listen, I'm your bartender here and will happily take care of your drink orders for the night. But honestly, there's not one shred of decency in your little friend back there. At least there wasn't when I knew her. And I really don't care to revisit those days, ok? Life's too short, y'know? My name is Edward. Let me know if I can get you anything else."

And with that, I walk away. Screw the tip. With any luck, I won't ever have to see Isabella Swan step foot in this bar again.