The update... finally.

Enjoy Chapter three!

Bella strolled through the streets of Seattle, trying to find the exact address of the café she was supposed to meet Alice. In Phoenix it would have been a struggle for her – streets were crowded and the buildings were scattered in an overly complicated way. She often got lost and found herself tip-toeing to peer across the shoulders of the well-tanned Arizonians.

In Seattle it was almost too easy for her to navigate. It was quieter and the tempo of life suited her. It took her less than five minutes to find the café.

She peered into the café as she took off her jacket and attempted to dry her damp hair. Of course Alice wasn't there yet. Not that she expected her to be. She was probably still with her date. Alice Brandon, her best friend since forever, was smitten with some handsome stranger she met at an art gallery.

It was funny. Her sociable friend was usually the one being chased after. While Alice accepted the attention happily most of the time and flirted, she never did return the same regards they apparently have. It was almost unusual to see her friend reciprocating the affections. Certainly not in Phoenix.

Alice declared that it was because she was finally in the right state, where she belonged. She wished Bella felt the same about Seattle.

In truth, Bella did fit in here. In Arizona she was uncomfortable because everyone was tanned and loved the summers. In Seattle she belonged- everybody was pale and seemed to not mind the rain.

Bella loved rain.

But home was not here. It was still in Arizona, where she was constantly hating the sunshine. Where Edward was.

Never had she told Alice what happened the night before they flew from Arizona. What was the point of making her friend suffer so much misery and guilt? She couldn't jolly well change her mind and abandon her new job. Alice wanted to move to Seattle her whole life.

She shook her head and stared out of the window. She didn't want to think about this now. Not when she knew. Knew that Edward used to live here. That he could have possibly sat in this café once, in this exact seat, and looked out the precise window at the grey Seattle sky.

She winced a little. The ache was terrible. It felt almost like a physical pain. As if she lost a part of her somewhere.

For an insane moment Bella prayed for the Arizonian sun she loathed. It was harder to think about anything with the harsh sunlight dazzling. Also well, he was there.

Little rain droplets formed on the glassed window. She willed herself to look at it, to stop thinking and just stare blankly.

He may have sat in this exact seat once.

Stop it, she told herself. Stop.

If it was only a one night only occurrence, how come she can't stop thinking about him. About his lovely deep voice and laughter, about his dark green eyes.

Even after two months she couldn't stop wondering about him. Had he forgotten about her? About that night? About their connection?

She wondered if she made the right decision to leave Arizona. She wondered how come she was such a coward.

"Bella!"

Alice, her pixie-like friend was skipping merrily to her table, her fashionable short hair cut somehow untouched by the rain. Hell, Bella envied her. She was practically radiating happiness.

She tried her best to greet her friend with the same enthusiasm, but only managed a weak smile.

"Alice."

Her best friend whistled for the waiter. She didn't even bother to pick up the menu. She always knew what she wanted. The brunette found herself wondering why she couldn't be like that.

"Two Americanos. Oh, and a slice of lemon meringue," Alice ordered. The waiter nodded and left the table. She turned back to her best friend, who was blanking staring out of the window.

She cleared her throat slightly. Bella snapped out of her reverie and focused her attention on Alice, who was inspecting her rather inquisitively.

"So," She began, not knowing what to say. Bella racked her brains for a topic, anything that could distract the careful scrutiny of her best friend. "How was your date?" she finally asked.

Alice hesitated slightly, as if unwilling to move on to another topic. But she couldn't help but beam and perk up at the mention of her boyfriend.

"Amazing." She sighed happily.

"Is that all you can say?" Bella teased, relieved the distraction tactic had worked.

"No, I can go on all night about it, and you know it. You have known me since… When I was six?"

"True."

"He is amazing. He is sweet and sensitive and best of all he absolutely likes onion-and-sardine sandwich."

Bella smiled. One of her best friend's trademark was her culinary preferences. Alice Brandon had perfect hair and an impeccable fashion style, but her taste in food was weird beyond belief. As kids(and even now sometimes) Bella felt disgusted by some of the horrible concoctions her friend had made. It was truly weird, like one of those eat-it-if-you-dare gameshows. And sardine-and-onion happens to be one of her favourite food.

"Oh yeah?" Alice's new boyfriend sounded wonderful. Charming, doting, and shared the same penchant for horrifying cuisine. He truly was one of a kind.

The waiter appeared and set the two cups of coffee and slice of cake on the table.

"And I wasn't even the one who shoved it down his throat. I was over at his place and was looking for food in his kitchen fridge. Then I saw tins and tins of sardines and I asked him about it. He got all red and went, 'yeah, I like onion-and-sardine on a loaf'. That was when I knew he was the one."

"I am glad. I don't think anyone else would be able to stomach it."

Alice grinned. "I don't want anyone else to be able to stomach it."

Bella felt a pang of sadness hit her. Why was it that Alice could have it easy and meet her future-husband at an art gallery? Why was it that she had to meet Edward at some stupid party the day before she left Arizona for good?

It just wasn't fair.

Edward. She longed for him. The yearning to just see or touch was too great.

She was living like she was dying.

"Bella, I know you are hiding something from me."

She quickly shifted her gaze away from her friend's brown eyes. She played with the sugar packets.

"I am not."

Alice stared at her best friend. Did Bella really think she could fool her?

The best friend had noticed the change in Bella for a time now. She wasn't as happy as before. She was quiet before, but now… She was just withdrawn.

Finally she took a sip of her coffee.

"I have known you my whole life," Alice told her I know that you have been miserable for weeks, months even. I know that when you play with the sugar sachets like that it means you are nervous and hiding something."

Bella remained silent. Alice gave her a ten-second personal space before grabbing her friend's hand.

"I am worried about you. Please Bella, tell me what is going on," Alice pleaded.

"I met someone."

That was not the answer Alice was expecting. She tried to digest this piece of information.

"And that is bad?" She asked slowly.

Bella hesitated. She didn't know what to answer. On one hand it was the happiest moment of her life. On the other hand, if she hadn't met him, she wouldn't be miserable now.

"When I look at him my heart beats in a way it never did," she answered truthfully.

"What happened?"

"I met him at the party the night before we moved here. And I left him the next morning."

Alice's jaws fell open. She couldn't get even more surprised than this.

"And I love him," Bella added quietly.

She did. She truly did, She lost her head and fell in love with someone she will never meet again. It sounded like a Greek tragedy.

"Then why did you move here with me?" Alice demanded. "You should have stayed with him. Or at least, asked him to move here with you."

Bella smiled, but it was a bitter and sorrowful one.

"Because he moved to Arizona from Seattle a few days before we leave Arizona for Seattle…The irony just kills you, doesn't it?"

Alice was silent. Bella dropped the sugar sachet on the table.

"Fate clearly dictated we are not meant to be together," she finally said, her voice barely a hoarse whisper.

"No Bella," Her pixie friend said, slightly excited. "You have never fallen in love before, or so quickly. It must mean he is meant to be with you!"

Bella interrupted. "How can it be that I have to leave the moment I met him? Alice, I think the answer is obvious."

"Oh, Bells. I wish you wouldn't look it at it that way. And he never called you?"

"I never left him a number."

"Why?"

"I though the separation would be much less painful this way. But Alice! I love him!" Bella said, tear drops running down her face. "I love him so much. It isn't less painful at all. All I feel is hurt and pain."

Alice hugged her friend. Bella crumpled into her friend's arms, finally crumbling. It felt slightly comforting. But it was nowhere near Edward's warm embrace.

She couldn't pretend to be happy anymore. She couldn't pretend that he doesn't exist. She could maintain that façade.

"Alice," Bella cried. "I never wanted anything so much in my entire life. And it hurts to be here, to know that he could have sat in this café before, to breathe the same air I am breathing now, to walk down the same streets. It fucking hurts."

"That's why you were living like zombie these few weeks?" Alice asked her sobbing friend quietly. She felt Bella's tears soaking through her chiffon blouse.

"I wasn't living. I was just… not dead."

Bella took a piece of tissue that Alice had offered her. Not dead. That was an apt description. In a limbo.

"Bella… You need to call him."

"I can't. I don't have his number. Besides, it clearly isn't meant to be."

"Bullshit," Alice snorted slightly. "Look at me."

Bella met her earnest gaze. Alice looked at her seriously.

"You know it isn't a problem getting his number That was just an excuse. You could just easily called up someone in Arizona and asked. You even know where he lives! That isn't a problem at all, and you know it."

"No it isn't," she admitted.

"The problem lied with the fact that you think that you aren't meant to be lovers."

"Isn't it?" she asked wryly.

"No, it isn't. You two are meant to be. You just have to see it in another perpective."

"How can it be meant to be if we have to separate so soon?" Bella asked hollowly.

"Bella, listen to me. You love him. He loves you," her friend said firmly.

"That doesn't matter. I will never see him again."

"I'm not finished," Alice said slightly impatiently. "And more importantly, the two of you met. Fate meant it to be. Fate made you see him out of the thousands in the party Bella. Fate made you meet him before you come to Seattle."

"He could have forgotten about me," Bella whispered, her dark eyes flat.

"Or he could have remembered you. You don't share an experience like that and just forget it."

Bella would like to deny this, but she couldn't. Deep inside she knew this affected him as much as it affected her. That night… It was special.

Alice saw her friend contemplating, and crossed her fingers that she would make the right decision. Bella, she knew, read too much into fate. But then again Bella knew from her parent's unhappy marriage that things can't be forced. Some things are governed by fate.

But she knew also, that if Bella didn't treasure this opportunity, there was a chance she will never be happy again.

She clutched her friend's hand even more tightly.

"Bella, just cherish what you had. Some people go on for years looking for an experience like this and never find it. But you did. That must mean something."

Bella looked blankly at the scrap of notebook paper in her hand.

Just do it.

Something about what Alice said two weeks ago affected her thoughts. That must mean something, her best friend's voice echoed in her head.

Alice was right. She needed to give this one more treasure. She couldn't just let it go like that.

And so, Isabella Swan hesitatingly called her friends from Arizona for help. She surmised that he rented the house from someone and the number was probably listed down in some sort of housing agency. A week later, she found herself scribbling the number of his house down.

And now, she just needed the courage to hear his voice. She willed herself to be strong.

Just do it.

She started to press the key pad slowly and placed the phone up to her ear. A sound of a dial tone was heard at the other end.

Bella held her breath, her heart accelerating a little. She imagined hearing his velvet voice, his soothing laugh. Oh god, she missed it.

"Hello?"

Reality broke into her fantasy. The voice was unfamiliar, a woman's. For a second her mind went wild, a pain shot through her. But she told herself to calm down. The woman's voice sounded too mature. It could be his mother,

"Hello?" said the voice again. Bella quickly replied.

"Hi. I was just wondering… Is Edward around? I need to speak to him." There, it was out now.

"Edward?" The woman asked quizzically. "There is no Edward here. Only me and my husband Ron here."

That puzzled Bella.

"He lived here a few months ago," Bella told her. "But perhaps I got the wrong number."

"Ah," the woman said understandingly. "I think I know who you are talking about. He was the previous tenant, I think."

Previous?

"He has moved away. Rather a quick stay too. I was told he barely stayed her for over a week."

"Do you have his new number?" Bella asked desperately, not caring how she sounded anymore.

"I'm sorry darling. He left without any contact."

"Thank you." Bella mumbled and then quickly hung up.

There was no doubt of it now. Alice's interpretation of fate was totally wrong. They weren't meant to be. And the phone conversation was further proof of that.

She didn't even know where he was now. They had no way of contact with each other. He could have went to Alaska and she won't even know.

Bella's fingers trembled as she dialed the number she knew by heart.

"Hi!" A voice chirped.

"Alice, I need you… He left."

All was truly lost. The tears she knew will come finally came.

Yeah okay this chapter totally didn't turn out the way i want it to. But i will try harder next time. And i know i totally a b for not updating so long, and i totally, totally apologise for that. *Grins*

Judging from experience, readership and review tends to motivate writers a lot... Thats why JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer didnt take fifteen years to publish their book sequels.

Is this totally a hint? Hell yeah.